Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin never expected to achieve the "miracle" of overtaking Gordie Howe into second place in the list of the NHL's all-time record scorers.

Ovechkin scored twice in Friday's 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets to equal and then surpass Howe's tally of 801 on what was his 1,305th career outing.

The Russian now trails only Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history, the latter scoring 894 in 1,487 games.

"You never think it's going to happen when you come to the league, that you're going to beat any Gordie Howe record or Wayne Gretzky record," Ovechkin said. 

"The whole situation happening right now, it's some miracle."

Ovechkin has 22 goals for the season and has scored at least 24 in his previous 17 NHL campaigns, his personal best coming in 2007-08 when he netted 65 times.

He was given a standing ovation against the Jets and the game was temporarily stopped as a message from Howe's son Mark was played on the big screen at Capital One Arena.

"It's nice to get it done at home in front of our house, family and friends. It's a great feeling," Ovechkin added. "It's a tremendous feeling."

Gretzky's long-standing record will now be in the sights of Ovechkin, who turned 37 in September and has another three years to run on his Capitals contract.

"It's just crazy to see – it's a huge number," said Ovechkin's team-mate Dmitry Orlov. "It's a great accomplishment for his game, for his person and for his family, too

"The way he is going now, for sure it is awesome, and you hope he is going to stay healthy – another day, another milestone."

New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier says they are "back on track" after ending their six-game skid with a hard-fought 4-2 win at the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.

The Devils had gone 0-5-1 since beating the Chicago Blackhawks at home to December 6 to slump to a 21-9-2 record and second spot in the Metropolitan Division coming into Wednesday's game.

But Jesper Bratt scored twice, with Yegor Sharangovich scoring the go-ahead goal midway through the third period with Tomas Tatar adding an empty-netter, while Mackenzie Blackwood made 34 saves.

"That one felt good for sure," Hischier told reporters. "We put in the work. We came in late on back-to-back and came out to play.

"It was a full team effort. That one definitely feels good and puts us back on track."

Two-goal hero Bratt had endured a four-game pointless drought prior to getting an assist against Carolina on Tuesday.

Sharangovich was another to find form, having broken a nine-game goalless drought with his ninth of the season, tipping in Jonas Siegenthaler's point shot after Florida led 2-1 going into the third period.

"That was real important. We needed a win," Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said.

"We've played several really good games inside this and couldn't find ways to get the puck in the back of the net.

"To come out and get a couple goals in the third period, a real good goal by Jesper and get some traffic in front and a re-direction by Shara, it was real important."

A partnership led by American businessman Bill Foley has completed its takeover of Premier League side Bournemouth in a deal reportedly worth more than £100million. 

Previous owner Maxim Demin has sold his 100 per cent stake to Foley's Black Knight Football Club, ending his 11-year stewardship of the Cherries.

Foley, who owns NHL ice hockey franchise the Vegas Golden Knights, is the club's new chairman and is backed by a minority ownership group that includes American actor Michael B. Jordan.

"I have tremendous respect for the passion and support the Bournemouth community shows for this club and believe that connection to the community is the foundation for success of any sports team," Foley told Bournemouth's official website. 

"We will move forward with an 'always advance, never retreat' approach that has defined all of my endeavours.

"I am committed to work with the best football and business minds available to enhance player development, facilities, and the fan experience to put Bournemouth in the best possible position to succeed."

The New Jersey Devils see no need for panic after their 11-game road winning streak was ended by the New York Rangers on Monday.

Filip Chytil scored two minutes and 15 seconds into overtime to give the Rangers a 4-3 win at Madison Square Garden.

The Devils had made the short trip from Newark to Manhattan looking to tie the 2014-15 Minnesota Wild and 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings for the longest winning run away from home in NHL history.

New Jersey had previously not lost on the road since suffering a 5-2 defeat to the Philadelphia Flyers on October 13.

That remains their only away loss in regulation this season, with the Devils still 11-1-1 in road games this season.

The Devils remain top of the Metropolitan Division with their 21-5-2 record the second-best in the Eastern Conference heading into Tuesday's home game with the Dallas Stars.

That too will be a tough test for the Devils, with the Stars second in the Western Conference's Central Division.

But center Nico Hischier is remaining calm in the wake of some rare adversity for the Devils, who have now lost two games in a row.

He said: "Penalties kind of slowed us down in the second [period], we've got to be more disciplined, especially against a team we know [have a] really deadly powerplay.

"They scored a goal on it as well so we've gotta clean that up.

"It's a rivalry game. It was intense and close until the end. No time for panic. We have to regroup, and tomorrow is a new game. That's what we have to focus on right now."

Igor Shesterkin, who last season won the Vezina Trophy for the NHL's best goaltender, made 26 saves to frustrate the Devils, with the Rangers now 15-10-5 after a fourth successive win.

The Rangers had trailed 3-1 in the second period but Vincent Trocheck and Kaapo Kakko scored seven seconds apart to erase that deficit before Chytil had the final say.

"It always feels good that we have these comebacks, and we show our true character," Chytil said.

"We have to just keep going. Sometimes it's hard [to stay positive], but we had a three-game winning streak. It was like, 'We can get back into the game'."

Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar refused to use injury as an excuse after his side were routed 4-0 by the NHL-leading Boston Bruins on Wednesday.

The short-handed Avs slumped to their third straight loss amid a swathe of injuries that have hit the squad, forcing them to call up Cal Burke, Ben Meyers, Sampo Ranta and Andreas Englund from the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.

Colorado, who won last season's Stanley Cup, have used a league-high 34 players this season.

"Listen, if you're quitting, you shouldn't be in the league," Bednar told reporters. "It's a privilege to play in this league.

"It's not always going to be easy. It's a hard game. That's one. Moral victories? We’re going to take it, and we’re going to teach it.

"If this group stays the exact same moving forward for the next one game, two games, five games, I expect us to be better the next game.

"They're going to learn as a group, what it takes to be able to play in this league, what it takes to be able to have success in this league."

For the Bruins, the win improved their overall record to 21-3-1, with Taylor Hall scoring twice along with David Pastrnak and Trent Frederic adding goals. Goaltender Linus Ullmark stopped 23 shots.

Boston's 14-game NHL-record home win streak had come to an end on Monday with a 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, with coach Jim Montgomery delighted with Wednesday's response at altitude in Denver.

"Just the response we had after losing the game and ending our [winning] streak at home, we come back and get on the road, and it was a great start to our road trip," Montgomery said.

"We made some big blocks. I thought Brandon Carlo was outstanding on the penalty kill and made some really smart offensive zone plays, too."

Goaltender Matt Murray enjoyed his first shutout as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs as he saved all 44 of the Dallas Stars' shots in a strong 4-0 win on Tuesday.

Murray, who spent the past two seasons with the Ottawa Senators, tallied three total shutouts during his time there, and his 44 saves is the most he has had since December 2019 when he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

His best stretch of the game came late in the second period, when the Maple Leafs were tasked with killing a five-on-three power play, knocking away five shots in under a minute to protect their 3-0 lead.

Auston Matthews, who won last season's Hart Memorial Trophy winner as league MVP, scored the only unassisted goal of the four, and he made sure to credit his goalie for ensuring it was not a nervous ending.

"I don't know if there's words for [Murray's performance] – that was special," he said. "I thought at the end of the second [period] there, that penalty kill, a lot of credit obviously to 'Murs' for some absolutely incredible saves.

"He made some unbelievable saves, just special."

Matthews also gave credit to Mitchell Marner, who dished an assist to become the fourth active player in the NHL to record a 20-game point streak in their career.

"Echoing what I've been saying for the last two weeks, I guess, but it's been a lot of fun to watch," Matthews said.

"He's been driving the bus for us. He's going to continue to play, and continue to compete for us, and he's been all over it on both sides of the puck. He's a special guy, a special player."

Marner made an effort to deflect the praise away from himself, pointing to his teammates as the key to his success.

"I'm sure like anyone would say, it's not a one-man effort out there," he said. "It's a lot of work from these guys around me, a lot of help from these guys around me.

"It's been a lot of fun in this streak, because we've been winning games as well, but a lot of kudos to these guys around me helping me make plays. I'm just trying to go out there and buzz.

"[Murray was] exceptional. He made some massive saves, especially on that [penalty] kill. Throughout the whole game, just working his bag off, making backdoor plays and saves, it was fun to watch."

With the win, the Maple Leafs now own the third-best record in the Eastern Conference at 16-5-6, while the Dallas Stars remain fourth in the West at 14-7-5.

Nashville Predators goaltender Kevin Lankinen collected a career-high 48 saves to propel his side to a 4-1 win against the New York Islanders on Friday.

The Predators took the lead six minutes into the contest, when Filip Forsberg got on the end of a move from Matt Duchene and Roman Josi to capitalise on an early power play.

That power play unit struck again in the second period, this time with Forsberg and Duchene setting up Josi for the game's second goal. They converted in two of their three total power play opportunities.

Lankinen kept the Islanders scoreless through the first two periods, but it was his third, where he conceded his only goal, that drew the most praise from his teammates.

"He's the first star of the game by far," said Duchene. "The first two periods were pretty even, they had a few more shots because of power plays, but it was pretty even, there was no room out there. 

"Then in the third they threw the kitchen sink at us, and Lankinen stood tall, and we were able to recover on second pucks and rebounds for him. So he was outstanding, and he was our MVP today."

Forsberg echoed those sentiments, crediting Lankinen with the win.

"It's the only reason we're having this interview happy," he said. "Obviously, he was unbelievable for us, especially in the third, but even through the whole game. 

"I don't know how many saves he had in the third, but it was probably 20 almost just in the third period. I mean, we have the two best goalies in the league."

Lankinen had 21 of his 48 saves in the third period, with head coach John Hynes adding: "Kevin was great – he was really good down the stretch. It's great to see him get rewarded."

With the win, the Predators improved their record to 12-9-2, while the Islanders are still in a strong position at 15-10-0.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced defenseman Kris Letang will be out "indefinitely" after suffering a stroke on Monday, though his NHL career is not thought to be in doubt.

Letang was previously out of action for two months after suffering a stroke in 2014, with subsequent tests showing he was born with a small hole in the wall of his heart.

Speaking to the team's website, Pittsburgh's general manager Ron Hextall revealed the 35-year-old had suffered symptoms on Monday before undergoing testing, which will continue in the coming days.

"Kris reported symptoms to the training staff on Monday and was immediately taken to the hospital for testing," Hextall said. 

"The test results were shocking to hear, but we are grateful that Kris is doing well. We are thankful to the medical staff and the physicians at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

"He is a warrior on the ice, but first and foremost, he is a son, father, husband and friend. His health is our number one priority."

Letang, meanwhile, is optimistic he will make a swift return to action.

"I am fortunate to know my body well enough to recognise when something isn't right," Letang added. "While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness. 

"It is important for me that my team-mates, family and the fans know that I am okay. I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon."

Letang has spent the entirety of his 17-year career with the Penguins, playing 962 regular-season games, 543 of which have come since he suffered his first stroke eight years ago.

Eric Haula called the New Jersey Devils' 13-game win streak-ending 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday as the "complete hurricane" after having three goals disallowed.

The game was halted for six minutes in the third period after fans at Prudential Center after fans littered the ice in protest at the Devils' third disallowed goal of the game.

Dougie Hamilton scored the Devils' lone goal after that delay, proving to be a consolation, after John Tavares and Pontus Holmberg's first-period goals for the visitors.

Toronto goaltender Matt Murray made 34 saves as the Devils failed in their bid for a 10-0 record against Canadian teams this season. The Devils also fell one win short of a new franchise record.

"It was a little bit frustrating," forward Haula told reporters. "It just seemed like it wasn't quite in control in some ways, and then it got crazy.

"Tough luck for us. Tough bounces. If [the streak] was going to end, it was going to end like that. A complete hurricane."

The first of the disallowed goals saw the Devils fail on a coach's challenge for goalie interference from Nathan Bastian with Jonas Siegenthaler's goal waved off.

Damon Severson's second-period goal was disallowed as Tomas Tatar was deemed to have made incidental contact with Murray, bundling him over and leaving the net open.

Haula was involved in the third disallowed goal in the third period, kicking the puck off an opposition skate and into the net, prompting fans to protest, tossing garbage on the ice.

Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said: "We've got some passionate fans and I think it was on display tonight."

"You don't often see three in one game. But we saw three in one game… The overturned goals, some of those are 50-50. Some of those you take a chance on."

Chris Kreider described the New York Rangers' triumph over the Los Angeles Kings as a "war of attrition" as they came from behind to win 5-3.

The Rangers ended the hosts' five-game winning streak on home ice despite a slow start in which they fell 2-0 down in the first period.

With the game locked at 3-3 heading into the final period, it was Kreider's two-goal heroics that ensured the Rangers came out on top.

"I don't think we got bottled up [early], I just think it was kind of a war of attrition," he said following a game in which Braden Schneider, Vincent Trocheck and Kaapo Kakko were also on target for the Rangers.

"A lot of face-offs in the neutral zone, and everything was kind of in the trenches for a while.

"I felt like we did a good job of advancing pucks and making them try to go 200 feet, trying to force turnovers, and it felt like we were just a bounce here or a bounce there away from getting a really good chance."

It was the first time this season the Rangers had come from two goals down to win and Kreider was encouraged to see such spirit from his team.

"That was kind of the staple for us last year – apparently that's the way we win hockey games," he said.

"Obviously we'd like to have a great start, and a great second period, and a fantastic finish, but that's not always how it goes.

"So for us to kind of regroup, and come back, and put our foot on the gas like that, it's definitely a good sign."

Rangers coach Gerrard Gallant was certainly pleased with what he saw.

"I thought everybody played great, they played their roles real well," he said. "I thought we were really, really good in the second period, that was a big difference for us, and then the game just continued that way.

"That's back-to-back games where I've been pretty excited about the way we've played."

"It's definitely satisfying. Being down 2-0 is a little scary 10 minutes into the hockey game, especially on the road, but I thought we battled back well."

New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff hailed his side's play after extending their win streak to 11 games with Thursday's 3-2 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Yegor Sharangovich scored on a rebound 57 seconds into overtime, for his fourth goal of the season, while goal-tender Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves as the Devils improved to 14-3-0.

The Devils' 11-game unbeaten run is tied for the second-longest streak in franchise history, with the longest being 13 from 2000-01 when that side were Stanley Cup runners-up.

"I don’t know if we're really focusing on the rest of the league," Ruff told reporters when asked if the win streak was a statement for other teams.

"You've got to have a lot of good things happen to run a streak like this. In this league, a goalie can beat you, a couple of bad bounces can beat you. We've definitely played with a lot of pace and a lot of speed and been able to take it to a lot of teams."

One player who has been central to the Devils' success is captain Nico Hischier, who put his side up with his second-period goal, before William Nylander's quick shot with 2:09 remaining in the third sent it to overtime.

Ruff suggested that Swiss 23-year-old Hischier should be a candidate for the Selke Trophy, the NHL's top defensive award, comparing him to five-time winner Patrice Bergeron.

"He's a power-play guy, he's one of our top penalty killers," Ruff said about Hischier. "You look at where he is with his play away from the puck, I actually think he should be a candidate this year.

"If he can stay healthy, his two-way game is right up there with the likes of Bergeron."

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe rued his side's 23 giveaways compared to the Devils' 14, acknowledging that is what sets them apart.

"We get the puck back and you give it right back to them," Keefe said. "Can't happen.

"We beat ourselves at times and gave them free goals. They didn't beat themselves at all. That's how you win 11 in a row — you don't beat yourself."

Alexandar Georgiev says it was "pretty special" to be the Colorado Avalanche's shootout hero against the New York Rangers whom he left barely four months ago.

The Russian goaltender stopped three of four Rangers' shootout attempts as the Avalanche won 3-2 at his former home rink, Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Georgiev, who stopped Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere to seal the win, had spent five years with the Rangers before being traded to the Stanley Cup champions in July.

"Pretty special," Georgiev told reporters. "It doesn't get much better than a tight shootout win.

"The building is awesome. Brought a lot of good memories back. But for me, it was just playing the game and letting it come to me… I was just enjoying the moment."

Avs head coach Jared Bednar praised Georgiev, who made 44 saves on 46 shots across the game to improve to 4-0-1 this season.

"I'm really happy for him," Bednar said. "Every game's a big game, but when you're coming in against your former team and playing against your old teammates, there's a little added incentive.

"I'm happy to see our guy come away with two points and the win."

Avs defenseman Cale Makar, who got his seventh assist in seven games, said Georgiev was on another planet in the game where he came up against star Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

"I feel like I knew Georgie was going to have a game tonight," Makar said. "He's a good goalie but I feel like he was on a completely different planet tonight."

Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper implored his players to "man up" after their 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday left them with only one win from their first four games.

The Lightning have made it to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, winning championships in 2020 and 2021 before falling to the Colorado Avalanche in the 2022 decider.

Against the Flyers, Tampa Bay led 2-0 in the second period after a quick double from Steven Stamkos, but they were unable to defend their lead. 

Scott Laughton snatched one goal back in the second term for the Flyers, before James van Riemsdyk and Noah Cates struck in the third for the comeback win.

Speaking to the media after the game, Cooper said it was inexcusable to fall apart the way his side did, and that it is easy to take for granted all the winning they have had in recent years.

"This is a stinger," he said. "We should never leave this game with zero points... probably should have left with two.

"This group should close that game out, and we didn't. That's probably a little bit of a concern. We probably take things for granted with this team, just for the past decade, what's gone on. 

"Early on in this first week and half, two weeks, it's not going the way we're used to it going. We have to fight through it, you've got to man up."

Flyers coach Jon Tortorella heaped praise on his 24-year-old goaltender Carter Hart, who saved 38 shots in the victory.

"Carter was outstanding," he said. "He kept us in it, and we found a way at the end. 

"We hope we're building a little bit of a mindset of resiliency. I think each time it happens that way and you succeed, it just builds it for you.

"We've done some good things in just finding ways to win the games at key times late in the game.

"They're showing me they're ugly, they're showing me it doesn't matter, and they still have a little bit left in the tank to get things done."

Nashville Predators coach John Hynes was impressed by the seamless fit of his new signings as they contributed in a major way during the 4-1 win against the San Jose Sharks in the opening game of the NHL season on Friday night.

After signing as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, Nashville's Kiefer Sherwood opened the scoring just 61 seconds into the action at Prague's O2 Arena. He was assisted by Ryan McDonagh, who arrived from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade.

Fellow free agent signing Nino Niederreiter also found the back of the net late in the second period to make it 2-1, before Matt Duchene finished things off with an empty-netter.

Speaking after the game, Hynes said it was nice to see the new faces hit the ground running.

"I thought all the new guys to our team obviously contributed," he said. "A lot of them contributed on the scoreboard, but I thought also just the style of game they played really fits the identity, so it's nice. It's nice for those guys to get off to a good start."

Despite the lopsided score, the Sharks only attempted one less shot (31-32), but Predators goaltender Juuse Saros was sharp, and earned praise from teammate Mattias Ekholm.

"He's that kind of goalie, and he's always our best penalty killer," he said. "On most nights, he's our best player.

"Usually that happens when we win. He's just standing in there for us, and he did tonight. Super excited for him. 

"He's a heck of a goalie, and he makes it a lot easier for us defensemen coming back there."

Ekholm also gave a shout out to the Czech crowd for their enthusiasm in the first regular season game to be played outside of North America since 2019, and looked forward to Saturday night's rematch.

"[The atmosphere] was great," he said. "Sold out. I mean, it was awesome, and that was Friday night. I can't wait for Saturday night."

It was also a memorable night for San Jose's Tomas Hertl, who was born and raised in Prague and used this same arena for his home games when playing for Slavia Praha HC.

Hertl scored the Sharks' only goal, with coach David Quinn shining a light on the achievement after his first game in charge.

"It was a pretty special moment, obviously," he said. "He's been thinking about that for a long time. 

"Obviously happy for him, and the team, I thought, got a little bit inspired by that. I thought they played better after that. Unfortunately, we only got one.

"For the most part, I thought, up until they made it 3-1, we were hanging around. I liked some of the things we were doing. 

"But once they made it 3-1, I really thought there was a huge disparity in the way they played compared to the way we played.

"I thought the last 25 minutes, they really took it to us, and I thought we got a little bit demoralized. We've got to toughen up a little bit mentally in that department."

Jason Robertson has agreed to a four-year, $31million contract extension with the Dallas Stars just a week before their regular-season opener against the Nashville Predators on October 13.

The deal, which runs through the 2025-26 season, was announced late Wednesday after the young prolific goal-scorer missed the first two weeks of training camp over a contract dispute.

"Jason is an integral part of the present and future of our team and we're thrilled to have him for the next four years," Stars general manager Jim Nill said.

Robertson turned 23 years old shortly after the 2021-22 season, when he tallied 41 goals and 38 assists in 74 games to become just the fourth Star to score 40 goals in a season since the franchise moved to Dallas in 1993, joining Hall of Famer Mike Modano, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin.

His 13 power-play goals led the Stars while his 11 game-winning scores were tied with the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl, Rangers’ Chris Kreider and Lightning’s Steven Stamkos for the most in the NHL.

A second-round pick by Dallas in 2017, Robertson had 17 goals and 28 assists in 51 games as a rookie in 2020-21. His 45 points were second most by a Stars rookie since the club relocated to Dallas, trailing only the 55 points Jussi Jokinen had in 2005-06.

"Since he was drafted by our organisation, he has worked tirelessly to become a better player every day. His knack for scoring goals and seeing plays develop on the ice are just some of the tremendous assets that he brings to our team," Nill said. "He is one of the best young players in the NHL, and we look forward to seeing him continue to progress."