Auston Matthews is doing things no Toronto Maple Leafs rookie has done before.

But you knew that.

More specifically, after Thursday's contest, he's the first Maple Leafs rookie to score 18 goals in his first 35 games, according to NHL Public Relations.

He's pulled ahead of the historical field, but Matthews is still one goal behind Patrik Laine in the rookie race. That said, with 12 goals over his last 16 games, he's actually now producing at a fractionally greater rate by virtue of games in hand.

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Thursday was not a good night for Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Related: Capitals' Kuznetsov takes vicious butt-end shot at Parenteau

The Washington Capitals forward let his temper get the best of him against the New Jersey Devils, and his costly turnover in the second period left his coach steaming.

Barry Trotz did not hold back after the game, ripping Kuznetsov for a blind pass that landed on the stick of P.A. Parenteau - who promptly fired the puck past Braden Holtby.

"I mean, we're in our zone, we have a faceoff, we've won it, and you're going to throw a blind pass?" Trotz said, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan. "I was really upset with that pass. It was unnecessary, I thought."

The goal turned out to be crucial, serving as the Devils' lone tally in regulation. The Capitals went on to lose in a shootout.

(Video courtesy: NHL.com)

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Evgeny Kuznetsov doesn't take too kindly to criticism.

After being dumped by New Jersey Devils forward Beau Bennett during Thursday's contest, the Devils' bench let Kuznetsov hear it. This turned out to be a mistake, as the Capitals forward immediately took a butt-end shot on P.A. Parenteau.

The play appeared to go unseen by referees as Kuznetsov wasn't penalized.

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ST. PAUL, Minn. - Erik Haula scored midway through the third period to help the Minnesota Wild hold off the New York Islanders 6-4 on Thursday night for their 12th victory in a row.

Marco Scandella, Chris Stewart, Jared Spurgeon, Jordan Schroeder, and Mikael Granlund also scored for Minnesota, which had a franchise-record three goals in 80 seconds in the second period.

The Wild's Devan Dubnyk allowed more than three goals for the first time this season but made 23 saves to win his 10th straight start.

Haula put Minnesota ahead 5-4 with his sixth goal after Nino Niederreiter's shot deflected off Haula's leg. New York's Brock Nelson scored twice in 42 seconds early in the period to tie it.

The win sets up a showdown on New Year's Eve against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have won 14 straight games. It's the first game in NHL history featuring two teams on such long winning streaks.

Jason Chimera and Nick Leddy also scored for the Islanders, who had won three in a row. Jean-Francois Berube stopped 10 of 11 shots for New York after taking over for Jaroslav Halak.

Nelson's quick trigger negated Minnesota's flurry in the second.

After Leddy had given the Islanders a 2-1 lead in the second, Stewart scored from beside the goal, banking it off Halak's shoulder into the net. Spurgeon scored 35 seconds later and Schroeder capped the franchise's fastest stretch of three goals with his second of the season.

The Wild's previous record for fastest three goals was 1:41 in 2004.

The outburst ended Halak's night. He was pulled early for the second time this season after giving up four goals on 24 shots. Berube played just his fourth game of the season and second in relief.

NOTES: The Wild reassigned F Kurtis Gabriel to Iowa of the AHL prior to the game. Gabriel has one assist and 24 penalty minutes in 10 games with Minnesota this season. ... G Thomas Greiss was scratched for the second time since Nov. 18 as the Islanders have rostered three goaltenders all season. ... New York's 6-3 win earlier this season is the only time Minnesota has lost a game by more than one goal. ... The Wild have outscored teams 44-22 in the second period this season.

UP NEXT

Islanders: A four-game road trip continues in Winnipeg on Saturday.

Wild: The two hottest teams in the NHL meet as Minnesota hosts the Columbus on Saturday.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets extended their franchise record for consecutive wins to 14 games Thursday night with a 5-3 result over the Winnipeg Jets.

Alexander Wennberg had his first multi-goal game and Nick Foligno racked up three points, leading the Blue Jackets to a victory that earned them a share of the third-longest win streak in NHL history, according to NHL.com.

They also moved back ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins - who happen to own the NHL record with 17 consecutive wins back in 1992-93 - for the top spot in the overall standings.

The Blue Jackets will meet the Minnesota Wild, winners of 12 straight themselves, in a New Year's Eve clash between early season titans, and the first two teams in NHL history to be riding win streaks of at least 12 games at the same time.

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With two points against the Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane reached the 700-point plateau Thursday.

After picking up an assist on Jonathan Toews' sixth goal of the season, Kane ripped home his 11th to reach the milestone, becoming just the sixth player in franchise history to reach the mark.

The goal would also hold up as the game-winner as the Blackhawks snapped a three-game losing skid.

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Antoine Bibeau stopped 25 shots - and took another - to earn his maiden NHL victory on Thursday night.

Bibeau was absolutely steamrolled in overtime by a cutting Valterri Filppula. But if he was feeling any ill-effects, fortunately he didn't have to track another shot, as Nazem Kadri controlled a puck fired on net on the ensuing power play, and shoveled it over the line.

Frederik Andersen collected the game winner for Bibeau to keep as the Maple Leafs celebrated wins in consecutive nights in Florida.

Toronto now has four straight wins, as well as five in a row on the road for the first time in six years.

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No Carey Price, no problem.

Montreal Canadiens backup Al Montoya made a sensational stop Thursday, thrusting himself backwards to make a desperation glove stop on Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad midway through the second period.

The save helped to keep the Canadiens in the game with the score 2-1 Panthers at that point.

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No Carey Price, no problem.

Montreal Canadiens backup Al Montoya made a sensational stop Thursday, thrusting himself backwards to make a desperation glove stop on Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad midway through the second period.

The save helped to keep the Canadiens in the game with the score 2-1 Panthers at that point.

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Buffalo Sabres forward William Carrier can expect a call from the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

The 22-year-old caught Boston Bruins forward David Backes with a headshot on Thursday and was assessed a minor for an illegal check to the head and a fighting major after Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid took exception to the hit.

Backes was forced to leave the game with what the team called an upper-body injury.

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