Alain Vigneault is owning up to his ignorance.The Philadelphia Flyers head coach acknowledged Saturday that he made a mistake Thursday by not being informed about player walkouts and league postponements, which were initiated in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake."I never bothered to ask or checked with anyone (about) what was going on in the world, or the NBA. I am guilty of that," Vigneault told reporters in a prepared statement Saturday. "I was totally focused on our next game. Like I said at the 12 o'clock press conference (Thursday), I am for equality, and I am for social justice."I want to be part of the solution, I want to help society in any way I can."Vigneault explained that he was occupied by meetings, a COVID-19 test, and other work in his hotel room on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning after the Flyers defeated the New York Islanders to even their second-round series.After speaking to the media and having his pregame meal Thursday, Vigneault said he saw players from the four remaining Eastern Conference teams talking amongst themselves, which gave him an inkling that "something was going on." One of Philadelphia's players texted Vigneault telling him they were not going to play that night.Vigneault thanked those who supported him since his previous comments, adding that he hopes they stay safe, while sending a message to those who criticized him."To all of the people in the last 48 hours who have questioned my honesty, my integrity, and my social commitment, I want to say, you also stay safe," he said.On Thursday, Vigneault said he's been focusing exclusively on hockey since the Flyers eliminated the Montreal Canadiens, adding that he really had "no idea what's going on in the outside world."Several hours after Vigneault's remarks Thursday, the NHL postponed its games through Friday at the request of the players and in conjunction with the Hockey Diversity Alliance.On Wednesday, the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks started the movement by refusing to play that evening. The team's statement forced the league to delay its games through Friday, and several MLB teams ultimately did the same before the NHL followed suit one day later.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper believes the players' league-wide unification - which paused games for two days to help combat racial injustice - is a big step in the right direction for the NHL."The league's learning just like everyone else, and the league's in a better place today than it was a couple months ago, and definitely than it was a couple years ago," Cooper said during his media availability Friday.The NHL was under fire Wednesday night after proceeding with its scheduled games despite the NBA, WNBA, and MLB calling off contests to protest the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.The Lightning played Game 3 of their series versus the Boston Bruins that night, and after Tampa's win, Cooper said the NHL needs to take notice of racial injustice.He added Friday that since the victory, his club hasn't focused on hockey at all."I'll tell you one thing, after coming off back-to-back wins over the Bruins, I don't think we've even talked about that, which is rare in a playoff year," Cooper said. "Clearly our attention has been elsewhere, and justifiably."Players from all the active second-round teams, along with the Hockey Diversity Alliance, opened dialogue Thursday and opted to delay playing all games until Saturday.Afterward, there was a press conference in each bubble city where several players delivered powerful messages, including Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves, who said he believes the statement he and his peers made is "going to last."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is investigating an allegation regarding former Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon's conduct in the Toronto bubble, deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.Tallon is said to have used a racial slur, reports Florida Hockey Now's George Richards. The investigation has been ongoing for over a week, and the NHL is probing multiple examples of Tallon making racially insensitive remarks, a source told The Associated Press' John Wawrow.The longtime executive later spoke to Richards and denied the allegations."I am not racist by any means,” Tallon said. “I have never said anything of the sort. I am all for peace, am all for this alliance and what everyone is trying to do right now.”Tallon believes the investigation is centered around his reaction to Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba's speech supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and decrying racial injustice, which the blue-liner gave before a postseason game on Aug. 1."I don't recall it," the former GM said. "I don't remember it. I don't ever use the word. They said I said something after Dumba's speech and I don’t remember even seeing Dumba's speech."I didn't know Dumba was Black; I have only ever seen him as a hockey player. I did not know he was of color. That's all I can say. I need to find out what is going on."Dumba is Filipino Canadian.The Panthers told Richards they would not comment.Florida and Tallon - who was the team's GM and president of hockey operations - parted ways Aug. 10, three days after the New York Islanders eliminated the Panthers in the qualifying round.However, Tallon's departure had nothing to do with the ongoing investigation, a team source told Richards. The NHL was only recently made aware of the alleged incident, and it subsequently informed the club.Tallon spent a decade with the Panthers after serving as the Chicago Blackhawks' GM from 2005-09.On Thursday, the NHL postponed games originally scheduled for Thursday and Friday at the request of the players and the Hockey Diversity Alliance.That decision was the latest among several similar postponements in professional sports. The NBA's Milwaukee Bucks started the movement Wednesday by initiating a walkout in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Bucks' strike ultimately forced the NBA to cancel games through Friday, which led several MLB teams and other leagues such as the WNBA and WTA to suspend play.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins star Brad Marchand is tired of the political narrative when it comes to speaking about racial injustice and human rights and believes there must be a shift in society."I think that's one thing that people continually mix up," Marchand told reporters Friday. "They bring politics into these situations and that's not what this is about. We're not being political. That's not the goal and that's not what we're here for."There needs to be changes made throughout society," he continued. "It's bigger than hockey right now and it's bigger than sports. It's about people being equal and being the same and being treated the same and it's just about making changes. People want to point in different directions and make it about something that it's not and that's what we want to avoid."The NHL followed the NBA and other professional sports in postponing games both Thursday and Friday in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake.Marchand believes that sports are nonessential and should be put on the back burner when it comes to the safety and liberty of individuals."Sports is a luxury," he said. "When it becomes about people's safety and people's lives, and people feeling comfortable to be in their own skin, it's much more important than that."I understand people want to watch the games, I understand people want to see this, but it's too bad. We have bigger things that we care about and that we want to do and improve upon, and the people we want to support and that's what matters."At a press conference Thursday, representatives from all Western Conference playoff teams came together while several players of colour, including Vegas Golden Knights winger Ryan Reaves and Colorado Avalanche forwards Nazem Kadri and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, answered questions about standing up in the face of systemic racism.Reaves believes the NHL community - which is predominantly white - speaking up and taking action will have a lasting impact going forward.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 2020 NHL postseason has been postponed until Saturday because of a player-driven movement aimed at combating systemic racism and police brutality in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last week.Speaking to theScore's John Matisz via phone, Chris Watkins, a 33-year-old Black hockey fan working in tech in New York City who writes for the hockey analytics website Hockey Graphs, shared his thoughts on the situation.––––––––––Hockey didn't find me. As a Black teenager, I kind of found it by accident.It was 1997 and I had just gotten a PlayStation 1. It came with a demo disc of all the latest games and one of the demos was NHL 97. The Florida Panthers had just gone to the Stanley Cup Final so they were being featured. I got very familiar very quickly with Pavel Bure, Peter Worrell, all of those guys. Even though I grew up in Chicago and had seen hockey highlights on "SportsCenter," that was my first real introduction to the game. I learned about offsides and icings - those kinds of nuanced things - from a video game.I wouldn't say I truly became a big hockey fan until a decade later when I was attending college in Atlanta and took in some Thrashers games. Which brings up the question: How do you get more people like me to fall in love with the sport - but at a younger age? Andy Devlin / Getty ImagesWhat's unfolded this week could prove to be helpful in answering that question. Or maybe it's just a small step forward that won't make much a difference in the long term.From my perspective, there are two major things fans can take away from the postponement of games through Friday. One, regardless of how long it took to get here, the fact that NHL players were able to move toward this collective action of sitting out playoff games in an intense environment - and aligning in a way that, to be honest, the players probably haven't done since the last lockout - is very impactful.They could have decided to put their heads down, continued to play games, and acted like nothing of significance was happening in the outside world. It appears, though, that players were genuinely concerned by the fact they had not moved as quickly as the other leagues did on Wednesday, as quickly as they should have given the circumstances.On the other side of the coin: Generally speaking, when does the NHL take the lead on any issue? Concussion protocols? No. Interesting ways of gaining new fans? No.If the league never figures out how to take the lead in the sports world, it's going to be left by the wayside when soccer comes for its spot. Alphonso Davies won the Champions League the other day. That's only going to accelerate the advancement of soccer in Canada and the U.S. And hockey - the most expensive and inaccessible sport out there - is probably the one that would be the first to fall when that revolution takes place. You can look at NHL players and say, "Hey, it's great they came together." But you can also look at the league and say, "How do you keep continually stumbling like this?" Mike Stobe / Getty imagesAnd let's not forget about the coaches.Contrast Alain Vigneault's quote from the Toronto bubble - where on Thursday, he said he's been trying to put his head down 20 hours a day to win games and thus hasn't paid attention to anything else - with LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers' very emotional response to what's happening outside his bubble. There's also Gregg Popovich, the Bill Belichick of NBA coaches, who used every opportunity he had while he was in Orlando to bring attention to the issues of systemic racism and police brutality while also focusing on getting his team into the playoffs. There's such a significant gap in the awareness of what's really going on in the world around us.For the players, it's sort of the same thing.How many players who may have participated in Thursday's walkout actually know the full reasons why they're doing it? During the NHL's hiatus, we heard a lot about players educating themselves and understanding the issues better, but how many are taking the time to go beyond the videos of Jacob Blake and George Floyd or articles on Breonna Taylor and read up on the long history of racial violence in America that has been perpetuated by the state?Walking off before a playoff game in protest of these horrific events isn't going to make any individuals engaging in these harmful activities rethink their actions. If someone wants to shoot an unarmed Black man, they are going to do that regardless of whether NBA players play or NHL players take a knee. But what I do think happens is that at a certain point you get a domino effect.I'll use a historical example. We get the impression that Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech happened and then they signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and everything was solved. Nope. There was a specific 10-year period (starting with the Alabama bus boycotts in 1955) where King's work built off each prior activity. Everything was a stepping stone to get to that final point.It's the same thing with these athlete protests. You look back on Colin Kaepernick, whose refusal to stand for the national anthem first attracted attention four years ago Wednesday. That action created a dialogue, created a discussion. Some it was good, some of it was bad. But that obviously didn't solve the problems of police brutality and racism in America. What it did was set the wheels in motion for where we are today. Michael Zagaris / Getty ImagesWhat will move the needle in hockey is for a cornerstone player like Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid to come out and have a discussion with Kevin Weekes or Anson Carter or whoever it may be. Having a star put themselves out there and say, "This is a critical issue to me. I think it should be a critical issue for us as a league to get us to grow and get us to the right place. We cannot ignore these issues any longer."And I get it: Hockey has one of the most affluent fan bases, as well as one of the most disproportionately white fan bases and white player bases. That isolates it from social issues involving minorities, women, people of lower economic roots, etc. There's a distance between hockey people and the day-to-day issues we're talking about here. They have to actively go and make the effort to educate themselves on this because it won't come to them. They have to go find it.This week is definitely a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, it had to be the NBA and WNBA players sacrificing first, followed later in the day by MLS and MLB. The overwhelmingly positive reaction to those actions paved the way for NHL players to do the same.I doubt if NHL players would have taken this stance if the Hockey Diversity Alliance had said early in the week, "Hey, we're going to be pre-emptive, we're going to be the first ones to do this." I 100% guarantee the games wouldn't be postponed. So I think that is still a reality for the players. And the hope is that they will get there at some point.A deeper investment in people of color - in front offices, the coaching ranks, at the league office - is needed just for the NHL to catch up. I'll put it this way: If a team's power play is struggling, it's not going to bring in someone who has never dealt with a power play or put together a successful offense. You need someone who has that ingrained experience.Leadership is not just putting your face in front of a shot to help your goaltender. It's not just fighting on behalf of your teammates. It's not just donating to charity. It's about your values. It's using your voice as a platform and causing positive change in the world.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.With a couple days off from hockey to shed light on far more important issues, it's as good a time as any to revisit the Stanley Cup oddsboard.Our last update came at the start of Round 1, but there's been plenty of movement since then with the field slashed in half.TeamOdds (8/28)Odds (8/11)Vegas Golden Knights+300+550Tampa Bay Lightning+340+800Philadelphia Flyers+700+600Colorado Avalanche+700+650Dallas Stars+725+1600Boston Bruins+800+900New York Islanders+950+2200Vancouver Canucks+1700+2600Vegas Golden Knights (+300)No playoff team has controlled a greater share of expected goals - overall and five-on-five - in the bubble than the Knights, who have overwhelmed everyone they've faced thus far with talent and depth. If their goaltending holds up - Robin Lehner has been inconsistent at best in these playoffs - there may be no stopping this team.Tampa Bay Lightning (+340)Anything longer than 3-1 is worth scooping up for this Lightning team, which has few, if any, weaknesses. As well as the Islanders are playing, and as dangerous as the Flyers can be, the Bruins are their toughest test to get out of the East. Tampa is passing with flying colors so far, but should it make the Stanley Cup Final, the services of Steven Stamkos will be required.Philadelphia Flyers (+700)Since the playoffs began, we've seen nothing from the Flyers to suggest even contemplating buying in at these short odds. Carter Hart can steal games, and the talent is certainly there, but no team remaining in the playoffs has controlled a lower share of expected goals at five-on-five.Colorado Avalanche (+700)Injuries are catching up to the Avalanche at the worst time. Philipp Grubauer and Erik Johnson are out for the foreseeable future, Matt Calvert remains unfit to play, and now Nikita Zadorov and Joonas Donskoi are day-to-day. This is a deep team loaded with talent, but at this stage of the season that's a lot of adversity to overcome. Trailing 2-1 in their series, with a real question mark in goal, +700 isn't long enough.Dallas Stars (+725)Instead why not go with one of the league's hotter teams, who are leading their series, and close to full health? The Stars can defend as well as anyone, but the knock on them has always been scoring. Well, they've scored 28 goals in their last six games and are showing no signs of slowing down.Boston Bruins (+800)This two-day pause - while much bigger than hockey - will do a lot of good for the Bruins, who were looking fatigued in a 7-1 loss to the Lightning in Game 3. Some rest could revive their chances to win this series, but it's asking a lot for Jaroslav Halak to carry the load in net for an extended run.New York Islanders (+950)Few teams have played better hockey in the bubble than the Islanders, who are good value at the current price. They've allowed the lowest expected goals against per 60 minutes among all teams remaining in the playoffs and have the best five-on-five save percentage. Barry Trotz's fingerprints are all over this team and that's a very good thing.Vancouver Canucks (+1700)The Canucks have done really well for themselves in these playoffs and continue to impress, but there's a cap on how far this team can really go. Even with Jacob Markstrom playing out of this world, this team doesn't have the depth needed to get by Vegas, then Colorado or Dallas, and likely Tampa.(Odds source: theScore Bet)Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has released an updated schedule following the postponement of Thursday and Friday's playoff contests.The league followed the NBA and other professional sports in pausing all games in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake. The decision was ignited by the Hockey Diversity Alliance, co-headed by Akim Aliu and Evander Kane, who challenged the league to take action.Play will resume with Game 4 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. Below is the updated schedule for each of the four remaining series:All times ETPhiladelphia Flyers vs. New York IslandersGameDateTime3Aug. 297 p.m.4Aug. 308 p.m.5Sept. 17 p.m.*6Sept. 3TBD*7Sept. 5TBD(*If necessary)Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston BruinsGameDateTime4Aug. 2912 p.m.5Aug. 317 p.m.*6Sept. 2TBD*7Sept. 3TBDVegas Golden Knights vs. Vancouver CanucksGameDateTime3Aug. 299:45 p.m.4Aug. 3010:30 p.m.5Sept. 19:45 p.m.*6Sept. 3TBD*7Sept. 4TBDColorado Avalanche vs. Dallas StarsGameDateTime4Aug. 306 p.m.5Aug. 319:45 p.m.*6Sept. 2TBD*7Sept. 4TBDCopyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

About 24 hours after the Milwaukee Bucks didn't take the court in the NBA playoff bubble, Kenneth Shropshire got to thinking about the sports world's mass boycott of apartheid South Africa, the biggest mobilization of activist athletes in history. The segregated nation was barred for decades from international competition, including the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where U.S. sprint medalists John Carlos and Tommie Smith each raised a fist in support of human rights.Shropshire, a distinguished professor of global sport at Arizona State University, brought up 1968 to make a point: even that worldwide action didn't cascade quite like the Bucks' refusal to play Wednesday.The players were protesting the latest exhibition of American police violence against Black people: the shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last weekend, which followed the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others. The NBA's entire active playing corps soon sat out in turn. So did the WNBA's whole bubble, MLB and MLS clubs, and tennis star Naomi Osaka, scrubbing multiple days' worth of matchups across the sporting spectrum."It's going to be at the top of the list of athlete activism in the history of man," Shropshire said of the sit-outs. "The Olympic protest in 1968, and Muhammad Ali, and Colin Kaepernick - all those individually were something. This (was momentous) in terms of the snowball effect."Giannis Antetokounmpo at the Bucks' announcement of their job action on Wednesday. Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBA / Getty ImagesAs several NFL teams canceled practice and NHL players forced their league to postpone playoff games Thursday, theScore spoke with four race and sports scholars about the significance of the sit-outs, the power this form of protest confers, and the rich legacy of Black athletes taking stands against racism. The scholars are:

The Arizona Coyotes are taking action in the fight against racial injustice."We are committed to being a part of the solution to drive positive change and are working with the City of Glendale to make Gila River Arena a polling station for the 2020 election," the club said in a statement Thursday night.The Coyotes added their full support of NHL players and the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and the team embraces their "responsibility to all communities of color to not stay silent."NHL players, in partnership with the HDA, drove the league to postpone its games through Friday in response to similar actions taken by players in several leagues, including the NBA, WNBA, and MLB. The Milwaukee Bucks started the historic movement following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.Voter suppression, which often includes the elimination of polling stations, has disproportionately affected Black and other minority voters, according to the ACLU.Last year, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights found southern U.S. states have closed nearly 1,200 polling places since 2013 after the Supreme Court struck down part of the Voting Rights Act, according to Reuters' Andy Sullivan.LeBron James and the Los Angeles Dodgers also partnered recently to create a polling place at Dodger Stadium for the upcoming federal election.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A day after an NBA player-led walkout forced the league to postpone games - and other leagues to do the same - in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, the NHL is following suit.NHL games will be delayed through Friday, the league announced Thursday."After much discussion, NHL players believe that the best course of action would be to take a step back and not play (Thursday's) and (Friday's) games as scheduled," the league and NHLPA said in a joint statement. "The NHL supports the players' decision and will reschedule those four games beginning Saturday and adjust the remainder of the second-round schedule accordingly."The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centered on diversity, inclusion, and social justice."The NHL Coaches' Association later followed with a statement of its own, saying the group and its coaches "steadfastly support" the decision, while adding that "the time to listen has passed (and) action must be taken now."The decision was particularly orchestrated by the Hockey Diversity Alliance, co-headed by Akim Aliu and Evander Kane. The group called upon the NHL to suspend Thursday's games.The New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers were set for a Game 3 faceoff in their second-round series Thursday night, followed by the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights' third tilt. On Friday evening, the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning were supposed to take the ice for their fourth matchup, right before Game 4 between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars.NHL games went ahead as scheduled Wednesday night despite the NBA and MLB player-inspired walkouts. After it became clear that the NHL contests would go on, Kane and Matt Dumba, another HDA member, criticized the league for not actively protesting racial injustice.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Hockey Diversity Alliance made a formal request to the NHL to suspend all Thursday playoff games, San Jose Sharks forward and group co-head Evander Kane announced.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves, one of the driving forces behind the players' decision to postpone their playoff games in solidarity of racial injustice, believes the NHL community speaking up will have a lasting impact on the sport."I think if you look around this room, there's a lot of white athletes in here, and I think that's the statement that's being made right now," Reaves said at a press conference Thursday featuring representatives from all Western Conference playoff teams. "It's great that the NBA did this, and the MLB and the WNBA, they have a lot of Black players in those leagues, but for all these athletes in here to take a stand and say, 'You know what? We see the problem too, and we stand behind you.' I go to war with these guys, and I hate their guts on the ice, but I couldn't be more proud of these guys."The statement they've made today is something that's going to last. These two days (aren't) going to fix anything, but the conversation and the statement that's been made is very powerful, especially coming from this league."The NHL faced backlash for proceeding with its scheduled postseason contests on Wednesday after the NBA, WNBA, and MLB each called off games to combat racial injustice stemming from the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.After player meetings throughout the day and the Hockey Diversity Alliance's postponement request, the NHL and NHLPA announced they are moving all of Thursday and Friday evening's scheduled matches to a later date.Reaves said he was struggling Wednesday night about what to do for Thursday's Game 3 against the Vancouver Canucks, but received texts from members of their team - as well as Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk - encouraging him and helping spur the movement to sit out.While Reaves was front and center during the press conference, several other players also delivered powerful messages."We want every NHLer to become the face of this movement," Shattenkirk said, per NHL.com's Wes Crosby. "This isn't limited to one guy. This is everyone getting behind this.""Moving forward, it's going to have to be the whole league. Collectively," said Nazem Kadri, according to The Athletic's Craig Custance."Some things are bigger than sports. There comes a time you have to start acting on your words," he added.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL may join the NBA and other leagues in postponing play to protest racial injustice, as players are being told to prepare for game cancellations Thursday, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Players in at least one dressing room have voted to not play their game Thursday, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.The Hockey Diversity Alliance, led by Evander Kane and Akim Aliu, asked the league to suspend play Thursday.Over 100 players in the Edmonton and Toronto bubbles had a phone conversation with Kane and Matt Dumba (another HDA member) Thursday, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.There are two NHL playoff games scheduled for Thursday. The New York Islanders are set to face the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 of their second-round series at 7 p.m. ET, while the Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks are scheduled to play the third game of their series at 9:45 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault was asked on Thursday about his thoughts on various professional sports teams refusing to play Wednesday night in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake."Listen, I'm disappointed to disappoint you again with my answer, but ever since we eliminated Montreal, the only thing that's been open in my room is my computer, to hockey games," Vigneault said Thursday, according to The Athletic's Charlie O'Connor.He added: "I have really no idea what's going on in the outside world. We're in this bubble right now, I'm invested 24-7 on our team, working 20 hours a day, going through video, and preparing our group. I don't do Twitter, I haven't read a single sports article in I don't know how long, and I haven't read any type of article in I don't know how long."The Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Each of the four teams involved in the two following matchups also refused to play, which led to the NBA postponing the matchups.Multiple MLB teams and all WNBA teams chose not to play Wednesday, as well.The NHL held a moment of reflection ahead of Game 3 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins on Wednesday to recognize Blake's family and denounce racial injustice. There was no such event prior to the later game between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche, however.Evander Kane and Matt Dumba, two members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, criticized the league Wednesday night for its "lack of action and meaningful change," in the wake of Blake's shooting.Several members from the Bruins and Lightning said they had no idea about the walkouts until they arrived at the rink and didn't have time to discuss and decide if they, too, should sit out the game.The Flyers are slated to take on the New York Islanders in Game 3 on Thursday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.Different night, same story. We split once again as we hit the Lightning moneyline, but lost the under.Staying away from unders here, let's get the 2-0.Philadelphia Flyers (-110) @ New York Islanders (-110)The Islanders are feeling it right now. They may have lost Game 2 in overtime, but they sure didn't make it easy, tying the game after falling into a 3-0 hole in the first period.It's got to be a daunting feeling playing against this team right now. When they get up a couple goals it's essentially game over, and when they fall behind by a few they still find a way back. You just can't kill this team off.In the Game 1 win, the Isles controlled 59.62% of the expected goal share, and they controlled 59.85% of the share in Game 2 despite the loss. This team is just playing better in every area right now - including in goal where Semyon Varlamov has an absurd .954 save percentage at five-on-five since the restart - and there's no conceivable logic to truly justify taking the Flyers in a pick'em.Pick: Islanders (-110)Vegas Golden Knights (-200) @ Vancouver Canucks (+170)No matter what you throw at them, these Canucks won't go down easy. They survived another onslaught in Game 2 to even the series, this time getting the goaltending they've become accustomed to from Jacob Markstrom. Timely scoring - which has been a theme for the Canucks in these playoffs - played a key role in the win, but against a team like the Knights, who are stronger and deeper, it's hard to consistently rely on that.Over a seven-game series the cream usually rises to the top, and while the Canucks did well to steal Game 2, it won't be a common theme. Vegas dominated the expected goals share outside of the first period of Tuesday's loss, and frankly that should come as little surprise.Expect a spirited response from the Knights here following the loss. They were caught a bit flat out of the gate in Game 2 after a dominating display in Game 1, but that won't be the case here as they strike first and set the tone for another convincing win.Pick: Knights -1.5 (+140)(Odds source: theScore Bet)Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every group of friends has that person who just doesn't shut up. The chatterbox, the one who invites himself or herself into any and all discussions.For the Vegas Golden Knights, that person is Jonathan Marchessault."Marchy is in the middle of every conversation and of every argument that anyone on the team has," head coach Peter DeBoer reported last week, a few days before the 5-foot-9 forward scored the series-opening goal in Round 2 against the Vancouver Canucks. Ethan Miller / Getty ImagesThis isn't a newfound social skill for Marchessault, who turns 30 in December. The 30-goal forward rarely kept quiet in his years with the Florida Panthers before they foolishly left him unprotected ahead of the 2017 Vegas expansion draft. He gabbed his way through his first six pro seasons, too, paying his dues for three other clubs - the New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Tampa Bay Lightning - while skating mainly in the AHL."When he was sitting by me on the plane playing cards, it was like he was a kid brother," former teammate and retired NHL defenseman Matt Carle recently said by phone, shedding light on the 2015-16 Lightning season, in particular. "You wanted to slap him sometimes. Like, 'Shut up, Marchy!'"Added Carle, who's six years Marchessault's senior: "I was an older guy at the time, so it was kind of a breath of fresh air that he was himself all the time, not shy - although sometimes you did want to put a muzzle on him."Others around the hockey world who know Marchessault well offer nearly identical responses to questions about the feisty Quebec City native's place within the team structure. "There's some days where you're tired around the rink and he's just bouncing off the walls, wanting to play pingpong," said Dalton Smith, Marchessault's former roommate and teammate for four seasons split between AHL Springfield and AHL Syracuse. "It's nice. It helps you get out of those funks. You can't help but laugh and be happy as well."Marchessault's exuberance can get on the nerves of some team members and land him in hot water on social media, as in the case of the incident chronicled Wednesday by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Marchessault apologized during a press conference later that day, calling his Instagram responses to critics "childish, immature, and not professional."But his personality can also diffuse tension in the dressing room. As a star talent with a sunny disposition and plenty of confidence, he's one of the rare off-ice "glue guys" - that's DeBoer's label - who's also vitally important on the ice."I'm a pretty positive guy," Marchessault said in an interview between the first and second rounds of the postseason. "If I lose a playoff game, the next morning I'll be pissed off. But it's going to go away with the day."Life is too short to be frustrated and mad. At midnight, it's always a new day. Everybody should regroup and be positive and keep going with your day, and do whatever you can to be a good person and be a better version of yourself." Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThe Golden Knights have experienced a fair amount of turnover since debuting in spectacular fashion three years ago, replacing Gerard Gallant with DeBoer behind the bench in January and changing several names on the roster through signings and trades. Of the 22 players who have appeared in a 2020 playoff game for Vegas, 12 have been with the franchise for the entirety of its existence. Newcomers include key forwards Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Paul Stastny, as well as current No. 1 goalie Robin Lehner.Despite the changes, the personality of the group has stayed intact thanks to a strong core that includes Marchessault, Marc-Andre Fleury, Nate Schmidt, Shea Theodore, Ryan Reaves, Reilly Smith, and a few others. But no one, not even the affable Fleury, a fan favorite since Day 1, seems to embody the identity of the Golden Knights quite like Marchessault.He enters Thursday's Game 3 against Vancouver (the series is tied 1-1) as his team's all-time leading scorer, having recorded 216 points in 262 regular-season and playoff games. His playing style, which combines strong skating, shooting, and offensive instincts with a high hockey IQ and attention to detail on the defensive side of the puck, blends perfectly with the way Gallant and now DeBoer have asked the team to play. Underused or underappreciated by four different NHL organizations before arriving in Vegas, he and his journey fit the "Golden Misfit" mold nicely.Assessing the composition of Vegas' roster, Marchessault's boldest on- and off-ice traits can be found in some form or another elsewhere in the lineup. Fleury boasts the same no-bad-days outlook on life; Schmidt has a similar reputation as a goofball and is a fellow leader of Vegas' so-called "fun committee" within the Edmonton bubble; Stone competes with a comparable inner fire and intensity; Reilly Smith is just as dedicated in his attention to defensive assignments; bruising winger William Carrier also rarely passes up an opportunity to finish a body check."We're just trying to show up every night and give everything we've got. He does that," Carrier said of Marchessault. "And, you know what, he actually plays pretty physical. He's got a couple of good hits, and he gets involved."Marchessault rubbed out Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane in Round 1 and delivered healthy licks on a few Canucks players through the first two games of Round 2, most notably Elias Pettersson in the first period of the opener. In 10 postseason games, he's racked up 27 hits (fourth on the Golden Knights) and eight points (tied for fourth) while averaging 16:23 of ice time a night, his action split between even-strength play and Vegas' power-play opportunities. Dave Sandford / Getty ImagesIt wasn't that long ago when Marchessault was without a full-time spot on an NHL roster. Heading into the 2015-16 season, Marchessault, then a 24-year-old dad of two with an expiring contract, posed a question to his wife Alexandra: Should we continue here or head overseas to carve out a lengthy career in a top European league?"We were spending a couple of months at the (Tampa) hotel, and I told her I'm giving myself one more chance to make the NHL," Marchessault said. "That year, the Lightning had three or four injuries up front, so I was able to get a bigger role for them and I started doing well and I made the team." He dressed for 45 NHL games, a career high at that point. There were low moments as a healthy scratch - "there were certainly days when he'd get frustrated," Carle said - but, overall, it was the progress he needed.It snowballed into a two-year, $1.5-million contract with the Panthers. Then, an injury to Jonathan Huberdeau in October 2016 put Marchessault on a line with two-way master Aleksander Barkov and living legend Jaromir Jagr. He took full advantage, scoring 11 points in the first month of the season and 51 over 75 total games."It takes an opportunity, a break, the right timing, the right person, for most players to succeed, you know?" said CAA Hockey's Pat Brisson, who became Marchessault's agent midway through his first season with Florida. "Not everyone is Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid or Patrick Kane. He's got an amazing story of perseverance and resilience."Making it that far was an incredible feat considering Marchessault's career almost stalled years earlier in junior, where he butted heads with Hall of Famer Patrick Roy. Marchessault would often come to the rink upset about hockey or something in his personal life. Roy, the owner, general manager, and head coach of the Quebec Remparts, wouldn't tolerate the negativity and entitled attitude. In hindsight, it was both a reality check and a turning point, though Tuesday night's social media outburst showed Marchessault can still struggle to let go of a loss."He made my life tough, but he made me realize as well that you have to do everything you can do to be better every day," Marchessault said of Roy. "Life's a grind, so you've got to work every day." Ethan Miller / Getty ImagesTen years later, Marchessault finds himself in a bubble in Alberta competing for the Stanley Cup. In the middle of a pandemic, he's about to finish the second season of a six-year deal with the Golden Knights that pays him $5 million a campaign. Alexandra and the kids (the couple now has four little ones) are back in the Vegas suburb of Summerlin, though they may make the trip north if Dad makes the conference finals and health and safety protocols allow for such a visit."You talk to them every day and, also as a parent, you miss a lot of things. My 1-year-old started walking and … my two oldest, they started school. It's all stuff that you miss, and it's really unfortunate as a parent to miss those (moments)," he said. "They're asking me how many (days) before they're going to see me. It's hard for me to give them an answer. It could be possible later in the playoffs, but (the current protocol is) not necessarily adequate."In the meantime, Marchessault is making the most of bubble life after years on the bubble. Vegas' fun committee - tailor-made for a chatterbox like Marchessault - is a welcome distraction as the team tries to navigate a once-in-a-lifetime situation. The talented "glue guy" has never really changed, even as he's settled into his tenure with the Golden Knights."He's always got something to say. He's always got a lot of enthusiasm around the rink, loves being at the rink. I feel like he's a perfect guy for it," Vegas forward Nick Cousins said of Marchessault's involvement in the committee. "He always wants to play cards, he always wants to do something. I don't think he can sit in his room for more than five minutes."John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the aftermath of multiple professional teams refusing to play their respective games in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was asked why the NHL seems to lag behind the rest of the sporting world when it comes to adequately addressing racial injustice."Unfortunately, we can't control some of the things that go on in the outside world," Cooper said, per theScore's John Matisz. "I truly believe that, whether it's pro sports, or the business world, or whatever it is, at some point we're all going to have to come together."I think, whether you say the NHL is behind or ahead, I think the league has done so many good things in so many different avenues and this is one that we need to pick our head up and take notice, and there's no doubt we will."Cooper's comments come after the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court for their playoff contest versus the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Every subsequent match on the day's NBA schedule was then postponed, while the WNBA and MLB also had games called off in solidarity.Members of both the Lightning and Bruins said they were made aware of other leagues postponing games upon arriving to the rink Wednesday, so they didn't have enough time to make a decision on potentially sitting out themselves."So, it's hard for me to answer this question, especially - like I said - with what happened while were were playing and before that," Cooper said. "But I know, (with) the league and the people running it, at some point everything will be addressed. Like I said, we'll get ourselves up to speed and support what needs to be done."The NHL held a moment of reflection prior to the Lightning-Bruins clash on Wednesday to recognize Blake's family and condemn racism. However, there was no such event before the late game between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche.Hockey Diversity Alliance members Evander Kane and Matt Dumba called out the NHL on Wednesday night for a lack of action regarding the shooting of Blake just weeks after Dumba made a powerful speech about the Black Lives Matter movement on a national stage.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Members of the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning insisted Wednesday that they were made aware upon arriving to the rink that the Milwaukee Bucks decided not to play their NBA playoff game in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake.As a result, there wasn't enough time to make a decision on delaying their own postseason clash."It was so close to our game that we were just getting ready," said Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, according to NHL.com's Wes Crosby. "We support fighting against racism and injustice. There's different ways to express that fight. Obviously, NBA players expressed their opinions about it by boycotting the games today. We support it.""We really didn't find out that the other leagues had taken their stances when we got here tonight," Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said, per Fox Sports. "I think for us, it's something we found out by the time got to the rink and something we'll have to address going forward."The Bucks didn't take the court for Game 5 of their first-round series versus the Orlando Magic earlier in the afternoon. All games on Wednesday's NBA schedule were subsequently postponed.All scheduled WNBA contests along with three MLB games were also called off.The NHL held a moment of reflection to condemn racial injustice and acknowledge Blake's family prior to Game 3 between the Bruins and Lightning.There was no moment of remembrance prior to the Dallas Stars-Colorado Avalanche clash in the Western Conference bubble, according to The Athletic's Thomas Drance.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With other major professional sports leagues' players actively protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake this past weekend, Evander Kane and Matt Dumba are calling out the NHL and its players for failing to do the same."I'll be honest, I haven't really heard much in regards to Jacob Blake's attempted murder. It's unfortunate, we're obviously talking about another Black man unarmed being shot in the back in front of his children," Kane said, per Sportsnet. "But again, we had these conversations earlier with the George Floyd killing of continuing the conversation, furthering the conversation, everybody wanting to be better and making sure that we're more vocal and we do better moving forward. Here's another example, unfortunately, but it's also another example of the lack of with regards to our league and our players and our media that cover our game."It's not just my responsibility as a minority player in the NHL to be talking about these issues. It's not just Wayne Simmonds or Akim Aliu or Joel Ward or Matt Dumba's stance or issues in this society, it's everybody's. Until everybody decides to take it upon themselves and maybe step away from some of their privileges to educate themselves and really fight with us, we're going to be in the same situation we are today," he continued.Kane has been outwardly critical of the league's response to the Black Lives Matter movement several times over the past few months. He helped create the Hockey Diversity Alliance in June to eliminate racism and intolerance in hockey.While Kane appreciates the support he's seen from players around the league in recent months, he still wants to see real action from them."It's great to write statements, it's great to send tweets, it's great to post stories and pictures on Instagram," Kane said, "but at the end of the day it's going to be about real action and meaningful change, and unfortunately that still isn't occurring, and we need to be better."Dumba, who delivered a powerful speech on the Black Lives Matter movement at the beginning of the league's qualifying round before kneeling for the national anthem, shared similar sentiments on the league's lack of a response."NHL is always last to the party on these topics," Dumba said on Sportsnet 650, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshysnki. "It's kind of sad and disheartening for me and for members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and I'm sure for other guys across the league. But if no one stands up and does anything, then it's the same thing. That silence. You're just outside, looking in on actually being leaders and evoking real change when you have such an opportunity to do so."Dumba continued, explaining what he believes is needed for ongoing change."It's so much bigger than sports. In hockey, that's what it comes back to. You're just relying on the minority guys to step up and say it. But what would really make the most impact is to have strong white leaders from teams step up and have their two cents heard," Dumba said."All the other white kids who grow up watching them, who might be their biggest fans, can look up and say, 'Wow, if he's seeing this and trying to stand up and to listen, then why I am not as well? Why am I continuing to hold on to this ignorance or hate that I feel towards a subject that I maybe don't know everything about?'"The NBA postponed all three of its playoff games on Wednesday after players from the Milwaukee Bucks opted not to play in protest. A handful of MLB teams and players followed suit.The NHL has two games on the schedule Wednesday night. The first, between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins, began at 8 p.m. ET. The second, between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, is slated for 10:30 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins goaltender Daniel Vladar forcefully made his NHL debut Wednesday night after the Tampa Bay Lightning chased starter Jaroslav Halak during the second period.Halak allowed four goals on 16 shots before exiting early. He started for the second consecutive night after the Bruins dropped Game 2 in overtime on Tuesday.Tuukka Rask, Boston's longtime starter, left the bubble earlier in the playoffs to deal with a family matter.Vladar, 23, was drafted by the Bruins 75th overall in 2015. He had a .936 save percentage along with a 1.79 goals against average across 25 games with Providence's AHL club this past season, while also making one start in the ECHL.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture issued an apology after his tweet regarding American politics went viral early on Wednesday.Couture has since deleted the original tweet, but he stated he was out in Toronto on Tuesday night and was sucker punched for talking "about voting for the Republican party and mentioning Donald Trump by name."Couture was highly criticized for the tweet, adding he didn't explicitly say he'd vote for Trump but would vote Republican if he was an American citizen.Hours later, Couture released the following message:"I have been debating whether or not to speak further on this matter. However, because much of what I tweeted earlier today has been taken out of context, I want to elaborate. Bringing politics to my platform is wrong. While I did not do a good job communicating my thoughts earlier today, I do believe that everyone is entitled to their own voice and opinions. But regardless of what anyone believes - and to be clear, I do not believe in supporting Donald Trump - responding with violence isn't the answer and doesn't solve anything. I regret the decision to make this incident public. I apologize to the Sharks, as well as my family for having to deal with this. I hold myself to a high standard, and I apologize for any of my comments that were poorly worded and do not reflect my true feelings or beliefs. I appreciate those who have reached out to me with their concern."The Sharks also issued a statement condemning the use of violence towards Couture, according to Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News."The San Jose Sharks organization is aware of the incident that occurred on the evening of Aug. 25 in which Logan Couture was assaulted in Toronto. We are thankful that he was not seriously hurt and unequivocally denounce physical attacks or abuse on anyone under any circumstances," the club said.Couture was drafted ninth overall by San Jose in 2007. He's notched 546 points in 715 games in 11 seasons with the Sharks.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After watching on from the press box as his team was eliminated from the postseason, Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk is coming to the defense of his star teammates."The thing that really frustrates me right now, especially with being out and watching the games and having nothing to do so being on my phone and just being in the bubble, everything is about hockey ... I couldn't believe some of the criticism that some guys on my team were getting for this," Tkachuk said, per Sportsnet. "Especially the criticism towards Johnny (Gaudreau) and Monny (Sean Monahan), it makes me sick. It really upsets me and pisses me off."Everyone was upset about them for offensive production. Well, they produced more offense than me. So put the blame on me. I didn't do nearly enough to help get this team over the top when I was in the lineup, and that's what hurts the most."The Dallas Stars bounced the Flames in six games, marking the third time in four years that Calgary failed to advance past the first round.Tkachuk, who was injured in Game 2, missed the team's final four contests. In six total games this postseason, the 22-year-old managed one goal and one assist.Monahan and Gaudreau came under fire from fans and the media following the club's elimination. Monahan totaled two goals and six assists in 10 games, while Gaudreau scored four goals and added three helpers."It really upsets me to see some of the criticism to those guys, being unbelievable players and great players in this league, and even more important, great friends," Tkachuk continued. "But I think as leaders and as core players and in general, myself mainly, but our best players didn't do enough to get us over the top and into that next round and into a run. And that's frustrating."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault issued an apology after lashing out at fans on his Instagram account following the club's 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.After the game, several fans took to Marchessault's latest Instagram post - a photo of him and his wife - and left comments ridiculing the 29-year-old for diving during the loss."I was frustrated from the game, obviously, but also I get sensitive when people comment on family pictures," Marchessault said, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger."It got the best of me, but there's no excuse. I sincerely apologize."Marchessault responded to the criticism with comments such as, "Go suck on your mummy's t----- and stop wasting my time," according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.The 5-foot-9 winger has contributed three goals and eight points over 10 playoff contests this summer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is coming down hard on the Arizona Coyotes.The Coyotes will forfeit their 2020 second-round pick and 2021 first-round pick for violating the NHL's combine testing policy, the league announced Wednesday. Arizona had already traded its 2020 first-round pick to the New Jersey Devils for Taylor Hall.The Coyotes acknowledged that they had conducted physical testing on 2020 draft-eligible players prior to the combine."While the Combine Testing Policy Memoranda reference a fine of 'no less than $250,000 for each violation' of the Policy, I exercise my discretion to impose the aforementioned discipline - which I consider to be more appropriate given the specific circumstances of this case," said Bettman, who convened a hearing on the matter on Aug. 6.Steve Sullivan is the team's interim general manager after John Chayka terminated his contract with the club in July.Bettman added that no specific individuals will face punishment."As for the club personnel who participated in, or may have contributed to, the club's violation of the policy, I have decided that no discipline shall be imposed on these individuals," Bettman said. "While I conclude that certain club personnel acted in a grossly negligent manner at best, which was conceded by the club, I ultimately conclude that the record does not establish - to a standard with which I am comfortable - that those individuals engaged in intentional wrongdoing, as opposed to grossly negligent behavior."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong admitted his team wasn't at full strength this postseason after several players battled COVID-19 at some point leading up to the league's return."Coming into Phase 3, there was a lot going on with our organization," Armstrong said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "Of our regular players, I think 20% of those guys had COVID at some point."Armstrong explained each player was affected differently, as some lost weight and some couldn't work out."It wasn't that they had it and didn't feel anything," he said.The Blues owned the best record in the Western Conference when the season was suspended in March, but they lost all three round-robin contests in the Edmonton bubble and were eliminated in six games by the Vancouver Canucks.There have been no positive results for COVID-19 since teams entered their respective bubbles in late July.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brendan Burke, the television voice of the New York Islanders, turned to Twitter last week to enlighten the hockey-watching public about the pitfalls of narrating playoff action remotely.No team broadcaster is inside either NHL hub city; a central feed transmitted from Toronto to MSG Networks' Manhattan studio is Burke's view to all live goings-on at Scotiabank Arena. That's how he saw Islanders winger Jordan Eberle rush the center line in overtime of Game 3 against the Washington Capitals - the setup for what he thought was just a garden-variety dump-in.

St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko will undergo his third shoulder surgery next week and will be re-evaluated in five months, the team announced Wednesday.Tarasenko most recently underwent shoulder surgery in October 2019 and said he was very close to returning before the NHL season was suspended in March. He rejoined the club once play began in August but skated in just four games before exiting the bubble for another evaluation on his shoulder. He also underwent shoulder surgery in April 2018.General manager Doug Armstrong voiced concern for his star winger but is confident that Tarasenko will do everything he can to return to form."It's certainly not a positive that we're going through right now," Armstrong said, according to NHL.com's Lou Korac."It's his third surgery. We just know that he prepares and trains hard and he needs to get back and play well for us, but yeah, it's a concern in the sense that he's going to have three surgeries."How much hockey Tarasenko will miss remains unclear with the start date for the 2020-21 campaign undetermined.The Blues sniper led the club in goals over five straight seasons entering 2019-20. He played a pivotal role in helping the franchise capture its first Stanley Cup in 2019, contributing 11 goals and 17 points in 26 playoff games.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien is doing well after undergoing heart surgery earlier in August."I've been told I will recover 100%, and I would say that I feel 100% right now," Julien said, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu.Julien - who missed the bulk of the Habs' first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers - added that he would've returned to the bubble if Montreal had forced a Game 7.The veteran bench boss also confirmed that he will be back coaching the Canadiens next season."There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to go back to work," he said. "The risk that's there is the same risk that was there before any of this happened."Julien is 13th on the all-time wins list with 658 career victories.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.We were 1:26 away from a perfect 2-0 Tuesday night before a meaningless Max Pacioretty goal killed the under. That's a good way to go to bed angry.We have our first three-game slate of Round 2 on Wednesday, so we've got a bit more to choose from.Tampa Bay Lightning (-110) @ Boston Bruins (-110)The Lightning were good value for the Game 2 win, controlling the play for the majority of the game against the Bruins. They were robbed of the first goal by an offside challenge before Boston opened the scoring shortly after with a controversial goal of its own.Still, the Lightning showed their mettle by battling through adversity to win a critical game and tie the series. And it's no less than they deserved in a game in which they controlled 67.69% of the expected goal share (3.69 to 1.76) and 68.08% of the share at five-on-five.Tampa is in a nice position heading into Game 3 with its relatively youthful roster. The Bruins have an older team and there should be legitimate concerns over how 42-year-old Zdeno Chara, who needed to sit games out in the playoffs last season, and 34-year-old Jaroslav Halak, who hasn't been a regular starter in years, handle playing on consecutive nights. The Lightning were 8-2-2 in back-to-backs this season while the Bruins were 5-6-1, including a loss to Tampa earlier in the campaign and another against the Hurricanes in Round 1.Pick: Lightning (-110)Colorado Avalanche (-140) @ Dallas Stars (+120)We're going back to the well with the under here. Game 2 ended up comfortably over the total despite just two goals being scored at five-on-five. Both teams scored twice on the power play and the Stars added an empty netter. They combined to go 0-for-3 on the power play in Game 1 before combining to go 4-for-11 in Game 2.I wouldn't expect either unit to get as much work or find the same success on the man advantage Wednesday. Game 1 saw a total of 3.39 expected goals at five-on-five and Game 2 had 3.23, yet both flew over the total. Part of that can be attributed to the Avalanche struggling to get serviceable goaltending, but Pavel Francouz is a lot better than he's shown in this series, and with their backs against the wall, expect a much stronger defensive showing from the Avs in Game 3.With the Stars being the home team, they get last change for the first time in this series, and the ability to control the matchups will play into their defensive mindset. We've been treated to a lot of goals in this series, but regression is imminent, and it begins tonight.Pick: Under 5.5 (-110)(Odds source: theScore Bet)Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs dealt winger Kasperi Kapanen to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, and general manager Kyle Dubas likely isn't finished making moves after another early ending to the club's season.The Leafs have been dangling four names in recent trade talks, with starting netminder Frederik Andersen highlighting a group that also includes forwards Andreas Johnsson, Pierre Engvall, and Alex Kerfoot, multiple NHL clubs confirmed to The Athletic's James Mirtle.Andersen has spent the past four seasons with Toronto and has one year remaining on his current deal, which carries a cap hit of $5 million. According to Mirtle, Andersen can be dealt for a "useful" but low-cost asset in what would primarily be a cap-clearing trade.The Danish netminder had an up-and-down campaign but compiled a .936 save percentage over five play-in games against the Columbus Blue Jackets.Johnsson, 25, carries a cap hit of $3.4 million over the next three seasons. The speedy winger is coming off an injury-plagued campaign but has shown the ability to be an impactful top-nine forward.Engvall, 24, inked a two-year, $2.5-million deal with the Leafs in February. The 26-year-old Kerfoot is under contract through 2022-23 with a cap hit of $3.5 million.The Maple Leafs cleared more cap space by moving Kapanen and his $3.2-million AVV through 2021-22 and have $7.79 million in projected space this offseason. The club is in need of adding a top-four defenseman, while blue-liner Travis Dermott and winger Ilya Mikheyev are each restricted free agents in need of a new deal.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike Green is calling it a career after 15 NHL seasons spent between the Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings, and Washington Capitals.The 34-year-old defenseman suffered an MCL injury in February and opted out of the NHL's return-to-play plan in July. Green says he feels healthy, but is looking forward to spending more time with his family and pursuing new things in life."Being an athlete isn’t the only part of who I am," he said, according to The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir. "I am a husband, father, son, brother, uncle. I’ve been very fortunate to turn my passion into my profession, but at this point in my life, I’m considering other things that I feel called to do."Green was acquired by the Oilers ahead of the trade deadline but played just two games with the club before the injury.The Alberta native was one of the most electric blue-liners in the league over his decade-long tenure with the Capitals. Green finished as runner-up in Norris Trophy voting in consecutive campaigns (2009, 2010) and is one of eight defensemen in history - and the only this century - to score 30 goals in a season, netting 31 in 2008-09.The 6-foot-1 veteran amassed 150 goals and 501 points over 880 regular-season contests, adding 37 points in 76 career playoff contests.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks forward Tyler Toffoli will return to the team's lineup for Game 2 of their series against the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday, the team announced.The 28-year-old has been out of action since Aug. 2 after suffering an injury in the qualifying round against the Minnesota Wild.The Canucks acquired Toffoli in February, and he quickly became a key player in the lineup. He recorded six goals and four assists in 10 games before the coronavirus pandemic paused the 2019-20 season on March 12.The club is scratching forward Loui Eriksson - who appeared in their last 10 games - to make room for Toffoli. He recorded 0 points in that span.Vancouver was shut out 5-0 by the Golden Knights in Game 1 of their series.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Philip Danault has been the team's No. 1 center for the past two seasons, but after his role shifted during the 2019-20 postseason, he's now unsure of his fit in Montreal.The emergence of youngsters Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi during the playoffs often moved Danault to the third line in a much more defensive, shutdown role."I don't think I'm ready to accept that," Danault told TVA Sports in French of his new role, as translated by theScore. "I like producing offensively, and I know I can reach another level on offense. I don't know if I want to limit myself to a strictly defensive role. I don't think I can improve with strictly defensive assignments."Danault has one year remaining on his current contract before becoming a free agent.When asked if his role with the team will influence whether he stays in Montreal, the 27-year-old simply replied, "Yes.""In the playoffs, the coaches wanted to see what the young players could do, and they shuffled the lines," he added. "My role has become strictly defensive, and I'm repeating myself, but I can bring more to the table than that."During the postseason, Danault was bumped from his typical line with Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar numerous times in favor of Suzuki. During the 2019-20 season, the trio of forwards ranked first, second, and third in the league in Corsi For %.Danault added that he's always had excellent chemistry with Gallagher and Tatar and that the line works.Danault has excelled in his role with Montreal since arriving with little NHL experience during the 2015-16 season. He's combined to score 25 goals and add 75 assists in 152 games over the past two seasons.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Corey Crawford is interested in returning to the Chicago Blackhawks next season, but he wants to be sure he'll get the bulk of the time in the crease."I would like to be back," the veteran goaltender said Tuesday. "I think we still have a lot of great pieces on this team, and to win another Stanley Cup in Chicago would be unbelievable, so that's the No. 1 goal."Crawford, a pending unrestricted free agent, plans to sit down with Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman to discuss his future this week, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers."Going into the meeting, that's the main thing, to win a championship, to play, to be, obviously, the main guy, and play a lot," Crawford said.The 35-year-old added that it's difficult to say what his mindset is heading into free agency, considering he and the Blackhawks were only eliminated last week. However, he reiterated that he wants to stay as long as he's given a heavy workload."Definitely, I'm leaning toward staying in Chicago and, like I said, I want to win another championship and I want to play a ton," Crawford said. "I don't want to play half the games and sit on the bench for stretches at a time. I think my value is just not as good doing that."I'm way more valuable playing games and playing consistently, so, it really depends on how much I'm going to be used. Salary, that can be discussed. That is definitely something that is not as important at this time."Crawford split starts with Robin Lehner before the Blackhawks dealt Lehner to the Vegas Golden Knights at the 2019-20 trade deadline. Crawford went 16-20-3 with a .917 save percentage and 9.01 goals saved above average in 40 regular-season games this season before starting in all nine of Chicago's postseason contests.Lehner played 33 games for the Blackhawks before the trade, going 16-10-5 with a .918 save percentage and a 10.17 GSAA.Crawford has spent his entire 13-year career with Chicago, backstopping the club to Stanley Cup championships in 2013 and 2015.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins pulled off a surprising six-player blockbuster trade on Tuesday. Here are the full details:TOR receivesPIT receives2020 1st-rd pick (15th overall)F Kasperi KapanenF Filip HallanderD Jesper LindgrenF Evan RodriguesF Pontus AbergD David WarsofskyBelow, we hand out trade grades for each team:Maple Leafs get impressive haul Rene Johnston / Toronto Star / GettyToronto needed to clear cap space this offseason to use while surely aiming to improve its defense. Moving Kapanen and his $3.2-million AAV (through 2021-22) may only be the beginning, but it's a great start. Among Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, and Alexander Kerfoot, the former was the team's most valuable trade asset due to his exceptional speed.The Pens clearly value Kapanen more than the Leafs. The former 20-goal scorer wasn't able to mesh with Toronto's top-six forwards when given the opportunity. And while he's a good third-line player, a team with roughly $40-million tied up in four forwards can't afford to pay three third-liners north of $3 million. Plus, there are cheaper options - such as Nick Robertson - who can take Kapanen's top-nine role.Last offseason, Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was tasked with cleaning up the mess Lou Lamoriello left behind. He started by sacrificing a 2020 first-round pick to get Patrick Marleau's contract off the books, and then Dubas used the cap space to sign Kapanen and Johnsson. Now, the Leafs get back into the first round with the 15th overall selection - just two spots below where Toronto would've originally drafted had the team kept its pick. The 2020 draft is also considered to be deep.Beyond the first-round pick, the Leafs also get a useful prospect in Hallander. The Penguins' second-round pick in 2018, The Athletic's Corey Pronman ranked the 20-year-old as Pittsburgh's fourth-best prospect, labeling him a legitimate future NHLer."Hallander isn’t a flashy player, with average foot speed and slightly above-average puck skills, but what drives his value is his high hockey IQ and compete level," Pronman wrote.Meanwhile, there's no guarantee Lindgren, a fourth-round pick in 2014, or Aberg ever suit up for the Penguins. The same can be said for Rodrigues, a fourth-line caliber player, and Warsofsky, a 30-year-old with just 55 career NHL games played.It boils down to a third-line winger for a mid-first-round pick and a solid prospect, making the trade a win for Dubas. While this swap will ultimately be graded on what the executive does with the cap space and pick, it's a very promising deal.Grade: APenguins overpay for Kapanen Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / GettyAre the Penguins a better team today than they were yesterday? Yes. Did they overpay to make it happen? Also yes.Penguins GM Jim Rutherford said Kapanen can improve Pittsburgh's top-six forward group. However, Kapanen didn't take advantage of the top-six opportunities he received in Toronto. He possesses elite speed, but the 24-year-old isn't a proven finisher and he lacks vision.Perhaps playing with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin could help unlock some potential - Rutherford is betting on it - but the analytics suggest he's best-suited for a third-line role.

It turns out Kasperi Kapanen's availability was one of the worst-kept secrets in the NHL.The Toronto Maple Leafs spoke to the Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, and New Jersey Devils before trading the forward to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, reports The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.Toronto dealt Kapanen to the Penguins in a six-player trade that netted the Maple Leafs the 15th overall pick in this year's draft as well as prospect Filip Hallander.The Maple Leafs attempted to reacquire the 13th overall selection they originally gave the Hurricanes in the Patrick Marleau swap in June 2019, but Carolina wasn't interested in paying that price, a source told LeBrun.Toronto asked Chicago whether it would include the 17th overall pick in a package for Kapanen, but the Blackhawks balked, according to LeBrun.The Leafs ultimately sent the 24-year-old winger to Pittsburgh along with AHLers Pontus Aberg and Jesper Lindgren in exchange for the 15th overall selection in 2020, forward Evan Rodrigues, Hallander, and minor-league defenseman David Warsofsky.Kapanen was long suspected to be on the block considering the Maple Leafs' need to bolster their defense, their salary-cap crunch, and his $3.2-million cap hit.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella was fined $25,000 for his conduct during a media availability following Game 5 of his team's first-round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the NHL announced on Tuesday.Tortorella walked out after 40 seconds, saying he didn't want to address "the touchy, feely stuff, and the moral victories and all that."

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded forward Kasperi Kapanen to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a package including a 2020 first-round pick, the team announced Tuesday.TOR receivesPIT receives2020 1st-rounder (15th overall)F Kasperi KapanenF Evan RodriguesD Jesper LindgrenF Filip HallanderF Pontus AbergD David WarsofskyThe 24-year-old Kapanen tallied 13 goals and 36 points in 69 games with the Maple Leafs this season. He's signed for two more years at an AAV of $3.2 million and will be an RFA when his deal expires.Pittsburgh drafted Kapanen with its first-round pick in 2014 but traded him to Toronto a year later in the deal that sent Phil Kessel to the Penguins.Kapanen was Jim Rutherford's first draft pick as general manager of the Penguins. His father, Sami Kapanen, played under Rutherford with the Carolina Hurricanes.The Maple Leafs traded their own 2020 first-round pick (which ended up being 13th overall) last offseason to the Hurricanes to shed Patrick Marleau's contract.Pittsburgh doesn't own a first-round pick until 2022, as it sent its 2021 first-rounder to the Minnesota Wild as part of the Jason Zucker trade. The Penguins have used just one first-round pick (Samuel Poulin in 2019) since selecting Kapanen in 2014.The Penguins drafted Hallander in the second round in 2018. The Athletic's Corey Pronman listed him as the Penguins' fourth-best prospect and tabbed him as a legitimate future NHL player.Rodrigues, 27, has 72 points in 199 career NHL games. He's a pending restricted free agent.The Maple Leafs drafted Lindgren in the fourth round in 2014. He tallied nine points in 31 games with the AHL's Toronto Marlies last season.Warsofsky, 30, and Aberg, 26, have spent the majority of their professional careers in the AHL.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh will not play in Game 2 against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, head coach Jon Cooper announced.McDonagh left Sunday's Game 1 in the third period and did not practice Monday.The 31-year-old veteran is a big part of the Lightning's defensive corps, averaging over 26 minutes of ice time per game during the playoffs. He has three assists and 20 shots in nine postseason games so far.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.The Flyers made absolutely no statement Monday night, and a second-period flurry destroyed our under in the Stars-Avalanche game to relegate us to an 0-2 evening.The good news: Those Islanders and Stars series bets are looking tasty so far. Here's what's on tap for Tuesday.Boston Bruins (-105) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (-115)Game 1 was an absolute treat. The Lightning were slow out of the gate and it cost them, but we saw just how little there really is separating these two teams. This is an incredibly tight series, and every game should follow a similarly climactic script.Despite the loss, there were some legitimate positives for Tampa Bay. The Lightning posted a 2.51 expected goals for mark at five-on-five, compared to just 1.6 for the Bruins. But even more impressive was their ability to completely shut down the trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak at five-on-five. The Bruins' top line did manage a goal, but it generated just one high-danger scoring chance while Tampa Bay controlled 81.03% of the expected goal share with that trio on the ice.If the Lightning keep finding ways to slow Boston's big line, they should win more often than not in this series. With the Bolts owning last change again in Game 2, one should feel very comfortable backing them at a short price to even the series.Pick: Lightning (-115)Vancouver Canucks (+185) @ Vegas Golden Knights (-225)Game 1 seemed like the Canucks' worst fears realized. Jacob Markstrom didn't stand on his head, so they were left trying to dump buckets of water out of the boat to fix a leak. Vancouver's primary issue is that its top players are excellent, but the ones surrounding them aren't; the roster features several replacement-level players, and an incredibly deep team like the Golden Knights can expose that flaw. When that happens, it won't be pretty.That issue was on display in a big way Sunday, with Vegas controlling an astounding 66.67% of the expected goals share while doubling Vancouver in high-danger chances. Robin Lehner also looked like his old self following a disappointing Round 1.It's clear the Canucks aren't going to outscore this Vegas team. They have to tighten up things at the back, lean into Markstrom - who's been playing too well not to bounce back from a rough Game 1 - and hope to grind out low-scoring wins. Look for that shift to start tonight.Pick: Under 5.5 (+105)(Odds source: theScore Bet)Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bruce Boudreau is indeed intrigued by the idea of reuniting with his hometown team as an assistant coach.The longtime NHL bench boss, who's been out of work since the Minnesota Wild fired him in February, confirmed Monday he would welcome potentially joining the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant coach if the club is interested in hiring him.“I understand they’ve asked for permission but nobody’s talked to me yet,” Boudreau told The Toronto Star's Kevin McGran. “I mean, I think the idea is cool."It was reported last week the Maple Leafs reached out to the Wild over the last few months about interviewing him for an assistant coaching role, and those close to Boudreau said he was amenable to the idea. However, the 65-year-old reportedly still had his sights set on being a head coach again, a notion he confirmed Monday.“The biggest part of it is I just want to be involved in hockey and coaching in the NHL again next year," Boudreau said. "My goal is to become a head coach but the idea of being an assistant in Toronto is really intriguing. That’s because it’s Toronto.”The former Wild, Anaheim Ducks, and Washington Capitals bench boss believes the current Maple Leafs squad can vie for a championship despite its lack of recent postseason success.“Even though they haven’t had the success they’d like, I think they’re good enough that they could be a Stanley Cup contender any year,” Boudreau said. “I mean, my goal has been to win the Stanley Cup before I retire … I mean that’s very intriguing.”Boudreau was born in Toronto and played all but seven of his 141 NHL games with the Maple Leafs from 1976-82. The club selected him in the third round of the 1975 draft after he played three years in junior with the Toronto Marlboros.The Leafs have assistant coaching vacancies following the departures of Paul McFarland and Andrew Brewer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk suffered a concussion during the team's first-round series against the Dallas Stars, general manager Brad Treliving said on Monday, according to Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson.The concussion forced the star out of the team's final four postseason games.The 22-year-old left Game 2 of the series after getting sandwiched between two Dallas players. He managed one goal and one assist in six playoff games prior to his departure.Treliving also said two other key players suffered significant injuries during the club's qualifying-round series against the Winnipeg Jets. Defenseman Rasmus Andersson played through a broken foot, and forward Sam Bennett played with a torn tricep muscle.Bennett was a vital piece for the Flames during the postseason, racking up five goals and three assists over 10 games. Andersson was equally important, recording three goals and two assists in five contests while averaging 21:27 minutes of ice time.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford knows keeping both of his top two netminders beyond this offseason is a luxury his team likely can't afford."We know that there's a very, very good chance that we're going to have to move one of them," Rutherford told The Athletic's Josh Yohe regarding goaltenders Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry.He added: "There is already interest. And it looks like we're going to have to move one of them."Murray and Jarry are both restricted free agents this offseason, and allotting valuable salary-cap space to both doesn't seem necessary; the team has a capable backup in Casey DeSmith under contract at a modest $1.25 million annually for two more seasons.The Penguins are projected to have $12.4 million in cap room this offseason, according to CapFriendly. But Pittsburgh also has six pending RFAs in addition to Murray and Jarry - including Jared McCann - who are in need of new contracts. The team also has a trio of pending unrestricted free agents in Conor Sheary, Patrick Marleau, and Justin Schultz.It also wouldn't make sense for the Penguins to have both Murray and Jarry on the roster by the time the 2021 Seattle expansion draft rolls around; each team is permitted to protect just one goalie in the draft."I haven't gotten to the point yet where I'm having serious talks or seeing exactly how much I can get," Rutherford said. "But, I will say, I'm getting close to that point, to understanding just what people are willing to give."So, we'll see. I don't know exactly how it's going to go, but I can already see that there is going to be a lot of interest."Deciding which goalie to trade could prove difficult. Murray, 26, led the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, but he struggled mightily this season. Jarry, 25, is far less proven at the NHL level, but he enjoyed a breakout 2019-20 campaign that resulted in an All-Star nod.Stat (2019-20)MurrayJarryGP3833SV%.899.921GAA2.872.43GSAA-11.611.07With Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup window closing, it's critical Rutherford both keeps the right goaltender and nets a valuable return for the goalie he moves. No pressure.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Robby Fabbri to a two-year contract extension, the club announced Monday.Fabbri's new deal carries an average annual value of $2.95 million, reports The Athletic's Craig Custance. His current contract has a $900,000 cap hit, according to CapFriendly.The 24-year-old, who was a pending restricted free agent, collected 14 goals and 31 points in 52 games with the Red Wings this season after the St. Louis Blues traded him to Detroit for center Jacob de la Rose in November.Fabbri had registered only one goal in nine games with the Blues in 2019-20 at the time of the trade, but he made an immediate impact upon joining the Red Wings. He notched two goals in his debut with his new club and racked up eight markers and 15 points over his first 16 contests with Detroit.Though he was frequently beset by injuries through his first three NHL seasons with the Blues, Fabbri was a member of St. Louis' championship squad last season. He suited up for 10 playoff games in 2019, including two in the Stanley Cup Final.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's bubbles are still working.For the fifth consecutive week, the league recorded zero COVID-19 cases among the 4,644 tests it conducted from Aug. 16 to 22.As usual, testing was done daily on players and every other member of the teams' 52-person traveling groups.The NHL also recorded perfect testing results in the week leading up to the restart when players reported to the hub cities.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche will be without two key pieces for the foreseeable future, as goaltender Philipp Grubauer and defenseman Erik Johnson are out indefinitely with undisclosed ailments, head coach Jared Bednar said Monday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Both players were injured in Game 1 against the Dallas Stars on Saturday.The Avs will roll with backup Pavel Francouz - who was actually the team's most effective goalie this season - in Grubauer's absence.StatGrubauerFrancouzGP3634SV%.916.923GAA2.632.41GSAA6.4813.06Both netminders have been sensational in the postseason thus far, though.StatGrubauerFrancouzGP73SV%.922.941GAA1.871.59GSAA0.671.63Losing Johnson is a massive blow. The veteran blue-liner averaged 21:03 of regular-season ice time - the third-most on the team behind Samuel Girard and Nathan MacKinnon. The club counts on the 2006 No. 1 pick to play a shutdown role.Kevin Connauton, a veteran of 314 NHL games, will draw into the lineup in Johnson's place. Bednar said he liked the play of young rearguards Bowen Byram and Conor Timmins in training camp, but the bench boss values Connauton's strength, puck-moving ability, and experience, according to The Athletic's Ryan Clark.Forward Matt Calvert will also remain out of the lineup for Game 2, which is set for Monday at 9:45 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers interviewed Sean Burke for their general manager vacancy, a source told Arizona Coyotes insider Craig Morgan.Burke is currently a scout and goaltending consultant with the Montreal Canadiens. He worked in the Coyotes organization for nearly a decade from 2007-16 in a number of roles, including goalie coach, director of player development, and assistant GM. Burke also served as the GM for Hockey Canada at the Spengler Cup (2017-present), World Championship (2018), and Olympic Games (2018).The 53-year-old enjoyed an 18-season playing career as a goaltender. He played 66 of his 820 NHL games with the Panthers.Florida fired Dale Tallon as GM on Aug. 10.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marc-Andre Fleury's agent, Allan Walsh, tweeted out a photo Saturday of a sword inscribed with Vegas Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer's name stabbing his client in the back.Walsh is obviously not pleased DeBoer has rolled with Robin Lehner as the team's No. 1 goalie during the playoffs (he's started seven of nine games) instead of Fleury. Lehner addressed the tweet on Sunday after his shutout in Game 1 against the Vancouver Canucks."Me and Marc were just laughing. It's always the media and everyone else that makes a big deal out of this," Lehner said, according to TSN. "I think me and Marc we get along great; he's a really good guy."This team is a (heck) of a group and everyone is really tight, and when this happened, I saw Marc and we were just laughing. That's all it is. At the end of the day, he didn't do anything. It was his agent, and if he wants to be unprofessional, go ahead. He looks terrible, but it is what it is."Fleury declined to answer whether he knew Walsh was going to tweet the photo, but the veteran did say he asked his agent to delete the image the following morning. Fleury also noted that he and Lehner maintain a good relationship.Lehner, whom the Golden Knights acquired at the trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks, is 6-1 in the playoffs with a .918 save percentage and a 2.10 goals-against average. The 29-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hiring Todd Reirden's replacement is one of the biggest decisions Brian MacLellan will face in his executive career. The Washington Capitals general manager fired his head coach on Sunday after just two seasons, and finding his successor will be an integral part of the franchise's quest for another Stanley Cup.Despite modest regular-season success, Reirden couldn't replicate the same defensive formula as his predecessor, Barry Trotz. In two seasons under Reirden, the Capitals ranked 19th in the NHL in goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five (GA/60). In the previous two years under Trotz, Washington ranked first.MacLellan will surely target a coach with a track record of defensive success. And considering the organization's history of head coaches during the Alex Ovechkin era (MacLellan has been with the franchise since 2000, but he only became GM in 2014), he's going to pursue someone with extensive NHL head coaching experience.CoachYear hiredNHL experienceGlen Hanlon2003NoneBruce Boudreau2007NoneDale Hunter2011NoneAdam Oates2012NoneBarry Trotz201415 yearsTodd Reirden2018NoneFive of the six head coaches since Ovechkin arrived were hired with zero NHL head coaching experience, and the only one to truly pan out was Boudreau.The Capitals are a veteran team with a dwindling Stanley Cup window. Ovechkin (34), Nicklas Backstrom (32), Evgeny Kuznetsov (28), T.J. Oshie (33), John Carlson (30), and Dmitry Orlov (29) aren't getting any younger.Washington needs a veteran head coach who can immediately get players to play a tighter defensive system (like they were with Trotz) for the club to take a run at another Stanley Cup. There's no time to mess around with a rookie bench boss.Here are the five best candidates for the job:5. Mike Babcock Norm Hall / National Hockey League / GettyHiring Babcock seems highly unlikely, considering the Toronto Maple Leafs are still paying him handsomely to hunt and travel. The Capitals, remember, were unwilling to meet Trotz's contract demands before he left for Long Island. Ponying up for Babcock doesn't seem to fit Washington's modus operandi.Babcock has his flaws, too. In his four full seasons in Toronto, the Leafs finished in the top half of the league in goals against just once, and the Detroit Red Wings only reached that level twice over his final five campaigns in the Motor City. Babcock has also recorded just one playoff series win in the last eight years.However, he's still one of the most decorated coaches of this era, which could tempt the Capitals. He's earned two Olympic gold medals, a World Cup title, a Stanley Cup, and has been to the finals on two other occasions. His attention to detail is impeccable and he can be a great motivator, though sometimes Babcock's methods are questionable.4. John Stevens Jeff Bottari / National Hockey League / GettyStevens is by far the least-experienced candidate on this list with only 362 career games as an NHL head coach, making him a bit of an underdog for the Caps' gig.After an up-and-down tenure in Philly from 2006 to 2009, he joined the Los Angeles Kings' staff as an assistant coach in 2010, spending parts of six seasons under Darryl Sutter. The Kings were a defensive juggernaut during that time, winning Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014.He became Los Angeles' head coach prior to the 2017-18 season, making the playoffs on the strength of the league's No. 1 defense in goals allowed. The team received exceptional goaltending though, as its expected goals against rate was middle of the pack (xGA/60). He was fired after a rough start to the following campaign and spent this season as an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars, who ranked second in GA/60 and seventh in xGA/60.3. Peter Laviolette John Russell / National Hockey League / GettyLaviolette's coaching career has been a tale of instant success. After the Carolina Hurricanes hired him in 2003, he won the Stanley Cup the next season. In his first campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers, he made it to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. In his third season with the Nashville Predators, he also made it to the final.That trend should certainly be enough to tantalize the Capitals' front office and earn Laviolette an interview. But he's also established himself as an excellent defensive coach.Over his last three full seasons with the Preds, they ranked second in GA/60. Pekka Rinne playing well certainly helped, but the Predators also ranked eighth in xGA/60, which doesn't factor in goaltending.2. Gerard Gallant Bill Wippert / National Hockey League / GettyGallant has also achieved instant success often. His Jack Adams Award-winning season in 2017-18 after he brought the expansion Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final is well documented. But he's also responsible for the Florida Panthers' lone playoff appearance over the last eight years, leading the team to the postseason in his second campaign on the job.The 56-year-old hasn't really received a fair shake, either. In Florida he was fired 22 games into the following season after making the playoffs, despite posting a tolerable 11-10-1 record. His replacement, Tom Rowe, went 24-26-10. Gallant was also infamously forced to wait for a taxi after his dismissal.In Vegas, he was fired this season even while owning a respectable 24-19-6 record, and the league's second-best expected goals share. Gallant was unlucky, as Vegas posted the NHL's fourth-worst PDO (shooting percentage plus save percentage) at the time he was canned.1. Bruce Boudreau Bruce Kluckhohn / National Hockey League / GettyBoudreau returning to D.C. would be quite the story. He got his first NHL head coaching gig with the Capitals during the 2007-08 season, promptly winning the Jack Adams Award after that campaign. He led Washington to four straight playoff berths, including a 121-point Presidents' Trophy-winning season in 2009-10 before being fired 22 games into the 2011-12 season.His inability to advance past the second round was Boudreau's undoing in Washington. He's made the playoffs 10 times in his 13-year coaching career, but postseason failure followed him during stops with the Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild.Boudreau had a bit of a reputation as an offensive coach during his time in Washington, but he's actually morphed into one of the league's best defensive coaches. Over his three full seasons in Minnesota, the Wild ranked first in the NHL in xGA/60, and ninth in GA/60. Even this season before he was fired, the Wild ranked first in xGA/60, but 14th in GA/60 due to some horrendous goaltending.Most importantly, Boudreau has prior relationships with Caps players, giving him a leg up on other candidates. Five players still remain on the Capitals from the last Washington squad Boudreau coached, and he's appeared to maintain his connection with Ovechkin.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault expects an interesting second-round series against the New York Islanders."It’s going to be a greasy series," Vigneault said Sunday. "It’s going to be a lot of fun."The Flyers squeezed past the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs despite being outscored in the six-game span. Vigneault liked what he saw from his team, but believes they can elevate it to another level for the upcoming series."We were able to win that first round playing hard hockey, good hockey," Vigneault said, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "But when you analyze it, I do believe there's another level we can attain if our top-end guys execute the way that we've seen them execute throughout the year."The Islanders and Flyers met three times during the regular season, with New York winning each game. The teams last met on Feb. 11, just before Philadelphia caught fire and went on a 10-2-0 run that was halted when the season paused on March 12.Islanders head coach Barry Trotz thinks his team has figured out the recipe for success in playoff hockey after decimating the Washington Capitals in the first round."I think our 5-on-5 play, you can say (has) confidence, I think we just trust it," Trotz said. "We know what works for us. I think we understand how you win in the playoffs. We've basically gotten through two rounds right now from a mental and physical standpoint that it's sort of ingrained in your DNA of what you need to do and how you have to play."The first game of the series is Monday at 7 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.