There's a familiar feel to these Stanley Cup semifinals, as the field features three of the four teams that contested here last season.The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders will meet in a rematch of last year's conference finals, while the Vegas Golden Knights will instead face the Montreal Canadiens for a chance at the Stanley Cup.Once again the Lightning and Knights are overwhelming favorites to meet in the Stanley Cup Final, but as we learned last year, these things don't always play out according to script.1. Golden Knights (-500) vs. 4. Canadiens (+375)Regular-season statsGOLDEN KNIGHTSSTATCANADIENS40-14-2Record24-21-1154.02 (5th)xGF%*53.00 (11th)54.56 (4th)CF%*54.31 (6th)53.47 (9th)HDCF%*51.88 (12th)9.5 (3rd)SH%*7.52 (25th).920 (11th)SV%*.914 (21st)17.8 (22nd)PP%19.2 (17th)86.8 (1st)PK%78.5 (23rd)*five-on-fivePlayoff statsGOLDEN KNIGHTSSTATCANADIENS8-5-0Record8-3-056.04 (3rd)xGF%*53.48 (6th)54.09 (5th)CF%*50.97 (9th)54.95 (5th)HDCF%*50.57 (8th)8.98 (2nd)SH%*6.04 (12th).920 (12th)SV%*.942 (3rd)14.3 (14th)PP%18.8 (8th)71.4 (12th)PK%90.3 (1st)*five-on-fiveVegas and Montreal are set to meet for the first time since January 2019, the longest two third-round opponents have gone without playing each other in the lead up to a head-to-head series. The Canadiens won both meetings 5-4 during the 2019-20 season - both victories coming after regulation - and is 5-1-0 all time against Vegas.This is familiar territory for the Knights, who were betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup heading into last season's conference finals before losing 4-1 to the Dallas Stars. This will be Vegas' third appearance in the semifinals in its short four-year history, though it's still chasing that elusive Cup win.It's a series rife with storylines as the league's most successful franchise takes on its newest. Former Montreal captain Max Pacioretty will go up against his former team, as will Nick Suzuki, the Canadiens' young star who was acquired in the trade with Vegas. It's a trip home for Marc-Andre Fleury, the league's active leader in wins among Quebec-born goalies. It's a David vs. Goliath story in the sense that Montreal finished the regular season with the fewest points among playoff teams, while Vegas accrued the joint-most.Most importantly, it's a meeting between the two teams with the best underlying numbers from the second round. The Canadiens posted an unheralded 68.1% share of the expected goals at five-on-five in their sweep of the Winnipeg Jets, while the Knights posted an excellent 59.0% share over six games against the Colorado Avalanche. The quality of opponent in these series was drastically different, but there's something to be said about Montreal winning the most lopsided playoff series in the last 14 seasons.

Nikita Kucherov has responded to Dougie Hamilton's comment on Thursday about the Carolina Hurricanes losing to a Tampa Bay Lightning squad that's "$18 million over the cap.""I didn't make the rules with the cap," Kucherov said Friday, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith. "It's not me. I didn't do anything on purpose. I had to do the surgery. I had to go through the whole five months of rehabilitation, and when the time came and I was ready to play, I was playing."Kucherov missed the entire 2020-21 campaign after undergoing hip surgery in the offseason, allowing the Bolts to alleviate their cap crunch by placing his $9.5 million average annual value on long-term injured reserve, where it wouldn't count against the cap.The former Hart Trophy winner returned for the playoff opener and currently leads all skaters with 18 points in 11 playoff games.If Kucherov hadn't missed the entire season, Tampa Bay likely would've been forced to part with a valuable player, such as Alex Killorn, to get under the cap. Otherwise, the Lightning would've likely had to send a significant sweetener to another team for taking on a player with an undesirable contract, like fourth-liner Tyler Johnson, who carries a $5-million cap hit.However, Tampa was able to activate Kucherov for the postseason with no repercussions since the cap doesn't apply to the playoffs.The Bolts' final cap hit was $98.8 million - $17.3 million over the ceiling - per CapFriendly.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Owen Power, projected No. 1 overall pick for the upcoming 2021 NHL draft, is leaning towards playing another NCAA season at Michigan instead of turning pro."I think right now I'm probably leaning more towards going back to school," Power said during an interview with NHL Network on Friday."It's something I'd like to do, try and get the true experience of playing college hockey. At the end of the day, it obviously depends on what the team wants and what everyone around me thinks is best. I don't think there's really a bad option."Central Scouting labeled Power the top North American skater heading to the draft in their final rankings in May. The 18-year-old defenseman had 16 points in 26 games for the Wolverines this past season and won gold with Canada at the world championship in Latvia.The Buffalo Sabres, Seattle Kraken, and Anaheim Ducks hold the top three picks in this year's draft.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes' Rod Brind'Amour, Minnesota Wild's Dean Evason, and Florida Panthers' Joel Quenneville are the three finalists for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL's coach of the year.Brind'Amour has guided the Hurricanes to three straight postseason berths since becoming the team's head coach, including a Central Division title this past campaign. Carolina went 36-12-8, finishing just two points off a share of the league lead. This is the first time Brind'Amour's been a Jack Adams finalist.Evason led the Wild to a surprisingly stellar regular season, going 35-16-5 - good enough for third in the West Division. Minnesota finished just seven points back of the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. This was Evason's first full campaign behind an NHL bench after taking over as interim coach midway through the 2019-20 season.Few people gave the Panthers much of a chance to make any noise this year, but Quenneville guided the team to its best season in franchise history in terms of points percentage (.705). The Cats finished just one point back of the Canes for first in the Central. Quenneville is seeking his second career Jack Adams Award after winning in 1999-00 with the St. Louis Blues.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Taylor Hall is open to a reunion with the Boston Bruins as he's set to enter unrestricted free agency."I see a fit, hopefully they feel the same," he told reporters Friday.Hall added that finding the right team will be more important than cashing in this summer."I'm not looking to absolutely maximize my value at this point in my career. I've been fortunate enough to make some good money in this league," he said. "At this point, it's more of a fit for me than maybe money, or long-term thing."Hall's estimated career earnings sit at $52.2 million, according to CapFriendly.The 29-year-old clearly enjoyed his time in Beantown. After signing a one-year, $8-million deal with Buffalo in the offseason, he produced just two goals and 17 assists in 37 games with the Sabres. However, he was rejuvenated after a deadline trade landed him in Boston, as he recorded eight goals and six helpers in 16 contests with the Bruins. He contributed five points in 11 playoff games.The Bruins have multiple key free agents to take care of, including franchise pillars David Krejci and Tuukka Rask. They have $27 million in projected cap space.Evolving-Hockey projects Hall will sign a seven-year deal with an annual cap hit of $7.321 million.The 2018 Hart Trophy winner has played for four teams in the last two seasons.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It turns out Tuukka Rask's postseason injury needed more than just "some maintenance."The Boston Bruins netminder played through a torn labrum in his hip, he told reporters Friday. Rask will undergo surgery within the next month and will likely be out until January or February."It was hard," he said. "I had it all year."Rask added he thinks he hurt his hip during the 2020 playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes. Wear and tear made the injury worse over time. While compensating for the hip, his back seized up, and he could barely walk for a week, which forced him to miss some time during the regular season.The pending unrestricted free agent also reiterated that he wants to play next year but won't do so for any NHL team other than the Bruins. Rask was then asked what he would do if Boston doesn't want to re-sign him."Maybe I go home and play in Finland," he said. "I'm part owner of a team there. Who knows?"Rask posted a .913 save percentage and a 2.28 goals against average in 24 games during the regular season. The 33-year-old started all 11 postseason contests for the Bruins, sporting a .919 save percentage and a 2.36 goals against average.Jaroslav Halak is also a pending UFA, so youngsters Jeremy Swayman and Dan Vladar are the only Bruins goalies under contract for next year.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the books, theScore counts down the top five players of the postseason so far in all three positional groups. Players on eliminated teams are eligible for this list, as these rankings are explicitly based on cumulative performances from the first two rounds.Forwards | Defensemen | Goalies5. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Islanders Mike Stobe / National Hockey League / GettyGPPxGF%ATOI121349.96%18:02Pageau lives for playoff time. After a rather pedestrian regular season, the Islanders' pesky pivot has woken up when it matters and currently has the second-most points among forwards in the playoffs. He was particularly strong against the Bruins, registering six points, including two assists in the Game 6 clincher.4. Brad Marchand, Bruins Steve Babineau / National Hockey League / GettyGPPxGF%ATOI111260.35%20:40Boston's second-round elimination is no fault of its top line. Marchand was spectacular through 11 games and delivered five goals against the Islanders. The 33-year-old maintained his reputation as a playoff performer and now has 64 points in his last 60 postseason contests stretching back to 2018.3. Brayden Point, Lightning Grant Halverson / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPPxGF%ATOI111258.49%19:28Point is another player who continuously rises to the occasion in the playoffs. He was instrumental in the Lightning's dismantling of a deep Carolina team and enters Round 3 tied for eighth in scoring and tied for first in goals. Dating back to last season's Cup run, Point's registered 45 points in 34 playoff games.2. David Pastrnak, Bruins Adam Glanzman / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPPxGF%ATOI111562.1119:44Pastrnak did all he could to will the Bruins into Round 3, but unfortunately for him, the lasting memory of his postseason efforts will be an inexplicable miss in a Game 4 loss versus the Islanders. Aside from that blunder, Pastrnak was brilliant. He totaled nine points in six contests versus New York and sits second overall in playoff scoring.1. Nikita Kucherov, Lightning Gregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / GettyGPPxGF%ATOI111858.58%19:27Kucherov is playing at a Conn Smythe-worthy level once again. Last season's playoff leading scorer is well on pace to do so again and looks bound to create a scoring chance each time he touches the puck. Kucherov's notched the majority of his points on the power play (13) but is still generating expected goals at an elite rate at five-on-five. His even-strength shooting percentage (5%) is the second-worst among all Bolts forwards, so if that begins to trend upward as the playoffs progress, Tampa could be unstoppable.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer loved what he saw from defenseman Alex Pietrangelo in Round 2."I thought he was the best player in the series, on either team," DeBoer said after Vegas eliminated the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, per The Athletic's Jesse Granger."He was an absolute monster for us."Pietrangelo had four points in six games against the Avalanche, including the game-winning goal Thursday. He also controlled 53.33% of shot attempts and 59.20% of expected goals at five-on-five during the series, according to Natural Stat Trick.Pietrangelo joined the Golden Knights as last offseason's top unrestricted free agent, signing a monster seven-year, $61.6-million deal. The 31-year-old won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, and he sees familiar habits with his new club, which is on to Round 3 for the third time in four years of existence."It's a winning culture," Pietrangelo said of playing in Vegas. "It started in Year 1, and there have been different players added, but the culture stays the same. It starts with ownership and trickles down."Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nathan MacKinnon lamented another early exit by his Colorado Avalanche following their 6-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of their second-round series Thursday night.

The semifinals of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin Sunday, the NHL announced Thursday night.Here's a look at the full schedule for both series:Lightning vs. IslandersGameDateHomeTime (ET)1June 13Lightning3 p.m.2June 15Lightning8. p.m.3June 17Islanders8 p.m.4June 19Islanders8 p.m.5*June 21Lightning8 p.m.6*June 23Islanders8 p.m.7*June 25Lightning8 p.m.*If necessaryThis series marks a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Final, in which the Lightning prevailed in six games. The defending champs eliminated the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2, while the Islanders dispatched the Boston Bruins.Golden Knights vs. CanadiensGameDateHomeTime (ET)1June 14Golden Knights9 p.m.2June 16Golden Knights9 p.m.3June 18Canadiens8 p.m.4June 20Canadiens8 p.m.5*June 22Golden Knights9 p.m.6*June 24Canadiens8 p.m.7*June 26Golden Knights8 p.m.In this matchup, the NHL's newest team will take on the league's oldest. The series will also mark the first time this season a Canadian team takes on an American team. The Canadian government recently implemented a travel exemption for clubs entering the country for the final two rounds of the playoffs.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights advanced to the final four of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by knocking out the Colorado Avalanche with a 6-3 victory in Game 6 of their second-round series Thursday night.Vegas will meet the Montreal Canadiens in the semifinals. The Canadiens swept the Winnipeg Jets in Round 2. The Tampa Bay Lightning will battle the New York Islanders in the other Round 3 matchup.Six different players scored for the Golden Knights in Game 6. Nick Holden and William Karlsson tallied in the first period, Keegan Kolesar and Alex Pietrangelo got on the board in the second, and William Carrier netted one in the third before Max Pacioretty punctuated the win with an empty-netter.Devon Toews, Mikko Rantanen, and Andre Burakovsky provided the offense for the Avalanche, who lost in the second round for the third straight season.Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 30 of the 33 shots he faced. Colorado netminder Philipp Grubauer allowed five goals on 22 shots.The Golden Knights are making their second consecutive trip to the round of four after falling short in the Western Conference Final in 2019-20.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brad Larsen has been named head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team announced Thursday.Larsen, who's the eighth bench boss in franchise history, succeeds John Tortorella. He has been with the organization since his playing career ended in 2010. Larsen worked with the AHL's Springfield Falcons for four years (two as assistant coach, two as head coach) before serving as an assistant with the Blue Jackets for the last seven seasons."We underwent an exhaustive process in which we looked very closely at a number of outstanding candidates to be the next coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the one individual we kept coming back to throughout was Brad Larsen," said general manager Jarmo Kekalainen."Brad was one of the top young coaches in the American Hockey League when he joined our club as an assistant coach, and over the past seven years (he's) earned the respect of our players, staff, and organization with his work ethic, hockey acumen, and the way he treats people, and we couldn't be more pleased to introduce him as our next head coach."Gerard Gallant, Rick Tocchet, and Larsen all interviewed twice for the job.Larsen played in 294 NHL games across eight seasons, winning a Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Darryl Sutter has a new right-hand man.The Calgary Flames have added Kirk Muller to their coaching staff as an associate bench boss, the team announced Thursday.Muller served as the associate coach with the Montreal Canadiens for the past five seasons. He was fired along with head coach Claude Julien on Feb. 24. He was the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes for parts of three seasons from 2011 to 2014.The 55-year-old recorded 959 points in 1,349 games during his 19-year playing career, winning a Stanley Cup with the Habs in 1993.Calgary is also promoting Cail MacLean from head coach of the AHL's Stockton Heat to an assistant coach with the Flames.Former assistants Martin Gelinas and Ray Edwards won't return to the coaching staff. Both will stay with the organization in player development roles, though.Sutter replaced Geoff Ward behind the bench midway through the 2020-21 campaign, going 15-15-0.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton made a point of the fact the Tampa Bay Lightning were significantly above the NHL's $81.5-million salary cap during the playoffs.Hamilton was asked Thursday how close the Hurricanes are to capturing a Stanley Cup after losing to the Lightning in five games."It's hard to say. We're definitely close. We had a great season. We lost to a team that's $18 million over the cap, or whatever they are," Hamilton told reporters.The Lightning's final cap hit was $98.8 million, according to CapFriendly. That's $17.3 million over the league's ceiling."I don't have a problem with it, you just realize how good that team was," Hamilton added.Tampa Bay was able to legally circumvent the cap in the regular season primarily because Nikita Kucherov - who carries a $9.5-million average annual value - spent the entire season on long-term injured reserve. That meant his contract didn't count against the salary cap.There is no salary cap in the playoffs, which is why Kucherov was allowed to return with no repercussions.After spending all season recovering from offseason hip surgery, Kucherov has shown no signs of rust in the playoffs, leading the league with 18 points in 11 games.Had he not missed the entire season, the Lightning would've faced a cap crunch that likely would've necessitated moving a player such as Alex Killorn. The team put Tyler Johnson ($5-million average annual value) on waivers in the offseason, but there were no takers.The Chicago Blackhawks famously did something similar in 2015. By placing Patrick Kane on long-term injured reserve in February, the Hawks used that cap room to add Kimmo Timonen and Antoine Vermette for their playoff run. Kane returned for the postseason opener en route to Chicago's third Stanley Cup in six years.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon are the three finalists for the Hart Trophy, awarded to the league's most valuable player.McDavid is the clear front-runner for the award after producing an NHL-best 105 points in 56 games - 21 more points than the person with the next most in the league, his teammate Leon Draisaitl. McDavid played at a 154-point pace over 82 contests, a number that hasn't been reached since Mario Lemieux racked up 161 in 1995-96. The 24-year-old's seeking his second career Hart Trophy after winning in 2016-17.Matthews has already claimed the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy after leading the league with 41 goals in 52 games. The 23-year-old also led the NHL with 31 even-strength goals, 12 game-winning goals, and 222 shots. The 6-foot-3, 223-pound pivot also made strides defensively, finishing with a career-best 1.95 expected goals against per 60 minutes. This is Matthews' first time being nominated for the Hart.MacKinnon got off to a slow start but still finished with 65 points in 48 games, ranking fourth in the league in points-per-game. The 25-year-old was the driving force behind the NHL's top regular-season team, with his 63.7% expected goals share leading all skaters who logged at least 500 minutes at five-on-five. MacKinnon was nominated for the Hart on two other occasions, finishing as the runner-up in 2017-18 and 2019-20.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vincent Trocheck is a warrior.The Carolina Hurricanes center admitted Thursday that he played through a sprained MCL in Game 5 of the second round against the Tampa Bay Lightning."It’s just the feeling that if the season was going to end, I didn’t want to be in the stands," he said, according to NHL.com's Michael Smith.Trocheck suffered the injury in Game 2 of the series when he collided with teammate Warren Foegele.

The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Devin Shore to a two-year contract extension Wednesday.The deal carries an average annual value of $850,000.Shore, who was a pending restricted free agent, gets a yearly raise of $150,000 after inking a one-year pact with Edmonton for the league minimum in January. He produced five goals and four assists in 38 games with the Oilers this season.The center, who turns 27 on July 19, began his career with the Dallas Stars, playing three-plus seasons with the club that drafted him 61st overall in 2012. He played for the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019-20, notching five goals and seven assists over 45 contests.Edmonton still has a slew of pending free agents, including potential unrestricted free agents Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Larsson, Tyson Barrie, and Mike Smith.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban will work as an NHL analyst for ESPN for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and will make his debut Wednesday night.

The Minnesota Wild have hired Ray Shero as a senior advisor to general manager Bill Guerin, the team announced Wednesday.Shero previously served as the GM of the New Jersey Devils from 2015 to 2020, and he held the same role with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2006 to 2014.Guerin played under Shero in Pittsburgh for parts of two seasons and began his post-playing career as a development coach with the Pens in 2011.Shero won a Stanley Cup in 2009 and was named GM of the Year after the 2012-13 campaign.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets pivot Mark Scheifele believes the Department of Player Safety cost him a chance to compete with his teammates during their second-round sweep to the Montreal Canadiens."I still believe (the suspension) was excessive," Scheifele told reporters Wednesday. "They knock me out of the series, I don't even get a chance to play with my teammates and battle with my teammates in the series. For a guy with a clean record ... I'm just gonna stop talking before I get fined or something like that so I'll just leave it as it is."He added that the league did his opponent's job of shutting him down for the series."Obviously, it's crushing that my season was ended by that and I wasn't able to play in this series," Scheifele said. "I thought I was going to be tried to be shut down by Phillip Danault, but it was the Department of Player Safety that shut me down. So that definitely sucks."Scheifele was suspended four games for charging Montreal's Jake Evans at the end of Game 1. Evans suffered a concussion on the play.The 28-year-old will miss the 2021-22 regular-season opener to serve the remainder of the suspension.The Department of Player Safety wasn't Scheifele's only target during the press conference, as he also took aim at the Winnipeg media for discounting the team earlier in the year."We were written off from Day 1 of the season and we proved people wrong all season long," Scheifele said, according to The Athletic's Murat Ates. "We go through that slide towards the end of the year and we were written off again ... We don't get a lot of respect in the grand scheme of things."The Jets finished third in the North Division with 63 points before sweeping the Edmonton Oilers in Round 1.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Adam Fox of the New York Rangers, Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche are the NHL's top defensemen finalists for the Norris Trophy.Fox enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign, finishing second among all blue-liners with 47 points in 55 games. With Fox on the ice at five-on-five, the Rangers scored 57.5% of the goals and 54.3% of the expected goals. Without him, they posted a 49.3% goals share and 44.8% expected goals share.Hedman is a Norris finalist for a fifth consecutive season, the longest streak since fellow Swede Nicklas Lidstrom's six-year run from 1998-2003. Hedman won the award in 2017-18 and finished third in voting the other three years. The 30-year-old's most recent campaign was arguably his worst during that stretch, as he reportedly played through much of the second half with a shoulder injury that requires offseason surgery. However, he still racked up 45 points - tied for third among defensemen - in 54 contests.Makar is a finalist despite missing 12 games due to injury. His 44 points were tied for fifth among defensemen and the best on a per game basis. He finished second among qualified blue-liners with a 61.8% expected goals share.(Analytics courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Nedeljkovic returned to the crease Tuesday night.The 25-year-old started for the Carolina Hurricanes in their Game 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, making 23 saves as Carolina was eliminated from the postseason.Nedeljkovic started Games 1 and 2 of the series, losing both contests 2-1 before Petr Mrazek took over for the next two. Carolina won Game 3 in overtime but lost Game 4 by a 6-4 margin as Tampa Bay grabbed a 3-1 series lead. Mrazek allowed six goals on 26 shots in Game 4.The 29-year-old Mrazek has posted a .873 save percentage while surrendering eight goals on 63 shots during this series. Nedeljkovic stopped 41 of the 45 shots he faced in the first two contests for a save percentage of .911.Nedeljkovic is a finalist for the Calder Trophy - awarded annually to the NHL's top rookie - this season.The Hurricanes also had a pair of key forwards return from injury in Game 5.Vincent Trocheck was back in the lineup after he collided with teammate Warren Foegele in Game 2. Nino Niederreiter played for the first time during the second-round matchup. He was a late scratch for Game 1 due to an upper-body ailment. Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour had said Niederreiter was "very, very doubtful" to play in Round 2.Meanwhile, Foegele missed Game 5. He was hurt in Game 3 and didn't return, then he played 14:25 in Game 4.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto residents might not be happy with the CN Tower's choice of colors Tuesday night.The landmark building, which stands in downtown Toronto, announced that it'll be decked out in red, blue, and white to honor the Montreal Canadiens being the final Canadian team standing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy has been fined $25,000 for criticizing officials after Game 5 versus the New York Islanders on Monday night, the league announced.Cassidy implied his second-round opponent gets preferential treatment from the officiating crew."I think they sell a narrative over there that it's more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders. They play hard, they play the right way, but I feel we're the same way. And the exact calls that are getting called on us do not get called on them, and I don't know why," Cassidy said after the loss."Maybe we need to sell them more, flop, but that's not us," he added. "You'd just hope they see them. I mean the same calls go against us. It's not like I'm sitting there going 'well every call against us sucks,' it's not true."... They need to be penalized on those plays. They've done a great job selling that narrative that they're clean. ... They commit as many infractions as we do, trust me. It's just a matter of calling them. That's the part that I guess gets frustrating but you play through it."Boston was penalized four times in the contest, and New York made the most of its opportunities while converting three power-play tallies to take a 3-2 series lead. The Bruins were given two-man advantages in the game.After taking the hit to his wallet, Cassidy stated he believes what he said was fair."We're told before we have to keep our comments civil. I thought it was. They didn't see it that way," the coach said Tuesday, per The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa.Islanders head coach Barry Trotz was also critical of the officiating after Game 4.Game 6 is slated for Wednesday in New York.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nazem Kadri's eight-game suspension was upheld by a neutral arbitrator, the NHL and the players' association announced Tuesday.The Colorado Avalanche forward received an eight-game ban after a hit to the head of St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk in Game 2 of the club's first-round series. It's the sixth suspension of Kadri's career.NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld the Department of Player Safety's ruling May 31, prompting the appeal to a neutral arbitrator.Kadri is eligible to return to Colorado's lineup no sooner than a potential Game 7 versus the Vegas Golden Knights. The series is tied 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday night.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Mathew Dumba, Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom, and San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau are finalists for the 2021 Masterton Trophy, the league announced Tuesday.The annual award is given to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. It's voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.Dumba co-founded the Hockey Diversity Alliance last year and has contributed to numerous community initiatives in Minnesota. The 26-year-old won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy last season for his leadership qualities.Lindblom is up for the award for the second year in a row. The 24-year-old recovered from Ewing's sarcoma - a form of bone cancer - last year and suited up in 50 of 56 games in 2021.Marleau, 41, broke Gordie Howe's all-time record for games played this campaign. The Sharks veteran now sits at 1,779 career contests.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tyler Toffoli and the Montreal Canadiens are perfectly content ignoring the detractors of their unlikely playoff run as they await their Round 3 opponent."It kind of feels like nobody believes in us," Toffoli said Monday after Montreal completed a second-round sweep of the Winnipeg Jets, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "The only people we have are ourselves and our fans, which clearly - with the small amount of fans in the building it sounded a lot more than what it was - are behind us, and our friends and family."We're sticking together. We're playing as one, and we're winning games and having fun."Toffoli, 29, scored the overtime winner in Game 4 to send the Canadiens to a semifinal series against either the Colorado Avalanche or the Vegas Golden Knights. The electrifying tally cemented a seventh consecutive playoff win for a Montreal team that hasn't trailed for 437:34 - an impressive streak that dates back to Game 4 of the Canadiens' first-round versus the Toronto Maple Leafs."These guys are playing as well as any team has ever played," said Montreal goaltender Carey Price.The Canadiens thoroughly dominated the Jets in Round 2, outscoring them 14-6 while controlling 52.69% of shot attempts, 58.37% of scoring chances, and 63.74% of expected goals in all situations, according to Natural Stat Trick.Montreal will be making its first Round 3 appearance since 2014.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens appear to be a team of destiny.Montreal is heading to the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after completing a sweep of the Winnipeg Jets with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 4 of their second-round series.The Habs, who were the final team to qualify for the postseason, have now won seven straight playoff games. They never trailed in the series and haven't been behind since Game 4 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a span of 437 minutes and 53 seconds. That's the second-longest streak without trailing in a single postseason in NHL history.Tyler Toffoli scored the winner 1:39 into OT with a beautiful one-timer set up by rookie Cole Caufield. The goal propels the Canadiens into the Stanley Cup semifinals for the first time since the 2013-14 season.Erik Gustafsson and Artturi Lehkonen scored the regulation goals for Montreal, while Logan Stanley countered with both of Winnipeg's markers during the second period.The game likely wouldn't have even gone into overtime without the play of Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner helped keep his team alive as long as possible with 39 saves. Carey Price stopped 14 of the 16 shots fired in his direction.This matchup marked the sixth meeting since 2001 between a team coming off of a seven-game series and one that had just completed a four-game sweep. In an interesting wrinkle, the team that had the more grueling previous series has now won all six times.Montreal awaits the winner of the series between the Colorado Avalanche and Las Vegas Golden Knights, with a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on the line.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy didn't mince words following his team's 5-4 loss in Game 5 to the New York Islanders.Cassidy, unhappy with what he believed were one-sided calls on Monday, claimed the Islanders try to paint a portrait of themselves as "Saints" and that the referees are buying into it."I think they sell a narrative over there that it's more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders. They play hard, they play the right way, but I feel we're the same way. And the exact calls that are getting called on us do not get called on them and I don't know why," he said after the loss in which the Islanders scored a trio of power-play goals.Boston was penalized four times on Monday, while New York received two minor penalties. The bench boss added he's not ready to implement shadier tactics to get the officials' attention.

Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask was removed from Game 5's loss to the New York Islanders after suffering an apparent injury during the game, though it doesn't appear to be serious."There was some maintenance that needed to be done. He wasn't 100%. He wasn't himself," Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said postgame, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "He could have been back in. We made the decision not to put him back in."Cassidy added that he expects Rask to be ready to go for Game 6.Rask was replaced by Jeremy Swayman to start the third period after allowing four goals on 16 shots, including a trio of second-period markers. The Islanders were also able to score three power-play goals on the former Vezina Trophy winner.Swayman didn't see much action during the third, as he allowed one goal on only three shots faced. Boston managed to close the gap but still fell 5-4, and Swayman was credited with the loss. The Islanders now have a 3-2 series lead and will look to finish the series on home ice Wednesday.It marked the NHL playoff debut for the 22-year-old Swayman, who appeared in 10 games as a rookie for the Bruins this season. He was 7-3 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .945 save percentage during the regular season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders have taken a 3-2 lead in their second-round series with the Boston Bruins after a 5-4 victory in Game 5.Game 6 will go Wednesday night with the Islanders looking to close out the series on home ice.More to come.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry is out for Monday's Game 4 versus the Winnipeg Jets.With Petry unable to play, Alexander Romanov drew into the lineup for his NHL playoff debut.Petry was injured during the second period of Game 3 on Sunday. The Canadiens are calling his ailment an upper-body injury.The 33-year-old is an integral piece of Montreal's blue line. Petry posted 42 points over 55 regular-season games while averaging over 22 minutes per night. He's also produced a 52.15% expected goals mark at even strength across 10 playoff contests this spring, according to Evolving Hockey.The Canadiens can complete a sweep of the Jets and be the first team to advance to Round 3 with a win Monday night.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Teams are calling the Buffalo Sabres with interest in captain Jack Eichel and multiple other players, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.The conversations are expected to progress leading up to the July 23 draft when Buffalo will pick first overall, Dreger adds.Eichel's future with the Sabres organization has been a major talking point since a rocky end-of-season interview in which the superstar revealed he's upset with the club's handling of his neck injury and that he's looking forward to next season "wherever that may be."The 24-year-old sustained a herniated disc in his neck in March, which caused him to miss the remainder of the campaign. Eichel implied in May that he wished to undergo surgery, but the team wouldn't allow it.General manager Kevyn Adams addressed the situation a few days after Eichel's comments, saying Buffalo will proceed with "the people who want to be here."Eichel has five more seasons on his current contract at $10 million per and has a full no-movement clause kicking in for the 2022-23 season. The dynamic center has notched 355 points in 375 games since the Sabres drafted him second overall in 2015.Buffalo finished 31st in the NHL this past campaign, extending its playoff drought to 10 seasons.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Winnipeg Jets 5-1 on Sunday night to take a 3-0 series lead in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Carey Price turned aside 26 of the 27 shots he faced. Connor Hellebuyck allowed four goals on 32 shots.Joel Armia had a big game for the Canadiens. He scored two goals - including an empty-netter and a shorthanded tally in the second period - and added an assist. Adam Lowry scored the lone goal for the Jets.Jeff Petry suffered an apparent injury to his hand during the second period when it got caught in a camera hole along the boards. He finished the frame but was later ruled out for the third period.With the Jets now facing elimination, Brendan Gallagher knows that the Canadiens can't take their feet off the gas just yet."They're not going to go down without a fight. We know how difficult this is going to be," Gallagher said. "It's always difficult to put that team away. We were on the other side of it last series. As soon as you get a sliver of hope, the momentum starts to build, and they can see it."The Canadiens have now won six straight games dating back to their first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.The two teams will have a quick turnaround and square off again on Monday night for the second half of a back-to-back.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets forward Paul Stastny returned to the lineup for Game 3 against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night.Stastny missed the first two games of Round 2 with an undisclosed injury. He previously played in all four contests during the Jets' first-round sweep of the Edmonton Oilers.Despite typically playing center, the 35-year-old slotted in as a left-winger on a line with Andrew Copp and Nikolaj Ehlers. With Mark Scheifele serving his four-game suspension, Pierre-Luc Dubois centered the team's top line in Game 2.

The Canadian government has approved a travel exemption for the final two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, allowing teams to cross the Canada-United States border without requiring quarantine, according to CBC News.Players will live in a modified quarantine bubble and won't have any access to the general public. They will also be subject to daily COVID-19 testing.Cross-border travel between Canada and the United States has been restricted throughout the pandemic. Last summer, the NHL staged the Stanley Cup Playoffs with strict COVID policies in place in separate bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton.This season, teams did not play opponents outside their divisions in an effort to limit travel. The seven Canadian teams resided in the North Division.The Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets are the two Canadian teams alive in the playoff picture, with the Habs holding a 2-0 series lead. The winner of the second-round clash will take on the winner of the Colorado Avalanche-Vegas Golden Knights series in Round 3.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers, Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, and Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights have been voted Selke Trophy finalists, the league announced Sunday.The Frank J. Selke Trophy is voted upon annually by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and awarded to "the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game."Barkov is a Selke finalist for the first time in his career. Florida's captain posted 58 points in 50 games this season and maintained his reputation as a stellar two-way forward. The Panthers had 60.06% of all goals and 59.85% of all shot attempts at five-on-five with Barkov on the ice, according to Evolving Hockey. The 25-year-old also won 54.9% of his draws and registered 39 takeaways while averaging nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game.Bergeron, a four-time Selke winner, is nominated for a remarkable 10th straight season. Should he win this year, he'll surpass Bob Gainey for most Selke wins by a single player. The 35-year-old had 48 points in 54 games this season while controlling 65.8% of all goals and 63.18% of all shot attempts at five-on-five. He saw his average ice time dip in 2020-21 but still won 62% of his faceoffs while notching 35 takeaways.Stone is a finalist for the second time in his career and would be the first winger to win the award since Jere Lehtinen in 2003. The 29-year-old had the best offensive regular season of his career with 1.11 points per game and led all Golden Knights forwards with 19:04 in average ice time. Stone also led the NHL with 58 takeaways and had sparkling underlying metrics; Vegas scored 64.8% of all goals and controlled 53.03% of all shot attempts with its captain on the ice at five-on-five.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After upsetting the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets are competing for North Division supremacy. So far, the upstart Canadiens have gained a convincing 2-0 series edge. Here are three looming questions in the leadup to Sunday's Game 3 at the Bell Centre:Did we sleep on Habs' ceiling?Perhaps five playoff games isn't long enough to judge a hockey team one way or another, but what the Habs have accomplished over the past 10 days should be turning heads. Not only in Canada, either - across the NHL.Since Game 5 of the first round, the Habs have limited the Leafs and Jets - two teams armed with plenty of offensive talent - to a grand total of nine goals in 316 minutes of action. The Jets so far have been minimized at five-on-five, generating only eight total high-danger shot attempts through two games, according to Natural Stat Trick. Montreal has controlled the neutral zone, outmuscled opponents in 50/50 puck battles in the corners, and generally played a responsible, predictable brand of hockey in front of Carey Price. David Lipnowski / Getty ImagesIt's boring to watch (Friday's Game 2 versus the Jets was a snoozefest) yet also damn effective; over the past five games, the Habs haven't trailed for a single second. Montreal, who entered the postseason as the North Division's No. 4 seed following a rollercoaster regular season that included a coach firing and an uninspiring 24-21-11 record, has found its game at the ideal time."We're really playing together," defenseman Ben Chiarot told reporters Friday after shutting out the Jets, 1-0. "Everyone's supporting the puck, coming back in the D zone. There's easy outs all over the place. They have an aggressive forecheck, we're doing a good job of supporting each other and defending well in our own zone. It's a big key to why we're having success."Interim head coach Dominique Ducharme is getting the veterans and rookies to buy in, and the contributions are coming from every part of the lineup. The entire group seems to be on the exact same wavelength.Youngster Jesperi Kotkaniemi is now at eight goals in 18 postseason games. Corey Perry, a savvy offseason pickup, has looked like an entirely different player in the playoffs. Physical blue-liner Chiarot, two-way sniper Tyler Toffoli, and cerebral center Nick Suzuki are also among the standout performers.The X-factor will always be Price - and the $10.5-million netminder is completely dialed-in at the moment with a .935 save percentage. He's been squaring up to shooters perfectly, controlling rebounds with precision, and rising to the occasion when the moment calls for a big save."We're sticking to what’s working. Hockey's kind of a funny thing that way. You never know when you heat up at the right time," Price said Friday.When will Dubois show up?Pierre-Luc Dubois may be the most frustrating player in the 2021 postseason. Seriously, where in the world has Playoff Warrior Dubois gone?You know the guy. Dubois was the dominating two-way force of that Columbus-Toronto series in the 2020 bubble and also the kid who helped guide the Blue Jackets to a shocking sweep of the mighty 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning. His history of leveling up when the stakes rise made the 22-year-old an appealing midseason trade target for the Jets. Jonathan Kozub / Getty ImagesHowever, after a lackluster showing post-trade (20 points in 41 regular-season games), the playoff energy, enthusiasm, and engagement typical of Dubois - not to mention the clutch scoring - hasn't been evident through five games.On Friday, with a brilliant opportunity to shine thanks to a suspension to Jets No. 1 center Mark Scheifele and an injury to No. 2 Paul Stastny, Dubois was about as invisible as a strong-skating 6-foot-2 pivot could be. He recorded one shot attempt in 20 minutes despite lining up alongside stud wingers Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor for his even-strength shifts. Dubois did draw an assist on Derek Forbort's Game 1 goal, but that's about it against the Habs.Seeing as he missed the first game of the playoffs with an undisclosed injury, Dubois could be dealing with something. Still, if he's healthy enough to warrant first-line minutes, he should be producing at a higher rate. He has recorded three total assists, and those other two helpers came on the power play against the Oilers.In other words, Dubois hasn't shown up yet and is running out of chances. If Stastny returns to the lineup for Game 3, some of the pressure to produce will be reduced. Yet that shouldn't matter for Dubois, a guy with so much to give.Can the Jets tighten up?Listen, the Jets must press early and often to climb back into this series. They need to infiltrate the Habs' structure to generate higher-quality looks on Price.That's absolutely crucial - and so is tightening up their own defensive work.Despite trailing 6-3 in total goals, Winnipeg has allowed only three even-strength markers in two games. Not bad, right? Well, the tricky thing is, the three goals - all scored in the first period of Game 1 - can be blamed on the five skaters, not reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck.To recap, Kotkaniemi redirected a beautiful shot-pass to make it 1-0; he was left uncovered just outside the crease. Then Eric Staal shoveled in a cross-crease pass to make it 2-0; he was left uncovered in pretty much the same spot. And then Suzuki tucked the puck past Hellebuyck during a two-on-one to make it 3-1; he was left uncovered on his way to the side of the net. Jonathan Kozub / Getty ImagesIf you're splitting hairs, maybe Hellebuyck should have stonewalled Suzuki. Maybe. Still, that's one "miss" on the 49 even-strength shots Montreal has generated over two games - many of which have been of the dangerous variety, usually off odd-man rushes. In total, the Habs have accumulated 5.33 expected goals at even strength, according to Natural Stat Trick, which suggests Hellebuyck has turned aside the equivalent of roughly four extra goals based on the quality and quantity of shots he's faced.Plain and simple, the dude in goalie gear needs help.All of this is not particularly surprising given the personnel of Winnipeg's blue line, and it doesn't help that top-four defenseman Dylan DeMelo is out. However, the Jets are undoubtedly playing too loose in front of Hellebuyck - heck, Shea Weber had a breakaway in Game 1! - and it could prove especially costly in Game 3 and 4 when Montreal gets last change and can dictate matchups.With Price in the other net and the Habs rolling as a group, relying on Hellebuyck - and not much else - is not a recipe for success.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. You can follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) and contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes still believe they can advance to the final four in the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite a 6-4 loss Saturday that gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-1 series lead in their second-round matchup."100% ... I fully believe if we play our way and stay out of the box, we're going to turn this series around," Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast said without hesitation postgame.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have taken a commanding 3-1 series lead against the Carolina Hurricanes after winning Game 4 on Saturday afternoon, 6-4.The teams exploded for eight goals in a frantic second period. Carolina failed to find the back of the net in the third frame. Tampa Bay scored four straight goals to close out the contest.Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos finished with two goals and one assist each. Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 21 of the 25 shots he faced, while Petr Mrazek allowed six goals on 26 shots.Game 5 is slated for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canada advanced to the final at the world championship in Latvia by defeating the United States 4-2 on Saturday.The 26-time winners of the event will take on Finland - who topped Germany in its own semifinal clash - in the gold medal game on Sunday.Canada got two goals from Andrew Mangiapane, one from Brandon Pirri, and an empty-netter from Justin Danforth to seal the deal. Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves in the victory.The United States beat Canada 5-1 in preliminary-round play. Canada has rebounded drastically from an 0-3 start to the tournament.The final is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, Carolina Hurricanes blue-liner Jaccob Slavin, and Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon are the finalists for the 2021 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, the league announced Saturday.The award is given to the player who exhibits the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of play.Matthews is up for the award for the second consecutive season. He served only 10 minutes of penalties across 52 games despite ranking fifth among all NHL forwards with 21:33 of ice time per game.The Toronto superstar already won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's top goal-scorer and is also nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player voted by his peers.Slavin averaged over 22 minutes per game this season in 52 contests and took only one minor penalty, which was for delay of game.Spurgeon had 25 points in 54 games for the Wild this season, playing top-pairing minutes and taking only three minors. Slavin is the only player in the NHL to average more ice time than Spurgeon and commit fewer penalties.Only three defensemen have ever won the Lady Byng, most recently in 2011 when Brian Campbell took home the award. Before then, the last instance was Red Kelly in 1953-54.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets are now missing two key centers.Paul Stastny wasn't available for Game 2 of the Jets' second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, his team confirmed before puck drop Friday.The 35-year-old is dealing with an undisclosed injury. Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice said he didn't think it was a long-term issue when asked about it after Game 1 on Wednesday. Stastny also missed that contest.Stastny, who played all four of the Jets' opening-round games against the Edmonton Oilers, skated briefly Friday but left the team's optional practice early, according to The Athletic's Murat Ates.Pierre-Luc Dubois moved up to the Jets' top line between Kyle Connor and Blake Wheeler in pregame line rushes, according to Sportsnet's Ken Wiebe.Winnipeg's top center, Mark Scheifele, was suspended four games for charging Canadiens forward Jake Evans in Game 1. Evans suffered a concussion on the play and was stretchered off.The Canadiens defeated the Jets 1-0 on Friday night to take a 2-0 series lead.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin underwent successful surgery on his right knee, the team announced Friday.He's expected to be unavailable for training camp in September, and there isn't currently a definitive timetable for his return.Malkin suffered the injury after a collision in a contest against the Boston Bruins on March 16. As a result, he missed the final six weeks of the regular season and the first two games of the postseason.The 34-year-old racked up eight goals and 20 assists in 33 regular-season games this campaign and chipped in five points in the four playoff games he appeared in.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele believes his four-game suspension for charging Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans is too harsh a punishment."Pretty excessive. I wasn’t expecting that, and I was pretty shocked," Scheifele said in his first public comments since the hit, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.Scheifele added he reached out to Evans and is hoping the Canadiens forward can make a quick recovery."My intention on that play was to try and negate a goal. There's no intent or no malice there," Scheifele said.Scheifele skated nearly the entire length of the ice and drilled Evans as he tucked in an empty netter to secure Montreal's Game 1 victory. Evans laid unconscious on the ice and was stretchered off. The 25-year-old's since been diagnosed with a concussion and is sidelined indefinitely.The 28-year-old had no prior suspensions through his eight seasons as an NHL regular. Scheifele's eligible to return to the second-round series in Game 6 if it goes that far.Game 2 goes Friday night in Winnipeg.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The second round is in full swing as we head into the weekend. The Golden Knights are heading back to Vegas in desperation mode, and the Jets are without their captain as they look to battle back in the series. Meanwhile, the Lightning and Bruins are both attempting to move within a game of the Stanley Cup semi-finals.Here's how we're betting this weekend's games.Avalanche (-120) @ Golden Knights (+100)

The Buffalo Sabres interviewed Rikard Gronborg for their head coaching vacancy, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.Gronborg is the bench boss of the Zurich Lions in Switzerland, and he's also served as head coach of the Swedish national team.The Sabres fired Ralph Krueger amid a disastrous 2020-21 season, with Don Granato taking over on an interim basis.Buffalo has also interviewed Rick Tocchet and Bruce Boudreau, among several others, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.There are currently six head coach openings across the NHL.The Sabres finished this past season 31st in the league, and they recently won the first overall draft pick this summer.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks forward Kurtis Gabriel, Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne, and New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban have been named finalists for the King Clancy Trophy, the league announced Friday.The award is given annually to the player who exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice, and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.Gabriel is a vocal ambassador for the LGBTQ+ community on his social media platforms, and he's shown support for numerous local charities.Rinne established a pediatric cancer charity in 2012-13, and he continues to raise money for the children's hospital in Vanderbilt.Subban is up for the award for the third time. The veteran has regularly engaged in charity work wherever he's played, and Subban often met with frontline workers and members of the medical community amid the pandemic.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the NHL offseason underway for more than half of teams, the league's coaching carousel is now in full swing. There are currently four clubs without a head coach and two others with decisions to make about their interim bench bosses.The coaching free-agent class is full of intriguing names. Veteran NHL head coaches Mike Babcock, John Tortorella, Claude Julien, Bruce Boudreau, Gerard Gallant, Rick Tocchet, David Quinn, and more are all up for grabs.Several other people could also become first-time NHL head coaches: New York Islanders assistant Lane Lambert, Providence College's Nate Leaman, University of Minnesota Duluth's Scott Sandelin, and the Zurich Lions' Rikard Gronborg are all names to keep in mind.Below, we predict who each club will hire as its head coach this offseason.Arizona CoyotesThe Coyotes and Tocchet agreed to part ways after he guided the team for four seasons. Arizona has undergone ownership and front office changes since hiring Tocchet, so a fresh start seemed inevitable.Owner Alex Meruelo has a reported history of thriftiness - to put it lightly - so don't expect the Coyotes to land a big-name head coach. It's also an undesirable job due to the mediocre roster and underwhelming prospect pipeline, so it's hard to imagine the club would've been able to lure a big fish anyway. Even highly regarded candidates looking to become first-time head coaches might be scared off.However, Jay Varady is a logical candidate. Varady enjoyed two successful seasons as the head coach of Arizona's AHL affiliate, the Tuscon Roadrunners, before the team promoted him to an assistant coach this past season.If the Yotes go external, don't be surprised if they pluck someone from the St. Louis Blues organization. Bill Armstrong worked in St. Louis for 16 seasons before Arizona hired him as its GM in 2020. Blues assistants Steve Ott and Mike van Ryn are prime candidates. Van Ryn has ties to the desert, too - albeit under the old regime - as he was the Roadrunners' head coach for their most successful season in 2017-18.Prediction: Mike van RynBuffalo Sabres Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyDon Granato took over head coaching duties on an interim basis midway through the 2020-21 campaign after the Sabres relieved Ralph Krueger of his duties, and he did a respectable job. Granato's 9-16-3 record is nothing to write home about, but the club did hire him in the midst of an 18-game losing streak. The temporary bench boss went 9-11-2 once that ended - and that was primarily without Jack Eichel, Taylor Hall, Brandon Montour, Eric Staal, and starting goaltender Linus Ullmark.If Buffalo opts to keep Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen, and the rest of the gang together to try and right the ship, then bringing in a veteran head coach with a proven track record would make sense.However, if the team decides to tear it down - which seems more likely - promoting Granato to full-time head coach is logical. Some of the Sabres' key building blocks, such as Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt, seemed to thrive under Granato. The development of those young players will be crucial in the rebuild, which justifies keeping Granato around.Prediction: Don GranatoColumbus Blue JacketsThe Blue Jackets enter the offseason in a precarious position. The club's about to undergo some sort of rebuild, retool, or reset - choose your buzzword - after a miserable season, which followed the most successful run in franchise history.Tortorella is out, and Columbus needs to bring in a coach that can get the most out of Patrik Laine, who struggled mightily after arriving in Ohio. Considering the Jackets are in a small market, don't expect the team to empty its pockets for a big-name head coach - especially after all of the 2020-21 campaign's lost revenue.Still, Boudreau could be a fit - he has a strong track record of regular-season success and getting the most out of skilled players.However, with John Davidson back in the fold as team president after a two-year stint with the Rangers, Quinn is an obvious fit after the duo worked together in New York.Lastly, if one NHL franchise were to go outside the box and hire the third European head coach in league history, it would probably be the one with Jarmo Kekalainen - the first European GM in NHL history - calling the shots. That leaves former Swedish national coach Gronborg, as well as Finnish national coach Jukka Jalonen, as possibilities.Prediction: Rikard GronborgMontreal Canadiens Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyDominique Ducharme is currently the interim bench boss after the Canadiens fired Claude Julien midseason. Ducharme did not fare well in the regular campaign, going 15-16-5, but he made up for it in a big way during the playoffs, leading Montreal to a massive come-from-behind first-round upset over the Toronto Maple Leafs.That series likely saved GM Marc Bergevin's job, which should almost certainly result in Ducharme's promotion to full-time head coach.Given that the Habs stick to hiring only French-speaking head coaches, there aren't many other options available. Guy Boucher, Bob Hartley, Marc Crawford, and even Patrick Roy would be candidates among retread options, but all come with question marks. It's clear Ducharme has earned the rights to the full-time gig.Prediction: Dominique DucharmeNew York RangersRangers owner James Dolan believes his team is in a position to win now. That's part of the reason president John Davidson, GM Jeff Gorton, and Quinn were all fired. The Blueshirts seemed to be progressing in the right direction after declaring a rebuild just three years ago, but ownership clearly had visions of success sooner.Given Dolan's eagerness, hiring someone with NHL head coaching experience seems like a given - especially since his last hire, Quinn, came from the college ranks.Early indications back this theory up as well, as the organization has already interviewed veterans Gallant and Tocchet. GM Chris Drury has no prior connection to either coach, so it's unclear if either one of them may have the upper hand. It's also possible the New York club could interview other retreads like Babcock or Boudreau. A reunion with Tortorella seems unlikely, though.Gallant should be a hot commodity after the fantastic job he did with the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite not getting a job last offseason, he may end up having his pick of the litter. If that's the case, it's hard to find a more desirable job than the Rangers, given all of their young talent.Prediction: Gerard GallantSeattle Kraken Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / GettyGallant may be the best man for the job given his history of instant success with an expansion team, but it's hard to imagine he'd choose the Kraken if a team like the Rangers came calling.Boudreau, Tortorella, and Babcock could all receive consideration for the position, but if GM Ron Francis opts to choose a candidate with league experience, Tocchet stands out above the rest.Francis and Tocchet go way back. The pair were teammates in junior with the OHL's Soo Greyhounds and in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where they won a Stanley Cup together in 1992. The phrase "it's all about who you know" seems to matter a lot in this industry, as executives often want to surround themselves with people they're familiar with.Prediction: Rick TocchetCopyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele has been handed a four-game suspension for charging Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans on Wednesday, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Thursday."In short, this is a player who has traveled a considerable distance, is moving with exceptional speed, and is fully aware of his momentum, who chooses to charge into a vulnerable opponent with a high, predatory hit that causes an injury," head of player safety George Parros explained.Parros also noted Scheifele "made significant head contact" on the play.Scheifele was initially assessed a charging major and a game misconduct. This marks the first time he's been suspended or fined in his career.The 28-year-old led the Jets with 63 points during the regular season. Without him until Game 6 of the series, Winnipeg's depth down the middle of the ice will be tested, especially given that Paul Stastny missed Game 1 with an injury. The Jets' remaining centers are Pierre-Luc Dubois, Adam Lowry, and Nate Thompson. Wingers Andrew Copp and Blake Wheeler also have prior experience at the position.Evans had to be stretchered off the ice and is out indefinitely with a concussion. Habs defenseman Joel Edmundson vowed to make Scheifele pay if he returns in the series, saying "we're going to make his life miserable."Cody Eakin received the last charging suspension of at least four games back in 2016, notes Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.