* Nathan MacKinnon scored his League-leading 41st goal of the season, moved within one of the 100-point mark and helped the Avalanche become the NHL’s first team to 40 wins in 2025-26.
* Jason Robertson tied the longest streak of consecutive 70-point campaigns among active U.S.-born players as the Stars set a franchise record with their ninth straight win.
* A European player factored on each of Detroit’s four goals during “NHL Prime Time” – a special broadcast airing in prime-time for fans in Europe – as Lucas Raymond and the Red Wings ensured movement within the Atlantic Division standings for the fifth time in six days since the return to NHL action last week.
* Jack Hughes and Matthew Tkachuk will go head-to-head to open an NHL on TNT doubleheader in the U.S., which will be capped by Kirill Kaprizov vying for a franchise record when he and the Wild host the Lightning. Tonight’s 11-game slate could result in a shift in power atop the Pacific Division as the Ducks vie for the top seed against the League-leading Avalanche.
AVALANCHE BECOME FIRST TEAM TO 40 WINS
Nathan MacKinnon (1-1—2) scored his League-leading 41st goal of the season and moved within one of the 100-point mark as the Avalanche skated to their 40th win. Since the franchise relocated to Colorado in 1995-96, the Avalanche have been the first team to reach 40 wins in four different seasons (2025-26, 2021-22, 2000-01 & 1996-97) – the only other teams to do so as many times over that span are the Red Wings (5x) and Lightning (4x).
* The Avalanche hit the 40-win mark in 59 games, marking their second-fastest pace to the plateau behind 2021-22 (54 GP). Colorado finished second in the League standings that season before going on to win its first Stanley Cup since 2000-01.
* Martin Necas (1-2—3) recorded his 10th three-point game since joining the Avalanche last season. Necas (86 GP) became the sixth-fastest player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to record 10 three-point outings with the club, following Peter Forsberg (60 GP), Peter Stastny (64 GP), Real Cloutier (64 GP), Brent Ashton (78 GP) and Jacques Richard (85 GP).
STARS SET FRANCHISE RECORD WITH NINTH STRAIGHT WIN
Jason Robertson (1-1—2) and Miro Heiskanen (0-2—2) were two of nine different players to find the score sheet and Jake Oettinger stopped 13 of 14 shots to propel the Stars to a franchise-record nine-game winning streak. Dallas (37-14-9, 83 points) created a three-point cushion over Minnesota (35-16-10, 80 points) for second in the Central Division and became the third team this season to record a winning streak of that length (also TBL w/ 11 GP, COL w/ 10 GP twice & Buffalo w/ 10 GP).
* Robertson (34-36—70 in 60 GP) scored his 34th goal of the season to move into a tie with Kirill Kaprizov for the fifth most across the NHL. He also tied the second-longest streak of consecutive 70-point seasons in Stars/North Stars history (also 5: Mike Modano from 1998-99 – 2002-03, Dave Gagner from 1988-89 — 1992-93 & Bobby Smith from 1978-79 –1982-83). Tyler Seguin tops the list with a six-season run from 2013-14 to 2018-19.
* Heiskanen found his name on multiple Finnish lists, including tying Risto Siltanen (3) for the second-most 50-point seasons by a Finnish defenseman behind Reijo Ruotsalainen (5). He also tied Ruotsalainen (77) for the fifth-most multi-point games by a Finnish-born blueliner behind Kimmo Timonen (113), Teppo Numminen (97), Jyrki Lumme (85) and Siltanen (84).
RAYMOND RECORDS 20TH GOAL, 200TH ASSIST FOR RED WINGS IN “NHL PRIME TIME”
European players on both the Red Wings and Predators showed out during prime time for fans in Europe in the first “NHL Prime Time” of the season. Filip Forsberg (SWE; 1-0—1) and Roman Josi (SUI; 0-1—1) found the score sheet for Nashville, while Lucas Raymond (SWE; 1-1—2), Marco Kasper (AUT; 0-2—2) and Albert Johansson (SWE; game-winning goal) did so for Detroit. Other upcoming international events include “Hockey Day” celebrations in Czechia (March 6-7), Germany (March 13-14) and Finland (March 27-28).
* Raymond notched his 20th goal of the season as well as his 200th career assist as the Red Wings (35-20-6, 76 points) jumped back into third place in the Atlantic Division standings – a position that has changed on five of six days since play resumed after the Olympic break.
* Raymond (20-44—64 in 59 GP) became the third active Swedish player to post four 20-goal seasons through his first five NHL campaigns, following Elias Pettersson (4 of 5 from 2018-19 to 2022-23) and Gabriel Landeskog (4 of 5 from 2011-12 to 2015-16). Raymond is on pace to set a new career high in points and to be the first Detroit player in 17 years to average a point per game in an 82-game season (Pavel Datsyuk in 2008-09).
* Raymond(379 GP) became the fastest Red Wings player to 200 NHL assists since Datsyuk in 2006-07, and seventh fastest to the benchmark in franchise history.
BLUE JACKETS, FLYERS MOVE CLOSER TO PLAYOFF LINE
The Blue Jackets and Flyers each withstood third-period rallies to earn crucial wins and improve their positioning in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race. Columbus (30-21-8, 68 points) moved within three points of Boston (33-21-5, 71 points) for the second Wild Card spot in the East, while Philadelphia (28-21-11, 67 points) moved within four points of the playoff line.
* Trevor Zegras scored the shootout winner and Dan Vladar made 29 saves before stopping two of three shootout attempts to help the Flyers earn their first win against the Maple Leafs since March 19, 2024. Vladar earned his 19th win of 2025-26, which is the third most among goaltenders skating on a new team this season behind Carolina’s Brandon Bussi (24) and Detroit’s John Gibson (23). The last goaltender to post more wins in their first season with Philadelphia wasBrian Elliott (23 in 2017-18).
* The Blue Jackets carried a 4-0 lead into the final frame and withstood a four-goal, third-period rally from the Rangers as Kirill Marchenko (2-1—3) netted the overtime winner. Marchenko recorded his 13th career multi-goal game and passed Zach Werenski as well as Geoff Sanderson for seventh most in Blue Jackets history.
SEATTLE PLAYS STREAK SNAPPER IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
Joey Daccord stopped 35 of 36 shots and helped the Kraken stymy the Hurricanes’ point streak at 12 games as Seattle (29-22-9, 67 points) overtook idle Edmonton (29-24-8, 66 points) for third place in the Pacific Division. Find notes on Monday’s full slate in the latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates.
QUICK CLICKS
*Connor Murphy traded to Oilers by Blackhawks for 2nd-round pick in 2028 NHL Draft
* NHL Unites Pride Cup lets everyone feel they ‘can be part of the sport’
* NHL, NHLPA’s Future Goals program to honor Most Valuable Teacher
* Star Wears: Predators award whitewater rafting gear to player of game
*Matthew Schaefer, Arturs Silovs, Matt Boldy named NHL’s “Three Stars” presented by GEICO
WILD RECORD UP FOR GRABS DURING NHL ON TNT DOUBLEHEADER
A franchise record could fall during the first of two NHL on TNT doubleheaders this week (also Sunday, March 8) as Kirill Kaprizov needs one goal to stand alone as the top goal scorer in Wild history.Minnesota will look to keep pace among the top three in the Central Division standings against the top-seeded Lightning, owners of the best road record in the NHL despite suffering their first set of consecutive defeats since mid-December.
* Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy owns an active eight-game road point streak (7-0-1) and a share of the NHL wins lead as he sits two victories shy of joining Devils legend Martin Brodeur as the only netminders in League history with nine consecutive 30-win seasons.
* Brodeur’s former club will open the doubleheader when Jack Hughes and Matthew Tkachuk meet for the first time since winning gold together in Milan. Now chasing silver and battling for playoff spots with the Devils and Panthers, respectively, they will aim to help their clubs become the latest to overcome a standings deficit to secure a postseason appearance – something Tkachuk helped the Panthers do in his first season in South Florida, spurring a stretch in which the club has made three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances and claimed two championships to go along with the gold Tkachuk won last month thanks to Hughes’ overtime-clinching goal.
AVALANCHE VISIT DUCKS WITH HOSTS EYEING FIRST PLACE IN PACIFIC
The Ducks will put the NHL’s second-longest active winning streak (tied w/ NYI) on the line tonight against the League-leading Avalanche, with hopes of joining them as No. 1 seeds in the Western Conference. Anaheim has staged three consecutive comeback wins – all third-period rallies – to put themselves one point back of Vegas for first place in the Pacific Division standings – a rank they have already held for 40 game days this season (tops of any club that missed the playoffs in 2024-25). The Ducks last held first place in their division this late into a campaign in 2016-17.
* Nathan MacKinnon, one point shy of his fourth consecutive/career 100-point season, will contend with a Ducks squad that has won 12 of its past 14 games since Jan. 13 (the top record in the League over that span). Anaheim is one of three clubs led in scoring by a player who has yet to celebrate his 23rd birthday (also CHI & SJS) as 22-year-old Cutter Gauthier (28-24—52 in 58 GP) needs one assist to establish new career highs in all three major scoring categories after already setting personal bests for goals and points.
* Other key storylines heading into tonight’s 11-game slate are detailed in the March 3 edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates.
