KUCHEROV EXTENDS POINT-STREAK TO 10, LIGHTNING RECORDS 20TH WIN

Nikita Kucherov (1-3—4) posted his sixth career four-point performance to extend his point streak to 10 games (5-19—24) and guide the League-leading Lightning to their 20th win of the season (20-7-1, 41 points). Kucherov became the 12th active player to record a point streak of 10 or more games in consecutive seasons, following a pair of double-digit runs in 2017-18.

* The 25-year-old now sits one game shy of equaling his career-best 11-game point streak set at the beginning of the 2017-18 campaign (Oct. 6-26, 2017: 12-7—19 in 11 GP).

* Kucherov has recorded three or more points in five of 10 games during his current point streak and is one of seven players with at least 30 such performances since 2014-15 (his first complete NHL season).

* With 12-30—42 in 28 games this season, Kucherov now ranks third in League scoring behind Mikko Rantanen (11-34—45 in 27 GP) and Nathan MacKinnon (19-24—43 in 27 GP). Kucherov reached the 40-point mark in his 27th game in 2017-18 en route to the first 100-point season of his career (39-61—100 in 80 GP) - leading the NHL in points for more than half the campaign (109 of 187 days, 58%).

* There have been nine point streaks of 10 or more games so far this season (415 GP), with three players on active eight-game runs. Only one of the past 24 seasons featured more double-digit point streaks within the first 500 games - there were 11 in the opening 500 contests of 2005-06, which ended as the highest-scoring season in 21 years (6.2 G/GP).

* Kucherov (at DET) and Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson (vs. CGY) each put their 10-game point streaks on the line Tuesday. Atkinson owns the fourth double-digit point streak in Columbus history, following R.J. Umberger in 2010-11 (3-10—13 in 10 GP) and Ryan Johansen twice in 2014-15 (5-8—13 in 10 GP and 8-8—16 in 13 GP).

… AS POINT JOINS 20-GOAL CLUB

Brayden Point (1-2—3) scored his 20th goal of the season - his fourth game-winner - to join Patrik Laine (21-3—24 in 26 GP) and Jeff Skinner(20-8—28 in 28 GP) in the 20-goal club.

* Through just 28 games, Point sits 12 tallies shy of matching his career-best of 32 goals set last season (82 GP). It took him 49 games to accumulate 20 goals in 2017-18, hitting the mark on Jan. 25 at PHI just before making his first career All-Star Game appearance.

* A third-round pick (79th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft, Point became the sixth member of his draft class to score at least 70 career goals. Point hit the mark in his 178th career game and boasts a goals-per-game average of 0.39, bested by only one player selected in 2014: David Pastrnak (0.40; 113 G in 280 GP).

* Did You Know? Entering Tuesday’s action, five players are within three goals of 20 on the season. The last time there were more than three 20-goal scorers within the first 500 games of an NHL campaign was 2009-10, when five players hit the mark within that span.

RINNE, KHUDOBIN STAND TALL IN WINS BY PREDATORS, STARS

Pekka Rinne (21 saves) and Anton Khudobin (28 saves) were the difference makers for their clubs Monday:

* Rinne, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, leads the League in goals-against average (1.81) and ranks second in save percentage (.935) so far this season, allowing two goals or fewer in 14 of 19 appearances (12-4-1). As a team, the Predators held their opponent to no more than one goal for the ninth time (including three shutouts). They lead the League with a 2.36 team goals-against average and rank fourth in the NHL with a .918 team save percentage, trailing only the Maple Leafs (.923), Ducks (.922) and Bruins (.922).

* Khudobin backstopped the Stars (15-10-3, 33 points) to their third straight win both overall and at home as the club moved within one point of the idle Jets (16-8-2, 34 points) for third place in the Central Division. Nine points separate first from fifth in the Central, with No. 3 Winnipeg and No. 5 Minnesota holding at least a game in hand on each club within that group.

QUICK CLICKS

* Tyler Bertuzzi suspended two games for roughing and conduct

* Chuck Fletcher hired by Flyers as general manager

* Mark Scheifele, Adin Hill, JonathanHuberdeau named Three Stars of the week

* Capitals confident return to Vegas coming at right time (via Tom Gulitti)

* Canada invites top 2019 Draft prospect Raphael Lavoie to WJC selection camp

* Matt Irwin of Predators doing what he can in battle against ALS

SNEAK PEEK AT TUESDAY’S ACTION

CAPITALS RETURN TO VEGAS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE HOISTING STANLEY CUP

The Metropolitan Division-leading Capitals (15-8-3, 33 points) aim for a fifth straight road win when they visit the Golden Knights (15-13-1, 29 points), with both clubs holding 7-3-0 records in their past 10 outings. Washington returns to T-Mobile Arena in Vegas for the first time since hoisting the Stanley Cup with a 4-3 win in Game 5 of the 2018 Final.

* The two teams met earlier this season in a 5-2 Washington win on Oct. 10 at Capital One Arena. In that contest, reigning Conn Smythe Trophy-winner Alex Ovechkin notched two goals and Evgeny Kuznetsov, who led the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs with 12-30—32 in 24 games, recorded a game-high four points (1-3—4).

* Ovechkin leads the Capitals with 19 goals and ranks second in points (19-13—32 in 26 GP), his highest goal total through 26 appearances in a season since 2013-14 (21 G in 26 GP). He owns an eight-game point streak (7-5—12), the 16th time in his career he has managed a stretch as long. His last nine-game point streak came in 2012-13 (10-5—15 in 9 GP) while his career high was set in 2006-07 (8-12—20 in 13 GP).

* Vegas is 5-1-0 in its past six home games, with Marc-Andre Fleury recording a shutout in four of the past five such contests. The Golden Knightsare led offensively by the duo of Jonathan Marchessault (10-11—21) and William Karlsson (9-12—21), who both registered career seasons in 2017-18 (Marchessault: 27-48—74; Karlsson: 43-35—78). In the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Marchessault (8-13—21) and Reilly Smith (5-17—22) finished first and second all-time in points by a player for a franchise in its first-ever postseason.

the information above was provided by the NHL PR department