Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane will once again lead the United States at the World Championship.Kane was named the captain of the squad for the upcoming tournament by USA Hockey on Monday.The 30-year-old winger will be representing his country for the eighth time on the international stage.Kane captained the team to a bronze-medal finish at the 2018 worlds. He led the event in scoring and was named tournament MVP.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Torey Krug and Jake DeBrusk will suit up for the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters after the morning skate.Krug was leveled by Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin in the second period of Game 2 on Saturday. He left the contest and didn't return.DeBrusk was cross-checked in the head by Leafs forward Nazem Kadri in the third period of the same game. He also left and didn't play another shift.Kadri has a hearing scheduled for Monday afternoon with the NHL's Department of Player Safety to answer for the cross-check on DeBrusk.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko are the No. 1 North American and international skaters, respectively, in the final draft rankings released Monday by NHL Central Scouting.Hughes, the presumptive first overall pick in June's draft, has produced 48 points in 24 games with the U.S. national team development program's Under-18 squad this season. The 17-year-old center will turn 18 on May 14.Kakko, an 18-year-old winger from Finland, notched 38 points in 45 contests with TPS Turku in 2018-19, and added four goals and an assist in five playoff games.The New Jersey Devils won the draft lottery on April 9 and own the first overall pick. The New York Rangers will pick second.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The International Ice Hockey Federation is attempting some damage control following Sunday's controversial finish at the Women's World Championship.In a statement issued Monday, the governing body of international hockey explained why Finland's overtime winner was disallowed in the gold-medal game against the United States, which ultimately won in a shootout."All goals that were scored during the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship were reviewed by the IIHF video goal judge operations," the statement read. "The overtime goal scored by Team Finland against Team USA was reviewed and disallowed by the video goal judge operations, due to non-incidental goaltender interference."Petra Nieminen scored the would-be overtime winner before it was reviewed and overturned after Finland already celebrated what it believed to be a historic home-ice victory.

Joe Thornton seems to have enjoyed teammate Evander Kane's fight with Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves.The San Jose Sharks' elder statesman playfully chirped Reaves about the scrap when asked about it postgame Sunday night.

The league-best Tampa Bay Lightning are officially on the brink.The Presidents' Trophy winners find themselves staring down a 3-0 deficit in their opening-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets after dropping Game 3 by a score of 3-1. Despite this, Lightning head coach John Cooper sees a silver lining."There was a lot of positive energy in that room after the third period," Cooper said after the game, according to FOX Sports Florida. "Adversity hits in different ways and we haven't had a lot of it during the regular season and we have it now. We had adversity going into the third period and I thought we responded well and we've just got to carry that on."As far as I know, we're playing Tuesday, right? So, we're still alive."After a lackluster opening 40 minutes, the Lightning outshot the Blue Jackets 17-8 in the third period. Team captain Steven Stamkos alluded to that as a possible turning point while preaching a one-game-at-a-time mentality."We pushed. We pushed hard. If anything, maybe we found a recipe to break some of their structure there," Stamkos said, according to Bryan Burns of the Lightning's official site. "Obviously, it wasn't good enough."We've got to win a game, just win a game, get it back to Tampa," he said. "It's tough right now, but we just have to find a way. There's nothing to save it for right now. We just have to win the next game and see where it takes us."The Lightning - who tied the NHL record with 62 wins this season - are the first team to win the Presidents' Trophy and go down 3-0 in a first-round series since the Vancouver Canucks in 2012. Only four teams in history have recovered from such a deficit, with the last being the 2014 Los Angeles Kings, who went on to capture the Stanley Cup.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

ST. LOUIS (AP) Kyle Connor and the Winnipeg Jets got back on track by sticking to the same way they wanted to play all along.Connor scored twice, Patrik Laine had a goal and an assist, and the Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 6-3 on Sunday night to climb back into their first-round playoff series.Winnipeg dropped the first two games at home. But they were one-goal games, and Connor felt the Jets just needed a few minor tweaks.Looked pretty good in St. Louis.''As a whole, we played the right way for (the first) two games,'' Connor said. ''Tonight, it was nice to have everyone contribute.''Kevin Hayes, Brandon Tanev and Dustin Byfuglien also scored for Winnipeg, and Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves.Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in St. Louis.''We're building every shift, every game throughout the series,'' Connor said. ''We're getting close to our game and it's pretty dangerous.''David Perron, Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexander Steen scored for the Blues, and Jordan Binnington made 23 stops.Perron put St. Louis in front with a power-play goal late in the first period. He whipped a shot past Hellebuyck from the slot.But the Jets grabbed the lead for good when they scored three times in a span of 4:01 in the second.Hayes started the blitz with a shot from the point that went through traffic before slipping past Binnington. Laine then scored his third goal of the series, converting a pass from Jacob Trouba.Connor capped the blitz with a power-play wrist shot from the faceoff dot at 8:58. He added an insurance goal 14:44 into the final period.''It was just a matter of time,'' Hayes said. ''It's a start.''St. Louis had a chance in the third, pulling within one when Tarasenko scored a power-play goal just 1:51 into the period. But Tanev and Byfuglien responded for Winnipeg, running its lead back out to 5-2 with 11:54 left.''Tonight was not really our team, obviously,'' Perron said ''We weren't happy with our effort. We didn't play a good game. But we've got to give them credit.''Laine, who had 30 goals and 20 assists in the regular season, has scored in all three playoff games. He had just one goal in his last 19 regular-season games.Laine scored five goals in an 8-4 win in St. Louis on Nov. 24, 2018.''We just stayed within our game and tried to play it simple,'' Laine said. ''We got going and just tried to keep our foot on the gas the whole 60 (minutes).''Hellebuyck made a big stop on Pat Maroon just seconds before Tanev's goal.Binnington made a trio of saves in the opening 5:45 to keep the game scoreless. He denied Bryan Little, Hayes, and Mathieu Perrault. Binnington stopped 50 of 54 shots over the first two games.''The biggest thing is we didn't play our game tonight,'' Tarasenko said. ''It was not our best game out there. It's on us, and we'll handle it tomorrow.''NOTES: Blues D Robert Bortuzzo suffered a cut on his hand that required seven stitches in the third period of Game 2, but played on Sunday. ... Winnipeg is 1-10 in playoff games decided by one goal, including a 1-4 mark last season. ... The Blues failed on their first seven power-play attempts in the series prior to Perron's first-period goal. ... The Jets were the last team in the playoffs to record a third-period goal.UP NEXTGame 4 of the series is set for Tuesday night in St. Louis..Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Staring down a 2-0 series deficit, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be without star defenseman Victor Hedman for Game 3 on Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team announced.The nature of the injury is unclear, but Hedman did miss time near the end of the season with an upper-body injury and has not looked like himself since returning to the lineup in Game 1.Tampa Bay will be without another of its crucial players as Nikita Kucherov will serve his one-game suspension for boarding defenseman Markus Nutivaara.Coming home for Game 3, the Blue Jackets have an excellent opportunity to take a 3-0 series lead and inch closer to their first-ever playoff series victory.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri will have an in-person hearing on Monday for his hit on Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced.He caught DeBrusk with a cross-check to the head late in Toronto's 4-1 loss.Kadri received a three-game suspension almost a year ago to the day Sunday for boarding then-Bruins center Tommy Wingels during the two clubs' previous playoff matchup.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights officially signed reigning KHL MVP Nikita Gusev to a one-year, entry-level deal, the club announced Sunday.Gusev is expected to report to the Golden Knights and practice with the team on Monday.The 26-year-old forward led the KHL with 82 points for SKA St. Petersburg in the regular season, adding 19 points in 18 playoff contests this spring. He also starred at the Olympics, racking up 12 points in six games to help the Olympic Athletes from Russia capture gold.The Golden Knights acquired Gusev's rights from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade during the 2017 expansion draft.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton and forward Micheal Ferland will not be disciplined further for their respective checks on Washington Capitals forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nic Dowd, according to The Athletic's Chris Kuc.Ferland was assessed a controversial match penalty in the second period of Game 2 on Saturday for a hit deemed to be delivered to Dowd's head.

Cale Makar is officially a member of the Colorado Avalanche.The club has inked the University of Massachusetts standout to a three-year, entry-level contract. He'll join the Avalanche immediately for their playoff series against the Calgary Flames.Makar captured the Hobey Baker Award as the top NCAA Division I men's hockey player and helped the Minutemen reach the Frozen Four championship game, which they lost to Minnesota Duluth on Saturday night.He racked up 49 points in 41 games during his sophomore season.The Avalanche selected the 20-year-old defenseman fourth overall in the 2017 draft.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hemmed in their own zone for minutes at a time, unable to complete simple passes over and over and over again, and generally looking ordinary most of the night, the Calgary Flames didn't deserve a win on Saturday.Yet they only narrowly lost, dropping a 3-2 decision in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche. The Western Conference first-round series now shifts to Denver, tied 1-1. With Game 3 set for Monday, this is not how the NHL's second-best team drew it up.The Avalanche are not world-beaters. The under-construction club might blossom into a dominant outfit in a few years, but right now it is essentially comprised of superstar Nathan MacKinnon (who scored the overtime winner), 87-point winger Mikko Rantanen, a handful of supporting pieces, and solid goalies. They are incomplete.So while Calgary should - and still could - dispose of Colorado in short order, it's kind of complicated. The 2018-19 Flames, for better or for worse, seem to dine on three specific things. And when one, two, or all three of those things aren't clicking, the results can get ugly in a hurry.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThe first thing: In order for the Flames to win meaningful hockey games, their goaltenders must provide stability. No issues in that department through two games. Mike Smith, who earned a shutout in Game 1 and has turned aside 62 of 65 total shots, appears up to the task.The second: Calgary's team defense must protect its goalies from being overworked. No team limited opponents to fewer shots on goal in the regular season than the Flames. So far in the playoffs, there's been mixed results.The third: The Flames' transition game must be humming. Nobody pushes the pace like Johnny Gaudreau and Co., but they've been uncharacteristically careless with the puck at various moments in this series.All told, the Flames, though well-coached and well-built, have pressure points.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesTheir sloppiness was front and center Saturday. The official tally was 20 giveaways, but it sure felt like 30 or 40. Colorado was all over them. After two periods, according to the Sportsnet broadcast, the Avalanche had somewhere around eight minutes of offensive zone time versus about two minutes for Calgary.The Flames were constantly chasing the puck. When they happened to come across a loose puck, they often failed to make crisp passes:Your browser does not support the video tag. SportsnetTransition offense is ultimately Calgary's bread and butter, so a constructive video session could probably fix any bad habits; strong neutral-zone play is a hallmark of this group is because the roster is perfectly suited to play an up-tempo brand of hockey.Every forward in the Flames' top 12, aside from maybe James Neal and Garnet Hathaway, can really wheel around the rink. Versatile defenders like captain Mark Giordano and Noah Hanifin not only provide a reliable first pass, they join the rush too.Smith, probably the league's best stickhandling goalie, is a huge contributor as well, often starting the breakout from behind the goal line:Your browser does not support the video tag. SportsnetThe above clip is from Game 1. Just a few days ago. It's incredible how much can change over such a short period of time.As this series chugs along, the Flames' pace of play - and goaltending - will dictate their future. The same can likely be said of Calgary's entire playoff run, however deep it may be. Better to stumble early against a lesser foe like the under-construction Avs.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.

For the second postseason in a row, Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri will be hearing from the Department of Player Safety.The 28-year-old has been offered an in-person hearing, which gives the league the option to suspend him for six games or more.Kadri caught Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk with a cross-check to the head with around six minutes remaining in the third period of Game 2. He was handed a five-minute major for cross-checking and a 10-minute match penalty.

In Micheal Ferland's opinion, he did nothing wrong Saturday.The Carolina Hurricanes forward defended himself after he was handed a match penalty for a hit on Nic Dowd in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Washington Capitals."I thought it was a clean hit and I don't agree with the call," Ferland told reporters postgame, according to the Raleigh News and Observer's Chip Alexander. "I don't think I deserve to be suspended. I take pride in my game (and) in being a clean hitter. I never want to hurt anybody."Ferland was ejected early in the second period.

Micheal Ferland was the recipient of a controversial call Saturday.The Carolina Hurricanes forward was ejected for hitting Nic Dowd of the Washington Capitals in the second period of Game 2, on what the officials deemed was a hit to the head.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a two-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Saturday.Columbus drafted Gavrikov in the sixth round of the 2015 draft and has been working to bring him to North America since his season with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL ended earlier this week."Vladislav is an outstanding defenseman who excels at both ends of the ice," Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said. "He is big, strong, and mobile and has enjoyed a successful career in the KHL and in international competition, including winning an Olympic gold medal last year. We are very excited about his future with the Columbus Blue Jackets."Gavrikov, a 23-year-old left-handed shot, notched five goals and 15 assists in 60 KHL games this season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have screwed up. Big time.In an unexpected plot twist, Tampa is down 2-0 in its opening-round playoff series against the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets. Making matters worse, they will be without the services of presumptive league MVP Nikita Kucherov for Sunday's Game 3 in Columbus.Mark LoMoglio / Getty ImagesNot exactly exemplary work thus far from the Lightning, a tremendously skilled and deep squad that just authored the greatest regular season in recent memory. Realistically, they must get their act together overnight, as only four teams in NHL history have clawed back from a 3-0 series deficit and advanced to the next round.So, what’s going on here? Let's dig into Tampa's troubles.The unsettling trendsAtop head coach Jon Cooper's list of worries: the Lightning's star power has been a giant net-negative through two games.Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, and Victor Hedman - the tone-setting skaters in Tampa's lineup - have combined for zero points and 32 penalty minutes. Their lack of production is a major reason why the Lightning have been outscored 9-1 since the first period of Game 1.Kucherov, who quietly goes about his business most nights, racked up half of those PIMs Friday. He justly received a tripping minor, boarding major, and 10-minute misconduct for upending and then plastering Markus Nutivaara into the halfboards late in Game 2. The incident deserved supplementary discipline.Your browser does not support the video tag. CNBCOverall, the Jackets have done a terrific job irritating Kucherov and limiting his wizardry with the puck. The usual gaps between the Russian winger and opposing defensemen have been narrowed, while the passing lanes he typically feeds have been swallowed up by a defensive structure rooted in puck support.Kucherov has been unable to draw a single penalty, while Point, normally a disciplined two-way center, felt the need to fight Jackets blue-liner Zach Werenski late in the first period of Game 2. Clearly, Columbus is straddling the fine line between productive and unproductive aggression. Can't say the same about Tampa.Hedman, meanwhile, hasn't looked sharp at all in his 37 minutes at 5-on-5. His skating, for starters, seems off and hindered by something. Perhaps the upper-body injury that sidelined the stud defenseman for the final four regular season games is contributing to some uncharacteristic output.Another concern: Hedman and his teammates are losing 50/50 puck battles like it's going out of style. Columbus' Josh Anderson and David Savard, in particular, have proven to be too powerful and quick. This has led to an inordinate amount of breakaways, partial breakaways, and odd-man rushes.Moving forward, the Lightning can't be caught sleepwalking, regardless of the score. The final goal Friday was a pretty sad display of positional awareness and effort. Sure, it happened in the latter stages of a 5-1 game, but c'mon:Your browser does not support the video tag. CNBCAndrei Vasilevskiy has faced the same amount of shots (53) as the Jackets' Sergei Bobrovsky and both goalies deserve praise for their work between the pipes through 120 minutes. Plain and simple, though, Columbus is capitalizing on their high-percentage shots right now, and Tampa isn't.The excusable trendsAmong the handful of underperforming stars, Stamkos deserves the most slack.The Lightning captain has been incredibly unlucky versus Columbus. One of the NHL's premier snipers has produced a series-high 11 scoring chances for himself, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, yet has nothing to show for it.In Game 2, Stamkos whipped a hard, accurate slap shot during a second-period power play. It clanked iron. Then, early in the third, he had another glorious opportunity to bag his first of the post-season. From below the hashmarks, Stamkos fired the puck toward the yawning cage, but it struck Point's leg and trickled out of harm's way:Your browser does not support the video tag. CNBCReally, when you peel back the statistical layers, it's not just Stamkos who's held his own. Tampa, as a team, is actually doing alright at even-strength. They have the slight edge in shot attempts, are basically even with Columbus in shots on goal and scoring chances, and own a sizeable advantage in the high-danger chances department. Translation: Neither club is dominating.ATTEMPTSSHOTSCHANCESHIGH DANGERTBL82423617CBJ7541359Now, from a fan's point of view, the advanced stats argument (hold tight and trust the process, because the attempts and shots and chances will eventually turn into goals) can feel rather hollow come playoff time. After all, there are no moral victories in a seven-game battle and a series can get away from even the best teams in a hurry.Inside the Lightning dressing room, however, Cooper and his coaching staff can use data to form a positive narrative. They have some ammo, evidence to reference before saying, Guys, you're doing PLENTY right! Let's clean up the details in our game and get this thing back on track in Game 3!Easier said than done, of course, but it's better than the alternative. And Cooper, a former lawyer with a coaching reputation built on communication skills, is the ideal guy to deliver an underlying theme of staying the course.The 30,000-foot viewIndeed, perspective is key for the Lightning.Sure, Columbus' 28th-ranked power play is suddenly humming. Yes, Matt Duchene, the Jackets' prized trade deadline acquisition, is finally scoring. But there's no reason why both team and player can't be brought back to earth by an opponent whose body of work is unparalleled in the salary cap era.Scott Audette / Getty ImagesIf there's a group capable of rattling off four wins in the next five games, it's the 2018-19 Lightning, the same team that didn't lose three games in a row all season, and were the heavy favorites prior to Game 1 puck drop.Two losses don't erase 62 wins, best-in-class special teams, and top-10 results at 5-on-5. Their DNA as a supremely talented, battle-tested team doesn't disappear into the abyss after a couple rough days at the office.Let's not forget that Columbus won the first two games on the road last year against Washington, before losing the next four and exiting the playoffs after just one round. Different seasons, changed personnel. Still.Widespread panic in Tampa should subside for now. But there's no denying the hourglass has been flipped, especially with the Kucherov discipline news.And the sand will start falling at a feverish pace when the teams line up Sunday night in Ohio.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.

Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov has been suspended one game for boarding Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara late in Game 2 on Friday night, the Department of Player Safety announced.Here's the play, which occurred with less than five minutes remaining in the third period of Friday's 5-1 loss that put the top-seeded Bolts in a stunning 0-2 hole.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid suffered a small tear of the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee during his violent crash into the net in the club's season finale, and won't require surgery, sources told TSN's Darren Dreger.McDavid should be ready to start the 2019-20 regular season, Dreger adds.Late Friday, the Oilers announced they've determined a rehab plan for their superstar, which he will begin immediately.McDavid was tripped by Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano on April 6, and spiraled leg-first into the post at top speed. He, along with the hockey world, immediately feared the worst, and the 22-year-old said he thought his leg was in "two pieces" after the collision.Any sort of major injury to McDavid would have added serious concern to an already critical offseason for the Oilers, who are searching for a new general manager and potentially a head coach after missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season.Aside from the injury scare, McDavid had a marvelous campaign, ranking second in the league with a career-high 116 points in 78 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid is going to start working his way back from injury right away.The Edmonton Oilers determined a rehab protocol for the superstar that will start immediately, the club revealed Friday night.McDavid was hurt April 6 against the Calgary Flames, in his team's final regular-season game.He later opted to forgo the upcoming World Championship.On the day after he suffered the injury, McDavid said it felt like his leg was "in two pieces."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones was yanked just over six minutes into Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights, who hung on for a 5-3 victory to knot the series at one win apiece.Jones was removed after allowing three goals on seven shots.The change briefly inspired the Sharks, as they stormed back to tie it with Aaron Dell between the pipes in a wild first period.San Jose became the first team in playoff history to tie a game in the first period after falling behind 3-0, according to NHL Public Relations.Jones entered the playoffs as the Sharks' biggest weakness after posting a career-worst .896 save percentage during the regular season. He was stellar in Game 1, however, allowing two goals on 26 shots in a 5-2 win.The 29-year-old began Friday with an impressive postseason resume, owning a .926 save percentage and 2.06 goals-against average in 43 career playoff games.Dell also struggled during the regular season, posting an .886 save percentage in 25 contests.Cody Eakin, Colin Miller, and Max Pacioretty each notched tallies for Vegas in the opening frame, while Logan Couture, Erik Karlsson, and Joe Thornton responded for San Jose. Mark Stone scored the eventual game winner on a power play early in the second period.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nikita Kucherov will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Saturday for his hit on a defenseless Markus Nutivaara on Friday night.

Jon Cooper thinks his once-heavily favored club is in a state of emergency after its latest defeat.The Tampa Bay Lightning head coach conveyed as much after his team lost Game 2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1 on Friday, two nights after blowing a three-goal lead and falling 4-3 in the opener of the first-round series."The regular season's different from the playoffs," Cooper told the assembled media, including FOX Sports Florida, postgame Friday. "Things just happen so fast. It's zero-zero and there's a lot of excitement going into Game 1, and then, all of the sudden you're down 0-2 at home and alarms are going off."Cooper acknowledged that Tampa Bay was rarely tested during a historically dominant regular season, but he tried to take a positive outlook on the club's predicament."Have we faced a ton of adversity this year? We haven't," Cooper said. "I've been in the league for six years, and it probably hasn't gotten any easier than it has this year. So now we've got some adversity, and teams face this all the time. And you face it in little pieces. This is a five-alarm fire, but it's adversity, and I don't know. Sometimes, that's good. Sometimes you have to go through stuff like this. We'll see how we respond."Making matters worse for the Lightning is the fact that they dropped the first two games of the series on home ice, meaning the Blue Jackets will head home with a chance to earn an improbable series sweep.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) Jordan Eberle and Josh Bailey scored in the third period and the New York Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 Friday night for a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.Anthony Beauvillier also scored and Robin Lehner stopped 32 shots to help New York open a postseason series with two wins for the first time since sweeping Edmonton in the 1983 Stanley Cup Final for the Islanders' fourth straight championship.Mathew Barzal had two assists in a chippy, physical game that featured a lot of hard hits and some skirmishes, especially in the first two periods - and also after the final buzzer.Erik Gudbranson scored and Matt Murray finished with 31 saves for the Penguins, who have lost the first two games of a postseason series for the first time since the 2013 Eastern Conference finals against Boston.Game 3 is Sunday at Pittsburgh.After a turnover by the Penguins near their own blue line, Barzal sent the puck up to Eberle on the right side and he skated across the front and sent a backhand in at 7:54 of the third to give the Islanders their first lead of the night at 2-1.Bailey, who had the overtime winner in Game 1 on Wednesday night, then gave New York a two-goal lead with a power-play score with 8:22 remaining on New York's sixth man-advantage of the night. Devon Toews fired a shot that hit Anders Lee, and the puck came to Bailey, who put it in from the right side.The Penguins pulled Murray for an extra skater with 2:44 remaining, but couldn't take advantage. Lehner made a nice glove save on Phil Kessel from the right circle, drawing chants of ''Leh-ner! Leh-ner!'' from the raucous home crowd.After a scoreless first period, Pittsburgh's Matt Cullen had an open look at a rebound from the right circle 1:13 into the second that Lehner stopped with a pad save into his glove.The Islanders had a 5-on-3 advantage for about a minute in the second period, but couldn't beat Murray. The Penguins' goalie then had a diving stop on Matt Martin in front about 7:44 in, and a stick save on a slap sot by Ryan Pulock 10 seconds later.Brian Dumoulin hit a goalpost for Pittsburgh at about the 9-minute mark.Gudbranson then gave the Penguins their first lead of the series as he took a pass from Evgeni Malkin and fired a one-timer from straightaway inside the blue line that beat Lehner's blocker side and went in off the post with 9:24 remaining in the second. It was Gudbranson's first career playoff point.Beauvillier tied it with 6:35 left in the period with his first career playoff goal as he knocked in the loose puck in front after Murray was out of position following a save on Barzal's initial try on a 3-on-2 breakWhile some of the Islanders began celebrating the goal, fights broke out to Murray's left. Barzal was given a double-minor for roughing, while Pittsburgh's Marcus Pettersson received a 2-minute penalty.The Islanders outshot the Penguins 11-7 in the scoreless first period.Lehner made a save on Sidney Crosby's backhand try in front about 4 minutes in. Toews hit the right post with a long slap shot from straightaway from the blue line a little more than 5 minutes later. Phil Kessel was denied on a shot from the left circle with just under 7 minutes remainingNOTES: Murray has lost consecutive playoff games for the fourth time. He also did it in Games 3 and 4 of 2017 Stanley Cup Final against Nashville, and Games 2-3 and 5-6 against Washington in second round last year. ... Penguins F Jared McCann sat out due to an upper-body injury. He was replaced in the lineup by F Teddy Blueger, making his playoff debut. D Jack Johnson was back in the lineup after sitting out Game 1. He had played in all 82 games during the regular season. D Olli Maatta sat out to make room. ... The Islanders, who were 3 for 50 on the power play over the final 22 games of the season to finish 29th at 14.5 percent, are now 2 for 8 in this series. ... New York was 38-2-2 in regular season when scoring at least 3 goals, and is now 2-0 in playoffs.UP NEXTThe series shifts Pittsburgh for Game 3 on Sunday and Game 4 on Tuesday night.---Follow Vin Cherwoo at www.twitter.com/VinCherwooAP---More AP NHL: www.apnews.com/NHL and www.twitter.com/AP-SportsCopyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers have reached out to the New York Rangers about Alain Vigneault, TVA's Renaud Lavoie reports.Philadelphia is the only club so far to ask permission to speak with the former Blueshirts head coach, adds Lavoie.The Flyers dismissed Dave Hakstol in December, handing the reins to Scott Gordon on an interim basis. They went 25-22-4 under Gordon and missed the playoffs by 16 points.New York fired Vigneault on the final night of the 2017-18 regular season after failing to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009-10. New York was also unable to qualify for the postseason this year under new head coach David Quinn.Vigneault spent five seasons behind the Rangers bench and guided them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. Before joining New York, he coached the Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens, helping the Canucks make a Cup Final appearance in 2011.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche prospect and UMass defenseman Cale Makar won the 2019 Hobey Baker Award on Friday as the nation's top collegiate player.

Nikita Gusev is expected to join the Vegas Golden Knights this weekend for their postseason run after receiving his release from SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.Gusev, arguably the best player outside the NHL, is the reigning KHL MVP. He recorded 17 goals and 65 assists in 62 games this past season and added 19 more points in 18 playoff contests.The 26-year-old winger was exceptional during the 2018 Olympics, picking up 12 points in six games on the Olympic Athletes from Russia's gold-medal run.Gusev was originally a seventh-round pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2012. His rights were traded to the Golden Knights on June 21, 2017 - along with two draft picks - as compensation for Vegas taking Jason Garrison in the expansion draft.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Todd McLellan is out of the running for the Buffalo Sabres' head coaching vacancy, reports TSN's Bob McKenzie.The former Edmonton Oilers bench boss was reportedly a leading candidate for the job, which became available upon Phil Housley's firing after two seasons in Buffalo. However, a deal was never finalized, according to McKenzie.McLellan has also been tied to the Los Angeles Kings' opening after the club announced interim coach Willie Desjardins won't be returning next season. He'll head to L.A. next week for an official interview with the Kings, a source told TSN's Pierre LeBrun.The 51-year-old coach was let go by the Oilers in November after joining the team prior to the 2015-16 campaign. McLellan also spent seven seasons with the San Jose Sharks prior to his gig in Northern Alberta and owns a career coaching record of 434-282-90.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mitch Marner’s Thursday began with a healthy dose of self-deprecation.Ahead of Game 1 against the Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs winger poked fun at his imminent playoff beard, telling a group of reporters assembled in Boston that it's "probably just going to look gross."The 21-year-old then disappeared from the public eye. Physically, anyway.Around that time, the New York Times - perhaps the most respected news organization on the planet - published a 1,000-word web article on Marner's path from minor hockey to NHL stardom.A few hours later, at roughly 6:30 p.m. ET, his mug reappeared in a taped Sportsnet TV feature focused on veteran Patrick Marleau's close relationship with Auston Matthews and Marner, the franchise's tent-pole forwards for the foreseeable future.It's safe to say that if you were a media-consuming hockey fan on Thursday, you probably would have needed to go out of your way to escape Marner-related frivolity, hype, or aw-shucks behavior.Kevin Sousa / Getty ImagesNext came the much-anticipated opening game in a first-round playoff rematch between fierce Atlantic Division rivals. In front of 17,565 fans inside TD Garden, Marner came roaring out of the gate, because of course he did, notching his team's first two goals in the opening 23 minutes of action.In the meantime, two separate commercials starring Marner and a Leafs teammate - Apple with Matthews and Visa with William Nylander - aired during breaks in the three-hour broadcast. Finally, at the conclusion of Toronto's convincing 4-1 victory, it was Marner who donned the famous Hockey Night in Canada towel for a walk-off interview with reporter Kyle Bukauskas.All in all, he finished the night with two goals and a boatload of publicity. Call it the Mitch Marner Hat Trick.It's been that kind of year for Marner, who's on a trajectory seemingly headed for the moon. Already in 2019, he's appeared in plenty of spots for big or emerging companies like Under Armour, Red Bull, Beats Electronics, Chevrolet, Goodfood, and Intact Insurance. And this summer, he's primed to command eight figures annually as a marquee restricted free agent.Matthews-Marner Apple commercial / YouTube screen grabMost important for Leafs fans right now is his performance on the ice. And Marner, the club's regular-season points leader with 26 goals and 68 assists in 82 games, was an absolute handful in Game 1.Late in the first period, he buried a rebound created by his own deflection that hit the post. In the second, he scored on a penalty shot produced moments earlier by his speed and seam-finding ability on the penalty kill. Both tallies beat Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask cleanly.For the game, the fourth overall pick of the 2015 draft finished tied for first among Leafs in shot attempts with six. He skated for 19 minutes and eight seconds, trailing only Matthews among forwards, and was even deployed in a defensive role by coach Mike Babcock with time winding down in the third period.Throughout the contest, Marner, John Tavares, and Zach Hyman outdueled the incredibly tough Bruins line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak. They produced more shot attempts, scoring chances, and goals at five-on-five despite Boston holding the upper hand with last change. Top Bruins defensemen Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy didn't get caved in, but they failed to minimize the Toronto trio.At this point, the Hyman-Tavares-Marner trio is simply one of the best in hockey. It may not have the track record or respect of the Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak grouping or the power-and-skill blend of Colorado's Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen line, but it can hang with the headliners. All three Toronto players hit new highs in goals and points in the regular season, with Marner driving the bus seemingly every night.Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesNow in his third season, Marner is far from a secret. He's certainly not overrated, and his game is much more than scoring. Case in point: Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper heaped serious praise on the young forward in March, saying Marner's "as smart a player as this league has not only seen this year; has ever seen." What a compliment.Cooper was referring to Marner's elusiveness, sky-high hockey IQ, and well-roundedness, and it sounds like Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy might concur. "We need to find an answer to him," Cassidy told reporters after Game 1.

Welcome to Art of the Mask, a new video series where theScore sits down with some of the world's top netminders to talk about goalie mask art.In the inaugural episode, Philipp Grubauer of the Colorado Avalanche runs through his mask's various hockey and non-hockey elements. The amount of detail, from tiny Avs logos to a pop culture reference, might surprise you.Don't forget to subscribe to theScore's YouTube channel. Be sure to rate the video and leave a comment, too!Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

What many believed to be the Calgary Flames' weakness heading into the postseason turned out to be a strength in Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche.Goaltender Mike Smith got the nod for the opener despite a shaky regular season that resulted in a sub .900 save percentage. However, the 37-year-old turned in a 26-save shutout performance, silencing the critics in a 4-0 victory that was tight until the very end.With chants of "Smitty" raining down at Scotiabank Saddledome, Smith made a number of important stops throughout the game."Honestly I've never heard anything like that before in my career," Smith said of the chants, according to Postmedia's Kristen Anderson. "It gives you confidence."The way Smith was flashing the leather, it's clear confidence was not an issue.Here's a look at a few of his best stops from the night, beginning with a windmill glove save on Derick Brassard:

The Toronto Maple Leafs snagged home-ice advantage from the Boston Bruins with a 4-1 win in Game 1 of their first-round series on Thursday night, and superstar Brad Marchand believes his club wasn't prepared."I think maybe we thought it was going to be a little easier than it was out there," he told NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin. "We were trying to play too much of a controlled style, where that's not really our game. So we've got to play a little faster."Marchand got the Bruins on the board with a primary assist on Patrice Bergeron's power-play tally in the first period, but the Leafs responded with four unanswered goals to win the opener."I don't think they took us off our game, I just don't think we played our game," Marchand said. "We weren't playing right the whole way through, we weren't taking care of pucks the way we normally do and the way we can. That's what they thrive on."The Bruins owned a 29-9-3 record at home in the regular season, and only lost consecutive games in regulation at TD Garden once - their final two home games on the schedule.Game 2 goes Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

BOSTON (AP) Mitch Marner scored twice, the second on a short-handed penalty shot to give Toronto the lead for good, and the Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Thursday night in the opener of their first-round playoff series.It was Toronto's first postseason penalty shot in 20 years.Frederik Andersen made 37 saves and William Nylander and John Tavares also scored for Toronto, which swiped the home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series as it tries to advance through Boston for the first time in six tries.Game 2 is Saturday night.Tuukka Rask stopped 29 shots for Boston, and Patrice Bergeron scored a power-play goal midway through the first on a pass from Brad Marchand. But Marner tied it with about three minutes left in the period, sweeping in a rebound with such force he knocked himself off his skates.Then, about three minutes into the second and Boston on a power play, the puck popped toward center ice and Marner had a clear path to the goal. When he was just outside the crease, Jake DeBrusk was called for bringing him down from behind, and sending him crashing into Rask.Marner lined up for the penalty shot, came at Rask from the left side and then slid over to the right faster than the goalie could follow. He flipped the puck into the open net to make it 2-1.Nazem Kadri sent Nylander off on a breakaway to make it 3-1 with 95 seconds left in the period. Rask came up with a pair of saves in the final minute to keep things from getting out of control, stopping Tavares on a breakaway with 38 seconds left and then a 3-on-1 at the horn.Boston pulled the goalie with 2:35 left, but Tavares scored off a center-ice faceoff with 79 seconds left.NOTES: The Leafs have only been awarded four postseason penalty shots, and the only other time they have scored was Mats Sundin against Buffalo on May 29, 1999. ... The Bruins have given up six postseason penalty shots, just two of them successful. The last attempt was by Philadelphia's Ville Leino in 2010. ... The Bruins outshot Toronto 21-14 in the second period, but gave up two goals. ... Toronto trade deadline acquisition Jake Muzzin missed the final regular-season game, but played Thursday and assisted on Marner's first goal.UP NEXTGame 2 is Saturday night in Boston before the series moves to Toronto for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday.---More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-SportsCopyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The KHL's reigning MVP could be Vegas-bound in the near future.Nikita Gusev's Russian representatives and North American agent J.P. Barry of CAA Sports are working on Gusev's release from SKA St. Petersburg, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.Gusev is under contract with the KHL club until the end of April, adds Dreger.The Vegas Golden Knights acquired the 26-year-old's NHL rights from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2017 expansion draft.Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant repeatedly stated Thursday that he doesn't know much about Gusev and has "no idea" if the Russian forward will join the NHL team, but the bench boss said he's hopeful it will happen, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger.Gusev led the KHL with 82 points in 62 regular-season contests in 2018-19, adding 19 points in 18 playoff games this spring.CSKA Moscow eliminated SKA St. Petersburg in Game 7 of the KHL's Western Conference Final earlier this week.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Auston Matthews believes he and his Toronto Maple Leafs are more prepared to take on the Boston Bruins in the playoffs this time around.The Maple Leafs were bounced by the Bruins in seven games last spring, and Matthews faced significant scrutiny after registering just two points in the series. But now, the face of Toronto's franchise feels the club is ready to erase last season's failure."Each year you just gain more and more experience and, from our first now to our third year, you just kind of know what to expect going into it," Matthews said. "It's a battle. I think for all of us, like I said the last couple days, we're extremely hungry and we all feel ready for this challenge."Matthews is entering the playoffs following the most productive regular season of his three-year career. He registered 73 points in 68 games overall and posted a dominant 58 percent possession rate since the start of March.Game 1 of the highly anticipated series begins at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames confirmed Mike Smith will be the starting goaltender for Game 1 versus the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night, according to Sportsnet 960's Pat Steinberg.Goaltending has been the primary question mark for the top-seeded Flames all season as Smith has split starter's duties with David Rittich. Both netminders have posted nearly identical numbers since March 1.Goalie Games Record Sv %Smith94-5-0.904Rittich95-4-0.905Smith presumably gets the nod due to experience; he has 19 career playoff starts while Rittich has none. The 37-year-old also owns an 11-1-4 record and .931 save percentage in 16 career appearances versus the Avalanche.Game 1 gets underway at 10:00 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The first evening of the NHL postseason did not disappoint.Among other surprising storylines, the unquestioned championship favorite coughed up a lead and lost in stunning fashion, and two rookies lifted their respective squads to victory.Here's what we gleaned from each of the five matchups on the opening night of playoff action:Lightning take feet off gas after hot startEverything was going according to plan for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, but then the wheels completely fell off for the league's most dominant team.After tying a franchise postseason record with three goals in the opening period, the Lightning surrendered four unanswered markers, including three in the third, en route to a shocking 4-3 defeat on home ice.(Courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)It's not uncommon for a team to ease up a bit with a lead, but to call this particular collapse unexpected would be an understatement.Tampa Bay was 39-2-2 when leading after two periods in the regular season, while Columbus was 2-23-1 when trailing after 40 minutes, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.Islanders prove to be resilientBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyBuoyed by a predictably raucous Nassau Coliseum crowd, the New York Islanders persevered multiple times to earn their Game 1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.The Islanders thought they'd opened the scoring 33 seconds in, but Tom Kuhnhackl's goal was rightfully wiped out following an offside review, silencing the boisterous arena. However, Jordan Eberle tallied shortly thereafter, at the 1:40 mark, to whip the crowd into a frenzy again.New York then rallied to win it after allowing Justin Schultz's late tying goal in the third. Josh Bailey buried the overtime winner after a great effort by Mathew Barzal less than five minutes into the extra frame.The Islanders will need to show the same resiliency in hostile territory, but their ability to respond to adversity both early and late in Game 1 was the biggest reason they prevailed.Binnington stays hot in playoff debutJason Halstead / Getty Images Sport / GettyJordan Binnington didn't appear fazed at all in his first-ever postseason game.The rookie St. Louis Blues goaltender outdueled the more experienced Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets and allowed only one goal on 25 shots to lift St. Louis to a 2-1 victory in Game 1.Binnington won 20 of his final 24 contests in the regular season, including eight of his last nine.On Wednesday night, the 25-year-old proved fully capable of continuing that success in pursuit of the Stanley Cup with a stellar performance in his playoff debut.Don't tell Heiskanen he's only 19 years oldFrederick Breedon / Getty Images Sport / GettyMuch like Binnington, Miro Heiskanen looked like a seasoned veteran in his first NHL postseason contest.The young defenseman scored twice in the Dallas Stars' 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, netting a power-play goal on a wrister in the second period and firing another one home in the third.Heiskanen also logged more than 23 minutes of ice time. That was about on par with his regular-season workload, but only one teammate (Esa Lindell) and one opposing player (Roman Josi) played more than Heiskanen in Game 1.The rookie blue-liner has been one of the best and most underappreciated first-year players in the NHL this season, but he won't be undervalued for long if he keeps this up in the playoffs.Golden Knights come out flatBrandon Magnus / National Hockey League / GettyWhat a difference a year makes.The Vegas Golden Knights put forth a lackluster effort until the final minutes of their 5-2 defeat to the San Jose Sharks. The Golden Knights certainly didn't look like the team that overwhelmed opponents en route to the Stanley Cup Final last season.Vegas managed only five shots on goal in each of the first two periods and got completely outplayed in the possession department as well.Sure, it was only one game, and it was on the road against a very deep Sharks club. But the Golden Knights obviously need a better effort in Game 2 if they want to avoid digging themselves into a deeper hole.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

"So, you’re telling me there’s a chance!? Yeah!!"Don't be surprised if that classic "Dumb and Dumber" soundbite becomes the Columbus Blue Jackets' rallying cry following their dramatic, come-from-behind 4-3 victory in Game 1 against the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning.The upset stopped everybody in their tracks during an action-packed opening night of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It turns out the Lightning, a historically great squad, is not perfect. Sure, they may end up running the table in Games 2-5, but at least this series has life.With that in mind, let's take a look at what factored into the Jackets erasing a three-goal deficit - and then scoring a fourth goal - to beat the 62-win Lightning on Wednesday.Bob's your differenceSergei Bobrovsky played out of his mind in the second and third periods, turning aside all 16 shots he faced after allowing three goals on 13 shots in the first.His brilliance was especially key in the middle frame, as he kept the Blue Jackets in the game before their offensive explosion in the third. Here's a sampling of the two-time Vezina Trophy winner's work.A lunging pad save on Nikita Kucherov 30 seconds into the period:Your browser does not support the video tag. A nifty glove stop on Mathieu Joseph 13 minutes later:Your browser does not support the video tag. Consecutive point-blank pad saves with 40 seconds left in the period:Your browser does not support the video tag. That's some fine work from Bobrovsky, a brand-name netminder who enjoyed a tremendous end to the regular season but came into Wednesday's contest with a career playoff save percentage of just .891.It's safe to say his confidence will be high heading into Game 2 on Friday night.Kucherov (relatively) quietThe Lightning's forward group isn't just incredibly dangerous; it's relentless, too, as all four lines contain offensive punch.Kucherov, the regular season's scoring champ and presumptive MVP, presents both of those qualities most nights. So, if you intend on stopping Tampa, you better put a muzzle on its top dog. Or at least try your hardest to limit his impact.Columbus accomplished that feat in Game 1, holding Kucherov to two shots on goal in 22 minutes. Linemates Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde, two creative and energetic players in their own right, combined for just five shots.Mike Carlson / Getty ImagesOverall, the Lightning lost the shots battle 11-8 when Kucherov was on the ice at five-on-five - a rarity for the player and his line. With coach Jon Cooper holding the last change, Tampa's top trio faced a mixture of the David Savard-Markus Nutivaara pairing (eight minutes) and the Seth Jones-Zach Werenski duo (four and a half). Both Columbus tandems deserve a pat on the back.Meanwhile, Steven Stamkos was another Tampa star who failed to mark the score sheet. The Lightning, almost to a man, were too cute with the puck in Game 1. It's an understandable symptom of dominating the competition for months, and not something that's unfixable.PP wakes upThis series pits the NHL's best penalty-killing teams against each other. Power play success, on the other hand, is not shared.Tampa converted on 28.2 percent of its power-play opportunities in the regular season, finishing first in the league. Columbus, at 15.4 percent, ranked a woeful 28th.It's been a puzzling and frustrating reality for the Jackets. Why can't this boatload of talent - Matt Duchene, Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson, Jones, and Werenski, just to name a handful - capitalize with the man advantage?Well, on Wednesday, the talent came through at the perfect moment. After some deft puck movement inside Tampa's zone, Jones buried a shot from the high slot with about six minutes left to take the lead.With that, the Lightning, who won 39 of 43 games when leading after two periods in the regular season, fell to the Jackets, who won only two of 26 games when trailing after two. Incredible.In the playoffs, there's always a chance.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.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos was searching for positives after witnessing his team fail to close out Game 1 of its first-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night.The Lightning took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission only to have the Blue Jackets storm back with four unanswered goals to steal the game. Despite the disappointment, Stamkos says the defeat was a learning experience that players can benefit from."We got a 3-0 lead at home in the playoffs, that should be done and over with. If anything we learned a lesson tonight. We’ll be a lot better," Stamkos said according to Lightning beat reporter Caley Chelios.Tampa Bay scored a league-high 325 goals this season and looked well on its way to a blowout victory in front of an electric home crowd. Following the contest, head coach John Cooper admitted the Lightning veered away from their game plan after gaining the lead early on."Our mentality was we wanted to outscore them instead of build the lead and shut them down," Cooper said.The Lightning boasted a 31-1-2 record during the regular season when leading after the first period.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins forward David Backes will not be in the lineup Thursday for Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs as the veteran was declared a healthy scratch for the first time in his postseason career, according to The Athletic's Joe McDonald.Head coach Bruce Cassidy had a long conversation with Backes following Tuesday's practice to inform the 34-year-old of the decision, McDonald added. He understands that the team will likely have to suffer an injury or go on a losing skid for him to return to the lineup, so he's just fine cheering his teammates on from the press box."The shitty part is for me to get back in there are three things that would need to happen potentially and none of them are really good," Backes said. 'You’re trying to be a good teammate and hoping that the team has success and wins games, but I want to win a Cup too and if that means I’m sitting some and other guys have a chance to produce then I’ll grab the pom-poms for when I need to."Backes has seen his point total decrease in five consecutive campaigns and recorded a career-worst 20 points over 70 games this season.After being listed as a healthy scratch earlier this year, he discussed his role on the club with his head coach. The 6-foot-3 Backes responded by using his size and toughness to remain in the lineup, dropping the gloves on several occasions."It gave us real common ground for the rest of the regular season," Backes said. "I thought we were at a place where I was very understanding of what was asked of me and going out there and doing it. I hope, and still hope, I can provide that in the playoffs as well. But, he’s going with a more speedy, faster type of lineup against the Leafs in Game 1 and he’s not finding me fitting that mold."Backes has recorded 27 points over 49 career playoff contests but contributed just three points in 12 games last spring.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHLPA has filed an appeal on behalf of Slava Voynov, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports.Voynov's appeal will be heard by an impartial arbitrator, adds LeBrun.The 29-year-old former NHL defenseman was suspended Tuesday for the entire 2019-20 season for what the league called "unacceptable off-ice conduct."Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement that he determined Voynov engaged in acts of domestic violence directed at his wife.Voynov last played in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014-15. He's spent the last three campaigns in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues netminder Jordan Binnington addressed tweets from 2013 that resurfaced prior to Game 1 of his club's first-round playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets.The tweets, sent in 2013, were initially uncovered by The Mercury News' Paul Gackle.

Colorado Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen will return to the lineup Thursday for Game 1 against the Calgary Flames, he told reporters Wednesday, including The Denver Post's Kyle Fredrickson."I'm very excited and can't wait to get going," said Rantanen, who missed the last eight games of the regular season with an upper-body injury. "The medical team did a good job and got me back in shape."Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Rantanen will play Thursday."(Rantanen) looks good and he's been working hard," Bednar said. "... I think that he's been ramping up nicely. He looks better and quicker every day that he's on the ice. We'll see how he does tomorrow in the game and adjust his ice time from there. But I expect him to play a lot just like he normally does."The Finnish forward tallied a career-high 87 points in 74 games this season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey is in the lineup for Game 1 against the St. Louis Blues after the missing the final 20 contests of the regular season with an upper-body injury, the team announced Wednesday.Fellow blue-liner Dustin Byfuglien returned from a prolonged absence himself to suit up in the final five games of the regular season. Wednesday night will mark the first time since Feb. 14 that Morrissey and Byfuglien are in the lineup simultaneously."Your expectation is everyone plays the way they're playing," head coach Paul Maurice told NHL.com's Mitchell Clinton. "Those two guys, I don't know how you want to rank them on our team - Josh plays against the other team's best and Buff is a force. Having them back in the lineup makes you as good as you can be."The Jets are projected to roll out the following defense pairings:LDRDJosh MorrisseyJacob TroubaBen ChiarotDustin ByfuglienDmitry KulikovTyler MyersMorrissey's return is expected to bump midseason pickup Nathan Beaulieu out of the lineup."It's not easy, because his play didn't warrant it. Josh Morrissey's play warrants him being in the lineup and you have to make those kind of decisions," said Maurice. "I've liked the pairings and the consistency of the other two groupings. He's been really good, a good find for us for sure."Morrissey was enjoying a career year before his injury, tallying 31 points in 59 games while averaging over 22 minutes per night. He and Trouba will likely be tasked with shutting down the Blues' vaunted top line of Brayden Schenn, Ryan O'Reilly, and Vladimir Tarasenko.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning put together a historic 2018-19 regular season, but how does it stack up against campaigns from the all-time greats? We take a look at five other dominant seasons ranked by points percentage:Montreal Canadiens,1976-77Bruce Bennett / Bruce Bennett / GettyRec.PointsP%GGADif.60-8-12132.825387171+216Result: Won Stanley Cup

(Warning: Story contains coarse language)It was late February in Columbus, Ohio, and the San Jose Sharks were in the middle of a seven-day road trip. As Brent Burns processed a question about the aura of Joe Thornton, his longtime teammate and close friend, a tsunami of laughter and chatter robbed his attention."He's always talking - I mean, listen to him, he's fucking nonstop," Burns said of Thornton, who was holding court nearby with a handful of Sharks personnel. Burns couldn't see what was going on, but it didn't really matter. "Fuck," the defenseman barked. "He's a mess. He's unreal."Brandon Magnus / Getty ImagesMinutes earlier, hollering teammates had rushed to hug Thornton after the 6-foot-4, 220-pound center scored during a routine practice drill. The goal held no significance whatsoever, yet a group of grown men felt compelled to swarm a grey-haired guy affectionately known as "Jumbo.""There's a lot of people who create a great culture around here, starting with our management and our coaches," Burns continued. "But he's a huge, huge part of creating that."At that point, a familiar frame came into view, half-naked. "I mean, look at the idiot," Burns said, needling Thornton. "Look at him. He's just incredible. He's a special guy."It's clear the admiration comes from all corners - both inside and outside the Sharks organization.Joel Ward, a former teammate in San Jose, called Thornton "the epitome of the game, if I had to pick one person." Steven Stamkos perked up at the mention of his countryman - "He's a legend, right?" the Lightning superstar asked rhetorically. And Los Angeles Kings blue-liner Drew Doughty, who's skated against Thornton for 800 minutes during their careers, only needed one word to express his feelings: "Respect."Now in his 21st NHL season, Thornton's time in the public eye is winding down, with his playing future uncertain beyond the Sharks' upcoming playoff run, which will begin Wednesday at home versus the Vegas Golden Knights. He'll be 40 in July and, aside from finally winning the Stanley Cup, has nothing left to prove.But whenever Thornton does decide it's all over, the sport will dearly miss one of its greatest players - and greatest characters - ever.'No bad days at the rink'The legend of Joe Thornton has been marinating for 25 years.Ever since the lanky kid from small-town St. Thomas torched Ontario's 1993-94 minor midget loop for 168 points in 67 games, he's left an unmistakable impression on everyone in his path.When bumping into Thornton on the street, though, you wouldn't guess he's earned north of $100 million, captained two NHL franchises, and won Olympic gold among a host of other international medals. A boyish charm persists to this day, even for a seasoned veteran who recently passed Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman in career assists and leap-frogged Stan Mikita and Teemu Selanne in career points. He's now eighth and 14th, respectively, on those all-time lists."I have a smile on my face every day. Because I know it can be taken away at any time," Thornton told theScore at his stall in a quiet moment after the room cleared in Columbus."I knew as a kid how much I enjoyed playing street hockey with my brothers, or my dad flooding the backyard to skate until 1 o'clock in the morning. I just always remember that feeling."Brandon Magnus / Getty ImagesThornton's remained unapologetically himself throughout two years of junior hockey in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, seven-plus NHL seasons in Boston, two lockout years in Switzerland, and 13-plus campaigns in San Jose. By all accounts, his personality is some mixture of happy-go-lucky, competitive, loyal, warm, and zany. Burns lovingly labels Thornton "a piece of work.""I first met him in 1997 at the world juniors, and he had it then and he hasn't changed to this day," longtime Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. "Pure, unadulterated passion and love for the game. I've been in the business for 40 years, and I've never been around anybody like that."Even now, in the twilight of his career, amid peers nearly half his age, Thornton is still the nucleus of joy within the Sharks' dressing room. "Magnetic personality," head coach Pete DeBoer said. "You want to find him in the morning, really, because after a bad game he energizes you, always in a positive way. There's no bad days at the rink for Joe."Nor is there any shortage of tales about Thornton's habit of turning the mundane into a carnival.Is a Sharks trainer suddenly growing a beard or shaving his head? That was probably the result of a friendly bet with Thornton. Did a San Jose player laugh hysterically on the bench because someone screwed up the lineup card and accidentally scratched teammate Mirco Mueller? Yup, that was Thornton. How about when the team badly needed a lift following a tough loss? That's a Jumbo Joe special.The latter is one of Burns' favorite Thornton stories. "We get cleaned out, and you can hear a pin drop on that bus (back to the team hotel). It's like a morgue," Burns said with the excitement in his voice rising. "And then you hear him go, 'Fuck, boys! What a life we got!'"It's just fucking unbelievable."Hal Gill, an old Bruins pal, added that Thornton would help the team bond away from the ice. "We used to always play the credit-card game at lunch," he said. "Put your cards in a hat. That was his doing."And he was the first one doing a whiteout - where he'd be waving his towel around in the middle of a restaurant to get all fired up."Senators defenseman Dylan DeMelo spent the first three years of his career in San Jose. On the topic of Thornton, he got straight to the point. "Jumbo's a once-in-a-generation player," DeMelo said, "and a once-in-a-generation human being."Team Canada teammates Claude Giroux and Ryan O'Reilly both said Thornton is hilarious in the room and on the ice, but stopped short of revealing any specific details."Getting a chance to play on a line with him, it's the little comments he makes during a game," O'Reilly said. "He's still going out there and playing intense, but he's also keeping it loose."Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesThornton's antics have been even more of a hoot in the social-media era. Everybody chuckled when he and Burns posed naked for ESPN Magazine in 2017. Ditto for Thornton's R-rated insinuation ("I'd have my cock out, stroking it") following a four-goal performance from teammate Tomas Hertl in 2013. And there was the classic lawn mower photo from two summers ago, in which Thornton beamed with a gigantic beard while signing a contract extension in flip flops.“I don’t think there’s anybody like him," Burns said. "Look, everybody works hard. I know that. It’s just that he doesn’t have an off switch. His pain threshold is insane, his work ethic is insane, his talent level is insane. The energy that he creates is so high."You want to be around him all the time.”When asked how he's able to maintain such a sunny disposition - shift after shift, game after game, season after season, summer after summer - Thornton shrugged. "It's a grind," he said of the NHL's peaks and valleys. "We've got to enjoy the grind together."'Wow, did you see that play?'On March 18, with two Sharks streaking toward the Golden Knights' crease, Thornton slung a no-look shot from the high slot with his head turned to the left. The puck swooped under goaltender Malcolm Subban's glove, nicked the post, and then bounced past the goal line.It was the 16th and final regular-season goal for No. 19 in teal this season - and the 413th of his NHL career.The unexpected snap shot from just inside the blue line was prototypical Secret Sniper Thornton. He's always been a picky shooter - processing the game through a less-is-more lens - while saving that hard, accurate shot for the right moments.While the gaudy career assists count (1,065) is his statistical calling card, Thornton certainly wouldn't have all those goals without a trick or two up his sleeve. Sneakily, he's one of only 11 NHL players with at least 400 tallies and 1,000 assists."If you cheat (for the pass), you're going to give him an easy goal," Ducks goalie John Gibson said. "You definitely respect his playmaking; it's in the back of your mind, but you do what you can. ... He can shoot it or make a great pass."NHL points leaders since Jan. 1, 2000PLAYERGPGAPTSJoe Thornton139338510131398Sidney Crosby9434467701216Alex Ovechkin10846585531211Jarome Iginla12855565921148Marian Hossa12064975831080Since his early days, Thornton's playing style has been the result of elite vision, a special feel for the game, an enviable wingspan, a healthy dose of dad-strength, and a rare ability to alter the pace of any matchup.When added together, those traits allow Thornton to play with equal parts grace, finesse, and power."I could talk about him for hours," Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. "I just love watching him play, and to be on the same ice with a guy like that, and to see some of the things he's able to do, you come back to the bench and say, 'Wow, did you see that play?'""At the end of the day, hockey sense trumps speed," Wheeler added. "The guys that are able to think the game at a very high level are going to be the best players. In terms of hockey IQ, he's up there with the best there ever was."Brandon Magnus / Getty ImagesOverall, an incredible 63 total goal-scorers have been on the receiving end of Thornton's offensive wizardry in San Jose. The list stretches from Rob Blake, who's now 49 years old and GM of the Los Angeles Kings, to current 22-year-old teammate Timo Meier."His fingerprints," Wilson said, "are all over this organization."Remember Devin Setoguchi? He recorded a career-high 31 goals in 2008-09 while playing with Thornton. How about Jonathan Cheechoo, who somehow bagged 56 in 2005-06 to win the Rocket Richard Trophy. Even bona fide stars such as Dany Heatley, Patrick Marleau, and Joe Pavelski can attest to the Thornton effect, owing chunks of their respective successes to the all-time great distributor. The same goes for Glen Murray, Thornton's top running mate back in Boston. "You find a spot, put your stick where it's supposed to be, ready for the pass, and it'll be in the spot where you need to shoot it," Murray said.And for years, frustrated opponents have failed to contain any line driven by Thornton. "If there's a hole the size of a puck in between your skates, he'll find it and thread it through,” former NHL defenseman and childhood friend Brian Campbell said. "You know what he's going to do and you still can't find a way to defend it."This year, Thornton is flanked by late bloomers Kevin Labanc, 23, and Marcus Sorensen, 27. In 399 minutes together at five-on-five, the trio has accounted for 53 percent of the on-ice shot attempts and 51 percent of the scoring chances while outscoring the opposition 23-12, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.Labanc (17 goals, 56 points) and Sorensen (17 goals, 30 points) ranked sixth and 10th, respectively, on the Sharks' end-of-season leaderboard for 2018-19. For his part, Thornton broke the 50-point barrier once again, finishing with 51."Statistically, you go way up when you play with Joe Thornton, and that's the ultimate compliment," Wilson said.Growing up, but staying the sameThornton, for all of his on-ice accomplishments and off-ice shenanigans, can be an acquired taste. That was especially true in his early days, long before he earned league-wide respect.For instance, in Thornton's 1997-98 rookie season, Bruins bench boss Pat Burns wasn't always impressed with the 18-year-old hotshot who'd been taken first overall in the previous draft."Pat called him into his office between periods, and we could hear him just screaming at Joe," Gill said, retelling one of several hairy moments from Thornton's Boston days. "Joe came out of there after getting yelled at - we all heard it and had our heads down trying to pretend like we didn't hear it - and he looked at all the boys and started giggling and laughing."Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesIt's easy to forget that Thornton, a surefire future Hall of Famer, began his career buried on the fourth line and in the coach's doghouse. That debut season yielded a measly seven points in 55 games, and it took four years to truly establish himself as a premier point producer.Amid that growth period, some within the hockey world questioned Thornton's worth as a player and a leader. A slow burn to elite production could be tolerated, sure, but would this dude with a big grin and natural talent actually care about team success? "That's such bullshit," Murray said. "He’s the most competitive guy."Clearly, the Bruins didn't see Thornton as part of their long-term plan. On Nov. 30, 2005, general manager Mike O'Connell shipped his captain to San Jose for forwards Wayne Primeau and Marco Sturm, and blue-liner Brad Stuart. The blockbuster trade flabbergasted the room. Gill still remembers Bruins defenseman Nick Boynton standing up and grilling O'Connell in front of everyone:What did you do? Why would you do that? And why did you just give away our best player?Seven months later, with a career-high 125 points in his back pocket, Thornton was named league MVP. "Players of that ilk rarely come available," said Wilson, who 13 years later would snag another superstar, Erik Karlsson, via trade. "And when they do, you do not hesitate."Don Smith / Getty ImagesEven in San Jose, there have been obstacles to overcome. Wilson says he and Thornton have maintained a "very close" and respectful relationship since the franchise-altering trade, which is notable because it was the GM who infamously stripped Thornton of his captaincy in 2014, citing the need for a cultural reset in San Jose.The polarizing decision set off a five-alarm fire and a war of words between the organizational pillars. In hindsight, would Wilson do it again? As an ex-Sharks captain himself, he had difficulty finding the right words on the topic. For 37 seconds, he false-started his answer before finally settling on a reply."I would say this: It was done to probably spread the leadership out on our team and have other people step up and be involved in it," Wilson said."Joe's a huge, huge part of this team, always has been. And we've got a group of guys who bring that to the table. You have to go forward in your life, with your decisions, but my respect for Joe's never changed, never has, and never will. I guess that's the best way of putting it."One final Cup chase?The captaincy controversy is now a distant memory. And, quite simply, both Wilson and Thornton just want to win a damn Cup. It's been disappointment after disappointment - 26, to be exact - for a franchise founded in 1991.This time around, San Jose finished second in the Pacific Division with 101 points, and the veteran-laden roster stacks up fairly well against other Western Conference contenders. Objectively, the West is crowded, and every team is imperfect. The Sharks' concerns - namely shaky goaltending and a 3-9 end to the regular season - are largely counteracted by a glance at their lineup card, which features four 30-goal scorers and two Norris Trophy-caliber defensemen. There's no doubt that this club has an opportunity to succeed.For his part, DeBoer didn't hesitate when asked if the 2018-19 Sharks are the strongest team he's coached in 11 NHL seasons. "Absolutely," he said. "Not even close. I look back at the two teams that I took to the finals (the 2011-12 Devils and the 2015-16 Sharks), and this team on paper is much deeper."On the whole, the Sharks are faced with another seize-the-moment postseason. Besides Thornton, captain Pavelski turns 35 in July, Burns is already 33, and younger star pieces - the 29-year-old Karlsson and No. 1 center Logan Couture, 28 - are not exactly spring chickens. The latest infusion of talent, led by Hertl and Meier, won't have this multi-layered, battle-tested support forever.On an individual level, this could be Thornton's final stab at achieving the dream. Father Time is taunting him. There's that ever-present 1979 birth certificate, and now lower-body injuries galore. ACL and MCL tears in both knees - the left in 2017, the right in 2018 - forced Thornton to undergo multiple surgeries and extensive rehab periods. And, earlier this season, he endured a right knee infection and a broken toe.But despite his relatively limited role compared to seasons past, San Jose's third-line center and Bill Masterton Trophy nominee remains as motivated as ever to lift the Cup. It makes him tick."Yep, that's it," Thornton replied, acknowledging both the complexity and the simplicity of the task at hand. "That's what I've been driving for, trying to do for my entire career. I think it could be the year."Has he thought about the next step? Will it be a third one-year deal next season? How about retirement?"I haven't. Even five years ago, I've always been day to day," he said softly, later adding: "I'm just going. I had a great skate today, I'll have a great lunch, and I'll come out and compete tomorrow and just repeat it all over again."John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. 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The NHL playoffs will begin Wednesday, and whether you're getting action on individual games, series props, or Stanley Cup futures, here are some tips to keep in your back pocket.Home-ice teams lay slightly more chalkYou'll notice what appears to be some inflated chalk on the home side for some of the Game 1 matchups. Tampa Bay is a -235 home favorite over Columbus; Nashville is laying -160 to Dallas; Calgary is another pricey favorite at home to Colorado (-205).Some of these favorites are laying more chalk than they did at home against the same opponent during the regular season. That's because home-ice advantage does matter in the postseason; according to Rob Pizzola, it's worth 1 percent more in the playoffs.It might not seem like a significant difference, but if you're not already baking that into your numbers, you're missing a key step.Lightning, Flames not providing much valueThere isn't much else you can say about Tampa Bay. The Lightning made history with 62 wins during the regular season and they're -400 and climbing to win their series against Columbus.Hockey is weird and anything can happen, but this isn't the time to get cute.Of the previous 10 teams to lay -200 or more in the first round, not one lost the series or even went to Game 7. Tampa's about as surefire as it gets.However, if you want to put some coin down on the Bolts, consider playing them to win in a four- (+400) or five-game (+300) series. There's a decent chance of that happening, as the average length of a first-round series decreased over the previous couple seasons.The same goes for Calgary, a -205 favorite in Game 1 over the Avalanche and -225 to take the series. You can get the Flames to win in four games at +700 or in five games at +350.Carolina's a realistic sleeperCarolina? Really? To dethrone the reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals?Really ... maybe.The Hurricanes have already garnered some attention as a live underdog heading into the postseason, and it's certainly warranted.They finished the season No. 2 overall in Corsi For percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick, while the Capitals finished with the fourth-worst mark of any postseason team.Meanwhile, Carolina's offense was fantastic in a bevy of other statistical categories including Fenwick, high-danger Corsi For percentage, and expected goals.If you're in need of a plus-money underdog in a series, Carolina might be the one.Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With another NHL season coming to a close Saturday, many teams will be left wondering what went wrong as they find themselves outside of the playoff picture.So, before you grab a salty snack like Wonderful Pistachios and talk about the offseason with your friends, do a little homework and read up on three teams that need to make a smart move this summer.Edmonton OilersAndy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyDespite owning the league's most dynamic talent in Connor McDavid, the Edmonton Oilers will miss out on the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. In addition, the Oilers are the first team since the 1989-90 Pittsburgh Penguins to roster multiple 100-point scorers - McDavid and Leon Draisaitl - and not make the postseason.Before Edmonton makes any decisions on the ice, it has an extremely important choice to make off of it. The team's search for a new general manager continues, and after former GM Peter Chiarelli's mistakes set the team back years, the Oilers can't afford to make any missteps in attempting to surround their stars with an adequate supporting cast.Interim GM Keith Gretzky, Kelly McCrimmon, Mark Hunter, Dave Nonis, and Sean Burke highlight the rumored candidates for the position. Once the front office is settled, the team will have to make a decision on the fate of coach Ken Hitchcock.Florida PanthersEliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / GettyThe Panthers have cracked the postseason just twice this century and failed again to do so in 2019 despite enjoying career years from blue chippers Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov and boasting the league's eight-ranked offense.Lackluster goaltending ultimately nullified Florida's strong attack, as the club conceded 3.35 goals per contest and ranks 30th in the NHL with a team save percentage of .891. With veteran netminder Roberto Luongo's future unclear and rookie Samuel Montembeault still unproven, the Panthers need to fortify their situation between the pipes if they want to improve next season.The team has been tied to Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. Florida could also address its struggles in the crease through a trade with a team such as the Los Angeles Kings, who possess strong depth in goal and face an impending rebuild.Minnesota WildJeff Bottari / National Hockey League / GettyThe Wild may have found themselves battling in the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they'd been able to squeeze a few more goals out of their offense. They lost nine one-goal games in regulation and were held to a single tally or less on 22 occasions this season.Minnesota has some key decisions to make up front this summer, as promising young forwards like Kevin Fiala, Joel Eriksson Ek, and rookie Ryan Donato are up for new contracts. The Wild are projected to have a liberal amount of cap space this offseason and must decide if they want to invest it in their youngsters or aggressively target free-agent forwards. Some noteworthy potential options include Jeff Skinner, Matt Duchene, Jordan Eberle, Mats Zuccarello, and Kevin Hayes.Are you ready for the offseason? Make sure you have lots of snacks handy, like Wonderful Pistachios. Nuts like Wonderful Pistachios are a great option to incorporate into a healthy, balanced diet. Canada’s Food Guide recommends choosing plant based protein foods more often because they can provide more fibre and less saturated fat than other types of protein foods.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.