Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet offered a positive update on goaltender Thatcher Demko's uncertain status Wednesday.Tocchet said Demko has "improved immensely the last 72 hours" but wouldn't say if the netminder could be an option in Vancouver's second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji.Demko has been out since Game 1 of the first round versus the Nashville Predators with a knee injury. Reports last week suggested he'd be unavailable until at least Game 5 of the second round.The Vezina Trophy finalist went 35-14-2 with a .918 save percentage in 51 games this season. He missed 14 contests during the regular season with an unrelated knee injury.After backup Casey DeSmith was injured in Game 3 against the Predators, third-stringer Arturs Silovs took over the Canucks' crease and hasn't looked back. The Latvian has won four of seven starts and has a .907 save percentage in the playoffs, including a Game 6 shutout in Nashville to clinch the series for Vancouver.The Canucks lost 3-2 in Tuesday's Game 4 and return to Vancouver with the series even at 2-2 against the Oilers.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Monday's Game 4 took an unexpected turn before the puck even dropped at Colorado's Ball Arena. An Avalanche team expected to bounce back from two straight losses and even the series was now without its leading goal-scorer this postseason, Valeri Nichushkin, after he was suspended for six months for failing a drug test. To make matters worse, Devon Toews was also announced out with an illness.As a result, Colorado closed as a pick 'em after being widely available at -140 (58.3% implied win probability). The Avs then fell behind after a lifeless period, continuing a trend that hasn't seen them lead in regulation this series.Now Colorado faces elimination. What should we make of Wednesday's Game 5?Game 5: Avalanche (+130) @ Stars (-150)Since Dallas and Colorado both opened -140 as the home team in Games 5 and 4, respectively, we can infer that the market is still rating these two teams identically.We didn't think they were equal before the series due to the Stars' even-strength metrics and superior goaltending, and there's little reason to believe that now. Dallas has 9.28 expected goals at even strength to Colorado's 6.12 since Game 1, when the Stars entered the series less than 48 hours after a Game 7 revenge win over Vegas.Neither goaltender has played much better or worse than expected. That's more of a problem for Colorado, since it's likely either a bad game is coming for Alexandar Georgiev or a great one is coming for Jake Oettinger.The Stars have played in five series since missing the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, all of which have gone six games or more. They should have ample motivation not to take a wounded Avalanche group lightly and earn much-needed rest halfway through a postseason run.With Nichushkin out, Toews' status up in the air, and the Stars' strong showing, it's no surprise that Dallas has garnered interest. The Stars have been pushed to -150 to close out the series, which is still below our target threshold of -170.Best bet: Stars moneyline (-150)Nathan MacKinnon: Over 4.5 shotsMacKinnon let us down in Game 4, but the volume was as good as it gets. He attempted 12 shots in a losing effort but only got four on target.MacKinnon's attempted 12 or more shots on 14 different occasions this season. Game 4 was the only time he failed to reach five shots.I expect MacKinnon to hover around that mark again in Game 5. The Avalanche are playing for their season, so he should be heading for an absurdly large workload as long as the game is remotely close.Valeri Nichushkin's absence could boost his volume as well. MacKinnon averaged 4.6 shots per game on 8.1 attempts with Nichushkin in the fold, going over his total just 36% of the time. He recorded 5.4 shots on 8.9 attempts without Nichushkin, with his hit rate soaring to 66%.A lot will fall on MacKinnon's shoulders in this do-or-die game. Expect him to come through.Odds: -102 (playable to -125)Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers were full of praise for goaltender Calvin Pickard after he backstopped the team to a crucial Game 4 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday."He looked like a guy that had played 100 playoff games," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters. "Composed, really solid, seeing the puck really well. ... A lot of nice plays. Not only that, just the confidence being in net. I don't know how many times he played the puck really well. That's not a guy who's nervous at all, he's enjoying it."Game 4 was Pickard's first career start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 32-year-old made 19 saves on 21 shots.Knoblauch wouldn't confirm whether Pickard would start Game 5, but the bench boss noted "his body of work from (Game 4) allows us to have a lot of confidence in him if we did."Pickard posted a .909 save percentage in 23 games this season. It's the most NHL contests he's played in a campaign since 2017, which he spent with the Colorado Avalanche."Obviously, drafted in Colorado, played there for a couple years, you think you're gonna be on the same team your whole career," Pickard told reporters. "Then, 10 teams later, you're here. It's been a great journey, there's been a lot of learning experiences for me. I don't regret any of it. I'm grateful for this opportunity and just ride it out."Star forward Leon Draisaitl lauded Pickard on and off the ice."Unbelievable. What an awesome guy, what an awesome story," he told reporters. "All year, he's given us a chance to win, and every time he's in there, it seems like he's standing on his head. Super proud of him, not an easy thing to do."Pickard and the Oilers evened the series 2-2 with the victory and travel to Vancouver for Game 5 on Thursday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers prevailed 3-2 in Game 4 against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, evening the series at 2-2 in dramatic fashion.After Brock Boeser tied it for the Canucks, Evan Bouchard scored the game-winner just over one minute later with 39 seconds remaining in regulation.

Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet singled out Elias Pettersson following Tuesday's 3-2 loss in Game 4 to the Edmonton Oilers."He needs to get going," Tocchet said, per The Athletic's Thomas Drance. "I don't know what else to say."Pettersson has managed just one goal and three assists in 10 games so far this postseason. He's been held to just one point in the series.The star Swede is not the only Canucks player who needs to elevate their game, though, according to the Jack Adams Award finalist. Tocchet had some harsh words for several other unnamed players who he believes aren't carrying their weight."We need five or six guys to get going here. I mean, this is the Stanley Cup Playoffs," he said. "There's some guys, I don't know if they (knew) it was the playoffs. We can't play with 12 guys."Tocchet added: "You can't win if you have five, six, or seven passengers. It's playoff hockey. One of those guys can be the hero for us next game, but they've got to step it up."The rest of the Canucks' core is performing as expected in the postseason, as Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller, and Quinn Hughes are all producing above or near a point-per-game clip.The Canucks have been outscored 2-1 while Pettersson has been on the ice at five-on-five in Round 2 and have controlled 44.1% of the expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick.Pettersson ranked third on the Canucks with 89 points in 82 games during the regular season.The series sits at 2-2 heading back to Vancouver for Game 5 on Thursday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Story contains coarse languageFlorida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice didn't hesitate to justify his Game 5 tirade Tuesday, saying after the contest that his team were short on profanity."I don't know the exact words of the message. I wasn't mad at them. I understood what they were going through. I just thought they needed some profanity in their life, and I brought some," Maurice explained postgame. "I don't excel at a lot of things in life, but fuck me, am I good at that."

New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba is the 2024 winner of the Mark Messier Leadership Award, the league announced Tuesday.The award is given "to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey."Messier, a Hockey Hall of Famer and former Rangers captain, picks the winner with suggestions from team and league personnel. Messier led the Rangers to their last Stanley Cup win 30 years ago.Trouba is in his second season as New York's captain and is the first Rangers player to win the award in its 18-year existence.The hard-hitting defenseman helped the Rangers win the Presidents' Trophy this season. He recorded 22 points in 69 games while averaging 21:15 of ice time per contest.Off the ice, Trouba is involved with the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which helps bring life-changing opportunities to young people facing illness, financial challenges, or the death or injury of a family member in uniform. He also supports the Epilepsy Foundation in New York and runs a youth hockey camp.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov spoke candidly on Tuesday about the Game 3 melee that resulted in Carson Soucy being suspended for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid."He's a big part of our team," Zadorov told reporters. "Obviously it's a big loss for us. ... At the end of the day, (the NHL has) to protect their investment. So that's my understanding of the situation."Soucy is unavailable for Tuesday's Game 4 clash as he serves a one-game suspension. Zadorov was handed a $5,000 fine for his actions in the fracas.

Austria nearly pulled off an all-time comeback against Canada at the men's IIHF World Championship on Tuesday.Trailing 6-1 entering the third period, Austria scored five unanswered goals on nine shots to force overtime.Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi, the only active NHLer from Austria, netted the tying goal with 49 seconds left in regulation after a turnover from Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle.

Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin will be unavailable for the remainder of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs after entering stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, the league announced Monday."Under the terms of the joint program, Nichushkin will be suspended without pay for a minimum of six months and then will be eligible to apply for reinstatement," the NHL's statement reads.Nichushkin recently failed a drug test, sources told Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.The 29-year-old missed 22 games during the 2023-24 regular season while in the player assistance program.If he violates the stage 3 treatment plan, Nichushkin will enter stage 4 and be suspended without pay for at least one year, and reinstatement will not be guaranteed.Nichushkin missed Games 3-7 of the Avalanche's Round 1 series against the Seattle Kraken in 2023 for what was deemed "personal reasons" after an incident at a Seattle hotel. A team doctor found an intoxicated woman in his hotel room the day of Game 3 and called an ambulance to transport her to a hospital, per a Seattle police report. Nichushkin didn't face any criminal charges and apparently would've been cleared to play in Round 2 had the Avs advanced.The power forward will be sorely missed by the Avalanche. He recorded 53 points in 54 games during the regular season and is tied for the league lead with nine goals in eight games so far this postseason."Val, obviously, is struggling with something," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said following Colorado's 5-1 loss in Game 4 without Nichushkin. "I have two thoughts. Yeah, it sucks for our team. We've gotta turn the page. We gotta go play way better than we did today. ..."The second one is I've gotten to know Val as a person and I've gotten to know him as one of our teammates and a player and I want what's best for him."Nichushkin's nameplate was already replaced in the Avs' locker room."He made his decisions," teammate Jack Johnson said, per The Denver Post's Corey Masisak. "That's all I'm going to say on that. He made his decisions."The Avalanche signed Nichushkin to an eight-year, $49-million extension in July 2022.The Russian winger has played nine NHL seasons, recording 274 points in 512 games. He was drafted 10th overall by Dallas in 2013 and spent four seasons with the Stars before signing with Colorado as a free agent in 2019.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Monday night wasn't kind to us on the ice. After previously hitting in all 13 games in which he attempted at least 12 shots, Nathan MacKinnon found the target only four times on a dozen tries. And Jake Guentzel couldn't get to three shots despite sitting at two a minute into the second period. Ouch.We'll look to rebound with three props for the NHL's Tuesday night two-pack.Aleksander Barkov: Over 0.5 assistsBarkov continues to be an assist machine. He's recorded eight through nine playoff games and five in this series against the Bruins.The Finn's track record against Boston is strong. Barkov has posted 17 assists in his previous 20 games versus the club, including 10 in the last 10.And his home splits against the Bruins are downright absurd. Barkov has 11 assists over his last nine home games and has picked up at least one in eight contests. For whatever reason, Barkov has no problem creating goals against one of the league's stingiest teams.The Panthers have generated more expected goals at five-on-five with Barkov on the ice in this series than with any other forward. He's getting plenty of opportunities at full strength while serving as a primary distributor on the power play.Nobody on Florida's top unit has more power-play points than Barkov in this series, and nobody on that No. 1 unit has attempted fewer shots.Barkov is looking to pass, and he's doing a great job of finding teammates in dangerous areas. Expect that to continue Tuesday.Odds: -110 (playable to -130)Matthew Tkachuk: Over 3.5 shotsTkachuk's shot generation has been excellent in this series. He leads all players with 17 shots on target through four games, and his volume has increased throughout the series. Tkachuk has piled up 12 shots over the past two games while attempting eight-plus in each.The 26-year-old has a strong history against the Bruins, particularly in Florida. Tkachuk recorded four shots or more in seven of the last nine at home versus Boston.Opponent aside, he's also ramped his shooting up in the playoffs. Tkachuk has cleared this line in seven of nine games during this run.The Panthers have steamrolled the Bruins with Tkachuk on the ice at five-on-five, winning the shot attempt battle 61-34. They've dominated during Tkachuk's minutes, and he should see plenty of ice time Tuesday with a chance to end the series.Look for Tkachuk to live around the paint and pick up a handful of shots.Odds: -130 (playable to -140)Evander Kane: Under 2.5 shotsTo say Kane's had a miserable time against the Canucks would be an understatement. The veteran winger has faced Vancouver seven times between the 2023-24 regular season and playoffs, recording two shots or fewer in each game. He's also combined for only four shots over their last four meetings.The Canucks are an excellent defensive team. They give up few shooting opportunities and are willing to get into the lane to block the ones they concede. That's why Kane has failed to enjoy any form of success against them, even in games when his attempt volume is solid.Kane's had no success against the Canucks, and his ice time is dwindling, having logged fewer than 15 minutes in two of the past three games.If Kane isn't getting a full workload against an elite shot-suppression team, I see plenty of value in backing the under.Odds: -140 (playable to -160)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard confirmed he's starting Tuesday's critical Game 4 against the Vancouver Canucks, according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.Pickard's start will be his first of the playoffs. He relieved Stuart Skinner for the third period Edmonton's Game 3 loss, stopping all three shots he faced. The limited action was Pickard's first taste of the NHL postseason in his nine-year career.Skinner has struggled during these playoffs, particularly since the start of the second round. He's allowed 12 goals in three games against the Canucks for a .793 save percentage after owning a .910 clip in five contests against the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1.After Edmonton's Game 3 defeat, head coach Kris Knoblauch said the club "needs more saves." The Oilers outshot the Canucks 45-18 in the contest but lost 4-3.Pickard made 23 appearances for the Oilers this season, going 12-7-1 with a .909 save percentage.Puck drop is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET with Vancouver holding a 2-1 series lead.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand is unavailable for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Florida Panthers, head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed.Marchand participated in Boston's Tuesday morning skate but will miss a second consecutive contest after sustaining an upper-body injury from a hit by Sam Bennett in Game 3.The Bruins trail 3-1 in the series. The Panthers grabbed a commanding lead with a comeback victory in Game 4, sparked by a controversial tying goal by Bennett. The tally stood after a goalie interference review, and Florida jumped ahead on the scoreboard in the third period.The hotly debated goal prompted Bruins general manager Don Sweeney to suggest referees answer for controversial calls by making officials available to the media after games.Marchand is Boston's top scorer this postseason, recording 10 points in 10 contests.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Tuesday's matchups feature a doubleheader of sizeable home favorites, but the two scenarios couldn't be more different. The underdog Bruins face elimination at the paws of the Panthers, while the Canucks still aren't getting much credit in the market despite having a 2-1 series lead over the Oilers.Let's investigate the odds for each game and see if there's anything worth playing Tuesday night.Game 5: Bruins (+175) @ Panthers (-210)We came into this series thinking it might end earlier than the betting market suggested. The idea for taking under 5.5 games (+135) was that Boston would need to jump on the Panthers early to mitigate the effects of a long first-round series with the Bruins playing every second night for nearly a month.That happened, but for one game. The other reason we bet on a short series is because the Panthers are considerably better, which has come to the forefront with three straight Florida wins. Now we're sitting on a ticket that cashes with a Panthers win Tuesday, a bet that doubles as a moneyline wager at considerably better odds.Speaking of the pricing, the betting market closed with Florida as -160 favorites before the club's two home games - an implied win probability of 61.5%. After two wins in Boston, the Panthers are now -210 in Sunrise to close out the Bruins. That's an implied win probability of 67.7%.What's changed for Boston to make it theoretically 6% less likely to win? Losing captain Brad Marchand is the obvious difference. But even though it lost both home games, the Bruins generated 20 even-strength high-danger chances to Florida's 12.A price shift to this degree, combined with competitive analytics, would normally lead us toward a bet on the underdog. However, if you're holding a ticket that cashes with a Panthers win, there's no reason to do anything but stand pat.Game 4: Canucks (+175) @ Oilers (-210) In any fairly priced matchup, you look for spots in the series where the pricing might become askew.The Canucks were the better team in Game 1, but for more than two periods, it looked like a rough outing from Arturs Silovs (minus-2.28 GSAx) would cost them. An Oilers win would've likely overvalued them in the market, but Vancouver's thrilling comeback splashed water on that and created a desperation level from Edmonton in Game 2 that we don't like to fade.With the series tied, the Canucks jumped out to leads of 3-1 and 4-2 in Game 3 before going into a defensive posture in the third period. Silovs spiked up with 2.62 goals saved above expected (GSAx), while Stuart Skinner cratered, allowing 2.52 goals more than expected.Considering Edmonton recorded only two more high-danger chances than Vancouver at five-on-five, had one more power play, and played over three minutes of six-on-five hockey, does a game with a misleading 45-18 shot total carry a price adjustment? Only if you think the underdog Canucks are better than the +175 moneyline suggests.Two goaltenders capable of significant highs and lows aren't something we should be dying to predict nightly. The Oilers could further complicate things by turning to Calvin Pickard in Game 4, a goalie with a regular season GSAx/60 right around the NHL average of 0.15.These teams have combined for 13.06 expected goals at even strength, or 4.35 per game, and that's before accounting for soft goals or those coming from power plays, which are a combined 7-for-17. With three straight contests going over 6.5 goals in this series, Oilers playoff games are now 7-1 to the over. But the betting market hasn't adjusted, leaving the total at 6.5.If you're holding a Canucks +1.5 games ticket from our series preview, you have three chances for that bet to be a winner. For Game 4, the only case to be made for a valuable bet is on either the underdog or the over.Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After a Game 4 win over the Colorado Avalanche in which Wyatt Johnston was the primary difference-maker, Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer couldn't stop gushing about his impact on the team."He was all over the rink," DeBoer said, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "Just fantastic. A fantastic, young hockey player that is going to be a cornerstone, and I have no doubt (he) will wear a letter probably sooner than later for this franchise. Just an incredible kid."Johnston, who turned 21 Tuesday, is tied for second in the playoff goals race with seven and ranks second on Dallas with 11 points in 11 games. He logged two goals and an assist Monday to help the Stars grab a 3-1 series lead over the Avs.Johnston is getting it done in all situations, too. He's the third-youngest player in NHL history to score a shorthanded and power-play goal in the same playoff game, behind Glen Wesley and Wayne Gretzky, according to Statscentre.Additionally, Johnston is the eighth player ever to reach 10 or more playoff goals before turning 21, and he's only the third skater to have four postseason game-winners prior to turning the same age, per NHL public relations. Jaromir Jagr (five) is the only player to have more.Johnston was drafted 23rd overall by the Stars in 2021. He's the draft class' leading scorer with 106 points in 164 regular-season games."It's been a pretty cool a couple of years," Johnston said, "And I'm just really thankful and just so happy to have met some amazing people on the way and just have a chance to be with the Stars and just kind of being around some amazing people."Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday in Dallas with the Stars on the verge of advancing to the Western Conference Final.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars are one win away from a second straight trip to the Western Conference Final after defeating the Colorado Avalanche 5-1 in Game 4 on Monday to take a 3-1 series lead.Wyatt Johnston scored a pair of goals and added an assist on the eve of his 21st birthday to lead the charge.The Avalanche were without two key members of their team on Monday. Valeri Nichushkin, who's tied for the playoff lead with nine goals, was suspended for six months after reportedly failing a drug test. Top-pair defenseman Devon Toews missed the game with an illness.The Stars lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final a year ago.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have met with Craig Berube and Todd McLellan as part of their search for a new head coach, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.Berube was fired by the St. Louis Blues in December, while McLellan was let go by the Los Angeles Kings in February. The Leafs relieved Sheldon Keefe of his duties last week after his fourth first-round exit in five years on the job.After firing Keefe, Toronto general manager Brad Treliving said the club's coaching search will begin immediately. At a press conference Friday, Treliving noted he's seeking a bench boss that can help Leafs players with the intangibles it takes to win in the playoffs.Berube was with the Blues for parts of six seasons, amassing a 206-132-44 record. He helped guide St. Louis to the Stanley Cup in 2019 despite the club sitting at the bottom of the league standings when he took over.The 58-year-old also had a two-year stint with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2013-15.McLellan has led the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, and Kings dating back to the start of his head coaching career in 2008. He's 598-412-134 across 16 years and has earned nine playoff berths. The 56-year-old is a two-time Jack Adams Award finalist.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy one game Monday for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid.The incident occurred at the end of Sunday's Game 3.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is calling for more transparency from the NHL and its officials after Sam Bennett's controversial goal became the primary storyline from Boston's Game 4 loss to the Florida Panthers."Those questions should be directed either at the director or supervisor of officials, supervisor series, and/or the officials," Sweeney said Monday, according to WEEI. "You want full access and transparency? Then put the officials in front of the microphone."He added: "We're not in a position to be criticizing the officials. That's standard protocol. We'll get fined as a result of that, so there's no intention on my point to be critical."Bennett pushed Bruins forward Charlie Coyle into goaltender Jeremy Swayman before potting the equalizer in the second period of Sunday's game. The Panthers went on to win the contest and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We have two high-stakes playoff games on the docket Monday night. The Rangers can close out their series with a win, and the Stars could put the Avalanche on the brink of elimination if they can steal another victory in Colorado.Let's take a look at the best ways to attack the games.Guentzel over 2.5 shots + Stankoven over 1.5 shotsI normally advise playing everything straight, but here's a parlay worth an exception.We'll start with Jake Guentzel. Through four games, he's piled up 18 shots on 33 attempts. That's an average of 4.5 shots and more than eight attempts per contest.Shooting success against the Rangers isn't new for Guentzel. He's had their number for years, recording at least three shots in 15 of their past 17 meetings (most of which came when he played for the Penguins). He routinely soars past his total, averaging 4.7 shots in that frame.With the Hurricanes playing for their season - and struggling to beat Igor Shesterkin with any sort of consistency - Guentzel will surely get a healthy chunk of ice time Monday night. Expect him to take advantage, as he so often does versus New York.Onto the second leg. Logan Stankoven has proven to be a reliable shot-generator. He's recorded multiple shots in 23 of 34 games, good for a 68% hit rate.The talented youngster has taken things up a notch of late, producing two-plus shots in nine of his past 11 outings. That includes three-plus shots in each of the four meetings with the Avalanche while averaging five attempts per game.Stankoven cleared his 1.5 line in 13 of 14 contests when attempting five shots or more. He's extremely reliable when generating this kind of volume.Odds: +142Nathan MacKinnon: Over 4.5 shotsMacKinnon's enjoyed a ton of shooting success against the Stars, particularly in Colorado: He's recorded five shots or more in five of the past six home games against Dallas. His lone failure came in Game 1 of the series, but it wasn't for a lack of opportunity - the superstar attempted nine shots.For perspective, MacKinnon averaged 6.7 shots and cleared five in 16 of the past 20 home games in which he attempted nine shots or more.I think he'll repeat that success in Game 4. The Avalanche are desperate for a win to keep this series tight - and, since they know they can't match the Stars' depth, they rely heavily on their big guns to carry the load. MacKinnon's logged at least 23 in each game this series.Win or lose, I expect MacKinnon to flirt with 25 minutes of ice while firing attempting plenty of shots to go over his shot total.Odds: -110 (playable to -130)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks defensemen Carson Soucy will have a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid at the end of Sunday's 4-3 victory, the league announced.McDavid and Soucy were involved in a scrum following the final horn, and the three-time MVP caught Soucy with a slash in the leg. Soucy retaliated with a slash of his own, then he and Nikita Zadorov cross-checked McDavid at the same time, with Soucy's landing high. Zadorov also received a $5,000 fine for his actions.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there's no such thing as a comfortable situation - let alone in the latter half of a series. Every game is pivotal.Even though they're at different stages and have different series scores, Monday's home teams are surely feeling the pressure.Game 5: Hurricanes (-110) @ Rangers (-110)The Rangers are in unfamiliar territory, coming off their first playoff loss of 2024, so why should their position - still up 3-1 - feel precarious?It starts with the moneyline pricing for Game 5. Like Games 1 and 2 in New York, the odds amount to a coin-flip proposition. Looking at the even-strength metrics for the previous contests at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers deserved a Game 1 win 51% of the time, and the Hurricanes deserved Game 2 about 52% of the time. The betting market can be stubborn, but 50/50 pricing feels appropriate even though New York won both times (the latter in double overtime).Goaltending was the difference in the first two contests. In Game 1, Frederik Andersen disappointed for Carolina. In Game 2, Igor Shesterkin was better by an eyelash in an outing marked by great saves on both sides.G1 GSAxG2 GSAxFrederik Andersen-1.71.83Igor Shesterkin0.132.57The market reacted to a slight overpricing of Carolina in the opening moneyline odds for Game 3, driving the Canes from -170 to -150. Shesterkin stole the matchup with 2.37 goals saved above expected (GSAx), but his Game 4 numbers resembled those from Game 1. With two outstanding games and two average ones from the Russian netminder, predicting his play this series also seems like a 50/50 proposition.Since we can't earnestly do that, we must continue to value what's happening at even strength. The Hurricanes have limited the Rangers' key weapon - the man advantage - by not giving up a power-play goal since Game 2's tying goal and taking just one penalty this past Saturday.For all of Shesterkin's greatness, the Hurricanes are scoring on 17.4% of their even-strength high-danger chances (league average: 12.5%), while creating nine more than the Rangers this series. Carolina's historical issue of not converting its best scoring opportunities clearly doesn't apply in Round 2.Most of that discrepancy came in Raleigh, confirming that the Hurricanes should be able to force a Game 7 if they can extend the series Monday night. This means the Rangers should feel pressure to close out Carolina at home. But we'll bet against New York getting the job done.Best bet: Hurricanes moneyline (-110)Game 4: Stars (+120) @ Avalanche (-140)The Stars' underlying metrics suggest they were a better collective team than the Avalanche in the regular season. But Game 1 tried to trick us.Dallas was gifted three goals in the first period even though the team didn't generate a high-danger chance until the third period (and just one before overtime). In hindsight, a Colorado comeback was inevitable. Then, an experienced Stars group bounced back nicely for a well-earned win in Game 2.All square at one, both teams played arguably their best game of the series in Game 3, but Jake Oettinger (1.86 GSAx) outplayed Alexandar Georgiev (0.87 GSAx).Now the tables have turned. Like the Rangers, the Avalanche won't be eliminated with a loss on Monday, but things would look pretty dicey.Like the Hurricanes, the Avalanche have an advantage in even-strength high-danger chances (28-16). Looking at Colorado's body of work in the playoffs, the team deserves credit for upping its level from the end of the regular season.A -140 price on the moneyline suggests a 58.3% implied win probability, which is worth a bet if we're near 60% sure that Colorado evens the series at home. And betting on a team with that kind of star power and ample experience of its own is a good gamble.Best bet: Avalanche moneyline (-140)Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl opted not to credit Arturs Silovs' performance after Sunday's Game 3 despite the Vancouver Canucks goaltender shining in a 42-save victory."Post is not good goaltending," Draisaitl said after the Oilers' 4-3 loss to fall 2-1 in their second-round series. "We can certainly do a better job of bearing down and capitalizing on our looks."Edmonton controlled 65.25% of the shot attempts, 63.41% of the scoring chances, and 62.73% of the expected goals in Game 3 while carrying a significant advantage during five-on-five play. But the Oilers struggled to make the most of their opportunities by ringing it off the post several times.Draisaitl produced a goal, an assist, and five shots in nearly 30 minutes of ice time in the loss."I thought we were the better team, for the most part," Draisaitl said. "In my eyes, it should have resulted in a win, but you know that's not the way hockey works sometimes. We'll just regroup and get ready for Game 4."The Canucks converted four goals on 18 shots, prompting the Oilers to pull Stuart Skinner for Calvin Pickard to start the third period. Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch said postgame that he believes Skinner will bounce back."We need more saves," Knoblauch said, per NHL.com's Gerry Moddejonge. "Tonight's one that he would like to have back, and we'll see what he's got in the future, whether that's Game 4 or Game 5 or whatever it is. But we'll be seeing Stu again, and I have no doubt that he'll respond and play well."Skinner's save percentage is down to .877 in eight games this postseason. Silovs is operating on a .908 clip since being thrust into goal in the first round after injuries to Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith.Game 4 is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET Tuesday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique was ruled out for Game 3 against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday due to a lower-body injury.Henrique missed Game 1 and logged only 11:38 in Game 2. He averaged 15:52 per contest in Round 1 against the Los Angeles Kings.Connor Brown will draw into the lineup in Henrique's place.Henrique has been a staple in Edmonton's top-six forward group since he was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks at the 2024 trade deadline. He collected six goals and three assists in 22 games with the Oilers during the regular season and has added two points in six playoff contests.The Canucks prevailed 4-3 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 series lead.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The most hated man in Boston evened up Game 4 for the Florida Panthers in controversial fashion.Sam Bennett scored early in the third period amid contact in the crease, and the tally was upheld after it was reviewed for goaltender interference. Bennett appeared to push Bruins forward Charlie Coyle into netminder Jeremy Swayman on the play.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand was forced to sit out Game 4 against the Florida Panthers on Sunday due to an upper-body injury.Marchand suffered the ailment after a collision with Sam Bennett in Game 3 and remains day-to-day.

With 24 of the NHL's 32 teams in offseason mode, the coaching carousel is starting to spin. On Tuesday alone the St. Louis Blues removed the interim tag from Drew Bannister and the Ottawa Senators tabbed Travis Green as their next head coach. The Buffalo Sabres brought back Lindy Ruff in April.But there are still six openings - five if you exclude one team that has yet to make a decision on its interim bench boss. There are plenty of experienced coaches available, too, including Craig Berube, Todd McLellan, Gerard Gallant, Sheldon Keefe, Jay Woodcroft, Dean Evason, and Dave Hakstol.Below, we'll rank the six coaching jobs by appeal. This is not based solely on how good the team is right now but also the stability of the organization's ownership and front office, the club's future outlook, and the off-ice living environment.6. San Jose Sharks Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPros

Toronto Maple Leafs legend Ron Ellis died at 79 years old on Saturday, the team announced.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand is day-to-day with an upper-body injury after colliding with Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett in Game 3, head coach Jim Montgomery announced Saturday.

Victor Hedman doesn't want his contract situation to drag out the way Steven Stamkos' has.The Tampa Bay Lightning stalwart defenseman said he hopes to sign an extension in the offseason that could be the final contract of his illustrious playing career."We've been here from Day 1, and I've been here for almost half my life," Hedman told The Athletic's Joe Smith. "I couldn't picture anything else. It's a process. It's a business. And just moving forward here, my thought process is on next season, and, hopefully, I won't be in the same position as Stammer, but you never know. My plan is to retire a Bolt, and I hope that will come true."Stamkos, Tampa Bay's captain, can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Hedman can be a UFA in 2025.Though Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois wanted to let the season play out before giving Stamkos a new deal, he appears more willing to negotiate with Hedman this offseason."We'd love to keep Victor going forward," BriseBois said, per Smith. "He's an elite, elite defenseman. He's one of the special all-time players, an all-time Tampa Bay Lightning Bolt who is still super productive. There's no reason to believe that won't be the case going forward."Injuries littered the Lightning's blue line in 2023-24, but Hedman was the lone constant. The former Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner produced 76 points in 78 games, good for fifth among NHL defensemen.However, Hedman showed signs of regression, with the 33-year-old recording minus-6.9 defensive goals above replacement, tied for the second-worst among NHL blue-liners, per Evolving-Hockey.Despite Hedman saying he believes he has "a lot of good hockey left" in him, he added, "I'm not going to play until I'm 40."But the Swede said he wants to represent his home nation at the 2026 Olympics, one of the lone feats Hedman has yet to accomplish in his career.The Lightning drafted Hedman second overall in 2009. He ranks second on the franchise's all-time games played list (1,052), third in assists (572), and fifth in points (728).Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins forward Jakub Lauko expressed confusion postgame at the goaltender interference penalty he received early in the third period of a 6-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Friday night.Lauko was driving to the net and had Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad beat, but Ekblad appeared to guide Lauko into Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Leon Draisaitl suited up for the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 of their second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks.Draisaitl declared himself a game-time decision earlier in the day, according to Sportsnet's Mark Spector.The superstar forward added it would take "a lot" to keep him out of the lineup, per The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman."Obviously, it's an important time of year. We all want to be out there and be playing," Draisaitl said.Draisaitl missed the final eight minutes of the second period in Edmonton's series-opening loss Wednesday night but returned for the last frame. He then missed Thursday's practice and was labeled day-to-day by head coach Kris Knoblauch.The 28-year-old German pitched in with two assists and logged just under 17 minutes of ice time in the series opener.Knoblauch said postgame that Draisaitl's absence was due to a combination of cramping and equipment issues, adding that it wasn't a long-term concern.Draisaitl has registered five goals - including two game-winners - and 12 points in six playoff games so far this spring.His 36 career postseason tallies are tied with Craig Simpson and Paul Coffey for the sixth most in franchise history, while Draisaitl's 89 points in 55 playoff games lead the Oilers since his debut in 2014-15.Oilers forward Adam Henrique also played in Game 2 after being a game-time decision himself. Henrique missed Wednesday's game with a lower-body issue.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' brain trust faced the media Friday after another early playoff exit, addressing concerns about the state of the franchise.Recently hired Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) CEO Keith Pelley, president Brendan Shanahan, and general manager Brad Treliving fielded the questions on everyone's minds heading into what projects to be a busy offseason in Toronto.Here are the key points.Shanahan's job security Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesShanahan was widely believed to be on the hot seat this summer but will retain his role."Brendan Shanahan is the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's a champion," Pelley said, referencing Shanahan's playing days.Shanahan was hired by the Maple Leafs in 2014. He declined to comment on his current contract but vowed it won't become a distraction for the team.The core Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / GettyAfter years of unrelenting faith in his club's core, Shanahan struck a different tune when asked if a blockbuster trade might be coming."We will look at everything this summer and consider everything this summer," Shanahan said.He added: "There's a time where you look at the age and the development of players, and you talk about patience. Then there comes a time when you see certain patterns and trends repeat themselves, results repeat themselves. And that's what we have to do this summer."Shanahan declined to talk about specific players, but Mitch Marner and John Tavares are the most common names involved in trade rumors. Both players have full no-trade clauses but are entering the final season of their respective contracts while Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly are in the midst of long-term deals."There comes a time where you have to say that you have new information to you, the information has evolved, and you have to adjust your way of thinking," Shanahan said. "I know the desire is there. I can tell you that every player that has been here the entire time wants to win in Toronto."He continued: "I don't question their dedication, but I do question our ability as a group to get it done in those difficult times."Coaching search and stylistic changes Minas Panagiotakis / Getty ImagesUnsurprisingly, the Leafs' executives were asked about the club's next head coach after firing Sheldon Keefe on Thursday. Shanahan said whoever they bring in to run the bench will have a say in any major personnel decisions, while Treliving didn't tip his hand on any targets."There's some good coaching candidates out there, we intend to explore them," the general manager said. "I'm not going to get into specific individuals. As far as a timeline, we want to be thorough, but we also understand there's other openings."After managing only 12 goals in their series against the Boston Bruins, Treliving made it clear that the Leafs need to make adjustments to create more offense in the playoffs."You score differently in the playoffs than you do in the regular season," he said. "So is it systematic? Is it personnel? I think most of us in this room would understand it's more difficult, you're defended harder, you're played against harder in the playoffs. So we haven't scored enough, our special teams haven't been good enough ... and we seem to be turning the other team's goalie into the first star every night."He continued: "There's some things in this sport, in our games especially this time of year, that are not related to skill, but they help you win. That's not to say you've got to get rid of skill. You need skill, you need talent. You need that to win, but to me, we need a voice that can bring that out."Winning culture Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / GettyPelley, who was brought aboard in January, made his desire to help turn the Maple Leafs into a winning organization clear."Good is simply not good enough," he said. "We need to win. Nothing else matters. No doubt you've heard that before. But I am a thousand percent committed to it."The CEO added: "I cannot comment on what has transpired over the last number of years, but I can tell you that chemistry and unity is the critical components that add with skill in order to be successful. And winning is winning the Stanley Cup."Playoff injuries Claus Andersen / Getty ImagesTreliving unwrapped some of the mystery surrounding injuries to key Leafs in the playoffs.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.The Maple Leafs recently came up short in another Game 7 against the Bruins, marking the 18th time in 19 years they've failed to make the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Another great regular season quickly ending with playoff disappointment has many calling for major change. And it seems like they'll get it.The question is: How drastic will the changes be?The first shoe dropped Thursday when Toronto fired head coach Sheldon Keefe despite a two-year contract extension set to begin in 2024-25. If that's any indication of what's to come, we could be in for a busy summer.For the first time, Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan didn't shoot down the idea of moving one of the team's core players. That was one of the many notable takeaways from Friday's press conference featuring Shanahan, GM Brad Treliving, and MLSE CEO Keith Pelley.

The New Jersey Devils have received permission from the Toronto Maple Leafs to speak with Sheldon Keefe about their head coaching vacancy, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.The Maple Leafs fired Keefe on Thursday, while the Devils axed Lindy Ruff during the season, turning to Travis Green on an interim basis. The Ottawa Senators hired Green to be their new head coach earlier this week.Toronto signed Keefe to a two-year extension in 2023 that hadn't kicked in before he was relieved of his duties.Keefe replaced Mike Babcock behind Toronto's bench in November 2019, marking his first NHL gig after four years with the AHL's Marlies. He led the Maple Leafs to an impressive 212-97-40 regular-season record but was let go after failing to advance past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth time in five tries.The Devils regressed from 112 points in 2022-23 to 81 points this past season. New Jersey was done in by injuries to key players and poor goaltending, which general manager Tom Fitzgerald vowed to address this offseason.The Maple Leafs and Devils make up two of the league's six head coach openings. The Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg Jets, and San Jose Sharks are also in the market for a new bench boss.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs fired head coach Sheldon Keefe after five seasons with the club, the team announced Thursday.Decisions on the rest of the coaching staff are still to come."Today's decision was difficult," general manager Brad Treliving said in a statement. "Sheldon is an excellent coach and a great man; however, we determined a new voice is needed to help the team push through to reach our ultimate goal. We thank Sheldon for his hard work and dedication to the organization over the last nine years, and wish him and his family all the very best."Keefe signed a two-year extension last August that hadn't kicked in yet. The 43-year-old took to X to express his gratitude hours after news of his firing broke.

Next season will be the 20th of the NHL's salary-cap era. Only 10 offer sheets have been signed in that time, eight of them between 2006-2013.In 2021, Jesperi Kotkaniemi joined the Hurricanes after the Canadiens opted not to match the predatory offer sheet tabled by Carolina. Montreal had tried to pry franchise forward Sebastian Aho out of Carolina with an offer sheet three years earlier, so the Kotkaniemi saga was Part 2 of a two-part feud.While it seems unlikely we'll get offer-sheet chaos this offseason, all it takes is one bold general manager and one restricted free agent looking for a change to stop the hockey world in its tracks. That in mind, let's dream for a moment. Here are three restricted free agents with decent offer-sheet cases. Darcy Finley / Getty ImagesCole Perfetti, Jets forward: The 2020 10th overall pick was scratched multiple times near the end of the regular season and for the first four contests of Winnipeg's five-game postseason loss to Colorado. The man making those lineup decisions, Rick Bowness, announced his retirement earlier this week. So, Perfetti might be looking at a clean slate with the Jets.Still, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has only $13.4 million in 2024-25 cap space to fill three-to-five roster spots, while a slew of regulars are set to become unrestricted free agents. Who stays from the list of Tyler Toffoli, Sean Monahan, Dylan DeMelo, Brenden Dillon, Colin Miller, and Laurent Brossoit? A rival executive could try to make Cheveldayoff's life difficult by wooing Perfetti, who's in line to earn $3 million-$4 million per year on a bridge deal. Would $5.5 million do it? The high-IQ forward has produced, recording 75 points over 140 career games despite averaging just 14:10 of ice a night.Anton Lundell, Panthers forward: The 22-year-old Finn has blossomed into a reliable two-way center since making his NHL debut in 2021-22. While Panthers fans might argue Lundell hasn't fully lived up to the hype offensively, he has untapped potential and also suits coach Paul Maurice's system well.Where the offer-sheet curiosity comes in: a whopping 11 players on Florida's 27-man playoff roster are pending UFAs. Some are inconsequential. Others, such as Vladimir Tarasenko, Nick Cousins, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Anthony Stolarz are important but replaceable. Then there's 57-goal scorer Sam Reinhart and top-four defenseman Brandon Montour. Panthers GM Bill Zito has $19.7 million in 2024-25 space and massive calls to make. Lundell's in the same ballpark as Perfetti - $3 million-$4 million a year on a bridge deal. Kevin Sousa / Getty ImagesJeremy Swayman, Bruins goalie: OK, before Bruins fans freak out, yes, I know Swayman's a stud; in the middle of a stellar postseason; and, in all likelihood, Boston's starter for the next handful of seasons. But maybe - just maybe - Swayman would entertain a Godfather offer (such as a yearly salary 50% higher than his actual market value) from a desperate GM salivating at the Conn Smythe Trophy-caliber goaltending he's watching on TV right now.If the money's undeniable and Swayman believes the prospective club can provide a long-term home, the door creaks open. Bruins GM Don Sweeney would then have a decision to make: overpay Swayman, or receive significant draft-pick compensation and ride Linus Ullmark as the No. 1 moving forward.It's a wild scenario. But if a rival really wants to make a splash, this is it.Stars need D-man solution ASAPThe Stars are apparently conducting two experiments in the second round.How many times can a team tempt fate by earning a big early lead before allowing the high-octane Avalanche to claw back? Dallas failed the test in Game 1 and lost 4-3 in overtime. It succeeded in Game 2 with a 5-3 victory.The second experiment: Can a team advance to the conference finals while essentially playing just five defensemen? Nils Lundkvist, who's drawn into the lineup because of Jani Hakanpaa's indefinite absence, is logging 4:35 a night through nine playoff games. The least he's played so far is 1:09. The most he's played is 10 minutes."It's a gauntlet of great teams and there's nowhere to hide," Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said of Lundkvist and his low usage while addressing reporters ahead of Round 2. Sam Hodde / Getty ImagesDeBoer's concerns about Lundkvist's defensive play are reasonable. The offensive blue-liner is unreliable off the puck, and if any team will expose a weaker defender, it's the Avs, who are a nightmare in transition.Yet it's unsustainable to rely so heavily on five blue-liners. The top four guys - Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, Chris Tanev, and Esa Lindell - can shoulder a heavier workload, but Ryan Suter, Lundkvist's partner on the third pair, is another story. He can't handle 19 hard minutes this deep into his career.There's no easy solution here (eighth defenseman Derrick Pouliot isn't a great alternative). However, Lundkvist's confidence should be in a healthy place after a strong Game 2 that featured a nifty assist on the Stars' second goal. This may be DeBoer's best chance to give him a longer leash, even through gritted teeth.Kings' top-of-lineup issueThe Kings lost to the Oilers in the first round for the third year in a row, this time in five games. The fact that Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty remain the club's best players at their respective positions makes the early exit worse.To be clear, it's a good thing that Kopitar, 36, and Doughty, 34, are still playing at near-elite levels. Bucking the aging curve is a feature of this roster, not a bug.The duo's standout play underlines the Kings' lack of difference-makers and how GM Rob Blake has failed to build a robust young core around them despite being unafraid of pursuing notable names on the trade market. Derek Cain / Getty ImagesKevin Fiala and Pierre-Luc Dubois were acquired in separate trades over the past two years. Both forwards had star potential but haven't lived up to expectations. The main pieces moved by L.A. in those deals - defenseman Brock Faber, who's now in Minnesota, and forward Gabe Vilardi, now in Winnipeg - are the ones with the high ceilings. Meanwhile, 2019 No. 5 overall pick Alex Turcotte is flirting with being a bust if he doesn't break out next season.Again, where are the stars? (And, no, Adrian Kempe doesn't quite qualify.)It's possible Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke, both 21, blossom into full-fledged stars. (Byfield's already an impact NHLer.) But the chances are slim that their primes will overlap with the final productive years for Kopitar and Doughty. In the end, Byfield and Clarke might simply replace the veterans in the hierarchy and be the ones without enough help at the top of the lineup.In other words, Blake and the Kings could be stuck in a vicious cycle.Parting shotsElusive greatness: A colleague recently made an observation about the 2010 draft: Unlike most others, there isn't a single pick with a bulletproof case to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. No. 1 Taylor Hall won the 2018 Hart Trophy. No. 2 Tyler Seguin leads the class in assists and points. Jeff Skinner leads in games played and goals. Cam Fowler and Frederik Andersen have enjoyed the best careers among the defensemen and goalies (which is not a compliment!). And ... that's about it - for now, anyway. There's still runway for these 32-year-olds. Mark Stone's the biggest "what if." While he's looked like a future Hall of Famer for stretches, Stone's been limited to 640 games due to injuries, and he's missed out on winning the Selke Trophy in part due to the bias against wingers. The 2011 draft produced Nikita Kucherov; 2009 produced Victor Hedman; 2008 produced Steven Stamkos, Drew Doughty, and Erik Karlsson; 2007 produced Patrick Kane. Yeah, you get the point.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Another day, another pair of playoff games.Let's take a look at a few plays that stand out from the rest of the board.Aleksander Barkov: Over 0.5 assistsBarkov's playmaking has hit another level of late. He has 10 assists over his last 10 games, including three through two games against the Bruins.Boston's long been an excellent defensive team with elite-level goaltending, but that hasn't stopped Barkov from torching it. He has at least one assist in seven of the last eight versus the Bruins, and 11 of 14 when zooming out further. He's on an incredible run.I expect the good times to continue in Game 3. The Panthers have caved the Bruins in with Barkov on the ice at five-on-five in this series. They've won the shot-attempt battle 36-20 and controlled better than 72% of the expected goals.Barkov is playing with a pair of excellent finishers in Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk at full strength. He also skates on the top power play, where he's clearly happy to defer to other shooters. Nobody on the top unit has attempted fewer power-play shots than Barkov in this series.Odds: +110 (playable to -125)Carter Verhaeghe: Over 3.5 shotsVerhaeghe's skating on the top line with Tkachuk and Barkov. While both of his linemates have already scored in the series, and Verhaeghe hasn't, it's Verhaeghe who's piling up the shots against Boston.He's generated 12 shot attempts and nine scoring chances at five-on-five alone. Tkachuk (four attempts, three chances) and Barkov (four attempts, two chances) have deferred to Verhaeghe as the go-to shooter on the line.He's maintained that role on the top power play as well. Verhaeghe has recorded more attempts and chances than anybody on the Panthers while up a man.Put it all together, and Verhaeghe's piled up 22 attempts and 15 chances through two games, well clear of any player on either side.With top-tier linemates in all situations and extremely strong volume, Verhaeghe is worth backing again in Game 3.Odds: +107 (playable to -120)Evan Bouchard: Over 0.5 assistsBouchard tallied 64 assists during the regular season and has ramped things up even further in the playoffs. He has nine assists through six games, including one in Game 1 against the Canucks.Bouchard sets up a ton of shots in the offensive zone while quarterbacking the offense. He's also attempted at least five shots in every playoff game thus far, helping create rebounds and possible deflections.He touches the puck a ton on the most dangerous power play in the league and often plays behind either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl at even strength. He couldn't possibly get better usage for creating offense.The Canucks' goaltending is a big question mark right now, and I'm expecting the Oilers to strongly test it as they look to grind out a split and steal home-ice advantage.I expect they'll generate more shots/chances and score a handful of goals en route to a win. Look for Bouchard to pick up at least one assist, as he's done in 18 of his past 30 games (60%).Odds: -130 (playable to -145)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks can double the Edmonton Oilers' deficit Friday in Game 2 of their second-round playoff clash. How these key players perform throughout the series will shape the final result.J.T. Miller: Vancouver's offensive and spiritual leader said, then proved, that he savors the intensity of the postseason. Several Canucks are dynamic talents, but Miller - a 100-point, rough-and-tumble, defensively attentive center - drives the bus. His sweet tip incited Edmonton's Game 1 meltdown. Vancouver has quieted the Predators' and Oilers' top forward lines when Miller has been on the ice to shadow them.Connor McDavid: The Hart Trophy finalist lacked burst in Game 1 and consistently failed to gain a step on Miller or Vancouver's tall, rangy, physical defensemen. McDavid didn't put a shot on net for just the 19th time in 700 NHL appearances (regular or postseason), per Stathead. For McDavid to dominate without firing the puck, his stickhandling has to mesmerize the defense and open passing lanes.Arturs Silovs: Thatcher Demko's injury didn't sink the Canucks in the Nashville matchup because Silovs and Casey DeSmith authored a joint .928 save percentage. It still feels precarious to deploy a fledgling rookie against McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. To help Silovs in Game 1, Vancouver battened the hatches, crowded the neutral and defensive zones, and held Edmonton to 18 shots, including none for 23 minutes as the lead changed hands. Jeff Vinnick / NHL / Getty ImagesRob Curtis / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images Evander Kane: The 15-year vet has shown he can score in bunches and pelt the net with shots. Kane recorded five multi-goal playoff games in 2022, and his 3.33 shots per night rank third on the Oilers this spring. His chips off the boards during zone entries have led to goals in Edmonton's last two games. He's quick, creative, and capable of sparking offense when it's sorely needed.Elias Lindholm: The disruptive Lindholm line - Dakota Joshua and Conor Garland flank him - netted three goals in both Canucks series openers. Lindholm made that possible by winning faceoffs, forechecking doggedly, and skating to the crease. The January acquisition has bought time for Elias Pettersson, who remains goalless on 11 shots through seven playoff games, to awake from his slumber.Evan Bouchard: The dismal series debut of the Cody Ceci-Darnell Nurse pairing - which was next to the puck on four Canucks goals - puts pressure on Bouchard to be steady. Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm have allowed half as many dangerous shot attempts in the playoffs as Ceci and Nurse, per Natural Stat Trick. On the power play, Bouchard's forceful slapper could begin to trouble Silovs if the Oilers can draw more than one penalty.Tyler Myers: The Canucks ask Myers and Carson Soucy to defend intimidating lines, be it Ryan O'Reilly's or McDavid's trio. Despite conceding good looks, they've only been scored on twice in the playoffs, including when Myers let Zach Hyman waltz to the faceoff dot to beat Silovs five-hole. Vancouver's defense hums when Myers douses more fires than he creates and Quinn Hughes and Nikita Zadorov race up ice to produce points.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers took a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes with a 3-2 overtime victory Thursday.Artemi Panarin was the hero in the extra frame as the Rangers remain undefeated in the postseason.

The New York Rangers had forward Filip Chytil back within their ranks for Thursday's Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes.He registered one shot on goal and two hits in 12 minutes of ice time during the Rangers' 3-2 overtime victory.Chytil was sidelined for the last six months with a suspected concussion and additional setbacks, though New York labeled his ailment as an upper-body injury. He only suited up for 10 regular-season games and last played Nov. 2.The 24-year-old has been medically cleared since mid-April.Chytil skated on the third line with Alex Wennberg and Kaapo Kakko in his return. Fan-favorite rookie Matt Rempe was scratched. Rempe rode the bench for the third period and both overtime frames of New York's 4-3 Game 2 victory.

The only surprising thing about the Toronto Maple Leafs' dismissal of head coach Sheldon Keefe is that it didn't happen a year ago.Yes, yes, there were complicating factors. Team president Brendan Shanahan was on the verge of bringing back general manager Kyle Dubas last spring when a late fallout led to a course change and the somewhat hurried hiring of Brad Treliving to replace Dubas.Treliving didn't have the time for a thorough coaching search and instead stuck with the guy he inherited. The logic is understandable: Why burst through the door, guns blazing, before you've even had the chance to figure out where the executive washrooms are located?But how much more evidence was required to show that Keefe couldn't solve the riddle of the Maple Leafs' annual early exit? They lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2020 postseason - a team that hasn't made the playoffs since. They lost to the Montreal Canadiens the following year, a team that finished last in its division in each of the following three seasons. They lost in the first round in two of the following three seasons after that. Even when they did manage to win a playoff round last season in some strange twist of cosmic fate, they embarrassed themselves with a no-show against the eighth-seeded Florida Panthers.Did they have some bad injury luck and fall victim to the vagaries of knife-edge playoff hockey? Sure. Run into some hot goalies? Yep (mysteriously, the other team always seemed to have the hot goalie). But four kicks at the playoffs is a lot of kicks. Under Keefe, the Leafs were like a luxury car with a steering misalignment: expensive, looks great, but always ends up in the ditch.And while the epitaph for Keefe's time in the job will say that he led great regular-season teams that couldn't get it done in the playoffs, even that is a bit of a stretch. For all of Toronto's high-end talent, the Leafs managed just two second-place finishes and two third-place finishes in the Atlantic Division during Keefe's tenure. (They won the all-Canadian division in the COVID season, then promptly had their most embarrassing playoff loss.) The Leafs always looked a notch below Boston, Tampa Bay, or both, and this year it was Florida's turn to look like a more complete team.That's where the path forward gets tricky: Keefe wasn't able to solve the Leafs, and they will remain a conundrum for the next guy. They have top-end talent that should form the core of a championship contender, but Dubas and now Treliving have been unable to find the right mix of players around them to either provide the scoring depth that's required at playoff time, or perform all the necessary greasy work that would allow the star forwards to cut loose like they might do on a random February night. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThat bit about how the Leafs pay their Core Four so much that it makes roster-building a real challenge? It's not just the ramblings of the internet masses or a tired trope of talk radio. It's a fact. This season, the Leafs spent 48.5% of their salary cap on their top four forwards - Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander - according to CapFriendly. The Avalanche dedicate 44.3% to their top four, made up of three forwards and a defenseman. The Oilers pay 43.5% to their top four, also three forwards and a defender. The Bruins spend 40% on their top four, two forwards and two defensemen. You see the pattern here. The New York Rangers are closest to Toronto with 45.1% of the cap allotted to four guys, but they include two forwards and two defenders.Those extra percentage points of cap room that other teams have beyond their top four players mean they can sprinkle a few million dollars elsewhere, which might have spared the Leafs from the constant churn at the lower end of the roster.Cap constraints mean Treliving will likely end up trying to do the same things he did last summer: picking up veterans on relatively cheap deals, betting that some young and unheralded players can become reliable depth guys, and desperately hoping that the team doesn't enter another April while still trying to identify its No. 1 goaltender.When Shanahan, Treliving, and new MLSE boss Keith Pelley meet the Toronto media on Friday, they are sure to be asked if more substantial changes will be made. Some version of, "How can you possibly run it back again?"And while no one will say, "Because we have to," there's a good chance that's what they are thinking.Could there be some imagined scenarios in which one of Tavares or Marner, both of whom are entering the final year of their contracts and both of whom can block any trade, would consent to a deal out of town for a package that doesn't make the Leafs worse in the short term? It's possible, yes. Is it likely? Not in the least.Which means the next Toronto Maple Leafs head coach will be given more or less the same assignment as Sheldon Keefe and Mike Babcock before him. Here's your team, with some great parts, some good parts, and some that were all we could squeeze under the cap: See if you can figure it out.Scott Stinson is a contributing writer for theScore.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We put together another 1-2 card Wednesday night, which feels very disappointing given how the games played out.The Canucks scored five goals but Quinn Hughes - their assists leader - didn't pick one up despite logging more than 25 minutes of ice. Matthew Tkachuk also put forth a shotless performance in a dominant performance by the Panthers in which they recorded 18 more shots than the Bruins. Go figure.Thankfully, Evan Bouchard came through with an assist to help us avoid a reverse sweep.Let's dive into my favorite plays for Thursday's card as we look to rebound.Seth Jarvis: Over 0.5 pointsJarvis has hit another gear offensively of late, picking up 13 points over his last 10 games.He's been unstoppable on home ice thus far, recording six playoff points through just three contests in Carolina.Of course, the Rangers are a different beast than the Islanders, but I like Jarvis' chances of staying hot in Game 3.Through two outings, the Hurricanes generated 3.5 expected goals and 28 scoring chances with Jarvis on the ice. That's only amounted to one Hurricanes goal, which the young forward got in on.With a big dose of five-on-five ice time - not to mention a juicy role on the top power-play unit - Jarvis is put in the best positions to create offense.Perhaps with the help of an empty net, I think the Hurricanes score three-plus goals en route to a Game 3 win. If that's the case, I like Jarvis' chances of getting involved.Odds: -140 (playable to -150)Igor Shesterkin: Over 29.5 savesShesterkin has insane home/road splits. He's gone over this total just 19% of the time at Madison Square Garden, a stark contrast from his 45% away hit rate.Over his last 10 road dates, Shesterkin's averaged 31 saves, which includes a pair of contests against a lifeless Capitals squad.The Hurricanes are a different story. They just put up a 42-shot regulation performance against the Rangers.Their Game 1 numbers were much lower, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. They attempted 72 shots but couldn't find a way to get them to the net.The Canes are back home now and will control the matchups, which is a plus. They're also completely desperate. Down 0-2, this contest is essentially do-or-die for the Hurricanes. I expect them to put their best foot forward and throw everything but the kitchen sink at Shesterkin.I wouldn't be surprised if he puts up 35-plus saves in regulation alone.Odds: -125 (playable to -145)Wyatt Johnston: Over 0.5 pointsJohnston had a great regular season and has taken things up a notch in the playoffs. He leads all Stars forwards in five-on-five ice time and he's taking full advantage of it.He's produced eight points through as many games and has been the Stars' biggest offensive threat by a country mile. Johnston has 15 more shot attempts and 18 more scoring chances than his next closest teammates.The expected goals numbers might be even crazier: Johnston has piled up 5.7 expected goals, and Tyler Seguin slots below him with 2.56. That's an insane gap.With five points through five home contests, Johnston is poised to make an impact in a crucial Game 2 versus the Avalanche.Odds: -145 (playable to -155)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes will start goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov for Thursday's crucial Game 3 against the New York Rangers, head coach Rod Brind'Amour announced.Frederik Andersen had started every Carolina playoff game this year before the switch. He went 4-1 with a .912 save percentage against the New York Islanders in Round 1 but has allowed eight goals in two losses to open the series against the Rangers while counterpart Igor Shesterkin has shined.Kochetkov was Carolina's most-used goaltender this season with 40 starts, but he took a back seat to Andersen after the veteran returned from a blood clotting issue that sidelined him for most of the campaign.Kochetkov was 23-13-4 with four shutouts and a .911 save percentage in the regular season. He's 1-3 lifetime in the playoffs with an .858 clip.Puck drop for Game 3 is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET with New York leading the series 2-0.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Late Tuesday night, defenseman Jalen Chatfield intercepted a pass behind the Carolina Hurricanes' net and whipped the puck down the ice to kill time on a New York Rangers power play during the second overtime frame in Game 2.Phew, crisis averted - or so Chatfield thought.Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin stepped out of his crease and made a one-touch pass to Mika Zibanejad at center ice. Zibanejad made a clean entry into the Hurricanes' zone before losing the puck along the wall. Chris Kreider was nearby to regain possession and feed Artemi Panarin in the high slot. A Carolina player blocked Panarin's shot, but Zibanejad was nearby to whack at the rebound. Shot stopped again. This time, Vincent Trocheck was nearby.Trocheck, a former Cane, promptly shoveled the puck through Frederik Andersen's five-hole for the Rangers' fourth power-play goal and second win of the series.

Stuart Skinner knows the Edmonton Oilers let one slip away in Wednesday's Game 1 collapse against the Vancouver Canucks."We definitely gave them this one," the netminder said after the loss, per Sportsnet's Mark Spector.Edmonton led 4-1 late in the middle frame and then surrendered four unanswered Vancouver goals, including three in the final ten minutes of the third period."When you get up, you can't just shut it down and hope that we're going to be able to stifle teams," Skinner said. "You know that Vancouver is going to bring it. There's definitely a lesson learned here for us: no matter what the score is, you've got to know that the other team is not going to just let you win."Skinner had a strong opening round, going 4-1 with a .910 save percentage and a shutout against the Los Angeles Kings. He allowed five goals on 24 shots in the opener against the Canucks, but head coach Kris Knoblauch expects a bounce-back effort in the next matchup."Stu has won us so many games; he's played so spectacular through the year," he said. "There are going to be games that aren't his 'A' game, and he'll be the first to admit today wasn't his 'A' game."Skinner rebounded from a subpar start to his regular season when Knoblauch took over behind the bench in Edmonton, going 34-11-4 from mid-November onward.Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night at 10 p.m. ET.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins' second-round series is starting to get a little spicy.Star forwards David Pastrnak and Matthew Tkachuk dropped the gloves in the third period of a heated Game 2 with the Panthers holding a dominant 6-1 lead.

NHL Utah owner Ryan Smith put out a survey Wednesday featuring 20 potential team names.Fans can vote once and choose up to four options as the club takes the next step in renaming the former Arizona Coyotes. The first round of voting is open until May 22.Here are all 20 names in the survey:

The Ottawa Senators found themselves craving accountability after another underwhelming season. New head coach Travis Green is ready to answer that call."Players want to know where they stand," he said during his introductory presser Wednesday. "They want to know what's expected of them. That starts, really, by communicating. ... Any winning team has accountability within their group.""I'm gonna push the team in a direction of improving and making it a winner and having winning attributes," he added. "It's one thing to be a skilled group, it's another thing to be a skilled, winning group. ... That's part of the conversations I'm gonna have with our team, is what it takes to win."The Senators officially hired Green on Tuesday, signing the former NHL forward to a four-year deal. Ottawa has missed the playoffs for the last seven seasons and has failed to meet heightened expectations over the past two years.Green pointed to defensive play as one of the largest areas of improvement for the Senators, who ranked 28th in goals against per game (3.43) this season."You see that a lot with young, skilled players, getting them to grasp the commitment level to play in their zone. ... There's obviously technique, structure, details that are taught, but a big part of it is the mindset," he said.He added: "If you want to win, you've got to play a 200-foot game."Senators general manager Steve Staios revealed that he had serious discussions with six candidates. Todd McLellan, Dean Evason, and Craig Berube were reportedly on Ottawa's list earlier in the hunt.Green owns an all-time coaching record of 141-159-35. He served as interim bench boss of the New Jersey Devils for the last month of the 2023-24 campaign and was the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks from 2017-21.Staios explained his choice to go with Green rather than a more established candidate."I think, as we watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs right now, you can look at a few or a handful of coaches ... that were in the exact same position as (Green) is right now. ... It's a lot deeper than win-loss records," the executive said.Green, meanwhile, is excited to be back coaching north of the border."I think it's a privilege to coach in Canada, play in Canada," he said. "There's something to be said for winning in Canada. There is pressure, and I like that."Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs were chosen as this year's finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the league's most outstanding player as voted by the NHLPA.Kucherov and MacKinnon were named Hart Trophy finalists Tuesday, which is given to the league's most valuable player as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.Kucherov, who claimed the Ted Lindsay in 2019, won the Art Ross Trophy this year as the league's top scorer with 144 points. He became only the fifth player in league history to record 100 assists in a single season, which Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid also accomplished in 2023-24.MacKinnon finished second in the scoring race with 140 points, establishing a new career high. He's never been nominated for the Ted Lindsay but has been a Hart Trophy finalist four times in the past seven years.Matthews paced the NHL with 69 goals this season - the league's highest total since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96. The Leafs superstar also earned a Selke Trophy nomination for his defensive prowess and is up for the Lady Byng as one of the league's most gentlemanly players.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.