Saturday could be the most wonderful day of the year for hockey fans. Call it NHL Super Saturday

Stock the fridge. Keep the beverages handy. And find a soft chair. You're not going to want to miss a minute of the action. And there will be lots and lots of action.

All 30 teams will be playing on Super Saturday, from Sidney Crosby hitting Broadway to Ilya Kovalchuk in the Hub of Hockey. The Battle of Ontario will rage in Toronto, while an old Norris Division rivalry will play out when the Red Wings visit the Blackhawks. Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals will take aim on Marty Turco and the Stars, and new Shark Dan Boyle returns to his old home in Tampa Bay.

That's just a sample of what's in store. So tune in, turn on, and get comfortable. It's going to be a wild, wonderful ride.

It was another pulsating Saturday in the NHL, as all 30 teams were in action on a night that saw five games go past regulation.

Mike Cammalleri had a night to remember in Montreal, where he tallied his first hat trick as a member of the Canadiens to lead the Habs to a 5-4 overtime victory over the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. Cammalleri, who signed with the Canadiens as a free agent in July, scored the game-winner at 2:42 of the extra session.

"It's a special night," he said after his team won the Original Six matchup. "It's early in my career with Montreal and it was a Saturday night -- I won't underplay that."

The game on Long Island also required overtime after the New York Islanders surrendered yet another third-period yet en route to a 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. Brooks Laich got the game-winner 60 seconds into OT as he redirected an absolutely gorgeous feed from Mike Green. The Isles went up 2-0 on Jeff Tambellini's goal at 3:44 of the third period, but failed to hang on.

The frantic finishes have begun on a Saturday night in the NHL where all 30 teams are in action.

Here's a recap of some of the early madness:

9:36 p.m. ET -- Brooks Laich scores 60 seconds into overtime to complete the Washington Capitals' rally from a two-goal deficit to beat the New York Islanders, 3-2, disappointing the Nassau Coliseum crowd.

9:37 -- Evgeni Nabokov and the San Jose Sharks hang on for a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Thrashers at Phillips Arena. Patrick Marleau's two goals, which tied him for the League lead with nine, hold up as Nabokov finishes with 24 saves. Ilya Kovalchuk, who also has nine goals, left early with a foot injury.

9:38 -- Mason Raymond's goal into an empty net with eight seconds remaining allows the Vancouver Canucks to hold on at G.M. Place for a 3-1 win over the still winless Toronto Maple Leafs, who were pushing frantically for a tie with the goalie pulled in the final minute.

The South Philadelphia sports complex was the center of an unprecedented sports and entertainment maelstrom this weekend.

Two World Series games, an important NFL game and one of the legendary bands in the history of rock and roll created a perfect storm that would keep the four-building complex hopping from early Saturday until the wee hours of Monday morning.

And kicking off the extravaganza was one of the biggest rivalries in the NHL, as the Flyers hosted the New Jersey Devils in the back end of their home-and-home series at the Wachovia Center.

The game also started the NHL's Super Saturday, with all 30 teams in action on the same night for the first time since opening night of the 2005-06 season.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The fans come from all points in the State of Hockey, formerly known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and from across the Iowa, Wisconsin and North Dakota borders to watch the Minnesota Wild.

Game after game, "the team of 18,000" turns out in force and they've never failed, since the Wild first took to the ice in 2000, to sell out the Xcel Center.

That's 327 consecutive preseason, regular-season and Stanley Cup Playoff games.

NEW YORK -- A fan is heard shouting at the young forward, loud enough to elicit laughter from the surrounding sections.
 
The kid hears nothing, isolated within the playing surface as he is, so that by the time the laughter subsides, the kid already has spun around the blue jersey looking to contain him and passed the puck to his defenseman, now heading toward the net.
 
Suddenly, a shot. The kid already has position, waiting, with the same blue jersey on his back now, attempting to control his stick. The goaltender, too, is out, aggressive -- he knows who is on the ice and he is ready -- but he cannot withstand one, two, then three attempts at the puck from the kid.
 
The red light comes on, and a groan goes up from the crowd.
 
Sidney Crosby has just scored, at 15:59 of the second period, extending the Penguins' lead over the hometown Rangers to a seemingly insurmountable 2-0.
 
The crowd is upset, frustrated. The game is not going their way.

TORONTO — So there I was, smack dab in the middle of the infamous "War Room" at NHL headquarters in Toronto on the busiest day of season — 15 games, 30 teams, 60 on-ice officials, more than 225,000 hockey fans watching live throughout various arenas in 15 cities and millions more perched in front of their television sets.

What kind of contribution could an NHL.com staff writer possibly provide within this hectic environment? I could remain content in my assigned work space, glued to my laptop and just provide our NHL.com readers the inside scoop. Or I could also mosey on over to Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Mike Murphy and offer my assistance.

While the Florida Panthers players get most of the attention in South Florida for their on-ice play, they aren't always in the eye of the fans on a game day at BankAtlantic Center. That title belongs to the Panthers Ice Dancers.

The Panthers Ice Dancers is a unit of 18 women who almost from the time they get to the arena until after the game, are out in the public, acting as ambassadors for the Panthers organization.

Their stage is in Section 127 at the BankAtlantic Center, and squads of eight usually "work" an individual game.

But it's more than just dancing all night for this very diverse group of women, who hail from all over the world. At any point in time during the game they're out visiting suites, conversing with the fans in the concourses, promoting programs the Panthers might have going on and adding to the game presentation and the overall atmosphere.

Although it would be tough being in the public for hours upon hours and upholding the Panthers standard for anyone, it's worth it for them.

Even though the Panthers Ice Dancers will have the busiest night in the League off -- the team is in St. Louis, and the dance troupe doesn't travel -- it's still important to highlight the time and effort these women go into making a Panthers game a special experience.

Matt Loughlin is in his third season as the radio voice of the New Jersey Devils, where he works with game analyst Sherry Ross. The pair can be heard on the club's flagship radio station, WFAN-660 AM. He also hosts podcasts featured on the Devils' Web site.

Ever wonder what the play-by-play voice for a three-time Stanley Cup champion does during a day? Loughlin provided an inside look at his Saturday, the day of a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, on the busiest day on the NHL calendar.

Early Saturday morning -- Getting ready for the back half of a home-and-home. My wife's away so I have to play Mr. Mom, too.

Before the kids get up, I'll check the Web, look at highlights from around the League -- NHL.com of course -- and update my stats from Friday's game. I'll also jot down some postgame quotes from Friday's game.

When United Center organist Frank Pellico plays the opening notes of the National Anthem, the sound is nearly deafening.

During the song, there are two focal points — and neither of them sports the Blackhawks' logo. One is the American flag; the other is the Blackhawks' regular anthem singer, Jim Cornelison.

But the crowd cheers so loudly, no one can hear the song. At Blackhawks games, "The Star-Spangled Banner" isn't just part of the pre-game routine — it's an event.

"You actually have to choke back emotion to keep yourself in the right place," Cornelison said about the electricity of performing the anthem in front of a packed stadium. "It's like pitching or a golf swing — the more efficient you are and relaxed in the right way, the more powerful your delivery."

"In many stadiums and in many sports, the National Anthem has become just part of the routine — rote and perhaps almost ignored," Blackhawks fan Steve Sobel said. "To Chicago Blackhawks fans, it is an integral part of the experience."