Another year, another early exit from a Bruce Boudreau-led club.Magnus Paajarvi broke the hearts of the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, ending the team's comeback hopes in Game 5 and beyond with a beautiful wrist shot for his first career playoff goal.Related - Watch: Paajarvi's OT snipe sends Blues to 2nd roundThe win was huge for the Blues, who entered the series as underdogs against the second-ranked team in the Western Conference.For the Blues, the win is a great achievement, but for Boudreau, it marks an all-too-familiar trend of his teams making early exits from the playoffs.For the second straight year, Boudreau has watched his team be sent packing in the first round after his Anaheim Ducks were ousted by the Nashville Predators in seven games a year ago.However, this year was slightly different as it was the first time in Boudreau's nine trips to the playoffs that his team wasn't the division winner. Still, with 106 regular-season points, the Wild were no slouch and were expected to have a better fate.Nevertheless, the Wild are just the latest in Boudreau's failed attempts at Stanley Cup glory.YearTeamDivision RankingRound Eliminated (Games Played)07-08Capitals11 (7)08-09Capitals12 (14)09-10Capitals11 (7)10-11Capitals12 (9)12-13Ducks11 (7)13-14Ducks12 (13)14-15Ducks13 (16)15-16Ducks11 (7)16-17Wild21 (5)What makes his early exits all the more surprising is that his teams have generally posted incredible regular-season records.In fact, Boudreau's career points percentage of .658 is the highest in NHL history of any coach with more than 210 games coached.All this considered, it's hard to knock Boudreau for his team's effort in the series. The Wild averaged the second most shots per game at 36.4, while giving up a playoff low 26.8.Call it bad luck, call it a curse, call it what have you, but once again a Boudreau-coached team's season has come to an end much earlier than expected.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Things were supposed to be different this time.The Minnesota Wild entered the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs with high hopes, and rightfully so, after a successful first season with Bruce Boudreau behind the bench.Five games later, they find themselves eliminated at the hands of the St. Louis Blues, and forward Erik Haula didn't hold back when describing the mood around the team following Saturday's Game 5 overtime loss."What is this, five years in a row? I'm sick of it. We're all sick of it," he said, according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. "You can say this or that. I'm just so pissed off."Minnesota has indeed been eliminated within the opening two rounds in each of the past five postseasons, but defenseman Ryan Suter echoed the sentiment that this year was supposed to be different."The team we had this year, this year had a different feel ..." he said. "We had a team that could've gone far."The Wild finished fifth in the NHL standings with 106 points, but won just a single game when it mattered most.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals, and Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens are the Vezina Trophy finalists.Holtby is the reigning winner, but Price (2015) and Bobrovsky (2013) have also previously been named the NHL's top goalie.Here's how they stacked up against each other during the regular season:PlayerGamesRecordSave %ShutoutsSergei Bobrovsky6341-17-5.9327Braden Holtby6342-13-6.9259Carey Price6237-20-5.9233The NHL awards will be handed out June 21 in Las Vegas.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues forward Magnus Paajarvi scored the overtime winner 9:42 into the extra period Saturday, giving the Blues a 4-3 victory and the 4-1 series win over the Minnesota Wild.The Wild made it interesting, though. After the Blues took a 3-1 lead midway through the third period, the Wild stormed back, tying the game late in regulation to send it to overtime.Related - Watch: Zucker's patient strike sends game to OTFor the Wild, this marks the second straight season they've bowed out in the first round. Meanwhile, the Blues advance past the first round for the second straight year.As for Paajarvi, his winner is just his second point of the series, and his first career playoff goal.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild won't go gently.The Wild climbed out of a two-goal hole in the third period Saturday to send Game 5 to overtime. The game-tying goal came courtesy of Jason Zucker, who displayed incredible patience in out-waiting Jake Allen before depositing the puck into the St. Louis Blues goal.The goal was Zucker's first point of the series.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are inspiring hope around the NHL.After finishing 30th overall last season, the upstart Leafs are in the process of giving the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals all they can handle in the opening round of the playoffs, leading Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets to believe his team could be next."We want to be that team,” Scheifele told Michael Traikos of Postmedia. "You see that any team can go on that run. You see that a team can go from last to the playoffs, and that’s something that we have to strive for. We can’t look at ourselves as young or inexperienced. Toronto did that and they’re just as young as we are."The Jets finished seven points out of a wild-card playoff spot and 20th overall this season, but do boast a wealth of young talent on the roster and in the system, beginning with Scheifele himself, who averaged over a point per game this year.He's immediately followed by Patrik Laine - selected one spot after Toronto's Auston Matthews in 2016 - who's in the running for the Calder Trophy, with Nikolaj Ehlers also coming off a breakout campaign.For Scheifele, merely being in the running for a postseason berth isn't near good enough for the Jets."We have to believe in ourselves. Just missing out on the playoffs can’t be satisfactory. We have to be better than that."First up for Scheifele will be a run with Team Canada at the upcoming World Championship in France and Germany, where he could very well enjoy the experience of winning.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild center Eric Staal was helped off the ice during the second period of Game 5 against the St. Louis Blues after crashing into the end boards following a scoring opportunity.Prior to the start of the third period, the Wild announced Staal is alert and stable and has been taken to hospital for further observation.Staal appeared to catch goalie Jake Allen's right leg, and lost his balance without being able to brace himself for impact.Staal remained down on the ice for a few minutes before being helped off by medical staff and teammates.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Artturi Lehkonen is making it easier for the Montreal Canadiens to stomach Max Pacioretty's struggles.The Canadiens trail the New York Rangers 3-2 in their first-round series, but Lehkonen has scored twice in the last three contests, and he posted a pair of points in Game 5 on Thursday night.Meanwhile, Pacioretty led the Canadiens with 35 goals and 67 points in the regular season, but has been held goalless in all five playoff contests, while being limited to just a lone assist in the series.That's why Lehkonen's contributions have been so vital for Montreal, which will be looking to stave off elimination in Game 6 on Saturday night.The rookie notched 18 goals in the regular season, and that success has carried over to the postseason. He's now playing on the Canadiens' second line alongside Tomas Plekanec and Brendan Gallagher.And Lehkonen is drawing rave reviews from his head coach."He’s just one of those players that keeps impressing all the time,” Claude Julien said Thursday, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.“To me, he’s way ahead of his curve of development. Unbelievable hockey sense. Incredible poise. He’s one of those guys that if you came to watch a hockey game and didn’t know any of the players, you would never think this is a young guy in his first year.”The Canadiens must have seen something other teams didn't when they selected Lehkonen with the 55th overall pick in 2013.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues are welcoming Paul Stastny back to the lineup Saturday.He's in for Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild after missing the last 14 games with a foot injury.Stastny will skate on the top line with Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz, as he did in practice Friday.He collected 18 goals and 40 points in 66 regular-season contests.The Blues entered Saturday's game leading the first-round series 3-1.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks' season is over, but Patrick Kane is still talking.The star forward took a shot at the Nashville Predators' style of play at Chicago's postmortem session Saturday."A team like that, you kind of hope they don't win," Kane told reporters, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. "I don't know if that's necessarily the best way to watch hockey games."Kane said Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville was calling the Predators' trapping system "Red Rover."Nashville shut out Chicago in both of the first two games in what was a four-game sweep by the Predators, limiting the Blackhawks to only three goals in the series.Kane scored one of those, in Game 3, and chipped in with an assist in Game 4, but both he and Jonathan Toews were essentially held in check by goaltender Pekka Rinne and the Nashville defense.The Predators weren't a particularly dominant defensive team in the regular season, ranking 15th with 2.68 goals allowed per game. The Blackhawks came into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak and thus finished on an eight-game skid, with their last win coming March 31.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins prevailed in Game 5 of their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators in double overtime Friday night, but coach Bruce Cassidy still had a line ready about the Bruins' goal that was called back earlier in extra time."I guess I've been out of the league a long time. I didn't know you had to win by two in overtime," Cassidy quipped to reporters Saturday, according to Mike Loftus of the Patriot Ledger.Noel Acciari appeared to score the game-winner with about five minutes left in the first overtime, but it was ruled no goal on the ice and that call was upheld upon review.Bruins rookie Sean Kuraly's second goal of the game - and second of his NHL career - won it in double overtime, essentially rendering the controversy moot.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Barry Trotz has a pretty morbid metaphor for the situation his Washington Capitals will be in on Sunday night."If you have the opportunity to push someone off the cliff, you want to push them off," the head coach told reporters Saturday, according to Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press.The Capitals have the Leafs on the edge of the proverbial precipice, holding a 3-2 series lead thanks to Justin Williams' overtime winner in Game 5 on Friday night.If Washington fails to send Toronto plummeting into the offseason abyss on Sunday, the Capitals will host Game 7 on Tuesday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Andrew Shaw will miss his first game of the playoffs on Saturday night.The Montreal Canadiens pest is dealing with an injury and won't be in the lineup for Game 6 against the New York Rangers, Canadiens head coach Claude Julien confirmed after the morning skate.Brian Flynn will appear in his first 2016-17 playoff game in Shaw's absence.The Canadiens trail the Rangers 3-2 in the series, and they'll be looking to avoid elimination in hostile territory at Madison Square Garden.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For a brief moment, Alex Ovechkin had something in common with many sports fans.The Washington Capitals star said he was doing several relatable activities while in the dressing room for repairs after taking a big hit from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri late in the first period of Game 5 on Friday night."I was watching TV," Ovechkin said postgame, via Sportsnet. "Just (having) a Coke and watch(ing) the match."Kadri was handed a two-minute tripping minor for the hip check that forced Ovechkin to take the brief trip to the dressing room, and while the Capitals captain was in there, T.J. Oshie opened the scoring on the ensuing power play.Ovechkin often appears superhuman, but sometimes he shows he's just like us.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Stan Bowman isn't going to fire his head coach.The Chicago Blackhawks general manager put any chatter about Joel Quenneville's future to rest as the club met with media for the last time this season Saturday morning."Joel is our head coach. He will continue to be our head coach," Bowman told reporters, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Mark Lazerus. And Joel and I will work together to make sure this (sweep) never happens again."The GM said other moves will be made, but didn't go into detail.

Sean Kuraly went from being largely unknown to saving the Boston Bruins' season.His first NHL goal tied Game 5 of the Bruins' first-round series against the Ottawa Senators on Friday night, and his second career marker ended the double-overtime affair while helping Boston stave off elimination.Unless you're a hardcore Bruins fan or a college hockey aficionado, you might not be too familiar with the 24-year-old center. So just how did he go from relative obscurity to scoring an overtime winner in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?Until Friday night's heroics, Kuraly was essentially the answer to a trivia question.He wasn't a highly touted prospect, falling to the fifth round in the 2011 draft before the San Jose Sharks chose him 133rd overall. Before his Game 5 double dip, Kuraly was primarily known for being part of the package that netted the Sharks their No. 1 goaltender, Martin Jones.In late June 2015, the Sharks shipped Kuraly to Boston along with a 2016 first-round pick that became prospect Trent Frederic in exchange for Jones. While the netminder was obviously the centerpiece of the deal, Kuraly was more than just a throw-in.He was specifically targeted by John Ferguson Jr., Bruins executive director of player personnel, who served as the Sharks' director of pro scouting from 2008-14.Here's how that went down, as described by The Boston Globe's Fluto Shinzawa in July 2015:

Sean Kuraly made his case to be a permanent fixture in the Boston Bruins' lineup.The rookie forward scored his second goal of Game 5 in double overtime, helping his team avoid elimination and take the opening-round series back to Boston.Kuraly, 24, entered the postseason with one assist in eight appearances with the Bruins, meaning his offensive outburst in Game 5 marked his first two goals at the NHL level.The double-overtime winner came after Boston appeared to have won in the fourth period, only to have it disallowed due to goalie interference.Kuraly, by the way, was inserted into the lineup as a replacement for Ryan Spooner - a decision that certainly paid off for interim head coach Bruce Cassidy.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Upon further review, no goal.Boston Bruins forward Noal Acciari appeared to score a season-saving overtime goal Friday in Game 5, but it was disallowed after video review due to goaltender interference on the part of Sean Kuraly.Judge for yourself:

The Toronto Maple Leafs had the NHL's second-best power play throughout the regular season, but it was their inability to generate any sort of offense with the man advantage that cost them a crucial Game 5 tilt with the Washington Capitals on Friday night.The Leafs went 0-for-4 on the power play, failing to take advantage of the Capitals' undisciplined penalties. They didn't just fail to score while up a man, they weren't able to generate much pressure, either.Power playShots attemptedShots on goal1st002nd103rd524th52Toronto only managed to throw four pucks on goal during four power plays, and at least two of them were weak shots from the outside.Their one glorious opportunity with the man advantage came when Washington turned the puck over off a Toronto dump-in, leaving James van Riemsdyk all alone in front. He attempted to slide the puck through Braden Holtby's five hole, rather than waiting out the netminder and lifting it over his right pad.The most glaring issue was that Toronto's zone entries on the power play were stymied by Washington's penalty killers.Defenseman Jake Gardiner, who quarterbacks a unit featuring Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Connor Brown, and Leo Komarov, said postgame that they need to change something on their power play, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Gardiner appears to be channeling his inner Captain Obvious.(Courtesy: Action Images)Head coach Mike Babcock pointed to Toronto's weak zone entries after the game."Well, not winning any faceoffs and our entries haven't been very good," Babcock told reporters when asked why the power play struggled."We'll have to go back to the drawing board," he added. "They've done a good job on that and then obviously they've got in our head a little bit there because we're not coming with the same kind of pace we normally do on entries."Like many teams, the Leafs opt to skate the puck up to the neutral zone and drop it back to a deep player with a full head of steam. Whether that puck-carrier was Matthews, Nylander, or Mitch Marner, nobody was very successful.This tactic was awfully successful throughout the regular season, but in a seven-game series, opponents begin to catch on.Even in the few occasions where they were able to get the puck into Washington's zone, their setup was short-lived. The Capitals did a great job taking away time and space from Toronto's skilled players on the half wall, and of blocking shots when Toronto was able to find some space.Whatever adjustments need to be made with their power play, the Leafs have arguably the best coach in the business in Babcock to find and fix the issues.If the Maple Leafs can't get their power play going in Game 6, there likely won't be a Game 7.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite being on the brink of elimination, Mike Babcock appears quite confident in the Toronto Maple Leafs chances in Game 6.The club dropped Game 5 in Washington on Friday thanks to an overtime tally by Justin Williams just over a minute into the extra period. The loss puts the Maple Leafs just one loss away from elimination, but as Babcock left Verizon Center he appeared confident he would be back for Game 7 in a few days:

The Russian machine never breaks, as they say.Alex Ovechkin's resilience was on full display in Game 5, as the Washington Capitals superstar returned shortly after being upended by Toronto's Nazem Kadri.Related: Ovechkin forced from game momentarily after Kadri hip checkDefenseman Nate Schmidt described the captain perfectly, telling Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post: "Just replace the parts and keep going."The sentiment was echoed by goaltender Braden Holtby, with a subtle nod to the Russian winger's machine-like nature:

Mr. Game 7 came up clutch for the Washington Capitals in Game 5 on Friday night.Justin Williams fired the overtime winner past Frederik Andersen just 1:04 into the extra frame to give the Capitals a 3-2 series lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs.The goal was Williams' third of the postseason, giving him a share of the team lead in that category with T.J. Oshie and Tom Wilson.The series now shifts to Toronto for Game 6 on Sunday, where the Capitals will have the chance to eliminate the Maple Leafs on their home rink.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins took a hit at the center position Friday night.David Krejci left Friday's game after a knee-on-knee collision with Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Wideman.The Bruins later ruled out Krejci's return. He was playing in his third postseason game in which he's been held pointless.The Bruins are down three games to one.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Never change, Wes McCauley.Known for some highly entertaining announcements from center ice, the NHL official was at it again in Friday's Game 5 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals, firmly announcing no goal after some in Verizon Center thought Evgeny Kuznetsov had scored.

Hockey is a fast game.After receiving a breakout pass from Nicklas Backstrom in transition, Nazem Kadri came flying in and clipped Alex Ovechkin with a hip check to the knee, sending the Great Eight spiraling into the air.Ovechkin left the game favoring his left knee and didn't return for the final two-and-a-half minutes in the first period, but has since returned for the second period. Kadri received a two-minute minor for tripping on the play.The hip check is a lost art in today's game, begging the question: Was Kadri's hit clean or dirty?Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators, Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks, and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning were named finalists for the Norris Trophy, which is awarded each year to the NHL's best defenseman.The three players finished the season atop the scoring leaderboard among players at their position, and were separated in terms of points per game by the slimmest of margins.PlayerGamesGoalsAssistsPointsPoints/GPBrent Burns822947760.93Victor Hedman791656720.91Erik Karlsson771754710.92Burns, it should be noted, held the lead in shots by a wide margin, while Karlsson ranked second in blocked shots - an area in which he previously lagged behind.All three logged heavy minutes in all situations, and clearly stood out as the top defenders in the NHL this season.Karlsson will be vying for his third Norris Trophy, while a win for either Burns or Hedman would be a first.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames clearly aren't satisfied with simply advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.General manager Brad Treliving addressed the media Friday in the aftermath of an opening-round series sweep at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, and he made it quite clear that several more postseason games should be the norm moving forward."It's time we raised the bar," he stated, per Postmedia's Kristen Odland.How that bar will be raised, Treliving believes, is through growth within the team's core group of young players.

With his team on the brink of elimination, Boston Bruins interim head coach Bruce Cassidy has made a lineup decision that could have a big impact on the future of Ryan Spooner.The 25-year-old center, who's set to become a restricted free agent this summer, will sit out Game 5 against the Ottawa Senators as the Bruins look to stave off elimination. At first, Cassidy said Spooner may not be playing at 100 percent health, but he later clarified the decision to insert rookie Sean Kuraly into the lineup."(Spooner) could play. This is more about what Sean brings right now," Cassidy said, per Joe Haggerty of CSNNE. "Clearly Ryan does some very good things for us, but we just made a decision that Sean, as a center iceman, will bring us some good qualities as well. So we had to make that decision."And what are those qualities?"I still think most of these games come down to the will at the puck, on the puck, around the puck," Cassidy added, according to Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. "And we just have to have that. We’ve got to outwill them at the puck, to win pucks, and once we have it, we’ve got to outwill them at the net to get second chances and we have to outwill them in our slot area."Spooner was often seen to be at odds with Claude Julien, and even admitted he didn't think the former head coach liked him as a player. Deployed on the wing to start the season under Julien and shifted back to center when Cassidy took over, he ultimately recorded 11 goals and 28 assists in 78 games, 10 points off his production from the season prior.With his current two-year, $1.9-million deal set to expire at season's end, Spooner's benching after only two assists in four playoff games certainly doesn't bode well for a contract extension with the Bruins.Kuraly, who came to Boston from San Jose as part of the Martin Jones trade, is under contract through to the end of next season, and has recorded one assist in 10 games with the Bruins.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sean Monahan has elected not to participate in the upcoming World Championship and to instead repair an injured wrist so he can be healthy heading into next season.The Calgary Flames forward spoke two days after his club was swept by the Anaheim Ducks, where he admitted he was asked by Team Canada to play, but he has other priorities."They did ask me and I’d love to go," Monahan said, according to Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald. "I'm going to get some kinks out of (my wrist) and be ready to go for next season."Related: Gaudreau headed to Paris for worlds, Giordano considering itWhile Monahan may have been laboring with a wrist injury, he didn't show it. The 22-year-old led the Flames in goals and points in the playoffs with four and five, respectively, in four games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders might be zeroing in on a new home.The club intends to file a bid with the state to construct a new arena at Belmont Park, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed Friday."Yes, there is a (request for proposal) for Belmont and I know they are going to participate in that," Bettman told a group from The Associated Press Sports Editors, according to Newsday's Mike Rose, Jim Baumbach, and Robert Brodsky.As he's said before, Bettman made it clear Islanders owners Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky are "reviewing their options" - another of which is the land next to Citi Field, home of Major League Baseball's New York Mets, in Willets Point."I believe that everyone thinks there is a terrific opportunity there, if not at Willets Point, to create a more hockey-friendly environment for the Islanders, which is something Scott is committed to do," Bettman said.The NHL club has been talking with the Mets' owners about collaborating on the potential development, sources told Newsday.Belmont Park has been on the Islanders' radar for months, as Newsday reported in July.A deadline is nearing for the team and Barclays Center officials to begin renegotiating their license agreement. That renegotiation period must happen before either side can opt out of the pact in January.The Islanders have been exploring alternatives to the current arena due to its well-documented lackluster ice conditions, poor sightlines, and the difficult commute it requires for many of the team's fans on Long Island.A report from Chris Botta in October claimed Barclays Center's piping system doesn't meet NHL requirements, and Bloomberg's Scott Soshnick reported in January that arena officials were looking at terminating their agreement with the Islanders.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Klas will be in session in Raleigh once again next fall.The Carolina Hurricanes signed defenseman Klas Dahlbeck to a one-year contract extension worth $850,000.Dahlbeck played mostly third-pairing minutes for Carolina this season, averaging under 14 minutes of ice time and contributing six points in 43 games.The 25-year-old was a restricted free agent. His new deal will give him a $100,000 raise, in terms of his cap hit.In October, Dahlbeck was claimed on waivers by the Hurricanes from the Arizona Coyotes, with whom he played 71 games in 2015-16.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kris Versteeg clearly doesn't want to play in Europe next season."If I'm sitting in Switzerland in September, my agent is getting fired," the pending unrestricted free-agent forward quipped to reporters, according to Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson, as the Calgary Flames cleaned out their stalls Friday.Versteeg, who'll be a UFA if unsigned by July 1, is coming off his best season since 2011-12 from a goal- and point-production standpoint.He scored 15 times and chipped in 37 points in the regular season for the Flames, who were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night.Versteeg scored in Game 3 and added three assists in the series.The 30-year-old signed a one-year deal with Calgary last October after joining the Edmonton Oilers training camp on a pro tryout.The Flames are Versteeg's seventh team in 10 NHL seasons.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jonathan Dahlen has put pen to paper with the Vancouver Canucks.Dahlen signed a three-year, entry-level contract, the club announced Friday.He was dealt to the Canucks by the Ottawa Senators in the Alex Burrows trade in late February.Related: 3 things to know about Jonathan DahlenThe 19-year-old forward scored 25 goals in 45 games playing his second full season with Timra in the Allsvenskan, Sweden's second-tier league. Dahlen was given the Golden Cage, awarded annually to the Allsvenskan's best junior player.He notched five goals in seven games for Sweden at the 2017 World Junior Championship, and was selected 42nd overall by the Senators in 2016.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrick Kane has a theory about why the Chicago Blackhawks' season ended Thursday, the club swept out of the playoffs by the Nashville Predators.Despite being the top seed in the Western Conference and winning 50 games for only the second time in club history, Chicago's done after scoring only three goals in four games against Nashville."Maybe we won a couple close games that might have made us feel like we were better than we really were," Kane said following Thursday's loss, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Mark Lazerus.The data suggests Kane may have a point. Chicago led the NHL in one-goal victories, with 24. The Blackhawks' winning percentage in one-goal wins was .571, which ranked seventh in the league. However, the six teams ahead of the Blackhawks were some of the league's best, and all playoff teams:Rank Team Win% 1-goal game1Flames.6902Capitals.6063Blues.5944Rangers.5905Penguins.5766Blue Jackets.5757Blackhawks.5718Canadiens.5619Oilers.55310Canucks.526A 50-win season doesn't happen by chance. The Blackhawks ran into a hot goalie, and a quietly dangerous team in the Predators, and now the soul-searching begins.There will be changes, especially on defense, but Chicago remains committed to its core of Kane, Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, and Corey Crawford. However, as Lazerus points out, Chicago was the oldest team in the league this season, and needs its young players - Ryan Hartman, Nick Schmaltz, Tanner Kero, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Alex DeBrincat - to continue making strides (and, in DeBrincat's case, to make the team).The Blackhawks have, in a way, spoiled their supporters by winning three Stanley Cups since 2010. Only one team ends up the champion in the end, and it can't always be Chicago.But the loss to Nashville stings, making it two straight years Chicago's been bounced in the first round."(It) certainly nullifies it to me," head coach Joel Quenneville said of his team's 50-win season. Six-and-a-half months out the window, just like that.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Johnny Gaudreau wants to play more hockey this season.His NHL season over after the Calgary Flames were swept in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks, Gaudreau confirmed Friday he'll be going to Paris to represent the U.S. at the world championship tournament.Gaudreau was limited to only two assists in four games against the Ducks. He played at the worlds in 2014, recording two goals and eight assists in eight games.Meanwhile, Gaudreau's teammate and Flames captain Mark Giordano is mulling over his participation for Team Canada, and will take two or three days to decide, according to Sportsnet's Roger Millions.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It ain't easy being the leader of the Montreal Canadiens.Max Pacioretty is goalless through five playoff games, the Habs are now facing elimination against the New York Rangers, and the captain is "missing," according to at least one intrepid Canadiens supporter.

The NHL's rookie class was incredibly deep this season, so it's only natural that a slew of phenoms would be left out when the three Calder Trophy finalists were announced Thursday.Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, and Zach Werenski all deserve their nominations, but many of their contemporaries could also be acknowledged for having impressive inaugural campaigns.Here are five rookies who might have played well enough to be finalists in any other year:William NylanderMatthews' teammate had himself a terrific first full campaign in the NHL, scoring 22 goals and adding 39 assists while missing only one game in the regular season.Nylander played 22 NHL games last season, three shy of the mark that would have disqualified him for the award in 2016-17, but that shouldn't diminish what he accomplished.The 20-year-old tied for third among rookies in points; placed second among all Leafs in helpers, fourth on the team in goals, and tied for third in points; and set a franchise rookie record with a 12-game point streak in March.Mitch MarnerThe Leafs showed off a trio of talented rookie centers this season.Marner led all rookies as well as the entire Leafs squad with 42 assists - setting a franchise rookie mark of his own with his 41st.The 19-year-old tied Nylander for third on the rookie points list with 61, and he did it in four fewer games.Matt MurrayMany forget that the Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender was eligible for this award, thanks to the same 25-game rule that allowed Chicago Blackhawks star Artemi Panarin to win it last year.Murray played 13 regular-season games for the Penguins last season before usurping Marc-Andre Fleury as the starter and helping Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup.He retained the No. 1 role when healthy this season, going 32-10-4 with a 2.41 GAA and a .923 save percentage. Murray certainly had some help in front of him, but the 22-year-old finished in the top 10 in the league in wins while making 49 appearances.Sebastian AhoOnly Matthews and Laine scored more goals than Aho among rookies this season.The Carolina Hurricanes winger notched 24 goals and finished fifth in the class with 49 points while playing every game.Those totals ranked him second on the club behind Jeff Skinner in both categories - an impressive feat for the 19-year-old, despite the Hurricanes' less than high-powered offense.Mikko RantanenThe Colorado Avalanche were by far the worst team in the NHL in 2016-17, but Rantanen was one of the club's lone bright spots.He led Colorado and finished in a tie for fifth among rookies with 20 goals, and although he only posted 38 points, that was good enough for third on the team, five points ahead of Gabriel Landeskog.The Avalanche may end up trading Landeskog and Matt Duchene at some point, but the 10th overall pick in 2015 should be a significant piece of the club's core for years to come.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This week, "On the Fly," theScore's NHL roundtable session, is essentially an autopsy of the Chicago Blackhawks, whose season ended Thursday in a most-shocking sweep at the hands of the Nashville Predators. We're asking the important questions: How? Why?Navin Vaswani: To keep it short and sweet: Pekka Rinne happened.Dude allowed three goals in four games, stopping 123 of 126 shots he faced in almost 13 periods (.976 percent, if you're into that kind of thing), while posting two clean sheets. That's hockey. That's life.It was a closely contested series. At 5-on-5, a wash:Team Corsi For Corsi Against Corsi For%Predators21120750.48%Blackhawks20721149.52%(Data courtesy: Corsica Hockey)Rinne was better than Corey Crawford, who leaves the playoffs with a nightmare .902 save percentage. Simple. And, truly, while a sweep certainly is surprising, the fact that Nashville won shouldn't be. The Predators are a legit team.An 82-game sample is always the most reliable, so check out the kind of defense the Predators played since October:(Image courtesy: Hockey Viz)Peter Laviolette's squad limited scoring chances from the slot all season, with the opposition only generating chances from the outside and high in the zone. Rinne gets hot, and it makes sense that the series is over in four.Nashville also played exceptionally disciplined hockey over the past week, taking only nine penalties in four games (the same can be said for Chicago, which took only eight). While the Blackhawks' power play ranked 19th at 18 percent during the season, Chicago puts out its most talented players when it's up a man, and there's some bloody exceptional talent on Joel Quenneville's bench. Two of Chicago's three (!) goals in the series came on the man advantage. Nashville had to stay out of the box, and it did.Chicago won Cups in 2013 and 2015, and many had the team doing it again in 2017, after the club somewhat quietly dominated - you get used to it, truthfully - and finished atop the Western Conference. But, finally, the puck stopped bouncing the Blackhawks' way. They didn't win a game in April, losing their final four regular-season matches (three by a goal, and two in overtime), and then ran into Rinne.This happens. It simply hasn't, recently, to the Blackhawks, and that's what makes it so surprising.Cory Wilkins: The Blackhawks were a re-enactment of "Failure to Launch."Down 3-0 in the series, Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville noted he would need everyone to contribute if his squad was to make a historic comeback against the Predators. Though, he emphasized it would be up to his club's top players to lead the charge.They never delivered.Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, Jonathan Toews - the team's top three scorers in the regular season - combined for two goals and three assists, with Toews' lone marker turning out meaningless, as he tallied late in the third period of Game 4 with the Predators already ahead 3-0.Chicago's other top players were also missing in action through the opening-round series. Veteran winger Marian Hossa put up zero points through four games, as did a host of other key producers like Artem Anisimov and Ryan Hartman. Most shocking? Defenseman Duncan Keith was the Blackhawks' only blue-liner to registered a single point this postseason.In all, the Blackhawks produced a meager three goals in four games. In the words of Carolina head coach Bill Peters: "Not good enough."Josh Wegman: Nashville was the hungrier team. Plain and simple. The Preds have seen the Blackhawks flaunt their three Stanley Cup rings since 2010 and dominate the Central Division for years now. Enough, apparently, was enough.Obviously the Blackhawks still took the ice and tried their best to win, but how desperate can you really be to win when most of your roster already has three Stanley Cup rings? Deep down, Nashville wanted it more. Absolutely nobody gave them a chance in this series. That was certainly bulletin-board material from the get go.In my eyes, the Preds were an underachieving bunch all season long. They happened to play up to their potential at the right time. All they needed was some extra motivation. They have one of the most mobile defense corps in the NHL, one that was able to mitigate the speed of the Blackhawks. And of course, Rinne played the best hockey of his life.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Terry Pegula is in full denial mode.The Buffalo Sabres owner attempted to pour cold water on three separate claims at Friday's news conference addressing the firings of general manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma.First, there was the matter of Jack Eichel's reported lack of interest in signing a contract extension if Bylsma remained behind the bench.That story emerged one day before Thursday's dismissals, but like Eichel's agent, Peter Fish, and the player himself, Pegula insisted there was nothing to it."Jack’s involvement as it was reported … is a complete fabrication," the owner said, according to ESPN's Craig Custance, adding, "I defend Jack, just as Peter did. It's not a true story."Pegula was asked about another report that came about 20 minutes before the owner's scheduled media session. This one claimed former Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi interviewed for the corresponding Sabres position Thursday."We haven't talked to anybody," Pegula said. "Put that in the Jack-demanded-his-coach-be-fired category."The owner also tried to dispel the notion that the Sabres tanked under Murray when they finished dead last in the NHL in 2013-14 and 2014-15."We do not hope to lose. ... We went through a rebuild," he said, according to WBEN. Pegula added, "I don't feel that we tanked. We rebuilt," according to WGR 550.The owner also said he regrets not being more involved in Murray and Bylsma's hirings, and indicated he'll look for experienced candidates to fill the vacancies.Murray spent more than 20 years in various hockey operations roles including scout, player personnel director, and assistant general manager, but had never served as an NHL GM before being named to that position for Buffalo in 2014.Bylsma won the Stanley Cup in his first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, and he spent six seasons with that organization before being fired after the 2013-14 campaign.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Tortorella was his usual forthright self after his Columbus Blue Jackets were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night."We played our ass(es) off," the Blue Jackets head coach told reporters after a 5-2 defeat in Game 5. "That's not a (typical) 4-1 series."He declined to discuss the controversial play early in the third period on which the Blue Jackets tied the game but then had the goal waved off after it was deemed Alexander Wennberg interfered with Marc-Andre Fleury.Fleury appeared to be outside the crease when the contact was made, but Tortorella wasn't interested in going down that road."You guys watched the game. You don't need my help with that," he said.When he was asked about it for a second time, the coach made it clear he really didn't want to go there."I'm not talking about the play," he insisted. "Stop baiting me into it, please. There's no sense in me having a viewpoint on it. It happened."Tortorella didn't want to play favorites when asked about Boone Jenner's solid performance in the series-clinching loss."I'm not singling out any one player," the coach said. "That was a team effort. I like our group. I'll tell you right now, I like our group. Do we have some things to work on and get better at? Damn right, we do, but I like our group."Columbus had its best regular season in franchise history, and there's plenty to be optimistic about going into next season despite the early exit.Still, Tortorella's absence from the remaining playoff press conferences will be noticeable, to say the least.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Peter DeBoer was out there throwing 'bows.The San Jose Sharks head coach couldn't help but nudge the glass in front of an Edmonton fan who was giving him the business during Thursday night's overtime win by the Oilers in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.Related: Desharnais ends dominant OT for Oilers with one-timer past JonesDeBoer can be thankful there's no Department of Fan Safety to schedule a hearing, and for the pane of glass that protected the guy from the coach's quick right.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

David Desharnais will be remembered in Edmonton for quite some time.The Oilers center recorded the overtime goal in Game 5 to give his team a 3-2 series lead over the San Jose Sharks.The win was well earned for the Oilers, who outshot San Jose 14-2 in the extra frame.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks has the Nashville Predators feeling like world-beaters.Goaltender Pekka Rinne seems to think so, at least."Right now, I don't care who we play against, if we keep this up we can beat anybody," Rinne said, per Thomas Willis from the team's website.Related: Predators earn 1st sweep in franchise history with win over BlackhawksClearly, there's reason for confidence after Nashville limited the top team in the Western Conference to three goals in four games, with Rinne himself playing a starring role by posting a brilliant .970 save percentage.Not only that, but the Predators outshot Chicago by a 134-126 margin, suggesting Nashville largely carried the play in a series few predicted they'd win, much less sweep.Nashville now awaits the winner of Minnesota-St. Louis with the knowledge that no team they'll face in the Western Conference bracket was as good in the regular season as the team they just beat handily.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrick Maroon is on the board.The Edmonton Oilers forward scored his first of the postseason Thursday, burying a loose puck past San Jose Sharks netminder Martin Jones.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marc-Andre Fleury wasn't scheduled to make any playoff starts for the Pittsburgh Penguins this year.Expected to serve as backup to Matt Murray, who backstopped the team to a Stanley Cup win in 2016, Fleury was pressed into action against the Columbus Blue Jackets when the incumbent fell prey to injury prior to the start of the postseason.Four victories later, Fleury has set a club record for career playoff wins, passing Tom Barasso.

Better days are still ahead.Despite the Columbus Blue Jackets' playoff elimination Thursday to the Pittsburgh Penguins, there's plenty to smile about after the best season in franchise history.The Blue Jackets wrapped the regular season with 108 points, fourth-highest league-wide and the best finish in franchise history, a 15-point margin over the previous high mark.This year was the 16th NHL season in Columbus, but just the third time the team advanced to the playoffs. The good news is that postseason appearances will be far more frequent in the future.Three key pieces emerged to show why this season, and the years ahead, will be successful for the Blue Jackets:John TortorellaEyebrows were raised when the Blue Jackets hired Tortorella to take over for fired bench boss Todd Richards last season. Tortorella, of course, was coming off a short-lived tenure with the Vancouver Canucks, relieved after one year on the job.It only appeared to get worse when Tortorella manned the bench for Team USA at this summer's World Cup, where some curious coaching choices and lineup decisions led to a fast exit for the American squad.But Tortorella arrived at Blue Jackets' training camp voicing a fresh approach. He emphasized that his team would need to ready its conditioning to play his up-tempo style, going as far as to eliminate the team's morning skates as a means to conserve energy.The approach paid off handsomely, as the Blue Jackets put together their best ever season that saw them finish one victory shy of the NHL's all-time mark after rattling off a 16-game win streak.Tortorella has resurfaced as one of the NHL's top coaches, and with it, has brought the Blue Jackets into the contender column after years in the league's basement.Sergei BobrovskyThe Blue Jackets' netminder missed most of the 2015-16 season, limited to just 37 games as he dealt with a groin injury.The lost time hurt Bobrovsky's performance on the ice, too, as he put together a losing record last season, alongside average numbers in the most important columns: a 2.75 goals-against average and a pedestrian .908 save percentage.But Bobrovsky was back on the case this season, stringing together a franchise-record 41 wins, topping the 33-win season Steve Mason achieved in 2008-09.Not only was Bobrovsky breaking franchise records, but his performance was among the best league-wide, finishing with the NHL's best GAA and save rate, and just one win shy of Edmonton's Cam Talbot and Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals.The Blue Jackets' can put the concerns of Bobrovsky's injury-riddled campaign of 2015-16 behind them and be safe with the knowledge they have stability between the pipes.Youth MovementIf it wasn't some of the key veterans making noise this season, it was the Blue Jackets' impressive crop of young players.Columbus saw the emergence of a handful of young talents in 2016-17, and the most important may have been from center Alexander Wennberg, who took control of the top pivot duties after former middleman Ryan Johansen was dealt to the Nashville Predators last season.All of 22 years old, Wennberg wrapped his third season with 59 points, good for second on the team behind Cam Atkinson. Wennberg also led the team with 46 assists, a mark that puts him third-best in franchise history for helpers in a season.On the blue line, Seth Jones was a strong presence through his first full season in the Ohio capital after being added from the Predators last year. Jones led all Blue Jackets' defenders, averaging 23:24 in ice time.But the most impressive play on the back end came from rookie defenseman Zach Werenski. The 19-year-old stepped into the Blue Jackets' lineup and compiled 47 points. It's that type of performance that saw Werenski finish as one of three candidates for this year's top rookie.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.