The Week Ahead: Draisaitl on a Hot Streak

The races are getting tight as the NHL enters the final month of the season. Seven teams are within six points of the final wild card in the Eastern Conference while three teams in the West are within two points of the second wild card. It should be an exciting finish to the season.

All statistics are through Saturday night, unless otherwise noted.

WEEK OF MARCH 17-23

4 Games – Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Toronto

3 Games – Anaheim, Carolina, Colorado, Columbus, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Montreal, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Utah, Vancouver, Vegas, Washington, Winnipeg

2 Games – Detroit, San Jose

Buffalo, Calgary and Philadelphia play all four games on the road.

Chicago, Dallas, Florida, Minnesota, Nashville, the New York Rangers, St. Louis, Vegas and Washington play three games at home.

Buffalo, Carolina, Colorado and Tampa Bay play three games on the road.

ANAHEIM

Games this week: @ Dallas, @ Nashville, vs. Carolina

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Carolina (Sunday)

Notes: Leo Carlsson has quietly picked up five goals and 15 points in his last 15 games, dating back to the beginning of February. The 20-year-old is starting to show why he was drafted second overall in 2023 (though I would have taken Adam Fantilli)...Troy Terry is on his way to his third 60-plus point season of his career as he has 49 points in 61 appearances.

BOSTON

Games this week: vs. Buffalo, @ Vegas, @ San Jose, @ Los Angeles

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes:  The Bruins play four games this week including three games in four nights...Jeremy Swayman should get three starts with Joonas Korpisalo playing once...The Bruins are four points out of the second wild-card and have to jump over four other teams to get there...They also have played 68 games, one more than the Rangers and two more than Detroit, Columbus and Montreal...Should Boston fall further out, I'm not sure if Charlie McAvoy (shoulder) will return this season, if he is even able to. He was on the ice at practice Saturday, handling pucks and taking shots, so that's encouraging.

BUFFALO

Games this week: @ Boston, @ Utah, @ Minnesota, @ Winnipeg

Tired: @ Winnipeg (Sunday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Sabres play all four games on the road, including three games in four nights...Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to get at least two starts and likely three with James Reimer playing the rest of the slate this week...JJ Peterka is expected to return this week after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury...Owen Power picked up an assist Wednesday, snapping a seven-game pointless streak.

CALGARY

Games this week: @ Toronto, @ New York Rangers, @ New Jersey, @ New York Islanders

Tired: @ New York Rangers (Tuesday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Flames play all four on the road with three games coming in four nights...Dustin Wolf should get three starts with Dan Vladar playing once...Mikael Backlund suffered an upper-body injury and he is out week-to-week. He may not return before the end of the season. It's been a tough offensive season for Backlund who has 11 goals and 24 points in 64 games, his worst performance since the 2010-11 campaign.

CAROLINA

Games this week: @ San Jose, @ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim

Tired: @ Anaheim (Sunday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Hurricanes are in sunny California this week, playing all three games in four nights...Carolina has been splitting the net between Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov and if the split holds true, then Andersen will play twice with Kochetkov playing once...Andrei Svechnikov missed all three games this past week but could return from an upper-body injury in time for Thursday's tilt in San Jose.

CHICAGO  

Games this week: vs. Seattle, vs. Los Angeles, @ St. Louis, vs. Philadelphia

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Blackhawks play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week...Spencer Knight should get at least two starts and possibly three with Arvid Soderblom picking up the remainder of the starts...The Blackhawks recalled their first-round pick in 2024, second overall, Artyom Levshunov from the minors this week and he made his NHL debut Monday versus Boston. He is seeing first power-play time and should be a pickup in all dynasty pools, if he is not rostered.

COLORADO

Games this week: @ Toronto, @ Ottawa, @ Montreal

Tired: @ Ottawa (Thursday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Avalanche are in Eastern Canada all week and play three games in four nights...Mackenzie Blackwood should play twice with Scott Wedgewood playing once...Parker Kelly was goalless in 20 straight games before scoring a pair Friday in a 4-2 win over Calgary...Josh Manson suffered an upper-body injury Friday...The Avalanche certainly have a top-six that betters all other teams in the NHL as Nathan MacKinnon is centering Martin Necas and Artturi Lehkonen on the top line with Brock Nelson between Valeri Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin on the second unit.

COLUMBUS

Games this week: vs. New Jersey, vs. Florida, @ Pittsburgh

Tired: @ Pittsburgh (Friday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Blue Jackets will have a decision to make when Sean Monahan returns to action from his wrist injury in late March as Adam Fantilli has excelled on the top line in Monahan's absence. I would move Monahan to the second line with Yegor Chinakhov and Kent Johnson with Boone Jenner moving down to center the third unit, leaving Fantilli with Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov.

DALLAS

Games this week: vs. Anaheim, vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Philadelphia  

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Stars lost Lian Bichsel to an illness this past week but the rookie defenseman should be fine for all three home games this week...Jake Oettinger has lost his last two games, allowing nine goals on 49 shots in losses to Edmonton and Winnipeg on the road. There is a stark difference in his home/road splits as he is 20-6-1 with a 2.17 GAA and a .918 save percentage at home while going 10-9-1 with a 3.00 GAA and an .893 save percentage on the road.

DETROIT

Games this week: @ Washington, @ Vegas  

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Petr Mrazek was dealt from Chicago at the deadline and the Red Wings have started him over Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon the last two games...Mrazek is 1-1-0, allowing six goals on 57 shots...The Red Wings only play twice this week, both away from home...Lucas Raymond has 68 points in 66 games, only four points away from tying his career high set last season. He has been a stud on the power play with 32 points, third-best in the NHL.

EDMONTON

Games this week: vs. Utah, vs. Winnipeg, vs. Seattle

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Alec Regula has been out all season with a knee injury and is unlikely to return in 2024-25...Leon Draisaitl hit the 100-point mark Friday with a pair of goals. He leads the NHL with 49 goals and is on a 17-game point streak heading into action Saturday...Connor McDavid is not having a typical Connor McDavid season as he has only 24 goals and 85 points in 60 games, fourth in the NHL...While that type season is outstanding for most, McDavid is averaging 1.42 points per game, down from 1.74 last season and 1.87 in 2022-23.

FLORIDA

Games this week: @ Columbus, @ Washington, vs. Pittsburgh

Tired: vs. Pittsburgh (Sunday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Panthers have been getting fabulous goaltending of late from Sergei Bobrovsky who is 6-3-0 in his last eight starts, allowing only 15 goals on 208 shots. But I worry about how much the 36-year-old netminder is playing down the stretch as he has only Vitek Vanecek behind him after the Panthers dealt Spencer Knight to Chicago for Seth Jones. Bobrovsky may not be able to handle the load down the stretch and he should be rested more often before the start of the playoffs.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week: @ Minnesota, @ Chicago, vs. Carolina, vs. Boston

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Kings play four games this week including three games in four nights...Darcy Kuemper should get at least two starts and possibly three with David Rittich getting the remainder of the starts...Anze Kopitar has led the Kings in scoring in 16 of 18 seasons since he was drafted and is currently one point behind Adrian Kempe for the lead with 53, at the age of 37...Drew Doughty has points in three of his last five games.

MINNESOTA

Games this week: vs. Los Angeles, vs. Seattle, vs. Buffalo  

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Seattle (Wednesday)

Notes: Gustav Nyquist picked up an assist Thursday, his first point since his trade from Nashville...Marco Rossi continues to be a threat offensively with 21 goals and 32 assists in 67 games...Brock Faber has seven goals and 24 points in 63 games while averaging 25:18 of ice time, fifth in the NHL...Matt Boldy has 21 goals and 34 assists this season, including 17 points on the power play.

MONTREAL

Games this week: vs. Ottawa, @ New York Islanders, vs. Colorado

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Canadiens are in a battle for the second wild card as they sit one point out with a game in hand on the Rangers...Patrik Laine is tied for third in the NHL in power play goals with 13, despite missing 30 games this season...Juraj Slafkovsky has three goals and six points in his last three appearances.

NASHVILLE

Games this week: vs. St. Louis, vs. Anaheim, vs. Toronto, @ St. Louis

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Predators play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week...Juuse Saros should get three starts with Justus Annunen picking up one start...Steven Stamkos is without a point in his last two games but he had five goals and nine points in his previous four contests...Juuse Saros is 16-26-6 with four shutouts this season, his worst in his nine-plus years in the NHL, as he has a save percentage under .900 (.897 this season) for the first time in nine seasons.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week: @ Columbus, vs. Calgary, vs. Ottawa

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Jacob Markstrom has really struggled since returning from a knee injury that cost him 11 games. He is 1-4-0 since his return, allowing 21 goals on 122 shots (.828 save percentage) ...The Devils are currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 78 points in 68 games but could be in trouble if their goaltending woes continue, especially with Jack Hughes gone for the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week: @ Pittsburgh, vs. Montreal, vs. Calgary

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Anders Lee has only two goals and four points in 10 games since the NHL returned to action following the 4 Nations Face-Off...Tony DeAngelo was expected to run the power play when the Islanders signed him after he left the KHL earlier in the season, but he has only one assist with the man advantage in 18 games. Noah Dobson returned Feb. 27 from a lower-body injury and has only three assists in his last eight games.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week: vs. Calgary, vs. Toronto, vs. Vancouver

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Calgary (Tuesday), vs. Toronto (Thursday)

Notes: The Rangers got Adam Fox back from injured reserve Saturday after missing eight games with an upper-body injury. He picked up an assist and was a plus-2 in a 4-0 victory over Columbus...Vincent Trocheck scored twice to hit the 20-goal mark...Igor Shesterkin has won his last two starts, including a 21-save shutout over the Blue Jackets on Saturday.

OTTAWA 

Games this week: @ Montreal. vs. Colorado, @ New Jersey

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Colorado (Thursday)

Notes: The Senators have won six in a row and trail Toronto and Tampa Bay by only four points in the race for second place in the Atlantic Division...Brady Tkachuk had an assist Saturday in a 4-2 road win over Toronto. He left Thursday's game with a hip injury but was well enough to play Saturday...David Perron has five goals this season in 28 games with four goals occurring in the last eight contests.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week: @ Tampa Bay, @ Washington, @ Dallas, @ Chicago

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Flyers play all four games on the road...Look for Samuel Ersson to play at least twice and perhaps three times with Ivan Fedotov getting the remainder of the starts...Jamie Drysdale was highly regarded when he was selected sixth overall in 2020 by the Ducks. A slew of injuries hindered his progress and he was dealt to the Flyers last season where he continued to wallow. But the 22-year-old has come on of late with three goals in his last eight games.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week: vs. New York Islanders, vs. Columbus, @ Florida

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Columbus (Friday), @ Florida (Sunday)

Notes: The Penguins finish a five-game homestand Friday versus the Blue Jackets...Tristan Jarry has been sensational this week., starting and winning all four games over the last seven days, stopping 120 of 129 shots...Rickard Rakell has six goals and 10 points in his last eight contests...Connor Dewar had only three assists in 31 games with the Maple Leafs before his trade to Pittsburgh at the deadline. He has three goals in four games with the Penguins.  

SAN JOSE

Games this week: vs. Carolina, vs. Boston

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Sharks only play twice this week with both games at home...The Sharks are at the bottom of the NHL standings with 45 points in 68 games and they should get another outstanding prospect at the 2025 Draft, especially if they win the lottery...Macklin Celebrini scored his 21st of the season Saturday and is the likely favorite at this time for the Calder Trophy.

SEATTLE

Games this week: @ Chicago, @ Minnesota, @ Edmonton

Tired: @ Minnesota (Wednesday)

Rested: None

Notes: Chandler Stephenson leads the team with 46 points, one better than Jared McCann who has led the team in scoring in each of the franchise's first three seasons in the NHL...Brandon Montour has four goals and six points in his last four contests, giving the blueliner 16 goals and 21 assists across 66 games. Montour also had 16 goals two seasons ago with Florida, but he chipped in 57 helpers.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week: @ Nashville, vs. Vancouver, vs. Chicago, @ Nashville

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Blues play three games in four nights as part of a four-game week...Jordan Binnington should play at least twice with Joel Hofer garnering the remainder of the starts...Brayden Schenn has four goals and 12 points in his last 12 contests...Robert Thomas won't approach the 86 points in 82 games he managed last season but he does have 54 points in 55 games thus far, as he missed 12 games starting in late October with a fractured ankle.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week: vs. Philadelphia, @ Dallas, @ Utah, @ Vegas  

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Lightning play four games this week including three in four nights...Andrei Vasilevskiy should get three starts with Jonas Johansson starting once as Tampa Bay is chasing Toronto for second place in the Atlantic Division and trying to hold off the hard-charging Senators...Nikita Kucherov returned to action Saturday after a one-game absence for an illness...Nick Paul potted his 20th of the season Saturday.

TORONTO

Games this week: vs. Calgary, vs. Colorado, @ New York Rangers, @ Nashville

Tired: @ New York Rangers (Thursday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Maple Leafs play four games this week including three in four nights...Look for Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll to share the crease...Toronto mixed up their lines Saturday, placing Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander on different lines in order to get some mismatches against a third defense pairing...Nylander has an eight-game point streak in which he has 10 points.  

UTAH

Games this week: @ Edmonton, vs. Buffalo, vs. Tampa Bay

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Barrett Hayton has two goals and six points in his last seven games. He is centering the second line with Alex Kerfoot and Dylan Guenther as well as seeing time on the first power play...Mikhail Sergachev has 11 goals and 32 assists in 61 games including 19 points with the man advantage...Karel Vejmelka has equaled his career high in wins with 18.

VANCOUVER

Games this week: vs. Winnipeg, @ St. Louis, @ New York Rangers

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Canucks welcomed Quinn Hughes back Wednesday after he missed four games with an undisclosed injury. He had a power-play assist against the Flames and opened the scoring Saturday against Chicago, giving him 15 goals and 47 assists in 52 appearances...Thatcher Demko was on the ice at practice Saturday and could return this week from his lower-body injury suffered Feb. 8 against Toronto...Elias Pettersson has four goals and six points in his last five games.

VEGAS

Games this week: vs. Boston, vs. Detroit, vs. Tampa Bay

Tired: @ Detroit (Sunday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Golden Knights play three games in four nights...Adin Hill will likely play twice with Ilya Samsonov playing once...Hill inked a six-year contract extension worth $37.5 million...Jack Eichel has an eight-game point streak, scoring twice and adding nine assists. He set a Golden Knights record for most points in a season and now has 80 in 65 appearances.

WASHINGTON

Games this week: vs. Detroit, vs. Philadelphia, vs. Florida

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Alex Ovechkin scored his 887th career goal Saturday and is eight away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's career mark. I wonder if Ovechkin is tied and there is a chance for an empty net goal, if he will take it or pass it up...Aliaksei Protas has six goals and nine points in his last seven games and leads the NHL with a plus-42 rating this season.

WINNIPEG

Games this week: @ Vancouver, @ Edmonton, vs. Buffalo

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Buffalo (Sunday)

Notes: The Jets continue to be led by their top line...Kyle Connor has five goals and 15 points in 11 games since the league returned to action from the 4 Nations Face-Off...Mark Scheifele has 12 points in 11 games while Gabriel Vilardi has 10 points. Vilardi is having a career year with the Jets, as he has 27 goals and 61 points in 67 contests, 20 points better than his previous high of two seasons ago with the Kings...Nikolaj Ehlers is eligible to become a UFA at the end of the season and he is picking the best time to have a career year as he has 57 points in 58 games.