5 things we learned in the NHL: Canadiens’ Gallagher leading by example

Brendan Gallagher is quietly taking his game to another level, another Toronto Maple Leafs player reaches double-digit goals, and Connor McDavid joins yet another exclusive group with another milestone moment.

Here are five things we learned in the NHL on Saturday.

Gallagher quietly leading by example

While he may not be the team’s official captain, Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher definitely still leads by example with his tenacious play on the ice.

Even though he scored a career-best 31 goals and 23 assists in 2017-18, that came after he scored just 10 goals the season before. So it may have been difficult for fans to imagine Gallagher replicating last year’s success. However, the Canadiens forward is not only replicating what he did last season, but he is actually on pace to surpass those career-bests.

After notching two assists in Montreal’s 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, Gallagher now has 15 goals and eight assists in 37 games this season. On top of his strong point totals, Gallagher’s possession stats have been outstanding. The five-foot-nine winger had the second best even-strength Corsi-for percentage (60.9 per cent) and Fenwick-for percentage (59.0 per cent) amongst Canadiens skaters entering into Saturday’s contest, according Hockey-Reference.

Maple Leafs become first team to have six players with 10 or more goals

With Patrick Marleau’s opening goal in the first period Saturday night against the New York Rangers, the Toronto Maple Leafs became the first team in the NHL to have six players score at least 10 goals this season — a testament to Toronto’s scoring depth.

Marleau joined fellow teammates John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, and defenceman Morgan Rielly as skaters with 10 or more goals this season.

It was also the 21st consecutive season that Marleau has hit the double-digit totals in goals, becoming only the fourth player in NHL history to accomplish that feat.

Furthermore, Leafs centre Nazem Kadri, who wasn’t shy to get under the Rangers’ skin Saturday, sits one goal back of joining that group with nine goals.

McDavid joins another exclusive group

With an assist on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins‘ opening goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday night, Connor McDavid joined a group of four other notable NHL greats who have scored at least 100 goals and 200 assists before their 22nd birthday.

McDavid went on to add assist No. 201 to his resume on a second period Alex Chiasson goal, and No. 202 on a Leon Draisaitl goal in the third. Just imagine how many more records McDavid would be breaking if he hadn’t been limited to just 45 games in his rookie season after suffering a shoulder injury.

It seems that every time the 21-year-old — who will turn 22 in January — steps out onto the ice, he’s setting another record or breaking another milestone.

Five teams playing regular-season game No. 4,000 this week

Starting Saturday, five different NHL franchises will play their 4,000th regular-season game in the upcoming week.

Three of those franchises — the Pittsburgh Penguins, Dallas Stars, and Los Angeles Kings — reached the substantial milestone in fashion Saturday, all coming away with victories.

The Philadelphia Flyers will try to join those teams in accomplishing that feat in winning-style when they take on the Rangers in their 4,000th regular season game on Sunday, while the St. Louis Blues will have to wait until after Christmas when they take on the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 27 to reach the feat.

Pirri making it count with Golden Knights

When Max Pacioretty went down earlier in the week with a mysterious injury, the Vegas Golden Knights elected to call up winger Brandon Pirri from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves where the nine-year pro was on a scoring surge, posting 17 goals and 24 assists in just 28 games.

And the 27-year-old has picked up right where he left off. Playing on a line alongside Paul Stastny and Reilly Smith, Pirri has three goals in his first two games — including two in the team’s overtime loss to the Canadiens on Saturday.

It’ll be a tough decision for Gerard Gallant to take him out of the lineup when Pacioretty — who isn’t expected to be out long — returns.

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