Facts and Figures: Golden Knights end 2018 on high note

The Vegas Golden Knights ended 2018 by extending their point streak to six games (4-0-2) with a
5-1 victory against the Arizona Coyotes
at Gila River Arena on Sunday.

Five players scored and Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves for the Golden Knights (23-15-4), who became the third team in the Western Conference to reach 50 points this season, joining the Calgary Flames (23-12-4) and Winnipeg Jets (24-12-2).
Vegas, which was 26-9-2 (54 points) by Dec. 31, 2017, also became the first team in NHL history to accumulate at least 50 points before Jan. 1 in each of its first two NHL seasons.
It was the NHL-leading 22nd win of the season for Fleury, who is 6-0-3 in his past nine appearances. It's his longest streak without a regulation loss since he went 11-0-1 for the Pittsburgh Penguins from Feb. 21-March 25, 2012.

Winter Classic marks NHL's return to Indiana

The
2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic
between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, on Tuesday (1 p.m. ET; NBC, SN, TVAS), will mark the sixth time the League has held a regular-season game in the state of Indiana, and the first since 1992, when the Washington Capitals defeated the Blackhawks 4-1 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis on Nov. 3.
The Blackhawks also played one game in Indianapolis during the 1952-53 season and three in 1953-54, including a 3-2 loss to the Bruins at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum on Jan. 21, 1954. That venue, now known as Indiana Farmers Coliseum, houses the Indy Fuel, Chicago's ECHL affiliate.

Ovechkin, Pettersson go for milestones on final day of 2018

Forwards Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals and Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks will try to make history on the final day of 2018, when the NHL rings out the old year with 13 games.
Ovechkin leads the NHL with 29 goals entering the Capitals' game against the Nashville Predators at Capital One Arena (12:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS, NBCSWA, FS-TN, NHL.TV). He's one goal short of joining Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Gartner as the only players to score at least 30 goals in each of their first 14 NHL seasons (Gartner holds the record with 15). Ovechkin can also become the first player to reach the 30-goal plateau before the calendar year turns since he did so in 2013-14 by scoring his 30th goal on Dec. 21, 2013. Ovechkin also reached the milestone prior to Jan. 1 in 2007-08 (Dec. 29, 2007).
Pettersson leads all rookies with 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 35 games played. He is one goal from becoming the seventh active NHL player (all forwards) to score 20 goals within his first 40 games. Pettersson would join Ovechkin (33 games played), Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs (36), Canucks teammate Brock Boeser (37), Evgeni Malkin (38) and Sidney Crosby (39) of the Penguins and Patrik Laine (40) of the Jets. The 20-year-old also needs one point to join Ovechkin (34 games played), Crosby (36), Malkin (36) and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (38) as the only active players to accumulate 40 points within their first 40 NHL games.