Oilers captain Connor McDavid sets an assist record, Nikita Kucherov ties a Lightning scoring record, the Kings finally get their first win of the season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected three assists to become the fastest player in league history to reach the 20-assist mark in a season (nine games) as his club nipped the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on an overtime goal by Evan Bouchard. Leon Draisaitl tallied twice for the 7-1-1 Oilers. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy each had two points for the Wild (6-2-2).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall of Famers Pat Lafontaine (1992-93), Mario Lemieux (1988-89), and Wayne Gretzky (1986-87) held the previous record of 10 games.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 6-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 32 saves, and Anthony Cirelli scored two goals for the Lightning (7-2-0) as they won their third straight game. Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone replied for the Golden Knights (8-3-0) as they cling to first place in the Western Conference with 16 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 1,137 points, Kucherov has tied former Lightning center Steven Stamkos as the franchise’s highest-scoring player. He could break the record during Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Los Angeles Kings finally picked up their first win of the season by overcoming a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-2. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists, and Adrian Kempe scored twice for the 1-4-2 Kings. Ryan Leonard and Cole Hutson scored for the Capitals, who slipped to 5-4-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings center Quinton Byfield left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. Winger Mats Zuccarello returned to the lineup after missing three games with an undisclosed injury.

Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen’s hat trick lifted his club to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Jake Oettinger turned aside 18 shots for the 5-3-1 Stars to extend their win streak to three games. Matthew Poitras and James Hagens scored for the Bruins (7-2-1), but they still hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 15 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Esa Lindell missed this game with a lower-body injury as he’ll be sidelined for a week.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Kirill Marchenko scored against his former team in a 6-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Easton Cowan and Jack Roslovic each had a goal and two assists for the Maple Leafs, who improved to 5-4-2. Jake Christiansen and Charlie Coyle scored for the 3-5-0 Blue Jackets, who remain in last place in the Eastern Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe left this game with a facial injury in the first period when he was accidentally cut by the skate blade of Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson. There was no postgame update regarding his condition.

San Jose Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini scored twice (including the winner in overtime) and collected an assist to rally his club from a 3-1 deficit for a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Michael Misa and Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Sharks as they improved to 5-4-1. Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Cole Caufield each had a goal and an assist for the 4-3-2 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens have blown a two-goal lead in four of their nine games this season. Undisciplined play in those games led to costly turnovers and penalties.

Carolina Hurricanes forwards Nicolas Deslauriers, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Logan Stankoven each scored twice in a 6-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Ehlers, Stankoven, and Jackson Blake each finished with three points for the 8-2-1 Hurricanes, who hold first place in the overall standings with 17 points. Linus Karlsson and Jonathan Lekkerimaki replied for the Canucks, who dropped to 2-8-1.

The New Jersey Devils held off the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 4-3. Luke Evangelista had a goal and an assist, Jesper Boqvist scored what proved to be the game-winner, and Jake Allen made 31 saves for the 5-4-0 Devils. Artturi Lekhonen tallied twice for the 5-4-1 Avalanche.

First-period goals by Ondrej Palat, Victor Eklund, and Simon Holmstrom powered the New York Islanders to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, who got goals from Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn. The Islanders improved to 5-3-1 while the Ducks (4-5-0) have lost four straight games.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg scored the winning goal to down the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. Joel Hofer stopped 32 shots, and Jimmy Snuggerud also scored for the Blues as they improved to 4-4-1. Cole Perfetti replied for the 4-3-2 Jets.

The Seattle Kraken blew a 3-0 lead but recovered to beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on a shootout goal by Bobby McMann. Mackie Samoskevich, Ryker Evans, and Brandon Montour scored in regulation for the Kraken (6-3-1). Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist for the 3-3-3 Red Wings.

IN OTHER NEWS…

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins forward Ben Kindel had a medical emergency as his club was flying back from Utah on Tuesday. The plane returned to Salt Lake City, where Kindel was taken to hospital by ambulance. 

In a statement, the team didn’t provide details about the nature of Kindel’s medical episode, but they indicated he was conscious, alert, and in stable condition.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins stated they would provide further updates when appropriate. Let’s hope Kindel makes a full recovery and returns to action soon.

OTTAWA SUN: Brady Tkachuk faces the Senators on Wednesday for the first time since requesting a trade to the Florida Panthers earlier this year. He’s not expected to be welcomed back with open arms.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators fans were understandably upset when Tkachuk forced a trade to Florida. To his credit, he didn’t go public with the request, which made it easier for the Senators to move him to the Panthers, getting a decent return in the process. The Senators have played well in his absence, which could make this game against the Panthers all the more exciting.

TSN: Speaking of the Panthers, goaltender Jacob Markstrom will be sidelined for 10-14 days after suffering an undisclosed injury during practice.

DAILY FACEOFF: Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Utah Mammoth forward Michael Carcone (upper body) was placed on injured reserve.