The Boston Bruins will head into an important game against the New York Islanders without Tuukka Rask on Saturday night.The Bruins' No. 1 netminder will miss the contest with what's only being referred to as a "lower-body" ailment, the club announced.Anton Khudobin will start in place of Rask, who's considered day to day, and Boston recalled goaltender Zane McIntyre from the AHL on an emergency basis earlier Saturday.The Islanders are sitting in the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot with a game in hand on the Bruins. Both clubs have 82 points.Rask allowed five goals on 28 shots in a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brock Boeser is making his NHL debut in his home state.The Vancouver Canucks signed the 20-year-old forward to an entry-level contract and announced the Burnsville, Minn., native is playing against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Saturday afternoon.

Add an NHL head coach to the list of people siding with the U.S. women's national hockey team in its ongoing wage battle.Philadelphia Flyers bench boss Dave Hakstol tweeted his support for the squad Saturday morning.

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, March 25 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

While the U.S. women's national team speaks out in its wage dispute with USA Hockey, the governing body's backup plan isn't being well received.No one invited to replace the boycotting women has publicly declared a desire to take their place.Many NCAA players tweeted the same statement and hashtag Friday, making their stance clear.

While Buffalo and Toronto are geographically separated by just a 100-mile stretch of highway, the gap is a lot bigger in the hockey world.Sure, both teams have struggled in seasons past, looking to use their down years to restock their prospect pools so each can re-establish themselves as beasts in the east, but the fact is one team has done a much better job of this than the other.As it stands, the Maple Leafs are better positioned both now and for the future, and that's because when it has come to retooling the last couple years, Toronto has done it better.Sabres got ahead of themselves(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)The biggest flaw in the Sabres' rebuild has been the fact that the team got ahead of itself when it "earned" the right to draft Jack Eichel.Though the team did all it could to tank for Connor McDavid in the 2015 draft, the hockey gods can be cruel. The lottery instead fell in Edmonton's favor, and the team had to settle for Eichel, who's certainly one hell of a consolation prize.The team's problems started here.After plucking Eichel, the team felt like it was set, subsequently acquiring Ryan O'Reilly and Jamie McGinn for two former first-round picks in Nikia Zadorov and Mikhail Grigorenko, NCAA standout J.T. Compher, and the No. 31 pick in the 2015 draft.It was a large chunk of their prospect pool gone for two players - one who was then traded last season in McGinn. O'Reilly has been great with the Sabres - there's no denying that - but the team gave up a lot to get him, including a ton of youth that could have been better off developing in the team's system.Maple Leafs have rid themselves of worst contracts(Photo courtesy: USA Today Sports)While the Maple Leafs have been praised for the youngsters they've drafted the last three seasons, those selections wouldn't have been possible had the team not made the decision to rid itself of its biggest and most damaging contracts.Starting two years ago, the team was able to deal Phil Kessel and the remaining seven years of his eight-year, $64-million contract to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Next - toward the conclusion of last season - they dumped Dion Phaneuf and the six years and $42 million remaining on his contract.Then, this past offseason, the team was able to upgrade in goal by dealing Jonathan Bernier and his remaining $4.15 million and bringing in Frederik Andersen.As for the Sabres, they've since inked O'Reilly to a seven-year, $52.5-million deal - though his value can be argued. However, that can't be said for everyone.Player Years Remaining $ RemainingEvander Kane1$5.25MTyler Ennis2$9.2MMatt Moulson2$10MZach Bogosian3$15.43MThe four gentlemen are responsible for a total of $40 million in cap space over the next three years. Evander Kane is having a decent campaign with the Sabres and Kyle Okposo - who carries a $6-million cap hit for the next six years - can receive passes, but the same can't be said for the remaining three players.In all, the Sabres have a handful of contracts with players whose values have dropped significantly. If they could deal or buy out a couple of these contracts they could either acquire young talent or use the money to better restock their roster.Sabres' prospect pool doesn't touch Maple Leafs'(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)Of course, where the biggest line can be draw between these two clubs is in regards to the talent of their respective top prospects.Dating back to the 2014-15 season - when it can be argued both teams started their transition into rebuilding - the Maple Leafs have gotten the best out of their rookies, and for that appear better equipped for long-term success.RankPlayerTeamYearPoints/ Points Projected This Season1Auston MatthewsMaple Leafs2017672Mitch MarnerMaple Leafs2017643William NylanderMaple Leafs2017634Jack EichelSabres2016565Sam ReinhartSabres201642*The following three would be Connor Brown, Nikita Zaitsev, and Zach Hyman of the Maple LeafsOf course, it goes without saying that the Sabres' first-round pick in last year's draft - Alexander Nylander - continues to ferment in the American Hockey League, currently with nine goals and 26 points in 58 games for the Rochester Americans, while Rasmus Ristolainen is quietly proving he could be in the running for a Norris Trophy in a few years' time.All this is to say the Sabres' rebuild has been far from a failure, but in comparison to their inter-division rivals up north, they're a step behind.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nine-year-old Caiden Chambers was hoping to come away from his first NHL game with a puck, but got something even better: an invite onto the Carolina Hurricanes' bus.Caiden, his father Curtis Chambers, and grandfather Dave Lawrence drove 12 hours from Nova Scotia to Montreal on Thursday to watch the Hurricanes play the Canadiens, according to Pat Pickens of NHL.com. Curtis is a Canadiens fan, and Caiden was too until he started playing for the Atom "C" Hurricanes in the fall.

Jonas Gustavsson, goal scorer.The veteran netminder got credit for a shorthanded marker late in Friday night's game between his Bakersfield Condors - the Edmonton Oilers' AHL affiliate - and the San Diego Gulls, a farm club of the Anaheim Ducks.Gustavsson was the last Condor to touch the puck when, with about three minutes left and the Gulls' net empty in the midst of a Bakersfield blowout, San Diego forward Corey Tropp uncorked an errant pass with his team on the power play, and the rest was history.The 32-year-old became only the 12th goaltender to be credited with a goal in the 81-year history of the AHL,

A few months out from the three-year anniversary of the 2014 NHL draft, it's one worth looking back on.While the top four selections have already played over 150 NHL games, it's clear some highly questionable decisions were made among the first 16 picks, and that some teams would love a mulligan.Here's a look at how the lottery portion of the draft played out in reality:DraftedTeamPlayerGPPoints Per Game1PanthersD Aaron Ekblad2270.422SabresF Sam Reinhart1600.543OilersF Leon Draisaitl1830.704FlamesF Sam Bennett1510.405IslandersF Michael Dal Colle0N/A6CanucksF Jake Virtanen650.227HurricanesD Haydn Fleury0N/A8Maple LeafsF William Nylander940.739JetsF Nikolaj Ehlers1460.6610DucksF Nick Ritchie1020.2711PredatorsF Kevin Fiala510.2712CoyotesF Brendan Perlini490.3913CapitalsF Jakub Vrana210.2914StarsD Julius Honka100.40The draft, of course, is an inexact science. These guys are kids, after all. There were, however, some notables that went later in the first and in later rounds:Drafted Team Player GP Points Per Game15Red WingsF Dylan Larkin1500.4821BluesF Robby Fabbri1230.5425BruinsF David Pastrnak1640.7179LightningF Brayden Point590.53112PredatorsF Viktor Arvidsson1330.52Some takeaways:

Adam Cracknell has Aaron Dell's failed breakout pass to thank for his first career hat trick.The Dallas Stars forward hit the milestone early in the third period after Dell - with his club on the power play - fanned on a pass, allowing Cracknell to walk in on a breakaway and snap his third goal of the game glove side.The trio of goals gave Cracknell 10 on the year, marking the first time in his career the 31-year-old hit double digits.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

PITTSBURGH - John Tavares and Anthony Beauvillier scored in the shootout to lead the New York Islanders over the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Friday night.Beauvillier opened the shootout with a goal, and Tavares snapped a wrist shot past Marc-Andre Fleury in the next round. Sidney Crosby scored in the shootout for Pittsburgh, but Jaroslav Halak, making his first start since Dec. 29, stopped Phil Kessel and Nick Bonino.Anders Lee scored his 28th goal of the season, while Brock Nelson got his 17th, and Casey Cizikas his eighth for the Islanders, who moved into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. New York is tied with Boston at 82 points, but the Islanders have a game in hand on the Bruins. The Islanders have 18 wins in 31 games since Doug Weight was named interim coach on Jan. 17, replacing Jack Capuano.Halak, a former All-Star, made 37 saves. He got the nod one day after he was recalled from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. Halak, who has seven wins in 20 games, allowed four goals on 24 shots during a loss at Minnesota in his most recent start.Crosby extended his NHL lead with his 42nd goal. He is five points behind Edmonton forward Connor McDavid for the NHL scoring lead. Cameron Gaunce scored his first with the Penguins and second of his career. Matt Cullen also scored his 11th for the Penguins, who missed out on an opportunity to pull even with the Washington Capitals atop the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh, with eight wins in its last 12 games, is one point behind the Capitals and two ahead of Columbus for third place. Fleury made 43 saves.Cullen tied the game with 6:10 to play. He converted the rebound past Halak after Gaunce's drive to the net.The Penguins have remained in contention despite playing without a host of regular contributors.Former NHL MVP Evgeni Malkin missed his fifth straight game with an upper-body injury, but forward Bryan Rust, who was also out with an upper-body injury, returned on Friday after missing 20 games.Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said Malkin is making progress, in addition to other injured regulars who are also skating. The list includes Kris Letang (upper body), Trevor Daley (knee), Olli Maatta (hand) and Ron Hainsey (upper body). Maatta has missed 17 games, while Letang and Daley have both been sidelined 14 games.The Islanders hit three posts in the first period and had a goal waived off as time expired.Nelson scored for the Islanders, but the goal was disallowed following Pittsburgh's challenge for goaltender interference.Nelson scored again in the second period and this one counted. Nelson tied the game after Gaunce opened the scoring early in the period for Pittsburgh.Lee gave the Islanders the lead later in the period, a goal that was upheld after Pittsburgh challenged for offsides. Tavares recorded his 300th NHL assist and Josh Bailey his 300th point on the goal.Crosby's goal tied it, but Cizikas gave the Islanders the lead, scoring with 4.5 seconds left in the second period. Tavares stripped Chad Ruhwedel of the puck in the defensive zone and set up Cizikas for the goal.NOTES: Penguins F Nick Bonino played in his 400th NHL game. ... Islanders F Ryan Strome is out three to six weeks with an upper-body injury. Strome, who left Wednesday's win against the New York Rangers, has 13 goals and 30 points in 69 games. ... Islanders D Johnny Boychuk missed his 10th straight game with a lower-body injury.UP NEXTIslanders: Host Boston on Saturday.Penguins: Welcome Philadelphia on Sunday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHLPA has thrown its support behind the U.S. women's national team and its ongoing labor dispute with USA Hockey, releasing this statement Friday:

Sidney Crosby's agent, Pat Brisson, didn't take kindly to comments made by Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk regarding Crosby's slash on Marc Methot.Melnyk called Crosby a "whiner beyond belief," insisting he should be suspended the rest of the season for his slash during Thursday night's game that left Mehot with a shattered finger.Related: Crosby hacks off portion of Methot's fingerIn response, Brisson suggested Melnyk and any other team owner should be fined for speaking ill of an opposing team's players."In my opinion, a team owner who makes a negative comment about a player outside of his organization should be fined for such action," Brisson said, according to TSN's Darren Dreger. "It's worse than tampering and against the culture of our game."Following Thursday's game, Crosby insisted he was trying to slash Methot's stick on the play, and NHL deputy commissioner told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun that he wouldn't be suspended.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The slash heard 'round the hockey world continues to make headlines.And, unsurprisingly, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan is standing by his guy, his captain, his best player, Sidney Crosby, after No. 87 knocked Ottawa defenseman Marc Methot out of the Senators' lineup for the foreseeable future thanks to a wicked slash that cost Methot part of his finger."I see Sid go through that on a nightly basis, he plays through it," Sullivan said Friday evening, according to the Penguins' website.NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said earlier Friday that Crosby won't be disciplined, a decision that obviously doesn't sit well with some people - especially Senators owner Eugene Melnyk."We all know who he is, and the guy's just a whiner beyond belief and (if) you do this kind of stuff, I don't care who you are in the league, I don't care if you're the No. 1 player in the league," Melnyk said, not holding anything back. "You should sit out a long time for this kind of crap."As one of the top players in the league, Crosby's always got a target on his back, and he certainly takes his fair share of abuse. He took a high stick Tuesday night in Buffalo and lost a couple of teeth, but that's a far cry from what happened to Methot, as the Senators now face a future without a defenseman who plays almost 20 minutes a night.In other words, get used to conversations about preferential treatment for superstars. They're not going anywhere.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk may not have learned his lesson after serving a two-game suspension.The 19-year-old will return to the lineup Saturday when his Flames tangle with the St. Louis Blues after sitting two games for elbowing Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, and the rookie admits the discipline won't impact the way he plays."I'm not changing my game at all," Tkachuk said.To be fair, that might not be a bad idea.Tkachuk has proven his value as he sits sixth in rookie scoring with 46 points in 68 games and leads all first-year players - and the Flames - with 96 penalty minutes.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.From fifth-last pick to an NHL contract. Not bad.The Montreal Canadiens announced the signing of forward Jeremiah Addison to a three-year, entry-level contract Friday.Addison, 20, was the 207th player selected out of 211 in 2015. From Brampton, Ontario, the left-shooting winger stands 6-feet tall and weighs 190 pounds.This season, Addison has 24 goals and 19 assists in 51 games in the OHL. His best junior season came in 2015-16, when he had 27 goals and 29 assists in 66 games. He suited up in four games for Montreal's AHL affiliate last season, as well, recording an assist in four games.Addison has some offense in his stick and plays a rough game. He ranks second on his Windsor team this season with 62 penalty minutes.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.

The NHL's Players' Association has been pondering the institution of a ban that would prevent certain agents from reaching out to under-16 players and their families.NHLPA spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon confirmed by email to TSN's Rick Westhead that the potential regulation would affect certified agents, and that the union has been discussing it for the past year."There is a lot to consider,” Weatherdon wrote. “If we put a rule like this in place, it is a very big undertaking with certified agents and prospects all over the entire world. How would we go about ‘policing’ it and at what cost? So the age limit matter is getting discussed, but a decision isn’t imminent.”The conversation might be preliminary, but the spokesman said multiple staff members within the NHLPA are involved in the discussion, and the rule is being considered because there is "concern that increasingly young players are being recruited and signed by agents."A pair of active NHL player agents told Westhead that some agencies hire so-called "bird-dog scouts," often former players who aren't certified, to develop ties with players as young as nine years old.The discussion will continue when meetings between the NHLPA and its agents begin later this month.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It’s the end of an era in Detroit, and Red Wings fans will be paying up as they bid farewell to Joe Louis Arena.The beloved venue, which has hosted Red Wings home games since 1979, welcomes six more games through April 9. Over that time, Red Wings tickets won't be cheap on the resale market.On TicketIQ, the average resale price for Red Wings tickets over those six games is $369. This is more than twice the team’s season average of $154. Take a look at where each game stacks up in terms of pricing below.Fans looking for the cheapest Red Wings tickets can find them for Friday night’s contest against the Lightning. Also featuring a Wall Mural Magnet giveaway for the first 7,500 fans 21 and older, the game currently owns a $134 average and $89 get-in price. Additional savings can be found on the TicketIQ app.Conversely, the final home game against the Devils on April 9 is the most expensive remaining game. All fans in attendance will receive a Farewell to the Joe Mini Stick. Tickets are posting a $591 average, making it the most expensive regular-season Red Wings game TicketIQ has ever tracked. Tickets start from $272 each.With the team’s historic 25-year playoff streak coming to an end, the franchise will call Little Caesars Arena home beginning next season. The 20,000 capacity venue will also host Pistons games starting during the 2017-18 NBA season.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.

The Calgary Flames have signed forward Dillon Dube to a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced Friday.The 18-year-old was a second-round selection of the Flames last season after collecting 26 goals and 66 points in 65 games.This season, Dube has produced at a more consistent clip despite a more limited schedule, chipping in 20 goals and 55 points in 40 games.Dube was also fortunate enough to capture a silver medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship this past January.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner feels the NHL went overboard with its ruling on Rasmus Ristolainen.The young defenseman was suspended three games for interference on Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Jake Guentzel, a sentence Lehner doesn't believe would have been handed down if the Sabres were on the wrong end of the hit."Certain teams in this league get the benefit of the doubt," Lehner said Friday, according to Matt Bove of WKBW. "If the jerseys were reversed, I don't think we're standing here talking about three games."It's been an interesting week for the Penguins, as Sidney Crosby was also called out by Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk for an unpenalized slash that shattered Marc Methot's finger.After serving the suspension, Ristolainen will be eligible to return for the final five games of the season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jarome Iginla has only appeared in 10 games for the Los Angeles Kings since a trade deadline deal, but it's from whence he came that earned him the team's Masterton Trophy nomination.The Masterton Trophy is awarded by the Professional Hockey Writers Association to a player who exhibits qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication during the regular season. For those on the Kings' beat, Iginla spending most of the year in the league's basement warranted some recognition.From the Los Angeles branch of the PWHA:

The U.S. women's national hockey team has a powerful new ally.Enter the Major League Baseball Players Association, which threw its support behind the boycotting female players' cause and issued a call to action Friday.

The Anaheim Ducks couldn't apparently care less about winning their fifth consecutive division title.“It doesn’t matter,” veteran winger Corey Perry told Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register.“It hasn’t mattered the last four years. Whatever happens, happens. There hasn’t been any talk in here. You could probably ask guys where we are right now and a lot of them would say we’re in a playoff spot. But it switches every single night. You just go out and you play. Let the chips fall where they fall.”Despite their regular-season dominance since 2013, the Ducks have only a single conference final appearance to show for it, and they've been eliminated in the first round in two of the last four postseasons.“I think right now we’re just worried about playing good hockey,” said center Nate Thompson. “Wherever we end up in the standings, it is what it is. The biggest thing is just playing well and making the playoffs and making sure our game is strong.”Anaheim has won six of its last eight contests, while the first-place San Jose Sharks have won only four of their last 10.“You peak at the wrong time, you’re in trouble,” Perry said. “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. You want to have a continuous straight line going up.“But sometimes things happen and it goes down. At the same time, it’s a process. That’s all we’re looking at.”The Ducks sit in second place in the Pacific, two points behind the Sharks with nine games remaining. The Edmonton Oilers have equaled Anaheim's 89 points in the standings, but the Ducks have a game in hand.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ben Bishop earned his first win as a member of the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, but that it took five starts over almost a month for him to do so highlights the fact goaltending was never really the problem to begin with.The Kings exploded for five goals in the win over Winnipeg, a level of production that's been the exception rather than the norm this season. The five-goal outburst was actually more than double their normal output, as the Kings rank 25th in the NHL with a goals per game average of 2.44.Remarkably, the situation had been even worse lately. In the 10 previous games since the acquisition of Bishop days prior to the trade deadline, Los Angeles had scored a grand total of 20 goals, good for 29th among all teams from Feb. 28 - March 23.The Kings added veteran winger Jarome Iginla in an attempt to spark the offense, but he's managed only three goals in 10 games and clearly isn't the prolific scorer he once was.Bishop was brought in to provide insurance for Jonathan Quick, who had just returned from injury. Quick has gone 5-3-1 with a save percentage of .922 since his return, proving he's still quite good. His workload is smaller thanks to Bishop, but Peter Budaj had held down the starter spot pretty well in his absence.Nevertheless, the Kings will finish the season with an impressive duo in net, but a season-long inability to score will be what keeps them out of the playoffs, not a lack of goaltending.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cam Talbot is being overworked, and what happened Thursday night should be a lesson for Todd McLellan.The Edmonton Oilers head coach made the head-scratching decision to start his No. 1 netminder in the second game of a back-to-back against the NHL's worst team, the Colorado Avalanche, and it wasn't a surprise the move backfired.Talbot was pulled prematurely for the second straight game, allowing four goals on 15 shots before the Oilers rallied for a come-from-behind win after backup goalie Laurent Brossoit came on in relief.The comeback may not have been directly related to Brossoit's play, given the Oilers scored five goals in the third period, but it might not have even been necessary if McLellan had simply rested Talbot instead of plugging him as the starter for the 14th consecutive time.Talbot has started a league-high 67 games, appearing in seven more than the next closest goaltenders, Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild and Frederik Andersen of the Toronto Maple Leafs.His numbers have been respectable (37-21-8, 2.40 GAA, .920 save percentage), but he's showing signs of wearing down, allowing eight goals on 33 shots in his last two abbreviated appearances combined.Brossoit didn't give up a goal in either of his relief appearances this week, but those opportunities have been few and far between all season. The 24-year-old has played only six games and started only two in 2016-17. Before the two back-to-back relief stints, his previous appearance came more than a month earlier, on Feb. 21 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.After the trade deadline passed, Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli said the club decided to go with the goalies they have because they were confident in Brossoit's development, but the backup hasn't been given the chance to do much developing from the bench.If there were a perfect time to rest Talbot and give Brossoit a start, it was Thursday night's game. Talbot struggled against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, and the following night's matchup with the league-worst Avalanche presented a prime opportunity to give Talbot a much-needed breather.The Oilers can't do anything about the past, but what can they do in the season's final drive? Here's what their schedule looks like before the playoffs begin:Date Opponent3/25COL3/28LAK3/30SJ4/1ANA4/4@LAK4/6@SJ4/8@VAN4/9VANFive of Edmonton's final eight games come against key divisional rivals, and the third-place Oilers still have their sights set on the top spot in the Pacific, sitting only two points out of first.The heavy divisional slate late in the season only further emphasizes the need to sit Talbot beforehand. Saturday's rematch with Colorado provides one of McLellan's last chances to do so, and he surely wants Talbot to be fully energized for the club's most critical contests.The coach can't afford to wait until the away/home back-to-back against the Vancouver Canucks at regular season's end to get Brossoit another start. It should have happened sooner, and if the Oilers care about Talbot's energy level in the playoffs, it has to happen Saturday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Western Hockey League playoffs are set to begin with the expected first overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft sidelined due to injury.Center Nolan Patrick will miss at least the opening game of the postseason for the Brandon Wheat Kings after being listed as day to day with a lower-body injury, according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com.Patrick missed 25 games earlier this season with an upper-body injury and recorded 16 goals and 22 assists in 28 appearances following his return to the lineup.In 2016, Nolan was named WHL playoff MVP and led the club to a league championship.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One of the NHL's most vocal owners is going after arguably the league's best player.Ottawa Senators chairman Eugene Melnyk took aim at Sidney Crosby during a radio interview Friday, on the morning after the Pittsburgh Penguins captain shattered Marc Methot's finger, forcing the Senators defenseman out for weeks.Related: Crosby hacks off portion of Methot's finger"You do anything that's almost a certain injury, and I think the only way to (discipline them) is you wipe the guy off the map for not one or two games ...(but) 10," Melnyk told TSN 1200. "How about a season(-long suspension) for a few of these guys?"The Senators owner didn't backpedal from his plea for a heavy punishment."He takes my guy, I take your guy. That's my attitude," Melnyk said. "The guy that creates the injury should be sitting out ... for the rest of the season."He wasn't done there."So that's the only way to do it. You hammer these guys. You take away their money because they all understand money," Melnyk said. "You simply say, 'You know what, you're done for 10 games and guess what, you guys are not going to get even close to the Stanley Cup if it's an elite player on the other side. There's no room for it in the NHL."After speaking in general terms about star players (but clearly motivated by the Crosby incident), the Senators owner took a specific shot at the two-time Hart Trophy winner."We all know who he is, and the guy's just a whiner beyond belief and (if) you do this kind of stuff, I don't care who you are in the league, I don't care if you're the No. 1 player in the league. You should sit out a long time for this kind of crap."Related - Crosby on Methot's injury: I was trying to get his stickMelnyk said he believed the Senators' case was being made to the NHL on Friday morning, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun that the league isn't looking into the matter.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan Smyth doesn't seem satisfied with the 16-game suspension levied for a blindside hit that knocked him out during a recent Alberta senior hockey league playoff game.The former NHLer was unsuspectingly leveled by opposition forward Kyle Sheen while playing for the Stony Plain Eagles, and suffered a concussion while his teeth were pushed back and his lip was separated in three places.Smyth, who retired from the NHL in 2014, told Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal he's been hit that hard only once before, suffering a concussion and a separated shoulder on a check by Jack Johnson when he was a member of the Colorado Avalanche in 2008.Smyth referred to the latest hit as a cheap shot, and would have liked to see Sheen get a stiffer sentence."Looking at it, it probably could have been more," he said. "It’s just not right. You go out to try to enjoy the game. There is a Cup involved (the Allan Cup, awarded to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions) but you play within the boundaries."Smyth added he received a text but no formal apology from Sheen, and is uncertain whether he can return to competitive hockey this spring, or even at all, taking into account his long-term health, his family, and the fact he's no longer playing for an NHL franchise.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite cries from Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, the NHL will not be taking another look at Sidney Crosby's injurious slash on Marc Methot.Melnyk appeared on TSN 1200 on Friday and said he was sure the incident would be taken up with the league, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.Not so, countered the powers that be.

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 24 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

A picture can say a thousand words, but sometimes, it only needs to say one.Every member of the U.S. women's national hockey team shared pictures of themselves holding single-word messages Friday in a statement of solidarity as their battle with USA Hockey continues.

Tampa Bay could really use its captain right about now.Instead, Steven Stamkos remains sidelined with a knee injury suffered in November while the Lightning's playoff hopes are sinking."I hope I'm on the right path. But time is kind of running out," he conceded, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "I hope there's enough time I can help out or we can get back in the mix and get in the playoffs, and (I) hope to be ready then. I'll continue to take it day by day."Stamkos has been able to resume practicing with the club, but won't return to game action until his knee is not only deemed 100 percent healthy by team doctors, but also until he's comfortable with how it feels.The nature of the injury makes it hard to assess when exactly he'll be in game shape, and the uncertainty - exacerbated by injuries suffered by other key teammates - leaves Stamkos with a feeling of helplessness."It's been a frustrating season. Obviously, the expectations of ourselves, just in this (locker) room, never mind what the media had to say about us before the year. A lot of them picked us to go deep. We felt like we were capable."Tampa Bay sits three points behind Boston in the race for the second wild-card spot with nine games remaining on its schedule.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With another wildly entertaining NHL season set to wrap in a little over two weeks - the production quality's been great, there's been tons of drama - we're using this week's roundtable to predict what some of the standings will look like when each team's played 82 games.Sens will steal Atlantic from HabsNavin Vaswani: I'll be honest: I've been doubting the Ottawa Senators all season long. So it's time to right some wrongs. Or at least try to.Sure, Guy Boucher's team squandered a golden opportunity last weekend, earning only one of four points against the Montreal Canadiens in a crucial home-and-home set, and, sure, Ottawa's got a far tougher schedule the rest of the way, but the Sens have been surprising all season. What's another couple of weeks? It would be a hell of a plot twist.TeamGames LeftVS. Playoff TeamsHomeRoadCanadiens8144Senators9427That one game the Canadiens have left against a playoff opponent? It's Ottawa. Again. Saturday, in Montreal.After play Thursday, the Sens are a single point back of the Habs with a game in hand. Easy enough, right? But Saturday's game in Montreal is the first of a five-game road trip for Ottawa, ending April 3.In other words: It won't be easy, but the Sens are about to pull off a bloody miracle, led by captain Erik Karlsson, who in the process will put the finishing touches on his Norris Trophy-winning season.Sharks will take Pacific crownCraig Hagerman: It's going to be a tight one down the stretch, but the San Jose Sharks will prevail as winners of the Pacific Division.Sure, things aren't looking too good for the club - San Jose has dropped its last four games in regulation - but the Sharks will bounce back.The team hadn't dropped four straight in regulation until its recent downturn, but during a stretch between Feb. 4 and Feb. 11, the club lost four in a row, three in extra time. After that stretch, the Sharks went on a tear, going 4-0-2 in their next six games.It should also be noted that Brent Burns - who leads the club in scoring - has not picked up a single point in his last seven games, despite averaging four shots per game during. He's bound to break out.Factor in the club's two-point divisional lead and the fact San Jose will play the Canucks twice down the stretch - a club the Sharks have gone 3-0-0 against this season - and it's clear that if the Sharks can just get back to what they were doing, they should come away with their first division title since 2011.Leafs, Bruins going back to the danceCory Wilkins: Get ready to welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins back to the postseason, who last made the dance in 2013 and 2014, respectively, and will do so this year ahead of Carolina, Tampa Bay, and the New York Islanders.After finishing 30th a year ago, Toronto has been a more consistent club this season, losing three straight games in regulation just once. Led by a host of rookie talent, the Maple Leafs are on pace for a 95-point finish, their best mark since 2004.Following a Feb. 7 coaching change, Boston has reeled off 12 wins in 18 games under Bruce Cassidy, who has tapped into the team's key players to reset the Bruins' season.A similar occurrence happened in Brooklyn under coach Doug Weight. But after posting a 13-5-2 record in their first 20 under the new bench boss, New York has stumbled through the wrong stretch of the season, going 5-for-11 in March.The Lightning looked to be making a late surge, but key injuries and crucial losses in winnable games hampered the team's effort. The same can be said in Carolina, where the Hurricanes have had an impressive showing in March, but it won't be enough to make up for inconsistent play early on.Presidents' Trophy staying in D.C.Justin Cuthbert: The three teams racing for the Metropolitan crown and home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs don't need to be reminded what's at stake over the final two weeks and change. In this imperfect seeding system, the paper-thin margin that will separate first and second in the league's top division will be the difference between drawing a title contender and a hanger-on in Round 1.But while all three teams recognize the importance of a first-place finish, the significance to each may vary. Perhaps it's water off the back of the defending champion Penguins, and the pressure to win a championship can't yet be inordinate for the upstart Blue Jackets. But for the Capitals, who have come up agonizingly short so many times over the last decade, and who will unquestionably bleed away talent this summer, squandering this chance would be devastating.With that in mind, and in addition to perhaps a slightly more favorable schedule, the Capitals secure a second consecutive Presidents' Trophy, avoiding a rotten opening-round draw.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators will face off in a pair of regular-season games in Stockholm, Sweden as part of the 2017 SAP NHL Global Series, the league announced Friday.The games will be play played at the Ericsson Globe on Friday, Nov. 10, and Saturday, Nov. 11."We have more Swedish players than ever in the NHL, and we are extremely pleased that the 2017 SAP NHL Global Series will allow us to showcase a number of those players, with their NHL teams, in their homeland," said commissioner Gary Bettman. "The return of regular-season NHL games to the international stage will provide yet another highlight for our Centennial celebration."Both team captains - Erik Karlsson and Gabriel Landeskog - hail from Sweden, and it will be extra special for the latter, a Stockholm native."It's really exciting," Landeskog said. "Who thought they would have been able to play NHL games in your hometown. It'll be surreal to do that. Stockholm is such a great hockey town and a great city overall. I'll be really excited to show the boys around and show the team staff around the city."The games will mark the first to be played outside North America since 2011, when four teams opened their regular seasons in various rinks around Europe.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sidney Crosby didn't have much to say about a slash that shattered Marc Methot's finger and will keep the Ottawa defenseman off the ice for weeks.The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar explained what happened after the eventual shootout loss to the Senators Thursday, saying he's been on the other end, albeit not quite as gruesomely.Related: Crosby hacks off portion of Methot's finger"I'm just trying to get his stick and I think I caught his finger judging by his reaction and (the Senators') reaction," he told reporters after the game. "I've gotten those before, they don't feel good."No penalty was called on the play, and no supplementary discipline is expected.

Much ado about nothing.That's what hockey legend and Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux believes is being made of New York Islanders rookie forward Josh Ho-Sang donning his iconic No. 66 on the back of his jersey."I'm fine with it," Lemieux said Thursday through a Penguins spokesperson, according to Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It's just a number. No. 4 and No. 9 were worn by great players (Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe, respectively), and they are not retired forever. Players can choose whatever number they want."Ho-Sang, for the record, has said he wears 66 to honor Lemieux, and he's free to do so as the number, unlike Wayne Gretzky's 99, hasn't been retired across the NHL.Many have and continue to wear Howe and Orr's numbers, and therefore Lemieux's is fair game as well, although only one player (T.J. Brodie of the Calgary Flames in 2011) had chosen it prior to Ho-Sang since the Penguins great retired in 2006.The Islanders visit Pittsburgh on Friday, where No. 66 will take to the ice once again, and with no offense taken by Lemieux.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

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.Flip a coin.The Boston Bruins' shot at the postseason fell to nearly even odds following a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.With the victory, the Lightning climbed to within three points of the East's second wild-card slot, held by the Bruins, while Tampa Bay also holds a game in hand.The Western Conference didn't see as much movement. A 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames pushed the Nashville Predators closer to a playoff lock. Nashville has nine games remaining on the season and is back in action Saturday against the San Jose Sharks.Here are the notable swings following Thursday's busy schedule:Eastern ConferenceTeamResultPlayoff ChancesChangeLightningW 6-3 vs. Bruins13.9%+6.5%Maple LeafsW 4-2 vs. Devils90.5%+5.6%HurricanesW 4-1 vs. Canadiens6.3%+3.5%IslandersOff38.9%+3.2%BruinsL 3-6 vs. Lightning50.4%-20.2%Western ConferenceTeamResultPlayoff ChancesChangeKingsW 5-2 vs. Jets5.1%+0.9%PredatorsW 3-1 vs. Flames98%+0.8%FlamesL 1-3 vs. Predators97.3%-1.7%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.

DENVER - Drake Caggiula and Jordan Eberle scored 1:10 apart to break a tie late in the third period, and the Edmonton Oilers rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-4 on Thursday night.Eberle scored twice in Edmonton's five-goal third period and also added an assist. Zack Kassian and Leon Draisaitl also scored in the rally that moved Edmonton into a tie with Anaheim for second in the Pacific Division with 89 points.Andrej Sekera had a goal and two assists, Milan Lucic also scored and Laurent Brossoit had five saves in relief of Cam Talbot to lead Edmonton to the win.The Oilers tied it early in the third and then scored three times in the final 2:11. Caggiula beat Jeremy Smith to give Edmonton a 5-4 lead, Eberle added to it and Draisaitl scored into an empty net in the final minute to seal it.Mikko Rantanen had two goals, J.T. Compher and Rene Bourque had a goal each and Nathan MacKinnon finished with two assists for Colorado.The Avalanche got early goals from Rantanen and Compher to take a 2-0 lead but Edmonton tied it with goals by Sekera and Lucic 57 seconds apart spanning the first and second periods.Rantanen broke the tie at 4:22 of the second with his second of the night, and Bourque's 12th of the season at 17:45 made it 4-2.Talbot gave way to Brossoit to start the third, but it was Edmonton's offense that sparked the comeback. Kassian started it when he snuck behind Smith to knock in the puck sitting in front of the empty net at 2:44 of the third.Eberle, who assisted on Lucic's goal, tied it at 4:34 with his 15th of the season.NOTES: Edmonton C Connor McDavid increased his lead in the scoring race with two assists. He has 87 points, six ahead of Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby. ... The Avalanche have been outscored 22-10 during their four-game losing streak and 28-15 in the last seven games. ... Colorado C Joe Colborne finished with two assists.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

ST. LOUIS - Magnus Paajarvi scored twice to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.Kyle Brodziak and Alex Pietrangelo also scored for the Blues who won their fourth straight to give them nine wins in their last 10. Jake Allen made 27 saves for his seventh win in eight starts while allowing just nine goals in the stretch.Henrik Sedin scored for the Canucks who have lost seven of their last eight to fall to 11-22-3 on the road. Ryan Miller stopped 30 shots.Brodziak snapped an 11 game goal scoring drought when he roofed a slap shot by Miller late in the second period for his eighth goal of the season to put the Blues up 2-1.Paajarvi added some insurance when he scored his second of the game and eighth of the season midway through the third period. That gave him the second multi-goal game of his career and first since Feb. 5, 2011, with Edmonton.Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins challenged the goal saying that the Blues were offside entering the zone but the video replay proved inconclusive.Pietrangelo capped the scoring with at 2 1/2 minutes left.Sedin opened the scoring for Vancouver when he scored his 15th of the season.Paajarvi tied the game when he pushed his own rebound past Miller.NOTES: St. Louis C Paul Stastny was scratched as he is out week-to-week with a lower body injury. ... St. Louis has now earned a point in six consecutive games against the Canucks, going 5-0-1 in that span. ... Canucks C Henrik Sedin now has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in his last 16 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

OTTAWA - Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan scored in the shootout to lift the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.Mike Hoffman scored in regulation for the Senators and Mike Condon finished with 34 saves, including two incredible point-blank stops in overtime to keep the game going.Nick Bonino had the goal in regulation for the Penguins and Matt Murray stopped 29 shots.After being outplayed for much of the first two periods, the Senators were much better in the third and tied the score 1-1 on the power play at 9:43 as Hoffman beat Murray over the shoulder with a wrist shot just 14 seconds after Matt Cullen was penalized for holding.Ottawa played the final 45 minutes without defenseman Marc Methot, who left the game with a bloodied and mangled finger on his left hand following a two-handed slash from Sidney Crosby. Crosby didn't receive a penalty on the play.Methot grabbed Crosby by the jersey after the whistle and had a few words for the Penguins' captain before leaving the ice.After being stopped on a partial break earlier in the period, Bonino opened the scoring at 9:21 of the second on the front half of a double-minor to Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf. Bonino moved in from the point and took a wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle that went bar down and in behind Condon.Zack Smith had a chance to tie it seconds later when he was sent in alone, but shot wide, narrowly missing his fifth short-handed goal of the season.The opening period, despite not having any goals, wasn't without its moments, including a huge windmill save by Murray off a shot by Ryan Dzingel seven minutes in.Hoffman had another great opportunity for the Senators but his rocket of a shot late in the period rang off the crossbar.NOTES: Jyrki Jokipakka, Fredrik Claesson, Chris DiDomenico and Mark Stone were scratches for the Senators. ... Cameron Gaunce, Tom Sestito, Jake Guentzel, Carl Hagelin, Ron Hainsey and Evgeni Malkin were the scratches for the Penguins. ... Ottawa G Craig Anderson will have to wait at least until Saturday to play in his 500th career game. ... Penguins F Oskar Sundqvist turned 23-years-old Thursday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's safe to say Mike Babcock has been doing his fair share of scoreboard watching these days.Who could blame him? The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing some inspired hockey down the stretch, and, with Thursday's win over the New Jersey Devils, now have a five-point cushion on a playoff spot.It's certainly a far cry from last season."Last year I didn't look at the standings one time and now I look at it every single day," Babcock said postgame. "Obviously, there must be a reason to look at them. We have an opportunity and we just want to keep playing."Related: Maple Leafs' Komarov: This time last year we were packing our bagsWith two straight wins and a fortunate four-game losing streak by the Boston Bruins, the Maple Leafs have now created a three-point gap on their Atlantic rivals and now sit third in the division.It's an exciting time in Leaf Land.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones joined an exclusive group after notching his 40th point of the season Thursday.Jones scored against the Washington Capitals to pick up his 11th goal, and in doing so became just the fifth defenseman in franchise history to reach the 40-point plateau.DefensemanSeasonGoalsAssistsPointsJames Wisniewski2013-1474451Zach Werenski2016-17113647Jaroslav Spacek2002-0393645Seth Jones2016-17112940Jack Johnson2014-1583240Jones' rookie teammate Zach Werenski reached the 40-point mark earlier this season after registering an assist against the Buffalo Sabres on March 10.Werenski has since climbed to 47 points on the campaign, four back of tying James Wisniewski for the most points by a defenseman in Blue Jackets' history.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marc Methot's gruesome finger injury is without a quick fix.The Ottawa Senators defender will miss weeks with a "shattered" finger suffered on a nasty slash across the hands from Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby in Thursday's shootout win, according to coach Guy Boucher.Part of Methot's finger was severed when he removed his glove to check the damage.Related: Crosby hacks off portion of Methot's fingerOttawa announced during the game that he was ineligible to return with a laceration on his left hand.The Senators pulled to within three points of the first-place Montreal Canadiens with the extra point earned versus the Penguins.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Don't count the Carolina Hurricanes out just yet.The club picked up a commanding 4-1 win Thursday over the Montreal Canadiens and in so doing kept their heads above water in the tight playoff race in the East.With the win, the Hurricanes have pushed their point streak to nine games, going 6-0-3 in that span. The club sits just one win back of the Tampa Bay Lightning, with a game in hand. More importantly, though, they have two games in hand and are just five points back of the Boston Bruins, who occupy the final wild-card spot in the East.

Nikita Kucherov took some shine away from Boston's Brad Marchand in a head-to-head matchup of Hart Trophy dark horses Thursday night.Recording his second hat trick in less month in the next most important game of the season for Tampa Bay, Kucherov cemented his place as the next trendy MVP candidate, lifting the Lightning to within three points of the Bruins for the final wild-card slot in the Eastern Conference in a 6-3 win.Kucherov now has an NHL-best 27 points over the last 15 games, contributing 16 goals and 11 assists over that span.The Bolts still have a deficit to overcome to slide into the eighth seed, but do own a game in hand on the Bruins, who are suddenly reeling after four straight losses.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

WASHINGTON - T.J. Oshie scored the shootout winner as the Washington Capitals overcame a stellar performance from Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to beat the Blue Jackets 2-1 Thursday night.Despite 44 saves from Bobrovsky, the Capitals reached 104 points and extended their lead atop the Metropolitan Division and NHL standings. Oshie engendered memories of his Sochi Olympic shootout performance by again beating Bobrovsky, the goalie he scored on four times in six chances that day.Dmitry Orlov finally cracked Bobrovsky early in the third period on Washington's 35th shot of the game. Orlov's goal tied the score after Seth Jones beat Braden Holtby on a wild scramble early in the third for his first goal since Feb. 7.Holtby had 29 saves in regulation and overtime and three more in the shootout to pick up his 38th victory of the season, one shy of Bobrovsky for the league lead.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.