Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Friday, Jan. 6 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Goalie Breakdown

One of Kingston, Ontario's own will be recognized by the city's junior hockey club later this month.The Kingston Frontenacs will wear jerseys that pay tribute to Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip when the OHL team plays the Mississauga Steelheads on Jan. 28.(Courtesy: Kingston Frontenacs)The jerseys will be auctioned off after the game, with net proceeds going to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research through Sunnybrook Hospital.The Hip's lead singer revealed in May that he was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, and the band gave its final performance in Kingston back in August."Gord's diagnosis touched our entire organization and everyone we spoke with, from hockey fans to music fans, across Kingston, and Canada," Frontenacs executive director of business operations Justin Chenier said."As a team, we've talked about honoring The Tragically Hip and when the reality of Gord's diagnosis set in, we knew we could do something special to honor the band and help raise funds to help with the research for brain cancer."Chenier explained that the club, along with Ontario-based jersey manufacturer Catstitch, designed the sweaters in the mold of the 1964 Boston Bruins home jerseys to reflect Downie's favorite team and the year he was born.There's also this terrific deal:"In the background of the jersey is the name of every album and song recorded and released by the band, from their self-titled 1987 debut to 2016's 'Man Machine Poem,'" Chenier said. "We wanted to include the lyrics of every song they've recorded, but typed in 11-point Arial, the 30,333 words, or 128,380 characters was 45 pages long.”Kudos to the Frontenacs for this heartfelt and well-thought-out homage.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Not so fast, Brent Burns.The San Jose Sharks' bearded star continues to pace all NHL defenseman with 15 goals and 37 points, but Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman - who's been filling some big shoes of late - is nipping at his heels.Ever since the Lightning were delivered the news that - once again - they'd be without captain Steven Stamkos for the foreseeable future, Hedman has answered the bell.With a helper in a miserable 6-1 shelling at the hands of the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, Hedman now sits at 36 points amid a torrid streak.The 26-year-old has posted 23 points in 23 games without Stamkos, but his offensive numbers have quietly flown under the radar - likely in part to the Lightning's lackluster record, coupled with the fact that the majority of Hedman's points have come in the form of assists.In fact, with 29 helpers on the season Hedman now ranks second in the league, just two shy of Connor McDavid.So, it should be no surprise that Hedman is on pace to shatter his previous career highs. His seven goals are just six short of the 13 he posted in 2014, while his projected 73 points would eclipse his previous career high - also set in 2014 - by 18 points.The Lightning will certainly need to elevate their collective play if they hope to vault themselves back into a playoff spot. Everyone sans Hedman, that is, as he's already doing his part.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Charlie McAvoy won't ever forget Jan. 5, 2017.The U.S. defender won a gold medal Thursday, scoring a goal and an assist in his country's come-from-behind 5-4 shootout win over Canada in enemy territory. He was named the U.S.' player of the game, but what he'll remember most is the noise - and lack thereof at the end."We're booed for 80 minutes, in a place that doesn't want us," McAvoy said, according to NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "To come out on top, it's that much sweeter."We all grew up idolizing that 2010 (gold-medal winning) team, so to come up here, have the fans all over us, it feels special," he added, according to TSN's Mark Masters.With the U.S. down 2-0 after 20 minutes, McAvoy got his team back in the game, beating Carter Hart glove side from the slot just over three minutes into the second period.The U.S. would erase a pair of two-goal deficits before winning in extras."No point in this game where we thought that losing was an option," McAvoy added. "We battled. We're (expletive) world champions."This is one of the most resilient groups I've ever been a part of. I can't even believe it. We get down 2-0, no panic."A first-round pick of the Boston Bruins last year, McAvoy's taking a little vacation:

Dylan Strome's time with the Canadian junior squad officially came to an end Thursday night, and the 19-year-old leaves with what he didn't want: a silver medal.Canada's leading scorer heading into Thursday's final was held scoreless by the Americans in the gold-medal game, a 5-4 U.S. decision in a shootout. Instead of lamenting the fact a skills competition decided the winner, Strome gave the U.S. the respect it deserves after an impressive comeback."(Tyler Parsons) stops five guys in a row in a shootout, they deserve to win," Strome said, according to TSN's Mark Masters.Tears flowed freely in Canada's dressing room, Strome admitted, but Canada's captain is proud of what his team accomplished.

"On the Fly," theScore's weekly NHL roundtable series, published every Friday, is keeping its sights set on the now-completed world juniors. Below are four players who caught our attention at the 11-day tournament.MVP, Canada's Thomas ChabotCraig Hagerman: "Average."That's how Ottawa Senators assistant general manager Randy Lee described defenseman Thomas Chabot following the team's development camp in July. The brass was left largely unimpressed by the their 2015 first-round pick's showing.Fast forward to the start of the regular season and Chabot had upped his game, beginning the year with the Senators. However, he played in only one of the team's first nine games before being sent back to junior.After the past two weeks, it's safe to say there's nothing average about Chabot. The 19-year-old was a workhorse in every sense of the term, playing nearly 45 minutes Thursday night. He tied for the Canadian lead in scoring with 10 points, and had at least a point in each game.Chabot was as reliable defensively as he was offensively, and in turn was named tournament MVP. He was the catalyst on a team that came as close as it gets to winning gold, and it's only be a matter of time before he's contributing regularly in the NHL.Switzerland's Nico HischierCory Wilkins: Hockey fans have been treated to dynamic talents at the top of the recent draft classes, from Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel in 2015, to Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine a year ago.Unfortunately, the 2016 draft board doesn't have that same depth of game-breaking players, with most scouts considering this class the weakest since 2012. Still, there are some interesting up-and-comers in the mix, headlined by Brandon Wheat Kings center Nolan Patrick and Swedish defenseman Timothy Liljegren.Neither player participated in the world juniors, with Patrick sidelined with a sports hernia injury and Liljegren not making the final cut for Sweden after a bout of mono interrupted the start of his season.That set the stage for Swiss forward Nico Hischier, a product of the Halifax Mooseheads, who wrapped his world juniors performance with four goals and three assists in seven games. It's a continuation of his game in the QMJHL, where the slick winger has scored 48 points in 31 games. That sort of play put Hischier on the map and could see him challenge as the top pick next June.Russia's Denis GuryanovJustin Cuthbert: Kirill Kaprizov, if not the best player at the World Junior Hockey Championship, was certainly Russia's most important. But while he proved he can dominate at an U-20 level internationally, Denis Guryanov demonstrated the high-end talent required to score at the next level.Guryanov was an indispensable forward for Russia, which won bronze, on the Dallas Stars' first-round pick's overtime winner against Sweden. After a slow start, he was brilliant throughout the knockout round. He scored all four of his goals in elimination games, including two in the semifinal loss to the U.S., a contest in which he also scored a gorgeous shootout goal.We'll remember his overtime winner, but the "wow" moment came several shifts before when he stepped over the blue line and whistled an NHL-grade shot off the post behind a stunned Felix Sandstrom.Guryanov is one to watch moving forward.USA's Colin WhiteNavin Vaswani: Remember the days when Colin White was a boring, stay-at-home defenseman for the New Jersey Devils? Yeah, those days are done. Long gone.There's a new and far more exciting Colin White on the scene, and like Chabot, he's an Ottawa Senators draft pick, 21st overall in 2015. And White appears to be a player.The 19-year-old scored again Thursday, and it was huge, his goal tying the game 4-4 in the third period. And it was damn pretty, too, the forward showing off incredible hand-eye coordination to deflect a hard shot-pass past Carter Hart from a difficult angle.White went into the world juniors with 10 goals in 18 games as a sophomore with Boston College, but exploded at the tournament. He scored seven times, finishing second only to Kirill Kaprizov (nine) for the tourney lead. His eight points tied for second on the U.S.Almost more impressive than his stick was the way he went about his business. He seems like a real pain in the ass to play against, which is what the Sens need more of.White wore an "A" for USA and was one of the team's leaders, and three of his 10 goals came in the medal round. What's not to like?The future looks pretty decent in Ottawa.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colton Sissons might not be a star, but he's now in a class by himself.The Nashville Predators forward became the first player in NHL history to score a hat trick in which the second goal was an empty-netter and the third came against a goaltender, according to the club.Sissons registered the unusual feat in Nashville's 6-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.He gave the Predators a 3-1 lead with a goal against Andrei Vasilevskiy midway through the second period, then converted with the net empty in the third frame with about six minutes remaining for the 5-1 advantage.The Lightning then put Vasilevskiy back between the pipes, and Sissons capped off his memorable night with three minutes to go.

The Calgary Flames could be heading towards yet another goalie controversy.After the team had no reliable options in net last season, and the unexpected play of Chad Johnson and Brian Elliott (for better and worse) this season, it appears the next question for the Flames at the goaltending position could be: 'When do they insert Tyler Parsons?'The 2016 second-round pick backstopped the United States to a 5-4 shootout win over rivals Canada on Thursday to capture world juniors gold. Parsons was incredible adding another win to his collection, turning away 46 shots and another five in the shootout."In a shootout, he's a little bit of a wizard, and that's pretty cool," USA head coach Bob Motzko said, according to NHL.com's Sean Farrell. "I think the real story … is Parsons. (Backup) Joe Woll got in there too, but when we turned it over, he's a special goaltender. So to go to the shootout, it was his. That shootout belonged to Parsons."The fact is, he is more than just a shootout wizard.Parsons has become accustomed to success and more importantly winning over the last two seasons. The 19-year-old posted a ridiculous 37-9-3 last season with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, concluding the year by winning 13 straight playoff games and four Memorial Cup contests.This year he hasn't skipped a beat going 11-2-3 in 16 games while also going perfect in the tournament with five wins in five games."I just got it in my mind, 'If I let one in, I lose the gold,' so that's what I just thought the whole time," Parsons said of his gold-medal performance. "And I was just patient with the puck, and it showed, and we won the gold."Second-round picks can be a wash in the NHL, but one thing is certain, the Flames have a winner in Parsons.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The kids on the American world junior squad weren't the only ones celebrating Thursday night.A number of NHLers chimed in on the United States' takedown of Canada on Canadian soil in the gold-medal game. Here's the best reaction:

The Columbus Blue Jackets' 16-game winning streak came to an end Thursday in D.C., but head coach John Tortorella was in a pretty good mood after the fact.

Troy Terry didn't want to go five-hole. He wanted to try something different. But the five-hole possesses powers beyond his control.The U.S. forward scored the only goal in the shootout Thursday, as the Americans won gold over Canada in Montreal in the world juniors final. The goal of his life came one day after he scored three goals in the shootout - all five-hole - against Russia to send the Americans to the final."Yeah, before the shootout, (going five-hole) wasn't my plan," Terry said after the game, according to NHL.com's Sean Farrell. "I actually was thinking about trying something different. And as I came down, I guess it just took over me. I had to try it."American head coach Bob Motzko called Terry "a little bit of a (shootout) wizard," while captain Luke Kunin said the message to Terry on the bench was simple."We just said, 'Do your thing,'" Kunin said.Smart. Don't mess with success.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Boston Bruins on Thursday, but the contributions of rookie Jesse Puljujarvi were certainly limited in the victory.The first-year Oiler was limited to 3:27 of ice-time on the night, his lowest total since he played 3:07 versus the New York Islanders on Nov. 5, a game he left in the first period after suffering an injury.Puljujarvi has been a healthy scratch on 10 other occasions this season, including three of Edmonton's last eight games. Prior to Thursday, his previous season-low was 6:36 of ice-time on Dec. 21 against the Arizona Coyotes.Facing the Bruins, Puljujarvi had a seat on the bench in the third period, not seeing a single shift. Here's how it broke down:Period Shifts TOI143:01210:26300:00With those sorts of numbers, it's difficult to understand why the Oilers have not assigned Puljuarvi to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.Beyond that, the Oilers opted against sending Puljujarvi to join his fellow Finns at the world juniors. Finland certainly could've used the help, as last year's gold medal champions fell to the brink of relegation this year. Puljujarvi was the top scorer in the tournament last year, finishing with 17 points in seven games.Puljujarvi has appeared in 28 games with the Oilers this season, tallying eight points, with his lone goal coming in the season opener.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Four goals on four attempts at the five-hole.Troy Terry lifted the United States to its fourth World Junior Championship in history, scoring the only goal in the shootout in Thursday's phenomenal gold-medal match versus Canada.Terry scored three times on Ilya Samsonsov - each through the Russian netminder's legs - to advance the United States from Wednesday's semifinal clash.Tyler Parsons was responsible for the five stops at the other end to anchor the shootout win.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The United States is golden.The Americans captured the gold medal at the 2017 World Junior Championship on Thursday, coming away with a thrilling 5-4 victory in the shootout. Troy Terry notched the game-winning goal.Terry was the lone shooter to score in the five-round shootout, as the United States won its first gold medal at the world juniors since 2013.It was a devastating loss for Canada, who finished sixth place a year ago after winning gold in 2015. Canada has won gold just twice since 2009.The Canadians got off to an early lead on Thursday, with defenseman Thomas Chabot opening the scoring 4:38 into the first period after he knocked the puck into a wide-open net behind sprawling American goalie Tyler Parsons.The two sides traded chances in some exciting early minutes, with Canada tallying again at the 9:02 mark when Jeremy Lauzon fired a snap shot from the slot, marking his second tally of the tournament.Canada carried a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. In the second period, American defenseman Charlie McAvoy quickly got his side on the board at the 3:04 mark, catching the Canadians on a bad line change and firing a shot from the slot that beat Canadian netminder Carter Hart on his glove side.With the Canadians called for too many men midway through the second period, the Americans evened the score, as forward Kieffer Bellows deflected a point shot by Adam Fox. The score remained tied at two through two periods, with Canada carrying a 22-19 shot advantage.Canada regained the lead 1:52 into the third period on a power-play marker by Nicolas Roy, who fired it top corner on the blocker side of Parsons. Mathieu Joseph then built on Canada's lead less than three minutes later, putting the Canadians ahead 4-2 when he dashed in on a breakaway following a pretty feed from forward Michael McLeod, pocketing the goal past Parsons.Just 39 seconds later, the United States found the back of the net, as Bellows scored his second of the night, knocking a one-timer past Hart off a cross-ice pass from McAvoy.The United States then tied the game at four courtesy of Colin White's seventh of the tournament, which came from getting a stick on Fox's point shot.The game would go to a 20-minute overtime frame, with the two sides trading scoring chances in an exciting extra frame. With neither side able to capitalize, the game proceeded to the shootout, with Terry tallying for the Americans and the Canadians unable to beat Parsons on five attempts.Parsons turned aside 46 shots in the victory, while McAvoy was named the player of the game for the Americans, finishing the night with a goal to go with his gold medal.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canadian workhorse defenseman Thomas Chabot was voted Most Valuable Player of the 2017 World Junior Championship.He's the first defenseman in world junior history to win the honor, first given out in 2002.Also named the top defenseman, Chabot scored four goals. He recorded at least a point in every game for the Canadians, including the opening goal in the gold-medal final Thursday versus the United States.Russia's Kirill Kaprizov, who led the tournament with nine goals, was named the top forward, while Sweden's Felix Sandstrom took top goaltending honors as selected by the directorate.Chabot and Kaprizov were named to the tournament's All-Star team, while Russian netminder Ilya Samsonsov replaced Sandstrom in that group (chosen by the media). Also included were U.S. defender Charlie McAvoy and forward Clayton Keller, as well as Sweden's Alexander Nylander.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TAMPA, Fla. - Colton Sissons ended a 12-game goal drought with his first career hat trick, Pekka Rinne made 27 saves and the Nashville Predators beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1 on Thursday night.Tampa Bay pulled its goalie for an extra skater with seven minutes left in the third, and Sissons got his second of the game a minute later before completing the trick from close with three minutes remaining. He entered with two goals this season and seven overall in 78 career games.Nashville also got goals from Mike Fisher, Filip Forsberg, and Ryan Ellis. Rinne improved to 7-0-1 against Tampa Bay.Tyler Johnson scored for the Lightning, who went 2-2-1 on a five-game homestand. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 13 shots.Fisher had the lone goal in the first, coming on the power play at 2:25. The Predators are 11-0-4 when scoring first. Tampa Bay has allowed the first goal in 26 of 40 games (7-15-4).Forsberg made it 2-0 before Johnson scored on the power play early in the second, and then Sissons made it 3-1 from the right circle at 13:21.Ellis made it a 4-1 lead 43 seconds after Sissons scored with a goal that had two reviews.The original call was no goal because of goalie interference on Viktor Arvidsson, but that was overturned after a Nashville challenge. Tampa Bay then challenged the on-ice call that play was onside, but the review was inconclusive and the goal stood.The Predators have outscored opponents 50-27 in the second period. The first four Nashville goals came on just eight shots.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrick Maroon's earned his next start on Connor McDavid's wing.Maroon completed a hat trick Thursday night in Boston when he jumped on a turnover in the attacking zone and left Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask sprawling with a forehand deke.His first goal was a tap-in on the weak side born off a brilliant rush from McDavid. Maroon swatted in his second when he located the puck in a net-front battle with Adam McQuaid.He also fought Zdeno Chara in the game, which makes the feat that much more improbable, we suppose.Maroon was clearly humbled by the accomplishment, telling Sportsnet's Gene Principe afterward: "I never thought in a thousand years I would get a hat trick in the NHL."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Settle for 16.The Columbus Blue Jackets were denied their own slice of history Thursday in Washington, losing 5-0 to the Capitals in their quest to match an NHL record with their 17th consecutive win.Daniel Winnik, John Carlson, Nate Schmidt, Andre Burakovsky, and Justin Williams scored for Washington. It was Burakovsky who spoke candidly prior to the game about how much pleasure the Capitals would derive from ending Columbus' incredible ride.Nevertheless, it was a truly remarkable stretch for the Blue Jackets, who plunged further into the depths of history than any team since the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins. Columbus hadn't lost since dropping a shootout to the Panthers on Nov. 26, and it was the first time the Blue Jackets failed to collect at least a point in six weeks.With an unconscious power play and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky rediscovering his Vezina Trophy form, the Blue Jackets' average margin of victory over the 16-game run was two goals.Columbus remains five points up on the Capitals in the Metropolitan Division, and remain the NHL's top team with a spectacular .784 points percentage that has them on pace for 128 points.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid likes to score in bunches.The Edmonton Oilers center tallied a pair of assists through two periods against the Boston Bruins on Thursday, securing his 14th multi-point game of the season - good for first in the NHL.Rank Player Multi-Point Games Points Total Points1Connor McDavid142645T2Evgeni Malkin132743T2Sidney Crosby132642T3Phil Kessel112438T3Jakub Voracek112137T3Patrik Laine112036T3Jeff Carter112133Facing the Bruins, McDavid fed two helpers to teammate Patrick Maroon, bringing his season totals to 14 goals and 31 assists.McDavid now sits one multi-point game ahead of Pittsburgh Penguins superstars Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Fans of the Boston Bruins are forever grateful for "the Ultimate Bruin."On Thursday, the team honored former captain Milt Schmidt in a pregame ceremony, lowering his No. 15 banner from the rafters. The Bruins also painted his number on the ice surface behind each goal.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed depth netminder Dustin Tokarski to a one-year extension that will run through the 2017-18 season, the team announced Thursday.Tokarski has a sub-.900 save percentage in 16 appearances for the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League this season. Since coming over to the organization in a trade in January of last year, he's been limited to 10 minutes of mop-up duty for the big club.The 27-year-old owns a .904 save percentage in 24 career NHL appearances split between the Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Montreal Canadiens. He started five playoff games for the Canadiens in 2014 when Carey Price went down to injury.Mike Condon beat him out for the backup role in Montreal last season, leading to his trade to Anaheim.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There is a little more on the line for the Columbus Blue Jackets.The Blue Jackets face off against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, and a victory will see the team tie the NHL record for the longest all-time win streak of 17, set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins.The game will air in front of both team's local markets. The national stage on Thursday has been reserved for the Chicago Blackhawks and the 28th-place Buffalo Sabres.But if the Blue Jackets can tie the record, they'll have a chance at center stage on Saturday when they face the New York Rangers and aim to take claim of the record, with NBC announcing the scheduling change Thursday.NBC is the official national broadcaster of the NHL in the United States.This season, NBC has slated the Blackhawks for 21 national appearances. As it stands, the Blue Jackets have a single national game on the docket, a Feb. 13 match against the Rangers.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Galchenyuk is scheduled to return to practice far earlier than originally expected.The Montreal Canadiens announced Thursday that the dynamic scorer, out since Dec. 4 with a knee injury, will skate prior to Saturday's game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.It remains unknown when Galchenyuk will be fit enough to return, but his ability to practice appears to have him well ahead of the six-to-eight week timetable originally announced.Andrei Markov will also return to practice with the club, which completes its seven-game road trip to accommodate the World Junior Championship on Saturday.The veteran defender has been out three weeks with a lower-body injury.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Auston Matthews isn't lacking confidence.The Toronto Maple Leafs rookie sensation told reporters, including TSN's Kristen Shilton, that he has a bet going with head coach Mike Babcock and another one with fellow phenom Mitch Marner over the outcome of Thursday's gold-medal game between the U.S. and Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship.Related - Winner gets gold: 4 keys to Canada vs. USAMatthews, who hails from Arizona and who's represented Team USA internationally, joked that Babcock - who's won multiple gold medals behind Canada's bench - will have a predictable justification for a U.S. win."(It's) lose-lose for me, because he'll just make an excuse, like if he was coaching there's no way they'd lose," Matthews said Thursday.Matthews' entry-level deal contains the "full permissible package" and he triggered a $212,500 bonus by scoring his 20th goal of the season to win Sunday's Centennial Classic in overtime.Babcock's contract is reportedly worth $50 million over eight years, while Marner's entry-level deal is worth $850,000 per season with a similar potential $212,500 bonus.All of which is to say, there could be some serious cheddar exchanging hands.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Niklas Kronwall's and Brendan Smith's road trips are over.The Detroit Red Wings will be without the two defenders for the next little while, after the pair were injured Wednesday.

Steve Mason won't admit it, but his increased playing time has taken a toll.The Philadelphia Flyers goaltender appeared in his ninth consecutive game Wednesday night, allowing four goals on 27 shots in a 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers.The Flyers have lost five straight games, turning November and December's 10-game win streak into a distant memory.Mason has played in 25 of the last 27 contests and Wednesday's defeat was his 22nd start in the Flyers' last 24 games. It's the most work he's ever had in those spans."It's been a heavy workload, but at the same time, I'm not going to complain that the coaching staff trusted me with a heavy workload and (has) shown the trust to put me in, night in and night out," Mason told reporters, according to CSN Philly's Tim Panaccio.Mason appeared in eight of the Flyers' wins during the win streak, posting a .926 save percentage. But he's allowed 20 goals in the eight games since, for an unsavory save percentage of .896."It's not a fun time right now," Mason said. "We have to find way to come out on top and just push through here without getting too discouraged."Head coach Dave Hakstol refused to pin Mason's struggles on his energy level."No, not fatigue," Hakstol said. "It's a team game and we gave four (goals), plus an empty netter. As a team, we will leave it at that. We gave up four goals that were a little too easy."The Flyers were left without an experienced backup when Michal Neuvirth went down in mid-November with what Panaccio reported at the time as a knee injury.Anthony Stolarz was recalled in Neuvirth's absence, but the rookie played in only four of Philadelphia's 17 games - starting only two of them - before the Flyers returned him to the AHL and activated Neuvirth prior to Wednesday's game against the Rangers.Having Neuvirth back should help ease the burden on Mason, and we'll see if Hakstol gives his starter a break when the Flyers play a home/away back to back against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday and Sunday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mikkel Boedker's move to San Jose has not gone as planned.Signed to a four-year, $16-million contract by the Sharks in free agency, the 27-year-old has just two more goals than Martin Jones - a goalie. Yeah, that's how bad it's been.With only two goals and eight points, Boedker will be a healthy scratch against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night, head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed to CSN's Kevin Kurz."I know this kid and I know his character," said DeBoer, who coached Boedker in junior. "My conversation with him was, heading into Christmas, he probably played eight or 10 of the best games he's played here. He's done it for a stretch. Now, it's just consistently bringing that."DeBoer went on about the difficulty of playing in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, and needing to dress the best possible lineup every night."I'm sure we'll get a good response when he's back in," DeBoer said.Boedker's had zero puck luck. A career 10.9 percent shooter, his two goals have come on 45 shots, good for a 4.4 percent success rate. He's at 50 percent with respect to possession, according to Corsica Hockey.Tommy Wingels will play in Boedker's absence after watching the last five games in a suit.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The ECHL's Toledo Walleye are hosting "Rocky Tribute Night" on Saturday, and had some outlandish uniforms made for the occasion.The Detroit Red Wings affiliate unveiled the uniforms Thursday, which feature a Rocky Balboa-themed jersey, patriotic pants similar to those worn by Sylvester Stallone in the 1976 film, and socks resembling boxing boots.

The NHL is always watching.Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov was fined $2,000 by the NHL for diving/embellishment, the league announced Thursday.Kuznetsov was issued a warning after being flagged on Oct. 29. His second infraction occurred on Dec. 29, and now he's forced to cut a cheque.The hit to his wallet is another negative in what's been a down season for the 24-year-old. After leading the Capitals in scoring last season, setting career highs across the board, Kuznetsov has four goals and 19 assists in 37 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt Nieto has a new home.The winger was plucked off the waiver wire by the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday after being placed there by the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.Nieto managed only two points in 16 games with the Sharks this season after posting eight goals and 17 points for the club in 2015-16.He was a second-round pick of the Sharks in 2011.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's no secret that the Calgary Flames have a talented young core, but an unlikely veteran has been the club's most consistent scorer over the last couple of weeks.Mikael Backlund tallied the decisive goal in Calgary's 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night, giving him at least a goal in each of the past five games, and six markers during that span.His five-game run is the longest goal streak by a Flames player since Curtis Glencross scored in seven straight contests back in 2011-12.Backlund has eight goals in his last 10 games, and with 12 in the season's first 40 contests he's on pace to notch a career-high 25 over the 82-game schedule - a four-goal improvement over last season.The 27-year-old Swede leads the Flames in total goals and power-play goals, and ranks second in both points (25) and shots on goal (97).He's playing on Calgary's second line between rookie Matthew Tkachuk and Michael Frolik, and centering that same duo on the Flames' second power-play unit.Calgary has an away/home back-to-back against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday and Saturday, and Backlund has more goals against the Canucks in his career than any other opponent, with 12 in 27 games.So don't be surprised if this scorching Flame stays hot.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Each week, theScore looks at the teams, players, and other hockey figures trending upward and taking a step back.▲ Max PaciorettyRemember when Pacioretty's head coach had to deny a report that he questioned the winger's worthiness as captain of the Montreal Canadiens?Those days seem oh so long ago given how terrific the winger has played lately.Pacioretty scored his second overtime game-winner in as many nights Wednesday against the Dallas Stars, tying him for the most in franchise history.He moved into a tie with Alex Ovechkin, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Cam Atkinson for sixth in the NHL's goal-scoring race with 18 in 39 games.Pacioretty has four goals in his last four games and 10 in his last 12. Only Jeff Carter has more game-winners this season, as Pacioretty is tied with Ovechkin and Artem Anisimov for second with six game-deciding goals in 2016-17.▼ Philadelphia FlyersThe Flyers are flailing following Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers. Philadelphia has lost five straight games and seven of its last eight, and now hold a mere three-point lead for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot over the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have three games in hand.So what's going on in the City of Brotherly Love?The Flyers have no problem scoring, as their issues lie on the other end of the ice. Philadelphia ranks eighth in goals per game (2.85), but sits fourth-worst in goals allowed per contest (3.03).They have the second-worst even-strength save percentage in the NHL (90.77, according to Corsica Hockey), and that's largely due to the inconsistency of Steve Mason, who's come back down to earth after a hot stretch last month.▲ Vancouver CanucksJust as the Flyers have stumbled to a surprising five-game losing skid, the Canucks have surged to an even more unexpected run.Vancouver shut out the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday to earn its fifth consecutive victory.Not too long ago, the Canucks were undoubtedly preparing to be a lottery team, but thanks to some solid play of late and the mediocrity (to put it kindly) of the Pacific Division, the Canucks find themselves within striking distance of a playoff berth.Seriously?The Los Angeles Kings have a one-point lead over the Canucks and the Winnipeg Jets for the second Western Conference wild-card spot, and the Kings have two games in hand on Vancouver, but the fact that the Canucks are even this close after their dismal start is simply unreal.Then again, we're only nearing the halfway point of the season and there's still plenty of hockey to be played.▼ Jordan EberleThe Edmonton Oilers have been mediocre of late, winning five of their last 10 games. No one player is to blame, but Eberle is one who has to be better.After three straight 25-plus-goal campaigns, Eberle has only eight in the first 39 games of this season and none since Dec. 6, an 11-game drought.He's been dropped out of the Oilers' top six and down to the third line alongside Benoit Pouliot and rookie Drake Caggiula.Eberle can't single-handedly get Edmonton back into its high-flying form, but if he could raise his game to the level he's established in the past, it would certainly help the Oilers become the powerhouse they showed they can be at times earlier in the season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

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

Everyone knows to beware Shea Weber's slap shot. There's little one can do when it's on the way.Weber's booming shot caught Brendan Gallagher on the hand Wednesday night, forcing the Montreal Canadiens forward from his team's overtime victory. There's no word yet on the severity of Gallagher's injury, but he's just the latest victim on Weber's hit list.On Thursday morning, Habs Eyes on the Prize's Marc Dumont pointed out that someone's been keeping a list of "Weber Shot Victims" on Reddit.Here it is:

Rematch.Canada and the United States will face off for global junior hockey supremacy Thursday night in the gold-medal game of the 2017 World Junior Hockey Championship.The puck drops shortly after 8 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre in Montreal, and you can watch on TSN in Canada and the NHL Network in the U.S.Here are four keys to the big matchup:USA the favoriteIt may have taken the U.S. two one-goal medal-round wins to get to the final - first over Switzerland and then a dramatic shootout victory against Russia - but with all due respect to the Canadians, the Americans are the favorites.Not only did the U.S. knock off the Russians for the first time in history in the medal round at the world juniors, it's the only undefeated team left standing after Sweden bowed out - as Sweden does - to Canada.Canada's only loss came at the hands of the Americans, who won 3-1 on New Year's Eve. While beating Canada twice is a tall order, there's no reason to believe they can't pull this off.Here's how things stand after six games:Team GF GA SV% PP% PK%Canada31 (1st)13 (T3).8898 (6th)31% (2nd)88% (2nd)USA24 (3rd)11 (2nd).9225 (4th)29.6% (3rd)75% (6th)Canada's offensive output was aided by a 10-2 thrashing of Latvia. If you eliminate each country's game against the Latvians, the Americans have scored 18 and allowed 10, while Canada's scored 21 and allowed 11. In other words, the two teams are closer offensively than the goals tally through six games indicates.In fact, the only game in which Canada failed to score five or more was against the U.S.Defense and goaltending win championships, even in short tournaments. The Americans have the edge, albeit a slight one.This is the fourth time Canada and the U.S. will play for gold. The Americans hold a 2-1 advantage, losing in 1997, and winning in 2004 and 2010. Canada's seeking its 17th gold medal, the U.S. its fourth.Hart's the man for CanadaIt took all tournament, and there are only three periods and maybe some change to play, but Canada's finally got its starting goalie: Carter Hart.Better late than never.Hart came on in relief of Connor Ingram against Sweden on Wednesday, after Ingram allowed two goals on three shots, and was perfect the rest of the way. And for Canada to win Thursday, he's going to have to provide much of the same. There's little room for error in Canada's crease.USA's fourth-ranked .9225 save percentage as a team is also a bit misleading, since the Swedes finished first at .9268. The Americans have basically had some of the best goaltending at the tournament, and Hart's challenge will be to best his counterpart, Tyler Parsons.Parsons - who's started four games to Hart's three - was in the crease for the Americans' historic win over the Russians, and was named player of the game, but he wasn't in the lineup on New Year's Eve. It was Joseph Woll who stopped an impressive 25-of-26 shots against Canada in USA's 3-1 victory on Dec. 31.GoalieSASVSV%Hart7065.9286Parsons9688.9167Woll4343.9348U.S. must stay out of the boxThere's one thing the Americans have struggled to do at this year's world juniors: kill penalties. And that could be a huge problem against the offensively gifted Canadians.If the U.S. can't kill penalties - its been successful only 15 times out of 20 - it can't take penalties. Period. Not against Canada's power play, which is lethal at 31 percent.The more disciplined team, which can keep its emotions in check, will win. It's as simple as that.Keller vs. StromeOutside of the 'tenders, the two players to watch Thursday are Canada's Dylan Strome and USA's Clayton Keller - each team's best player up front.Both have three goals and seven assists in six games. The only difference: Keller has 26 shots and no goals on the power play, while Strome has fired 22 pucks at the net and scored twice on the man advantage.Interestingly enough, both are Arizona Coyotes draft picks. Strome was selected third overall in 2015, Keller seventh overall in 2016. They're big parts of the future of hockey in the desert, and will undoubtedly be talking about this game and its result for years.May the better Coyotes prospect - and the better country Thursday night - win.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Military veteran Nevada Grassie took in his first Dallas Stars game at American Airlines Center on Wednesday night, and got to share the special moment with his service dog, K-9 Six.The Stars went on to lose to the Montreal Canadiens in overtime, but it looks like Grassie and Six had a good time regardless.

Family connections run deep in the NHL, a league that boasts numerous examples of parents and children with plentiful hockey genes.Bloodlines are the figurative ancestral links connecting those sets of relatives, and in this case, they're applicable to the fathers and sons who thrived in the NHL.The term refers not to a collection of brothers, but specifically to a legacy passed on to future generations, and there are countless examples of the latter in the annals of hockey history.Here are the three most dominant bloodlines in the history of the league:Bobby and Brett HullBobby Hull's legacy is complicated, and while his on-ice accomplishments don't erase any of his off-ice behavior, he remains one half of the most successful father-son duo in NHL history.The "Golden Jet" was a two-time Hart Trophy winner and three-time Art Ross Trophy recipient who ranks 17th on the all-time goal-scoring list with 610 in 1,063 NHL games, pouring in another 303 in 411 WHA contests.The elder Hull won a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1961 and led the original Winnipeg Jets to three Avco Cup championships in the WHA, earning Hockey Hall of Fame induction in 1983.Brett's 741 career NHL goals rank fourth all time, and he's one of only five players to score 50 goals in a 50-game span, a feat he pulled off in back-to-back seasons. He also won the Stanley Cup twice, with the Dallas Stars in 1999 and with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002.The HowesEveryone knows how legendary Gordie Howe was, and his illustrious career was furthered by the success of his kids.The late icon ranks second all time in career NHL goals and fourth in points. His son Mark was also exceptional, collecting 742 points in 929 NHL games and another 504 points in 426 WHA contests as a defenseman.Mark's bother, Marty, also produced in the NHL, registering 184 points in 449 games as a blue-liner.Mark joined his father and brother on the WHA's Houston Aeros in 1973, and the trio won back-to-back Avco Cup championships together in '74 and '75.Scotty and Stan BowmanScotty Bowman is arguably the greatest head coach of all time, leading the league with 1,244 career wins, all of which came before the shootout increased the number of victories league-wide by eliminating ties.He won the Stanley Cup nine times as a coach and has an astounding 14 titles, including those earned in his later executive roles.Stan Bowman has followed in his father's championship footsteps, molding the Chicago Blackhawks into a perennial contender and winning the Cup three times in six years from 2010-16.Honorable mentions: The Stastnys (Peter, Anton, Marian, Yan, and Paul), The Sutters (hockey's most renowned family includes many notable brothers, but Brandon is the only member of the second generation to succeed in the NHL), the Espositos (legendary brothers but no notable progeny), the Staals (four brothers in the NHL but no previous family link to the NHL), the Parises (J.P. and Zach), the Hextalls (Bryan, Bryan, Jr., Dennis, Ron), the Folignos (Mike, Nick and Marcus), and the Apps family (Syl, Syl, Jr., Syl III).Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

WASHINGTON - The Columbus Blue Jackets will look to tie the NHL record for consecutive wins when they face Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Thursday night at Verizon Center.Columbus goes for its 17th straight win in a game featuring the first- and fourth-place teams in the Metropolitan Division. In a bit of scheduling irony, Washington will be trying to stop Columbus from tying the mark set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins - the Capitals' bitter rivals.The Blue Jackets (27-5-4) rattled off their 16th consecutive victory with a 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday in Columbus."I'm proud of the team. They deserve it," Columbus coach John Tortorella told NHL.com. "I'm really happy how they've handled the past three games with all the talk and all that. It's a good test for them."Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves and extended his win streak to 14 games, three behind the record set by Boston's Gillies Gilbert in 1975-76. He has allowed just 23 goals in the 14 games.Columbus is allowing two goals per game, tops in the NHL, and Washington is third at 2.10.The Blue Jackets' power play continues to thrive, producing the first goal Tuesday night and 13 in the last 11 games. They're converting a league-best 28.3 percent of their chances."The power play, you can almost sense it when they go out there that they are going to score," Tortorella told NHL.com. "The bench feels that."Capitals coach Barry Trotz said, "They have a good plan and they're executing their plan. I think their ability not only to get pucks in the area, but they also find ... off the original chance they turn that into a second and third chance and eventually a goal."The Caps (23-9-5), meanwhile, has provided opponents 20 power plays in its last three games, though they've surrendered only two power-play goals while winning three straight."Obviously, the penalties are mounting up and they're hard minutes," Trotz said. "We're going to correct that."Tuesday's 5-4 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs was an uncharacteristic Capitals affair. They were forced to rally from a 4-2 deficit before Ovechkin scored the winner.Goalie Braden Holtby was pulled after allowing three first-period goals when the Capitals had allowed only 14 first-period scores all season."Certainly, I think we just kind of willed out way to that win," Justin Williams told The Washington Post after he notched a goal and two assists to give him eight goals and seven assists in his last 14 games. "It was fun and exciting for everybody."Thursday's atmosphere should be exciting as well."Guys recognize that you're under a bigger spotlight, so it's probably like a rivalry game," Trotz said. "It's got a little more ... I'll say a little more zip to it, a little more emotion than some other games."Columbus won the first two matchups between the teams - one in overtime - and leads Washington by seven points in the Metropolitan Division."Everyone in the division, everyone's winning," Blue Jackets winger Cam Atkinson said. "It's going to be a huge game. It's obviously fun to play those game because you know you're going to their A effort on the other side and we're going to bring it as well, so looking forward to it."Atkinson has three goals in his last two games. Nick Foligno has three goals and five assists in his last five, and Brandon Saad and Alexander Wennberg have two goals and four assists each in the last five.Against the Capitals, Atkinson has eight goals and five assists in 13 games, Saad has five and three in eight games, and Foligno has seven and 13 in 28 games.Tortorella has his own long history against Washington. As the coach of the New York Rangers, his teams were eliminated twice in the playoffs by Washington and twice sent the Capitals packing. He was suspended for one game after an altercation with a fan in the 2009 playoffs.Ovechkin has four goals and two assists in his last six games and is five points from 1,000. In 17 games against Columbus, he has 14 goals and three assists. Williams has nine and 11 in 32 games, and T.J. Oshie has eight and 13 in 30.Holtby is 8-3-2 with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage against Columbus, and Bobrovsky is 6-5-3 with a 2.64 GAA and a .908 save percentage against Washington.The Capitals will be looking to deal the Blue Jackets their first loss since Nov. 26 - the day before Thanksgiving - when they fell to the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime."They recognize Columbus is obviously the class of the league right now and they're coming into our building," Trotz said of his players, "and we'll give them a good match."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brendan Gallagher exited Wednesday's game versus the Dallas Stars when he was struck on the left hand by a shot from teammate Shea Weber.The Montreal Canadiens forward was in obvious pain, and was incensed as he left the ice and headed toward the tunnel for treatment.Gallagher missed six weeks last season after suffering fractures to his left hand blocking a shot from New York Islanders defender Johnny Boychuk.Head coach Michel Therrien announced after the game that Gallagher will fly to Montreal to undergo examination, meaning he won't be available for Saturday's game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tom Rowe wasn't about to mince words.The Florida Panthers interim head coach sounded off Wednesday following his team's 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, calling out Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers for his hit on Panthers forward Seth Griffith."It was a dirty hit by Ehlers," Rowe told reporters. "He deliberately did it, I don't care what anybody says. We watched it on video. It was a dirty hit."

James van Riemsdyk has a secret admirer.The Toronto Maple Leafs have heard from an interested suitor when it comes to the lanky winger, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.Van Riemsdyk, who carries a modified no-trade clause, can prevent a move to 10 clubs of his choosing, but the inquiring team reportedly isn't on Van Riemsdyk's no-go list.Related: Maple Leafs' reported message to JvR suitors: 'If you're serious, ante up'A rare veteran on this season's Maple Leafs, Van Riemsdyk has tallied 28 points through 37 games.He has one year remaining on his contract, carrying a $4.25-million cap hit.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Another day, another record broken by Jaromir Jagr.The Florida Panthers' ageless wonder rewrote another page of the record books Wednesday when he picked up an assist on teammate Greg McKegg's goal.The helper marked the 1,136th set-up of Jagr's historic career, pushing him past former NHL blue-liner Paul Coffey.Rank Player Games Assists1Wayne Gretzky148719632Ron Francis173112493Mark Messier175611934Ray Bourque161211695Jaromir Jagr166811366Paul Coffey14091135It's only a matter of time before Ray Bourque sees Jagr in his rearview mirror.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It'll take some time for Troy Terry to sift through the messages pouring into his phone after his shootout exploits in Wednesday's semifinal win over Russia - but there was one note he had to attend to immediately.Terry reciprocated the love after receiving a shoutout from one of the biggest stars to emerge from the U.S. program in recent years, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews.

In this edition of "On the Fly," theScore's NHL roundtable series, we discuss teams that could rescue Jarome Iginla from the Colorado Avalanche.OilersAfter what seemed like a never-ending rebuilding phase, the Edmonton Oilers appear set to finally make a postseason appearance for the first time since advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006.Meanwhile, Iginla, an Edmonton native, has said he'd consider waiving his no-move clause to jump on with a playoff team, which makes sense seeing how the 37-year-old is in the final year of his contract with the last-place Avalanche.While the Oilers may not quite be up to the level of true Cup contenders, adding Iginla would give the young squad some added veteran experience, and perhaps some depth on offense as well. Iginla's goal-scoring is way down this season, but he did average 25.5 over his first two years in Colorado, and likely has enough gas left in the tank to make a contribution when it matters most.Additionally, he'd come cheap, and Edmonton is one of the only potential playoff teams with the cap space to take on what's left of his contract.Bring Iggy home, Oilers.BruinsThe Boston Bruins need scoring badly, and while Iginla is struggling to do that this season, his most successful campaign in recent years - a 30-goal, 61-point campaign - came with the Bruins in 2013-14.They have a pair of holes on the right wing, and despite Iginla's lack of production this fall and winter, he'd still be an upgrade over Riley Nash and Jimmy Hayes on Boston's third or fourth lines, respectively.He carries a $5.3-million cap hit, but it would be prorated to whenever a potential deal took place, and the Avalanche could always agree to cover enough of it to get a trade done.Putting the black and gold back on might be exactly what Iginla needs to get his mojo back, and the Bruins are going to need to make a move both for the playoff push and to give themselves more separation from their Floridian rivals in the Atlantic Division.KingsWhat better way to end a star-studded career than a trip to Hollywood?The Los Angeles Kings should trade for Iginla. The deal would mark a reunion between the former Calgary Flames captain and Kings bench boss Darryl Sutter, who were together in Calgary for seven seasons, including the Flames' run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2004.There is a familiarity between the coach and player, and Iginla's crash-and-bang style would fit the playing style of the Kings like a glove. And while Iginla's scoring touch isn't what it once was, the Kings could use all the help they can get when it comes to finding the back of the net. As a Cup contender, Los Angeles is also a solid bet to provide Iginla with his first Cup ring.A deal between the Kings and Avalanche would take some cap creativity, with the Kings having about $1.5 million to play with, while Iginla's remaining salary is nearly double that money. If the Avs are willing to retain some salary, and possibly take back an expiring contract in a potential deal, it could be the last step needed to send Iginla to the City of Angels.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Boston Bruins captain Milt Schmidt has died, according to several sources including The Associated Press.Schmidt began his NHL career with the Bruins in 1936 and captained them from 1950 to his final season in 1955. His career spanned 776 games, all spent in Boston.Schmidt captured the Stanley Cup in 1939 and again in 1941. He won the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP in 1951.Following his playing days, Schmidt served as head coach of the Bruins for 11 seasons, a tenure which included two trips to the Stanley Cup Final. He also served as general manager of the Bruins from 1967 to 1972.Schmidt was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the NHL trade deadline now less than two months away, attention will begin to focus more intently on players on underachieving teams who are set to become unrestricted free agents.One such player is Martin Hanzal of the Arizona Coyotes, who maintains he'd like to stay in the desert, but acknowledges the reality of a possible move prior to the March 1 deadline."I want to stay here," Hanzal said, per Sarah McLellan of azcentral sports. "That's the priority, but we have to be on the same page - both sides. If they want me, I'll be happy to stay here. But if not, I gotta move on."From the team's perspective, general manager John Chayka remains in wait- and-see mode."There's not a lot going on," Chayka said. "But at the same time, it's one of those things where we kind of know where the player is at. The player knows where we're at. If there was an opportunity to do something, I don't think it would take too long. But still collecting information and working through the process."To date, I wouldn't say I've received a serious offer," he added in reference to the trade market.Hanzal, 29, is in the final season of a five-year deal that carries a $3.1-million cap hit and a modified no-trade clause. In 32 games this season, he's scored eight goals and added six assists.Earlier this season, he was linked in trade reports with the Montreal Canadiens.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.