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Home , Blake Wheeler, Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, John Tavares, Josh Bailey, Mark Scheifele

NHL MORNING SKATE – FEB. 15, 2021

THREE HARD LAPS

* Oilers Connor McDavid (367 GP) returns to the ice with his sights set on becoming the fastest active NHL player to record 500 regular-season points.

* The Penguins joined rare company in becoming the fourth team in NHL history to overcome a deficit in each of their first seven wins of a season.

* Vegas improved to 8-1-1 at T-Mobile Arena this season and required the franchise’s fewest games to collect 10 wins in a single campaign.

McDAVID EYES 500TH IN SHOWDOWN WITH JETS Connor McDavid (171-326—497) and the Oilers return to the ice against the Jets after a three- day break. With already four games of three-plus points this season, the League’s leading scorer in 2020-21 (9-19—28) sits three shy of 500 in his career.

* McDavid (367 GP) has recorded a League-best 58 games with three or more points since entering the League in 2015-16 – 12 more than the next closest player (: 46) – and can require the fewest contests by an active player to reach 500 career points. Only two reached the milestone prior to their 400th game: (369 GP) and Alex Ovechkin (373 GP).

STREAKING PLAYERS, TEAMS LOOK TO CONTINUE STRINGS OF SUCCESS A collection of players and teams will put their respective streaks on the line when the puck drops on Monday’s action:

* ’s , with points in each of his last 12 appearances dating to Jan. 16, owns an official point streak of nine games entering Monday and can join ’s Connor McDavid (10 GP) and (10 GP) as the NHL’s third player to post a double-digit point streak in 2020-21. The longest point streak in 2019-20 was 17 games ( from Nov. 16 – Dec. 17, 2019).

* Islanders forward (6-8—14) leads New York with 14 points this season and will put his career-best eight-game point streak on the line when his club travels to Buffalo. Should he find the score sheet again Monday, he would join (11 GP and 9 GP in 2017-18) and (9 GP in 2017-18) as the third different Islanders player in the last five years to record a point streak of nine-plus games.

* (6-12—18 in 14 GP) looks to extend his six-game point streak when the Jets battle the Oilers. Scheifele can become just the second different Jets player to notch his first 20 points of a season in 15 or fewer games. is the only player to do so since the club relocated to Winnipeg (14 GP in 2017-18 & 15 GP in 2018-19).

* Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones has collected at least one point in each of his last six games dating to Feb. 2 (1-6—7) - tied for the most among all NHL defensemen over that span. Jones can match the longest point streak by a blueliner in franchise history Monday, joining Zach Werenski (7 GP in 2019-20), Bryan Berard (7 GP in 2005-06) and Jaroslav Spacek (7 GP in 2002-03).

* The Lightning, with six goals in two of their last three games, are set to complete their three- game series with the Panthers. With another two points at AMALIE Arena Monday, Tampa Bay can establish the longest season-opening home win streak in franchise history.

* The Blues travel to Gila River Arena in Arizona having earned wins in each of their last five road games, outscoring opponents 23-11 over that span. The 2020-21 campaign is the third straight season in which St. Louis has posted a road win streak of five-plus games (also 5 GP in 2019-20 & 8 GP in 2018-19).

PENGUINS JOIN RARE COMPANY WITH ANOTHER COMEBACK WIN After the Capitals took a 1-0 first-period lead, Bryan Rust (2-1—3) factored on three of Pittsburgh’s six goals to help the Penguins (7-5-1, 15 points) overcome a deficit to win for the seventh time in 2020-21. Pittsburgh earned its third consecutive victory against Washington this season, with each contest featuring at least seven combined goals.

* The Penguins became just the fourth team in NHL history to overcome a deficit in each of their first seven or more wins of a season.

FLEURY BACKSTOPS GOLDEN KNIGHTS TO 10TH WIN OF 2020-21 Max Pacioretty scored his team-leading seventh of the season and Marc-Andre Fleury (30 saves) earned his 63rd career regular-season shutout as the Golden Knights (10-2-1, 21 points) won the first of four consecutive games against the Avalanche ahead of the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe on Feb. 20 (3 p.m. ET on NBC, SN, TVAS).

* The Golden Knights required their fewest games to record 10 wins (13 GP), eclipsing the previous mark set during the team’s inaugural season in 2017-18 (16 GP).

* Vegas improved to 8-1-1 at T-Mobile Arena in 2020-21. Since 2017-18, the Golden Knights’ 83 home wins trail only the Lightning (89) for the most over that span. Additionally, their 22 team shutouts over that span only trail the Predators (25).

* Fleury, who has allowed more than two goals just once through his eight appearances, improved to 7-1-0 this season (1.38 GAA, .944 and 2 SO) and sits tied for the lowest goals- against average in 2020-21 (min. 5 GP).

QUICK CLICKS

* NHL teams choo-choo-choose to show fans love for Valentine's Day * Canadiens-Maple Leafs 'a rivalry of culture,' Ken Dryden says * still passionate as Islanders GM at 78 years old * Joe Thornton practices for Maple Leafs, will play against Senators on Monday