Mikko Rantanen helped the Stars extend the League’s longest active point streak to nine games and recorded his 200th career multi-point game in the process.
* 78% of games this season have featured an even score or one-goal margin at any point in the third period, with the Stars, Golden Knights, Mammoth and Ducks each adding to that total Friday night.
* All seven Canadian teams will appear in the same Hockey Night in Canada telecast for the first time this season during Saturday’s 12-game slate that features more than half the contests on Sportsnet programming.
RANTANEN SHINES AS STARS GAIN GROUND IN LEAGUE STANDINGS
Mikko Rantanen (1-2—3) factored on three of four Dallas goals, recorded his 200th career multi-point effort and helped the Stars push their point streak to nine games (7-0-2) – the longest active run in the NHL. The Stars (19-5-5, 43 points) moved within one point of the idle Avalanche (19-2-6, 44 points) for first place in the League standings, a position which Colorado has held since Nov. 1.
* Rantanen (680 GP) became the seventh-fastest active European player to record 200 career multi-point games. He trails Alex Ovechkin (570 GP), Evgeni Malkin (625 GP), Leon Draisaitl (627 GP), Artemi Panarin (628 GP), Nikita Kucherov (632 GP) and David Pastrnak (652 GP).
SENNECKE TAKES ROOKIE SCORING LEAD, DUCKS STAY ATOP THE PACIFIC
Beckett Sennecke (1-1—2) scored Anaheim’s third and final tying tally to help the Ducks earn their 10th comeback win of the season – second most behind the Flyers (11) – and maintain top spot in the Pacific Division for the 19th consecutive day. Sennecke (8-14—22 in 28 GP) overtook both Matthew Schaefer (8-12—20 in 28 GP) and Ivan Demidov (6-14—20 in 26 GP) for sole possession of the scoring lead among rookies.
* Anaheim improved to 10-4-0 at home this season. The Ducks have recorded 10 home wins in 14 games or fewer only two other times: 2013-14 and 2012-13 (both 11 GP).
* Sennecke (28 GP) took the lead in the rookie scoring race with his fifth career multi-point game. He became the third Ducks rookie to reach the mark before his 30th contest, joining Dan Sexton and Paul Kariya (both: 22 GP).
THE REST OF FRIDAY’S WINNERS ALSO FEATURED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The Dec. 5 edition of Live Updates has more notes from rest of the slate, including the following on the other winners Friday:
* Kyle Connor (1-1—2) extended his goal streak to four games with the opening tally and later collected an assist for his 616th career point to pass Ilya Kovalchuk (615) for the third most in franchise history. The win helped the Jets (14-12-1, 29 points) gain ground on the idle Blackhawks (12-9-6, 30 points) for a spot above the playoff line.
* The Golden Knights and Mammoth were two of four teams to come out victorious in a contest that was either tied or within one goal during the third period Friday. Mark Stone (0-1—1) helped Vegas skate to a 3-0 win and extended his personal point streak to 11 games – he matched the second-longest run in Golden Knights history (Tomas Hertl: 11 GP in 2024-25), one back of Jack Eichel’s franchise record (12 GP in 2023-24).
QUICK CLICKS
* Charlie McAvoy ‘healing really good’ for Bruins after facial surgery
* NHL Winter Olympics all-time roster for Czechia led by 1998 Nagano gold medalists
* NHL EDGE stats behind Morgan Geekie‘s elite goal-scoring for Bruins
* NHL Status Report: Eetu Luostarinen could return for Panthers this weekend
* Tara Mounsey ‘put everything on the line’ on way to U.S. Hall of Fame
EVERY CANADIAN TEAM IN ACTION ON HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA
For the first time this season, all seven Canadian teams will hit the ice on the same Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, with Sportsnet’s family of channels airing five games including two all-Canadian matchups between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs as well as the Jets and Oilers.
* The Canadiens (14-9-3, 31 points) and Maple Leafs (13-11-3, 29 points) face off on Hockey Night in Canada for the second time in a three-week span (MTL: 5-2 W on Nov. 22), with just two points separating the historic rivals in the standings. Montreal arrives in Toronto with a top-10 road points percentage this season (7th; 12-7-3 record w/ .667 P%) while Toronto returns home after a 4-2-0 road trip that finished with three straight victories over the Penguins (7-2 W), Panthers (4-1 W) and Hurricanes (5-1 W).
* Click here for a head-to-head look at NHL EDGE leaders for the Canadiens and Maple Leafs this season.
* Auston Matthews (29-18—47 in 38 GP) enters play with the most goals and points against the Canadiens since entering the League in 2016-17. His 29 goals against Montreal are his most against an opponent and should he score his 30th, he would become the second active player to score 30 goals in fewer than 40 games against a franchise (also Alex Ovechkin in 36 GP vs. TOR).
* The other all-Canadian matchup on Saturday pits last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winner, the Jets (14-12-1, 29 points), against last season’s Stanley Cup finalist, the Oilers (12-11-5, 29 points), with the teams even in the standings and closing in on the playoff line as they look to move back into a postseason position.
* A key player on either side of the Jets–Oilers game is closing in on a key milestone. Winnipeg forward Kyle Connor (299 G) is closing in on joining Mark Scheifele (350 G) and Ilya Kovalchuk (328 G) as the third player to score 300 goals with the Jets/Thrashers history. Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl (415-576—991 in 818 GP), who will represent Team Germany at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, sits nine points away from becoming the NHL’s first German-born player to reach 1,000 career NHL points. Draisaitl is also closing in on Glenn Anderson (417) for third on the Oilers’ all-time goals list.
NHL PODCASTS WEEKLY ROUNDUP
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (Dec. 5): Guest: Jeff Gorton
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (Dec. 4): Jesper Wallstedt joins Calder race; Week 9 mailbag
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (Dec. 3): Guest: Pete DeBoer
* NHL @TheRink (Dec. 3): Guest: Dean Evason
* NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers (Dec. 4): Guest: Jared Spurgeon
* La Tasse de Café LNH (Dec. 3): L’inconstance des Canadiens et spécial poolers
* Never Offside with Julie and Cat (Dec. 2): Guest: Geoff Molson
* NHL Schlagschuss (Dec. 2): Wolf: „Die AHL hat mir alles abverlangt“
* Energy Line with Nate and JSB (Dec. 2): Hall of Famer Jen Botterill
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (Dec. 1): Fox replacements; Week 9 pickups
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (Dec. 1): Guest: Jim Hiller
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