Patrick Kane collected his first five-point game in more than three years to help Detroit improve its chances of clinching a postseason berth for the first time since its historic 25-season streak ended in 2016.* Brandon Montour capped his four-point performance by scoring just four seconds into overtime to match the NHL record for fastest goal to start a period and lift the Kraken to victory.
* Lane Hutson became the first rookie to reach the 50-point mark this season and helped the Canadiens earn a crucial point in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race, while the Canucks and Utah Hockey Club picked up two points apiece to improve their positioning in their playoff hunt in the West.
* A nine-game slate sees Alex Ovechkin continue The Gr8 Chase as the Capitals visit the Kings in Los Angeles – the city where Wayne Gretzky captured the NHL’s all-time goals record nearly 31 years ago.
KANE’S FIVE-POINT NIGHT NARROWS RED WINGS’ GAP TO FINAL WILD CARD SPOT
Patrick Kane (2-3—5) stole the show with a five-point performance, including three in the first period, to help Detroit (31-28-6, 68 points) score a season-high seven goals and beat Buffalo. The Red Wings moved within two points of the idle Blue Jackets (31-25-8, 70 points), who occupy the Eastern Conference’s final Wild Card spot.
* Kane (36 years, 113 days) became the fourth-oldest player in franchise history with a five-point game behind Brett Hull (37 years, 170 days on Jan. 26, 2002), Alex Delvecchio (37 years, 27 days on Dec. 31, 1968) and Brendan Shanahan (36 years, 324 days on Dec. 13, 2005). Kane recorded his fourth career contest with at least five points (also March 8, 2022, Jan. 20, 2019 & Jan. 9, 2018).
MONTOUR, NYMAN LIFT KRAKEN TO A COMEBACK WIN
Brandon Montour (2-2—4) factored on four goals, including scoring the winner four seconds into overtime, and Jani Nyman (1-0—1) found the back of the net in his NHL debut as the Kraken overcame a 4-2 deficit to earn their League-leading eighth comeback win of the season.
* Montour tied the Kraken record for most points by a defenseman in a single season, a mark he set on Oct. 29 when he posted 1-3—4 against the Canadiens, and became the third defenseman to record multiple four-point games in 2024-25, joining Zach Werenski (2-3—5 on Nov. 21 & 0-4—4 on Dec. 27) and Rasmus Dahlin (2-2—4 on Feb. 22 & 0-4—4 on Dec. 23). In the process, Montour (15) also set the Kraken record for the most goals in a season by a blueliner, besting Vince Dunn (14 in 2022-23).
* Nyman became the first Kraken player to score in his NHL debut and did so with his parents in the crowd at Climate Pledge Arena. He has 26 goals for the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds this season, trailing only Toronto Marlies forward Alex Steeves (32), Texas Stars forward Matěj Blümel (27) and Charlotte Checkers forward John Leonard (27) for the league lead.
OTHER TEAMS IN THE WILD CARD RACE PICK UP POINTS WEDNESDAY
The Wild Card race continued to heat up Wednesday, with the Canucks and Utah Hockey Club both picking up two points to gain ground in the West while the Canadiens earned a point to inch closer to the final spot in the East.
* Elias Pettersson (1-1—2) factored on two goals as the Canucks (30-24-11, 71 points) erased a 3-2 deficit and defeated the Flames (30-23-11, 71 points) in the shootout to keep pace with them in the Western Conference Wild Card standings. Pettersson boosted his career totals to 184-267—451 and passed Todd Bertuzzi (449) for the ninth-most points in franchise history.
* After the Ducks battled back from a two-goal deficit, Dylan Guenther (1-1—2) netted the eventual game winner to pull Utah (29-25-11, 69 points) within two points of Calgary for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. It marked Guenther’s eighth game-winning goal of the season – one back of the League lead – and his fourth third-period, go-ahead marker, tied with Artturi Lehkonen, Josh Norris and Matthew Knies for the most among all skaters.
* Lane Hutson (0-2—2) factored on two of his team’s four goals and became the first rookie to reach and eclipse the 50-point mark this season as the Canadiens (31-27-7, 69 points) moved within a point of the Blue Jackets (31-25-8, 70 points) for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference despite falling to the Kraken in overtime. Hutson (4-47—51) became the seventh rookie in Canadiens history to post 50 points in a season and second since 1986-87, following Michael Ryder (19-32—51 in 2003-04).
QUICK CLICKS
* #NHLStats: Live Updates – March 12, 2025
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* Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard fired up for 1st face-off of past 2 No. 1 NHL Draft picks
* Jonathan Quick signs 1-year, $1.55 million contract with Rangers
* NHL EDGE stats: 8 numbers behind THE GR8 CHASE
DRAISAITL BRINGS STREAKING SUCCESS TO NATIONAL BROADCASTS
Leon Draisaitl (46-51—97 in 65 GP) takes to the ice on ESPN+, Hulu, Sportsnet and Disney+ as he closes in on a sixth career 100-point season and has done so thanks to the NHL’s longest active point streak dating to Jan. 27 (11-12—23 in 15 GP). The Oilers forward has also found the score sheet in each of his past 13 road games since Jan. 9 (10-12—22) and can become the fourth different player in franchise history to extend a road point streak to 14 games following Wayne Gretzky (7x; longest: 29 GP in 1986-87), Connor McDavid (17 GP in 2022-23) and Jari Kuri (14 GP in 1983-84).
OVECHKIN CONTINUES THE GR8 CHASE WHERE GRETZKY SET NHL RECORD
Alex Ovechkin (886), fresh off his 18th career three-assist game, continues The Gr8 Chase in Los Angeles – a city where Wayne Gretzky broke Gordie Howe’s all-time goals record nearly 31 years ago (March 23, 1994), the team he scored his 200th career goal against (Feb. 5, 2009 vs. LAK) and became the eighth player in NHL history to reach the milestone in 300 games or fewer.
* Ovechkin (33-20—53 in 49 GP) remains nine goals away from breaking Gretzky’s all-time record and owns a goals-per-game rate of 0.67 this season, which puts him on pace to complete The Gr8 Chase against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on April 12 (12:30 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+, SN360). His career average of 0.60 has him tracking to break the record versus the Blue Jackets at Capital One Arena on April 13 (6 p.m. ET on FDSNOH, MNMT).
* The vibe around Los Angeles is excitingly familiar to Kings President Luc Robitaille, who Ovechkin passed for 12th on the NHL’s all-time goals list Oct. 29, 2019 and who assisted on Gretzky’s record-breaking 802nd goal. He spoke with NHL.com about the buzz ahead of The Gr8 Chase arriving in L.A.
ATLANTIC DIVISION ADVERSARIES EYE CRUCIAL STANDINGS POINTS
The Atlantic Division-leading Panthers (40-22-3, 83 points) and second-place Maple Leafs (39-22-3, 81 points) clash in a pivotal game in the standings at Scotiabank Arena, while the third-place Lightning (37-23-4, 78 points), Senators (34-25-5, 73 points) and Bruins (30-28-8, 68 points) have their sights on benefiting their own postseason chances as the rush to the Stanley Cup Playoffs continues.
* Florida has won each of its past two meetings against Toronto, scoring at least five goals in each contest, and can capture three consecutive regular-season victories against the franchise for the first time since March 26, 2015 to March 17, 2016. The Maple Leafs, in search of their first division crown since 1999-00 (excluding shortened seasons), can leapfrog the Panthers and move into first in the Atlantic with a regulation win because of fewer games played.
* Ottawa (last postseason appearance: 2016-17) and Boston (eight straight postseason appearances) are each in contention for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with the Senators occupying the first Wild Card position thanks in part to four straight victories and a six-game point streak (5-0-1). Captain Brady Tkachuk (27-24—51 in 62 GP) has led his team in goals during the course of their current string of success and is closing in on tying the franchise record for most consecutive 30-goal seasons.
