Monday night in the NHL delivered thrilling storylines as rookie Frank Nazar stole the spotlight with a goal, an assist, and the shootout winner to help the Blackhawks stun Montreal and delay their playoff celebration.
In Nashville, Clayton Keller marked his 600th career game with a four-point explosion, lifting Utah to a dominant win and capping off a career-best season. Meanwhile, the Rangers rallied from a two-goal deficit to knock off the Panthers, and the Red Wings spoiled the Stars’ night with a high-scoring finale at home.
Nazar Spoils Canadiens’ Playoff Clincher with Shootout Heroics
Frank Nazar had himself a night in just his third NHL game.
The 20-year-old rookie not only tallied a goal and an assist in regulation, but also netted the only shootout goal to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.
With the win, the Blackhawks delayed what could have been a clinching night for Montreal. The Habs remain four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot. They’ll now need a Columbus loss in either of the Jackets’ final two games or to avoid a regulation loss Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes to lock in their ticket to the postseason.
Tyler Bertuzzi and Lukas Reichel added goals for Chicago, while Arvid Soderblom stood tall in the shootout—denying all three Montreal attempts after making 18 saves in regulation and overtime.
For Montreal, the spotlight belonged to Ivan Demidov, who scored and assisted in his NHL debut. The 2024 No. 5 overall pick signed last week after wrapping up his KHL season and immediately showed why the hype is real.
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Keller Hits Career Milestone in Utah’s Rout of Preds
Clayton Keller made his 600th NHL game one to remember.
The Utah Hockey Club forward racked up two goals and two assists in a 7-3 rout of the Nashville Predators, giving him a career-high 89 points and 60 assists for the first time in his career. Keller, now 26, continues to evolve into one of the most consistent offensive producers in the league.
Matt Villalta made his NHL debut between the pipes for Utah, stopping 27 shots in place of Karel Vejmelka, whose 23-game start streak came to an end.
Ryan O’Reilly recorded a goal and an assist for Nashville, reaching 50 points on the season. However, the Predators have now dropped two straight heading into their final stretch.
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Rangers Stun Panthers with Short-Handed Spark
Though officially eliminated from playoff contention, the New York Rangers played spoiler with style, knocking off the Florida Panthers 5-3 on the road.
Vincent Trocheck provided the dagger—scoring a go-ahead short-handed goal in the third period that flipped the script after New York trailed 3-1 midway through the second. The Rangers ripped off four unanswered goals, with Matt Rempe, Juuso Parssinen, J.T. Miller, and Jonny Brodzinski all finding the back of the net.
Veteran goalie Jonathan Quick held strong with 27 saves, helping the Rangers close their season with some pride.
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Red Wings Outshoot Stars in Home Finale Win
Already out of playoff contention, the Detroit Red Wings gave their fans something to cheer for in their home finale, defeating the Dallas Stars 6-4 and handing them their sixth consecutive loss.
Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider both had a goal and two assists, while Jonatan Berggren chipped in with a goal and an assist of his own. Cam Talbot made 24 saves as Detroit notched its second straight win.
Dallas, meanwhile, continues to spiral. They got goals from Colin Blackwell, Lian Bichsel, Evgenii Dadonov, and Wyatt Johnston, but Jake Oettinger struggled again, allowing six goals on 37 shots.
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