Another day, another record for Auston Matthews.The Toronto Maple Leafs phenom recorded two goals and an assist in a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings Saturday, with the second tally tying Matthews with Peter Ihnacak for the most points in a season by a Toronto freshman.Ihnacak set the mark during the 1982-83 campaign. With five games remaining on the season, plenty of time remains for Matthews to claim sole possession of the record.As impressive as the achievement is, it wasn't even the only record Matthews set on Saturday night:

DETROIT - Auston Matthews scored twice to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs past the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 on Saturday night.Matthews' second goal of the night at 18:51 of the third period gave Toronto a 5-3 lead, but proved to be the winner when Detroit's Mike Green tallied with 44.2 seconds left in regulation.With two goals and an assist, Matthews tied Peter Ihnacak's Leafs rookie points record of 66, set in 1982-83.James van Riemsdyk scored with 2:36 left in the third period to snap the 3-3 tie and put the Leafs ahead for good. Van Riemsdyk slipped a backhander past Detroit's Jimmy Howard.Mitch Marner and William Nylander also scored for the Leafs, who moved into a second-place tie in the Atlantic Division with Ottawa.Gustav Nyquist, Nick Jensen, and Niklas Kronwall had the other goals for the Red Wings.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Yanni Gourde is having quite the rookie season for the Tampa Bay Lightning.The 25-year-old, who's been toiling away in the AHL since 2011, debuted to little fanfare back in December. Since making his way back to the Lightning roster in early March, Gourde has come up with a few spectacular offensive efforts.He's ramped things up as of late, however, coming up with three goals in as many games - the latest coming during Tampa Bay's Saturday night tilt against the Montreal Canadiens.Gourde's goal came by way of a slick top-shelf deflection that found its way past Carey Price, which wound up being Tampa Bay's only goal of the night.

RALEIGH, N.C - Jason Spezza scored, Kari Lehtonen earned his third shutout of the season and the Dallas Stars beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 on Saturday night.John Klingberg and Devin Shore added empty-netters and Lehtonen stopped 25 shots in his second shutout in six starts to help the Stars snap a two-game losing streak and deal a serious blow to the Hurricanes' already slim playoff chances.Cam Ward stopped 21 shots for Carolina, which began four points behind Boston for the East's final playoff spot with six games left and Tampa Bay between the teams.The Hurricanes failed to earn a point for the first time since losing at Colorado on March 7 - a club-record stretch of 13 straight games with either a win or an overtime loss. They fell to 2-4-2 against the bottom four teams in the Western Conference: Dallas, Vancouver, Arizona and Colorado.Dallas scored more than two goals for just the third time since March 6 in earning just its 12th road win of the season.Carolina, which scored an NHL-best 54 goals in March, was shut out for the first time since a 4-0 loss to Toronto on Feb. 19.Spezza scored the game's first goal 4:46 into the second with a wrist shot from the circle that beat Ward high to his glove side. That gave Spezza 19 career goals against the Hurricanes.Meanwhile, the Hurricanes missed a prime chance earlier in the game. Dallas - and its league-worst penalty-kill unit - drew a minor midway through the first, but the Hurricanes came up empty on a 3-on-nobody rush after they caught the Stars on a line change.NOTES:The Hurricanes reassigned G Alex Nedeljkovic to their ECHL affiliate in Florida. Nedeljkovic was brought up Tuesday, one day after Eddie Lack was hurt at the end of an overtime loss to Detroit. ... Dallas LW Curtis McKenzie was back in Texas after a high stick he took near his eye two nights earlier at Boston caused him to bleed profusely on the ice.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

What a year for Eric Semborski.The Pennsylvania native, who suited up as the emergency netminder for the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this season, got the call again Saturday.But this time, Semborski was tapped by his hometown Philadelphia Flyers after starter Michal Neuvirth collapsed on the ice and was relieved by call-up Anthony Stolarz.Philadelphia's other goalie, Steve Mason, was not available Saturday due to an illness.Carrying a 3-0 lead with 24 seconds remaining, the Flyers put Semborski in the crease, but the move was short-lived. Philadelphia was not permitted to play a second emergency goalie in the game unless an injury occurred, as Stolarz was already up on emergency recall.The 23-year-old Semborski last laced up - on a non-emergency basis - in 2014-15, appearing in 22 games for Temple University.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The first 36 goals scored by Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Auston Matthews have done little to prepare netminders around the NHL for future scores.Matthews made that clear while tallying his 37th of the season Saturday, streaking up ice and dishing to Leo Komarov before getting the puck back and scoring off a lightning quick wrist shot.With his 37th in tow, Matthews temporarily moved into sole possession of fourth place in the 2016-17 goal-scoring race, trailing third-place Nikita Kucherov by just one.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers netminder Michal Neuvirth collapsed on the ice Saturday versus the New Jersey Devils and left the game on a stretcher.The incident occurred early in the first period, drawing an immediate response from the Flyers' bench and team medical staff:

The San Jose Sharks may be going to the dance, but only after stumbling through the door with as little grace required.One year removed from their first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup Final, the Sharks look set to enter the 2017 postseason amid their worst stretch of the season, having lost eight of their past nine games.Contributing factors can be found throughout the veteran lineup, but there's no denying the lackluster play of netminder Martin Jones isn't helping matters.The 27-year-old has done his club few favors with his performance over the past month. After getting pulled from San Jose's Friday night loss to the Calgary Flames, Jones has now posted just one win in his past six appearances, and has allowed a total of 23 goals over that span.Jones excelled as a steady No.1 option during his first season as a full-fledged starter last year, coming up with a .918 save percentage and six shutouts for San Jose.He started off 2016-17 in a similar spot, posting steady numbers over the first three months of the season - including a dominant November:Martin Jones Save Percentage RecordOctober.9165-3-0November.9247-5-1December.9167-4-0However, things took a turn once the calendar rolled over to 2017, and Jones has been in decline ever since:Martin Jones Save Percentage RecordJanuary.9117-3-1February.9084-0-4March.8853-7-0It's that final row that his been the most significant thorn in the Sharks' side, as the club is lacking any semblance of momentum with the playoffs fast approaching.San Jose has gotten some decent play from backup Aaron Dell, who's played seven of the club's March tilts - as opposed to Jones' 10 - posting a far better save percentage of .921.But Dell's play down the stretch means little for San Jose.With the Sharks set to come up against some of the most dominant offensive names in the game - particularly league scoring leader Connor McDavid, whose Edmonton Oilers are presently slated to face San Jose in the first round - the club is going to need every bit of their No.1's talent to weave together a meaningful run.Unfortunately, right now they're getting the opposite. This March has been by far the worst stretch of Jones' tenure in San Jose, and his performances have been getting progressively worse as the month has gone on.There's still time for a turnaround, and there's no question Jones has the talent to backstop San Jose to another shot at the finals, but the club is quickly running out of time for him to show that ability.And with two more dates with Calgary and Edmonton to close out the season, it's not about to get any easier.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Build it and they will stay.The Calgary Flames need a new arena in order to remain in Alberta, team president Ken King told Sportsnet Fan 590 on Wednesday.The Flames have skated at Scotiabank Saddledome since 1983, but desire a new home. In August 2015, the Flames unveiled CalgaryNEXT, a proposed $890-million development that includes new facilities for the Flames and the CFL's Stampeders.However, the proposal does not have the support of Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, who on Tuesday deemed the project "dead."King believes the project "answers a myriad of questions," telling Fan 590, "Our ownership wants to leave a legacy here. They want to do something special, something valuable, and something important. They don't want to just build another building."Earlier this month, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman met with Nenshi for discussions he characterized as "cordial and open," although he wasn't as complimentary to the Saddledome, describing the arena as "historic, but an old, antiquated building."The rival Edmonton Oilers moved into new digs this year after 35 seasons at the team's old arena. Construction costs of the Oilers' new home, Rogers Place, were largely publicly funded, approved after Oilers owner Daryl Katz floated the possibility of the team relocating to Seattle.According to King, similar tactics will not be used in Calgary."There would be no threat to move. We would just move and it would be over," King said. "If people smarter than us, in more powerful positions than ours, don't feel that we're a critical piece of the social, economic, and cultural part of our city, than who are we to argue with that?"King later clarified to Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald: "The truth of the matter is, we would just move. Which is not to be confused as a threat. We don't think it's fair to threaten. We think it's fair for people to decide whether or not if they want a facility … and whether or not they think it's appropriate. If they do, great. We'll participate. If they decide not to, well then we've obviously got to make some decisions about the future."With the Detroit Red Wings moving into a new home next season, Calgary's arena will be the league's second-oldest, ahead of only Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Rangers, which underwent a $1-billion renovation in 2013.

With an impressive 5-2 drubbing of last year's Stanley Cup runner-up Friday, the Calgary Flames booked their ticket to the 2017 playoffs.For the organization, the return to postseason play provides some much-needed stabilization for a rebuild that looked in danger of going off the rails. But for captain Mark Giordano, it's fair to assume it meant much more.When the Flames take the ice for Round 1 of the playoffs in just under two weeks, the 33-year-old defenseman will get his first taste of playoff action in 10 years.Related: Flames clinch playoff spot with win over SharksThat's assuming no more misfortune comes his way, of course, and Giordano's had his fair share, having missed out on Calgary's past three playoff runs.When the Flames went on their Cinderella run through the postseason in 2015, the captain was forced to sit, stymied by a torn biceps tendon.Prior to that, the Flames hadn't claimed a postseason berth since 2009. Giordano missed that stretch as well, watching from the press box while recovering from shoulder surgery.And one year prior, when the Flames headed into the playoffs with then-captain Jarome Iginla in peak form - a career-best 98 points in the bag - Giordano was half the world away, playing out a one-year deal in the KHL.The last time Giordano actually did suit up for NHL postseason action was way back in 2007 - and it wasn't the most spectacular of runs.Calgary was ousted in six games by the Detroit Red Wings. Giordano played in only four of those tilts, registering one goal and seeing just over 12 minutes of ice per night.In the decade that has followed, he's emerged as one of the most dynamic rearguards in the game, anchoring one of the league's most offensively potent blue lines. However, that dominance has unfortunately been confined to the regular season, as team-wide mediocrity and untimely injuries have sunk Giordano's playoff hopes time and time again.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)But after 10 long years, the captain will finally get to prove the full weight of his worth during the grind of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's safe to say he's ready for the chance."In Calgary, it’s just such a great atmosphere," Giordano told the Calgary Herald earlier this month. "I’ve been around a few times hurt, and the atmosphere is the same, if not better now. I just remember being on the ice (in 2007) and you almost get the jitters at the start of games because of the atmosphere."With his lengthy wait nearing an end, Giordano said he and the rest of the club's veterans aren't taking the opportunity for granted."As you get older, you realize how hard it is to get in, and you only have so many cracks left,” he said. "Guys like me and (Matt Stajan), I think we get it more. As a young guy, you’re coming in and just trying to prove yourself. But you play now to get into the playoffs and win."That’s the goal. That’s where our mindset is as a team and me as an individual."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Just 10 seconds and the damage was done.The Nashville Predators capitalized twice in 10 seconds Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, as Filip Forsberg and Kevin Fiala put the Predators up two, en route to a 3-0 victory.After Forsberg tipped home the first tally, Fiala followed up shortly after, deking out Wild netminder Alex Stalock.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders aren't eliminated yet, but John Tavares' diagnosis might be the final nail in the coffin in what's been a wild season in Brooklyn.Losing the captain to an injury with a week to week recovery timetable is obviously a major blow to the Islanders' postseason hopes, and it comes at the most important juncture of what's been a roller-coaster campaign.From a midseason coaching change to persistent arena rumors, the club has endured numerous distractions while experiencing both highs and lows in 2016-17.The Islanders were among the NHL's worst clubs when Jack Capuano was fired on Jan. 17, sitting dead last in the Eastern Conference with 17 wins in 42 games.They initially looked an entirely new team under interim head coach Doug Weight, going 12-4-2 over his first 18 games, but they fell back down to Earth and have now all but dropped out of the playoff picture with only four wins in their last 10.They've also dealt with constant uncertainty about their future home.It all started with a report in October claiming the Barclays Center piping system didn't meet NHL requirements.Then, less than two weeks after Weight took over in January, another report indicated arena officials were looking to terminate their agreement with the club in the near future.That set off a slew of reports about where the Islanders would eventually play and even saw them garner an offer from a former NHL city. Weight and Tavares were forced to deal with frequent questions about it, downplaying the effect it was having on the club.The captain didn't miss a beat through it all, playing in every game before Friday's injury and racking up a team-leading 66 points to go along with 28 goals.But New York now has to fend without him for the foreseeable future, and all three of its rivals in the wild-card race are riding hot streaks.Entering Saturday night's action, the Toronto Maple Leafs, who occupy the second wild-card spot, are 7-2-1 in their last 10. The Tampa Bay Lightning, who sit four points behind them, are 7-3-0, while the Carolina Hurricanes are 7-0-3 in that span.The Islanders had a 2.9 percent chance of making the playoffs before Saturday's games, according to Sports Club Stats.New York's up-and-down season was already looking like a lost cause, but Tavares' injury and subsequent diagnosis all but puts it to bed.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

BOSTON - David Krejci scored after a poor clearing attempt by Florida goaltender Reto Berra, lifting the Boston Bruins over the Panthers 5-2 Saturday and helping them maintain an edge for a playoff spot heading into the regular season's final week.Patrice Bergeron scored twice, Brad Marchand got his team-leading 39th goal and Noel Acciari also scored for the Bruins, who moved one point ahead of Toronto for third in the Atlantic Division. The Maple Leafs play later Saturday.Boston entered the day with a three-point lead over Tampa Bay for the Eastern Conference's last wild-card spot.Jaromir Jagr recorded his 765th career goal and Thomas Vanek also scored for the Panthers, who lost for the 11th time in 15 games and were eliminated from playoff contention earlier this week.Krejci capitalized on the gaffe by Berra, moving Boston ahead 3-2 with 5:30 left in the second period. The goalie came far out of the crease, but his clearing pass from the right circle caromed off the boards directly to Krejci, who fired the puck into the empty net.Tuukka Rask, coming off a career-tying seventh shutout this season in his last start, stopped 24 shots.Marchand sealed it with a power-play score in the final two minutes. Bergeron added an empty-netter.The Bruins had moved ahead 2-1 on Bergeron's reviewed goal midway into the second. The center scored off the rebound of Zdeno Chara's one-timer while Marchand was inside the crease. The goal stood even though it appeared Berra couldn't get across the crease on the shot with Marchand there.Florida tied it 2-all on Jagr's goal. The 45-year-old forward beat Rask over his glove with a wrist shot from the slot.Acciari stole the puck from defenseman Jakub Kindl, broke in while he was being hooked by Kindl for a delayed penalty and took a wrister that slipped into the net off Berra to make it 1-0.Florida tied it early in the second when Nick Bjugstad's shot from the point caromed in off the leg of Vanek.NOTES: Florida defenseman Keith Yandle played his 629th consecutive game, moving one behind Andy Hebenton for eighth on the NHL's all-time list... Boston forward Frank Vatrano missed his second straight with an undisclosed upper body injury... Panthers forward Jussi Jokinen turned 34-years old on Saturday, and teammate Reilly Smith 26... Interesting hit: Forty-year-old Chara kocked down Jagr... Panthers forward Shawn Thornton, a member of Boston's 2011 Cup winning team, played his last game in TD Garden. He's retiring after the season and has a job waiting for him in Florida's front office.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators believe Marc Methot's shattered finger will keep him out of action until the postseason."Don't expect (Methot) to play during the (remaining regular-)season games," Senators head coach Guy Boucher told reporters Saturday.The defenseman has been out since Sidney Crosby's controversial slash last month forced him out of the lineup for "weeks."Methot ranks fourth on the Senators in ice time, averaging 19:49.Ottawa has six games left in its regular-season schedule, including Saturday night's road date with the Winnipeg Jets.The Senators sit second in the Atlantic Division, six points behind the Montreal Canadiens and two points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

William Nylander is once again the NHL's rookie of the month.The Toronto Maple Leafs forward was named March's top rookie, the league announced Saturday.It's the second time this season he's earned the honor after winning it for his work in October.Nylander led all members of the class with 14 points in 14 games last month, notching four goals in that span.All of those points came during a 12-game streak that was the longest by a rookie in the club's 100-year history. It also tied for the longest point streak by anyone in the NHL in 2016-17.The 20-year-old ranks second on the Leafs and third among rookies with 58 points. His 21 goals rank fourth both in the rookie class and on his team.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, and Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane are the NHL's three stars for the month of March, the league announced Saturday.Kucherov earned first-star honors for leading the NHL with 22 points in 14 games.Bobrovsky was named second star after going 9-1-1 with a 1.09 GAA, a .967 save percentage, and four shutouts in March, while Kane racked up 10 goals and 22 points of his own to secure the third star.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders' playoff hopes have been dealt a serious blow.John Tavares is week to week with what the Islanders are calling a lower-body injury, the club announced Saturday.He suffered the apparent leg ailment in Friday's win over New Jersey when he went down behind the Devils' net and had to be helped off the ice late in the third period.Newsday's Arthur Staple is reporting it's a hamstring injury.The Islanders captain played in every game this season before leaving Friday's contest, ranking second on the team with 28 goals and leading the squad with 66 points.New York sat four points back of the Boston Bruins for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot entering Saturday's action, but both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes were ahead of New York by virtue of points and games in hand.Tavares' diagnosis is devastating for the Islanders, who resurrected their season after Doug Weight replaced Jack Capuano as head coach in January.Despite Friday's victory, the Islanders have won only four of their last 10 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jarome Iginla is on fire for the Los Angeles Kings, but his rejuvenation likely won't be enough to get his new club into the playoffs.The 39-year-old found the back of the net in his third straight game Friday night in a win over the Vancouver Canucks, but Iginla's longest scoring streak of the season can't do much to improve his new team's slim postseason hopes.While the Kings - who acquired Iginla from the Colorado Avalanche on deadline day - have now won consecutive contests, they were eight points behind the Nashville Predators for the second Western Conference wild-card spot with five games remaining before Saturday's action.The Kings have a 0.4 percent chance to qualify for the postseason, according to Sports Club Stats.Los Angeles' dwindling playoff aspirations haven't deterred Iginla, who has nearly equaled the goal-scoring output he produced in more than 60 games with the league-worst Avalanche before the deal.2016-17GPGAPGoals/GameShots/GameS%COL61810180.131.976.7LA146280.431.9322.2When the Kings landed Iginla on March 1, they were only a single point behind the St. Louis Blues for the second Western Conference wild-card spot.On that day, he said he "really" believed the Kings were a Stanley Cup contender.But Los Angeles is 7-6-1 since the deadline, and some of their division and conference rivals have simply left them in the dust. The Anaheim Ducks went 10-2-2 in March, the Edmonton Oilers were 9-3-1, and the Blues have gone an NHL-best 11-2-2 since the calendar flipped on deadline day.Iginla has had his share of memorable moments in his brief Kings tenure. He now has game-winning goals in back-to-back games, and he posted a Gordie Howe hat trick in what was possibly his final game in Calgary on Thursday.The veteran winger was nominated for the Masterton Trophy last week (for enduring nearly three-quarters of a season with the Avalanche), and he capped a two-goal night with the overtime winner to beat the Predators earlier this month.One man can't do it all, though, and despite his unexpected renaissance, the Kings clearly needed to do more than adding Iginla and goaltender Ben Bishop at the deadline.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 Saturday, April 1 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

Some teams will try anything to get out of a slump, and the San Jose Sharks' late-season slide has Brent Burns pondering atypical healing methods."We know we're a great team. We gotta get back there. Who knows, we've gotta see a witch doctor or something," the star blue-liner told reporters after a 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Friday night. "I don't know. We'll see."The Sharks have lost eight of their last nine games, and Friday's defeat was San Jose's second in as many nights in Alberta following Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.While this isn't the way last year's Western Conference champions want to play down the stretch, Burns doesn't think it's irreversible."Everything's fixable, I mean, we're a great team," he said. "We know it. We played like it for 68, 69 games, and (in) some of these games, we were playing well, too."The Sharks have clinched a playoff berth, but they've also slipped to third place in the Pacific Division, with both the first-place Anaheim Ducks and the second-place Oilers now holding a game in hand.San Jose plays the lowly Vancouver Canucks on Sunday and then again on Tuesday before closing out the regular season with rematches against the Oilers and Flames.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes aren't known for piling up goals and dominating the opposition, but they managed to do just that on Friday night, taking down the Washington Capitals with a monstrous 6-3 effort.Washington - the league's No.1 club - fell behind early as the Coyotes posted three goals in the first period, all of which were highlight-reel tallies. The Capitals tried to close the gap in the middle frame, but were buried by two power-play goals from Arizona to close out the second, putting the tilt out of reach.Related - Watch: Coyotes' Dvorak burns Burakovsky 3 times before scoringArizona's six goals were the most the team has scored in any game this season. However, it was who exactly was potting those goals that was significant for the basement-dwelling club.The Coyotes' youth proved their worth during the victory, giving fans a glimpse of what the future in the desert might hold.Christian Dvorak and Alex Burmistrov led the way with two goals apiece, while fellow young guns Max Domi, Lawson Crouse, and Anthony DeAngelo - all of whom are under 22 years of age - earned points as well.While it's been a forgettable campaign for Arizona, Friday night's effort proved the Coyotes' tumultuous rebuild might eventually wind up being worth the wait after all.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings may be staring down an early summer, but that isn't stopping Jarome Iginla from putting pucks in the net.Iginla scored for the third time in as many games during the Kings' Friday night tilt against the Vancouver Canucks. The latest tally was his 14th of the season, but more importantly, the 625th of his career.That moves the former Calgary Flames captain into a tie for 15th on the all-time goals list, putting him level with Colorado Avalanche legend - and Iginla's former general manager - Joe Sakic.Iginla has scored at least 20 goals in 16 of the past 17 seasons, the only outlier being the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, wherein he potted 14 goals in 44 games.With at least 20 tallies in each of the past three years, Iginla's streak looked likely to end in 2016-17 after an abysmal start in Colorado.However, the 39-year-old has been lighting it up since joining the Kings at the trade deadline, his six goals for L.A. sitting just a pair below the total he posted through 61 games for the Avalanche this season.With five games left in the Kings' season, Iginla looks to have his sights on closing the six-goal gap and reaching the 20-goal plateau once again. And if his recent performances are any indication, counting the veteran sniper out would seem an ill-advised move.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames are the third Canadian team to clinch a spot in the 2017 playoffs, earning their berth with a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Friday night.Calgary's long trek back to the postseason wasn't an easy one. The Flames started off 2016-17 with a rough 5-10-1 stretch, but rebounded midway through the season after getting some exceptional play from goaltender Brian Elliott.The veteran netminder posted a save percentage of just .898 during the season's first month, but rebounded shortly after the calendar flipped to 2017, turning in clips of .922 in February and .935 in March.With their playoff berth in tow, it's safe to say the Flames' rebuild has stabilized. The club earned a postseason spot in 2014-15 - its first in six years - before missing the cut last season. The disappointment prompted a coaching change, as bench boss Bob Hartley was ousted in favor of Glen Gulutzan.As it turns out, the move worked.After zero Canadian clubs made it into the playoffs last season, three have now clinched spots in 2017 - Montreal, Edmonton, and now Calgary.The Flames sit in a wild-card spot for now, just one point back of San Jose for third place in the Pacific Division.If the standings remained as they are right now, Calgary would meet the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, though the Flames are currently only six points behind them for first place in the Pacific, so much is yet to be decided.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues: in.For the sixth consecutive season, the Blues will play spring hockey, clinching a playoff berth by virtue of earning a point in Friday's shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche.St. Louis has endured an up-and-down season, which saw longtime head coach Ken Hitchcock fired in favor of Mike Yeo in February.However, the Blues are as hot as anybody right now, amassing a 7-1-2 record in their last 10 games, and will have an opportunity to secure a top-three position in the Central Division, currently sitting two points clear of the Nashville Predators.Last season, they advanced to the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2000-01, ultimately falling to the Sharks in six games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

CHICAGO - Artemi Panarin had two goals, Corey Crawford made 32 saves and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Friday night to reach the cusp of clinching the Central Division.Panarin scored in the opening minute, then added an empty-netter with 44 seconds left for his 28th goal of the season. Marian Hossa also scored in the first period for Chicago, and Patrick Kane assisted on all three goals as Chicago extended its division lead to nine points over idle Minnesota.The Wild have five games remaining and the Blackhawks have four.Nick Foligno scored his 25th goal to end an eight-game drought and Sergei Bobrovksy made 21 saves, but the Blue Jackets lost for the second time in two nights.Panarin and Hossa put Chicago ahead 2-1 after 20 minutes in a matchup of the teams with the NHL's second- and third-best records. The Blackhawks and Crawford played a smart, tidy game to deny the Blue Jackets a chance to gain ground on first-place Washington in the Metropolitan Division.Bobrovsky got his first regulation loss since Feb. 19 against Nashville. He had been 10-0-2 during the run and entered leading the NHL in wins, goals-against average and save percentage.Coming off a 2-1 overtime loss at Carolina on Thursday night - with backup Joonas Korpisalo in net - the Blue Jackets didn't arrive at the their hotel in Chicago until about 1:30 p.m. on Friday.The team left Raleigh-Durham International Airport on a chartered jet shortly after Thursday's game, but the plane was forced to turn back about 30 minutes into the flight because of a faulty generator. The Blue Jackets returned to the hotel they stayed at on Wednesday, then flew to Chicago on Friday.Chicago took advantage by striking fast.Panarin got a power-play goal 32 seconds in and four seconds after Columbus' Brandon Dubinksy was sent off for cross-checking Niklas Hjalmarsson.After Jonathan Toews won a faceoff in the Blue Jackets' zone, Kane slipped the puck to Panarin in the slot. He beat Bobrovsky just over his glove with a quick shot.The teams exchanged goals 22 seconds apart during a 4-on-4 late in the first period.Foligno tied it 1-all with 2:45 left in the first from the left side of the crease. After taking Sam Gagner's pass from behind the net, he slipped the puck under Crawford.Finishing a 2-on-1 break with Kane, Hossa's 26th goal put Chicago back in front 2-1 moments later. The 38-year-old faked Bobrovsky to the ice, cut across the crease and scored on a slick backhander.Both goalies made a handful of alert saves in the scoreless second period, but neither was heavily tested.Bobrovksy denied Hossa on a prime chance early in the third, then Crawford was sharp when needed - including on Gagner's deflection at 9:30 during a Columbus power play.NOTES: Blackhawks C Artem Anisimov missed his ninth game (lower body), but coach Joel Quenneville said he hoped the 22-goal scorer would return for the playoffs. ... C Vinnie Hinostroza, recalled from Rockford of the AHL on Thursday, was among Chicago's scratches. ... Columbus coach John Tortorella said the team's flight turnaround was ''very nerve-wracking,'' but otherwise joked about the incident before Friday's game and hoped it might rally his team. ''When you hear the announcement: `It's an emergency, but we're OK,' where do you go with that?'' Tortorella said.UP NEXT:Blue Jackets: Host league-leading Washington on Sunday in a showdown of the top teams in the rugged Metropolitan.Blackhawks: Host Boston on Sunday in their final regular-season home game. Chicago closes out the schedule with three road contests.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders captain John Tavares left Friday's contest versus the New Jersey Devils after suffering an apparent leg injury, and will be re-evaluated Saturday, head coach Doug Weight announced.Tavares was helped to the dressing room by teammates after this play:

Andre Burakovsky is going to have nightmares about this one.The Washington Capitals winger got humbled thrice by Arizona Coyotes rookie Christian Dvorak during their Friday night matchup in Glendale. Dvorak started things off by forcing a turnover by Burakovsky at the Coyotes' blue line, stealing the puck and shifting play toward Washington's end.He eventually sealed the deal for his 13th goal of the season, but only after embarrassing Burakovsky two more times en route to the net.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Team USA got off to a strong start at the Women's World Championship on Friday, shutting out Team Canada 2-0 to open the tournament with a win.After a scoreless first period, United States froward Brianna Decker opened the scoring in the second. Gigi Marvin added the insurance marker early in the final frame.It was a strong effort for the defending champions, as the Americans fired 30 shots on Canada netminder Shannon Szabados, while Nicole Hensley made 18 saves for a shutout.The win holds extra significance for the American women, who settled a dispute with USA Hockey March 28 to ensure proper compensation after threatening to boycott this year's tournament due to unfair wages and a lack of support.Next up, USA faces Russia on Saturday, while Canada is due for a date with Finland.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 2016-17 season hasn't been a great one for Sam Bennett, but the young pivot proved Friday night that he still has plenty to offer the surging Calgary Flames.Bennett linked up with Johnny Gaudreau for an exceptional tally during the pair's tilt with the San Jose Sharks, with the latter drawing in the Sharks' defense and dropping the puck off for Bennett before deflecting home the first tally of the night.The assist was Bennett's 13th of the season, while the goal was Gaudreau's 18th of the year.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Great news from the Dallas Stars on Friday evening.The club announced that forward Curtis McKenzie appears to have dodged any permanent eye damage after taking a high stick Thursday."He has a deep gash around his eye, but right now it doesn't look like there is any permanent eye damage," general manager Jim Nill said. "But (doctors) will know more once the swelling goes down."He'll get checked every day by the doctors, but so far they see no damage to the eye. It's as good news as you can have."McKenzie wears a visor, but Boston Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller's stick got behind it, leading to some tense moments as McKenzie was escorted off the ice while bleeding from his eye.With only five games left on Dallas' schedule, it's likely McKenzie's season is over, though Nill said that'll be determined over the coming days. For five days, he won't take part in any hockey-related activities.The 26-year-old has six goals and 16 points in 56 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sidney Crosby says the bank is open.Even when he's below the goal line, giving No. 87 even an inch of open space is a terrible idea - a hard lesson learned by New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist, who has become the latest victim of Crosby's wizardry.The goal was Crosby's second point of the night, and his 43rd tally of the season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's fair to assume life in the NHL is much easier if you have Sidney Crosby running the on-ice show.Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Jake Guentzel certainly seems to be benefiting from Crosby's presence on the regular. The young winger did so again Friday night, making an immediate impact in his first game back from injury by finishing off a few expertly placed dishes from Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel early in the second period.The tally was Guentzel's 12th of the season, while the assist took Crosby's career total to 641, moving him past Jaromir Jagr on the Penguins' all-time helpers list.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Everyone loves a good old fashioned scoring race, and the 2016-17 campaign has gifted fans a fantastic one: young phenom Connor McDavid leading the pack, trailed closely by the league's current king, Sidney Crosby, and last year's scoring champ, Patrick Kane.But the scoring race doesn't necessarily illustrate who exactly the best pure scorers in the game are. Injury and general misfortune play a role, of course, taking certain potential front-runners out of the conversation, but there's also the matter of what exactly gets counted in the standard point totals.Should secondary assists be included in that bunch?The value of counting secondary helpers varies from play to play, with some marking a key aspect of a goal's playmaking origin, and some representing far less impressive contributions.Taking them out of the mix entirely may be a bit drastic, but if we're looking to pin down the top offensive talents in the game, pointing to primary scoring - counting goals plus primary assists only - might be a better route.That said, let's take a look at how this season's top 10 overall scorers stack up against the top 10 primary scorers:PlayerOverall PointsPlayerPrimary Points1. Connor McDavid911. Sidney Crosby682. Patrick Kane842. Connor McDavid673. Brad Marchand833. Nikita Kucherov644. Sidney Crosby824. Patrick Kane645. Nicklas Backstrom825. Brad Marchand606. Nikita Kucherov806. Evgeni Malkin607. Mark Scheifele787. Auston Matthews558. Brent Burns738. Leon Draisaitl559. Evgeni Malkin729. Mikael Granlund5510. Leon Draisaitl7210. Brent Burns54Among the top two names in the game, not much changes - Crosby and McDavid remain roughly level, each having a chance at claiming No.1 honors before the season is through.A few notable names jump slightly higher - Nikita Kucherov moves up to tie Kane at third and Evgeni Malkin climbs to sixth despite playing far fewer games than the rest of the top 10 - but the biggest surprise is in the latter half of the primary scorers list.Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Auston Matthews, who's already setting records for his new club, rises significantly. Ranking as low as 27th in the league on the traditional scoring list, Matthews reigns as the seventh-best in the league thus far in terms of goals and primary setups.Minnesota Wild pivot Mikael Granlund is a similar story, ranking 16th in overall scoring but moving up to tie Matthews and Leon Draisaitl at seventh if secondary assists are taken out of the equation.We can't entirely discount secondary helpers, as there are certainly cases in which the success of a particular play hinges on that less direct assist.But boiling it down to what undeniably counts - goals and the immediate setup passes that precede them - seems to paint a much clearer picture of who's carrying the offensive mail for their clubs.Apparently, in many cases, it's the young guns.(All statistics courtesy: Corsica)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mobile app users - expand the banner below to view more on the race to the playoffs.Remember all the hoopla surrounding where Jimmy Vesey would sign last summer?The former Harvard star and Hobey Baker winner drew rampant speculation ad nauseam with every move he made, before ultimately picking the New York Rangers in August.Vesey racked up 46 points in 33 games a senior with the Crimson and was expected to add offensive depth to an already-potent Rangers attack. So, how has that all played out?Lately, not so great, as the rookie was deemed a healthy scratch for Friday's contest with the Penguins after what head coach Alain Vigneault called an "off night" for the forward on Tuesday in San Jose.Vigneault made it clear Vesey is a part of New York's playoff plans, and perhaps a brief rest is what's best for the rookie at this point.In his last 20 games, Vesey's recorded just one goal and three assists, averaging 12:55 of ice time. It's entirely possible the 23-year-old has hit the so-called "rookie wall," having never played such a high amount of games in one season, but is there cause for concern with his dwindling numbers?Among all freshman skaters this season, Vesey ranks 21st with 26 points (15 goals, 11 assists), but beyond point-production, his on-ice impact with the Rangers is underwhelming.Of all New York forwards with similar minutes, Vesey ranks second last with a corsi-for per 60 rate of 49.45% while playing five-on-five, and has a less-than-desirable corsi-against per 60 of 59.81%. (Corsica-hockey)In each of his four seasons at Harvard, Vesey's goal totals exceeded his assist numbers, and with decreased production at the NHL level, an improvement in playmaking may be a necessity in order for him to offer true offensive value.Vesey's 0.64 assists per 60 is the worst among all Rangers forwards in all situations, and while seven of his 11 assists are primary helpers, creating offense hasn't been his strong suit in the pro ranks.It's far too soon to declare Vesey the latest NCAA free-agent bust, but it's easy to suggest he's underachieved in his debut season.Mobile app users - expand the banner below to view more on the race to the playoffs.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matthew Tkachuk may have answered the bell during his club's Wednesday night tilt with the Los Angeles Kings, but it seems the Doughty drama hasn't yet fully subsided.The 19-year-old rookie drew the ire of the Kings after escalating a war of words with Los Angeles defender Drew Doughty earlier this week. Those extracurriculars spilled into the teams' game Wednesday - a 4-1 win for the Kings - leaving some of Tkachuk's teammates unhappy with the distraction."We got caught up a little bit too much in some of the nonsense out there,” Johnny Gaudreau said after the loss, according to the Calgary Sun's Eric Francis. "It took away from our game and it's ultimately why we lost."After head coach Glen Gulutzan said Tkachuk has been spoken to about the incident, assistant general manager Craig Conroy provided some insight into the team's displeasure with Tkachuk's off-ice decisions."When I heard it, it caught me off guard because we always talk about bulletin board stuff," Conroy said, according to Francis. "You never want to give anybody anything. And (Kings coach) Darryl (Sutter) loves that stuff. He doesn't miss much. It probably gave them a little life last night."After ruffling a few of his teammates' feathers and potentially firing up the opposition, Tkachuk might be more careful in regards to crossing that line in the future, Conroy suggested."He probably didn't know (the consequences) and wanted to see how it played out, but now he realizes it probably wasn't the best thing. He did it and now he sees the repercussions and I don't think it will ever happen again."It's a particularly useful lesson with the postseason looming."The best thing about the whole thing is that it wasn't the playoffs," Conroy said. "Because in a seven-game series you never want to give anything like that."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's hard to believe the Stanley Cup playoffs are less than two weeks away, but here we are.Ten teams have already clinched postseason berths, but several races remain as the 2016-17 campaign hits the home stretch.Between now and Sunday night, there could be significant movement among those jockeying for divisional supremacy and teams trying to snag the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot.Here's a handful of can't-miss contests in what should be a wild weekend of NHL action:San Jose Sharks @ Calgary FlamesThe Flames have a chance to punch their playoff tickets when they host the Sharks on Friday night.Calgary can secure its berth by defeating San Jose in any fashion. The Flames can also get in with a single point against the Sharks and a Los Angeles Kings defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks in any fashion, or simply if the Kings lose to the Canucks in regulation.So, it could be a big night for the Flames, who are looking to make the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.The Sharks have already clinched a spot, but they're stumbling into the postseason with only three wins in their last 10 games. Still, the matchup carries weight for them as well.San Jose can - at least temporarily - overtake the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the Pacific Division with a victory.Minnesota Wild @ Nashville PredatorsA Saturday matinee could also serve as a first-round playoff preview.The Wild are pretty firmly entrenched as the second-place holders in the Central Division, but a single point separates the Predators from the third-place Blues, although St. Louis has that game in hand, along with the edge in regulation or overtime wins.If Nashville can beat St. Louis on Saturday, it would help the Predators greatly in their quest to occupy third place at season's end, and that would pit them against the second-place Wild in the opening round.Anaheim Ducks @ Edmonton OilersBoth the Ducks and Oilers have assured themselves of playoff positions, but that doesn't mean Saturday's tilt will be free of drama.Even if the Sharks overtake them for second place in the division Friday, the Oilers can reclaim top spot one night later.That's how tight the Pacific is, and it should make for quite the nightcap.Nashville Predators @ St. Louis BluesThe Predators have a firm grip on the second Western Conference wild-card spot, but Sunday's game against the Blues is a big one regardless of what happens between St. Louis and Colorado, and between Nashville and the Wild on Saturday.If Nashville has any hope of stealing the third spot and sending St. Louis into wild-card territory, this game could be their chance to do it.Washington Capitals @ Columbus Blue JacketsThe Capitals have gained a bit of breathing room over the Blue Jackets in the Presidents' Trophy race, but Columbus can get back in the hunt for the hardware and the Metropolitan Division crown with a win Sunday.It's the final regulation meeting between the two clubs, and while they've both booked playoff spots, neither wants to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round.The Blue Jackets would do just that if the postseason began Friday, but it doesn't. If they can beat Washington on Sunday, they could have a shot at taking first place and handing the Capitals the tougher first-round opponent, depending on what happens earlier in the weekend.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Letdown seasons across the hockey landscape could soon lead to sweeping changes.While the easiest and often most impactful move is to orchestrate a change behind the bench, these three coaches should be cautious of the hot seat:Lindy RuffA coach is only as good as what he's given, and Ruff hasn't been provided with much in Dallas, particularly in goal.The Dallas bench boss returned with a coin toss between the pipes this year, rotating between Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi, neither of which has provided stability and own the second-worst save percentage. The Stars' inability to keep pucks out of their own net is the biggest reason for a major step back after capturing the Central Division last season.Also working against Ruff is the fact that he doesn't have a contract through next season, making it easier for general manager Jim Nill to facilitate a change.Willie DesjardinsThe Vancouver Canucks coach has spent the year under the gun, but with the team's season soon coming to a disappointing close, Desjardins may not avoid the ax much longer.Desjardins is in his third season with the Canucks, with one playoff appearance to his credit. This year, the expectation in Vancouver was a return to the postseason, but that won't happen. The Canucks are already eliminated from the playoff chase, having collected 69 points in 76 games.With the Sedins now staring down the back nine and the team inching close to a traditional teardown, the Canucks will continue to rework their roster, and could seek out a new voice behind the bench to boot.Darryl SutterWill two Stanley Cups be enough to save Sutter? The Los Angeles Kings coach arrived in Hollywood in 2012 and guided the franchise to its first Stanley Cup, and then repeated the feat two years later. But the winning ways have been few and far between ever since, with just one playoff series appearance since 2014, as the Kings fell to the San Jose Sharks.General manager Dean Lombardi opted to build a team to fit Sutter's grinding style, equipping his team with the likes of Dustin Brown, Jake Muzzin, and the recently acquired Jarome Iginla. But that hasn't paid off for Los Angeles this year, with the Kings on the verge of missing the postseason.Sutter signed a multi-year extension with the club last May, after much deliberation, but the added term may not stop the Kings from changing course, particularly with a viable candidate in assistant John Stevens already in place.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It’s been quite a week for the Boston Bruins, who have pulled ahead in the race for the second wild-card spot with just over a week remaining in the regular season. They’ll hope to get some help from the home crowd, too, as the B’s play four of their final five games at TD Garden.And for fans looking to take in the final push towards a playoff spot, there are deals to be had on Bruins tickets through next Saturday.On search engine TicketIQ, the average resale price for Bruins tickets over the team’s four remaining home games is $158. That’s on par with the season average of $160 across all 41 games at TD Garden, which indicates that no premium is being placed on the Bruins’ final homestand.Tuesday’s game against the Lightning will be the cheapest remaining Bruins home game to attend this year. As it stands now the average resale price for tickets is $112 with a get-in price of just $45. The B’s welcome the Senators two days later in their second cheapest game, with tickets averaging $128 and starting from $55 each.Should the Bruins still have ownership over the second wild-card slot come next Saturday, their matchup with the Capitals will be an early look into their first-round playoff series. Tickets to the game currently average $241, making it the Bruins' ninth most expensive game on average this season (a New Year’s Eve battle with the Sabres averaged a season-high $669 ticket). The cheapest available ticket is fetching for $90.Expect prices to jump should the Bruins clinch a wild-card berth. Over three potential home games in the first round, Bruins playoff tickets are averaging $345 on TicketIQ. The team’s first home playoff game owns the cheapest tickets at $155 each. Additional savings on all Bruins games can be found on the TicketIQ app.TicketIQ is a leading event ticket search engine with one simple goal: providing consumers with the most transparent and affordable buying experience. We aggregate listings from hundreds of certified sellers across every major sporting, music and theater event - including deals from Ticketmaster's Official Exchanges and our Low Price Guarantee listings. Start discovering and saving now.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Auston Matthews isn't the only young NHL star with his own theme song.Cadence Weapon dropped a new track dedicated to Connor McDavid on Wednesday, and it also features plenty of nods to the phenom's teammates.The Edmonton-based rapper, whose real name is Roland "Rollie" Pemberton, told CBC News' Wallis Snowdon that the inspiration to write about the Oilers captain came back in December."I felt the energy when I was in Edmonton over the holidays and it was like a fever pitch," he said. "People were going so crazy about Connor McDavid and the Oilers and I wanted to harness that energy in a song, and it feels like the timing is perfect now."Edmonton clinched its first playoff berth in over a decade Wednesday night, and McDavid now leads the league in both assists (63) and points (91).If that doesn't deserve a tribute, we don't know what does.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrik Elias and the New Jersey Devils were synonymous with success.The franchise's all-time leading scorer and the chart topper in several other categories, Elias' 18-year run with the Devils was decorated with winning, and the Czech winger played a major role during the team's dominant years.Eliminating the FlyersOn the road to the franchise's second Stanley Cup, the Devils ran into some stiff competition, matching up against divisional foes the Philadelphia Flyers. The two sides squared off in a seven-round bout, with the deciding game appearing destined for overtime.Enter Elias. After opening the scoring in the first frame, only for Philadelphia to tie it in the second, Elias fired home the game-winner with just over two minutes remaining in the third period, beating a sprawling Brian Boucher and clearing the Devils' path to the Stanley Cup Final.Creating the overtime winnerElias captured his first Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2000, and did so in style. Ahead 3-2 in the series and with the silver mug in their sights, the Devils battled the Dallas Stars through a double-overtime Game 6, a contest that went into the early hours in Dallas.Midway through the second bonus frame, with Elias positioned in the corner, he fed a no-look, backhand pass into the slot. Jason Arnott buried the setup past goaltender Ed Belfour to bring New Jersey its first Stanley Cup.Taking down the DucksFast forward three years and Elias was competing for his second Stanley Cup, this time against the then-Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Riding red-hot netminder Jean-Sebastien Giguere to hockey's final round, it appeared Lord Stanley was headed to Disneyland, but the Devils had plans of their own.Elias scored 20 points during the team's 2000 Cup run, but wasn't nearly as dynamic three years later. Luckily, he seemed to save his show for the Final. There, Elias once again came up clutch, posting seven of his 13 playoff points from that run - including another game-winner - as New Jersey claimed its second Stanley Cup in four seasons.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A new lawsuit doesn't exactly paint Eugene Melnyk in the best light.The Ottawa Senators owner and his club are the targets of a court filing by former chief marketing officer Peter O'Leary, who argues that his termination was a breach of contract and that Melnyk both verbally and electronically abused team executives, according to Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen.Melnyk allegedly "at times used profanity and leveled insults at executive team members, including constantly calling into question their competency. Mr. Melnyk sent abusive emails to the executive team and frequently threatened to dismiss them."O'Leary was fired in December 2016 after more than two years with the organization.The Senators owner and his holdings group, Capital Sports, have filed a notice to defend, with Melnyk declining comment to Scanlan via email.The allegations have not yet been tested in court.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is just the beginning for the Carolina Hurricanes.A slow and steady rebuild has begun to take shape in Raleigh, where general manager Ron Francis has collected youth through lost seasons to construct his current club.That patience has started to pay off. The Hurricanes are currently riding a 13-game point streak (9-0-4), a late surge that has lifted Carolina within four points of the playoff picture after spending most of the season near the bottom rung.Now in his third year of stewardship, the Hurricanes have improved each season under Francis. After finishing with 71 points in 2014-15, Carolina jumped to 86 points a year ago and is on pace to pass that number this season, at 84 points with six games remaining.The Hurricanes faithful are hoping for the playoffs after seven seasons on the outside looking in. Carolina's last postseason trip came in 2009, its only such appearance since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.While the March charge may not be enough for a last-minute ticket to the postseason dance - the Hurricanes are chasing two teams for two spots, the Bruins and Lightning - it's the first step toward building a better tomorrow.The Hurricanes are realizing the fruits of their labor, having slowly built through the draft. A budget team, Carolina's success is born at the draft table, where the club has hit home runs outside of the opening round in recent seasons:Player Draft Year Round/Pick Games PointsJustin Faulk20102/37395190Victor Rask20112/42236124Jaccob Slavin20124/12013953Brett Pesce20133/6614534Sebastian Aho20152/357647That's not to overlook the success Carolina's had with early picks either, selecting Jeff Skinner (seventh overall) in 2010, Elias Lindholm (fifth overall) in 2013, and defenseman Noah Hanifin, the No. 5 pick in 2015.The Hurricanes have turned over the reins to many of these picks this season, particularly on the blue line, where 22-year-old Slavin leads the team in ice time by taking in more than 23 minutes a night. It's a defensive corps where, at 25 years old, Faulk is the elder statesman.A similar movement is just around the corner for the forward ranks as the Hurricanes integrate their next wave of offensive talent. That process began with Aho, and the second phase isn't far off with Julien Gauthier, Nicolas Roy, and Janne Kuokkanen, among others.All will play key roles for the Hurricanes in the coming years as Carolina continues its charge back into the league's elite.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 Friday, March 31 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

One of the top U.S. college free agents is headed to the City of Brotherly Love.Mike Vecchione signed an entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, the club announced Friday.The one-year deal is for the current season, after which Vecchione will be a restricted free agent and the Flyers will retain his rights, according to Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post.Flyers general manager Ron Hextall expects Vecchione to play in the NHL before the end of the regular season, but likely not Saturday against the New Jersey Devils, according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.The 24-year-old forward ranked second in the nation with 29 goals and tied for first with 63 points in his senior season at Union College.He is one of three remaining finalists for the Hobey Baker Award - given annually to the top Division I men's hockey player - along with Northeastern's Zach Aston-Reese and Denver's Will Butcher.He'll reunite with former Union defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, with whom he played in 2013-14.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.