The Detroit Red Wings may have a massive hole to fill on their roster this summer.There's a "legitimate chance" center Pavel Datsyuk will forego the final year of his contract with the club in favor of returning to his native Russia and signing with a KHL club, Sportnet's Elliot Friedman reported Saturday on the "Headlines" segment of Hockey Night In Canada.From Friedman:

With nary a glimpse from Sonny Milano, fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets were afforded an opportunity to peer deep into the future.The first-round pick from 2014 collected his first NHL point Saturday night, landing an exact, no-look backhand feed onto the stick of goal-hawk Brandon Saad in the second period of their matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Stars head coach Lindy Ruff reached a significant milestone with Saturday's win over the Los Angeles Kings.

Steven Stamkos missed his first game this season Saturday versus the New Jersey Devils due to an upper-body injury.It's the Tampa Bay Lightning captain's first game lost to injury since returning from a broken leg in March 2014, Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Bay Tribune notes.Stamkos sat out practice Friday and wasn't a participant at the team's morning skate.He was vocal following Thursday's shutout loss to the Montreal Canadiens, challenging the "passengers" in the Lightning lineup. From the press box, he'll now have a better vantage point at who may or may not be coasting.Tampa Bay remains two points behind the first-place Florida Panthers with five games remaining.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The captain isn't happy.John Tavares had some choice words for his New York Islanders teammates following a 5-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday, calling them out for picking the wrong time of year to underperform."We went out there and got embarrassed because we didn't play hard enough. This time of year, that is unacceptable," he told reporters. "Everyone has to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves how much they want it."It's a sentiment shared by head coach Jack Capuano, who appears to have Tavares' back.

The Toronto Maple Leafs officially have another first-round pick on their 2016 draft board.The latest pick comes courtesy of the Pittsburgh Penguins clinching a playoff berth, thereby closing the Phil Kessel trade with the transfer of their first-round selection to Toronto.The Maple Leafs will be busy during this year's entry draft.RoundPicks12223242516271It's all part of the plan.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

No Malkin. No Fleury. No problem.Rookie netminder Matt Murray stopped all 24 shots he faced as the Pittsburgh Penguins clinched their tenth consecutive playoff berth with a 5-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone underwent surgery Friday to repair ACL and MCL injuries, and will miss a minimum of six months, head coach Dave Tippett announced Saturday.The 25-year-old was hurt near the end of a 2-1 win on March 26 against the Philadelphia Flyers, in which he was credited with the game-winning goal.Stone's season ends prematurely with a career-high 36 points in 75 games.Tippett expects to have fellow defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson back in the lineup Saturday against the Washington Capitals after missing one game due to illness.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

By setting up a Justin Schultz point shot that Patric Hornqvist would deflect into the net, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby joined an exclusive club Saturday with the 600th assist of his NHL career.

After being banned six games for a stick-swinging incident against the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith told reporters Saturday he will not appeal the suspension."There's a limit there and I gotta know that," Keith said, according to Mark Lazerus of the Sun-Times. "I will.""Everybody wants to have a reputation as a clean, honest player. There's a line and a limit," Keith continued. "It's just being smarter and knowing that."Keith also said he has spoken with Wild forward Charlie Coyle - the victim of the stick swing - and apologized for his actions.The 32-year-old will miss the Blackhawks' final five games of the regular season, as well as the team's first postseason game.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A Saturday afternoon tilt between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders featured a battle of rookie goaltenders, and it was Islanders 'keeper Jean-Francois Berube who cracked first.While on a power play, Berube's attempted pass to defenseman Nick Leddy went straight to the stick of Penguins forward Oskar Sundqvist, who took the puck and wristed home a short-handed tally for the first goal of his NHL career.Matt Murray started in goal for the Penguins, who are without Marc-Andre Fleury after he was diagnosed with his second concussion of the season.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One day after the league cited Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri for three diving/embellishment offences from the past two months, earning him a $5,000 fine, the 25-year-old shared his frustration with reporters Saturday."I didn't agree with it nor did I like it," Kadri said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.The timing of the fine was noteworthy, since Monday the Maple Leafs' leading scorer told reporters, "I've never once been fined even for embellishing or diving and I've been around a little while now."

Already without Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh's road to home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs just became even tougher.Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has suffered a concussion and will not be available for Saturday's game against the New York Islanders, the team announced.There is no timetable for his return, according to Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. An update on his condition is expected Monday."Marc wasn't feeling well when he came to the rink (Friday) and we sent him to see our doctors," said head coach Mike Sullivan. "He was diagnosed with a concussion (Friday) afternoon, so he's not with us right now."The 31-year-old most recently played in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators. It's the second concussion of the season for the netminder after he missed two weeks of action in December with another head injury. Since returning in the new year, he has been one of the league's top goaltenders.YearGP WLOSOPre-Jan. 125131022Post-Jan. 13322743Matt Murray will take the reins in net for the foreseeable future. The 21-year-old rookie has a 5-2-1 record in eight starts so far this season. Jeff Zatkoff will serve as his backup.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Milan Michalek will miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury, the team announced Saturday.The 31-year-old was injured during Thursday's loss to the Buffalo Sabres. He appeared in 13 games with the Maple Leafs after being traded by the Ottawa Senators in February, recording one goal and five assists.In a corresponding move, Frederik Gauthier was recalled from the AHL's Toronto Marlies on an emergency basis.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers announced their nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Friday, and many would agree with goaltender Roberto Luongo about the selection of the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.""It can only be Jaromir Jagr, right?" Luongo said, according to George Richards of the Miami Herald. "I mean, if there's one person who is dedicated to the game, it's him. He's on it 24/7. You have to if you're going to do what he does at that age."Related: Dupuis, Gostisbehere, O'Reilly among Masterton Trophy nomineesDespite being the oldest player in the NHL, Jagr is leading the Panthers in scoring with 61 points as his team sits first in the Atlantic Division. The 44-year-old credits his success to simply enjoying what he does everyday."You have to love the game if you're going to play at a high level," said Jagr. "Sometimes if you love (the game) and sacrifice everything for it, the worst thing is not seeing any results for whatever reason."This year, even when I was traded here last year, I've been able to play with really good players. That's made my motivation even higher. The better you feel, the better you play."Jagr has repeatedly stated he does not want to retire, and Panthers co-owner Doug Cifu has stated he wants to have him back, but the pending free agent says he will not discuss his contract situation until season's end.The local chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' association nominates a candidate from each team for the Masterton.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After a 31-goal, 73-point campaign last season earned Nick Foligno the captaincy with the Columbus Blue Jackets last May, his first campaign with the 'C' has been a huge disappointment, recording just nine goals and 25 assists in 67 games.But despite the fact head coach John Tortorella has publicly criticized his play, don't expect the letter to be stripped from Foligno's jersey."Nick is our captain," Tortorella said, according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. "There's been zero discussion of (changing captains)."While acknowledging that Foligno's had a "bad year" and "needs to get himself straightened up," the Blue Jackets coach says there needs to be a change in leadership throughout the team, whether a player wears a letter or not.Foligno, meanwhile, appears to have a strong relationship with the new bench boss, telling Portzline they have discussed his role as captain at length."Torts has been great," Foligno said. "He's talked to me a lot and helped me through it. He understands it's my first crack at it, and it's going to get better. He knows my heart is in the right place. We're going to do it together."The 28-year-old Buffalo, N.Y. native is the sixth captain in Blue Jackets history.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

More reason to believe that this iteration of the Washington Capitals is the best ever.Washington became just the 10th team in NHL history to accumulate 55 wins in a season, triumphing 4-2 over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.With five games left on the schedule, which in addition to giving Braden Holtby multiple opportunities to match and likely surpass Martin Brodeur for the single-season wins record (he sits one back with 47), the Capitals could ascend to as high as a tie for second in wins across an 82-game campaign.The 1995-95 Detroit Red Wings hold the record at 62 wins, while the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens hold down the second spot with 60. The 2009-10 Capitals, which piled up 121 points, won 54 games.Washington will have another opportunity to dive deeper into the record books Saturday in Arizona.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After the Nashville Predators, stuck on 91 points, wasted a trio of chances to punch their ticket into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this week, the Presidents' Trophy champions stepped up and did it for them.Nashville has officially qualified for the playoffs for the second straight season and ninth time in franchise history as a result of the Washington Capitals' 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.The rest of the night's results will contribute to the Predators likely finishing where they currently stand, slotted in the Western Conference's first wild-card position. The Chicago Blackhawks won, tightening their grip on the third postseason seed in the Central while the Minnesota Wild lost in Detroit, keeping them four points back with just three games left.The Predators have four games left on the schedule before likely opening second-season play against the Pacific Division winner.Colorado remains alive, despite the loss, but missed its opportunity to close to within three points of the final wild-card spot.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tom Wilson has taken another victim.The Washington Capitals bruiser knocked defender Nikita Zadorov out of Friday's game with a crushing open-ice hit behind the Colorado Avalanche net. There's some debate as to whether or not the hit was clean, but while Wilson had speed, and the blow appeared somewhat predatory, he didn't pick up his feet or target the defender's head. In fact, he appeared to adjust his path, leaning down, to avoid such contact.Zadorov stayed down for several moments, but was able to glide off the ice under his own power. The Avalanche later confirmed he suffered a head injury.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane hit the 40-goal plateau for the first time in his career, and made up important ground in his crusade toward a first triple-digit scoring campaign in Friday's overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets.With an assist on an Artemi Panarin goal to go along with his 40th, the Hart Trophy favorite pushed his season total to 96 points. He will achieve a triple-digit total should he score at a point per game over his remaining four starts.The NHL hasn't had more than one 100-point scorer since 2009-10. Jamie Benn, who hit the 40-goal mark Thursday night, won the scoring title with 87 points last season.Kane's milestone marker also saw him become the first 40-goal man in club history since Tony Amonte in 1999-2000.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tyler Seguin openly pulling for the Boston Bruins?The injured Dallas Stars scorer - traded out of Boston after earning a Stanley Cup ring with the organization - shared fleeting support for his former club, which he was watching cling to a third-period lead over the St. Louis Blues - hard-charging in the Central Division - on Friday night.

Hundreds of former NHL players - including Paul Kariya, Alex Mogilny, and Darcy Tucker - have received workers compensation in California for head injuries suffered in their playing careers, TSN's Rick Westhead reports.Westhead cites a document under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act detailing that a total of 431 NHL players have been compensated since 2008 - 86 percent of which for head trauma.The latest turn in the ongoing concussion lawsuit against the league came this past week when unflattering emails involving NHL commissioner Gary Bettman as well as other high-ranking officials and influential industry types were released to the public.This latest information published by Westhead is further evidence of the omnipresence of head injuries in hockey.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Swedish hockey factory MODO was relegated from the country's top tier in a dramatic overtime loss to Leksands IF on Friday, in turn provoking markedly different responses from the sport's most-famous Forsbergs.Let's start with the fury from MODO legend and current assistant general manager Peter Forsberg, who we should note shares no kinship with a certain star forward of the Nashville Predators.

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith has been suspended for the final five games of the regular season plus one in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for his violent stick swing at the face of Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle.NHL disciplinarian Stephane Quintal and his team deemed there was calculated intent as Keith wound up and he whipped his stick "dangerously and violently" directly at the face of Coyle.Quintal also pointed out that Coyle having tripped Keith, perhaps illegally, was "irrelevant" in scrutinizing the defenseman's actions.By rule, Keith was not considered a repeat offender, but the NHL did note that he's been suspended twice previously, and once for a similar incident.The Conn Smythe Trophy winner from last summer will be eligible to return to the Blackhawks' lineup in Game 2 of their first-round series.He will forfeit nearly $150,000 as a result of the ban.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the spirit of April Fools' Day, here are five narratives from the 2015-16 season you'd have surely believed were pranks a year ago.1. 1st-place PanthersThe Florida Panthers were a decent hockey club in 2014-15, finishing with 91 points and a positive Corsi For rating. They missed the playoffs, yeah, but it was clear Gerard Gallant was selling something worth buying.Fast forward a year: the Panthers are in first place in the Atlantic with 10 days to go, Jaromir Jagr leads the team in scoring, and Roberto Luongo's .924 save percentage is sixth among goalies who've played at least 50 games.It's going to rain rats in Florida in the playoffs. That ain't no joke.2. Scoring StarsSorry if the Dallas Stars missed all that talk about larger nets, bigger ice, and smaller goalie equipment. They were busy scoring all the goals.Sure, scoring's down, but the Stars aren't complainers - they're doers. Dallas has a whopping 256 goals with four games to go - 36 more than the next highest-scoring Western playoff team, and 19 more than the presidential Washington Capitals.The Stars have allowed 221 goals, far more than any other playoff team in the NHL, and that's troubling. But for a team to allow that many and still end up with the West's best goal differential (plus-35) is both surprising and good for the game.3. Holtby takes down BrodeurIt isn't surprising that Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby is going to break Martin Brodeur's single-season record of 48 wins in a season by a goalie - Washington's that good. What's shocking is the fact Holtby can break the record in 65 starts. Brodeur needed 78.Holtby's 46-9-5 and the Capitals have six games to play. He won't start them all, but you know he wants that record, and 50. If he wins his next three starts, he'll have won 49 in 65. If he wins his next four, 50 in 66. Remarkable.4. The Oilers will finish last, and probably draft 1stYou will have to pry last place from the cold, dead hands of the Edmonton Oilers.Even with Connor McDavid - undoubtedly the league's best rookie, whether he wins the award to prove it or not - in the fold, the club heads into the final two weeks of the season in last place in the NHL. Yeah, McDavid was hurt, but be honest - you didn't think the Oilers would be this bad, again.While the Oilers are officially tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton has played two more games than Toronto, and the Maple Leafs, as is their custom, are playing decent hockey to close the season.Should the Oilers finish last, they'll have the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick in the coming entry draft, where it's expected Auston Matthews will be selected first overall. Should the Oilers win the lottery again, it will be the fifth year in seven they will draft first.5. The Red Wings will miss the playoffsEverything ends. It's the way of the world. And the Detroit Red Wings are on the outside of the playoff picture April 1, their streak of consecutive playoff appearances set to end at 24.But don't blame Jeff Blashill, who had the unenviable task of replacing Mike Babcock behind the Red Wings' bench. Instead, look no further than Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard.Goaltending has been Detroit's demise. When the Red Wings needed Mrazek and Howard the most, they failed. Mrazek posted an .884 save percentage in nine March starts, while Howard was even worse, his .886 save percentage in five starts and eight games is his worst in any month of the season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals will be without Nicklas Backstrom for Friday's game against the Colorado Avalanche for precautionary reasons, head coach Barry Trotz confirmed.The forward is dealing with an upper-body injury, and his status is uncertain for Saturday's game against the Arizona Coyotes.The 28-year-old ranks second on the Capitals in both assists (47) and points (67) behind leading-scorer Evgeny Kuznetsov.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A trio of NHLers were slapped with fines for diving/embellishment by the NHL on Friday as Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri was fined $5,000 while Arizona Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal and Edmonton Oilers forward Nail Yakupov were each fined $2,000.Kadri was technically fined twice for a pair of citations in the past month. He was fined $2,000 for an incident during a March 12 game against the Ottawa Senators and $3,000 for an incident during a March 21 game against the Calgary Flames.He received a warning from the NHL after diving during a Feb. 4 game against the New Jersey Devils. Every additional citation following a warning from the league results in a fine under NHL Rule 64.Citation Player Fine Coach Fine1WarningN/A2$2000N/A3$3000N/A4$4000$20005$5000$3000If he is cited for embellishment for a fourth time this season, he would be fined $4,000, and Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock would be fined $2,000.Hanzal and Yakupov were each fined $2,000 as they had both received a warning from the NHL earlier in the season. Both players were flagged for actions during a March 12 game between the Coyotes and Oilers.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche need help to make the playoffs, and this is a start.Matt Duchene will be back in the lineup Friday against the Washington Capitals, head coach Patrick Roy confirmed."He's ready to go," Roy said.Duchene hasn't played since March 16 due to a knee injury, and he was hot when he went down. He was riding a four-game point streak (two goals, four assists) and had points in six of seven games in March.The Avalanche went 3-3 without him, and sit five points back of the Minnesota Wild for the second wild-card spot in the West with five games to play (and one game in hand). The schedule isn't easy, though: Washington, St. Louis, Nashville, Dallas, and Anaheim.Duchene has 29 goals and 27 assists.There's no update on Nathan MacKinnon, who hasn't played since March 18, so it's assumed he's out Friday, and likely Sunday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sidney Crosby is heating up at the right time for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the wrong time for the rest of the NHL.No. 87 was named the NHL's first star for the month of March, the league announced Friday. Crosby had 21 points in 16 games - and at least a point in 15 of those 16 games - as the Penguins marched to a 12-4 record.Crosby's now up to third in league scoring, and has more points than any player in 2016 - 53 (20 goals) in 40 games.Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk was named March's second star, thanks to a 10-2-1 record and .927 save percentage in a crucial month for his team.Dubnyk's followed up on his breakthrough 2014-15 season with a solid campaign for the Wild, becoming a 30-game winner for the first time in his career and tying his career high with five shutouts.San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns was named third star for the month of March, helping his club clinch a playoff spot.Burns' 13 assists and 19 points ranked second among all players in March. He's having a career season on the blue line in San Jose, setting a club record for goals in a campaign by a defenseman (27).Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks have lost arguably their best player over the past three months, as the team announced goalie Frederik Andersen has suffered a concussion.Andersen was hurt during Wednesday's game against the Calgary Flames. He was pulled after allowing three goals on five shots in 11 minutes of action in relief of John Gibson, who was pulled after a collision with defenseman Hampus Lindholm.The 26-year-old has suffered just one regulation loss in 23 appearances since Jan. 1, recording a pair of shutouts to help the Ducks battle for first in the Pacific Division. Gibson will take the reins in the Anaheim crease, and Anton Khudobin has been recalled from the AHL's San Diego Gulls.The team also announced the loss of a pair of forwards, as David Perron, who was hurt during a March 20 game against the Winnipeg Jets, will miss four-to-six weeks with a separated right shoulder. Meanwhile, Rickard Rakell will miss a week of action due to appendicitis.

Mark Stone is fine, somehow.After the Ottawa Senators forward was demolished by Dustin Byfuglien on Wednesday, Stone's been checked out in Ottawa and is dealing with soreness, nothing more, according to the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch.Here's the hit that left Stone with an upper-body injury, if there ever was one:

The New York Islanders have suffered a major loss on their blue line, as head coach Jack Capuano announced Friday that defenseman Travis Hamonic has been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season with a lower-body injury.Hamonic left Thursday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets after what appeared to be a knee-on-knee collision with forward Scott Hartnell.Capuano says the blue-liner will be re-evaluated at the end of the season, according to Newsday's Laura Albanese.The 25-year-old leads his team in ice time, averaging just under 24 minutes per game. He has recorded five goals and 16 assists in 72 games.The Islanders have yet to clinch a playoff spot, but have won three consecutive games to build a six-point cushion over the top non-playoff team, the Detroit Red Wings, with six games remaining.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

While Senators general manager Bryan Murray says one of his team's most pressing offseason needs is adding a top-six forward, talks seem to have stalled with Ottawa's current leading scorer.Contract negotiations with pending restricted free agent Mike Hoffman are "on hold," Murray told media Friday, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.

London Knights forward Max Jones was suspended 12 games by the OHL on Friday for a head infraction, the league announced.Jones laid a devastating headshot on Owen Sound's Justin Brack on Wednesday:What makes the suspension significant is that it comes in the playoffs, after Game 4 of London's first-round series against Owen Sound. Jones is a repeat offender, and will miss the most important games of his and his team's season. London leads the series 3-1.

It's hard to believe the last time Carey Price was on the ice in a game was on Nov. 25, 2015. He played 40 minutes for the Montreal Canadiens that night, leaving the game with a lower-body injury.Four months later, with Montreal playing out the string, Price is with his teammates on their penultimate road trip and still holding out hope he'll play behind them before the season ends.

The Philadelphia Flyers signed goaltender Ray Emery to a contract for the rest of the season, the club announced Friday.Emery will not be eligible to play in the postseason, should the Flyers qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He's been placed on waivers due to the fact he played overseas this season.With Michal Neuvirth done for the regular season, Emery is insurance in goal for the Flyers over the last two weeks of the season. Steve Mason has been incredible since Neuvirth went down, but backup Anthony Stolarz has never played a game in the NHL.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shocker.Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid was named the NHL's rookie of the month for March, the league announced Friday.McDavid had five goals and 11 assists in 15 games, and went on a career-high tying seven-game point streak March 14-16. He had a goal and nine assists during the run.The 19-year-old has 15 goals and 30 assists in 42 games, his 1.07 points-per-game average ranking third in the NHL.

Brendan Gallagher confirmed Friday that he will be back in the lineup after a near month-long absence Saturday, when his Montreal Canadiens take on the Florida Panthers.The 23-year-old has been out since suffering a lower-body injury during a March 5 game against the Winnipeg Jets.The forward, who has recorded 18 goals and 17 assists this season, practiced Friday on a new top line besideAlex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL may be heading further south as Mexico City sports and government officials are looking to host a pair of NHL games next preseason, Mexican news agency NOTIMEX reports.Mexican Ice Hockey Federation president Joaquin de la Garma has reportedly met with the NHL twice to discuss the proposal. The games would "most likely" be played at Mexico City arena, Palacio de los Deportes, where an ice rink would need to be installed.De la Garma said "it would be the NHL who decides which teams would play," but added the most popular teams in the country are the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, and Pittsburgh Penguins.His hope is to have one game on a Friday night and another on a Sunday at noon.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators signed free-agent defenseman Macoy Erkamps of the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Friday."We are happy to have Macoy join the Senators organization," said general manager Bryan Murray. "He is a player we've had an eye on over the course of his junior career and we've watched him develop into one of the WHL's top defensemen this season. He's a talented, competitive guy whose game took a big jump this season."Erkamps, who is serving as captain of the Wheat Kings, led all WHL defensemen with 58 assists this season and ranked second among blue-liners with 71 points, trailing only teammate Ivan Provorov - a Philadelphia Flyers first-round pick.The 21-year-old was an invitee to the Senators' summer development camp in 2013, and attended the St. Louis Blues' Rookie Camp as a free agent last September.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After a breakout 20-goal campaign earned Colin Wilson a four-year, $15.75-million contract in the offseason, the Nashville Predators forward was hoping to build on his success with "more consistency," but the season hasn't gone the way he or his team hoped.With just five goals and 17 assists through 60 games, the 26-year-old was made a healthy scratch for the first time this season after Thursday's loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and general manager David Poile is hoping it will help him raise his level of play."He's had an off season," Poile said, according to Adam Vingan of The Tennessean. "We can't get around it. ... We're in a results-oriented business, and (Wilson) just hasn't been the same player. Hopefully, this is a wake-up call for him. He's got to find a way to play better. We all know that he can do it."He hasn't been anywhere near as dynamic as he was last year. He had that confidence with the puck, taking the puck to the net, shooting the puck, scoring goals. ... He's just not the same player."Head coach Peter Laviolette called the scratch a tough decision, but stated he wanted his "best 12 forwards" on the ice. But after the loss to the Penguins prevented the Predators from clinching a playoff spot, Wilson may find himself back in the lineup sooner rather than later.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Here's what postseason matchups look like after play on Thursday, March 31:Eastern ConferenceTeamTeamSeason SeriesA1 PanthersW1 Islanders1-1-1A2 LightningA3 Bruins2-1-1 LightningM1 CapitalsW2 Flyers2-0-2 CapitalsM2 PenguinsM3 Rangers3-1 Penguins

Duncan Keith will plead his case Friday, and over the phone.The Chicago Blackhawks defenseman declined his offered in-person hearing, choosing not to travel to the NHL offices to speak to the NHL's Department of Player Safety and address his high stick to the face of Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle.Keith, whose been suspended twice earlier in his career, can be banned in excess of six games for the ugly stick-swinging incident.He earned a match penalty and game misconduct for the transgression, and will likely not be eligible until some point in the postseason.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jaromir Jagr can't stop fans of the Florida Panthers from hurling rats onto the ice to celebrate goals. In fact, he doesn't really mind the rubber rodents. But he does take issue with the two-minute delay-of-game penalties that come with the display.After Thursday's game - a 3-2 win over the New Jersey Devils - the ageless one urged the NHL to step in and prevent officials from punishing the team for their fans' excitement before another incident costs them valuable points, or worse, hurts them in the playoffs."I don't think we should get two minutes for that," Jagr began his postgame scrum. "The league should do something about it. If they are going to give us a penalty every time somebody throw a rat, whoever we play in playoffs is going to hire some guys to throw the rats, and get a power play all game."The fans were warned on multiple occasions not to throw the rats, which were handed out to commemorate the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996.But Jagr doesn't blame them."We're trying to sell the game. You (shouldn't) get penalized for selling the game. It doesn't make sense to me. It shouldn't be like that."The Panthers successfully killed two minor penalties as a result of rats littering the ice after their second and third goals, which helped them move two points clear of the Tampa Bay Lightning atop the Pacific Division.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After a 3-0 shutout loss to the shorthanded Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos directed aim at teammates who've perhaps had complacency creep into their games."We had too many passengers tonight. It's unacceptable," he said, reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times."There's no excuses here," he added. "It's look yourself-in-the-mirror time. If you're not giving the effort, you're letting your teammates down."Tampa coasted after falling behind 2-0 early in the second period, mustering just 12 shots over the next 39-plus minutes.With the loss, the Lightning, who've traded points throughout March, fell two points back of the Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning have just one home date remaining before finishing the season with a four-game road trip.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The beleaguered Montreal Canadiens are down another body, having lost defenseman Nathan Beaulieu for the remainder of the year with a broken thumb.Beaulieu blocked an attempted pass off the blade of Steven Stamkos inside his right glove late in the first period, and didn't return.He finishes the season with a career-best 19 points accrued in 64 games.Brett Lernout, a defenseman drafted in the third round in 2014, is expected to be recalled.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The legend of Jaromir Jagr continues to grow by the day.With a pair of assists in Thursday's win over New Jersey, the Florida Panthers winger recorded points 60 and 61 of the season, marking the 18th time he has reached that plateau since entering the NHL back in 1990.It's also the second time the 44-year-old has eclipsed 60 points since returning from a three-year stint in the KHL, the other coming as a member of the Devils in 2013-14 (67 points).In short, he's one of the most prolific offensive players the game has ever seen.

Chucking rats comes at a cost these days.The Florida Panthers faithful forced their team down a man not once, but twice in Thursday's 3-2 win over the New Jersey Devils. Despite being warned on multiple occasions, flinging rats - especially commemorative ones handed out at the door - is what one does when celebrating goals in Sunrise.

Marc-Andre Fleury has proven to be a consistent winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins.After picking up a victory over Nashville on Thursday, Fleury is now the fourth goalie in NHL history to have seven 35-win seasons, according to the Penguins.