Facts and Figures: Kessel finds scoring touch with Coyotes

Phil Kessel had the 53rd multigoal game of his NHL career Thursday when he scored his first two goals with the Arizona Coyotes
in a 5-2 victory
against the Nashville Predators at Gila River Arena.

Kessel, acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 29, is one of nine active players with at least 50 multigoal games since 2006-07, when he made his NHL debut. Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals tops the list with 124 during that span.

Goalie Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves to help the Coyotes improve to 3-0-1 in their past four games. Kuemper is the first goalie in Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets history to allow two or fewer goals in 12 consecutive starts (dating to March 23). It's the 21st such streak in the modern era of the NHL (since 1943-44). Ben Bishop of the Dallas Stars is the only other goalie in the past five seasons to accomplish the feat; he had a 13-game streak from Feb. 23 through Oct. 3, 2019.

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Hughes gets first NHL point, helps Devils top Rangers

Jack Hughes won the first game between the top two picks in the 2019 NHL Draft and got an assist for his first NHL point
in the New Jersey Devils' 5-2 victory
against Kaapo Kakko and the New York Rangers at Prudential Center.

Hughes, taken No. 1 in the draft, got his first NHL point when he assisted on Miles Wood's goal at 12:25 of the second period, helping the Devils (1-4-2) to their first win this season. The 18-year-old became the third-youngest player in Devils/Kansas City Scouts/Colorado Rockies history to get his first NHL point.

Kakko, selected with the No. 2 pick, had two shots on goal but no points in 16:13 of ice time.
The top two picks from the previous draft have faced each other in each of the past seven seasons, including five straight in which at least one of them has found the scoresheet in their first game. The No. 1 selection's team is 4-1-2 in those seven games.
The Rangers and Devils play three more times this season, with the next game set for Prudential Center on Nov. 30. It will be the 12th time since 1963-64 that the top two picks in an NHL Draft will oppose each other at least four times during the ensuing regular season.

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Hutton's second straight shutout put Sabres atop League

The Buffalo Sabres are first in the NHL standings after Carter Hutton made 47 saves in his second straight shutout,
a 3-0 victory
against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center.
At 6-1-1, the Sabres have 13 points, one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers (6-1-0) and Carolina Hurricanes (6-2-0).
Hutton's 47 saves were the most by a Sabres goalie in a regular-season shutout. He is the second Sabres goalie with multiple shutouts through his first five games of a season; Bob Sauve did it in 1979-80. Hutton will have the chance to become the second Sabres goalie with a shutout in three straight games; Martin Biron did it from Jan. 18-24, 2003.
Hutton (5-0-0) is the third Sabres goalie in the past 40 years to win each of his first five games in a season, joining Ryan Miller (8-0-0 in 2006-07, 5-0-0 in 2008-09) and Biron (6-0-0 in 2006-07).

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Pastrnak stays hot for Bruins

David Pastrnak followed a four-goal game Monday by scoring twice and adding an assist for the Boston Bruins
in a 4-3 shootout loss
against the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden.
Pastrnak became the third Bruins player to score at least five consecutive team goals when he opened the scoring at 9:34 of the first period. He assisted on Patrice Bergeron's second-period goal, then scored his second of the game at 16:55 of the third period to tie the game 3-3.

Pastrnak has factored on at least seven consecutive Bruins goals for the second time in the NHL; he had a point on eight straight goals from Jan. 19 to Feb. 5, 2019. Phil Esposito (nine straight goals, March 6-12, 1974, and seven straight, Oct. 14-16, 1970) is the only other Bruins player to accomplish the feat on multiple occasions.

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Two Canadiens score first NHL goal in win against Wild

Victor Mete and Nick Suzuki each scored his first NHL goal to help the Montreal Canadiens end a nine-game losing streak (0-9-0) against the Minnesota Wild
with a 4-0 victory
at Bell Centre.
Mete, a 21-year-old defenseman, opened the scoring at 14:37 of the first period, and Suzuki, a 20-year-old forward,
made it 3-0 at 19:23
. It was the Canadiens' first win against the Wild since Nov. 8, 2014.

Mete, who scored his first NHL goal in his 127th game, and Suzuki, playing his seventh game, became the 12th set of Canadiens teammates to get their first NHL goal in the same game and the fifth in the NHL modern era (since 1943-44).
Of the 12 players in NHL history to require at least 127 games to score their first goal, only Mete and Tony Twist of the St. Louis Blues (who scored Jan. 21, 1995 in his 181st game) had it stand as the game-winner.