NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 4, 2018

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps

DETROIT 2, Ottawa 1 (OT)
Chicago 5, NY RANGERS 2

ATHANASIOU MATCHES NHL RECORD WITH OT GOAL

Andreas Athanasiou scored twice, including six seconds into overtime, to lift the Red Wings (16-16-7, 39 points) to their fourth consecutive home win and third straight victory overall. Athanasiou, who scored his third career overtime goal, matched an NHL record for fastest goal to start a regular-season overtime.

* Jimmy Howard, who has started in each of Detroit’s wins during the three-game stretch, has made over 30 saves in each performance (3-0-0, 1.30 GAA, .964 SV%).

GLASS BACKSTOPS BLACKHAWKS TO VICTORY

Patrick Kane notched 1-1—2 and Jeff Glass made 23 saves to help the Blackhawks (19-14-6, 44 points) improve to 6-3-1 over their last 10 contests.

* Elias notes that Glass, who pushed his record to 2-0-1 since making his first career start at 32 years of age on Dec. 29, 2017, became the second goaltender in NHL history to start his career without a regulation loss in his first three games after making his League debut at age 32 or older. The other: Ross Brooks, who made his NHL debut at 35 years of age and went 11-0-3 in his first 14 decisions (1972-73 w/ BOS).

SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION

GOLDEN KNIGHTS AIM FOR NINTH STRAIGHT VICTORY…

The Western Conference-leading Golden Knights (27-9-2, 56 points) look to extend their winning streak to nine games – which would be the longest such run by any team in the NHL this season – when they visit the Blues (25-15-2, 52 points) at Scottrade Center.

* Vegas’ current eight-game winning streak and 13-game point streak (12-0-1) are both the longest such runs in NHL history by a team in its inaugural season. The Golden Knights’ point streak also is the longest in the NHL this season; the Blue Jackets (18 GP: 17-0-1), Capitals (14 GP: 12-0-2) and Ducks (14 GP: 11-0-3) each had point streaks of at least 14 games in 2016-17.

* Forward Jonathan Marchessault – who leads the Golden Knights with 15-22—37 in 35 games this season and signed a six-year contract extension with the club on Wednesday – enters the contest on a seven-game point streak (5-6—11).

…DUCKS, AVALANCHE LOOK TO WIN FOUR IN A ROW

The Ducks (19-14-8, 45 points) and Avalanche (29-16-3) will each look to win four consecutive games for the first time this season when they face the Oilers (17-20-3, 37 points) and Blue Jackets (23-15-3, 49 points), respectively. Rickard Rakell enters Thursday’s contest on a six-game goal/point streak (7-3—10) while Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon has recorded multi-point outings in each of his team’s three straight wins (2-6—8).

COYOTES’ KELLER RIDING LONGEST ACTIVE POINT STREAK

Clayton Keller will look to extend his point streak to nine games when the Coyotes host the Predators tonight – his current eight-game run is the longest active point streak in the League and the longest by a rookie this season (3-6—9 in 8 GP).

* Four rookies in Coyotes/Jets franchise history have recorded a point streak of at least nine games: Dale Hawerchuk in 1981-82 (10-10—20 in 9 GP) and three first-year players from the 1992-93 team – Teemu Selanne (20-14—34 in 17 GP), Keith Tkachuk (6-7—13 in 12 GP) and Alexei Zhamnov (5-12—17 in 10 GP).

* Last season, only three rookies strung together a point streak of at least nine games: William Nylander (4-10—14 in 12 GP) and Auston Matthews (8-4—12 in 9 GP) of the Maple Leafs and Matthew Tkachuk (1-9—10 in 9 GP) of the Flames.