Jack Eichel wants to put himself on the record.The young Buffalo Sabres center saw his name in the headlines Wednesday when it was reported he has no desire to sign a contract extension this summer if Dan Bylsma is still employed as head coach.Eichel's agent, Peter Fish, quickly called the report "ridiculous," and now Eichel himself has attempted to set things straight in an interview with John Vogl of the Buffalo News."I want to be a Sabre and I want to be a Sabre for a long time and I want to be a part of Buffalo when we win," Eichel said. "I know it’s an organization that is capable of doing that, and I want to be a part of it, and I want to be a centerpiece of it."As to whether that's contingent on who's behind the bench, Eichel appears to be all about looking at himself in the mirror first and foremost."I definitely am not the type of guy to point the finger and blame other people," he said. "I said in my exit interview and I’ll say it again, it’s self-reflection. You’ve got to look yourself in the mirror before you can call out other guys."I said it all year, if you want to be a leader and be vocal, you’ve got to play well yourself. For me, I don’t think I was good enough this year, so I need to be better. The onus is on me."In terms of the initial report, Eichel said he's dumbfounded as to where that could have emanated from, insisting he never said anything of the sort.He further echoed his agent in saying he believed his exit interviews with general manager Tim Murray and Bylsma went well, something he admits his body language may not have expressed in his statements to the media prior to heading out of town.Still, Wednesday's report came quite out of the blue."I think I told (Bylsma) some things that I think as a group we can all improve on. He was very receptive. I don’t think what’s being said about the way things ended is accurate in any way."Eichel has one year remaining on his entry-level contract and can sign a long-term contract extension that would begin in 2018-19 as early as July 1.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Though getting whooped in the playoffs is never ideal, it's not always the dagger.The Edmonton Oilers are licking their wounds after being humiliated 7-0 by the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of their first-round series Tuesday night, but plenty of humbled clubs have gotten the last laugh.Here are five teams that bounced back to win a series after suffering a playoff blowout:Philadelphia FlyersThe Flyers jumped out to a 3-0 series lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins in their 2012 first-round matchup. Then there was Game 4, which didn't exactly go Philadelphia's way.Jordan Staal notched a hat trick, and the Penguins also got three-point nights from Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Steve Sullivan as they cruised to a 10-3 victory.Pittsburgh won again in Game 5 - this time by a much tighter 3-2 score - to cut Philadelphia's series lead to that same 3-2 margin, but the Flyers knocked out the Penguins two days later with a 5-1 victory in Game 6.San Jose SharksThe Sharks and the Calgary Flames engaged in a wild first-round series in 1995, combining for eight goals or more in six of the seven games.Calgary dismantled San Jose 9-2 in Game 3, thanks to a hat trick and a four-point night from current Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, two goals and an assist from Joe Nieuwendyk, and four helpers from Theo Fleury.The drubbing notched the Flames their first win of the series. They'd win again in Games 4 and 5 - the latter a 5-0 blowout - but the Sharks responded with a victory in Game 6, and Ray Whitney scored the double-overtime winner in Game 7.The Sharks, againMaybe it's something in the water in San Jose.The Sharks were again unfazed in 2010 when they managed to recover from a 7-1 thrashing by the Detroit Red Wings in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal.It certainly helped that the Sharks had earned a 3-0 advantage with three consecutive 4-3 wins before the blowout. Neither Johan Franzen's four-goal effort nor Todd Bertuzzi's five-point night were ultimately enough to prevent San Jose from moving on to the conference final with a 2-1 victory two nights later.The Sharks had rallied to win their 1994 first-round series against the Red Wings after suffering a 7-1 loss in Game 6, edging Detroit 3-2 in Game 7.Detroit Red WingsThe Red Wings pulled off a series win of their own after being blown out in 1997.This time, it was Detroit on the losing end of a 6-0 rout courtesy of the Colorado Avalanche in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. Joe Sakic chipped in three points including a pair of goals and Claude Lemieux scored twice to help the Avalanche cut the Red Wings' series lead to 3-2.Detroit shook it off and eliminated Colorado, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final with a 3-1 win in Game 6. The Red Wings went on to sweep the Flyers, winning their eighth championship and first title since 1955.Vancouver CanucksOpening a playoff run with a blowout loss rarely bodes well, but the Canucks overcame a humiliating defeat to the St. Louis Blues back in 2003.The Blues walloped the Canucks 6-0 in the first game of their first-round series that year. Alexander Khavanov scored twice for St. Louis, and the Blues got a goal apiece from Doug Weight, Keith Tkachuk, Cory Stillman, and Tyson Nash. Canucks goalie Dan Cloutier allowed all six.Vancouver won Game 2, then dropped the next two contests and fell behind 3-1 in the series before reeling off three straight wins.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Team Canada revealed its initial roster for the 2017 World Championship on Wednesday, designating 18 players to the tournament, which will be played in France and Germany.Canada's brain trust includes Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall and Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, who will assume the same role overseas, and will have plenty familiar faces to work with.The players listed on the team so far are as follows:ForwardsPlayerTeamSean CouturierFlyersMatt DucheneAvalancheClaude GirouxFlyersAlex KillornLightningTravis KonecnyFlyersRyan O'ReillySabresNathan MacKinnonAvalancheBrayden PointLightningMark ScheifeleJetsWayne SimmondsFlyersJeff SkinnerHurricanesDefensePlayerTeamTyson BarrieAvalancheCalvin De HaanIslandersJason DemersPanthersMichael MathesonPanthersJosh MorrisseyJetsGoaliesPlayerTeamEric ComrieJetsCalvin PickardAvalancheOf course, more players can and will fill out the remainder of the roster, which includes the option of adding members eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Canada has won back-to-back gold medals at the tournament, and will aim for a three-peat beginning May 5 versus Czech Republic.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jesse Puljujarvi is heading overseas.The Edmonton Oilers prospect was loaned to Finland's national team for the upcoming World Championship, the NHL club announced Wednesday.He helped Finland win gold at the 2016 world juniors, racking up 17 points in seven games.The 18-year-old posted 28 points in 37 contests for the AHL's Bakersfield Condors this season after a 28-game NHL stint in which he scored a goal and added seven assists.Puljujarvi was taken fourth overall by the Oilers in last year's draft.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres superstar Jack Eichel will sport the stars and stripes this spring, as the 20-year-old was added to the United States' World Championship roster Wednesday.Eichel will join the likes of Nick Bjugstad, Dylan Larkin, and Christian Dvorak, among others on the American roster.The Massachusetts native has represented the U.S. in the Under-18 tournament, world juniors, and the 2015 World Championship.In his sophomore season with the Sabres this year, Eichel led the team with 57 points despite missing 21 games due to injury.Team USA will begin its tournament May 5 versus Germany in Cologne.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 Wednesday, April 19 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

Two overtime losses aren't going to rattle the Washington Capitals.The Toronto Maple Leafs have captured momentum, and currently lead the first-round series 2-1 entering Game 4 at Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night.Heading into the pivotal contest, Capitals defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said he isn't fazed by the increased stakes."This is what you enjoy, you enjoy being down and playing desperate hockey," Shattenkirk told Sean Fitz-Gerald of The Athletic after the morning skate.All three games thus far have been decided in overtime, and the Presidents' Trophy winner will have to push the pace to avoid a 3-1 hole heading back to D.C."We know our aspirations, our aspirations are certainly as big as they get," forward Justin Williams told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. "It's very rare when you see a team waltz their way all the way to the Stanley Cup."Based on the series to date, it's safe to assume Game 4 will continue the wildly entertaining trend.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl will face a hearing Wednesday for spearing San Jose Sharks forward Chris Tierney in Game 4, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced.Here's the play, which occurred late in the second period Tuesday night.

Jack Eichel's agent is denying a report claiming his client won't re-up with the Buffalo Sabres if Dan Bylsma remains head coach."I don't know where anyone is getting these reports, but they are ridiculous in a word," Peter Fish told John Vogl of The Buffalo News on Wednesday.Multiple sources told WGR 550's Paul Hamilton that Eichel has no desire to sign a contract extension with the Sabres this summer if Bylsma is still employed by the club, but the 20-year-old's representative said there's no ill will between his client and the coach or general manager Tim Murray."Jack, he left Buffalo, he thought he had a real good meeting with coach Bylsma and a real good meeting with Murray," Fish said. "When he got home to Boston, he was genuinely excited with the thoughts that maybe they're just a few players away from getting into the playoffs."The agent said he and Eichel plan to meet with the GM again."We hope to be having talks with Tim Murray when the time is right here, and ... (Eichel would) like nothing better than to bring the Stanley Cup to Buffalo because it's a great city. They're a passionate fan base. A lot of fans are a lot like Jack in the way he grew up in his family," Fish said."So I just don't know where this is coming from, and quite frankly it's someone who's got an axe to grind for some reason who doesn't know him and doesn't understand him."Eichel just finished the second season of his three-year, entry-level contract. Bylsma has three years remaining on the five-year agreement he inked in 2015.The Sabres missed the playoffs for the sixth straight campaign and for the second time in as many seasons since Eichel debuted with the club after being selected second overall in the 2015 draft."His frustration level, absolutely off the charts," Fish said. "He's a competitive kid. He hates to lose. I don't know if people know that about him. He does not like to lose. Sometimes his frustration in a game, he's not happy they're not winning. That’s just the bottom line."The agent also accused reporters of speculating about his client "just by looking at Jack in a press conference" and said he was "sick to (his) stomach" over some of the reports he's read about Eichel.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jack Eichel is reportedly presenting the Buffalo Sabres with an ultimatum.The 20-year-old forward has no desire to sign a contract extension with the club in the offseason if Dan Bylsma is still the head coach, multiple sources told WGR 550's Paul Hamilton.Eichel has one more year remaining on his entry-level deal before he becomes a restricted free agent. Bylsma has three years left on his contract.Sabres general manager Tim Murray said last week that he would meet with team owners Terry and Kim Pegula this week, and WGR 550 reports that discussion will take place Wednesday.At his season-ending news conference, Murray insisted he's had no thoughts of firing Bylsma "up to this point," but made a point of mentioning that anything can happen in the future.Related: Sabres GM wishy-washy about Bylsma's future"He's the coach today like I'm the GM today," Murray told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. "... I haven't had any thoughts of firing him up to this point. The reason I always say today is because something could happen tomorrow."Eichel has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the team this season, saying as recently as last week that too few of his teammates are working hard enough and actually want to win.He reportedly stormed out of the dressing room in a postgame huff in December, after which Bylsma suggested the Sabres should channel Eichel's anger and said the entire team should be as frustrated as the young center.The second overall pick in 2015 led Buffalo in points and ranked second on the team in goals this season, despite missing 21 games due to injury.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A swift tap where the sun don't shine on San Jose Sharks forward Chris Tierney could potentially make what's been a difficult playoff debut infinitely worse for Leon Draisaitl.The Edmonton Oilers' second-most-prolific forward was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for an unnecessary spear at the most unnecessary of times: trailing 5-0 in the second period of Game 4 on Tuesday night.It's just the latest stick infraction to draw the ire of hockey fans, following transgressions by Sidney Crosby (slash) and Brad Marchand (spear) in the regular season, as well as Andrei Markov's prodding of Rick Nash and Matt Calvert's cross-check of Tom Kuhnhackl in the playoffs.Crosby avoided discipline, but Marchand didn't, as the league handed him a two-game suspension to conclude the regular-season schedule. Markov shrugged off the angst of some Rangers supporters, and Calvert was forced to sit Game 3.Basing any potential discipline for Draisaitl on recent history leads to one question: How the hell will the NHL handle this?A players' fame shouldn't matter, nor should a history of infractions or the intensity of playoff hockey. A deliberate poke to an opponent's nether regions or a cross-check forceful enough to shatter a composite stick is intent to injure, plain and simple.If the Department of Player Safety aims to get rid of the tomfoolery, it should impose automatic suspensions. Does forcing Draisaitl to sit out the third period of a blowout send a better message than removing him from the roster for a pivotal Game 5?There's no defense for Draisaitl's decision, not even frustration or an attempt to set the tone for his team. Simply being escorted to the dressing room early - and in the midst of a blowout - lets him off too easy.After several infractions in the April alone, the NHL has a chance to set a precedent that can help eliminate these incidents from the game as the playoffs proceed. The league should take it.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets staved off a sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night, but even in victory, they continued a trend that's characterized every playoff game they've ever played.The Blue Jackets' 5-4 win in Game 4 cut the Penguins' series lead to 3-1, but Columbus allowed at least three goals for the 14th straight postseason contest, as pointed out by NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika.Columbus was outscored 7-2 in the first two games of this series before exchanging 5-4 results - an overtime loss on Sunday and a win on Tuesday.The last time the Blue Jackets faced the Penguins in the playoffs back in 2014, five of the six games were decided by a 4-3 margin in the highly competitive first-round series.It wasn't as flattering for Columbus in its first foray into the postseason against the Detroit Red Wings in 2009. The Blue Jackets were outscored 12-2 in the first three contests and 18-7 in the series as they were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup Final participants.They played well enough to win Tuesday's game against the Penguins, but having to continue to play without Zach Werenski - arguably their best blue-liner - isn't going to make it easy to cure these defensive struggles.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers might want to put Tuesday night's seven-goal defeat in the rearview mirror, but Todd McLellan describes it as a learning experience."Tonight was a big lesson ... (it) proves to our group that teams can take it to another level," the head coach said following a 7-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. He added, "It was their night."Several Oilers players expressed a desire to move on quickly from Tuesday's shellacking when asked about it postgame.Connor McDavid called it a "one-off" and said, "you just scrap it." Cam Talbot said, "You shelf it. It's one and forgotten," and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said, "It doesn't matter what the score was, we just have to look forward to the next game."McLellan acknowledged his young club simply doesn't have the familiarity with the postseason that its opponent possesses."We're learning as we go. Our top scorers haven't experienced this level of hockey," he said."They really haven't. When you look at (Joe) Thornton, (Patrick) Marleau, (Joe) Pavelski, (Brent) Burns ... those are some pretty experienced guys (who) have lived through these types of games and they knew where they had to take it. Our guys now have experienced it."The series shifts back to Edmonton for Game 5 on Thursday night. The Oilers split the first two games at Rogers Place, and they'll have two of the three potential remaining contests on home ice.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture each scored two goals and the San Jose Sharks rebounded from back-to-back shutouts in emphatic fashion, beating the Edmonton Oilers 7-0 on Tuesday night to tie their first-round playoff series at two games apiece.After being throttled by the younger and faster Oilers the past two games, the Sharks went back to the same successful formula that carried them to the Stanley Cup Final a year ago.Pavelski scored on a pair of deflections, including one just 15 seconds into the game for the fastest playoff goal in team history, the previously dormant power play scored four times and San Jose held Connor McDavid off the score sheet for the second straight game. Now they will try to carry that over into Game 5 in Edmonton on Thursday night.Patrick Marleau, Marcus Sorensen and David Schlemko also scored for San Jose, Brent Burns had three assists and Martin Jones made 23 saves for his fourth playoff shutout. It all added up to the most lopsided playoff win in Sharks history and biggest shutout win in the NHL in 10 years.Cam Talbot was pulled after allowing five goals on 24 shots and the frustration boiled over for the Oilers with Leon Draisaitl drawing a game misconduct for spearing Chris Tierney.Sharks coach Peter DeBoer juggled his lines in search of any kind of offensive spark, moving Marleau up to the top line with Joe Thornton and Pavelski among other changes.It paid off immediately when San Jose scored on the opening shift. Pavelski won an offensive zone faceoff back to Justin Braun and then deflected a point shot past Talbot for his first goal of the series.Playing with a lead for the first time all series, the Sharks were energized and dominated the play early. Even the struggling power play that had scored only once and allowed two short-handed goals in the first three games got into the action.Pavelski slid a cross-ice pass to Couture, who took a second to gather the puck before beating Talbot with a wrister from the faceoff circle for his first goal since having several teeth knocked out when he took a slap shot to the mouth March 25 in Nashville.Couture, who led the NHL in playoff scoring last year, missed the final seven games of the regular season and hadn't been at his usual form to start this series. He wore a cage to protect his mouth the first two games before going back to the half-visor for Game 3.San Jose then took the game over in the second starting when Marleau scored on an early power play. Sorensen knocked in a rebound midway through the period and Couture ended Talbot's night with a wrister from the circle.Pavelski added his second late on the period to take advantage of Draisaitl's penalty as San Jose converted four of eight power-play chances after going 1 for 14 the first three games.That prompted chants of ''We want seven!'' from the delirious crowd and it came when Schlemko scored on the power play in the third.NOTES: The Rangers beat Atlanta 7-0 on April 17, 2007. ... The previous fastest playoff goal for San Jose came 28 seconds into the game by Dany Heatley against Los Angeles in 2011. ... NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice opened the dressing room to lead the Sharks on the ice to start the game.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks were all smiles on Tuesday night, and rightfully so, as the club earned a commanding 7-0 victory and squared its series with the Edmonton Oilers.The game was the Sharks' most lopsided playoff victory in franchise history, while the loss was also the most lopsided by the Oilers in their history.It all seems like good news for the Sharks, but their past success rate following seven-goal games in the playoffs doesn't bode well.San Jose has hit the seven-goal mark on two other occasions during the postseason. The first was on April 30, 1999 against the Colorado Avalanche, when the Sharks won 7-3. The second game was in 2014 against the Los Angeles Kings, when they earned a 7-2 win in Game 2.Despite those strong performances, the Sharks would go on to lose both series, the latter of which saw the Sharks win the first three games, only to lose four straight to Los Angeles.This series is now a best of three, and the Sharks will now have to exorcise some bizarre demons in order to advance to Round 2.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Frustration was getting the better of the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.Already down 5-0 to the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 late in the second period, Leon Draisaitl got in a pushing match in the Sharks' zone with Chris Tierney, before delivering a dangerous spear to Tierney's midsection.

Tuesday's tilt against the Sharks is certainly one Cam Talbot and the Oilers will like to forget.After posting back-to-back shutouts in Games 2 and 3, Talbot was pulled in Game 4 after allowing five goals on 24 shots.The Oilers were swarmed by the Sharks from the get-go, allowing the first goal just 15 seconds into the game. It was really over before it even started.Talbot certainly can't take all of the blame, but it's possible his lackluster performance could be a sign of fatigue after playing a league-high 73 games this season.In fact, since the 2007-08 season there have been only 25 instances in which a goaltender played 70-plus regular-season games. In only five of those instances did the goalie's team make it past the first round of the playoffs. Four of those teams were eliminated in Round 2. The fifth team was eliminated in the Conference Finals.Laurent Brossoit took over for Talbot in the second period, which will allow the workhorse netminder to get some rest in before a crucial Game 5 on Thursday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins didn't deserve the series sweep on Tuesday, according to head coach Mike Sullivan.Sullivan spoke to reporters postgame, where he noted that his team's effort did not compare to that of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who earned a 5-4 victory."We just weren't good enough," Sullivan said, according to Sam Kasan of NHL.com. "I know we're better and we will be better. But we certainly weren't good enough tonight."The Penguins gave up a series-high five goals on Tuesday, and were chasing the game early as the Blue Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period."We were down goals and got close a couple of times, but then give up another one," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. "We put ourselves in a bad spot to have to keep coming back. We can't keep doing that if you want to consistently win games."Luckily for the Penguins, the team still holds a 3-1 series lead and will be able to close it out back at home, where Sullivan expects a stronger effort from his club."We're going to go back home and reset our mindset," Sullivan said. "We've got to be more committed to play the game the right way."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Markus Nutivaara, William Karlsson, and Boone Jenner each had a goal and an assist, and the Columbus Blue Jackets held on to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 on Tuesday, avoiding a sweep in the best-of-seven playoff series.Jack Johnson and Josh Anderson also scored for the Blue Jackets, who were able to outlast the Penguins when they pushed back hard in the second and third periods and then got a short-handed goal from Jake Guenztel with 27 seconds left in the game.Sergei Bobrovsky had 27 saves to help the Blue Jackets get their first playoff win in three years and their first-ever in regulation.The Penguins now lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, which returns to Pittsburgh for Game 5 on Thursday night.Patric Hornqvist, Ron Hainsey, and Tom Kuhnhackl also scored for Pittsburgh, and Marc-Andre Fleury - pressed into service because of an injury to Matt Murray at the start of the series - had 29 saves.Columbus got offense from its lower lines, building leads of 3-1, 4-2 and 4-3 before Jenner poked in a goal amid heavy traffic 5:37 into the third period for a 5-3 lead. Pittsburgh got the late goal but ran out of time.Johnson scored first for the Blue Jackets at 11:46 of the opening period when he launched a wrister from the right point into traffic that bounced off Sidney Crosby's skate and into the net.There was less luck involved when Anderson made it 2-0 with a little over minute left in the period. He grabbed a chip pass from Karlsson, circled in from the right and beat Fleury between the pads.Columbus went up 3-0 at 4:49 of the second when Nutivaara scored off a rebound.Just like in Game 3 when they rallied from a 3-1 deficit, the Penguins began roaring back.Hornqvist struck for Pittsburgh during a power play 6:43 in the second. His rebound shot from the doorstep rolled up the pad of Bobrovsky with the goalie dropped in front of the net. Ten minutes later, Phil Kessel passed the puck out to Hainsey to the far right and he beat a shielded Bobrovsky from a severe angle. The Blue Jackets were lucky to get out of the last few minutes of the period without another score from the swarming Penguins.The Blue Jackets got a goal from Karlsson 27 seconds into the third that seemed to pump them up again. But Kuhnhackl found the back of the net on a rebound less than two minutes later to make it 4-3 before Jenner put Columbus back up by two.NOTES: Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella scratched veteran winger Scott Hartnell on his 35th birthday, replacing him in the lineup with Lukas Sedlak, who returned from an injury. ... F Matt Calvert also was back after serving a one-game suspension for breaking his stick over the back of Kuhnhackl on Friday. .... D Kyle Quincey made his playoff debut for Columbus after D Zach Werenski was knocked out with a puck to the face Sunday. D Scott Harrington was a scratch.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

No time to waste for the San Jose Sharks.Sharks captain Joe Pavelski netted his first goal of the playoffs just 15 seconds into Game 4, tipping a point shot by Justin Braun to grab the early lead over the Edmonton Oilers.

NEW YORK - Rick Nash and Jesper Fast scored, Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves, and the New York Rangers beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Tuesday night to even their first-round playoff series at two games apiece.New York's win also ended a six-game losing streak at home in the playoffs going back to the 2015 Eastern Conference Final.Torrey Mitchell scored for Montreal and Carey Price made 30 saves.Game 5 is Thursday night in Montreal before the series returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.The Rangers, who gave up the tying goal with 18 seconds left in the third period of Game 2 before losing in overtime, stopped Montreal in the final minutes in this one.After a lackluster performance in a 3-1 loss in Game 3, the Rangers came out aggressive early in Game 4.Lundqvist kept it scoreless as he stopped Andrew Shaw on a breakaway midway through the first period.About a minute later, Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov misplayed the puck along the boards and Fast grabbed the loose puck and slid it through the legs of Price for an unassisted goal at 11:39 to open the scoring.The Canadiens tied it late in the period. Alexander Radulov eluded the check of Brady Skjei near the Rangers' bench and passed the puck to Mitchell, who started a 2-on-1 break with Shea Weber and Mitchell scored into an open net with 1:23 remaining. Radulov earned his fourth assist of the series on the play.The Rangers controlled the play for most of the second period as the Canadiens had only one shot on goal in the first 11 minutes.Nash gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead early in the second. Ryan McDonagh kept the puck in the zone and sent a nice pass to Nash near the front of the net and he slipped a backhand past Price at 4:28 for his second of the series.NOTES: Looking to spark the offense, Pavel Buchnevich, who was a healthy scratch for the first three games of this series, was in the lineup for Rangers. Defenseman Nick Holden was also in the lineup. Tanner Glass, who scored in Game 1, and Kevin Klein were among the scratches. ... The Rangers are 0 for 12 on the power play in the series. ... The Rangers' previous home playoff game win was in Game 1 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Final against Tampa Bay.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rick Nash is money in the playoffs.The New York Rangers forward scored his second of the postseason Tuesday, skating in from the corner and beating Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price with an in-close deke to make it 2-1 New York in Game 4.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers picked the wrong time to make a line change.The club conducted a full-scale swap late in the first period, allowing Torrey Mitchell and Shea Weber to walk in on a two-on-one, which they executed to perfection.The strange play also saw a rarity: six skaters on the ice for both sides.

Two events on one stage.The NHL has announced it will couple its annual awards ceremony with the coming expansion draft for the Vegas Golden Knights.The event will take place June 21 at T-Mobile Arena, where the Golden Knights will call home next season. Vegas' 30 selections - one from each existing club - will be announced throughout the two-hour broadcast.Teams can protect either seven forwards and three defensemen or eight skaters of any combination. Teams must also expose one goaltender.Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, general manager George McPhee, and newly appointed head coach Gerald Gallant will be present at the expansion draft. Vegas also plans to introduce select players as part of the broadcast."June 21 will be an incredible day for the city of Las Vegas and our fans," Foley said in a statement. "The anticipation around the expansion draft has been building for months and that excitement will continue to grow as we get closer to draft day."By combining the draft with the NHL Awards, Golden Knights fans will get to experience a monumental day in our team’s history while enjoying one of the premier NHL events that features the game's biggest stars."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This Blue Jackets-Penguins series has the two fan bases competing in strange ways.After a photo of a fan who got a tattoo of Phil Kessel riding a hot dog while holding the Stanley Cup went viral, the Blue Jackets faithful answered the call.Ahead of Game 4, the supporter below was seen sporting a T-shirt with a stretched image of Zach Werenski's bruised face after he was hit by a Kessel shot in Game 3.

Coaches rarely reveal their starting goalie prior to puck drop, and even less so in the postseason.That's certainly the case with Anaheim Ducks bench boss Randy Carlyle, who wouldn't tip his cap on who will start between the pipes when the Ducks go for the sweep Wednesday against the Calgary Flames.Carlyle was ambiguous about which of his netminders will get the nod in Game 4, stating, "I'm going to pick one goalie," to Eric Stephens of The Orange County Register.John Gibson has started all three games so far, but his night was cut short Monday after allowing four goals on 16 shots. Jonathan Bernier stepped in in relief, turning aside 16 shots as the Ducks mounted an overtime comeback after trailing 4-1 midway through the second period.Interestingly enough, both teams may opt for a goalie change in Game 4. Flames coach Glen Gulutzan was noncommittal when asked Tuesday if Brian Elliott would get the call next game.Elliott stopped just 22 of 27 shots in the Game 3 loss, later blaming himself for the defeat.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs are off to a roaring start, with 11-of-24 first-round games needing extra time.Monday night featured four overtime games for only the third time in NHL playoffs history and first time since 1985, per NHL Public Relations.In honor of the early dramatics, we've ranked the top five winners so far in descending order:5. Melker Karlsson - Game 1Karlsson's heroics gave his Sharks a 1-0 series lead - one that has since evaporated. Even still, silencing a raucous crowd with a rocket wrist shot is a good way to get things going.4. Jake Guentzel - Game 3 Benefiting from yet another ridiculous pass from Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel completed a hat trick in Game 3 to give the Penguins a 3-0 stranglehold over their division rivals.3. Dion Phaneuf - Game 2 The Senators were a goal away from traveling to Boston down 2-0, but it was Phaneuf who broke through with a blazing slap shot past Tuukka Rask, sending the home fans into a frenzy.2. Kasperi Kapanen - Game 2 The Maple Leafs hadn't scored an overtime winner in the playoffs since 2003, until Kapanen iced Game 2 versus the Capitals in the second extra frame.The slick backhand pass from Brian Boyle earns this one bonus points.1. Kevin Fiala - Game 3Comeback win. Perfect give-and-go. 3-0 series lead. This one was a beauty.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings have signed Minnesota-Duluth forward Alex Iafallo to a two-year entry-level contract, newly appointed general manager Rob Blake announced Tuesday.Iafallo led the Bulldogs in scoring this season, recording 51 points - good for 12th in the NCAA - in 42 games.The 23-year-old New York native played a major role in Minnesota-Duluth's run to the Frozen Four championship game, where it lost 3-2 to Denver earlier this month.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak will undergo surgery on his injured right leg Tuesday, head coach Mike Babcock announced.Polak was forced to leave Game 2 versus the Washington Capitals on Saturday, after a hard hit from Brooks Orpik forced an awkward fall. He was declared done for the playoffs after the contest.The 30-year-old appeared in 75 games through the regular season, registering four goals and seven assists, while playing a key role on Toronto's penalty kill.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If John Tortorella is feeling any nervous anticipation with his season on the line, he isn't showing it.The Columbus Blue Jackets face a 3-0 hole to the Pittsburgh Penguins in their first-round series, with a possible sweep at stake on Tuesday night.Coming back against the defending Stanley Cup champions is a daunting task, but Torts is rolling with the punches - hoping for some postgame relaxation after Game 4."You know what we're thinking? I just want them to be able to put that goddamn radio on after tonight's game," Tortorella said, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette."They play this crap for music whenever you come in after a game. I want them to be able to put that on and just jam with it."Postgame tunes have been a rarity for Columbus of late, losing six of its final seven games in the regular season and then suffering three straight defeats to begin the playoffs.Whether the Blue Jackets get the opportunity for a jam session is up in the air, but whatever transpires, we can only imagine Tortorella's dance moves.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The best round of playoffs in all of sport is upon us - and I've ranked the five hottest goalies out of the gate in descending order:5. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins(Photo courtesy: Action Images)I am enjoying the resurgence of the NHL’s best teammate. I say that because last season, Fleury had to watch Matt Murray take his job and run with it to a Stanley Cup victory. Only another goalie would know how hard that is to sit there, night after night, wanting to play as the other guy takes center stage.How do you be a good teammate when you want to play, but knowing that if the other goalie plays well, you may never see the net again? Through it all he never complained and has always had the team's best interest in mind. He’s playing like a champion again, and I’m positive Las Vegas is watching.4. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens(Photo courtesy: Action Images)There is no way I could leave the world’s best goaltender off this list. There isn’t a more consistent goalie in the National Hockey League. Anytime Price is in net, the Canadiens have a chance to win.I think back to Game 2, when the Rangers had the Canadiens on the brink of going home down two games to zero. Price was a brick wall, stopping all nine shots in the third and then another eight in overtime. The Canadiens scored late to tie it and went on to win in OT. I’m reminded of Grant Fuhr who, when the game was on the line, was a rock. Price is in that league.3. Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Of all the No. 1 goalies in this season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Talbot is the most unproven. But he has been cool and calm, posting back-to-back shutouts against the San Jose Sharks.I, for one, questioned the move when the Oilers acquired him to shore up their goaltending and anointed him the No. 1. I’m happy to say he has proven me wrong - and the rest of the league might want to look out. With the quality of goaltending Talbot is providing, Edmonton is for real.2. Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)The last time I saw a Blues goalie dominate like this in the Stanley Cup Playoffs was in 1993, when Curtis Joseph was tending goal. En route to a 4-0 sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks, Joseph had two shutouts and stopped 134 of 140 shots to single-handedly eliminate the Blackhawks.Allen has eerily been a mirror image of Joseph. His athleticism, positioning, and work ethic are similar to Joseph’s - and have the Blues in position to knock off the Minnesota Wild in four straight. Allen is the reason the Blues traded Brian Elliot, as they thought in the long run Allen would be the better goalie. It’s nice to see him reward the organization for believing in him.1. Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Shutting out the powerhouse Blackhawks in back-to-back games to open their first-round series is no small feat. Add in the fact that Rinne did it in Chicago, in one of the most intimidating road buildings to play in, and this is the type of goaltending the Predators have been waiting for.Rinne has long been one of the top five regular-season goalies in the National Hockey League. That’s great, but the playoffs are when you make a mark as one of the best. Rinne has never made it past the second round. This could be the year.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A Pittsburgh Penguins fan decided to celebrate his love of Phil Kessel with a tattoo that is both strange and awesome.Phil Hammerstein spent three hours Friday night getting a 1950s-style pinup of the Penguins forward riding a hot dog, with a bottle of mustard in one hand and the Stanley Cup in the other.

The Anaheim Ducks' defensive depth is a well-known strength for the club, and it's showing in spades with the emergence of Shea Theodore through three games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.With top-four regulars Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen on the shelf with injuries, Theodore, 21, has played a massive role in Anaheim's commanding 3-0 series lead over the Calgary Flames.After recording just nine points in 34 games this season, Theodore's produced five points in three playoff contests, including two goals in the Ducks' improbable Game 3 comeback. He ranks first among defenseman in postseason scoring, and sits tied for second overall in the early going.More importantly for the Ducks - should his offensive production cool off, which is a rather likely scenario - Theodore's all-around impact has been strong.In Games 1 and 3, he led all Ducks blue-liners in Corsi For percentage, posting marks of 56.67% and 58.33%. Fittingly, he's seen an increase in ice time as the series has progressed, reaching 22:19 on Monday night.Unless Calgary can become the fifth team in NHL history to erase a 3-0 series deficit, Anaheim is staring at an opportunity for added rest before Round 2. Meanwhile, the thought of adding Fowler and Vatanen back into a D-corps that's already firing on all cylinders is likely an imposing one for the rest of the Western Conference.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames squandered a major opportunity to gain life in their first-round series versus the Anaheim Ducks in Game 3 on Monday, letting a 4-1 lead slip away in regulation before losing in overtime.Flames goaltender Brian Elliott, who said Calgary handed Anaheim a win in Game 1, put the blame solely on himself this time around."I have to own that, Elliott told TSN's Jermain Franklin. "The guys spotted four goals and we should win a game like that."The Flames were up by three goals with under a minute to play in the second period, but Shea Theodore scored twice and Nate Thompson once to force extra time. Then, just 1:30 into overtime, Corey Perry gave Anaheim a 3-0 series lead."You want to help the team more than you hurt it and it's tough to swallow right now," Elliott said.Calgary has lost all three games by a single goal, and will aim to avoid a sweep Wednesday night.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks fought back from a 4-1 deficit to take Game 3 with a 5-4 overtime win, as Corey Perry's game-winning goal pushed the Ducks to a 3-0 series lead over the Calgary Flames.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kevin Fiala ended a thrilling overtime with 3:16 remaining to give the Nashville Predators a 3-0 series lead over the Chicago Blackhawks.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There is no shortage of confidence in the Maple Leafs' locker room following their Game 3 overtime defeat of the Washington Capitals. Nor should there be.The Leafs, who squeaked into the playoffs as the second wild-card team, now hold a 2-1 series lead against the Presidents' Trophy winning Washington Capitals."That's been the feeling the whole time," said defenseman Morgan Rielly, when asked if the Leafs are starting to believe they can win this series, per TSN's Kristen Shilton. "That hasn't changed."As a team who had already far and away exceeded preseason expectations, the Leafs were a squad no top seed wanted to match up against since they really have nothing to lose. However, next to nobody thought an inexperienced team like Toronto could actually hang with a team that is built to win right now.They may be young and don't know any better, but here they are, instilling doubt in the minds of a team that won 55 games during the regular season.Nazem Kadri, who assisted on the OT winner, triples as Toronto's shutdown center, a reliable offensive producer, and a super pest. He and his linemates, Leo Komarov and Connor Brown, have been given the task of shutting down Washington's top line featuring Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, and T.J. Oshie."Maybe a little bit," Kadri told TSN's Mark Masters, when asked if he is sensing frustration from Washington's prolific scoring line. "When you play hard against them, that's a natural reaction."With multiple major pending free agents this summer, including Oshie, Karl Alzner, and Kevin Shattenkirk, the Caps are in "Stanley Cup or bust" mode. That amount of pressure can be extremely difficult to play with."I'm sure it's frustrating. I mean, they won the Presidents' Trophy. This is (supposed to be) their year," Auston Matthews told Masters.On the opposite end of the spectrum, the abnormal lack of pressure the Leafs are facing has allowed them to play their game, despite the inexperience."It's never bad to be in an underdog position, there's a little less pressure," said Tyler Bozak, Toronto's longest serving player who scored the game-winner, according to Masters. "We believe in ourselves in here."Coming back from a 3-1 deficit, the Leafs have every right to believe in themselves. Their speed and skill have proved problematic for the Capitals.You can expect the Buds to carry this swagger into Game 4 on Wednesday night.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals find themselves in familiar territory.Now down 2-1 in their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Presidents' Trophy winning Capitals have their work cut out for them.After taking Game 1 against the Maple Leafs, the Capitals have dropped the following two games, with all three contests ending in overtime. Toronto has a chance to push its lead to 3-1 on home ice Wednesday.Against the Maple Leafs on Monday, the Capitals came out strong, scoring twice in the first five minutes. Evgeny Kuznetsov put the Capitals ahead 3-1 in the second period, but the team then failed to build on its lead shortly after on a 5-on-3 power play."There's a chance to take control of the game and we didn't. And then we got another power-play opportunity and we didn't do it, and then they got some momentum," Capitals coach Barry Trotz told reporters after the loss. "They're capitalizing on their moments, we're not. To me, in the series, they've cashed in. We've had opportunities, we haven't cashed in, to this point. It doesn't mean it can't happen next game."The Capitals have finished as the top regular-season team three times since 2010, but have not advanced past Round 2 since a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998.Trotz is in his third year behind the bench in Washington. His squad has exited in the second round in both of his previous seasons in D.C. Still, the Capitals bench boss is confident his group can find their game."There isn't any doubt. It's the first team to four," Trotz added. "We've got some room here ... It's not coming easy right now, but at the same time we're right there with three overtime games."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bruce Cassidy does not appear to be a fan of how Game 3 was officiated in overtime.The Boston Bruins interim coach watched as forward Riley Nash was called for roughing in the extra frame right after taking an apparent elbow to the head courtesy of Ottawa's Bobby Ryan.Here's a look at the play in question:

Different year, same story.The Washington Capitals entered the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs with an apparent powerhouse of a team, having finished first overall in the NHL standings for the second year in a row and finally looking to get over the hump when it matters most.Now, in the wake of a string of several all-too-short postseason runs, they find themselves down 2-1 at the hands of the upstart Toronto Maple Leafs.Cue the question marks surrounding a team that hasn't advanced past the second round during Alex Ovechkin's heyday, and rightfully so, admits defenseman Matt Niskanen."Until we change the narrative, that's going to be the question," Niskanen said, per Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post.This series, of course, is far from over, but even if the Capitals do come back and advance, a likely second-round date with the Pittsburgh Penguins won't make things any easier.For now, the Maple Leafs are giving the Capitals more than they can handle, and an opening-round loss to the last team to clinch a playoff spot would be simply disastrous.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks are on the board at last.After being shut out in their first two games of the postseason, the Blackhawks finally found the back of the net in the second period of Game 3 against the Nashville Predators.

Luck remains on the side of the Nashville Predators.The Chicago Blackhawks came oh so close to scoring their first goal of the playoffs after the puck took a weird bounce following a dump in, but Pekka Rinne managed to get back just in time to knock the puck away.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hosting a playoff hockey game in Nashville has its perks.To wit: Grammy-award winning artist Carrie Underwood made a surprise appearance to sing the national anthem prior to Game 3 against the Chicago Blackhawks. Predators' Mike Fisher jersey and all.God bless America.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tyler Bozak is the hero.The Toronto Maple Leafs won Game 3 in overtime against the Washington Capitals after Bozak's high deflection worked to perfection.The goal came at 1:37 and capped three straight tallies for the Maple Leafs after they trailed 3-1 early in the second period.The Maple Leafs now carry a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 comes Wednesday in Toronto.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The kids are chipping in.David Pastrnak continued building on a breakout regular season by scoring the game-tying goal in Game 3 - his first ever in the playoffs - to completely erase a three-goal deficit for the Boston Bruins at the hands of the Ottawa Senators.Related: Bruins' Backes scores after Senators' Ryan blows tireThe goal was assisted by defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who recorded his first career point on the play.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.