TORONTO - Lars Eller and Kevin Shattenkirk gave Washington a two-goal lead halfway through the game, and the Capitals cruised to a 4-1 win over Toronto on Tuesday night, snapping the Maple Leafs' four-game winning streak.Nate Schmidt and Tom Wilson also scored for Washington and Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 shots. The Capitals, winners of eight of their last nine, moved closer to clinching the top spot in the Eastern Conference and the Presidents' Trophy with the league's best record. However, Pittsburgh's win over Columbus prevented them from doing so.Mitch Marner scored his 19th of the season, spoiling Grubauer's shutout bid with a power-play goal with 1:08 to go. Curtis McElhinney finished with 34 saves for the Maple Leafs, who lost for just the second time in nine games.Toronto lost center Brian Boyle to an upper-body injury, possibly from a hard collision with Wilson in the first period.The Capitals beat the Maple Leafs for the seventh time in their last eight meetings and are 10-2-1 in the last 13 matchups. The first two games this season were tight - Toronto won 4-2 here on Nov. 26 and Washington won 6-5 in overtime at home on Jan. 3 - but the Capitals were in control in this one.Washington spent a lot of time in the offensive zone in the first and Eller scored with 5:26 remaining in the opening period as he took a feed from Andre Burakovsky and sent a shot from near the right faceoff spot that took a deflection off a Toronto skate.The Leafs came out with considerably more bite to open the second period and pressed the Washington goal. But the Caps weathered the storm and doubled their lead on Shattenkirk's power-play goal at the 10-minute mark. It was Shattenkirk's 12th of the year and first with the Capitals, and gave Washington its 36th power-play score in their last 40 games.Alex Ovechkin got an assist on the play, moving him into sole possession of second place among Russian-born players on the NHL's all-time scoring list. He came into the game tied with Alexander Mogilny with 1,032 points and trailing Sergei Fedorov by 147 points for first place.Washington played a controlled third period with Grubauer mopping up when needed. Schmidt, a late replacement for the injured John Carlson (lower body), added to the lead at 8:11 coming in from the point with little opposition to snap a shot past McElhinney.Wilson made it 4-0 with a nifty deke with 3:14 left after being sent in alone by former Leafs player Daniel Winnik.NOTES: It was the 100th NHL game for Leafs forward William Nylander. ... Ovechkin has 60 points (33 goals, 27 assists) in 42 career games against the Maple Leafs.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brad Marchand is breathing a sigh of relief, although he may not be fully off the hook quite yet.The Boston Bruins winger was ejected from Tuesday's playoff-clinching win over Tampa Bay after a spear on Jake Dotchin, a play he admits was ill-advised, to say the very least.Related: Bruins' Marchand ejected for spearing Lightning's Dotchin"It was an undisciplined penalty, there's no question about that," Marchand admitted after the game, per Joe MacDonald of ESPN. "It could have cost the team a very important game, but the guys did a great job of rallying and having a huge game."As to whether he expects to hear from the NHL, Marchand said he has no idea, but he did acknowledge the game misconduct could be considered time served.The Bruins have two games remaining in the regular season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On a pillow.Taylor Hall set up his Devils teammate John Moore with a perfect saucer pass in overtime Tuesday, and Moore made no mistake, as New Jersey beat the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0.For Flyers goaltender Steve Mason, it's the first point he's earned against the Devils in 10 career starts. Maybe next year he'll beat 'em.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tuukka Rask suffers no fools.One week ago, questions abounded in regards to his ability to carry the Boston Bruins back to the postseason following a one-game absence due to injury.There was even at least one call for interim head coach Bruce Cassidy to start Anton Khudobin - who did indeed step up in Rask's brief absence - until the backup lost a game, something he frequently did in the first half of the season.But since his return to the crease March 28, Rask has posted a perfect 4-0-0 record with two shutouts and a .972 save percentage.His latest clean sheet, earned in a playoff-clinching win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, set a new career high at eight, topping the seven he recorded in 2013-14, the season in which he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goalie.He concurrently recorded a career-high 38th win of the season, with his previous benchmark of 37 also coming in 2013-14.Rask's season save percentage isn't quite as strong as it was three years ago, but neither is Boston's blue line.In recent days, Rask has stepped up when his team needed him most, temporarily silencing those who seem to have forgotten what he's capable of.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

PITTSBURGH - Patric Hornqvist picked up his 20th goal of the season, Matt Murray finished with 37 saves and the Pittsburgh Penguins sped past the slumping Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 on Tuesday night.Jake Guentzel and Carter Rowney also scored for Pittsburgh. Brian Dumoulin added his first regular season goal in more than two years as the Penguins moved three points ahead of Columbus in the race to have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.Pittsburgh won its third straight to inch closer to opening its Stanley Cup defense at home thanks in large part to Murray and offensive contributions from unexpected places.Brandon Dubinsky scored short-handed for Columbus. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots but the Blue Jackets dropped a season-high fourth straight and have ceded control of the second seed in the Metropolitan Division to Pittsburgh with three games to go.The teams are almost assured of facing each other when the playoffs begin next week, a rematch from a 2014 first-round series the Penguins won in six taut games and seemed to signal Columbus' arrival as a legitimate contender.Three years later, Columbus has officially arrived, though the team that spent the better part of 60 minutes chasing the Penguins around sold-out PPG Paints Arena hardly looked like the one that came in 2-0-1 over its first three meetings of the season. The Blue Jackets tried to push the Penguins around, rattling the boards in the process but not Pittsburgh.The Penguins' fourth line helped bolster a largely lifeless performance in a victory over Carolina on Sunday and the momentum carried over. Rowney put Pittsburgh in front with 1:09 left in the first period when he planted himself in front of Bobrovsky and redirected a feed from Scott Wilson over Bobrovsky's shoulder.Hornqvist doubled Pittsburgh's lead just before the game's midway point, though linemate Tom Kuhnhackl did all the work. Kuhnhackl tracked down a loose puck in the defensive zone the raced end-to-end down the left wing, fending off Oliver Bjorkstrand in the process before sliding a crossing pass to a streaking Hornqvist that found the open net.Dumoulin, who scored a pair of goals during last year's run to the Cup, reached the back of the net in the regular season for the first time since Dec. 15, 2014, when he saved a clear at the edge of the blue line, carried the puck behind the Columbus net then saw his wraparound smack off Cam Atkinson and in, ending a 151-game regular season goalless drought.When Guentzel deflected a Justin Schultz shot from the point by Bobrovsky 33 seconds into the third, the Penguins were in firm control.Dubinsky's 12th of the year midway through the third spoiled Murray's shutout bid but served as little solace for the Blue Jackets.NOTES: Columbus rookie D Zack Werenski did not play while dealing with an upper-body injured suffered in a loss to Washington on Sunday. ... Penguins D Trevor Daley skated on Tuesday morning and is hopeful to return before the postseason begins. Daley hasn't played since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Feb. 23. ... The Penguins went 0 for 3 on the power play. The Blue Jackets were 0 for 1. ... Pittsburgh's 109 points tied the 2013-14 team for the second-highest total in club history.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For the first time since the 2013-14 season, the Boston Bruins have booked their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, courtesy of a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.This most recent victory - Boston's sixth in a row - improved the Bruins' record to 18-7-0 since the decision was made to fire Claude Julien in favor of interim bench boss Bruce Cassidy, who's made a good case to have that tag removed sooner rather than later.The Bruins, however, were forced to play 40-plus minutes without leading scorer Brad Marchand, who was ejected near the end of the first period for spearing Jake Dotchin.Boston last advanced to the postseason as Presidents' Trophy winners in 2014. But they missed out on the postseason by two points in 2015, and came up short again last season after finishing level in points with Detroit but losing the tiebreaker.What's yet to be determined is whether Boston will secure an Atlantic Division spot or fall to the second wild card. The former would mean a first-round date with Toronto or Ottawa, while the latter would set up a date with the top team in the Metropolitan Division, which will likely be Washington.Either way, the Bruins will certainly be among the final 16.As for the Lightning, they're still technically in the race, but their chances took a massive hit with this loss.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Ovechkin is well on his way to becoming the highest-scoring Russian NHLer of all time.With an assist Tuesday in Toronto, the Washington Capitals captain broke a tie with Alexander Mogilny for second in all-time points by a Russian. No. 8 now trails only Sergei Fedorov.RussianPointsGPFedorov11791248Ovechkin1033918Mogilny1032990Alexei Kovalev10291316Pavel Datsyuk918953Vyacheslav Kozlov8531182Evgeni Malkin832706Ovechkin's already his country's most successful goal-scorer, having passed Fedorov in November 2015, and is the only Russian to hit the elusive 500-mark in the NHL.The Maple Leafs have been victimized heavily by Ovechkin over the years. The 31-year-old now has 33 goals and 60 points in 42 games against the blue and white.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brothers don't shake hands. Brothers gotta hug.Prior to the Minnesota Wild's home game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, visiting assistant captain Jordan Staal presented big brother Eric Staal with a painting to commemorate his recent 1,000th career appearance.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was a guest on Sportsnet's "Prime Time Sports" on Tuesday evening, and the hot topic of conversation was, of course, the league's decision to not attend the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.Here are the major takeaways from the 18-minute interview:

Unfortunately for the Boston Bruins, Brad Marchand is up to his old tricks.With his team looking to secure its first playoff spot in three seasons, Marchand - who's become an elite offensive winger - was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for a spear to the midsection on Tampa Bay's Jake Dotchin on Tuesday.Given Marchand's history of high jinks, NHL Department of Player Safety may give this another look, with the Bruins having only two games remaining at the conclusion of the tilt with the Lightning.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild paid tribute to their past Tuesday during warmups, and Zach Parise had some gear his players didn't.The Wild forward was rocking his father J.P. Parise's helmet and gloves:

Martin Hanzal will don a vintage Minnesota North Stars jersey prior to the Wild's tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday in honor of Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game.

Elaborate bluff, or set in stone?In a statement released Monday, the National Hockey League announced the decision to not disrupt the 2017-18 regular season in order to allow its players to participate in next February's Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.The decision was made after months of negotiations and amid reports of high commercial demands made by the NHL in order to market the Olympics on its various platforms, even after the IIHF agreed to cover the players' travel and insurance costs.Here's what you need to know about the decision and what's happened since:NHL statement

Barry Trotz is offering some high praise for Tuesday night's opponent.The Washington Capitals bench boss, who's in Toronto for an important clash with the Maple Leafs, was asked if he's ever seen anything similar to the young club's success this season."Yeah I have," Trotz said, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "Edmonton Oilers, way back in the day. Starting with 99."The Maple Leafs, led by historically productive rookies, among other things, have transformed from a 30th place laughingstock to a team that can clinch a playoff berth with a win and some help Tuesday."They're playing with structure," Trotz said. "A lot of focus and commitment. They're in a position to be in the playoffs right now. They're playing good hockey, they're getting great goaltending from (Frederik) Andersen, so there's not a lot of holes in their game. They got it dialled."Both Washington and Toronto are red-hot of late, each going 8-1-1 over their last 10 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators will welcome Clarke MacArthur back to the lineup for Tuesday's game against Detroit.The winger has not played since Oct. 14, 2015 as a result of multiple concussions, one of which was suffered in that last appearance.General manager Pierre Dorion said MacArthur was cleared by multiple doctors a week ago, and the team felt it was best he make his return in Ottawa's home rink.According to head coach Guy Boucher, MacArthur isn't being rushed to help the reeling Senators hold on to a playoff spot.

A deflected puck that struck Logan Couture in the face over a week ago appears to have done a lot of damage.The San Jose Sharks forward has been sidelined since the game in question against the Nashville Predators on March 25 and as Couture explained in great detail on Tuesday, the puck caused quite a lot of damage, according to Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area."Right when it happened I went to the Nashville room and their doctors and dentists did a great job trying to basically save my teeth," Couture said. "They had to move a lot of them around obviously from the impact of the puck. They were all shifted in my mouth. They did a great job at that time to try and save them."I went to Vanderbilt hospital, and they brought a guy in there to put what is called an arch-bar on my teeth to try and save them. … It wasn’t really a surgery, it was just kind of a procedure that they did."They’re all damaged," Couture said. "A lot of these teeth are going to be taken out at some point once the season is over. They’ll have to remove a lot of them from my mouth."It’s basically temporary to have some teeth in my mouth. That’s pretty much it. If they took them all out now then I would be almost toothless."In the meantime, there is no concrete date for Couture's return to the Sharks lineup. Head coach Pete Deboer spoke to reporters Tuesday where he was rather ambiguous stating both he and Joe Thornton - who is day to day with a lower-body injury - could be back Saturday or even a month from Saturday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As one would expect, players are certainly unhappy about the league's decision to skip the 2018 Winter Olympics.On Tuesday, NHLers didn't hold back, expressing their collective displeasure while throwing shade at those responsible.Here's a roundup:Related: Stralman on NHL's Olympic decision: 'They crushed a dream'Connor McDavidThe NHL's most prolific scorer said the Olympics were something he'd long hoped to participate in."It's disappointing," McDavid said, according to Sportsnet's John Shannon. "The Olympics was something I looked forward to as a kid."Kevin ShattenkirkAfter Alex Ovechkin sounded off - stating the announcement wouldn't stop him from participating - Capitals teammate Kevin Shattenkirk insisted the league is using the Olympics as a "bargaining chip," according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post.

To say that the NHL's unwillingness to participate in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang has created friction with the NHLPA would be an understatement.With the current collective bargaining agreement expiring after the 2021-22 season, that friction could be an important point in the timeline of a future NHL lockout.Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who represented Team Canada in both the 2010 and 2014 Games. Like many other players, he isn't pleased with the league's decision, and thinks it could be an ominous sign of things to come."It just seems like it comes down to what can they (the NHL) get out of us when the next CBA negotiation rolls around," Toews told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday.Asked whether the league is hurtling toward another lockout, Toews responded, "I wouldn't be surprised. If we're already hitting some road bumps with something like (the Olympics), we're heading in the same direction. Can't say anyone should be surprised at this point."As a three-time Stanley Cup champion, Toews' voice is louder than that of an average NHL player. Bolder comments have already come from other faces of the league like Alex Ovechkin, who stated: "I'm still going."Though the 2016 World Cup of Hockey was a success, it doesn't appear to have succeeded in quenching players' thirst for international, best-on-best hockey."Compared to the World Cup, there was no comparison really, as far as energy and excitement," Toews, who's won both tournaments, said of participating in the Olympics.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Braden Holtby won't be following in his renegade captain's footsteps.After Alex Ovechkin reiterated his stance on Olympic participation Tuesday - stating he would go despite the league's announcement that the NHL won't shut down to allow players to go - the Washington Capitals goaltender noted he wouldn't go quite as far:

The NHL's announcement that it won't send players to the 2018 Winter Olympics had little impact on Alex Ovechkin's stance.The Washington Capitals captain has claimed in the past that he'll play in the Olympics whether the NHL allows players to participate or not, and on Tuesday - ahead of his club's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs - he stuck to his word."Yeah, I didn't change my mind. I'm still going," Ovechkin said, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun."Somebody going to tell me don’t go, I don’t care, I just go," Ovechkin added, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

On Monday, following the NHL's announcement that the league won't send its players to the 2018 Winter Olympics, Henrik Lundqvist and Erik Karlsson both voiced their displeasure.Related: Karlsson calls Olympic decision 'crap,' won't say if he'll defy NHL and playThe news means Lundqvist will lose the chance to play in his fourth games, while Karlsson will be kept away from his second. It's a tough pill to swallow for sure, but for fellow Swede and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman - who's yet to compete at the Olympics - the news cuts a little deeper."They crushed a dream," Stralman said, according to ESPN's Joe McDonald. "It's sad.""Just billionaires trying to make a few extra bucks," he added.Stralman's on-ice development may have taken a while, but he's become a very dependable defender. He earned a spot on Sweden's World Cup of Hockey roster in September, and it's safe to say he would have been included on Sweden's 2018 Olympic team.However, with Stralman already 30 years old, and with the next potential opportunity not coming until 2022, there's a chance that Monday's announcement could very well have closed the door on his Olympic aspirations for good.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 Tuesday, April 4 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

Just like that, Team Canada's aspirations of winning a third straight Olympic gold became much more difficult to achieve.The NHL made the dreaded though not unexpected announcement Monday that the league will not send its players to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.Related - Report: NHL directs teams not to talk Olympic participation with playersWhile some optimists and those close to the game don't feel Monday's announcement concretely closes the door on NHL participation, those in charge of constructing the rosters must now turn to plan B.It will be no simple task for Canada to piece together another winning club, but let's take a look at how the country's 2018 Olympic roster could shape up.Note: Only AHL players with fewer than 10 games played in the NHL over the last two seasons were considered. Players signed to entry-level contracts were excluded as well.ForwardsLWCRWChris BourqueDerek RoyTaylor BeckMason RaymondMike RichardsTom KostopoulosBrandon KozunGilbert BruleKevin ClarkRobert KlinkhammerMatt EllisonBud HollowayDaniel PailleMax Talbot*Nigel DawesNotes:

Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson notched a goal and an assist in Monday's shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings to reach the 70-point plateau for the fourth time in his career, making him just the 12th blue-liner in NHL history to record four or more 70-point seasons.The other 11 defensemen to do so? Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Brian Leetch, Al MacInnis, Nicklas Lidstrom, Ray Bourque, Denis Potvin, Phil Housley, Gary Suter, Larry Murphy, and Borje Salming. With the exception of Suter, all of them are in the Hall of Fame.What makes Karlsson's feat especially impressive is the fact he's been able to produce in an era with far less scoring than the 1980s, when most of the aforementioned blue-liners played.At 26, Karlsson is well on his way to the Hall, with a chance to go down as the best offensive defenseman of all time.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With assists from William Nylander and Mitch Marner on Monday night in Buffalo, the Toronto Maple Leafs became just the second team in NHL history to feature three rookies with 60-plus points each, joining the 1980-81 Quebec Nordiques, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.Toronto's 4-2 win also increased its record to 11-2-1 over its last 14 games."This is a pretty good time of year to be heating up," Auston Matthews told Mark Masters of TSN.Matthews, of course, rounds out the 60-point rookie club in Toronto, and scored again Monday off a beautiful feed from Nylander. That tally gave Matthews 39 goals on the season, setting a single-season NHL record for goals by a U.S.-born rookie and matching Sidney Crosby's rookie total.The goal was also Matthews' 67th point of the season, passing Peter Ihnacak for the Leafs' single-season record for points by a rookie.The Leafs currently sit with 93 points - good for second in the Atlantic Division - as the rookie trio attempts to lead the franchise to its first playoff berth in a full 82-game season since 2003-04. The Buds have four games remaining - all at home - against Washington, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and Columbus.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tom Rowe may only have three games left in his tenure behind the Florida Panthers' bench.Multiple sources told George Richards of the Miami Herald that Rowe will not return as head coach next season."This is part of the business," he said after Monday's 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. "I knew coming here, to be part of it, if things didn't go well I would be taking the brunt of it."Rowe, who is also the Panthers general manager, was appointed interim bench boss one day after the club fired Gerard Gallant in November.The Panthers have officially said they'll discuss Rowe's future as head coach after their final game of the season Sunday night.Florida has gone 22-25-10 under Rowe after posting an 11-10-1 record to begin the season under Gallant.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Erik Karlsson didn't hide his frustration over the NHL's decision not to take part in next year's Olympics.The Ottawa Senators star defenseman politely declined to comment when asked if he would play for Sweden regardless and had a one-word answer when asked what he thought of the decision, according to ESPN's Craig Custance."Crap," Karlsson said after a loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night."I don't understand the decision," he added. "We have no say in the matter, it's very unfortunate for the game of hockey around the world that they're going to do this to the sport. I think it's going to hurt a lot if we don't end up going. Whoever made that decision obviously had no idea about what they're doing."Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said last month that Karlsson would get a "flat no" from him on participating in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea if the league decided not to officially go, which it did Monday.Some players have expressed a desire to play regardless, and the NHL is reportedly telling teams not to discuss individual participation with their players before the league rules on the matter.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens are the Atlantic Division champions once again.The Canadiens clinched the division title with a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Monday night, ensuring their second Atlantic crown in the last three seasons while officially dethroning the Panthers, who won it in 2015-16.Montreal, which led the Atlantic nearly from start to finish, holds an eight-point advantage on the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs. While the Leafs have a game in hand, they would need five regulation or overtime wins to tie the Canadiens, but only have four games left.It's the first division championship for the Canadiens since they went 50-22-10 in 2014-15.Montreal is 46-24-9 with three games remaining in its regular-season schedule.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's easy to criticize someone when you no longer have to answer to them, but Brandon Prust is going after Gary Bettman anyway.The former NHL forward lobbed a shot at the NHL commissioner after the league announced it will not officially participate in the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea.

Yes, you read that correctly. Jonathan Marchessault is a 30-goal scorer.The Florida Panthers forward hit the benchmark Monday against the Montreal Canadiens, taking a feed from Michael Sgarbossa, out-waiting goalie Charlie Lindgren and sliding the puck by him to tie the game.Marchessault, who had eight goals in 49 career games entering this season, leads the Panthers with 30 in 2016-17.He also ranks third on the club with 51 points. Not bad for a player Florida signed for two years and $1.5 million total last July.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The men in charge of the Canadian and American hockey programs expressed disappointment with the NHL's decision to forgo the 2018 Olympic Games, but made it clear they're prepping alternate plans."Today's statement by the NHL is not what we were hoping for because, ultimately, we want best-on-best at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games which, for us at Hockey Canada, includes the participation of NHL players," Hockey Canada president and CEO Tom Renney said in a statement Monday, according to TSN."This does not change our preparation for the Games - we have developed both a Plan A and a Plan B, and will be ready to move forward. However, for the next month, our priority is the 2017 IIHF World Championship, and we will be ready to advance the required plan following that event."USA Hockey is also readying a backup plan."We knew it was a very real possibility for many months and certainly respect the decision of the NHL," executive director Dave Ogrean said in a statement."The good news is that because of our grassroots efforts over the course of many years, our player pool is as deep as it has ever been and we fully expect to field a team that will play for a medal.”“We respect the NHL’s decision and will examine our player pool options and plan accordingly," added Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for the American hockey governing body. "In the end, we’ll have 25 great stories on the ice in South Korea and will go to the Olympics with medal expectations.”NBC, which has the broadcast rights to the Games, claims the tournament will still be worth watching without near-full NHL rosters."The Olympics have been the world's greatest international hockey tournament irrespective of whether professionals or amateurs are playing," the network said in a statement, according to Mike Halford of NBC's Pro Hockey Talk."Although we're disappointed that NHL players will not get the chance to experience and compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics next February, we're confident that hockey fans and Olympic viewers will tune in to watch the unique style of play that occurs at the Olympic Winter Games when athletes are competing for their country."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHLPA fired back at the NHL after the league revealed its decision to officially forgo the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea."The players are extraordinarily disappointed and adamantly disagree with the NHL's shortsighted decision to not continue our participation in the Olympics," the league's players union said in a statement Monday night."Any sort of inconvenience the Olympics may cause to next season's schedule is a small price to pay compared to the opportunity to showcase our game and our greatest players on this enormous international stage."The union emphasized the unprecedented chance the league has with the next two Winter Olympic Games taking place in South Korea and China, respectively."A unique opportunity lies ahead with the 2018 and 2022 Olympics in Asia," the NHLPA said. "The NHL may believe it is penalizing the IOC or the players, or both, for not giving the owners some meaningful concessions in order to induce them to agree to go to Pyeongchang. Instead, this impedes the growth of our great game by walking away from an opportunity to reach sports fans worldwide."The NHLPA also wondered how the league could make the decision after one of the biggest hurdles in the negotiations had apparently been cleared."Moreover, it is doing so after the financial issues relating to insurance and transportation have been resolved with the IOC and IIHF. The league's efforts to blame others for its decision is as unfortunate as the decision itself."Finally, the union closed by stressing how important this is to the players."NHL players are patriotic and they do not take this lightly. A decent respect for the opinions of the players matters. This is the NHL's decision, and its alone. It is very unfortunate for the game, the players and millions of loyal hockey fans."Several NHLers said in the past that they plan to go to the 2018 Games regardless of the league's decision. On Monday, the NHL reportedly told teams not to discuss individual participation with their players and that the league will rule on the matter in the future.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres barely had time to blink before the Toronto Maple Leafs put a trifecta of tallies on the scoreboard.Leo Komarov, Auston Matthews, and James van Riemsdyk all scored in a 43-second span early in the first period Monday night, giving the Leafs a 3-0 advantage just over five minutes into the game.

Ron Hextall is going back to the World Hockey Championship.The Philadelphia Flyers general manager was named to that same position for Canada's entry in the upcoming tournament, Hockey Canada announced Monday.Hextall was a member of the management group at the 2014 World Championship in Belarus, and represented Canada as a player at the 1992 tourney in the former Czechoslovakia.A fellow former NHL goalie, Sean Burke, will serve as Canada's assistant GM for the 2017 event, and he'll be joined by veteran Hockey Canada executive Scott Salmond and Montreal Canadiens assistant GM Larry Carriere, who'll be Canada's director of player personnel.Canada is looking to win its third consecutive world championship title this spring. The tournament runs May 5-21 in Paris and Cologne, Germany.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There's no way this is a coincidence.San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic tweeted a timely image Monday afternoon, sharing the logo of the 2018 Olympic Games.

The NHL is reportedly taking preemptive action to discourage its clubs from discussing individual Olympic participation with their players.The league has directed teams not to talk to the players about the possibility of playing in the 2018 Games, and the NHL will rule later on the matter, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.He added that the players aren't so sure the Olympic saga is over.

A veteran of Olympic hockey competition isn't happy the NHL declined to take part in the 2018 Games.Henrik Lundqvist tweeted his thoughts on the matter shortly after the league announced it would not be sending its players to South Korea.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Dalton Prout has been suspended two games for his hit on Philadelphia Flyers blue-liner Radko Gudas on Saturday, the league's Department of Player Safety announced Monday.Prout received an interference major and a game misconduct for the hit, which came in retaliation for a clean body check by Gudas on Devils forward John Quenneville.The league called the response a "forceful" hit to the "unsuspecting and defenseless" Gudas.Prout clocked Gudas almost immediately after stepping on the ice for his shift, making "no attempt to join the play in any matter," according to the NHL.The Devils rearguard is a repeat offender who was previously banned one game for punching Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov while he was with the Columbus Blue Jackets in March of last year.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The "Olympic break" is about to take on a whole new meaning.The NHL will not participate in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, the league announced Monday, reiterating that the "overwhelming majority" of its clubs are adamantly opposed to disrupting next season's schedule to accommodate participation."We were open to hearing from any of the other parties who might have an interest in the issue ... as to reasons the Board of Governors might be interested in re-evaluating their strongly held views on the subject. A number of months have now passed and no meaningful dialogue has materialized," the NHL said in a statement."Instead, the IOC has now expressed the position that the NHL's participation in Beijing in 2022 is conditioned on our participation in South Korea in 2018."And the NHLPA has now publicly confirmed that it has no interest or intention of engaging in any discussion that might make Olympic participation more attractive to the clubs. As a result, and in an effort to create clarity among conflicting reports and erroneous speculation, this will confirm our intention to proceed with finalizing our 2017-18 regular season schedule without any break to accommodate the Olympic Winter Games. We now consider the matter officially closed."TSN's Darren Dreger provided some detail about how the decision came down and why it was announced Monday.

This season marks the third time in the last five years the Flyers will be missing the playoffs. With the elimination from playoff contention, the club became the first team in NHL history to have a 10-game winning streak and miss the playoffs in the same season.When you look at the Flyers' roster, it's filled with fire power: Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, and Shayne Gostisbehere. With a pretty impressive core, why do they continue to underachieve?GoaltendingThe tandem of Michal Neuvirth and Steve Mason got the job done last season, but have been quite awful this year. The duo has a combined save percentage of just .900 - the fourth-worst mark among NHL teams.Poor goaltending can have a trickle-down effect on a team's defensemen. Knowing their goalie can't make routine saves, a defenseman can have a tendency to want to just "make the safe play" and might end up gripping their stick a bit too tight. This can limit creativity on the breakout.DefensePhiladelphia's defense can't blame everything on the goaltending, though. In fact, you could make the argument that the Flyers' blue line is the main reason why the goaltending has been so horrendous. It's your classic chicken vs. egg scenario.There's a lot to like about Ivan Provorov, the club's seventh-overall pick in 2015, but playing defense in the NHL is much harder to do at such a young age compared to forward. He has shown No. 1 D potential, but as a rookie, he has been prone to mistakes. His 80 giveaways are 15th-most in the league.Gostisbehere has had a turbulent season to say the least. He hasn't produced at the same rate offensively compared to last season and was even a healthy scratch for a few games earlier in the year because of his poor defensive zone play.Provorov and Gostisbehere should be nice building blocks moving forward, but the rest of the defense is comprised of players who belong on a team's bottom pair, rather than playing top-4 minutes.Big names didn't meet expectationsVoracek, Giroux, Schenn, and Simmonds are a combined minus-73 this season. Plus/minus is far from a perfect stat, but a number such as that is quite telling.Giroux in particular is at the forefront of the team's struggles. He is the captain of the team and has a cap hit of $8.275 million through 2021-22.Assuming Giroux doesn't reel off 10 points in the last three games of the year, this will mark the fourth straight year in which his point total has decreased.In addition to Giroux, Voracek is having a second consecutive underwhelming season after tallying 81 points in 2014-15.Where do they go from here?The Flyers have two "B" rated prospects coming up on the back end in Travis Sanheim and Samuel Morin, according to Hockey's Future. Along with Provorov and Gostisbehere, this would form a top-4 that could be very effective a few years down the road, even if it results in some growing pains over the next couple of seasons.Given the youth on the back end, it might be smart for Philadelphia to move one of their big names up front for more youth and depth across the lineup.Simmonds could be an ideal trade candidate. He has scored at least 28 goals in five straight non-lockout years, but his rugged style of play suggests that he won't age all that well. The 28-year-old has a cap hit of $3.975 million through 2018-19, so there would be no shortage of teams interested.If the Flyers decide to go in the direction of a rebuild, signing a big-name goaltender like Ben Bishop on July 1 wouldn't make too much sense. It might be worth giving 23-year-old goalie Anthony Stolarz a shot to start next season to see what they have in him. It's quite clear that neither Mason or Neuvirth is a long-term answer between the pipes.Stolarz has shined this season, albeit in just three starts. The former second-round pick has posted strong numbers in both the AHL and OHL throughout his career.A rebuild certainly isn't what Flyers fans want to hear, but it might be the best thing for the organization. Retooling rather than rebuilding is also a possibility, but it's a move that rarely works.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

What's next for Jarome Iginla?The future Hall of Famer will be absent from this year's playoff dance after the Los Angeles Kings were eliminated from postseason contention following a 2-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday.The 39-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent, and there are no assurances he'll return for another season in Hollywood, particularly when the Kings' cap concerns are taken into consideration.After 16 seasons with the Calgary Flames, Iginla's short-lived stint with the Kings appears to be another missed shot at capturing his first Stanley Cup.The former Flames captain has bounced around the league in recent seasons in search of Lord Stanley, first accepting a trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2013 deadline. Over the past four seasons, he has seen stints with the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and, this March, Los Angeles.His illustrious career now spans five different stops:TeamGamesGoalsAssistsPointsFlames12195255701095Penguins135611Bruins78303161Avalanche2255965124Kings15628After moving on from last-placed Colorado, Iginla rediscovered his scoring touch and put up eight points through 15 games with the Kings. Still, banking on the aging veteran to keep up that type of production in future seasons would be unrealistic.Considering the Kings' diminishing flexibility, and the team's shift outside of the contender's circle, Iginla must soon decide whether to move on to his sixth club in search of his first Cup, or to put an exclamation point on one of the game's finest careers.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks need more from Nikolay Goldobin.The forward was a healthy scratch in Sunday's contest against his former club, the San Jose Sharks, a warning that coach Willie Desjardins expects a better effort from the young winger."He's a skilled player and you've got to get your skill working hard," Desjardins told Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Sun. "I didn't think he worked hard enough last game and he'll be back in (Tuesday in San Jose). He needs to prove that he can go hard at this level, but he's got to go hard."The coach hopes Goldobin's time on the sidelines sends a message."It's a two-way street. It's not that I don't play young guys like (Brock) Boeser," Desjardins added. "If they come in and they're going, they play. We just have to get him (Goldobin) more engaged."Goldobin is expected to suit up Tuesday against the the Sharks when the two sides meet up again.The Russian winger was acquired from the Sharks at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Jannik Hansen to the Bay Area. Since the trade, Goldobin has appeared in eight games with his new club, registering a lone point with a goal against the Los Angeles Kings in his debut.Goldobin, 21, is in the first year of his entry-level contract after spending most of last season with the Barracuda, San Jose's minor-league team.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A recent surge from the Chicago Blackhawks has landed them as the new favorites to win the Stanley Cup, surpassing the Washington Capitals. Here are the latest odds:Team3/2/17Current Odds (4/3/17)Blackhawks11/29/2Capitals5/111/2Penguins10/16/1Wild11/215/2Blue Jackets14/110/1Canadiens14/114/1Rangers14/114/1Sharks10/114/1Ducks22/116/1Oilers20/118/1Flames33/122/1Senators33/122/1Predators20/125/1Bruins33/128/1Blues33/128/1Maple Leafs33/128/1Lightning25/175/1(Odds courtesy: Bodog)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson has taken a leave of absence from the Arizona Coyotes following the death of his mother, the team announced Monday.Ekman-Larsson will return home to Sweden and will miss the remainder of the regular season. Arizona has three games left to play this year."Oliver has done a remarkable job dealing with this issue all season long and we commend him for the professionalism that he's demonstrated," Coyotes general manager John Chayka said in a statement.Ekman-Larsson, 25, has appeared in all 79 games with Arizona this season, registering 12 goals and 27 assists.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks are heating up at the right time, thanks in large part to Artemi Panarin.Panarin was named the NHL's first star of the week after recording five goals and adding an assist in his past four contests. His best performance came Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, when he scored twice to lead the Blackhawks to a 3-1 victory.His six-point streak pushed his total to 72 on the season, marking back-to-back 70-point seasons for the second-year pro.Second-star honors went to Washington Capitals forward Marcus Johansson, who recorded a goal and seven assists in the past four games.The week began on a high note for Johansson, as he captured four assists in a 5-4 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild.Edmonton Oilers netminder Cam Talbot was named the third star of the week. Talbot won all three contests he appeared in, posting a 1.66 goals-against average alongside a .946 save percentage.The goaltender recorded his 40th win of the season, tying the franchise mark set by Grant Fuhr.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators are getting bitten by the injury bug at the wrong time of year.Already without captain and leading point-getter Erik Karlsson for the time being, they won't get forward Zack Smith or blue-liners Cody Ceci and Marc Methot back until the playoffs, head coach Guy Boucher told broadcaster Dean Brown on Monday.And that's assuming Ottawa does make the postseason. The Sens are just three points ahead of the Lightning for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, though they do have a game in hand.Ottawa takes on the Red Wings on Monday night with a blue line that may make the club look more like the Binghamton Senators.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.