NEW YORK — Anaheim Ducks forward Corey Perry is the first star for the opening month of the 2014-15 NHL season after a blistering October.
Perry led the league with 10 goals in 12 games, helping the Ducks (9-3-0) finish October with the top record in the NHL.
He began the season with at least a point in his first games (five goals, two assists), including his sixth career hat trick in Anaheim’s 6-4 season-opening loss to Pittsburgh on Oct. 9.
Perry recorded his second hat trick of the season Oct. 22 in a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Overall, Perry had at least a point (10 goals, four assists) in eight of Anaheim’s 12 October games.
Pittsburgh centre Sidney Crosby and Dallas centre Tyler Seguin are the month’s second and third stars respectively.
Crosby tied for the league lead with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in nine October games to lift the Penguins (6-2-1) to the top spot in the Metropolitan Division.
He posted consecutive three-point performances to open the season — Oct. 9 versus the Anaheim Ducks (two goals, one assist) and Oct. 11 against the Toronto Maple Leafs (one goal, two assists). Crosby then collected his 500th NHL assist Oct. 18 against the New York Islanders, becoming the sixth-fastest player in League history to reach that milestone.
Seguin (seven goals, eight assists) shared the League lead with 15 points to power the Stars to a 4-2-4 record in their 10 October games. He scored fifth career hat trick Oct. 14 against the Columbus Blue Jackets and had a career-high four assists Oct. 18 versus the Philadelphia Flyers.
Earlier, St. Louis Blues right-winger Vladimir Tarasenko was named the NHL’s first star of the week after scoring five goals in three games.
Tarasenko opened the week Tuesday with his first career hat trick, overtime goal and four-point game in a 4-3 triumph over the Dallas Stars.
After being held off the scoresheet Thursday in a 2-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks, Tarasenko capped the week with two goals in a 3-2 shootout victory over Colorado on Saturday as the Blues extended their winning streak to four games.
Detroit Red Wings centre Pavel Datsyuk was named the week’s second star with four goals and three assists in three games.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury took third star honours with three wins, two shutouts, a 1.00 goals-against average and a .959 save percentage over the week.
Also Monday, Los Angeles Kings left-winger Tanner Pearson was named NHL rookie of the month. He led all rookies with seven goals and nine points over 11 games in October.
Washington Capitals left-winger Andre Burakovsky, Nashville Predators centre Filip Forsberg and New Jersey Devils defenceman Damon Severson were also considered.
