St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester experienced a medical emergency during his team's game against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night."With 7:50 remaining in the first period of our game tonight, Jay Bouwmeester suffered a cardiac episode and collapsed on our bench after completing his shift," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong announced in a statement postgame."Thankfully, with the quick response of our medical trainers, Anaheim medical trainers and their team physicians, they were able to stabilize Jay," Armstrong added. "He was alert and moving all of his extremities as he was transported to UC Irvine Medical Center. Currently, Jay is conscious and alert as he undergoes further testing by Anaheim's physicians. We will update Jay's condition on Wednesday morning."Bouwmeester was immediately taken to the dressing room on a stretcher after he collapsed.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov was ruled out for the remainder of Tuesday's 2-1 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins after suffering a lower-body injury in the second period, the team announced.Kucherov took an awkward hit behind the net from Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson.

Detroit Red Wings forward Brendan Perlini left Tuesday's 3-2 loss against the Buffalo Sabres and didn't return after enduring a scary moment on the ice.Perlini was helped off by the trainer after Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju's skate caught him in the face during the first period.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is "willing to listen" to trade proposals for defensemen Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."The Wild are seeking a top-line center in exchange for either blue-liner, according to Dreger. He adds that Minnesota would seek an additional asset from a team offering a second-line center.Dumba, 25, is a mobile, right-shooting defender with plenty of offensive upside. The 6-foot rearguard has managed just four goals and 18 points through 55 games this season, but he remains one of the Wild's most reliable talents. He sits second on the team in average ice time and ranks third in both blocks and hits.The native of Saskatchewan is under contract for three years beyond this season and carries an annual cap hit of $6 million.Brodin is a reliable top-four defenseman who's posted solid possession numbers throughout the 2019-20 campaign. The Wild own 56.32% of high-danger scoring chances with Brodin on the ice at five-on-five, and an expected goals share of 51.3%. The Swedish rearguard is under contract through the 2020-21 season at an annual cap hit of $4.16 million.After trading forward Jason Zucker to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, Guerin said Tuesday he won't hesitate to deal more players if he senses the team has quit on the season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes are amenable to trading one of their first-round picks in exchange for a blue-liner who's under contract beyond this season."It is something that Carolina has begun telling teams that (it's) willing to do if it means getting a top-four (defenseman) that is signed," TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."The Hurricanes have "kicked tires" on pending unrestricted free agents Sami Vatanen of the New Jersey Devils and Brenden Dillon of the San Jose Sharks, but Carolina owner Tom Dundon doesn't like spending assets on rental players, adds LeBrun.Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba - who's signed through 2022-23 with a $6-million cap hit - is one rearguard the Hurricanes have reportedly looked into acquiring.Carolina owns two first-round selections in the 2020 NHL Draft after obtaining the Toronto Maple Leafs' first-rounder in the Patrick Marleau swap in June 2019.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Joakim Nygard to a one-year contract extension, the club announced Tuesday.Nygard is out long term after undergoing surgery on Jan. 31 to repair a broken hand. He suffered the injury two days earlier against the Calgary Flames.The 27-year-old has collected three goals and nine points in 33 games this season, his first in the NHL following seven campaigns with Farjestads in his home country of Sweden.Edmonton signed Nygard to a one-year entry-level pact last May.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin means business in his first season with the team.Guerin warned his club Tuesday that more trades may be on the horizon, just one day after dealing veteran Jason Zucker to the Pittsburgh Penguins."I can promise you this: if there is quit, there will be more trades," Guerin told reporters. "I wholeheartedly expect this team to compete for a playoff spot, we're right there. If there's any signs of anybody taking their foot off the gas, that will be an indication."The Wild received Alex Galchenyuk, as well as a top prospect and first-round draft pick for Zucker.Guerin knows he needs to match the effort he's asking for from his players if the team is to make a postseason run."We're going to do our best, we know where we stand right now and what we need to address and we'll keep working towards it," Guerin added. "Like I've said in the past, I'm not going to make trades just to try to make trades and fabricate something that's not good enough. If a deal makes sense we'll do it. If it doesn't, then we'll be patient and we'll wait."The Wild sit in sixth place in the Central Division with a 26-23-6 record, but are just five points out of the second wild-card spot.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones will miss the next 8-to-10 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured ankle on Tuesday, the team announced.Jones suffered the injury in a game versus the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.The Blue Jackets will sorely miss Jones, who leads the team in ice time per game (25:17) and has chipped in six goals and 30 points in 56 appearances. He also leads the league in defensive-zone blocked passes this season, according to The Point Hockey.There are eight weeks remaining in the regular season, and Columbus is in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. At 30-17-10, the Blue Jackets occupy the first wild-card spot in the conference. Since Jan. 1, they've posted the NHL's second-best record.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 had to settle for a 2-2 Monday night - 3-2 if you tailed the Columbus Blue Jackets' team total under - but a win for the Calgary Flames helped us improve to 5-2 in the last seven days with our best bets.Let's keep it going Tuesday.GOATs and scapegoatsThe Flames had the power play working and Milan Lucic was a big part of that. He started the scoring during the opening frame for his first of three points on the night to help both his team pick up the win and us cash in on our best bet.We needed that boost, too, because Pekka Rinne was of absolutely no help. Nothing kills an under quite like four goals on 14 shots. Thanks, Pekka.Tuesday betsChicago Blackhawks (+110)I had the Blackhawks circled in this one before the news of Connor McDavid's extended absence, so it becomes an even easier decision now to fade the Edmonton Oilers without their captain. Chicago has won eight of its last 11 on the road and three of four in Edmonton but continues to be undervalued by oddsmakers. Playing catchup in the wild-card race, this is a huge game for the Blackhawks against an Oilers team that's inconsistent on home ice - it's won five of its last seven at Rogers Place after losing eight of 10 before that.Dallas Stars (-130)I told you a few weeks ago to buy low on the Stars and said the same thing Friday about the Carolina Hurricanes. I think we'll see both of these teams playing deep into the spring, and it'll be fascinating to watch them square off tonight in Dallas. Carolina has won back-to-back games on the road after dropping five in a row, but the Stars are a different beast on home ice. While the Hurricanes have been scoring a lot of goals, they've also been allowing them in bunches. Carolina can't go into Dallas and hope to simply outscore its opponent. Expect the Stars to build off their win Saturday in St. Louis and end a mini-slump at American Airlines Center.Best betPittsburgh Penguins (-110)I love what the Penguins did in trading for Jason Zucker, who's an excellent player and a great fit on the wing alongside either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh is almost flying under the radar in what is an especially strong Eastern Conference, but it has the NHL's second-best record since the start of December, just a hair behind the Tampa Bay Lightning's.This should be a great game and possible Eastern Conference Final preview, which I'd typically just sit back and enjoy. However, fatigue will likely play a role for the Lightning, who were pushed to the brink Monday night in their overtime win against the Blue Jackets. This isn't an ideal situation away to the Penguins, who have won 12 of their last 15 on home ice and five of their last six games at home to Tampa.Trend of the nightThe Philadelphia Flyers have scored at least three goals in each of their last nine road games against the New York Islanders.The last time they failed to do so was in November 2015. The Flyers have also won three of their last four on the road after winning just two of their previous 10, and have scored at least three goals in five straight road affairs. You have to lay -130 to get it, but over 2.5 on the Flyers' team total seems a strong play tonight.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 superstar Connor McDavid will be sidelined for two-to-three weeks due to a quad injury, general manager Ken Holland announced Tuesday.The quad ailment is completely unrelated to the knee injury McDavid suffered at the end of last season, Holland added, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.However, the forward's absence is a devastating blow to Edmonton's postseason chances. The Oilers sit second in the Pacific Division with 64 points, but they're in danger of falling out of the crowded Western Conference playoff picture.If McDavid is out exactly two weeks, he'll miss seven games. If he misses exactly three weeks, Edmonton will be without its captain for 11 of its final 27 contests.McDavid's recorded 81 points this season, the second-highest mark in the league behind teammate Leon Draisaitl's 85.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The trade deadline is one of the trickiest times of the year for NHL general managers.Should contenders trust their current roster, or bring in reinforcements? And should bubble teams try to compete with the top dogs?Last year, the Columbus Blue Jackets went all-in, acquiring Ryan Dzingel and Matt Duchene to take a run at the Stanley Cup. They went on to squeeze into the playoffs and shockingly sweep the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, but then bowed out in the second. The St. Louis Blues, meanwhile, took home the Cup after making just one minor deal on deadline day to bring in Michael Del Zotto, who didn't appear in a single game during the playoffs.Let's take a look at the likely buyers and sellers, and which teams are facing tough decisions.Big spendersScott Audette / National Hockey League / GettyTampa Bay LightningTop prospects: Cal Foote, Nolan Foote, Alexander Volkov, Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk, Alex Barre-Boulet, Mathieu JosephDraft pick situation: The Lightning are only missing their fifth-round selection in the upcoming draft. They'll get an additional first-round pick in 2020 if the Canucks make the playoffs, and that selection transfers to next year if Vancouver misses the posteason. Tampa also owns the Red Wings' fourth-round selection and the Senators' sixth-round pick in this year's draft.The Lightning will get two first-round picks either this year or in 2021. Few top contenders possess that sort of draft capital, so Tampa should use it to reinforce an already deep team. After a historic campaign and an embarrassing sweep in the first round last year, the Lightning will be back with a vengeance this postseason.Boston BruinsTop prospects: Jack Studnicka, Zach Senyshyn, Urho Vaakanainen, Trent Frederic, John Beecher, Axel AnderssonDraft pick situation: The Bruins sent away their fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft.Once again sitting atop the league's standings, Boston should be looking to add some secondary scoring to help one of the league's top lines.Colorado AvalancheIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyTop prospects: Bowen Byram, Shane Bowers, Conor Timmins, Alex Newhook, Martin KautDraft pick situation: The Avalanche don't have their second-round pick in the upcoming draft. However, their picks from the Maple Leafs and Panthers make up for the team not owning its selections in the third and sixth rounds.With a lot of cap space, Colorado can take on almost anybody's cap hit. General manager Joe Sakic can use one of the league's best prospect groups to mortgage a bit of his team's future while grabbing a title now and still remaining a top contender for years to come.Pittsburgh PenguinsTop prospects: Samuel Poulin, Filip Hallander, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Kasper Bjorkqvist, Nathan LegareDraft pick situation: Pittsburgh is missing its first-, second- and seventh-round selections in the upcoming draft.With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin entering the twilight of their careers, it's almost now or never for them to win another Cup. The Penguins made a big splash Monday, dealing away a first-round pick, Calen Addison, and Alex Galchenyuk to bring in Jason Zucker from the Minnesota Wild. General manager Jim Rutherford may be content with just the single move, but there's still a chance he looks to add even more depth.SellersIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyNew Jersey DevilsPlayers who can be moved: Wayne Simmonds, Sami Vatanen, P.K. SubbanThe Devils took a big swing this past summer, bringing in Simmonds, Subban, and Nikita Gusev and selecting Jack Hughes first overall. It didn't work out, but it was still a dedicated home-run effort.The team shipped out Taylor Hall earlier this season, and there's now a young core in New Jersey to build upon. Selling off some veteran players at the deadline can go a long way toward the Devils' rebuild.Ottawa SenatorsPlayers who can be moved: Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Anthony Duclair, Craig Anderson, Vladislav Namestnikov, Mikkel Boedker, Ron Hainsey, Dylan DeMelo, Chris TierneyThe Senators' roster turnover has been stunning, with just a handful of players left from their team that made it within one goal of the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.It looks like Ottawa will have two lottery picks, one via the San Jose Sharks, and three second-round selections in this year's draft. The Senators would be wise to bring in even more assets, adding to their young core that includes Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot.Los Angeles KingsJuan Ocampo / National Hockey League / GettyPlayers who can be moved: Tyler Toffoli, Alec Martinez, Trevor LewisThe Kings are hoping to quickly rebuild because Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty aren't getting younger. Destined for a top-five pick in this year's draft, Los Angeles will need to add more talent to fast-track the process.Bubble teams facing tough decisionsMark Blinch / National Hockey League / GettyToronto Maple LeafsThe Leafs' core is set for the next several years, but there aren't many draft picks at their disposal. With just a few players set to hit free agency this summer and the recent emergence of blue-liners Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren, general manager Kyle Dubas needs to decide whether he should trust his group and ride out the season, or bring in another body or two.Facing a tight playoff race in the East, there's no guarantee the Leafs will even make the postseason.Carolina HurricanesThe Hurricanes have the misfortune of playing in one of the league's toughest divisions, and they're sitting in the second wild-card spot in the East despite earning 67 points.Carolina holds a few picks in the upcoming draft, including an extra selection in each of the first three rounds. If general manager Don Waddell decides he wants to make a splash at the deadline, there's more than enough ammunition for him to work with.Florida PanthersIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyIn a major move this past summer, the Panthers paid Sergei Bobrovsky big bucks. Florida could now use some help defensively to support its high-octane group of forwards.With the team in a close race against the Maple Leafs for the third spot in the Atlantic Division, there's also no guarantee the Panthers will make the playoffs. Bobrovsky took some time to settle into the crease in the Sunshine State, so perhaps general manager Dale Tallon decides to take a mulligan on the year.Nashville PredatorsDavid Poile seems to never sit still at the trade deadline. As usual, the Central Division is competitive, with Nashville eight points behind the Dallas Stars for third place. However, Pacific Division teams have struggled all season long, leaving the wild-card spots in the West wide-open.Poile will need to decide whether it's worth being aggressive, especially if Nashville seems destined to be a wild-card team.Vegas Golden KnightsJeff Bottari / National Hockey League / GettyThere seems to be a new Pacific Division leader daily. Just four points separate the top five teams in the division, and the Golden Knights could easily end up taking the crown.With a healthy amount of picks in the upcoming two drafts and a bitter taste in their mouths from last year's postseason result, the Golden Knights may look to bolster their roster. Last season, Vegas' acquisition of Mark Stone was the biggest trade at the deadline.Winnipeg JetsThe Jets have been in dire need of a defenseman all season long, and they may be wise to add one while close to a playoff spot. Now that they know Dustin Byfuglien won't be returning this season, it could be time to act. If Winnipeg can catch fire at the right time, the club could be one of the toughest outs in the playoffs.Edmonton OilersAndy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyBoasting the league's top two scorers in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers should have no reason not to be a playoff team. Still, with the Pacific Division wide-open, there is a chance they wind up missing the postseason. Given the elite level at which Draisaitl and McDavid are playing, failing to add some secondary scoring to help them would constitute a huge opportunity wasted. Ahead of his first trade deadline with the Oilers, Ken Holland has a number of tough decisions to mull over.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

First-rounders - who needs 'em?That's essentially been Jim Rutherford's philosophy since he became general manager of the Penguins in June 2014. And, based on Monday's transaction, it appears the trade-happy executive isn't reversing course anytime soon.Rutherford sent a first-round pick, forward Alex Galchenyuk, and defenseman prospect Calen Addison to Wild GM Bill Guerin - his old assistant GM - for veteran forward Jason Zucker. The pick, which is currently earmarked for the 2020 draft, carries a condition: If Pittsburgh doesn't make the playoffs, Rutherford can kick the first-rounder down the road to 2021.Dave Sandford / Getty ImagesLet's assume for a moment the Penguins make the postseason. That would set up a scenario in which the 2020 draft marks the fifth time in seven years the club doesn't pick in the opening round. The craziest part: Rutherford dealt one of his rare first-round selections (Kasperi Kapanen, 2014), leaving Samuel Poulin (21st in 2019) as the lone first-round pick still with the organization. There's "selling the farm," and then there's the Penguins.On the surface, Rutherford seems impatient and out of control. In reality, though, trading high-quality assets has been his way of squeezing every ounce out of the golden era in Pittsburgh. The guy simply loves to go for it, and seeing as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin - aged 32 and 33, respectively - aren't young anymore, it's a sensible strategy. This championship window, which has been open for more than a decade and produced three Stanley Cups, will indeed close at some point. But it hasn't yet, and that's all that matters to Rutherford and the fan base.As for the trade itself, there are a few layers to unpack. Let's start with Zucker.The 28-year-old's fast, hard-nosed, and can finish. He may not be enjoying his finest offensive season, but Zucker's still managed to pitch in 29 points in 45 games for a mediocre Wild team. He matches well with Pittsburgh's system, and might even find a home on Crosby's left wing. Rutherford has long coveted Zucker - remember last year's aborted Phil Kessel trade? - so you know he won't be wasted one bit in coach Mike Sullivan's lineup.Bruce Kluckhohn / Getty ImagesTiming is key. Zucker, who carries an annual salary-cap hit of $5.5 million through the 2022-23 season, provides a major boost to a depleted forward group. Jake Guentzel, Dominik Kahun, and Nick Bjugstad are all out indefinitely as the 34-15-5 squad tries to chase down the Capitals for the Metropolitan Division title. Getting Zucker now, two weeks before the trade deadline, is huge.All of this talk about potential brings us to Galchenyuk, whose eight-year NHL career has not gone as planned. The Wild will be the 2012 third overall pick's fourth team, and third in the past 20 months. He's gone from Montreal, to Arizona, to Pittsburgh, to Minnesota. In the first trade, Galchenyuk was swapped for Max Domi, one for one. This time around, he's merely an add-on in a four-piece deal. Those extremes illustrate how far his stock has fallen.A pending unrestricted free agent, Galchenyuk will be afforded a short audition in front of Guerin. Yet, the usual post-trade narrative attached to a struggling player - that he just needs a change of scenery - doesn't necessarily apply. Galchenyuk, who turns 26 on Wednesday, is what he is at this point - a middle-six winger who can't stay in one place for long.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesNow, by no means did the Wild lose this trade. They actually made out quite well. Don't forget, when Guerin took over in Minnesota in the offseason, he inherited an old, slow roster in need of a serious overhaul. By trading Zucker, he's freed up cap space in future years, acquired a first-round pick, and brought in a 19-year-old believed to be on his way to a lengthy career.Addison, the 53rd overall pick in the 2018 draft and a member of Team Canada at the recent world junior tournament, is a smooth-skating, point-producing blue-liner. He's amassed 43 points in 39 WHL games for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and although he is isn't considered a can't-miss prospect, his ceiling is fairly high. The Wild are getting a future NHLer.According to NHL prospects writer Scott Wheeler, Addison "has the chance to be a competent second-pairing right-shot defenseman at even strength ... who can quarterback a power play." In Wheeler's recent evaluation of Pittsburgh's pipeline for The Athletic, Addison ranked as the organization's No. 1 prospect.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesOnce you peel back the layers and think about this trade from each GM's perspective, it makes plenty of sense. Not all trades need a winner and loser.Guerin's team is younger, stocked with another promising teen, and is now the proud owner of a second first-rounder.As for Rutherford, well, he's doing his usual all-in thing. And why the hell not?John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, head coach Jared Bednar said on Altitude Sports Radio, according to team play-by-play announcer Marc Moser.An Avs spokesperson confirmed to TSN's Pierre LeBrun that Kadri is considered week-to-week.Kadri went down awkwardly during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Wild.

The NHL remains hesitant in permitting its players to compete at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.Despite a report suggesting the IOC and IIHF indicated a willingness to address the issues the league has raised over participating in the Beijing Games, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly assured that talks remain preliminary."We aren’t there yet. In fact, we aren’t even close to being there," Daly wrote in an email to The Associated Press on Monday, according to ESPN. "At this point in time, we continue to believe that the negatives outweigh the positives."The setbacks come one week after NHL and NHLPA officials met in New York. At the meeting, the IIHF provided mostly verbal assurances, rather than written, in addressing many of the concerns that resulted in the NHL missing the 2018 games in South Korea.The longstanding roadblocks addressed by IIHF chief Rene Fasel include payment for players' travel and insurance costs. Another issue was allowing the league and union access to video and images in order to market its players. All of which have the backing of the NHLPA.Daly acknowledged the meeting was positive but said the league continues to hold reservations over shutting down its season for two weeks and having its schedule disrupted for Olympic participation.No firm deadline has been set when it comes to the NHL potentially sending players in 2022, but NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr hopes an agreement can be met well before Fasel's term as IIHF chief expires in September.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Jason Zucker from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Alex Galchenyuk, a conditional 2020 first-round pick, and prospect Calen Addison, the team announced Monday.The first-round pick is protected if the Penguins miss the playoffs, Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford told Michael Russo of The Athletic via text message. The first-rounder can be deferred to 2021 should the Penguins fail to qualify, according to CapFriendly.Pittsburgh has long pursued Zucker, who was believed to be the centerpiece of the Penguins' return in the offseason trade that Phil Kessel ultimately nixed. It's understood a deal sending Zucker from the Wild to the Calgary Flames fell apart in the final hours leading up to last year's trade deadline.Zucker represents a significant boost to the Penguins' forward corps with Jake Guentzel out for the season. The 28-year-old winger has notched 29 points in 49 games this season and is under contract for three more years at $5.5 million per season.The Penguins acquired Galchenyuk from the Arizona Coyotes in their eventual deal for Kessel. The 25-year-old never managed to get it going in Pittsburgh, registering just five goals and 12 assists in 45 contests. He's a pending unrestricted free agent, and the Wild will be his fourth NHL team since the Montreal Canadiens drafted him third overall in 2012.Addison, 19, was considered one of the Penguins' top prospects. Selected by Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft, the right-shooting defenseman has 43 points in 39 games for the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes this season. He was also a member of Canada's gold medal-winning squad at this year's world juniors.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins' injury woes continue.Rookie defenseman John Marino underwent successful surgery Monday after taking a slap shot to his face on Thursday and is out three-to-six weeks, the team announced.Marino was able to skate off the ice with the help of a trainer but did not return to the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.While it was initially believed Marino had avoided a serious injury, he was later diagnosed with three broken bones in his cheek that would require surgery, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's Matt Vensel reported Friday.The 22-year-old has been a revelation for the Penguins on the blue line this season. He's racked up five goals and 25 points in 51 games while averaging 20:19 minutes of ice time.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.This past weekend could have gone a lot better. Three of the four teams we wagered on held two-goal leads and lost, while the team that didn't is the only one that won for us. Watching those bets play out was a good way to take some years off your life.At least the Detroit Red Wings cashed as +270 'dogs on Sunday, if you followed our trend of the week.In any case, let's bounce back during this massive week ahead.GOATs and scapegoatsGiven how some of our other weekend bets unfolded, we needed the Colorado Avalanche to come through in a big way on Saturday - and they did. Kudos to Nazem Kadri and Nathan MacKinnon for finding a way to solve Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins, who was looking like he might never allow a goal again.We followed that up with the Red Wings trend play on Sunday afternoon, and it was looking like we might never lose again after the Chicago Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Place. Well, after leading for 48:49 of game time, Chicago collapsed in spectacular fashion. The Jets scored four goals in the last 11 minutes to win the contest and break our spirit.Monday betsFlorida Panthers (+120)The Panthers are in the midst of a small rough patch, but Aleksander Barkov is back and this team has still won five of its last seven on the road. The Philadelphia Flyers are a remarkable 18-5-4 at home, but three of those five regulation losses came in their last seven games. These are two evenly matched teams, so I'll gladly take Sergei Bobrovsky at +120 over Carter Hart at -135. Hart might need a game or two to shake off the rust after not starting since Jan. 13th due to an abdomen injury.Tampa Bay Lightning (-150)No team had its pride ripped away during last season's playoffs quite like the Lightning did at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is the first meeting between these teams since Columbus swept Tampa, and we can expect a significant response here in a massive revenge game for the Lightning, who'd won six of their last seven visits to Columbus before that postseason nightmare. Given that defenseman Seth Jones is now sidelined for the home team, I'm comfortable laying the juice.I'd also play the Blue Jackets' team total under 2.5 in this spot. Tampa's allowed one goal or fewer in five of its last six regular-season visits to Columbus, including three shutouts.Nashville Predators/Vancouver Canucks under 6 (-105)This is typically a spot where I'd be all over the Canucks (+105), who had a nine-game home winning streak snapped on Saturday. However, I really like what I've seen from the Predators of late, as they've won six of their last eight on the road. This is an incredibly tight contest to call, so let's focus on the total. Nashville is playing some really strong defensive hockey, while Vancouver's allowed two or fewer goals in seven of its last nine games at Rogers Arena. Take the under in a matchup that has 3-2 in overtime written all over it.Best betCalgary Flames (-115)Give me a break with this line. Sure, the Flames have lost five of their last seven games, but they're a very different team on the road, where they've won 10 of their last 13. Calgary also put in a terrific showing to win in Vancouver on Saturday, and I expect the team to build on that momentum against a San Jose Sharks side that's not nearly as talented. The Sharks won in Calgary last week and I expect the Flames to return the favor in a game they really have to have.Trend of the nightThe Arizona Coyotes have lost six consecutive road contests for the first time since December 2017The Coyotes have been outscored 25-8 over those six games while failing to register a single point in the standings. Three of the losses came against Eastern Conference teams - just like Monday's opponent, the Montreal Canadiens. Additionally, Arizona was shut out in two of those three.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 Edmonton Oilers signed defenseman Darnell Nurse to a two-year contract extension, the team announced Monday.The deal is worth $5.6 million annually, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports.The Oilers drafted the 25-year-old seventh overall in 2013. He's been a key defender for the team, averaging 21:35 minutes of ice time per game over his career. Nurse has appeared in 334 contests with Edmonton, racking up 28 goals and 112 points.He's averaging 22:46 minutes this season and has recorded four goals and 24 points in 55 games.Nurse, who's a pending restricted free agent, is now set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the extension, McKenzie adds.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 18. Ownership percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.Add Tyler ToffoliTeam: Kings

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones is out indefinitely with an ankle injury suffered Saturday night against the Colorado Avalanche, the club announced Monday.Jones leads the Blue Jackets in ice time this season, averaging over 25 minutes per night. He's also posted 30 points in 56 games and was named to the Metro Division's All-Star team in January.The Blue Jackets own a remarkable 19-3-5 record in their last 27 games. They've allowed just 1.43 goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five in that span, the lowest mark in the league, according to Natural Stat Trick. Rookie goaltender Elvis Merzlikins has made plenty of headlines, but the team's defense, led by Jones, has been spectacular.With Jones sidelined, 2015 first-round pick Gabriel Carlsson has been recalled from the AHL. The towering 6-foot-5 blue-liner posted 11 points in 39 games with the Cleveland Monsters.The Blue Jackets also recalled 20-year-old forward Liam Foudy from the OHL's London Knights on Sunday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Blue Jackets have recalled forward Liam Foudy from the OHL's London Knights on an emergency basis, and he's set to make his NHL debut on Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Knights announced Sunday.NHL teams are permitted to recall players from junior during the season under certain extenuating circumstances. Recalling Foudy is allowed after a mutual decision the Blue Jackets and Knights made, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.Under the rules, Foudy can't stay in the NHL for more than five games or be in the league past March 1, Portzline adds.The Blue Jackets selected the 20-year-old 18th overall in 2018. He's the Knights' co-captain this season and has recorded 20 goals and 43 points in 32 games.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser will miss at least two games with an upper-body injury, the team announced Sunday.Boeser will be reassessed following the Canucks' contest against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.The 22-year-old winger suffered the injury during the third period of Saturday's loss to the Calgary Flames.Boeser has tallied 16 goals and 45 points through 56 games this season.Vancouver has dropped four straight contests and has scored just seven goals during that stretch. However, the Canucks remain atop the Pacific Division by one point.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon has been suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of Arizona Coyotes forward Derek Stepan, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.The incident occurred late in the first period of Saturday's contest.

The governing bodies of international sport and hockey have taken a big step in negotiations over the NHL's potential Olympic participation in 2022.Following a meeting earlier this week, the IOC and IIHF indicated a willingness to address the issues the league has raised about taking part in the Beijing Games, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.That's a significant shift from what the IOC and IIHF indicated months earlier, although NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league still wants to tie Olympic participation to the ongoing CBA talks, Friedman added.On Saturday's edition of Sportsnet's "Saturday Headlines," Friedman explained which concessions the IOC and IIHF are open to discussing."That includes insurance, that includes travel costs, and it also includes the marketing rights - the ability to use the Olympic video (of) the players themselves on the league's and the players' own platforms," he said.Friedman added the NHLPA is encouraged by this latest development."The players do feel that, hey, this addresses everything that's been a concern," he continued. "It addresses everything that's (been) brought up, and the union and the players also feel that ... the CBA goes past the next date of the Olympics in February 2022. They don't think it should matter, but the fact is, wherever the negotiations go, this is a huge step from the governing bodies to get the players to go."The NHL and NHLPA will resume CBA talks this week. The current agreement will run through the 2021-22 season, after the NHLPA chose not to opt out back in September. The union's decision came after the NHL decided not to exercise its own option to reopen the agreement in August.NHL commissioner Gary Bettman previously expressed the league's reluctance to take part in the 2022 Olympics, saying in January that "we're very comfortable not going." Back in November, he called Olympic participation "incredibly disruptive" to the NHL season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Beginning in 2020-21, no St. Louis Blues player will ever wear No. 44 again, as the club will retire Chris Pronger's jersey at a date to be determined once next season's schedule is released.Pronger will become the eighth player in Blues history to have his number retired, joining Al MacInnis (No. 2), Bob Gassoff (3), Bob Plager (5), Barclay Plager (8), Brian Sutter (11), Brett Hull (16), and Bernie Federko (24).The imposing former defenseman played nine of his 18 seasons with the Blues, suiting up for St. Louis between 1995-96 and 2003-04.He won the Hart and Norris trophies as a member of the club in 2000 and ranks 26th all time in points among NHL blue-liners with 698 in 1,167 games.Pronger racked up 356 of those points in 598 contests with St. Louis while averaging a staggering 29:03 in ice time.He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin returned to the team's lineup versus the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday after missing 37 contests, the team announced.Drouin went down with a wrist injury that required surgery to repair a torn tendon nearly three months ago.The 24-year-old was a vital part of the Canadiens before hitting the shelf. Montreal was 11-5-3 at the time of his injury and managed to put together a 15-17-3 record during his absence. Drouin put up seven goals and 15 points in the 19 games he's appeared in so far this season.Montreal currently sits in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with a 26-23-7 record and are six points out of the second wild-card spot.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrik Laine is scoring goals at a historic rate.With a hat trick on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators, the Winnipeg Jets forward now has 133 career goals. At 21 years old, Laine is tied with Brian Bellows for the seventh-most goals all time before turning 22.Rank Player GP G1Wayne Gretzky2391982Steven Stamkos3251793Dale Hawerchuk3191754Jimmy Carson2881625Bob Carpenter3201456Mario Lemieux215145T7Brian Bellows311133T7Patrik Laine2911339Sidney Crosby290132Laine, who will turn 22 on April 19, has a chance to enter the top five, as he trails both Lemieux and Carpenter by just 12 goals.The former second overall pick entered the NHL as an 18-year-old in 2016 and scored 36 goals in his rookie season before adding an impressive 44 in his sophomore year.Laine is up to 23 goals and 51 points this season, already eclipsing his point total of 50 from 2018-19. Saturday's hat trick was the eighth of his career, according to the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes are believed to have committed at least 20 recruiting violations by fitness testing draft-eligible players, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.The news of Arizona's alleged violations first became public in late January. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and a team of lawyers are currently managing the case, and there's no firm timeline on when a decision will be reached, Dreger added.Physical testing of draft-eligible players prior to the NHL combine is prohibited under league rules. Multiple teams from the CHL, which governs Canada's three major junior leagues - the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL - apparently reported contact from the Coyotes to the NHL.The Coyotes released a brief statement on the matter on Jan. 30."We are aware of the reports," the statement read. "We have discussed the matter with the NHL and we will have no further comment at this time."If the Coyotes are found guilty, each violation can carry a fine of $250,000 or more, according to Dreger.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Elvis Merzlikins is seeing beach balls right now.The Columbus Blue Jackets netminder recorded yet another shutout on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings. The Latvian rookie has now notched five shutouts over his last eight games, going undefeated in that stretch with a sparkling .967 save percentage and a 1.00 goals-against average.Merzlikins became the sixth goalie since 1929-30 - when forward passing was first permitted in all three zones - to record five shutouts over an eight-game span, according to NHL Public Relations.GoalieTeamSeasonBrian BoucherCoyotes2003-04Ed BelfourStars2000-01Tony EspositoBlackhawks1973-74Bill DurnanCanadiens1948-49Frank Brimsek*Bruins1938-39Merzlikins is now one of just two rookies to accomplish the feat since 1929-30, joining Brimsek.Boucher, Belfour, Durnan, and Brimsek all produced their historic runs in significantly lower-scoring eras.SeasonGoals per game2019-206.1*2003-045.142000-015.521973-746.41948-495.441938-395.06*Entering FridayMerzlikins has vaulted the Blue Jackets into third place in the Metropolitan Division, and he could begin to garner serious Vezina and Calder trophy consideration.He leads all goalies in both shutouts (five) and save percentage (.930).Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs secured a 5-4 win at home against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, but head coach Sheldon Keefe isn't doing any cartwheels."Zero excitement," Keefe said postgame, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton. "Concern is a stretch. Disappointed. We need to get on our toes and get our swagger and confidence."The Leafs appeared well on their way to securing a straightforward win. Leading 3-1 in the third period, they surrendered a trio of late goals and were forced to go to overtime, where captain John Tavares scored the game-winner with six seconds remaining to end a two-game losing streak.Toronto blew a similar lead on home ice against the Florida Panthers on Monday, losing 5-3 after conceding four goals in the third frame.Goaltender Jack Campbell, who was acquired via trade Wednesday, made his Leafs debut and allowed four goals on 30 shots."I got caught watching the guys making plays. I was just in awe. It's incredible, so I'm just glad I'm in the blue and white right now," Campbell said after securing his first win with his new club, according to Shilton.The Leafs were without forward William Nylander, who missed out due to illness. He won't travel to Montreal with his teammates Friday for their game Saturday against the Canadiens, but he may join them in the morning if he's feeling better, Shilton adds.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the AHL and placed fellow defender Cody Ceci on injured reserve with an ankle injury, the team announced Friday.Ceci was injured Wednesday against the New York Rangers and will be re-evaluated in one month. Toronto is also without top-pairing blue-liner Morgan Rielly, who's on IR due to a broken foot suffered in January.Liljegren made his NHL debut last month but was sent back to the Toronto Marlies shortly after. In the minors this season, the 20-year-old has recorded 29 points in 38 games.Toronto will be in action twice this weekend, squaring off against the Anaheim Ducks and the Montreal Canadiens on back-to-back nights.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 went just 2-2 on Thursday but finished the night strong and will aim to carry that momentum into this weekend's slate.There are 21 games scheduled over the next three days, which is more than enough to satisfy all your wildest betting desires.GOATs and scapegoatsThe Nashville Predators were our best bet on Thursday, but it's tough to single out one GOAT from their win, as Roman Josi, Mikael Granlund, and Kyle Turris all played starring roles. Instead, we'll go with Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov, who came through in a big way with a three-point night (two goals) to help beat the Arizona Coyotes. Keep doing your thing, Andrei.As for our scapegoat, well ... you know what's not great for a first-period under?

Newly acquired netminder Jack Campbell will make his Toronto Maple Leafs debut Friday versus the Anaheim Ducks, he confirmed to TSN's Kristen Shilton.Meanwhile, starter Frederik Andersen is unavailable for both of Toronto's games this weekend as he battles a neck injury that has him listed as day-to-day, head coach Sheldon Keefe said, per Shilton.Depending on how his debut goes, Campbell could start Saturday in Montreal as well, Keefe added.The Maple Leafs acquired Campbell and winger Kyle Clifford from the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday in exchange for forward Trevor Moore and a pair of third-round draft picks.Campbell was brought in to reinforce Toronto's backup position, which has been a glaring hole for the club. The 28-year-old posted an 8-10-2 record with the Kings this season along with a .900 save percentage and a 2.85 goals-against average.The Maple Leafs enter Friday's tilt with the Ducks having lost two in a row, and sit one point back of the Florida Panthers for third spot in the Atlantic Division with one extra game played.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Geoff Ward publicly criticized his Calgary Flames after they fell 3-2 to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.The bench boss implied his squad has lost its identity after it failed to register a shot on goal for the first 12 minutes of the third period and ultimately lost a third straight game.“I think we’ve got to find it,” he told reporters postgame. “I thought we had it for a while. We’ve got to find it again. We tried to be a scoring team last year. You saw what happened during playoff time. We’ve got to check in now and make sure we get back to our identity because we’re not there now. Collectively, we have to be better, we have to be more desperate, we have to compete harder, and we have to understand what our identity is and we have to start playing to it.”Thursday's defeat was the Flames' first game without Mark Giordano - who's week-to-week with a hamstring injury - but Ward didn't use the captain's absence as an excuse.“This isn’t something that just happened tonight (Thursday night),” Ward said.“We’ve played stretches where we’ve been good. But, consistently, these are the things at playoff time that you have to pay attention to all of the time," he added. "You guys tell me. Look at teams that go on long playoff runs. What stands out about them? We have a decision to make as a team - are we prepared to do it? Because if we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to get more of the same. That’s the bottom line.”Though Calgary currently occupies the second Western Conference wild-card spot, the team has only managed two wins in its last eight contests, both coming by way of shootout.This is the Flames' first three-game losing streak since Ward took the reins in late November. Calgary reeled off a seven-game win streak to begin his tenure, with the first victory coming two days before Bill Peters resigned.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.On this date last season, the Carolina Hurricanes sat three points out of a wild-card spot with less than a 40% chance of making the playoffs.Not only were the Canes three points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who had played one less game, but they were eight behind the Montreal Canadiens for seventh in the Eastern Conference.However, the Hurricanes passed both teams over the final two months of the regular season and ultimately reached the conference finals before losing to the Boston Bruins, who later came within one win of lifting the Stanley Cup.Fast forward exactly one year to Feb. 7, 2020, and Carolina is currently occupying the final wild-card spot in the East with a 60.8% chance to make the postseason. It's a much better position than the Hurricanes were in at this time last season, yet their Stanley Cup odds are a staggering 40-1 - more than double the odds of the Toronto Maple Leafs (16-1), a team with just a 39.3% chance to reach the playoffs.Team Stanley Cup oddsTampa Bay Lightning6-1Boston Bruins8-1St. Louis Blues8-1Vegas Golden Knights8-1Colorado Avalanche10-1Washington Capitals10-1Dallas Stars12-1Pittsburgh Penguins12-1Toronto Maple Leafs16-1Vancouver Canucks16-1Arizona Coyotes25-1Edmonton Oilers25-1Florida Panthers25-1Calgary Flames30-1Carolina Hurricanes40-1Columbus Blue Jackets40-1Nashville Predators40-1New York Islanders40-1Philadelphia Flyers50-1The Canes were actually being offered at 16-1 earlier this season after a strong start, but oddsmakers have since cooled on a team that's been winning fewer games despite no drop-off in its underlying performance.On the surface, it appears Carolina's offense is average, with the team ranking 12th in goals for this season. However, the Hurricanes lead the NHL in expected goals for per game (xGF/60). They're also first in high-danger scoring chances per game (HDCF/60) and fourth in total scoring chances created per 60 minutes (SCF/60).Why haven't they scored more goals? The team is being hindered by below-average shooting percentages on scoring opportunities - both high danger and overall - which should be due for some positive regression.The Canes also lead the NHL in expected goals for percentage and Corsi For percentage (CF%), which refers to the percentage of shot attempts per game that are for that team. That's partially due to the quality chances the Hurricanes have been generating, but it's also because they've allowed the third-fewest shots against per game (SA/60). Additionally, only three other teams have given up less scoring chances per contest (SCA/60).Gregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / GettyCarolina's unique ability to create quality chances at one end and limit them at the other makes this a very dangerous team, which isn't accurately reflected in the standings.The Canes will have to fight down the stretch to secure a playoff spot, but it's nothing they aren't used to. They were worse off at this time last year but played their best hockey down the stretch, closing out the regular season on a 21-8-1 run.This season, a lot will depend on whether the capable Petr Mrazek can get his 2.73 goals-against average and .900 save percentage closer to the 2.39 and .914 marks he posted last season. With respectable goaltending, this Carolina team is certainly capable of another strong finish and a deep playoff run.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 had a full week off ahead of January's NHL All-Star Game, but Craig Laughlin remained in midseason form, gushing over the phone one morning during his break from the rink about the irresistible symbolism of Alex Ovechkin's greatest goal. You know the one: A Phoenix Coyotes defenseman knocks the Russian winger off balance in the slot in 2006, only for Ovi to corral the puck while falling onto his back before blindly flicking it - mostly with one hand - through the sliver between the goalie's outstretched stick and the post.The play astounded on its merits alone. Then came the moment that, to the Capitals' veteran TV color analyst, elevated Ovechkin's contortion to a higher sphere of significance: Wayne Gretzky, the head coach of those Coyotes, gazing up at a replay on the arena video board, resigned to marveling helplessly from the bench."It just adds to the lore," Laughlin said. "The greatest goal-scorer of all time is looking at this and just saying, 'Wow.' To me, that says something about Alex's greatness."For 15 seasons, Ovechkin's propensity to fool netminders has carried him ever higher on the NHL's all-time goals leaderboard, past a succession of Original Six legends and icons of later years, ever closer to the gold standard below whom they all sit. Past Jean Beliveau and Maurice Richard. Past Joe Sakic and Brendan Shanahan. Just since the calendar turned to 2020, he's passed Teemu Selanne, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, and Mark Messier.Two constants have underpinned Ovechkin's ascent to eighth place in this corner of the record books. One is his own consistency. Never in a season has he scored fewer than 30 goals. He's reached or exceeded 50 eight times, good for third in league history behind Gretzky's and Mike Bossy's nine.The other constant? Laughlin and play-by-play partner Joe Beninati at rafter level, the vantage point from which they've called nearly all of Ovechkin's steps toward the next momentous number he'll soon reach.Joe Beninati (left) and Craig Laughlin. Courtesy of NBC Sports WashingtonThe Capitals captain enters Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers with 698 career goals, well back of Gretzky's record total of 894 but merely an inspired flurry shy of 700; D.C. and the wider hockey world are set to fete his breakthrough. The Capitals, according to The Washington Post, plan to stage a tribute featuring video messages from teammates and an appearance from Ovechkin's son Sergei, who was born in 2018, a couple of months after his dad won the Stanley Cup.When that celebration goes down, Beninati and Laughlin - the voices of the Capitals on NBC Sports Washington since 1996 - will be uniquely positioned to appreciate Ovechkin's accomplishment, as they are now to contemplate the totality of the legacy they've watched him compile."He's challenged my powers of description ever since he jumped into the game," Beninati told theScore. "There are things that he does at times that look like they're superhuman. He forces you as an announcer to be ready for something you may have never seen before."Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesBeninati and Laughlin were in the booth for Ovechkin's NHL debut against the Blue Jackets on Oct. 5, 2005, when the full-toothed newcomer from Moscow dislodged a stanchion behind the Columbus net on his first shift by ramming defenseman Radoslav Suchy into the boards. "This guy is the real deal," Laughlin thought to himself, even before Ovechkin scored on one-timers from the high slot and near the goalmouth later that night.The duo watched Ovechkin retain and flex that combination of power, flair, and timing as the Capitals grew from league doormats to perennial playoff washouts to Cup champions. Laughlin thinks Ovechkin has evolved into one of history's most well-rounded scorers, a 236-pound winger whose footwork, shoulder fakes, backhand, and passing ability don't garner enough recognition in the shadow of his bruising shot."(People) think he's just this shooter," Laughlin said. "They don't see the fact he had to bust his butt to get past the defender. He had to then get away from a guy who's trying to clobber him. Then he had to get away from a stick that's trying to take away his stick. Then he gets open. Then he shoots."There's steps along the way that I don't think we give Alexander credit for when it comes to scoring goals. You need those steps. Without those steps, he's not going to be where he is now."Ovechkin certainly gets fair credit for the spectacular ways in which he's deposited pucks in nets. Different highlights spring to mind in different conversations. Remember when he spun to beat Montreal's Roman Hamrlik to a loose puck, outraced Kyle Chipchura to the crease, and scored on Carey Price in mid-slide? Remember when, during the 2009 playoffs, he eluded one New York Ranger's check and stickhandled through another's legs - "Dazzling moves!" Beninati said at the time - before sprawling to beat Henrik Lundqvist with a backhand? Remember when he trumped Price again by juggling an airborne puck and banking it in off the goalie's backside? ("That is a thing of beauty," Laughlin remarked on air.)One could never exhaustively catalog Ovechkin's handiwork from memory alone. For that purpose, NBC Sports Washington recently aired his regular-season goals in a single go - at the time, all 692 of them."I remember most of them," Beninati said. "I've been lucky."Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post / Getty ImagesLaughlin, a forward for Washington through the mid-1980s, was lucky in his own right back then. He'd park himself by the crease on the power play as defensemen Scott Stevens and Kevin Hatcher pounded shots from the point, more than a few of which, he said, would ricochet "off my ass and into the net." He also shared the ice with longtime Capitals star Mike Gartner, a hard-shooting, scorchingly fast right-winger whose 708 career goals make him the next legendary scorer Ovechkin is working to eclipse.Gartner features in Laughlin's ideal conception of Ovechkin's 700th. Scoring from his back as a bright-eyed rookie in front of Gretzky? Poetry. So Laughlin figures it would be fitting if this next landmark goal materialized at Washington's Capital One Arena, where Ovechkin could celebrate beneath Gartner's retired No. 11.Beninati's first hope for No. 700 is that he, Laughlin, and their production team actually get to work the game in question. He was standing in line outside of the arena on Jan. 11, 2017, when Ovechkin scored his 1,000th point in the first minute of an NBCSN national telecast. (NBC Sports Washington is scheduled to broadcast the Caps' next seven games.)Fortune sided with Beninati and Laughlin on other marquee occasions. They were on the mic for Ovechkin's 400th goal, an anticlimactic empty-netter at Carolina, and his 500th, a top-shelf wrister on the power play at home against Ottawa. Beninati saw a photographer's camera light up and called that play on the fly: "In a flash! Welcome to the club!"Fun as they are, potential milestone nights also roil the nerves, Beninati said, though he never tries to moderate his anticipation by scripting ideas of what to say. Much the opposite: Spontaneity and instinct are paramount. Two seasons ago, Beninati won a share of a local Emmy for his network's coverage of No. 600 by waiting patiently as Ovechkin whacked at the puck during a scramble against Winnipeg. Ovechkin's third shot attempt finally cleared the thicket of limbs."And then 'overpowering' just came out of my mind," Beninati recalled. "People had said this guy was slowing down. He's not slowing down. He's still going strong."Now more than ever, it seems.Ovechkin has three hat tricks in his last six games and an NHL-best 40 goals on the season. That blistering output has him on pace to progress from 600 to 700 goals in fewer games than even Gretzky. Another record beckons below the radar in his near future: Ovechkin is 16 power-play goals away from breaking Dave Andreychuk's all-time mark of 274.Patrick McDermott / NHL / Getty ImagesWhat form his 700th goal will take is anyone's guess. As ever, Beninati won't prescribe his reaction in advance. But he will cop to hoping that a certain nightmare scenario - a net-front deflection that renders the scorer's identity unclear - doesn't come to pass."Did he get it? Did he not get it? Oh, God, what should I say?" Beninati said. "You want it to be a blast down the wing that goes in cleanly, where you see every piece of nylon in the net move."Beninati and Laughlin like to banter on occasion during play. But once Ovechkin is sitting on 699 goals, the color analyst said he'll hew toward silence, joking that he'd risk a punch from Beninati if he were to talk over No. 700. That intention is characteristic of their whole approach to the task. Ovechkin's orchestration of history, the announcers say, ought to be about him. They'll be there to accentuate the moment, beginning with Beninati's call and Laughlin keeping quiet a little while longer."I want to let it breathe," Laughlin said. "I want to watch the fans' reaction. I want to hear the fans. I want to take in the moment - and then, when I do talk after it, to really put a bow and a ribbon around just what we saw."Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson missed Thursday's contest against the Minnesota Wild with a lower-body injury, the team announced.Pettersson was bruised by a hit from Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk on Tuesday and remains day-to-day, head coach Travis Green said Thursday.

Sabres forward Sam Reinhart was in no mood to answer a reporter's question about backchecking following Buffalo's 4-3 shootout loss to the last-place Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.

Flower has dethroned the King.Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury claimed sole possession of fifth place on the NHL's all-time wins list Thursday after passing Henrik Lundqvist with the Vegas Golden Knights' 7-2 victory over the Florida Panthers.Fleury stopped 23 shots in the victory, his 21st of the season and 460th of his career.He now trails just four goaltenders in all-time wins: Ed Belfour (484), Roberto Luongo (489), Patrick Roy (551) and Martin Brodeur (691).The 35-year-old spent 13 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning three Stanley Cups and racking up 375 victories. He waived his no-movement clause to be selected by the Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draft, and he's been the starter since. He helped Vegas reach the Stanley Cup Final in his first season with the club.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Cody Ceci will be out "a while" with an ankle injury, general manager Kyle Dubas announced Thursday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Ceci may have suffered a high ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in a month, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.The 26-year-old exited Wednesday's contest versus the New York Rangers in the third period and didn't return.Toronto is also without top defenseman Morgan Rielly, who was ruled out for eight weeks on Jan. 13 due to a broken foot.Ceci has suited up in all 54 games for the Maple Leafs this season, posting one goal and seven assists while averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per night. Toronto acquired him in the offseason from the Ottawa Senators.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings got a head start on the trade deadline Wednesday, orchestrating a significant deal shortly after Toronto's critical loss in Manhattan.The dealTOR receivesLA receivesG Jack CampbellF Trevor MooreF Kyle Clifford3rd-round pick (2020)Conditional 3rd-round pick (2021)The Kings retained 50% of Clifford's salary ($800,000) in the trade, and the 2021 pick Toronto gave Los Angeles will turn into a second-rounder if Clifford re-signs with the Leafs or if the club makes the playoffs this season with Campbell winning six games down the stretch.Bolstering the backup position was something many thought Toronto needed to do all season long, and now that it's done so, let's hand out grades to assess how each team made out in the deal.Maple Leafs' perspectiveEnough was enough for general manager Kyle Dubas. Incumbent backup Michael Hutchinson fell to 4-9-1 on the season with a .886 save percentage and a 3.66 goals-against average after Wednesday's defeat to the New York Rangers, and with recently underperforming starter Frederik Andersen battling a neck injury, Toronto quickly needed an upgrade in goal.On the surface, Campbell appears to provide that. The 28-year-old is 8-10-2 on the year with a .900 save percentage and 2.85 goals-against average for the last-place Kings. In 2018-19, Campbell finally looked like the goalie taken 11th overall in the 2010 draft, posting a .928 save percentage along with 15.16 goals saved above average in 31 appearances.Campbell's performance as the season wears on will ultimately determine how the Leafs make out in the grand scheme of this trade, but off the bat, it appears Toronto made a worthy gamble on its new backup. Campbell's salary is not an issue for the cap-strapped Leafs this season, and he starts a two-year extension at $1.65 million per in 2020-21, providing the Leafs with some future security at the position should he meet expectations.

Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano is considered week-to-week with a hamstring injury, general manager Brad Treliving said Thursday, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis.Giordano, 36, won't require surgery and there is no official timeline for his return. Calgary recalled defenseman Brandon Davidson from the AHL's Stockton Heat on Thursday morning."This is not as long-term as we initially feared," Treliving said, according to the Calgary Sun's Kristen Anderson.The Flames captain exited with the injury during the second period of Tuesday's contest against the San Jose Sharks after falling awkwardly while shooting.Though he's disappointed about being sidelined during such a critical point in the season, Giordano is staying optimistic."It would be a lot different today if I was standing here telling you that I wasn't coming back for the whole year, I'll tell you that much," he said, according to The Athletic's Scott Cruickshank. "There's light at the end of the tunnel."Giordano is the defensive backbone of a Flames team battling for a playoff berth in a tight Western Conference. He's averaged a team-high 23:57 of ice time per game this season, leading the club with 136 blocked shots while chipping in 27 points through 54 games.The Ontario-born rearguard captured his first career Norris Trophy following a career-best 74-point campaign in 2018-19.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping they've solved their backup goaltending woes.Toronto acquired goaltender Jack Campbell and forward Kyle Clifford from the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday in exchange for forward Trevor Moore, a third-round pick in 2020, and a conditional third-round selection in 2021, the team announced.Los Angeles will also retain 50% of Clifford's salary.The conditional third-round pick can become a second-rounder if Clifford, who's set to hit free agency this summer, re-signs with Toronto or if the Leafs make the playoffs and Campbell wins six regular-season games, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Toronto's No. 1, Frederik Andersen, was injured in the first period of Monday's contest versus the Florida Panthers. Backup Michael Hutchinson struggled in relief and also dropped Wednesday's game against the New York Rangers.On the season, Hutchinson is sporting a less-than-impressive .886 save percentage, 3.66 goals-against average, and 4-9-1 record in 15 games.With Andersen's status up in the air, head coach Sheldon Keefe isn't sure who will man the crease Friday against the Ducks."It's too early to tell," Keefe said after Wednesday's loss, according to TSN's Mark Masters. "I mean, there's a lot going on obviously with Fred and some other things too so we're just going to have to see how things settle down tomorrow and see where we're at."Campbell, 28, appeared in 20 games with the Kings this season and owns a .900 save percentage, 2.85 goals-against average, and 8-10-2 record. The 11th overall pick in 2010 is signed for the next two campaigns, carrying an average annual value of $1.65M.Clifford, 29, recorded six goals and 14 points in 53 games with the Kings this year.Moore, who's missed some time this season due to a concussion, has managed three goals and five points in 26 games with Toronto.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.Last night was good, but it should have been great.We settled for a 3-2 finish on five plus-money bets for a sizable return, which you certainly don't hate. It'll be even better if we can turn that into more money tonight.GOATs and scapegoatsChris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad led the New York Rangers' offense to a five-goal night, which is exactly what we predicted against Michael Hutchinson and the Toronto Maple Leafs' defense. We nailed the Rangers (+120) and our best bet of the night with their team total over 3.5 (+130).But here's why last night should have been better than it was. Drake Caggiula ripped home what appeared to be the winning goal for the Chicago Blackhawks before the referees called it off. It was scored with a delayed penalty coming against the Bruins, but the referees inexplicably waved it off and Boston eventually won in overtime. Sickening stuff.

The Montreal Canadiens placed defenseman Shea Weber on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the team announced Thursday.Weber suffered the injury during Tuesday's victory over the New Jersey Devils, head coach Claude Julien confirmed, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.The 34-year-old will be out of the lineup for at least a week.Montreal recalled defenseman Xavier Ouellet from the AHL's Laval Rockets on Thursday, the team announced.Weber leads the Canadiens in ice time with an average of 24:18 per game. He also ranks second on the club in blocks and has contributed 13 goals and 34 points through 55 games.The Canadiens sit seven points shy of third place in the Atlantic Division and eight points back of the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 27 games remaining.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.Scout Mark Edwards, founder of HockeyProspect.com, joins this week's show to discuss a variety of draft-related topics, including:

Anthony Mantha is nearing a return to the lineup, but it turns out that his ailments were worse than they initially appeared.In addition to hurting his ribs, the Detroit Red Wings forward revealed Wednesday that he suffered a second significant injury when Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin slammed him to the ice Dec. 21."I had a punctured lung," he told reporters, including the Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James. "That's what took the six weeks to heal. We didn't want to risk that. Then obviously the ribs, it's a matter of time before it heals. And then the head was just preventative."To make matters worse, Mantha also came down with an illness shortly thereafter."With the force of impact, my ribs punctured my lungs," he added. "It was probably the worst pain I've been in. And on top of all that, I got the flu on Day 2 of being injured. I had (a) 103 (degree) fever. So it was just a terrible first week."Mantha passed a final concussion test Tuesday morning."I don't think I had a concussion, but we just wanted to make sure," he said.The 25-year-old has missed 17 games since the incident but said he hopes to return between Feb. 10 and 15. The Red Wings will be on the road in Buffalo (Feb. 11), New Jersey (Feb. 13), and Boston (Feb. 15) during that span.Mantha poured in 12 goals and 24 points across 29 games before getting hurt and still leads the club in points per game this season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan practiced Wednesday for the first time since entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in November, the team announced.The veteran winger, who hasn't played since Nov. 16, was medically cleared and is working on getting his conditioning back."It's like missing training camp and then showing up," head coach D.J. Smith told reporters, including TSN. "So he's going to have to skate with us and do the drills, get in all the battle stuff, systems, all that stuff, so he's a ways away but he took his first step."Though there's no timeline for Ryan's potential return to the lineup, his teammates are glad to have him back in the mix."It's exciting. ... he's gone through a lot and we're here to support him," said netminder Craig Anderson. "It's nice seeing him out there with a whole group of guys instead of skating by himself. It's definitely a treat for us and we're looking forward to seeing him compete with us on a daily basis and work his way back into the lineup."Ryan, 32, is the Senators' highest-paid player with an annual cap hit of $7.25 million. He has two more years beyond this season remaining on his contract.The New Jersey native recorded one goal and four points through 16 games before stepping away from the team.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With a two-assist performance Tuesday night, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton became the 14th player in NHL history to reach 1,500 career pointsJumbo Joe reached the milestone on Kevin Labanc's third-period tally versus the Calgary Flames.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.Tuesday night was a sickening case of what could have been.We had a pair of winners in the Arizona Coyotes (-125) and a contest between the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks that needed extra time (+300). But we were otherwise buried by a blown three-goal lead, bad bounces, an overtime loss, and a shootout loss. You can't make this stuff up.Despite a modest two-game slate, I'm feeling great about Wednesday's card. It's going to be a big night.GOATs and scapegoatsThis distinction could go to Antti Raanta for his shutout in the desert, but Tuesday's true GOAT was overtime king Marcus Hogberg. The guy lives for OT. As noted in yesterday's article, seven of his last 10 starts had required the extra frame. Well, make that eight of his last 11 after last night. I sincerely hope you took advantage of the +300 odds on a tie game after regulation.There are several deserving contenders for Tuesday's scapegoat crown, but one particularly irked me. I hate to rag on a classy veteran like Joe Pavelski, but he really did us no favors last night. Not only did he squander a glorious chance to break a 3-3 tie late, but he committed an unforgivable turnover that gifted the New York Islanders an overtime win after the Dallas Stars absolutely dominated the three-on-three period. Just a brutal loss.Wednesday's betsNew York Rangers (+120)To call this a massive game for the Toronto Maple Leafs would be an understatement. They collapsed in rather spectacular fashion Monday against a team they're chasing in the playoff race, and they now find themselves in a crucial bounce-back spot against a team they need to beat. But what evidence have the Maple Leafs provided to suggest they have the character to respond? I'm especially hesitant to trust them with Frederik Andersen out.Michael Hutchinson gets the start and has been absolutely miserable away from Toronto this season, allowing at least four goals in each of his seven road appearances. He's posted a 4.73 goals-against average with an .861 save percentage away from home in 2019-20. The Rangers should be able to get to him fairly easily with the Maple Leafs' leaky defense offering little resistance.On the other side, Igor Shesterkin will get the nod for New York. The rookie has impressed in his first four NHL starts, allowing three goals or fewer in each of them while posting a 3-1-0 record with a .927 save percentage. Hutchinson can only dream of such numbers. Getting the Rangers at plus-money is an absolute steal.Chicago Blackhawks (+140), Blackhawks' team total over 3.5 (+215), Boston Bruins' team total under 2.5 (+200)I've got a tripleheader going at the United Center tonight. The Blackhawks are 5-0-0 at home when playing on no rest this season, scoring at least four goals in each contest. They're 9-1 straight up in the second legs of back-to-backs regardless of the venue, allowing two goals or fewer in seven of those games. The Bruins, meanwhile, have lost five of their last six road games after playing at home the night before, allowing at least four goals in each of those tilts. They've also scored two or fewer goals in each of their last five games played on no rest. I need to get my hands on a Blackhawks jersey for tonight.Best betNew York Rangers' team total over 3.5 (+130)If Hutchinson's stats weren't enough to convince you, consider this:The Rangers have scored four or more goals in six of their last nine games at Madison Square Garden, only failing to do so against the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, and Dallas Stars - three of the NHL's four best teams in terms of goals allowed. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, rank bottom-five in that regard and have allowed 27 goals over their last five road games against Eastern Conference teams.Trend of the nightThe Maple Leafs are on a 9-0-1 run to the over in road games against Eastern Conference opponents.That's quite a remarkable run. Toronto has both conceded and scored in bunches over that stretch, but bookmakers are starting to adjust, setting a total of 7 for tonight's contest. Still, you'd have to be a glutton for punishment to bet the under.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.