Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We swept the board Monday night, cashing in on the Islanders and both player props.We'll look to replicate that performance with three more plays for the last big slate of the NHL season.Dylan Larkin: Over 3.5 shotsLarkin is a one-man shooting gallery. He has averaged 4.4 shots on 7.7 attempts over the past 10 games and has gone over this total in five of the past seven.The Red Wings are playing for their season and ramping up Larkin's usage. The captain has logged at least 20 minutes in seven consecutive games, often playing in the range of 22-to-24 minutes.Larkin is an efficient shot-generator at the best of times. With so much ice time coming his way, it is no coincidence we're seeing a big spike in production.The Red Wings are playing in a must-win game Tuesday. They have to get two points to have any chance of making the dance, meaning Larkin will see a full dose of usage even if up two or three goals. They simply can't afford to let off the gas.Larkin has feasted on the Canadiens, recording at least four shots in six of the past seven meetings. They are bleeding shots at five-on-five, struggling on the penalty kill, and giving up a ton to centers on a nightly basis, so there's no reason to expect Larkin to slow down.Odds: +103 (playable to -140)Auston Matthews: Over 0.5 goalsMatthews is on an absolute heater. He has scored in eight consecutive games and 11 times over the past 10 contests.The volume he's generating is simply absurd. Only Nathan MacKinnon - who has logged well over 20 more minutes of ice than Matthews - has recorded more shots in the past 10 games, while No. 34 leads the NHL in scoring chances by a margin of 11. He is piling up the shots, and from dangerous areas at that.The Maple Leafs are not playing for anything as a team. They won't move in the standings no matter how things play out over the final two games. Their sole purpose is getting Matthews his 70th goal, at which point they can pull the plug on some key regulars and rest them for the playoffs.I expect the Leafs will do everything they can to get Matthews his historic goal against the Panthers, opening the door for a night of rest Wednesday.Although the Panthers aren't exactly pushovers, they're missing some key personnel due to injury. That should help the Maple Leafs control more of the puck and create some chances for Matthews that might not have been there otherwise.Odds: -130Noah Hanifin: Over 0.5 pointsWe are riding the wave for Hanifin and riding it well. He has found the scoresheet in his last four games and five of the past six.Hanifin is playing a lot of minutes behind the Jack Eichel line at even strength and quarterbacking the top power-play unit. He's getting the optimal usage for point production and taking full advantage of it.I expect that will be the case again versus the Blackhawks. They're one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL, and Arvid Soderblom is incapable of bailing them out.Soderblom owns a putrid .880 save percentage through 31 appearances and ranks dead last in goals saved above expected.The matchup is as good as it gets for Hanifin and the Golden Knights. Given they'd control their destiny with a win, putting them in a good position to avoid an opening-round matchup with the Stars, they should put their pedal through the floor.Odds: +105 (playable to -130)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid became the fourth player in NHL history, and the first in 33 years, to notch 100 assists in a single season during Monday's 9-2 win against the San Jose Sharks.He entered the contest with 99 helpers and hit the century mark with a feed to Zach Hyman.

The New York Rangers are taking home the 2023-24 Presidents' Trophy after securing the most points in the NHL following Monday's 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators.New York's 114 points are the most in franchise history, surpassing the 2014-15 club. The Rangers' 55 wins are also a club record.It's the fourth time the Rangers have won the Presidents' Trophy since the NHL began handing out the award during the 1985-86 campaign.The Rangers' Round 1 opponent has yet to be determined. It could still be any one of the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, or Washington Capitals.The 2013 Chicago Blackhawks are the last team to win the Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season. That feat has been accomplished on eight occasions, including by the 1994 Rangers.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders clinched a postseason berth for the fifth time in six years by defeating the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Monday.The victory also guarantees the Islanders third place in the Metropolitan Division and facing the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 1. The two teams met in the first round last year, with the Canes winning in six games.There's now just one playoff spot remaining in the NHL, with the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals left to duke it out. The Wings, Pens, and Caps all won Monday while the Flyers were idle. Each team has one game remaining.RW = Regulation wins, the NHL's first standings tiebreaker.TeamPointsRWCapitals8931Red Wings8927Penguins8832Flyers8730The Capitals control their own destiny and will earn the last postseason spot with a win Tuesday in Philadelphia. Washington can also clinch with an overtime or shootout loss and Detroit and Pittsburgh losses in any form.The Red Wings can snap their seven-year playoff drought with any form of win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday and any form of loss by the Capitals. Detroit could also get in with an overtime or shootout loss, a Capitals regulation loss, and a Penguins loss in any form.The Penguins can return to the playoffs by winning Wednesday against the Islanders. But before that, they need the Capitals and Red Wings to gain no more than one point each Tuesday. Pittsburgh can also get in with an OT or shootout loss and regulation losses by Washington and Detroit.The Flyers still have a chance, but it's slim. They'll need to beat the Capitals in regulation and have the Red Wings and Penguins both lose in regulation. Philadelphia would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Washington if it wins in regulation.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks are getting a big boost between the pipes ahead of the playoffs.Goaltender Thatcher Demko will return Tuesday against the Calgary Flames for Vancouver's penultimate game of the season, head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed, per Sportsnet's Brendan Batchelor. The Canucks finish off their season Thursday in Winnipeg.Demko hasn't played since suffering a knee injury March 9 against the Jets. He was originally supposed to be out just two-to-three weeks but ended up missing 14 games. Backup Casey DeSmith handled the bulk of the workload in his absence with mixed results, as his save percentage was just .888 while Demko was out.Demko was enjoying the best season of his career before the injury, posting a .917 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average in 49 games. He still ranks fourth in Evolving-Hockey's goals saved above expected metric despite the missed time and will likely garner some Vezina Trophy consideration.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers announced Monday they signed general manager Bill Zito to a multi-year contract extension.Zito, 59, also now becomes the Panthers' president of hockey operations."From his first day as a Panther, Bill has demonstrated his complete commitment to success both on and off the ice," owner Vincent Viola said. "He has worked steadfastly and tirelessly to establish a new standard of excellence for our franchise. The future has never looked brighter in South Florida and we are thrilled that Bill will continue to lead the way."Zito was hired by the Panthers in 2020 after seven seasons as an assistant GM with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Florida has made the playoffs each season with Zito at the helm, including a Presidents' Trophy in 2022 and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2023.The Pittsburgh native has twice been a finalist for the GM of the Year award. On Friday, he was named an assistant GM on Team USA's staff for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Olympics.Zito's marquee move to date is the acquisition of star forward Matthew Tkachuk in 2022, which sent franchise stalwart Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and a first-round pick to the Calgary Flames.The Panthers also added Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, Gustav Forsling, and Brandon Montour during Zito's tenure as GM.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.How'd your team do this season?Once the Eastern Conference mercifully sorts itself out in the coming days, 16 teams will have failed to make the playoffs, and two months from now, 31 will have failed to win the Stanley Cup. However, that doesn't mean every team that doesn't do ceremonial circles around the ice with the Cup gets a thumbs-down on the season.That's why betting is so fun. We have a market available before the season that sets a preliminary bar for what should constitute a successful campaign: regular-season point totals.No matter what happens the rest of the way, the 2023-24 season will be remembered by Canucks backers as the easiest win imaginable on an over ticket, as Vancouver cleared 89 points weeks ago. The Jets surpassed expectations at nearly the same level.Regular-season point totals: Over winnersTeamRegular-season point totalsHurricanes107.5Stars105.5Rangers102Bruins100Panthers98.5Lightning95.5Jets91.5Canucks89Predators87Red Wings85.5Capitals85Blues84.5Flyers75.5Canadiens72Fourteen teams are considered winners for their bettors, and even if the Red Wings, Capitals, and Flyers don't make the playoffs, they'll be considered winners in some circles. On the flip side, if you preferred to bet against achievement, the Sharks, Blackhawks, Senators, and Flames were the four biggest disappointments of 13 teams that clinched their under totals (though most teams that didn't get to their prescribed numbers weren't even close).Regular-season point totals: Under winnersTeamRSP TotalsDevils107Maple Leafs106.5Golden Knights102.5Penguins97.5Wild96.5Flames94.5Kraken93Sabres92.5Senators91.5Blue Jackets73.5Blackhawks71Ducks67.5Sharks66.5Of course, the Maple Leafs, Golden Knights, and Penguins could still win the Stanley Cup, but that won't be much consolation for those who felt they'd have better regular seasons.Twenty-seven teams have either paid out their backers or faders, which leaves five teams hanging in the balance for the season's final week:Regular-season point totals: Markets TBDTeam Point TotalsPoints NeededGames LeftAvalanche106.521Oilers10653Kings100.542Islanders9012Coyotes76.521The Avalanche play their finale against the Oilers at home Thursday. That game may be meaningless for both, but not for either team's bettors, since Edmonton has to get two wins in its final three games to clear its regular-season points total, potentially without Connor McDavid.An up-and-down season for the Kings closes with two home games against below-average teams (Wild and Blackhawks). Well rested and motivated for playoff positioning, those who need L.A. to go over 100.5 should feel good, but nothing's guaranteed.The Islanders are no worse than a push and have two games to manage one point. Appropriately, one more point should get New York into the playoffs, as well, so the art of betting is imitating life here.Here's a fun one: The Coyotes have one more game to get two points needed to go over their total, and it's against the Oilers in what could be their final game in Arizona before moving to Utah.The cheat sheetEach week, we balance market information from regular-season point totals and in-season advanced metrics - with an even-strength focus - to determine the win probability for each team and the moneyline needed to bet on either side.You can compare those prices with our "price to bet" column to see if you're getting any value with either side's moneyline. There's a possibility that a moneyline moves into a bet-friendly range at some point between the market opening and puck drop.DATEGAMEWIN PROB. (%)PRICE TO BETApr. 15MTL@DET39.2/60.8MTL +184/DET -149NSH@PIT42.7/57.3NSH +159/PIT -129BOS@WSH59.1/40.9BOS -139/WSH +171NYI@NJD47.2/52.8NYI +131/NJD -107BUF@TB43.3/56.7BUF +154/TB -126OTT@NYR41.4/58.6OTT +167/NYR -136SJS@EDM20.4/79.6SJS +508/EDM -366MIN@LAK41.8/58.2MIN +165/LAK -134Apr. 16CAR@CBJ75.9/24.1CAR -298/CBJ +397DET@MTL52.8/47.2DET -107/MTL +131OTT@BOS40.3/59.7OTT +175/BOS -142WSH@PHI43.2/56.8WSH +155/PHI -126TOR@FLA47.7/52.3TOR +121/FLA +101SEA@WPG43.6/56.4SEA +152/WPG -124CHI@VGK21.4/78.6CHI +476/VGK -347Apr. 17TOR@TB50.8/49.2TOR +107/TB +114PIT@NYI50.7/49.3PIT +108/NYI +114STL@DAL25.5/74.5STL +365/DAL -277EDM@ARI60.3/39.7EDM -146/ARI +180Apr. 18SEA@MIN42.7/57.3SEA +159/MIN -129VAN@WPG46.4/53.6VAN +136/WPG -111SJS@CGY22.7/77.3SJS +434/CGY -322EDM@COL36.3/63.7EDM +210/COL -168ANA@VGK27.3/72.7ANA +328/VGK -253CHI@LAK20.5/79.5CHI +504/LAK -364It's worth mentioning as the season concludes: The above odds imply both teams have full interest in the game. For example, the Oilers' numbers reflect McDavid sitting out, since there seems little reason for Edmonton to bring him back before the playoffs. Other teams with secure playoff positioning may opt to put any number of roster combinations on the ice, so tread lightly.Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is returning to the lineup against the San Jose Sharks, he told reporters Monday, according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.McDavid missed three games with a lower-body injury. He last played on April 6 against the Calgary Flames.The 27-year-old has 130 points in 74 games to rank third in league scoring. McDavid is one assist away from becoming the fourth player in NHL history to tally 100 assists in a single season. He'd be the first to do so since Wayne Gretzky in 1990-91.Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov also plays Monday and is two assists away from accomplishing the feat.An Oilers loss in any fashion against the Sharks would see the Vancouver Canucks clinch the top seed in the Pacific Division.Edmonton has two games remaining after Monday's contest. The Oilers face the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday and close out the regular season Thursday versus the Colorado Avalanche.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We have one of our last big slates of the season as half of the league is set to take the ice Monday night.Let's take a look at a few of my favorite betting spots.Islanders (-115) @ Devils (-105)The Devils remain a target as they play out their season. They've won just seven of 18 games since deadline day and posted putrid numbers in that span.Their five-on-five expected goals share of 45.9% is among the worst in the NHL, and without Jack Hughes, they don't have as much high-end talent to compensate. It's not a good recipe.While the Devils might have some extra pep in their step playing in their season finale on home ice, I have a hard time believing they'll be able to match the Islanders' intensity. New York has a ton to play for as it'd clinch a playoff spot with a result in this game.Several teams are on the Islanders' tails. They won't want to drop this game and leave their playoff spot to chance in the finale.They're also just a much better team than the Devils right now. The Islanders sit 15th in high-danger chance share since deadline day, 12 slots higher than New Jersey.It's also worth noting only eight teams have allowed fewer power-play markers than the Islanders over the past five weeks. The Devils have struggled at five-on-five and relied on the power play to give them some big goals. They probably won't get those against the Islanders, making it difficult to keep up.Look for the Islanders to grind out a playoff-clinching win.Bet: Islanders (-115)Dylan Larkin: Over 3.5 shotsLarkin has taken things up a notch as his Red Wings fight tooth and nail for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. He averaged 4.3 shots on 7.2 attempts over the last 10 games and registered at least three shots all but once.I expect his increased volume to continue against the Canadiens. Larkin has feasted on them in recent years, generating four shots or more in six of the past eight head-to-head meetings.The Canadiens are a poor shot-suppression team and sit 29th in shots allowed versus centers over the past 10 games. They should provide Larkin with as advantageous of a matchup as he could hope.Expect Larkin to fire pucks on net early and often with his team's season on the line.Bet: -122 (playable to -140)Brayden Point: Over 2.5 shotsPoint is as good as it gets when playing on home ice. He's gone over his total 27 times through 38 tries, good for an absurd 71% success rate.Zooming in a little further, Point has three shots or more in 15 of his past 19 in Tampa Bay. That's a 79% clip spanning over multiple months.I'm expecting another active performance against the Sabres. They're a below-average team when it comes to preventing shots versus centers.Superstar linemate Nikita Kucherov also sits at 98 assists. He's chasing history and, with the Lightning locked into their playoff spot, they'll no doubt want him to tidy up so they can rest him and other key players.That means Kucherov should be as pass-happy as ever, almost solely focusing on distributing the puck. Point rides shotgun with Kucherov at even strength and on the power play, making him a prime beneficiary.Odds: -145 (playable to -160)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks got one of the top collegiate players under contract Sunday, signing Cutter Gauthier to a three-year, entry-level pact beginning this season.Gauthier starred for Boston College in 2023-24, leading the nation with 38 goals - the most by an NCAA player since 1999-2000 - and tying for the most in a campaign in program history.The 20-year-old winger was one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top men's college hockey player.Anaheim acquired Gauthier in a shocking trade with the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick on Jan. 8. The Flyers drafted Gauthier fifth overall in 2022, but he later requested a trade. Philadelphia general manager Daniel Briere said Gauthier told the organization he didn't want to be a part of it.Gauthier helped top-ranked Boston College reach the national championship game Saturday, but the Eagles lost to third-seeded Denver.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks got one of the top collegiate players under contract Sunday, signing Cutter Gauthier to a three-year, entry-level pact beginning this season.Gauthier starred for Boston College in 2023-24, leading the nation with 38 goals - the most by an NCAA player since 1999-2000 - and tying for the most in a campaign in program history.The 20-year-old winger was one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top men's college hockey player.Anaheim acquired Gauthier in a shocking trade with the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick on Jan. 8. The Flyers drafted Gauthier fifth overall in 2022, but he later requested a trade. Philadelphia general manager Daniel Briere said Gauthier told the organization he didn't want to be a part of it.Gauthier helped top-ranked Boston College reach the national championship game Saturday, but the Eagles lost to third-seeded Denver.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Salt Lake City still appears to be on the verge of landing the Arizona Coyotes, but not before the NHL takes control of them."The league is going to buy the Coyotes for a billion dollars, and the current owner Alex Meruelo is going to have a five-year window to prove he can put together a new arena, go to the land auction, win it, get shovels in the ground ... everything that he has to do to prove he can build a new arena," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on "Saturday Headlines."The next step in the process is where Salt Lake City comes in."And then kind of like expansion, the league is going to sell a new team to Utah and owner Ryan Smith for $1.2 billion," Friedman said. "The (Coyotes') hockey operations (staff) are expected to go with that."NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and his deputy Bill Daly reportedly met with the Coyotes' ownership group about a month ago and told it that it could "pursue the new arena for Coyotes 2.0, but (the league's) in a position here where we can't allow this particular iteration of the team to continue any longer," according to Friedman.On Friday, he reported the Coyotes' players were informed they're moving to Utah before their game that night against the Edmonton Oilers, which they won in overtime.Earlier Saturday, Meruelo said in a statement through the team that he hoped "to address these issues" as soon as he's able to do so.It was reported Wednesday that the Coyotes could move to Utah as soon as next season.Arizona has been forced to play at Mullett Arena, a 5,000-seat NCAA facility, since 2022-23 after their lease expired at Gila River Arena following the previous campaign.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen was taken off the ice on a stretcher Saturday after being hit by Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mikey Eyssimont and falling awkwardly into the boards.Jensen laid motionless on the ice as the two teams brawled in the aftermath.

The Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets will battle in the opening round of the postseason.Neither club has secured home-ice advantage for the series. That will be decided by which team finishes higher in the Central Division. The Jets sit in second place with a two-point lead on the third-ranked Avalanche through 80 games for both squads.Winnipeg thumped Colorado 7-0 on Saturday to sweep the three-game season series.The Avalanche and Jets have never played each other in the playoffs.The postseason begins next Saturday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes were informed prior to Friday's game that the team will be moving to Utah, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Players and staff will be given an opportunity to visit Salt Lake City to check out the facilities, Friedman added.Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong met with the players on Friday evening. There, he told the team that the NHL has facilitated a sale to the Smith Entertainment Group, the owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz, reports ESPN's Emily Kaplan. However, the deal is not done yet.The players weren't made available to the media following Arizona's 3-2 overtime victory over the Edmonton Oilers, and head coach Andre Tourigny said he'd only answer questions about the game, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug.On Saturday, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo issued an all-caps statement through the team saying he hoped to "address these issues" as soon as he can.

The Toronto Maple Leafs assigned goaltender Matt Murray to the AHL's Toronto Marlies on a long-term injured reserve conditioning loan, the team announced Saturday.Murray, 29, hasn't played a game all season after undergoing bilateral hip surgery in October. He was expected to miss a minimum of six to eight months.The two-time Stanley Cup champion remains on LTIR while in the AHL. Murray's conditioning loan lasts six days or three games, which will take him through the end of the NHL's regular season.There is no salary cap in the playoffs, so the Maple Leafs can activate a healthy Murray after April 18 with no cap ramifications.Murray posted a .903 save percentage in 26 games last season. He last played against the Detroit Red Wings on April 2, 2023, a game he left due to injury.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The reigning Stanley Cup champions are headed back to the postseason.The Vegas Golden Knights secured the last playoff spot in the Western Conference with their 7-2 drubbing of the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues' 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.Sin City rode a three-goal first period and a similarly dominant final frame to take care of business against the Wild.It's been a bit of a roller-coaster campaign for the Golden Knights, who went from battling for first place in the Pacific Division to grinding it out for a wild-card spot.Vegas had to overcome lengthy injury absences to many of its key players, such as Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, Adin Hill, and Mark Stone.Stone is currently out with a spleen injury, though he returned to practice in a non-contact jersey on Friday.The Golden Knights have only failed to make the playoffs once in their seven years of existence, and just one of those appearances ended in a first-round exit.Vegas beat the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, and Florida Panthers en route to its first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. Jonathan Marchessault, an original Golden Knight, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs after tallying 13 goals and 25 points in 22 games.The team made the final in its inaugural season in 2017-18 but lost to the Washington Capitals.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston University forward and projected NHL 2024 first overall pick Macklin Celebrini took home the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA's top men's hockey player Friday.Celebrini ranked second in the NCAA with 32 goals and third with 64 points in 38 contests as a freshman this season. His 1.68 points per game trailed only Boston College stars Will Smith and Gabe Perreault for the highest in the country.The 17-year-old is the fourth freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award, joining Adam Fantilli (2023), Jack Eichel (2015), and Paul Kariya (1993). Celebrini is also the youngest player to ever win the honor.North Dakota forward Jackson Blake and Boston College sniper Cutter Gauthier were the other finalists. Blake signed his three-year, entry-level deal with the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, while Anaheim Ducks prospect Gauthier will play in Saturday's national championship game.Celebrini is the fourth Terriers player to win the Hobey Baker Award and first since current Vegas Golden Knights star Eichel. He was also named the Tim Taylor National Rookie of the Year on Friday.Boston's season ended with a loss to Denver in Thursday's semifinal.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens signed top prospect Lane Hutson to a three-year entry-level contract beginning this season, the team announced Friday.Hutson racked up 15 goals and 49 points in 38 games this season with Boston University. The defenseman had two more years of NCAA eligibility remaining.The 20-year-old will join the Canadiens in Detroit on Monday ahead of their final two games of the season, TSN's Chris Johnston reports. He won't be with the team for Saturday's contest against the Ottawa Senators.The first year of Hutson's contract will count toward the 2023-24 campaign regardless of whether he plays a game. He's also ineligible to be sent down to the AHL until next season.The Terriers lost in the Frozen Four semifinals Thursday, paving the way for Hutson to sign and forgo the remainder of his collegiate career.The Canadiens drafted Hutson 62nd overall in 2022. He exploded offensively as a freshman with the Terriers, recording 15 goals and 48 points. The 5-foot-10, 162-pound rearguard earned numerous accolades, including Hockey East Rookie of the Year.Hutson was dominant again this season, finishing as a top-10 Hobey Baker finalist for the second year in a row.With 97 points in 77 NCAA games, Hutson is the highest-scoring collegiate defenseman since 1997 on a per-game basis.Hutson has starred with Team USA at the world juniors and World Championship. He tallied six points in nine games at the Worlds last spring and was the top blue-liner on the U.S. squad that won gold at the world juniors in January.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.As we prepare for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, we've reviewed how recent conference finalists have fared during the regular season in expected goals share (xG%) and via our new metric SNIPES. The idea? Can we take what teams were good at and apply it to this season in hopes of identifying any dark horse candidates for a playoff run?SNIPES showed a significant predictive element for postseason scoring, but xG% did not. Of course, there's another end of the ice. So we need to see if there's any correlation between how well recent teams have kept the puck out of their own net during the regular season and whether that's been predictive for the playoffs.I looked at high-danger chances allowed by teams, but the average ordinal finish in that category was 12.25, with just one in the top five. Instead, we'll use goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (GSAx/60) metrics to evaluate how goaltenders have aided a long playoff run.Here's how the primary goaltenders for the last 12 teams to make the conference finals fared in the regular season after Feb. 1 and then in the playoffs.Is there a correlation to playoff success?Ten of the 12 conference finalists had above-average (0.25 GSAx/60 or better) goaltending during the regular season. Future Hall of Famer Carey Price turned his game around for an epic playoff run in 2021, while the 2023 Stars got past the Wild and Kraken despite Jake Oettinger's struggles.On Monday, we noticed three substandard teams in our scoring talent metric, SNIPES. Price and Sergei Bobrovsky each made up for those deficiencies, as did Marc-Andre Fleury during his bounce-back 2020-'21 season.In 2022, Darcy Kuemper gave away an average of a half-goal per game, but amazingly, the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup anyway.Last year alone, the goaltending duos in Vegas and Carolina, as well as Bobrovsky, showed improved numbers down the regular-season stretch. Meanwhile, Oettinger, despite great first-half numbers, showed cracks later on. Each offered glimpses of what was to come.Who can put it all together?We've established that good xG% doesn't necessarily translate to playoff success, so the following is the list of teams that take advantage of their scoring chances (>14.5% SNIPES) while also rostering a goaltender who has saved his team a significant number of goals against (>0.25 GSAx/60) since the All-Star break.Since they're coming out of the same quarter of the bracket, only one of the Bruins and Maple Leafs can make the conference final. We don't yet have certainty about how things will fall because of shaky ground in the Pacific and wild-card positions, but the Kings, Predators, and Canucks may end up grouped. That would leave the Jets in a quarter with a trio of sketchy goaltending situations in Dallas, Colorado, and Vegas.Only the Rangers have a path to the conference finals without a team that excels at converting scoring chances while boasting high-level goaltending. That route includes Carolina, who - based on their market rating - would be favored over New York in a second-round matchup.The cheat sheetEach week, we balance market information from regular-season point totals and in-season advanced metrics - with an even-strength focus - to determine the win probability for each team and the moneyline needed to bet on either side.You can compare those prices with our "price to bet" column to see if you're getting any value with either side's moneyline. There's a possibility that a moneyline moves into a bet-friendly range at some point between the market opening and puck drop.DATEGAMEWIN PROB. (%)PRICE TO BETApr. 12CAR@STL69.3/30.7CAR -215/STL +274NSH@CHI63.9/36.1NSH -169/CHI +211ARI@EDM*21.8/78.2ARI +462/EDM -339CGY@ANA62.4/37.6CGY -159/ANA +197MIN@VGK46.6/53.4MIN +135/VGK -110Apr. 13NYI@NYR40.0/60.0NYI +178/NYR -144SEA@DAL33.2/66.8SEA +243/DAL -193WPG@COL41.7/58.3WPG +165/COL -134BUF@FLA38.6/61.4BUF +189/FLA -153NJD@PHI56.2/43.8NJD -123/PHI +151TB@WSH54.2/45.8TB -113/WSH +139DET@TOR27.7/72.3DET +322/TOR -248MTL@OTT31.3/68.7MTL +267/OTT -210BOS@PIT47.7/52.3BOS +121/PIT +101CBJ@NSH34.2/65.8CBJ +231/NSH -184VAN@EDM*34.0/66.0VAN +234/EDM -186MIN@SJS64.8/35.2MIN -176/SJS +220ANA@LAK14.8/85.2ANA +828/LAK -534Apr. 14SEA@STL48.7/51.3SEA +116/STL +105COL@VGK45.1/54.9COL +143/VGK -117CAR@CHI79.4/20.6CAR -363/CHI +502ARI@CGY34.1/65.9ARI +233/CGY -185*Prices for Edmonton assume Connor McDavid (day-to-day) playsMatt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is inching closer to a return.Stone was cleared to practice Friday in a non-contact jersey for the first time since suffering a lacerated spleen Feb. 20, the team announced.The club ruled out Stone for the remainder of the regular season but listed him as questionable for the playoffs.The two-time Selke Trophy finalist recorded 16 goals and 37 assists in 56 games this season. He tallied 24 points in 22 playoff contests during Vegas' 2023 Stanley Cup run.Having Stone's $9.5-million cap hit on long-term injured reserve helped the Golden Knights load up at the trade deadline by adding Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl, and Anthony Mantha. There's no salary cap in the postseason.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The United States rounded out its management staff for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Olympics on Friday.New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury, New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, and Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito will serve as assistant GMs for the two events, USA Hockey announced Friday.The trio will support Bill Guerin of the Minnesota Wild for both tournaments, who was named USA's GM in February. Guerin also named Wild director of player personnel Chris Keller to his international staff in the same role."We've got a great management group, and I'm excited to work with them in representing our country," Guerin said. "It's an exciting time in USA Hockey, and we're focused on bringing home championships from both events."Drury, 47, was a GM for the U.S. at the World Championships in 2019 and 2021. He was also an assistant GM at the event in 2016 and 2017. As a player, he represented his nation at three Olympics (2002, 2006, and 2010), three World Championships, and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He's been at the helm of the Rangers since 2021.Fitzgerald, 55, has never been an executive with Team USA. He played for the U.S. at the World Championships in 1989 and 1991. He was named GM of the Devils in 2020.Zito, 59, is the only member of the group who didn't play in the NHL. He was the United States' GM at the 2018 World Championship and has been GM of the Panthers since 2020.The 4 Nations Face-Off runs from Feb. 12-20 in 2025, while the Olympics are set for February 2026 in Italy.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We have a five-game slate ahead of us on Friday. Let's look at a few of my favorite props as we aim to rebound from a tough night on the ice.Connor Bedard: Over 0.5 goalsBedard has scored just one goal over his past 10 games. Friday night offers him a good opportunity to get back on track.The Predators sit in the bottom five in shots against over the last 10 games. They've also given up more volume to opposing centers than any other team during that stretch, which should help raise Bedard's shooting floor and ceiling.And there's the good old-fashioned due factor. Bedard has generated 33 scoring chances and 35 shots on goal over his past 10 games. His outputs translate to 3.39 expected goals, but he's only found the back of the net once.Bedard is a high-end finisher who's converted on nearly 11% of his shots this season. It's abnormal for him to run this dry. Given the volume we've seen from him of late - and how much the Predators have conceded - this is a good spot for him to find the back of the net.Odds: +190 (playable to +175)Evan Bouchard: Over 0.5 assistsBouchard is an assist machine. He's registered 62 helpers through 77 games and has done his best work on home soil - where he finds himself on Friday night.He's assisted on at least one goal in nine of his past 10, 12 of the past 15, and 21 of the last 30 in Edmonton. Those remarkably high success rates show he's in good form and can sustain these numbers over the long haul.The blue-liner is in an elite matchup to continue his hot streak. The Coyotes have struggled to keep the puck out of the net all season and show no signs of improvement. Only four teams have conceded more goals than the Yotes (35) over the last 10 games.Arizona gives up a lot of quality chances, and discipline is an issue. Edmonton is lethal on the power play (Bouchard runs point on the top unit) and might be the last team you want to run into penalty trouble against.Whether Connor McDavid plays or not, the Oilers are primed to make some noise offensively. Look for Bouchard's puck-distributing skills to lead to at least one marker.Odds: -140 (playable to -155)Noah Hanifin: Over 0.5 points Hanifin is in the best role imaginable with the Golden Knights. He's getting a ton of the ice time at even strength behind Jack Eichel and the team's lethal top line, which raises his offensive ceiling.Rightly or wrongly, Hanifin also unseated Shea Theodore as the quarterback of the top power-play unit. He's getting optimal deployment to create offense. It's clearly paying off: Hanifin has four points over his past four games despite the Golden Knights losing three of them.Vegas is in a good spot to rebound Friday night at home versus a Wild team playing for nothing. I expect the Golden Knights to put their best foot forward in a winning effort and Hanifin to find the scoresheet along the way.Odds: +110 (playable to -120)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney will serve as Canada's general manager for the 4 Nations Face-Off, Hockey Canada announced Friday.Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill will serve as Sweeney's associate GM.Additionally, Sweeney and Nill were both named assistant GMs for Canada's 2026 Olympics team under GM Doug Armstrong.Armstrong, the St. Louis Blues executive, was tasked with picking Canada's GMs for the Four Nations Face-Off and the 2024 World Championship. Rick Nash is serving as the latter.The 4 Nations Face-Off is a new NHL-sanctioned international hockey tournament set for February 2025 featuring teams from Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland.Sweeney has worked in Boston's front office since 2006, serving as GM since 2015. The Bruins have been a model of consistency for the better part of two decades, missing the playoffs just four times in the salary-cap era. They won the Stanley Cup in 2011 while Sweeney was assistant GM, and they posted an NHL-record 135 points in 2022-23.The 57-year-old hasn't worked as an executive for Canada in any international events, but he did don the maple leaf at the 1997 World Championship as a player, winning gold.Nill is the NHL's reigning GM of the Year. He's been in the position with the Stars since 2013, leading Dallas to a Stanley Cup Final in 2020 and the Western Conference Final in 2023. The 66-year-old held the role for Canada at the 2004 and 2015 World Championships, winning gold in both years.Canada has been victorious at the last three best-on-best international hockey tournaments: the 2010 and 2014 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings punched their third straight postseason ticket with a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.The Kings sit third in the Pacific Division, where they finished in each of the two previous campaigns.L.A. heads back to the playoffs after firing head coach Todd McLellan on Feb. 2. Jim Hiller's squad is 19-11-1 since he took over at the All-Star break. The Kings had lost 14 of 17 and fell to a wild-card spot when McLellan was let go.They lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round both last season and in the prior campaign.The Kings haven't made it out of the opening round since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014. Following their two championships in a three-year span, the San Jose Sharks dispatched them in five games in 2015-16 en route to their own Cup Final appearance.Two years later, the Vegas Golden Knights swept L.A. in the first round before making a trip to the final in their inaugural season.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It doesn't appear as though the Philadelphia Flyers' late-season woes will cost John Tortorella his job.Flyers management "absolutely" wants the outspoken head coach back for next season, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."The club's brass believes Tortorella will have a huge impact on the development of their younger players, LeBrun added.The feeling is mutual, as the 65-year-old bench boss is "energized" and wants to keep coaching the team beyond the current campaign, per LeBrun.Tortorella has two years left on his contract. He's in his second season coaching the Flyers after stints with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay Lightning.The Flyers exceeded expectations for most of 2023-24 but fell apart down the stretch. They lost eight straight games to tumble down the standings and all but out of the playoff picture before snapping the skid with a win over the Rangers on Thursday night.Philadelphia is 3-8-3 since March 14. Five of the Flyers' last six losses were to the lowly Montreal Canadiens (twice), Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, and Blue Jackets.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby took sole possession of 10th on the NHL's all-time points list Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings.Crosby recorded his 1,591st career point, as well as his 1,000th assist, on Erik Karlsson's overtime winner.

Phoenix native Matthew Knies is "not too happy" with the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Arizona Coyotes."It's pretty unfortunate, the Coyotes did a lot for me growing up," the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie told reporters Thursday. "I loved going to the games, it was kind of a big reason why I got into hockey."That kind of situation is out of my control. I'm hopeful that they can stay there because it meant a lot to me. I guess we're going to have to see what happens."Reports surfaced on Wednesday suggesting that the Coyotes could move to Utah as soon as next season. An announcement regarding the relocation could drop as soon as April 18.Arizona has been home to an NHL team ever since the original Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996.Relocation rumors have been looming over the Coyotes for decades, but the speculation reached new heights after the franchise's lease at Glendale's Gila River Arena ended in 2022. The team moved to the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena at Arizona State University at the start of last season as a stopgap, but plans to find a new home to remain in the desert have not yet come to fruition.Despite years on shaky ground, Knies said minor hockey in Arizona is "definitely growing.""I think when I was growing up, it wasn't the hockey hotbed Colorado or Chicago or Detroit was," he said. "But it was definitely growing, and you could see the potential there. And I think the Coyotes were a big part of that. It's definitely gotten a lot better, and I know a lot of kids are starting to pick up a hockey stick now. It's just really good to see."Knies isn't the only Arizona product on the Maple Leafs' roster. Superstar Auston Matthews, who hails from Scottsdale, addressed the murky situation after his team's 6-5 loss to the New Jersey Devils."Selfishly, growing up there, them being a big part of me getting into hockey, I'd love for them to figure it out," he said, per the Canadian Press' Joshua Clipperton. "But you kinda understand the position the NHL is in as well."The Maple Leafs selected Knies in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He's racked up 15 goals and 35 points in 77 games so far this campaign.The 21-year-old said there's "been learning curves" during his first full season in the big leagues."I think I've made some mistakes, but I think I've come back from that," he said. "I think I've grown a lot in my game and matured a lot. ... It's only getting better."The Maple Leafs clinched their eighth consecutive playoff berth on Friday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights signed defenseman Noah Hanifin to an eight-year contract extension with a cap hit of $7.35 million, the team announced Thursday.Hanifin will have a full no-trade clause for the first six seasons of the contract and a 15-team no-trade list in the final two years, reports TSN's Chris Johnston.The 27-year-old will receive $29.4 million in signing bonuses over the next four seasons, LeBrun reports. He'll have a base salary of $5.7 million with no signing bonuses in the last four years of the contract.The Golden Knights acquired Hanifin from the Calgary Flames before the trade deadline for defenseman Daniil Miromanov, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2024 third-round pick. Vegas also sent a 2024 fifth-rounder to the Philadelphia Flyers for extra retained salary.Hanifin has nine points in 16 games with the Golden Knights while playing 23:02 per contest. He has 13 goals and 44 points in 77 outings this season.He was in the final year of the six-year, $4.95-million contract he signed in 2018. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent.Hanifin becomes the seventh NHL defenseman under contract through next season with the Golden Knights. Only Alex Pietrangelo has a higher cap hit among the team's blue-liners at $8.8 million.36-year-old Alec Martinez is Vegas' lone remaining pending unrestricted free agent on the back end.Hanifin was drafted fifth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015. He's accumulated 62 goals and 283 points in 675 games over his nine-season NHL career.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde isn't taking anything for granted heading into Thursday's crucial clash with the Pittsburgh Penguins."We may not be here next year," Lalonde said Wednesday, per NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika.The Red Wings, who have been rebuilding for much of the past five-plus years, are in the thick of a race for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference as they look to snap a seven-year playoff drought."I don't foresee New Jersey not flirting with 100 points (next season)," Lalonde said. "You don't get these opportunities (all the time), and we're in one. So, we had an opportunity (Tuesday); we came up short. We have an opportunity (Thursday) against Pittsburgh; we would like to seize that opportunity."Detroit enters Thursday with 84 points, one back of the Washington Capitals for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh also has 84 points. Both teams would hold tiebreakers over the Red Wings by virtue of regulation wins. Detroit's playoff odds thus sit at just 24.3%, per MoneyPuck.The Red Wings have one of the NHL's best farm systems, and 22-year-old Lucas Raymond and 23-year-old Moritz Seider are among the team's best players. However, Detroit also has several aging veterans who could move on this summer as free agents, such as Patrick Kane, David Perron, and Shayne Gostisbehere.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We have a busy 10-game card ahead of us Thursday night. There's plenty of value on the board, but I see most in backing a couple of teams that still have a lot on the line. Let's look closer.Devils (+170) @ Maple Leafs (-200)The Devils appear ready to pack things in and call it a season. Despite getting high-end goaltending from Jake Allen, the club has won just six of its 16 games since deadline day.New Jersey has controlled only 44% of the expected goal share in that span, putting it in the company of teams like the Blue Jackets and Ducks. And things are only getting worse.With the playoffs completely out of the picture, the Devils have shut down Jack Hughes. That removes the most dynamic player from a lineup already looking pretty thin.There isn't much meat on the bone remaining for a New Jersey team playing out its final string of games, while the Maple Leafs have plenty of incentive to put their best foot forward.Home ice in the first round is still on the table for Toronto. The club's also chasing history with a 70-goal campaign very much within Auston Matthews' grasp.The Maple Leafs are in much better form than the Devils and have a lot more to play for. I expect that to shine through en route to a win inside 60 minutes.Bet: Maple Leafs in regulation (-125)Canadiens (+175) @ Islanders (-210)The Canadiens stomped the Flyers last time they played, but don't let that result fool you. Montreal has played poorly lately, particularly on the defensive side of the ice.The Habs have given up an alarming amount of shots, chances, and expected goals over the past 10 games and rank in the bottom three in each category.The Islanders aren't the most prolific offensive team. However, they have some players at the top of the lineup who can make you pay, namely Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, and Noah Dobson.Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault has performed well this season, but his game has dipped lately. He's allowed three goals or more in eight of the past 11 starts and won only three of those.With just five goals against over the last four contests, New York is doing a great job limiting opposing offenses. Montreal will have difficulty keeping up offensively with an Islanders squad still trying to clinch a playoff spot.New York has won five in a row and six of seven. Look for the red-hot Islanders to pick up another two points in regulation.Bet: Islanders in regulation (-135)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg is retiring from the NHL at the end of the 2023-24 season, the team announced Thursday.Silfverberg, 33, has seven goals and 19 points in 78 games this campaign. The Swede is in the final season of the five-year contract he signed in 2019."Thank you to the fans around the league, specifically in Anaheim and Ottawa," Silfverberg said. "To spend 11 years in Orange County playing for the Ducks is something I will cherish every day, thanks in large part to all of you."Silfverberg has accumulated 158 goals and 354 points in 769 contests with Anaheim. He tallied four 20-goal seasons and scored a career-high 49 points in 2016-17.Acquired from the Ottawa Senators in 2013 in the Bobby Ryan trade, Silfverberg ranks fifth in games played and goals in Ducks franchise history."He was the ultimate character player for the Ducks, Senators, and his native Sweden, leading by example and always putting the team first," Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek said. "His contributions on the ice and in the Orange County community will have a lasting impact."Silfverberg performed well across seven postseasons. He scored 18 points in 16 games during the Ducks' 2015 run to the Western Conference Final, and he tallied a team-best nine goals in Anaheim's 2017 trip to the conference finals.The Swede represented his nation on numerous occasions, most notably at the 2014 Olympics and 2016 World Cup. He captained Team Sweden at the World Championship last spring.Drafted 39th overall in 2009 by the Senators, Silfverberg has totaled 168 goals and 373 points in 817 NHL games.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We have one of our last jam-packed cards of the season Thursday night. Let's waste no time getting to our bets.Auston Matthews: Over 4.5 shotsMatthews is firing on all cylinders as he continues his quest for 70 goals. He leads the NHL in scoring chances over the past 10 games and has recorded more shots on goal than all but Nathan MacKinnon in that span.Playing with Max Domi has seen Matthews hit a different gear shooting the puck. Matthews attempts nearly 10 more shots per 60 minutes of five-on-five play when riding shotgun with Domi over Mitch Marner or William Nylander. He's also scoring 2.95 goals per 60 minutes with Domi, miles ahead of his 1.6 average with the other two players.Matthews is the biggest shooting threat in the league right now. There's no reason to expect that to change against the Devils.The 26-year-old is chasing history and has an excellent matchup in front of him. New Jersey is bleeding shots every night. And with Jack Hughes shut down for the season, they're spending even more time on their heels.This is a spot where Matthews could produce a multi-goal performance and put himself within reach of 70. I expect him to be firing early and often.Odds: -114 (playable to -135)Erik Karlsson: Over 2.5 shotsKarlsson has gone over this total in six of the past 10 games, averaging nearly seven shot attempts per contest.His recent shooting success should continue in an advantageous matchup against the Red Wings. They're giving up a lot of shot volume nightly, especially to opposing defensemen. Only the Blue Jackets have allowed more shots on goal per game to the position over the last 10 contests.Karlsson averages more than 24 minutes per game and is one of the few offensively dynamic weapons the Penguins feature.Head coach Mike Sullivan will no doubt heavily rely on Karlsson to create offense in a matchup between two sides fighting for the Eastern Conference's final wild-card spot.Karlsson had no problem doing so in recent meetings, recording four shots on goal in four of the past five versus Detroit. Expect him to make his mark offensively again.Odds: -134 (playable to -150)Brock Nelson: Over 2.5 shotsNelson is one of the most consistent shot-generators in the league on home ice. He's registered at least three shots in 25 of 38 games in New York, good for a 66% success rate.Although his volume has dipped a little lately, the Canadiens could be just what the doctor ordered to get back on track.Columbus and Detroit are the only teams to have conceded more shots on goal than Montreal over the past 10 games.The Canadiens also sit 30th in shots allowed to opposing centers in that span, making this an opportune spot for Nelson to make noise.With the Islanders still trying to solidify a playoff position, Patrick Roy will give Nelson and the team's top players a full workload.Odds: -125 (playable to -140)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes have a Utah-sized elephant in the room, and head coach Andre Tourigny isn't shy about addressing it.News Wednesday indicated the Coyotes could move to Salt Lake City for next season, and an announcement about the relocation could come as early as April 18.Ahead of Arizona's contest Wednesday, Tourigny said he believes the rumors about the franchise's possible move proved to be a major distraction when the club first heard the speculation several months ago."The first time that (relocation) rumor came, it was Jan. 24, and that's the day we started a 14-game losing streak, so we cannot pretend it did not affect our team," Tourigny said, per Hockey Daily 365. "Unfortunately, that had a huge impact on our season. We did not deal with it the right way at the time."Ryan Smith, owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz, noted on Jan. 24 that he could immediately bring an NHL franchise to Salt Lake City and formally requested the league to initiate the expansion process.The Coyotes were two points out of a playoff spot prior to Smith's announcement, but their 14-game losing streak ultimately put a dagger in their season.Arizona had a chance at redemption Wednesday on the road against the Pacific Division-leading Vancouver Canucks and pulled off a 4-3 overtime win."We did not manage the distraction really well the first time," Tourigny said postgame. "Not everybody (gets) a second chance, but we had a chance to do better this time, and I really like the attitude."Rookie forward Logan Cooley played the role of hero by scoring the OT winner."It's always tough when media's going around saying we're gonna be here, we're gonna be there. We just need to stick together as a group and that's what we did," Cooley said postgame. "There's no quit in our team all year, whether that was when we were going through that losing streak (or) the arena news. It's a pretty special group we have in there."The Coyotes have two more games on their current road trip before finishing their season at home against the Edmonton Oilers on April 17, potentially the franchise's last game in Arizona.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner thinks the defending Stanley Cup champions need to start getting their act together if they want to be playing hockey in the spring."We got to take care of business," Jonathan Marchessault said following the Vegas Golden Knights' 5-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. "We're not in the playoffs yet. We gotta start playing like we want to be in it."We need more than just a couple guys every night. We're going to need everybody, and right now, we don't have that."The Golden Knights have now dropped three games in a row and only hold a three-point cushion over the St. Louis Blues for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, though Vegas has a game in hand.It's been tough sledding for Sin City as of late. The team has had to deal with the absences of key players, such as goaltender Adin Hill, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, and captain Mark Stone.Hill returned from his seven-game layoff on Wednesday, but it was a rough outing for the netminder. He allowed five goals on 25 shots while surrendering 1.4 goals above expected at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.The Golden Knights mustered just 18 shots of their own and had 16 giveaways.Since the calendar flipped to 2024, Vegas ranks 22nd in the league with a 20-18-3 record and 19th with a .524 points percentage. Before Jan. 1, the Golden Knights were battling the Vancouver Canucks for first place in the Pacific Division."Right now, for us, our game's not where we need to be," said Keegan Kolesar, who scored Vegas' only goal versus Edmonton. "Even if we were to get in, it might be a quick bounce for us out of there."The Oilers, meanwhile, were able to put together a strong performance against their heated rivals without superstar captain Connor McDavid."We've got a lot of guys off our roster that aren't playing, as well, so that to me, is irrelevant," Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said of McDavid's absence.The bench boss added: "Even if he was playing, I wouldn't have expected this result, to be perfectly honest with you."Marchessault scored 13 goals and 25 points in 22 playoff games last spring while helping the Golden Knights win their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.The 33-year-old is following up that performance with a strong 2023-24 campaign. He's racked up a career-high 41 goals in 78 contests and can become an unrestricted free agent this summer.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Oilers superstar Connor McDavid was out of the lineup for Edmonton's 5-1 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday because of a lower-body injury.Head coach Kris Knoblauch announced Tuesday that the captain was considered day-to-day with the ailment. McDavid was labeled a game-time decision for the Oilers' clash against their Pacific Division rivals.Knoblauch said postgame that he is optimistic McDavid can play Friday against the Arizona Coyotes, but mentioned he'll have to be cautious since the Oilers also play on Saturday, per The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.McDavid appeared to suffer the injury during Edmonton's 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday. His final shift of the outing occurred late in the third period."He played up until five minutes left of the game and felt some discomfort," Knoblauch explained Tuesday. "We didn't want to make it worse, and we held him back."McDavid missed two games earlier this season with an upper-body injury.The 27-year-old is one assist away from 100 on the season with five more games remaining after Wednesday's matchup. McDavid is also in the running for his sixth career Art Ross Trophy with 130 points on the campaign.The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs will kick off in 10 days."I think Connor knows what the big picture is," Knoblauch said Wednesday, per NHL.com's Derek Van Diest."I believe that he is competitive and wants to contribute as much as possible and not take himself out of the lineup, but I think he understands where our team is at, and obviously where his body's at, and what we are looking for in the future."Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes could move to Salt Lake City as soon as next season, ESPN's Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski report.The NHL has prepared an option that would see the team sold to Smith Entertainment Group, owners of the NBA's Utah Jazz, and relocated to Salt Lake City, sources told Kaplan and Wyshynski.The three parties have made significant progress on a framework agreement, and the NHL sent a memo to the board of governors updating the situation Wednesday, reports Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly wouldn't divulge details when asked about the reports."The league is continuing to work on a solution to what has been a challenging and difficult situation," Daly told TSN's Pierre LeBrun. "But we are not in a position to comment beyond that."The league still believes a team should be in Arizona but is skeptical about the Coyotes' newest arena plans, per ESPN.The Coyotes announced last week their commitment to winning a land auction in the Phoenix area and building a privately funded arena and entertainment district on the 110-acre plot. However, Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega slammed the plans Monday, calling the concept "not feasible or welcome."Winning the June 27 auction could allow the Coyotes to remain in Arizona long term. But the franchise could be based in another state by that date, as an announcement of the sale and relocation could come as early as April 18, the day after the Coyotes' final regular-season game, Seravalli adds.Two versions of the NHL's 2024-25 league schedule are being drafted with the potential of the Arizona Coyotes relocating to Salt Lake City, Seravalli reported earlier Wednesday.One schedule sees the Coyotes remain in Arizona for another season, and the other features the franchise playing at Utah's Delta Center.Ryan Smith, owner of the Jazz, added to the speculation the franchise could be on the move last week when he asked fans on X for their opinion on a name for a Utah-based NHL team.Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo selling control of the franchise would cost an interested buyer north of $1.2 billion, which includes the NHL's relocation fees, per Seravalli.The Coyotes posted a video on X reiterating their commitment to remaining in Phoenix.

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta remains steadfast in his desire to bring a professional hockey franchise to the city."We would like to work to get an NHL team in Houston," he said Wednesday, according to the Houston Chronicle's Greg Rajan. "I'm working on it."Fertitta's interest in the matter dates back to 2017, around one month after he purchased the Rockets for $2.2 billion. The NBA squad plays at the Toyota Center, a venue with a capacity of 19,000 seats - 17,800 when fitted for a rink."I would put an NHL team here tomorrow," Fertitta told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle at the time. "This one has got to work. But I'd love to have the other dates in the building."Do I want to see Toyota Center filled up 300 nights a year? Definitely. We'll do whatever we can do, but whatever we do has to make sense. ... Will we be aggressive? Yes. That's my nature."Houston has never had an NHL team to call its own. However, it was previously home to the Aeros, who played in the World Hockey Association from 1972-78, the International Hockey League from 1994-2001, and the American Hockey League until 2013.The Toyota Center was the Aeros' home venue from 2003-2013.In February, Fertitta told Bloomberg's Shelly Hagan and David Wethe that he was "talking to the NHL," noting that those conversations had recently turned more serious.Fertitta added that he was open to bringing in an expansion franchise or adding a team from an existing market.On Wednesday, reports broke that the Arizona Coyotes could move to Utah as soon as next season. The NHL is reportedly drafting two versions of the 2024-25 schedule to accommodate the potential relocation to Salt Lake City.The Coyotes have been at the center of relocation rumors for years, but the uncertainty has ramped up since they moved to the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena at the start of the 2022-23 season.The franchise was attempting to construct a new arena in Tempe, Arizona, but residents voted against building a $2.1-billion entertainment district in the area last May. The Coyotes have since pivoted to a plot of land up for auction in North Phoenix, but Scottsdale mayor David Ortega slammed the plans as "not feasible or welcome" on Monday.The league most recently expanded to Seattle in 2021. Plans to add another expansion franchise don't appear imminent.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli won't play in Columbus' final three games of the season, the club confirmed to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.Fantilli suffered a calf laceration from a skate blade Jan. 28 and was projected to miss eight weeks, meaning there was a chance he could've returned in April.The 2023 No. 3 pick finishes his rookie campaign with 12 goals and 15 assists in 49 games.The Blue Jackets project to have another high selection in the 2024 draft, as they currently sit 29th in league standings.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Three NHL games are scheduled for Wednesday night, but only one pops off the page.Let's look at how we're attacking the day's marquee matchup.Golden Knights (-105) @ Oilers (-115)The Oilers could be playing without superstar Connor McDavid in what might well be a playoff preview for the opening round. That'd be a problem.Edmonton played without its captain for two games earlier this season, dropping both contests and being outscored by six on aggregate.Life without McDavid has never really been kind to the Oilers. Dating back a few seasons, they've dropped six of the last seven without him, and the offense dried up as they scored more than three goals just once.While this could be the best version of Edmonton we've seen, I still expect the struggles without McDavid to continue against the Golden Knights if he's unable to play.Vegas sits tied for sixth in five-on-five goal share over the past 10 games, and its lineup is seemingly getting better by the day. Tomas Hertl made his highly anticipated team debut Monday and found the scoresheet while logging over 20 minutes of ice time.Hertl gives an already-quality club another impact player who can raise the floor and ceiling nightly.I think the Golden Knights are better than the McDavid-less Oilers. They're also jockeying for seeding and coming off a pair of losses. Look for a hungry Vegas team to earn two points in this one.Bet: Golden Knights (+100)Jack Eichel: Over 3.5 shotsWe've consistently targeted Eichel in recent weeks, and there's no reason to get away from that Wednesday.Eichel recorded at least four shots in 15 of the past 19 games and posted three in each exception. He's shooting the puck a ton.Vegas ranks fourth in five-on-five pace over the last 10 contests and should create a healthy shooting environment for Eichel in an enticing matchup.The Oilers have also conceded 11.10 shots per game to centers during that span, tied for eighth most in the NHL.With Edmonton playing high-event hockey and struggling to slow opposing centers, Eichel is primed to continue his shooting success.Odds: -134 (playable to -150)Evander Kane: Over 2.5 shotsKane has slowed down lately, but a few things are working in his favor here.He's consistently fared well on home ice, generating three shots or more at a 62% clip this season and 67% over the last two years.Kane is also coming off three days of rest, which has served him well both times this campaign. Over two such instances, Kane posted 11 shots on 21 attempts.And McDavid's potential absence opens the door for more offensive opportunities. Kane is skating in the top six and could be on the No. 1 power-play unit, which he's usually not a part of.Kane recorded at least three shots in both games McDavid missed earlier in the season despite difficult matchups against the Rangers and Wild. I expect him to do the same against the Golden Knights.Odds: +103 (playable to -125)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres were officially eliminated from playoff contention after losing 3-2 to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, extending their NHL-record postseason drought to 13 seasons.Buffalo is the youngest team in the NHL, but defenseman Rasmus Dahlin doesn't think that justifies the dubious mark."We're a young team, but that shouldn't be an excuse anymore," Dahlin said postgame. "We are looking at ourselves in the mirror and we have to be better."Dahlin has been with the Sabres for the last six of those 13 years. He's committed to the club for the long haul after signing an eight-year, $88-million extension in October."It sucks. We have to get better. We got to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said. "We got some work to do and the group is all-in for it."Dahlin is tied for the team lead in points with 58 and fifth with 20 goals. Only the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks employ leading scorers with fewer point totals.Buffalo ranks 13th in goals against per game but 22nd in goals for per contest. It was completely different a year ago when the Sabres owned the league's No. 3 offense but the No. 26 defense and missed the playoffs by a point.Forward Alex Tuch, who co-leads the Sabres in points, believes there are multiple issues with the team."Power play could've been better. PK could've been better. We could've won more than two-to-three games in a row at a time. We could've played better shift after shift. We could've done a lot of things better, honestly," Tuch said.Special teams have been a problem, as the Sabres rank 29th with the man advantage and 15th on the penalty kill. Their longest win streak of the season is three games."We've gotta look upon ourselves. There was no one else besides the guys in this room that put us in the position that we're in now," Tuch continued. "Myself definitely included."Despite the disappointing season, Buffalo's future could be bright. In addition to having a young roster anchored by two former No. 1 picks on the back end in Dahlin and Owen Power, the Sabres have arguably the NHL's top farm system. They're on the cusp."We want to do something special in Buffalo," Dahlin said.

The 2023-24 NCAA men's hockey season culminates this week in St. Paul, Minnesota, with Boston College, Boston University, Denver, and Michigan challenging for the Frozen Four title.The No. 1 ranked Eagles take on the No. 10 underdogs from Ann Arbor in one semifinal, and No. 2 BU faces No. 3 Denver in a battle of two top seeds from the regional bracket in the other.Here are 10 prospects to keep an eye on ahead of the tournament's action Thursday and Saturday.BC's fab freshmenWhen Boston College recruited the U.S. NTDP's entire first line from its 2005 age group, many expected the trio to be successful in the NCAA before long.But the freshmen line of Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, and Gabe Perreault hasn't just been successful; They've arguably been the best line in all of college hockey.Smith, drafted fourth overall last summer by the San Jose Sharks, leads the nation in scoring with 23 goals and 69 points in 39 games. Leonard (eighth by the Washington Capitals) and Perreault (23rd by the New York Rangers) aren't far behind.Leonard has been a beast in the postseason. He scored two goals in each of the Eagles' regional wins and has recorded seven points in three games going back to the Hockey East final.

New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette blasted the New York Islanders following his team's 4-2 loss on Tuesday for a pair of "vicious" hits on Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck.Both collisions occurred in the third period of the contest.The first hit involved Zibanejad, who collided with Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech's elbow at center ice. There was no penalty called on the play.

Alex Ovechkin buried his 30th goal of the season Tuesday night, reaching the benchmark for the 18th time and moving past Mike Gartner for the most 30-goal campaigns in league history.

The Nashville Predators earned one point in a 4-3 overtime loss against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night to secure their ninth playoff berth in the last 10 seasons.Spencer Stastney and Ryan O'Reilly scored just over two minutes apart in the final frame to force the extra frame.The Predators' success this season has been buoyed by a 16-0-2 run that was spurred by a canceled team trip to see U2 perform at Las Vegas' The Sphere in February.Prior to that franchise record-setting 18-game point streak, Nashville was four points back of a wild-card spot.The Predators finished last season three points out of the playoff picture. They had made the postseason in each of the last eight campaigns, but only advanced past the first round three times in that span, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.Nashville was swept by the Colorado Avalanche during its last postseason appearance in 2022.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews scored his 66th goal of the season Tuesday, setting a new salary-cap-era record for most tallies in a single campaign.

New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes was shut down for the rest of the 2023-24 season with a shoulder injury, the team announced Tuesday.Hughes will undergo surgery April 10. He's expected to recover in time for training camp.There are three games remaining on New Jersey's schedule.Hughes leads the Devils with 27 goals and ranks second on the team with 74 points in 62 outings. He sat out 11 games earlier this season with an upper-body injury, which caused him to miss the All-Star Game.The 22-year-old was also sidelined for five contests in November following an awkward crash into the boards against the St. Louis Blues.Hughes amassed a career-high 99 points in 78 outings in 2022-23. The young center was eager to become the first player in franchise history with a 100-point campaign.The Devils currently sit in seventh place of the Metropolitan Division with a 37-36-5 record and virtually no chance of making the playoffs.New Jersey appeared in the postseason last spring, putting an end to a four-year drought. The Devils beat the New York Rangers in the first round before getting bounced by the Carolina Hurricanes.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, head coach Kris Knoblauch said Tuesday, per NHL.com's Derek Van Diest.McDavid is questionable for Edmonton's next game, a clash with the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday."The most important thing is playoffs, that we are ready," Knoblauch told The Associated Press. "I think we've got depth. You're never going to replace Connor, but we've got healthy bodies. We want to make sure everyone is healthy as much as possible going into the playoffs."The five-time Art Ross Trophy winner is one assist away from 100 on the season - a feat that's only been achieved by three other players in NHL history: Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, and Bobby Orr.McDavid has 130 points in 74 games this season, the third-most in the league behind Nathan MacKinnon (133) and Nikita Kucherov (136).The Oilers have already clinched a playoff spot but still have a 17.7% chance to win the Pacific Division, per MoneyPuck.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.A whopping 26 of the league's 32 teams are scheduled to take the ice Tuesday night. Let's waste no time getting to our best bets as we look to bounce back from a 1-2 start to the week.Wild (+170) @ Avalanche (-200)The Avalanche could use points right now. They've dropped back-to-back games against Western Conference powerhouses and now sit closer to the No. 3 seed in their division - which would mean starting the playoffs on the road - than to the top of the Central.They need to right the ship quickly to have any hope of catching the Stars - and I expect them to do just that against the Wild.The high-flying Avalanche have been electric on home ice all season. Led by Nathan MacKinnon and his ridiculous point production, they sport a 29-8-1 record in Colorado. The Avs are miserable to deal with at altitude and are generally quick to respond following defeat.Head coach Jared Bednar was critical of his team following its most recent loss, saying they did a lot of "dumb stuff" and essentially handed the Stars free points.The Avalanche will be determined to respond and put their best foot forward against the Wild.Colorado's won five of the past six meetings against Minnesota, and four of those five victories came in regulation.Even without Mikko Rantanen - who's sidelined with a head injury - the Avalanche still have better depth and high-end talent. They're also facing an opponent with nothing to play for. I expect them to take care of business within 60 minutes.Bet: Avalanche in regulation (-130)Owen Tippett: Over 3.5 shotsTippett is a volume shooter whose ceiling depends on the caliber of the opponent. Take the past 10 games as an example. He recorded four shots or more against the Blue Jackets, Sabres, Blackhawks, and Canadiens but failed to reach that mark against playoff-bound clubs like the Panthers, Bruins, Hurricanes, and Maple Leafs. That's been a common theme for Tippett all season.The good news is he has a mouthwatering matchup against the Canadiens. They're one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL and take a lot of penalties.Tippett's taken full advantage of the Habs both times he's seen them this season, going over the number in each game while combining for 16 shot attempts.The Flyers are fighting tooth and nail to try and get into the playoffs. That means they'll rely heavily on their best weapons until the game is completely put to bed.Expect Tippett to play 18-20 minutes - more than enough time to generate four shots against a putrid shot-suppression team.Odds: -122 (playable to -140)Valeri Nichushkin: Over 2.5 shotsNichushkin has averaged more than three shots per game this season while going over the total at a healthy 61% clip.His shooting floor and ceiling should be even higher without Rantanen, who has largely stayed healthy over the past few campaigns. But when he's missed time, Nichushkin has consistently stepped up, averaging 3.8 shots on 6.2 attempts per game over five outings without Rantanen.Colorado is hungry for every point, so Nichushkin should be heading for more than 20 minutes of ice and be an even bigger part of the offense. Look for him to make the most of it and fire at least three pucks on net.Odds: -145 (playable to -160)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens center Christian Dvorak will make a surprising return to the lineup Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers, the team announced.Dvorak was expected to miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn pec on Dec. 30.He's recorded seven points in 25 games this season. The 28-year-old has one more year on his contract with a $4.45-million cap hit. Montreal has five games left in its season.However, defenseman Arber Xhekaj will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery Wednesday.The 23-year-old is expected to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 campaign.Xhekaj finishes his sophomore season with 10 points, 81 penalty minutes, and 125 hits in 44 games. He averaged 15:56 of ice time per contest.The Hamilton, Ontario, product is a pending restricted free agent but is under team control until 2028.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.