The Cale Makar era was headed for a reality check. Despite the top-drawer talent level and cool demeanor, a letdown of some kind felt inevitable Friday.After all, everything had been a little too rosy for Makar and the Colorado Avalanche since the smooth-skating defenseman left UMass for the pro ranks two weeks ago. Three straight wins over the Calgary Flames, highlight-reel rushes, one goal, one assist, and at least one hilarious in-arena kale sighting.Then, the Avs met the Sharks in Game 1 of the second round, and lost 5-2. A victory seemed out of reach for Colorado around the midway point of the game, as Brent Burns and San Jose's third line of Joe Thornton, Marcus Sorensen, and Kevin Labanc dominated the scoresheet.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesMakar finished with negative Corsi and Expected Goals ratings for the first time in his incredibly young career. While he generated offense close to his usual rate, the 5-foot-11, 187-pounder was on for his first-ever goal against. The puck actually deflected off Makar's upper-body and past Colorado goalie Philipp Grubauer to make it 4-1 San Jose.In short, Makar wasn't at his best on Friday. That being said, he was still spectacular in certain moments. Special players find a way to affect the outcome of the game, regardless of their challenges with execution and luck.It is such a small thing on the surface, but check out how poised Makar is with the puck when he's breaking out of the Avs zone at the end of the first period:Your browser does not support the video tag. Via NBCSNHe dumps the puck into San Jose's end at the red line only because it was time to make a line change. When Makar isn't gassed, 99 times out of 100 that head-turning rush through the netural zone continues all the way to Martin Jones' kitchen. He loves to assume control and create in transition, rarely taking his foot off the accelerator. As a viewer, it's difficult to unglue your eyes from No. 8 on the Avs.For evidence, look no further than Makar's first shift of Game 1, when he entered the zone with possession and fired a backhand over the Sharks net. On his way back to the point, the 20-year-old gathered a loose puck and threw it at Jones, hoping for a deflection. The Avs opened the scoring two seconds later, with Makar picking up his second primary assist of the playoffs:Your browser does not support the video tag. Via NBCSNBut the roller-coaster ride continued a few minutes later, when Makar gave the puck away in his own end, gifting the Sharks a prime scoring opportunity a few feet from Grubauer. Not ideal. And then, late in the third period, he turned the puck over again, this time on the halfwall in his own end while under pressure. Luckily for Makar, Samuel Girard bailed him out with a shot block:Your browser does not support the video tag. Via NBCSNMakar was chosen fourth overall in the 2017 NHL Draft and, in flashes, is looking every bit as good as Miro Heiskanen, who was picked two spots ahead. Hockey fans are already spoiled with four elite 22-and-under blueliners - Heiskanen, Rasmus Dahlin, Quinn Hughes, and Thomas Chabot - and now there appears to be a fifth member of that tier. Makar is as advertised.Avs coach Jared Bednar is certainly on board with drooling fans and media, giving Makar a role on the second-unit power play time and 18 minutes a night overall. Ever-confident with the puck on his stick, the Calgary native has three total points to his name, and, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, is helping Colorado to a 59% Corsi rating when he's on the ice at 5-on-5.Bumps along the way noted, Makar's fitting in just fine. Must see TV, too.Mrazek over Lehner, barelyThe New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes grinding Game 1 into a pile of dust was the least surprising development from Friday's double billing.For the vast majority of the ‘Canes 1-0 overtime win, the neutral zone was a death trap. Offensive players had no choice but to chip and chase as they approached the attacking blue line. Even when an opponent watched from the penalty box, there was no shot barrage. Both power plays were abysmal.Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesYet, strangely, the series opener had its fair share of edge-of-your-seat moments. Scoring chances, as rare as they were, seemed to exclusively come on breakaways, or partial breaks. And the netminders, Carolina's Petr Mrazek and New York's Robin Lehner, were most definitely up to the task, both making a handful of stops requiring extreme flexibility and/or quick reflexes.The Isles typically generate the bulk of their offense from between the dots, rarely shooting from the perimeter. Friday was no exception. Here's a sample:

St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube, Tampa Bay Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper, and Barry Trotz of the New York Islanders are the three finalists for the Jack Adams Award, the NHL announced Friday.Berube took over for the fired Mike Yeo in November, guiding the Blues to a significant turnaround and a 38-19-6 record over their final 63 games. St. Louis finished third in the Central Division, qualifying for the postseason after winning only seven of its first 19 contests.Under Cooper, the Lightning captured the Presidents' Trophy with a mark of 62-16-4, posting one of the best regular-season records in NHL history.Trotz helped the Islanders finish second in the Metropolitan Division in his first season with the club, completely transforming them into a defensive juggernaut.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to Art of the Mask, a new video series in which theScore sits down with some of the world's top netminders to talk about goalie mask art.In Episode 3, NHL prospect and North Bay Battalion goalie Christian Purboo walks us through his mask's pop culture-inspired elements. From Tupac to "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" to Winnie-the-Pooh, there's a lot of character to Purboo's mask art.Previously in this series:

The Boston Bruins' top-six forward group requires no introduction.Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, David Krejci, and Jake DeBrusk are household names, and the sixth piece, sophomore winger Danton Heinen, is playing his way into the hockey world's consciousness.Meanwhile, Marcus Johansson and Charlie Coyle, two more recognizable faces, drive the third line. The duo starred in Boston's 3-2 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, with Coyle scoring the game-tying and game-winning goals. The Bruins now lead the best-of-seven, second-round series 1-0.Steve Babineau / Getty ImagesNow, while the top six plus Johansson and Coyle - let's call it the top eight - no doubt carries the Bruins' offense, four forwards still need to fill out head coach Bruce Cassidy's lineup card every night. Usually, that's third-line right winger Chris Wagner and a fourth line consisting of Sean Kuraly, Joakim Nordstrom, and Noel Acciari.But these relatively anonymous NHLers aren't hanging on for dear life, or simply enjoying the playoff ride. The fourth line, in particular, has managed to put its stamp on the early stages of Boston's run. The trio's contributed only 15 percent of the team's 26 goals, but its production has coincided with some key moments, including Acciari's shorthanded marker on Thursday.Acciari, who went unpicked in the NHL draft and then signed with the Bruins as a college free agent in 2017, hopped on his horse midway through the first period and made the Jackets pay. Pierre-Luc Dubois had turned the puck over at the Bruins' blue line and Acciari countered with a straight-line rush.The 27-year-old Acciari is in his second full NHL season. He's earning every cent of his $725,000 salary, leading all Boston forwards in shorthanded ice time so far by skating on the penalty kill for just over two minutes per game.Kuraly, a Cassidy favorite, is Acciari's PK partner. The 133rd pick in the 2011 draft was acquired in the Martin Jones trade with the San Jose Sharks and makes $1.275 million. The feisty, smart, and responsible 26-year-old missed the first four contests of Round 1 to nurse a broken hand before scoring a huge goal in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs while adding an assist.Nordstrom, a 2010 third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, is also in his mid-20s (27) and cheap ($1 million). An unrestricted free-agent signing last July, he plays 1:29 a night on the PK and has a pair of goals and an assist in these playoffs.When you do the math, that's four goals and three assists for seven points in eight postseason games from three penalty-killing fourth-liners. The Bruins' PK, by the way, has allowed just three goals on 20 power-play opportunities. Combined, Acciari, Kuraly, and Nordstrom eat up roughly $3 million in cap space.Not. Too. Shabby.Tarasenko burns StarsThe St. Louis Blues-Dallas Stars series, which also opened Thursday, is being viewed by many through the lens of goaltending. And why not? Jordan Binnington and Ben Bishop are two of the world's finest netminders right now.Yet, as the Blues drew first blood, winning Game 1 in Missouri by a final score of 3-2, it was forward Vladimir Tarasenko who stole the show.Tarasenko had a trying regular season by his lofty standards, finishing with 33 goals and 35 assists for 68 points in 78 games. Then he bagged two in St. Louis' opening-round series against the Winnipeg Jets. Decent.Was it all a warm up? A warning to the rest of the Western Conference?On Thursday, Tarasenko solved Bishop twice, doubling his playoff goal tally in the process. The Russian's sniping ability was the difference in a game with only 49 combined shots.His first of the night went five-hole and capped off a pretty few seconds of post-faceoff puck movement from the Blues' top power-play unit. It was the definition of a goal-scorer's goal. Accurate as hell. Released quick. Vintage Tarasenko.On his second, Tarasenko blew past Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen off the rush and roofed the puck after eluding a Bishop poke check. It came at five-on-five against a stud rookie, but boy, you could see the goal coming from a mile away.Plain and simple: If Dallas plans on stealing one game on the road, it better have an answer for No. 91 in blue during Game 2 on Saturday afternoon.John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said Thursday it's "imperative" for the team to sign Mitch Marner before July 1, according to The Athletic's Jonas Siegel.If the Leafs don't sign Marner before July 1 he'll be left exposed to restricted free agency, and another team could ink him to an offer sheet. That would be problematic for the salary-cap crunched Maple Leafs, as they would be forced to match the offer to retain Marner.Toronto projects to enter next season with roughly $13 million in cap space, and Marner could demand an annual figure north of $10 million. Key forwards Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen are also set to become RFAs this summer.Marner is coming off a breakout 94-point season, which led the Leafs and ranked 11th in the NHL.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The historically great Tampa Bay Lightning are long gone. So is the Western Conference's top team, the Calgary Flames. Heck, all four of the NHL's division winners are already out of contention following an unpredictable opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Which teams left standing have the best chance of competing for the Cup? Let's dive into each second-round series.Boston Bruins vs. Columbus Blue JacketsKirk Irwin / Getty ImagesPrediction: Bruins in six (Game 1 is Thursday)For a team that pulled off the most astounding upset in recent memory, it's striking how long it's been since the Blue Jackets featured in the daily playoff conversation. That's a testament to how quickly they trounced the Lightning, which earned Columbus nine days of rest as it awaited the end of Boston's seven-game victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs.The odds of Columbus inflicting further havoc on the Eastern Conference bracket could depend heavily on special teams. The Bruins' adept power play racked up seven goals against the Leafs, but the Jackets killed off 85 percent of the penalties they took this season, which tied for the best rate in the NHL. And though their own 28th-ranked power play was desultory all year, something clicked against Tampa Bay, as Columbus scored five goals with the man advantage in 10 tries.Several Blue Jackets were terrific in Round 1. Matt Duchene scored three goals and added four assists. No. 3 defenseman David Savard spent much of the series hounding Tampa's best forwards, a role he could reprise against Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Full credit must also be allotted to Sergei Bobrovsky, whose .932 save percentage overall and .943 at even strength were much better marks than his .913 and .915 figures, respectively, in the regular season.Can Marchand, Bergeron, and David Pastrnak excel against Columbus where Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Steven Stamkos faltered? Given how strong they came on in Boston's last four games against Toronto, it seems likelier than not that they'll get theirs. The more pressing question might be whether Tuukka Rask, like Bobrovsky, can sustain the impenetrability he flashed in Round 1 (.928 save percentage, .938 at even strength).The Jackets have a legitimate shot to author a storybook run, but Boston, like Tampa, is the markedly superior team on paper. All told, the Bruins prevailing in a long series is the safest bet.X-factor for Bruins: Jake DeBrusk. The 22-year-old left winger didn't score against Toronto until the second period of Game 6, but his 27 goals this season were fourth-most on the team. DeBrusk could break out in Round 2 if head coach Bruce Cassidy keeps Pastrnak on the second line with him and David Krejci.X-factors for Blue Jackets: Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. Savard mostly got the toughest assignments against the Lightning, but considering fellow defensemen Ryan Murray and Adam McQuaid are sidelined with long-term injuries and Markus Nutivaara might miss the start of this round, the Jackets' stud pairing will again be counted on to log major minutes in all stages of the game. - FarisNew York Islanders vs. Carolina HurricanesBruce Bennett / Getty ImagesPrediction: Islanders in six (Game 1 is Friday)Nobody - absolutely nobody - predicted this scenario back in September. Sure, the Hurricanes had a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade, but winning a series seemed out of reach. The Islanders, meanwhile, weren't supposed to be relevant in Year 1 of the post-John Tavares era, with the hockey world quickly writing them off as a lottery team. Yet here we are.Now, as the squads get set to battle for a spot in the Eastern Conference Final, respect is overflowing. These teams play an honest brand of hockey. They are hard-working outfits who care deeply about keeping the puck out of their own net. Carolina feeds off its puck-moving blue-liners, whereas New York annoys opponents with a relentless forecheck.So, who has the upper hand? Probably the Isles. They are rested, own home-ice advantage, and are led by likely Jack Adams winner Barry Trotz. The 'Canes will counter with a mix of supreme confidence and an underdog mentality after ousting the defending Cup champion Washington Capitals.The goaltending edge goes to New York, too. Robin Lehner, who stopped 130 of 136 shots against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1, provides tremendous stability for the Isles. His counterpart, Petr Mrazek, skated away from the opening round with an ugly .899 save percentage despite recording a shutout in Game 3.On offense, the Hurricanes possess more firepower. Against the Caps, they received contributions from big-game players Justin "Mr. Game 7" Williams (one goal, three assists), Warren Foegele (four goals, two assists), and Jordan Staal (three goals, three assists). The Isles, on the other hand, are known for pouncing on high-quality chances created off sustained zone time, as Jordan Eberle and his four-goal performance against Pittsburgh exemplified.Neither power play is clicking right now, which shouldn't be a surprise. The Isles finished the regular season ranked 29th in PP proficiency, whereas the 'Canes sat 20th. Perhaps they'll cancel each other out in this head-to-head battle, and the better five-on-five club will be rewarded with a series victory.X-factor for Islanders: Anders Lee. As New York's captain and top sniper, Lee needs to mark up the scoresheet with more regularity. He produced a goal and two assists in Round 1, which isn't bad, though certainly isn't enough. The Isles may be feisty throughout their four lines, but every member of the Lee-Barzal-Eberle trio must drive the bus in regards to goal-scoring.X-factor for Hurricanes: Andrei Svechnikov. While his return from a concussion is far from a guarantee, Svechnikov's still a potential series-altering piece for Carolina. The Russian rookie was fantastic in the opening round, and then got punched out by Alex Ovechkin. He's dangerous, dynamic, and gradually saw his ice time rise over the course of the regular season. - MatiszSt. Louis Blues vs. Dallas StarsIcon Sportswire / Getty ImagesPrediction: Stars in seven (Game 1 is Thursday)You'd have to strain to find a less likely pair of conference semifinalists. The Blues were last in the NHL standings at New Year's and the CEO of the Stars said his two leading scorers were playing like "f---ing horses---" just a few days earlier.Such are the depths from which these two teams rose over the past few months. Now, one of them is assured a berth in Round 3.During Round 1, St. Louis won four games by a single goal to eliminate Winnipeg in a closely contested matchup. Goalie Jordan Binnington's .908 save percentage was well below his .927 mark from the regular season, but the Blues generated timely, balanced offense through their top two lines and No. 1 defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. Second-line winger Jaden Schwartz finished the job by scoring the last four goals against the Jets: the go-ahead winner with 15 seconds left in Game 5 and a hat trick to clinch the series in Game 6.The Stars are a study in contrasts. They allowed the second-fewest goals (200) in the league this season, but scored the third-fewest (209). They're a one-line team - Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov, and Jamie Benn notched six points apiece in Round 1 against Nashville - but feature three strong defensemen in John Klingberg, Miro Heiskanen, and Esa Lindell. Vezina Trophy candidate Ben Bishop stopped 94.5 percent of the shots he faced against the Predators, and Dallas' strong penalty kill went 15-for-15 for the series.Sure, St. Louis is deeper than Dallas, and Binnington deserves to be trusted on the basis of his stellar regular season. But when an outcome is in doubt, it's always sound to favor the team with an edge in the crease, and no goalie aside from Lehner is better than Bishop right now.X-factor for Blues: Vladimir Tarasenko. Held scoreless at five-on-five against the Jets, the Blues' top sniper finished Round 1 with two power-play goals and a shooting percentage of just 8.7, similar to the 8.0 rate he posted throughout St. Louis' dismal opening three months of the season. Tarasenko is a 12.9 percent shooter for his career, and the Blues will maximize their chances of solving Bishop if he and linemates Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron can drive play.X-factor for Stars: Mats Zuccarello. Seguin, Radulov, and Benn scored 43 percent of Dallas' goals this season, while Heiskanen, Lindell, and Klingberg accounted for another 16 percent. So, any offense that the bottom three forward lines can create against the Blues would constitute a huge boost. Enter Zuccarello, a trade-deadline acquisition who broke his right arm in his Stars debut on Feb. 24 but healed in time to bag three goals against Nashville. - FarisSan Jose Sharks vs. Colorado AvalancheIcon Sportswire / Getty ImagesPrediction: Sharks in seven (Game 1 is Friday)Talk about two franchises going in opposite directions. The longtime contending Sharks, who defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in seven first-round games, will face a summer of transition when their season ends. They're old. Meanwhile, the young, upstart Avalanche are only beginning their ascent into a new, promising era after beating the top-ranked Flames in five.The collision of these rosters should produce an overwhelming amount of entertainment during the course of a best-of-seven series. Think of the must-see skating talent (Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, etc.) intersecting with volatility between the pipes (namely San Jose's Martin Jones). That sure sounds chaotic, fun, and appetizing.Overall, Jared Bednar and his top-heavy Avs squad are up against a deeper but more banged-up Sharks crew led by Pete DeBoer. Colorado is the slight underdog. The key question: Can their high-end forwards - MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog - produce more than San Jose's parade of 30-goal scorers in Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, Evander Kane, and (potentially sidelined) Joe Pavelski?The answer will likely depend on which Jones shows up for the Sharks. The veteran netminder had a roller-coaster Round 1, posting game-to-game save percentages of .923, .571, .850, .714, .938, .983, and .895. This is a beautiful opportunity for an inconsistent goalie to change the narrative.X-factor for Sharks: Erik Karlsson. When at full health, Karlsson remains one of the sport's best defensemen. Coming off a groin injury, he posted nine assists in the first round and was leaned upon heavily during overtimes in Games 6 and 7. The Sharks' power play did alright versus the Golden Knights, going 8-for-34, and Karlsson has the ability to elevate it further against the Avs.X-factor for Avalanche: Cale Makar. The 20-year-old blue-liner suited up for three games against the Flames immediately after signing with the Avs. He scored a goal in his NHL debut, skated for 20 minutes in Game 4, and then earned an assist in Game 5. The sky's the limit for this kid, and the layoff between series should work to his advantage. He's now acclimatized to the spotlight and Bednar's system. - MatiszCopyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins center David Krejci is day-to-day after taking a huge hit from Columbus Blue Jackets forward Riley Nash during Thursday's Game 1, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters postgame, including NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin.

Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley is looking to make major penalty calls reviewable in the future after his team was thwarted by a controversial decision late in Game 7 of its opening-round series against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday."I believe (a major penalty) should be a reviewable play - a coach's challenge," Foley said during a press conference Thursday, per Caroline Bleakley of KLAS-TV Las Vegas. "I think that a coach should be able to challenge a major penalty, particularly in the last period of a game, and particularly during the playoffs."The Golden Knights held a comfortable 3-0 lead with just over 10 minutes left in the third period when forward Cody Eakin was handed a controversial five-minute major and a game misconduct for cross-checking Sharks captain Joe Pavelski. San Jose subsequently converted four times on the ensuing power play and went on to win the contest and the series in overtime.Foley insisted during the press conference that he's already working on making major penalties reviewable in the future."I've already been engaged (in trying to make those calls reviewable)," Foley said. "I believe the league is thinking about it and is going to be receptive to that kind of change. We'll have a Board of Governors meeting here in a couple of months and I'm sure it will be brought up ..."Foley believes that if the officials were forced to regroup and take a second look at the play, the outcome would've been different."Despite the fact that Sharks fans were going crazy over the perceived hit, if it had been a coaches challenge and it had been reviewed, there wouldn't have been a penalty, in my view," Foley said.The league issued an apology to Golden Knights general manager George McPhee on Thursday for the referee's costly decision in the elimination contest.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL reached out to George McPhee to issue an apology for the five-minute major assessed to his club in Game 7, the Vegas Golden Knights general manager told reporters, including The Athletic's Jesse Granger, on Thursday."They made a mistake and I’m sure they feel bad about it," McPhee said.Despite the controversial loss, the Golden Knights GM insisted his team isn't going to dwell on what transpired.“There will be no pity parties," McPhee said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "Stuff happens in games. We’re going to take the rear-view mirror out and put a real good team on the ice next year. We’re not going to carry around a big suitcase full of yesterdays."Vegas forward Cody Eakin was handed a five-minute major and a game misconduct in the third period of the decisive contest against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night for cross-checking Joe Pavelski, who left the game bloodied and didn't return.The Sharks, who trailed 3-0 when the penalty was called, scored four times on the power play and ultimately prevailed in overtime.Referees Dan O’Halloran and Eric Furlatt, who called Game 7 between the two sides, were not selected to advance to the second round, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli. It will be the first time in more than a decade that O'Halloran has not refereed in the conference finals according to Scouting The Refs, Seravalli added.Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault called the major penalty "a f---ing joke" and "embarrassing" when asked about it postgame.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski is unlikely to suit up for Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday after suffering a head injury in Game 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights, head coach Pete DeBoer told the media Thursday, per the team.Pavelski sustained the injury with just over 10 minutes to play in the third period of Tuesday's first-round elimination contest. The 34-year-old fell awkwardly to the ice and landed directly on his head after being cross-checked by Golden Knights forward Cody Eakin. He had to be helped off by his teammates and didn't return to the game.Eakin was handed a controversial five-minute major for cross-checking and a game misconduct on the play. The penalty resulted in the Sharks staging one of the most memorable comebacks in NHL postseason history.Pavelski has recorded 46 goals and 95 points in 128 playoff contests, all with San Jose. He chipped in two goals and two assists over seven games against the Golden Knights.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas faced the music on Thursday after being eliminated from the playoffs by the Boston Bruins, and did not fully commit to Mike Babcock - or to anyone else - going forward."I wouldn't give any guarantee to anybody in our whole organization, starting with me," Dubas replied when asked about Babcock's job security at his end-of-year press conference, via Sportsnet. "We'll do what we think is best and we'll let you know when we know."Dubas prefaced his non-guarantee of Babcock's job security by saying team president Brendan Shanahan must first evaluate his work as the general manager."The way I look at that is (Shanahan) has to decide on me first, and do an evaluation on me," Dubas said. "And once that's done we evaluate everybody."Babcock, who has four seasons remaining on his eight-year, $50-million deal, insisted earlier that his relationship with Dubas is "really good," according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.On Thursday, Dubas also took responsibility for the William Nylander contract saga during the season and for the Maple Leafs' poor penalty kill in the playoffs."The blame for the (Nylander) situation going that far has to go to me," Dubas said. "I don't think it set William up to have a good season, and I accept that."The 33-year-old Dubas added that he's hoping for better things next season after another first-round playoff exit."I know that I have to do a better job, continue to improve and help our players," he said. "And hopefully we meet under a different set of circumstances in about 13 months from now, or more, we hope."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nazem Kadri says he didn't intend to cross-check Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk in the face and earn an eventual season-ending suspension, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.The Toronto Maple Leafs forward said he struck DeBrusk's head accidentally with his cross-check in Game 2 of their playoff series. However, the 28-year-old also acknowledged it was a "boneheaded" play, per Shilton.Kadri hit DeBrusk with a two-handed cross-check with about six minutes remaining in Game 2. The incident resulted in the veteran getting suspended for the rest of the first-round matchup.The Bruins won that contest 4-1 and went on to win the series in seven games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, and Patrick Kane have been voted the three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award, the NHLPA announced Thursday.The honor recognizes the most outstanding player in the NHL as selected by his peers.McDavid won the award in both 2017 and '18, while Kane earned it in 2016.Kucherov, a first-time finalist, will be receiving the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's top point producer after racking up 128 in 82 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the regular season. He also led the league in assists with 87.McDavid ranked second in the league in points with 116 through 78 contests. He figured in on 50.6 percent of the Edmonton Oilers' goals in 2018-19.Kane placed third in the points race with 110 in 81 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It turns out Zach Hyman suited up for three playoff contests with a significant knee injury that will now sideline him for a while.The Toronto Maple Leafs forward will undergo surgery on Monday to repair a torn ACL suffered during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the club announced Thursday.Hyman's recovery from the procedure is expected to take at least six months.He sustained the injury near the end of Game 4 against the Boston Bruins when he went to hit Brad Marchand, Hyman told reporters, including TSN's Kristen Shilton, on Thursday.The 26-year-old Hyman played all seven games against the Bruins and scored a first-period goal in Game 4.Boston defeated Toronto 5-1 in Game 7 to advance to the second round.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey fans and analysts are still processing what happened in San Jose on Tuesday night.The conclusion of the San Jose Sharks' 5-4 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 of their first-round series featured nearly as much controversy as it did excitement.Here are five takeaways from a contest we won't be forgetting anytime soon:Eakin shouldn't have been ejectedThe play that resulted in Sharks captain Joe Pavelski leaving the ice leaking blood certainly looked bad in the moment, but Golden Knights forward Cody Eakin shouldn't have been given the gate for a couple of reasons.Firstly, while Eakin did cross-check the Sharks captain, Paul Stastny's hit a moment later was what sent Pavelski tumbling awkwardly to the ice.More importantly, a major penalty wasn't warranted, and Jonathan Marchessault was right to call attention to that postgame.Gallant should have used his timeout earlierIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyWhile the major penalty is a legitimate issue for the Golden Knights, they wouldn't have needed to complain if their head coach recognized how momentum was shifting early in the late-game collapse.Gerard Gallant should have called a timeout after Tomas Hertl's goal, San Jose's second marker in a 49-second span that cut the Golden Knights' lead to 3-2 with 9:51 remaining.Instead, he used his timeout with 3:39 left in the third period. The damage was already done by then, as Kevin Labanc had given the Sharks a 4-3 lead with the team's fourth power-play goal three minutes earlier.Gallant's gaffe was just one of several missed opportunities for the Golden Knights, and their demise shouldn't have come down to that fateful penalty kill. After all, Vegas blew a 3-1 series lead and still earned an opportunity to win Game 7 in overtime after Marchessault's late equalizer. That finish may have been the craziest everHyperbole and recency bias often become even more prevalent at playoff time, but there's no question this game's finish was one of the wildest we've ever seen.WIth the controversy, the Sharks' stunning and methodical response to Pavelski's injury, Marchessault's answer in the final minute, and an overtime winner from a rather unlikely source in Barclay Goodrow, the latter half of the third period and overtime provided an incredible conclusion to the series.Only one other team in NHL history had ever overcome a three-goal deficit in the third period to win a Game 7, and fans of the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs are more than familiar with the first instance.While the Bruins scored twice in the final two minutes of their 2013 comeback for added dramatic effect, that game didn't include a serious injury to a team captain and a questionable call to ignite the rally.Are the Sharks the best team left?Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyConsidering what else has transpired early in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, San Jose might just be the most talented squad remaining.The Bruins, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders can all make legitimate cases. But now that the Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames, and Nashville Predators have been eliminated (all top-three seeds), the Sharks are possibly the best club left standing as we near the end of the first round.From goaltender Martin Jones' resurgence to the team's overall depth and star power, San Jose proved its mettle in Round 1 and now looks primed for a deep run.San Jose had the right mix to overcome Pavelski's injury This Sharks team is different from previous years when it folded under pressure. A hardened, veteran group was able to rally around Pavelski's absence rather than allow it to hinder them, as Logan Couture eluded to postgame.Sure, Joe Thornton has long been one of the Sharks' unquestioned leaders. But the additions of Erik Karlsson and Evander Kane - along with the growth of players like Couture, Brent Burns, Jones, and Hertl - has galvanized this San Jose club.Game 7 was a prime example of San Jose's experience, improved leadership, and resilient attitude that wasn't present in past years.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The year of the underdog?All four division winners were defeated by wild-card teams in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, busting brackets across the globe. It's the first time in league history that every division winner has been eliminated in the opening round. In fact, only three of the top 10 teams in the league remain in the hunt for the Cup.

The latest upset in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs carried added meaning for "Mr. Game 7."Carolina Hurricanes captain Justin Williams acknowledged as much after his club eliminated one of his former teams, the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, in double overtime in Game 7 on Wednesday night."There's a little bit extra," Williams told reporters postgame, including The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno. "I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to say this is just another series."The 37-year-old forward, who set up Brock McGinn's game-winning goal, wasn't going to be satisfied with merely making the postseason.

The NHL announced the dates for the second round of the playoffs following the Carolina Hurricanes' Game 7 win over the Washington Capitals.Here's a look at the next slate of schedules:Eastern ConferenceBlue Jackets vs. BruinsJamie Sabau / National Hockey League / GettyDateTime (ET)AwayHomeTVApril 257 p.m.Blue JacketsBruinsNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsApril 278 p.m.Blue JacketsBruinsNBC/SN/CBC/TVA SportsApril 307 p.mBruinsBlue JacketsNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 27:30 p.m.BruinsBlue JacketsNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 4*7:15 p.m.Blue JacketsBruinsNBC/TVA SportsMay 6*TBDBruinsBlue JacketsTBDMay 8*TBDBlue JacketsBruinsTBDHurricanes vs. IslandersBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyDateTime (ET)AwayHomeTVApril 267 p.m.HurricanesIslandersNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsApril 283 p.m.HurricanesIslandersNBC/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 17 p.m.IslandersHurricanesNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 37 p.m.IslandersHurricanesNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 5*TBDHurricanesIslandersTBDMay 7*TBDIslandersHurricanesTBDMay 8 or 9*TBDHurricanesIslandersTBDWestern ConferenceBlues vs. StarsIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyDateTime (ET)AwayHomeTVApril 259:30 p.m.StarsBluesNBCSN/SN/TVA SportsApril 273 p.m.StarsBluesNBC/SN/TVA SportsApril 298 p.m.BluesStarsNBCSN/SN/TVA SportsMay 19:30 p.m.BluesStarsNBCSN/SN/TVA SportsMay 3*9:30 p.m.StarsBluesNBCSN/TVA SportsMay 5*TBDBluesStarsTBDMay 7*TBDStarsBluesTBDSharks vs. AvalancheIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyDateTime (ET)AwayHomeTVApril 2610 p.m.AvalancheSharksNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsApril 287:30 p.m.AvalancheSharksNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsApril 3010 p.m.SharksAvalancheNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 210 p.m.SharksAvalancheNBCSN/SN/CBC/TVA SportsMay 4*TBDAvalancheSharksTBDMay 6*TBDSharksAvalancheTBDMay 8*TBDAvalancheSharksTBD* If necessaryCopyright © 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, Matthew Coller of ESPN and Dylan Liptrap of DHG Sports Agency join John to discuss the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the player agent business. Topics include:

Much like the first two Game 7s of these Stanley Cup Playoffs, the third one in two nights doesn't lack storylines.Here are three significant subplots to monitor in the decisive contest between the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night:Svechnikov's healthGregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / GettyAndrei Svechnikov has been going through concussion protocol since his Game 3 dustup with Alex Ovechkin. Carolina head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Tuesday that the talented Hurricanes forward could play in Game 7 if he's cleared beforehand, according to the team's senior web producer Michael Smith. Brind'Amour had no further update when asked for one Wednesday.Carolina has proven it can win without Svechnikov, taking two of three from Washington without the dynamic 19-year-old winger in the lineup, but it may have to do that one more time in another win-or-go-home affair against the defending Stanley Cup champions.Even if Svechnikov plays, there will still be questions: Is he fully healthy? How quickly can he shake off the rust after missing a few games? How much of an impact will he ultimately have?Capitals need more from KuznetsovPatrick McDermott / National Hockey League / GettyOn paper, it might look as though Evgeny Kuznetsov is having a fine series, as he's notched five assists in six games.However, a closer inspection of his play would indicate otherwise. The typically explosive 26-year-old center hasn't dominated the way he did while leading all playoff point producers last year, and the Capitals will need him to raise his game with the season at stake Wednesday night.Kuznetsov and the rest of Washington's forward group have to provide Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom with some support on the offensive end in the continued absence of T.J. Oshie.Mrazek must be magicalIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettySimply put, Petr Mrazek has to be lights-out for the Hurricanes to vanquish the more experienced Capitals in Game 7.The Carolina goaltender seized the No. 1 job with stellar play down the stretch in the regular season, but he's been a bit inconsistent so far in the playoffs. Mrazek surrendered four goals in a Game 2 loss and six in a Game 5 defeat but allowed two goals or fewer en route to victories in Games 3, 4, and 6 for a save percentage of .895 across the six first-round contests.Washington netminder Braden Holtby hasn't been spectacular for the whole series, either, but Mrazek has to outplay his more accomplished counterpart to give Carolina a legitimate chance to pull off the upset.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators have both asked to speak with Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Jacques Martin for their respective head coaching vacancies, Sportsnet's John Shannon reported.Martin has spent the last six seasons with the Penguins, which included two Stanley Cup victories. Previously, his lengthy head coaching career started in 1986 with the St. Louis Blues and he notably oversaw the Senators from 1995-2004. Overall, he's a four-time Jack Adams Trophy nominee and won the award as the league's top coach in 1999.The Sabres fired Phil Housley earlier in April after two seasons in charge. He failed to turn around the struggling franchise, missing the playoffs in both campaigns.The Senators moved on from Guy Boucher in March during a disappointing campaign. Marc Crawford took over on an interim basis en route to a last-place finish in the NHL.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes will likely be without Micheal Ferland for Game 7 against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Ferland "probably will not play," according to the team's senior web producer Michael Smith.The physical forward hasn't played in the series since Game 3 while dealing with an upper-body injury.Elsewhere on the injury front for Carolina, Brind'Amour didn't provide an update on Andrei Svechnikov's Game 7 availability, and Jordan Martinook is expected to play after suiting up for Game 6.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers will request permission from the Vegas Golden Knights to interview Kelly McCrimmon for their general manager vacancy, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.It's expected the Oilers will ask for and receive permission to speak with the Golden Knights assistant general manager soon. However, right now the team is giving Vegas time to sort through its end-of-season procedures after being eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday night.Keith Gretzky has acted as interim general manager since the Oilers fired Peter Chiarelli in January.In early March, Dreger reported Edmonton narrowed its search for a replacement down to six candidates, which included McCrimmon and Mark Hunter, who reportedly completed his second interview with the Oilers last week.The Golden Knights hired McCrimmon in 2016, and he's been with them since their inception. Prior to Vegas, he spent 28 years with the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings as majority owner and general manager, and 10 years as the team's head coach over two separate stints.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jake Gardiner's the easy target.Coming into Tuesday's winner-take-all tilt against the Boston Bruins, the polarizing defenseman already had the cringe-worthy lowlights from last year's Game 7, and the attachment to the Toronto Maple Leafs' historic collapse in spring 2013.Gardiner had history - the worst kind - and then he turned the puck over late in the first period. The blunder led to Boston's second goal, the eventual game-winner in a 5-1 Bruins victory that ended the Leafs' season and potentially Gardiner's tenure in Toronto.Claus Andersen / Getty ImagesBy night's end, Gardiner had been on the ice for three goals against, zero goals for. It was tough to watch such a poor showing.Then again, when you take a step back and and add perspective, it's fair to say Gardiner was fine through six games. He wasn't good, or bad. But, considering he was battling a nagging injury and clearly far from his best self, he performed OK.There are others to blame for the Leafs' third straight first-round exit, anyway.Toronto opened the scoring in Game 6 on Sunday but blew a golden chance to advance. They could have avoided going back to Boston then and there, instead putting themselves in a vulnerable position. The Leafs didn't rise to the occasion in Game 7.The head coachThere's no sugarcoating it: Mike Babcock flat out didn't perform.The Leafs coach made some questionable decisions over the course of the series, refusing to step outside his comfort zone, and is now 0-3 in playoff series since president Brendan Shanahan hired him in 2015.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesAside from sliding William Nylander over to center after Nazem Kadri's suspension - something the bench boss was essentially forced to do - Babcock didn't rock the boat in any significant way. He had ample time to bust out the line blender and try to spark offense at key moments - but didn’t.You could pick apart Babcock's deployment and usage all day, but let's focus on a few of eyebrow-raising developments from the deciding game.Patrick Marleau, 39, should be used sparingly at this stage in his career. Yet he played 14 minutes and 35 seconds in Game 7. Fourth-line center Frederik Gauthier should have been glued to the bench for the second half of the contest in an effort to free up extra shifts for Toronto's deadliest weapons. But he wasn't, despite the Bruins holding the lead for two-plus periods.Meanwhile, Auston Matthews, one of the sport's utmost game-changing talents, finished with an underwhelming 18:48 of ice. That total is acceptable in the regular season. In a do-or-die playoff game, though, your best forward should probably be skating closer to 23 minutes.Not double-shifting Matthews as the season slipped away seems counterproductive and legitimately odd. It's hard to imagine a scenario in which Nathan MacKinnon or Connor McDavid - two of Matthews' contemporaries - play fewer than 20 minutes in a Game 7.Calling for Babcock's dismissal, like many Leafs fans are doing online, feels like an overreaction. But the man is no doubt deserving of heavy criticism.The special teamsNeither Boston or Toronto gained a significant advantage during 5-on-5 play over seven games. It's the simple truth, as evidenced by the Leafs' advanced metrics:CF%SF%SCF%GF%xGF%50.848.851.552.251.1[CF% = shot attempts for percentage; SF% = shots for percentage; SCF% = scoring chances for percentage; GF% = goals for percentage; xGF% = expected goals for percentage]In summary, the Leafs narrowly won the even-strength battle in four of five categories. This suggests special teams greatly affected the series' outcome.Now, the Leafs' power play did alright for itself, scoring three times on 16 tries. Boston, on the other hand, went haywire, netting seven goals on 16 man-advantage opportunities.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesBruins coach Bruce Cassidy has an abundance of options on his first unit. Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Torey Krug, and Marcus Johansson form a killer five, and they contributed five of Boston's PP goals despite not receiving a single opportunity in Game 7.So, really, this isn't totally on Toronto's penalty kill. Boston, who had the third-ranked PP in the regular season, is a wrecking ball.That being said, seven goals are simply too many. Those goals shifted the series in the Bruins' favor when Boston was being out-performed at 5-on-5, and it ultimately cost the Leafs the series.The othersThe Leafs could have easily won this best-of-seven drama, thanks to a handful of admirable performances.Matthews scored five goals. Jake Muzzin and Nikita Zaitsev formed a solid shutdown pair. John Tavares contributed, especially on the defensive side of the puck. Morgan Rielly's tour de force kept Toronto in Game 6, when they fell apart in the second period.Then there's some seesaw players.Frederik Andersen deserves both praise and (dis)honorable mention. He was stellar through six games, but let in a couple of softies Tuesday. Like Gardiner, he should be judged on his entire body of work, not just 60 minutes. But in divvying up blame, he gets a passing nod of disapproval.Mitch Marner's a similar case. He may have scored twice in the opening game, collected an assist in both Games 3 and 4, and blocked back-to-back shots in the dying seconds of Game 3, but he failed to mark the scoresheet in Games 5, 6, or 7. For that reason, the team's leading scorer is partly responsible for the series going sideways.Lastly, Kadri.The longtime Leaf took himself out of the lineup with that unnecessary cross-check on Jake DeBrusk. Prior to the hit, Kadri was one of Toronto's best players through nearly two games. The Leafs are built to win with a 1-2-3 punch down the middle, and he denied the club that advantage.The Kadri hit was the beginning of the end. Game 6's second period was the confidence breaker. And the first period of Game 7, well, it brought Gardiner, the Leafs, and a tortured fan base back to familiar territory.John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Story contains coarse language.Vegas Golden Knights center Cody Eakin was penalized five minutes for cross-checking the Sharks' Joe Pavelski in the third period of Game 7 on Tuesday, sparking an unbelievable turn of events.Eakin was ejected at the 9:13 mark of the final frame with the Vegas Golden Knights holding a 3-0 lead. The San Jose Sharks scored four goals during the power play to jump ahead 4-3. Jonathan Marchessault then tied the game for Vegas with 47 seconds left before the Sharks won in overtime, with Barclay Goodrow scoring the series-clinching goal.Here's the play when Eakin was ejected:

Vegas Golden Knights forward Cody Eakin earned a five-minute major and a game misconduct for crosschecking Joe Pavelski in the third period of Wednesday's Game 7, and the San Jose Sharks made him pay, scoring four power-play goals to erase a three-goal, third-period deficit.Here's a look at the play that got Eakin ejected:

A one-sided Game 7 between the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks suddenly turned into one of the most memorable series finales in NHL history during a frantic third period.Down 3-0, the Sharks stormed back to take a 4-3 lead over Vegas with four goals during a five-minute major to Cody Eakin.Social media users couldn't believe their eyes:

The Toronto Maple Leafs' 2018-19 campaign culminated Tuesday night with a familiar bitter feeling when they suffered a Game 7 defeat at the hands of the Boston Bruins for the second year in a row.However, Toronto's regular-season leading scorer, Mitch Marner, believes all his club can do is use its latest defeat as motivation."It sucks," Marner told reporters postgame. "We believe in this team, we have a lot of confidence in this team. Obviously, when a season ends, it sucks. It's got to stay with us, we've got to be hungry for this next year and make sure we come back pissed off."After earning a franchise-record 105 points in 2017-18, the Leafs reinforced an already dangerous lineup by signing John Tavares in the offseason and acquiring Jake Muzzin before February's trade deadline.Toronto led the series on three occasions but failed to ever take complete control over a more experienced Bruins team. Still, Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock believes his club made progress this spring."I thought our series this year compared to last year, we were a way better hockey club," Babcock said. "I think we're really taking steps and going in the right direction, but we've got to push through and get through this. I mean, that's just the bottom line."With Tuesday's elimination, the Maple Leafs remain without a playoff series win since 2004.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson, New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, and Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker are the finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

Two more teams will advance to the second round of the playoffs Tuesday as the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Boston Bruins and the San Jose Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights in a pair of do-or-die Game 7 matchups.The Sharks will look to complete a 3-1 series comeback and avenge their six-game defeat at the hands of the Golden Knights last postseason with a huge win on their home ice. For Vegas, it'll be the expansion club's first-ever Game 7.The Maple Leafs and Bruins have pushed their series to the limit for a third time in as many playoff matchups, with Boston coming out on top in Game 7 in both 2013 and 2018. Toronto will have to dig deep to pull out the victory and capture its first playoff series victory in 15 years.Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettySpecial teams battleIf the Maple Leafs are to have any hope of keeping their season alive in front of a raucous Bruins crowd at TD Garden, they'll need to flip the script when it comes to special teams. Since Boston scored on the man advantage nine minutes into the series, the power play has been at the crux of its success through six games.Boston has converted seven of 16 power-play opportunities (43.8 percent) in the series, including two critical tallies in the first period of Game 6. The Maple Leafs' penalty kill has been glaringly poor, and their inability to respond on power plays of their own has made matters worse. Toronto's man advantage has been held off the scoresheet in four of the six contests, converting just three times.Mike Babcock's club seems to hold a slight advantage if it can keep the game at even strength. The Leafs have outscored the Bruins 11-8 at five-on-five and own 52.63 percent of high-danger scoring chances thus far.More from Maple Leafs' top lineThe Maple Leafs' top line of Zach Hyman, John Tavares, and Mitch Marner needs to step up offensively. The trio has done a good job on the defensive side of the puck, and Tavares' presence alone has helped allow Auston Matthews enjoy a breakout postseason, but when the lights shine the brightest, Toronto needs its stars to sparkle.The line combined for 94 goals in the regular season but has managed just four so far against the Bruins, with three of them coming in the opening contest. Tavares, whose 47 goals during the campaign led the team, never went longer than five games without a goal. With his only goal of the series coming in Game 1 ... well, you can do the math.Leading after 40 minutesDuring the regular season, the Leafs posted 36-0-1 record when leading after two periods, and the Bruins went 31-3-3. These defensive trends have continued through six games as neither team has faltered this series when carrying a lead into the third period.Vegas Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks Brandon Magnus / National Hockey League / GettySharks need the good Martin JonesJones' uninspiring regular season was one of the major talking points heading into this series after the netminder posted a 36-19-5 record with a 2.94 goals-against average and .896 save percentage on the campaign. Among the 26 goalies who played at least 45 games, his save percentage ranked second last.The Sharks have lived and died by their goaltender so far this postseason. Jones failed to play past the first period in two of the losses against the Golden Knights, allowing a combined five goals on 14 shots. While facing a 3-1 series deficit, however, Jones stopped 88 of 91 shots en route to two straight wins, including a 58-save overtime performance in Game 6.Scoring firstThe team that has scored first has won each time. Both squads will need to be ready from the get-go, as that all-important opening tally has been potted within the first 90 seconds in four of the six games.Stone line can make or breakThe Sharks did an excellent job in their previous two victories keeping the Golden Knights' most dangerous line of Mark Stone, Paul Stastny, and Max Pacioretty in check. After terrorizing San Jose with a combined 28 points through the first four contests, the trio was held pointless in Games 5 and 6.It will be critical for the Sharks to stay out of the penalty box. The Stone line has been just average at five-on-five in the playoffs, posting a Corsi For rating of 51.18.The veteran trio is packed with playoff experience, too. Stone, Pacioretty, and Stastny have suited up for a combined 155 postseason contests, including six Game 7s.(Advanced stats courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The bad blood between the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights has boiled over to the head coaches.Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant had some choice words for Sharks bench boss Peter DeBoer. After DeBoer called out Gallant for 'chattering' at Sharks players earlier in the series, the 55-year-old fired back during a press conference ahead of Tuesday's Game 7."I really don't want to talk about that but I think I'm going to have to a little bit because for that clown to say that in the paper yesterday it's not right," Gallant said.The 2018 Jack Adams Award winner then went on to address each event."There might have been two incidents that happened and I'll tell you both of the incidents," Gallant said. "Logan Couture I thought it was an embellishment so I was yelling at the referee, not yelling at Logan Couture."The other one, Game 2, Evander Kane's yelling at Ryan Reaves between the bench and Evander yells at me 'hey coach, when are you going to send your big guy out on the ice and play him more than four minutes?' I said 'he's played 10 minutes every game and he's going to play a lot more.'"Gallant then defended himself further before expressing more disapproval of DeBoer's behavior."If I'm going to be a chirper and a loudmouth, I think people know me as a coach and respect me as a coach and if he's going to yap about that, that's a little non-classy for me," Gallant said.The Sharks clawed back from a 3-1 deficit to force Game 7. San Jose will look to avenge its six-game defeat at the hands of the Golden Knights in 2018.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are among the teams attempting to sign skilled KHL winger Ilya Mikheyev, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.Dreger added that the Vegas Golden Knights and the Chicago Blackhawks are also in the mix for Mikheyev, who is expected to make his decision this weekend.The 24-year-old has spent the last four full seasons playing for Omsk Avangard and has recorded 62 goals and 120 points in 224 career contests.This season, the Russian posted 23 goals and 45 points in 62 games, adding 11 points in 13 playoff tilts.Mikheyev also represented Russia at the World Hockey Championship last spring, contributing three goals and one assist in eight games.The Maple Leafs dipped into the KHL player pool to sign defenseman Igor Ozhiganov from CSKA Moscow last summer.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

His mind and heart racing, Chris Kunitz moved through the Stanley Cup Final handshake line on June 11, 2017. He had just won his fourth Cup, and his third in a Pittsburgh Penguins uniform, so he knew the drill.As he neared the end of the procession, Kunitz locked eyes with a visibly shaken Nashville Predator nursing a broken right hand. It was his old pal James Neal. The former Penguin extended his left hand, and Kunitz dropped his head to lean in, initiating a solemn bro hug. They exchanged a few words.The interaction lasted four seconds, a relative eternity in the handshake line."It doesn't matter if you're best friends with somebody. You go out, you compete, you do whatever it takes to win. If that's fighting each other, slashing each other, so be it. But afterwards, you still want to look each other in the eye and show that respect," Kunitz said in March, speaking broadly about a tradition unique to hockey.On Tuesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins will form another line following Game 7 in their hotly contested first-round series. The Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks, also battling for one more game, will do the same a few hours later.Teams aren't required to organize themselves in a single file and bid farewell. It happens organically, no matter who wins. The handshake line is a post-series activity passed down from generation to generation, an unbreakable custom governed by a set of unwritten rules.So what's considered acceptable behavior in the line? What's frowned upon? How does it all work? And what goes through a player's head as they try to digest the outcome of a playoff series and interact cordially with a bitter rival?In the leadup to the postseason, theScore enlisted the help of six active NHLers to find out. Here’s what we learned.The winner's perspective"Two completely different emotions" are associated with the handshake line, noted Patrick Marleau, who's approaching 200 career playoff games. And both parties must be cognizant of the other's headspace."Teams that win are excited, but they don't want to rub it in as they're walking through," Marleau said prior to the Maple Leafs' series with the Bruins. "And the other guys are defeated, but they still want to be gracious and give the other team some encouragement going forward."That give-and-take between winner and loser brings us to the meme-able clip from the final minutes of the Tampa Bay-Columbus broadcast last week.Moments after the Blue Jackets put a bow on an upset for the ages by scoring three empty-net goals to complete a sweep of the Lightning, Nikita Kucherov joined his dazed teammates at center ice. The presumptive league MVP was stopped by Matt Duchene for a quick chat. Kucherov listened but didn't seem to offer Duchene much of a reply.Then, Kucherov ran into fellow Russian and close friend Artemi Panarin. The victor grinned widely and went in for a big ol' high five. Kucherov left him hanging.Your browser does not support the video tag. Via Fox Sports OhioThe hockey gods can't be pleased by Panarin's actions. The star winger violated the first guideline on either side of the handshake: Be gracious.Kucherov looked for a moment like he might drop the nuclear option - the cold shoulder - but he relented when Panarin grabbed his hand. They eventually embraced, and the misstep isn't so outrageous that it should affect their relationship.The cold shoulder, most famously unleashed by Martin Brodeur in 2008 to snub Rangers forward Sean Avery, can be more insulting than excessive enthusiasm."For me, I think that's a little disrespectful," Florida Panthers forward Troy Brouwer said. "You've got to congratulate the guy and let him know you respect him. It's so hard to win in the playoffs. For a guy to be battling and doing his job, you can't be mad at him, in my opinion."Al Bello / Getty ImagesBrouwer's enjoyed playoff runs in Chicago, Washington, St. Louis, and Calgary, but it's hard for him to evaluate his etiquette in the 2010 Cup handshake line between the Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers. Since Patrick Kane's Game 6 overtime goal required video review, Brouwer and his teammates celebrated twice, with the second go-round bleeding into the handshake line.It's all a blur."Guys are still hugging each other. You're patting the guy's back in front of you while shaking the guys on the other team's hands and waiting for the Cup to come out," Brouwer said. "So, honestly, I don't really remember that handshake. You're so caught up in the moment. It's not like it takes a backseat - your mind is just elsewhere.” (Brouwer, for what it's worth, appears to have been well-behaved.)The winning team holds the hammer in the handshake line - usually offering a friendly greeting first - but one of Brouwer's Panthers teammates says every participant has a method of payback at his disposal when it comes time to meet a particular foe."Maybe squeeze a little harder than normal," defenseman Keith Yandle said with a smile.The loser's perspectiveBecause it offers closure, the handshake line can be a cathartic experience for those on the losing end."You realize you're done, you're going to hang up your equipment for the last time, and that's all slowly running through your mind as you go down the line," Kunitz said. "You obviously want to give that respect to the other team, even after the nasty series. Let them know that you left it all out there."Dennis Pajot / Getty ImagesConnor Brown can relate.In 2014, the Leafs winger was captain of the Erie Otters, and at the conclusion of the OHL Western Conference final, he saw his childhood flash before his eyes. Matt Finn, Brown's longtime friend, wore the "C" for the victorious Guelph Storm."That was the end of my junior career so it was a pretty emotional day for me. I don't think I said much," Brown recalled. "I grew up playing with him since I was 4 years old. He's one of my best buds. It almost makes it a little tougher, but it's something in years to come we'll look back on."Mike Stobe / Getty ImagesNot many players in the history of the NHL are as familiar with the tradition's highs and lows as the Staal brothers. Jordan Staal's Pittsburgh Penguins ended brother Marc and his New York Rangers' season in 2008. The next year, Jordan did the same to Eric when the Penguins swept the Carolina Hurricanes.Trying to find the right words to say to your own blood in such a raw moment is dizzying; special, overwhelming, and bittersweet."Those ones are hard. But that's the first thing that pops into my mind," Jordan Staal answered when asked for his top handshake line memories."I love going out there and competing and working hard," he continued. "And whether you're on the right side of it or not, you show that respect after. It's one of my favorite things about the playoffs."For the losing side, being gracious is paramount. It may be tempting to make a final statement but, the typical thinking goes, don't make it all about you. Don’t be a sore loser.Milan Lucic notoriously abandoned this guideline in 2014 when he went out of his way to bark at a pair of Montreal Canadiens, Dale Weise and Alexei Emelin, after the Boston Bruins’ season ended in the second round of the playoffs. "I'm going to kill you next year," Lucic apparently said, and the controversy buzzed for days.On the other hand, a positive interaction with a respected rival can help put a gut-wrenching moment into perspective. Might a few complimentary remarks from, say, the legendary Nick Lidstrom soften the blow of being eliminated from the playoffs?"He was my guy, my idol - a guy that I look up to and still do," Yandle said as he recalled the Phoenix Coyotes' first-round loss to Lidstrom's Detroit Red Wings in 2010. "I remember getting that handshake, that half-hug - the bro hug or whatever you call it - and it was pretty special."As in everyday life, waiting can be agonizing. The interval between the final buzzer and the formation of the line can drag on for the defeated team, especially since the ecstasy is palpable but not accessible. You might undo your helmet strap, lean on your stick, stare into the abyss, shed a few tears."You're real disappointed, but the wait is almost the worst part," Brouwer said, describing watching the San Jose Sharks celebrate making the final at the Blues' expense in 2016. "You just want to get off the ice and go share those moments with your teammates. It's always tough."By all accounts, dialogue in the line is mostly generic: Good series. Nice job. Best of luck moving forward. You played great. There might be an extra word or two for the goaltenders since they often have a strong effect on the outcome of a series, but overall, it's not a Shakespeare play."Hockey players don't know exactly what to say when it comes to that kind of stuff," Brown explained. "But you know the intention, and that's all that matters."John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Victor Hedman is taking full responsibility for his role in the Tampa Bay Lightning's shocking first-round exit despite battling injury.The 28-year-old blue-liner suited up for the first two contests of his team's series against the Columbus Blue Jackets and played significant minutes in both, logging 25:18 in Game 1 and 21:10 in Game 2. Despite the valiant effort, Hedman was unable to continue past those tilts."I was cleared to play in the first two games but I just wasn't good enough to keep going," the 6-foot-6 rearguard told reporters at the team's exit interviews Monday.Hedman missed the final four games of the regular season with an upper-body injury after colliding awkwardly with Washington Capitals forward Carl Hagelin on March 30. Hedman said he was dealing with an upper-body ailment during the playoffs but added it wasn't related to that regular-season issue."I'm obviously not happy with how I played in those two games and I'm not going to sit here and (make) any excuses that it was because of (the injury)," he said. "It was all on me. I'm not happy with the way I played and that's obviously a tough one to swallow."The Lightning became the first team in the modern era to win the Presidents' Trophy as the league's top regular-season squad and then be swept in four games in the first round of the playoffs.Hedman is a finalist for the Norris Trophy for a third consecutive season and looks to defend his title as the league's top defenseman after capturing the award for the first time in his career in 2018.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers is one tough customer.The 23-year-old played Game 6 of the Jets' opening-round series against the St. Louis Blues with a fractured leg, according to the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck.Ehlers said he suffered the injury after blocking a shot near the end of Game 5. The pesky winger logged 9:01 of ice time over nine shifts in Game 6.The Dane failed to find the scoresheet in the Jets' first-round series loss and has yet to register a goal in 21 career postseason contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets blue chipper Patrik Laine will not represent Finland at the upcoming 2019 IIHF World Championship, according to TSN's Sara Orlesky.The Finnish sniper said Monday that he was dealing with a back issue during the year and a "small" groin injury during the playoffs, according to The Athletic's Murat Ates.Laine captured MVP honors at the 2016 World Championship after leading Finland to a silver medal with seven goals and 12 points in 10 games.Winnipeg teammates Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler also won't represent their respective countries at the event, according to Orlesky.Scheifele has suited up for Canada at the World Championship on three occasions and captured a gold medal at the tournament in 2016. The Kitchener, Ontario, native last played at the event in 2017, tallying three goals and eight points in 10 games en route to a silver medal.The 32-year-old Wheeler, born in Plymouth, Minn., last represented the United States at the World Cup of Hockey in 2016. He hasn't played at the World Championship since 2011. At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, he recorded one assist in six contests for the Americans.The Jets were eliminated from the NHL postseason in six games by the St. Louis Blues in their opening-round series.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Martin Jones answered the bell Sunday with the San Jose Sharks' season on the line.Jones turned aside 58 of 59 shots in a must-win Game 6, setting a franchise single-game record for saves. He surpassed Jeff Hackett's mark of 57 saves in 1992.The 29-year-old was considered the Sharks' biggest liability entering the series. He struggled through a poor regular season, posting an .896 save percentage and a 2.94 goals-against average.Until Sunday, Jones hadn't put Sharks fans at ease. He entered Game 6 with an .866 save percentage and a 4.37 goals-against average in the series and was yanked in Games 2 and 4.However, the veteran was able to flip the script, helping his team win after being outshot 59-29. The Sharks will hope for a repeat performance in Game 7 on Tuesday in San Jose.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TORONTO - Around the halfway point of Game 6 on Easter Sunday, Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy looked up at the scoreboard hanging over the red line at Scotiabank Arena.A giant eight - denoting the Maple Leafs' shot count - stared back.The single digit confirmed to Cassidy what his eyes were leading him to believe: The Bruins were in complete control and it would be the series-leading Leafs - not the team facing elimination - needing to rediscover their offense in a hurry.“When they get their shot attempts, their shots on net, they’re really humming,” Cassidy said of the Leafs, relaying his mid-game thought process. “So I thought, ‘Listen, we’re on our way now.’”Claus Andersen / Getty ImagesThe Bruins, up 3-1 then, finished off the second period strong, withstanding a push from the Leafs in the third to earn a 4-2 victory. The teams have alternated wins through six games to send the first-round series back to Boston for a Tuesday night finale."Let's put on our surprise face. Game 7, TD Garden, Boston and Toronto," Cassidy quipped to wrap up his postgame press conference.Then he rubbed his hands together and clapped. Cassidy is pumped, but Toronto - the city and the team - is decidedly not.Despite opening the scoring on Sunday, the Leafs again whiffed on their attempt to advance to the second round. The last time the Original Six franchise won a series, back in 2004, Pat Quinn was behind the bench. Up next for the current coach: Slaying those ugly Game 7 demons.“We started really well, we played really well and then, boom,” Mike Babcock said. “Once they scored, we didn't recover very good. We talked about it and prepared for it, but it didn't happen.”A sleepy stretch against a talented Bruins team that doesn't back down from a challenge wasted exceptional showings from goalie Frederik Andersen (37 saves) and blue-liner Morgan Rielly (one goal, six shots).For the Bruins, five players - Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo on the back end, Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand up front, and Tuukka Rask between the pipes - registered notable performances, and the team limited Toronto’s potent attack.Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesIn Game 6, the Leafs generated just 54 shot attempts, 24 shots on goal, and 26 scoring chances. In the five games prior, they averaged 62 attempts, 33 shots, and 32 chances per game, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. Keep in mind, those early-series numbers were deflated by a low-event Game 5.The Leafs couldn’t find much space to operate for large chunks of a crucial game.“I think today we did a really good job containing those stretch passes that were getting behind us (earlier in the series),” said Carlo, who skated for nearly 24 minutes. "The D had good gaps, forwards were great on the forecheck, and we didn’t really allow them to get behind us too much.""When you don’t let them get into the offensive zone too much it silences the crowd and the team," he added.On the other side of the puck, the Bruins’ power play continued to soar. Ranked third in the regular season, the unit hasn’t missed a beat through six playoff games, scoring at least once in every contest but Game 5. Overall, Boston has capitalized on seven of 16 power-play opportunities in the series.Rick Madonik / Getty ImagesOn Sunday, as Toronto adjusted its penalty kill to collapse in front of Andersen, Marchand scored off a Patrice Bergeron faceoff win to make it 1-1. Six minutes later, Krug pounced on a blocked shot and buried a wrister.“He really stepped up tonight, shot the puck a little more,” Cassidy said of Krug, who recorded a game-high nine shots. “We talked about getting some more traffic, some more action at the net, and I thought we did a good job with that. He sort of set the precedent.”There’s a precedent for Game 7, too, after the Leafs lost the deciding game of Round 1 last year, and in 2013 at TD Garden. So, who has the mental edge after Game 6 this time around?“I don’t know," Krug said. "I mean, it’s Game 7, anything can happen. That’s a question you’ll have to ask over there, in their locker room.”Over to you, Leafs.John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn or shoot him a note at john.matisz@thescore.com.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs will settle their series Tuesday night at TD Garden in Game 7, but some Bruins players aren't as thrilled about heading home as one might expect."They've played really well in our building so far this series and the ice has been terrible there so we might as well play with a tennis ball, skate around and see who can bounce one in the net," Brad Marchand told NHL.com's Dave McCarthy after Boston's Game 6 win in Toronto on Sunday.Home ice hasn't been an advantage in this series, as each team has won two of its three games on the road.Marchand's rant about ice quality didn't end there. After Sunday's game, he said the ice was much better in Toronto."Can we do that in Boston?" he asked, according to the Toronto Star's Bruce Arthur.Marchand wasn't the only Bruin voicing his displeasure with TD Garden's ice."Sometimes the ice is good or bad," Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy told the Boston Herald's Marisa Ingemi. "It's not like you can get an unfortunate bounce and they blow it dead and say it wasn't fair."Opposing players are noticing the poor ice quality in Boston, too. Maple Leafs forwards John Tavares and Kasperi Kapanen have both noted the issue throughout the series, and head coach Mike Babcock said "the ice was tough," after Game 5, according to TSN's Mark Masters.TD Garden, which houses both the Bruins and the NBA's Boston Celtics, is the league's ninth-oldest building after opening in 1995.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 in Game 6 on Sunday, pushing their opening-round series to a seventh game.The Maple Leafs started off strong with a goal from Morgan Rielly midway through the first period. But the Bruins quickly responded with power-play markers from Brad Marchand and Torey Krug to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission."We were really ready, we were jumping big time," Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said postgame according to TSN's Mark Masters. "But then, as soon as we had a little adversity and then they scored twice, we didn't recover. I don't know if that's the emotions got the better of us or we couldn't get 'er back in check"Jake DeBrusk added the eventual game-winner in the second period when he connected with David Krejci for a pretty give-and-go tally. The Bruins took over in the middle frame, outshooting the Leafs 16-9 and controlling the play."They had one of the best periods they've had all playoffs in the second," Babcock said according to Masters. "We didn't execute or play fast enough or well enough."Auston Matthews pulled the Leafs within one in the third period with his fifth goal of the series, but then Marchand put the game on ice with an empty-net goal."It's all small details," Matthews said, according to Masters. "Neither team is making many mistakes ... tonight our first five-to-six minutes (were) good and then their (power play) got them going and then we didn't really have an answer until the 3rd period ..."Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask held down the fort with 22 saves for his 38th career postseason victory.The series will go the distance for the third straight time between these two fierce rivals, as Boston hosted Game 7 in 2013 and 2018 as well.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano, San Jose Sharks blue-liner Brent Burns, and Tampa Bay Lightning rearguard Victor Hedman are the finalists for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman for 2019.

Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie has undergone successful surgery on his broken collarbone and is expected to be out indefinitely, the team announced Sunday.Oshie suffered the injury after Carolina Hurricanes forward Warren Foegele hit him from behind Thursday.The incident occurred with just over five minutes remaining in Game 4 when Foegele hit Oshie from behind, sending him tumbling into the boards at an awkward angle. The 32-year-old didn't return to the game, and Foegele was assessed a two-minute minor for boarding. The rookie didn't receive further discipline.Oshie was a key contributor throughout the Capitals' Stanley Cup run last spring, recording eight goals and 21 points in 24 contests. He notched one goal and one assist in four games against the Hurricanes this postseason before the injury.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche eliminated the Calgary Flames from the postseason in five games Friday night with a one-sided 5-1 victory. Along with the Tampa Bay Lightning's sweep at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets, it marked the first time both No. 1 seeds lost in the first round in the expansion era.The NHL expanded from six teams to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season, marking the beginning of the expansion era. With only six teams in the league before 1968, there was only one division, and thus only one top seed.Calgary and Tampa didn't just lose, the two teams were completely outmatched, combining to win just one playoff game.The Avalanche will now play the winner of the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 2. Vegas currently leads the series 3-2.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

All Mike Babcock could do was grin.Since Game 5 against the Boston Bruins started with back-to-back Maple Leafs stick infractions - first, a questionable tripping call on winger Zach Hyman, then a borderline hooking call on forward Patrick Marleau - the bench boss did what we all do when we feel wronged but can't change the outcome of the matter at hand.He smiled, once for each perceived slight.

The Winnipeg Jets were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in six games after a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.Following the defeat, Jets head coach Paul Maurice was openly despondent about his team's season coming to an end."It's painful as hell because you think you're right there but you were beat by a team that thinks the same thing," Maurice said following the loss, according to the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck.The Jets and Blues battled through five tightly-contested games before St. Louis laid down the hammer. Although the scoreboard reflected a one-goal contest, the Blues were in complete control and held a shot advantage of 27-6 after two periods."I don't think tonight's game was indicative of the way the first five went ... such an incredibly tight series, shots are almost identical, chances the same, zone time the same. The margin for error was very slim," Maurice told reporters, according to FOX Sports Midwest.Despite the Jets battling through several injuries this postseason, Maurice was quick to shoot down the notion that poor health played a role in the team's shortcomings."Careful with excuses - we got beat," Maurice said.Winnipeg will face some important decisions this offseason, with key players such as Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, Kevin Hayes, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chariot all due for new contracts.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mark Hunter received a second interview for the Edmonton Oilers' general manager vacancy, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Hunter, who's currently the GM of the OHL's London Knights, is one of multiple candidates the Oilers are still considering, Friedman added.The 56-year-old is considered by many to be a draft guru. He joined the Toronto Maple Leafs' front office in October 2014 as their director of player personnel. Hunter became the club's co-interim GM - along with Kyle Dubas - in April 2015 after the firing of Dave Nonis, remaining in the position until Lou Lamoriello was hired in July 2015. He then served as an assistant general manager with the Leafs until Dubas was named the team's GM in April 2018.Four of Hunter's draft picks during his tenure in Toronto have made the NHL: Mitch Marner (No. 4, 2015), Travis Dermott (No. 34, 2015), Auston Matthews (No. 1, 2016), and Carl Grundstrom (No. 57, 2016).The Oilers fired GM Peter Chiarelli in January. Keith Gretzky has since filled the position in an interim role.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

ST. LOUIS (AP) Jaden Schwartz scored three times and Jordan Binnington stopped 18 shots to help the St. Louis Blues beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in Game 6 of their playoff series Saturday night to advance to the second round.The Blues will next face the winner of the Dallas-Nashville series, which the Stars lead 3-2.Bryan Little and Dustin Byfuglien scored for Winnipeg, which tried to rally after falling behind 3-0 early in the third period. Connor Hellebuyck finished with 33 saves.The Blues became the first home team to win in the series, and advanced to the second round for the third time in four years.Schwartz, who had only 11 goals in the regular season, has four in the playoffs - the Blues' last four, starting the tiebreaking tally with 15 seconds left in the 3-2 win in Game 5.Binnington began the season as a backup for the Blues' AHL affiliate in San Antonio. He stopped 33 successive shots after giving up two first-period goals in Game 5.Schwartz tallied just 23 seconds into the contest on a pass from Brayden Schenn. It was the third-fastest playoff goal in franchise history and the quickest since Brett Hull scored in Game 3 of a first-round playoff series with Vancouver on May 11, 1995.Schwartz pushed the lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal off a wrist shot with 7:24 left in the second period and completed the natural hat trick early in the third. It was the Blues first postseason hat trick since Vladimir Tarasenko scored three times on April 18, 2015, against Minnesota.Byfuglien jumped on the rebound of a shot by Kevin Hayes with 7:43 left in the contest, and Little pulled Winnipeg within one with 37 seconds remaining and Hellebuyck pulled for an extra skater.NOTES: Winnipeg managed just one shot on goal in the second period. ... The visiting team held a 12-4 scoring advantage in the third period and overtime during the series. ... Winnipeg LW Nikolaj Ehlers played despite being hit in the foot by a shot from Colton Parayko late in Game 5. ... The Blues had lost eight successive Game 6 contests. ... St. Louis Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright and C Yadier Molina were in attendance. ... The Blues recorded 20 hits in the first period, a series best.UP NEXTBlues: Will face either Nashville or Dallas in the second round.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop, New York Islanders netminder Robin Lehner, and Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy are the finalists for this year's Vezina Trophy, the league announced Saturday.The Vezina Trophy is given annually to the goalie voted best at his position. Here's a look at how the three netminders stack up:GSAA = goals saved above average