The Washington Capitals were +130 at the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, and it was an easy bet to make. Everything about that matchup inferred a coin flip - the two teams are tied atop the standings, but it's actually the Capitals who have the better metrics at even-strength.Last week's moneyline projections showed Capitals-Hurricanes would be an even game. So with the contest tied 2-2, it could go either way, but getting +130 for a 50-50 win probability was always a good bet, even if the Capitals didn't get a late power-play goal and an empty-netter to clinch it.The Hurricanes' hot start and subsequent slowdown prove why it's a good idea to always look forward in our hockey handicapping, using the information in our rearview.The recipeBefore the season, we provided a three-chapter series on how to use the regular-season point-total market to create team ratings, how to interpret home-ice advantage, and then how to use those to create your own moneylines.I've taken the advanced stats I value most from those games, the market rating for regular-season win-total markets, and last season's advanced stats to create a rating for each team. I also make adjustments for injuries to key players.With roughly 25% of the season played, here's how I'm weighing those three factors as of Nov. 29:LAST SEASON MARKET 2021-2210%60%30%We get further away from last season's advanced metrics but still need to stay in touch with them for teams we expect to get better, such as the Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights.Much of that can be built into the market's assumptions about each team after their offseason changes, which was found in the regular-season point-total market. Teams like the Seattle Kraken (over/under 92.5 points), Chicago Blackhawks (91.5), and Montreal Canadiens (89.5) were assumed to be around average, despite one being an expansion team, one being at the bottom of the league, and one making the Stanley Cup Final last year. If you disagreed with any of these numbers, you had ample opportunity to bet the under on their win total, and you'd be in good shape, as they have 15, 16, and 14 points, respectively.This season's metrics look beyond a team's record to evaluate how that team is playing, so we can see if it's trending up or down. The longer the season goes, the more it validates another team that was deemed mediocre just two months ago: the Calgary Flames. Lined at 91.5 points, they've outperformed this season to a degree of 14% above league average by my numbers. Calgary competing for the Pacific Division is no fluke, and an over bet on its point total is sitting pretty.The cheat sheetThe following includes my fair price on the games (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I would need to bet either side. I just need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team that's more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet.DATEGAMETRUE MLPRICE TO BETNOV. 29SEA@BUF-104/+104SEA +106/BUF +115VAN@MTL+113/-113VAN +133/MTL -108ARI@WPG+206/-206ARI +248/WPG -196PIT@CGY+121/-121PIT +142/CGY -116NOV. 30WSH@FLA+121/-121WSH +142/FLA -116DET@BOS+176/-176DET +211/BOS -169SJS@NJD+114/-114SJS +134/NJD -109ARI@MIN+206/-206ARI +248/MIN -197CBJ@NSH+121/-121CBJ +143/NSH -117CAR@DAL+119/-119CAR +140/DAL -114ANA@LAK+133/-133ANA +159/LAK -128DEC. 1PHI@NYR+134/-134PHI +159/NYR -129VAN@OTT-107/+107VAN -103/OTT +126COL@TOR+143/-143COL +169/TOR -137SEA@DET+108/-108SEA +127/DET -104VGK@ANA-140/+140VGK -134/ANA +165PIT@EDM+126/-126PIT +149/EDM -121DEC. 2BUF@FLA+243/-243BUF +298/FLA -232STL@TB+139/-139STL +164/TB -133COL@MTL+108/-108COL +128/MTL -103CHI@WSH+140/-140CHI +165/WSH -134OTT@CAR+214/-214OTT +259/CAR -204SJS@NYI+131/-131SJS +155/NYI -126BOS@NSH-116/+116BOS -112/NSH +137NJD@MIN+158/-159NJD +187/MIN -151CBJ@DAL+153/-153CBJ +182/DAL -147CGY@LAK-116/+116CGY -112/LAK +137DEC. 3SJS@NYR+169/-169SJS +201/NYR -162NJD@WPG+172/-172NJD +205/WPG -165VGK@ARI-139/+139VGK -134/ARI +165CGY@ANA-114/+114CGY -109/ANA +134EDM@SEA-124/+124EDM -119/SEA +146DEC. 4STL@FLA+150/-150STL +178/FLA -144TB@BOS+115/-115TB +135/BOS -111MTL@NSH+121/-121MTL +142/NSH -116COL@OTT-120/+120COL -115/OTT +141BUF@CAR+194/-194BUF +234/CAR -186TOR@MIN-110/+110TOR -106/MIN +130CBJ@WSH+144/-144CBJ +171/WSH -139NYI@DET-102/+102NYI +108/DET +113CHI@NYR+142/-142CHI +168/NYR -136PIT@VAN+106/-106PIT -102/VAN +124DEC. 5TB@PHI+105/-105TB +124/PHI -101SJS@CBJ-108/+108SJS -104/CBJ +127CHI@NYI+167/-167CHI +199/NYI -160TOR@WPG-102/+102TOR +108/WPG +113LAK@EDM+175/-175LAK +209/EDM -168CGY@VGK+107/-107CGY +126/VGK -103If you're looking at betting a game this week, refer to this chart to see whether you're truly getting value with one side or the other. New injuries or lineup issues will naturally arise, but this is a good reference point for identifying whether the side you like actually has value.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick came to teammate Brendan Lemieux's defense Sunday when asked about Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk's scathing remarks regarding Lemieux following Saturday's apparent biting incident."I have my own opinion about what happened, or did not happen (Saturday) night, and what I can tell you is that any comments that were made about (Lemieux) were garbage," Quick said, according to Kings editorial content manager Zach Dooley. "He's a valuable player who sticks up for his teammates. We all support him, and I'd rather have him on my team over that kid any day of the week."Tkachuk showed the officials his bare hand Saturday after the two forwards tussled in the third period of the Kings' 4-2 win.Tkachuk lambasted Lemieux after Saturday's game. The Senators winger called Lemieux's behavior "the most gutless thing somebody could ever do." Tkachuk also said, "nobody ever wants to play with (Lemieux)," then called him a "bad guy and a bad teammate," an "absolute joke," and "a complete 'brickhead.'"The Kings forward was handed a match penalty for the incident, and both players also received two roughing minors apiece.The NHL will have an in-person hearing with Lemieux over Zoom on Tuesday. The in-person designation gives the league the ability to suspend him for more than five games.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles Kings forward Brendan Lemieux received a 10-minute match penalty after Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said Lemieux bit him during a scrum Saturday.Lemieux will have an in-person hearing via Zoom on Tuesday to answer for the incident, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced. The in-person offer gives the league the option to suspend him for more than five games.The dustup between the two players occurred in the third period. Once the referees separated them from a lengthy wrestling match, Tkachuk showed the officials his bare hand.Both players received two roughing minors on the play as well.Tkachuk didn't mince words postgame."This is the one time I'm going to answer this," he said, per Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch. "It was the most gutless thing somebody could ever do. This guy, you can ask any one of his teammates, nobody ever wants to play with him. This guy is a bad guy and a bad teammate, he focuses on himself all the time."The guy's just a joke. He shouldn't be in the league. This guy's gutless. No other team wants him, he's going to keep begging to be in the NHL but no other team is going to want him, he's an absolute joke. I can't even wrap my head around it. People don't even do this. He's just a bad guy."Tkachuk continued to go off on Lemieux."It's outrageous. Kids don't even do that anymore. Babies do that," Tkachuk said. "I don't even know what he was thinking, he's just a complete brickhead. He's got nothing up there. Bad guy, bad player, but what a joke he is."Lemieux has been suspended twice in his career: once for hitting Vincent Trocheck's head in 2018 and again for a late hit on Joonas Donskoi in 2020.The last known biting controversy in the NHL occurred in 2019 when P.K. Subban claimed he was bitten by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who didn't receive any discipline from the NHL's Department of Player Safety.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Fenway Sports Group LLC, owners of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool, have signed an agreement to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins, the NHL club confirmed Monday.The purchase price is currently unknown, and the NHL still needs to approve the deal. The Penguins said Monday they expect the sale to close by the end of this year.Pittsburgh's previous majority owners, Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux, will remain part of the ownership group, and the Penguins' senior management team will stay in place.Burkle and Lemieux have owned the Penguins since 1999, saving the franchise from bankruptcy and overseeing three Stanley Cups from 2009-17.Fenway Sports Group reportedly sought a merger with Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment before pursuing Pittsburgh, but the Toronto-based conglomerate wasn't interested.The Penguins were valued at $845 million in October, the 15th-highest total in the NHL, according to Sportico.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marc Bergevin's time with the Montreal Canadiens has come to an end following nearly 10 years. After taking over as the general manager of the illustrious franchise in May 2012, he became one of the NHL's most active executives.Montreal had a roller coaster of success and failure during his time, making the playoffs six times while reaching the Stanley Cup Final once and the Eastern Conference Final twice. Bergevin certainly made a number of massive moves to try to improve the Habs during his time at the helm, but he wasn't able to piece everything together to form a championship roster.With the Canadiens set to usher in a new era under newly hired vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, let's take a look back at five of Bergevin's franchise-altering moves during his tenure.Dealing Subban for Weber Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyThere were rumblings at the time that the relationship between P.K. Subban and the Canadiens organization wasn't great, but trading one of the most popular players the franchise had in years still seemed like a long shot. Not only was Subban electric on the ice, but fans adored him.In June 2016, moments after the shocking Taylor Hall-for-Adam Larsson trade, it was announced that the Canadiens dealt Subban to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber. Similar to Subban in Montreal, Weber was the face of the franchise in Nashville and a true legend of the team. The deal sent shockwaves throughout the NHL, receiving mixed feedback.To this day, people still debate who won the trade. Ultimately, it seemed to work out pretty well for both sides. Subban played an integral role in Nashville during his first season en route to a Stanley Cup Final appearance. The Canadiens got their future captain and one of the league's most respected veterans. Fast forward to today, and Subban is no longer the dominant Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman he once was, while Weber is on the verge of retirement due to injury.It's fair to say Bergevin took a massive gamble and came away a winner. The fanbase was shocked at first but quickly welcomed and adored Weber. He anchored the blue line over the last five seasons and did everything that was asked of him. You can't ask for much more than that.Grade: B+Moving on from Pacioretty Christopher Pasatieri / National Hockey League / GettyThis surely had to be one of the toughest moves of Bergevin's tenure. Max Pacioretty was a fan favorite and one of the most consistent goal scorers the club had seen in decades. Shortly after being named captain in 2015, things seemed to sour between Pacioretty and the organization, which ultimately led to him being traded.Bergevin undoubtedly hit a home run on this one. Getting Nick Suzuki - who's quickly developing into a legitimate No. 1 center - along with Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick from the Vegas Golden Knights was a fantastic haul. It also worked out for the Golden Knights, as Pacioretty has continued to dominate.One thing that we've learned over the last decade is that Bergevin isn't scared to make a big trade or shake things up. Making this deal got the Canadiens the franchise center they'd been looking for forever and put the team in a much better position to be competitive for years to come.Grade: ABreaking the bank for Price Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Canadiens have taken a lot of flack ever since they signed Carey Price to his hefty contract. With an annual cap hit of $10.5 million, he still remains the league's highest-paid goalie. Bergevin isn't to blame for this one, though. His hands were tied, and if he didn't sign Price at the time, another team surely would've backed up the Brinks truck.Price was the nearly undisputed best goalie in the world when he signed in 2017. As he just showed with his performance last postseason, he's arguably still in the running for that title. Price followed up his dominant 2014-15 Hart Trophy-winning campaign with two more great seasons, so Montreal signing him to an eight-year, $84-million contract was inevitable.Sure, Bergevin could've let Price walk into free agency and let another team pay him. It's impossible to say how the Habs would look today if Price signed elsewhere. But there's no doubt he has the utmost respect of his teammates and players around the league, and he's still seen as one of the top netminders in the world. The contract definitely makes Montreal's cap situation tricky, but Bergevin had to do it.Grade: B-Bringing Drouin back home Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / GettyJonathan Drouin wasn't happy with his role and progression in Tampa Bay after being selected third overall in 2013. Bergevin took note and didn't balk at the opportunity to bring in the Quebec native to play in his home province. The price was steep but fair: Mikhail Sergachev, who at the time was deemed a top defensive prospect but barely had any NHL experience.Yet the move was puzzling. Sergachev, whom the Canadiens selected ninth overall in 2016, looked to be the exact piece the team desperately needed: an offensive-minded, puck-moving defenseman.Drouin's an extremely talented forward, but he didn't address a glaring need for Montreal, and the move also dug a deeper hole on its blue line. Meanwhile, Sergachev has developed nicely in Tampa Bay, and Drouin has struggled to stay consistent. This was one of Bergevin's rare misses.Grade: C-Robbing Blackhawks of Danault Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyIn what was probably the best move of Bergevin's time with the Canadiens, he somehow pawned off Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann on the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Phillip Danault and a second-round draft pick that was eventually used to select Alexander Romanov.The Blackhawks didn't expect Danault to magically become a Selke-caliber two-way center when he tossed on the Canadiens sweater. Is it fair to think Bergevin knew what he was getting in him? Bergevin was the Blackhaks' assistant GM when they drafted Danault with the 26th pick in 2011.The move couldn't have paid off more for the Canadiens. A small deadline deal that sent away two bottom-six veteran forwards earned Montreal its No. 1 shutdown center for years to come, and it also landed the team one of its top defensive prospects in Romanov. To make matters worse for Chicago, Weise and Fleischmann combined for two goals and four assists across 34 games and managed one goal in four playoff contests.Grade: A+Honorable mentions: Acquiring Jeff Petry from the Edmonton Oilers; trading Alex Galchenyuk for Max DomiCopyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

These days, any number of deterrents could explain why a fan would decline to buy sports tickets. Having to sit in a crowd for three hours; potentially exposing their kids to COVID-19; paying top dollar to incur the risk while watching a bad team, a buzzkill in plenty of pro markets.Everyone has their reasons to stay home, and those decisions add up. NBA and NHL attendance are way down from 2018-19, the last season in either league that COVID-19 didn't shorten. Through Thursday, 23 NBA and 23 NHL franchises were experiencing spectatorship decreases. Of those 46 teams, 27 have seen attendance dip by more than 10%. Eight clubs are down more than 20%.These teams are spread across the United States and Canada, but all are playing indoors during a pandemic that won't relent.The Buffalo Sabres are drawing about 8,000 fans per home game. Ben Green / NHL / Getty ImagesThe proportion of U.S. sports fans who said they'd be comfortable going to games indoors doubled between March and July to peak at 53%, according to survey data from intelligence company Morning Consult. But the trend cooled and that figure has stalled below 50% throughout the fall.Outdoor attendance didn't boom in 2021; MLB's full-season total slumped to a 37-year low, partly because of capacity restrictions. Yet people seem warier about congregating under one arena roof."I watch NHL games every night," said Rodney Paul, a Syracuse University sports economist. "When they put the wide, pan-out camera on, it's like: Wow. There's a lot of empty seats. It's something that you don't remember seeing (before)."What other variables are curbing crowd size? What can the leagues do to try to reverse the drop? To assess, theScore spoke to three authorities on the subject: Paul; Victor Matheson, a sports economist at Holy Cross; and Alex Silverman, who analyzes Morning Consult's sports survey data.Their thoughts, which they shared in separate interviews this week, have been condensed and edited for clarity.theScore: In your opinion, to what degree is indoor hesitancy - people not wanting to be in crowds inside - depressing NBA and NHL attendance?Matheson: It certainly has to be a factor. The (infection) numbers are not great in the U.S. As much as the vaccines are extremely useful, they still don't completely prevent people from getting COVID. In a world where there are lots of unvaccinated people and lots of COVID out there in the general public, it's not a completely safe bet going to a (crowded setting).A bunch of places have vax mandates to be able to go inside buildings. If you don't have a vax mandate, people are going to be more reluctant to go. If you do have a vax mandate, you're cutting out about 30% of the potential clientele at this point.Silverman: Our surveys show that there's significantly less comfort attending indoor sporting events right now than outdoor sporting events. The share of sports fans that said they'd be comfortable attending an indoor sporting event is below 50%. That's a number that you can look at for perspective on how many people this might be impacting.Paul: I've traveled a bit since (the U.S.) opened up and I've gone to different sporting events. I think there are areas of the country where you can still see hesitancy. Even if it's not mandated, you see people in masks at different events. Whereas other areas of the country, it looks like it did years ago.According to Morning Consult's survey data, more and more Americans said they'd be comfortable attending games as spring turned to summer, but that trend has plateaued since July. Why do you think that's the case?Silverman: Ever since the Delta variant came into the picture, that put a damper on people's initial hope that things were going to go back to normal.Matheson: Here in the United States, we got down to about 10,000 cases per day on average by late June. That was all driven by huge increases in vaccination between December and June. I live in a county with about a million people, and we were down to less than 10 new cases a day. What's the chance you're going to run into one of those 10 people out of a million out in public when you go to a movie or concert or sporting event?But thanks to anti-vaxxers who held out, as well as the surge in Delta, by today, we've got roughly eight times the number of cases a day. I went to my first movie in 15 months in June. I have not been back since because what was looking pretty safe in June is looking much less safe here in November.The Indiana Pacers rank last in the NBA in attendance. Justin Casterline / Getty ImagesHow do you think the pandemic has changed people's habits and the way fans consume sports?Matheson: The pandemic probably accelerated the long-run trend of people improving the ability to watch at home. I'm old, right? I remember my family getting its first color TV. You couldn't even see a puck on the ice. But nowadays, everyone has a 60-inch flat screen that's high-def and you can get every possible game from every possible league around the world live with a touch of a button - while being able to sit on your couch and not have to drink $13.75 beer, pay $25 for parking, and share a bathroom with 1,000 other people.People had a whole year to sit at home and upgrade their experience. They needed to upgrade their internet anyway so they could work from home. We've just accelerated that natural trend to watch sports at home rather than live.Paul: You get into these habits of being able to watch sports. You follow the home team, you look at their schedule, and that tends to set how you spend your Tuesday night at 7 p.m. But now, you might start to look (elsewhere) because there (were) no games on and realize, 'I like this action-adventure. I like this comedy show.'There are so many entertainment options to choose from now. The world changed and the game was not going on, so (fans) looked for something different. Maybe they settle into that habit. The younger group, they might enjoy playing video games more than they enjoy watching the games. How do you deal with that as those fans get older?Kevin Durant (left) and James Harden. Sarah Stier / Getty ImagesThe Carolina Hurricanes are a rare NHL team that's experiencing major attendance growth from 2018-19. The same goes for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. Both franchises drew small crowds a few years ago and now are at the top of the standings. Is that the most sensible explanation for why they're outliers?Matheson: The Brooklyn Nets have added several of the best players, maybe in the history of the game. A team that improves itself on the ice or on the court may do enough to overcome the natural headwinds that all the teams in the league are going through.That's obviously the Nets' explanation. It also could be that in some places, people are more comfortable going to games because of high vaccination rates or vaccine mandates at the stadium. A place like New York, where you've got a lot of excess demand usually, that's the sort of thing that you might benefit from. Even if you lose 20% or 30% of the population because they refuse to go get vaccinated, the remaining 70% of the New York City population is still plenty to be able to fill up that arena.The biggest attendance losers aren't exclusively teams that are having poor seasons, but many of them are. In the COVID-19 era, how does seeing your team lose games reduce the incentive to go watch live?Silverman: Elliotte Friedman, from Sportsnet in Canada, said something to the effect of: "This is a really bad year to be bad." Attendance is soft generally. The potential for a bad team to have attendance drop off is more significant. It'll be really interesting to see, in terms of renewals, how much season tickets are impacted heading into next season for some of those teams that are struggling.Matheson: Maybe in the COVID world, having a bad team is even worse than in a non-COVID world. You might say, 'Well, look. I'm willing to put up with the risk of COVID to see LeBron James or Kevin Durant. But I'm not willing to do that to see a lineup of NBA second-stringers.' In a pre-COVID world, you'd be like, 'Ehh. It's a fun night out on the town regardless.'Paul: The economics play a role there, too. The cost to be able to take your family to a game, or for two people to be able to go to a game, is pretty expensive. When you're having to cut back elsewhere, you may not go to as many games. If people don't have as much money and they're more hesitant to go out, (plus) the team's not very good, why would you risk it?NHL attendance is down by more than 20% in San Jose and Ottawa. Amanda Cain / NHL / Getty ImagesWhat could the NBA and NHL and their teams do to draw fans back?Matheson: Support widespread vaccination. Spectator sports were among the industries that were most hard-hit by COVID. It's definitely in their best interest to make sure everyone gets vaccinated. Because that's how we all get back. I think vaccine mandates are probably a very positive thing for them. It makes people more confident to go to the games. It gives one more carrot to anti-vaxxers to go out and get that shot.The more people who get the shot, the more COVID gets beaten back, and as soon as COVID is a minor annoyance in the background, the more people are going to be willing to go to these games.Silverman: In baseball, you've seen things in recent years like subscription-style ticketing, where you can sign up (for a fixed fee) and go to however many games you want to on a monthly basis.Some of these things aren't as easy as flipping a switch. But (teams are) trying to make the in-person experience more compelling when they build these new facilities. I was just at UBS Arena, the (New York) Islanders' new building. They're trying to incorporate more social spaces into the buildings to make it a more social experience; give you something that you can't get watching the game at home.Paul: If you go out, you really want to be entertained. (The Nashville Predators have) musical acts in between periods. The first (NHL) game I went to in Vegas, it blew me away. It's that and focusing on having the proper customer service. Some minor-league stadiums that I went to right after they started letting people in misjudged numbers, so they ran out of different beverages and food items. I think that turns people away.If many people drive to your games, you could potentially reduce parking prices in response to higher gas prices. It's different ways to get some attention and bring people back in.I think it also is a feedback loop. If you go to a game and there aren't that many fans there and your team is losing and the atmosphere is not very fun, you're unlikely to go back.Golden Knights at Predators on Nov. 24. John Russell / NHL / Getty ImagesWhy should leagues be concerned if this trend persists? What's the significance of such a big, comprehensive downswing in attendance?Matheson: Even in a world where we all have these giant TVs in our living rooms, even in a world that's dominated by television and media rights, teams in a league like the NBA and NHL still make around half, or maybe a little less, of their money from people going into the arena. A 10% or 20% drop in attendance means a 10% or 20% drop in that portion of their revenue stream. That basically means a 5% or 10% drop in (net) revenue. That's a big deal.Silverman: The NHL is the big one in that regard. Maybe not quite as much now that they have these new television rights deals in the U.S. But it's definitely important for these leagues to have consistent, stable revenue from attendance.We saw last year that people aren't as inclined to watch at home when there aren't people in the stands. You don't want to have a half-empty building on TV, either. I'd say those are the reasons it's important for them to right the ship.Paul: With smaller sports and minor-league sports, it would kill that. You have to have people come into the arena to have minor-league sports be viable. Whether it's something like minor-league baseball spread across the U.S. or junior hockey in places across Canada, those are some of the most fun experiences I've had (at) games. But being able to get the junior hockey (TV) package, I watch those games, as well. It's the same thing: Tons of empty seats.Beyond sports, spending in general, especially on travel and entertainment outside the home, remains down in the U.S. from before the pandemic. So sports aren't unique - they aren't the only thing people are spending less on. Should sports businesspeople be encouraged or discouraged by that?Matheson: One of the real hard things in economics is that you can have an economy that's just as big as before, but if what we're spending on is different, this can cause massive disruption and dislocation and hardship for some people.That all the ports are backed up and there are all these container ships waiting, that's actually a good thing because people are buying so much stuff. (But) we're buying different things. That's a hard world for people who run movie theatres and run live concert venues and run live spectator sports. Those certainly haven't recovered, and, in the case of movie theatres, for example, may never recover.Silverman: There are some things that are unique to sports that the industry was grappling with even before the pandemic. This next generation expresses their fandom differently. (Gen Z watches) less sports in general than other generations. I would also say that the industry has never been more lucrative in terms of the amount of the money that the leagues are getting for media rights.Overall, I think the sports industry is healthy. But I don't think you can write off everything to a general downturn in consumer spending.Paul: Sports had a huge opportunity (when spectators returned) because it's something that came out of this that people were able to latch onto. We haven't necessarily seen that as a complete driving force.Maybe it's not as bad as we think it is because (the problems exist) across the board. But there's probably still concern because you want to be back at where you were before, in terms of the number of people coming out to watch your games, if not more than before. You've lost that upward momentum.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens overhauled their front office Sunday, firing general manager Marc Bergevin, assistant GM Trevor Timmins, and senior vice president of public affairs and communications Paul Wilson.The Canadiens also named former New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton executive vice president of hockey operations.Montreal has begun its search for a new GM; the team stated Bergevin's successor must be able to speak both English and French.The 56-year-old said Sunday he's proud of what he accomplished during his tenure with the organization and expects the underachieving club to be in good hands going forward."The current team is much better than the results show, and I am convinced that my successors will be able to rise to the challenge," he wrote in a statement.Bergevin had served as the Canadiens' GM since May 2012. The club made the playoffs in six of his nine subsequent full seasons, reaching the Stanley Cup Final last campaign and making an Eastern Conference Final appearance in 2013-14.However, Montreal has struggled mightily in 2021-22, posting a 6-15-2 record that placed the team second-last in the Atlantic Division entering Sunday's action. Canadiens captain Shea Weber has missed the entire season due to injury and goaltender Carey Price has been away from the team after voluntarily entering the NHL's player assistance program before the campaign began.Bergevin made several blockbuster moves during his tenure, including trading defenseman P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators for Weber in June 2016. Bergevin joined Montreal after serving as assistant GM of the Chicago Blackhawks.The Rangers unexpectedly fired Gorton along with team president John Davidson in May. The latter returned to his former role as the Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations.New York hired Gorton as GM on July 1, 2015. The Rangers reached the postseason in three of his six years in the position but failed to get past the second round in that span.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks are waiving Evander Kane on Sunday, as first reported by the Mercury News' Curtis Pashelka.If Kane goes unclaimed by Monday at 2 p.m. ET, the Sharks will assign him to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, Pashelka adds.The NHL suspended the forward for 21 games in mid-October after he violated the league's COVID-19 protocol.Sharks assistant general manager Joe Will revealed Sunday he's expecting Kane to practice with the AHL squad on Tuesday."We just decided that since he's a contracted hockey player, it's the best thing at this time for him to continue to play hockey, and this is the best option for that right now," Will said.The executive added that Kane is fully vaccinated.The NHL reportedly looked into the 30-year-old's alleged use of a fake vaccination card in early October while investigating a separate matter.The league also cleared him of wrongdoing following its initial probe in September. That investigation examined his estranged wife Anna's claims that he bet on hockey and threw games.Kane is under contract with San Jose through 2024-25.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Matt Murray went unclaimed on the waiver wire, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The Senators will demote Murray to their AHL affiliate, Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch confirms. Ottawa head coach D.J. Smith said Saturday that the club would assign the netminder to Belleville if he cleared waivers.Murray is earning $6 million this season while carrying a $6.25-million cap hit. He's gone 0-5-0 with an .890 save percentage in six games with the NHL club on the campaign.The 27-year-old was expected to be the Senators' unquestioned No. 1 goalie in 2021-22, but he's struggled in between suffering an injury and landing in COVID-19 protocol. Both of those situations are now resolved.Murray hasn't performed well in his Ottawa tenure as a whole, going 10-18-1 with an .892 save percentage across 33 games. The Senators landed him in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins in October 2020.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Scott Mellanby resigned as assistant general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, the team announced Saturday.The Canadiens hired Mellanby as their director of player personnel in 2012 before promoting him to assistant general manager in 2014. He also had stints in various positions with the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues after concluding his 21-season playing career in 2007.Mellanby discussed with owner Geoff Molson about becoming general manager, as well as president of hockey operations, but he resigned after being told he was out of the running, reports The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.Montreal received permission Saturday to talk to former New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton, and he's in the running for an unspecified role above GM Marc Bergevin, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Eric Engels.The Rangers fired Gorton as their general manager in May after six seasons at the helm.The Canadiens are 6-15-2 on the season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes have contacted the Dallas Stars about defenseman John Klingberg, reports Sportsnet's Jeff Marek."Trade chatter is starting to pick up, and a lot of it revolves around John Klingberg of the Dallas Stars. A few teams have expressed interest there (and) contacted the Dallas Stars," Marek said during Saturday's "32 Thoughts" TV segment."The one team we know that has called are the Carolina Hurricanes."Klingberg is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end. The blue-liner is seeking an eight-year extension worth somewhere in the mid-$60-million range, which Dallas hasn't been willing to meet yet, Marek added."I'm not saying that the Dallas Stars want to trade John Klingberg right now, they have playoff aspirations as we all know of their own," Marek said. "But that's not stopping teams from calling."The Stars entered Saturday sitting sixth in the Central Division with a 9-7-2 record.Klingberg has recorded seven assists in 14 games this campaign. The right-handed shooting Swede has averaged 56 points per 82 contests over his eight-year career. He'll turn 30 years old in August.Carolina lost stalwart right-handed defenseman Dougie Hamilton as a UFA to the New Jersey Devils in the offseason. Instead of making a major splash to replace him, the Canes added Ethan Bear and Tony DeAngelo to help fill the void on the right side of their blue line.The 15-3-1 Hurricanes entered Saturday atop the NHL's standings.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL postponed the New York Islanders' games through at least Nov. 30 on Saturday as a result of the team's worsening COVID-19 situation.The Islanders' road contests against the New York Rangers on Sunday and versus the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday won't be played as scheduled.Another Islanders player landed in COVID-19 protocol on Saturday morning, and up to eight in total may be unable to play as a result of being on the list, according to the league. The NHL also cited the possibility of there being more cases due to the virus spreading within the team.The club has been decimated by absences related to COVID-19. On Tuesday, Zdeno Chara became the seventh Islander to land in protocol along with captain Anders Lee, forwards Josh Bailey, Kieffer Bellows, and Ross Johnston, as well as defensemen Andy Greene and Adam Pelech.Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello confirmed Saturday that forward Casey Cizikas tested positive, according to Newsday's Andrew Gross.New York's next game would be a home date against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, followed by a road matchup versus the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday and a return to UBS Arena to host the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. However, the league said it's "reviewing and revising" the Islanders' schedule.This is the second time this season and the second time in less than two weeks that the NHL has adjusted its schedule due to COVID-19 protocol. The league postponed three Ottawa Senators contests on Nov. 15 when the team had 10 players and its associate coach on the list.The Islanders' COVID-19 situation has further compounded matters for a club that's also been without its leading scorer, forward Brock Nelson, and defenseman Ryan Pulock due to injuries.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators are waiving goaltender Matt Murray, head coach D.J. Smith confirmed Saturday.Smith said the Senators would likely assign the netminder to their AHL affiliate if he goes unclaimed.Murray is earning $6 million in salary this season and his contract carries a $6.25-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly. He's in the second campaign of the four-year, $25-million pact he inked with Ottawa after the team acquired him in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins.The 27-year-old wasn't one of the Senators' two goalies dressed for Friday's loss to the Anaheim Ducks. He allowed four goals on 27 shots in a 6-3 defeat at the hands of the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.Murray has yet to earn a victory in 2021-22, going 0-5-0 with a .890 save percentage over six games. His -0.69 goals saved above expected and -0.53 goals saved above average at five-on-five this season rank 39th and 42nd in the NHL, respectively. according to Evolving Hockey.Senators goalies have struggled as a group in this campaign, as Smith lamented Wednesday, but Murray was expected to provide stability in the crease given his experience and contract. The seven-year veteran won the Stanley Cup twice with the Penguins but disappointed in his final season with Pittsburgh, and that poor play has carried over to his Ottawa tenure.Murray is 10-18-1 with an .892 save percentage in 33 games with the Senators since joining them in October 2020.Ottawa also claimed forward Adam Gaudette off waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.Gaudette collected a goal and an assist across eight contests with the Blackhawks in 2021-22 after posting one marker and three helpers over seven games with Chicago last season. He spent parts of four campaigns with the Vancouver Canucks before they traded him to the Blackhawks in April.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL fined New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin $5,000 on Saturday for unsportsmanlike conduct during Friday's win over the Boston Bruins.Panarin took his glove off and threw it at Bruins forward Brad Marchand while the two were exchanging words from the benches late in the contest.Officials gave both Panarin and Marchand 10-minute misconducts as a result of the altercation, which took place with about 12 seconds remaining in the Rangers' 5-2 victory.Panarin explained Saturday that he became agitated after Marchand mentioned his opponent's home country.

We have a busy nine-game slate on the docket tonight.There are plenty of injuries to monitor and backups in action, but there's value to be had. Let's get into it with our best bets.Blue Jackets (+160) @ Blues (-180)You normally target two things when playing overs: High pace and poor goaltending. This contest will likely feature both.The Blue Jackets are one of the most high-event teams in the NHL. At five-on-five, they rank eighth in expected goals for per 60 and 29th in expected goals against per 60 over the last 10 games. Columbus knows how to generate and allow quality chances in bulk.What about the Blues, you might ask? Well, they're in a similar boat as the Blue Jackets. St. Louis' revamped offense has been very potent and, surprisingly, ranks 23rd in xGA per 60 over the last 10 contests. The Blues also have it in them to play high-scoring affairs.So we're set with pace, and we're set with quality offenses facing exploitable defenses. Now to the crease.Joonas Korpisalo posted a woeful .894 save percentage a year ago, and that's exactly where he sits thus far. Korpisalo has conceded more goals than expected based on the workload. While Ville Husso has been solid in the early going, three games is three games. Husso was one of the league's worst backups last season, so we can't act as if he's immortal.Simply put, there should be plenty of dangerous opportunities for both teams in this game, and I don't have faith in either netminder to mask mistakes made in front of them.Bet: Over 6 (+100)Sabres (+155) @ Red Wings (-175)There's a lot to like about the Red Wings tonight. Detroit has quietly been playing its best hockey lately, controlling more than 53% of the expected goals (7th) at five-on-five over the last 10 games. That rate stems from the squad's ability to consistently generate quality chances - no team has produced more high-danger chances in that time.Things are not going as well for the Sabres. Buffalo owns a 45.45 xGF% over the last 10 matchups, and their share of the high-danger chances slots them 28th. The Red Wings look to have a big edge at full strength.Detroit is also rested and at home while the Sabres are in the latter half of a back-to-back.This is a tough spot where Buffalo will likely have to rely heavily on goaltending - something the team's unlikely to get. The club's options: Start Dustin Tokarski, who has allowed 2.2 more goals than expected this campaign, in a back-to-back ... or go to Aaron Dell. The latter has conceded six more goals than expected through just five starts and is arguably the NHL's worst goaltender right now.Regardless of which option the Sabres go with, the Red Wings figure to have a big advantage with Alex Nedeljkovic and his .917 save percentage.Bet: Red Wings in regulation (-125)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson is taking a temporary medical leave from his day-to-day activities, the team announced Friday.Assistant GM Joe Will will take over operations on an interim basis.Wilson was named Sharks general manager in 2003 and has held the position since. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame for his 16-year playing career earlier this month.San Jose is 10-8-1 so far this season, good for fifth in the Pacific Division.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Team Canada architect Doug Armstrong knows goaltending is his club's biggest question mark heading into the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.With a plethora of high-end talent up front and on the blue line, Armstrong admitted choosing Canada's No. 1 netminder will be a prominent challenge in determining the final roster."It's fluid," Armstrong told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun on Thursday. "All the guys on the list have played some spectacular games and also played, you know, some games that were more normal. I think Hockey Canada has had one or two goalies that were in the top five in the league year in and year out for a couple of decades or longer."Right now, yeah, it's a situation where we're certainly not as concrete as Russia, would be, for example. There's certain countries that are very concrete in their goaltending, and we're not one of them."Canada won gold in each of the past two Olympics that NHLers were able to attend. Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo anchored the crease in 2010, followed by Carey Price and Luongo in 2014.Six netminders made the club's long list for these Olympics, according to LeBrun. Here are their 2021-22 stats.Player (Team)RecordSV%GSAACarey Price (MTL)N/AN/AN/AMarc-Andre Fleury (CHI)5-8-1.912-0.3Jordan Binnington (STL)7-5-2.9140.5Darcy Kuemper (COL)9-4-0.905-3.1Carter Hart (PHI)5-4-3.9286.3Mackenzie Blackwood (NJD)3-1-2.9222.1Price hasn't played this season after voluntarily entering the NHL's player assistance program in October. The 34-year-old has a spotless international record including gold at the world juniors (2007), Olympics (2014), and World Cup (2016). In Sochi, Price posted a remarkable .972 save percentage and 0.59 goals against average across five contests.Competing countries are set to announce their 25-man rosters in January. The NHL and NHLPA have until Jan. 10 to opt out of the games.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey is back following a one-day layoff, and you know what that means: shot props!Despite an off night Wednesday, my record on shot totals this season sits at 35-22 for +13.33 units.We'll look to keep the ball rolling during Thursday's 13-game slate.Jordan Kyrou over 2.5 shots (+120)Kyrou has been a highly efficient shot generator of late. At five-on-five, he ranks second among Blues forwards - behind only Vladimir Tarasenko - in shots on goal over the last 10 games, and he's recorded at least three shots on goal eight times in that span.Now he draws one of the best matchups possible in the Blackhawks. They're allowing more than 60 attempts per 60 at five-on-five over their last 10 games and rank 28th in that category. Suppressing shots is not exactly Chicago's strong suit.Kyrou is playing in the top six and on the second power play, which should give him plenty of ice to capitalize on this advantageous matchup.Rickard Rakell over 2.5 shots (-120)Rakell has missed half of the Ducks' games due to injury; however, he's piled up the shots when healthy.He's averaging 6.2 shot attempts and 3.6 shots on goal through 10 games. That's very encouraging volume. He also finds himself in a dream matchup against the Senators, who can't defend a lick: No team has allowed shots at a higher rate over the last 10 games.Rakell has generated at least two shots on goal every game this season and he's gone over the number more often than not. I like his chances of doing so once again versus this struggling Ottawa squad.Bonus round: Andrew Copp over 2.5 shots (+135). The Jets forward has averaged a whopping 3.77 shots per game on the road this season and the Wild's defense isn't as stingy with Jared Spurgeon out of the lineup. There is real value here.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Team Canada architect Doug Armstrong knows goaltending is his club's biggest question mark heading into the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.With a plethora of high-end talent up front and on the blue line, Armstrong admitted choosing Canada's No. 1 netminder will be a prominent challenge in determining the final roster."It's fluid," Armstrong told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun on Thursday. "All the guys on the list have played some spectacular games and also played, you know, some games that were more normal. I think Hockey Canada has had one or two goalies that were in the top five in the league year in and year out for a couple of decades or longer."Right now, yeah, it's a situation where we're certainly not as concrete as Russia, would be, for example. There's certain countries that are very concrete in their goaltending, and we're not one of them."Canada won gold in each of the past two Olympics that NHLers were able to attend. Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo anchored the crease in 2010, followed by Carey Price and Luongo in 2014.Six netminders made the club's long list for these Olympics, according to LeBrun. Here are their 2021-22 stats.Player (Team)RecordSV%GSAACarey Price (MTL)N/AN/AN/AMarc-Andre Fleury (CHI)5-8-1.912-0.3Jordan Binnington (STL)7-5-2.9140.5Darcy Kuemper (COL)9-4-0.905-3.1Carter Hart (PHI)5-4-3.9286.3Mackenzie Blackwood (NJD)3-1-2.9222.1Price hasn't played this season after voluntarily entering the NHL's player assistance program in October. The 34-year-old has a spotless international record including gold at the world juniors (2007), Olympics (2014), and World Cup (2016). In Sochi, Price posted a remarkable .972 save percentage and 0.59 goals against average across five contests.Competing countries are set to announce their 25-man rosters in January. The NHL and NHLPA have until Jan. 10 to opt out of the games.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is back from its short Thanksgiving break, and boy, is the league returning in style.Nearly every team will be in action between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m. EST.Let's get into our best bets for today's jam-packed schedule.Kraken (+150) @ Lightning (-170)There's slow, and then there's the Seattle Kraken. Seattle is moving at a snail's pace these days, with an emphasis on limiting chances at the expense of the club's own shot creation.The Kraken rank dead last in attempts per 60 over the last 10 games and first in suppressing them. The story is similar in terms of expected goals: They sit 27th in xG per 60 and, again, first in xG against per 60. Seattle is playing lower event hockey than every other NHL team, which isn't all that surprising given how poor the squad's goaltending has been this season.Philipp Grubauer is starting to trend upwards, but he has struggled mightily. Limiting the danger in front of him to help get on track is probably optimal, especially considering the Kraken don't have a roster littered with high-end scorers. Getting into a track meet is a losing battle.While the Tampa Bay Lightning do play faster - everyone does! - they're not exactly burning up the ice. Tampa Bay ranks 26th in combined Corsi events (attempts for + against) at five-on-five over the last 10 contests. That's not surprising either - the Lightning are stout defensively on any given night, and with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point out, they have to lean in that direction even further.This matchup is set up to be a snoozer. If the goaltending is remotely competent - looking at you, Grubauer - this game should stay under the number.Bet: under 5.5 goals (+100)Panthers (-105) @ Capitals (-115)The Washington Capitals are severely undermanned these days. With injuries to Nicklas Backstrom, Anthony Mantha, T.J. Oshie, Lars Eller, and Conor Sheary, their top-nine is almost unrecognizable.Somehow, the Capitals have still managed to pile up the wins, going 7-2-1 over the last 10 contests, but it's hard to argue the success is sustainable - at least while missing so many key players. During that span, Washington's share of high-danger chances at five-on-five (45.40%) placed the team 27th in the league.The Panthers are not the best opponent for the Caps to run into right now. Florida leads the NHL in CF% and xGF% over the last 10 games. Oh, and no side has generated high-danger chances at a more efficient clip. The Panthers are firing on all cylinders - even without Aleksander Barkov.I see the edge being in Florida's favor at full-strength, and projected starter Sergei Bobrovsky leads the league in Goals Saved Above Expected (+19.7). Simply put, I think the market is favoring the wrong team in this spot.Bet: Panthers (-105)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators coach D.J. Smith lamented his club's lack of reliable goaltending following Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks.The bench boss viewed the game as a winnable contest and said the team needs one of their goalies to step up and take the starting job."We deserved better, a point or two," Smith said, according to Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan. "The difference tonight was probably their goaltending."He added: "I didn't mind our details. I just think we've got to send someone to take the net and start to win us some games when we give that effort. We need someone to get in there and hold us right now."We're a young team that needs someone to steal one for us, probably."Matt Murray started in Wednesday's defeat. Shots were an even 29-29, but San Jose erased a 3-2 deficit with four consecutive goals, though two were empty-netters.Murray hasn't won any of his six starts this season, but he's not the only Sens netminder struggling.PlayerRecordSV%GSAAFilip Gustavsson3-4-1.905-2.0Anton Forsberg1-3-0.884-3.7Matt Murray0-5-0.890-3.9Ottawa ranks last in the NHL in goals against per game (3.82) and 30th in all-situations save percentage (.888). The team currently owns a 4-12-1 record.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks star winger Brock Boeser is tired of being the subject of seemingly endless trade speculation.While his club is spiraling through a 2-7-1 stretch and fans call for changes throughout the organization, Boeser said the rumors are getting old."Yeah, it does," Boeser told The Athletic's Thomas Drance prior to the Canucks' 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. "I had some people bring it to my attention yesterday a bit."I was confused. I think it's just people looking for an answer out in the social media world with the team struggling, especially now. That's part of it."Boeser is in the final year of a three-year, $17.625-million bridge deal signed in 2019, and he'll be a restricted free agent this offseason. Vancouver drafted him in the first round in 2015, and the 24-year-old has recorded 218 points over 270 games.If anything, Boeser believes he's part of the solution going forward."I personally don't think I'm going to get traded," Boeser said. "I feel like I'm part of the core here and a big piece. That's just how I feel."At the end of the day, I can't worry about that stuff. I just have to go out and perform. It's been a tough stretch for me personally, and obviously for the team. And I set high expectations for myself to go out there and produce and help the team win. Lately, it's been tough.Boeser is off to a slow start this season, with eight points through 17 contests.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Leon Draisaitl is on a historic pace nearly a quarter of the way into the NHL season, but the Edmonton Oilers superstar doesn't think he'll keep it up.Through 19 games, Draisaitl has collected 20 goals and 20 assists. That projects to 86 goals and 86 assists in 82 games."I guess it's a little crazy to think that I'm going to score 50 goals in 50 games," Draisaitl said when asked what it would mean to him if he could accomplish the feat after the Oilers defeated the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday. Draisaitl scored two goals and added two assists."Obviously, right now, pucks are going in for me, but this is a tough league to score in so I don't expect to hit that stat at all. Obviously going to keep shooting - if they go in, great. I know there's going to come times where they're probably not going to go in."He's the first Oilers player besides Wayne Gretzky to record 40 points prior to the 20-game mark in a season, according to Sportsnet Stats. Draisaitl is also the first NHL player to record 40 points through 19 games since Mario Lemieux scored 44 and Jaromir Jagr scored 41 during the 1995-96 campaign.Since the beginning of the 2018-19 season, Draisaitl ranks second in the league with 339 points in 228 games. He trails only teammate Connor McDavid, who has 354 points in 217 contests. Brad Marchand and Patrick Kane each have 277 points, though Marchand did it in 218 games to Kane's 222.Asked to discuss the idea of an 82-goal season, Draisaitl said it's a nearly impossible task."You expect me to score 82 goals this year? That's not gonna happen," Draisaitl laughed. "Obviously playing with 97 (McDavid) makes it a lot easier - a lot more free ice out there with him. But I don't expect that of myself. That's not anything that's realistic, I think."Draisaitl leads the NHL in points (40) and goals (20) and ranks second in assists (20).Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons received a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy on Wednesday.

Wayne Gretzky knows a thing or two about winning the Stanley Cup, and he likes what he's seeing from the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs.The Great One's high praise for the clubs doesn't entirely relate to their on-ice performances, but what he's able to see from the groups off the ice and how they're interacting with one another."I went for lunch with Leon Draisaitl, Connor (McDavid), and Darnell Nurse and it reminded me so much of me, Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey having lunch together," Gretzky said Wednesday on Sportsnet 590 The Fan's "Real Kyper and Bourne show." "That they were teasing each other; Leon was disappointed that Connor's passes weren't as good as he thought they should be. And you know what? That's what makes teams successful. That they can tease each other and be on the same page and that ultimately they want to win a championship."Edmonton's McDavid and Draisaitl are two of the best hockey players in the NHL, while the Maple Leafs boast a stacked group highlighted by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander.Despite all the star power and dominating the regular season, neither team has been able to achieve any success in the playoffs. Since the 2015-16 season, the Oilers have won one playoff round while the Leafs haven't been victorious at all."I remember I left lunch and I said to my wife, 'You know what? This team is so much closer to winning than people understand because these guys are so close and they want to win so badly for each other and I love that,'" Gretzky said. "To me, that's even better when in the locker room these guys are all on the same page. And I feel watching the Leafs play that they have that same camaraderie. It's us, and we're together, and we don't care who scores."After finishing as the top two teams in the North Division last year, the Maple Leafs currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division while the Oilers are in second in the Pacific Division. The Oilers haven't won the Cup since 1990; the Leafs are searching for their first ring since 1967.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tuesday was a huge bounce-back night on the ice. I posted six shot props on Twitter, five of which were winners. Naturally, the one I wrote up in the best bets article was the one that lost.Nevertheless, the 5-1 night brought our record on shot totals to 33-16. Let's keep the ball rolling tonight.Pierre-Luc Dubois over 2.5 shots (-110)Dubois has attempted 48 shots - and hit the target 30 times - over the last 10 games at five-on-five alone. He's averaging 6.2 attempts and 3.9 shots on goal across all game situations. He recorded at least three shots on goal seven times in that span. Put simply, he's shooting a ton.Now he draws a very juicy matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is an extreme pace-up spot. The Jackets rank 29th in shots against per 60 over the last 10 games at five-on-five. They play fast, high-event games. Dubois will benefit from that.So, we're looking at a trigger-happy player in a shot-friendly environment. If that's not enough to get you on board, there's also the good old-fashioned revenge narrative. Dubois is going up against his former team for the first time since being traded to the Winnipeg Jets. That could put a little extra pep in his step.Ryan Hartman over 2.5 shots (-115)You don't think of Hartman as an offensive dynamo, but he's quietly playing some very productive hockey.Hartman has piled up 60 shot attempts over the last 10 games and is tied with Kevin Fiala for the team lead in shots on goal (35) over that time.Like Dubois, he now finds himself in a pace-up spot against a team bleeding shots. The New Jersey Devils have not defended well of late. Over the last 10 games, they rank 30th in shot attempts and shots on goal against per 60 minutes of five-on-five play.Having played at least 16 minutes in 10 straight, and centering the top line at even strength, Hartman finds himself in a prime spot to take advantage of the matchup.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews hasn't quite found his groove yet after missing all of the 2020-21 campaign with chronic inflammatory response syndrome."I'm definitely not satisfied or happy with where (my game) is at. Just got to keep working and stay patient and try to build up more energy, more pace, more speed on the ice," he said Tuesday after the Blackhawks' 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Ben Pope.Toews has failed to score a goal in 19 games so far this season - a drought he had never experienced in his lengthy career. The last time the 33-year-old lit the lamp in an NHL game was Aug. 18, 2020, against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Edmonton playoff bubble."It's been a while since I've seen a puck go in, obviously. Definitely like scoring goals," Toews said, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. "So I'd like to get going in that area. Just got to keep working through it. I'm not really sure what else to say at this point."Toews is at least feeling comfortable enough to set up plays, with eight assists under his belt in the early goings of the year."Mentally, I feel confident with the puck and feel like I can make plays, and there's just times when you can't take chances," he said, per Pope.With Toews on the ice at five-on-five, Chicago has controlled less than half of the shot attempts and high-danger chances while being outscored 12-7 so far this campaign, according to Natural Stat Trick.The Blackhawks are tied for the third-fewest goals in the league (41) and own the third-worst goal differential (-21).Chicago currently sits second-last in the Central Division, ahead of just the listless Arizona Coyotes, with a record of 6-11-2. The franchise fired head coach Jeremy Colliton earlier this month and has since gone 5-2-0 with interim bench boss Derek King at the helm.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have an insanely large 14-game slate on the docket Wednesday as we head into the NHL's short break for American Thanksgiving.Let's get into our best bets.Wild (-120) @ Devils (+100)While the Wild will be without captain Jared Spurgeon, I still see value in them in New Jersey.Minnesota's been the much better five-on-five team this season, whether you look at the overall numbers or recent trends. The Wild have controlled better than 55% of the expected goals at full strength. Only the Maple Leafs have fared better.Conversely, the Devils have controlled less than 50% of the expected goals and sit 19th in the NHL.Even without Spurgeon's play-driving ability, the Wild should have a pretty clear edge at even strength. I don't like New Jersey's chances of making up ground with special teams.The Devils sit 27th in power-play goals per 60 and 30th in expected goals per 60 this season. Somehow, they decided removing Pavel Zacha - the team's leader in PP points and scoring chances - off the power play entirely is the solution to their problems. I'm skeptical.I like the Wild to get it done and head into the short break on a high note.Bet: Wild (-120)Golden Knights (+100) @ Predators (-120)The Predators are on a nice 6-3-1 run but they haven't played as well as their record suggests.They've controlled just 46.71% of shot attempts (27th) and 47.63% of expected goals (23rd) over their last 10. Even adjusting the numbers for score and venue, they still grade out poorly.While the Golden Knights aren't exactly firing on all cylinders, they've fared better than the Predators in each category, and are trending upwards.Captain Mark Stone recently returned to the lineup. Star defenseman Shea Theodore rejoined the mix last time out, and the likes of Max Pacioretty and Nolan Patrick could potentially play as soon as Wednesday.I'm comfortable getting involved with Vegas priced at a coin flip, and that edge will grow larger if they get reinforcements. If you'd like to wait for news on those injury situations, feel free to do so.Bet: Golden Knights (+100)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning star Brayden Point will likely be out four-to-six weeks due to the upper-body injury he sustained Saturday.The Lightning said on Sunday that Point would be out indefinitely.Point went hard into the boards after a scoring chance late in a loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. He stayed in the game to take the ensuing penalty shot but missed Tampa Bay's win over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.The Lightning have been without fellow top-liner Nikita Kucherov since Oct. 16 due to an injury of his own.Point has produced seven goals and six assists over 13 games this season. The 25-year-old led the team with 23 goals and 48 points while playing all 56 contests in the previous campaign.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders placed defenseman Zdeno Chara in COVID-19 protocol, general manager Lou Lamoriello announced Tuesday.New York also announced forward Brock Nelson will miss two-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury. The 30-year-old leads all Islanders with nine goals and 11 points in 15 games this season. He exited Sunday's contest versus the Toronto Maple Leafs after logging just 6:58 of ice time.The Islanders called up defenseman Thomas Hickey and forward Anatoli Golyshev from the AHL to fill the roster.Chara, 44, is the latest Islanders player to land on the list, joining captain Anders Lee, forwards Josh Bailey, Kieffer Bellows, and Ross Johnston, as well as defensemen Andy Greene and Adam Pelech.Despite the growing list, Lamoriello said no decisions were made to postpone upcoming games after he spoke with the league Monday, so the Islanders are preparing to play.The NHL postponed three of the Ottawa Senators' games after 10 players and an associate coach entered protocol.Lamoriello added that other than Chara, there were no additional positive cases. None of the Islanders who tested positive have returned a negative test yet.Winger Anthony Beauvillier was placed in protocol Saturday and missed the Islanders' 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames, but he was able to play Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs after his test was found to be a false positive.It's been a tough start to the season for the Isles, who currently sit in last place in the Metropolitan Division with a 5-8-2 record.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cammi Granato will be the newest member of the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee, the institution announced Tuesday.The American legend is joining an 18-member group that includes only one other woman, Cassie Campbell-Pascall.Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson is retiring from the committee on Dec. 31. He's served as its chair for seven years and has been part of the group for more than two decades. Mike Gartner will take over as chair, having served on the committee since 2009. Granato and Gartner will assume their new roles on Jan. 1.Granato was one of the first two women inducted into the Hall along with Angela James in 2010. Granato captained Team USA to gold at the 1998 Olympics and was the all-time leading scorer in women's international hockey at the time of her retirement. She's currently a pro scout for the Seattle Kraken and became the first woman to hold that title in NHL history when the expansion franchise hired her in 2019.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have an unusually quiet three-game slate on the docket for tonight. Still, there is value to be had.We'll comb through it with our best bets.Flyers (+145) @ Lightning (-165)The Flyers spoiled our under in the dying seconds the last time these teams met, but we're going right back to the well today.Philadelphia's offense is trending downward in a hurry. They rank dead last in five-on-five scoring efficiency over the last 10 games and it's not hard to see why. They're not generating many quality looks, ranking 29th in high-danger chances per 60 during that time.This isn't exactly the best spot to get on track. The Lightning are extremely stout defensively. Tampa Bay ranks third in shot attempts against and fourth in high-danger chances against per 60 on the year.I don't see the Lightning giving up much, and without Nikita Kucherov and now Brayden Point, their offense isn't exactly scary. Tampa Bay ranks 22nd in expected goals per 60 at five-on-five and 26th on the man advantage. They're much more competent defensively.Carter Hart (12.1 goals saved above expected) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (5.1) should be able to limit the damage and keep this a low-scoring affair.Bet: Under 5.5 (-110)Shot propsThe under in Tampa Bay is the only total or side I like. Thankfully, shot props exist. There's almost always value to be had with those and tonight is no exception.We're going to stick with Flyers-Lightning and back defenseman Victor Hedman to record over 2.5 shots.Hedman leads the Lightning in shot attempts and shots on goal this season. With Kucherov and Point out of the lineup, he'll be relied upon even more to create offense.He plays a lot of minutes in all situations and recorded eight shot attempts against the Flyers in their previous meeting. I expect him to be heavily involved again in this one.Bet: Hedman over 2.5 shots (-115)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite the fact that the odds were certainly not in the Ottawa Senators' favor, head coach D.J. Smith wasn't looking for excuses following his team's 7-5 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night."A lot of good battle, a lot of really poor decisions with the game on the line," Smith said postgame. "It's an unacceptable loss ... We give up the game-winning goal with 1:33 to go and that's 100% on us."

It feels like hockey just returned, and yet we're already around 20% through the 2021-22 NHL season.As such, we're starting to see players separate themselves from the pack - in good ways and bad.We're going to highlight a few today as we dive deeper into the Vezina Trophy market.PLAYERODDS (Nov. 22)ODDS (Oct. 11)Andrei Vasilevskiy+500+380Igor Shesterkin+750+2100Frederik Andersen+750+1800Jacob Markstrom+1000+4000Sergei Bobrovsky+1000+3300Jack Campbell+1200+2400Connor Hellebuyck+1400+900Ilya Sorokin+1400+2500Robin Lehner+1600+1600Juuse Saros+1800+2400Jordan Binnington+1800+2300Darcy Kuemper+2000+1000Semyon Varlamov+2000+1700Marc-Andre Fleury+2000+1000Carter Hart+2200+3200Thatcher Demko+2500+1700Elvis Merzlikins+2500+4000John Gibson+3000+3500Cam Talbot+3000+3200Philipp Grubauer+3000+1500Cal Petersen+3000+3800Alex Nedeljkovic+3000+2400Carey Price+3000+1400Anton Khudobin+3500+3300Chris Driedger+3500+2500Vitek Vanecek+3500+6000Spencer Knight+4000+2200Linus Ullmark+4000+3400Petr Mrazek+4000+1800Mike Smith+4000+7500Tristan Jarry+5000+6300Tuukka Rask+5000N/AMackenzie Blackwood+5000+4000*Only listing players with odds 50-1 or shorterTrending upIgor Shesterkin (+750)The New York Rangers haven't played great hockey, especially in their own zone. They rank 29th in expected goals against and 30th in scoring chances against per 60 minutes at five-on-five. Despite their terrible defensive play, they own an 11-4-3 record and sit sixth in points percentage, and Shesterkin is the biggest reason why. He owns a sparkling .931 save percentage and sits sixth in the NHL having stopped 11.4 goals above expectation.Frederik Andersen (+750)Andersen's been the MVP for a team that owns the league's best record at 14-2-0. He's posted a ridiculous .937 save percentage while appearing in 13 of 16 games for the Carolina Hurricanes. Only two goaltenders rank above Andersen in goals saved above expectation and GSAE per start. Though the Hurricanes are obviously a strong team, it's not as if life has been easy for Andersen. Carolina ranks 30th in expected goals against per 60 minutes. He's faced one of the more difficult workloads among goaltenders and still managed to dominate.Jacob Markstrom (+1000)The Calgary Flames surprisingly sit third in the NHL in points and fourth in points percentage. A lot of players have picked it up in Darryl Sutter's first full season as Calgary's head coach - perhaps none more so than Markstrom. He posted a highly mediocre .904 save percentage a season ago but has rebounded in a huge way. He ranks second in the league with a .942 save percentage and has helped the Flames pick up at least a point in 11 of his 14 starts.Jack Campbell (+1200)Campbell was nothing short of spectacular for the Toronto Maple Leafs a season ago, and yet he's found a way to take things up a couple of notches. In his first year as the team's undisputed starter, Campbell's posted a league-leading .944 save percentage and saved more goals above expectation than everyone but Sergei Bobrovsky.Trending downPhilipp Grubauer (+3000)There likely isn't a bigger disappointment in the league than Grubauer. He was a finalist for the Vezina just a year ago and converted that into a lucrative contract to be a stabilizer for the Seattle Kraken in their inaugural season. He's been anything but stable, though. Grubauer has won only a third of his starts and allowed 14.5 more goals than expected, and he owns a woeful .882 save percentage. No other netminder with at least 10 starts has conceded more than four goals above expectation; Grubauer is in a league of his own in the basement of the NHL.Spencer Knight (+4000)Knight entered the year with a realistic shot at claiming the starting job for the Florida Panthers. He hasn't come close to stealing it from Bobrovsky, and it's not just because the latter has played lights-out. Knight has really struggled to date, posting a pedestrian .904 save percentage for a Panthers team that finds itself atop the league in points.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield is feeling appreciative of his two-week stint with the team's AHL affiliate."It was all about just going down there, kinda refreshing my mind, get my game back, and getting my confidence back," Caufield said in a media scrum, according to TSN. "I feel as though it was really good for me to go down there and find myself as a player and relax and get out of the noise a little bit."Montreal assigned Caufield to the Laval Rocket on Nov. 1 amid his slow start to the year. He registered just one assist in 10 contests to kick off the 2021-22 campaign, which was a far cry from the 12 points he put up in 20 playoff games during the Canadiens' mystical run to the Stanley Cup Final last season.Caufield appeared to rediscover his groove in the AHL, scoring two goals and three assists in six games. Montreal recalled him on Nov. 18, which Caufield said was exciting."It felt like the first time again. I had a lot of energy those first couple games, and I’m just going to look forward to keeping that going."Caufield hasn't yet gotten on the scoresheet through two contests since returning to the big club. The 20-year-old said the Habs' message to him was to just be himself."For me, personally, I like where my game's at right now. I'm just gonna keep trying to get better," he added.The Canadiens have struggled throughout the first month of the campaign, stumbling to a 5-13-2 record.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're heading for a busy Monday night on the ice, with six games scheduled to open the week.Let's get into our best bets.Blue Jackets (-125) @ Sabres (+105)The Blue Jackets have been a surprisingly good team in the early going. They own a solid 9-6-0 record and are full value for their success, especially of late.Columbus has won six of its last 10, controlling 54.15% of the expected goals at five-on-five in that span. That's the sixth-highest output in the NHL, slotting them just ahead of clubs like the Wild and Panthers. Good company!Things haven't gone as swimmingly for the Sabres. Buffalo's won just two of its last 10 contests, posting a 43.26 xGF% in that time - only the lowly Blackhawks have fared worse.The Sabres are getting significantly outplayed on a nightly basis without the shooting talent to out-score their problems, and their goaltending isn't strong enough to keep them around in games they don't belong in.I expect the Blue Jackets to take advantage of this fatigued Buffalo team - this is the side's third game in four nights - and get back on track with a win.Bet: Blue Jackets (-125)Penguins (+100) @ Jets (-120)For years, the Jets have been a mediocre five-on-five team that's won games on the back of high-end shooting and high-end goaltending. It has served Winnipeg well in the regular season but has led to little success in the playoffs when facing other top clubs they can't just beat on talent.This Jets squad is much different than those of the past. They're good - very good, even - at full-strength, and that has made Winnipeg a much more complete team capable of hanging with the best.And it's leading to strong results. The Jets have picked up at least a point in eight of their last 10 games and controlled a league-leading 57.36% of the expected goals in that time.With Kyle Connor, Nik Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, and a resurgent Pierre-Luc Dubois up front headlining the team, we know Winnipeg has the firepower to convert at a high rate over time - but the club's generating so much offense that they don't even need to be opportunistic.The Jets, believe it or not, are 29th in shooting percentage during this strong run of results, but they rank second in attempts and high-danger chances per 60, so it hasn't even mattered.If Winnipeg can sustain anywhere close to this level of play, the unit's going to feel unbeatable when its top shooters reach their full potential.While the Penguins are very strong, especially defensively, they're not playing as well as the Jets at five-on-five. Pittsburgh doesn't have a goaltender close to Connor Hellebuyck's caliber, either, so Winnipeg has the edge in goal. Oh, and the Jets are at home - where they own a 7-1-1 record on the year.Back Winnipeg to snap out of this mini losing streak and take care of business on home ice.Bet: Jets (-120)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the fourth edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2020-21 season. Check back for updated rankings every second Monday during the regular season.In this edition, we examine each team's biggest cause for concern so far this season.1. Carolina Hurricanes (14-2-0)Previous rank: 2Things are going nearly perfectly for the Hurricanes, who pace the NHL in points while sitting top 10 in all the important categories. Any complaint about Carolina's start is nitpicking - but pricey offer sheet target Jesperi Kotkaniemi only has four points through 16 games.2. Florida Panthers (13-2-3)Previous rank: 1There's not much to complain about for Panthers fans. The team currently leads the Atlantic Division, and though captain Aleksander Barkov is on the sidelines, his injury isn't as serious as it could have been. Perhaps the most concerning trend for Florida is an expected goals for rate (53.6%) that's significantly lower than its actual goals for rate (65.3%) at five-on-five.3. Washington Capitals (11-3-5)Previous rank: 15The Capitals can't seem to find a win beyond regulation. They haven't even participated in a shootout yet this season since their opponents always burn them in overtime; Washington has five OT losses already.4. Edmonton Oilers (13-4-0)Previous rank: 3It's no secret the Oilers dominate on the power play, scoring at a bonkers 39.6% clip. But they've given up the seventh-most goals (39) in the league at five-on-five, toiling in the basement in that regard alongside the likes of the Seattle Kraken, Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, and Montreal Canadiens.5. Toronto Maple Leafs (13-6-1) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 11Goaltender Jack Campbell has had a heavy workload early in the season, appearing in 16 of the Maple Leafs' 20 games. Toronto acquired Petr Mrazek during the summer in hopes of finally having a formidable tandem between the pipes, but the oft-injured goalie has made just two starts this season. If he can't stay healthy, Campbell could run out of gas quickly.6. Calgary Flames (11-3-5)Previous rank: 4With 15 goals and two assists in 19 games, Andrew Mangiapane deserves to be celebrated amid his unbelievable start to the season. But the concern for the Flames is the 25-year-old's equally unbelievable 31.3 shooting percentage. Sustaining such a rate over the course of the campaign seems highly unlikely.7. Tampa Bay Lightning (10-4-3)Previous rank: 8The Lightning could be without injured stars Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point for the foreseeable future. The club has predictably been one of the league's top teams early in the season, but things have the potential to go downhill fast if injuries keep piling up.8. New York Rangers (11-4-3)Previous rank: 14Goaltender Igor Shesterkin has bailed the Rangers out quite frequently this season, and they'd likely be in a far worse position without him manning the crease. New York has given up the third-most scoring chances against (462) and sixth-most high-danger scoring chances against (168) at five-on-five this season.9. Boston Bruins (9-6-0)Previous rank: 13Linus Ullmark hasn't lived up to the four-year, $20-million contract he signed this past summer. Replacing Tuukka Rask was never going to be easy, but a .908 save percentage won't cut it for a Bruins team with Stanley Cup aspirations.10. Anaheim Ducks (10-5-3) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyIt's hard to point out anything worrisome about a team playing far above expectations and enjoying success for the first time in years. The only alarming thing so far is that some haven't accepted the Ducks might be for real.Previous rank: 2311. Minnesota Wild (11-6-1)Previous rank: 7The Wild have been known for their strong defensive game over the years, but the club seems to be struggling in that regard this season. Minnesota has allowed four goals or more in nine of 18 games.12. Winnipeg Jets (9-4-4)Previous rank: 9Two combined goals from franchise cornerstones Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele is as surprising as it is concerning for the Jets. Both players need to start finding the back of the net.13. Colorado Avalanche (8-5-1)Previous rank: 20Casualties continue to mount for the Avalanche, who recently added Bowen Byram and J.T. Compher to their seemingly never-ending injury list. Colorado has proved its mettle during a four-game win streak, but icing a shorthanded roster night in and night out takes its toll.14. St. Louis Blues (9-6-2)Previous rank: 5Brandon Saad was one of the Blues' top offseason additions, but his underlying numbers don't look great so far. He has the fourth-worst Corsi For rating among forwards at five-on-five (48.77) and the second-worst expected goals for percentage (39.71).15. Vegas Golden Knights (11-7-0) David Becker / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 17The Golden Knights are missing some incredibly talented personnel, but a 12.2% power-play conversion rate is horrendous for any NHL unit.16. Philadelphia Flyers (8-5-3)Previous rank: 6The Flyers tried to revamp their defense during the offseason and made a big splash by bringing in Ryan Ellis. But he's only appeared in four games this season, and the nagging injury that's kept him sidelined for longer than anticipated could remain an issue throughout the year.17. New Jersey Devils (8-5-3)Previous rank: 18The Devils are proving to be a scrappy bunch this season, but those leaked alternate jerseys are a major cause for concern.18. Pittsburgh Penguins (7-6-4)Previous rank: 19The Penguins' season has been fraught with injuries and COVID-19 concerns. But with dominant shutouts in its past two contests, things look to be back on track for Pittsburgh. Now the team just has to hope everybody can stay on the ice.19. Los Angeles Kings (8-7-3)Previous rank: 24The Kings must tighten up on special teams to make a charge up the standings this season. Despite a solid start, Los Angeles ranks bottom 10 in both power-play (15.9%) and penalty-kill (77.8%) efficiency.20. Nashville Predators (9-7-1) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 21The Predators aren't generating many quality opportunities, ranking 31st in the league with 115 high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five.21. Columbus Blue Jackets (9-6-0)Previous rank: 12The Blue Jackets routinely give up too much in the defensive zone, surrendering the fourth-most shots against per game (33.9) while ranking 24th in even-strength shot attempts per 60 minutes (58.4).22. New York Islanders (5-8-2)Previous rank: 10The Islanders have struggled to score and own the NHL's third-lowest shot total in all situations (449). The result is a minus-15 goal differential. Riding a six-game losing streak, New York needs to figure things out quickly.23. Dallas Stars (7-7-2)Previous rank: 27The Stars can't seem to find reliable goal-scorers this season. Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz lead the team with a modest five tallies apiece.24. Buffalo Sabres (7-8-2)Previous rank: 22The Sabres have lost eight of their last 10 games after their hot start to the year. Buffalo looks to have come back down to earth, which means the team's faithful should be concerned about the rest of the season.25. Detroit Red Wings (8-9-3) Steve Babineau / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 25The Red Wings are getting outstanding results from their top players and young guns. Having to choose between Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider in the Calder Trophy race should have some voters concerned already.26. San Jose Sharks (8-8-1)Previous rank: 16Evander Kane is set to finish serving his suspension at the end of November, so the Sharks must soon address his future with the team. It remains unclear if he'll return to San Jose, but he has three years left on his contract.27. Chicago Blackhawks (6-10-2)Previous rank: 31No one expected Jonathan Toews to light the league on fire after missing all of last season for medical reasons, but the Blackhawks captain is goalless through 18 games. The once-dominant two-way force is also a minus-7 on the year.28. Montreal Canadiens (5-13-2)Previous rank: 30Cole Caufield looked like he regained some confidence during his six-game AHL stint, but did the Canadiens call him back up too quickly? In what's looking like a lost season, the club should prioritize his development; Montreal can't afford to squander yet another blue-chip prospect.29. Ottawa Senators (4-10-1)Previous rank: 29How long will it take the Senators to shake off the rust following their COVID-19 layoff? Ottawa dug itself an early hole with poor results to start the season and now faces an even steeper climb due to circumstances beyond its control.30. Vancouver Canucks (6-11-2) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 26Other than netminder Thatcher Demko, everything about the Canucks is cause for concern at this point. Vancouver is the not-so-proud owner of the worst penalty kill in the league, stumbling along at a 62.3% success rate.31. Seattle Kraken (5-12-1)Previous rank: 28Philipp Grubauer has to be better. There's not much the Kraken can do when their No. 1 option in the crease has an .882 save percentage, a league-worst minus-11.3 goals saved above average, and minus-14.3 goals saved above expected at all strengths through 15 appearances.32. Arizona Coyotes (4-13-2)Previous rank: 32There were virtually no expectations for success this season, but the Coyotes sorely lack an entertainment factor. There are solid hockey fans in Arizona, and they deserve something better than this team. Not even Jakob Chychrun is providing much pop, posting five points in 19 games.(Analytics sources: Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning star Brayden Point is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, the team announced.Point was a late scratch for the club's clash with the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. He went hard into the boards Saturday versus the New Jersey Devils after being tripped on a breakaway.

Fenway Sports Group previously explored the possibility of joining forces with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.At least one year ago, the entity that operates MLB's Boston Red Sox and the Premier League's Liverpool inquired about a merger with MLSE before ultimately going after the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins."About 12-18 months ago, before Fenway Sports Group went down this road with the Penguins, an emissary was dispatched to ask Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment ... if they would be interested in a merger with Fenway," Friedman said on Saturday's "32 Thoughts" TV segment."It didn't go very far, as I've been told (MLSE) made it clear they weren't ready for that yet," Friedman said.The potential move would have come with obstacles. Rogers Communications, which owns MLB's Toronto Blue Jays, holds a 37.5% stake in MLSE, the company that oversees the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, NBA's Toronto Raptors, MLS' Toronto FC, and Scotiabank Arena.Earlier this week, it was reported Fenway Sports Group was in advanced talks to purchase the Penguins. The Fenway group is helmed by billionaire John Henry, while hockey legend Mario Lemieux and investor Ron Burkle have operated the Penguins since 1999.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Fenway Sports Group previously explored the possibility of joining forces with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.At least one year ago, the entity that operates MLB's Boston Red Sox and the Premier League's Liverpool inquired about a merger with MLSE before ultimately going after the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins."About 12-18 months ago, before Fenway Sports Group went down this road with the Penguins, an emissary was dispatched to ask Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment ... if they would be interested in a merger with Fenway," Friedman said on Saturday's "32 Thoughts" TV segment."It didn't go very far, as I've been told (MLSE) made it clear they weren't ready for that yet," Friedman said.The potential move would have come with obstacles. Rogers Communications, which owns MLB's Toronto Blue Jays, holds a 37.5% stake in MLSE, the company that oversees the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, NBA's Toronto Raptors, MLS' Toronto FC, and Scotiabank Arena.Earlier this week, it was reported Fenway Sports Group was in advanced talks to purchase the Penguins. The Fenway group is helmed by billionaire John Henry, while hockey legend Mario Lemieux and investor Ron Burkle have operated the Penguins since 1999.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks have decided one of their top prospects needs further seasoning.The club assigned forward Mason McTavish to the OHL's Peterborough Petes on Saturday."While we are happy with Mason's development to date, we believe it is in his best long-term interests to continue his development playing in the OHL for the remainder of this season and, hopefully, for Team Canada in the upcoming World Junior (Championship)," Ducks interim general manager Jeff Solomon said."Among other things, this move should afford Mason the opportunity to gain additional experience playing his natural center position, which we believe will be beneficial to Mason and the Ducks in the long run."McTavish skated in nine games with Anaheim this season, recording two goals and an assist while averaging 13:05 of ice time per contest. A 10th NHL appearance by McTavish in 2021-22 would burn a year off his entry-level contract.The 18-year-old is eligible to play for Team Canada at the 2022 World Junior Championship.The Ducks selected McTavish third overall in the 2021 draft.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault is set to meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss the possibility of bringing the defunct Nordiques back to Quebec City."I’ve spoken with Bettman already, and there are meetings that are planned during the coming months," Legault said Thursday on RDS' Le 5 à 7, as translated by theScore."You have to look to know who is ready to invest. We have an (arena) already built in Quebec (City), and we are in contact with commissioner Gary Bettman to find out what we need to bring back the Nordiques."Quebec City's Videotron Centre is an 18,259-seat arena that opened in 2015. It's the seventh-largest indoor arena in Canada and the largest that doesn't house an NHL team. The QMJHL's Quebec Remparts are currently the primary tenant.The Quebec Nordiques were an NHL team from 1979-95 before relocating to Colorado and becoming the Avalanche.The NHL has expanded from 30 teams to 32 over the last few years with the additions of the Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken. No further expansion plans are publicly known.There has been much speculation about the Arizona Coyotes' future in the desert, especially after the city of Glendale informed the team in August that the 2021-22 campaign will be its last at Gila River Arena. But team president Xavier Gutierrez said at the time the franchise is "100% committed to finding a long-term arena solution here in Arizona."The Coyotes submitted a bid in September to build an arena in nearby Tempe, Arizona, but their plans for the 2022-23 season are unknown.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators removed eight players and associate coach Jack Capuano from COVID-19 protocol on Saturday morning.

The Colorado Avalanche inked bench boss Jared Bednar to a two-year contract extension Friday.Bednar's new pact runs through 2023-24. His current deal expires at the end of this season.The 49-year-old is in his sixth campaign as Avalanche head coach. He improved to 192-154-40 and moved to within a single win of tying Bob Hartley for the franchise record with a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Friday night.Bednar is currently the fifth-longest-tenured bench boss in the NHL. He's guided Colorado since 2016-17, helping the club make the playoffs in each of the four seasons that followed.However, the Avalanche have exited the postseason in the second round three years in a row, including last season in which they won the Presidents' Trophy.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks winger Kevin Labanc was suspended one game Friday for slew-footing St. Louis Blues center Tyler Bozak on Thursday night.Labanc was assessed a two-minute minor for tripping after taking Bozak down near the boards in the first period. The Blues forward was able to stay in the game.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin has tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Friday."He is being monitored by the Canadiens medical staff and will follow the protocols set forth by the National Hockey League and the public health authorities," the club said in a statement.Bergevin has been Montreal's GM since 2012-13 and has overseen six playoff appearances during his tenure, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final this past spring.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse will miss two-to-three weeks after suffering a broken finger Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced Friday.Fellow blue-liner Slater Koekkoek is also out three-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury. Defensemen Philip Broberg and William Lagesson have been recalled from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors as a result.Additionally, goaltender Mike Smith has been moved to long-term injured reserve and remains "week-to-week at best," according to head coach Dave Tippett.Nurse is averaging a team-high 26:06 of ice time per game this season. He's also chipped in 11 assists in 16 games.Meanwhile, Koekkoek has played sparingly, averaging 9:48 per contest in 11 appearances.The Oilers' defensive pairings for Saturday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks are still to be determined, but here's the team's updated depth chart on the back end:LDRDDuncan KeithEvan BouchardKris RussellCody CeciPhilip BrobergTyson BarrieWilliam LagessonBroberg is in line to make his NHL debut due to the absences of Nurse and Koekkoek. The eighth overall pick in 2019 has excelled in his first AHL season, tallying 10 assists in 13 games.The 25-year-old Lagesson has 27 career NHL games under his belt - all with Edmonton.Smith, meanwhile, hasn't played since Oct. 19 due to a lower-body injury.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Thursday night was a mixed bag on the ice. We nailed all three of our player props to push our record to 15-2 on the season. Unfortunately, our under in the Tampa Bay versus Philadelphia game was lost with eight seconds remaining, while the Columbus Blue Jackets blew a third-period lead to erase any hope of a regulation victory.All in all, we won three of five plays given out. Let's dive into some of our best bets for the weekend ahead.Note: shot props will be posted on Twitter, so be sure to follow!Jets (-110) @ Canucks (-110)

Death, taxes, and winning shot props this season.We hit the Viktor Arvidsson over on Wednesday - and, as a bonus, the Brock Boeser total I tweeted - to push our record to 12-2 on the year.There's a jam-packed slate of games to pick through tonight, so let's get right into it.Mitch Marner over 2.5 shots (-115)Mitch Marner is not somebody you think of as a big shooter, but he's been very trigger-happy as of late. He's attempted 56 shots and hit the net 29 times over his last 10 games.Marner now draws arguably the best matchup you could ask for. The Rangers are allowing a league-leading 69 shot attempts per 60 over the last seven games. They can't defend a lick and are relying heavily on goaltender Igor Shesterkin to keep them in games.The good news with shot totals is that opposing goaltenders are irrelevant. It doesn't matter whether you're facing Shesterkin or the guy from the corner store; a shot is a shot whether it goes in or not.Marner is generating shots at an efficient clip and New York is bleeding them more than any other team.At near even money, I'm happy to roll the dice with Marner here.Zach Werenski over 2.5 shots (+100)Zach Werenski is a shooting machine, averaging 6.5 attempts and 3.5 shots on goal per game over the last 10. He's also gone over 2.5 in seven consecutive contests.While the Coyotes don't give up a ton of shots at five-on-five, they bleed them on the penalty kill, and only Oliver Bjorkstrand has more power-play shot attempts than Werenski for the Blue Jackets over the last 10 games.This is not a dream spot in terms of pace, but Werenski is a willing shooter who plays nearly 27 minutes per game. So there's still real value on this line.Bonus round: Aaron Ekblad over 2.5 shots (-120). The Devils are struggling defensively, allowing shots at a higher rate than everyone but the Rangers over the last five games. Ekblad leads the Panthers in shots this season and there's some extra puck to go around with Aleksander Barkov out of the lineup.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

'When Goalies Were Weird' is a new hockey podcast from theScore.Starting Nov. 22, the six-part series dives into the lives and careers of some of the most fascinating characters in NHL history. Each episode tells the story of one great and unforgettable 1990s-era goalie, including Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy, Ron Hextall, Ed Belfour, Curtis Joseph, and more.Check out the series trailer for a sneak peek:Find the podcast and subscribe/follow on: