* John Tavares scored a hat trick as the Maple Leafs erased a one-goal deficit, marking the first time in franchise history that the club’s first five wins of a season have been in come-from-behind fashion.
* Victor Olofsson, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each posted a multi-point performance as the Sabres scored five goals in the third period of a game for the first time in nearly seven years.
* The Bruins (9-1-0, 18 points) and Golden Knights (9-2-0, 18 points) will both take to the ice as part of a 13-game Thursday with hopes of becoming the first teams to collect 10 wins in 2022-23.
AVARES NETS HAT TRICK AS MAPLE LEAFS STAGE ANOTHER COMEBACK WIN John Tavares (3-1—4) scored a hat trick and Auston Matthews (1-1—2) tallied Toronto's opening goal as the Maple Leafs erased a 1-0 deficit to win at Scotiabank Arena. This marks the first time in franchise history that each of Toronto’s first five victories of a season have been comeback wins.
* Tavares’ hat trick was the 11th of his career and his first since March 25, 2019, boosting his career totals to 398-511—909 in 960 career games. The Maple Leafs captain is now just two goals shy of becoming the 13th active skater with 400 career goals and the first from the 2009 NHL Draft.
* Matthews, who has found the back of the net in three of his past four contests after doing so only once in his seven prior outings, recorded his 66th power-play goal and surpassed Dave Keon (65) for sole possession of fifth place on the Maple Leafs' all-time list.
* Only five teams in the past 25 years have won each of their first six or more games of a campaign in come-from-behind fashion: Buffalo (10 in 2013-14), Pittsburgh (7 in 2020-21), Ottawa (6 in 2020-21), Montreal (6 in 2014-15) and Atlanta (6 in 2010-11).
SABRES SCORE FIVE IN THIRD PERIOD TO RALLY PAST PENGUINS After trailing 3-1, the Sabres scored five consecutive goals in the third period to defeat the Penguins, with Victor Olofsson (2-0—2), Tage Thompson (1-1—2) and Rasmus Dahlin (0-2—2) each collecting multiple points in the process. Wednesday marked the first time that Buffalo scored five times in the third period of a contest since Dec. 26, 2015 (6-3 W at BOS).
* Olofsson scored his team-leading seventh and eighth goals of the season. His four multi-goal games in 2022-23 are the second most by a Sabres player through the team’s first 10 games of a campaign, trailing only Richard Martin (5) in 1972-73.
* Thompson, who recorded six points against the Red Wings on Oct. 31, has accumulated 6-5—11 in his past three contests. Only one player in franchise history had more in a three-game span: Pat LaFontaine (4-9—13 from Oct. 23-30, 1992).
* ICYMI: Some Sabres players took a little – er, a lot – off the top before the game, shaving their heads in support of Hockey Fights Cancer.
LAUKO FULFILLS PROMISE TO LATE FRIEND WITH FIRST NHL GOAL Bruins rookie Jakub Lauko scored his first career NHL goal in Boston’s come-from-behind victory against the Penguins on Nov. 1, the first day of the NHL and NHLPA’s annual Hockey Fights Cancer campaign. Lauko, from Prague, Czechia, said after the game that he wouldn’t be keeping the monumental puck – but using it as a way to fulfill a promise to his late friend, Ondrej Buchtela.
* For more storylines throughout Hockey Fights Cancer month, follow NHL.com’s daily digest.
Alex Ovechkin (785-634—1,419 in 1,285 GP; all w/ WSH) returns to the ice with points in each of his past three games and goals in each of his previous two road outings. The Capitals captain sits one goal shy of tying Gordie Howe (786-1,023—1809 in 1,687 GP w/ DET) for the most by a player with a single franchise – a feat “Mr. Hockey” accomplished with Washington’s opponent Thursday.
* IgorShesterkin (6-0-2) remains without a regulation loss as the Rangers get set to welcome the Bruins, who have an undefeated netminder of their own in LinusUllmark (7-0-0). Shesterkin can match the franchise record for the longest season-opening point streak, a mark set by Gilles Villemure in 1971-72 (9 GP; 7-0-2). In the past decade, five netminders have recorded a point streak of nine-plus games to start a season: Jack Campbell (11 GP in 2020-21; 11-0-0), Pekka Rinne (10 GP in 2019-20; 8-0-2), Carey Price (12 GP in 2016-17; 11-0-1), Antti Niemi (9 GP in 2013-14; 8-0-1) and Corey Crawford (14 GP in 2012-13; 11-0-3). Ullmark, meanwhile, can match the Bruins’ benchmark for most consecutive decisions with a win to begin a campaign (TimThomas: 8-0-0 in 2010-11).
* Connor McDavid (11-11—22 in 10 GP), the NHL’s current leader in goals and points, will enter Thursday coming off his fourth four-point outing of the season. The Oilers captain has at least three points in each of his past three games (6-5—11) and will look to match the longest such stretch of his career (4 GP in 2020-21). The only other players in the past 20 years with three-plus points in four straight contests are Steven Stamkos (5 GP in 2021-22), Roman Josi (4 GP in 2021-22), Tyler Bertuzzi (4 GP in 2018-19), Keith Tkachuk (4 GP in 2005-06) and Patrick Marleau (4 GP in 2005-06).
* Jesper Bratt will put the NHL’s lengthiest point streak of 2022-23 on the line Thursday across the ice from McDavid when the Devils visit the Oilers. Bratt can surpass Tim Higgins (10 GP in 1984-85) for the Devils/Rockies/Scouts franchise record for longest season-opening point streak and become the fifth Devils player in the past 20 years to record a run of 11-plus games at any time of the season. He would join Taylor Hall (19 GP in 2017-18), Ilya Kovalchuk (12 GP in 2010-11), Brian Gionta (15 GP in 2005-06) and Jeff Friesen (12 GP in 2002-03).
Thanks to the NHL PR department for the information above.
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