KANE SCORES 400TH CAREER NHL GOAL
Patrick Kane’s 400th career regular-season goal was one of Chicago’s season-high seven tallies on Sunday. Among all U.S.-born players in NHL history to reach the milestone, the Buffalo, N.Y., native became the fifth youngest at the time of goal No. 400.



* Kane boosted his career totals to 400-656—1,056 (996 GP) and became the fourth player in Blackhawks history to reach the milestone, joining Bobby Hull (604-549—1,153 in 1,036 GP), Stan Mikita (541-926—1,467 in 1,396 GP) and Steve Larmer (406-517—923 in 891 GP).

* Meanwhile, Kevin Lankinen made 44 saves for his sixth win in the month of February (6-2-1) and also joined rare company in franchise history. Only three rookie goaltenders since 1955-56 (when shots on goal began being tracked) posted more in a win for Chicago: Bob Janecyk (48 on Feb. 29, 1984 vs. BUF), Darren Pang (48 on Jan. 23, 1988 at TOR) and Collin Delia (46 on Dec. 27, 2018 vs. MIN).

OVECHKIN INCHES CLOSER TO ESPOSITO ON ALL-TIME GOALS LIST
Alex Ovechkin’s go-ahead goal in the second period stood as the winning marker as the MassMutual East Division-leading Capitals improved to 12-5-4 this season. Ovechkin (713) moved four goals shy of tying Phil Esposito (717) for sixth place on the NHL’s all-time list and within five of tying him for third on the all-time game-winning goals list.

* Ovechkin also netted his 362nd career regular-season goal on the road. Only one player in NHL history has more.



SOROKIN JOINS RARE COMPANY WITH ANOTHER SHUTOUT WIN
Ilya Sorokin turned aside all 20 shots he faced to backstop the Islanders to victory and help New York improve to 7-0-2 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season. Sorokin, the second rookie goaltender in franchise history to record consecutive shutouts, became the eighth in NHL history to accomplish the feat through his first two career regular-season wins.



FLYERS EARN THIRD STRAIGHT SHUTOUT WIN VS. SABRES
Sean Couturier scored the game-winning goal for the second time in as many days and Carter Hart turned aside all 28 shots he faced as the Flyers earned consecutive shutout wins on the road for the first time in franchise history.

* The Flyers, who also blanked the Sabres on Jan. 19 and Feb. 27, shut out an opponent in three consecutive meetings for the first time in franchise history. Philadelphia became the second team in five years to achieve the feat. The other: Florida (Dec. 30, 2017 vs. MTL, March 8, 2018 vs. MTL & March 19, 2018 at MTL).

* Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault improved to 52-25-10 behind the Philadelphia bench and became the fifth active head coach to win 700 regular-season games.



NHL CLUBS GRADUALLY WELCOMING FANS BACK AT REDUCED CAPACITY
As the 2020-21 regular season enters its third calendar month and the one-year anniversary of last season’s pause draws near, NHL clubs are gradually welcoming fans back into their buildings including the Rangers who had 1,800 fans in attendance at Madison Square Garden for games against the Bruins both Friday and Sunday.



* Vegas is set to open its doors at 15% capacity tonight, followed later this week by Columbus (March 2; 10%), New Jersey (March 2; 10%) and Carolina (March 4; 15%).

* Overall, 13 of 31 NHL clubs either have already opened their arena at a reduced capacity or have announced plans to do so this month.



QUICK CLICKS

* First professional women's hockey game is played at MSG
* Pavel Zacha extends point streak to 10 games with Devils
* Auston Matthews practices with Maple Leafs, could play against Oilers on Monday
* Predators sweep back-to-back set, hand Blue Jackets fifth straight loss

WILD, GOLDEN KNIGHTS SET TO BATTLE FOR FIRST IN HONDA WEST
The top two teams in the Honda West Division are set to square off when the Wild (12-6-0, 24 points) travel to T-Mobile Arena to take on the first-place Golden Knights (12-4-1, 25 points).



* Minnesota enters Monday’s action with a six-game win streak, tied for the longest by any club this season (also LAK: 6-0-0 from Feb. 11-24 & TBL: 6-0-0 from Jan. 30 - Feb. 9). It also marks the club’s longest such run since a franchise-record 12 straight victories during the 2016-17 campaign (Dec. 4-29, 2016).

* Kirill Kaprizov (6-11—17), Minnesota’s fifth-round pick (135th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft, leads the Wild in points this season and enters tonight’s action with a five-game point streak dating to Feb. 20. Only one rookie in franchise history has recorded a longer such stretch: Marian Gaborik (7 GP in 2000-01).

* Max Pacioretty (8-5—13 in 17 GP) leads the Golden Knights with eight goals this season, all of which have come on home ice. With goals in each of his last two games at T-Mobile Arena, Pacioretty can join Nick Foligno (9 w/ CBJ in 2019-20), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (11 w/ MTL in 2018-19) and Nick Bonino (12 w/ NSH in 2017-18) as the fourth player in as many seasons to score each of his first nine-plus tallies of a season at home.

PANTHERS, HURRICANES LOOK TO CONTINUE EARLY-SEASON SUCCESS
The Panthers (13-4-3, 29 points) and Hurricanes (13-6-1, 27 points) are set to go head-to-head for the second time in as many games after each club has completed one of their best 20-game starts to a season in franchise history.

* Florida, with five wins in its last eight games, has collected at least 13 victories through its first 20 contests of a season for the second time in franchise history (also 14 in 1995-96). Meanwhile, its 29 points are tied with the 1995-96 (14-5-1, 29 points) and 1996-97 (12-3-5, 29 points) campaigns for the most through that same span.

* Carolina on the other hand has compiled its second-best 20-game start to a season in franchise history. Its 13 wins and 27 points over that span trails only the Stanley Cup-winning 2005-06 campaign (14-5-1, 29 points) for the highest-such totals in franchise history.

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the information above.