Sidney Crosby is unlike many of his counterparts.The Pittsburgh Penguins captain showed no fear lifting the Prince of Wales Trophy on Thursday. The Penguins hoisted the trophy - awarded to the winner of the Eastern Conference - following their Game 7 victory, despite a common tradition to avoid doing so.An unwritten rule by players usually sees clubs elect not to touch the trophy or the Western Conference's Clarence S. Campbell Bowl - the San Jose Sharks did not lift it on Wednesday - as a symbol that the team is waiting to hoist the Stanley Cup.However, picking it up has served Crosby well in the past. After he refused to lift in in 2008 and lost in the Cup Final to the Detroit Red Wings, he decided to forgo superstition in 2009 ahead of another meeting with those same Red Wings in the Final, this time capturing his first and only Stanley Cup.

PITTSBURGH - Bryan Rust scored a pair of second-period goals and Matt Murray stopped 16 shots to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday night to send the franchise to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2009.Pittsburgh will host Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of the final Monday night.Jonathan Drouin scored his fifth goal of the playoffs for the Lightning and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 37 saves, but it wasn't enough to send Tampa Bay back to the Cup Final for a second straight year. Captain Steven Stamkos had two shots in his return from a two-month layoff while dealing with a blood clot.The Penguins avoided elimination with a borderline dominant 5-2 victory in Game 6 that provided a snapshot of the formula that fueled their rise through the Eastern Conference standings shortly after coach Mike Sullivan's arrival in mid-December. Sullivan calls it ''playing the right way,'' a way abetted by the influx of speed brought in by general manager Jim Rutherford. That group includes Rust, who forced his way onto the roster thanks to feverish skating and a relentlessness that belies his nondescript 5-foot-11 frame.That effort - or ''desperation level'' as captain Sidney Crosby calls it - provided the Penguins with the boost they needed to overcome a bit of unfortunate history and the return of Stamkos. Pittsburgh had dropped five straight Game 7s at home, including a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay in 2011 in a series in which both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin missed due to injury. That loss had become symbolic of the franchise's postseason shortcomings following that gritty run to the Cup in 2009 that culminated with a Game 7 win in Detroit that was supposed to be the launching pad of a dynasty.Seven long years later, with an entirely new cast around mainstays Crosby, Malkin, Kris Letang, Chris Kunitz and Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins are finally heading back.It hardly came easy. Vasilevskiy, a revelation while filling in for injured Vezina Trophy finalist Ben Bishop, spent most of the night facing barrage after barrage as Pittsburgh controlled the puck and the pace of play for long stretches. Not even the return of Stamkos, who missed eight weeks while recovering from surgery to fix a blood clot near his right collarbone, could give Tampa Bay a boost as it sought a second straight appearance in the final round.The 26-year-old practically chased Vasilevskiy onto the ice and played 11:55, his best chance coming on a breakaway in the second period in which his slap shot from the right circle hit Murray and trickled wide.Yet he was outshone - as was everyone else inside an electric Consol Energy Center - by a 24-year-old who managed all of five goals in 55 regular season games, a total he's matched in just 17 games during the postseason. And perhaps even more surprising than the amount of success Rust has enjoyed during the playoffs is when he's done the most damage. He collected two goals and an assist in a series closeout win over the New York Rangers in the opening round.Just over a month later, Rust was at it again.He gave the Penguins the lead 1:55 into the second when he raced down the slot, took a feed from Kunitz and beat Vasilevskiy over his glove. Drouin's fourth goal of the series tied it at 9:36 of the second, a wicked wrist shot from the circle that zipped by Murray and seemed to blunt Pittsburgh's momentum.Only it didn't.All of 30 seconds later, the Penguins were back in front. Ben Lovejoy's slap shot from the point caromed off the end boards to the right of the net. Rust jabbed at it, squeezing it between Vasilevskiy's left arm and his body.The Penguins kept coming. Only the spectacular play of the 21-year-old Vasilevskiy kept the Lightning in it. Pittsburgh outshot Tampa Bay 21-5 in the second period alone, yet couldn't extend its advantage.Their season on the brink, the Lightning recovered but Murray never wavered. His teammates in front of him kept Tampa Bay from getting in his way and when the final horn blared, Pittsburgh's metamorphosis from the blahs of December to the madness of May was complete.NOTES: The Penguins went 0 for 5 on the power play. The Lightning were 0 for 1. ... The team that scores first is now 124-42 all-time in Game 7s, including 5-0 this year.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jonathan Drouin is taking some pressure off his captain in Game 7.The 21-year-old forward drew the Tampa Bay Lightning even with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final elimination game, firing a bullet over goaltender Matt Murray midway through Thursday's second period.Bryan Rust scored his second goal of the game to restore the Penguins' lead 30 seconds later.Drouin's marker was his fifth goal and 14th point in 17 postseason contests this spring.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The captain is back.Eight weeks to the day of his last NHL game, Steven Stamkos made his return to the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup for Thursday's Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins.Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was evasive when asked about Stamkos beforehand, but the forward took part in the warmup and began the game on the the third line between Ondrej Palat and Ryan Callahan.Stamkos had been out of the lineup since March 31 after having vascular surgery to treat a blood clot condition.His surgeon, Dr. Karl Illig, told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times that Stamkos was cleared to play "a while ago," and the issue was blood thinners.Illig added that the risks are "very, very low," and the decision was left up to Stamkos, who received several opinions before opting to play.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jared McCann - the newest member of the Florida Panthers - is looking forward to picking Jaromir Jagr's brain.However, McCann is less interested in the future Hall of Famer's outstanding NHL career, or any type of playing advice he might have. No, what McCann is interested in is what makes Jagr's famous flow so lustrous."I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll ask him what conditioner he uses or something like that," McCann told NHL.com's Jameson Olive about his first encounter with Jagr. "I’ve also always looked up to Jaromir Jagr, who is one of the best players in the world. I’m very excited to meet him."McCann was acquired Wednesday from the Vancouver Canucks in a deal for defenseman Erik Gudbranson, and should compete for a roster spot on the team's bottom six next season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper isn't tipping his hand about whether Steven Stamkos will play in Game 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.Speculation swirled after TVA's Renaud Lavoie reported Stamkos boarded the early bus to the arena with his teammates, but Cooper refused to confirm it either way."Before we get going, there's a lot more people here than normal, don't ask about the lineup at all, because I don't know," Cooper told reporters before any questions were asked at Thursday's pregame media availability.The media proceeded to ask about the lineup anyway, specifically the status of the Lightning captain."We're preparing to put the best team possible on the ice to win Game 7," Cooper said."This is the top couple games of our careers as a group together, and we're going to put our best foot forward. And if Stamkos is in the lineup, it's our best foot forward, and if he's not in the lineup, it's because he wasn't eligible to play."Stamkos has been out of the lineup since March 31 after having vascular surgery to treat a blood clot condition.He took part in Thursday's optional skate, as he's done frequently in the playoffs, but Stamkos said after that session that his status hadn't changed.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Gary Bettman is occasionally the butt of jokes among NHL fans, but one fan took that literally.On Wednesday, Daylen Hopkins honored a pledge he made in February to get the commissioner's face tattooed on his backside if both the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Jimmy Fallon took aim at several NHL players with a playoff edition of his superlatives segment a couple of weeks ago, and now he's at it again.This time around, the host of "The Tonight Show" went at some of the players vying for a berth in the Stanley Cup Final.He roasted four members of the Tampa Bay Lightning (Steven Stamkos, Valtteri Filppula, Victor Hedman, and Anton Stralman) and four San Jose Sharks (Mirco Mueller, Joe Thornton, Tommy Wingels, and Logan Couture), as well as Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray.For the record, here's actual Gilbert Gottfried:(Courtesy: Getty Images/Randy Brooke)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings made a minor move Thursday, acquiring forward Dylan Sadowy from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a third-round pick in 2017.Upon making the trade, the Red Wings also locked up Sadowy, inking the 20-year-old to an entry-level contract, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. If not signed prior to June 1, Sadowy would have been re-entered into next month's draft.Sadowy is coming off his fourth OHL season, where he split his time between the Saginaw Spirit and Barrie Colts. He had 20 goals and 34 points in 36 games with the Spirit, but erupted with the Colts, netting 25 goals and 36 points in 28 contests.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Divide the fans, conquer the ratings.That appears to be the NHL's approach to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final in Tampa Bay, at least.As the Lightning visit the Pittsburgh Penguins to fight for the right to play for the Stanley Cup, fans will not be allowed to gather for a viewing party outside Amalie Arena.

Erik Gudbranson could have been with the Florida Panthers for a few more years at least.The young defenseman was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday, circa two weeks after signing a one-year, $3.5-million contract extension with the team.According to George Richards of the Miami Herald, Gudbranson had turned down a four-year deal worth $18 million before signing the one-year bridge contract.That's significant for his new club seeing as Gudbranson will be a restricted free agent once again at the conclusion of 2016-17, with the ability to become unrestricted in 2018. In order to lock him up and justify dealing prospect Jared McCann along with second- and fourth-round draft picks to Florida, they'll seemingly have to top that offer.In 309 career games, Gudbranson has recorded 11 goals, 32 assists, and 73 shots on goal.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The changes continue in Arizona.Coyotes general manager John Chayka announced the club has promoted Steve Sullivan to director of player development, signing him to a multi-year contract extension in the process.Sullivan served as the team’s development coach over the past two seasons, working with coaches and players in the Coyotes’ minor league system."Steve has done an excellent job monitoring and developing our top prospects the past two seasons," said Chayka. "We are pleased with his work and he is very deserving of this promotion."Sullivan recorded 747 points in 1,011 NHL games.Newell Brown has also been signed to a multi-year contract extension to continue his role as the team's assistant coach.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Curtis Lazar will miss Chris Phillips for a number of reasons.After the veteran defenseman announced his retirement, the young Ottawa Senators forward tweeted out his appreciation for being taken under Phillips' wing early in his career.

The Big Rig is putting it in park.Defenseman Chris Phillips has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 18 seasons, all with the Ottawa Senators.The decision, made along with family and doctors, was a result of a back injury that kept him off the ice for the entirety of the 2015-16 season.

The Florida Panthers are reportedly looking to make a long-term commitment with Vincent Trocheck.The club is offering the restricted free agent a six-year contract, and while valuation appears to be a bit of a hangup at this point, neither side is concerned, according to George Richards of the Miami Herald.The 22-year-old broke out to the tune of 25 goals and 28 assists in 76 games, but was unable to contribute in the playoffs thanks to an ankle injury that sidelined him late in the regular season.Trocheck was selected in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2015-16 NHL season's foremost clash to date: Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.It's an event that needs no introduction, but a few keys don't hurt. Here are three things to consider before puck drop at Consol Energy Center on Thursday night:If the Penguins get a lead, they mustn't sit on itPittsburgh's erased two series deficits, also needing a win in an elimination scenario on the road to tee up the decisive clash on home ice. But from game-to-game and shift-to-shift in the series, they must be considered the more dominant team.The Penguins have created nearly 100 more Corsi events, and registered 68 more shots on goal than Tampa through six games. They've outshot the Bolts in each meeting, three of which by at least a plus-15 margin.Where they've fallen into trouble, however, is in protection of their leads. The Lightning erased multi-goal deficits twice to force overtime - winning once - and were close to pulling the trick for a third time in Game 6 before Bryan Rust iced it on a breakaway.Should the Penguins jump out early, they cannot let the Lightning overrun them on the Corsi clock like they did in Game 6. Instead, they must show the killer instinct they had in Game 3, when they peppered the opposing goal with 48 shots in a contest they never trailed.Who's got net?It's no longer a question of who's starting; barring a nonsensical decision to turn to an unpracticed vet, Matt Murray and Andrei Vasilevskiy will oppose each other in Game 7. But only one of these young goaltenders - prospects emerging as bona fide future No. 1s - can prevail.So, who?Vasilevskiy, with the ice primarily titled toward his net, has been consistently brilliant since spelling an injured Ben Bishop in Game 1. He owns a .921 save rate in seven appearances, only showing vulnerability - and often volatility - in moments when his defense fails him.Murray, meanwhile, has had stinkers, allowing three or more goals in six of his 14 starts. But at the same time, he's cancelled out the noise in big spots - none more important than his 29-save performance in Game 6 after briefly being unseated by longtime starter Marc-Andre Fleury.Invariably, the netminders in a Game 7 are of utmost importance. But who has the edge over the other; well, that's anyone's guess.Second strikePerhaps the difference in shot disparity between Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay falls on the fact that the Penguins hide weapons up and down the lineup, while the Bolts rely primarily on a handful of top-six contributors.Brian Boyle's provided important, albeit outlying, production, but, aside from that, Tampa's depth has been muted. Ryan Callahan, Valtteri Filppula, J.T. Brown, Cedric Paquette, and Vladislav Namestnikov have combined for four goals and 16 points in the playoffs, and six points versus Pittsburgh, placing the onus almost entirely on the skilled positions.By contrast, the Penguins have received at least two goals this spring from every single forward whose appeared with any regularity, and 14 total points from their fourth line.But that's the thing with these win-or-go-home games. It's almost always the case that a name that's sat dormant throughout arrives with a massive moment. And the Lightning certainly have more who can classify for such distinction.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Troy Brouwer doesn't want to be one-and-done in St. Louis.The 30-year-old, who's set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, expressed a desire to remain with the Blues following Wednesday's season-ending loss to the San Jose Sharks.

While the San Jose Sharks' core has been in place for some time, it's the 2016 roster that has finally jumped over the hump and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.In recent years, general manager Doug Wilson was believed to have been floating the likes of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau - both of whom served as team captain in the past - on the trade market, with a view to building around the likes of Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture.Wilson wisely stayed the course for at least one more run with this group, deciding instead to part ways with head coach Todd McLellan in favor of new bench boss Pete DeBoer.He also made three significant additions to the roster, all of which are paying off when it matters most.Martin JonesThe Los Angeles Kings didn't want Martin Jones suiting up for a division rival, so they sent him straight out of the Western Conference last summer, trading him to the Boston Bruins.Before he could even contemplate life in black and gold, Jones was dealt to the San Jose Sharks for a first-round pick in 2016 and forward prospect Sean Kuraly.Eleven months later, Jones will become the first goalie in franchise history to appear in a Stanley Cup Final game.The 26-year-old has been consistent in net for the Sharks all season long, with a playoff success rate basically on par with his regular-season performance.GamesRecordSv%SORegular Season6537-23-4.9186Playoffs1812-6.9193Four more wins and that trade will go down as one of the best in team history, joining another "jumbo" deal made with the Bruins over a decade ago.Joel WardThe Sharks knew Joel Ward had a knack for coming up big in the postseason, and, true to form, he's continuing that trend in San Jose.

Through three rounds of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Logan Couture has already put himself in elite company.In Wednesday's Game 6 victory over the St. Louis Blues, the San Jose Sharks forward posted his third three-point game of the postseason, all of which have been earned in series-clinching wins.Only two others players in NHL history have accomplished the same feat.

Peter DeBoer has the magic touch.His San Jose Sharks became the first team since the 2012 New Jersey Devils to reach the Stanley Cup Final after missing the playoffs, and DeBoer was the head coach of that Devils team, too.The similarities don't end there. DeBoer took New Jersey to the final in his first season behind the bench with the club, and did the same this year with San Jose. Whatever he's selling when he arrives, his guys are buying.But DeBoer is far from satisfied. His 2012 Devils came up short in the Stanley Cup Final, so he knows what it's like to get so close to the Cup, only to watch another team lift it."I've been this far once before," DeBoer said. "As great a night as this is, if you don't win the next round, it's still not a great summer. I think we'll enjoy this (Wednesday night) and our focus will turn to the big prize."More than anything, DeBoer said, he's the product of good timing."(The Sharks) were coming off a down season, but they were coming off a decade of great hockey. They'd been well-coached," DeBoer said. "Todd McLellan and the previous staff are as good as there are in the business. These guys had a great foundation. Right place, right time."Everyone was ready for something a little bit fresher and newer, not anything that much different. The additions that (general manager Doug Wilson) made, it just came together. I inherited a similar team in New Jersey when I went in there. First time they missed the playoffs for a long time the year before I got there."I think when you go into that situation, when you have really good people like there was in New Jersey when I went in there, like I was with this group, they're pissed off, they're embarrassed by the year they just had, and they're willing to do and buy into whatever you're selling to get it fixed again. I think I was the benefactor of that."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This one's going to hurt a long while in St. Louis.The Blues' season ended Wednesday night after the San Jose Sharks eliminated the Western Conference finalists in six games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, and tears were shed."I see the devastation in our locker room right now," head coach Ken Hitchcock said in his postgame presser. "Guys aren't even able to speak. I'm more worried about our guys right now, to be honest with you. We got some guys that are pretty shook up right now, so ..."They need their space with each other. They've bonded together better than any team I've coached in 10 years."Hitchcock said a postmortem won't take place for a couple of days, once the shock wears off."We'll talk at an appropriate time. But right now they need to be with each other," the coach said.

It only took a few thousand games.After 18 seasons, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are headed to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their careers.The San Jose Sharks clinched their first appearance in the final in their history Wednesday night, ending two long droughts for the Canadian veterans. Marleau played 1,411 regular-season games before reaching the final, while Thornton played 1,367."I can't imagine the crap that's been written about them," head coach Peter DeBoer said after his team's big win, according to Yahoo Sports' Josh Cooper.

A win for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs, courtesy of the San Jose Sharks.With the Sharks advancing to the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, a conditional 2018 fourth-round draft pick San Jose traded to Toronto for James Reimer becomes a 2018 third-round pick.

Joe Thornton and his beard are going to the Stanley Cup Final. Say it out loud.And "Jumbo Joe" couldn't care less which team comes out of the Eastern Conference."I'll play 'em both, if they want to dress 40 guys," Thornton said.The Stanley Cup Final begins Monday, in Pittsburgh if the Penguins win, and in San Jose if the Tampa Bay Lightning win.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - After 25 years, the San Jose Sharks will finally play for the Stanley Cup.Captain Joe Pavelski scored an early goal, Joel Ward added two of his own and the Sharks advanced to their first Stanley Cup final in franchise history by beating the St. Louis Blues 5-2 on Wednesday night in Game 6 of the Western Conference final.Joonas Donskoi also scored, Logan Couture had an empty-netter and Martin Jones made 24 saves as a Sharks team notorious for postseason letdowns will now play for the championship that has eluded stars such as Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau for so many years.Thornton assisted on Pavelski's goal less than four minutes into the game to set the tone and Marleau had two assists in the third period that set off chants of ''We Want The Cup! We Want The Cup!''Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final will be Monday night. The Sharks will either host Tampa Bay or visit Pittsburgh, depending on which team wins Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday night.With the loss, the Blues' postseason woes continue as the franchise still seeks its first championship and first trip to the Cup final since 1970. Coach Ken Hitchcock's second goalie change of the series did not work as Brian Elliott allowed four goals on 26 shots in his return to the net.Vladimir Tarasenko, a 40-goal scorer in the regular season, got his first points of the series when he scored twice in the third period but it was too late for the Blues, who still trailed 4-2.Despite making the playoffs 16 times in 18 seasons and winning the second most games in the NHL since the start of the 2003-04 season, the Sharks have been known for their soul-crushing playoff disappointments.They won just three games in three previous trips to the conference final, were knocked out twice in four seasons by an eighth seed and most notably blew a 3-0 series lead to lose in the first round to Los Angeles in 2014.The impact of that loss lasted for an entire year as San Jose missed the playoffs entirely last season. But led by first-year coach Peter DeBoer and bolstered by some key acquisitions by general manager Doug Wilson, the Sharks recovered this year and are now only four wins away from a championship.This was the first time in San Jose's history that the team played with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. The atmosphere in the Shark Tank reflected the high stakes with the fans at a frenzy during pregame introductions and the ''Let's Go Sharks!'' chants starting soon after the puck dropped.The Sharks fed off that energy and were buzzing early as Hitchcock predicted before the game. St. Louis nearly silenced the crowd when Alexander Steen got a chance in the slot early in the period but Jones robbed him with a glove save.That led to a breakaway for Thornton, who missed the net on his chance. But Pavelski recovered the puck behind the net and before Elliott knew what was happening, Pavelski tucked the puck in on a wraparound for his NHL-leading 13th goal of the playoffs.San Jose added to the lead early in the second when Ward tipped a point shot from Brent Burns past Elliott to make it 2-0.The Sharks had a chance to add to it when Scottie Upshall was called for a four-minute high-sticking penalty. But the Blues managed to kill San Jose's potent power play and started to take over the play after that. They couldn't get a goal the rest of the period, however, as San Jose kept them mostly to the outside and Jones made a great pad save against Jori Lehtera.Ward's second goal and another by Donskoi in the third period removed any drama and allowed the fans to celebrate.NOTES: Marleau played his 165th career playoff game, the most ever for someone who never played in the finals. Thornton is next on the list with 150 games, followed by Curtis Joseph with 133. ... The only franchise that has played longer than San Jose without going to a Cup final is Arizona, which began NHL play as the Winnipeg Jets in 1979-80.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers could be in for a major offseason overhaul.The club is prepared to listen to offers for everyone except Henrik Lundqvist, defensive prospect Brady Skjei, and 21-year-old forward Pavel Buchnevich, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports.The list of available players includes Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh, as well as forwards Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard, Chris Kreider, and Kevin Hayes, and keeping in mind the expected return, Brooks writes that "nothing is off the table."Dan Girardi might not be on the untouchable list, but he's unlikely to be moved.The Rangers reportedly don't plan to buy out the four years and $22 million left on the veteran defenseman's deal. Management hasn't asked him to waive his no-movement clause, and no request from the team is expected.Girardi played through a cracked kneecap that never truly healed after he suffered it in December, and his play reflected that.The 32-year-old recorded only 17 points and had the third-worst Corsi For percentage (41.70 at 5-on-5, according to Corsica Hockey) among Rangers skaters in 2015-16.General Fanager estimates the Rangers will have less than $200,000 in cap space at season's end.New York had the third-oldest team by average age last season, according to NHL Numbers. The Rangers were eliminated in five games by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill takes in the Western Conference Final, he feels his team should be there - and he thinks their postseason would have turned out differently with a healthy Tyler Seguin in the lineup."I think it definitely would. Tyler Seguin is an elite player, he is close to a point-a-game guy," Nill said Wednesday on Sirius XM'S "The Power Play," according to NHL.com's Mark Stepneski, while addressing whether the star forward's presence could have changed the Stars' playoff result."I am watching the San Jose-St. Louis series right now and you see what Joe Pavelski has done on their power play. Our power play against St. Louis struggled and if Tyler Seguin got one or two goals at the right time that might have made the difference."The 24-year-old was limited to just one game during the postseason after suffering a calf injury in the opening round against the Minnesota Wild.The Stars came within a win of advancing to the Western Conference Final without Seguin, but were crushed by the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the second round."That's easy to sit there now and say that, but when you lose an elite player, it is tough," said Nill. "In saying that, we still went to Game 7 of the second round, so it was a pretty good run."Seguin collected his third straight 30-goal campaign this season, finishing with 73 points in 72 games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One Jared McCann, three birds.Florida Panthers general manager Tom Rowe spoke to the media after trading defenseman Erik Gudbranson and a fifth-round draft pick to the Vancouver Canucks for Jared McCann and second- and fourth-round picks. He said that while it was a tough decision, the emergence of Mike Matheson on the blue line and the options McCann gives the club made it a deal he had to pull the trigger on.

Willie Mitchell's feelings about Wednesday night's trade can be summed up with an emoji and a three-letter acronym.The Florida Panthers captain was likely reacting to the fact that teammate Erik Gudbranson was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks for Jared McCann.Related: Canucks trade McCann to Panthers for GudbransonDespite Mitchell's frustration, he can be somewhat placated in knowing the Panthers landed one of the Canucks' top prospects as well as a second- and fourth-round pick in next month's draft. The only pick Florida surrendered was a fifth-rounder.Twenty-two-year-old Panthers defenseman Michael Matheson will likely get more playing time next season in Gudbranson's absence, whether Mitchell can bare to look or not.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Forget the Stanley Cup Playoffs - the Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers have swung a trade.The Canucks dealt forward Jared McCann, a second-round pick, and a fourth-round selection to the Panthers for defenseman Erik Gudbranson and a fifth-rounder, the clubs announced Wednesday night.All picks in the trade are for the 2016 draft.None of Gudbranson's salary will be retained in the deal, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston, who was first to report the trade. The defenseman has one more season left at a cap hit of $3.5 million before hitting restricted free agency.McCann recorded 18 points in his rookie season with the Canucks. The 19-year-old was Vancouver's 24th overall pick in 2014.He joins a Panthers squad loaded with young talent up front, including the likes of Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Nick Bjugstad.Gudbranson ranked fourth among Panthers skaters in average time on ice at 20:06 this season.He'll likely be a top-four blue-liner for the Canucks, but it comes at the cost of one of Vancouver's top prospects, in addition to two picks that are more valuable than the one they received.Canucks general manager Jim Benning's track record since last summer is less than inspiring.

The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore published a deep dive Wednesday about a group of more than 100 former NHLers suing the league over concussions while remaining loyal to the game of hockey. It's an interesting read with a few notable nuggets:

Jamie Benn's got one season left on his contract, but don't worry, Dallas Stars fans, that'll soon change.General manager Jim Nill was on SiriusXM NHL Network radio Wednesday and while acknowledging that contract negotiations with any player are always difficult, Benn's not going anywhere." ... We're going to get something done. He's the captain of our team," Nill said. "He's in the prime of his career. I know he wants to get it done before the season starts and so do we. We'll start working on that, and we're going to end up getting something done."Benn will turn 27 on July 18. He followed up his career-best Art Ross Trophy-winning 2014-15 season with the best season of his career in 2015-16. He scored a career-high 41 goals and finished with 89 points, trailing only Patrick Kane in league scoring.Set to earn $5.75 million in 2016-17, Benn is in line for a substantial raise on a long-term contract. And he's been remarkably durable. Benn's missed only one regular-season game over the past three seasons. He has 255 points in 245 games over that span, and 20 points in 19 career playoff games, all with Dallas.A fifth-round pick in 2007, Benn is one of the league's elite talents, and will soon be paid like it.- With H/T to Today's SlapshotCopyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins have made their wishlist heading into the offseason."We have areas that we want to address in the depth of our organization, likely in the forward position, either on the right wing or the center, or again, on the back end," general manager Don Sweeney said on a Wednesday conference call, according to NHL.com's Caryn Switaj.While the Bruins would like to improve on their fifth-ranked offense, they were also 20th in goals against, and Sweeney appears most focused on bringing in another puck-moving defenseman to help complement the club's current defensive core."I think we need to look for another transitional d-man," said Sweeney. "We've had talks with (impending restricted free agent) Torey (Krug) and we'll find, whatever term that ends up being, we'll find a contract for him."But we're looking for balance. We're also looking for players like Colin Miller to take the next step. We've got younger players that will hopefully push, and that's what you want."According to Sweeney, the Bruins could look to either free agency or the draft to acquire such a defenseman, but whatever the case, Sweeney maintains management will be "aggressive" in its pursuit."We're exploring a bunch of different things trade-wise," Sweeney said. "It's difficult in this league, but I think that we're in the position with two first-round picks to be either selecting really good players or to be in the marketplace."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pavel Datsyuk officially has options to consider.The Detroit Red Wings forward's agent, Dan Milstein, confirmed to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press and the NHL's official website that his client has received an offer to play for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.Milstein says no decision will be made until Datsyuk meets with the Red Wings in mid-June, as he's planned to do since heading to the World Championship in Russia to represent the host country.The agent dismissed a report of SKA St. Petersburg's interest last week, saying his client hadn't spoken to any other teams while at the tournament and didn't have another agreement in place.Now, Milstein admits there has been at least one offer outside Detroit, and there could be more coming."We expect offers from others, as well," the agent said. "(But) Pavel will not do anything until he first sits down with (Red Wings general manager) Ken Holland."Datsyuk is about to take a vacation after helping Russia earn the bronze medal at the worlds. He won't return to the U.S. before June 15 at the earliest, according to the Free Press.The 37-year-old is under contract with the Red Wings for one more season at a cap hit of $7.5 million.Barring a trade of his rights to another NHL club, the final year of his deal would remain on Detroit's books even if he departs for the KHL, because he signed it after turning 35.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks are hoping Wednesday is the day the music dies.The club's graphic design team put together a creative yet confrontational rally towel for fans at SAP Center to wave during Game 6 against the St. Louis Blues.

After an incredible freshman season with Michigan, Kyle Connor may have lost out on the 2016 Hobey Baker Award for the top men's collegiate player to Harvard's Jimmy Vesey, but his first college season has earned him a different honor.The 19-year-old, who led college hockey with 35 goals and 71 points, was named the College Player of the Year by USA Hockey on Tuesday.Connor was recognized by the NCAA, being awarded the Tim Taylor award, given to the top freshman in Division I hockey.The Winnipeg Jets prospect recently represented the United States at the IIHF World Championship, recording a pair of assists in five games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock will change his lineup again for Game 6, as he announced that forward Scottie Upshall is healthy, and will be back Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks.Upshall has been sidelined since Game 2 of the Western Conference Final due to an upper-body injury. He has one goal and two assists in 16 postseason games.It's expected he'll take the place of Magnus Paajarvi, who has one assist in three games since Upshall was hurt, according to NHL.com's Lou Korac.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mitch Marner might not be allowed to play in the American Hockey League next year, but there's a chance - though perhaps a slim one - he dons a Toronto Marlies sweater in the very near future.Marlies general manager Kyle Dubas revealed Wednesday that the prized prospect would in fact be eligible to compete in the Calder Cup Final (should they make it that far), and that his inclusion would spur a "large-scale discussion" within the organization, Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun reports.Due to his age, Marner is not eligible to bolt from the major-junior ranks unless he makes the Maple Leafs this fall. But with his junior season wrapping up in a matter of days, the existing mandate between the CHL and NHL apparently allows for this brief and uncommon stint at the professional level.Marner has proven to be in an entirely different class this season with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights. He racked up 116 points in 57 regular-season games, 44 in 18 playoff games, and is currently averaging a ridiculous 4.33 points through three games at the Memorial Cup.The high-powered Marlies are down 2-0 in their conference-final series with the Hershey Bears, with the series now shifting to Toronto.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After being surprised by news from his wife that she was pregnant while attending a Tampa Bay Lightning game last year, Eric Franklin joked they should name the baby after the first Lightning player to score that night.On Tuesday, Laine Franklin gave birth to a baby girl and took her husband's advice, naming the infant "Nikita" - after star forward Nikita Kucherov opened the scoring at that game eight months prior.

After returning home from his gold-medal win at the IIHF World Championship in Russia, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly joined Hockey Central, where he shared that head coach Mike Babcock may have been more interested in a possible future player than one of his current stars:

Five games, zero points.Vladimir Tarasenko has been silent so far in the Western Conference Final, as his St. Louis Blues are down 3-2 to the San Jose Sharks. With his lack of production, all head coach Ken Hitchcock wants him to do is keep his game simple."What happens with goal scorers when they get frustrated is they look to hit home runs," Hitchcock said, per NBC's Pro Hockey Talk. "We need him just to act like a worker."The 24-year-old has been completely shut down by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and the Sharks' defense, recording just one shot on goal in each of his past two games.It's the second time during the playoffs that Tarasenko has been held to two shots or less over a two-game stretch - after it happened just once in the regular season.Hitchcock believes more scoring chances will come if Tarasenko plays closer to the puck."I think it's a natural tendency with younger players who have this heightened sense of urgency to do what they do well, which for him is score goals," Hitchcock said. "He's gotten too far away from the play. He's got himself too stretched out. We just need him to come back to the puck a little bit more."The Blues will likely need a big game out of Tarasenko on Wednesday to force a Game 7 back in St. Louis - and help the franchise reach their first Stanley Cup Final since 1970.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pavel Datsyuk is still scheduled to meet with the Detroit Red Wings in the coming weeks, but there's further evidence to suggest that the discussion will be centered around a clean break rather than a continued union.According to Russian reporter Slava Malamud, Gennady Timchenko, who heads the KHL board of directors, has made it known that Datsyuk will join Russian outfit SKA St. Petersburg.This is just another sign pointing to Datsyuk's NHL career being through, but the longtime Red Wing hasn't made anything official, ostensibly out of respect for the club he helped win two Stanley Cups.Detroit will be on the hook for his entire $7.5-million hit if he chooses to play out the twilight of his career elsewhere. That's unless the two parties can employ a third to stomach his contract through trade.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Many hockey fans north of the border - and of course east and west of the Hundredth Meridian - were rocked by the news Tuesday that Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie was diagnosed with a terminal form of brain cancer.The Hip are special in that they're so uniquely, unapologetically Canadian, and so sewn through the fabric of the country's pop culture that even those not necessarily impacted by the news have been affected by their music in some fashion.This is a group that's taught the history of Canada through song, after song, after song. And Downie has penned the lyrics that don't just hold up in the country's textbooks, but could serve as the curriculum.This, of course, includes a few lessons in hockey.Here are three times that Downie, the die-hard Boston Bruins fan and minor-hockey goalie from Kingston, Ontario, referenced the sport in his music.Fifty-Mission CapQuintessential Canadian storytelling, "Fifty-Mission Cap" is undisguised as a hockey anthem, touching on the story, and delving into the myth and mystery, of Toronto Maple Leafs legend Bill Barilko.

Through the first two rounds, it looked like the Pittsburgh Penguins were advancing through the postseason in spite of their best players' struggles. But in their first elimination game Tuesday, it was the stars who led the team to victory in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.Veterans Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang both scored while Evgeni Malkin recorded an assist - the first time all three found the scoresheet in the same game since their series-clinching Round 1 win over the New York Rangers.Crosby, the Penguins captain - after scoring his third game-winner of the Eastern Conference Final - deflected the attention onto his team when asked about the top players' production, in a post-game interview."Yeah, we know the circumstances. I think you go out there with the mindset of playing desperate, and I think it's pretty natural when you're in this situation. I think we have confidence in the whole group, no matter who it needs to be to step up."I think everyone played great tonight. Everyone contributes in their own way in a big game like this. You don't have to do anything special. You've just got to do your job. I think that got us this far going into tonight."After a strong first round, Crosby, Malkin, and Letang all went cold as Phil Kessel powered the offense in the second round against the Washington Capitals. Now, one game away from the Stanley Cup Finals, all four are contributing as the Penguins eye the franchise's fourth championship.Playoff productionPlayerRound 1 vs. NYRRound 2 vs. WSHRound 3 vs. TBLCrosby3G 5A0G 2A3G 2AMalkin2G 5A1G 1A1G 3ALetang1G 4A0G 3A1G 1AKessel3G 3A2G 4A4G 2AWith the red-hot Kessel also finding the back of the net in Game 6, the star winger realizes how important it is to have all of the Penguins' top players firing on all cylinders."We're trying our best out there," Kessel told reporters of the leadership group. "We're trying to get it done. Here tonight, we were able to get a couple in there and hopefully we can do it in Game 7."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike Sullivan believes keeping cool under pressure is simply a trait Matt Murray was born with."I just think that's part of his DNA ... He doesn't get rattled," the Pittsburgh Penguins head coach said after his goaltender stopped 29 of 31 shots in Tuesday night's Game 6 win.Murray was named the Game 6 starter earlier Tuesday after Sullivan opted to start Marc-Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh's Game 5 loss."My job isn't to worry about (who starts)," Murray said postgame. "My job is to be ready if my name is called, then play my heart out and compete."His teammates had nothing but praise for him after his strong play forced Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Final."He doesn't look like a young kid who is feeling the pressure," Penguins forward Chris Kunitz said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "If he was we probably wouldn't be playing this many games."Patric Hornqvist agrees, saying, "He's (22) years old but he plays like he's 30. Can't say enough about him."The Penguins have leaned on Murray for most of their playoff run this spring, and for the most part, he's delivered.The rookie is 10-4 with 2.30 GAA and .924 save percentage in the postseason.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins forced a winner-take-all Game 7 with a crushing 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.The Lightning failed to take advantage of a 3-2 series lead and Game 6 on home ice, and now head coach Jon Cooper knows his team needs to respond."They volleyed the ball into our court, now it's time for us to smash it back," Cooper said, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.The Lightning were outscored 3-0 in the first 40 minutes, a hill too high for them to climb, as the team fell short of a comeback after bringing the game within one at 3-2."They played better than us for two periods. That's it," said Cooper. "We have to play better than them, that's the bottom line."The Lightning will now play in their second Eastern Conference Final Game 7 in as many years, something Cooper knows will be in the minds of his players."What I can take from last year is we went to Game 7 and we won Game 7," Cooper said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I bet we'll be thinking about that."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.