The Anaheim Ducks will have to make do without Cam Fowler for a few more weeks, at the minimum.Fowler's timeline is four to eight weeks from Oct. 20, Ducks general manager Bob Murray revealed to reporters Friday, according to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register.The defenseman injured his knee in Anaheim's win over the Montreal Canadiens last Friday when he fell awkwardly into the boards and needed to be helped off the ice.He's missed the two games since then.The Ducks are also playing without blue-liner Kevin Bieksa, who is out indefinitely with a hand injury. The club says Bieksa will be re-examined Monday, after which a timetable for his return will be determined.Fowler leads Anaheim in average ice time at 22:43.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The direction of the Vancouver Canucks has been nothing but a spinning compass ever since Jim Benning took over as general manager in 2014. Until now, that is.In the first few years of Benning's tenure, the Canucks were a team that desperately needed to start a full-on rebuild, but refused to do so. He signed miscast veterans like Ryan Miller and Loui Eriksson in an effort to win now, instead of letting young talent play a more prominent role.But that's all changed, as the Canucks - led by younger players who represent the future of the club - are off to a surprising 6-3-1 start this season. Here's why things are looking up:The future is nowIt is still awfully early, but Brock Boeser has come as advertised. After tearing up the NCAA over the past two years at the University of North Dakota, the 20-year-old has made a seamless transition to the NHL, leading the Canucks with nine points despite playing in only eight of the team's 10 games.Both Sven Baertschi, 25, and Bo Horvat, 22, have also been key contributors offensively. The latter leads all Canucks forwards in ice time.But perhaps the most telling sign that the future is now in Vancouver is that Henrik and Daniel Sedin rank eighth and ninth, respectively, among Canucks forwards in time on the ice.Stacked prospect pipelineFor the first time in a long time, the Canucks have a loaded farm system.In the crease, Thatcher Demko might be the NHL's best goaltending prospect. After a great career at Boston College, he struggled to begin his first AHL season, but sported a .913 save percentage across his last 26 appearances. This year, Demko has taken his game to a whole new level with a .960 save percentage and 1.26 goals-against average, albeit in just four games.On the back end, Olli Juolevi, Vancouver's fifth overall pick in 2015, is coming off a somewhat disappointing season with the OHL's London Knights, but he's back home playing in Finland's top professional league, and is off to a strong start with four points in six games.And Vancouver's most intriguing prospect might be its most recent first-round pick, Elias Pettersson. Also taken fifth overall by the Canucks, the 19-year-old currently sits fifth in SHL (Sweden's top professional league) scoring with five goals and 14 points in 12 games.Cap flexibility on the wayThe Canucks are tight against the cap right now, but that's about to change when the Sedins come off the books this offseason. Each brother carries a cap hit of $7 million, so Benning will have $14 million in additional flexibility to play with.That opens up a whole host of options. Will the Canucks be in on the John Tavares sweepstakes? Will they make a push for Vancouver native Evander Kane? Will they look to add a much-needed top defenseman in the form of John Carlson? Or, will they simply save the money to lock up their young core when the time comes?Benning has made his fair share of questionable decisions, but with emerging young talent, plenty of cap room, and what seems like a nice coaching hire in Travis Green, he has a great chance to right the ship.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's still too early to separate the contenders from the pretenders in the NHL, but the upcoming weekend will produce some intriguing matchups.Friday's six-game slate features the shockingly stellar Vegas Golden Knights trying to keep their record start rolling against the surprisingly competitive Colorado Avalanche.Another jam-packed Saturday is in store, too, with 12 games on the schedule, and then three more contests are set for Sunday night.Here are three other games you don't want to miss this weekend:Nashville Predators @ Chicago BlackhawksIt's always compelling when these Central Division foes clash, and Friday night's affair should be no different.They met for the first time this season a couple of weeks ago, as Brandon Saad scored the overtime winner to give the Blackhawks a (small) measure of (regular-season) revenge after the Predators swept them out of the first round of the playoffs last spring.Saad has been great so far in his return to the Windy City, leading the Blackhawks with six goals in 10 games, while Filip Forsberg scored Nashville's lone goal in the first meeting and has been on an absolute tear, piling up seven goals and 12 points in nine contests.Columbus Blue Jackets @ St. Louis BluesThe Blues have quietly been one of the NHL's best teams so far this fall, and they've been fun to watch.Some were skeptical about the Blue Jackets' chances of duplicating their superb 2016-17 regular season, but they've looked solid early on as well.The Blues (7-2-1) and Blue Jackets (6-3-0) meet Saturday night in what should be an entertaining clash featuring electric talent, including Vladimir Tarasenko and Artemi Panarin.Panarin's been making plays early in his Blue Jackets tenure, with nine assists in his first nine games, but he's been held to only one goal. Busting out against a solid Blues defensive corps is going to be tough, but it should be an entertaining tilt regardless.Washington Capitals @ Edmonton OilersMcDavid. Ovechkin. 'Nuff said.Connor McDavid has essentially been single-handedly carrying the Oilers, who've gotten off to a disappointing 3-5-1 start and need to figure out a way to get their superstar some help.Alex Ovechkin has a talented supporting cast in Washington, but the Capitals are 4-5-1 through 10 games.Both dynamic forwards will be looking to make a statement and continue shouldering the load for their respective squads in Saturday's nightcap, and that should make it worth staying up for.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)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 Adam Graves, who scored 329 goals and won a pair of Stanley Cup titles in 16 seasons with four NHL teams.On what he remembers from his first NHL game:My first game was with Detroit, and Jacques Demers was the coach. I remember playing on a line with Brent Ashton and Shawn Burr. I don't think I played many shifts, but when I did get out there, I was playing against Wayne Gretzky's line. I'll never forget it; I didn't go over center.This was back in the day, when you would put your stick out and try to hook a little bit into Jari Kurri and follow him around a little bit. You talk about being nervous - that was about as humbling a start as you can get in hockey. I think we won that game 4-1, but I didn't play a very big role. I do remember how nervous I was, and how fortunate I felt to be on the ice that night.On his first career goal:It was in Toronto, and it was against Allan Bester. I always kid because I wasn't a player that anyone would remember any of my goals, because they were never fancy. But this particular goal happened to be a play-of-the-year contender - and it had nothing to do with what I did on the ice.Steve Yzerman had the puck, did a spin-o-rama I believe around Brad Marsh, and deked out two or three guys. I happened to be standing beside the net at the old Maple Leaf Gardens, and he banked it off my stick and into the net.When I say, "Yeah, my first goal was up for goal of the year," people are like, "Get out of here." And then they see the goal and they go, "Oh, I get it. Stevie Y." (laughs). It's a fond memory. To do it in Toronto, and to have my family there, made it special.On who hit him the hardest in his career:I would say the strongest guy I ever had to play against was Ken Daneyko. He's a guy I have always respected, and I knew I was in for a long, tiring night whenever I faced him.He might have been the strongest as far as battling for pucks and battling for position on the ice. He was like a bull. He was always difficult to play against. And because I was in New York for so long and he was in Jersey, we spent many a night battling for position. But I always had so much respect for him.On some of the best talkers he encountered on the ice:Glenn Healy was a guy who was really funny; I've known him since my late teens. Between the rivalry with the Islanders and being lucky enough to play with him and win a Stanley Cup with the Rangers, he was always a quick-witted, really sharp, intelligent man.You get Nick Kypreos and Glenn Healy in a dressing room ... there was many a day when I couldn't wait to get to the room because I knew I'd be laughing so hard, there would be tears going down my cheek. A lot of it had to do with how quick-witted and how much fun those guys were.I could tell you some stories, but those are best kept in the dressing room because that's the privilege of being in the room. But as I'm saying that, I'm smiling right now, thinking of that journey. Having teammates like that and being able to laugh and enjoy the game you love with guys like that made it that much more fun.On the player he considers most underrated from his playing days:I think one of the guys who was recognized as one of the great players of all time, but a guy I thought was so outstanding was Mats Sundin.It seemed like whenever Toronto needed a big goal, he was there to score it. I know he was a celebrated Leaf, one of the all-time greats, but playing against him, he was such a big guy. He could play at both ends of the rink. He could beat you taking it to the net, he could beat you with his smarts, making a play, killing penalties, power play ... he was such a difficult guy to play against.I always had a lot of respect for Mats and the way he approached the game, and his work ethic, and everything else.On the greatest game he ever played:You're asking the wrong guy (laughs). I honestly don't give it much thought; I don't know if I had a greatest game. Because I was aggressive, as many things that went well in a game, things could easily have gone the other way because of being out of position, or taking a penalty, or missing a hit.People will come up to me and say, "I loved the way you played!" And I say, "Well, you must have only seen half my games. The other half, I wasn't very good." I can't say there was ever a game that stood out. I was more of a mucker, a grinder, a product of my environment.On his last NHL game:I can't even tell you who we played. I was in San Jose, and I guess I should remember that. When I look back, I just think about how lucky I was to play as long as I did, and to play with the people I did. Even to this day, when I get a chance to get out on the ice, I just think about how fortunate I was to play. It isn't something I look back on sadly. When I was done, I was done.On when he realized he was done:I think you know your body. And for me, I wasn't a guy who could change his game to a more skilled, cerebral game. I had to play physical. And by the end, after playing close to 1,200 games, my body was basically telling me I was done. I had had back surgery, shoulders, knees, hands, you name it.For me, it was the recovery. You think you can play your old-style game, but instead of being ready to go the next day, it would take you two or three days to recover - and unfortunately, you had games in between. I quickly realized that I wasn't able to do what I could do in my early 20s - that physical game and that pounding in front of the net and in the corners.At the end of the year, I found that I was more mentally tired than physically tired, just because of expectations you put on yourself. As you get older, and you're not able to do the things you'd like to do, you quickly understand (it's time). I was completely thrilled to have the opportunity I had. No regrets.On his favorite story from the Oilers' 1990 Stanley Cup run:Both Cup teams I played on were so much about family. Not just the family within the locker room, but your extended families: The moms, the dads, the wifes, the fiancees. You shared those moments with those people.My mom and dad drove down the day of Game 5 (in Boston). I can remember being with (defenseman) Randy Gregg going into the arena and I saw my mom and dad quickly for about five, 10 minutes.And as we were about to win, with about 10 seconds left in the game, I remember standing on the bench - actually on the bench - looking up into the stands trying to find my mom and dad. I couldn't find them very easily because they were behind one of those yellow posts at the Boston Garden.After we had won, coming into the dressing room and having my mom and dad in the room, and my dad drinking out of the Cup, and then us going out for a team meal at a restaurant ... and the place was closed down. It was just family - your hockey family and your actual family. It was just terrific. I'll never forget my dad in the kitchen with an apron on, cooking up lobsters and celebrating the Stanley Cup. Those are memories that I love.On what made Mark Messier one of hockey's greatest leaders:For me, it's simple: He could lead any way you wanted him to. He would do it because he cared with his heart. He could do it physically. He could stand up and speak in front of the team. He would do it with humility; he wouldn't ask anyone to do something he wasn't willing to do himself.On top of that, he had such a complete game. He had the ability to beat you with speed, with passing, with shooting, with physicality - even on-the-edge physicality. He was the complete package. And he brought that at the most opportune times. When the chips were down and you needed a big faceoff, a big hit, a big goal, a momentum-changer ... it was always No. 11.He cared so much. I don't know if I ever played with someone who respected the game and loved the game more than Mark.Rapid FireThe best player he ever played with: Let's put it this way: I was spoiled.The best player he ever played against: Mario LemieuxThe best goalie he ever faced: Dominik HasekHis favorite coach of all time: Bill DineenHis favorite visiting arena: Chicago Stadium(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Other entries in this series:

Eleven games were played around the NHL on Thursday, and there was no shortage of scoring.Plenty of teams benefited from big-time performances, while only one goalie was able to completely flummox the opposition.Here are five standout performances, some individual and others of a multi-player nature.Kucherov, Stamkos still rollingThere's been no better duo in the NHL this season than Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov.In a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, Kucherov scored his league-leading 12th goal and recorded the primary assist on Stamkos' fourth as both players extended their season-opening point streaks to 11 games.Stamkos and Kucherov rank first and second in total points among all players, and life is good for head coach Jon Cooper.

TORONTO (AP) Josh Jooris scored twice, Teuvo Teravainen had a three-point night and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Thursday night.Victor Rask scored midway through the second period to give Carolina the lead and Brock McGinn and Jooris added insurance goals in the third. Elias Lindholm and Teravainen also scored for the Hurricanes, who ended a two-game losing skid.Auston Matthews, Zach Hyman and Dominic Moore had the goals for Toronto.Carolina pulled ahead by taking advantage of a poor clearing effort by Andreas Borgman behind the Toronto net. Teravainen took possession and fed the puck to Rask, who one-timed it past Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen.McGinn made it a two-goal game by faking a slap shot and snapping the puck over Andersen's right shoulder for his first goal of the season. Jooris capped the scoring by burying a pass from Jeff Skinner into the top corner.Toronto seemed flat at the start and both teams made plenty of mistakes, missed passes and blew assignments over 60 minutes.The Hurricanes silenced the home crowd early. Jooris potted his first goal of the season by one-timing a pass from Trevor van Riemsdyk at 2:20 of the opening period.Teravainen made it a two-goal lead just 33 seconds later. He snapped home a loose puck off the faceoff for his third goal of the campaign.Toronto halved the lead at 9:19 as Patrick Marleau flipped a pass to Matthews, who was left alone in front. Matthews beat Scott Darling on the glove side for his eighth goal.Andersen made an all-world glove save on Noah Hanifin later in the stanza. He snared the slapshot from the hash mark despite being prone in the butterfly position.Carolina scored on its next opportunity, however, as Lindholm tipped in a shot from the point to make it 3-1 at 16:08.The Maple Leafs pressed in the second period and were rewarded with two quick goals.Moore flipped in a rebound near the crease at 5:47 and Hyman tied it at 7:11. It was Moore's third goal of the season and the fourth for Hyman.In the third, McGinn tallied at 10:15 and Jooris scored at 12:19. Carolina outshot Toronto 38-34.NOTES: Toronto sratched D Connor Carrick, F Eric Fehr and F Josh Leivo. .. Carolina sat D Klas Dahlbeck and F Janne Kuokkanen. ... The Maple Leafs entered play leading the NHL with an average of 4.4 goals per game. ... Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic was in attendance. He grew up in Thornhill, Ontario, just north of Toronto.UP NEXTHurricanes: Host St. Louis on Friday.Maple Leafs: Host Philadelphia on Saturday to wrap up a three-game homestand.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Affordable young talent is the lifeblood of a salary-cap league. And ensuring their proper development is critical in converting these assets into NHL talent.As the season's 10-game mark approaches, so too does a key date for general managers: whether their freshmen talent sticks in the big league or if more seasoning in the minors is required.Some of those decisions have already been made. The Carolina Hurricanes sent down 2017 first-round pick Martin Necas after one game, and the New York Rangers did the same with Filip Chytil after two contests.Other rulings will be more of a lay-up. Arizona's Clayton Keller, Philadelphia's Nolan Patrick, and New Jersey's Nico Hischier are going nowhere.Here is how the remaining big decisions could shake out:Here to stayMathew Barzal, 16th pick in 2015The New York Islanders made headlines with their recent demotion of forward Josh Ho-Sang, but fans shouldn't expect a similar announcement about Barzal.After a brief stint with the team last year before being returned to the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, Barzal appears to be sticking around for good this time. In nine games with the Islanders, Barzal has put together three points and has averaged more than 15 minutes a game in a top-six role.Pierre-Luc Dubois, 3rd pick in 2016A surprise pick to stick given his stat line, Dubois was given the good news on Thursday when GM Jarmo Kekalainen informed him he will be spending a little more time with the Columbus Blue Jackets.That was the lone option for Dubois to play pro this season, as the 19-year-old product of the CHL is not eligible for the minors and could only return to the QMJHL's Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. With the Blue Jackets, Dubois has posted one goal in nine games, while averaging 12:26 in ice time.Tyson Jost, 10th pick in 2016Fans of the Colorado Avalanche got an early showing of Jost last season, when the University of North Dakota product played in the final six games of the season, including a game against the Minnesota Wild which saw Jost notch his first NHL goal.One year later, and through another six games, Jost has picked up two points. An NHL talent who will grow into a bigger role over time, Jost is a key part of the future in Denver, alongside fellow youngsters Mikko Rantanen, Alexander Kerfoot, and 2017 first-rounder Cale Makar.Luke Kunin, 15th pick in 2016A late cut in training camp, Kunin got a second audition with the Wild after the team ran into injury concerns earlier this month. So far, he has made the most of it, as he's tallied two assists in four contests.After netting 38 points in 35 games with the University of Wisconsin last season, Kunin finished the year in the AHL, where he came up with eight points in 12 games. He is already producing as a pro, and his current trial with the Wild should help him secure a full-time roster spot.See you soonGabriel Carlsson, 29th pick in 2015It's been difficult for the Blue Jackets to get an accurate read on Carlsson, as the young defenseman has been out with an injury for the past five games.Still, when Carlsson has been in the lineup, he has yet to show his NHL readiness, as he's recorded just one point. Carlsson's ice-time has declined over four contests, falling to less than 10 minutes in his last appearance. The 20-year-old spent last year in Sweden and could benefit from time in the AHL.Owen Tippett, 10th pick in 2017Although he was praised by coach Bob Boughner after his NHL debut earlier this month - a contest in which he finished with a team-leading seven shots - Tippett has been a frequent healthy scratch by the Florida Panthers.That makes him a prime candidate to return to junior, where he can continue to hone his game with the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads. Tippett tallied 44 goals and 31 assists in 60 games in junior last season.Kailer Yamamoto, 22nd pick in 2017The Edmonton Oilers face a difficult decision when it comes to the immediate future of Yamamoto.On a skilled Oilers squad that has struggled to score this season, Yamamoto has been a bright spot, as he helped create three goals through seven games. But banking on the 19-year-old to keep up the offense may be too much too soon. In the meantime, Edmonton has other scoring threats it can turn to while Yamamoto further develops in junior.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton has officially moved into a tie for 20th on the NHL's all-time points list.The 38-year-old collected his second goal of the season against his former club, the Boston Bruins, to pick up his 1,398th point to bring him level with Edmonton Oilers great Jari Kurri.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Vadim Shipachyov will take reps in the American Hockey League while his future with the club is sorted out.The 30-year-old will report to the Chicago Wolves while his agent continues to seek a potential trade for his client, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.Related: 3 teams that should trade for ShipachyovOn Wednesday, Shipachyov and his camp were given permission by the Golden Knights to seek a potential trade. Shipachyov has played just three games with Vegas this season, tallying one goal while playing under 11 minutes per game.Shipachyov - who had previously spent the last nine seasons in the KHL - inked a two-year, $9-million contract with the Golden Knights this offseason.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jarome Iginla could still don the red and white one last time.The unrestricted free agent forward was not named to Canada's roster for the Karjala Cup - a pre-Olympic showcase in Finland next month - but could still represent his home country at the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea, according to Frank Seravalli of TSN.Seravalli writes:

Current NHL players won't be taking part in February's Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, but that's not stopping a crop of former NHLers from auditioning to make the trip.On Thursday, Hockey Canada announced its roster for the Karjala Cup, a pre-Olympic tournament that will be used to assess the potential lineup that will represent Canada at the 2018 Games this winter.Among the 26 names are a group of former NHLers currently plying their trade in pro leagues around the globe, including Wojtek Wolski, Mason Raymond, and Ben Scrivens.Here's a look at the complete roster for next month's tuneup - one that could end up looking very similar to Team Canada's Olympic roster come February:PositionPlayerCurrent Team (League)Wojtek WolskiFKunlun Red Star (KHL)Mason RaymondFSC Bern (NLA)Derek RoyFLinkoping HC (SHL)Brandon KozunFLokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)Eric O'DellFHC Sochi (KHL)Gilbert BruleFKunlun Red Star (KHL)Rene BourqueFDjurgardens (SHL)Matt EllisonFMetallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)Quinton HowdenFDinamo Minsk (KHL)Dylan SikuraFNortheastern University (NCAA)Andrew EbbettFSC Bern (NLA)Matt FrattinFBarys Astana (KHL)Christian ThomasFWilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL)Rob KlinkhammerFAk Bars Kazan (KHL)Karl StolleryDDinamo Riga (KHL)Zach WhitecloudDBemidji State University (NCAA)Chay GenowayDLada Togliatti (KHL)Chris LeeDHockey CanadaMaxim NoreauDSC Bern (NLA)Simon DespresDHC Slovan Bratislava (KHL)Jesse BlackerDKunlun Red Star (KHL)Geoff KinradeDKunlun Red Star (KHL)Mat RobinsonDCSKA Moscow (KHL)Justin PetersGKolner Haie (DEL)Ben ScrivensGSalavat Yulaev UFA (KHL)The other three nations icing teams in November's pre-Olympic tournament are Switzerland, Sweden, and Finland, with the Swiss and Finns each playing host.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues have undergone quite an incredible transformation. From 2011 to 2016, they routinely finished near the top of the Western Conference standings, only to fall short in the playoffs. Since that five-year stretch, they have been smacked in the face with adversity, but remain one of the league's best teams.The Blues (7-2-1) have 15 points, tying them with the Los Angeles Kings for the most in the Western Conference. This comes less than a year after they underwent a coaching change - replacing Ken Hitchcock with Mike Yeo - and were sellers at the deadline, trading Kevin Shattenkirk to the Capitals for draft picks and prospects. And as they moved into the 2017-2018 season, the Blues were dealing with a glut of injuries to various key players.Alexander Steen missed the first six games of the season, Jay Bouwmeester has yet to play, Patrik Berglund is out until December, and Robby Fabbri is out for the season.Combine all of this, and the Blues weren't given much of a chance heading into the season, with Bodog giving them 33/1 odds at winning the cup this year. Seventeen teams were given a better chance to win it all.It's possible the Blues have been playing with a chip on their shoulder because of that disrespect. Nothing ignites a team more than an "us against the world" mentality. However, there's clearly more to it than that.Since Yeo took over as head coach on Feb. 1, the Blues have put together a regular season record of 29-10-3. Including playoffs, they're 35-15-3 under their new coach. Clearly, getting away from Hitchcock's ultra-defensive system has done wonders for the team. Yeo is getting the most out of his most important players.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Alex Pietrangelo has always been regarded as one of the league's best defensemen, but he has taken his game to another level since Shattenkirk was sent packing on Feb. 27. In 30 regular-season games since the trade, Pietrangelo has 9 goals and 21 assists. He's producing at an Erik Karlsson-like pace, while remaining an elite defender in his own zone.The case could be made that Pietrangelo is the very best blue-liner in the world right now, and he is doing so without his longtime trusted D partner, Bouwmeester.When you have one of, if not the best, defenseman in the league playing nearly half the game each night, it makes your entire team drastically better.Jaden Schwartz appears to be coming into his own, with seven goals and seven assists in 10 games thus far. Vladimir Tarasenko continues to fill the net with pucks, and offseason acquisition Brayden Schenn is playing at a near point-per-game pace, as is Vladimir Sobotka, who returned to the Blues at the end of last season after a three-year hiatus in the KHL.All of these players, including Pietrangelo, have one thing in common: all are playing a career-high in average time on the ice. Yeo is trusting in his best players, and they are getting the job done.However, regular-season success is ordinary for the Blues. They've enjoyed plenty of that. Though, with many new faces on the ice, a new face behind the bench, and a new style of play, this Blues team is certainly different than ones in the past.Unlike in previous seasons, the expectation isn't "Stanley Cup or bust" for these Blues. Without that burden hanging over their shoulder, maybe this is the year the Blues will reverse their postseason fate.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames made their intention crystal clear over the summer when they dealt three highly valuable draft picks to acquire defenseman Travis Hamonic from the New York Islanders: It's time to win.Coming off a disheartening first-round sweep at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, the Flames made it their mission to, first, find a new goalie - which came in the form of a trade for Mike Smith - and second, bolster the depth of a blue line that was already among the league's best.With a lead pairing of Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton, Calgary needed someone to complement talented puck-mover T.J. Brodie, and free him from the shackles of partners that restricted his skill set in the past. Flames brass identified that player as Hamonic, and his move to Alberta rounded out a top four that looked ready to compete with anyone they matched up against.So, early on, how has Calgary played with Hamonic?To put it succinctly: not great. A 10-game sample size, especially one that draws from the first 10 games with a new organization in a new conference, doesn't provide a clear enough picture of how things will play out in the long run, but even considering the transition, Hamonic's start to the 2017-18 season has been underwhelming.(Photo Courtesy: Action Images)Firstly, the Flames as a whole need to tighten up defensively. They're allowing 34.2 shots against per game (25th) and 60.27 attempts per hour at even strength (23rd).When digging a little deeper, it's clear the defensive pairing getting hit the hardest is Hamonic's:PairingCF%Rel CF%xGABrodie-Hamonic49.67-1.326.86Hamilton-Giordano54.956.494.87Bartkowski-Stone44.03-5.872.72(CF%: Corsi-For Percentage, Rel CF%: Corsi-For relative to teammates, xGA: Expected Goals Against. All stats at five-on-five, courtesy Corsica)The Bartkowski-Stone pairing hasn't been great either, but Brodie and Hamonic have logged nearly 100 more minutes at five-on-five, posing a considerable problem for the Flames each game.The good news for Calgary, which is 5-5 this season, is that Smith has stood tall amid a massive workload, posting a .928 save percentage through nine starts. And while Hamonic hasn't yet had the effect Calgary imagined, there are 72 games remaining to sort things out.In saying that, though, the Flames need Hamonic's pairing to sort things out sooner than later, as consistently being outshot always catches up to teams, usually in emphatic fashion.Calgary's built an offense run on the star power of Johnny Gaudreau, and is getting the goaltending it's sorely missed over the last few years, but it's the newly formed blue line - the area they mortgaged a considerable chunk of their future to upgrade - that, right now, surprisingly stands between the Flames and their goal of taking the next step.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A prominent agent who has a history with Claude Julien is apparently still not a fan of him.Dan Milstein took a shot at the Montreal Canadiens head coach on Thursday for his handling of the Alex Galchenyuk situation.Julien demoted the struggling 23-year-old forward to Montreal's fourth line earlier this week, but Galchenyuk did score a power-play goal in the Canadiens' 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.Milstein represents many Russian players in the NHL and KHL - most notably Nikita Kucherov, Artemi Panarin, and Pavel Datsyuk - but Galchenyuk's agent is Pat Brisson.Also, Galchenyuk isn't even Russian; he was born in Milwaukee to Belarusian parents.Milstein has two clients, Nikita Nesterov and Alexander Khokhlachev, who have played for Julien.Nesterov appeared in 13 games with the Canadiens last season after arriving in a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Khokhlachev had a much-publicized feud with the Boston Bruins (where Julien was coaching) in the spring of 2016, which reached a boiling point when Milstein called out the bench boss for not giving his client a chance.As for Russian players who played under Julien with the Canadiens, Alexander Radulov left to sign a lucrative free-agent contract with the Dallas Stars over the summer, while both Nesterov and Andrei Markov opted to sign in the KHL, and Mikhail Sergachev was traded to the Lightning for Jonathan Drouin.Milstein eventually deleted Thursday's tweet and admitted he should not have commented on Galchenyuk."These are my observations,” the agent told Sportsnet's Eric Engels. “I represent several Russian players, and I know Alex is not one of them and I’m out of line for commenting because I don’t represent him. But I’m just stating the facts."I have nothing but respect for (Canadiens general manager) Marc Bergevin," Milstein added. "But it seems obvious (that) the coach doesn't like Russians."Brisson also spoke to Engels, and told him that Milstein "should worry about his own business and by the way should stay close to it."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Technically, the Arizona Coyotes aren't the closest team to the Vegas Golden Knights. They're not even the second-closest. Those teams would be the Anaheim Ducks, 259 miles away, and the Los Angeles Kings, 268 miles away. The Coyotes' arena is 281 miles away, in Glendale.The Kings and Ducks, though, have each other as local rivals, and while every division rivalry is intense and important, there's something extra in the mix when geography comes into play.The Coyotes have had that, to an extent, with the Kings and Ducks, but outside of the 2012 Western Conference Final, it hasn't always been a case of mutual antipathy, with the Coyotes ranking in distaste not only behind the L.A. area teams, but also the San Jose Sharks, as part of the California triumvirate."We had tough games against L.A., and that's the type of games that you want to play and be a part of," said Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, a four-time All-Star in his eighth season with the Coyotes. "I hope that we can get to that point with Vegas and I think we will, moving forward."The early signs are promising. After their inaugural game in Dallas, the Golden Knights went to Glendale and beat the Coyotes 2-1 in overtime, then topped Arizona again, 5-2, in the first game in Las Vegas three days later."The first game against them, it really did kind of build a little something right away, and that's good," said Coyotes center Derek Stepan. "That's what makes fun hockey, is when you can get a rival that's so close to you. We can call it the Desert Battle or whatever you want to call it, and I think it's going to be good for many years to come."I think that's what makes our sport so great, is when you have an opponent you can really go against and really butt heads. That's what's fun about our game."In a season that has begun with very little in the way of fun for the winless Coyotes, writing the first chapter of a rivalry may be the highlight. While Las Vegas may be just a few miles closer to Anaheim and Los Angeles, the point Stepan makes about them being the two desert teams is spot-on. That's what ties the Coyotes and Golden Knights together.It is, however, going to take time. It does for all the best rivalries.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)"Rivalries, they grow," said Arizona enforcer/irritant Zac Rinaldo, who missed those first two Coyotes-Golden Knights games while serving a five-game suspension, but could help grow the rivalry through the sheer force of his Zac Rinaldoness."They can't just be put in motion. Both teams have to grow that rivalry. It can't just be named a rivalry when you haven't played each other. Like Pittsburgh, when I was with Philly, you have to hate these guys. It's different because Vegas just came into the league. That rivalry has to grow, and it will grow. But it has to come natural."The next step on the path to the "Desert Battle" becoming special is Nov. 25 in Glendale. It's a long way to go before reaching Bruins-Canadiens territory, or even Ducks-Kings, but Vegas' entry to the NHL gives the Coyotes a chance at something they've never had."It's good to have some extra energy before those kinds of games, but it's so new, we haven't really built a rivalry yet, I think," Ekman-Larsson said. "At the same time, give it a couple more years."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

(Warning: Story contains coarse language.)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 Doug Gilmour, who racked up 1,414 points in 1,474 career NHL games with seven teams.On breaking in with the St. Louis Blues as a late-round pick:Most teams weren't going to give me a chance to play. Gord Woods drafted me (to the Cornwall Royals) and made me from a defenseman to a center, and we won the Memorial Cup - and then (Dale) Hawerchuk and Scott Arniel left, and all of a sudden they needed a No. 1 center. And I happened to take over that role. Gordie was a backbone, he really helped me.When I got drafted in the seventh round, I had a chip on my shoulder. I was pissed. (Teammates) were drafted in front of me, and there was speculation that I was going to go in the second, third round. I was playing ball hockey the day before, and got in a fight and hurt my knee, so I was on the train coming back, and I was going to have part of my cartilage taken out. I got off the train, and my mom said I was picked up in the seventh round (by) St. Louis.When I got there, we had (Bernie) Federko, (Blake) Dunlop, (Mike) Zuke, Larry Patey, Alain Lemieux, and Guy Chouinard. So (Blues head coach) Jacques Demers said, "We got a lot of offense here. We need defense. Can you check?" And I said, "Sure." That taught me another side of the game.His favorite story from his nine-game stint with Rapperswil-Jona of the Swiss League during the 1994-95 NHL work stoppage:We practiced in the morning and again in the evening, and then we would go to a team dinner. It was mandatory; everybody had to go. So we're at this big table, and there's one player on one side of me, and one player on the other side of me. And there are, like, three guys who can speak English.So the guy sitting across from me says, "Doug, you ever seen a blowfish?" I say, "No, I know what it is, but I've never seen one." Well, both guys beside me, with beer in their mouths, spit right on my face. So I go, "OK, this is what we're doing now."After that, we went to a bar ... and don't forget, the town of Rapperswil has about 15,000 people. And Bruno Hug was the (team) owner and general manager. We're in there, having beers, and they have those little shot bottles. You take the cap off, put it on the end of your nose somehow, put the bottle in your mouth, drink, and then spit the bottle on the ground.So Bruno walks in, and all of a sudden I see one tall defenseman, I forget his name, and he has scissors with him. And he walks over and cuts (Bruno's) tie off. And Switzerland is really expensive; he probably has a $5,000 suit on. And now (the defenseman is) cutting the sleeves off Bruno's suit coat. And I'm going, "Where the hell am I?"His other favorite story from Switzerland:So I take the guys out for a fondue dinner, because I'm leaving in three days and I want to say thank you to the team. But I'll fast forward a little bit: I had a car accident that night.What happened was, we're all at a big table at this fondue place, and I bought this jacket over there, it was $500 or something like that, a leather jacket that goes over my suit coat. It was really nice.So I'm sitting there, we're almost done dinner, and I see the scissors come out. I run out of the restaurant, fly out the front door, go down a hill, headfirst into a Mercedes car door. That's my car accident. (laughs) So we left a note on the window.I go see Bruno the next day, and he says, "You had a car accident last night. I got a call today ... $3,000 damage. What happened?" I said, "Well, I was getting chased out of the restaurant with the scissors, and I slid down the hill and I hit a car door with the side of my head and my shoulder."He said, "You weren't driving?" And I said, "No." (laughs)His favorite referee story:The one with (Don Koharski), and Gary Roberts, and the case of beer.Koho, I knew him, he lived in the Burlington/Oakville area. You get to know the referees, and what you can get away with and what you can't get away with. I think we were winning 6-2, and (I get a minor penalty), and I said to Koho, "Don't give me two. I need 10." And he goes, "You're kidding me, right?"And I say, "No, you fucking asshole." And he said, "I'm not giving you 10." And I said, "Koho, you're a fucking asshole. Give me 10. I need 10 minutes." He goes, "Really?" And I said, "Yeah."So he said, "OK, 10 minutes." And I said, "Thanks." (laughs) And I went off the ice and back to the dressing room, and started laughing.So (Flames head coach Terry Crisp) is trying to figure out why I got kicked out, because I hadn't told anybody. And he goes, "You wanna tell me what that was all about?" And I go, "Well, it was a bet." And he says, "What the fuck are you talking about?"I go, "Well, I asked Koho to give me 10 minutes. I didn't want two minutes, I needed 10 minutes. And there was only two minutes left in the game. And I just won a case of beer because I beat Roberts in penalty minutes." And he says, "OK. That's good." And he starts laughing.The player he considers most underrated from his era:I'd have to say Dave Andreychuk.I played against him in junior hockey when he was with Oshawa. He was a bona fide goal-scorer. He took a beating. I asked him sometimes, "Why are you shooting right at the goalie?" He would shoot right at the goalie's stick or the pad, and it would come back to him, and he had that reach to get it around. And he would say, "Sometimes I just can't pick the corners."I played with him in New Jersey, and Buffalo, after (Toronto). And we never played on the same line. We were roommates, and we'd look at each other and say, "We ever going to play together again?" We had a little bit of success ... did everybody forget about this? (laughs) It was hilarious.What he would change as NHL commissioner:I would add an extra 10 feet to the width of the rinks - not the length, the width. So 5 feet on each side. It will give your skill players that much more room to be that much more creative.When I watch the European game, they trap. But when you have the puck down low, you want to see something. And to me, with the way the game has gone, let's see more skill. There's just not enough room for certain guys.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Other entries in this series:

The Pittsburgh Penguins placed defenseman Justin Schultz on injured reserve Thursday, the team announced. He suffered a concussion during Tuesday's game against the Oilers.In a corresponding move, fellow defenseman Frank Corrado has been called up from the AHL. In six games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season, the 24-year-old notched one goal and one assist.Schultz has played the third-most minutes on Pittsburgh's blue line this season. He has three points in 10 games, but is coming off a career-high 51-point season.Though the recovery time for a concussion is unpredictable, Schultz will be eligible to come off IR Wednesday, Nov. 1 in a rematch with the Oilers, meaning he will miss a minimum of three games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vadim Shipachyov doesn't appear to be in the Montreal Canadiens' plans.The underachieving club's general manager, Marc Bergevin, was contacted about acquiring the Russian forward on Tuesday, but the Canadiens "aren't biting," according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.Montreal's disinterest was revealed Wednesday, about an hour after Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Vegas Golden Knights gave Shipachyov's representatives permission to look around for a trade.Shipachyov was assigned to the AHL's Chicago Wolves for the second time already this season, but it's unclear as to whether he'll report.The 30-year-old center piled up a career-high 26 goals and 76 points in the KHL last season, but he's played a mere 10:35 per game in three NHL contests, scoring one goal.Vegas signed Shipachyov to a two-year, $9-million contract in May.Montreal has won only two of its first nine games, ranking 30th with only 1.89 goals per contest early on.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

ST. LOUIS (AP) Jaden Schwartz and Alex Pietrangelo scored second-period power-play goals and Jake Allen made 23 saves to help the St. Louis Blues beat the Calgary Flames 5-2 on Wednesday night.St. Louis has won three of its last four, losing only to red-hot Las Vegas in overtime.Calgary had won its first four road games this season. Mikael Backlund scored twice for the Flames.Schwartz and Pietrangelo scored in a span of 2:46 to break a 1-1 tie. The Blues had come up empty on their previous 18 power-play chances.Alexander Steen added a goal and three assists for the Blues. It was his first points of the season after missing the first six games with a broken thumb.Paul Stastny scored with 3:32 left to push the lead to 4-2. Joel Edmundson added an empty-net goal with 43.9 seconds left.Schwartz, who has a five-game point streak, converted off a pass from Vladimir Tarasenko to give the Blues the lead for good, 2-1. Tarasenko's initial shot hit the post, but the rebound bounced right back to him. He found Schwartz open at the side of the net.Calgary goalie Eddie Lack made 24 saves in his first start of the season. He came into the game with a 6-0 career mark against the Blues.Matthew Tkachuk added two assists for the Flames.St. Louis (3-0) and Tampa Bay (5-0) are the only teams unbeaten at home this season.Allen improved to 5-2-1.Pietrangelo leads all NHL defensemen with 12 points.NOTES: St. Louis D Carl Gunnarsson missed the game after his wife Josefin gave birth early on Wednesday. ... Calgary RW Jaromir Jagr missed his second successive game with a lower body injury.UP NEXTFlames: Calgary returns home to host Dallas on Thursday night. It is the first of seven straight home games.Blues: Play at Carolina on Friday night.---More AP hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights have a good thing going, and it hasn't seemed to require the services of Vadim Shipachyov.Related - Report: Golden Knights' Shipachyov given permission to seek tradeOff to a historic 7-1-0 start, the club apparently doesn't want to tinker with a lineup that's experienced early success. The 30-year-old has tallied one goal in just three games this season, and Las Vegas reportedly gave the Russian forward and his camp permission to seek a potential trade partner Wednesday.The Golden Knights signed Shipachyov to a two-year, $9-million contract after he proved to be an elite offensive talent in the KHL, and while their experiment hasn't worked out, he should attract interest from other clubs.Here are three teams whose bottom-six situations mean they should look to acquire him.Florida PanthersWith a 3-5-0 record to begin this season, maybe a shake-up could help get the Panthers back on track.The team's top two lines are solid down the middle, but their bottom two trios could use a boost. Shipachyov can fit that bill, but what really makes the Panthers an intriguing trade partner is the potential to reunite him with former teammate Evgenii Dadonov.They played the previous three seasons together with SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL and combined for 348 points in 318 games over that span.Dadonov's notched seven points in eight games to begin his NHL career. Meanwhile, Shipachyov's been limited to an average of 10:35 a night in his three outings, which have produced one goal.A reunion with Dadonov and an increased role might benefit both Shipachyov and the Panthers.Carolina HurricanesThe Hurricanes might have an embarrassment of riches on their back end, but they could use some more depth up front - specifically at center.After Jordan Staal and Victor Rask, the talent level drops considerably, with Derek Ryan and Marcus Kruger occupying the bottom two slots.What's more, the Hurricanes currently have Ryan playing between two of their top wingers in Jeff Skinner and Justin Williams; they could use a more skilled option there.Carolina's off to a 3-3-1 start and is scoring an average of 2.43 goals per game, 28th in the league. Offense is the team's biggest hindrance early on and acquiring Shipachyov could help address it.San Jose SharksBehind Joe Thornton and Logan Couture, the Sharks are running with Chris Tierney and Ryan Carpenter down the middle - a duo that's combined for just two points on the season (both from Tierney).The Sharks are off to an underwhelming 4-4-0 start, and while they've won three of their past four games, the club's offense sits 21st with just 2.88 goals per game.The Sharks have the cap space to accommodate Shipachyov and his $4.5-million per season. With Thornton unlikely to continue playing beyond this campaign, it might be in the Sharks' best interest to lock up some depth at the position.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vadim Shipachyov's NHL tenure has gotten off to a rocky start.The Russian center has reportedly been given permission by the Vegas Golden Knights to seek a trade, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.After several successful seasons in the KHL, Shipachyov signed a two-year, $9-million contract with the expansion franchise on May 4, but has appeared in only three regular-season games, scoring one goal.On Tuesday, he was assigned to the AHL's Chicago Wolves for the second time this season, but there's apparently a wrinkle in those plans:

As the NHL season hits the three-week mark, the only team without a win is the Arizona Coyotes.These desert dogs have whimpered their way to a record of 0-8-1, and are currently in the midst of a lengthy Eastern Conference road trip that won't provide many opportunities to pick up their first victory.Related - By the numbers: Winless Coyotes an all-around disasterHere's a look at the Coyotes' upcoming opportunities to finally get it done.Oct. 26 at RangersThe Rangers have not been world-beaters in the early going. After these clubs teamed up for a big offseason trade, maybe Derek Stepan will have added incentive to beat the Rangers while the injured Antti Raanta cheers from the sidelines. Also working in Arizona's favor: Ondrej Pavelec is scheduled to start. This could very well be where the losing ends.Oct. 28 at DevilsBoth the Devils and Coyotes entered the season with high hopes of making good on long rebuilds, but only the former has been a pleasant early-season surprise. New Jersey shows no signs of slowing down, and Nico Hischier and Will Butcher are giving Clayton Keller a run for his money in the Calder Trophy race to boot.Oct. 30 at FlyersA revamped top line built of Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Sean Couturier is performing at a high level for the Flyers. There are some holes on defense and in net that the Coyotes could take advantage of, but Philadelphia is looking to get back in the postseason and knows the dangers of dropping points against a lesser team.Oct. 31 at Red WingsSo will the Coyotes win in October? Maybe on Halloween. The Red Wings looked like a safe bet to be one of the weaker teams in the Eastern Conference this season, but unfortunately for the Coyotes, they've been better than anticipated. There may be no treats in Detroit, especially with Arizona on the second night of a back-to-back.Nov. 2 vs. SabresThe safest bet for Arizona's first win, then, might be their next game at Gila River Arena. The Sabres look very beatable once again, and there's nothing like a little home cooking to get the good times rolling.If they can't defeat Buffalo, though, getting that first W won't get any easier afterward.DateOpponentNov. 4HurricanesNov. 6@ CapitalsNov. 7@ PenguinsNov. 9@ BluesNov. 11 / 14vs Jets / @ JetsTime to have your say:(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This might come as a surprise to some, but the Tampa Bay Lightning are more than just Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov.Sure the two are setting the league ablaze, having each recorded at least a point in each of their team's first 10 games of the season - combining for 37 points - but the fact is a number of their teammates are having fantastic starts of their own.The Lightning have jumped out to a league-best 8-1-1 record, and while Stamkos and Kucherov have been leading the way four other players deserve credit for the team's red-hot start.Vladislav NamestnikovNamestnikov does have the benefit of playing alongside Stamkos and Kucherov, but he is doing more than just picking up the garbage left by his linemates.The 24-year-old has tallied four goals and 11 points in 10 games and has proved that he has some silky hands of his own. He's gone pointless just once this season, played over 3:30 a night more than his career average, shares the team lead in power-play goals, and sits tied for third on the team with 23 shots.He's been the perfect complement to Stamkos and Kucherov and deserves credit for being as such.Brayden PointPoint's impressive rookie campaign last season flew under the radar of many, but it shouldn't have.The 2014 third-round pick tallied 18 goals and 40 points in 68 games - good enough for eighth in rookie scoring. This year he looks to be on his way to shattering those numbers. Point - like Namestnikov - has tallied four goals and 11 points to begin the year, while centering the team's second line.Point also features on the club's power-play and penalty-kill units that rank first and 12th in the league, respectively, proving he is helping more than just on the scoreboard.Mikhail SergachevThe Lightning aren't missing Jonathan Drouin these days and Sergachev is the reason why.The 19-year-old sits a point being Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller in the rookie scoring list with nine points in 10 games.Related: Keller, Sergachev look like early favorites for Calder TrophyDespite averaging just 12:46 of ice time per game - the 15th-highest mark on the team and sixth among defensemen - Sergachev is making the most of his opportunities. He's put together a three-game goal-scoring streak and a four-game point streak wherein he's tallied seven points.As he continues to get used to the NHL game and gains more confidence, it's scary to think what the future could hold for this budding star.Andrei VasilevskiySure the Lighting are scoring the second-most goals per game in the league (4.1), but on the flip side they have given up just the fourth-fewest goals as well (2.4 per game).Vasilevskiy has been everything the Lightning have needed in net, having gone 8-1-0, posting the best save percentage and fifth-best GAA among goalies who have played at least five games - with .936 and 2.22 marks, respectively. He's also posted a shutout, while facing a league-high 314 shots.The 23-year-old got off to a rough start this season, giving up 15 goals in the team's first four games, but has allowed just five in his last five games.Offense is great, but without Vasilevskiy back there kicking out pucks the way he has, the team might not be off to such a roaring start.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders sent former first-round pick Joshua Ho-Sang down to the AHL on Wednesday, the team announced.Unlike his previous demotion, in which Ho-Sang was returned to the OHL because he slept in and was late for training camp, it appears his alarm clock went off Wednesday morning, as he was a participant in the Islanders' morning skate, according to Brian Compton of NHL.com.In six games with the Isles this season, Ho-Sang has zero goals, four assists, and six shots on goal while averaging 13:28 minutes of ice time per game.He'll return to Bridgeport, where he played 50 games a season ago, recording 10 goals and 36 points.New York used the 28th overall pick on Ho-Sang in the 2014 NHL Draft, but he has played in just 27 NHL games thus far, picking up 14 points.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's not easy being an Arizona sports fan right now.With the Cardinals coming off an embarrassing 33-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and the Coyotes sitting at 0-8-1 on the season, both fan bases have apparently given up on discussing those teams on their respective subreddits.Moderators at r/AZCardinals turned the page into a bird-watching forum:And r/Coyotes is now dedicated to real coyotes:The Coyotes will look for their first win of the season Thursday against the New York Rangers, while the Cardinals have a bye week before facing the San Francisco 49ers.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils unveiled some spectacular shirts Tuesday depicting one of their most famous (fictional) fans of all time: David Puddy of "Seinfeld."

Shane Doan will reportedly soon be working for the NHL.The retired former Arizona Coyotes forward has joined the league's hockey operations department and will work under Colin Campbell, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Doan will attend general managers meetings and assist Campbell, Kris King, and the rest of the hockey ops group, LeBrun reports.The role will apparently be similar to the ones previously served by Brendan Shanahan and Rob Blake, both of whom later moved on to front-office roles with NHL clubs.The 41-year-old retired as a player in August after more than two decades with the original Winnipeg Jets/Coyotes franchise.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pitted against the only player in the world who's held in higher regard, Connor McDavid stole the show on Tuesday, but Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins took the two points.McDavid did all he could to ensure his Edmonton Oilers captured at least one point, netting a perfect shot over the glove of Matt Murray late in the third period to force overtime, seemingly sending a message to his teammates that it's time to climb out of this early-season hole.Alas, it wasn't enough. Pittsburgh's firepower was the deciding factor, as Evgeni Malkin connected with Phil Kessel to seal the deal in the extra frame, giving Crosby's squad a third consecutive victory over McDavid & Co., despite the 20-year-old being statistically superior each time in the head-to-head matchup.The outcome of Tuesday night's premier showdown displayed how important it is to surround high-end talent, particularly a generational talent, with a capable supporting cast.After years of icing lineups with a noticeable drop-off in talent between their top guys and role players, Pittsburgh decided to give Crosby help by acquiring the likes of Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, Justin Schultz, and Carl Hagelin via trade, each of whom turned out to be integral pieces to back-to-back titles. Of course, drafting Malkin second overall in 2004 played a huge role in laying the foundation of the Penguins' decade-plus of success, but championship rosters are deep, and the Oilers need to amend their issues if they want to cash in on this window while it's open widest.That time is now, in the final year of McDavid's entry-level deal before his record-setting $12.5 million annual cap hit kicks in. Edmonton's campaign has started disastrously, which nobody could have predicted, especially considering the excitement following No. 97's hat-trick in the first game of the season.But that feels like eons ago for the Oilers, who now sit at 2-5-1 and are averaging a measly 1.88 goals per game - which, not surprisingly, ranks last in the league.McDavid has obviously done his part, notching nine points in eight games. Leon Draisaitl has only been available for four contests, so he gets a pass, but the rest of the Oilers' lineup reads as a long list of unproductive forwards.Patrick Maroon, who rides shotgun to McDavid's brilliance, is the only other Edmonton forward with more than three points. Newcomer Ryan Strome, brought in to replace Jordan Eberle on the wing, has one goal and one assist, while the former Oiler has a respectable six helpers in nine games with the Islanders.Then there's Taylor Hall, the other first round draft pick Edmonton dealt away, who has nine points in eight games while playing top minutes in New Jersey. Some of that production sure would have been helpful early in this season.Hindsight is obviously 20/20, and there's nothing general manager Peter Chiarelli can do to get those players back, but he can use his club's arduous start as a wake-up call to make sure the current season doesn't go to waste.Edmonton doesn't need to rush into any decisions, however. In all likelihood, things will start to turn around soon based on the amount of offense they're creating without finishing chances. But as evidenced Tuesday night against the reigning champs, even the best players need support to win.The Oilers currently have over $8 million in cap space until the end of the season, and Chiarelli would be wise to take advantage of it and find some support while he still can.(Photos Courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Head coach Gerard Gallant and forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith have all been key ingredients to the Golden Knights' historic 7-1-0 start, but the team wouldn't have any of these three important figures if it weren't for some horrible mismanagement from the Florida Panthers organization.Let's backtrack to 2014-15. The Panthers were coming off a disastrous 29-win season. The franchise had only made the playoffs four times in their 20-year history. In stepped Gallant, the newly-minted head coach. He led the team to a 91-point season - a 25-point increase from the season prior - and the fifth-most in franchise history at the time.Gallant followed up this promising campaign with a club record 103 points, and was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as the league's top coach. Finally, the Panthers seemed to have some stability behind the bench after being a recycling bin for coaches in their existence. However, Gallant was relieved of his coaching duties after the Panthers got off to an 11-9-1 start the following season.In April of 2017, Gallant was hired as the head coach of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights. He has taken a team largely made up of misfits, and has led them to a terrific start, as they currently rank second in the Western Conference with 14 points. He has done so through adversity too, having to deal with injuries to both his starting and backup goalie.While Gallant certainly deserves plenty of credit for Vegas' success, in the end, it's the players who play the game. Two of their most important players - Marchessault and Smith - are also products of poor decisions made by the Panthers.One of the biggest stories of the expansion draft was the fact that the Panthers left Marchessault exposed. The 26-year-old was coming off a breakout 30-goal season, and was only scheduled to make $750,000 for the upcoming season.Marchessault was left exposed because the Panthers were determined to get Smith's contract off their hands. Although he's owed $25 million over the next five years, the winger is just 26 years old and already has two 50-point seasons under his belt.Essentially, Florida just gave Marchessault to Vegas so the Golden Knights would take on Smith's contract.Instead of keeping both Smith and Marchessault, Florida preferred to have a fourth-round pick from Vegas, and protect the likes of Mark Pysyk, Alex Petrovic, and Nick Bjugstad from being taken in the expansion draft.The Panthers used part of the $5 million from Smith's absence to sign Radim Vrbata (one-year, $2.5 million), Evgeny Dadonov (three years, $12 million), and extend Mike Matheson (eight years, $39 million).Marchessault has missed three games due to injury this season, but still has a respectable two goals in five games. Smith on the other hand, sits second on the team with seven points in eight games. Both players would undoubtedly provide a boost to Florida's middle-of-the-pack offense.While it's certainly too early to evaluate Bob Boughner eight games into his NHL head coaching career, with a record of 3-5-0, it must be awfully tough for Panthers management to look at the NHL standings and see the Golden Knights near the top, led by three contributors whom the organization essentially gift-wrapped for Vegas.If Vegas' miraculous run continues and it actually ends up making the playoffs, it can give a big thank you to the Panthers' brass.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A Bill Barilko hockey card signed by the late Gord Downie and his Tragically Hip bandmates is being auctioned off on eBay to raise money for charity.The card belongs to Stratford, Ontario, native Blair Babcock, whose father died in 2007 following a battle with glioblastoma - the same form of brain cancer that Downie succumbed to last week at the age of 53. Proceeds from the auction, which ends Thursday, will be split between three different charities, including the Gord Downie Fund at the Sunnybrook Foundation.Related: Hockey world remembers Gord DownieAs of Wednesday afternoon, the top bid was $3,050.The Tragically Hip pay tribute to Barilko in their hit song "Fifty Mission Cap," which tells the story of his mysterious disappearance after scoring the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1951.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan Hartman's stickwork is going to cost him.The Chicago Blackhawks forward was fined $2,320.79 for his slash on Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb in Tuesday night's game.Hartman was given a minor penalty for the incident, which took place in the second period of the Blackhawks' 4-2 loss.The fine is the maximum allowable amount under the NHL's CBA.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

LAS VEGAS (AP) Oscar Dansk stopped 29 shots for his second career win in two appearances, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory.Dansk made his first NHL start after replacing injured Malcolm Subban during a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. The 23-year-old gave up goals to John Hayden and Patrick Kane, but was otherwise stellar for the Golden Knights.Vegas is the 10th expansion team to put together a four-game winning streak. The Golden Knights are 7-1-0 in their inaugural season.This one didn't start so promising. Hayden stuffed one past Dansk just 3:33 minutes into the game for a short-handed goal.The Golden Knights didn't take long to answer. William Karlsson tipped Colin Millers' shot from the point past Chicago's Corey Crawford.A little over a minute later, Tomas Nosek pushed Deryk Engelland's rebound under Crawford's pads to give the Golden Knights a 2-1 lead.Pierre-Edourard Bellemare extended the lead to 3-1 late in the second when he smacked Nosek's pass from behind the net past Crawford.Activated from the injured reserve list hours before the game, Jonathan Marchessault took a pass from Nate Schmidt and hit the upper left corner of the goal with a shot Crawford never saw, making it 4-1 with 9:40 left in the game.Kane finished the scoring with 1:05 left, extending his point streak to six games, the longest this season by a Blackhawks player.Crawford stopped 29 of 33 shots on goal.NOTES: Nationals star and Las Vegas High School grad Bryce Harper was at the game. ... The Golden Knights came into the game allowing 2.43 goals per game, fourth-best in the league, with the Blackhawks right behind them at 2.44. ... Vegas reassigned Vadim Shipachyov to the AHL's Chicago Wolves to make room for Marchessault, who has enjoyed success against Chicago, recording a hat trick last season, in March. He has two 3-point games against the Blackhawks in his career. ... Though he didn't register a point Tuesday, Golden Knights left wing James Neal has 20 points (14 goals, six assists) in 28 games against Chicago. The Blackhawks are one of four teams Neal has recorded at least 20 career points against. ... Chicago came into the game having killed 22 of 25 penalites over its previous six games. It killed four of five against Vegas. ... Duncan Keith leads the Hawks with seven assists but has yet to score a goal.UP NEXTChicago: Hosts Vancouver on Friday night.Vegas: Hosts Colorado on Friday night.---More AP hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is only the beginning.Tuesday's dynamic performances from Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, already off to stellar starts, make the two freshmen look like the early favorites for the Calder Trophy.Keller, 19, pocketed two assists against the New York Islanders to bring his season total to 10 points, tops among NHL rookies. It also extended his point streak to three games, over which the Missouri native has notched three goals and three assists."If you have not had a chance to watch Keller, you are missing one of the game's brightest young stars," said NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton. "Dynamic every shift."If Keller can keep it up, he could become the first Coyote to take home rookie of the year honors.Sergachev delivered a similar performance Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Russian blue-liner added another goal to bring his season total to nine points, one behind Keller for the league lead. And no Lightning player has ever won the Calder either.After a slow start to the season in which he posted two points in six games, Sergachev's experienced a reversal of fortunes in his past four contests with three goals and three assists.Most impressively, the quality of his play has been a bit unexpected - at least so early. The budding defenseman wasn't a lock to fill a roster spot for the Lightning when the team entered training camp, but the 19-year-old's recent play should negate any talk about developing his game in the minors."You're looking for 'Has there been improvement? Is he adapting to the game, the speed of the game, the physicality?' He's done all that," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said prior to Tuesday's game, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.The Lightning paid a steep price to bring in Sergachev, sending forward and former third overall pick Jonathan Drouin to the Montreal Canadiens. But the deal is quickly providing value."When you watch a player like that continue to improve, especially at a young age, looking at the ceiling he has, which is really high right now, it's pretty hard to make a change," Cooper added. "He's had a positive impact on our team. He's a part of a team, and that's how it's going to be moving forward."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers lost Nolan Patrick to injury during the second period of Tuesday's game against the Anaheim Ducks after the 2017 No. 2 pick was hit into the boards by Chris Wagner.There's cause for concern as Patrick's head clearly bumped the glass with force as a result of the shoulder-to-shoulder check.

NEW YORK (AP) John Tavares completed his hat trick with a tiebreaking goal in the third period, lifting the New York Islanders over the winless Arizona Coyotes 5-3 on Tuesday night.The Islanders won their third straight and improved to 5-3-1. Jaroslav Halak made 32 saves for New York.Adam Pelech had three assists for the Islanders, and fellow defenseman Scott Mayfield cemented the win with his first goal of the season at 17:03.The Coyotes - starting a five-game road trip - fell to 0-8-1 under new coach Rick Tocchet.Tavares' seventh career three-goal game came on a night when he also moved past Islanders forward Bob Bourne into seventh place on the career franchise goals list. The 27-year-old Tavares has six goals this season and 241 career tallies. Bourne had 238 goals with the Islanders from 1974-86.Brock Nelson put the Islanders ahead 3-2 early in the third on the power play, but Arizona's Nick Cousins tied it at 8:57 with a long-range shot that eluded Halak.Nelson's fifth goal of the season on a snapshot from the right circle beat goalie Louis Domingue at 4:32 of the third, three minutes after Arizona's Mario Kempe tied it at 2.Tavares scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season in the second after Arizona's Anthony Duclair scored early in the first.Duclair opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 4:47 of the first. Duclair finished off a passing play started by former Ranger Derek Stepan and rookie Clayton Keller.The goal was Duclair's second of the season and came with Anders Lee of the Islanders in the penalty box for tripping.It was the seventh time in nine games the Coyotes scored a first- period goal.Starting an eight-day road trip, the Coyotes had the better of play in the first, outshooting the Islanders 14-6 before a sparse crowd at Barclays Center.Stepan, traded to Arizona by the Rangers after last season, has two goals and five assists in his last seven games for the low-scoring Coyotes, who have 21 goals in nine games. Six of those goals are from the 19-year-old Keller, who had two assists against the Islanders.Tavares tied it at 3:41 of the second when he tipped in a pass from Jordan Eberle after linemate Anders Lee stripped the puck from Coyotes defenseman Jason Demers to the right of Domingue, who is 0-5 so far after being pressed into a leading role with starter Antti Raanta out with a lower-body injury for the past two weeks.Tavares put the Islanders ahead when a pass from Pelech towards Tavares in the slot, banked in off Tavares' skate at 14:25 of the second.Eberle, who assisted on Tavares' first two goals and has six assists on the campaign, has yet to score through nine games in his first season with the Islanders.NOTES: The Coyotes will host the Islanders on Jan. 22. ... The Islanders scratched forward Josh Ho-Sang and defensemen Ryan Pulock and Dennis Seidenberg while the Coyotes scratched defenseman Kevin Connauton, forward Lawson Crouse and goaltender Antti Raanta.UP NEXTCoyotes: At New York Rangers on Thursday night.Islanders: At Minnesota on Thursday night.---More AP hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's been anything but a fun first three weeks of the 2017-18 season for the Arizona Coyotes.With a 5-3 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday night the Coyotes remain the only team not to register a single win this season, now riding a record of 0-8-1.For head coach Rick Tocchet, it's been a painful beginning to his tenure in Arizona. Once more, it's not just one part of the team's game holding his club back.The Coyotes are seeing failures in all facets of their game and the numbers prove just how bad things have been:31.1: The number of shots per game the Coyotes have generated, ranking 19th in the league.47.1: The percent of faceoffs the Coyotes have won, good enough for 28th league-wide.72: The percent of penalties the Coyotes have killed, the 29th-best mark to begin the season.15.2: The percent of power plays the team has been able to capitalize on, good enough for 22nd this season.4.33: The average number of goals allowed by the Coyotes per game, the highest total in the league.2.33: The amount of goals the Coyotes are scoring per game on average, the third-worst total this season.87.27: The Coyotes' team save percentage through the first eight games of the season, the second-worst total in the league.6: The number of Coyotes players who have scored more than a single goal this season.While the argument can be made that it's early - and it is - the fact is the Coyotes' struggles aren't as simple as poor goaltending or a snake-bitten offense, it's everything. So unless the team can come together to clean up its play at both sides of the rink, expect more heartache in the desert.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Open the floodgates.Heading into Tuesday's game against the Florida Panthers, the Montreal Canadiens had scored a grand total of 12 goals in eight games.It must have been a great relief for all, then, when the Canadiens exploded for three goals in 1:35 late in the second period.Alex Galchenyuk got the ball rolling with his second of the season at 16:44. At the 18:02 mark, Shea Weber scored with his vintage slap shot. And 17 seconds later, Brendan Gallagher recorded his third of the season on a great individual effort.Here's a look at all three:Galchenyuk

It was in December of 1992, amid a season in which he'd eventually play for the Stanley Cup, when former NHL goaltender Kelly Hrudey first felt his career crashing down around him.Hrudey was having another solid year for the Los Angeles Kings, who went on to lose in the Cup final to Montreal that June. Yet, despite that success, Hrudey faced one of the toughest battles of his career: a struggle with mental health.Hrudey shares his personal torment in his new memoir, "Calling the Shots," which hit bookstores Tuesday. The book, which Hrudey co-wrote with author Kirstie McLellan Day, reveals details of his most desperate times, including an instance when a panicked Hrudey climbed into a bathtub in Milwaukee, clutching a Bible."I had never shared that with anybody, and, at the time, I didn't know what I was going through. I had no idea what I was going through," Hrudey told theScore."I had no idea where my life was going. I was completely convinced that my career was coming to a crashing halt, and so, it was weird because I was still playing well. I was on the cusp of not playing well and I knew it, but at the time I was just fighting whatever was going on in my head."Hrudey suffered in silence, as mental health issues weren't as well known and understood as they are today. In fact, this was the first time he opened up publicly about his psychological struggle."I'm glad I shared that in the book because it kind of really tells people that athletes could be going through something," said Hrudey. "I mean, it was very embarrassing and telling to show people that you are supposed to be the No. 1 goalie on maybe the most popular team in the world at the time, and, man alive, I was extremely weak at that point in my life."But inner struggles certainly aren't all Hrudey shares with readers in his book, which focuses primarily on his time in the NHL and the relationships he formed. One of those relationships was forged a few years prior to his mental health issues, when none other than Wayne Gretzky decided Hrudey was a guy he should get to know."That's pretty weird. Crazy to think that Wayne had a big influence on trading for me," Hrudey said. "Wayne decided that they wanted somebody else in L.A., so he went to my manager at the time, Bill Torrey, at the All-Star game, and asked what it would it take, and Bill said there's not a chance. And then, shortly after that, Bill had a change of heart because things weren't going well on the Island."So, cool! What a life to go from a great experience in N.Y. to L.A. It completely changed my life."Whether it was in New York with the Islanders, L.A. with the Kings, or San Jose with the Sharks, Hrudey always appreciated viewing the game from the unique perspective of a goaltender. That point of view led to a seamless transition from backstop to broadcaster at "Hockey Night in Canada," where his opinion on the game is as respected as they come.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)And Hrudey isn't short on opinions. Consider, for example, his take on the NHL's recent crackdown on slashing:"The slashing was out of control last year. Last year I said on the air, in October or November, they have to do something," said Hrudey. "Slashing has always been around, but, I noticed last year it was getting to the point where it was causing way too much harm. There were way too many injuries, and it continued the rest of the year and into the playoffs."So, I'm really happy they did something."Hrudey made a name for himself during his playing days as a fierce competitor, and now that he spends his days as an analyst, he has used his platform to build another kind of reputation.He kept his own struggles with mental health hidden from the public eye until now, but that hasn't stopped him from being an outspoken supporter of the initiative thanks to his work with his daughter, Kaitlin, who went public with her struggles with anxiety and other mental health issues in 2013."My daughter and I have been talking about her mental health issues for a number of years now, so she has great strength and she has changed a lot of people's lives," Hrudey said."She's helped a lot of people. So I think if she can share, then I can share too."Hrudey's resume includes more than 760 NHL regular-season and playoff games, several international competitions, and a tenure as one of the most popular hockey analysts in hockey. But those accomplishments pale in comparison to what he feels is his crowning achievement."Let me just say this. My NHL career, my broadcasting career are OK, but my greatest work is with mental health."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers will welcome star forward Leon Draisaitl back to the lineup Tuesday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sportsnet's John Shannon confirmed.The 21-year-old has been dealing with concussion symptoms since taking a high hit Oct. 9 versus the Winnipeg Jets.Draisaitl rejoins an Edmonton team that managed only one win in four games during his absence, and should provide an offensive jolt for a struggling Oilers squad that's averaging just two goals per game this season.In three games, Draisaitl has one goal and two assists.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers claimed goaltender Antti Niemi off waivers Tuesday, the club announced."Antti is a proven veteran who further stabilizes our organization's goaltending depth," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said. "We're happy to welcome him to South Florida."Florida's sudden need for goaltending depth stems from an apparent thumb injury to starter Roberto Luongo suffered Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.Niemi was waived Monday by the Penguins after performing horribly across three starts this season. The 34-year-old owns an 0-3-0 record to go along with a 7.50 goals-against average and .797 save percentage.Florida's usual backup, James Reimer, will serve as the team's starter for the time being, with Niemi holding down the No. 2 role.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A confusing scene in Monday's matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings prompted the NHL to provide some clarification.In the first period, Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was pulled from the game by a concussion spotter, but didn't appear to go through the entire protocol and returned soon after.Here's a clip of the collision in question:

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 Vincent Damphousse, who racked up more than 1,200 points in 1,378 NHL games with four teams.On what he remembers of his first NHL game:I remember it was against Montreal, my hometown team. On my first shift, I got my first point. I made a pass to Bob McGill, who hadn't scored the entire year prior, and on his first shift of the new season he scored a goal. Great for him and great for me. I was 18 at the time so everything happened so fast, from training camp to the regular season, it was an incredible few months.On his first NHL goal:It was against Kari Takko of the North Stars, in Minnesota. It was my 13th game in the NHL ... I was struggling to get my first one, actually, longer than I expected. I was playing with two Czechs, (Miroslav) Frycer and (Miroslav) Inachak, and I did a wraparound against Takko and was able to put it by him.On the toughest defenseman he ever faced:I thought Ray Bourque was the hardest defenseman to play against. He was very talented, but he was also very physical, very tough to beat 1-on-1 and hard in the corners. I thought he was the best defenseman of my generation.On whether he was ever scared on the ice:No. There were some guys that you needed to be aware of, to not get hurt, but overall I can't say that guys were targeting me. I wasn't a fighter; usually the fighters would line up the other fighters and try to scrap, so I never felt like I was a target to get hurt on purpose.I was always pretty aware of who was around me to either pass the puck or avoid getting hit. It was one of my strengths as a player, so overall I felt comfortable I could avoid a major hit and I stayed healthy throughout my career.On the biggest trash talker he met on the ice:Mike Ricci was a great teammate, I really loved playing with him. He was always talking on the ice. One of his roles was to disturb some of the other guys. He was one of the guys that would talk a lot on the ice and the bench.On the player he considered most underrated during his career:I always thought Mike Keane was a really valuable player on and off the ice. We won the Cup together. I loved playing on the same line with him; he did a lot of stuff that went unnoticed. He wasn't the most talented guy, didn't get drafted, but I'm not surprised that he was wanted in that Patrick Roy trade (with Colorado). They saw value in him, and he won the Cup there as well.On the greatest game of his career:One of the games that stands out is the third game (of the first round of the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs) against Quebec.There were a few but I would say that game ... we were down 2-0, and it's a game that we needed to win or we probably wouldn't have had a Cup. At 3-0 it would have been tough to beat them. And I scored the winning goal in overtime. That goal in that game started our streak (of 10 straight OT wins).I had practiced that move quite a bit. I tried to spin with the puck and I was able to beat the defense and scored on the backhand. That was a huge goal for me and the team; it's one of the most important goals of my career.On what he remembers of the last game of his career:We lost out in the semifinals in Calgary against the Flames. We lost in six games and they ended up losing in seven to the Tampa Bay in the finals.I remember sitting in the room after the game and thinking, "This could be it." I was vice-president of the NHL Players' Association, and I knew we had a tough negotiation coming up in the summer. We ended up missing the year, no hockey for the whole season. And I wasn't sure it was going to be it, and I knew that could be it. So I remember thinking about it.On his favorite hockey memory:One of the unusual things we did during the 1993 playoffs was that we stayed in the hotel the night before a home game. We would have dinner as a team, and we always had a lot of laughs together. We would pick a different restaurant almost every game.What started as a one- or two-week thing ended up lasting two months, because we went all the way. We would go from the Forum on a bus to dinner, and then to the hotel. And we had a lot of fun, and we really bonded, so it became part of our home routine. Everyone had kids, family life ... we put that aside to concentrate solely on what we had to do to get ready for the game.It's not something you see today, or saw back then. But it was great.Quick HitsThe greatest player he ever played with: Patrick RoyThe greatest player he ever played against: Mario LemieuxThe best goaltender he ever faced: Dominik HasekThe best coach he ever had: Jacques DemersHis favorite NHL arena: Madison Square Garden(Special thanks to the NHL Alumni Association for its assistance.)(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Other entries in this series:

PITTSBURGH -- A game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers can be circled on the calendar well in advance for the matchup between stars Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.Perhaps it will play out that the centers who are widely considered the top two players in the world -- Crosby, 30, who has captained Pittsburgh to three Stanley Cups, including the past two; and McDavid, 20, who won the NHL scoring title and the Hart Trophy as league MVP last season -- will steal the show Tuesday night when the teams meet at PPG Paints Arena.The teams, however, are more interested in getting on the right track.The Penguins (5-3-1) are coming off their second blowout loss, 7-1 at Tampa Bay on Saturday. The Oilers (2-5-0) are trying to better fill out the win column."Obviously, there's some added interest because of the statures of the players," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said Monday. "That's always exciting for everybody involved. We understand that."But our focus right now is on our team and trying to get better each and every day so that we're playing the game more consistently."Edmonton coach Todd McLellan is on the same hunt for his club."We've had good practices. It's transferring it over to the game (that has been a problem)," he said. "We worked hard (Monday). We got a lot done."So while the teams have game-planned for each other, their focus is primarily turned inward."I don't think we can elevate our play right now based on our opponent," McLellan said. "We have to elevate our play based on our standard. Is there a bit more of a motivating factor because these guys are back-to-back champs? I'd like to think so, but that shouldn't be what's driving our team."I'm sure their team and their leaders and their coach weren't very happy with what happened in Tampa and they want to make amends for it. We should be the exact same way for where we're at."Edmonton could get a boost with the potential return of center Leon Draisaitl (concussion) and winger Drake Caggiula (undisclosed injury). Both practiced but still need medical clearance to play.For Pittsburgh, center Riley Sheahan is expected to play after being acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in a trade Saturday.In addition, the Penguins could dress freshly recalled rookie Casey DeSmith as the backup to goaltender Matt Murray. Antti Niemi, who has struggled and gave up all seven goals Saturday, was placed on waivers Monday. He was 0-3-0 with a 7.50 goals-against average this season.Club officials did not disclose their plans regardless of whether Niemi is claimed by another team.Those things could all be overshadowed if Crosby, McDavid or both put on a show.McDavid leads the Oilers with eight points. Crosby leads Pittsburgh with five goals and is tied with Evgeni Malkin for the team lead with 10 points."When you're watching him, you're hoping he'll do something cool, and when you're playing against him you're not hoping that," McDavid said of Crosby.Crosby downplayed the matchup."There are always matchups, story lines, things like that," he said. "We sit here and we talk about them, but our job is to go out there and play. That's what I try to do."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise underwent successful back surgery Tuesday and is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks, the team announced.Parise hasn't suited up this season, and will be forced to sit out significant time once again. The 33-year-old has dealt with multiple injuries in the past, including issues with his back, as he was diagnosed with a herniated disk during the 2015-16 season.Since the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign, Parise has only topped 70 games in a season once.When healthy, however, Parise remains productive, netting 42 points in 69 games last season, before chipping in three more in the Wild's brief postseason run.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Frederik Andersen made 36 saves, and the Toronto Maple Leafs handed the Los Angeles Kings their first regulation loss of the season with a 3-2 victory on Monday night.Matt Martin, Tyler Bozak and Patrick Marleau scored for the Maple Leafs (7-2-0). Mitch Marner added two assists.Toronto has won at least seven of its first nine games for the first time since the 1993-94 season and just the seventh time overall in franchise history.Adrian Kempe and Trevor Lewis scored for Los Angeles (6-1-1), which had won four in a row. Jonathan Quick stopped 31 shots.Toronto defenseman Roman Polak made his season debut after signing a $1.1 million, one-year deal on Sunday. He had one assist and played 12-plus minutes.Marner helped the Maple Leafs jump in front 5:46 into the first. He entered the zone and curled behind the net before teeing up Polak for a one-timer from the blue line that Martin deflected past Quick from the top of the crease.Bozak made it 2-0 when he jammed home a rebound on a power play with 5:16 to play in the second. But Kempe quickly responded for Los Angeles, beating Andersen with a wrist shot.Kings defenseman Drew Doughty got cut on the nose by Marleau's skate midway through the second, but was OK to play on once the bleeding stopped.The Kings held a 29-24 shot advantage through 40 minutes.Marner scored early in the third, but it was waived off for incidental contact on Quick, who was taken out of the play by a sliding Martin. Leafs coach Mike Babcock challenged the call and lost.Marleau scored 26 seconds later with a deflection that went to review for a high stick, but the call stood and it was 3-1 Leafs 2:46 into the third.Lewis cut into Toronto's lead with a short-handed goal with 7:41 to go, getting alone on Andersen before sneaking the puck through his pads.Any chance of a comeback was halted when Quick took a minor for interference with 2:05 to play.It was one rough night for Quick, who took an errant elbow from teammate Derek Forbort with 2:59 remaining in the first period and clutched his head briefly, but continued on.With 1:11 to go in the period, Quick was forced off the ice, possibly for concussion protocol by either the in-arena spotter or central league spotter. He returned at the next whistle without going to the locker room, visiting with the team trainer in the tunnel. He missed just 36 seconds of game action while replaced by Darcy Kuemper.NOTES: Leafs F Eric Fehr was placed on waivers earlier in the day. ... Polak replaced Connor Carrick on defense.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton has moved into 20th on the NHL's all-time scoring list.He's won both the Art Ross and Hart trophies (2006), a World Junior Championship (1997), the World Cup of Hockey (2004, 2016), and an Olympic gold medal (2010).He does not, however, have his name on the Stanley Cup.All things considered, we ask if he's an automatic to be named to the Hockey Hall of Fame once he hangs up his skates.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Joe Thornton continues to set himself apart as one of hockey's all-time greats.With an assist Monday, the San Jose Sharks center moved into a tie with Jari Kurri for 20th on the NHL's all-time points list with 1,398.Related: Is Joe Thornton a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame?Thornton has amassed 1,013 helpers to go along with 385 career goals, and now sits 59 points behind Teemu Selanne for 15th - a level he could hit by season's end.Thornton won the 2006 Art Ross and Hart trophies with San Jose after being traded from the Boston Bruins earlier that season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks winger Patrick Eaves has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system, the team announced Monday.From the team:

It's been quite a year for the Nashville Predators.Fresh off a debut appearance in the Stanley Cup Final amid a truly special atmosphere, the Predators are being praised for their customer experience and affordable ticket prices.From ESPN senior writer Peter Keating:

The Montreal Canadiens are not doing themselves any favors by relegating Alex Galchenyuk to the fourth line.Marc Bergevin's club has stumbled to a record of 1-6-1, scoring an NHL-low 12 goals. At Claude Julien's disposal is an offensively-talented 23-year-old with a 30-goal season to his credit, but the head coach refuses to deploy Galchenyuk in a role befitting his skill set.Back in the preseason, the general manager made it clear Galchenyuk, who was drafted third overall in 2012, would be playing wing "until further notice," and on Monday, the head coach dropped the forward to the fourth line, saying "I don't think Alex has given us enough to continue to be on our top line for the time being," per John Lu of TSN.This all makes little sense for at least three reasons:Galchenyuk not in position to succeedTo be clear, Galchenyuk is no exception to the team's early struggles. He's scored one goal in eight games on only 14 shots, and all of these numbers are obviously well below his career numbers.Despite the poor start, Galchenyuk is averaging 0.26 goals and 0.33 assists per game, which works out to 21 goals and 27 assists for every 82 games played.Galchenyuk is simply less likely to find his form in limited, fourth-line ice time. Being buried on the left side behind Paul Byron, Max Pacioretty, and Charles Hudon is not where Galchenyuk belongs, as it's at center where's he's succeeded most in recent history.