NASHVILLE - Roman Josi scored twice, Pekka Rinne had 30 saves and the Nashville Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Thursday night to complete a surprising sweep of the Western Conference's top seed.Colton Sissons also scored and Viktor Arvidsson added an empty-net goal as Nashville completed the franchise's first playoff sweep. Led by Rinne and a terrific defensive performance by their lines and defensive pairings, the Predators limited the high-scoring Blackhawks to just three goals in 13 periods.Nashville will face the winner of the St. Louis-Minnesota series in the second round. The Blues have a 3-1 lead heading into Game 5 on Saturday in Minnesota.Chicago became the first No. 1 seed to lose in the opening round since the Los Angeles Kings knocked off the Vancouver Canucks on their way to the Stanley Cup title in 2012. Chicago's second straight first-round exit followed a regular season in which the Blackhawks went 50-23-9 and recorded 109 points, the second-highest total in franchise history.It was the first time a No. 1 seed was swept in the first round since the NHL adopted its current playoff format in 1994. The Blackhawks had the best record in the Campbell Conference and were the Norris Division's No. 1 seed in 1993 when they got swept by St. Louis in the opening round. That also was the last time the Blackhawks had been swept in a playoff series before Nashville's dominant performance.The game was scoreless midway through the second period when Ryan Johansen won a faceoff against Marcus Kruger and passed to Ryan Ellis, who sent it to Josi on his right. Josi fired a slap shot from behind the right circle that got between Corey Crawford's legs and sneaked into the left corner of the net at 9:41.Nashville extended the lead to 2-0 with a bizarre goal at 8:52 of the third. Colton Sissons fired a shot that bounced off the cage and appeared to end up in the area of Crawford's blocker before the puck came loose and rolled into the net. Less than 90 seconds later, Josi beat Crawford on a wrist shot.Crawford was exceptional for the first 29 1/2 minutes, but he didn't get much help in the final part of the game. He finished with 22 stops.In an attempt to create a spark, the Blackhawks shuffled their lines and star forward Patrick Kane played a team-high 23:43. They dressed seven defensemen - Michal Kempny made his playoff debut - and nothing worked.Chicago avoided the shutout when captain Jonathan Toews scored at 14:42 of the third for his first postseason goal since Game 4 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. Toews had been held without a goal for 12 straight postseason games.Arvidsson wrapped up the sweep with an empty-netter with 1:48 remaining.NOTES: Predators forward Craig Smith was scratched after he got hurt in overtime of Game 3. ... The Predators brought out more Nashville star power by having Luke Bryan sing the national anthem. John Hiatt performed on a stage behind one of the nets between the second and third periods. Carrie Underwood, who is married to Predators captain Mike Fisher, sang the anthem Monday. ... The sellout crowd of 17,326 included Tennessee Titans coach Mike Mularkey and general manager Jon Robinson.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to New York.Mika Zibanejad scored his first playoff goal for the Rangers, and it was a rather large one, coming in overtime of Game 5 against the Montreal Canadiens.It appeared to come off a bit of a broken play, as a Chris Kreider attempt bounced off a defender's stick and found its way to Zibanejad's stick, at which point the puck was promptly deposited past Carey Price.Game 6 is set for Saturday on Broadway.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Five games. Two goals. Nine assists.That's the performance Evgeni Malkin put in for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a five-game series win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, putting himself well in the playoff scoring lead.And all this after missing the final 13 regular-season games with an upper-body injury.Benefiting from his offensive outburst was both Bryan Rust (five goals) and Phil Kessel (two goals), who are loving life as Malkin's linemates.The 11 points in a series matches a career high for Malkin, although it took him six games to hit that mark in a series win over the New York Islanders in 2013.Malkin, of course, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP in 2009 after recording 14 goals and 22 assists in 24 games, hitting point totals of nine, 10, nine, and eight in each round, respectively.All that to say, Malkin is rolling and has emerged as the clear (but very early) MVP favorite.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

PITTSBURGH - Sidney Crosby and Scott Wilson scored 51 seconds apart in the third period, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminate the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 5-2 win in Game 5 of their first-round series on Thursday night.Bryan Rust scored twice for Pittsburgh, Phil Kessel added his second of the playoffs, and Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 49 saves. The defending Stanley Cup champions will face the winner of the Toronto-Washington series in the conference semifinals starting next week.William Karlsson and Boone Jenner scored for the Blue Jackets, but Sergei Bobrovsky stopped just 27 of 32 shots to finish a forgettable series.Columbus trailed by three in the second period but had a potential tying goal waved off in the third for interference. Pittsburgh responded immediately. Crosby's one-timer on the power play restored a two-goal lead and Wilson's backhand less than a minute later finished off the Blue Jackets.Columbus avoided being swept with a spirited 5-4 win on Tuesday, extending the series by playing with the kind of desperation Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan insisted his team needed if it wanted to get some rest before the second round.It's a refrain Sullivan has preached repeatedly over the last couple weeks and once again, the Penguins didn't listen.And once again, they were able to get away with it thanks to Fleury. He fended off 15 shots in the first period alone, several of them from point-blank range. It gave the Penguins time to find their legs, and Kessel's wrist shot from the top of the circle 9:07 into the first put Pittsburgh in front.When Rust scored twice less than three minutes apart early in the second - both of them on backhand rebounds - the Penguins appeared to be in control.The Blue Jackets, trying to extend a breakthrough season that included a franchise-record 108 points and the sixth-best record in the league, showed one last flash. Karlsson and Jenner beat Fleury twice in 2:54 at the game's midway point and Columbus was right back in it.The surge ended when Fleury flopped to the ground after Alex Wennberg clipped the goaltender as he fought off a check in the crease five minutes into the third. Columbus coach John Tortorella and the rest of the Blue Jackets bench erupted in anger. Things only got worse for Columbus when Crosby powered a shot from just above the goal line by Bobrovsky. Wilson pushed the lead to three when he casually tapped a backhand by a woefully out of position Bobrovsky.The Russian led the NHL in goals-against average (2.06) and save percentage (.931) during the regular season but couldn't keep the league's highest-scoring team in check. Pittsburgh scored at least three goals in all five games and at least four in four of them to leave the Blue Jackets still searching for their first playoff series victory.It's become old hat in Pittsburgh, which will have some time to rest before beginning the next step in its title defense.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Power-play magic.Putting together a pretty passing sequence on the man advantage, the Pittsburgh Penguins gained a two-goal lead Thursday over the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 5.Captain Sidney Crosby cashed in for the Penguins, capitalizing on a low angle shot to push Pittsburgh's lead to 4-2.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Artturi Lehkonen is out there getting things done.The Montreal Canadiens rookie forward scored a first-period goal in Game 5 after completely outmuscling the New York Rangers defense and beating Henrik Lundqvist on the wraparound.This after stealing the puck from Marc Staal earlier in the shift to keep the play alive in the offensive zone.Lehkonen now has two goals in the first five playoff games of his NHL career.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins trail 3-1 in a best-of-seven series with the Ottawa Senators. Had the results been reversed, there would be a lot more buzz surrounding the play of 19-year-old defenseman Charlie McAvoy.McAvoy made his NHL debut in Game 1, and instantly earned the trust of head coach Bruce Cassidy by logging 24:11 minutes of ice time - second only to Zdeno Chara.McAvoy has gone on to play 27:47 in Game 2, 24:44 in Game 3, and a team-high 25:03 in Game 4. Mind you, Games 2 and 3 went to overtime, but both ended relatively quickly.With numerous injuries on Boston's blue line - most notably to Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo, who have yet to play in the series - McAvoy's ice time has partially been out of necessity, but he's also earned every minute with exceptional play from the back end.Playing defense is hard. Defensemen almost always take longer to develop than forwards since it's such a tough position to play at a young age. It's partially why general managers prefer to use early-round draft picks on forwards, because they will make an impact sooner.This makes what McAvoy is doing all that more impressive. In fact, only eight teenage defensemen have suited up during the playoffs since 1998-99, when Hockey Reference began to track average time on ice.PlayerYearGamesATOILuca Sbisa (PHI)08-0915:37Erik Karlsson (OTT)09-10625:52Cam Fowler (ANA)10-11622:14Jonas Brodin (MIN)12-13526:23Dougie Hamilton (BOS)12-13715:47Olli Maatta (PIT)13-141318:05Zach Werenski (CLB)16-17323:29McAvoy (BOS)16-17425:26What all those defensemen had, which McAvoy doesn't, is the experience of already playing a full NHL season. In fact, McAvoy had only played four games in the AHL prior to his NHL debut. He was thrown right into the fire, but he has answered the bell.He only has one point and five shots on goal, but has an excellent 5v5 Corsi For percentage of 54.11, according to Corsica.Hockey. This is the 17th best CF% among defensemen in the playoffs.Possession stats like Corsi are great, but they rarely tell the whole story.You'd think logging over 25 minutes a game would expose a 19-year-old defenseman like McAvoy, but that hasn't been the case. He has taken exceptional care of the puck with only one giveaway in the series, according to Hockey Reference.In addition to only giving the puck away just once in 102 minutes of ice time, he has also recorded four takeaways, tied for fifth-most in the playoffs.Yet, what stats don't tell you is simply how composed McAvoy looks with the puck. He looks like a 10-year veteran out there. He wants the puck on his stick and wants to be the defenseman to make the first pass out of the zone.Even if the Bruins wind up getting eliminated in Friday's Game 5, fans in Boston can look forward to having a stalwart on the back end for many years to come.Having McAvoy paired with Chara makes it all the more fitting, as the 40-year-old is essentially passing the torch to the kid as the next great defenseman in Bruins history.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno will miss Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins due to a lower-body injury, the team announced Thursday.Foligno has recorded two assists in the series.Veteran forward Scott Hartnell will draw into the lineup in his place.Hartnell was a healthy scratch for Game 4 after registering zero points through the first three games of the series.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With no shortage of star rookies to choose from, three have risen to the top as the NHL's Calder Trophy finalists.Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets are all in the running for the award given to the most proficient player in his first year of competition in the NHL.Matthews and Laine were drafted first and second overall, respectively, at the 2016 draft, and finished in the same positions in the rookie scoring race.The Toronto center recorded 40 goals and 29 assists in 82 games, and while Laine, a winger, trailed in total numbers (36 goals, 28 assists in 73 games), his 0.88 points-per-game average was slightly higher than Matthews' 0.84.Werenski, the eighth overall selection at the 2015 NHL Draft, led rookie defensemen in goals (11), assists (36), and points (47) in 78 games.The NHL Awards will be handed out June 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

University of Denver coach Jim Montgomery will be among the candidates to interview for the head coaching job with the Florida Panthers."I have spoken to Florida and I will meet with Florida over the next week to 10 days," Montgomery told Mike Chambers of The Denver Post.Tom Rowe coached the Panthers last season but has since moved into an advisory role with the organization. The shakeup also saw Dale Tallon re-appointed as general manager.Rowe replaced former bench boss Gerald Gallant in November, posting a 24-26-10 record as interim coach. The Panthers missed the postseason by 14 points.Montgomery, 47, has coached Denver the last four seasons, winning the Frozen Four earlier this month. A former NHL center, Montgomery last skated in 2002-03 with the Dallas Stars."In life there are only so many opportunities and you have to listen. But it's going to have to take the perfect situation for me to leave Denver," Montgomery added. "There is no indication from Florida that I'm their No. 1 guy - or No. 2 or No. 3 guy. I'm just going to sit and talk with them."Panthers prospect Henrik Borgstrom, who the club selected 23rd overall in last year's draft, is already familiar with Montgomery, having played under him this year at Denver. Borgstrom finished the season with 43 points in 37 games.Montgomery wouldn't be the only bench boss to make the jump from the collegiate ranks in recent seasons. Philadelphia Flyers coach Dave Hakstoll was head coach at the University of North Dakota for more than a decade before accepting Philadelphia's top job in 2015.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The gamesmanship continues in what's become a hotly contested playoff series both on and off the ice.Prior to Game 4, the Edmonton Oilers were forced to practice in the dark and without nets in San Jose. With the series shifting back to Alberta for Game 5, it appears as though the home team may have cracked back.

Former NHL linesman Don Henderson has filed a $10.25-million lawsuit against the Calgary Flames and defenseman Dennis Wideman, reports TSN's Rick Westhead.The suit is in response to an incident that occurred last season, where Wideman hit Henderson from behind:Wideman was suspended 20 games for the incident, however an appeal later reduced his time away to 10 games. At the time of the appeal ruling, Wideman had already served 19 games. The forfeited salary for the additional nine games was returned to Wideman.Henderson missed the remainder of the season with a concussion and has not officiated any games this season.

It's probably going to be spun as wiping the slate clean, but the firings of Dan Bylsma and Tim Murray only make the future murkier in Buffalo.Sabres owner Terry Pegula hit the reset button Thursday, jettisoning the head coach and general manager in a shocking double whammy that disrupts the club's ongoing rebuild and only creates more uncertainty going forward.Bylsma is gone after only two seasons behind the Buffalo bench, with three years left on his contract. The Sabres missed the playoffs in both of those campaigns, but his departure is particularly eye-opening given Wednesday's report that young star Jack Eichel was prepared to walk if Bylsma was retained.Murray lasted less than four years in his role as Sabres GM, and his dismissal is by far the more surprising move, especially considering he signed a multi-year extension in October.The now-former GM stripped down the roster to kick-start the rebuild upon being hired midway through the 2013-14 season, then selected Sam Reinhart and Eichel second overall in back-to-back drafts, brought in Ryan O'Reilly, Evander Kane, Robin Lehner, and Dmitry Kulikov in trades and signed Kyle Okposo to a long-term deal in free agency.His tank-and-load-up rebuild plan was derailed by several factors.The Sabres "lost" two straight draft lotteries and missed out on top picks Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid. Kane was allegedly involved in multiple off-ice incidents and O'Reilly got himself into one of his own. Lehner was dogged by injuries that limited him to only 80 games combined in the last two seasons.The bigger issue, though, is that the Sabres didn't improve fast enough. Given their talent, they should have been a playoff team this spring. By all accounts, the players never collectively embraced Bylsma's coaching style. He came to "develop a winning culture," but couldn't win consistently in a brief but revealing two-year stint.But canning a GM who completely retooled the roster while letting go of an experienced coach this quickly represent shortsighted decisions that reek of a familiarly fast trigger-finger from Pegula, the same man who dismissed Bills head coach Rex Ryan after less than two seasons and may not have even consulted GM Doug Whaley about it.Pegula hasn't been afraid to fire members of his front office and coaching staffs, meaning continuity hasn't exactly been a hallmark of his ownership.

Max Pacioretty hasn't scored a goal through four games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but he isn't too concerned."I know it's something you guys enjoy writing about and talking about, even before the playoffs, but for me it's not a storyline," the Montreal Canadiens captain told TSN ahead of Game 5 against the New York Rangers on Thursday."I've been here for a long time now and I don't care really what the opinions are other than my teammates and my coaches and the management."Pacioretty, who's reached the 30-goal mark in each of his last five full seasons, is one of eight Canadiens forwards unable to crack Henrik Lundqvist through four games, but leads all Habs players with 19 shots on goal.In 36 career playoff games, Pacioretty's recorded 10 goals and nine assists, and he'll look to add to those totals in a crucial Game 5 at Bell Centre.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Thursday, April 20 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

See ya, Tim Murray and Dan Bylsma.The Buffalo Sabres fired their general manager and head coach Thursday, proving that Jack Eichel is the sheriff in town, and that losing will no longer be tolerated, no matter the cost - both Murray and Bylsma had years and millions of dollars left on their contracts.The names of potential replacements for the pair are already flying around, and we're putting them in one place for you here.As always, it's important to remember that a GM hires a coach, so that's the job that will likely be filled first - and may be the most important as the Sabres' rebuild continues.Chris DruryThis one's easy, because of Drury's history with the Sabres.He'll be 41 this summer and is currently serving as the assistant general manager with the New York Rangers, under Jeff Gorton.Gorton, who will be 49 later this month, has been with the Rangers a long time and succeeded Glen Sather, and it appears the gig's Gorton's until it isn't. Drury, meanwhile, is thought to be an up-and-comer in the managerial industry, and was part of a couple of deep playoff runs with the Sabres in 2006 and 2007.If you're looking for a nostalgia pick, it's Drury.Julien BriseBoisJulien BriseBois has been learning from one of the league's best GMs, Steve Yzerman, down in Tampa Bay.And Yzerman's on record in 2014 singing the praises of his assistant GM."It's only a matter of time before (BriseBois) gets his opportunity," Yzerman said, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith. "He's going to have a long and outstanding career as a GM."BriseBois is only 40, was a candidate for the Pittsburgh Penguins' vacancy before they hired Jim Rutherford, and has been working with Yzerman since 2010.Dean LombardiIf the Sabres want to go the more traditional route, Dean Lombardi was recently fired by the Los Angeles Kings, and he's got two Stanley Cups on his resume.Lombardi was at the helm of the Kings for a long time, and put together those Cup-winning teams. He knows how to get it done.And if he still wants to work with Darryl Sutter, perhaps the pair could be hired as a package, although working with a young team would certainly be a change of pace for Sutter, who dealt primarily with veterans in Hollywood.Lindy RuffForget about Drury, if the Sabres really want to turn back the clock, Lindy Ruff is on the market after being fired by the Dallas Stars.Now 57, Ruff spent 14 seasons and change in Buffalo, winning his only Jack Adams Award with the Sabres. He was behind the bench when Buffalo made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, losing to - oddly enough - the Stars in six games.Ruff's record with the Sabres:

Gatorade has Patrick Kane showing off some smooth moves in the latest ad for its new product line, Flow.The Chicago Blackhawks will be looking for a big performance from Kane on Thursday night as they look to avoid a sweep in their first-round series against the Nashville Predators.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The quest for reliable goaltending in the Calgary Flames' crease continues.After acquiring Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson last offseason to patch the team's most glaring undoing, the same problem pushed the Flames out of the playoffs without a single win.Elliott has openly worn the goat horns for a troublesome sweep at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks in which he owned an .880 save percentage, and his early departure in the first period of Game 4 on Wednesday night may very well have been the final blow in his audition for a new contract with the club.Both Elliott and Johnson are unrestricted free agents July 1, and the Flames will need to exhaust plenty of time and effort to potentially fill their voids. Here are some factors they'll need to consider:In the system(Photo Courtesy: Action Images)

Each week, theScore looks at the teams, players, and other hockey figures trending upward and taking a step back. This week, we're looking at some playoff surprises.▲ Tom WilsonBecause scoring the overtime winner in Game 1 wasn't enough, the Washington Capitals pest tallied twice in a crucial Game 4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.Wilson has as many goals as Alex Ovechkin so far in these playoffs, and the Toronto-born winger has looked like an entirely different player against his hometown team.Coming into this series, he'd never scored in 28 career playoff games, and he managed only seven goals and 19 points in 82 regular season contests.Wilson's contributions are often of the more physical variety and he's accustomed to getting under the skin of opponents, but he's been a thorn in the Leafs' side in a most unexpected way.▼ Boston Bruins(Photo courtesy: Action Images)It's not particularly surprising that the Bruins are trailing the Ottawa Senators in their first-round series, given that Boston is the lower seed.But it is a mild shock that the Bruins are on the brink of elimination after only four postseason games, considering how much improvement they showed in the regular season after Bruce Cassidy took over the coaching reins.All four playoff contests have been decided by a single goal, and the Bruins have lost three in a row - including Wednesday's 1-0 victory by Ottawa that gave the Senators a 3-1 series lead.Two of those three losses came in overtime, which only further illustrates how tight the series has been and how, with a few bounces the other way, Boston could have been on the verge of eliminating Ottawa.▲ Bobby RyanOne of the major reasons for the Senators' success in the series has been Ryan's resurgence.The veteran forward had one of the worst regular seasons of his career from a production standpoint, but he's been revived in the postseason.Ryan has three goals in four first-round games and back-to-back game-winners with the lone goal Wednesday night and the overtime winner Monday in Game 3.He's accounted for 30 percent of Ottawa's goals in the series, underscoring how critical his improved play has been for the Senators early on in these playoffs.▼ Chicago Blackhawks(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)The top seed in the West is on the ropes.Chicago came into the postseason as the best team in the conference, with home ice secured through the first three rounds, but that won't matter much if the Blackhawks can't make it past the Nashville Predators.That's the potentially disastrous possibility they're facing now, with the Predators holding a commanding 3-0 series lead in their first-round matchup.The Blackhawks couldn't solve Pekka Rinne at all in the first two games, and when they did it twice in Game 3 - jumping out to a 2-0 lead - they coughed it up and allowed Nashville to come from behind and win 3-2 in overtime.A great deal of credit is due to the Predators, who've simply outplayed their Central Division rivals, but it is surprising to see the Blackhawks in danger of being swept out of the opening round.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres dismissed general manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma in a massive shake-up Thursday.Team owner Terry Pegula said in a statement that the club has already begun the process of filling the positions.

Phil Kessel hot dog tattoos are apparently all the rage now.Pittsburgh Penguins fan Ian Stoneking shared this photo of his new ink, which features Kessel, a hot dog, and the right winger's Twitter bio, "Nice guy, tries hard, loves the game." He notes in the Facebook post that he had the piece planned before another tattoo of Kessel riding a hot dog went viral.- With h/t to 96.1 KISS FMCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin will suit up in the KHL next season for Yekaterinburg Automobilist, the Russian league announced Thursday.Tryamkin played four seasons for Automobilist before joining the Canucks - who drafted him in the third round in 2014 - for a brief portion of the 2015-16 season.Vancouver general manager Jim Benning released the following statement on the matter:

ST. LOUIS - Devan Dubnyk made 28 saves, Charlie Coyle scored in the first period and the Minnesota Wild avoided elimination with a 2-0 win over the St. Louis Blues in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series on Wednesday night.Dubnyk's second playoff shutout came almost two years to the day of his first, also against the Blues on April 20, 2015. Martin Hanzal also scored for Minnesota in the second.Blues goalie Jake Allen made 26 saves. He entered having stopping 114 of the Wild's first 117 shots in the series.St. Louis still leads the best-of-seven series 3-1 heading into Game 5 at Minnesota on Saturday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

CALGARY, Alberta - Patrick Eaves, Nate Thompson and Ryan Getzlaf scored, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Wednesday night for a sweep of their first-round playoff series.Anaheim became the first team to advance to the conference semifinal. It was the Ducks' first four-game sweep since they eliminated Winnipeg in the first round in 2015 and just the fifth in franchise history.John Gibson made 36 stops for Anaheim, which will face the Edmonton Oilers or San Jose Sharks in the second round.Sean Monahan scored a power-play goal in the second for Calgary, which qualified for the postseason as the first wild card in the Western Conference.It was a short night for Flames goaltender Brian Elliott, who was pulled for Chad Johnson after giving up a soft goal at 5:38 of the first period. Johnson allowed a goal on the second shot he faced, but finished with 20 saves.Monahan's redirection of a Kris Versteeg feed made it 2-1 at 16:07. Johnson was pulled for an extra attacker with almost two and a half minutes remaining, and Getzlaf converted an empty-netter in the final seconds.A sharp-angled shot by Eaves slid under Elliott's pads on Anaheim's third shot of the game. The Ducks quickly scored on Johnson at 6:46, with Thompson banging in a rebound.The Ducks opened the series with a pair of 3-2 wins at home before storming back from a three-goal deficit to win 5-4 in overtime at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Game 3.The Ducks haven't lost in regulation in 18 games dating to March 10.Led by Getzlaf and Corey Perry, holdovers from Anaheim's 2007 Stanley Cup win, the Ducks were a poised team that prevailed in the big moments of the series.The Flames outplayed them the majority of Game 2, but a lucky deflection and a couple of undisciplined minors by Calgary late in the game allowed the Ducks to pull out the win at home.Trailing 4-1 late in the second period in Game 3, Carlyle juggled his forward lines to generate an offensive spark.The Ducks put the puck on net through traffic to score four unanswered goals on the way to their biggest comeback in franchise history.The two quick goals Wednesday drained the Flames of confidence that was already dented from their Game 3 collapse.As good as Elliott was in getting Calgary to the playoffs with a strong second half in the regular season, he gave up soft goals in the second, third and fourth games of the series.NOTES: Ducks D Sami Vatanen (upper body) participated in the morning skate and defender Cam Fowler (knee) skated by himself for the third time in as many days. Carlyle said Fowler would be out two to six weeks when the defenseman collided with Flames captain Mark Giordano in a regular-season game April 4. ... Ducks forward Ryan Kesler was nominated Wednesday for the Selke Trophy for a sixth time. He won the trophy that goes to the top defensive forward in 2011 when he was a Vancouver Canuck.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock wasn't pleased with his team's effort in Game 4."We didn't compete hard enough," Babcock told reporters following the 5-4 loss to the Washington Capitals. "I thought they won all the battles and all the races."Throughout the season, Babcock usually remained pretty coy following losses in order to protect his young team. However, it's possible the club may have had too much confidence heading into Game 4 with a 2-1 series lead."I thought today was the first time that maybe we weren't scared enough of them and it looked like it because our competition level wasn't good enough," said Babcock.The Leafs certainly didn't come out with the same jump they had in Games 1 and 2 - and for most of the regular season. They had been one of the best first-period teams in the entire league, but in uncharacteristic fashion, they got off to a sluggish start in back-to-back games."You can come back once in a while from behind like we did the other night," said Babcock. "But I don't think you can spot the other team two goals all the time, especially now that they're energized and winning all the battles."Though the poor start is ultimately what lost them the game, the Leafs deserve credit for relentlessly clawing back. They trailed 4-1 after the first frame, but only ended up losing 5-4. But as they say, being close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.Given Babcock's emphasis on effort and compete level in his postgame press conference, you can expect the Leafs to answer the bell and come out firing on all cylinders to start Game 5.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves was at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night to cheer on his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs as they battled the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of their opening-round series.Attending his first-ever hockey game, Wiggins rocked a personalized Leafs jersey with his name and No. 22 displayed on the back.

Craig Anderson is putting Erik Karlsson up on the level of the greatest player in Ottawa Senators history.Following a win that gave the club a 3-1 series lead over the Boston Bruins, the goaltender equated Karlsson's lead-by-example style to that of Daniel Alfredsson - Ottawa's longtime captain and all-time leading scorer - saying everyone is buying in.Related: 3 Erik Karlsson plays that turned the tide in Senators' favor"He’s starting to remind me a lot (of Alfredsson), where guys are starting to kill themselves for him," Anderson said after Game 4, per Joe McDonald of ESPN.Alfredsson, of course, led the Senators to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final, but this year's Senators have a long way to go yet.But Karlsson is indeed proving himself to be a leader both on and off the ice, with an all-world game to back it up.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

T.J. Oshie picked the perfect time to get on the scoresheet.The Washington Capitals winger fired home his first goal of the playoffs in the opening period of Game 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, finding the back of the net at the 2:58 mark.It was a crucial goal for the Capitals, who were down 2-1 in their series against the wild-card Maple Leafs and looked to build an early lead Wednesday. The three previous contests were decided in overtime, with the Capitals taking Game 1 and the Maple Leafs coming out on top in the two most recent affairs.But Oshie's most important goal would come at the 12:59 mark of the third period, after keeping the puck in the zone and beating Maple Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen with a five-hole goal.Initially an insurance marker, the goal ended up as the game-winner, after Toronto center Tyler Bozak brought the score to 5-4 with 27 seconds left on the clock.While Oshie registered four points - all assists - through the first three games of the series, the two tallies were his first goals since wrapping the regular season with a career-high 33.It's that type of performance that will make the 30-year-old one of the top free agents available this summer.Oshie and the Capitals will have a chance to push their series lead to 3-2 in Washington on Friday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TORONTO - Tom Wilson and T.J. Oshie each scored two goals, and the Washington Capitals beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 on Wednesday night to tie their first-round playoff series at two games apiece.Alex Ovechkin added his third goal of the playoffs as the top-seeded Capitals regained momentum with the series shifting back to Washington for Game 5 on Friday night. Braden Holtby made 30 saves.Zach Hyman, James van Riemsdyk, Auston Matthews, and Tyler Bozak scored for Toronto, which was coming off a 4-3 overtime win on Monday night. Frederik Andersen stopped 22 shots.The Maple Leafs rallied after the Capitals scored four times in the first for a 4-1 lead. Bozak, who had the winning goal in Game 3, got Toronto within one with 26 seconds left, but Washington held on from there.The tight finish came after a dominant start for the Capitals.Oshie got Washington on the board when he capitalized on a Nate Schmidt point shot sent purposefully wide of the net. Ovechkin then was left wide open for a one-time drive on a power play, making it 2-0 at 4:34 of the first.It was similar to Game 3 when Toronto also went down 2-0 in the first five minutes, but the club was unable to recover this time around. The Capitals added two more goals in the first in a span of less than three minutes - both by Wilson, a Toronto native.Moved up in the lineup for Game 4 as coach Barry Trotz looked for a spark, Wilson first pulled back a Morgan Rielly shot from the goal line after it snuck through the pads of Holtby. He then raced the other way and deflected Lars Eller's harmless shot from the sideboards past Andersen.On his next shift, Wilson barreled over Rielly near the Washington blue line and then finished off a 2-on-1 sequence with Andre Burakovsky for a 4-1 lead at 16:04.Van Riemsdyk scored early in the second on a power play, but Toronto wasted nearly two full minutes of a 5-on-3 advantage.Washington appeared to go up 5-2 with just under 12 minutes to go, but the goal by Schmidt was waved off on goalie interference. The Caps challenged the play, which saw Nicklas Backstrom get tangled up with Andersen, but the initial call was confirmed.Matthews scored his second at 12 minutes, but Oshie restored Washington's two-goal lead 59 seconds later.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it's Erik Karlsson who fits to a tee whatever definition you ascribe to the term "gamebreaker."Over the past three games, the Ottawa Senators defenseman has reminded the hockey world that he's quite simply one of the best at any position, setting up key goals in ways that few others can.Here's a look at three plays that have most definitely helped turn the tide in Ottawa's favor in a series the Senators now lead 3-1 over the Boston Bruins.Draw them in, dish it off

BOSTON - Bobby Ryan scored early in the third period, Craig Anderson stopped 22 shots and the Ottawa Senators beat the Boston Bruins 1-0 on Wednesday night for a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.It was Anderson's fourth career playoff shutout.Tuukka Rask made 26 saves for Boston, which had a goal disallowed in the first when Ottawa coach Guy Boucher challenged and the replay showed Noel Acciari was offside.The Bruins, who were winless in four games against the Senators in the regular season, will try to force the series back to Boston with a victory in Ottawa in Game 5 on Friday night.After back-to-back overtime games, this one remained scoreless until 5:49 into the third, when Erik Karlsson's slap shot deflected off Rask to his stick side. Ryan pulled it from his backhand to his forehand and swiped at it as Zdeno Chara dove behind Rask into the crease to try to knock the puck away from the goal line.The 6-foot-9 defenseman was able to reach out and prevent the first attempt from going in, but Ryan pushed it over the line with his second.The Bruins pulled Rask with almost two minutes left and managed a couple of scoring chances - both from Brad Marchand - but Anderson turned them away.NOTES: Bruins D Colin Miller returned after missing Games 2 and 3 with an unspecified injury. ... Ottawa D Mark Borowiecki missed his second straight game. ''Boro is getting closer every day,'' Boucher said. ... Ottawa F Tom Pyatt left after a hit from Kevan Miller early in the first. ... Bruins C Patrice Bergeron, a three-time Selke Trophy winner, was named a finalist for the award for the sixth time Wednesday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brian Elliott was on a short leash Wednesday.The Calgary Flames netminder was yanked just 5:38 into the opening period of Game 4 after Anaheim Ducks forward Patrick Eaves scored an iffy goal.Chad Johnson came in to relieve Elliott, only to allow a goal just 1:08 later.Anaheim leads the opening-round series 3-0, and will try for the sweep.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen believes the Washington Capitals weren't the only ones to defeat his team."We didn't play anywhere close to what we're capable of," said Andersen, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "We beat ourselves."For the second consecutive game, the Leafs dug themselves a hole in the early going, as they trailed 2-0 less than five minutes into the game and were down 4-1 after the first period.This was once again uncharacteristic of the Leafs, as they were one of the best first-period teams throughout the regular season and the first two games of the series.Andersen can't be blamed for the majority of Washington's goals, but he failed to make a big save when they needed it most.After Auston Matthews scored to cut the deficit to 4-3, T.J. Oshie beat Andersen through the five-hole about a minute later off a costly giveaway at the blue line, which sucked the energy right out of the building. The tally was Oshie's second of the game.With the series evened up at 2-2, Andersen and the Leafs will begin a best of three with the Caps on Friday in DC.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bobby Ryan is starting anew in the playoffs.After struggling through much of the regular season, the Ottawa Senators forward has delivered in the early goings of the postseason.In Game 4 against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, Ryan pocketed his third goal of the series, battling through a sprawled Tuukka Rask to put the Senators ahead 1-0.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs aren't usually described as a day at the beach, that is, until Game 4 between the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators.It was during the second period that a beach ball made its way onto the ice, which was scooped up by a referee, who put it in his shirt of all places.David Pastrnak then juggled it on his stick before attempting to fire it back over the glass. Finally, Ottawa's Cody Ceci managed to get it out of the playing surface.Despite the brief period in the spotlight, it ultimately proved to be a deflating moment in the ball's existence.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two iconic Canadians enjoyed some playoff hockey together Wednesday in Boston.Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr and Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie were spotted taking in Game 4 of the hometown team's series with the Ottawa Senators.

Tom Wilson just had the shift of a lifetime.At one end, Wilson swiped out a puck from the goal line that squeaked through goaltender Braden Holtby. Later in the same shift in the offensive end, Wilson tipped a Lars Eller shot to give the Washington Capitals a 3-1 lead.He wasn't done just yet, though.A little over two minutes later, Wilson, who had just seven goals during the regular season, scored again to give the Caps a 4-1 lead.

It's down to three for the NHL's top defensive forward.The Boston Bruins' Patrice Bergeron, Anaheim Ducks' Ryan Kesler, and Mikko Koivu of the Minnesota Wild have been named as this year's three nominees for the Selke Trophy.Bergeron is a three-time Selke winner, last capturing the trophy in 2015. Kesler has taken home the Selke once, in 2011. A win this year would mark the first for Koivu.Bergeron appeared in 79 games this season, recording 21 goals and 32 assists. He finished with a plus-12 rating.Kesler skated in all 82 games, finishing second on the team with 58 points (22 goals, 36 assists). He was a plus-eight on the season.Koivu registered 18 goals and 40 assists in 80 games. His plus-27 rating was third-best among forwards league-wide, behind only T.J. Oshie and Minnesota teammate Jason Zucker.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has been fined $2,569.44 for spearing Chris Tierney of the San Jose Sharks during Game 4, the NHL announced.The financial penalty is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.The incident earned Draisaitl a five-minute major and a game misconduct:Draisaitl, therefore, will be eligible to play in a pivotal Game 5 in Edmonton on Thursday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One down, three to go.After the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday to stave off elimination, coach John Tortorella was happy his club got the chance to carry over some of its regular-season magic to the playoffs."I wasn't even thinking about the series tonight, I was thinking about the players," Tortorella told reporters following the victory. "They've put in a lot of time. To play a regular season like they had and not get to enjoy what it is to win a playoff game ... I want them to enjoy that."The Blue Jackets had the fourth-best regular-season record, finishing with 108 points. Tuesday marked just the third playoff win in franchise history.Columbus climbed to a 3-0 lead early in the second period of Game 4. The Penguins made it interesting, but were never able to get a lead on the Blue Jackets."We've got to take it one game at a time here and try to manage the series that way," Tortorella added. "I'm not bullshitting you here, I just wanted them to see what it's like to win a playoff game with this team together."The Blue Jackets will look to stay alive Thursday in Pittsburgh.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights are reaching out.The NHL's latest expansion team will air select Spanish broadcast games in its inaugural season in an effort to grow its fan base among the local Hispanic population."Hispanics and Latinos are generally soccer-oriented, but we believe we can bring the kids along with our youth hockey programs that we will be developing," Golden Knights owner Bill Foley told Jesse Granger of the Las Vegas Sun. "If the kids take (the sport of hockey) home, the parents will convert."The Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers also broadcast games in Spanish:About one-third of the local population comes from a Hispanic background, according to the Las Vegas Sun.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One away.After grabbing a 3-0 series lead, the Nashville Predators needs just one more win to close out their opening-round series against the Chicago Blackhawks. That task shifts all of the burden to the Music City club, according to Chicago coach Joel Quenneville."It's up to them. They've got to win," Quenneville said. "We're in an awful spot and we've got to go in there with nothing to basically lose. Definitely the pressure is on them."The Blackhawks held home ice advantage, but dropped both games in Chicago before losing Game 3 in overtime in Nashville. The Predators have a chance to pull off the sweep at home Thursday.A series win would mark just the fourth in Predators history, with none of its previous victories finishing faster than five games. The Blackhawks haven't been swept since 1993."To find a way to get back into it, you've got to look at the real short-term, the small picture, and try to get tomorrow's momentum back," Quenneville added.The Blackhawks nearly pulled off the rare comeback in 2011, when down 0-3 to the Vancouver Canucks. Chicago stormed back with three straight wins only to fall in overtime of Game 7.Just four teams in NHL history have climbed back from 0-3 deficits, the most recent coming in 2014 when the Los Angeles Kings upset the San Jose Sharks.Quenneville noted the Blackhawks will need everyone to contribute if they are to make the historic comeback, adding the team needs the most from its top players.Captain Jonathan Toews has just one point through three games, while star winger Patrick Kane has a single goal. All together, the Blackhawks have managed just two goals in three games."We always find that when we're in tough spots, our top guys always find a way to lead the charge and find a way to overcome all obstacles," Quenneville said. "We're going to need them but we need everybody else too because it's a tough challenge."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.