Regardless of the outcome of their second-round series against the San Jose Sharks, the Nashville Predators have already achieved their greatest success in the playoffs to date.

The Nashville Predators refused to be preyed upon in Game 6.Facing elimination on home ice, Viktor Arvidsson went backhand shelf on Martin Jones to record the game-winner at the 2:03 mark of overtime, sending the series back to San Jose for a deciding Game 7 against the Sharks.The Predators went down 2-0 and 3-2 in Game 6, but forced overtime thanks to Colin Wilson's third-period strike.The goal was Arvidsson's first-career postseason tally, and one that will certainly be hard to top.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)Colin Wilson's incredible postseason continued in Monday's Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks.The Nashville Predators forward, who entered the contest with four goals and eight assists in 12 games, finished off a beautiful passing play to tie things up and eventually force overtime.The goal was assisted by James Neal and Mike Ribeiro, with Wilson giving due credit to his linemates in the ensuing celebration.The performance continues Wilson's recent playoff dominance, as he scored five goals in six games during the 2015 postseason.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues came close, but ultimately couldn't put away the Dallas Stars in Game 6 on Monday.The Stars hung on for a 3-2 victory after nearly blowing a three-goal lead. Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said his team expected to pull off the comeback."When we made it 3-2, we thought we were going to win the hockey game," Hitchcock said, according to ESPN's Craig Custance.The Blues outshot the Stars 37-14, holding a 28-7 advantage in the second period alone. They also had 75 shot attempts to Dallas' 25, according to NHL.com's Lou Korac.Nevertheless, both teams will go toe-to-toe in a winner-takes-all Game 7 on Wednesday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

ST. LOUIS - Rookie Mattias Janmark ignited a three-goal first period and Kari Lehtonen made 35 saves for the Dallas Stars, who forced Game 7 with a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Monday night.Vernon Fiddler and Jason Spezza also scored for Dallas, which reclaimed home ice for the deciding game on Wednesday night despite getting outshot 37-14 with the Blues dominating the last two periods.Alexander Steen and Patrik Berglund scored for St. Louis.Home ice has meant little, given the road team has won three in a row and four of six in the series.Related: Allen replaces Elliott in Blues' crease after Spezza snipeBlues goalie Brian Elliott, who had played well throughout the postseason, was replaced with the Stars leading 3-0 on just seven shots at 16:49 of the first.Jake Allen finished in his first appearance of this postseason, facing just seven more shots in the final two-plus periods.St. Louis will be seeking its first trip to the Western Conference final since 2001 and Dallas, which finished first overall in the West, previously made it that far in 2008.The Stars were ahead 3-0 after the first, their first two- and three-goal leads of the series. That early show of strength muzzled another standing room crowd of 19,808 at the Scottrade Center with the first two goals coming in a span of 20 seconds.Related: Watch: Stars score twice in 20 secondsJanmark blocked Colton Parayko's dump-in from just inside the blue line and skated in alone on Elliott, scoring on a high shot. Fiddler made it 2-0 on a deflection at 5:13 not long after Elliott couldn't clear the puck.Elliott was pulled after the Stars made it three goals on seven shots, with Spezza scoring on a power play from the slot at 16:49. Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester fell down seconds before Spezza's first of the series and fifth of the playoffs.The Blues had several good chances in the first, but often missed the net.Steen's goal on a rebound of Robert Bortuzzo's shot gave the Blues life in the second period. The Blues had a 14-5 shots advantage in the period, including another good opportunity for Steen on a one-timer off Lehtonen's pads in the final minute.Berglund cut the deficit to one at 8:59 of the third, tapping it in from close range off a nice setup from Jori Lehtera. Lehtonen stopped Jaden Schwartz on a one-timer with about 20 seconds left.NOTES: Spezza has a point in four consecutive games. Janmark had been scoreless three straight games. Fiddler scored his first of the playoffs. ... F Patrick Eaves returned for the Stars from a leg injury, and hit the crossbar with about two minutes left with a chance to extend the lead to two. ... Bortuzzo played his fourth game of the playoffs for St. Louis in place of rookie Joel Edmundson on defense.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan Johansen is proving his worth to the Nashville Predators.The center scored a lovely goal in a must-win Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks on Monday, dropping a slick move on Justin Braun before sliding the puck past Martin Jones.The strike was Johansen's fourth of the playoffs, and erased an early two-goal lead for the Sharks to knot the game at 2-2.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)Vernon Fiddler picked a great night to score his first of the postseason.The veteran center was celebrating his 36th birthday as his Dallas Stars took on the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 on Monday, and he made the trip from Edmonton worth it for his proud parents.He also achieved a somewhat-rare feat with the tally.

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jake Allen is getting his first taste of the 2016 playoffs.The 25-year-old entered Game 6 on Monday after Brian Elliott gave up his third goal in less than 17 minutes of work to Jason Spezza, who toe-dragged the Blues and shelfed his fifth of the postseason on only the team's seventh shot.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars came ready to play in Game 6.The club found the back of the net twice in 20 seconds early in the first period Monday thanks to Mattias Janmark and Vernon Fiddler, who picked up his first goal of the postseason on his 36th birthday.The St. Louis Blues are looking to advance to the conference finals for the first time since the 2000-2001 season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars will welcome Patrick Eaves back to the lineup for their must-win Game 6.The 32-year-old has been out since Game 1 against the St. Louis Blues nursing a foot injury.Eaves has been a solid contributor for the club this postseason collecting five points in seven games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings will have some new faces in prominent coaching roles next season.Two assistant coach positions have opened up, with the first coming after Tony Granato left to take a job at the University of Wisconsin.Pat Ferschweiler, who was head coach Jeff Blashill's assistant with AHL Grand Rapids and was behind the Red Wings' bench this past season, has been reassigned to press box duties on game nights.On top of that, goalie coach Jim Bedard, who had been with the team for 18 years, is also being replaced, general manager Ken Holland also announced Monday.The vacancies will likely be filled quickly,"In next couple of weeks, if not sooner," Holland told Bob Duff of the Windsor Star. "Jeff (Blashill) and I have gone over a bunch of names. We've interviewed a couple of people."We're looking for NHL experience, Holland added. We lost a guy with a lot of experience in Granato. We want to replace him with someone with a lot of experience."Duff reports it's likely the club will promote Jeff Salajko, their AHL goaltending coach, who has worked with Detroit goalie Petr Mrazek in the past.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Finland's 3-2 victory over the United States at the World Championship was in no part thanks to the play of Patrik Laine, according to the 18-year-old.Laine was held off the scoreboard for the first time in three games after back-to-back three-point performances. Monday's contest featured this year's projected top two draft picks in Laine and Auston Matthews, and the pressure may have gotten to the winger."I think this was the worst game for me in a long time and I don't know why," Laine said, according to Michael Traikos of the National Post.Matthews edged Laine in the head-to-head matchup, recording an assist on Frank Vatrano's first period goal after stripping Laine of the puck.

Peter Chiarelli's been open about the fact he's willing to trade the Edmonton Oilers' fourth overall pick at this year's NHL Entry Draft, and his phone's been ringing."I've already had four or five teams call me already," Chiarelli said on "Oilers Now" radio Monday afternoon. "I've made it known we would look to trade down if the right deal is there."Chiarelli's open to parting with the No. 4 selection if he can get a pick and an NHL player in return, he added, according to Today's Slapshot's Chris Nichols."We went through a lot of scenarios at the amateur meetings," the GM added. "That's when you're most creative. Now, executing these things is often hard, but there's some real stuff that could come across our desk in the next few weeks."Chiarelli's said last week there's a "real legitimate chance" the Oilers trade down, especially if they're able to land a top-four defenseman with the pick.There's a lot at play, clearly, but the Oilers are confident, whether they trade the pick or not, that they'll be improving their team at the end of June in Buffalo.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marc Crawford will be behind the Ottawa Senators bench for three years.The club announced Crawford's hiring during Guy Boucher's introductory press conference Monday, and issued a press release with more details on the hire. Boucher's deal is three years long, too.Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said in the release:

The Florida Panthers re-signed defenseman Erik Gudbranson to a one-year contract, the club announced Monday.Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team, but reports indicate the deal is worth $3.5 million.Gudbranson was selected third overall by the Panthers in 2010, and scored two goals and seven assists last season. He was slotted on Florida's second defensive pairing, and logged over 20 minutes of ice time during the Panthers' Atlantic Division-winning season."We are very pleased to have signed Erik," executive vice president and general manager Dale Tallon said. "He is an important part of our core who has continued to develop into a reliable, physical presence on our blue line and a strong leader in our locker room."The 24-year-old is happy to remain in Florida for another season."I'm very excited for another year with the Panthers," he said. "We took great strides as a team and our group can only improve upon the success we had. It's a great time for the organization and I look forward to getting back on the ice with the team."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There's little like suiting up alongside a player you loathe.Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher and Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand are cut from the same cloth. Both are a pain in the ass to play against, and both have had their battles over the years, with each other.This spring, they're teammates for Canada at the World Hockey Championship, and it seems they're enjoying the experience - and that old habits die hard.

Guy Boucher and Marc Crawford are both off the board.The Ottawa Senators introduced Boucher as their head coach Monday afternoon, while also announcing that the club hired Marc Crawford as associate head coach.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are sticking with Matt Murray.The rookie goaltender had a Game 5 to forget against the Washington Capitals, allowing three goals on only 19 shots, but he'll be in the crease Tuesday in Game 6, head coach Mike Sullivan announced.Marc-Andre Fleury is healthy, but he hasn't played in over a month.Meanwhile, defenseman Olli Maatta, who was injured in Game 2, could return to the lineup Tuesday.

The Edmonton Oilers continue to dip into the NCAA market.After signing Frozen Four MVP Drake Caggiula out of North Dakota, the Oilers announced they inked St. Cloud State forward Patrick Russell to a two-year, entry-level deal on Monday.The 23-year-old recorded 20 goals and 21 assists in 41 games with the Huskies this season, which is good for third on the team.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues are on the cusp of their first appearance in the conference finals since 2001. All they have to do is beat the Dallas Stars once more.St. Louis is in a familiar position with a chance to eliminate a division rival, though in the first round against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Blues made things difficult by waiting until Game 7.This time around, however, the Blues have more experience under their belts, and are looking forward to the opportunity of clinching on home ice."We've been in this situation before, so we know what we have to do a little bit different than last time," defenseman Carl Gunnarson told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We've got a good feeling in the group right now. I think everyone was a little nervous on both sides (Saturday), who's going to get the advantage. Getting it 3-2 and playing at home, that win is going to be the upper hand for us."St. Louis took Game 5 by a convincing 4-1 margin, but the road team has won three times in the series, and the Stars aren't going to roll over."Once you get backed into a corner it brings out the best of you in a lot of ways," Dallas defenseman Johnny Oduya said. "It's always talked about where if you are on the other side, winning that fourth game is the toughest. I think we felt that the last series (against Minnesota) too. For us, we are looking at winning one game. That's the mindset we're approaching every game in the playoffs, but it becomes even more important now."Game 6 gets underway Monday at 8 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After needing only 10 games to advance to their second consecutive Eastern Conference finals, it's safe to say the Tampa Bay Lightning have got something going.Tampa Bay finished two wins shy of a championship last season, but a slow start to the season raised doubts about if the Lightning are truly among the upper echelon of NHL teams. Add the swirling rumors surrounding captain Steven Stamkos' contract situation, a chaotic saga engulfing Jonathan Drouin's reputation, and you have what could have been a disaster for Jon Cooper and Co.Entering the playoffs without Stamkos or top-pairing defenseman Anton Stralman, the Lightning were written off by some, but as they did all year, they handled the adversity. This time with ease.The Lightning advancing to the conference finals is proof general manager Steve Yzerman built a contender in Tampa, and this roster, no matter who's missing, is among the best in the East.Nikita Kucherov leads the playoffs in goals with nine, while Tyler Johnson is tied for second in points with 13. The emergence of Drouin - who has nine points through 10 games - on the second line has solidified the Lightning's attack.Defenseman Victor Hedman has been a force on the blue line, scoring nine points in 27:30 of ice time per game, while boasting a CF60 percent of 59.42 (war-on-ice).Goaltender Ben Bishop is proving his Vezina Trophy candidacy, posting a .938 save percentage with a 1.98 goals-against average and two shutouts.As a team, Tampa Bay is allowing the second-fewest goals per game in the playoffs (1.90), while scoring at the second-highest clip (3.00).The thought off adding Stamkos and Stralman - though it's unclear when that could be - to a roster already firing on all cylinders spells trouble for any opponent.Now, awaiting the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Washington Capitals, the turbulence of a hectic regular season is all but a distant memory for the Lightning.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Barely a full month into their offseason, the Ottawa Senators' front office has undergone a complete makeover.In April, longtime general manager Bryan Murray stepped down to take an advisory role with the team and handed over the reins to Pierre Dorion, who formerly served as assistant GM.Dorion wasted no time making an impact, relieving former head coach Dave Cameron of his duties and hiring Guy Boucher. Dorion is optimistic about the direction in which his team is heading."I'm as, or more, confident about the decision (to hire Boucher) as any that I've made in my hockey career," Dorion said Monday.Boucher returns to the NHL after two seasons coaching in Switzerland. He was with the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2011-13, posting a record of 97-78-20.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After being fired by the Anaheim Ducks following their fourth Game 7 loss in as many years, Bruce Boudreau needed just eight days to find a new coaching home, agreeing to a four-year contract with the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.Though he is joining another club that has struggled in the postseason in recent years, Boudreau is confident the Wild can be successful soon."I think they're a really good team, and I think they can win," Boudreau told NHL Network, per Chad Graff of the Pioneer Press. "At my age, I think they can win in the next two years."The 61-year-old won three playoff series in four postseason appearances with the Ducks - all in six games or less. Boudreau will now look to continue his incredible regular-season success while hoping to put his 1-7 career record in Game 7s behind him when he arrives in St. Paul, Minn."A couple bounces and everybody would say, 'Wow, this guy never loses Game 7s,'" Boudreau laughed, according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. "But we get there. Look, I'll take my chances on a Game 7 home or away any day of the week."Minnesota may be the perfect place for Boudreau to turn around his luck, as the Wild have a perfect 3-0 record in Game 7s since joining the league in 2001.He'll be introduced as the team's fifth head coach in franchise history on Tuesday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As the New York Islanders' season ends following a Game 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, a number of players may have played their final games with the club, as a new ownership group is set to take over July 1.Despite the team's disappointing second-round series loss, head coach Jack Capuano is hopeful key free agents such as forwards Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen will return next year."It's a business and there's a lot of change," Capuano said of the two forwards, reports Newsday's Steve Zipay. "Guys in this business have to move on and hopefully they don't."Capuano applauded the pair for providing great leadership alongside captain John Tavares. Okposo admits he will begin considering his options soon."I'll have to reflect on the year and what’s next a couple days from now," Okposo said. "The focus was that you’re part of the hockey team, just trying to win one game and extend the series.""I've always been proud to wear this jersey," said pending free agent Nielsen, according to Eric Hornick of Islanders.com. The 32-year-old has spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the club, and recorded 52 points in 81 games this season."I love this team," added fellow unrestricted free agent Matt Martin. "I love this group ... (but) I don't know what the future holds. I've been here seven years, and loved every second."Another key player whose future hangs in the balance this summer is defenseman Travis Hamonic. The team leader in ice time during the regular season is still under contract until 2020, but after requesting a trade to Western Canada last offseason, it's believed he may finally be moved soon.However, following Sunday's game, Hamonic only wanted to discuss how much he loves being on the team who drafted him in 2008."I love being an Islander, more than anything," Hamonic told MSG's Shannon Hogan. "It's one of the best things I do with my life."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Lindy Ruff has his priorities in order.The Dallas Stars head coach said he'd rather win Game 6 against the St. Louis Blues on Monday than be considered for the Jack Adams Award, for which he was named a finalist Thursday."I’m in the same category as (Stars captain) Jamie (Benn) when it comes to that. I’ll trade it for tomorrow’s game," Ruff told Mark Stepneski of the club's official website.Benn was named a finalist for the Hart Trophy, awarded to the player deemed most valuable to his team. Ruff was announced as one of the final three candidates for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL's top head coach."I look at it that I’ve had a staff that has worked extremely hard from our video or goalie coach to (assistant coaches) James (Patrick and) Curt (Fraser), those guys put in tremendous hours and do a lot of work with the players."Those individual meetings that they go through and myself and day after day going through challenging each other to be better, those guys have helped put me in the company I’m in to be nominated with those other guys, it’s nice. But I’d still trade it for tomorrow.”It's not surprising that Ruff would prioritize a team accomplishment over an individual one, but it helps that he's already won the top coaching honor before.Ruff was given the Jack Adams Award in 2006, after guiding the Buffalo Sabres to a 52-24-6 regular-season record and taking them to the Eastern Conference Final.The Stars trail the Blues 3-2 in their second-round series. Dallas will look to stave off elimination and force Game 7 on Monday night in St. Louis.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Tavares knows he didn't play well enough after the New York Islanders were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games."I just didn't get it done," the Islanders captain told reporters Sunday, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "This just isn't good enough."After notching a goal and an assist in Game 1, Tavares failed to record a point for the rest of the series, and the Islanders lost four straight including Sunday's clincher.The first and second rounds were like night and day for the 25-year-old, who racked up five goals and four assists in six games against the Florida Panthers before virtually disappearing in the following series.Tavares recorded 30 shots on goal against Florida, but managed only 10 in the five contests against Tampa Bay.Bad luck also played a role in his struggles, as he hit the post in both of the Islanders' final two games.Still, it was a disappointing performance for Tavares - who piled up 33 goals and 70 points in the regular season - and for the Islanders, who made another early playoff exit.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bish, please.Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop authored another stellar postseason performance, stopping all 28 shots in a 4-0, series-clinching win over the New York Islanders in Game 5 on Sunday.The 6-foot-7 netminder has a habit of coming up huge in critical games.

Somebody hose Nikita Kucherov down.The Tampa Bay Lightning forward put Game 5 against the New York Islanders out of reach Sunday, scoring on a breakaway early in the third to give the Lightning a 4-0 lead.It was Kucherov's league-leading ninth goal of the playoffs, and ninth in 10 postseason games.The 22-year-old scored four goals in the second-round series against the Islanders, as Tampa Bay eliminated New York in five games and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TAMPA, Fla. - Victor Hedman scored twice and Ben Bishop stopped 28 shots Sunday, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders 4-0 and reach the Eastern Conference final for the second straight year.Tampa Bay eliminated the Islanders in five games, winning four straight after dropping the opener of the second-round series.Hedman scored an unassisted goal from the slot at 13:49 of the first period, then beat Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss again on a second-period power play that gave Tampa Bay a three-goal lead.Nikita Kucherov and Brian Boyle also scored for the Lightning, who will face either the Pittsburgh Penguins or Washington Capitals in the East final. The Penguins lead the Capitals 3-2 and Game 6 is Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.Bishop earned his fifth career playoff shutout, fourth in the deciding game of a series. He blanked Detroit 1-0 in Game 5 to end that first-round matchup and won two Game 7s without allowing a goal to help Tampa Bay reach the Stanley Cup final last year.The loss ended New York's deepest playoff run since 1993.Captain John Tavares led the Islanders to a thrilling six-game victory over the Florida Panthers in the opening round. He had a goal and assist in New York's only victory over Tampa Bay, but didn't have a point in the last four games.The series was much more competitive than the final result would suggest.The Islanders let third-period leads slip away in Game 3 and 4 in Brooklyn. Kucherov had tying goals in both games before Boyle and Jason Garrison provided winning goals in overtime to thrust the Lightning into a 3-1 series lead.There was little drama in the clincher, with Hedman and Boyle scoring within a 4:52 span of the opening period before Hedman's second goal - fourth this postseason - made it 3-0.Tampa Bay defeated the New York Rangers in last year's conference final, earning its second trip to the Stanley Cup final.Experience gained during that run has been invaluable this year, with the team advancing through the first two rounds without injured star Steven Stamkos and defenseman Anton Stralman.They've done it with Bishop playing like a Vezina Trophy finalist and Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn and young Jonathan Drouin, who had an assist on Hedman's second goal, making timely contributions.Kucherov's breakaway early in the third period was his NHL-leading ninth goal of the playoffs.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks' season is over, but one of their fans is still in the playoffs.Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook donned a Ducks jersey before Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.Here he is entering Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, as captured by Thunder beat writer Anthony Slater:That's his familiar number, albeit with a different nameplate.Westbrook was born in Long Beach, raised in Hawthorne, Calif., and attended UCLA, so clearly his California roots run deep.Oh, and if you're wondering what "The Brodie" means, here's the Urban Dictionary definition.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks' coaching search reportedly includes at least one internal candidate.Ducks assistant coach Paul MacLean will interview for the head coaching position Monday, TVA's Renaud Lavoie reports.The former Ottawa Senators head coach was re-hired as a Ducks assistant last June after occupying the same role from 2002-04 under Mike Babcock.Babcock brought MacLean to Detroit, where the 58-year-old Nova Scotian spent eight seasons as an assistant coach with the Red Wings.He compiled a 114-90-35 record as Ottawa's bench boss, winning the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top head coach in 2013, but the Senators fired him in December 2014.The Ducks fired Bruce Boudreau on April 29, and he was hired by the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens have agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with Finnish forward Artturi Lehkonen, the club announced."We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Artturi Lehkonen," general manager Marc Bergevin said. "Artturi is a young forward who enjoyed success at a very young age playing in a highly competitive league in Sweden. He has shown a remarkable attitude since we selected him in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft."Over the past few years, his progression has been excellent, and he has gained valuable experience. We are proud to see him make the jump to another level, we look forward to seeing him compete for a spot with our team at training camp in September."The 20-year-old represented Finland at the World Junior Championship three times, and was the captain in 2015.Lehkonen was selected 55th overall by the Habs in 2015, and played with HC Frolunda in the Swedish Elite League this season. He scored 33 points in 49 games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have named Guy Boucher the club's new head coach. The two sides agreed to a three-year deal, but the terms were not disclosed.The 44-year-old becomes the 12th coach in team history, taking over behind the bench after the dismissal of Dave Cameron last month."Over the past three weeks, Pierre Dorion and our hockey operations staff have undertaken a thorough and comprehensive search for our next head coach. Following a detailed evaluation of all coaching candidates, there was overwhelming consensus that Guy was our top candidate," said Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. "We wanted a great coach and this process yielded our top pick. I couldn't be happier. On behalf of the entire Senators organization, the great city of Ottawa and our fans, I want to welcome Guy, his wife Marsha and their three children, Vincent, Mila and Naomi."Boucher last coached in the NHL back in 2012-13 for the Tampa Bay Lightning, but was fired after 32 games with a record of 13-18-1.

While some NHLers are competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, others are overseas battling at the World Championships or simply relaxing to start their offseasons. Regardless, the entire hockey world is sharing love for their moms on Mother's Day.Several players took to social media to pay homage:

After over a century, Gert Friedman was finally able to check an NHL game off her bucket list.Friedman, who turns 101 on Tuesday, celebrated her birthday by attending Game 5 of the Washington Capitals' second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. The Capitals and NHL also granted her wish of riding the Zamboni during the first intermission of the Capitals' 3-1 win.

Patrik Laine made good on his Mother's Day promise.Related: Watch: Patrik Laine unloads one-timer snipe vs. GermanyThe 18-year-old had his second-consecutive two-goal, three-point game of the World Championship in Finland's 5-1 win over Germany on Sunday.The latest offensive display moved him into first in tournament scoring, ahead of teammate Mikael Granlund, but more importantly, he kept his promise to his mother that he would score two goals.Laine's six points in the tournament through two games also gives him a share of the tournament's all-time record for points by an 18-year-old. A record he is almost certain to surpass with five more games remaining before the medal round.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals are still in the fight.A 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 on Saturday night kept the Caps' season alive, and no one played a bigger role in the victory than all-world goaltender Braden Holtby.The Vezina Trophy favorite made 30 saves, a big bounce-back performance in his eyes after losing three consecutive starts."I wasn't too happy with my performance the game before, and I wanted to make a difference for our team, show that I'd rebound just like us," Holtby told Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post. "Some nights you can make those saves."Holtby was rock solid in preserving Washington's lead, and made a pair of crucial saves that caught the eyes of his teammates.

The San Jose Sharks took back the series lead with a dominating 5-1 thrashing of the Nashville Predators on Saturday.Captain Joe Pavelski was once again the star, leading the way with another two-goal outburst.Related: Watch: Pavelski scores after beautiful, no-look pass from ThorntonThe 31-year-old veteran's latest heroics gave him a share of the postseason goal-scoring lead and more importantly, further cemented himself as one of hockey's premier playoff-performers.Since the 2012-13 season four Chicago Blackhawks have tallied the most points in playoff competition, with Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Duncan Keith topping the list, all four with 70-72 games played each.However, in that span you will find that of players with at least 10 playoff games under their belt, only Kane ranks among the most in points per game.Player Games Goals Points Points per GameJamie Benn179191.12Ryan Getzlaf4211461.10Joe Pavelski2814301.07Logan Couture281127.96Patrick Kane722969.96While he certainly has not seen as much action in the postseason as the Blackhawks core, Pavelski has proven that when he is involved in the playoffs, he is as dominant as anyone.The first-year captain now has 34 goals and 68 points in 91 career playoff games, but has accumulated nearly half of those points in the last third of his games played.Pavelski has been victim of a team that has repeatedly performed well in the regular season to only collapse and falter when the games matter most, in the postseason.This time around feels different for the Sharks. Pavelski has a stronger supporting cast, the team is playing better around him and if he can continue to produce in the clutch, the Sharks can prove to be among the beasts in the West.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

You can't stop Patrik Laine, you can only hope to contain him.The Finnish sniper impersonated Alex Ovechkin, unloading multiple one-timers from the top of the circle on the powerplay.Laine eventually buried one of his several attempts, giving him three goals in two games to start the tournament.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For the New York Islanders, it's simple: win or go home.Unfortunately for the Isles, winning three in a row over the Tampa Bay Lightning is easier said than done.However, while the task may be daunting, the team believes it can be achieved. Especially captain John Tavares."It doesn't matter how you get it done," Tavares said. "It's a fine line, so even if the breaks aren't going our way, we have to find ways to make them, make plays and capitalize and obviously seal the deal when the opportunity is there."Tavares has cooled off against Tampa Bay, being held pointless in the last three contests after scoring nine points in six games versus the Florida Panthers. But points aren't what's important to the 25-year-old."You just want to keep playing," he told Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post. "We want to win the Stanley Cup, and this is part of the process. You get your back up against the wall, and you just have to start out and get a win (Sunday). I don't think we want to make it much bigger than that."Having squandered late leads to ultimately lose in overtime in Games 3 and 4, New York is understandably frustrated with the results, but content with its recent efforts."Games 3 and 4, you play like that, that's Islanders hockey," head coach Jack Capuano said. "I like the way we played in all areas of our game. (But) you're not complacent because it's a results-based business. You have to win hockey games. I think the guys that we have, if you consistently show the things that we're doing, they know we should have won the game."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks are one win away from their first conference final since 2011.San Jose cruised to a 5-1 victory Saturday night, and will have two chances to close out the Nashville Predators, but the team doesn't want to get ahead of themselves."We've still got some work to do," head coach Peter DeBoer said, according to Eric Gilmore of NHL.com. "They're a very good team, and we've seen that. I like the fact that I think we're getting better as the series has gone on here. I think every game we're getting a little bit better, getting more contributions, playing better as a team. We've got to carry that into Game 6, because they're not going to roll over. We know that."Sharks captain Joe Pavelski, who scored two goals in the contest to move into a tie for the playoff lead, liked what he saw from his teammates in the dominant win."The guys really wanted it," Pavelski said. "We felt after that last game we played a couple really good periods, some of our better periods of the playoffs. We had to carry that. It was up to us to really get that momentum back. Guys did a good job coming out."San Jose can close out the series Monday night in Game 6.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The momentum of a marathon Game 4 victory didn't carry over for the Nashville Predators.Victims of a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the San Jose Sharks, the Predators need two consecutive wins to keep their season alive, which wasn't what the team had in mind heading into Saturday's Game 5."We weren't as desperate as we needed to be," Predators forward Colin Wilson told Adam Vingan of The Tennessean. "It was 2-2. Both teams should be in the same mindset, so just the way it went."Nashville suddenly finds themselves on the ropes again, having had to erase the same deficit against the Anaheim Ducks in the first round."We've been in this position before, and backs against the wall," defenseman Ryan Ellis said. "It usually brings out the best in people. It did last series. Hopefully it does for us this time.""They'll respond in Game 6," head coach Peter Laviolette said. "Our guys will respond."The game was tied 1-1 in the first period, but San Jose quickly pulled away, considerably out-playing the Predators for the majority of the game."Pretty visible, wasn't it?" forward James Neal said. "We weren't ready to go, I guess, so they came out strong, good push, scored. But I thought we settled down a bit and got one back and then started playing a little better. But not good enough out of our group."Nashville returns to Bridgestone Arena for a must-win Game 6 on Monday night.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Team Canada pushed their record to 2-0-0-0 at the World Championship on Sunday, thanks to a crushing 7-1 victory over Hungary.Related: Watch: McDavid burns Hungary defenders to set up MarchandFollowing the contest, Hungary head coach Rich Chernomaz reflected on his team's effort and was quick to point out a glaring difference between the two nations.

Connor McDavid has speed to kill no matter where he's playing.The 19-year-old made his presence felt against Hungary on Sunday, registering two assists.The prettier of the two came in the second period, as he flipped the puck to himself to create space, then set up Boston Bruins marksman Brad Marchand with multiple defenders in his wake.Canada took the contest 7-1.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Joe Pavelski scored two goals and the San Jose Sharks bounced back from a triple-overtime loss to beat the Nashville Predators 5-1 on Saturday night to take a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture also scored as part of San Jose's reconfigured second line and the Sharks moved within one win of advancing to the Western Conference final for the fourth time in franchise historySan Jose will look to secure a spot in its first conference final since 2011 by winning at Nashville in Game 6 on Monday night.Melker Karlsson added a late goal and Martin Jones made 24 saves to give the home team its fifth straight win in this series.Game 4 overtime hero Mike Fisher scored and Pekka Rinne made 23 saves, but Nashville allowed goals in the opening and closing minutes of the second period.The Predators now must try to repeat the trick they pulled off in the first round against Anaheim by rallying from a 3-2 series deficit if they want to reach the conference final for the first time in franchise history.San Jose coach Peter DeBoer's decision to move Marleau from third-line center to second-line wing on Couture's line paid big dividends. Marleau opened the scoring midway through the first and Couture delivered big plays to start and finish the second period.On the opening shift of the second period, Couture took a pass from Joonas Donskoi and skated in on a breakaway where stickhandled in and slid the puck between Rinne's pads to put San Jose up 3-1 just 35 seconds into the period.Couture then drew a tripping penalty from Roman Josi in the final minute of the period. The Sharks then scored right off the faceoff with Marleau setting up Pavelski on a one-timer for his second goal of the game.The Sharks killed an early power play in the third period and limited Nashville's chances after that to seal the win.The new second line wasn't the only lineup switch DeBoer made. He also gave Dainius Zubrus his first playoff action on the fourth line in place of Tommy Wingels. Zubrus brought a physical element to the game but it was Couture's line that did most of the damage.Donskoi had two assists, including a nifty backhand pass right to Marleau for a one-timer that opened the scoring midway through the first.The Predators answered with a familiar line when Fisher completed a tic-tac-toe passing sequence from James Neal and Colin Wilson to tie it with his third goal in the past two games. That line scored all four goals for Nashville in the Game 4 win, including Fisher's goal in triple overtime to end the game after 51:12 of overtime.But San Jose answered right back with a goal from its top line when Joe Thornton sent a blind, backhand pass to Pavelski in the edge of the circle for a one-timer that beat Rinne late in the period.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's entirely possible Barret Jackman's made of steel.Watch the Nashville Predators defenseman's reaction, or lack thereof, to the return stab he receives from Joe Thornton during a stoppage - an upward chop that actually lands flush between his legs.That ain't right.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

More good news for the Minnesota Wild: Zach Parise won't require surgery on his ailing back.Minnesota's high-priced winger, who had to sit out all six games of the club's brief postseason bid, says he's made enough strides in his recovery to avoid having to go under the knife."The doctors are really happy with the progress I've made so far, and they're not worried about it dragging into next season or being a continual problem," Parise told Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune."You never know, because things can happen, but I'm hoping that after some rehab I'll be in the clear and not have to worry about it any more."Parise played through the pain for several months, but was shut down when it worsened over the final few weeks of the season.He seems to expect to be back and contributing when the Bruce Boudreau era begins in the fall.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Able to avoid - or at least temporarily stave off - an avalanche of criticism from fans, pundits, and detractors alike, Alex Ovechkin led the way Saturday for the Washington Capitals, who avoided a five-game defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 3-1 win.In 20 minutes of ice time, Ovechkin scored with the first shot Washington registered on goal, peppered in nine more toward the target, bagged an assist, and absolutely lit a fire under T.J. Oshie."When you see a guy like him that can beat you in so many different ways come out and bring that type of energy, you better get on board or just stay on the bench," Oshie said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.Ovechkin's urgency might have been palpable, but his head coach discerned patience, too."I think that's what Ovechkin's learned is that he doesn't have to do it all by himself, and that the great thing about being a part of a team," Barry Trotz remarked after the game.Unfortunately for Ovechkin, only two wins in their next two tries will prevent the individual from being painted responsible.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.