* The Eastern Conference’s top two teams, the Panthers and Hurricanes, both skated to victory Thursday with the help of Finnish stars Aleksander Barkov and Sebastian Aho, who each posted multi-point outings.
* Defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Michael Kesselring each scored early game-opening goals to lift Buffalo and Utah to victory while combining for an NHL first in the process.
* Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are set to reignite their 20-season rivalry when the Penguins and Capitals clash for the first time in 2024-25 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+, Hulu, Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
PANTHERS, HURRICANES PICK UP WINS WITH HELP OF FINNISH STARS
The Panthers (10-3-1, 21 points) and Hurricanes (10-2-0, 20 points), who rank first and second in the Eastern Conference, both hit the 20-point mark on the season with the help of multi-point performances by Finnish stars, Aleksander Barkov and Sebastian Aho – two of six players named to the country’s initial roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
* Barkov (0-3—3) factored on three of six Panthers goals in a victory against the Penguins. He became the first player in franchise history to record 100 multi-assist games and joined Teemu Selanne (167 GP), Jari Kurri (167 GP) and Saku Koivu (100 GP) as the fourth Finnish player in NHL history to reach that mark.
* Aho assisted on two of his team’s five goals to help Carolina extend the League’s longest active winning streak to eight games. The Hurricanes (12 GP) required the second-fewest games in franchise history to reach the 20-point mark in a season behind only 2020-21 (11 GP).
DAHLIN’S EARLY GOAL HELPS SABRES CRUISE TO VICTORY AT MSG
Rasmus Dahlin scored the first of five unanswered goals just 26 seconds into the contest as the Sabres (6-7-1, 13 points) scored a season-high six goals and extended their road point streak versus the Rangers to five games dating to March 27, 2022 (3-0-2) – the longest active run by a visitor at Madison Square Garden.
* The Sabres had 15 players record a point in the same game for the ninth time in franchise history and third in the past 30 years (also Nov. 3, 2018 vs. OTT & . It also marked just the second time in franchise history that all 12 Sabres forwards found the score sheet, following Jan. 27, 1994 (7-2 W vs. WSH).
* Dahlin’s tally marked the third-fastest game-opening goal by a defenseman in Sabres history behind only Grant Ledyard (0:08 on Dec. 4, 1991) and Tyler Myers (0:23 on Jan. 6, 2010).
* DYK? In addition to Dahlin’s opening goal, fellow defenseman Michael Kesselring also opened the scoring for his team Thursday and did so in Utah’s win against St. Louis. His tally came 18 seconds into the contest and marked the fastest goal to start a game this season.
HELLEBUYCK STIFLES MacKINNON AND MAKAR AS JETS MOVE TO 13-1-0
Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar combined for seven assists in their last outing and 11-37—48 through their first 13 games of the season, but Connor Hellebuyck (35 saves) and the NHL-leading Jets (13-1-0, 26 points) accomplished a feat no team has done in 2024-25 – keep the Avalanche duo off the score sheet. Winnipeg has accounted for each of the past two instances MacKinnon and Makar have completed a regular-season game without a point (also .
* Hellebuyck (10-1-0, 1.91 GAA, .932 SV%, 3 SO), who posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time, became the sixth U.S.-born goaltender in NHL history to register 40 career shutouts. He also joined Jack Campbell (11-0-0 in 2020-21 w/ TOR), Andre Vasilevskiy (10-1-0 in 2017-18 w/ TBL) and Jonathan Quick (10-1-0 in 2010-11 w/ LAK) as the fourth active goaltender to record at least 10 wins through his first 11 games of a season.
* The Jets, who have suffered just one regular-season loss in 22 games since April 1, 2024 (Oct. 28 vs. TOR), matched the best 14-game start to a campaign in NHL history – a mark first established by the 2007-08 Senators (13-1-0).
STANKOVEN EXTENDS ROOKIE SCORING LEAD IN STARS VICTORY
Logan Stankoven (1-1—2) registered his third multi-point performance of the season to lift the Stars (8-4-0, 16 points) to victory and boost his totals in 2024-25 to 2-10—12 (12 GP). He owns the most assists and points among rookies this season.
* Stankoven joined Mike Modano (9 GP in 1989-90) and Neal Broten (12 GP in 1981-82) as the third Stars/North Stars rookie to require 12 or fewer games to register a dozen points in a single season. He also required the fewest games by a rookie in franchise history to reach 10 assists in a season and accomplished the feat in two fewer contests than Danny O'Shea (14 GP in 1968-69), Tim Young (14 GP in 1975-76) and Don Barber (14 GP in 1989-90).
* Only four players in Stars/North Stars history have finished a season with the most points among rookies: Bobby Smith (1978-79), Roland Eriksson (1976-77), Danny Grant (1968-69), and Andre Boudrias (1967-68).
KAPRIZOV’S THREE-POINT SHOWING SPOTLIGHTED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured several noteworthy performances, including Kirill Kaprizov (0-3—3) factoring on three of his team’s five goals to extend his road multi-point streak to seven games in Minnesota’s victory against San Jose at SAP Center.
QUICK CLICKS
* Alex Ovechkin-Sidney Crosby rivalry still going strong 20 years later
* Jeremy Swayman, Linus Ullmark excited to share ice again when Bruins host Senators
* Auston Matthews uncertain for Maple Leafs on Friday because of upper-body injury
* CHL players to be eligible to play NCAA hockey beginning in 2025-26
* PWHL unveils new uniforms for Inaugural 6 teams
NATIONAL BROADCAST FEATURES CROSBY AND OVECHKIN’S FIRST MEETING OF 2024-25
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin continue their 20th career seasons when they meet for the 70th time and first in 2024-25, doing so on ESPN+, Hulu, Sportsnet and TVA Sports. Crosby (31-59—90 in 69 GP) owns the overall head-to-head advantage against Ovechkin (37-30—67 in GP) and has won 40 of the previous 69 matchups (Crosby: 40-25-4; Ovechkin: 29-30-10).
* Since Crosby’s teammate Evgeni Malkin (502 in 1,160 GP) reached the 500-goal milestone earlier this season (Oct. 16), Friday will be the NHL’s first game to feature three or more players with 500-plus career goals since Feb. 17, 2008 (**Jeremy Roenick** w/ SJS, **Jaromir Jagr** w/ NYR & **Brendan Shanahan** w/ NYR).
INDUCTION WEEKEND BEGINS WITH HALL OF FAME GAME IN TORONTO
A four-game Friday includes the annual Hockey Hall of Fame game in Toronto when the Red Wings visit the Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET on TSN4, TVAS-D, FDSNDET). It opens a busy Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in Toronto that culminates with the Class of 2024 Induction Celebration on Monday.
* The Class of 2024, who will be celebrated in-arena along with other Honored Members during Friday’s game, includes Natalie Darwitz, Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick, Shea Weber and Krissy Wendell in the Player category, while Colin Campbell and David Poile will be inducted as Builders.
