26 TEAMS SET TO PLAY SIMULTANEOUSLY ON BUSIEST NIGHT OF SEASON TO DATE
The busiest night of the season to date is set to include 13 games, all on the ice simultaneously once the puck drops on the four 9 p.m. ET starts.

PIETRANGELO TO FACE FORMER CLUB AS GOLDEN KNIGHTS WELCOME BLUES
Alex Pietrangelo will face his former team for the first time when the League-leading Golden Knights (5-1-0) host the Blues (3-2-1). Pietrangelo spent the first 12 seasons of his NHL career with St. Louis, including four campaigns as captain, where he led the franchise to its first Stanley Cup in 2018-19. Pietrangelo holds the Blues all-time mark for assists by a defenseman (341) and ranks second among that group in goals (109), points (450) and games played (758).



CAPITALS AIM TO TIE CLUB RECORD WHILE STARS, PANTHERS EYE 3-0-0 STARTS
Three of four NHL teams without a regulation loss this season – the Capitals (3-0-3), Stars (2-0-0) and Panthers (2-0-0) – are in action tonight, with the Canadiens (4-0-2) off until Thursday.

* Washington will aim to begin a season with a point streak of at least seven games for the second time in franchise history when they host former head coach Barry Trotz and the Islanders (3-2-0) in the first of back-to-back meetings. The Capitals began with a seven-game point streak in 2011-12 (7-0-0), but in order to tie that club benchmark this season they will have to get past an Islanders team that beat them in the 2020 First Round en route to their first Conference Finals appearance in 27 years.

* Dallas eyes a 3-0-0 start for the first time in 10 years (4-0-0 in 2010-11) after scoring eight power-play goals through the first two games of the season (the most PPG by a team through 3 GP is 10 by Montreal in 1975-76). Joe Pavelski has factored on seven of the team’s ten total goals in 2020-21 to move within one point of 800 in his NHL career – a milestone that Montreal’s Corey Perry and Minnesota’s Zach Parise also are approaching.

* Florida is set to hit the ice for the first time since last Tuesday, vying for a 3-0-0 start for the first time in franchise history. Two-time Stanley Cup champion Patric Hornqvist (3-1—4) has two points in each of his first two games with the Panthers – the first player in franchise history ever to achieve that feat.

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY, WAYNE GRETZKY!
An #NHLStats look at the legendary career of Wayne Gretzky, who turns 60 today:

* Gretzky scored 60 hat tricks during his NHL career, holding League records for both the regular season (50) and playoffs (10).

* Gretzky had 10-14—24 in 10 career games on Jan. 26, his highest goal total on any calendar date in January. That includes hat tricks in 1985 (age 24) and 1991 (age 30).

* Gretzky once recorded a point in 60 consecutive regular-season games from March 13, 1983 to Jan. 27, 1984 (one day after his 23rd birthday), during which he posted 70-111—181. That run began with a nine-game point streak to end the 1982-83 campaign (9-19—28) and culminated with a 51-game stretch to start the 1983-84 season (61-92—153) - the latter stands as the longest official point streak in NHL history.

* Gretzky holds League benchmarks for fewest games to 60 goals in a season (49 GP in 1981-82), 60 assists in a season (32 GP in 1985-86) and 60 assists in a career (56 GP).



SUTTER SCORES FIRST NHL HAT TRICK IN CANUCKS WIN
Brandon Sutter scored three of seven Canucks goals, including the team’s second shorthanded goal of the season, as Vancouver defeated Ottawa in their first of three head-to-head games over a four-day span (also Wednesday and Thursday at Rogers Arena).

* Sutter, who is one of nine members of his family to appear in at least one NHL game, improved his career totals to 147-134—281 in 735 games. Brandon sits sixth in the Sutter family for career regular-season goals, behind his father, Brent (363), and uncles Brian (303), Ron (205), Darryl (161) and Rich (149).

* The Canucks forward also ranks third in his family for career shorthanded goals, behind Brent (18) and Ron (14). He is one of six Sutters to score an NHL hat trick (regular season or playoffs).



QUICK CLICKS

* Tyler Toffoli of Canadiens, Montreal therapist NHL First Stars of Week
* Wayne Gretzky memories discussed on 60th birthday by NHL.com
* NHL schedule set for busy three days
* NHL Buzz: Mikko Koivu to make Blue Jackets debut against Panthers
* Color of Hockey: Eldon “Pokey” Reddick coaching Nevada's only high school team