OVECHKIN BECOMES HIGHEST-SCORING RUSSIAN IN NHL HISTORY

Alex Ovechkin (644-536—1,180 in 1,055 GP) collected an assist on the Capitals’ opening goal to pass Sergei Fedorov (483-696—1,179 in 1,248 GP) for the most points in League history by a Russian player. Ovechkin and Fedorov skated in 67 regular-season games together with the Capitals from Feb. 29, 2008 – April 11, 2009, factoring on the same goal 16 times in those contests.

* It took Ovechkin only 777 career games to dethrone Fedorov (483 G in 1,248 GP) as the NHL’s all-time leader in goals by a Russian player, a feat he achieved on Nov. 19, 2015 against Dallas. Fedorov (696) remains the leader in career assists by a Russian player, a list on which Ovechkin (536) ranks eighth.

* Ovechkin now sits four points shy of tying Rod Brind’Amour (452-732—1,184 in 1,484 GP) for 48th place on the NHL’s all-time points list. He would then set his sights on becoming the 48th player in NHL history to record at least 1,200 career points. Sharks forward Joe Thornton (407-1,046—1,453 in 1,538 GP) is the only active player to reach the benchmark.

* The League’s leading goal scorer is averaging 1.12 points per game this season, with 29 team games remaining. At his current pace, Ovechkin is on track for his sixth-career season with at least 90 points, which would move him into sole possession of 44th on the NHL’s all-time list – (surpassing Brind’Amour, Dino Ciccarelli, Vincent Damphousse, Bernie Nicholls and Bobby Clarke).

BERGERON PROPELS BRUINS OFFENSE ON MILESTONE NIGHT

Patrice Bergeron (2-0—2) became the fifth player this season to score a goal while playing in his 1,000th NHL game and just the sixth in NHL history to record multiple tallies on his milestone night. The others: Chris Phillips (Feb. 9, 2012 w/ OTT), Teemu Selanne (Dec. 31, 2006 w/ ANA), Mike Gartner (March 20, 1992 w/ NYR), Gilbert Perreault (Jan 29, 1984 w/ BUF) and Johnny Bucyk (Dec. 10, 1970 w/ BOS).

* In addition to Bergeron and Bucyk, only one other player wearing a Bruins uniform scored while skating in his 1,000th NHL game: Jean Ratelle had 1-1—2 on March 23, 1977. Both Bucyk (DET) and Ratelle (NYR) started their career with other clubs.

* Bergeron became the 12th player to skate in his 1,000th NHL game this season, with four others still able to hit the mark in 2018-19 (Chris Kunitz: 997 GP; Ryan Kesler: 987 GP; Anze Kopitar: 974 GP; and Mikko Koivu: 973 GP).

* Should Kunitz, Kesler, Kopitar and Koivu all reach the milestone, it would mark the first time in NHL history that 16 players skated in their 1,000th game in the same season. Three campaigns have had 15 players achieve the feat: 2001-02, 2008-09 and 2011-12.

TOP PICKS FROM 2018 DRAFT CONTINUE TO LEAVE THEIR MARK

Each of the top three selections from the 2018 NHL Draft - Rasmus Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov and Jesperi Kotkaniemi - scored a goal Tuesday, marking the seventh time in NHL history that picks 1-3 from the previous draft each scored on the same day.

* It also was the first time that three 18-year-olds each scored on the same day since March 20, 1984, when Dan Quinn (CGY), Cam Neely(VAN) and Steve Yzerman (DET) all did so.

* Including Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk (who was idle Tuesday), the top four selections from June have combined for 101 points through 820 League games in 2018-19 (39-62—101).

* Kotkaniemi found the back of the net for the third time in as many contests to become the first 18-year-old in Canadiens NHL history to record a goal in at least three straight team games. Since 2007-08, only four other 18-year-olds have done so: Patrik Laine (3x in 2016-17), Nathan MacKinnon (2013-14), Sean Monahan (2013-14) and Matt Duchene (2009-10) - Monahan is the only of those players to score in a fourth straight game.

* Kotkaniemi also became the 11th player in NHL history to score each of his first nine career goals in home games, and third to do so with at least some of those goals coming with the Canadiens - Bobby Sheehan (13 - 8 w/ Canadiens, 5 w/ Golden Seals) and Sheldon Souray (11 - 4 w/ Devils, 7 w/ Canadiens) pace a group of five players who notched their first 10 NHL goals on home ice.

KANE EXTENDS STREAKS, CHICAGO SCORES FIVE UNANSWERED IN FINAL FRAME
After Connor McDavid (31-47—78) collected two assists in the first period, Patrick Kane (1-1—2) factored on two of Chicago’s five third-period goals - helping the Blackhawks - to boost his season totals to 32-46—78 and keep pace with the Oilerscaptain in the League’s scoring race.

* In doing, Kane extended the League’s longest active point streak to 12 games (10-18—28). He has had three other point streaks of at least a dozen games, including a franchise-record 26-game run from Oct. 17 – Dec. 13, 2015 (16-24—40 in 26 GP). Denis Savard (8x) and Bobby Hull (5x) are the only Blackhawks players with more than four 12-game point streaks.

* Additionally, the Blackhawks’ leading scorer this season has collected at least one point in 16 consecutive road games (11-20—31), extending the longest such streak in franchise history. Doug Bentley collected at least one point in 14 consecutive road games from Jan. 2 - March 16, 1949 (8-10—18).

TIDBITS FROM TUESDAY

* The Kings set a franchise record for fastest three goals to start a period, with Tyler Toffoli and Dion Phaneuf combining for three goals in the opening 1:52 of the final frame to best the previous record of 2:30 set Nov. 4, 1972.

* Leon Draisaitl (31-34—65) scored twice to become the first German player ever to score 30 goals in a season. The Oilers became the first team to feature multiple players with 30+ goals in 2018-19 (also Connor McDavid: 31); the last campaign that saw Edmonton as the first team with multiple 30-goal scorers was 1987-88, when Wayne Gretzky and Craig Simpson did so.

* Tuukka Rask turned aside 28 shots to improve to 8-0-2 in his last 10 decisions dating to Dec. 29. It marked the third time in the past two seasons that he has gone at least 10 consecutive decisions without a regulation loss (also 19-0-2 from Nov. 29 - Feb. 6, 2018 and 10-0-1 from Feb. 27 - March 31, 2018).

* Jordan Binnington made 22 saves to boost his career totals to 7-1-1 as the Blues (24-22-5, 53 points) improved their record to 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, while moving within one point of the Canucks (24-24-6, 54 points) for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Ryan O'Reilly tied the game in the third period to reach the 20-goal mark and help St. Louis record the NHL’s 26th multi-goal third-period comeback win of 2018-19.

* Pierre-Luc Dubois scored twice to set a career high with 21 goals through only 52 games in 2018-19, besting his 82-game total from his rookie campaign last season (20-28—48). He became the first player in Blue Jackets franchise history to record consecutive 20-goal seasons to begin his career with the club.

MAURICE BECAME YOUNGEST COACH TO REACH 1,500-GAME MILESTONE
Paul Maurice became the sixth head coach in NHL history to serve 1,500 games behind an NHL bench (682-605-213 in 1,500 games). At age 52, he became the youngest to ever reach the milestone.

QUICK CLICKS

* Auston MatthewsMaple Leafs

* Black History Month spotlight: Bryce Salvador true leader

* Black History Month spotlight: Kevin Weekes' incredible spring

*Dickie MooreCanadiens

* Patriots’ Julian EdelmanBruins

SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY’S ACTION

The information above was supplied by the NHL PR department.