In desperate need of a spark, the St. Louis Blues are turning to Jake Allen in Game 4 versus the San Jose Sharks, head coach Ken Hitchcock announced Friday.The decision comes in the wake of two consecutive losses, in which St. Louis was outscored 7-0.Surely the Blues' struggles can't be pinned on Brian Elliott, as their offensive unit has gone missing through three games, but Hitchcock is hoping his team can build momentum off of the switch.In 17 starts this postseason, Elliott has posted a 9-8 record with a 2.34 goals against average, and a strong .925 save percentage. Allen's made two appearances in relief, but has only faced nine shots.However, Allen started 44 regular season games to Elliott's 38, and compiled a record of 26-15-3, stopping pucks at a 92 percent clip with a goals against average of 2.35.Allen has started six postseason games in his career, going 2-4.Now that the decision has been made, it's up to the team in front of Allen to even the series Saturday night. Scoring a goal might help.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt Murray is about to have as much playoff as regular-season experience.With a start in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Pittsburgh Penguins rookie goalie will have an equal number of games played in both formats, with impressive numbers to boot.GamesRecordSave %GAAShutoutsRegular Season139-2-1.9302.001Playoffs129-3-0.9282.131The 2012 third-round pick was thrust into the fire in light of an injury to longtime No.1 option Marc-Andre Fleury, and has more than held his own.He's played so well, in fact, that general manager Jim Rutherford was forced to address Fleury's long-term standing with the club, and it's expected Murray will certainly add to his regular-season resume in 2016-17.For now, he'll keep building the postseason legend, with another round quite possibly on tap.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

By his own admission, Nikita Kucherov needs to be better.Already without Steven Stamkos, the Tampa Bay Lightning simply can't survive if the offensively gifted Russian forward doesn't find his game, and soon.Kucherov, who led the playoffs in goals through two rounds, has been held without one in the Eastern Conference final, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are also doing a fine job of limiting his shots.RoundOpponentGamesGoalsAssistsShots/Game1Red Wings55332Islanders5404.43Penguins3022

An underwhelming return for one of the most consistent scorers in the post-lockout era was further curtailed when the Pittsburgh Penguins advanced into the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, slotting themselves into bottom-four position on the NHL draft board.But for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who based on last season's stat sheet so desperately needed to add, not subtract players of Phil Kessel's grade, the decision to extricate the offensive dynamo from their refurbishing structure shouldn't be one that's second-guessed.There are myriad reasons why the introverted sniper is the perfect fit for these Penguins, not the Maple Leafs.RoleKessel never failed in his function with Toronto. Five players scored more goals and only 15 racked up more points league-wide during his six seasons. He was paid to be an elite scorer and provided, in turn, apposite contributions.Of course he wasn't without limitations. At his core Kessel remains an instinctive, one-dimensional attacking force, and a player suited to provide intermittent shocks to the system and hone in on defensive lapses, not spearhead a complete, responsible, dogged team effort. To put it in baseball terms, he's a changeup. So when the Leafs catered their entire scheme around this incomparable $8-million entity - or relied exclusively on the off-speed pitch - well, the opposition wasn't fooled by the offering.Enter the Penguins, who have an enduring identity focused around one of the game's great players in Sidney Crosby, a championship pillar, a proven entity, and a leader at a premium position that isn't quite as readily neutralized by the opposition's top defenders.But then, and even with Evgeni Malkin, team defenses are too good for opposing offenses to attack without multiple weapons in the arsenal. In Kessel, whose meshed wonderfully with two other new additions in Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin, Pittsburgh boasts a blazing-fast, exceedingly-dynamic unintentional auxiliary unit - a trio really unlike anything in the league - for second- and third-tier defenders to fail in their attempts to game plan for.And best of all, Kessel no longer has the face-of-the-franchise price tag; Toronto slashed that down by 15 percent.FitKessel's current situation was, and remains, an impossibility in Toronto.But let's say the Leafs had hung on, allowing Mike Babcock the opportunity to shape the polarizing winger. Would the 25 goals and 60 points he would have ostensibly accounted for have been worth jeopardizing the chance to draft the No. 1 center they hope can anchor a title winner?Besides that, the money, the previous acrimony, shortcuts remaining taboo, and the fact that all their top prospects are similarly offensive-minded, though, are reasons Kessel's career arc simply doesn't jibe with the Maple Leafs' timeline.Auston Matthews (or Patrik Laine) may incrementally speed up the process, but the fact of the matter is that the Leafs are still cleaning out the attic, not competing for a championship.If we're willing to give them a generous three-to-five-year window to compete, could they have counted on Kessel - who will have 10 years on his NHL body before the most cornerstone prospects burn an entry-level season - to still have the jump needed to gallop past Victor Hedman like he did in Game 3?For the rebuild to work, Toronto's prospects must grow together, not fill in behind and needlessly waste what remains in the tank of one of the game's premier scorers. And one who finally has a vehicle to put those distinctive talents to use.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pavel Datsyuk's agent says his client hasn't agreed to play for SKA St. Petersburg.Russian publication Sportfakt reported Friday that the 37-year-old Detroit Red Wings forward agreed to a two-year pre-agreement with the KHL club, which would likely be finalized after the ongoing World Championship.Dan Milstein, Datsyuk's representative, told Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News that the report is inaccurate, and Datsyuk hasn't spoken to any other teams or members of the media."I know for a fact that Pavel has not discussed a contract while playing for the national team in Russia," Milstein later told M-Live's Ansar Khan. "I spoke with him to confirm this again. For a fact we don't have a contract with anybody (else) right now."Milstein expects Datsyuk and the Red Wings to discuss his future in mid-June, after he returns from the tournament."He's coming back to the U.S. (in the) first or second week of June (between the 5th and 16th)," Milstein said. "We plan on meeting with (general manager) Ken Holland, not later than the 16th because Pavel will be in town for his camp from the 17th to the 21st."The veteran center said last month that he was considering a move back to Russia at season's end, but needed more time to make a decision.He has one year left on his NHL contract at a cap hit of $7.5 million, a figure the Red Wings would still be responsible for because that deal was signed after he turned 35.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks signed defenseman Jacob Larsson to a three-year, entry-level contract Friday.The Ducks selected the 19-year-old 27th overall in June's draft.Larsson played one playoff game for the AHL's San Diego Gulls earlier this month after spending most of the season with Frolunda in the Swedish league.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The IIHF is taking a cue from the NHL.The rules for overtime and shootouts will change as of 2017, the international governing body for hockey announced Friday.Preliminary round games will feature five minutes of 3-on-3 overtime if a game is tied after three periods, followed by a three-round shootout and tiebreakers if necessary.Medal round games - except for gold medal matches - will include 10 minutes of 4-on-4 overtime in the event that they are tied after 60 minutes, followed by a five-round shootout and tiebreaking rounds if necessary.Gold medal games that are tied after regulation will go to a 20-minute overtime period played at 5-on-5, with a five-round shootout (or more) if required.The changes were approved at the IIHF's annual congress.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The restructuring of the OHL's Flint Firebirds is essentially complete.The junior club hired Ryan Oulahen as its new head coach Friday, adding former Philadelphia Flyers forward Eric Wellwood as assistant coach.“Today’s announcement is a further piece in putting together a strong hockey operations staff for the Flint Firebirds,” OHL commissioner David Branch said in a statement.“Their combined knowledge and experience will help develop the Flint Firebird players both on and off the ice.”The organization was overhauled by the league after owner Rolf Nilsen was suspended and forbidden from conducting team business for five years last month.Nilsen fired his previous coaching staff twice last season, reportedly as part of a dispute over his son's ice time.Longtime junior coach and executive George Burnett was appointed general manager of the Firebirds earlier this week.Oulahen spent the last six years as the lead assistant coach of the OHL's North Bay (nee Brampton) Battalion. Wellwood was an assistant with the Oshawa Generals for the last two seasons, serving behind the bench for the 2015 Memorial Cup champions.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are ready for Game 4, as well as Phil Kessel's postgame interview.Two days after leaving the hockey world in stitches with a hilarious postgame interview in which he mistakenly assumed that NBC analyst Pierre McGuire suggested he had bad breath, Kessel's stall was decorated with a giant bottle of Listerine and an assortment of gum.

The Toronto Maple Leafs hit the ice on their centennial season this fall. With it, the franchise's Stanley Cup drought will stretch into its 49th season.But with a slew of young talent in the system and the No. 1 overall pick in their possession, it appears a proper road map is finally in place to bring Lord Stanley's Mug back to Toronto.These three pairings can help make that happen:William Nylander and Mitchell MarnerThe Leafs' last first-round pick to tally 60 points while still in Toronto: Wendel Clark, way back in 1993-94. The Leafs' last first-round pick to net 30 goals with the Buds: also Clark, in 1996-97. Since then, players drafted in the first round by Toronto have put together more 30-goal seasons for the St. Louis Blues (3) than the Leafs (0).Years of bad drafting, win-now trades, and poor grooming of top prospects left the team without much in the way of homegrown talent. An organizational commitment to re-stock cupboards that were once bare has filled the system with solid prospects. At the head of the class are Nylander and Marner, who will be tasked with being pillars of the team's developing core.Mike Babcock and Brendan ShanahanThere's a decidedly different feel around the club this offseason than there's been under past regimes. Shanahan has the ship pointed in the right direction, and it won't be long before that reflects in the on-ice product.Babcock's arrival has played a major role in the change in culture. The players' immediate buy-in to Babcock's system and philosophies offers great promise for a quick transition from a team that lost 53 of 82 games to one that ascends up the Atlantic Division standings.Auston Matthews and Steven StamkosDespite all the positive strides, there's still work to be done in assembling a championship roster in Toronto. A bevy of draft picks and cap space in the years ahead offer the tools needed to build a team Babcock can mold into a champion.The necessary injection of talent begins June 24 with the No. 1 overall selection in the entry draft. Matthews is the logical choice to stand at the head of Toronto's deep 2016 draft class. Supplementing that group with a prize free agent like Stamkos in the next year or two can help accelerate the rebuild.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Steven Stamkos' chances of suiting up in Friday's game have gone from slim to none.The Tampa Bay Lightning captain told reporters he won't play in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final against the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times."I think there's a big difference between playing through pain and playing with your life at risk," Stamkos said.He gave himself a five-percent chance of playing Friday when asked about his status at Thursday's practice, adding there's a "real possibility" he may not play again for the Lightning this season following vascular surgery to treat a blood clot condition that's kept him out for the last seven weeks.The 26-year-old center took part in Friday's optional skate and has been practicing with the team this week, but he hasn't played in a game since March 31."As I said since day one, I wouldn't be working if I didn't think there was a chance," Stamkos said. "There's just also a chance it may not."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For the first time in their 22-year history, the Florida Panthers are undertaking a full-fledged rebrand.The club will unveil their new look at a viewing party at the BB&T Center on June 2.Aaron Ekblad, Vincent Trocheck, Shawn Thornton, and Steven Kampfer will be on hand to model the new home and away uniforms, which are expected to feature this redesigned logo.(Courtesy: sportslogos.net)The new-look badge is expected to be stitched on a horizontal stripe across the sweater, almost mirroring the Montreal Canadiens' design scheme.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On The Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. With the conference finals in full swing, we look at one key storyline from each of the four remaining teams.How will Stamkos' health impact his summer?Ben Whyte: Steven Stamkos' NHL future has been in question all season long as he approaches free agency, but as his team pushes on while he recovers from a blood clot, that future becomes even more uncertain.The Lightning will likely do whatever they can to re-sign him, but general manager Steve Yzerman may be forced to weigh Stamkos' health against the team's cap situation with other young stars hitting free agency this summer (Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn) and next (Victor Hedman, Ben Bishop, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat).Teammate Andrei Vasilevskiy was able to return to action after a similar vascular surgery, but other NHLers - Tomas Vokoun and Pascal Dupuis - saw blood clots end their careers.A return during the East final would certainly quell any hesitancy by the Lightning - and other suitors - toward a long-term deal, but the risk/reward of signing Stamkos is sure to be the biggest question of the offseason.Haute CoutureCraig Hagerman: While Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns have been heralded for their incredible postseason contributions, the man atop the playoff scoring leaderboard deserves his due.

It's run on 150 minutes, or seven-plus periods in the West Final, since the St. Louis Blues scored. So naturally, their big-ticket scorer, Vladimir Tarasenko, has been fitted in position under the playoff microscope.And for good reason. Because while he maintains a share of the team lead in points and is tied for third in postseason goals, Tarasenko's lone goal-scoring contribution over the last six games - the weightiest stretch of his pro career - has been a puck deposited into an empty net in Game 7 versus the Dallas Stars.The 40-goal scorer was reduced to two shots in his 20 minutes in Thursday's Game 3 loss, extending a drought coach Ken Hitchcock attributed, in part, to a lack of experience."He's learning hard lessons, like any other player. Robby (Fabbri) is learning it, (Colton) Parayko is learning it. Vladi is learning some really hard lessons," Hitchcock said."The playoffs are for veteran players. The veteran players on both teams have this thing dialed up."Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, and Logan Couture - San Jose's leading per-game scorers in the regular year - have combined for 12 points on the eight goals scored in the series.The rub: These Sharks, the one's who share the same function as Tarasenko, have dealt with - and previously succumbed to - the plight facing St. Louis' sniper. And finally appear prepared to overcome it."Some guys never learn it. Some guys can't do it. Some guys learn that lesson and they really become accomplished players, especially scoring players. But (Tarasenko's) going to have to fight through everything if he expects to score a goal and contribute offensively," Hitchcock added."Unfortunately for all of us, you got to go through it."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calm, cool, collected, and confident.That encapsulates Joe Thornton these days, as evidenced not only by his play on the ice but also his demeanor in the San Jose Sharks locker room.Related: Thornton threads pass behind net to set up Hertl goalFollowing a Game 3 win over the St. Louis Blues in which he recorded two assists and has brought the Sharks to within two wins of their first Stanley Cup Final appearance, the 36-year-old was asked if he's surprised he's playing so well at this stage in his career.His response?"No. I know I'm a great player."Even Brent Burns had to get in on the conversation.

It wasn't very exciting, but he'll take it.San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones steered away 20 St. Louis Blues shots Thursday to pick up his second consecutive shutout, becoming the first netminder in franchise history to achieve the feat.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Martin Jones made 22 saves in his second straight shutout and Tomas Hertl scored twice to give the San Jose Sharks a series lead for the first time in four trips to the Western Conference final with a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues in Game 3 on Thursday night.Joonas Donskoi also scored to give the Sharks a 2-1 series advantage and move them as close as they have ever been to reaching their first Stanley Cup final. San Jose had won just three games in its first three trips to the conference final, part of a long history of playoff disappointment that is showing signs of coming to an end.St. Louis has gone 150:45 without scoring since Jori Lehtera's second-period goal in Game 1 led to a 2-1 victory.Game 4 is Saturday in San Jose, where the Sharks have won six straight playoff games.Brian Elliott allowed three goals on 14 shots before being pulled midway through the third.The Blues now find themselves trailing a series for just the second time this postseason. Overcoming this deficit may be tougher than coming back last round after losing the opener to Dallas.While the Stars were leaky on defense and rotated between two mostly ineffective goalies, the Sharks have done a stellar job defending in front of Jones, who has been sharp in his first postseason as a starter.After allowing the soft goal to Lehtera that led to the Game 1 loss, Jones has been perfect the past two games. He has stopped 58 straight shots and has posted the first back-to-back playoff shutouts in Sharks history.That kind of goaltending and another dominant performance from Joe Thornton's line was more than enough for San Jose. That line scored twice, with the first coming off a St. Louis turnover late in the first.Colton Parayko's breakout pass to Lehtera was broken up in the neutral zone by Brent Burns. Thornton quickly sent the loose puck ahead to Joe Pavelski, who found Hertl for a big slap shot that beat Elliott high to the glove side to make it 1-0 late in the period.Hertl scored again early in the third off a perfect pass from Thornton, ending Elliott's night.St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock juggled his lineup after watching his team get outplayed the first two games. Centers Alexander Steen and Lehtera switched lines and Magnus Paajarvi and Dmitrij Jaskin suited up on the fourth line in place of Steve Ott and Scottie Upshall. On defense, Robert Bortuzzo got the nod in place of Joel Edmundson and Parayko moved up to the second pair with Kevin Shattenkirk.The Blues looked faster early and had the better of the play at the start, holding the Sharks without a shot on goal for more than eight minutes. But St. Louis seemed to lose some steam after Hertl's first goal.Matters only got worse in the second period. Donskoi broke up a pass from Robby Fabbri midway through the second to start an odd-man rush. Logan Couture skated into the offensive zone on a 3-on-2 chance and fed the trailing Donskoi for the wrist shot from the slot that made it 2-0.NOTES: Jones has three shutouts in the past four games, also doing it in Game 7 in the second round against Nashville. That ties Evgeni Nabokov (2004) for the most shutouts in a single postseason for the Sharks. ... Paajarvi made his playoff debut after 276 regular-season games. ... Sharks D Paul Martin played his 100th career playoff game.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks are getting inside the heads of the St. Louis Blues.Forward Troy Brouwer proved as much as he was seen breaking a stick on the Blues' bench in the third period, clearly frustrated by the state of the game.The Sharks were up 3-0 at the time and hung on for the win. They now lead the series 2-1.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brian Elliott played the role of the wake up caller Thursday in San Jose.The St. Louis goaltender was pulled after the Sharks took a 3-0 lead early in the third period of Game 4, but goaltending isn't really the problem for the Blues.The goal that led to Elliott's early exit was scored by Tomas Hertl - his second of the night - and marked the seventh-straight from the Sharks in the series dating back to Game 2.The Blues, in fact, have not scored since 9:15 of the second period in Game 1, a span of almost 140 minutes.So while Jake Allen came in to finish this one, Elliott is expected to be back between the pipes in Game 4, and hopefully with a more inspired bunch in front of him.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks are doing some good off the ice while battling it out for the right to play for the Stanley Cup on the ice.The club has invited a family from Fort McMurray, Alberta to attend Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.What drew the Sharks to this particular family is that, although they lost lost their home to the devastating wildfire that recently tore through the community, they made a point to save their Sharks gear.

The Heartbreak Kid will be in the house when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Sunday.Former WWE wrestler Shawn Michaels recently became tied to the team thanks to the red-hot line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel, dubbed HBK for short. After he tuned in to Game 2 while trending on Twitter in Pittsburgh, the club invited Michaels to Game 5, an offer he could not refuse.In the video, a seemingly shirtless Michaels admits to being new to the game of hockey, and very appreciative of the love from the Penguins and their fans."I'm OK with being irrelevant, that's why I retired," Michaels said in the video. "But you guys have made 'HBK' so relevant right now and it's been a blast interacting with everybody over Twitter the last couple days."Time will tell whether the Penguins will have an opportunity to knock the Lightning out of the playoffs in Game 5 thanks to some sweet chin music.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Say cheese, Phil.When Phil Kessel was acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Toronto Maple Leafs the move appeared to be a perfect fit, giving Kessel the opportunity to finally step out from under the microscope that is the Toronto media.He has done just that and is now being rewarded for it."He doesn't necessarily want to be in front of the camera or really need that," Sidney Crosby told NHLcom's Dan Rosen.Kessel has been occupying the team's third line and has thrived, leading the team in scoring with 16 points, while sitting just three points back of the league lead.Former Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle mentored Kessel during his tenure in Toronto and insists the Penguins sniper prefers to do things his own way."The one thing that he doesn't want is he doesn't want management or coaches or the media to see the real Phil," Carlyle said. "He's very guarded in that respect. He wants to hang with his teammates. He's always in the middle of that. He just wants to be a teammate and to let other people decide who the guy is, and that's why he's very comfortable in the role he's cast in now."And as far as Kessel's teammates in Pittsbugh are concerned, he is nothing less than a player chock-full of talent."But you get in a race with him and you're going to get beat," said Kris Letang."He shoots the puck so effortless," goaltender Jeff Zatkoff said. "Everyone knows he has a hard shot, but he's coming down the wing and it looks like he's just flinging it on the net, but it just comes so heavy and so quick. If he hits a spot, it's tough to save. You don't have time to readjust."Jim Rutherford - who was named a finalist for General Manager of the Year on Wednesday - feels there is an unwarranted hate-on for Kessel."Lots of people don't like Phil Kessel for some reason," Rutherford said. "He was only the best player Toronto had for (six) years, year in and year out, and he got the blame for everything, which was very unfair."Love him or hate him, Kessel has been a dominate force for the Penguins during the postseason, having been held off the score sheet in just three of the team's 14 playoff games.The only problem now being that his furious play is bound to attract attention and cameras alike.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two goalies have started playoff games for the Pittsburgh Penguins this year, none of whom are named Marc-Andre Fleury.Jeff Zatkoff was called upon early when he was the only healthy goalie on the roster, but Matt Murray has since taken over the starting gig - perhaps for good.But general manager Jim Rutherford doesn't see the Penguins permanently moving on from Fleury anytime soon.When asked whether Fleury was done with the organization, Rutherford flat out responded, "absolutely not.""You can never have enough good goalies," Rutherford explained at a press conference Thursday. "The Penguins have three good ones now. I feel bad for Fleury. He’s such a great team guy and we’re fortunate that he is. He’s handled

Zack Kassian is ready to embrace the future in Edmonton.The 25-year-old, who signed a one-year contract worth a reported $1.5 million with the Oilers on Thursday, will enter next season knowing he's earned a spot on a roster less than a year after going through the NHL's substance abuse program."For them to give me another opportunity to show that I've changed my life around ... I'm beyond happy," Kassian said. "I'm just excited to come in and hit the ground running knowing that this is going to be the year that'll make me or break me."He's also eager to be part of a long-awaited measure of success in Edmonton.

Mark Scheifele and Mark Stone notched three points apiece and Cam Talbot stopped all 24 shots he faced as Canada cruised past Sweden 6-0 in their quarterfinal matchup at the World Championship on Thursday.Matt Dumba added a goal and an assist as Canada bounced back from a shutout loss to Finland in the final game of the preliminary round.Canada will meet the United States in the semifinals on Saturday. The U.S. upset the Czech Republic in a shootout in their quarterfinal Thursday.Russia will take on Finland in the other semifinal. Russia earned a 4-1 win over Germany and Finland thumped Denmark 5-1 in quarterfinal action.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Zack will be back.The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Zack Kassian to a one-year contract Thursday.He played 36 games for the Oilers this season after being acquired in a trade from the Montreal Canadiens for goaltender Ben Scrivens in December.Kassian was traded to the Canadiens by the Vancouver Canucks for Brandon Prust in July.The 25-year-old was admitted into the NHL's substance abuse program after being involved in a car accident over the summer. He was reinstated Dec. 15 and immediately waived by Montreal, which facilitated the deal to Edmonton.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Steven Stamkos was back on the ice with teammates Thursday after a couple days off, but the Tampa Bay Lightning captain couldn't say he was any closer to a return when asked whether he'd play in the postseason."I'm hoping to, but there's still a real possibility I may not play at all in the playoffs," Stamkos told reporters following practice.Head coach Jon Cooper said Stamkos is still in a "holding pattern" as he remains on blood thinners following vascular surgery to treat a blood clot in April.Though the 26-year-old wouldn't completely rule out the possibility of playing in Game 4, Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times notes Stamkos is "sounding more like he's realizing he may not play."When asked how soon a decision on whether he'll play will come, Stamkos deferred, citing a lack of information on his condition."The thing with this situation, there's no data out there to support whether coming back earlier than the initial prognosis is safe or not, if there's elevated risks or not," he said. "I mean, it's such a unique situation and obviously not a common thing, that there's really no clinical studies to suggest."So there's risk management. You have to just, like I said, do your best to gather as many opinions, gather as much information as possible so you're well educated on the risks if you do come back, realizing that it's not worth the risk. So we haven't reached that stage yet."Stamkos hasn't played since March 31.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ben Bishop's injury will likely keep him from starting Game 4 for the Tampa Bay Lightning.The goaltender is "in that doubtful range" for Friday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper told reporters Thursday.Cooper added that Bishop hasn't been ruled out for the contest entirely.The netminder practiced Thursday, but didn't occupy a net of his own and wasn't a full participant.

John Scott arrived on Twitter with a tease.

Auston Matthews continues to show why he's the near-consensus No. 1 pick for June's NHL draft with an incredible performance Thursday in the quarterfinals at the World Championship.Facing the Group A-winning Czech Republic team, the 18-year-old tied the game at one with a beautiful second-period goal, and he came up huge again in the shootout - beating goalie Dominik Furch five-hole to help the United States pick up the victoryKeith Kinkaid stopped Tomas Zohorna to clinch the win for the Americans after making 25 saves during the game. Zohorna scored the only Czech goal in regulation, ironically, on a penalty shot in the first period.Matthews, who now leads his team with eight points in eight games, awaits the winner between Canada and Sweden for Saturday's semifinal match.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A pair of Detroit Red Wings veterans will be unrestricted free agents this summer.Brad Richards and Kyle Quincey will not be re-signed before the start of free agency, general manager Ken Holland told reporters Thursday, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.Holland said he's informed the forward and the defenseman that he "definitely won't sign them before July 1, if at all."Richards collected 10 goals and 28 points in his first season with Detroit.The 36-year-old played for three different teams over the last three campaigns, winning the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 after claiming his first championship with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.Quincey was limited to 47 games due to injury in 2015-16. He posted 11 points while carrying a cap hit of $4.25 million.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrik Laine sees Auston Matthews and raises him one.Laine unleashed an absolute snipe to give Finland a 3-1 lead in its quarterfinal game against Denmark, shortly after Matthews scored an impressive goal to tie the United States' quarterfinal against the Czech Republic on Thursday.Matthews is thought to be the projected first overall pick in the upcoming draft, but Laine is stating his case to be the top selection. The Finnish forward leads all skaters in the tournament with seven goals and ranks third with 11 points in eight games.Laine may have had some extra motivation for Thursday's game.

Auston Matthews' audition to be selected first overall is going very well.The American forward took a pass from Boston Bruins center Frank Vatrano, went to the backhand and scored an impressive goal to tie Thursday's quarterfinal between the United States and the Czech Republic at the World Championship.Matthews leads the U.S. with four goals at the tournament and his seven assists are tied for the team lead with Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After spending time with three organizations in the past year, Zack Kassian appears to have found a home for next season.The Edmonton Oilers are closing in on a one-year contract with the forward, TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Thursday.Kassian recorded eight points in 36 games with the Oilers this season after being dealt Dec. 28 by the Montreal Canadiens, who acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks almost six months prior.The 25-year-old started the season suspended while in the NHL's substance abuse program, and was immediately waived by the Canadiens after being reinstated Dec. 15.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Though Jon Cooper might not be happy with the way his team played Wednesday night, he's not throwing his rookie goaltender under the bus.Tampa Bay's 21-year-old rookie netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy made 44 saves in the lopsided 4-2 loss, but the team in front of him couldn't put forth the same effort."It's extremely disappointing to give up 48 shots," Cooper said postgame. "You feel bad for the kid. He's keeping us in there. We're not bailing him out."Cooper, as usual, followed up with a joke about the situation.

The Tampa Bay Lightning feel they only have themselves to blame for being down two games to one after the Pittsburgh Penguins reclaimed home-ice advantage with a dominant 4-2 win Wednesday."Right now, we're feeding their game a lot more than they're feeding ours," defenseman Anton Stralman said postgame.Both clubs got off to an even, fast-paced start - it wasn't until the second period that Stralman feels things went off the rails."They really turned the tables in the second period," Stralman said, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "They spent basically the whole period in our zone."

TAMPA, Fla. - Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Chris Kunitz scored third-period goals, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night.Carl Hagelin snapped a scoreless tie late in the second period and Matt Murray had 26 saves for the Penguins, who took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.Game 4 is Friday night at Amalie Arena.Crosby's power-play goal restored a two-goal lead midway through the final period. Kunitz also beat goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy from the right circle to make it 4-1.Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat scored for the Lightning. They have lost two straight after winning the series opener in Pittsburgh. The defending Eastern Conference champions were outshot 48-28, including 38-16 over the last two periods.Vasilevskiy won Game 1 in relief of the injured Ben Bishop and the Penguins took Game 2 in Pittsburgh when Crosby scored the first overtime playoff goal of his career less than a minute into the extra period.The Lightning were outshot by a combined 76-41 in the first two games, but weren't as concerned with that disparity as much as by a lack of good scoring chances - a problem they hoped to rectify by coming out more aggressive to try to put more pressure on Murray on Wednesday night.And for a while, they did.Murray, though, had 12 saves in the opening period, but the Lightning couldn't keep up the pace. Pittsburgh controlled the puck for much of the second period, taking 21 shots to Tampa Bay's six and finally breaking through against the 21-year-old goaltender when Kessel chased down a loose puck before flicking a shot from the right circle.Vasilevskiy, who had stopped Kessel on a breakaway earlier in the period, blocked the shot directly toward Hagelin, who tipped it in at 19:50.Kessel's team-leading seventh goal this postseason gave the Penguins a short-lived two-goal lead. Johnson countered for Tampa Bay just 14 seconds later, taking a pass from Nikita Kucherov and barreling in on Murray, who was unable to stop a shot that bounced off his upper body before continuing into the net.NOTES: Bishop worked out in full gear before Wednesday's morning skate, and coach Jon Cooper said he's hopeful that the Vezina Trophy finalist can practice Thursday. He hasn't played since leaving Game 1 with a lower left leg injury. ''He's progressing,'' Cooper said. ''I think now we're teetering on whether he can be back or not, but there's obviously no guarantees in that. But he's been making gradual steps every day.'' ... The Penguins went 1-for-3 on the power play. Tampa Bay was 0 for 1. ... Crosby's goal was his fifth of the playoffs. The Penguins star scored for the second straight game after going eight in a row without a goal.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Don't believe the narrative that Phil Kessel's career has been rejuvenated in Pittsburgh. The truth is, his playoff performance with the Penguins is reflective of his career as a whole.Kessel recorded an assist and scored the following goal in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, improving his postseason point-per-game average to 1.03.

Call it a useless stat, or call it the mark of a true captain, but when Sidney Crosby scores, the Pittsburgh Penguins win.Crosby hammered his fifth tally of the postseason - the eventual game-winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning - on a lethal one-timer in Wednesday's 4-2 victory, and with that, the Penguins improved to 5-0 in the playoffs when he registers a goal.Pittsburgh is 5-4 in games in which he doesn't score.After notching the overtime winner in Game 2, Crosby now has goals in consecutive games for the second time this postseason.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrick Wiercioch could soon be the odd-man out of a crowded Ottawa Senators blue line.According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Senators are unlikely to offer the pending unrestricted free agent a qualifying deal.As they did at February's trade deadline, the Senators will try to trade Wiercioch to get something in return, Garrioch reports.Defensemen Erik Karlsson, Dion Phaneuf, Marc Methot, Mark Borowiecki, and Chris Wideman are under contract in Ottawa, and a cap hit of $2.7 million (what Wiercioch would be owed in a qualifying offer) isn't in new general manager Pierre Dorion's plans.Wiercioch, 25, was selected by the Senators 42nd overall in the 2008 draft. In 211 NHL games, he's recorded 12 goals and 50 assists.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)The Pittsburgh Penguins were rewarded with 10 seconds to spare.The visiting team recorded 21 shots in the second period and 31 shots through 40 minutes of Wednesday's Game 3, and almost had nothing to show for it.But at the 19:50 mark of the middle frame, Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin finally got the best of Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.Pittsburgh held a 53-28 advantage in terms of five-on-five shot attempts after 40 minutes, according to Hockey Stats.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan, the Dallas Stars' Jim Nill, and Jim Rutherford of the Pittsburgh Penguins are the finalists for the 2016 NHL General Manager of the Year Award, the league announced Wednesday.MacLellan helped his team set a franchise record with 56 wins while capturing the second Presidents' Trophy in franchise history. MacLellan's biggest acquisitions this season were T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams, who combined for 48 goals and 103 points during the regular season.Nill helped his club reach its highest point total in a season since 2005-06, amassing 109 - good enough for top spot in the Western Conference. Nill was responsible for acquiring Patrick Sharp, Johnny Oduya, and Antti Niemi ahead of this season.Rutherford is the only finalist whose team is still competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Not only did Rutherford change coaches this season - firing Mike Johnston and promoting Mike Sullivan - but he picked up depth additions Nick Bonino, Eric Fehr, and Matt Cullen, while also making a huge splash in the offseason by acquiring sniper Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to march while Evgeni Malkin remains quiet.Heading into Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, the superstar center is mired in the longest scoring drought of his career.

Brent Burns had himself a night Tuesday in St. Louis.In Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, the San Jose Sharks defenseman scored a pair of goals to help his team draw even in the third-round series with the Blues.Burns also set the franchise records for most goals and points by a defenseman in a single postseason, and put himself right in the conversation for the Conn Smythe Trophy, provided the Sharks make good on this long-awaited run of playoff success.Even for non-Sharks fans, Burns is emerging as one of the game's best and most popular players, as well as one of hockey's great characters.Here's the proof.The gameFor those who haven't been paying attention, Burns has not only established himself as one of the best defensemen in the NHL, he's also been outproducing most forwards since the beginning of the regular season.

The Minnesota Wild agreed to terms on a two-year entry-level contract with goaltender Adam Vay, the team announced Wednesday.Vay, 22, appeared in three games for the Hungarian team at the World Championship in Russia, including a 48-save performance in a 3-0 loss to the United States. He finished the tournament with a .911 save percentage.After two seasons in the Western States Hockey League, Vay spent last season with Hungarian club Debreceni HK, leading the league with a .927 save percentage.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.