Canada lost its tournament opener at the 2019 World Championship in a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Finland on Friday.Finland got on the board first with a sensational breakaway goal by blue-chip 2019 draft prospect Kaapo Kakko in the opening period. Canada responded shortly after on the power play with a goal orchestrated by three Vegas Golden Knights, as Shea Theodore and Mark Stone set up Jonathan Marchessault's marker.After a scoreless middle frame, Finland took the lead early in the third on a power-play goal by Arttu Ilomaki, who had 45 points in 60 games for Lukko in the Finnish pro league this season.Kakko added his second of the game on an empty netter in the final minute.Canada returns to action Sunday versus Great Britain, while Finland takes on host Slovakia on Saturday.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If you read far enough back on the history of Olympic men's hockey champions - past Russia's first gold medal and Canada's reign to open the 21st century; before the Miracle on Ice and the halcyon days of the Soviet Red Machine - you'll eventually come across a glaring outlier.In 1936, Great Britain rolled to gold in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, ahead of Canada, the United States, and other wintry countries that have consistently vied for international podiums ever since.Britain didn't lose a game in that tournament, befitting a team of mostly Canadian dual nationals that was somewhat of a force in the era. The Brits finished third at the world championship in 1935. They placed second in 1937 and 1938.Then came World War II, and several decades of progressively worse results.The sport's elite haven't had to care about Great Britain for a very long time. But with another world championship set to begin on Friday in Slovakia, hope of a return to relevance is blooming in the British ranks.Britain's players celebrate their promotion to the 2019 worlds. Laszlo Szirtesi / Getty Images"Our goal is to come in and surprise some teams," Brett Perlini, a right-winger for Britain and the Nottingham Panthers in the United Kingdom's Elite Ice Hockey League, said this week in a phone interview."We've got to embrace the underdog role, I think. You never know how games are going to play out."With homegrown players from the EIHL primarily powering Britain, the team is back in the marquee tier of the IIHF's men's competition for the first time in 25 years. Ever since its national team crashed out of the 1994 championship while allowing 44 goals over five painful losses, Britain has spent a portion of each spring playing against the likes of Japan, Ukraine, Lithuania, and other hockey minnows in the tournament's secondary and tertiary divisions.Last April in Budapest, the Brits cinched promotion to the 2019 main draw by winning the second-tier tournament, known as Division I, Group A, on a wrist shot from the corner in the waning seconds of their final game against host Hungary. The source of that last-ditch heroism was Perlini's Nottingham teammate Robert Farmer. His game-tying goal gave Britain the point it needed to beat the Hungarians in the standings.Britain's reward, for at least 10 days starting on Saturday, is the right to test itself against heavyweight countries and rosters filled with NHLers and European pros, including Canada, the U.S., Slovakia, and Finland. Its first opponent, Germany, features Leon Draisaitl and much of the lineup that won silver at the 2018 Olympics.DateGreat Britain vs.Time (ET)Sat May 11Germany10:15 a.m.Sun May 12Canada2:15 p.m.Tue May 14Denmark10:15 a.m.Wed May 15United States10:15 a.m.Fri May 17Finland2:15 p.m.Sat May 18Slovakia2:15 p.m.Mon May 20France10:15 a.m.The world championship is often perceived in North America as an afterthought to the NHL playoffs, and a consolation prize for players whose seasons are otherwise over by now. But it means something entirely different to squads pushing to qualify.Entering the tournament, Britain is 22nd in the IIHF world rankings, directly ahead of Japan, Ukraine, and Lithuania, and nine slots behind any other team in its round-robin group.That calculus seems pessimistic, but interpreted another way, Britain has an opportunity that programs of its stature covet annually: the slim chance to make noise in front of a global audience."Every one of the individual players wants to showcase themselves on the world stage," said Perlini, whose younger brother Brendan plays left wing for the Chicago Blackhawks."To get British hockey on the map - to get people realizing there's a decent league in Britain, there's decent players in Britain, the national team's making progress - I think it's huge for the country, overall."Brett Perlini (right) and Robert Farmer. Laszlo Szirtesi / Getty ImagesOften, a team that moves up from Division I, Group A fails to win even once and is promptly relegated from the ensuing year's top-tier tournament. That was Italy and Slovenia's fate in 2017 and South Korea's in 2018, a few months after the Koreans competed at the Olympics as hosts. Korea scored four goals and conceded 48 over seven games at the worlds, including a 10-0 loss to Canada and losing 13-1 to the U.S.Next May, Kazakhstan and Belarus, the teams that edged South Korea last week for the top two spots in Division I-A, will take their turns in the top flight. For Britain to ward off immediate relegation, it likely needs to win at least one game against the weaker opponents in its group, namely Denmark (which has one NHLer: Ottawa Senators forward Mikkel Boedker) and France."We're going to have to play very disciplined, very structured, and stick together and play as a team," Perlini said. "There's no individuals on this team. Everybody's going to come together. Sacrifice is a big thing for us."British coach Peter Russell. MB Media / Getty ImagesA recent uptick in the EIHL's caliber of play has abetted Britain's improvement. Imported players from North America have had a hand in that trend, but Britain's head coach, Peter Russell, has said the EIHL's best 20 or so born-and-bred Brits - the players who now comprise four-fifths of this world championship roster - are just as good as anyone in the league.From a North American perspective, Britain's most intriguing player is forward Liam Kirk, the Arizona Coyotes' seventh-round draft pick last year. The 19-year-old grew up in England and joined the Ontario Hockey League's Peterborough Petes this season, and he could become the first prospect developed through U.K. minor hockey to make it to the NHL. (Every player on this extensive list of U.K.-born NHLers developed elsewhere in the world.)Liam Kirk. Claus Andersen / Getty ImagesA handful of Canadian dual citizens will also play key roles for Britain. Forwards Ben Lake and Mike Hammond, the EIHL's second- and fourth-leading scorers this season, both played junior hockey in Canada. They later moved on to the low-minors ECHL, followed by the EIHL and the British national team.Defensemen Tim Billingsley and Dallas Ehrhardt have followed the same trajectory, as has Perlini, the MVP of last year's Division I-A tournament. (Perlini's dad, Fred, is a former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect who starred in the British league for the latter half of his pro career.)Like the members of Britain's 1936 Olympic title team, those players will experience the odd sensation of lining up against their home country on Sunday. Though John Tavares has flown home to Toronto after injuring an oblique muscle, Canada can still count Mark Stone, Jonathan Marchessault, Sean Couturier, and Matt Murray as some of its brightest stars.That game will likely be a lost cause from the outset, and the result almost certainly won't impact whether Britain retains its place in the top tier. What the Brits hope to prove, though, is that their program has come too far to be cowed."We've just got to play hard every game," Perlini said. "Even if we could find ourselves against Canada down by a lot of goals, we're going to fight right to the end."Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly NHL podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.In this episode, Scott Cullen of The Athletic/NHL.com and theScore's Sean O'Leary join John to discuss a variety of topics, including:

It was a rough night at the office for Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton.In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Boston Bruins, Hamilton was called for two penalties in the third period, that in his eyes, did not warrant a trip to the box.“I just watched both of them and I didn’t agree with either," Hamilton said, according to The Athletic's Joe McDonald. "Not much else to say. The game is over now and nothing you can do about it now.”The first of which - a minor for roughing - resulted in Patrice Bergeron wiring home the Bruins' second power-play goal in 28 seconds that would also stand as the game-winner.

Columbus Blue Jackets assistant general manager Bill Zito is one of several contenders to be named GM of the Seattle expansion franchise."We are in the process of speaking with a number of candidates, Bill Zito among them," NHL Seattle president and CEO Tod Leiweke told The Seattle Times' Geoff Baker. "There are certainly many aspects of him that we like and find intriguing. He's certainly somebody that brings a lot to the table and that I'm sure a lot of clubs would be interested in."Leiweke said the process is still in its preliminary stages and wouldn't name any of the other hopefuls with whom the league's newest franchise has spoken.Zito was in Seattle meeting with the expansion group on Thursday, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, who adds that it's part of the team's continued due diligence and it's still unclear whether they'll hire a GM this summer or next year.The 54-year-old is a former player agent who joined the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2013. He was named general manager of their AHL affiliate, now the Cleveland Monsters, two years later.Zito also served as GM of the U.S. squad at last year's World Championship. He previously interviewed with the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, and Philadelphia Flyers, according to Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch.Former Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland was long thought to be a candidate for Seattle's opening but was named general manager of the Oilers earlier this week.Vegas Golden Knights executive Kelly McCrimmon was also previously believed to be in the mix for both the Seattle and Edmonton jobs until the Golden Knights promoted him from assistant GM to general manager last week.The Seattle club is scheduled to begin play in 2021-22.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes will get starting goaltender Petr Mrazek back for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Boston Bruins.Mrazek exited with a lower-body injury in the second period of Game 2 against the New York Islanders in Round 2 and has not played since.The 27-year-old netminder has played a critical role in the Hurricanes' surprise postseason run, posting a 5-3 record with a 2.22 goals against average, a .913 save percentage, and two shutouts.Veteran netminder Curtis McElhinney stepped up in a big way in Mrazek's absence, closing out Game 2 against New York and picking up two more wins en route to Carolina's four-game sweep of the Islanders.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

These Stanley Cup Playoffs have featured some of the most tightly contested matchups in years, but there have been several lopsided individual battles that teams have exploited.As we prepare for the start of the two conference final series, all four teams have at least one such opportunity they'll be looking to take advantage of.So, before you grab a smart snack like Wonderful Pistachios and talk about the NHL's final four with your friends, do a little homework and read up on four players who are primed to capitalize on a mismatch in the third round:Tuukka RaskGregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / GettyThe Carolina Hurricanes have their share of talented offensive players who will undoubtedly present a challenge for Rask, but the Bruins netminder does have a significant advantage when it comes to the goaltending matchup.Rask has a wealth of playoff experience compared to either of his Carolina counterparts, and the 32-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down in these playoffs, posting a .938 save percentage while allowing only 27 goals in 13 games.In the other crease, Petr Mrazek is banged up and hasn't been as good as Rask when healthy. Curtis McElhinney stymied the defensive-minded New York Islanders in three games while filling in for Mrazek, but regardless, Boston has the clear advantage in goal.Sebastian AhoGregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / GettyAho will definitely be in tough against two-way stalwarts Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, but the Hurricanes star has enough speed to put significant pressure on Zdeno Chara and the rest of Boston's defense corps, so that's the mismatch on which he'll look to feast.The 42-year-old Chara is twice Aho's age, so the veteran blue-liner will likely have trouble keeping up with Aho and containing the dynamic forward's skill.Charlie McAvoy's absence from Game 1 due to a suspension will make that task even tougher for Chara and his teammates on the Boston back end.Tomas HertlEzra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / GettySan Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl has a tremendous opportunity to keep his stellar postseason rolling versus the St. Louis Blues.Hertl is tied with Sharks center Logan Couture for the playoff lead with nine goals, and should continue to benefit from his teammate eating up extra minutes against tougher competition.With Couture presumably facing the Blues' top forward line, anchored by Selke Trophy candidate Ryan O'Reilly, along with St. Louis' No. 1 defensive pairing, it opens the door for Hertl to keep capitalizing on more advantageous matchups and continue producing gaudy offensive numbers.Jaden SchwartzIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettySchwartz is an incredibly versatile player and one who can tilt the series in the Blues' direction because of his vast skill set.The 26-year-old winger leads the Blues with 11 points (eight goals, three assists) in 13 playoff games, and can be plugged anywhere in the St. Louis lineup and be counted on to produce. Schwartz has recently suited up alongside Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko, but has put up incredibly positive possession numbers no matter his linemates throughout the postseason.Schwartz won't be able to avoid the Sharks' group of star defenders all series, but if head coach Craig Berube can find an extra shift or two for an easier matchup here and there, it could be all he needs to make a significant difference.Are you ready for the conference finals? Make sure you have lots of snacks handy, like Wonderful Pistachios. Wonderful Pistachios are a great-tasting, filling, nutrient-dense snack that come in a variety of flavors such as, Roasted & Salted, Roasted Unsalted, Salt & Pepper, Sweet Chili, and Natural Raw.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares suffered an oblique injury while preparing for the World Championship with Team Canada and will return to Toronto for re-evaluation, Leafs Public Relations announced Thursday.He's officially ruled out for the duration of the tournament, Team Canada management member Jason Botterill said in a statement."We are disappointed that John will not be able to participate as a member of Team Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, but after contacting the Toronto Maple Leafs we agreed it was best for him to return home for further evaluation," Botterill said.Tavares headlined Canada's roster after a career season in which he set new personal bests in goals (47) and points (88).With the injury, Canada now has three roster spots available to fill.The 28-year-old has only missed nine regular-season games in the NHL over the past five campaigns but has had bad luck at the international level in the past. He was limited to four games with Canada at the 2014 Olympics after suffering a knee injury that also ended his NHL season.Canada kicks off its tournament Friday against Finland at 10:15 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott will undergo shoulder surgery on Friday and is expected to miss a minimum of six months, the team announced.Dermott missed 14 contests during the regular season due to a shoulder injury but returned for the final four games on the schedule before suiting up in each of Toronto's seven playoff contests against the Boston Bruins.The 22-year-old registered 17 points in 64 games while averaging 17:18 of ice time and is expected to take on a larger role in 2019-20 due to the likely departure of Jake Gardiner in free agency.Earlier on Thursday, the Maple Leafs announced leading goal-scorer John Tavares suffered an oblique injury during practice with Team Canada in preparation for the World Championship and will return to Toronto to be re-evaluated.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This one could haunt Gabriel Landeskog for a long time.The Colorado Avalanche had an equalizing goal overturned after the San Jose Sharks successfully challenged for offside in Game 7 on Wednesday night.Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow skated the puck outside his blue line but turned it over before he could get any further. In transition, the Avs came down and scored, capitalizing on the neutral-zone giveaway.However, while five Avalanche skaters were onside, a sixth - Landeskog - was slow to get off the ice.

Gabriel Landeskog put the blame squarely on himself for the goal that was overturned on an offside review in Game 7 on Wednesday night."It's just a clumsy mistake," the Colorado Avalanche captain told reporters, including CBS Denver's Michael Spencer."Get off the ice," Landeskog added, referring to himself.The Avalanche ultimately lost 3-2, sending the San Jose Sharks to the Western Conference Final.Midway through the second period, Colorado forward Colin Wilson scored to tie the game, but the Sharks challenged the marker. In the process of going off for a line change, Landeskog was deemed offside while standing by the bench.

Back again, by popular demand.The San Jose Sharks, a sentimental favorite among unattached NHL playoff watchers, are off to the Western Conference Final after defeating the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 on Wednesday night at SAP Center.Led by Joe Thornton, Brent Burns, and Joe Pavelski, it's the franchise's fifth semifinal appearance since 2004, and second in the past four years. Game 1 against the St. Louis Blues goes Saturday.Before we turn the page and zero in on what projects to be a supremely entertaining third round, let's put a bow on the Avs-Sharks series by handing out some winner and loser honors from San Jose's 3-2 win.Winners: San Jose's question marksPavelski, who's known as "Little Joe" in Sharks land due to Thornton's claim to the "Jumbo Joe" nickname, embraced the big stage on Wednesday.Brandon Magnus / Getty ImagesReturning to the lineup 16 days after suffering a concussion, San Jose's captain wasted no time warming up to Game 7 hockey, buzzing right from puck drop. The master tipper deflected a Burns point shot six minutes into the first period to open the scoring and then earned a primary assist on Tomas Hertl's 2-0 tally.All told, Pavelski looked fantastic in nearly 20 minutes of action. Sure, he didn't take a single faceoff and was between the boards for the Avs' two goals but, all things considered, it was a legacy-building night for the 34-year-old.Questions also surrounded Martin Jones, and not because of his performance against Colorado, which had been stellar through six games, but because of his body of work. Jones' reputation as an inconsistent No. 1 netminder precedes him at this point in his career. It's probably unfair, but it is what it is.With a 27-save effort, though, Jones did his part to flip the script. He stopped superstar Nathan MacKinnon on a breakaway toward the end of the first, weathered an early third-period flurry of Avs chances, and stoned Alex Kerfoot with 50 seconds remaining to preserve the win.Between the two standout showings, San Jose's pregame question marks morphed into exclamation points.Loser: Colorado's bench managementIt wouldn't be a 2019 NHL playoff game without a dash of controversy, right?Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer issued a coach's challenge in the second period, claiming the Avs were offside ahead of Colin Wilson's game-tying marker. The sequence in question was reviewed by the NHL's Situation Room, and the call on the ice was ultimately overturned.The tape revealed Gabriel Landeskog, who had been trying to make a line change, was on the wrong side of San Jose's blue line prior to Colorado's zone entry. Here's part of the explanation released by the league:NHL PRLandeskog most definitely deserves blame here, and he accepted the brunt of it in his postgame media availability. For some reason, he was trying to open the bench door at a leisurely pace. The Avs captain is a sharp guy who had a lapse in judgment, simply not recognizing the urgency of the situation.Now, it's important to acknowledge that Landeskog isn't the only culprit. Based on replay footage, Colorado's bench clearly wasn't in a panic as Landeskog approached, nor did it erupt when he started to physically open the door. Teammates, coaches, and staff watched like innocent bystanders when they could have, you know, opened the door for him.The more times you watch the clip of Landeskog leaving the ice, the more you come around to the fact that, on the surface, it was an innocuous sequence of events and perhaps no one's really to blame.In any case, kudos to DeBoer and his staff for flagging the miscall. They felt strongly enough about the blunder to initiate a challenge and were rewarded.Winner: The Cale Makar hype machineThe final stat line reads one goal and five assists in 10 games. But the Cale Makar Experience was so, so much more.When the Avs signed the 20-year-old defenseman following last month's NCAA national championship game, there were expectations. Makar, considered then to be the best prospect outside of the NHL, would acclimate well during his introduction to the best league on the planet. The UMass stud would contribute on some level. And then, he doubled down, leaving a jaws-dropped impression on the hockey world.Michael Martin / Getty ImagesThere's now no doubt that Makar - a smart, tantalizing package who seemingly doesn't have an off switch - will challenge for the Calder Trophy next season. Hell, he should be the favorite. He's quick, skilled, adventurous, calm, confident, elusive. There's nothing about Makar's 10-game sample that suggests the elite talent's anything less than a star in the making.With head coach Jared Bednar pairing Makar with Samuel Girard for most of his debut and trusting the duo in key situations during Game 7, the Avs likely agree. (By the way, is Colorado the NHL's next powerhouse? Think about it: a core of MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Landeskog, Tyson Barrie, Philipp Grubauer, Makar, Girard, and two of the top 16 picks in 2019. Decent start.)Even in defeat, the Makar hype machine is locked and loaded.Loser: Avs' power playThe Sharks winning Game 7 means MacKinnon's game-breaking services are no longer needed. What a shame. He is must-see TV, 1000 times over.Colorado hitting the golf course also means its power play can be shelved for a few months. Not a shame. Despite finishing the regular season with the seventh-best PP rate (22 percent), the Avs were mediocre with the man advantage this postseason, converting on seven of 46 opportunities (14.6 percent).Game 7 was particularly painful. They managed a total of five shot attempts on three opportunities, and none of the attempts were dangerous. Here's HockeyViz.com's visualization of the Avalanche's power-play shot generation, with blue circles denoting a shot on goal and grey circles representing a missed shot:HockeyViz.comTo be fair, both teams' power play dried up in the series, with Colorado scoring just twice on 22 tries and San Jose scoring twice on 19. The units essentially canceled each other out, putting pressure on the Avs to win the five-on-five battle against a much deeper club. Spoiler alert: It didn't turn out well.Despite his best efforts, MacKinnon couldn't do it all in the deciding game. He left in the first period to tend to a sprained shoulder, returned, and was his usual world-class self. The team outshot the Sharks 15-2 in the third. But it wasn't enough, and the Avs and their power play flamed out unceremoniously.Winner: Hockey romanticismThe subplot of the Sharks moving on is that it brings Thornton one step closer to the Stanley Cup Final. Over in the Eastern Conference side of the bracket? His old club, the Boston Bruins. How perfectly aligned, hockey gods.For a postseason that's had its fair share of twists and turns, a Thornton-Bruins final would be the cherry on top. And boy would it drive TV ratings. The casual fan - tuned out for portions of the second round due to a lack of big-market, star-heavy squads - would come running back, chops licked.Brandon Magnus / Getty ImagesThornton, a legend in both Boston and San Jose who's now centering the Sharks' productive third line, could very well be skating in his final playoffs. He's battled various injuries over the past few years, turns 40 in July, and doesn't have a contract lined up.An all-time playmaker who is beloved by his teammates, opponents, and fans across the league, Thornton has no shortage of support. Seemingly everyone has a soft spot for the grizzled vet, and nobody would blame him if he rode off into the sunset after this season, even if the Sharks don't hoist the Cup. Speaking of which, Carolina and St. Louis might also have something to say about the Win One For Jumbo narrative.Come on, though - the potential for Joe Thornton to lift the Cup against the Bruins, and maybe in Boston, of all places? Incredible theater.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jared Bednar said there was only one circumstance that would have prevented Nathan MacKinnon from returning to Game 7."He (would have) had to have been stretchered off or out of the building in order to not come back," the Colorado Avalanche head coach told the assembled media, including Sportsnet, about his superstar forward after a season-ending loss to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night."That's the way I felt and that's the way our (other) coaches felt," Bednar added. "Our team was sure happy to get him back and he (made) a big difference right away in the belief in our group."MacKinnon confirmed postgame that he suffered a sprained shoulder, telling reporters, including CBS Denver's Michael Spencer, that he sustained "a Grade 2 or 3 AC sprain" and that he received a shot before returning to the contest.The dynamic center exited after crashing into the boards on his own early in the first period. He returned with about three minutes left in the opening frame.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche can breathe a sigh of relief.Nathan MacKinnon came back after being forced to depart early in Game 7 against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.The Colorado Avalanche star left while holding his right shoulder after going into the boards on his own less than two minutes into the contest.

Joe Pavelski revealed for the first time that he was dealing with a concussion before being cleared to play in Game 7 on Wednesday night, according to NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika.Pavelski scored a goal and added an assist to help his San Jose Sharks eliminate the Colorado Avalanche and advance to the Western Conference Final with a 3-2 victory.It was his first game back since he was injured in Game 7 of the previous series against the Vegas Golden Knights. An awkward hit by both Cody Eakin and Paul Stastny resulted in the controversial cross-checking major that led to an improbable comeback by the Sharks.Pavelski said earlier this week he felt the play that injured him shouldn't have been deemed a penalty.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

And then there were four.The NHL announced the schedule for the third round of the playoffs following the San Jose Sharks' win over the Colorado Avalanche (all times ET):Eastern Conference FinalCarolina Hurricanes vs. Boston BruinsDateTimeHomeAwayTVMay 98 p.m.BruinsHurricanesNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 123 p.m.BruinsHurricanesNBC/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 148 p.m.HurricanesBruinsNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 168 p.m.HurricanesBruinsNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA Sports*May 187:15 p.m.BruinsHurricanesNBC/SN/CBC/TVA Sports*May 208 p.m.HurricanesBruinsNBCSN/SN1/CBC/TVA Sports*May 228 p.m.BruinsHurricanesNBCSN/SN360/CBC/TVA SportsWestern Conference FinalSt. Louis Blues vs. San Jose SharksDateTimeHomeAwayTVMay 118 p.m.SharksBluesNBC/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 139 p.m.SharksBluesNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 158 p.m.BluesSharksNBCSN/SN360/CBC/TVA SportsMay 178 p.m.BluesSharksNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports*May 193 p.m.SharksBluesNBC/SN/CBC/TVA Sports*May 218 p.m.BluesSharksNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports*May 239 p.m.SharksBluesNBCSN/SN1/CBC/TVA Sports*if necessaryCopyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 2019 IIHF World Championship runs from May 10-26 in Slovakia. Follow along for all the recent roster commitments ahead of the tournament opener.CanadaAndre Ringuette / World Cup of Hockey / GettyRosterPlayerPositionTeamJohn TavaresFTORMark StoneFVGKJonathan MarchessaultFVGKSean CouturierFPHIDylan StromeFCHIAnthony ManthaFDETKyle TurrisFNSHMathieu JosephFTBAnthony CirelliFTBSam ReinhartFBUFJared McCannFPITTyler BertuzziFDETAdam HenriqueFANAThomas ChabotDOTTDarnell NurseDEDMShea TheodoreDVGKBrandon MontourDBUFDamon SeversonDNJDante FabbroDNSHTroy StecherDVANCarter HartGPHIMatt MurrayGPITMacKenzie BlackwoodGNJUnited States Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images Sport / GettyRosterPlayerPositionTeamPatrick KaneFCHIJohnny GaudreauFCGYJack EichelFBUFJames van RiemsdykFPHIJack HughesFUndraftedDylan LarkinFDETClayton KellerFARIAlex DeBrincatFCHIDerek RyanFCGYLuke GlendeningFDETColin WhiteFOTTFrank VatranoFFLAChris KreiderFNYRRyan SuterDMINBrady SkjeiDNYRQuinn HughesDVANNoah HanifinDCGYAdam FoxDNYRChristian WolaninDOTTAlec MartinezDLACory SchneiderGNJThatcher DemkoGVANCayden PrimeauGMTLFinlandKevin Light / Getty Images Sport / GettyRosterPlayerPositionTeamMark AnttilaFJokeritArttu IlomakiFLukkoVeli-Matti SavinainenFKunlun Red StarNiko OjamakiFTapparaJuhani TyrvainenFHIFKKaapo KakkoFTPSToni RajalaFECH BielEetu LuostarinenFKalPaJoel KivirantaFSportSakari ManninenFJokeritKristian KuuselaFTapparaJere SallinenFOrebro HKHarri PesonenFSCL TigersJuho LammikkoFFLAMikko LehtonenDHV71Oliwer KaskiDPelicansHenri JokiharjuDCHIPetteri LindbohmDLausanne HCMiika KoivistoDDynamo MoskovaAtte OhtamaaDKarpatJani HakanpaaDKarpatNiko MikkolaDSan AntonioKevin LankinenGRockfordJussi OlkinuoraGPelicansVeini VehvilainenGKarpatSwedenIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyRosterPlayerPositionTeamElias PetterssonFVANWilliam NylanderFTORElias LindholmFCGYOskar LindblomFPHIAdrian KempeFLAMarcus KrugerFCHILoui ErikssonFVANMario KempeFARIJesper BrattFNJPatric HornqvistFPITJoakim NygardFFarjestadsAnton WedinFTimraAnton LanderFKazanDennis RasmussenFMagnitogorskMattias EkholmDNSHMarcus PetterssonDPITAdam LarssonDEDMErik GustafssonDCHIRobert HaggDPHIOliver Ekman-LarssonDARIPhilip HolmDNizhny NovgorodLukas BengtssonDLinkopingsHenrik LundqvistGNYRJacob MarkstromGVANRussiaIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyRosterPlayerPositionTeamNikita KucherovFTBEvgeni MalkinFPITNikita GusevFVGKIlya KovalchukFLAEvgeny KuznetsovFWSHAlex OvechkinFWSHEvgenii DadonovFFLAArtem AnisimovFCHIMikhail GrigorenkoFCSKA (KHL)Kirill KaprizovFCSKAAlexander KadeikinFUFA (KHL)Sergei PlotnikovFSKA (KHL)Alexander BarabanovFSKAMikhail SergachevDTBNikita ZaitsevDTORDmitry OrlovDWSHBogdan KiselevichDWPGNikita NestorovDCSKAArtyom BlazhievskiyDCSKAArtyom ZubDSKADinar KhafizullinDSKAIlya LybushkinDYAR (KHL)Alexander ElesinDYARAndrei VasilevskiyGTBIlya SorokinGCSKAAlexandar GeorgievGNYRCzech RepublicIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyRosterPlayerPositionTeamJakub VoracekFPHIMichael FrolikFCGYOndrej PalatFTBJakub VranaFWSHDominik SimonFPITDmitrij JaskinFWSHFilip ChytilFNYRRobin HanzlFMoscowDominik KubalikFAmbri-PiottaJan KovarFPlzenMichal RepikFBratislavaDavid TomasekFJyPHynek ZohornaFPelicansTomas ZohornaFKhabarovsk AmurRadko GudasDPHIFilip HronekDDETJan RuttaDTBJan KolarDKhabarovsk AmurMichal MoravcikDPlzenDavid MusilDTrinecDavid SklenickaDLavalPetr ZamorskyDHradecPatrik BartosakGVitkoviceSimon HrubecGTrinecJakub KovarGYekaterinburgCopyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski is in the lineup for Game 7 against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, the team announced.Pavelski hasn't played since suffering a head injury against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 of the first round. He was cross-checked off a faceoff by Cody Eakin and laid motionless on the ice with blood dripping from his helmet after falling awkwardly. The play controversially resulted in a five-minute major for Eakin, which propelled an incredible comeback by the Sharks.The 34-year-old led San Jose with 38 goals during the regular season. He provides a critical net-front presence on the power play and is the team's only right-handed faceoff man.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In what Matt Duchene admitted is "probably the biggest decision I'll ever have to make," the pending unrestricted free agent is at least considering re-signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets."I've really enjoyed my time here and we will definitely be talking with (general manager Jarmo Kekalainen) and the Blue Jackets and seeing what's in store," Duchene told reporters during the team's locker cleanout day.Still accepting a Game 6 loss in the second round of the playoffs, Duchene is far from settled on a destination. He said he will make a "hockey decision" and intends to explore all opportunities.Duchene tied his career high with 70 points this past season and increased his value with 10 points in as many playoff games. Centers of his caliber and age (28) rarely hit the open market.The Blue Jackets already have limited draft picks after Kekalainen's pre-deadline splurge, but if Duchene re-signs, the Ottawa Senators will receive Columbus' first-round pick in 2020."Obviously, it would be a great thing if it could continue, so we'll see what happens," Duchene said.When asked what resources he'll use to help make his decision, Duchene said he may reach out to good friend John Tavares, who left the New York Islanders last summer to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ken Holland's first task as general manager of the Edmonton Oilers is to find a head coach, but that hasn't stopped him from eyeing possible improvements to his roster - specifically between the pipes - when free agency begins July 1."Many teams have two goalies now," Holland told TSN1260's Jason Gregor on Wednesday. "I'd like a goalie who could play 30-to-35 games and they challenge and push each other. Ideally, I'd like one who has pro experience. I will talk to teams, but right now we likely will find one in free agency."Mikko Koskinen is the only netminder on Edmonton's roster with a contract for next season. Just two days before his dismissal, former GM Peter Chiarelli signed Koskinen to a three-year extension with a $4.5-million cap hit. After arriving back in North America on the heels of a successful KHL stint, the 30-year-old posted a .906 save percentage and a 2.93 goals-against average in 55 games.With interim GM Keith Gretzky running the show, the Oilers traded Cam Talbot to the Philadelphia Flyers for fellow goaltender Anthony Stolarz. Stolarz started just two games for the Oilers upon his arrival and is a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer.The free-agent goaltending class this summer is headlined by Sergei Bobrovsky and Vezina Trophy nominee Robin Lehner, both of whom are expected to be out of the cap-strapped Oilers' price range.Here are the other top options, ranked in order by their save percentage last season:GoalieTeamAgeGPGAASV%Petr MrazekCAR27402.39.914Curtis McElhinneyCAR36322.57.912Ryan MillerANA38202.76.912Semyon VarlamovCOL31482.85.910Anders NilssonOTT29352.98.908Brian ElliottPHI34262.96.907Mike SmithCGY37412.72.898The Oilers project to have roughly $12 million in cap space for next year.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A second Game 7 in as many nights will take place when the San Jose Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday, and we're all better off for it.Here are three significant storylines to monitor ahead of - and during - the decisive contest:Pavelski's healthThe biggest question heading into this Game 7 is simple: Will Joe Pavelski play?San Jose has been tight-lipped about Pavelski's availability. Head coach Peter DeBoer essentially labeled his captain a game-time decision Tuesday, but cautioned "he'd be playing right now if he had a clean bill of health," according to NHL.com's Tim Campbell.San Jose has survived the entire series without the 34-year-old center so far, but his return would take pressure off the team's depth forwards and return their workloads to more typical levels.Simply put, Pavelski is the heart and soul of the Sharks. If he doesn't play, they've proven they can compete without him, but if he does, it could make the difference in what's been an incredibly tight series.Secondary scoringMatthew Stockman / Getty Images Sport / GettyColorado's explosive top line and the Sharks' talented top six have delivered in these playoffs, but both clubs need more out of their respective supporting casts in Game 7.The Avalanche have gotten production from the likes of Colin Wilson (four goals and seven points in 11 games), Matt Nieto (ditto), and J.T. Compher (four goals and six points).Compher notched a pair of markers and an assist in Colorado's Game 6 victory, and while top-liner Gabriel Landeskog won it in overtime, that contest was a shining example of how dangerous the Avalanche can be when their role players make big contributions offensively.On the Sharks' side of things, Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, and Brent Burns have combined to score over half of their playoff goals this spring (22 of 40), but their third line of Marcus Sorensen, Joe Thornton, and Kevin Labanc had been rolling until being effectively neutralized Monday night.San Jose needs the third line to get back on track, while Colorado needs production from more than just Compher outside of its dominant first line.Dormant power playsMatthew Stockman / Getty Images Sport / GettyBoth clubs have struggled mightily with the man advantage in this series.The Avalanche are a combined 2-for-20 on the power play in six games, while the Sharks are 2-for-17.That's a far cry from their first-round output, when Colorado went 5-for-25 and San Jose 8-for-34.Neither club converted on the power play in Game 6, but whichever team is able to break through and be more effective with the man advantage in Game 7 might just book their ticket to the conference finals.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It was a night that Blues forward Pat Maroon will never forget.The St. Louis native scored the winning goal in double overtime of Game 7 against the Dallas Stars in front of friends and family to propel the Blues into the Western Conference Final for the second time in four seasons."The biggest goal of my career. What a moment it's been," Maroon told Sportsnet postgame."It's been an emotional roller coaster for me all year, and to score a big goal like that in front of my hometown, my son in the stands tonight, fiancee, friends, and family," Maroon said.Maroon's 10-year-old son, Anthony, watched from the seats as his father delivered one of the most important goals in the franchise's 51-year history. Following the contest, Anthony was given a chance to share his thoughts on the big moment."I was looking at the page with all the players, where they're from and all that stuff. All I heard was everybody scream. My friend turns around and says, 'It's your dad!' I just started crying," Anthony said, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford."I may have taught him a thing or two," the youngster joked, according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger.The 31-year-old signed a one-year, $1.75-million contract with the Blues on July 10 after receiving little interest around the league. Ten months later, Maroon is the hero in the city he grew up in."I saw my son - he was crying," Maroon said according to NHL.com's Lou Korac. "I saw him and I pointed to him. I'm proud. I'm proud to be from St. Louis and I'm proud to put that jersey on every night and I'm proud to work hard in front of these fans and to work hard for these guys that deserve it in here."The Blues will face either the San Jose Sharks or Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final starting later in the week.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy wasn't ejected for his high check on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson late in the second period of Game 6 on Monday night.

Are you not entertained?On Monday, the final multi-game night of the NHL season, the hockey world was gifted a pair of captivating Game 6s - the Boston Bruins' series-clinching 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Colorado Avalanche's 4-3 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks to force Game 7.Based on the final scores, those teams are Monday's winners and losers. At a personal level, though, who won and lost? Let's take a look.Winner: David BackesBackes is 36 years old. He'll make $6 million per season through 2020-21.Usually, this is a problem for the Bruins. Despite being paid like a first-liner, Backes is a non-factor on most nights. The big winger is typically unable to keep up with the league's abundance of speed and skill, or he's dealing with an injury, or both.But none of that mattered Monday, because Backes - who cracked coach Bruce Cassidy's lineup for only the third time in six games against Columbus - scored Boston's third goal in front of 19,219 rivals fans at Nationwide Arena. And while the veteran skated for fewer than nine minutes in the contest, he managed to make his presence felt on virtually every shift.Everybody loves a redemption story - in this case, a previously solid player finding solid footing again. Even if it's just for one night.Winner AND loser: Charlie McAvoyMcAvoy delivered a high hit on Jackets forward Josh Anderson at the end of the second period, but was sentenced to just two minutes in the box for an illegal check to the head. The on-ice officials chose to not hand out a match penalty and didn’t have the authority to issue a five-minute major or a game misconduct, according to Rule 48 guidelines.Kirk Irwin / Getty ImagesColumbus didn't score on the ensuing power play, and Boston advanced to the third round. So, for the moment, McAvoy's a winner.In a day or two, though? He'll probably be on the losing end of the incident.The NHL's Department of Player Safety has already set up a hearing with McAvoy to discuss the hit, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. Seeing as the main point of contact was Anderson's head, the Bruins defenseman could very well be suspended for Game 1 (and perhaps beyond) against the Carolina Hurricanes.(Speaking of Bruins stars behaving badly, what was that Marshawn Lynch impression from Brad Marchand all about?)Winner: Jarmo KekalainenOK, this one requires a nuanced explanation.Kekalainen is obviously unhappy with Monday’s result. The Blue Jackets GM wanted nothing less than a Stanley Cup, and his team is no longer in contention. He's not a winner in that sense.However, he's absolutely a winner given the team's unlikely trip to Game 6 of the second round. The final contest will be a mere footnote in the grand scheme of things.Jamie Sabau / Getty ImagesAfter all, Kekalainen essentially put his job on the line by holding onto Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky - pending free agents who'd stated their intentions to test the market this coming summer - and acquiring assets ahead of the trade deadline.Columbus wasn't guaranteed a playoff spot then, and didn’t punch its postseason ticket until the second-last day of the regular season. The Jackets could have easily missed it altogether, but instead they swept juggernaut Tampa Bay to mark the franchise's first-ever series win before pushing Boston to six games.The trades for Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid, and Keith Kinkaid didn’t work out, but the Matt Duchene swap certainly paid off. You can live with the whiffs when Duchene puts up 10 points in 10 postseason games.Kekalainen energized the Central Ohio market with five playoff home dates. Even in defeat, he's been vindicated and - quite ironically, given the thin ice he stood on a few months ago - might be due for a promotion.Loser: Sharks' 3rd lineSan Jose's forward line of veteran Joe Thornton between Marcus Sorensen and Kevin Labanc had performed admirably this postseason, putting up a combined 17 points in 12 games coming into Game 6.The trio's been coach Pete DeBoer's under-the-radar weapon for a few months and offers the bench boss another look on offense. Despite being 39 years old, Thornton drives a sneakily efficient unit.Unfortunately for San Jose, Game 6 produced a whole lot of nothing for the line. In 10 minutes of five-on-five play, the group scored no goals and allowed one. Meanwhile, Labanc recorded the lone shot among the three skaters. It was arguably their worst showing of the playoffs.That's what you call getting neutralized by the opposition.Winner: J.T. CompherAside from Tuukka Rask's fine work in the Bruins' crease, Compher was the MVP of Monday's doubleheader. Quite simply, the dude came to play.Michael Martin / Getty ImagesIn 15 minutes of ice time, the 2013 second-rounder exploded, doubling his playoff point total overnight. Compher set up Tyson Jost for the opening goal and then sniped the Avalanche's second and third tallies. It was his second career three-point game. What's more, the right-handed center paced the club in five-on-five shot attempts differential, at a sleek 56 percent.Coach Jared Bednar needs Compher and the rest of the Avalanche's bottom-nine forward group to chip in here and there. As always, Nathan MacKinnon was buzzing in Game 6, but his line can't carry the team every step of the way. The puck won't always go in for Colorado's big guns.Wednesday's Game 7 is going to be an outright battle. The Avs, a young outfit, will need their secondary scorers to contribute. Compher included.Loser: NHL officiatingIt's going to happen ... isn't it?The Stanley Cup Final is going to be decided on a dramatic call made by either the on-ice officials or the NHL's Situation Room.That's a guess, of course. Yet, at this point, it feels like a perfectly fair prediction.There have been reviews galore through nearly two rounds (and hey, better to get the call right slowly than wrong quickly, right?), which seem to be turning off a portion of the league's fan base.Plus, we had the Cody-Eakin-on-Joe-Pavelski blunder in Game 7 of the Vegas-San Jose first-round series, and now the McAvoy-on-Anderson miscall in Game 6 of the Boston-Columbus matchup.While the refs are human and make mistakes, the outside world is pretty cruel. And to be honest, can you blame it?Golden Knights fans don't care that the NHL apologized for giving Eakin a five-minute major. Their team is out.Jackets fans don't care that McAvoy might get suspended. Their team is out.What will happen next? Hopefully nothing. Then again, based on how things are trending, don't bet on it.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With Game 7 between the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues requiring extra time to decide their second-round series Tuesday night, three win-or-go-home affairs in these playoffs have required overtime.That's the most ever in a single playoff year, according to the league.The San Jose Sharks rallied amid controversy to stun the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 of their first-round matchup, and the Carolina Hurricanes eliminated the Washington Capitals in double overtime of Game 7 in their opening-round series.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If we've learned one thing about these St. Louis Blues, it's that they leave nothing to chance.Sitting 31st in a 31-team league on Jan. 2, St. Louis didn't suddenly rise from the ashes in the last week of the regular season and sneak into the playoffs. No, the Blues roared up the standings with chests puffed to finish in a three-way tie for 10th overall and third in the Central Division.A month later, head coach Craig Berube and Co. continue to amaze. Following a dramatic double-overtime Game 7 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night, St. Louis has earned the right to face the winner of Wednesday's series-deciding matchup between San Jose and Colorado in the Western Conference Final.How did this happen? Let's explore some key factors that powered the Blues to that 2-1 Game 7 victory, and their playoff run in general.Thomas found clutch gearAfter 86 minutes of hockey on Tuesday, Patrick Maroon took center stage by potting the game-winning goal. The tally simultaneously ended Dallas' season and the (totally warranted) drool-fest over Ben Bishop's astounding 52-save performance.Suddenly, the Blues, not Bishop's Stars, were advancing. Local boy Maroon was the hero, and his teary-eyed young son was there to witness it all. What a moment.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesIf you take that emotional connection out of the equation, however, it was actually Maroon's linemate - rookie Robert Thomas - who drove the bus for St. Louis in Game 7.The 19-year-old was a catalyst on both goals, recording a pair of assists. He fed the point ahead of Vince Dunn's opening goal, and on the winning sequence created chaos around Bishop by firing the puck off the post. All told, the cerebral winger made his presence known in all three zones over a career-high 22:52 of ice time.With Thomas on the ice at five-on-five, the Blues controlled 71 percent of the shot attempts, 63 percent of the shots on goal, and 67 percent of the scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. In the biggest game of his career, the teenager from Aurora, Ontario, looked mega-comfortable alongside veterans Maroon, 31, and center Tyler Bozak, 33.Funnily enough, none of them were on last year's roster. A rookie and two free agents setting the tone in Game 7? Bravo, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong.Binnington outlasted BishopHeading into Tuesday's tilt, Bishop had more assists (2) than goals against (0) in two Game 7 appearances. An excellent performer over a 49-game playoff career, he's developed a sterling reputation.It was no surprise, then, that the Vezina Trophy finalist stood on his head against a St. Louis squad that threw everything but the kitchen sink at him. Bishop faced 54 shots, 24 more than counterpart Jordan Binnington. The contrast hit a peak in the second period when Dallas managed one shot to St. Louis' 18.Dilip Vishwanat / Getty ImagesAnybody with half a brain would anoint Bishop the game's MVP, especially considering the shot-attempt discrepancy - 103-57 in favor of St. Louis. Bishop had to react to a potential shot on goal at least 103 times. That kind of workload will wear any goalie down, and Bishop stood his ground.Ultimately, though, the fresher goalie got the last laugh. The record shows a 'W' beside Binnington's name. The series was partly a goaltending battle and, unfortunately for him, Bishop's teammates let him down in Game 7. The Stars were chasing the play for the bulk of regulation and it seemed only a matter of time before the Blues solved the towering 'tender in overtime.Mind you, Binnington does deserve a healthy dose of praise. The rookie used some fine puckhandling to help break the puck out of St. Louis' zone countless times. He also faced a higher quality of shots than his Stars counterpart and didn't crack; Dallas' lone goal featured a bad bounce off a referee.MoneyPuck.com calculates an advanced statistic called expected goals, which estimates the number of goals that should go in on an average NHL goalie. The Stars held the slight edge in this department in Game 7, earning the higher expected goals total - 3.3 to 3.1 - because they boasted higher shot quality.The graphics below, courtesy of MoneyPuck, illustrate the respective opportunities Dallas and St. Louis generated Tuesday:Stars' scoring chances in Game 7MoneyPuck.comBlues' scoring chances in Game 7MoneyPuck.comThere's a huge clumping of Stars chances right in Binnington's face. Bishop, on the other hand, stared down shots from all over the zone.Clearly, Binnington wasn't as busy as Bishop, but he certainly was a calming influence for the Blues - especially in overtime - and an underrated reason for his club's win.Everybody rowed in the right directionThe Blues were in complete control of Game 7.They broke the puck out of their zone with ease over and over again. They limited the effectiveness of Dallas' difference-makers, namely Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Alexander Radulov, and Miro Heiskanen. They didn't take a single penalty. They stuck to their game plan, even though goals were hard to come by. And they received valuable contributions from a slew of players.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesSimilar to what's going on with the Carolina Hurricanes, there's a top-to-bottom buy-in to what Berube - who began the season as an associate coach before assuming the head role on an interim basis in November - is preaching. There are few weak links night to night. The all-for-one, one-for-all mentality has manifested itself on a number of occasions through two rounds, and Tuesday was no exception.On defense, for instance, Dunn had a hell of a game. The smooth-skating, 22-year-old blue-liner scored his first career playoff goal and wreaked havoc in the neutral zone shift after shift. Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko - the team's cornerstones on the back end - asserted their alpha-male playing styles. Joel Edmundson, Jay Bouwmeester, and Carl Gunnarsson were all solid.From the defense corps to Thomas and the bulk of the forward group to Binnington between the pipes, the Blues came to play Tuesday. They were the better team and have been rewarded with a trip to the conference final.By now, with this 31st-to-final-four trajectory, it feels like the St. Louis freight train is virtually unstoppable.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St.Louis Blues defeated the Dallas Stars 2-1 in double overtime of Game 7 to advance to their first Western Conference Final since 2016.More to come.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz has been battling a serious medical condition.Katz has dealt with a life-threatening, bacteria-resistant sinus infection for the past few years, the club confirmed to The Canadian Press on Tuesday.Sportsnet's John Shannon shared the details of Katz's ailment Tuesday after the owner's appearance at Ken Holland's introductory news conference caused concern.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy was handed a one-game ban on Tuesday for his hit to the head of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson in Game 6, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced.McAvoy will be unavailable for the Bruins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

The third-period horn at Nationwide Arena on Monday night sounded the end to the Columbus Blue Jackets' season, and thus kicked off the most compelling offseason in franchise history.Columbus has six pending unrestricted free agents. There are deadline additions Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid, and Keith Kinkaid, and franchise pillars Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin, who were both unwilling to indulge in extension talks during the season."Moving forward we want guys who are proud to be Blue Jackets, proud to be living in Columbus, and loving it here," general manager Jarmo Kekalainen told The Athletic's Tom Reed after Monday's series-ending defeat to the Boston Bruins. "It's really important that they bleed blue. Guys that don't want to be here - good luck."Bobrovsky wrapped up his seventh season with the Blue Jackets and ranks first in franchise history in wins, goals-against average, save percentage, shutouts, and many other major goaltending statistics."I'm definitely thankful for everything I had here," he told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I won my two Vezinas here. I think the hockey is growing here in Columbus. It is fun to watch and it was fun to be part of.”Panarin has been in Columbus for just two seasons but managed to make quite an impression. His campaigns of 82 and 87 points are the two best single-season marks in franchise history."Who knows," Panarin told TSN's Frank Seravalli when asked if he'll be back next year. "I not think about that."With those contracts coming off the books, Columbus projects to have just over $30 million in cap space for next season. In addition to aforementioned names from the Blue Jackets' roster, this free-agent class has the potential to be one of the deepest in recent memory.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Here are four takeaways from Ken Holland's introductory press conference as general manager and president of hockey operations with the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.Full autonomyAs reported in the days leading up to the announcement, Holland will have full autonomy over the entire hockey operations department. He said he wouldn't have come to Edmonton if this wasn't the case.How quickly will Holland use this power within the organization? Who, if anyone, from the "Old Boys Club" is safe? Given his scouting background, will he overhaul this department? How many executives from the Detroit Red Wings' front office will he bring over?Time will tell how long it takes for Holland to start leaving his fingerprints on the organization, but priority No. 1 will be finding a new head coach to replace Ken Hitchcock.'Sacrifice'Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyHolland used the word "sacrifice" more than a handful of times during his press conference, but one particular statement stuck out."One of the things I've asked my players through the years is to sacrifice," he said. "Go to the minors, spend extra time in the minors, take a little bit less money. It's about sacrifice. If you're going to win everyone has to sacrifice a little bit."Holland also preached that he wants players to be "overripe" when they come to the NHL. This indicates that youngsters such as Evan Bouchard, Kailer Yamamoto, and others may be asked to spend a full season in the AHL.Contractually, most of Edmonton's core is locked up, with one exception: Darnell Nurse is set to become a restricted free agent after next season. When his time comes for an extension, will he be asked to take a pay cut to help fit all the pieces of the puzzle together? If so, will he oblige?Eyeing playoffs right awayHolland said he wants sustained success, but he also made it clear that the goal is to be a playoff team next season.Making the postseason in 2019-20 is a daunting task, to say the least. Not only has Edmonton not made the playoffs in the last two seasons, but the team hasn't even been within striking distance, missing out by more than 10 points each time.Holland will have roughly $12 million in cap space to work with. That may seem like a lot, but the Oilers have many holes to fill to become a playoff team, and $12 million might not cut it.A genuine enthusiasmIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyHolland is reportedly getting $25 million over five years, and while that was certainly a significant factor in taking the job, it doesn't appear - at least on the surface - to be his main source of motivation.The 63-year-old had a boyish enthusiasm as he addressed media members at Rogers Place. His demeanor suggested a first-time GM, not somebody who's held that position for the last 22 years.Even after Yzerman replaced him in Detroit less than a month ago, Holland said he envisioned being a "Red Wing for life." He mentioned to Red Wings owner Chris Ilitch that he might get "restless" to become a GM again one day. Apparently, he got restless much sooner than he thought.It's clear Holland loves being a GM and is genuinely excited for his new challenge.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers announced former Detroit Red Wings executive Ken Holland as the eighth general manager in club history during a press conference Tuesday.

Ken Hitchcock will not return as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, new general manager Ken Holland announced in his introductory press conference Tuesday.Hitchcock replaced Todd McLellan behind the bench following Edmonton's 9-10-1 start to the 2018-19 season. He appeared to turn things around with a 9-2-2 record in his first 13 games with the Oilers, but the team went 17-26-6 the rest of the way.An Edmonton native, Hitchcock is third on the NHL's all-time wins list.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars will play a win-or-go-home Game 7 on Tuesday night with a trip to the Western Conference Final on the line.It's an unlikely tale of two teams that had seemingly lost their way just a few months ago. The Blues sat last in the NHL on Jan. 3, which came less than a week after the Stars' top talents in Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin were publicly ridiculed by team CEO Jim Lites.Each team responded to its midseason adversity in a big way, but only one will overcome the odds this time around. The Stars last reached the Western Conference Final in 2008, while the Blues will be looking for history to repeat itself, as their last trip to the WCF came in a Game 7 victory over Dallas in 2016.Here are three keys to Tuesday's Game 7:Ben Bishop Bishop will start Game 7 after a howitzer off the stick of Blues defenseman Colton Parayko caught the Stars netminder up high and forced him to exit Game 6.The Stars should like their chances heading into Tuesday night. Not only is Bishop 2-0 in Game 7s, but he also hasn't allowed a goal on 53 combined shots in those contests.And in this postseason, Bishop's resiliency has played a key role in the Stars' ability to bounce back. Each time the 32-year-old has allowed three or more goals - as he did in Game 6 - he's won the following game while conceding two goals or less.Meanwhile, Blues rookie Jordan Binnington will be in the crease for his first-ever Game 7.Depth performers Though they've been effective, neither top line has taken control of this series. Benn hasn't found the twine since Game 1, while Blues star Ryan O'Reilly hasn't scored at all.Instead, the Stars' leading scorers this round are veteran Jason Spezza and rookie Roope Hintz, who've tallied three goals apiece. Mats Zuccarello has yet to score in the series, but leads all players with seven assists.Meanwhile, St. Louis has seen 10 different players find the goal column against Dallas, but Brayden Schenn, like O'Reilly, isn't one of them.With both teams focused on shutting down the big guns, look for an unlikely hero to rise in Game 7. Leading after two periodsIt's tough to chase the game against both of these defensive-minded clubs, and the team that's led entering the third period has won every contest to date. In fact, neither team has lost when leading after two periods in these playoffs.However, the Blues did play spoiler by erasing a pair of third-period deficits against the Winnipeg Jets in their opening-round series.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Charlie McAvoy will answer for his actions, as the Boston Bruins defenseman will have a hearing for his hit on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson in Game 6, the Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday.

John Tortorella wasn't ready to focus on the positives after a season-ending loss to the Boston Bruins.When a reporter pointed out that the Columbus Blue Jackets' second-round exit marked the deepest playoff run in franchise history and asked if there was a sense of accomplishment for their head coach, Tortorella made his feelings crystal clear."Don't even go there," he said after a 3-0 defeat in Game 6. "Don't even go there with me. I'm not going to listen to that shit about an accomplishment, 'you get to the second round,' I don't even want to listen to it."Tortorella appeared as if he was going to get up to leave before the reporter asked a follow-up question wondering if this latest loss felt as empty as last season's first-round exit."I don't even remember last year's feeling," the bench boss responded.Tortorella also declined to discuss the minor penalty assessed to Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy for his hit to the head of Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson, though he did call Game 6 Columbus' "best game of the series."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brad Marchand wasn't in the mood to talk after his Boston Bruins eliminated the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night.The Bruins forward gave a slew of brief responses in a postgame scrum.

Boston Bruins blue-liner Charlie McAvoy was assessed a minor penalty after hitting the Blue Jackets' Josh Anderson in the head on Monday night in Game 6, and he defended himself postgame."Hockey play," he said following the Bruins' 3-0 win that eliminated Columbus, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "Just trying to deliver a legal check."Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen didn't seem to agree."I think the video on that hit was pretty self-explanatory," Kekalainen said, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.Columbus captain Nick Foligno initially called the hit "unnecessary," but then added he felt referee Kelly Sutherland made the right call to issue a minor penalty.“You’d like to see it be five minutes, but we didn’t score on the power play and we didn’t score on the one after that,” Foligno said.McAvoy hit Anderson in the head with 20 seconds left in the second period.

The Boston Bruins eliminated the Columbus Blue Jackets and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final with a 3-0 victory in Game 6 of their second-round series Monday night.Boston will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the next round.This is the deepest the Bruins have gone in the playoffs since they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers' reportedly imminent anointing of Ken Holland as general manager appears to be sitting well with their captain.Connor McDavid is feeling "very positive" about the move and has a lot of "respect for Holland's experience and acumen," according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug, who reached out to the superstar's camp to gauge his reaction.Rishaug reported late Sunday night that Holland had accepted the Oilers' offer and that the team was expected to make it official over the next few days.Following a game in early April, McDavid made his feelings known about Edmonton missing the playoffs, calling his frustration level "really, really high."With Holland as GM, the Detroit Red Wings failed to qualify for the postseason in each of the past three campaigns and have failed to advance beyond the first round since 2012-13.However, before their current postseason drought, the Red Wings made the playoffs in every campaign since the 1997-98 season, when Holland was named Detroit's GM. They also won the Stanley Cup three times during that span.The Oilers missed the playoffs this spring for the second straight year after reaching the second round in 2016-17.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kyle Dubas put any remaining speculation about Mike Babcock's future to rest on Monday.The Toronto Maple Leafs general manager told TSN's Bob McKenzie that the head coach will be back with the team next season.“We’re all in on Mike and Mike is all in on us," Dubas said. "We’ve had productive management meetings as an organization and Mike and I have had some really good meetings as well since the season ended. It’s our very strong belief Mike is the one to lead us. That’s the reality of it.”The GM also acknowledged the team still has areas of concern to address, but he made it clear Babcock will be included in that process.“There are things we need to improve upon," Dubas said. "There are things we need to do to adapt and evolve and continue to get better. As an organization, we believe we can do that together.”The GM refrained from committing to Babcock or anyone else in the organization in his end-of-season comments last month.In March, Babcock insisted there were no issues in his relationship with Dubas.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The clock is ticking on the career of legendary New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, and though he hopes to remain a Blueshirt, he isn't sure if the Big Apple will be the site of his swan song."I don't know if I'll stay with the Rangers my entire career," Lundqvist told Swedish outlet Expressen, according to NHL.com's Jon Lane. "I have two years left on my deal and it has always been my goal to stay with the Rangers, but once you get up there in age you never know. I know what I want, but if the club has other ideas I know I'll have to listen. You can't just do your own thing."Sometimes the dream might not work out in the end ... we'll see what happens. Right now all my focus is on the upcoming World Championships."Lundqvist felt the need to expand on his sentiments after they caused a stir."I'd like to clarify my statement because I feel it caused some unnecessary speculation," Lundqvist said via email, according to the New York Post's Larry Brooks. "My thinking hasn't changed. The organization and I are on the same page."What I meant is that a player never becomes bigger or more important than an organization. While it is still my goal to win the Cup in New York before I retire, at the same time I understand as a player that I have to respect the position we are in and process we are going through."The 37-year-old Lundqvist is signed through the 2020-21 season at an $8.5-million cap hit. He has a full no-movement clause, so he would dictate any potential trade.A Stanley Cup is the only achievement missing from his Hall-of-Fame resume that includes a Vezina Trophy and an Olympic gold medal. Time is running out for Lundqvist to capture the NHL's ultimate prize, especially with the Rangers in a clear rebuilding stage."The season started good," Lundqvist said to Expressen. "I came in and had a lot of energy. I haven't felt as good in years, physically, mentally, and in terms of technique. I was incredibly pleased with my first month of the season. After that, it turned out to be a lot harder than I thought."We lost a lot and it really took its toll on me mentally. Very much a challenge. I've always played to win and every year with the Rangers I've felt like we've had a shot at winning the Cup. But not this season. It was a very strange situation to be in."Lundqvist's .907 save percentage (the league average was .910) and 3.07 goals-against average this past season were both career lows as the Rangers missed the playoffs for a second straight year.Rangers ownership executive James Dolan said the club gave Lundqvist the option to be moved prior to the 2018 trade deadline, but King Henrik declined the offer.If Lundqvist does decide he wants to move on, the Rangers should still be well-equipped between the pipes. Backup Alexandar Georgiev, 23, showed flashes of potential with a .914 save percentage in 33 games. The club also recently signed 2014 fourth-round pick Igor Shesterkin from the KHL after a historic tenure with SKA St. Petersburg.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ken Holland is entering a sticky situation after reportedly agreeing to become the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers. He has world-class talents Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl at his disposal, but thanks to the previous regime led by Peter Chiarelli, there isn't much else to smile about.Due to some of the bad contracts Chiarelli signed during his tenure as GM, Holland will have limited spending flexibility throughout his first few seasons at the helm. And even though the Oilers' roster has more holes than a block of Swiss cheese, there's still a formula Holland can follow to make the Oilers more competitive next season without derailing their long-term contention plan.Shed contracts via buyoutAndy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyMilan Lucic provides zero value to the Oilers on the ice. Even though his seven-year, $42-million contract is bonus-heavy, Edmonton is better off buying him out. Here's what it would look like, courtesy Cap Friendly:SeasonPre-buyout cap hitPost-buyout cap hit2019-20$6M$3.625M2020-21$6M$5.625M2021-22$6M$4.125M2022-23$6M$5.625M2023-24$625K2024-25$625K2025-26$625K2026-27$625KIt's certainly not ideal, but the buyout would save the Oilers $2.5 million, and give Holland significant cap flexibility in two of the next four seasons.In addition to Lucic, Holland should also buy out Andrej Sekera's contract. After signing a six-year, $33-million deal in 2015, Sekera enjoyed two solid campaigns with the Oilers. However, a torn ACL in 2017 and a torn Achilles tendon in 2018 have limited the 32-year-old to 60 games over the past two seasons, where he's been a shell of his former self.The Oilers could buy out Kris Russell instead, but Sekera's durability is a major concern, and his buyout would save the club more money. Here's what it would look like:SeasonPre-buyout cap hitPost-buyout cap hit2019-20$5.5M$2.5M2020-21$5.5M$2.5M2021-22$1.5M2022-23$1.5MIn total, it would save the Oilers $3 million while opening a spot for a younger, more mobile defenseman, which brings us to Holland's next task.Trade Jesse PuljujarviHarry How / Getty Images Sport / GettyThis may be a tough pill to swallow for some Oilers fans, but a Jesse Puljujarvi trade seems inevitable at this point. Back in February - after Chiarelli had already been fired - the Oilers were reportedly open to trading him, and Puljujarvi's agent also suggested a change of scenery would be beneficial for both sides. This doesn't necessarily mean Holland will want to deal the former fourth overall pick, but with no prior ties to the restricted free agent, he likely doesn't care about the investment the old regime made in him, and will take the best offer he can get.Quantifying Puljujarvi's trade value is not easy. He still has upside, but flashes of his potential - although tantalizing - have been few and far between at the NHL level. It isn't often that players of his age and with his draft status get moved after posting such a lack of production.Former third overall pick Dylan Strome, who was dealt from the Arizona Coyotes to the Chicago Blackhawks this past season, is the most recent example, but even his sample size in the NHL was much smaller than Puljujarvi's.Obviously the Strome trade hasn't looked good for the Coyotes, as he flourished upon his arrival in the Windy City. He was sent to Chicago along with Brendan Perlini in exchange for a quality top-six forward in Nick Schmaltz. As a center with more intrigue, Strome's trade value was higher than Puljujarvi's is now, even though some had already labeled him a bust.For the Oilers to get their best return on Puljujarvi, it would have to involve a team that has a great incentive to acquire the forward, and perhaps no club possesses this more than the Carolina Hurricanes. After seeing how Strome flourished in a reunion with junior teammate Alex DeBrincat, the Canes could be intrigued by Puljujarvi, who was part of a dominant line for Finland at the 2016 world juniors with Sebastian Aho - Carolina's No. 1 center.Here's a possible trade that could benefit both sides:Oilers receiveHurricanes receiveF Lucas WallmarkF Jesse PuljujarviD Trevor van Riemsdyk2019 2nd-round pickThis return is not as sexy as Oilers fans might've hoped for, but it would immediately make them a better team. Wallmark is a high-floor, 23-year-old two-way center who would give Edmonton's next coach more options if he wants to play McDavid and Draisaitl together. He'll be an RFA after 2019-20.Van Riemsdyk, 27, didn't see significant ice time because of Carolina's deep defense core, but he proved during his days with the Chicago Blackhawks that he's capable of effectively playing top-four minutes. He'll be a UFA after next year, so this hypothetical trade would be attached to a reasonable four-year extension with a $3-million cap hit. He recently underwent shoulder surgery and is expected to miss four-to-six months, meaning, at worst, he'll miss the first month of 2019-20. At best, he'd be ready in time for training camp.Find value in free agencyIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyWith limited cap space, Holland is going to have to find bargains in free agency to fill out the rest of the Oilers' roster. With the defense mostly intact, and plenty of center options, Holland's attention should fall on speedy wingers who can drive possession and complement Edmonton's talent down the middle, and possibly a backup netminder.Brandon TanevTanev is a speedy, gritty, versatile forward capable of playing either wing up and down the lineup. He would help the Oilers' penalty kill and is coming off a career-high 14-goal season. At age 27, he's likely seeking a multi-year deal, so let's give him a four-year contract worth $3 million per season. The term may seem steep, but that'll likely be the going rate. With a low cap hit, there's minimal risk involved.Tyler EnnisEnnis was bought out by the Minnesota Wild prior to the 2018-19 campaign, and inked a one-year prove-it deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Playing a limited fourth-line role, Ennis finished seventh in the entire NHL in goals per 60 minutes (minimum 300 minutes). He proved he still has the skill and quick first step that made him a serviceable top-six forward during his early days with the Buffalo Sabres. We'll give the Edmonton native a two-year deal worth $2.5 million per season, though it's possible he could take less to return home.Brandon PirriAll Pirri does is score goals. He's played at a 20-goal pace in his career, and finished last season sixth in goals per 60 minutes (minimum 300 minutes), but has had difficulties carving out an everyday role. He has the offensive upside to flourish alongside the Oilers' high-end talent. Let's pencil him in for a one-year, $1.5-million contract.Curtis McElhinneyIt's tough to upgrade Edmonton's goaltending after Chiarelli unnecessarily handed a three-year, $13.5-million extension to unproven 30-year-old Mikko Koskinen. However, with open cap space available for the 2019-20 season, McElhinney could be a nice fit. He may want the security of a multi-year deal after bouncing around the league, but for the first time in his career he'd enter training camp with a legitimate chance to win the starting job, and may jump at a generous one-year, $4-million contract.Hire the right head coachMinas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / GettyHolland's most pressing task as the Oilers' new GM will be finding a head coach to replace Ken Hitchcock. Four candidates he should target are Toronto Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe, University of Minnesota Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin, Syracuse Crunch head coach Benoit Groulx, and St. Louis Blues assistant coach Steve Ott.Keefe, Sandelin, and Groulx are bright, forward-thinking bench bosses who boast impressive winning resumes and seem ready to make the step to become NHL head coaches. Ott is a bit of an outlier, as he's been an assistant coach for just two years since retiring as a player in 2017, but fits the Rod Brind'Amour motivator mold.This list is subject to change if one of the league's current head coaches became available, but as of now, none of the retreads provide inspiring options.The end resultAndy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyAfter all the proposed changes, the finished product would result in an Oilers team that's younger, deeper, faster, and more skilled without handing out poor, long-term contracts, or giving away draft picks and prospects.Forwards: $43.5MLWCRWLeon DraisaitlConnor McDavidZack KassianBrandon PirriRyan Nugent-HopkinsTyler EnnisBrandon TanevLucas WallmarkSam GagnerTyler BensonColby CaveKailer YamamotoJujhar KhairaKyle BrodziakIt remains to be seen whether the new coach would want to play McDavid and Draisaitl on the same line or not, but for the sake of this projection, we've kept the dynamic duo together. Nugent-Hopkins would be flanked by two skilled wingers with 25-goal potential. Benson, a 21-year-old former second-rounder, produced nearly a point per game in the AHL this year. It's easy to see either him or Yamamoto playing their way up the lineup out of training camp.Defense: $20.7MLDRDOscar KlefbomAdam LarssonDarnell NurseTrevor van RiemsdykKris RussellEvan BouchardMatthew BenningNurse would be the biggest beneficiary of the Puljujarvi trade, as he'd have a mobile, positionally sound partner who can help move the puck. Bouchard was the OHL's top defenseman this year, but if he's not ready to break with the team out of camp, some AHL seasoning could serve him well. In that case, Benning would become the sixth defenseman.Goalies: $8.5MGMikko KoskinenCurtis McElhinneyMcElhinney will push Koskinen for starts, and serves as a nice stopgap until Shane Starrett, who posted a .918 save percentage in the AHL last year, is NHL ready.Buyout cap hit: $7.75M

Steve Yzerman has his right-hand man.Former Tampa Bay Lightning executive Pat Verbeek will join Yzerman in the Detroit Red Wings' front office as assistant general manager, the team announced Monday.Verbeek will serve alongside fellow assistant GM Ryan Martin and focus on player personnel decisions. Martin will remain GM of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins.Yzerman's relationship with Verbeek dates back to the 1999-2000 season when the latter joined the Red Wings as a free agent. The two started their respective front-office careers with Detroit in 2006. After Yzerman was named the GM of the Lightning in 2010, Verbeek traveled to Tampa Bay to become the director of pro scouting before eventually sliding into an assistant GM/director of player personnel role.Verbeek, 54, tallied over 1,000 points during his 20-year playing career.Lightning front-office executives Jamie Pushor, Stacy Roest, and Al Murray are staying in Tampa Bay after they were promoted to assistant GM positions, the team announced. Former Bolts forward Mathieu Darche has also joined the organization as director of hockey operations.The Red Wings named Yzerman GM and vice president of hockey operations on April 19. He stepped down from his role with the Lightning prior to the 2018-19 campaign but stayed with the organization as a senior advisor for the duration of the season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers have hired longtime Detroit Red Wings executive Ken Holland as their new general manager, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug. An official announcement is expected within the next few days.Holland, who will take over from interim GM Keith Gretzky, will have full autonomy with regard to hockey operations, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.Edmonton held extensive interviews for its GM vacancy and ultimately set its sights on Holland, who will reportedly sign a five-year deal worth $5 million per season.Holland reached great heights running the Red Wings; Detroit won three Stanley Cups during his tenure, missing the playoffs just three times in 22 years. He signed a two-year extension in 2018, but the organization brought in Steve Yzerman as its new GM and executive vice president on April 19.The 63-year-old will face immediate pressure to right the ship in Edmonton, as the Oilers - despite Connor McDavid's brilliance - have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Blue-chip prospect Kaapo Kakko will suit up for Finland at the 2019 IIHF World Championship beginning May 10 in Slovakia.Kakko is projected to be a top lottery pick at the 2019 NHL Draft in June along with Jack Hughes of the United States. Finland is scheduled to play the Americans on May 13, setting up a showdown between hockey's two most highly touted prospects.The 18-year-old phenom is no stranger to the international spotlight. Kakko played hero at the world juniors in January, potting the game-winner in the dying minutes of the gold-medal game against the United States.In 45 games this season with TPS Turku of the Finnish Elite League, the 6-foot-2 winger collected a team-high 22 goals to go along with 38 points.Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Henri Jokiharju and Florida Panthers winger Juho Lammikko are the only NHL players currently on Finland's roster.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Stars netminder Ben Bishop appears to have avoided injury after taking a hard slap shot up high from St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko in Game 6 on Sunday, according to head coach Jim Montgomery."He's fine. Stayed in the game. He's fine. We just wanted to put Doby (Anton Khudobin) in. He wasn't hurt, that's why we made the switch," Montgomery said after the game, per The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.The play occurred around the 7:37 mark of the third period. Blues forward Jaden Schwartz took advantage of the situation, depositing the puck with Bishop down to make it 3-1. The Stars netminder allowed a fourth goal to Sammy Blais 33 seconds later before exiting the contest.

The St. Louis Blues have forced a seventh and deciding contest after defeating the Dallas Stars 4-1 in Game 6 on Sunday.More to come.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Joe Pavelski believes his San Jose Sharks got away with one when he was injured in Game 7 of their first-round series versus the Vegas Golden Knights.Pavelski was sent hard to the ice on a faceoff play when he collided with Cody Eakin and Paul Stastny. The officials called a five-minute cross-checking major on Eakin, even though there was no contact to Pavelski's head.San Jose proceeded to score four goals on the ensuing power play and ultimately clinched the series in overtime to conclude one of the craziest playoff games in recent memory.The controversial referee decision set the hockey world ablaze, and Pavelski, speaking for the first time since his injury, admitted he thought the call was wrong."Was it a five-minute penalty? No. Am I glad they called it that way? Yes," Pavelski said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis.Pavelski hasn't played since the incident and told reporters that he suffered through concussion symptoms and a pressure cut that required staples.The Sharks captain is traveling with the team to Colorado as it seeks to eliminate the Avalanche on Monday, but he still doesn't have a timeline for a potential return to the lineup.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.