Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas is fielding plenty of questions about offer sheets and contract extensions of late, so naturally, trades are the next topic of discussion.With Auston Matthews' and Mitch Marner's contract negotiations looming, the future deals for the young stars apparently tie into the Leafs' trade deadline plans, as Dubas said he'd like some term security attached to anyone he might add."... If we have some certainty or some relative certainty about where the contracts for Auston and Mitch are going to come in, and we have more certainty at that time for where the salary cap will be for next season, we may be able to add players that are more than just rentals, that do have some term, whether it's one, two, or however many years left on their contracts," Dubas told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic on Monday."I think all those pieces kind of have to fit together. I don't really look and see many pure rentals that really change the dynamic of our group. So anything that we'd be looking at would be players that probably have some term."The Maple Leafs have $5.8 million in available cap space for the remainder of the current season, per Cap Friendly. With next year's limit set to increase to roughly $83 million, Toronto is projected to have just over $23 million at its disposal heading into 2019-20.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights and Columbus Blue Jackets exchanged blows both on and off the ice on Monday night.During the second intermission, and with both teams locked in a 0-0 tie, the Blue Jackets looked for takers to play some board games.

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.Pick up Ondrej KaseTeam: Anaheim Ducks

The Chicago Blackhawks placed goaltender Corey Crawford on injured reserve Monday.The designation comes a day after the veteran netminder was forced from Sunday's game against the San Jose Sharks with a concussion.In turn, the team recalled goaltender Collin Delia from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis.While Crawford's timetable has yet to be determined, many fear the worst after the 33-year-old was sidelined for 10 months from last December to October due to a concussion.In 23 games this season, Crawford has posted a 6-14-2 record with a .902 save percentage and a 3.28 goals-against average.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After William Nylander's well-documented holdout to begin the year, he's experienced when it comes to contract negotiations, so much so that the Toronto Maple Leafs winger is offering advice to fellow teammates and pending restricted free agents Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner."Just get it done before the season starts," Nylander said to TSN's Gino Reda when asked if he had any words of wisdom. "That's probably the one thing you'd want, to get it out of the way."Matthews and Marner are both restricted free agents at the end of this season and could find themselves in similar contract negotiations as Nylander if they don't take the Swede's advice.Nylander missed the Leafs' first 28 games and only has two assists in five contests since returning. He admitted that it'll take a bit longer to feel like his old self."Probably another couple more games," Nylander said, according to Reda. "So another week, and I'll feel 100 percent."The 22-year-old signed a six-year, $45-million deal on Dec. 1 after posting two straight 61-point campaigns.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chuck Fletcher says the search for Dave Hakstol's replacement behind the Philadelphia Flyers' bench is wide open."At this point, everyone is a candidate moving forward," the general manager told reporters Monday. "This will be a process."Hakstol was fired Monday following four straight losses and a 1-4 road trip.Fletcher said he hasn't asked the Chicago Blackhawks for permission to interview former head coach Joel Quenneville, nor has he spoken to him, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. Quenneville was linked to the club in an earlier report that Hakstol had been fired.Fletcher also said he expects Scott Gordon, who was named interim bench boss Monday, to remain head coach for the rest of the season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kyle Dubas doesn't appear too concerned two of his best players could be targeted by opposing clubs in restricted free agency.The Toronto Maple Leafs general manager downplayed the potential danger of having to match offer sheets for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in the summer of 2019.“When I look around the league right now, for whatever reason, it seems like the Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team that is going to be a target of an offer sheet. Seems interesting to me," Dubas told reporters, including NHL.com's Dave McCarthy, on Monday."Our salary cap situation is set up (in a way) that we could defend any of those threats with no worry at all," the Leafs GM added. "They've become a huge topic of late, but I spend zero percent of my time having any worry about that."Both Matthews and Marner are pending RFAs who could be signed to offer sheets if Toronto doesn't sign them to extensions before July 1. The Leafs are expected to have more than $23 million in cap space for 2019-20.Dubas said Monday he is actively trying to get the Matthews and Marner deals done before July 1."We continue to have discussions with (Matthews' agent) Judd Moldaver and (Marner's representative) Darren Ferris, and both of their camps," the GM told McCarthy. "It will be our intention to try to get those (done) as soon as possible."Toronto forward William Nylander reached restricted free agency last summer and missed roughly the first two months of this season while negotiating a new deal. The two sides eventually agreed upon a contract minutes before the deadline at 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 1.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers have dismissed head coach Dave Hakstol, the club announced Monday.Scott Gordon will serve as interim bench boss.The Flyers have lost four games in a row, including a 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. Philadelphia currently holds the third-worst record in the NHL and sits in last place in the Metropolitan Division.Hakstol served behind the Flyers' bench for three-plus seasons, compiling a 134-101-42 record. He led the team to the playoffs in two of the three previous campaigns but lost in the first round both times.Philadelphia also fired general manager Ron Hextall in late November before eventually replacing him with former Wild GM Chuck Fletcher.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ken Hitchcock wasn't happy with the way officials handled the Vancouver Canucks' tactics against Connor McDavid on Sunday night.The Edmonton Oilers head coach didn't want to address the overall disparity in penalty calls after his team's 4-2 loss. But he did express displeasure with the way his superstar - in his view - was restricted without repercussions."I'm not going to comment on the penalties, but the stuff that really bothers me is what's happening to Connor," Hitchcock told reporters postgame. "We're a league that's supposed to showcase our top players - and you don't want to give them all the freedom - but the tug-of-war on him was absolutely ridiculous (Sunday) and that's a little bit discouraging, to be honest with you."I can see the whack-and-hacking going on when he's got the puck, but to me, it's all the stuff behind (the play) that doesn't allow him to showcase his speed, and if that's what we want, well, that's fine, but I think it's a real disservice to a player like him."McDavid logged more than 23 minutes of ice time in the game but managed only one shot on goal. He tallied a lone assist on Alex Chiasson's third-period marker."He's not allowed to play give-and-go, it's give-and-hold, so we're going to have to figure out a way to fight through it, or we'll just play toughness with them and figure it out from there," Hitchcock said.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford suffered a concussion after a collision during Sunday night's game against the San Jose Sharks, head coach Jeremy Colliton confirmed postgame, according to ChicagoBlackhawks.com's Chris Wescott.Crawford was forced from Sunday's 7-3 loss late in the first period after Evander Kane shoved Dylan Strome into the veteran netminder after a failed scoring chance.The 33-year-old missed the first five games of the season with a concussion he suffered last season. He previously hadn't played since Dec. 23, 2017."Crow is such a big part of our team," Connor Murphy said. "To lose him is not good. You just feel for him. In a game like that where there were parts where our goalie is hung out to dry and then for them to take guys crashing on him is not fair either."Crawford's posted a 6-14-2 record with a 3.28 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage this season. His backup, Cam Ward, has recorded a 4.17 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage.The news is another blow to a struggling Blackhawks club that sits with just 26 points on the season, the second-lowest total in the NHL.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers have denied a report that head coach Dave Hakstol has been fired and Joel Quenneville hired to be the team's new bench boss, with a spokesperson telling Sam Carchidi of The Inquirer that the organization had "nothing new to report."Sources told Dave Isaac of the Courier Post on Sunday that the team had decided to move on from Hakstol and turn to the former Blackhawks coach to run the team.Quenneville told Andy Strickland of FOX Sports Midwest shortly after that the report that he'd accepted the job wasn't true.Hakstol is in his fourth season with the Flyers and has compiled a 134-101-42 record in 277 games. Under Hakstol, the Flyers have reached the postseason twice - last season and in 2015-16. They were dismissed in the first round in six games each time.It's not been an easy go for the Flyers in December. They are 2-3-2 in seven games and are returning home after going 0-3-1 during a swing through Western Canada.The club abruptly fired general manager Ron Hextall in late November and later replaced him with Chuck Fletcher. Since Hextall's dismissal, the Flyers have dropped six of their past eight games.The club currently finds itself in last place in the Eastern Conference with 28 points in through 31 games.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Most players aren't threats to find the back of the net on a nightly basis, but most players aren't Alex Ovechkin.The Washington Capitals superstar didn't notch a third straight hat trick Saturday, but he scored in regulation and added the eventual shootout winner in a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres."Would (have been) nice to get another hatty ... but (there's) nothing you can do about that," Ovechkin told reporters postgame.The Russian sniper expressed further disappointment with himself despite his most recent exploits and the win."I had pretty good chances, but (Saturday) was almost not my day," he said. "But again, you can't score every night, so (I'll) take whatever's there."Despite his self-criticism, Ovechkin has scored in six straight games and has lit the lamp in 12 of his last 14 contests. He has 10 goals in the last six and leads the NHL with 29.Oh, and he's doing it at age 33, in his 14th season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames made a series of roster moves Sunday, removing forward Mikael Backlund from the injured reserve and recalling forward Kerby Rychel from the AHL's Stockton Heat, the team announced.In corresponding changes, the Flames reassigned goaltender Jon Gillies and forward Andrew Mangiapane to Stockton.Gillies' demotion indicates netminder Mike Smith may no longer be sidelined with an injury he sustained against the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 12.Backlund missed the last four games with a concussion. He's notched 17 points in 29 contests this season.Rychel has yet to make his debut with the Flames. He's scored 13 goals and added eight helpers in 25 AHL games this season after spending last year in the Montreal Canadiens' organization.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Video contains coarse languageTommy Hawk, the mascot for the Chicago Blackhawks, got into a spirited scrap with a fan at the United Center following Chicago's 4-3 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.Here's a look at the dust-up:

Welcome to the 600-win club, Claude Julien.Saturday's victory over the Ottawa Senators saw the Montreal Canadiens head coach record his 600th career victory, good for 18th on the NHL's all-time list. He trails former Canadiens bench boss Jacques Martin by just 13 victories for 17th all-time.Julien, who coached the Boston Bruins to a Stanley Cup in 2011, is in his second stint with the Canadiens. He rejoined the Habs in 2017 after an initial stint from 2002 to 2006.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers will be without Oscar Klefbom well into the new year as the defenseman is expected to miss the next six to eight weeks following finger surgery, Sportsnet's John Shannon reports.Klefbom suffered the injury against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. After the game, Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock told reporters he expected Klefbom to miss "weeks not days."The 25-year-old has already missed two games due to the injury this season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Neither the Calgary Flames nor the Minnesota Wild were shy about renewing hostilities Saturday.The clubs engaged in a trio of tussles in the first period of the matinee matchup, facing each other for the first time since a heated affair on Dec. 6.Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk challenged Wild defenseman Matt Dumba to a tilt in the opening minute Saturday, in response to Dumba's massive hit on Calgary's Mikael Backlund that injured the Swede near the end of their previous meeting.

One of the St. Louis Blues' best prospects is sticking with the team for the time being.Robert Thomas will not be loaned to the Canadian national team for the upcoming World Junior Championship, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong confirmed to TSN's Pierre LeBrun on Saturday.Thomas has nine points through 25 games in his rookie season. He's been playing on the club's third line alongside Pat Maroon and Tyler Bozak.The 19-year-old center won gold with Team Canada at the previous world junior tournament in Buffalo, notching six points in seven contests.He was selected 20th overall by the Blues in the 2017 draft.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres have suspended forward Patrik Berglund indefinitely for failure to report to the team, the club announced Saturday.Berglund has missed Buffalo's last two games with what the team said was an illness.Berglund was traded from the Blues to the Sabres along with Vladimir Sobotka, Tage Thompson, and two draft picks in exchange for Ryan O'Reilly this summer. His first season in Western New York has not been pleasant, as he has just four points in 23 games.Berglund is signed through 2021-22 with a cap hit of $3.85 million.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With things recently taking a turn for the better in Edmonton, Oilers CEO and vice-chair Bob Nicholson gave general manager Peter Chiarelli a somewhat conditional vote of confidence.The Oilers have gone 8-2-2 since Ken Hitchcock replaced Todd McLellan as head coach, vaulting the club into the top wildcard spot in the Western Conference entering Friday's games. That run has allowed cooler heads to prevail in northern Alberta after a troubling start to the season, with Nicholson saying his general manager's job is safe if the team makes the playoffs."Yeah. There's no question." Nicholson told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic. "I think there's a lot of things that Peter hasn't gotten credit for. He's really started to build. You're starting to see some of them come up now with the (Caleb) Joneses and the (Evan) Bouchards. We have a lot of assets, which this organization hadn't had for a while. Peter deserves a lot of credit for that."Edmonton had lost six of seven contests when McLellan was let go Nov. 20 and many wondered about Chiarelli's job security going forward in what seemed to be another lost season.Chiarelli joined the Oilers in 2015 and has faced plenty of scrutiny for some of his personnel decisions since taking over. Edmonton has made the playoffs once during his tenure, advancing to Game 7 of the second round in 2016-17.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Paul Stastny made his highly anticipated return to the lineup Friday against the New Jersey Devils.Stastny was Vegas' big-ticket signing in free agency - inking a three-year, $19.5-million contract on July 1 - but missed the last 30 contests with a lower-body injury suffered during the third game of the season.The 32-year-old tallied 53 points last season split between the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets and added 15 more in 17 playoff games before the Jets fell to Vegas in the Western Conference Final.Stastny was expected to slot in behind William Karlsson as the Golden Knights' second-line center in hopes of providing some secondary offense. Instead, Cody Eakin's filled the role to date, which is partially due to Erik Haula's own prolonged injury absence.The Golden Knights currently hold the second wild-card spot in the West with 37 points.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This week, theScore's unveiling a five-part series in which we predict who will be protected and picked when the new Seattle franchise selects one player from every other NHL team except Vegas in 2021. Today, we project the Metropolitan Division.Others in the series: Atlantic | Central | Pacific | Full Seattle RosterBefore diving into our Metropolitan Division projections, here's a refresher on the expansion draft process:

This week, theScore's unveiling a five-part series in which we predict who will be protected and picked when the new Seattle franchise selects one player from every other NHL team except Vegas in 2021. Today, we project the Central Division.Others in the series: Atlantic | Metropolitan | Pacific | Full Seattle RosterBefore diving into our Central Division projections, here's a refresher on the expansion draft process:

Seattle's freshly unveiled NHL franchise may not have a moniker or a general manager - or even a timetable for announcing them either - but it does have a timeline for something rather juicy: the next expansion draft.In June 2021, the GM of the Seattle Whatevers will acquire 30 players in one day. Following the same rules and regulations as the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, Seattle will partake in the league's second expansion draft in four years, selecting one player from each NHL team except Vegas.Because it’s fun to forecast, we’ve brought out the crystal ball here at theScore to look deep into the future and craft a dangerously early Seattle mock draft.Others in the series: Metropolitan | Central | Pacific | Full Seattle RosterGuided by the invaluable CapFriendly.com, we’ll be rolling out protected lists and picks this week for all four divisions, starting with the Atlantic.First, though, a refresher on the expansion draft process and its criteria:

This week, theScore's unveiling a five-part series in which we predict who will be protected and picked when the new Seattle franchise selects one player from every other NHL team except Vegas in 2021. Today, we project the Pacific Division.Others in the series: Atlantic | Metropolitan | Central | Full Seattle RosterBefore diving into our Pacific Division projections, here's a refresher on the expansion draft process:

This week, theScore's unveiling a five-part series in which we predict who will be protected and picked when the new Seattle franchise selects one player from every other NHL team except Vegas in 2021.Others in the series: Atlantic | Metropolitan | Central | Pacific |Let’s get something out of the way off the hop: The Seattle mock expansion draft series has been an exercise dominated by projections.We don't have all the answers relating to an event that will take place in June 2021. The protected lists and picks we've posted over the past few days and the mock lineup below are educated guesses, not absolute certainties.Even NHL Seattle senior advisor Dave Tippett - a man who will have his fingerprints all over the actual expansion draft process - is guessing at this point in time, a good 30 months out.All of that being said, this week we attempted to:

AMHERST, Mass. - Throughout his hockey career, Massachusetts goaltender Matt Murray has had the two-word phrase "Family First" scrawled across the back of his mask.This year, the 20-year-old St. Albert, Alberta native added something even more meaningful - the names of five friends he lost in last April's Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy.The accident, which killed 16 people and severely injured 13 others, devastated the Broncos’ program and the Humboldt community. The anguish of that horrific occurrence, however, resonated beyond Humboldt and reached across the continent, and the hockey world.Murray was among those who were hit with the pain of the incident. He has since dedicated his career to honoring the memory of the Humboldt victims through his work ethic, his play, and his mask."There’s not a second that goes by when I put it on where I’m not humbled at what I’m doing and just being able to carry on their legacy in the game and make them all proud and honor them in the best way that I know how," Murray told theScore.And while the decision to carry the names of his late friends every time he takes the ice is significant enough, Murray has found another way to honor them - by putting together one of the greatest goaltending seasons in the history of UMass' storied hockey program.Humboldt tiesKYMBER RAE / AFP / GettyComing up through the ranks in hockey, players develop relationships with many teammates. For Murray, it just so happened that five players he knew well were among those who didn’t survive the Humboldt accident.Murray grew up a five-minute walk from Stephen Wack. They played minor hockey together until Murray left for Spruce Grove."Growing up in the same town, you get to know everybody, especially in a small town," Murray said. "We had similar interests, both being into water sports and we had similar friend groups and we hung out all the time. And he was a great, great videographer ... he had a whole YouTube channel about it."But the biggest thing with Stephen, he was the most ... I’m at a loss for words saying what amazing person he was, how genuine, how happy. No matter what was going on he was always somebody that you know would do the right thing and there’s no words to sum him up."Murray was a teammate of Conner Lukan in 2014-15; the two helped lead the Spruce Grove Saints to the Alberta Junior Hockey League title."When you have success with a person and you grow to that level ... there is nothing held back and you know every person on your team, inside and out, and I think that’s when you’re going to find your deepest connections," Murray said about his bond with Lukan.Logan Hunter and Jaxon Joseph were fellow St. Albert natives."Logan went to the same school as me, he was a grade under because he’s a year younger," Murray said. "And then I knew him through some mutual friends. And then Jaxon, he went to school with Stephen and his dad (Chris) played a huge role in St. Albert minor hockey, and I’ve played with him in the summer on teams and stuff like that."Murray connected to Parker Tobin as part of the universal goaltender fraternity. They crossed paths during their minor hockey careers."Parker I knew fairly closely from when he played in Spruce Grove in midget when I was there for junior hockey. And I saw him rising into the AJ as well," Murray said.Murray was devastated when he got the call about the accident. He was granted permission to go home, go to the memorial services, and have the necessary time to grieve with his family."When I went home after it happened, just being with them, being with my family was what was needed," Murray said. "They’ve always been there for me no matter what, through thick and thin and always will continue to be. And my family is the strongest part of my life for sure."Murray’s parents Darryl and Jeanett, and younger sister Madison formed Murray’s support team, as they always have."When the tragedy occurred he contacted me and my wife that night, we spoke many times that evening and obviously he was extremely shook up with the loss of some close buddies that he’s played with and worked out with over the years," Darryl Murray recalled."He really thought that he needed to come home to be with family and be with some people to try and ... and be around others that would be grieving at the same time."Upon his return to campus, Murray found support from his teammates, with whom he opened up about what he was going through. He turned to his Catholic faith to help him move forward.When the school year ended, Murray returned home. He thought about a way to memorialize not just the friends he lost, but everyone whose lives changed that night on the Broncos bus. He’d had Jesse Acciacca of Jesse’s Custom Design in Wilmington, Mass., paint his mask the year prior.Murray tasked Acciacca with making sure all the Humboldt victims would be with him for the 2018-19 season.The MaskUMass AthleticsMurray had one direction for Acciacca."I gave him all the artistic freedom in the world. I said, 'Do whatever you have to do, just make sure these names are on there,'" Murray recalled.Acciacca had plenty of experience incorporating names into masks. In 2017, he integrated 470 names into then-St. Louis Blues netminder Carter Hutton's Hockey Fights Cancer mask. So Acciacca knew just how to approach Murray’s request."I didn’t want to just limit it to one little area of the mask because I’ve seen a few other painters, other goalies ... so I kind of represented it throughout the mask and without overpowering the design," Acciacca said. "I used pearlescent paint, and when you hit the right light you can see it. So it didn’t overpower it too much but it was there."The back plate, where it has always said "Family First" on Murray’s masks, also became home to the names of the aforementioned five victims. Those names are done in regular paint and can’t be missed when you watch Murray from behind.After Acciacca received his orders, he sent Murray a rendering. Even though he had an idea of what it was going to look like, Murray was still overwhelmed when he opened the box over the summer."Honestly, I just didn’t know what to say," Murray said. "It was a lot of emotion. Ecstatic with the beauty and then just like a lot of it really hit me too at the same time. And it was very humbling and it was a whirlwind of emotions at that point."Murray wasn’t the only one overcome when the mask arrived."It broke me down to tears when I first saw it," Darryl said.It was one thing to have the mask made and wear it. It took something else to attract more attention to it - and Murray's historic start has done just that.Sophomore sensationThom KendallAs a freshman with UMass last season, Murray set the single-season school record for shutouts with four and was named the Hockey East Player of the Week once and the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week on another occasion.The UMass coaching staff made a commitment to challenge its goalies to get out of their comfort zones this season. In Murray’s case, that meant not always trying to use perfect technique to stop the puck."We challenged him at the beginning of the year to battle and to compete and challenge shooters to help out with his rebound control and everything like that, and it’s really coming in strides," said UMass assistant coach Jared DeMichiel, who played goal at Rochester Institute of Technology."He’s fighting to see pucks and then when there’s rebounds he’s fighting more from there. And it’s not like he’s out of sorts, like he still has good control from his game. ... He’s made some unorthodox saves that we need him to make but he’s also made those routine saves as well too."Maturity and experience have allowed Murray to be more aggressive."It comes with being more comfortable and knowing to what to expect in the league versus last year as a freshman," Murray said of his play to date. "And I think knowing what to expect and knowing what’s coming has allowed me to elevate my game and to push the limits a little bit more."Whatever Murray has done is working better than anyone could have imagined. He enters the winter break with an 11-0-0 record to go along with a 1.90 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. UMass is 14-2-0 (7-0-0 in the Hockey East Conference) and is ranked No. 2 in the nation.Knowing what Murray’s gone through and seeing him wearing the mask with all the names, DeMichiel is convinced there are people looking down on the goalie and maybe "pushing him a little more."Murray agrees. Although he tries to avoid getting emotional when he pulls that mask down over his head on game night, there’s always inspiration in front of him when he picks it up to put it on.Murray hasn't been drafted, but this season he’s played his way into the conversation among scouts and management types as a professional goaltender prospect. That’s been his dream "since I think I could dream," he said without hesitation.St. Albert has produced many greats, including Mark Messier and Jarome Iginla, and if Murray can take advantage of a pro opportunity the way he’s thrived in junior and college hockey, he could very well join their ranks.And as he pursues his ultimate dream, Murray will always have the victims of the Humboldt accident in his heart - and almost certainly on his mask.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Green will be out three-to-five weeks with a lower-body injury, head coach Jeff Blashill said Friday.Filip Hronek has been called up from the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins to replace Green on Detroit's back end.Green logged 15 minutes of ice time in the Red Wings' 6-2 loss against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. He missed the first nine games of the season with a virus.Hronek, considered one of the Wings' top prospects, has 18 points in 20 games for the Griffins. The 21-year-old blue-liner made six appearances for Detroit earlier this season.The Red Wings take on the Ottawa Senators at home Friday night.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly NHL podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's National Hockey Writer.Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play.This week, John is joined by the Hockey PDOcast's Dimitri Filipovic for the second episode of a two-part series focused on the main storylines from each conference. The episode above covers the Eastern Conference, while Filipovic's podcast (below) takes care of the Western Conference.East topics include:

Women are making their mark in the male-dominated world of professional sports like never before.Here are five leading the charge.Hayley WickenheiserThe decorated Canadian Olympian who made her name on the ice wearing red and white now wears blue and white, after she was named assistant director of player development by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer.What brought Wickenheiser to Kyle Dubas' staff wasn't his desire to hire a woman, but to simply hire the best candidate for the job. And that was Wickenheiser.The 40-year-old is one of the first women to be hired in her position in the NHL.Becky HammonMark Sobhani / National Basketball Association / GettyHammon made history in 2014 when she was named assistant coach of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, becoming the first full-time female assistant in the big four professional sports leagues.The 41-year-old starred in the WNBA, being named an All-Star six times and one of the league's top 15 players of all time.It won't be long before she's coaching her own NBA team.Serena WilliamsChris Trotman / Getty Images Sport / GettyThere's Serena, and there's everyone else.Her stupendous resume speaks for her:

Nearly two weeks after formally being granted a franchise, the Seattle group has begun to compile a list of potential GM candidates, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported during Thursday's "Insider Trading" segment."What I can tell you is the Seattle group has, over the past week or two here, finally started to put some names on a piece of paper as for GM candidates," LeBrun said. "Now they're not in a hurry, but I am told they have 10-12 names on paper. They're not going to reach out to candidates directly until those people, their seasons are over. They want to respect that so they'll wait until the offseason to reach out."What is unsure at the moment is when the group will actually put pen to paper with a general manager. LeBrun notes that the team could look to put someone in charge as early as this summer or they could wait another year in the hope that another candidate becomes available.Seattle can afford to take plenty of time to make their decision though, as they won't begin play until the 2021-22 season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo underwent surgery on his right hand and will be re-evaluated around Christmas, general manager Doug Armstrong said, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.The 28-year-old suffered the injury on Nov. 30 against the Colorado Avalanche and was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 3.Pietrangelo, much like the rest of his teammates, has gotten off to a slow start offensively, with just four goals and 11 points in 24 games. However, he had posted four points in the previous four games before exiting the Blues' lineup.The Blues enter Thursday just two points out of last place in the Western Conference.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Count Steven Stamkos among NHL players not quite sold on the league's divisional postseason format."It's a little imperfect," the Tampa Bay Lightning captain told Sportsnet's Chris Johnston on Thursday. "I've always thought when you go to the 1 (seed versus) 8, and then reseed after that, that's just, for me anyways, a little more logical."Stamkos' sentiments echoed similar comments from John Tavares and Nazem Kadri of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who trail the Lightning by six points for first place in the Atlantic Division."Our division is pretty deadly at this point," Kadri told Johnston on Wednesday. "Obviously that’s kind of at a disadvantage for us. It’d be nicer to play a seven or eight seed.”If the playoffs started Thursday, the Lightning (24-7-1) would face the Montreal Canadiens (15-11-5), who occupy the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Leafs (21-9-1) would be forced to face the third-place Buffalo Sabres (18-9-4) in the opening round.Additionally, teams aren't reseeded in subsequent rounds as they were when the league used the conference format.Stamkos, Tavares, and Kadri aren't the first players to question the current format, which was instituted in 2014-15. Former Washington Capitals forward Daniel Winnik called it "the stupidest thing ever" in March 2017, and Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby said in 2016 that he was "not a big fan of it."Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The most appropriate song for a night celebrating the Hartford Whalers will be played by the Carolina Hurricanes when they do just that later this month.The Hurricanes plan on using "Brass Bonanza" as their goal song for Whalers Night on Dec. 23 against the Boston Bruins, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Carolina will don green Whalers uniforms for the home game, as it will on March 5 when it plays the Bruins in Boston.The iconic instrumental was played at Hartford games when the team came on to the ice for warmups, and also when it scored.It was one of the choices the Hurricanes gave when they asked fans to vote for this season's goal song, but it ultimately lost out to Petey Pablo's "Raise Up.""Brass Bonanza" was used by the Whalers until 1992. The club relocated to Raleigh, N.C. and became the Hurricanes in 1997.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will return to the crease for Thursday night's tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs, head coach Jon Cooper confirmed after the team's morning skate.The Bolts netminder missed the last 14 games with a broken foot, an injury he sustained during a November practice.Tampa Bay went 12-2 in his absence and has won seven straight games. It holds the best record in the NHL.Before his injury, Vasilevskiy started 13 times for the Lightning, posting a 9-3-1 record with a .927 save percentage.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Just 21 games into his NHL career, Brady Tkachuk is drawing comparisons to another talented but truculent winger - one he knows quite well.Brady's father, Keith, potted 538 goals in parts of 18 NHL seasons and was as well-known for his physical play as he was for his scoring prowess. And there are plenty of similarities between father and son that go beyond the No. 7 jersey they share: Brady willingly parks himself in front of the net, pounces on any opportunity or loose puck he sees, and doesn't hesitate to mouth off to anyone who gets in his way.The 19-year-old's overall game seems more suited for his father's era when the power forward role was far more prevalent, but with nine goals and 16 points in 21 games so far, whatever he's doing is working just fine in 2018.Prior to being selected fourth overall by the Ottawa Senators this past summer, scouting reports on Tkachuk noted he was a fixture around the net even when he didn't have the puck. And that remains the case with the Senators. He excels at reading the play and knows the ideal time to head to the goal, as shown below in a game against the Florida Panthers:As the primary trailer, Tkachuk swoops in unchecked and converts a Mark Stone rebound, taking advantage of a gap in coverage between Panthers defenseman Alexander Petrovic - who overskates the loose puck - and forward Mike Hoffman.Despite having a nose for the net to rival his famous father, Brady was criticized for his weak skating prior to the draft. It's still a valid complaint at times. Although he has good speed when he gets going, his first step still lacks that explosiveness exhibited by the better skaters in the league - for example, his teammate Thomas Chabot. Tkachuk would be well-served to make that an area of focus this offseason.That said, Tkachuk's skating has improved during his brief NHL career, though that has more to do with tenacity than physical ability:Here, Tkachuk kicks off the rush by leaving the puck for teammate Maxime Lajoie. Recognizing the opportunity to create an odd-man rush, Tkachuk barrels to the Philadelphia Flyers' blue line ahead of the play; once the puck crosses, he immediately heads for an opening to the right of the puck-carrier. The pass misses Tkachuk, but this clip still serves as a good example of what he does best. He's not a fast or fancy skater, but he knows where to be.The 19-year-old has proven his worth on offense despite entering Wednesday mired in a seven-game point drought. The underlying metrics suggest a bounce back is inevitable; 12 of his 16 points (including seven of his nine goals) have come at even strength, while he has just four secondary assists. Advanced stats like him, too: According to Corsica, at even strength, Tkachuk's primary points per 60 minutes of play currently sits at 1.91. In all situations, his primary P/60 is 2.95. That's good, particularly when you consider the majority of his shifts begin in the defensive zone.More significantly, Tkachuk has made an impact even when he's not racking up the points. He ranks fifth among first-year players in hits with 52 and, despite weighing under 200 lbs, is happy to tangle with foes big or small. Here's an example that would make dad proud:At the moment, his predilection for provoking opponents isn't a problem. According to Evolving Hockey, Tkachuk is even on major penalties taken and drawn and has only taken one more minor penalty than he's drawn. So he isn't making himself a liability ... yet.That said, it would be wise for him to steer clear of his dad's example - Keith racked up more than 2,200 career penalty minutes - and instead mimic his brother Matthew, a winger for the Calgary Flames. At one point during the 2017-18 season, Matthew had the most minor penalties drawn in the NHL over a 13-month span.The Senators would love to see Brady become that type of player. Ottawa ranks last in five-on-five shot-attempt differential (minus-457) by a significant margin but is a respectable 12th in power-play success rate (21.8 percent) while seeing the ninth-most power-play time in the league (170:16). The ability to draw more penalties might earn Tkachuk more time with the man advantage - he's at 2:14 per game at the moment, good for 10th on the team.But Tkachuk's contentious - and irritating - moments are both a signifier and byproduct of the tenacious, relentless nature that drives him. And that isn't about to change, especially when it leads to results like this:Here, Tkachuk has his stick knocked out of his hands by Flyers captain Claude Giroux. He retrieves it without hesitation, spots his opportunity, and redirects the puck for the game-tying goal.Tkachuk has shown signs he'll soon be ready to lead the next generation of power forwards. And if his skating improves, along with his discipline, he could very well wind up with the best resume in the family.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 @HockeyWthHannah. Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For the moment, the price for Jimmy Howard appears to be high.The Detroit Red Wings have made it clear they want at least a first-round draft selection in exchange for the veteran goaltender, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman wrote Wednesday.Howard is a pending unrestricted free agent who boasts a .923 save percentage in 22 games this season. The 34-year-old's contract carries a cap hit of $5.29 million.In late November, TSN's Darren Dreger reported that the St. Louis Blues were keeping tabs on Howard, but that the netminder would come at a considerable cost.Howard's in his 13th NHL season - all spent with the Red Wings.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt Dumba and Mikael Granlund connected twice for goals in the Minnesota Wild's 7-1 demolition of the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, and Dumba's second marker was a thing of beauty on multiple levels.The defenseman ripped home a shot off a brilliant Granlund feed to give the Wild a 6-0 lead in the opening minute of the third period, and Minnesota's solid power-play structure allowed the dynamic duo to execute the sequence to perfection. Let's take a look at how they did it.As we begin, Zach Parise has the puck behind the Canadiens' net, but the Wild aren't fully set up yet.Parise wiggles free and finds Ryan Suter at the point, in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Now, the Wild are in business.Suter walks the line and dishes to Granlund on the edge of the circle. Dumba (No. 24), who had been parked at the point on the near side, cuts to the middle as Granlund (No. 64) takes Suter's pass along the boards.Granlund moves in down low and draws a pair of Canadiens defenders, with two more nearby. His passing options appear limited, but a certain Wild blue-liner is lurking unmarked on the far side.Dumba, who remains wide open, makes his move toward the goal. Granlund identifies that and feathers a terrific pass that somehow finds its way through four Canadiens.Dumba receives the dish and wastes no time unleashing a wrist shot.The wrister ricochets off both posts and past Canadiens goaltender Antti Niemi to give the Wild a six-goal lead.Minnesota went 4-for-4 on the power play in the game. Dumba's goal from Granlund early in the third offers a shining example of why the Wild were so successful on the man advantage, and why they boast the eighth-most effective power play in the NHL this season.(Images courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Rangers defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk will miss two-to-four weeks with a separated shoulder suffered Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team announced Wednesday.He sustained the injury on a hit by Lightning forward J.T. Miller.

Warning: Video contains graphic contentThere was a scary moment in Boston on Tuesday night midway through the first period when Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson's skate clipped Bruins forward David Backes in the face.

Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie returned to the lineup on Tuesday night after missing the team's last 11 games due to a concussion.The 31-year-old has been out since Nov. 14 after suffering the fifth concussion of his career.The Capitals haven't skipped a beat with Oshie on the shelf, as the club has gone 9-2-0 without him. Washington sits atop the Metropolitan Division entering Tuesday night with 37 points.Prior to his injury, Oshie had contributed nine goals and 14 points in 18 games.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two storied rivals will provide the backdrop for a legendary hockey broadcaster's final regular-season game.Bob Cole will call the April 6 matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens for his last broadcast before the playoffs, as well as five other additional games, Sportsnet announced Tuesday.The Leafs-Canadiens tilt will take place on the final Saturday night of the regular season.Cole was originally only scheduled to work through 2018, with two more games on tap in December. Here are the remaining games he'll call, including the half-dozen new assignments in 2019:DayDateAwayHomeSaturdayDec.15SenatorsCanadiensSaturdayDec. 22RangersMaple LeafsSaturdayJan. 5PredatorsCanadiensWednesdayFeb. 6SenatorsMaple LeafsSaturdayMarch 9SenatorsBruinsSaturdayMarch 16BlackhawsCanadiensSaturdayMarch 30CanadiensJetsSaturdayApril 6Maple LeafsCanadiensCole is in his 50th and final season on Hockey Night in Canada.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks made a minor-league trade Monday, with the Leafs shipping forward Adam Cracknell to the West Coast in exchange for blue-liner Steven Oleksy, the team announced.Cracknell has spent the 2018-19 campaign with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, registering three goals and seven assists in 14 games. The 33-year-old has 208 games of NHL experience under his belt.Oleksy, meanwhile, hasn't played in the NHL since the 2016-17 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had two points in 15 AHL games for the San Diego Gulls before being dealt.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets suffered an uninspiring 4-0 loss at home to their division rival Washington Capitals on Saturday, and two days later, head coach John Tortorella is still fuming."I'm embarrassed as the coach of this team," Tortorella told reporters after Monday's hour-long practice, according to The Atheltic's Aaron Portzline. "I missed something along the way. I'm part of it also. I'm embarrassed that we embarrassed our organization."The Jackets' effort came two games after they let a 4-1 lead slip away to the Calgary Flames, a contest they eventually lost 9-6."It was disgusting," Torts added when asked if the Blue Jackets' struggles looked like a lack of passion. "After our last home game, that debacle, 9-6 (to Calgary on Tuesday), to show up on a Saturday night for first-place seeding, against a team that knocked us out of the playoffs, in front of a full house, it's embarrassing."Columbus boasts one of the worst home-ice records in the Eastern Conference this season, going 7-6-1 at Nationwide Arena."We're trying to get this into a place, into a hockey town. You're going to do shit that way. That has to stop," Tortorella said.The Blue Jackets sit three points behind the Capitals for top spot in the Metropolitan division. They host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the sixth edition of theScore's 2018-19 NHL Power Rankings, which will be published every two weeks during the regular season. It was compiled by editors Cory Wilkins, Sean O'Leary, and Josh Gold-Smith.1. Tampa Bay Lightning (23-7-1) ▲It's hard to find fault with the Lightning, who've won six straight including a blowout over the Avalanche. Tampa Bay's offense is firing on all cylinders while backup goalie Louis Domingue has performed admirably in Andrei Vasilevskiy's injury absence.Previously: 2nd2. Calgary Flames (19-10-2) ▲Four straight games on the bench apparently righted goaltender Mike Smith, who hasn't looked back since reclaiming the starting job in late November. Across his last six contests, Smith's .936 save rate and 1.59 goals-against average have powered Calgary to No. 1 in the West. - WilkinsPreviously: 9th3. Toronto Maple Leafs (20-9-1) ▲Teams don't usually add a 20-goal scorer until the trade deadline, but the Maple Leafs did so in December with their last-minute signing of holdout William Nylander. While the Swedish forward went pointless in his first two games, it's only a matter of time before he cashes in. - WilkinsPreviously: 4th4. Winnipeg Jets (18-9-2) ▲Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyThe Jets keep winning, but there could be concern that nothing came easy against the Devils, Rangers, and Blackhawks. With eight points in his last six games, Mark Scheifele remains one of the league's best bargains. - WilkinsPreviously: 7th5. Washington Capitals (17-9-3)What Stanley Cup hangover? It's been another strong season for the Capitals and captain Alex Ovechkin, who leads the NHL with 22 goals. - WilkinsPreviously: 5th6. Colorado Avalanche (17-8-5)While scoring depth is a big-time concern, the top line in Denver is simply amazing. Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen have already combined for 127 points this season. - WilkinsPreviously: 6th7. Nashville Predators (19-10-1) ▼The Predators hit a road bump - dropping four of six - but remain one of the league's elite. They'll have a chance to get on track with a soft upcoming schedule against a host of teams outside the playoff picture. - WilkinsPreviously: 3rd8. Dallas Stars (16-11-3) ▲Jared Silber / National Hockey League / GettyAfter years of defensive struggles, the Stars have locked it down in their own end this season. They've also gotten rock-solid goaltending and the usual offensive contributions from Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and Alexander Radulov, making this team a sneaky threat in the West. - WilkinsPreviously: 18th9. Buffalo Sabres (17-9-4) ▼The Sabres have lost five in a row since their 10-game winning streak, but at least there's been some personal success. Jeff Skinner already has 20 goals and 10 assists in 30 games, making his offseason trade from Carolina look like a steal. - WilkinsPreviously: 1st10. Anaheim Ducks (16-11-5) ▲The Ducks rewarded longtime general manager Bob Murray with a multi-year contract extension, and it's easy to see why. The team owns an exciting nucleus of young talent - particularly on defense - and an MVP-level goaltender who helps make up for offensive shortcomings. - WilkinsPreviously: 16th11. Columbus Blue Jackets (16-11-2) ▼The Blue Jackets are still comfortably in the playoff picture, but all-world netminder Sergei Bobrovsky is struggling. He's surrendered 19 goals across his last five games and owns an .898 save percentage for the season. - O'LearyPreviously: 8th12. San Jose Sharks (15-11-5) ▲Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Sharks have underachieved this season, and that won't change unless their 30th-ranked five-on-five save percentage (.902) improves. - O'LearyPreviously: 17th13. Edmonton Oilers (16-12-2) ▲The Oilers have shown signs of life and more commitment to defense under new head coach Ken Hitchcock. Giving some extra minutes to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl hasn't been a bad idea, either. - O'LearyPreviously: 24th14. Vegas Golden Knights (17-14-1)The Golden Knights are dominating the shots and scoring chances every game, but they aren't getting the same puck luck as last season. If and when it returns, look out. - O'LearyPreviously: 14th15. Montreal Canadiens (15-10-5) ▲Boy, the Canadiens must be happy to have Shea Weber back. Since his return, the towering blue-liner's potted three goals in six games while averaging nearly 26 minutes per night. - O'LearyPreviously: 20th16. Boston Bruins (16-10-4) ▼Claus Andersen / Getty Images Sport / GettyBased on the Bruins' recent efforts without several key contributors, one would think they'll rise up this list rather rapidly once they're back at full strength. - O'LearyPreviously: 10th17. Pittsburgh Penguins (12-10-6) ▲The Penguins are still climbing out of the gigantic hole they dug themselves in November, but at least they've scored 22 goals in six games since our last installment. - O'LearyPreviously: 22nd18. New York Islanders (14-11-3) ▼After amassing a sky-high 105.1 PDO (a stat used to measure luck) to begin the schedule, the Isles have been at 98.1, which has the team's record closer to what most expected before the season. - O'LearyPreviously: 13th19. New York Rangers (14-12-3) ▼The Rangers aren't anything special, but Henrik Lundqvist's .919 save percentage at 36 years old? That's downright impressive. - O'LearyPreviously: 12th20. Minnesota Wild (15-12-2) ▼Bruce Kluckhohn / National Hockey League / GettyThe Wild have lost seven of 10 contests, with their offense averaging just 2.6 goals over that span. - O'LearyPreviously: 11th21. Ottawa Senators (13-14-4) ▲After three straight wins - including a big victory in Erik Karlsson's return to Ottawa - the Sens dropped three of four and lost Matt Duchene for weeks. At least the team earned three points over the weekend. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 28th22. Carolina Hurricanes (13-11-4) ▼The Hurricanes beat the Ducks on Friday, but that came after losses to the Sharks and the basement-dwelling Kings. Curtis McElhinney allowed five goals in San Jose and now he's injured as the 'Canes face matchups with the Leafs, Canadiens, and Capitals this week. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 15th23. Arizona Coyotes (13-13-2) ▲Adin Hill's stellar play in the crease helped the Coyotes reel off four straight wins before last week's defeats to the Capitals and Sharks. Darcy Kuemper's on the mend, but Arizona could use continued excellence from Hill now that Antti Raanta's likely done for the season. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 27th24. Philadelphia Flyers (12-13-3) ▲Joe Sargent / National Hockey League / GettyThe Flyers got dismantled by the Jets on Sunday, killing some of the momentum gained in an impressive 6-2 win over the Sabres one day prior. Philadelphia owns one of the worst goal differentials in the NHL, but the 7-1 loss to Winnipeg was the team's only regulation defeat in December so far. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 25th25. Detroit Red Wings (13-13-4) ▼Dylan Larkin's breakaway backhander gave the Red Wings an overtime victory over the Leafs on Thursday, but Detroit's won just three of its last nine games. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 19th26. Florida Panthers (11-11-6)The Panthers lost five times during their eight-game homestand, but they still came away with nine points in that span. Next will be a major test with six of seven contests coming on the road. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 26th27. St. Louis Blues (10-14-4) ▲The Blues looked good in a shutout win over the Jets on Friday, but their performance in Sunday's blowout home loss to the Canucks led Vladimir Tarasenko to apologize to fans. That was admirable, but the whole St. Louis roster needs to be much better. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 30th28. New Jersey Devils (10-12-6) ▼Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettySunday's wild shootout loss to the Ducks was the Devils' eighth defeat in their last 10 games. Overall, it's been a big step backward this season despite a talented top line of reigning MVP Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier, and Kyle Palmieri. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 21st29. Los Angeles Kings (11-18-1) ▲Newcomer Nikita Scherbak scored in a decisive win over the Golden Knights on Saturday, but the Kings got doubled up by the lowly Devils two days earlier, couldn't beat the Coyotes on Tuesday, and came up empty during a back-to-back in Alberta. There have been occasional slivers of hope, but the Kings still have major issues. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 31st30. Vancouver Canucks (13-16-3) ▼Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson went off against the Blues for the Canucks' second straight victory, but Vancouver won just one of five and two of 14 before that. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 29th31. Chicago Blackhawks (9-17-5) ▼The Blackhawks hit rock bottom by dropping their seventh straight contest Sunday - their 18th defeat in the last 21 games. Patrick Kane has 34 points in 30 games, but the team needs other players to produce. -- Gold-SmithPreviously: 23rdCopyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It appears it may be Darcy Kuemper's time to shine.With goaltender Antti Raanta set for an extended absence following surgery Sunday, the Arizona Coyotes will now look to Kuemper to carry the load between the pipes."Obviously with Antti out, (Kuemper is) an important piece for us moving forward. I think he's shown to be one of the best backups in the league," Coyotes general manager John Chayka told team reporter Dave Vest."Any time there is an injury there is opportunity. There will be an opportunity for him to get an extended look, and he'll get that opportunity to show that he can be a starter in the league."Chayka added that the Coyotes will not recruit goaltending help while Raanta recovers, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.However, Kuemper needs to return from an injury of his own before he can show his stuff as the starter. The 28-year-old has missed the last seven games with a lower-body ailment and is considered day to day.Kuemper owns a 4-5-2 record and .914 save percentage across 11 games this year.In his absence, Arizona has turned to farmhand Adin Hill, who has come away with four wins and a .939 save rate across seven games.The Coyotes also have Calvin Pickard as an option. The former Philadelphia Flyers netminder was claimed off waivers in late November but has only filled in as the backup since arriving in Arizona.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Monday, theScore will offer a weekly fantasy hockey column detailing five moves you should make. Ownership percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.Add Darcy KuemperTeam: Arizona Coyotes

Vladimir Tarasenko had a message for supporters of the St. Louis Blues after their 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday."There's no consistency in our game," Tarasenko told reporters postgame. "I apologize to all of our fans. We can't play at home like this, and ... it's unacceptable. I don't know how to fix it. We'll work on it, but (it's not working) for now."The Blues failed to capitalize on a four-minute power play in the first period after Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson was handed a double minor for high-sticking Alexander Steen."We need to use chances like that, especially (at) the start of the game," Tarasenko said. "It's supposed to give our team (an) emotional bump, and we need to get on the scoreboard if we have a four minutes of power-play (time). We didn't do our job over there (Sunday) and this is (the) result."Vancouver opened the scoring on a Brock Boeser shot that ricocheted off the glass and bounced in off St. Louis goaltender Jake Allen's pad. Boeser finished with a hat trick and Elias Pettersson collected five points in the Canucks' victory.The Blues shut out the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Zach Hyman has been suspended two games for his late hit on Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy during Saturday's contest, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced.The play occurred late in the third period of the Bruins' 6-3 victory. It quickly prompted a fight at center ice as Boston blueliner Matt Grzelcyk stepped up in defense of his teammate, who was playing just his second game since returning from a concussion.The department declared the decision for a two-game ban stemmed from "the force of the hit and the predatory nature of the hit itself." It's the first suspension of Hyman's career.The 26-year-old Hyman has recorded 15 points in 30 games this season and is eligible to return Dec. 15 against the Florida Panthers.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Robert Hagg was tossed from Sunday's game against the Winnipeg Jets for his hit on Kyle Connor.Hagg checked the Jets forward into the boards from behind with 48 seconds left in the second period.