Crosby leads 3 Stars of the Week

NEW YORK -- Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger have been named the NHL's "Three Stars" for the week ending Oct. 16.

#

FIRST STAR - SIDNEY CROSBY, C, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Crosby topped the League in scoring for the opening week of the season, recording six points (two goals, four assists) in two games as the Penguins posted a pair of victories. Crosby began his 18th season with the Penguins -- the most in franchise history -- by recording a goal and two assists in a 6-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes in Pittsburgh's home opener on Oct. 13. He repeated the one-goal, two-assist performance in a 6-2 home win over the Tampa Bay Lightning Oct. 15. Crosby increased his career NHL totals to 519-896--1,415 (1,110 GP), climbing multiple all-time lists as he approaches the 900-assist milestone. His first assist vs. Tampa Bay moved him past Phil Housley (894 A in 1,495 GP) for sole possession of 20th place on the assists list; he later surpassed Doug Gilmour (450-964--1,414 in 1,474 GP) for 19th place on the points list.

SECOND STAR -- CONNOR McDAVID, C, EDMONTON OILERS

McDavid opened his eighth NHL campaign and quest for a third consecutive Art Ross Trophy as the League's points leader by tallying five points (four goals, one assist) in two games. On Oct. 12 he sparked an Oilers comeback win over the Vancouver Canucks on opening night by factoring on four of his club's five consecutive goals, capping off the 5-3 decision with the NHL's first hat trick of the 2022-23 season. McDavid (3-1-4) boosted his career totals to 242-459--701 (488 GP) and became the fastest active player to reach the 700-point milestone. The three-goal performance marked the second season-opening hat trick of McDavid's career (also Oct. 4, 2017), becoming the third player in NHL history to record multiple hat tricks in season openers alongside Brendan Shanahan (2) and Cam Neely (2). The Oilers captain finished the week with one goal in a 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames Oct. 15.

THIRD STAR - JAKE OETTINGER, G, DALLAS STARS

Oettinger went 2-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .968 save percentage as the Stars opened the season with consecutive victories against their Central Division rival Nashville Predators. Oettinger stopped 60 of 62 shots for the week, beginning with 31 saves in 4-1 victory Oct. 13 in Nashville. Two nights later he turned aside 29 shots in a 5-1 win at American Airlines Center in the Stars' home opener. Oettinger, 23, was a first-round pick, 26th overall, by the Stars in the 2017 NHL Draft. He posted a 30-15-1 record, 2.53 goals-against average, .914 save percentage and one shutout in 48 games with Dallas in the 2021-22 regular season, followed by a 1.81 GAA and .954 SV% in the Stars' First Round loss to Calgary in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, highlighted by a 64-save performance in Game 7.