Mobile app users - expand the banner below to view more on the race to the playoffs.If the NHL doesn't go to the Olympics, neither will Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson.That's the stance of team owner Eugene Melnyk, who on Friday stated the star defenseman won't have his blessing to go to Pyeongchang in the absence of NHL participation at the Winter Games."No, no, it would be no, a flat no," Melnyk told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. "I talked to (former Senators captain Daniel) Alfredsson about it and he understands the player would want to (attend), but I'm not going to risk that."Melnyk referenced former Senators goaltender Dominik Hasek, who participated in the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, only to suffer an injury and never return to the Ottawa crease."Can you imagine if (Karlsson) goes and he gets a permanent injury? You know what I'm saying? That's my view," Melnyk added.Melnyk's statement differs from at least one of his NHL brethren. Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has said he'll allow superstar Alex Ovechkin to leave the Capitals to play for Team Russia, even if the NHL opts out of Pyeongchang.As for the NHL, negotiations between the league, the IIHF, and the IOC appear to be at a stalemate. Earlier this month, commissioner Gary Bettman described the owners' position on the Olympics as "somewhere between fatigue and negativity."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.

Auston Matthews has gone seven games without collecting a point, but the Toronto Maple Leafs aren't hitting the panic button.Whether it's a case of hitting the "rookie wall," or simply a standard drought that all players go through in an 82-game season, the rookie phenom's most intimidating teammate says he isn't concerned.“Auston has been - I don’t want to say carrying us all year - but he’s scored a lot of goals for this team,” Matt Martin told The Toronto Star's Kevin McGran. “He’s got 30-plus on the season, he’s been a catalyst offensively all year."Despite the seven-game slide, Matthews still ranks eighth in the NHL and second among all rookies in goals (31).The 19-year-old is tied with teammate Mitch Marner for second in points (55) among those in the rookie class. He leads the Leafs in goals and is also tied with Marner for the club lead in points.Toronto won four of the seven games in which Matthews failed to register a point, and vaulted back into the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot with a shutout win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.Martin potted a rare goal in the victory, his fifth of the season and first since Jan. 21.“We’re getting offensive production from other guys when (Matthews isn't) scoring," Martin said. "He’s still playing well. The puck’s not going for him. We have to find ways to win. I’m confident he’ll get back on track.”Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have added a body from overseas, announcing the entry-level signing of 23-year-old forward Miro Aaltonen on Friday.Aaltonen is a former sixth-round draft selection of the Anaheim Ducks. He's spent the last six seasons playing professionally overseas, most recently leading the KHL's 24-and-under class in scoring with 19 goals and 44 points in 59 games with Chekhov Vityaz.He's 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, and TSN's Kristen Shilton describes the forward as a good puck-mover.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chris Pronger is the latest on-ice legend plotting a transition to a high-profile managerial role in the NHL.The Hall of Fame defenseman, who will continue collecting a player's salary from the Arizona Coyotes until the end of this season on top of his role with the NHL's Department of Player Safety, told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun that he wants to assume the role of a general manager down the line."I'm very interested one day in becoming a GM," Pronger said. "I have a lot to learn and need to put some work in. But down the road at some point, under the right circumstances, it's definitely something I'm interested in pursuing.''LeBrun notes Pronger has already sought the advice from former players currently climbing the corporate ladder, like Rob Blake, as well as Steve Yzerman, who the Tampa Bay Lightning hired after a mentorship program with the Detroit Red Wings.Pronger's experience with Player Safety should help him land an opportunity down the line. Brendan Shanahan became the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs after almost three years in the department.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL playoff picture may not be as tight in the West as it is in the East, but several teams find themselves in the hunt with three weeks left to play. The Predators and Blues control the wild-card seeds entering play Friday, with the Kings trailing just four points behind for the second wild-card slot.The road ahead will be difficult for the Kings, and fans will be paying up to see the team make its final push to the playoffs. On TicketIQ, Kings tickets are the most expensive among all three teams vying for a wild-card berth. With six home games remaining the team owns a $124 average. They’ll host the Blackhawks on April 8 in their most expensive remaining home game. That matchup owns a $247 average on the resale market.Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena will be the second most expensive site among all three wild-card competitors in the West. The Predators will play six more home games with hopes of staying alive in the hunt, and Predators tickets on TicketIQ average $118 over that time. They’ll host the Wild in their top game on April 1 ($160 average) and the Flames in their cheapest game on March 23 ($67 average).Blues fans will get the best bang for their buck over the six remaining games at Scottrade Center. As it stands now the average resale price for Blue tickets is just $94. Their relatively lax schedule may be causing that lack of ticket demand, however, as the Canucks, Flames, Coyotes, Jets and Avalanche will all travel to St. Louis over the next three weeks. Additional savings on tickets can be found by downloading the TicketIQ app.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Steven Stamkos participated in a full practice with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, but says he's no closer to determining when he'll return to the lineup after undergoing surgery to repair his meniscus back in November."I've gone through this stuff before," Stamkos said, according to Lightning beat writer Bryan Burns. "You start setting dates, that's when sometimes you set unrealistic goals."Stamkos said a return over the last month of the season continues to hinge on continued progression, according to Lightning Insider Erik Erlendsson.He added that the recovery from the knee injury is more challenging than the road to return from the broken tibia he suffered three years ago.Stamkos was off to a fantastic start before his injury, scoring nine goals and 20 points in 17 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alexander Radulov denies he's seeking an eight-year contract extension from the Montreal Canadiens."It's not even close, what they saying." Radulov said Friday, according to TSN's John Lu. "I don't even know how this .. I just don't want to even discuss that because it's nothing I can really control."I was sick yesterday, and I got a phone call from my agent, (who said), 'there's something going on, some people talking,' so I was like 'Who's talking? No one knows nothing about it,' so I even talked to Marc (Bergevin) today and it's like someone throw it in the Internet, or whatever it was, and it doesn't make sense."Reports surfaced this week that the dynamic 30-year-old winger's reps were indeed seeking a maximum-term deal for their client in the midst of his successful return to the NHL this season.Radulov has provided 15 goals and 32 assists in 65 games on his one-year, $5.75-million contract with Montreal.He previously spent the better part of the last eight seasons in the KHL.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Less than a month remains in the NHL's regular season, and the playoff hunt is heating up for several teams on the bubble in the East.With the Bruins owning a four-point cushion over the Maple Leafs for the first wild-card spot entering the weekend, the Leafs have little room for comfort with the Islanders and Lightning trailing just one point behind. The Flyers and Panthers remain alive at six and seven points back, respectively.For fans looking to be on hand as each team makes its case for a playoff spot, the biggest demand for tickets exists in Toronto. On TicketIQ, Maple Leafs tickets are averaging nearly $300 for remaining games at Air Canada Centre. The Leafs will play their most expensive home game against the Penguins on April 8, where tickets average $465. A March 28 game with the Panthers is the cheapest at a $220 average.The Islanders continued their see-sawing year on Thursday after dropping a pivotal game to the Jets at home. They'll play five more home games at Barclays Center this season and own the second most expensive prices among all bubble teams in the East. Islanders tickets at home currently average $102, with a March 25 game the most expensive at an average price of $135. A matchup with the Predators two days later is the cheapest remaining at a $72 average.The Bolts have had a similar year of ups and downs, watching Steven Stamkos fall victim to a long-term injury and looking like a ghost of last year’s team that reached Game 7 of the Conference Finals. They remain on the cusp of the second wild-card spot, however, and tickets at Amalie Arena are averaging $100 through the end of the season. Notable games include a March 27 matchup with the Blackhawks ($176 average) and March 19 against the Hurricanes ($62 average). Additional savings can be found on the TicketIQ app.Though on the outside looking in, the Flyers and Panthers still remain in the playoff conversation. The two teams are posting relatively cheap prices through the end of the season, with Flyers tickets averaging $88 and Panthers tickets at $77. The Panthers will play the 'Canes on March 21 in the cheapest game of all playoff-bubble teams with tickets averaging just $48.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Each day this week, we published mock expansion keeper lists by division: Atlantic, Pacific, Metropolitan, Central. Based on those lists, we've drafted a mock expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights roster.So here's the thing about the expansion draft: None of us have a damn clue.We may have a hunch or tip here and there, but we are ultimately oblivious to the exact motives, intentions, and strategies the NHL's 31 general managers will bring to the table when the Vegas Golden Knights piece together a roster in late June.You can run through the thousands upon thousands of scenarios over on CapFriendly's expansion tool (which is wonderful, by the way), but countless uncontrolled variables could see you easily whiff on all 30 selections. This was even before George McPhee declared that the Golden Knights' intent is to hold an NHL-wide auction for any player left unprotected.This process cannot be forecast. It makes the event that much more exciting, because it's a genuine opportunity for all teams to make something happen, but also makes it next-to impossible to see in a crystal ball.So we attacked the exercise this way: In an attempt to eliminate biases and control some variables, we had four editors determine the protected lists from each division, and a fifth, unaware of each strategy, draft the team "blind," while keeping a few key principles in mind:

PITTSBURGH - The depleted Pittsburgh Penguins defense has taken another hit. Coach Mike Sullivan says defenseman Ron Hainsey is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.The Penguins acquired the 35-year-old Hainsey just before the trade deadline. Hainsey has one assist in 10 games since joining Pittsburgh. The Penguins called up Derrick Pouliot from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes Barre/Scranton ahead of Friday night's game against New Jersey to fill in for Hainsey.Pittsburgh is already missing injured defensemen Kris Letang, Olli Maatta and Trevor Daley, though all three are expected back by the playoffs.Sullivan said center Evgeni Malkin will sit out Friday with an upper-body injury. Sullivan added Malkin, who is fifth in the league in scoring with 72 points, had been dealing with the injury for some time.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On the heels of the NHL100 Classic announcement, the Canadian government designated the Stanley Cup as a National Historic Event in front the collection of dignitaries in Ottawa on Friday.

David PastrnakWilkins: Who needs a rebuild when you have David Pastrnak?After dipping his toe into the harbor last season with 15 goals in 51 games, the Boston Bruins winger has made a bigger splash in his third pro season, recording 31 goals and sitting just shy of a point-per-game pace.Not bad for a player selected 25th overall. Among his fellow 2014 draftees, only Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has outpaced Pastrnak, coming up with 118 points to his 115, but doing so in 18 more contests. Still, no player has tallied more often than Pastrnak, who has collected 55 goals since making his NHL debut in 2014-15.This season, Pastrnak has found a home on the Bruins' second line alongside veteran center David Krejci. The 20-year-old sits second in team scoring and has emerged as a key cog in the next wave of talent in Beantown.Rickard RakellGold-Smith: The Anaheim Ducks knew they were getting good value when they signed Rakell to a six-year extension with a cap hit of $3.8 million last fall, but he's exceeding expectations this season.Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf get most of the attention in Anaheim, but it's Rakell who leads the club with 30 goals, and he's done it in only 59 contests. His goals per game (0.51) is fifth-best in the NHL among qualified players, fractionally trailing the NHL's leading scorer Brad Marchand.Rakell's production has increased every year since entering the league in the 2012-13 season, but few predicted he'd be on pace to net 36 goals in an abbreviated 2016-17 campaign.The Ducks rank in the league's bottom third in scoring, so the fact that he's provided one-sixth of the team's 180 goals further underscores how important his offensive explosion has been.Mikael GranlundHagerman: Maybe it's the new coach, maybe it's some newly found confidence, or maybe it's simple development, but Mikael Granlund is having a monstrous season.Through just 69 games, the Minnesota Wild forward sits 11th in league scoring and has already smashed his previous career bests set last season. He's put up 11 more goals and 21 more points in 13 fewer games, and at his current pace should score four more goals and 12 more points before the year is out.It doesn't end there. He's put up career highs in power-play goals and points, shorthanded goals and points, and his 15.6 shooting percentage is nearly twice as high as his previous best. In fact, his 65 points are already more than any Wild player has posted in a season since 2009-10, when Mikko Koivu paced the club with 71.Factor in that Granlund also ranks third among the club's forwards in takeaways, fourth in shots, fourth in blocks, and second in shorthanded time on ice and it's clear that not only has he been lethal on the scoreboard, he's been the complete package for the Wild.Jack EichelCuthbert: Rejoining a non-contender after missing the first six weeks of the season due to injury, Jack Eichel's sophomore campaign would be readily glossed over if it weren't so impressive.Eichel has not just outshone the vast majority of last season's monster rookie class in his second year - he's been one of the league's most productive players since he's returned from a high ankle sprain.With 27 points in 22 games since the beginning of last month, Eichel has increased his overall count to 20 goals and 48 points in 50 games, a historic near-point-per-game rate for a 20-year-old.He fashioned the second-longest point streak this season, marking the scoresheet in 11 consecutive games, and he's sandwiched in between James van Riemsdyk and Jeff Carter in terms of all-situations points rate, ranking 21st in the league.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Friday, March 17 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

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.Another dramatic swing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.Two days after relative catastrophe - with every result from Tuesday night's schedule hurting their playoff chances - the Maple Leafs bounced back to smash the Lightning in their latest most important game of the season. In doing so, Toronto saw every other competitor in the race for the final few seeds in the Eastern Conference postseason come up empty.The Islanders, Panthers, Senators, Bruins, Flyers, and Lightning, of course, all suffered regulation losses, allowing the Maple Leafs to sneak back into the eighth seed.Over in the West, the Kings collected two points in their win over the Sabres. But their postseason chances took a hit, as the Oilers, Predators, and Blues were all winners as well.Eastern ConferenceTeamResultPlayoff ChancesChangeBruinsL 7-4 vs. Oilers87.8%-2.0%Maple LeafsW 5-0 vs. Lightning61.6%+24.9%LightningL 5-0 vs. Maple Leafs27.2%-12.8%IslandersL 4-2 vs. Jets23.7%-10.3%Western ConferenceTeamResultPlayoff ChancesChangeOilersW 7-4 vs. Bruins98.9%0.3%BluesW 4-1 vs. SJ95.5%2.1%PredatorsW 2-1 (OT) vs. Capitals94.2%2.4%KingsW 2-0 vs. Sabres19.3%-2.0%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.

With a secondary assist on Jarome Iginla's third-period goal, Dustin Brown picked up the 500th point of his career on Thursday night.Brown is just the eighth player in Los Angeles Kings history to reach the mark.The 32-year-old collected another assist on Adrian Kempe's late tally and now has 31 points on the season, his most since the 2011-12 campaign.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Patrick Maroon scored twice, Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists, and Connor McDavid added three assists as the Edmonton Oilers beat up on the Boston Bruins 7-4 on Thursday night.Benoit Pouliot, Anton Slepyshev, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Milan Lucic also scored for the Oilers, who moved one point ahead of Calgary for third place in the Pacific Division.David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Dominic Moore, and David Krejci had a goal each for the Bruins, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.The Oilers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a pair of goals 59 seconds apart by Maroon, who upped his career-high goal total on the season to 24.Edmonton got another goal three minutes later as David Desharnais hooked around the net and sent the puck in front to Pouliot, who poked it past goalie Tuukka Rask. It was Pouliot's second goal in two games after breaking a 28-game scoreless drought against Dallas on Tuesday.Boston got one back on a power play with 7 1/2 minutes remaining in the opening frame when Marchand made a perfect pass to set up Pastrnak at the side of the net for his 31st goal of the season, and fifth in his last five games.The Bruins made it 3-2 with two minutes to go in the first, as Marchand was left alone at the side of the net to score his 37th goal of the season and 12th in his last 11 games.The Oilers scored again with 51 seconds remaining when Slepyshev batted the rebound of McDavid's shot out of the air and past Rask.Edmonton made it 5-2 two minutes into the second on the power play as Drake Caggiula's pass went off Bruin forward Riley Nash's skate and into the net. Rask was replaced in the Boston net by Anton Khudobin.Boston fought back a couple minutes later, getting a short-handed goal from Moore.Draisaitl made it 6-3 Edmonton seven minutes into the second, picking off a pass at mid-ice and going the distance to score his 60th point, the most ever in an NHL season by a German-born player.Edmonton added another power-play goal with five minutes left as a puck hit Lucic and got past Khudobin. It was the second game in a row that the Oilers have scored seven goals, and the first time they had done that at home since 1988.Krejci scored on a Boston man advantage with 32 seconds left in the middle period.NOTES: There was no scoring in the third, but a brief scare when Boston forward Matt Beleskey was hit in the right side of the head with a shot from Patrice Bergeron in the game's final minute. He was slow to get up, but skated off with the assistance of Bergeron.UP NEXTBruins: Travel to play at Toronto on Sunday.Oilers: Host Vancouver on Saturday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With an assist on Connor Brown's second-period goal Thursday night, William Nylander picked up his 50th point of the season.In doing so, Nylander became the third Toronto Maple Leafs rookie to hit the 50-point plateau, joining Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. The achievement makes the Maple Leafs the first team to have three first-year players reach the milestone since the 1992-93 Winnipeg Jets.Matthews and Marner - who picked up an assist Thursday - have 55 points, while Nylander has 50. They sit second, third, and fourth in rookie scoring, respectively, all trailing Jets forward Patrik Laine.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

No problem for the Minnesota Wild.Despite losing their third straight game, there is no reason to believe the Wild can't get their season back on track, coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters following Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes."I've seen them play great, so why wouldn't I think that they're going to fight their way out of it?" Boudreau said. "It doesn't make any sense to think that they wouldn't."It's been a rough March for the Wild, who own a 2-6-0 showing so far. The team has also won just four of 10 contests since trading three draft choices - including this year's first-round pick - to the Arizona Coyotes for center Martin Hanzal.The recent performances have been in stark contrast to the 41-14-6 record that Minnesota owned at the end of February, after running a 12-game win streak earlier this season. The Wild now sit three points back of the Chicago Blackhawks for top spot in the Central.Minnesota's inability to score has been evident in its recent slump. The team has been limited to two or fewer goals in six of eight games in March.If anything, Boudreau isn't casting blame on goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who took the loss to the Hurricanes. Afterward, Boudreau said: "He allowed two. We should be able to score three in a game."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Maybe a few extracurriculars aren't such a bad idea, after all.Following one of the club's most dismal displays of the season on Tuesday night against Florida, the Toronto Maple Leafs rebounded in a big way on Thursday, cruising to a 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.The team received a lot of backlash after Tuesday's 7-2 shelling by the Panthers, as photos posted on Instagram showed that players - including Morgan Rielly, Tyler Bozak, Mitch Marner, Leo Komarov, and Josh Leivo - had spent Sunday fishing.

The Nashville Predators bested the league-leading Washington Capitals on Thursday, thanks to Viktor Arvidsson's first career overtime goal.The 23-year-old beat Braden Holtby on a two-on-one break to seal the win and hit the 25-goal plateau in the process.The victory was the Predators' third straight and pushed their point streak to five; the Capitals have now dropped six of their last 10.(Video Courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona pride.Prior to Thursday's contest against the Detroit Red Wings, the Arizona Coyotes sported the look of a fellow desert club, wearing Arizona Diamondbacks-style uniforms in the pregame warmup.

Think Patrick Maroon likes playing with Connor McDavid?The Edmonton Oilers teammates combined for a brilliant goal Thursday night against the Boston Bruins.Maroon finished it off for his second tally in 59 seconds, after McDavid set it up spectacularly by redirecting Leon Draisaitl's saucer pass.The Oilers scored three times in less than four minutes in the first period, a frame in which the teams combined to strike six times.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Build it and they may come.Amidst his Western Canada media tour, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was in Vancouver on Thursday and spoke about the possibility of an NHL future in bordering Seattle."There's been a lot of talk for a long period of time about a building or not, and frankly if the city ever gets it act together on a building, then maybe there will be a reason for us to focus on it," Bettman told reporters. "I'm not saying it will happen if there is a reason, but there's no reason to focus on it in the absence of a building."Local businessman Chris Hansen has been connected with building a new arena in the city, but with a focus on returning the NBA to Seattle. The SuperSonics left for Oklahoma City in 2008.Seattle has often been mentioned as a new market for the NHL, and an addition in the Pacific Northwest would create a natural rival for the Canucks.The city has a rich history of hockey. In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans won the Stanley Cup. Forty-five years later, KeyArena opened and played host to the WHL's Thunderbirds from 1985 to 2008, when the team left for nearby Kent.In the meantime, a local Seattle group, led by Tim Leiweke, who has previously been part of both the NHL and NBA, wants to renovate KeyArena in order to accelerate the city's efforts in attracting a pro team.Leiweke told Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times that he believes KeyArena can be brought up to par in three to four years. It's a similar time frame to the construction of the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which broke ground in 2014 and will open to the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights next season.Still, Leiweke was quick to add Seattle will need to build its team through expansion, noting neither the NHL or NBA sees a franchise relocation on the horizon."We believe that there is no franchise today in the NHL or in the NBA that is in danger of being lost as an opportunity over the next few years," Lieweke told Baker. "And we believe that should Gary Bettman make a decision to expand, that if you look at the last process they just went through, it was a three- to four-year process to get that building built and to get that (Las Vegas) team up and running this next season."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Talk about adding insult to injury.Taylor Hall scored a beautiful one-handed deke goal early in the third period to give the New Jersey Devils a commanding 4-2 lead on Thursday.Unfortunately for the Philadelphia Flyers, not only did the goal hurt them on the scoreboard, but netminder Steve Mason also appeared to stretch too far on the play and was forced to leave the game with an apparent lower-body injury.The goal was Hall's 16th of the season and extended his point streak to three games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Michael Del Zotto snapped his 25-game goalless skid thanks to some nifty passing on Thursday night.The Philadelphia Flyers defenseman finished off a pretty tic-tac-toe with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek, ultimately putting the puck past a down-and-out Keith Kinkaid.The goal gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead, but the New Jersey Devils responded with a tally from Kyle Palmieri.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

USA Hockey's deadline elapsed without any backtracking from the national women's team, and the players' stance hasn't changed.The governing body of American hockey gave the female players a 5 p.m. ET deadline Thursday to revoke their plan to boycott the upcoming World Championship unless significant headway is made in negotiations over wages."We were aware of USA Hockey's deadline and have allowed it to pass," the U.S. women's national hockey team said in a statement, according to ESPN's Craig Custance."We are focused on the issue of equitable support and stand by our position. We continue to be grateful for the encouragement and loyalty of our fans."The players' attorney, John Langel, echoed that sentiment, telling The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno that his clients are "resolute in their focus on equitable support."USA Hockey spokesman Dave Fischer told veteran reporter Philip Hersh that the deadline was "never meant to be (a) line in (the) sand," adding that "efforts will continue to come to (a) resolution so players we have selected can play."Training camp for the World Championship begins Tuesday in Plymouth, Mich., and the tournament itself starts March 31.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Three American Washington Capitals defensemen with international experience say they don't disagree with the U.S. national women's team's decision to threaten a boycott over what they claim are unfair wages."I respect it," Capitals defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk told ESPN's Scott Burnside. "I think it takes a lot of courage to make that sort of stand. And I've known some of those girls for a little while now from my (Boston University) days training in the summers with them and seeing them at Olympics."The U.S. women, including team captain Meghan Duggan and veteran Hilary Knight, announced Wednesday they plan to boycott the World Championship - for which training camp begins next week - if stalled negotiations over compensation don't progress significantly beforehand.Related: Hilary Knight: 'I kind of dare' USA Hockey to go to worlds without us"Those girls have a full plate, year-round, with what they do," Shattenkirk said. "For them to ask for better pay and substantial pay for all the sacrifice that they give to the program, I think is valid and it's warranted."USA Hockey set a 5 p.m. ET deadline Thursday for the women's team to revoke its boycott threat, according to The Canadian Press.The governing body issued a statement Wednesday in response to the threat, citing the support it already provides and claiming each player could earn up to $85,000 in stipends and medal bonuses at the 2018 Olympics, but Duggan called that claim "misleading and dishonest," denying the offer was ever made.John Carlson believes the women are entitled to more financial support than they're receiving and acknowledged their struggle is entirely different from that of the men."They deserve every bit of everything they get and probably a lot more because they've been awesome competitors and it's a whole different landscape that they have to deal with," he said.Brooks Orpik agreed with his U.S. compatriots and Capitals teammates, particularly on the point that they can't fully relate to what the female players are up against."It's tough for us to know exactly what situation they're in financially but knowing what most of the salaries are in that (women's) league, asking for a little bit more than what they're supposedly getting doesn't seem unreasonable to me."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Each day this week, we'll publish mock expansion keeper lists by division, and last but not least is the Central. On Friday, we'll publish our mock expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights roster.Atlantic | Pacific | Metropolitan | Central*NMC = No-movement clause

It may not be the one the Ottawa Senators originally vied for, but it seems the team will finally host an outdoor game.NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will reportedly be in Ottawa on Friday to announce that the Senators will host the Montreal Canadiens in an outdoor game at TD Place next season on Dec. 17, according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.It's unknown how the game will be branded, though it is intended to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the first NHL game in Ottawa, played between the Senators and Canadiens on Dec. 19, 1917.TD Place - home to the CFL's Ottawa RedBlacks - will host the 105th Grey Cup three weeks before the NHL's next outdoor showcase. Garrioch notes that additional seating from Canada's football championship will be left in for Ottawa's outdoor spectacle, allowing for a potential capacity of 34,000 fans.Negotiations between the Senators and NHL have been ongoing for some time. Originally, the Senators wanted to stage the game on Parliament Hill, but the Canadian government denied access.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Thursday, March 16 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

Alex Burrows poured his heart out with the help of the folks at The Players' Tribune, writing a thoughtful, classy, and heartfelt farewell to the Canucks organization and city of Vancouver.He touched on the improbability of his 12-year run with the Canucks, trading punches with Dennis Wideman, the team's rivalry with the Blackhawks (as well as his famous overtime goal to defeat them in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs), the bonds his family formed with other Canuck families, and his new opportunity in Ottawa.Here's a snippet from his post:

Each week, theScore looks at the teams, players, and other hockey figures trending upward and taking a step back.â–² Brad MarchandWhile we would prefer to avoid repeating subjects in consecutive weeks, Brad Marchand's skyward trajectory has forced our hand.The sudden Hart Trophy candidate strengthened his case Wednesday night in Calgary, seizing the NHL's outright lead in goals with his 36th, and matching Connor McDavid and Patrick Kane for top spot in the overall scoring race with his 76th point.Marchand's two points helped Boston knock off one of the league's hottest teams, marking Bruins' fourth win in a row. They are now 12-3 under Bruce Cassidy, moving five points clear of the pool of the Atlantic Division contenders chasing the final spot in the postseason.Only Patrick Kane has scored at a higher rate than Marchand's 4.27 points per 60 minutes in all situations since Cassidy took over.â–¼ The DevilsThere's no easy segue from a Hart Trophy candidate to the New Jersey Devils.Not usually, anyway.

It's been a forgettable season for Matt Duchene and the Colorado Avalanche, but the talented forward got a major monkey off his back Wednesday night.Duchene grabbed the loose puck and buried the tying goal against the Detroit Red Wings midway through the second period, scoring for the first time since Feb. 19.The dynamic center raised both arms, then dropped them in a clear sign of relief after snapping the 11-game drought, which began before the trade deadline, when he was the subject of constant trade speculation.Duchene leads the league-worst Avalanche with 17 goals and ranks second with 37 points in 64 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

CALGARY, Alberta - Brad Marchand scored his league-leading 36th goal of the season and David Backes returned after getting hurt to score the game winner and the Boston Bruins defeated Calgary 5-2 on Wednesday night to end the Flames' 10-game winning streak.Marchand is also tied with Chicago's Patrick Kane and Edmonton's Connor McDavid for the top spot in the NHL with 76 points.Backes got tied up with Flames defenseman Mark Giordano and was taken into the corner boards 12 minutes into the game. He was favoring his leg as he was helped off the ice.But he returned seven minutes into the second period and on his second shift back he broke a 2-2 tie. Backes took a pass from David Krejci on a 3-on-2 and from 30 feet whipped a wrist shot over the glove of Chad Johnson.David Pastrnak scored twice, and Matt Beleskey also scored for Boston. The Bruins' fourth straight win moves them within three points of the second-place Ottawa Senators in the Atlantic Division.Alex Chiasson and Dougie Hamilton scored for Calgary.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NEW YORK - A U.S. district court upheld an arbitrator's ruling that reduced Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman's suspension for knocking a linesman to the ice in a game last season.The NHL says in a statement released Wednesday night that it disagrees with the court's decision but understands the standard needed to overturn the decision. The league says it is ready to turn the page.Wideman was suspended 20 games for hitting linesman Don Henderson and knocking him down during a game against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 27, 2016.Commissioner Gary Bettman upheld that suspension, but neutral discipline arbitrator James Oldham ruled that Wideman did not intend to injure Henderson and reduced the suspension to 10 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When Tuukka Rask isn't in net for the Boston Bruins, bad things happen.Calgary Flames defender Dougie Hamilton proved that point Wednesday, when his wrist shot from center ice eluded the backup goalie.Hamilton's apparent bullet was one of only 16 shots the Bruins allowed through two periods, Khudobin stopping 14 of them.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

PHILADELPHIA - Wayne Simmonds scored the 200th goal of his career and Steve Mason made 23 saves to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, and Dale Weise also scored for the Flyers, who closed within five points of the idle New York Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Making the postseason remains a long shot for Philadelphia with just 13 games remaining and four teams to pass.Philadelphia snapped a three-game losing streak while handing the defending Stanley Cup champions their fourth shutout of the season.The road-weary Penguins completed an eight-day, five-game road trip that took them through four time zones as they traveled 4,763 miles. The journey got longer due to Tuesday's snowstorm in the Northeast, which caused the Penguins to fly home from Calgary late Monday night rather than directly to Philadelphia. Pittsburgh arrived in Philadelphia late Wednesday morning.With 95 points, Pittsburgh remained two behind idle Washington for first place in the Metropolitan Division and the best record in the NHL.Mason posted his third shutout of the season and the 33rd of his career. He saved some of his best work for late in the game, making three strong stops within four minutes of each other with under 10 minutes remaining.First, he denied Oskar Sundqvist's short-handed chance from right in front with 9:55 remaining. Then, Mason made a good pad save on Nick Bonino with 6:48 left before fully extending his left pad to deny Ian Cole's slap shot.Simmonds scored his 29th of the season and 200th of his career while tying teammate Brayden Schenn for the NHL lead with his 15th on the power play with 13:40 left in the second period to put Philadelphia up 2-0. Shayne Gostisbehere took the initial shot and Simmonds put the rebound over a sprawling Matt Murray.Couturier put Philadelphia on the board a minute into the second when he also went high over Murray from close range after the puck deflected to him right in front of the net.Murray had to go to the bench with 11:34 left in the period when he was inadvertently hit in the head by Philadelphia's Travis Konecny, but was able to stay in the game.Murray finished with 24 saves.Giroux scored on a wrist shot from the slot that beat Murray with 4:16 left, and Weise finished the scoring with 47.3 seconds remaining.The game featured the return of defenseman Mark Streit, the former Flyers assistant captain who was traded by Philadelphia on March 1.NOTES: Flyers D Brandon Manning (upper body) missed his second straight game and forward Jordan Weal (lower body) also was out of the lineup. . Penguins forward Matt Cullen returned to the lineup after missing three straight games due to a lower-body injury. . Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz received a loud ovation when he was introduced while attending his first Flyers game. . The Penguins lead the season series 2-1. The teams will wrap it up March 26 in Pittsburgh. . Sidney Crosby remained one assist shy of tying Jaromir Jagr for second place on the Penguins' all-time list. Crosby has 639 assists. Mario Lemieux owns the club record with 1,033.UP NEXTPenguins: Return home to host the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.Flyers: Play the second game of a back-to-back at New Jersey on Thursday night.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Blink and you might miss Andreas Athanasiou.The Detroit Red Wings forward showed off his blazing speed Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche, zooming from one end to the other and tucking it in on the breakaway.It was the 16th goal of the season for the 22-year-old, who's second only to Tomas Tatar (17) for the team lead.(Courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brad Marchand isn't gonna miss from there.After muffing a dump-in, Calgary Flames netminder Chad Johnson poked the loose puck to an uncontested Marchand, who promptly tapped in his 36th of the season.The gift-wrapped goal puts Marchand one ahead of Sidney Crosby for the league lead, and one back of his career-high set a season ago.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are finalizing a two-year entry-level contract with college free-agent Sam Vigneault of Clarkson University, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports.Upon reaching a deal, Vigneault will report to the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus' AHL affiliate, and his contract will begin next season, McKenzie adds.Vigneault, a 6-foot-5, 21-year-old forward, led Clarkson this season with 36 points in 39 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A veteran of the U.S. women's national team is challenging her nation's governing body of hockey after its non-committal response to the players' threat to boycott the upcoming World Championship over what they deem are unfair wages."Good luck getting a suitable No. 1 competition to represent our country on a world stage," Hilary Knight said, according to Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press. "I kind of dare them."Knight, along with team captain Meghan Duggan, announced earlier Wednesday that the team won't report to training camp next week or play in the World Championship later this month, unless meaningful progress is made in negotiations the players claim have been stalled for over a year."We were sick of sitting around the same table and discussing the same issues and getting upset over the same pettiness," Knight added Wednesday night.USA Hockey's response to the players' initial statement cited its increased funding and support ahead of the 2018 Olympic Games, but made it clear that it wouldn't treat the players as employees leading up to either event.Management claimed each player could earn up to $85,000 at the Olympics in support stipends and medal incentives, but Duggan denied that any such offer was made, calling the statement "misleading and dishonest.""It's an example of them kind of disregarding anything that we're asking and basically disregarding our request to be under contract for a four-year period and any of that," Duggan said Wednesday night, adding that while USA Hockey is promising to cover travel and insurance expenses, the female players want to be compensated on the same level as the men.Knight has represented the U.S. since 2006, and Duggan has done so since 2007.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The governing body for American hockey says it will help the members of its national women's team, but only to a point.USA Hockey executive director Dave Ogrean and president Jim Smith sent mixed messages in a dual statement while responding to the threat of a boycott for the upcoming World Championship made earlier Wednesday by players Meghan Duggan and Hilary Knight over unfair wages."We acknowledge the players’ concerns and have proactively increased our level of direct support to the women’s national team as we prepare for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games,” Ogrean said. “We have communicated that increased level of support to the players’ representatives and look forward to continuing our discussions.”Here's what USA Hockey claims to be offering its players in preparations for the Olympics:

From sleeping through practice to wearing Mario Lemieux's famous No. 66, an aura of controversy has surrounded New York Islanders winger Josh Ho-Sang.No matter what's gone on off the ice, though, this kid can flat-out play, and he's thrilled to be in the spotlight on the game's biggest stage just eight games into his NHL career.In those eight games, the 21-year-old has logged three goals and three assists, including a deft drop pass Tuesday night that lead to John Tavares' massive overtime winner."It's the most fun I've ever had in my life," Ho-Sang said of playing in the NHL, according to Cory Wright of Islanders.com. "When you get the puck in open space and you can skate up the ice, that's crazy. It blows my mind, it's what I've been dreaming about since I was a little kid. As long as I'm bringing that compete level and Dougie (Weight) is happy with me, then I'm the happiest person in the world."His scintillating style is just a bonus to head coach Doug Weight, who believes Ho-Sang is a big leaguer through and through."A lot of times when you see these guys come up, whatever their skill set might be, you can always see a little, this is the NHL, deer in headlights," Weight said. "I haven't seen that. He fits in physically, his skating ability, his skill, it looks like he's been in this league for a long time."The Isles selected Ho-Sang with the 28th pick in the 2014 draft.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars have come to terms with defenseman Gavin Bayreuther, the team announced Wednesday.Contract details weren't disclosed, as per team policy."Head coach Mark Morris and his staff at St. Lawrence University have done a tremendous job developing Gavin's game," general manager Jim Nill said in a statement. "Gavin is a smart player with a great hockey sense who is able to create offense from the back end, and we look forward to him continuing his development at the professional level."Bayreuther was believed to be the next highly sought-after college free agent. The 22-year-old is coming off his fourth season with St. Lawrence University, in which he collected eight goals and 29 points in 30 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers are expected to host the Buffalo Sabres at Citi Field for the 2018 Winter Classic, Arthur Staple of Newsday reported Wednesday, citing a pair of sources.It will be the first Winter Classic staged in New York, and the first NHL event at the New York Mets' ballpark in Queens.Each team has appeared in one New Year's Day showcase. New York visited Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia in 2012, and Buffalo hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins in the event's debut in 2008.The Rangers were visitors in a pair of Stadium Series games at Yankee Stadium in 2014 against the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders.Busch Stadium in St. Louis hosted the NHL's last Winter Classic between the Blues and Chicago Blackhawks. This game was pushed back to Jan. 2, with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings meeting in the Centennial Classic on New Year's Day in Toronto.Staple notes that there were rumored talks of the Rangers hosting the event at West Point.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Artem Anisimov will miss the next three-to-four weeks due to a lower-body injury, head coach Joel Quenneville revealed on Wednesday.The injury in question is believed to have been suffered during Tuesday's game against the Montreal Canadiens after an awkward collision with Alexander Radulov. Following the game, Anisimov was seen wearing a walking boot.Related: Blackhawks' Anisimov seen in walking boot after win over CanadiensThe injury is significant and could keep the 28-year-old out of the lineup for the remainder of the regular season.Anisimov had been enjoying his most productive season to date. His 22 goals ties a career high, while an assist in Tuesday's game helped Anisimov set a career high with 45 points.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jaromir Jagr has issued several challenges on his Facebook page over the past few months, and his latest might be the most difficult one yet.On Monday, the Florida Panthers forward shared a video of himself doing one-legged squats while standing on the ice at BB&T Center."The time has come for the next challenge you got this. And in my opinion, probably neobtížnìjší. Well judge for yourself," Jagr wrote. "And most importantly - don't forget to film, so I can see (maybe) have fun."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.