Every Tuesday, theScore's editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."Calgary FlamesPlus: Sean Monahan has arrived. The Flames' $44.6-million asset appears to have shaken off a slow start and has bounced back to the tune of 12 points over a 10-game streak.Minus: Strangely, Calgary owns a home record of only 7-9. Even in last year's 26th place finish, it had a 22-16-4 mark at the Saddledome.The Take: If the Flames are going to hold down a playoff position in the West, Brian Elliott needs to experience a Monahan-esque revival. Soon.Edmonton OilersPlus: We all know the onus is on Connor McDavid to lead this club, and he's doing just that, but Leon Draisaitl has been a tremendous complement to the Oilers' attack. The 21-year-old's come into his own this season, recording 14 goals and 16 assists.Minus: Jordan Eberle, meanwhile, only has one goal in his last 13 games.The Take: It's nearly Christmas and the Oilers are tied for the Pacific Division lead in points. We haven't been able to say that much lately.Montreal CanadiensPlus: Despite an offense that's been depleted by injuries, the Canadiens are still finding ways to win, and sit comfortably atop the Atlantic.Minus: Anyone that compared Carey Price's glare at Montreal's bench to the Patrick Roy situation.The Take: Montreal having Anaheim, Minnesota, and Columbus on the slate before the holiday break is comparable to getting a giant lump of coal for Christmas, and it doesn't get easier from there. Due to the Bell Centre partly hosting the world juniors, the Habs embark on a six-game road trip starting Dec. 28.Ottawa SenatorsPlus: Mark Stone quietly has 13 points over his last 10 games, including four multi-point efforts, in easily his best stretch of the season.Minus: When the club owner publicly addresses dwindling attendance numbers, it's not a great look.The Take: The Atlantic Division isn't overly competitive. A strong January for the Senators could go a long way in helping secure a comfortable playoff seed.Toronto Maple LeafsPlus: Remember when Mike Babcock said Auston Matthews can be a dominant centerman by Christmas? He may have been on to something. The 19-year-old's potted a team-leading 15 goals, and continues to be rewarded with more ice time.Minus: Toronto has provided opponents 23 power plays over its last five games, a recipe for disaster with an inexperienced club.The Take: Over the past week or so, Toronto has looked dominant in terms of shot attempts and puck possession. It's somewhat moot, however, if you can't close a game and secure two points.Vancouver CanucksPlus: Adding franchise stalwart Mattias Ohlund to the club's Ring of Honor was a nice touch by the Canucks. Winning the game was nice, too.Minus: On the other side of the spectrum, watching John Tortorella win his 500th game from the other bench had to sting a bit.The Take: For the Canucks, this season is about establishing a plan for the future. They may be five points out of a playoff spot, but they're also three games below .500. It's important for Vancouver's brass to take the wins when they come, but keep the big picture at the forefront.Winnipeg JetsPlus: Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine, and Nikolaj Ehlers could very well be the most dynamic line in the NHL. They each have 30, 29, and 26 points, respectively, this season.Minus: Eight of the Jets' next 10 games will be played away from the MTS Centre. They're 5-10-2 on the road this season.The Take: Though the club has an embarrassment of riches up front, until it gets consistent goaltending, it's tough to peg the Jets as a threat in the Central.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Latvia has landed another high-profile coach.Former Stanley Cup champion and Jack Adams Award winner Bob Hartley has been hired to lead the Latvian national team."I'm excited for the newest challenge in my career as a coach. It will be my first experience working with a national team and I'm grateful to the Latvian Hockey Federation for giving me the opportunity and confidence," Hartley told IIHF.com's Martin Merk.Latvia's former coach resigned this summer just before the program failed to qualify for the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang.The country's best finish at an Olympic competition came three years prior in Sochi under the direction of longtime NHL coach Ted Nolan. That team played Canada to a 2-1 final, and eventually finished eighth.Hartley was fired by the Calgary Flames at the end of last year after failing to return to the playoffs in his fourth season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid evidently doesn't do slumps.In likely his final shift left to escape establishing a new career high of three consecutive games without recording a point, McDavid found Ryan Nugent-Hopkins drifting into a scoring area to convert the overtime winner Monday night versus the St. Louis Blues.McDavid's timely feed gave him a league-best 40 points for the season, and a 60th assist through 79 games across his first two years in the NHL.He also has 28 goals to make it 88 points over that span, a fruitful total portfolio that's quickly closing in on a complete aggregated NHL campaign. McDavid's averaged 1.11 points per outing since his debut, which is comparable to a top-25 rate all time.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrick Maroon couldn't help but express his feelings after watching a clip of his son Anthony's reaction to his tying goal against the St. Louis Blues in his return to Missouri on Monday night.Related: Maroon's son celebrates dad's goal in St. Louis homecoming"It's pretty cool. It's pretty emotional," the Edmonton Oilers forward told Sportsnet's Gene Principe as he watched the replay of his son delighting in his father's big moment. "It's pretty cool (and) I don't get to see him as much, but it's pretty special."Maroon was clearly overwhelmed as the interview concluded, barely mustering an "absolutely" to end the segment.The Oilers defeated the Blues in overtime, but the Maroon family proved Monday that sports are often about more than just names and numbers.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrick Maroon got an early start on the season of giving.The Edmonton Oilers forward gifted his son an early present Monday night, tying the game against the Blues at Scottrade Center in the Maroon family's hometown of St. Louis.The kid's reaction is priceless.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vindication for Randy Carlyle.That's one conclusion that could be drawn after Anaheim defeated the Maple Leafs on Monday, but the former Toronto head coach and current Ducks bench downplayed the personal implications of the result.

The Nashville Predators are hoping Filip Forsberg's recent game log is a sign of things to come.Through October and November, the 22-year-old had scored a grand total of two goals, and had failed to hit the back of the net in five games to start December.Forsberg did, however, record his third goal of the season in a win over St. Louis on Dec. 13, and recorded the game-tying goal - his fourth - in Monday's eventual shootout win over Philadelphia.That marks two goals in his past five games, and a return to more expected levels of production.While Forsberg's overall numbers are down from the past two seasons, what's encouraging is that his shooting percentage suggests a turnaround could be afoot.SeasonGamesGoalsShotsShots/GPShooting %2014-1582262372.89112015-1682332473.0113.42016-17314832.674.8Forsberg's shots per game are down for the season, but he is averaging 3.8 through nine December games, meaning better days should be ahead as his shooting percentage climbs closer to his career mark of 10.6What's also encouraging is Forsberg remains productive in regards to assists, and he's on pace to match the career-high 37 posted in 2014-15.Add it all up, and Forsberg could be in for a monster 2017, with a view to contributing when it matters most for the Predators, namely in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kevin Bieksa's night came to an early end after taking a deflected puck to the face.Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak attempted a shot early in the second period that caught the Anaheim Ducks defenseman up high after the ricochet.recaBpieksa left the ice for medical attention and was unable to return, but Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said postgame that his blueliner had a swollen lip but no further damage and was removed as a precaution.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is not how Brian Elliott wanted to begin his first start in there weeks.A shade over five minutes into the first period, the Calgary Flames netminder attempted to play the puck behind the net, but inadvertently bumped it off Josh Jooris' chest. Unable to recover in time, Elliott watched as Christian Dvorak scooped the puck and put it into the back of the net.Elliott had not made a start since Nov. 28, having lost a foothold on the No. 1 gig to Chad Johnson. He had posted a save percentage of .886 in 14 appearances prior to Monday's game against the Arizona Coyotes.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're not sure about Auston Matthews' affinity for the service industry, but at the rink, he's an excellent tipper.The Toronto Maple Leafs phenom scored against the Anaheim Ducks on a tremendous redirection Monday night, reaching out to tip in Nikita Zaitsev's shot with one hand on his stick.It was Matthews' 15th goal of his rookie season in his 31st game.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sometimes, life is simply about playing with the hand you've been dealt.The Carolina Hurricanes projected a game of solitaire on to the video board at PNC Arena while their game against the Detroit Red Wings was delayed due to an issue with the ice-cooling system Monday.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Detroit Red Wings will have to wait to take to the ice.Scheduled to begin play at 7 p.m. ET at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., the game was delayed and eventually postponed due to an issue with the cooling system.Nearly 30 minutes after the game was supposed to start, some progress had been made.

After six full seasons in the AHL, a journeyman forward appears to be on the verge of fulfilling a dream.Pat Cannone will likely make his NHL debut for the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night against the Colorado Avalanche after being recalled Monday from the club's AHL affiliate in Iowa."It's a great opportunity and I'm really looking forward to it," the 30-year-old said Monday. "Lot of emotions running high."Wild forward Erik Haula is dealing with a nagging foot injury, and Zac Dalpe - his ideal replacement - is playing for Iowa on Monday in his first game since having knee surgery in November.The Wild don't want Dalpe going back to back yet, meaning Cannone should get the opportunity to play for Minnesota on Tuesday, head coach Bruce Boudreau told Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.He'd become the second-oldest Wild player to make his NHL debut behind Lubomir Sekeras, who was 31 when he first played for Minnesota in 2000, the Elias Sports Bureau confirmed to Russo.The Bayport, N.Y., product's wife, Natalie, will be in the building on Tuesday, and his parents are attempting to make the trip."You play for (this), you work hard for (this)," Cannone said Monday. "It was a long time coming and I'm looking forward to the opportunity."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers will once again be without Rick Nash for an undetermined period of time because of a groin injury.This according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, who reports the winger suffered a new groin injury early in overtime during Sunday's shootout win over the Islanders. The injury was suffered on the opposite side of Nash's groin from the injury that sidelined him for four games earlier in December.He'll reportedly miss at least one game (Tuesday in Pittsburgh), after which the Rangers will have two days off until their next game on Dec. 23.Nash had scored two goals in three games in his return, boosting his season total to 13 in 30 appearances.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

You've heard it by now: The Columbus Blue Jackets are red-hot.A perennial laughing stock, Columbus has drastically changed the narrative this season, currently riding a nine-game winning streak to go with the NHL's best winning percentage (.759).So, what's changed?Well, a bounce-back season from Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky and a refined players-first approach from head coach John Tortorella, for starters, but it's the rarely mentioned Cam Atkinson who's propelling one of the NHL's most potent attacks.In 29 games this season, Atkinson leads Columbus with 31 points, four clear of Alexander Wennberg. Atkinson's 12 goals and 19 assists tie him with Pittsburgh's Phil Kessel for ninth league-wide, trailing the usual suspects of elite NHL point production.What's more, Atkinson is the only player in the top 10 other than Sidney Crosby who hasn't reached the 30-game mark yet. Averaging 1.07 points per game this season, the 27-year-old is tied with for fifth with Nikita Kucherov in that respect, and trails only Vladimir Tarasenko, Steven Stamkos, Connor McDavid, and Crosby.Last season, on the 27th-place Blue Jackets, Atkinson shared the team lead in points with Brandon Saad at 53 - a career high. During Columbus' nine-game tear, Atkinson has notched 11 points, putting him easily on pace to establish a new personal best.Who knows when - or if - the Blue Jackets will cool off, but for the time being, any praise is well deserved.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Joel Eriksson Ek will be named captain of Team Sweden at the 2017 world juniors, reports Swedish hockey writer Uffe Bodin.The 19-year-old forward was drafted 20th overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2015. Eriksson Ek made his NHL debut this season, scoring five points in nine games. He has since been returned to Farjestad of the SHL, where he's recorded three points in eight games.A native of Karlstad, Eriksson Ek recorded two points in six games with Sweden at last year's world juniors.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Finland has tapped Olli Juolevi as its captain for the 2017 world juniors, the Vancouver Canucks announced Monday.A native of Helsinki, Juolevi was drafted fifth overall by the Canucks in the 2016 NHL Draft.The 18-year-old returns to the tournament after scoring nine points in seven games with Finland last year en route to its gold-medal finish.A member of the OHL's London Knights, Juolevi has scored 21 points in 26 games this season. He finished with 42 points in 57 games with the Knights last season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey Canada has named Dylan Strome as its captain for the 2017 World Junior Championship, while forward Mathew Barzal and Thomas Chabot will serve as alternate captains."We have eight players on this team who are captains of their club teams, and numerous other associate captains, so there is an abundance of leadership," Team Canada coach Dominique Ducharme said in a statement. "Dylan, Mat, and Thomas have been through this tournament before, and we have confidence in their ability to lead this team on and off the ice."Strome, 19, was part of last year's entry at the world juniors, recording four goals and two assists in five games. Drafted third overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2015, Strome made his NHL debut this season, tallying one point in seven games. He has since been returned to his junior club, the OHL's Erie Otters, where he has recorded 16 points in seven games. He scored 111 points in 56 games with the Otters last season.The 19-year-old Barzal was also on last year's Canadian roster, scoring three points in five games. A first-round selection by the New York Islanders in 2015, Barzal appeared in two NHL games this season. Drafted from the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, the center has scored 19 points in 13 games with Seattle this season. He scored 88 points in 58 games with the Thunderbirds in 2015-16.Chabot, 19, is also a returnee from last year's tournament, where he tallied three assists in five games with Team Canada. A 2015 first-round pick by the Ottawa Senators, Chabot played one NHL game this season before returning to the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. The defenseman has scored 20 points in 14 games with Saint John this season after recording 45 points in 47 games last season.Pre-tournament action begins Monday with Team Canada facing Finland. Canada also has two other exhibition games later in the week against the Czech Republic and Switzerland before opening round robin action on Dec. 26 vs. Team Russia.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Artemi Panarin, Henrik Lundqvist, and Eric Staal are the NHL's three stars of the week.Panarin received first-star honors after collecting 10 points in four games, including back-to-back three-point outings over the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues. The Chicago Blackhawks forward has helped power his team to five straight victories to sit atop the NHL standings.Lundqvist was named the second star of the week following three straight victories in which he allowed just three combined goals. He also teamed with backup netminder Antti Raanta to record the first shared shutout in New York Rangers history in a 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars.Staal earned the week's third star after registering five points in three games, including four goals. The veteran forward has enjoyed a resurgence in his first season with the Minnesota Wild, tallying 24 points in 30 games and helping his team to its current seven-game winning streak.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders' special teams are anything but.Following Sunday's 6-2 blowout loss to the Ottawa Senators, Islanders bench boss Jack Capuano vented about his team's poor power-play and penalty-kill showings this season."I sound like a broken record with our effort," Capuano told reporter Denis Gorman. "The third goal was a big goal for them. The power-play goal that they got. We had three guys versus their two at the net. So that's what you want to talk about. Lift their stick, have some battle level in (you), have some fight. That, to me, that was a big goal for them. They didn't generate much tonight, I can tell you that."The Senators finished the night with 32 shots on goal and went 1-of-2 on the power play. The Islanders were unsuccessful with four opportunities on the man advantage."Our power play didn't do anything to help our case, either," Capuano added. "We had a power play right off the bat that actually killed the momentum of our team."At a 12.8 success rate, no team has a worse power play than the Islanders, while their penalty-killing unit doesn't fare much better, ranking 26th league-wide at 78.1 percent. The Winnipeg Jets are the only other club to rank in the bottom five in both categories.Losing four of their last five, the Islanders have only come away with a single point following an overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The Islanders sit last place in the Eastern Conference.Asked about his team's mental state through the losing skid, Capuano continued, "I don't think it's fragile at all right now. I think it's more like, 'Look at our record, look at (the) standings. We have nothing to lose. We have to win hockey games.'"Joining the Islanders in 2010, Capuano is the NHL's fourth-longest tenured head coach, behind only Boston's Claude Julien, Chicago's Joel Quenneville, and Arizona's Dave Tippett. Capuano's 221 wins behind the bench sits second in franchise history to only Al Arbour."When your special teams (are) at the bottom of the league and your goaltending is not kicking where it was last year, it's a recipe for a losing streak," Capuano added. "Just look at the teams that were high in the standings at the start and look where they are now. It's all correlated. We have to fix (those units).Goalie 2015-16 Record SV% GAA 2016-17 Record SV% GAAThomas Greiss23-11-4.9252.366-5-0.9122.67Jaroslav Halak18-13-4.9192.305-8-5.9073.13"We have options we can use but at the same time, we're trying to put skill on the ice and have the lefty-righty shots that we need ... Last year we were top five in the league in penalty kill, top 15 in the league power play and top-10 goaltending. That's changed this year. And we're sitting where we're sitting."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's been a rough year for Dallas Stars goaltending.Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen man the crease for the Stars, splitting games consistently as neither have been able to win the starting job through 33 contests.PlayerStartsRecordGAASv%Lehtonen186-10-32.920.894Niemi157-4-32.850.913But it's not just this season that netminding has been the issue in Dallas, all of 2016 was troublesome.

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, December 19 (all advanced stats are at 5v5 and courtesy of Corsica.Hockey):Triple Threat

Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola has been nominated by United States President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of the Army, the team announced Monday.The nomination is still subject to Senate confirmation and approval from the NHL.Viola would continue to own the Panthers, but he's asked Doug Cifu, vice chairman and alternate governor, to step into his role as chairman and governor of Sunrise Sports and Entertainment.Viola graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1977, and has a long history in the Army.He purchased the Panthers in 2013.Copyright © 2016 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.Minnesota WildWinners of seven straight and grabbing points in nine of their last 10 games, the Minnesota Wild are one of the NHL's hottest teams.The Wild installed coach Bruce Boudreau this offseason, and with that addition came a new philosophy - and a closet full of division championship banners. In four years with the Washington Capitals and another five with the Anaheim Ducks, Boudreau's collected eight division titles, winning his group every year except his first year in California, when he came on as a mid-season replacement.Boudreau has brought those winning ways to Minnesota, where the Wild have collected 40 points in 30 games. While the team sits eight points back of the Chicago Blackhawks for the Central lead, it also has four games in hand. At plus-29, the Wild own the West's best goal differential, while starter Devan Dubnyk has allowed just 39 goals through 24 games.New York RangersImpressive stat alert: The New York Rangers are now 34 games into their season and have not seen back-to-back losses along the way. In fact, their one low point - if you can call it that - was a slow spot toward the end of November in which they went 3-4-1 over an eight-game stretch.But things are now back on pace for the Broadway Blueshirts, who are winners of six of their last seven and have suffered just three losses so far in December. Credit their special teams: at 21 percent, the Rangers' power play ranks ninth overall while their 86.8 percent effectiveness on the penalty kill is good for fourth.Furthermore, as if owning one of the league's top goalies in Henrik Lundqvist wasn't enough, fans of the Rangers were pleased to learn that backup Antti Raanta is also capable of stealing the show. New York's No. 2 netminder strung together four straight starts through the middle of the month, coming away with three wins, just three goals against, and shutouts over his former club, the Blackhawks, and the rival New Jersey Devils.Colorado AvalancheLet the Colorado Avalanche serve as Exhibit A of why years of accumulating high draft picks doesn't guarantee future success, as the team remains mired in the NHL's basement.With 23 points in 30 games, no team is worse than the Avalanche, who are on pace for a franchise-worst 63-point season, falling below their 68-point finish in 2010-11. That performance earned the Avalanche the second overall pick in the 2011 draft, which they converted into current captain Gabriel Landeskog. But he's not the Avs' only high pick in recent years. Forward Nathan MacKinnon went first overall in 2013, and four years earlier, Colorado grabbed Matt Duchene at third overall.Meanwhile, fans are still waiting for the franchise's performance at the draft table to convert to the ice. This past offseason, Avalanche legend Patrick Roy walked away from his head coaching duties. Could a poor finish this year spell the end for another Colorado star in captain-turned-general manager Joe Sakic? Stay tuned.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It all began 99 years ago today.The first game in NHL history was played Dec. 19, 1917: a 7-4 victory for the Montreal Canadiens over the Ottawa Senators.Along with the Canadiens and Senators, the Toronto Arenas and the Montreal Wanderers formed the four-team league Nov. 26.The sport was drastically different back then, of course. There were no zones, but forward passing wasn't allowed. Sounds fun!Furthermore, changing on the fly was against the rules, and goaltenders weren't allowed to leave their feet to make a save. Perhaps the current NHL could look at the latter to fix its so-called scoring crisis.The Arenas went on to bring home the Stanley Cup that season, defeating the Pacific Coast Hockey Association champs, the Vancouver Millionaires.Now the Maple Leafs, Toronto will headline the NHL's 100-year celebrations by taking on the Detroit Red Wings at the Centennial Classic on Jan. 1.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond was forced from Sunday's 6-2 win over the New York Islanders with an ankle injury, reports Sportsnet's Arash Madani.Hammond played 16:45 and made seven saves before Mike Condon came on in relief.Here's the play Hammond was hurt on:Hammond did serve as the club's backup the rest of the way, for what it's worth. He'll be evaluated Monday.Zack Smith recorded the first three-point game of his career Sunday, giving Ottawa back-to-back wins after dropping three straight.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Henrik Lundqvist will soon stand alone among European goaltenders.The New York Rangers star won his 389th game Sunday, a 3-2 decision over the New Jersey Devils in a shootout, tying another legend in the wins column - Dominik Hasek.Goalie GP W L T/OT-SO L SV%Hasek73538922395.922Lundqvist70938923773.920The two 'keepers are level - for the time being - at No. 12 on the all-time wins list, with 11 Canadians in front of them. What Hasek has that Lundqvist doesn't is two Stanley Cup rings.Up next for Lundqvist on the ladder: Chris Osgood (401 wins), Grant Fuhr (403), and Glenn Hall (407)Only two goalies have won 500 or more: Martin Brodeur (691) and Patrick Roy (551).The King, eventually, will be the third.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey giveth, hockey taketh away.A Chicago Blackhawks fan found that out the hard way Sunday, when his meal - presumably purchased at a United Center concession stand - fell by the wayside after a big hit by San Jose Sharks forward Joel Ward knocked it off the ledge by the glass.

The Chicago Blackhawks have no need to rush Corey Crawford back into the crease.The club dispatched the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Sunday, making it five wins in a row, all of them coming with Scott Darling in the crease and over the past eight nights.Related: Blackhawks targeting Friday return for CrawfordWhat fatigue?Since Dec. 9, a span of 10 nights, Chicago has gone 5-0-1 against some good competition:DateOpponentResultDec. 9RangersL 1-0 (OT)Dec. 11StarsW 3-1Dec. 13RangersW 2-1Dec. 15IslandersW 5-4Dec. 17BluesW 6-4Dec. 18SharksW 4-1All five of those clubs made the playoffs last season. And the Blackhawks are doing it every which way - defensively and offensively.Darling was stellar Sunday, stopping 33 of 34 shots in relief of Crawford, who's rehabbing after an appendectomy.The Blackhawks can rest now. They have two home games next week, Tuesday against the Senators and Friday against the Avalanche.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Tortorella said it didn't matter. His team didn't care.The Columbus Blue Jackets got their head coach the 500th win of his NHL career Sunday, winning their ninth straight, and captain Nick Foligno was happy to be a part of it."He says it doesn't mean (expletive), but that's a lot of wins," Foligno said, writes The Columbus Dispatch's Aaron Portzline. "He's gone through a roller coaster in his career ... but we're happy to have him at the helm here."Known for his emotion and the outbursts that stem from it, Tortorella appears more mellow behind the bench this season, less of his firecracker self.Chalk it up to age, says the 58-year-old."I'm trying to enjoy it more. I'm on the back nine. That's just the way it is," Tortorella, a Stanley Cup winner in 2004, said. "I'm fortunate enough to be in the league a long time. I know it's not going to be forever, so I do want to try and enjoy it."The wins - Columbus has won 20 of 29 games - certainly help, too.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dan Boyle has had better weekends.The recent retiree had one of his franchise records surpassed for the second time in less than 24 hours when Brent Burns registered an assist on Joe Pavelski's second-period goal for the San Jose Sharks against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.Burns picked up his 270th point with the helper, moving past Boyle to become the Sharks' all-time leader in points by a defenseman.Victor Hedman did the same on Saturday night, recording an assist to overtake Boyle as the Tampa Bay Lightning's all-time leader among defensemen with his 254th point.Burns moved into sole possession of 11th place on the Sharks' all-time points list among all skaters. Ryan Clowe occupies 10th spot, one point ahead of Burns, and Marco Sturm ranks ninth with 273.While Burns plays more like a forward than a defenseman these days, it's still an impressive accomplishment.Boyle retired in October, ending a 17-year career split between the Lightning, Sharks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Randy Carlyle was apparently on a need-to-know basis with the Toronto Maple Leafs. And when he was fired by the club on Jan. 5, 2015, he wasn't told why management thought he was no longer up to the task.Carlyle returns to Toronto for the first time as an NHL coach Monday, bringing with him his new old club, the Anaheim Ducks."I'd leave those questions to the people that were above me," Carlyle said Sunday, according to NHL.com's Dave McCarthy, when asked why he was let go when his Maple Leafs had a 21-16-3 record and held down a wild-card playoff spot. "If they don't want to answer them, they never told me any reason."Carlyle took over for Ron Wilson in 2013, after Wilson was fired with 18 games to go in the 2012-13 season. In the shortened 2013-14 season, Toronto made the playoffs for the first time since the lockout cost the NHL the 2004-05 campaign. The Maple Leafs were up 4-1 on the Boston Bruins in the third period of Game 7 of their first-round series, only to collapse like no other team has collapsed before.Toronto lost 5-4 in overtime after shockingly, amazingly blowing their lead. Carlyle never called a timeout.A native of Sudbury, Ont., Carlyle has had this one circled on his calendar since rejoining the Ducks, the team he coached to a Stanley Cup in 2006-07."It'd be crazy to say that it's not special but again it's not about me, it's about our hockey club going out and playing against the Maple Leafs," Carlyle said.Though Carlyle left Toronto with a winning record as Maple Leafs head coach (91-78-19), advanced stats show his teams in blue and white were a disaster. From 2012-13 through 2014-15, Toronto was the second-worst club in the league with respect to possession, coming in at a ghastly 44.47 percent, according to Corsica Hockey.Under Carlyle, the Maple Leafs simply never had the puck. A career season from goaltender James Reimer - a .924 save percentage and four shutouts in 31 starts - got the club into the postseason in 2013, where it was thoroughly dominated by the Bruins, who were the deserving series winners, even though it took a modern miracle.Carlyle drove a portion of Maple Leafs fans crazy with his lineup decisions. He played enforcers Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren on his fourth line regularly in 2013, and had the backing of Brian Burke in management to dress a team focused on physical play, while the league moved towards more skill and speed.This season, Carlyle has a skilled Ducks team at his disposal, but the club ranks 18th in possession at 49.10 percent. Last season, under Bruce Boudreau, the club finished fifth at 52.36 percent.Much of the criticism leveled at Carlyle when he left Toronto was that he wasn't willing to adapt to a changing game.Monday, meanwhile, will also mark the first start for Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen against his former team. Andersen was traded to the Maple Leafs in the offseason, signing a five-year deal to be the No. 1.Andersen will be motivated to show Anaheim it picked the wrong goalie between him and John Gibson. And Carlyle is, no doubt, hoping to prove to Toronto that he wasn't the problem.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is more than just a half-baked idea.The Chicago Blackhawks are giving away Artemi Panarin bobbleheads Sunday at the United Center, and the forward's figurine is holding a loaf of bread.

The Columbus Blue Jackets may not lose again this year.John Tortorella's club won its ninth straight Sunday, a 4-3 overtime decision over the Canucks in Vancouver. The win was Tortorella's 500th of his NHL career, coming against the team that fired him one year into a five-year contract.Tortorella is the first American-born head coach to reach the milestone, and the 24th overall.The victory was earned by Columbus. The Blue Jackets blew a 2-0 lead before going up 3-2 with under five minutes to play in the third. Vancouver then tied it up with 1:09 to play. The Canucks' three third-period goals were the first three allowed by the Blue Jackets in the final period this month.

It could be a very happy holiday for the Chicago Blackhawks.Head coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday there's a chance Corey Crawford could play before Christmas, according to Blackhawks TV's Eric Lear.Quenneville said he's eyeing Friday's home game against the Colorado Avalanche for Crawford's return, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times.The goaltender was given a two-to-three week recovery timetable after having an emergency appendectomy performed Dec. 3, and he apparently remains on schedule for a potential return before the holiday.“He was out there (Sunday) with some players, and so he got some good work again,” Quenneville said. “(He’ll practice) Tuesday, and we’ll look at the 23rd as an option.”Chicago began a four-game homestand Sunday with a matchup against the San Jose Sharks. The Blackhawks host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, then the Avalanche on Friday before taking three days off ahead of a Dec. 27 date with the Winnipeg Jets.Sunday's game is the ninth game Crawford has missed since having the procedure.Scott Darling has filled in admirably in the starter's absence, winning each of the last four games and five of the eight since Crawford was forced out of the lineup, but he's given up eight goals combined in the last two contests.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Luke Kunin will wear the "C" for the American entry in the World Junior Hockey Championship.The Minnesota Wild first-round pick was named captain of the United States team for the 2017 tournament, USA Hockey announced Sunday.Colin White and Charlie McAvoy were named alternate captains."I couldn't be happier to have these three quality guys leading this (dressing) room," head coach Bob Motzko said in a release."We've been saying it every day that there's a pulse with this group. We know Luke, Charlie and Colin are at the center of that through their style of play and their tremendous amount of heart. We're fortunate to have them leading this team."Kunin captained the U.S. Under-18 team to a gold medal at the world championship in 2015. The 19-year-old has 11 goals and 17 points in 16 games with the Wisconsin Badgers in his second college campaign.Minnesota selected him 15th overall in June.White was an alternate captain for the bronze medal-winning U.S. squad at last year's tournament. McAvoy was also a member of that team, and was Kunin's teammate on the Under-18 world champions in 2015.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrik Laine got back on the scoresheet in an emphatic way.The rookie finished off a 2-on-1 by driving home a one-timer on a pass by Mark Scheifele to open the scoring for the Winnipeg Jets against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.It was Laine's 18th goal of the season, and his first in five games.Prior to the four-game drought, he had notched five goals in five contests, and that was preceded by a stretch in which he managed only one goal in 10 games.Laine's streakiness is typical of an 18-year-old in his first NHL campaign, but there's no denying his talent, or the fact that he's already among the league's elite finishers.The second-overall pick in June's draft is third in in goal scoring among all skaters behind only Sidney Crosby and Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Darryl Sutter needs more from Marian Gaborik.The Los Angeles Kings forward was a healthy scratch for Sunday's game against the Boston Bruins.

Randy Carlyle wants to set the record straight.Speaking with reporters prior to Monday's match between the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs, the former Leafs bench boss clarified, "Jake Gardiner, people said that there was a relationship that was strained. They're crazy. It was not strained at all."The issue was more of a young defenseman cutting his teeth, and now you're seeing more of a finished product, and that's great for them."Gardiner, 26, broke into the league under Carlyle, making his NHL debut during the 2011-12 season. It also marked Carlyle's first season in Toronto, who came on as a midseason replacement for fired head coach Ron Wilson. That season, Gardiner finished with an impressive 30-point rookie campaign.Carlyle, who now mans the bench in Anaheim, recounted the several faces still with the Maple Leafs since he spent part of four seasons behind the Toronto bench. Aside from Gardiner, that list includes forwards Tyler Bozak, James van Riemsdyk, and Nazem Kadri, plus defenseman Morgan Rielly.Oh, and netminder Jonathan Bernier, who followed Carlyle to Anaheim.Bernier also spoke with reporters on Sunday but could not confirm if he would get the start in goal versus his former club. Bernier, who spent three seasons with the Maple Leafs, has appeared in 13 games with the Ducks this season, posting a 6-2-1 record alongside a .901 save percentage.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks blue-liner Erik Gudbranson will undergo wrist surgery in order to repair ligament damage, the team announced Sunday.A timeline on Gudbranson's recovery will be provided following the surgery."Erik suffered ligament damage to his wrist this season that has affected his wrist function," Canucks general manager Jim Benning said in a statement. "Erik's leadership qualities and strong physical presence will be missed but this is a decision that best supports a long, productive, and healthy career."Gudbranson has appeared in 30 games this season, scoring one goal and five assists.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Eugene Melnyk is feeling a little shocked.The owner of the Ottawa Senators spoke out Friday, voicing his displeasure over the team's falling attendance numbers, despite the Senators' rise in the standings."It's unfortunate," Melnyk told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. "Everybody is kind of pointing at each other but we played 17 games (at home) in the first two months and when we saw that we could have changed that at first, but we didn't think of the ramifications (and) that's a lot of games."Averaging 15,343 fans this season, the Senators sit 23rd in league-wide attendance, and more than 1,200 seats below the next Canadian franchise. At 80.1 capacity, just four clubs - the Columbus Blue Jackets, Arizona Coyotes, New York Islanders, and Carolina Hurricanes - fill out less of their barns.RankTeamAverage% Capacity23Senators15 34380.124Avalanche14 95383.025Devils14 58788.326Panthers14 31884.027Blue Jackets13 49774.428Coyotes12 78174.629Islanders12 55679.430Hurricanes11 15259.7"I was shocked we weren't sold out for the Leafs' opener," Melynk continued. "But then again, football was in full swing, the Jays had their run, and you had a lot of stuff happening. If somebody went once, twice a week, that was a big deal. We were playing three games a week."The Senators play out of the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, a nearby suburb of Ottawa. It's a long commute that's easy to keep fans at home, but what about the cost of a seat?"The prices are not too high. We are one of the lowest prices in the league. It's a fair price," said Melnyk, who is insistent on moving the team to Ottawa's downtown core.SeasonAverageRank% CapacityRank2016-1715 3432380.1262015-1618 0841794.4242014-1518 2461695.3222013-1418 1081394.5212012-1319 4086101.35Melnyk believes attendance figures will be stronger in an arena that is more accessible to fans. In November, Melnyk's group, RendezVous LeBreton, was chosen to negotiate an arena development in the downtown Ottawa district of LeBreton Flats.But that new facility is still several years out, with shovels not expected to break ground until 2018, at the earliest.As for Melnyk, in November, the oft-outspoken owner penned an editorial to the Citizen, writing, "Running the Ottawa Senators is not an easy business. Consider the fact that the team is currently eighth overall in the NHL and the second-best performing Canadian team, and yet we are far from sellouts at our home games."Melnyk's concern is understandable given the team's winning record and its exciting nucleus of talented stars, including Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Kyle Turris, and two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson.The Senators' performance at the gate has been the opposite of its play on the ice. With a 17-11-3 record through 31 games, Ottawa sits second in the Atlantic. Of the seven Canadian clubs, only the Montreal Canadiens own a better record."I'm hoping now that we're doing very well on the ice (attendance will increase) and I hope we continue to do well and remembering we've been out of the playoffs two of the last three years and that one year we lasted a round," Melnyk said. "We have to turn that around and become a playoff team every year and then you'll see (fans) come back."Not long ago, Senators fans witnessed a string of on-ice success, as the team ran an 11-year playoff run up until 2008, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals the year prior.While the Senators have qualified for the postseason in more than half of the seasons since that time, including three of the last five years, an opening series victory over the Canadiens in 2013 is the only round the Senators have won since 2007."We are going to do whatever we can to lift that attendance," Melnyk added. "The players are noticing and that's what concerns me. The players want the fans to come out. Just ask the players, the fans really help."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are focused on today.That's the mindset that coach John Tortorella has established with his club, one he joined last season after an 0-7 start led to the firing of then bench boss Todd Richards.Following the coaching change, the Blue Jackets finished one game over .500 down the stretch. That success has carried over to the current season, as Columbus holds a 19-5-4 record through 28 games, good for fifth place in the entire NHL.Related: Tortorella has Blue Jackets playing a different gamePart of that success comes from shedding what Tortorella describes as a "country club" atmosphere that plagued the Columbus locker room."I think we've made strides, even from last year. We're more professional with how we go about it. We're more business-like with how we go about it," Tortorella told reporters. "To me, it was a bit of a country club, 'This is okay. We played pretty good, but we lost. We were pretty good, so let's just get our practice done today.'"It's about each particular day and what is needed to get your workday in the proper way and do it right. Then let's worry about tomorrow. I think we've just been a focused group on the day. That's a huge plus for this club."But that doesn't mean that the fiery bench boss won't continue to raise the bar."I think we have to raise the standard if we want to compete in this league. We've had a pretty good start here, but that means nothing," Tortorella added. "We have to be better because other teams are going to get better here as we go through, and that's the understanding a young group has to understand, and a group that has simply gone along and played and said 'this is okay'. That's why you end up in 27th, or wherever you're going to be."We are not good enough as a hockey club to worry about anything that happened before or what's going to happen in front of us here. We have to concentrate on what's going on this particular day."While the season is not yet at its halfway point, the early signs are there that the Blue Jackets will advance to the postseason for just the third time in franchise history. Columbus joined the NHL in 2000 and made the playoffs in 2009 and 2014, but has never won a playoff series.SeasonRecordPointsPlayoffs2015-1634-40-876Missed2014-1542-35-589Missed2013-1443-32-793Lost in Round 12012-1324-17-755Missed2011-1229-46-765MissedColumbus has found its offense this season, as just five teams top the Blue Jackets' 94 goals for, while just one team has scored more goals per game.A big part of that success is due to forward Sam Gagner, who leads the team with 13 goals. A late addition by the Blue Jackets, Gagner didn't sign with the team until August, as his future in the league was in doubt after a few lesser seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers and Arizona Coyotes.Gagner agreed to a one-year, prove-it deal in the Ohio capital - at $650,000, only two players earn less than Gagner - using the opportunity to rediscover both his confidence and his scoring touch."When we talked about signing him, we wanted him as a center because we felt that we needed some more plays made out of the middle of the ice, and he's a right-handed center too," Tortorella said. "I don't think he's a center. I don't think he played well as a center. I had him out of the lineup as a center. We put him on the wing and it just seemed to work."There's not a chance - and if a coach is telling you that they have it figured out before it happens on the ice and say, 'Yeah, he's gonna do this, that, and the other thing', that's bullshit. It is finding out what the player can do and then trying to find him those spots that you feel his strengths are by watching him play first, and Sam Gagner is a perfect definition of that."And (coaches) make mistakes at it too. There is always going to be a little bit of a trial and error, and it may change three weeks later, depending on what's going on with that player and what's going on with another player that wants his job."That's where a kind of accountability comes into play, in, 'Okay, you're doing it now. You better keep on doing it, because that guy is crawling up your ass here. He wants that spot too."Copyright © 2016 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 Sunday, December 18:Triple Threat

George McPhee is making a list.The general manager of the Vegas Golden Knights is considering former NHL bench bosses Craig Berube and Kirk Muller among a list of candidates as the first head coach in Sin City, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports.Related: Golden Knights considering '6 or 7' head coach candidatesBerube, 51, served as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons, most recently in 2015. The Flyers were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs in Berube's first year, while a postseason miss in his second season ultimately led to his firing. Berube currently serves as head coach of the Chicago Wolves, the St. Louis Blues' AHL affiliate.Muller, 50, served as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes for three seasons, most recently in 2014, after five seasons as an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens. Muller never made the playoffs in three years in Raleigh. He has since returned to the Canadiens, where he serves as associate coach.Both coaches have connections to McPhee. Muller and McPhee were teammates in the New Jersey Devils organization during the 1988-89 season, while Berube played part of three seasons with the Washington Capitals while McPhee served as GM.The Golden Knights expect to make a coaching announcement in March or April.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Connor McDavid scored the decisive goal in the shootout and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Saturday night.Milan Lucic and Leon Draisaitl scored in regulation for the Oilers, and Jonathan Drouin and Tyler Johnson had goals for the Lightning. Tampa Bay has lost two in a row and five of six.Cam Talbot made 31 saves for the Oilers and then turned away Brian Boyle in the third round of the shootout to end it.Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop stopped 30 shots.Edmonton outshot the Lightning 11-5 in the scoreless first period, but Tampa Bay had the best chance midway through the opening frame when Talbot stopped a short-handed breakaway by Alex Killorn.The Oilers took a 1-0 lead four minutes into the second on the power play. Draisaitl made a long pass through to Lucic, who rifled his ninth of the season past Bishop.The Lightning tied the game on a power play with 1:01 to play in the second when Drouin's shot through a ton of traffic hit Talbot and trickled into the Edmonton net.Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead 2:35 into the third period as Cory Conacher threaded a pass through to Johnson on a 2-on-1, and he beat Talbot for his ninth of the season.Edmonton tied it again with 13 minutes left on another power play when Draisaitl deflected a shot past Bishop for his 14th.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We've seen this before, but rarely does it go on for this long.Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki's skate blade broke loose while he was on the ice Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils, and he was forced to play without it for longer than he probably would have liked.The officials couldn't stop play until the Senators touched the puck, meaning Borowiecki had to amble around helplessly until his teammates finally gained possession.Borowiecki explained exactly what happened after the game, documenting an unfortunate series of events that had the Senators laughing to themselves on the bench."Nothing you can do but laugh about it now," he told reporters. "Just one of those fluky things that happens in sports ... I was so helpless, I just figured I'd scream until someone did something, so I guess it worked."Thankfully, Borowiecki wasn't hurt as a result and we can all laugh about it.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carey Price doesn't think his glare down the bench Friday night was much of a big deal."I was just pissed," the Montreal Canadiens goaltender told reporters Saturday following a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals when asked if he was trying to send a message with the stare after being pulled following four early goals by the San Jose Sharks the night prior.Watch: Price stares down Habs' bench after short outing against Sharks"I don't think anybody can blame me in that situation," he said.But at whom exactly was he "pissed?""Myself, everybody," Price said.The netminder said there's no lingering bitterness toward head coach Michel Therrien."We're all good. We're all professionals and are able to realize that hockey's emotional and sometimes you're not going to see eye-to-eye on things, but at the end of the day, you show up to work the next day and you get the job done."Therrien echoed his goaltender's sentiments about bygones being bygones."No," the coach told reporters when asked if there was anything to smooth over from Friday's incident. "Absolutely not."Price stopped 20-of-21 shots to earn his 250th career victory Saturday night, becoming the fourth goalie in Canadiens history to achieve the milestone.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.