With Edmonton tracking down both a playoff spot and its first division title in nearly 40 years, Connor McDavid collected a hat trick and five points to factor on every goal in a victory that gave them the outright lead atop the Pacific Division – all against former Olympic teammate Macklin Celebrini.
* Buffalo also created distance in its pursuit of its first division title in more than 15 years after its contingent of playoff veterans sparked a third-period rally at Madison Square Garden.
* Sidney Crosby and the Penguins will be among the teams with clinching scenarios during tonight’s 14-game slate – which includes the Islanders in action and a First Round preview on ESPN+ and Hulu – as Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals will be watching closely after their win Wednesday. Crosby and Ovechkin will go head-to-head on both Saturday (ABC) and Sunday (TNT) for their 100th and 101st all-time meetings.
McDAVID POWERS OILERS TO TOP OF PACIFIC WITH FIVE-POINT PERFORMANCE
Just two minutes after Macklin Celebrini (1-0—1) climbed a pair of elite lists of teenagers, Connor McDavid (3-2—5) spearheaded his team’s rally with a five-point performance that included a hat trick to put the Oilers (40-29-10, 90 points) up two points on the idle Golden Knights (36-26-16, 88 points) for first place in the tightly-contested Pacific Division standings. Featured below are five #NHLStats in honor of each of the Edmonton captain’s five points:
1. McDavid notched his 14th career five-point game and matched Paul Coffey and Gilbert Perreault for the 10th most in NHL history after also moving into a tie with Jari Kurri (47 GP) for the 10th most four-point games all-time.
2. McDavid, who will not celebrate his 30th birthday until January 2027, boosted his career totals to 408-807—1,215 and surpassed Mario Lemieux (494-717—1,211) for the second-most career points in NHL history before age 30, behind only Wayne Gretzky (706-1,366—2,072). In the process, he also surpassed Bobby Clarke (358-852—1,210) for sole possession of 50th on the League’s all-time points list.
3. McDavid (47-86—133 in 79 GP) recorded his third career 130-point campaign (also 2023-24 & 2022-23), which is tied with Marcel Dionne for the fourth most in NHL history behind Gretzky (13), Lemieux (6) and Phil Esposito (4).
4. McDavid has recorded nearly half of his points this season as the visitor (66 road points) thanks, in part, to 22 multi-point road games. The last player with more was Lemieux, who had 23 in 1992-93 – a total McDavid has the chance to match in Edmonton’s final road game of the season in Los Angeles on Saturday.
5. McDavid also recorded his 70th career multi-goal game – tied with Mark Messier for the fifth most in Oilers history – and 15th career hat trick. He is now just three goals away from his second career 50-goal season, which would make him the fifth player in franchise history with as many.
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SABRES BREAK THREE-WAY TIE, CLIMB ATLANTIC STANDINGS
After surrendering three straight goals to see their 2-0 deficit evaporate – and the prospect of slipping to third place in the Atlantic Division looming – the Sabres rallied with three straight tallies of their own in the third period to turn the tides and retake the division lead.
* The Sabres (48-23-8, 104 points) overtook the idle Lightning (48-24-6, 102 points) for first place in the Atlantic Division, also breaking a three-way tie in points between them and the Canadiens (46-22-10, 102 points). With three games remaining before their first postseason appearance since 2011, Buffalo will need a point tonight against Columbus to guarantee it enters the final weekend of the regular season as the No. 1 seed – either Tampa Bay or Montreal will move to 104 points when they meet tonight at Bell Centre.
* Alex Tuch (66 GP), Ryan McLeod (56 GP) and Jason Zucker (52 GP) – three of the top five on the Sabres roster in terms of playoff experience – combined for three of their five goals, including the tying and go-ahead markers in the third period by Tuch and Zucker, respectively. Zucker tied a career high by scoring his seventh game-winning goal of the season.
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OVECHKIN, CAPITALS KEEP UP CHASE IN EASTERN CONFERENCE WILD CARD RACE
After the Capitals published a video with Alex Ovechkin discussing his future with John Walton – with a decision coming this summer – he helped his club move within three points of a playoff spot following the club’s second straight shutout against Toronto (also Dec. 18).
* The Capitals (40-30-9, 89 points) moved within three points of the idle Flyers (40-26-12, 92 points) for third place in the Metropolitan Division as well as three points back of the idle Senators (41-27-10, 92 points) for Wild Card 2. Washington sits among a group of four teams within three points of the bracket – and is one of three tied at 89 points.
* Ilya Protas notched a point in his NHL debut, with brother Aliaksei also factoring on the goal. It marked the first time in more than 14 years that a player factored on his brother’s first NHL point. The last instance was when Jordie Benn notched his milestone point when both he and Jamie Benn collected assists on the same tally. Overall, tonight was the 13th such instance in NHL history.
* For more notes from the Capitals victory, check out the latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates.
QUICK CLICKS
* Masterton Trophy nominations announced
* Keaton Verhoeff keyed in on ‘cool opportunity’ with North Dakota in Frozen Four
* James Hagens signs 3-year, entry-level contract with Bruins, could debut Saturday
* Central Scouting analyzes top prospects
ONE WEEK TO BRING CLARITY TO PLAYOFF PICTURE
Thursday’s 14-game slate gets an early start (6:45 p.m. ET) as it marks one week until the end of the regular season – with still plenty to be determined. There are nine more playoff spots up for grabs and vying for one of them are the Islanders, who face the Maple Leafs in the first half of an ESPN+ and Hulu doubleheader – with the closer being between the only known matchup for the First Round. With 14 more playoff seeds to be finalized, the Stars and Wild are confirmed to meet when the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin April 18 (but home ice in that series is still to be determined).
* Peter DeBoer will make his debut behind the bench as the Islanders aim to make up ground in a tightly contested race for Wild Card 2 that has seen five teams occupy the position in the past month (BOS, CBJ, DET, OTT & NYI). New York is three points back of both Wild Card 2 (OTT) and third place in the Metropolitan Division (PHI). DeBoer is determined to win out the final four games remaining in New York’s season, which would match Peter Laviolette (4-0-0 in 2001-02) for the longest winning streak to begin a tenure with the franchise.
* A preview of the only confirmed 2026 First Round matchup pits Dallas (46-20-12, 104 points) against Minnesota (45-21-12, 102 points) as they battle for the No. 2 seed in the Central Division in home ice in their third all-time playoff meeting. The Stars are 19-9 in series they start as the home team since 1993-94 when the franchise moved from Minnesota to Dallas, while the Wild are one of four clubs in League history that has claimed all of its series wins as the lower-ranked team (4 of 4).
* Dallas has had 28 series start at home since 1994, which trails only three clubs for the most over that span (DET: 36; PIT: 30; COL: 30, including 2026 R1) – and its .679 series winning percentage in that scenario ranks among the top 10 during that time frame.
* Their First Round meeting also promises to display a quartet of the League’s top goal scorers as they are the only two clubs this season with multiple 40-goal scorers (DAL: Jason Robertson & Wyatt Johnston; MIN: Kirill Kaprizov & Matt Boldy) – setting up an opening-round matchup not seen since the 1980s.
* The race for first in the Atlantic Division will be guaranteed to see some separation between the top three teams, who are currently within two or fewer points of each other, as the Lightning square off against the Canadiens (BUF also in action vs. CBJ), while more Eastern Conference clubs can clinch a postseason berth. The Penguins and Bruins will both have opportunities to lock in their playoff spot Thursday as Sidney Crosby anticipates his return to the postseason for the first time since 2022. Crosby (71-130—201) is the League’s leading playoff scorer among active players and is one of just two with 70 or more goals, alongside his longtime rival Alex Ovechkin (77-70—147) – whose Capitals sit three points outside the bracket.
* Crosby and Ovechkin – who in their 21st seasons both lead their team in points this season – are set to square off in their 100th and 101st all-time head-to-head meetings (including playoffs) this weekend on back-to-back national telecasts in the U.S. (ABC on Saturday, TNT on Sunday). To mark the occasion, the latest #NHLStats Pack provides a Sid vs. Ovi 101.
