Leon Draisaitl capped Edmonton’s win with the overtime winner and became the second player this season to record 100 points – his fourth consecutive campaign reaching the century mark.
* Three-point performances from Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele helped the Jets best the Stars in a Central Division showdown and secure the club’s 100th day atop the NHL standings.
* Saturday’s slate features 22 teams in action beginning from 12:30 p.m. ET and includes a matinee matchup between Sidney Crosby’s Penguins and the Devils on ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet One and TVA Sports as well as Alex Ovechkin continuing The Gr8 Chase in San Jose.
DRAISAITL POWERS OILERS’ OFFENSE AND REACHES 100 POINTS
Leon Draisaitl (2-0—2) became the second player this season to reach the 100-point mark when he scored his fifth overtime goal of 2024-25 – tied for the most in a season in NHL history – and helped the Oilers (38-24-4, 80 points) pass the idle Kings (35-20-9, 79 points) for second in the Pacific Division
* Draisaitl recorded his sixth career 100-point season, which tied Jari Kurri (6) for the third most in franchise history behind Wayne Gretzky (9) and Connor McDavid (7). Draisaitl also became the third player born outside North America to reach the mark in four consecutive campaigns as he joined Peter Stastny (6;1980-81 – 1985-86) and Kurri (5; 1982-83 – 1986-87).
* McDavid factored on the overtime winner and extended his point and assist streaks to double digits. He tied Mario Lemieux and Paul Coffey for the second-most assist streaks of at least 10 games in League history, trailing only Gretzky (13x).
CONNOR, SCHEIFELE BOOST JETS’ LEAD ATOP THE STANDINGS
Kyle Connor (2-1—3) and Mark Scheifele (0-3—3) each recorded a three-point game to help the Jets (46-17-4, 96 points) extend their home point streak to eight contests and create a two-point cushion ahead of the idle Capitals (43-15-8, 94 points) for top spot in the League standings. Winnipeg can finish first in the NHL for the first time in franchise history – a position its held for 100 days this season (next closest team: WSH w/ 26 days).
* Scheifele reached the 40-assist mark for the seventh time in his career and moved within one of tying Blake Wheeler (8) for the most in franchise history. He also recorded his 100th multi-point period, which tied Wheeler for the most in Jets/Thrashers history.
CARLSSON TALLIES ASSIST ON GAME WINNER IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
Twelve teams were featured in Friday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates, including Leo Carlsson and the Ducks – Carlsson assisted on Anaheim’s game winner in the third period and became the third Ducks player age 20 or younger to record 60 career points, joining Mason McTavish (76) and Cam Fowler (69).
* ICYMI: Earlier this week, Carlsson partnered with Friends: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter; to raise awareness about stuttering and empower kids who stutter to be brave and fearless when it comes to their communication. The Ducks forward hosted 100 members of the stuttering community at Wednesday’s game, met with them afterwards and raised money for the organization through an in-game auction. The cause is deeply personal to Carlsson, who has stuttered his entire life and hopes his involvement in the stuttering community will help break the stigma.
NHL PODCASTS WEEKLY ROUNDUP
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (March 14): Sharks Coach Ryan Warsofsky On His Rapid Rise In San Jose & Mike Brophy’s Fight Beyond the Game
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (March 13): “Trust or Bust” goalies; Week 21 mailbag
* NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers (March 13): Michael Rosenbaum skates with the greats: Brady Tkachuk’s playoff mission, Mikko Rantanen drama and our Gene Hackman tribute
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (March 12): Navigating the Devils’ Season with Tom Fitzgerald
* La Tasse de Café LNH (March 12): Les beaux jours sont arrivés à Ottawa
* Energy Line with Nate and JSB (March 11): Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky breaks down Mikko Rantanen trade, deadline moves
* NHL @TheRink (March 11): Mike Zeisberger joins; Trade deadline recap, Rantanen, Trophy tracker
* Never Offside with Julie and Cat (March 10): Tyler Toffoli & Nate Thompson join; WillMack sleepover recap & Surviving the Deadline
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (March 10): The Risks and Rewards of Analytics in Hockey with Brian Lawton
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (March 10): Pickups after Trade Deadline & debuts
* NHL Schlagschuss (March 10): Episode 19 – Trade-Deadline-Analysen
QUICK CLICKS
* Adin Hill signs 6-year, $37.5 million contract with Golden Knights
* Timo Meier doing it all for Devils during playoff push
* EDGE stats: Vegas capable of another deep run
* Oilers players Calvin Pickard, Stuart Skinner, try classic video game ‘NHL ’94’
* Dougie Hamilton out rest of regular season for Devils with lower-body injury
WILD CARD RACE TAKES CENTER STAGE ON 11- GAME SATURDAY
An 11-game Saturday features Sidney Crosby and the Penguins clashing with the Devils in a matinee matchup on ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet One and TVA Sports as well as several teams in action who are jockeying for position in the Wild Card race with just five weeks remaining until the start of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This includes the Canadiens, Senators and Canucks who are set to take the ice on Hockey Night in Canada.
* The two Eastern Conference Wild Card teams, and three of the four clubs within four points of the second Wild Card spot in the East will be in action Saturday. The Rangers face the Blue Jackets, marking the final time New York is slated to face a team currently in the aforementioned grouping this season.
* Crosby (23-49—72 in 66 GP) enters Saturday one helper shy of his 12th career 50-assist season and can become the ninth player in NHL history to record at least that many, following Wayne Gretzky (18), Ron Francis (16), Joe Sakic (14), Marcel Dionne (14), Paul Coffey (14), Dale Hawerchuk (13), Ray Bourque (13) and Adam Oates (12). Crosby has 41-52—93 in 87 contests against the Devils – his third-most goals, fourth-most points (tied w/ WSH) and seventh-most assists versus one franchise.
* Lane Hutson (4-47—51 in 65 GP) and the Canadiens (31-27-7, 69 points) enter Saturday looking to jump into the final Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference when they face the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers (41-22-3, 85 points). Hutson, who leads all rookie in points this season, needs three assists to reach 50 in 2024-25 and can become the fifth rookie defenseman in NHL history to reach the mark in a season – he would join Larry Murphy (60 in 1980-81 w/ LAK), Chris Chelios (55 in 1984-85 w/ MTL), Gary Suter (50 in 1985-86 w/ CGY) and Stefan Persson (50 in 1977-78 w/ NYI).
* Tim Stützle (20-47—67 in 65 GP) will look to reach the 70-point mark for his third straight season as the Senators (35-25-5, 75 points) aim for a win in their sixth straight game and to strengthen their grip on the first Wild Card spot when they face the Atlantic Division’s second-ranked Maple Leafs (39-23-3, 81 points). Stützle can become the fifth player in Senators history with three or more 70-point campaigns, following Daniel Alfredsson (9 from 2000-01 to 2009-10), Dany Heatley (4 from 2005-06 to 2008-09), Jason Spezza (4 from 2005-06 to 2008-09) and Alexei Yashin (3 from 1996-97 to 1998-99).
* Quinn Hughes and the Canucks (30-24-11, 71 points) will look to leapfrog the Flames (30-24-11, 71 points) when they square off against Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks on Saturday. Hughes will look to record his 15th multi-assist game of 2024-25 and can become the third defenseman in NHL history to record three consecutive seasons with at least that many. He would join Paul Coffey (7 from 1987-88 to 1993-94 & 5 from 1981-82 to 1993-94) and Bobby Orr (6 from 1969-70 to 1974-75).
OVECHKIN BRINGS THE GR8 CHASE TO SAP CENTER
Alex Ovechkin continues The Gr8 Chase in San Jose, when the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals (43-15-8, 94 points) face off against the Sharks (18-40-9, 45 points) – the same team that Wayne Gretzky scored his 800th and 801st career goals against to tie Gordie Howe for the NHL record on March 20, 1994 before surpassing him three days later against the Canucks. Ovechkin (886) enters Saturday just nine goals away from capturing that same record from Gretzky (894)
* The Gr8 Chase has been a journey spanning three decades that has featured many big moments along the way, including one exactly three years ago today. On March 15, 2022, Ovechkin (767) surpassed Jaromir Jagr (766) for third place on the all-time NHL goals list, marking the third legendary skater he leapfrogged during the 2021-22 season (also Marcel Dionne w/ 731 & Brett Hull w/ 741). The Capitals captain will look to eclipse Jagr (135) again on Saturday as he enters the contest one goal shy of overtaking him for the League’s game-winning goals record.
