Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov claims Alex Ovechkin initiated the lopsided fight in which he fell victim to the powerful right fist of the Washington Capitals' captain."He did ask me first for (a) fight," Svechnikov said in broken English, according to The News and Observer's Luke DeCock. "I am not (a) superhero, (not going to) ask first for (a) fight."The 19-year-old Svechnikov was knocked out by his fellow countryman during the first period of Game 3 after the two dropped the mitts. He suffered a concussion and remains unable to return for Saturday's Game 5.Here's a video of the bout:

It was only a matter of time before goalie interference reviews left their mark on the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.After a goal stood earlier in the evening during Game 5 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, the Calgary Flames were unable to overturn an on-ice goalie interference call in their win-or-go-home tilt with the Colorado Avalanche. Goalie interference giveth, and goalie interference taketh away.

The Toronto Maple Leafs earned a critical road victory over the Boston Bruins on Friday night, winning 2-1 while taking Game 5 in somewhat controversial fashion.The Bruins challenged Auston Matthews' go-ahead goal with just over eight minutes left in the game for goaltender interference after Leafs forward Zach Hyman appeared to make contact with Tuukka Rask. The goal was upheld, and Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy disagrees with the decision."From my viewpoint it clearly looked like goaltender interference," Cassidy said postgame, according to The Athletic's Joe McDonald. "The call didn't go our way and it's 1-0 with eight minutes to go. We have time to get ourselves back in the game and regroup, unfortunately we weren't able to do that."

Steve Yzerman is widely considered the best architect in hockey after building the Tampa Bay Lightning into a juggernaut during his eight-year run in south Florida. But now the brilliant executive faces a difficult task as the newly-minted general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.Yzerman has to clean up the mess his predecessor, Ken Holland, left behind. While there are some encouraging young building blocks in place, the organization's on-ice product is poor, and numerous bad contracts and a weak farm system are dragging Detroit down.It'll be a rude awakening for anyone expecting the NHL's genius GM to turn the Red Wings into a contender overnight.The contractual nightmareIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyHolland has put Detroit back on the correct rebuilding track recently, but from 2015 to 2017 he neglected the future, insisting on doing whatever it took to keep the Red Wings' playoff streak alive (25 straight seasons). That organizational direction may have come from ownership, but regardless, Detroit's youth movement started two or three years late.Some of the contracts given to veterans during Holland's tenure were intended to help the Red Wings remain short-term contenders. Now, those deals are creating long-term issues.PlayerPos.AgeCap hitUFA year*Frans NielsenF34$5.25M2022*Justin AbdelkaderF32$4.25M2023*Darren HelmF32$3.85M2021Luke GlendeningF29$1.8M2021*Mike GreenD33$5.375M2020*Danny DeKeyserD29$5M2022*Jonathan EricssonD35$4.25M2020*Trevor DaleyD35$3.16M2020Jonathan BernierG30$3M2021*Indicates player has a no-trade clause.While a few of those deals will be off the books soon, others will be tough to shed, limiting Detroit's spending and lineup flexibility moving forward.The pieces in placeIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Red Wings finished with the league's fourth-worst record this past season, but the 2018-19 campaign was still an encouraging one for player development.Dylan Larkin, 22, evolved into a legitimate No. 1 center while scoring a career-high 32 goals, and he could become the club's next captain. It all came together for speedy 24-year-old Andreas Athanasiou, too, who potted 30 goals. Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi, both 24, also enjoyed their most productive seasons. Even defenseman Filip Hronek, 21, performed well as a rookie and midseason call-up.However, the core Yzerman inherits drastically pales in comparison to the one he began with in Tampa Bay. Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman - a pair of former top two picks - formed the foundation, but even with those tent poles in place, the Lightning needed time to become annual contenders under Yzerman. They made one surprising trip to the conference finals in 2010-11, then missed the playoffs two straight years.Last year's No. 6 pick Filip Zadina possesses star potential for Detroit, but the rest of the team's prospects aren't overly impressive. Joe Veleno, the 30th pick in 2018, was the only other Red Wing to crack Corey Pronman's midseason prospect rankings list that features over 75 names. And only Zadina made TSN's top 50 list in January.An eye for talentScott Audette / National Hockey League / GettyYzerman will likely receive more chances to draft near the top of the board in Detroit than he did in Tampa Bay. But what sets him apart from other GMs - and turned the Lightning into a powerhouse - is finding high-end talent beyond the first round.Nikita Kucherov and Adam Erne were second-round picks for the Lightning, while Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli were third-rounders, Mathieu Joseph was chosen in the fourth round, Ondrej Palat was a seventh-rounder, and Yanni Gourde and Tyler Johnson went undrafted.That group shows Yzerman's eye for talent. But there's also a sliver of luck involved to land an MVP-caliber player outside the first round, and ink top-six forwards as undrafted free agents.Yzerman is more than an astute talent evaluator, as his asset management is exceptional and he's a natural-born leader. If one GM can bring the Red Wings back to glory, it's him.But with several roadblocks ahead while competing in a stacked division, the turnaround may take longer than some expect, despite Stevie Wonder's impressive resume.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Warren Foegele won't face supplementary discipline for his hit from behind on Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said, according to The News & Observer's Luke DeCock.The incident happened with just over five minutes remaining in Game 4 on Thursday night. Oshie left the game immediately and Capitals head coach Todd Reirden announced after the contest that the 32-year-old "won't be playing anytime soon." Foegele was assessed a two-minute minor for boarding on the play.Oshie has been an essential piece of the Capitals' offensive core. The skilled winger contributed eight goals and 21 points in 24 contests en route to the franchise's first Stanley Cup victory last spring.Coming off his first full regular-season campaign, Foegele has never been suspended at the NHL level. The 6-foot-2 grinder has been a catalyst for the Hurricanes' offense this postseason, posting three goals and five points over four games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings announced the hiring of franchise legend Steve Yzerman as the club's general manager and executive vice president in a press conference on Friday.Yzerman, 53, spent the last eight years as the general manager and vice president of the Tampa Bay Lightning before resigning from the role in September 2018 with one year remaining on his contract.

The Calgary Flames have listed forward James Neal as a healthy scratch for Game 5 as they try to avoid elimination versus the Colorado Avalanche.After winning the opening game of the series, the Flames dropped three straight to Colorado, with two of the losses coming in overtime. The series heads back to the Saddledome as Calgary looks to stay alive.The 31-year-old has yet to register a point in the playoffs and owns a minus-three rating. He recorded 55 points in 104 playoff games prior to joining the Flames.Neal is in the first year of a five-year, $28.75-million contract. He registered 19 points in 63 games this season and failed to crack 20 goals for the first time in his 11-year career.He will be replaced in the lineup by 26-year-old Austin Czarnik.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock doesn't believe Drake's presence at the Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night had anything to do with his team's loss."That's probably the craziest thing I've ever heard," Babcock said Thursday, according to David Alter of the Boston Globe. "The game is played on the ice by us. There's no curse whatsoever."Drake was in attendance and wore a Maple Leafs jersey for Toronto's 6-4 loss to the Boston Bruins, which Babcock has no issue with."Anytime anybody wants to come and support us, we're all in," he added.The Grammy Award-winning artist has a history of "cursing" teams by showing support prior to an event. Alabama's 2019 football team was the latest victim of the perceived curse, with Serena Williams, Conor McGregor, and the Toronto Raptors among the other victims over the years.During the 2019 NFL playoffs, Drake wore a sweatshirt with the logos of the four remaining teams to avoid hexing one specific franchise.AS Roma of Italy's Serie A soccer league recently banned their players from appearing in pictures with Drake to avoid the curse.With the series between Toronto and Boston heading back to TD Garden tied at two games apiece, Maple Leafs fans are likely hoping Drake travels to Massachusetts in the Bruins' colors for Friday's contest.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes evened their series, the St. Louis Blues mounted a frantic comeback, and the San Jose Sharks warded off elimination on a busy Thursday in the NHL playoffs. Here are some key takeaways from each game.Wild night for Foegele, spunky HurricanesFrom the first rush of the game to the third-period shove from behind that left Alex Ovechkin fuming, Carolina's fourth matchup with Washington became the Warren Foegele show.An unlikely headline-grabber, even on a Hurricanes team that lacks star power, Foegele opened the game flying and scored just 17 seconds into the contest after the Capitals' Matt Niskanen was caught up ice.

The Philadephia Flyers will no longer play Kate Smith's "God Bless America" recording at Wells Fargo Arena after discovering the singer performed songs that contained racist lyrics."We have recently become aware that several songs performed by Kate Smith contain offensive lyrics that do not reflect our values as an organization," the Flyers said in a statement Friday."As we continue to look into this serious matter, we are removing Kate Smith's recording of 'God Bless America' from our library and covering up the statue that stands outside of our arena," the statement continued.Here is a photo of the statue as of Friday morning:

San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton, New York Islanders netminder Robin Lehner, and Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno were announced Friday as finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk will be out three-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury, the team announced.The 35-year-old blue-liner logged just over eight minutes in the Islanders' sweep-clinching win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.He played in 74 games for New York this season while averaging over 18 minutes per game.After making quick work of the Penguins, the Islanders await either the Washington Capitals or Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2 of the postseason.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Another dangerous play has enveloped an intense series between the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes.Late in Game 4 on Thursday night, Hurricanes forward Warren Foegele hit Capitals winger T.J. Oshie from behind, sending him into the boards in a heap and forcing the veteran from the contest.The play didn't sit well with Washington."It was a defenseless player that was quite a distance from the boards, it's an extremely dangerous play," head coach Todd Reirden said postgame, according to NBC Sports Capitals.Foegele was given a two-minute minor for boarding, but Alex Ovechkin doesn't believe that's enough."It's a dirty play," the captain said, per Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. "It has to be not two minutes. It has to be different call."Although Foegele escaped a major penalty, the Department of Player Safety will look at the incident, reports The Athletic's Chris Kuc."I was trying to lift his stick, trying to give him a little nudge," Foegele said to Khurshudyan. "It was a little unfortunate play there, I wasn't trying to hurt him or anything. I hope he's OK."Reirden said the Capitals will be without Oshie for "quite some time."The incident marks the second straight contest when the two teams have shared their displeasure after a violent play.In Game 3, Ovechkin knocked Hurricanes rookie Andrei Svechnikov out of the game with a devastating punch when the two fought. Carolina head coach Rod Brind'Amour then went on a lengthy rant about why Ovechkin's role in the tilt bothered him.The Hurricanes won both contests to even the series at 2-2. Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals' title defense may have to continue without T.J. Oshie.The forward "won't be playing anytime soon" after Carolina Hurricanes winger Warren Foegele cross-checked him from behind in the third period of the Capitals' 2-1 loss Thursday, head coach Todd Reirden said postgame.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, St. Louis Blues center Ryan O'Reilly, and Calgary Flames pivot Sean Monahan have been named finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

A disappointed Tampa Bay Lightning team faced the media Thursday after suffering a sweep at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the NHL playoffs.Captain Steven Stamkos delivered a blunt assessment of the postseason letdown."This group has a long summer to live with this. A wasted opportunity," Stamkos said, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith.The Lightning tied the NHL record with 62 wins in the regular season before becoming the first Presidents' Trophy winners of the expansion era - beginning in 1967-68 - to get swept in the first round of the playoffs."We've done a lot of winning here but still nobody is satisfied, internally and externally. We know the standard. We say a lot of things but you have to go out on the ice and do it. We didn't do it," Stamkos added.The 29-year-old recorded a career-high 98 points in the regular season but managed to find the scoresheet only twice versus the Blue Jackets.Stamkos' disappointment was echoed by his teammates, including goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy."We're all empty inside," Vasilevskiy said."The Presidents' Trophy won't help any team win in the playoffs unless they bring hard work and attitude to the playoffs," he added.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby won't represent Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Championship following his team's disappointing exit from the NHL postseason."I'm just going to try to make the most of the rest," he said during the Penguins' locker room cleanout. "No significant injuries, but as you get older, there are things that nag you."The New York Islanders' sweep of the Penguins will give Crosby his longest offseason since the conclusion of the 2014-2015 campaign. He's played in 64 playoff games over the past four years.After recording 100 points in 79 games this past regular season, the 31-year-old was held to just one assist in four playoff contests versus the Islanders.Despite the loss, Crosby insisted he has faith in Pittsburgh's roster moving forward."It's always easy to point fingers when you lose ... I definitely have confidence in this group," he said, according to Wes Crosby of The Associated Press.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 2, Filip Gustavsson of the Belleville Senators runs through his mask's personalized and standardized elements. From pop culture nods to a story of an errant dressing room chair, there's a lot of depth to Gustavsson's mask art.Also from this series:

No moment emphasized the magnitude of Game 4 in Toronto on Wednesday night quite like the point when, a few minutes in, a TV camera panned high above the ice and settled on Drake. The local rapper deigned to support his hometown Maple Leafs in person - despite not appearing courtside, as is his custom, at either of his beloved Raptors' first home playoff games.

Mark Stone, Ryan O'Reilly, and Patrice Bergeron are the finalists for the 2019 Selke Trophy as the NHL's top forward who best excels in defensive aspects of the game, the league announced Wednesday.Stone, who was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights at the trade deadline, is the lone winger up for the award but is certainly deserving of recognition. The 26-year-old notched a career-high 73 points while maintaining a Corsi For relative to his teammates of 8.6 and notching 122 takeaways. A winger hasn't won the award since Jere Lehtinen in 2002-03.O'Reilly made a tremendous impact in his debut season with the St. Louis Blues, also hitting a career high in points with 77. He started over 50 percent of his even-strength shifts in the defensive zone and was dominant in the faceoff circle, winning 56.9 percent of his draws.Bergeron is up for the award for a seventh consecutive year. If he's chosen, he'll be the only player in NHL history to win the Selke five times. The 33-year-old appeared in just 65 games this season but notched 79 points, boasted a Corsi For rating of 57 percent, and won 56.6 percent of his faceoffs.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne was yanked Wednesday after allowing four goals on eight shots in the first period of Game 4 against the Dallas Stars. The Stars went on to win 5-1, evening the series at two games apiece.Here's a look at all four tallies that ended Rinne's night:

One of Wayne Gretzky's so-called untouchable records may be within reach after all, and The Great One is ready for it.Alex Ovechkin's remarkable durability and prodigious scoring ability have put Gretzky's all-time goals record of 894 within striking distance. Ovechkin, who has 658 tallies to his name, would need to average 34 goals over the next seven seasons to catch Gretzky.Gretzky thinks it can be done."Absolutely," he said on the Hockey Night in Canada podcast to be released Thursday, according to the CBC's Cole Shelton. "First and foremost, you got to be injury-free and Alex has been injury-free throughout his career."You have to play in a good organization and Alex is playing in a good organization. And you have to play with good players, and Alex is playing on a good team with good players. I just have nothing but respect for the young man. He plays the game hard, he plays physical and he wants to win."The 33-year-old Russian is coming off his eighth 50-goal campaign and recently admitted he's eyeing Gretzky's record.When Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's goals record in 1994, Howe was the first to congratulate him. Gretzky says he'll do the same if Ovechkin can make history."My dad said when I broke Gordie Howe's record, and I was a little bit embarrassed, he said, 'You know, one day someone is going to come along and maybe break your record and you just make sure you handle it yourself the same way Gordie Howe did,'" Gretzky said. "And that is what I am trying to do."Listen, I have nothing but respect and time for Alex, and good for him. If he does get close and does break it, I'll be there at the game, hopefully. And, hopefully, I can be the first guy to shake his hand."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, Justin Bourne of The Athletic and Josh Wegman of theScore join John to discuss the early stages of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Topics include:

Ryan Reaves doesn't seem opposed to his newfound nickname.On Wednesday, the Vegas Golden Knights forward responded to Evander Kane giving him the "Muffin Man" moniker one day prior."That's my new nickname, so you can call me that," Reaves told reporters, including the Las Vegas Review-Journal's David Schoen.Reaves also addressed Kane's assertions that Reaves "sure does a lot of talking," and that "he thinks it's the WWE.""If Vince McMahon wants to call me when I retire I could always use a few extra bucks," the Golden Knights agitator told reporters, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger.Reaves joked that he'd use his new nickname in the ring and walk out to the nursery rhyme, "The Muffin Man," which the Vegas DJ played when Kane was ejected from Game 4 on Tuesday night.Before Tuesday's contest, Kane took a shot at Reaves' effort in their Game 3 fight."For the so-called toughest guy in the league, I don't know if he landed a punch," Kane said. "At times I thought I was fighting the Muffin Man. Didn't expect that, I expected more of a battle."The two players finally fought with about two minutes left in Game 3 after jawing at each other for much of the contest.Vegas shut out San Jose 5-0 on Tuesday to take a 3-1 series lead.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Juuso Valimaki will get his first taste of postseason action Wednesday night.The Calgary Flames defenseman is officially in the lineup for Game 4 of the team's first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche.Valimaki, a 20-year-old rookie, appeared in 24 regular-season contests for Calgary, chipping in three points and averaging 15:29 of ice time.The Flames selected him 16th overall in the 2017 draft.Colorado currently leads the best-of-seven series 2-1 after a 6-2 victory in Game 3.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It turns out the Tampa Bay Lightning's historic regular season was all for naught.The Bolts were in first place for virtually the entire 2018-19 campaign and cruised to the Presidents' Trophy thanks to a dominant 128-point output. Appropriately, Tampa was labeled the favorite to roll over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round and march to the Stanley Cup, but head coach Jon Cooper believes a lack of important games down the stretch did his club in through a stunning first-round sweep."When you have the amount of points we had, it's a blessing and a curse in a way, because you don't play, really, any meaningful hockey for a long time and all of the sudden you have to amp it up," Cooper said postgame, according to Sportsnet. "It's not an excuse, it's reality."Tuesday's defeat marks the latest playoff heartbreak for the Lightning, who had lost in the Stanley Cup Final and two Eastern Conference Finals since 2015 before this year's unfathomable exit."We just couldn't find our game, that was it," Cooper said. "It had been with us all year, and for six days in April, we couldn't find it. It's unfortunate because it puts a blemish on what was one hell of a regular season."The Lightning didn't lose three consecutive games once during the regular season. Dating back to 2018's Eastern Conference Final, they have now lost six straight playoff contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Micheal Ferland is not expected to play against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night."I would say (he's) still a ways away," Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour told reporters, including ABC11's Joe Mazur, on Wednesday.When asked if he was ruling the 26-year-old out for Game 4, the Carolina bench boss replied, "Pretty much."Ferland left Game 3 on Monday night and didn't return with what the club classified as an upper-body injury.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

That was a dismantling, not a playoff series. A whooping, not a battle.An epic collapse.The Tampa Bay Lightning, quite literally one of the greatest regular-season teams in NHL history, were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Columbus Blue Jackets. A 7-3 loss on Tuesday sealed Tampa’s fate.Jamie Sabau / Getty ImagesThe Lightning looked like a shell of themselves from the second period of Game 1 until the final buzzer in Game 4, which sent Nationwide Arena into a tizzy. Tampa is the first-ever Presidents' Trophy winner to be swept in the opening round, and it lost to a team that needed 81 games to earn a playoff spot.Let’s pour one out for the juggernaut and tip our cap to Columbus, the worthy underdog. Here are four takeaways from the upset:Will can overpower skillIf the first week of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs has taught us one thing, it’s this: The postseason is an entirely different animal than the regular season.Yes, the go-time switch is flipped every spring, but this year feels different. The phenomenon is more pronounced than in previous playoffs, or so it seems.The Blue Jackets sweeping the Lightning, and the Islanders sweeping the Penguins, both count as surprises. One, of course, is infinitely more surprising than the other, but in both instances the hungrier team dominated.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesOn paper, Tampa is a powerhouse blessed with a tantalizing mix of high-end skill and talent, as well as depth and changeability. Columbus, on paper, is a pretty damn good hockey team too but, like 30 other teams, not quite comparable to peak Tampa.Now, as the likes of power forward Josh Anderson, burgeoning sniper Oliver Bjorkstrand, and versatile defenseman David Savard proved, hockey isn’t won on paper. All three were tremendous against the Lightning, winning puck battles, scoring goals, and shutting down some of the opposition’s best players. They outplayed Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Steven Stamkos.The Blue Jackets' main bus drivers - forwards Matt Duchene, Artemi Panarin, and Cam Atkinson, defensemen Zach Werenski and Seth Jones, as well as goalie Sergei Bobrovsky - most certainly did their parts too.Together, the John Tortorella-led group out-willed a more talented Tampa squad. Once the team gained an edge, they never let it go.Bobrovsky’s choke job is overCancel the classic narrative, because Bobrovsky’s playoff demons have officially been slain.Bobrovsky turned aside 109 of 117 shots to earn a sterling .932 save percentage in four games. In 24 previous playoff appearances, he had an .891 save percentage, countless boos, and a reputation as the two-time Vezina Trophy winner with no big-game clout.Jamie Sabau / Getty ImagesBobrovsky's five-on-five netminding was so outstanding in this series that it makes you wonder how long he can sustain such a high level of play. The 30-year-old stopped 100 of 106 shots (.943 save percentage) at even strength against the NHL's highest-scoring team.At the other end of the rink, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy wasn’t sharp (.856 save percentage) or supported well enough (faced 83 scoring chances). This early playoff exit is only partially his fault.Jon Cooper never loses his coolLightning coach Jon Cooper is by nature a calm individual. He always appears to be in control of his emotions and prefers to take a glass-half-full approach to life. It’s what makes him who he is.So maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that the first sign of life from Cooper - at least publicly - came Tuesday after he won an offside challenge and was caught by TV cameras trying to charge up the bench?Jamie Sabau / Getty ImagesStill, it was a little odd that Cooper didn’t go off on a tirade behind the bench or deliver a soundbite through the media in the five days between the club’s worrisome series-opening loss and that series-closing challenge. It was low-hanging fruit.Perhaps, though, Cooper didn’t want to break the mold, no matter what transpired.These Lightning were so incredibly steady all year. They made winning 62 games, and never losing more than two in a row, look surgical. Cooper was a gigantic part of their season-long success and is in contention for coach of the year honors. Why change now, right?Clearly, the guy knows what he’s doing. And he did encounter a number of injuries and a suspension to Kucherov, his best player. He had built-in excuses.Yet, in a weird, lingering way, Cooper’s calmness projected a strange vibe.These Blue Jackets might do more damageLooking ahead, what’s the ceiling for the Blue Jackets?It’s fair to recalibrate our expectations for this Eastern Conference wild-card team, seeing as it just walked all over everybody’s unanimous Stanley Cup pick and should have plenty of time to rest. Its second-round opponent will be the winner of the Maple Leafs-Bruins series, which may go seven games.What's more, the Blue Jackets' previously woeful power play - somehow, with that personnel, it ranked 28th in the NHL during the regular season - is really clicking. Relying on five different scorers, Columbus rectified the situation against Tampa, bagging five tallies on just 10 opportunities.Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesDuchene, picked up from the Ottawa Senators in late February, collected three goals and four assists in the opening round and looks every bit the player Columbus hoped it had acquired. His presence adds another dynamic up front.The stock of this group, as a whole, is sky-high right now. The Blue Jackets just won the first playoff round in franchise history against an all-time squad. They are dialed in and playing a brand of hockey that can upend just about any team in the East.The best part? Whatever's next is gravy.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.

The Pittsburgh Penguins reportedly view just two of their players as unavailable to other clubs in potential deals.Only Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are considered "untouchable" when it comes to a potential Penguins trade, a team source told The Athletic's Rob Rossi.However, the source said Pittsburgh is very unlikely to part with forward Jake Guentzel and goaltender Matt Murray, too, and that signing the netminder to a contract extension is "the No. 1 thing to get done" in the offseason.Following a 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders that swept the Penguins out of the playoffs Tuesday night, Phil Kessel was asked if he expects to be dealt."That's a tough question to start, but I don't know at this point," the forward said, according to Rossi. "We'll see how it goes this summer. I've never worried about it. Obviously, two years in a row it didn't go the way we wanted it to. We'll see."The Penguins explored trading Kessel last summer, and he was agreeable to playing for the Arizona Coyotes, multiple sources told Rossi.Crosby and Malkin both have full no-trade clauses and are signed through 2024-25 and 2021-22, respectively. Guentzel inked a five-year, $30-million extension with the club in December and Murray is under contract through 2019-20.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets completed a stunning four-game, first-round sweep over the historically dominant Tampa Bay Lightning in front of a raucous home crowd on Tuesday night.While those inside Nationwide Arena reacted with hugs and cheers, many onlookers chimed in on social media to offer their takes on perhaps the biggest postseason upset in NHL history.Many simply expressed their disbelief:

The New York Islanders swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night.The win marked the Islanders' first sweep since 1983 and just their second series victory over the last 25 seasons.New York stifled the Penguins with its physical play from the start of Game 1 and received excellent goaltending from likely Vezina Trophy candidate Robin Lehner, who posted a .956 save percentage for the series.The Islanders managed to control the middle of the ice, smothering the Penguins' attack and ultimately nullifying the impact of their star-studded forward group. Through four games, Pittsburgh's core four of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, and Jake Guentzel combined for just three goals and seven points."We didn't execute well and made a few more mistakes than they did. Personally, I've got to be better," Crosby said following the loss. "It's disappointing for how well we finished the year and the things we played through to get into this position."Though Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan wasn't upset by his team's overall effort, he pinned their downfall on a failure to execute in key situations."When you look at the nature of the games and the way they were played, it was a whole lot closer than the optics," Sullivan said, according to wtae.com's Andrew Stockey. "Every game, for that matter, was a one-goal game ... it boils down to critical moments."Kessel, who has 303 points over four regular seasons in Pittsburgh, has been in mentioned in previous trade speculation and was asked about his future with the club after the loss."That’s a tough question to start," Kessel said, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I don't know at this point. We'll see how it goes this summer."It's the second time the Penguins have been swept in the Crosby-Malkin era after falling to the Boston Bruins in four games in the 2013 Eastern Conference Final.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have pulled off the unthinkable, eliminating the 62-win Tampa Bay Lightning from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a four-game, first-round sweep with a 7-3 victory Tuesday night.It's the first series win in the history of the Blue Jackets franchise, and the first time in the modern era that a Presidents' Trophy winner has been swept in the first round, according to Sportsnet Stats.Columbus blitzed Tampa once again to start Game 4, scoring two goals in the opening four minutes to set the tone. The Lightning clawed back to make it 3-3 in the second period, but a power-play marker from Oliver Bjorkstrand with 1:14 remaining in the middle frame put the Jackets back up for good. They added three empty-netters late in the third to seal the deal.Tampa Bay entered the playoffs as the overwhelming favorite to win the Stanley Cup after accruing 128 regular-season points. The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, were the final team in the Eastern Conference to qualify for the postseason, sneaking in as the second wild-card seed on the second-last day of the regular season.The Blue Jackets are the first team to advance in the 2019 playoffs and will face the winner of the Maple Leafs-Bruins series in Round 2.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane doesn't think Ryan Reaves has any business mocking 21-year veteran Joe Thornton.Kane came to his teammate's defense Tuesday, firing back at Reaves for the Vegas Golden Knights enforcer's jokes targeting Thornton's age and subsequent waning vision."To chirp Jumbo's vision, a guy who has over 1,000 assists, that doesn't seem too bright," Kane said according to The Athletic's Kevin Kurz. "One of the best passers and best guys with vision on the ice to ever play the game. Just shows a lot about his hockey knowledge and hockey IQ. Clearly, it's lacking."Thornton ranks eighth on the NHL's all-time assists list with 1,065 helpers and has put together a Hall of Fame career.Kane and Reaves exchanged blows with two minutes to play in Game 3, a 6-3 Vegas victory. After defending his teammate, the Sharks' pesky winger turned to his own personal feud with Reaves."For the so-called toughest guy in the league, I don't know if he landed a punch," Kane said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Adam HIll. "At times I thought I was fighting the Muffin Man. Didn't expect that, I expected more of a battle."Kane took a shot at Reaves' on-ice ability as well, belittling his fourth-line status."For a guy who plays three-and-a-half minutes a night, he sure does a lot of talking," Kane said. "I think he thinks it's the WWE. He's probably going to end up there pretty soon with the way his game looks. Another year left on his deal. I'm sure Vince McMahon will be giving him a call pretty soon."The Golden Knights hold a 2-1 advantage in the opening-round series and will look to push the Sharks to the brink with a victory at home in Game 4 on Tuesday night.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings hired Todd McLellan to be their next head coach, the team announced Tuesday.Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports the deal is for five years and is worth around $25 million depending on bonuses.McLellan began the 2018-19 season as bench boss of the Edmonton Oilers but was relieved of his duties on Nov. 20 after the team got off to a 9-10-1 record.The 51-year-old enjoyed his greatest success in San Jose, coaching the Sharks to the playoffs in six of his seven seasons with the club, including back-to-back conference final appearances in 2010 and 2011.McLellan has international experience on his resume as well, coaching the Canadian national team to a perfect 10-0 record and a gold medal at the 2015 World Championship.The Kings fired John Stevens as head coach on Nov. 4 after a 4-8-1 start to the 2018-19 campaign and have had Willie Desjardins fill the role on an interim basis since.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mitch Marner says he wasn't concerned about shielding his face as he blocked a pair of shots in the dying seconds of the Toronto Maple Leafs' 3-2 victory in Game 3 against the Boston Bruins on Monday night."I mean, there's dentists for a reason, so whatever," Marner told the media, including TSN, at practice Tuesday. "Luckily enough, it didn't hit me in the face, but it could have been a tough result if it had."Marner laid out in front of two David Pastrnak blasts mere moments before the final buzzer sounded Monday night."I was already down there, I was right in front of him," added Marner. "I knew if (the puck) got in there, it was going to be kind of a tough shot for (Maple Leafs goaltender) Freddie (Andersen) to save. It was going to be low and hard, and I didn't know what would happen, so I just tried to sprawl out as much as possible. (I) put my arms out and lucky enough, it hit me."Marner's teammates appreciated his efforts."Just a guy doing whatever it takes to keep the puck out of the net," Jake Muzzin said. "We need everybody to (have) that mentality and that mindset, so it was awesome to see (Monday) night."John Tavares agreed."When you see a guy sacrificing their body to make a play that's obviously going to help the team, and there's some pain that obviously comes with that, no question, especially a guy like Mitch that obviously plays a big role for our team ... (to see him) make a key play there gives everyone a big boost, especially when it's able to help solidify a victory," he said.Marner logged more ice time in Game 3 than all skaters for both clubs except Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly, and Bruins blue-liners Torey Krug and Charlie McAvoy. His defense in the game is what stood out, but he also fired five shots on goal and notched an assist on Auston Matthews' second-period marker.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A couple of weeks ago, journalist Zach Schonbrun was browsing the internet and happened across an article about an unusual 3-point-shooting demonstration in Tokyo. Toyota engineers, he read, had built a human-shaped robot that stands 6-foot-10, equipped their creation with pliable knees, elbows, and wrists, and programmed it to aim basketballs at a hoop with knockdown precision.In front of an Associated Press reporter, the robot canned 5-of-8 attempts from behind the arc - a lesser success rate than usual, its makers said. Later, one publication noted in a headline that the machine is a better long-range gunner than Stephen Curry, the offensive maestro who's shot threes at a 43.6 percent clip throughout his NBA career."Steph Curry's going to be long retired before any robot's taking his job," Schonbrun thought to himself.Schonbrun found the comparison especially ludicrous because, as he puts it, most robots aren't as deft as the average 5-year-old child - if you're in search of a laugh, he suggests watching YouTube compilations of automatons trying to open a door - while Curry and few other people on Earth represent the pinnacle of human motion. No novice basketball fan would look at Curry and see a two-time MVP, but the nimbleness with which he moves on the court, handles the ball, and lets it fly from deep has made him exactly that.Thearon W. Henderson / Getty ImagesAt 6-foot-3, Curry is smaller than the Toyota robot and many of his opponents, but it's still easy to see how his physical attributes allow him to dominate on the court. We can perceive the elusiveness that earns him a modicum of space from a defender and understand the strength that enables him to hoist effortless, accurate jumpers from close to half court.But to Schonbrun, this focus on Curry's body is misguided. In his book "The Performance Cortex," which was released in paperback form last week, he contends that the true key to the point guard's greatness - and to the Golden State Warriors' hopes of winning a fourth championship in five seasons - can largely be traced to another factor."His skill has a lot more to do with his brain than it does with his fast-twitch muscles," Schonbrun told theScore.Curry's brain and those of his peers on the highest plane of professional sports are the central objects of fascination in Schonbrun's book. A former contributing writer for The New York Times, he set out a few years ago to explore the ways that neural activity controls the movements of elite athletes - and, as such, how those athletes perform in competition.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesIn one important passage, Schonbrun writes that top performers "have an inimitable talent for making the right decisions at the right time." Sidney Crosby, he notes, is able to sling a pinpoint pass across the ice when he senses an opening that no one else in the arena has glimpsed; his brain discerns the opportunity and prompts him to take advantage. The same goes for Curry with the ball in his hands. Crucially, this logic doesn't apply to robots that stroke threes but are otherwise incapable of movement.Schonbrun himself long viewed sports as a purely physical exercise, never appreciating that signals originating in the brain are what make athletic magnificence possible. That changed when a Johns Hopkins University neuroscientist, John Krakauer, told him that his perspective was akin to crediting someone's proficiency in a foreign language to their dexterous tongue."I'm no longer focused, necessarily, on how fast (athletes are) running or how high they're jumping," Schonbrun said. "I'm really thinking about the milliseconds it takes for them to make decisions - and make the right ones, most of the time."This notion can be employed across sports. Take the NFL combine, which in Schonbrun's estimation is a wasteful venture where talent evaluators tell prospects to run in a straight line, leap as high as they can, and execute other quick-twitch acts that won't really identify the best game-day competitors.Maddie Meyer / Getty ImagesHe floats an alternative method of assessing, say, quarterbacks: Use neuroimaging technology to track the reads they make in the frantic few seconds after a snap."Having an understanding of who's making those decisions more accurately and who's making them better before the ball is even being released, certainly, I think, would be valuable information," he said.Much of Schonbrun's book is predicated on neuroscience's relevance to baseball, and specifically to the interaction that underpins each of its games: the milliseconds that elapse between the time the ball leaves a pitcher's grasp and the moment it arrives at the plate. When he stares down a 95-mph fastball, a batter has about two-tenths of a second to process the offering and to choose to swing or lay off. If he chooses to swing, he'll have another two-tenths for his brain to send that instruction down the spinal cord and out through his musculature.That severe time crunch means batting is more about prediction than reaction. Expert hitters can project the appeal of a pitch as it's being released. Jason Sherwin and Jordan Muraskin, two neuroscientists whom Schonbrun profiles at length in the book, have used brain-scanning equipment to show that the best hitters are often those whose neurons make accurate decisions fractionally faster.Though it may seem counterintuitive, a story of three famous strikeouts helps reveal the brain's paramount contribution to batting. At a 2004 exhibition, legendary softball pitcher Jennie Finch made quick work of MLB All-Stars Albert Pujols, Mike Piazza, and Brian Giles by throwing underhand from 43 feet away, the standard distance in women's softball.As Schonbrun writes, the speed of Finch's pitches mirrored that of a 95-mph fastball thrown from a major-league mound distance of 60 feet, 6 inches, but the unfamiliar angle of her delivery stripped the hitters of the predictive capacity that propelled them to stardom. They didn't know what to expect, and their physical gifts weren't enough to compensate.In a number of ways, the aims and possibilities of neuroscience are at odds with the realities of pro sports. Analytics mavens abound in MLB front offices, but a few years ago, when Sherwin and Muraskin tried to convince teams that neural data could help them evaluate hitters, they found that some executives were suspicious of their scientific expertise. Even if a team acknowledges the utility of such data, it might determine the fate of a player's career based on a sample an academic would think too small. Players might not want their employer to study their brain.Despite these hindrances, Schonbrun believes neuroscience is gradually starting to take hold. He sees it every time a franchise hires a sports scientist who's studied the brain, including a few in recent years in MLB."It's silliness to ignore it," he said, "and to continue to go make terrible decisions based off of combine scores and sprints."For now, one of the main lessons in "The Performance Cortex" can be summarized by a piece of celebrated internet content. In the above video from 2014, a 2-year-old girl solves a Rubik's Cube in 70 seconds. It came up in a conversation Schonbrun once had with Krakauer, and it's worth contemplating anytime Curry pulls up from 30 feet.Typically, no kid would be considered intelligent at such a young age. But her accomplishment sure seems like a sign of genius."Perhaps, then, Krakauer argues, we should be evaluating intelligence simply based upon extraordinary things we can do with our brains," Schonbrun writes."Becoming an all-time great professional basketball player would be one of those things."Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore. He’s on Twitter @nickmfaris.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without their best defenseman when they try to stave off elimination.Victor Hedman won't play in Game 4 against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said after the morning skate.Hedman also missed Game 3 of the first-round series Sunday with an undisclosed injury.The reigning Norris Trophy winner notched 54 points in 70 regular-season games during 2018-19.Cooper added Tuesday that Anton Stralman will also miss Game 4. Stralman has been out with what the club classified as a lower-body injury and last played in Tampa Bay's penultimate regular-season game on April 4.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes are playing it safe with Andrei Svechnikov after the 19-year-old rookie was injured in a fight with Alex Ovechkin on Monday night.Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Tuesday he would assume Svechnikov is out for Game 4 against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Chris Kuc.Brind'Amour added that Svechnikov is in concussion protocol and went to the hospital Monday night, though everything "checked out," according to the team's senior web producer, Michael Smith."We're going to be real careful," the Carolina bench boss said Tuesday.Ovechkin dropped Svechnikov to the ice with a hard right hand after the Russian countrymen engaged in the first period Monday night. Svechnikov did not return to the game.The Capitals superstar said postgame that Svechnikov asked him to square off, but Brind'Amour seemingly questioned that statement Tuesday."There's two versions of that going around. I'll just leave it at that," the Hurricanes head coach told reporters, including NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.Brind'Amour also expressed his feelings about fighting in hockey, in light of the circumstances.

TORONTO - Typically, Andreas Johnsson is a support piece for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He'll contribute, sure, but he isn't expected to do anything spectacular.Once in a while, though, when the rookie is bolting, buzzing, and bumping around the ice, his impact rises exponentially. Monday's Game 3 against the Boston Bruins was one of those occasions - and the timing was impeccable.Just hours after veteran center Nazem Kadri was given a series-long suspension, Johnsson scored a goal, earned a primary assist, and, as coach Mike Babcock described it afterward, had "all the details in his game."Throughout Toronto's 3-2 home victory over Boston, which gave the Leafs a 2-1 series lead, the feisty winger bolted, traveling from zone to zone with that choppy yet efficient stride of his; buzzed, rattling bodies along the boards and in the corners; and bumped, smartly redirecting the puck from the middle lane to the periphery of the offensive zone on the power play."Johnny's a gamer," teammate Trevor Moore said, sizing up the turbo-charged performance. "That’s Mango," added Zach Hyman, dropping Johnsson's nickname.Kevin Sousa / GettyNow, this Boston-Toronto series shouldn't be about guys like Johnsson. Stripped down to its bare bones, it should be laser-focused on two of the top forward lines in the NHL.For the Bruins, that's the longtime Best Line in Hockey™ - Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak. For the Leafs, it's John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and Hyman, a trio that lives one rung below best-in-class status.Conventional wisdom suggests whoever wins the five-on-five battle between those lines will advance to the second round. And so far, the matchup has been tight.Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak have been on the ice for a combined two goals for and five against, making them minus-3 with a collective Corsi of 52.6 percent. Tavares, Marner, and Hyman have been on the ice for a combined four goals for and five against, making them minus-1. Their collective Corsi is 45.9 percent.With a better goal differential, Toronto holds the edge in the clash of formidable first lines. But only barely.Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesThat brings us back to Johnsson and the rest of Toronto's forward group. Sans Kadri, which players filled the void at even strength and on special teams during Game 3 at Scotiabank Arena?Two Swedes acted as a Kadri Frankenstein of sorts. While Johnsson assumed Kadri's usual high-slot spot on the PP's first unit, countryman William Nylander slid over to the third-line center spot at five-on-five.Nylander, who scored a goal in Game 1 but submitted an error-ridden Game 2, semi-redeemed himself on Monday. Unlike Kadri, the crafty 22-year-old will never wow you with his defensive acumen. But when he's engaged and unafraid of contact - more or less a requirement of playing center in the NHL - he can hold his own without the puck. All in all, Nylander did his part in Game 3.Check out this defensive-zone sequence from the second period. Nylander (No. 29 in blue) identifies the open man (Jake DeBrusk, No. 74 in white), skates toward him, blocks his shot, and then proceeds to awkwardly pin him against the boards. The puck pops out to a Toronto teammate. Crisis averted.Your browser does not support the video tag. Via Sportsnet/CBCJohnsson, who's found a nice home on Auston Matthews' left wing, asserted himself a handful of times during his playoff-high 18 minutes and 30 seconds of ice time. His effectiveness shone brightest through his ferocious forechecks, though his PP goal showed he's perfectly capable of manning the Kadri spot on the first unit.In the clip below, notice how Johnsson (No. 18 in blue) taps his stick to call for the pass from Morgan Rielly. Upon reception, he immediately and intelligently bumps the puck to Matthews and then drives to the net. Thanks to a beautiful behind-the-back pass from Tavares, the puck ends up on his stick in a prime scoring area. Uncontested, Johnsson patiently switches from forehand to backhand before going top corner on Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask.Your browser does not support the video tag. Via Sportsnet/CBCThat goal gave the Leafs a 3-1 lead and capped off a gigantic opening 40 minutes for the team, during which Moore and Matthews joined Johnsson in the goal column and goalie Frederik Andersen stopped 24 of 26 shots. The Leafs had a firm grip on the Bruins, especially in the second period.Meanwhile, Matthews' power-play goal was his first point of the series, and don't be surprised if the face of the franchise carries his swagger into Wednesday's Game 4. Earlier Monday, Babcock had hinted the big center was close to breaking through."Skill is a wonderful thing," the coach said pregame in response to a question about Matthews. "Will is more important at this time of year, and determination."Overall, one could argue that not a single Leafs forward took the night off in Game 3 (though Patrick Marleau would lead the non-factor list). Moore and fellow fourth-liners Tyler Ennis and Frederick Gauthier were active throughout the contest. Marner continued to display his all-around game, fearlessly blocking consecutive shots by Pastrnak in the dying seconds of the third period."To me, that's team-building," Babcock said of Marner's defensive plays. "That's just laying it on the line when you need to and it makes everyone else around you better. Good for him and good for us."All things considered, it was a great night for Toronto's forward group. No Nazem, no problem. At least through one tilt.(Advanced stats courtesy Natural Stat Trick)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.

"You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take."Wayne Gretzky's famous adage was on full display Monday when the Washington Capitals were shut out by the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-0, in Game 3 of their first-round series.The Capitals were dominated from start to finish and were outshot in all three periods, including an 18-1 count in the second frame - their only shot on goal in a span of just over 40 minutes. The single effort set a franchise record for fewest in a period for a road playoff game, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.With 4:51 remaining in the third period, the Hurricanes held a shot advantage of 42-11. They heavily controlled the possession game as well, out-attempting the Capitals 51-28 at even strength on the night.Following the game, Capitals star center Nicklas Backstrom called his team's performance "completely unacceptable," according to NBCS Washington's Brian McNally. In total, nine Capitals were held without a shot on the night."They were on a different level than we were tonight," head coach Todd Reirden said postgame, according to McNally.The win marked the Hurricanes' first in the postseason since May 14, 2009.Washington still holds a 2-1 series lead and will look to bring a stronger effort in Game 4 on Thursday.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri has been suspended for the remainder of the first round for his cross-check to the face of Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk in Game 2 of the teams' first-round series, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced after an in-person hearing Monday.

Joe Thornton may have started a war of words with his playful jabs at the expense of Vegas Golden Knights enforcer Ryan Reaves on Sunday night.Reaves responded Monday by taking a shot at the 39-year-old Thornton over his impending hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety over his hit to the head of Vegas winger Tomas Nosek during Game 3 and his insistence that he "barely touched him.""I've got a buddy with a grandpa going through the same thing," Reaves said, according to Justin Emerson of the Las Vegas Sun. "He can't see very well because he's getting old. Needs glasses. If he gets suspended he's going to have a hard time seeing from the press box."With three hard-fought games in the books already, it appears this series just gained another level of intrigue. The two teams meet Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. ET with Vegas holding a 2-1 lead.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour wasn't thrilled with Alexander Ovechkin after his fight with rookie Andrei Svechnikov in Game 3 on Monday night.The Russian countrymen dropped the gloves in the first period, and the much bigger Ovechkin dropped Svechnikov to the ice with a powerful right hand. Carolina's rookie was helped to the dressing room by trainers and didn't return due to an upper-body injury."If you watch the video, he slashes him twice - Ovi, whack, whack - then Svech gets him back," Brind'Amour said, per ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "I don't know if there's words exchanged but, one guy's gloves come off way first. And that's Ovi, not our guy. So it's a little bit frustrating because he got hurt. It's his first fight. He's played 90 games. He's never fought in his life, and I'm pretty sure Ovi knew that. So that stuff bothers me."The Hurricanes drafted Svechnikov second overall in the 2018 draft, and the skillful winger put up 37 points in 82 games before notching three points in the opening two games of the first-round series."Svech means a lot to us," Brind'Amour said. "Young kid. Just turned 19. He has a special bond with our group, with me too. When you see that it makes you sick. I'm still sick to my stomach about it."After the Hurricanes' 5-0 win, Ovechkin said Svechnikov challenged him to square off, and that he hopes he's OK.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton was suspended one game on Monday for his illegal check to the head of Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced.The hit took place with just over three minutes left in the second period of Game 3. Thornton was handed a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head on the play.

The Philadelphia Flyers have hired Alain Vigneault as their new head coach, the club announced Monday.Vigneault signed a multi-year contract. A source told TSN's Pierre LeBrun that it's a five-year deal worth $25 million.He is the 21st bench boss in Flyers history and will succeed interim head coach Scott Gordon, who took over for the fired Dave Hakstol in December.Vigneault spent five seasons at the helm of the New York Rangers, leading them to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2014. He was fired by New York on the final night of the 2017-18 regular season.Before his Rangers tenure, he coached the Vancouver Canucks for seven campaigns, guiding them to the Cup Final in 2011.Vigneault's first opportunity as an NHL head coach came with the Montreal Canadiens, whom he served from 1997-2000.He will also guide Canada at the upcoming World Championship in Slovakia.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Nashville Predators will be without two veteran players for the foreseeable future.Wayne Simmonds is week-to-week with a lower-body injury and Brian Boyle was given the same timetable after having an appendix procedure, the team announced Monday.The Predators acquired both players in separate deals before the Feb. 25 trade deadline.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Victor Hedman appears unlikely to suit up in another critical game for the Tampa Bay Lightning.The star defenseman is doubtful for Game 4 against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Monday, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith.Hedman was held out of Game 3 with an undisclosed ailment.Columbus took a 3-0 series lead over Tampa Bay with a 3-1 victory Sunday.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton will have a hearing Monday for a hit to the head of Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Monday.Thornton checked Nosek up high late in the second period of Game 3 on Sunday.He was assessed a minor penalty for a hit to the head.Nosek was able to return to the game and played eight shifts in the third period.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche aren't wasting any time getting Cale Makar in the lineup.Makar will make his NHL debut Monday night in Game 3 of Colorado's first-round playoff series against the Calgary Flames, the club announced.The Avalanche signed the 20-year-old to a three-year, entry-level contract Sunday.Makar's University of Massachusetts squad lost to Minnesota Duluth on Saturday in the Frozen Four national championship game.He won the Hobey Baker Award as the top NCAA Division I men's hockey player after amassing 49 points in 41 contests this season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.