Evgeni Malkin's propensity for center is costing him ice time.The talented scorer took 13-and-a-half minutes in the Pittsburgh Penguins' Game 3 win over the New York Rangers - his lowest time-on-ice total for a postseason game since his rookie season in 2007, as pointed out by Bob Grove.There are several factors impacting his usage, including potential lingering effects of his forearm injury, and Pittsburgh being on the penalty kill for large portions of the first and second periods. But Malkin's desire to play down the middle, coupled with the second line's arrival with Nick Bonino as its center, is the foremost reason his role's diminished.For the Penguins, this will only be a problem when it becomes one. So for now, and with a 2-1 series lead, what else is there to do but savor having a three-time 100-point scorer and former MVP as a depth option?Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Overshadowing the Blues' big win over the Blackhawks on Tuesday night, which gives St. Louis a 3-1 first-round series lead, was a late third-period incident involving Chicago forward Andrew Shaw.Shaw, after taking an interference penalty that he wasn't happy about, flipped a double-bird salute at the official on his way to the penalty box. Once inside the penalty box, he appeared to direct a homophobic slur towards the referee who made the call.There's video of Shaw in the penalty box, and if you read his lips, you can tell that he's using very explicit language:

CHICAGO - Vladimir Tarasenko scored on a pair of impressive wrist shots, Brian Elliott made 39 saves and the St. Louis Blues beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Tuesday night to open a commanding 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.Jaden Schwartz scored a tiebreaking power-play goal in the third period for the second straight game as St. Louis moved to the brink of its first appearance in the Western Conference semifinals since 2012. The Blues were eliminated in the opening round in each of the past three years.Game 5 is Thursday night in St. Louis.Duncan Keith had two goals for Chicago, which dropped consecutive home playoff games for the first time since 2012.Andrew Shaw had a goal and two assists, and Corey Crawford finished with 16 saves after getting into a fight with Blues rookie Robby Fabbri during a wild second period.With Keith in the box for holding Alexander Steen, Schwartz intercepted a clearing attempt by Blackhawks defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and beat Crawford low on his stick side at 1:36. Schwartz also had the game-winning goal in St. Louis' 3-2 victory in Game 3 on Sunday.Steen then picked off a passing attempt by van Riemsdyk and went in all alone on Crawford for his first goal of the series at 4:46, stunning the sellout crowd of 22,212.A fortunate bounce for Keith off Tarasenko's stick and over Elliott gave the Blackhawks some hope, but Elliott shut the door from there. He jumped on a loose puck during a Chicago rush with 4:10 remaining, and Shaw was penalized for interference with 2:04 left.Before Schwartz and Steen broke through, it was the Tarasenko show once again for St. Louis. The dynamic winger has three goals and two assists in the series and 13 goals in 17 career playoff games.The Blackhawks had a 2-1 lead and momentum before Andrew Ladd was whistled for interference at 17:09 of the second. Just 22 seconds later, Tarasenko whistled a shot under Crawford's glove for the tying score.Tarasenko's goal capped a frenetic second period that included a fight between Crawford and Fabbri after the forward was pushed into the goaltender on a rush to the net. Crawford skated into the corner and shoved Fabbri before the two wrestled on the ice.The crowd responded with chants of ''Co-rey! Co-rey!'' and the resulting fracas between the teams somehow generated a power play for the Blackhawks. Fabbri (interference), Alex Pietrangelo (roughing) and Kevin Shattenkirk (roughing) were sent off for St. Louis, and Crawford (roughing) and Ladd (roughing) were penalized for Chicago.There was another big fight between the teams right after the final horn.During the power play after the Crawford-Fabbri dispute, Keith scored on a rebound to give the defending Stanley Cup champions a 2-1 lead at 13:09. The defenseman has three goals in the series after winning the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP a year ago.Chicago got off to a fast start, but St. Louis kept most of the action away from Elliott in the first period. The Blues also caught a break when Artem Anisimov's shot stopped right on the goal line and Elliott knocked it out of the way before the Blackhawks could get to it.St. Louis managed just five shots on goal in the first, but one of them was a laser from Tarasenko that made it 1-0 at 14:02. Jori Lehtera made a nice pass from behind the net to set up the play.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This one should count as three saves.Anaheim Ducks goaltender Frederik Andersen posted a 27-save shutout Tuesday against the Nashville Predators, helping his team win Game 3. And he earned it. Andersen took a Shea Weber slap shot off his mask in the second period, somehow staying in the game."Ouch," said head coach Bruce Boudreau after the game, when asked about the scary moment.The Ducks trail the series 2-1.

Corey Crawford offered a straightforward response when asked to explain his actions in Game 4.Related: Blackhawks' Crawford jumps Blues' Fabbri after contact in creaseThe Chicago Blackhawks goaltender went after St. Louis Blues rookie forward Robby Fabbri after getting bumped in his crease, and quite simply wasn't too happy about it after recently returning to the lineup from a concussion.

Andrew Shaw would not go quietly into the night.The Chicago Blackhawks' agitator took a late penalty in his team's 4-3 loss that put them down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, and he let the officials have it on his way to the penalty box.He had a few choice words to say from the penalty box, as well:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Frederik Andersen made 27 saves, and the Anaheim Ducks shut out the Nashville Predators 3-0 Tuesday night to pull within 2-1 in their first-round playoff series.The Ducks have not lost three straight to open a postseason series since the 2006 Western Conference finals, and they didn't come close to dropping a third straight this year.Andersen, who started in net after John Gibson took the first two losses in Anaheim, posted his second postseason shutout despite taking Shea Weber's slap shot off his head. He has 15 postseason wins since 2014.Chris Stewart had a goal and an assist, and Jamie McGinn and Rickard Rakell each scored their first goals of the series.Game 4 is Thursday night in Nashville.The Predators returned home with their first 2-0 lead in the postseason. The Predators lost center Craig Smith to a lower-body injury after he played only 65 seconds over two shifts, leaving coach Peter Laviolette mixing up his lines.Coach Bruce Boudreau called out his Ducks after a 3-2 loss in Game 2 for taking too many penalties and talking too much to the officials. Boudreau also switched back to Andersen and played Shawn Horcoff for the first time in this series looking for a spark.Even though the Ducks took five penalties, they still showed much more discipline once the whistle blew.They also took very good care of the puck with no turnovers in the first 20 minutes, and the combination helped them lead at the end of a period for the first time in this series.McGinn scored on a wrister from the right circle off a pass from Horcoff after he skated up the slot midway through the first.A sold-out crowd tried to give the Predators a boost, but some sloppy play with too many turnovers and missed opportunities on the man advantage led to a smattering of boos late in the second.When Filip Forsberg helped kill off a big chunk of an Anaheim power play, fans gave him a standing ovation. Nashville took the first few shots of the second period and even got its second man advantage when McGinn tripped Forsberg after the Predators forward beat two Ducks for the puck.Weber, who won the hardest shot competition at the All-Star Game in January, had a slap shot in the opening seconds of the power play that hit Andersen in the mask. A trainer came out to check on Andersen, who missed seven games because of a concussion in March. The goalie stayed in the game.Rakell, who returned for this series after a ruptured appendix, finally got his first goal of the series at 11:33 of the second. He redirected a shot from Sami Vatanen to give Anaheim its biggest lead in this series. Then Stewart padded the lead, putting a backhand top shelf off his own miss at 17:06 of the second.NOTES: Captain Ryan Getzlaf became the first Anaheim player in franchise history to play in 100 playoff games. ... Weber set a franchise record by playing in his 48th postseason game, breaking a tie with David Legwand (47).Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nashville Predators forward Craig Smith will not return for the third period of Game 3 versus the Anaheim Ducks.Smith suffered a lower-body injury in the first period, and will sit out the remainder of the game, the team announced.Trailing 3-0, sitting Smith might be for preservation purposes, as the specifics of the injury haven't been released.Smith played in all 82 games for the Predators this season, and recorded two points in the first two games of the series.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's hard to believe, but Pavel Datsyuk might have played his final game in Detroit.The Red Wings lost 3-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, and are headed back to Florida down 3-1 in their first-round series. Datsyuk has said he's likely headed back to Russia after this season, so his NHL career may wrap up Thursday night.Detroit's scored two goals in each of the series' four games, and part of the issue is a lack of production from Henrik Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Zetterberg has one goal in the series, while Datsyuk remains pointless through four games.Datsyuk had four shots Tuesday, and played only 16:21. He has 15 shots in four games, and is a plus-2. If the Red Wings hope to travel back to Detroit for another game, the "Magic Man" is going to have to find some of it.Darren Helm and Gustav Nyquist scored for the Red Wings on Tuesday, their first points in the series. Tomas Tatar leads Detroit in scoring with three assists.Petr Mrazek is doing his part in goal. He stopped 30 of 33 shots in Game 3, but the Red Wings need to figure out how to solve Ben Bishop.Datsyuk's been a playoff performer, with 113 points in 155 career games. With potentially only one more to go, it will be interesting to see if the 37-year-old can prolong his NHL career for at least one more game.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt Murray played all of 13 NHL games before starting Game 3 of the Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. No pressure.Only 21, Murray was thrust into the spotlight Tuesday in a pivotal road game for his club, filling in for a Stanley Cup winner in Marc-Andre Fleury. While Murray wasn't busy, facing only 17 shots, he was good - and a lack of action arguably made his job more difficult. The Penguins won 3-1, and now have a 2-1 series lead. After the game, defenseman Ben Lovejoy couldn't help but look at his rookie teammate and wonder what he was doing at the goaltender's age."When I was 21 years old I was drinking beers in my frat basement at this point in my life in April," Lovejoy said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.Murray himself couldn't help but reflect."I would get nervous watching on the couch when I was a kid," he said, "and now I'm involved in a game, starting my first playoff game."It was a pretty crazy moment," Murray said about the moments before puck drop. "The butterflies were definitely going before the game."Rick Nash was the only Ranger to beat him, and Murray thought he should have had that, too. But all in all, he'll certainly take the win."I thought I could have made a lot better effort on that goal, but I was able to shut it down after that so it was cool," he said.Penguins supporters would certainly agree.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chris Kreider appeared to give the New York Rangers an early 1-0 lead Tuesday in Game 3 versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, but a coach's challenge determined the play was offside - which seems to be the theme of this year's playoffs.Related: Another goal disallowed after offside review sets Twitter aflameNew York eventually gained the lead in the second period, but after a 3-1 final in favor of Pittsburgh, Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault isn't blaming the overturned goal for the loss."It was the right call," Vigneault said after the game. "That’s the place to get it right. When I saw the replay, it was the right call. That’s early in the game, there’s a lot of game left. That wasn’t the issue why we lost this game."Our biggest issue was we couldn't make any plays with the puck," he added. "Whether it be breaking out of our end, going through the neutral zone, or once we got in their end we just didn't make enough plays. We have to give them credit - that was a real solid defensive performance. We didn't get a lot done and we have to get back to work."The Rangers could only muster 17 shots in the direction of Penguins goalie Matt Murray, who was making his first career postseason start.A pivotal Game 4 is set for Thursday at Madison Square Garden.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jonathan Drouin is the talk of the hockey world again, but this time for all the right reasons.The Tampa Bay Lightning forward was a beast Tuesday night, helping his club take a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Detroit Red Wings with a three-assist performance. His last one was the prettiest, setting up Ondrej Palat for a late game-winner as Tampa Bay won a tight road game 3-2.After the game, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper talked about the 21-year-old's performance, and his place within the Tampa Bay organization."I'm unbelievably proud of the way (Drouin's) handled himself with our team, our staff. He deserves this," Cooper said, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith. "The one thing that gets missed in all of this is we never ever gave up on Jonathan."Everyone knows the story by now: Drouin's agent went public with a trade request in November after the former third overall pick was sent to the AHL. Drouin then left the Lightning's minor-league club, with Tampa Bay subsequently suspending him. Eventually, Drouin ended his self-imposed exile, reported to the minors, and was called up after Steven Stamkos went down to injury. Now the kid is making the most of his second chance.One of the major talking points after Drouin's recall was how he'd be welcomed back by his teammates. After performances like Tuesday's, it's all love."When he gets his motor running and speed going, it's pretty magical to watch," Tyler Johnson said, "Really glad he's on our team right now."Drouin has four assists in four games. The Lightning can wrap up the series Thursday night at home.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kris Letang appears to have gotten away with a major indiscretion in Game 3.The Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman caught New York Rangers forward Viktor Stalberg with a hard and dangerous slash to the face in the third period.No penalty was called on the play, but the NHL's department of player safety may take another look at this one.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A determined effort from Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cullen was the difference Tuesday, as his third-period tally proved to be the game-winner, giving Pittsburgh a 2-1 series lead over the New York Rangers.Cullen, a 39-year-old NHL veteran, scored his first playoff goal in 2006 with Carolina, and 10 years later, it's still the same feeling."It never gets old scoring goals," Cullen said when asked about his game-winner.

DETROIT - Ondrej Palat scored with 2:59 left in the third period, lifting the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night and a 3-1 lead in the first-round series.Game 5 is Thursday night at Tampa Bay.Ben Bishop stopped 26 shots for the Lightning and Petr Mrazek made 30 saves for the Red Wings.Palat was in a perfect position right in front of the net to make the most of Jonathan Drouin's pass on the game-winning goal. Drouin had three assists.Nikita Kucherov had power-play goals in the first and second period to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead late in the second, but Detroit's Darren Helm and Gustav Nyquist scored late in the period to tie the game.The Lightning struck first by scoring at 5:41 of the first on a power play and scored again midway through the second period with an extra skater, a rare sight earlier in the series.And, it was a beautifully setup goal.Brian Boyle won a faceoff, sending the puck back to Victor Hedman and he skated toward the front of the net. Hedman carried the puck from left to right and passed it back to where he was standing to Drouin, who pushed the puck through the left circle to Tyler Johnson, whose diagonal pass back to the right dot perfectly set up Kucherov for a one-timer nine seconds into the power play.Tampa Bay took advantage of another power play when Jonathan Ericsson failed to clear the puck, keeping the puck in his team's end and it ended up in the back of the net on Kucherov's shot from the slot off a slick, centering pass from Drouin.The defending Eastern Conference champions scored three times on the power play. And, they prevented Detroit from scoring on the man advantage.Over the first three games of the series, the Lightning were 1 of 14 on the power play and Detroit was 1 of 17 with at least one extra skater.Detroit rallied after that goal. Helm stuffed a shot into the net from the right side off a pass from Luke Glendening with 5:07 left in the second.The Red Wings seemed to skate faster and hit harder after pulling within a goal and Nyquist went charging up the ice to get to a puck chipped ahead by Justin Abdelkader.His pressure led to the puck getting turned over to Riley Sheahan, who flipped it to Nyquist for the goal.Detroit kept the pressure on the Lightning early in the third and looked as if it would go ahead when a pass went toward Henrik Zetterberg on the side of an open net, but former teammate Valtteri Filppula pushed the puck away.Pavel Datsyuk, who has said he will retire from the NHL after the playoffs and return to Russia, drew a penalty with 8:16 left in what might end up being his last game at Joe Louis Arena.Red Wings rookie Dylan Larkin hit the right post and the puck caromed just outside of the goal line and away from the net on a power play that included only one shot.Ericsson was called for cross-checking with 4:42 to go, giving the Lighting a chance to go ahead with their third power-play goal of the game and they took full advantage to move a step closer toward eliminating Detroit in the first round for the second straight year.Mrazek was pulled late in the game, giving the Red Wings an extra skater, but they still struggled to generate much offense.NOTES: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman attended the game after getting a tour of District Detroit, which includes an arena the Red Wings plan to play in during the 2017-18 season. ''It's awesome,'' Bettman said. ''And, it's awesome what it will do for the city.'' ... Tampa Bay's Matt Taormina made his playoff debut, replacing Erik Condra, who made his postseason debut in Game 3, as the team suited one more defensemen and one fewer forward. ... Nyquist had scored only one goal in his previous 20 games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks came this close to opening the scoring in Tuesday's Game 4 of their series against the St. Louis Blues.An Artem Anisimov chance was stymied as the puck tumbled off Brian Elliott's pad and stopped right on the line.A brief review upheld the no-goal call.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NEW YORK - Matt Cullen beat Henrik Lundqvist on a semi-breakaway after beating two defensemen early in the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins spoiled the return of New York Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh with a 3-1 win in Game 3 of their first-round series on Tuesday night.Sidney Crosby also scored and Matt Murray made 16 saves in his return to action in helping the Penguins take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.Game 4 is Thursday night in New York. The Rangers have lost four consecutive playoff games at Madison Square Garden going back to last season's Eastern Conference final against Tampa Bay.Kris Letang iced the game with an empty-net goal.Rick Nash scored for the Rangers, who played without an injured McDonagh (upper body, hand) in the first two games in Pittsburgh. Lundqvist made 28 saves, giving up a power-play goal to Crosby and a one-on-one chance to Cullen.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kris Letang's dream season continues, and he now stands alone among Pittsburgh Penguins defensemen in the playoffs.With an empty-net goal in Game 3 against the New York Rangers, Letang became the highest goal-scoring defenseman in Penguins playoff history. He now has 16 career postseason goals, one more than Larry Murphy tallied in black and gold.Letang now has a goal and two assists this spring, and he played a game-high 26:32 on Tuesday.The Montreal native, who will turn 29 later this month, enjoyed the most productive season of his career in 2015-16, with 16 goals and 51 assists in 71 games. He was a big part of the Penguins' second-half resurgence, and has continued his stellar play in the postseason.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Funny what happens when skill players are matched together.Formerly exiled to the AHL in light of a trade request made public, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin - who entered Game 4 with one assist - recorded a trio of helpers Tuesday, two of which came on power-play goals scored by Nikita Kucherov.The second assist was of the primary variety, displaying great patience and vision on the part of the 21-year-old.

The worst part is, Chris Kreider wasted an impressive celebration.The New York Rangers forward thought he opened the scoring in Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but as is becoming customary in these playoffs, the goal was reviewed after a coach's challenge and ruled offside by the slimmest of margins.Here's how close it was:

Nikita Kucherov knows how to start a show.The Tampa Bay Lightning winger opened the scoring in Game 4 against the Detroit Red Wings with a power-play goal, marking the third time he's recorded the first marker of the night over the course of the series.Judging by his reaction, he's becoming quite used to it.The goal was Kucherov's fourth of the postseason, and was assisted by Tyler Johnson and Jonathan Drouin.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

So, Tyler Johnson can fly. But the diminutive Tampa Bay Lightning forward would probably have preferred to stay on his skates in this case.Detroit Red Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey sent Johnson for a ride early in Game 4 on Tuesday, using his size and weight advantage to launch Johnson out of the Detroit zone.Johnson got up and got the last laugh, at least early on, assisting on another game-opening goal by Nikita Kucherov.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Even for the best, the well sometimes runs dry.Jaromir Jagr hasn't scored in the playoffs in a long time - 34 games to be precise - and even though he's been playing forever, he's not immune to squeezing the stick a little bit tighter. It's been four years, after all."Sometimes you're too hot and it goes in and sometimes it goes the other way," the Florida Panthers' 44-year-old forward said, according to the Sun Sentinel's Harvey Fialkov. "The toughest thing is just don't get frustrated when things don't go the right way. It's tough for me and I've played for 24 years."It's like they say," Jagr added, "when everything goes right it's easy. Everybody can drive the bus if everything is good."Jagr's pointless through three games against the New York Islanders in the first round, but has nine shots on goal. He's a minus-3, but played a season-high 22:14 in Game 3.His line has generated chances, and Jagr thinks it's coming down to puck luck."I think it's a matter of time," he said. "Everything is a lot tighter, so to score goals it's a little bit tougher. (The Islanders are) playing good defense, so we should score on power plays, and we didn't do that ... It's wait and see."The Panthers trail the series 2-1. They have one power-play goal in seven opportunities. Game 4 goes Wednesday night.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The captain is back.New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh is in the lineup in Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Matt Murray is the Pittsburgh Penguins' starting goalie for Game 3 against the New York Rangers.The 21-year-old is making his NHL playoff debut.

An ugly hit on Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov opened the floodgates Monday, and the Philadelphia Flyers paid the price.Motivated by six unanswered goals to take a imposing 3-0 series lead, the Capitals were hungry for more."We wanted seven," Washington forward T.J. Oshie told Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post. "Hit the post there on one of them."The final period was chippy, to say the least, and the Flyers were hemmed in their own zone while the Capitals relentlessly pushed for more."I mean, they're always talking a lot, so it's always nice to shut their mouth with a couple goals," Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky said.Jason Chimera shared the same opinion as his teammates, and was happy to watch the Capitals pour it on."Obviously you want to kick a team when they're down, for sure," the Washington winger said. "When their emotions get the best of them and they start taking penalties, you want to take advantage of that."Washington did just that, scoring five power play goals.In a chaotic 20 minutes, the Capitals flexed their first-place muscles at the expense of a division rival on the ropes."The fact that we can have that meltdown in their rink is awesome," Caps enforcer Tom Wilson said.Game 4 is slated for Wednesday night. Expect more fireworks.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare will not play Game 4 against the Washington Capitals.The Philadelphia Flyers forward has been suspended one game for an illegal check from behind on Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov in Game 3 on Monday.(Courtesy: NHL.com)As explained in the video, Bellemare - who was assessed a major and a game misconduct at the time of the play - rode Orlov forcefully into the boards as both players pursued the puck in Washington's zone.While it's believed that the hit became more violent because Orlov lost an edge, it was still Bellemare's responsibility to change the angle of approach in order to minimize the force of the hit or avoid delivering the check altogether.The one-game decision was reached, in part, because Orlov wasn't injured on the play and Bellemare had not been previously suspended.Game 4 is Wednesday in Philadelphia.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Suddenly, the pressure is on the San Jose Sharks.After two wins in Los Angeles to open the series, the Sharks woes at home continued Monday, falling 2-1 in overtime to the Kings.Captain Joe Pavelski and linemate Joe Thornton have been the catalysts for San Jose's offense through three games, but after only three goals in the last two contests, Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer is looking for more production from everybody.When asked if he'd like to see more from lines two-through-four, DeBoer didn't beat around the bush."I think that's probably a little bit of an understatement," he said, according to Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area.Each game has been decided by one goal, and the Sharks are approaching treacherous waters if their supporting cast fails to show up.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite being held without a point through the Philadelphia Flyers' three losses to the Washington Capitals, captain Claude Giroux certainly isn't lacking in confidence as he looks forward to Wednesday's game as his team sits on the brink of elimination."First thing we need to do is believe we can come back," he said, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "Can't be looking at the big picture and know we've got to win four games. ... We just have to win Game 4."After we win Game 4, we'll be able to get momentum and kind of go from there."Giroux does have experience with coming back from three games down, being the only Flyer remaining from the 2010 team that won four straight to upset the Boston Bruins in seven games during the second round. That team went on to lose in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Chicago Blackhawks.The Flyers' top line of Giroux, Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds currently have the same number of points in the series as opposing goalie Braden Holtby - one.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Semin, hockey champion.The former handsomely paid NHL sniper, who was banished by the Montreal Canadiens in December, helped Metallurg Magnitogorsk capture a second Gagarin Cup in two seasons with a 3-1 win over CSKA Moscow on Tuesday.

Canada is loyal to its seven defective NHL franchises.Ken Campbell of the Hockey News reports that Sportsnet and CBC - which share exclusive rights to broadcast the NHL in Canada - have seen a cratering 61 percent viewership decline through five nights of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Campbell noted that there were nearly 800,000 more viewers last year, when the playoffs featured five Canadian teams and a pair of all-Canadian matchups.It's the first time in 46 years that the tournament was devoid of Canadian entries.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets signed defenseman Gabriel Carlsson to a three-year entry-level contract, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced Tuesday.The 19-year-old was selected 29th overall in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Playing in the Swedish Hockey League this past season, he recorded one goal and eight assists in 45 games with Linkoping."We are excited about his future as he is a smart, two-way defenseman who has a chance to be a very good player as he continues to grow and develop," Kekalainen said.Carlsson also represented Sweden in the 2016 World Juniors, recording three assists in seven games, as his team finished fourth in the tournament.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan McDonagh's been upgraded from "doubtful."The New York Rangers captain is now being considered a game-time decision for Tuesday's Game 3 versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, his status hinging on a visit with the team doctors in the afternoon.McDonagh has missed the previous five games after suffering an apparent hand injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault indicated Monday that McDonagh was a long shot for Game 3.As of now, there's no word on who would come out of the lineup.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Undeterred, the New York Rangers will unpack cardboard boxes and dole out projectile-potential tokens anyway.One night after select Philadelphia Flyers fans littered the ice with wristbands given out to honor late owner Ed Snider in Game 3, New York will risk a similar fate in its clash with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Down two games to none as the series heads to Tennessee, the Anaheim Ducks hope a goalie change can put them in the win column as head coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed Tuesday that Frederik Andersen will start Game 3 against the Nashville Predators.He will replace the Ducks' starter for their opening two games, John Gibson - who posted a .900 save percentage while allowing three goals in a pair of 3-2 losses.This announcement comes just days after Boudreau voiced his confidence in the rookie netminder, but it appears the Ducks are looking to shake things up as they find themselves in desperate need of a win.Andersen, who shares this year's Jennings trophy with Gibson for allowing the least goals in the NHL during the regular season, has just one regulation loss over 24 appearances since Jan. 1.The 26-year-old recorded a shutout in the Ducks' final game of the regular season, after missing five games with a concussion.It also appears that veteran forward Shawn Horcoff will make his series debut, likely replacing Chris Wagner, according to Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One day after their 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals that saw their fans throw commemorative wristbands onto the ice in frustration, Philadelphia Flyers Chief Operating Officer Shawn Tigler released a statement regarding the incident Tuesday:

Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik will not be in the lineup for Game 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers after suffering an upper-body injury during Game 3, head coach Barry Trotz announced Tuesday.He is considered day to day.Related: Capitals' Orpik helped off ice after questionable hit​The veteran blue-liner was helped off the ice after being hit into the boards by Flyers forward Ryan White.Orpik has zero points and a minus-1 rating so far in the series. After playing over 20 minutes in the opening two games, his night ended early Monday with just under 11 minutes of ice time.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals starter Braden Holtby exited practice early Tuesday morning after being involved in a collision with a teammate.According to reports, the Vezina Trophy candidate was flexing his left knee in discomfort and, after taking a few more shots, headed into the back with a trainer.Holtby's health is obviously of utmost concern to the Capitals, who have their sights transfixed on a championship. But there's at least one member of the club not overly worried about the incident.

The Pittsburgh Penguins had three goalies on the ice at the team's optional skate Tuesday - none of which were incumbent Marc-Andre Fleury, who will miss his third straight game to begin the postseason.Matt Murray, though, who hasn't dressed in the series versus the New York Rangers since suffering a head injury in the last game of the regular season, was seeing rubber.His presence (and location during the skate) indicates he could start, but the starter in Games 1 and 2 Jeff Zatkoff, was first off the ice - a sign that typically means he'll go.However, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan is continuing to keep his counterpart Alain Vigneault guessing, telling reporters that Murray is "an option" in Game 3.Fleury is officially considered day to day.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL fans have every right to protest.Boston Bruins supporters, for example, performed their civic duty on the second-to-last day of the season, mercilessly booing their team in the fading moments of a 6-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators. It was a fitting response to the lethal blow in what was a pain-staking, month-long collapse.Upset in their own right Monday, Flyers fans had similar intentions when the home side, clearly outmatched in their first-round series with the Washington Capitals, saw a third straight game - and really, the series - slip away.It was innocent enough to start. Audible restlessness, smatterings of boos. That was until it wasn't.Excited perhaps by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare driving Dmitry Orlov into the endboards from behind, or Radko Gudas taking the opportunity to throw punches at an opponent three or four weight classes below his, or because they just didn't want to see a Capitals power play - which scored five goals with the extra man in the game - go to work again, they stepped over the line.After Alex Ovechkin's 5-1 goal and after warnings and pleas from the PA announcer, Flyers fans littered the ice with light-up bracelets given out to honor late owner Ed Snider. One of them even hit Orlov in the face as the trainer worked to clean up the abrasions from Bellemare.It was an embarrassing night for the Flyers organization and a horrible look for the league, which had two of the more important franchises on national air.But in truth, this isn't anything new - there's a long history of fans misbehaving in the NHL.Domi's dust upThis Flyers fan didn't step over the line, he toppled over it.Chris Falcone's infamous dust up with former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Tie Domi is, for better or worse, one of the more memorable fan moments in the league's history.Vancouver riotWhile the Bruins celebrated with the Stanley Cup inside the arena, the streets of Vancouver burned on the outside.There were more than 100 injuries, more than 100 arrests, more than 300 people charged, and countless vehicles flipped when a riot broke out in the streets of Vancouver after the Canucks' Game 7 loss to Boston in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.The estimated cost to clean up the damage was at $4 million-$5 million.Asselstine decks fanFormer linesman Ron Asselstine did his best to help discourage future fan runners, blasting an intruder in a 1989 game at the Boston Garden.Waffle tossCatharsis by way of waffle.Maple Leafs fans showed their frustration in a unique way during the team's third straight last-place finish in the 2009-10 season, chucking frozen breakfast treats onto the ice.Richard RiotIn 1955, there was a riot in the Montreal Forum when former NHL president Clarence Campbell showed face at a Canadiens game after suspending Maurice "Rocket" Richard for the remainder of the season.He was pelted with food and debris and physically assaulted before a tear gas bomb was set off in the arena, forcing an evacuation.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare will have a hearing for his hit on Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov during Game 3 of their first-round series, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday.Bellemare was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for hitting Orlov from behind, sending him head-first into the boards while chasing the puck in the corner.Fans then began littering the ice with bracelets - with one even hitting Orlov in the face while he was being treated on the Capitals bench - earning the Flyers a two-minute penalty for delay of game.Fortunately, the 24-year-old blue-liner was able to remain in the game.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes announced Tuesday that they signed an agreement to purchase their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, pending approval from the AHL Board of Governors.Once approved, the Coyotes plan to move the team closer to home, relocating the franchise from Springfield, Mass. to Tuscon, Ariz. for the start of next season.They plan to play in the Tucson Convention Center, according to Arizona Sports' Craig Morgan. The arena seats about 6,700 for hockey.The Falcons finished last in AHL attendance this season, averaging just over 3,100 fans per game.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have begun interviewing candidates for their vacant head coaching position, and among those interviewed is former Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo.Senators general manager Pierre Dorion met with the 42-year-old over the weekend, TSN's Darren Dreger reports. Yeo was fired in February after the Wild lost 13 of 14 games, and was replaced by John Torchetti.Over five seasons with Minnesota, Yeo led the Wild to three consecutive postseason berths from 2013-2015, only to be eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in all three playoff appearances.On Monday, Luke Richardson - who had coached the Senators' AHL affiliate for the past four seasons - left the organization after Dorion told him he was not on their list of potential coaching candidates.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Scott's All-Star tale received its storybook conclusion Monday ... at the local Honda dealership.The NHL's polarizing reigning All-Star MVP picked up his winnings - a brand new family van - for captaining the Pacific All-Stars to a win in the event's first ever 3-on-3 tournament back in January.But though Scott has only just collected his new ride, the final two seats were claimed just a few days after captivating the hockey world in late January.The MVP's wife, Danielle, made Scott the father of four girls Feb. 5, delivering twins.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Though a 6-1 home loss to the Washington Capitals was embarrassing enough, the most disappointed member of the Philadelphia Flyers organization may have been longtime PA announcer Lou Nolan.Related: Flyers' White after fans throw bracelets: 'I'd have done it too'As fans began littering the ice with commemorative bracelets, Nolan warned the Wells Fargo Center crowd to stop, by pleading:"Hold those wristbands in your hands, show some class. This is Philly, not somewhere else in the NHL."Eventually, the Flyers were given a delay of game penalty due to their fans' efforts, and Nolan couldn't help but voice his displeasure with the crowd as he announced the penalty, giving a sarcastic "Way to go!"

Jonas Hiller's headed home.The veteran netminder signed a three-year contract with Switzerland National A outfit EHC Biel, ending his nine-year professional run in North America before testing the unrestricted free-agent market this summer.