Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz helped the Stars earn a comeback victory and become the third team to clinch a berth into the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* The Art Ross Trophy race continued to ratchet up Saturday with Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov both adding to their League-leading totals and Leon Draisaitl becoming the first player to reach the 50-goal mark this season.
* An eight-game Sunday features Alex Ovechkin continuing The Gr8 Chase in Washington as the Capitals try to reclaim first place in the League standings and Macklin Celebrini looking to set a single-season Sharks record for assists by a rookie when San Jose visits Los Angeles.
STARS CLINCH BERTH INTO 2025 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS WITH COMEBACK WIN
Mikko Rantanen (1-2—3), Jason Robertson (1-1—2) and Roope Hintz (1-1—2) each put up multi-point performances as the Stars (48-21-4, 100 points) rallied from a 1-0 deficit to win and become the third team to clinch a berth into the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* Rantanen boosted his totals to 4-7—11 (11 GP) since being acquired by the Stars on NHL Trade Deadline Day and required the fewest games to 10 career points with the franchise since Jason Spezza (8 GP in 2014-15). In the process, Rantanen (31-50—81 in 72 GP) also recorded his sixth career 50-assist season and tied Teemu Selanne for second most by a Finnish-born player in NHL history behind only Jari Kurri (10).
* Hintz and Robertson factored on the game-winning goal for the 33rd time of their careers and tied Mike Modano and Sergei Zubov for the third most by North Stars/Stars teammates. The list is topped by Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin (52) as well as Modano and Jere Lehtinen (46).
* The Stars will make their fifth consecutive postseason appearance – a stretch that has featured back-to-back trips to the Conference Finals (2023 & 2024). With another lengthy run in 2025, Dallas can become the fifth team in the past 20 years to reach the penultimate round of the playoffs in three straight years. Tampa Bay (2020-22), Chicago (2013-15), Los Angeles (2012-14) and Detroit (2007-09) are the only ones to do so in that span, with each club also advancing to the Stanley Cup Final during the third year of its stretch. The Blackhawks (2015) and Kings (2014) were the only ones that went on to win a championship.
THE RACE FOR THE ART ROSS TROPHY
After being separated by as many as 11 points this season (Jan. 4 and Jan. 6), the gap in points between Nathan MacKinnon (1-0—1) and Nikita Kucherov (1-3—4) briefly swung in the other direction as Kucherov, the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner, collected four points to briefly overtake MacKinnon atop the League scoring race before the longtime 2024-25 frontrunner tied him. Kucherov picked up point 109 at 4:48 p.m. ET and MacKinnon pulled even exactly 15 minutes later with his goal at 5:03 p.m. ET.
* Kucherov (33-76—109 in 69 GP) had not had even a share of the NHL points lead this season entering Saturday and found himself in a similar scenario last season after he outlasted MacKinnon down the stretch in 2023-24 to claim his second Art Ross Trophy. The Lightning forward notched his 33rd career four-point game to pass Alex Ovechkin (32) and move into a tie with Kent Nilsson (33) for the fifth most by a player born and trained outside North America. The list is topped by Jaromir Jagr (56), Peter Stastny (54), Jari Kurri (47) and Teemu Selanne (38).
* MacKinnon (30-79—109 in 74 GP) held the outright points lead for 31 straight days (since Feb. 26), at least a share of the lead for 52 straight days (since Feb. 6; tied on Feb. 25 & March 29), and been at least tied for the most points in the NHL for all but one day since Dec. 10 (109 of 110 days; Leon Draisaitl led outright Feb. 5). He registered his fourth consecutive 30-goal season to tie Mikko Rantanen for the third-longest run in franchise history and extended his home point streak to 24 games in the process (16-25—41 in 24 GP). His 155 home points in the past two seasons (55-100—155 in 79 GP) are 25 more than the next closest player (Connor McDavid: 37-93—130 in 68 GP).
* Draisaitl (51-53—104 in 69 GP) pulled himself within five points of Kucherov and MacKinnon for the League lead in scoring with his 100th career three-point outing and became the NHL’s first player to reach the 50-goal mark this season. Draisaitl, who has led the League in goals (outright or tied) for 116 consecutive days dating to Dec. 5, also became the 15th player in NHL history – and just the fourth born outside North America – to record at least four 50-goal campaigns before capping the night with his sixth overtime winner of 2024-25 to establish an NHL record for most in a season.
ATLANTIC DIVISION SHUFFLES (AGAIN) AFTER TORONTO AND TAMPA BAY WINS
For a second straight day and eighth time this month, there was movement among the top three in the Atlantic Division as the Maple Leafs (44-25-4, 92 points), Panthers (44-25-3, 91 points) and Lightning (43-25-5, 91 points) jockey for seeding and vie to secure a playoff berth. The Stanley Cup Final has featured a Florida team in five straight years, and the two clubs that call the state home were ranked first and second in the division for a few hours Saturday before Toronto won to jump back into the No. 1 seed.
* The Maple Leafs reclaimed the top spot after John Tavares (2-0—2) and Auston Matthews (1-1—2) helped the club earn their League-leading eighth third-period comeback win of the season (tied w/ VGK, CBJ, ANA, MTL & PHI). Tavares (35-34— 69 in 66 GP), who became the second player in franchise history to post a goal streak of five or games at age 34 or older (also Mats Sundin: 5 GP in 2005-06), joined William Nylander (42-37—79 in 73 GP) as the second Maple Leafs player with 35-plus goals in 2024-25.
* After finishing its California road trip tonight in Anaheim, Toronto will play three of its first four games in April against the Panthers (April 2 & April 8) and Lightning (April 9). In 2023-24, Florida clinched the Atlantic with a victory versus Toronto in its season finale.
* The 2024-25 season is shaping up to be the third straight campaign in which a division was clinched in a team’s final contest of the regular season after the Rangers also claimed the Metropolitan Division in that fashion in 2023-24, as well as the Avalanche (Central) and Hurricanes (Metropolitan) in 2022-23. There are only two other stretches of that length since 1979-80 (when divisions were first introduced): 2014-15 to 2016-17 (3 seasons played) and 2001-02 to 2006-07 (5 seasons played).
BLUES STIFLE DIVISION RIVAL, CAPTURE NINTH STRAIGHT WIN
Robert Thomas (0-2—2) assisted on both of his team’s goals, including a go-ahead tally by Pavel Buchnevich in the third period as the Blues (40-28-7, 87 points) earned a crucial regulation win against the Avalanche (45-26-3, 93 points) and skated to a ninth straight victory. St. Louis moved into a tie, in terms of standings points, with Minnesota (41-27-5, 87 points) – which occupies the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference – and within six points of Colorado for third in the Central Division.
* Thomas (1-10—11 in 4 GP) collected multiple assists for the fourth straight game and matched the longest streak in franchise history – a feat shared by six others: Adam Oates (4x; last: 1991-92), Doug Weight (2002-03), Craig Janney (1991-92), Blake Dunlop (1980-81) and Garry Unger (1971-72).
* The Blues own the longest active winning streak in the NHL (9-0-0 since March 15) and matched the third-longest run in franchise history. The club record was set in 2018-19, when they went 11-0-0 to surge up the standings in the second half of the season en route to winning their first Stanley Cup.
WILD CARD HOPEFULS COLLECT TWO CRUCIAL POINTS
The Rangers (35-32-7, 77 points) and Red Wings (34-33-6, 74 points) skated to closely contested victories during a 11-game Saturday and collected two crucial points to benefit their chase of a berth in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* Columbus’ regulation loss pushed idle Montreal (33-30-9, 75 points) into the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, but New York benefited from Artemi Panarin – who passed Walt Tkaczuk (153) for the sixth-most multi-point games in franchise history – and Adam Fox’s two-goal games in a victory against San Jose. The Canadiens (72 GP), Blue Jackets (72 GP), Islanders (72 GP) and Red Wings (73 GP) have all played fewer games than the Rangers (74 GP).
* Moritz Seider collected an assist on the game-winning goal and reached the 40-point mark for the fourth straight season to begin his tenure with the Red Wings (7-33—40 in 73 GP). He became the second defenseman to register 40 or more points in each of his first four seasons with the franchise (NHL debut or otherwise), following Brian Rafalski (4 from 2007-08 – 2010-11).
MULTI-GOAL OUTINGS FEATURED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The final Saturday of March featured numerous noteworthy storylines from across the 11-game slate, including several players that put up multi-point showings. For that and more, peruse the latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates.
* Nico Hischier scored a hat trick – his second of 2024-25 (also Nov. 25) – to help the Devils (39-29-7, 85 points) defeat the Wild (41-28-5, 87 points) and strengthen their grip on third place in the Metropolitan Division standings. Hischier became the third Devils player in the past 20 years to register multiple hat tricks in the same season, joining Tyler Toffoli (2 in 2023-24) and Ilya Kovalchuk (2 in 2011-12), and second Swiss-born player in NHL history (also Timo Meier w/ 2 in 2021-22). With every hat trick this season, AstraZeneca will donate $3,000 to the Hockey Fights Cancer Fund of the V Foundation up to $300,000.
* Matvei Michkov delivered his sixth career multi-goal game – and second in as many outings – to power Philadelphia to a win and improved his season totals to 24-32—56 as he tied Lane Hutson (5-51—56) atop the rookie scoring race. Michkov became the fourth Flyers rookie to record multiple goals in consecutive games, following Dave Poulin (2 GP in 1983-84), Brian Propp (2 GP in 1979-80) and Dick Sarrazin (2 GP in 1968-69).
QUICK CLICKS
* Willie O’Ree Skills Weekend showcases diversity in hockey, growth of opportunity
* Hockey fans gather in Raleigh for opening of new outdoor street hockey rinks
* Flyers celebrate Bob Kelly’s 22 years in community service
* Ryan McDonagh honored by Lightning for reaching 1,000 NHL games
* ‘Playing outdoors was everything’ to Dick Duff growing up
EIGHT-GAME SUNDAY ENSURES MARCH WILL GO OUT LIKE A LION
The Sunday storylines are aplenty as March soon draws to a close, with under 20 days to play in the 2024-25 regular season. Among the top hits: clubs in the thick of the Eastern Conference Wild Card race contest matinees; two of the top three teams in the Atlantic Division continue their pursuit of an “x” in the standings; the top two teams in the League hit the ice on Sportsnet (where The Gr8 Chase will also be a focal point); and one of the highest-scoring rookies this season hits the ice in a state rivalry showdown on ESPN and Sportsnet 360.
* Eighteen-year-old Macklin Celebrini (21-32—53 in 60 GP) needs three assists in the Sharks’ final 10 games to set a new single-season franchise record for assists by a rookie and will look to inch closer when his team visits Los Angeles on Sunday. San Jose has two of the top five in rookie scoring (also, Will Smith: 13-24—37 in 64 GP), with Celebrini on pace to score 61 points in 2024-25 – which would match Anze Kopitar’s total in his rookie season for the Kings in 2006-07 (when Celebrini was nine months old).https://mycustomsportschair.com/
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* One day after the 26th anniversary of goal No. 894 by Wayne Gretzky – a game-winner scored by “The Great One” in his 1,479th career game on March 29, 1999, against the Islanders at Madison Square Garden – The Gr8 Chase resumes in Washington when Alex Ovechkin (889) and the Capitals (47-16-9, 103 points) try to regain their perch atop the League standings. To do so, the Capitals could use some help from the Canucks (34-26-13, 81 points) who conclude their road trip in Winnipeg with a showdown against the first-place Jets (50-19-4, 104 points).
* Did You Know? Longtime Canucks captain Trevor Linden was the only player aside from Gretzky who participated in both the game in which he passed Gordie Howe for the NHL goals record (March 23, 1994), and the game in which he scored his final NHL goal (Linden happened to be on the ice for both). Another player on the ice for Gretzky’s final goal was Zdeno Chara, who was in his second NHL season with the Islanders at the time and went on to assist on two Ovechkin goals when they were teammates in 2020-21.
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