VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Rookie Brock Boeser had three goals and an assist, leading the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.It was Boeser's first career hat trick. Bo Horvat had a goal and three assists for Vancouver (7-4-2), and Sven Baertschi also had three assists.Jacob Markstrom made 37 saves as the Canucks snapped a two-game slide where they scored just one combined goal in consecutive home losses.Jake Guentzel and Greg McKegg scored for Pittsburgh (8-6-2), and Matt Murray made 17 stops.The Penguins tied it at 2 at 4:49 of the third period when McKegg tipped home his second of the season. But Boeser scored his fifth goal of the season just 1:07 later after taking a feed from Horvat in the slot and ripping a shot against the grain, glove side on Murray.The goal came moments after Patric Hornqvist hit the post behind Markstrom.Fans at Rogers Arena littered the ice with hats to salute the 20-year-old rookie's first three-goal game.Horvat put the game at 16:29 when he roofed a shot up and over Murray for his fifth. Boeser nearly had a fourth into an empty net with under a minute to go, but chose to pass instead of shoot.Tied 1-1 after a spirited first, Boeser scored his second of the night at 7:14 of the middle period off a good Canucks cycle. Horvat fed a no-look pass from the corner in front to Baertschi, who kicked the puck to his stick and over to Boeser at the side of the net, where he slide his shot past Murray.Markstrom, who was bailed out by Christopher Tanev with the puck sitting on his goal line on the first shift of the game, returned the favor in the second when he stopped Phil Kessel with his glove after the Canucks defenseman turned the puck over.The Penguins opened the scoring on the power play 2:53 into the first.Sidney Crosby tapped a no-look touch pass between his own legs to Kessel, who quickly fed a wide-open Guentzel at the side of the net for his fourth.Boeser tied at 7:07 when Horvat pressured Pittsburgh defenseman Olli Maatta along on the wall. The puck eventually found its way to Boeser, and he evaded Kris Letang before using a nice backhand move on Murray.Playing their third game in four nights, and NHL-leading 11th road contest, the Penguins almost scored on the game's first shift when Tanev cleared Conor Sheary's shot off the goal line after it squeezed through Markstrom.NOTES: The Canucks host the Detroit Red Wings on Monday to wrap up their five-game homestand. ... The Penguins return home to face to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday. ... Vancouver visits Pittsburgh on Nov. 22.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Saturday nights mean lots of hockey, and subsequently plenty to discuss.With that being said, here's five immediate takeaways from a busy night in the NHL.Rangers making up for slow startAfter a dreadful start to the season, the New York Rangers seem to be slowly pulling things together.Kevin Shattenkirk's overtime marker against the Florida Panthers gave the Blueshirts their third win in a row, and fourth in five games. Perhaps more encouraging, though, is the Rangers have out-chanced opponents in each of those wins, and are one victory away from reaching a .500 mark that seemed unattainable a short time ago.Pacioretty finally breaks through(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Max Pacioretty hadn't recorded a point on the power play since February 28 - an absurd 36-game span.The Montreal Canadiens captain snapped out of his funk in a big way versus the Winnipeg Jets, recording an assist on the man advantage in regulation, then icing the game in overtime with a power-play conversion from the slot.He also achieved some history in the process:

Max Pacioretty was the hero for the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night, but should have probably been in the penalty box.Moments before potting the overtime winner against the Winnipeg Jets, Pacioretty levelled Dustin Byfuglien in the offensive zone as the puck swung around the boards.Byfuglien clearly wasn't pleased as he skated off.

Anaheim Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano still hasn't missed a game in his 11-year career.Not only is the 800-game mark a nice, round number, but it also puts Cogliano in some elite iron-man company. He is now the fourth player in NHL history to play 800 consecutive games, and the second player to achieve the mark from the very beginning of his career, according to NHL Public Relations.PlayerConsecutive gamesDoug Jarvis964Garry Unger914Steve Larmer884Andrew Cogliano800As you can see, Cogliano isn't too far behind the all-time record. If his streak continues all of this season and all of next season, he will be sitting at 950 consecutive games. At that point, he will only need to play 15 straight games to begin the 2019-20 NHL season for the record to be his.Heading into his 800th consecutive game, Cogliano had 148 goals and 194 assists.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Steven Stamkos had a power-play goal in regulation and the lone goal during the shootout, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 on Saturday night.Stamkos is 9 for 38 in the shootout over his career.Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Yanni Gourde also scored for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves.Columbus got goals from Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, Markus Hannikainen and Brandon Dubinsky, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 32 shots.Hannikainen, on a wraparound, and Dubinsky scored 1:59 apart midway through the third to tie it at 4. It was Dubinsky's first goal in 17 games dating to last season.Stamkos put Tampa Bay ahead 3-2 from the low left circle after taking a pass from Kucherov at 6:20 of the second. Both Lightning stars have a point in 13 of 15 games.Gourde made it 4-2 late in the second, extending his goal streak to three consecutive games.Both Vasilevskiy (2.42 goals-against average) and Bobrovsky (2.07 GAA) allowed two goals by the midpoint of an uptempo first period.Jones (2:30), Point (2:54) and Kucherov (3:32), who got his 14th goal from the low right circle off a nifty pass through the slot by Mikhail Sergachev, each scored early in the game.Sergachev, a 19-year-old rookie defenseman acquired from Montreal for forward Jonathan Drouin in June, has eight assists and 12 points in 15 games.Werenski tied it at 2 with 9:05 left in the first. Tampa Bay outshot Columbus 17-15 in the period.Blue Jackets left wing Matt Calvert lost his helmet and was shaken up on a center-ice check by Dan Girardi in the third.NOTES: The Lightning honored the 2004 Stanley Cup championship team before the game as part of a 25th season celebration. Columbus coach John Tortorella coached the title-winning squad. ... Stamkos and Lightning LW Alex Killorn both were fined $5,000 by the NHL for unsportsmanlike conduct in Thursday night's game against the New York Rangers.UP NEXTBlue Jackets: Complete a three-game trip Monday night against the New York Rangers.Lightning: Start a three-game western swing Wednesday night at San Jose.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

ST. LOUIS (AP) Alex Pietrangelo scored twice, Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn each had three assists, and the St. Louis Blues beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4 on Saturday night.Vladimir Tarasenko, Joel Edmundson, Magnus Paajarvi and Vladimir Sobotka also scored for the Blues, who improved to 6-1 at home. Jake Allen had 26 saves.Edmundson and Pietrangelo gave St. Louis a league-best 16 goals from defensemen this season. Pietrangelo's 15 points leads all NHL defensemen.The Blues have earned points in six of their last seven home games against Toronto (5-1-1).Tyler Bozak scored twice, Andreas Borgman had a goal and an assist and Connor Brown also scored for the Maple Leafs, who lost for the fifth time in six games. Frederik Andersen made 27 saves.The Blues, who won their third straight against Toronto, scored three times in the second period to erase a 1-0 deficit.Tarasenko tied it at 2:33, chipping a Schwartz rebound into the net to score for the sixth straight game against Toronto. The goal ended the Blues' season-long scoring drought of 83:38.Edmundson gave the Blues a 2-1 lead after a Schenn shot went off of Andersen's pad right onto his tape at 7:10.Pietrangelo showed off his hands while making it 3-1 at 10:28, skating past the outstretched left pad of Andersen and tucking the puck into the net with a quick backhand-forehand combination.Borgman put the Maple Leafs up midway through the first period. It was just the fifth first-period goal allowed by St. Louis in 15 games.Paajarvi, Bozak and Sobotka scored in a 62-second span early in the third period. Paul Statsny's forecheck caused a turnover behind the Toronto net that directly led to Sobotka's tally.Pietrangelo scored an unassisted power-play goal at 7:52 to make it 6-2.NOTES: It was only the fourth time in the Maple Leafs' first 15 games that C Auston Matthews (10 goals, eight assists) failed to earn a point. ... Blues RW Chris Thorburn played for the first time in five games. . The Blues scratched D Nate Prosser and R Beau Bennett. . The Maple Leafs scratched C Dominic Moore, L Josh Leivo and D Roman Polak.UP NEXTMaple Leafs: Host Vegas on Monday.Blues: Visit New Jersey on Tuesday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One of the fixtures of international hockey could be missing from the next Olympic competition.Russia's participation in the 2018 Olympic hockey tournament in Pyeongchang is in question, sources told Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.As many as 20 Western-based national anti-doping committees and some IOC members are believed to be pushing for a ban of all Russian athletes from the upcoming Games, and fears were raised in international hockey circles this week that such a ban could be coming, according to the report.The IOC has been investigating evidence of state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes who took part in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, following the findings of the McLaren Report in 2016.On Saturday, KHL president Dmitry Chernyshenko threatened to "respond accordingly" if all Russian athletes are banned from Pyeongchang, presumably by preventing all KHLers from taking part, which would affect more than just the Russian roster because the league also features players from Canada, the United States, and elsewhere.However, IIHF president Rene Fasel said a KHL withdrawl is prohibited under the IIHF rules the league has agreed to.The 2018 Olympic tournament will already be without NHL players, and if the Russian squad or all KHL players - or both - are absent from South Korea, it would further reduce the level of talent at the already depleted tournament.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Maxime Lagace made 24 saves for his first NHL victory and the Vegas Golden Knights had three power-play goals in a 5-4 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.Erik Haula had two goals and an assist, Alex Tuch, William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault also scored, and Marchessault added two assists. Expansion Vegas snapped a three game-losing streak to improve to 9-4-0.The 24-year-old Legace lost his first three games with the Golden Knights. He was 2-2-0 in four games this season for the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League.Mark Stone, Alex Burrows, Ryan Dzingel and Erik Karlsson scored for Ottawa, and Craig Anderson stopped 29 shots. The Senators will leave Monday for Sweden for two games against the Colorado Avalanche.Marchessault gave Vegas a 3-2 lead on a power player with 7:21 left in the second.William Karlsson scored on a wraparound to make it 4-2 at 3:29 of the third, and Haula had a power-play goal at 6:47. Dzingel's fifth of the season for Ottawa made it 5-3 at 7:52, and Erik Karlsson scored his first of the season in the final minute of play.NOTES: Vegas was 3 of 5 on the power play. Ottawa was 0 of 2. ... Ottawa D Mark Borowiecki missed his third straight game due to illness. D Ben Harpur was a healthy scratch. ... Vegas D Jon Merrill, D Brad Hunt and LW Brendan Leipsic were healthy scratches.UP NEXT:Golden Knights: At Toronto on Monday night.Senators: Face Colorado on Friday night in Stockholm.---More AP NHL: www.apnews.com/tags/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A resolution has reportedly been reached in the Vadim Shipachyov saga.The Russian forward will file retirement papers with the NHL to ensure his departure from the Vegas Golden Knights, via Sportsnet's Eric Engels.Once the 30-year-old retires, his NHL rights will belong to Vegas until he's 35, Engels adds.TSN's Pierre LeBrun was first to report that the NHL and NHLPA had agreed to a solution to facilitate Shipachyov's exit, and he added that it's expected to come Monday.The NHLPA reportedly got involved in the process because it did not want Shipachyov to repay his $2-million signing bonus in the event he was claimed on waivers or signed by another NHL club.He apparently went back to Russia after the Golden Knights suspended him for leaving their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.Vegas signed Shipachyov to a two-year, $9-million contract in May.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The winner of the 2018 draft lottery will earn the right to add a franchise talent - and right now, that talent is projected to be blue-liner Rasmus Dahlin.The Swede got top billing in the top 31 draft rankings that ISS Hockey issued for November. Here's a look at all five players currently atop the 2018 class.Rasmus DahlinPositionTeam (League)GPGAPtsPIM+/-DFrolunda (SHL)1534762Turning heads since he was 16 years old, Dahlin is the undisputed selection to lead off the 2018 draft. The 6-foot-2 defender plays in all situations and is already making his mark in the ultra-competitive Swedish League as a teenager."He defends like (Nicklas) Lidstrom. He skates like (Erik) Karlsson," TSN's Ray Ferraro told Viasat. "His potential is limitless."North American hockey fans got their first look at Dahlin in last year's World Junior Championship, where he picked up a goal and an assist across seven games. He's an exceptionally dynamic talent who could quickly become a franchise's most valuable player.Andrei SvechnikovPositionTeam (League)GPGAPtsPIM+/-RWBarrie (OHL)1010414106A natural goal-scorer, the hulking Russian winger (and the brother of Detroit Red Wings prospect Evgeny Svechnikov) led the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks with 29 goals and 58 points in 48 games in 2016-17. He's now skating in his second season in North America with the OHL's Barrie Colts.However, scouts won't have an opportunity to get another look at him until at least December as he recovers from a broken hand. He was tied for second in league scoring at the time of the injury.Brady TkachukPositionTeam (League)GPGAPtsPIM+/-CBU (NCAA)9055125The bloodline picks could continue at No. 3, as the son of Keith and the brother of Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk is another projected top selection.In fact, Brady could have followed in Matthew's footsteps by lacing up for the OHL's London Knights, but he later committed to Boston University. The NCAA club has developed a handful of upper-echelon talents in recent years, including Charlie McAvoy, Clayton Keller, and Jack Eichel.The 18-year-old Tkachuk missed last year's draft cutoff date by one day, but that offers him more time to build his game. With his gritty style, he has the makings of a budding power forward.Filip ZadinaPositionTeam (League)GPGAPtsPIM+/-LWHalifax (QMJHL)181513281010The Halifax Mooseheads have produced no shortage of talent in recent seasons, from Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon to more recent selections Nikolaj Ehlers and last year's No. 1 pick, Nico Hischier.The dynamic Zadina's had little trouble adjusting to the North American game after spending the past two seasons in the Czech League. The junior rookie has taken the Quebec League by storm and holds a seven-point lead on the second-highest scoring freshman.Zadina's ability to create high-level offense will make his selection a priority as scouts prepare for the 2018 draft.Oliver WahlstromPositionTeam (League)GPGAPtsPIM+/-CNTDP (USHL)343724Rising star Wahlstrom could ultimately be the top center available in this year's class. A powerful skater with an impressive ability to carry the puck, Wahlstrom is built to play the possession-based game the NHL has moved toward.The Massachusetts native also holds Swedish citizenship, but attended Team USA's world junior summer showcase and is a good bet to make the final cut come December. The National Team Development Program skater is committed to Harvard for 2018-19.The 2018 NHL Draft will be held June 22-23 in Dallas.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Connor McDavid had three assists and the Edmonton Oilers beat New Jersey 6-3 on Friday night to hand the Devils' their first road loss of the season.Drake Caggiula, Ryan Strome, Oscar Klefbom, Milan Lucic, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the Oilers. They snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 4-7-1.Taylor Hall, Jesper Bratt and Brian Gibbons responded for the Devils. They dropped to 9-3-0.Edmonton started the scoring five minutes into the opening period on the power play as McDavid sent a pass through the crease to Caggiula, who tapped the puck in before goalie Cory Schneider could get across.The Oilers made it 2-0 three minutes later when Adam Larsson's point shot ended up going off Strome and in.Hall came back to haunt his old team with five minutes left in the first when he backhanded the rebound from Miles Wood's shot past goalie Cam Talbot.New Jersey tied it five minutes into the second period when Bratt's spin-around shot hit the post and caromed into the net.The Oilers regained just over a minute later on Klefbom's blast on the rush.Edmonton made it 4-2 with 1:04 to play in the second when a rebound hit Lucic while he was driving to the net and bounced in.The Oilers added some insurance with seven minutes remaining in the third period when McDavid made a perfect pass to Draisaitl at the side of the net for his third of the season.The Devils got that goal back just over a minute later on a tip by Gibbons, his team-leading sixth.Edmonton got an empty-net goal as Hall sent the puck back to the point and almost scored on his own net, leading to a tap-in by Nugent-Hopkins.NOTES: The clubs will meet again Thursday night in New Jersey. ... Devils forward Marcus Johansson missed the game with a concussion suffered on Wednesday in Vancouver.UP NEXT:Devils: At Calgary on Sunday night.Oilers: Host Detroit on Sunday.---For more NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A trio of NHL teams nearly pulled off a blockbuster trade Friday night.Talks on a three-way transaction that would have sent Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators ended with no deal, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.Kyle Turris would have gone from Ottawa to the Nashville Predators, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Friedman also noted that the deal would have included several draft picks, and may have featured a prospect or two.Senators general manager Pierre Dorion has been attempting to land Duchene since mid-September and discussions heated up in the last couple of weeks, according to Dreger.Dorion aggressively pursued Duchene to no avail earlier this fall, as Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch reported on Sept. 19.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For general managers planning to get in on the John Tavares sweepstakes this coming summer, the beginning of the 2017-18 season has been bittersweet.The New York Islanders captain has been on a goal-scoring rampage over the last couple weeks. He has positioned himself among the hottest players in the league through the first month of the season, which is sure to raise his asking price this offseason.Tavares has already tallied two hat tricks and in all has collected 12 goals and 17 points in 13 games in a contract year. His hot start - whether or not he maintains this torrid pace - puts him in a good position to not just surpass last season's totals of 28 goals and 66 points, but also his career year in 2014-15 when he finished second in league scoring with 38 goals and 86 points.The Mississauga, Ontario native is in the final season of a six-year, $33-million contract that has seen the Islanders get tremendous bang for their buck.However, Tavares is soon to get his due. He will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career - unless he re-ups with the Islanders - and given his body of work and the current contracts of the game's best centers, he could very well score one of the league's wealthiest deals.Connor McDavid is, of course, at the top of the totem pole. His $12.5-million cap hit over eight years trumps all deals, but it might not be far off from what Tavares could command.At 27 years of age, wisdom would suggest Tavares is in his prime and likely to demand a max eight-year deal - and rightfully so. As for what his cap hit should look like, consider the five top-earning centers in the league as of next season:Player Cap Hit Age at Signing PPG in Contract YearMcDavid$12.5M201.22Toews$10.5M260.89Eichel$10M210.93Kopitar$10M280.91Malkin$9.5M261.06Since breaking into the league, Tavares has paced Evgeni Malkin, Jonathan Toews, and Anze Kopitar in points. Additionally, Tavares plays all situations, wins more than half of his faceoffs, and boasts a Corsi For rating of 53.12 this season.At his current pace, Tavares would tally 75 goals and 107 points in 82 games. That number is sure to drop, at least in the goal-scoring department as he is currently rocking a shooting percentage of 26.1 percent, more than double his career average.He's on course to take a career-high 290 shots, and even if Tavares regresses to his career average shooting percentage the rest of the way, that would still see him record 43 goals - the highest mark of his career.Tavares is on pace to finish well below his average assists total, but given that he's averaged 41 helpers over the last four seasons, chances are he will finish with a respectable number. If he can come close to that total, a career year may be in the cards.Given that teams tend to overpay in free agency - should Tavares get there - it's reasonable to expect Tavares to put pen to paper on an eight-year, $80-million contract, especially if his blistering pace continues.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

EDMONTON, Alberta -- The resurgent New Jersey Devils boast a spotless 5-0-0 road record. The Edmonton Oilers are a disappointing 2-5-0 on home ice.So, when former Oilers forward Taylor Hall and his Devils teammates visit Rogers Place on Friday night, they will have road-ice advantage, correct?The Devils (9-2-0) enter the game on a three-game win streak. The Oilers (3-7-1) have dropped two in a row, both on home ice.New Jersey, which has endured a five-season playoff drought, is off to its best start in franchise history. For a team that always was known as a defense-first organization, it is stunning to see the Devils scoring an average of almost four goals per game."I think we want to continue to build an identity and try to get stronger and stronger as the year goes on," Devils coach John Hynes said."We don't seem to break too often or too easily," New Jersey goalie Cory Schneider said. "There might be some moments where we get running around or are on our heels a bit, but I think mentally we've had that resolve this year. We don't get down, we don't get discouraged, we don't look lost and just wait for something bad to happen. When we've needed responses, we've gotten them."Meanwhile, with just 24 goals in 11 games, the Oilers have the worst offensive ledger in the league. This was a team that was expected to light it up with the league's top scorer from last season, Connor McDavid, leading the offensive charge.The Oilers' penalty kill is running at a dreadful 68.3 percent. The power play is at 13.2 percent. The wisdom in hockey is that your penalty-kill and power-play percentages should add to more than 100; that means you're scoring more with a man advantage than you're giving up short-handed. The Oilers' total barely adds up to more than 80.Edmonton has scored two goals or fewer in eight of 11 games. Eleven of the players on the Oilers' roster have yet to score. It is not as if the Oilers have one major issue that is leading to such a disappointing start; the team has a large number of things to address -- but the special teams come first."We're still trying to solve the special teams issue," Edmonton coach Todd McLellan said after practice Thursday. "There's improvement, but not where it needs to be. We've only won that battle once this season, and we happened to win that game. And if you're not winning (the special-teams categories) you've got to at least be able to tie. A lot of our time was spent dealing again with situational play on penalty kill and power play.""It's a sore spot, for sure," Oilers veteran Mark Letestu said of the team's poor penalty kill. "We've got to fix it, and fast. It's costing us hockey games. There's nobody coming, the guys in this room can fix it."Adding to the Oilers' woes, Hall, traded by Edmonton to New Jersey before the start of last season in exchange for defenseman Adam Larsson, is off to a flying start. Hall has 15 points, a total that would put him on top of the Oilers' scoring chart.Also, Devils rookie defenseman Will Butcher has 11 assists in 11 games. That's more assists than McDavid has right now.The status of Devils forward Marcus Johansson is unclear for Friday. He left the team's 2-0 win over the Canucks on Wednesday after crashing into boards and did not return.Friday will mark Brian Boyle's second game as a Devil. The center made his debut Wednesday after missing all of New Jersey's October games following a leukemia diagnosis. He is still taking medication.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Longtime NHL referee Kerry Fraser revealed Friday that he has a rare, incurable form of cancer.Fraser, who retired from officiating in 2010, has been diagnosed with essential thrombocythemia, a chronic blood disorder in the leukemia family.The 65-year-old said his doctor told him that while it is an incurable cancer, those afflicted can live normal lives for many years, and that he will monitor the disease to make sure it does not progress.Fraser believes he's fortunate to catch the condition early."I consider myself blessed that this rare disease was diagnosed before I had a stroke or heart attack," Fraser wrote. "At 65, I was planning on living a healthy, full life for many more years. Now that I know I have this disease I can take extra precautions to keep my blood thinner and hopefully prevent a blood clot from hitting my heart or brain."Fraser spent 37 years as an NHL official beginning in 1973, and worked several international competitions as well, including the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and the 1998 Winter Olympics.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shane Doan turned down one last shot at winning it all.The former Arizona Coyotes captain, who announced his retirement in August following a 21-year career, considered an invite from Team Canada for the 2018 Winters Olympics before ultimately declining the opportunity."If you're going to play in (the Olympics), you really need to be dialed in and really capable of doing your best," Doan told Sportsnet 650's "On Point.""I didn't know if I'd be able to do that. I didn't know if I had the desire to move away and go play somewhere else for a little bit in order to stay ready."Team Canada general manager Sean Burke, who played alongside Doan with the Coyotes from 1999-2004, initially reached out to Doan in August.Doan scored 27 points in 74 games with Arizona last season. The 41-year-old accepted a position with the NHL's hockey operations department last month.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A move to new surroundings can often be the perfect remedy.That's certainly been the case with several struggling players in the past. Just ask Joe Thornton, who won the NHL MVP with the San Jose Sharks after spending his first seven seasons with the Boston Bruins.With a refresh in mind, here are seven players who could benefit from a similar change of scenery:Sam BennettNo player may be more in need of a shake up than Bennett, who has failed to find the scoresheet through 13 games this season. No doubt a disappointment, it's safe to say the Flames had high hopes for the 2014 fourth overall pick, who was drafted ahead of the likes of William Nylander and Nikolaj Ehlers.Bennett tallied 36 points in his rookie campaign two years ago, but declined to just 26 points last season, despite averaging nearly identical ice time. To follow it up, Bennett and the Flames slogged through a difficult contract negotiation last offseason. Calgary ultimately bet on a two-year deal, but the likes of it paying off appear to be slim.Mikkel BoedkerBoedker agreed to a four-year deal with the Sharks in 2016, but things havn't gone swimmingly since his arrival in San Jose.Sharks bench boss Peter DeBoer - who coached Boedker in junior - is tasked with helping the Danish winger find some consistency, and has moved him throughout the lineup in search of his scoring touch. Playing alongside Joonas Donskoi and Chris Tierney on the team's third line, Boedker picked up two points in his last game after tallying just one point in his previous seven outings. If the Sharks would rather move on from Boedker, it'd be difficult to do so, given he's signed for $4 million through 2019-20.Anthony DuclairA frequent scratch by former coach Dave Tippett, it's been more of the same for Duclair with new bench boss Rick Tocchet. Despite chipping in three goals this season - only Coyotes rookie Clayton Keller has scored more - Duclair has been scratched for two of the past three games.Duclair returned to the lineup for Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, a contest in which he skated on the team's fourth line and finished last among forwards with just 10:49 in ice time. Originally acquired from the New York Rangers in 2015, Duclair could be a worthwhile trade chip to help right the last-place Coyotes.Alex GalchenyukMontreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin sees forward Galchenyuk as a winger, a stance that coach Claude Julien agrees with, judging by his lineup. The point of confusion comes into play with where Galchenyuk has been slotted.Skating on the team's fourth line, Galchenyuk has scored in three of the last five games, but has not been rewarded with a boost in the lineup. A third overall pick by the Canadiens in 2012, the hope was Galchenyuk would soon be the team's top center, a duty since filled by new recruit Jonathan Drouin. This offseason, the Canadiens committed to a three-year contract with Galchenyuk, but it may only be a matter of time before they move on.Josh LeivoThe Toronto Maple Leafs winger is productive. The only problem is finding a regular roster spot. Depth at forward has seen Leivo scratched more often than not this season, as the 24-year-old sat out Toronto's first 10 games before drawing into the lineup for two of the past four contests. Leivo picked up a point in the process, but as of the team's last game, he was back to a familiar spot on the sidelines.Leivo showed off his offensive chops last season when he picked up 10 points in 13 games, and that could pique the interest of rival GMs should the Maple Leafs wish to deal from an area of strength to shore up their defensive depth.Sam ReinhartThe Buffalo Sabres center has made little progress over his first two seasons, and appears to be taking a step back in the early goings of this campaign as he's picked up just five points through 13 games.While only three years removed from his draft class, it appears the Sabres made a devastating miss when they selected Reinhart one spot ahead of Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl. Reinhart is now in the final year of his entry-level contract, and first-year Sabres GM Jason Botterill has opted for a wait-and-see approach before locking in a big-ticket extension. Otherwise, he could elect to deal Reinhart to improve his roster elsewhere.Jacob TroubaTrouba and the Winnipeg Jets went through an ugly contract dispute in the lead-up to last season, so much so that the American-born blue-liner sat out the first 15 games. He eventually agreed to a two-year deal, a contract that expires at the end of 2017-18.While Trouba will again be a restricted free agent - meaning the Jets still have more say in how his future plays out - the team could look to move on from a player who previously demanded a trade. Furthering those efforts could be Trouba's inability to live up to his offensive potential. With just four points through 12 games this season, his scoring game appears to have plateaued.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price has been sidelined with what the team is calling a minor lower-body injury.He'll miss at least Saturday's game against the Winnipeg Jets as a result.Earlier Friday, the team announced Price was not participating in practice the morning after allowing five goals on 26 shots in a loss to the Minnesota Wild.Related - Gallagher: Rest of Canadiens must help boost struggling PricePrice's performance has been uncharacteristically poor this season. In 11 games, he has a 3-7-1 record and .877 save percentage.Al Montoya will start Saturday, and the Canadiens are scheduled to play Sunday in Chicago. A goalie will be recalled to serve as backup, and may or may not remain with the team through the weekend.Montreal then returns home for a date with Vegas on Nov. 7.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As Carey Price goes, so go the Montreal Canadiens.The MVP goaltender has posted an uncharacteristic .877 save percentage through 11 games, leading to a record of 3-7-1. His latest loss came Thursday at the hands of the Minnesota Wild, wherein Price allowed five goals on 26 shots, including three in the first period.But far as forward Brendan Gallagher is concerned, everyone on the ice needs to do their part to keep the puck out of the net."It's on us to limit those opportunities," Gallagher said, according to Matt Cudzinowski of Canadiens.com. "I think they're getting too many chances from prime scoring areas and we've got to be better in front of our goalie. He saved and bailed us out so many times that we're definitely not looking to him to rescue us now. I think we've just got to be better as a team."For his part, Price doesn't seem overly concerned with his numbers to date."It's definitely a battle, but I know how to get through it. I'm not concerned about it," he said. "I'm just trying to stay positive and stick to the process. That's what makes you successful."For his career, Price carries a .919 save percentage, and his single-season low is .905, set in 2008-09 and 2012-13. Since the latter season, he's been arguably the best goalie in the world, and needs to find that form again if the Canadiens are going to rise from 29th place and back into playoff contention.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn, as well as New York Rangers forward Kevin Hayes, have been fined $5,000 apiece for unsportsmanlike conduct during Thursday's tilt, the NHL announced.The incidents took place after a Killorn goal was waved off due to goaltender interference at 3:01 of the third period. In the aftermath, both Stamkos and Hayes squirted water at the opposition, while Killorn was guilty of swinging his stick toward the Rangers bench.Here's a look at Killorn's part:

Alex Ovechkin's ongoing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin is being well received back home.On Thursday, the Washington Capitals superstar launched a "social movement" to reinforce his place on Team Putin, much to the delight of the Russian government."We obviously welcome in general Sasha's desire to express support for our president, especially from abroad," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, referring to Ovechkin, according to The Associated Press.Ovechkin is "a very famous Russian, a very successful Russian, and we really know that he values our president highly," Peskov added.A presidential election is set for March 18, but Putin hasn't confirmed whether or not he will run once again. Either way, he knows he'll have support over in Washington.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Ovechkin took to Instagram on Thursday to declare a "social movement" in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Auston Matthews' talent is unquestioned, and his ability to produce early on in his NHL career is nearly unmatched.The Toronto Maple Leafs star notched his 50th career goal Thursday night on a penalty shot against the Los Angeles Kings, joining Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin as the only two players since 1994 to score that many in their first 96 games, according to The Athletic's James Mirtle.Matthews' goal production in that span exceeded the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Steven Stamkos, and Connor McDavid, among others.

DENVER (AP) Semyon Varlamov stopped a career-high 57 shots, Blake Comeau scored the first of Colorado's three second-period goals over a 3:33 span and the Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Thursday night.Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen also scored in the second for Colorado. Carl Soderberg added a goal, and Patrik Nemeth got his first NHL goal as the Avalanche improved to 5-1 at home. Colorado now embarks on a four-game, 10-day road trip that includes two contests in Stockholm, Sweden.Varlamov rebounded from a forgettable game in which he allowed seven goals at Vegas last week. He preserved a 5-3 lead in the third by turning back 22 shots.Victor Rask scored 55 seconds into the game for Carolina, which outshot the Avalanche 60-27. Elias Lindholm and Derek Ryan also had goals.The Hurricanes pulled goaltender Cam Ward with around 1:45 remaining, but couldn't get anything past Varlamov. His previous high for saves was 54 on Jan. 6, 2015, at Chicago.Colorado extended its lead to 4-2 in the second when Landeskog scored off a rebound. The Hurricanes challenged the goal, contending that Rantanen's skate may have been offside as Nathan MacKinnon brought the puck into the zone. The replay confirmed the goal and Carolina was assessed a delay-of-game penalty.The Avs took advantage when Rantanen tipped in MacKinnon's pass 55 seconds later to extend the advantage to 5-2.Carolina dominated the tempo in the first period, outshooting Colorado by a 22-9 margin.Rask ignited the Hurricanes with a goal before many of the fans even had a chance to settle into their seats. He scored on a crazy-angle shot that crept in between Varlamov's arm and the post.After Soderberg and Nemeth found the net for Colorado, Lindholm tied it at 2.Absent for a third straight game was Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov, a healthy scratch.''It (stinks) to be in the doghouse,'' lamented Zadorov, who signed a two-year deal at the start of training camp.Colorado coach Jared Bednar said he's trying to find the right combination along the blue line.''The plan moving forward is keep him working and help him get better,'' Bednar said.NOTES: Carolina D Jaccob Slavin is from down the road in Erie, Colorado. He had six shots. ... D Roland McKeown was recalled from Charlotte of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. He was a scratch. ... The Avs are without forwards Gabriel Bourque (upper body), J.T. Compher (hand), Tyson Jost (lower body) and Colin Wilson (hip). ... MacKinnon finished with two assists.UP NEXTHurricanes: At the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday.Avalanche: At the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets were the most surprising team in the NHL last season, improving by 32 points from the year prior. They aren't sneaking up on anybody in 2017-18, but remain near the top of the league's standings. The Blue Jackets may not be the flashiest team in the NHL, but from top to bottom, they are the most complete.Columbus' impressive 9-4 record is no joke. Heading into Thursday's action they ranked second in the NHL in expected goals for percentage at five-on-five, per Corsica.Despite the even-strength offensive output, their success begins in the crease.Strength from net outIt all starts with Sergei Bobrovsky, who is further cementing his status as the league's best goaltender. He took home the Vezina Trophy last season as the league's top goalie, and he's playing as though he wants to make it back-to-back.The team in front of Bobrovsky is making it easier on him this year. Heading into Thursday's games, the Jackets had given up the fourth-fewest high-danger scoring chances against per 60 minutes at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. Last season, they gave up the eighth-most.Part of this is due to the maturation of their top D pairing, Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. The young duo has spent more time on the ice together at five-on-five than any other pairing in the league, and have put together a 58.26 Corsi For percentage, per Corsica.Behind Jones and Werenski, the veteran pairing of Jack Johnson and David Savard have been rock solid. So, too, has former second overall pick Ryan Murray. He hasn't come close to reaching expectations, but he's certainly better than most third-pairing blue-liners.Depth, depth, depthThe Blue Jackets may lack a marquee star player up front, but they have incredible scoring depth. All four lines can contribute. In their win over the Florida Panthers Thursday, 10 of their 12 forwards recorded a point.Artemi Panarin leads the team with a modest 11 points in 13 games, but they have nine players who have at least seven points. Scoring by committee may give the impression that an offense isn't very good, but having four lines that can be rolled out at any time is incredibly valuable in today's NHL.Furthermore, the Jackets are able to generate offense in different ways. Panarin, Cam Atkinson, Alexander Wennberg, and Oliver Bjorkstrand can beat you with speed and skill, while Nick Foligno, Josh Anderson, Boone Jenner, and Brandon Dubinsky can use their size and physicality to create space and opportunities down low.The competitionThe Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins provide the biggest competition in the Eastern Conference, but both teams have been heavily reliant on the power play this season. When it comes to the playoffs, where fewer penalties are called, Columbus' ability to score at even strength gives them a huge advantage.Moreover, Tampa has question marks on the back end, and Pittsburgh's search for depth down the middle and a backup goalie continues despite limited cap space.Over in the West, the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings seem to be the top dogs. The Blues are amazingly overcoming a glut of injuries, and the Kings continue to win thanks to out-of-this-world play in the crease by Jonathan Quick, despite questionable scoring depth.All four of these teams are superb, but all have their flaws.The Blue Jackets aren't perfect, either. They still lack a true No. 1 center (whether Wennberg can be that remains to be seen), but when it comes down to player one to player 23 on the roster, the Blue Jackets are the most complete team in the league.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

ST. LOUIS (AP) Michal Neuvirth made 33 saves and Brandon Manning broke a scoreless tie with a second-period goal to lead the Philadelphia Flyers over the St. Louis Blues 2-0 on Thursday night.Claude Giroux added an empty-net goal with 5.4 seconds left in Philadelphia's first shutout of the season.St. Louis lost at home for the first time after opening 5-0. The Blues, who earned at least one point in each of their previous seven games, were the only team in the league that hadn't been beaten at home.Neuvirth, making his fifth start this season, recorded his 11th career shutout and first since Nov. 7, 2015.Manning fired a shot from the right point that eluded Jake Allen, who made 21 stops. Jakub Voracek provided a screen in front. The shot was originally ruled no goal on the ice before replay officials changed the call.Neuvirth robbed former teammate Brayden Schenn with a glove save midway through the second period.The Blues were coming off 10 wins in October, tying a franchise record. They began the night tied with Tampa Bay with an NHL-best 21 points.NOTES: Philadelphia D Shayne Gostisbehere missed his third successive game with concussion-like symptoms. ... D Will O'Neill made his NHL debut in place of D Radko Gudas, who sustained an upper-body injury Wednesday in Chicago. ... The Blues have allowed an NHL-low four goals in the first period. ... Philadelphia has been shut out three times this season, a league high. ... St. Louis defensemen have scored an NHL-best 14 goals.UP NEXTFlyers: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday in the first of three consecutive home games.Blues: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.---More AP NHL coverage: https://www.apnews.com/tag/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Mark Scheifele had a hat trick, Patrik Laine scored his first goal in five games and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Thursday night to extend their points streak to six games.Laine's goal came after he told reporters at the morning skate that he didn't have a lot of confidence and felt he couldn't do many ''positive things'' on the ice. He has five goals and two assists in 12 games.The Jets have won three straight to improve to 6-3-2. They are 4-0-2 on the points streak.Tylers Myers also scored, Blake Wheeler added three assists and Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves to improve to 7-0-1.Alexander Radulov scored for Dallas, extending his goals streak to four games. Mattias Janmark also scored, and Ben Bishop stopped 22 shots.Winnipeg scored three goals in a 4:18 span in the first period, including a pair on the power play.Scheifele scored once during the first period and twice in the third, sending the hats raining down with an empty-netter with a minute left. He has seven goals this season.The second period included an early fight between Stars captain Jamie Benn and Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, after Benn took issue with Byfuglien's hard check of Radulov into the boards.NOTES: Jets forward Kyle Connor had a penalty shot with 4:59 left in the game, but got in close to Bishop and couldn't get off a shot. .... Dallas dropped to 7-6-0, The Stars had won two straight.UP NEXT:Stars: Host Buffalo on Saturday night.Jets: Host Montreal on Saturday night.---For more AP NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/tags/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vadim Shipachyov is apparently willing to repay the signing bonus he was given by the Vegas Golden Knights, but the NHL Players Association reportedly wants him to keep it if he lands elsewhere.Shipachyov has agreed to pay back most of his $2-million bonus even if he's claimed by - or eventually signs with - another club, but the NHLPA is fighting that, multiple sources indicated to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The issue isn't the repayment of the bonus in general, but rather whether he should have to do so if he becomes a member of a different NHL team, Friedman writes.Sportsnet's Eric Engels reported earlier Thursday that the Golden Knights want to be sure no other club in the league will claim the Russian forward if he goes on waivers, and Friedman added that the expansion club also wants assurances that Shipachyov won't sign with another NHL team if his current contract is voided.The NHLPA's position is that if Shipachyov gets claimed, Vegas loses the right to be repaid, and the union apparently doesn't want to set a precedent of players returning "money earned," according to Friedman.Vegas signed the KHL veteran to a two-year, $9-million contract in May.The 30-year-old has reportedly returned to Russia while he awaits a resolution.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There's inexperience on the blue line, and then there's what the Philadelphia Flyers are up against Thursday night in St. Louis.With injuries to Shayne Gostisbehere, Andrew MacDonald, and Radko Gudas, the Flyers' defense corps combined for just 272 games played heading into Thursday's contest.PlayerCareer GPBrandon Manning150Ivan Provorov95Robert Hagg14Travis Sanheim10Mark Alt3Will O'Neill0For comparison's sake, St. Louis' top defense pairing of Alex Pietrangelo and Carl Gunnarsson combined for 1,057 career games played heading into the matchup.With the Blues sitting near the top of the NHL standings, the Flyers' back end will surely be tested. Ivan Provorov might need an oxygen mask by the end of the game.- with h/t to Broad Street HockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Face to face with a crisis in the crease, Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee isn't willing to make a move out of desperation.The expansion Knights have lost three goaltenders to injury, not even one full month into their inaugural season. Marc-Andre Fleury has a concussion, while Malcolm Subban and Oscar Dansk have each suffered lower-body injuries, forcing little-known rookie Maxime Lagace into a starting role.Still, McPhee said Thursday he isn't willing to broker a deal for additional help, according Steve Carp of The Las Vegas Review-Journal."We'll ride it out with who we have," he said.Despite the slew of injuries, Vegas' goaltending has actually been a strong point so far, as the Golden Knights rank eighth in the NHL with a team save percentage of .929 at 5-on-5.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Thursday promises to be an action-packed night across the NHL, with 12 games spread across the schedule.There's a wide variety of intriguing matchups, but let's take a look at the games within the games, as multiple impressive streaks can be kept alive.Vasilevskiy strives for historyMuch has been made of the Tampa Bay Lightning's incredible offense to start the season, but netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy has quietly been the backbone of the club's early success.The 23-year-old owns a .927 save percentage to go along with a 10-1 record, with the last nine victories coming in succession. If Vasilevskiy is able to top the New York Rangers, he'll set a franchise record for consecutive wins.High-flying Blues(Photo Courtesy: Action Images)The Western Conference-leading Blues will put their seven-game point streak to the test as the Philadelphia Flyers travel to the Gateway City. St. Louis is 6-0-1 over that span, and have won its last four contests in regulation.The Blues have been strong across the board amid their recent stretch, scoring 26 goals while limiting the opposition to 14. They also hold a significant edge in the shot department, outpacing opponents 245-204.Keller looks to build Calder caseShining a positive light on a 10 p.m. matchup between the basement-dwelling Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres isn't an easy task, but tuning in to watch reigning Rookie of the Month Clayton Keller attempt to keep his seven-game point streak alive might be worth it.The 19-year-old has 15 points in 13 games overall, and has three multi-point efforts during his recent run, offering the lone glimmer of entertainment value for the Coyotes throughout their miserable start.Considering Buffalo is allowing the NHL's fifth-most goals per game (3.58), counting on Keller to stay hot is a pretty safe bet.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The standoff between Vadim Shipachyov and the Vegas Golden Knights appears to have reached a standstill.Before the team places the Russian forward on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, general manager George McPhee is reportedly seeking assurance from his 30 counterparts that Shipachyov won't be claimed, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.If he were to be claimed, that team would pick up the remainder of his two-year, $9-million deal without having to send any assets to Vegas.The Golden Knights would still be on the hook for a $2-million signing bonus of which Shipachyov has agreed to pay back all but $86,000 once the termination process officially begins.At present, Shipachyov is in Russia and is hoping to latch on with a KHL club. His only other option is to retire, meaning Vegas would retain his NHL rights for the time being.In three games with Vegas, Shipachyov recorded one goal and three shots on net.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Four goals in 11 games is a solid start for most NHLers, but not for former No. 2 overall draft pick Patrik Laine. That's because the Winnipeg Jets winger set the bar high in his first year in the league, notching 64 points in 74 games a campaign ago.However, this season's struggles are starting to get to the 19-year-old sophomore: " ... Obviously, I don't have a lot of confidence, so, just try and shoot a lot and try and be simple that way and try and work hard every shift," Laine said, according to TSN."Right now I am struggling, but that doesn't matter, the team is winning."Laine makes a good point, as the Jets have won two in a row and have points in eight of their last 10. But, Laine as a solo act isn't as fun to watch right now, with the Finnish sniper going pointless in four straight contests."Feels like hockey is really hard right now," said Laine. "But, I think everyone is going to have the same kind of feelings sometimes. Have to move forward and get through it somehow."Laine will have a chance to get back on track Thursday when Winnipeg takes on the Dallas Stars.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nashville Predators forward Ryan Johansen dodged a bullet Thursday, as The Athletic's Kevin Kurz reports Johansen will not face any supplemental discipline for his high hit on San Jose Sharks rearguard Marc-Edouard Vlasic.Here is the play in question from Wednesday's game:

Hands in the air if you predicted the New Jersey Devils would be in first place in the Metropolitan Division two days into November.That's what we thought.While some pundits expected the club would be much improved thanks to Nico Hischier and a revamped offense, very few thought the Devils would earn 18 out of a possible 22 points to start the campaign.Looking at how New Jersey climbed atop the Metro to start the second month of the season gives the impression that this group of Devils is much different from versions past - and their success could be sustainable. Here's why.Scoring by committee The Devils don't have a single player in the top 40 goal-scorers; Brian Gibbons is their only forward with five goals or more. This would potentially cripple most clubs. However, for John Hynes' men, it's a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.Across the first 11 games of the season, New Jersey features 16 different goal-scorers and has tallied the 11th-most goals in the NHL, a respectable 40. Only the Columbus Blue Jackets have more players with a goal (17).The Devils may lack the pure, bona fide goal-scorer that most teams long for, but they're getting the job done as a group on a nightly basis.Road warriors The mark of any good team is how well it can play on the road. After five away contests to start the campaign, New Jersey is a perfect 5-0-0 and the last remaining undefeated road team in the league.More impressive than the record is the way the club's been winning away from Prudential Center. The Devils have won their five road contests by a combined score of 22-11, including victories over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.If New Jersey can continue to rack up points on the road, it'll be a very difficult team to deal with.Consistency in the crease One of the biggest flaws of last year's Devils was the poor play of their No. 1 goaltender, Cory Schneider. In his worst season since becoming an everyday starter five years ago, he registered a lackluster save percentage (.908) and goals-against average (2.82) to go along with only 20 wins.Schneider's seemingly turned the page on his poor campaign, however, putting up better numbers this fall while earning back the respect of Devils fans and management.Across eight starts, Schneider has registered a 6-1-0 record with one shutout and a .921 save percentage. A lot of credit is due to the defense in front of him, and of course he can still play better, but he appears to have his confidence back.Balanced offensive contributions, a propensity to put up points on the road, and a reinvigorated starting goaltender have the upstart Devils sitting pretty, and potentially set up to stay that way.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Few things in hockey are more daunting than attempting to defend against a Pittsburgh Penguins power play.The Edmonton Oilers learned this the hard way Wednesday by failing to keep Pittsburgh's top unit from scoring the eventual game-winner with less than eight minutes remaining in the third period.Here's a look at how the Penguins executed their deciding strike with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins helplessly looking on from the penalty box after being called for interference.The play began with defenseman Kris Letang (No. 58) controlling the puck in the defensive zone and preparing to lead a breakout.Shortly after crossing the Penguins' blue line, Letang dropped the puck back to Phil Kessel (81) while Evgeni Malkin (71) came alongside at the back end of the rush.Kessel and Malkin skated through the neutral zone uncontested, and caught up with the rest of the top power-play unit just prior to entering the offensive zone. Sidney Crosby (87) can be seen to the left of Malkin, with Letang and Patric Hornqvist (72) to Kessel's right.As it became clear that Kessel was going to carry the puck into the zone rather than dump it in deep, the Oilers' penalty killers descended on him and Malkin. On the ice at the time were defensemen Adam Larsson (6) and Darnell Nurse (25), as well as forwards Matt Kassian (44) and Drake Caggiula (91).Still, a quick pass from Kessel to Malkin could not be stopped, as seen from a different angle.Malkin was able to cut between Larsson and Caggiula. Left with a clear look at Cam Talbot in net, Malkin made no mistake on the wide-open opportunity.He promptly deposited the puck into the back of the net with a wrist shot to Talbot's glove side.Here's the play and goal at full speed.The power-play marker was Pittsburgh's 16th of the season, tying the Penguins with the Tampa Bay Lightning for most in the NHL. Both teams have been afforded 54 opportunities, good for a success rate of 29.6 percent. Only the Dallas Stars have been more efficient on the man advantage, scoring 12 goals on 39 chances (30.8 percent).Malkin's goal gave him nine power-play points on the season, and the assists for Kessel and Letang marked their eighth points respectively on the man advantage.Only Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos has more with 10, while Nikita Kucherov and the Flyers' Shayne Gostisbehere also have eight power-play points apiece.It's remarkable that Pittsburgh was able to craft such a perfect play with Crosby acting more as a decoy than a participant, and a testament to the star power head coach Mike Sullivan has at his disposal.Memo to the opposition: Try to stay out of the box.(Photos courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their career. This edition focuses on Hall of Fame forward Bill Barber, who racked up 883 points over 903 games and won a pair of Stanley Cup titles in a 12-year playing career spent entirely with the Philadelphia Flyers.On what he remembers from his first NHL game:I had spent some time in the minors playing for the Richmond Robins, and I joined the team from Hershey. It was an exciting time. I thought I was just okay; I needed to get better, and wanted to make a mark so I could stay in the NHL. It was in Toronto, and I had an average game, but it was exciting.On his first NHL goal:We were in Buffalo. I believe Joey Watson had taken a shot from the point, and I ended up tipping it in. It was a game that I think got me over the hump, where I knew that I was a fit on the team and I knew I could play in the league and be a factor. It's a goal I won't forget; it gave me the confidence I needed to stay and play in the NHL and play for the Flyers.On who hit him the hardest in his career:The one thing about that era: When you got hit, you were going to get hit fair - unless you deserved to get more than that. Bobby Baun, he hit hard. You had to watch for him. Tim Horton ... Pat Quinn, they were all good hitters. You really had to be careful and be aware of where they were on the ice. They'd hit you hard enough to wind you, or get you a little dizzy.I'll even go with Denis Potvin. He was a very thick guy. You had to watch him coming through the middle on you. He caught me in junior one time in Ottawa. I shouldn't have been looking down to grab the puck, but we were on the power play, and I paid the price.On the influence head coach Fred Shero had on him:Freddy was a very special man, a special coach. The one thing I'll say about Freddy, he gave me every opportunity to make the team and be a factor on the team. He gave me an opportunity to expand my role, other than just playing a regular shift. He played me on the power play, he had me killing penalties, and he showed a lot of confidence.He had a quiet way of reaching you. He was like a father figure; he wasn't a yeller or a screamer. Little was said. When you didn't play up to your standards, you felt bad - like you let him down. The older players absolutely loved him and the younger players cherished him because they gave him an opportunity to play. He sure helped me have a great career.On his 50-goal, 112-point career year in 1975-76:We had a line of three different kinds of players on it - the LCB line. We scored a lot of goals. Reggie (Leach) was a sniper and a shooter, (Bobby) Clarke did a lot of forechecking and grunt work, and I was the in-between guy where I needed to play some offense and also play defensively, too, which I took pride in. I always wanted to be someone that played both ends of the ice.We just seemed to complement one another. We knew where one another were on the ice at all times. We knew how to get open, and when to take a chance, and when not to take a chance. It was definitely a special year for us. In today's game, any line that could put our numbers up would be considered a very, very special line.On the best talkers of his era:We had a team where no one talked too much. (laughs) We had a bunch of guys that would get on your nerves a little bit. But we weren't teased too much or talked to on the ice, I can assure you of that. And when they did talk, I wasn't paying any attention to it. I was in a different zone when I was on the ice or on the bench, I was totally focused on helping the team win.On his favorite officials:I can name two guys that I thought were very special officials: Art Skov and Lloyd Gilmour. Those are the two guys I remember the most. If you had a penalty, you could comment and they would come right back at you, and then you would let it go. They would let you play the game.On the most underrated player from his career:I'll mention a couple of guys from our hockey team that probably deserved more recognition. Rick MacLeish is one of them; he was a very talented centerman that would shoot the puck and skate with the best of them.Ross Lonsberry took me under his wing a little bit and helped me play the game the proper way, both offensively and defensively. Orest Kindrachuk was a good little player that could skate on the top line on any given night. Those are the guys I know best. They were truly special players.On what made Bobby Clarke great:He was tenacious, so focused. And he was a team player, period. Anyone who played with him, he made the player better. He definitely made me better. He never gave up on anything; he was determined, a player you would love to have. He was a leader. All he played for was the team. He was a great teammate and player and is a great friend.On his favorite story from the Flyers' back-to-back Stanley Cup titles:Everyone had their superstition. If Terry Crisp came across hockey sticks that were crossed in the dressing room, they had to be uncrossed. Terry Harris, the second year we won the Cup, every time we won a game, he would talk about building his tractor. "There's another wheel on the tractor," he would say.Everyone had a little something that they did. Putting their socks on a certain way. Hanging their jersey. All sorts of stuff that people on the outside would like to see if they were inside the dressing room.On his superstition:Everything had to be laid out in front of me so that when I got dressed, I wasn't fumbling around. My socks had to be a certain way on the floor. The marking of a certain sock had to be on my left, not my right. My gloves had to be put down a certain way.A lot of times, I kept my gloves in a garbage bag. The old leather gloves used to stiffen up from sweat, and then they would harden, and the stick would turn in your hands. Mind you, it didn't smell too good (laughs). But they would stay softer that way.On his favorite visiting arena:Chicago and Boston, because the rinks were smaller. There wasn't a lot of room out there, and if you could shoot the puck a little bit, you always had a chance to score a goal there.Chicago, I think, would be my choice because of the fans they had there and the way the old building was structured. It was a lot of fun playing in Chicago.On what he remembers from his last NHL game:I was hurt, and I didn't say too much to the doctors about my injury. The game before that, I could feel that something wasn't quite right.I was having a so-so year. The last couple of years of my career, I was battling a really bad knee problem. I got the seasons in, but truthfully, I wasn't very pleased about them. So that last game, I was in warm-up and I came off the ice and said, "I can't play." I had broken a piece of bone off my femur in my knee joint, and I had to have reconstructive surgery.I knew going in (to surgery) I wouldn't be playing again.On whether he has any regrets after being forced to retire at 31:The only thing that I wanted to do was to change positions to play longer.I grew up a defenseman, and at a young age they moved me up because I was always up ice and didn't get back half the time. I would have loved to have the opportunity to go back and play defense for a couple of years. I did that for Pat Quinn when he was coaching; we had a defense problem, so I ended up playing about seven or eight games as a defenseman.I loved it, because you're pretty much out there every second shift. And Quinn would say, "I don't want you to change - I want you up the ice with the puck. If you get the chance to go, I want you going." That's the only thing I wish I could have had a shot at; it would have been like being a young kid again, trying to make the team as a defenseman at an older age.Rapid FireThe best player he ever played with: Bobby ClarkeThe best player he ever played against: Bobby OrrThe best goalie he ever faced: Ken DrydenThe best coach he ever had: Fred Shero, Pat Quinn(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Other entries in this series:

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Evgeni Malkin's tiebreaking power-play goal in the third period lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.Patric Hornqvist and Conor Sheary also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins, and Matt Murray stopped 35 shots.Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl had goals for the Oilers, who have lost four of their last five games. Cam Talbot finished with 27 saves.Malkin tucked a wrist shot under Talbot's arm on the power play with 7:37 remaining in the third.Murray made a big save on Nugent-Hopkins in tight with 13 seconds to go to preserve the win.Pittsburgh nearly scored eight minutes into the game as Bryan Rust's shot rang off the crossbar, and was declared a no-goal after a video review.The Penguins struck on the power play just 56 seconds into the middle period as Hornqvist tipped a puck in front past Talbot for his fourth of the season.Edmonton tied it up a few minutes later on its own power play. Patrick Maroon sent a backhand pass from behind the net to Nugent-Hopkins, who scored his fifth of the season and 100th of his career.Less than a minute later, Connor McDavid made a no-look pass to allow Draisaitl to direct the puck into a wide-open net for a 2-1 lead.Sidney Crosby followed McDavid's play with a similar pass on a 2-on-1 to set up a goal by Sheary with 22 seconds left in the second.UP NEXTPenguins: At Calgary on Thursday night.Oilers: Host New Jersey on Friday night.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

CHICAGO (AP) Corey Crawford made 35 saves in his first shutout of the season, and the Chicago Blackhawks stopped a three-game slide with a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night.Artem Anisimov and Jonathan Toews scored 20 seconds apart in the second and Crawford took over from there, helping Chicago kill off three Philadelphia power plays in the last half of the game. Rookie Alex DeBrincat added an empty-net goal with 1:49 left in Crawford's 22nd career shutout.Brian Elliott made 32 stops for Philadelphia, which was coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to lowly Arizona on Monday. The Flyers have dropped four of five heading into Thursday night's game at Central Division-leading St. Louis.Chicago had dropped five of six, prompting coach Joel Quenneville to juggle his lines and defensive pairings in search of a spark. Quenneville also had his team do sprints at the end of practice on Tuesday after he grew frustrated with the effort by the players.The Blackhawks responded with a workmanlike effort while improving to 4-2-1 at home.Chicago came up empty on its first four power plays before Anisimov delivered in the second. With Brandon Manning in the box for holding Ryan Hartman, the rugged center skated behind the Flyers' penalty killers and slammed home a rebound for a 1-0 lead at 8:58.Anisimov's fourth goal of the season was the Blackhawks' first successful power play since Richard Panik scored at Arizona on Oct. 21. They were unsuccessful in their previous 18 chances.Toews then blocked shot a near the blue line and skated in alone on Elliott. The captain slipped a backhander between the goaltender's legs for his first goal since Oct. 12 against Minnesota, stopping a seven-game drought.That was more than enough for Crawford, who came up with a couple of big stops as Philadelphia pressed for a score in the third. He made his best save of the night with 1:45 left in the first, doing the splits to get over for a pad stop on Valtteri Filppula's wraparound.NOTES: Flyers D Radko Gudas suffered an upper-body injury in the first and did not return to the game. ... Chicago D Connor Murphy's father, Gord, is an assistant coach for Philadelphia. ... The Blackhawks and Flyers play again on Nov. 9 in Philadelphia, finishing their two-game season series.UP NEXTFlyers: Visit St. Louis on Thursday night.Blackhawks: Visit Minnesota on Saturday night.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Corey Crawford has been rock-solid in the third period for the Chicago Blackhawks this year.The veteran goaltender entered Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers with a .971 save percentage when leading after two periods, stopping 101 of 104 shots in three games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Father Time, even up against the finest of modern-era NHL dynasties, is undefeated. And while his inevitable, debilitating game plan hasn't completely knocked the Chicago Blackhawks off their perch of perennial success, the symptoms of his impending victory are starting to seep through the cracks of the club's once invincible armor.The Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups between 2010-2015 and established the blueprint for building a champion in today's NHL: find talent year after year in the draft, and groom them into becoming a cohesive unit.Now, unfortunately, with the luster of their championships fading further and further away in their rear-view mirrors, the Blackhawks have become the poster boys of how difficult it is to keep a title-contending roster intact while complying with the restrictions of the salary cap.The one constant Chicago's maintained in its personnel, over years of roster changeover, is the team's core. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Marian Hossa authored an unforgettable generation of success in the Windy City, sticking with the club while several pieces of the Stanley Cup-winning puzzle were forced out of town as cap casualties.Amid all the roster turnover, that group of players have managed to keep Chicago in the postseason mix, but have failed to get past the first round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. And this year, without Hossa included in their arsenal of weapons, the Blackhawks will be hard-pressed to diverge from the recent string of disappointing results.One month in, Chicago's veteran nucleus looks like it may not be enough to overcome the remainder of the Blackhawks' flawed roster. That's not a slight on their individual contributions; more so that this is a team that's been able to mask its mistakes for a while now, and this season, they're starting to show.GoaltendingThe area Chicago looks best happens to be between the pipes, as starter Corey Crawford has kept his team alive through his 10 appearances. In those contests, Crawford has mustered a .935 save percentage with a goals against average of 2.12.If there's one thing that can drag a team out of a slump, it's good goaltending, and if it weren't for Crawford so far, things could be much worse for the Blackhawks than their 5-5-2 record suggests.DefenseThe blue line, however, is a different story. The Blackhawks traded defensive stalwart Niklas Hjalmarsson over the offseason, and his steadying presence has been sorely missed.The defensive corps as a whole has been getting torched this season, surrendering 34.5 shots per game. Keith, of course, has been relied upon to log his usual 25 minutes per night, but he's 34 now, so how much longer can he do it himself?Seabrook's possession numbers have seen a steep decline over recent years, and increased usage isn't the solution to that. Elsewhere, aside from Keith, the only Blackhawks defenseman to put up a positive shot differential at five-on-five is rookie Jan Rutta. If this continues over 82 games, it's going to be a major problem.ForwardsMuch like Keith on the blue line, Chicago's attack hasn't been spread evenly. Kane, who lost triggerman Artemi Panarin, has proven he can produce points with pretty much anyone, and the return of Brandon Saad has had a positive impact on Toews.But, the Blackhawks are 25th in expected goals scored at even strength, and have a power play that's operating at an uncharacteristic 12.7 percent clip.The reliance on its three best offensive players has posed problems early for Chicago, particularly since 15 its 38 goals came in the first two games of the season.Unlike years before, the Blackhawks' powerful core isn't supported by the depth required to compete for a Stanley Cup. In fact, at this point, it barely looks as though it's enough to consistently succeed in the regular season.But that's what Father Time does: he catches up to everybody.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A jump to the top of the NHL's scoring list has led Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov to be honored as stars for the month of October, with third-ranked Jaden Schwartz of the St. Louis Blues rounding out the trio.It's the first time two Lightning players have concurrently been stars of the month, according to Bryan Burns of tampabaylightning.com.Here's a look at the numbers posted by each over the first few weeks of the season:PlayerGamesGoalsAssistsPoints1. Steven Stamkos13618242. Nikita Kucherov13138213. Jaden Schwartz138917Not coincidentally, the Lightning and Blues sit atop the NHL standings with 21 points apiece thanks to matching 10-2-1 records.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils forward Brian Boyle will make his season debut Wednesday night versus the Vancouver Canucks, head coach John Hynes announced.Boyle was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a form of bone marrow cancer treatable with medication, in September, and begun to participate in practices with his new club Oct. 22.The 32-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Devils this past offseason.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes' dreadful October was capped by a lone bright spot, as freshman sensation Clayton Keller was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month.Keller recorded nine goals and six assists for the Coyotes, who rank dead last in the NHL by a wide margin with a putrid record of 1-11-1.The 19-year-old leads all rookies with 49 shots on goal, and tallied at least one point in 10 of Arizona's 13 contests.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jarome Iginla won't crack Canada's Olympic roster solely on merit.If the 40-year-old wants to play at the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea, he'll need to hit the ice sooner rather than later, according to Hockey Canada president Tom Renney."As good a player as Jarome has been, as good a man as he is, if he’s not playing, it’s hard to give yourself opportunity for a fair evaluation, quite honestly, of what he might be able to do in the Olympic Games," Renney said Wednesday, per Luke Fox of Sportsnet.Related: Team Canada 2018 Olympic hockey jerseys unveiledIginla went unsigned as an unrestricted free agent during the offseason and is believed to have recently undergone a procedure on his hip.Canada is set to play at a pre-tournament later this month in Finland, with another set for mid-December in Russia. If Iginla does want to play, one would assume he'd need to make that trip.Iginla appeared in 80 games last season with Colorado and Los Angeles, recording 14 goals and 13 assists. He last played for Canada at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins forward David Backes will miss eight weeks following an upcoming surgery to remove a portion of his colon, the club announced Wednesday.Backes missed time in October due to diverticulitis, and his upcoming procedure, scheduled for Thursday, was advised by team doctors to avoid recurrences in the future.The 33-year-old is currently in the second season of a five-year deal signed with the Bruins in 2016. He's only appeared in five games this campaign, registering one assist.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is kicking off this year's Hockey Fights Cancer campaign by naming Nicholle Anderson as official ambassador.Last November, Anderson - wife of Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson - was diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, a rare form of cancer that effects the nose and throat.After several months of treatment wherein Craig took an extended leave of absence from the Senators, she was declared cancer-free.In her role as ambassador, "Anderson will be sharing inspirational stories of those impacted by various forms of cancer who are currently undergoing treatment at American Cancer Society and Canadian Cancer Society lodges. These stories and videos will be available on NHL.com, NHL Social, and NHLPA Social platforms."The campaign will feature ceremonies, observances, and fundraising efforts throughout the month of November, and each of the 31 teams will designate one home game to help further raise cancer awareness.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

USA Hockey unveiled three Nike jerseys Wednesday that its 2018 Olympic and Paralympic teams will wear during the upcoming games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.Here we see a white "home" jersey, a blue "away" jersey and an old royal third jersey.

Team Canada will have a fresh look for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.