Recap of NHL from 28 March | Pro Hockey News

13-goal thriller in Columbus put the Blue Jackets back into a playoff spot for the first time since March 14 and a late multi-goal comeback by the Ducks against the Rangers ensured Columbus would end the night as Wild Card 2 in the Eastern Conference.
* Brad Marchand made an immediate impact in his Panthers debut as he set up Sam Bennett’s overtime winner to help Florida regain first place in the Atlantic Division.

* Saturday features several games with major postseason implications as the Rush to the Stanley Cup Playoffs continues during a busy slate highlighted by an ABC Hockey Saturday game in prime time and three Hockey Night in Canada contests – including one between the two Eastern Conference Wild Card teams. Dallas can also become the third team to clinch a postseason berth.

WILD CARD RACE LIVES UP TO ITS NAME WITH FRIDAY SHAKEUP
A seesaw battle between clubs vying for Wild Card spots in opposite conferences made for a wild night in Columbus as the Blue Jackets and Canucks combined for a thriller. Vancouver pulled ahead 3-0 in the first period and Columbus tied it over a span of 8:10 before the midway point of the second period, but fell behind by multiple goals once again. That set the stage for a 45-second span in the final 3:15 of regulation in which the Blue Jackets tied the game, took a lead and then surrendered a tying goal themselves – all before securing a shootout victory in front of the home crowd.

* Both teams gained ground in the hunt for Wild Card 2, as the Canucks (34-26-13, 81 points) moved within four points of the idle Blues (39-28-7, 85 points) in the West and the Blue Jackets (33-29-9, 75 points) leapfrogged three teams to move into Wild Card 2 in the East – and managed to hold on to that position after the Ducks staged a multi-goal comeback win of their own against the Rangers (34-32-7, 75 points), who would have overtaken Columbus with a win.

* The Blue Jackets staged the eighth three-goal comeback win in franchise history and second this season, following another 7-6 victory on home ice on Nov. 21 against Tampa Bay.

* Friday’s game was the third in the past decade to include both teams leading and both teams scoring a tying goal in the final five minutes of regulation. The others since 2014-15 occurred Dec. 5, 2022 (VAN defeated MTL) and Feb. 9, 2018 (NYI defeated DET), and were both 7-6 overtime decisions.

MARCHAND TO BENNETT IN OT PUTS REIGNING CHAMPIONS BACK IN FIRST PLACE

Division rivals turned linemates provided a unique sight for Panthers fans as Brad Marchand set up Sam Bennett for the overtime winner while making his team debut after being acquired ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline earlier this month. The foes turned friends helped lift the reigning Stanley Cup champions back into first place in the Atlantic Division.

* Marchand and Bennett had gone head-to-head 30 times in the NHL, including 20 meetings between Boston and Florida that comprised back-to-back playoff series in 2023 and 2024 (both won by Bennett and the Panthers). After joining forces to guide Canada to a championship at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, they teamed up again for the first time in an NHL game as Bennett scored both goals to move within three of his single-season career high (28 in 2021-22), and Marchand achieved a rare feat in the extra frame.

SCHEIFELE, HELLEBUYCK SET FRANCHISE RECORDS AS JETS SOAR TO 50TH WIN

Mark Scheifele (1-1—2) factored on two of four Winnipeg goals while Connor Hellebuyck stopped all 24 shots he faced to help the Jets (50-19-4, 104 points) reclaim first place in the overall standings and become the NHL’s first team to 50 wins this season. The last time a Canadian-based club was the first team to 50 wins in a season was 2010-11, when Vancouver paced the League en route to securing the Presidents’ Trophy (won once by a Canadian club since then, by VAN in 2011-12).

* Scheifele notched his 201st career multi-point outing and passed former teammate Blake Wheeler (200) for sole possession of the most in Jets/Thrashers history.

* Hellebuyck posted his League-leading seventh shutout of 2024-25 and established a franchise record for most in a season. He became the ninth American goaltender in NHL history with at least seven shutouts in a campaign – the last with more was Jonathan Quick (10 in 2011-12).

CARLSSON COLLECTS FOUR POINTS AS DUCKS MOUNT LATE MULTI-GOAL COMEBACK
Leo Carlsson (1-3—4) factored on four of five Anaheim goals, including all three in the third frame, before Mason McTavish (1-0—1) netted the overtime winner to complete the Ducks’ multi-goal, third-period comeback win. With 5:48 remaining in regulation at the start of the rally, it marked Anaheim’s third-latest multi-goal, third-period comeback win in the past five years following Nov. 5, 2022 (55:58 at SJS) and Oct. 26, 2023 (58:05 at BOS).

* The Ducks received four goals and 13 points from players age 24 or younger as Carlsson, McTavish, Olen Zellweger (1-1—2), Cutter Gauthier (1-1—2), Jackson LaCombe (0-2—2), Pavel Mintyukov (0-1—1) and Trevor Zegras (0-1—1) each found the score sheet. Anaheim has had 102 goals scored by players age 24 or younger this season – only Columbus (118) and Buffalo (109) have had as many.

* Carlsson became the fourth Ducks player to post a four-point game before age 21. He joined McTavish (2-2—4 on Jan. 6, 2023), Ryan Getzlaf (0-4—4 on March 24, 2006) and Stanislav Chistov (1-3—4 on Oct. 10, 2002).

HURRICANES, CANADIENS COMBINE FOR QUICK GOALS IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
Quick goals were a common theme in Friday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates, which featured the Hurricanes and Canadiens combining for two goals in the opening 41 seconds of their contest as well as Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato scoring twice in 15 seconds to cap his first career hat trick. 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.

QUICK CLICKS

* Rangers broadcaster Sam Rosen surprised by Ducks, Jacob Trouba with retirement gifts
* Morgan Geekie finding happiness, possibly long-term home, with Bruins

* Flames set to resume Battle of Alberta against Oilers with ‘a lot of juice there’
* Ryan Nugent-Hopkins finding rhythm, regaining scoring touch for Oilers during playoff push
* Cam York expected back for Flyers against Sabres after disciplinary issue

SATURDAY STACKED WITH PIVOTAL GAMES IN RUSH TO THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

The Rush to the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be impacted by most contests during today’s slate, which is headlined by an ABC Hockey Saturday game in prime time and another star-studded Hockey Night in Canada.

Some highlights to look out for across the 11-plus hours of action:

* Mikko Rantanen and the Stars (47-21-4, 98 points) can clinch a postseason berth when they joust Jared McCann and the Kraken (31-36-6, 68 points), with details to be posted in today’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates. Rantanen is part of a deep roster comprised of recent additions, young stars and seasoned veterans that can capture a championship with the Stars, who have reached the Western Conference Final in each of the last two years and three of the past five but seek their first title since 1999.

* Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche (45-25-3, 93 points) can keep pace when several streaks are on the line during their contest against Dylan Holloway and the Blues (39-28-7, 85 points), who have won each of their past eight games to put themselves into the Western Conference’s final Wild Card spot. MacKinnon has found the score sheet in each of Colorado’s past 23 home contests including every one during its lengthy stretch of victories at Ball Arena, while Holloway can record his first career double-digit point streak.

Brady Tkachuk and the Senators (38-28-5, 81 points), Zach Werenski and the Blue Jackets (33-29-9, 75 points), Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings (33-33-6, 72 points) as well as David Pastrnak and the Bruins (30-34-9, 69 points) will all battle for key points in the Eastern Conference’s Wild Card race, with Ottawa hosting Columbus and Boston visiting Detroit. Artemi Panarin and the Rangers (34-32-7, 75 points) as well as Bo Horvat and the Islanders (32-29-10, 74 points) are also in action.

* Quinton Byfield and the Kings (40-22-9, 89 points) can extend their franchise-record home point streak to 16 games when they host Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs (43-25-4, 90 points), who find themselves in a three-team race for first place in the Atlantic Division. Nazem Kadri and the Flames (34-26-11, 79 points) conclude Hockey Night in Canada when they face Evan Bouchard and the Oilers (41-26-5, 87 points) in the regular season’s final “Battle of Alberta” contest – Kadri can become the third player in franchise history with a six-game goal streak at age 34 or older, joining Jarome Iginla (6 GP from March 4-15, 2012) and Kelly Kisio (6 GP from April 4-13, 1995).