Welcome to another edition of NHL Notebook, where we examine current events across the league!
It wasn’t a great day for the Atlantic Division leaders, while three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Maroon announced that he would be retiring at the end of this season.
We’ll get right into it!
Maple Leafs squander golden opportunity as Atlantic powers falter
We’re at the point of the schedule where you have to watch the out-of-town scoreboard every night, and the Maple Leafs squandered a golden opportunity to take over the Atlantic Division lead. After John Tavares and Mitch Marner helped Toronto race out to a 2-0 lead, the Maple Leafs surrendered five unanswered goals to the Nashville Predators in a listless effort. Perhaps it’s the normal function of a laborious 82-game season, but the team will want to burn the tape of the final 40 minutes.
Earlier in the day, the Florida Panthers lost 6-3 to the Washington Capitals, as Alexander Ovechkin is now seven goals away from beating Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. It wasn’t a banner night for the Atlantic, as the Tampa Bay Lightning lost 6-4 to the Utah Hockey Club, and remain behind the Maple Leafs in the Atlantic chase.
It wasn’t an entirely awful night for the division overall, as the Ottawa Senators defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-1, and they’re now eight points back of the Maple Leafs, while holding the top wild-card spot. Every point matters in the final 13 games, and the Maple Leafs are ruing the chance to take over the division, before resuming their schedule against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
3-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Maroon to retire at end of season
Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Maroon announced that he will retire at the end of the 2024-25 season. Maroon is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, winning his first title with Craig Berube and the St. Louis Blues in 2019, then won consecutive Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 36-year-old has recorded 125 goals and 320 points in 840 games over the course of his career.
Although he was never known for his scoring punch, Maroon carved out an excellent career for himself after being selected in the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Draft. Maroon was one of the NHL’s leading pests, and was renowned for his leadership skills later in his career. He has recorded four goals and 16 points in 60 games with the Blackhawks.
Sponsored by bet365