McDavid leads 3 Stars of the Month for March

NEW YORK -- Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of March.

FIRST STAR – CONNOR McDAVID, C, EDMONTON OILERS

McDavid paced the League with 24 assists and 31 points in 15 games (7-24—31) to lift the Oilers (45-23-5, 95 points) into second place in the Pacific Division via a 10-3-2 March. McDavid, who became the first NHL player to accumulate 30 points in a calendar month since he accomplished the feat in December 2022 (14-17—31 in 15 GP), also ranked among the March leaders in power-play points (1st; 10), power-play assists (t-1st; 8), plus/minus (t-10th; +12), game-winning goals (t-11th; 2) and shots on goal (18th; 51). He collected points in 13 of his 15 contests, highlighted by 11 multi-point performances. That included his ninth career four-assist outing (March 21 vs. BUF), five three-point efforts and a stretch of seven straight multi-point games to close the month (March 19-30: 4-15—19). McDavid picked up his 100th point March 7 at CBJ to become the sixth player in League history to reach the milestone at least seven times and the first to do so in four or more consecutive seasons since 1992-93, when Steve Yzerman (6) and Brett Hull (4) both achieved the feat. McDavid then collected his 90th assist March 24 at OTT to become the first player to hit the mark since Joe Thornton in 2006-07 (92). The 27-year-old McDavid has appeared in 71 total games this season (29-97—126), placing among the top performers in assists (1st; 97 – the most by any player since 1992-93), power-play assists (t-1st; 35), points (3rd; 126), power-play points (3rd; 42) and plus/minus (t-6th; +32).

SECOND STAR – NATHAN MacKINNON, C, COLORADO AVALANCHE

MacKinnon ranked among the March leaders in points (2nd; 27), shots on goal (t-2nd; 68), plus/minus (4th; +14), goals (t-4th; 11), assists (t-4th; 16) and power-play points (t-4th; 8) across 13 contests to power the Avalanche (47-22-6, 100 points) to their seventh straight playoff berth via a 10-2-1 month. He ran his home and overall point streaks to 35 (Oct. 19 – March 26: 29-48—77) and 19 (Feb. 13 – March 26: 13-25—38) games, respectively, before being held off the scoresheet March 28 vs. NYR. The former finished as the second-longest home point streak in NHL history – behind Wayne Gretzky’s unblemished 1988-89 home campaign (33-70—103 in 40 GP w/ LAK) – while the latter made MacKinnon the first player in League history to produce two separate point streaks of at least 19 games within the same season (also Nov. 20 – Dec. 27: 13-23—36). MacKinnon rebounded from his lone pointless outing with 2-2—4 March 30 vs. NSH, his eighth multi-point performance of the month, third with four points and second with multiple goals. The 28-year-old MacKinnon tops the NHL with 47-80—127 through 75 total contests this season, the second-most points in one campaign in franchise history behind Peter Stastny in 1981-82 (46-93—139 in 80 GP w/ QUE). MacKinnon also sits among the 2023-24 leaders in shots on goal (1st; 369), power-play points (2nd; 44), assists (3rd; 80), power-play assists (3rd; 34), goals (4th; 47), game-winning goals (t-4th; 9) and plus/minus (t-6th; +32).

THIRD STAR – FILIP FORSBERG, LW, NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Forsberg shared second place in goals (12) and finished fifth in points (23) across 13 outings (12‑11—23) to help the Predators (43-27-4, 90 points) move into the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference via a 9-2-2 month, highlighted by a franchise-record 18-game point streak from Feb. 17 – March 26 (16-0-2). Forsberg found the scoresheet in all but one of his March appearances, ending the month on a nine-game point streak (March 10-30: 8-9—17) that also featured a Nashville-record seven-game goal streak (March 13-28: 8-7—15). Overall, Forsberg scored in nine of his March contests, registered seven multi-point performances and collected a trio of game-winning goals (March 7 vs. BUF, March 13 at WPG and March 23 vs. DET). He also potted his franchise-record ninth career hat trick (March 7 vs. BUF) – five more than any other player in Predators history – and reached the 40-goal milestone for the second time (March 26 vs. VGK) – a first in team history. The 29-year-old Forsberg has played in 74 total contests this season (41-43—84), placing among the League leaders in game-winning goals (t-2nd; 10), shots on goal (5th; 304), goals (9th; 41) and points (13th; 84).