NHL RECAP MARCH 17, 2025 – MAPLE LEAFS AND LIGHTNING EARN WINS, KEEP PACE IN ATLANTIC DIVISION

Auston Matthews (2-1—3) tallied three points to help the Maple Leafs (40-24-3, 83 points) skate to a St. Patrick’s Day win, while Andrei Vasilevskiy (21-save shutout) and Jake Guentzel (1-0—1) helped the Lightning (39-23-5, 83 points) maintain second place in the Atlantic Division as both clubs moved within two points of the first-place Panthers (41-24-3, 85 points).

• Matthews factored on three of four Maple Leafs goals in the middle frame to record his 11th career three-point period and tie Dave Keon as well as Frank Mahovlich for third most in franchise history, behind Darryl Sittler (15) and Mitch Marner (13). Matthews also tallied his 36th career multi-goal period and passed Sittler (35) for the most in Maple Leafs history.
• The Maple Leafs, dressed in their iconic St. Pats uniforms, improved to 23-15-4 all-time on St. Patrick’s Day and passed the Red Wings (22-14-2) for the most wins among all teams.
• Guentzel sealed the Tampa Bay victory with his NHL-leading 15th power-play goal (tied) and boosted his 2024-25 totals to 33-31—64 (66 GP); only two players in Lightning history have scored more in their first season with the franchise (Brian Bradley: 42 in 1992-93 & Dino Ciccarelli: 35 in 1996-97). He also sits one power-play goal shy of the most by a Lightning player in that scenario – a mark also held by Bradley (16 in 1992-93).

ALLEN, DEVILS DENY BLUE JACKETS CRUCIAL POINTS IN WILD CARD RACE
Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt each scored their 20th goal of the season 39 seconds apart in the second period, then Jake Allen made 23 of his 45 saves in the third period to preserve a Devils win and prevent the Metropolitan Division rival Blue Jackets from collecting two pivotal points in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race.

• Allen, who became the fifth different Devils goaltender since 2010-11 to post at least 45 saves in a road game, recorded the club’s highest third-period save total on record (since 1997-98) and one more than the next closest (Cory Schneider: 22 on March 25, 2019 & Dec. 8, 2016; Martin Brodeur: 22 on March 15, 2007). Only two goaltenders have made more saves in any period this season: Linus Ullmark (27 in P2, March 10) and Logan Thompson (25 in P3, Nov. 17, 2024).

ZUCCARELLO, TUCH SCORE GAME WINNERS

Mats Zuccarello scored his 100th goal with Minnesota to lead the Wild to victory while Alex Tuch netted a late overtime winner for Buffalo during Monday’s five-game slate.

• Zuccarello (389 GP) became the 12th player in Wild history to score 100 goals with the franchise and was the seventh fastest among that group behind Kirill Kaprizov (180 GP), Zach Parise (253 GP), Eric Staal (271 GP), Marian Gaborik (300 GP), Jason Zucker (334 GP) and Nino Niederreiter (378 GP). Minnesota (38-25-5, 81 points) moved within four points of Colorado (41-24-3, 85 points) for third in the Central Division and built an eight-point lead on Vancouver (31-25-11, 73 points) for the first Wild Card position.
• Tuch (4:49) scored the sixth-latest overtime goal in Sabres history behind Jack Eichel (4:59 on March 12, 2016), Marco Scandella (4:59 on Feb. 22, 2018), Paul Gaustad (4:56 on Oct. 15, 2007), Tyler Myers (4:55 on Feb. 10, 2011) and Geoff Sanderson (4:54 on Oct. 29, 1999).

OVECHKIN CONTINUES THE GR8 CHASE, DRAISAITL EYES 50 IN ROCKET RACE
A nine-game Tuesday features Alex Ovechkin continuing his pursuit of the NHL goals record when Capital One Arena hosts the latest instalment of The Gr8 Chase on Sportsnet and TVA Sports. It also features the League’s leading goal scorer in action on ESPN and TVA Sports as Leon Draisaitl eyes his 50th tally of the season when the Oilers take on the Utah Hockey Club at Rogers Place.

• Ovechkin (887) sits eight goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky (894) for the most in NHL history and will look to gain ground on the Great One when he takes on the Red Wings. The Capitals captain has recorded 25-15—40 in 37 career games against Detroit, which includes five multi-goal games and two hat tricks (Dec. 11, 2018 & Nov. 30, 2019).
• Ovechkin has eclipsed two Detroit icons, Steve Yzerman and Gordie Howe, on multiple NHL lists during his 20-season career – he overtook Yzerman (692) for 10th place on the NHL’s all-time goals list on Jan. 29, 2020 and passed Howe (801) for third on Dec. 23, 2022. His 887 goals with Washington also lead Howe (786 w/ DET) and Yzerman (692 w/ DET) for the most with a single franchise in NHL history.
• Draisaitl is one goal shy of 50 on the season and can become the 15th player in NHL history – and just the fourth born outside North America – to reach that plateau four times. Fourteen of Draisaitl’s goals have come during his active 18-game point streak (14-13—27), which is already the longest run by any player this season and the lengthiest by an Oilers player since Gretzky in 1986-87 (19 GP).

TIGHT WILD CARD RACES TAKE CENTER STAGE TUESDAY
Four of six teams within six points of the final Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference will be in action Tuesday with a little more than a month remaining until the start of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including the Canadiens (32-27-7, 71 points) and the Detroit Red Wings (32-29-6, 70 points), who are each within two points of the playoff line.

• The 2024-25 season is the first under the current playoff format where six teams in a single conference are all within six points of the final Wild Card spot at this stage of a campaign (through 1,076 GP or later). It also marks the first season in that span where nine clubs League-wide are all within six points of their conference’s final Wild Card spot at this stage.