BRUINS, BLACKHAWKS EARN WINS IN WINTER CLASSIC TUNE-UPS

The Bruins and Blackhawks each earned overtime wins in their final games before facing off outdoors in the 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Notre Dame Stadium, home of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, on New Year’s Day (1 p.m. ET on NBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports).

* Jake DeBrusk tied the game with 2:29 remaining in regulation and Sean Kuraly scored the overtime winner to lift the Bruins past the Sabres. Kuraly scored his second career overtime goal (regular season and playoffs) and first since a double-overtime winner in Game 5 of the 2017 First Round against the Senators.

* Patrick Kane (2-1—3) scored 41 seconds into overtime to power the Blackhawks to a 6-2-1 record in their last nine games. Kane extended his point streak to seven contests (7-6—13), including back-to-back three-point efforts (also 3-0—3 on Dec. 27 vs. MIN).

BARZAL SCORES NATURAL HAT TRICK IN LESS THAN EIGHT MINUTES

Mathew Barzal scored three consecutive goals in a span of 7:44 to record the second hat trick of his NHL career (also 3-0—3 on Dec. 23, 2017 vs. WPG) and help Barry Trotz earn his 782nd regular-season win, tying longtime Islanders head coach Al Arbour for fourth place on the League’s all-time list.

* Barzal (21 years, 217 days) became the 20th different player in franchise history to score a natural hat trick in the regular season and the third-youngest to do so, behind John Tavares (20 years, 117 days) on Jan. 15, 2011 (3-0—3 vs. BUF) and Bobby Nystrom (21 years, 113 days) on Jan. 31, 1974 (3-0—3 at LAK).

* Barzal became the eighth different player in franchise history to score a natural hat trick in the regular season in under eight minutes and first since Tavares on Oct. 28, 2017 (7:14 at NSH).

LIGHTNING ESTABLISH FRANCHISE RECORDS, KUCHEROV EXTENDS STREAK
In a game that featured four tying goals, Adam Erne (2-1—3) scored the go-ahead marker with 1:02 remaining in regulation as the League-leading Lightning (30-7-2, 62 points) edged the Canadiens to extend their point streak to 14 contests (13-0-1).

* Tampa Bay became the first team to record 30 wins in 2018-19 and established a franchise record for fewest games to reach the plateau in a season (39 GP), eclipsing the previous mark of 42 contests set in 2017-18 (30-9-3, 63 points). The Lightning improved to 12-0-1 (25 points) since Dec. 1 and established franchise records for most wins and points in a calendar month.

* Nikita Kucherov (1-1—2), the League’s scoring leader this season (18-45—63 in 39 GP), extended his point streak to 10 games (6-15—21) — including multi-point efforts in each of his last five outings (4-11—15). He became the 14th different player in NHL history to post multiple point streaks of 10 or more games in consecutive seasons and first since Evgeni Malkin in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

SHARKS ERUPT FOR SEVEN GOALS TO EXTEND ROAD WIN STREAK

The Sharks erupted for seven goals in a game for the third time this season and second this month (also 7-3 W on Dec. 16 at CHI) to extend their road win streak to four contests. San Jose scored seven or more goals in multiple regular-season games during a calendar month for the seventh time in franchise history (also December 1992, March 1994, November 1995, January 1996, March 2002 and March 2018).

* Erik Karlsson (1-3—4) factored on four goals and has collected at least one assist/point in each of his last nine appearances dating to Dec. 7 (1-13—14). Karlsson, who was acquired by the Sharks on Sept. 13, became the sixth defenseman in franchise history to record four points in a regular-season game and first since teammate and fellow Norris Trophy winnerBrent Burns on Nov. 29, 2013 (3-1—4 vs. STL).

LEWINGTON, BOWEY COMBINE FOR RARE FEAT WITH FIRST CAREER GOALS

Defensemen Tyler Lewington (1-1—2) and Madison Bowey (1-0—1) each scored their first career NHL goal to help the Capitals extend their win streak to four games. The pair became the first defensemen in franchise history to each score their first career regular-season goal in the same game and first on any team to do so since Maple Leafs blueliners Travis Dermott and Justin Holl on Jan. 31, 2018 against the Islanders.

* Lewington and Bowey scored on Senators goaltender Marcus Hogberg, who made his NHL debut. It marked the 12th time in NHL history in which two teammates each scored their first career goal on a goaltender making his League debut and first since Oct. 14, 1967, when Los Angeles forwards Brian Kilrea and Gord Labossiere did so against Philadelphia netminder Doug Favell.

BLACKWOOD RECORDS FIRST CAREER NHL SHUTOUT

Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside all 37 shots he faced to record the first shutout of his NHL career (5 GP). Blackwood (22 years, 20 days) became the third-youngest goaltender in Devils/Rockies/Scouts franchise history to record his first career NHL shutout.

* Blackwood made his League debut on Dec. 18 and has denied 130 of 136 shots against through five career appearances (.956 SV%). He captured Ontario Hockey League Goaltender of the Year honors in 2015-16 as a member of the Barrie Colts after being selected by the Devils in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.

AROUND THE RINKS

Other highlights from the second of three 15-game days this season:

* Sidney Crosby (1-2—3) factored on three of six goals to lead the Penguins to their fifth consecutive win. Crosby recorded at least three points in a regular-season game for the 133rd time in his NHL career and is five such outings shy of tying Peter Stastny (138) for the 18th-most in League history.

* Oilers captain Connor McDavid (2-0—2) and Rangers forward Chris Kreider (1-2—3) became the 15th and 16th players to reach the 20-goal mark this season. The 2018-19 campaign marked the first season to feature 16 or more 20-goal scorers prior to Jan. 1 since 1995-96 (17).

* Dylan Larkin (1-0—1) extended his point streak to 13 games (7-9—16), the longest by a Red Wings players since Henrik Zetterberg from Oct. 3 – Nov. 11, 2007 (13-14—27 in 17 GP). Kevin Hayes (0-1—1), meanwhile, extended his point streak to nine games (5-11—16), the longest by a Rangers player since Rick Nash from Nov. 19 – Dec. 16, 2014 (8-6—14 in 11 GP).

* Alex Tuch (1-1—2) scored his sixth game-winning goal of the season to help the Golden Knights improve to 6-1-3 in their last 10 contests. Tuch trails only Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog (7) for the most game-winning goals this season.

QUICK CLICKS

* Winter Classic Park fan festival opens in Chicago to rave reviews

* Yanni Gourde, Lightning celebrate young fan with brain tumor as Thunder Kid

* Canadiens’ Philip Danault fined for dangerous trip

* Maple Leafs acquire Michael Hutchinson from Panthers for 2020 fifth-round pick

SNEAK PEEK AT SUNDAY’S ACTION

the information above was provided by the NHL PR department