Jake Muzzin had nothing but positive things to say about the Toronto Maple Leafs when asked about his experience with the team so far."The organization, the way they look after us, the guys here, the city, the buzz in the city about hockey is huge," the defenseman told the assembled media, including Sportsnet, on Monday. "Being close to home is always a nice touch, especially with a little one around now, so there's lots of good things here and I'd love to stay."The pending unrestricted free agent is expected to make his return to the lineup Monday against the Nashville Predators after missing the last 10 games with a broken foot. Fellow blue-liner Tyson Barrie is also a pending UFA.Muzzin leads the squad in hits despite his absence and ranks second on the team in blocked shots and average ice time.The 30-year-old has been a key cog on the back end for the Maple Leafs since the club acquired him from the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 28, 2019, almost one year ago to the day.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban spoke at length Monday about the late Kobe Bryant, sharing thoughts and stories about his relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers legend."This affects everybody in the sports world, anybody that has a heart," Subban said. "He touched a lot of lives, he's touching more now. ... All you want to do is pray for the family and you hope that Vanessa and the kids and everyone stays strong."Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others were killed Sunday in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.Subban said he wasn't overly close with Bryant, but the two were friends, and he leaned on the five-time NBA champion for advice and inspiration."I'm just very happy to have had that type of relationship with him," Subban said. "I wasn't best friends with Kobe or anything like that, but I'm sure you can understand the impact of just being able to feel like you can touch him and connect with him. He was that big."Subban advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017 as a member of the Nashville Predators. During the series, he says he regularly communicated with Bryant."When I was at his last game against the Celtics, I connected with him and told him that I wanted to look (at) him for some advice throughout my career," he said. "I ended up going to the Stanley Cup Finals and was in touch with him throughout the whole final."He added, "When I dream about playing in big games and wanting to make a difference, all that comes from him."Subban was traded to the Devils this past summer. He's posted six goals and five assists across 48 games in his first season in New Jersey.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.The NHL returns following a four-day break for All-Star Weekend that felt like an eternity.But meaningful hockey is back, and with 10 weeks left in the regular season, every game starts to become a bit more meaningful.Before we dive into Monday's games, here's an embarrassing recap of my degenerate weekend betting on the All-Star Game.GOATs and scapegoatsThe NHL may have taken a break over the weekend, but I refused to follow suit. Betting on the All-Star Game is as minus-expected value (-EV) as it gets, but I just couldn't help myself. In doing my research, I came across some info that I felt gave Team Central an edge heading into the three-on-three tournament, and I ran with it.

Andre Tourigny is getting a promotion.Hockey Canada named him head coach of the junior team for the upcoming season, the governing body announced Monday.Tourigny's tenure as Canada's bench boss will include the next World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.He was as an assistant coach for Canada at the most recent world juniors, helping the Dale Hunter-led squad capture the gold medal.Tourigny currently serves as head coach of the OHL's Ottawa 67's. He's also been an assistant with the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche.The 45-year-old went viral during the world juniors after catching a puck that was headed out of play to prevent a delay of game penalty.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One of the Buffalo Sabres' key offensive weapons will return to the lineup Tuesday night.Jeff Skinner "is a go" against the Ottawa Senators, Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger said Monday.The 27-year-old winger has missed the last 10 games with what the club called an upper-body injury. He was hurt Dec. 27 and was expected to miss three-to-four weeks.Skinner has collected 11 goals and 19 points in 39 games this season, but he's gone 11 games without scoring.He signed an eight-year, $72-million extension with the Sabres in June 2019 after pouring in a career-high 40 goals and tying a career best with 63 points in 2018-19.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shortly after announcing that the Florida Panthers will host the 2021 All-Star Game, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman added that the event could feature a "distinct international flavor."What that could mean remains to be seen, but the players are intrigued."Ooh, that would be cool," Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin told Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press. "I wonder if that would get it more competitive. I'm not sure. It would be interesting."The current All-Star Game format has been criticized for a perceived lack of effort from players. But there's a notion that putting international bragging rights on the line might light a fire under the participants."I think any time you get some country rivalries going, there'll be a little more aggressiveness," Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin said.The NHL hasn't staged an international event since the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, and with the league's future at the Olympics unclear, a country-based All-Star event could be the next step.The league has done something similar in the past. Each All-Star Game from 1998 through 2001 featured Team North America against Team World.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Several members of the hockey world took to Twitter to offer their condolences and mourn the sudden deaths of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, on Sunday after both died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, that claimed the lives of nine people.The NHL issued a statement on the tragic news that shook the sporting world:

The New York Rangers have loaned forward Lias Andersson to HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League, the team announced Sunday.Andersson was suspended by the Rangers without pay in December for leaving the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack. The 21-year-old also reportedly requested a trade from the organization.Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton assessed the trade market for Andersson after his request, but nothing came to fruition.Andersson, who was drafted seventh overall by New York in 2017, has split time between the AHL and NHL. In 66 career games with the Rangers, he's posted nine points.Andersson previously spent three seasons with HV71 and helped the SHL club win a title in 2017.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After watching the Canadian women edge out the Americans in the NHL All-Star Weekend's three-on-three event Friday, Mitch Marner and Frederik Andersen are voicing their support for the establishment of a viable women's professional hockey league."I think a lot of those players can play in this league. They got a lot of skill," Marner said, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "You saw it out there. I mean, the plays some of them made and the moves they were making, it was impressive to see."The Toronto Maple Leafs forward is in favor of the NHL forming a WNHL, according to Fox."A lot of those players are great players, and to see them not in a league right now is disappointing," Marner said. "I really hope they get a league back up and running."After the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) folded last year, players from both the CWHL and National Women's Hockey League announced they wouldn't play in any North American professional league for the 2019-20 season.Instead, over 200 players formed the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). The PWHPA's stated goal is to "promote, advance, and support a single, viable professional women's ice hockey league in North America."Members of the PWHPA have appeared at the ECHL All-Star Classic, NHL All-Star Weekend, and have toured throughout North America to showcase their talent. All 20 players that participated in the three-on-three event at All-Star Weekend are a part of the PWHPA.Andersen, whose younger sister, Amalie, plays hockey for the University of Maine, hopes there will soon be viable opportunities for women beyond the collegiate level."I don't know what the right answer is, but of course I want to see a women's side in the game for young girls to dream of playing in," the Maple Leafs goalie said. "I know firsthand with my sister. She goes to college. And after that, I don't know what really is the future."I think it's just important we keep trying to grow it and, hopefully, down the road, they can have something to strive for besides playing college."Canadian forward Sarah Nurse, who participated in the three-on-three event, thought the competition was a great way to help further the goals of the PWHPA."It was a fabulous event," Nurse said, according to The Canadian Press. "For the current state of women's hockey and what we're doing this year, it was the perfect opportunity to really get that visibility and exposure."The next PWHPA showcase will take place in Philadelphia on Feb. 29.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the midst of a career-best season, Anthony Duclair, who's set to hit free agency this summer, is hoping he won't have to leave Ottawa."I just want to focus and really end the season on a positive note like I did last year," Duclair said at this weekend's All-Star Game, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "Really make a statement to the management and the coaching staff that I want to be a big part of this rebuild. I'm still a young guy."Despite his desire to re-sign long term with the team, contract extension talks have yet to begin, Fox added.Duclair, 24, was traded to the Ottawa Senators along with two draft picks at the trade deadline last year in exchange for Ryan Dzingel. After potting eight goals and 14 points in his 21-game run, he signed a one-year extension with the club. This season, he already has a career-high 21 goals and just participated in his first All-Star Game."When the change is gonna happen, when Ottawa's gonna become a contender, I want to be part of that," Duclair added. "So I'm working as hard as I can."The Senators' offseason will be quite a busy one. Of the 20 skaters on their active roster, 13 of them, including Duclair, are set to become restricted or unrestricted free agents. Armed with two potential lottery picks and three picks in the second round in the upcoming draft, this summer can ultimately decide the future of the franchise.Duclair, who leads the team in both goals and points, is putting together a strong case to make himself a viable piece for the Senators and will look to keep things rolling in the second half of the season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pacific Division squad was crowned the 2020 All-Star Game champion as it topped the Atlantic by a score of 5-4 in the final of the three-on-three tournament Saturday night in St. Louis.San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl scored the winner - his fifth tally of the day - with under three minutes to go in the final frame. Max Pacioretty, Elias Pettersson, and Leon Draisaitl also scored for the Pacific in the contest.Victor Hedman, Jonathan Huberdeau, David Pastrnak, and Tyler Bertuzzi were the goal-scorers for the Atlantic.Saturday's triumph marked the third victory for the Pacific since the league switched to its current format in 2016.The players on the winning squad will split a $1-million prize.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane wasn't fazed by the boos he endured from the St. Louis Blues faithful during All-Star Weekend.Kane was jeered Friday during the Skills Competition and again Saturday night as he scored two goals for the Central Division. The winger actually egged on the crowd to get even louder after he put away one of his goals, but he says it was all lighthearted fun."I thought that was a pretty cool moment," he said, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. "Tried to like put my hand up to my ear to hear the boos but then I was showing them that, 'Hey, I'm playing with the Blues players, I've got the same jersey as them.' Just had fun with it."As Central Division foes, Blues fans have seen plenty of Kane during his 13-year career with the Blackhawks. In 64 regular-season games versus St. Louis, Kane has recorded 63 points and added 13 more in 13 playoff contests - including two overtime winners."It's all in good fun," he said, according to Lazerus. "To be honest with you, sometimes you get booed, you kind of like it a little bit. It's St. Louis and Chicago, it's a huge rivalry."Blues head coach - and bench boss for the Central squad - Craig Berube even called for mercy on the boos."I felt bad for Kaner," Berube said, according to NHL.com's Lou Korac. "He comes out in his introductions and is getting booed and stuff and then he scores and they're cheering for him. Tough situation for him. Players all know. They all handle it very well. It's a fun event."The Central Division played only one game due to a 10-5 loss to the Pacific.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak was named All-Star Game MVP on Saturday despite playing for the losing side in the final.The Atlantic Division squad, captained by Pastrnak, fell 5-4 to the Pacific Division team in the three-on-three tournament's winner-take-all finale.

It'll be the battle of the oceans in the All-Star Game final.The Pacific Division team will take on the representatives of the Atlantic Division in the winner-take-all matchup after beating the Central Division squad 10-5 in the second semifinal of Saturday's three-on-three tournament.Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl, and rookie blue-liner Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks led the way for the Pacific with four points apiece. Flames goaltender David Rittich shut the door in the second of two periods, stopping nine of 10 shots.Tkachuk and Draisaitl teamed up on multiple goals, displaying natural on-ice chemistry despite some ongoing animosity between their respective clubs. Tkachuk laid out Oilers enforcer Zack Kassian with a pair of big hits during a game between Calgary and Edmonton earlier in January. Kassian pummelled Tkachuk with several punches to the head following the second hit, earning a two-game suspension.Draisaitl had said he "would probably get off the ice" if he had to play with Tkachuk at the All-Star Game. Though that didn't happen, the two players didn't celebrate goals together, going their separate ways instead.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Atlantic Division team booked its ticket to the final of the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, defeating the Metropolitan Division contingent 9-5 in the first three-on-three game of Saturday night's festivities.Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak and Ottawa Senators winger Anthony Duclair each recorded hat tricks for the Atlantic, while Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman tallied four points apiece.Columbus Blue Jackets rearguard Seth Jones led the Metro squad with a four-point effort of his own, and New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier collected three points, including a pair of goals.Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, who entered the game in the second period, stopped six of seven shots to earn the win.The Atlantic is now 3-2 against the Metro since the introduction of the divisional three-on-three format in 2016. The Atlantic, which has never won the event, will take on the Pacific Division team in the finals.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After Connor McDavid went leg-first into the goalpost against the Calgary Flames last April, the Edmonton Oilers superstar says he kept quiet regarding the severity of his injuries to avoid outside noise and to be able to focus on his recovery."I think the main focus was just getting healthy," McDavid said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "I didn't need any pressure (from the) media, I didn't need any more questions."In a documentary called "Whatever It Takes," which was released Friday, McDavid revealed the full extent of his injuries: a full PCL tear, a torn meniscus on both sides of the knee, a cracked tibia, and a popliteus muscle that was torn off the bone."There was already lots of questions going on, so it was actually really nice just to be able to focus on myself and not have to answer questions and (deal with) the pressures of all the media and all the fans and stuff like that," McDavid said.A doctor recommended undergoing surgery, which would've put McDavid's 2019-20 season in jeopardy and didn't guarantee that his knee would fully recover. McDavid had doubts about the procedure and, after a separate medical opinion recommended rehabilitation, opted to rehab his leg to avoid risking any long-term impediments from the unique operation."I'm a 22-year-old kid at the time and you never want to miss a season and you never want to go through a surgery that - I'm not going to call it risky or anything like that, but there's lots of questions," McDavid said. "It's not like it's an ACL where doctors can do that almost in their sleep. It's a PCL, and that's a surgery that only a few people can do and it's not been real mastered."Appearing in his fourth consecutive All-Star Weekend, McDavid is in fine form as he looks to put the injury behind him. He leads the NHL in points (76) through 49 games this season and is on pace to tally a career-best 127."I feel real good. I don't think I'd be sitting here at the All-Star Game if I wasn't," McDavid said. "I feel good on the ice and I'm happy with how I've been playing."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Gary Bettman is maintaining his stance of wanting to hold the NHL and its players out of Olympic participation."From our standpoint, we believe and our experience, both with going to five Olympics and then not going to Pyeongchang, tells us that going is extraordinarily disruptive to the season," Bettman told reporters Friday at All-Star Weekend, per TSN.Bettman added, "I know it maintains itself as a priority for the players' association, but having said that, we're very comfortable with not going."The NHL commissioner has been keen to hold his players out of the Olympics since barring them from participating in 2018. After taking office in 1993, Bettman permitted players to attend each quadrennial tournament from 1998-2014.Trips to the Olympics have typically caused the NHL to shut down for several weeks in February while teams worry about their players potentially facing injury. When the league last went to Sochi in 2014, John Tavares, Henrik Zetterberg, Aleksander Barkov, and Tomas Kopecky all sustained season-ending injuries.While Bettman doesn't appear ready to budge on the issue and give in to the players' desires, the NHL is aiming to organize a World Cup of Hockey in 2024 and make it a more regular tournament.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Wayne Gretzky is keeping a close eye on Alex Ovechkin as he climbs the all-time goals list."I'm a big believer that records are made to be broken," Gretzky told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti on Friday. "What I accomplished, I'm very proud of. It's hard to do what I did, and it's really hard to do what he's doing now. But there's no question in my mind that he has a legitimate chance of doing it."Ovechkin, who tied Steve Yzerman for ninth in league history by scoring goal No. 692 just before the All-Star break, is now 202 tallies shy of reaching Gretzky's mark of 894."The two things that you need - you've got to stay healthy, and he's proven that over his career. He plays hard and he stays healthy. And, secondly, you've got to be on a good team - and he plays on a good team," Gretzky added."For my success, I had to play with good players. He plays with good players, and that obviously helps."Gretzky, who turns 59 on Sunday, has a number of seemingly untouchable records. He holds the all-time marks for goals scored in a season (92), points recorded in a campaign (215), and points posted in a career (2,857). However, his record for the most career goals is within Ovechkin's reach."I think it would be wonderful for the game," Gretzky continued. "Anything that's positive is always good for the game. ... From the day he came into the game, into the National Hockey League, we knew what he was. He was just a hardworking guy who loved to score goals."The 34-year-old Ovechkin is currently second in the league this season with 34 goals and will be hoping to add his ninth Rocket Richard Trophy.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled defenseman Jake Muzzin and forward Trevor Moore from their conditioning loans with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, the team announced Saturday.Muzzin suffered a fractured foot on Dec. 27 and has missed the club's last 10 games. He's been a key defender for the Leafs this season, leading the team in hits and ranking second in blocks. He's also chipped in offensively with 13 points in 38 contests.Moore hasn't seen action since Dec. 21 due to a concussion. The 24-year-old has managed three goals and five points in 22 games this season.The pair suited up for the Marlies on Friday to get back to game speed, with Moore potting a goal in a 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Monsters.The Maple Leafs will resume play after the All-Star break when they visit the Nashville Predators on Monday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 2020 NHL All-Star Skills Competition featured several memorable moments, including the dethroning of a defending champ, a previous king reclaiming his crown, and a historic showcase for women's hockey.Here's what happened in each event:Fastest skaterBrian Babineau / National Hockey League / GettyIt was Connor McDavid's event to lose, and, as it turned out, that's exactly what happened.New York Islanders speedster Mathew Barzal upset the Edmonton Oilers superstar, beating all of McDavid's times from previous years by flying around the ice in 13.175 seconds before the 2017 Hart Trophy winner even got a chance to take his turn.McDavid - who won the contest in each of the previous three years - went last but failed to match Barzal's time, finishing in 13.215 seconds. Barzal also came oh-so-close to setting the all-time record, falling only 0.03 seconds short of the mark set in 2016 by Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin.Save streakPatrick McDermott / National Hockey League / GettyThe hometown hero prevailed in the third annual edition of this goaltending-focused event.St. Louis Blues netminder Jordan Binnington went last and reeled off 10 consecutive saves - including a stop on Justin Bieber, aka Tomas Hertl of the San Jose Sharks - to win it.Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy posted nine straight saves as the penultimate participant and Frederik Andersen of the Toronto Maple Leafs managed seven consecutive stops of his own as the Atlantic Division backstops finished second and third, respectively.Accuracy shootingBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyA late addition to the All-Star festivities took home the accuracy event, as Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin won by hitting all five targets in 9.505 seconds. He was the only shooter to finish his round in under 10 seconds.Hertl hit the first four of five targets consecutively but then struggled to nail the one in the top right corner, finishing with a time of 17.161.Ironically, the new electronically projected targets drew plenty of criticism for not being accurate enough, as they occasionally failed to register as being hit and also credited several shooters when it appeared they actually missed. Bring back the foam targets, please and thanks.Elite women's 3-on-3Scott Rovak / National Hockey League / GettyThe historic and eagerly anticipated All-Star clash between the women's national teams of Canada and the United States more than lived up to its billing.Team Canada goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens put on an impressive display, making several highlight-reel stops among her 18 saves, including a big-time denial with the glove at the buzzer as Canada held on for a 2-1 victory.Hilary Knight cut Canada's lead in half midway through the second period but Melodie Daoust's earlier marker held up as the eventual winner. Rebecca Johnston opened the scoring in the first period of a showcase that was indeed a "big step forward" for the women's game, as Wayne Gretzky opined beforehand.Hardest shotBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyShea Weber reclaimed his title and won for the fourth time in the process. The Montreal Canadiens rearguard fired home a 106.5-mph bomb on his second and final attempt to restore his status as hardest shot champion after being unable to take part in the two previous editions.Washington Capitals blue-liner John Carlson did his best to defend his 2019 title, posting a 104.5-mph howitzer on his second attempt. That shot bested all others in the field except for Weber's efforts.Seven-time winner (and long-retired legend) Al MacInnis got the event started, turning back the clock and taking a shot of his own with a wooden stick to get the crowd going.Shooting StarsScott Rovak / National Hockey League / GettyNo one quite knew what to expect heading into this new event, and reviews were mixed when all was said and done.Chicago Blackhawks dynamo Patrick Kane edged Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner and Blues forward Ryan O'Reilly in a tiebreaker. Kane picked up a pair of points in the extra session to become the first-ever winner of a spectacle that will probably endure a few tweaks if it's kept in the rotation next year.At least Keith Tkachuk and Brett Hull got in on the action to give the home crowd even more reasons to cheer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sometimes, new isn't always better.The NHL unveiled a new digital product for the shooting accuracy contest at the skills competition on Friday night, and it's safe to say it didn't go quite as planned.Florida Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau was credited for hitting a target he clearly missed.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.Anyone who claims to have the ability to cap the NHL All-Star Game is a cold-blooded liar.We can analyze all sorts of numbers, break down data, and dive into past All-Star records until our eyes bleed, but truthfully, we don't have a clue.There's just no way of knowing which players care to be there, which are out for a leisurely skate, who has chemistry with whom, how many were out drinking the night before (or early that morning), and about a thousand other variables we couldn't dream of capping if we tried. It's the All-Star Game, which in hockey talk loosely translates to "vacation." No one actually cares.Now that we got the disclaimer out of the way, let's pick a winner!The format for the All-Star Game remains the same as it was last season - a four-team (one per division), three-on-three, single-elimination tournament. The two Eastern Conference divisions - Atlantic and Metropolitan - face off in one game, and the Western Conference divisions - Pacific and Central - clash in the other.Here are the odds for the two semifinal games, as well as odds for who will win the tournament:TeamOddsTotalMetropolitan+100Over 12 (-115)Atlantic-120Under 12 (-105)TeamOddsTotalPacific-115Over 12.5 (-115)Central-105Under 12.5 (-105)Team OddsAtlantic+200Pacific+210Central+240Metropolitan+290With the games being three-on-three, regular-season overtime stats are the perfect place to start.The player with the most overtime goals this season is St. Louis Blues and Central Division forward David Perron (four), who was voted "Last Man In" by fans. No other skater at the All-Star Game has more than two.Perron highlights a Central Division squad that's had plenty of overtime success this season. Mark Scheifele, Tyler Seguin, and Nathan MacKinnon each have two overtime goals this season, while Team Central have collectively scored 13 - more than any other team.Leon Draisaitl and Matthew Tkachuk each have two for Team Pacific, which has a total of seven, while Team Atlantic have six (Jack Eichel and Anthony Duclair the leaders with two each). Team Metropolitan are a distant fourth, with only T.J. Oshie and Jaccob Slavin netting overtime goals this season.If you're concerned about the small sample size, consider this: Team Central's roster also combined for the most overtime goals last season, led by Patrick Kane and Scheifele's three each.Also working in favor of Team Central is the fact it has four hometown players. Perron is joined by Ryan O'Reilly, Alex Pietrangelo, and Jordan Binnington, all playing in front of their home fans at Enterprise Center.A first-round matchup against Connor McDavid and the rest of the Pacific Division All-Stars isn't ideal, but there's already some dysfunction surrounding Team Pacific that could prove its undoing.Stemming from a fiery sequence in the Battle of Alberta two weeks ago, Draisaitl said he and Edmonton Oilers teammate McDavid would get off the ice if they had to play on a line with Tkachuk of the rival Calgary Flames. Trouble in paradise and the games haven't even begun.The All-Star Game is all about having fun and playing loose, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to envision a scenario where there isn't tension and resentment on the Pacific Division bench. They also come into the weekend without both starting goalies - Marc-Andre Fleury abstaining from participating to rest and Darcy Kuemper missing out due to injury. All these factors make them tough to back at such short odds, just a shade longer than Team Atlantic, the favorites.Team Atlantic is also dealing with a pair of big absences, with Auston Matthews withdrawing due to a wrist injury and Tuukka Rask pulling out to rest, having just recovered from a concussion. Still, as we've seen with the Metropolitan Division, it could be much worse.Alexander Ovechkin dropped out of the game to rest, with Team Metropolitan also missing Jake Guentzel, Kyle Palmieri, Artemi Panarin, Dougie Hamilton, and Joonas Korpisalo due to injury. Slavin and Kris Letang were each named replacements, giving Team Metro four defensemen on the roster - no other team has more than two. It's a solid squad, but there's a real lack of star power compared to the other three teams, which makes it a justifiable underdog heading into the tournament.The best value on the board has to be Team Central, who boast a deliciously skilled roster headlined by MacKinnon and Kane, a wealth of three-on-three success over the past two seasons, and home-ice advantage. It's also the only team not to have anyone drop out or withdraw due to injury.At +240, you really can't go wrong.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 All-Star Game is returning to Sunrise, as the Florida Panthers will host the 2021 event, the league announced Friday.It will take place Jan. 29 and 30, the team announced.Bettman said the NHL and NHLPA are in discussions about giving it international flavor, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.The Panthers are hosting for the second time in their history, and for the first time since 2003.Atlanta Thrashers forward Dany Heatley was named MVP that year after tying an All-Star record with four goals. He also became the first player to score four consecutive markers in the game.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 16 arenas used during the NHL postseason will have player- and puck-tracking data, commissioner Gary Bettman announced at his All-Star Weekend press conference, according to theScore's John Matisz.Additionally, all 31 of the league's rinks will have access to such data by the beginning of the 2020-21 season.This has been in the works for the last few years. The league initially planned to have it ready for this season but changed partners in September from Jogmo World Corp. to SportsMEDIA Technology.The data will be used as follows:

Wayne Gretzky is fully on board with the NHL's decision to increase women's involvement during All-Star Weekend in St. Louis, calling it a "big step forward," according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan."Exposure is everything," Gretzky said. "It's baby steps. You're not going to flood the market overnight. It takes time to get into the markets and get more youth girls to participate in hockey."It's very important that there's an understanding from the National Hockey League that we want to help grow women's hockey and make girls' hockey bigger and better than it's ever been. So I think the commissioner and the NHL have done a tremendous thing by bringing these women out."The NHL has involved women in its All-Star festivities for the past three years, but the league will take it to new heights Friday with a brand-new event featuring the sport's best Canadian and American women in a three-on-three matchup.Some of the Americans set to participate include Hilary Knight, Brianna Decker, Kendal Coyne Schofield, and Amanda Kessel. The Canadian team will feature Marie-Philip Poulin, Natalie Spooner, and Meghan Agosta, among others.Coyne Schofield stole the show at the 2019 All-Star Weekend in San Jose with an impressive lap in the Fastest Skater event, while Decker posted the fastest time in Premier Passing during her demonstration of that event."Fans in St. Louis are great hockey fans; they are going to enjoy watching the girls as much as they enjoy watching the men," Gretzky said. "And I think they're going to be surprised that the girls play a very aggressive game of hockey. Their three-on-three game is going to be much more aggressive than the men's game tomorrow."The women will face off following the Accuracy Shooting contest Friday night. The game will have two 10-minute periods with a running clock.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.Anyone who claims to have the ability to cap the NHL All-Star Game is a cold-blooded liar.We can analyze all sorts of numbers, break down data, and dive into past All-Star records until our eyes bleed, but truthfully, we don't have a clue.There's just no way of knowing which players care to be there, which are out for a leisurely skate, who has chemistry with whom, how many were out drinking the night before (or early that morning), and about a thousand other variables we couldn't dream of capping if we tried. It's the All-Star Game, which in hockey talk loosely translates to "vacation." No one actually cares.Now that we got the disclaimer out of the way, let's pick a winner!The format for the All-Star Game remains the same as it was last season - a four-team (one per division), three-on-three, single-elimination tournament. The two Eastern Conference divisions - Atlantic and Metropolitan - face off in one game, and the Western Conference divisions - Pacific and Central - clash in the other.Here are the odds for the two semifinal games, as well as odds for who will win the tournament:TeamOddsTotalMetropolitan+100Over 12 (-115)Atlantic-120Under 12 (-105)TeamOddsTotalPacific-115Over 12.5 (-115)Central-105Under 12.5 (-105)Team OddsAtlantic+200Pacific+210Central+240Metropolitan+290With the games being three-on-three, regular-season overtime stats are the perfect place to start.The player with the most overtime goals this season is St. Louis Blues and Central Division forward David Perron (four), who was voted "Last Man In" by fans. No other skater at the All-Star Game has more than two.Perron highlights a Central Division squad that's had plenty of overtime success this season. Mark Scheifele, Tyler Seguin, and Nathan MacKinnon each have two overtime goals this season, while Team Central have collectively scored 13 - more than any other team.Leon Draisaitl and Matthew Tkachuk each have two for Team Pacific, which has a total of seven, while Team Atlantic have six (Jack Eichel and Anthony Duclair the leaders with two each). Team Metropolitan are a distant fourth, with only T.J. Oshie and Jaccob Slavin netting overtime goals this season.If you're concerned about the small sample size, consider this: Team Central's roster also combined for the most overtime goals last season, led by Patrick Kane and Scheifele's three each.Also working in favor of Team Central is the fact it has four hometown players. Perron is joined by Ryan O'Reilly, Alex Pietrangelo, and Jordan Binnington, all playing in front of their home fans at Enterprise Center.A first-round matchup against Connor McDavid and the rest of the Pacific Division All-Stars isn't ideal, but there's already some dysfunction surrounding Team Pacific that could prove its undoing.Stemming from a fiery sequence in the Battle of Alberta two weeks ago, Draisaitl said he and Edmonton Oilers teammate McDavid would get off the ice if they had to play on a line with Tkachuk of the rival Calgary Flames. Trouble in paradise and the games haven't even begun.The All-Star Game is all about having fun and playing loose, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to envision a scenario where there isn't tension and resentment on the Pacific Division bench. They also come into the weekend without both starting goalies - Marc-Andre Fleury abstaining from participating to rest and Darcy Kuemper missing out due to injury. All these factors make them tough to back at such short odds, just a shade longer than Team Atlantic, the favorites.Team Atlantic is also dealing with a pair of big absences, with Auston Matthews withdrawing due to a wrist injury and Tuukka Rask pulling out to rest, having just recovered from a concussion. Still, as we've seen with the Metropolitan Division, it could be much worse.Alexander Ovechkin dropped out of the game to rest, with Team Metropolitan also missing Jake Guentzel, Kyle Palmieri, Artemi Panarin, Dougie Hamilton, and Joonas Korpisalo due to injury. Slavin and Kyle Letang were each named replacements, giving Team Metro four defensemen on the roster - no other team has more than two. It's a solid squad, but there's a real lack of star power compared to the other three teams, which makes it a justifiable underdog heading into the tournament.The best value on the board has to be Team Central, who boast a deliciously skilled roster headlined by MacKinnon and Kane, a wealth of three-on-three success over the past two seasons, and home-ice advantage. It's also the only team not to have anyone drop out or withdraw due to injury.At +240, you really can't go wrong.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.

Takes, thoughts, and trends is theScore's monthly spin around the NHL.––––––––––Watch for Kreider, Pettersson this weekendThe final tally: 12. Yes, a dozen All-Star Weekend participants turned over in the weeks leading up to the event in St. Louis - from Metropolitan Division superstar Alex Ovechkin opting for rest, to Pacific Division bench boss Gerard Gallant giving up his spot because he lost his job.That's far too many changes - a bad look for the NHL - regardless of each dropout's rationale. It's amazing, though, how deep the talent pool is in this league. The festivities will still include plenty of marquee names and up-and-comers worthy of the platform. Just check out some of the assignments for the skills competition. There are some intriguing dark horses.Jared Silber / Getty ImagesThe fastest skater event is headlined by Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. Among the six other participants - Jack Eichel, Mathew Barzal, Chris Kreider, Anthony Duclair, Travis Konecny, and Quinn Hughes - I'm most fascinated by Kreider, who's quick with those long legs. Eichel and his nontraditional skating stride could surprise, too. The dude can fly.The hardest shot competition, meanwhile, features Shea Weber. He's a virtual lock to win with that howitzer of a slap shot. But the rest of the field can hang. Seth Jones, Victor Hedman, and John Carlson are all capable of hitting triple digits on the radar gun. Elias Pettersson, a bit of an odd choice given his small stature and propensity to pass, is definitely the underdog here. I say he finishes in the top three.Give 'em 7 minutes?Ditching the five-on-five game for a three-on-three tournament in 2016 was a smart move by the NHL. It's made the All-Star Weekend's main event infinitely more entertaining and has given fans what they ultimately want, which is more offense.Naturally, the topic of extending three-on-three overtime in games that matter was broached during Thursday's media availabilities with the All-Star players and coaches. The replies seemed overwhelmingly supportive of pushing the overtime period past five minutes in an effort to minimize the number of shootouts."I think I'd be a guy who would like to see it," Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano said. "But I don't know if 10's the number or if it's seven, because three-on-three minutes are a lot harder to play in than five-on-five minutes."Giordano noted that shift length is essentially cut in half in overtime, with players typically staying out on the ice for 20 seconds, versus 40 seconds in regulation. It's more taxing on the body, so there's a health consideration to keep in mind. Extending the extra period to seven or eight minutes would probably do the trick."I'd rather see a game decided in overtime at three-on-three than a shootout," he reiterated, before offering a hypothetical: "Are teams just going to hold the puck for five minutes and not take chances? I don't know what the answer is."Jackets, Elvis rollingIcon Sportswire / Getty ImagesEverybody counted out the 2019-20 Columbus Blue Jackets. They lost too much talent in the offseason and returned to training camp in September with underwhelming options up front and in net. The Blue Jackets making the playoffs? Ha.Yet here we are, in late January, and the John Tortorella-coached squad is holding down a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and sitting 10th among all teams in points percentage. All of this despite a rash of injuries."We had 10 guys on the IR at one point that were on our starting roster," said Seth Jones, Columbus' lone representative in St. Louis. "The guys who have come up from (AHL) Cleveland - (forward) Nathan Gerbe, to be specific, and a couple of other guys - have done a good job giving us energy every night."Also of note: Elvis Merzlikins has been a revelation between the pipes. The Latvian rookie has filled in admirably for an injured Joonas Korpisalo, posting a .926 save percentage in 21 games. And he's looked steady in the process."He's calm as can be," Jones said. "He lets in a goal and keeps moving on. Hasn't let in many as of late. Knock on wood."There's a strong chance Columbus keeps rolling after the break. Eight of the club's 15 games in February are against non-playoff teams, including bottom-feeders like the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils.Sleep well, Mr. WilsonThe San Jose Sharks dropped significant news Thursday when owner Hasso Plattner gave general manager Doug Wilson a vote of confidence in a press release announcing changes to the club's business operations department.Wilson - the team's GM since 2003 - may have a sterling reputation and might not have been on the hot seat anyway, but for Plattner to come out and say he's "supportive of Doug's plan to get our team back on track" is huge. Don't underestimate the importance of job security for GMs of struggling clubs. Wilson can now approach the trade deadline with nothing but the long-term view in mind. Plus, you can bet he's getting more sleep over the break now.Priority No. 1 when normal NHL life resumes: finding a way out of that cringeworthy goaltending situation. "Back on track" means stopping pucks.Isles feeling loss of PelechBill Wippert / Getty ImagesIt can be difficult to pinpoint exactly how much one injury is affecting a team's results, yet it's obvious the New York Islanders miss Adam Pelech's presence.Pelech, who was excelling on the Isles' top defensive pairing before being sidelined by an Achillies tendon injury, will remain out until at least the end of the regular season. In his absence, New York is 4-4-2. Not terrible, but not good. Either way, it underlines how crucial he is to Barry Trotz's program.Hockey fans outside of Long Island wouldn't recognize Pelech if they passed him on the street. He's the definition of an effective modern-day meat-and-potatoes defenseman: tough to play against; master of the little details; rarely frazzled. If the NHL had an Unheralded All-Star team, he'd make it every year."He plays such a steady game. He's not flashy, but he does flashy things," Isles captain Anders Lee said a day after Pelech's injury became public. "He makes it look so easy that sometimes I think it flies a little under the radar."Sniper settled inHands up if, prior to the start of the season, you had two seventh-rounders pegged as the rookie goal leaders by the break. Yeah, I didn't think so.Dominik Kubalik, the 191st selection in the 2013 NHL Draft, has bagged 21 goals in 49 games for the Chicago Blackhawks while playing alongside Jonathan Toews for the bulk of the season. Five goals behind Kubalik is the Buffalo Sabres' Victor Olofsson, the 181st pick in the 2014 draft. He's had a spot on Jack Eichel's wing for the vast majority of his 42-game debut.The speedy Kubalik has made a name for himself of late, potting 10 goals in nine January games. Fellow Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat labels Kubalik's shot as an "absolute bomb." It's quick and powerful."He's not scared to get in front of the net, too," DeBrincat said last week of Kubalik, a 24-year-old Czech who was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings. "I think that's how he's gotten a lot of his goals this year. Being right in front of the net, being ready to bang in the rebound. He knows where to be."Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes - the lone rookie in St. Louis this weekend - were known commodities coming into the season. Kubalik, Olofsson, and the Pittsburgh Penguins' sixth-rounder John Marino - three fringe Calder Trophy contenders - have made sure to steal some of the spotlight.Who ya got, guys?The Professional Hockey Writers Association announced its midseason awards Wednesday. The most buzzworthy news: Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and David Pastrnak were ranked first, second, and third in Hart Trophy voting, respectively.On Thursday, I asked a handful of All-Stars to weigh in on the MVP discussion. Who's their pick at the unofficial halfway point of the campaign? The question garnered a mix of predictable and interesting responses.Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesVictor Hedman: "The two guys in Edmonton (McDavid and Leon Draisaitl) are doing pretty good. What else? (Pastrnak) is having a great season. There's so many guys. It's tough to tell. Even John Carlson, with the season he's having so far, he's got to be up there. … I'd probably say one of the two in Edmonton."David Rittich: "It's hard to say. Two names go through my head: MacKinnon and McDavid."Mathew Barzal: "You can go with anyone. McDavid, obviously, is right up there. MacKinnon. I'd throw (Alex Ovechkin) up there, too. We play (the Washington Capitals) quite a bit. I get to see him every so often, and when he wants to turn it on, there's really no one that can stop him. I think those three guys are having really good seasons."Nico Hischier: "I'd go with McDavid or MacKinnon. I think these guys are unbelievable. … It's not easy (to defend them). You don't want to give them much space. If so, they're going to make you pay for it."Connor Hellebuyck: "That's tough. I'm glad I don't have to choose that right now. I think Nathan MacKinnon's been having a phenomenal year. Patrick Kane. Mark Scheifele's been phenomenal." (Hellebuyck said this with Scheifele, his teammate, within earshot. "Thanks, buddy," the forward said with a grin.)Business as usualDo you know who earned a few days away from the rink? Thomas Chabot.Chabot leads the NHL in ice time at 26:27 a night. The 22-year-old defenseman has already broken the 30-minute barrier eight times this season - twice in October, four times in December, and twice in January. His career high is 37:50, which he set in a mid-December game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.Dave Reginek / Getty ImagesThe crazy thing is, Chabot played 30 minutes a night in junior hockey fairly often. The most extreme case occurred in late 2016. With his Saint John Sea Dogs down to just five defensemen and a regular-season game against the Shawinigan Cataractes requiring overtime, it's believed he hit 40 minutes. (The QMJHL doesn't track time on ice, so nothing's official.)"I have zero analytical data to back it up, but from memory, I thought he got better the more he played," Sea Dogs general manager Trevor Georgie said. "I think back to that (2017) World Junior Championship in Montreal. He was unbelievable. He was Canada's best player and he would barely sit down. When he got to the bench, he was out next."So, what's the secret for the Ottawa Senators stud?"His skating is effortless, and I don't want to say it's easy for him, but he gets around the ice without expending as much energy as most," Georgie said. "I think Chabot's smarts and skating allow him to play that much. He is very much in control and calm."Red Wings in deepOne final thing: Holy crap, the Red Wings are terrible.With a 12-35-4 record at the break, Detroit is flirting with infamy. The club's points percentage (.275) in Steve Yzerman's first season as GM is, so far, worse than some truly terrible squads - specifically the 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche (.293), the 2013-14 Buffalo Sabres (.317), and the 2014-15 Sabres (.329).The Wings are allowing 3.88 goals per game, the salary cap era's highest rate. They're scoring 2.12 goals per game, the era's seventh-lowest rate. For context, there have been a total of 453 seasons played by NHL teams since the cap was introduced in 2005-06.One glance at the Wings' roster and the All-Star teams - Tyler Bertuzzi is their representative - and you realize the free fall in Detroit isn't stopping anytime soon.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal isn't holding any grudges against his coach after he was benched in the third period Tuesday against the New York Rangers."As a young guy, I know an example needs to be set," Barzal said at Thursday's All-Star media day, according to Newsday's Laura Albanese. "I was in the wrong."With the Islanders up by three late in the game, Barzal had a defensive lapse, resulting in a turnover and almost leading to a goal. Despite having two assists on the night, head coach Barry Trotz opted to bench Barzal for nearly the last 18 minutes of the contest due to his mistake."I'm a competitor and I always want to be on the ice," Barzal added. "At the end of the day, Barry knows what's best for the team. ... We've had games this year where defensive errors have cost us games and he wasn't going to let that happen again."I was in the wrong for the play I made. Barry's got my best interests and the team's best interests. He wants to win as bad as anyone and so do I. It's over with now. We got the win and that's all that really matters."Barzal, 22, is making his second appearance in the All-Star Game. He has 17 goals and 42 points in 49 games this season.The Islanders will resume play after the All-Star break Feb. 1. They currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 29-15-5 record.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Aaron Ekblad would like to offer a reminder of a frequently forgotten fact: A mere 38 days separated him from being a normal player in the 2011 Ontario Hockey League draft. If he had been born in late December 1995, not early February 1996, the troublesome "exceptional status" label that's colored the narrative of his career would have never been an option."It's hyped up like crazy, but realistically it's a month and seven days difference," Ekblad said in a recent interview. "I was just like any other kid going to play hockey with some older guys. It worked out for me, and it was the right play in terms of development. … To me, it felt normal."Exceptional status allowed Ekblad to enter the OHL as a 15-year-old, and he was clearly above average. He won rookie of the year honors as an underager and, by the end of his three-year tenure with the Barrie Colts, was considered the league's best blue-liner. He was physically, mentally, and emotionally mature. But Ekblad also raises a valid point about his birthdate and how certain labels can take on a life of their own."When he came to us at 15, he transitioned really well," Colts general manager Jason Ford said. Then, Ford added, the crazy comparisons started. "Somebody early on threw out the name Bobby Orr, which is not really fair. When you watch him, he's not that type of defenseman anyway. The person who threw it out there must not have seen him play."Claus Andersen / Getty ImagesIt's all a little ironic nowadays, seeing as there's a strong case to be made that Ekblad is actually underrated and underappreciated at the NHL level. Sure, he created buzz during his Calder Trophy-winning debut with the Florida Panthers. What about in the four-plus years since? He's been largely forgotten amid a slew of injuries and the incremental nature of his development. Perhaps he's simply been out of sight, out of mind."He's in Florida. If he were anywhere else on the planet he'd get a lot more recognition," said Willie Mitchell, Ekblad's former teammate and mentor.Ekblad, who turns 24 on Feb. 7, battled through multiple concussions and a neck issue prior to finding his way back to elite form. The eight-year, $60-million deal he signed in July 2016 may have looked like a mistake the following season (Ekblad's self-described "weak year"), but that's not the case now. He's a legitimate No. 1 NHL defenseman in 2020."He's done a lot of great things for us over the years," Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck said. "But, with his skill set, he has all the tools to be a top-five defenseman in the league. He's got size, he's got speed, he's got skill, he's got a shot. He can do it all."Mark LoMoglio / Getty ImagesWith five goals and 23 assists in 47 games, Ekblad is in the middle of the most productive campaign of his pro career. He's on pace for 48 points in 80 games following an offseason of specialty coaching. As a big man - 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds - in a small man's game, he's well aware that he must try his best to "stay relevant in terms of creativity and puck-handling ability.""For me, puck handling is the biggest thing," Ekblad explained. "Can I have my head up while handling the puck and make a play? Some coaches want a high-flip kind of game, a puck-off-the-glass defenseman, but I think the game has transitioned to defensemen being more skilled, quicker, able to make plays, and be up on the rush for the five-man attack."It's fair to suggest Panthers coach Joel Quenneville is pleased with the early returns. Powered by the NHL's most potent offense, Florida has a 28-16-5 record, which at the All-Star break places the team third in the Atlantic Division and eighth overall in points percentage. With Ekblad, the Panthers have been an objectively better squad at five-on-five. Based on the heat maps below, the club takes higher-percentage shots in the offensive zone when he's on the ice versus when he's not. Key in on the red blobs:HockeyViz.comEkblad, the club's ice-time leader, is 11th in relative shot differential among the 164 defensemen who have played at least 500 even-strength minutes this season. The Panthers own a cool 53.2% of the shot share when Ekblad is between the boards and only 48.4% when he's on the bench. His most common defense partners - MacKenzie Weegar, Keith Yandle, and Michael Matheson - have all seen their underlying numbers dip when they're paired with someone else, which suggests Ekblad's doing a lot of the heavy lifting.According to Brian Campbell, his first NHL partner, Ekblad's had a certain composure since his debut in 2014. "I played too cautious myself, expecting that maybe he's going to take some time to grow and learn," Campbell said, still impressed. "It was almost more of an adjustment for me. This kid was ready to go right from the get-go."Campbell left the organization after the following season. It was no coincidence he returned to Chicago, where Quenneville was still running the bench. "I think you'd have to give him a lot of credit for keeping it very simple for Aaron," he said of Quenneville. "For us, as players, you want to know what's going on and not have any gray areas. That's what Joel does."Ekblad and the rest of Florida's longtime core - Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Trocheck, and Yandle - are already on their fourth coach. Ask Ekblad about his past few years and the challenges he's faced and he immediately brings up Quenneville's predecessor, Bob Boughner.Bill Wippert / Getty Images"He did a great job teaching me some things that helped me evade situations where I could get injured," Ekblad said. And these instructions led to better habits. "If the puck was dumped in my corner, it was all about knowing where guys are on the ice and know who you're up against."But also, get back on the puck as quickly as possible so that you have time to make a play and get your stick or put your shoulder into the guy to protect yourself a bit. The faster you can make a play the quicker you can protect yourself."Mitchell suffered several concussions during a 900-game NHL career. He compares a player's post-concussion approach to the mindset of an overly defensive driver. You're bound to get into a car accident if you're timid behind the wheel."I like to look at the glass half full," Ekblad said. "I don't think they've affected me too much here. I feel good day-to-day. I'm happy, I feel healthy, and I'm learning ways of avoiding that kind of injury."Which brings us full circle. Over the phone, Ford mentions Ekblad's numbers this season. The Colts GM is impressed by his point production and nightly workload against stiff competition and suggests there's room to grow. Maybe the "exceptional" alumnus will hit 20 goals and 40 assists one day. "He's still relatively young for a defenseman in the NHL, right?" Ford said.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

2020 NHL All-Star Skills Competition

The National Hockey League announced the participants for Friday's All-Star Skills Competition in St. Louis, and some of the sport's biggest names will lace them up as part of the festivities.Here are the players who will participate:Fastest skaterMichael Martin / National Hockey League / GettyPlayerTeamJack EichelSabresNathan MacKinnonAvalancheConnor McDavidOilersMathew BarzalIslandersChris KreiderRangersAnthony DuclairSenatorsTravis KonecnyFlyersQuinn HughesCanucksSave streakIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGoalieTeamDavid RittichFlamesTristan JarryPenguinsJordan BinningtonBluesAndrei VasilevskiyLightningFrederik AndersenMaple LeafsJacob MarkstromCanucksBraden HoltbyCapitalsConnor HellebuyckJetsAccuracy shootingHarry How / Getty Images Sport / GettyPlayerTeamJaccob SlavinHurricanesTyler BertuzziRed WingsLeon DraisaitlOilersJonathan HuberdeauPanthersNico HischierDevilsTomas HertlSharksAlex PietrangeloBluesMark ScheifeleJetsHardest shotBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyPlayerTeamMark GiordanoFlamesSeth JonesBlue JacketsShea WeberCanadiensVictor HedmanLightningElias PetterssonCanucksJohn CarlsonCapitalsShooting StarsBill Smith / National Hockey League / GettyThe Shooting Stars competition will feature eight NHL players, one American elite women's All-Star, and one Canadian elite women's All-Star. Participants will attempt to hit targets positioned on the ice while standing on an elevated platform 30 feet above.PlayerTeamDavid PastrnakBruinsMatthew TkachukFlamesPatrick KaneBlackhawksTyler SeguinStarsBrady TkachukSenatorsDavid PerronBluesRyan O'ReillyBluesMitch MarnerMaple LeafsCanadian Women's All-StarTBDAmerican Women's All-StarTBDThe two women's All-Stars will be selected through a social media vote.Elite Women's 3-on-3Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettySome of the best in women's hockey from Canada and the United States will take the ice in a three-on-three game. The 20-minute contest will be played in two 10-minute periods, and the game will use a running clock.Team Canada: Meghan Agosta, Melodie Daoust, Rebecca Johnston, Sarah Nurse, Marie-Philip Poulin, Natalie Spooner, Blayre Turnbull, Renata Fast, Laura Fortino, Ann-Renee DesbiensTeam USA: Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Brianna Decker, Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Annie Pankowski, Kacey Bellamy, Lee Stecklein, Alex CavalliniCopyright © 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.When people see a post telling them to avoid betting certain teams to win the Stanley Cup, there's a tendency to overreact. The automatic assumption is the author thinks those teams suck.Spoiler: I don't.The St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins could definitely still win the Stanley Cup, as they're two of the NHL's top teams. But don't back them at their current price.The 2019 Stanley Cup finalists are among the top three favorites to lift the trophy in June, just behind the league-leading Washington Capitals.Team OddsWashington Capitals15-2St. Louis Blues8-1Boston Bruins9-1Tampa Bay Lightning9-1Pittsburgh Penguins9-1Colorado Avalanche9-1Dallas Stars14-1*only teams with odds shorter than 15-1 are displayedBoth teams have earned a place atop the oddsboard, but at 8-1 and 9-1, there's next to no value in backing either to win the Stanley Cup. There's enough evidence to believe those prices are inflated, partially due to misleading records and recency bias.The Blues have been one of the league's best and most consistent teams over the past calendar year, but a 2.53 expected goals for per game (xGF/60) shows they're not as good as the club's record indicates. That mark, which ranks 23rd, is largely rooted in the Blues struggling to create scoring opportunities.They're also 23rd in scoring chances per game (SCF/60) and 27th in high-danger chances per 60 minutes (HDCF/60). St. Louis has been converting a high percentage of its opportunities, which means the Blues are inevitably due for some regression. It's difficult to remain consistently successful against NHL-caliber goalies without a proven ability to generate quality chances. Of course, the Blues play smart fundamental hockey and don't approach games intending to simply outscore teams, but these numbers are at least cause for some concern.St. Louis will never sizzle offensively, and injuries to some key forwards aren't helping. But the team's defensive numbers are perhaps even more worrisome.The Blues are middle of the pack in expected goals against per game (17th), and in preventing high-danger scoring chances against (16th). They've come to rely heavily on a league-high .854 save percentage in high-danger situations. Jordan Binnington is good, but that's unsustainable.The Bruins, meanwhile, may not find it difficult to suppress offense, but creating it is a problem.They rank 21st in xGF/60 and, like the Blues, an inability to muster consistent scoring opportunities is the main culprit. Boston ranks 17th in SCF/60 and 25th in HDCF/60 while benefiting greatly from a 22.8 shooting percentage during high-danger chances. That's the fourth-highest mark in the league and an efficient source of offense that will be hard to sustain. In fact, we've already seen that number come down significantly from a month ago when Boston ranked first in that category.Since Dec. 5 the Bruins have won just nine games while losing 14. They're playing well-below .500 hockey, and with the Tampa Bay Lightning surging behind them, their once seemingly insurmountable Atlantic Division lead is slipping from their grasp.It's also worrying that Boston is struggling against top teams. Excluding the Bruins, 10 teams have notched 60-plus points heading into the All-Star break. The Bruins have produced a 5-11 record against those squads that they'll likely be facing on a nightly basis in the playoffs.While the Blues and Bruins undoubtedly possess the talent to again reach the finals, where's the value in backing them at such short odds given these flaws?Only one team has appeared in back-to-back Stanley Cup finals over the past decade - the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017 - and at these prices, you definitely shouldn't be betting St. Louis or Boston to become the second.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.

Despite a difficult 2019-20 campaign, it doesn't appear San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson is on the hot seat."While we are all very disappointed in the team's performance thus far this season, Doug has a long history of leading our team to success," Sharks majority owner Hasso Plattner said Thursday.Entering the All-Star break, the Sharks sit third from the bottom in the Western Conference. The team already fired head coach Pete DeBoer in December and replaced him with Bob Boughner."The last time we failed to meet our winning standards in the 2014-15 season, we were able to quickly rebound and re-establish a winning culture for the next several years," Plattner added. "I am supportive of Doug's plan to get our team back on track."The Sharks made a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015-16 and have qualified for the playoffs in every season since. However, the club is currently 11 points back of a wild-card berth with 32 games remaining and will likely miss the postseason for just the second time since Wilson's hiring in 2003.Wilson has made several key moves in recent years to keep the Sharks' Stanley Cup window open, but a dramatic drop-off on the offensive end combined with weak goaltending has resulted in the unsuccessful campaign to date.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bokondji Imama is speaking out after Bakersfield Condors defenseman Brandon Manning directed a racial slur toward him during Monday's game.Imama, who plays for the Los Angeles Kings' AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, issued a statement Wednesday after the AHL suspended Manning for five games on Tuesday."I have taken some time to reflect on what transpired on the ice against Bakersfield on Monday night," Imama said. "What happened is unfortunate for everyone. No matter how intense or heated a game gets, there is no room for this in our game and no excuse. I am very proud to be an African-Canadian hockey player and to stand for all other players that are in the same situation as me."I would like to thank the Los Angeles Kings and Ontario Reign, Edmonton Oilers, and Bakersfield Condors for their professionalism in helping me handle this situation," he continued. "Last but not least, I cannot thank my family and friends for their continued love and support."Imama closed by saying he won't be commenting further on the matter.The 23-year-old is in his third season in the Kings system. The Tampa Bay Lightning selected him in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL Draft.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former NHL defenseman Marc Methot says his playing career is likely over.Methot underwent knee surgery last January during the final year of his contract with the Dallas Stars, and the 34-year-old doesn't expect to play again."I haven't made any final or official announcement, but it's looking like I'm probably done playing hockey," Methot told TSN Radio Ottawa 1200 on Thursday.Methot played just nine games for the Stars last season before the surgery. After attempting to return, the Ontario native doesn't believe it's worth enduring the physical toll it took on him again."I really tried to make an effort and get back and I just weigh the options and whether it's worth putting my body through that kind of mental and physical excretion and it's just not worth it," he saidMethot added that "it's probably best for myself and the family that I step back from the game."He played 13 NHL seasons, spending time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, and Stars while recording 22 goals and 123 points over 624 career games.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's All-Star festivities are upon us, and even though the sport's best players are set to convene in St. Louis for a weekend-long showcase, the buzz leading up to the event is far from palpable.This isn't a new problem for the league, either. The NHL All-Star Game isn't circled on the calendars of many fans, and players aren't always keen on going, either. Despite being one of the most popular players of his generation, Alex Ovechkin backed out after being named the Metropolitan Division captain and will serve a one-game suspension instead of travelling to the Gateway City.Ovi's well within his rights to choose rest as a 15-year veteran, but when someone like Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, only 23, tells his own fans not to vote him in, it's obvious the event doesn't mean a whole lot to the players.All-Star Weekend's always been about the fans, but when they don't really care, either, the league's got a significant issue. The NHL's made positive strides in making the event more intriguing in recent years - the move to a three-on-three tournament and the inclusion of women among them - but there's still room for improvement.Here are three suggestions to make things more exciting:1. Allow specialists to participateBrandon Magnus / National Hockey League / GettyStealing a page from the NBA's book, the NHL's marquee skills event would be better if some of the sport's specialists were allowed to participate in the competition. Some of the greatest dunk contest moments have featured players with numbers nowhere near All-Star worthy, and hockey could easily do something similar.Could speedsters like Andreas Athanasiou or Kasperi Kapanen give Connor McDavid a run for his money in the fastest skater challenge? Why are we watching All-Stars struggle to hit 100 miles per hour in the hardest shot competition while Zdeno Chara sits at home and laughs off the feeble attempts at his records? Chara should be taking part in this event even in retirement.It's a harmless way to captivate the fan bases of the new players involved, and doesn't force All-Stars into events they shouldn't be in.2. Bring back the draftDave Sandford / National Hockey League / GettyThe NHL was a few years ahead of its time - when's the last time you could say that?! - with an All-Star fantasy draft, and it's time to bring it back.The old method gave us some memorable moments, but there's now an opportunity for things to get even more interesting with the All-Star Game played at three-on-three. Here's one idea: Keep the four-team format with a captain from each division (and its fan-vote component), and let each pick their own squad from a pool of All-Stars. Now, please imagine McDavid paired with Nathan MacKinnon on all that extra ice, or Auston Matthews and Sidney Crosby on the same line. You'd watch that.Televise the draft and mic up the players, who should also be encouraged to show off their personal style (the dress code: no dress code). Fans love behind-the-scenes looks at their favorite athletes and this would be a great opportunity for the NHL to sell its stars, something it struggles to do.3. Let the goalies have some funDave Sandford / National Hockey League / GettyThe poor goalies.If anyone shouldn't care about All-Star Weekend, it's goaltenders. Getting fully dressed to sit around and watch skaters do their thing during the skills competition has to undoubtedly be a drag, and taking the crease cold only to see how many saves can be made in a row can't be much fun, either - it certainly isn't great to watch.So let's have the goalies do what the skaters do. Who wouldn't want to watch goalie races, or find out which netminder is secretly holstering a rocket of a slap shot?Rapid-fire suggestions

The Toronto Maple Leafs have loaned defenseman Jake Muzzin to the AHL's Toronto Marlies for a conditioning stint, the team announced Thursday.Muzzin suffered a fractured foot on Dec. 27 against the New Jersey Devils and has missed the club's last 10 games.The loan could give the 30-year-old rearguard an opportunity to see game action during the NHL All-Star break, which runs from Jan 23-26. The Marlies play a pair of contests in Cleveland on Friday and Saturday.Muzzin skated on Jan. 15 for the first time since the injury, and the team hopes he'll be NHL-ready when they return from the break, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.The Ontario native leads the team in hits (87) and ranks second in blocks (69) despite missing extended time, and he plays a key role on the penalty kill. Offensively, Muzzin has contributed 13 points in 38 games this season.Toronto is back in action against the Nashville Predators on Monday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A giant Matthew Tkachuk sign has been installed in the home of his team's provincial rival.The large electronic billboard was spotted by CTV News Edmonton on Wednesday.CTV News EdmontonIt came to fruition after Flames fan Mohammad Elsaghir started a fundraising campaign to get a Tkachuk billboard erected in Edmonton with proceeds going toward the fight against ALS.The campaign quickly reached its initial goal of $2,500 and ultimately raised over $25,000 to battle the disease, according to CTV. Hosts at CJAY 92, a local radio station in Calgary, then arranged for its parent company to have the billboards made.Elsaghir's efforts began one day after Oilers agitator Zack Kassian took exception to being hit multiple times by the Flames winger on Jan. 11. Kassian was ultimately suspended two games for his retaliation, and a war of words ensued.Not to be outdone, Oilers fans answered with a campaign of their own in honor of Kassian. Edmonton supporter Samantha Costa encouraged like-minded individuals to donate to "Brown Bagging It," a Calgary charity that provides meals for children. She raised nearly $40,000 in just three days.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews will be replaced by Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk on the Atlantic Division roster in the All-Star Game, the NHL announced Wednesday.The Maple Leafs superstar won't take part in the event due to injury but will attend the weekend's festivities in St. Louis. He's day-to-day as he receives treatment for an ongoing wrist condition.Matthews' agent, Judd Moldaver, told TSN's Darren Dreger that his client has been dealing with the wrist issue for at least three weeks.He's expected to be ready to play for Toronto when it resumes its regular-season schedule with a road date against the Nashville Predators on Monday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, who adds that the 22-year-old sniper spent the bye week training in his home state of Arizona.Matthews leads the Maple Leafs in both goals (34) and points (57) through 49 games this campaign, entering Wednesday's action tied for second and ranked 11th among NHL skaters in those two categories, respectively.Tkachuk, the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, has collected 15 goals and 27 points in 48 contests during his second season in Ottawa. The 20-year-old posted 22 markers and 45 points as a rookie in 2018-19.Tkachuk's brother, Matthew - a Calgary Flames forward - will also be taking part in the All-Star Game, representing the Pacific Division.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 October 18, 2019, the Dallas Stars allowed three third-period goals in a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, falling to 1-7-1 on the season and setting off alarm bells after beginning the campaign with Stanley Cup aspirations.At that point, the data didn't look good: Dallas would need to win at least 63% of its remaining games just to have a chance at making the playoffs. For context, the Calgary Flames finished atop the Western Conference last season by winning 61% of their total games. These Stars would need to better that mark the rest of the way - and it still might not be enough.Still, Dallas general manager Jim Nill stuck with his roster. He believed in what he was building, and with perseverance came validation. Since that loss to Pittsburgh, the Stars have won 67% of their games (26-10-3), the second-best rate in the NHL behind the Washington Capitals (70%). They now sit third in the West despite playing the fewest games to date.Then there are the underlying numbers. The Stars rank second in the West in expected goals for and against per game (xGF/60, xGA/60). They've generated the second-most high-danger chances per game (HDCF/60) in the NHL and own the fourth-lowest shooting percentage from high-danger areas (HDSH%).What does it all mean? Well, Dallas is expected to score a lot and allow very little. The team is also creating a ton of very good scoring opportunities but converting a low percentage of them. The HDSH% is due for positive regression, which would lead to even more goals scored. Simply put, there's been nothing lucky about this run of success.Meanwhile, the Stars haven't been as reliant on their top line this season. Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and Alexander Radulov still form one of the more dominant units in the NHL, but secondary scoring is much less of an issue than it was for this team in the past. Roope Hintz has stepped up in a big way, while Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry, both signed over the summer, have been valuable additions.Not only do Pavelski and Perry give this team a more balanced lineup, but they also provide the experience that can help take Dallas to the next level. That's a scary thought when you consider the Stars were eliminated in the second overtime of a Game 7 by the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues last season.In addition to a deep crop of forwards, the Stars possess two of the league's most dynamic defensemen in John Klingberg and Miro Heiskanen, who are complemented by one of the most underappreciated guys in Esa Lindell. Andrej Sekera has proven to be a valuable addition and Stephen Johns just made his return from a 660-day layoff due to concussion issues. This blue-liner group rivals any other in the NHL.In goal, Ben Bishop hasn't missed a beat, posting a 2.28 GAA and a .927 SV%. The Stars haven't overworked him, either, thanks to the strong play of Anton Khudobin, who's posted nearly identical numbers (2.30 GAA, .927 SV%) through 20 games. That means Bishop should be fresh come playoff time and Dallas will have a reliable backup if he falters.It's clear this roster features the skill and experience needed for a Stanley Cup run - yet Dallas is still reasonably priced at 14-1.Team OddsWashington Capitals15-2St. Louis Blues8-1Boston Bruins9-1Tampa Bay Lightning9-1Pittsburgh Penguins9-1Colorado Avalanche9-1Dallas Stars14-1New York Islanders16-1Vegas Golden Knights16-1Carolina Hurricanes17-1Toronto Maple Leafs18-1*only teams with odds shorter than 20-1 are displayedAgain, Dallas has been a top-three NHL team since the middle of October and it's only a matter of time before the odds are adjusted to reflect that. We've already seen it happen with the Blues and Avalanche, who were both listed at 14-1 as late as early December.Consider this your last chance to buy low on the Stars.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 Pittsburgh Penguins remain interested in acquiring Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.However, the Wild "aren't yet ready to concede anything," Friedman adds.Zucker was reportedly the main return in a potential deal between the two clubs that would have sent Phil Kessel to Minnesota last May. Kessel reportedly nixed the trade, however, and was ultimately dealt to the Arizona Coyotes at the end of June.Minnesota has just three wins over its last 10 games and sits seven points back of the second Western Conference wild-card spot.Zucker, 28, has hit the 20-goal mark in four of the last five campaigns and is on pace for 24 tallies this season despite missing 10 games with an injury. He ranks second among Wild forwards with 0.69 points per game through 39 contests.The 5-foot-11 winger has three years remaining on his current deal beyond this season and carries an annual cap hit of $5.5 million. Pittsburgh has 1.9 million in projected cap space this season, but the Penguins could move Jake Guentzel's $6-million hit to long-term injured reserve in order to create more financial flexibility ahead of the playoffs.Zucker's speed and skill could boost a Penguins team that owns one of the league's top offenses despite losing several key players to injury at various points this season. Pittsburgh sits seventh in league scoring with 3.30 goals per game and ranks third in both expected goals for and high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty is being accused of physically assaulting a 13-year-old boy during a photo shoot, Philadelphia police told CBS' Joe Holden.The incident is said to have taken place in November 2019 at Wells Fargo Center. Police say the "investigation is active and ongoing with South Detectives Division."Flyers season-ticket holder Chris Greenwell claims his son Brandon playfully patted Gritty on the head after a photo was taken, and that Gritty got out of his chair, "took a running start," and "punched my son as hard as he could," according to Christian Hetrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer.Greenwell added that he took his son to a chiropractor about a week after the incident. Brandon was diagnosed with a "contusion to lower thoracic spine with subluxation" - or a back bruise - according to a document provided by the chiropractor.The Flyers say there's no evidence to back up the accusation."We took Mr. Greenwell's allegations seriously and conducted a thorough investigation that found nothing to support this claim," the team said in a statement, according to the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac.The incident was not caught on video because "cameras in that area of the center are focused on other locations," according to emails between Greenwell and officials at Comcast Spectator, the company that owns the Flyers.Gritty gained instant popularity after arriving on the scene prior to the 2018-19 NHL season. The hairy, orange creature is arguably the most well-known mascot in all of sports.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 ended up with a 2-2 split Tuesday but hit the big one with the Florida Panthers, so it wasn't all bad given how underwhelming the card was.Well, Wednesday's card is even worse. There are just two games scheduled before the NHL officially moves into its All-Star weekend and we have to suffer through the next four days without any real hockey.The least we can do is head into the break on a winning note.GOATs and scapegoatsHeading into Tuesday's late game, we needed a Panthers win in Chicago, and we needed it in a big way. My anxiety was through the roof following a scoreless first period, but Panthers forward Frank Vatrano soon took over. The Massachusetts native scored a second-period hat trick as Florida won for coach Joel Quenneville and, more importantly, cashed our Panthers tickets.While Vatrano had our back, Brian Elliott certainly didn't. The Flyers netminder, who had miserable career numbers against the Penguins, had been pulled in four of his previous eight starts against Pittsburgh. Well, Elliott stopped all 19 shots he faced Tuesday - shame on Pittsburgh for only managing 19 - for his first shutout of the season. The over never stood a chance.Wednesday's betsWinnipeg Jets/Columbus Blue Jackets under 5.5 (+100)I want you all to go to www.bluejackets.com/nhl, print the team's schedule, and circle every Blue Jackets home game for the rest of the season against non-conference opponents. The under is 9-1 this season when Columbus hosts Western Conference teams. The most goals scored in any one of those games was six.Ride with the under against the Jets, who might not have much left in the tank after playing last night in Carolina.Detroit Red Wings (+220)This is one of those games you bet on, then forget about. As someone who's wasted their fair share of money on the Red Wings this year, I know nothing good can come from watching their games. This is as good a spot as any to bet on them, though.Detroit may be the worst team in the NHL, but the club is actually 4-3-1 on the road this season against teams currently sitting at 51 points or fewer. The Wild fit the bill, and given how erratic Minnesota has been this season, there's terrific value in backing the Red Wings on Wednesday.Best betRyan Suter over 0.5 power-play points (+290)The Wild's power play is converting at a 25.7% clip on home ice, the sixth-highest rate in the NHL. Detroit's penalty kill ranks dead last in the NHL with a 73.2% success rate, and the Red Wings have allowed a league-high 42 power-play goals this season.Ryan Suter is a staple for the Wild when they have the man advantage, as he leads the team with 15 power-play points. He's been especially hot of late, with six power-play points in his last seven home games. Considering Suter's facing the league's worst penalty kill, nearly a 3-1 return is way too much value to pass up.Trend of the nightThe Blue Jackets are on a 13-1 run as favorites of -180 or greater. If you're willing to lay the juice, this would be a pretty safe spot.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.

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.Former NHL goalie and Vegas Golden Knights TV analyst Mike McKenna joins this week's show to discuss a variety of topics, including:

New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider will take teammate Artemi Panarin's place at the upcoming All-Star festivities in St. Louis, the NHL announced.Panarin missed Tuesday's loss to the New York Islanders with an upper-body injury.The Rangers superstar ranks among the league leaders in goals and points this season with 26 and 68, respectively, through 47 contests.Panarin's in his first campaign with New York after inking a seven-year deal worth a reported $81.5 million as an unrestricted free agent back on July 1.Kreider, a pending UFA himself, has collected 17 goals and 32 points in 48 games in 2019-20.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders star Mathew Barzal was benched for the majority of the third period of Tuesday's contest versus the New York Rangers for putting individual play ahead of the team, head coach Barry Trotz confirmed, per The Athletic's Arthur Staple.Barzal had one 40 second shift in the final frame, and he sat for nearly 18 minutes as the Isles secured a 4-2 victory over their in-state rivals.The 22-year-old had two assists in the first half of the game and drew some eyeballs on the highlight reel for a through-the-legs attempt that was thwarted by Rangers netminder Alexandar Georgiev.

It's been quite a few years since Joel Quenneville found himself behind the visitors' bench at the United Center.The Florida Panthers head coach is looking forward to Tuesday's matchup in Chicago, his first game there since serving as Blackhawks bench boss from 2008 until his dismissal in November 2018."I think it's going to be a fun night. The memories are so great - the moments, the people, the staff, the organization," Quenneville told NBC Sports Chicago.He added, "You couldn't ask for a better 10 years of our life, or our coaching experience, or our families, or the opportunity to work with some of the best players to ever play the game."Quenneville is the only coach in franchise history to capture multiple Stanley Cups, having won in 2010, 2013, and 2015. His 452 regular-season wins with the Blackhawks rank second in club history."Chicago's a special place to play and we had one of those memorable runs," said Quenneville, who previously served as head coach of the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche. "It was a privilege to be there. The franchise was the team of the decade and was very deserving."When asked what he remembers most from his time with Chicago, Quenneville said it was the journey to each championship."Obviously the championships were significant achievements, and when you look back how each one was accomplished and how hard they were," the 61-year-old said. "All the things - the ups and downs of winning each one were the things that stand out the most."In his first year with Florida, Quenneville has led the Panthers to a 27-16-5 record. The team occupies third place in the Atlantic Division entering Tuesday's action.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The American Hockey League suspended Bakersfield Condors defenseman Brandon Manning for five games after he directed a racial slur toward an opponent during Monday's contest against the Ontario Reign.The Condors are the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, while the Reign are the Los Angeles Kings' top farm team.Manning released the following statement:"Last night I made comments to an opposing player that were stupid and offensive. After the game I spoke with the opposing player in person, which I’m very grateful for. He allowed me to apologize and I took full responsibility for what I said. To say I’ve learned from this situation is an understatement and I promise to be better."Manning has played just 21 games with the Oilers since coming over in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks last season along with Robin Norell in exchange for Jason Garrison and Drake Caggiula.The 29-year-old suited up in 207 games for the Philadelphia Flyers and became a villain in Edmonton after injuring Connor McDavid in his rookie season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Drew Doughty isn't accustomed to losing.The Los Angeles Kings defenseman has won two Stanley Cups, a pair of Olympic gold medals, a World Cup, and world junior gold. He made the playoffs in seven of his first 10 NHL seasons and never missed the postseason in his three campaigns with the OHL's Guelph Storm.Now, Doughty finds himself on a rebuilding Kings squad in jeopardy of a last-place finish in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season. They entered Tuesday two points back of the Anaheim Ducks for second-last in the West."It’s frustrating," he told The Athletic's Lisa Dillman. "Being one of the top guys, I never expected to be (in this position). I always expected that I would be able to help push my team to a playoff spot every single year. But now back-to-back years, being in last place, it’s been stressful and depressing a little bit."Sometimes you’ve got to sit back and realize you don’t have the team you once had."The Kings won Cups in 2012 and 2014. They earned playoff berths in 2016 and 2018, but since then, the club has tried to shift toward a youth movement. Doughty, who is in his first season of an eight-year, $88-million extension signed in July 2018, is in it for the long haul."There are times when you see really good things and you can see we’re getting better," he said. “The bottom line is we need to play a full 60 minutes and we didn’t play well (against the Panthers). You didn’t see a full 60 minutes. Vegas, we didn’t play well for two periods. Carolina was a good 60 minutes even though we lost.“Tampa was ups and downs too. We need to figure out how to play a full 60 minutes. When we have the lead, we need to learn how to (protect) the lead. I know we’ve got a young team, so maybe it’s a little harder now."While several players from the two Cup-winning teams remain, general manager Rob Blake, who took over in April 2017, has begun putting his imprint on the roster. He dealt defenseman Jake Muzzin to the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, and both Tyler Toffoli and Alec Martinez are rumored to be on the trade block.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former NHL defenseman Akim Aliu inked a deal for the remainder of the season with HC Litvinov of the Czech League, he told Sports Illustrated's Alex Prewitt on Tuesday.Aliu will fly out Wednesday to join the team and plans to play Friday. The club has 14 games remaining in its season.Born in Nigeria, Aliu opened up in November about the racial abuse he faced from former coach Bill Peters while the two were together in the AHL in 2009-10.The now 30-year-old claims Peters "ruined and deterred" his career, and has since met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly about creating a change in hockey culture.Aliu was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the 56th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, but appeared in only seven professional contests.Since being drafted, the 6-foot-3 journeyman has suited up for 23 different teams across seven leagues and five countries outside of the NHL. He most recently played with the East Coast Hockey League's Orlando Solar Bears in 2018-19.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.