PITTSBURGH - The Tampa Bay Lightning's 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Friday night may have come at a heavy price.Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop left the ice on a stretcher in the first period after injuring his left leg. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 stops while filling in and the Lighting took advantage of some sloppy miscues by Pittsburgh's defense to take away home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series.

After Ben Bishop was stretchered off the ice with an apparent injury during the first period, Andrei Vasilevskiy took over in goal, but the Tampa Bay Lightning brought in an emergency backup in the second.Related: Ben Bishop leaves Game 1 on stretcher​Enter Kristers Gudlevskis, who is best known for his 55-save performance for Latvia in a 2-1 loss to Canada during the 2014 Winter Olympics, but was gaining more attention on Twitter during Game 1 for his hair.

No one was safe early in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.The latest victim was Tyler Johnson of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had to be helped off the ice following a knee-on-knee bump courtesy of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Chris Kunitz.The hit came after Kris Letang was boarded but able to return, and Ben Bishop was carted off the ice on a stretcher with an apparent lower-body injury.Johnson did not return for the beginning of the second period, but emerged from the locker room later in the period.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop left Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins on a stretcher with an apparent lower-body injury.Bishop was writhing in pain on the ice after falling in his crease with more than seven minutes remaining in the first period. He appeared to be grabbing his left knee.Andrei Vasilevskiy, 21, entered the game to replace Bishop. The only playoff start of his career came in Game 4 of last year's Stanley Cup Final, a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.In the first two rounds of the playoffs, Bishop compiled an 8-2 record with a .938 save percentage and 1.89 goals-against average. He recorded shutouts in both of the Lightning's series-clinching games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It did not take long for the Eastern Conference finals to get ugly.Less than five minutes into Game 1, Ryan Callahan of the Tampa Bay Lightning boarded Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.Callahan was assessed a major penalty for boarding, but was not ejected.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Brown will be back in the lineup for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.Brown hasn't played since suffering an upper-body injury during Game 2 of the first round against the Detroit Red Wings. He's expected to play on the fourth line with Vladislav Namestnikov.The 25-year-old recorded a career-high 22 points in 78 games during the regular season.Luke Witkowski - who played just 4:17 as the seventh defenseman in the Lightning's Game 5 win over the New York Islanders - is a healthy scratch.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Evgeny Medvedev has been charged with driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance, and use or possession of drug paraphernalia, reports Laura McCrystal of Philly.com.According to court documents, the 33-year-old is reported to have been driving with a blood alcohol content of over .16 percent, more than double the legal limit.Medvedev was also cited for driving without a license, disregarding traffic lanes, and not using headlights.The incident occurred in late April.He's expected to be in court for a preliminary hearing on June 15.

With the conference finals set to begin Friday, what better way to remember the NHL's second round than through a series of comics?Throughout the playoffs, @OffThePostComic has created and shared comics for each series, with every design available to be purchased on a T-shirt here.Thursday night's conclusion to the conference semifinals saw the San Jose Sharks eliminate the Nashville Predators, as displayed below.

After the Dallas Stars' second-round series ended in a 6-1 blowout loss to the St. Louis Blues on home ice, many are calling for a change to their inconsistent goaltending tandem of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi.One person who sees no reason to overreact, though, is head coach Lindy Ruff, who praised his two goaltenders when asked about them by Mike Heika of The Dallas Morning News."I think that I'm going to continue with what I said all along, we finished second overall, we had two goalies that won us 25 games," Ruff said. "We had two goalies that I think were the backbone of where we got to and I know that you'd want some back. Every time you lose a game you want something back and I think that's hard, but these two guys did a real good job for us."While both goaltenders finished the regular season with save percentages above .900, they struggled throughout the playoffs. Lehtonen finished with a mark of .899 beside his 6-3 record, while Niemi went 1-3 with an awful .865 save percentage.Despite their inconsistency, Ruff sees no need to choose one netminder over the other next year - with both Finns under contract for the next two seasons."No, I don't," Ruff said, when asked if there needs to be one starting goalie. "You can write any story you want, we used two guys the whole year. They were comfortable with it. It might have been the reason we got to where we got to. It's not the reason we lost."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)Hockey hasn't been played in Canadian NHL rinks for weeks, so the St. Louis Blues are making a pitch to become the remaining playoff team to garner support from the true north strong and free.The Blues make sure to point out the Canadians featured in the front office, behind the bench, and on the ice (present and past), and also appeal to Canadians' affinity for tall frosty beverages.Time will tell how a nation responds.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

These aren't the same old San Jose Sharks.So says first-year head coach Pete DeBoer, who's taken the perennially underachieving club to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2011."This isn't the same team that it's been in the past," DeBoer said after Thursday's Game 7 win over the Nashville Predators. "We've got a whole bunch of new bodies, a whole different cast of characters, a whole different identity in my mind, a whole different coaching staff."The core guys are still the same, but the core guys here are great. They have great habits, they've been well coached for a decade by the previous staff that was here. They're not the problem, it was filling in behind them. We've got those type of people here now, and I think the guys at the top feel that and are feeding off it."The Sharks are indeed led by a familiar cast of characters, namely Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, and Patrick Marleau up front, and Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic on the back end.Significant contributions, however, have been made by offseason and veteran additions like Joel Ward and Paul Martin, as well as youngsters such as Joonas Donskoi and Tomas Hertl.San Jose also appears to have full confidence in first-year starter Martin Jones, who was acquired by way of Boston for a first-round pick that will be no higher than 27th overall.The 26-year-old has put up solid numbers for the Sharks in the postseason, coming out on top of a matchup against his former team along the way.Having said all that, the Sharks must at least make it to the Stanley Cup Final in order to fully prove that this team isn't like all the ones that have come up short in the past.Up to this point, however, the Sharks seem to have their sharpest set of playoff teeth yet.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Andre Burakovsky is headed to Russia.The Washington Capitals winger will join Sweden at the World Hockey Championship, the Capitals announced Friday.The 21-year-old set career highs with 17 goals and 38 points in his second year in the league. Burakovsky last represented Sweden at the 2014 World Junior Hockey Championship, where he had seven points in seven games.Sweden sits third in the Group A standings through four games with a 2-1-0-1 record.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The decision for Darryl Sutter to return as the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings appears to have been an easy one.The team locked up its bench boss to a multi-year contract that will kick in during the 2016-17 season, a seemingly perfect fit."It was a clear and easy decision," Sutter said, according to NHL.com's Curtis Zupke. "I wasn’t interested in going elsewhere."

If oddsmakers are correct, the Pittsburgh Penguins will capture their first Stanley Cup since 2009.Bodog released their odds for the upcoming series and Stanley Cup Final, with the Penguins leading the way with a 9/5 chance they will hoist Lord Stanley when all is said and done.Team Odds to Win Stanley CupPenguins9/5Blues2/1Sharks4/1Lightning17/4It should be no surprise that with those odds the favored matchup heading into the finals is the Penguins and the St. Louis Blues with a 8/5 odds that will be the last remaining duo.As for the Conn Smythe, despite only managing two points against the Washington Capitals in the second round, Sidney Crosby leads all skaters.PlayerOdds to win Conn SmytheSidney Crosby9/2Vladimir Tarasenko7/1Brian Elliott7/1Ben Bishop17/2Logan Couture19/2Phil Kessel19/2Evgeni Malkin10/1Matt Murray11/1Joe Pavelski11/1Nikita Kucherov12/1Kevin Shattenkirk14/1Tyler Johnson16/1Martin Jones16/1David Backes20/1Brent Burns20/1Robby Fabbri20/1Kris Letang20/1Jonathan Drouin35/1Victor Hedman50/1Joe Thornton50/1Let the games and betting begin.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with forward Pavel Buchnevich on an entry-level contract, the team announced Friday.While the terms of the deal weren't disclosed, the 21-year-old is expected to arrive in North America in the summer to train ahead of next season, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Steven Stamkos is eyeing a return to the lineup during his team's Eastern Conference bout against the Pittsburgh Penguins.The Tampa Bay Lightning captain took the ice Friday for an optional skate - wearing a regular jersey, not a non-contact one - and told reporters he hopes to play in this series.The 26-year-old has been out since March 31 with a blood clot, and though he remains on blood thinners, he doesn't believe that will stop a possible return.

Even as a kid, P.K. Subban was stylish.The Montreal Canadiens defenseman turned 27 years old Friday, and celebrated the occasion by sharing an adorable baby photo with his Twitter followers.

The Los Angeles Kings and head coach Darryl Sutter agreed to terms on a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Friday.The news comes a day after Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times reported an agreement on a new deal.While terms of the contract were not disclosed, Dillman reports that Sutter's annual salary will exceed the $3 million per year due to Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd McLellan.Sutter has been at the Kings' helm since the 2011-12 season. In his tenure, he's coached the club to two Stanley Cups while amassing a regular-season record of 186-112-45 in 343 games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars held their exit interviews Friday and Tyler Seguin addressed the injury that kept him out of 11 of his club's 13 postseason contests.Seguin informed reporters that it was a calf injury suffered in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Minnesota Wild that sidelined him for the remainder of the playoffs.According to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News, the team was hopeful he would have returned had the Stars advanced to the Western Conference finals.It was also announced that forward Patrick Sharp - who managed four goals and two assists in the postseason - played through a separated shoulder. Meanwhile, forward Antoine Roussel had an abdomen strain.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks bested the Nashville Predators in Game 7 in front of their Sharks faithful Thursday night.The win propels the club to its first Western Conference finals since 2011 and helped match a rare feat: becoming just the fourth team in the last 20 years to win all four home games in a seven-game series.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning will face off in postseason play for just the second time beginning Friday.The teams will do battle in their fourth conference final since the 2004 season, while each will also be looking to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in that span.The Lightning and Penguins have played the fewest amount of games of teams heading into the third round and have just five losses combined. Through two rounds, both matchup with near identical stats in almost every category, but the Penguins enter the series with an edge.Here is why the Penguins will defeat the Lightning in the conference final and advance to play the best in the West:Penguins have taken the tougher roadWhile the Lightning and Penguins each made quick work of their two previous opponents, it's quite clear the Penguins were dealt the tougher hand.The Lightning got by the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders, neither of whom stack up to the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals.The Penguins' opposition had a combined 28 more points in the regular season than that of the Lightning's, not to mention the Penguins were able to knock off Alex Ovechkin and the Presidents' Trophy winning-Capitals.TeamRegular Season PointsGoals forGoals against 20-goal scorersRed Wings932.552.672Islanders1002.772.574Rangers1012.842.625Capitals1203.022.336The Lightning cruised through the first two rounds and will now face a team the likes of which they have not seen this postseason.Sleeping giants bound to wake upThe Penguins got by the regular season's best club with next to no contributions from their top-2 players.Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin combined for one goal and four points in six games.While the duo struggled in the second round, it should not be forgotten that the two were lights out against the Rangers in Round 1. During the five-game series, Crosby and Malkin pounded the Rangers with five goals and 15 points.Crosby and Malkin have both been point-per-game players in their playoff careers and while they were both quiet in Round 2, silencing them for another four games - at least - appears unlikely.X-factor: Hagelin, Kessel, BoninoThe trio of Carl Hagelin, Phil Kessel, and Nick Bonino currently occupies the club's second line, but best believe they are contributing at a first-line rate.The threesome was without question the difference in the Penguins ousting the Capitals. The three led the team in scoring in the series with seven, six, and five points, respectively and combined for two of the four game-winning goals in Round 2.Through the postseason, the three have combined for just shy of a three point-per-game average, meanwhile Kessel leads the team in scoring with 12 points.If this trio can continue to roll and Crosby and Malkin start getting in on the scoring, the Penguins will surely be too much of an offensive juggernaut for the Lightning to handle.ScheduleGameDateTime (ET)LocationNetworks1Fri. May 138 p.m.PittsburghNBCSN/ CBC/ TVA Sports2Mon. May 168 p.m.PittsburghNBCSN/ CBC/ TVA Sports3Wed. May 188 p.m.Tampa BayNBCSN/CBC/ TVA Sports4Fri. May 208 p.m.Tampa BayNBCSN/ CBC/ TVA Sports*5Sun. May 228 p.m.PittsburghNBCSN/ CBC/ TVA Sports*6Tues. May 248 p.m.Tampa BayNBCSN/ CBC/ TVA Sports*7Thurs. May 268 p.m.PittsburghNBCSN/ CBC/ TVA Sports* If necessaryCopyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For Pekka Rinne, Thursday's Game 7 loss at the hands of the San Jose Sharks left heavy thoughts of what could have been.The 33-year-old saw his Nashville Predators reach the second round for the first time since 2011-12, but for Rinne it wasn't far enough."You see yourself getting older and you realize how important these chances are," Rinne said, according to NHL.com's Thomas Willis. "This felt like our year."Rinne now improves to 1-1 in career Game 7s.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If one thing remained relatively constant throughout their seven-game series against the San Jose Sharks, it's that the Nashville Predators simply could not stop Logan Couture.The 27-year-old was only held off the score sheet in Game 2, and he capped off an incredible second round with a goal and two assists in Game 7 on Thursday. He finished the series with 11 points - eclipsing the franchise record of 10 set by Hall of Famer Igor Larionov in 1994.With six goals and five assists against the Predators, Couture now leads the NHL with 17 points in the postseason, and his presence in the Sharks' lineup has been a catalyst for the team's success all season long.After fracturing his fibula in October, San Jose won just 13 of their next 28 games. But the Sharks had the ninth overall pick from 2007 in the lineup, the team posted a dominant 33-14-5 record.With an 8-4 record in these playoffs, the Sharks will now head to St. Louis to begin the Western Conference Finals against the Blues. The matchup should be welcome news to Couture - who recorded three points and a plus-4 rating in three games against the Blues during the regular season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Captain Joe Pavelski got San Jose off to a fast start in Game 7 with his franchise record-tying ninth goal of the playoffs to send the Sharks to their first Western Conference final in five years with a 5-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.Joel Ward, Logan Couture, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau also scored as San Jose bounced back from a lackluster loss in Game 6 to thoroughly dominate the Predators to reach the conference final for the fourth time in franchise history.Related: Sharks' Ward picks Josi's pocket, dangles Rinne on breakawayMartin Jones made 20 saves for San Jose's first playoff shutout in six years. The home team won all seven games in this series.After blowing a 3-0 series lead to Los Angeles in 2014 in their most noteworthy in a long list of playoff collapses and missing the postseason entirely last year, the Sharks are now one round away from advancing to the Stanley Cup final for the first time in franchise history.San Jose will open the conference final on the road Sunday against the St. Louis Blues.The Predators' most successful season ended in bitter disappointment as they were unable to repeat their Game 7 road win in the first round against Anaheim to make the conference final for the first time.Defensive miscues by Nashville's two top defensemen, captain Shea Weber and Roman Josi, led to early San Jose goals as Pekka Rinne got little help from his teammates.The Predators had just eight shots on goal in the first two periods and Rinne left after allowing goals to Thornton and Marleau early in the third period. The frustration boiled over as he slammed his stick against the post and tossed it aside after Marleau's goal made it 5-0. Carter Hutton replaced Rinne in goal and made one save.Related: Rinne breaks stick, pulled after 5th Sharks goalNashville remains one of three franchises, along with Columbus and the current Winnipeg franchise, to never make it to a conference final.The Sharks got there in 2004, 2010 and 2011 - only to lose each time as a long run of regular-season success behind stars such as Thornton and Marleau has not yet led to the ultimate postseason goal.The 2014 collapse set the franchise back and led to Thornton losing his captaincy amid several other changes the past two years. But with only 10 players remaining from that disappointment and a new coach in Peter DeBoer, the Sharks believed this team was different and are showing that through two rounds of the playoffs.The Sharks came out fast from the drop and completely dominated the opening period, outshooting Nashville 17-3 to take a 2-0 lead.San Jose didn't even allow Nashville to get a single shot on goal for the first eight minutes. Then, after Mike Fisher's harmless backhand flip was stopped by Jones, the Sharks got their first chance on the power play when Game 6 overtime hero Viktor Arvidsson was called for delay of game.San Jose's potent top power-play unit made Nashville pay when Marleau set up Pavelski with a pass from behind the net for a one-timer to open the scoring. It was Pavelski's ninth goal this postseason, tying the franchise record he and Marleau already held.The Predators came close to scoring on one flurry in front of Jones' net but the Sharks ended up adding to the lead when Josi misplayed a puck at the blue line, sending Ward in on a breakaway that made it 2-0.The break between periods did little to slow the Sharks as they scored in the opening minute of the second period when Weber turned a puck over right to Couture in the defensive zone. Couture skated in and beat Rinne to make it 3-0 and the rout was on.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shea Weber is having a Game 7 to forget in San Jose.The Nashville Predators captain was on the ice for both first-period goals, including Joe Pavelski's power-play marker, during which he was lying on the ice in front of goaltender Pekka Rinne as the Sharks captain sniped the puck home.Weber was on the ice again for Joel Ward's breakaway goal nearly eight minutes later, and picked up an ill-advised interference penalty before the intermission.

There is blood in the water.The San Jose Sharks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in Game 7 thanks to Joel Ward's second of the postseason.The 35-year-old picked the pocket of Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi and beat goaltender Pekka Rinne with a nifty deke move.The goal was also Ward's third in a Game 7. Move aside Justin Williams, we have a new Mr. Game 7.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes' days in Glendale are numbered.The team's president and CEO Anthony Leblanc sent a detailed letter to Kevin Phelps - the City Manager of Glendale - where he addressed a letter sent by Phelps to Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher.In the two-page letter Leblanc detailed the struggle he has had with Glendale's city council and why because of their actions he plans to move the team as soon as possible."Simply put, the Arizona Coyotes have every intention of leaving Glendale as soon as practicable," said Leblanc. "By unilaterally breaking a 15-year-signed management agreement with the team - a contract the Coyotes would have honored for the length of its term - the Council effectively evicted us from our home. While you claim that the Council has had a change of heart, we have not. As a business responsible for hundreds of employees, and a team, that relies on the support of hundreds of thousands of fans statewide, we simply cannot afford to do business with the partners who do not keep their word, or honor their contracts."The city voted to terminate the original 15-year contract to keep the team in Glendale last June, but agreed to a compromised two-year agreement that will expire at the conclusion of next season.The Coyotes have made it clear that they are in the market for a new home, while last month the Mayor of Phoenix, Greg Stanton stated he would like a shared arena for both the Coyotes and the Phoenix Suns of the NBA.- With h/t to KTAR NewsCopyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez underwent surgery to correct shoulder discomfort, the team told LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen.Martinez didn't play in Games 2-5 of his team's first-round series loss to the San Jose Sharks after suffering a groin injury in Game 1. Rosen reports the 28-year-old had been dealing with shoulder discomfort for most of the season.His expected recovery time is around three months.Meanwhile, captain Dustin Brown underwent a "minor procedure" on his right wrist. The 31-year-old still has six years remaining on his current contract.Both players are expected to participate fully in training camp.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Few expected the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators to meet in the second round of the NHL playoffs, but the two teams will now square off in a deciding Game 7 after each team took care of business by winning all three of their home games.With the series heading back to California, here's three players who may control the fate of their clubs as they hope to reach the Western Conference Final.Shea WeberWhile the Predators captain has played solid at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville since the regular season began, Weber's play away from home has been significantly worse, and he'll need to snap out of that slump on Thursday.PostseasonGA+/-SOGHome22314Away12-712So far in the playoffs, Weber's minus-7 rating in away games is tied for the worst in the NHL. This issue extends back to the regular season, where the 30-year-old posted a dismal minus-16 rating on the road, compared to a plus-9 at home.One of three nominees announced last week for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award, Weber's leadership will desperately be needed in Game 7, as the veteran blue-liner hopes to add a Stanley Cup ring to a trophy case already featuring four gold medals from international play.Logan CoutureWhile Weber has struggled on the road, one opposing forward has excelled more than anyone else at SAP Center this series, and that is Couture.Though he's been terrific throughout the playoffs in leading Sharks forwards with 14 points in 11 games, his play has truly reached another level at home against the Predators, recording four goals and an assist across three victories.His presence in the lineup has been game-changing for San Jose this season, as his team boasted a 33-14-5 record when the 27-year-old played, but went 13-14-1 without him after he suffered a fractured fibula early in the season.While fellow stars Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, and Joe Thornton will all be expected to contribute as well, Couture may just be the X-factor that pushes San Jose to new heights this spring.Pekka RinneHe's tended the Predators' net in all three postseason-series victories in franchise history, and the three-time Vezina finalist needs to steal just one more game to reach the Conference Finals for the first time in his career.Rinne was certainly up to the task in Round 1, posting a masterful 36-save effort on the road against the Anaheim Ducks and leading the Predators to a 2-1 win in the first Game 7 of his career.After an unfortunate slip-up in the crease allowed Couture to give the Sharks a 3-2 third-period lead in Game 6 on Monday, the 33-year-old goalie was the most relieved to see the Predators tie things up less than three minutes later and eventually seal the game in overtime."I wanted to thank the guys when they scored that third goal," Rinne said, per The Tennessean. "The way the guys responded, it's unbelievable. I'm just happy to be here going into Game 7."The final game of the second round now provides Rinne another chance to reward his teammates with another series-stealing performance.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After saying he had no desire to go anywhere other than Los Angeles earlier Thursday, head coach Darryl Sutter reportedly agreed to terms on a new contract with the Kings, according to Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times.An official announcement is expected Friday, and Dillman also revealed Sutter could be in for a significant raise, reporting his annual salary would be higher than the $3 million per year earned by Edmonton Oilers coach Todd McLellan.Last year, the 57-year-old made a reported $2.25 million.Sutter joined the Kings midway through the 2011-12 season, where the team went on to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Since then, his team has made playoff appearances in three of the last four seasons, including a second Cup victory in 2014.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After backstopping the New York Islanders to their first second-round playoff appearance since 1993, goaltender Thomas Greiss will head to St. Petersburg to represent Germany at the World Championship.The 30-year-old will arrive in time to play in Friday's game against Belarus, head coach Marco Sturm told TSN's Ryan Rishaug. He reportedly could have played in Wednesday's game - a 5-2 loss to Canada - but was delayed by visa issues.Greiss last represented his country at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, where he allowed 12 goals across three losses.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One day after being eliminated from the playoffs, the Dallas Stars are already focused on the future, signing 2015 first-round pick Denis Gurianov to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.The 18-year-old forward was selected 12th overall at last year's draft, and recorded four goals and an assist in 47 games with Lada Togliatti of the KHL this season.Gurianov was a surprise cut from Russia's team at the 2016 World Junior Championship, after leading his country team in scoring at the under-18 tournament one year earlier.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If Mark Scheifele had his way, he'd remain with the Winnipeg Jets for the foreseeable future.A restricted free agent, Scheifele wants to return to the Jets but isn't focused on his contract. Instead he's enjoying playing for Canada at the World Championships."I don't even know what's going on with (the negotiations with the Jets)," Scheifele told Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. "That's not my job. My job is to play hockey and I'm over here to win a gold medal. My agent can take care of the rest. Obviously my goal is to be with Winnipeg for a long time. We'll see what all transpires this summer. But I'm going to be the same guy that I am."Scheifele is due for a raise after a breakout campaign that saw him notch 29 goals and 61 points. Still, the 23-year-old knows if he focuses on his game, the money will work itself out."I'm going to continue to work hard to become a better hockey player each and every day," he said. "To do my job each and every day. I'm going to be in the gym a lot, getting stronger, bigger, and faster. But I'm going to work on my game as well. It's another big summer for me."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Darryl Sutter plans to be back behind the bench in the City of Angels next year.While a deal has yet to be worked out, the Los Angeles Kings head coach told Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times on Thursday that his intentions are to return to the team."I’m under contract until July 1," Sutter said. "I have no desire to go anywhere else or do any of that. We’ll get it worked out. That’s my plan."General manager Dean Lombardi noted recently he offered Sutter a deal, but it has yet to be signed. Sutter added he wants to get a better feel of what the roster will look like next year before putting pen to paper."We have a lot of players that are free agents and a lot of young players that are close to playing here," Sutter said. "As coaches, you’re trying to get through where you could be next year with your roster. That was more important to me the last two or three weeks than any of my stuff."Sutter has become accustomed to winning in Los Angeles, but things haven't gone as smoothly in recent years. After winning a pair of Stanley Cups in a three-year stretch, the Kings missed the playoffs last year and bowed out in the first round this spring.An Alberta native, many feel Sutter would be a natural fit to fill the head coaching vacancy with the Calgary Flames if he ultimately doesn't get something worked out in Los Angeles. Sutter coached the Flames from 2002-2006, leading them to an appearance in the Stanley Cup final.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Comcast SportsNet anchor Michael Jenkins did what any diehard fan would do to cope with the Washington Capitals' season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night: drink the pain away.Only Jenkins did it on air, while teaching kids a very sad lesson."I know everyone says, 'Oh, you can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it.' It's all one big lie," he said. "Caps were supposed to win it all this season, they put their mind to it. Look what happened. Crushing disappointment. So, give up on your dreams."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Soccer skills aren't limited to the pitch for players representing Germany.Marcel Noebels set up Patrick Reimer for a goal with this amazing assist off his skate against Canada at the World Hockey Championship.The Germans are hanging tough versus the favored Canadians, with the score tied 2-2 after two periods.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Another spring, another disappointing early end to the postseason for the Washington Capitals.The Caps rolled to a Presidents' Trophy during the regular season, but once again failed to reach the conference finals during Alexander Ovechkin's tenure with the team after the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated them Tuesday. When some Washington players spoke to the media Thursday, defenseman and ex-Penguin Matt Niskanen articulated the pain the entire organization likely feels.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider and forward Patrik Elias both underwent surgeries this week, general manager Ray Shero announced Thursday.Schneider had a core muscle injury repaired Tuesday and is only expected to have a recovery time of six weeks.Elias' procedure, though, appears to be more concerning. The 40-year-old had surgery on his right knee and Shero didn't offer a timetable for his return.The veteran had a procedure done on his right knee in January and missed all but three games afterward. Elias hasn't been able to hit the 70-game mark in any of the last three campaigns.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Albany Devils defenseman Dan Kelly has been suspended 10 games for a hit on Toronto Marlies forward Andreas Johnson on Wednesday night.Kelly caught Johnson skating over the middle with a hit to the head during the second period.Kelly will start his suspension in a pivotal Game 5 on Thursday, as the Devils and Marlies and tied at 2-2 in their second-round series.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Claude Giroux appeared to be less than 100 percent in the playoffs and now we may know why.The Philadelphia Flyers forward is set to undergo hip/hernia surgery next week, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Giroux managed just one assist as Philadelphia lost its opening-round series against the Washington Capitals.Coming off another solid season for the Flyers when he notched 22 goals and 45 points, Giroux has established himself as one of the game's top forwards.The good news for both Flyers and Team Canada fans is that Giroux is expected to be ready to participate in the World Cup - and thus also the start of the 2016-17 NHL season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the Stanley Cup conference finals nearly set, Jimmy Fallon is focusing the latest edition of his "Tonight Show Superlatives" on players competing for a spot in the next round.Among the highlights were Carter Hutton being voted "most likely to be getting a prostate exam at this exact moment," and Joe Thornton's "most likely to be a puppeteer at a local library."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

While the second of two Western Conference semifinals still awaits a Game 7 result, the schedule for the next round has been set by the NHL.The Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins will get the Eastern Conference final under way Friday before a two-day break over the weekend.The winner of Thursday's Game 7 matchup between the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators, meanwhile, will head to St. Louis to take on the Blues in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday.Here's the complete schedule:Eastern Conference Final - Pittsburgh vs. Tampa BayGameDateTime (ET)LocationNetworks1Fri. May 138 p.m.PittsburghNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports2Mon. May 168 p.m.PittsburghNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports3Wed. May 188 p.m.Tampa BayNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports4Fri. May 208 p.m.Tampa BayNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports*5Sun. May 228 p.m.PittsburghNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports*6Tue. May 248 p.m.Tampa BayNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports*7Thu. May 268 p.m.PittsburghNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports* if necessaryWester Conference Final - St. Louis vs. San Jose/NashvilleGameDateTime (ET)LocationNetworks1Sun. May 158 p.m.St. LouisNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports2Tues. May 178 p.m.St. LouisNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports3Thurs. May 19TBD.SJ/NSHNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports4Sat. May 217:15 p.m..SJ/NSHNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports*5Mon. May 238 p.mSt. LouisNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports*6Wed. May 25TBDSJ/NSHNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports*7Fri. May 278 p.mSt. LouisNBCSN/CBC/TVA Sports* if necessaryCopyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals once again came up short in their efforts to chase down a Stanley Cup, dropping the sixth game of their second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime Tuesday.Understanding the frustration of a passionate fan base, owner Ted Leonsis thanked the Capitals' faithful for their support with a tweet Thursday morning.

Brock Nelson is heading to Russia.The New York Islanders forward will play for the United States at the ongoing World Championship in Moscow and St. Petersburg, USA Hockey announced Thursday.He's expected to arrive Friday, after not making it in time for Thursday's game against France.The Islanders were eliminated from the second round of the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.Nelson scored 26 regular-season goals in 2015-16, adding five points in 11 postseason contests.He helped the U.S. win the bronze medal at the worlds last year, and also won bronze with the American world junior squad in 2011.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Lindy Ruff wasn't ready for his season to end."It's a huge disappointment," the Dallas Stars head coach told reporters Wednesday after losing 6-1 to the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of their second-round series. "It's not our team ... It's not the ending you want."Dallas starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen was pulled after allowing three first-period goals, and Antti Niemi gave up two more on only 10 shots, but Ruff didn't want to single out either netminder."Right now is not the time to assess blame," he said. "You've got to look at the whole picture. You've got to take the fact that we didn't score in some situations (when) you need to score. If you're going to beat a good team, you need to score too."The Stars dominated possession in Game 7, holding an 87-38 edge in shot attempts in all situations and 66-30 at even strength, according to HockeyStats.ca. Dallas outshot St. Louis 32-19, but went 0-for-3 on the power play.Still, goaltending was once again the story. Lehtonen's failure to cover up the puck allowed Robby Fabbri to score less than six minutes in, and the Blues then had another bad goal called back because they were deemed offside.Lehtonen remained in the game, and the Blues scored twice in the final two minutes of the opening frame.Ruff took responsibility for the way he handled his goalies."I think maybe it's on me," he said. "I think with the review, it maybe looked like he got a little bit rattled. I should have taken him out sooner."Ruff didn't take any consolation in the fact the Stars got within one game of the Western Conference Final after failing to qualify for the playoffs last season."Sometimes, you have to learn from losing," Ruff said. "We learned from the disappointment of not making it, (made) some adjustments on how we played, and (it) took us a lot further down the road ... (but) there's no consolation. Nobody's happy in that room."The Stars haven't advanced past the second round since 2008, when they lost in the conference final to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings in six games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues will take the ice in their first conference final since 2001 on Sunday.The club skated to a semifinal series win with an incredibly one-sided 6-1 victory in Game 7 over the Dallas Stars and for head coach Ken Hitchcock, it's the ultimate reward to Blues' players who have endured the team's heartaches."I'm happiest for the guys who were here before I got here," Hitchcock said after Wednesday's game. "Those are the guys that did all the bleeding to get us here."Hitchcock joined the team during the 2011-12 season, inheriting the likes of David Backes, Alexander Steen, Kevin Shattenkirk, Ryan Reaves, Alex Pietrangelo, and Patrik Berglund.Those players combined for five points in Game 7 and 26 during the seven games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.