Alex Ovechkin has chased down Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record by remaining productive long into his career.

Now 39, Ovechkin tied Gretzky’s record on Friday by scoring 188 goals in 334 games since his 35th birthday in the fall of 2020. That’s the sixth-most overall during that timeframe.

By contrast, Gretzky scored just 67 goals in 265 games from his 35th birthday on Jan. 26, 1996 through his retirement in April of 1999, at age 38. Once he passed Gordie Howe with No. 802 in 1994, there was a significant drop-off in his production.

On Friday, Ovechkin also became the second-oldest player in NHL history to score 40 goals in a season. Gordie Howe did it as a 40-year-old in 1968-69. The way Ovi’s going, he could take a real run at tying that record next year if the spirit moves him.

THERE IT IS!!! OVECHKIN HAS TIED GRETZKY FOR MOST GOALS IN NHL HISTORY!!! pic.twitter.com/9bn8ta4Ea1

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 5, 2025

But this season, Ovechkin’s not the only NHL greybeard who’s doing great things. Here are four others who also seem to be drinking from the Fountain of Youth, listed in order of age.

Marc-Andre Fleury - Age 40

The Minnesota Wild stopper has let it be known that he’s bowing out at the end of this season. And while his workload has been reduced, the first-overall pick from 2003 is still delivering quality minutes during his farewell tour. 

In 23 appearances during his age-40 year, Fleury is 12-9-1 with a 2.78 goals-against average and .903 save percentage. The next stop for the three-time Cup champ: the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Brent Burns – Age 40

When Burns signed an eight-year contract extension at an $8 million cap hit in the fall of 2016, it was widely assumed that the San Jose Sharks were buying high.

Burns won his Norris Trophy at the end of that season before his new deal kicked in. And by the end of Year 5, the rebuilding Sharks were happy to retain a third of the money in order to offload the contract to Carolina.

Burns turned 40 in March. He may not be hitting 70 points anymore, but he’s still averaging well over 20 minutes a game on one of the league’s best puck-possession teams. 

Whatever mysterious potions the bearded one might be carting around in his famous backpack, Burns’s regime is working for him. He recently moved into fourth-place all-time on the NHL’s consecutive-games-played list, at 919. 

Only one other defenseman is ahead of him, Keith Yandle (989). Burns could pass him if he plays just one more year.

Streak aside, it won’t be surprising if Burns has multiple suitors if he decides to test the waters as a UFA this summer.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Age 38

Vlasic signed his big extension in San Jose just a few months after his old partner, Burns, on July 1, 2017 — at a slightly lower cap hit of $7 million a season. As more of a stay-at-home type, he’s had some injury challenges over the years. But this season, Vlasic passed Mark Giordano to become the NHL player with the most blocked shots since tracking began in 2005-06.

That achievement speaks volumes about the physical sacrifices that Vlasic has made throughout his career. 

He has one year remaining on his deal and will most likely want to play it out. It will at least provide one year of insurance for his blocks record, as John Carlson and Alex Pietrangelo are still active and sit third and fourth in the all-time blocked-shot rankings.

Sidney Crosby – Age 37

Sid the Kid is the 13th-oldest skater in the NHL this season. But like Ovechkin, his motor simply isn’t slowing down. 

His 1,682 career points are 64 more than second-place Ovechkin among active players. And with his hat trick in Pittsburgh’s win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday, Crosby just hit the 30-goal mark for the fourth-straight year and the 13th time in his career. 

Last week, Crosby set a record by logging his 20th  point-per-game season — which spans his entire career.

A big ovation from @penguins fans for Sidney Crosby after he became the first player to record 20 point-per-game seasons on Thursday! 👏 pic.twitter.com/LZGJKBSENE

— NHL (@NHL) March 30, 2025

If he gets a point against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, he’ll extend his current point streak to 13 games. That would be a record for a player who’s 37 or older.

Crosby’s workload isn’t changing, either. His average ice time this season is 20:24, just 16 seconds below his career average of 20:40.

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Alex Ovechkin is one goal away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record after scoring for the Washington Capitals on Friday. 

With his 893rd career goal, Ovechkin is just two goals away from standing alone with the most in NHL history. Gretzky is in Capital One Arena watching history unfold and received a standing ovation from Caps fans in the first period.

This opening goal happened four minutes into Washington’s battle with the Chicago Blackhawks. That was Ovechkin’s 40th goal of the year, the 14th time he achieved that mark in his 20-year career. He has the most 40-goal seasons in NHL history, breaking the tie with Gretzky's 12 campaigns last year.

Defenseman John Carlson played the puck along the wall and found Dylan Strome behind Chicago’s net. Strome picked out the Capitals captain, who fired home a one-timer from point-blank.

Ovechkin beat goaltender Spencer Knight for the fourth time in his career. His shot beat Knight’s blocker but rang off the post. Luckily for Ovechkin, it bounced off the backside of the Blackhawks’ netminder and crossed the goal line.

CAREER GOAL NO. 893! 🚨

OVI'S TWO GOALS AWAY FROM THE RECORD! #Gr8Chase

🇺🇸: @NHLNetwork
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctFpic.twitter.com/ZiW3iWU0ey

— NHL (@NHL) April 4, 2025

Ovechkin’s goal against the Blackhawks puts him on a four-game goal streak. 

In his three games leading up to Friday’s outing, along with three goals, he provided an additional three assists for six points.

Since Ovechkin scored early in the game, there’s still plenty of time to add to the scoreboard. He can capture the record with a hat trick on home ice.

Alex Ovechkin Vs. Wayne Gretzky: The Tale Of The Tape In NHL Record ChasePart of what makes Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal-scoring record so compelling is that the two players are polar opposites in some ways yet stunningly similar in others. 

After Washington’s game against Chicago, they visit the New York Islanders in UBS Arena on Sunday afternoon and return home to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

Further down the schedule, the Capitals take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on the road on April 12 and at home on April 13. Ovechkin scored his first career NHL goal against the Blue Jackets on Oct. 5, 2005. Nearly 20 years later, he can break the record against them, if he doesn’t do it on Friday or in the next two games.

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The Boston Bruins are so bad right now that it may help them more than people think.

It almost beggars belief that, coming off a 47-20-15 record last season, the Bruins are dead last in the Eastern Conference right now.

The Bruins were three points out of a wild-card spot at the NHL trade deadline when they traded Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle and Justin Brazeau. They since plummeted to the East’s basement and sit 29th overall with a 30-37-9 mark. They’re also 0-9-1 in their last 10 games after losing to longtime rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, on Thursday. It’s undoubtedly painful for Bruins fans to watch.

But the Bruins’ free fall through the standings has a positive element. It means they’ve avoided the mushy middle of the East and can now have a very high draft pick – maybe even the first-overall pick, if they win the draft lottery.

Before you know it – perhaps as soon as next season – the Bruins could be right back in the thick of the playoff hunt .

After Boston GM Don Sweeney sold at the trade deadline, Boston is committed to about $66.7 million in salary cap space next season. With the cap ceiling slated to rise to $95.5 million, that leaves the Bruins with about $29 million in cap space, which gives them leeway to spruce things up in the off-season. They do have six RFAs to take care of and five UFAs, but if they want to make changes and go big in free agency, they can.

But if the draft goes in their favor, Boston would have a draft pick in the top half of the first round for the first time since 2016, when they selected defenseman Charlie McAvoy 14th overall. 

Boston hasn’t had a top-10 pick since Dougie Hamilton went to them ninth overall in 2011, and they haven’t had a top-five pick or higher since Tyler Seguin went to them second overall in 2010. 

Needless to say, landing a top-five pick or better this season would do wonders for Boston’s core in the next decade or longer. All things considered, the Bruins’ relatively short period of struggle this season could be extremely beneficial for their big picture.

Another team in a similar situation to the Bruins is the Nashville Predators. They currently have the NHL’s third-worst record despite being major buyers in free agency. 

Heading into next season, Nashville has about $17.2 million in cap space, so GM Barry Trotz will have many areas where he can improve the organization. 

The Predators haven’t had a top-10 draft pick since they selected defenseman Seth Jones fourth overall in 2013. Incredibly, they haven’t had a top-three pick or better since selecting David Legwand second overall with the franchise’s first-ever draft pick in 1998. The Preds desperately need young, elite talent, and like the Bruins, Nashville’s unexpected collapse this season could have benefits in the long haul.

Three NHL Clubs That Made The Best Of A Seller’s MarketThe NHL trade deadline saw contenders mortgage their future by trading future first-round picks and top prospects to add players to help in their pursuit of a Stanley Cup.

But back to the Bruins, whose fans have grown accustomed to year after year of being legitimate front-runners to go on long playoff runs. Their longest playoff drought since the 1960s is two seasons.

It must be unsettling for them to see this rapid collapse, but it must be more comforting to know that this doesn’t happen as often to them as it does to other teams. They’ll also be picking up a skilled player who can be part of their core for many years to come. 

Who knows – by adding some veteran talents, Boston could return to the playoff mix next season. But you can’t get elite young players without some short-term pain, and that’s why the Bruins’ current struggles are a double-edged sword. They, at some point, needed to bottom out to take more steps forward as soon as possible, and that time is now.

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We're closing in on one month since the NHL’s trade deadline on March 7, and a lot's happened since then.

One team that stood quiet looks like a group of geniuses one month later, while teams that looked like winners right away are holding up to that designation. Other squads that weren't among the top immediate winners are proving they do deserve to be considered for that category.

In alphabetical order, let's look at six of the biggest winners since the NHL trade deadline approaching the one-month mark.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche made their defense corps one of the deepest in the NHL by adding Ryan Lindgren and Erik Johnson. They then brought in center Brock Nelson to lock down the No. 2 center role. 

Colorado is the third-hottest NHL team since the deadline, going 10-2-2. They’re averaging two goals against per game in that span, which is tied for the second fewest. Nelson also has four goals and 10 points in 14 games, which is the type of secondary scoring Colorado needed. Deadline acquisition Charlie Coyle also has five points while averaging 13:32 in ice time.

The major long-term question is whether the team will be better off after trading former pending UFA Mikko Rantanen, who signed an eight-year contract extension with the Dallas Stars. Martin Necas has 26 points in 27 games in Rantanen’s place.

Nevertheless, the Avalanche’s moves on trade deadline week have paid off well – and that’s why they’re one of the more frightening teams heading into the playoffs.

Dallas Stars

Dallas has gone 9-2-2 since the deadline, and its big pickup – star right winger Rantanen – has fit right in. He has nine assists and 13 points in 13 games as one of five Stars players averaging at least a point per game since March 7. Earlier acquisition Mikael Granlund also has six goals and 18 points in 24 games since joining Dallas.

Rantanen is one of the reasons the Stars are now in a position to challenge the Winnipeg Jets for the top spot in the highly competitive Central Division. Tyler Seguin could even return in the playoffs as well, and if they get past the first round, Miro Heiskanen could also return. 

Dallas GM Jim Nill’s willingness to step up and make big swings at the trade deadline is one of the reasons why the Stars are once again asserting themselves as a Stanley Cup front-runner.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators made one of the biggest moves at the deadline, picking up center Dylan Cozens from the Buffalo Sabres for center Josh Norris as part of a package deal. 

Since the deadline, the Senatorshave gone 9-4-1, solidifying their hold on the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot and getting within a hot streak of challenging the Florida Panthers for third place in the Atlantic Division. 

Cozens has six assists and nine points in 14 games as a Senator, and that’s music to Ottawa’s ears. Six of those points came at even strength, which comes out to one-third of Norris's 18 even-strength points in 53 games for Ottawa this season. 

While Fabian Zetterlund only has one assist in that span, he’s taken the fifth-most shots on net on the team since March 7, and he’s generating enough chances to suggest he’s due for goals.

If the Sens pull off a first-round upset, the price they paid at the deadline will be well worth it – if it isn’t worth it already.

Almost There: Ottawa Senators Set To End Playoff Drought Before Red Wings, SabresThe Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings all had the same goal this season.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues didn’t make any trades at the deadline. Sometimes, the moves you don’t make are more important than the ones you do, and that’s certainly true for St. Louis this year. 

The Blues are enjoying an 11-game win streak that’s pushed them into the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They might not have gotten there had they traded captain Brayden Schenn, as was heavily rumored at the deadline. 

So yes, St. Louis should be on this list, as they’ve been one of the biggest winners because of their decisions at the deadline. They could’ve been much more active, but that could’ve sunk their season. Standing pat absolutely was the right choice for them.

The Blues Are The Wild Card Team That No One Wants To Face In The PlayoffsIn both style and substance, the St. Louis Blues look a lot like a team that was pretty successful six years ago.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning are 7-5-1 since the deadline, but they’ve won four of their last five games to move into second place in the Atlantic. 

Tampa Bay’s big pre-deadline move brought in forwards Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Seattle Kraken. Both players have done well in the early going with the Lightning, as Gourde has nine assists in 14 games, and Bjorkstrand has four goals and six points in 14 games. 

Neither player has to do the heavy lifting for Tampa Bay, but the Lightning needed that quality depth in their lineup. Gourde already has more points for the Bolts than Zemgus Girgensons’ six points in 75 games and Luke Glendening’s seven points in 74 games, and he has as many as Cam Atkinson’s nine points in 38 games.

Toronto Maple Leafs 

It’s true the Maple Leafshaven’t gotten much offensive production from forward Scott Laughton since spending a first-round draft pick to acquire him from Philadelphia. Still, Laughton has looked more comfortable of late, and he’s now a better fit as a winger on Toronto’s third line. 

The reason why the Leafs are on this list is the play of veteran defenseman Brandon Carlo, who has been very solid since the Buds acquired him from Boston. Carlo has proven to be a great fit with Morgan Rielly on Toronto’s first defense pairing, and the Leafs also needed more of his physical edge and shot-blocking ability. 

Toronto has gone 8-4-1 since the deadline to move into the top spot in the Atlantic, and they’re a tougher team to play against ahead of a pressure-filled playoff run.

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The Hockey News Big Show is back to discuss more of the biggest NHL and hockey topics.

Are The Maple Leafs Cup Front-Runners Or Not? by The Big Showundefined

Here’s what Katie Gaus, Michael Traikos and guest co-host Steve Warne discussed in this episode:

0:46: We have a new top eight Cup contenders list to dive into this week, as Steve Warne fills in for Ryan Kennedy. Let's kick off with his list and his defense of his choices. 

2:26: Michael defends his latest Cup contenders list.

4:08: Steve doesn't have the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Cup contenders list, but Michael does. Steve explains his reasoning behind the decision. 

5:29: Is there a team that didn’t make the Cup contenders list but could have if it had an easier path in the playoffs?

9:22: Ottawa Senators coach Travis Green says captain Brady Tkachuk is out "day-to-day" with an upper body injury. He's missed two games so far, so how concerned should Senators fans be? 

12:43: Maple Leafs center Scott Laughton has had just two points and a minus-5 rating, the worst on the team since trading for him. How has he played during this stretch? Is he a fit for the Leafs?

16:12: Which trade deadline acquisition has had the best impact with their new team?

19:15: The NHL and Rogers Communications agreed to a 12-year deal worth $7.7 billion. Thoughts on this massive deal?

24:09: Will the St. Louis Blues finish in the first wild-card spot in the West ahead of the Minnesota Wild? Is it over for the Calgary Flames? 

28:48: Patrick Roy ripped Anthony Duclair following the New York Islanders’ sixth straight loss on Tuesday night. Was Roy out of line with his comments? Are the Isles' struggles more player problems or coaching problems?

32:47: Which building will be the toughest to win a playoff game in?

34:59: Jalen Chatfield pulled a UFC move to throw Connor McMichael to the ice during a fight. Chatfield received no discipline from the NHL's Department of Player Safety. Agree or disagree with the decision?

37:56: Cale Makar became the first D-man since Mike Green to score 30 goals. Who will be the next defenseman to achieve this lofty goal?

40:33: Ovechkin is three goals away from breaking Gretzky's all-time goals record. He has two games to break the record and tie Gretzky in the number of games needed. Can he do it?

Watch the full episode here.   

Subscribe to The Hockey News Big Show on your preferred platform.

Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Weekend's Way Back When heads back to April 4, 2004, when one player's league debut had special significance.

Brad Fast played the only NHL game of his career for the Carolina Hurricanes. He played over 20 minutes in a goals fest against the Florida Panthers.

No other NHL game ended this way since that match, when Brad Fast got on the scoreboard.

Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.     

The anticipated rise in the NHL’s salary cap to $95.5 million for next season might encourage some teams to pursue a rival club's leading RFA with an offer sheet. 

A GM might draw inspiration from the St. Louis Blues' bold signings of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg last summer from the Edmonton Oilers. Both players have been key contributors to the Blues' second-half surge into a Western Conference wild-card spot.

Buffalo Sabres left winger JJ Peterka could an RFA to watch. The 23-year-old is completing his entry-level contract and has reached a career-best 60 points in 69 games.

The Hockey News’ Michael Augello wrote that Peterka often plays with Tage Thompson on the top line, but he’s been eligible for a contract extension since last July, and his name even surfaced in trade speculation around the deadline. Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli and Carter Hutton believe Peterka could be a prime offer-sheet candidate.

The Sabres have a projected cap space of $23.2 million with 16 active roster players under contract for next season. They have plenty of room to match an offer for Peterka, but they must also ensure they have sufficient cap room to re-sign other RFAs, such as Bowen Byram, Jack Quinn, Ryan McLeod and Jacob Bernard-Docker. 

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers' firing of coach John Tortorella last week prompted some observers to speculate about Peter Laviolette's future as the New York Rangers' bench boss. After guiding the Blueshirts to the Presidents' Trophy last season, Laviolette has struggled to keep his club in the playoff race in a season of uncertainty amid frequent roster shakeups.

The Hockey News’ Stan Fischler believes the Rangers should replace Laviolette with Tortorella immediately to wake up the underachievers.

Arthur Staple of The Athletic recently examined the pros and cons of replacing Laviolette. If management decides to make a coaching change, they're unlikely to bring in someone lacking NHL experience, like Denver University's David Carle or Cam Abbott of the AHL's Chicago Wolves. 

Staple observed that Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins was on their shortlist of coaching candidates two years ago. However, Sullivan doesn't appear interested in leaving Pittsburgh, and the Penguins wouldn't want to risk him being hired by a division rival.

NHL Rumor Roundup: What Will The New York Rangers Do This Summer?The New York Rangers continue to jockey for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Nevertheless, their off-season plans remain the subject of media speculation.

Turning to the Seattle Kraken, Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times believes they'll be busy during the off-season attempting to bolster their roster following another disappointing campaign. 

Shefte observed the Kraken's offense has improved this season, but their goals-against increased while their special teams were among the league's bottom third. She noted they're set to land a top-five first-round draft pick and have the cap space and trade bait to add to their lineup this summer.

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New York Islanders left winger Anthony Duclair is taking some time off two days after coach Patrick Roy called him out in a press conference.

Roy told reporters Thursday that he and Duclair had a positive conversation, and he granted the player’s request to take some time away and reflect, according to The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner.

This week’s news is a reminder that coaching NHL players is still an inexact science, and sometimes, the “old school” way of confronting players is still used. But it is tough to see the benefit in Roy’s comments on Tuesday night.

“He was god-awful. He was god-awful. He had a bad game," Roy said of Duclair’s play in the Islanders’ 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. "That's why I didn't play him a lot. And he's lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that's how I feel…He's not skating, he's not competing, he's not moving his feet. He's not playing up to what we expect from him."

To be fair, Duclair is under pressure to produce. He’s in the first season of a four-year contract with an average annual value of $3.5 million, and the 29-year-old only has seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 44 games. Duclair also has a full no-trade clause until 2026, so he’s in control of his on-ice future to a degree.

However, is it really a good idea for Roy to call out one of his players the way he did with Duclair? Roy isn’t exactly John Tortorella-ish in his mannerisms and approaches to his job, but it’s hard to see how naming and shaming Duclair will lead to a guaranteed turnaround in his on-ice performance.

Perhaps the fact the Islanders are on a six-game winless skid that’s essentially taken them out of a playoff position caused some general frustration. It wouldn’t be the first time a coach has taken out their frustration with his team by scapegoating a player. 

While Duclair must own his role in the Isles’ struggles, there must be a solution that keeps him under the team’s umbrella, if that’s even in doubt in the first place.

Anthony Duclair Stepping Away From Islanders; Matt Martin To Play vs. WildEAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders will be making a lineup change out of necessity on Friday against the Minnesota Wild. 

The Islanders are the ninth team Duclair has played for in his NHL career, and the longest he’s been with one team is the two-and-a-half seasons he played for the Florida Panthers from 2020 to 2022. 

Having that job security with the Isles was no doubt a big factor in him signing with the team last summer, but Duclair even said Roy was a factor. His former QMJHL coach called him before he decided to join the Islanders.

That said, if Roy is calling out players like this, it’s either tough love that will end with Duclair improving, or it’s a huge mistake. In any case, Duclair’s play under Roy will now be under the microscope until further notice.

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Goaltending has always been a major talking point when the NHL playoffs arrive. 

The great debate is about how strong a team’s goaltending needs to be to win the Stanley Cup. Part of that conversation concerns whether a strong tandem makes all the difference or if one solid starter is enough.

A look at the last 10 Cup champions suggests that while depth in goal can be helpful, it often doesn’t matter much in the quest for the NHL’s top prize. Teams with a goalie rotation during the regular season, such as the Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, must keep that in mind when it comes time to pick a starter.

In most cases, the team that hoists the Cup doesn’t have to worry about who to start in net. A primary goaltender shoulders the load. 

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (2020, 2021), Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky (2024), and St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Binnington (2019) all played at least 23 post-season games en route to their championships. While Bobrovsky had a .906 save percentage in 2024, he had the third-best goals-against average among goalies who played at least 10 games. Vasilevskiy and Binnington had save percentages of .914 or better.

When a team has a strong No. 1 leading the way, the backup is just there for insurance or injury.

That was the case in 2022 when Pavel Francouz backstopped the Colorado Avalanche during the Western Conference final as Darcy Kuemper recovered from an upper-body injury. He did record a shutout and a satisfactory .906 save percentage in seven games, but the Avalanche’s offense took matters into their own hands and scored at least four goals in each of Francouz’s starts.

In the Washington Capitals’ win in 2018, Philipp Grubauer had a better save percentage and goals-against average during the regular season, but Braden Holtby played 54 games and was the starter for most of the campaign. Grubauer started the first two playoff games before being replaced, and Holtby had a .922 save percentage in 23 games en route to winning it all.

Vegas’ 2023 Cup Win: The Exception?

The 2023 Vegas Golden Knights stand out as an anomaly in recent history. 

Adin Hill emerged as the team's post-season hero, posting a .932 save percentage in 16 playoff games. This came after the Golden Knights played five different goalies during the regular season. 

Logan Thompson was the go-to guy throughout the year. However, Laurent Brossoit began the playoffs in net before an injury forced Vegas to turn to Hill. Hill had only played 27 regular-season games, and his .915 SP and 2.50 GAA were solid but not outstanding. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins also took advantage of two strong goalies in 2017. Marc-Andre Fleury played 15 games before Matt Murray took over and backstopped them to the championship with a .937 save percentage in 11 appearances.

The Case For Anthony Stolarz To Be The Maple Leafs' Playoff Starter In NetAs the end of the NHL’s 2024-25 regular season draws to a close, teams are going to decide which goalie they're going to start in the Stanley Cup playoffs. For many, if not most teams, the choice is going to be easy: Connor Hellebuyck will be starting for the Winnipeg Jets, and Sergei Bobrovsky will be the starter for the Florida Panthers. But for a few teams, the choice of a starting goalie isn’t so clear.

A Strong Starter Matters Most, But A Good Backup Doesn’t Hurt

In any series, good goalies can be outmatched by their opposing netminder who seemingly comes out of nowhere. The Oilers’ Stuart Skinner outplayed Dallas Stars netminder Jake Oettinger and put a scare into Bobrovsky last season, while Arturs Silovs made a name for himself in Vancouver when Thatcher Demko suffered an injury.

While having a competent backup is useful – particularly if injuries arise – the last decade has shown that teams usually win with a clear-cut No. 1 goalie and not with a rotation. Frankly, a hot goaltender remains one of the most important factors in winning a Stanley Cup.

That makes things interesting for the Leafs, Hurricanes and Oilers, which have often split the starts in net when their top two goaltenders are healthy.

Since Carolina’s Frederik Andersen returned from injury on Jan. 20, he and Pyotr Kochetkov have 14 games each. The Leafs’ Joseph Woll has 39 games to Anthony Stolarz’s 30, but the latter has a better goals-against average and save percentage. And the Oilers play Skinner more than Calvin Pickard, but not by much since Jan. 1 – Skinner’s had 24 appearances, while Pickard played 18 games.

A tandem can help manage the load during the regular season, but when the playoffs arrive, it’ll be time for those clubs to choose their No. 1.

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NHL and hockey topics in rapid-fire discussions are what The Hockey News' Wraparound Show is all about.

Will Canadiens' Lane Hutson Contend For The Norris Trophy Next Season? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discussed in this episode:

0:00: What should the Boston Bruins look to add at the NHL draft?

3:27: Does Ottawa Senators coach Travis Green deserve more consideration for the Jack Adams award?

5:34: Could Patrick Roy’s criticism of Anthony Duclair affect his future with the New York Islanders?

9:12: Which NHL team will most likely hang on to their current interim coach?

11:49: Is Zayne Parekh the best defenseman who is not in the NHL?

14:25: Should Niko Mikkola have been suspended for his actions against the Montreal Canadiens?

16:24: Do the Vegas Golden Knights have a sustainable style of management?

19:03: Which playoff team has the most questionable goaltending situation heading into the post-season?

24:22: Could Lane Hutson contend for the Norris Trophy as early as next season?

26:12: Which team that has clinched a playoff spot is most likely to be upset in the first round?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

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