The Detroit Red Wings will likely have a welcome source of inspiration in the building Monday night.Gordie Howe is expected to be in attendance when the Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres at Joe Louis Arena, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.Howe's youngest son, Murray, will drive his father to the game from their home in Toledo, and Mark Howe, the Red Wings' director of pro scouting, also intends to be there.Gordie attended a Red Wings preseason game in September, about 11 months after suffering a serious stroke. The family attributed his unexpected recovery to a round of stem cell treatments in Mexico.His condition had improved so much by February 2015 that he was able to make his first public appearance since the stroke at a charity event in Saskatchewan.The NHL legend's 88th birthday is Thursday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's easy to dismiss Sidney Crosby's game-winning goal against the New York Rangers on Sunday as a fluke, given it went off his knee before finding the back of the net. But to do that would be to overlook the steps the Pittsburgh Penguins took to put themselves in the best possible situation during the overtime session.Winners of four straight on the road and seven of nine upon arriving at Madison Square Garden, the Penguins are making a push to improve their positioning in the Metropolitan Division playoff picture, and the Rangers are the very team they're chasing.With the game squared 2-2 entering overtime, and less than a minute remaining in the extra session, the contest appeared destined for a shootout - but the Penguins weren't prepared to let the festivities reach that point.While the Rangers' star power lies in the crease, the Penguins boast top-heavy scoring talent. In the nine seasons since Crosby's rookie campaign, the Penguins outscored the Rangers all but once.To give his elite scorers another crack at ending the game before the shootout, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan called timeout to get the trio of Crosby, Phil Kessel, and Kris Letang back on the ice."We were trying to get those guys on the ice one more time," Sullivan said. "We think they give us the best chance to win."The game-winning sequence begins with a now rested Crosby winning a battle for the puck deep in the Rangers' zone and getting it back to Letang at the point for a shot from distance.After Letang's shot deflects into the corner, it's recovered by Kessel. At that point, the Rangers are left scrambling, with Derek Stepan following Kessel toward the blue line, and Ryan McDonagh forced to push out to the point to cover Letang.Crosby notices this, and immediately moves to the front of the net where he meets an overmatched Mats Zuccarello.Upon spotting the mismatch in front of Henrik Lundqvist, Letang fires the puck toward the goal mouth, where it ricochets off Crosby into the back of the net to win the game for the Penguins."It was a good play by Tanger just to throw it in an area where I could tip it," Crosby said.The goal gives Crosby points in 14 of his last 15 games, during which time he's tallied seven goals and 22 points.(Images courtesy: NHL)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On Monday, the Ottawa Senators are expected to announce that forward Clarke MacArthur will be shutdown for the remainder of the regular season.The 30-year-old has been sidelined since the second week of the season with a devastating concussion, and while MacArthur has been adamant about a possible return, the team's position in the standings weighed against the risk and reward have made the decision a rather simple one.MacArthur recently opened up to Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen about the grueling season he has had to endure, which all began after a hit during a preseason game that MacArthur admits he tried to hide."It stunned me, it was like the (concussion) before and I was thinking 'oh, no,'" MacArthur said. "I went to the bench, trying to hide it almost, but the trainers saw it."But MacArthur went on playing, hoping that a five-day break before the start of the year would give him enough time to recover. It didn't, and it showed."I would get a couple of passes and think a guy was on me and I would try to move it, but I had, like, 10 feet of room," MacArthur said. "I was stumbling around and I think my balance got tweaked a little bit. How do I bring it up that I'm not good now? I already told them that I was. I had to figure it out before everyone catches on that I can't even play."It was then during a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 14 that he hit his head on the ice, spelling the end of his season, and beginning a strenuous recovery.Nearly three months with almost no improvement, the concussion began taking an emotional tole on MacArhur."I felt like I was failing, this (doctor) said I would be back by January and I can't even work out," MacArthur said. "I’ve got a five-month-old at home. It was tougher on Jess than me. It was pretty scary. Whatever I did with that hit in Columbus, all the vestibular (which controls balance) went to hell in a handbag. Focusing on anything was just painful."In fact, things got so bad for the 10-year veteran that he contemplated retirement."At one point in late November, early December, I was thinking I was done, maybe this is it," MacArthur said. "I had to get out of there. Every day you're coming to the rink and you want to go on the ice. It's like going to Disneyland. Everyone else goes on the rides and you're outside the doors, watching."Eventually after a failed attempt, MacArthur passed the baseline test - used to test post-concussion symptoms. However, with the Senators now eight points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, it appears the best move now is to fight temptation and sit out.MacArthur can now focus solely on a proper recovery and a return next fall.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's just two games but it appears Phil Kessel is finally playing like the All-Star the Pittsburgh Penguins were hoping for when they acquired him in July.After exploding with a goal and four assists during Saturday's 7-2 rout over the Detroit Red Wings, the 28-year-old responded with another great performance Sunday, scoring a goal and assisting the game-winner in a 3-2 overtime win against the New York Rangers.

The defending Stanley Cup champions are heading to the postseason for the eighth consecutive year, as the Chicago Blackhawks clinched a playoff berth Sunday with a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. It will mark their 61st postseason appearance in franchise history.

Edmonton Oilers forward Nail Yakupov has long been the subject of trade rumors, as he has struggled to live up to the billing as a No. 1 overall draft selection.It appears not only hockey fans feel a change of scenery would be best for the 22-year-old, as Igor Eronko of Russian news outlet Sport-Express tweeted Sunday that Yakupov requested a trade before the Feb. 29 deadline and garnered significant interest from around the league, but "something went wrong."

After knocking the opposing teams' captains out of Saturday's game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Arizona Coyotes, Radko Gudas and Martin Hanzal will both avoid discipline from the league and not have hearings for their hits, a source told Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.Coyotes captain Shane Doan left the game after Gudas knocked him to the ice and sandwiched him into the boards. No update has been given on Doan's condition, but it appeared he may have suffered a head injury.Hanzal, meanwhile, forced Claude Giroux from the game after hitting him into the boards from behind. The Flyers have announced their captain is "fine" and will be available for Monday's game against the Jets.The Coyotes forward was not penalized for the hit on Giroux, but did receive a misconduct for boarding Wayne Simmonds in an ensuing scrum.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild signed forward Mario Lucia to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning next season, the club announced Sunday.The 22-year-old wrapped up his career at Notre Dame on Friday with a 3-2 overtime loss to Michigan at the NCAA Tournament. In four seasons with the Fighting Irish, Lucia recorded 61 goals and 49 assists in 110 games.Selected in the second round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (60th overall), he will report to the Wild's AHL affiliate in Iowa on an amateur tryout for the remainder of this season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If the Colorado Avalanche are going to climb back into a playoff spot, they'll have to press on without two of their best players.Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon, both of whom are dealing with knee injuries, have been ruled out of at least the next two games, the team announced Sunday.Duchene has missed the past six games, while MacKinnon has sat out five. The pair has combined for 108 points this season.Colorado is scheduled to visit Nashville on Monday with a game the next night in St. Louis. At that point, the Avalanche will have five games remaining on the schedule, but it may already be too late to make up the gap between them and Minnesota for the final wild-card spot.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cory Schneider is gearing up for a brief stay in Albany.The New Jersey Devils goalie has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to March 4 after suffering a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee, the team announced Sunday.Schneider has been assigned to the club's AHL affiliate on a conditioning stint and will practice with Albany on Monday. He will then return to New Jersey for Tuesday's practice in advance of their game that night against Boston.There's no official word yet on whether he will suit up for that game.Schneider posted a record of 26-23-6 with a .923 save percentage prior to the injury.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers have dodged a huge late-season injury scare.Captain Claude Giroux said he felt "pretty good" after being forced out of Saturday's game in Arizona late in the third period as a result of this hit from Coyotes center Martin Hanzal. On Sunday, the team announced its leading scorer is "fine," and will play Monday against the Winnipeg Jets.

It's only been five games, but Mike Smith has been playing at an incredibly high level since returning to game action for the Arizona Coyotes.The veteran goalie, who was sidelined for over three months with a core muscle injury, has posted a record of 4-1-0, with a save percentage of .965.DateOpponentResultSavesMarch 12@ EdmontonW 4-044March 17San JoseW 3-127March 20@ San JoseL 0-333March 22EdmontonW 4-227March 26PhiladelphiaW 2-134Yes, two of those games came against lowly Edmonton, but San Jose is a playoff team, and Philadelphia is desperate to be one, which adds credence to the majority of those starts.Considering Smith is the team's highest-paid player and remains under contract for three more seasons at a cap hit of $5,666,666, it must be heartening for the Coyotes to see some value being squeezed out of a major investment.Keep in mind, backup Louis Domingue, who more than admirably held down the fort in Smith's absence, is set to become a restricted free agent at season's end, meaning more cap dollars will be slotted at the one position for the young, building club.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The future is bright in Buffalo.Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and Hudson Fasching, all key pieces in general manager Tim Murray's rebuilding plans, combined to make Sabres history during Saturday's game against Winnipeg.All three forwards scored in the 3-2 comeback win over the Jets, marking the first time in franchise history that three different rookies accounted for all of Buffalo's goals in a single game, according to NHL public relations.For Fasching, it was his first at the NHL level after signing with the Sabres out of the University of Minnesota less than a week ago. It's kind of becoming an old habit for Eichel and Reinhart at this point, however, as both have already eclipsed the 20-goal mark, now with 23 and 21 respectively.With 72 points through 75 games, the Sabres have already improved by 18 points in the standings over last season, and at this time next year, they could very well be talking playoffs in Buffalo.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Torchetti has been preaching the same thing over and over since becoming interim head coach of the Minnesota Wild, and what he clearly wants to see out of his players is a solid, responsible, two-way game.Perhaps Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated described it best:

On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. This week, we look at four players we're looking forward to watching in the playoffs.Evgeny KuznetsovCraig Hagerman: The Washington Capitals will enter the playoffs with the best record in the NHL, and while eyes will mostly be on Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, let's not forget the team's leading scorer.Kuznetsov is having a breakout season with the Capitals, leading the team with 53 assists and 73 points, and was named a NHL All-Star. His rookie campaign last year was rather unimpressive, seeing him manufacture just 37 points. But then the playoffs happened.The 23-year-old shared the team lead with five goals in 14 games during the postseason while giving a sneak peak of his pure offensive skill with an incredible solo-effort goal that would hold up as the game-winner in the first round against the New York Islanders.One year later such pretty goals have become the norm for Kuznetsov, and who can forget that deadly no-look pass he seems to have mastered.The Capitals will be a fun team to watch this spring, and you can thank the new kid on the block for that.Robby FabbriJosh Gold-Smith: It's going to be very interesting to see how St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock uses Fabbri in the playoffs.The 20-year-old rookie has really started to produce like a pro with 11 points in his last 12 games. He's shown he belongs at the NHL level, scoring 18 goals and chipping in 19 assists, while earning his minutes on the second line and the second power-play unit.The playoffs are a different beast, though, and the pressure is squarely on Hitchcock and the Blues, who've been ousted in the first round in each of the last three seasons.Alex Steen should be back for the playoffs, but St. Louis' additional forward depth should continue to allow Fabbri to succeed in a supporting role. While much will be expected of the Blues, Fabbri won't be held to the same standard as his veteran teammates in his first postseason experience, and that lack of pressure could help him extend his recent success into the playoffs.Andrew LaddBen Whyte: After being traded by the Winnipeg Jets in late February, Ladd started his second stint with the Chicago Blackhawks at an impressive pace with points in four of his first five games, but his play - and the team's - has since gone sour.Prior to his three-point night Saturday, the forward had just one point in six games, which came in the Blackhawks lone win over that stretch.The reigning Cup champions remain at risk to drop into a wild-card position if their struggles continue. If the Blackhawks hope to defend their title, and the 30-year-old hopes to take a second drink out of Lord Stanley's Mug in the Windy City, he will need to be a key contributor come playoff time.Phil KesselIan McLaren: Kessel certainly hasn't blown up during his first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.Yet, at least.While many expected him to push for 40 goals while playing wingman to either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, he's sitting on a modest 22 through 74 games, and is on pace for his lowest point total since his first year in Toronto back in 2009-10.The potent winger leads the Penguins in total shots (242), but his shooting percentage sits below his career average and is well down from the success rate posted during his two 37-goal seasons with the Maple Leafs.The 28-year-old has scored an impressive 13 goals in the 22 playoff games on his NHL resume, and he will be called upon to step things up in the first round especially, to make up for the absence of the injured Evgeni Malkin.Kessel, who carries a hefty $8-million cap hit (part of which is still being paid by Toronto), broke out in a big way with a five-point game Saturday against Detroit, and can write a new story about his first year with the suddenly rolling Penguins by making an impact when it matters most.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With only two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Nashville Predators are taking a serious bite out of the competition.Over their past 21 games, the Predators have posted a record of 14-2-5, the best among all NHL teams since Feb. 12. And after grabbing at least a point in 19 of those 21 games, they're now only two behind the Chicago Blackhawks in the Central Division, thereby rising from the ranks of wild-card hopefuls to legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.That they remain wholly underrated is just fine with forward James Neal."That's OK with us," he said of the Predators' status as apparent playoff prey, according to Adam Vingan of The Tennessean. "We don't need to ruffle any feathers, I guess you could say. We're going to make noise here, and we'll just continue to keep playing good hockey. Eventually, teams will catch on. Don't want to jinx anything, just want to keep getting better as a team and continue to build our confidence."As things stand, the Predators have a strong hold on the first wild-card spot, which would mean an opening-round matchup with the Los Angeles Kings. But after beating those Kings by a score of 5-2 less than a week ago as part of this current run of success, the Predators aren't too concerned about entering the postseason as underdogs.So confirms defenseman Roman Josi, who set a single-season team record for most assists by a defensemen during Saturday's win over Columbus."I think it's good to fly under the radar," Josi said. "We know what we can do and we have a lot of confidence right now and we know how we can play. It doesn't bother us too much if we don't get the national attention."Winning a playoff round or two would certainly change that.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The reunion was nice, but the win was better.Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen took to Twitter following Saturday's win over the Columbus Blue Jackets to express his feelings in regards to facing his former team for the first time since being traded for defenseman Seth Jones.

Jaromir Jagr literally feels 19 again.Or at least that's what the 44-year-old's production numbers with the Florida Panthers this season would suggest.Related: Jagr becomes 2nd in history to score 25 goals in 18 seasonsWith seven games remaining on the schedule, Jagr is on pace to eclipse his goal and point totals from his rookie year with the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 1990-91.

Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan headed straight to the dressing room during the third period of Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers after being hit into the boards by defenseman Radko Gudas.While carrying the puck into the Flyers' zone, Gudas knocked Doan down and sandwiched the Coyotes forward's head into the boards, leaving him stunned on the ice.

Mark Jankowski's college career ended in double overtime Friday, as his Providence Friars lost to the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, and the 21-year-old will now be eyeing his first pro contract.Jankowski was a first-round draft pick of the Calgary Flames in 2012, and general manager Brad Treliving is optimistic a deal will get done with the promising young forward."He's a young player who has taken considerable steps in the last four years," Treliving said, according to Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald. "We'd like to get him signed, and I'm confident we'll do that."The Flames GM says the Hamilton, Ontario, native has gained around 30 pounds since being drafted, and his game has grown over the past four years as well. The center led the Friars in scoring this season with 15 goals and 25 assists in 38 games after winning an NCAA title in 2015.Jankowski could choose not to sign with the Flames, and instead become an unrestricted free agent in August.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike Babcock doesn't get it.The Toronto Maple Leafs head coach was incensed after his club dropped a 3-1 decision to the Boston Bruins on Saturday, wondering why there was no penalty called for an apparent cross-check on Nazem Kadri late in the third period.Toronto was down 2-1 at the time, and Babcock figured his club was going to go on the power play and have an opportunity to tie the game. Instead, the Bruins iced the game with an empty-net goal 20 seconds later.After the game, Babcock said the officials must have received a memo about Kadri four games ago, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston, asking them not to call penalties on infractions against the Maple Leafs forward, who opposing teams love to hate.Kadri agreed with his head coach."I don't know how we didn't draw one there," he said, according to TSN's Mark Masters. "That was the definition, I thought, of a cross-check.""You'd have to ask (the officials), but I wasn't very hungry," Kadri added. "I didn't want to eat the (boards) there."After missing the call, Babcock hopes the shenanigans are done."It's got to be over with now," he said. "Let's get on with it. If it's a penalty, let's call a penalty."Kadri's one of the league's best players at drawing penalties, but that doesn't exactly give him the best reputation among his fellow NHLers. And perhaps the referees.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers rookie Connor McDavid extended his point streak to seven games - matching his career-best run set in October - by scoring his first goal since March 10. It came while poke-checking the puck off Vincent Lecavalier's stick and in against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.He later added an assist with a perfect no-look pass to Patrick Maroon, increasing his season total to 45 points, and passing Dylan Larkin for fourth in rookie scoring despite playing over 30 games less than any others in the top five.Rookie scoring leadersPlayerGPGAPArtemi Panarin73253964Jack Eichel74232750Max Domi74182947Connor McDavid41153045Dylan Larkin73212243The 19-year-old's tally was one of four goals in the first 11 minutes, with Jordan Eberle, Tyler Toffoli, and Jeff Carter also finding the back of the net to lock the teams in a 2-2 tie.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nova Scotia crowned co-champions Saturday night.The province's female Peewee AA championship ended in a 1-1 tie after seven overtime periods failed to declare a winner, according to the Canadian Press. The TASA Ducks and Pictou County Selects - featuring Nova Scotia's best 10- and 11-year-old female players - are both winners.Peter Twohig, Hockey Nova Scotia's regional director for females, said Saturday's events were unprecedented."The game went on, and went on, and went on," he said. "I’ve seen a lot of triple-overtime games, but I've never seen anything like I watched (Saturday)."It was amazing to me to watch throughout overtime. They were playing with heart and determination. They’re really exceptional athletes."The game began at 11:30 a.m. local time, and was called five hours later when "it was getting clear to me a lot of the girls were at their limit - their physical limit, and also their psychological limit too," Twohig said.After 10 periods of hockey, a shootout wouldn't have been fair, and it was thought another game would be scheduled. But the teams and coaches huddled together and came up with a better idea: co-champions."We've always had a provincial champion. And in my mind, we have a champion this year - we just have champions," Garth Isenor, president of Hockey Nova Scotia said.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TAMPA, Fla. - Jaromir Jagr had a goal and an assist, Roberto Luongo made 33 saves and the Florida Panthers took over first place in the Atlantic Division by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Saturday night.

The St. Louis Blues remain impenetrable.Jake Allen made 32 saves in a 4-0 victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday night, giving St. Louis its fourth consecutive shutout.The Blues haven't allowed a goal since March 16, when they gave up six in a loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

With Arizona native Auston Matthews widely expected to be the first overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, many have speculated his hometown Coyotes would deal All-Star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in order to bring the American home.But when asked about the speculation Saturday, team executives were quick to shut that notion down."That will never happen," Maloney said, per Coyotes senior director of news content Dave Vest, adding that the team's most pressing need this offseason is "another impact defenseman." Ekman-Larsson was drafted sixth overall by Maloney in 2009."We're not trading Oliver for a draft pick," echoed team president Anthony LeBlanc.The Swedish blue-liner currently leads the Coyotes in points for a second consecutive season, recording 20 goals and 31 assists in 68 games entering Saturday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning took the ice Saturday against the Florida Panthers without one of their leading scorers, as Nikita Kucherov is sidelined with a lower-body injury, the team announced. He is considered day-to-day.Kucherov's 61 points tie captain Steven Stamkos for the highest mark on the Lightning entering Saturday's action. The 22-year-old extended his goal-scoring streak to four games Friday with his 29th of the season, matching his career high set one year ago.The Lightning placed 11 forwards and seven defenseman in the lineup for their key division battle, with Valtteri Filppula and Ryan Callahan also out with injuries.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jeff Blashill is looking forward, not back.The Detroit Red Wings head coach delivered some real talk after his team was blown out 7-2 at home by the Pittsburgh Penguins in a game that, like most at this time of year, was virtually a must-win.Blashill didn't go into too many specifics about the game, saying tape would be watched and adding that he knows only one thing moving forward:"I know we gotta win a hockey game Monday," he said.Detroit's first-year head coach once again said his squad didn't show enough resiliency after being scored upon, allowing the Penguins to take control of momentum and the game. The Red Wings opened the scoring and led 1-0 after 20 minutes, but Pittsburgh erupted for four second-period goals, putting the game away."It's a loss," Blashill said. "It was frustrating, it was embarrassing, but it's a loss. That's it. So we have to win a game on Monday."I have tons of belief in these guys. We gotta come here and win a game on Monday, period."The Buffalo Sabres are in Detroit on Monday. Should the Red Wings lose that game, their streak of 24 straight seasons competing in the playoffs will almost surely end over the next two weeks.Blashill added his team must do a better job of keeping the puck out of its net, but wouldn't say if Petr Mrazek or Jimmy Howard would start Monday. Mrazek was pulled after allowing four goals on 27 shots Saturday. Howard didn't fare much better, allowing three goals on 14 shots.Detroit's tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the second wild-card spot in the East with 85 points, but the Flyers will have a game in hand after Saturday night. Philly's in Arizona to face the Coyotes late Saturday. They can pull two points ahead of Detroit with a win.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Less than five minutes after Florida Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck scored his team-leading 25th goal of the season, a man twice his age matched him on the power play.Jaromir Jagr, 44, reached the 25-goal mark for the first time since the 2007-08 season when he played with the New York Rangers, accomplishing the feat Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Jimmy Vesey's future is a hot topic after the Harvard captain's college season came to an end Friday.The Nashville Predators own Vesey's rights after drafting him in 2012, and plan to sort out his status with the club by next week. The club released the following statement Saturday evening:

Mikko Rantanen won't play in the NHL again this season.The Colorado Avalanche prospect will not appear in his 10th game of 2015-16, and, as a result, the club won't be on the hook for the first year of his entry-level contract."We're not going to burn a year, first of all. He will start next year," Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic told Mike Chambers of The Denver Post.Sakic added that a potential expansion draft and the rules about protecting young players are factors in the decision."(Expansion rules) can change, it (has) to be negotiated, but in his first two years he would be treated like a junior player. From our understanding, but not 100 percent, the first two years he won't be exposed so you don't have to protect them."So you can protect your other guys. If expansion (starts) in another year he would be a one-year pro, not a two. If we have to protect him, that's a guy we'll protect. You only (have) so many players to protect."Shortly after Sakic's comments, the Avalanche made it official.

Pavel Datsyuk further cemented his legacy Saturday.The Detroit Red Wings forward picked up an assist on Mike Green's third-period goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins, hitting a big milestone in the process.

It was an unforgettable moment for Hudson Fasching, but he might not remember it.The Buffalo Sabres winger said he was so fired up after scoring his first NHL goal that he nearly blacked out."I was talking to my buddies and my parents and I was like, 'If I score in my first game I don't know what I'm going to do,'" Fasching told reporters postgame, according to John Vogl of The Buffalo News."'I'm going to be blacked out on adrenaline and just so excited,'" Fasching added. "That was almost the case. I was just so excited out there."Fasching beat Winnipeg Jets goaltender Michael Hutchinson for his first career goal in his first game Saturday.Related: VIDEO: Sabres' Fasching, Nelson connect for 1st points in NHL debutsThat wasn't the only time Fasching felt a bit disoriented during the game.

Trevor Gretzky, son of the National Hockey League's all-time points leader Wayne Gretzky, is without an MLB club.The Los Angeles Angels released the 23-year-old outfield prospect on Friday, ending a two-year stint with the club. He hit .242/.312/.318 in 78 games with the Single-A Burlington Bees in 2015.

The Minnesota Wild are adding a local boy.The Wild signed collegiate defenseman Nick Seeler to a two-year, entry-level contract Saturday. The deal will begin next season.Born in Eden Prairie, Minn., the blue-liner spent this season with the University of Minnesota, where he registered 10 points in 36 games.The 22-year-old redshirted in 2014-15 due to NCAA transfer rules after playing two seasons with the University of Nebraska-Omaha.The Wild made Seeler a fifth-round pick in 2011.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres rookie Jack Eichel earned his 50th point of the season with a sizzling wrister against the Winnipeg Jets.Eichel received a no-look, behind-the-back pass from Sam Reinhart before walking in and firing the puck past the glove of Michael Hutchinson.

The Florida Panthers will reportedly look to Sweden to bolster their blue line.The Panthers are primed to land 23-year-old defenseman Linus Hultstrom, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Fingers remain crossed as the Nashville Predators await a decision by NCAA standout Jimmy Vesey.The 22-year-old's college career came to an end Friday as Harvard dropped their opening game of the NCAA championship 4-1 to Boston College, and now Predators' head coach Peter Laviolette is hoping Vesey will join the team that drafted him for their playoff push."There's been a lot of conversations," Laviolette said, according to NHL.com's Robby Stanley. "Right now we deal with this on a daily basis. We're hopeful that Jimmy comes to us."We'll be excited to have him. He's a really good prospect. Now that his season is over, he's going to have to make those decisions."Vesey was drafted by the Predators in the third round in 2012, but decided to return for his senior year of college instead of signing a NHL contract.With college hockey now out of the way, Vesey will have to decide whether he wants to join the Predators or hold out until August, when he will become a free agent.In February general manager David Poile suggested that the team would have a spot for Vesey if he decided to join the team.Vesey finished his senior year with 24 goals and 46 points in 33 games a year after being named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As far as Mike Babcock is concerned, things can be worse than last place.The head coach reflected on his first season behind the Toronto Maple Leafs' bench ahead of Saturday's contest against the Boston Bruins."We're in a much better situation now than probably I could have hoped," Babcock said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.While the Maple Leafs have won three straight games and five of their last six, the team still sits last in the NHL standings with 65 points.Toronto is within striking distance of the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, and Columbus Blue Jackets, who are all within three points of the Maple Leafs with Toronto holding games in hand on each of them.With the highly touted Auston Matthews as the likely prize for the club that wins the draft lottery, though, maybe last place wouldn't be so bad.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With a commanding 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks Friday, the St. Louis Blues punched their ticket to the postseason for the fifth straight season.The win also gives the team a share of top spot in the Western Conference alongside division rivals, the Dallas Stars, while priming the club for what could potentially be their third division title in five years.The Blues have won nine of their last 11 games and look to be gaining momentum as a playoff season approaches. The team has exemplified regular-season dominance over the last handful of years, but have seemingly choked once the season's most meaningful hockey arrives.The team has averaged just under 108 points a season since 2012, but have failed to make it past the second round, while being ousted three times in the conference quarterfinals.The Blues are on thin ice, and look to be replicating Western Conference allies San Jose Sharks for not a great reason.Between 2004 and 2014, the Sharks enjoyed a plethora of dominating regular seasons. The club finished with the top record in the Pacific Division five times, but don't have a single Stanley Cup to show for it.The Sharks had slightly better success in the postseason, reaching the conference finals on three occasions and making it past the first round in seven of the 10 seasons, but once again, have nothing but a slightly shorter golf season to their credit.The continued model of "good but not good enough" finally hit its course last season, seeing the Sharks miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign.As for the Blues, the team was booted from the playoffs last season by the Minnesota Wild after tying the Anaheim Ducks for the best record in the West.The loss left the team fragile and management's confidence appearing to waver, as reports came out that the team made a run at signing then-free agent head coach Mike Babcock, even with Ken Hitchcock at their disposal.The team ultimately failed to acquire the $50-million man, signing Hitchcock to a one-year deal and making it clear that he was on the hot seat.Further roster questions also loom, and will likely be dependent on postseason performance. Captain David Backes has seen production decline, while the last couple trade deadlines have seen eyes pointed toward Kevin Shattenkirk.As both clubs stand, the Blues have better positioned themselves for future success with a talented and young nucleus of players.PlayerAge StatsVladimir Tarasenko2434 G/ 64 PTSJaden Schwartz237G/ 21 PTSRobby Fabbri2018 G/ 37 PTSAlex Pietrangelo265 G/ 29 PTSJake Allen25.917 SV%/ 2.42 GAAWhile successful this season, the Sharks' core is getting older, with their best years largely behind them.The Blues have been among the league's most winningest franchises over the last handful of seasons, but time is slipping. If the Sharks are any indication, the Blues need to start capitalizing on their regular season successes or risk walking away with nothing.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are averaging 3.3 goals in winning 13 of their last 18 games, including 13 goals in their last two outings. Given the ease at which they managed their third tally against the New York Islanders on Friday evening, it's no surprise they're finding the back of the net with such regularity.Steven Stamkos was the goal-scorer on the play, and while the puck spent only a fraction of a second on his stick, his instincts as a finisher played a big part in making the sequence a success.Famous for his one-timer from the off-wing, Stamkos (91) readies himself for a point shot as the play begins, with the puck working its way back to Nikita Kucherov just inside the blue line.Rather than settle for a shot from distance, Kucherov (86) comes down off the point, sucking in a pair of Islander defenders and freeing up Jason Garrison for a one-timer from the right wall. While this is going on, Stamkos anticipates the action and sneaks down toward the goal mouth.While Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss is able to stop Garrison's one-timer, the rebound falls right to Stamkos, who's positioned himself perfectly to take advantage of the gimme and hammer home a freebie.Another look, showing just how little resistance Stamkos was met with when the puck found him.The two-time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner made no mistake from there.For Stamkos, the goal is his 35th of the season. If he continues to be given the freedom to roam the ice and display the kind of goal-scorer's instincts he did on this play, there will be more "Rocket" Richard trophies in his future.(Images courtesy: NHL)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Looks like the Edmonton Oilers may have gained a fan.Justin Bieber took the stage in Las Vegas for a concert wearing an Oilers jersey Friday night.The jersey appears to have been a gift from Oilers great Wayne Gretzky, who snapped a picture with Bieber and the signed jersey.

Joel Edmundson's got a puck for life.The St. Louis Blues' rookie defenseman scored his first NHL goal Friday against the Vancouver Canucks. And he may not remember it."I blacked out after I scored," he said.Here's the goal:(Courtesy: NHL.com)It took 60 games, but it was undoubtedly worth the wait. And it came in a game in which the Blues clinched a playoff berth. Not a bad Friday night.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

You weren't expecting the Vancouver Canucks to score in back-to-back games, were you?The reeling Canucks were shut out for the fourth time in five games Friday, dropping a 4-0 decision to St. Louis. The Blues clinched a playoff spot with the victory.Vancouver barely put up a fight, firing only 15 shots on goal and a pathetic two in the third period. The Canucks had only four shots over the last 28:54 of the game, according to The Province's Jeff Paterson, who added that only Vancouver two forwards registered shots on goal in the game's final 30 minutes.It was the Canucks' seventh straight loss, and with 67 points, they're tied with the Edmonton Oilers for second last in the league. The Canucks have three games in hand on Edmonton, though. The streaking Toronto Maple Leafs have 65 points, last in the NHL, but have played one fewer game than Vancouver and four fewer than Edmonton.

Get your dancing shoes, Blues fans.St. Louis is off to the playoffs for a fifth straight season, and for the 40th time in franchise history, clinching a berth in the best tournament in sports Friday night with a 4-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks.Brian Elliott wasn't busy in net for the Blues, making only 15 saves and two in the third period, but a shutout's a shutout, and it's his third straight since returning from injury. It's the third time in his career he's posted shutouts in three straight games. He hasn't allowed a goal in 180:34, and is clearly in postseason form.

It was a very costly win for the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders on Friday night.Defenseman Anton Stralman suffered a non-displaced fracture of his left fibula, the club announced. He's out indefinitely.Stralman was hurt battling for position in front of the Lightning net with Anders Lee in the first period, going down awkwardly, his left leg bending back in a way it shouldn't."That's the last thing I want to see," Lee said after the game, according to Newsday's Arthur Staple. "We were battling in front, next think I know he's down. You hate to see that."Stralman's an underrated part of the Lightning's defense corps. He played 22:31 a game in last year's playoffs, as Tampa Bay marched to the Stanley Cup Final, eventually losing to the Chicago Blackhawks."Anton's season is not over," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said after the game, according to The Tampa Tribune's Erik Erlendsson. Stralman won't be back before the playoffs, but Cooper's planning on his team once again playing in June, and for Stralman to eventually return during the postseason."He's an extremely important part of our team and has been since the day he got here," Cooper added. "Nobody is going to replace him. He's a top defenseman in this league."A solid possession player, Stralman entered the 7-4 win over the Islanders with nine goals and 25 assists this season, having missed just one game. He played only 3:34 on Friday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.