NHL Short Notes

UNDAY’S RESULT

Home Team in Caps

Vegas 5, ARIZONA 1

GOLDEN KNIGHTS EARN 50TH POINT, MOVE UP CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Five different players scored and Marc-Andre Fleury recorded 29 saves as the Golden Knights (23-15-4, 50 points) extended their point streak to six contests (4-0-2). With the victory, Vegas became the third team in the Western Conference to reach 50 points this season, joining Calgary (23-12-4, 50 points) and Winnipeg (24-12-2, 50 points) atop the Western Conference standings.

The Golden Knights, who posted a 26-9-2 (54 points) record by Dec. 31, 2017, became the first franchise in League history to accumulate 50 or more points before Jan. 1 in each of their first two NHL seasons.

* Fleury recorded his League-leading 22nd win of 2018-19 and improved to 6-0-3 in his last nine appearances dating to Dec. 9. After posting the best statistical season of his career with the Golden Knights in 2017-18 in terms of goals-against average (2.24) and save percentage (.927), Fleury has gone without a regulation loss in at least nine straight decisions for the first time since a 12-game run from Feb. 21 - March 25, 2012 (11-0-1).

* Alex Tuch collected an assist on Paul Stastny’s first-period goal to reach the 30-point mark (13-17—30 in 34 GP). Last season, the Golden Knights forward reached the feat in his 63rd contest.

SNEAK PEEK AT MONDAY’S ACTION

NHL HEADS INTO NEW YEAR WITH 13-GAME SLATE

The League closes the calendar year of 2018 with a 13-game schedule on New Year’s Eve that will see all four division leaders in action as well as the NHL’s points leader (Nikita Kucherov: 18-45—63) and leading goal scorer (Alex Ovechkin: 29). A few things to look for in the final games of 2018:

* Ovechkin (29-16—45) and the Capitals (24-10-3, 51 points) host the Predators (22-15-2, 46 points) at Capital One Arena, with their sights set on a fifth straight win and 10th victory in 11 contests. Ovechkin, a seven-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner, sits one tally shy of his 14th career 30-goal campaign and can join Mike Gartner (15) as just second player in NHL history to score at least 30 goals in each of his first 14 seasons. He can also become the first player to reach the 30-goal plateau before the calendar year turns since he did so in 2013-14 by hitting 30 goals on Dec. 21, 2013. Ovechkin also reached the milestone prior to Jan. 1 in 2007-08 (Dec. 29, 2007).

* Canucks forward Elias Pettersson paces all rookies with 19-20—39 in 35 GP this season and enters Monday’s action within reach of two statistical benchmarks. Only six active NHL players have scored their 20th goal within their first 40 career games: Alex Ovechkin (33 GP), Auston Matthews (36 GP), Brock Boeser (37 GP), Evgeni Malkin (38 GP), Sidney Crosby (39 GP) and Patrik Laine (40 GP). Meanwhile, Ovechkin (34 GP), Crosby (36 GP), Malkin (36 GP) and Connor McDavid (38 GP) are the only active players to accumulate 40 career points within their first 40 NHL games (spanning seasons or otherwise).

* Dylan Larkin and the NHL’s longest active point streak (7-9—16 in 13 GP) take to the ice Monday when the Red Wings face off against the Panthers. Only three players have posted longer such runs this season: Mike Hoffman (17 GP from Oct. 13 - Nov. 21), Mikko Rantanen (14 GP from Nov. 18 - Dec. 15) and Ovechkin (14 GP from Nov. 16 - Dec. 15). The last Red Wings skater to register a point streak of 14 games or longerwas Henrik Zetterberg, when he collected 13-14—27 in 17 GP from Oct. 3 – Nov. 11, 2007.

* Teammates Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos have combined for 22-27—49 in December, while the Lightning look to close out a full calendar month without a regulation loss for just the second time in franchise history (Oct. 2003: 6-0-1). Kucherov and Stamkos aim to become the first set of teammates to combine for at least 50 points in a full calendar month since four pairs of teammates - three of which were different combinations of Penguins players - did so in March 2001 led by Pittsburgh’s duo of Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux, who combined for 27-32—59.

* The Pacific Division’s top-seeded Flames (23-12-4, 50 points) can lead their division at the completion of games on New Year’s Eve for the first time since 2008-09, when they topped the Northwest Division with a 22-11-4 (48 points) mark after games on Dec. 31. They finished the 2008-09 campaign with the club’s best record of the past 10 seasons (46-30-6, 98 points).

* Johnny Gaudreau leads the Flames with 19-32—51 in 39 games. Prior to this season, his highest total through 40 games of a campaign was 13-30—43 in 2017-18 on his way to a career-high point total (24-60—84 in 80 GP).

BRUINS, BLACKHAWKS DESCEND ON SOUTH BEND, INDIANA FOR WINTER CLASSIC

The Blackhawks (10 a.m. ET) and Bruins (1 p.m. ET) are scheduled to take to the outdoors for practice at Notre Dame Stadium today in South Bend, Indiana ahead of Tuesday’s 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic (1 p.m. ET on NBC, SN, TVAS & NHL.TV).

* The 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Interactive Information Guide – featuring notes about the Bruins-Blackhawks rivalry as well as a list of records, full register and complete history of outdoor NHL games – now is available for download for registered users via the League’s Media site. Information on the 25 previous regular-season outdoor games - including results, attendance and box scores - also is available on records.NHL.com.

* After each winning in overtime on the road Saturday, Chicago and Boston shift their focus to their first meeting of the season New Year’s Day. It will mark the sixth outdoor game for the Blackhawks (1-4-0) and third for the Bruins (1-1-0).

* The Winter Classic will mark the NHL’s sixth regular-season game in the state of Indiana – and first since 1992. The Blackhawks have played in all five prior such contests, including a 3-2 loss to the Bruins on Jan. 21, 1954, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum in Indianapolis. That venue, now known as Indiana Farmers Coliseum, is the current home of the Indy Fuel, Chicago’s ECHL affiliate.