The NHL's Hart Trophy — awarded yearly to the player voted most valuable to his team — has consistently been the most controversial piece of hardware given out every June. That's because, unlike the NBA, we aren't talking about a league MVP. We're talking about the player most valuable to his squad. So there is a little bit of grey area that will give voters pause before immediately casting a first-place ballot for Connor McDavid.
There's no doubt that McDavid is the best player in the league in 2024. But is he more valuable to the Edmonton Oilers than Nikita Kucherov is to the Tampa Bay Lightning? Or Nathan MacKinnon to the Avalanche? It's a very tricky situation. What's starting to become clear is that despite Auston Matthews reaching 60 goals yet again, the Hart Trophy figures to be a three-headed monster this time around.
And the race is just insane. MacKinnon is leading the league with 127 points, while Kucherov is at 126 and McDavid sits right behind at 125. All three players are having true MVP-caliber seasons, but only one can win the trophy. Kuch secured it back in 2018-19 after an incredible campaign, while McDavid has three under his belt — including just the second unanimous win in league history in 2021.
After recording a point in each of Colorado's first 35 home games — the second-longest streak of all time behind Wayne Gretzky — MacKinnon looks to have the edge. He was the league's best player in 2017-18, but lost the award to Taylor Hall, whose New Jersey Devils were beaten easily in the first-round. And voters know that the Canadian has never won. Either way, it's going to be another controversial finish, which should keep hockey fans locked in down the stretch.
Of course, hockey fans don't need a crazy-tight Hart Trophy race to be locked in. This is going to be one of the most exciting races to the finish of any NHL season in recent memory, with the President's Trophy still up for grabs in April, along with quite a few playoff spots.
And after another telling week, ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings returns to make sense of the chaos with just 17 days left in the regular-season. And what a finish it's going to be. Read on for all the latest.
Previous 2023-24 NHL Power Rankings: Week 24 | Week 23 | Week 22 | Week 21 | Week 20 | Week 19 | Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3| Week 2 | Week 1
1. New York Rangers (no change)
It was a difficult decision to enter the Rangers back into the No. 1 spot in the NHL Power Rankings last week — but I had no trouble keeping New York there this time around. The Blueshirts remain on an unholy tear, winning five in a row and 10 of 12 to vault back into first-place in league standings. Despite the Hurricanes playing their best hockey of the season, the Rangers remain three points up in the Metropolitan Division with a game in hand as the wins just keep on rolling in the Big Apple. Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere look unbelievable right now; the Russian is up to 13 points in his last five, while the former No. 1 overall pick has eight in the same span, including a five-point explosion in an 8-5 victory over the Coyotes. There's a legitimate chance New York could run the table over their last eight games, especially with seven of them coming against non-playoff opponents. Regardless, NY is the first team to 50 wins, and the current favorite to win the President's Trophy. It would be the first time since 2015.
2. Colorado Avalanche (no change)
Like the Rangers, the Avalanche are staying pat in Week 25. Despite watching a few teams below them in the NHL Power Rankings pass them in league standings, Colorado has still won eight of 10 games to look like the premier team in the Western Conference. I might not be saying that next week — the Stars are looking like a wagon right now — but the Avs will get the benefit of the doubt for at least seven more days. A 2-1 loss to the Canadiens was not encouraging, nor was a 3-2 shootout loss to the Blueshirts, but the latter was an electric tilt. Could it be a preview of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final? Only time will tell, but the Avalanche might be better off not winning the Central Division, instead playing a team like the Jets in Round 1, who can't buy a win as of late. The goal is just to get out of the first-round after a shocking Game 7 upset against the Kraken last year, and the Avs have the team to do it. But the hold on the No. 2 spot in the PRs is precarious this week, and there will be much better results needed this week to stay ahead of Dallas.
3. Dallas Stars (+4)
The Stars were oh-so-close to passing the Avalanche in the latest edition of the NHL Power Rankings, but as Colorado is 3-0 against Dallas this year, we're not quite there yet. Still, the biggest jump in the rankings goes to Texas in Week 25, and it's not hard to see why. The Stars have won seven in a row since March 16, and 12 of 14 dating back to the end of February. They are looking potent at the perfect time, and help to make up one of the strongest Western Conference playoff pictures in recent memory. Dallas has vaulted into first in the division and the conference, and sit just one point back of the Rangers in the President's Trophy race. That's a trophy this franchise hasn't won since they last won the Stanley Cup in 1999, and Jamie Benn's club has its sights set on both in 2024. The Stars are a clear Stanley Cup favorite, and with seven games left, they have as good a chance as any top team to finish No. 1 in the regular-season.
4. Carolina Hurricanes (+2)
It's crazy that the Hurricanes are not leading the Metropolitan Division despite losing just four times in their last 17 tries. With Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov in the fold, and Frederik Andersen returning from blood clots in heroic fashion, this is going to be a tough team to beat in the playoffs. The Canes have the experience, having been to the Eastern Conference Final in two of the last five seasons. But they haven't been able to reach a SCF since winning it all on the back of Cam Ward in 2006. They might have no better chance than now, and GM Don Waddell made that clear when he brought Guentzel to Raleigh. Carolina can still pass New York, and even if they don't, they'll have a favorable matchup against one of the Flyers, Capitals or Islanders in Round 1. On the back of consecutive shutout victories, and conceding just two goals in their last four contests, the Hurricanes are a wagon at the perfect time.
5. Vancouver Canucks (-2)
The Canucks are still the top team in the Pacific Division after squeaking by the lowly Ducks on Sunday, but the end of the nine-game home stand did not end like anticipated in British Columbia. After beating the Sabres, Habs and Flames in Week 24 at Rogers Arena, it was two consecutive losses to the Kings and Stars, with the roster scoring just three goals in that span. A loss to Anaheim would have been brutal, but Dakota Joshua showed up in his second game back from an injury that cost him months. The big man potted two goals, including the winner late in the third, probably saving a few fantasy seasons in the process. The team is back on the right track ahead of the first road trip since the beginning of March. Regardless as to whether or not the Nucks can outlast the Oilers for the top seed — they're currently six points up — there will be playoff hockey in downtown Vancouver for the first time since the Sedins were still on the team in 2015. Now 46-20-8, the Canucks will look to chase down the Stars at the top of the West while travelling through Vegas, Arizona and LA in Week 25.
6. Boston Bruins (-1)
Despite the Bruins sitting in fourth place in league standings as of April Fools Day, Boston continues to slowly tumble down the NHL Power Rankings. They're still one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, but the logjam at the top of the league gets more crowded by the day. And the B's have lost three of five, holding onto the top spot in the Atlantic Division by just two points on the struggling Panthers. Either of those teams have a good shot to win the division, with the loser likely to play the Leafs in the first round. Would you rather win the division and play Tampa Bay, or fall to the No. 2 spot and play Toronto yet again? Not an easy choice, but we'll find out in the next couple of weeks here. The Bruins are at the end of a gruelling six-game road trip, with stops in Nashville and Carolina in Week 25 before a huge tilt with the Cats at TD Garden on Saturday.
7. Florida Panthers (-3)
The Panthers were very recently at the top of the NHL Power Rankings, but even more injuries have derailed the team's aspirations for a second President's Trophy in three seasons. Florida went on a torrid stretch in February, losing just two games in the calendar month to challenge for the league's top spot. But March has been a completely different story; the Cats have lost six of eight to fall to 47-22-5 and fourth place in the Eastern Conference. This is still an elite team, and Aaron Ekblad and Sasha Barkov both look to be fully healthy after each missing a couple of weeks. But Matthew Tkachuk has just one point in his last four, while Sergei Bobrovsky has been shaky throughout the cold spell. The Cats will figure it out, and it's still been a phenomenal season in South Beach. But it's Stanley Cup or bust for this roster, and it'll be an absolute war as they look to come out of the Eastern Conference in back-to-back seasons.
8. Edmonton Oilers (+2)
After losing back-to-back games at the end of Week 24, Connor McDavid and the Oilers got back on track with three consecutive wins over the last seven days. Edmonton beat Winnipeg 4-3 in overtime, prevailed 4-1 over Los Angeles, and crushed Anaheim 6-1 to close out a promising stretch. With the Canucks starting to stumble, the Oil have closed the gap to just six points for the Pacific Division lead — and they have two games in hand. That one will come down to the wire, and the loser could end up playing the defending champions in Round 1. That's who beat Edmonton in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and a roster that is desperate for a championship will likely have to get through Vegas if they hope to come out of the West. The Oilers have 10 games left in the regular-season, starting with a trip to Missouri to play the Blues on Monday night.
9. Nashville Predators (-1)
A slight halt in the wagon that is the 2024 Predators occurred in Week 24, with Nashville losing two games in a row for the first time since mid-February. That is on the heels of six straight wins, so it isn't too concerning, but it will cost them a spot in the NHL Power Rankings nonetheless. Still eight points up on the Blues with an equal number of games left, it will take a miracle to keep Smashville out of the dance. And with the Jets absolutely reeling, there is a path for the Predators to pass them and finish third-place in the Central Division. It's going to be a very difficult Round 1 opponent either way — the Western Conference is a gauntlet — but as one of the league's hottest teams, there's belief in that locker room that they can beat anyone. We'll see if Nashville can make due on it in a couple of weeks.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs (+3)
The Leafs are back on track. Auston Matthews is a 60-goal scorer for the second time, Toronto has won four of six, and the No. 3 spot in the Atlantic Division remains north of the border — although the battle with the Bolts will be a photo finish. Still, the Leafs went 2-1 in Week 24, losing to the Devils before crushing the Capitals 5-1 and shutting out the Sabres in Buffalo, 3-0. The latter was an away game that felt like a home game, with Toronto fans making the trip over the border to watch No. 34 get No. 60. Can Matthews get to 70? With nine games left, it's not impossible. More importantly for the superstar will be helping his club finish strong ahead of what will be a monstrously difficult first-round series. But first, a massive tilt with the Bolts on Tuesday.
11. Tampa Bay Lightning (+1)
Although below the Leafs in the latest edition of the NHL Power Rankings, the Lightning continue to hang around in the Atlantic Division. Being led by Kucherov on a nightly basis, the Bolts have won nine of their last 11, and picked up a point in 10 of them. That has the record at a very reasonable 41-25-7, and Toronto is within reach at just four points up. Both teams have nine games left, and two of them are against each other. One of them is on Wednesday night in Toronto, and no player on either squad is going to have trouble getting up for that one. If the Lightning can win both of their last two against the Leafs, and play better hockey than their rivals down the stretch, they could sneak into third in the Atlantic in the final days of the regular-season.
12. Winnipeg Jets (-3)
There was a time not too long ago that the Jets occupied the No. 1 spot in ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings. No one expected that would last all season, but we definitely didn't see them falling out of the top-10 altogether. The end of March was truly a nightmare in Manitoba, with the team going from 44-19-5 to 44-24-6 after six consecutive losses. Winnipeg couldn't find a win against New Jersey, New York (Islanders), Washington, Edmonton, Vegas or Ottawa. And they only managed to get past regulation once. Not at all ideal. At one point looking like a shoo-in to secure a Central Division guaranteed berth, the lead on the consistently successful Predators is just four points, with eight games left. Once a team nobody wanted to see in the first-round — especially with the way Connor Hellebuyck was playing — this is now looking like a very favorable Round 1 matchup. Can the Jets turn it around in the final three weeks?
13. Vegas Golden Knights (+2)
Mired in a four-game slide at the end of February — and having lost seven of eight — the Golden Knights seemed to come to the realization that this caliber of hockey would have the defending Stanley Cup champions on the outside looking in at the end of April. So, even with captain Mark Stone on the shelf, Vegas completely turned it around over the last three weeks. Losers of just three games since March 9, the Knights are again looking like a shoo-in to advance to the dance, with the Blues a full eight points back as of April Fools Day. But the team's 8-2-1 record in that span is no joke. Jonathan Marchessault definitely scored the weirdest overtime winner of his career against Minnesota, depositing the GWG into an empty net after Wild coach John Hynes pulled his goalie in the extra frame. That was a huge two points, and they'll look for similar success against the Pacific Division-leading Canucks — the first of two meetings in less than a week — on Tuesday night.
14. Los Angeles Kings (-3)
The Kings have been good, if not great over the last couple of weeks, playing at a just above .500 clip since March 13. Because of that, they've relinquished No. 3 in the Pacific Division to the Golden Knights, now sitting in a precarious spot: the final playoff berth in the Western Conference. And it's cost them in the NHL Power Rankings. The Blues are right there at just five points back, but the chances of LA returning to the postseason are looking good. They strung together four consecutive wins before losing both games in Alberta; 4-1 to the Oilers on Thursday and 4-2 to the Flames on Saturday. Anze Kopitar continues to lead the way, putting together a phenomenal four straight multi-point games. As it stands right now, the Kings will play the top team in the West in Round 1. So unless LA passes Vegas in the next three weeks — they're currently three points back — it won't be a third consecutive Kings-Oilers Round 1.
15. Washington Capitals (-1)
On the heels of a five-game goal streak that saw Alex Ovechkin find the back of the net eight times, The Great Eight failed to score in Week 24. And it hurt the Capitals. Washington beat Detroit before losing to Toronto in regulation and Boston in a shootout. Three of a possible six points in not terrible, but could be better as one of the league's most experienced teams continues to battle down the stretch. Now occupying third-place in the Metropolitan Division — a place the Caps haven't spend much time at all in 2023-24 — it's looking like it will not be back-to-back missed postseasons in the nation's capital. But the Flyers and Wings are still right there, and Washington can't take the foot off the gas. They'll play both of those teams before the regular-season ends, and thus, officially control their own destiny with nine games to go. John Carlson scored in his 1,000th game with the franchise, and he'll go down as one of the greatest Capitals in history.
16. St. Louis Blues (+3)
Another plus-three bump for the Blues, who have won seven of 10 and continue to fight tooth and nail for the final wild card berth in the Western Conference. They didn't do themselves any favors in a ridiculous 4-0 shutout loss to the last-place Sharks at home, but they've still been one of the division's better teams as of late. The only team that can realistically catch STL is Minnesota, who are three points back — and a single spot lower in the NHL Power Rankings. But on the horizon are the Kings, who are five points up and realistically the only team St. Louis themselves can catch. They won't get to the Predators, who are eight points up, or the Jets, who continue to flounder but still hold a 12-point lead. It's going to come right down the wire, but unless Los Angeles plays under .500 and the Blues continue this pace, it's going to be back-to-back missed postseasons in Missouri.
17. Minnesota Wild (+1)
Earlier in March, the Wild shocked the hockey world by pulling their goaltending in overtime for a 4-on-3 advantage. It worked against the Predators three weeks ago, but it did not work in Week 24. John Hynes decided to pull Filip Gustavsson in the extra frame against the Golden Knights on Saturday, and it backfired spectacularly. And probably cost Minnesota its season. Per NHL rules, if you pull the goalie in overtime and lose, you also lose the point you gained from getting to overtime. So not only did the Wild lose the game, they also failed to register a single point in a critical contest. The fact they were leading 1-0 for most of it will make it an even tougher pill to swallow. Hynes looked like a genius when Matt Boldy scored the winner on the 4-on-3 against Nashville, but it was not a good look watching Jonathan Marchessault sling the game-winner into an empty net. It's now eight points separating the Wild from a wild card spot with only nine contests left. It looks like the dream is dead in the State of Hockey, and another year of playoff-less hockey in Saint Paul.
18. Detroit Red Wings (-2)
The Red Wings' end-of-February tear feels like ancient history right now. Detroit has won just three games since the calendar flipped to March, and a result, they're on the outside looking in. They do remain just above the Flyers in the NHL Power Rankings despite Philadelphia having two more points. Detroit has a game in hand, but both teams have been equally futile as of late, with the Wings losers of four consecutive games. Two of them mercifully went past regulation, but Dylan Larkin's club will need much better results if they hope to sneak into the final wild card spot. It's not looking promising, especially the way the roster has looked lately. But the path is there, with eight games remaining and an equal amount against playoff and non-playoff bound squads. Can Showtime channel some late-campaign magic to finally bring postseason puck back to Motown?
19. Philadelphia Flyers (-2)
What is going on in Philly? The Flyers have held onto the No. 3 berth in the Metro for what feels like the entire 2023-24 season, but they finally relinquished it after failing to secure a single win in Week 24. Just awful scenes in Pennsylvania, especially after the worst game of the year in a 5-1 beatdown at the hands of the lowly Hawks. The Flyers are now holding onto the final Eastern Conference wild card slot for dear life, two points up on the Red Wings and five ahead of the Islanders. The loss to Chicago came after a 4-1 defeat to Montreal, and those are games that the Flyers just need to be winning at this point in the season. John Tortorella's club is on the verge of being a wire-to-wire playoff team that watches it all slip away at the last. With only seven games left — and five against non-postseason teams — it's still looking possible. But right now, there's no squad you'd rather see in Round 1.
20. New Jersey Devils (+2)
The Devils are quietly hanging around in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, winning four of their last six to improve to 36-34-4 and now just six points back of the Flyers with a game in hand. They would be feeling a lot better about their chances if they had been able to close out the Sabres on Friday night — their last tilt of Week 24. Despite being up 2-0 in the contest, New Jersey allowed four goals to Tage Thompson, five to Buffalo, and left Western New York with a puzzling L. The Devils are probably not going to make the playoffs after finishing third in league standings in 2022-23, but they've got eight more games to try and salvage the campaign. That begins against Crosby and the Penguins on Tuesday.
21. New York Islanders (no change)
When the Islanders won their first four games in the month of March, it looked like they were making a legitimate push for the No. 3 berth in the Metropolitan. They've somehow won just twice in 10 tries since, falling to fourth-place in the wild card race and sitting five points back of the Flyers and Capitals. The dream is not dead — not by any means — but Patrick Roy's club needs to get inspired over these last nine games. With two in hand on Philly, and five against non-playoff teams, the path to the postseason is still there for New York. The Isles' most critical contest of the year is Monday night against those same Flyers.
22. Calgary Flames (-2)
It's all gone off the rails for the Flames, who beat the Kings on Saturday night but had lost five straight before that. And scored just nine goals. Calgary is 14 points back of LA for the final wild card berth, and that would take a lot more than the nine games this roster has left in 2023-24. Losing to the Canucks, Blues and Capitals made sense during the skid, but defeats at the hands of the Sabres and Hawks will not go over well in Alberta. This is a franchise that cannot wait for the campaign to be over.
23. Ottawa Senators (+2)
Make that five wins in a row for a Senators team that is not ready to be mathematically eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Ottawa has climbed to 12 points back with nine games left — and six teams to pass. It's nearly impossible, but the play in Canada's capital has been encouraging as of late. Maybe not so encouraging for the 2024 NHL draft prospects, especially if they keep up this rare heater. The Senators have racked up wins over the Devils, Oilers, Sabres, Hawks and Jets, and continue the late campaign climb up the NHL Power Rankings. It's way too little, too late, but ending the year strong should help in the quest to return to the dance in 2025.
24. Buffalo Sabres (-1)
The Sabres were on the receiving end of Auston Matthews' 60th on Saturday night, and it came at a home barn that felt like Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Leafs fans always come out in droves to Western New York, but with the shoo-in Rocket Richard winner on the verge of another milestone, it was even more pronounced on Hockey Night in Canada. And the Sabres didn't score a single goal in the 3-0 defeat. Another brutal L in a season that has been full of them for Buffalo. Tage Thompson did save his best game of the season for way too late, scoring four goals in a 5-2 victory over the Devils the night before. Still, playing just under .500 hockey for the entire month of March ensures that it will be a 13th straight campaign without playoff hockey in this city. Now 35-35-5 and the definition of middling, the Sabres will host Ovechkin and the Caps on Tuesday.
25. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)
The Penguins continue to hang around in the Eastern Conference wild card race, although the situation gets more dire by the day. With nine games left, Pittsburgh sits seven points back of the Flyers and Capitals for the final wild card spot and No. 3 in the Metropolitan Division, respectively. The Pens have picked up a point in four of their last six despite winning only two of them, keeping the sliver of hope alive. It will probably take seven, if not eight wins to get in, and that's just not going to happen. Especially not without the services of Jake Guentzel. And with six playoff-bound teams on the other side of the rink, the enormity of the task grows. With Tristan Jarry imploding down the stretch, it looks like it'll be Alex Nedeljkovic's net to lose for the final three weeks.
26. Montreal Canadiens (+1)
The Habs won three games in a row for the first time this season (!) in Week 24, a very telling sign as to why the club is dead last in the Atlantic Division. Still, Montreal brought its A game in consecutive victories over the Kraken (5-1), Avalanche (2-1) and Flyers (4-1) over the last seven days. Cayden Primeau was excellent in his two starts, while Sam Montembault absolutely stymied the league's best offense in Tuesday's triumph over Colorado. These two youngsters are looking like the future in Quebec, although it's probably going to take a couple more years for this team to be competitive for a playoff spot. It's still encouraging, and the Habs will ride both netminders over their last nine contests — starting when the Panthers visit the Bell Centre on Tuesday.
27. Arizona Coyotes (+1)
Now that the Coyotes have nothing to play for, the roster is looking more potent than it has at any time this season. Arizona has scored a ridiculous 19 goals over its last three games — two of them victories — with the future on full display. Rookie standout Logan Cooley scored his first career hat-trick in a stunning 8-4 shellacking of the Predators, which came after a 6-2 pumping of the Blue Jackets. It ended with an 8-5 loss to the league-leading Rangers at Mullett Arena, but it's enough to earn the Yotes a rare jump in the NHL Power Rankings. And we can't forget about the story of the week in Arizona, with Josh Doan — the son of franchise legend Shane — scoring two goals in his debut. And following it up with three assists in his next two. If Doan retired today, his points-per-game would eclipse even The Great One. Hard to ask for a better start to the 22-year-olds NHL career, and he figures to be a mainstay on the roster for the foreseeable future. It's been a tough season, but the signs are there: the Coyotes will be good again.
28. Seattle Kraken (-2)
The Kraken finally emerged from their eight-game skid in Week 24, winning two of three games but still tumbling in the NHL Power Rankings. It's curtains for Seattle, who are now 14 points back of the wild card with only nine contests left. And those two wins both came against the lowly Ducks; they were shut out 3-0 by the Stars to end the week as Dallas' scorching stretch continues. After coming within a single win of the 2023 Western Conference Final, it's been a hugely disappointing campaign in Seattle, and it's hard to imagine this roster — as currently constructed — will be a contender to make the playoffs in 2025. Early in April, 2024, expect the Kraken to be mathematically eliminated this week.
29. Columbus Blue Jackets (no change)
The Blue Jackets have unsurprisingly lost all of their fight to string together wins down the stretch. Instead, it's been nine losses in 11 tries for a Columbus team that will probably finish the season in the exact same spot they've been for weeks — No. 29 in both league standings and the NHL Power Rankings. There's really nothing else to say about this roster, this week or in general, and the search for a permanent GM continues with John Davidson in the interim role. We also probably won't be seeing Patrik Laine again in 2023-24.
30. Chicago Blackhawks (+1)
I truly did not think the Hawks would pass the Ducks for the No. 30 spot in the NHL Power Rankings at all in 2024, but Connor Bedard and Chicago have been pleasantly solid as of late. Make that three wins in four games and six victories in 10 — the best stretch of the team's season. It took until nearly April, but maybe it'll be a sign of things to come as the rebuild continues over the next few campaigns. Let's see how many contests this roster can win — and how many points Bedard can get — over the final eight tilts of 2023-24 in the Windy City. Regardless, he looks like the clear cut favorite to win the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in June.
31. Anaheim Ducks (-1)
It looked like the Ducks were locked into No. 30, but things can change quickly for the basement dwellers. Anaheim hasn't been in the basement of anything this year, with the Sharks always below them in the Pacific Division, Western Conference and NHL Power Rankings. But they look just awful regardless, scoring just seven goals over their past five games — all of them losses. San Jose is actually now just 10 points back with two games in hand. One California franchise won't catch another, barring a miracle, but this roster is dangerously close to being the worst in the NHL this year. Now with just a single win since March 8, everyone involved with this squad is going to be thrilled when the year ends.
32. San Jose Sharks (no change)
The Sharks and Hawks are heading in such different directions that there's a team separating them in the NHL Power Rankings — for the first time in many, many weeks. As Chicago continues to play decently well, San Jose continues to look like far and away the worst roster in the National Hockey League. Eighteen losses in 19 tries will do that to a club. But right when it looked like the Sharks would never win again — over their last 10 in 2023-24, at least — Mackenzie Blackwood stood on his head in a 4-0 shutout victory over the surging Blues in Missouri. That was surprising, and maybe this team can win at least one more before the season comes to a merciful close on April 18.