Well, isn't this interesting.

The Columbus Blue Jackets won again Friday, because that's what they do now. It was their eighth win in a row, a 4-1 decision over the Calgary Flames.

As the club racks up Ws, so too does head coach John Tortorella, now sitting on 499 career victories. And Columbus' next stop on its three-game Canadian road trip is Vancouver - where Tortorella used to coach - on Sunday.

Tortorella spent one season behind the Canucks' bench, in 2013-14, and was fired after a playoffs-less 36-35-11 season. He signed a five-year, $10-million contract when he joined the club. As Sportsnet's John Shannon pointed out on the Canucks' broadcast Friday night, Vancouver's still paying half his salary.

On Sunday, the Blue Jackets will aim to tie their club record with a nine-game win streak. And they'll be no doubt doing it for their coach, who would certainly love nothing more than earning win No. 500 against the team that fired him.

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It appears Sean Monahan is ready to produce again.

After accumulating an underwhelming eight points in his first 20 games of the season, Monahan has been red-hot of late, notching 11 points (five goals, six assists) over a nine-game point streak.

Without coincidence, his linemate Johnny Gaudreau is on a seven-game streak of his own, but Monahan's increased production has to be a welcomed sight for the Flames, who - before dropping their last two contests - had won six in a row.

Monahan, 22, established a career high in points last season (63), and as a result, the Flames awarded their franchise pivot a seven-year, $44.6-million extension in the summer.

A back injury suffered in September kept him off Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey, and could have contributed to his slow start, but as of now, it looks like Monahan has found his stride again.

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Evgeny Kuznetsov is not about to tip his hand.

After a slow start to the season, the Washington Capitals center is finally starting to pile up the points. Heading into December, Kuznetsov had recorded three goals and six assists, but he's almost doubled that point total over the past 11 days.

Don't ask him what's behind the surge, though.

Kuznetsov also added the shootout winner in Friday's game against Carolina.

Despite the recent production, Kuznetsov is well off the pace that saw him record 77 points for the Capitals last season.

Whatever is working for him these days, the Capitals are certainly hoping he keeps it going.

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Mattias Ohlund is forever in Vancouver.

The Swedish defenseman, who spent 11 of his 13 NHL seasons with the Canucks, was inducted into the club's Ring of Honour on Friday night.

Ohlund played 770 regular-season games with Vancouver, scoring 93 goals and adding 292 assists. He had 10 goals and 21 assists in 70 lifetime playoff games, 52 as a Canuck.

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Plans change.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price was pulled Friday night after about 27 minutes of action. He allowed all four goals - on only 18 shots - in a 4-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks, and clearly wasn't happy, staring down his bench as he left the ice.

After the game, head coach Michel Therrien said Price - not Al Montoya - will start Saturday against the Washington Capitals, who beat Carolina to extend their win streak to six games.

The original plan had Montoya starting Saturday - and the club winning Friday.

Price refused to talk to the media after the game. In fact, he didn't sit on the bench with teammates in the third period.

Therrien, meanwhile, said he didn't see Price's glare, according to La Presse's Richard Labbe. A number of Price's teammates - including captain Max Pacioretty and Shea Weber - said they didn't see it either, according to NHL.com's Arpon Basu.

It was a painful night all around for Montreal, who lost Sven Andrighetto to injury, further depleting a beat-up group up front. Chris Terry's been called up, as Andrighetto won't travel to D.C.

The Capitals, meanwhile, started their backup Philipp Grubauer on Friday in Raleigh, which means it'll be Braden Holtby in goal Saturday opposite Price.

Two Vezina Trophy winners. Two of the best. Should be fun.

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Patrik Laine put on a show during the Winnipeg Jets' skills competition Friday.

The rookie went a perfect 4-for-4 in the accuracy event, needing just over eight seconds to accomplish the feat.

If he keeps up his scoring ways, Laine very well could get a chance to compete in the event at the NHL All-Star skills competition in January.

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Rasmus Ristolainen has played the role of overtime hero for the second time in 10 days.

The Buffalo Sabres defenseman wired a shot past Jean-Francois Berube of the New York Islanders to secure the two points for his club. Ristolainen recorded two points of his own, extending quite the personal hot streak.

The 22-year-old now has two goals and 19 assists in 29 games for the Sabres this season.

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PITTSBURGH - Tyler Toffoli scored a minute into overtime, helping the Los Angeles Kings end the Pittsburgh Penguins' seven-game winning streak with a 1-0 victory Friday night.

The Kings have won three of four overall and four straight against the Penguins. Toffoli got his eighth goal, and Peter Budaj stopped 39 shots for his third shutout of the season.

Matt Murray made his fifth straight start and had 27 saves for the Penguins. Pittsburgh had won nine of 11 and six straight at home.

Toffoli scored on a 3-on-1, taking a pass from defenseman Alec Martinez before skating to the top of the crease and lifting a wrist shot that beat Murray to the glove side.

The Penguins sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 44 points and are tied with Chicago for the NHL lead.

Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby ended his season-high - and NHL-best - nine-game point streak. Crosby leads the league with 21 goals but failed to score in consecutive games for the first time this season. He has points in 20 of 25 games this year.

Pittsburgh had a 30-15 advantage in shots heading into the third but couldn't get on the board. The Kings outshot Pittsburgh in the third and had the period's only power play, but still the game went scoreless to OT. It was the fourth time in the last five meetings the teams needed overtime against one another.

The Kings are in the midst of a nine-game, 18-day trip that started Tuesday at Buffalo and ends in two weeks at Edmonton. Los Angeles has six wins in 15 road games this season, compared to 10 wins in 15 home games.

The Penguins played without top defenseman Kris Letang, who is out a couple weeks with a lower-body injury. The Penguins were down to four defensemen at one point in Friday's game after losing Trevor Daley late in the second period and Brian Dumoulin early in the third. Dumoulin returned, but Daley did not.

Letang, who had seven assists in his last seven games, was injured in Pittsburgh's win against Boston on Wednesday. The Penguins had been 4-1 in five games without Letang this season and 2-8-1 in 11 games missed last season.

Pittsburgh recalled Derrick Pouliot from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to take Letang's spot in the lineup. Pouliot previously played in one game against San Jose earlier this season.

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If looks could kill.

With the San Jose Sharks in town, Montreal's Carey Price was pulled early in the second period after allowing four goals.

However, Price didn't receive much help from those in front of him, as the Canadiens were outshot 15-4 in the first, and gave up two powerplay goals.

Upon giving way to backup Al Montoya, Price shot Montreal's bench a seemingly furious stare en route to cooling off in the dressing room.

It's the first time Price has been pulled since Oct. 13, 2014.

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Timo Meier is on the board, and in notable fashion.

The San Jose Sharks rookie recorded his first career goal on his first-ever shot during Friday's game in Montreal, beating Canadiens goalie Carey Price - arguably the best in the world - with a rebound from the doorstep.

Meier, 20, was drafted ninth overall by the Sharks in 2015.

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