LEAGUE-LEADING LIGHTNING EXTEND WIN STREAK TO SIX GAMES

Steven Stamkos (2-2—4) factored on four of seven goals to help the League-leading Lightning (23-7-1, 47 points) defeat the Avalanche and extend their win streak to six games, the longest active run in the NHL. Tampa Bay scored seven markers in a game for an NHL-best fourth time in 2018-19 and leads the League with 124 goals for overall this season (including two shootout-deciding goals).

MacKINNON REACHES 20-GOAL MARK

Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon (20-25—45 in 30 GP) scored to become the sixth player to reach the 20-goal mark this season. The 2018-19 campaign marked the first season to feature six or more 20-goal scorers through the first 453 games since 1996-97, when seven players achieved the feat (Jaromir Jagr, Mats Sundin, Mario Lemieux, Tony Amonte, Geoff Sanderson, John LeClair, Ziggy Palffy).

FLAMES EXTEND WIN STREAK, CLAIM FIRST PLACE IN WESTERN CONFERENCE

Garnet Hathaway scored the go-ahead goal at 6:03 of the third period to help the Flames defeat the Predators and extend their win streak to five games. Calgary improved to 19-9-2 (40 points) this season and leapfrogged Colorado (17-8-5, 39 points) and Nashville (19-10-1, 39 points) for first place in the Western Conference standings.

OVECHKIN, HUBERDEAU CONTINUE TO ROLL

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (1-1—2) and Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau (1-2—3) each found the scoresheet to continue recent strings of success:

* Ovechkin scored his League-leading 22nd goal of the season and collected an assist to extend his point streak to 11 games (10-6—16). He is two games shy of equaling the longest point streak of his NHL career, a mark he set from Jan. 1 – Feb. 1, 2007 (8-12—20 in 13 GP).

* Huberdeau collected multiple points for the seventh time in his last eight games dating to Nov. 24 (4-13—17). His 17 points in that span lead all players, three more than Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (3-11—14 in 8 GP).

NO LEAD IS SAFE

The Flyers, Kings and Islanders each overcame deficits to secure wins on Saturday:

* Claude Giroux (1-3—4) factored on four of Philadelphia’s six unanswered goals to help the Flyers overcome a 2-0 deficit and snap Buffalo’s home point streak at nine games (7-0-2). Giroux recorded at least four points in a regular-season game for the 10th time in his NHL career (all w/ PHI) and trails only nine players for the most such outings in franchise history.

* Nikita Scherbak scored in his team debut to help the Kings defeat the Golden Knights in their first meeting since the opening round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, a four-game triumph by Vegas. Scherbak, who was acquired by Los Angeles on Dec. 2, skated in his first NHL game since April 3.

* New York erased a 2-0 deficit and Matt Martin scored his first game-winning goal since March 23, 2016 as the Islanders rallied past the Red Wings.

DID YOU KNOW?

There have been 199 instances of a team overcoming a deficit to win in 2018-19, the most-ever through the first 453 games of an NHL season. The 63 multi-goal comeback wins in 2018-19 are also the most through the first 453 games of an NHL season, one more than 1985-86 (62).

ALSO OF NOTE . . .

* Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (1-1—2) scored his 16th goal of the season (16-10—26 in 16 GP). He became the sixth different player in franchise history to score at least 16 goals through his first 16 games in a season and first since Busher Jackson in 1934-35 (16-5—21 in 16 GP).

* Bruins forward David Pastrnak (0-2—2) has 15-16—31 in 21 career games against Toronto (1.47 P/GP, regular season and playoffs combined). His career points per game average of 1.47 trails only one Bruins players for the highest such total against the Maple Leafsfranchise (min. 10 GP): Phil Esposito (1.52 P/GP).

* Henrik Lundqvist, who owns the second-most career regular-season wins among active goaltenders (441), denied one of two shootout attempts to backstop the Rangers past the Panthers. Lundqvist improved to 9-2-1 in 12 career head-to-head matchups against Panthersnetminder Roberto Luongo, who owns the most career regular-season wins among active goaltenders (476).

* Sharks forward Lukas Radil (GWG) scored the first goal of his NHL career (6 GP). Radil (28 years, 125 days) became the fifth-oldest player to score his first career NHL goal with the Sharks, behind Bracken Kearns (32 years, 231 days) on Dec. 29, 2013, Jay Leach (30 years, 190 days) on March 11, 2010, Gary Emmons (29 years, 308 days) on Oct. 24, 1993 and Bryan Lerg (29 years, 79 days) on April 9, 2015.

QUICK CLICKS

· Ducks general manager Bob Murray gets contract extension

· Facts and Figures: Connor McDavid's big night powers Oilers

· Natalie Darwitz led by example on way to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame (via Tracey Myers)

SNEAK PEEK AT SUNDAY’S ACTION

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the information above.