Posted on by Guest Writer
In Play! magazine - Windsor and Detroit sports news.
05
Mar

NHL RECAP MARCH 4, 2025 – MACKINNON, DRAISAITL, KUCHEROV ALL POST MULTI-POINT OUTINGS TUESDAY

Nathan MacKinnon (0-2—2), Leon Draisaitl (1-1—2) and Nikita Kucherov (1-2—3), who sit in the top three in scoring, all recorded multiple points to boost their totals in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.

  • MacKinnon (23-70—93 in 62 GP), who leads the League in points in 2024-25, registered his 18th multi-assist performance of the season to reach 70 assists and became just the third player in franchise history to record multiple such campaigns, following Peter Stastny (5) and Peter Forsberg (2). He also extended his home point streak to 17 games, joining Zach Werenski (22 GP from Nov. 1, 2024 – Feb. 22, 2025) and Draisaitl (17 GP from Nov. 12, 2024 – Jan. 23, 2025) as the third player to record a run of that length this season.
  • Draisaitl (45-47—92 in 61 GP) scored his League-leading 45th goal of 2024-25 and maintained his position just one point back of MacKinnon for the scoring lead. Draisaitl could become the fourth player to win both the Art Ross and Maurice “Rocket” Richard in the same season, alongside Connor McDavid (2022-23), Alex Ovechkin (2007-08) and Jarome Iginla (2001-02).
  • Kucherov (28-62—90 in 58 GP) registered his fifth 90-point season and tied Steven Stamkos for the most in franchise history. His three-point performance Tuesday began by scoring the second of two Lightning goals in the opening 1:37, which marked the third-fastest two tallies from the start of a game in franchise history behind Nov. 13, 1993 (1:07) and Feb. 1, 2011 (1:21).

ROOKIES Celebrini, SMITH, WOLF AND GAUTHIER LEAD TEAMS TO TRIUMPHS

Macklin Celebrini (SJS), Will Smith (SJS), Dustin Wolf (CGY) and Cutter Gauthier (ANA) helped the Sharks, Flames and Ducks defeat opponents Tuesday:

  • Smith (1-1—2) reached the 30-point mark and Celebrini (1-0—1) collected his 19th career goal, which marked the ninth most among 18-year-old players over the last 35 years (since 1989-90). Smith and Celebrini combined to establish just the third Sharks campaign to feature multiple rookies hit 30 points, following 2006-07 (Ryane Clowe & Matt Carle) and 1997-98 (Marco Sturm & Patrick Marleau).
  • Wolf made 26 saves in a game that featured four goals in a span of 2:14 – the fastest four in a contest this season – to improve his 2024-25 totals to 21-12-4 (37 GP) and help the Flames (29-23-9, 67 points) gain a two-point lead on the idle Canucks (27-22-11, 65 points) for the Western Conference’s final Wild Card spot. Wolf recorded his 29th career win, which is the second most by a Flames rookie behind Mike Vernon (39).
  • Gauthier (0-3—3) assisted on three of Anaheim’s four first-period goals, which helped the Ducks (27-26-7, 61 points) topple the Oilers (35-22-4, 74 points) and move within six points of the final Wild Card seed in the West. Gauthier became the fourth rookie in franchise history to register three points in a single period, joining Pavel Mintyukov (Feb. 21, 2024) Josh Mahura (Oct. 29, 2019) and Patrik Carnback (Jan. 14, 1994).

ISLANDERS DEEP IN WILD CARD RACE ON EVE OF FINAL QUARTER OF 2024-25
The Islanders (28-26-7, 63 points) moved within three points of the final Wild Card seed in the East, thanks to Kyle Palmieri (1-0—1) and Brock Nelson (1-1—2), who became the third and fourth New York players to reach the 20-goal mark in 2024-25. The only other season in the past 30 years to feature four Islanders skaters reach the 20-goal mark in fewer contests was 2006-07 (60 GP).

  • The Islanders became one of five teams currently outside the playoff bracket that are within three points from the second Wild Card seed. In fact, eight teams in the East (Nos. 7-14) are separated by just six points as the tightly-contested Eastern Conference Wild Card race continues to be one of the biggest storylines as the regular season enters the home stretch.

STAMKOS COLLECTS MILESTONE

The Stars stopped a Devils’ multi-goal comeback attempt and Steven Stamkos (573-600—1,173 in 1,143 GP) reached the 600-assist milestone.

  • Thomas Harley (1-1—2) had the game winner in the dying seconds of the third period as the Stars (40-19-2, 82 points) gained ground on the League-leading Jets (42-16-4, 88 points). Harley (59:55) became the eighth player in franchise history with a go-ahead goal in the final five seconds of regulation.
  • Stamkos (1-2—3) factored on half of his club’s goals to record his 105th career three-point game and became the second player from the 2008 NHL Draft class to reach the 600-assist milestone, behind Erik Karlsson (197-665—862 in 1,066 GP).

THE GR8 CHASE CONTINUES DURING WEDNESDAY’S FIVE-GAME SLATE
A five-game Wednesday features a doubleheader on NHL on TNT, Max and truTV that opens with Alex Ovechkin and the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals (39-14-8, 86 points) facing off against the Rangers (31-26-4, 66 points) and closes with the Atlantic Division-leading Maple Leafs (38-20-3, 79 points) clashing with the Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights (36-18-6, 78 points). It also features Tim Stützle and the Wild Card-chasing Senators (30-25-5, 65 points) battling the Blackhawks (19-35-7, 45 points) on Sportsnet.

  • Ovechkin, who currently sits 11 goals shy of capturing the NHL’s goals record, enters Wednesday two points shy of becoming the 11th player in NHL history to reach 1,600 career points and will look to help the Capitals gain ground on the idle Jets (42-15-4, 88 points) for first place in the League standings. A first-place finish by Washington, which concluded 2023-24 in 17th place, would represent the second-largest standings leap by the No. 1 seed in NHL history – the mark is currently held by its Wednesday night opponent, the Rangers, who went from No. 19 in 1992-93 to No. 1 in 1993-94.
  • Stützle enters Wednesday’s contest with a point in each of his team’s past 12 contests (4-14—18 in 12 GP) – tied for the League’s longest active point streak (Draisaitl: 12 GP). Should he get a point in Chicago, Stützle would become the fourth player in Senators history to record a 13-game point streak, following Dany Heatley (2x: 22 GP in 2005-06 & 16 GP in 2006-07), Drake Batherson (13 GP in 2022-23) and Marian Hossa (13 GP in 2002-03).
  • The Golden Knights have collected a point in each of their past eight contests at T-Mobile Arena dating to Jan. 12 (5-0-3) – tied for the League’s longest active home point streak (TBL: 7-0-1) – and can match their third-longest run in franchise history with a point against the Maple Leafs. Tomas Hertl (7-2—9 in 8 GP) and Pavel Dorofeyev (5-4—9 in 8 GP) have led the Golden Knights in points over that run.

RED WINGS ASSIGN SHELDON DRIES TO GRAND RAPIDS

The Detroit Red Wings have assigned center Sheldon Dries to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Dries, 30, has skated in 48 games with the Griffins during the 2024-25 season and ranks among the team leaders with 19 goals (T1st), 27 points (5th), a plus-six rating (T3rd), 29 penalty minutes (T9th), three power play goals (T4th), six power play points (T5th), one shorthanded goal (T3rd), six game-winning goals (1st) and 108 shots (4th). The 5-foot-9, 178-pound forward spent the entire 2023-24 campaign with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks and placed among the team leaders with 29 goals (1st), 23 assists (7th), 52 points (T3rd), a plus-six rating (5th), 45 penalty minutes (6th), six power play goals (T2nd), 16 power play points (3rd), four shorthanded goals (1st), two game-winning goals (T7th) and 167 shots (1st) in 55 games. Dries also recorded three points (1-2-3) in six Calder Cup Playoff games with Abbotsford. Originally signed by the AHL’s Texas Stars as a free agent on May 10, 2017, Dries has tallied 26 points (16-10-26) and 59 penalty minutes in 122 NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks since 2018-19. Dries has also compiled 231 points (132-99-231), a plus-32 rating and 251 penalty minutes in 322 AHL games with the Stars, Colorado Eagles, Canucks and Griffins.

Devils’ Coach Keefe Fined $25,000

New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe has been fined $25,000 for unprofessional conduct directed at the officials that resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct bench minor as well as a game misconduct at 18:12 of the third period of NHL Game No. 966 on Sunday, March 2. The fine money goes to the NHL Foundation.

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Guest Writer