Howe, Östman, Makar Named AHL's Top Three Stars for March 29

Three players, three different time zones, one dominant Sunday afternoon in the AHL. The league's stars of the night for March 29 belonged to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Tanner Howe, Coachella Valley's Victor Östman, and Colorado's Taylor Makar, each anchoring a winning effort for his club.

Howe earned first-star honors after headlining a 5-1 dismantling of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Mohegan Arena. The rookie winger moved up the lineup and delivered a goal and three assists, driving an offense that scored the game's first five goals and never let the Phantoms breathe. Joona Koppanen and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard were also prominent contributors, but Howe's four-point output gave Wilkes-Barre/Scranton its fourth consecutive win and tightened the team's grip on second place in the Atlantic Division.

Out in Palm Desert, Östman was the story in a 4-1 Coachella Valley victory over the San Jose Barracuda at Acrisure Arena. The Swedish netminder stopped 36 of 37 shots and delivered the moment of the game when he stoned Egor Afanasyev on a penalty shot with under three minutes remaining to preserve the lead. Mitchell Stephens, J.R. Avon, Jakov Novak, and Lleyton Roed provided the offense, but the Firebirds' fifth straight win was built on Östman's composure and a 5-for-5 penalty kill. Coachella Valley, now 37-21-5-0, has turned itself into one of the Pacific Division's most dangerous teams in the second half of the season.

In Denver, Taylor Makar took a simpler but equally decisive path to his third-star recognition: score twice in a 2-1 win over the Calgary Wranglers. The Colorado Eagles needed every bit of it, with goaltender Trent Miner making 31 saves to protect the slim margin. Makar, who has shuttled between Colorado and the NHL's Avalanche roster this season, delivered the kind of performance that makes those call-up decisions easy to understand. His two-goal effort gave the Eagles a tight victory and kept them relevant in a crowded Pacific standings race.

Three teams, three wins. On a Sunday afternoon that swept coast to coast, Howe, Östman, and Makar each made the AHL's case that March hockey is worth watching.