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Tuesday night’s NHL action was nothing short of electric. Playoff dreams came true for some, died for others, and stars rose under pressure as several teams punched their ticket to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
From Pavel Buchnevich’s birthday breakout to Dylan Strome’s hat trick, and Toronto’s division-clinching shutout, let’s recap one of the most action-packed nights of the season.
Buchnevich’s Birthday Bash Powers Blues into Playoffs
With their season on the line, Pavel Buchnevich showed up like it was Game 7—and celebrated his 30th birthday two days early. The Russian forward racked up three points (1G, 2A) in the first period alone, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 6-1 domination of the Utah Hockey Club.
The win clinched a playoff spot for St. Louis (44-30-8, 96 points), ending a two-year postseason drought.
Also lighting the lamp for the Blues were Jordan Kyrou (two third-period goals), Jimmy Snuggerud (first NHL goal + assist), Zack Bolduc, and Brayden Schenn. Goalie Jordan Binnington extended his home win streak to 11, stopping 22 shots.
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Wild Steal It Late to Snag West Wild Card
Joel Eriksson Ek tied the game with 22 seconds left, then Matt Boldy delivered the OT winner with 18 ticks on the clock to send the Minnesota Wild to the playoffs with a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
It was Minnesota’s last regular-season game, and they made it count. Filip Gustavsson held the fort in regulation, while Marc-Andre Fleury shut down Anaheim during an overtime penalty kill.
The Wild now draw the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 1. Bookmark the NHL Playoff Betting Guide for smart first-round plays.
Blue Jackets Keep Hope Alive
Jet Greaves posted a 29-save shutout and Adam Fantilli notched his 30th goal of the season as Columbus blanked the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0.
Fantilli now has five goals in his last three games, fueling speculation that the No. 3 pick from 2023 might be Columbus’ franchise cornerstone for years to come.
Catch more breakout stars and daily picks with SportsHub’s Free Service Plays.
Maple Leafs Lock Down the Atlantic
Auston Matthews scored his 400th NHL goal, Mitch Marner reached 100 points, and Anthony Stolarz posted his second straight shutout as Toronto defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-0.
With the win, the Leafs clinched the Atlantic Division, setting up a first-round matchup against the Ottawa Senators. They’ve now won four straight and appear locked in at the right time.
Check out playoff odds, futures, and divisional matchups at the NHL Team Page.
Flames Beat Vegas—but Fall Short
The Calgary Flames beat the Golden Knights 5-4 in a shootout but were eliminated from playoff contention due to results elsewhere. Morgan Frost scored in regulation and the shootout, while goalie Dustin Wolf made 38 saves.
Vegas had already clinched the Pacific Division, resting key players. They’ll meet the Wild in the first round.
Capitals Clinch Top Seed Behind Strome’s Hat Trick
Dylan Strome scored in all three periods, logging his third career hat trick, to lead the Washington Capitals to a 3-1 win over the New York Islanders. Strome now has 29 goals on the season, surpassing his previous career high.
Charlie Lindgren made 32 saves as the Caps secured the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed.
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Lightning Roll Past Panthers in Sunshine Showdown
Brayden Point tallied his 42nd goal and had two assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 5-1. Nikita Kucherov added a goal and an assist, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 stops.
Tampa Bay ends the regular season on a six-game point streak (3-0-3), finishing 29-8-4 at home.
This Florida rivalry could reignite in the playoffs, so stay close to the Computer Service Plays for model-driven picks.
Blackhawks Cap Season With OT Thriller
Rookie Frank Nazar scored 48 seconds into overtime to lift Chicago past Ottawa 4-3 in their season finale. Connor Bedard had two goals and the assist on the game-winner.
Chicago ends the year with 61 points, a 9-point improvement from last season. Spencer Knight stopped 34 shots in the win.
Ottawa, already playoff-bound, rested players but got goals from Nick Cousins, Thomas Chabot, and Drake Batherson.
Devils End Skid with OT Win in Boston
Brian Dumoulin scored in overtime to help New Jersey edge the Boston Bruins 5-4. Timo Meier added a goal and two assists, while goalie Jake Allen made 20 saves.
David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie extended point streaks for the Bruins, who now regroup for a tough playoff run. Jeremy Swayman stopped 21 shots.
What’s Next?
With most playoff seeds now locked in, we turn our attention to first-round matchups. Key storylines include:
- Can Toronto handle the pressure of being a favorite vs. rival Ottawa?
- Will St. Louis ride Buchnevich and Binnington into a deep run?
- How will the Wild fare against a rested and lethal Golden Knights squad?
- Can Washington, with Strome and Lindgren in form, finally go all the way?
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