By Reggie Gatlin-Holt
* NHL fans have completed the 2024 NHL All-Star roster, voting 12 Players to the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend through the 2024 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by MassMutual. More than 36 million votes were cast over eight days, setting a new record and representing a 34% increase in voting year over year.
* Connor McDavid and Joey Daccord both lengthened runs of their own while the Oilers and Kraken each earned come-from-behind victories Saturday to extend their respective winning streaks to 10 and nine games.
* Several players who were among the first 32 named to 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend or voted in through the 2024 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by MassMutual made a splash Saturday, including Nathan MacKinnon who moved into second place on the Avalanche/Nordiques all-time game-winning goals list.
* Sunday’s two game slate begins with a matinee matchup between the Capitals and Rangers on Sportsnet and NHL Network (1 p.m. ET) and concludes with an Original Six showdown when the Red Wings visit the Maple Leafs on TVA Sports (7 p.m. ET).
FANS VOTE IN FINAL 12 ALL-STARS, NHL REVEALS FIRST 10 SKILLS PARTICIPANTS
It wasn’t just a busy day on the ice during Saturday’s 16-game schedule, as the NHL also revealed the final 12 All-Stars who will be headed to Toronto after the 2024 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by MassMutual, the first 10 participants competing for $1 million in the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook and the opening of the NHL All-Star Skills fan vote where voting will determine the final two participants in the Feb. 2 event.
* More than 36 million votes were cast over eight days in the 2024 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by MassMutual, setting a new record and representing a 34% increase in voting year over year. Fans voted in eight skaters and four goaltenders, including three players from the host Maple Leafs: William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly. The full 44-player roster is now complete and can be found here.
* The 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook will take on a new format this year in search for the best all-around Skills competitor (format explained here). Twelve All-Stars will compete in multiple events for points, with the winner taking home a $1 million prize. The first 10 participants were announced on Saturday, with the final two being selected by fan vote on NHL.com/vote and via X, with voting open until Thursday, Jan. 18 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET.
* ICYMI: The NHL and adidas unveiled the jerseys for the Honda (U.S.) / Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Saturday, Feb. 3 (3 p.m. ET, SN, CBC, TVAS, ABC, ESPN+). The jerseys were designed in collaboration with drew house. Click here for full details.
OILERS, KRAKEN RALLY TO KEEP WINNING STREAKS ALIVE
The Oilers (23-15-1, 47 points) overcame a one-goal, third-period deficit and the Kraken (19-14-9, 47 points) erased three separate one-goal disadvantages to extend their respective win streaks to 10 and nine games – with each club establishing franchise records in the process.
* Leon Draisaitl (1-1—2) tied the game by reaching the 20-goal mark for the eighth consecutive season and captain Connor McDavid (0-1—1) celebrated his 27th birthday by collecting a primary assist on the overtime goal to register his 14th career point streak of at least 10 contests.
* McDavid(5-11—16 in 10 GP) has found the score sheet in every contest of Edmonton’s 10-game win streak. He is the 19th player in NHL history, and sixth active skater, to collect a point in every contest of a win streak of 10 or more games. The other active players: Elias Lindholm (10 GP in 2021-22 w/ CGY), Brayden Point (11 GP in 2019-20 w/ TBL), Vladimir Tarasenko (10 GP in 2018-19 w/ STL), Jordan Staal (10 GP in 2011-12 w/ PIT) and Sidney Crosby (12 GP in 2010-11 w/ PIT).
* Edmonton has posted six comeback wins, including four third-period comeback wins during its franchise-record stretch – a streak that also witnessed the club tie a franchise mark for consecutive road victories. The Oilers are the third team in as many years with at least six comeback victories in a double-digit win streak (NJD: 6 in 13 GP, 2022-23 & FLA: 9 in 13 GP, 2021-22) and seventh in NHL history with at least four third-period comeback victories in that scenario.
* Jared McCann (2-1—3) accounted for one of Seattle’s three tying tallies as the Kraken extended their franchise-record point streak to 13 games and established a club record for longest winning streak, besting the previous mark from Jan. 1-14, 2023 (8-0-0). Seattle (5-0-0 since Jan. 1) also became the first team in NHL history to earn wins in each of its first five games from the start of a calendar year in two straight years.
* Joey Daccord (30 saves) extended his franchise-record point streak to 12 games, which includes eight straight victories. He established a club record for longest winning streak, eclipsing the previous mark set by Martin Jones from Jan. 1-14, 2023 (7-0-0 in 7 GP).
ALL-STARS SHINE DURING 16-GAME SLATE
Multiple players who were among the first 32 named to 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend or voted in through the 2024 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by MassMutual made an impact during Saturday’s 16-game schedule:
* Nathan MacKinnon (1-1—2) scored the 60th game-winning goal of his NHL career to pass Milan Hejduk (59) for sole possession of second place on the franchise’s all-time list and help the Avalanche earn their second three-goal comeback victory this season (also 6-3 W vs. DAL on Nov. 18). Colorado earned multiple wins in regulation after overcoming a three-goal deficit within a single season for the fourth time in franchise history – the Quebec Nordiques did so in 1982-83 (3x), 1981-82 (2x) and 1980-81 (2x).
* Thatcher Demko (26 saves) had a perfect performance to help backstop the Canucks to their fifth straight win and help Vancouver secure its third road winning streak of five-plus games dating to 2013-14 (also 7-0-0 in 2022-23 & 5-0-0 in 2014-15). Demko recorded his fourth shutout of the season to tie Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry for the second most among all goaltenders, behind only Arizona’s Connor Ingram who recorded his fifth Saturday. The last Canucks goaltender to earn as many shutout performances in a campaign was Ryan Miller in 2014-15 (6).
* Jake Oettinger (20 saves)made his return to the lineup Friday and came in relief Saturday to backstop the Stars (25-12-5, 55 points) to victory with his 90th career win (90-42-21 in 162 GP). He is one of six U.S.-born goaltenders in NHL history to reach 90 career victories in 162 contests or fewer following Frank Brimsek (137 GP), Jimmy Howard (156 GP), Ryan Miller (157 GP), Connor Hellebuyck (162 GP) and Ben Bishop (162 GP).
* Clayton Keller (2-1—3) posted a three-point performance while his teammate Nick Bjugstad (Minneapolis, Minn.)added to the Hockey Fights Cancer Fund of the V Foundation with a hat trick in his hometown (AstraZeneca donates $5,000 to the fund up to $500,000 for every hat trick scored) to help the Coyotes pick up a six-goal shutout victory against the Wild. Keller climbed three franchise lists, moving into ninth place in points as well as tying Morris Lukowich for 10th place in multi-point and three-point games.
* Filip Forsberg assisted on Alexandre Carrier’s go-ahead goal at 59:52 – the latest such tally for the franchise – before Nashville potted another one seven seconds later to mark the second-fastest two-goal span in Predators history. Nashville became the first team this season to rally from behind during the final five minutes and win in regulation multiple times (also Nov. 20, 2023).
* David Pastrnak (0-2—2) assisted on the overtime winner to record his 191st career multi-point game and move within two of fellow Czechia native and former teammate David Krejci (193) for ninth most in Bruins history. Pastrnak’s 20 multi-point games this season trail only Nikita Kucherov (22) and MacKinnon (22) for the most among all players.
* Kucherov (0-3—3) collected his 20th career three-point period as he became the fourth player in Lightning history to hit the 800-point milestone and the first skater this season to reach the 70-point threshold. Two of Kucherov’s assists came on power-play goals by Steven Stamkos (2-1—3) who climbed an all-time NHL list for power-play tallies with one franchise and became the first player in franchise history with 100 three-point outings.
KANE, TARASENKO SPOTLIGHTED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured a number of noteworthy performances from across the 16-game slate, including multi-point outings from Detroit’s Patrick Kane and Ottawa’s Vladimir Tarasenko. Click here to read more.
* Kane (1-1—2) factored on two of five Red Wings (21-16-5, 47 points) goals as the club gained ground on the Islanders (19-13-10, 48 points) for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Kane recorded his 332nd career multi-point game and tied Jeremy Roenick for the second most by a U.S.-born player in NHL history – Mike Modano tops the list with 358.
* Tarasenko (1-1—2) tallied the go-ahead goal with five seconds remaining in regulation and Tim Stützle secured a career-high four assists as the Senators stunned the Sharks. Tarasenko became the third player in franchise history with a go-ahead goal in the final five seconds of regulation, joining Nick Foligno (59:56 on Oct. 27, 2011) and Milan Michalek (59:55 on Oct. 22, 2011).
QUICK CLICKS
* Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner meet young siblings who sold lemonade to attend Toronto game
* Connor Bedard ‘dying’ to come back for Blackhawks from broken jaw
* Nate Schmidt makes fashion statement, stays warm with yellow gloves before Jets game
* Stars coach Pete DeBoer addresses name mixup, is not going to coach Alabama football team
* Glen Cochrane, former Flyers defenseman, dies at 65
CAPITALS–RANGERS MEET AGAIN ON NHL NETWORK, SPORTSNET
For the second consecutive day, the Capitals and Rangers will compete in a matinee to close out their home-and-home set, with Sunday’s contest taking place at Madison Square Garden – New York is 13-6-0 on home ice in 2023-24 (WSH: 9-7-2 on the road).
COURTESY NHL COMMUNICATIONS