The race for the Stanley Cup is heating up, with several teams making significant moves in the standings as the regular season winds down. Sunday, March 23, 2026, saw a flurry of action across the league, with playoff berths on the line and individual milestones being reached.
Stars Clinch Playoff Spot, Golden Knights Surge in Pacific
The Dallas Stars secured a playoff berth despite a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Wyatt Johnston continued his impressive season for Dallas, setting a new franchise single-season record for power-play goals with his 23rd of the year. The Golden Knights, meanwhile, leapfrogged the Edmonton Oilers to take second place in the Pacific Division with their victory. Brayden McNabb, Ivan Barbashev, and Reilly Smith all scored for Vegas.
Ovechkin Reaches Milestone, Avalanche Continue Dominance
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals etched his name further into the NHL record books by scoring his 1,000th career goal (regular season and playoffs combined) in a 3-2 overtime loss to the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. Ovechkin joins Wayne Gretzky as the only players to achieve this remarkable feat. The Avalanche, who were the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season, were powered by an overtime goal from Brock Nelson.
Islanders Back in Wild Card Spot, Blue Jackets’ Streak Ends
The New York Islanders moved back into the final Eastern Conference wild card position with a 1-0 shutout victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, thanks to a 26-save performance from Ilya Sorokin. This loss snapped the Blue Jackets’ impressive 12-game point streak.
Other Notable Results and Team Performances
- The Calgary Flames secured their third consecutive victory with a 4-3 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, with Ryan Strome scoring the decisive goal.
- The Anaheim Ducks also won in overtime, defeating the Buffalo Sabres 6-5, with Troy Terry scoring the game-winner.
- The Utah Mammoth continued their strong play, defeating the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in overtime, with Nick Schmaltz scoring both the tying and overtime goals.
- The Winnipeg Jets snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 in a shootout.
- The Colorado Avalanche are set to face the Pittsburgh Penguins, with the Penguins having won the previous meeting between the two teams.
- The Seattle Kraken will look to end a three-game losing streak when they play the Florida Panthers.
The St. Louis Blues announced the signing of college free agent forward Felix Trudeau to a two-year entry-level contract.
