It will be a few months yet before NHL executives have a firm handle on next season's salary parameters, but on Wednesday, they were provided a high-water mark.NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly revealed at the general manager meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., that the salary cap will rise to $74 million should the CBA's five percent escalator be triggered, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli,If that built-in clause - which depends on growth factor - isn't enacted, the cap will stay flat, and close to the current $71.4-million ceiling.For now, and given the state of the Canadian dollar, teams will likely plan for a flat number, and then have a little extra wiggle room should the salary cap indeed rise.The $74-million projection is $500,000 less than the estimate NHL commissioner Gary Bettman pointed to in December.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is slowly moving toward a decision on expansion, and it's expected before the 2016 NHL Entry Draft on June 24 and 25 in Buffalo, N.Y., TSN's Darren Dreger reports from the general managers meetings in Florida.

It's almost St. Patrick's Day and Brent Burns is making bold, timely fashion choices.

There's at least one goalie unnerved by the manner in which NHL executives decided to set forth the motion of slimming down goaltending equipment.Pensive Vancouver Canucks netminder Ryan Miller - who broke a thumb and missed 22 games after he saw recommended changes rushed into the game about a decade ago - remains wary about the changes that were reportedly agreed upon at the NHL general manager meetings Tuesday."I'm a little sensitive to it when they change sizes like the blocker, because I suffered the injury as a direct result of not having enough adequate padding in the right spot," Miller said, according to Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province. "It was not thought through, and it was just a little thing because the padding didn't extend over the back of the thumb quite as well as it did before."And you think: 'What are the odds of that happening?' Well, it's a hockey puck and it's moving relatively fast. They need to keep that in mind before they start pushing things too hard. I'm all behind anything that's done in a smart and safe way. It really comes down to being up to the standard we need."Miller would like to see his union go to bat for its members."Test it and get it in the hands of guys early. If it's not adequate, there has to be some pushback by the NHLPA. My feeling is that it (change) has always been rushed. When you talk about the chest and body for me and getting hit in the sternum every day, I don't want something that fits so tightly that there's no air gap (to) suppress the impact."I don't want to get hit in the ribs or the collarbone. I don't really want to get hit anywhere where it's going to do some major damage. These are pretty extreme changes to important parts of the body."It's expected that goaltenders will be hit with heavy fines and suspensions for not adhering to the standard established in the coming months.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A couple of Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman's colleagues would like some clarification.At the general managers meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., TSN's Frank Seravalli reports "at least two GMs would like answers about a salary cap oddity. It's best described as the Patrick Kane 'loophole,' because of the cap creativity of Bowman."The crux of the issue: The salary cap only applies towards the regular season, and by placing a player on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), like the Blackhawks did with Kane last season after he broke his collarbone, Chicago was able to add salary matching Kane's cap hit ($6.3 million at the time). The only way for the money to work was for Kane to miss the rest of the regular season - which he did. But he was ready to go for Game 1 of the playoffs, and he rejoined a lineup that featured Antoine Vermette, Kimmo Timonen, and Andrew Desjardins, all acquired after Kane and his salary hit LTIR.To start Game 1 of the playoffs, the Blackhawks were over the salary cap ceiling. The loophole: The salary cap no longer applied."It seems to be a counterbalance that you work 82 nights with one financial equation, (and) then on Game 1, there are no financial concerns," St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong said, according to Seravalli. "I'm not sure what the proper answer is."Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray - another Western Conference rival of the Blackhawks - also who wants clarity on this situation, Seravalli writes.It was thought the Blues might do what the Blackhawks did when Alex Steen went down with a long-term injury, and stash him on LTIR in order to add for the playoffs. But Armstrong knew Steen would be healthy before the regular season was over, and wasn't prepared to ask him to sit out games."To me, it was black and white because (Steen) wants to come back. We weren't going to add a piece better than Alex Steen," Armstrong said. "If we've got eight or nine games left, and he can help us secure home-ice, I'll take Alex Steen before anybody that got traded at that deadline."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The hands on Claude Giroux.The Philadelphia Flyers center put on a GoPro camera to show off his stickhandling skills, and the guy's a captain and one of the top point producers in the NHL for a reason.The Frogger-like challenge begins around the 1:25 mark and is well worth your time.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

What was a three-point lead for the Detroit Red Wings over the Philadelphia Flyers is now only one.Detroit dropped a 4-3 decision to the Flyers in Philadelphia on Tuesday, and the outcome came down to resiliency, according to head coach Jeff Blashill."We didn't show the resilience that you need to show after getting scored on," Blashill said, according to the Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James. "Our D-corps has to be better. We had unforced error for nothing."Blashill said Detroit started fine - "the first five minutes we were good" - but the team fell apart after the Flyers opened the scoring. "Once we got scored on, we got on our heels way too easy," he said.Michael Raffl opened the scoring at 5:41 of the first, and Wayne Simmonds scored a little over a minute later. The Flyers ended up outshooting the Red Wings 23-3 in the first period.Detroit fought back, outshooting Philadelphia 21-9 in the third period, but it was too late."Any time you let two goals in, and have to play from being down, it's always tough," Andreas Athanasiou said. "But I think we made a good case coming back."Problem is, it's the time of year where making "a good case" isn't good enough. Detroit's four-game road trip continues with stops in Columbus on Thursday, Miami on Saturday, and Tampa Bay on Tuesday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It may not have been pretty, but San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns tied a franchise record for goals by a defenseman in a single season with his 26th goal of 2015-16 on Tuesday.Burns threw a shot at the Boston Bruins' net midway through the second period and got some help from Bruins forward Ryan Spooner, who redirected the shot into his own goal.The marker knots Burns with Sandis Ozolinsh, who tallied 26 goals during the 1993-94 season.With an assist on Joel Ward's third-period goal, the 31-year-old picked up his 64th point of the season, also tying a record for most points in a season by a Sharks defenseman, a record Ozolinsh set in the same campaign.Burns sits seven ahead of Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson for most goals by a blue-liner this season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Since dropping their second game in a week to the Anaheim Ducks earlier in March and losing their spot atop the Pacific in the process, the Los Angeles Kings have looked nearly unstoppable.The Kings have retaken their division lead with a five-game point streak (4-0-1), including a pair of commanding wins on back-to-back nights. They beat the reigning Cup champion Blackhawks 5-0 on Monday, before a 5-2 win against the West-leading Stars on Tuesday.

With a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning missed a chance to claim top spot in the Atlantic Division, but Steven Stamkos doesn't care.The Lightning failed to pass the Boston Bruins, while watching the Florida Panthers jump into first place in the division, but the Lightning captain insists once playoffs start, division titles mean nothing."That doesn't mean anything in today's NHL," Stamkos said, according to the Fourth Period's David Pagnotta. "I mean it's a nice thing to have on the resume, but once playoffs starts no one gives a crap about who won the division or who won the league, or how many points a player had."It's about what you do in the playoffs. I mean, we want to win as many games down the stretch as we can; if that happens to be the division title, great, if not, it doesn't make a difference to us once the playoffs start."Stamkos might be on to something, as last season the Lightning finished second in their division before making it all the way to Stanley Cup Finals.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Erik Karlsson picked up assists on a pair of game-tying goals for the Ottawa Senators in regulation, and the Norris favorite ended the game himself in overtime.The 25-year-old wired a slap shot past Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk to clinch a 3-2 victory for the Senators. The goal was his 13th of the season, and his second overtime winner.

The Philadelphia Flyers now sit just one point shy of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot after picking up a 4-3 win Tuesday against the team currently sitting in the second wild-card position, the Detroit Red Wings.Michael Raffl recorded the second multi-goal game of his career - both coming against the Red Wings. Wayne Simmonds scored his 25th goal of the season, while a backhand from rookie phenom Shayne Gostisbehere would serve as the eventual game-winner.

With a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens Tuesday, the Florida Panthers have reclaimed top spot in the Atlantic Division.The dominating performance gave them the two points needed to lift them ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins.

Alex Galchenyuk is having a season to remember.The Montreal Canadiens forward fired his 26th goal of the season past Florida Panthers goaltender Al Montoya on Tuesday and in the process collected point No. 47 on the season, surpassing his previous season high set in 2014-15.The goal is Galchenyuk's seventh in five games and gives him a two-goal cushion over captain Max Pacioretty for the team lead.Unfortunately, the goal did little for the Canadiens, who trailed the Panthers 3-1 after Galchenyuk got on the board.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals became the first team in the NHL to clinch a postseason berth after Tuesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation.The Capitals were in need of just one point Tuesday to reach the playoffs, but picked up a second point in overtime as Alex Ovechkin scored the game-winning goal 1:38 into the extra frame."I think our line today had plenty of chance to score," Ovechkin told reporters post-game, after finishing his night with seven shots. "Its nice to get a goal, especially in overtime."

Ottawa Senators forward Mike Hoffman ended an eight-game goalless drought Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, finding the back of the net with a point shot early in the second period.The goal came at the perfect time, not just because it tied the game at one, but because it came right after the TSN broadcast displayed the following graphic while discussing his recent scoring slump:Hoffman's goal was his 26th of the year, one shy of his career-best set last season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The "Spacey in Space" phenomenon continues to grow.The Florida Panthers' rallying cry emerged in shoe form Tuesday as the team tweeted out a fan's picture of his girlfriend's sweet kicks - and they are something.

Following Tuesday's earlier report that the NHL is going "full steam ahead" with streamlined goalie equipment next season, NHL general managers apparently discussed several other ideas intended to increase scoring at Tuesday's GM meetings.Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin pitched the idea of players serving the full two minutes of a penalty even if a goal is scored, reports ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman reportedly proposed not allowing penalty-killing teams to ice the puck, while David Poile of the Nashville Predators suggested beginning a period with an offensive-zone faceoff in the event a power play carried over from the previous frame.

Jonathan Drouin returned to the AHL's Syracuse Crunch on Friday, and despite not playing for two months, didn't look like he'd missed a step, impressing Tampa Bay Lightning manager Steve Yzerman."Jonathan played his first three games back on the weekend. He played Friday, Saturday, Sunday. I wasn't at the games live, but watched them all on the AHL website. I thought considering the length of time he was out, he looked good," Yzerman said, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.The 20-year-old recorded an assist in his first game against Bridgeport, and scored twice on Saturday against Rochester. He was held off the scoresheet in his final game of the weekend in Springfield, but did record five shots on goal.Yzerman insisted this is what he expected when Drouin was originally sent down to Syracuse in January, which led to the former No. 3 pick's refusal to report to the club, and subsequent suspension from the Lightning.The suspension was lifted when Drouin agreed to return to AHL earlier in March, and with his strong showing over the weekend, a return to Tampa Bay could come sooner rather than later."The plan was for him to go down and play and come back," Yzerman continued, "so with the situation right now, if it is good for our team and it is the right thing to do, he will be recalled. So it's very realistic."The Lightning offense looked like it may need a boost last week after scoring just three goals over a three-game losing streak, but came back alive Sunday in a 4-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luca Sbisa is considered week to week with an upper-body injury, head coach Willie Desjardins announced Tuesday.The blue-liner was hurt during Monday's game against the Winnipeg Jets after being hit into the boards by forward Adam Lowry. Sbisa left the game, and was seen with a sling on his left arm following the Jets 5-2 win.Desjardins added that forward Markus Granlund is day to day after he suffered an upper-body injury of his own Monday. The team recalled forward Brendan Gaunce and defenseman Andrey Pedan from its AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, to take their places.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nikita Kucherov won't miss a game, but Dalton Prout will.The Columbus Blue Jackets defender has received a one-game suspension for the sucker punch he landed on Kucherov's chin Sunday afternoon.Prout will forfeit almost $6,000 in salary.Kucherov was forced from the game as a result of the blow, but will be in the lineup Tuesday when the Lightning visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.The Department of Player Safety's ruling is consistent with a January incident involving Los Angeles Kings winger Milan Lucic. He was banned one game for popping an unsuspecting Kevin Connauton after a stoppage around the Arizona Coyotes' goal.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The slimmer the better.ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reports from the GM meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., that the "sense" is it's "full steam ahead" with slim-fitting streamlined equipment for goaltenders next season.He notes that it will be NHL goaltending consultant Kay Whitmore's duty this summer to fit the league's goaltenders with new gear.Meanwhile, PostMedia's Michael Traikos shared insight onto the punishment goaltenders could face for failing to meet the NHL's incoming standard:

Clarke MacArthur isn't concerned with the 74 games he'll have lost to injury by the time the calendar flips to April.MacArthur, who suffered a concussion four games into the season - and who has since been at war with the lingering effects - would be put to ease by the chance to suit up in the final four games the Ottawa Senators have scheduled this season."I would love to just get a few games in, to know going into the summer that things are going to be fine for next year," MacArthur said, according to Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen."You never know, I guess. There's no certainty to when you're going to get hit or what's going to happen, but for me, mentally, it would be nice to play some games."MacArthur is symptom-free, but failed his concussion baseline test at the end of February, as Warren points out.He missed six weeks with a concussion last season as well.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin refused to discuss a TVA Sports report Tuesday that has head coach Michel Therrien returning next season, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Jake Virtanen is a Belieber.Even better, he's good friends with Justin Bieber, the mega star whose second stop on his "Purpose World Tour" was Vancouver over the weekend. Virtanen posted a couple of photos of the two hanging out:

Watch your back, Dylan Larkin.At a press conference Tuesday to announce that the Philadelphia Flyers will host the fifth annual CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game at the Wells Fargo Center on Sept. 22, president Paul Holmgren was asked about his team's massive game against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. The Flyers trail the Red Wings by three points in the Eastern Conference wild-card standings, and Holmgren chimed in with the quote of the day:"I'd like to be a kidnapper and stick Dylan Larkin in a bathroom for at least the next few hours," Holmgren said, according to the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac.Larkin leads the Red Wings with 20 goals and five game-winners, and his 40 points rank second on the club behind Henrik Zetterberg's 43. Not bad for a rookie campaign.The 19-year-old has one goal in six games in March, shooting only 5.4 percent. When he contributes, the Red Wings win - he has 28 points in 33 victories this season, and only 12 points in 34 losses.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anthony Mantha's NHL stay won't be fleeting.The 21-year-old former first-round pick, who will make his Detroit Red Wings debut Tuesday in a critical clash with the Philadelphia Flyers, is expected to remain with the club for the stretch run, and beyond.

There was news both good and bad at the Tampa Bay Lightning's morning skate Tuesday.First, the good: Nikita Kucherov, who exited Sunday's win over the Columbus Blue Jackets after being on the receiving end of a Dalton Prout sucker punch, took full reps on the first line and power play.Valtteri Filppula, however, didn't share in such a positive outlook. The ancillary top-nine forward, who also left versus the Blue Jackets, was not on the ice, and coach Jon Cooper told reporters afterward that there's a good chance he misses the remaining three games on the road trip.Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to make the start Tuesday versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, his fourth against the last-place club this season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It sounds as though William Nylander will be with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rest of the season.The 19-year-old's played eight games with the big club since his recall from the AHL, and the club will burn the first year of his entry-level contract should he hit the 10-game mark Thursday against the Florida Panthers.While the ultimate decision doesn't rest with Mike Babcock, the head coach expects Nylander will remain up with the Maple Leafs for their final 14 games, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

The Nikita Tryamkin era begins Wednesday.Vancouver Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins confirmed the defender will make his NHL debut at home against the Colorado Avalanche.The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Russian, only 21, was a third-round pick by the Canucks in 2014, and has spent four years playing in the KHL. He's often been compared to Boston Bruins behemoth Zdeno Chara, due to his size, but Tryamkin wants to leave his own mark."He would like to surpass and be better than Chara," Tryamkin's interpreter said last week, according to the Vancouver Sun's Brad Ziemer. "And he would like to not be Zdeno Chara, but would like to be Nikita Tryamkin."The decision to insert the rookie into the lineup was a lot easier to make after Monday's loss, in which defenseman Luca Sbisa and forward Markus Granlund were lost to injury. Both won't be back "anytime soon," and an update on each player's condition is expected later Tuesday.The Canucks are playing out the string, so if you're looking for a reason to tune in, you've got one in Tryamkin.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Olli Maatta's summer is going to look a little different than that of his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates.The 21-year-old defenseman will execute the military obligation he has to his native Finland when Pittsburgh's season comes to a conclusion, Finnish reporter and PHWA member Juha Hiitela reports.If the Penguins do not make the playoffs, his service will begin April 18, per Hiitela.In peacemaking Finland, those able are required to serve their country in a military capacity before turning 28 - displaced professional athletes included.Hiitela notes that Aleksander Barkov, Rasmus Ristolainen, Teuvo Teravainen, and Kasperi Kapanen are among Finnish-born NHL players who still have an outstanding obligation to their country.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres center Ryan O'Reilly is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday versus the Montreal Canadiens, Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reports.O'Reilly skated with Evander Kane and Nicolas Deslauriers at practice Monday, indicating that he's prepared to return after missing nearly a month with a foot injury.His return will give the Sabres two scoring lines, but also break up one of the hottest units in the NHL. Kane, Jack Eichel, and Sam Reinhart combined for eight goals and 20 points across the last seven games.Without O'Reilly, Buffalo won just four times in 11 contests.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

From winning a second Stanley Cup to being traded to a retooling franchise and then signing a lucrative long-term extension, it's been a tumultuous last 12 months for Brandon Saad.The Columbus Blue Jackets goal-scorer, though, doesn't require prompting to help him place the ups and downs of his professional journey into proper perspective.Saad recently opened up about his family successfully liberating their relatives from war-torn Syria in an exclusive for The Guardian."It's definitely an eye-opener with them coming over and getting adjusted to the lifestyle and the new language and things like that," he revealed to Mathias Ask. "It definitely puts things in perspective for you."Saad, who says that family members both in Syria and those now settled in the Pittsburgh area are safe and free of conflict, has been fortunate to be able to help ease their transition."You try to help out as much as you can. My dad has worked hard to be successful so he can help them as well. But any way I can help I'm always here for them," he said. "They know that. I've gotten pretty close with them over the short period of time."And of course, his professional hockey player status has engendered new fans of the sport, and Saad himself."It's pretty funny to interact and kind of see them see things for the first time," he said. "They've definitely all taken an interest in it because of me."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jakob Silfverberg had a career night with three goals and an assist, while Frederik Andersen stopped 24 of 25 shots as the Anaheim Ducks ended their three-game losing streak by destroying the New Jersey Devils 7-1 on Monday.

The Calgary Flames had just three shorthanded goals in their first 68 games this season, but Michael Frolik nearly doubled that total during Monday's 7-4 win against the St. Louis Blues.Frolik capped off a four-goal first period between the two teams, tying the game at two with a shorthanded goal after a beautiful breakaway move that fooled starter Jake Allen.

James Neal entered Monday with 23 goals - equal to his output from last season, his first with the Nashville Predators - and went on to build on that total in each period against the Edmonton Oilers.After Jordan Eberle opened the scoring in the first period, Neal kicked off his night with a breakaway goal, after a beautiful feed from Anthony Bitetto to tie the game at one.

Monday's first period for Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom was a forgettable one, allowing two goals on 10 shots, but one save in particular should give him confidence going into the second.The 26-year-old robbed Winnipeg Jets defenseman Paul Postma of a golden scoring opportunity with a beautiful glove stop.Markstrom entered Monday's game with wins in his past two starts, stopping 32 of 34 shots on both occasions.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jonathan Quick etched his name into American hockey history with a 5-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night.The Los Angeles Kings goaltender set a new record for U.S.-born netminders with his 41st career regular-season shutout, stopping 32 shots.Quick surpassed John Vanbiesbrouck and Frank Brimsek, who both recorded 40 regular-season shutouts in their respective careers. Quick is tied with Mike Richter for the most playoff shutouts by an American goalie at nine.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets played without Dustin Byfuglien for the first time this season Monday.The imposing defenseman was not in the lineup against the Vancouver Canucks.Byfuglien, who didn't take part in the pregame warmup, was a game-time decision after missing the morning skate, after which Jets head coach Paul Maurice said the undisclosed ailment is unrelated to the injury that nearly caused Byfuglien to miss Saturday's win over the Colorado Avalanche.The blue-liner leads all Jets' skaters in average time on ice (24:51), ranking third in assists (28) and points (44).Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed goaltender Jason Kasdorf to an entry-level contract after he recently completed his senior college season at R.P.I, the team announced Monday.The netminder will be immediately reporting to Buffalo, Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reports. Kasdorf signed a one-year, pro-rated contract worth $667,500, which would make him a restricted free agent July 1, according to General Fanager.The 23-year-old was a sixth-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2011, and was involved in the seven-player trade that also sent forward Evander Kane and defenseman Zach Bogosian to Buffalo.Kasdorf finished his senior year with a 12-12-5 record, posting a 2.30 goals-against average and an impressive .931 save percentage.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Some were skeptical about the lower-body injury that forced Alex Ovechkin to drop out of January's All-Star festivities in Nashville, but it turns out the issue is still bothering the Washington Capitals captain."It still bothers me," Ovechkin said, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post. "But of course when we have that kind of schedule, it lets you know right away that it bothers you, that it's sore."The league's leading goal-scorer has struggled of late, failing to find the back of the net during the team's recently completed four-game road trip. He has just one goal in his past eight outings, a stretch where his team has gone 4-3-1."If he said it, I have to believe him," coach Barry Trotz said of Ovechkin's injury, adding that the Russian faced a lot of tough matchups over the road trip, but should expect more of the same over the team's final 14 games, and into the postseason."For me, in the playoffs, a lot of the times, the top lines get matched up," Trotz said. "If they match up well, they probably neutralize each other, then it's just the depth of your roster sort of takes over. If you can have your top lines dominate the other top lines, you guarantee yourself a win almost all of the time."The Capitals will return home to host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks center Shawn Horcoff will be in the lineup Monday for the first time since serving a 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program."I’m excited," Horcoff said following Monday morning’s skate ahead of the matchup versus New Jersey. "Obviously it’s been a long time coming and I worked hard to get back, so I’m looking forward to tonight."The 37-year-old also said he was up front with teammates and the coaching staff about the nature of the suspension."I wanted to get that out in the open and get my story across and just be honest about it," he said. "I had great support from them. I made a mistake, obviously, not looking into the treatment that I was getting for what was an obvious injury. It would be different if I was out there legitimately trying to performance enhance."I think that’s what gave me great support, and they were really supportive right off the bat - the organization, the coaches, the team, fans, other players around the league. That made things a heck of a lot easier for me."Horcoff has six goals and four assists in 45 games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.