NHL RECAP JANUARY 2, 2025 – Detroit defeats Blue Jackets in final visit to Columbus before Stadium Series

Jonatan Berggren buried the go-ahead goal with 35.7 seconds remaining in regulation as the Red Wings earned a win during their final road game against the Blue Jackets before the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on March 1.

• Berggren’s goal capped a contest which featured three-point efforts by Alex DeBrincat (2-1—3), James van Riemsdyk (2-1—3) and Zach Werenski (1-2—3) as Columbus rallied from deficits of 3-1 and 4-3 before the late winner. DeBrincat (Farmington Hills, Mich.) and Werenski (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) are two of several players with ties to Michigan set to play in the League’s 43rd outdoor game, which will breathe new life into the legendary Ohio State Buckeyes-Michigan Wolverines football rivalry.

OVECHKIN SCORES GOAL No. 871 BEFORE FLEURY FOILS CAPITALS
Alex Ovechkin scored his 871st career goal to move within 24 of passing Wayne Gretzky (894) for first place on the NHL’s all-time list, but Marc-Andre Fleury had the upper hand in the 66th meeting between the two veterans (regular season & playoffs) as he stopped all three Washington shootout attempts – including one from the Capitals captain – to lead the Wild to victory.

• Ovechkin scored his 41st career goal against Fleury (regular season & playoffs) and passed Brett Hull (40 vs. Tim Cheveldae) for the most by a player versus one goaltender in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68). Ovechkin also became the fifth skater in NHL history to record 20 regular-season goals against 18 different franchises, following Gretzky (21), Marcel Dionne (19), Mike Gartner (18) and Luc Robitaille (18).

MacKINNON SPARKS AVALANCHE LATE RALLY EN ROUTE TO OT VICTORY
After trailing 3-0 through 30 minutes, the Avalanche pulled within one in the third period only to find themselves down by two again, but Nathan MacKinnon factored on three straight goals including Jonathan Drouin’s tying tally in the final eight seconds – the latest by an Avalanche player since Jan. 17, 2015 – to set the stage for Devon Toews’ overtime winner.

• Colorado overcame a three-goal deficit to defeat the Sabres for the second time this season (also 5-4 W on Dec. 3). Colorado earned multiple three-goal comeback wins against the same opponent in a season for the third time in Avalanche/Nordiques history (also 2 vs. MTL in 1985-86 & vs. HFD in 1982-83). The only other teams in the last 30 years to do so were the Hurricanes (2 vs. FLA in 2006-07), Canadiens (2 vs. OTT in 2013-14) and Coyotes (2 vs. ANA in 2020-21).
• With his three assists, MacKinnon (39 GP) recorded his League-leading 50th assist of 2024-25 and became the first active player to reach the mark in fewer than 40 games, besting the previous mark of 43 games set by Nikita Kucherov in 2018-19.

WINS BY DUCKS, UTAH HOCKEY CLUB
Thursday, 24 teams contested their first games of 2025. Some highlights include:

• After facing a two-goal deficit to start the game, Leo Carlsson scored his 20th NHL goal to put Anaheim on the board before Troy Terry (2-1—3) levelled the game at 2-2. Winnipeg would go on to take the lead again with less than three minutes to go in regulation but Terry factored on the tying tally 54 seconds later before he potted the overtime winner to give the Ducks their fourth multi-goal comeback win of the season, tied with the Golden Knights for the second most in the League behind the Kraken (5). Terry tied Scott Niedermayer (5) for the fifth-most overtime goals in franchise history and equaled Andy McDonald (15) for the seventh most three-point games for the club.
• Logan Cooley accounted for one of his team’s five goals to help Utah snap a five-game skid and extended his road point streak to 12 games, tying Pierre Turgeon (12 GP in 1989-90) and Geoff Sanderson (12 GP in 1992-93) for the fifth longest by a player age 20 or younger in NHL history. Cooley also tied Brian Bradley (12 GP w/ TBL in 1992-93) for the longest road point streak by a skater during a franchise’s first NHL season.
• Jason Zucker (3-1—4) scored his third career hat trick and first in nearly six years. 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.

Friday’s five-game slate

Friday’s five-game schedule opens with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins (17-17-5, 39 points) pitted against Sam Reinhart and the Panthers (23-14-2, 48 points) on Sportsnet 360 and NHL Network. The other contests carried by Sportsnet programming feature Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and the Oilers (22-12-3, 47 points) hosting Leo Carlsson and the Ducks (16-17-4, 36 points) as well as Roman Josi and the Predators (11-20-7, 29 points) visiting Brock Boeser and the Canucks (18-11-8, 44 points).

• Crosby (602-1,035—1,637 in 1,311 GP) enters the New Year needing five points to pass Joe Sakic (1,641) for ninth place on the NHL’s all-time list and six assists to leapfrog Marcel Dionne (1,040) for the 11th most in League history. Crosby (10-31—41 in 39 GP) is already halfway to the 82-point mark, which would guarantee a 20th career point-per-game season and move him past Wayne Gretzky (19) for the NHL record.
• Draisaitl (10-14—24 in 12 GP) and McDavid (3-20—23 in 12 GP) can become the first set of Oilers teammates with simultaneous 13-game point streaks since runs by Gretzky and Mark Messier overlapped for 14 contests from Oct. 31 to Nov. 29, 1987. Draisaitl and McDavid would be the second group on any team to achieve the feat this season, following the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar from Oct. 9 to Nov. 5, 2024.
• Jordan Kyrou and the Blues (18-17-4, 40 points) as well as Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks (12-24-2, 26 points) will contest their first games since the Discover NHL Winter Classic, with Colton Dach set to make his League debut against his older brother, Kirby.

Predators’ L’Heureux Suspended Three Games for Slew-Footing

Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux has been suspended for three games, without pay, for slew-footing Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon during NHL Game No. 596 in Minnesota on Tuesday, Dec. 31. The incident occurred at 3:16 of the second period. L’Heureux was assessed a match penalty. Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, L’Heureux will forfeit $13,489.59. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Devils’ Hamilton Fined for Embellishment

New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton has been fined $2,000 as supplementary discipline under NHL Rule 64 (Diving/Embellishment).

NHL Rule 64 is designed to bring attention to and more seriously penalize players (and teams) who repeatedly dive and embellish in an attempt to draw penalties. Fines are assessed to players and head coaches on a graduated scale.

Citations are issued by the National Hockey League Hockey Operations Department, which tracks all games, logs all penalties for diving or embellishment, and flags all plays not called on the ice that in its opinion were deserving of such a penalty. A Citation is issued once Hockey Operations, through its internal deliberations, is convinced that a player warrants sanction.

Hamilton was issued a Warning following an incident flagged by NHL Hockey Operations during NHL Game No. 193 at Edmonton on Nov. 4. His second Citation, which triggered the $2,000 fine, was issued for an incident at 9:12 of the second period during NHL Game No. 545 vs. NY Rangers on Dec. 23. Hamilton and Rangers forward Brett Berard were assessed minor penalties on the play.

The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.