Eric Staal has a 10-team no-trade list in his contract, and he's taking full advantage of it.The Minnesota Wild forward is an unrestricted free agent after this season, but his no-trade list is "vastly populated with all the obvious contenders," TSN's Pierre LeBrun said on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."Without a contract beyond this season, non-contenders won't be looking to acquire Staal, giving Wild general manager Paul Fenton limited options if he chooses to shop the veteran forward ahead of the Feb. 25 trade deadline.Earlier Thursday, The Athletic's Michael Russo reported that Fenton was given the green light to trade members of the team's core, including Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker, and Jonas Brodin, even if it means ultimately missing the postseason.Staal was adamant about his willingness to stay in Minnesota following Thursday's practice."The way I see it: We're in a playoff spot, and I plan on making the playoffs … here," Staal told Russo. "My goal is to be here - hopefully not somewhere else - and to help us win a playoff spot and continue on."Staal's only other trade deadline experience wasn't pleasant. In 2016, he was shipped from the Carolina Hurricanes to the New York Rangers and picked up just six points in 20 games with the Blueshirts, ending the worst season of his career on a sour note.The 34-year-old is one year removed from a 42-goal campaign and has tallied 17 goals and 37 points in 56 games thus far this season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Evgeni Malkin has mixed feelings about whether he deserved the suspension he served for high-sticking Michael Raffl."Yes and no," the Pittsburgh Penguins star told reporters, including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey, on Thursday. "One game probably, it’s OK. I play dangerous. My stick went high. My point (to the NHL's Department of Player Safety) was that I didn’t touch his face. I touched his shoulder. I think (he dove)."Malkin was forced to sit out Wednesday's win over the Edmonton Oilers after swinging his stick up high on the Philadelphia Flyers forward during Monday's game.Prior to receiving the one-game ban, Malkin defended his actions, admitting it was "a little bit dangerous," but saying, "it's not like I broke his face."Flyers head coach Scott Gordon called it a "baseball swing," when asked about it Thursday.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Paul Fenton has been given the go-ahead to shake up his team's roster.The Minnesota Wild general manager "has essentially been given the green light to do whatever he sees fit to improve this team either now or for the future heading into the trade deadline," The Athletic's Michael Russo reports.Fenton has the ability to trade members of the core - including players such as Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker, and Jonas Brodin - even if the club ultimately misses the playoffs as a result, according to the report.Sources told Russo that the Wild's current position has changed from make the playoffs at all costs to "everything's on the board," with the only untouchables likely being Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, the injured Matt Dumba and Mikko Koivu, young players Jordan Greenway, Luke Kunin, and Kirill Kaprizov, and their first- and second-round picks in this year's draft.Minnesota enters Thursday's action occupying the second Western Conference wild-card spot, but has lost six of seven games since the break.The Wild have made the playoffs in each of the past six campaigns but have failed to advance past the second round in any of those postseason appearances and have been bounced from the first round in each of the past three years.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers interim head coach Scott Gordon thinks ​​​​Evgeni Malkin got off easy with a one-game suspension.The league handed the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar a one-game ban Tuesday for high-sticking Flyers forward Michael Raffl during Monday's contest."It wasn't a high stick. It was a baseball swing," Gordon said, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli. "Just because you didn't connect doesn't mean it wasn't vicious. I don't think he should be rewarded just because he didn't connect."Before the NHL's Department of Player Safety disciplined Malkin, the 32-year-old suggested he didn't deserve to be suspended since he didn't hit Raffl in the face with his stick.Malkin missed Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. He will be eligible to return to the lineup Saturday when the Penguins host the Calgary Flames.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bruce Boudreau is calling his shot.Despite the Minnesota Wild losing six of their last seven games, the team's head coach is feeling confident about playing extra games this spring."We're going to make the playoffs," Boudreau said, according to Sarah McLellan of the Star Tribune. "That's about as elaborate as I want to get. You want me to predict how many wins we're going to have in the last month and a half? No. But we're going to make the playoffs."The Wild currently sit in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference amid an extremely tight playoff race. The team is just two points back of the St. Louis Blues for the first wild-card position, but also only two points ahead of the Vancouver Canucks.For his part, Boudreau appears more optimistic about his roster than he did a week ago. Following a loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the coach told reporters, "There's some guys there that just are a shell of the players that I've known for two-and-a-half years."The Wild will look to get back in the win column on Friday against the New Jersey Devils - the only team they've defeated this month.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers have been in talks about a potential trade involving goaltender Cam Talbot, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.Dreger notes the talks are believed to be "preliminary" in nature but are "definitely" taking place.

The Winnipeg Jets will be without forward Nikolaj Ehlers longer than they expected.The 22-year-old suffered an upper-body injury Jan. 4. He was initially projected to return in mid-February, but that's no longer the case."He didn't have a setback, but he just had an appointment yesterday. We're looking at another week or two," head coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday. "He was getting close to the end of the window and wasn't feeling a whole lot better. Then we had it checked again. It's going to be longer than we thought."Maurice added that it could be "one-to-three weeks before he can play."The Jets have gone 11-5-1 in Ehlers' absence to remain atop the Central Division.Before being hurt, Ehlers had recorded 27 points in 40 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will not part ways with defensive prospects Timothy Liljegren or Rasmus Sandin in exchange for a rental player, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Additionally, the team won't consider moving a future first-round pick in a rental deal, Friedman wrote in Thursday's edition of "31 Thoughts."The Leafs already sent their 2019 first-round selection to the Los Angeles Kings for a player with term in defenseman Jake Muzzin, but moving a future first-rounder for a player on an expiring contract is apparently not in the cards for Toronto.Liljegren was selected by the Maple Leafs with the 17th overall pick at the 2017 draft. The smooth-skating defenseman has been plagued by injuries for much of his tenure with the AHL's Toronto Marlies but he has the potential to become a top-four NHL blue-liner. The 19-year-old's right-handed shot is also a valuable commodity in the league.Sandin, 18, was the 29th overall pick of the 2018 draft. A sprained elbow has held the Swede to just 20 games with the Marlies this season, but he's picked up an impressive five goals and five assists in those contests.Both Ron Hainsey and Jake Gardiner are scheduled to become UFAs on July 1. Considering the Leafs' impending cap constraints, they may be forced to fill the void on the blue line internally next season.

The Anaheim Ducks placed goaltender John Gibson on injured reserve with a head/back/neck injury on Wednesday, the team announced.The 25-year-old missed Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He was forced from last Thursday's contest against the Ottawa Senators following a collision in the second period.Meanwhile, fellow netminder Chad Johnson was also placed on IR with a head injury. Johnson was hit with a puck on Tuesday and complained of headaches, head coach Bob Murray said, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic.With the Ducks' top two goalies sidelined, rookie Kevin Boyle will make his first NHL start Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller, meanwhile, will serve as the 26-year-old's backup.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're well into the second half of the hockey season. The world juniors are behind us (congratulations on building a powerhouse development program, Finland) and NHL Central Scouting released its midterm rankings with Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko topping the North American and European rankings, respectively.Some highlights: the WHL is having a strong year with three players listed among the top five North American skaters, and the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) U-18 team has six players in the top 15.Prospect spotlightFebruary's spotlight is split between two players because the pair has us torn on who should rank third overall on our next NHL Prospect Big Board. They are, of course, WHL standout centers Dylan Cozens and Kirby Dach.Cozens, who plays for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, boasts some of the best skating skills in the draft despite standing 6-foot-3. Opponents don't like him much, not only because he can get down the ice at top speeds, but because he's an intelligent and consistent player. He's got 27 goals and 62 points in 53 games this season. Cozens probably won't be the guy you look to for the flashy, creative play, but that doesn't matter. He scores anyway and he's effective in any situation.Dach plays for the Saskatoon Blades and there's a lot to like about him as well. He's already got NHL size at 6-foot-4 and 198 lbs and brings elite hockey smarts and an offensive ceiling that draws the eyes of many scouts. Dach's 57 points in 50 games aren't as flashy as Cozens' totals, but his puck skills and ability to read and project the play around him are impressive.Marissa Baecker / Getty Images Sport / GettyIn the minorsThe Pittsburgh Penguins recently called up prospect Teddy Blueger, who has 21 goals in the AHL this season, and so far so good. The forward has two goals and an assist in six NHL games, so don't expect him back any time soon, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.The Chicago Blackhawks sent defenseman Henri Jokiharju down to the Rockford IceHogs, citing a need for him to play more minutes. Jokiharju is only 19 and the fact he made the Blackhawks out of training camp was no small feat. His assignment to the AHL will allow him to play regularly against top competition and on the power play. If the Blackhawks trade Duncan Keith or Brent Seabrook ahead of the trade deadline, though, don't be surprised to see Jokiharju back in Chicago to close out the season.Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyWashington Capitals forward prospect Riley Barber was named AHL Player of the Month in January, amassing seven goals and 14 points in 10 games for the Hershey Bears. Barber, a member of the 2013 U.S. team that won world junior gold, already has more points this season (41 in 43 games) than he finished with last year (38 points in 60 games).Meanwhile, Carolina Hurricanes goaltending prospect Alex Nedeljkovic was named AHL Goaltender of the Month. Nedeljkovic went 6-0-0 in January, posting a .938 save percentage and two shutouts for the Charlotte Checkers. He also made his first NHL start with the Hurricanes in a 5-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks.The new classJack Hughes missed the 2019 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament in Sochi, Russia earlier this month, but not before moving into second place in USNTDP career assists in January. He's currently at 119 helpers - three behind all-time leader Jeremy Bracco - with the potential to tie or pass Bracco when he returns from injury.Forward Bobby Brink of the Sioux City Musketeers is back from the ankle injury he sustained and played through at the World Junior A Challenge. Brink had eight points for the U.S. in that tournament en route to a gold medal. The Denver commit, who some feel is a potential first-round prospect, has 17 goals and 39 points in 23 games with the Musketeers.Vancouver Giants defenseman and 2019 top prospect Bowen Byram was named WHL Player of the Month for January after recording 19 points in 13 games. He's been solid in February so far, too, with two goals and six points in six games.Marissa Baecker / Getty Images Sport / GettyForward Arthur Kaliyev of the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs is one of the best - if not the best - pure goal-scorers in this year's draft. He has 42 goals and 83 points in 53 games. While some forwards who score a lot in junior aren't able to do the same in the NHL, Kaliyev's shot arsenal sure makes it seem like he won't have much trouble.Junior leaguesNew York Islanders defensive prospect Bode Wilde is having himself a season with the OHL's Saginaw Spirit. With 13 goals and 54 points in 46 games, Wilde's proving that choosing major-junior hockey over college hockey was the right move for him. It's not necessarily that he's facing easier competition than he would have in college, or that he wouldn't be able to hack it in college hockey. Rather, it's about finding the environment best suited to improving the small things in his game. He still has a tendency to take risks he probably shouldn't, but his playmaking has improved; he's learning to use his high-end hockey smarts effectively at game speed.Dallas Stars prospect Ty Dellandrea, captain and center for the OHL's Flint Firebirds, is another player having an impressive Draft+1 year. Selected 13th overall by the Stars last June, Dellandrea was one of Canada's first cuts ahead of the 2019 world juniors. He seems to be using that as motivation in the second half of his season and has 17 goals and 53 points in 47 games thanks to his high-end skating and puck-handling skills. He could stand to develop more patience instead of continually forcing the play to the middle when he's battling along the boards, but Dallas should feel encouraged. Dellandrea's trending in the right direction, and he's doing it on a team that doesn't exactly provide the best developmental setting.Graig Abel / Getty Images Sport / GettySchool daysQuinn Hughes is essentially the best prospect outside the NHL right now. He's got 29 points in 26 games with the University of Michigan, but even those numbers don't fully showcase how efficiently he drives play. Hughes may join the Vancouver Canucks to close out the NHL season depending on when his NCAA campaign ends, but there are still several options at play. He could potentially sign an entry-level contract beginning next season and play out the remainder of this year on an amateur tryout with the AHL's Utica Comets.Dave Reginek / Getty Images Sport / GettyIn other newsKeep an eye on your favorite team. We're swiftly approaching the point in the season where front offices start considering signing NCAA free agents - college players who went undrafted - as well as their own NCAA prospects. Sometimes those signings are a good idea. Look at the Pittsburgh Penguins and Zach Aston-Reese, for example. Sometimes the players merely turn into depth AHL players. Half the fun is waiting to see which way your team's coin-flip lands.Hannah Stuart keeps a close eye on both drafted and draft-eligible prospects and can usually be found trying to learn more about hockey analytics. She has previously written for FanRag Sports, The Hockey Writers, and Hooked On Hockey Magazine, and can also be found at High Heels and High Sticks. Find her on Twitter at @HockeyWthHannah.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mark Giordano knows his team has struggled lately, and he feels a sense of urgency to turn things around.The Calgary Flames captain expressed as much and looked ahead to the team's next game against the Florida Panthers after a 6-3 defeat to the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night."We'll be ready Thursday. We'll be a way more focused group, and we have to really, really pull out of this. We feel like we're sliding," he told reporters. "We haven't been getting the points we were usually getting at the start of the (season), and we've got to stop (that) right now."Calgary has lost four of five games since the break. The Flames once had the best record in the Western Conference but have since been surpassed by the Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks, the latter of which is riding a six-game win streak.Giordano scored Calgary's first goal of Tuesday's contest, but Tampa Bay had already buried three of its own beforehand. Sean Monahan's second-period marker cut the lead to 3-2, but the Lightning tallied the next three en route to the win.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The sparse crowd in the Sunrise, Fla., didn't go unnoticed by the opposing team's netminder.After playing in front of an announced crowd of 9,472 at the BB&T Center, Dallas Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin compared the attendance for Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Florida Panthers to a preseason contest."When I played in Carolina, we had (similar crowds) for half the year, pretty much," Khudobin told reporters postgame. "When you're playing all the time with a full building, (and) come to a building like this, it feels kind of like an exhibition game, but at the same time, you understand that it's not. You just prepare as (if) it's a normal game."The Panthers rank second last in the NHL in home attendance this season, averaging 13,167, according to ESPN.Khudobin played parts of two seasons with the Hurricanes earlier in his career.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

ST. LOUIS (AP) Alex Pietrangelo and Ivan Barbashev each scored twice and the St. Louis Blues won their seventh straight game, blowing out the New Jersey Devils 8-3 on Tuesday night.Jaden Schwartz, Ryan O'Reilly, Mackenzie MacEachern and Tyler Bozak also scored for the Blues, whose eight goals were a season high. St. Louis' winning streak is its longest since Jan. 17-Feb. 5, 2015, when it also had seven consecutive victories.Rookie Jordan Binnington made 20 saves to win his sixth straight start, becoming the second goalie in Blues history with a winning streak of at least six games. Brent Johnson twice won seven in a row in 2000 and 2001. Binnington is 10-1-1 since he made his first career start on Jan. 7.Pavel Zacha, Kyle Palmieri and Mirco Mueller scored for the Devils, who have lost 10 straight to St. Louis. In the last 16 meetings between the teams, the Blues are 14-2-0.St. Louis' Vladimir Tarasenko had two assists, extending his point streak to a career-high nine games (seven goals, seven assists).Keith Kinkaid allowed all eight St. Louis goals, a career high, on 39 shots, and fell to 0-4-1 against the Blues.The Blues scored three goals on 20 shots in the first period to take a 3-1 lead.Pietrangelo scored at 5:08 on a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle. The puck hit Jesper Bratt's stick and deflected in.The Blues went ahead 2-0 93 seconds later. Kinkaid cleared the puck from behind the net, but his pass went directly to the Blues' Robert Thomas, whose shot hit the post. The rebound came to Barbashev, who scored from just outside the crease.Zacha got New Jersey within 2-1 at 10:30 on a slap shot from the right circle.Schwartz got his first goal in 23 games - a span of 73 shots - late in the first. He appeared to score again early in the second period, but the goal was disallowed because of goalie interference when Schwartz slid into Kinkaid.The Blues got three more goals in the second period. O'Reilly got his 21st of the season 30 seconds in on a wrist shot from the top of the slot. MacEachern scored on a breakaway on a pass from Pietrangelo at 6:11. Bozak made it 6-1 when he scored at 15:20.Each team scored twice in the third period, including Pietrangelo's and Barbashev's second goals. Barbashev's was short-handed.NOTES: Blues F Pat Maroon went past 500 career penalty minutes when he was given an unsportsmanlike conduct with 2 seconds left in the second period. ... St. Louis improved to 11-2-1 in its last 14 games. ... The Devils fell to 3-7-1 in their last 11. ... New Jersey C Blake Coleman was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. Nick Lappin replaced him. ... New Jersey claimed LW Kenny Agostino off waivers Monday after Montreal released him. Agostino started Tuesday's game and got an assist on Zacha's goal.UP NEXTDevils: At Chicago on Thursday.Blues: At Arizona on Thursday.---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 Toronto Maple Leafs' power play woke up Tuesday night.After scoring just three times with the man advantage in their last 17 games, the Maple Leafs matched that total in under two minutes against the Colorado Avalanche.Auston Matthews got things started after Tyson Barrie took a tripping minor.

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney insists he isn't going to alter his strategy ahead of the trade deadline despite the injury to David Pastrnak."It doesn’t change my approach at all," Sweeney told reporters Tuesday after revealing that his star winger will be out at least two weeks following thumb surgery."I’ve been (making) calls for a month now, at least, if not longer, in terms of throughout the year, but specifically in the last month trying to identify teams (that may be trade partners)," Sweeney explained. "You can imagine the jockeying going on everywhere (with) all the teams that are in (the playoff picture), so some teams don’t know. They’ll take it right to the deadline.""That may happen," he added. "We’ve been looking to do something, but if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.”The Bruins were eyeing forward depth even before Pastrnak's injury. Last month, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Boston was one of multiple teams interested in Carolina Hurricanes forward Micheal Ferland, who's a pending unrestricted free agent.Boston entered Tuesday's action sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division. The trade deadline is Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It appears the Columbus Blue Jackets could be both sellers and buyers at the trade deadline.As trade rumors regarding star forward Artemi Panarin swirl, Columbus has interest in Ottawa Senators center Matt Duchene, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."Like Panarin, Duchene is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.Panarin has already stated he wants to test free agency, but Duchene has not publicly expressed the same desire. If the Blue Jackets were to trade for Duchene, they would have four months to re-sign him before he hits the open market.Along with youngster Pierre-Luc Dubois, Duchene would give Columbus a lethal one-two punch down the middle of the ice - something the franchise has never had in its existence.Duchene is in the midst of a career year with the basement-dwelling Senators, collecting 25 goals and 53 points in 46 games.The Blue Jackets entered Tuesday sitting third in the Metropolitan Division with 65 points.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin has been suspended one game for his high stick on Michael Raffl of the Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday.Malkin was assessed a match penalty after swinging his stick at Raffl's head with under five minutes remaining in the third period of Monday night's game.The league acknowledged Malkin was retaliating after Raffl punched him in the back of the head but stated he swung his stick "at a dangerous height."Malkin said earlier Tuesday he didn't expect to be suspended because "it's not like I broke his face."While the NHL said it understood his point, it explained that his reasoning doesn't excuse his actions, adding stick infractions don't require contact to warrant discipline.The Penguins superstar will miss Wednesday's contest against the Edmonton Oilers.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite recording just three wins in their last 10 games, the Edmonton Oilers aren't ruling themselves out of the playoff picture.The club has fallen to 13th place in the Western Conference but remains just six points out of the final wild-card spot. The tight playoff race has interim general manager Keith Gretzky hopeful the team will be in a position to add ahead of the Feb. 25 trade deadline."Hopefully, we're buying," Gretzky said, according to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic. "We're six points out with a game in hand. We're not out of it. But in a (couple) weeks, we'll see where we're at."The Oilers play six games before the deadline, including a three-game Eastern Conference road trip starting Wednesday in Pittsburgh.Meanwhile, Gretzky insists he won't sacrifice the team's farm system to pursue outside talent."We've gotta make some changes, of course," said Gretzky. "You can't say that we're the perfect team with our record. We're trying to improve it, but we're not gonna sell the farm and get a quick fix. It's gonna take a bit."The Oilers are at risk of missing the playoffs for the 12th time in 13 years and for the second straight season since reaching the second round in 2017.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes have lacked a game-changer at center ever since Eric Staal's heyday, but it appears that player is here. With 24 goals and 39 assists through 56 games this season, Sebastian Aho is thriving as Carolina's No. 1 center after moving from the wing in December following Jordan Staal's injury.So, what makes Aho so dynamic? Let's study the film.SkatingWe'll begin with Aho’s skating, because here’s the thing - it's amazing. Take this example from Carolina's matchup with Vegas on Feb. 1, in which Aho absolutely embarrasses defenseman Deryk Engelland. After carrying the puck around the perimeter of the offensive zone, Aho comes down the left side and Engelland thinks the shooting lane is cut off. Oops ...Your browser does not support the video tag. Courtesy: NHLAs seen above, Aho stops on a dime and immediately wheels backward out of Engelland’s path, sliding over to the right and opening up a shooting lane as the defender falls to the ice. The move requires serious agility and balance, which Aho displays while controlling the puck with his backhand. It's even more impressive from this angle:

Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak underwent surgery on his left thumb and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, general manager Don Sweeney announced Tuesday.Pastrnak was injured Sunday night after falling while leaving a sponsorship dinner, Sweeney added. He's expected to play again this season.Boston sits third in the Atlantic Division with 70 points - one point back of the Toronto Maple Leafs and one point clear of the Montreal Canadiens. Pastrnak's recovery timeline leaves the Bruins without their leading scorer at least until the trade deadline, but his absence won't change the club's approach leading up to the big day, Sweeney said.Pastrnak, 22, has been dynamite for the Bruins this season. He ranks seventh in the NHL with 66 points in 56 games and second among all players with 29 power-play points.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This season, the NHL trade deadline comes with added anticipation north of the border. Three Canadian teams are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, a pair of squads are exceeding expectations despite intending to rebuild, and two organizations are at rock bottom with an eye toward the future.With all that in mind, here's how each Canadian club should approach the Feb. 25 deadline:Calgary FlamesIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPoints: 74 (2nd in Pacific)

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin believes his impending hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety will merely result in a warning.Malkin's under the microscope after he swung his stick at the head of Philadelphia Flyers forward Michael Raffl on Monday night:

The NHL regular season is quickly coming to an end and several teams remain in the hunt for the final playoff positions with just eight weeks remaining. In anticipation of what's to come, let's look at three postseason series we would love to see.Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / GettyA battle between hockey's two most historic franchises is long overdue. It's been 40 years since these Original Six rivals met in the postseason and the time may finally be right for an epic showdown. Both organizations made major changes over the last few years and each team is playing at a very high level.If this year's regular-season contests - two overtime thrillers - are any indication of what a playoff series would look like, fasten your seat belt and get ready for a wild ride. Speed, skill, and nearly 100 years of bad blood make for must-see TV.The Maple Leafs have been considered among the Stanley Cup favorites since signing John Tavares this offseason, while the Canadiens entered the campaign appearing closer to the draft lottery than a playoff position.But career seasons from Max Domi and Johnathan Drouin, incredible play from netminder Carey Price, and the return of rearguard Shea Weber have lifted the ceiling for a young Canadiens team that would give Toronto a serious headache over a seven-game playoff series.Season series: Maple Leafs lead 2-0Calgary Flames vs. San Jose SharksDon Smith / National Hockey League / GettyThe bad blood is real between these two Western Conference heavyweights, and it was best highlighted in an 8-5 Flames win at the Saddledome on New Year's Eve.With what had been an extremely hostile contest reaching its conclusion and the result not in doubt, Flames forward Sam Bennett landed a late hit on Sharks defenseman Radim Simek, sparking outrage from San Jose. The clubs combined for 64 penalty minutes during the game's final 41 seconds.Through three contests this season, the teams combined for 23 goals, 106 hits, and 110 penalty minutes. If that doesn't sound like a recipe for exciting playoff hockey, we're not sure what does.Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, Erik Karlsson, and Logan Couture highlight the star-studded rosters, and each team possesses an emerging young core behind those big names. The Flames' Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, and Noah Hanifin, along with the Sharks' Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc represent the 23-and-under club looking to make their mark with a big postseason performance.Season series: Sharks lead 2-1Calgary Flames vs. Tampa Bay LightningGerry Thomas / National Hockey League / GettyOf all the Stanley Cup Final rematches in play, this one seems the most likely to happen, and also comes with elevated stakes. The 2004 final will forever be remembered for Martin Gelinas' no-goal in Game 6, and the Flames have never been so well-equipped to gain retribution. On the flip side, the Lightning appear due for a championship, as they have for a few years now.In a season marked by an uptick in goal-scoring, the Lightning and Flames each rank in the NHL's top three with 3.80 and 3.67 goals per game, respectively. Each dynamic offense features three players with 60 or more points, and combine to offer six of the league's top-20 scorers this season.The Lightning have been the best regular-season team for back-to-back campaigns and have made three conference final appearances and one Stanley Cup Final appearance this decade - losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015. The Flames, on the other hand, have struggled to maintain a consistent playoff presence and have just one playoff series win to their name since the aforementioned 2004 final.Not convinced? Well, you won't have to wait long to see, as these two juggernauts will do battle Tuesday night in Tampa Bay.Season series: Lightning lead 1-0Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Matt Murray made 50 saves and Sidney Crosby had a goal and a two assists to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.Jake Guentzel and Nick Bjugstad also scored and Kris Letang had an empty-netter for the Penguins, who snapped a four-game losing streak while winning for just the fourth time in the last 12. Pittsburgh entered holding the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.Jakub Voracek scored for Philadelphia, which lost for just the second time in 11 games. The Flyers could've pulled within four points of Pittsburgh with a victory, but now stand eight points behind the Penguins.Flyers rookie goalie Carter Hart had his eight-game win streak halted, falling one game shy of setting an NHL record for consecutive victories prior to turning 21 years old. The 20-year-old also finished a game short of tying Pelle Lindbergh for the Flyers' rookie record for wins in a row. Hart had 24 saves.Murray was a wall for the Penguins, withstanding an offensive flurry by Philadelphia that included a franchise-record 28 shots in the second period.Crosby put the Penguins up 1-0 with a fluky goal with 11:41 left in the first period. Hart lost sight of the puck behind the net and it caromed off the glass to Crosby to the right of the crease. With Hart still looking the other way, Crosby shot into the empty half of the net for his 24th of the season and 40th goal in 65 career games against Philadelphia. The Penguins' star has scored against the Flyers more than any other team.Bjugstad made it 2-0 7:04 into the second with a wrist shot from a sharp angle, an uncharacteristically soft goal for Hart. It was the sixth of the season for Bjustad and his first with the Penguins since being acquired from Florida on Feb. 1.The Flyers appeared to score with 7:07 left in the second when Nolan Patrick's rebound crossed the goal line, but the referee whistled the play dead when he thought Murray had gloved Travis Konecny's initial shot.Guentzel scored on a wraparound with 5:14 remaining in the third to make it 3-0. It was the team-leading 27th goal for Guentzel.Voracek finally got Philadelphia on the board 40 seconds later on the power play, when he lifted the puck over Murray from close range.The Flyers gained the man-advantage when Pittsburgh center Evgeni Malkin received a match penalty with 4:54 left for hitting Michael Raffl in the head with his stick. Malkin returned after missing five straight games due to an upper body injury and had an assist.NOTES: Pittsburgh D Olli Maatta didn't return after being checked into the boards by Phil Varone with six minutes left in the first. . The teams will next play each other on Feb. 23 in an outdoor game at Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the Philadelphia Eagles. The season series is tied 1-1, as the Flyers won 4-2 ON Dec. 1 in Pittsburgh. . Hart was the seventh different Flyers goalie, including six starters, to appear in the last seven meetings against Pittsburgh. ... Letang passed Paul Coffey for most goals by a Penguins defenseman.UP NEXTPittsburgh: Play the first of three straight at home against Edmonton on Wednesday.Philadelphia: At Minnesota on Tuesday.---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.

Evgeni Malkin will have a hearing for swinging his stick at Michael Raffl's head after he was punched from behind late in the third period of Monday's game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced.

The Montreal Canadiens have acquired forward Nate Thompson and a fifth-round draft pick from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a fourth-round selection, the team announced Monday.Neither of the picks originally belonged to the teams trading them; the selection sent to Montreal was the Arizona Coyotes' and the pick going to Los Angeles came from the Calgary Flames.Thompson has suited up in 53 games for the Kings this season, recording four points in 12:55 per contest while winning 53 percent of his draws. He'll likely slot in as the Canadiens' fourth-line center.The 34-year-old carries a cap hit of $1.65 million before hitting unrestricted free agency at season's end.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks fired head coach Randy Carlyle on Sunday, the team announced. General manager Bob Murray will take over on an interim basis.Anaheim has lost 19 of its last 21 contests and was handed a seventh consecutive defeat Saturday."We thank Randy for everything he has done for the organization," Murray said. "Leading the team to a Stanley Cup and three conference final appearances, he has accomplished so much in Anaheim. Difficult decisions need to be made when times are tough, and our play has clearly been unacceptable. We have a tradition of success in Anaheim and we need to get back to that."Carlyle had two stints as Ducks head coach, the first stretching from 2005-12 and highlighted by a championship in 2007. After four-plus years in Toronto, he landed back in Anaheim in 2016-17 and made the playoffs in each of his first two campaigns before the wheels came off this season.Anaheim currently sits in 28th place with 51 points through 56 games but owns the league's worst goal differential by a wide margin at negative-55. The Ducks also rank dead last in shots per game (27.5) and 29th in shots against per game (34.3) while owning the 29th-ranked power play at 14.9 percent.Murray has never coached at the NHL level, but he'll guide the Ducks down the stretch until the club begins its search for a full-time replacement in the offseason.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Monday, theScore will offer a weekly fantasy hockey column detailing a handful of moves you should make. Ownership percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.Buy low on Patrik LaineTeam: Jets

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, John's joined by Scott Cullen and Ian Tulloch, both of The Athletic, to discuss a variety of topics:

Details on every trade made before the deadline on Monday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. ET:Feb. 9: Canadiens, Flyers swap depth piecesCanadiens receiveFlyers receiveF Dale WeiseD David SchlemkoD Christian FolinF Byron FroeseFeb. 8: Predators, Coyotes swing minor dealPredators receiveCoyotes receiveF Laurent DauphinF Emil PetterssonF Adam HelewkaFeb. 6: Predators add grit with McLeodPredators receiveRangers receiveF Cody McLeod7th-round pick (2020)Feb. 6: Predators land BoylePredators receiveDevils receiveF Brian Boyle2nd-round pick (2019)Feb. 6: Sens, Avs make minor tradeSenators receiveAvalanche receiveF Jean-Christophe BeaudinF Max McCormickFeb. 1: Pens, Panthers pull off 4-player dealPenguins receivePanthers receiveF Nick BjugstadF Derick BrassardF Jared McCannF Riley Sheahan2nd-round pick (2019)4th-round pick (2019)4th-round pick (2019)Jan. 30: Wild, Devils swing minor dealWild receiveDevils receiveD Michael KaplaD Ryan MurphyJan. 28: Kings deal Muzzin to LeafsMaple Leafs receiveKings receiveD Jake Muzzin1st-round pick (2019)F Carl GrundstromRight to D Sean DurziJan. 28: Stars acquire Oleksiak from PenguinsIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyStars receive Penguins receiveD Jamie Oleksiak4th-round pick (2019)Jan. 24: Kings, Blackhawks make minor swapKings receiveBlackhawks receive5th-round pick (2019)Right to F Dominik KubalikJan. 21: Wild get HuntWild receiveGolden Knights receiveD Brad Hunt5th-round pick (2019)6th-round pick (2019)Notes: Golden Knights will receive the better 6th-round pick of Wild or Capitals (both currently owned by Minnesota).Jan. 17: Flyers, Sabres swap forwardsFlyers receiveSabres receive F Justin BaileyF Taylor LeierJan. 17: Hurricanes flip Rask for NiederreiterHurricanes receiveWild receiveF Nino NiederreiterF Victor RaskJan. 17: Ducks acquire Del Zotto for SchennDerek Leung / Getty Images Sport / GettyDucks receiveCanucks receiveD Michael Del ZottoD Luke Schenn7th-round pick (2020)Jan. 17: Ducks, Pens agree to minor tradePenguins receiveDucks receive F Joseph BlandisiF Derek GrantJan. 16: Ducks send Aberg to MinnesotaWild receiveDucks receiveF Pontus AbergF Justin KloosJan. 14: Rangers acquire BrickleyRangers receivePredators receiveF Connor BrickleyF Cole SchneiderJan. 14: Cogliano traded for ShoreSean M. Haffey / Getty Images Sport / GettyDucks receive Stars receiveF Devin ShoreF Andre CoglianoJan. 11: Lightning, Blackhawks trade defensemen, picksLightning receiveBlackhawks receiveD Jan RuttaD Slater Koekkoek7th-round picks (2019)5th-round pick (2019)Jan. 11: Coyotes acquire WealCoyotes receiveFlyers receiveJordan WealD Jacob Graves6th-round pick (2019)Jan. 11: Bruins, Sens make minor dealBruins receiveSenators receiveF Paul CareyD Cody GoloubefJan. 11: Sens, Leafs swap forwardsSeantors receiveMaple Leafs receive F Morgan KlimchukF Gabriel GagneJan. 3: Blues add goalieBlues receiveDucks receiveG Jared CoreauFuture ConsiderationsJan. 2: Senators, Canucks trade goaliesMarc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports / USA TODAY SportsSenators receiveCanucks receiveG Anders NilssonG Mike McKennaF Darren ArchibaldF Tom Pyatt6th-round pick (2019)Dec. 30: Oilers deal for ManningOilers receiveBlackhawks receiveD Brandon ManningD Jason GarrisonD Robin NorellF Drake CaggiulaDec. 30: Oilers acquire PetrovicOilers receivePanthers receiveD Alexander PetrovicD Chris Wideman3rd-round pick (2019)Dec. 29: Leafs add HutchinsonIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyMaple Leafs receivePanthers receiveG Michael Hutchinson5th-round pick (2020)Dec. 28: Ducks send Fiore to ArizonaDucks receiveCoyotes receiveD Trevor MurphyF Giovanni FioreDec. 10: Ducks trade Olesky to TorontoMaple Leafs receiveDucks receiveD Steve OleksyF Adam CracknellDec. 5: Pens, Sens make 4-player swapPenguins receiveSenators receiveD Macoy ErkampsD Stefan ElliottF Ben SextonF Tobias LindbergDec. 3: Ducks get SprongDucks receivePenguins receiveF Daniel SprongD Marcus PettersonDec. 3: Canucks acquire LeivoCanucks receive Maple Leafs receiveF Josh LeivoF Michael CarconeNov. 27: Leafs send Nielsen to CalgaryMaple Leafs receiveFlames receiveF Morgan KlimchukD Andrew NielsenNov. 25: Dylan Strome traded to ChicagoChristian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / GettyBlackhawks receiveCoyotes receiveF Dylan StromeF Nick SchmaltzF Brendan PerliniNov. 22: Oilers acquire WidemanOilers receiveSenators receiveD Chris WidemanConditional pick (2020)Notes: Senators will get the pick Edmonton received from St. Louis in the Jakub Jerabek trade.Nov. 21: Kings, Wild make minor dealKings receiveWild receiveF Pavel JenysD Stepan FalkovskyNov. 16: Ryan Strome traded to RangersRangers receiveOilers receiveF Ryan StromeF Ryan SpoonerNov. 14: Penguins swap Hagelin for PearsonJoe Sargent / National Hockey League / GettyPenguins receiveKings receiveF Tanner PearsonF Carl HagelinNov. 10: Fedun traded to DallasStars receiveSabres receiveTaylor FedunConditional 7th-round pick (2020)Notes: Sabres get the pick if Fedun plays in more than 25 games during the 2018-19 season.Oct. 18: Lightning get HultsLightning receiveDucks receiveF Mitch HultsFuture ConsiderationsOct. 3: Olofsson dealt to MontrealCanadiens receiveWild receiveD Gustav OlofssonF William BittenOct. 1: Predators acquire BaptistePredators receiveSabres receiveF Nicholas BaptisteD Jack DoughertyOct. 1: Flames trade Kulak to MontrealCanadiens receiveFlames receive D Brett KulakD Matt TaorminaD Rinat ValievOct. 1: Leafs deal Carrick to StarsStars receive Maple Leafs receive D Connor CarrickConditional 7th-round pick (2019)Notes: The pick becomes a 6th rounder if Carrick plays at least 50 games in the 2018-19 season.Oct. 1: Oilers send Jerabek to St. LouisBlues receive Oilers receiveD Jakub Jerabek6th-round pick (2020)Sept. 13: Sharks acquire KarlssonBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettySharks receiveSenators receiveD Erik KarlssonF Chris TierneyF Francis PerronF Rudolfs BalcerD Dylan DeMeloRight to F Joshua Norris1st-round pick (2019 or 2020)2nd-round pick (2019)Conditional 1st- or 2nd-round pick (2021)Conditional 1st-round pick (2022)Notes: San Jose's 2019 1st-round pick will go to Buffalo if the Sharks make the playoffs this season. If San Jose misses the playoffs, Ottawa gets the 2019 1st-round pick. If the Sharks make the playoffs, the Senators get San Jose's 2020 1st-round pick. The Senators get the better of San Jose or Florida's 2nd-round pick in 2019, both of which are owned by the Sharks. Ottawa gets a 1st-round pick in 2021 or 2022 if Karlsson is traded back to the Eastern Conference. If the Sharks re-sign Karlsson or make the Stanley Cup Final, the 2nd-round pick in 2021 becomes a 1st-round pick.Sept. 11: Bruins ship McQuaid to New YorkRangers receiveBruins receive D Adam McQuaidD Steven Kampfer4th-round pick (2019)Conditional 7th-round pick (2019)Sept. 10: Canadiens swap Pacioretty for TatarGolden Knights ReceiveCanadiens ReceiveF Max PaciorettyF Tomas TartarF Nick Suzuki2nd-round pick (2019)Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks will wait until the offseason to name a new head coach, but general manager Bob Murray already has a potential replacement in mind.Dallas Eakins, the coach of the AHL affiliate San Diego Gulls, will be a "definite candidate," Murray said Sunday, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic.The 51-year-old has coached the Gulls since their inception ahead of the 2015-16 season and has amassed a record of 143-86-20. The team holds a 25-15-5 record this year, good for third place in the Pacific Division.Prior to his time with the Gulls, Eakins served as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers from 2013 to 2014. He was fired midway through his second season with the team after it started 7-19-5.In his other AHL coaching stint, Eakins amassed a record of 157-114-41 over four seasons with the Toronto Marlies, which was highlighted by an appearance in the Calder Cup Final in 2012.The Ducks dismissed head coach Randy Carlyle on Sunday with the team enduring a stretch during which it has lost 19 of the last 21 contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With John Tavares set to make his return to Long Island in two weeks, questions about his decision to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs this past offseason are already rolling in."I have absolutely no regrets," Tavares told reporters following Sunday's loss to the New York Rangers. "I'm in a great spot. It's been a tremendous opportunity and we're just beginning."When I made the decision it felt right to me and it was the best thing for me and my career."Tavares' decision to leave the New York Islanders and join his childhood team is thus far paying off. The 28-year-old is just five goals shy of tying his career high of 38, with 26 games still to play. Meanwhile, his 60 points in 56 contests have him on pace to set a career best in that category, too.The Maple Leafs will tangle with the Islanders on Feb. 28, as Tavares will look to avenge a 4-0 loss to his former team back on Dec. 29.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Scott Darling is taking a personal leave of absence, general manager Don Wadell announced Sunday."He's obviously had a tough year on the ice and he needs, from a mental standpoint, needs to regroup basically," Wadell told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer.After struggling throughout the 2017-18 campaign, Darling has played just eight games for the Hurricanes this season, posting a 3.34 goals-against average and a .884 save percentage. He was placed on waivers Nov. 29 and has spent the majority of the campaign with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers."He had a tough game the other night and his agent called me and said he would like to take a personal leave of absence and would we allow that to get his mind back together," Waddell said. "That night he got rocked for about five (goals) and before he had a shutout (in regulation) before we lost in overtime 1-0. So we gave him the leave of absence."Waddell added there is no set timetable for the 30-year-old's return."I'll touch base with him," he said. "I told him to take a week and touch base with me in a week or so and we'll go from there."Carolina acquired the rights to the 6-foot-5 netminder in 2017 after his impressive three-year run as the Chicago Blackhawks' backup goaltender. Darling signed a four-year, $16.6-million deal to be the Hurricanes' starting goalie a week later.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

James Neal will be booking a dental appointment in the near future.The Calgary Flames forward lost some chiclets when he was caught up high by the stick of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alex Biega midway through the third period of Saturday's game.Biega was assessed a double minor for his errant stick, while Neal was able to finish the game.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ken Hitchcock criticized his Edmonton Oilers players at length following a 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday."At this time of year, the coaches can't want it more than the players," the head coach told reporters postgame. "At the end of the day, it's going to be decided whether we want to play the right way because it's successful, or whether we just want to do our thing. (This) was a game (in which) we just wanted to do our thing and paid dearly for it."The Sharks jumped out to a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes, outshooting the Oilers 12-5 in the opening frame. Edmonton played a better middle stanza, but the Oilers trailed 3-1 through two periods. Then they allowed two more San Jose goals, including Kevin Labanc's third of the game."We didn't even give ourselves a fighting chance," HItchcock said. "The game was over. When you turn it over that many times and you make casual plays like that, you give yourself no chance. We did it on the first (and) second goal(s), we did it on the fourth goal."...We can't play this way and actually expect to win hockey games."The Oilers defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-1 on Thursday night, but Edmonton has now lost seven of its last eight contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Randy Carlyle has seen a lot in his coaching career, but even he is surprised by how prolonged the Anaheim Ducks' slump has been."You don't expect to have to live through this stuff for this extended period of time," Carlyle told reporters after a 6-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman.The defeat was the Ducks' seventh straight and 19th in their last 21 contests..General manager Bob Murray has been reluctant to fire Carlyle. Last month, after Anaheim's 11th consecutive loss in what was ultimately a 12-game skid, Murray said he wasn't considering a coaching change "at this time."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Carter Hart made 30 saves for his eighth straight victory, Sean Couturier had a goal and two assists and the Philadelphia Flyers scored four times in the first period to rout the slumping Anaheim Ducks 6-2 on Saturday.Michael Raffl, Oskar Lindblom, Phil Varone, Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny also scored for the Flyers, who have won nine of 10.Adam Henrique and Nick Ritchie scored for Anaheim, which lost its seventh in a row and 19th in the last 21 while ending a forgettable six-game road trip. The Ducks have been outscored 37-8 during their skid.Ryan Getzlaf had two assists while playing in his 967th contest, which set a club record for most games with the Ducks.The 20-year-old Hart tied an NHL record for most consecutive victories before turning 21, matching former Quebec netminder Jocelyn Thibault's performance in March 1995. Hart helped the Flyers to a fast start, denying Jakob Silfverberg on a breakaway with a glove save 1:15 into the contest.Hart rested in favor of Anthony Stolarz in Thursday's 3-2 shootout loss to Los Angeles that snapped Philadelphia's eight-game winning streak.Kevin Boyle made 24 saves in his NHL debut in his relief of Chad Johnson, who was lifted after the first period for allowing four goals on 14 shots. Johnson was in net in place of All-Star John Gibson, who suffered an upper body injury in the third period of the Ducks' 4-0 loss at Ottawa on Thursday.Varone got the goal-barrage started in the first by scoring from close range with a shot over Johnson's right arm 2:44 into the contest.Couturier's wrist shot from the left circle went off the post and in with 9:36 left in the period to make it 2-0, and Raffl added another with a short-handed tally 1 1/2 minutes later with a wrist shot that beat Johnson on the glove side after a great outlet pass from Scott Laughton.And Lindblom finished Philadelphia's first-period burst with a bit of luck, as Couturier's pass in front went off Lindblom's skate and over the goal line with 2:14 left in the period.Boyle kept the Flyers off the board with a solid, 13-save second period, and the Ducks got a power-play goal 51 seconds into the second when Henrique finished Ritchie's pass from behind the net.Notes: Philadelphia traded F Dale Weise and D Christian Folin to Montreal for D David Schlemko and F Byron Froese. Schlmeko and Froese will report to Philadelphia's AHL Lehigh Valley affiliate. . The Flyers swept the season series. They also won at Anaheim, 3-2 on Oct. 30. . Hart has allowed 19 goals on 290 shots during his winning streak.UP NEXTAnaheim: Play first of three straight at home vs. Vancouver on Wednesday.Philadelphia: End five-game homestand against Pittsburgh Monday.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens have traded defenseman David Schlemko and forward Byron Froese to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Dale Weise and defenseman Christian Folin.The Canadiens welcome back a friendly face in Weise, as the 6-foot-2 power forward played 152 games from 2013-16 for Montreal. Weise enjoyed his best hockey with the Habs, registering a career-high 29 points during the 2014-15 campaign.Folin has played in just 26 games this season, recording two assists for the Flyers. The Swedish blue-liner signed a 1-year, $800,000 deal with Philadelphia at the beginning of the season and will become a UFA on July 1.A knee injury at the start of the campaign kept Schlemko sidelined until Nov. 10. He's appeared in 18 games for Montreal this season, splitting time with the Laval Rockets of the AHL. When healthy, Schlemko can provide some depth on defense for a Flyers team looking to make a late playoff push.After a 48-game slate with the Canadiens last season, Froese spent all of 2018-19 with Laval. With 110 games of NHL experience under his belt, the 27-year-old could be an option should the Flyers run into injury trouble down the stretch.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Reinhart is clearing the air after seemingly criticizing his team's goaltenders after Thursday night's 6-5 defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes."That's not what I meant at all. ... I'm saying we all need to come back and defend more," Reinhart said according to The Athletic's John Vogl. "I was trying to say we need more for our goalies. It doesn't take a hockey genius to know those have been our two best guys all year."Following the loss, a frustrated Reinhart appeared to blame the Sabres' goalies as the reason for them falling behind early in games and ultimately struggling to win the subsequent high-scoring affairs. However, the 23-year-old insists he was directing his frustration at the team's defense, not the goaltenders."I was lost in translation, I wasn't trying to be hard on them at all," Reinhart said. "I was trying to be harder on the guys skating around the ice to come back and defend more."The Sabres have allowed four or more goals in four of their last five contests, and have won only five games since Christmas. Despite his comments, Reinhart claims the team is in good spirits."We're already joking around today, so we're all good," he said.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Artemi Panarin would like to dip his toes into the free-agent waters.The star forward opened up about his situation with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, shedding light on a decision to delay discussions with the team about his future until the season ends."It’s one life, one chance for free agency and I want to test free agency," Panarin told Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch.As for what happens when he gets to that point, he didn't commit to re-signing.

Artemi Panarin has parted ways with agent Dan Milstein and replaced him with Paul Theofanous, the Columbus Blue Jackets forward confirmed Friday.

Warning: Story contains coarse languagePaul Maurice didn't mince words on Thursday following the Winnipeg Jets' 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens."We were all horseshit tonight," the Jets head coach told reporters postgame, according to the Winnipeg Free Press' Mike McIntyre."Coach was no good. Players were no good. Food was no good. I just hope the plane works," Maurice continued.After Mark Scheifele opened the scoring for the Jets less than five minutes in, the Canadiens scored five unanswered goals, including a pair by Jonathan Drouin. Brendan Lemieux tallied in the final minute for Winnipeg with the game out of reach."We were a red robin from about five minutes into that game," Maurice said. "We had a goalie that was standing on his head and found a way to make a 5-2 score flattering."The Canadiens outshot the Jets 53-34 in the contest.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles Kings forward Ilya Kovalchuk is "definitely available" ahead of the Feb. 25 trade deadline, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.The 35-year-old Kovalchuk's in the first season of a three-year deal that carries a $6.25-million annual cap hit. However, he would need to waive his no-movement clause in any trade - something LeBrun reports he'd be willing to do for the right situation.The veteran winger has produced just 26 points in 44 games during his first season back in the NHL, although a recent 11-game stretch has seen the former Rocket Richard Trophy winner heat up with four goals and nine points.The last time Kovalchuk played in the NHL postseason, he led the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012 with a team-high eight goals and 19 points in 23 contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres went off for five goals in Thursday's clash with the Carolina Hurricanes, but it wasn't enough to secure a victory.Buffalo dropped a 6-5 decision in overtime, marking the eighth time over the past 10 games that the team has given up at least four goals. Following another frustrating performance, forward Sam Reinhart voiced his displeasure with the club's goaltending of late."We can't expect to win hockey games 6-5, 7-6," Reinhart said, according to The Athletic's John Vogl. "We need more from our goalies and we need it from the start of hockey games. It's frustrating."The Sabres have averaged 4.5 goals against per game over their last 10 contests, the highest mark in the league during that stretch. As to be expected, Linus Ullmark's and Carter Hutton's numbers in that time aren't pretty:GoalieGames Played Goals-Against Average SV%Linus Ullmark83.86.870Carter Hutton45.59.832With Thursday night's loss, the Sabres now sit four points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau tore into his players after a disappointing 4-1 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night."There's some guys there that just are a shell of the players that I've known for two-and-a-half years," Boudreau told reporters.Boudreau then expressed his frustration at Mikael Granlund specifically, as the star forward has now scored just two goals in his past 37 games."I can't go out there and hang on his back and follow him like a close-talker and say, 'Hey, shoot the puck," Boudreau said. "He's a smart enough player. The last two years he was one of the, I thought, top 10 players in the league. And now he's got two goals in (37) games."Minnesota has now dropped four straight and sits in the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, just two points up on the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks."This was sort of the last straw," Boudreau said. "Everybody now has caught us or within a point, so it's either find your sense of urgency and do what you have to do to win or bad things are going to happen."The Wild will now embark on a mini two-game road trip, starting in New Jersey on Saturday, where they will look to get back into the win column.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks lost more than their game against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.John Gibson was hurt late in the second period of the Ducks' 4-0 defeat when Anaheim defenseman Jaycob Megna collided with him on a goal by Senators forward Matt Duchene.The star netminder remained in the game for the rest of the period but didn't emerge for the third.Ottawa handed the Ducks their sixth consecutive loss.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers and Wayne Simmonds aren't making progress in contract negotiations, a source told The Philadelphia Inquirer's Sam Carchidi on Thursday.Simmonds is a pending unrestricted free agent carrying a $3.975 million cap hit. He's recorded 16 goals in 53 games for the Flyers this season.Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said on Jan. 18 that his goal is to trade or sign the veteran forward before the Feb. 25 trade deadline.About a week earlier, TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Simmonds is more likely than not to be traded.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic is not going to compromise his team's future, but that doesn't mean he won't try to make the Avs better in the short term."We're looking at the big picture here. We love what's coming," Sakic said, according to Mike Chambers of The Denver Post. "It's a process, and we're not going to deviate from that plan. If there's a player that can help us that isn't going to include one of those (first-round) picks and top prospects, then we'll look at that."Colorado currently holds its own 2019 first-round selection, as well as the Ottawa Senators' first-rounder, courtesy of the Matt Duchene trade. The Senators sit near the bottom of the standings, which means that pick will likely become one of the top selections at the draft this June."We've been talking with teams the better part of three, four weeks now. But what we're not doing is moving our high picks and prospects," Sakic said. "There are things we'll continue to look at - hockey trades - and see how we can get better."The Avalanche got off to a red-hot start this season, boasting a conference-best record of 15-6-5 on Dec. 1. But they've won just seven games since and sit two points outside of a wild-card spot heading into Thursday's action.With 74 points in 52 games, Mikko Rantanen has established himself as a premier player, and linemates Nathan MacKinnon - a nominee for last season's Hart Trophy - and Gabriel Landeskog help round out one of the NHL's most productive lines. The team's offense falls off after the top line, however, as the trio is currently responsible for 45 percent of Colorado's point production this season."We like our back end. We like our goaltending - we just got to get them playing with more confidence," Sakic said. "If we can add some scoring, some depth scoring, that would be our priority."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk will be a member of the NHL's stacked restricted free-agent class of 2019, so he paid special attention to Auston Matthews' new five-year deal on Tuesday worth $11.634 million per season with the Toronto Maple Leafs."I feel like every year there's a couple guys, a couple big names every year who kind of change the way a little bit," Tkachuk told Daniel Austin of the Calgary Sun. "I think Auston changed it, too, going with the approach (of) a five-year deal, too. Maybe people haven't seen that in a couple years, but it's not like, uncommon. Guys used to do that all the time. He definitely set the bar."However, unlike Matthews, Tkachuk said he prefers to play out the rest of the season and worry about his new contract in the summer.Tkachuk was selected five spots after Matthews (sixth overall) in the 2016 draft, and the two were teammates at the world juniors and with the U.S. National Development Program.The winger has taken his game to a new level this season, as he's recorded a career-high 57 points through 53 games for the first-place Flames. The 21-year-old is one of several key young players up for a new contract after this season, along with Mitch Marner, Sebastian Aho, Patrik Laine, and Mikko Rantanen, among others.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With a stacked 2019 free-agent class and several teams well out of the playoff hunt, it appears to be a buyers' market leading up to the NHL's trade deadline. It's possible Artemi Panarin, Wayne Simmonds, Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, and other big names could be moved before Feb. 25, setting up one of the most anticipated deadlines in recent years.Here are three teams that should be in pursuit of an impact player over the next few weeks:Nashville PredatorsJohn Russell / National Hockey League / GettyThe Predators are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders due to stellar goaltending and arguably the league's best defensive core. However, the Preds rank outside the top 10 in the league in goals per game and own the NHL's 30th-ranked power play. To put themselves over the top, they need some extra offensive punch.Outside of Filip Forsberg, Nashville doesn't have a game-breaking talent up front. Adding an impact forward such as Duchene, Stone, or Panarin - who the club has reportedly inquired about - would change that.The Predators dealt a second-round pick to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday for Brian Boyle, but Nashville still has its first-rounder to dangle in trade talks.Boston BruinsPatrick McDermott / National Hockey League / GettyThe Bruins' trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak form arguably the league's best line, but the rest of Boston's roster doesn't pose as much of an offensive threat. David Krejci is having a nice year, but the Bruins severely lack scoring depth in their bottom-nine forward group.Inserting one of the available wingers, such as Panarin, Stone, or Simmonds - who Boston has reportedly shown interest in - would give the Bruins two formidable lines, making them a nightmare for opponents to match up against in the postseason.Atlantic Division rivals like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs have an embarrassment of riches up front, meaning the Bruins should be in heavy pursuit of an impact player if they have Stanley Cup aspirations.New York IslandersMike Stobe / National Hockey League / GettyPreseason pundits predicted the Islanders would be sellers at the 2019 trade deadline. However, despite losing franchise player John Tavares in the offseason, the Isles find themselves atop the Metropolitan Division.New York has both the cap room and enough draft picks and young prospects to be serious players ahead of the deadline. Moreover, with several contracts coming off the books after this season, the team could acquire one of the aforementioned pending unrestricted free agents and sign them to a long-term extension before they hit the open market.The Isles have been the stingiest defensive team in the league this season, but adding a dynamic forward up front could make the club a force to be reckoned with down the stretch.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.