PANTHERS HANG ON FOR FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON

The Capitals overcame deficits of 4-1 and 5-4, but Jonathan Huberdeau (1-2—3) scored the decisive marker in the shootout as the Panthers defeated the defending Stanley Cup champions to earn their first win of the season (1-2-2).

* Vincent Trocheck (1-2—3) collected three points in the first period to boost his totals to 2-5—7 this season (5 GP). He leads all Panthers players with 136 points since the beginning of the 2016-17 season (56-80—136 in 169 GP), including a career-high 31 goals in 2017-18.

* Michael Hutchinson, who signed with Florida on July 1, made 10 saves in relief of James Reimer and denied two shootout attempts to earn his first win in a Panthers uniform (2 GP). He became the second goaltender in franchise history to earn his first win with the club in a relief effort, joining Jacob Markstrom on Oct. 22, 2011 (4-2 W vs. NYI).

DID YOU KNOW?

Friday’s contest between the Panthers and Capitals was the 12th to feature at least 10 combined goals in 2018-19 (101 GP), the highest such total through the first 100 games of a season since 1995-96 (17).

SUTER REACHES 500-POINT MILESTONE IN WILD WIN

Ryan Suter collected 1-1—2 – including scoring the game-winning goal with 7:06 remaining in regulation – to reach the 500-point milestone (77-423—500) and help the Wild improve to 3-2-2 this season. He became the 11th U.S.-born defenseman in NHL history to record at least 500 career points, a list which includes his uncle, Gary Suter.

PREDATORS EXTEND WIN STREAK, IMPROVE TO 6-1-0 THIS SEASON

The Flames overcame deficits of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, but Zac Rinaldo scored the go-ahead goal at 6:31 of the third period as the Predators improved to 6-1-0 this season, including four consecutive wins. Nashville earned at least six wins through its first seven games in a season for the third time in franchise history (also 7-0-0 in 2005-06 and 6-1-0 in 2015-16).

* Rinaldo, who signed with Nashville on July 2, scored his first goal in a Predators uniform (7 GP). The marker was his second career game-winning goal and first since Jan. 8, 2014 (w/ PHI).

QUICK CLICKS

· David Pastrnak surging with Bruins, seen as 'next Jaromir Jagr' (via Amalie Benjamin)

· Alex Tuch signs seven-year contract with Golden Knights

· Jordin Tootoo retires after 13 NHL seasons

SNEAK PEEK AT SATURDAY’S ACTION

TOP PERFORMERS FROM FIRST 100 GAMES IN ACTION SATURDAY

The 2018-19 season eclipsed 100 games on Friday (101 GP). The first 101 games of the season saw one team score seven or more goals in a game 12 times (vs. 4 times through 101 GP in 2017-18), paving the way for a number of standout offensive performances including 22 skaters with 10 or more points (vs. 12 through 101 GP in 2017-18). Many of the players who have starred early this season will be in action on Saturday:

* The Maple Leafs and the League’s leading scorer, Auston Matthews (10-6—16 in 8 GP), host the Blues at Scotiabank Arena Saturday. Matthews, who saw his season-opening point streak halted Thursday vs. the Penguins, became one of just five players in NHL history to collect multiple points in each of his team’s first seven games to open a season. Of the four previous players to do so, all went on to record 50-goal, 100-point campaigns and two of them, Wayne Gretzky in 1983-84 and Mario Lemieux in 1992-93, captured the Art Ross Trophy.

* Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche continue their four-game road trip when they travel to Carolina to face the Hurricanes. Fresh off multi-point outings Thursday night in New Jersey, MacKinnon (7-4—11) and teammate Mikko Rantanen (2-11—13) have both found the score sheet in each of Colorado’s seven contests of 2018-19. Only one other set of teammates in franchise history have opened a season with at least one point in each of the team’s first eight games: Joe Sakic (10-7—17 in 12 GP) and Anton Stastny (1-10—11 in 8 GP) in 1988-89 with Quebec.

* The Oilers host the Predators at Rogers Place in Edmonton with reigning two-time Art Ross Trophy winner Connor McDavid averaging an NHL-best 2.20 points per game in 2018-19 (4-7—11 in 5 GP). McDavid, who has factored on 11 of 13 Edmonton goals this season (84.6%), has averaged 0.82 assists per game throughout his career to tie Penguins forward Sidney Crosby for the highest such average among active players (min. 10 GP).

* The Devils, led by Kyle Palmieri (7-1—8 in 5 GP), have outscored their opponents 20-6 through their first five games of the season heading into a Metropolitan Division showdown with the Flyers. Palmieri, who became the first player in NHL history to score his team’s opening goal in four consecutive games to start a season, looks to become the fourth player in franchise history to record a season-opening point streak of at least six contests. The others: Tim Higgins in 1984-85 (5-5—10 in 10 GP), Claude Lemieux in 1992-93 (1-6—7 in 6 GP) and David Clarkson in 2012-13 (4-4—8 in 6 GP).

* After a four-day break, the Senators host the Canadiens at Canadian Tire Centre. Rookie defenseman Maxime Lajoie leads the Senators in goals and ranks third in points (4-3—7). In only six career games, Lajoie already holds the franchise record for points by a defenseman through seven career games – besting the mark of six points (1-5—6) set in 2016-17 by teammate Thomas Chabot, who currently shares the team lead with 2-6—8. Only eight defensemen in NHL history have recorded eight or more points in their first seven career games including four in the modern era (since 1943-44): Phil Housley in 1982-83 (2-8—10 w/ BUF), Will Butcher in 2017-18 (0-9—9 w/ NJD), Alexei Zhitnik in 1992-93 (1-7—8 w/ LAK) and Dave Pichette in 1980-81 (1-7—8 w/ QUE).

* Patrice Bergeron (6-7—13), Brad Marchand (2-10—12) and David Pastrnak (8-3—11) look to continue their high-scoring ways when the Bruins visit the Canucks in the third contest of a four-game Canadian road trip. Since the start of 2016-17, Pastrnak (77), Marchand (75) and Bergeron (57) have combined for 209 regular-season goals, which trails only the 212 combined goals scored by Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin (78), Sidney Crosby(73) and Phil Kessel (61) for the most among any trio of current teammates.

the information above was supplied by the NHL PR department