Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer won't suit up for Game 2 of the team's second-round series against the Dallas Stars on Monday, head coach Jared Bednar said, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Bednar added he's not sure how long Grubauer will be sidelined.Grubauer suffered an apparent groin injury in the second period of Colorado's 5-3 loss in Game 1 on Saturday night. He went down after stretching to make a save and had to be helped off the ice.Pavel Francouz stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced after replacing Grubauer, who allowed three goals on 10 shots before his injury.The backup netminder authored a 27-save shutout of the Stars in the round-robin stage and now has a .941 save percentage across three postseason appearances in 2019-20.Francouz took over as the Avalanche starter earlier this season when Grubauer was hurt in a Stadium Series game against the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 15. After stepping into the No. 1 role, Francouz went 8-2-2 with a .919 save percentage in 12 games before the pause.Grubauer regained the starter's role for the postseason and has gone 5-1 with a .922 save percentage in seven playoff contests.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan acknowledges that bringing Braden Holtby back won't be easy, and he says a decision regarding the goaltender's future hasn't been made."Still to be decided," MacLellan told reporters after firing head coach Todd Reirden on Sunday. "I think it's going to be difficult, but sometimes opportunities come up that you don't expect, and I think we'd like to play it out and see what happens here."Holtby, a pending unrestricted free agent, has spent his entire 10-year career with Washington. He's in the final season of the five-year, $30.5-million pact the puck-stopper inked with the club in 2015.The netminder, who will turn 31 in September, backstopped the Capitals to a Stanley Cup championship in 2018, but he's been mostly mediocre since. Holtby went 25-14-6 in 48 games this season while authoring a paltry .897 save percentage along with a minus-16.76 goals saved above average.He posted a 2-6 record in the 2019-20 playoffs - including the round-robin stage - producing a pedestrian .906 save percentage over those eight contests.McLellan also noted Sunday that Ilya Samsonov, the team's potential goaltender of the future, is expected to be ready for training camp. The 23-year-old didn't join his teammates in the Toronto bubble this postseason after suffering an injury beforehand.Samsonov outplayed Holtby during the regular season, albeit over a smaller sample size. The rookie went 16-6-2 with a .913 save percentage and a 2.3 GSAA across 26 games.The Capitals have nearly $71 million in team salary committed for 2020-21, when the salary cap will remain stagnant at $81.5 million. Holtby is currently carrying a cap hit of $6.1 million, and a handful of other Capitals players are slated to become either restricted or unrestricted free agents.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On Sunday, Marc-Andre Fleury refused to say whether he was aware his agent was planning to tweet a photo Saturday of his client being stabbed in the back by a sword inscribed with Vegas Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer's name.One day after Allan Walsh sent his since-deleted tweet, Fleury declined to directly answer questions about whether he had prior knowledge that his representative would post the photo.Fleury said he requested that Walsh delete the tweet."I really appreciated (Walsh’s) passion for the game that he has, and I think this was maybe a way to defend me in that situation," the netminder said. "... I’m here to win with my team, to have success. That’s what matters. Because of that, I asked him to take that picture down, and he did (Sunday) morning, so that's it."When asked if he had any idea his agent would post the image, Fleury didn't specifically answer the question."Like I said, I think we've been talking, right, throughout the playoffs. Obviously, I love playing, I love being in net ... He's been on Twitter for a long time, and he's just trying to protect me a bit."When asked again to clarify whether Fleury knew about the tweet in advance, the veteran puck-stopper kept his answer brief."That's the same question as before," he said.Fleury later added that he and new Golden Knights starter Robin Lehner have a good relationship."Bottom line is we all want to win, that's why we're here," Fleury said. "I don't like being a distraction for my team. I think we're good. I talked with Robin, too. I really like Robin. We have a good friendship, and I think he's a really good goalie also. There's no hard feelings."Vegas expects Lehner to start Game 1 against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.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.Though the big favorites rule the second round in the Western Conference, the opposite is true in the East, where a pair of incredibly close series should make for great viewing.Let's get right into the matchups.New York Islanders (+115) @ Philadelphia Flyers (-135)The Flyers rode their luck - and Carter Hart - to an unconvincing series win over the Montreal Canadiens and now have their work cut out for them against the Islanders. Philadelphia's play was concerning in Round 1, as the team was dominated at five-on-five and also struggled on special teams.Meanwhile, the Islanders have allowed the fewest expected goals in the bubble and posted the best five-on-five save percentage, stifling the Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals. New York has been opportunistic on offense, but the Flyers are more structured than the two teams they faced previously and Hart is a step up in class between the pipes. However, the Flyers can't expect to simply lean on their 22-year-old goaltender again.Everyone is contributing right now for the Islanders. To no one's surprise, Barry Trotz has done an exquisite job to get everyone on the same page and buy in. This is a fast, relentless team, and we saw how problematic that was for Philly when it played Montreal. There's no way the Flyers aren't better here than they were against the Habs, but the Islanders will prove to be too much.Pick: Islanders (+115)Boston Bruins (-110) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (-110)The hockey world is frothing at the mouth in anticipation for this clash of titans. With both the Lightning and Bruins at their peak, this could be the best these playoffs have to offer.There is so little between these two teams. The Bruins have the edge in star power but the Lightning have better depth. Both are playing excellent hockey, and this series is close to a coin flip.It's the extenuating factors, though, that could make the difference - most notably, the absence of Tuukka Rask. Can Jaroslav Halak stand strong with no safety net behind him, and, if not, what happens if he falters against the Lightning's seemingly unstoppable attack?Steven Stamkos' absence - and his possible return date - is the other issue. The Lightning defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets without him, but the Bruins are an entirely different beast. If he doesn't return by at least midway through the series, it could be the edge Boston needs to make a return to the Eastern Conference Final.Boston's biggest weakness is perhaps its lack of depth, as the Bruins are beatable if you slow down the top line. The same can't be said for Tampa Bay. The Lightning hold the edge in goal and, with the monkey off their back, possess the belief needed to finally put it all together.Pick: Lightning (-110)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 Washington Capitals fired bench boss Todd Reirden after just two seasons on the job, the team announced Sunday."We have higher expectations for our team, and we felt a fresh approach in leadership was necessary," general manager Brian MacLellan said. "We would like to thank Todd for all of his hard work and efforts with our organization. Todd has been a big part of our team for more than half a decade, including our Stanley Cup run in 2018, and we wish him and his family all the best moving forward."Reirden was an assistant coach with the Caps for four seasons. He was promoted to head coach following Barry Trotz's departure after the club's 2018 Stanley Cup triumph. Trotz resigned when the Capitals were unwilling to meet his contract demands, and he was hired shortly thereafter by the New York Islanders, who beat the Capitals in Round 1 this year.The 49-year-old Reirden guided the team to an 89-46-16 record during the regular season but failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs in each of his two years at the helm.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tim Horvat was downstairs in his basement in Rodney, Ontario, well after midnight a couple of weekends ago when his older son - the captain of the Vancouver Canucks - glided into frame on the big screen, tracking the puck on the forecheck in the Minnesota Wild's end.Six minutes remained in Game 4 of Vancouver's playoff qualifier series, a matchup slated to wrap that night if the Canucks could overcome a late one-goal deficit. Not since 2011, smack in the middle of the Sedin brothers' heyday, had the Canucks won a round of any kind, a long wait for a titleless franchise and the mission of the center counted on to fill the twins' vacated leadership role.With a little help from friend and foe - Tanner Pearson battling behind the net; Minnesota's Kevin Fiala watching the puck a little too closely - Bo Horvat took it upon himself to end the holdup. Fiala was none the wiser as Horvat coasted behind him to the crease, and Wild goalie Alex Stalock couldn't keep him from potting Pearson's pass. Your browser does not support the video tag. NHL / Sportsnet"That one got the ball rolling," Tim Horvat said by phone the other day. "It was that comeback, that tie, the overtime goal by (Chris) Tanev. I think that was when the team really started to gel."Vancouver's still rolling, deposing the champion St. Louis Blues to move into the second round proper, and the fan base has plenty of names to salute. Tender-aged Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes magnetize the attention of defenders, whose targeted physicality hasn't stopped them from scoring at point-per-game rates. Pearson, J.T. Miller, and Brock Boeser have driven offense, too. At 30 years old, Jacob Markstrom had never appeared in the postseason; he now rocks a .929 save percentage and seven wins in 10 starts. Tanev eliminated the Wild with his first career playoff goal, and Tyler Motte has four of his own in the past two games.The puck drops Sunday night on Vancouver's next best-of-seven, against a new challenge entirely in the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas is a powerhouse, seemingly destined to meet the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. Yet like the scrappy Dallas Stars, the Canucks can't be discounted from the outset - nor, in their particular case, written off as content to wait for the bright future that's in store for their core.The Canucks have the air of a dark horse on the rise, unfazed by their last opponent's resume or by the magnitude of the stage. For that, a fair share of the credit goes to Horvat, already a seasoned veteran at age 25 and the first folk hero to emerge during this run. Andy Devlin / NHL / Getty ImagesHorvat's six goals in the bubble tied him for the NHL lead entering this round. He's scored in all situations, in spectacular fashion, and in the clutch, from the equalizer that set about Minnesota's downfall to the OT winner he cashed on the rush in Game 2 against St. Louis. That he's gone without a point since then doesn't detract from the legend he fashioned across those several days in Edmonton. The former ninth overall pick, which was acquired from New Jersey at the 2013 draft for Cory Schneider, has become the franchise's rock in pressurized times.When the Canucks talk about their first-year captain in media availabilities, they tend to repeat certain compliments. Horvat plays smart, they say. He keeps it simple. They appreciate that he's strong on the puck down low, that he attends to all 200 feet of the ice. To put it broadly, he does a lot right. And inarguably, he shows up when needed."A couple of us younger guys, younger than Bo, are watching that and taking notes," Boeser said."There's that stereotype where you say guys are built for the playoffs. That's bang on with Bo," Pearson told reporters after Horvat's second multi-goal game early in the Blues series. "He's leading the way for us, and we're just following right now. Which we'll all do in a heartbeat." Dave Sandford / NHL / Getty ImagesThrough two rounds, Horvat leads Vancouver forwards in ice time (21:13 per game) and defensive zone starts (43, fourth among forwards in the playoffs, according to Natural Stat Trick). While Pettersson and Hughes have been electric on the power play, Horvat's six points at even strength and shorthanded pace the team, an invaluable lift for a lineup that St. Louis outchanced heavily at five-on-five.As for the aesthetics of how he's scored: as distant a memory as they may seem given the relentlessness of the schedule, most of his goals on Jordan Binnington are sure to feature in any postseason highlight reel.Those goals showcased the breadth of his capabilities. Eyes popped when Horvat dangled Vince Dunn in Game 1 and walked Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz on a shorthanded breakout two nights later. Scoring on those plays required speed, the awareness to attack Dunn or two backchecking forwards in space, the puck-handling dexterity to reset to his forehand off the deke, and a sweet release to beat Binnington.Widening the playoff lens, he's also scored on a tip, a slot shot on the power play, and the one-timer that punished Fiala's inattentiveness. The winning sequence that squashed the Blues in Game 2 started with a wonderful banked stretch pass from Hughes; Horvat finished with composure on the ensuing partial breakaway."When Bo's on top of his game, he just does a little bit of everything," head coach Travis Green said during the Blues series. Another day, he issued this endorsement: "If anyone's made for playoff hockey, it's Bo Horvat."Back in junior, Horvat proved as much in the months that preceded his 2013 draft day. He scored 16 goals in 21 playoff games to guide the London Knights to the Ontario Hockey League title, earning postseason MVP honors. He reserved his best for the latest possible instant: in Game 7 of the final against the Barrie Colts, Horvat broke a 2-2 tie with a netfront flick that crossed the line with 0.1 seconds left.The goal was Nazem Kadri-esque, mirroring the buzzer-beater the Avalanche center netted to stun the Blues in the Western seeding round. No championship was on the line when Kadri struck, though. To London assistant coach Dylan Hunter, it crystallized much of what made Horvat dangerous: the faceoff he won to start the play, the impulse to get inside position at the crease, the readiness to capitalize before the horn sounded."It was just one of those things with that leadership capability of his: to understand the compete level (needed) at the end of the game, to want to score and want to not have to go to OT," Hunter said in an interview. He added: "And having the confidence to be the guy."In Vancouver as in London, where his teammates in 2013 alone included future NHLers Max Domi, Josh Anderson, Chris Tierney, Olli Maatta, Nikita Zadorov, and Scott Harrington, Horvat's managed to distinguish himself on a roster replete with talent. Hunter and Canucks defenseman Troy Stecher credited him with performing the same feat years apart: bridging the generational gap inherent to any locker room - between 16- and 20-year-olds in junior, and between the likes of Pettersson and Hughes and remaining guys who played with the Sedins - and setting a tone on the ice others are keen to follow.Horvat, admittedly, was overrun throughout the Blues series by Ryan O'Reilly; Vancouver owned a mere 26.77% of scoring chances during his extensive matchups with St. Louis' top center at five-on-five. But that disparity wasn't ultimately meaningful. The overall scoreline on those shifts was 1-1. Dave Sandford / NHL / Getty ImagesTaken in isolation, meanwhile, the end of the Wild series and Games 1 and 2 against St. Louis were the best Green said he's seen his captain play. To apply Stecher's preferred metaphor, Horvat seized the bull by the horns, keying those crucial first victories that backfooted the defending champs."Everybody's followed suit and hopped on his back," Stecher said. "That's what a leader does."Regardless of how the Vegas matchup turns out, questions will abound once these playoffs end about the Canucks' trajectory. How much better can Pettersson and Hughes get? What pay will they command in restricted free agency next summer? What is general manager Jim Benning to do under salary-cap duress about the glut of decisions he faces this offseason, with Markstrom, Stecher, Tanev, Tyler Toffoli, and Jake Virtanen all soon to be up for new deals?For now, those are secondary concerns in Vancouver and in Rodney, where bedtime at the Horvat house will stretch into the wee hours a while longer. After he takes in each Canucks playoff game with his wife, Cindy, and their younger son Cal, Tim Horvat's made a habit of chatting with Bo on the phone, analyzing the night's events as calm descends on the bubble and Tim waits till 3 a.m. to get to sleep.Rodney is a 45-minute drive from London, where Tim played 12 games at forward for the Knights - Brendan Shanahan was a teammate - in the mid-1980s. He sells insulation now, but retains a player and hockey parent's insight into the forces that have gotten his son to where he is.Self-confidence, mental toughness, and an even keel helped him shoulder the weight of the captaincy this season, Tim said. His teammates have always liked him, and those he has in Vancouver were quick studies in navigating the playoff grind. With every matchup comes new lessons in how to rise to the occasion."That's the best thing," Tim said. "The farther they can go, the more they learn."Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar wasn't happy with how his team performed in a 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars in Game 1 on Saturday night."The biggest thing was we had half our team not show up to play," Bednar said postgame, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.Bednar didn't mention anyone by name but made it clear to whom he was referencing."Obviously, our big guys had a good night," he said. "They were here to compete, play to win the hockey game, and we had a lot of guys that weren't. When I say a lot, I'm talking half the team."The top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, and Mikko Rantanen - who combined for six points - had a strong outing. Second-line center Nazem Kadri - who's tied for the playoff lead with six goals and picked up an assist in the game - also appeared to be excused from Bednar's comments."I did not like our D-corps tonight. I did not like our middle-six wingers," Bednar added, according to The Athletic's Ryan Clark.Colorado's middle-six wingers were Andre Burakovsky, Joonas Donskoi, Tyson Jost, and Valeri Nichushkin. None posted a positive shot-attempt differential in the contest, according to Natural Stat Trick."We had a couple workers in the bottom six, but we did not have enough people playing," Bednar said. "You might be able to get away with one or two passengers this time of year, but you're not getting away with any more than that. Not against a team like Dallas. So, that's on us. That's on me as the head coach."Perhaps nobody had a rougher night than blue-liner Nikita Zadorov. The 6-foot-6 rearguard was on the ice for zero high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five compared to nine against.Game 2 is set for Monday at 9:45 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer left Game 1 against the Dallas Stars on Saturday with an apparent groin injury after stretching out to make a save in the second period.Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said postgame that "time will tell" how long Grubauer will be out, according to The Athletic's Ryan S. Clark. Bednar added that he doesn't expect Grubauer to be on the ice Sunday, and Pavel Francouz is the team's starting goalie for now.Grubauer seemed to tweak something, and he grabbed his groin area before going down to the ice. He was then helped off without putting pressure on his leg.

Barclay Goodrow could have pumped the brakes on the forecheck, but instead, he hustled past a Blue Jackets defenseman in a tight race to the puck to negate an icing call.Blake Coleman could have chipped the puck deep into Columbus' zone, but instead, he curled away from the goal line to find Ryan McDonagh at the point.Yanni Gourde could have positioned himself for a pass from McDonagh, but instead, he parked himself in goalie Joonas Korpisalo's crease in anticipation of the point shot.These three smart decisions, one from each of the Lightning's third-line forwards - Gourde, the center, and wingers Coleman and Goodrow - led to a huge goal in Game 1 of Tampa's opening-round series against Columbus.McDonagh unleashed a slap shot that produced a mad scramble. Then, with Gourde in Korpisalo's kitchen, the puck redirected off the goalie and into the net. Your browser does not support the video tag. The tally, which came on the first shift of the third period and tied the game 2-2, turned out to be the beginning of the end for an overworked Blue Jackets squad. Columbus never truly recovered from the marathon loss that required four-and-a-half overtime periods. Tampa rolled on to win three of the next four games, setting up a second-round date with Boston."We have different lines that can bring different elements to the games. Gourdo, Coleman, and Goodrow (were) phenomenal throughout the first series," Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said Friday. "They bring that grit, they bring that hard forecheck game."But they chip in with big goals as well (four total against Columbus). I like the balance on our team and we expect the best out of everyone every night. We proved that in the first round."Let's not kid ourselves here: The Lightning are the NHL's best team on paper. At every position, they boast high-end talent and enviable depth. The club's postseason fate, then, will largely rest with whether it can overwhelm opponents, especially up front. A dominant newly formed third line - and yes, Gourde-Coleman-Goodrow has been highly effective since the restart - takes pressure and attention away from Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, and, if he returns from injury, Steven Stamkos."This is the reason we got them, right?" Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said after Game 4 when asked about Coleman and Goodrow, who were acquired from New Jersey and San Jose, respectively, ahead of February's trade deadline."We feel we're a playoff team," he added. "It all just comes down to winning in the playoffs. You go down our roster and it's hard to squeeze guys into the top six, but we didn't feel like that was our need. We needed to be harder to play against." Elsa / Getty ImagesThe bench boss added that while "harder" used to mean physicality and fighting, nowadays it refers to dialing up the foot speed, competitive drive, and pest-like tendencies.Cooper likes to call his third line the Gnats because "they're always just buzzing around, and as you try and knock them away they just never leave." Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has been impressed, too. "They're just a really annoying line," he said.Though Gourde and Coleman have both reached the 20-goal mark twice, there's nothing too fancy about the trio. All three are meat-and-potatoes forwards of the modern era - driven and trustworthy, with enough speed and skill to frustrate the opposition's best players. They're not green anymore either - Goodrow is 27 years old, and the others are 28 - so you know what to expect from these hard-working veterans every shift. And that's why Cooper started each period of the first round with them lined up at center ice.The clip below, from the line's second shift of overtime in Game 5, is a shining example of the three causing havoc in the offensive zone to wear down the opposition. Over a 10-second stretch, Gourde applies puck pressure several times and nearly scores, Coleman takes the body to eliminate a defender from the play, and Goodrow fires a dangerous shot from the dot. Your browser does not support the video tag. The line's puck-battle victories, fearlessness in front of the net, smart reads, responsible passing, and calories burned from skating end to end during the first round resulted in some eye-popping underlying numbers.The three generated 45 scoring chances and 16 high-danger shot attempts at five-on-five while surrendering just 18 chances and five high-danger attempts in 75 minutes and 30 seconds against Columbus, according to Natural Stat Trick. Tampa's three other lines finished 95-81 in chances and 39-20 in high-danger attempts. Those are excellent ratios, but not quite as lopsided as the play of the tone-setting third line.Here's a look at the Lightning with and without its third line on the ice against Columbus (all numbers five-on-five):with 3rd linewithout 3rd lineTime on ice75:30222:55Attempts70%56%Chances71%54%High danger76%60%Goals80%60%Part of the third line's success can probably be attributed to Columbus lacking forward depth. The Bruins, whose bottom six includes guys like Charlie Coyle, Sean Kuraly, and Jack Studnicka, pose a stiffer test for Tampa."(The Gourde line) brought other forward lines into the fight there, as far as the intensity that you need to play with and the simplicity to your game, too - winning your battles, not turning the puck over, and then getting rewarded for it, getting on the scoresheet in different fashions," McDonagh said."They're going to be counted on again in a lot of situations here and hopefully our forward group, as a whole, gets brought into the fight with those guys leading the charge and we can just keep rolling all four lines throughout the whole game and our depth can prevail and be an asset for us," he added.The Lightning infamously flamed out in last year's opening round, losing in four games to the Blue Jackets following an exhilarating 62-win regular season. The franchise has been agonizingly close to a championship since Cooper's first full campaign with the team in 2013-14, losing in the Stanley Cup Final once and the Eastern Conference Final twice.However, the contention window with this core won't remain open forever, hence general manager Julien BriseBois' willingness to part with two first-round picks to acquire depth pieces like Goodrow and Coleman. Prior to the season pause, neither forward had enough time to fully acclimate, and earlier in the campaign, Gourde went goalless for over two months.Playoff success for the trio wasn't preordained, and although the advanced stats suggest they won't be a one-series flash in the pan, thriving against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins is far from a guarantee. From BriseBois to Cooper and the players, Tampa nevertheless seems determined to do whatever it can to focus on the early returns and push forward. The Gnats are game-changers, which is exactly what the team needed."They've contributed so much for us in these playoffs and I'm just so glad that they're getting rewarded for their efforts, because those are the types of players we needed, we got them, and it's paying off for us," Cooper said.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's safe to say Allan Walsh isn't happy about Marc-Andre Fleury's diminished role in the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Playoffs.On Saturday, the prominent hockey agent, who represents the Vegas Golden Knights goaltender, tweeted an image showing a sword with head coach Peter DeBoer's surname inscribed on its blade stabbing Fleury through the back. The team met with Fleury following the tweet Saturday and is confident it won't be a problem going forward, sources told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.DeBoer recently indicated the Golden Knights' other primary netminder, Robin Lehner, would continue to start when Vegas begins its second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.

NBC hockey analyst Mike Milbury announced he is temporarily stepping away from his role after making an insensitive remark about women during a broadcast Thursday."In light of the attention caused by my recent remark, I have decided to step away from my role at NBC Sports for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs," Milbury's statement reads. "I do not want my presence to interfere with the athletes as they try to win the greatest trophy in sports."Milbury's comment - which suggested women would be a distraction for players in the bubbles - was condemned by the NHL and NBC shortly after it aired.He is the second NBC analyst to come under fire for making inappropriate remarks about women this season. Former NHL player Jeremy Roenick was suspended without pay by the network in December for unwarranted sexual comments he made about then co-worker Kathryn Tappen.Milbury has been with the network for 13 years.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher is entering the offseason with a number of injuries from the postseason."Gally had surgery (on his jaw) last night late and he's on his way back to Vancouver probably in the next few hours," Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said Saturday. "Everything went well for Gally. We expect a full recovery."Gallagher suffered a broken jaw when he was cross-checked up high by Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen in Game 5 of the first-round series on Wednesday. Niskanen was handed a one-game suspension for the hit, while Gallagher was deemed out for the remainder of the series.Bergevin also revealed Gallagher suffered another injury, which he sustained during the play-in series against the Pittsburgh Penguins."But he was also playing with a hip issue that he hurt against Pittsburgh," Bergevin said. "He had a little tear in his hip. But you guys know him as well as I do; he's got the heart of a lion and he wouldn't get off the ice. But he was a little banged up."Gallagher tallied one goal and three assists in Montreal's nine games between the qualifier and Round 1.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the first edition of theScore's rankings of the top candidates to be named 2019-20 playoff MVP. We've featured only players still competing in the postseason, which officially included the qualifying round and round-robin stage.5. Semyon Varlamov Chase Agnello-Dean / National Hockey League / GettyGPRecordSV %5-on-5 GSAAGAA97-2.9345.341.67Varlamov is the biggest reason the New York Islanders made such quick work of both the Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers. New York's No. 1 goaltender has been stellar throughout the postseason, sitting in a tie with Vancouver netminder Jacob Markstrom for the most wins and ranking second behind Markstrom in GSAA at five-on-five despite playing one fewer game than his Western Conference counterpart through the opening round.The Islanders goalie hasn't needed to make more than 27 stops in any of his nine postseason appearances, but New York wouldn't have eliminated the Capitals in five or the Panthers in four without him.4. Elias Pettersson Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyGPGPATOIxGF%SCF%1041319:4050.3353.45If these playoffs have taught us anything, it's that Pettersson has shed the "phenom" label and is now a full-fledged star. The 21-year-old is tied with MacKinnon for the postseason points lead through the opening round, albeit in two more contests than the Avalanche dynamo.Pettersson has been typically consistent in his first taste of playoff competition. The productive Swede was held off the score sheet only once in the Vancouver Canucks' six-game series win over the St. Louis Blues, and, similarly, just once did he fail to notch a point in the four games the Canucks needed to dispatch the Minnesota Wild in the qualifying round.3. Miro Heiskanen Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyGPGPATOIxGF%SCF%931226:0657.3256.39Now that John Klingberg has six seasons under his belt, Heiskanen has emerged as the Dallas Stars' best young defenseman and been critical to their playoff success. The 21-year-old has looked like a grizzled vet since the restart.The talented blue-liner erupted for four points in the Stars' series-clincher against the Calgary Flames, joining a relatively short and impressive list in the process. However, it wasn't just that one game that cemented his spot on this list. Heiskanen sits in a tie for second in points among all skaters through first-round action, and only Tampa Bay Lightning rearguard Ryan McDonagh has logged more ice time among players on teams still competing.2. Nathan MacKinnon Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyGPGPATOIxGF%SCF%841320:1064.7767.71MacKinnon is arguably the leading candidate for the Hart Trophy this season, and the Colorado Avalanche superstar continues to provide immense value in the playoffs, as well. Prior to the start of the second round, he sits tied for first in both points and assists despite playing fewer games than his counterparts. He's also logged his usual 20-plus minutes per contest while registering truly dominant possession figures.Several other Avalanche players have made big contributions during the team's run, but there's no doubt MacKinnon's been the catalyst and one of the most impactful players this postseason.1. Carter Hart Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / GettyGPRecordSV%5-on-5 GSAAGAA86-2.9434.841.71One of the biggest question marks heading into the playoffs was how Hart would perform in his first taste of postseason action, but the 22-year-old Philadelphia Flyers goaltender has delivered in spades. His save percentage ranks first among puck-stoppers who've played at least three games, and he boasts the third-best goals saved above average at five-on-five among all netminders in the postseason.Hart's play is even more impressive when considering he's excelling without much offensive help from his teammates. The Flyers have managed only 2.44 goals per game - second-lowest among teams still playing - and yet he's looked more than comfortable in the Philadelphia crease, making the strongest case to be the Conn Smythe Trophy front-runner. Honorable mentions: Mark Stone, Nazem Kadri, Anthony Beauvillier, Markstrom, Philipp Grubauer, Bo Horvat, Brayden Point, David Krejci(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

And then there were eight.With the second round of the playoffs set to begin Saturday night, we outline one key storyline for each series.Eastern ConferencePhiladelphia Flyers (1) vs. New York Islanders (6) Mike Stobe / National Hockey League / GettyIf you love goals, this series isn't for you - this will be a defensive battle for the ages.The Isles (1.67) and Flyers (1.78) are allowing the second- and third-fewest goals per game, respectively, in the postseason so far. Philadelphia (.937) ranks second in save percentage, with the Islanders (.934) in third.New York has a substantial advantage in the underlying numbers, though, ranking fourth in expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five, while the Flyers rank 20th out of 24 teams.With goals at a premium, the obvious X-factors are netminders Carter Hart and Semyon Varlamov. But what could actually make or break this series is special teams. The Islanders' penalty kill (75%) ranks 22nd after struggling against potent Florida and Washington units. The Flyers' power play (10.3%) has been equally poor, ranking 22nd in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Isles' power play and Flyers' PK have both been average.Tampa Bay Lightning (2) vs. Boston Bruins (4) Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / GettyDespite reverting back to the old 1 vs. 8 reseeding playoff format for a year, we still get an Eastern Conference Final-caliber matchup a round earlier than we should. This is a powerhouse meeting between the two best teams in the conference and the past two Presidents' Trophy winners. Tampa and Boston rank first and second in points, respectively, in the NHL over the past three regular seasons.These two teams last met in the playoffs in 2018, when the Bolts won four straight contests after dropping Game 1 to take the series in five games. Much has changed since, though. Not only did each squad add numerous different role players to fill out the lineup, but each is missing a star player.Steven Stamkos (undisclosed) has yet to appear in the postseason and remains out to begin Round 2. His return at any point in the series would be massive considering the Lightning haven't generated consistent offense from anyone other than Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point.Meanwhile, it's Jaroslav Halak's crease for the Bruins after Tuukka Rask opted out and departed the bubble. Halak was sharp against the Hurricanes, but he owns an .893 save percentage and a 2.93 goals-against average in 10 career games against the Lightning.Western ConferenceVegas Golden Knights (1) vs. Vancouver Canucks (5) Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / GettyThese teams are built similarly. Both employ a high-powered top-six forward group and a distinctly different bottom-six group, the latter intended to bring grit and simply not be scored upon. Each team also has stellar goaltending, and both Jacob Markstrom and Robin Lehner happen to be unrestricted free agents at season's end.The biggest discrepancy comes on the blue line, where the Golden Knights have a sizable advantage. Vegas doesn't have anyone as dynamic as Quinn Hughes, but its collective top four featuring Nate Schmidt, Brayden McNabb, Alec Martinez, and Shea Theodore is better than what the Canucks offer.Vancouver's already beat two of the league's best blue lines, though. It dispatched Minnesota in the qualifier and then took down defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis in Round 1. Neither of those teams received strong goaltending, though, and Vegas has two capable netminders.The Canucks will have to work extremely hard to generate their chances against one of the best puck-possession teams in the league, and Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat, and company will have to continue to capitalize on their opportunities, especially on the power play, as they did against St. Louis. Easier said than done, though.Colorado Avalanche (2) vs. Dallas Stars (3) Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyThis series showcases a head-to-head matchup between two of the best players in the NHL. One of these players - Nathan MacKinnon - is obvious. The other - Miro Heiskanen - doesn't garner the same attention.MacKinnon's abilities are well known. He has blazing speed, soft hands, and a lethal shot - a nightmare combination for any defenseman. But if there's one blue-liner left in the playoffs who might have the best chance of slowing him down (other than Victor Hedman, perhaps), it's Heiskanen.The 21-year-old is a sensational skater, and always seems to be in the right position to break up scoring chances. The Stars have outshot their opponents 99-72 and generated 57.3% of expected goals when Heiskanen's been on the ice at five-on-five in the playoffs. He also leads the team offensively with 12 points in nine games.If Heiskanen can contain MacKinnon - and maybe even outshine him, though that's a big ask - not only will the Dallas defender start to receive the national recognition he deserves, but the Stars will have a chance to upset the Avalanche. If MacKinnon runs wild, Dallas has no chance.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)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 closed out Round 1 with a 2-0 night, and the NHL is wasting little time moving to the second round.Let's get right into these Western Conference matchups.Vancouver Canucks (+210) @ Vegas Golden Knights (-270)The Canucks have been writing quite the story in these playoffs, but there's nothing like a date with the Golden Knights to burst their bubble, or end their time in it.It's been something of a perfect storm for Vancouver thus far. The team rode the heroics of Jacob Markstrom to a win over the Minnesota Wild in the play-ins before beating a relatively disinterested St. Louis Blues team. The Blues couldn't buy a save, and their lack of intensity resulted in some uncharacteristically sloppy play.That won't be the case with Vegas. The Golden Knights are a puck-possession juggernaut and dominant in all three phases of the game. Their series win over the Chicago Blackhawks wasn't an accurate representation of just how lopsided the play was. They led Round 1 in expected goals for per 60 minutes and allowed the third-fewest against. The Golden Knights are loaded up and down the roster and have all they need to overwhelm a young Canucks team.Depth scoring was crucial for Vancouver in Round 1, but it was an outlier. The team got almost nothing from its bottom six during the regular season and will crash back down to earth against the league's deepest squad. If Markstrom remains otherworldly and Robin Lehner struggles for consistency, the Canucks can steal a game or two, but this will be a comfortable series for the Golden Knights.Pick: Golden Knights -1.5 games (-130)Dallas Stars (+185) @ Colorado Avalanche (-225)No team has played better in the bubble than the Avalanche, though the Arizona Coyotes did their absolute best to make Colorado look unbeatable. Arizona had no business being in the playoffs and embarrassed itself by laying down when the going got tough. Colorado is a juggernaut and a Cup favorite, but this will be a much trickier series against a formidable Stars team.Dallas found its scoring touch against the Calgary Flames and is a live underdog at such a generous price. The Stars' style is designed to suffocate a team like the Avalanche, who thrive when attacking on the rush.However, there are two clear areas of concern for the Stars heading into this series. Though they shut down Calgary at five-on-five, the Flames found plenty of success on the power play. Dallas desperately needs to solve its struggles on the penalty kill to have any chance against Colorado, which went an outrageous 7-for-20 on the power play against the Coyotes.The other question mark is in goal. If Ben Bishop can't take part, Anton Khudobin will continue to deputize, and though he's only a slight downgrade, it's a downgrade nonetheless. The Stars are built to frustrate teams like the Avalanche, and while they have the tools to push them to the brink, they ultimately lack the firepower to complete the upset. However, there will be value in betting them in spots throughout this series, including as generous +145 'dogs in Game 1 on Saturday night.Pick: Stars +1.5 games (-110)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 is ready to drop the puck for the second round and unveiled the schedule for the eight remaining playoff teams Saturday.Round 2 will begin Saturday evening, three days ahead of schedule, so the Stanley Cup is likely to be awarded before Oct. 1, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.All times ETPhiladelphia Flyers (1) vs. New York Islanders (6)GameDateTime1Aug. 247 p.m.2Aug. 263 p.m.3Aug. 277 p.m.4Aug. 29Noon*5Aug. 31TBD*6Sept. 2TBD*7Sept. 3TBD*If necessaryTampa Bay Lightning (2) vs. Boston Bruins (4)GameDateTime1Aug. 238 p.m.2Aug. 257 p.m.3Aug. 268 p.m.4Aug. 287:30 p.m.*5Aug. 30TBD*6Sept. 1TBD*7Sept. 2TBDVegas Golden Knights (1) vs. Vancouver Canucks (5)GameDateTime1Aug. 2310:30 p.m.2Aug. 259:45 p.m.3Aug. 279:45 p.m.4Aug. 298 p.m.*5Aug. 31TBD*6Sept. 1TBD*7Sept. 3TBDColorado Avalanche (2) vs. Dallas Stars (3)GameDateTime1Aug. 228 p.m.2Aug. 249:45 p.m.3Aug. 2610:30 p.m.4Aug. 2810 p.m.*5Aug. 30TBD*6Aug. 31TBD*7Sept. 2TBDCopyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After 10 seasons and only 14 games of NHL postseason experience, Taylor Hall wants to spend the next chapter of his career in the playoffs on a more regular basis."I think, honestly, it's probably all winning," the Arizona Coyotes forward said Friday when asked what's most important as he heads to unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career, according to NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika."Any player at this stage in their career that has had the career that I've had, 10 seasons, only make the playoffs twice, that's really what I'm after," the 28-year-old said. "So we'll see what happens there."The Coyotes have made the playoffs just once in the last eight years, but Hall isn't ruling out a return to the desert."I think the Coyotes have a bright future," he said. "They have some great guys, some good young players. When I get around to crossing that bridge and I kind of come to what I want to do, we'll see."Hall understands he likely won't get paid as much due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused the league to institute a flat salary cap - rather than a rising one - for multiple years. That's placed a premium on winning."But yeah, I'd say it's pretty much all winning," he said. "I don't think the money's going to be what it was maybe before COVID or before the season, but that's fine. I think we get paid a lot of money to play a game, and we'll see what happens."Hall recorded 16 goals and 52 points in 65 regular-season games. He added six more points in nine playoff contests. He and St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo are expected to headline this offseason's free-agent class.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues from the playoffs with a 6-2 victory in Game 6 of their series on Friday.Canucks captain Bo Horvat is proud of what his team has accomplished so far this postseason, but he knows there's still hard work ahead."We need different guys to step up at different times, and we got that all series. I couldn’t be prouder of our guys," Horvat said. "We have a lot of confidence as a group and have a lot of guys who want to win. We got the job done in this series and we have a long road ahead."Vancouver came ready to play in Game 6, with Jay Beagle taking advantage of a turnover early in the first period to put the Canucks ahead.Antoine Roussel then managed to beat Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington just two minutes into the second frame to extend the lead. Things quickly took a turn for the worst for St. Louis when Vancouver potted goals from Troy Stecher and Brock Boeser. The Blues then opted to pull Binnington in favor of Jake Allen, who started the last three games of the series.Blues forward Ryan O'Reilly defended Binnington after the netminder allowed four goals, putting the blame on the team in front of him."It’s disappointing, the way we played in front of him," O'Reilly said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshysnki. "One of the reasons that we’re here is because of him, and we did a terrible job in front of him. It’s embarrassing."Vancouver entered the third period with a large 4-0 cushion. Blues forward Jaden Schwartz netted two goals in the final minutes of the game, but the Canucks hung on for the win.Vancouver goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced, while Binnington allowed four goals on 18 shots, and Allen gave up one goal on six shots.Vancouver will now take on the top-seeded Vegas Golden Knights in Round 2.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers eliminated the Montreal Canadiens from the postseason with a 3-2 victory in Game 6 on Friday.Even though Montreal outscored Philadelphia 13-11 in the series, the Flyers managed to grind their way toward knocking off the last-seeded Canadiens."It speaks volumes that we didn't play to our capacities and still got four wins," Flyers forward Kevin Hayes said, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Sam Carchidi."We're not done," Ivan Provorov added. "We're gonna continue to get better, continue to play our game and go as far as we can."Montreal got off to a rocky start, allowing Provorov to score on the first shot of the game before surrendering a second goal just minutes later. The Habs regrouped and took control for the rest of the period, cutting the lead in half thanks to a power-play marker from Nick Suzuki.The Canadiens outshot the Flyers 10-6 in the first period despite taking three penalties. Montreal finished the opening frame with four high-danger scoring chances, and the Canadiens didn't allow any on their own goal.The Flyers extended their lead to two again with an early goal from Michael Raffl in the second period. Canadiens goaltender Carey Price surrendered the third goal on just the seventh shot he faced. Suzuki answered quickly afterward, whipping home his second of the game off a slick pass from Jonathan Drouin. The Canadiens outshot the Flyers 20-12 after two periods, but trailed 3-2.Despite heavily outplaying Philadelphia for the majority of the game, Montreal couldn't muster the tying goal in the final stanza. Carter Hart finished with 31 saves on 33 shots, while Price allowed three goals on 17 shots."It was a really special moment," Hart said of his postgame handshake with childhood idol Price."It was a hell of a series and it was really special," he continued. "It's something I'll never forget."The top-seeded Flyers will now take on the No. 6-seeded New York Islanders in the second round.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues are turning to the goaltender who helped them win the Stanley Cup last year as they look to stave off elimination against the Vancouver Canucks.Jordan Binnington is the Blues' starter for Game 6, the club confirmed before puck drop Friday night.Jake Allen, St. Louis' regular-season backup, started the previous three contests in the series, earning victories with solid play in Games 3 and 4. But he allowed four goals on 30 shots during a 4-3 defeat in Game 5 on Wednesday.He took the reins from Binnington, who gave up nine goals on 47 shots over the first two contests for an .809 save percentage.Binnington went 30-13-7 with a .912 save percentage and 3.31 goals saved above average during the regular season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL denounced NBC hockey analyst Mike Milbury's comment during a broadcast Thursday when he suggested women would be a distraction for players in the bubble."The National Hockey League condemns the insensitive and insulting comment that Mike Milbury made during (Thursday) night's broadcast and we have communicated our feelings to NBC," the league said in a statement Friday. "The comment did not reflect the NHL's values and commitment to making our game more inclusive and welcoming to all."NBC also publicly decried the incident, saying it's "disappointed about Mike's insensitive comment and (we) have addressed it with him," according to The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno.Milbury apologized shortly thereafter."I sincerely apologize for making the comment," he said in a statement. "It was not my intention to disrespect anyone. I was trying to be irreverent and took it a step too far. It was a regrettable mistake that I take seriously."Milbury criticized Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask last week for leaving the bubble, even while acknowledging the netminder was prioritizing his family. Bruins president Cam Neely later revealed that Rask left due to a family emergency.Milbury is the second NBC hockey analyst to make inappropriate remarks about women this season. The network suspended Jeremy Roenick indefinitely without pay in December after the former NHL forward made comments of a sexual nature about then-co-worker Kathryn Tappen.Roenick apologized in January but sued NBC for wrongful termination in July, saying he was held to a different standard than Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski based on his sexual orientation.Milbury has been with the network since 2007.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The next stage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs could start before the first round concludes.Round 2 will begin with Game 1 between the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, the NHL announced Friday.Meanwhile, the first round continues Friday night with a pair of Game 6 matchups - one between the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens, and the other pitting the Vancouver Canucks against the defending champion St. Louis Blues.The Flyers and the Canucks lead their respective series 3-2. However, if the Canadiens and/or Blues force Game 7, the decisive contests would be scheduled for Sunday.In the opening round, the Avalanche eliminated the Arizona Coyotes in five games, while the Stars vanquished the Calgary Flames in six.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Fresh off the Dallas Stars' comeback victory to seal the club's 4-2 series win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, head coach Rick Bowness noted how emotionally difficult these playoffs have been - and not just for his squad, but every team in the bubble."I don't think people understand how hard it is to live in this bubble," Bowness said postgame, according to The Athletic's Sean Shapiro. "I'm just telling the people that this isn't as easy as you think it is."Bowness' Stars have been in Edmonton - one of the NHL's two bubble cities - for nearly a month. For players and personnel, that's 27 days and counting without seeing family, friends, and loved ones (families are expected to be able to join the bubble in the conference finals).As much as Bowness appreciates the work the NHL has done to create a safe environment, he outlined how spending an extended amount of time in a confined area can be mentally taxing."I can only speak for myself," he said. "I've gone a couple of days where I haven't even gone outside. Because the way we're set up here, the hotel is connected to the rink, so you walk from the hotel through the tunnel, get to the rink, then you go back into your room. You've really got to make a concerted effort just to get outside and get some fresh air."The opportunities to get outside aren't the same either, and in bubble life, it can be difficult to avoid encountering your opponents."It's not like we're walking out to a park. We're going to a courtyard and there's three other teams sitting there," Bowness said. "You go to the gym and you're working out with the people that you're playing against that night. That's what it is. So everyone deserves a lot of credit for making the best of it. ... But people think living in a bubble is great. It's tough. It's mentally tough, and everyone's making the best of it."The Stars have a day off before beginning their Round 2 series with the Colorado Avalanche, so Bowness is planning a mandatory team trip Friday to Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton - home of the city's CFL team."We need to get everyone out of the hotel. We need a mental break, so tomorrow is a day, it's mandatory, everyone has to be there," Bowness told NHL.com's Mike Heika. "We're going to get on buses, we're going to get out of the hotel, we're going to go to the football stadium. They have frisbees and soccer and baseball. Just to get outside and get some sun and get some fresh air and change the routine."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Round 1 series between the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens has become as heated off the ice as it is on it.The teams' current off-ice spat began Thursday when Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault downplayed the injury Brendan Gallagher suffered - which was later diagnosed as a broken jaw - after Matt Niskanen cross-checked him during Game 5."In my estimation, Gallagher got up and seemed fine, he was talking to the referees, the whole time that he was on the bench he was talking to our players for the rest of the game," Vigneault said, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu."Gallagher's a very competitive player, but I don't think it's Nisky's fault he might not be as tall as the other guys, but he competes as big if not bigger than anybody else," Vigneault continued. "It just seemed (like) a hockey play that unfortunately cut him a little bit."Niskanen later received a one-game suspension for the incident while Gallagher was ruled out for the remainder of the series. Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin didn't like how Vigneault downplayed Gallagher's injury before knowing the severity of the ailment."I was expecting more and I was extremely disappointed that AV would make a comment about a player's injuries without knowing the extent of it," Bergevin said Friday, per Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "Brendan Gallagher will be missing an extended period of time and will be eating his meals out of a straw, and I don't wish that on anybody, and that includes the Flyers' players."Vigneault fired back Friday, standing by his initial comments."You don't like to see any players get injured. There's no doubt. But at the end of the day, I can only state the facts. And the fact was that Gallagher got up and his mouth didn't shut up for at least five minutes to the referees, the linesman, and to our bench for nearly five minutes," Vigneault said, according to Sportsnet.He added: "So, he didn't look like he was hurt, other than it looked like he had a cut. I believe that if the Montreal medical personnel thought that it was something real serious they would have probably taken him off and brought him inside."Vigneault and Gallagher have a bit of history. In 2014, the Vigneault-led New York Rangers were taking on the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final. After then-Rangers forward Derek Stepan suffered a broken jaw in Game 3, Gallagher said, "he got up and was yapping and yelling, so I don't think the jaw was hurting too much.""I've seen broken jaws before," Gallagher added at the time.If the Canadiens win Game 6 against Philadelphia to force a Game 7, Niskanen will be back in the lineup for the winner-take-all tilt. Gallagher, meanwhile, may have surgery Friday and will be "out a while," Bergevin added."The authority of the NHL has made their decision and we'll live with it. We'll respect the decision," Bergevin said. "It's unfortunate that our player, Brendan, is going to miss an undetermined amount of time while their player will miss one game. I don't have more comments on it."As part of the NHL's explanation for why the suspension is not more than one game, the league said, "the sudden and significant movement by Gallagher contributes to the fact that this blow lands on his head, rather than somewhere else on his body."Bergevin was not a fan of that assessment."We agreed to disagree," he said, according to Basu.Game 6 is set for Friday at 7 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cam Talbot is taking the fall for the Calgary Flames' collapse in Thursday's Game 6 against the Dallas Stars.The Flames had an early 3-0 lead in the opening frame but allowed seven unanswered goals en route to their playoff exit. Talbot allowed three goals before he was temporarily pulled, with David Rittich replacing him early in the second period."It was a 3-0 hockey game for us, and I'd been there all playoffs for us, and when we needed it the most, I wasn't there," Talbot told NHL.com's Tim Campbell. "Some of the shots are obviously savable, and the onus is on me there. As much as I hated getting pulled, the momentum was changing, and (head coach Geoff Ward) had to do something."Can't say I blame him. I would have done the same thing if I was him."After being pulled, Talbot went straight to the dressing room for five or 10 minutes to "calm down" because he didn't want to bring negativity to the bench, he told TSN's Ryan Rishaug.Rittich - who was making his first career playoff appearance - promptly allowed three goals on nine shots before Talbot came back out to start the final frame.Ward said he intended to put Talbot right back in the game, but the netminder had an equipment issue and wasn't available. Talbot returned to the bench before the end of the second period, but Ward stuck with Rittich."No, I don't think I made a mistake," Ward told Campbell. "Originally, the plan was to get him out, get him refocused, and get him back in. The goals were a little bit unfortunate, and I just felt like we needed to change momentum, and that was the initial thought on how to do it."Flames captain Mark Giordano stood up for the starting goaltender postgame."He's the reason why we're here," Giordano said. "How many games did he win for us in this little run we had? Right back to (the Winnipeg Jets series), to the 2-0 game in this series that he stole for us. My view was nothing more than a few tough bounces. I was happy to see (Talbot) get the third because he deserves to go right back in there to battle with us because he's been our best player for the entire playoffs."Talbot posted a 2.42 goals-against average, a .924 save percentage, and two shutouts in 10 games this postseason. The 33-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent.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.Thursday was a 1-1 night for us, but it felt a lot bigger as we cashed in a couple big series bets on the Dallas Stars.Round 1 of the NHL playoffs is winding down, so let's finish strong.Philadelphia Flyers (-140) @ Montreal Canadiens (+110)The only real difference between Game 2 and Game 5 of this series was Jesperi Kotkaniemi's major penalty. Instead of a 5-0 win, the Canadiens settled for 5-3, with the Flyers scoring three times on the power play (twice on Kotkaniemi's major). But, in reality, it was yet another game in which Philadelphia was clearly second-best, failing to generate anything at five-on-five.The Flyers came out flat after a Game 1 win, and then again in Game 5 with a 3-1 stranglehold on the series. However, they responded appropriately to a Game 2 battering and will do the same here.Montreal will find it tough to match the intensity it carried throughout Game 5, especially without Brendan Gallagher. He's a nightmare for the opposing team - even when he's not playing well - with his relentlessness on the puck and Pitbull mentality on the forecheck. This group is a lot easier to face without him.The Habs aren't especially great at finishing their chances, and now they have to produce without their leading scorer against Carter Hart, who is as mentally tough as a 22-year-old goaltender can be - he responded to being pulled in Game 2 with back-to-back shutouts. The Canadiens are 2-12 this season when scoring five or more goals in their previous game, and unlucky No. 13 will be the one that ends their campaign.Pick: Flyers (-140)St. Louis Blues (-135) @ Vancouver Canucks (+115)This is an incredibly tough series to cap. You can exhaust yourself by examining data and combing through the numbers, but there are so many variables that can undo all that work. Motivation is a big one - the Blues have looked deprived of it at times - and Jacob Markstrom is another. He's stolen a couple of games already in this series, just as he did against the Minnesota Wild.The Blues were outstanding in their two "road" contests this series and should come out swinging in Game 6 with their backs against the wall, as they did in Game 3 and 4 after going down 2-0.However, there's just something about this series - be it the bubble, a Cup hangover, or a hungry Canucks team - that scares me off the Blues at this price. Markstrom is in sensational form, Elias Pettersson deserves more recognition as one of the best players in the league, Bo Horvat is playing like a man against boys, and Vancouver is getting the sort of depth scoring it wasn't for most of the season. I can't pass up the Canucks at this price and will be on them again in Game 7 if they lose here.Pick: Canucks (+115)(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 first division champion has fallen in the 2020 NHL playoffs.The Washington Capitals failed to advance past the round of 16 for the second year in a row, dropping Game 5 against the New York Islanders on Thursday night by a final score of 4-0. The series, in general, wasn't pretty.Here's how it all went down for Washington, and what might be in store this offseason from general manager Brian MacLellan and Co.:How the season slipped away Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesWell, technically, you can't say they didn't go down without a fight.The Capitals did, in fact, win one game in this series. But that was off the back of two strong periods, not a full-out display of their true potential. Two 20-minute stretches of productive hockey were all they could muster in five games."They scored, we didn't," Caps captain Alex Ovechkin told reporters postgame, successfully summing up the series in as few words as possible."Over these five games," teammate Nicklas Backstrom added, "they wanted it more than us. You can see that, overall."Under former Caps coach Barry Trotz's guidance, New York stymied the second-best attack of the 2019-20 regular season by limiting Washington to eight goals. Ovechkin, one of just a few Capitals who looked fully engaged for the entirety of the series, potted four goals, accounting for half of the offense. T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov bagged two apiece, meaning there was nil from everyone else, including key contributors Tom Wilson, Jakub Vrana, and Lars Eller, who combined for 62 goals this season.The vaunted Caps power play, led by Ovechkin and stud defenseman John Carlson, did all right, pitching in four goals on 18 opportunities. It was at even strength where coach Todd Reirden's squad really struggled - and the problems began in a 1-1-1 round robin. In eight total games, the Caps managed just 52.4 shot attempts per 60 minutes of even-strength action to rank 19th among 24 teams. Contrast that with the regular season, when they recorded 59.7 attempts per 60 to rank sixth among 31 teams, and it's as if a different group of guys was involved in the restart.The heat map below, courtesy Natural Stat Trick, illustrates the even-strength battle. While Washington allowed New York to enter its high-danger area fairly often, the Isles did everything in their power to keep the Caps from entering their slot and crease areas, as shown by the blue and red blobs. Natural Stat TrickNot only did the Caps struggle to get good looks in the offensive zone, but they also failed to get enough traffic in front of Isles goalie Semyon Varlamov, who has a sparkling .934 save percentage in nine games. There was a general lack of urgency to the Caps' attack. They lost too many one-on-one battles and didn't seem to have their usual confidence. Some of that malaise can be traced back to Trotz and his soldiers playing to their identity as a structured, disciplined, and soul-sucking hockey team. Most of it, though, is on the Caps."This is not acceptable for our organization," Reirden said of the early exit.Vrana, for one, was ineffective. Kuznetsov was inconsistent. Eller - tasked for bulk of the series with filling in at second-line center for a concussed Backstrom - was essentially a non-factor. Ilya Kovalchuk was virtually invisible. Ditto for Carl Hagelin. Again, props to the Isles for playing the part of a suffocating defensive outfit. Kudos all day. But the list of poor performers on the Caps is way, way too long for such a veteran, tested crew.Caps defenseman Brenden Dillon put it best during a second-intermission TV interview in Game 4. "It took us 10 periods to get going in this series," he said. And then, ironically, they reverted back to their old ways two days later.Now it's time to go home. The season's over.What the future may bring Chase Agnello-Dean / Getty ImagesWill this be an offseason of change in D.C.?The answer, it would appear, is both "yes" and "maybe/maybe not."It's highly unlikely that pending unrestricted free agent Braden Holtby, who's been a linchpin for the Caps for a decade and backstopped the club to a Stanley Cup in 2018, re-signs this fall. He's all but gone to a team desperate for goaltending. Ilya Samsonov, injured right now, should slide into the starter's role no problem, so, aside from the sentimental loss, it could be a smooth transition.As for Reirden's job security, that's a toss-up. He just got schooled by Trotz - his mentor and the man the organization parted with because of money after the Cup win - plus the Caps have now lost 10 of 15 postseason games under his watch. This is a results business.Reirden was an inside hire by MacLellan. Perhaps the GM uses this opportunity to look outside the confines of Capital One Arena for a different voice and tactician as the team looks to recalibrate for the 2020-21 season. Elsa / Getty ImagesConversely, there is a chance MacLellan views the early exit as simply a bump in the road. We are in the middle of a pandemic. Backstrom missed most of the series. Carlson was coming off an injury. Eller wasn't up to speed after temporarily exiting the bubble. There's a built-in rationale.Another consideration that could point to minimal change in Caps land: The team has a ton of veterans locked up. Ovechkin is around for at least another year; Wilson's under contract for four more; Backstrom, Oshie, and Kuznetsov all have five years remaining; and Carlson has six seasons left.With an average age of 29.2, the Caps were tied with the Dallas Stars as the oldest team ahead of restart action. They're going to be forced to get creative in an evolving division. Competition in the Metro is fierce. The Penguins also left the Toronto bubble with a sour taste in their mouths. The Flyers look formidable in the restart. The Hurricanes boast an enviable roster. The Blue Jackets are proving doubters wrong again and again. The Rangers are rising fast. And, of course, the Islanders continue to win under Trotz.Keep your eyes on the Caps - namely MacLellan - in the near future.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher suffered a broken jaw that requires surgery, and he'll miss the remainder of the club's opening-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers, general manager Marc Bergevin confirmed Thursday, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Gallagher suffered the injury when Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen cross-checked him during Game 5 on Wednesday. The 6-foot-1 rearguard wasn't penalized on the play, but he received a one-game suspension from the league on Thursday.Gallagher, who scored his first goal of the postseason in the Canadiens' 5-3 victory, remained in the game despite the hit leaving him bloodied.The gritty winger has mustered four points through nine playoff contests while averaging 16:56 of ice time per game.The Canadiens will look to stave off elimination once again in Game 6 on Friday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom is set to return to the team's lineup for Game 5 on Thursday against the New York Islanders, the team announced.Backstrom exited Game 1 after taking a hard hit from Islanders forward Anders Lee and has been out of the lineup since.Backstrom has recorded one assist in four games this postseason.The Capitals are down 3-1 in their first-round series. They managed to win Game 4 to avoid a sweep after dropping the first three contests.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford raised some eyebrows when he signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a five-year contract carrying a $3.25-million cap hit on July 1, 2018. To this day, Rutherford remains adamant it's a good deal for the team."His contract is not a problem for us," Rutherford The Athletic's Josh Yohe on Thursday. "His contract isn't going to impact anything that we do in terms of the cap."Rutherford believes Johnson's critics are too harsh."Here's my summary of this situation," the GM said. "Maybe Jack Johnson isn't as good as I think he is. Maybe. But he's not as bad as all of the anti-Jack Johnson people think he is. I'll tell you what he is: He's a solid, third-pairing defenseman if he's playing with the right guy. He's a player that I happen to really like and I think he's a better player than a lot of people want to give him credit for."Johnson finished fifth among Penguins defensemen in average time on ice during the season, but he played most of his five-on-five minutes with Pittsburgh's top defenseman, Kris Letang.Here's a look at his isolated offensive impact at five-on-five (red - more shots - is better) from HockeyViz: hockeyviz.comJohnson is not known for his offensive abilities, however. He's supposed to be strong in his own end, but his isolated defensive impact at five-on-five doesn't do him any favors, either (blue - fewer shots - is better): hockeyviz.comJohnson had a poor showing in the postseason, where he was paired predominately with Justin Schultz. In Pittsburgh's four-game series loss to the Montreal Canadiens, he was on the ice for one goal for and five against, as well as 16 scoring chances for and 21 against, according to Natural Stat Trick."I think Jack was pretty good this season," Rutherford said. "He changed up his training regimen before the season started and you could see the difference. He gained half a step. He's one of those guys, he plays a very heavy game. He's very hard to play against down low because he's so big and strong. He's also a very good penalty killer."Rutherford drafted Johnson third overall in 2005 as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Some NHLers are masters of hockey's nuances. Ryan O'Reilly, for example, is the type of player who is heaped with praise after a strong performance; the cerebral St. Louis Blues center rarely wows you in the moment. Instead, his body of work is the masterpiece.Nathan MacKinnon, meanwhile, is a force of nature who elicits visceral reactions in real time."With Nate, you notice him every shift," Jon Greenwood, MacKinnon's minor hockey coach, said Wednesday night. "He constantly grabs your attention." Andy Devlin / Getty ImagesMacKinnon played under Greenwood on the Cole Harbour Wings in Peewee AAA and Bantam AAA. The pair also crossed paths at the Maritime Hockey Academy in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where Greenwood taught hockey skills during phys ed, as well as math and social studies. Greenwood, now an assistant coach for the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads, also leads offseason workouts for MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Brad Marchand, and other local pros.So yes, Greenwood has been watching closely as MacKinnon has destroyed the competition in the early weeks of the restart. The Hart Trophy nominee hasn't missed a beat following a 93-point regular season, recording a league-high 13 points in eight playoff games, including six in his last two contests."We had no answer for him all series," Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters Wednesday after MacKinnon and the Avs eliminated his team from the Edmonton bubble via a 7-1 romp in Game 5 of a best-of-seven series.Why is this cheat code on skates doing so well? With a primary assist from Greenwood, here's a breakdown of some of MacKinnon's finest moments.PlaymakingWhen MacKinnon was on the ice at five-on-five against Arizona, the Avs outscored the Coyotes 6-1 and, according to Natural Stat Trick, owned 69% of the shot attempts (90-39) and 72% of the scoring chances (43-17). The clip above, from the third period of Game 1, is a prime example of the 24-year-old's ability to dictate play with longtime linemates Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen.MacKinnon transports the puck from zone to zone, gradually moving toward the middle of the ice, which creates confusion among the defenders. Then, a few feet inside Arizona's zone, MacKinnon taps the puck to Landeskog."If Nate drives all the way to outside the dots, all he has is a drop pass for Landeskog. But the fact that he attacks the middle opens a lot up," Greenwood said. "It makes the D really squeeze close together and gives him an option to kick the puck out and make himself available again."MacKinnon slows down, almost to a full stop, on his way to the corner. It's a subtle yet effective quick screen on Jakob Chychrun, the right-side defender. YouTube"It's almost like he fakes he's going to drive through and taps the stick a little bit, but then he opens up right away," Greenwood said. "I think he slows the D down from closing on Landeskog quickly by getting in the defenseman's ice a little bit."From there, it's bingo-bango-bongo for the Avs' top trio. Landeskog in the high slot, to MacKinnon in the corner, to Rantanen in the crease area. Goal."Nate knows the option before he gets it in the corner there," Greenwood said. "Not that he's in a great position to shoot the puck, but some guys might just blast it from there or throw it at the goalie's pads. The fact that he has the wherewithal to make the pass across for a tap-in is pretty good hockey IQ."MacKinnon has nine assists in the restart, four of which have come at five-on-five. All four of those helpers have been passes leading directly to a goal. He and Nazem Kadri (11 points) have been Colorado's offensive catalysts so far.Goal-scoringNo exaggeration here: MacKinnon is one of the greatest skaters in NHL history. Finding a highlight that showcases his wheels wasn't particularly difficult. This clip, from the first period of Game 2, is particularly instructive because MacKinnon is essentially a one-man show."At the very start of this clip, he's killing their rush," Greenwood said. "Arizona has a breakout and Nate's speed closing on the guy on the wall makes him panic and throw a shitty backhand play to the middle of the ice. That created the turnover.""His transition, his skating here, is something," he added with excitement. "His toes are facing his net, and then as soon as he smells the turnover, his toes get to facing the opposition net in a hurry. And then he's gone!"Nobody is catching MacKinnon as he accelerates through the Coyotes' end. He gets from Point A (entering the zone with possession of the puck) to Point B (firing a shot from the faceoff dot) in two seconds."Powerful strides and crossovers - each stride or each crossover takes up 10 or 12 feet of ice at times, it seems," Greenwood said. "That's one thing he always had from a young age: power. He always had that elite balance on his edges, which has allowed him to generate that power."At the dot, it's only MacKinnon and Coyotes goalie Darcy Kuemper, and the puck is in the back of the net in the blink of an eye. MacKinnon's shot is undoubtedly hard. However, his release is what's overwhelmingly dangerous."Some guys have more of a sweeping shot where they have to pull it behind them," Greenwood noted. "But he's getting that thing off in front of his toe, and it's all in the snapping of his wrist. It's amazing to see the velocity from that technique. And it's powerful as hell and really accurate." YouTubeMacKinnon's body positioning at the time of the release is noteworthy, too. Notice how he's shooting off his inside foot? Not easy."Oftentimes a righty will finish on their left foot because that's the way their balance works," Greenwood said. "I shoot left and I picture myself, where every time I shoot, I finish on my right foot because you pull the puck across your body as you shoot it and finish on that foot. But Nate, a righty, is only on his right foot there as he whips that puck."None of this is breaking news to Greenwood, of course - though even those closest to MacKinnon are blown away by the Cole Harbour native's development."Nate's almost 25, but he's still getting better. He hasn't peaked, at least I don't think he has," Greenwood said. "His trajectory is still on the way up, I think, which is scary. But the overall package - the speed, the shot, and the hands - are on another level right now."PhysicalityMacKinnon earned a Lady Byng finalist spot this year for his "gentlemanly conduct" on the ice, accruing only 12 penalty minutes in 69 regular-season games. Well, through eight postseason contests, he's already up to 10 minutes - minors for unsportsmanlike conduct and interference in the round robin, and minors for interference, hooking, and roughing against the Coyotes.Let's be clear: There's no way to put a wholly positive spin on taking a penalty. That being said, MacKinnon's manhandling of 6-foot-2, 214-pound Arizona forward Christian Fischer in Game 4 (shown in the clip above) definitely didn't hurt the superstar's reputation among his NHL peers."Nate's gliding off like he wants a change, and then when the hit (on Avs defenseman Cale Makar) happens, he's in there pretty quickly. I like that," Greenwood said. "He's in there grabbing a guy who had hit Landeskog from behind a little bit after the Makar hit. He's in there sticking up for teammates."As the scrum escalates, MacKinnon has a golden opportunity to land a haymaker on Fischer as revenge for a cross-check to the chin that Fischer delivered seconds earlier. MacKinnon opts for the takedown."I haven't talked to Nate, but I'd like to know what went through his head, because oftentimes when you're in that situation you snap or black out. You want to pounce on somebody," Greenwood said. "It almost looks like he cocks his fist at one point, thinks twice about it, and decides to throw the guy down."This sequence of events followed a devastating Game 3 collision in which MacKinnon exploded through the chest of Coyotes blue-liner Jordan Oesterle. Anybody who regularly tracks MacKinnon's on-ice exploits is well aware of his large frame (6 feet, 200 pounds) and immense core and leg strength. That Oesterle hit highlights his mean streak and athleticism."One of the freak athletic traits he has is that spring in his legs, that jumping power. His vertical jump has always been off the charts," Greenwood said before recalling a vintage hit from MacKinnon's first year in junior. He's 16 at the time and approaching a loose puck at the red line when he meets a 20-year-old opponent. The older kid is launched backward."He completely cartwheels the guy," Greenwood said, laughing at the replay."When I coached him at 12 and 13, the early years of bodychecking, it was certainly not uncommon for opposing players to get frustrated and take a run at Nate. He's been dealing with this for a long time."Comparing players from different NHL eras is tricky business. The game and its players have changed so much, even over the past 20 years. But, as someone who's often asked about MacKinnon and what makes him special, Greenwood has landed on a hybrid comparable."If you took a little bit of Eric Lindros and shrunk him down and took a little bit of Pavel Bure and made him larger - sort of meet in the middle of these two guys - it's Nate," Greenwood said. "He has the speed and quickness of Bure but more size than Bure. And he's got a lot of power like Lindros but he isn't as big as Lindros. It's this blend or morph of two guys from the '90s. I know that's a strange comparison, but it feels like the only thing I can say at times."John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask opted out of the NHL's postseason last week in order to deal with a "family emergency," team president Cam Neely told reporters Thursday, including NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin.Rask cited the importance of family when he opted out, but he did not reveal any further details.The veteran netminder received the support of his teammates, including forward Chris Wagner, who said "family comes before everything."The Bruins have been left in good hands between the pipes since Rask left the bubble. Backup Jaroslav Halak won all three games since taking over with a .932 save percentage, helping Boston eliminate the Carolina Hurricanes.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 in Game 5 on Wednesday to put the defending Stanley Cup champions on the brink of elimination.Down 3-1 midway through the game, Vancouver struck for three unanswered goals in 6:23 of the second period to take a lead they wouldn't surrender.Tyler Motte led the way with a pair of goals - including the eventual game-winner - while J.T. Miller and Jake Virtanen also found the net for Vancouver.Canucks netminder Jacob Markstrom made 36 saves for his sixth victory of the postseason.Ryan O'Reilly, Brayden Schenn, and Zach Sanford scored for St. Louis, while Jake Allen made 26 saves.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Couturier struggled to control his emotions during the final moments of his club's Game 5 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.Just seconds after Phillip Danault buried an empty-netter to cement the Habs' 5-3 victory, Couturier levelled an unsuspecting Artturi Lehkonen away from the play.

Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri is putting his poor playoff history behind him as he continues to shine this summer.Kadri was suspended in each of the previous two postseasons while with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the 29-year-old believes he's turned a corner."Just reflecting on the time I spent in Toronto ... you want to learn from your mistakes," Kadri said following the Avalanche's 7-1 series-clinching win over the Arizona Coyotes, according to Colorado Hockey Now's Scott MacDonald."I'm more valuable on the ice than I am in the penalty box or the press box," he said, per NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger.With his second straight two-goal game on Wednesday, Kadri paces Colorado with six tallies this postseason. The dynamic pivot had mustered 10 career playoff points prior to 2019-20, and has already racked up 11 in eight games this summer.Acquired by the Avalanche last offseason, Kadri said he's grateful for the seamless transition after spending the previous 10 seasons with the Maple Leafs."I'm just fortunate and lucky to come into such a great dressing room with such great teammates and a great organization that just gave me a chance to be who I can be," he said, per MacDonald."They've believed in me since I stepped in the door. I'm just trying to not let them down."Kadri will now play beyond the first round of the playoffs for the first time in his career.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi was handed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim during the second period of Game 5 on Wednesday.

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella wasn't interested in finding the silver lining after his club was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday."You know what, guys? I'm not going to get into the touchy-feely stuff and the moral victories and all that," Tortorella said before cutting his postgame press conference short after two questions.He added: "You guys be safe."The Blue Jackets fell behind 2-0 early in their must-win game but rallied back with four unanswered goals. Their lead was short-lived, though, as the Tampa Bay Lightning scored twice in the third period before Brayden Point ended the series in overtime.Columbus played its most complete game of the first round but wasn't able to find a way to win. The Blue Jackets recorded 53.6% of the shot attempts, 61.54% of the scoring chances, and 65.12% of the expected goals at five-on-five Wednesday, according to Natural Stat Trick.This is the second instance Tortorella has been particularly blunt during the 2020 postseason. Columbus' coach repeatedly answered, "Toronto was really good. We sucked," when asked to dissect what went wrong in the club's Game 2 qualifying-round loss to the Maple Leafs.Tortorella has been the Blue Jackets' head coach since 2015-16 and has led the team to the playoffs in each of the past four seasons. He's currently a finalist for the Jack Adams Award.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrnak is back in action for Wednesday's Game 5 versus the Carolina Hurricanes.Pastrnak has been sidelined since Game 1 with an undisclosed injury. He racked up a goal and an assist in his only appearance of the series.The 24-year-old winger was tied for the league lead in goals with 48 when the regular season was shut down in March, and he had already established a new career high with 95 points.Boston holds a 3-1 series lead over Carolina and can advance to Round 2 with a win.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights' series-clinching victory over the Chicago Blackhawks was especially meaningful for Robin Lehner.The goaltender, whom the Blackhawks traded to the Golden Knights at the deadline, expressed appreciation for his former club following Vegas' 4-3 win over Chicago on Tuesday night. The victory ended their first-round matchup in five games."This was a huge win for our team, it felt really nice for me to close this out, because it's a bit weird playing your old team, especially that group," Lehner told reporters postgame. "That group is a hell of a group. They treated me really well. (I've) got a lot of friends on that team and (nothing) but love for that organization, but (it was a) huge win for us and I thought it was a really good series for us to move forward here."Lehner appeared emotional as he embraced his former teammates in the handshake line.

Several games into what's usually the opening round of the playoffs, we have an atypically advanced sense of which positional units - a club's forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders, as well its special-teams contingents - have moved the needle in this expanded postseason.Five groups have really impressed the past few weeks, stretching back to the start of the play-in stage and each conference's round robin. Here's a rundown of who they are and what they've done so far to thrive in the bubble.Vancouver's power playJ.T. Miller celebrates one of his power-play goals against St. Louis. Andy Devlin / NHL / Getty ImagesOne fruitless night against St. Louis doesn't undermine the success this group has enjoyed on the whole. If anything, the Canucks' quiet Game 4 accentuated how good their power play has been.This is the roster segment that's, well, powered the Canucks to five playoff wins, and that has them as close as the defending champs to moving ahead. Vancouver's 10 goals with the man advantage lead the postseason.Aesthetically, the Canucks' primary unit - Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat, and Quinn Hughes - has looked dynamite much of the time it's skated together. It was fluid, cohesive, and ruthless in Game 1 against the Blues, when Miller and Boeser toyed with St. Louis by trading cross-ice passes ahead of a goal; in Game 2, when Pettersson's pinpoint saucer pass set up occasional contributor Tanner Pearson in the slot; and in Game 3, when Pettersson's pinpoint stretch pass sprung Miller to beat Jake Allen top-shelf. The list goes on.Save for Horvat, every Vancouver star has done most of his feasting on the power play. The situation has produced seven of Pettersson's nine points, six of Hughes' nine, six of Miller's eight, and five of Boeser's seven. Overall, the Canucks are scoring at a 27% clip - higher than their 24.2% mark from the regular season, which ranked fourth in the NHL, but well within the realm of sustainability the rest of the way against St. Louis.Realistically, the power play probably needs to keep clicking for the Canucks to advance. They've scored a mere five goals and managed 39.9% of shot attempts at even strength, per Natural Stat Trick, in the series. Less heralded players have helped Vancouver compensate: Antoine Roussel and Troy Stecher have each drawn a team-high three penalties.Calgary's penalty killTobias Rieder celebrates one of his shorthanded goals against Dallas. Dave Sandford / NHL / Getty ImagesAmong fans who believe the hockey gods exist, the heater Tobias Rieder's been on lately might be proof enough that these deities have a sense of humor.Whether or not a higher power's responsible for meting out poetic justice in the Edmonton bubble, it's clear Rieder deserves full credit for anchoring the Flames' influential penalty kill - and, effectively, for showing up his previous employer. As a fourth-line winger on the lackluster 2018-19 Oilers, Rieder incurred the wrath of franchise CEO Bob Nicholson for failing to score all season, and specifically for blowing "so many breakaways."Naturally, two of Rieder's three goals this month at Rogers Place have come on breakaways, and they've all come shorthanded, matching the NHL postseason record. For a player who's scored five shorties across 434 career regular-season games, this constitutes a timely and gratifying uptick.Through Tuesday's games, only Vancouver, Washington, and St. Louis have been penalized more frequently than Calgary, but the Flames' scoring differential while shorthanded is a sparkling minus-one, thanks to their 86.1% kill rate (31-36) and a fourth goal from Mikael Backlund. That Calgary's nine goals on the power play are second only to Vancouver - on five fewer opportunities - is a special-teams bonus.Vegas' forwardsJonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, and Reilly Smith converse against Chicago. Andy Devlin / NHL / Getty ImagesVegas' offensive profile contrasts that of the Canucks. Both teams have scored in bunches, but while the Golden Knights' power play hasn't sizzled yet - the unit is 4-21 (19.1%) through eight games - they've run rampant at evens, bringing to the playoffs the puck-possession dominance their stacked lineup exerted all season.The 22 goals the Golden Knights have netted at five-on-five are most in the postseason. If you think they've simply benefited from getting to roll over the Blackhawks, 10 of those goals came during the round robin against the Western Conference's other high seeds.Not all the credit should be reserved for the guys up front; No. 1 defenseman Shea Theodore's four tallies, including three at evens, tie for the team lead. But the characteristic Vegas scoring play starts with monopolizing control in the offensive zone, where all four forward lines are capable of ragging the puck and creating chances.According to Natural Stat Trick, six Golden Knights - William Karlsson, Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, Jonathan Marchessault, William Carrier, and Patrick Brown - rank among the top 30 forwards league-wide in individual expected goals percentage. Reilly Smith and Ryan Reaves aren't far behind. Vegas generated more than 70% of shot attempts, meanwhile, when third-liners Nick Cousins, Nicolas Roy, and Alex Tuch took shifts against Chicago at five-on-five.Coach Peter DeBoer has depth at his disposal and stars and grinders alike are validating his use of it.Islanders' defensemenAdam Pelech defends against Evgeny Kuznetsov. Mark Blinch / NHL / Getty ImagesEntering Game 4 on Tuesday, Isles coach Barry Trotz's charges had limited the Capitals to five measly goals on 24.7 shots per game, seven fewer shots than Washington's average this season.Where Vegas rides roughshod on many nights by hogging possession, Trotz teams frustrate and squeeze the will out of opponents over 60 minutes. Alex Ovechkin has four goals in the series, but curtailing the Caps' attack - just as the Islanders did to the Penguins in last year's first-round sweep - paced New York to three straight wins before a slim Game 4 defeat.In front of Semyon Varlamov, whose save percentage at even strength these playoffs is .955 (and .927 overall), the Islanders' defense corps has been a steadying force. The six regulars have pitched in to drive exceedingly positive expected-goal differentials at five-on-five, and they've done so without any one guy being overly taxed. Sixth man Andy Greene plays only four fewer minutes a game than top-pair partners Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech. Even in Sunday's Game 3 overtime win, Pelech's team-high ice time maxed out at 22:10.Balanced efforts still require leaders, and Pulock and Pelech fit the bill. Chicago's Olli Maatta and Dallas' John Klingberg and Miro Heiskanen are the only defensemen outscoring Pulock (five assists) at even strength. Pelech, meantime, looks like his usual impassable self now that the Achilles injury that would have sidelined him for the duration of a regularly scheduled postseason has healed.Columbus' goaliesJoonas Korpisalo sprays his face with water against Tampa Bay. Chase Agnello-Dean / NHL / Getty ImagesElvis Merzlikins mostly shone in spot duty against the Leafs in the qualifying round, compiling a .946 save percentage across his 120 minutes in net. That he and his defense wilted during Toronto's furious three-goal comeback late in Game 4 wasn't ideal. But Columbus rectified the lapse in Game 5, and the Latvian rookie's impact was positive, in general.Enough about Merzlikins, though. His best days in the NHL are ahead, but the Blue Jackets feature here because of Joonas Korpisalo, their MVP in the bubble and the netminding revelation of the playoffs.The Jackets may be out by the time you read this, but Korpisalo won't be to blame should the Lightning finalize their five-game ouster Wednesday afternoon. His save percentage through eight appearances - against two of the league's fieriest offenses - stands at .953. Korpisalo made 33 saves in the shutout that eliminated Toronto and 36 on 37 shots in the Jackets' lone win against Tampa so far.There's also the matter of his record 85 denials in the five-OT epic that opened this series. I'll make an executive call here: no further argument in his favor is needed.Korpisalo, 26, is two weeks younger than his platoon partner Merzlikins, but he has four more NHL seasons to his name - those he spent in Columbus from 2015-19 as Sergey Bobrovsky's mediocre backup. Merzlikins was the better goalie in similar time this season, and as late as Game 5 against the Leafs, the No. 1 role remained up for grabs. Korpisalo settled John Tortorella's dilemma by summoning the run of his life.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.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.It was a frustrating 1-2 night on the ice, with the Knights unable to win by two despite another dominating effort.Wednesday's elimination day in the NHL with four teams on the brink, and we've got a couple best bets to lean into.Arizona Coyotes (+175) @ Colorado Avalanche (-210)Game 4 was as lopsided as any we'll see in these playoffs. It was an embarrassment - men against boys, as Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet put it. The Avalanche won 7-1, but it wasn't only on the scoreboard that Colorado dominated.

The Philadelphia Flyers shut out the Montreal Canadiens for the second consecutive contest in Tuesday's Game 4 with a 2-0 victory, and as a result own a 3-1 series lead.The Flyers can advance to the second round with a win in Game 5 on Wednesday.More to come.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko is leaving the Edmonton bubble to consult with the team's medical staff in St. Louis regarding his surgically repaired shoulder, the club announced Tuesday.The team will provide an update on the star winger's condition on Aug. 24.Tarasenko is now likely to miss the remainder of the Blues' first-round playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks. Game 7, if necessary, is scheduled for Sunday.The 28-year-old sniper will also have to quarantine upon re-entering the bubble if he is cleared to return."I'm not going to jump to conclusions on anything," St. Louis head coach Craig Berube said Tuesday. "He's not feeling right, so that's why he's going to get it looked at. It is concerning, but we've got to wait and see."Tarasenko played in Games 1 and 2 of his team's opening-round matchup but sat out the next two contests. He suited up for the Blues' first and third round-robin games, though he missed their second contest of that stage against the Vegas Golden Knights on Aug. 6.He hurt his shoulder during a game in late October and underwent surgery shortly thereafter, missing the rest of the regular season after playing only 10 games."When you get something done like that and you're out nine months, you're going to have some issues when you come back, no matter what. … We'll see what shows up here and we can go from there," Berube added Tuesday.Tarasenko led the Blues in goal-scoring for five straight campaigns from 2014-19.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.Well, I said to tread lightly yesterday, and hopefully you listened. The Hurricanes collapsed in the third period and the Canucks never could get much going as we stumbled to an 0-2 night.I already had a few of Tuesday's games circled on the calendar, and I'm anticipating a big day. Here's to hoping.Philadelphia Flyers (-130) @ Montreal Canadiens (+110)After the Canadiens dominated Game 2, things evened out in Game 3. It was tense and scoring chances were scarce. The Flyers capitalized on a fortunate bounce to take an early lead and that was it for the scoring. Carter Hart was excellent and puck luck wasn't on the side of Montreal - Jesperi Kotkaniemi hit the crossbar twice, Nick Suzuki ripped one off the post, and Brett Kulak dented the bar on a wicked shot. Hart was beaten clean on every one of these.It was a frustrating game for the Canadiens, but there were plenty of positives to take from it once again. They know that not only can they play with the Flyers, but they can beat them. Montreal has controlled a much larger portion of the expected goal share in the series and has been especially dominant in that regard at five on five. Given the rate at which the Canadiens are generating offense and taking the game to the Flyers, with some better puck luck they'll be an absolute steal at anything plus-money.Pick: Canadiens (+110)Calgary Flames (+105) @ Dallas Stars (-125)While some key bounces have gone against the Habs, no team has been more snakebitten than the Stars. They've been living around the Flames' net, but a combination of posts, crossbars, missed open nets, and sporadically great goaltending from Cam Talbot has resulted in an incredibly close series. It's 2-2 heading into Game 5, but it could - and probably should - just as easily be 3-1 Dallas at worst.The Stars have controlled 62.71% of the expected goals in this series, and a terrific 65.86% at five on five. There's zero doubt that they've been the better team throughout, and the floodgates opened in Game 4. It was a devastating loss for the Flames, who were seconds away from being up 3-1 in the series. Dallas needed a goal to tie the game and scored twice - one was disallowed. That's going to weigh heavily in Calgary's heads.It also looked like Dallas really figured something out with the tweaks the team made - its defensemen are joining the rush with a lot more frequency and the Flames haven't had an answer outside of Talbot. Galvanized by their Game 4 victory, the Stars take a big step toward the second round on Tuesday night.Pick: Stars (-125)Chicago Blackhawks (+165) @ Vegas Golden Knights (-195)I haven't a clue how this series is still going. The Blackhawks committed larceny in Game 4, but their joy will be short-lived. It's almost stunning how dominant the Knights were in the loss. They controlled an astounding 74.79% of the expected goals share and produced 16 high-danger scoring chances to Chicago's three.The Blackhawks rode their luck and extended their season by another 60 minutes, but that's going to be the extent of it. The Knights have dominated this entire series and, once again getting last change Tuesday, they will have their way with a Chicago defense that provides little resistance.Pick: Knights -1.5 (+130)(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.

It's safe to say the Ottawa Senators aren't planning to move their pair of high draft picks in exchange for the first overall selection in this year's draft."The idea of trading our third and fifth picks for the No. 1 pick is nonsensical," Senators owner Eugene Melnyk told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch in an email Monday. "We're very excited to welcome our many new Ottawa Senators that will come to us via the upcoming draft."The New York Rangers won the second phase of the NHL's draft lottery to secure the top pick after they were eliminated from the postseason play-in round, and Alexis Lafreniere is widely expected to be the first overall selection. Ottawa had the second- and third-best odds to win the lottery by virtue of holding the San Jose Sharks' first-rounder as well as its own, but it failed to claim the top pick."We've got two picks in the top five, we know we're going to get a tremendous player at No. 3, we'll let (the) Detroit (Red Wings) take No. 4 and we know we're going to get another special player at No. 5," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters in June following the first phase of the lottery, according to Garrioch.Ottawa boasts three first-round selections in the upcoming draft after acquiring the New York Islanders' first-rounder in a trade for forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau at the deadline. The Senators possess nine picks in the first three rounds - including four second-rounders - and 13 picks in total.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes appeared to be headed to a Game 4 victory and a 2-2 split in their best-of-seven series against the Boston Bruins on Monday when things went off the rails.With Carolina up 2-0 in the third period, the Bruins rallied with four unanswered goals in just under seven minutes to claim an eventual 4-3 victory."That was, quite frankly, as ugly of a period that I've ever seen us play. ... We got it handed to us," Hurricanes forward Justin Williams told reporters after the loss.He added, "Mentally, the sharpness wasn't there from everybody, and it snowballed into something we didn't want and we couldn't catch it in time."The Hurricanes seized control in the opening 40 minutes, but the battle-tested Bruins would not be denied in the final frame. Boston held Carolina to just two shots on goal in the third period and completely took over:PeriodBruins CF%Bruins xGF%Bruins HDCF%1st period43.4860.542.862nd period42.8645.81603rd period86.6793.53100(Corsi For rating, expected goals for percentage, high-danger scoring chances percentage)Following the loss, Carolina head coach Rod Brind'Amour put the onus on himself to make sure the Hurricanes are better prepared to close out a big game."The lack of pushback that we needed is something that I haven't seen out of this group," he said, per TSN's Mark Masters."I'll take the heat for that," he continued. "I mean, I needed to have my guys better prepared for that third period that was coming. I'll learn as well."The Hurricanes will look to stave off elimination in Game 5 on Wednesday.(Advanced stats source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins rode a strong third period to knock off the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in Game 4 on Monday and take a 3-1 series lead.Carolina owned a 2-0 lead entering the final frame, but Boston scored four times in the final 13 minutes to claim the victory.More to come.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet lamented his club's performance after an embarrassing 7-1 loss in Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday."Listen, we've all been embarrassed in life before," Tocchet said following the defeat, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "I played hockey. I've been embarrassed."I can't tell you a guy that played well tonight. We were embarrassed. It was men against boys today."Colorado jumped out to a 3-0 advantage after a first period that saw the Coyotes muster just three shots on goal. The Avalanche owned a dominant 76.56% share of expected goals for and 82.35% of high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five overall, per Natural Stat Trick.Coyotes starter Darcy Kuemper was chased from the net after allowing four goals on 22 shots following his sensational 49-save performance in Game 3.Now facing a 3-1 series deficit, Tocchet challenged his team to show that they want to remain in the postseason."This whole bubble thing ... it's about who wants to stay," he said, per Wyshynski. "You can tell who wants to stay and who wants to go home. For this game, it looked like we wanted to go home. We'll see about the next game."The Coyotes will look to stave off elimination in Game 5 on Wednesday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Andrei Svechnikov's injury might not be as bad as the Carolina Hurricanes initially feared."It's not as bad as maybe it looked on TV," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said of his injury Monday, according to Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer.Svechnikov was helped off the ice late in Game 3 versus the Boston Bruins with what appeared to be a leg injury. On Sunday, Brind'Amour said he "highly doubts" the young forward would be able to return this postseason."Certainly it looked terrible. We feared the worst, I think maybe we dodged that bullet," Brind'Amour said.There's still no specifics, as the NHL barred all teams from revealing specifics regarding injuries during the restart.Although he's sidelined, Svechnikov will stay in the bubble with his teammates in Toronto, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Svechnikov, 20, collected seven points in the bubble after a breakout regular season saw him register 61 points in 68 contests.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's bubbles maintained their clean slates for the third straight week of hockey's return-to-play plan.No positive results for COVID-19 were recorded from the 5,640 tests administered from Aug. 9-15, the league announced Monday.Since players and staff entered the bubble in late July, zero positive tests have been recorded. The league has been testing players and staff daily in both the Toronto and Edmonton bubbles.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.