A prized Toronto Maple Leafs prospect is rejoining the youth movement.The club recalled 20-year-old forward Kasperi Kapanen from the AHL's Toronto Marlies on Monday, and he subsequently joined the NHL team for practice.

Brad Marchand's immense talent has always come with a caveat.Marchand is energetic, but crosses the line into playing dirty. Marchand is an important player for Boston, but not a guy to carry the Bruins. Marchand is a good scorer, but that's really all he contributes.Not anymore."He's improving every year," said defenseman Zdeno Chara, who has been teammates with Marchand throughout the 28-year-old's NHL career. "He's working hard and he's taking on some tough tasks and obviously he proved that he belongs to the top players in this league. He takes a lot of pride in his game and he's got a lot of emotions in his game and drive to be always kind of noticed on the ice, whether it's playing with the puck or without the puck."That's what makes him a really great competitor. He just loves to be out there and always competing and doing things for his team. He's had just an unbelievable year for us. Without his play, I think we'd be a different team. For sure, he's grown."Marchand has 37 goals this season, tying the career high he set a year ago, and is five behind Sidney Crosby for the NHL lead. But while he also set a new career high in 2015-16 with 61 points, Marchand now is at 80 with seven games remaining - fourth in the league behind Connor McDavid (88), Crosby (82), and Patrick Kane (81) in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.Between all the scoring and the importance Marchand has had to the Bruins, he's also in the Hart Trophy conversation. He would be the first Boston player to win the award since Phil Esposito in 1973-74.Meanwhile, Marchand has pared down his penalty minutes from 95 and 90 the past two seasons to 64. He's still plenty capable of playing the agitator, but has turned a corner when it comes to responsibility."A lot of those were from frustration," Marchand said. "I've gotten away from that - tried to get away from it, and just play the game. That's where you help your team, is trying to be a better player than being in the box all the time."The Bruins can't afford to have Marchand be a regular visitor to the penalty box. He's too important to what they do on the ice as a more than a point-a-game player - and with Boston clinging to an Eastern Conference wild-card spot entering the week, Marchand's ability to stay out of the box could mean the difference between a playoff berth and a spot in the draft lottery.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)As much as Marchand's discipline has improved, where he has really taken a step forward is on the power play, with eight goals and 13 assists. His previous bests in those categories were six and two."Brad's always had it in him and always wanted to do it," said Bruins interim coach Bruce Cassidy. "I think, having more reps in there, in front of the net on the power play, I think that's helped his confidence, helped him in those situations."Now he has a little more comfort in that area, where before it was more of an attacking mentality from the half-wall, now he's more on the goal line facing more of the players, so that's become an area where he's gotten comfortable. And sometimes you just have years where it clicks. Hopefully ... it continues and becomes a consistent part of his game. I don't see why it can't be."With such performance comes responsibility, and Marchand has come to recognize that. He has embraced growing into a leadership role and that's important for the Bruins given that the 40-year-old Chara has only one season left on his contract. Marchand, David Backes, Patrice Bergeron, and David Krejci are the Bruins' core going forward, all signed through at least 2021 - with Marchand having the longest deal of the group, through 2025."It goes by quick," Marchand said. "I think I kind of woke up the last year or two, and realized that I'm getting up there, but when you see guys like Z and Bergy, and in the past like (Chris Kelly) and (Mark) Recchi, (Andrew) Ference, guys like that who have been really great leaders and did the job at showing the young guys how to play the right way, how to be a pro, you kind of learn that."I've been playing with Bergy so long, I like to watch him and what he does, and you see guys off the ice, how they train, how they prepare for each and every day - not just games, but practices - and all the mental state, and the way they're a pro. You learn that, and I've been fortunate to be around a lot of great leaders. They wear off on you. It's that time where I have to learn how to do that and be more like those guys."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Craig Anderson's difficult season is ending with some recognition.The Ottawa Senators goaltender was nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the Ottawa chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, the club announced Monday.Every club's local chapter nominates one player for the award, given annually to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.Anderson has taken multiple leaves of absence this season to attend to his wife, Nicholle, who was diagnosed with a rare form of throat cancer in October.He took an extended leave in December to be with her while she underwent treatment, returning after the All-Star break with a memorable shutout victory.Related: Anderson 'definitely emotional' after earning shutout in returnAnderson became the Senators' all-time wins leader among goalies earlier this month, and he's 22-10-2 with a 2.32 GAA, .927 save percentage, and four shutouts in 2016-17.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marc-Andre Fleury is the Penguins' Masterton Trophy nominee for the 2016-17 season, the Pittsburgh chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association announced Monday, and the qualities Fleury displayed in earning the nod may yet come in quite handy for the Penguins.The Masterton Trophy is presented to a "player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey," with all 30 teams represented by a nominee.In Fleury's case, the nomination is well earned.At this point last year, Fleury was the Penguins' number one starter and de facto franchise goalie, having backstopped the team since being selected first overall at the 2003 NHL Draft.A late-season injury, however, pressed rookie Matt Murray into action, and he ran with the opportunity all the way to a Stanley Cup win, despite Fleury's eventual return to health.Fleury has subsequently taken a permanent back seat to Murray, and is a likely candidate to be moved in the offseason, either by trade or through the expansion draft.In the meantime, he may be called upon with greater regularity down the stretch if recent trends continue.Fleury has posted a record of 3-1-2 in March, with a .944 save percentage, while Murray, even before Sunday's lopsided loss to Philadelphia in which he allowed five goals, recently admitted he's not at the top of his game.

theScore's new series, "The Noise," is published every Monday. It kicks off each week with a quick look at teams or players making headlines, good or bad.No one's finer than CarolinaIt may be a case of too little, too late, but the Carolina Hurricanes have taken the month of March by storm.Since the calendar flipped, no team has earned more points than the Hurricanes (20), who've posted a record of 8-2-4. That's a single point more than St. Louis, Columbus, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, and Chicago - all set to advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.The Hurricanes have also scored an NHL-high 45 goals in that span, and Jeff Skinner is leading the charge. He's scored seven over his past five games, and his 10 goals in 13 appearances this month rank second league-wide behind Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov.Despite all that, the Hurricanes remain five points behind Boston for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and have just a 9.5 percent chance of clinching a postseason berth, per Sports Club Stats.One thing playing in Carolina's favor, however, is the nine games remaining on its schedule, the most of all teams in the running. The Hurricanes kick off a five-game week with two home games against Detroit, thanks to a make-up date after a matchup earlier this season was postponed due to poor ice conditions.A sweep of the beatable Red Wings could greatly improve Carolina's chances of advancing to the postseason for the first time since 2009.Sharks, Wild stumbling into postseasonMeanwhile, a pair of playoff teams out West are looking more like pretenders than contenders these days, namely the San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild.Here's a look at the bottom five teams around the league this month:TeamGamesRecordPointsSan Jose135-8-010Vancouver134-7-210Florida124-7-19Minnesota143-10-17Colorado133-10-06New Jersey132-10-15For squads with Cup aspirations, that's not the company you want to be keeping at this point in the regular season.A couple of troubling things stand out.For the Sharks, forward Logan Couture - who ranks third on the team in points - took a puck to the face and was hospitalized following Saturday's 7-2 loss to Nashville, San Jose's sixth L in a row. Losing Couture for any length of time would be calamitous.And for the Wild, goaltender Devan Dubnyk has quickly fallen from the list of Vezina Trophy candidates, thanks to a record of 3-8-1 and an .898 save percentage in March. If he can't find his game, the Wild could be in line for a very early playoff exit.Still, both clubs sit second in their respective divisions, and there are two weeks left in the season to rediscover at least some of what was working earlier on.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

No slowdown for Patrick Eaves.The Anaheim Ducks forward has maintained his career year since a February trade to Orange County.After beginning the season with the Dallas Stars, Eaves excelled in his third year in Texas, putting up 21 goals and 16 assists through 59 games. But with the Stars sitting outside of the playoff picture, Eaves was shipped to Anaheim, where his production hasn't been lost in translation:TeamGPGG/GPPtsPts/GPStars59210.36370.63Ducks1360.4680.62With the Ducks, Eaves has seen his goal ratio increase to 0.46 tallies per game, while his game production has remained virtually even.The veteran winger has picked up four goals in his last four games, including two tallies Sunday versus the New York Rangers.Not a bad bargain for a $1-million cap hit.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Perfect precision.The New York Rangers pulled off a dazzling 3-on-1 sequence Sunday versus the Anaheim Ducks. Streaking into the Anaheim zone, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, and Derek Stepan executed a pretty passing play before Stepan buried it behind goaltender Jonathan Bernier.The tally marked Stepan's second goal in as many nights, after he scored against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins registered the fifth loss of their past eight contests on Sunday night, getting dropped 6-2 at home by the rival Philadelphia Flyers.Injuries managed to stall the Penguins once again, as top-line winger Conor Sheary was forced out of the tilt and defenseman Brian Dumoulin was nearly sidelined as well, leaving after taking an elbow to the head but eventually returning.There's no question the Penguins' extensive list of injuries has taken a significant toll on them, with seven of their usual skaters officially on the shelf. One key result of that persistent trend? Pittsburgh is lacking that coveted late-season momentum that fed the 2015-16 squad.Recall that momentum served as one of the club's key advantages leading up to its Stanley Cup run last year. After stumbling through the first half of 2015-16, the Penguins found new life once Mike Sullivan was installed as head coach in mid-December.From Jan. 1, 2016 on, Pittsburgh put together a dominant 30-11-4 record, leading the league in goals and allowing the sixth fewest as well, before rolling through the playoffs.This season, it's been an entirely different story in the Steel City.With Sunday's loss to Philadelphia in tow, the Penguins have now allowed four goals or more in five of their past eight tilts.Compare that to 2015-16, when the Penguins let in four goals just twice over their final 23 games of the year.In fact, they let in four or more goals just 10 times during Sullivan's entire 54-game tenure to close out 2015-16.This time around, Pittsburgh has allowed four or more goals 25 times through 75 games, their injury-riddled blue line surely playing a role in that shift.The Penguins still have enough talent to potentially repeat, and all signs point to them getting the bulk of their injured talent back for the postseason, but as of right now, they look like a significantly different team than the one that lifted the Cup last spring.With only a handful of games remaining, the Penguins are running out of time to get healthy bodies back on the ice and pick up some steam, as the 82-game mark is fast approaching.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have signed prospect Colin White to an amateur tryout agreement, the club announced Sunday.The deal allows White to participate in the American Hockey League, where he will now report to the Binghamton Senators."We are excited to see Colin make the next step in his development in turning professional after a great college career," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said in a statement.The Senators selected White 21st overall in 2015. He has spent the last two seasons with Boston College, which was eliminated from the playoffs this week.According to Dorion, the club will continue to work to sign White to an entry-level contract, an agreement which would allow him to play in the NHL."While our ongoing contract discussions are moving in a positive direction, we all know there is a small window left this season for Colin to gain professional experience," Dorion added.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's been nearly two months since the NHL made all netminders undergo an equipment change in an effort to increase scoring across the league.The switch officially happened on Feb. 4, with all of the league's goaltenders swapping their goalie pants for a new, slimmer variety, ostensibly leaving more space for skaters to snipe through.But looking at the numbers up to this point, the change doesn't seem to have affected scoring across the league all that much. In fact, scoring has actually decreased slightly since the new pants were made mandatory.There were 4,173 goals scored by the 30 NHL teams this season prior to the equipment change in early February, with clubs playing a combined 1,528 games up to that point.That measured out to a league-wide scoring pace of 2.73 goals per game.Heading into Sunday evening, NHL clubs had played a total of 694 games since the new goalie pants were instituted, scoring a combined 1,874 goals in the process.Which, as it turns out, leaves them pretty much exactly where they were prior to the change: Total Games PlayedTotal GoalsGoals Per GameBefore Equipment Change152841732.73After Equipment Change69418742.70There doesn't seem to be any reason why the switch would take an extensive amount of time to yield more goals. The thinking appeared to be that reducing the size of goaltenders' equipment would potentially create more space for skaters to shoot at, and perhaps slightly hinder netminders' ability to make saves, resulting in more scoring.After nearly 700 games, that hasn't been the case.Perhaps that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. It likely isn't a huge shock to Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby, as the reigning Vezina Trophy winner said back in February that he didn't see the new pants being too much of an issue."If there is too tight equipment it doesn't allow you to bend the whole way so it leaves a hole," Holtby told NHL.com's Dan Rosen at the time. "But we looked at it through video, slowed everything down, and there were no holes, so it's fine. I didn't find much of a difference at all."Apparently, neither do the league's goal-scorers.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.Desperate times call for desperate measures. If you own a goaltender who isn't getting enough playing time or simply isn't getting the job done of late, you might be better off streaming goalies from the waiver wire.Luckily, there are 19 back-to-backs in the NHL this coming week, meaning backup goaltenders will see plenty of playing time. Most coaches opt to start their backup netminder on the second game of a back-to-back, but in some cases the backup will start Game 1. Be sure to check Left Wing Lock for a confirmed list of the day's starting goalies.March 27-28TeamOpponentsBackup GoalieBUFFLA @CLBAnders NilssonCARDET DETEddie LackDET@CAR @CARPetr MrazekFLA@BUF @TORJames Reimer/Reto BerraNAS@NYI @BOSJuuse SarosBest options: Lack, Saros. Lack is 5-1 with a .950 SV% in his last six games. Carolina has two back-to-backs this week, so he might be worth hanging onto for the duration of the final round.The ones to avoid: Mrazek, Reimer/Berra.March 28-29TeamOpponentsBackup GoalieLA@EDM @CGYBen BishopWSH@MIN @COLPhilipp GrubauerAnalysis: Both are excellent options. Grubauer starting against a historically bad Avalanche team would be gravy.March 30-31TeamOpponentsBackup GoalieCLB@CAR @CHIJoonas KorpisaloNYI@PHI NJJaroslav HalakSJ@EDM @CGYAaron DellBest options: Halak, Dell.The one to avoid: Korpisalo.March 31 - April 1TeamOpponentsBackup GoalieNJ@NYI @PHIKeith KinkaidAnalysis: Kinkaid has played okay this season, but neither matchup is appealing.April 1-2TeamOpponentsBackup GoalieANA@EDM @CGYJhonas EnrothBOSFLA @CHIAnton KhudobinCARDAL @PITLackDAL@CAR @TBAntti Niemi/Kari LehtonenMIN@NAS COLDarcy KuemperNASMIN @STLSarosPHINJ @NYRMichal NeuvirthTBMTL DALPeter BudajBest options: Kuemper, Budaj. Playing at home for the second half of a back-to-back is a huge advantage.The ones to avoid: Enroth, Neuvirth.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Department of Player Safety has announced that San Jose Sharks forward Micheal Haley will have a hearing Monday following a match penalty involving Nashville Predators forward Calle Jarnkrok.The play occurred in the third period Saturday, where Haley dropped Jarnkrok with a sucker punch. He was given a match penalty.Haley has appeared in 54 games with the Sharks this season, recording 11 points and 110 penalty minutes.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Scoring your first NHL goal is one thing. But turning the trick against your hometown team?That was the case for New Jersey Devils forward Blake Coleman, as the Plano, Texas native netted his first on Sunday against the Dallas Stars.After scooping the puck from Stars defenseman John Klingberg, Coleman drove to the crease and beat Kari Lehtonen on his blocker side, picking up his second point of the season.Coleman is one of five Texans to skate in the NHL this season, alongside Tyler Myers, Seth Jones, Nicolas Kerdiles, and teammate Stefan Noesen.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers are officially living up to the hype.After years of watching promising talent join the fray and fail to move the needle, the Oilers are finally slated for a return to the postseason, their offense remaining among the 10 best in the league.While young captain Connor McDavid has been the elite foundation upon which this newfound scoring prowess was built, he's been far from the only offensive success story in Edmonton this season.Also turning heads is Leon Draisaitl, who's followed up his 2015-16 breakout effort with a dominant 2016-17, amassing 27 goals and 70 points thus far this season.Despite the seemingly endless parade of top-tier talent that has come through Edmonton over the past decade - Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jordan Eberle being the most prominent of the group - the club's current group has quickly emerged as the best of the franchise's modern era, giving Edmonton two 70-point scorers for the first time in over a decade:

It's been a season to forget for Riley Sheahan.The Detroit Red Wings forward, who signed a two-year, $4.15-million contract extension with the team last summer, has now gone a full 72 games and 99 shots without a goal in 2016-17.That puts him well past the NHL record for most shots without a goal.

Clayton Keller is officially an Arizona Coyote.The 18-year-old forward agreed to terms on his entry-level contract, the club announced Sunday.

It's been a long road to NHL relevance for Cameron Gaunce.Drafted in the second round (50th overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in 2008, the defenseman had appeared in only 20 NHL games prior to signing as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins last summer.Gaunce spent the majority of this season with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but was recently pressed into duty with the big club after injuries to Kris Letang, Olli Maata, Trevor Daley, and Ron Hainsey.He scored his second career goal and added an assist in Friday's shootout loss to the New York Islanders, and seems to have found favor with Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan on the third pairing alongside Mark Streit:

Sidney Crosby doesn't want to spend more time addressing his slash on Marc Methot, but he couldn't offer his latest comment without taking a shot at Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk."I’m just going to leave it. He likes to hear himself talk, so let’s just leave it," the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar said, according to Michelle Crechiolo of the club's website. "It was four days ago."Crosby slashed Methot on Thursday, shattering the Senators defenseman's finger and forcing him out of the lineup for "weeks."The Penguins captain defended his role in the incident, claiming he was trying to hit Methot's stick.Melnyk lashed out at Crosby in a radio interview Friday, calling the two-time Hart Trophy winner "a whiner beyond belief" and repeatedly suggesting he should be suspended for the rest of the season.Later that day, Crosby's agent, Pat Brisson, said he believes Melnyk should be fined for his comments.Crosby wasn't penalized and received no supplemental discipline.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Josh Harding is once again beginning to water his roots with the Minnesota Wild.The former NHL goalie, who was forced to retire in 2015 due to complications from multiple sclerosis, finds himself rooting for his former club, and was recently invited by owner Craig Leipold to attend a couple Wild home dates.Harding says he watches all the Wild games on TV and admires Devan Dubnyk's work in net, but observing rather than playing the game is a bittersweet feeling, he told Michael Russo of the Star Tribune."I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it every day," Harding said. "More than anything, I wanted to thank Mr. Leipold for all he did for me and my family. It was long overdue. You grow up a little bit and you come to terms with everything."Harding, who only ever played for the Wild at the NHL level, signed a three-year, $5.7-million contract that expired in 2015. Apart from family life, he works with a nearby high school team.Harding also explained the details of his hospitalization in 2014 as a result of dehydration during an AHL game, and admits continuing to play could have been disastrous, to the say the least."(Doctors) told me if I kept going, 'It’s not going to end well,'" Harding said. "It was the first time I realized it wasn’t just how much I was going through, it was how much I was putting everybody else through. I still had people that loved me, still had people that I loved that are more important than this game."The Wild clinched a playoff spot Saturday, and will enter the postseason with the knowledge a former teammate is very much behind them.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan Smyth knows how to bounce back.Three years removed from his NHL playing days, the forward made a speedy return to the Alberta Senior AAA men's league finals, suiting up for the Stoney Plain Eagles only two weeks after a vicious blindside hit that left him concussed.Related: Smyth says men's league hit among hardest he's ever takenThe hit was delivered in Game 1 of a series against the Larcombe Generals, and earned Kyle Sheen a 16-game suspension. Smyth's return for Game 6 was a last ditch effort to help his team tie the series and avoid elimination.

Claude Julien insists he's cool as a cucumber.The Montreal Canadiens head coach tried to assure reporters of his calm demeanor after earning a 3-1 victory Saturday over the Ottawa Senators:

Through the remainder of the regular season, we'll take a look at how the night's action impacts the playoff race, highlighting which teams' postseason odds went up or down significantly.The Boston Bruins bought themselves a little breathing room with a big win in Brooklyn.Losers of four straight heading into Saturday's action, the Bruins eked out a narrow victory, greatly boosting their playoff chances in the process.While the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to sit rather comfortably, a loss to the Sabres - and an injury to goalie Frederik Andersen - has opened the door for possible regression to a wild-card spot.Meanwhile, wins for the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators, as well as a point earned by the St. Louis Blues in an overtime loss, have put the Los Angeles Kings on the brink of being completely pushed out of the race.Eastern ConferenceTeamResultPlayoff ChancesChangeBostonW 2-1 vs. Islanders62.9%+20.7%CarolinaW 3-1 vs. New Jersey9.5%+4.8%Tampa BayIdle19.8%+2.9TorontoL 2-5 vs. Buffalo78.3%-9.7%Western ConferenceTeamResultPlayoff ChancesChangeCalgaryW 3-2 (OT) vs. St. Louis99.6%+2.3%NashvilleW 7-2 vs. San Jose99.7%+1.7%Los AngelesL 0-3 vs. Rangers0.8%-4.2%To see percentages for the entire NHL, visit Sports Club Stats.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Another year, another postseason appearance for the Minnesota Wild.Despite a defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday afternoon, the Wild clinched a playoff spot early Sunday morning, thanks to the Los Angeles Kings' 3-0 loss to the New York Rangers.Minnesota will play in the postseason for the fifth consecutive year, and for the first time under head coach Bruce Boudreau.It's the eighth playoff berth in the Wild's 16-year history, but they haven't made it out of the second round since their very first postseason run, when they advanced to the Western Conference Final under Jacques Lemaire in 2003.The Wild sit second in the Central Division, eight points behind the first-place Chicago Blackhawks and seven points clear of the Nashville Predators.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Drake Caggiula each had a goal and an assist and the Edmonton Oilers moved into a three-way tie atop the Pacific Division with a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.Benoit Pouliot and Leon Draisaitl also scored for the Oilers, who have won six of their last seven games and are now tied with San Jose and Anaheim at 91 points.Sven Andrighetto scored for the Avalanche, who have dropped five games in a row.Edmonton took a 1-0 lead on its first shot 1:54 into the opening period when Pouliot tipped Matt Benning's point shot past goalie Calvin Pickard.Andrighetto scored 45 seconds later by fighting off Adam Larsson and tucked the puck past goalie Laurent Brossoit, who had 24 saves.The Oilers retook the lead midway through the first on a goal from Draisaitl - his 27th goal and 70th point.After a scoreless second period, the Oilers made it 3-1 with 11:14 remaining in the third when Caggiula redirected Nugent-Hopkins' pass past Pickard on the power play.Nugent-Hopkins put the game away with another power-play goal with 4 1/2 minutes to play, his 16th of the season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture was taken to hospital Saturday after being struck in the mouth by a deflected shot from Brent Burns, CSN's Kevin Kurz confirmed.Couture appeared to have lost a tooth in the ordeal, but Sharks fans will be hoping his admission to hospital doesn't signify more serious injuries.It comes as more terrible news from the suddenly reeling Sharks, losers of six straight games. Couture ranks third on the team with 25 goals and 52 points.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Colton Sissons and James Neal both scored twice to lead the Nashville Predators over the staggering San Jose Sharks 7-2 on Saturday night.Cody McLeod, P.K. Subban, and Viktor Arvidsson also scored for Nashville, which has won three straight and six of seven. Craig Smith and Colin Wilson had three assists apiece to help the Predators move a point ahead of St. Louis for third place in the Central Division.Pekka Rinne made 26 saves in winning his fifth consecutive start.Patrick Marleau and Justin Braun scored for the Sharks, losers of six straight. They remained tied with Anaheim atop the Pacific Division.San Jose allowed six goals in Friday night's loss at Dallas.Sissons scored the game's first goal at 4:14 of the opening period.Behind the San Jose net, Smith battled with Tomas Hertl and passed the puck off the back of the cage to Wilson on the left side. He made a spinning backhand pass to Sissons just outside the slot, and he beat Sharks goaltender Martin Jones with a backhand to the stick side.McLeod made it 2-0 at 15:19 of the first.Roman Josi carried the puck up the left side. Inside the San Jose blue line, he went past Sharks defenseman Brent Burns near the left wall. From the left faceoff dot, Josi's wrist shot deflected off Jones' jersey and then the crossbar before landing on the goal line, where McLeod was there to tap it in for his fifth goal of the season.Marleau cut the Nashville lead in half at 4:24 of the second with a power-play goal when he deflected Burns' slap shot from the high slot by Rinne for his 26th of the season.Nashville regained its two-goal lead 24 seconds later when Neal scored on the power play with a wrist shot from the left circle.Subban's slap shot from the right wall made it 4-1 at 14:39. Braun concluded the second-period scoring at 16:19 when he beat Rinne from the left circle with a wrist shot on the stick side.Sissons got his second of the game at 5:27 of the third on a deflection of Smith's shot.Smith has six assists over his last three games. Sissons has three goals in his last two games.Neal added a power-play goal at 17:01 of the third, and Viktor Arvidsson scored a short-handed goal with 37 seconds remaining.Jones finished with 27 saves.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Viktor Arvidsson delivered a historic dagger to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.The Nashville Predators forward scored the club's seventh goal of the game, and, more importantly, his fifth short-handed goal of the season, breaking the franchise record for short-handed markers.The goal also gave Arvidsson the league lead in that category. Meanwhile, with an assist earlier in the game, he now shares the team lead in points (55) with Ryan Johansen.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Desperate for retribution after being slammed from behind by Calle Jarnkrok on Saturday in Nashville, San Jose Sharks tough guy Micheal Haley carried out a brutally accurate one-punch attack on an unwilling participant.For his act of war, Haley received a match penalty for intent to injure. Jarnkrok was called for boarding.Though Haley should probably expect a ring from Player Safety, Sharks coach Pete DeBoer believes his enforcer's actions were just."When you run someone from behind in a game like that, you probably deserve to get a punch in the mouth," DeBoer said, according to CSN's Kevin Kurz.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames pivot Sean Monahan continued his strong 2016-17 campaign by playing the hero Saturday night, clinching a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues with a cheeky overtime winner.

For the third time in his career, Jeff Skinner has eclipsed the 30-goal plateau.The Carolina Hurricanes forward deked out Cory Schneider on a breakaway effort to collect the goal and extend his red-hot goal-scoring streak to five games.Skinner's form has been nothing short of incredible as he has now scored seven goals and eight points over that stretch. Three of those goals have served as game-winners.The 24-year-old's streak has made it very likely that - with nine games left - he will surpass his previous career high of 33 goals, set during the 2013-14 campaign.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NEW YORK - Riley Nash scored twice and backup goalie Anton Khudobin made 18 saves as the Boston Bruins beat the New York Islanders 2-1 Saturday night, snapping a four-game losing streak.Nash broke a 1-1 tie with his second goal of the contest at 4:12 of the third period, beating Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss from the slot for his seventh goal of the season. Dominic Moore assisted on the decisive goal, which lifted Boston two points ahead of the Islanders for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.John Tavares scored for New York and Greiss finished with 16 saves.Tavares had a golden chance to knot the score with just over six minutes left in the third period but rang the puck off the crossbar with the Islanders on their sixth power play of the game.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NEWARK, N.J. - Jeff Skinner scored the go-ahead goal on a breakaway with 10:26 left and the surging Carolina Hurricanes stretched their point streak to 10 games with a 3-1 victory Saturday night that eliminated the New Jersey Devils from playoff contention for the fifth straight year.Sebastian Aho scored twice and Eddie Lack made 26 saves for the Hurricanes, who are 7-0-3 in their last 10. They remained five points out of a playoff spot with nine games to go in the regular season.Travis Zajac scored for the Devils, who have not made the postseason since going to the Stanley Cup final in the 2011-12 season. Cory Schneider stopped 25 shots for New Jersey, which is 2-12-2 in its last 16 games.Skinner's goal was his 30th of the season and seventh in the last five games. He poked the puck past Devils defenseman Andy Greene at the left point and skated in alone on Schneider.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen exited, and was unable to return to Saturday's clash with the Buffalo Sabres after suffering an upper-body injury in the first period.He completed the opening frame, but backup Curtis McElhinney was charged with leading the team out of the tunnel to begin the second and remained in net until the horn sounded on a 5-2 loss.Mike Babcock did not provide a specific update on Andersen's condition after the game, but did reveal that it was the Sabres' team doctor who advised his exit. The Athletic's David Alter notes that Toronto's team doctor did not make the trip to Buffalo.Andersen had won six of this last eight starts entering Saturday's contest, helping the Maple Leafs grab hold of a top-three seed in the Atlantic Division.McElhinney had a 4-4-0 record and .923 save percentage in nine appearances before conceding three goals in Buffalo.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With his second-period marker against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night, Auston Matthews tied the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie record for goals in a season.Matthews picked up his 34th of the season, tying Wendel Clark's mark from the 1985-86 season.The goal temporarily gives Matthews a share of the NHL rookie goals lead with Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine. The two are also level on 61 points, which is tops among first-year players.Matthews is now just five points away from tying Peter Ihnacak for the franchise's rookie points record.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Another game, another loss for the Minnesota Wild.With yet another defeat Saturday afternoon - this time to the Vancouver Canucks by a 4-2 margin - the Wild have now lost seven of their last eight games, all coming in regulation.The streak has left many around the organization fuming, none more so than head coach Bruce Boudreau who spared very little in ripping his club postgame."It was embarrassing, I'm embarrassed," Boudreau said. "To me, if I were the fans, I'd be booing even more because they paid good money for this."Saturday's game was the club's 13th in the last 24 days - a ton of hockey no doubt - but Boudreau doesn't see a busy schedule as an alibi."We're not going to use fatigue as an excuse any more," Boudreau said.

After getting bounced from the 2016 playoffs in seven games, fresh off posting his lowest offensive totals in three years, it was fair to say Ryan Getzlaf was looking for redemption this season.The Anaheim Ducks captain's 2015-16 campaign wasn't his most inspiring effort, as his 13 goals and 63 points sat well below the 31 goals and 87 points he posted just two years prior.But this year, it seems Getzlaf has managed to right the ship.The captain has already essentially matched last year's totals, doing so in 10 fewer games and with eight more to go. His 14 goals have bested last year's mark, while his 62 points are just one shy of reaching that campaign's benchmark.However, it's Getzlaf's exceptional play as of late that has the Ducks truly picking up steam.Since the beginning of March, the veteran has been on a flat-out tear, piling up 16 points through 11 games to tie for the second-most among all skaters over that span. Getzlaf also ranks fourth in the league in points per game since March 1, while this has clearly been the centerman's strongest month of the season:MonthGames PlayedPointsPoints Per GameOctober881.00November12100.83December15110.73January1090.90February1180.73March11161.45That's excellent news for the Ducks, as their division has become far tougher with the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames both taking significant steps forward in their rebuilds.Add in the Stanley Cup finalist San Jose Sharks, and it's clear the postseason grind won't be easy in the West, meaning picking up momentum as the regular season comes to a close could be crucial.Unsurprisingly, Anaheim has posted a strong month alongside their captain. The Ducks have reeled off seven wins in their past nine contests, leaving them neck and neck with the Sharks for the division lead.With five of their remaining eight tilts matching them up with division rivals - including three combined games against the Oilers and Flames - a strong finish will be key. But with Getzlaf taking his club on his back and regaining his elite offensive touch, that doesn't project to be an issue for the surging Ducks.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sergei Bobrovsky hit a benchmark Saturday that few of his countrymen have reached.With a 1-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Flyers, the Columbus Blue Jackets netminder became just the fourth Russian goalie in NHL history to post a 40-win season.Evgeni Nabokov, Ilya Bryzgalov, and Semyon Varlamov are the only others to achieve the feat, with Nabokov having done so three times.The most wins by a Russian goalie in a single season is 46, by Nabokov, which he accomplished during the 2007-08 season as a member of the San Jose Sharks.The Blue Jackets have eight games remaining, meaning it might be tough for Bobrovsky to hit Nabokov's record, but, nevertheless, the 28-year-old has certainly had one heck of a campaign.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames dipped into the collegiate pool for some defensive depth.Ohio State blue-liner Josh Healey signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the club, the Flames announced Saturday.Healey recorded 25 points in 35 games in his senior season with the Buckeyes, who were eliminated by Minnesota-Duluth in the opening round of the NCAA tournament in overtime Friday night.The 22-year-old will finish out the campaign with the Flames' AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat, and his two-year deal will begin next season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks made Brock Boeser's NHL debut a family affair Saturday afternoon.The club invited the new signee's parents into the dressing room to reveal the starting lineup for the Canucks' game against the Minnesota Wild, according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.Related: UND's Boeser signs with Canucks, makes NHL debutBoeser's father, Duke, lives with Parkinson's disease.

Ryan O'Reilly isn't holding a grudge against Sidney Crosby.The Buffalo Sabres forward says there are no hard feelings after the Pittsburgh Penguins star speared him in his nether regions early in Tuesday's game."It happens," O'Reilly told reporters Saturday, via TSN. "I didn't expect it and he apologized after the play and it was understood. (The spear) threw me off. I wasn't expecting anything and then something (happened), but he's a good guy. He's just playing hard and he takes a beating every night, too, so it happens."Crosby wasn't penalized for the incident, and later claimed he simply misfired."(Later) as we were skating down the ice, he says, 'Sorry about that, I was going for your stick,'" O'Reilly said. "Would have been nice to get a (power play), but it happens."Crosby also escaped discipline two nights later when his slash on Marc Methot shattered the Ottawa Senators defenseman's finger, an act the Penguins' captain also attributed to an attempted stick slash gone wrong.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A difficult season for Patrick Sharp is mercifully over.The Dallas Stars forward will have hip surgery Tuesday that will end his 2016-17 campaign, the club announced Saturday.Sharp's ailment prevented him from being dealt before the trade deadline, and that issue - plus a pair of concussions - limited him to only 48 games this season.On a more positive note, the Dallas chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association nominated Sharp as its candidate for the Bill Masterton Trophy on Saturday.It's awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.Sharp will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The three-time Stanley Cup champion turned 35 in December.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Now is not the time for the San Jose Sharks to be mired in their worst losing streak of the season.The lowly Dallas Stars crushed San Jose 6-1 on Friday night, handing the Sharks their fifth consecutive defeat and allowing the surging Anaheim Ducks to draw even with San Jose atop the Pacific Division with 91 points.While the Sharks still lead the division courtesy of their three-game advantage in the regulation-or-overtime wins column, their downward spiral leaves them with only eight remaining regular-season contests to right the ship.It also comes as the Ducks - who've won the last four Pacific Division titles - have reeled off three straight victories, including Friday's win over the Winnipeg Jets. Anaheim has prevailed in five of its last six and seven of its last nine games.The Sharks obviously don't want to stumble into the playoffs like this, but it seemed like they might do just the opposite before the losing streak began on March 16.Prior to this rough patch, San Jose won seven of nine, scoring 28 goals and allowing only 15 (less than two per game) in that span. In the five losses since then, they've scored only five goals.While they drove possession during the previous run of success, the Sharks' even-strength Corsi For percentage during their losing skid has actually been better.Dates5-on-5 CF%Feb. 25 - Mar 1451.05Mar 16 - 2453.20(Courtesy: Corsica Hockey)So, shot attempts and puck possession aren't the issues. Clearly, the problem has simply been the inability to bury their chances, and the fact that beyond two inexcusable losses to the Stars, this five-game set has also matched them up against the St. Louis Blues, the Ducks, and the Minnesota Wild.Can't blame the schedule, though, and it doesn't get any easier over the rest of the month:DateOpponent3/25@NSH3/28NYR3/30@EDM3/31@CGYOn Friday afternoon, Ducks forward Corey Perry talked about the timing of streaks and skids over the course of an 82-game season, and his comments are even more relevant after the evening's results.“You peak at the wrong time, you’re in trouble,” Perry told Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register. “You want to start peaking at the right time at the end of the year. Of course you want to play consistent(ly) and avoid big roller coasters all season long."The Sharks and Ducks have been moving in opposite directions lately, and it's Anaheim that appears to be peaking at the right time while San Jose has allowed both the Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers to threaten their lead atop the division.The pressure's now squarely on the Sharks to turn things around quickly if they hope to head into the playoffs on a high note and return to the Stanley Cup Final this spring.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.