Top 5: Beckett Sennecke, the first rookie to reach 50 points this season

The Montreal Canadiens weren't in action last night. But you know what?

There were still five games played across the league.

Let's take a look at what caught our attention:

The @Canes extended their lead to nine points atop the Metropolitan Division during Wednesday's five-game slate.#NHLStats: https://t.co/23DxKDKiYC pic.twitter.com/udYjsafUjJ

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) March 5, 2026

Beckett Sennecke, the first rookie to reach 50 points this season

Beckett Sennecke is having a good first season in the National League.

He's big, he's strong… and he's not afraid to use his body to create space on the ice. That also helps him score goals…

Last night, the young Ducks player became the first rookie to reach the 50-point mark this season. He did so by assisting on his team's first goal of the game… and then beating the Islanders' goalie with a generous rebound:

Sennecke pots No. 20 and ties Schaefer for the rookie goal-scoring lead pic.twitter.com/8dl75Hyc0P

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) March 5, 2026

50 POINTS FOR BECKETT SENNECKE!

He joins this list of rookies who have been first to the milestone in recent years. pic.twitter.com/MsrNNZXCwe

— NHL (@NHL) March 5, 2026

Right now, the race for the Calder Trophy is still tight… although I would give the trophy to Matthew Schaefer. In terms of points among rookies, it looks like this:

It should be noted that the Ducks made short work of the Islanders last night.

Sennecke got the better of Schaefer as his club won by a score of 5-1…

2: Another loss for the Leafs

The Leafs were visiting New Jersey last night, and the Devils honored Auston Matthews before the game for his gold medal at the Olympics.

Jack Hughes joined him at center ice, and it was a beautiful moment for the guys:

Gold medalists Aerin Frankel, Megan Keller, and Haley Winn were honored before puck drop… and even brought Jack Hughes and Auston Matthews along for the ceremonial faceoff pic.twitter.com/CEdwLcZUnF

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) March 5, 2026

The score was tied 2-2 with only a few minutes left to play, and Matthew Knies took advantage of the opportunity to give the Leafs the lead.

His 16th goal of the season came at just the right time… or almost:

Matthew Knies buries one and the Leafs have the late lead pic.twitter.com/Fo959fZdVh

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 5, 2026

I say “almost” because the Devils weren't done yet.

Connor Brown tied the game late in the third period, and the game went to a shootout.

A great rush by Luke Hughes and the @NJDevils have tied it late!

: @ESPNPlus https://t.co/m0LyTCHYnH
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/iibeJ4p5wz

— NHL (@NHL) March 5, 2026

The Devils managed to win the shootout… and the Leafs lost AGAIN .

The Toronto club has a record of 0-3-2 since returning from the Olympic break. Things aren't going well in Toronto… and with the trade deadline just hours away, we can expect some shakeups in the Queen City.

3: Hat trick for Nikolaj Ehlers

Nikolaj Ehlers is a natural passer, but he's still capable of scoring goals.

The proof?

The player who signed a big contract in Carolina last summer helped his club defeat the Canucks last night (6-4) by scoring a hat trick.

It's his seventh career hat trick in the National Hockey League:

Nikolaj Ehlers picks up his seventh career hat trick! pic.twitter.com/ervnevsqTT

— NHL (@NHL) March 5, 2026

Things are going really, really well for the Canes these days.

The club has an 8-1-1 record in its last 10 games and is really starting to take off. It's hard to ask for more… and now we have to wonder if the Hurricanes can keep their momentum going until the end of the season so they can enter the playoffs on the right foot.

4: Robert Thomas remains unfazed

Robert Thomas is well aware that his name is at the center of several rumors right now.

But that doesn't seem to bother him.

The Blues star scored the winning goal for his team last night against the Kraken, and St. Louis won the game 3-2:

Robert Thomas buries one from the slot to extend the Blues' lead Ὤ pic.twitter.com/7bzL0PxXPm

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 5, 2026

Sometimes players can be distracted when their name is being bandied about, as has been the case with Thomas for several weeks now.

But clearly, he is not one of those players. He put the noise aside last night and found a way to play a great game and help his team win.

Well done!

5: Big finish in Detroit

We're now at the end of the game between the Wings and the Golden Knights.

The score is 3-2 in favor of Detroit… but that's when Mitch Marner stepped up to tie the game.

It was also his 60th point of the season:

Mitch Marner's 60th point of the season ties it up in Detroit pic.twitter.com/kQhQ4ShDu2

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 5, 2026

During the game, it should also be noted that Dylan Larkin had to leave for his team's locker room after receiving a rather questionable hit.

It could have been really dangerous:

Dylan Larkin heads down the tunnel after taking a cross-check from Brayden McNabb
pic.twitter.com/NyRqNG281q

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) March 5, 2026

Overtime was necessary in the game… and it was ultimately Tomas Hertl who played the hero in overtime.

The Knights won 4-3, despite trailing by two goals at the start of the third period:

THAT'S A COMEBACK

The @GoldenKnights erase a 3-1 deficit in the third and win it in @Energizer OT thanks to Tomas Hertl! pic.twitter.com/CWoZ1Y5z6f

— NHL (@NHL) March 5, 2026