Facts and Figures: Flyers look to build on best start since 2011-12
Philadelphia has four straight victories entering game against Capitals, winners of three in row
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The Philadelphia Flyers enter their game against the Washington Capitals at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN) with their best record to start a season since 2011-12.
The Flyers (10-5-2) have won four consecutive games with points in six straight (5-0-1) to give them 22 after 17 games, one point behind the pace set when they began the 2011-12 season 10-4-3.
Philippe Myers can become the first rookie defenseman to score at least one goal in four consecutive games since Brian Benning of the St. Louis Blues in 1986-87 and the first Flyers defenseman to do it since Mark Howe from Jan. 4-19, 1986. Myers joined Howe (twice), Bob Dailey (three times), Brad McCrimmon, Behn Wilson, Jimmy Watson and Dick Cherry with a three-game goal-scoring streak.
The Capitals (13-2-4) are first in the Metropolitan Division, eight points ahead of the Flyers, and have points in 12 straight games (10-0-2) since Oct. 16, three shy of the longest run in their history (14-0-1) from Jan. 13-Feb. 10, 2010. Their six-game winning streak ended with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday.
It also marks the first game for Radko Gudas against Philadelphia and Matt Niskanen against Washington since the defensemen were traded for each other on June 14.
Tavares faces Islanders, who seek point in 13th straight
The New York Islanders welcome John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs to Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; SN, MSG+, NHL.TV) looking to extend their point streak to 13 games since Oct. 12 (11-0-1). The run is the longest in Islanders history since a 15-game winning streak in 1981-82.
Tavares, selected by the Islanders with the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, will face his former team for the third time at Nassau Coliseum. The center was held without a point on Feb. 28 and scored one goal April 1 of last season, with New York becoming the 31st NHL team he has scored at least one goal against.
Makar joins rare company for Avalanche
Cale Makar scored the game-winning goal for the second time in as many games to help the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-0 victory against the Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old became the first rookie defenseman in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history and eighth in NHL history to accomplish the feat in consecutive games. He leads NHL rookies with 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) and is on a three-game goal streak (six points; four goals, two assists).
Kakko scores twice to lift Rangers
Kaapo Kakko scored two goals, including the game-winner at 2:24 of overtime, for the New York Rangers in a 3-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden. He is the youngest player in Rangers history to score in OT and the first 18-year-old to have a multigoal game.
The forward, chosen No. 2 in the 2019 NHL Draft, has scored six goals, one behind Buffalo Sabres forward Victor Olofsson for the NHL rookie lead. He is the 13th different 18-year-old to score a regular-season OT goal and joined Manny Malholtra (Nov. 7-10, 1998 and Feb. 22-26, 1999) as the second Rangers skater at age 18 to score in consecutive games.
Panthers rally with four-goal third period to stun Bruins
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad, forward Frank Vatrano, forward Mike Hoffman and defenseman Keith Yandle scored four consecutive goals in the third period before Hoffman scored the decisive goal in the shootout to give the Florida Panthers a 5-4 win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.
The Panthers rallied from down four goals (4-0) to win for the first time in their history. The game was also the 19th time in the NHL that a team came back from down four in the third period to win in any fashion and first since the Minnesota Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-5 in a shootout on Jan. 9, 2010. Florida is the ninth team to do it on the road.
The Panthers, Capitals (Oct. 25) and Jets (Oct. 4) are the three teams with a comeback win of at least four goals this season, which is the second in NHL history (1991-92) to have three such wins, regardless of period, through the first 280 games.