AN NHL FIRST! TWO REGULAR-SEASON HAT TRICKS CAPPED IN OVERTIME

Friday marked the first day in NHL regular-season history that two players scored a hat trick that included an overtime goal, with forwards Viktor Arvidsson of the Kings and Jason Robertson of the Stars combining for the feat.

* The Blue Jackets set a franchise record for fastest three goals (0:46), but Arvidsson picked up a trio of his own to guide the Kings to their fifth multi-goal comeback win of the season. Arvidsson became the seventh player in club history to tally a hat trick that included an overtime goal as Los Angeles (30-19-7, 67 points) opened a three-point lead on idle Edmonton (30-21-4, 64 points) for second place in the Pacific Division.

* The Stars (31-20-3, 65 points) reentered the Western Conference playoff picture as Robertson netted his first career hat trick while skating in his 100th NHL game. He became the fourth player in Stars/North Stars history to cap a regular-season hat trick with an overtime goal and the first to do so since the club relocated to Dallas (two players did so in the playoffs).

PAVELSKI GOES FROM THE 7TH ROUND OF NHL DRAFT TO 900-POINT CLUB
Joe Pavelski (7th round pick in 2003) collected an assist to record his 900th career point (415-485—900 in 1,140 GP), the sixth player in NHL history to be selected in Round 7 or later and reach the milestone. Pavelski was selected as part of a nine-round draft, but in 2005 the event was reduced to seven rounds; since then, the most points by a player selected in the final round is 533 (PatricHornqvist, 7th round pick in 2005).



HURRICANES, RANGERS GAIN GROUND IN METROPOLITAN

The tight race in the Metropolitan Division continued Friday as the Hurricanes (38-12-5, 81 points) defeated the Penguins (34-14-9, 77 points) in a battle of the top two clubs, while the Rangers (35-15-5, 75 points) won to move within two points of Pittsburgh.

* With Carolina down 2-0 in the second period, captain Jordan Staal (2-0—2) ignited a comeback against his former team, posting multiple goals against the club for the first time to set the stage for an overtime goal by Andrei Svechnikov (1-0—1). The Hurricanes have topped the Metropolitan Division for all but six days since Jan. 27 and now sit within three points of the idle Avalanche (40-11-4, 84 points) for first place in the overall standings with less than a week remaining before their first meeting of the season (Thursday, March 10).

* Chris Kreider (1-1—2) assisted on the opening goal and added his 36th tally of the season – two off the League lead – while Igor Shesterkin made 32 saves in New York’s 35th win. Shesterkin’s 16 wins at Madison Square Garden in 2021-22 are the most by a Rangers goaltender through 20 home appearances in a season.

* Shesterkin (.940 SV%) owns the second-highest save percentage at this stage of a season (36 GP) on record, trailing only Jacques Plante (.942 SV%) in 1970-71 with Toronto – the same campaign that Plante set the NHL mark for highest save percentage at end of season (min. 30 GP).

ROOKIE SCORING RACE FEATURED IN FRIDAY’S #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
Two of the top scoring rookies of 2021-22 are featured in Friday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates, with Detroit’s Moritz Seiderextending his point streak to eight games and Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras notching his 15th goal of the season (15-27—42 in 51 GP).

NHL PODCAST WEEKLY ROUNDUP

* Fantasy on Ice (2/28): Highlighting the best pickups entering Week 19

* Soul on Ice (3/2): NHL Bound recap; Guest Jason Ross Jr. (Blackhawks first Black TV pxp)

* The Chirp (3/3): Guest Sheri Hudspeth on growing girl’s hockey in Las Vegas

* NHL @TheRink (3/3): Dan and Shawn are joined by Wild GM Bill Guerin

* Fantasy on Ice (3/3): Guest Shayna Goldman (Athletic/Sportlogiq/Sportsnet) adds analytical insight

QUICK CLICKS

* Sharks prospect Ozzy Wiesblatt signs message ahead of Hockey Is For Everyone Night

* Wayne Simmonds to play 1,000th NHL game with hometown Maple Leafs

* Matt Savoie showing tenacity to emerge as top 2022 NHL Draft prospect

* Steven Stamkos' son gets wish, rides Zamboni at Lightning game

COLUMBUS TO RETIRE NASH’S No. 61 AT NATIONWIDE ARENA SATURDAY

Former Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash is set to have his No. 61 raised to the rafters at Nationwide Arena during a 10-game NHL slate Saturday. Nash, who tops the franchise’s all-time lists for goals (289), assists (258), points (547) and games played (674), will become the first player to have his number retired by Columbus.

* Nash was nabbed by the Blue Jackets with the first overall pick in the 2002 NHL Draft and went on to skate each of his first nine seasons with the franchise (2002-03–2011-12) before joining the Rangers for parts of six campaigns (2012-13–2017-18). Nash was then acquired by Boston, Columbus’ opponent Saturday, and played the final 23 games of his NHL career with the Bruins (11 regular season & 12 playoffs).

* Nash was the Blue Jackets’ outright goals leader in eight consecutive seasons, a streak which began in 2003-04 when he had 41 goals en route to winning the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (w/ Jarome Iginla & Ilya Kovalchuk). That season saw Nash become the seventh different teenager in League history to reach the 40-goal mark, following Dale Hawerchuk (2x), Brian Bellows, Jimmy Carson, Mario Lemieux, Sylvain Turgeon and Wayne Gretzky – a list that has since added Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine.

GIORDANO, SIMMONDS SET TO SKATE IN 1,000TH GAME

Kraken defenseman Mark Giordano and Maple Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds are both expected to skate in their 1,000th career regular-season NHL game Saturday.

* Among players to debut in 1963-64 or later (after the first NHL Draft was held in 1963), Giordano will become the 27th undrafted player to reach 1,000 regular-season games and just the 10th defenseman among that group to reach the milestone – Islanders blueliner Andy Greene also joined the list earlier this season.

* Simmonds, who was a second-round pick by the Kings in 2007 (61st overall), is set to become the third member of his Draft class to reach 1,000 games behind a pair of top-10 selections: Patrick Kane (No. 1) and Jakub Voracek (No. 7).

HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA IN CREE TO DEBUT SATURDAY

The first of six Hockey Night in Canada in Cree broadcasts will take place Saturday on APTN when the Maple Leafs host the Canucks at Scotiabank Arena. The action will be delivered in Plains Cree with play-by-play commentary from Clarence Iron. Host Earl Wood and analysts John Chabot and Jason Chamakese will also be part of the broadcast.