Facts and Figures: Tavares helps Maple Leafs make history

The Toronto Maple Leafs made some history before going on Christmas break.

Center John Tavares scored the tying goal with eight seconds remaining in the third period and forward Kasperi Kapanen scored in overtime to help Toronto extend its home point steak to 10 games (9-0-1) in
a 5-4 win
against the Detroit Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena.
It was the first time in Maple Leafs history they scored a tying goal at 19:52 of the third period or later and won a regular-season game. The previous record was set March 16, 2000 when Sergei Berezin scored
the game-tying goal with nine seconds left
in the third period of a 4-3 overtime victory, also against the Red Wings.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly had a goal and an assist for his third consecutive multipoint game and 11th of the season. He leads NHL defensemen with 44 points (13 goals, 31 assists) in 37 games. The Maple Leafs record for most multipoint games in a season is 22, set by Ian Turnbull in the 1976-77 season (80 games played).
The Maple Leafs improved to 25-10-2, joining the Tampa Bay Lightning (28-7-2) as the only teams in the League with 25 wins.
The Maple Leafs, who are second in points to the Lighting in the NHL standings, are one of three Canadian teams in the top five of the NHL entering the Christmas break. The Winnipeg Jets (24-10-2) are third and the Calgary Flames (22-12-3) are fifth. The Washington Capitals (22-10-3) are fourth.
It's the 14th time in NHL history that three or more Canadian teams are among the top five in the League standings by Dec. 25. In 12 of the 13 previous incidences, a Canadian team went on to win the Stanley Cup (including the Victoria Cougars of the Western Canada Hockey League in 1925).
The only instance in which a Canadian team did not win the Stanley Cup in a season when three or more Canadian teams were in the top five Dec. 25 was 1919, when the final round between the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL was abandoned after five games because of the Spanish Influenza epidemic.
The last time at least three Canadian teams were in the top five of the League standings at Christmas was 1988, when the Canadiens (1), Flames (2) and the eventual Stanley Cup champions Edmonton Oilers (3) did it.

Thornton, Marleau climb all-time lists

San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton
had his 1,041st NHL assist
in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes to pass Marcel Dionne (1,040) for sole possession of 10th place on the League's all-time list.
His former teammate in San Jose, Maple Leafs forward Patrick Marleau, played the 1,612th regular-season game of his NHL career to tie Ray Bourque
for 10th place
on the League's all-time list.

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No hockey holiday this season

Though the NHL hasn't played a game on Christmas Day in 47 years, it was a regular occurrence from 1920-71, with 125 total games contested on Dec. 25 during that 51-year span.
The last time NHL games were played on Christmas was a
six-game schedule in 1971
. California Golden Seals forward Stan Gilbertson, a rookie that season, is the last player to score an NHL goal on Christmas. He appeared in 428 career games during six seasons with the Golden Seals, St. Louis Blues, Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Hall of Famer Jacques Plante became the first goalie in Canadiens history to reach 300 wins
with a 6-0 victory
against the Chicago Black Hawks on Christmas Day in 1962. He reached the milestone in 521 games, the fewest needed to get to 300 wins in NHL history.
Gordie Howe had six points (three goals, three assists) in
an 8-1 win
against the New York Rangers on Christmas Day in 1956. It was the highest single-game point total of his 26-season NHL career.
Howe has played in the most NHL games on Christmas Day, skating in 16.8 percent of all Dec. 25 games in League history (21 of 125). He leads all players in career games, goals (12) assists (12, tied with Bill Gadsby) and points (24) on Christmas Day.