James Neal, Kyle Connor, Zach Werenski NHL Hat Tricks, Dec. 31 Top Highlights

The final slate of NHL action in 2019 produced a trio of hat tricks. 

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski opened the scoring in the 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers and scored twice more in the third period. 

December was Werenski's most successful scoring month of the season and gave him five goals in his last two New Year's Eve games, per Columbus team insider Jeff Svoboda. 

Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets also finished off his three-goal performance with a pair of tallies in the third period. He became the 12th player in franchise history with multiple hat tricks, per Sportsnet Stats. 

Edmonton Oilers forward James Neal had his hatty wrapped up in 33 minutes as his side broke out to a five-goal lead against the New York Rangers. 

Neal became the fifth player to record multiple hat tricks in his first season with the Oilers, per NHL Public Relations. 

Among the other top storylines from Tuesday were the New York Islanders earning a key divisional win over the Washington Capitals and Marc-Andre Fleury rising up the goalkeeping record books.

Tuesday's NHL Scores

New Jersey 3, Boston 2 (shootout) 

New York Islanders 4, Washington 3

Vegas 5, Anaheim 2

Toronto 4, Minnesota 1

Tampa Bay 6, Buffalo 4

Carolina 3, Montreal 1

Columbus 4, Florida 1

Detroit 2, San Jose 0 

Winnipeg 7, Colorado 4

Chicago 5, Calgary 3

Edmonton 7, New York Rangers 5

Arizona 3, St. Louis 1

Los Angeles 5, Philadelphia 3

Werenski Scores 3 of Columbus' 4 Goals 

Connor Seals Winnipeg Win 

Neal's Early Outburst

Domi Extends Scoring Streak 

Kuhnhackl Wins Key Game for Islanders

Severson Wins It for Devils in Shootout

Marchessault Sends Goalie Low, Goes High on Penalty Shot

Killorn's 2-Goal Game

Kempe Finishes Off Kings' 4-Goal 1st Period

Kane's 4-Point Night

Kessel Seals Arizona Win

Islanders Make Up Ground on Capitals

Nick Wass/Associated Press

The Islanders' 4-3 win over the Capitals shifted them into second place in the Metropolitan Division, six points behind Washington.

Casey Cizikas scored a goal in the first and second periods, while Tom Kuhnhackl put away his second tally of the season to win the game in the second stanza. 

The German's goal was his second in two games, and the small run has proved the Islanders can receive scoring from all parts of the lineup, as head coach Barry Trotz noted to Sasha Kandrach of the team's official website:

"You rely so much on your top part of your lineup. Over the course of the season, when some of the (bottom-six forwards) get a lot of the grunt work, the penalty killing, the six-on-fives, where you've got to lay down and commit yourself, (those players scoring) helps your whole bench. Our lines are spread out a little bit more and everyone is contributing. No one is worried about ice time and all of that. We're just worried about winning hockey games." 

The Islanders have won two games in a row and are level in the season series with the Capitals. The momentum gained from back-to-back wins over the Minnesota Wild and Washington should help them start 2020 off on a strong note. 

Sandwiched in between meetings with the New Jersey Devils on Thursday and Tuesday are matchups with two playoff contenders, the Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs. 

If the Islanders come out of those clashes with points, they may remain close to the Capitals ahead of their January 18 showdown in New York.

Fleury Climbs Up All-Time Wins List 

Marc-Andre Fleury ended the decade in a new position on the NHL's all-time wins list. 

With his 26-save performance against the Anaheim Ducks, Fleury moved past Curtis Joseph into sixth place with 455 victories, per NHL PR: 

Fleury is just three away from tying Henrik Lundqvist, while hitting the top three is an attainable goal with Roberto Luongo at 489. 

The Golden Knights goalie admitted after the game he was humbled to be on a list with some of the game's greats at the position, per NHL.com's Danny Webster: "It's a long season. I feel fortunate to have played for a long time. It's humbling to be among these guys."

Fleury's next chance to add to his total is Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers as part of a seven-game homestand. 

Wednesday's NHL Schedule

Nashville at Dallas (2 p.m. ET; Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl) 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.