With three weeks to go in the regular season, the difference between being in or outside the playoff bracket is three points or fewer in both conferences, and 171 games remaining to sort out the 14 clubs that will join Winnipeg and Washington to compete for the 2025 Stanley Cup. 
* The Canucks moved within three points of the idle Blues for Wild Card 2 in the Western Conference, with Vancouver’s victory allowing the idle Canadiens to maintain their grip on that position in the East. Wednesday also featured a natural hat trick from Jason Robertson as the Stars defeated the Oilers in a rematch of the 2024 Western Conference Final.
* Thursday’s slate is tailor-made for NHL Coast to Coast on Prime Video Canada as nine of 10 games include at least one team in the thick of the playoff race (in the bracket or within four points of it). Highlights include a Kings–Avalanche showdown on ESPN, Senators–Red Wings clashing in Motor City, key games on Sportsnet programming, as well as Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin chasing Wayne Gretzky records.
ROBERTSON HAS A NATURAL HAT TRICK IN WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL REMATCH
After scoring a hat trick in Edmonton during Game 3 of the 2024 Western Conference Final, Stars forward Jason Robertson channeled that performance Wednesday as he netted his first career natural hat trick and hit the 30-goal mark to guide Dallas to victory – as the club held off a third-period rally by the Oilers that saw them cut a 4-0 deficit to one goal.
* The Stars (46-21-4, 96 points) created a five-point advantage as the No. 2 seed in the Central Division by winning their penultimate game against a team currently occupying a top three divisional spot in the West (their last is April 10 vs. WPG).
* Robertson became the 16th different player with a natural hat trick in 2024-25, the most ever in one season (ahead of 15 in 1981-82 and 2023-24). Dallas accounts for each of the past two such performances, with Robertson following Wyatt Johnston who had the last Jan. 28 in Vegas.
* Overall, Robertson (2) and Johnston (2) have all four hat tricks by the Stars in 2024-25, contributing to the total of 65 across the League this season. Each one of those performances has secured a $3,000 donation by AstraZeneca to the Hockey Fights Cancer Fund of the V Foundation (up to $300,000).
HUGHES BROTHERS ASSIST IN WINS AS PLAYOFF PUSH CONTINUES
After going head-to-head during a national telecast Monday, the Hughes brothers were back at it on the national stage again Wednesday as they both factored on the opening goal in their respective game en route to road wins that impacted the playoff race in both conferences.
* Luke Hughes (0-3—3) factored early and often for the Devils (38-28-7, 83 points), who began their three-game road trip with a win and increased their lead to nine points as the No. 3 seed in the Metropolitan Division. Hughes matched a career high for assists and points in a game, while Nico Hischier (0-2—2) extended his point streak to a career-best eight games (tied), Stefan Noesen (1-0—1) hit the 20-goal mark for the first time (and matched a personal best for points in a season) and Jesper Bratt (0-2—2) moved into a share of third in the NHL with 64 assists (extending the franchise record he set Saturday).
* Quinn Hughes (0-1—1) assisted on the first of five goals in the second period and Kiefer Sherwood (2-1—3) matched his single-game career high with three points (continuing his career-best season) as the Canucks (34-26-12, 80 points) moved within three points of the idle Blues (38-28-7, 83 points) for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. With Thatcher Demko (26 saves) improving to 2-0-0 since his return, Vancouver will play nine of its 10 remaining games against clubs from the West – including six against teams currently in a playoff spot (STL has 4 of 9 remaining games against clubs holding a playoff spot).
QUICK CLICKS
* #NHLStats: Live Updates – Leo Carlsson, Jackson LaCombe combine for four points in Ducks win
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* Congressional Hockey Challenge charity game ‘powerful celebration of community’
* Marc-Andre Fleury says he gave Alex Ovechkin ‘bit of a boost’ in chase of goals record
* Brad Marchand could make Panthers debut on Friday
PLENTY OF PLAYOFF POINTS UP FOR GRABS ON 10-GAME THURSDAY
An abundance of teams in the mix for positioning in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs are in action on a 10-game Thursday, including a clash between the streaking Kings and Avalanche on ESPN – who total three losses in their past 20 combined games (LAK: 9-1-0; COL: 8-1-1). The night also features teams competing in both Wild Card races, clubs jostling for home ice in the Central, Pacific and Atlantic Divisions, Sidney Crosby one point shy of securing his 20th career point-per-game season (25-54—79 in 71 GP), as well as The Gr8 Chase when Alex Ovechkin and the NHL-leading Capitals (47-15-9, 103 points) visit Minnesota.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: EASTERN CONFERENCE WILD CARD RACE
NHL Coast to Coast on Prime Video Canada (free preview on NHL.com in Canada) will be a must on Thursday as the Senators (37-28-5, 79 points) and Red Wings (33-32-6, 72 points) clash in a pivotal matchup in the Eastern Conference playoff race, while the Canadiens (33-28-9, 75 points) try to maintain Wild Card 2.
* The Senators, who occupy the first Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference have their sights on the franchise’s first berth into the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2016-17 – a campaign that included a run to the Conference Finals. Captain Brady Tkachuk (29-26—55 in 68 GP) leads the club in goals this season and sits one tally shy of becoming the third player in franchise history with four consecutive 30-goal seasons.
* Fellow American Patrick Kane, who leads Detroit in career playoff games, goals, assists and points (53-85—138 in 143 GP), will try to help the club make the playoffs after facing a deficit of three or more standings points within their final 11 games for the third time (5 points w/ 11 GR in 1946-47 & 3 points w/ 4 GR in 2012-13). Detroit has two games left against clubs either holding an Eastern Conference Wild Card spot or within three points of one (tonight vs. OTT and April 8 at MTL).
* Lane Hutson (5-49—54 in 70 GP) has been pivotal in Montreal’s playoff push and is one of three players to collect at least 15 points for the franchise since Feb. 1 (2-13—15 in 19 GP). The 21-year-old defenseman, who leads all rookies in scoring this season, can become the 24th rookie in NHL history with 50 assists in a single campaign and fifth blueliner following Larry Murphy (60 in 1980-81), Chris Chelios (55 in 1984-85), Stefan Persson (50 in 1977-78) and Gary Suter (50 in 1985-86).
STARS, AVALANCHE, KINGS, OILERS CONTINUE TO JOCKEY FOR HOME-ICE ADVANTAGE
The Stars (46-21-4, 96 points) and Avalanche (44-25-3, 91 points) occupy the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Central Division, respectively, while the Kings (40-21-9, 89 points) and Oilers (41-25-5, 87 points) – two points apart – also own those positions in the Pacific Division as the foursome of Western Conference clubs all hit the ice Thursday.
* Nathan MacKinnon (29-78—107 in 72 GP), on pace for 121 points in 2024-25, continues a pursuit toward his first Art Ross Trophy when his Avalanche host the Kings on ESPN. A player has hit at least 120 points in each of the past three campaigns dating to 2021-22, including a 140-points performance by the Colorado forward in 2023-24; the NHL can feature at least one 120-point scorer in at least four consecutive seasons for the first time since a stretch of 26 straight campaigns from 1968-69 to 1993-94.
* The Kings have risen in the Western Conference standings thanks to a 14-4-3 record since Feb. 1, tied for the second-most wins among all teams during that span. Los Angeles trailed Edmonton and Vegas by 10 points when that stretch began but overtook the Oilers for the No. 2 seed March 13, and the clubs have rotated between the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds since. Los Angeles has back-to-back comeback wins as it battles for home ice in what could be a fourth straight First Round series against the Oilers (the Kings have not held home-ice advantage during that span; 0-3). 
OVECHKIN’S POINT STREAK HAS PROPELLED THE GR8 CHASE
Alex Ovechkin (889) owns a five-game point streak that includes three goals, moving him six shy of passing Wayne Gretzky (894) for the NHL’s all-time goals record. The Gr8 Chase continues Thursday against the Wild at Xcel Energy Center, the franchise (0.83 G/GP; 20 G in 24 GP) and venue (1.15 G/GP; 15 G in 13 GP) against whom Ovechkin has his highest career goals-per-game rate (aside from Utah/Delta Center).
* Ovechkin also has his most goals against Marc-Andre Fleury than any other netminder (28 G in 47 GP), with three of those tallies coming with Fleury wearing a Wild uniform.
* Ovechkin can become the fifth player in the past dozen years to register a point streak of at least six games at age 39 or older. He would join Joe Pavelski (9 GP in 2023-24), Joe Thornton (7 GP in 2020-21), Jaromir Jagr (7 GP in 2013-14) and Ray Whitney (6 GP in 2012-13).
* The Gr8Chase: Did You Know? Wild forward Marcus Foligno has a connection to the progression of the all-time NHL goals record as his father, Mike, was in the lineup for Detroit when Gordie Howe (HFD) scored the 801st and final goal of his NHL career on April 6, 1980.
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