This Week in the NHL: Paul Maurice becomes Mr. 2,000
With 32 teams, games every night and countless narratives emerging, the NHL season can make one’s head spin, and it’s easy to miss out on the weekly storylines. Not to worry; every Monday from October to April, I’ll map out the major events, games, plotlines and milestones on tap for the next seven days.
So what’s happening the week of March 23-29?
March 23: Mika Zibanejad’s 1,000th game
Ottawa Senators @ New York Rangers, 7:30 p.m. ET
How fitting. Zibanejad was the centerpiece of one the best trades in Rangers history, acquired along with a second-round pick from the Senators for Derick Brassard and a seventh in 2018. Now the Rangers rub it in with Zibanejad crossing the 1,000-game threshold. He tied Adam Graves on Sunday for fourth on the franchise’s all-time goals list at 280.
March 24: Paul Maurice’s 2,000th game
Seattle Kraken @ Florida Panthers, 7:00 p.m. ET
While some data sources list Maurice at 2,000 regular-season games right now, the official NHL register says he’s 1,999 into his career, so we’ll trust that stat. When the Kraken visit Maurice’s Panthers, he’ll become the second bench boss to 2,000 games. By season’s end, Maurice will trail Scotty Bowman by just 129 games for the most all-time in the regular season, meaning Maurice will break the record partway through the 2027-28 campaign as long as he still wants to be coaching that long.
March 24: Adam Larsson’s 1,000th game
Seattle Kraken @ Florida Panthers, 7:00 p.m. ET
“The trade is one for one.” Larsson will be best remembered as part of that infamous deal for Taylor Hall. But Larsson has forged a respectable career as a minute-munching defenseman willing to put his body on the line like few others. He’ll hit game No. 1,000 with this third NHL team, the Kraken, following his stints with the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils.
Evgeni Malkin’s 1,400th point
The perennially underrated ‘Geno’ resume includes three Stanley Cups, a Hart Trophy, two Art Ross Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Calder Trophy. Why not add another accolade? Malkin begins the week two points from reaching 1,400 for his career. When he gets there he’ll become just the 23rd player in NHL history to do so. His Pittsburgh Penguins play three times this week.
Connor McDavid’s 1,200th point
It’s fun every time ‘McJesus’ hits a scoring milestone, as we get to assess how fast he did so relative to his peers. McDavid opens the week two away from 1,200, but his Oilers play a three-game slate, and we know he can pile up points in bunches. When McDavid reaches No. 1,200, he’ll become the third fastest player to do so, trailing only Wayne Gretzky (504 games, LOL) and Mario Lemieux (593 games). McDavid sits at 783 games played heading into this week.
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PRESENTED BY STAKE
