Both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks sit in the bottom third of the league standings, but the two apparent rivals will be the center of attention Saturday night.The contest will be the first meeting since their penalty-laced get-together Nov. 5, which saw 171 penalty minutes doled out in the Maple Leafs' victory. Get your popcorn.NHL senior vice president of player safety Stephane Quintal will reportedly be on hand to ensure cooler heads prevail, but when the puck drops, he'll be hard-pressed to stop any issues from the stands.Here are three particular matchups Quintal will likely be keeping an eye on.Gudbranson-MartinAfter Leafs enforcer Matt Martin picked rookie Troy Stecher as his sparring partner, Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson was caught declaring Martin a dead man. That didn't go over very well with the league.In hockey circles, standard retribution involves dropping the gloves, which will likely be the outcome between the two heavyweights.Kadri-EverybodyIt's safe to assume Nazem Kadri will be welcomed to Rogers Arena with a series of boos.Kadri was the focal point of the entire feud last month, following a blind-side hit on Canucks forward Daniel Sedin.The hit looked like it was a headshot at first, and turned ugly after Sedin's helmet flew off before smacking his head on the ice. But the play didn't warrant a suspension in the eyes of the NHL, much to the chagrin of the Canucks.Luckily for Kadri, drawing the ire of his opponents is something he's become rather accustomed to over the years.Rielly-BurrowsMoments before Kadri hit Sedin, Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly leveled Jannik Hansen with a heavy hit in the neutral zone, which didn't sit well with Vancouver forward Alex Burrows.Burrows wanted to settle the issue with some good ol' fashioned fisticuffs, but not before a quick spear to Rielly's midsection.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens aren't California Dreamin'.Rather, the Golden State has been a nightmare for the Habs, as a 2-1 loss Friday to the San Jose Sharks extended a 17-year streak for the franchise, one it would prefer to hide in the back pages of the record books. That is, the Canadiens haven't won in Silicon Valley since 1999.The Canadiens haven't won in San Jose since Napster was a thing. On Nov. 23, 1999, in San Jose, the Canadiens beat the Sharks 3-2. Craig Rivet scored the game-winner. Jose Theodore got the win. And the team hasn't won a game in Northern California since.They haven't fared much better in SoCal.On Tuesday, the Anaheim Ducks shot down the Canadiens 2-1. And no doubt Anaheim doesn't feel like Disneyland to the Canadiens, where the team hasn't seen a regulation win since March 8, 2004, back when the Ducks were still Mighty.The Canadiens will have a chance to win in Hollywood on Sunday when they take on the Los Angeles Kings, where the historical odds aren't in their favor but they have found more success there than the other two locales. Sunday marks five years and a day since the Canadiens last crowned the Kings, beating Los Angeles 2-1 in a Dec. 3, 2011 affair.As for Montreal, back-to-back losses has dropped their record to 16-6-2, but with 34 points, they still sit atop the East. It's all good, just as long as they stay out of California.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Does Brian Elliott have cause for concern?A 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Friday marked the ninth win of the season for Calgary Flames netminder Chad Johnson, the one-time expected backup who has now appeared in 14 games and posted a 9-4-1 record along the way.

Martin Jones with a little showtime.With Alex Galchenyuk left alone for an uncontested rip on the weak side, Jones momentarily scrapped his technique to rob the Montreal Canadiens forward with a rolling desperation glove stop.Speaking of roll, Jones entered Friday's contest on one, claiming victories in four of his last five starts.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders could be looking for a renovation upstairs?While speculation persists about the future of Islanders coach Jack Capuano, who currently has just nine wins and sits last in the East, Newsday's Arthur Staple reports team ownership, which changed hands in the offseason, is looking to bulk up its front office.While general manager Garth Snow appears safe, the team is looking to make a separate position of president of hockey operations. Snow currently holds both titles.Rival NHL clubs have created similar roles in recent years, with Brian Burke holding the presidency of the Calgary Flames and Brendan Shanahan in the same capacity with the Toronto Maple Leafs.According to Staple, the Islanders have reached out to two former NHLers to oversee the club operations, Pat LaFontaine and Brad Richards.LaFontaine previously served as a senior advisor with the Islanders, but resigned when the club fired former GM Neil Smith after 40 days on the job, only to be replaced by then-backup goalie Snow. In November 2013, LaFontaine was named president of the Buffalo Sabres, a role he held for five months.As for Richards, the recently retired forward has no ties to the Islanders, but spent two seasons with the rival New York Rangers. The 36-year-old retired in July after spending last season with the Detroit Red Wings.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Steve Yzerman has seen his team raise their level in the absence of captain Steven Stamkos.Just not lately.The Tampa Bay Lightning general manager voiced his concern Friday after the club's fourth loss in a row and abrupt drop from the Atlantic Division's top three seeds."We were pleased with the direction our team was going," Yzerman told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times of the Lightning's performance since their mid-November road trip. "Not saying everything was perfect. But we were generally pleased with how we were playing, the trend we were going. In two weeks, that has obviously changed significantly."The biggest change over the last four games - and really the entire season - has been shaky systematic defense and goaltending. Ben Bishop hasn't been able to match his Vezina Trophy-nominated form of last year, but, as Yzerman explained, the Bolts haven't slipped from a top-five team in goals against to one of the worst this season on goaltending alone."We need as a group to be collectively better," Yzerman said. "Being a better defensive team takes a commitment from defensemen and forwards. And right now we're out of sync."Yzerman won't act impulsively, because he, like most fans and pundits, still likes his team. But he wants the players and coaches to feel the same urgency felt in the press box."We can't keep sliding," he said. "We need to get points, whether it's getting into overtime or shootouts. We're not getting points, and we're falling behind."

The NHL All-Star Game will take to Los Angeles in January.Leading up to the celebration, fans can vote for who they want to see in the game.Then there's the write-in option, the same tool that led to the theatrics of John Scott at last year's All-Star Game in Nashville. But what about taking it in a different direction this year, and using the "name your all-star" option as a chance to recognize the underrated and underappreciated?Here are five candidates to consider when heading to the ballot box:Alex GalchenyukEach team is granted four players on the ballot, and the Montreal Canadiens options are frontloaded with the likes of Carey Price, Shea Weber, Brendan Gallagher, and captain Max Pacioretty.That leaves little room for Alex Galchenyuk, the Canadiens center who is finally playing in the middle of the ice after years on the wing, and the results are certainly paying off. The 22-year-old is scoring at a near point-per-game clip, with 22 points in 23 games. Only eight players have more points than Galchenyuk this season. It's time to punch his ticket to All-Star weekend.Cam AtkinsonThe Columbus Blue Jackets are surging, and at 13-5-4, the team has one of the league's top records at the quarter pole.Part of that success is due to forward Cam Atkinson, who has scored 21 points in 22 games and is on pace to shatter his previous career high of 53 points. He won't get the fanfare with fellow Blue Jackets forwards Brandon Saad and captain Nick Foligno already on the ballot, but Atkinson is surely worthy of an invite to the NHL's weekend showcase.Michael GrabnerWhen you sit among the NHL's best scorers, you deserve All-Star consideration. That's the case with New York Rangers forward Michael Grabner, who has 12 tallies on the year. Just five players have scored more goals than Grabner this season, three of which are only a single tally ahead.And besides, the skills competition that couples the All-Star game needs another speedster to give last year's fastest skater, Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin, a run for his money, who set the bar at 13.17 seconds.Kevin ShattenkirkSt. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk knows what's on the line, and is wasting no time in a contract year. A pending unrestricted free agent, Shattenkirk is off to a torrid pace, already with 21 points in 24 games. Should that production keep up, he'll skate past his previous season-best of 45 points.Often overlooked on a crowded St. Louis blue line that includes the likes of Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, and Colton Parayko, an All-Star invite would no doubt put the spotlight on a deserving player in Shattenkirk.Jimmy HowardThe Detroit Red Wings netminder was an easy target in the off-season, but Jimmy Howard has had the last laugh this season.After losing his starter's role last season to young netminder Petr Mrazek, the veteran keeper has come back with a vengeance. Exhibit A - his astonishing .940 save percentage. Only Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk and Montreal's Carey Price have sported better numbers this season. Howard has taken back the net in Detroit, allowing just 19 goals in 12 games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The National Hockey League Players' Association has told the NHL that it will not agree to extend the current conditions on the Collective Bargaining Agreement for continued Olympic participation, the Canadian Press reports.NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr indicated Friday afternoon that the executive board had no interest in the offer, but will continue to work toward an agreement to have the players retain that opportunity.It was reported that a formal proposal from the NHL was never offered, but the idea was discussed.The NHLPA still has the right to exercise an opt-out clause on the current deal in 2019.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Justin Williams will continue to rely on what's tried and true.Stuck on two goals with his 4.8 percent shooting rate through 22 games in his second season with the Washington Capitals, Williams has toggled between visible and admitted frustration over the past several weeks. At the same time, he remains confident things will turn around."I'm getting tested right now, and I know I'm going to pass because I'm not going to go away," Williams told Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post."I'm going to keep doing the things I've done my whole career that have made me successful, and I'm going to continue to do those. I know that eventually they'll work and they'll pay off."He added: "I'm not going to let anything break me."There have been moments to test this resolve, however. In the waning moments of the first period Thursday night versus the New York Islanders, Williams charged to the far post and steered an exact cross-ice feed from Evgeny Kuznetsov into the back of the net, which appeared to beat the buzzer.But when it failed to survive the on-ice review, the goal was taken off the board, and television cameras captured the perfect snapshot of Williams' season.

The New York Islanders know there's nothing better than NHL players posing with puppies.In October, the club teamed up with North Shore Animal League America on a calendar to help raise awareness and funds for the group, which is "the world's largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization."The results of the photoshoot were spectacular - obviously.The calendar went on sale Nov. 25 and can be purchased through the Islanders' and North Shore Animal League America's websites.- With h/t to For The WinCopyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bruce Boudreau says the Calgary Flames are exaggerating the Minnesota Wild's actions and intentions in the aftermath of Johnny Gaudreau suffering a significant hand injury the last time the two teams played."I think they're making mountains out of molehills quite frankly because every game you watch, there's little slashes on the hands," the Wild head coach told Michael Russo of the Star Tribune."I don't know, but I've got to believe we're one of the least penalized teams over the years in the league, so if they think we're targeting people's hands, they're nuts."Gaudreau was slashed 21 times when the two clubs last met on Nov. 15 - the last of which came courtesy of Wild forward Eric Staal - and he was later ruled out for six weeks after having surgery to repair his fractured finger."Eric Staal has never been accused of being a goon or anything, so you've got to believe it wasn't intentional," Boudreau said. "As to what they think, they can think what they think."Three days after the game, Flames general manager Brad Treliving said, "This wasn't a unicorn" that broke Gaudreau's finger, emphasizing the repeated blows to his star winger's hands.Calgary captain Mark Giordano said Thursday that the Wild took some "unnecessary whacks," but that the Flames plan to prepare for Minnesota's top players the same way they would against any other team."I certainly hope there wouldn’t be instances where they’d be targeting (Gaudreau) directly, but it’s part of hockey. It’s part of playing sports," Flames forward Troy Brouwer said.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

An outdoor game on Ottawa's Parliament Hill is no longer in the cards after the Canadian government shut down the idea, but the Senators still have designs on braving the elements in 2017.The Senators and the NHL are planning for an outdoor game to be played at TD Place Stadium - home of CFL Grey Cup champions the Ottawa RedBlacks - on Dec. 19, 2017, reports the Ottawa Citizen's Bruce Garrioch.The game would be part of the NHL's 100th season celebrations, with the Montreal Canadiens the visitors.In early November, it was reported that an outdoor game at a football stadium in Ottawa was "unlikely," as the Sens "wanted to go big or go home." It appears the club's had a change of heart.Discussions between the league and the Senators are continuing, TSN's Darren Dreger wrote Friday.TD Place Stadium is set to host the 2017 Grey Cup, and capacity for that game - and the Senators' outdoor game, if it happens - is 35,000.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Erik Gudbranson is downplaying an apparent threat uttered about Matt Martin in advance of Saturday's game between the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.Following a rather contentious first meeting between the two clubs on Nov. 5, Gudbranson was heard saying, "Matt Martin is dead."Now, Gurbranson says that kind of talk isn't all that uncommon, and obviously not meant to be taken literally.From Dan Murphy of Sportsnet:

Jonathan Toews isn't ready to return just yet.The Chicago Blackhawks captain won't travel to Philadelphia for Saturday's game against the Flyers, according to Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville.Toews has a back injury, a source told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times, and he's missed four games after exiting Chicago's Nov. 23 loss to the San Jose Sharks.The forward said Friday that the second-period collision many thought felled him during his last shift wasn't the first time he was hurt in that game, reports CSN Chicago's Tracey Myers."(It's) just something that started to aggravate in the first (period)," Toews said. "(I) tried playing in the second (period) and that instance ... went down like a ton of bricks."

After all this time, it's still all about Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.A decade after breaking into the NHL at the same time as two of the most-hyped rookies of all time, and with less than a month remaining in 2016, the two superstars sit atop the goals list this calendar year, and it might not be settled until New Year's Eve.Watch: Crosby continues to find new ways to scoreHere's a look at where the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar center and the Washington Capitals sniper stand as of Dec. 2:PlayerGames PlayedGoalsGames RemainingSidney Crosby624314Alex Ovechkin654113Based on these numbers, it would appear as though the unofficial honor is Crosby's to lose, especially when you consider he's scored more goals per game than Ovechkin and has one more date on the schedule to work with.It would be an impressive feat for a player not known for eye-popping goal totals, and one that Ovechkin would have had locked up were it not for Crosby's 16 goals in 18 games this season.Ovechkin, however, is known to score in bunches, and can't be counted out by any stretch.The players with the next three highest goal totals are likely all but out of the running.

The Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Edmonton Oilers have made the majority of headlines through the season's first quarter, but a look at the standings Friday reveals a new points leader: the Blackhawks.After a 4-3 overtime win Thursday, Chicago leads the pack with 35 points on the back of a 10-1-2 record at home.Here are three reasons why the Blackhawks are - again - the toast of the NHL.Criminally underrated CrawfordCorey Crawford's quietly doing it again. While Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, and Devan Dubnyk make noise in the crease, Crawford's won 12 games and has an impressive .927 save percentage.Among goalies who have played at least 20 games, only Sergei Bobrovsky (.929) has been better.Crawford's often overlooked when it comes to Chicago's success, but he's integral to it. After back-to-back seasons with a .924 save percentage, the 31-year-old continues to play at an elite level. His .954 even-strength save percentage trails only Price and Dubnyk.There's more: Crawford's stopped eight of nine shootout attempts.Disciplined hockeyChicago has one problem: It can't kill penalties.The Blackhawks rank last in the league with a laughable 70.1 success rate on the kill, but until the club figures it out, it helps that Chicago doesn't make a lot of trips to the box.Joel Quenneville's crew averages only 7.40 penalty minutes per game, fourth-fewest in the league. The club's 185 penalty minutes are eighth-fewest.If you can't kill penalties, stay out of the box - simple as that. Chicago remains one of 15 teams with a positive possession rate, and key to its success over the years has been the fact it has the puck more often than not.Interestingly enough, the Blackhawks lead the NHL in hooking infractions with 21. Can't imagine that'll be the case for long with Quenneville behind the bench.Hossa and Anisimov are lighting it upPatrick Kane is doing Patrick Kane-type things, producing at almost a point per game (24 in 25), but the club's second-leading scorer is Artem Anisimov, who has half as many points in 24 games as he had last season.Season GP Goals Assists Points2015-16772022422016-1724101121Anisimov's shooting 25 percent, so regression is guaranteed, but for now, the Blackhawks are riding the wave and enjoying it.Marian Hossa, meanwhile, is reborn as he approaches 38.The veteran struggled last season, scoring only 13 goals in 64 games, thanks to a career-low 6.8 shooting percentage - and the hockey gods are now giving back.Hossa's got 12 goals and 18 points in 24 games, firing at 21.4 percent. Four of his goals are game-winners, three of them in overtime. As for the non-overtime GWG, it came with under three minutes to play in a 2-2 game. Clutch.Sleep on the Blackhawks at your peril. A perennial Stanley Cup contender, Chicago remains just that.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings are experiencing more than their fair share of injuries this season.The latest victim is Justin Abdelkader, who will miss two-to-four weeks with a slight MCL sprain, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reported Friday.He joins the following players who have already been placed on injured reserve:

Every Friday this season, theScore's NHL editors are debating a hot-button issue in 'On The Fly,' our roundtable series. This week, we look at six players who could soon be on the move, and should be ready to pack their bags.Bishop gets the bootHagerman: While the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to take the majority of the heat in regards to goalie limbo leading up to the expansion draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning are actually in the same - if not an even worse - position.Ben Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy have shared the crease this season with Bishop getting the slightly larger workload, but his numbers pale in comparison to his younger counterpart.Since Bishop - who will become an unrestricted free agent at season's end - also currently costs the Lightning just under $6 million, he's the obvious choice to be shipped out.With the draft and free agency upcoming, the Lightning face not just one, but two scenarios in which they could lose the former Vezina Trophy finalist for nothing. They might be better served by making a move at the trade deadline, and unless an unthinkable injury strikes Vasilevskiy in the weeks leading up to the playoffs, it's hard to imagine a situation where the Lightning don't flip Bishop to a team in goaltending need (cough, cough, Dallas).Minor-league fixCuthbert: Having whirled with centers Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, and, more recently, Connor McDavid, Jesse Puljujarvi has been afforded every opportunity to be a productive member of the Edmonton Oilers as an 18-year-old in the NHL.But that just hasn’t been the case through 20 games.Without a goal since opening night, Puljujarvi's stuck on seven points and being denied access to the club’s power-play units. And since Drake Caggiula and Matt Hendricks became able bodies, he's been relegated to fourth-line rotation duties at practice, and the press box Thursday night in Winnipeg.The clock officially started on his entry-level deal a few weeks back - and this wasn't necessarily a mistake. But given the opportunity for him to acquire big-league polish in the AHL with 20 minutes a night, and the added incentive of preserving a season of unrestricted free agency, the Oilers shouldn't have Puljujarvi in Edmonton beyond game No. 40.Desert departureWilkins: Martin Hanzal is on borrowed time in the desert. The Arizona Coyotes center is a pending unrestricted free agent, and while the two sides informally talked extension around training camp, not much materialized. That makes Hanzal a prime target to be moved at the deadline, especially considering Arizona's spot in the standings.Hanzal is a monstrous pivot who excels at both ends of the rink, in the dot, and in front of the net on the power play. He'd be a significant addition to any Cup contender. As for the Coyotes, things are a bit crowded up the middle with young centers like Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak expected to take on bigger roles in the next season or two, making an extension for Hanzal less of a priority. As such, the veteran's 10-year run with the Desert Dogs will end sooner rather than later.O Captain, Bye CaptainO'Leary: The Montreal Canadiens want to stabilize their blue line beyond Shea Weber, and with the emergence of Alex Galchenyuk and Alexander Radulov, suddenly Max Pacioretty has become expendable.On the heels of three consecutive seasons eclipsing 30 goals, Pacioretty has only five so far, and has bounced around the Habs' top three lines.His friendly $4.5-million cap hit, however, could gather a decent haul for Marc Bergevin. Whether Bergevin values his captain's presence more than fixing the team's most glaring need as the season carries on remains to be seen, but the GM has already shown he isn't scared of a little scrutiny.Fleury out, Murray in Gold-Smith: Matt Murray hasn't completely wrestled the Pittsburgh Penguins' crease from Marc-Andre Fleury, but it's time to hand it over to the kid.Murray's role in the Penguins' championship run and stellar play this season have made Fleury disposable, and the veteran hasn't done himself many favors, posting pedestrian numbers through 16 games.Fleury is on the books for 2016-17 and then two more seasons at $5.75 million, while Murray counts for less than $1 million now before his three-year, $11.25-million extension begins in 2017-18.The Penguins need to trade Fleury before his value evaporates. He's on Pittsburgh's protected list for the expansion draft by virtue of his no-movement clause. He'll be exposed if he waives it, but the Penguins shouldn't let it come to that point and risk losing him for nothing.Spooner reaches fork in the roadMcLaren: The additions of David Backes, Riley Nash, and Dominic Moore created a glut of forwards capable of lining up at the center spot for the Boston Bruins, and the odd man out early this season appears to be Ryan Spooner.The 24-year-old came into his own last season while centering the third line, and broke out to the tune of 13 goals and 49 points. Recently, due to a crowded platoon of forwards, Spooner's been relegated to the fourth line.But here's the thing - it's no secret the Bruins have been looking to add on defense, and Spooner makes a ton of sense as a literal centerpiece going the other way in a potential trade, despite his dip in production.As such, it would not be surprising to see general manager Don Sweeney send Spooner packing at some point prior to the trade deadline.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

George McPhee got an important clarification from the NHL recently that should be noted by every general manager in the league.Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Vegas Golden Knights GM that other teams will not be allowed to retain salary on players selected in the expansion draft, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.Salary retention on expansion-draft picks would've made it easier for McPhee to choose players with large or simply unfavorable contracts, but the Golden Knights can still explore that route in trades.Once the franchise has made its final expansion payment, it could be given the go-ahead to begin making deals, according to LeBrun.That's expected to happen around March 1 - coincidentally the trade deadline - which would give the Golden Knights a much earlier trade window than previous expansion clubs.The expansion draft is scheduled to run June 18-20, and selections will be announced June 21.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Joe Sakic is staying the course.The Colorado Avalanche president and general manager isn't ready to give up on his team's core group - made up of Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, Tyson Barrie, Erik Johnson, and Semyon Varlamov - and is laying responsibility for a last-place start on every last player on the roster."I have faith in them," Sakic said Thursday of the core group, per Terry Frei of the Denver Post. "But to me, the start is not a core thing; it’s a team thing. I think you see we’re trying to hold people accountable. We know we have certain guys who can give more, and those guys know they can give more."We’re not as consistent as we need to be. We didn’t win two straight Cups and have that leeway. We have to play with that urgency every night on a consistent basis to be successful."Sakic added the players are still adjusting to the system being implemented by first-year head coach Jared Bednar, one that he fully endorses.When asked if he was contemplating shaking up the roster, Sakic indicated it's not the time to consider such moves."It’s (still) early in the year," he said. "First of all, changes are hard to do, especially this time of year. We’re two games under .500, but a four-game swing and you’re two games over .500 and right back in it."This statement was made prior to Thursday's loss to Columbus, dropping Colorado's to 9-12-1, keeping the Avalanche in a tie with Arizona for last place in the NHL.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cam Atkinson might need to see a replay to know what exactly he did to set up Boone Jenner's game-winning goal on Thursday.The Columbus Blue Jackets forward made an insane behind-the-back pass to Jenner who tapped in his third goal of the season, which would hold up as the game-winner over the Avalanche.With the win, the Blue Jackets now have 30 points in 22 games to start the year, the most through that stretch in franchise history.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

From an elite point producer to one of the game's greatest two-way wingers, it's Marian Hossa's versatility that has him on a path to the Hall of Fame.His latest transformation? Overtime specialist.Collecting a pass from Patrick Kane on a slow-moving zone entry, Hossa cut to the middle and fired in another overtime winner, this time past a screened Cory Schneider.Hossa, who scored the 500th goal of his career earlier this season, now has three of the club's five walk-off winners on the year.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

He makes it look so easy.St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko scored his third hat trick of his career Thursday night, while adding an assist as the Blues skated to a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.For Tarasenko, the four-point outing was just the latest in a season that has seen the 24-year-old carry his club towards the top of the Western Conference standings thanks in part to three game-winning goals.

Useful repetitions.After almost nine minutes of power-play opportunities went to waste in their loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday - in a game where they failed to score with the man advantage for the ninth time in 11 tries - specialty teams was a focus at practice for the Edmonton Oilers leading up to Thursday's clash with the Winnipeg Jets.And whaddya know? Mark Letestu scored twice and Connor McDavid picked up a pair of assists under the condition, as the Oilers converted three of their four power-play opportunities to set the table for a 6-3 victory at MTS Centre.Letestu, McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Milan Lucic was the forward group that produced all three goals, bumping the team's unit above the league average after their conversion rate sunk to 16 percent during their recent slump.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's no secret that Patrik Laine grew up idolising Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin.The Winnipeg Jets rookie was back doing what he does best Thursday night, firing rockets from the same spot a certain Capitals' forward has found success at over the years.

Jason Chimera is a man of mystery, most notably surprising himself.The New York Islanders forward scored a ridiculous goal Thursday night, splitting the defense of his former club - the Washington Capitals - before beating Braden Holtby with a nasty backhand.

Sidney Crosby's not just a shooter, after all.Well, to be fair, he's still filling the net at a ridiculous 73-goal pace over a full 82-game season - and through an absolute assortment of means. But Crosby's oddly skewed early season stat line is now gradually reverting - even despite resolute goal scoring.Crosby collected two assists in a second straight outing in Thursday's win over the Dallas Stars, giving him nine on the season after recording only five in his first 16 games.Factoring in his league-leading 16 goals, Crosby's 25 points has him in a tie for fourth in league scoring, and has him on pace to break the 100-point threshold for the first time in four seasons and second time in seven.His three-point outing was the 113th of his career. Only Jaromir Jagr has more among active players.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A little Eichel goes a long way.Two weeks ago the Buffalo Sabres were struggling to find the back of the net and losses were piling up. Fast forward and add a return to the lineup this week, and the Sabres are a new club with Jack Eichel back in the fold, getting two wins under their belt,With a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers Thursday night, the Sabres have now collected wins in two straight, with a combined nine goals. In fact, prior to Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Ottawa Senators, the Sabres' previous nine goals came over a five-game span.

Jaromir Jagr continues to scale.The ageless, mullet-wearing winger with the Florida Panthers suited up in his 1,653rd career game Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena, passing Mark Recchi for fourth all time.Gordie Howe, Mark Messier, and Ron Francis are the only players with more.Jagr sits 114 games behind Howe for the most games played in NHL history. If he hangs around for one more year, and remains healthy and able past the age of 46, Jagr has a chance to finish his career with the most all time.As for his next rung that he'll take, Jagr requires eights points to surpass Mark Messier for the second-most behind Wayne Gretzky. He entered his 1,653rd game with 1,880 points for his career.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With flashes of Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg beat Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo with a devastating backhander Thursday night.The goal gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead in the first period. With the tally, Zetterberg picks up his 313th career goal. Fittingly, He's now one shy of Datsyuk with the seventh-most goals in Red Wings history.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A moment that would be hard-pressed to be more Canadian.Henry Burris and plaid-clad receiver Brad Sinopoli of the Grey Cup champion Ottawa Redblacks used the century-old trophy captured over the weekend to perform the ceremonial puck drop ahead of the Senators' Thursday-night clash with the Philadelphia Flyers.

That's one the King would like back.New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist allowed the first goal of the game just 18 seconds in Thursday night, gaffing on a center ice dump-in by Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe that took an unfortunate tip off the skate of Johan Larsson.The goal was just Larsson's fourth of the year and likely his easiest.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL senior vice president of Player Safety Stephane Quintal will be on location Saturday when the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs meet for the first time since their venomous meeting early last month, TSN's Darren Dreger reported Thursday on Insider Trading.Dreger said the NHL's on "high alert," and suggested Quintal will be involved in helping strategize the control of potential misconduct.The two teams traded 171 penalty minutes in the Nov. 6 meeting won by the Maple Leafs. Here's a rundown of the indiscretion involved:

With the club managing the third-fewest goals per game this season, the Ottawa Senators are reportedly in the market for a forward.TSN's Pierre LeBrun spoke on Thursday's Insider Trading segment reporting that Senators general manager Pierre Dorion has been working the phones the last few days, to see what is on the trade market in terms of a versatile third- or fourth-line winger.According to LeBrun, the club isn't interested in adding a high-end talent at the moment and that no trade is imminent.Despite averaging just 2.26 goals per game this season, the Senators find themselves second in the Atlantic Division with a 14-8-1 record.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Gerard Gallant wants to set the record straight.The recently fired head coach was in touch with Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman about photos that went viral of Gallant waiting for and getting into a taxi after Florida dismissed him Sunday night in Raleigh, N.C.

Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia will jointly host the 2019 World Junior Championship, Hockey Canada announced Thursday.The tournament returns to B.C. for the first time since 2006, when Kamloops, Kelowna, and Vancouver hosted the best teenage hockey players on the planet. Canada won gold that year, the country's second of five in a row.Hockey Canada's chief operating officer Scott Smith said the following in a statement:

The makers of NHL 17 are putting Brian Burke's tongue-in-cheek trade comments to the test.EA Sports had some fun with the remarks made Wednesday by the Calgary Flames president of hockey operations, who dismissed rumors of defenseman Dougie Hamilton's availability and said the only way a trade will happen is if a team offers Calgary 20 first-round picks.

A Minnesota high school goaltender delivered a record performance in his team's season opener Saturday, and yet still found himself on the wrong end of the scoreboard.Tony Bruns, a senior goalie for Morris/Benson, made 98 stops in a 12-0 loss to Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato, setting what is believed to be a state and national single-game record, according to Loren Nelson of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.Bruns had no idea how many pucks he'd turned away until he looked at the scoresheet afterwards."I actually had a question about a penalty at the end of the game, so that was why we were looking at the scoresheet on the way home," he said. "And then we saw the save total and thought, 'Oh my, what is going on, is that some sort of record?'"

You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him.That's Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice's point of view in regards to Connor McDavid as his club gets set to host the Edmonton Oilers."Everybody's had a game plan for this young man. It's not working. It's not going to work for the rest of his career," Maurice told reporters Thursday, per Jets TV.What sets McDavid apart, Maurice opined, is that his hands and feet are on par, but at an entirely different level."Matching (his) speed is almost impossible. It's completely impossible to do from behind. You've got no chance if you're beside him. But if your timing is right and you can take away the clean options to him, you've got an outside chance," he said."Maybe there's somebody faster, I can't remember. Maybe there's somebody just as fast. But I don't think there's ever been a set of hands that went with that speed. That's a different animal."McDavid, who was named the NHL's third star of the month for November, leads the league in scoring with 31 points through 24 games - five ahead of Jets center Mark Scheifele.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils' offense will get a major boost in time for their game against the Chicago Blackhawks.Taylor Hall will return to the lineup for Thursday's contest, head coach John Hynes confirmed to Andrew Gross of The Record.The dynamic forward missed eight games with a knee injury he suffered last month.He's back ahead of schedule, beating the original recovery timetable of three-to-four weeks from Nov. 16, when he had surgery on his left knee.Hall collected five goals and 12 points in 14 games before sustaining the injury.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Strong play as of late has improved the Stanley Cup odds for a number of squads.The Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers have jumped to the top of the list of favorites, while the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Boston Bruins also made significant leaps.The blue numbers below represent teams whose odds have gotten better, while the red numbers denote teams whose odds have crept higher since Nov. 1.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski was named rookie of the month for November, the NHL announced Thursday.The 19-year-old leads all rookie blue-liners and all Blue Jackets rearguards with 16 points in 21 games.Werenski notched 10 of those points in 14 games last month.He ranks second in average time on ice among rookies (22:06) behind Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo (22:19).Werenski is the fourth player in Blue Jackets history to be named rookie of the month, joining goaltender Steve Mason (Nov. and Dec. 2008), center Derick Brassard (Oct. 2008), and winger Rick Nash (Nov. 2002).Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Auston Matthews and Jonathan Toews in a "Call Your Shot" competition? Yes, please.You're going to want to watch Toews nail the cross bar from the blue line in his first attempt, and Matthews take out some vegetables.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has honored a trio of players for outstanding play during the past month.Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid have been named the NHL’s Three Stars for November.Rinne shared the league lead with nine wins (9-1-2) and led all goalies with a .949 save percentage in 12 appearances.He also made Predators history:

Each week, theScore looks at the teams, players, and other hockey figures trending upward and taking a step back.▲ Chad JohnsonThe Calgary Flames' goaltending situation looked to be a major weakness early on, but it's been stabilized by an unlikely force.Chad Johnson shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, improving to 8-4-1 with a 2.06 GAA and a .930 save percentage in 13 games.It was his third shutout and sixth win in his last eight contests.Meanwhile, Brian Elliott is 3-9-1 with a 3.31 GAA and .885 save percentage in his first 13 games with the Flames after being acquired from the St. Louis Blues over the summer.Johnson was once known solely for a catchphrase started by Boston Bruins blog Days of Yorr ("Hi, I'm Chad Johnson") - a meme he later acknowledged - but if he keeps playing like this, he won't have to make any more introductions.▼ The Penguins Pittsburgh certainly didn't look like a defending Stanley Cup champion Wednesday night in a 5-3 loss to the basement-dwelling New York Islanders.Matt Murray let in four goals on 25 shots, and his club allowed the third-worst team in the league to tie an NHL record by scoring twice in a three-second span.The Penguins fell to a pedestrian 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and 5-5-2 away from PPG Paints Arena, where they remain 8-2-1.It's not time to panic just yet, but it is cause for concern.▲ Brian BurkeThe Flames dominated online discourse before Wednesday's game thanks to a dynamite radio segment featuring their always forthright president of hockey operations.Burke echoed general manager Brad Treliving's denial when asked about rumors the club is shopping defenseman Dougie Hamilton.Related: Burke blames 'army of leakers' for Dougie Hamilton trade rumorsThe outspoken executive told TSN 1050 that the only way Hamilton would be available is if a team were to offer 20 first-round picks, adding that the rumors are being peddled by "an army of people who have no goddamn idea what they're talking about."Please never leave us, Brian.▼ The AvalancheColorado was expecting to be reinvigorated under new head coach Jared Bednar, but the Avalanche have looked flat so far.They've lost three in a row, they sit in the basement of the Central Division, and only the Arizona Coyotes have a record as bad as the Avalanche through 21 games.Colorado is second-last in the NHL in terms of goals scored per game (2.24), and that's coupled with the eighth-worst goals-against average (2.95).Rene Bourque leads the team in goal-scoring, and while he's played well, the Avalanche need more out of Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene, and Gabriel Landeskog.Related: Avalanche's core on watch after last-place startColorado will try to turn things around when they host Bourque's old team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, on Thursday night.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Doug Armstrong does not have buyer's remorse.After the St. Louis Blues general manager acquired 2012 first overall pick Nail Yakupov at a bargain-basement cost - prospect Zach Pochiro and a conditional third-round pick went to Edmonton - Armstrong remains hopeful the young forward can be a positive contributor, despite not cracking the lineup in seven of the past 12 games."We felt it was a worthwhile gamble," Armstrong told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch."I have a lot of confidence in Yak that he’s going to keep his nose to the grindstone and when he gets his opportunity, he’s just got to make the most of it. We look at it from how our team is doing, not how each individual player is doing, and our team is doing well. He’s part of our team."Yakupov recorded four points in his first six games with the Blues, but managed just one assist in the following ten games while seeing diminished ice time.Fellow Russian Vladimir Tarasenko praised Yakupov's attitude, noting his playfulness - despite the scratches - as evidenced by Yakupov carrying his teammates' helmets after losing a bet during practice."He tries to work hard in practice and he helps other guys," Tarasenko said. "When people don’t play, they give really good boost to us when they don’t react selfishly and they support us all the time. He’s a really good player, and same as I believe in our team success, I believe in his success."For his part, Yakupov is trying to keep a level head, while staying ready to play."I’m trying to be the good teammate, but I’m not trying to create something and be like a clown in the locker room," he said."I’m obviously working hard, just waiting for my chance, that’s all I can do. I’m not trying to do something crazy and show coaches how good I am. They already know who I am as a person, who I am as a player."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marc Bergevin is loving life. What a difference a few months makes.After the Montreal Canadiens general manager watched his team collapse in spectacular fashion last season, Bergevin set out to right the ship. And so far, so very good: The Habs are the best team in the league.Alex Galchenyuk is blossoming into the star everyone thought he could become, and he was Bergevin's first draft pick, third overall in 2012, two months into Bergevin's tenure as Habs GM and executive vice president. The 22-year-old has 22 points in 23 games - and is averaging only 16:03 of ice time per contest. Shea Weber, who Bergevin acquired one-for-one for P.K. Subban in one of the most polarizing trades in recent memory, is second on the team in scoring with eight goals and 10 assists. Weber's tied in scoring with Alex Radulov, whose return to the NHL has gone about as smoothly as possible.Radulov has four goals and 14 assists, and has found instant chemistry playing with Galchenyuk. Signed to a one-year, $5.75-million contract, Radulov is arguably proving to be the summer's best big-money free-agent signing.Here's a look at how the big-ticket 2016 free-agent class - those players signed on July 1 and earning an average annual salary of $5 million or more - is faring so far, a quarter into the season:PlayerContractCap hitAge on July 1PointsGPRadulov (MTL)1 year/$5.75M$5.75M291821Milan Lucic (EDM)7 years/$42M$6M281724Kyle Okposo (BUF)7 years/$42M$6M281521Frans Nielsen (DET)6 years/$31.5M$5.25M321323Loui Eriksson (VAN)6 years/$36M$6M301023David Backes (BOS)5 years/$30M$6M32918Andrew Ladd (NYI)7 years/$38.5M$5.5M30422Some takeaways: