Welcome to the NHL Star Power Index: A weekly look at the players generating the most discussion in the league. Inclusion on this list signifies significant attention within the hockey community.
The players are listed without ranking based on buzz. The Star Power Index will be updated weekly throughout the regular season.
Auston Matthews, after a slow start to the season due to injury, seems to be peaking as the season progresses.
Matthews has been productive recently, scoring four goals and assisting once in his last four games. His St. Patrick’s Day performance was particularly notable in a 6-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
In a recent game, Matthews accumulated all three of his points in the second period, marking his 11th career three-point period. It was also his 36th multi-goal period, making him the all-time leader for the Maple Leafs in this statistic.
During a power play in the second period, William Nylander’s initial shot was blocked, but he regained possession.
Nylander then located Matthews in the face-off circle, who paused momentarily before firing a powerful shot over the shoulder of Flames goalie Dustin Wolf.
Just over three minutes later, Mitch Marner made a diving play to keep the puck in the offensive zone during another Maple Leafs power play. Matthews received the puck near the face-off circle and passed to Nylander. Nylander then passed to Matthew Knies behind the net, who found Matthews in the face-off circle for a strong one-timer.
Matthews has scored in his last four games, including a goal in a 2-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche following the game mentioned above.
Matthews’ improved performance is timely as the Maple Leafs are closely competing with the Florida Panthers for the top playoff position in the Atlantic Division. If Matthews maintains his scoring ability, the Maple Leafs might make a deep Stanley Cup playoff run this year.
The New Jersey Devils are currently missing key forward Jack Hughes as the Stanley Cup Playoffs approach. Consequently, winger Jesper Bratt has taken on a larger offensive role and is performing exceptionally well.
Bratt recently had a four-game point streak, achieving multi-point games in three of them.
Bratt recently became the sixth player in Devils history to achieve at least three points in three consecutive games, and only the third in the last 30 years, joining Jack Hughes and Ilya Kovalchuk.
In a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, Bratt scored his third goal in four games, which ultimately decided the game.
During the second period, Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves attempted to play the puck from behind his net, but it bounced off the back of the net. Bratt capitalized on this, collecting the loose puck and quickly shooting it into the net before Greaves could recover.
Bratt leads the Devils in both points (80) and assists (60), establishing himself as a prominent playmaker in the Eastern Conference. He also leads New Jersey in power-play assists with 26.
The absence of Hughes is a significant setback for the Devils, but the team still has a chance to secure the second seed in the Metropolitan Division for the playoffs. If Bratt continues his high level of playmaking, the Devils will be a formidable team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Cale Makar has had an excellent start to March, making the Colorado Avalanche look like contenders in the Western Conference.
Makar has accumulated three goals and 10 assists in nine games this month, including a goal and four assists in his last three games. He recently scored a goal and provided two assists in a 4-3 overtime win against the Dallas Stars.
Makar achieved three or more points for the seventh time this season, becoming one of only nine defensemen in NHL history to reach this mark in three different seasons. He is the first defenseman to do so since Brian Leetch.
Makar also averages 1.08 points per game in his career, placing him among only four defensemen to average at least one point per game over a minimum of 100 games, alongside Bobby Orr, Harry Cameron, and Paul Coffey.
Makar added excitement to the game against the Stars by scoring the overtime winner.
Just 34 seconds into overtime, the Avalanche won a face-off in the neutral zone, and Makar took over. After Nathan MacKinnon carried the puck up the ice, he passed it to Makar at the blue line. Makar then maneuvered through the Stars defense and shot the puck under Jake Oettinger’s blocker for the win.
Makar is a strong candidate for his second Norris Trophy. He currently leads all NHL defensemen in points (79), goals (25), and assists (55), with Zach Werenski and Quinn Hughes being his primary competition.
Minnesota Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson continued his strong recent play this week, delivering one of his most impressive performances of the season.
Gustavsson stopped all 34 shots he faced in a 2-0 shutout victory against the Seattle Kraken. This was his fifth shutout of the season, tying him for second among NHL goalies in shutouts.
This shutout marked the second-most shutouts in a single season in Wild team history. According to NHL EDGE data, Gustavsson has also recorded 31 games with a save percentage of .900 or higher, ranking third among NHL goalies behind only Connor Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevsky.
Gustavsson has a 5-2-0 record, a 1.73 goals-against average, and a .940 save percentage in seven games this month. In addition to his recent shutout, Gustavsson also saved 28 of 29 shots in a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
If Gustavsson maintains this level of performance, the Wild are likely headed to the playoffs this season.
