* Alex Ovechkin continued The Gr8 Chase with his 872nd career goal and also climbed the NHL’s all-time points list in the process.
* Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner posted five points apiece, with the former scoring his first career hat trick. With every hat trick this season, AstraZeneca will donate $3,000 to the Hockey Fights Cancer Fund of the V Foundation up to $300,000.
* The Blackhawks and Rangers are set to meet for the 600th time in the regular season when they face off at 3 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+ in the United States as well as Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada to begin Sunday’s five-game slate.
OVECHKIN SCORES NO. 872 AND CLIMBS ALL-TIME POINTS LIST IN CAPITALS VICTORY
The Rangers attempted to chip away at their third-period deficit but Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (1-1—2) responded for his club 2:18 later with his 872nd career goal – a tally that stood as the game winner and helped his team improve to 6-0-2 in their past eight home games. He moved within 23 goals of passing Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history and within three of overtaking Jaromir Jagr for the most game-winning goals in League history.
* Ovechkin’s performance boosted his 2024-25 totals to 19-11—30 (23 GP) and improved his career totals to 872-708—1,580. It was his assist on his team’s empty-net goal that moved the 39-year-old past Ray Bourque (410-1,169—1,579) for 12th place on the NHL’s all-time points list.
* Ovechkin’s 19th goal of the season has him producing a 0.83 goals-per-game rate in 2024-25 – currently the highest in a single season in his career and ahead of his 65-goal campaign in 2007-08 (0.79). He is on pace to become the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer on March 13 against the Kings – a franchise he collected 12-11—23 in 27 games against.
* His 0.83 goals per game is already the highest in a single season by a player age 39 or older (min. 20 GP; age based on start of season). Only two others have posted an average of 0.50 or higher in that scenario: Gordie Howe (0.58 in 1968-69 & 0.53 in 1967-68) and Teemu Selanne (0.50 in 2009-10).
KNIES, MARNER EACH POST FIVE POINTS TO LEAD MAPLE LEAFS TO VICTORY
Matthew Knies (3-2—5) was the hat trick hero Saturday and Mitch Marner (1-4—5) assisted on two of his three goals as the pair each posted five points to help the Maple Leafs (25-13-2, 52 points) defeat the long-time rival Bruins (20-17-4, 44 points) and take a two-point lead over the idle Panthers (24-14-2, 50 points) for first place in the Atlantic Division.
* Knies tallied his first career hat trick and became the third Maple Leafs skater to record one this season after John Tavares (Oct. 28 & Dec. 15) and Marner (Dec. 27). The latter also combined with Knies to become the third Maple Leafs duo to each record five points in the same game in the past 40 years following Marner (4-2—6) and Michael Bunting (1-4—5) on Feb. 26, 2022 as well as Kyle Wellwood (3-2—5) and Alexei Ponikarovsky (2-3—5) on Dec. 16, 2006.
* Marner's fifth point of the night was his 42nd assist of the season – only Doug Gilmour (44 in 1992-93) had more for Toronto through their first 40 games of a campaign. The forward also surpassed Gilmour and Syl Apps (both w/ 4) to move into a tie with Babe Dye (5) for the second-most five-point outings in franchise history behind only Darryl Sittler (7).
CELEBRINI SCORES IN 30TH GAME, CECI NETS LATE WINNER FOR SHARKS
Macklin Celebrini scored while skating in his 30th career game to place his name on a few short lists while Cody Ceci netted the winner with 25 seconds remaining to lift San Jose (13-23-6, 32 points) to its second straight victory. Ceci’s tally marked the second-latest go-ahead goal by a Sharks defenseman behind only Marc-Edouard Vlasic (59:55 on Jan. 5, 2015).
* Celebrini (13-15—28 in 30 GP) became the 10th active player with at least 28 points through their first 30 NHL games, following Elias Petterssson (17-18—35), Connor McDavid (13-21—34), Alex Ovechkin (18-16—34), Evgeni Malkin (17-16—33), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (13-19—32), Sidney Crosby (13-18—31), Patrick Kane (7-23—30), Cale Makar (8-21—29) and Artemi Panarin (9-19—28).
* Celebrini also became the sixth 18-year-old in the past 50 years to score at least 13 goals through their first 30 career games. The others: Patrik Laine (17 in 2016-17), Nugent-Hopkins (13 in 2011-12), Crosby (13 in 2005-06), Ilya Kovalchuk (13 in 2001-02) and Trevor Linden (13 in 1988-89).
DEFENSEMEN PROVIDE THE HELPING HAND EN ROUTE TO WINS
Moritz Seider, Lane Hutson and Zach Werenski each found the score sheet Saturday and contributed to their respective team’s victories:
* Seider (0-3— 3) factored on three of four Red Wings goals to reach the 20-assist mark and helped Detroit (17-18-4, 38 points) continue its pursuit of a playoff spot. Seider became the fifth defenseman in franchise history to post 20 assists in each of his first four campaigns with the club and tied Larry Murphy (27) for the ninth-most multi-assist outings in Red Wings history among defenseman.
* While Jakub Dobes held the Avalanche to just one goal to improve to 2-0-0 in his NHL career, Hutson (0-1—1) assisted on the Canadiens’ (18-18-3, 39 points) lone tally to boost his season totals to 2-25—27 (39 GP). Hutson became the eighth rookie defenseman in NHL history to record 25 assists in fewer than 40 games in a season and just the second to do so in the past 30 years, joining Quinn Hughes (25 in 2019-20).
* Werenski (0-2—2) extended his home point streak to 15 games (9-21—30) and helped the Blue Jackets (17-17-6, 40 points) remain in the thick of the Eastern Conference Wild Card race. Werenski, who will serve on the blueline for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off, became the ninth defenseman in NHL history to post a home point streak of that length, following Bobby Orr (3x, longest: 25 GP in 1974-75), Paul Coffey (3x, longest: 23 GP in 1985-86 ), Brian Leetch (2x, longest: 18 GP in 1991-92), Phil Housley (22 GP in 1991-92), John Van Boxmeer (19 GP in 1981-82), Ray Bourque (17 GP in 1992-93), Mark Howe (15 GP in 1984-85) and Denis Potvin (15 GP in 1974-75).
SEVERAL STARS SHINE IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The latest edition #NHLStats: Live Updates featured several noteworthy performances from stars across the League, including Ryan O’Reilly, Adrian Kempe, Matt Boldy and Mark Stone, the latter three of which are set to skate in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February:
* O’Reilly scored three of four Predators goals as they defeated the Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. O'Reilly, who recorded his second hat trick since joining the club last season, became the 10th player to record multiple with the franchise – a list topped by his current teammate Filip Forsberg (11), who had two assists Saturday and will represent Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
* Kempe (1-0—1) tallied the 28th game-winning goal of his career, tying him with Butch Goring and Mike Murphy for the ninth most in Kings history as Los Angeles won its ninth-straight game at Crypto.com Arena and established the third-longest home winning streak in franchise history (12 GP in 1992-93 & 10 GP in 1990-91).
* Boldy factored on three of Minnesota’s four goals as the Wild shut out the Hurricanes and improved to 25-11-4 (54 points) – their third-most wins through 40 games in franchise history behind 2021-22 (27) and 2016-17 (26). Boldy, who will suit up for the United States in February, recorded his 14th career three-point game and tied Mikael Granlund for the eighth most in Wild history.
* Stone (665 GP) scored to reach the 600-point milestone as the Golden Knights earned a victory against the Sabres at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday. The Vegas captain, who will take the ice for Canada in February, became the eighth-fastest active Canadian player to 600 NHL points behind Connor McDavid (421 GP), Sidney Crosby (430 GP), Mitch Marner (548 GP), Steven Stamkos (595 GP), Nathan MacKinnon (599 GP), John Tavares (645 GP) and Jonathan Huberdeau (661 GP).
QUICK CLICKS
* Team USA, Ohio State women’s hockey honor Johnny Gaudreau with jerseys
* Jessica Campbell speaks to Montreal Victoire ahead of PWHL ‘Takeover Tour’ in Seattle
* World Junior Championship roundup: Finland tops Sweden in OT to reach final
* Connor Bedard, Blackhawks beginning to blossom under Anders Sorensen
* Maple Leafs Quarter-Century Teams unveiled
BEDARD AND BLACKHAWKS READY FOR AFTERNOON MATINEE
Connor Bedard (10-24—34 in 39 GP) looks to continue his string of success when the Blackhawks and Rangers go head-to-head in a Sunday afternoon matinee broadcast nationally on ABC and ESPN+ in the United States as well as Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. Bedard (3-5—8 in 6 GP) can join Jonathan Toews (5-5—10 in 10 GP; 2007-08) as the second Blackhawks teenager since 1986-87 with a point streak of seven or more games.
