Zach Werenski found the score sheet yet again at Nationwide Arena to extend his home point streak to 17 games and joined a list of just seven other defensemen in NHL history to achieve the feat.
* Lane Hutson was one of several rookies with notable performances Tuesday as he recorded his first three-assist game and became the sixth-fastest rookie defenseman in NHL history to post 30 assists in a season.
* Tuesday featured two natural hat tricks, which meant Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor and Vegas’ Pavel Dorofeyev added to the Hockey Fights Cancer Fund of the V Foundation – with every three-goal outing this season AstraZeneca donates $3,000 to the fund up to $300,000.
* NHL Central Scouting unveiled its mid-season rankings for the upcoming 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft, which saw Matthew Schaefer rank No. 1 among North American skaters and Victor Eklund take the No. 1 ranking among international skaters.
* Two games are on the docket for Wednesday when the Hurricanes visit the Sabres at 6 p.m. ET and the Wild host the Oilers at 8:30 p.m. ET. Both contests will be nationally televised in the U.S. on TNT and Max, while the latter will also be broadcast in Canada on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
WERENSKI JOINS LIST OF JUST SEVEN OTHER DEFENSEMEN IN NHL HISTORY
Zach Werenski continued his strong 2024-25 campaign as he extended his home point streak to 17 games, reached the 50-point mark and helped his Blue Jackets (21-17-6, 48 points) maintain its positioning as the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Werenski, who is currently leading the League in goals and points (tied) by defensemen, is now less than one month away from representing the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
* Werenski (15-35—50 in 44 GP) became the second-fastest player in Blue Jackets history to record 50 points in a single season behind Artemi Panarin (43 GP in 2018-19). He also required the sixth-fewest games among active defensemen to reach the plateau behind Erik Karlsson (37 GP in 2022-23), Cale Makar (39 GP in 2023-24), John Carlson (40 GP in 2019-20), Quinn Hughes (40 GP in 2023-24) and Rasmus Dahlin (43 GP in 2022-23).
* Adam Fantilli collected an assist to extend his point streak to six games. He tied Jakub Voracek (6 GP in 2009-10) for the second longest by a player age 20 or younger in franchise history and trails only Rick Nash (8 GP in 2003-04).
HUTSON, LAINE LEND A HELPING HAND IN CANADIENS WIN
Lane Hutson (0-3—3) factored on Montreal’s first goal of the game for his rookie-leading 30th assist of 2024-25, while Patrik Laine (1-0—1) scored his 10th tally of the season to reach the 400-point milestone as the pair helped Montreal (21-18-4, 46 points) remain just two points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
* Laine became the seventh Finnish player in NHL history to reach the 400-point mark in fewer than 500 games (495 GP), joining Jari Kurri (300 GP), Teemu Selanne (304 GP), Mikko Rantanen (400 GP), Sebastian Aho (444 GP), Esa Tikkanen (444 GP) and Aleksander Barkov (465 GP). Three members on that list will be Laine’s teammate at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off (Rantanen, Aho & Barkov).
* Hutson recorded his first career three-assist outing and extended his assist streak to five contests for the second time this season (7 GP from Nov. 27 – Dec. 9). He became the sixth rookie defenseman in NHL history – and first in Canadiens history irrespective of position – to record multiple assist streaks of at least five games in a single season, joining Moritz Seider (2x in 2021-22), Brian Leetch (2x in 1988-89), Jeff Brown (2x in 1986-87), Al MacInnis (2x in 1983-84) and Stefan Persson (2x in 1977-78).
* Hutson also became the second-fastest rookie in Canadiens history to reach the 30-assist mark in a campaign, joining fellow defenseman Chris Chelios (38 GP in 1984-85), who is also among the fastest rookie blueliners in NHL history to achieve the feat.
4 NATIONS FACE-OFF GOALTENDERS SHINE
All three of the American goaltenders representing their country at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament earned victories during Tuesday’s slate as Jake Oettinger extended his winning streak to six games, Jeremy Swayman registered his second straight 40-plus save performance and Connor Hellebuyck climbed an all-time list among his countrymen.
* Swayman matched a career high with his 43-save performance (also on Feb. 19, 2024), after making 41 on Sunday, to help the Bruins (22-19-5, 49 points) earn a pivotal win against the Lightning (23-16-3, 49 points), who currently occupy the third seed in the Atlantic Division. Swayman became the fourth Bruins goaltender in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to make 40-plus saves in consecutive appearances, joining Linus Ullmark (Dec. 9-11, 2021), Tim Thomas (March 22-29, 2009 & Jan. 28-30, 2006) and Gerry Cheevers (Dec. 30, 1971 – Jan. 2, 1972). None of that crew extended their run to three.
* Hellebuyck stopped 23 of the 24 shots he faced in a contest that featured his teammate (both with the Jets and in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off), Kyle Connor, net a hat trick in the opening 13:37, which marked the second-fastest hat trick to begin a game in Jets/Thrashers history. Hellebuyck, who currently owns the most victories among all netminders this season (27), added to the combined regular-season win totals of the three goaltenders who will represent the U.S. at the upcoming tournament – a combined total that is already the most among all four nations.
ROOKIES SHINE IN SENATORS, SHARKS VICTORIES
Several rookies played a crucial role in their team’s wins Tuesday, including Leevi Merilainen, who shut out the Islanders, and Macklin Celebrini (0-2—2), who posted a multi-point game.
* Merilainen made 24 saves for his second career shutout and his second straight on the road. He joined Ray Emery (3 in 2005-06) and Jani Hurme (2 in 2000-01) as the third Senators rookie goaltender with multiple shutouts in a season and the first rookie netminder League-wide to post consecutive blank sheets as a visitor since Pyotr Kochetkov (2 GP in 2022-23).
* Celebrini recorded two assists in the third period to help the Sharks double up the Red Wings and snap their winning streak at seven games. Celebrini (13-18—31 in 34 GP) became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 30 NHL points and tied Marco Sturm for the fourth-most multi-assist games by a Sharks teenager, behind Jeff Friesen (9), Pat Falloon (6) and Patrick Marleau (4).
NASHVILLE EARNS 1,000TH WIN IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
Tuesday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured Steven Stamkos (2-1—3) register his 99th multi-goal game to help Nashville earn its 1,000th win in franchise history and saw Nathan MacKinnon become the first player this season to reach the 70-point mark as he continues his chase for his first Art Ross Trophy.
SCHAEFER, EKLUND TOP MID-SEASON DRAFT RANKINGS
NHL Central Scouting, celebrating its 50th season of operation, unveiled its mid-season rankings for the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft on Tuesday. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, ranks No. 1 among North American skaters edging out Boston College freshman James Hagens, Saginaw Spirit center Michael Misa and Brampton Steelheads winger Porter Martone in a close race for the top spot. Victor Eklund, a forward playing for Djurgarden in Sweden and the brother of Sharks forward William Eklund, ranked No. 1 among international skaters. Click here for the full rankings release.
QUICK CLICKS
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* 2025 Draft: Matthew Schaefer tops Central Scouting midterm rankings
* Boston Bruins Quarter-Century Teams unveiled
NATIONAL GAMES TAKE SPOTLIGHT IN U.S. AND CANADA
A two-game set on Wednesday gets started earlier than usual when the Hurricanes visit the Sabres at 6 p.m. ET on TNT, Max and TVA Sports followed by a national game in both countries pitting two of the top Western Conference teams head-to-head with Connor McDavid and the Oilers (7-2-1 in last 10 GP) visiting Matt Boldy and the Wild (7-3-0 in last 10 GP) on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada as well as TNT and Max in the U.S.
* Jordan Staal (294-404—698 in 1,297 GP), who has three multi-point games in his last four outings, sits two shy of the 700-point milestone. Jordan and his brother Eric Staal (455-608—1,063 in 1,365 GP) would become the sixth set of brothers to each reach the 700-point benchmark. That list includes Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Mikko and Saku Koivu, Geoff and Russ Courtnall, Frank and Peter Mahovlich as well as Maurice and Henri Richard.
* Tage Thompson leads all Sabres skaters with 19 goals and needs one more to record his fourth consecutive 20-goal campaign. He would become the first Bufflalo player with four straight 20-goal seasons since Sam Reinhart (4 from 2017-18 to 2020-21).
* McDavid (352-689—1,041 in 685 GP), who will be a key member of Canada’s team at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off in February, is closing in on Hockey Hall of Famer Jari Kurri (474-569—1,043 in 754 GP) for second on the franchise’s all-time points list behind Wayne Gretzky (583-1,086—1,669 in 696 GP).
* A player who will be opposite McDavid both tonight and at the 4 Nations Face-Off is Boldy, who is three games shy of 250 for his career (91-117—208 in 247 GP). Only two players in Wild history have recorded more points than Boldy through their first 250 games with the franchise: Kirill Kaprizov (134-151—285 in 250 GP) and Mats Zuccarello (72-144—216 in 250 GP).
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