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Jonathan Marchessault - Vegas Golden Knights - In Play! magazine
Jonathan Marchessault scored the winner just 19 seconds after Logan Thompson made the first overtime penalty-shot save in Golden Knights history to help Vegas increase its cushion in the second Wild Card spot. Photo: Tim Jarrold - In Play! magazine
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NHL Recap March 25, 2024 – THOMPSON, MARCHESSAULT COMBINE FOR THRILLING GOLDEN KNIGHTS OVERTIME VICTORY

With the game tied 1-1 heading into extra time, Logan Thompson’s dazzling penalty-shot save on Pavel Buchnevich proved to be critical as it was just 19 seconds later that Jonathan Marchessault found the back of the net and helped the Golden Knights (39-25-7, 85 points) create a five-point cushion over their opponent, the Blues (38-30-4, 80 points), for the final Wild Card spot.

  • Marchessault (0:49) scored the sixth-fastest overtime goal in Golden Knights history, behind Max Pacioretty (0:07 on Jan. 16, 2021), Marchessault himself (0:22 on March 30, 2018), Reilly Smith (0:23 on Nov. 8, 2022) and Alex Pietrangelo (0:42 on Feb. 23, 2023 & 0:46 on Jan. 11). It was also his eighth overtime tally in a Vegas uniform, passing Shea Theodore (7) for the most in franchise history.
  • Thompson, who joined Marc-Andre Fleury (4x) as the second Golden Knights goaltender with multiple 20-win seasons, helped produce the 11th instance in NHL history (regular season & playoffs) of a team recording a penalty-shot save and then scoring the overtime winner. The Islanders were the last team to achieve this feat on Jan. 28, 2023, who happened to do so against the Golden Knights.

KOPITAR COLLECTS ANOTHER 40-ASSIST SEASON IN KINGS WIN
Anze Kopitar (1-1—2) factored on two of three Kings goals to hit the 40-assist mark for the 14th time in his career and help Los Angeles spoil Vancouver’s bid to become the first team to clinch a berth into the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Kings (38-22-11, 87 points) moved within one point of the Oilers (42-23-4, 88 points) for second place in the Pacific Division – the clubs will face off in Edmonton on Thursday.

  • Kopitar extended his multi-point streak to four games and tied the longest such run of his career (4 GP in 2019-20, 2017-18 & 2007-08). The captain will have an opportunity to become just the fourth Kings skater in the past 30 years to extend that run to five games in his next outing – he would join Alex Frolov (5 GP in 2006-07), Wayne Gretzky (6 GP & 5 GP in 1993-94; 5 GP in 1995-96) and Jari Kurri (5 GP in 1993-94).

ICYMI: HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER FEATURE ON PWHL’S MADISON BIZAL
Watch the inspiring story of PWHL player Madison Bizal, who was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer when she was a sophomore at Ohio State. Bizal continued playing hockey through cancer treatments, which she finished in September, and is now a member of PWHL Montreal.

RACE FOR PRESIDENTS’ TROPHY CONTINUES ON 12-GAME TUESDAY

Nine of the top 10 teams in the overall standings will be in action Tuesday as the red-hot race for the Presidents’ Trophy continues, where the top seven clubs are all within one point of each other including four Eastern Conference teams that can punch their ticket to the postseason Tuesday.

  • After meeting in the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Panthers (46-20-5, 97 points) and Bruins (41-16-15, 97 points) sit first and second in the Atlantic Division. One of Florida or Boston has held first place in the Atlantic Division every day since Oct. 19, leapfrogging over each other seven times during that span.
  • The Hurricanes (45-20-7, 97 points) have posted an 11-2-1 record since Feb. 27 and find themselves one point back of the Rangers (47-20-4, 98 points), who have held first place in the Metropolitan Division every day since Oct. 24.
  • The Avalanche (46-20-5, 97 points) will look to win 10 straight games for the fourth time in franchise history while Nathan MacKinnon (28-48—76 in 34 GP) continues his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky (33-70—103 in 40 GP) for the longest home point streak in NHL history.

RED WINGS SIGN FORWARD EMMITT FINNIE TO THREE-YEAR ENTRY-LEVEL CONTRACT

The Detroit Red Wings have signed center Emmitt Finnie to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning with the 2024-25 season. Finnie will report to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

Finnie, 18, skated in 62 games with the Western Hockey League’s Kamloops Blazers during the 2023-24 season and ranked among the team leaders with 19 goals (T2nd), 40 assists (1st), 59 points (1st), 28 penalty minutes (9th), three power play goals (T5th), 20 power play points (2nd), four shorthanded goals (1st) and 164 shots (4th). The 6-foot-1, 178-pound forward was named the WHL Player of the Week for the period ending Feb. 11 after tallying nine points (7-2-9) in three games from Feb. 7-10.

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IPM Editor