March 24, 2026, was a night of significant shifts in the Eastern Conference standings, marked by a busy 15-game schedule. Zach Werenski was instrumental in guiding Columbus to second place in the Metropolitan Division, a position the team hadn’t held all season. Concurrently, Ottawa impressively overcame a Detroit rally to secure a playoff berth, marking their first time in a postseason spot in over three months.
Connor McDavid achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming the third-fastest player in NHL history to accumulate 1,200 career points. His stellar performance helped Edmonton defeat Utah, propelling the Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division.
The pursuit of the 2025-26 Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy heated up on Tuesday, as four of the five NHL players who have scored 40 goals this season all found the net. Three of these top scorers are aiming to win the prestigious award for the first time in their careers.
Eastern Conference Shakes Up: Columbus Ascends to Second in Metropolitan, Ottawa Secures Wild Card Spot
Critical victories for Columbus (38-22-11, 87 points) and Ottawa (38-24-9, 85 points) significantly reshaped the Eastern Conference landscape, with both teams making notable climbs in the standings.
- The Blue Jackets secured a top-two position in their division for the first time this season. This achievement followed Zach Werenski’s impressive (1-1—2) performance, which propelled Columbus past Pittsburgh (35-20-16, 86 points) into second place in the Metropolitan Division. The last time the Blue Jackets were among the top two in their division was on October 15, 2021, just four days into the 2021-22 season.
- Werenski notched his 25th multi-point game of the 2025-26 season, equaling Artemi Panarin’s (2018-19) record for most such games in a single Blue Jackets season. Playing in 64 games, Werenski also matched Erik Karlsson’s (2022-23, 64 GP) feat for the fewest games needed by a defenseman to reach this milestone in the last 35 years. The only blueliner to achieve it faster was Paul Coffey (53 GP in 1985-86).
- Despite significant injury challenges, including five missing defensemen and two blueliners making their NHL debut in the same game (a franchise first), the Senators secured their fourth consecutive win in a crucial matchup against the Red Wings. This victory propelled them into the second Wild Card spot, earning them a playoff position for the first time since December 3.
- Carter Yakemchuk (1-1—2), one of Ottawa’s two debuting defensemen alongside Jorian Donovan, became only the second Senators blueliner to register multiple points in his League debut (the other being Maxime Lajoie with 1-1—2 on Oct. 4, 2018). He also became the third defenseman in franchise history to score a goal in his NHL debut, joining Lajoie and Wade Redden (Oct. 5, 1996).
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McDavid Reaches Career Milestones, Oilers Secure Pacific Division Gain
Connor McDavid (2-0—2) notched two goals, hitting both the 400 career goals mark and 1,200 career points (401-799—1,200 in 784 GP). These efforts propelled the Oilers (35-28-9, 79 points) to victory over the Mammoth (37-29-6, 80 points), moving them into second place in the Pacific Division. They now trail the Ducks (40-27-4, 84 points), who earned their 40th win of the season, aided by a three-assist performance from John Carlson.
- McDavid’s first goal of the game made him the fifth player in franchise history to score 400 goals for the club. His second goal saw the Edmonton captain become the seventh active skater to reach the 1,200-point milestone and marked his fifth career 40-goal season, placing him fourth all-time in Oilers history for this achievement.
The “Rocket” Richard Trophy Race Intensifies with Multiple 40-Goal Scorers Lighting Up the Night
The Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy race saw three other 40-goal scorers – Nathan MacKinnon (46), Cole Caufield (44), and Wyatt Johnston (40) – all find the back of the net on Tuesday, furthering their quest for a first-time win. This season could mark the second consecutive year (after Leon Draisaitl in 2024-25) and the fifth time in seven campaigns that the “Rocket” Trophy goes to a new recipient.
- MacKinnon contributed one of Colorado’s six goals, maintaining his two-goal lead in the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy standings. With 412 career goals, MacKinnon is poised to become the first player in NHL history to win his inaugural goal-scoring title after surpassing 400 career tallies. Leon Draisaitl (399 in 2024-25) currently holds the record for most career goals prior to winning his first scoring title.
- Caufield netted the second of five consecutive Canadiens goals, helping Montreal secure its 24th comeback victory of the season, matching their single-season record (set in 1992-93 and 1975-76). On track for the first 50-goal season by a Canadiens player since 1989-90, Caufield could become the franchise’s first skater to win the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy since its introduction in 1998-99. He would also be only the third player in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to lead the League in goals (outright or tied), following Guy Lafleur (1977-78) and Steve Shutt (1976-77).
- Wyatt Johnston (2-1—3) scored two goals to achieve his first career 40-goal season, tying him with Nikita Kucherov and Connor McDavid for the third-highest goal tally among all players this season. The 22-year-old Stars forward has the potential to become the youngest player to win the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy since Steven Stamkos achieved the feat with 60 goals in 2011-12.
Western Conference Wild Card Race Remains Tight
The red-hot Predators extended the League’s longest active winning streak, solidifying their hold on Wild Card 2. Meanwhile, the Jets overtook the Sharks, keeping pace with Nashville in the intense battle for that crucial final playoff spot.
- Filip Forsberg (1-2—3) and Roman Josi (1-0—1) contributed to two of Nashville’s five first-period goals, as the Predators (34-28-9, 77 points) stretched their winning streak to five games. This run brings them closer to the Mammoth (37-29-6, 80 points) for the Western Conference’s first Wild Card position. Forsberg and Josi combined for 16 points during Nashville’s five-game surge, while Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Ryan O’Reilly – all recent team additions – collectively tallied 18 points.
- Mark Scheifele (1-2—3) played a key role in the Jets’ (30-29-12, 72 points) regulation win, allowing them to surpass the Sharks (32-31-6, 70 points) in the Western Conference standings and keep pace with the Predators for the second Wild Card spot. Should Winnipeg qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they would be the first team to do so after an 11-game winless streak earlier in the season (Dec. 15, 2025 – Jan. 8) since the 1998-99 Flyers (12 GP from Feb. 24 – March 16, 1999).
Kucherov Achieves Fourth Career 120-Point Season
Tuesday’s action, part of the season’s fourth-to-last 15-game day (with others on March 28, April 4, and April 11), saw Nikita Kucherov (0-1—1) reach 120 points for the season. Shortly after, Erik Cernak scored the go-ahead goal with 2:53 left in regulation, bringing the Lightning (44-21-5, 93 points) within two points of the idle Sabres (44-20-7, 95 points) for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Kucherov currently holds a two-point lead over Connor McDavid (118) and a five-point lead over Nathan MacKinnon (115) in the Art Ross Trophy race.
Quick Clicks
- Saturday’s Boston-Detroit game on ABC was the third most-viewed NHL game of the season.
- Sergei Bobrovsky moved into seventh place on the NHL’s all-time wins list.
- Matthew Tkachuk met with Tiger Woods at the TGL finals.
- Paul Maurice was honored for coaching his 2,000th NHL regular season game.
- The NHL unveiled the Heritage Classic logo, with tickets now available.
Bruins and Sabres Battle on TNT in Playoff Push
A pivotal Eastern Conference playoff matchup will be broadcast on TNT (also NESN & TVAS2) as the Bruins (39-24-8, 86 points), currently holding the first Wild Card spot, visit the Atlantic Division-leading Sabres (44-20-7, 95 points). Both Boston and Buffalo are among the seven teams that have secured a playoff position this season after missing out last year (four in the East and three in the West).
