Wait, what?As absolutely no one in their right mind suspected, the New Jersey Devils won the NHL Draft Lottery on Saturday night, with the Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars rounding out the top three.Those ping pong balls. They're hard to predict.Amid all the shock and awe, hockey Twitter was at an all-time high:

Well, that was unexpected.The New Jersey Devils won the NHL draft lottery Saturday night, securing the first overall pick in June. The Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars also made significant jumps, and will pick second and third overall, respectively.New Jersey had the fifth-highest odds, entering the lottery with an 8.5 percent chance of landing the top selection, while the Flyers and Stars made even bigger leaps up the draft board.Philadelphia had only a 2.4 percent chance of getting the second overall pick, and the Stars came into the lottery with only a 6.4 percent shot at getting the No. 3 selection.The Colorado Avalanche had the best odds of receiving the first overall pick, but fell to fourth, while the Vancouver Canucks slipped to fifth despite having the second-highest odds of nabbing the No. 1 selection.It was also a disappointing draw for the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, who, along with the Arizona Coyotes, came in holding the third-highest odds of finishing the lottery in the top spot.Here's the full order for the first 15 picks in the 2017 draft:PickTeam1New Jersey Devils2Philadelphia Flyers3Dallas Stars4Colorado Avalanche5Vancouver Canucks6Vegas Golden Knights7Arizona Coyotes8Buffalo Sabres9Detroit Red Wings10Florida Panthers11Los Angeles Kings12Carolina Hurricanes13Winnipeg Jets14Tampa Bay Lightning15New York IslandersThe draft will take place June 23 and 24 at the United Center in Chicago.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

George McPhee wasn't in the room when the future of his organization began to take shape.The Vegas Golden Knights general manager was unable to make it to the draft lottery in Toronto due to a "significantly delayed" flight from Washington, D.C., to Toronto, the club announced Saturday.Golden Knights hockey operations analyst Tom Poraszka took McPhee's place.The NHL arranged for the GM to go to the Verizon Center in Washington to be part of the lottery remotely from Game 2 of the second-round playoff series between the Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins.Vegas had the same odds of landing the first overall pick as the NHL's third-worst team, the Arizona Coyotes, at 10.3 percent, but fell to sixth overall.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Four for No. 44.After his hat-trick marker forced extra time in Game 2, Jean-Gabriel Pageau potted his fourth goal of the contest in double overtime to give the Ottawa Senators a 2-0 series lead over the New York Rangers.Pageau is the second player to score four goals in a playoff game, including the OT winner, joining Joffrey Lupul, who accomplished the feat in 2006, according to NHL Public Relations.As expected, Pageau's enthralling performance set Twitter afire:

Ray Shero wants to get in touch with Ilya Kovalchuk.The New Jersey Devils general manager confirmed his intent to contact the Russian star in an interview with Sportsnet's John Shannon ahead of the draft lottery Saturday night."I plan to reach out next week maybe to his agent ... I'll reach out next week and see if there's any substance to the speculation of Ilya coming back," Shero said.Last weekend, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Kovalchuk was considering a return to North America.The former NHL superstar's KHL contract expired when his SKA St. Petersburg won the Gagarin Cup earlier this month.The Devils still hold his rights, because he was a Devil when he left the NHL in 2013 and because he remains on the league's Voluntary Retirement list. He's free to sign with New Jersey, but if he wants to play for another team, that would require approval from every other NHL club.He can't be traded from the Devils to another team unless he signs with New Jersey first, so a sign-and-trade would be possible, as TSN's Bob McKenzie explained earlier this week.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pag-oh my goodness.With his Ottawa Senators on the ropes in the dying minutes of Game 2 versus the New York Rangers, forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau redirected a Kyle Turris one-timer for his third goal of Saturday's game, tying the contest at 5-5.New York led 3-1 and 5-3 before Ottawa clawed back and forced the first extra frame of the second round.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A professional hockey team shouldn't have to say sorry for something like this, but here we are.The Toronto Maple Leafs issued an apology to fans Saturday after unfollowing thousands of people the day before."The Maple Leafs' social media channels are one of the team's most important tools to engage and communicate with you, our fans," the club said in a statement. "Yesterday, as we (begun) work this offseason to make improvements to all of our social media channels, we reset the list of Twitter accounts we follow to make sure it is current and represents the team, and all of its fans, accurately and fairly."The explanation continued with an apology and an expression of regret over not informing people of the purge before carrying it out."What we didn't do (was) tell our fans what we were doing and why, and for that we apologize. Our intentions remain fan-focused, but our mistake was not making the process more fan-friendly. Over the coming days and months, we will be following the accounts that help us deliver the best experience for you as you follow and interact with your Toronto Maple Leafs."The Leafs went from following about 8,000 users to one, team president Brendan Shanahan, but have since added more than 70 accounts to their timeline.Predictably, some fans weren't happy when they realized they'd been unfollowed.

There's no superstar in the making available in this year's draft class, and no catchy "Fail for Nail" campaign either.But the 2017 entry draft still presents some interesting scenarios for the teams at the top, who, if lucky enough to win Saturday's lottery, will likely use the first pick to select Brandon Wheat Kings center Nolan Patrick or Halifax Mooseheads winger Nico Hischier.Colorado AvalancheThe Avalanche were the worst of the worst this season, ending the year with just 48 points. It was the poorest finish since the Atlanta Thrashers pieced together a 39-point campaign in their inaugural season in 1999.The addition of either Patrick or Hischier would spark a new beginning in Denver, where the rumor mill is already in full swing in regards to wholesale changes this offseason.The possibility exists the Avalanche could deal center Matt Duchene, a one-time third overall pick, or captain Gabriel Landeskog to bring in the pieces needed to fix their ailing roster, particularly on the blue line.Related: Your guide to the NHL Draft Lottery and the top 2 projected picksA top pick would have someone to compare notes with in Colorado, as the Avalanche selected forward Nathan MacKinnon first overall in 2013.Vancouver Canucks(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Earlier this week, Canucks president of hockey operations Trevor Linden begrudgingly admitted his club is rebuilding. Kicking things off with a first overall pick would make the transition much smoother.The Canucks have never drafted first overall in their 47-year history, with their most recent high pick coming in 1999, when they selected Daniel Sedin at No. 2.The Sedin twins have one year remaining on their contracts, and the addition of Patrick - a potential successor to Henrik Sedin at center - or Hischier would usher in a new era in Vancouver."I think the top two players in this draft have the potential to maybe step in and play next year and be productive players at the NHL level," Canucks general manager Jim Benning told the team's website.Vegas Golden KnightsWhat better way to jump-start a new franchise than a top pick?Here's how the recent expansion clubs fared at their first entry draft:TeamYearPickPlayerWild20003rd overallMarian GaborikBlue Jackets20004th overallRostislav KleslaThrashers19991st overallPatrik StefanPredators19982nd overallDavid LegwandMighty Ducks19934th overallPaul KariyaPanthers19935th overallRob NiedermayerLightning19921st overallRoman HamrlikSenators19922nd overallAlexei YashinSharks19912nd overallPat FalloonThe inkling here is the Golden Knights would use the top pick on Patrick. The team's assistant general manager, Kelly McCrimmon, is the longtime owner of the Wheat Kings, for whom he also served as GM and head coach, and had countless opportunities to scout Patrick.He'd be the second player from the Wheat Kings to join the Golden Knights, after the club signed Brandon free-agent forward Reid Duke on March 6.The Golden Knights could make their debut in style with a lottery win. After all, winning and Las Vegas are synonymous.Arizona Coyotes(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)The Coyotes haven't had a top center in 17 years - since the days of Jeremy Roenick. Here's a snapshot of the team's top producers up the middle over the past decade:SeasonPlayerGPGAPts2016-17Christian Dvorak781518332015-16Martin Hanzal641328412014-15Sam Gagner811526412013-14Mike Ribeiro801631472012-13Martin Hanzal391112232011-12Martin Hanzal64826342010-11Eric Belanger821327402009-10Matt Lombardi781934532008-09Olli Jokinen572121422007-08Peter Mueller81223254The Coyotes finished with the second-worst record in 2015, but were bumped down to the third pick after the Edmonton Oilers won the lottery for Connor McDavid, while the Buffalo Sabres took Jack Eichel second overall, leaving the Coyotes to draft Dylan Strome at three.Another top talent was up for grabs a year later in Scottsdale native Auston Matthews, although the Coyotes didn't have great odds. Matthews impressed in his rookie season, potting 40 goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs.As for Strome, he's come along nicely with the OHL's Erie Otters, with whom he wrapped his draft season with 129 points in 68 games. But he's not on the same generational level as McDavid, Eichel, or Matthews.Nor is Patrick, the scouts say, but he'd be a nice addition for the crop of young talent GM John Chayka is assembling in the desert, where the Wheat Kings center would have the chance to play alongside not only Strome, but also Dvorak, Max Domi, Brendan Perlini, and Jakob Chychrun.New Jersey DevilsThe rebuild is on in New Jersey, where GM Ray Shero is quietly going about his business to bring the Devils back to respectability.After capturing three Stanley Cups between 1995 and 2003, and staying in the contenders circle for the following decade, the page has since turned in New Jersey.In recent seasons, the Devils have pulled off some big moves to boost their young squad, bringing in netminder Cory Schneider from the Canucks in 2013, and last offseason shipping defenseman Adam Larsson to the Oilers for scoring winger Taylor Hall.Hall is a former top pick himself, chosen first overall in 2010, but he can't do it alone in New Jersey. The Devils finished with just 183 goals this season - third-worst in the NHL. More help could soon be on the way in the form of either Patrick or Hischier.Success on the draft floor will be a key step as the Devils aim to climb the ranks in their ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division, where four teams cracked the 100-point plateau this season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes are taking a shot on Scott Darling.By obtaining the rights to the former Chicago Blackhawks netminder, the Hurricanes now have an exclusive negotiating window to work out a contract extension prior to July 1, when Darling can become an unrestricted free agent."This is a bit of a gamble but one we believed was worth taking," Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. "This is why we accumulated these picks and we still have 10 left. It was worth the risk."Carolina did not gauge Darling's interest prior to the deal, however Francis spoke with his new goaltender following the trade, noting Darling is "genuinely excited" about the opportunity in Raleigh.Related: Why Darling to Carolina makes perfect sense for both sidesDarling has spent the past three years with the Blackhawks. He appeared in 32 games this season, posting a 18-5-5 record alongside a .924 save percentage and 2.38 goals-against average, numbers that put him ahead of both of Carolina's netminders in 2016-17:GoalieGPRecordGAASV%Scott Darling3218-5-52.38.924Cam Ward6126-22-122.69.905Eddie Lack208-7-32.64.902"(Darling) was more than serviceable in his role in Chicago," Francis added. "He has been hoping to get the opportunity to be a No. 1 goalie and his numbers indicate he's capable of being a No. 1 goalie."Ward and Lack are both signed through next season, though the Hurricanes will need to expose one of the goaltenders to the Vegas Golden Knights in the upcoming expansion draft.If neither is chosen by the incoming club, the Hurricanes could look to deal either Ward or Lack to another team in search of insurance between the pipes.Carolina parted with a third-round draft choice to acquire Darling, one of 11 picks they hold in this summer's entry draft, including two other third-rounders.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Trouble in the crease in Anaheim. This is a recording.Ducks goalie John Gibson hasn't been tip-top in the second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers. On Friday, he allowed two goals on 23 shots, which was only slightly better than his Game 1 performance, when he let in four on 31.Meanwhile, Oilers netminder Cam Talbot stole the show at the other end of the ice, stopping all but one of the 40 shots Anaheim fired at the Edmonton cage Friday.As the series shifts to Edmonton with the favored Ducks down 2-0 and having lost home-ice advantage, could Ducks coach Randy Carlyle call for a change between the pipes?Goaltender question marks during playoff time isn't uncharted waters for the Ducks. Former Anaheim bench boss Bruce Boudreau regularly shuffled his deck of Gibson, Frederik Andersen, and Jonas Hiller, among others, in search of the right answer.Nor would a goaltending swap be a first for the Ducks this postseason. After Gibson allowed four goals on just 16 shots in Game 3 of the team's first-round matchup against the Calgary Flames, Jonathan Bernier entered in relief. He turned aside all 16 shots that came his way as the Ducks stormed back from a 4-1 deficit for an impressive 5-4 overtime win. The victory gave them a 3-0 stranglehold on the series before they swept the Flames two nights later.It was more of the same from Bernier, who has rediscovered his game in his first season in Anaheim. The 28-year-old came up clutch earlier this year, holding down the top job with Gibson injured. He put up an 11-3-2 record and a .931 save rate in the Ducks starter's absence.While Carlyle didn't confirm any future lineup changes following the Game 2 loss, he was in a more joyful mood prior to the contest."One time I said (my goalie) was 'just okay' and it got me in a lot of crap," Carlyle quipped to Eric Stephens of The Orange County Register.With Game 3 coming Sunday in Edmonton, we'll know sooner than later if the Ducks will call for a change in their crease.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A parade to the penalty box cost the Nashville Predators on Friday night.Whistled for five penalties - forward Vernon Fiddler was also handed a game misconduct - the Predators put Game 2 on a platter for the St. Louis Blues.After grabbing home ice advantage with a 4-3 win in St. Louis in Game 1, the Predators weren't as fortunate in the second game, falling 3-2, as the Blues evened the second-round series at one.Following the loss, Predators coach Peter Laviolette blamed his team's steady stream of infractions for Nashville ending the night on the wrong side of the scoreboard."Once we were done killing penalties, I thought our team played pretty well," Laviolette told reporters.It was the Predators' first loss of the playoffs after sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks in Round 1 and taking Game 1 against the Blues.Nashville combined for 24 penalty minutes leading into Game 2, a total they nearly tied in Friday's performance alone:Game Opponent Score PIM1Blackhawks - Game 11-0 NSH42Blackhawks - Game 25-0 NSH43Blackhawks - Game 33-2 NSH (OT)84Blackhawks - Game 44-1 NSH45Blues - Game 14-3 NSH46Blues - Game 23-2 STL23"It takes the flow out of the game," Laviolette added. "It puts penalty killers on the ice too much. Too many guys sitting on the bench."In other words, the team's top players were left to watch as the Predators' specialists took a regular shift in trying to minimize the Blues' night on the man advantage.St. Louis scored just once on the power play, as winger Vladimir Tarasenko tallied his first of two on the night, tying the score late in the first period after James Neal grabbed an early lead for the Predators at 7:49.The Blues were the far more disciplined club in Game 2, called for a single minor penalty. Predators center Ryan Johansen was dinged for two minors Friday."There are things we did that I liked tonight," Laviolette said, "But the bottom line is we've got to win hockey games and we didn't win tonight."The series now shifts to Nashville on Sunday as the two sides ready for Game 3.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Cam Talbot made 39 saves, Patrick Maroon scored a power-play goal, and the Edmonton Oilers moved halfway to the Western Conference finals with a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 2 of their second-round series Friday night.Andrej Sekera scored an early goal for the Oilers, who took the first two games on Pacific Division champion Anaheim's home ice. Talbot was the difference in Game 2, making all manner of impressive saves while Anaheim dominated the last 30 minutes.Jakob Silfverberg scored and John Gibson stopped 21 shots for the Ducks, who had gone 18 games without a regulation defeat before this series. Anaheim has never recovered from an 0-2 series deficit, losing all seven series after digging that early hole.Game 3 is Sunday in Edmonton.Edmonton's first playoff appearance in 11 years is off to a rollicking start, with the Oilers following up their six-game defeat of defending Western Conference champion San Jose by taking two games from the five-time champions of their division.Anaheim has lost two straight games after an 18-game run since March 10 without a regulation defeat.Although the Ducks dominated long stretches of play, Talbot had the latest outstanding game of his first career postseason run as a starting goalie. After posting two shutouts in the first round, Talbot stopped 72 of 76 shots in the first two games in Anaheim, including a number of outstanding stops to frustrate the Ducks in Game 2.The Ducks also hit multiple posts, particularly in the one-sided third period. Nothing could get by Talbot, who made most of his tough saves well before the final eight minutes.After a four-goal third period in the series opener, the Oilers entered the rematch with plenty of the same energy. The sellout crowd was still finding its seats when Sekera scored just 65 seconds into Game 2, slipping a long shot past Gibson for the defenseman's second career postseason goal and his first since 2011.Anaheim gradually turned the period in its favor, but couldn't score. Edmonton also had golden chances, such as Connor McDavid getting alone and untouched in front of Gibson during a power play, but couldn't cash in.Honda Center fell silent when Jordan Eberle's puck toward the net hit Maroon's skate and arched over Gibson for the power forward's second goal of the playoffs.Maroon spent two productive seasons with the Ducks before they gave up on him in February 2016, but he has reinvigorated his career up north with a 42-point regular season.The Ducks kept up their pressure and finally beat Talbot on the power play with a typically wicked wrist shot by Silfverberg. The Swede got his fourth goal of the postseason, matching his career high from the 2015 playoffs in 10 fewer games.The Ducks again played without two top defensemen. Sami Vatanen missed his fifth straight game with an upper-body injury, while Kevin Bieksa sat out with an upper-body injury incurred during Game 1.NOTES: Edmonton F Drake Caggiula played just one shift after the first period, apparently due to an injury. ... The Ducks scratched F Nick Ritchie with an apparent case of the flu. Jared Boll replaced him, appearing in the fourth playoff game of his 10-year NHL career. ... The Ducks lost the first two games of a series at home twice in the previous three postseasons, eventually losing those series to Nashville and Los Angeles.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Everyone knows St. Louis Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko is an incredible talent, but it might be less obvious that he's one of the most clutch playoff performers among active skaters.

The St. Louis Blues pulled off a win Friday in Game 2 to knot their second-round series with the Nashville Predators at 1-1.It's exactly what the Blues needed after Game 1, but the team shouldn't get too ahead of themselves because Friday's game was anything but pretty.The Blues edged the Predators 3-2 thanks to two goals by Vladimir Tarasenko, but despite the possible re-emergence of their top star, the club as a whole looked pretty bad.Related - Watch: Tarasenko's 2nd goal evens series vs. PredatorsThe Blues were outshot 24-20, and went just 1-for-5 on the power play (scoring on a five-minute advantage), and overall were severely outplayed with the Predators controlling the possession game with 61.18 percent.As bad as that may seem, this isn't anything new for the Blues who, despite needing just five games to get by the Minnesota Wild in the first round, have been brutally outplayed even in games they've won.Win #PPShots ForShots AgainstGoalsCF%10/42652236.5920/22224241.3331/33141332.140/42737440.3851/52024338.82Looking at the numbers, it's almost incredible that the Blues have been able to post a playoff record of 5-2. Of course, Jake Allen has been an anomaly, especially in Round 1.It hasn't been pretty but at the end of the day a win is a win and the Blues will take them however they can get them.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Game 2 between the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators was the Tarasenk-show.After picking the top corner to provide the equalizer in the first period Friday, Vladimir Tarasenko struck again late in the third, rifling a loose puck past Pekka Rinne for his second of the game and third of the playoffs.The Blues marksman was St. Louis' best player from puck drop, adding 22 minutes of ice time and six shots to his two-goal performance to secure a split on home ice.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nothing like a trade to spice up the NHL playoffs.The Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes orchestrated a move Friday, as the former sent netminder Scott Darling to Raleigh in exchange for a third-round pick in June's draft. Darling is an impending unrestricted free agent, but Carolina owns exclusive negotiating right as part of the deal.The deal makes plenty of sense for both parties, and here's why.He can be a No. 1Although he's backed up Corey Crawford throughout his career, Darling, 28, has the tools to be a starter in the NHL.In 32 appearances this season, Darling posted an 18-5-5 record, with a 2.38 goals-against average and .924 save percentage. His career marks in the same categories sit at 2.37 and .923, respectively, through 75 games.Though his body of work is a smaller sample size than that of Cam Ward and Eddie Lack, both of Carolina's options this season, in a word, stunk.Lack was publicly lambasted by head coach Bill Peters for poor play, while Ward waited until the end of the season to give his team a chance. Coincidentally, the Hurricanes earned points in 12 straight games down the stretch, coming closer than expected to sneaking into the postseason.The Hurricanes have believed in Ward for 11 seasons since he won the Conn Smythe trophy, and with a bevy of youthful talent both up front and on the blue line, the timing couldn't be better for Carolina to hand the crease over to a new No. 1.Cap relief, protection(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)Like clockwork, Chicago's cap situation is a mess, and although they're losing one of the game's premier backups, keeping him around for next season and beyond wasn't an option financially.On Carolina's side of things, adding Darling affords the Hurricanes, and general manager Ron Francis, an easier decision on who to leave exposed for Las Vegas.Little costDarling's an Illinois native, and a character guy in the dressing room. Pulling the trigger on the breakup may have been difficult, but Stan Bowman just landed an additional draft pick, basically for free.With Darling all but likely hitting the open market anyway, Chicago grabbed the third-round selection they lost in acquiring Tomas Jurco earlier in the season.Carolina, meanwhile, won't be griping at the loss of the pick, which they acquired in exchange for Viktor Stalberg at the deadline. Trading another team's selection for a new starting goalie? No brainer.One measly lost pick won't stop the Hurricanes on their trek toward prominence, as Francis still owns the chance at a lottery pick in the first round, three second-rounders, and two third-rounders in the 2017 draft.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vernon Fiddler was the hero in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, but he put his club in a bind in Game 2.The veteran forward received a five-minute major and a game misconduct Friday for kneeing Blues defenseman Colton Parayko.

The Chicago Blackhawks traded backup goaltender Scott Darling to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday in exchange for a third-round pick in June's draft, the team announced.Darling joins the Hurricanes on an expiring contract. He's slated to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

No one could be happier with the play of Marc-Andre Fleury this postseason than the Pittsburgh Penguins brass, except maybe the brain-trust in Las Vegas.Fleury has put to rest any doubts about his postseason performance and is playing his best playoff hockey since the 2007-08 campaign. He's made general manager Jim Rutherford look like a genius for not dealing him this season.Many expected that Fleury's days in Pittsburgh would be numbered with the impending NHL expansion draft. Matt Murray proved last season and through most of this regular season that he is the franchise's goalie of the future, leaving doubts about Fleury's role.However, an injury to Murray later and now Fleury is shining bright in the spotlight.The problem now is that Fleury has a no-movement clause, so he must be protected by the Penguins. And since the team can only protect one goalie, it's a near certainty that Murray will be plucked by the Vegas Golden Knights unless they do something about it.This means the next biggest Fleury fan might be George McPhee - and not just because the Penguins have a 1-0 lead against his former club - since the Golden Knights general manager likely understands that Fleury's great play puts the Penguins in a rather uncomfortable situation, one that could benefit his club.So how do the Penguins attack this conundrum? Here are some of the possible outcomes that could arise at season's end and how they could impact these two clubs and these two netminders:Penguins hold on to Fleury, Vegas gets Murray(Photo courtesy: Action Images)We'll get the most unlikely scenario out of the way first.Fleury has been great this postseason and anyone who caught Game 1 against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night can attest that Fleury was the reason the Penguins got the win.Related: The wild, the weird, and the woolly from thrilling Pens-Caps Game 1He has been great, and with Rutherford appearing to have a hard time letting him go, there is the chance that he has done enough to get back in the Penguins' good graces and prove that he can still be their goalie for years to come.The Golden Knights would be ecstatic with this scenario. Not only would they get a fairly proven No. 1 goalie in Murray, but they'd get one who is just 22 years of age. Those talents don't come along very often, almost never. He would be a great first addition for the new franchise.Penguins are forced to trade Fleury, possibly to VegasThe most likely scenario is that, somehow, the Penguins trade Fleury to ... someone?The Penguins are smart enough to understand what they have in Murray, and as great as Fleury has been, he is 10 years older and his best years are likely behind him.So, regardless of how loyal Rutherford might be to Fleury, there's only so much he can do. He could try to swing a deal with a club in need of a No. 1 goalie. The Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars certainly come to mind.Another possible partner, the Golden Knights. Here me out on this one.Of course, between the two the Golden Knights would take Murray, but if the Penguins trade Fleury to Vegas on a deal skewed in the Golden Knights' favor - maybe including a high draft-pick - they could help Vegas score a strong netminder and provide some aid to their roster build, since they will certainly rely heavily on the draft in their first couple seasons.It's a risky ploy, but with two desperate teams, it can't be ruled out.Penguins, Golden Knights agree to deal that keeps Murray, Fleury in Pittsburgh(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)This kind of deal is exactly what could make the pending expansion draft so exciting. Vegas can make deals with teams so they don't pluck certain players from their roster. It's a fantastic rule.It's hard to imagine what that would take in this instance, since - as mentioned - Murray could be a franchise goalie. But I'm not a general manager, I just play one on the internet.Maybe Pittsburgh could package something mighty that Vegas would accept in order to look for a goalie elsewhere. One would think that would start with a first-round pick and include at least a good prospect or two - and even that might not be enough.It would be a lot for Pittsburgh to give up, but it all comes down to how much the Penguins and Golden Knights value the two goaltenders.Things are going to get interesting.Of course, there could be a Plan D here that changes all of this, but as it stands now the Penguins will have a lot to consider at season's end.The team is clearly over the moon with how the man they call "Flower" has played, but as it stands now, this strong performance will make things much more complicated for Pittsburgh in one month's time.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After ranking fourth league-wide in goals this season, the high-flying New York Rangers offense has been stifled in the playoffs.The Blueshirts were first tested by Carey Price, and though they dispatched him and the Montreal Canadiens in six games, their sputtering goal-scorers aren't about to catch any breaks against the Ottawa Senators.Victimized by Ottawa's pesky 1-3-1 format, the Rangers managed just one tally in the series opener Thursday night, and forward Derek Stepan believes he deserves some criticism for his team's general lack of postseason production."I've stunk since the playoffs started," Stepan told NHL.com's Dan Rosen.Stepan added, "I'm all over the map. It stinks. It's not fun not playing well. You want to be a part of it. You want to help. But like I said, I just have not been good."Through seven games, Stepan's recorded two points, which is still more than big-name forwards Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, and J.T. Miller.New York is generating just 2.14 goals per game in the playoffs - the worst mark of any team that's advanced.The Rangers will try to snap their offensive slide and even the series on Saturday afternoon at the Canadian Tire Centre.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

South Korea will play in the 2018 IIHF World Hockey Championship for the first time in its history after defeating Ukraine in a shootout in a qualifying tournament.Here's a look at the shootout winner by Sanghoon Shin:

If an NHL playoff game is played in front of a non-capacity crowd at an arena in Canada, has it truly been played?That's the question the north is grappling with Friday, after only 16,744 souls - the building was at 90.5 percent capacity - showed up Thursday to Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa for Game 1 of the second-round playoff series between the Senators and New York Rangers.Second round. Not the first. The second. Prior to these playoffs, the Senators had advanced this far only once since their Stanley Cup Final run in 2007. Ottawa fans, in other words, certainly haven't been spoiled with winners.Look, we get it. The rink's not in an ideal location. Nobody wants to pay $20 or more for parking, anywhere. And public transit is, generally speaking, the absolute worst. But this is a bad look, Ottawa, any way you spin it. Those seats shouldn't have been empty - especially when they're as cheap as they are, even on the secondary market. And especially not this year, because these Sens, this group of guys, are too damned easy to root for.A true teamThe Senators, like Ottawa, don't get a lot of respect. Only two of our editors had them advancing to the second round, while over at ESPN, only three of 12 picked Ottawa to win. But the Sens, led by Guy Boucher, have been proving folks wrong all season long, and have clearly rallied around one another. They're a team in the truest sense of the word, and it goes back all the way to training camp.MacArthur's unbelievable comeback(Photo courtesy: Action Images)In September, during a training-camp scrimmage, Clarke MacArthur suffered yet another concussion when he was hit by defenseman Patrick Sieloff, a 2012 second-round pick who was looking to make his mark with his new team.MacArthur's concussion history was common knowledge - he played only four games in 2015-16. Every hit taken could be his last. And watching him skate off the ice at camp, clearly in distress, knowing his career might be over, was brutal to watch.Immediately after the hit, Bobby Ryan, the Sens' highest-paid player with a cap hit of $7.25 million through 2021-22, dropped the gloves with Sieloff. He had to send a message to one of his own. Sieloff was eventually removed from the scrimmage, because Chris Neil was angling for a piece of him after Ryan. That's how serious it got.MacArthur was thought to be out for the season, and retirement was appearing more and more likely. But he somehow returned in early April for Ottawa's final four games, and he eliminated the Boston Bruins in overtime of Game 6 in the first round. It was as perfect as perfect gets.And you know damned well who was credited with the first assist on the winner: Ryan. But before joining teammates in celebration, he went and retrieved the puck for MacArthur. That one was a keeper, after all.Ryan's redemption(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Ryan's writing his own neat little playoff story.The 30-year-old struggled badly this season, scoring only 13 goals and finishing with 25 points - by far the worst statistical season of his career. But it appears he's used the playoffs as a fresh start.Ryan has four goals - two of them game-winners - and three assists in seven spring games. One of those winners was an OT number, and the other was tallied in the third period of what ended up a 1-0 game.Big goals. Big Bobby.The Captain(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)Oh, yeah, there's also that Erik Karlsson guy, who's scoring game-winning goals in the second round of the NHL playoffs off Henrik Lundqvist, while playing with hairline fractures in his heel.Karlsson is a defenseman like no other in the league. He's worth the price of admission on his own.The Andersons(Photo courtesy: Action Images)We haven't even mentioned Nicholle and Craig Anderson yet.The Sens' starting goalie's wife was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in the fall, leading Craig to rightfully take multiple leaves of absences from the team in order to be with her. And he had the Senators' blessing, and the support of teammates, every step of the way, even when nobody knew when he'd return to the club.Craig played only seven games from December 2016 through February 2017, with backup Mike Condon - acquired via trade in November - carrying the load. Condon would end up playing 40 games for Ottawa, winning 19 of them and posting five shutouts. He's a big reason why Ottawa made the playoffs. It was truly a team effort.As for Nicholle, she was able to report good news with respect to her treatment, and on April 17 wrote a blog post dedicated to Craig, titled, "My Rock."Here's an excerpt:

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Hockey Canada made three additions on Friday.The governing body named three more players who will compete as part of Team Canada at the upcoming World Championships held in France and Germany.San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Philadelphia Flyers forward Brayden Schenn, and Calgary Flames netminder Chad Johnson were named to the team.Hockey Canada also confirmed reports that Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Mitch Marner will also join the squad.Among the additions, Schenn is one of many Flyers who will compete for Team Canada, with teammates Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, Sean Couturier, and Travis Konecny already named to the team.Also of note, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall holds the same capacity with Team Canada, while Philadelphia bench boss Dave Hakstol will serve as an assistant coach with the Canadian team.Canada kicks off tournament action May 5 against the Czech Republic.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Here today, gone tomorrow.The Buffalo Sabres have been granted permission to interview Los Angeles Kings executive Mike Futa for their open general manager position, reports John Vogl of The Buffalo News.Futa serves as assistant GM of the Kings, a position he was promoted to earlier this month following the firing of GM Dean Lombardi. He has been with Los Angeles since 2007, previously serving as vice president of hockey operations and director of player personnel.The Sabres have not sought permission to speak with Lombardi, the report indicates.Buffalo would be familiar territory for Futa, who was a candidate for the GM job with the Sabres in 2014. The team ultimately hired Tim Murray, who was fired on April 20 following four straight playoff misses.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Erik Karlsson wasn't going to lie.He noticed the empty seats at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday when the Senators opened their second-round series against the New York Rangers with a 2-1 win.The captain and game-winning scorer had a more diplomatic response for what the empty seats meant."It is what it is, but I feel we have great support in this city" Karlsson said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "We have great fans."The guy's obviously not going to throw his supporters under the bus in the playoffs, but the building was at 90.5 percent capacity Thursday with almost 2,000 seats still available, and that fact has almost overshadowed the Senators taking a 1-0 lead over New York, despite the Rangers being favored in the series.In fact, Karlsson said Thursday's game was the best the Senators have played during the postseason, Rosen added.That a full house didn't get to see it is the talk of Ottawa on Friday.The Ottawa Sun's Wayne Scanlan published a column about it, with the usual arguments: The CTC is in Kanata, far from downtown Ottawa; parking is a real pain in the you know what; weeknight games are always a tougher sell, playoffs or not; and prices are, as expected, higher in the postseason.Still, with Ottawa in the second round for only the second time since their Cup Final run in 2007, nothing less than full capacity will do, apparently. It's Canada, after all.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If you live in Montreal and want to stop debating the P.K. Subban for Shea Weber trade, you're probably going to have to move.With the Canadiens' season over after the first round and the Nashville Predators advancing to Round 2 with a sweep of the mighty Chicago Blackhawks, last summer's one-for-one blockbuster's back in the spotlight, with many wounds in Montreal still fresh.And one popular local establishment where people watch the Habs on TV while drinking adult beverages is letting it be known which side of the deal it falls on:

In this week's edition of "On the Fly," we're Stanley Cup dreaming. Below are four guys still playing this spring who we'd love to see raise the prettiest trophy in professional sports.P.K. SubbanNavin Vaswani: Imagine, for a minute, the following: P.K. Subban's Nashville Predators win the Stanley Cup over the Canadiens, in Game 7, on the road in Montreal. Hell, in overtime, too, why not. With Subban scoring the winner.That's not going to happen (thanks for nothing, Montreal), but it sure would be nice if the NHL's most passionate player, the guy who looks like he's having the most fun out there - which is exactly what he should be doing - won the Stanley Cup. (And just think what it would do to Habs supporters!)(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Subban lives for the game. You can tell by watching him. It's his passion, his love, his life, and while hockey is certainly unfair, there would be something excruciatingly cruel about Subban not winning the Stanley Cup. He must. He better.There's an NHL promo spot getting TV airtime this postseason that features a number of players - active and retired - talking about the Stanley Cup. Some, like Jonathan Toews, Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier, and Sidney Crosby, talk about winning it, and what it meant to them when they did, while others, like Alex Ovechkin, talk about wanting to win it, and needing to win it. Subban's in it, too."The Stanley Cup means everything," he says.And I believe him.Henrik LundqvistCraig Hagerman: All rise. "The King" has entered.Henrik Lundqvist is back in the second round of the playoffs and this time he's going all the way - or at least he finally deserves to.Now in his 12th season, the closest he came to capturing Lord Stanley was back in 2014, when his New York Rangers lost the Cup final to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.It's unfortunate Lundqvist hasn't been able to capture hockey's holy grail, considering he's been arguably the most consistent goalie in the NHL since he made his debut in 2005.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)Lundqvist is the only goalie in NHL history to post 30 wins in each of his first seven seasons, the only goalie to post 30 wins in every full season he has played, and the first goalie to record 11 straight 20-win campaigns to begin his career.He's been nominated for the Vezina five times, won it once, and was named the Rangers' MVP every year from 2007 to 2013.Lundqvist is a proven winner, an Olympic champion, and there's only one thing missing from his resume.Erik KarlssonCory Wilkins: Erik Karlsson quieted his critics this season, excelling in both ends of the ice after years of racking up points in the offensive zone.

Sidney Crosby has come out on top where it matters most, but you can't blame Alex Ovechkin for trying.The Washington Capitals captain has been a force in the two previous series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, outpacing Crosby in both 2009 and 2016:2009 SeriesCrosbyOvechkinScoreGame 11G1G3-2 WSHGame 23G3G4-3 WSHGame 32A1G 1A3-2 PIT (OT)Game 41G 1A1A5-3 PITGame 502G 1A4-3 PIT (OT)Game 61G 1A3A5-4 WSH (OT)Game 72G 1A1G6-2 PITTotals8G-5A-13P8G-6A-14PPIT wins 4-3(Photo courtesy: Action Images)2016 SeriesCrosbyOvechkinScoreGame 101A4-3 WSH (OT)Game 2002-1 PITGame 301G 1A3-2 PITGame 41A03-2 PIT (OT)Game 51A1G 1A3-1 WSHGame 602A4-3 PIT (OT)Totals0G-2A-2P2G-5A-7PPIT wins 4-2Crosby and Ovechkin reconnected Thursday for their third playoff head-to-head series since entering the NHL as rookie sensations in 2005. The Penguins again came away with the victory in Game 1, defeating the Capitals 3-2.No series would be complete without the two captains chipping in. Crosby opened the scoring for the Penguins, and netted his second just 52 seconds later. Ovechkin added a tally of his own late in the middle frame.In all, the two have now squared off 14 times in the postseason, with Ovechkin coming up with 22 points to Crosby's 17. Still, Crosby has the edge in the category not shown on the scoreboard: 2-0 for Stanley Cups.The two superstars will renew hostilities in their 15th playoff contest Saturday in Washington.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A new one for the record books.Firing 21 first-period shots in their Game 1 win over the New York Rangers, the Ottawa Senators set a new high-water mark for the franchise:

One down, three to go.The Ottawa Senators took the first step in proving their doubters wrong Thursday, downing the New York Rangers 2-1 in the opening game of the second-round matchup."The players didn't want to get swept at four. We heard from everybody how good they are. It's all we could hear, is how much they're going to crush us," Senators coach Guy Boucher told reporters following the victory. "It is a scary team. They've got four lines and their goaltender is outstanding, so maybe there was a lot of fear tonight that helped us."Senators captain Erik Karlsson scored the winner with less than five minutes remaining in the final frame, bouncing a wide angle shot in off of Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist.It was just another day at the office for the Ottawa superstar, as far as Boucher is concerned."He's done exactly that before. I am not surprised by what he does now, but I guess my mind is not boggled by what he does now," Boucher said. "It's every day. It's something he comes up with. That's what the great players do, they come up with stuff at the right time, and they can take the pressure. I guess I got used to it."Karlsson has been one of the Senators' top producers in the postseason, with seven points in as many games. He sits one point shy of center Derick Brassard for the team lead."We have to appreciate what we have here (in Karlsson). It's more than a star right now," Boucher added. "That's what I think is unbelievable. He's a skill player that became a star and now he's a winner. That's what he's inspired our group with all year long."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals can keep this up, it's going to be one heck of a series.Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin both made their marks on Game 1 of the second-round matchup, but neither had a hand in the winner.The Penguins temporarily stole home-ice advantage away from the Capitals with a 3-2 victory in D.C., and while it wasn't a high-scoring affair, there were plenty of captivating moments in the series opener.Here's what we'll remember from another instant classic between the two rival clubs:A Fleury of saves to preserve the winMarc-Andre Fleury came up large in the final minutes, somehow managing to keep the puck out during an extended scramble in front of his net.Fleury has an interesting definition of the word "fun."

In the New York Rangers' eyes, Game 1 should've ended differently.Head coach Alain Vigneault spoke to reporters postgame after dropping a 2-1 decision to the Ottawa Senators, where he said he felt the winning goal by Erik Karlsson shouldn't have counted due to a potential icing call."We felt that on their winning goal there should have been an icing," Vigneault said. "When we look at it and look at the angles that we get we think it should have been icing, but at the end of the day you got to play and you got to do more than we did tonight to win."It's a questionable play that occurred with 4:51 remaining in regulation when Karlsson fired a shot that looked to be tipped into the Rangers' zone by forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau - the Rangers obviously arguing that Pageau didn't touch the puck.Related - Watch: Karlsson scores game-winner off Lundqvist's head from impossible angleUltimately, the play would go uncalled and 50 seconds later Karlsson put the winning goal past Henrik Lundqvist.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Quality of fans over quantity might be what the Ottawa Senators are going for in the second round of the playoffs.That is, because despite a roaring crowd that saw the team prevail 2-1 over the New York Rangers thanks to a wild Erik Karlsson winner, the Canadian Tire Centre was surprisingly under-filled with an announced attendance of just 16,744, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Related - Watch: Karlsson scores game-winner off Lundqvist's head from impossible angleWith the arena boasting a capacity of 18,572 the number means there were nearly 2,000 empty seats for Game 1.Oddly, 16,744 was the Senators average attendance during the regular season, accounting for 87.4 percent capacity, ranking 21st among all 30 NHL clubs.The number is further interesting since all three home games in the opening round against the Boston Bruins saw attendance figures over capacity with an average of 18,846.Game # Attendance118 702218 629319 209Obviously the Senators would like those numbers to be higher, but at the end of the day they lead the series 1-0 and they'll take that.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was very blunt when asked for his analysis of Washington's 3-2 Game 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Erik Karlsson continues to provide magic for the Ottawa Senators.From an impossible angle and off Henrik Lundqvist's helmet, Karlsson gave his club the lead in the waning minutes of regulation. Lundqvist had stood on his head all night, so it's quite ironic that Karlsson was able to bank one off it for his fifth-career playoff goal.The Sens held on for the 2-1 victory.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Flashes of 2009.After Sidney Crosby scored two quick goals to open the second period Thursday, Alex Ovechkin mitigated the damage by firing a rocket of his own later in the period.Related - Watch: Crosby strikes twice in less than a minuteThe goal was Ovechkin's fourth of the postseason.Could we see another playoff game like in 2009 when both Crosby and Ovechkin tallied hat tricks? Here's to hoping.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Leave it to Sidney Crosby to put his mark on a 0-0 game in a hurry.The Pittsburgh Penguins star scored two quick goals to give his club a 2-0 lead over the Washington Capitals early in the second period of Game 1 Thursday night.Crosby broke into the Capitals' zone on a 2-on-1 with Jake Guentzel, who fed him for a pinpoint wrister that opened the scoring 12 seconds into the second period.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno, Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, and Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano were named finalists for the Mark Messier Leadership Award on Thursday, the NHL announced.The award is given out annually to the player "who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season."Foligno is coming off his second-most productive season, tallying 26 goals and 51 points, while helping lead the Blue Jackets to the best finish in franchise history.Away from the rink he and his wife committed $1 million to be shared between the Nationwide Children's Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital. He also continues to work with Papa John's pizza to raise money for the Janis Foligno Foundation.Getzlaf led the Ducks in scoring for the fifth-straight season, helping the team capture the Pacific Division. The 31-year-old continued his work with the Anaheim Ducks Learn to Play Program, with help from teammate Corey Perry.Getzlaf also hosted the fifth annual CureDuchenne golf tournament in which he and his wife have now raised $1.675 million for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.Giordano helped the Flames to their second playoff berth in three years. The 33-year-old continued his work with Team Giordano, which helps promote fitness and academics to students in high-need schools.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Henrik Lundqvist was a brick wall during the Rangers' first-round series against the Canadiens and has carried the strong play over to the second round against the Senators.Sens right winger Mark Stone was alone in front with a yawning cage, but was unable to lift the puck over a diving Lundqvist.Even at 35, Lundqvist is still one of the best goaltenders on the planet. He's searching for his first Stanley Cup ring and seems more determined than ever.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Some players in the NHL aren't selfish enough. They may be great playmakers, but sometimes they don't utilize their elite shots with enough frequency.Sidney Crosby, for example, shot the puck more this year than in recent seasons, and it paid dividends, as he scored a league-high 44 goals.The following players shouldn't necessarily change their total philosophy, but if they were willing to shoot the puck more, it would benefit them and their team.Ryan Getzlaf, DucksGetzlaf averaged just 1.86 shots per game this season despite having an absolute bullet like this tucked away in his arsenal:

The Colorado Avalanche's season was pathetic enough, but their social media staff is only making it worse.Losing 60 games, finishing dead last with 48 points in the standings, and posting the worst record of the salary-cap era aren't exactly accomplishments worth bragging about, so the team's Twitter account has instead been touting other "achievements."Rather than focusing on how disappointing Matt Duchene's season was (he posted his worst goal and point totals in a non-lockout campaign since 2011-12) the Avalanche went with something a little more positive.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' and Montreal Canadiens' seasons are already over, and their sights have shifted to the offseason.Both teams have areas of their rosters to address, and oddsmakers have already begun crunching the numbers on the likelihood of certain transactions.Here are Thursday's odds for how each team will deal with certain pending free agents and possible acquisitions, as well as how they'll fare next season.Will the Canadiens acquire Ilya Kovalchuk before Game 1 of the 2017-18 NHL season?

Kevin Fiala may not be a household name, but his playoff-ending injury is significant for the Nashville Predators.Selected 11th overall in 2014, the 20-year-old winger had been brought along slowly by the Predators, and was just now starting to live up to the potential seen in him on draft day.Related: Predators' Fiala out for remainder of playoffs with fractured femur"(Fiala's) gone through a process where he finally had some stick and was a guy that we were counting on," head coach Peter Laviolette said Thursday, per Robby Stanley of NHL.com. "He was now on a power play, he was now in the top-six mix, he was now taking down 16 or 17 minutes a night and he's earned that. He's worked hard, he loves the game, works hard at it in practice."Laviolette pointed to Fiala's overtime winner in Game 3 against the Chicago Blackhawks as a prime example of how far he's come."He wants to get better, and it was getting to a point where he really was a difference-maker with the puck on his stick, as you saw in that overtime goal in the first round," Laviolette said. "It was a really, really nice play and a patient play. It's unfortunate for an accident like that to happen on the ice."It appears as though Colin Wilson, who scored in Game 1 against St. Louis, will take Fiala's place on a line with Mike Fisher and James Neal, at least to start.Fiala, meanwhile, will begin rehabilitating the injury in hopes of being ready to pick up where he left off next season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In what's being heavily billed as another chapter in the Alex Ovechkin-Sidney Crosby rivalry, Evgeni Malkin is more than happy to let his game do the talking.The somewhat forgotten superstar led all players with 11 points in the opening round, but isn't averse to stepping out of the off-ice spotlight in lieu of No. 8 and No. 87. When the puck drops on a second-round series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals, however, it's a different story."I like to be quiet," Malkin said Wednesday, per Wes Crosby of NHL.com. "I just try not to be quiet on the ice."It's good for me. I try to be quiet. I just try to play. I read a lot about Sid and Ovi, you know? They started the same year. They played for the Calder Trophy. They're always the best two players in the (NHL), but I try to show my best game."His best game, of course, ranks right up there with any player of this era, the Top 100 NHL players of all-time snub nothwithstanding.Malkin has won two Stanley Cups, the Conn Smythe, Hart, Art Ross, and Calder trophies, and ranks second only to Crosby in terms of points per game among active players over the course of his career.If the Penguins are to once again do away with the Capitals in the postseason, it'll be due in no small part to Malkin's quiet greatness.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Gotta admit: A little confused by Nikita Kucherov's reported comments calling out his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates.The NHL's fifth-leading scorer with 85 points, Kucherov, 24 in June, is poised to become one of the game's best players, but he's apparently not too enamored with some of his mates. The first-time 40-goal scorer vented to a Russian newspaper after a lost season that some of his teammates "got their money and stopped working," relays the Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith.Hardly subtle.The comments even extended to the organization, which according to Kucherov is not providing competition for positions on the team, so guys are apparently coasting."You can see it in their stats and way of play," he reportedly said.The thing is, you can't - not in their stats, at least.All this after the Jonathan Drouin drama last year. Never a dull moment in the Lightning dressing room.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Name namesHere's a look at Kucherov's teammates who had at least 20 points this season, comparing their 2016-17 points-per-game averages to their career averages (which includes this past season):Player (Position)2016-17 GP2016-17 PPGCareer PPGVictor Hedman (D)790.910.55Drouin (F)730.730.58Ondrej Palat (F)750.690.71Tyler Johnson (F)660.680.69Brayden Point* (F)680.590.59Alex Killorn (F)810.440.49Valtteri Filppula** (F)590.580.54Vladislav Namestnikov (F)740.380.39Brian Boyle** (F)540.410.27Anton Stralman (D)730.300.33Steven Stamkos (F)171.180.99* Indicates rookie

True dedication.Washington Capitals blue-liner Karl Alzner is frustrated by an upper-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup since Game 3 versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, but admits it's a price he's willing to pay."I hate watching games. Ask (healthy scratch) Taylor Chorney," Alzner told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. "We're just losing it up here. It's tough to be a spectator, but at the same time it doesn't really matter if we're winning games. I'd sit out the rest of the playoffs if we can win the Cup. That's fine with me."The Capitals were even in their opening-round series with him in the lineup, splitting their first two contests against the Maple Leafs. Washington won three of the next four to eliminate the Maple Leafs, and now face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round.Blue-liner Nate Schmidt has drawn into the lineup in the absence of Alzner, recording two points in four games.The Capitals are aiming to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history after earning their second straight Presidents' Trophy with a league-best 118 points.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.