The Edmonton Oilers announced Sunday the signing of forward Cooper Marody to a three-year, entry-level contract.The club acquired Marody from the Philadelphia Flyers last month in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2019.The 21-year-old is coming off his third season at the University of Michigan during which he shattered his previous career highs with 16 goals and 51 points in 40 games.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl plans to play for his native Germany at the upcoming World Championship, he announced Sunday.The 22-year-old is coming off his third full season with the Oilers, finishing second in team scoring with 25 goals and 70 points in 78 games.Draisaitl played two games for Germany in last year's World Championship where he collected a pair of assists in three contests. He also had five points in three appearances during Olympic qualifying and another two goals as a member of Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey.This year's tournament kicks off May 4 in Denmark.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the book now closed on the New York Islanders' season, the focus will now shift to captain John Tavares.The 27-year-old becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1, and while his future has become murky in recent weeks - due to the club's abysmal play - it's clear teammates hope he re-ups with the club that drafted him first overall in 2009."You’re following and hoping that John returns and continues to be a big part of what we’re trying to do here," teammate Andrew Ladd said, according to Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports. "That’s also his decision and he’s earned the right to be in the position that he is in."Luckily for Islanders fans, Tavares has already said the team's struggles won't impact his final decision whether he'll re-sign with the team.But if he's played his last game with the Islanders, at least he went out on a bang, scoring the overtime winner in the last game of the season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Needing just a single point to punch their ticket to the playoffs, the St. Louis Blues came up just short against the Colorado Avalanche with a 5-2 defeat Saturday night.The Avs' two empty-netters aside, it was a tight contest and one that could have been even tighter if not for what the Blues believe was a botched call on Colorado's second goal.It appears the play may have been offside, as the puck seemingly came outside the blue line just before Tyson Barrie brought it back in. Barrie would later score on the sequence with a one-timer from the point.The play was reviewed by the NHL's Situation Room in Toronto, and the goal was allowed to stand. The Blues would ultimately miss out on the final playoff spot in the West, so it should come as no surprise that captain Alex Pietrangelo was livid about the call postgame."I don't know what view they're looking at," Pietrangelo said, per FOX Sports Midwest. "Maybe they need some glasses in Toronto, because that was pretty disappointing."I could show you four different angles and it's half an inch offside, so I don't know what they're looking at. Maybe they're just guessing or maybe they don't want us to get in the playoffs."Another look at the play in question and it seems Pietrangelo makes a valid point.

With just one game left on the NHL schedule, the Hart Trophy race should be all but done, but let's be honest: it's still anyone's trophy at this point.New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall has made it clear he should be among the favorites, but with so many incredible performances to choose from, we're no closer to knowing the winner now than we were a month ago.Nevertheless, let's have a look at the five names likely to receive the most consideration, plus a few honorable mentions:5. Anze KopitarKopitar may have had one of the quietest near-MVP seasons in recent memory, but that doesn't mean he's any less deserving of the award.He set career highs in goals (35) and points (92), shattering his career high by 11. Incredibly, he scored 31 more points than Dustin Brown who finished second in team scoring.Besides his offensive contributions, Kopitar averaged 2:10 of shorthanded ice-time per game, good enough for 19th among forwards. He did it all for the Kings this year, and a postseason return is the fruit of that labor.4. Claude GirouxOn the back of an incredible second half, Giroux nearly stole the Art Ross Trophy away from Connor McDavid.The Philadelphia Flyers captain finished just six points back of McDavid to sit second in league scoring after 45 points in his final 33 games.Giroux became the first Flyer to post a 100-point season since Eric Lindros in 1995-96. The 30-year-old was moved to the wing this season from center and the adjustment has him in the Hart Trophy discussion.3. Connor McDavidWe'd be having a different conversation if the Edmonton Oilers were a playoff team, but alas, they're not. So here we stand with McDavid unlikely to repeat as Hart Trophy winner despite being every bit worthy. It's a complicated system, if that wasn't already clear.Nevertheless, McDavid's had an incredible season, besting his league-leading numbers from last season with 41 goals and 108 points and an NHL-best 1.32 points per game. His point total is the most in a season since Evgeni Malkin put up 109 in 2011-12.He also put up 38 more points than teammate Leon Draisaitl, which is just nutty.2. Nathan MacKinnonWhat MacKinnon was able to do this season was nothing short of spectacular.Leading a Colorado Avalanche team, that finished the 2016-17 season with the worst record in the salary-cap era, to a playoff berth just one year later was no easy feat.The 22-year-old obliterated his previous career highs in goals and points by 15 and 34, respectively, in eight fewer games to finish with 39 goals and 97 points - good enough for fifth in league scoring.He was the key reason for the team's turnaround, as proven by his league-leading 12 game-winning goals. The question now is: how far can he take his team in the playoffs?1. Taylor HallHall had himself a season for the ages.He put together a league-best 26-game point streak and concluded the year with a point in 36 of his final 40 games, which is just ridiculous.He recorded at least a point against every team except the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators, and if his value to his team wasn't obvious enough, he recorded 41 more points than the next closest Devil (Nico Hischier).He also helped lead the Devils to their first playoff appearance in six years.Honorable MentionsNikita KucherovFor the majority of the season, Kucherov looked like he'd run away with the award, but a handful of players caught up to him in the scoring race, rendering his season slightly less impressive.His 100-point campaign was remarkable, but unfortunately in his case, he has the luxury of playing alongside many greats including Steven Stamkos, something many other nominees can't boast.Evgeni MalkinMalkin also put up a monster season, but - like Kucherov - was fortunate to play alongside some great players, like Phil Kessel and the NHL's most stacked power-play unit.He's in the running, and his 98 points are nothing short of amazing, but other names seem more worthy of the award.Alex OvechkinOvechkin deserves considerable praise for winning his seventh Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, but he isn't quite in the conversation for his fourth Hart Trophy. His 18-point bounce-back, after just 33 goals and 69 points a season ago, was impressive, but on a well-oiled Washington Capitals team, his value, unfortunately, gets diluted.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Saturday's heavy slate of games didn't determine every Stanley Cup playoff series, but it did decide most of them.Six of the eight matchups were set in stone on the penultimate night of the NHL regular season.All that's left to be settled is the Atlantic Division, which will come into focus depending on what happens Sunday between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers.Here's what we do know:Eastern ConferenceMetropolitan DivisionWashington Capitals (M1) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (WC1)The division-winning Capitals get the Blue Jackets, who finished a single point and one regulation or overtime win behind the Philadelphia Flyers, who grabbed third place.Pittsburgh Penguins (M2) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (M3)This one should be an absolute dandy, as the Battle of Pennsylvania will once again be brought to the playoff stage.Western ConferenceCentral DivisionNashville Predators (C1) vs. Colorado Avalanche (WC2)The Avalanche clinched the last remaining playoff berth and eliminated the St. Louis Blues with a 5-2 victory over them Saturday. That set up this matchup with the Predators, who clinched the Presidents' Trophy with the league's best record Thursday.Winnipeg Jets (C2) vs. Minnesota Wild (C3)We've known about this matchup since Thursday, but it should be a terrific series between two foes who aren't too far apart geographically.Pacific DivisionVegas Golden Knights (P1) vs. Los Angeles Kings (WC1)Ready for Vegas and Hollywood in the same playoff series? The expansion darlings will make their first foray into the postseason, and they'll do so against a Kings team that's back in the dance after missing out in 2016-17.Anaheim Ducks (P2) vs. San Jose Sharks (P3)Two perennially competitive rival clubs will meet in the other Pacific Division matchup when the Ducks face the Sharks. Anaheim went on a tear to end the season, winning five in a row and eight of 10, while the Sharks reeled off an eight-game winning streak in March before cooling off down the stretch.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Radim Vrbata is calling it a career.Following Saturday's season-ending win over the Buffalo Sabres, the Florida Panthers winger confirmed this season was his last.

The Colorado Avalanche are in and the St. Louis Blues are out.Colorado secured the final Western Conference playoff spot with a 5-2 victory over the Blues Saturday night.The Avalanche will face the Nashville Predators - winners of the Presidents' Trophy with the best record in the league - in the first round.St. Louis missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010-11, ending a run of six straight postseason berths.Colorado managed to qualify despite losing their No. 1 goaltender, Semyon Varlamov, for the season and their average time-on-ice leader, Erik Johnson, for six weeks due to injuries last Saturday.The Avalanche (43-30-9) improved dramatically this season after finishing with the worst record in the salary-cap era (22-56-4) in 2016-17.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Story contains coarse languageAlex Ovechkin came up short in his bid for another 50-goal season, but he didn't seem too broken up about it afterwards.The Washington Capitals star credited his teammates in a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night, the final game of their regular-season schedule in which he scored twice to pad his league-leading total at 49, but just couldn't pot one more."All year they tried to find me, (when) I got closer to 600 (career goals) or another milestone, they tried to find me, but I had pretty good chances in the first, the second, and the third (periods)" Ovechkin told reporters postgame."But whatever, you know, shit happens," he added with a laugh.Ovechkin led all skaters in the game with eight shots on goal.If it's any consolation, he's now all but assured the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, which he can win for the seventh time.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Metro Division playoff matchups are all set.The Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Philadelphia Flyers in the battle of Pennsylvania. The Flyers leapfrogged the Blue Jackets with their win on Saturday to become the third seed in the division.

The New York Rangers officially fired head coach Alain Vigneault on Saturday night.The news comes hours after the Rangers wrapped up their regular season with a 5-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, dropping New York's record to 34-39-9, good for last in the Metropolitan Division.Hired in 2013, Vigneault coached the Rangers to a regular-season record of 226-147-37 during his five-year tenure, leading the club to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014 and a Presidents' Trophy campaign the next season that resulted in another Eastern Conference Finals appearance.The team stumbled in 2017-18, however, and as the Rangers continue to rebuild on the fly, Vigneault appears to have lost favor as the bench boss to right the ship.

An offside review appears set to play a big role in deciding the final playoff spot out West.Tyson Barrie of the Colorado Avalanche scored a pivotal goal in the second period of Saturday's game against the St. Louis Blues, but it was challenged due to an apparent offside as the puck appeared to cross back over the blue line earlier in the play.

The St. Louis Blues were dealt a major blow in their most important game of the season.Vladimir Tarasenko left the contest midway through the first period against the Colorado Avalanche, and the club announced in the second frame that the Blues' leading goal scorer wouldn't return with what they would only describe as an upper-body injury.Blues head coach Mike Yeo said postgame that Tarasenko sustained a significant injury, according to NHL.com's Lou Korac, who added that Tarasenko appeared to have his left arm in a sling in the dressing room.The Blues needed a single point Saturday to clinch the final Western Conference playoff spot, while the Avalanche required a win in regulation to claim the position.Colorado defeated St. Louis 5-2 to secure the berth.Tarasenko came into Saturday's contest with 33 goals and 66 points in 79 games.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The circumstances of the modern era deserve a bit of the credit, but the Toronto Maple Leafs set a couple of impressive franchise marks Saturday night nonetheless.Thanks to a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen established new single-season goalie records for wins (38) and wins at home (23).Toronto also set a new franchise record for points in a season (105), surpassing the previous record of 103 that was set in 2003-04.The club finished the regular season at 49-26-7, earning seven points by virtue of losses in overtime or the shootout.Andersen has been excellent for much of this season, but this wins record (and the fact that it was previously co-held by Andrew Raycroft) is largely a product of the modern era's elimination of ties in favor of the shootout that has increased the number of wins and losses across the league.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs are national champions, defeating Notre Dame 2-1 on Saturday to claim the NCAA title.This is the second national championship in school history, having previously won in 2011. Last year they played in the final, but lost to the University of Denver.The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 2-0 in the first period, and never looked back, out-shooting the Irish 35-20. Karson Kuhlman led the way with a goal and an assist.Minnesota Duluth's team defense and goaltending had been exceptional all tournament, conceding just five goals in four games, and never allowing more than 21 shots in a contest.The Bulldogs weren't exactly favorites, either, as they began the tournament as the No. 3 seed in the West Region.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The final game of the regular season will be a meaningful one.The Boston Bruins have an opportunity to clinch first place in the Atlantic Division and the top seed in the Eastern Conference when they host the Florida Panthers on Sunday.After Boston defeated Ottawa and Tampa Bay fell to Carolina in overtime Saturday, the door flew open for the Bruins to leapfrog the Lightning.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck set an NHL record for wins in a season by an American-born goaltender with his 44th victory Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Ryan O'Reilly is the new king of the dot.The Buffalo Sabres center set the NHL record for faceoff wins in a single season Saturday night, winning his 1,269th draw to break the previous record set by Rod Brind'Amour in 2005-06.O'Reilly has hit quadruple digits in faceoffs won in each of the last three seasons, a particularly impressive feat considering how lackluster his team has been in recent years.The veteran came into Saturday's game with a career-high 60 percent efficiency rate in the faceoff circle.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hosting the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday evening, the Texas Rangers held a pregame moment of silence for the Humboldt Broncos, a Canadian junior hockey team that was involved in a bus crash that killed multiple people Friday.

A non-playoff season for the New York Rangers isn't shaking Alain Vigneault's confidence.The head coach fully expects to be back behind the bench next season, despite not yet discussing his situation with general manager Jeff Gorton or president Glenn Sather."Yes, I think my staff is the right staff for the job," Vigneault said after Saturday's season-ending 5-0 loss to Philadelphia, per Adam Kimelman of NHL.com."This is just my opinion but I think one of the strongest assets of this organization is its coaching staff," he continued. "They're experienced, we've been able to do it with veteran players, we've been able to do it with younger players ... Our record, it's pretty good with younger and older players."Prior to this season, the Rangers had advanced to the playoffs every year since 2011, and Vigneault has been behind the bench since 2013.He led the team to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2014 and the Presidents' Trophy in 2015, but the Rangers will finish this season in last place in the Metropolitan Division.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ken Holland isn't going anywhere.The Detroit Red Wings have inked their longtime general manager to a two-year contract extension, the club announced Saturday.Holland's current deal expires at season's end.Under his stewardship, Detroit made the playoffs in 18 consecutive seasons (part of their streak of 25 straight postseason berths) and won the Stanley Cup three times (part of their run of four championships between 1997 and 2008).The Red Wings, however, have missed the playoffs in both of the last two campaigns.Holland took over as GM in July 1997 after serving as Detroit's assistant GM for three years. He started out in the organization as a scout and has spent 35 years with the team.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers clinched the final available playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a win Saturday over the New York Rangers, thereby eliminating the Florida Panthers from contention.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets will support and honor those affected by the tragedy involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team with a series of initiatives at their game Saturday night.The Broncos, a junior hockey team based in Saskatchewan, were traveling in their bus Friday when a transport truck T-boned the vehicle. The crash has now left 15 dead.In addition to a moment of silence before the game, the Jets and Blackhawks will wear "Broncos" on the back of their jerseys in place of individual names.

The death toll from Friday's crash involving a Saskatchewan junior hockey team's bus and a transport truck has risen to 15, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced Saturday.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux became the third player in the league this season to reach 100 points, joining Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov on Saturday.In doing so, Giroux also became the first Flyers player to hit the century mark since Eric Lindros racked up 115 points in 1995-96.Perhaps more importantly, Giroux's hat-trick performance against the New York Rangers helped the Flyers clinch a playoff spot.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A vigil will be held for the Humboldt Broncos hockey team on Sunday night, team president Kevin Garinger announced at a press conference Saturday, according to TSN.Related: Police confirm 14 dead in crash involving Canadian junior hockey teamThe vigil will be held at the arena in Humboldt instead of Game 6 of the team's playoff series against the Nipawin Hawks. In the meantime, no decisions have been made regarding the continuation of the playoff schedule."We are going to do what we think is right," stated Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League president Bill Chow.RCMP assistant commissioner Curtis Zablocki also spoke at the press conference, nothing that a full-scale investigation into the crash is underway."It's too early to comment on the cause of the collision and we will continue to provide updates," Zablocki said, according to Colette Derworiz of the Canadian Press.Some patients are still in critical condition, the RCMP confirmed. Zablocki added that the lone driver of the transport truck was not injured in the crash and, after being originally detained by police, he has since been released and provided with mental health assistance.In wake of the tragedy, a GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for the families impacted by the crash. In under 17 hours, it had already raised over $1 million.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A GoFundMe page that was established to raise funds for the families of those impacted by the bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos hockey team has raised over $1 million.Related: Police confirm 14 dead in crash involving Canadian junior hockey teamThe page was launched shortly after news of the accident broke Friday night by Sylvie Kellington, a resident of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, whose son played for the Broncos' Bantam A team this season.In 16 hours, the page managed to raise over $850,000 and less than an hour later it was up to over $1 million. NHLers such as Tyler Bozak and Brayden Schenn have donated to the cause. The Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs each donated $10,000.Related: Hockey world mourns Saskatchewan bus tragedyAt the Montreal Canadiens' morning skate Saturday, forward Brendan Gallagher told Sportsnet's Eric Engels that every member of the team plans to donate to the page.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are taking no chances in losing any of their core players to injury in the final game of the season.The club is resting forward Artemi Panarin, defensemen Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in their game against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, the team confirmed according to Jonathan Bombulie of the Tribune-Review.Related: Devils resting Hall, Palmieri, Vatanen, Zajac vs. CapitalsThe Blue Jackets currently sit third in the Metropolitan Division, but depending on the remaining games on Saturday and Sunday, could fall as far back as the final wild-card spot in the East. It means Columbus could still be pinned against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, or Boston Bruins in the first round.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rick Nash has revealed the true nature of his injury, as the Boston Bruins forward informed the media he has been sidelined with a concussion that forced him to miss the past 10 games.The team previously described Nash's ailment as an upper-body injury.Nash skated Saturday but won't play against the Ottawa Senators. The possibility remains he could dress for Sunday's season finale versus the Florida Panthers. The veteran forward is optimistic he'll be ready to return for the opening round of the postseason.The Bruins acquired Nash from the New York Rangers at this year's trade deadline, and paid a heavy price to do so, parting with first- and seventh-round picks, forwards Ryan Spooner and Matt Beleskey, and defenseman Ryan Lindgren.Nash has suited up for 11 games with the Bruins, in which he has potted three goals and three assists. His last appearance came March 17.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A game after clinching a playoff spot with a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New Jersey Devils will be resting a handful of their stars in Game 82 of the regular season.Forwards Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, and Travis Zajac, as well as defenseman Sami Vatanen, will sit on Saturday when the Devils conclude the regular season against the Washington Capitals.

The Florida Panthers' playoff chase will have to continue without their top center.Aleksander Barkov won't play in the Panthers' final two regular-season contests after he was forced from Thursday's game against the Boston Bruins in the third period with an upper-body injury.Florida's hopes of making the playoffs rest on winning both of its remaining games, which come Saturday versus the Buffalo Sabres and Sunday against the Bruins.The Panthers also need the Philadelphia Flyers to lose in regulation to the New York Rangers on Saturday in order to leapfrog them into the East's second wild-card spot.Getting the job done without Barkov in the lineup is sure to make life a little more difficult for the Panthers. The Finnish forward leads the team in scoring with 78 points.Florida last qualified for the playoffs in 2016, one of its two postseason appearances in the past 16 seasons.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If the Colorado Avalanche are to make the postseason, they'll have to get their work done in 60 minutes on Saturday.The Avalanche close out their regular-season schedule against the St. Louis Blues, the lone team battling them for the West's final wild-card position.St. Louis currently holds the seed, notching 41 regulation or overtime wins (ROW) and 94 points through 81 games. But the Avs are right behind, coming in at 40 ROW and 93 points.A Colorado win Saturday would move the club to 95 points, but that win must come in regulation, as awarding the Blues an overtime point would also move St. Louis to 95 points. The Blues would then clinch the final playoff spot on account of either having more ROW than Colorado (the first tiebreaker) or more points in the season series.With such high stakes, the Avalanche could pull out all the stops to earn a crucial regulation victory:

If further evidence is needed that the hockey world is a tight-knit community, look no further than those who offered their support and condolences following the tragic bus crash in Saskatchewan that killed 14 people and injured 14 others.The Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League were en route to a road playoff game in Nipawin on Friday when their team bus was struck by a tractor trailer.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed 14 people are dead and another 14 are injured after a crash involving a junior hockey team's bus from Saskatchewan and a transport truck on Friday night."We can now confirm fourteen people have died as a result of this collision," RCMP said in a release Saturday."The other fourteen people were sent to hospital with a variety of injuries; three of these people have injuries that are critical in nature."

Patrick Sharp will likely play his final NHL game Saturday in Winnipeg.The Chicago Blackhawks winger admitted as much following Friday's loss to St. Louis, a game in which he wore an "A" as an assistant captain after Patrick Kane offered to give up that responsibility for the night.

Tragedy has struck in rural Canada, as a bus carrying a junior hockey team - the Humboldt Broncos - was struck by a transport truck earlier this evening and has resulted in multiple fatalities and serious injuries, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.The bus was carrying the team to a Friday night game against the Nipawin Hawks, another team competing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, when it was T-boned by a transport truck on a rural highway just north of Tisdale, Saskatchewan.Three air ambulance helicopters were dispatched to the area, as rescue efforts are ongoing. The RCMP won't confirm the number of causalities until all next of kin are notified, according to Sportsnet's Faizal Khamisa.Friday's game between the Broncos and Hawks has been canceled.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With their convincing shutout victory over the Ottawa Senators on Friday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins locked down the second spot in the Metropolitan Division, which also secured Pittsburgh home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.The win gave the Penguins 100 points on the campaign, the third consecutive season in which they've hit the triple-digit total.

In the final game of his team's 2017-18 regular season, Pittsburgh Penguins superstar center Sidney Crosby recorded a career first.Friday's win over Ottawa was Crosby's 82nd appearance of the season, marking the only time in his career that he's played every game on the schedule.His previous career high was 81 games played, first as a rookie in 2005-06 and then again in 2009-10.Crosby recorded a goal and an assist against the Senators, finishing the season with 29 goals and 60 assists for 89 total points, matching his total recorded in 75 games in 2016-17.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Evgeni Malkin isn't wishing the Ottawa Senators a happy offseason.The Pittsburgh Penguins center got into it with Zack Smith on Friday, catching the Senators forward with a two-hand slash and a cross-check after being bumped behind the play.The incident incited a further melee at the Penguins' bench, and resulted in four minutes in penalties for Malkin.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hall of Famer and Montreal Canadiens legend Ken Dryden is calling on NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to get serious about head injuries.In a piece penned for The Players' Tribune, the former goaltender writes the time for taking action to prevent concussions is now, and Bettman needs to take immediate and decisive action to curb brain trauma incurred during the course of play.And the solution is not complicated, he argues."We need only to penalize all hits to the head, because whether a blow is from a stick, an elbow, a shoulder, or a fist, whether it's done intentionally or accidentally, whether it's legal or illegal, the brain doesn't distinguish."Dryden adds there would be an adjustment period as players get used to this proposed new normal, but that players and coaches will adapt "almost instantly."Change is needed to protect players present and future, Dryden adds, and every day that passes without action is a missed opportunity to do the right thing."Players will continue to suffer life-changing injuries that they don't need to suffer, and more parents of would-be players will decide their kids will play something else," Dryden writes."No hits to the head - no excuses."The full piece can be read here.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Adam Gaudette has won the 2018 Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA's top men's hockey player after a standout season at Northeastern.

Imagine heading down to the hockey game, pooling some cash for 50/50 tickets, and walking away with a cool six-figure payout? Well, for Vancouver realtor Derek Kai, that's exactly what happened Thursday night at the Canucks game.Related: 50/50 jackpot at Canucks game reaches record $1MIn addition to $157,000 that was already in the 50/50 pot from unclaimed prizes from the season, Thursday's jackpot drastically ballooned to over a million bucks due to the capacity crowd on hand at Rogers Arena for the Sedin twins' final home game - which all played into Kai's shock when he learned he won."I was stunned and shaking when my girlfriend pointed out the winning number," he told ESPN's Darren Rovell. "I didn't know what to do, so we stepped outside to the concourse."Kai had pooled money with some friends and put together $500 to buy tickets for the raffle."It took a while to go through all our tickets when they announced the numbers," he said.The take-home amount of $507, 278 will be split among Kai and his two friends, working out to roughly $169,000. Not too bad for a night's work.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals will wait until after the Stanley Cup Playoffs before deciding whether to re-sign head coach Barry Trotz, general manager Brian MacLellan confirmed Friday.With Trotz's contract set to expire at season's end, there have been no contract talks between the two parties, MacLellan told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti."We wanted to wait to see how the year finished up total, the total year," he said.In other words, regular-season success is good, but there's much left to be proven by Trotz's Capitals.The veteran head coach has guided the Capitals to another first-place finish in the Metropolitan Division this season on the heels of two straight Presidents' Trophy wins. Playoff success has continued to elude the franchise, however, and whether or not Washington can finally get over that hump will certainly aid in the decision-making process."I think everything plays into it," MacLellan said. "Our focus now is just to win a first series. I think that's what everybody's thinking about."Trotz has guided the Capitals to a regular-season record of 204-89-34 during his tenure as head coach, but the team has failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs under his watch.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference could be decided in a play-in game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers, the NHL announced Friday.Here are the circumstances under which the game will happen, as outlined by the league:

New York Rangers centerman Chris Kreider will be donning red, white, and blue for Team USA in May's World Championship in Denmark, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post.Kreider has suited up for the U.S. in two previous tournaments in 2010 and 2011.The 26-year-old Massachusetts native is coming off a season in which he registered 16 goals, 21 assists, and a Corsi For rating of 51.5 percent in only 57 games - his season was cut short due to blood clotting and subsequent rib resection surgery.New York is set to miss the playoffs for only the second time in the last 13 seasons, making Kreider eligible to compete in his third World Championship.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Antti Raanta likes life in the desert.The netminder has agreed to a three-year extension with the Arizona Coyotes, which TSN's Bob McKenzie reported will carry an annual cap hit of $4.25 million."We're extremely pleased to sign Antti to a three-year contract," general manager John Chayka said. "When we acquired Antti last summer, we believed that he had the talent and desire to become an elite starting goaltender and he certainly proved that this season."You can't be successful in this league without an outstanding No. 1 goaltender and now we have that with Antti. I'd also like to thank our owner, Andrew Barroway, for providing us with the resources to get this very important deal done."In 46 appearances this season, Raanta has posted a 21-16-6 record, alongside a .930 save percentage and 2.24 GAA, both of which rank third best in the NHL.The Finnish puck-stopper is currently in the second year of a two-year deal that carries a $1-million annual cap hit.Raanta was among the best impending unrestricted free-agent goaltenders. That list is now headlined by the likes of Carter Hutton, Jonathan Bernier, and Kari Lehtonen.The Coyotes acquired Raanta from the New York Rangers last offseason.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There will be one more trophy to present at this year's NHL Awards.The NHL will unveil the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award, which will "recognize the commitment of those who are improving lives and strengthening their communities through the game of hockey," the league announced Friday."We are privileged to honor Willie with the creation of this new community award," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "He has dedicated his life to equality and inclusion; to supporting young people of all backgrounds who are following their dreams; and to using hockey as a platform to build character and teach life skills."The award will recognize a person, team, league, rink, or association that is not tied to the league or one of its 31 clubs.Nominations for the award can be submitted via social media or through NHL.com. Six finalists will then be chosen before a public vote decides the inaugural winner.In 1958, O'Ree made his debut with the Boston Bruins, breaking the color barrier as the first black player to skate in the NHL.O'Ree appeared in 45 NHL games between 1958 and 1961.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anthony Duclair was back on the ice Friday, and he had some words for the man who sidelined him.The Chicago Blackhawks forward has missed the last 11 games due to a lower-body injury after colliding with Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand.Marchand was whistled for interference but didn't face supplemental discipline.Count Duclair among those surprised the Bruins winger, who was suspended five games earlier this season, didn't get a call from the league."Everyone is going to have their own opinion," Duclair told Scott Powers of The Athletic. "At the same time, everyone knows his track record and he tends to do it."But sometimes, I don't know what happens, but he tends to do some dirty, dirty hits out there. I think it was pretty dirty, to be honest with you. He did reach out to me after, but I'm out for the rest of the year. I don't know what's going to happen in the future, hopefully I come back, but I thought it was pretty dirty."It's not the first time this season Marchand has avoided suspension. Many thought he'd miss a few games following a recent cross-check to Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald. He was ultimately fined $5,000.Last month, New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson echoed similar comments to Duclair's after he missed 31 games and suffered a concussion courtesy of a Marchand elbow. Johansson called the hit "stupid" and warned that the winger could cause a career-ending injury if he doesn't change his style of play.As for Duclair, who was initially expected to miss one-to-two weeks but has seen that timetable pushed back as he continues his recovery, he's hopeful to re-sign with Chicago and have the chance to show his offensive game.The Blackhawks acquired him from the Arizona Coyotes in January, but injuries have limited him to just 23 appearances and eight points."I think next year will be sort of a different look and more of a full team," Duclair said. "I'd definitely love to be a part of the future."Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks have had to persevere without Joe Thornton for the better part of two-and-a-half months and will likely have to do the same to begin the playoffs.Head coach Pete DeBoer spoke to the media on Friday where he noted that Thornton is doubtful to return to the lineup for Game 1 of the playoffs, according to The Athletic's Kevin Kurz.Thornton has been out of the Sharks' lineup since Jan. 23, missing the team's last 34 games due to a knee injury. Luckily, the Sharks have clinched a playoff spot and currently sit second in the Pacific Division.In 47 games this season, Thornton has 13 goals and 36 points.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.