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Connor Hellebuyck - Winnipeg Jets - In Play! magazine
Connor Hellebuyck backstopped the Jets to their 100th point of the season and tied Ken Dryden as the fourth-fastest goaltender in NHL history to earn 40 wins in a campaign. File photo: Tim Jarrold - In Play! magazine
21
Mar

NHL RECAP MARCH 20, 2025 – HELLEBUYCK POSTS 40TH WIN AS JETS REACH 100-POINT MARK

Kyle Connor scored the overtime winner and Connor Hellebuyck (21 saves) earned his 40th win of the season to help the Jets (48-18-14, 100 points) reach 100 points in a single campaign for the third time in franchise history. With the Capitals also hitting the century mark Thursday, 2024-25 became the fourth season in the past decade to feature multiple teams reach 100 points in 70 games or fewer, following 2022-23 (BOS: 61 GP & CAR: 69 GP), 2021-22 (COL: 67 GP & FLA: 68 GP) and 2017-18 (NSH: 69 GP & TBL: 69 GP).

  • Hellebuyck posted his second 40-win season (also 44 in 2017-18) and joined Ryan Miller (41 in 2009-10 & 40 in 2006-07) as the second U.S.-born goaltender in NHL history to record multiple 40-win campaigns. He also joined Marc-Andre Fleury (42 in 2011-12 & 40 in 2006-07) as the second active netminder to achieve the feat.

CAPITALS BECOME FIRST TEAM TO CLINCH BERTH INTO 2025 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Alex Ovechkin’s 888th career goal was one of three Capitals tallies as Washington (46-15-8, 100 points) withstood a Philadelphia rally and became the first team to clinch a berth into the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Capitals, who clinched the final berth in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs during a chaotic 15-minute sequence on the day they played their last game (also vs. PHI), became the first club since 1979-80 to go from being the last team to clinch a playoff spot in one season to the first to do so the following campaign.

  • Washington, which required the second-fewest games in franchise history (tied; also 69 GP in 2009-10) to reach 100 points in a single season, behind 2015-16 (65 GP), has been the first team to clinch a playoff spot three times: 2009-10, 2015-16 and 2016-17. The Capitals also became the second team in three seasons (BOS: 64 GP in 2022-23) to clinch a playoff spot in 69 or fewer contests during an 82-game campaign.
  • Ovechkin moved within seven goals of passing Wayne Gretzky (894) for the most in NHL history and netted his 639th career goal in a regular-season win. It already stands as the most in NHL history and four more than the next closest (Gretzky: 635). The contest also featured the Capitals captain’s 240th career first-period goal, tying Phil Esposito for the second most in League history behind Gretzky (241).
  • Ovechkin owns a goals-per-game rate of 0.66 this season, which puts him on pace to pass Gretzky and complete The Gr8 Chase against the Blue Jackets at Capital One Arena on April 13 (6 p.m. ET). Ovechkin’s career average of 0.60 has him tracking to break the record versus the Islanders at UBS Arena on April 15 (8 p.m. ET).

TOP THREE TEAMS IN ATLANTIC SKATE TO VICTORIES THURSDAY

The top three teams in the Atlantic Division each picked up wins Thursday to maintain their place in the tightly-contested standings:

  • Aleksander Barkov (1-0—1) scored the lone tally of the contest 29 seconds into the extra frame to tie Olli Jokinen (10) for the most overtime goals in franchise history while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all 25 shots he faced to help the Panthers (42-24-3, 87 points) maintain top spot in the Atlantic Division. Bobrovsky recorded his third straight shutout against the Blue Jackets dating to April 11, 2024 – only two goaltenders in the NHL’s modern era (since 1943-44) have posted a longer run versus one franchise: Dominik Hasek (4 GP vs. NYR from Dec. 21, 1997 – Oct. 27, 1998) and Glenn Hall (4 GP vs. BOS from Jan. 8, 1953 – Dec. 3, 1955).
  • John Tavares (2-1—3) factored on three goals to become the eighth active player to reach the 1,100-point milestone and William Nylander (0-2—2) collected two assists to hit the 600-point mark as the Maple Leafs (42-24-3, 87 points) defeated the Rangers (33-31-6, 72 points) to keep pace with the Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division. Nylander (255-346—601 in 672 GP) became the ninth player in Maple Leafs history to reach the 600-point mark and the fastest active Swedish skater to do so.
  • Brandon Hagel (1-1—2) opened the scoring and Gage Goncalves generated the shootout winner as Tampa Bay (40-23-5, 85 points) quelled a comeback attempt by Dallas to keep pace with Florida and Toronto. Hagel’s 32 goals marked the most by an NHL player before his first power-play tally (since 1933-34 when goals by type were officially tracked) – he bested Doug Smail with the 1984-85 Jets (31).

BLUES LEAPFROG VANCOUVER FOR WILD CARD SPOT IN OVERTIME WIN

After a pair of goals from both sides to start the third period, the Blues entered the final moments of the frame holding a 4-3 lead before Brock Boeser scored with four seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime with the second-latest game-tying goal in franchise history. It was Philip Broberg who tallied in the extra frame to help St. Louis (35-28-7, 77 points) overtake Vancouver (32-25-12, 76 points) for the final Wild Card spot in the West.

  • Broberg scored his first career overtime goal and became the second Blues defenseman with an extra-time tally this season, joining Colton Parayko (Dec. 5). The last campaign to feature multiple St. Louis blueliners score an overtime goal was 2018-19 (Vince Dunn: March 30, 2019 & Parayko: Nov. 30, 2018).
  • The Blues now sit in a playoff position for the first time since Nov. 6 and hold a one-point cushion over the Canucks and a two-point cushion over the Flames, who also won Thursday via a multi-goal, third-period comeback win that saw them score four straight goals in the final period.

BLUE JACKETS, PENGUINS LOOK TO CLIMB IN THE WILD CARD RACE

Friday’s lone game features Zach Werenski and the Blue Jackets (31-28-9, 71 points) visiting PPG Paints Arena to take on Sidney Crosby and the Penguins (28-32-10, 66 points) on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and NHL Network as both clubs continue to make a late-season push to secure a Wild Card spot. Crosby (24-50—74 in 68 GP) enters the contest six points back of guaranteeing his 20th career point-per-game season, which would move him past Wayne Gretzky (19) for the most in NHL history.

RED WINGS RECALL AUSTIN WATSON AND BROGAN RAFFERTY FROM GRAND RAPIDS UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITIONS

The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Austin Watson and defenseman Brogan Rafferty from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions.

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Guest Writer