When is an eighth seed its most sinister?Is it in the form of a grossly underachieving title contender that failed to realize its lofty expectations, or is it the dark horse that catches fire at the precise time and enters the tournament with little to lose?What if it's both?The Tampa Bay Lightning, who decided to cut their losses at the trade deadline rather than double down on an ostensibly torpedoed season within their championship window, are one of the NHL's hottest teams, riding a 12-2-3 stretch over the past five-plus weeks. Though they remain on the outside of the postseason bracket, it's merely by virtue of ROW in the wild-card chase.And don't forget the division. The Lightning are three points behind the Boston Bruins for the final fixed spot in the Atlantic.With both avenues still in play, Tampa's chances of making the postseason improved to a ball-parked 42.1 percent after its overtime win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night. Those odds hovered at around six percent at the beginning of February.That it's been improbable would sell this run short - the Lightning's winning ways are bordering on defiant.On top of driving the stake carrying the white flag into the ground with the trades of Ben Bishop, Brian Boyle, and Valterri Filppula - deals designed to safeguard from expansion and another upcoming salary cap crunch - the Bolts have been ravaged by injury.As a result, and out of necessity, players like Brayden Point - an unhyped rookie centering the top line for one of the most talent-rich teams in the NHL - have admirably filled the gaps. Point scored three of the Lightning's five goals in consecutive one-goal wins over the last 48 hours.This patchwork continues to hold up."We've really got something going on right now," Victor Hedman told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, shortly after scoring Tuesday's overtime winner. "It's really been fun to be part of. Somehow, we just keep finding ways to win."The chance Hedman hints at has obviously been kind to the Lightning; suffering two regulation losses in 17 outings is next to impossible without serendipitous elements. But with the breaks now falling in their favor after finding the opposite bin for much of the year, it's hard to argue that Jon Cooper's club doesn't deserve them.Since embarking on this run, the Lightning have accounted for the second highest total of attempted shots from game to game. But despite a sizable uptick in events share, they don't owe their success to a corresponding inflated scoring rate over the last five-plus weeks.Their total scoring falls below the league average, and their 2.08 GF60 on 7.02 percent shooting at even strength lands closer to the NHL's lower third.This is no wild, unsustainable scoring wave. Instead, it's been the work of newly minted No. 1 netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy driving the data to suggest the Lightning are finally receiving a favorable shake of things.Vasilevskiy has a plus-.960 save percentage at 5-on-5, allowing 10 goals in 10 games under the condition, and against 251 shots. Performing at an elite level in a system controlling shot attempts far more effectively, the 22-year-old Vasilevskiy is primarily responsible for the Lightning allowing a league-low 1.26 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.This sort of dominance can level any playing field. It's what upsets are made of.In many respects, the Lightning are the last team that a high seed wants to meet in the opening round. They're fast, lethal on the counter, experienced in spring, seem to thrive through pits of adversity, and Steven Stamkos' impending return isn't the only evidence to suggest they will soon score at a more effective rate.It's tough to imagine the path through the Metropolitan Division being more perilous than it is already. But if the Lightning capture the eighth seed and cross over, that will unquestionably be the case.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's been a nice couple of days for Northeastern forward Zach Aston-Reese.A day after signing a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the 22-year-old - who leads the nation with 31 goals and sits tied for top spot with 63 points - was named one of the 10 finalists for the 2017 Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey on Wednesday.Related: Pens win Aston-Reese sweepstakes, sign NCAA leading scorer to 2-year dealHere are the other finalists:PlayerSchool NHL Team AffiliationMichael BitzerBemidji State UniversityUndraftedAnders BjorkUniversity of Notre DameBruinsWill ButcherUniversity of DenverAvalancheSpencer FooUnion CollegeUndraftedTyler KelleherUniversity of New HampshireUndraftedAlexander KerfootHarvard UniversityDevilsTyler SheehyUniversity of MinnesotaUndraftedMike VecchioneUnion CollegeUndraftedCharles WilliamsCanisius CollegeUndraftedThe Hobey Hat Trick (the top three finalists) will be named March 30, while the winner will be crowned April 7.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 up next is the Metro. On Friday, we'll publish our mock expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights roster.Atlantic | Pacific | Metropolitan | Central*NMC = No-movement clause

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 Wednesday, March 15 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

The U.S. women's national hockey team announced Wednesday that it will not defend its title at the IIHF World Championships in Michigan later this month, citing wage inequality and lack of support from USA Hockey.Players will not report until meaningful progress is made in their negotiations with the governing body, discussions they say have been put off for more than a year."We are asking for a living wage and for USA Hockey to fully support its programs for women and girls and stop treating us like an afterthought," captain Meghan Duggan told ESPN."We have represented our country with dignity and deserve to be treated with fairness and respect."ESPN reports that players competing for the highly successful program earn $1,000 per month during the six-month Olympic residency program. Beyond that, compensation is "virtually nothing," and that players are expected to maintain fitness levels and compete at the highest level during that time for negligible pay."We are fortunate to have strong pioneers who have changed the landscape of their sport. Figures such as Billie Jean King or teams like U.S. women's soccer have built a foundation not only for hope, but for action," Hilary Knight said, a member of Team USA since 2006."As leaders in the sport of hockey, we are asking for equitable support and encouragement for participation for women. This is another important step for women in sports, but also for women at large and for generations to come in our fight for equal pay and support."The team was scheduled to arrive at training camp on March 21 before the tournament begins 10 days later in Plymouth, Mich.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.Things couldn't have gone any worse for the Toronto Maple Leafs than they did Tuesday.The club dropped a 7-2 decision to the Florida Panthers, while both the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning won to move ahead of the Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference standings.In the West, the Los Angeles Kings missed out on an opportunity to gain some ground after falling to the Arizona Coyotes in overtime. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers halted their mini three-game losing skid with a dominant win over the Dallas Stars.Eastern ConferenceTeam Result Playoff Chances ChangeLightningW/OT 2-1 vs. Senators42.1%+12.2%IslandersW/OT 3-2 vs. Hurricanes36.6%+10.4%Maple LeafsL 7-2 vs. Panthers38.4%-20.7%Western ConferenceTeam Result Playoff Chances ChangePredatorsidle91.4%+1.8%OilersW 7-1 vs. Stars98.5%+1.7%KingsL/OT 3-2 vs. Coyotes18.6%-5.1%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.

It wasn't a fairy tale beginning for New York Islanders forward Josh Ho-Sang, but after more than four years in the minors, the former first-round pick is finally proving his worth.Ho-Sang picked up his second straight multi-point game Tuesday - which included the primary assist on John Tavares' overtime winner - extending his point streak to three games.Related: Watch: Tavares caps crucial Isles comeback with OT snipeThe 21-year-old is experiencing his first taste of NHL action after being recalled earlier this month. He went pointless in his first three contests, but has quickly found his way, recording six points in his last five games.Of course, Ho-Sang has been no stranger to making headlines, but in the past it was sometimes for the wrong reasons.Last season, Ho-Sang was abruptly sent back to junior after reporting late on the first day of training camp. The incident didn't sit well with general manager Garth Snow."Enough with the bull----. It's time to grow up," Snow said at the time.Ho-Sang appeared to get the message. He returned to the OHL's Niagara Ice Dogs where he led the team with 82 points in 66 games and another 26 points in 17 playoff games.This year, he got his first taste of professional hockey, beginning the campaign with the club's AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. There, he put up an impressive 10 goals and 36 points in 48 games before his call-up.

We have ourselves a race for the Art Ross Trophy.Thanks to a three-point effort by Patrick Kane against the Montreal Canadiens, and a lone goal by Connor McDavid against the Dallas Stars Tuesday night, the two players are now knotted with 76 points to pace the league.The two appear to be the top contenders to finish as this season's Art Ross Trophy winner, but this is far from a two-horse race. Both Brad Marchand and Sidney Crosby sit just two points back of the duo.It's coming down to the wire, but who will prevail?Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

LOS ANGELES - Anthony DeAngelo and Brendan Perlini scored in an 11-round shootout, Louis Domingue made 44 saves and the Arizona Coyotes defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on Tuesday night.Max Domi scored two goals for the Coyotes, who have won three consecutive games for the second time this season. Domi tied it 2-all with less than a minute left in regulation.Tyler Toffoli scored twice, including a power-play goal with 1:36 remaining that gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead. Ben Bishop stopped 30 shots, but the Kings' playoff chances were dealt a second major blow in two nights.Toffoli converted a one-timer from Jeff Carter, only to see Domi tie it at 2 with 44.3 seconds left. Domi was alone at the edge of the crease and easily scored after Derek Forbort failed to clear the puck for the Kings.Domi tied the game at 1 with 14:21 remaining in the third period. The Coyotes capitalized on Jarome Iginla's turnover in the neutral zone, and Domi went top shelf over Bishop's left shoulder with his shot.Toffoli snapped in the rebound of Jake Muzzin's shot 5:03 into the second, giving the Kings a 1-0 lead seconds after Shane Doan could have put the Coyotes ahead. Bishop never realized the puck was loose after stopping Doan's initial backhand, and Alec Martinez alertly knocked it away to prevent the tap-in by Doan and lead to a break the other way.Los Angeles' need to come away with two points increased dramatically after its 3-1 loss to St. Louis on Monday. Not only did the Blues extend their lead over the Kings for the second wild card in the Western Conference to five points, they have a more favorable schedule down the stretch.The Kings will play nine teams currently in playoff position over their final 13 games, with five of those on the road, while the Blues face just four opponents set to reach the postseason before the season wraps up on April 9.But that hunger didn't necessarily manifest in the opening 20 minutes, as two offensive-zone penalties blunted the Kings. Dustin Brown's breakaway represented the best scoring chance for the Kings, who had 11 shots and won 13 of 18 faceoffs in the sleepy first.NOTES: Toffoli had a point for the third straight game. . The Kings scratched D Brayden McNabb, with Kevin Gravel active for only the second time in the last seven games to take McNabb's place. . The Coyotes and Kings will conclude their four-game season series April 2 in Los Angeles.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's bad in Dallas.The Stars lost their third straight game on Tuesday, and have been outscored a remarkable 17-4 across those contests. Against Edmonton, head coach Lindy Ruff was forced to use both goalies for a third consecutive affair, and then called out his "leaders" after Dallas allowed seven goals."That may be the worst game I've coached as a Dallas Star," Ruff said, according to the Dallas Morning News' Mike Heika. "We need a lot more out of the leaders of our team. They're the guys who can make the difference at this time. They're the guys that the responsibility lies on."Related: Stars agree to terms with college FA defender BayreutherTyler Seguin, meanwhile, can only wonder how low the Stars can go."I thought we kind of hit rock bottom last game," Seguin said of Dallas' 5-1 loss to San Jose on Sunday. "But we got deeper tonight."Seguin and captain Jamie Benn were held pointless Tuesday, but both have essentially been point-per-game players this season. They're doing their part. But unless they learn how to play goal, they can't fix what ails the Stars.Here are the save percentages of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi over the past three games:Goalie5-2 L vs. OTT5-1 L vs. SJS7-1 L vs. EDMLehtonen.833.625.778Niemi.600.889.750Look, it's not all on the two goaltenders; the Stars clearly have issues on defense. But Lehtonen and Niemi are a big reason why Dallas has conceded the most goals in the NHL.Only 13 games to go, Stars fans. It's almost over.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jack Eichel scored two goals Tuesday. Only problem: One of them was on his own net.The Sabres phenom inadvertently kicked the San Jose Sharks' second goal of the game - which held up as the eventual game winner - past Robin Lehner late in the middle period, and Eichel wasn't happy about it back on the Buffalo bench.It was a tough bounce, especially for Lehner, who was stellar through 40 minutes while stopping 35-of-37 shots.Micheal Haley got credit for the goal, and he'll never score an easier one. Hey, life happens sometimes.

The Dallas Stars have agreed to contract terms with college free-agent defenseman Gavin Bayreuther out of St. Lawrence University, the club announced Tuesday night.The deal will be official Wednesday.

The Edmonton Oilers have finally done it - they've got 80 points.Eighty-one, even better, in fact, after a 7-1 thrashing of the goalie-less Dallas Stars, snapping a three-game losing streak.It's the first time the Oilers have eclipsed 80 points since 2008-09, when the club finished with 85 points, but still missed the playoffs.That's the difference this time around - barring a monumental collapse, the Oilers will play postseason puck for the first time since 2005-06, when they lost the Stanley Cup Final in a heartbreaking seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes.Connor McDavid scored the extra point for the Oilers on the evening, giving him 76 points on the season. He's tied for the league lead in scoring with Patrick Kane, who put up a three-spot Tuesday in Montreal.Cam Talbot, meanwhile, earned his 34th win of the season in goal. To put that in perspective, the last time an Oilers team won that many games was - you guessed it - 2008-09.

Officially, and according to head coach Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov is listed as day to day with a lower-body injury.But after Tuesday's win over the Montreal Canadiens, he was seen sporting some extra footwear.

MONTREAL - Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists and Corey Crawford made 40 saves and the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 on Tuesday night.Johnny Oduya, Artemi Panarin and Jonathan Toews, into the empty net, scored for the Blackhawks, who jumped past Minnesota and lead the Central Division with 93 points.Paul Byron and Shea Weber scored for Montreal.Carey Price made 20 saves as he became the third Canadiens goaltender to reach the 500-game milestone.Only Patrick Roy (551) and Jacques Plante (556) have played more games between the pipes for Montreal.The Canadiens have not beaten Chicago since 2014 (0-6-1).Crawford is a big reason for the Hawks' recent success against the Canadiens.The Montreal native, who was coming off a season-best 42-save effort against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, has never lost to the Habs in regulation (7-0-2).Crawford withstood a flurry of shots at the end of the first period to preserve Chicago's 1-0 lead.In the second, the 32-year-old took a mighty Weber slap shot off his mask from just a few feet out. The Blackhawks goalie was stunned but stayed in the game.Crawford was beaten twice in the third period.Byron slapped a bouncing puck over his shoulder at 12:42 before Weber scored on a slap shot from the point at 16:32.Crawford has never conceded more than two goals in a game against Montreal - his highest save percentage against any opponent.Both the Canadiens and Hawks came into Tuesday's matchups with 8-2-0 records in their past 10 games.Chicago was outshot 11-4 in the first period, but the visitors made the most of their good chance when Kane scored at 12:23, capitalizing on a mistake by Alexei Emelin at center ice then firing a wrister off the post and in.Oduya made it 2-0 at 10:49 of the second period when his slap shot from the point took a slight deflection off Byron's arm - enough to elude Price.Emelin was again to blame for Chicago's third goal. The Canadiens defenseman inexplicably changed sides mid-rush, leaving Panarin all alone in front of the goal.With time on his side, Panarin roofed the puck on Price 47 seconds into the third period.Emelin finished the game with a minus-3 rating.Chicago's Artem Anisimov left the game in the first period with a left leg injury and did not return.NOTES: Defenseman Brandon Davidson, acquired at the trade deadline, got his second start with Montreal, replacing Nathan Beaulieu on the blue line. . The Clarkson Cup-winning Canadiennes de Montreal (CWHL) were honored in a pregame ceremony.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators are just one point back of the Montreal Canadiens after Tuesday night, and they have Mike Condon to thank.Condon made 35 saves in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a number of them came in a two-minute span about halfway through the third period, when the 'tender stood on his head.Tampa Bay eventually won it on Victor Hedman's winner; Condon had no chance on the play, thanks to a perfect pass from Ondrej Palat.Ottawa now has 85 points to Montreal's 86, with two games in hand. And guess what? The Sens and Habs play a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday. That'll be fun.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Victor Hedman played the role of hero for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tuesday's win over the Ottawa Senators.Having already earned a single point after pushing the game to overtime, the Lightning earned the all-important extra point thanks to their franchise defenseman, who continues to play the best hockey of his career.

Have a night, Thomas Vanek.The Florida Panthers' trade-deadline acquisition recorded four assists in a game for the first time in his career as the Cats beat up on the Toronto Maple Leafs.It was a 7-2 final, moving the Panthers to within five points of Toronto in the East. It was a must-win game for Florida, and it went out and took care of business. The Panthers are now six points back of the New York Islanders, who will go to bed Tuesday in the second wild-card spot in the conference. Florida's got one game in hand.Back to Vanek. It hasn't been all beaches and sunshine since he arrived in Sunrise, as the 33-year-old had only a goal to show for his first five games with his new team. But a four-point night in arguably Florida's most important game of the season will gain the winger some fans, for sure.It's the eighth time in Vanek's career he's registered four-or-more points in a game, according to Hockey Reference.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

WASHINGTON - Alex Ovechkin ended the longest goal-scoring drought of his career as the Washington Capitals held on to beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 Tuesday night and snap a season-worst four-game losing streak.Ovechkin hadn't scored in 10 games or had an even-strength goal in 18 before firing a one-timer by league save percentage leader Devan Dubnyk in the second period. Ovechkin's 28th goal of the season came 1 second after a power play expired.Nate Schmidt, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jay Beagle also scored for the NHL-leading Capitals, who recaptured sole possession of first in the Metropolitan Division. Nicklas Backstrom had three assists.Goaltender Braden Holtby put on a show, stopping 32 of the 34 shots he faced as the Capitals won for the first time since March 4 and moved two points up on the Pittsburgh Penguins.Minnesota lost for the fifth time in seven games despite goals from Matt Dumba and Eric Staal and 36 saves by Dubnyk.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ouch.Facing down a Shea Weber slap shot is one thing, but taking it right off the mask is something else entirely.That's the position Corey Crawford found himself in Tuesday night, but the Chicago Blackhawks goalie didn't seem worse for wear after shaking it off.

Something was amiss in Washington Tuesday night.More specifically, it was Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau's tie that was off, much to the consternation of the Capitals' broadcast crew and observers on social media.

Lucas Wallmark thought he had his first NHL goal."Sorry, kid," was Thomas Greiss' response.The New York Islanders goalie made a fantastic arm save on the goal line to rob the Carolina Hurricanes rookie of what looked like a sure tally.It was 2-0 for the Canes at the time, but the Isles would strike twice to tie the game after 40 minutes, and then won it in overtime thanks to a John Tavares snipe.So yeah, that save was massive. It may have saved the Islanders' season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brayden Point is giving the Tampa Bay Lightning a fighting chance.The rookie center laid it all on the line in scoring his third goal in the past two games, crashing hard into the end boards after banging home a rebound opportunity during the first period of Tuesday's game in Ottawa.Point, who's quickly been bumped up the depth chart due to a plethora of injuries down the middle, now has 12 goals in 55 games this season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chalk up another win for the Pittsburgh Penguins.The defending champs announced the signing of college free agent Zach Aston-Reese to a two-year, entry-level contract Tuesday.The 22-year-old wrapped up his fourth and final year at Northeastern in style, leading the NCAA in scoring with 31 goals and 32 assists in 38 games. He leaves the collegiate ranks as a better than point-per-game player.Aston-Reese will spend the rest of this season in the AHL with the baby Pens, on an amateur tryout, and his contract will begin next season.The Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Ottawa Senators were reported to have interest in the forward, but the Pens came out on top.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anthony Mantha did some soul searching over the past few days.Healthy scratched from the past two Detroit Red Wings games, the young winger is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday and with renewed focus."Obviously there are plenty of questions that go through your head," Mantha said. "There has to be an idea behind (head coach Jeff Blashill's) decision and he talked to me about it and for me it comes down to playing better in general. I'll keep my head up. I'll come back stronger than I was the last few games."It's just being more prepared to play in every game, every shift, to compete at a higher level, that's the message they wanted to send me and that's what I was thinking about when I was sitting out, so I'll have to bring my 'A' game tomorrow."Mantha, 22, has scored 14 goals and added 19 assists in 50 games for the Red Wings in his first full NHL season. He ranks fifth among all Detroit forwards in average ice time (16:41) and sits in a tie for third in goals with veterans Henrik Zetterberg and Frans Nielsen.Still, as a key piece of the puzzle moving forward, and based on his high-scoring junior career, more is expected and needed for the Red Wings to be more competitive in the future.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Valeri Nichushkin appears to remain in the Dallas Stars' long-terms plans.Speaking on 630 CHED in Edmonton on Tuesday, general manager Jim Nill disclosed he'll likely protect Nichushkin from this summer's expansion draft, even though the forward is currently playing for CSKA Moscow in the KHL."We're planning on him coming back, I don't know if it's going to be one year or two years," Nill told Bob Stauffer on "Oilers Now." "He's probably a player we're going to protect. He's only 21 years old, he's got a lot of upside and a lot of value."As a reminder, teams can protect up to seven forwards from being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights, and protecting Nichushkin could expose a player like Cody Eakin or Antoine Roussel, assuming Brett Ritchie and Radek Faksa are also protected.Nichushkin recorded 11 goals and 13 assists in 36 KHL games this season. He's scored 23 goals and added 41 assists in 166 games for the Stars after being drafted 10th overall in 2013.He left for CSKA Moscow after not signing a new deal with the Stars as a restricted free agent and amid reports he was not getting along with Dallas head coach Lindy Ruff, a notion the bench boss has since refuted.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If Marc-Edouard Vlasic had it his way, he would play his entire career with the San Jose Sharks.Expanding on earlier comments, Vlasic explained Tuesday he'd love to remain with the Sharks long term, according to CSNBayArea.com's Kevin Kurz."If it works out, that would be great. It’s a priority," Vlasic said. "I like the team, I like the area. Competitive every year. At the end of my contract next year I’ll have been here for 12 years, so I guess I do like it here if I’m here for 12 years."Vlasic is in the fourth year of a five-year, $21.25-million contract and will become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of next season. While he understands the logistics, he admits he'd be open to a contract similar to that of Brent Burns' eight-year, $64-million deal, which he signed in November."Hopefully. Every individual player’s contract is different from one guy to another,” he said. "So, hopefully I can ... I’d like to sign here long term, yeah."While Vlasic can't hold a candle to Burns offensive numbers - with four goals and 21 points - he's second on the team in blocks and short-handed ice time, while seeing the second most ice time, next to Burns.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Records are great, but that isn't what John Tortorella and the Columbus Blue Jackets are chasing.With their 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night, the Blue Jackets set franchise records for the most wins and points in a season with 44 and 94, respectively. But as Tortorella stated postgame, breaking records isn't the team's focus."We're looking at other things," Tortorella said, according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. "You don't make your name with regular-season records and stuff like that."Forward Brandon Dubinsky echoed his coach's words, insisting the season is far from over."Feels good, but we've got a lot of work left," said Dubinsky. "We've got 14 games."The Blue Jackets find themselves in a very precarious position, as the team sits just one point back of both the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins for top spot in the Metropolitan Division. Meanwhile, the New York Rangers are nipping at their toes at just four points back.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators announced forwards Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris will be back in the lineup Tuesday when the team takes on the Tampa Bay Lightning.Both men return after dealing with finger injuries. Ryan has been out since Feb. 18 with a broken finger, while Turris has missed the last three games with a bruised finger.For Ryan, the return allows him to get his season back on track. Prior to his injury, he'd gone 10 games with a single goal, totaling just 12 goals and 24 points in 50 games.Meanwhile, Turris will look to follow suit having gone pointless in the three games prior to his exit.As for the team, the injuries appeared do little to slow them down as the Senators look to pick up their seventh straight victory.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tuesday night's contest between the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets has been postponed due to a severe winter storm impacting the New Jersey area, the league announced.Newark, N.J. is under a winter storm warning, and may see as much as one to two inches of snow per hour, according to the Weather Network.Tuesday's game has much larger implications for the Jets, who risk falling out of the playoff picture with a 10-point separation between them and the final wild-card spot in the West.Meanwhile, thanks to six straight losses, the Devils find themselves in last place in the Eastern Conference.The game has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 28.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 up next is the Pacific. On Friday, we'll publish our mock expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights roster.Atlantic | Pacific | Metropolitan | Central*NMC = No-movement clause

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Tuesday, March 14 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

Winning games in bunches has become a hot trend this season.With a 4-3 win by the Calgary Flames over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night, the Flames pushed their winning streak to 10 games, becoming the fourth team to record a double-digit winning streak this season. It's the first time in NHL history four teams have accomplished the feat in one season, according to Elias Sports Bureau.The Flames join the Columbus Blue Jackets - who came within a win of tying the NHL record of 17 straight victories, the Minnesota Wild who strung together a streak of 12, and the Philadelphia Flyers who recorded 10 straight wins.The current streak eclipses last year's mark which had served as the only year in which three teams had recorded such winning streaks.Of the four teams above, the Flyers are the only club not currently in a playoff spot.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's a story of two people who know a thing or two about going into battle coming together.Ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins game Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks, captain Sidney Crosby took the time to meet one of his most adoring fans, 5-year-old Memphis Savage.The Vancouver Island native - who had brain tumors removed shortly after his first birthday - received the news in January that, after years of no problems, two new non-cancerous tumors had developed.Shortly after, Memphis' father, Cole, penned a letter to the Penguins asking if there was a chance Memphis could meet his favorite player - Crosby.The opportunity presented itself Saturday."I was hoping and praying but I had no idea it was going to happen," Cole said, according to Cheryl Chan of The Province. "I can’t stress how good (Crosby’s) heart was, and how nice he was to do this for us."Crosby spent nearly 45 minutes signing autographs and chatting with the family and urging Memphis to continue fighting in a chat that was instigated by Memphis."My name is Memphis. Nice to meet you, sir," a well-dressed Memphis said, breaking the ice with his idol.Memphis would get to watch Crosby skate in a 3-0 win over his favorite team, the Canucks, capping off what, to dad, was a perfect afternoon."I was almost crying," said Cole. "He’s a 100 percent class act. We met a real champion. A heart of gold that guy has."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Tuesday, theScore's editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."With less than a month remaining in the regular season, things are either heating up or cooling down for Canada's teams.Those vying for the playoffs - after a year when no Canadian-based teams made the postseason - will rely heavy on star players, but it's important not to forget the seldom-mentioned players who have made huge contributions.Here are some of this season's unsung heroes:Calgary FlamesPlayer: Michael FrolikTake: Death, taxes, and Frolik scoring 15 goals.The Flames forward has seldom been in the spotlight during his career, but he's been as consistent and reliable as anyone could ask from a third-line player.This season, Frolik has once again chipped in with 15 goals - good enough for third on the Flames - while his 41 points puts him on pace to eclipse his career high. All that and the fact he's put up nine points during a 10-game winning streak, just further proves how vital he's been to the team.Edmonton OilersPlayer: Mark LetestuTake: On a club that boasts the most electrifying player in the game in Connor McDavid, guys such as Letestu can fly under the radar very easily.Nevertheless, with a respectable 13 goals and 30 points in 65 games, Letestu has given the Oilers some value and proven he can play up and down the lineup in nearly all situations.He has the fifth-best shooting percentage on the team, is on pace to hit a career high in points, and with four goals on nine opportunities he's also been among the Oilers most trusted players in the shootout.Montreal CanadiensPlayer: Paul ByronTake: It might surprise some to know that Byron actually ranks second on the Canadiens with 18 goals.He sits second only to Max Pacioretty's 33 and is second on the team with five game-winning tallies. He's done all this while averaging just 14:56 of ice-time (15th on the team) and with only 79 shots.Byron's made the most of his opportunities and appears to be a steal at just over $1.1 million.Ottawa SenatorsPlayer: Dion PhaneufTake: Love him or hate him, Phaneuf has been a welcome addition to the Senators.In his first full season with the club, he sits second behind Erik Karlsson among efensemen with nine goals and 29 points. He's averaging the third-most time on the penalty kill, has the third-most power play points, and averages the third-most blocks.A smaller spotlight than he had in Toronto appears to be working wonders.Toronto Maple LeafsPlayer: Tyler BozakTake: Bozak might never become that true elite centermen many Maple Leafs fans had envisioned, but there's nothing wrong with that.The 30-year-old sits sixth on the club with 16 goals and 46 points and is on pace to surpass his previous career high of 49 points.

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.If the New York Islanders want to make the second season, they're going to have to beat the Carolina Hurricanes. Like, at least once. They've got two more tries, including a rematch Tuesday after an 8-4 whipping - their third loss to the 'Canes this season - in Brooklyn.The Tampa Bay Lightning, meanwhile, are now a point out of a wild-card spot and have quietly picked up points in six of seven games since the trade deadline. So much for selling, eh?Out west, the Los Angeles Kings' playoff aspirations may be in serious doubt after the St. Louis Blues secured two huge points in regulation in Hollywood.An uncharacteristically busy Monday night saw some major swings as the race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs continues to heat up. Here they are:Eastern ConferenceTeam Result Playoff Chances ChangeLightningW 3-2 vs. Rangers29.9%+10.2%BruinsW 6-3 vs. Canucks84.6%+8.2%IslandersL 8-4 vs. Hurricanes26.2%-19.5%Western ConferenceTeam Result Playoff Chances ChangeBluesW 3-1 vs. Kings94.7%+7.4%PredatorsW 5-4 (OT) vs. Jets89.6%+7.4%KingsL 3-1 vs. Blues23.8%-18.1%To see percentages for each team in the league, visit Sports Club Stats.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brad Marchand's 2015-16 was no fluke. Far from it.The Boston Bruins forward had a huge night Monday, torching the Vancouver Canucks for four points, including a third period hat trick, in an important 6-3 win.(If you haven't seen his second goal, fix that now, because No. 63 stripped Henrik Sedin of the puck, put it through Alex Edler's legs in order to get around the lanky defender, and then went backhand off the post past Ryan Miller for what stood as the game-winning goal. It was bonkers.)Also bonkers: Marchand is now tied with Sidney Crosby for the league lead in goals with 35, and also tied with Crosby for the second-most points in the NHL, with 74. Connor McDavid's one up on the pair, with 75 points. (It must be noted that Crosby's played six fewer games than McDavid and seven fewer than Marchand.)

LOS ANGELES - Magnus Paajarvi scored a power-play goal, Jake Allen made 38 saves and the St. Louis Blues extended their winning streak to five games with a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.David Perron scored late in the second period and Alexander Steen added an empty-net goal with 6.5 seconds left for the Blues, who lead the Kings by five points for the second wild card in the Western Conference.Dustin Brown scored with 2:55 remaining and Jonathan Quick stopped 23 shots, but the Kings failed to earn a point for the first time in Quick's six starts since returning from a groin injury.Quick made an acrobatic initial save on Perron's one-timer, but the puck trickled free underneath the goalie and Perron tapped it in for his 14th goal of the season 13:37 into the second.Paajarvi then redirected Patrik Berglund's shot to give the Blues a 2-0 lead 1:10 into the third.It was Paajarvi's first power-play goal since April 6, 2013, when he scored for Edmonton in a 4-1 loss to the Kings.Brown banged in a rebound to make it 2-1 late after Allen landed face-first to stop Drew Doughty's shot. The Kings had the puck in the offensive zone for much of the closing minutes but could not come up with the tying goal.Both teams were cautious to start, not necessarily a surprise given the high stakes. However, the tenor of the game changed in the closing 15 seconds of the first period when Quick did the splits to deny Paul Stastny's backhand, and the chances continued to pile up after the break.Dmitrij Jaskin hit the post during a St. Louis power play, and Robert Bortuzzo put a great chance over the net with Quick out in front of his crease. The Kings' line of Tanner Pearson, Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli each had promising looks during one particular blitz, with Los Angeles piling up 21 shots in the second without scoring.Jaskin was helped to the locker room and did not return because of an upper-body injury after a frightening collision with Bortuzzo in the second. Jaskin was trying to make a play on the puck and never saw Bortuzzo in front of him, plowing into the stationary 221-pound defenseman.NOTES: Steen picked up his 30th assist on Perron's goal, giving him at least 30 in a season for the fourth time. . Brown broke a six-game scoreless streak and now has 499 career points.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Mike Smith set a franchise record with his 22nd shutout, making 22 saves to back Brendan Perlini's goal and help the Arizona Coyotes beat the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 on Monday night.Perlini scored early in the second period and Smith made it stand, even through a flurry of activity in front of his own net in the final minute.Calvin Pickard stopped 34 shots for Colorado, but the Avalanche were shut out for the 12th time this season.Smith got his third shutout this season and the 33rd of his career, including five with Dallas and six with Tampa Bay.The Coyotes started without captain Shane Doan, who appeared to be shaken up in a collision during warmups with teammate Jakob Chychrun. Radim Vrbata took Doan's place on the third line until late in the first period, when Doan returned.The 40-year-old Doan has played in all 68 of Arizona's games this season. He is the Coyotes' franchise leader in games played, goals, assists and points.''It's never fun colliding with him, but I'm glad he's OK,'' Chychrun said between the first and second periods.In the first period, the teams combined for only nine shots on goal, and none in the final 9:14. Avalanche center J.T. Compher hit the post twice.It took less than four minutes in the second for the Coyotes to get on the board. Peter Holland sent a pinpoint pass to Perlini on a rush, and Perlini's wrist shot beat Pickard glove side.The 20-year-old Perlini has 13 goals in 43 games this season and has scored in three straight.Pickard kept the Avalanche in the game with several athletic saves. He stopped back-to-back point-blank shots from Jamie McGinn and Tobias Rieder just over halfway through the second period, and made the save of the night on Perlini at 14:27 of the period when he reached out to stop a shot on a 2-on-1 rush.Pickard also deflected Max Domi's breakaway shot a few minutes into the third period, and thwarted another Domi breakaway try at 14:37 of the period.Smith moved into third place on the Coyotes' wins list with 127. His shutout total passed former Coyotes goalies Ilya Bryzgalov and Nikolai Khabibulin.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It was one of the best games of the season between two of the hottest teams in the NHL.The Calgary Flames beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in a shootout Monday, earning their 10th straight win and matching a franchise record set by the 1978-79 Atlanta Flames.In an entertaining back-and-forth affair highlighted by an all-world goal by Johnny Gaudreau, it was Kris Versteeg who scored the lone tally in the skills competition to give Calgary the win.Pittsburgh's five-game win streak was snapped, but by earning a point, the Penguins are now tied with the Washington Capitals for the most points in the league with 95.The Flames are now tied with Anaheim for second in the Pacific Division, and you can't blame Calgary fans if they're thinking about playoff hockey that will be played a month from now at Scotiabank Saddledome. It's happening.Brian Elliott continued his excellent play in goal for the Flames, stopping 32 of the 35 shots he faced, and all three Penguins shootout attempts by some guys named Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Phil Kessel.Elliott's been in goal for nine of the 10 wins and should be back in the crease Wednesday when the Boston Bruins are in town as the 2016-17 Flames look to write their names in the Calgary record books.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Johnny Hockey at his finest.The ever-crafty Johnny Gaudreau single-handedly provided the Calgary Flames with a third-period lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins with a glorious rush.Gaudreau turnstiled Ron Hainsey before freezing Marc-Andre Fleury and depositing a perfect wraparound.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If there's one video that sums up the Arizona Coyotes' season, this is it.Captain Shane Doan and rookie Jakob Chychrun collided during the pregame warmup Monday night ahead of their game against the Colorado Avalanche.The club announced Doan was not on the bench to start the game, but the 40-year-old eventually emerged late in the first period.At least they only have 14 games left after this.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes love playing the New York Islanders. Especially Jaccob Slavin.The crew from Raleigh pummeled the home team in Brooklyn on Monday, beating the Islanders for the third time this season, and - again - scoring at will.The first meeting between the Hurricanes and Islanders was a 7-4 final for Carolina, the second was a 5-4 overtime Carolina win, and the Hurricanes exploded for eight goals Monday in an 8-4 victory.It's a brutal and costly loss for the Islanders, who went into the game trailing the Toronto Maple Leafs by a point for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Isles are now tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won across the river in Manhattan.As for Carolina, the club has now scored 20 goals against the Islanders in only three games, a crazy 11.7 percent of their 170 goals on the season.Slavin, the second-year Hurricanes defender, went into the game with two goals on the season, and he did one better, recording the first hat trick of his career. He had four NHL goals ahead of Monday's game.The teams will meet again Tuesday in Carolina. The Hurricanes - and Slavin - can't wait.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

PHILADELPHIA - Cam Atkinson scored twice and Brandon Dubinsky had the go-ahead goal in the third period to help the Columbus Blue Jackets set franchise records for wins and points in a season with a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.Zach Werenski and Sam Gagner also scored for the Blue Jackets, who have 44 wins and 94 points.Travis Konecny had a pair of goals and Brayden Schenn also scored for sagging Philadelphia, which has lost 10 of 15 to hurt its fading playoff chances. The Flyers began play six points out of a postseason spot with 15 games remaining.Dubinsky's power-play goal with 11:14 left snapped a 3-all tie. He beat Flyers goalie Steve Mason to the glove side with a wrist shot into the top right corner after an excellent screen in front by Scott Hartnell. The goal followed a rouging minor on Konecny.Atkinson got his second of the game and 32nd of the season with 20.9 seconds remaining on an empty-netter.Konecny's penalty marred an otherwise stellar game by the Flyers rookie.He scored his first of the game with 5:50 left in the first period on a wrist shot from the left circle that beat Sergei Bobrovsky on the glove side to pull Philadelphia to 2-1.And the Flyers went in front 3-2 by scoring the first two goals of the second period.Schenn scored his 20th of the season and NHL-leading 15th on the power play with a one-timer from the slot that tied the game at 4:23. Konecny made it 3-2 with 8:57 left in the period with a wrist shot from a sharp angle that went over Bobrovsky's glove. It was his 10th of the season and the first two-goal game of his career.Werenski tied it at 3 with a shot from the point that went under the left arm of a screened Mason with 5:30 remaining in the second.Konecny appeared to record a hat trick with 2:44 left in the period, but his goal was disallowed after officials ruled the net was dislodged prior to the puck crossing the goal line.Philadelphia converted one of its five power-play opportunities in a penalty-filled second period for Columbus. The Blue Jackets received 16 total minutes of penalties in the period.First-period goals by Gagner and Atkinson gave Columbus an early 2-0 lead.Gagner opened the scoring with 12:18 left in the first with his 18th goal of the season and fourth in the last 10 games with a slap shot from the slot that zoomed past Mason's glove. Atkinson extended his career high for goals with his 31st after he finished a pretty move on a breakaway with a forehand shot that put Columbus ahead 2-0 just 60 seconds after Gagner's tally.Atkinson was back on the ice following Saturday's scary injury when he received 17 stitches in his left shoulder after being cut by the skate of Buffalo's Marcus Foligno.NOTES: Flyers D Brandon Manning (upper body) wasn't in the lineup, one game after his deflection of Drew Stafford's dump-in shot with 5.6 seconds left gave Boston a 2-1 win over Philadelphia on Saturday. . Columbus' Nick Foligno (illness) didn't play. . Blue Jackets D Ryan Murray is out four to six weeks after breaking his hand in Saturday's 5-3 loss at Buffalo. . Philadelphia's Claude Giroux extended his point streak to four games with an assist on Schenn's goal. . Columbus took a 2-0 lead in the season series. The teams have two games remaining, March 25 at Columbus and April 8 in Philadelphia. . Seth Jones had two assists for Columbus.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rather nasty.Carolina Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner made good on a penalty shot Monday, deking the pads off New York Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss before finishing on his backhand.It was his second goal of the game and 23rd of the season.The goal was the 11th on the night in Brooklyn, which put the 'Canes up 7-4. Carolina eventually won 8-4, in what was a huge loss for the Isles, who have been dominant on home ice.Carolina was down 3-2 at one point in the second period, before exploding for four goals in five minutes.Rematch on Tuesday in Raleigh, in what's another massive game for the Islanders.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.