Casey Mittelstadt will be adding to his international experience.The Buffalo Sabres forward and Minnesota native will join Team USA for the upcoming World Championship in Denmark, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.Mittelstadt made his NHL debut with the Sabres last month, joining the team after his season wrapped at the University of Minnesota. The 19-year-old has picked up three points in four games with the Sabres.Buffalo selected Mittelstadt with the eighth pick in last year's draft.The World Championship begins May 4, with Team USA aiming for its first gold medal since 1960.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jonathan Pitre, otherwise known as the "Butterfly Boy' died Wednesday evening at 17 after a heroic battle with epidermolysis bullosa.The disease makes the skin incredibly fragile and easily susceptible to blistering and erosion, making scratching and rubbing nearly impossible. He lost his fight after suffering septic shock as the result of an infection.Pitre raised a great deal of money for the disease and was known for being a huge fan of the Ottawa Senators. Last March, ahead of a stem cell treatment in Minnesota, the Senators surprised Pitre with a meet-and-greet.His story made waves around the NHL, so when news of his death broke Friday, many in the hockey community took to social media to pay their respects.

Steven Stamkos needs a little more rest.The Tampa Bay Lightning captain won't play Friday versus the Buffalo Sabres, marking his second straight missed game due to a nagging lower-body injury, coach Jon Cooper confirmed to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.Counting this contest, Stamkos will have missed three of the last six games, but the hope remains that some extra time off will have him rested and ready for the playoffs.The Lightning have clinched a postseason berth, but their first-round playoff opponent remains undetermined. Tampa Bay has picked up 110 points on the season and sits atop the Atlantic Division, ahead of the Boston Bruins by virtue of a tiebreaker.Following the game against the Sabres, the Lightning will close out their regular-season schedule Saturday versus the Carolina Hurricanes.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Thomas Chabot's season has the chance to end on a high note.The Senators are likely to finish with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, but on the bright side, the rookie defenseman has accepted an invite to play for Canada at the World Championship, Ottawa confirmed Friday.Chabot has dressed in 61 games this season and has put up nine goals and 25 points, good enough for fifth in scoring among all rookie defenders.The 21-year-old recently represented Canada at the 2017 World Junior Championship, where he captured a silver medal and was named the tournament MVP, the best defenseman, and to the All-Star team.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After years of playing second fiddle to the dominant Metropolitan, the Atlantic Division is the toast of the Eastern Conference.The Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs have arguably been the best three teams in the East this year, racking up 150 combined wins and sitting one, two, and three, respectively, at the top of the Atlantic standings for most of the campaign.Thanks to the NHL's implementation of a bracket-style playoff format in the 2013-14 season, these three juggernauts will most likely see a whole lot of each other in the coming weeks.Toronto is cemented into the third position, so the immediate question is who will earn the top spot and become its opening-round opponent. In addition, barring the first overall team getting upset in their first-round series against the lower of the two wild-card teams, the second round of the playoffs will also feature two Atlantic foes going at it.The division crown is still up for grabs, too, with Boston and Tampa Bay tied at 110 points after the Lightning's shutout victory over the Bruins on Tuesday.Below, we break down each team's strengths, weaknesses, and recent matchup history to get a better sense of how they stack up against each other.Boston Bruins (49-19-12)Strengths: Physical forward group. Balanced scoring attack. Proven goalie with a ton of playoff experience. Excellent on special teams.Weaknesses: Unproven blue line. A number of young players with limited postseason minutes. Lacking in speed. Core pieces have a lot of mileage.Record vs. Lightning (2018)GF vs. LightningGA vs. Lightning 3-1-0108Record vs. Maple Leafs (2018)GF vs. Maple LeafsGA vs. Maple Leafs1-2-11012Let's get one thing straight off the jump: the Boston Bruins are for real. Finding holes in their lineup is like finding open seats on the rush-hour train home: they don't really exist.The Bruins have the fewest regulation losses of any Eastern Conference club, they sit in the top five in both power-play percentage and penalty-killing efficiency, and their top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak is one of the best in the business. All three players have at least 30 goals.Boston has shown it can beat both Toronto and Tampa, earning nine out of a possible 16 points against them during the 2017-18 campaign. However, both the Leafs and Lightning boast lineups loaded with speedy players, an obvious benefit the Bruins don't have - especially when David Backes, Rick Nash, Brian Gionta, or Zdeno Chara happen to be on the ice.Aside from this week's statement shutout victory, Tampa has had serious trouble handling Boston's depth, failing to hold a lead at any point in the team's first three meetings. So, in terms of the Bruins versus the Lightning in a seven-game series, Boston has earned the edge.Against their bitter rival from Toronto, the Bruins took the L in three out of four regular-season contests, struggling to match up with the Leafs' four high-flying forward lines. However, it should be noted that two of the Leafs' three victories came in one-goal games, including one in overtime, so don't map out the parade route just yet, Toronto.Thanks to the franchise's success in recent years, most of the Bruins' core has the disadvantage of having played a lot of hockey, which could lead to the team's undoing against the youth and speed of the Lightning and Leafs - especially in longer series.Regardless, Boston is in the midst of one of the best seasons in club history, heading into the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs as a team no one will want to tangle with.Tampa Bay Lightning (53-23-4)Strengths: Top-ranked offense. Deadly power play. Speed on all four forward lines. Reliable D-core.Weaknesses: Brutal penalty kill. Inefficiency on the faceoff dots. Vasilevskiy's poor rebound control. Relatively soft up front.Record vs. Bruins (2018)GF vs. BruinsGA vs. Bruins1-3-0810Record vs. Maple Leafs (2018)GF vs. Maple LeafsGA vs. Maple Leafs3-1-01310A campaign that started without a ceiling has come back down to earth for the Lightning over the latter portion of the 2017-18 season, in which Steve Yzerman's group has lost six of 11 games down the stretch.Offensive prowess is what wins games for Tampa, which boasts a lineup including the likes of Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, and Hart Trophy candidate Nikita Kucherov. That trio, among others, has been instrumental in pushing the Bolts to the top of the NHL scoring list, tallying a sensational 281 goals heading into Friday's games.However, any experienced puckhead knows scoring is far from the be-all and end-all of winning contests in the spring, as games get tighter and lower-scoring. So Tampa Bay will also have to lean heavily on 23-year-old Russian netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, who's been in the Vezina Trophy conversation basically all year long.The Lightning struggle mightily on the penalty kill and faceoff dots, though, which means they could have difficulty with both the Bruins and Maple Leafs - teams that excel on the man advantage and at faceoffs - in a seven-game series.With an offense that has paced the league for the majority of the season, the Lightning are never truly out of any game. And, if Vasilevskiy can steal one or two contests, there really is no telling how far this group can go. But one thing is for sure: getting past the first and second rounds won't be an easy task.Toronto Maple Leafs (48-26-7)Strengths: High-flying offense. Ability to roll out three scoring lines. Speed up and down the lineup. Efficient power play. Disciplined.Weaknesses: Lack of size and aggression, both up front and on the blue line. Tendency to blow leads. Weak defensively. Limited playoff experience.Record vs Lightning (2018)GF vs. LightningGA vs. Lightning1-2-11013Record vs. Bruins (2018)GF vs. BruinsGA vs. Bruins3-1-01210Having an elite goaltender has done wonders for the Maple Leafs' confidence, as Frederik Andersen has easily been Toronto's MVP this season.His Vezina-type numbers (37 wins, five shutouts, .917 save percentage) have provided stability to a Leafs club that had been searching for a bona fide No. 1 netminder since the Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour days. Factor in Toronto's stacked forward group, and hockey fans in The Six finally have a reason for optimism for the first time in two decades.While there's no denying the Leafs can score goals with the best of them, sitting fifth overall in team scoring with 260 goals, Toronto's blue line leaves something to be desired. Nothing against guys like Jake Gardiner, Morgan Rielly, and Ron Hainsey, but those three aren't good enough to make up for the rest of Toronto's rag-tag back end.Given the Leafs' propensity to allow a ton of shots (they allow the fourth-most per game), Andersen could be tested early and often against two teams in the Lightning and Bruins that like to get pucks on net.His brilliance this season has somewhat masked the Leafs' tendency to blow leads, and he'll need to be equally stellar during the postseason if Mike Babcock and Co. want to advance to the second round. Both the Lightning and Bruins would give Toronto all it could handle in a seven-game series.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Through the remainder of the regular season, we'll take a look at how the night's action impacts the playoff races, highlighting which teams' postseason odds went up or down significantly.Western ConferenceTeamResultPlayoff ChancesChangeBluesOff46.2%+11.8%Avalanche4-2 L vs. SJ53.8%-11.8%The Colorado Avalanche entered Thursday night with a one-point advantage over the St. Louis Blues for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and the last playoff position up for grabs.However, with a 4-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks, the Avs failed to stretch their lead over St. Louis and have now put their playoff hopes into the hands of the Blues, who have a game in hand heading into the weekend.Eastern ConferenceTeamResultPlayoff ChancesChangePanthers3-2 W vs. BOS6.3%-5.4%Flyers4-3 W vs. CAR93.7%+0.7%The Florida Panthers did everything right Thursday night to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. They topped the mighty Boston Bruins 3-2 in a tight affair. Just one problem; they didn't get help from anyone else.The New Jersey Devils edged the Toronto Maple Leafs to clinch a playoff spot and the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes to remain four points up on Florida.The Panthers must win their remaining two games, but even then, the Flyers can claim the final playoff spot in the East with just a single point in their final game against the New York Rangers on Saturday.To see percentages for the entire NHL, visit Sports Club Stats.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As NHL teams are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The 12th edition focuses on the Carolina Hurricanes.The GoodOne fine Finnish duo. Linemates Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen are the Hurricanes’ leading scorers and have looked good doing it. In his second NHL season, Aho has set career highs in goals, assists, and points. Teravainen is having a strong year, too; his 23 goals and 62 points are the highest of his five-year career.Lots of cap space. Come July 1, the Hurricanes will have quite a chunk of change to play with - almost $26 million, to be exact. There are RFAs to be re-signed and a couple of UFAs who might be brought back, but they'll still have a significant amount of money available to improve the team in a market where things aren’t getting any cheaper.A solid prospect pipeline. The past few years, it’s seemed the Charlotte Checkers are the ones who’ve benefitted from the Hurricanes' prospect pool. Ron Francis did a good job stocking the cupboard during his tenure, but it’ll be up to his successor to utilize those resources. Valentin Zykov, who’s scored six points in eight games, and defenseman Roland McKeown will be ones to watch for next season.The BadSubpar goaltending. When the Hurricanes signed Scott Darling to a four-year, $16.6-million contract last May, they certainly didn’t expect him to have such a disastrous season. Darling’s .888 save percentage made Cam Ward’s .905 look good by comparison. The Hurricanes were forced to rely on Ward more often than they probably would have liked, instead of Darling shouldering the majority of the starts. Some of this can be blamed on poor play and some on the failings of the defense.An inconsistent defense. While the Hurricanes' defense is young and full of potential, it’s still, at best, inconsistent and unpredictable. Considering the depth available, they should have been better, but that didn’t always translate on the ice. This isn’t a new problem, either. It’s hard to recall the last time the Hurricanes were able to ice a decent blue line for even part of a season.One bad stretch. For a good portion of the season, the Hurricanes looked like a playoff team. And even late in the season, they still had a shot at capturing a wild-card spot. They didn’t do themselves any favors, though, as evidenced by a truly impressive collapse. Losing 11 of 15 games during a crucial stretch effectively wiped out any chance the Hurricanes had of making it to the postseason for the first time in nine years.QuestionsWho’s going to be GM? Not long after Tom Dundon took over as the Hurricanes new owner, he relieved Francis of his duties, ending his four-year tenure in the role. Francis was then appointed president of hockey operations. Dundon announced the next GM would report directly to him, but less than two weeks later, the search was put on hold as Dundon didn’t feel he had the time to do it properly. This news came out around the same time as reports of three possible candidates withdrawing interest in the position. It’s not going to be easy to find someone willing to operate under Dundon’s parameters for the job.Does Bill Peters return? Peters won’t have his fate decided until Dundon hires a new GM, but he could decide to take advantage of a clause in his contract (he has one year remaining) as a way out. Up to one week after the end of the season, Peters can terminate his contract. But if he stays, he could have more sway with a new GM than he did with Francis.What needs to be fixed? One of Carolina’s primary needs is a first-line center. Is that Victor Rask? Maybe. Or will he be traded while his value is high? Though the defense has been glaring at times, all that really needs to be done is to surround the youth with some complementary pieces. As for goaltending, Ward is in the last year of his contract. It might be wise to keep him around for another year or two as a veteran presence while Darling figures things out, and hope for better results next season.Other entries in this series:

One lucky fan left Rogers Arena in Vancouver with a much fatter wallet Thursday night.The 50/50 raffle at the Canucks-Coyotes game reached $1,014,555 CAD, meaning someone took home $507,278 (or $397,275 USD) tax free, setting a record for the largest 50/50 prize in North American sports history, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell.

Filip Forsberg isn't celebrating a first-place finish.The Nashville Predators clinched the Presidents' Trophy as the best team in the regular season with a win over Washington on Thursday, but Forsberg pointed to those very Capitals as an example of the award's relative insignificance.

On a milestone night, Roberto Luongo made sure the Florida Panthers remained in the Stanley Cup Playoff hunt.Luongo made his 1,000th appearance Thursday against the Boston Bruins, becoming the third goalie in NHL history to reach the mark. He then proceeded to stop 26 of 28 shots against in a 3-2 win, thereby keeping his team's postseason hopes alive.Had the Bruins won, the Panthers would've been eliminated from playoff contention in light of a Philadelphia victory earlier in the night.The win was Luongo's 471st, and two more are needed if Florida has any chance of playing more than 82 games; the Panthers are set to close the season with games against Buffalo and Boston.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Nashville Predators clinched their first Presidents' Trophy in franchise history after they beat the Washington Capitals, and the Boston Bruins lost in regulation to the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.

With their one point earned against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets are heading to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth time in franchise history.The Blue Jackets become the fourth Metropolitan Division team to clinch a postseason berth, joining the Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, and most recently the New Jersey Devils, who clinched their spot with a victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier in the night.

The New Jersey Devils clinched their first postseason berth since 2011-12 after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 Thursday night.

With his start Thursday against the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo became only the third netminder in NHL history to play in 1,000 games.Only Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur have played more games.

Patrick Eaves won't return to the Anaheim Ducks this season.The veteran winger has been sidelined for all but two games this season after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), and won't be available until September at the earliest, Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle confirmed Thursday.

Henrik and Daniel Sedin will take the ice in Vancouver as active players one last time Thursday night, and what a pair of careers it has been.The Swedish forwards, who will appear in their final home game for the Canucks against the Arizona Coyotes, have spent nearly two decades with the organization, setting numerous franchise records and cementing themselves as two of the greatest players ever to wear Vancouver uniforms.Here are the most noteworthy numbers from their collective tenure, as shared by the NHL on Thursday:1,463: Canucks games since the Sedins made their debuts at the start of the 2000-01 season, all of which have featured at least one of them in the lineup.94: Percent of those games that have featured both of them.1: Pair of teammates who have played more regular-season NHL games together than the Sedins (Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio).36: Percent of Canucks regular-season goals in regulation or overtime since the start of 2000-01 that have involved at least one Sedin.19.5: Percent of Canucks regular-season goals in that span on which both brothers picked up a point (743 of 3,799).2: Teammates in history who have factored in on the same goal more times than that in NHL history (Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri with 764).1: Pair of brothers in NHL history to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top point producer in consecutive campaigns (Henrik in 2009-2010, Daniel in 2010-11).2,107: Combined points notched by Henrik and Daniel in the regular season over 17 campaigns.2: Players in Canucks history to rack up 1,000 career points (Henrik and Daniel).1: Sibling duo in NHL history to register 1,000 career points apiece (the Sedins).Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks will head into next season with the same coaching staff, and Patrick Kane couldn't be happier.On Thursday, president John McDonough announced that the organization will bring back Joel Quenneville and general manager Stan Bowman, and Kane feels the team will be better off for it."You're not going to find a better coach than Q," Kane said, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "We should all feel very fortunate that he's going to be back another year, try and play better for him next year."Captain Jonathan Toews echoed Kane's sentiment, suggesting that next season will be up to more than just Bowman and Quenneville to get the team back on track after missing the playoffs for the first time in 10 years."We’ve been through a lot, playing for Joel. Stan’s done a lot of great things for this team," Toews said. "I think everyone’s committed to fixing the issues and the problems that we faced this year, and the same goes for Joel and Stan."This year stands to be the Blackhawks' worst finish in 10 seasons, but with the core of Toews, Kane, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, and Corey Crawford still in the fold, and the man who has coached that core returning next season, don't get used to a Blackhawks-free postseason.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Thursday night marks the beginning of the 2018 Frozen Four, with Minnesota-Duluth facing off against Ohio State in one semifinal and Michigan and Notre Dame meeting in the other.Each school fighting for this year's NCAA title has taken a unique road to Saint Paul. The Fighting Irish were here last year, the Buckeyes haven't made a Frozen Four appearance since 1998, the Bulldogs lost the 2017 national championship to the Denver Pioneers, and the Wolverines are in their first post-Red Berenson season, with one of their brightest lights also being the youngest player in college hockey.Before the puck drops, here are two players to watch from each team:Ohio State BuckeyesF Tanner Laczynski: Laczynski is proving that draft position isn't what's important, it's what you do after you're drafted that matters most. Taken in the sixth round in 2016 by the Philadelphia Flyers, he leads the Buckeyes in scoring with 46 points in 40 games. He's a great skater who has developed into a reliable two-way player, and, in addition to his offensive skill, he's difficult to knock off the puck. Though when a player will turn pro is difficult to predict, Laczynski could sign with the Flyers as soon as the end of this season.G Sean Romeo: Romeo has been a major factor in the Buckeyes' road to the Frozen Four. Per NCAA rules, he had to sit out last season after transferring from Maine, but he came back in a big way. Appearing in 36 games this season, he finished the year with a .927 save percentage, and his 22 wins are tied for second-most in program history. His focus in net is rock-solid, and if that remains the case, the Buckeyes have a solid shot at the title.Minnesota-Duluth BulldogsF Joey Anderson: Anderson captained Team USA at the 2018 World Junior Championship, his second appearance at the tournament. While his production for the Bulldogs decreased slightly this season from last, he showed improvement after the WJC, proving he's one of the best players on the Bulldogs and a solid prospect for the New Jersey Devils. He's smart and hard-working, with both good finishing ability and a mature defensive game.F Riley Tufte: The Dallas Stars prospect joined his Bulldogs teammate Anderson at the WJC, where his size and speed were on full display. Going forward, he needs to work on his offensive consistency, but he improved visibly over the course of this season. A big plus is that he's one of the few prospects with the "NHL size" scouts desire - he's 6-foot-6 and 209 pounds - who can also skate well.Michigan WolverinesD Quinn Hughes: A consensus top-10 pick for the 2018 draft, Hughes is the youngest player in NCAA hockey. He was third-best on the Wolverines in scoring during the regular season with 28 points in 34 games, evidence of the offensive skill set that has heightened expectations. His high-level hockey sense leads to good decision-making at both ends of the ice (most of the time), and it's for that reason you should expect him to see a lot of minutes Thursday night.F Cooper Marody: Marody's rights, previously held by the Flyers, were recently acquired by the Edmonton Oilers. When you look at what he's accomplished this season, it's easy to see why the Oilers wanted him. This year is Marody's first full, healthy campaign with the Wolverines, and his 50 points in 39 games were good enough for sixth nationwide. While there are some concerns about his strength on the puck, he has terrific offensive potential. He's a cerebral, creative playmaker who's loads of fun to watch.Notre Dame Fighting IrishF Jake Evans: Drafted in the seventh round in 2014 by the Canadiens, Evans put up 42 points in 38 games (up from 42 in 40 last season) for his second consecutive point-per-game season. He's a good example of what patience can do for development, using the last two years to establish who he is as a player and show why the Canadiens should sign him. In addition to his college play, which earned him a Hobey Baker nomination, the senior represented Team Canada at this year's Spengler Cup. He's a good skater and his playmaking ability is a significant asset for the Fighting Irish captain.

Marian Gaborik went under the knife, and he'll likely need a couple of months to recover.The veteran Ottawa Senators forward had surgery to correct a herniated disc in his back Thursday, according to the club.Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said team doctors advised them that players have been able to resume full training as soon as eight weeks after this type of procedure.Gaborik visited a back specialist, who recommended the surgery.The 36-year-old chipped in seven points in 16 games with the Senators after being acquired in a four-player trade with the Los Angeles Kings involving defenseman Dion Phaneuf.Ottawa has been eliminated from playoff contention and has only two regular-season contests remaining.Gaborik is under contract with the Senators for three more campaigns after this one at a cap hit of $4.875 million.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville and general manager Stan Bowman will both return for the 2018-19 season, team president John McDonough said, according to Eric Lear of Blackhawks TV."We're not tethered to the past," McDonough said, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. "This has been a very disappointing year and our expectations are incredibly high. We're not going to deviate from those expectations. But I believe both Stan and Joel are the guys that are going to bring this back."Quenneville's job was rumored to be in jeopardy with the Blackhawks set to miss the playoffs for the first time during his 10-year tenor with the club. One knock against Quenneville has been the notion he couldn't coach young players, but McDonough feels that is no longer the case."I know at one point, that was kind of a knock on Joel, that he wasn't proficient at coaching young players," McDonough said. "Nothing could be further from the truth."Quenneville is still under contract for two more seasons in which he will earn $12 million.As for Bowman, the announcement means he will return for his 10th season as the club's GM after being promoted from assistant GM in July 2009.With 76 points this season, the Blackhawks currently sit 17 points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If you didn't get the message last year during the team's playoff run, Nashville Predators fans are one passionate bunch.So much so that after Filip Forsberg had a goal taken away on a controversial goaltender interference call Tuesday night against the Florida Panthers, one fan - by the name of Briley Meeks - decided to ship a dead catfish to the NHL office in Toronto."I was like, 'OK, I will,'" Meeks said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "One minute I was sitting on my couch, the next minute I was going to buy fish and shipping it to Canada. It wasn't the refs in the game that made the call. It was Toronto. So they deserve the dead catfish."Related - Predators' Forsberg: Overturned buzzer beater 'clearly a goal'Meeks made sure to check with UPS, which then confirmed with Canadian Customs that she was allowed to proceed with sending the fish across the border. The total cost to ship the fish in the container came to roughly $150, and to top it all off, Meeks included a message on the inside of the container that simply read: "YOU SUCK.""I hope they're not mad about it. It's just a prank," Meeks said. "But we got robbed. The players were stunned. Even the Panthers players and fans knew it was a bad call too."I do want to clarify that there was no ice in the cooler. I wanted it to be disgusting."Luckily, the Predators sit comfortably in a playoff spot and even have a chance to clinch the Presidents' Trophy on Thursday, so the missed call should be water under the bridge soon enough.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk will take in the final two games from the press box.The 34-year-old has been shut down for the remainder of the regular season due to injury, head coach Doug Weight announced Thursday, according to Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports.Weight noted it's yet to be determined whether Boychuk will require offseason surgery. Earlier this season, he missed 18 games with a lower-body injury.In 58 games, he put up six goals and 18 points.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers will likely have their most experienced goaltender in the crease for the critical penultimate game of the regular season.Brian Elliott will start against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, assuming there are no setbacks, according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.The 32-year-old netminder hasn't played since Feb. 10 and underwent core muscle surgery three days later. His original timetable was five-to-six weeks.Philadelphia enters Thursday's action occupying the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot, four points ahead of the Florida Panthers, who have a game in hand.The Flyers can clinch a playoff berth with either a win of any kind and a Panthers loss of any kind, or a single point and a Panthers loss in regulation.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Through the remainder of the regular season, we'll take a look at how the night's action impacts the playoff races, highlighting which teams' postseason odds went up or down significantly.Western ConferenceTeamResultPlayoff ChancesChangeAvalancheOff65.6%+16%Blues4-3 L vs. CHI34.4%-18.6%It was a fairly quiet night in the NHL on Wednesday with just three games on the schedule, but with the Anaheim Ducks' win, there is now just a single spot left to be had in the West.The Chicago Blackhawks played the role of spoiler against the St. Louis Blues, delivering the club a crushing 4-3 loss on the back of Duncan Keith's game-winner with just nine seconds left in regulation.The loss significantly hurt the Blues' chances, meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche were thrilled as their slim one-point lead in the standings remained intact.To see percentages for the entire NHL, visit Sports Club Stats.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win over Minnesota on Wednesday.

The 2017-18 season has been one to forget for Ottawa Senators fans, but the play of forward Matt Duchene has given the club a reason for optimism heading into the most important offseason in franchise history.It took Duchene a while to get settled in Canada's capital, as he recorded just six points in 24 games, but since then, he's been one of the best players in the league.With another goal in Ottawa's 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday, Duchene now has 20 tallies and 42 points in his last 42 games, showing why general manager Pierre Dorion gave up a significant haul to get him in November.Kyle Turris - the man Duchene was essentially acquired for in order to upgrade the Sens' No. 1 center position - has just nine goals and 22 points in his last 42 games with the Nashville Predators.Duchene's strong second half ended up being too little, too late, but since the Sens may not have their first-round pick in 2019, having the forward for a full season could help restore the team to respectability in a year where Erik Karlsson may not be on the roster.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings clinched a playoff berth following the St. Louis Blues' loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

The Buffalo Sabres made history Wednesday by becoming the first team to finish 31st in the NHL standings.Buffalo clinched the league's last-place position with a regulation loss to the Ottawa Senators, whom the Sabres won't be able to catch with only two games remaining and a five-point gap between them.It marks Buffalo's third last-place finish in the past five seasons, as the Sabres dropped to 30th in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. The addition of the Vegas Golden Knights this season pushed Buffalo a notch below those campaigns, albeit with more points earned in 2017-18 than in either of the other two.As a result, the Sabres will have the highest odds of landing the top pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, with an 18.5 percent chance of winning the lottery to be held April 28 in Toronto.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames were among the NHL's biggest underachievers this season, and general manager Brad Treliving has one potential explanation for his team's disappointing performance.Even after a four-game sweep by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the playoffs last year, the Flames were perceived as a team on the rise, and the offseason additions of Travis Hamonic and Mike Smith raised expectations even more. The changes seemed to be working, too. In the middle of January, Calgary was 25-16-4, coming off a seven-game winning streak. A second-place finish in the Pacific Division didn't seem far-fetched.Yet a poor second half that's included two losing streaks of six or more games has left the Flames more than 10 points out of a playoff spot.There's clearly more than one reason for the Flames' collapse, but weeks after their last game of meaningful hockey, Treliving is concerned about the team's level of emotional investment."There's an emotional level you have to get to to assist you in winning, and we have to look into that," Treliving told Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. "Are we emotionally invested enough? We're missing something."I think we've got to find a way to be more emotionally engaged. We've got to be harder to play against. That can mean a lot of different things, but we've got to find the identity of our team."Those comments would seem to suggest that Treliving is questioning his team's character, but he says that's not the issue."I don't question our character," he said. "I'm around these guys every day, and I don't buy into that. This team was praised for its character a year ago when we made the playoffs, and, all of a sudden, we lost that? I don't question whether these guys want to win. Everyone wants to win."He admitted changes are on the way, but didn't say whether they'd include head coach Glen Gulutzan."I think we've got a good coach. We've got some good players, but we're all subject to scrutiny when a season goes like this," Treliving said.Calgary has never been a hot destination for free agents, and the Flames don't pick until the third round of the draft, so Treliving could have a difficult time finding the missing pieces for his team this offseason.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun will miss the final two games of the season with a lower-body injury suffered during Tuesday's meeting with Calgary, the team announced.Chychrun was injured upon being tripped by Flames forward Michael Frolik, and underwent an MRI on Wednesday after being unable to finish the game.The NHL reportedly looked into the incident, but ultimately decided it did not warrant a suspension.Chychrun was limited to 50 games this season due to an earlier injury, and recorded four goals and 10 assists while averaging 20:15 of ice time.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames forward Michael Frolik will not face supplemental discipline after tripping and injuring Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun on Tuesday, a league source told Craig Morgan of azsports.Frolik received a minor penalty for tripping on the play:

The season-ending ankle injury that Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter suffered is no typical hockey wound."It's very fluky, an injury that doesn't happen very often in sports," Suter said Wednesday, according to Dan Myers of the team's website. "The doctors have said they usually only see this type of injury in car accidents."Suter's foot banged into the boards during a puck battle with Dallas Stars foward Remi Elie, and X-rays later revealed a fractured fibula.

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade, but they won't be lacking motivation Wednesday or Friday.Despite the lost season, the Blackhawks can deal a pair of significant blows to their biggest Central Division rivals, the St. Louis Blues, when the two clubs play twice over the next three nights."They’re a good team and they’re fighting for a playoff spot right now," Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. "We’re not going out there and just letting them take it. We want to crush their hopes."DeBrincat notched a hat trick in their last meeting on March 18.Entering Wednesday's game, the Blues sit one point behind the Avalanche for the final Western Conference spot with a game in hand. St. Louis will play Colorado in both teams' final regular-season contest Saturday.Blues head coach Mike Yeo insists his squad knows what's at stake."Read the clips, and we don’t need extra motivation right now," he told Lazerus.If the Blues miss out, it would be the first time they've done so since 2010-11. They have three regular-season games remaining.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Tavares appears to have taken a step toward tuning out the noise.The New York Islanders captain made an interesting revelation to NHL.com's Brian Compton on Wednesday.

As they continue to fight for their playoff lives, the Florida Panthers have all but acknowledged one of their top prospects could use a bit more seasoning.The club assigned forward Owen Tippett to the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds on Wednesday.He's managed one goal in seven NHL games in 2017-18.Tippett poured in 36 goals and 75 points in 51 contests for the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads earlier this season, after racking up 44 goals and 75 points with the Steelheads in 2016-17.The Panthers selected the 19-year-old winger 10th overall in last June's draft.Florida defeated the Nashville Predators in controversial fashion Tuesday night to keep its postseason hopes alive, but the Panthers sit four points back of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with three games remaining, and two of those contests will be against the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Bruins.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With this year's Hart Trophy race still wide open heading into the final few days of the regular season, it's a great time to break down some of the other close races over the course of the past half-century.Here's a look at the 10 best Hart Trophy competitions since 1967 (first-place votes in parentheses where applicable):10. Joe Thornton, Sharks, def. Jaromir Jagr, Rangers (2005-06)NAMEVOTESThornton1058 (67)Jagr974 (48)Thornton's first Art Ross Trophy came with his only league MVP title - but both races were rather tight, as the sensational playmaker finished just two points clear of Jagr in the scoring race. Jagr's 54 goals nearly doubled Thornton's output and the Rangers finished with one more point than the Sharks, but in the end, Thornton's whopping 96 assists were the difference.9. Corey Perry, Ducks, def. Daniel Sedin, Canucks (2010-11)NAMEVOTESPerry1043 (67)Sedin960 (51)Unlike the previous example, scoring more goals actually did make a difference this time around, as Perry's league-best 50 tallies earned him a slight edge despite finishing six points behind Sedin in the scoring race. In fact, by most other accounts, Sedin was actually the better contributor - and the Canucks finished 18 points ahead of the Ducks in the standings.8. Bobby Orr, Bruins, def. Phil Esposito, Bruins (1970-71)NAMEVOTESOrr151Esposito127Just how good was Orr? He managed to steal the Hart Trophy from a player - and teammate, no less - who had shattered the previous league mark for goals and points in a season. But despite a 76-goal, 152-point masterpiece from Esposito, Orr was the voters' choice for best player in the NHL - and with good reason, as he racked up 139 points while posting a plus-minus of +124.7. Henrik Sedin, Canucks, def. Alex Ovechkin, Capitals (2009-10)NAMEVOTESSedin894 (46)Ovechkin834 (40)The Sedins did end up on the right end of a close Hart Trophy vote - though it was playmaker Henrik, not sniper Daniel, who eked out a win over Ovechkin and Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby, who was a not-too-distant third in the voting. Sedin fended off both future Hall of Famers by three points for his one and only Art Ross Trophy while leading the Canucks to a 103-point season.6. Bobby Clarke, Flyers, def. Rogie Vachon, Kings (1974-75)NAMEVOTESClarke127Vachon113Clarke's second of three Hart Trophies in a four-year span didn't come easily. Despite leading the NHL in assists (89) and finishing with a +79 rating, the Flyers legend ran neck-and-neck with Vachon, who was a fan favorite but wasn't even the best goalie in the league that season. That honor belonged to Clarke's teammate, Bernie Parent, who finished fourth in voting.5. Wayne Gretzky, Oilers, def. Mike Liut, Capitals (1980-81)NAMEVOTESGretzky242Liut237Gretzky's Hart Trophy "races" in the early- and mid-1980s weren't all that close, but few fans remember that his second MVP award came by the slimmest of margins. The Great One fended off a spirited charge from Liut, who took home first-team All-Star and Lester B. Pearson Award honors after posting 33 victories and a decent (at the time) 3.34 goals-against average.4. Alex Ovechkin, Capitals, def. Sidney Crosby, Penguins (2012-13)NAMEVOTESOvechkin1090 (50)Crosby1058 (46)The lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign produced one of the best Hart Trophy competitions in recent memory, with Ovechkin edging out rival Crosby after both finished with 56 points - four back of Art Ross champ Martin St. Louis. Ovechkin's league-high 32 goals likely swayed the voting contingent. John Tavares was third with 919 votes, while St. Louis finished ninth.3. Mark Messier, Oilers, def. Ray Bourque, Bruins (1989-90)NAMEVOTESMessier227 (29)Bourque225 (29)You have to feel for Bourque, who was the defensive anchor for a sensational Bruins team but found himself perpetually one step behind the powerhouse Oilers. Messier emerged victorious thanks to having more third-place votes (10) than Bourque (two), who was passed over by a number of voters who opted to make Blues sniper Brett Hull their No. 3 choice.2. Chris Pronger, Blues, def. Jaromir Jagr, Penguins (1999-00)NAMEVOTESPronger396 (25)Jagr395 (18)While it might come as a shock to some that Jagr will end his legendary NHL tenure with just one league MVP trophy, this list reveals he easily could have had two more. The problem in 1999-00 was that Pronger was clearly the best defenseman in the league - and that gap between himself and the rest of the field was juuuuust enough to edge out Jagr and his 96 points.1. Jose Theodore, Canadiens, def. Jarome Iginla, Flames (2001-02)NAMEVOTESTheodore434 (26)Iginla434 (23)It's the only tie atop the Hart Trophy voting in the expansion era - and to this day, there are still fans (many of whom are based in Calgary) who believe Iginla was robbed. But it's hard to argue with Theodore's contributions that season - and if you use Hockey Reference's Point Shares to inform your choice, Theodore (17.4) finished well ahead of Iginla (14.4).(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Michael Frolik may soon be hearing from the league.The NHL is looking at the Calgary Flames forward's hit on Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, reports NHL.com's Craig Morgan.Frolik was assessed a tripping minor for upending Chychrun behind the Coyotes net late in the first period of Tuesday's game.The Arizona blue-liner left the contest and was then ruled out for the remainder at the start of the second period.Chychrun will have an MRI on Wednesday, according to Morgan.Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet wasn't pleased about Frolik's hit when asked about it postgame."I know he's not a dirty player, but it's a dirty play," he said. "I don't like it at all. I don't know how (Chychrun) is right now, we've got to evaluate him. It's not good. We're hoping for the best."Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When it comes to hockey, it's not just the flow of the game that's important.While the NHL no longer features Jaromir Jagr's magnificent mullet or Kerry Fraser's stupendously stable pompadour, the league does boast its fair share of laudable lettuce these days.This is certainly true in other sports as well, but hockey hair is a truly unique and remarkable thing.Here are the five best flows in the NHL this season:Brock BoeserBoeser's resemblance to Prince Charming from "Shrek" has been well documented, and it is a bit uncanny.Part of the reason for that common comparison is the Vancouver Canucks rookie's stellar mane.It's not so much the length but the volume that gives Boeser his tremendous flow, and more importantly, the 21-year-old will be in the Calder Trophy conversation despite suffering a season-ending injury in early March.Mathew BarzalThe Calder favorite's flow might not be the cleanest-looking of the bunch, but it is impressive in its own right.Barzal, who's running away from the field in the rookie points race, doesn't have the hair volume that his first-year counterpart possesses, but he does appear to have the edge when it comes to length.Sure, the New York Islanders phenom may not best Boeser in a flow-off, but he should take home the rookie hardware at the NHL Awards in June.William NylanderNylander's play speaks for itself, but the young Toronto Maple Leafs forward's flow only makes him more likable.The above photo doesn't even fully do it justice (unlike the one on his NHL.com player page), but there's no denying Nylander's hair is among the league's best.Drew DoughtyDoughty isn't going to make many "most handsome" lists - when he smiles, anyway - thanks to the large gap in his teeth, but the veteran Los Angeles Kings blue-liner does have underrated flow.Look no further than this if you're in need of any convincing.While it's mostly young players boasting the best flow these days, Doughty is one of the more seasoned NHLers still holding it down.Henrik LundqvistSeriously, just look at that.Lundqvist has long set the standard among hockey players in the hair department, and he's still got it.It was a disappointing season for him and the New York Rangers on the ice, but at least he still holds the crown when it comes to flow.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As NHL teams are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The 11th edition focuses on the New York Rangers.The GoodThe next wave is coming. The Rangers might not be in the playoffs, but now that the rebuild is in full swing, they can see what they have in some younger players before the season ends. Brady Skjei has two seasons under his belt and is a veteran compared to some of his counterparts, but he's embraced a leadership role, especially post-trade deadline. Neal Pionk has done well despite the situation on the Rangers' blue line. Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil were recalled from Hartford in late March, and their performances now could very well determine how they'll fit into the lineup next season.Big trades have yielded top assets. When the Rangers said they were going full steam ahead into a roster overhaul, like several other teams did, they were one of the few who actually took steps to make it happen. That included trading Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh, Nick Holden, Michael Grabner, and J.T. Miller. Now they have seven picks in the first three rounds of the draft, including three in the first round. That could be a huge win for the Rangers.Henrik Lundqvist is in on a rebuild. Lundqvist was forced to do something this season he's rarely had to: play NHL games with no chance of making the playoffs. He had some rough stretches but still managed to put up a .915 save percentage, which is above league average. But he's on board with the Rangers rebuild, as he told reporters in March, so he's not going anywhere - at least, not for the remaining three years of his contract.The BadThat quick pull of the plug. Once it was clear the Rangers wouldn't be a contender this year, a rebuild or "refresh" was promised immediately. The unfortunate thing is that it should've started with trading Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta in June. Sure, they got Anthony DeAngelo out of it, but could they have gotten more?The defense. Ranked fifth-worst in the league in goals against, the Rangers are on track to allow more than 250 goals. They've also allowed the third-most five-on-five attempts against and the third-most shots against. Losing Kevin Shattenkirk in mid-January didn't help, and things got worse once McDonagh was traded at the deadline, forcing the Rangers to rely on young players that were often not deployed in the most effective ways.Lundqvist's workload. Lundqvist has appeared in 50 or more games in four of the last five years. He's been able to withstand the workload, but this year he didn't have the benefit of a reliable backup. Ondrej Pavelec missed significant time with injury, and even when he was healthy, he performed below average and was pulled more than any other season in his career. make no mistake, Lundqvist is still good, but he'll need more rest moving forward. That means having a capable No. 2 behind him.The QuestionsWill Alain Vigneault stick around? Many have called for Vigneault's head this season. The argument is that his voice has grown stale and there needs to be someone else at the helm for the rebuild. The complaints aren't without merit. Players were often used in ways that led to disastrous results, and he's been criticized for his handling of young players. Is this someone GM Jeff Gorton and president Glen Sather want behind the bench of a team that's expected to get an even larger influx of young talent next year? Everyone's frustrated. But it's the first time in a decade Vigneault won't be coaching in the playoffs, and it wasn't that long ago that he led the Rangers to a Stanley Cup Final and Eastern Conference Final in back-to-back years.Who's the next to go? There will likely be more players sold off before this is over. No one on the roster should feel safe outside of Mats Zuccarello, Lundqvist, Chris Kreider, Shattenkirk, Marc Staal, Ryan Spooner, and Skjei, who will be key to the team's success moving forward.Other entries in this series:

Anyone who knows hockey knows that Winnipeg Jets blue-liner Dustin Byfuglien is a very large human being who likes to throw his 6-foot-5, 260-pound frame around.However, Byfuglien's aggressive nature got the better of him in Tuesday's game against the Montreal Canadiens, as he received a 10-minute misconduct for bumping into the referee following a melee in the Jets' crease near the end of the third period.Check it out:Following the game, Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice was not concerned about the situation and thought Byfuglien didn't mean to bump the referee at all, according to Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Sun.The Jets went on to take the game in overtime for their 50th win of the season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A pair of A-list celebrity Nashville Predators fans took to Twitter to express their feelings after the team was robbed of a late, game-tying goal in Florida on Tuesday.Watch: Predators' buzzer-beater waved off due to goalie interferenceKiefer Sutherland offered the following take:

If you're a hockey fan in Music City, you're likely not humming a very happy tune at the moment because the Nashville Predators' game-tying, buzzer-beating goal was waved off due to goaltender interference Tuesday against a Florida Panthers squad playing for its postseason life.Nashville forward Filip Forsberg appeared to level the game with less than a second remaining in regulation, but upon review, the goal was waved off.That was the final decision, but that doesn't mean you can't still have your say. So, simply put: goal or no goal?Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Filip Forsberg is quite convinced he and his Nashville Predators were robbed of a late, game-tying goal Tuesday in Florida.The winger put the puck in the net with less than a second remaining in regulation, but upon further review, it was waved off due to goaltender interference."It's a goal," he said, per Adam Vingan of The Tennessean. "It's got to be a goal."I don't know what's going on," he continued. "It's so inconsistent that we don't even know when it's a goal or not, but this one was clearly a goal. The puck was never covered. The goalie had no clue where it (was), and it ends up on my tape and it's in. And they somehow don't think so. I disagree 100 percent."The NHL later clarified the ruling, saying "the deliberate actions of (Predators forward Viktor) Arvidsson's stick caused Luongo to spin and cause the covered puck to come loose prior to the goal."The league recently tried to resolve the ongoing saga of questionable goalie interference calls, putting a retired referee in the war room in Toronto. Still, Forsberg isn't convinced it's working."Either the refs don't know or Toronto doesn't know," he said. "They're definitely not on the same page because there's so many different situations and similar situations, too, that get called both ways. I don't know who made the call here, but they definitely didn't get it right."Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers were saved by a goaltender interference call late in Tuesday's win over the Nashville Predators.Predators winger Filip Forsberg appeared to tie the game with less than a second remaining in regulation, but upon further review - automatically triggered by the NHL's war room in Toronto - the goal was waved off due to apparent goaltender interference.The NHL said "the deliberate actions of (Viktor) Arvidsson's stick caused (Roberto) Luongo to spin and cause the covered puck to come loose prior to the goal," according to Adam Vingan of The Tennessean.It was a significant turn of events for the Panthers, who desperately needed the two points to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.The loss for the Predators, coupled with the Winnipeg Jets' overtime win against Montreal, prevented Nashville from clinching the Central Division.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With a nail-biting victory against the Nashville Predators, plus the Philadelphia Flyers' loss to the New York Islanders, the Florida Panthers' ever-so-slim playoff hopes were kept alive Tuesday.Roberto Luongo had his team in the contest all night long, registering 45 saves, while Colton Sceviour provided the game-winning goal.Entering play Tuesday, Florida sat six points back of the Flyers with one game in hand, closing that gap to four with three games remaining.

Artemi Panarin has made Columbus Blue Jackets history in his first season with the club.The winger recorded one goal and two assists Tuesday against Detroit, reaching 80 points for the season (27 goals, 53 assists) in 80 games.The total eclipses the franchise's single-season points record of 79 set by Rick Nash in 2008-09, according to the Blue Jackets.Panarin was acquired from Chicago in a multi-player trade last summer that saw Brandon Saad go the other way. He recorded 77 points as a Blackhawks rookie in 2015-16, and 74 with Chicago last season.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal goalie Carey Price made history in starting Tuesday against Winnipeg, passing Jacques Plant for the most regular-season games played by a Canadiens goaltender.

With the postseason only days away, the Boston Bruins received some unfortunate injury news, as the team announced Tuesday that defenseman Brandon Carlo will be out three-to-four months with a fractured ankle.Related: Bruins' Brandon Carlo stretchered off with apparent leg injuryCarlo was injured during Boston's victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday after a nasty fall. He appeared to catch an edge while battling for the puck with Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov. Carlo didn't need to be stabilized but did leave on a stretcher.The 21-year-old will have the fracture repaired next week.Through 76 games for the Bruins this season, Carlo had six points to his credit in just over 19 minutes of ice time per night.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson did not travel with the team for its season-ending three-game road trip, choosing instead to remain home with his wife Melinda following the recent death of their infant son, Axel.The Senators confirmed his absence Tuesday, according to NHL.com.Karlsson made waves Monday by keeping the puck after what could have been his final home game with the club, as trade talk has followed the all-world defenseman for weeks.With this new development, Ottawa's loss to the Winnipeg Jets could very well end up being his Senators swan song.Karlsson ends his season with nine goals and 53 assists in 71 games, and is currently fourth among rearguards in total points.General manager Pierre Dorion has said the team plans to offer Karlsson a contract extension July 1; failing an agreement, the defenseman can become an unrestricted free agent in 2019.Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marian Gaborik's season is over.The Ottawa Senators forward announced he's heading to Los Angeles to see a specialist, lamenting the fact he's unable to finish the season with his new team.