Once upon a time, the toast of Tampa Bay was the "Triplets" line.The Tampa Bay Lightning trio of Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, and Ondrej Palat was one of the game's best for quite a stretch before getting split up and slotted in with different linemates.Head coach Jon Cooper put the "Triplets" back together for the club's tilt against the Edmonton Oilers at the end of February and they've been dominating ever since.In the five games since reuniting, the three forwards have posted a combined 24 points - Kucherov leads the way with an impressive 13 points through those five contests, followed by Johnson's seven and Palat's four.Not every one of those 24 points came strictly from the trio's play together, some coming on the power play, but Cooper's decision to reunite his former top line seems to have spurred an overall offensive resurgence for the Lightning.They kept things rolling Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres as Johnson scored his 19th goal of the year, with Kucherov earning a helper on the tally.

Two Toronto legends in one room.Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin grabbed a photo with Drake prior to the Canadian singer's concert Saturday at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm.

With an assist on Ryan O' Reilly's first-period goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night, Jack Eichel extended to his point streak to nine games.The streak is now the longest by a Buffalo Sabres player since the 2009-10 season, when Tim Connolly recorded at least a point in 16 consecutive games.Eichel has 12 points during his streak, which dates back to Feb. 14, and 41 points in 44 games on the year.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Few videos better encapsulate the Colorado Avalanche's season.With a clear breakaway on Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck, Avalanche forward Blake Comeau elected to pass to teammate Nathan MacKinnon, only for the play to be picked off by Jets winger Patrik Laine.The play happened with about seven minutes remaining in the second period Saturday, with the Avalanche already down 5-0.Colorado has won 17 of 62 games this season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Classic Patrik.Winnipeg Jets rookie Patrik Laine was back at it again on Saturday. The 18-year-old unloaded a slap shot to the top corner on Colorado Avalanche goalie Calvin Pickard, giving his club a 1-0 lead early into the first period.The goal was Laine's 32nd of the year, putting him in sole possession of second place in the league and just two goals shy of league-leader Sidney Crosby.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There's no question rookie phenom Patrik Laine has been an invaluable piece of the Winnipeg Jets' puzzle this season, but a closer look at the numbers reveals just how important his production has been.

For the past two seasons, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been among the cream of the Eastern Conference crop.The club has three straight second-place division finishes under its belt in as many years, and - more impressively - has earned a conference final trip and a Stanley Cup final appearance in the past two campaigns.But this time around, the Lightning are far from continuing that impressive postseason streak. As it currently stands, the former Cup finalists are in need of a strong finish to even earn a shot at the playoffs.Through 63 games, the Lightning rank sixth in the Atlantic Division and five points out of a wild-card spot with some decent teams standing between them and a postseason berth.A 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night didn't help, and head coach Jon Cooper said performances like those simply continue to turn up the heat for the struggling club."We weren't going to go 20-0, but it makes (Saturday's) game pivotal," Cooper said after the loss, according to Fox Sports Florida. "We have no margin for error. We need these points."The Lightning will square off against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. Though the two teams seemed to be in completely different situations coming into 2016-17, they now find themselves level."Buffalo's in the same position we are," Cooper said. "We're all scratching and clawing to get into this, so we just need to scratch a little harder."(Photo courtesy: USA Today Sports)The Sabres sit just one point below Tampa Bay, having played one more game. A win on Saturday would move them past the Lightning, tying them with the Philadelphia Flyers.Tampa Bay also has to deal with the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, both of whom sit between the Lightning and a wild-card spot.It seems general manager Steve Yzerman was wise to hang on to franchise centerman Steven Stamkos last summer, as his club is now seeing the effects of the captain's absence.While Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov have taken a step forward this season, and Jonathan Drouin has finally begun to show his true potential, the loss of Stamkos to injury in November has been a thorn in the Lightning's side.The club has just 19 wins in the 46 games that have followed Stamkos' exit, the fifth-least in the league over that span. While the captain is reportedly skating again, it's unclear how close he is to a return. Which means it isn't going to get any easier for the Lightning.Even with a miraculous late-season run pushing them back into the playoff picture, it seems the Lightning are destined for the second of the two wild-card spots at best (the New York Rangers hold the first one, and already have 18 points on Tampa).That would give them a date with the Washington Capitals in the first round, hungry Alex Ovechkin and recruited Kevin Shattenkirk in tow.Safe to say the Lightning's chances of three straight conference finals appearances are in serious jeopardy.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers were joined by some four-legged guests at practice Friday.As part of the team's partnership with Edmonton police, the Oilers invited the Edmonton Police Service Canine Unit to take part in their morning skate. The dogs chased pucks, played tug of war, and, of course, received plenty of pets.

On January 24th, the Calgary Flames' 2016-17 campaign looked poised to remain a miserable affair.With the club holding a 24-24-3 record, teetering between promise and disappointment, a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens had them positioned to spiral out of control.And their head coach was well aware.“We were pathetic,” head coach Glen Gulutzan said immediately after the loss, according to Sportsnet's Joe Pack. “It was a pathetic display. No bite back, no kick back, accept it right down, our top guys didn’t do anything and we need somebody to step up.”He wasn't done."Our starts have been good but one little shot goes in, we crumple. We just crumple. We have no resolve to stay with it; we have to look internally here at ourselves - everybody, everybody in the organization - and see how we’re going to pull ourselves out because the league doesn’t feel sorry for you."A little over a month after that spirited tirade, Gulutzan's club seems to have received the message. The Flames have rounded into shape, and they're doing far more than keeping their heads above water:

Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny will make his return to the lineup Saturday versus the Washington Capitals after missing nine games with an ankle injury, coach Dave Hakstol announced, according to Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly.The rookie winger has appeared in 51 games with the Flyers this season, registering seven goals and 15 assists.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kris Letang's injury appears to be a bit worse than originally thought.Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters Saturday that his star defenseman is going to need some extra time to recover."It's a little more complicated than day to day," he said. "We're just hoping it's not a long-term injury."Letang was initially deemed day to day with what the club would only refer to as an upper-body ailment. He's missed the last four games and has been limited to 41 of Pittsburgh's 63 contests with various injuries.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bill Peters thinks Eddie Lack is a problem, but the Carolina Hurricanes' issues go far beyond their backup goaltender.The head coach called Lack out in a lengthy tirade, staring in the direction of the netminder's stall and imploring the veteran to "make a (expletive) save" at the end of a fiery media scrum Friday.Lack hasn't been consistent, but he's a convenient scapegoat for a head coach of a team that has a couple of more pressing concerns.Take Carolina's starting goalie, Cam Ward, for example. Peters lamented the fact that he's had to rely on Ward to shoulder the bulk of the starts because of the backup's uneven play, but the No. 1 hasn't been good enough, either.Ward gave up three goals on 21 shots in a 4-2 loss to the lowly Arizona Coyotes on Friday night, and his last win came a month ago, on Feb. 4 against the New York Islanders.He's played 50 of the Hurricanes' 61 games, but he's hardly deserved the heavy workload. Here's how the other goalies with at least 50 games played have fared this season:GGPRecordGAASV%SOSergei Bobrovsky (CBJ)5033-15-42.13.9284Cam Talbot (EDM)5732-18-72.39.9205Martin Jones (SJ)5230-15-62.28.9152Tuukka Rask (BOS)5130-15-42.26.9136Peter Budaj (TB)5427-21-32.16.9167Frederik Andersen (TOR)5224-14-132.73.9163Ward5021-20-82.65.9042Peters' apparent gripe with Lack is that he doesn't play well even when he's given a rare opportunity, but he's essentially the least used backup in the NHL among No. 2 netminders who've served the role with the same team all season, although he missed about three months with a concussion suffered in November.The head coach was upset at Lack for allowing four goals on 16 shots in a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night, but he was two starts removed from a 34-save shutout of the Ottawa Senators.It's not just in goal where the Hurricanes' real problems lie.While they are one of the best possession teams in the NHL, they aren't parlaying that into much actual scoring. Carolina ranks 23rd in goals per game (2.48), and the Hurricanes' power play is also 23rd with a mere 17 percent rate of success.They're loaded with developing, young talent on defense, and the blue-liners are a major reason they've limited opponents to a fourth-best mark of 27.6 shots per contest, but the forwards aren't exactly an intimidating group, as a quick glance at the lines reveals:(Courtesy: Daily Faceoff)The Hurricanes sit dead last in the Eastern Conference at 25-26-10, but blaming a guy who has only played 16 percent of their games misses the point.Carolina isn't this bad because of Eddie Lack, and instead of lashing out at his backup goalie for struggling, despite having so few chances to prove himself, Bill Peters should turn his attention to the team's more important weaknesses.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues were on fire after making a coaching change last month, but things have suddenly gone downhill in a major way.The Blues' 3-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night was their fifth straight defeat, a skid that comes immediately after the club won seven of its first eight games under new head coach Mike Yeo.“This should be a good slap in the face for us,” Yeo said postgame, according to the Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I don’t know. I get the sense that sometimes we just assume, just think, that things are going to turn around for us."St. Louis was sitting comfortably in third place in the Central Division following a torrid stretch last month, but the wheels have fallen off since.The Blues are once again outside the playoff picture, back where they were just prior to Ken Hitchcock's firing on Feb. 1, sitting six points behind the Nashville Predators for third in the Central and one point back of the Los Angeles Kings for the second Western Conference wild-card spot.So what's gone wrong?It's mostly been bad luck. Of St. Louis' four losses prior to Friday's defeat, three were by a single goal, and the other one, a 4-2 win by the Chicago Blackhawks, was only decided by a two-goal margin because Tanner Kero scored an empty netter with three seconds left.Friday's three-goal margin was aided by two empty-net tallies from the Jets.The Blues' goaltending, which was their Achilles heel before the coaching change, improved drastically when Yeo took over and has continued to thrive.Jake Allen has rediscovered his form and backup Carter Hutton has also been reliable lately, posting three shutouts in four games before stopping 38-of-39 shots in a losing effort Friday night.Kevin Shattenkirk was traded to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, and his departure leaves a gaping hole in both ends of the rink. It hasn't made a major impact yet (admittedly in a small sample size), but it will certainly be worth monitoring how the Blues make up for his absence.St. Louis won the puck possession battle in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers and kept it close to even Friday night in Winnipeg.TeamCF%Blues56.34Oilers43.66Team CF%Blues47.67Jets52.33(Courtesy: Corsica Hockey)The Blues have the easiest remaining schedule in the NHL, according to Rutherford, but they'll need to covert more of their one-goal games into wins if they hope to play deep into the spring.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres will be without their top point producer for longer than they originally anticipated.Kyle Okposo is considered week to week with a rib injury, head coach Dan Bylsma told reporters Saturday morning.Bylsma said the forward's ailment is similar to the broken ribs sustained by teammate Evander Kane in October, according to NHL.com's Joe Yerdon.On Friday, the head coach ruled Okposo out of Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but declined to provide an update beyond that.Okposo was hurt in Thursday's win over the Arizona Coyotes.The Sabres' prized July 1 acquisition ranks second on the club behind Kane with 19 goals and leads the team with 43 points.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Saturday, March 4 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

Turns out Alex Ovechkin doesn't just deliver on the ice.The Wasington Capitals star spent his off day Friday helping Papa John's make and deliver pizza in northern Virginia.

Curtis McElhinney likened a crucial in-game lapse to a common recurring dream."I guess we got caught with our pants down and it ended up costing us the game," the Toronto Maple Leafs backup goaltender told reporters, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton, after the Anaheim Ducks scored twice in a 16-second span in the second period to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish in a 5-2 victory.Jakob Silfverberg tied the contest and Rickard Rakell gave the Ducks a 3-2 advantage with his second goal of the game and 26th of the season.Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock wasn't thrilled about the defensive breakdowns that he believes led to a trio of Anaheim goals.

Chicago Blackhawks netminder Scott Darling will be on the shelf for three weeks with an upper-body injury, coach Joel Quenneville announced Friday.Darling has appeared in 26 games with the Blackhawks this season, posting a 16-5-2 record with a .931 save percentage.The Blackhawks recalled minor-league goalie Jeff Glass to play backup to Corey Crawford on Friday versus the New York Islanders.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

</iframe</figure><p>Blink and you'll miss it.</p><p>The <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/21" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/21">Anaheim Ducks</a> tallied twice in 16 seconds Friday versus the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/5" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/5">Toronto Maple Leafs</a>, as forwards <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/players/2009" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/2009">Jakob Silfverberg</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/players/2075" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/2075">Rickard Rakell</a> combined to put the Ducks ahead 3-2.</p><p>Rakell's goal marked his second of the game after he opened the scoring in the first period.</p><p>(Video courtesy: <a href="https://www.nhl.com/video/rakell-knocks-in-his-2nd-goal/t-283377442/c-49973203">NHL.com</a>)</p>The Anaheim Ducks tallied twice in 16 seconds versus the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, with Rickard Rakell putting the puck past Curtis McElhinney shortly after Jakob Silfverberg did the same, giving the Ducks a 3-2 lead.Rakell's goal marked his second of the contest after he opened the scoring in the first period.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings put a halt on the Calgary Flames' victory speeches Friday night, tying things up with less than a second left on the clock after trailing 2-1 through the second and third periods.Red Wings forward Tomas Tatar earned the crucial tally, netting his team-leading 15th of the season in timely fashion.The Flames wound up clinching the game in overtime with a slap-shot goal from Mikael Backlund, but at least Tatar did his part to try to bring his team back from the brink.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With five straight playoff appearances in the past half-decade and one of the game's top scorers on their roster, it's tough to imagine the St. Louis Blues missing the postseason in 2017. But heading into the campaign's home stretch, the club finds itself on the outside looking in, with its marquee star posting nothing but goose eggs.Vladimir Tarasenko, the Blues' unequivocal leading man, is due his fair share of the blame for a string of losses. While he's had a strong year overall, amassing 56 points through 63 games, the Russian star hasn't been doing much for his club lately.Tarasenko posted his fourth straight pointless affair Friday night as St. Louis was shut out by the Winnipeg Jets, dropping its fifth straight game.And that dry spell is notably out of character for the Russian star. His current four-game stretch ranks as the first time all season he's gone more than two games without a point.It's certainly not ideal timing for the Blues, as the club sits just outside the Western Conference wild-card picture with 67 points to their name. The Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings remain above them with 72 and 68 points, respectively.Winnipeg, fresh off stomping the Blues, now sits at 64 points - just a handful below St. Louis.The Blues still have a fair shot at a postseason berth, as the four clubs below the Jets don't seem likely to put together miraculous late-season runs. But with the Flames on a tear and the Kings adding an interesting deadline piece in Jarome Iginla, St. Louis is on thin ice.There's no question the team's in dire need of a win to right the ship, but it's unlikely that comes without their most dangerous weapon, Tarasenko, finding his form as soon as possible.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Take away three of the top four defensemen for any NHL club and see how long they stay afloat. The results will likely be pretty grim.But that hasn't been the case for the Pittsburgh Penguins, as general manager Jim Rutherford has steadied the ship with some astute wheeling and dealing once again.The club saw another example of their manager's deadline-day savvy during their 5-2 drubbing of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night, as Rutherford's fingerprints were all over the win.New additions Ron Hainsey and Mark Streit both shone for Pittsburgh, the game serving as the first in Penguins colors for the latter defender.Streit tallied the game-winning goal and added an assist, registering his first multi-point game since early December and his first goal in 21 appearances. Hainsey, meanwhile, led the team in ice time, skating for 25:07.(Photo courtesy: USA Today Sports)And the Penguins' back end did quite a job. Tampa Bay came into the tilt having scored four or more goals in five of its last 10 games - the Lightning had nine tallies in their past two contests alone.With Hainsey and Streit carrying the bulk of the defensive load - both seeing more ice than former first-pairing option Brian Dumoulin - Pittsburgh kept the Lightning to just two goals. Of course, having Matt Murray behind them surely helped, as did having star forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel doing plenty of damage in front of them.There's no doubt the talent of the Penguins' core has helped their new additions transition easily, but even so, it's tough to argue with Rutherford's results over the past few seasons.Trade acquisitions Trevor Daley and Justin Schultz have both looked phenomenal since coming to the Steel City, as has the oft-maligned Kessel.The latter two did work during Pittsburgh's win over the Lightning as well, with Schultz posting a goal and an assist and Kessel registering two helpers.If Hainsey and Streit continue to chip in as they did on Friday night, it's fair to assume the Penguins can hold their place and gain some steam heading into the playoffs once again.That's a frightening proposition for the rest of the Eastern Conference, considering talented blue-liners Kris Letang, Olli Maatta, and Daley could all be back for the postseason, adding even more skill to the Penguins' potent lineup.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If the season ended today, the Columbus Blue Jackets would earn their highest division finish in franchise history.The club ranks second in the Metropolitan, though just two points above the Pittsburgh Penguins with 20 games to go. Even if Sidney Crosby and Co. overtake them, the Jackets appear likely to finish no lower than third, which would match their previous best, set back in 2005-06.Needless to say, it's been a good year for the former basement-dweller, as Columbus has emerged as one of the league's best on both ends of the rink. Their 3.19 goals per game rank fifth-most among all NHL clubs, while their 2.34 goals against rank third-lowest.But one key characteristic separates the Jackets: age.While the rest of the league's top contenders - the Penguins, Washington Capitals, Minnesota Wild, and Chicago Blackhawks - rank among the league's 10 oldest teams in terms of average age, Columbus sits on the other end of the spectrum.With an average age of 26.6, they're in fact the seventh-youngest team in the NHL, roughly level with the rookie-led Toronto Maple Leafs.That discrepancy is significant, as it speaks to what Columbus' 2016-17 success really means. Nothing is guaranteed, but this doesn't appear to be a flash of brilliance on an otherwise mediocre timeline.The Blue Jackets have enough pieces to make waves come playoff time, and with their youth playing a key role, that success is looking sustainable.A look at who's carrying the mail in Columbus makes this clear. Of the club's top 10 goal-scorers, six are under the age of 25, just approaching their prime:PlayerAgeGoalsCam Atkinson2729 GoalsNick Foligno2922 Goals*Brandon Saad2419 Goals*Josh Anderson2214 GoalsSam Gagner2714 GoalsScott Hartnell3413 Goals*Alexander Wennberg2212 Goals*Boone Jenner2312 Goals*Seth Jones2210 Goals*Zach Werenski199 GoalsThe Jackets haven't seen the best of the majority of that top-10 group, while the team's top scorer, Cam Atkinson, is just hitting his stride.The league's other top clubs are working on much shorter timelines.Pittsburgh has just two players under age 25 among its top 10 goal-scorers, while Washington, Chicago, and Minnesota each have three. Those teams will likely dominate for the next few seasons, but, with most of their top weapons getting on in age, their inevitable decline isn't far.Whether Columbus is ready to truly contend with those powerhouses remains to be seen, but it's clear the Jackets are miles beyond their fellow young gun squads.As compared to the rest of the 10 youngest teams, they've achieved the most overall success by far. The Edmonton Oilers are the only other team among that group to rank even in the top half of their conference heading into the season's home stretch.Toronto has its crew of elite rookies in Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. Edmonton has the game's next No. 1 star in Connor McDavid. But if we're talking depth and the ability to put it all together for team-wide results, the future looks to belong to the jackets.It's an unexpected turn of events, to say the least.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Asked on Friday how he plans to fix his team's defensive miscues, Winnipeg Jets bench boss Paul Maurice didn't pass up the opportunity to take a dig at a coaching colleague."We've had players come in that didn't get here because they have those great sticks, great reads naturally. That has to be developed, and it's going to take time to develop that," Maurice told reporters. "The mistakes that I made, I did just a horrible job in relation to my colleague (Toronto Maple Leafs coach) Mike Babcock in selling our age and the mistakes."When (the Maple Leafs) have lost a game, it's just a wonderful learning experience, and they win and it's a triumph of character. We have the opposite thing going on here. But that's my choice, because I don't ever want to walk into a season and say we're not here to win the Stanley Cup."According to NHLNumbers.com, the Maple Leafs are the league's eighth-youngest club (26.8 years old on average), while the Jets are the second-youngest, at 25.8.The Jets and Maple Leafs have been linked by rookie sensations Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews, with the Jets freshman outpacing Matthews by a single point. Last month, Babcock noted Laine has the added bonus of playing with center Mark Scheifele, who has put up 65 points this season, while Matthews has been lined up with "two kids."The teams split their season series one game apiece, with Winnipeg grabbing a 5-4 overtime win on Oct. 19, and Toronto winning by the same outcome Feb. 21. They won't meet again this season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With change comes opportunity.Poised to miss the playoffs for the fifth straight campaign, the Arizona Coyotes will use the final weeks of the season to evaluate their roster.Part of that evaluation will include young forward Anthony Duclair, recalled from the AHL on Wednesday. The scoring winger struggled through his second season in the NHL, so much so that he was demoted in January.After he collected just nine points through the first 41 games of the season, the Coyotes sent Duclair to the minors, believing he could find his confidence and scoring touch with some time in the AHL.Duclair recorded eight points in 16 games with the Tucson Roadrunners, but came away with only a single goal. He scored 20 goals with the Coyotes last season.With his stint in the minors not working as planned, the Coyotes elected to bring Duclair back to the big leagues."We want him to play to his potential. He set a standard for his play last year that he has to get back to," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett told reporters. "For whatever reason, he hasn't come close to that this year."Duclair will be in the lineup Friday when the Coyotes take on the Carolina Hurricanes."Play better, earn some confidence, which I'm not sure he did, so we'll see how it goes up here," Tippett said when asked what the team had hoped to achieve by having Duclair play in Tucson. "We've got to have a look at him. We've got to see where we're at with him."The Coyotes acquired Duclair from the New York Rangers at the 2015 trade deadline in the deal that sent blue-liner Keith Yandle to Manhattan. Duclair made his debut with the Coyotes last season and had some success alongside fellow rookie Max Domi, but that performance hasn't carried forward to 2016-17."We're looking to give him an opportunity to show that he can get back to that potential," Tippett said. "He needs to use these last games to re-establish himself as an NHL player."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders' blue line is about to receive a major boost.Defenseman Travis Hamonic will make his return to the lineup Friday versus the Chicago Blackhawks after missing 24 games with a lower-body injury.Hamonic's last appearance came Jan. 7 against the Arizona Coyotes. He has registered two goals and 10 assists with New York this season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames' top line has been a work in progress for the past year, but it seems an unlikely candidate has finally secured the plum gig of skating with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.A rotating cast of wingers has taken turns filling the void since veteran Jiri Hudler was dealt at last season's deadline, but none have looked particularly impressive.A week-and-a-half ago, head coach Glen Gulutzan switched things up, moving hard-nosed winger Micheal Ferland up to the big time.Expectations were low, as Ferland had tried and failed to make a significant impact on the top line in the past. But this time, something clicked.The 24-year-old recorded his first career multi-goal effort in his return to Monahan's wing. He's added two more goals in the four games since, after posting just three in the 23 games leading up to his top-line assignment.Gaudreau and Monahan have added a combined 13 points in the five games with Ferland as well, with the big-bodied winger doing a fine job of clearing space for his new mates.It's more than just a case of Ferland cashing in on his linemates' skillful plays. That much was made clear by the lack of success that came with the duo's previous wingers. The trio's success is grounded in a balance of style - Ferland bringing a blend of physicality and silky smooth scoring touch to complement Gaudreau's elite playmaking ability and Monahan's quick trigger.

There will be no further comment from Antoine Vermette regarding his suspension.The Anaheim Ducks center will no longer appeal the 10-game ban he landed after slashing an NHL official last month, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.Vermette was involved in a stick incident with linesman Shandor Alphonso during a Feb. 14 contest against the Minnesota Wild. The action landed the veteran forward a game misconduct.According to the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, abuse of an official is automatic grounds for suspension. Vermette ultimately appealed the suspension before NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who upheld the 10-game sentence.Vermette has not played since Feb. 14, missing five contests. He will need to serve the remaining five games of his suspension before he can return to the lineup Mar. 12 against the Washington Capitals.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Peter Budaj will need to be sharp in his first game with the Tampa Bay Lightning.The veteran netminder gets the call Friday versus the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, marking his debut with the Lightning following a trade from the Los Angeles Kings on SundayBudaj was acquired in a deal that sent former Lightning netminder Ben Bishop to Los Angeles.He appeared in 53 games with the Kings this season posting a 27-20-3 record, alongside a .917 save percentage, and 2.12 goals-against average. Budaj has posted seven shutouts on the season, one back of Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby for the league lead.The Lightning own a 29-25-8 record on the season and sit four points outside of the final wild-card seed in the East. A win against the Penguins would see the Lightning leapfrog the Philadelphia Flyers, one of three clubs that stands between Tampa and a playoff position.Budaj, 34, is a pending unrestricted free agent.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jeff Blashill is keeping the faith.The Detroit Red Wings bench boss is confident his club is playoff-bound, pointing to its captain as a means for his optimism."I believe we will make the playoffs because of Henrik Zetterberg," Blashill told Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.Zetterberg leads the Red Wings with 48 points in 61 games, but the team as a whole hasn't been nearly as successful.Detroit sits last place in the Eastern Conference, holding down 60 points through 61 games, and sitting 10 points back of a playoff position.Should the Red Wings miss the postseason, it will be the first time since 1990.Only the Chicago Blackhawks (1970-97) and Boston Bruins (1968-96) have longer playoff streaks in NHL history, standing at 28 and 29 straight, respectively.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike Cammalleri will miss about a week with an upper-body injury, New Jersey Devils coach John Hynes announced Friday, according to Andrew Gross of The Record.Cammalleri suffered the injury in Thursday's contest against the Washington Capitals.The veteran winger has appeared in 55 games with the Devils this season, registering 10 goals and 20 assists. He dressed for the past four games after being a healthy scratch for the previous two contests.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Olli Jokinen is apparently riding off into the sunset with the right team.The former NHL star will retire as a Florida Panther before Tuesday's game against the New York Rangers, according to George Richards of the Miami Herald.The Star Tribune's Michael Russo clarified that Jokinen will be officially retiring Saturday prior to Tuesday's ceremony.Jokinen hasn't played in the NHL since 2014-15, but he enjoyed his best years in the Sunshine State, notching at least 34 goals in four of his seven seasons with Florida.The 38-year-old posted a career-high 39 goals and 91 points with the Panthers in 2006-07.He'll hang up the skates with 321 goals, 750 points, and 1,231 career games played in 17 seasons with 10 different teams.Jokinen ranks third all time in goals among Finnish-born NHLers behind Teemu Selanne and Jari Kurri, and fourth in points behind Selanne, Kurri and Saku Koivu.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bill Peters has found his scapegoat.The Carolina Hurricanes head coach went on a long rant about backup goaltender Eddie Lack - who stopped only 12 of 16 shots in a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday - when prompted by reporters Friday."Well, you’ve got to push,” Peters said, according to The News & Observer's Chip Alexander. “One guy has played 10 games. Eddie has played 10 games and was poor in his last outing, let’s not kid ourselves, right? There were 16 shots, four went in. Not good enough. You look at his numbers in the league, they’re not good enough."Peters' comments came in response to a question about how the Hurricanes' final 22 games would be split between Lack and starter Cam Ward.“So I don’t think it’s much of a competition," Peters added. "We’ve got a guy who’s well ahead of the other guy. That’s what I see and the numbers back that up. So when he gets in another game, you better play. You better earn some respect from your teammates. Your teammates are out there working their bag off. You better get some saves and a timely save at the right time wouldn’t hurt."The head coach had a moment of self-realization before continuing to criticize his No. 2 netminder.“That’s a little bit honest, eh? I just looked it up. You look up any goalie who has played 10 games in the National Hockey League and the top 60 in save percentage, I know who’s 60. There’s 30 teams. Not good enough."He then punctuated the media session with a stern ultimatum, according to Alexander:

"On the Fly," theScore's NHL roundtable series, is back for an awards edition. We're handing out hardware as teams hit the stretch run.Believe it or not, the NHL's regular season will wrap up in five-and-a-half weeks. Time flies when every team except the Avalanche and Coyotes can still make the playoffs.Through three quarters of the season, here are our picks for the annual major awards.Hart Trophy: Connor McDavidSean O'Leary: Before we dive into this, a quick reminder: the Hart Trophy is for "the player judged most valuable to his team," so save the "Who's the best player in the NHL" debates for Twitter and your local pub.Sidney Crosby and Brent Burns are having remarkable seasons, no question, but subtract Crosby from the Penguins and there's still Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, etc.Burns undoubtedly drives the bus for the Sharks, but some of his passengers aren't too shabby in their own right.That's why McDavid's the MVP. He's carried the Oilers well into the playoff race and is 18 points clear of Leon Draisaitl for the team lead. Subtract McDavid from Edmonton, and it's a near certainty the Oilers' postseason drought continues for an 11th season.McDavid is on pace for a league-leading 92 points, and even if he winds up losing out on the Art Ross (he currently holds a four-point gap on Patrick Kane), it shouldn't effect his case for the Hart.Last season's shoulder injury somewhat delayed McDavid's ascent to NHL superstardom, but now he's here to stay, and he should be just the third player - joining Crosby and Wayne Gretzky - in league history to win MVP before turning 21.Vezina Trophy: Braden HoltbyIan McLaren: This year's top goalie award seems destined to come down to Braden Holtby vs. Devan Dubnyk.Both players are set to challenge for the league lead in wins as members of the Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild, respectively, and both sit near the top of the list in terms of save percentage.At this point in the season, however, it's Holtby who's got the edge, despite trailing slightly in those categories.What's giving the Capitals netminder a distinct advantage right now is his save percentage at five-on-five. Among the 16 goalies with at least 2,000 minutes of ice time, Holtby leads the pack, stopping 94.1 percent of shots at even strength. Dubnyk, for the record, ranks second at 93.9.It'll be a tight race, but at the three-quarter mark, the Vezina is Holtby's to lose.Norris Trophy: Brent BurnsNavin Vaswani: There are defensemen, and there is Brent Burns.Not only is Burns the highest-scoring defenseman in the NHL, his remarkable 67 points in 63 games are tied for third among all players with Brad Marchand and Crosby. He's only five points back of McDavid.His 27 goals rank 10th, and he leads the league in shots on goal. He plays just shy of 25 minutes a game in all situations. He is the undisputed leader of the San Jose Sharks, who have every intention of reaching the Stanley Cup Final again, and this time winning it.It's possible, should Burns go on a run, that he wins the Art Ross Trophy, the Rocket Richard Trophy, the Norris Trophy, and the Hart Trophy. It's possible, should he go on a run, that Burns puts the finishing touches on one of the most dominant seasons by a defenseman in NHL history.This year, there is no debate. If it isn't unanimous this summer, it should have been. Burns is the Norris winner.Calder Trophy: Patrik LaineJosh Gold-Smith: Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews have gone toe-to-toe for the top rookie honor all season, and while both players will surely be nominated, Laine deserves to win it at this point.The Winnipeg Jets winger has a one-point edge over his Toronto Maple Leafs counterpart for the overall lead among rookies, and the race isn't as close as it might seem when you consider he's done it in seven fewer games.Laine's also playing more, averaging 18:10 in ice time compared to Matthews' 17:48, and while Matthews plays a more demanding position, he's being outproduced.This is by no means an indictment of the 2016 No. 1 overall pick, who's been fantastic, nor is it an indication of how the rest of their careers will play out. It's clear, though, that with about a quarter of the season left, the player selected immediately after Matthews has the inside track for this award.Jack Adams Award: John TortorellaCraig Hagerman: John Tortorella deserves to win his second Jack Adams Award.After a disastrous campaign last season that saw the Blue Jackets finish second last in the Eastern Conference and 27th overall, the team has done a 180 and is currently flirting with the fourth-best record in the NHL.Highlighted by a 16-game winning streak that came just one victory shy of tying the NHL record, the Blue Jackets have quickly become one of the most consistent clubs in the league, sitting in the top five in both goals for and goals against.The drastic turnaround is thanks to improved performances by some of the club's top players, while some big coaching decisions by Torts appear to have paid dividends.Earlier in the season, Tortorella put an end to the team's morning skates, feeling they did nothing to aid the club. He also did his best to part with his frequently barbaric attitude in lieu of a more calming approach, and the players appear to have responded positively for it.The Blue Jackets are one of the many teams to fear in the Metropolitan Division, and the club has Tortorella to thank for steering the ship.Selke Trophy: Mikko KoivuVaswani: The captain of the Minnesota Wild deserves some love, especially considering the dominant season his team is having.Mikko Koivu's an elite faceoff man, and trails only Ryan Kesler - who deserves major Selke consideration, as well - for the most draws won in the defensive zone. It's no surprise, then, that Koivu starts almost two-thirds of his shifts in the defensive zone. But he's also producing, and is on pace to hit the 60-point mark for the first time since 2011.The Wild don't play the possession game - that's not Bruce Boudreau's style - and Dubnyk's been otherwordly in goal, but Koivu's a big reason why Minny is one of the best defensive teams in the league.(Photos courtesy: USA TODAY Sports, Getty Images, Reuters)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Antoine Roussel probably won't play again until the fall.The Dallas Stars announced Friday the forward will miss the next six-to-eight weeks with a hand ailment, and head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed he's likely done for the season.Roussel was hurt in Thursday night's loss to the New York Islanders.He was two points away from tying a career high of 29 set in 2013-14 and equaled in 2015-16. His 12 goals were also only two back of his career-best mark set three years ago.Roussel notched his first career hat trick Feb. 18 in a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.He appeared in at least 80 games in each of the previous three seasons, and he's in his fifth campaign with the Stars, who signed him out of the AHL in 2012 after he went undrafted in 2010.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens are rewarding a forward who's near the top of the AHL's scoring race.Chris Terry has signed a one-year extension with Montreal, the club announced Friday, and Sportsnet's Eric Engels reports it's a one-way contract.Terry ranks fifth in the AHL with 21 goals and sits tied for second with 50 points in 38 games for the St. John's IceCaps. His 1.32 points per game mark is tops among AHLers with at least 24 games played this season.The 27-year-old winger is playing 2016-17 on a two-way deal, having appeared in 14 NHL contests with the Canadiens earlier in the campaign.Terry spent nine seasons in the Carolina Hurricanes' organization after they made him a fifth-round pick in 2007.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 3 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

The James Reimer signing is looking more and more like a stroke of genius.The Florida Panthers backup goaltender was stellar again Thursday night in relief of the injured Roberto Luongo, and he'll be counted on to keep it up now that the 37-year-old will miss at least a week after aggravating a nagging ailment that's apparently related to his hip problems from a season ago.Luongo's injuries and subpar play have allowed Reimer to secure a larger share of the work than most backups, and he's seized the opportunity. Here's how the two goalies have stacked up over the course of the season:GoalieGPRecordGAASV %.Luongo4017-15-62.68.915Reimer2812-8-52.43.922Reimer has been particularly effective since the calendar flipped to 2017, outperforming Luongo considerably since Jan. 1:GoalieGPRecordGAASV%Luongo156-6-13.18.906Reimer137-3-22.24.929Luongo recently admitted Reimer deserves to be playing over him, and the veteran's latest injury concern further emphasizes the importance of the backup's presence in a crease that would be otherwise handed to journeyman Reto Berra, who was recalled Friday to serve behind Reimer.The oft-sidelined Luongo has played through hip and shoulder injuries over the last two seasons, and those woes, combined with his age, were clearly reasons that Panthers management sought a reliable backup with starting experience who could step in should Luongo be felled again.The signing of Reimer to a five-year, $17-million contract last July 1 was largely viewed as a smart move at the time, but the transaction appears more and more brilliant as Reimer continues to play well, and especially prescient now that Luongo's injury concerns have returned.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.Any starting goalie worth anything in fantasy hockey has long been owned in any sort of competitive league. Many others may be routinely streamed, but they are rarely used in consecutive appearances by the same owner, leaving them available to be scooped up at any moment by a competing owner.When it comes to maximizing statistical value, goaltender requires more research and preparation than any other fantasy position. Fantasy hockey leagues will vary depending on the customization preferences of the commissioner but the standard format sees the playoffs take place over a three-week stretch commencing Monday, March 13 and concluding Sunday, April 2.Here is a breakdown of when owners can expect teams to turn to their backups during the fantasy playoffs and a look at which valuable goaltenders may be worth an immediate stash. Even if these goalies are never used, it's better to have the option in the event of needing one final win or a shutout to win either category.All but four NHL teams will play at least one back-to-back during the three-week stretch of the fantasy playoffs. Fourteen teams will play two back-to-backs and one club, the New York Rangers, will play three. Thirteen teams will play at least one back-to-back during the championship week, with only the Carolina Hurricanes twice playing on consecutive days in the final week.The following chart looks at the each team's second opponent, where the backup goalie would be most likely to play. xGF60 is the team's expected goals for rate per 60 minutes. All three stats are considered at 5v5 and all stats are courtesy of Corsica.Hockey:TeamOpponentSOG/60GF/60xGF60ANA@ CGY29.592.102.35BOS@ CHI29.722.532.43CARvs. DET/@ PIT28.23/34.452.32/2.922.37/3.03CLB@ CHI29.722.532.43DAL@ TB29.812.242.43DET@ CAR29.502.082.77MINvs. COL28.131.712.04NJ@ PHI27.491.812.23NYIvs. NJ30.422.642.48PHI@ NYR28.852.692.59SJ@ CGY29.592.102.35TBvs. DAL30.732.372.66The most ideal opponents for streaming against will be on the road, have a moderately high SOG/G and low GF/60 and xGF/60. Favor a xGF60 lower than a GF60.With this in mind, we can focus in on ANA, DET, MIN, NJ and SJ for our streaming goaltenders.TeamOPPGoalie5v5 SV%OPP SOG/60xSVANA@ CGYJonathan Bernier89.7729.5926.56DET@ CARJared Coreau91.1429.5026.89MINvs. COLDarcy Kuemper91.1628.1325.64NJ@ PHIKeith Kinkaid92.1327.4925.33SJ@ CGYAaron Dell95.7929.5928.34Of the five backups, all but Bernier should be expected to play twice during the fantasy playoffs - at minimum - due to back-to-backs. Dell's meeting with the Calgary Flames, while on the road, offers the highest likely save total. Dell will have two other back-to-back opportunities, also playing the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators - both on the road - in the semi-final week.Dell is owned in under 10 percent of leagues. He has an all-situation save percentage of .935, a goals against average of 1.88 and a record of 8-3-1 in 11 starts and 13 appearances this season. The Sharks failed to upgrade at backup goaltender at the NHL trade deadline, but Dell will serve them, and fantasy owners, just fine.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Guy Boucher had a message for the haters after Alex Burrows' memorable debut with the Ottawa Senators."I wonder what people think of the trade now," the Senators head coach quipped to TSN 1200 after Burrows provided all of Ottawa's offense in a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.Watch: Burrows snipes 2nd of the gameThe new acquisition's impact on his teammates was apparently immediate."What I like about Alex is already on the bench, he was already starting to do his thing," Boucher said."He blocks shots, he had some huge hits, he's just a relentless guy and everything he does he does with everything he's got and that's contagious. That's exactly what we needed, that's what we wanted to have with our top-end players ... so we're more than excited to have him here."The Senators took a beating on social media after giving up talented prospect Jonathan Dahlen in the trade that landed them Burrows from the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, then took even more heat for signing the 35-year-old forward to a two-year contract extension shortly thereafter.It's only one game, and it shouldn't silence the scrutiny, but Burrows certainly made a statement in his first time playing for a different team in his 12-year career.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

LOS ANGELES - Kings captain Anze Kopitar snapped a 13-game goal drought in regulation and scored again in the shootout, leading Los Angeles back from a two-goal deficit in the third period for a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.Kopitar and Tanner Pearson scored early in the third to tie it for the Kings, who opened a seven-game homestand with a key win for their playoff hopes.Jonathan Quick stopped 29 shots and denied all three Maple Leafs players in the shootout, propelling Los Angeles to its first shootout victory in four tries since Oct. 22.Tyler Bozak and Nikita Zaitsev scored early goals for the Maple Leafs, losers of four straight. Toronto also fell to 1-8 in shootouts this season.Jarome Iginla played nearly 16 minutes in his debut with the Kings, who acquired the 39-year-old veteran from Colorado at the trade deadline on Wednesday. Wearing a black No. 88 jersey, Iginla got a warm reception from the sellout crowd at Staples Center.Frederik Andersen made 33 saves in his first trip back to Southern California since the Anaheim Ducks traded him to Toronto in the offseason.The Kings opened a seven-game homestand that could determine whether they miss the postseason for the second time in three seasons since winning their second Stanley Cup title in 2014. Los Angeles began the night one point behind St. Louis for the second wild card in the Western Conference.Bozak put the Maple Leafs ahead early in the first period, capitalizing on a fortunate rebound for his 15th goal. He has five 15-goal seasons during his eight-year career in Toronto.Zaitsev then scored on a long shot through traffic in the second period after Brian Boyle won a faceoff. The Russian defenseman might have received a fortunate deflection to beat Quick, who appeared to be badly screened.After 93 minutes of play without a goal, the Kings' scoring struggles ended when Kopitar's shot hit Zaitsev in the helmet and bounced past Andersen during a power play. Almost incredibly, Kopitar didn't score a goal in February.Pearson tied it 90 seconds later with his 22nd goal, nimbly keeping the puck away from Andersen's poke-check and sliding it under the Danish goalie.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sorry Nikita Zaitsev, but stuck in the midst of a down year, Anze Kopitar will take 'em any way he can get 'em.On a third period power play Thursday night, the Los Angeles Kings captain let a one-timer loose that was tracking well wide, until a deflection off Zaitsev's head pushed it right into the open goal.The bizarre marker was Kopitar's seventh of the season.(Video Courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It wasn't just an ordinary game for P.K. Subban.The charismatic blue-liner, playing in the Bell Centre for the first time in Nashville Predators colors, was the story all night long, and was put front and center prior to Thursday's puck drop with a touching video tribute.In the months since the Montreal Canadiens shipped him of town, speculation's swirled as to why Subban, clearly a fan favorite, didn't fit in the their future plans. Still, despite his shocking exit, Subban was moved by his so-called homecoming."It's a first-class organization, so I'd expect nothing less," Subban told reporters postgame.He was visibly overcome with emotion after the tribute, shedding tears while saluting his former home crowd."All those memories come back, whether it's stuff to do with the hospital or kids, family, teammates, whatever it is," Subban said. "I felt that I shared that with all the fans and the community here, I guess that's how it all came out."Subban managed an assist on the Predators' lone goal in the 2-1 loss.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.