By the Numbers: Dropping the puck on the 2020-21 season

Opening night in the National Hockey League is just a day away and there is plenty of buzz ahead of the 2020-21 season, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

While the season will begin predominately without fans in the stands - just the Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Arizona Coyotes could allow a limited number of fans - there is still a lot to look forward to as hockey gets back underway.

Five games are scheduled for Wednesday to open the regular season with the NHL Face-Off. TSN.ca takes a look at some interesting numbers as the league drops the puck:

Canadian Content

• Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews is one of just four players in league history to begin his career by scoring his team’s first goal of the season in four straight years. The others were Dit Clapper (1927-28 – 1930-31), Dave Andreychuk (1982-83 – 1985-86), and Sergei Fedorov (1990-91 – 1993-94). Matthews will look to become the first player ever to stretch that streak to five years against the Montreal Canadiens.
• Matthews has been red hot against the Canadiens recently, having scored against them in five straight home games.
• The Leafs and Habs will face each other in a mutual season-opener for the 18th time in their historic rivalry, the most ever in NHL history.
• This isn’t the first time there has been a Canadian division in the NHL. When divisions were introduced in the league, the Canadian Division included the New York Americans for all 12 seasons (1926-27 – 1937-38), and the St. Louis Eagles in 1934-35 after the original Ottawa Senators relocated.

Hot starts

• A number of teams will put their season opener win streaks on the line to begin the year. The longest active streak is the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have kicked off the season with a win six straight years. The Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche are tied for second with four straight season opener wins while the Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, and Washington Capitals have done it three straight times.
• Alex Ovechkin has the most career goals in season openers among active players with 11, but Matthews is only two goals behind despite playing in 11 fewer seasons.

• Ovechkin’s teammate in Washington, Nicklas Backstrom, has the most career assists in season openers among active players with 14. Two Leafs also feature on the list of leaders in the newly acquired Joe Thornton and Jason Spezza.

• And in terms of points, it’s the Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane who leads all active players with 18 points in 13 season openers.