Ducks defenseman John Carlson, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes and Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” presented by GEICO for the week ending March 29.
THIRD STAR – JOHN CARLSON, D, ANAHEIM DUCKS
Carlson, 36 (1/10/90), co-led the league with seven assists through three games (0-7=7). He recorded three helpers for his 17th career three-assist outing and second of the season (also: Nov. 19 vs. EDM w/ WSH), in a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, Mar. 24. He assisted on Mikael Granlund's game-tying goal with 3:33 left in regulation and his game-winning goal with one second remaining in overtime in the Ducks 3-2 comeback win over the Calgary Flames, Mar. 26. He also tallied two assists in a 4-2 loss to Edmonton, Mar. 28.
Carlson ranks 12th among league defensemen with 10-44=54 points through 62 games this season. He has recorded eight assists through his last seven contests since being acquired by the Ducks from Washington, Mar. 6. He is the first defenseman in Ducks history to record eight assists in his first seven games with the team, surpassing Jeff Friesen (7 in 7 GP; 2000-01) and J.J. Daigneault (7 in 7 GP; 1996-97). Carlson has recorded 166-613=779 points with a +116 rating and 392 penalty minutes in 1150 career games with Anaheim and Washington (2009-26; 166-605=771, 1143 GP).
FIRST STAR – JAKUB DOBES, G, MONTREAL CANADIENS
Dobes registered a League-best 100 saves on 104 shots against, going 3-0-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average and .962 save percentage to help the Canadiens (42-21-10, 94 points) extend their winning streak to five games (dating to March 21) as they maintained their hold on third place in the Atlantic Division. Dobes made a career-high 41 stops, turning aside each of the last 33 shots he faced, in a 5-2 multi-goal comeback victory against the Carolina Hurricanes March 24. He then yielded one goal in each of his next two starts, making 25 saves in a 2-1 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets March 26 followed by 34 stops (including 26 straight to end the game) in a 3-1 come-from-behind win versus the Hurricanes March 29. The 24-year-old Dobes, a fifth-round pick (136th overall) from the 2020 NHL Draft, leads rookie goaltenders with 25 victories – six more than the next-closest rookie – through 37 total appearances this season (25-8-4, 2.78 GAA, .900 SV%). His 25 wins are the most by a Montreal rookie in a single campaign since Steve Penney in 1984-85 (26-18-8 in 54 GP).
\\SECOND STAR – PAVEL ZACHA, C, BOSTON BRUINS
\\Zacha topped the NHL with 5-3—8 in four contests to propel the Bruins (42-24-8, 92 points) to a trio of wins as they created a four-point cushion for the first Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference. He recorded one assist in a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs March 24. Zacha then collected 1-1—2, assisting on the tying goal with 6:00 remaining in regulation before notching his eighth career overtime winner, in a 4-3 triumph over the Buffalo Sabres March 25. He added 4-1—5 over a pair of weekend games, scoring twice in a 6-3 win against the Minnesota Wild March 28 before posting 2-1—3, including the tying goal with 11.0 seconds left in regulation, in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets March 29 – the ninth three-goal, third-period comeback win in Boston history (and first since March 13, 2018 at CAR). The 28-year-old Zacha ranks third on the Bruins with 28-31—59 through 71 total games this season, matching his career high established in 2023-24 (21-38—59 in 78 GP).
