Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.It was a rough outing Tuesday after a great couple of days, as we finished 1-3.Let's put this train back on its tracks.GOATs and scapegoatsAlex Stalock was a horse for the Minnesota Wild last night, making 37 saves on 38 shots to help them beat the Nashville Predators and ensure we at least cashed one of our Tuesday bets.A big reason why we didn't win a second was Martin Jones. Since when did he remember how to play hockey? He looked like Evgeni Nabokov last night, stonewalling the Toronto Maple Leafs. That's what I get for betting on the Leafs.Wednesday betsColumbus Blue Jackets (+150)The Blue Jackets visit the Calgary Flames, with both teams clinging to a playoff spot. The Flames are developing a reputation as road warriors because their play away from home has kept them in the postseason picture. They've lost six of their last seven on home ice, though - only beating the Anaheim Ducks - and 11 of their last 15 at the Saddledome. They've lost four of their last five at home to Eastern Conference teams, as well.Columbus hasn't played its best hockey of late, but the team snapped a run of 11 games - 1-5-5 over that span - without a regulation win Sunday. The Blue Jackets have lost five in a row on the road but they're playing tight games, as three of those defeats came in overtime or a shootout. They're playing teams tough regardless of recent results, and it's possible Sunday's outstanding comeback win has officially broken them out of this slump. Regardless, there's no way the Flames should be laying -170 given their track record on home ice. There's too much value with the Blue Jackets here to pass up.Best betArizona Coyotes (+100)There's something fishy about this line. The Coyotes have lost 10 of their last 11 on the road and the Vancouver Canucks are 20-7-4 at home this season. All logic states the Canucks should be, at the very least, -135 in this spot, not -115. So, why is the line so low, and dropping?Well, Vancouver has lost three in a row, letting in 14 goals over that span. The Canucks have allowed at least three goals in seven straight contests. They're also 1-4 at home this season in their first game back from a road trip of at least three games. They're struggling defensively, and that should be the perfect remedy for a Coyotes offense that's been sputtering on the road. You can't love the idea of betting against the Canucks on home ice, but sometimes you have to trust what a line is telling you.Trend of the nightThe Philadelphia Flyers are on a 12-1 run to the over on the road, while the Washington Capitals are on an 8-0-1 run to the over on home ice.It's a high total of 6.5 tonight, but all signs point to plenty of goals in D.C. The Capitals have allowed at least three goals in five straight at home, while the Flyers have scored three or more in 10 straight on the road. Perhaps Philadelphia's team total over of 2.5 is in play, as well?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 salary cap could increase significantly for the 2020-21 season, as deputy commissioner Bill Daly announced Wednesday that the expected range is between $84 million and $88.2 million, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.The current cap is $81.5 million, a figure determined last June that came in $1.5 million lower than the estimate commissioner Gary Bettman shared in December 2018.The exact cap figure will be negotiated between the NHL and NHLPA. Daly also said that a multi-year salary cap has been discussed in CBA talks to help teams plan for the future, LeBrun added.The NHL introduced a hard salary cap following the 2005 lockout. The initial figure was $39 million and has risen each year since.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly interview-style podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.Hockey YouTube sensation Andrew 'Nasher' Telfer joins this week's show to discuss a variety of topics, including:

Things could escalate quickly, as the Los Angeles Kings hope some star power will help them come lottery day.The Kings are in talks with actor Will Ferrell about being their representative at the draft lottery in April, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, who adds it's unclear if it can happen.Ferrell called the play-by-play for a period of a Kings game last season as his character, Ron Burgundy, from the movie "Anchorman." He's also a part-owner of MLS club LAFC.The Kings have the league's second-worst record as of Tuesday night, which would give the club a 13.5% chance of earning the first overall pick.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk took a skate to the face and immediately left the ice during Tuesday's game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said Tuesday that goaltenders Petr Mrazek and James Reimer will be sidelined for at least one more week, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.Mrazek, who's out with a concussion, is 7-10 days from returning, and Reimer is expected back shortly after that as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury."Both making progress," Waddell said. "Mrazek is ahead of Reimer. He's starting to go on the ice and probably will start to see pucks in the next day or so. By the weekend, (Reimer) will be on the ice we believe and from there it's just how fast he progresses."The Hurricanes lost both goalies during a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 22. Emergency backup goaltender David Ayres entered the game, making eight saves to seal the victory.Carolina continues its six-game road trip against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, and the Hurricanes are slated to play five times before March 13, which is the end of Mrazek's projected recovery timeline.The club has yet to record a win (0-2-1) without its two primary puck-stoppers available to start the game. Netminders Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg, who were recalled from the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate, have combined for a .874 save percentage over three losses.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It appears Claude Julien can rest easy this summer.Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin confirmed Tuesday that the 59-year-old head coach will be back with the club next season."Claude will coach the team in October, November, and December, as well," Bergevin said, according to RDS.ca's Francois Gagnon.After finishing two points out of a playoff spot in 2018-19, the Canadiens are all but out of the postseason race with 15 games remaining and will likely miss the playoffs for a third consecutive year."No one is satisfied with the results we have achieved so far this year," Bergevin said. "And we will have to do everything to raise expectations next year in order to achieve our goals."Though Bergevin is disappointed with how the season has played out, he isn't placing all the blame behind the bench."But it's not a change of coach that will get us there," he continued. "Our players must also take the necessary means to help us achieve these goals. We all have to take the blame for this year and it's collectively that we'll get better next year."Julien, who served as Montreal's head coach from 2002-2006, replaced Michel Therrien in February 2017. Since taking over for Therrien, Julien owns a record of 119-105-31.- With h/t to TSN.caCopyright © 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's been a fantastic start to the week, as we followed up a 2-0 Sunday with a big night Monday.We finished 2-1 with our official plays while also hitting on Leon Draisaitl to score two or more goals at +700 and our trend of the night at +150. If you tailed on those, you raked.

Edmonton Oilers forward James Neal will return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars, head coach Dave Tippett confirmed, according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.Neal, 32, has missed the club's last 16 games after suffering a foot injury on Jan. 29.The 6-foot-3 winger potted 11 goals in his first 14 outings to start the season, but he's found the net just eight times in 36 games since. Neal needs just one more tally to cement his 11th career 20-goal campaign.Edmonton acquired Neal from the Calgary Flames for forward Milan Lucic in July. There are three years left on the Ontario native's current deal beyond this season, which carries an annual cap hit of $5.75 million.The Oilers welcomed forward Kailer Yamamoto back into the lineup on Monday as they continue to get closer to full strength. Defenseman Kris Russell will be a game-time decision against the Stars, while blue-liners Oscar Klefbom and Mike Green remain sidelined.Entering Tuesday's action, the Oilers sit two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the top spot in the Pacific Divison.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's general managers have voted to amend the league's offside rule, aiming to make it similar to football's "breaking the plane" approach, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The league's competition committee needs to approve any proposed changes from the GMs before new rules are implemented.The proposed fix would help clarify reviews in which a player's skate is in the air while trying to stay onside. The rule currently requires at least one skate to be in contact with the line or on the player's side of the line for an onside ruling to be upheld.Coaches have been able to challenge offsides since the 2015-16 season. The subsequent reviews often cause lengthy delays and create plenty of controversy over plays that appear legal in real time.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl put on a show during the Edmonton Oilers' 8-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday.McDavid (one goal, four assists) and Draisaitl (four goals, one assist) combined for 10 points in the contest, and at least one of the stars was involved in each of Edmonton's eight markers on the night.The two teams entered the third period tied 3-3, but the Oilers exploded for five goals in five minutes and 17 seconds, capped by Draisaitl's fourth goal and McDavid's fifth point.

The 2019-20 campaign will be one to forget for Josh Anderson.The Columbus Blue Jackets forward will miss four-to-six months after undergoing shoulder surgery Monday, the team announced.Anderson hasn't played since Dec. 14 and was only expected to miss four-to-six weeks. In total, he skated in just 26 contests this season, recording a goal and three assists."When Josh suffered the injury, the options were to have it surgically repaired and miss the rest of the season or rest and rehabilitate with a chance to return to the lineup," general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. "Unfortunately, the injury has not responded as any of us had hoped to the latter and the decision was made to have the surgery now so that Josh will be fully healthy and ready to go next season."The 25-year-old power forward set career highs in 2018-19 with 27 goals and 20 assists in 82 games. He's set to become a restricted free agent this summer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and was left out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Detroit Red Wings, according to The Athletic's Ryan S. Clark.It is unclear when Makar suffered the injury. He appeared in Colorado's last game Saturday, logging 24:28 of ice time.The rookie blue-liner has recorded 12 goals and 35 assists in 56 games with the Avalanche this season. He already missed eight contests earlier in the campaign due to an upper-body injury.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Reinforcements are on the way.Toronto Maple Leafs defensemen Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci are on track to return at some point next week, head coach Sheldon Keefe told Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.The Maple Leafs also believe rookie forward Ilya Mikheyev will return this season, though his timeline is a bit longer than those of Rielly and Ceci, Johnston added.Injuries have decimated Toronto's blue line in 2019-20. With Jake Muzzin also sidelined, the Leafs are currently playing without half of their regular top six defensemen.Rielly, who finished fifth in Norris Trophy voting after last season, totaled 27 points in 46 games before going down with a fractured foot. He was given a timeline of at least two months on Jan. 13. The 25-year-old admitted he had been playing through an undisclosed ailment before suffering the foot injury.Ceci hasn't played since sustaining an ankle injury on Feb. 5 against the New York Rangers. He's recorded eight points across 54 games in his first season in Toronto.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes' confidence in his game is on full display both on and off the ice.When asked if he should seriously be considered for the Calder Trophy, Hughes didn't hesitate."Yeah, for sure, I think so," he said, according to The Hockey News' Ken Campbell. "I'm not the one making the call, but, especially the last 30 games, I don't know if anyone has been better than me."Hughes has mustered up six goals and 19 assists over his last 30 contests while averaging 22:19 of ice time. Only Chicago Blackhawks forward Dominik Kubalik has recorded more points (31) among rookies during that span, according to NHL.com.The 20-year-old Hughes, who took home Rookie of the Month honors for February, currently leads all rookies with 51 points in 64 games. He's also tied with Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson for the most points recorded among all blue-liners since Jan. 1 with 23."I haven't surprised myself because I thought I would do really well," Hughes added, according to Campbell. "I've been doing this my whole life, so why would I be surprised? At the same time, you think you're going to do well, but you never know how things are going to go. So, I'm humbled by that."Hughes was taken seventh overall by the Canucks in the 2018 draft.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL general managers discussed the league's emergency backup goalie procedure Monday and aren't looking to make a change.Concerns arose about the legitimacy of the protocol after 42-year-old David Ayres made headlines when he starred for the Carolina Hurricanes in a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 22.However, NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell doesn't think there's a problem with the procedure."It's a good human interest story," Campbell said at the GM meetings in Boca Raton on Monday, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "I think the process works ... our general managers are fine with where it's at right now."Ayres works for the Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate and has practiced with the club in the past. He also became known for his responsibility as a Zamboni driver.Prior to the Hurricanes-Maple Leafs extravaganza, the last emergency netminder to play in a game was Scott Foster, a 36-year-old accountant who suited up during a Chicago Blackhawks' win in March 2018.Ayres and Foster are the only two emergency goalies to ever play in the more than 6,000 games one has been available, according to NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika.Coincidentally, the Hurricanes used a backup goalie who they signed in an emergency situation before Ayres' epic night. Jorge Alves signed a professional tryout contract with Carolina on Dec. 31, 2016, when Eddie Lack was sidelined with an illness. However, Alves entered the game with only 7.6 seconds to play and didn't face any shots.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the 12th edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for 2019-20. Check back for updated rankings every second Monday during the regular season.In this edition, we look at each team's key player over the final stretch in the race toward the playoffs.1. Boston Bruins (41-13-12)Previous rank: 2The key for another deep playoff run by the Bruins is depth scoring. We know the "Perfection Line" is going to do its thing, but Boston's bottom nine needs to contribute offensively. Enter Jake DeBrusk. After a 27-goal sophomore campaign, the 23-year-old hasn't taken the strides many expected in his third season. With no goals in his last 10 games, DeBrusk needs to start putting the puck in the net in order for the Bruins to secure home-ice advantage for the postseason.2. St. Louis Blues (39-17-10)Previous rank: 7With such a balanced attack, St. Louis has shown it can withstand an injury to one of its premier forwards, but blue-liner Alex Pietrangelo is invaluable. The Blues captain led the club in ice time while chipping in 19 points during its Stanley Cup run last spring and is on pace for a career-best 61 points this season.3. Tampa Bay Lightning (41-19-5)Previous rank: 1The Lightning gave up a haul to acquire Blake Coleman before the trade deadline. With Steven Stamkos expected to be out for at least the rest of the regular season, it's time for Coleman to show why he was so coveted by the Bolts' brass. No, he's not going to replace Stamkos, but he needs to play like the impact, two-way forward he is.4. Colorado Avalanche (39-18-7)Previous rank: 6Let's not overthink this one. Nathan MacKinnon's dominance never wavered when the Avalanche lost co-star Mikko Rantanen and captain Gabriel Landeskog to long-term injuries earlier this season. MacKinnon rarely has an off night, and when the 24-year-old is at his best, the Avs can stick with any team.5. Washington Capitals (40-19-6)Patrick Smith / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 3The Capitals are a juggernaut offensively, but their play between the pipes will likely dictate how far they go. Braden Holtby will look to rediscover his 2018 postseason form, which saw him help Washington capture its first Stanley Cup with a .922 save percentage. Ilya Samsonov has been terrific this season, but relying on a 23-year-old rookie goaltender come playoff time is never ideal, especially when you have a talent like Holtby who's done it all before.6. Vegas Golden Knights (36-23-8)Previous rank: 15All eyes are on Robin Lehner. He won his Golden Knights debut Friday, stopping 32-of-34 shots. It remains unclear if Lehner or Marc-Andre Fleury will man the crease this postseason, but all signs are pointing toward the newly acquired Lehner taking the helm as the season winds down.7. Philadelphia Flyers (38-20-7)Previous rank: 12Sean Couturier has taken his elite two-way game up another level this season. The 27-year-old leads the club in Corsi For percentage (56.52%) and the Flyers own a team-best 56.04% share of expected goals for at five-on-five when Couturier is on the ice. He's also chipped in 21 goals and is on pace for his third consecutive 70-plus point season.8. Dallas Stars (37-21-7)Previous rank: 5If the Stars had received league-average goaltending this season, who knows where they'd be. The club ranks 24th in league scoring and is last among Western Conference playoff teams. Dallas needs the tandem of Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin to continue to stifle opponents between the pipes in order to make a deep playoff push.9. Pittsburgh Penguins (37-21-6)Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 4Sidney Crosby has just one point during the Penguins' six-game losing streak. Pittsburgh owns a 4-9-1 record when the two-time Hart Trophy winner is held off of the scoresheet but is 12-0 when he records two or more points in a game. The proof is in the numbers - when Sid gets buzzing, the Penguins follow suit.10. Toronto Maple Leafs (35-23-8)Previous rank: 9Frederik Andersen may be an obvious answer here, but more than anything, Toronto's blue line has to step up in front of its netminder. Perhaps no defenseman is more important to the Leafs' success right now than Travis Dermott, who's been thrust into a top-pairing role with both Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin sidelined. Dermott has excelled in sheltered minutes the past two years, but he needs to prove he's capable of more responsibility.11. New York Islanders (35-21-8)Previous rank: 10Mathew Barzal may be the Islanders' most talented player, but Brock Nelson checks every box in terms of winning hockey games. The 28-year-old pivot has scored a team-high 23 goals for the Islanders - five of them game-winners - and plays a significant role on the team's power play and penalty kill.12. Edmonton Oilers (34-23-8)Previous rank: 11Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have gotten all the attention in Edmonton, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been on a tear as of late. Since Dec. 31, Nugent-Hopkins has the fourth-most points in the league with 33. The secondary scoring has been a delight, and he'll need to continue to be a key source of offense as the Oilers surge toward the playoffs.13. New York Rangers (35-26-4)Previous rank: 17Artemi Panarin has been the Rangers' most valuable player, but unlike the club's play between the pipes, his production hasn't wavered. New York's season did a complete 180 when Igor Shesterkin emerged as a dominant presence in net. With the rookie puck-stopper now sidelined with a broken rib, netminder Alexandar Georgiev will need to step up in a big way for the Rangers to complete their comeback season and clinch a playoff berth.14. Carolina Hurricanes (35-24-5)Previous rank: 14With defensemen Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce out of the lineup, Jaccob Slavin has never been more valuable to the Hurricanes. The 25-year-old has seen increased ice time over the last several games and will continue to be tasked with handling other teams' top talents. He's also arguably the top penalty killer for a Hurricanes unit that's allowed just three goals in its last 28 times shorthanded.15. Columbus Blue Jackets (32-21-14)Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 13The goal-starved Blue Jackets aren't going to clinch a playoff berth by outscoring their opponents down the stretch, making netminder Joonas Korpisalo all the more important - especially with rookie phenom Elvis Merzlikins sidelined with a concussion.16. Vancouver Canucks (34-25-6)Previous rank: 8Jacob Markstrom was in the midst of a Vezina-worthy season before going down with an injury in late February. Now that he's out for at least another couple of weeks, goaltender Thatcher Demko will need to step up big time to keep the Canucks' playoff hopes alive. In the three games since Markstrom went down, Demko has gone 1-2-0 while allowing 10 goals on 93 shots.17. Nashville Predators (32-24-8)Previous rank: 19A Matt Duchene redemption run to end the season would benefit a Predators team teetering on the fringes of the playoff race. The 29-year-old pivot has underwhelmed in Nashville since inking a splashy 7-year, $56-million offseason deal. If Duchene can begin producing at the level the Preds are paying him, they'll have a good shot at continuing their season deeper into the spring.18. Calgary Flames (34-26-7)Previous rank: 18After a sluggish start to the year, Johnny Gaudreau has seemingly found his game. With three goals and eight assists in his last 10 games, Gaudreau will need to keep things clicking on the Flames' top line as Calgary enters the home stretch.19. Florida Panthers (33-26-7)Previous rank: 16It's an obvious answer, but it couldn't be truer: Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida's $70-million man, is integral to the Panthers' postseason hopes. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner has struggled mightily this season, but he's going to have to earn his paycheck if the Panthers are going to make the playoffs.20. Minnesota Wild (32-26-7)Jamie Sabau / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 22Alex Stalock has posted a 7-1-1 record with a .932 save percentage in the month of February to launch the Wild from deadline sellers to postseason candidates. The 6-foot puck-stopper has given the club new life and could be the difference between Minnesota sneaking into the playoffs or narrowly missing out.21. Arizona Coyotes (32-27-8)Previous rank: 21Taylor Hall has played well since his arrival in Arizona earlier this season. He's managed nine goals and 16 assists in 32 games and will need to continue to provide consistent offense for the Coyotes, who rank 22nd in the league in goals scored.22. Winnipeg Jets (33-28-6)Previous rank: 20The Jets' resiliency in 2019-20 following a difficult offseason is an embodiment of their captain. Blake Wheeler's never-say-die attitude will be critical for Winnipeg in the thick of a tight Western Conference playoff race, particularly with star winger Patrik Laine nursing a lower-body injury.23. Chicago Blackhawks (29-28-8)Previous rank: 24Patrick Kane has gone consecutive games without a point for just the third time this season. The Blackhawks' chances at a playoff spot this season are quickly fading, and any late-season surge would require an all-world stretch from "Showtime" himself.24. Montreal Canadiens (30-28-9)Previous rank: 23Although they're not mathematically eliminated from the postseason, the Canadiens will need a bit of a miracle to make the playoffs. A lot would need to go right, and that includes Max Domi, who has eight points in his last seven games, staying hot. Domi hasn't replicated last season's success, but a strong finish would increase the likelihood of Montreal committing long term to the pending restricted free agent.25. Buffalo Sabres (29-28-8)Kevin Hoffman / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 25This key player comes with a caveat. With nothing to lose at this point in the season, the Sabres might as well give Sam Reinhart an audition as the club's second-line center for the rest of the season. Reinhart was moved to the wing after struggling at center early in his career, but as a more mature player now, it's possible he could fill a massive organizational need for the Sabres down the middle. If not, then at least they know for sure. At the very least, moving him away from Jack Eichel would limit his production during a contract year.26. New Jersey Devils (26-27-12)Previous rank: 28If the Devils want to deal P.K. Subban this offseason, they need him to play well down the stretch to get his trade value up. If they want to keep him, he needs to finish strong to gain confidence going into the summer. Either way, it's beneficial if he plays well in the last 17 games.27. Anaheim Ducks (26-31-8)Previous rank: 27The Ducks made a gutsy move by dealing Ondrej Kase and bringing in Danton Heinen from the Bruins. In three games with Anaheim, Heinen has potted a goal and added an assist. The Ducks will be hoping to see their gamble pay off with a strong close to the year from Heinen, who's an impending restricted free agent.28. San Jose Sharks (28-33-4)Previous rank: 26Leading the team in goals with 22, Evander Kane has shown that the seven-year, $49-million extension he signed in 2018 is paying off. He helps bring grit to the Sharks' lineup with a whopping 118 penalty minutes and is also a big offensive threat. With San Jose looking to bounce back next year, Kane will need to carry over his confidence into the summer and next season.29. Ottawa Senators (23-31-12)Previous rank: 30The Senators are giving prospect Josh Norris an audition centering the team's first line between Brady Tkachuk and Bobby Ryan. With no clear-cut future No. 1 center in the organization, Norris, who was acquired from San Jose in the Erik Karlsson trade, has a glorious opportunity to prove himself down the stretch.30. Los Angeles Kings (25-35-6)Previous rank: 29Despite a wildly disappointing season from the Kings, Anze Kopitar has continued to play at an elite level. Leading the team in points by a wide margin, Kopitar has shown that he isn't going to mail it in during his team's rebuild. He will need to finish the year strong and carry his play into next season to keep Los Angeles' morale up.31. Detroit Red Wings (15-47-5)Previous rank: 31With last place in the NHL all but locked up, there's no "key player" for Detroit during the stretch run. What's key for the Red Wings is having the lottery balls fall their way once the season ends. Anything outside of the first overall pick and the rights to select Alexis Lafreniere would be extremely disappointing after what's been a disastrous season.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.Our weekend betting preview started slow with a 1-2 night Friday, picked up steam with a 2-2 Saturday that returned a small profit, then finished strong with a 2-0 Sunday.That's the momentum we're looking for heading into a big week.GOATs and scapegoatsIt's hard to pick just one hero from a busy weekend card, but how about the Columbus Blue Jackets' power play? Down 3-1 Sunday night heading into the third period, the Jackets cut the deficit to 3-2 before Zach Werenski and Emil Bemstrom scored power-play goals just three minutes apart to complete an impressive comeback and ensure we finished the day with a 2-0 record.That came after Jeff Petry crushed our spirit Saturday night. The Carolina Hurricanes had battled back from a 3-0 deficit in Montreal to force overtime, and it looked as though we were headed for a 3-1 night. But with all the momentum on the Hurricanes' side, Petry took a stretch pass in overtime and roofed one to salvage a win for the Canadiens, forcing us to settle for a 2-2 night.Monday betsFilip Forsberg over 2.5 shots (-130)With such a small card Monday, I've turned to player props to expand it. Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg recorded three or more shots in seven of his last eight games and registered 26 shots on goal across his last four games against the Edmonton Oilers, including nine in their most recent meeting in Nashville.Leon Draisaitl to score anytime (+120)While Forsberg has been shooting the puck a ton against the Oilers, Leon Draisaitl has done the same against the Predators - only he's made those shots count. The league's leading scorer has eight goals in his last four games against Nashville. He's in top form right now and is a steal at plus-money to add to his 39 goals on the season tonight. You can also get him at +700 to score two or more goals, which he's done in four straight meetings with the Predators, including both games in Nashville last season.Best betColorado Avalanche/Detroit Red Wings under 5.5 (+110)The Avalanche have won their last six games and eight in a row on the road. Defensively, they've really tightened up, and it's been a key component to their success. Colorado is on a 12-1 run to the under and has hit seven straight unders on the road. That's largely down to the fact that the Avs allowed just 10 goals in their last eight road games while scoring 15 in their last six games overall. Meanwhile, the Red Wings scored just 14 goals in their last 10 games on home ice. Furthermore, only one of the last eight meetings between these teams in Detroit went over six goals. All signs point to a low-scoring affair in Motown.Trend of the nightColorado has allowed just eight goals in its last six games.The team's impressive defensive record extends further back, having allowed just 23 goals in its last 14 games. If you exclude games against the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning, the Avalanche have allowed just 16 goals in their last 12 games. There are worse bets to make than the Red Wings' team total under 1.5 at +150.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 Florida Panthers' playoff hopes took a serious hit over the weekend with back-to-back home losses."Everyone is frustrated," forward Brett Connolly said, according to The Athletic's George Richards. "It's not fun right now. But we have to keep pushing and try and find a way to win a game, especially at home. We can't keep losing all these home games. It seems like every game we keep getting pushed lower and lower into the ground."The Panthers lost 3-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks in a shootout Saturday and were shut out by the Calgary Flames on Sunday in a 3-0 defeat. They haven't won a game at the BB&T Center since a Jan. 16 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.After an exciting offseason, what was supposed to be a special year in Florida is becoming another forgettable campaign. The club brought in Joel Quenneville as head coach, inked two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky to a long-term contract, and made a series of other deals to bolster its lineup.The Panthers occupied a playoff spot entering the All-Star break, but they've recorded just one win in their last six outings and sit five points out of a postseason berth entering Monday's action."We're not playing anywhere near a playoff team right now," Connolly said. "The way we're playing, we wouldn't do anything. We need to get that good feeling back."With 16 games remaining, Quenneville is doing his best to instill confidence in his group."We're going to take (Monday) off, recap the tough moment you're in now, and come in with an appetite to be positive and be part of the solution," Quenneville said."I still think there is enough time for us to remedy this. We have to put ourselves in position to win one game, get the momentum from that and go from there."The Panthers haven't made the playoffs since 2016 and have only two postseason appearances over the last 18 years.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Monday, theScore offers a weekly fantasy hockey column detailing a handful of moves you should make. This edition focuses on Week 21. Ownership percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.Prepare for the playoffsIn most fantasy leagues, the playoffs begin March 9, but some may be starting their postseasons this week. Check to make sure you know your league's schedule.Your strategy over the next week or so will depend on your place in the standings. If you've clinched a playoff spot and are locked into your position, you can start stashing players for the postseason. If you're fighting for your playoff life, you'll have to use up your adds to go all-out this week in order to get a ticket to the dance.Regardless of your spot, it's crucial to look at the schedule ahead and use it to maximize your lineup. The following players should be able to help all fantasy owners, regardless of your current situation.Add Tyler EnnisIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyTeam: Oilers

The Vancouver Canucks looked well on their way to securing a win Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets until disaster struck in the third period.The Canucks, who were up 3-1 with under eight minutes to play, went on to lose the game 5-3, and captain Bo Horvat made his frustrations known postgame."If we want to win and make the playoffs, we have to be better than that," Horvat said. "Plain and simple. We were the better team for 52 minutes, but those last eight minutes killed us. It's unacceptable. We're upset."The Blue Jackets scored two power-play goals within three minutes in the second half of the final frame and later completed the comeback with an empty-net marker."These kinds of games just don't leave you. I think it's good that we have two days off right now to kind of regroup, get a practice under our belt before we play another game," head coach Travis Green said, according to Sportsnet's Brendan Batchelor. "When you play playoff hockey, you're going to lose a game, you're going to lose a game in overtime, and you've got to reset and get ready to play."This, probably, is a lot like that as far as how you'll feel after a tough loss in playoff hockey, and it's like playoff hockey right now. So I'm glad we've got a couple days here."The Canucks slipped into the first wild-card spot with the loss, bringing their record to 34-25-6. Sunday's matchup capped off a four-game road trip, as the club is set to begin a four-game homestand Wednesday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau scored the opening goal in the Flames' 3-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday, later revealing it was for his grandfather, who died Saturday.Gaudreau celebrated his score with some visible emotion.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced Sunday.Stone didn't play Friday against the Buffalo Sabres but head coach Pete DeBoer is hopeful to have the winger back prior to the playoffs.The 27-year-old is tied for the team lead in points (63) and ranks third in goals (21) through 65 games this season. He also sits first among Golden Knights forwards in blocked shots.Stone leads all NHL forwards with 78 takeaways this season and owns a Corsi For rating of 57.74%. The Golden Knights' team-high 61.47% share of expected goals at five-on-five comes with Stone on the ice.Vegas has won eight consecutive games and sits atop the Pacific Division entering Sunday's action.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils interviewed former General Manager of the Year Mike Gillis for their GM position, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday's Headlines segment on "Hockey Night in Canada."The Devils fired GM Ray Shero in January. Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald was promoted to interim GM following Shero's dismissal.Fitzgerald remains a "very serious candidate" for the position, Friedman added, but the organization is still going to continue with its search.Gillis was the GM of the Vancouver Canucks for six seasons from 2008-09 to 2013-14. He was named GM of the year for the 2010-11 season, in which the Canucks won the Presidents' Trophy and lost in the Stanley Cup Final. He hasn't held a job with an NHL front office since but admitted last summer he was looking to get back into the game.The Devils' GM search will continue once the season is over and they can interview candidates currently employed by NHL teams, Friedman added. Waiting was not necessary with Gillis since he's currently an executive free agent.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos will undergo core muscle surgery and is expected to miss approximately six-to-eight weeks, the team announced Saturday.Even if Stamkos returns exactly six weeks from now (April 11), he wouldn't make it back for the end of the regular season, which wraps up on April 4. If he requires the full eight weeks to recover, his availability for the entire first round of the playoffs will be in jeopardy.The 30-year-old finishes the 2019-20 campaign with 29 goals and 66 points in 57 games.While there's no replacing a player of Stamkos' ilk, the Lightning are well-equipped to remain competitive during his absence. The club has depth at both left wing and center, especially since the trade deadline additions of versatile forwards Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets activated defenseman Ryan Murray off the injured reserve on Saturday, the team announced.Murray has missed the past 34 games after suffering a lower-body injury on Dec. 14 against the Ottawa Senators.The 6-foot-1 blue-liner is a pivotal part of the Blue Jackets' defense corps. Columbus owns a 53.66% share of expected goals and a 57.58% share of high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five with Murray on the ice this season, according to Natural Stat Trick.The 28-year-old's return comes at a critical point in Columbus' season with the team struggling defensively without blue-chip rearguard Seth Jones. The club has recorded just one win in its last 11 outings while conceding 3.72 goals per game during that stretch.The Blue Jackets occupy the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot entering Saturday's action.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders will be returning to their old barn full time for the 2020-21 campaign.New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that the club will play its entire 2020-21 schedule, and any home playoff games this season, at Nassau Coliseum.Former Islanders owner Charles Wang moved the franchise's home games to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2015. In 2017, Cuomo arranged for the club to share home contests between the two locations.The 2020-21 campaign is expected to be the Islanders' last season before they move into their new home at Belmont Park, which is currently under construction.Nassau Coliseum was originally opened in 1972 and has undergone numerous renovations in recent years.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin is staying patient with one of the club's most promising prospects.Bergevin will recommend that forward Cole Caufield continue his development with the NCAA's Wisconsin Badgers next season."Cole Caufield is having a good year [in the NCAA]," Bergevin said, according to La Presse's Mathias Brunet. "But, in our eyes, he is not ready. We will make a decision at the end of the year. If he really wants to leave college, we won't force him, but we'll recommend that he stay [in Wisconsin]. That doesn't mean it's a disappointment."Montreal selected Caufield with the 15th overall pick at the 2019 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old freshman is enjoying a terrific season with the Badgers, leading the club in both goals (19) and points (35) across 33 games.Bergevin says there's a chance Caufield could play with the Canadiens' AHL affiliate in Laval next season, but the 54-year-old executive would rather not rush the 5-foot-7 winger along in a high-pressure market like Montreal."We aim best for its long-term development," Bergevin said. "We are still having discussions internally. It is also possible that we will see him in Laval next year. But Laval too, it will be difficult. It is a league of men.“What scares Montreal is the expectations. And we, as much as possible, try to reduce expectations. It is not to be negative, but it is reality. It's difficult for Jack Hughes this year; that doesn't mean he's a bad player."Caufield is part of a crop of bright young talents for the Canadiens, which includes 20-year-old forward Nick Suzuki, who's enjoyed a strong rookie campaign in 2019-20 so far.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks forwards Andrew Shaw and Zack Smith will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season, the team announced Saturday.Shaw, 28, has been sidelined with a concussion since Nov. 30. The 5-foot-11 winger tallied three goals and seven points through 28 games this campaign. The Blackhawks re-acquired Shaw from the Montreal Canadiens in June 2019 after trading him in 2016.Smith will undergo back surgery on March 6. The 31-year-old contributed four goals and 11 points across 50 games this season, his first with the Blackhawks.Chicago sits eight points out of the second Western Conference wild-card spot entering Saturday's action and will likely miss the playoffs for the third consecutive campaign.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider suffered a fractured foot while blocking a shot in the first period of Friday's contest versus the Philadelphia Flyers, the team announced.Kreider signed a seven-year, $45.5-million extension with the Rangers on Monday after being rumored throughout the season to be one of the top candidates to be moved at the trade deadline.New York entered Friday's game having won nine of its last 10 contests and sits two points back of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. It would be a huge blow to the team's playoff hopes if Kreider is forced to miss significant time.Kreider has posted 24 goals and 21 assists in 63 games this season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

David Ayres has been enshrined in hockey history forever.The 42-year-old netminder, who became the first emergency backup goaltender in NHL history to record a win, had his game stick placed into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Friday."To think of all the hard work and time that some of the greatest players have put in and to have their accomplishments here, for me to have a small little piece of something I've done in here is unbelievable to me," Ayres said, according to NHL.com's Dave McCarthy.On Feb. 22, Ayres starred for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Ontario native entered the game in the second period after both Hurricanes netminders went down with injuries. He stopped eight of 10 shots he faced to earn the monumental victory."The reception from everybody on just how positive a story this has become is fantastic," Ayres said. "I had four or five people stop me in the mall when I was in Carolina and just tell me how amazing they thought the story was. That was a highlight for me, where it's clear it's reached people and everyone is happy about it and it's a positive story for them."Ayres regularly fills in at Maple Leafs practices when the team's in need of an extra goalie, and he also drives the Zamboni for the Toronto Marlies as well as at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leafs Gardens).The city of Raleigh proclaimed Feb. 25 as "David Ayres Day" in honor of his heroics. Ayres was also recognized by Upper Deck with his own hockey trading card.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

David Ayres now has his own official trading card.The 42-year-old Zamboni driver turned emergency goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes is featured in the latest pack of Upper Deck's 2019-20 Game Dated Moments cards, available through the company's e-Pack platform.Since Ayres isn't a member of the NHL Players' Association, a special deal was reached between him and Upper Deck to produce the card, according to Ryan Cracknell of Beckett. Upper Deck is also creating a rookie card for him.

The New York Islanders reassigned forward Josh Ho-Sang from their AHL affiliate to the San Antonio Rampage, the St. Louis Blues' AHL affiliate, the team announced Friday.Ho-Sang, 24, asked for a trade after failing to crack the Islanders' opening day roster. The 6-foot winger missed the first 10 weeks of the AHL season after being told not to report while New York general manager Lou Lamoriello attempted to meet his request.The Ontario native has contributed three goals and 10 points in 16 AHL contests this season.The Islanders drafted Ho-Sang 28th overall in 2014, and he's failed to carve out a permanent role with the club. He's recorded seven goals and 17 assists over 53 career games.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Feb. 28, 2010, is a date many Canadians will never forget.With Olympic gold up for grabs on home soil against the United States, a 22-year-old Sidney Crosby stepped up in overtime to deliver one of the biggest goals in Canadian hockey history."I remember the stories I was told," Crosby said, according to The Athletic's Josh Yohe. "In terms of goals that I’ve scored or moments that I’ve had, yeah, it was the biggest one. The reaction around Vancouver and around Canada, it’s something I’ll never forget."Crosby's tally sealed Canada's first Olympic gold medal in men's hockey on home turf, and just its second gold in the event since the 1952 Olympics in Norway."What I remember most is all these stories from buddies of mine, friends of mine, people in the community ... so many people have told me where they were when they were watching and when the goal went in," Crosby said. "It was so cool at the moment it happened, to be a part of it, and to experience it."Crosby took a pass from winger Jarome Iginla and slid the puck past American netminder Ryan Miller at the 7:40 mark of the first overtime period:

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mike Green will be sidelined three-to-four weeks with a sprained MCL, the team announced Friday.Green, 34, logged 19:42 of ice time in a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, his second game with the Oilers.Edmonton acquired Green from the Detroit Red Wings ahead of Monday's trade deadline for forward Kyle Brodziak and a conditional draft pick.The Alberta native has tallied three goals and 11 points through 50 games this season.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 picked up a butter knife and drove it through my back. We somehow finished 1-2 but the fact that it wasn't 3-0 was sickening.We lost an under 6.5 bet on a game that was scoreless with five minutes left in the second period, and we lost a side bet when the other team scored to tie the contest with 0.1 seconds left.I nearly swore off betting for a month, but I'm no quitter. Let's get it back this weekend.GOATs and scapegoatsNick Ritchie registered his first two points with the Boston Bruins, scoring a goal and picking up an assist in a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars to help us cash the over. He's the lone GOAT on a night that was full of scapegoats.We can go any number of ways with our Thursday night villain, so I'll let you decide. Is it Curtis McElhinney, for letting in four goals on six shots in a span of eight minutes in the third period? Is it Mikael Granlund, for tying the game with 0.1 seconds left and then scoring in overtime, too? Or is it David Rittich, for losing his balance in the crease and failing to hug the post? They're all the worst.

Takes, thoughts, and trends is theScore's monthly spin around the NHL.––––––––––Lightning might be better than everNHL rosters are essentially set in stone now that the trade deadline has passed. With injuries posing the only real threat to lineup composition, we can finally take a deep breath, recalibrate, and ask a fairly simple question:Which teams should be considered Stanley Cup contenders?From my vantage point, five clubs have distanced themselves from the pack: the Lightning, Bruins, Capitals, and Penguins in the East, and the Blues in the West. It's hard to differentiate between those five, but the Lightning would get the slightest of edges if I was forced to choose just one. (Of course, only one team from each conference competes in the Cup Final. Those Eastern teams could very well beat each other up along the way.)Tampa Bay is icing a better all-around lineup than last year's 62-win team. It checks off all the boxes: star power and depth at every position; excellent basic stats, including a plus-46 goal differential; excellent advanced stats, like a 54.2 expected goals for percentage; a deadly power play; a reliable penalty kill; and a respected coaching staff. Everything seems so very … bulletproof.Ethan Miller / Getty ImagesWhat prevents the Lightning from being a mile ahead of the pack are memories of the egg they laid last spring. That first-round sweep by the Blue Jackets will be in the back of everybody's minds until Tampa Bay redeems itself. And rightfully so. The Lightning choked.After that top group is a second tier (wouldn't be surprised if they won the Cup) featuring the Stars, Avalanche, and Islanders. Not far below them is a third tier (strong, shown flashes of brilliance, but flawed in some way) featuring the Golden Knights and Hurricanes, for a final tally of 10 teams across three tiers.You'll notice no Canadian teams are in the top 10. About that Cup drought …Penguins' attack won't stopSpeaking of perspective, I dig what Pittsburgh did on deadline day more than I did when the trades were rolling in at a feverish pace Monday.If you loop in his acquisition of Jason Zucker on Feb. 10, general manager Jim Rutherford has essentially reworked a third of his forward group. Zucker, Conor Sheary, Evan Rodrigues, and Patrick Marleau are in, while Alex Galchenyuk, Dominik Kahun, defenseman prospect Calen Addison, a first-round pick, and a conditional third-round pick are out. That's some tidy business for a team trying to win a fourth Cup with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.On Wednesday, the Penguins lost their first post-deadline game 2-1 to the Kings. It was their fourth straight defeat, but with two supremely talented top lines centered by Crosby and Malkin and third/fourth lines that can forecheck opponents into the ground, the misery should end soon. Perhaps as soon as Friday against the Ducks. Here are Pittsburgh's current lines:LWCRWZuckerCrosbyShearyRustMalkinHornqvistMarleauRodriguesSimonLaffertyBluegerTanevKeep in mind that forwards Jake Guentzel (out for the season), Zach Aston-Reese (listed week-to-week), Jared McCann (day-to-day), and Nick Bjugstad (indefinitely) are all on the shelf. At full health (minus Guentzel), the Penguins' attack is going to be a nightmare to defend.Meanwhile, the defense corps is the club's main weakness, and it's been especially inept lately. Injured blue-liners Brian Dumoulin and John Marino appear to be nearing returns, though. It'll be interesting to see if their availability and the upgrades up front can smooth out any deficiencies on the back end.Pacific all jammed upJeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesWith 20 or fewer games left for every team, the Pacific Division is still a mess.Five teams were separated by eight points as of Friday morning - and it's been this tight for months. Four of the clubs are in a playoff position, while the Coyotes sit two points out of the West's second wild card with 70 points.The Golden Knights, with a division-leading 78 points, have 17 games remaining. The Canucks, with 74 points, have 19 games left. The Oilers, also at 74, have 18 games remaining. The Flames, at 72, have 17 left. And Arizona has 16 remaining.In terms of schedule difficulty, Edmonton has the highest percentage of its remaining games against teams currently in a playoff position at 61.1%. Vegas and Vancouver are both at 57.9%, Arizona is at 56.3%, and Calgary is at 52.9%.Based on these two variables, the Canucks have a pretty good chance of climbing the standings and potentially winning the division, while the Coyotes have a good chance of slipping and finishing further from the playoff cut line.Money Puck, which simulates the rest of the season using its own game prediction model, gives Vegas a 98% chance of making the playoffs. Edmonton's at 77.2%, Vancouver 76%, Calgary 73.9%, and Arizona 26.7%. Buckle up, folks.Between-the-legs goals a trend?Is it just me, or have there been exponentially more between-the-legs goals this year? It hasn't taken the hockey world by storm quite like so-called lacrosse goals, but there's definitely a pattern developing.William Nylander's beauty the other night versus Tampa Bay is the most recent highlight-reel snipe. Kyle Connor, Sonny Milano, David Pastrnak, Nick Foligno, and Tom Wilson have all gone between the legs for a goal this year, too. Heck, Matthew Tkachuk has done it twice, most recently Feb. 10."We've seen it before," Flames coach Geoff Ward told reporters following that game. "But it never ceases to amaze any time he pulls it out."As for why this is suddenly happening, who really knows. A few wide-brush ideas: Stick technology has never been better and kinder to shooters; there has never been more skill in the game, period; and younger players seem to revel in taking leaps of faith, attempting and pulling off difficult tricks often.On the subject of goal-scoring: Pastrnak (46 goals, 17 games left), Auston Matthews (44, 17), and Alex Ovechkin (43, 18) could all score 50 or more goals. No season since 2009-10 has featured three 50-goal scorers.Panarin vs. the UFA fieldSunday marks eight months since Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, Joe Pavelski, and Mats Zuccarello dominated the news cycle by inking monster deals on July 1. So far - and these things can change over time - Panarin in New York is the only one meeting or exceeding expectations.Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesThat's absolutely wild, considering it took the Rangers offering maximum term (seven years) and a hefty annual cap hit ($11.6 million) to land Panarin. The Russian is in the conversation for the Hart Trophy thanks to a league-leading 66 even-strength points. He's been unreal in the Big Apple.The four other big tickets - Bobrovsky at $10 million a year, Duchene at $8 million, Pavelski at $7 million, Zuccarello at $6 million - aren't inspiring much confidence in their respective new homes. Duchene, Pavelski, and Zuccarello are all performing below their career averages in points per game, while Bobrovsky owns an ugly .899 save percentage through 49 appearances for Florida.Duchene has been uncharacteristically underwhelming. He was supposed to be the final piece for Nashville, one of the West's perennial contenders. He's recorded 39 points while averaging 16 minutes and 58 seconds of ice a night in 60 games. It's not dire; the Predators are in a playoff spot at the moment, and Duchene's strong underlying numbers might turn into goals and assists sooner than later. But Year 1 of the marriage surely hasn't been a honeymoon.From coaching to nothingThe human side of NHL coaching dismissals is fascinating. In an instant, a coach goes from living and dying with every shift, period, and game to having nothing on his plate professionally.Since they're still being paid, not many people are about to feel sorry for a fired coach. However, being fired from such a public role seems mentally taxing, to say the least. Not only are an outgoing coach's failures dissected by media and fans, the "drug" that is winning a hockey game - as ex-Wild bench boss Bruce Boudreau called it in a recent piece in The Athletic - is suddenly unattainable.Ethan Miller / Getty ImagesThat Boudreau interview reminded me of a conversation I had last offseason with former Golden Knights assistant coach Mike Kelly. I asked what the first few post-firing days are like, hoping he'd entertain my morbid curiosity."It’s pretty empty," replied Kelly, who was gainfully employed at the time but went on to lose his Vegas gig in January alongside his boss, Gerard Gallant. "Without the opportunity to go to the rink every day, to have the challenge of figuring things out and competing, a part of yourself is really not working."He added, "You run the risk of losing a bit of confidence. You need to be around people who have gone through it, and if you have a good support system, it can sort of buoy you a little bit to not only help you find another job, but at least motivate you to say, 'You’ve got to get out. Pull your bootstraps up and go again.' ... If you can afford it, it's a good thing to get away (on vacation). But I always think, 'Well, (the emptiness is) going to be there when you get back anyway. You either deal with it now or deal with it later.'"Here's hoping Kelly, wherever he may be, is in good spirits.Attendance diving in OttawaAccording to attendance figures posted by ESPN, 18 of the NHL's 31 teams are filling their respective arenas to 95% capacity or higher this season. Another nine rinks are filling somewhere between 90% and 94.9%.That leaves just four teams below the 90% line. Not a bad ratio, really.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesTwo of them, the Florida Panthers and Arizona Coyotes, are Sun Belt franchises that have traditionally struggled at the gate. The Islanders, at 80.9% capacity for the season, are second from the bottom. They have the excuse of not having a permanent home. Conversely, Ottawa, the NHL's worst draw at 65.3% capacity, has a legitimate problem on its hands: several years of decline.The Senators are averaging 12,512 fans a game, including 12,166 on Thursday to witness Bobby Ryan's incredible return. Last year, they averaged 14,553, which was lower than 2017-18 (15,829), which was lower than 2016-17 (16,744), which was lower than 2015-16 (18,084). Overall, Ottawa's attendance has been sinking for five straight seasons.Sure, the team sucks right now and the Senators' rink is located in far-flung Kanata, but the year-over-year decrease is worrisome for a Canadian franchise. GM Pierre Dorion and head coach D.J. Smith are building toward something special. The question is, will the fans come back when the on-ice success arrives, or are they gone forever?Load management, eh?Goalie workload was a major talking point in the leadup to the 2019-20 season - and for good reason. The Stars and Bruins found great success with a platoon setup last year; Blues netminder Jordan Binnington had recently become the 10th consecutive Stanley Cup-winning goalie to play fewer than 60 games during the regular season; and the Toronto Raptors had just won their first NBA title by using load management with superstar Kawhi Leonard."The best way I can explain it is: If you have two guys playing well, you're not going to play as many games," Stars goalie Ben Bishop said in September. "You can't go into a season saying you're going to play this many games, because if you're playing really good and the other guy's not playing good, you're going to play more games, and if you're not playing good and the other guy is playing good, he's going to play a little more. If both guys are playing well, it gives teams the opportunity to play both guys."That's how Dallas rolls. With about a month left in the regular season, Bishop has played in 42 games and backup Anton Khudobin has appeared in 27 as the Stars sit third in the Central. Meanwhile, six NHL goalies are on pace to reach or exceed 60 games played:STARTERSTARTER GPTEAM GP82-GAME PACEPrice (MTL)556668.3Hellebuyck (WPG)536665.8Bobrovsky (FLA)496462.8Andersen (TOR)496561.8Gibson (ANA)476361.2Vasilevskiy (TB)476460.2In the first five instances, you can make a case for why the goalie is headed for 60 or more appearances: unreliable backup; too talented to sit; perhaps too expensive for load management as well, with each earning at least $5 million.Regardless of the rationale, it's probable at least two (Carey Price and Connor Hellebuyck) will keep the 60-game club alive. Old habits die hard - especially in the NHL.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bobby Ryan made the most of his return to Canadian Tire Centre.The veteran forward played in front of Ottawa Senators fans Thursday night for the first time since he entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, and he recorded a hat trick in a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks.Ryan scored in the first period before adding two more in the third to wrap up an incredible performance. He also had a fight in the contest and was named the first star.

In the fifth edition of theScore's 2019-20 Hart Trophy Power Rankings, we finally see some separation from the league's top duo and welcome a newcomer from The Big Apple:5. Connor McDavidHarry How / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGPATOIxGF%CF%58318722:0358.5556.25Normally, missing six games wouldn't hurt a player's chances of winning the Hart. That is, unless your teammate is the one you're competing with for the honor.After his six-game absence, McDavid picked up right where he left off - recording one goal and five assists in three games. On an 82-game pace, he'd be on track to record an impressive 123 points this season.McDavid has shown he can play and produce with just about anybody on the Oilers. On Tuesday, he appeared on a line with two new teammates in Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Ennis, and the trio recorded two out of the team's three goals. He's been a top contender for the Hart all year long, but his mini absence may ultimately be what separates him from the pack. Still, McDavid has the ability to propel himself back to the top with 18 games remaining.4. Artemi PanarinJared Silber / National Hockey League / GettyGPGPATOIxGF%CF%61328520:2258.8257.13Panarin's debut season in New York has gone nearly as good as possible. The Rangers didn't necessarily see themselves as contenders coming into the campaign, but with a few weeks left to go they're in the thick of the playoff race, and much of that is thanks to Panarin.With 87 points, Panarin ranks third in the league's overall point race. He also has the league's third-highest points-per-game total. When he's on the ice at five-on-five, he has an expected goals for percentage of 52.69 and a Corsi For percentage of 50.13. Without him, the Rangers have an xGF% of 44.08 and a CF% of 44.46.His value to the Rangers is unmatched. He's recorded two or more points in a game on 26 different occasions this season. It's not always the most indicative stat, but Panarin's team-leading plus-37 rating also can't be completely ignored. Many questioned the impact the winger could have with a cap hit of $11.6 million per year, but he's quickly vaulted himself into the discussion for league MVP.3. Brad MarchandIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGPATOIxGF%CF%65268119:3860.5359.56Linemate David Pastrnak continues to get much of the recognition in Boston thanks to his jaw-dropping goals, but Marchand's underlying numbers have impressed.It's a small sample size, but in the 97 minutes Marchand has spent without Pastrnak at five-on-five this season, his xGF% is 63.62 while his CF% is 59.56. In the 174 minutes Pastrnak has spent without Marchand, his xGF% is a meager 45.44 and his CF% is 49.08. These numbers suggest that Marchand's ability to create scoring chances is a big reason the Bruins' top line clicks so well.He ranks sixth in the league in points, but the numbers beyond the stat sheets are compelling. He leads the league in penalties drawn (43) and is fourth in primary assists (34). He's one of Boston's biggest penalty killers, and has helped create three shorthanded goals this season while giving up 10 power-play markers. Marchand is a swiss-army knife for Boston. If irritating your opponents was a measurable stat, Marchand would probably find himself higher in the rankings.2. Leon DraisaitlIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGPATOIxGF%CF%64379922:4355.1253.32When McDavid went down, it opened the door for Draisaitl to separate himself in the Hart race from his teammate. Despite McDavid only missing six games, it looks like it was enough to give Draisaitl the ultimate edge.In McDavid's six-game absence, the Oilers went 3-2-1 against top teams including the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins. Draisaitl mustered up a sublime four goals and eight assists in those contests. Draisaitl's xGF% at five-on-five is 51.06 in the 498 minutes of ice time he's spent without McDavid this season, an uptick from the 46.82 they possess in the 541 minutes they've spent together on the ice. Draisaitl has proven he can get things done without his superstar partner by his side, producing 27 goals for and 24 goals against when he's on the ice without him.There's not much to hold against Draisaitl at this point. His case for the Hart Trophy was often brought down due to the fact he shares the spotlight with McDavid, but he's proven he can carry the Oilers without him.1. Nathan MacKinnonIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGPATOIxGF%CF%62338521:1762.7660.15Injuries have piled up all season long in Colorado, but MacKinnon has kept the team trucking through it all. With key injuries to virtually every player surrounding him, he's managed to keep the Avalanche afloat and in a playoff spot.MacKinnon's linemate Mikko Rantanen, who has been playing at a point-per-game pace while in the lineup, has missed a total of 20 games this season. Gabriel Landeskog, Cale Makar, Nazem Kadri, and Rantanen have missed a combined 55 games, with the latter two missing more time ahead. MacKinnon is just one of three players on the Avalanche to appear in all 62 games this season.MacKinnon's 85 points put him 40 ahead of the Avalanche's second-best scorer. In the 13 games he's failed to record at least one point this season, the Avalanche have gone below .500 with a 5-7-1 record. He ranks eighth among all forwards in time on ice (21:17), fifth in points (85), and second in shots on goal (287).The Avalanche seem like they will go as far as MacKinnon can take them. Without him, Colorado evidently wouldn't be sitting in second place in the Central Division as the season winds down.Honorable Mentions: Pastrnak, John Carlson, Auston Matthews(Advanced stats: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets star Patrik Laine suffered a lower-body injury after blocking a shot in the first period of Thursday's tilt versus the Washington Capitals and didn't return.There's no immediate update on his condition, but he will travel with the team for Saturday's game in Edmonton, according to the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck. His availability will be based on how he feels Friday.Laine has been a vital piece of Winnipeg's attack this season, entering Thursday's contest with 26 goals and 33 assists in 63 games.Winnipeg ultimately blanked the Caps 3-0. After Thursday's action, the Jets are tied with the Nashville Predators - who own the West's second wild-card spot - at 72 points, but have played three extra games.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly interview-style podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.Josh Smith, founder of ScoutingTheRefs.com, joins this week's show to discuss a variety of topics, including:

Seattle's NHL franchise is looking to hire a head coach earlier than initially expected, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading.""When (general manager) Ron Francis was thinking about his first head coach, he thought he would hire him between January and June of '21," LeBrun said. "Well now, he has cleared it with ownership that he can go out and hire a coach as early as this summer."Seattle hasn't been linked to any hires at this point, but there are plenty of high-profile coaches potentially available due to a slew of firings across the league this season.Mike Babcock, Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette, and Bruce Boudreau could all be candidates for the NHL's 32nd team.Seattle will take the ice for the 2021-22 season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano returned to the lineup for Thursday's pivotal matchup with the Nashville Predators.The Flames captain was sidelined for the team's last 10 contests with a hamstring injury, and was labeled a game-time decision for Thursday's affair.Giordano is Calgary's defensive backbone. He's logged a team-high 23:57 of ice time per game this season and leads the club with 136 blocked shots while contributing 27 points through 54 contests.The Flames went 6-4-0 in Giordano's absence and entered Thursday's action with a two-point lead over Nashville for the first Western Conference wild-card spot.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights signed forward William Carrier to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.4 million, the team announced Thursday.Carrier, 25, is on the final year of his current deal and was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1.The 6-foot-2 winger has recorded seven goals and a career-best 18 points through 65 games this season, his third with the Golden Knights. He also ranks second on the club and sixth in the league with 199 hits.Vegas selected Carrier during the 2017 expansion draft.With Carrier signed, forwards Chandler Stephenson, Nick Cousins, and Nicolas Roy, along with defenseman Zach Whitecloud, are the team's remaining restricted free agents heading into this summer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the fifth edition of theScore's Norris Trophy Power Rankings, a new name enters the mix.5. Shea TheodoreIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGAPATOIxGF%6510334322:0956.56Theodore cracks this list for the first time. The 24-year-old is enjoying a breakout season in his third campaign with the Golden Knights. He's logging the most ice time of his career and has already set a new personal best in points. Unfortunately, as great of a year as he's producing, Theodore's chances of moving into the top four here by season's end are slim.4. Alex PietrangeloJeff Bottari / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAPATOIxGF%6313354824:0753.32Pietrangelo is peaking at the right time. Fresh off a Stanley Cup run with the Blues last spring - in which nobody would've balked if he took home the Conn Smythe Trophy - the 30-year-old is continuing his career year offensively, just as he's set to enter unrestricted free agency.3. Victor HedmanMike Ehrmann / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGAPATOIxGF%619435224:1556.81If you could create an NHL defenseman in a lab, he would look similar to Hedman. Standing 6-foot-6 and able to fly up and down the ice with ease, the Swede is as close to perfect as they come. He's put together another strong campaign, and Hedman is in line for his fourth straight top-three Norris Trophy finish.2. Roman JosiFrederick Breedon / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGAPATOIxGF%6214435725:5254.36Josi's sensational season is getting drastically overlooked because the Predators are playing poorly, and the man in front of him in these rankings is on the verge of being included in the record books. However, the Swiss blue-liner is on pace for 70-plus points, and only 10 defensemen since 1986 have accomplished that feat.1. John CarlsonIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGAPATOIxGF%6315577224:4050.46Carlson has held the top spot in these rankings since the first edition this season. Is he flawed defensively? Sure, but a 94-point campaign (his current pace) would put him in a league of his own. To find the last D-man to record 94-plus single-season points, you have to go way back to 1992-93, when Phil Housley posted 97 points during an era when 7.26 goals per game were scored (the average now is just over six per contest).Just missed the cut: Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, Kris Letang, Ryan Suter(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion wants defenseman Mark Borowiecki to finish his career in the nation's capital."We hope to make Mark Borowiecki a Senator for life," Dorion said Thursday morning on TSN Radio 1200 Ottawa.The 30-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and Dorion says he's begun discussing an extension with Borowiecki's agents.The rearguard is enjoying a career-best season in 2019-20, recording seven goals and 18 points in 53 games. With the Senators in the midst of a rebuild, Dorion assured the veteran he wouldn't be moved ahead of the trade deadline."I told Borowiecki sometime in December he wasn’t going to be traded,” Dorion said, according to the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch. “There’s got to be a human side to how we do our business here and everyone here knows that Mark and his wife were expecting their first child.“To get the return that we probably would have gotten wasn’t worth it," Dorion said. "We wanted Mark to be here until the end of the year and possibly talk contract negotiations moving forward because we really like what he brings to our team and how he shows our younger kids how to play and how he practices hard every day and those are key elements for us in the rebuild.”The Senators selected Borowiecki in the fifth round in 2008. The Ottawa native is the second-longest tenured player on the club behind netminder Craig Anderson.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.Wednesday's small slate produced a 1-1 night for us, but we have a lot more to pick from on Thursday and I'm feeling good about this card.Here's to a big night.GOATs and scapegoatsPavel Francouz had himself a night on Wednesday. His 31 saves, including some big ones late in the game, helped us cash the under in Colorado, but we were undone shortly after by another goaltender.Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves for his third shutout of the month as the Edmonton Oilers failed to score at least three goals in the second leg of a back-to-back for the first time all season. Terrible timing.Thursday betsChicago Blackhawks/Tampa Bay Lightning under 6.5 (-110)The Lightning uncharacteristically allowed four goals at home to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, bringing an end to their incredibly lengthy winning streak at Amalie Arena. Expect a spirited response tonight, especially on the back end. Before Tuesday, the Lightning had held opponents to two or fewer goals in seven of their last nine home contests. Furthermore, in five games at home against Western Conference teams in 2020, the Lightning have allowed just eight goals.While they might not score much, the Blackhawks should also be able to limit the damage at their own end. They've won six straight away against Eastern Conference teams and are on a 6-2 run to the under in that spot. This total feels like an overreaction to Tuesday night, when Chicago lost 6-5 in St. Louis.Dallas Stars/Boston Bruins over 5 (-130)I'm not surprised by this total given both teams' abilities to keep pucks out of their nets this season, but that hasn't been the case of late. The Bruins have allowed four or more goals in eight of their last 11 home games against Western Conference teams, while the Stars have given up at least three goals in six of their last nine away to Eastern Conference opponents.Meanwhile, Dallas has scored at least three goals in 10 straight road games against East teams (and in eight straight away contests regardless of the opponent), while Boston has scored at least four goals in six of its last eight games on home ice.This total is a full goal too low.Best betCalgary Flames (+115)Following an impressive win in Boston on Tuesday, the Flames will head to Music City to take on the Nashville Predators. This game has massive wild-card implications, as these two teams are holding the wild-card berths in an awfully congested Western Conference.Injuries have decimated the Flames at the back end, but they've continued to excel away from home. Calgary's won six of its last seven on the road and 14 of its last 18. Not only that, but the Flames are on a 10-2 run away to Western Conference teams and have won eight of their last nine games in Nashville.The Predators are coming off back-to-back wins - albeit against the Ottawa Senators and the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets - but they've also won just four of their last 12 home games against Western Conference foes. Trust the Flames to continue their road dominance.Trend of the nightThe New York Islanders, who will be at Enterprise Center tonight for a date with the St. Louis Blues, have scored 10 goals in their last 10 road games against Western Conference teams. The Islanders are also 10-1 to the under this season away to Western Conference opponents and have lost nine of their last 10.New York's team total under 2.5 is listed at -140, and while that's worth the juice, you should also consider the under 1.5 at +220 and the Islanders to score exactly one goal at +275.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.

Edmonton Oilers forward Andreas Athanasiou is not expected to be out for long after exiting with a lower-body injury during Wednesday's contest against the Vegas Golden Knights."I don't think it's serious," head coach Dave Tippett said following his team's 3-0 loss, according to TSN. "I didn't see it because of any one play. He was hurt in the second (period) and tried it in the third but couldn't go."The 25-year-old winger recorded one shot on net in 11 minutes of ice time before departing. He tallied one goal and one assist in his debut with the Oilers on Tuesday.Edmonton acquired the native of Ontario from the Detroit Red Wings ahead of Monday's trade deadline in exchange for forward Sam Gagner and a pair of second-round draft picks.Athanasiou contributed 10 goals and 24 points through 46 games with the Red Wings this season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom underwent a minor lower-body procedure Wednesday and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, general manager Jim Benning announced.Markstrom was injured in Saturday's victory over the Boston Bruins. Thatcher Demko has taken over as Vancouver's starter and won his first start as the club's No. 1 on Tuesday in Montreal.The Canucks also acquired Louis Domingue before the trade deadline for some insurance in goal.Markstrom has been solid for the Canucks this season, posting a 23-16-4 record along with a .918 save percentage. He's an impending unrestricted free agent, although Benning has said he hopes to extend the 30-year-old netminder.Vancouver enters Wednesday's slate of action in the second spot in the Pacific Division, tied with the third-place Edmonton Oilers at 74 points while holding a game in hand.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester won't return this season, but he hasn't decided whether to call it a career.Bouwmeester suffered a cardiac episode and collapsed on the bench during a game on Feb. 11. A few days later, he underwent a procedure that installed an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. He offered his first public comments since the incident at a press conference Wednesday."There's been a lot going on. I think that's something I'm going to definitely have to evaluate," Bouwmeester said to the assembled media when asked about his playing future. "I wouldn't say I've done that fully yet. There's decisions that I'm going to have to make but that will come later."Blues general manager Doug Armstrong clarified that Bouwmeester will not play again this season or during the playoffs and any long-term decisions will be made this summer."Quite honestly, hockey hasn't really been at the front of my mind the last couple of weeks," Bouwmeester said. "It's surreal because right now I feel pretty good, so you can compare it to another injury or something that you've gone through where you're just not playing. But you have to remind yourself of what happened and it puts things into perspective. ... When you put everything in perspective, it's OK to just take a step back right now."The 36-year-old blue-liner has appeared in 1,240 regular-season games during his 17-year career, tallying 424 points. He's a member of the Triple Gold Club after winning a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019, an Olympic gold medal with Canada in 2014, and two World Championship gold medals in 2003 and 2004.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.