* With the help of Artemi Panarin and Brad Marchand, AstraZeneca donated another $10,000 to the Hockey Fights Cancer Fund of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, bringing the total up to $165,000 so far this season. Click here for more information on the fundraising efforts.
* Anze Kopitar factored on the game-winning goal to surpass Marcel Dionne for first place on the Kings' all-time assists list.
* Mats Zuccarello and Marco Rossi combined for 3-2—5 as the Wild improved to 3-0-0 since naming John Hynes head coach on Nov. 27.
* Monday's six-game slate features a Sportsnet ONE doubleheader, the Coyotes contesting another game against a recent Stanley Cup winner and two veterans vying to extend their point streaks to double digits.
PANARIN AND MARCHAND MAKE HATS RAIN DOWN IN NEW YORK AND BOSTON
Artemi Panarin (3-1—4) and Brad Marchand (3-0—3) each scored hat tricks Sunday as the Rangers (18-4-1, 37 points) and Bruins (17-4-3, 37 points) moved into first and second place in the League standings, respectively.
* Panarin put up a four-point performance and extended his season-opening home point streak to 10 games (7-11—18). He became the third player in Rangers history to extend his run to double digits, joining Mike Rogers (15 GP in 1983-84) and Wayne Gretzky (10 GP in 1996-97).
* After getting Boston on the board less than two minutes into the third period, Marchand wasted no time completing his first career natural hat trick as he scored twice more in 5:50, marking the fastest three-goal performance by a Bruins skater since Martin Lapointe on March 13, 2003 (5:15).
* Marchand, who also netted the overtime winner against Toronto on Saturday, became the first Bruins player to score a game-winning goal in consecutive days since Michael Ryder (Dec. 27-28, 2008).
KOPITAR CROWNED KINGS' ALL-TIME ASSISTS LEADER AS LOS ANGELES STAYS HOT
Anze Kopitar factored on the second of two Quinton Byfield goals to help the Kings improve to 10-2-1 since Halloween – the NHL's second-best points percentage (.808) over that span behind only the Rangers (.821). The Los Angeles captain recorded his 758th career assist on the play and surpassed Marcel Dionne for sole possession of first place the Kings' all-time list.
ZUCCARELLO, ROSSI HELP HEAD COACH HYNES IMPROVE TO 3-0-0 WITH WILD
Mats Zuccarello (3-10—13 in 9 GP) extended his point streak to nine contests and Marco Rossi recorded the first multi-goal game of his NHL career as Minnesota moved to 3-0-0 under new head coach John Hynes. The Wild have outscored opponents by a combined 13-3 margin in those contests.
QUICK CLICKS
* Sunday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates
* Katie King Crowley defined by willpower, determination en route to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
* Ross Colton fined maximum for dangerous trip in Avalanche game
* Boone Jenner signs stick for young Blue Jackets fan during warmups in Boston
* Connor Bedard extends historic road streak, reaches 20-point mark
MONDAY FEATURES SPORTSNET ONE TWO-PACK, NOTEABLE STREAKS ON THE LINE
Monday's Sportsnet ONE doubleheader opens with Cole Caufield and the Canadiens hosting Matty Beniers and the Kraken at 7:30 p.m. ET and closes with Jordan Kyrou and the Blues visiting Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights at 10 p.m. ET. The six-game slate also features Arizona aiming for its fifth straight win as well as Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov (4-13—17 in 9 GP) and Dallas forward Joe Pavelski (6-6—12 in 9 GP) looking to extend their point streaks to 10 contests in the second half of a home-and-home set.
* The Coyotes' current stretch of facing recent Stanley Cup winners continues when they host the 2018-champion Capitals after Arizona defeated St. Louis (Dec. 2), Colorado (Nov. 30), Tampa Bay (Nov. 28) and Vegas (Nov. 25). Michael Carcone (4-0—4 in 4 GP) leads the Coyotes in goals during their four-game winning streak, while Alex Kerfoot (1-5—6 in 4 GP) paces the club in points.
* Kucherov can record his eighth double-digit point streak in the NHL to pass Patrick Kane and David Pastrnak (both w/ 7) for sole possession of the fourth most among active players behind Connor McDavid (12), Sidney Crosby (11) and Leon Draisaitl (9), while Pavelski can match his career high for longest run set in 2010-11. Pavelski would be the second player in League history to go 12 or more years between 10-game point streaks, joining Dave Keon who had double-digit runs in 1964-65 and 1979-80.
WEEK AHEAD HIGHLIGHTED BY NHL DOUBLEHEADERS ON TNT, ESPN
A 54-game week in the NHL includes 25 national broadcasts, highlighted by doubleheaders on both TNT and ESPN followed by a four-game Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday.
Wednesday, Dec. 6: Stars at Panthers (7 p.m. ET on TNT, MAX)
* Jason Robertson and Matthew Tkachuk were among a group of 11 players with 100-plus points last season (the most since 1995-96). They became the fifth set of U.S.-born players in NHL history to each record a triple-digit total in the same season (also 3 in 2021-22, 4 in 1992-93, 3 in 1991-92 & 2 in 1988-89).
Wednesday, Dec. 6: Hurricanes at Oilers (9:30 p.m. ET on TNT, MAX, SN, SN1, TVAS)
* Sebastian Aho (226-264—490 in 540 GP) is on track to become the fifth-fastest Finnish-born player in NHL history to record 500 points, with the list topped by Oilers legend Jari Kurri (356 GP). Connor McDavid needs one assist to tie Kurri (569) for third place on the franchise's all-time list.
Thursday, Dec. 7: Stars at Capitals (8 p.m. ET on ESPN)
* Joe Pavelski can become the fifth player in NHL history to lead his team in goals at age 39 or older, following Jaromir Jagr (2012-13), Johnny Bucyk (1975-76), Gordie Howe (1967-68) and Shane Doan (2015-16). The only player in the past eight years to lead his team in goals at the end of a season at age 37 or older is Alex Ovechkin (2022-23), who needs one point to become the 16th player in League history with 1,500.
Thursday, Dec. 7: Devils at Kraken (10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)
* Matty Beniers is a former teammate of both Jack and Luke Hughes with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and University of Michigan. Beniers was selected two picks before the younger Hughes in the 2021 NHL Draft as part of a record-breaking top-five class that featured three University of Michigan players and one future Wolverine.
Saturday, Dec. 9: Predators at Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET on SN, NHLN)
* Filip Forsberg has a team-leading 13 goals this season, which are two more than Ryan O'Reilly (11), who is set to face his former team in Toronto for the first time since being signed by Nashville. Forsberg owns the League lead with 12 goals since Nov. 1, while Auston Matthews ranks tied for sixth in the NHL with nine over that span. Matthews (16) is currently one goal back from matching Brock Boeser (17) for first place in the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy race.
