12 Best NHL Stats This Week

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1. The Habs Hab It

With Montreal sitting atop the power rankings and the standings, it’s not surprising that they’ve got some impressive stats this week.

They’ve opened the season with nine consecutive regulation wins. That’s the most consecutive regulation wins in NHL history. In fact, they’re just one shy of tying a NHL record for most wins to start a season (regulation and overtime) jointly held by the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres and the 1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs. (It’s an impressive feat, but Habs fans, look at who has done it before and lets hold off on parade preparations.)

That stretch also included winning the team’s first five road games of the year for the first time in franchise history.

Having Carey Price on the team will help you get there. In their ninth win, Price had to make 49 saves against the Maple Leafs for the team to grab a 5-3 win. That’s the first time a Canadiens goaltender has had to make 49 or more saves on home ice in 25 years.

On the way to this record, Andrei Markov crossed 500 career points in a Montreal sweater. He’s just the third Canadien defenseman to do that after Larry Robinson (197-686—883) and Guy Lapointe (166-406—572).

RELATED: THW Power Rankings: Montreal is King

2. Ovi Wan Kenobi

Alex Ovechkin hit a major milestone this week, crossing the 900 point threshold.

Ovechkin hit the mark in his 764th NHL game. That’s the fastest any player has reached 900 points since Jaromir Jagr got to 900 in just 681 games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

He also became the first player in Capitals history to reach that mark and only the fourth Russian player to ever do it. The other Russians include Sergei Federov (1,179), Alexander Mogilny (1,032), and Alex Kovalev (1,029).

Ovechkin is also setting personal scoring pace records, scoring a goal in each of his first five games this season for the first time in his career. He also scored his 81st game-winning goal this week. Only Jaromir Jagr (129), Jarome Iginla (94), and Patrick Marleau (88) have more among active players. Jagr is first all-time on that list with Phil Esposito’s 118 coming in second. Ovechkin’s 81 has him tied for 24th all-time with Buffalo Sabres legend Gilbert Perreault.

In other Caps news, this happened, which is kind of surprising.

RELATED: Top 5 Alex Ovechkin Goals

3. Waiting for the Columbus

The Columbus Blue Jackets finally won a game!

But they lost eight straight before that and that’s a pretty historic number of losses to start a season. Only five teams have ever started 0-7. Only two of those teams were playing after 1948: The 1983-84 Capitals and the 1997-98 Blackhawks.

Eight straight regulation losses is the record in the modern NHL. The last team to lose that many consecutive games to start a season was the 1943-44 New York Rangers, who sported a team decimated by World War II and lost 11 straight. They didn’t win a game until their 16th game of the season, entering that night with a 0-14-1 record.

4. Duck Tales

Anaheim Ducks fans may want to skip this one.

We’re starting a club and it includes Jamie Benn (8), Max Pacioretty (7), and Zach Parise (7). The only requirement for membership is having more goals than the entire Anaheim Ducks team (6).

5. Doan It

This week Shane Doant crossed an impressive milestone, playing his 1,400th NHL game.

Even more impressive? All of those games have been for the same franchise, suiting up for both the Winnipeg Jets and the Arizona Coyotes.

Doan is just the eighth NHL player to play 1,400 games for a single team and those eight players played for just three other franchises. The Detroit Red Wings have had four players do it: Gordie Howe (1,687 games), Nicklas Lidstrom (1,564), Alex Delvecchio (1,549), and Steve Yzerman (1,514). The Boston Bruins have had two do it: Ray Bourque (1,518) and John Bucyk (1,436). And Mike Modano (1,459) did it for the Dallas Stars / Minnesota North Stars franchise.

6. Jaromir Button

The ageless one continues to rack up records. On October 22 Jagr put in a power play goal that tied him for third all time in power play points with Teemu Selanne. They both have 588.

Additionally that was his 728th career goal and puts him just three goals from tying Marcel Dionne for fourth all-time in goals.

7. A King Climbing

The same night as Jagr’s power play marker, the Los Angeles Kings won, giving Darryl Sutter sole possession of 14th place in all-time wins among NHL coaches with 552 wins.

8. We’re Going Streaking

Arizona forward Antoine Vermette had his consecutive games streak broken this week at 482 games. That was the second longest active streak in the game. Vermette was behind Andrew Cogliano, who has played 629 straight games, which extends back to his first NHL game.

According to NHL PR, Cogliano’s mark is the third longest consecutive game mark to start a career. Cogliano is behind Doug Jarvis, whose 964 game streak is the longest streak in NHL history, and Andy Hebenton (630).

9. Boring Sean Monahan

Sean Monahan hit 100 career points in Friday’s overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is the second youngest player to hit 100 points in Calgary Flames history.

10. Blake’s Wheeling

Blake Wheeler is the first player in Winnipeg Jets history to post a point in each of the team’s first eight games of a season. He passes Donald Audette, who recorded a point in each of the first seven games during the 2000-01 season.

11. Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

Jason Zucker set a franchise record on Sunday evening when he scored a goal just 10 seconds into the game.

Jacob Trouba also won an award, for the player who looks most like Inside Out Boy.

12. From Gagne to Giroux

Claude Giroux grabbed his sixth overtime goal of his career this week. He ties Simon Gagne for the most overtime goals in Philadelphia Flyers history, according to Elias.

RELATED: Six Great Simon Gagne Moments