Around the NHL: Ovechkin’s Hot Start, Vegas Opens with Pair of Wins

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The NHL's 2017-18 season opened up on Wednesday night and right away, there was plenty of action among the other 30 teams in the league.

Between hat tricks and plenty of firsts, it was a memorable first week for the NHL.

Here's this week's trip around the NHL.

Ovechkin Makes History

It's been quite the start to the season for Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. The Capitals have started the season with wins in their first two games, in large part due to Ovechkin.

Ovechkin scored three of the team's four goals in their season opener in Ottawa, a game the Capitals won 5-4 in a shootout. Ovechkin was at it again on Saturday in the Capitals home opener, scoring twice in the first 2:51 of the game. He completed the hat trick at 18:10 of the first period. Then late in the second period, he took it a step further and added a fourth goal, giving him seven goals in two games.

The Capitals captain is on pace for 287 goals based on his performance in the first two games, and while that pace is obviously not sustainable, a 40-goal season seems like a lock and a 50-goal season is certainly a possibility.

Ovechkin became the first player since the NHL's inaugural season in 1917-18 to post hat tricks in the first two games for his team, joining the Ottawa Senators' Cy Denneny, Montreal Canadiens' Joe Malone and Toronto Arenas' Reg Noble.

The Flyers face the Capitals in their home opener on Saturday.

Hats Off!

Ovechkin wasn't the only player that sent the hats flying in the opening week. The Flyers' Wayne Simmonds scored three goals in Wednesday's season opener in San Jose. Connor McDavid also opened with a hat trick on Wednesday. And Chicago's Brandon Saad also had a hat trick in the Blackhawks' season-opening 10-1 rout over Pittsburgh on Thursday.

The four hat tricks for players in their teams' season-openers was also a first since the NHL's inaugural season in 1917-18.

Vegas Debuts with Pair of Wins

The NHL's 31st franchise played their first two games in franchise history on Friday and Saturday night. Thanks to James Neal, it was a successful opening weekend for the Golden Knights.

Neal scored the only two goals for Vegas in the team's 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday night while Marc-Andre Fleury made 45 saves to seal the franchise's first win.

The next night against the Arizona Coyotes, Nate Schmidt scored with just over one minute to play in regulation and Neal scored the game-winner in overtime to give Vegas back-to-back wins to open the season.

Vegas' home opener is on Tuesday night against the Coyotes.

Jagr Signs with Flames

The legend of Jaromir Jagr continues.

After an offseason vying for an NHL job, the 45-year-old ageless wonder has one with the Calgary Flames. The Flames signed Jagr to a one-year, $1 million deal on Thursday.

Jagr is the NHL's active leader in points with 1,914 points, second most all time in NHL history. Jagr has played in 1,711 NHL games and is entering his 24th NHL season.