SKINNER NETS OT WINNER TO LIFT SABRES TO 10TH STRAIGHT WIN

Jeff Skinner scored the overtime winner for the second time in three contests to lift the Sabres to their 10th consecutive victory. Buffalo (17-6-2, 36 points), who leads the NHL with 36 points this season, matched the longest win streak in franchise history - a feat set in 1983-84 and tied in 2006-07.

* Nine of the wins in Buffalo’s streak have been by a one-goal margin, including seven that required extra time. Only one other team in NHL history has recorded as many one-goal victories as part of a winning streak of 10 or more games – Pittsburgh won nine one-goal games during a 15-game winning streak from Mar. 2-30, 2013.

* Skinner (19-8—27 in 25 GP) scored his 19th goal of the season to extend his point streak to five contests and move into a tie with Winnipeg’sPatrik Laine and Boston’s David Pastrnak for the League lead. Three players in Sabres franchise history have reached the 20-goal mark in 26 or fewer games: Richard Martin (24 GP in 1972-73), Dave Andreychuk (26 GP in 1992-93) and Danny Gare (26 GP in 1975-76).

* Carter Hutton improved to 8-0-0 in his last eight decisions, a stretch in which he’s allowed two or fewer goals on six occasions. Only two goaltenders in Sabres franchise history have posted longer win streaks: Martin Biron (11 GP in 2005-06) and Gerry Desjardins (9 GP 1976-77).

GOLDEN KNIGHTS SCORE FRANCHISE-RECORD EIGHT GOALS
Cody Eakin and Shea Theodore each posted 2-1—3 as the Golden Knights found the back of the net eight times to establish a franchise record for most goals in a game and extend their winning streak to four contests. Vegas, who scored six goals vs. San Jose on Saturday, has notched six or more goals in consecutive contests for the second time in franchise history (also: Feb. 21 and 23, 2018).

* The Golden Knights are the fourth team in 2018-19 to post consecutive outings with at least six goals, joining the Capitals (Oct.3 and 4), Maple Leafs (Oct. 7 and 9), Penguins (Oct. 23 and 25) and Flames (Nov. 19 and 21).

* Additionally, they recorded the 10th instance of a team scoring at least eight goals in a game this season and the second in four days (WPG on Nov. 24 at STL).

MACKINNON, RANTANEN ADD TO MULTI-POINT EFFORTS
Nathan MacKinnon (2-0—2) and Mikko Rantanen (0-2—2) each collected two points as the Avalanche extended their winning streak to five contests and snapped an 11-game regular-season losing skid against the Predators that dated to April 5, 2016.

* Rantanen’s two helpers boosted his season totals to 10-30—40 in 24 GP to become the first NHL player to 40 points this season. The only other time an Avalanche/Nordiques player was the first to 40 points in a season was Peter Forsberg in 1997-98, when he and Philadelphia’s John LeClair both reached the mark on Dec. 12, 1997.

* At 24 games, Rantanen recorded the fastest instance of a player reaching the 40-point mark to begin a season since the club relocated to Denver in 1995-96. Three players did so in fewer team games while the franchise was located in Quebec: Michel Goulet (14-27—41 in 20 GP, 1987-88), Peter Stastny (18-22—40 in 21 GP, 1987-88) and Marian Stastny (19-21—40 in 22 GP, 1982-83).

* Rantanen and MacKinnon have both recorded multi-point games in each of the Avalanche’s past five contests. Only two other sets of teammates since 1996-97 have simultaneously recorded multi-point efforts in five consecutive team games: Josh Bailey and John Tavares from Dec. 13-21, 2017 w/ NYI and Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau from Jan 20-27, 2013 w/ SJS.

* MacKinnon, Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog have combined for 41-62—103 through Colorado’s first 24 contests of 2018-19 to become the first trio to reach 100 points through a team’s first 24 games of a season since Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza did so with Ottawa in 2005-06 (40-61—101 in 19 GP). Of note, Pittsburgh’s trio of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Ron Francis combined for 100+ points in the team’s first 13 games of the 1995-96 season – a campaign that witnessed the teammates finish first, second and fourth in League scoring, respectively.

SENATORS, COYOTES STAGE THIRD-PERIOD RALLIES TO HALT SKIDS
The Senators and Coyotes both benefited from third-period rallies to overcome multi-goal deficits and halt four-game skids.

* Brady Tkachuk (2-1—3) scored twice in the final 10 minutes of regulation to boost his season totals to 9-7—16 in 14 GP this season. Senatorsrookies have accounted for a League-leading 53 points this season (26-27—53 in 25 GP). This marks the fourth instance in the last 10 years to feature a club with 50+ points by their rookies through their first 25 games: the Bruins (2017-18), Devils (2017-18) and Maple Leafs (2016-17).

* Additionally, Tuesday’s contest marked the third time in franchise history in which the Senators rallied from a multi-goal deficit in the final ten minutes of the third period to win in regulation. They also accomplished the feat on March 25, 2008 at BUF and March 23, 1994 vs. DET.

* Josh Archibald (2-1—3) scored twice in the third period en route to posting his first career three-point outing. The last time the Coyotes rallied from a multi-goal deficit in the third period to win in any fashion was Feb. 8, 2018, also at Minnesota. Additionally, the Coyotes rallied from a multi-goal deficit in the third period to win in regulation for the fourth time since relocating to Phoenix in 1996-97: Feb. 26, 2017 vs. BUF, April 14, 2002 vs. NSH and Nov. 28, 1999 at DET.

* The Senators and Coyotes marked the sixth and seventh instances this season of a team rallying from a multi-goal deficit in the third period to win in regulation. In fact, Ottawa is the only team to do so on multiple occasions: also Nov. 10 at Tampa Bay.

QUICK CLICKS

* Penguins extend point streak to five games

* Erik Karlsson expects emotional return to Ottawa on Saturday (via Mike Zeisberger)

* Islanders return to Nassau Coliseum special to Stan Fischler

SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY’S ACTION

FORMER TEAMMATES MARLEAU, THORNTON MEET IN TORONTO

Longtime teammates Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton will face off for the fourth time since Marleau joined Toronto prior to the 2017-18 season when the Maple Leafs (17-8-0, 24 points) host the Sharks (12-8-5, 29 points) at Scotiabank Arena.

* Wednesday will mark the 14th all-time meeting between Thornton and Marleau, with 10 of the previous 13 coming before they were teammates in San Jose and three since the latter joined Toronto in 2017-18. Thornton has a slight edge with 1-7—8 in those meetings, while Marleau has 2-5—7; Marleau’s teams are 6-5-2 compared to 5-5-3 for Thornton’s.

* Thornton and Marleau teamed up on the same goal 290 times for the Sharks from 2005-06 to 2016-17 (260 in regular-season, 30 in playoffs). Overall, Thornton and Marleau combined for 555-1,101—1,656 over the course of 899 regular-season games in which both players were in theSharks lineup.

* Forever linked as the top two picks from the 1997 NHL Draft, Thornton and Marleau have combined for by far the most regular-season games played by the top two picks from the same draft (3,109 GP).

Among players selected either first or second overall in 1997 from the NBA (Tim Duncan, Keith Van Horn), MLB (Matt Anderson, J.D. Drew) or NFL (Orlando Pace, Darrell Russell), only one played beyond 2011. Duncan retired after the 2015-16 campaign following 19 seasons and 1,392 games with the San Antonio Spurs.

the information above was provided by the NHL PR department