Patrik Laine scored the League’s 100th hat trick of the 2024 calendar year (regular season & playoffs combined) and his first as a member of the Canadiens. 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.
* Connor Hellebuyck was one of three 4 Nations Face-Off goaltenders who achieved notable feats Tuesday and became the first netminder to 20 wins in 2024-25.
* Winnipeg’s Kevin He made history as the first Chinese-born player to sign an NHL contract.
* A five-game slate Wednesday features a national broadcast in Canada when the Maple Leafs visit the Stars on Sportsnet and TVA Sports as well as a doubleheader on TNT and Max in the United States featuring the Flyers against the Red Wings before the Wild welcome the Panthers.
POWER PLAY PROPELS PATRIK TO A HAT TRICK AT BELL CENTRE
Patrik Laine (3-0—3) has made the most of his power play opportunities to begin his tenure with the Canadiens and scored three more times on the man advantage to register his 11th career hat trick and lift his club to victory at Bell Centre – a venue he hopes to continue his success in when he competes with Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Only two Finnish players in NHL history have more career hat tricks than Laine: Jari Kurri (23) and Teemu Selanne (22)
* Laine (6-1—7 in 7 GP) has scored each of his first six goals with the Canadiens on the power play – the longest stretch by a player to begin their tenure with the franchise and two more than the next closest (Mark Recchi: 4 in 1994-95). In fact, he also tied Tyler Toffoli (6-3—9 in 2020-21), Kjell Dahlin (6-6—12 in 1985-86), Bobby Smith (6-2—8 in 1983-84) and Craig Laughlin (6-3—9 in 1981-82) for the most goals overall by a Canadiens player through his first seven games with the franchise in the expansion era (since 1967-68).
* Tuesday marked the third consecutive day with a hat trick and the 100th since Jan. 1. (regular season & playoffs combined). It is the third consecutive calendar year with a triple-digit total following 2022 (117) and 2023 (108). The only longer stretch in NHL history spanned from 1980 to 1986.
* Laine had 6-2—8 and 4-2—6 through his first seven games with the Jets and Blue Jackets, respectively, and also concluded his tenure with each franchise with at least one hat trick (WPG: 8 & CBJ: 2).
4 NATIONS FACE-OFF GOALTENDERS SECURE WINS TUESDAY
Goaltenders Linus Ullmark (SWE), Jeremy Swayman (USA) and Connor Hellebuyck (USA), who will each be representing their respective countries at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, each picked up wins Tuesday:
* Ullmark made 30 saves for his second straight shutout on the road and extended his winning streak to six games – tied for the sixth longest in franchise history – as he helped the Senators (16-13-2, 34 points) build a one-point cushion for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Ullmark leads all goaltenders in wins dating to the beginning of his streak on Dec. 5 and has stopped 173 of 178 shots faced, boasting a .972 save percentage through that stretch.
* With the help of Swayman (20 saves) and David Pastrnak, who climbed the Bruins’ all-time list with his 11th career overtime goal, Boston secured its League-leading third multi-goal, third-period comeback win of the season. Swayman registered his 90th career victory and became the second-fastest American goaltender in NHL history to reach the mark, behind only Frank Brimsek (137 GP).
* Hellebuyck made 32 saves to help the Jets (23-9-1, 47 points) overcome a 3-2 deficit and earn his League-leading 20th win of the season. Hellebuyck became just the fifth active goaltender to reach the mark in 26 or fewer games in a campaign (min. 1 GP in 2024-25), joining Andrei Vasilevskiy (24 GP in 2020-21 & 2017-18), Ullmark (24 GP in 2022-23), Igor Shesterkin (26 GP in 2021-22) and Frederik Andersen (26 GP in 2021-22).
METROPOLITAN DIVISION CLUBS JOCKEY FOR POSITIONING
A trio of Metropolitan Division clubs picked up wins Tuesday, with the Devils (21-10-3, 45 points) leapfrogging the Capitals (21-8-2, 44 points) for first place in the division while the third-place Hurricanes (20-10-1, 41) gained ground and the Penguins (14-14-5. 33 points) inched closer to a playoff position.
* Jack Hughes (0-2—2) factored on two of his team’s four goals as New Jersey captured its eighth road win in nine contests, which includes a stretch of four straight victories. Hughes, with 25-46—71 (66 GP) this calendar year, joined Jesper Bratt (27-55—82 in 81 GP) and Nico Hischier (35-44—79 in 81 GP) as the third Devils player with at least 70 regular-season points since Jan. 1. Only three other calendar years since 1990 have featured three players hit the mark for the franchise: 2022, 2006 and 1993.
* Pyotr Kochetkov stopped all 32 shots he faced in Carolina’s 4-0 victory against its divisional rival NY Islanders and helped the Hurricanes become the third Eastern Conference team with 20 wins this season – all of whom are in the Metropolitan Division. In the process, Kochetkov climbed into sole possession of seventh on the franchise’s all-time shutout list and eighth on the wins list.
* Trailing 2-1 with less than six minutes remaining in the contest, Sidney Crosby (0-1—1) factored on the tying tally to help the Penguins pull even and set the stage for Rickard Rakell (1-1—2) in overtime at PPG Paints Arena. The Pittsburgh captain recorded his 572nd career home assist and tied Joe Sakic for the 11th most in NHL history.
GUENTZEL NETS ANOTHER AS LIGHTNING WITHSTAND THIRD-PERIOD RALLY
The Blue Jackets rallied from a 3-0 first-period deficit to defeat the Lightning in their first meeting of the season 26 days ago and nearly erased a four-goal, third-period disadvantage Tuesday, but Brayden Point’s 21st goal of the season ensured Tampa Bay (17-10-2, 36 points) would avoid déjà vu and capture its third straight win.
* The Tuesday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured notes on players from all 20 teams in action, including more on Point’s teammate Jake Guentzel who helped the Lightning build an early lead and became the eighth player since 1992-93 to post a goal streak of at least seven games in his first season with a franchise.
HE MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST CHINESE-BORN PLAYER TO SIGN NHL CONTRACT
Kevin He became the first Chinese-born player to sign an NHL contract after he was selected in the fourth round by the Jets at the 2024 NHL Draft. He is captain of the Niagara IceDogs and currently sits fourth in the OHL in goals.
* He’s love for hockey began with his father, Jason, who went to school in Moncton, New Brunswick as an international student and put Kevin on rollerblades at age 3. Once the family moved to Canada, He learned English and French and is now trilingual, also speaking Mandarin. Read more about his story.
QUICK CLICKS
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* Behind the scenes with Connor Bedard and more on Episode 3 of ‘Road to the NHL Winter Classic’
* Chris Zimmerman, Ken Hitchcock receive recognition for work in community with Blues
* Lightning honor Andrei Vasilevskiy for 500th NHL game
WEDNESDAY FEATURES NATIONAL BROADCASTS IN CANADA, UNITED STATES
A five-game Wednesday includes a pair of national broadcasts on both sides of the border, with the Maple Leafs visiting the Stars and the Canucks making their first trip to Utah on Sportsnet and TVA Sports programming in Canada and a TNT doubleheader in the United States that starts with the Red Wings hosting the Flyers and concludes with the Panthers visiting the Wild.
* Wednesday could mark the fifth all-time meeting between the Robertson brothers, with Nicholas Robertson (2-0—2 in 4 GP; 4-0-0 record) holding the edge over brother Jason Robertson (0-1—1 in 4 GP; 0-3-1 record) across the previous four meetings.
* The Canucks (16-9-5, 37 points; WC1) and Utah Hockey Club (14-11-5, 33 points; 3 points back of WC2) both enter Wednesday in the thick of the wild card race in the Western Conference. Vancouver has a 10-2-1 road record in 2024-25 with a League-leading .808 points percentage as the visiting team.
* The Flyers (14-13-4, 32 points) and Red Wings (12-14-4, 28 points) are currently below the playoff line looking to gain ground in a tight Eastern Conference where every team is within eight points of a playoff spot. Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (474-821—1,295 in 1,255 GP) will look to continue on his path towards becoming the second U.S.-born player to 1,300 points (he would join Mike Modano), after snapping a nine-game drought with an assist in his last game Dec. 14 vs. Toronto.
* Kirill Kaprizov (22-25—47 in 30 GP) has scored twice in each of his last two appearances and leads the League with six multi-goal games in 2024-25. He is tracking to best his franchise mark for fewest games to 50 points in a season (38 GP in 2021-22) and is on pace for 126 points, which would also top his already established Wild record (108 in 2021-22).
* U.S. fans watching the Panthers-Wild game nationally on TNT will get a good look at some of the players who will suit up for the United States at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off in February: Minnesota’s Matt Boldy and Brock Faber as well as Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk. Click here for a Behind the Numbers look at the 4 Nations Face-Off rosters.
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