Los Angeles Kings forward Marian Gaborik underwent a procedure and won't be ready for the start of training camp, according to Helene Elliott of the LA Times. Newly named general manager Rob Blake also said the club won't buy out Gaborik, per Elliott.Further details on Gaborik's procedure will be released Tuesday, according to a team spokesperson.Whether Blake had plans to buy out Gaborik is irrelevant now, since the league prohibits teams from buying out injured players.Gaborik comes with a cap hit of $4.875 million through the 2020-21 season. Given how much he has struggled the past two seasons, a buy out seemed like a legitimate possibility.It appears Blake is willing to give the veteran forward the benefit of the doubt, though, as he said Gaborik played hurt and will have a clean slate next season.Over the past two seasons, Gaborik has played in just 110 of a possible 164 games, recording 22 goals and 21 assists in that span. The 35-year-old has a long injury history, dating back to his younger days with the Minnesota Wild.It's possible Blake could try to trade Gaborik this offseason, but it's hard to believe any team in the league - even the Vegas Golden Knights - would take on his contract.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Another season has gone by, and defensive woes are still holding Alex Galchenyuk back from becoming a true No. 1 center.In the Montreal Canadiens' end-of-season press conference on Monday, general manager Marc Bergevin said Galchenyuk's short-term future will be playing on the wing, according to Tony Marinaro of TSN 690 Montreal.Galchenyuk spent the bulk of 2015-16 and 2016-17 playing down the middle under two different head coaches, but both Michel Therrien and Claude Julien have had a difficult time trusting him enough to stick on the club's top line. This season, he was often left in the dust to skate with grinders in the bottom six, leaving Phillip Danault and Tomas Plekanec to center the team's top two lines.This comes in spite of the fact that Galchenyuk is by far their most talented center. A case could be made that he even has more pure talent than wingers Max Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov."Ideally, we'd love to have (Galchenyuk) play center," said Julien, who was hired as the head coach on February 14. "You have to be good at both ends of the ice and you have to be responsible."(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)Galchenyuk has now spent five seasons in the NHL. He is still just 23 years old, but if he hasn't grasped the concept of defense by now, when will he?He certainly has the size (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) and skating ability to be a true No. 1 center. All the tools are in place. He just needs to learn how to apply his offensive creativity to the defensive side of the puck. A move back to the wing will only delay his defensive potential further."Hopefully he took a step back this year to take two steps forward next year," said Bergevin, according to TSN's John Lu.From a statistical perspective, Galchenyuk has steadily improved almost every season since coming into the league as an 18-year-old.YearAgePPGATOI12-13180.5612:1913-14190.4814:2414-15200.5816:2615-16210.6816:1616-17220.7215:56*Bold = season spent primarily as a center.Yet, with Galchenyuk, it clearly isn't about just the offensive production. The move to wing to start next year would signify that Montreal's patience with his defensive game is wearing thin."At some point, players have to take ownership," said Bergevin. "Until young players realize there's an issue and they need to get better, they never will."Galchenyuk admitted that he needs to work on all aspects of his game. He wants to be "a very complete player."If Montreal fails to address the center position in the offseason, they could be looking at another early playoff exit. Teams comprised of Plekanec, Danault, and Torrey Mitchell down the middle usually don't make it too far. Galchenyuk is their X-factor. If he can improve his play without the puck and earn the trust of Julien, it'll go a long way for Montreal making a deep playoff run in 2018.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rob Blake knew he wanted John Stevens as his head coach when Darryl Sutter was fired."There was no search," the Los Angeles Kings general manager told reporters Monday. "We went to John as soon as the changes were made."Stevens was named the Kings' new head coach Sunday, less than two weeks after the organizational shakeup by parent company AEG that left Sutter and former general manager Dean Lombardi unemployed, while Blake and new team president Luc Robitaille earned promotions.Stevens, who had been the Kings' associate head coach since 2014 and a Los Angeles assistant since 2010, already has a plan to fix a team that failed to qualify for the postseason this spring.

Carey Price will not be traded, end of story.Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin spoke to the media Monday, and he discussed the curious case of Price and his pending contract situation - he's eligible for an extension July 1 - where he made it quite clear that Price won't be going anywhere, even breaking a personal rule in the process.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have no doubts about their Vezina Trophy finalist.Sergei Bobrovsky is indeed up for the award - given to the best goalie in the regular season - but once again proved to be a bit shaky in the postseason, allowing 20 goals in five games against the Pittsburgh Penguins.Still, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen believes regular-season Bobrovsky and playoff Bobrovsky will merge at some point down the road."He will be better (in playoffs)," Kekalainen said Monday per, Aaron Portzline of the Post Dispatch. "I'm convinced about it. I'm 100 percent confident in it."Bobrovsky has made 11 career playoff appearances for the Blue Jackets, posting a save percentage of .897 in a pair of first-round series losses. Over five regular seasons in Columbus, however, his save percentage sits at .923, with a Vezina win back in 2013 to go with this year's finalist nod.Ideally for Columbus, Bobrovsky will prove Kekalainen right by this time next year.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

An early playoff loss has put the San Jose Sharks at a bit of a crossroads.With the team unable to build on last year's Stanley Cup Final appearance and achieve the goal of being the last team standing, general manager Doug Wilson now faces the dilemma of what to do with longtime Sharks Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, both of whom are set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.Both players expressed a desire to re-sign with the club on Monday.

The NHL playoffs are well underway - and with them, the greatest tradition in sports begins. I'm talking about playoff beards. Other sports have tried to copy the phenomenon, but no one does it quite like the NHL.That said, not all playoff beards are created equal. In this article, I narrow them all down to the five different kinds you'll see over the course of the Stanley Cup playoffs:The JumboJoe Thornton and Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)How can you not love the two shaggiest, longest, dirtiest beards in the National Hockey League? Growing beards like this takes serious commitment - years of it, in fact. If you want one of these, you have to be all-in, which doesn’t surprise me with these two. They are two of the best players and characters in the league.Unfortunately for the Sharks, these beards don’t have fatigue-fighters. After a long playoff run in 2016, a World Cup, and 82 regular-season games, these two stars and their teammates ran out of gas en route to a first-round playoff knockout at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.The KassianZack Kassian, Edmonton Oilers(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Here you have the Elvis Presley style, where you grow the mutton chops on the sides with a clean shave down the middle. This beard will scare the life out of the other team, get you two game-winning goals, and throw some huge hits in the first round of the playoffs. It also captures the resurgence of a career, in which you reward the team that gave you a shot after others had given up on you.The CrosbySidney Crosby, Pittsburgh PenguinsThis is the beard you sport when you’re still the best player in the NHL, but no matter how old you get, the damn thing just won’t grow (I'm more of a Crosby beard guy, minus the skill). This configuration gets you two Stanley Cups and 144 points in 129 career playoff games - and that's not all.It also has superhero powers, allowing you to score a playoff goal on Vezina nominee Sergei Bobrovsky with a one-timer from an impossible angle. It goes crossbar down and helps your team advance to the second round. Who needs a thick playoff beard when you can do that?The McMatthewsConnor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers; Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs(Photo courtesy: Action Images)This is what you get when you’re not old enough to grow a full beard. In fact, you can’t grow one at all, but you can still lead the NHL in scoring with 100 points or score 40 goals as a rookie.The future of the NHL is in good hands. McDavid has led his team to the second round of the playoffs, while Matthews has given Leafs Nation a future to get excited about. With all the money these two teams save on razors, maybe both can sign a No. 1 defenseman, because that’s all they're missing.The HoltbyBraden Holtby, Washington Capitals(Photo courtesy: Action Images)This lumberjack-style beard is thick and bushy - and looks as though it’s a full-body beard grown from the chest up. This beard will get you a Vezina trophy nod, and will carry you through the first round of the playoffs against a young Leafs team that had nothing to lose.It has mental toughness as well, since being a huge favorite to an underdog team comes with all sorts of pressures as a goalie. Holtby handled Round 1 with a few bends, but he never broke, which is why, to me, the Capitals are still the odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup.So which is my true favorite?It’s definitely the one on a player that has scars, missing teeth, and captures the pure exhaustion of pouring your soul into finally hoisting the Stanley Cup.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey players are a different breed.Case in point, San Jose Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer has revealed Joe Thornton appeared in four playoff games against the Edmonton Oilers while playing with tears in his MCL and ACL."I've never seen a guy play with a torn MCL and ACL," DeBoer said. "It's a courageous effort as I've ever seen."Thornton missed the first two games of the series after suffering the injury April 2, and managed to record two assists while seeing almost 19 minutes of ice time per game.Thornton himself said he's scheduled to see doctors Monday, and will undergo surgery later in the day, reports Darren Dreger of TSN.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders liked what they saw from Dennis Seidenberg this season.The veteran defenseman has agreed to terms on a one-year contract for 2017-18, the club has announced.

Light has been shed on what kept Montreal Canadiens forward Andrew Shaw out of a series-deciding Game 6 loss.Shaw was held out of the game due to concussion-like symptoms, and was not made available to the media as the team cleared out the locker room on Monday, per the Canadiens.In the five previous playoff games in which he appeared, Shaw recorded 13 shots and seven penalty minutes, including five earned in a fight with Brendan Smith during Game 5.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The first shoe to drop in Chicago is Blackhawks assistant coach Mike Kitchen, who has been relieved of his duties.The news comes days after Chicago was swept out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in an opening-round loss at the hands of the Nashville Predators."We believe this decision is best for our organization moving forward," general manager Stan Bowman said. "Mike had an impact on two different Stanley Cup championship teams during his tenure in Chicago. We appreciate his many contributions and wish he and his family success in the future."Kitchen joined the Blackhawks as an assistant coach in 2010 and was on the staff for two Stanley Cup championships (2013 and 2015). He also previously worked with head coach Joel Quenneville with the St. Louis Blues.

How's this for a welcome-home present?Just hours after assisting Marcus Johansson's overtime winner in Game 6 - sending the Washington Capitals to the second round of the playoffs - Justin Williams received a speeding ticket from Virginia police.

The Stanley Cup could very well be decided in the second round.Now that eight teams remain in the fight, the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins - who will meet in the second round for the second straight year - are favored to win it all, according to Bodog.Out West, the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers have risen to the top, with those two teams also set to face off in the next stage of the postseason.Here's a look at the entire list:TeamOddsWashington Capitals7/2Pittsburgh Penguins17/4Anaheim Ducks11/2Edmonton Oilers11/2St. Louis Blues13/2Nashville Predators7/1New York Rangers8/1Ottawa Senators10/1Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carey Price hopes to take care of unfinished business with the Montreal Canadiens.Following a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the New York Rangers, the Canadiens' superstar goalie reiterated his desire to remain with the club."I want to stay here," Price said Monday, per John Lu of TSN. "I know we'll figure out a way to make all the pieces fit and bring a championship here."Price can become an unrestricted free agent in 2018, and has the option to sign a contract extension with the Canadiens as soon as July 1. According to Amanda Stein of TSN 690, he's indeed open to begin discussions with general manager Marc Bergevin at that juncture.Montreal's inability to get out of the first round shouldn't be pinned on Price, who recorded a .933 save percentage in six games against the Rangers.And despite being bested by Henrik Lundqvist in the series, Price's next contract is expected to come in higher than the $8.5-million cap hit carried by the Rangers goaltender.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If Ilya Kovalchuk is intent on returning to the NHL, New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero appears in line to act as facilitator.Below are the applicable protocols to be followed if the 34-year-old wants to return to the NHL for the 2017-18 season, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN.

After finishing first overall in the NHL standings, it doesn't seem possible that the Washington Capitals could enter the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as underdogs.However, that's exactly what center Nicklas Backstrom seems to think as his team gets ready to face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

What a ride that was.The opening round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs has come and gone, leaving us with a couple days to rest and reflect on what was a sensational 12 days of hockey.Here are five things that made the first round one to remember.Working overtimePlayoff hockey is a sight to behold to begin with, but nothing compares to the drama that comes with teams battling for a single goal to get the win. And hockey fans experienced that back-and-forth more in this round than ever before.When Game 6 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals was unable to be settled in regulation, a new record was set with 18 opening-round contests having to be decided in overtime.Each series featured at least one overtime result, with Washington and Toronto requiring at least one extra period to decide five of their six games.Not for the faint of heart, to be sure.Maple Leafs' budding successLove them or loathe them, the playoffs are more compelling when the aforementioned Maple Leafs are involved, and they did more than enough to prove they belonged.After beating out the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders by a single point in the race for the final wild-card spot, Toronto's young guns gave the Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals all they could handle in what was without question the most exciting and talked-about series of the first round.Toronto's trio of super rookies - namely Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner - all excelled on the big stage, giving Leafs fans hope that this is indeed just the beginning.Few NHL teams garner the passion and ire of both local and outside fan bases, and Toronto once again proved to be the center of the hockey universe for a couple weeks.Bank on longer runs in the near future.Central Division turned upside downThe Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild entered the postseason as heavy favorites to meet in the second round, but the top two teams in the Central Division combined for a single win in series losses to the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues.A huge reason why the balance of power shifted so dramatically and so quickly was the play of Pekka Rinne and Jake Allen, who were near perfect in backstopping their teams to victory.PlayerGamesShots AgainstGoals AllowedSave %Pekka Rinne41263.976Jake Allen51828.956Excellence, defined.And while this string of red-hot play may not last for one or both, it was certainly enough to disrupt the best-laid plans for a pair of apparent Cup contenders.MacArthur's storybook comebackThe Ottawa Senators weren't sure whether Clarke MacArthur would ever be able to play for them again, and now they're wondering where they'd be without him.Sidelined for the better part of two seasons as a result of a series of concussions, the veteran winger made his presence felt with two goals in six games against the Boston Bruins, including a series-clinching overtime strike in Game 6.Head coach Guy Boucher talked about how inspiring it was when MacArthur scored his first goal in almost two years in Game 2, and expanded on what MacArthur means to the team after the series win."There's a lot of great stories in this room, but I don't think there's probably one better than that one," Boucher said, according to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com. "You saw what he had to go through all year, and I think everybody wrote him off for sure, I think maybe himself at some point. But he fought through."He's the one that said, 'I'm coming back, Coach. I'll be available for the playoffs.' I wanted to believe him. I really did. But then you think, he hasn't played for two years? How good is he going to be?"Good enough to clinch the series for the Senators, at least.Oil change completeThe Edmonton Oilers are certainly making the most of their first playoff appearance in 11 years.After a seemingly endless period of rebuilding, Connor McDavid and Co. disposed of the defending Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks in six games, serving notice they've officially arrived.What's impressive is how they were able to rebound from a 7-0 loss in Game 4 and win the next two games in order to close the series out.And the thing is, it wasn't all about McDavid - who recorded a team-high four points in the series - driving the bus; it was a full team effort.Cam Talbot recorded two shutouts, Zack Kassian scored a pair of game-winning goals while hitting everyone in his path, Oscar Klefbom continued to emerge as a force on the blue line, and Leon Draisaitl once again proved to be as key as any young player on the roster.Fans filled Rogers Place in order to watch the decisive Game 6 from San Jose on the big screen, emphasizing the reality that Edmonton is hungry for a winner, and these Oilers have the look of a team capable of making further noise.All that, and we didn't even mention the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins. That's the kind of opening round it was. Now on to the next.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

At least one member of the Boston Bruins believes the interim tag should be removed from head coach Bruce Cassidy.That would be veteran forward David Backes, who sees no reason why Cassidy should not return as bench boss after guiding the team to a record of 18-8-1 and a playoff appearance after taking over from Claude Julien."The results speak for themselves," Backes said after the team was eliminated from the postseason by the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. "We were climbing uphill certainly when he took over and we made our way in. It wasn’t easy."I don’t know how you make an argument against (Cassidy returning)," he added. "We had a few less bodies in the playoffs than we’d like and he’s leading the ship and righting it ... I don’t know what a full year with him maybe changes a few things, but he did a heck of a job in my opinion."Cassidy himself admitted injuries to Torey Krug, Adam McQuaid, and Brandon Carlo caught up to Bruins in the end, and certainly Boston's chances against the Senators would have been improved with a healthy blue line, thereby solidifying Cassidy's position.There's been no indication yet from general manager Don Sweeney in regards to when a decision will be made, or whether newly available candidates like Dan Bylsma or Darryl Sutter will be considered.For the time being, Cassidy can rest with the knowledge he gained the respect of his players thus far as head coach.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It wasn't the ending Mike Babcock and the Toronto Maple Leafs had in mind, but it's one they shouldn't be disappointed with.The Maple Leafs fell to the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in Game 6 after their third overtime loss of the series on Sunday night. However, the loss was not in vain.In their final spat of the season, the Maple Leafs made the Capitals work and, even if for only a brief moment, created doubt in a powerhouse franchise.They made the series interesting, but above all else, they proved that all the hard work by Brendan Shanahan and Co. was worthwhile and that the perceived bright future of this club is right in front of us.Pain in the rear-view mirrorIt was just a little over two years ago when the Maple Leafs hired Babcock as their head coach, who promised a lot of pain - and that pain came quickly. In his first season behind the bench, the Maple Leafs finished with the worst record in the NHL.However, it was pain worth enduring, as the Maple Leafs received the best odds at winning the draft lottery, ultimately drafting the highly touted Auston Matthews.The rebuild appeared to be in fast forward from there, as Matthews, along with fellow rookies Mitch Marner and William Nylander, and the rest of the Maple Leafs cast surprised many by earning their first playoff berth in a full 82-game season since 2004.We know how that ended.The Maple Leafs were expected to still sit outside the postseason at season's end, but instead they nearly ousted the league's top team, making it quite clear that just earning a playoff spot will no longer be the team's goal next season.Capitals were huge measuring stickWhile the Maple Leafs did ultimately fall to the best team the NHL had to offer, they got a strong taste of what it takes to win.The Maple Leafs held their own against the team that paced the league in points, ranked third in goals scored, while allowing the fewest against.The Maple Leafs pushed the Capitals to overtime in five games, coming up on the wrong side of things in three of those contests. They went up against the best in the league and were separated in most cases by just a single shot.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals series now in the bag, all second-round matchups are set.The Capitals will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Ottawa Senators will tangle with the New York Rangers, the Edmonton Oilers will face the Anaheim Ducks, and the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators will go to battle.Here are the schedules for those series:Eastern ConferenceCapitals vs. PenguinsGameDateStart TimeHomeAwayTV1Thurs. April 277:30 pmCapitalsPenguinsNBCSN / Sportsnet / TVA Sports2Sat. April 298 pmCapitalsPenguinsNBC / CBC / TVA Sports3Mon. May 17:30 pmPenguinsCapitalsNBCSN / CBC / TVA Sports4Wed. May 37:30 pmPenguinsCapitalsNBCSN / CBC / TVA Sports*5Sat. May 6TBDCapitalsPenguinsTBD*6Mon. May 8TBDPenguinsCapitalsTBD*7Wed. May 10TBDCapitalsPenguinsTBDSenators vs. RangersGameDateTimeHomeAwayTV1Thurs. April 277 pmSenatorsRangersCNBC / CBC / TVA Sports2Sat. April 293 pmSenatorsRangersNBC / CBC / TVA Sports3Tues. May 27 pmRangersSenatorsNBCSN / CBC / TVA Sports4Thurs. May 47:30 pmRangersSenatorsNBCSN / CBC / TVA Sports*5Sat. May 6TBDSenatorsRangersTBD*6Tues. May 9TBDRangersSenatorsTBD*7Thurs. May 11TBDSenatorsRangersTBDWestern ConferenceDucks vs. OilersGameDateTimeHomeAwayTV1Wed. April 2610:30 pmDucksOilersNBCSN / Sportsnet / TVA Sports2Fri. April 2810:30 pmDucksOilersNBCSN / Sportsnet / TVA Sports3Sun. April 307 pmOilersDucksNBCSN / Sportsnet / TVA Sports4Wed. May 310 pmOilersDucksNBCSN / Sportsnet / TVA Sports*5Fri. May 5TBDDucksOilersTBD*6Sun. May 7TBDOilersDucksTBD*7Wed. May 10TBDDucksOilersTBDBlues vs. PredatorsGameDateTimeHomeAwayTV1Wed. April 268 pmBluesPredatorsNBCSN / CBC / TVA Sports2Fri. April 288 pmBluesPredatorsNBCSN / CBC / TVA Sports3Sun. April 303 pmPredatorsBluesNBC / Sportsnet / TVA Sports4Tues. May 29:30 pmPredatorsBluesNBCSN / Sportsnet / TVA Sports*5Fri. May 5TBDBluesPredatorsTBD*6Sun. May 7TBDPredatorsBluesTBD*7Tues. May 9TBDBlluesPredatorsTBD* = If Necessary. All game times ETLet the games begin.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Compliments all around from the coach of the Washington Capitals.Barry Trotz opened his postgame press conference Sunday by paying respect to his opponent, congratulating the Toronto Maple Leafs and their management staff on the season that was."You've got a hell of a team," Trotz told Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock.

Marcus Johansson is the hero.The Washington Capitals forward scored the overtime winner to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 6. The Capitals will move on to face the Pittsburgh Penguins.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Extra time has been essential this spring.The opening round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs has sent a record 18 games to overtime as of Sunday's contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals, which couldn't be won in 60 minutes.The Maple Leafs-Capitals series has gone to extra sessions five times, tying a mark set in 1951 by the Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, and the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks in 2012.Here are the 18 overtime contests from the first round:DateOutcomeWinnerApril 12Blues 2 - Wild 1EdmundsonApril 12Sharks 3 - Oilers 2KarlssonApril 13Capitals 3 - Maple Leafs 2WilsonApril 14Canadiens 4 - Rangers 3RadulovApril 15Senators 4 - Bruins 3PhaneufApril 15Maple Leafs 4 - Capitals 3KapanenApril 16Penguins 5 - Blue Jackets 4GuentzelApril 17Maple Leafs 4 - Capitals 3BozakApril 17Senators 4 - Bruins 3RyanApril 17Ducks 5 - Flames 4PerryApril 17Predators 3 - Blackhawks 2FialaApril 20Rangers 3 - Canadiens 2ZibanejadApril 20Oilers 4 - Sharks 3DesharnaisApril 21Bruins 3 - Senators 2KuralyApril 21Capitals 2 - Maple Leafs 1WilliamsApril 22Blues 4 - Wild 3PaajarviApril 23Senators 3 - Bruins 2MacArthurApril 23Capitals 2 - Maple Leafs 1JohanssonTwo of the 18 games went to double overtime.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It would appear Zach Werenski doesn't foresee himself taking home rookie of the year honors.The Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman - who is nominated for the Calder Trophy along with Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews - was asked if he had spoken with his good friend Matthews since the nomination.Werenski admitted to having a rather peculiar conversation."Yeah, I asked if he wanted help writing his acceptance speech," Werenski said, according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch.Werenski clearly feels Matthews is the favorite to win the Calder, and considering he led all rookies with 40 goals and 69 points during the regular season, it's not a huge stretch.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have surprised again.Eliminating the Boston Bruins on Sunday, the Senators advanced to the second round of the postseason for a date against the New York Rangers.It marks the first series win for the Senators since 2013 and just their second since 2007, the same year they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.This season, the Senators have been one of the most consistent clubs, never losing more than twice in a row as the team has continued to achieve away from the limelight. Three key reasons stand out for the Senators' success:Craig AndersonThe Senators netminder doesn't garner the headlines like the league's bigger names, but his stat line certainly speaks to his performance.Missing most of the season due to a leave of absence to be with his ill wife, Anderson made his permanent return to the crease in mid-February. From that point, he wrapped up the regular season with a 13-5-3 record and a .929 save rate. Only Jake Allen posted better numbers than Anderson with as many appearances over that stretch.Anderson's play has carried through to the postseason, where he shut the door and outdueled Boston netminder Tuukka Rask:GoalieGamesRecordGAASV%Anderson64-21.94.921Rask62-42.24.920The Senators hope Anderson can put up a similar performance in Round 2 versus the Rangers.Boucher's Balanced AttackThe Senators' forward ranks is without a superstar, but the team's offensive arsenal still has a few choice weapons.This season, three Ottawa forwards - Mark Stone, Kyle Turris, and Mike Hoffman - broke the 50-point plateau, and all three also potted at least 20 goals.In all, Ottawa's scoring value comes in spades: 10 Senators reached double-digit tallies this season, including Derick Brassard and Bobby Ryan, who proved invaluable in the opening-round series against the Bruins, combining for 15 points in the six-game set.It's a balanced attack that fits perfectly with the style of first-year coach Guy Boucher, who preaches a defensive approach that finds its opportunities in exposing the opponent's mistakes.Erik KarlssonYou can't stop Karlsson, you can only hope to contain him.The play of the Senators captain isn't a secret, but it's no doubt a force. Shutting down a superstar is a key focus of any coach, and that's no different when facing the Ottawa defenseman.Already a two-time Norris Trophy winner, Karlsson is once again in contention as the league's top defenseman. Not only did Karlsson put up 71 points on the season, he was effective at both ends of the ice, finishing second in the league with 201 blocked shots.His highlight-reel plays have carried through to the offseason, with Karlsson already putting together a few jaw-dropping plays:Now up against New York, Karlsson will have a chance to make that music before a Broadway audience.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canadian pop icon Justin Bieber was on hand for Sunday night's nail-biter between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs.Bieber was shown on the Air Canada Centre's big screen as he watched the tie game from a private box, clearly rooting for the Maple Leafs, who are down 3-2 to the Capitals in the series.

The Boston Bruins made it close against the Ottawa Senators, but ultimately came up short in six games, with all four of their defeats coming by one goal - and three of them in overtime.After Boston's elimination Sunday, head coach Bruce Cassidy said missing three of the team's top defensemen caught up with the club, according to Joe Haggerty of CSN New England.Torey Krug, Adam McQuaid, and Brandon Carlo missed the entire first-round series with their respective injuries, and a quick glance at their regular-season stats indicates how important they were to the Bruins.Player GP Goals Points Blocks Average Time on IceKrug818518221:36McQuaid7721014420:48Carlo8261611518:14Cassidy said Carlo and McQuaid would have been assets for the team's penalty kill, and Boston missed Krug's puck-moving ability.The depleted Bruins made the Senators work, and one can't help but think that a healthier Boston back end could have made a significant impact on the series.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Erik Karlsson was a marvel in the first round of the playoffs, and yet he wasn't even playing at full health.Following the Ottawa Senators' dramatic Game 6 overtime win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday - to send them to the second round - Karlsson admitted he played the series with two hairline fractures in his left heel, according to ESPN.com's Joe McDonald.Karlsson explained that the injury occurred when he blocked a shot in a March 28 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. That ailment forced Karlsson to miss five games.Fortunately for the Senators, it doesn't appear as though the injury should impact Karlsson much longer."I've been playing on shots (injections) and by Thursday it should be back to normal," Karlsson said.Despite the ailment, Karlsson has been his usual offensive self, leading all defensemen in the playoffs with six points (all assists).Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau, Minnesota Wild center Mikael Granlund, and Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues are this year's nominees for the Lady Byng Trophy, the league announced Sunday.The Lady Byng recognizes the player who best demonstrates sportsmanship combined with exceptional playing ability.Each of this year's nominees would be a first-time winner. Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings captured the trophy last season.Gaudreau appeared in 72 games with the Flames this season, recording 18 goals and 43 assists. He was whistled for just four penalty minutes.Granlund had a breakout season with the Wild, finishing with 26 goals and 43 assists in 81 games, alongside 12 penalty minutes.Tarasenko appeared in all 82 games for the Blues, registering 39 goals and 36 assists. He recorded 12 penalty minutes on the season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Clarke MacArthur scored the overtime winner on the power play in Game 6 as the Ottawa Senators eliminated the Boston Bruins on Sunday.The Senators will now play the New York Rangers in the second round.MacArthur was the fortunate recipient of a failed cross-ice pass by Bobby Ryan to Mike Hoffman that Tuukka Rask got a piece of, putting the puck onto the stick of the Senators forward.For MacArthur, the goal is that much more special after it looked as though problems with a concussion earlier in the year would not only keep him out for the season, but possibly put his career in jeopardy.In the end, the goal serves as MacArthur's second of the postseason, but easily his biggest.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Eric Staal reportedly sustained a head injury when he fell into the boards Saturday.The Minnesota Wild center was diagnosed with a concussion, but "everything else checks out OK," according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.Staal was taken to and then released from hospital after going headfirst into the boards in the second period of Game 5 against the St. Louis Blues, who later prevailed in overtime to end Minnesota's season.The veteran forward led the Wild with 28 goals and ranked second on the team with 65 points in the regular season.He signed a three-year, $10.5-million deal with the Wild last July 1.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Logan Couture had nothing but praise to heap on the San Jose Sharks' two elder statesmen after the season-ending loss that brought their respective futures to the forefront."You're asking a guy who's played with those guys for eight years," Couture told reporters, according to The Mercury News' Paul Gackle, after a 3-1 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of their first-round series sent the Sharks packing."I love those guys," Couture added. "They play hard. If you guys only knew what they play through. The respect level that I have for those two guys is just through the roof."Thornton and Marleau will both be unrestricted free agents this summer if unsigned by July 1.Both players are 37 years old, but they each proved this season that they have plenty left in the tank.Thornton ranked second on the club with 43 assists, and only captain Joe Pavelski averaged more ice time than the bearded one among Sharks forwards in the regular season.Marleau finished two goals behind Pavelski and Brent Burns for the team lead with 27, and scored three times in the six postseason contests.He wasn't ready to discuss his plans when asked postgame."I'm not even really thinking about that right now, just need to reflect on all that," Marleau said. "I'm just sad about losing tonight."Understandably, Thornton was equally noncommittal in the immediate aftermath."I just loved being their teammates, it was a real pleasure," he said.Marleau is the Sharks' all-time leader in games played, goals, and points, and he ranks second behind Thornton on San Jose's all-time assist list. He's spent all 19 seasons of his NHL career with the Sharks.Thornton ranks in the franchise's top three in all of those categories, and he's been in teal since being acquired from the Boston Bruins in 2005. He's said in the past that he could see himself retiring as a Shark, and has also quipped that he hopes to play as long as Jaromir Jagr.Both players were on the books for just under $7 million this season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Capitals and Maple Leafs brought their A-games to the media ahead of Sunday night's pivotal Game 6, as Washington looks to end Toronto's season.Two days after Mike Babcock bid Verizon Center staff farewell with "See you in a couple days," Capitals defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said he shares the Maple Leafs head coach's sentiments."We're ready to go home and say hello to the Verizon guys on Monday as well, just getting ready for series two," he said, according to the Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan.Strong. That's Shattenkirk giving 110 percent in the postseason.Here are some more select quotes from both clubs ahead of Sunday's 7 p.m. puck drop:"I think Washington's a beautiful city so I wouldn't mind going back," Toronto agitator Nazem Kadri said."This is the fun time of year," Caps head coach Barry Trotz said. "It's stressful at times, but it's fun."Alex Ovechkin, who took a big hit from Kadri in Game 5, said he's just fine."I take a hit and we win the game so I'll take those hits every day," Ovie said.He also knows what's at stake."They're young, but they're tough," Ovechkin said about the Leafs, who have punched back against the NHL's top team at every turn, with all five games decided by one goal and four of them requiring extra time. "They never stop so it's a challenge. It's going to be an interesting game."You don't want to give them extra air and extra motivation to play Game 7," he added. "We know exactly what we have to do."The Caps may know what they require, but that hasn't exactly mattered in the past:

Sample size, anyone?The Montreal Canadiens' and Minnesota Wild's seasons ended Saturday, the clubs joining the Chicago Blackhawks as 100-plus point teams eliminated in the first round. All shared the same fate: Beaten by otherworldly goaltending.Here are the five-on-five save percentages of Henrik Lundqvist, Jake Allen, and Pekka Rinne after the first round:Goalie GP EV SV% EV GA EV SvsRinne4.9911114Allen5.9685152Lundqvist6.9528158That has to be one of the finer four-game stretches of Rinne's career, because those numbers are downright silly, but the Nashville Predators' defense deserves a ton of credit, too. Look at what they were able to do to Chicago:(Courtesy: @IneffectiveMath)Hot goalie, hot team, hot coach. A perfect Nashville storm.However, if you heard Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman's presser on Saturday, you'd have no idea he was talking about a team that two years ago won its third Stanley Cup in seven seasons with a core built around Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, and head coach Joel Quenneville."Completely disappointed. It's unacceptable. I'm frustrated. I'm angry," Bowman said."Complete failure," he threw in for good measure, adding that changes would be made after a second straight first-round exit, this one after the Blackhawks' second 50-win season in franchise history.Should a team be judged based on 82 games, or four? Even if the club overachieved a little bit in the regular season, at least according to Kane, you decide.That's why he's the KingThe Habs were the better team at five on five against New York. Okay, perhaps "better" is subjective, but Montreal certainly had the puck more often.Team Corsi For Corsi Against Corsi % Corsi RankCanadiens33530152.67%3rdRangers30133547.33%14th(Data Courtesy: Corsica Hockey)Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty finished with more fighting majors than goals in six games (one to zero), and 28 shots. That's a zero shooting percentage for a five-time 30-goal scorer (and three-time 35-goal scorer) and career 11.4 percent shooter. Believe it or not, he's the same Pacioretty who shot 10.9 percent in last year's postseason.It gets crazier. People in Montreal are actually, physically, in real life talking about trading goaltender Carey Price, a Vezina Trophy finalist this season, who stopped 93.3 percent of the shots the Rangers fired at him, and 93.6 at even strength. That's exactly what you don't do when you lose to King Henrik.This version of the Canadiens was far from perfect, it's clear the team needs more offense, but if you think Pacioretty and Price - Carey Price! - are the problem, you need to log off of Twitter, go for a long walk in the woods, and re-evaluate some of your life decisions.Allen delivers the BluesAllen didn't go into the playoffs for St. Louis with a standout spring resume going back to 2015. The opposite, actually. And check out the shot totals after the Blues' five-game series win.PlayoffsGPSV%SASV2015 & 201611.90219317420175.956182174Yeah, that'll do.The poor Wild. Alive since 2000, this was Minnesota's best statistical season, with the club setting franchise records in wins (49) and points (106). And just like that, they're done. And it's because of Allen.Team CF CA Corsi% Corsi RankWild28318260.86%1stBlues18228339.14%16th(Data Courtesy: Corsica Hockey)The irony: Minnesota ranked 20th in possession during the regular season, coming in at 49.35 percent. They finally had the puck - like, all the time - and couldn't do a bloody thing with it. That's hockey, sometimes.Possession ain't god, but ...Look, possession isn't everything. No one's saying it is. But the top three possession teams in the first round - Minnesota, Montreal, and the Columbus Blue Jackets - are done after five, six, and five games, respectively.Once the regular season ends, it doesn't matter. That's the truth. But another truth is that anything can happen in the playoffs, that luck is a big reason why a team ends up moving on, and even winning the Stanley Cup.Allen and Rinne can, in fact, stop basically everything you throw at them over a week (we already knew Lundqvist could). Does that mean you blow up your team, based on four-to-six games?A short series due to a hot goalie and some poor luck is just that - a short series due to a hot goalie and some bad luck. View it in a vacuum at your peril.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Look, it's only natural to want change after a premature playoff exit, but dealing Carey Price would be asinine.The Montreal Canadiens fell short of expectations again this season, but trading away the Hart and Vezina Trophy winner is not the solution.

The Los Angeles Kings are staying in house.John Stevens is the next head coach of the team, the club announced Sunday.It's a promotion for the 50-year-old, who has been an associate head coach with the club since 2014. A press conference will take place Monday at 1:30 p.m. local time at the Staples Center.Stevens was the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers from October 2006 through December 2009, compiling a record of 120-109-34 in the regular season and 11-12 in the playoffs. He joined Los Angeles after his time in Philly, and the 2017-18 season will be his eighth with the Kings.New general manager Rob Blake said the following in the team's release:

We're about to find out what a bunch of hockey-playing millennials are made of.The Maple Leafs host the Washington Capitals in Game 6 of their first-round series Sunday evening, with Toronto facing elimination after its second overtime loss - and third one-goal loss - of the series Friday.The young Leafs have - to put it simply - played with the veteran back-to-back Presidents' Trophy winners, in what's been one of the more entertaining series of the playoffs' opening round. And if they can force a one-game showdown, all bets may truly be off.So, will they?While Toronto's thought to be playing with house money, and the Capitals looking to exorcise some serious spring demons, Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock knows what his team needs to be Sunday."If we don't win, we go home," he said, according to the Associated Press. "There should be no more desperate team than us and we're well aware and understand that fully."Special teams may be the difference, which means Toronto needs to play the game at even strength - and continue what it's doing:(Courtesy: @IneffectiveMath)Babcock's also going to need his goalie, Frederik Andersen, to have a night, because Washington is enjoying good times in the Toronto zone.(Courtesy: @IneffectiveMath)Game 7, if necessary, will be played Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET in the District.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It was a day of retribution in the NHL's coaching community.All three head coaches who won playoff series Saturday did so against clubs they used to work for.Mike Yeo guided the St. Louis Blues to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Minnesota Wild, eliminating the team that fired him in February of last year.Alain Vigneault led the New York Rangers to a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens, knocking out the organization with whom he spent parts of four seasons in his first NHL head-coaching job.Todd McLellan helped the Edmonton Oilers move on to the second round with a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks, who employed him for seven seasons before he joined the Oilers in May 2015.Vigneault's triumph came on home ice, and he coached the Vancouver Canucks for seven years between his Canadiens and Rangers tenures, but the wins were likely a little sweeter for Yeo and McLellan, who ended their former teams' seasons in their old workplaces.It's a long way off, but if the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators can advance to the Stanley Cup Final, Barry Trotz would face the organization with whom he spent 15 campaigns as head coach from 1998-99 to 2013-2014.If the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs reach the championship round, Randy Carlyle and Mike Babcock would both be battling their former clubs for a chance to lift Lord Stanley's mug.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers can thank two defensive gaffes by the San Jose Sharks for their pivotal Game 6 victory.The Oilers won their first series since defeating the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in five games during the 2005-06 season. It was a tight game, and ultimately came down to a stretch of just 56 seconds early in the second period which saw Leon Draisaitl and Anton Slepyshev net breakaway goals.The Sharks made it close with Patrick Marleau's late tally, but Connor McDavid had the last laugh, scoring his second of the series with less than a second left in regulation into an empty net.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Leon Draisaitl and Anton Slepyshev scored on breakaways in the opening minutes of the second period and the Edmonton Oilers advanced to the second round of the playoffs with 3-1 victory in Game 6 over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.Draisaitl and Slepyshev each buried their chances for their first career playoff goals and the Oilers held off the Sharks after that to get the win in their first playoff series since getting to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006. Connor McDavid iced the game with an empty-net goal with less than a second to play for his first even-strength point of the series.Patrick Marleau got the Sharks on the board with 7:48 left in the third period, but Cam Talbot didn't allow anything else on 28 shots to get the win.Edmonton will take a young roster led by NHL scoring leader McDavid and eight other skaters under the age of 25 into the second round against Anaheim.The defending Western Conference champion Sharks had a quick exit this year in the playoffs as they never fully recovered after blowing a two-goal lead in Game 5 in Edmonton.Martin Jones made 18 saves, but couldn't stop the two breakaways and the offense failed to deliver in what could have been the final home game for longtime Sharks greats Joe Thornton and Marleau. The 37-year-old forwards are both free agents this summer and it is uncertain whether the Sharks will bring them back for another run.The Sharks nearly got the equalizer on a late power play, but Joe Pavelski's backhand attempt hit the cross bar and post.This game turned in the opening minutes of the second period. It started when Oscar Klefbom blocked Justin Braun's point shot and Adam Larsson sprung Draisaitl on a breakaway. Draisaitl held off Braun and then beat Jones between the pads to make it 1-0.After having no points in the first four games and getting ejected in Game 4 for a spearing penalty, Draisaitl played a big role in the final two wins with a pair of assists, including one on the OT winner in Game 5, and the first goal in the clincher.Just 56 seconds later, Slepyshev got into the action when Paul Martin mishandled a pass from Chris Tierney at the point. Slepyshev raced to the puck and got in alone on Jones on the goal to make it 2-0 just 1:50 into the period.The Sharks finally found their game after that and put on heavy pressure late in the second period, but Talbot made a nice save on Marleau in alone and Marcus Sorensen hit the cross bar on another chance.After dominating the overtime in their Game 5 win, the Oilers picked right up from there and controlled the play in the opening period of Game 6. They had the decided edge in shot attempts and scoring chances but neither team was able to score.San Jose's best chance came short-handed when Talbot stopped Melker Karlsson alone in front.NOTES: Klefbom did not play the third period with Edmonton. ... F Joonas Donskoi returned to the lineup for the Sharks in place of Timo Meier.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild forward Eric Staal appears to have escaped serious injury after a scary incident during Saturday's game.The 32-year-old, who crashed headfirst into the end boards in the second period of Game 5, was transported to Regions Hospital and released soon after, the team announced.Related: Wild's Staal taken to hospital after crashing into end boards headfirstStaal was said to be alert and stable prior to being transported to hospital.While he only managed one assist during the five-game series, he was vital to the team's regular-season success, pacing the team with 28 goals and finishing second with 65 points.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It was a tight series between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers, but in the end the club that was able to solve the opposition's netminder reigned victorious.With a 3-1 Game 6 victory, the Rangers punched their ticket to the second round, leaving the Canadiens to wonder what went wrong.It shouldn't take the club too much pondering to realize the biggest fault was that their offense dried up. It was an offense that sat in the middle of the pack during the regular season and one that, to general manager Marc Bergevin, didn't need upgrading.Looking back, it became clear ahead of the trade deadline that the Canadiens' biggest need was more offense. Carey Price had been good most of the year, but made it clear he could - on occasion - be just really good instead of unbeatable.He wasn't going to be able to solve all of the team's mistakes.So the club needed to find goals, but rather than adding potential scorers such as Martin Hanzal or Patrick Eaves, the team elected to add size in Dwight King, Steve Ott, Andreas Martinsen, Brandon Davidson, and Jordie Benn.Sure, adding Benn and Davidson was acceptable in that both helped out on the back end, but the forwards acquired are evidence of some head-scratching management.The contingent mentioned above - and Nikita Nesterov, who was also acquired ahead of the trade deadline - combined for no goals and no points in the series.The three forwards mentioned above only contributed one goal (by King) during their time with the Canadiens.In fact, David Desharnais - dealt to the Edmonton Oilers for Davidson - has contributed a goal - in overtime - and an assist this postseason.In the six games, the Canadiens averaged just 1.83 goals, the fourth-worst mark in the playoffs, with the Oilers being the only team below them still alive.The onus will surely fall on captain Max Pacioretty, and rightfully so, as he failed to record a single goal, only posting a single assist in the series. However, the fact is the Canadiens' offense was in question long before the playoffs began and the team had adequate time to address it.Sure, Hanzal's asking price may have been ridiculous, but in the end, Bergevin failed to improve the club as they made their march into the postseason and the results now speak for themselves.No one's going to be able to hide behind a fern on this one.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It wasn't supposed to end like this for the Montreal Canadiens.After finishing atop the Atlantic Division standings, the Canadiens find themselves bounced from the Stanley Cup Playoffs after six first-round games against the New York Rangers, leaving captain Max Pacioretty with an empty feeling."We had a great opportunity to do something this year," he said, according to Frank Seravalli of TSN. "It feels like a wasted effort."For his part, Pacioretty finished the series with zero goals on a team-high 28 shots, and knows he'll have to answer questions about his inability to score over what will be a longer-than-expected offseason.

All hail the king.Henrik Lundqvist came out on top of a playoff battle with Carey Price, preserving a series-clinching win over the Montreal Canadiens with a last-minute toe save off the stick of Tomas Plekanec.Lundqvist stopped 27 of 28 shots to help his team advance to the next round.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mats Zuccarello scored twice in the second period and the New York Rangers beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 in Game 6 on Saturday night to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.Derek Stepan also scored and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 27 shots to help New York get past the first round for the fifth time in six years. The Rangers won three straight after falling behind 2-1 to beat Montreal for the ninth time in 16 postseason series.The Rangers will face the winner of the Ottawa-Boston series, which the Senators lead 3-2.Alexei Emelin scored for Montreal and Carey Price finished with 20 saves.The Canadiens, winners of the Atlantic Division after missing the playoffs last year, were bounced from the postseason by the Rangers for the second time in four years. In 2014, it was in the conference finals.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two surprising combatants engaged in a round of fisticuffs early in Game 6.Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty and New York Rangers rookie Jimmy Vesey dropped the gloves after exchanging checks after the whistle Saturday. This after Alexander Radulov had sprayed Henrik Lundqvist with a little snow while crashing the net.Both Pacioretty and Vesey, who remain in search of their first goals of the series, earned seven minutes in the penalty box for their transgressions.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues entered the opening round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs as overwhelming underdogs, going up against a Minnesota Wild team expected to challenge for the title of Western Conference champions.Instead, the Blues advanced to the next stage and a date with the Nashville Predators following a five-game series win over head coach Mike Yeo's former club.Here are three players who came up huge along the way:Jake AllenThis series was essentially stolen by the rejuvenated Blues goalie.At one point this season, a struggling Allen was afforded time to step away from the crease and clear his head. He was able to find his game with the help of assistant general manager, goalie coach, and NHL legend Martin Brodeur, and, as a result, couldn't have been much better against the Wild.Over the five games, Allen faced 182 shots and stopped 174 of them - good for a .956 save percentage.Put another way, Minnesota averaged 36.4 shots per game - second only to Columbus' 38.8 - while St. Louis ranks last among all 16 playoff teams with 26.8.With the ice seemingly tilted toward the Blues' zone, Allen was without question the difference in this series.Vladimir SobotkaThe St. Louis Blues weren't sure they'd ever see Sobotka again, and now there's no telling where they'd be without him.Unwilling to settle for a deal awarded to him in arbitration back in 2014, the forward chose instead to ply his trade in the KHL over the past few seasons. His hiatus, however, ended on April 6, when he decided to return to the club for the balance of this season, while also signing a three-year extension.Sobotka scored a goal in his lone regular-season appearance, and went on to play a big role in St. Louis' win over the Wild.In those five games, he recorded one goal and two assists, beautifully setting up the series-clinching goal by Magnus Paajarvi. He also came up big in the faceoff circle when called upon, and logged heavy minutes in all situations.The Blues were wise to lock him up upon his return, because his stock as a free agent would have been way up based on his playoff performance to date.Jaden SchwartzA talented young winger led the Blues in scoring in this series, but not the one you might expect.No, it wasn't Vladimir Tarasenko who did most of the damage offensively, but rather Jaden Schwartz, whose five points were more than any other player on the team.More to the point, Schwartz's two goals were both of the game-winning variety, with a late third period snipe in Game 2 putting the Wild in a hole they wouldn't climb out of.He fell short of his previous regular-season career highs this year, but might just have saved it all up for when it mattered most.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues may have only needed five games to get past the Minnesota Wild, but Bruce Boudreau feels his squad was the better of the two."They weren't the better team - but they won four games," Boudreau said, according to Dawn Mitchell of Fox 9 Sports.While the comments may come off merely as sour grapes from a coach trying to stick by his team's side, Boudreau's assessment may not be that far-fetched.In fact, the Wild led the Blues in many important statistical categories throughout the series.Wild (Playoff Rank) StatBlues (Playoff Rank)36.4 (2)Shots per game26.8 (16)26.8 (1)Shots against per game36.4 (15)16.7% (T-9)Power Play6.7% (15)93.3% (2)Penalty Kill83.3% (T-6)57.4% (1)Faceoffs42.6% (16)Unfortunately for Boudreau and the Wild, in a tight series - and one in which Jake Allen played out of his mind - a few bad bounces can make all the difference.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.