Mark Stone and Nikita Kucherov both continued their strong starts to 2026, with Stone extending his franchise-record point streak to 14 contests and Kucherov helping the Lightning extend their lengthy point streak to 15 as Tampa Bay moved closer to the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series.
* Macklin Celebrini reached the 50-goal plateau in his career during San Jose’s win and achieved notable franchise and League-wide feats while doing so.
* A nine-game Saturday will feature nearly half of its contests on Hockey Night in Canada, with one of those featuring Connor McDavid continuing the pursuit of his sixth Art Ross Trophy while facing future Team Canada teammate Tom Wilson.
KUCHEROV, STONE CONTINUE STRONG STARTS TO 2026 FOR TAMPA BAY, VEGAS
Nikita Kucherov (1-0—1) scored Tampa Bay’s lone goal in regulation while Mark Stone (2-1—3) had a game-high three points for Vegas as both players continued strong starts to 2026 and helped their clubs skate to victory.
* Kucherov tallied his League-leading 23rd point of 2026 and helped the Lightning extend their point streak to 15 games (14-0-1) – the third-longest run in franchise history. Tampa Bay (32-13-4, 68 points) overtook idle Detroit (31-16-5, 67 points) for first place in the Atlantic Division with its third straight win and is just eight days away from facing off against Boston at the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series. Click here for the #NHLStats Pack.
* Stone, who will represent Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, extended his franchise-record point streak to 14 games and established the second-longest run this season by a player named to an Olympic roster behind only Connor McDavid (Team Canada; 20 GP from Dec. 4 – Jan. 13).
* Stone has recorded a point in all 12 games since the calendar flipped to 2026. Only four active players have posted a streak of that length to start a calendar year: McDavid (15 GP in 2023), Nathan MacKinnon (13 GP in 2024), Sam Reinhart (13 GP in 2024) and Alex Ovechkin (13 GP in 2007).
CELEBRINI REACHES 50-GOAL PLATEAU IN SHARKS VICTORY
Macklin Celebrini’s first goal of the night was the 50th of his career and the first of two power-play goals by the Sharks in the opening 3:08 of the contest. San Jose (26-21-3, 55 points) would go on to hold its lead throughout the game and overtake Seattle (22-19-9, 53 points) for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
The Sharks scored the fastest two power-play goals to begin a game in franchise history, besting Oct. 18, 2018 (4:02). The last team to achieve the feat faster was the Bruins on Feb. 15, 2001 (2:07).
* Celebrini (120 GP) became the fastest Sharks player to score his 50th NHL goal, besting the previous benchmark established by Logan Couture (135 GP). His second tally of the night marked his seventh career multi-goal period, passing Devin Setoguchi and Brent Burns (both w/ 6) for sole possession of the eighth most in franchise history.
TIPPETT SCORES HAT TRICK, FOUR POINTS AGAINST LEAGUE-LEADING AVALANCHE
Owen Tippett recorded his second career hat trick and third four-point game, while Matvei Michkov tallied 2-1—3 to help the Flyers (24-17-9, 57 points) score seven against the League-leading Avalanche (34-6-9, 77 points) – who have the fewest goals allowed across the NHL – and move within three points of a Wild Card spot.
* Michkov recorded his ninth career multi-goal game and tied Peter Zezel for the second most by a Flyers player before age 22. Eric Lindros (17) tops the list.
DUCKS WIN AGAIN, JOHNSTON NETS ANOTHER PPG, IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
Friday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured notes on all 16 teams in action, including multiple on the Ducks and Stars:
* Lukas Dostal made 20 saves to extend his winning streak to five games and help the Ducks extend theirs to six – the longest active run in the NHL – as Anaheim improved to 27-21-3 (57 points) and moved within one point of Edmonton (25-19-8, 58 points) for second in the Pacific Division. Dostal became the second Ducks goaltender in the past 10 years to record multiple win streaks of five-plus games in a single season, joining Frederik Anderson (7 GP & 5 GP in 2015-16).
* Dallas saw Jason Robertson become the League’s third 30-goal scorer this season and Wyatt Johnston tally his League-leading 17th power-play marker of 2025-26. Johnston’s 28 power-play goals dating to 2024-25 passed Leon Draisaitl (27) for the most through that span.
QUICK CLICKS
* Connor McDavid eager to play with “idol” Sidney Crosby at Olympics
* Jon Cooper says Lightning players will hit the ground running at Olympics
* NHL Draft: Alberts Smits looking to make Olympic impact with Latvia
* NHL happy to have tent for rink prep in Tampa for Stadium Series
* #NHLStats Pack: Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026
KEY ATLANTIC DIVISION MATCHUP HEADLINES HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA
Nearly half of Saturday’s nine-game slate will be featured as part of Hockey Night in Canada’s four-game broadcast on Sportsnet, which includes a pivotal Atlantic Division showdown between Original Six rivals, Connor McDavid continuing the pursuit of his sixth Art Ross Trophy while facing future Team Canada teammate Tom Wilson, Brady Tkachuk looking to extend his point streak to a season-high six games and the Jets looking to build on recent success (5-1-2 in last 8 GP) while hosting the Red Wings.
* The Bruins (29-20-2, 60 points) have won seven of their last eight games and enter Saturday’s contest just three points back of the visiting Canadiens (28-16-7, 63 points), who sit third in the Atlantic Division and own one of the NHL’s strongest road records this season (14-5-6, 34 points).
* Should both teams hold on to a postseason position, it would mark the first time in five years that both Original Six franchises qualified for the playoffs in the same season, with the last time being the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs which saw the Bruins get eliminated in the Second Round and the Canadiens advance all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
* The Bruins and Canadiens have played 177 postseason games against each other, the most by any two opponents in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. The last time the two rivals met in the postseason was the 2014 Second Round, a seven-game triumph by the Canadiens. Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher, who assisted on the series-clinching goal, is the only player remaining on either roster who participated in that Game 7.
#NHLSTATS MEMOS TO MILAN: MEMORABLE MOMENTS NOW ON NHL RECORDS SITE
Memorable moments and “Did You Know?” tidbits from the five prior Olympic Winter Games featuring NHL players (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 & 2014) are entrenched across the new pages on Records.NHL.com, including:
* Tuukka Rask, representing the Bruins on Team Finland, was involved in each of the last two penalty shots at Olympics with NHL players – denying Team USA’s Patrick Kane both times during the bronze medal game in 2014. That is the only time two penalty shots were attempted in the same game (for either team), and two of 10 across the five events.
* T.J. Oshie, representing the Capitals on Team USA, scored four times on six shootout attempts during the 2014 round robin. His four goals and six attempts are the most for both a career and in one game for Olympics with NHL players (tied or outright).
* NHL players have represented 16 different countries, with Team Denmark and Team France set to add their names to that list in 2026 (Team Italy is the only 2026 team without an NHL player). Team Denmark, which will play in an Olympics with NHL players for the first time, has five players currently designated as NHL players – including four across the Hurricanes and Senators, who face off tonight in Ottawa. The lone current NHL player on Team France – hosts of the 2030 Olympic Winter Games – is Canadiens forward Alexandre Texier, who earlier this month became the second French player in NHL history with a hat trick.
* No NHL team has sent more players to a single Olympics than the Red Wings, who had 11 at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City. Two of those players secured a gold medal (Brendan Shanahan & Steve Yzerman w/ Team Canada) before returning to help Detroit capture a Stanley Cup a few months later. Also part of the eight-player all time list of players to win Olympic gold and a Stanley Cup in the same season is current Jets forward Jonathan Toews, who will face Detroit tonight (including his longtime teammate Kane, who sits three points shy of breaking Mike Modano’s NHL record for most points by a U.S.-born player).
ICYMI: PODCAST ROUND UP
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (Jan. 23): Rebuild or Reload? Inside Bruins’ Turnaround
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (Jan. 22): Sherwood to Sharks; Week 16 mailbag
* NHL Forček (Jan. 22): Asistent kouče Rochesteru Vinny Prospal o NHL, AHL i olympiádě
* NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers (Jan. 22): Letter from the Rangers and … GOALIE FIGHT!!!
* NHL @TheRink (Jan. 21): D. Pang joins; Sherwood, Andersson trades, Toews’ return, NYR direction
* La Tasse de Café LNH (Jan. 21): Quel rôle pour Kirby Dach à Montréal?
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (Jan. 21): Something Is Brewing in Buffalo
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (Jan. 19): Rasmus Andersson to VGK; Week 16 pickups
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (Jan. 19): Pressure in the Pacific
* NHL Längs Sargen (Jan. 19): Andersson, Rangers och Awards
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