Jaroslav Halak is making major saves in the minors.The now go-to goaltender for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the minor-league affiliate of the New York Islanders, has found his game since the big club demoted him Dec. 31.Appearing in 11 games since, Halak has come away with just one loss, owning a 8-1-1 record, a 2.11 goals-against average, and a .924 save percentage. Only six netminders with as many games have posted a better save rate.Halak's demotion was a curious move by the Islanders.The veteran netminder put up decent numbers in the NHL this season - his .904 save percentage was down from the previous year, but times were tough under then-Islanders coach Jack Capuano.

Chalk up another accolade for Scotty Bowman.Hockey Canada has announced the distinguished honorees of the 2017 class of the Order of Hockey in Canada, recognized for their outstanding contributions to the growth and development of hockey in Canada.Bowman, the legendary NHL coach, was among the honorees. He made his debut behind the bench with the St. Louis Blues in 1967, beginning a career that spanned five decades before his final season with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002.He coached the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups and captured five more as bench boss of the Montreal Canadiens between 1972-79. His coaching career also included stints with the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, leading the latter to a Stanley Cup in 1992.Bowman's 1,244 wins rank first in NHL history. He currently serves as a senior advisor with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he has won another three Stanley Cup championships.Murray Costello and Fran Rider were also among the distinguished honorees in the 2017 class.Costello served as vice-president of the IIHF from 2008-12. He directed the merge of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and Hockey Canada in 1994. He is also regarded for his involvement in the creation of the Program of Excellence and Canada's national women's team.Rider is the president and CEO of the Ontario Women's Hockey Association. Since 1982, she has chaired six international committees and two national women's under-18 championships. She was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame as the first female builder in 2015.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Fatima Al Ali, the member of the United Arab Emirates women's national team who was invited to Washington to meet with the Capitals as part of the NHL's "Hockey is for Everyone" month, took to the ice with the club Wednesday.Al Ali had the chance to take one-timer feeds from her favorite player, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, firing shots from his home on the power play.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)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.The following four line shuffles all come with significant fantasy implications. Some may be temporary, but in some cases they could be permanent if the players gel well together.Vladimir Tarasenko has been freed from Jori LehteraHow offensively inept is St. Louis Blues C Jori Lehtera you ask? Very. He spent virtually all of 2015-16 playing with RW Vladimir Tarasenko and registered just 34 points. In much of the same role this season, he has just 16 points in 49 games.Tarasenko, on the other hand, has continued to be one of the most prolific snipers the league has to offer, despite not playing alongside a premier playmaking center.C Paul Stastny is not an elite center by any stretch of the imagination, but he is a major upgrade over Lehtera. The veteran is a very smart passer and should see his point total begin to rise now playing with Tarasenko. He is worth an add in just about any fantasy league if you need help down the middle.Veteran winger Alexander Steen rounds out the line. He is also a pass-first player. His strong two-way game should create more chances offensively for the entire line. His dual position eligibility (LW/RW) makes him a worthy add if available.(Photo courtesy Getty Images)Promotion for Evander KaneKane has spent most of his time this season skating in a bottom-six role, usually alongside C Zemgus Girgensons or C/LW Johan Larsson and an ageing RW Brian Gionta.He has recently been reunited on a line with C Jack Eichel and C/RW Sam Reinhart. Eichel provides size and exceptional skill, Reinhart brings creativity and playmaking ability to the table and Kane contributes physicality, speed, size and the ability to finish. Together, they compliment each other very well.Buffalo plays seven games in the next 12 days, so plucking either Kane or Reinhart from the waiver wire could prove to be a savvy move.(Photo courtesy Getty Images)Big three reunited in the Music CityC Ryan Johansen, LW Filip Forsberg and RW James Neal have been reunited on Nashville's top line. The trio hasn't spent much time together this season but were very successful when they played together last season.Forsberg and Johansen have played together for much of the season, but usually with RW Viktor Arvidsson. Neal has 17 goals on the season but only seven assists. On pace for his lowest point total since his rookie season, now would be an excellent buy-low opportunity.(Photo courtesy Action Images)Crosby's new temporary linematesThe Penguins are dealing with multiple key injuries up front right now. They are missing C Evgeni Malkin, LW/RW Conor Sheary and LW Carl Hagelin.Sheary had found a home on Crosby's left wing, with Patric Hornqvist playing right wing. In order to provide some balance to the lineup, Hornqvist has been shuffled down to the third line.This leaves LW Chris Kunitz and RW Bryan Rust as Crosby's wingers. It won't last for long, but both players instantly become excellent bargains in daily fantasy as long as they remain on a line with Crosby.For the time being, Kunitz needs to be owned in banger leagues. The 37-year-old already has great chemistry with Crosby. He has five points in as many games and 145 hits on the season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It wasn't as if there was this detailed list of objectives set out in front of Sidney Crosby.Granted, you would have to imagine he picked up on what was implied, that he gathered when he was drafted first overall by the bankrupt Pittsburgh Penguins that it became his obligation to rescue the history-rich franchise, and restore it to former glory. And he at least went along with the orchestrated rivalry with Alex Ovechkin (which the NHL leaned on to mend its own profile), perhaps making it part of his purpose to carve out a richer career.But beyond salvaging a now-vibrant franchise valued at well over half a billion dollars and one-upping ostensibly the greatest goal-scorer of all time at almost every turn, the burden of expectation is ultimately only what the generational athlete makes it out to be.If you're connected to the hockey world, you've probably noticed a change in Crosby at some point over the last 12-plus months.Most discernible, he rose from the dead after a stagnant first few months of last season, re-establishing himself as the NHL's greatest player. The manifestation of that turnaround was, through the eyes of many, a legacy-cementing second Stanley Cup championship and first Conn Smythe Trophy.Months later, he showed up seemingly at ease to the World Cup of Hockey to star in the NHL's preseason international tournament. Unlike previous best-on-best competitions, where his arrival for Canada was onset, Crosby loomed larger than anyone else from start to finish.A pessimist would argue that his relaxed nature mirrored the significance of the put-on event. His approach this season, however, suggests that this is the new normal.At the height of his career, Crosby, 29, has transformed himself, becoming the most dominant, most innovative goal-scorer in the NHL today. He's on pace to rival his career high. Almost as if the season began with a challenge issued to himself. With his heightened goal-scoring prowess, he's driving the league's top-ranked offense, and is racking up points at an accelerated rate that even his heir apparent can't match.With Connor McDavid currently idle, Crosby will overtake the scoring lead with a single point versus the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.With two, he'll have 1,000 for his career.Crosby will be the 86th player ever to reach the milestone, and, in all likelihood, will become the 12th-fastest to do it (13th if you count Wayne Gretzky's second 1,000). By comparison in this era, Ovechkin reached the 1,000-point plateau earlier this season, but will have required in excess of 100 additional games to hit the millennial threshold.A thousand points will stand as another monumental feat for the superstar who seems less and less concerned with the standard that others placed on him, because he's completed every checkpoint en route to the Hall of Fame already.His legend is so that he's now operating with house money. Free rolls with so many potentially great seasons ahead.He's fulfilled all the demands imposed on him. It's why we should expect so much more.Only now, having accomplished virtually everything he can in the sport, Crosby can focus on actualizing the prophecy dictated by self.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.C/LW Tomas Hertl, San Jose SharksHertl has been limited to just 22 games this season due to injury, but he has been able to put up five goals and 11 points in his limited action. He's averaging more than two shots on goal per game, and his 10.2 shooting percentage could trend up toward his career rate.He has played almost exclusively on the Sharks' first line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. The threesome averages 63.32 shot attempts, 9.84 scoring chances and 3.05 expected goals for per 60 minutes of 5v5, per Corsica.Hockey. With 28 games remaining, he could double his season production.G Michal Neuvirth, Philadelphia FlyersNeuvirth has started to take over from lackluster Flyers G Steve Mason, picking up the team's past three starts and allowing just four goals on 60 SOG. Typically a slow starter for his career, February and April have been his two best single months for save percentage and goals against average. His career rates are better after the all-star break.He ranks 14th in average shot distance against among goalies with 50 5v5 minutes played, limiting the number of high-difficulty saves he needs to make. He won't have a full workload with Mason still present, but it should help keep him rested and at his best for most outings.RW Radim Vrbata, Arizona CoyotesVrbata's season is going horribly undervalued. While he has had stretches of inconsistent production leading to owners doubting him, he has gone three games without a point just twice, with no slump longer than four games. His 11 goals through 51 games are just two less than he had last year, and his shooting percentage remains well below his career rate.He has stuck on a line with C Martin Hanzal and LW/RW Tobias Rieder. Both Vrbata and Hanzal are UFAs at the end of the season and will surely be moved to contenders at the deadline, therefore increasing their fantasy value. Even if he remains in Arizona, he is providing consistent production and is widely available for free.C/LW Nick Cousins, Philadelphia FlyersCousins' usage has been fairly limited all season, playing primarily with C Sean Couturier and RW Matt Read on the Flyers' third line. With C/LW Travis Konecny (knee) sidelined for 4-6 weeks, Cousins is expected to move to the second line beside Couturier and RW Wayne Simmonds, while continuing to see time on the second power-play unit. He's not a high volume shooter, but he'll benefit from a spot opposite Simmonds for a prolonged period.LW Magnus Paajarvi, St. Louis BluesPaajarvi rejoined the Blues Tuesday, scoring for the first time since his first game with the club Dec. 13. He played over 13 minutes and tallied three SOG. He played mostly on a second line with C/LW Jaden Schwartz and C Patrik Berglund. The Blues are currently outside of the playoffs and will desperately try to get in, but they should provide Paajarvi the opportunity to fill a hole as a top-six winger.C/LW Alex Burmistrov, Arizona CoyotesBurmistrov had a very strong second half of January since being acquired by the Coyotes, putting up six points in seven games, playing as much as 20:44 in a game. He has gone without a point in three consecutive games, but he continues to see more ice time than he had with the Winnipeg Jets. He's playing with the talented Max Domi and rugged goal-scorer Jamie McGinn.Should Arizona move on from Vrbata and Hanzal, Burmistrov could move into a first-line role, where he'll be flanked by the team's top talent. This doesn't say a whole lot, but he would see a significant boost in ice time.D Mark Streit, Philadelphia FlyersAs Flyers D Shayne Gostisbehere continues to fall out of favor in Philadelphia, Streit's outlook brightens. The 39-year-old has played at least 18 minutes in all but one of his past 10 games, allowing him to post four assists. The most significant boost has come via increased power-play time, as he has replaced Gostisbehere on the top unit.He played over six minutes with the man advantage in his most recent game, with plenty of exposure to C Claude Giroux and RW Jakub Voracek.(Photos courtesy Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Veteran NHL forward Martin Havlat announced his retirement Wednesday.The Czech winger had stints with six clubs in his decorated career, including a five-year run with the Ottawa Senators. He appeared in two games with the St. Louis Blues last season, scoring one goal.Through 790 career games, Havlat tallied 242 goals and 352 assists, making two All-Star Game appearances (2007 and 2011).Drafted 26th overall by the Senators in 1999, he's the fourth-highest scorer among his draft class, behind only Daniel and Henrik Sedin, and Henrik Zetterberg.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Back to the drawing board.The Arizona Coyotes' search for a new local arena was sent back to square one on Friday, with the announcement that Arizona State University had withdrawn its involvement from a potential deal to build a new 16,000-seat arena at the Tempe campus.With ASU no longer an option, and with the team looking to move closer to its East Valley fan base, "four or five" other sites for an arena are now being considered, according to Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports."Admittedly, we felt (Tempe) was the best site and best path, but it isn't the only path," said Coyotes president and CEO Anthony LeBlanc. "We are re-engaging with other potential sites, and that process began in earnest (Friday) evening."Those options could include a private development with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale, a site near the MLB training facilities in Mesa, as well as a return to downtown Phoenix.The City of Phoenix has been open to a joint facility to house both the Coyotes and the NBA's Phoenix Suns. The two previously shared Talking Stick Resort Arena, where the Suns remain, until the Coyotes left for Glendale in 2003."It's certainly unfortunate that events played out the way they did, but the club has other options and is committed to remaining in the Valley," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said.In the meantime, the Coyotes will remain at Glendale's Gila River Arena. The arena lease expires at the end of the 2017-18 season, but has an option for renewal.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Not again.After a hot start to the 2015-16 season in which the Montreal Canadiens won 18 of their first 24 games, the wheels soon fell off, as the team finished with a mark of 38-38-6 and missed the postseason for the first time since 2012.Critics pointed to the loss of star goalie Carey Price, who missed all but 12 games with a knee injury, but a similar pattern has once again emerged this season, even with Price on the ice.SeasonFirst 15 GP (Pt %)Next 40 GP (Pt %)2015-1612-2-1 (.833)15-22-3 (.413)2016-1713-1-1 (.900)17-16-7 (.513)After kicking off the 2016-17 campaign with a 13-1-1 record - also going undefeated in regulation over the first 10 games - the Canadiens are just a single game above .500 over their past 40 games. In NHL math, the Canadiens failed to win 23 of those 40 contests.Related: Canadiens need to rediscover scoring touchTo be fair, Montreal hasn't gone without its share of key injuries. Top center Alex Galchenyuk missed 18 games with a knee injury that kept him out of the lineup for six weeks. He returned to the lineup Jan. 14 but missed another three games at the end of the month with a similar ailment.Meanwhile, winger Brendan Gallagher remains sidelined with a broken finger. He's since resumed skating but has now missed 16 games and counting.Still, all teams experience injuries, and the Canadiens' inability to find ways to win and stop such a long run of poor play has seemingly become the norm.Between the pipes, Price has drawn criticism of his own, losing his last five road games in a stretch that has seen his goals-against average climb to 3.45 and his save percentage plummet to .874.On Tuesday, the Canadiens dropped an embarrassing 4-0 decision to the Colorado Avalanche, who sit last in the NHL with just 32 points - less than half as many as Montreal's current total of 68.With three games remaining before the team's bye week - dates against the Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, and Boston Bruins - a return to Montreal's winning ways will be key to recovering what is quickly becoming another lost season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Playing the Washington Capitals in D.C.? It may be best not to bother.The Capitals have been an offensive juggernaut at the Verizon Center in recent weeks, winning 10 straight on home ice - a stretch that has seen Washington outscore its opponents 50-12.The team has scored at least five goals in each of its past nine home games - a feat last accomplished by the Calgary Flames in 1990.Date Opponent ScoreFeb. 7Hurricanes5-0Feb. 5Kings5-0Feb. 1Bruins5-3Jan. 23Hurricanes6-1Jan. 15Flyers5-0Jan. 13Blackhawks6-0Jan. 11Penguins5-2Jan. 5Blue Jackets5-0Jan. 3Maple Leafs6-5Jan. 1Senators2-1Even more impressive, the Capitals have done so against some impressive opponents, including a 6-0 shellacking of the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 13, and a 5-0 defeat over the Columbus Blue Jackets eight days earlier that ended their 16-game win streak.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

That'll do, Pekka Rinne.The Predators goaltender made a fantastic blocker save on Vancouver Canucks forward Loui Eriksson with 1:43 to play in the third period and Nashville up 3-2.Literally a game-saver, the biggest of 31 stops on the night for Rinne, as the Predators won 4-2.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tyler Seguin has had just about enough of the Dallas Stars losing hockey games.Dallas dropped their third straight Tuesday, a 3-1 decision versus Toronto. The Stars are just 3-5-2 over their last 10 games, and with time running out, the club's most productive player wants to see a change."I'm just so sick of talking about it," Seguin told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. "We have to look in the mirror, dig deeper, we have to all be professionals and try to get out of this together. "Dallas now sits seven points out of a wild-card spot, a far cry from the steps the Stars took a year ago, when they capturing the Central Division title and advancing to the second round of the playoffs.Seguin's done his part, scoring Dallas' lone goal - his 20th of the season - in the loss to the Maple Leafs, bringing his season total to 51 points in 54 games.However, it doesn't get any easier for Dallas from here, as four of their next five games are on the road, where the club owns a 7-14-4 record.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A Norris Trophy winner gift-wrapped Ivan Barbashev's first career goal.For some reason, Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson decided it would be a good idea to drop the puck back in front of his own net, giving the 2014 second-round pick a glorious opportunity to score, which he made full use of.Barbashev, who was playing his sixth game for the St. Louis Blues, had recorded 19 goals and 18 assists in 45 games for the AHL's Chicago Wolves earlier this season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Maybe all that trade talk has given the Colorado Avalanche forwards a little more jump?Whatever the inspiration, the struggling club has found some offensive life as of late, their past two games serving as their best offensive efforts in a long, long time.After posting a surprising 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, Colorado opened their tilt with the Montreal Canadiens - leaders of the Atlantic Division - with two goals in the opening three minutes. The Avs added two more over the remaining two periods to finish with four total and a shutout victory.Colorado's performance over the past two games represents a significant step forward for the club. Prior to their win over the Jets, the Avalanche had scored more than two goals in a game just twice in their past 20 games - once in December and once in January.Mikko Rantanen - the youngest member of the Avalanche - kicked things off with a goal just 30 seconds into Colorado's tilt against the Canadiens, beating Carey Price with a deceptive point shot.Rantanen added goals in each of the next two periods to earn his first career hat trick - just another fantastic sign for the young Finn, who's quickly becoming the team's most dangerous weapon.The 20-year-old now has five goals in his past five games. With his hat trick in tow, Rantanen passed captain Gabriel Landeskog in the team goal-scoring race, having scored 11 in total. He now sits third in that race - just one goal back of Nathan MacKinnon, and in five fewer games.It's been a rough season for the Avalanche's offense, but having their youngest stars becoming their most effective is undoubtedly a promising sign in terms of the club's future progress.Don't count out the rest of the core just yet though.Matt Duchene - who's seen his name embroiled in plenty of trade talks recently - tallied a team-leading three points in the Avalanche's win over Winnipeg, while MacKinnon and Landeskog combined for four points against the Canadiens.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hours after Claude Julien - the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL until Tuesday morning - was fired by the Boston Bruins, another bench boss of an Original Six team recorded a milestone win.While it wasn't pretty, Alain Vigneault won his 600th regular-season game after the New York Rangers beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1, despite being outshot 44-20.Related: Rangers continue troubling trend in win over DucksVigneault becomes only the 15th coach to reach the 600-win milestone, according to the NHL, after coaching the Montreal Canadiens for four years, the Vancouver Canucks for seven, and the Rangers for four.TeamRecordWin%Rangers178-98-23.634Canucks313-170-57.632Canadiens109-118-35-4.483Vigneault won a Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2007, with the Canucks. He's come close to winning the Stanley Cup twice, his Canucks losing the final in seven games to the Boston Bruins in 2011 - to Julien, interestingly enough - and his Rangers losing the 2014 final to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A British Columbia farmer decided to take matters into his own hands by getting behind the wheel of his personal Zamboni.Marko Kardum used the Zamboni - purchased second-hand for $300 - to try and clear a city street to help his aunt get out of her driveway, and was subsequently pulled over by local authorities.

There's a reason Mikko Rantanen is one of the few untouchables on the Colorado Avalanche.Rantanen, the 10th overall pick in 2015, netted the first hat trick of his career Tuesday, converting his third goal of the night on a one-timer past Carey Price.Colorado's prized rookie now has 11 goals and 24 points on the season, and the Avs beat Montreal 4-0.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It wasn't going to be hard to do better than Jhonas Enroth, but so far so very good for Toronto Maple Leafs backup goalie Curtis McElhinney.Enroth and his ghastly .872 save percentage was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 11, one day after Toronto added McElhinney on waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets. And in four games, McElhinney's been excellent.The 33-year-old started his third game for Toronto on Tuesday, and stopped a whopping 39-of-40 shots the Dallas Stars fired his way in a 3-1 Maple Leafs victory.McElhinney's at .935 and has a 2-2 record and 2.11 goals against average in blue and white.DateOpponentResultSV%Saves (Shots)Feb. 7StarsW 3-1.97539 (40)Jan 31StarsL 3-6*.7509 (12)Jan 26FlyersL 1-2.94132 (34)Jan 14SenatorsW 4-2.94635 (37)As you can see, when McElhinney's been in net, he's been put to work by his new team. And Toronto's going to need him, as the club has a busy schedule the rest of the way, including back-to-back games on Feb. 14 and 15 and Feb. 18 and 19.With Frederik Andersen struggling since 2017 began, McElhinney may prove to be one of the best pickups of the season by any team should his solid play continue.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

An optimist might refer to the New York Rangers' season as efficient. A pessimist, however, might consider it unsustainable.The Blueshirts downed the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Tuesday, but the shot count was hardly as convincing as the final score. New York was outshot 44-20, yet escaped with a win, marking the league-leading 20th time - out of 34 wins - they've come away with a victory when beaten on the shot clock.So, how do they make it work?The Rangers are tied with the Washington Capitals for the NHL's second most goals for - 179 through 53 games. Per Corsica-Hockey, New York's team shooting percentage of 9.49 percent ranks third league-wide, led by Michael Grabner, the club's top goal scorer (25) and his 20.8 percent conversion clip.Meeting the expected narrative, Grabner scored twice Tuesday.Beyond timely scoring, the only way to win when allowing that many attempts is exceptional goaltending.Enter The King.In his last eight starts, Henrik Lundqvist has earned six wins, posting a .941 save percentage with a 1.88 goals-against average and one shutout. He's had peaks and valleys this season, and even with a huge workload, Lundqvist remains New York's best hope to win night in and night out.The Rangers are comfortably slotted in the first wild-card seed with 69 points, so it's working, the question is just how long it can last.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota's offense is running wild.With a pair of goals against Winnipeg on Tuesday, Jason Pominville became the tenth Wild player to hit a double-digit goal total this season. Only the high-powered Washington Capitals can boast such offensive depth so far this year.Minnesota a top-four team in terms of goals scored this season, and yet don't have one player who's running away with the lead.

Jake Allen might finally be finding his game.It's a small sample size, but the St. Louis Blues goaltender has strung together a few solid starts under new head coach Mike Yeo, and thanks to the tutelage of NHL legend Martin Brodeur and fellow goalie coach Ty Conklin.OpponentResultShots AgainstSavesSave %Maple LeafsW 5-12726.963PenguinsL 4-13027.900SenatorsW 6-030301.000Add it all up and Allen has a 2-1-0 record and a .954 save percentage in three starts since the coaching change in St. Louis.On top of that, Carter Hutton recorded a shutout Sunday over Philadelphia, and Yeo is benefiting from the kind of goaltending that eluded the Blues earlier this season under the recently fired Ken Hitchcock.For the season, Allen is back to an even save percentage of .900, and the Blues are certainly hoping he can creep back up to his career average of .910 down the stretch.Their playoff hopes depend on it.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Fair to assume this was a bittersweet victory for Evander Kane, to say the least.The Buffalo Sabres sniper came up with one of his finest performances of the season Tuesday night, scoring the overtime winner - his second goal of the game - to cap a wild late-game comeback over the San Jose Sharks.Kane was tripped up by netminder Martin Jones during the one-time goal, launching him headfirst into the boards as his teammates celebrated. He was able to get to his feet and leave the ice without assistance.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It was milestone night in Tampa Bay on Tuesday, as the Lightning served up a 5-0 shellacking to the Los Angeles Kings.Goaltender Ben Bishop earned his first shutout of the season, turning aside 28 shots to clinch the goose egg. This season's shutout leader, Peter Budaj, had far less success, stopping just 16 of 21 while getting tagged with a few highlight reel goals.Tampa Bay's forwards reached a few key season plateaus as well.Nikita Kucherov tallied his 20th goal of the season on as clear-cut a breakaway chance as one can earn, capitalizing on a well-placed stretch pass from Vladislav Namestnikov. Late in the second, Namestnikov and Kucherov linked up for another impressive tally, giving the latter Russian a team-leading 21 goals this year.Sandwiched in between Kucherov's two goals was Gabriel Dumont's first goal of the season - and first as a member of the Lightning. Dumont's quick shot earned him his first goal since the 2012-13 season - when he scored his only previous big-league tally as a member of the Montreal Canadiens.Tampa Bay defender Braydon Coburn got in on the offensive frenzy in the latter half of the third period, potting the fifth and final goal of the game. In so doing, he earned his second goal of the year, marking the rearguard's first multi-goal season since 2013-14.After winning just three of their past 10 games, the Lightning have now earned victories in two straight, doing so for the first time since late December.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Through two periods Tuesday, and even the first six minutes of the third, the Buffalo Sabres were at the mercy of the San Jose Sharks.The latter club carried a 4-1 lead into the middle of the third before Buffalo came up with what was surely the greatest comeback in recent team history.And on their captain's birthday, no less.The Sabres milked all the star power they had to claw their way back, with Ryan O'Reilly, Kyle Okposo, and Evander Kane earning the three third-period goals to tie things up. Kane scored his second of the game, and 13th of the season, to clinch the comeback in overtime.Phenom Jack Eichel certainly played his part as well, setting up O'Reilly with a clutch one-timer to kick off the comeback, and gifting Kane with the golden opportunity to put the game in the extra frame.Though the Sabres haven't had much success in 2016-17 - the club entered the game ranked 14th in the East - their core understands their potential."It's a 60-minute game," Eichel said after the win. "We got booed after the second, got some energy going in the third, won in OT. Big comeback for us."Goaltender Anders Nilsson, who shut the door for the majority of the third and throughout overtime, echoed his young teammate's sentiments."It's a huge boost for our confidence," Nilsson said. "Being able to come back, it shows the character on our team."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Much of the talk about goalies this season has focused on Devan Dubnyk, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Carey Price. Well, Braden Holtby would like a word.Last season's Vezina Trophy winner continued his stellar play Tuesday, shutting out the Carolina Hurricanes 5-0. It's his seventh clean sheet of the season, tying him for most in the league with Peter Budaj.While Holtby's a perfect 3-0 in February, having defeated the Canes, Montreal Canadiens, and Boston Bruins, going back through January, the Capitals have lost only one game - a bonkers 8-7 overtime decision against the Pittsburgh Penguins, in which Holtby was pulled after 34 minutes - he's started of 16 in the new year. The 27-year-old was pulled against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 3 after 20 minutes, but his teammates rallied to win 6-5 in overtime.In fact, Holtby's never been better. He now has a .930 save percentage, easily the highest of his career when he's been the No. 1 guy. He won the 2016 Vezina with a .922 number.

Russian President Vladimir Putin would like a taste of the Philadelphia Flyers, apparently.Flyers alumni are set to visit Russia next week, and according to former defenseman Joe Watson, who's spearheading the trip, Putin will suit up for the Russians - should his schedule permit."They never release Putin's schedule until 24 hours before because of security reasons, so Putin, if he's around, he wants to play the game against us," Watson said, writes the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac.Watson's team is comprised of nine former Flyers and his nephews, and should Putin be in the Russian lineup, he won't get any preferential treatment."He'll have to earn it from us as far as we're concerned," Watson said. "We may be stuck in Siberia, but what the hell? We'll have a good time."The trip includes an outdoor game on Moscow's Red Square.A number of Flyers alumni turned down Watson's request to join the trip due to political tension between the U.S. and Russia.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks forward Sven Baertschi left Tuesday's game versus the Nashville Predators in the first period and has been diagnosed with a concussion, the club announced.Here's the collision that forced him from the contest:

Tough night for Peter Budaj.After watching Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jonathan Drouin snipe an early goal from a sharp angle, Budaj was left out to dry by his Los Angeles Kings defense once again Tuesday night.Lightning forward Vladislav Namestnikov slid a stretch pass right down main street to find a wide open Nikita Kucherov - the Russian sniper made no mistake, earning his 20th goal of the year with a five-hole tally.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In search of his 1,000th career point, Sidney Crosby gave one back the other way.The Pittsburgh Penguins center - who sits on 997 points - turned the puck over Tuesday to Micheal Ferland of the Calgary Flames, who promptly fired the puck past Matt Murray on the ensuing breakaway.The goal was Ferland's eighth this season, and clearly left a bad taste in Crosby's mouth.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The narrative has shifted a tad in La Belle Province.The Montreal Canadiens, leaders of the Atlantic Division all season long, are in a bit of a slump, one that can only be declared as such when considering the overall success of their season to this point.Over their last three contests, the Habs are 0-2-1, only mustering three goals in losses to the Flyers, Capitals, and Oilers. Montreal's measly totals over the past few games surely aren't sustainable, but dating back to the turn of the calendar, the Canadiens have hit a bit of a wall offensively.DatesGPGF (per game)League RankOct - Dec 201637112 (3.02)5thJan 1 - present1745 (2.64)13thTo be fair, Montreal has been hit with injuries to key players Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher, but its offense has become a two-man show as of late.As one would expect, Alexander Radulov and Max Pacioretty are leading the way, with 15 and 14 points respectively, in 2017. Trailing the Canadiens' top duo in production is their pivot, Phillip Danault, who's put together a career year and amassed 12 points over his last 17 games.The aforementioned top line are the only Canadiens forwards to hit double digits in points since 2017 begun.PlayerGPPArturri Lehkonen177Tomas Plekanec177Paul Byron166Sven Andrighetto146Galchenyuk85Andrew Shaw114* Defenseman Shea Weber and Nathan Beaulieu each have 10 pointsMontreal is still comfortable atop the Atlantic Division, but their lead has shrunk to eight points, with more games played than the pursuing Senators and Maple Leafs.Times aren't desperate yet, but Montreal could sure use an offensive resurgence down the stretch.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Now that the scapegoat has been sacrificed, Cam Neely and Don Sweeney should soon realize the Boston Bruins' problems didn't revolve around coaching.The president and general manager have played their respective parts in crafting a flawed roster, and neither interim head coach Bruce Cassidy nor his eventual full-time replacement are likely to fare much better than Claude Julien, who was unceremoniously fired Tuesday.Related - Bruins GM: Want to see how players respond to 'different voice'Here's a quick look at the state of the roster:Leaks between the pipesTuukka Rask is locked in at a $7-million cap hit until the end of 2020-21. He's an elite goalie with a Vezina Trophy and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on his resume, but in today's NHL, even the best need a modicum of help to offset the rigors of starting night in and night out.The failure to find a suitable backup goalie has been a huge failure on the part of management, especially this season. In the 11 games in which a goalie other than Rask has started, the Bruins have a 1-9-1 record, amounting to three of a possible 22 points. Banking a few of those could have saved Julien's job.The jury is still out on whether Zane McIntyre and Malcolm Subban - who was drafted in the first round in 2012 - are keepers, and the hope is Daniel Vladar can turn into a viable option at the pro level down the road. In the meantime, Anton Khudobin isn't cutting it, and Rask needs help as soon as possible.Holes on the blue lineThe Zdeno Chara era could end as soon as the end of 2017-18, when his contract expires. His play has been declining over the past few years, but he remains the anchor on what would otherwise be a sinking ship.While Torey Krug is proving to be a key component on the blue line, Sweeney appears to have erred in signing the likes of Adam McQuaid and Kevan Miller to extensions. Moving one or both of those players should be a priority.The next wave of Bruins defensemen looks rather promising, however. Rookie Brandon Carlo is already making a big impact, and Colin Miller is slowly but surely developing into the kind of player they hoped he would be upon acquiring him in the Milan Lucic trade.The system is chock-full of potential, headlined by a bevy of recent draft picks:

Few teams in modern NHL history have found as much success on the backs of rookies as the 2016-17 Toronto Maple Leafs.The club's recent tilt against the New York Islanders made that abundantly clear, as the youthful squad saw five different rookies register a goal for the first time in Leafs history in the overtime loss.But as the high-flying first-year forwards pile up points, another rookie Leaf is carrying the mail for Toronto's blue line on a nightly basis: Nikita Zaitsev.The 25-year-old Russian joined the blue and white this season following a seven-year stretch in the KHL. Through 51 games in Toronto, Zaitsev has emerged as a key piece of the Leafs' promising puzzle.He's seen the most average minutes of any Leafs player up to this point, getting on the ice for 22:26 per game this season. That might not seem like a hefty workload compared to some of the game's elite workhorses, but it's a notably high average for a first-year NHLer.Not only does Zaitsev's nightly average top all other rookies this season - including blue-line standouts like Columbus' Zach Werenski - it's in fact one of the highest marks in years.Of all the rookies to suit up in the league over the past decade, only 10 have logged 22 minutes or more per night, as Zaitsev has. And that group features more than a few notable names - among them P.K. Subban, Drew Doughty, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and John Carlson.Jumping into the big leagues and seeing that much ice that quickly is no small feat - especially in an Eastern Conference featuring some of the most dynamic offensive talents in the world.To be fair, Zaitsev had a lengthy KHL career under his belt, but there's no denying his new workload is at an entirely different level amidst the speed and grinding physicality of the NHL.Not to mention Zaitsev never played more than 57 regular-season games in the Russian league. His 51 for the Leafs have already outlasted all but two of his KHL campaigns.Even without the rookie comparisons, Zaitsev's been doing work in Toronto, seeing the eighth-most shifts per game among all NHL rearguards - tied with Rasmus Ristolainen and Jake Muzzin.The first-year defender hasn't been flawless this season, but with 23 points, 208 shot attempts, and 87 blocks - all tops among Leafs defensemen - it's fair to say Toronto's KHL gamble paid off.Zaitsev, who's signed to a one-year, $925,000 contract - making him the second-lowest earner on the Leafs' blue line - will be a restricted free-agent after 2016-17 concludes.Don't expect general manager Lou Lamoriello to leave him hanging without a new deal for too long.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Claude Julien used to be the NHL's longest-tenured head coach.The 56-year-old was relieved of his duties by the Bruins on Tuesday morning, in his 10th season with the club. Julien departs Boston with an impressive 419-246-94 record - a .614 winning percentage - and a Stanley Cup ring won in 2011.With Boston in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight season, general manager Don Sweeney decided it's time to shake things up. Here's what you need to know about the league's latest coaching change:Coach Cassidy

In the eyes of general manager Don Sweeney, the Boston Bruins are now on the clock.Fresh off the announcement that the Bruins parted ways with longtime head coach Claude Julien, replacing him temporarily with former assistant Bruce Cassidy, Sweeney addressed the media to lay out his vision for the club moving forward."The expectations have not changed for this organization," Sweeney said. "We expect the players to make a push and get into the playoffs ... I want our players to understand this falls with me and on them moving forward, whether or not we get in and how far we go as an organization."Sweeney, who's in his second season at the helm of the Bruins organization, cited the team's upcoming three-game stretch - the last three before their bye week - as a key period of assessment."I would like to see how the team responds in the next three games, and then we certainly have a big break to see how far we'll be back in the playoff race," Sweeney said."I'm looking for alignment from top to bottom as to what our expectations are, from the players that have won to the players that are coming in, and I won't to be in consult with the next coach of the Boston Bruins while I am evaluating the current staff - I'll have a list of candidates that will fall in line with what I am trying to do."The Bruins will suit up against the San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, and Montreal Canadiens in their next three games, the first coming Thursday night. San Jose and Montreal come to town as the leaders of their respective divisions, the latter club having posted a 2-0-1 record against Boston this season.Sweeney said his club has the tools necessary to earn victories in those three games."I think on any given night, we can beat any given team," Sweeney said. "Whether or not we can maintain the consistency to get to where we need to, that's going to unfold in the next 27 (games)."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After saying last week he hoped to return at some point this season, Carolina Hurricanes forward Bryan Bickell seemingly has a rough timeline in place.Sidelined since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on Nov. 11, the 30-year-old has been practicing in hopes of getting back to game shape. While nothing is certain, Bickell is now hopeful about returning to action after the Hurricanes' upcoming bye week."I feel good," Bickell said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "I obviously don't feel good right now, I just got skated pretty hard, but it's going to help me down the long run. I think we're getting there and getting close to getting back in the rotation. We're shooting for probably after the bye week and then kind of day by day from there."Bickell has one goal in just seven games this season and admitted he would be open to a conditioning stint in the American Hockey League if given the opportunity.He also understands that factors beyond his health could impede his return."It all depends too on what other guys are doing if they're going on a huge streak," Bickell said. "I like to see them win. If they need me, I'm sure an extra week of me skating is not going to hurt me. We're just going to wait until after the next treatment and after the bye week and go from there."The Hurricanes play Tuesday night against Washington and Saturday versus the Dallas Stars, and will then enjoy five days off before returning to game action Feb. 17 against the Colorado Avalanche.Regardless of when Bickell finally returns, there will be quite a crowd in attendance."I've gotten a lot of texts and phone calls from family members that want to come down to see that first game when I come back," he said. "Definitely it's going to be special after the ups and downs that we've been through the last handful of months to finally get back to doing what I've done my whole life, to play hockey and to be in this league."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One thing's for sure: Claude Julien had the room.Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand showed remorse when he met with media after practice Tuesday afternoon to discuss the former head coach's dismissal, placing the onus solely on the players."It's very disappointing and frustrating in here because this is avoidable if we would have done our jobs," Marchand said.He also spoke on a personal level, ascribing his own growth into an NHL star to Julien's instruction."We have a tremendous amount of respect for him in this room, and we were fortunate to have him as long as we did," Marchand continued. "I learned a ton from him. I can easily say that I wouldn't be the same player if he wasn't my coach for the last number of years."Julien is the only NHL head coach Marchand has played for. And though he's scored at least 20 goals in each of his full seasons, Marchand's evolved into one of the game's best two-way wingers in recent years, establishing a career high with 37 goals last season and earning his first All-Star nod last month.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins fired coach Claude Julien on Tuesday, providing another opportunity for folks to make a buck.Here are the odds on who will be introduced as Boston's next head coach, with interim boss Bruce Cassidy earning the inside track.CandidateOddsBruce Cassidy8/5Gerard Gallant2/1Ken Hitchcock4/1Nate Leaman4/1Ted Donato10/1David Quinn15/1Kevin Dean18/1Norm Bazin20/1Jerry York28/1(Odds courtesy: Bodog)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny will miss the next four-to-six weeks after suffering a lower-body injury against the St. Louis Blues on Monday night, the team announced.The injury was suffered in the second period of Philadelphia's 2-0 loss when Konecny took an awkward spill into the end boards.Konecny has put forth a respectable first season in the NHL, posting seven goals and 22 points in 51 games, good for fifth in team scoring and tied for 13th among all first-year players.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite what the underlying data might reveal, Boston Bruins management was convinced the team's performance and results had plateaued under longtime head coach Claude Julien.So, it was time for a change in directive.Enter former assistant Bruce Cassidy, who will provide instruction for what's left of the season. Meanwhile, the brass intends to evaluate the roster - and Cassidy - at a deeper level."(It's) an opportunity for a new set of eyes to come in, (a) new voice for our players to start to hear - and hopefully their ears perked up," general manager Don Sweeney said Tuesday.He added: "That's part of the process - seeing how players will respond to a different voice."When asked about the impetus behind the decision to dismiss Julien, Sweeney didn't differentiate between immediate results and the long-term well-being of his club. He acknowledged there are holes on the roster, but believes the current iteration is capable of making the playoffs.Beginning his time with the media by extending admiration toward Julien, Cassidy mentioned he wants to employ a faster pace, which will be a focus at his practices.Carried out on the morning of the New England Patriots' Super Bowl parade through Boston, the timing of Julien's dismissal proved to be a contentious point. The general manager maintained it wasn't intentional, and that it was the most appropriate moment based on the Bruins' schedule."I felt there was an opportunity today and tomorrow to get (the players') feet on the ground from a practice standpoint," Sweeney said.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matthew Tkachuk will be trading in his pom-poms for hockey gloves Tuesday night.The Calgary Flames rookie will be in Pittsburgh, where he and his teammates will be tasked with shutting down his favorite player growing up, Sidney Crosby."I'm going to try to not be a little fan out there tonight," Tkachuk said when asked about Crosby, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.The Flames will hope to avoid witnessing a milestone from Crosby, as the Penguins' captain is just three points away from 1,000 for his career.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After weeks of speculation, the deed has been done. The Boston Bruins fired head coach Claude Julien Tuesday, putting yet another highly capable coach on the open market.While Gerard Gallant, Jack Capuano, and Ken Hitchcock are still available for the taking, Hitchcock may have already coached his last game and the other two can't hold a candle to Julien's resume, making the former Boston boss the hottest commodity.Julien certainly seems like a slam dunk for the Vegas coaching job, but coaches of his caliber don't become available very often, so it certainly wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for a team to part ways with their current bench boss in order to gain an upgrade.Related: Julien should lead Golden Knights' list of candidatesIn such a situation, the business logistics can get messy, but nevertheless, here are five teams who should consider replacing their current head coach with Julien.Florida PanthersThe Florida Panthers baffled the hockey world when they abruptly dismissed Gerard Gallant back in late November.The move proved there was a disconnect between the management team and the on-ice personnel. Tom Rowe has served as the team's interim head coach since the move, but the team has not fared much better under new direction.Gallant coached the team to a 11-10-1 record before his dismissal, while Rowe has gone 12-9-9 since. Julien could help the Panthers save the season and gain direction going forward. But would management let him do his job distraction free?Dallas StarsFiring coaches is the hip thing to do these days - or so it seems.For that reason - and the fact that the Dallas Stars are struggling mightily with a near-identical roster to last season - Lindy Ruff might be the next coach to go.Whether that's the case or not, the Stars would be foolish not to inquire about Julien.Like the Panthers, he could help the club save its season by hopefully getting Dallas back to the postseason. The team is in need of a defensive retooling, as the goaltending isn't giving the team any breaks and the offense isn't firing like it did last season.Colorado AvalancheThis one is pretty obvious.The Avalanche have lived up to their team name this season, plummeting to the bottom of the league standings.The team appears ready to sell off their biggest assets as they look to rebuild for the future.As Mike Babcock has proved in Toronto, a rebuild can be sped up with a clear system put in place for the young players. The Avalanche players have gone to bat for Jared Bednar this season, suggesting he isn't the problem. And while that may be true, maybe Julien could be an answer.Calgary FlamesIt's just Glen Gulutzan's first year with the Calgary Flames, but it could also be his last.The team remains right on the cusp of a playoff spot, tied with the St. Louis Blues at 55 points but currently on the outside looking in due to more games played. Regardless, they haven't lived up to expectations this season.To Gulutzan's credit, the team is giving up fewer goals per game than the previous campaign and the special teams have also been better than they were last season. Still, inconsistent goaltending has been the team's biggest impediment, and the Flames are underperforming given the talent on the roster,Perhaps Julien could set them straight.New Jersey DevilsAnother recent hire in John Hynes may have to step aside.The Devils are far from a championship-caliber team, but the addition of Taylor Hall this offseason should have pushed them closer toward the playoffs, and it has not.Instead, the team remains in a similar spot - No Man's Land. The team is once again poised to finish outside the playoffs and without a top-five draft pick.The Devils could use a coach who can reestablish them as a stingy, offense-smothering unit. New Jersey has some solid pieces in place, it just needs a Julien-type coach to help put it all together.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets will wait longer for the return of Tyler Myers.The towering defender underwent surgery Monday to repair a lower-body injury, which will reportedly cost him another six-to-eight weeks of action, according to TSN's Sara Orlesky.At the earliest, this puts Myers on track to return with only a few weeks left in the regular season. He's already been absent from the Jets' lineup for nearly three months after suffering the injury in a loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 11.He's missed 39 games.Orlesky notes that Monday's procedure was unrelated to the one Myers had done last year.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the mind of their direct competition, the Boston Bruins aren't likely to upgrade from dismissed head coach Claude Julien.Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock - who hasn't shied away from offering his opinion on circumstances outside his own this season - vouched for Julien and perhaps questioned his rival's decision-making shortly after news of the firing broke."Good man. Even better coach. Someone out there is happy today," Babcock told the media with a smile Tuesday morning. "I mean, you ain't getting better. When you make these decisions, you better have a guy in line that's better than that guy. There's not too many, I can tell you that."And a good man. But, enjoy some time with your bride and your kids, get freshened up, call the U-Haul business, get ready to go. Sometimes, to be honest with you, it's time to move on."(Julien's) a hell of a coach."Babcock has gained an appreciation for Julien's ability and learned a thing or two from the former longest-tenured coach in the NHL at recent international tournaments. Julien worked on Babcock's staff during Canada's triumphs at the Sochi Olympics and 2016 World Cup of Hockey.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL season continues with a packed slate and Squad Up's Shot for $50 wants to reward your hockey knowledge.Tuesday's 11-game NHL slate gives daily fantasy owners the chance to win $50 in cash prizes in Squad Up's Shot for 50 contest. The winner will collect a crisp $20 for simply constructing the best lineup of the night. In total, 250 people will collect a prize, making it well worth your while even if you fail to claim top spot. Best of all, the game is absolutely free! That's right, it costs you zero dollars to participate. You don't pay us - we pay you.The path to riches, fame and glory is a simple one: download the Squad Up app, get your account set up and start playing contests immediately! Choose your five-player team consisting of one center, one right winger, one left winger, one defenseman and one goaltender, stay within the $300K cap, then sit back and watch as your players accumulate fantasy points.Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Tuesday, Jan. 7 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

With Sidney Crosby on the verge of his 1,000th career regular-season point, "On the Fly," theScore's NHL roundtable series, convenes for a special session.Three more points.That's all Sidney Crosby needs to hit the 1,000 mark for his career, and it's happening this week. Perhaps as soon as Tuesday night. The Pittsburgh Penguins' next three games are against the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, and Arizona Coyotes, so it's all but a formality.As he approaches the milestone, we're looking back. Here are five regular-season points by Crosby we won't ever forget.50Ian McLaren: In the final game of the 2009-10 regular season, Crosby scored twice against Dwayne Roloson and the New York Islanders.The goals marked his 50th and 51st of the season - the first and only time he's reached the half-century mark. In fact, Crosby's next-highest single-season goal total is 39, set as a rookie back in 2005-06.Crosby's 298 shots on goal that season also set a new career high that's yet to be eclipsed.The 51 goals gave him a share of the NHL lead and the Rocket Richard Trophy with Steven Stamkos. Crosby, however, played one fewer game than Stamkos that season, and the extra 21:57 (Crosby's average ice time that season) probably would have afforded him the opportunity to hit at least 52.Welcome backJosh Gold-Smith: A pair of hits to the head forced Crosby to miss nearly a full year, but it didn't take him long to make an impact in his first game back.Concussion symptoms resulting from headshots by Dave Steckel and Victor Hedman in consecutive contests in January 2010 kept him out for the second half of the 2010-11 regular season, all of the 2011 playoffs, and the first 20 games of the 2011-12 campaign.But when he returned Nov. 21, 2011, it took him less than six minutes to score a spectacular goal against the New York Islanders - one of two he'd tally in the game.Assist No. 21Navin Vaswani: It was Dec. 27, 2005 - three months into Crosby's career. And I was off to Pittsburgh, driving from Toronto with a group of friends to the old Igloo, to watch "The Kid" face the Maple Leafs for the first time. He was the next one, after all.The Civic Arena was some barn. One of those old-school buildings, a relic, the house that Mario Lemieux built - and it belonged to Crosby now. And No. 87, only 18, didn't disappoint.With Toronto up 2-1 in the third period, and the Penguins on the power play, Crosby made a brilliant cross-crease pass to Michel Ouellet, after trying himself to jam the puck in while sliding out from behind the net on one knee. Yeah. And the pass went to where Ouellet was going to be. Tie game. It was unreal. Check it out:Unparalleled vision. A sign of things to come. And as Crosby approaches point No. 1,000, I'm left thinking about the first time I saw him play, and assist No. 21. He's added 628 since.It's hard to believe it's been more than 11 years. Looking back, it was one of those perfect road trips. We were Maple Leafs fans in enemy territory, in town to watch our team, and the home team's star rookie.Toronto won 3-2 in overtime. Tomas Kaberle scored in extra time, Mikael Tellqvist finished with 33 saves, and Mats Sundin had three points. But, man, what a pass by Sid. We went home with two points, and with the knowledge that we'd watched a special player - Crosby played over 23 minutes that night - who was going to do special things for a long time.The SlideCraig Hagerman: Crosby's diving goal from his stomach back in January 2007 was, like many of his career markers, something most hockey fans had never seen before.The then-sophomore came down on a two-on-one with Mark Recchi, diving on his stomach to get a piece of the Recchi pass and put it by Tampa Bay Lighting goalie Johan Holmqvist.It was more proof that Crosby - who admitted postgame to diving on purpose - sees the game on a higher level than anyone else, and is the best player in the world.He has gone on to score a ridiculous number of goals from his knees, but this gem will go down as one of his best.Still kingJustin Cuthbert: This one might lack similar significance, but, to me, it's pure Sid.In early February of last season, when he had broken out of his funk and the Penguins were steadily becoming the best team in hockey, Crosby scored a spectacular insurance marker in a game versus the Anaheim Ducks.He busted out of the zone after creating a turnover at the blue line, and took a lead pass at center. A desperate Cam Fowler applied a hook intended to drop Crosby immediately as he took the pass, but was only successful in slowing him down. Fowler raked him again as Crosby picked up speed over the blue line. This time he'd succeed, but as Crosby dropped to a knee, he launched a snap shot over the shoulder of John Gibson, celebrating while crashing into the boards.This wondergoal reminded us all Crosby's still king, and that no one protects the puck better.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Tuesday, theScore's hockey editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."With the All-Star Game in the rear-view mirror, it's now crunch time. There are just over eight weeks remaining in the regular season, and teams are making that final push for a playoff spot.Let's discuss who among the seven Canadian franchises is a contender for a playoff berth, and who's primed for an early offseason:Calgary FlamesStatus: PretenderTake: The Calgary Flames have been too inconsistent for their own good.The team has remained in the playoff conversation for most of the season, but on the back of - once again - unreliable goaltending, the Flames have failed to get over the hump.Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson have failed to turn in the seasons expected to make the Flames a threat in the West, combining for the eighth-worst team save percentage.Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau have been hot of late, but are still set to see their point totals take a dive.Factor in the club facing a strong Pacific Division, an inspired St. Louis Blues club, and the always dangerous Los Angeles Kings, and it's likely the Flames sit this one out.Edmonton OilersStatus: ContenderTake: It's the first time in a long time the Edmonton Oilers have fit this bill.The club has skyrocketed up the standings with a healthy Connor McDavid, the outstanding play of Cam Talbot, and a more sound defensive system.They're playing a more structured game, and, along with McDavid's surge and Leon Draisaitl's breakout, the team has quickly become one of the premier offensive threats in the league.They can hang with the big boys, and while their full potential may still be a year or two down the road, the Oilers are quickly making a name for themselves.Montreal CanadiensStatus: ContenderTake: While Montreal fans may have thought the sky was falling after P.K. Subban was shipped out to Nashville, the Canadiens appear to be better for the deal eight months later.Much like the Oilers, Montreal has thrived since dealing away one of its top talents. Shea Weber has made a seamless transition with the club, gifting the team with a more defensively sound option on the back end. Having the hardest shot in the league certainly doesn't hurt, either (actually it does, just ask Brendan Gallagher).Factor in that Carey Price has been healthy and Alexander Radulov has been among the best offseason signings of the year, and the team is primed for a deep playoff run.Ottawa SenatorsStatus: ContenderTake: The Ottawa Senators continue to defy skeptics, posting the second-best record in the Atlantic Division with a near-identical club from a season ago.A tip of the hat to new head coach Guy Boucher is in order. In quick stead, Boucher has turned the Senators into a defensively sound club, and made Erik Karlsson a better all-around player.The team's penalty kill - which ranked 29th last season - is now the 10th most reliable unit in the league. And, after giving up a league-high 32.8 shots per game last season, the Senators are allowing 30.1 - a jump to 13th.The Senators have done this without their No. 1 goaltender, and the team could surprise some when it reaches the postseason.Toronto Maple LeafsStatus: ContenderTake: Talk about a changing of the guard.Just one year removed from finishing with the worst record in the league, the Maple Leafs have rebounded on the strength of their numerous rookies, and look poised for their first playoff berth since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner haven't skipped a beat since being thrown into the fire, while Frederik Andersen - minus his initial and current slumps - has been a rock on the back end.The team's defense remains a question mark, to put it lightly, but with an elite offense and Andersen's ability to provide elite goaltending, the Maple Leafs are much closer to being contenders than pretenders.Toronto has the third-best point percentage in the Atlantic, fast-tracking its rebuild.Winnipeg JetsStatus: PretenderTake: The Winnipeg Jets have proven on several occasions that they have what it takes to contend, but - like the Flames - are impeded by their goaltending.The trio of Michael Hutchinson, Connor Hellebuyck, and Ondrej Pavelec has faltered. Hellebuyck is the only goalie with a save percentage over the .900 mark (.908), while his 2.82 goals-against average is actually the best on the team.The team is averaging the fourth-most goals against per game, and is riding the fifth-worst team save percentage at .899.The trio of Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Patrik Laine has been among the best lines in hockey, but you can only go so far when you can't keep the puck out of your own net.Vancouver CanucksStatus: PretenderTake: The Canucks have shown glimpses of promise, but always seem to come back to earth.The team is scoring at the third-worst rate in the league, and for that reason has mounted the third-worst goal differential at -27.Bo Horvat has taken great strides in his development, but few others have aided him along the way. Loui Eriksson looks primed for a buyout down the road - a huge disappointment for the team.The Canucks would be better off tearing it down and rebuilding, but with the Sedins still in the fold, that appears unlikely. Instead, the team is on pace to finish in no-man's land.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.