Message sent.If anyone was unclear about why Anaheim Ducks defender Sami Vatanen was forced to the press box for the club's tilt against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, head coach Randy Carlyle offered up this for consideration:

Matthew Tkachuk appears to have gotten away with a last-second slew foot Monday against Martin Marincin of the Toronto Maple Leafs.There's no supplemental discipline expected as a result of the incident, nor from a Leo Komarov hit on Johnny Gaudreau earlier in the game, reports Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.The Calgary Flames rookie forward committed the act as the final buzzer sounded:Tkachuk was involved in a similar incident involving Edmonton's Brandon Davidson in October, and was also suspended two OHL games last year for slew footing.The talented Tkachuk ranks second in the NHL with 92 penalty minutes this season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Tuesday, theScore's editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."Calgary FlamesPlus: After a relatively slow start to the season, Sean Monahan has enjoyed a very productive January. The center recorded at least a point in seven of Calgary's 11 games, with five goals and five assists. The 10 total points match his best monthly output of the season so far, and the Flames still have two games to play before the calendar turns to February.Minus: Following Monday's loss in Toronto, the Flames have now dropped three in a row after allowing the opposition to score 13 combined goals to begin those games.

After a snake-bitten 2015-16 saw Nazem Kadri post the NHL's 12th-most shots (260) and finish with only 17 goals, the young Toronto Maple Leafs pivot seems to finally be getting his due.The 26-year-old has flipped the script in 2016-17, piling up goals at every turn after a year of seemingly doing everything right and finding little reward.Through 45 games this season, Kadri has already bested last year's total with 20 goals - 11th-most in the league, and just a pair off elite snipers like Alex Ovechkin.Barring anything unforeseen, Kadri will finish 2016-17 with a career-best goal total, as his 20 tallies through half a season have already matched his previous career high, set in 2013-14.It's no surprise the young centreman is making waves on the goal-scoring scene. Especially after his performance in 2015-16, when he found a new gear and emerged as one of the game's most prolific shooters with an astounding 260 shots - adding 84 chances on net to his previous best sum.And yet, that promising season saw Kadri's shooting percentage plummet to a career-worst 6.5 percent. He finished as the only NHL shooter with over 250 chances on net and fewer than 20 goals, watching veteran teammates like P.A. Parenteau and Leo Komarov tally more goals in fewer games.This time around, Kadri's putting pucks in the net at a much-improved rate of 14.2 percent, while still on pace for roughly the same number of shots - returning to the promising offensive level he showed early in his career, even as he's emerged as a savvy two-way force in Toronto.If his pace holds up, Kadri will finish the year with 36 goals and 60 points - career highs by a mile, and just the type of elite effort the Leafs faithful have been waiting for from the 2009 first-round pick.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For the second time in as many seasons, the Washington Capitals are rolling through the Eastern Conference with reckless abandon, setting themselves up for another league-leading finish, and perhaps more.The Caps have looked especially dominant as of late, racking up 12 wins over their past 14 games - with the only two losses over that span coming in extra time.That blazing run gave Washington 26 points over the past month of play, taking its season total to 70 points - tops in the NHL.With over half the campaign in the books, the Capitals are separating themselves from the Presidents' Trophy herd once again, sitting a handful of points above similarly hot teams in Columbus, Minnesota, and Pittsburgh, and a mile above the more pedestrian clubs.But considering their current trajectory, the Caps might be on track for something more illustrious than their second consecutive regular-season crown.With 70 points through 47 games, the club is on track to hit 122 points by season's end. That mark would be good enough to clear both of their previous league-leading seasons - 121 points back in 2009-10 and 120 points last season.In fact, it would rank as the best regular-season showing in Capitals history.Washington would require a monstrous finish to reach that historic mark - 52 points over the final 35 contests - but considering the way the club has been cruising past the competition, it might not be out of the question.The Caps have put up four goals or more 22 times in 2016-17, 11 of which have come in the past month. Meanwhile, they're allowing the fewest goals per game of any NHL club, with 2016 Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby putting together another strong season.Of course, the true test for Washington will come after its 82 games are done, as the Capitals' sights are likely set higher than another sterling regular season.At this point, it's all about becoming a team that can take down any playoff opponent put in front of it. Considering the numbers the Caps are putting up right now, that doesn't seem too far-fetched.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It didn't take very long for Patrick Marleau to record his fifth career hat trick.The San Jose Sharks forward needed a stretch of just 7:42 in the third period to put three pucks past Colorado Avalanche goalie Spencer Martin.

Calgary Flames star Johnny Gaudreau didn't deflect when probed about the massive lick he took from Leo Komarov in Monday's loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs."I feel fine," Gaudreau said. "It's part of hockey - you're going to get hit sometimes."Gaudreau's coach, however, didn't see it quite the same way."I thought it was contact to the head," Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said, according to TSN's Mark Masters. "I thought for sure we were going on the power play."Gaudreau was blasted in the second period when he was caught watching a pass he tipped toward an open man as the Flames worked the puck out of their zone on the power play. Komarov had followed the puck along the boards with speed, and carried his momentum straight through the body of the defenseless Calgary sniper.With the shorter Gaudreau in a crouch position, head contact, in this case, was inevitable. Komarov kept his hands down and his feet planted though the contact."It looked a little bit worse than it was," Komarov said. "I mean, he's a bit of a smaller guy. I think it was a good hit."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For the fifth straight season it appears Rickard Rakell will improve on his previous season's output.The Anaheim Ducks forward collected his 20th goal of the season against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night, hitting the mark for the second straight year.That being said this season Rackell is finding the back of the net at a higher clip than he has since he entered the league. The 23-year-old concluded last season with 20 goals and 43 points, and this season he has matched his career high in goals in 33 fewer games.If he continues to produce at a similar rate he would finish the year with 36 goals and 52 points - both career bests.Rackell has quickly become among the Ducks most dynamic talents - high praise for a player who plays alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.His 20 goals are the most among all Ducks players, even while being limited to 39 games due to a stomach virus that also kept him out of the World Cup of Hockey.Rackell leads the Ducks with five game-winning goals and scores the most goals and points per 60 minutes than any player on the team.The Ducks inked Rackell to a six-year $22.8-million deal in October and as it looks now, that contract could turn out to be one hell of a bargain.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A stretch of bad games did little to shake the confidence that the New York Rangers have in their star netminder.Henrik Lundqvist turned in another stellar effort on Monday night, steering away 36 shots as the Rangers got by the Los Angeles Kings 3-2.For Lundqvist, the outing was his third straight win and while his previous handful of games had many running for the hills, forward Mats Zuccarello insists the team never lost faith in Lundqvist's abilities."He’s our most important player," Zuccarello said postgame. "We didn’t give him good enough help for a stretch there. He knew he needed to be better, but everybody goes through slumps during the season. We have no worries for Hank. In my opinion he’s the best goalie in the world and he showed that tonight, and was showing that the last few games."Over the past three games Lundqvist has stopped 80 of the 84 shots thrown his way,m this after he had conceded 20 goals in his previous four appearances. According to the man himself, his sudden rebound in play can be contributed to simplifying his game."I simplified my focus I think three games ago. It helps me be on my toes a little bit," said Lundqvist. "The way I can describe it is I just try to simplify everything and have a little higher readiness than before. But this game, especially for me, is so much the way I think, the way I read the game and stay in the moment. So I just try to simplify it and then adding with the way we’re playing right now in the last three (games) - blocking shots, and really trying to play a better defensive game - obviously that helps me."With their third straight win, the Rangers are now just a win behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With Patrik Laine shelved and teammate Auston Matthews cooling, Mitch Marner has his nose out front in the rookie scoring race.Marner scored his 11th of the season, and later added his 28th assist on Nazem Kadri's 20th goal, leapfrogging Matthews to take top spot in team and rookie scoring in Monday's 4-0 win over the Calgary Flames.With 39 points through 45 games, Marner is on pace for 71 in his freshman campaign - which has been about a top-15 finish in the NHL scoring races over the past few seasons.Marner is still outside the top 20 in league scoring, but with a lighter, more sheltered workload, he continues to creep up into elite company in terms of all-situations points rate.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

He is becoming the definition of an elite defenseman.San Jose Sharks blue-liner Brent Burns is having a career year and was back at it again on Monday, collecting his 20th goal of the season.Burns beat Colorado Avalanche netminder Spencer Martin to hit the mark for the second straight year and the third time overall. He now has a comfortable nine-goal cushion on the next highest scoring defender and is well on his way to hitting the 30-goal plateau.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Still just two points left on the table now in the space of 14 games for the Washington Capitals.The NHL's hottest team pushed its point streak to 14 with a 6-1 thrashing of the Carolina Hurricanes Monday, matching the second-longest mark in franchise history.Washington has out-scored its opponents 65-27 over that span, scoring at least four goals in eight consecutive games. And if you discard their outlying 8-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins last week, the Capitals are averaging three goals for each one they have pulled out of their own net since Dec. 29.

Calgary Flames superstar Johnny Gaudreau exited Monday's game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs briefly when he was leveled along the boards with a hard, but seemingly clean hit from Leo Komarov.This wasn't a blindside hit by its strict definition. But because the shorter, defenseless Gaudreau was caught watching his pass, and never braced for the high contact from Komarov, the end result of the hit shared elements of what's typical from an illegal blow.Gaudreau went to the room to undergo concussion protocol, and returned to the game after just a few minutes.Komarov was not penalized for the hit, but received a roughing minor when Mark Giordano challenged him to a fight.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Schoolyard.With Auston Matthews' diving clearance and a soft one-handed scoop at center from William Nylander, Nazem Kadri broke into the attacking zone in transition, and scored the 100th goal of his career with a blistering shot over the shoulder of Brian Elliott on Monday in Toronto.Kadri's the 56th player in 100 seasons of the Maple Leafs to score 100 goals, according to Sportsnet Stats.His milestone was met aptly:

Mitch Marner is back in the goal column.The Toronto Maple Leafs rookie broke a seven-game goalless skid on Monday night, redirecting a Nikita Zaitsev point shot past Brian Elliott late in the the first period to give the club a 1-0 lead over the Calgary Flames.The goal was Marner's 11th of the season and creates a three-way log jam with Auston Matthews and James van Riemsdyk for the team lead in points with 38.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have locked up Zack Smith, signing the forward to a four-year, $13-million contract extension, the club announced Monday.Smith, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, will earn $3.25 million in annual salary for the next four seasons. It's a healthy pay bump from the $1.88 million he's earned annually on his current deal - also a four-year pact.Smith will have some protection with a limited no-trade clause, ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reports.Coming off his career-best 25-goal season last year, Smith, 28, has hit double-digit totals in goals and assists through 43 games this season, scoring 11 times and racking up 22 points.A middle-six contributor, Smith has had a reasonably effective impact on total shot attempts throughout his last four seasons in Ottawa, as he's toggled between functions.In a conference call shortly after the announcement, Smith said the Senators' direction was one of the greater selling points."I'm very happy to get this done, and I'm looking forward to the future here in Ottawa," he said.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues are giving Jake Allen a few more days off from game action.

Tomas Jurco is getting the opportunity he's been looking for.Limited to 11 games due to an early back injury and several healthy scratches, the Slovakian forward is being pressed into duty for the Detroit Red Wings in light of injuries suffered by Thomas Vanek and Dylan Larkin.Those key forwards are out for one and two games, respectively, and Jurco feels all he needs is one moment of fortune to get on track."All I'm waiting (on) is one lucky bounce," he said Monday, according to George Sipple of The Detroit Free Press. "Hopefully, it's going to turn around. That's what I need."Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill, who's used Jurco sparingly when choosing to play him, believes the 24-year-old can step in to make a meaningful and immediate impact."I've made decisions that other wingers have been ahead of him, but it's not because Jurco has played poorly," Blashill said. "I think he can step in and be really, really good. I think what he's probably been waiting for is an opportunity. So for two games here, he gets a real opportunity."The 2011 second-round draft pick has scored 15 goals in 154 career games, but he's been able to rack up points at both the junior and AHL levels.All hands will need to be on deck to help Detroit avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 1990. If Jurco wants to get in on the action, he must do all he can to ensure bounces go his way as early as Tuesday's game against Boston.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens center Alex Galchenyuk will miss Tuesday's game against Calgary after re-aggravating a knee injury that sidelined him for 18 games earlier this season, head coach Michel Therrien announced.It does not appear to be as serious this time around, however.

Kevin Hayes is set to miss at least a few games after suffering an injury in Sunday's win over Detroit.

The Metropolitan Division continues to shine.Pittsburgh Penguins winger Conor Sheary, New York Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss, and Washington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week of Jan. 16-22.Here's a look at what they accomplished over the past seven days.

The Tampa Bay Lightning desperately miss Steven Stamkos.It should come as no surprise that a team would struggle without its captain and highest-paid player, but we're talking about a team that pushed the Pittsburgh Penguins to seven games in the Eastern Conference Final largely without Stamkos, and that seemed built for sustained success even if he'd decided to sign elsewhere as a free agent this past offseason.Now, in a season where Stamkos has missed 31 of 48 games with a knee injury, the apparent Stanley Cup hopefuls find themselves at the bottom of the conference standings with a 21-22-5 record.General manager Steve Yzerman has assembled a wealth of talent, but there's no question the Lightning's offense has diminished since Stamkos succumbed to injury.Pre-injuryPost-injuryGames1731Goals5375Goals/GP3.12.4NHL Rank525This can't all be pinned on Stamkos' absence, of course - other key players have also suffered injuries, with Ryan Callahan and Ben Bishop missing the most time.The fact Yzerman hasn't added to the roster with Stamkos out suggests he trusts the remaining players to get to the postseason, but at least one of them believes the effort isn't quite there."It starts with us," said star defenseman Victor Hedman, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "We've got to lead the way out there. Obviously, the leaders on this team have to step up and play better, and that goes with everyone, from goalies to forwards. We're all in this together."Tampa Bay has posted a record of 11-16-4 without Stamkos, and owns the conference's lowest point percentage as a result. Rebounding back into the playoff picture may be too much to ask, giving Yzerman reason to pause and consider the makeup of his team.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 Monday, Jan. 23 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

The Detroit Red Wings are limping into the All-Star break.Leading scorer Thomas Vanek suffered an upper-body injury in Sunday's loss to the New York Rangers and will not travel to Boston for Tuesday's game against the Bruins.Dylan Larkin, meanwhile, will miss the next two games with a lower-body injury, keeping him out of action until after the break.The injuries mean Drew Miller - who has been placed on waivers - could stick with the team if he clears, while Steve Ott may be pressed into action if a shoulder injury of his own allows.Detroit sits four points behind the Bruins in the race for third in the Atlantic, and four points back of Philadelphia, which holds the second wild-card spot.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The fact that Jake Allen has the St. Louis Blues' assistant general manager in his corner is not insignificant, because when you're struggling in net, it helps to know one of the game's greatest goalies believes in you.Martin Brodeur has been keeping a close eye on Allen over the past few years, and was part of the braintrust that handed him the starting job and a four-year, $17.4-million contract extension last summer. Pulled from four of his past six starts, Allen's save percentage recently dipped to .897, raising questions about his ability to backstop the team moving forward.Brodeur, who holds the NHL record with 691 career wins, has no doubt Allen - who was given the weekend off to clear his head - can rebound from a tough start to the season."He’s good enough, he’s talented enough, he’s got a great technique to fall back on, it’s just a matter of repetition and getting it done," Brodeur told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We’ve talked to him and we do have a lot of faith him, so I don’t think that should be a concern for him going forward. If that was a doubt that he had in his mind, well, that’s disappeared now because I think we were pretty clear about that."Having said that, Brodeur isn't taking an active role in helping Allen figure things out."I just kind of told him to keep his head up, that’s it," Brodeur said. "I didn’t really sit down or have a conversation with him about what’s going on. The more people that talk to him, the tougher it gets, so I didn’t want to be too much involved. I’m in the back here watching everything going on, but you care because it’s what I used to do."Allen is expected to practice with the Blues on Monday, and could be back in net Tuesday against Pittsburgh, the hottest team in the NHL at the moment.Brodeur, for one, expects Allen to return refreshed and ready for the challenge."I believe he will be successful and this will just bring greater things in the future - I really believe that," he said. "Everybody goes through it, sometimes guys have to go through it harder than others. The move that we made with him, I think it’s really to help him get out of this. It’s difficult now, but looking back two or three months from now, this is just going to be a little blip on the radar."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

theScore's new series, "The Noise," is published every Monday. It kicks off each week with a quick look at three teams or players making headlines, good or bad.Condon keeping Senators afloatWhere would the Ottawa Senators be without Mike Condon?When general manager Pierre Dorion added the journeyman goaltender for the price of a fifth-round draft pick in October, the expectation was that he would give the club the occasional spot start while Craig Anderson was on personal leave and in relief of Andrew Hammond.Three months later, we have tweets like this:

Filip Forsberg's recent clutch performance has bumped a familiar face out of the Nashville Predators record book.

There must have been something in the water around the NHL last week.In the period spanning Jan. 16 - 22, a total of 316 goals were scored in 52 games, an average 6.07 per game.Pittsburgh finished the week with a perfect 4-0-0 record, scoring 24 goals over the past seven days, six more than second-place Washington. It should come as no surprise, then, that the top-five scorers over the past seven days were all Penguins.(Courtesy: NHL.com)Altogether, there were eight games in which 10 goals or more were scored (one every night except Friday, including three on Tuesday), and 13 games of eight or more goals.Here's a look at those that reached double digits:

Ryan Miller: Not happy.After the Vancouver Canucks battled back from a 2-0 deficit six minutes into the third period, scoring twice in 46 seconds, they were burned late by Jonathan Toews, who pounced on a puck that came off the boards and beat Miller to give Chicago the lead, and, eventually, a 4-2 win.After the game, Miller put the United Center on blast:

Captain Serious delivered Sunday night.Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews put his team on his back with the Vancouver Canucks in town, contributing one goal and three assists as the Blackhawks prevailed 4-2.The outburst comes at a big time for the Blackhawks who - with the victory - match the Minnesota Wild for top spot in the Western Conference with 65 points.For Toews, the four-point output was his largest offensive performance of the year and hopefully a glimpse of what's to come as Toews' offensive numbers have taken a dive this season.

Not many teams go into Minnesota and beat the Wild. Add the Nashville Predators to the list.The Preds erased a 2-0 deficit Sunday, eventually winning 4-2, as Filip Forsberg scored his fourth game-winning goal in six games.The Swede is as hot as his team, which is playing the best hockey of its season, winners of six of seven. And Sunday's victory gave head coach Peter Laviolette the 500th victory of his career. He's the 25th head coach in history to reach the milestone.It'll be a joyous return for the team to Nashville, on its way home after a stellar road trip through Denver, Western Canada, and Minnesota:Date Result OpponentJan. 10W 2-1vs. CanucksJan. 12W 2-1vs. BruinsJan. 14W 3-2@ AvalancheJan. 17L 1-0@ CanucksJan. 19W 4-3@ FlamesJan. 20W 3-2 (SO)@ OilersJan. 22W 4-2@ WildThe Preds are now ahead of St. Louis by two points, and third in the Central Division. They've made up ground as goaltending has derailed the Blues' season.It's the opposite in Nashville. The Predators have allowed only 12 goals in their past seven games, winning five tight one-goal decisions.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NEW YORK - Claude Giroux scored at 3:20 of overtime as the Philadelphia Flyers rallied to beat the Islanders 3-2 Sunday night to end New York's three-game winning streak.Giroux's 11th goal of the season came on pass from defenseman Shayne Gostibehere from behind the net, giving the Flyers a much-needed win after trailing 2-0. Philadelphia was 3-9-3 in its previous 15 since a 10-game winning streak.Wayne Simmonds scored late in the second period to pull the Flyers within one and Ivan Provorov tied it early in the third. Steve Mason finished with 36 saves.Nick Leddy and Alan Quine scored for New York, and Thomas Greiss stopped 44 shots.Before Giroux's winner, Greiss denied Provorov on a point-blank attempt. Mason matched that save, denying John Tavares on a breakaway after Jason Chimera fed him the puck.The Islanders had two power-play chances midway through the third period without converting. The Flyers had their chance with the man advantage when Cal Clutterbuck was called for tripping with 2:53 left but also failed to score.The Flyers held a 42-34 shots advantage heading into overtime.Leddy opened the scoring with 6:35 to go in the first period, snaring a loose puck that had squirted free after a scramble in front of the Flyers net and firing the puck over a fallen Mason.Tavares rushed in on Mason but neither he nor linemates Josh Bailey or Anders Lee could beat Mason before the puck found its way out to Leddy, who scored his eighth.The Flyers outshot the Islanders 15-8 in the first but Greiss continued his strong play, stopping all Flyers attempts. The Islanders' starting goalie since Jaroslav Halak was sent to AHL Bridgeport three weeks ago, Greiss continued his stellar play in the second with another 18 saves.Quine made it 2-0 at 4:47 of the second, flipping the puck over Mason for his fourth goal of the season.Simmonds finally broke through for the Flyers with 5:50 left in the second period to narrow the deficit to 2-1. The goal ended Greiss' shutout streak at 154:10 following shutout wins at Boston last Monday and at home against Dallas last Thursday night.Simmonds' goal was his team-leading 19th this season.Provorov tied it at 1:47 of the third on a dazzling solo effort around the Islanders' defense before beating Greiss for his fourth.With both teams playing the second game of weekend back-to-backs, the Islanders had more jump early. But the Flyers seemed to find their legs once Simmonds scored late in the second and into the third period.New York had won two straight games since Doug Weight replaced Jack Capuano as coach last Tuesday. They beat Dallas 3-0 on Thursday and stopped the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 on Saturday. They also won 3-0 at Boston last Monday in Capuano's last game.Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck returned after three-game absence with an undisclosed injury while defenseman Johnny Boychuk also returned after missing two games. Forward Andrew Ladd missed his fourth straight game with an upper body injury.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Check out that stupid snipe by Patrick Kane.The Chicago Blackhawks superstar was surrounded by three Canucks, shooting from a tight angle, and Ryan Miller did a pretty decent job of covering his net.Only problem: Kane doesn't need a lot of room. It's his 15th of the season.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This was how a wild week in the NHL had to end.The Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators gave hockey fans another thrilling goal-filled game, the teams combining for 12 goals through 60 minutes, setting up Cam Atkinson's heroics.

Just how Cam Atkinson drew it up.The Columbus Blue Jackets forward was the beneficiary of a Mike Condon blunder on Sunday night. Atkinson scored his 22nd goal of the season after his shot tipped off Bobby Ryan's stick, bounced off the glove of Condon, and hopped over the goaltender's head and into the net.It wasn't pretty, but they all count.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers didn't enjoy their stay at Joe Louis Arena.Following New York's 1-0 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, the Rangers took to the microphones to voice their frustrations with the ice quality in the opposition's barn."I know the ice was the same for both teams, but the quality of the ice today was just horrendous," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault told reporters. "When you can't put two passes together because the puck is bouncing all over the place, it makes it very hard on players who have some skill and to put that skill on display."It was a sleepy game between the two sides, with the game featuring a single goal and a combined 40 shots. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist turned aside all 21 shots he faced for his 61st career shutout.Rangers forward Chris Kreider doubled down on the ice accusations, calling the playing surface "garbage," according to Steve Zipay of Newsday.It is the final season in the iconic arena for the Red Wings, home to the club since 1979. The club will head to its new digs, the Little Caesars Arena, at the start of next season.Unfortunately for the Rangers, their due one more visit in Detroit this year, as the two sides link up in Michigan on March 12.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins haven't been scoring all season. But they've been even more inept of late, and that has to be driving head coach Claude Julien crazy, as rumors of the precarious state of his employment swirl.Boston dropped its fourth game in a row Sunday, a 5-1 decision in which the Bruins out shot the Pittsburgh Penguins 45-36.Matt Murray shut the door.The Bruins have a 75 to 58 advantage on the shot clock over their past two games, and have only one goal to show for it in back-to-back losses. Boston was shut out 1-0 by Chicago on Friday.Julien's squad went into Sunday's game averaging 2.4 goals per game, ranking 24th in the league, but save for a couple of outbursts over their past six contests, five of which the Bruins have lost, they're having even more trouble than usual scoring.DateResultShots ForSH%OpponentJan. 12L 2-1362.77%PredatorsJan. 14W 6-33915.4%FlyersJan. 16L 4-0320%IslandersJan. 18L 6-5 (SO)3315.1%Red WingsJan. 20L 1-0300%BlackhawksJan. 22L 5-1452.22%PenguinsMath is hard, but that's only 13 goals in six games, 11 in two of them, the games in which the Bruins got at least a point. Boston has two goals in its last four regulation losses.It's bad.But you can't say Julien's guys aren't trying. The Bruins have out shot their opponents in each of their last six games, averaging 35.8 shots per game; the puck simply isn't going in the net.Boston's played the most games of any team in the league so far, 50, and sit 23-21-6. The club's in playoff position as the third seed in the Atlantic Division, but the Toronto Maple Leafs - one point back - have a whopping six games in hand.Detroit, four points behind, has three games in hand, and the Red Wings will be in Boston to face the Bruins on Tuesday, in yet another big game for the black and gold.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins fell 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, but the biggest loss may have come between the pipes.Midway through the second period, Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask pulled himself from the game, citing vision problems. Backup Zane McIntyre came into the game in relief, allowing three goals on 14 shots as Boston posted its fourth-straight loss.Following the game, Rask confirmed he suffered a migraine and was unable to continue playing. Its a familiar ailment for the Finnish goaltender, who experienced a similar case in March 2015.The Bruins return to the ice Tuesday versus the Detroit Red Wings, however, it is not yet known if Rask will be in the lineup. Rask has appeared in 39 games this season, posting a 22-12-4 record and a .920 save percentage.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's not hard to fly under the radar in Pittsburgh.The club has some of the most gifted offensive talents around, but very quickly Conor Sheary is emerging from the shadows as yet another goal-scoring dynamo for the Penguins.With another sizzling performance on Sunday - that saw Sheary net two goals and add an assist against the Boston Bruins - the 24-year-old is now up to 17 goals and 34 points in 39 games this season.Sheary can really thank a recent hot streak for his dramatic shot up the scoring ranks. Thanks to Sunday's output, Sheary is now riding a four-game point streak that includes three two-goal games and sees him with nine points in that span.However, it doesn't stop there. Since Dec. 27 - a stretch of 11 games - Sheary has amassed 15 points. He has also matched John Tavares of the New York Islanders for the most goals in the month of January (eight) and has the second-highest points per game total this month - with Patrik Laine's inflated six points in three games leading the way.Of course, Sheary has had the chance to play alongside Sidney Crosby which has certainly helped in his production. Nevertheless, Sheary is firing on all cylinders - like it seems everyone is doing these days in Pittsburgh - and is just another reason why the Penguins cold be poised to repeat as Stanley Cup champs this spring.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's been a rough month for Devan Dubnyk.The Minnesota Wild netminder, who has put up spectacular performances since arriving in St. Paul two years ago, is having a very average January.MonthGPRecordGAASV%October75-1-11.43.952November104-5-11.81.942December1110-0-11.69.941January76-1-02.58.906While Dubnyk is still scoring wins - he's lost just one of seven games through January - the performance hasn't been as pretty.After posting scorching numbers through the season's first three months, things have run cold in January. On the month, 23 goaltenders have taken the ice as often as Dubnyk, with the Wild goalie running middle of the pack among that group, ranking 12th.How Dubnyk finishes the month will be worth following, particularly with one of Minnesota's better defenders, Jonas Brodin, now on the shelf with a broken finger. In Brodin's two-game absence, the Wild have come away with a pair of victories but have allowed three goals in both affairs, something coach Bruce Boudreau would like to see less of.It will be up to Dubnyk to tighten up his play in goal, as backup Darcy Kuemper hasn't been a reliable No. 2 this season. Through nine games on the year, Kuemper has come away with a 5-2-2 record but holds an ugly .901 save percentage and a bloated 3.30 GAA.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Say what you want about this season, but they don't call Henrik Lundqvist the King for nothing.The 34-year-old turned away all 21 shots he faced in Sunday's 1-0 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings to pick up his 20th win of the season.In doing so, Lundqvist became the first goalie in NHL history to begin his career with 12 straight 20-win seasons.

Jack Capuano may not be unemployed for long.The former New York Islanders bench boss, who was fired by the club Tuesday, has piqued the interest of at least one NHL club, Arthur Staple of Newsday reports.While the inquiring team is unknown, only two clubs are currently without a head coach - the incoming Vegas Golden Knights, who will join the NHL next season as an expansion club, and the Florida Panthers, where general manager Tom Rowe doubles as interim head coach after the firing of Gerard Gallant.Interested suitors require the Islanders' permission to speak with Capuano, given he is still under contract until the end of the 2016-17 campaign. It is unknown whether Capuano has been contacted regarding a head coaching position or an assistant role.Capuano manned the Islanders' bench since 2010-11, posting a 227-192-64 record through his time in New York. Last spring, he guided the Islanders to their first playoff series win since 1993.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

January has been rather kind to Nicklas Backstrom.The Washington Capitals' center is the hottest scorer in the NHL right now, currently riding a nine-game point streak in which he's collected five multi-point efforts and 16 points overall.The surge has pushed him into a tie with Vladimir Tarasenko for the fifth-highest output across the NHL with 46.As it always has, it's Backstrom's playmaking ability that's driving his production. With two assists Saturday versus Dallas, the 29-year-old tied Patrick Kane with 33 helpers, second only to that Connor McDavid fellow.Backstrom's playing at a point-per-game pace, and if he keeps it up, an 82-point total would be his highest mark since netting 101 in 2009-10.Not only is Backstrom's streak impressive, it holds significance. In Ottawa on Jan. 7, Backstrom recorded his 500th career assist - the first Capital to do so. Then two games later versus Pittsburgh, he proved to be Alex Ovechkin's catalyst for the umpteenth time, notching the primary assist on his perpetual linemates' 1,000th career point.All this in the midst of the Capitals winning 11 of their past 12 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Need a winger? Call the Arizona Coyotes.The "For Sale" sign is up once again in the desert, with the Coyotes poised to miss the postseason for the fifth straight season. That means changes, and likely a new address for right-winger Radim Vrbata.A pending unrestricted free agent, the 35-year-old Vrbata is in his third tour of duty with Arizona after he rejoined the Coyotes in the offseason.Through 46 games, the Czech-born winger is the club's leading scorer, with 33 points, capped by Saturday's four-point outing against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It's been a hot month for Vrbata, who has nine points through nine games in January.That makes an attractive asset for the Coyotes, and a nice addition on the wing for teams looking to bulk up for the playoffs. With that, here are three teams that should think about adding Vrbata's scoring touch:Boston BruinsThe Bruins are at risk of missing the postseason for the third straight season. That sort of failure hasn't happened in Beantown since 1967, when the Bruins missed the playoffs eight years in a row.There is desperation in Boston amid rumors of the future of coach Claude Julien, with the Bruins being just a single point above the final wild-card spot, and the team struggling to produce offense up front. With 122 goals on the season, Boston ranks 21st league-wide, seemingly reeling from the loss of scoring winger Loui Eriksson, who left in free agency.A closer looks shows the Bruins have struggled up the middle, with centers Patrice Bergeron and David Backes having among the worst seasons of their careers. Could their performances turn around with Vrbata on the wing? We'll know for sure after the March 1 trade deadline.Carolina HurricanesCarolina could use some help on the right side. Only two Hurricanes currently outpace Vrbata - Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask - who make up two-thirds of Carolina's top line. There's an opening on the right side, and Vrbata could be a better fit than the likes of Elias Lindholm and Lee Stempniak. The three could push Carolina to its first playoff berth since 2009.A short stint in North Carolina would mark a reunion for Vrbata, who spent parts of three seasons in Raleigh. He was traded from Colorado to Carolina at the 2003 deadline, then shipped to Chicago in December 2005.If budget issues are a concern for the Hurricanes, Carolina is in luck, as Vrbata carries a cap-friendly bonus-laden contract. The deal has a $1-million base salary, plus various other payouts. Vrbata has already reached the games played benchmarks, and is on pace to soon cash in on another $500,000 when he nets either his 20th goal or 40th point. If the Hurricanes win it all with Vrbata in tow, he'd max out at $3.25 million.ConditionPaymentBase salary$1 million10 games played$250 00030 games played$250 00020 goals or 40 points$500 000If make playoffs$250 000Playoff round win$250 000 per roundOttawa SenatorsSenators general manager Pierre Dorion hasn't been shy about his desire to add some more scoring to his club, and Vrbata could be just what the doctor ordered.The Senators hold down the second spot in the Atlantic Division, but with just 116 goals on the season, Ottawa owns a minuscule plus-three goal differential, while the club has only outscored seven teams league-wide.The Senators could use a boost at right wing. At 33 points, Vrbata has nearly doubled the production Ottawa's top right triggerman, Bobby Ryan, who has 18 on the year. Fellow right-winger Mark Stone and defenseman Erik Karlsson are the only Ottawa skaters to outscore Vrbata this season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt Gilroy used the KHL All-Star shootout to show off his bribery skills.During the competition, the former NHL defenseman, who has 37 points in 52 games with Moscow Spartak this season, earned himself an easy goal by offering goaltender Igor Bobkov $100 to let him score.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Doug Weight may have steered the New York Islanders around a corner.The interim head coach is 2-0 since taking over behind the bench, the latest victory coming Saturday, a resilient 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.Weight believes the Islanders can be a playoff team, though they have plenty of work to do. New York sits dead last in the Eastern Conference, yet are only five points separated from the second wild-card spot with games in hand on everyone that lies ahead of them.It's that, and a refreshed energy surrounding the club, that has Weight and the Islanders feeling good for the first time this season."We're entering relevance," Weight said, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post. "It's a good feeling in that room. They're starting to believe."Suddenly, the Isles have won four of five overall, and the players are buying in."There's just a different feel," forward Jason Chimera said. "Coming off that road trip (when we went 2-1-0), there's a different feel, different swagger."New York continues its homestand Sunday versus the Flyers, then have a series of tough tests against the Blue Jackets, Canadiens, and Capitals.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pacific Division has an interesting blend of teams, ranging from Stanley Cup contenders to attentive lottery ball watchers.Regardless of their positions in the standings, each team has chips on the table in the trade market leading up to March 1.Here's a look at some Pacific candidates who could have a new home for the stretch run:Anaheim DucksSeveral teams will be dialing Bob Murray's number for the next month and beyond.The Ducks own a surplus of reliable defenseman, and seek an extra piece up front to solidify an underachieving attack.Cam Fowler's name has been tossed around all season, but is Anaheim better off with him or without him for the postseason? Depends on the price.If Murray is unwilling to deal one of his top-four blueliners, Josh Manson, Shea Theodore, and pending unrestricted free agent Korbinian Holzer could draw attention.Arizona CoyotesWe've got some options here.The Coyotes aren't going anywhere this season, and yet again, Martin Hanzal is the subject of many calls heading John Chayka's way. The 6-foot-6 pivot could be a dream rental for a contender, with his contract expiring following the season.Beyond Hanzal, franchise icon Shane Doan could be available, but that's up to him. Elsewhere, 26-year-old right-handed defenseman Michael Stone - and his expiring contract - is circulating the rumor mill in the desert.Calgary FlamesThe Flames are in the thick of the wild-card race, but don't have a ton of expendable assets.If they fall out of contention, Kris Versteeg - a staple in trade deadline discussions in recent years - could likely haul in a draft pick or two from a team heading to the playoffs.That said, if they look poised to lock down a playoff spot come deadline day, staying the course might be the best bet.Edmonton OilersFor the first time in a long time, it looks like the Oilers will be buyers.With a core so young and few relevant contracts set to expire, Edmonton's surplus of 2017 draft picks - a pair of third- and fifth-round picks - might be the only pieces shipped out of town.The Oilers have been linked to big names in Kevin Shattenkirk and Jarome Iginla, but they will require Peter Chiarelli to heavily sweeten the pot.Los Angeles KingsThe Kings will need to be the Kings again if they want to reach the postseason. With just 48 points, Los Angeles is three points out.General manager Dean Lombardi doesn't have much wiggle room to add, but if the club winds up selling, forward Dwight King could be movable.King was a solid role player on Los Angeles' two Cup-winning teams, and could be a serviceable rental for a team searching for some depth.San Jose SharksPerhaps no team has a better outlook to its roster than the Sharks.San Jose returned nearly the exact roster that reached the Stanley Cup Final last season, and that squadron has them in contention for top spot in the Pacific.The Sharks have minimal cap space, few enticing draft picks, and their only major expiring contracts are Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, who won't be dealt ahead of the playoff push.Vancouver CanucksLike many others, the Canucks are in wait-and-see mode.Unexpectedly vying for a playoff spot, Vancouver is still very much in a rebuild, and have stated they won't be dealing picks just to make the postseason.If Vancouver falls down the standings, dealing Alex Burrows - if he's willing to waive his no-trade clause - could be an option for management.The playoff-experienced 35-year-old will be a UFA July 1, and could prove useful on a contending team.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.