Corey Perry became the 27th member of the Triple Gold Club on Sunday as Canada defended its title at the World Championship with a 2-0 win over Finland.It was the Canadian captain's third attempt at joining the exclusive club, which recognizes those who win the Stanley Cup, Olympic gold, and a World Championship in their playing careers.Perry won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, and has two Olympic gold medals from Vancouver and Sochi.

For the second year in a row, and 26th time in the history of the tournament, Canada has won gold at the World Championship, defeating Finland 2-0 Sunday in Moscow.Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid - who was named player of the game - scored 11 minutes into the first period, which ultimately held up to be the game-winner. Matt Duchene added an empty-netter in the final seconds.Canada suppressed Finland's dynamite attack, allowing only 16 shots, as McDavid's Oiler teammate Cam Talbot posted his fourth shutout of the tournament.The Canadians avenged their preliminary-round loss to the Finns, and handed them their first loss of the tournament.Canadian captain Corey Perry joined the illustrious Triple Gold club, having now earned a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal and a world championship.The loss for Finland prevented an unprecedented year on the international stage, as the Finns would have become the first country ever to win the Under-18, World Juniors, and World Championship.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues didn't wait long to name their starting goalie for Game 5, as head coach Ken Hitchcock announced Sunday that Jake Allen will remain in goal for the next installment of the Western Conference final on Monday.Allen stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced in his first playoff start of 2016 on Saturday- a 6-3 Blues victory, that leveled their series with the San Jose Sharks at two games apiece.The 25-year-old has manned the Blues' crease since replacing Brian Elliott during the third period of Game 3. After backstopping his team through the first two rounds, Elliott has just an .899 save percentage across his first three games of the conference final.Despite his slight dip in form, Hitchcock insists the goalie change has nothing to do with Elliott's performance."You need a good goalie and we had a really good goalie playing (Elliott), but we were relying on the good goalie all the time," Hitchcock said, per NHL.com's Lou Korac. "We weren't playing for Ells. We were relying on him, and there's a big difference."Hitchcock also said he would have an update on forwards David Backes and Robby Fabbri on Monday. Both players left Game 4 with injuries, but the Blues coach did say that both are expected to be fine for Game 5.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Russian national coach Oleg Znarok may have saved his job with a win in the bronze medal game at the World Championship, which in turn frees up Nail Yakupov's September schedule.After the win, Znarok called Yakupov's contentious exclusion from his roster "addition by subtraction," according to Russian reporter Slava Malamud.The damning evaluation of the Edmonton Oilers former No. 1 pick surely seals his potential inclusion in the NHL-branded World Cup slated for this fall, though he was most certainly considered a long shot to earn one of the final few roster spots anyway.Yakupov has helped Russia medal in major international competition on three occasions.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Long-time NHL enforcer Georges Laraque was involved in helping prevent a 7-year-old girl from being kidnapped in a Montreal park Saturday afternoon.According to CBC, a 24-year-old man approached and attempted to leave with the girl before witnesses and family members quickly noticed, and prevented the abduction."It was surreal," Laraque said. "The park was full of people everywhere."Laraque, who was taking part in a celebrity softball game, then ran over to the scene, joining a large group of vigilantes that helped detain the suspect until authorities arrived."I just wanted to make sure that if he got up that I was going to tackle him right away," Laraque said.The man is being questioned by police.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After a disappointing semifinal loss to Finland, Team Russia made sure they gave their home fans something to cheer about Sunday with a dominant performance against the United States, taking the bronze medal with a 7-2 win.Team captain Pavel Datsyuk led the way with three assists, while Chicago Blackhawks forward Artemi Panarin and KHL leading scorer Sergei Mozyakin also recorded three-point nights.Related: Watch: Datsyuk's precise dish highlights sweet Russian goalDespite his impressive performance, the 37-year-old Detroit Red Wings star told TSN's Darren Dreger he hasn't yet made a decision on his future in the NHL.Russia's incredible offense chased American starter Keith Kinkaid from the net after two periods of work, where he allowed five goals on 17 shots. He was replaced in goal by Mike Condon.Boston Bruins forward Frank Vatrano scored both goals for the United States, while Washington Capitals stars Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov were both, surprisingly, held off the scoresheet for Russia.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The IIHF Hall of Fame's class of 2016 was announced Sunday, and five former NHLers were among the six inducted on the day of the World Championship's medal round.In the Players category, four former NHLers were inducted - Russia's Sergei Fedorov and Valeri Kamensky, Slovakia's Peter Bondra, and Finland's Ville Peltonen. Meanwhile, former Team Canada coach Pat Quinn was inducted posthumously into the Builders category.Fedorov, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015, won three World Championships representing the Soviet Union and Russia, while Kamensky also won three World golds and an Olympic gold with the Soviets in 1990.Bondra represented Slovakia on seven different occasions in international competition, helping lead his country to their lone World Championship gold in 2002.Peltonen, who is an assistant coach for the Finnish team set to face Canada in the gold medal game Sunday, won a record 13 medals in international play for Finland.Finally, Quinn's storied coaching career included leading Canada to gold medals at the Olympics (2002), World Cup (2004), under-18 championship (2008), and the world juniors (2009).Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After 15 postseason games, Marc-Andre Fleury will finally get his first start.The veteran netminder was in the starter's net, and was the first goalie off the ice at the Pittsburgh Penguins' morning skate Sunday. Following the skate, head coach Mike Sullivan announced Fleury will start Game 5, meaning Matt Murray will remain benched after being pulled in Game 4.Fleury made his 2016 playoff debut Friday, after Murray allowed four unanswered goals on 30 shots. The 31-year-old has not started a game since suffering his second concussion of the season during a March 31 start against the Nashville Predators.In 99 career postseason games, Fleury has an underwhelming .906 save percentage, but that mark is .920 since 2014 - despite an 8-10 record.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Trevor Daley's season is over.The unheralded defenseman will miss the remainder of the playoffs after suffering a broken ankle in a collision with Ryan Callahan in Friday's Game 4, coach Mike Sullivan confirmed after the team's workout ahead of Game 5.Daley, the modest in-season acquisition who stepped into a major role for the Penguins, provided yeoman duty in these playoffs, logging the second-most minutes behind Kris Letang.His most significant contribution came in what was a critical Game 4 versus the Washington Capitals in Round 2, when he scored his only goal of the playoffs in his 29 minutes filling out a lead role while Letang served a one-game suspension.Daley will finish his tournament with the goal, plus five assists.Olli Maatta, a scratch in six of Pittsburgh's previous eight games, took reps with Letang on the first unit, indicating he'll draw in over Derrick Pouliot.Elsewhere, Beau Bennett received clearance to make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut, and is expected to take Conor Sheary's spot. Sullivan, however, said that aside from the decision to start Marc-Andre Fleury, his official lineup is not yet firm.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Outsourced from the NHL's asset mill long ago, Troy Brouwer has firsthand knowledge on what a long, abnormally productive postseason performance can do for one's biweekly pay stub.Instead of realizing his inflated worth alongside former teammates with the Chicago Blackhawks (or the Washington Capitals, for that matter), however, Brouwer's cashing in several seasons later with the Central Division rival St. Louis Blues.Brouwer scored his sixth and seventh goals this postseason in Saturday's critical Game 4, leading St. Louis to a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks to even the Western Conference final at two games apiece.His total through 18 games not only matches Vladimir Tarasenko and David Backes for the team lead, but it also equals the output from his previous 78 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.After the win, Brouwer opened up about the challenge he received from management when he was brought to St. Louis, and how it's helped him succeed this spring."I had a lot of expectations on me this year," Brouwer said, "with what (GM Doug Armstrong) has expected from me when he traded for me. Telling me that my season was going to be judged on how I handled myself, and how I played in the playoffs and down the stretch."When you have expectations like that on you, you want to perform your best."You can bet there will similar dialogue this summer when Brouwer decides on his playing future. Only his performance this spring will heighten the expectation, from wherever the source.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jake Allen didn't know if he'd get an opportunity. But he knew he'd be prepared if he did.The St. Louis Blues turned to Allen in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, all but a must-win situation on the road against the San Jose Sharks. And Allen delivered. He stopped 31 of 34 shots, and, despite all three Sharks goals being scored in the third period, was exceptional as San Jose pushed."I've been ready, practicing as hard as I can," Allen said after the victory. "I felt confident out there."Head coach Ken Hitchcock said Allen's numbers Saturday don't do him justice."He only let one goal in. Any time your goalie lets one goal in, that's a really good sign. He only really let one in."And Hitchcock said the goalie gave his team the boost it was looking for."Allen gave us exactly what we needed. He's a competitive son of a gun. We needed a battler in there. We needed somebody to really help us play better defense. We played with more passion in front of him in our own zone because I made the goalie change. I had to make that decision."I just felt like we were allowing them too much open space with (Brian Elliott) in there, and Ells was getting bombarded. We needed to just dig in a little bit deeper defensively if we were going to have a chance in this series."Hitchcock laughed when asked if Allen would start Game 5."You know, I didn't think that question was coming. I'll let you know tomorrow," he said.With the series heading back to St. Louis tied 2-2, Hitchcock is optimistic, after his team played its game Saturday, not San Jose's."When (key players) raise their emotional level, it's a good sign," he said. "They went to another level for us. This is a big step. We came here to win a hockey game and we did it. If we continue down this path, I like our chances to win.""We went back to our roots," said Troy Brouwer. "Collectively and individually, guys really brought a great game tonight.""We knew we had this in us," Allen concluded. "It's good to show it."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If history is any indication, the next teams to win in the conference finals will have a distinct edge.With the St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning both winning Game 4 against the San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins respectively, the Eastern and Western Conference championship rounds are deadlocked at two wins apiece.And when teams are tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven series, the winner of Game 5 has an all-time series record of 290-81, a success rate of 78.2 percent, according to Elias Sports.The Blues and Penguins will host the seemingly pivotal Game 5s, with at least two games remaining in each series.Time will tell if this high probability of success holds up this time around.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues forwards David Backes and Robby Fabbri are hurting.Both played fewer than 10 minutes Saturday in the Blues' 6-3 Game 4 win, but there's no word on what's ailing them. The good news? They should be fine for Game 5, according to head coach Ken Hitchcock, who said he'll have an update on the pair in the days ahead.Fabbri played only 9:21, while Backes saw only 5:34 of action, not taking a shift after the first period but remaining on the bench throughout the game with his team.

It's a best of three now.The St. Louis Blues tied up the Western Conference finals at 2-2 after a 6-3 win in Game 4 on Saturday, chasing San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones from the crease. Jones, though, is confident heading into Game 5, as he and his team have been exceptional after losses in the postseason."We've responded well any time we've needed to all season long," he said. "We'll be ready for the next one."Jones allowed four goals on 19 shots before being replaced by James Reimer. The Sharks woke up in the third period, outshooting the Blues 16-5 and scoring three times, but the game was over after 40 minutes, with the Sharks down 4-0.Head coach Peter DeBoer echoed his goaltender."We didn't execute tonight. We got burnt. Short memory and we'll move on to the next one. We've always responded in the right way."The Sharks are 3-1 following a loss this spring.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Troy Brouwer and Kyle Brodziak each scored twice, Jake Allen stopped 31 shots in his first start of the postseason and the St. Louis Blues bounced back from consecutive shutout losses to beat the San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Saturday to even the Western Conference final at two games apiece.Coach Ken Hitchcock hoped the change in goalie would spark his dormant offense and the move paid off as the Blues controlled the play from the start of Game 4.Brouwer and Jori Lehtera scored in the first period and the Blues rolled after getting dominated the previous two games when they were outscored 7-0. Alex Pietrangelo added an empty-netter to seal it.Now it will be up to San Jose to reverse the momentum in Game 5 on Monday night in St. Louis.Martin Jones, who became the first Sharks goalie ever with consecutive playoff shutouts, was pulled midway through the second period after allowing four goals on 19 shots. James Reimer allowed one goal on seven shots in his first action of the playoffs.Joe Pavelski set a San Jose franchise record with his 10th goal of the postseason. Chris Tierney and Melker Karlsson also scored in the third for the Sharks, but it wasn't enough as San Jose went 0 for 5 on the power play and allowed a short-handed goal.There was some cause for concern for St. Louis. Captain David Backes did not play in the final two periods and the Blues did not disclose what injury he had.St. Louis took control early in the second period after it seemed like San Jose had gained momentum from killing a two-man advantage and then drawing a penalty from the Blues.But the power play that looked so lethal for most of the playoffs was not clicking this game. The Sharks struggled to set up in the offensive zone and gave up a pair of two-on-one chances the other way. The second of those came after an errant pass from Joe Thornton and St. Louis capitalized when Brodziak took a pass from Jaden Schwartz and beat Jones to make it 3-0.Brodziak struck again a few minutes later off a pass from Dmitrij Jaskin and the Blues cruised to the win that has them the closest they have been to the Stanley Cup final since losing a seven-game conference final to Calgary in 1986.The Sharks played with a series lead in the conference final for the first time ever but now find themselves tied after four games, just as they were in their first trip in 2004 when they lost to Calgary in six.Along with giving Allen the start, Hitchcock put the struggling Robby Fabbri and Vladimir Tarasenko on the same line with Lehtera and put defenseman Joel Edmundson back in the lineup after benching him in Game 3.The changes paid dividends as the Blues got off to a fast start. They hemmed the Sharks in their own zone with a strong forecheck and took a 2-0 lead after one.Brouwer opened the scoring after Brent Burns was sent off for tripping, beating Jones with a one-timer off a feed from Fabbri to end St. Louis' scoreless drought after 156:59.The Blues added to the lead following a turnover by Paul Martin in his own zone. Jones robbed Fabbri with a spectacular stick save but Lehtera was right there to knock in the rebound for his second goal of the series.NOTES: Blues F Scottie Upshall sat for the second straight game with an undisclosed injury. ... Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice opened the Sharks dressing room door to lead them on the ice before the game.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Joe Pavelski's immaculate playoffs continued Saturday.The San Jose Sharks captain scored his 10th goal of the postseason in Game 4 against the St. Louis Blues, making franchise history in the process.

Welcome back to playoff hockey, James Reimer.After his team fell into a 4-0 hole to the St. Louis Blues in Game 4, San Jose Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer made the decision to pull Martin Jones in favor of Reimer, who hadn't appeared in the postseason in over three years.

Everyone in San Jose has playoff and Brent Burns fever.No, seriously, everyone.

Justin Abdelkader sees a little bit of Nyquist in... Nyquist.In an interview with the New York Times' Melissa Halpert, the Detroit Red Wings left-winger captured entertaining similarities between teammate Gustav Nyquist and the 2016 Preakness Stakes favorite."Obviously, he has a knack for scoring goals, and he's scored some big ones for us, so I think that he's a fun player to watch," Abdelkader said. "I think that can probably relate to Nyquist the horse. He's probably a fun horse for people to watch because he's really fast and can obviously finish strong."Nyquist, the Swedish ice-skating version, wasn't shy about throwing his support behind his four-legged namesake on Friday:

Cam Talbot made 30 saves and Ryan Ellis provided the go-ahead goal 94 seconds into the third period as defending-champion Canada advanced to the gold-medal final at the World Championship with a 4-3 victory over the United States.Brendan Gallagher, Brad Marchand, and Derick Brassard also scored for the Canadians, who will now rematch the only team that's beat them in the tournament so far in Sunday's final: undefeated Finland.Keith Kinkaid made 23 stops for the United States, while Auston Matthews, David Warsofsky, and Tyler Motte each scored, while Dylan Larkin racked up two assists across a seven-minute stretch early in the second period.With Russia waiting, the Americans now meet the host country in the bronze medal showdown for a second straight tournament. They beat the Czech Republic last year in Prague.Canada, meanwhile, presents the final hurdle for Finland in capturing all three major IIHF men's international tournaments this year.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has been stressing for weeks his team has multiple goaltenders capable of taking the franchise to the Stanley Cup.Might be time to find out if he's right.Rookie Matt Murray's precocious postseason play came to a sudden and abrupt halt in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Friday night. Sullivan pulled the 21-year-old after two periods in which the energized Tampa Bay Lightning forced Murray to dig the puck out of the net four times. In came well-rested Marc-Andre Fleury, playing for the first time in seven weeks, a sabbatical that began while he recovered from concussion sustained on March 31 and continued long after he was cleared thanks to Murray's steadying presence.Fleury stopped all seven shots he faced in the third as Pittsburgh put together a frantic rally before falling 4-3 as the Lightning evened the entertaining series at 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Sunday.Sullivan declined to name a starter on Saturday. The way he sees it, there really are no bad options. In Murray the Penguins have watched their goaltender of the future evolve into the goaltender of the present. In Fleury Pittsburgh has a goaltender whose name is already on the Cup and who handled Murray's rise with customary class.''Marc's been a big part of this team all year,,'' Sullivan said. ''He's really helped this team get to the position it's at with the way he's played all season. The timing of his injury down the stretch was unfortunate. It's not a perfect circumstance. But I think that's the nature of the business we're in. We just try to make the best decisions and make the most of the situation that we're in.''And as flat as Pittsburgh looked over much of the first 40 minutes on Friday to squander a chance to take firm control of things, the Penguins were just as dominant in the third while nearly pulling off a comeback that - if completed - would have delivered an emotional punch Tampa Bay would have found difficult to overcome.It's playing with that kind of urgency Pittsburgh will focus on heading home, not who will be in net.''We know the way we need to play at this point,'' forward Matt Cullen said. ''We know we didn't play that way the first half of the game and that's what cost us.''And not Murray's first real statistical stumble since taking over in Game 3 of the opening-round series against the New York Rangers. He gave up four goals on 30 shots, a couple of which he attributed to crazy bounces rather than poor positioning. He's not going to sweat Sullivan's call, knowing everything at this point is a game-by-game basis.''It's the same old thing every day,'' said Murray, who is 9-4 with a 2.33 goals against average during the playoffs. ''My job doesn't change. I just have to be ready when my name is called.''The Penguins may have to move forward without defenseman Trevor Daley, who sustained a lower-body injury after colliding with Tampa Bay's Ryan Callahan and had to be helped to the trainer's room. Sullivan offered no update Saturday, though it seems unlikely Daley would be available on Sunday, leaving Olli Maatta - benched earlier in the series - or Derrick Pouliot as the likely options to step in.Like Pittsburgh, the Lightning aren't too concerned whether Murray or Fleury lead the Penguins onto the ice. Like Pittsburgh, the Lightning are more focused on sticking to the style that allowed them to put together their two most dynamic periods since dispatching the New York Islanders in the second round.''I don't think it really changes anything because ultimately they (were) playing a guy that was on fire,'' coach Jon Cooper said. ''(Murray) has carried them to this point. I think whatever decision they make you still got to put the puck behind them. They're both really good National Hockey League goalies, so it doesn't change our mindset or outlook at all.''Tampa Bay beat Fleury twice during the regular season, scoring a combined nine goals against him and chasing him once, though Fleury made a couple of quality stops on Friday night, including a breakaway save early in the third that seemed to shift the momentum.''I felt a lot better at the end of it than at the beginning of the period,'' Fleury said. ''Being part of the game, being part of the speed was nice. I'd been practicing for a while. It's good to see the difference.''Speed that will likely amp up with a trip to the Cup finals two wins away for a pair of teams that have been among the league's most resilient clubs all year. The Penguins haven't dropped consecutive games since January and the Lightning put together a similar stretch that was snapped after dropping Game 2 and Game 3 of a series that in some ways is just getting started.''Our guys, they know the formula,'' Sullivan said. ''They know what works for us. When we go out, and we execute, we play with determination, we believe we can beat anybody.''Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canada's Mark Stone briefly exited Saturday's semifinal clash versus the United States at the World Championship after being bodied into the boards from behind by defender Connor Murphy.Stone dropped to his knees, clutching at his shoulder, when he emerged from the ensuing scrum. He headed straight to the room, but has since returned for the third period.The Ottawa Senators forward had four goals and 10 points through eight games entering Saturday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Chayka says a new contract for captain Shane Doan is inevitable."It's just a matter of going through that process to reach a deal, because Shane wants to be back," the new Arizona Coyotes general manager told Sarah McLellan of The Arizona Republic. "We want him to be back, and we're going to get something done. It's just a matter of time."Doan and his agent, Terry Bross, met with Chayka and head coach/executive Dave Tippett earlier this week, and the two sides are in the early stages of the negotiating process."We're going to continue to talk and work things out, I hope," Bross said.Doan is in the final season of a four-year, $21.2-million deal that carried a cap hit of $5.3 million. He'll be an unrestricted free agent if he's not signed by July 1.He told the NHL Network earlier this month that he decided to return after his initial meeting with Chayka, the 26-year-old analytics expert who was named the youngest GM in NHL history on May 5.Doan had one of his most productive seasons in 2015-16, scoring 28 goals in 72 games.The 39-year-old has spent his entire 20-year career in the Coyotes organization, which drafted him seventh overall in 1995 - as the Winnipeg Jets - before moving to the desert one year later.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrik Laine will forever cherish the moment he was pasted by Alex Ovechkin.The top-ranked European-born draft-eligible prospect was on the receiving end of a heavy collision with the superstar he's drawn comparisons to in Finland's 3-1 semifinal win over Russia at the World Championships Saturday.And he doesn't plan on tainting the moment."I think I won't ever wash this jersey," Laine said, remaining ever quotable, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug.

Sebastian Aho scored twice and Mikko Koskinen stopped 28 of 29 shots as Finland defeated Russia 3-1 in their semifinal at the World Hockey Championship in St. Petersburg on Saturday.Finland moves on to the gold medal game, in which they'll meet the winner of Saturday's other semifinal between Canada and the United States.All three Finnish goals came in the middle stanza. Jussi Jokinen notched the eventual game-winning goal and Aho fired home his second power-play goal of the period, seeing Finland score twice in a span of 2:25 to take a two-goal lead before the intermission.Finland returns to the gold medal game for the first time since 2014, when they lost to Russia. The Finns last won gold in 2011, when they defeated Sweden.

The San Jose Sharks officially plunged deeper into the Stanley Cup bracket than they ever had in the largely successful Todd McLellan era with their second conference final win in Game 3.Part of the reason? Swag.No, not the showy suits, beards, cars, or general laissez-faire attitude seen from some of the more important players on the roster, but a leader with aplomb."It may not be what people consider your typical Puff Daddy swag," Joel Ward said of coach Pete DeBoer, according to Paul Gackle of the San Jose Mercury News. "But he definitely has a good amount of swag."DeBoer's swag comes from poise and an unwavering confidence that has rubbed off on a team, and organization, reaching new heights in his first year at the helm."It flows through our lineup," defenseman Brenden Dillon said. "After the triple OT game in Nashville, that was a big point in the series where it could have gone either way. We were able to regroup and just kind of had that continuous, hey, we're OK, we're fine."And that's a marked change from what we've seen previously. Long considered little brothers to their California rivals, the Sharks seemed well on their way to completely bottoming out after missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years the season following their shattering first-round collapse at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings."If the leader of the group is confident, it's hard as players not to feel the same way," said Tommy Wingels.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ken Hitchcock's decision to start Jake Allen over Brian Elliott in Game 4 against the San Jose Sharks was puzzling, but not at all surprising.The St. Louis Blues head coach gave a predictable explanation for the switch that will take effect Saturday night."We're playing a team that's got a bead in their game and focus in their game that's been around for seven games now," Hitchcock told reporters Friday. "We've got to change momentum here. They've been dialing in with this game for seven games now."I think if we expect to trot out with just a little bit better effort and expect to see a change, I think that would be misleading. We're not going to change that. We're going to have to change momentum in a real positive way with probably a little bit more drama to it, and we're going to have to find people that can help us do that."Hitchcock used the word "momentum" nine times in Friday's media availability, and it's easy to understand why.The Blues need to do something, as they trail the Western Conference final series 2-1 after being shut out in back-to-back games. They were outscored 7-0 in those losses, and 8-2 in the series, but their problem is not between the pipes.St. Louis outshot San Jose in Games 2 and 3, but Sharks goalie Martin Jones stopped all 48 attempts he faced in the two contests combined. The Sharks and Blues were virtually even in shot attempts in all situations in Game 2, with St. Louis having more than San Jose at even-strength as well as in all situations in Game 3.The Blues' power play has gone ice-cold, failing to score in eight consecutive opportunities since David Backes' opening goal in Game 1.Vladimir Tarasenko was held without a point in all three contests after notching seven points in six games against the Dallas Stars, while Alex Steen has been held off the scoresheet in his last four and has only a single point in his last six games.Elliott has started all 17 games for the Blues in these playoffs, going 9-8 with a 2.34 GAA, a .925 save percentage, and one shutout.Allen ceded the starting job to Elliott when the veteran returned from injury late in the regular season, and Allen has made only two postseason appearances this spring, adding up to less than a full game in the crease.Changing the starting goalie is an all too familiar NHL coaching tactic, but the only goaltending problem the Blues currently have is figuring out how to solve Jones.(Analytics courtesy: HockeyStats.ca)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Inside the Pittsburgh Penguins room after Game 4, most would rue at least one decision, play, or moment after the club narrowly fell short in their crusade to erase a four-goal third-period deficit.Of course, this task wouldn't have been a challenge for Kris Letang.The premier defender, and arguably the Penguins' most important skater, briefly lost his mind in a scrum with Brian Boyle and others Friday after touching up on a delayed penalty by rimming a puck high along the glass near two Lightning forwards.A rough, and a cross check later, and the Penguins were in defense of a double-minor penalty they only successfully defended for three minutes."He's too important to our team, and that's what I told him," head coach Mike Sullivan said."We would like him to respond differently to that circumstance, and he will moving forward."Just seconds before Letang's blow-up, his importance illuminated further.Pittsburgh lost the player who logs the second-most ice behind Letang, Trevor Daley, when he was helped off the ice after suffering a potentially serious lower leg injury.As a result, and even after sitting for a three-minute stretch in the second, Letang racked up almost 32 minutes.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley exited Amalie Arena with the assistance of crutches Friday after suffering a potentially serious lower leg injury as the result of contact along the end boards from Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan.Head coach Mike Sullivan didn't offer an official update, but Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reports the "initial fears" inside the organization is that the top-four defenseman suffered a fracture ankle.Daley was significantly hobbled after the collision, unable to use his left leg as leverage to get back onto his skates.His loss presents a massive hit to the Penguins, who have relied on Daley for 23 minutes per game throughout the postseason. He's also chipped in with six points in the offensive end.Sullivan told reporters he will have an update Saturday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TAMPA, Fla. - Ryan Callahan provided an early spark, Andrei Vasilevskiy made two big saves in the closing minutes to avoid a total third-period collapse and the Tampa Bay Lightning held on for a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.Callahan tipped a shot past goalie Matt Murray just 17 seconds into the game. Andrej Sustr, Jonathan Drouin and Tyler Johnson also scored and the Lightning rebounded from being badly outplayed in the previous two games to even the series 2-2 heading back to Pittsburgh for Game 5 on Sunday.Vasilevskiy had a 4-0 lead entering the third period, but the Penguins didn't give up. Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin scored to give Pittsburgh hope, and Chris Kunitz's power-play goal trimmed the deficit to one with just under 7 minutes remaining.Related: Malkin outwaits Lightning for 1st goal in 9 gamesTampa Bay was outshot 16-7 over the final 20 minutes after dominating the first two periods.Marc-Andre Fleury replaced Murray in goal for the Penguins at the start of the third, and Kessel's team-leading eighth goal began the rally that just fell short.Related: Penguins start Fleury for 3rd period vs. LightningThe Lightning were outshot 89-49 in the previous two games, a disparity that coach Jon Cooper called ''unacceptable'' after the Penguins took a 2-1 series lead.But the experience of the highs of lows of last year's playoff run to the Stanley Cup final has served the defending conference champions well over the past month.While acknowledging there was a sense of urgency to play better, Cooper and his players insisted the team was not overly discouraged after being badly outplayed in Games 2 and 3 because they been down in series before and found ways to come back.Callahan's first goal since Game 3 of the Lightning's second-round win over the New York Islanders got them rolling. Sustr's second career playoff goal - first this postseason - made it 2-0 at 14:28 of the opening period.Drouin and Johnson scored in the second to build the lead to 4-0, with Drouin's goal coming with a minute left in a four-minute power play that Penguins were unable kill with defenseman Kris Letang in the penalty box for cross-checking and roughing.Related: Lightning's Drouin scores 3rd goal in 4 Conference Final gamesThe Penguins, relentless in Game 3 when they took 48 shots en route to a 4-2 victory, were unable to convert a couple of good scoring chances in the first period and had limited opportunities until finally cracking Vasilevskiy in the third.Kessel scored at 1:18 of the third period, beating Vasilevskiy from above the right circle. The goal was his team-leading eighth of the playoffs, with Nick Bonino and Brian Dumoulin picking up assists.Malkin scored at 11:13 and the Penguins drew closer when Kunitz added his goal with 6:52 remaining.Murray stopped 26 of 30 shots through two periods. Fleury finished with seven saves.Notes: Injured Lightning captain Steven Stamkos continues to practice, however there's still no definitive timetable for a possible return from surgery for a blood clot discovered near his right collarbone. ''I'm hoping to, but there's still a real possibility that I may not play at all in the playoffs. It's tough when you have two different parts of the spectrum,'' Stamkos said. ''It's either you're going to be able to play or it's just not safe to play. So we still haven't come to that decision yet. That's going to take a lot of information gathering and a lot of different opinions.'' ... Penguins RW Patric Hornqvist played after missing the closing minutes of Game 3, when he was shaken up blocking a shot. ... Both teams went 1 of 4 on power-play opportunities.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mitch Marner is off and running in Red Deer.The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect is wrapping up a successful season by playing with his London Knights at the Memorial Cup tournament featuring the top teams in junior hockey.Marner, who was named MVP of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs, starred in Friday's opener by recording two goals and three assists against the host Rebels, and did so in style.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)At last, Geno.Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin broke his nine-game goalless slump in the third period Friday night, showing great patience before beating Andrei Vasilevskiy with a high wrister.The goal was Malkin's first since Game 1 of the second round.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There was no love lost between Brian Boyle and Kris Letang in Game 4.With both players in the penalty box following a second-period skirmish, the Tampa Bay Lightning forward poked fun at attempts by the Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman to draw a penalty.Don't hurt your neck in the process, Boyle.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley left Game 4 after a collision with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan.

In a less than ideal situation, Marc-Andre Fleury is back between the pipes for the Pittsburgh Penguins.Trailing 4-0 to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4, Fleury got the nod from head coach Mike Sullivan to begin the final frame.Fleury hasn't seen game action since March 31st.Penguins starter Matt Murray was pulled after allowing four goals on 30 shots, as Tampa Bay heavily controlled the play through two periods.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)Jonathan Drouin continues to prove his worth to the Tampa Bay Lightning.With his team on a four-minute power play thanks to some bad behavior on the part of Pittsburgh's Kris Letang, the young forward recorded his third goal in four Eastern Conference Final games against the Penguins.The goal was Drouin's fourth of the postseason, and 12th point in 14 games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt Murray did not see this coming.In the dying seconds of the first period of Game 4, the Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender was bumped by teammate Brian Dumoulin behind the net.The defenseman's shoulder appeared to catch his netminder in the mask, which is significant considering Murray was not available to begin the postseason due to a suspected head injury.However, he was able to return for the start of the second period.Murray is appearing in his 13th playoff game, matching his career regular-season total.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

That's one way to make a statement.The Tampa Bay Lightning needed only 27 seconds to shake off the rust from Game 3, as forward Ryan Callahan deflected a point shot past Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray, providing an early lead.Callahan's opening mark was the second-fastest playoff goal in Lightning history.

The Tampa Bay Lightning were down a man to begin Game 4.Tyler Johnson appeared to take a puck to the face during warmup and skated off to the locker for medical attention.While he was listed in the official lineup, he wasn't on the bench at puck drop. He did emerge shortly thereafter, with some extra equipment protecting his face.The full cage didn't seem to suit him, so he decided to go with the full visor.Failing that, CBC's Glen Healy suggested something a little more out of this world.(Courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

That's one way to make a statement.The Tampa Bay Lightning needed only 27 seconds to shake off the rust from Game 3, as forward Ryan Callahan deflected a point shot past Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray, providing an early lead.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.