Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews scored his 60th goal of the season Saturday during his team's 3-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks clinched Stanley Cup Playoffs berths Saturday.The Canucks secured their spot with the St. Louis Blues' loss to the San Jose Sharks, while the Avalanche did so with a 7-4 comeback win against the Nashville Predators.The Avalanche and Canucks join the Dallas Stars as Western Conference teams to have punched a ticket to the postseason so far.Vancouver goes to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 in the COVID bubble. Rogers Arena last hosted a postseason game on April 23, 2015.It's Colorado's seventh straight season making the playoffs, matching the second-longest streak in franchise history with the Quebec Nordiques' run from 1980-87. The franchise record is 11 consecutive postseason berths - from 1994-06.Down 4-2 early in Saturday's second period, Colorado scored five unanswered to battle back and secure the 7-4 win. Yakov Trenin, who the Avs acquired from the Predators before the trade deadline, netted the game-winner against his former team.Colorado pulled netminder Alexandar Georgiev after he allowed his fourth goal and received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for shooting the puck into the crowd.Mikko Rantanen hit the 100-point mark for the second year in a row with an assist on Nathan MacKinnon's empty-net goal.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Rangers veteran Jonathan Quick made U.S. hockey history Saturday night by becoming the NHL's winningest American-born goalie.Quick made 27 saves in an 8-5 win over the Arizona Coyotes for his 392nd victory, one more than Ryan Miller in second place.Here's the top of the all-time list now:RankGoalieWinsGP1Jonathan Quick3927782Ryan Miller3917963John Vanbiesbrouck3748824Tom Barrasso3697775Craig Anderson319709Quick mostly focused on his team's success when asked about his record-setting night."You do everything you can to not think about it, but it's there," he said, per The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "So it's kind of a good feeling to get it done, over with. Focus on what's really important: Trying to win the division here, win the conference."Quick tied Miller with a 24-save effort in a 5-2 victory against the Boston Bruins on March 21.The 38-year-old is enjoying a resurgent campaign in the Big Apple. Heading into Saturday's action, he owned a .916 save percentage and 2.44 goals against average to go along with an impressive 16-5-2 record.Quick spent 16 seasons with Los Angeles after being drafted by the Kings in the third round in 2005. He's the franchise's all-time leader with 370 regular-season wins and 49 playoff victories.The Connecticut native won Stanley Cup championships with the Kings in 2012 and 2014, and he lifted Lord Stanley's Mug once more with the Vegas Golden Knights last spring.Though Quick holds the top spot for now, other U.S.-born goalies are in pursuit. Here's how the list looks when accounting for only active players:RankGoalieWinsGP1Jonathan Quick3927782Connor Hellebuyck2705003John Gibson1934764Thatcher Demko1152175Jake Oettinger108187Hellebuyck, Demko, and Oettinger are slam-dunk starters for their teams. Quick, meanwhile, serves as the backup for Igor Shesterkin in New York.But Quick has at least one more season to build on his lead. The Rangers signed him to a one-year extension with a $1.275-million cap hit earlier in March.Saturday's win marked the Rangers' 50th of the season. Alexis Lafreniere was the standout performer of the game, chipping in with his first career hat trick and two helpers.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers' playoff hopes took a sizeable hit Saturday night with their 5-1 loss to the basement-dwelling Chicago Blackhawks, but coach John Tortorella hopes the defeat serves as a wake-up call."We sucked tonight," he told reporters postgame. "We didn't execute, we didn't make one play. ... I think we hit the bottom tonight here. Maybe that needs to happen for us to get back into it."Tortorella called the loss "a good old-fashioned drubbing."The Flyers trailed 2-0 after the first period, but rookie Tyson Foerster brought them within one with his 20th goal of the season. Philadelphia couldn't capitalize on two consecutive power-play opportunities in the second period before Nick Foligno cashed in on the man advantage to restore the two-goal lead for the Blackhawks.Chicago scored two more in the final frame, and those in attendance at the Wells Fargo Center booed the team off the ice to show their disdain for the Flyers' fourth straight loss.Philadelphia didn't get much help from its divisional rivals, either. The Washington Capitals picked up a point during their 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins to overtake the Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan. The two teams have 82 points each, but the Capitals have played in two fewer games.As a result, the Flyers have been bumped down to the second wild-card spot, where things get even more crowded. The Detroit Red Wings are just two points behind Philadelphia with one game in hand, and the New York Islanders are five points back with two extra contests to play."We're certainly making it interesting here," Tortorella said. "We've gotta try to figure it out. They're all big games now."The Flyers have gone 3-5-2 over their previous 10 games, dropping their last two contests to teams far outside the playoff picture.Tortorella suggested fatigue as a possible factor behind the Flyers' slump in form, though he acknowledged that "there are a lot of teams that are tired this time of year.""I know (Travis Sanheim) and (Cam York) are on fumes," the bench boss said. "Just watching them play, they're not even thinking correctly."He added: "We're killing them as far as ice time."Sanheim has averaged 24:10 of playing time over the last 15 games since March 1, while York has posted 25:27 per contest. Both players are a minus-six over that span."We know that we're relied upon," Sanheim said of his and York's workload. "We've gotta contribute and play well in those minutes. We're going to need to be much better moving forward."The Flyers face the Islanders on Monday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A couple of stars got into it during Saturday's clash between the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild.Jack Eichel received a five-minute major and game misconduct for spearing Kirill Kaprizov, marking the first major penalty of the Golden Knights star's nine-year NHL career.Kaprizov cross-checked Eichel prior to the incident. Officials can only assess spearing infractions as double-minor or major penalties.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin suffered an injury scare Saturday against the Florida Panthers after he was struck by an errant point shot and had to be helped off the ice 28 seconds into the game.Larkin returned for one shift in the first period and took one faceoff but then limped back off the ice. However, he returned for good to start the second period.

Don't expect Dougie Hamilton to suit up for the New Jersey Devils before the end of the 2023-24 campaign.Devils interim head coach Travis Green said Saturday they "probably won't" see Hamilton return this season, according to team reporter Amanda Stein.The 30-year-old defenseman had his campaign cut short on Nov. 28 when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in a win over the New York Islanders. Hamilton underwent surgery a few days later, was deemed to be out indefinitely, and hasn't played since.The Canadian blue-liner racked up 16 points, including five goals, in 20 games before getting hurt. He's coming off a campaign in which he established career highs in goals (22), assists (52), and points while playing all 82 contests.Hamilton is in his third season with the Devils, who signed him to a seven-year, $63-million contract in July 2021. He's also played three campaigns apiece with the Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames, and Boston Bruins.The Devils have underachieved in 2023-24, but Hamilton's absence has clearly contributed to their struggles. New Jersey has had to rely on rookies Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec to quarterback its power play, a circumstance that ex-head coach Lindy Ruff lamented in late February before the club fired him in early March.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier had some choice words for his team following its disappointing 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night."We just got to find a way to win against certain teams, and we haven't done that all year," he said. "That should not happen. Just another immature performance by us."The Devils held a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission thanks to Max Willman and Jesper Bratt, but it would be all Sabres the rest of the way.Tage Thompson secured Buffalo's comeback victory with a natural hat trick before adding an empty-netter for his second career four-goal game."I don't fault our effort tonight," interim head coach Travis Green said. "I thought, pretty well to a man, every guy in there worked. But there's just a couple little mistakes that you'd like to have back. Some of that's mental, and at this time of the year, it costs you."The loss dealt New Jersey's playoff hopes a crushing blow. The Devils remain five points behind Washington for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and the Capitals have two games in hand.Also standing in the Devils' way are the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings.New Jersey was attempting to win its third game in a row for just the fifth time this season and the first time since December."Some things (don't) change," Hischier said. "I think everybody has to look themselves in the mirror. If you play against teams like that, the only way they're going to beat you is you beat yourself. And that's what we did here tonight again."He continued: "I think everybody in here should finally learn from it and we keep addressing it until everybody gets it. Just like that, we're going to be a playoff team again."Last season, the Devils bucked a four-year playoff drought and beat the New York Rangers in the opening round before being eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes.Netminder Jake Allen is aware of New Jersey's situation, but he's still trying to provide some veteran guidance."You've gotta have perspective in this situation," he said. "You get four out of six points on this (road trip), you'll take it. But at the same time, I understand how crucial the situation is. We're down to eight games left, you're pushing it here."But I've reiterated this since I got here, I've been in this situation before, you can't worry about other teams. You just gotta worry about us."Next up for the Devils is a clash against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Tage Thompson's scored four times, including the go-ahead goal with 4:34 remaining, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Devils 5-2 on Friday night to put a dent in New Jersey's late-season playoff push.Thompson's natural hat trick rallied Buffalo from a 2-0 deficit, and he capped the outing with an empty-netter with 6 seconds left.The loss left the Devils five points behind the Washington Capitals, who hold the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff spot. New Jersey lost for just the third time this season - 16-2-1 - when leading after one period.Buffalo, meanwhile, stayed mathematically in the race by moving into 12th in the East, a point a ahead of Pittsburgh, and six behind the Capitals.JJ Peterka, with his fifth goal in four games, also scored an empty-net goal. Alex Tuch had two assists to extend his point streak to seven games, in which he's combined for a goal and nine assists. Devon Levi stopped 28 shots.Max Willman and Jesper Bratt scored for the Devils, who blew a chance to win three straight for just the fifth time this season. Jake Allen stopped 31 shots in dropping to 4-3 since being acquired in a trade with Montreal.After scoring twice in the second period, Thompson completed his sixth-career three-or-more-goal outing by batting down Rasmus Dahlin's shot from the left point. The puck dribbled under Allen, and Thompson used his lengthy reach to sweep the puck in behind the goalie.Thompson's surge began after Willman deflected in Luke Hughes' point shot and Bratt had a shot deflect in off Peterka's stick to stake the Devils to a 2-0 lead 10:31 into the first period.Thompson responded by scoring 28 seconds into the second period off Timo Meier's turnover in the neutral zone. He then tied it with 2:31 left into the period after being set up in the middle by Tuch, who forced John Marino to cough up the puck at the left boards.Hughes' assist on Willman's goal was the rookie defenseman's 41st point of the season. He now ranks third on the team's rookie list, one point ahead of Scott Niedermayer, and one behind Viacheslav Fetisov. Will Butcher holds the record with 44 points in 2017-18.UP NEXTDevils: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.Sabres: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhlCopyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle was suspended one game for slashing Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny from the bench during Thursday's game, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Friday.

Much to the joy of hockey fans everywhere, beloved goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury may not be hanging up his pads just yet."The door is more open today for a return than it was in September or October," he told NHL.com's Jean-Francois Chaumont in a French-language interview.The Minnesota Wild puck-stopper said in September that he'd wait until the end of the 2023-24 season - his 20th in the NHL - before deciding on his retirement.Now, Fleury said that he's "rediscovered the joy of playing hockey," which changes everything for the 39-year-old veteran."I'd like to sit down with (Wild GM Bill Guerin) and have a chat with him," he said. "I want to know what he thinks. What are the plans for the Wild? What are his options? What does he think about me? Am I still an asset for the team?"We also have another good young goalie in the American Hockey League in (Jesper) Wallstedt. He's been playing in (the AHL) for two years now. I'll need to know Bill's plans."The future Hall of Famer has been a solid option between the pipes for the Wild all season in the face of Filip Gustavsson's struggles. Fleury has 16 wins under his belt across 36 appearances, as well as an .899 save percentage and 2.85 goals against average. He's also saved 6.95 goals above average and 3.59 goals above expected at five-on-five, per Evolving-Hockey.Guerin said he's been impressed by Fleury's play and professionalism, so a reunion wouldn't be out of the question for the executive."I'm more than open to the possibility of seeing him coming back for another season, 100%," he said. "We'll talk about it in the next few days. He's still having a good season. I think he's still got hockey in him if he wants. There's still some gas left in his tank."This is Fleury's second full season in Minnesota after the Chicago Blackhawks sent him there at the 2022 trade deadline. He's currently playing out the final season of a two-year, $7-million extension.The netminder could've been a top target at this season's trade deadline, but Fleury made it clear he wanted to stick with the Wild during their playoff push.Though Minnesota's odds of making the postseason are at a minuscule 5.2%, according to MoneyPuck, there's still nowhere else Fleury would rather be."Yeah, it's probably Minnesota or retirement," he said."If I come back, I'd sign a one-year contract," Fleury continued. "And then, we'll figure it out from there."Fleury already ranks second all time in wins (560) and fourth in games played (1,021) by a goaltender. He's also a three-time Stanley Cup champion and took home the Vezina Trophy in 2021.The Quebec native has appeared in 17 straight postseasons, though that streak is now in jeopardy.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ivan Fedotov is finally, officially, a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.The Russian goaltender has arrived in North America, the NHL club announced Friday. Shortly thereafter, Fedotov met with reporters alongside Flyers general manager Daniel Briere.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Two weeks ago, we introduced a one-and-done midseason tournament concept for the NHL called "Ice Insanity," seeding teams 1-32 based on league standings but setting parameters for advancement based on tenets of hockey handicapping to ready ourselves for the real thing - the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Here's how we got here:

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenseman Simon Benoit to a three-year contract extension at $1.35 million per season, the club announced Friday.Benoit was a pending restricted free agent. He's playing on a one-year, $775,000 deal that he signed in August.The 25-year-old has one goal and four assists while averaging 16:55 of ice time over 54 games in 2023-24.Benoit isn't known for his offense, but he has favorable underlying numbers. The Leafs have controlled 51.76% of both the expected goals and the scoring chances at five-on-five with Benoit on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick.He's recently taken the injured Morgan Rielly's spot on the Leafs' top defensive pairing alongside Jake McCabe. Benoit and McCabe also play on the team's second penalty-killing unit.Benoit is in his first season with Toronto after playing parts of three campaigns with the Anaheim Ducks. The San Diego Gulls, the Ducks' AHL affiliate, signed Benoit as an undrafted free agent in September 2018. Anaheim didn't extend him a qualifying offer last summer, and he signed with the Leafs as a UFA.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Part 1 of our offseason lookahead series examined what the Montreal Canadiens can do to keep their rebuild on the right track. In Part 2, we break down what the Ottawa Senators must do to get over the hump.Ottawa entered the season with playoff expectations. At the very least, it hoped to be in the hunt right until the very end. The Senators have arguably been the league's most disappointing team this season, though, sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.Writing off the talented, young team entering 2024-25 would be foolish. But Ottawa's first offseason under new owner Michael Andlauer and new general manager Steve Staios will be pivotal to ending its seven-year playoff drought. Here's what the front office needs to do to right the ship:Hire an experienced coach Len Redkoles / National Hockey League / GettyOttawa's first order of business is to find a person to lead the charge from behind the bench. Interim head coach Jacques Martin clearly isn't the long-term answer. Someone with NHL head coaching experience and defensive acumen would be ideal to help the Senators' underachieving, unstructured group reach its full potential. Staios needs to nail this hire or risk setting the team back multiple years. Here are five logical candidates, ranked in order of fit:Claude Julien: The 63-year-old makes sense on so many levels. He grew up in the Ottawa suburb of Orleans and previously worked with Andlauer in the Canadiens organization. But more importantly, Julien has a long track record of success, winning the Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011, leading them to another final in 2013, and winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2014. He brings a strong defensive system and, as a bonus, is bilingual. The lone negative? He hasn't coached in the NHL since 2021.Craig Berube: The head coach of the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning St. Louis Blues will be in high demand as arguably the most attractive option available this summer. With his intense demeanor and direct style of play, it's easy to envision him turning the Sens around.Dean Evason: An underrated option this summer, Evason guided some strong defensive teams to the postseason four times during his five-year Minnesota Wild tenure. He likely won't be as sought-after as Berube, which is good news for the Senators.Gerard Gallant: The 60-year-old has enjoyed success everywhere he's been. He led the Florida Panthers to a playoff appearance in 2016 (their second in 15 years at the time). He improbably helped the Vegas Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup in their inaugural season. In 2022, he guided the New York Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final.John Stevens: A three-time Stanley Cup champion as an assistant coach (twice with the Los Angeles Kings, once with Vegas), Stevens probably deserves another chance at being a head coach. His previous stints included trips to the playoffs in 2018 with the Kings and the 2008 Eastern Conference Final with the Philadelphia Flyers.Entertain a major trade, but don't force it Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images Sport / GettyForcing a trade just for the sake of shaking things up would be foolish. But Staios should absolutely do his due diligence to see what's out there.After all, the Senators' core has been together for multiple years without enjoying a shred of team success. While Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, and Jake Sanderson will likely be untouchable, everything else should be on the table. That means entertaining trades for Thomas Chabot, Jakob Chychrun, Josh Norris, Claude Giroux, Drake Batherson, and others.In particular, Staios will have some decisions to make about Chychrun and Giroux, who can become unrestricted free agents in 2025. Giroux has a full no-movement clause, so he controls his own destiny. If he wants to play out the last year of his deal then become a UFA again, he's earned that right. But the Senators can't let Chychrun walk the same way. Considering the assets the old regime surrendered to acquire him, Ottawa needs to either extend or trade him.In any potential deal, Staios should prioritize acquiring a shutdown, right-handed defenseman to help bring some much-needed balance to the blue line. It's easier said than done, though.Find Brannstrom a new home Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyWhile major deals can be tough to pull off, a minor one, like giving Erik Brannstrom a change of scenery, shouldn't be overly complicated. The centerpiece of the return package for Mark Stone hasn't developed into the offensive, top-four defenseman the Senators hoped for. The 24-year-old has been fine in a third-pairing role over the years, but it might be best for both sides to move on - especially if the Sens hang on to both Chabot and Chychrun. There isn't much room for Brannstrom to move up the lineup in Ottawa.Brannstrom is arbitration-eligible this summer and would likely earn more than his current $2-million salary. Paying north of that for a 5-foot-10, third-pairing defenseman isn't ideal.Rather than shipping him away for a draft pick, finding a player in a similar situation makes sense, and there may be no better fit than Los Angeles Kings winger Arthur Kaliyev.Kaliyev averaged 15 goals per season in a depth role over the last two campaigns, but he's fallen out of favor in L.A. amid a down year in 2023-24. But the 22-year-old brings size and a lethal shot, and he's posted strong defensive metrics.Notably, both Andlauer and Staios know Kaliyev from their time together with the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, where the sniper was a star in junior, racking up 248 points in 192 games. Staios likely believes Kaliyev has some untapped potential.Kaliyev is coming off his entry-level contract and won't have arbitration rights as a restricted free agent this summer, so he'll be much cheaper than Brannstrom.Target strong defensive players in free agency Derek Cain / Getty Images Sport / GettyOffense isn't an issue for the Senators. They've struggled to keep the puck out of their net in recent years, so the majority of their offseason acquisitions should be strong defensive players.If the Sens' only notable trade involves Brannstrom, they'll have roughly $9 million in cap space after signing RFAs Shane Pinto, Parker Kelly, and, in this case, Kaliyev.That's a lot of room to work with for Staios, who'll need to address holes on the blue line. Chris Tanev, who Ottawa has already been linked to, is an obvious target, but he won't be cheap. Matt Roy, who's essentially a younger version of Tanev, could be a prime target, and if the Sens are going to commit a significant chunk of cap space to one player, he'd make sense. Other defense targets include rugged, stay-at-home types like Vincent Desharnais, a familiar face in Dylan DeMelo, Jalen Chatfield, Nikita Zadorov, and Ian Cole.The Senators will also have needs up front, though mainly just in the bottom six. Responsible defensive players who bring physicality and penalty-killing ability would be ideal, such as Warren Foegele, Dakota Joshua, Jordan Martinook, Yakov Trenin, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.Final product Arianne Bergeron / National Hockey League / GettyFor the sake of our mock offseason, we ultimately didn't complete any major trades. But after making a handful of minor moves, the Sens are better equipped to compete for the playoffs in 2024-25 with a 22-man roster that comes in just under the $87.5-million cap ceiling: Cap Friendly*Not pictured: No. 7 defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker ($805K cap hit)**Cap hits are projected for Pinto, Kaliyev, Kelly, Trenin, Aube-Kubel, Cole, and Desharnais.Trenin and Aube-Kubel give the Senators a fourth line that can be trusted to play tough minutes in the defensive zone. Trenin, in particular, is an excellent penalty killer who could also play a third-line role in a pinch.There's a lot of money allocated to the blue line, but Cole, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, is still a rock-solid defender at age 35, and the late-blooming, 6-foot-7 Desharnais is just 27 years old and still improving. Together, they'd allow the Chabot-Chychrun pairing to get more offensive zone starts, and they'd vastly improve Ottawa's dreadful penalty kill.With a proven defensive head coach - like Julien - the goalie tandem that Ottawa is contractually locked into for next season is set up for success.This offseason may not feature the splashy moves Sens fans might be longing for, but Staios may want to take a year to see if he can find the right pieces - including a new head coach - to help the talented core make a leap before deciding to shake it up.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Dallas Stars all punched their tickets to the playoffs during a busy Thursday night.The Stars secured their spot by beating the Vancouver Canucks 3-1, marking their third straight playoff berth. Captain Jamie Benn played the hero with a late power-play goal.Dallas made it all the way to the conference finals last spring but was dispatched by the Vegas Golden Knights.Once again one of the Central's top squads, the Stars lead their division with a 46-19-9 record. They are just the second team to eclipse the 100-point mark this season.The Canucks would have clinched their first playoff appearance since 2020 if they prevailed over the Stars.The Bruins weren't in action, but they clinched their spot thanks to the Philadelphia Flyers' 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.Beantown has now qualified for the postseason for eight straight campaigns, but it hasn't advanced past the first round since 2021. Last spring, the Florida Panthers upset the Bruins in the opening round after Boston set all-time records in wins (65) and points (135) in the regular season.The Bruins were expected to take a step back in 2023-24 following the offseason retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, but they occupy the top spot in the Atlantic Division with a 42-17-15 record.The Panthers lost their game to the New York Islanders 3-2 on Thursday, but they'll return to the postseason for the fifth straight year thanks to the Hurricanes' 4-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.Florida stunned the hockey world last season by reaching the Stanley Cup Final, though it fell to the Golden Knights in five games.The Panthers carried that momentum into this season. They sit second in the Atlantic Division with a 46-22-5 record and are just two points behind the Bruins in first with one game in hand.Head coach Paul Maurice didn't answer any questions about the Panthers clinching a playoff spot, as he was less than pleased with their effort against the Islanders."Today is free quote f-----g day," he said postgame, according to Florida Hockey Now's Colby Guy. "Take whatever you think I might say and use it. I won't b---- about it."The loss was Florida's sixth in its last seven games.The Hurricanes handled their business with a convincing victory over Detroit, securing their sixth consecutive playoff berth. They're in second place in the Metropolitan Division with a 46-21-7 record.Carolina made the conference finals last spring but was swept by the Panthers. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour's squad has advanced to at least the second round in each of the last three seasons.Each of the Hurricanes' losses to Florida came by one goal. In an effort to avoid the same fate, Carolina acquired one of the biggest fish at the trade deadline in Jake Guentzel.The New York Rangers became the first team to clinch a playoff spot Tuesday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios' hunt for a new head coach is starting to take shape.The GM is building on a list of candidates that includes Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported during Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading.""But other bigger names such as Todd McLellan, Dean Evason, Craig Berube, among others, I believe, are also on this working list," LeBrun added.LeBrun noted that the Senators "are in no rush" to find their replacement behind the bench, though they'd "love" to have someone in place by the 2024 NHL Draft in late June.Jacques Martin took the reins after D.J. Smith was fired in December, but the 71-year-old has expressed no interest in taking over the role on a full-time basis.Gruden has never been a head coach at the NHL level, but he served as an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins during their Presidents' Trophy-winning campaign in 2022-23. Before that, he spent four seasons on the New York Islanders' bench.The 53-year-old is in his first season as head coach of the Marlies, the Toronto Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate. The team has gone 30-21-9-2 under his direction.Gruden has previous experience working with Staios and Senators owner Michael Andlauer while coaching the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs from 2016-18. They won the OHL championship together in 2018.The other names reportedly on Staios' list so far have a wealth of NHL experience.McLellan was fired as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings in February following a concerning stretch in which they dropped 14 of 17 games. He owns an all-time record of 598-412-134 split between the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles. The 56-year-old also has 88 playoff games under his belt, and he won the Stanley Cup in 2008 as an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings.Evason spent the last five seasons as bench boss of the Wild, but Minnesota dismissed him in November after an abysmal seven-game losing streak. He guided the Wild to the playoffs four times, but they never advanced past the opening round. The 59-year-old owns a 147-77-27 record in the regular season.The St. Louis Blues let Berube go in December after a 13-14-1 start to the season. He became their head coach in November 2018, and he helped pilot the Blues' turnaround from last place in the league to Stanley Cup champions. The 58-year-old holds an all-time record of 281-190-72 split between the Philadelphia Flyers and Blues.The Senators are in the midst of another underwhelming campaign. Ottawa was generally expected to push for a playoff spot, but the team is toiling away near the bottom of the standings.Staios recently acknowledged that the higher expectations were "debilitating" for his young Senators this season.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Drew Doughty had a message for those who say the Los Angeles Kings' 1-3-1 alignment isn't good for the game of hockey."Pretty absurd comments," the veteran blue-liner said, according to The Fourth Period's Dennis Bernstein. "When we brought the system (in) ... I wasn't too keen on playing it, to be honest with you. But as we've continued to play it seeing how successful it is and how frustrating it is for other teams ... and I think a lot of these people are just saying it out of frustration, because it's working."Vancouver Canucks rearguard Nikita Zadorov criticized the strategy after a 3-2 loss to the Kings on Monday night.I mean, that's their system," he said, per Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. They don't really make plays; they just rim the puck and sit back all game. I mean, it's their goal to (not) play hockey and (not) let the other team play hockey, pretty much. Yeah, it's hard to come back, especially when you're down two goals. They had one extra bounce than we did today, so that was the difference out there."Kings head coach Jim Hiller defended the system on Wednesday, pointing out that it gets results.Everybody plays the game to win and that's what we do," Hiller said, according to Hockey Royalty's Russell Morgan.Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl had a tongue-in-cheek response when asked Thursday if a little piece of him dies inside when he has to dump the puck in against the 1-3-1."Yeah, it's just unfortunate. It's quite sad," he said jokingly, according to Sportsnet's Mark Spector.The Kings entered Thursday occupying third place in the Pacific Division at 38-22-11.Los Angeles drew similar criticism during its most recent Stanley Cup championship runs. The defensive-minded Kings became the first No. 8 seed to ever win the Stanley Cup in 2012 before winning it again two years later.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 huge slate of games ahead of us on Thursday night, including several with playoff implications.Let's take a closer look at a couple with our best bets.Flames (+115) @ Blues (-135)The Blues are a flawed team that is largely propped up by excellent goaltending. But I don't think they're getting enough respect on Thursday night.The Flames traded the likes of Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev before the deadline. They completely gutted their roster, and it has shown, as the team owns a 2-7 record since deadline day and has been outscored 37-20.Conversely, the Blues are 6-2-1 over the same period. Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer give the team top-tier netminding. Meanwhile, Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, and Jordan Kyrou are providing their goaltenders with enough support at the other end.Look for the in-form Blues - who also have home ice - to take care of business and pick up another much-needed two points as they try and hang around in the wild-card race.Bet: Blues (-135)Kings (+130) @ Oilers (-150)The Oilers are back home on Thursday after a somewhat rocky road trip. They dropped the first two games in ugly fashion and blew a 3-1 lead in the third, needing overtime to see their win through.A home game against the Kings could be just what the doctor ordered to get the Oilers back on track. They've been borderline unstoppable at home this calendar year, owning a 14-2-2 and plus-34 goal differential.They've also had their way with the Kings over the last few years. The Oilers won seven of the past 10 regular-season meetings and bounced them from the playoffs in back-to-back runs.The Kings are grinding out plenty of wins right now, but a lot of that stems from their ability to limit shots and insulate their goaltenders. I don't think they'll be able to protect Cam Talbot nearly as well against this Oilers team.Edmonton leads the NHL in expected goals and scoring chances in 2024. It will be very difficult - if not impossible - for the Kings to hold the Oilers to the ballpark of 25 shots they've routinely given up of late.Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman will also be taking a healthy chunk of said shots - a very tall order for Talbot.Look for the Oilers to take care of business inside 60 minutes and gain some separation from the Kings in their quest to lock up home ice.Bet: Oilers in regulation (-105)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.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.It was another winning night on the ice. Jakob Chychrun soared over his shot total in the first period, while the Senators held Jeff Skinner off the scoresheet. Anthony Duclair didn't get a point on any of the Lightning's three goals, but it was still a profitable 2-1 evening.We'll look to build on it with three more plays for a busy Thursday card.Auston Matthews: Over 4.5 shotsMatthews has a bug and is considered a game-time decision, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe. However, I expect Matthews to play, as Mitch Marner, who's out tonight, practiced in Matthews' spot on the top line alongside Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi. You can wait closer to puck drop, but assuming Matthews is cleared, I quite like his chances of piling up the shots.Matthews generally has an elite winger riding shotgun, with either Marner or William Nylander playing the right side the majority of the time. Surprisingly, however, it's Domi who brings out the best in Matthews and his ability to generate shots at the highest volume.Matthews averages 17.90 shots and 28.13 attempts per 60 minutes of five-on-five play alongside Domi. Meanwhile, he generates 10.89 shots and 23.17 attempts with Nylander and produces 11.33 shots and 20.39 attempts with Marner.That's not to say Matthews playing with Domi is better for him or the Maple Leafs. It is, however, better for prop bettors eyeing high-end shot rates. Matthews takes on a bigger piece of the pie when playing with Domi, who quietly ranks in the top five in five-on-five assists this season.Playing with Domi is a big plus for Matthews and his shot rates, and so is a date with the Capitals, who have conceded more shots per game to centers than any other team over the last 10.Odds: -115 (playable to -130)Owen Tippett: Over 3.5 shotsTippett's shot output recently dropped off, but that coincided with a difficult stretch of opponents. His last seven games came against the Maple Leafs (twice), Bruins (twice), Hurricanes, Rangers, and Panthers. It's no coincidence he only managed to go over his total in two of them.However, Tippett feasts on the weak, getting the job done nearly every time he faces a team outside of the playoffs.Take the last couple of months, for example. Tippett piled up eight shots against the Sharks, five against the Blues, five against the Blackhawks, 10 against the Devils, and four against the Coyotes.It's also worth noting he piled up five shots on nine attempts the last time he faced the Canadiens.They are not a good defensive team at five-on-five and take plenty of penalties. Although Tippett is not on the top power play right now, the Flyers tend to distribute ice time between their two units more evenly than most teams.He's a prime candidate to exploit the Canadiens' defensive shortcomings en route to a very active shooting performance.Odds: -122 (playable to -135)Evander Kane: Over 2.5 shotsKane is in the midst of a pretty ugly slump. Luckily for him, a date with the Kings is just what the doctor ordered.He has torched the Kings over the years, averaging 3.9 shots on goal while going over the number in 17 of the past 20 head-to-head matchups. That's a ridiculous 85% hit rate.Also working in Kane's favor are home ice and ideal linemates for shot generation.Kane has registered at least three shots in 65% of his games in Edmonton this season.He is projected to skate on the third line with Corey Perry and Ryan McLeod. Kane averages more shot attempts per 60 with Perry than anybody else on the Oilers' roster. He also generates shots on target at a higher clip with McLeod than he does when centered by some guy named Connor McDavid.With home ice, pass-first linemates, and a matchup in which Kane has excelled countless times, he is worth backing on Thursday night.Odds: -115 (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.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe wasn't impressed with the example captain John Tavares set during Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils."John Tavares has been the example for us, he's been outstanding for us for a long period of time," Keefe said postgame. "He himself got carried away tonight. That's our captain, so if that's gonna happen, then the rest of our bench is just picking it up as we go."Tavares said Wednesday that he understands the reasoning for getting called out by Keefe."I think, especially as the captain, you really want to be at the top of the list of being accountable and setting the standard and the way we need to play," Tavares said. "He's good in discussions with me and throughout our lineup about 'when there's plays to be made, make the plays, certainly depending on the situation and in the game we're in.'"I had an opportunity in the second period, tried to make a play, and misjudged it. That's on me. Obviously, I have to be accountable, hold (myself) to a high standard, especially as the captain, doing the right things."The Maple Leafs outshot the Devils 45-25, but a series of turnovers and mistakes allowed New Jersey to be opportunistic and convert on odd-man rushes.Toronto had energy from the get-go, racking up 25 shots in the first period alone. Keefe believes the Leafs got too comfortable afterward."I just thought we got incredibly sloppy and careless," he said. "I thought our guys got a little too excited, a little too carried away."Tavares signed a seven-year, $77-million contract with the Leafs as a free agent in 2018 and was named captain the following year.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear will be away from the team indefinitely after entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, the league announced Wednesday.Bear will return to the Capitals when cleared for on-ice competition by the program administrators.The 26-year-old has one goal and four points in 24 games this season. He signed a two-year, $4.125-million contract with Washington on Dec. 28 after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained at the IIHF World Championship.Bear has been a healthy scratch as of late. He hasn't played since March 13 against the Edmonton Oilers.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Martin Brodeur understands why goaltending workloads have changed in recent years, but the Hall of Famer still thinks the players at his old position are overprotected nowadays."I think we baby our goalies," the New Jersey Devils executive vice president of hockey operations told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun on Tuesday. "I see it. I'm part of it. It's like, my goalie coach will say, 'He's played five games the past eight days ...' I'm like, 'So?'"Brodeur played at least 70 games in 12 of his 22 seasons, including a stretch from 1995-96 through 2007-08 in which he averaged 73 contests. But lately, the majority of NHL teams have resorted to goaltending tandems. Some clubs, like the Boston Bruins, employ a virtually even split, while others use a "1A/1B" approach with the backup starting more often than he would've in the past in order to help preserve the No. 1 netminder for the long run.Goaltenders' job security has also become more fraught, while some puck-stoppers that are now mainstays initially emerged from relative obscurity."The sport has changed, but the position has changed a lot, just because of the workload that these guys are having," Brodeur said. "It's so volatile, that position. One year, you can be the top goalie. The second year, it's like you don't even belong in the league. It's weird how really volatile the position has become."The four-time Vezina Trophy winner believes the split workloads contribute to how unpredictable the position can be in the modern game."It's the system of 1A and 1B that's going to create that," Brodeur said. "Because it's always going to be, 'We can't play back-to-back (games).' You're so scared the No. 1 gets hurt. And so you baby that guy for the longest time. So, these guys are playing 55 games. They should be playing 65-to-70 games like we did."Brodeur acknowledged the average goalie now is better than when he played but said it's harder to trust younger netminders, so experience often wins out.The legendary former crease-patroller helped the Devils win three Stanley Cup championships and led Canada to two Olympic gold medals. New Jersey won the William Jennings Trophy (a team goaltending award) five times during Brodeur's career, and he was a three-time Hart Trophy finalist.Brodeur was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. He joined the Devils' front office in August 2018 as executive vice president of business development. Brodeur became an advisor to the team's hockey operations department when Ray Shero was fired in January 2020. New Jersey promoted him to his current role in November 2022.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bill Guerin has a clear message for those vying for spots on the American roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off and Olympic teams: Play in the World Championship."I think it's important for guys to go," Guerin, the United States' general manager for both the 4 Nations Face-Off and Olympics, told The Athletic's Michael Russo. "Hey look, there's some guys that are going to be a lock for both teams. But there are going to be guys that are on the bubble. If they haven't played in the playoffs or meaningful games in a long time - or ever - I want to see how they perform."So, in that respect, I think the World Championships are extremely important."The World Championship is held in May, so it's only available to players whose NHL teams miss the playoffs or are knocked out early. But after the grind of a long season, players can choose to begin their offseason rather than play more hockey."I want to see commitment, and if a trip to the Caribbean is more important than the World Championships, then you're not really committed," Guerin, who also serves as GM of the Minnesota Wild, said. "Our player pool is pretty substantial now. I'm not going to say, black and white, 'If you do this, then yes. If you do this, then no.' But we're trying to put the best team on the ice that we possibly can. But we also want guys that are committed."I get there are situations, like guys are getting married, guys are having babies, guys are injured. I get that. But if you're not?"Florida Panthers assistant GM Brett Peterson will serve as GM for the United States squad at the 2024 World Championship, which takes place in Czechia. It's a tournament the U.S. has historically struggled in despite its depth of talent. The nation hasn't finished better than third since winning gold at the 1960 Winter Olympics, which doubled as the World Championship.The 4 Nations Face-Off is a new NHL-sanctioned event that will feature the best players from Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland in a four-team tournament in February 2025. The 2026 Olympics, meanwhile, will be the first Winter Games the NHL has partaken in since 2014.The U.S. hasn't won a best-on-best tournament since the 1996 World Cup. Canada was victorious in each of the last three, winning at the 2016 World Cup, the 2014 Olympics, and the 2010 Olympics.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It was a dream NHL debut for Josh Doan on Tuesday at Mullett Arena.The 22-year-old scored twice with his father, Shane Doan, in attendance as the Arizona Coyotes beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2."That was something special," Josh told reporters after the game. "Right from the beginning, all the guys made it so unique and special."Shane is the Coyotes' franchise leader in every major statistic. He accumulated 402 goals and 972 points in 1,540 games with the franchise over 21 seasons."It's crazy, people clapped for his first shift," Shane said on the Coyotes' broadcast before Josh found the back of the net. "It's just special, we're so fortunate."Josh already has one up on his dad, as it took Shane 17 games to score his first NHL goal.He got his first of the night late in the second period to put Arizona up 2-1.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.It was a successful night on the ice. We won our side, our total, and one of our props to give us a 3-2 record and turn a profit Tuesday.We probably deserved even better, with Seth Jones (three missed attempts) and Nathan MacKinnon (five missed attempts) falling one shot shy of going over their respective numbers despite plenty of opportunities.At any rate, a winning night is a winning night. Let's take a look at a few plays for Wednesday's slate as we look to string them together.Jakob Chychrun: Over 2.5 shotsChychrun's shooting has hit a different level of late. He's recorded three shots or more in eight of the past 10 games and 12 of 15 overall.His only failures in that span came against the Kings, Predators, and Devils. That's two strong defensive teams comfortably holding onto playoff spots and one desperately trying to work its way in.Chychrun has averaged 3.4 shots on 6.5 attempts while logging more than 22 minutes per night during this hot streak. He's playing a lot at even strength and also finds himself skating on the top power-play unit, leading the team in attempts and shots on target.His role as a primary shooter on the man advantage has raised the floor and ceiling for Chychrun each night, and he's reaping the benefits.The Sabres tend to play in plenty of high-paced games, and only nine teams have spent more time shorthanded over the last 10. This is a good matchup for Chychrun to build on his recent success.Jeff Skinner: Under 0.5 pointsSkinner appears to have fallen out of favor in Buffalo. He was recently demoted to the third line and pulled off the top power-play unit by head coach Don Granato. That's drastically cut into his ice time, as Skinner has played 14 minutes or fewer in nine of the last 10 games. Unsurprisingly, Skinner failed to record a point in seven of them.He hasn't been productive when seeing such usage. Skinner has failed to get on the scoresheet in 14 of 22 games (64%) this season when logging 15 minutes or fewer.The matchup looks great for Skinner on paper, but the Senators are in decent form. They've won five of the past eight games, with two of the losses coming against powerhouses like the Hurricanes and Bruins.Joonas Korpisalo is also in the midst of one of his better stretches of the season. He's posted a save percentage of .900 or higher in five of his last six games and saved +2.05 goals more than expected in that time.Odds: -150 (playable to -165)Anthony Duclair: Over 0.5 pointsDuclair has hit the ground running since joining the Lightning at the trade deadline. He leads the team in shot attempts, shots, scoring chances, high-danger chances, and goals at five-and-five and has more points than all but Nikita Kucherov.Duclair has found the scoresheet in all seven games with the Bolts and made the most of playing opposite Steven Stamkos on a dangerous second line.This offensive surge from Duclair is one of the reasons the Lightning have climbed back into the race for the third seed in the Atlantic Division.While the Bruins are a difficult matchup for offensive players, they're in the latter half of a road back-to-back, and Linus Ullmark isn't as untouchable as a year ago. He hasn't played quite as well as Jeremy Swayman this season despite often getting the weaker opponents in the rotation.With a key role in a high-powered offense, the red-hot Duclair is worth backing for a point at a very reasonable price.Odds: -120 (playable to -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.

If it were up to Jake Guentzel, he'd still be a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins."My intention was to stay," the Carolina Hurricanes forward said after his team's 4-1 loss Tuesday against the Penguins, according to 93.7 The Fan's Jeff Hathhorn. "They just thought there was a better direction, to go a different way. It's out of my hands, not my choice."Pittsburgh dealt Guentzel to the Hurricanes ahead of March's trade deadline for Michael Bunting, three prospects, and a conditional second-round pick.Tuesday's game was his first in Pittsburgh since the trade. The Penguins honored Guentzel with a tribute video in the first period.

The New York Rangers became the first team to clinch a berth in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.The Rangers emphatically booked their postseason ticket Tuesday with Adam Fox's overtime winner against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Trevor Zegras is in the lineup for the Anaheim Ducks for the first time in months.The talented forward is facing the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night, the Ducks confirmed. He's slotting in on Anaheim's third line, head coach Greg Cronin said, according to Bally Sports West's Alyson Lozoff.Zegras hasn't played since breaking his ankle early in a 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Jan. 9.It's been a forgettable season for the 23-year-old, both in terms of production and health. Zegras played only 20 games in 2023-24 before Tuesday's contest, mustering just four goals and three assists.He missed 20 contests in November and December with a separate injury.One of Zegras' goals this season went viral, as he netted a lacrosse-style "Michigan" marker during a 3-2 loss to the Kraken on Dec. 23. It was his first game back from the previous ailment, and he did it after Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard scored the same way earlier in the evening.Zegras buried 23 goals in each of the previous two seasons, notching a career-best 65 points in 2022-23. He was the runner-up for the Calder Trophy in 2021-22. The Ducks drafted him ninth overall in 2019.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche signed Justus Annunen to a two-year, one-way contract extension, the club announced Tuesday.Annunen's new deal carries an average annual value of around $833,000, according to ESPN's Kevin Weekes. The Finnish netminder was a pending restricted free agent whose current pact carries a $775,000 cap hit, according to CapFriendly.The 24-year-old is 5-2-1 with a .926 save percentage and two shutouts in eight games this season. He's won each of his last four starts, allowing only five goals on 121 shots in that span for a save percentage of .959.The Avalanche drafted Annunen 64th overall in 2018. He's primarily played for the club's AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, over the last three campaigns. That's included 23 contests this season, 41 in 2022-23, and 48 in 2021-22.Annunen suited up for a pair of NHL games in each of the two previous campaigns.Alexandar Georgiev has handled the bulk of the workload in the Avalanche crease this season. He's tied for the league lead with 56 games played in 2023-24. Despite Georgiev's 37-15-3 record, he's underachieved to the tune of a .903 save percentage.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 massive 12-game slate ahead of us on Tuesday night, which features plenty of games with playoff implications.Let's dive into the best ways to attack it.Red Wings (+105) @ Capitals (-125)This game means a lot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and I see plenty of reason to side with the home team.At the top of the list has to be goaltending. The projected matchup of Alex Lyon versus Charlie Lindgren massively favors the Capitals, even more so if we zero in on their recent performance.Lyon is 0-7 with an .876 save percentage during March. He's conceded 5.51 goals above expectation in that span, one of the worst marks in the league.The Red Wings are giving up a lot of chances, and he just hasn't shown the ability to bail them out anywhere close to as often as needed. He isn't making the saves he's supposed to, let alone any extra.It's a much different story at the other end of the rink. Lindgren is 7-3 with a .923 save percentage this month. He also ranks third in the NHL in goals saved above expected with a net rating of plus-8.84 through 11 appearances.He recently gave up seven goals to the Maple Leafs, but his numbers remain good. That shows you the level Lindgren has played on a game-by-game basis.The Capitals are also in much better form offensively. Led by a resurgent Alex Ovechkin, they sit ninth in goals per minute this month. That's a far cry from the 30th-place Red Wings, who have scored more efficiently than only the Kraken and Ducks.I see a lot of edges for the Capitals in this spot. Factor in that they also have home ice in their back pocket, and this line appears short.Bet: Capitals (-125)Flames (-175) @ Blackhawks (+150)If you like fire-wagon hockey, this probably won't be the game for you.The Blackhawks have struggled at the offensive end all season long. They've scored just 2.2 goals per game while generating an average of only 27.1 shots.They don't create a lot of volume and, save for Connor Bedard, have very little high-end offensive talent that can help them make the most of the opportunities they do get.The expectation is that Jacob Markstrom will start in goal for the Flames. He's been one of the best netminders in the NHL all season long and is unlikely to give the Blackhawks many (if any) goals they don't necessarily deserve.Even if the Flames throw a curveball and go back to Dustin Wolf, the Blackhawks' offense will likely still be in a tough spot. The talented youngster is really coming on, having allowed two goals or fewer in three of his past four starts.Conversely, I don't expect a whole lot from the Flames' offense. They've really struggled since the deadline, ranking 26th in goals per minute and 28th in finishing rate.Blackhawks starter Petr Mrazek has hit a bit of a wall of late, but he's largely played well this season. A date with a struggling Flames attack is a good spot for him to get back on track.Bet: Under 6.5 (-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.

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has never been one to shy away from a chance at some light humor.In the middle of a glowing review for pending unrestricted free-agent forward Sam Reinhart, Maurice quickly realized he may be talking up the 50-goal-scorer too much."He never cheats the game. Not once. He's really good ... unless you're trying to sign him as a free agent, in which case there's a little attitude problem, and he's hard to deal with," Maurice said, according to team reporter Jameson Olive.Reinhart's career year has put him in line to cash in as a UFA this summer. The 28-year-old has registered 50 goals and 83 points in 71 games. He leads all NHL skaters with 27 power-play goals, five shorthanded goals, and a 25.8 shooting percentage.Reinhart's previous career highs in goals and points were 33 and 82, respectively.The Panthers will certainly hope to keep Reinhart, who's been an excellent fit since the Buffalo Sabres traded him to Florida in 2021. The club projects to have $20 million in cap space this summer, but it has several other pending free agents, including defenseman Brandon Montour as a UFA and forward Anton Lundell as an RFA.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 started the week on a strong note with our player props, cashing two of three plays during a quiet night in the NHL.We'll look to keep the ball rolling with three more plays for Tuesday's juicy card.Nathan MacKinnon: Over 4.5 shotsMacKinnon is on a different planet right now, especially when playing at home. He has at least six shots (yes, six!) in eight of his past nine games, averaging just under seven shots on target per night in that span.The only time he didn't get the job done was against an improved Maple Leafs squad, and MacKinnon still recorded three points. He made his mark offensively - he just didn't hit the net with his shots.The Avalanche star should have little problem piling up the shots against the Canadiens, a poor defensive side that has given up more volume to opposing centers than any team in the league over the last 10 games.It's also worth noting MacKinnon has at least one point in all 34 home games this season and has finished with multiple points 74% of the time. He is in the midst of a truly historic campaign, chasing down Wayne Gretzky for the most consecutive home games with a point.MacKinnon is an ultra-competitive player. He is not only chasing history as an individual but the No. 1 seed as the lead dog of his team. He has every incentive to continue firing on all cylinders, and I expect he'll do just that in a mouthwatering matchup.Odds: -140 (playable to -150)Seth Jones: Over 2.5 shots Jones has been one of the most consistent shot-generating defensemen for a while. He has soared over this total in eight of the past 10 games and 12 of 15 overall.He's averaging 3.8 shots on nearly eight attempts in that span, which is the volume you'd expect from a marquee shooting winger carrying a 3.5 total like William Nylander or Filip Forsberg. Yet his total remains at 2.5.The Blackhawks blue-liner is in a great spot to go over again at home to the Flames. They have really loosened up since selling a few regulars (including two of their top defensemen, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev) at the trade deadline in early March.The Flames sit near the basement in five-on-five shot suppression the last 10 games. They have given up a lot of volume to defenders in that span; only eight teams have fared worse.As a bonus, the Flames have played at the eighth-highest five-on-five pace over the same period. A high-event matchup should raise the shooting floor and ceiling of a minute-muncher like Jones.Odds: -122 (playable to -140)Wyatt Johnston: Over 2.5 shotsJohnston has been a road warrior this season. His hit rate on the road is 13% higher than at home and the volume numbers suggest that is no coincidence.The Stars forward is producing 6.6 shot attempts per game on the road, a noticeable boost from the 5.3 he averages when playing in Dallas.His road success should continue Tuesday night in San Jose. The Sharks have played abysmal defense all season, giving up more shots per night than every other team in the league.Johnston has faced the Sharks twice already and taken full advantage, recording five and six shots on goal while combining to generate a whopping 19 attempts.I don't know that I'd expect five or six shots, but he should have little problem going over his total once again.Odds: -134 (playable to -150)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 Vegas Golden Knights topped the St. Louis Blues 2-1 in overtime Monday after a wild sequence.Logan Thompson denied Pavel Buchnevich's penalty shot effort 30 seconds into the extra frame.

Head coach Martin St. Louis will resume his position on the Montreal Canadiens' bench Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche.St. Louis has been away from the Canadiens since March 16 to be with his family. The team confirmed St. Louis' son Mason was in hospital due to complications from an injury sustained while playing hockey. The 16-year-old is now in stable condition and recovering at their home in Connecticut."I'd like to thank Geoff Molson, Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes, along with Trevor Letowski, our players, coaches, and hockey operations staff for fully understanding and facilitating my need to be with my family for the past several days," St. Louis said.He added: "Everyone within the Canadiens organization has been very supportive of my wife Heather and me as we fully focused on our son Mason and his recovery from a hockey injury."The Canadiens went 1-2-1 without St. Louis on the bench. Trevor Letowski will resume his position as an assistant with St. Louis' return.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.Things are heating up inside our fake midseason NHL one-and-done tournament.In preparation for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but with the intense urgency of March Madness, we've taken tenets of hockey handicapping and applied them to a made-up tournament to show how early upsets may happen a month from now and what's required for a deep run."Ice Insanity" started with the hot team advancing out of the first round. The Sweet 16 came down to which team was more likely to sustain good play for more than one matchup.Now into the Elite Eight, we know the remaining teams can hold their own. However, at some point, you need a good goaltender, ideally one coming in hot. So, to pick our Final Four, we're looking at who's most likely to steal a game for their team by breaking down the starting goaltender's GSAx (goals saved above expected) per 60 minutes since the All-Star break. With goaltenders as finicky as they are, how one played back in October means little to expectations today:The Smythe final is interesting because the Bruins and Hurricanes are currently alternating goalies. We picked the better of Boston's Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman and Carolina's Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov. Bottom line: Carolina's netminders are playing better.The Norris final was similarly intriguing as both Thatcher Demko and Jacob Markstrom have identical 0.3 GSAx/60 marks since the All-Star break, but both have also been banged up. Assuming they're healthy, we're going to a tiebreaker: season-long GSAx. Both goalies have been great on balance, but Markstrom's 31.22 goals saved in 2,475 minutes are more impressive than Demko's 24.79 in 2,896.The most clear-cut winner comes in the Patrick region, where Sergei Bobrovsky has been better than rock-solid Juuse Saros.In each round of our fictional tournament, there's been one mediocre matchup. Maybe the Oilers will overcome lackluster goaltending in real life, or turn to Calvin Pickard (0.31 GSAx/60), but until then, Marc-Andre Fleury clips Edmonton.On Friday, we'll decide the finalists and the first champion of "Ice Insanity," focusing on high-end on-ice talent. With scoring chances at a minimum, who's more likely to convert the few opportunities afforded them?The cheat sheetThe betting world's dirty little secret is that while there are no bad bets at the right price, the process of discovering a good price is hidden.Each 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. The idea is to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which can be skewed by outliers like special-team results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events.You can use whatever parameters you like to decide how much of an edge you need to trigger a bet, but here are mine:

To the surprise of no one on the Carolina Hurricanes, netminder Frederik Andersen looks like he's in midseason form despite missing four months with a blood clot issue."I'm not surprised, but I didn't know what to expect," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said following Carolina's 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. "I know he's a great goalie. When you've been out that long, I don't care what position you play, there's gotta be some rust, but it certainly doesn't look like there's any of that."Andersen has been a revelation since his return, going 6-0-0 with a sparkling .951 save percentage and one shutout. He hasn't allowed more than two goals against in a contest.Andersen was particularly sharp Sunday, stopping 32 of 33 shots versus his former team."It's Freddy. I've seen him do this stuff over and over. The whole team, obviously, trusts him a lot," the Hurricanes' leading scorer, Sebastian Aho, said."You never know. You're almost a little nervous for him. After that long of an injury, you hope to see him have a good start, and he obviously has. Ever since he's been back, he's looked very calm. As always, actually. It's huge for us. He's one of the best goalies in the world."Andersen was starting to play well before he was sidelined, too. He owns a .925 save percentage and a 2.05 goals-against average in 12 games this season and has looked much like the goalie who finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting in 2022 with the Hurricanes and in 2018 with the Maple Leafs.However, the 34-year-old is just grateful to be back on the ice."It's been fun. You appreciate being back doing what you love," Andersen said. "It feels good."Goaltending was a question mark for the Hurricanes for most of the season, but with Andersen coming back and rookie Pyotr Kochetkov continuing his strong second half, Carolina boasts a stellar 1-2 punch between the pipes entering the postseason.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.There are just two games on the NHL schedule to begin the week. I don't see much value in sides or totals, but there are a few player props that caught my eye.Let's take a closer look.Viktor Arvidsson: Over 2.5 shotsArvidsson is an elite shot generator. He registered at least three shots in four of six games this season and in 61% of contests dating back to the beginning of last season.What I love about Arvidsson is he's also efficient with his attempts. He takes a lot of them and hits the target at a very high clip, allowing him to survive even without a ceiling performance in terms of attempts.Arvidsson generated five shot attempts or more in five of six games this year. The lone exception came in a contest against the Blue Jackets where he suffered an injury during his first shift and didn't return. Put another way, he registered at least five attempts in every game he started and finished.That is a key number for Arvidsson. He has gone over this total in 87 of 105 games (83%) with at least five attempts since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign.The Kings are within striking distance of the Oilers for second place in the Pacific and played only once in the past four days, so Arvidsson and the team's top weapons should see a full workload.Odds: -134 (playable to -155)Filip Hronek: Under 0.5 pointsThere was a time when it felt like the Canucks scored five goals every single night and Hronek couldn't keep his name off the scoresheet. But that time is gone.Hronek's production rates came back to reality in recent months. He has brought minutes and strong defense to the table rather points, which was always expected.He recorded a point in only six of the past 29 games (20.6%) and just two of the last 20 when playing in Vancouver (10%). Not great outputs.This is hardly an ideal matchup for Hronek to get back on track offensively. The Kings play a very structured, slow brand of hockey that doesn't lend itself to many track meets.They rank sixth in expected goals allowed over the past 10 games while only two teams - the Predators and Canucks - have conceded fewer goals, and they don't give up many chances. Furthermore, they play low-event hockey, just like the Canucks.Hronek should be in for a quiet night offensively.Odds: -150 (playable to -165)Shea Theodore: Over 0.5 pointsTheodore has points in seven of the last 10 and 20 of his last 30 overall. He is consistently finding a way to get involved offensively.I like his chances in an important game against St. Louis. The Blues continue to give up a lot at five-on-five, ranking 31st in expected goals against and shots against over the last 10 games. They have also struggled to limit shots while killing penalties and sit 26th in goals against per minute in the past 10 games.Theodore plays a ton of minutes at even strength and quarterbacks the top unit. He is a prime candidate to benefit from the Blues' weaknesses.It's also worth noting this is a nice pace-up spot for Theodore and the Knights. The Blues rank sixth in five-on-five pace over the last 10 and often create environments where the games are free-flowing and shots/chances aren't hard to come by.Expect Theodore, who has more points than all defensemen but Roman Josi, Cale Makar, and Evan Bouchard over his last 15, to make some noise once again.Odds: -130 (playable to -150)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.

This is the 12th in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2023-24 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.In this edition, we're highlighting one eyebrow-raising statistic for each squad.1. Colorado Avalanche (46-20-5)Previous rank: 7Nathan MacKinnon has been absurd on home ice this season. He has 28 goals, 76 points, and is a plus-22 in only 34 appearances at Ball Arena. With a point in every home contest so far, he's got a legitimate shot at reaching Wayne Gretzky's record 40-game home point streak.2. New York Rangers (47-20-4)Previous rank: 2Artemi Panarin is one point away from 100, which will be a first in his career. When the Russian pulls it off - likely in his next game - he'll be the first Ranger to hit the century mark since Jaromir Jagr did it in 2005-06.3. Carolina Hurricanes (45-20-7)Previous rank: 6The Hurricanes have allowed the fewest shots on goal per game (25.9). Carolina's lead is sizeable, too: The team allows nearly two fewer per contest (1.7) than the second-ranked Philadelphia Flyers.4. Vancouver Canucks (45-18-8) Derek Cain / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 3Vancouver has 98 points with 11 more games to go, which is already a 15-point improvement from last season. Most people expected the Canucks to be better in 2023-24, but did anyone expect them to be this much better?5. Florida Panthers (46-20-5)Previous rank: 1Remember when Matthew Tkachuk only had five goals in the 2023 portion of the season? The Panthers star has 18 since the turn of the calendar and went into Sunday tied for fourth in the league in points over that span.6. Dallas Stars (44-19-9)Previous rank: 5The Stars' once-vaunted defense has declined this season, but it's not as ho-hum as their 13th-ranked goals against per game (entering Sunday's action) would indicate. In fact, the Stars started the day with the league's third-fewest expected goals against per 60 minutes, allowing only 2.3 per night through 72 contests.7. Boston Bruins (41-16-15)Previous rank: 4Could the Bruins' surprisingly strong season be a mirage? Sure, Boston's winning plenty of games, but the club is barely driving possession. The Bs sat 15th in the league in expected goals for percentage (50.64) going into Sunday. That doesn't bode well if they want to avoid a second straight first-round upset.8. Edmonton Oilers (42-23-4) Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 9Connor McDavid is only nine assists away from 100, and he has 13 games to hit the mark. If he pulls it off, he'll be the first player to do it since Wayne Gretzky in 1990-91, and just the fourth player all-time to accomplish the feat alongside the Great One, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr.9. Nashville Predators (42-25-4)Previous rank: 11The Predators have gone 15-0-2 in their last 17 games, a run which has been well-documented. That's a standout stat on its own, but Filip Forsberg has been an animal over that stretch, totaling 14 goals and 25 points. He's four tallies and seven points away from establishing new career highs.10. Winnipeg Jets (44-22-5)Previous rank: 8Gabe Vilardi has played 32 fewer games than Pierre-Luc Dubois this season, but has more goals and trails him in points by only four. That's without factoring in Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and the extra second-round pick that allowed the Jets to go out and get Tyler Toffoli at the deadline. What a home-run deal for Kevin Cheveldayoff.11. Los Angeles Kings (37-22-11)Previous rank: 12In what's been an up-and-down campaign in L.A., Quinton Byfield's breakout remains one of the Kings' most important developments. The 2020 second overall pick has 19 goals and 51 points in 68 games this season - he had just eight goals and 33 points in 99 career contests prior.12. Tampa Bay Lightning (39-25-7) Mark LoMoglio / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 14The Lightning have picked up at least one point in their last seven games to help solidify their hold on a wild-card spot. Nikita Kucherov has racked up an outlandish 17 points over that span, including back-to-back four-point outings. Gross, dude.13. Toronto Maple Leafs (40-21-9)Previous rank: 10Auston Matthews scored his first empty-net goal of the season on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. Before that, he was on pace to score 70 with every single tally having been scored against a netminder.14. Vegas Golden Knights (38-25-7)Previous rank: 13No Mark Stone, no problem for Jonathan Marchessault. The reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner is having a career year, but he's really turned up the dial since Stone went down. Marchessault leads Vegas with 10 goals in 14 games since Feb. 21. That's an increase from 0.54 per contest to 0.71.15. Washington Capitals (35-26-9)Previous rank: 17Alex Ovechkin had only eight goals through 43 contests this season, forcing some to question whether he'd actually chase down Gretzky's goal record. With 16 goals in his last 23 outings, Ovechkin has reminded us that he'll inevitably become the NHL's all-time goal king.16. Philadelphia Flyers (36-27-9) Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 16The fastest player in the NHL this season isn't Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon. It's Owen Tippett. The rapid winger has the highest top speed all season at 24.2 miles per hour, according to NHL Edge.17. St. Louis Blues (38-30-3)Previous rank: 22The Blues are a respectable 25-16-2 under interim bench boss Drew Bannister, and their .605 points percentage since he took over ranks 13th in the league. It's not as stunning as St. Louis' midseason turnaround in 2019, but it's still pretty good.18. Minnesota Wild (34-28-9)Previous rank: 20Brock Faber has been the Wild rookie receiving the most attention this season - and rightfully so - but let's not overlook Marco Rossi. The 22-year-old pivot has 20 goals and 37 points after recording just one assist in 20 previous NHL contests.19. Detroit Red Wings (36-29-6)Previous rank: 19Uh, Patrick Kane's hips seem to be fine. The veteran has 16 goals and 39 points in 40 games after returning from offseason hip resurfacing surgery, a procedure which has not been too kind to NHLers in the past (sending good vibes to Nicklas Backstrom).20. New York Islanders (30-26-15) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 15Before the March 8 trade deadline, defenseman Noah Dobson was a point-per-game player with 64 in 62 outings. However, he's mustered just one assist in his last nine contests. It's not what we're used to from the rearguard, who forced his way into the Norris Trophy convo earlier this season.21. New Jersey Devils (35-33-4)Previous rank: 23For a team that's struggled with goaltending all season long, Jake Allen's .923 save percentage across five appearances with the Devils is a breath of fresh air. The veteran struggled in his most recent start against the Senators, but he posted a clip above .940 in each of his four previous games.22. Calgary Flames (33-32-5)Previous rank: 21The Flames' downfall last season was not winning enough one-goal games. They ranked third-last with a .375 win percentage in those situations. Calgary has improved in that regard, but not nearly enough. The club entered Sunday tied for 21st at .458 in 2023-24.23. Seattle Kraken (28-29-13)Previous rank: 18The Kraken were eliminated from playoff contention over the weekend - a disappointing result after reaching the second round in their second season. But their goaltending situation should inspire some hope. Seattle came into Sunday with the fourth-best save percentage at five-on-five in the NHL (.925). Joey Daccord appears to be a real one.24. Buffalo Sabres (34-33-5) Bill Wippert / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 24Rasmus Dahlin has been an absolute workhorse for the Sabres this season. Since Jan. 1, nobody has played more per game. The Swede logged over 30 minutes in three contests, none of which even went to overtime.25. Pittsburgh Penguins (30-30-10)Previous rank: 25Remember when the Penguins acquired Erik Karlsson, making us all think their star-studded power play would be explosive? Well, it's blown up, alright - and not in a good way. Pittsburgh went into Sunday tied with the Flames for the third-worst rate on the man advantage at 14.5%. Jake Guentzel's departure won't likely improve that number down the stretch.26. Arizona Coyotes (29-37-5)Previous rank: 27Connor Ingram's first 30 games this campaign were promising, as he went 17-9-1 with a .919 save percentage. But the wheels have fallen off since then. The Canadian goalie is 2-9-2 with a .884 mark in 13 appearances since Jan. 25, and he allowed at least four goals in six of those contests.27. Montreal Canadiens (26-32-12)Previous rank: 26Since mid-December, Juraj Slafkovsky has 13 goals and 31 points in 40 outings. The 2022 first overall pick has found his groove on the Canadiens' top line and his recent offensive breakout puts him on a trajectory to be a dominant power forward.28. Columbus Blue Jackets (23-36-12) Ben Jackson / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 28Johnny Gaudreau leads the Blue Jackets in assists and points this season. But when your leading point producer has only 52 in 71 games, that's not exactly a harbinger of team success.29. Ottawa Senators (30-36-4)Previous rank: 30The Senators have played 30 contests with a save percentage under .880 and are 1-28-1 in those contests. Above that mark, Ottawa is 29-8-3. Those splits are a massive reason why it's another disappointing year for the Senators.30. Chicago Blackhawks (20-46-5)Previous rank: 31Connor Bedard has amassed 55 points in 57 contests this season, while the Blackhawks have scored 156 tallies in 71 games. That means the rookie has factored in on around one-third of Chicago's goals despite missing time with a broken jaw.31. Anaheim Ducks (24-43-4)Previous rank: 29Olen Zellweger wasn't playing a big role when he first came up in January. But things have changed for the 20-year-old defenseman since then. He went into Sunday having averaged over 20 minutes of ice time in his 10 previous outings. The youngster has already worked his way up to the Ducks' top pairing.32. San Jose Sharks (16-46-8)Previous rank: 32There are so many ugly stats associated with the Sharks, but the simplest distillation of their season is their minus-130 goal differential. Even the 31st-ranked Blackhawks aren't in triple digits (minus-99), and the 31-goal gap between them and San Jose is by far the largest among any two clubs in the NHL.(Analytics sources: Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders captain Anders Lee was tossed from Sunday's 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils for going knee-on-knee with opposing captain Nico Hischier.Lee initiated the collision with just over three minutes left in the second period.

Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier doesn't seem to be harboring any resentment toward head coach John Tortorella after watching two games from the press box."It's all good. It's always been good, honestly," the forward said Saturday when asked about his relationship with Tortorella, per The Athletic's Kevin Kurz. "At the time, it just ... it's tough to hear that (you're getting scratched). You want to help in any way you can at this time of the year."Couturier returned to the lineup for Philadelphia's 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins after being scratched for Tuesday's win against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Thursday's overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.Though he didn't get on the scoresheet, the Flyers outshot the Bruins 6-4 and dictated 71.4% of the scoring chances with Couturier on the ice at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.When asked what he thought of Couturier's performance, Tortorella responded succinctly: "Coots played well."Tortorella has sidestepped questions about his decision to scratch Couturier. The veteran's agent, Erik Lupien, recently expressed frustration over a perceived lack of communication between his client and Tortorella, but Couturier didn't want to get into it."It's behind me now," he said. "I don't want to really talk about it, I just want to help the team in any way I can. It all worked out well - we got three out of four points, now five out of six. I thought, as a team, we all responded really well."Couturier drew another positive from his stint on the sidelines."I definitely felt fresh," he said with a laugh. "I had a week to kind of just recover, refocus, recharge the battery."The 31-year-old has chipped in with 36 points in 65 games this season while seeing 18:30 of ice time per contest after missing nearly two years with a back injury. However, Couturier's average playing time has dipped below 15 minutes since he was named captain Feb. 14.Flyers star Travis Konecny was impressed by the way Couturier dealt with this particular bump."He handled it great," Konecny said. "There's no doubt in my mind that when he was out of the lineup, he wanted nothing more than us to get those two points every night. He's our leader."You just know that he wants the same thing - nothing more than to make the playoffs."The Flyers will take on the Florida Panthers on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill left in the third period with an undisclosed injury and didn't return in the team's 4-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.Hill was replaced by Logan Thompson after stretching to make a save on forward Cole Sillinger.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov appears to have avoided an injury scare after exiting Saturday's 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers.Samsonov needed help off the ice immediately after Leon Draisaitl scored the Oilers' third goal with 3:39 left in the third period.

Washington Capitals veteran Tom Wilson was suspended six games for high-sticking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Friday.The incident occurred during the third period of the Capitals' 7-3 loss Wednesday. Wilson first checked Gregor from behind, then swung his stick with one hand, catching the winger in the face. Officials handed Wilson a double-minor penalty for high-sticking.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.On Monday, we introduced our made-up March Madness-style tournament for the NHL, "Ice Insanity." Beyond bringing levity at a point in the season that could use some, the idea is to see how NHL teams are faring in categories we use to handicap games.In Round 1, we advanced the hotter team. Using even-strength expected goals share (xG%) from the All-Star break onwards, we saw that there may be a handful of upsets and a few near-shockers, indicating that some playoff teams need to pick up their play if they don't want to be victimized when the real thing starts in late April.Coming in hot is cool and all, but who has the staying power to make the Elite Eight? We'll pull back, looking at a full season of even-strength play, knowing we want to back quality squads - not streaky ones - when the going gets tough.Here's how the bracket breaks for Round 2, using teams' expected goals percentage at even strength (ES xG%) since the start of the season (as of March 20):We have a handful of bracket-breakers. The Avalanche have the better record, but the Predators' extended hot streak has surprisingly made them the slightly better team this season when it comes to creating expected goals at even strength (171-165). The Rangers survived the fake first round with a low xG% because they were facing the Blackhawks, but that won't work against the Wild, who've been very good since a late November coaching change.It seems unfair that the Oilers and Stars face each other this early, while Senators-Flames is like that occasional No. 12 versus No. 13 second-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament.From here, we'll move away from who's driving play and advance teams whose goaltenders are more likely to save their team enough goals to send them to the Final Four.The cheat sheetThe betting world's dirty little secret is that while there are no bad bets at the right price, the process of discovering a good price is hidden.Each 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. The idea is to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which can be skewed by outliers like special-team results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events.You can use whatever parameters you like to decide how much of an edge you need to trigger a bet, but here are mine:

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Only four games are scheduled on a light Friday night in the NHL. Luckily, there's still value to be had on the board. Let's take a closer look.Penguins (+165) @ Stars (-195)The Penguins have the look of a team that's finished. Normally a pretty structured team under head coach Mike Sullivan, their defensive game has gone completely in the tank as their playoff chances have diminished.They've allowed 36.28 expected goals over the last 10 games, which is the league's third-highest output. That's predictably led to a ton of goals against; only the Sharks have conceded more in that span.Playing loose defense isn't ideal heading into a game against the Stars. They have a deep and talented forward group and get scoring from all their lines.Dallas has found the back of the net 38 times over the last 10 games, and no team has generated more expected goals. The Stars are putting stress on opposing defenses, and the Penguins don't look equipped to handle it.Depending on your preferred source, Pittsburgh has anywhere from a 3-6% chance of making the playoffs. Its hopes are slim to none, while the powerhouse Stars are in the thick of a heated battle for the Central Division.Dallas is in much better form, has significantly more talent and depth, is at home, and is incentivized to put its best foot forward.Look for the Stars to take care of business within 60 minutes.Bet: Stars in regulation (-125)Blue Jackets (+300) @ Avalanche (-380)The Avs are playing as well as anybody. They own a 9-1 record over the past 10 games, and no team has scored more goals in that span.The returns of Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen, coupled with deadline acquisitions like Casey Mittelstadt and Yakov Trenin, have made Colorado four lines deep. That's scary considering the top of the lineup is loaded with firepower.Nobody has an answer for slowing this Avalanche attack down, and I don't expect the Blue Jackets to find one Friday night.They rank 29th in expected goals against at five-on-five and 27th while killing penalties over the past 10 games. That's a recipe for disaster against these Avs.Colorado should be able to flex its muscles and score another four or five goals Friday. If that's the case, this game will be in a great spot to go over the number.For all of the Blue Jackets' faults, they're a respectable team offensively. They sit 13th in expected goals and tied for 18th in actual goals over the last 10.Columbus has also played at the league's third-highest pace in that span, while the Avalanche come in atop the leaderboard.All the stars are aligning for a high-event affair in Colorado. I expect a 5-2 or 5-3 type of game and see value in playing the over.Bet: Over 6.5 goals (-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.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Thursday was a good night for our player props. We won two of three and fell just one Timo Meier shot shy of a sweep.We'll aim for a perfect card with three more props for Friday's four-game slate.Jason Robertson: Over 2.5 shotsRobertson has turned into a very matchup-dependent shooter. He doesn't shoot a lot unless he's facing a team that struggles defensively and/or plays with a lot of pace. The Penguins happen to meet both criteria.Pittsburgh is bleeding shots, sitting 30th in five-on-five suppression over the last 10 games. It also plays extremely quick, high-event hockey. It ranks second in total events (attempts generated + allowed) per minute in that span.The Penguins should create an optimal game environment for Robertson.He's faced two other teams that rank bottom six in shot suppression over his last 10 games. He recorded four shots in all three contests, averaging six attempts per night.As I noted the last time we successfully backed Robertson, the Stars are in a very tight race with the Avalanche and Jets for the top two seeds in the Central Division. They can't afford to drop points and will continue giving their top players full workloads so long as the game is remotely in question.With around 18 minutes coming in a pace-up spot, Robertson should be able to get a few pucks on net.Odds: -130 (playable to -150)Boone Jenner: Over 2.5 shotsJenner isn't a regular target, but there are a lot of reasons to like him against the Avalanche. He has a high shooting floor right now, having attempted at least four shots in 10 straight games. That may not sound like a lot, but Jenner lives around the net and hits the target at a much higher rate as a result.In the 40 games in which Jenner has attempted four or more shots, he's gone over his total 27 times. That's a very strong 68% success rate.The Avalanche play extremely fast and lead the NHL in total pace at five-on-five over their last 10 games. They also sit 30th in shots allowed to centers over that span. That bodes well for Jenner.Odds: -130 (playable to -145)Mikko Rantanen: Over 3.5 shotsRantanen has shot the puck a lot more of late. It's no coincidence that his uptick aligns with the return of Valeri Nichushkin.Rantanen averaged just 2.9 shots on 5.6 attempts without Nichushkin in the lineup.In comparison, he has 3.7 shots on 7.2 attempts per game with Nichushkin in the lineup. He's also gone over in seven of the last 10 Nichushkin has played.The volume should continue to be there in spades against the Blue Jackets. They give up a ton of shots on a nightly basis - especially to opposing wingers - and rank third in total pace over the past 10 games.With the Avalanche sitting No. 1 in said category, this should be a free-flowing game with shots being sprayed from everywhere.Odds: -118 (playable to -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.

Penguins bench boss Mike Sullivan has plenty of playoff experience under his belt, and he sees a few parallels between a series deficit in the postseason and Pittsburgh's current fight for a wild-card spot."I think there are similarities because, to a certain extent, your backs are up against a wall," he said following Thursday's practice. "You know the runway is short and you know the margin for error is small. We've gotta bring our best each and every night to give ourselves a chance."That's where we're at right now, that's where we've been for a while. ... Everyone involved is well aware of the circumstance that we're in."The Penguins are nine points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but Pittsburgh has two games in hand.It'll take a mighty push from Sullivan's squad to avoid missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, as it only has a 3.1% chance of squeaking in, per MoneyPuck.Lars Eller said the Penguins will need to see if they have the chops to play at the level outlined by his head coach."You know you probably need (to win) 10 out of 12," the veteran forward said, per The Athletic's Rob Rossi. "It's gonna test all of us. ... Can we keep the urgency up every single game? Do we have the mental fortitude to do that? That's what we're going to see - if we're made for it going down the stretch."Pittsburgh's first test comes in the form of a pair of road games against the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche - two top contenders from the Central Division. That isn't great news for the Penguins, who are 12-16-5 away from home this season.After that, Pittsburgh will have 12 games remaining on its schedule. Seven of those contests are against teams who currently hold a playoff spot, while another is against the Washington Capitals, who are pushing the Red Wings in the wild-card race.Making the postseason won't be easy, but captain Sidney Crosby is hopeful that the fight will bring out "the best" in the Penguins."A playoff mentality is a great way to approach it," he said. "You see a lot of teams that are playing desperate, urgent hockey at the end of the season, and they go on runs in the playoffs because that level becomes their norm - there's not a lot of adjustment."You never want to be in this position. But sometimes this position brings it out of you."The Penguins will take on the Stars on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Over the next few weeks, theScore will look ahead to the offseason for select teams that won't be participating in the playoffs. We begin with the Montreal Canadiens.The Canadiens are set to miss the postseason for the third straight year after coming within three wins of capturing the 2021 Stanley Cup. The Habs aren't exactly on the verge of contending, either. Below, we outline a plan that can help keep the rebuild on track to become a sustainable winner sooner rather than later.Here are five priorities for executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and general manager Kent Hughes entering the 2024 offseason:Weaponize cap space Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Canadiens project to have about $19 million in cap space this offseason and should use it to continue to stockpile draft picks and prospects.Contending teams are always looking to clear cap space ahead of free agency, and they're typically willing to add sweeteners to deals to ditch bad contracts. As long as it's a short-term pact, the Habs should absolutely be willing to take on an unwanted player if it helps get them a premium draft pick or prospect.Think of how well the Sean Monahan move turned out. Montreal netted a first-round pick for taking on his unwanted contract, allowed him to rehabilitate his game, and flipped him for a first-rounder at the 2024 deadline. That was a masterclass by the Habs' front office.The Canadiens should also be willing to retain salary as a third-party broker if it scores them a draft pick.Sign Guhle, Slafkovsky to long-term extensions Ben Ludeman / National Hockey League / GettyThe Canadiens should attempt to lock up Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle - two pillars of their young core - to long-term deals, even if it means overpaying in the short term. The hope would be the contracts will age well over time and eventually become bargains as the cap continues to rise. It's already trending that way for Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. As 2025 restricted free agents, Slafkovsky and Guhle are eligible to sign extensions on July 1.Many were ready to write off Slafkovsky as a bust after his rough rookie season. But the 2022 No. 1 pick has taken notable strides in his development, recording 15 goals and 23 assists in 69 games in his sophomore campaign. The Habs should try to lock up Slafkovsky this summer because the price of an extension will only rise if he progresses even further next season.Guhle looks like he'll be a legitimate shutdown, top-four defenseman for the next decade or so. At 22, he's already posting strong defensive underlying numbers in a top-pairing role. He brings size and physicality and plays a tenacious game. The price for a long-term extension shouldn't be overly high since Guhle hasn't produced much offense. By locking him up this summer, the contract could turn into a major bargain for Montreal if the offense follows suit. Even if it never does, Guhle's already a valuable player.Make modest UFA splash Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyJust because the Canadiens should still have an eye for the future, it doesn't mean they shouldn't poke around the unrestricted free-agent market. While spending big for veterans entering the back nine of their careers would be unwise, Montreal could still target UFAs on the younger side who may still have their best hockey ahead of them.We identified three such players: Jake DeBrusk, Warren Foegele, and Daniel Sprong. All three are 27 years old and could fill a role as a middle-six winger for the Habs.DeBrusk has been streaky in his seven-year career but brings 30-goal potential and is at his best when playing with an edge. Foegele possesses less offensive upside, but he's a tireless worker and a responsible two-way player. While Sprong has defensive deficiencies, he continues to produce eye-popping offensive numbers despite a limited bottom-six role.There are also a handful of RFAs every offseason who don't get tendered and become UFAs at a young age, which could create another pool of players for the Canadiens to target.Shop veteran defensemen Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / GettyWe identified three UFA forwards partly because the Canadiens have a bit of a logjam on defense. In addition to Guhle, Michael Matheson, David Savard, Jordan Harris, Jayden Struble, and Johnathan Kovacevic are all under contract for next season. And Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron will be RFAs whom the Habs should re-sign easily for cheap. That's already eight players vying for six spots before factoring in the emergence of top prospects Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher, who could be ready for the NHL next year.Montreal reportedly shopped Savard at the deadline, but no deal came to fruition. The 33-year-old isn't signed beyond next season, so the club would ideally trade him in the offseason. The Habs could also get a haul if they shopped Matheson, a 30-year-old amid a career year and signed through 2025-26 at a $4.87-million cap hit. Still, the Canadiens should keep one of them around as a veteran mentor to start the next campaign.The Habs should also consider trading Kovacevic, a 2025 UFA. A 6-foot-5, right-handed defenseman who's only 26 with a sub-league minimum cap hit of $766,667 could have a surprising amount of trade value, even if he's not overly experienced.But one way or another, the Canadiens should move out a defenseman this offseason, and potentially another one at the 2025 deadline, to help further stack their draft pick and/or prospect cupboard.Don't get temped into buyouts Arianne Bergeron / National Hockey League / GettyIn an ideal world, the Canadiens could move on from Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson without any long-term ramifications. Both players are on the books for three more years and aren't living up to their lofty cap hits. Gallagher ($6.5M AAV) has just 11 goals and nine assists in 64 games this season. Anderson ($5.5M) has managed eight goals and 10 assists in 65 contests.Buying out Gallagher and Anderson is tempting. But while it would create some immediate cap space and clear two roster spots, it would zap the Habs' financial flexibility when they project to be competitive again - a time when every dollar will count.Here's what Gallagher's buyout would look like:SeasonInitial cap hitBuyout cap hit2024-25$6.5M-$333K2025-26$6.5M$2.17M2026-27$6.5M$4.67M2027-28$0$2.17M2028-29$0$2.17M2029-30$0$2.17MAnd here's what Anderson's would look like:SeasonInitial cap hitBuyout cap hit2024-25$5.5M$222K2025-26$5.5M$2.2M2026-27$5.5M$3.72M2027-28$0$1.72M2028-29$0$1.72M2029-30$0$1.72MIf all goes well, the Canadiens should be a no-doubt playoff team and perhaps a Stanley Cup contender by 2027-28. They'll need every penny of their cap space by then, so being patient and waiting for Gallagher's and Anderson's contracts to expire is the most logical move - even if it's painful in the short term.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson was offered what the league calls an in-person hearing for high-sticking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor during Wednesday's game.The hearing will be held Friday afternoon over Zoom.Wilson could face a suspension greater than five games as a result of the hearing classification.