NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER

A look back at the month of November, which finished with the third-most goals of any calendar month in League history (1,317 in 216 GP) behind March 2018 (1,434 G in 235 GP) and March 2006 (1,375 G in 226 GP):

* Eight players recorded 20 or more points in November. Since 2010-11, the only month with more such performances was March 2018 (9).

* Seven players scored 10 or more goals this month. The last time at least eight players hit double digits in goals in a calendar month was December 2007 (8).

* Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau became the 58th player to accumulate at least 10 goals so far in 2018-19. Only six NHL seasons saw more such performances by the end of November: 1981-82 (69), 1983-84 (67), 1992-93 (65), 1982-83 (59), 1989-90 (59) and 1993-94 (59).

* Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom scored the 20th hat trick in November (32nd this season), marking the fourth instance in the last 20 years in which there have been 20 or more hat-tricks recorded in a calendar month.

BACKSTROM’S HAT TRICK LIFTS CAPITALS TO TOP OF METROPOLITAN DIVISION
Coming off his third three-assist game of the season Monday, Nicklas Backstrom (3-1—4) netted his second career hat trick to power theCapitals to their seventh straight win and back into first place in the Metropolitan Division (15-7-3, 33 points).

* Backstrom (218-613—831 in 840 GP) moved into a tie with Mike Ridley (218-329—547) for the fourth-most goals in franchise history. Backstom’s three-point outing Monday propelled him ahead of Peter Bondra (472-353—825 in 961 GP) for sole possession of second place on the Capitals’ all-time points list. He already is the all-time franchise leader in assists.

* Washington’s winning streak stands as the League’s longest active run and the club’s best since they posted nine consecutive victories from Dec. 31 - Jan. 15, 2017.

SKINNER, OVECHKIN GAIN GROUND ON LAINE IN GOALS RACE

Ten different players have scored at least 15 goals this season to sit within six goals of League-leader Patrik Laine (21-3—24), including Jeff Skinner (20-8—28) and Alex Ovechkin (19-12—31) who each found the back of the net Friday.

* Skinner opened the scoring with his 20th goal of the season to join Richard Martin (20 in 1972-73) as the only players in franchise history to score 20 goals before the month of December. He became just the seventh player in franchise history to require 27 or fewer team games to tally 20 goals.

* Among players in their first season with a new club over the past 91 years, only five hit 20 goals in fewer personal games than Skinner: Dave Andreychuk in 1992-93 w/ TOR (19 GP), Alexander Mogilny in 1995-96 w/ VAN (23 GP), Wayne Gretzky in 1988-89 w/ LAK (25 GP), Marian Gaborik in 2009-10 w/ NYR (25 GP) and John LeClair in 1994-95 w/ PHI (26 GP).

* Ovechkin, who extended his goal streak to four contests, scored his 626th career goal to surpass Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla (625) for sole possession of 15th on the NHL’s all-time list. Ovechkin (1,028 GP) now sits 14 goals shy of tying Dave Andreychuk (640 G in 1,639 GP) for 14th place all-time.

* Ovechkin, who ranks sixth all-time with 0.61 goals per game (min. 200 GP), last scored a goal in five consecutive team games from Dec. 29, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2015 (5-3—8 in 5 GP). He posted a career best seven-game goal streak from Feb. 10 - March 8, 2006 (8-5—13 in 7 GP), en route to capturing the Calder Memorial Trophy.

* Did You Know? Should Laine (0.88 G/GP, 21 G in 24 GP) score at least one goal Saturday, he would become the second player since 1997-98 to average at least 0.88 goals per game through 25 team games of a season (Simon Gagne in 2005-06: 0.92 G/GP, 23 G in 25 GP).

BARKOV, HUBERDEAU LEAD PANTHERS IN OVERTIME VICTORY
Aleksander Barkov scored in overtime and Jonathan Huberdeau (0-2—2) collected his fourth consecutive multi-assist game as the Panthersimproved to 6-0-0 in their last six contests vs. Buffalo dating to April 8, 2017.

* Huberdeau, coming off a career season in which he collected 27-42—69 (82 GP), leads Florida in scoring through 24 games this season with 5-21—26. He became the first player in franchise history to record multiple assists in four consecutive contests - a streak that began at the beginning of the Panthers’ franchise record eight-game homestand.

* The Panthers’ leading scorer is one of four players entering the month of December with an active multi-point streak of three of more contests - all of whom are in action Saturday: Mitchell Marner (0-8—8 in 3 GP w/ TOR), Blake Wheeler (1-6—7 in 3 GP w/ WPG) and Max Pacioretty (4-2—6 in 3 GP w/ VGK).

QUICK CLICKS

* Patrik Laine continues assault on record book (via Tim Campbell)
* Islanders set to bring back iconic 90’s jersey

* Goalies adjusting mindset for higher-scoring games

* 11-year old leukemia survivor Tyler Figueroa-Butler dazzles Hurricanes crowd with anthem
* NHL Winter Classic countdown underway

SNEAK PEEK AT SATURDAY’S ACTION

KARLSSON TO FACE SENATORS FOR FIRST TIME IN RETURN TO OTTAWA

Erik Karlsson will make his return to Ottawa for the first time since joining the Sharks in a trade on Sept. 13. Only eight former Senators have scored a goal in their first game in Ottawa after leaving the team, with Mika Zibanejad (April 8, 2017 w/ NYR) the last to do so. Michel Picard(Oct. 22, 1998 w/ STL) is the only with multiple goals, while Jamie Baker was the first to do it – on Feb. 24, 1994 with the Sharks.

* Karlsson, who holds the Senators all-time franchise marks for goals (126), assists (392) and points (518) by a defenseman, led or co-led the team in points for five consecutive seasons from 2013-14 to 2017-18. Only one other blueliner in NHL history led his team in points in as many campaigns: Ray Bourque led the Bruins in points five times (1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1990-91 and 1991-92).

* The much-anticipated contest will available in primetime across Europe on Saturday as the featuredEuropean Game of the Week.

ISLANDERS MAKE RETURN TO NASSAU COLISEUM

The Islanders will play the first of 21 home games at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season – now refurbished and part of NYCB Live– when they host the Blue Jackets on Saturday. The arena served as home base for the Islanders from their inaugural NHL season in 1972-73 through 2014-15, a tenure that included four consecutive Stanley Cup triumphs from 1980-83 including Cup-deciding games on home ice in 1980, 1981 and 1983.

The information above was supplied by the NHL PR department.