* Connor Zary scored the overtime winner in an 11-goal, back-and-forth thriller and helped the Flames become the sixth team in 37 years to register a three-goal comeback win in a season opener.
* Jack Eichel factored on half of Vegas’ eight tallies as the Golden Knights shone bright on TNT and needed to match a franchise record for goals in a game to withstand the eighth hat trick of Mikko Rantanen’s career.
* Sam Montembeault set an NHL mark for saves in a season-opening shutout and became the first goaltender to hold the Maple Leafs off the scoreboard in almost three years.
* A busy Thursday will mark the first broadcast of NHL Coast to Coast on Prime Video Canada, a whiparound show that will look-in on a nine-game slate that includes a pair of contests on ESPN+ starting with the debut of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault with the Predators (8 p.m. ET) and concluding with the first career NHL game for Sharks rookies Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith (10:30 p.m. ET).
ZARY WOWS CROWD WITH OT WINNER AS FLAMES TAKE BACK-AND-FORTH THRILLER
The Canucks built a 4-1 lead in the opening period, but the Flames charged back with four straight goals of their own – only to have J.T. Miller (1-1—2) help Vancouver draw even with 1:37 remaining in regulation to force overtime. Twenty-three-year-old Connor Zary then capped the Calgary comeback for good with a highlight-reel play 1:33 into overtime; four of his 15 career goals have stood as a game winner.
* The Flames – who earned their first three-goal comeback win since Oct. 31, 2019 – joined the Golden Knights, Jets, Rangers and Panthers as the fifth team to score at least six goals in their first game of the 2024-25 season. This marks just the seventh campaign in NHL history to feature as many teams with six-plus goals in their season-opening game, following 1980-81 (7), 1985-86 (6), 1976-77 (6), 2021-22 (5), 1989-90 (5) and 1983-84 (5).
EICHEL, GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITHSTAND RANTANEN HAT TRICK ON TNT
Mikko Rantanen (3-0—3) nearly helped the Avalanche draw even multiple times en route to his eighth career hat trick, but Jack Eichel (0-4—4) – featured in FACEOFF: Inside the NHL, a six-episode docuseries exclusively on Prime Video – willed the Golden Knights to victory and helped the club match its franchise record for goals in a game (also 8 on Nov. 27, 2018).
* Eichel became the sixth player since the turn of the millennium to collect four assists in a season opener. The others: Rantanen (4 on Oct. 12, 2022), Ryan Hartman (4 on Oct. 5, 2017), Mike Green (4 on Oct. 5, 2017), Steve Reinprecht (4 on Oct. 5, 2006) and Darcy Tucker (4 on Oct. 10, 2002). The most is five, shared by John Cullen (Oct. 5, 1990) and Greg Adams (Oct. 10, 1985).
* The Golden Knights are no strangers to success to begin their campaigns and improved to 7-1-0 in eight all-time season openers, including a 6-0-0 mark with general manager Kelly McCrimmon at the helm. He joined Lester Patrick (7-0-0 w/ NYR) as the second general manager in NHL history to win each of his first six or more season-opening contests.
* Rantanen, who owns the fourth-most hat tricks in franchise history, moved into a tie with Sebastian Aho and Tomas Sandstrom (both w/ 8) for the fourth-most hat tricks by a Finnish-born player in NHL history. Only Jari Kurri (23), Teemu Selanne (22) and Patrik Laine (10) have more.
MONTEMBEAULT STEALS THE SHOW IN CANADIENS’ SEASON OPENER
Cole Caufield scored the lone goal in the 22nd mutual season-opening game between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs, but it was Sam Montembeault (48 saves) who added his name to the rivalry’s lore and handed Toronto its first shutout defeat since Nov. 20, 2021 – a span of 227 regular-season contests. Montembeault became the seventh different Canadiens goaltender to post a shutout in a season-opening game and just the second to do so against the Maple Leafs (also Jacques Plante: Oct. 6, 1960 & Oct. 6, 1955).
* Montembeault recorded the second-highest save total by a Canadiens goaltender in a shutout behind only Plante (52 on Nov. 13, 1955 at CHI) and became the ninth netminder in the past decade to register at least 48 saves in a shutout, with Ilya Sorokin the last to do so (49 on Nov. 23, 2022).
U.S.-BORN 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF HOPEFULS SHINE IN OFFENSIVE OUTBURSTS
Chris Kreider (2-0—2), Brock Boeser (2-0—2) and Kyle Connor (1-0—1) each submitted early bids to crack the United States’ roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off in February 2025 and did so thanks in part to contributing to their team’s high-scoring affairs.
* Kreider (Boxford, Mass.), who potted 2-1—3 to start the 2023-24 campaign, became the first player in Rangers history to score multiple goals in consecutive season-opening games and helped the club score at least six goals in their first outing of a season for the third time in the past 40 years (also Oct, 3, 2019 & Oct. 9, 2010).
* Boeser (Burnsville, Minn.) followed up a 4-0—4 performance to begin his season with Vancouver last year with another multi-goal performance as the puck dropped for 2024-25. He netted his seventh and eighth career tallies in season-opening games (8-2—10 in 6 GP) and tied Markus Naslund (8-2—10 in 11 GP) for the most by a Canucks player.
* Connor (Shelby Township, Mich.) scored one of Winnipeg’s six goals and became the first player in NHL history to score in seven consecutive season-opening games (7-3—10 in 7 GP since 2018-19). He entered the contest tied with Cam Atkinson (6 GP from 2014-15 – 2019-20), Yvan Cournoyer (6 GP from 1973-74 – 1978-79) and Mud Bruneteau (6 GP from 1940-41 – 1945-46).
QUICK CLICKS
* #NHLStats: Live Updates for Oct. 9
* Sam Rosen named 2024 Lester Patrick Trophy recipient
* Artists, Apple team up with goalies for ‘authentic and personal’ mask designs
* NHL announces multiyear Canadian partnership with J.P. Wiser’s
* Linus Ullmark signs 4-year, $33 million contract with Senators
NHL COAST TO COAST DEBUTS TONIGHT ON PRIME VIDEO CANADA
After the debut of FACEOFF: Inside the NHL, the docuseries produced by Box To Box and NHL Productions streaming as the No. 1 show in Canada on the platform, Prime Video Canada is set to debut NHL Coast to Coast on Thursday (7 p.m. ET), a weekly whiparound studio show that will feature live look-ins, highlights, and expert analysis of every NHL game that night. The show is hosted by Andi Petrillo, who will be joined by a rotating group of analysts and guests.
BRUINS WELCOME CANADIENS FOR FRANCHISE’S 100TH HOME OPENER
Thursday’s nine-game slate will include the 100th home opener in Bruins history when they host the Canadiens at TD Garden. It will mark the 17th time Boston has hosted Montreal in a home opener (BOS: 4-7-5), which will break a tie with the NY Rangers (16 GP) for the most appearances as the Bruins’ opponent in Boston’s first home game of a season.
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DEBUTS FOCUS OF ESPN+ DOUBLEHEADER
A Central Division rivalry is renewed in the first half of an ESPN+ and Hulu doubleheader when the Predators open 2024-25 against the Stars, but this time with new faces as Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault expect to make their Nashville debut. Meanwhile, a couple of high draft picks are poised to make their NHL debut when Macklin Celebrini (1st overall in 2024) and Will Smith (4th overall in 2023) get San Jose’s season started versus the Blues to close out the doubleheader.
* Nashville bolstered its roster with the offseason acquisitions of a two-time Stanley Cup champion and Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner in Steven Stamkos and the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner in Jonathan Marchessault. Stamkos will be playing his first-ever NHL game without a Lightning uniform on – a franchise he played 16 seasons with – while Marchessault joins the Predators following seven campaigns with the Golden Knights. Both players finished their previous club’s tenure atop their all-time goals, points and multi-goal games list.
* Celebrini (18 years, 120 days), the only first-overall selection in franchise history, is set to become the second-youngest player to make his NHL debut with the Sharks behind only Patrick Marleau (18 years, 16 days on Oct. 1, 1997).
* Alongside Celebrini is Smith (19 years, 207 days), who will also be skating in his first NHL contest Thursday. The pair of forwards can become the fourth and fifth teenagers in Sharks history to score in their League debut. They would join Milan Michalek (Oct. 9, 2023), Brad Stuart (Oct. 2, 1999) and Marco Sturm (Oct. 4, 1997).
ICYMI: Celebrini joined the ‘NHL @TheRink’ podcast to discuss his upcoming Sharks debut and living with franchise legend Joe Thornton, who knows a little bit about debuting in the NHL as a teenager and former first overall selection.
