LARKIN, DOMI GET NHL FIRSTS IN DEBUTS
Two rookies – Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin and Coyotes forward Max Domi – powered their clubs to victories with 1-1—2 in their NHL debuts.

* Larkin, the 15th overall selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, scored his first goal 20 seconds into the second period of Detroit’s 4-0 win over Toronto. At 19 years, 71 days, Elias says that he became the second-youngest Red Wings player to register a goal in his NHL debut. The youngest: Steve Yzerman, at 18 years, 149 days on Oct. 5, 1983 at WPG.

* Larkin – a native of Waterford, Mich., who played one season at the University of Michigan – also became the first teenager to skate in a season-opening game for the Red Wings since Mike Sillinger on Oct. 4, 1990 at NJD (19 years, 97 days).

* Elias adds that Larkin became the first Red Wings player to post multiple points in his NHL debut since Vyacheslav Kozlov on March 12, 1992 at STL (0-2—2).

* “It’s an incredible feeling just to see it go in and see the Joe go pretty crazy,” Larkin said. “Ever since the introduction there, I was kind of feeling the nerves, and to put that one home, I started to feel comfortable and I thought my play started to pick up.”

* Domi, the 13th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, notched his first goal at 4:43 of the second period in Arizona’s 4-1 victory over Los Angeles. Per Elias, Domi became the third player in Coyotes/Jets history to register 1-1—2 in his NHL debut. The others: Morris Lukowich on Oct. 10, 1979 at PIT and Danton Cole on Feb. 27, 1990 at MNS.

* Elias adds that Domi became the first Coyotes/Jets player to post multiple points in his NHL debut since Shane Doan on Oct. 7, 1995 vs. DAL (0-2—2).

* Domi, the son of former NHL forward Tie Domi, spent the past four seasons with the London Knights (OHL), compiling 126-205—331 (244 GP). He also won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2015 World Junior Championship (5-5—10 in 7 GP).

* “It was a lot of fun,” Domi said. “It was tough to get a smile off my face that whole 60 minutes. But it’s awful nice to get the win and start the season off the right way.”

ABDELKADER TRICKS MAPLE LEAFS, SPOILS BABCOCK’S HOMECOMING
Justin Abdelkader recorded his second career hat trick to lead the Red Wings past the Maple Leafs in Mike Babcock’s return to Joe Louis Arena.

* Via Elias, Abdelkader became the third player in Red Wings history to post a hat trick in the team’s opening game of the season. The others: Adam Brown in 1945-46 (vs. BOS) and Brendan Shanahan in 2001-02 (at SJS).

* Abdelkader – a native of Muskegon, Mich., who played three seasons at Michigan State University – notched his lone other hat trick on March 22, 2013 at ANA. His first goal on Friday came 1:15 after the opening face-off; Elias notes that it was the fastest goal by a Red Wings player in a season opener since 1978-79 (Dan Labraaten: 1:14 vs. STL).

* Abdelkader became the seventh active player to notch a hat trick in a season opener – and the second to do so in as many days:

Active Players with 3+ Goals in One Season Opener
3 — Paul Stastny, COL (10/3/07 vs. DAL)
3 — Derek Stepan, NYR (10/9/10 at BUF)
3 — Mikhail Grabovski, WSH (10/1/13 at CHI)
3 — Radim Vrbata, PHX (10/3/13 vs. NYR)
3 — Corey Perry, ANA (10/9/14 at PIT)
3 — Zach Parise, MIN (10/8/15 at COL)
3 — Justin Abdelkader, DET (10/9/15 vs. TOR)

* Jimmy Howard stopped all 22 shots he faced to earn his 21st career shutout and improve to 4-2-2 in nine career appearances against the Maple Leafs (1.91 GAA, .920 SV%, 1 SO).

RANGERS STUN BLUE JACKETS WITH LATE RALLY
Brandon Saad scored with 3:50 remaining in regulation to put Columbus ahead 2-1, but the Rangers rallied with three unanswered goals in 77 seconds to stun the Blue Jackets in the first half of a home-and-home series.

* The Rangers scored their fastest three goals since April 19, 2013, when they found the back of the net three times in 74 seconds of an 8-4 win at BUF.

* Mats Zuccarello matched a career high with two goals, last achieved on Feb. 10 at TOR.

* Oscar Lindberg, who scored his first NHL goal in the team’s season opener on Wednesday, added his second strike in as many games. He became the first Rangers rookie to notch a goal in each of the club’s first two contests of the season since 1991-92 (Doug Weight).

* The Rangers improved to 9-3-1 in their last 13 meetings with the Blue Jackets dating to Oct. 24, 2008, including four straight wins (CBJ: 4-6-3).

JETS BEGIN SEASON WITH BACK-TO-BACK ROAD WINS
Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler scored 2:43 apart in the second period – their second goals in as many games – to power the Jets past the Devils.

* The Jets, who on Thursday snapped a 13-game losing streak at TD Garden (0-10-3), improved to 3-0-2 in their past five visits to Prudential Center dating to Feb. 24, 2013. Prior to this stretch, they had lost five straight trips to New Jersey dating to Dec. 28, 2009 (0-4-1).

* Michael Hutchinson, who ranked second among rookies with 21 wins last season, made 20 saves to improve to 24-11-5 in 42 career appearances (2.29 GAA, .917 SV%, 2 SO).

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS
* Celebrating his 35th birthday, Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg (296-493—789) collected three assists to pass Borje Salming (150-637—787) and move into 10th place on the NHL’s all-time list for points by a Swedish-born player.

* Devils forward Sergey Kalinin, who spent the past five seasons in the KHL, made his NHL debut (11:38 TOI).

* Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who made his NHL debut on Thursday, recorded his first assist/point.

* Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein (500 GP) and Blackhawks forward Ryan Garbutt(200 GP) both played in milestone games.

* Blue Jackets forward Brandon Saad, Devils forward Jiri Tlusty and Islanders defenseman Marek Zidlicky all scored in their team debuts.

* Jeff Blashill (DET) and John Hynes (NJD) made their NHL head-coaching debuts; Blashill earned his first win.

* Alain Vigneault became the 10th head coach in Rangers history to record 100 wins with the club (100-53-13).

LOOSE PUCKS
Captain John Tavares registered the Islanders’ first regular-season goal at Barclays Center . . . Kings forward Tyler Toffoli, who last season led the NHL with five shorthanded goals, scored his first of 2015-16 while on the penalty kill . . . The Devils named defenseman Andy Greene their new captain. They also announced that forwards Mike Cammalleri, Patrik Elias, Adam Henrique and Travis Zajac will serve as alternate captains . . . The Ducks signed defenseman Simon Despres to a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2020-21 season . . . The Kings signed goaltender Peter Budaj to a one-year contract . . . ICYMI: That Avalanche unveiled their third jerseys, which will be worn 14 times during the 2015-16 season. The design has a predominantly navy color scheme and features the team’s “C” logo in a throwback-style crest on the front. Laces at the neckline, silver piping on the front and white shoulders accentuate the new sweater, which is a marriage between the identity of the state of Colorado and its proud history of hockey.

SNEAK PEEK AT SATURDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Tampa Bay @ Buffalo, 1:00 p.m., SN, SUN, MSG-B
Montreal @ Boston, 7:00 p.m., NHLN-US, SN, TVAS, NESN
Ottawa @ Toronto, 7:00 p.m., CBC
Philadelphia @ Florida, 7:00 p.m., CSN-PH, FS-F
Columbus @ NY Rangers, 7:00 p.m., FS-O, MSG
New Jersey @ Washington, 7:00 p.m., MSG+, CSN-DC
Detroit @ Carolina, 7:00 p.m., FS-D, FS-CR
Edmonton @ Nashville, 7:00 p.m., CITY, FS-TN
St. Louis @ Minnesota, 8:00 p.m., FS-MW, FS-N, FS-WI
NY Islanders @ Chicago, 8:30 p.m., MSG+ 2, WGN
Dallas @ Colorado, 9:00 p.m., FS-SW, ALT
Calgary @ Vancouver, 10:00 p.m., CBC
Pittsburgh @ Arizona, 10:00 p.m., ROOT, FS-A
Anaheim @ San Jose, 10:30 p.m., PRIME, FS-SD, CSN-CA
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NONSTOP ACTION HIGHLIGHTS FIRST SATURDAY OF 2015-16
Twenty-eight of the NHL’s 30 clubs take to the ice on the first Saturday of the 2015-16 season. The Capitals, Ducks and Panthers – the three teams that have yet to play a game – all will skate in their first contests of the season.

BRUINS, CANADIENS MEET IN WINTER CLASSIC PREVIEW . . .
The Bruins welcome the Canadiens to TD Garden in a preview of the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, which will be contested at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on New Year’s Day. Tonight’s game, the 730th in the regular season between these Original Six rivals (the most between any two teams in NHL history), will be broadcast nationally in both the U.S. (NHLN-US) and Canada (SN, TVAS). Montreal has won 10 of the last 11 regular-season matchups between these clubs dating to March 3, 2013 (BOS: 1-8-2). The Canadiens also ousted the Bruins in seven games in the Second Round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, their 34th all-time postseason meeting (the most between any two teams in NHL history). Overall, these clubs will meet five times in 2015-16 – including three games before they take it outside to start the new year.

. . . HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA FEATURES FOUR OTHER CONTESTS
This season’s first edition of Hockey Night in Canada features four other games: the reigning Eastern Conference champion Lightning visit forward Jack Eichel and the Sabres in a matinee at First Niagara Center; the Senators and Maple Leafs renew the Battle of Ontario at Air Canada Centre; top overall pick Connor McDavid leads the Oilers into Bridgestone Arena to face the Predators; and the Flames and Canucks complete the second half of their home-and-home series at Rogers Arena.

BLUES LOOK FOR REVENGE AGAINST WILD
The Blues, who lost to Minnesota in six games in the opening round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, look for a measure of revenge when they visit the Wild at Xcel Energy Center. These clubs split their four regular-season meetings in 2014-15 (MIN: 2-1-1, STL: 2-2-0), with each winning once at home and once on the road. Both teams are coming off wins in their season openers – the Blues earned a 3-1 victory over the Oilers on Thursday, while the Wild posted a 5-4 comeback win over the Avalanche via four unanswered goals in the third period.