Facts and Figures: Red lights aplenty during November in NHL

It was a November to remember for goal-scorers in the NHL.

November finished with the third-most goals of any calendar month in League history (1,317 in 216 games played). The only two months with more were March 2018 (1,434 goals in 235 games) and March 2006 (1,375 goals in 226 games).
Eight players had at least 20 points in November. Since 2010-11, the only month with more 20-point performances was March 2018 (nine). Seven players scored at least 10 goals last month. The last time there were more players to hit double digits in goals in a calendar month was December 2007 (eight).
Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau scored his 10th goal of the season in the
Flames' 4-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings
on Friday, becoming the 58th player to hit double figures in goals this season. Six NHL seasons saw more such performances by the end of November: 1981-82 (69), 1983-84 (67), 1992-93 (65), 1982-83 (59), 1989-90 (59) and 1993-94 (59).

Backstrom helps Capitals to seventh straight win

Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom scored three goals in a
6-3 win against the New Jersey Devils
. It was the 32nd hat trick this season and the 20th in November, marking the fourth time in the past 20 years there have been at least 20 hat tricks in a calendar month.
Backstrom also had an assist, helping to power the Capitals to their seventh straight victory and into first place in the Metropolitan Division (15-7-3).
Backstrom's third goal was the 218th of his NHL career, all with Washington. He tied Mike Ridley for fourth place on Washington's all-time goal list. Backstrom is second on the Capitals' all-time points list (831) behind longtime linemate Alex Ovechkin (1,153), and he's No. 1 in assists (613).

Washington's winning streak is the longest active run in the NHL and the longest for the Capitals since they won nine in a row from Dec. 31-Jan. 15, 2017.

Goals race stays hot

Ten players have scored at least 15 goals this season and are within six of the League leader, Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine (21). That includes Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner (20) and Ovechkin (19), who each scored Friday.
Skinner opened the scoring in Buffalo's 3-2 overtime loss at the Florida Panthers, joining Richard Martin (20 in 1972-73) as the only players in Sabres history to score 20 goals before Dec. 1. He's the seventh player in Buffalo history to score 20 goals in 27 or fewer games.

Ovechkin extended his goal-scoring streak to four games in the win against New Jersey. The goal was his 626th in the NHL, moving him past Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla into sole possession of 15th place on the NHL's all-time list. He is 14 goals shy of tying Dave Andreychuk (640) for 14th place.
Laine has scored 21 goals in the Jets' first 24 games (0.88 goals per game). If he scores Saturday against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center (7 p.m. ET; SN360, CITY, MSG+2, NHL.TV), he'll be the second player since 1997-98 to average at least 0.88 goals per game through his team's first 25 games, joining Simon Gagne of the Philadelphia Flyers (23 goals in 25 games, 0.92 goals per game).

Panthers continue mastery of Sabres

Aleksander Barkov scored in overtime and Jonathan Huberdeau had two assists for his fourth consecutive multi-assist game in Florida's victory against the Sabres. It was Florida's sixth straight win against Buffalo dating to April 8, 2017.
Huberdeau, Florida's top scorer with 26 points (five goals, 21 assists), is the first player in Panthers history to have multiple assists in four consecutive games. He is one of four players who enters December with an active multi-point streak of at least three games. Forwards Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs (eight assists), Blake Wheeler of the Jets (one goal, six assists) and Max Pacioretty of the Vegas Golden Knights (four goals, two assists) each has a three-game streak.