NHL October 14 2019 Recap
PASTRNAK RECORDS NHL’S THIRD FOUR-GOAL OUTING IN 13 DAYS
David Pastrnak (4-0—4) netted the NHL’s third four-goal performance through the opening 13 days of the 2019-20 season to help the Bruins (5-1-0) win five of their opening six games in a season for the first time since 2012-13 (5-0-1).
Pastrnak joined Anthony Mantha (Oct. 6) and James Neal (Oct. 8) as the third player to score four goals in a game this season. The 2019-20 campaign, already one four-goal outing shy of tying the League total from 2018-19, is just the third in NHL history to feature three such performances through the first 13 days of a season.
Pastrnak, one of just three Bruins players in roughly 20 years to score four goals in a regular-season game, netted his fifth career hat trick. The 23-year-old forward also joined the likes of Barry Pederson (6) and Cam Neely (5) as the third player in Bruins franchise history to record at least five such outings prior to his 24th birthday.
Monday’s four-point performance moved Pastrnak within six points of 300 in his NHL career (138-156—294 in 326 GP). After finding the score sheet in each of his last four contests, he is inching closer to joining Pederson (235 GP), Bobby Orr (279 GP) and Ray Bourque (316 GP) as the fourth player in Bruins history to require 350 GP or fewer to record his first 300 career NHL points with the franchise.
RISING STARS HELP AVALANCHE, SABRES CONTINUE STREAKS
Strong offensive outputs from the Avalanche and Sabres helped solidify victories over the Capitals and Stars, respectively, while continuing each club’s strong start to the season.
Three goals on their first three shots and a four-goal first period helped Colorado, the only team without a loss of any kind in 2019-20, extend its season-opening win streak to five games. This marks the fourth time in franchise history the club has opened a season with at least five straight wins: 1985-86 (7-0-0), 2013-14 (6-0-0) and 1995-96 (5-0-0).
Mikko Rantanen (1-2—3), Nathan MacKinnon (1-1—2) and Cale Makar (0-1—1) have each found the score sheet in all of Colorado’s contests in 2019-20. It is the first instance in Avalanche/Nordiques franchise history that three players opened a season with simultaneous five-game point streaks.
After bursting onto the scene with a goal during Game 3 of his team’s 2019 First Round series against the Flames, 20-year-old Makar became the fifth defenseman in NHL history to begin his regular-season career with a five-game point streak.
The Sabres improved to 5-0-1 to remain without a regulation loss this season, including four straight wins at KeyBank Center. Buffalo recorded at least one point in each of its first six games of a season for the first time since 2008-09 (6-0-2).
Victor Olofsson helped the Sabres convert on another power play Monday and became the first player to score each of his first seven career goals on the power play since 1933-34, when goals by type became an official NHL statistic.
Before making his North American debut in 2018-19 with the Rochester Americans (30-33—63 in 66 GP), Olofsson proved to be an offensive threat for Frolunda HC in 2017-18 when he led the Swedish Hockey League in power-play goals (14) and total goals (27).
PANTHERS, ISLANDERS DISMISS DEFICITS TO RALLY PAST OPPOSITION
The Panthers and Islanders continued to prove that no lead is safe in 2019-20 after overcoming multi-goal deficits against the Devils and Blues on Monday, respectively.
After Taylor Hall (1-1—2) and Pavel Zacha (1-2—3) helped the Devils build a 4-1 lead, Brett Connolly (2-0—2) scored two of five consecutive Panthers goals to help Florida overcome a three-goal deficit to win in regulation for the third time in franchise history and second over New Jersey. The others: Nov. 21, 2011 (vs. NJD) and April 2, 2016 (vs. MTL).
Mathew Barzal (1-1—2) tied the game with 27 seconds remaining in regulation and assisted on Devon Toews’ overtime winner to help the Islanders erase a 2-0 deficit and earn their second win in as many contests. The Islanders registered seven multi-goal comeback wins last season, which trailed only the Lightning and Flyers (both w/ 8) for the most among all clubs.
The Panthers and Islanders earned the NHL’s 13th and 14th multi-goal comeback wins of the season (84 GP) – up six compared to the 84-game mark in 2018-19 (8) which went on to set the all-time record for multi-goal comebacks in a season (138).
PREVIEW OF TODAY’S ACTION
Many of the players who find themselves among the League’s points leaders early in 2019-20 will be in action across a seven-game slate on Tuesday.
Patrik Laine (3-8—11), Mark Scheifele (3-7—10) and the Jets return to Bell MTS Place to host Clayton Keller (0-3—3) and the Coyotes. Winnipeg’s duo sits in the top five in NHL scoring and are two of seven players to record at least 10 points in 2019-20.
In Las Vegas, Mark Stone (4-5—9) and the Golden Knights host Matt Duchene (2-7—9) and the Predators at T-Mobile Arena. Duchene, Filip Forsberg (4-3—7) and Ryan Johansen (2-5—7) each sit one contest shy of matching Marek Zidlicky (2-5—7 in 6 GP) for the longest season-opening point streak in Predators franchise history.
Dougie Hamilton and the Hurricanes begin a four-game road trip in Los Angeles when they face off against the Kings at Staples Center. Hamilton (4-4—8 in 6 GP), who enters the contest with a goal in each of his last five games, can become the first defenseman to register a goal in at least six consecutive games since Mike Green produced the longest such run by a blueliner in NHL history (8 GP from Jan. 27 – Feb. 14, 2009).
Fresh off taking down the defending Stanley Cup champion Blues, Jonathan Drouin and the Canadiens host the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners when the Lightning visit Bell Centre. Drouin (2-4—6 in 5 GP) can become the first Canadiens player to open a season with a point streak of at least six games since Andrei Markov (0-10—10 in 7 GP) from Oct. 10-25, 2008.