Facts and Figures: Canucks score nine, take over second in division

The Vancouver Canucks scored nine goals, two from Tyler Toffoli, to defeat the Boston Bruins 9-3 at Rogers Arena on Saturday and take over second place in the Pacific Division.

The Canucks (33-22-6) are two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights (33-22-8) and one ahead of the Edmonton Oilers (32-22-7) in a division with four teams separated by four points; the Arizona Coyotes have 70 points. Vancouver also scored nine goals in a regular-season game for the 16th time in their history and first since Jan. 6, 1996, a 9-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Quinn Hughes had two assists to give him 41 and make him the second rookie defenseman in Canucks history with at least 40 assists in one season. He joined Bryan Berard (40 with the New York Islanders in 1996-97), Janne Niinimaa (40 with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1996-97) and Nicklas Lidstrom (49 with the Detroit Red Wings in 1991-92) as rookies at the position to achieve the feat in the past 30 years.

Shesterkin gets fourth win with at least 40 saves for Rangers

Igor Shesterkin made 44 saves for the New York Rangers in a 3-2 win against the San Jose Sharks at Madison Square Garden. The rookie goalie is 7-0-0 with a 2.03 goals-against average and .945 save percentage in his past seven games and is the first at the position since 1955-56, when shots on goal officially started being tracked, to win four games with at least 40 saves through his first 10 NHL games (Frederik Andersen, nine with Anaheim Ducks in 2013-14; Bob Frose, nine with Flyers in 1982-83; Frank Brimsek, nine with Bruins in 1938-39).

Shesterkin has allowed two or fewer goals in six of his past eight games and is the fourth NHL goalie with nine wins after his first 10 games.

The Rangers (33-24-4) have won three games in a row and seven of their past eight. They're four points behind the Carolina Hurricanes, Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference after they were 11 points out of a playoff spot Feb. 10.

Ovechkin joins 700 club with Capitals

Alex Ovechkin became the eighth player in NHL history to score 700 goals (https://records.nhl.com/records/skater-records/goals/most-goals-career) when the Washington Capitals lost to the New Jersey Devils 3-2 at Prudential Center.
The 34-year-old forward is the second-youngest and second-fastest player to score 700 goals in the NHL (1,144 games). Wayne Gretzky scored No. 700 at age 29 (886 games).

Among major career scoring milestone lists with fewer than 10 names for NBA players (30,000 points), MLB hitters (600 home runs) and NFL quarterbacks (400 passing touchdowns), two players reached the benchmark before age 35: LeBron James and Kobe Bryant of the NBA.

EBUG delivers for Hurricanes in win

David Ayres, a 42-year-old emergency backup goalie, made eight saves for the Hurricanes (35-22-4) after James Reimer and Petr Mrazek were injured in a 6-3 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
Ayres, also an emergency backup for Charlotte of the American Hockey League against the Toronto Marlies on Feb. 1, is the oldest goalie to win his NHL debut, breaking the record held by Hugh Lehman of the Chicago Blackhawks (41 years 21 days) on Nov. 17, 1926. Ayres is the second-oldest player in NHL history at any position to make his NHL debut, behind Lester Patrick with the Rangers (43 years, 80 days) on March 20, 1927.