After reasserting his dominance as the projected 2023 first overall pick at the world juniors, Connor Bedard is well aware that the hype surrounding him is real.But that doesn't mean he's completely on board with the lofty comparisons he's garnered throughout his career to generational talents like Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, and Connor McDavid."I think when people kind of put me against someone - McDavid, for example - I'm like, 'Well, that guy's got 700 points in 20 games in the NHL,'" he joked during an interview with Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino. "I think what I'm doing right now is obviously not to the impact of that, but obviously it's cool to see your name with those guys. I hope to play against them one day, that would be a dream come true."For me, I've got a lot of games left to still prove myself and I've gotta get out there and do that and try and get better every day."The 2023 NHL Draft is just five months away and, assuming he makes his team's opening-night roster, Bedard won't have to wait very long to compete against the likes of McDavid (who has 786 points in 536 games).Even though the next phase of his career is right around the corner, making the jump to the big leagues appears to be a surreal idea for Bedard."The NHL's still that thing that's the best of the best and it feels like you're still a fan of it and that these people aren't real people," he said. "Honestly, there's still a lot of work to do and I hope to be there one day."This isn't the first time Bedard has reined in the buzz surrounding his own hype. After becoming the first 16-year-old since Gretzky to score a hat trick for Canada at the world juniors in December 2021, Bedard noted that he didn't think he'd be hitting the 2,800-point mark in the NHL like the Great One.The British Columbia native continued to build up his resume during the 2023 World Junior Championship, where he was named MVP of the tournament after setting new Canadian records in all-time goals (17) and points (36).Bedard is currently crushing it with the Regina Pats of the WHL. He leads the league with 39 goals and 81 points in 33 contests while riding a 32-game point streak.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, Cole Caufield said he would still be slotting into the Canadiens' lineup if Montreal had its eyes on a postseason run."For sure, if we were in a playoff spot, no doubt in my mind I'd still be playing," he told reporters during a press conference on Friday. "It really wasn't up to me to stop playing. But in the right circumstances, I feel like this is the best decision long-term."The Canadiens are currently in last place of the Atlantic Division with a record of 20-25-4 and are 13 points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.The 22-year-old winger was ruled out for the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign on Sunday after the team announced he'd been playing through a right shoulder injury that would require surgery.Caufield said he initially sustained the ailment on Dec. 23 against the Dallas Stars after what he called an "awkward fall.""I kind of put (my shoulder) back in myself a couple of seconds later and, you know, it wasn't too bad," he said.Caufield ended up playing 16:33 and registering three shots on goal during the Canadiens' 4-2 defeat in Dallas. However, the issue reared its head again four games later against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 3."The same thing kind of happened and that time was a little more painful, but our medical staff has done a great job of doing some rehab work on it and making me feel 100%, in my opinion," Caufield said.All in, Caufield suited up for 12 more games after initially suffering the injury, putting up seven goals and one assist in that span. In his final game of the season against the Florida Panthers on Jan. 19, he saw just under 18 minutes of ice time."For me, I didn't want to stop playing. I had a couple tests done to look at it more clearly, but in the end, it could have been one more fall and it could have been even worse," he said. "I guess the risk factor of that, it was hard to face. ... I didn't want to hurt it more."The details of the surgery are still being finalized, but Caufield said he expects to undergo the procedure soon.Caufield can become a restricted free agent this summer. One day before his season ended, he confirmed his representatives had started preliminary contract talks with the team.The Wisconsin native added Friday that the decision to call off his campaign had nothing to do with the negotiations, noting that both he and the Canadiens are prioritizing his health.Caufield leads the Habs with 26 goals in 46 games and ranks second on the team - behind captain Nick Suzuki - with 36 points this season.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without superstar center Auston Matthews for at least three weeks as he deals with a knee sprain suffered Wednesday against the New York Rangers, the team announced.Matthews missed two games earlier in January with a lingering undisclosed ailment.Rookie Pontus Holmberg projects to join the top six as he centered an all-Swedish line between Calle Jarnkrok and William Nylander at Friday's morning skate. Here are the projected forward lines for Friday's tilt with the Ottawa Senators:LWCRWBuntingTavaresMarnerJarnkrokHolmbergNylanderMcMannKampfEngvallAston-ReeseKerfootAndersonThe timeline means Matthews will miss a minimum of six games as the injury coincides with the NHL All-Star break. Matthews was supposed to play in the All-Star Game, but Aleksander Barkov of the hosting Florida Panthers will replace him, the league announced.The reigning Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, and Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner has registered 25 goals and 28 assists in 47 games this season.Barkov has tallied 13 goals and 30 assists in 40 games this campaign.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Our week-long adventure of bringing the NHL weekly moneyline guide to life has come to an end. We've laughed, and we've cried tears of overtime-related sorrow and shootout joy - and vice versa. Thanks to a run of luck, we're back to even since I took the reins, with a last chance for a profitable week on a busy Friday night.Golden Knights (+135) @ Rangers (-155)Win, lose, or overtime, we can use some of the same premises from earlier in the week with the handicap for this game. We lost with the Golden Knights in New Jersey on Tuesday when a pair of bad bounces beat Logan Thompson and a penalty in overtime put the writing on the wall for a +150 bet. But Vegas is still a good road team, and with two days to get across the river to Manhattan, the travel element of home-ice advantage is mitigated, unless Vegas was forced to portage for some reason.The Rangers hammered the Panthers on the scoreboard Monday, but the even-strength expected goal share was relatively even. New York then fell to an overtime defeat in Toronto, losing the XG% and five-on-five high-danger chance battle quite handily. That's in keeping with the Rangers' metrics since the Christmas break, so while the goaltending matchup favors them, we're getting +135 with the team that should drive play in New York's last game before a nine-day vacation.Pick: Golden Knights (+135)Kings (+125) @ Panthers (-145)Both the Kings and Panthers have been living the life of high-anxiety goaltending all season, but Florida's never had it worse than having to hope that Sergei Bobrovsky is healthy tonight after watching Alex Lyon give up 13 goals in his last two games.With little hope that either team can steal a game with goaltending, we'll rely on the better side at even strength, hoping it can generate enough chances to outscore the opponent. That would appear to be the Panthers, whose metrics are better this season. However, here are the even-strength metrics since the Christmas break:TEAM XG (%) HDC (%)Kings53.5%54.7%Panthers50.6%49.2%The Kings are the sixth-best team at five-on-five in their last 13 games and should put their best foot forward knowing they've got a tough matchup in Tampa Bay on Saturday.Pick: Kings (+125)Flames (+100) @ Kraken (-120)No one is more pro-Kraken than I am, having stumped for Dave Hakstol's Jack Adams Award candidacy for months now, but this is a tough spot for Seattle. The Flames are behind only the Hurricanes in even-strength metrics since Christmas, so they've turned up their play overall. That wasn't on evidence when the Blackhawks beat them Thursday, but this is their last game before vacation, and Darryl Sutter will have his team's full attention, demanding a good effort and likely going back to Dan Vladar, who's been the better option.The Canucks made life easy for Seattle on Wednesday, and the Kraken should be able to get any good vibes back Saturday with the Blue Jackets coming to town, so you can forgive them if they get outworked Friday night by a motivated Flames group.Pick: Flames (+100)Moneyline mini-guideThere's still a weekend's worth of games and a smattering of action leading into the All-Star break, so we'll add a mini-guide with moneyline projections for all the matchups from Saturday to Wednesday. For the uninitiated, the following includes my fair price on the games (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I'd need to consider betting either side.DATEGAMETRUE MLPRICE TO BETJan. 28STL@COL+188/-188STL +226/COL -180BOS@FLA-106/+106BOS +105/FLA +117MTL@OTT+200/-200MTL +241/OTT -191SJS@PIT+159/-159SJS +188/PIT -152PHI@WPG+160/-160PHI +191/WPG -154LAK@TBL+214/-214LAK +259/TBL -204VGK@NYI+100/+100VGK +100/NYI +111BUF@MIN+152/-152BUF +181/MIN -146CHI@EDM+267/-267CHI +330/EDM -254CBJ@SEA+282/-282CBJ +351/SEA -268ARI@ANA+121/-121ARI +142/ANA -116Jan. 29BOS@CAR+152/-152BOS +180/CAR -146WSH@TOR+162/-162WSH +193/TOR -155Jan. 30STL@WPG+158/-158STL +188/WPG -151Jan. 31WSH@CBJ-159/+159WSH -152/CBJ +188OTT@MTL-142/+142OTT -136/MTL +168LAK@CAR+171/-171LAK +204/CAR -164Feb. 1CAR@BUF-124/+124CAR -119/BUF +146BOS@TOR+119/-119BOS +140/TOR -114Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has a clear goal in mind ahead of the March 3 trade deadline."If it's possible, I'd like to add a top-six winger," Fitzgerald told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "And I'd like to be able to control the player (past this season) and grow. I'd be willing to give up assets to do that, and I've got to know, 'What does that look like?'"The Devils have the assets to pull off that deal. They boast one of the deepest prospect pools in the league. The club also has all of its draft picks over the next few years, minus a 2023 third-rounder used to help acquire defenseman John Marino in the offseason.Fitzgerald couldn't provide specific names, but San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier is one available player who'd fit the mold. He carries a $6-million cap hit in 2022-23 before becoming a restricted free agent at season's end. Meier's qualifying offer for next campaign is a whopping $10 million before he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.Meier, a powerful but skilled winger, has tallied 28 goals and 20 assists in 49 games for the Sharks this season. With the 26-year-old in his prime, the Swiss product would certainly fit the age criteria for what Fitzgerald is seeking to add to his young, upstart squad."I love where we're at, I really do," Fitzgerald said. "Now the fun times start, where you're trying to put the right pieces in the locker room."If that means going out and trading assets for a player who can grow and be part of this, hell yeah, sign me up."One order of business Fitzgerald will have to factor into any long-term move is Jesper Bratt's looming extension. The pending RFA winger is due for a sizable raise from his current $5.45-million cap hit, turning in his second consecutive near point-per-game season with 19 goals and 30 helpers in 48 contests this campaign."There has to be buy-in, too, from players," Fitzgerald said of making the salary cap work over the next few seasons. "I think we're building something pretty good here. I've talked to Jesper Bratt. He's excited."I really believe he wants to be part of it. But there has to be buy-in from everybody. But what does that look like?"Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is in the lineup Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks after missing the last four games with an upper-body injury.Additionally, Valeri Nichushkin, who returned for the last five games after missing the previous nine contests with an ankle injury, wasn't available due to an upper-body ailment. He's considered day-to-day. Matt Nieto, who was acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, made his debut with his new club, while Denis Malgin also returned after missing nine games.Makar, the reigning Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe winner, has 43 points in 42 games this season and leads the league with 27:09 of average ice time.Colorado went 4-0-0 without Makar. The team is riding a six-game winning streak and crawled its way back into a playoff spot despite a myriad of injuries.Several key players have missed time this season, including Nathan MacKinnon. The club is still without captain Gabriel Landeskog and defensemen Bowen Byram and Josh Manson, among others.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan Hartman is the latest Minnesota Wild skater to be assigned to the press box after he was scratched Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers."We talk about accountability," head coach Dean Evason said prior to the contest, per The Pioneer Press' Dane Mizutani. "He's going to be accountable for his actions."Hartman acknowledged he deserved to miss a game.

The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Andrei Kuzmenko to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.5 million, the club announced Thursday.The deal includes a 12-team no-trade clause, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Kuzmenko was a pending unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year contract with Vancouver this past July. He currently carries a $1.8-million AAV and a cap hit of $950,000, according to CapFriendly.The Russian winger has 21 goals and 22 assists in 47 games this season. Joining the Canucks after eight KHL campaigns, he ranks second on the team in goal-scoring and third in point production in 2022-23.Kuzmenko, who turns 27 on Feb. 4, also has favorable underlying numbers. The Canucks have controlled 52.08% of the expected goals with Kuzmenko on the ice at five-on-five and 50.35% of the scoring chances in those situations, according to Natural Stat Trick.Vancouver's primary transactional concern remains team captain Bo Horvat's future. The 27-year-old will undoubtedly be seeking a significant raise as a pending UFA in the midst of a career year.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury suffered in Tuesday's loss to the Anaheim Ducks, the team announced Thursday.As a pending unrestricted free agent on a rebuilding team, Gostisbehere is widely expected to be moved prior to the March 3 trade deadline.The 29-year-old recorded 29 points in 48 games this season. His 22:38 of average ice time ranks second on the team behind Jakob Chychrun - another trade candidate.The Coyotes acquired Gostisbehere, a second-round pick, and a seventh-round pick in the 2021 offseason from the Philadelphia Flyers.Gostisbehere is in the final season of a seven-year contract that carries a $4.5-million cap hit.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If we talk about NHL games as a series of coin-flips and then bet one lined like a 50-50 game, we probably shouldn't be surprised when it goes to overtime. The joy was palpable after the Hurricanes' overtime win against the Stars on Wednesday. But we're not geniuses for winning a bet after regulation, just as we aren't dummies for losing one. It's all in the name of making valuable bets and letting the chips fall where they may.Bruins (-115) @ Lightning (-105)We've alluded to this week as the moment our weekly betting guide comes alive. A Monday update would have shown our projected fair moneyline for this game at BOS +121/TBL -121. Since -105 is a better price than -121, the Lightning are worth a bet at an expected value of +3.4%.We know why the market is high on the Bruins. They win. A lot. Boston's start to the calendar year is similar to its start to the season: 10 wins in 11 games. The Bruins are 38-9 on the moneyline, thanks in part to being third in the NHL in five-on-five expected goal share (xG%) at 54.7%. But their true dominance stems from their ability to turn even-strength high-danger chances into goals at a high rate while allowing opponents to convert their relatively few high-danger chances at just a 7.9% rate.Who has the best chance of beating the Bruins? A team that creates a lot of high-danger chances and has the skill to convert them. The Lightning lead the league with 9.75 five-on-five high-danger chances per game, converting them at the same rate as the Bruins.Since the Christmas break, Tampa Bay's even-strength metrics have been better than Boston's. The Lightning are top five in xG% and high-danger chance share, while Boston isn't. Once we break their moneyline records down by location, the Bruins' impressive 16-5 road record looks a lot like the Lightning's 18-5 home record. You can see why Tampa Bay is more likely to win this game than the moneyline suggests.Pick: Lightning (-105)Penguins (+100) @ Capitals (-120) The formula we use to build our weekly guide suggests there's modest value on the Capitals, with a fair price just slightly higher at -123. But that's based on numbers accumulated throughout the entire season. Recently, there's been reason to expect more from Washington and less from the Penguins.It's worth comparing expected goal share and the percentage of high-danger chances each team has generated at even strength, both before the holiday break and after:TEAM BEFORE XMAS AFTER XMASPenguins53.8 XG%54.7 HDC%50.06 XG%49 HDC%Capitals51.5 XG%51.7 HDC%52.4 XG%50.2 HDC%The concern for Washington is that injuries are piling up again. The Capitals were without Tom Wilson and Nicklas Backstrom for much of the season, and both are uncertain for Thursday night. T.J. Oshie and John Carlson are also out. Still, Washington has been the better team in expected goal share in five of its last six games, despite a 2-4-0 record in that time.While the Capitals are banged up, the biggest injury is on the Penguins' side, with goaltender Tristan Jarry out until mid-February. That leaves Pittsburgh with Casey DeSmith back between the pipes after giving up six goals to the Panthers on Tuesday.Pick: Capitals (-120)Blues (-155) @ Coyotes (+135)When the Blues were without Ryan O'Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Torey Krug, the market's rating of St. Louis went largely unchanged. When Tarasenko and Krug returned, the market didn't change drastically either. That inertia was rewarded Tuesday when St. Louis lost to the Sabres, mustering just five high-danger chances at even strength in the process.Beyond a pair of modest winning spurts, the Blues haven't been good all season, healthy or not. The Coyotes aren't any good either, but the argument is the same as it was when we faded the Blues against the Blackhawks on Saturday: If both teams are bad, take the team priced at plus money. That's especially valid here, with the Coyotes hovering around .500 on home ice and likely to go back to Karel Vejmelka - their much better option in net.Pick: Coyotes (+135)Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan O'Reilly hopes to stay with the St. Louis Blues despite rumors he could be on the move before the NHL's March 3 trade deadline.The Blues captain is a pending unrestricted free agent, and St. Louis is six points out of a playoff spot. But O'Reilly said preliminary discussions about an extension have begun."Yeah, we're starting to get a little dialogue going," he told The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford. "I think there will be some talks kind of going forward here, but yeah, there's no timeline or such. That's kind of all I can really give you on that."This is where I want to be. I hope I don't get moved, but I think things will probably progress, especially with the deadline coming up and the talks with that. We'll see how it goes. We're starting to get into that."O'Reilly is in the midst of his worst season since he was a teenager. He's recorded 10 goals and six assists with a minus-28 rating in 37 games. O'Reilly, who turns 32 on Feb. 7, is currently sidelined with a broken foot, though he's expected to return before the deadline.Regardless of his foot injury, the former Selke Trophy and Conn Smythe winner will likely draw strong interest from around the league. It was reported Tuesday that O'Reilly could be an option for deadline buyers."I still get messages from buddies every time - you're rumored to this team, you're rumored to that team," O'Reilly said. "It's honestly in one ear and out the other at this point. If anything, it's a distraction, and I don't want it to be a distraction for the team. You hear stuff, but like I said, in one ear, out the other."O'Reilly, whose contract does not contain trade protection, won't have much leverage as the deadline approaches. He did say, however, that he'd be open to taking a team-friendly discount on an extension."Yeah, absolutely," he said. "Yeah, I want to make it work, but I also want to hold my value, too. At the end of the day, it is a business, and if we can’t succeed, and you can't do the job as a leader, then I could (see) them getting rid of me."O'Reilly is one of multiple key pending UFAs for St. Louis, along with Vladimir Tarasenko, Ivan Barbashev, Noel Acciari, and Niko Mikkola.Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has previously been a deadline seller with his team in a better spot than it is currently. He notably dealt pending UFA defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to the Washington Capitals in 2016-17 for futures with St. Louis just a few points out of a playoff spot. The Blues ultimately finished third in the Central Division, making the playoffs and upsetting the Minnesota Wild in Round 1.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When the NHL announced its Reverse Retro series for the 2022-23 season in October, there was a rush to rank the 32 new jerseys. The New York Islanders' entry - a remix of an infamous 1990s look - graded well, ranked fifth, 11th, 12th, 15th, and 17th by various media outlets, including theScore.The Islanders would have dominated the competition if the rankings had been based on origin story instead of aesthetics. The "Fisherman 2.0" alternate, which will be worn for the sixth and final time Saturday night, is a throwback to one of the worst (and shortest) runs for a major pro sports logo and jersey.Islanders' Fisherman jersey in 1997. Ian Tomlinson / Getty ImagesThe original Fisherman, a quintessentially '90s graphic with a burly seafarer, three-dimensional lettering, and wavy stripes, was worn for only the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons due to a "comedy of errors." That's how Nick Hirshon, a longtime Isles fan and author of the 2018 book "We Want Fish Sticks: The Bizarre and Infamous Rebranding of the New York Islanders," describes it.The critical "error" was the logo leaking months before the planned unveiling. The New York Daily News printed it alongside an article ripping the Isles for departing from their classic look and pointing out that the logo's grimacing fisherman closely resembled the mascot for Gorton's frozen seafood. At the time, the club was only a decade removed from four straight Stanley Cups, yet failing miserably under general manager and head coach Mike Milbury.The Daily News article established a mocking narrative around the rebrand."I don't know if the fan base would have embraced the logo anyway. There would have been comparisons to the Gorton's fisherman by other people," Hirshon said. "That said, the Islanders made a lot of mistakes. They did not have focus groups or fan interviews before they finalized the logo. They also didn't really have a good sense of how the fan base felt about the original logo or that fans would be really upset about seeing the departure from tradition."Isles GM Mike Milbury and owner John Spano in 1996. Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesAccording to Hirshon, the Isles' market research was limited to minority owner Stephen Walsh asking his young son for his opinion of a mockup of the fisherman logo (thumbs-up) and a front-office executive holding up an early version of the jersey for a group of college students (50-50 approval).Sports branding in the '90s wasn't as sophisticated as it is now. Plenty of franchises skimped on research. However, the Isles cut too many corners in order to save money, Hirshon notes, and generally approached the rebranding exercise from a delusional vantage point. For instance, they opted for a loud jersey in hopes that rappers might wear it in music videos on MTV. The front office also thought Billy Joel - the Long Island native who wrote songs about the area, including one about fishermen, "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" - might suddenly become an Isles fan."Jack Nicholson doesn't sell a lot of L.A. Lakers tickets. Spike Lee is not the one selling New York Knicks tickets," Hirshon said of the team's odd fascination with Joel, who didn't have an official relationship with the Isles, even after the rebrand. "You don't go to games because a celebrity is going to be there."Ilya Sorokin wearing the Fisherman jersey in 2022. Mike Stobe / Getty ImagesFast-forward 25 years and the approval rating is significantly higher for Fisherman 2.0. The logo and jersey are sharper - the crest really pops off the sweater, for starters - and enough time has passed since the mid-'90s debacle that the once-maligned brand is a source of pride within the fan base. It certainly helps that the franchise is on better footing, both on and off the ice."Right now, some people, especially the younger generation, just view the Fisherman as cool and retro," said Hirshon, who did some historical research as a consultant for a branding agency that helped the Isles with the relaunch. "It does have a very '90s, in-your-face kind of feel. It's unabashedly a fisherman, someone from Long Island, who has this big grimace on his face."As for the other 31 teams ...theScore asked designer and sports branding expert Todd Radom to identify his five favorite looks from this season's Reverse Retro collection. Radom, co-author of the 2020 book "Fabric of the Game: The Stories Behind the NHL's Names, Logos, and Uniforms," volleyed back with six very different styles.San Jose Sharks Getty ImagesInspired by the 1974 California Golden Seals, the Bay Area's first NHL team, the Sharks went for a "super-inventive" look with this "deep dive into history.""It all makes sense from a delivery perspective," Radom said. "You're teaching people something without slamming it over their heads. It's educational and cool-looking, and those colors and that word mark - the fact it says 'Sharks' instead of 'Seals' - makes it incredible. I give them huge props. Love it."Florida Panthers Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesRadom sees some NBA City Edition uniforms, an NBA equivalent to the Reverse Retro, and questions some of the color choices. He'll ask himself, "Why are the Detroit Pistons in gray?" No such question was required here."I look at that beautiful blue color," Radom said of the Panthers' throwback, "and I say to myself, 'Geez, it looks just like South Florida.'"Mix in the beautiful crest, which was originally a shoulder patch, and it's easy to picture a sandy beach. The club's embracing its status as a nontraditional market. "Maybe this couldn't have happened 10, 15 years ago. It sure wouldn't have happened 20 years ago," Radom said. "But the timing is right."Vegas Golden Knights Ethan Miller / Getty ImagesThe Golden Knights, a franchise only six years old, emphasized city over team with the diagonal lettering. The glow-in-the-dark feature is a fitting add-on.Radom calls it "original," "very cool," and "ingenious," a dessert to the Golden Knights branding meal, seeing as he loves the team's home and away jerseys."It looks legit," he said. "It's got some gimmicks within it, but it's in a fun way and it works. It's Vegas. It should have some pizazz and sizzle and all of that."Los Angeles Kings Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThe Kings made a huge nostalgia play and were smart about it, Radom says."The Kings played in yellow sweaters at home and purple on the road back in the day," he said. "To see it in white is awesome. It's something you'd think would have happened in 1967 but in fact didn't. It has relevance, it grabbed my attention, and all it took was that one little tweak to make it work."It doesn't hurt that the crown crest is intricate yet not too noisy. It's regal.Colorado Avalanche/Minnesota Wild Michael Martin / Getty Images Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesRadom grouped these two Western Conference fits together.On the Avalanche's state flag crest: "I know there's people in Colorado who think the flag has been done to death. But I don't live in Colorado. I look at this and go, 'It's neat.' It's very bold and it gives me a good sense of place."On the Wild's vintage color obsession: "I like how the Wild have stealthily transformed themselves into the North Stars. (laughs) Man, I just love the colors so much, and this is just something so unexpected overall. I mean, you're seeing a recolored Wild logo, which I think is very underrated."John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Ryan Merkley and forward Matt Nieto from the San Jose Sharks for forward Martin Kaut and defenseman Jacob MacDonald on Wednesday.Merkley, a 2018 first-round pick, requested a trade earlier this month, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli. He's scored 14 points in 30 games with San Jose's AHL affiliate after playing 39 games in the NHL in 2021-22.The 22-year-old was a highly touted prospect coming out of junior hockey. He captured OHL Rookie of the Year in 2017 and led OHL blue-liners in assists in 2019 and 2020. Despite his high-end skill, Merkley slipped down the draft board due to perceived off-ice issues.Merkley struggled in his maiden NHL campaign, tallying one goal and six points in 39 games. His 43% expected goals for ranked last among Sharks defenders, according to Natural Stat Trick. He'll be a restricted free agent this summer and requires waivers beginning next season.Nieto previously spent four seasons with the Avalanche from 2016-20, where he potted a career-high 15 goals in 2017-18. The 30-year-old winger is sixth among Sharks forwards this season in average time on ice at 15:39. He has eight goals and 15 points through 45 contests. The pending unrestricted free agent has a cap hit of $850,000.Kaut was drafted five spots ahead of Merkley in 2018. The 23-year-old winger has struggled to make an impact at the NHL level, tallying just three points in 27 games with the Avalanche this season. Kaut cleared waivers earlier this season and is set to become a restricted free agent following the 2022-23 campaign.MacDonald ranked second-last on Colorado in average time on ice at 8:40. The 29-year-old was tasked with lining up at forward occasionally due to the Avalanche's injury woes. In 33 games, he tallied two assists with Colorado. MacDonald is signed through 2023-24 at a $762,500 cap hit.MacDonald will join the Sharks on the road in Carolina, while Kaut will report to San Jose's AHL affiliate, according to Mercury News' Curtis Pashelka.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry will miss at least the next two games.Jarry won't be available for Thursday's road clash with the Washington Capitals or Saturday's home date with the San Jose Sharks due to an upper-body ailment, head coach Mike Sullivan said Wednesday, according to team reporter Michelle Crechiolo.The Penguins' All-Star break begins Sunday, and they won't play again until Feb. 7, when they host the Colorado Avalanche.Jarry was a late scratch for Pittsburgh's 7-6 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. Before that, he made consecutive starts after missing seven games because of an injury he sustained in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2.The 27-year-old is 16-5-5 with a .921 save percentage - the latter of which would tie his career high if he sustains it - over 27 contests this season. Jarry ranks 10th in the NHL with 9.03 goals saved above average at five-on-five, and he sits 18th with 5.49 goals saved above expected in those situations, according to Evolving-Hockey.Casey DeSmith and Dustin Tokarski will fill the void in the Penguins' crease.Jarry has spent his entire career with the Penguins, who drafted him 44th overall in 2013.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Why do we frequently use the term "coin flip" to describe certain games in the NHL? Well, at 9:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday night, six of the first seven games on the schedule were tied in the third period. The seventh was a 2-1 Golden Knights lead that the Devils tied with their goalie pulled a few minutes later on a seemingly harmless shot that hit a Vegas shin guard and went in.We won just one out of our four bets last night, as both overtime results - the ultimate coin-flip situation - went the wrong way. New Jersey got its good bounce to beat Vegas in an evenly played game. Meanwhile, the Sharks dominated even-strength play against the Red Wings, as we hypothesized, with a 65% share of the expected goals and a 19-5 mark on high-danger chances, only to lose at three-on-three.If those overtimes went slightly differently, the sun would've shone a little brighter this morning. Alas, the NHL is the ultimate long game - you have to let the sample size pile up to even things out.Hurricanes ( -110) @ Stars (-110)We can take a little extra time to break down the 50-50 nature of the NHL because, on a light Wednesday, there's only one bet worth making. Lo and behold - it's lined as a true coin flip. How fitting.Here's a potentially controversial statement: The Hurricanes are the best team in the NHL right now.The key word being "now," since the Hurricanes are still 14 points behind the Bruins in the standings. Overall, Carolina is first in even-strength expected goal share at 59.74%, way ahead of the Devils (55.86%) and Bruins (54.7%). After a 15-1 stretch, the Hurricanes are on a 4-4 run, but since the Christmas break, their five-on-five expected goal share is actually up to 62% (the Bruins are seventh in that time).Carolina isn't playing Boston on Wednesday night, but the stand-out stat is its 10.5% conversion rate on even-strength high-danger chances. That below-league-average number could be why its results have waned in the short term. Being able to win games when you're not sniping at an unusually high rate will be helpful in Dallas against Jake Oettinger and the Stars.Dallas allowed just four goals on 131 even-strength high-danger chances allowed since Christmas. That's absurd. The Stars win by keeping the puck out of the net - their offensive numbers are only middle-of-the-pack. Since the calendar turned to 2023, the Stars' five wins came on three shutouts and two games in which they gave up just one goal.Arguably the most significant reason to back Carolina is the return of Frederik Andersen. He has a 4-0 record since Christmas and an outstanding 5.33 goals saved above expectation, which is actually better on a per-game basis than Oettinger's mark. Andersen's midseason return can match Dallas' stinginess.If you prefer calling things a "slump" versus statistical variance, why not rely on the best team in the NHL at creating goals relative to how few it allows to be created?Pick: Hurricanes (-110)Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks cruised past the Chicago Blackhawks with a convincing 5-2 win on Tuesday night to earn two points in Rick Tocchet's debut as head coach.Tocchet's squad brushed off early boos and a jersey thrown on the ice from an uneasy home crowd to capture the victory. Vancouver was in control of play for the entire contest, outshooting Chicago 48-14 while owning 74% of shot attempts, 74% of scoring chances, and 82% of expected goals at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.A pair of tallies from Andrei Kuzmenko in the second period left it tied heading into the final frame, where goals from Dakota Joshua, Sheldon Dries, and Bo Horvat sealed the two points.The strong performance eased tension in the arena as the game went on, and Tocchet seemed to appreciate the fans' passionate support."That's a great fan base," Tocchet said, per TSN's Farhan Lalji. "They were loud as hell. It was fun."Tocchet officially took over head coaching duties from Bruce Boudreau on Sunday after weeks of highly public speculation that the latter's job was in jeopardy.Prior to being hired by the Canucks, Tocchet's most recent coaching job was in 2020-21 with the Arizona Coyotes.Vancouver's next test comes Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Gary Bettman is adamant teams across the NHL don't throw their seasons in hopes for some lottery luck."Nobody tanks because we have a weighted lottery," the commissioner said Tuesday, per The Athletic's Arpon Basu. "You're not going to lose games to increase your odds by a couple of percentage points. That's silly."And frankly, suggesting tanking, I believe is inconsistent with the professionalism that our players and our coaches have. Nobody tanks. Our players and coaches do their best to win. And again, just because you may finish with the worst record in the league you've got something like a 75% chance that you're not going to get the first pick."Tanking is a hot topic this year due to the franchise-altering potential of consensus No. 1 draft prospect Connor Bedard. The 17-year-old Canadian phenom is fresh off capturing MVP at the world juniors in January, and entered Tuesday with a whopping 81 points in 33 games for the WHL's Regina Pats.All 16 teams who fail to qualify for the playoffs will be entered in the lottery. However, the NHL made an adjustment to the format in 2021 preventing teams from moving up more than 10 spots.The Columbus Blue Jackets are currently last in the NHL with 31 points through 47 games. Here's how the odds will stack up in June for the top five teams in the running to win the lottery based on standings:Position (current holder)Odds32nd (Blue Jackets)18.5%31st (Blackhawks)13.5%30th (Ducks)11.5%29th (Coyotes)9.5%28th (Sharks)8.5%The Montreal Canadiens, currently in 26th, won the lottery in 2022 and selected winger Juraj Slafkovsky first overall. Teams aren't allowed to win the lottery more than twice in a five-year span.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers will be without Evander Kane on Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets due to a bankruptcy case, according to Daily Faceoff's Jason Gregor.Kane is facing two bankruptcy trials in San Jose and is scheduled to appear in court for seven days over two weeks from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2, Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic reported Friday.Edmonton plays twice during this period: Wednesday against the Blue Jackets and Saturday versus the Chicago Blackhawks.Kane filed for bankruptcy with $26.8 million worth of debt in January 2021.The 31-year-old has five goals and 13 points in 17 contests this season. He recently returned from a 31-game absence due to a laceration sustained Nov. 8 when his wrist was cut by a skate.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues are gauging trade interest in captain Ryan O'Reilly ahead of the trade deadline, TSN's Darren Dreger reported in Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."Acquiring the pending unrestricted free agent would cost teams a package of prospects and picks, Dreger adds.O'Reilly has been sidelined since Jan. 2 with a broken foot but is expected to return to action before the March 3 deadline. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has underperformed this season, registering only 16 points in 37 games while averaging 18:26 of ice time per contest. During St. Louis' slump in November, O'Reilly called his play "absolutely horrible" and "pathetic."Despite his down year, O'Reilly's pedigree should attract attention from plenty of contenders. The veteran two-way pivot recorded 266 points in 324 games since joining the Blues in 2018-19 and has a Conn Smythe, Selke Trophy, and Stanley Cup on his resume.O'Reilly carries a $7.5-million cap hit before hitting the open market this summer.The Blues entered Tuesday five points back of third place in the Central Division and six behind the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is leaning into the sunny backdrop at the 2023 All-Star Game in Florida.On Tuesday, the league announced three new events for the upcoming All-Star Skills Competition: Splash Shot, Pitch 'n Puck, and Tendy Tandem.Splash Shot will take place on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. Four teams of two players will compete head-to-head shooting at targets, with the winner dunking their opponents into a water tank.Pitch 'n Puck uses a combination of hockey and golf shots. Six players will play a par 4 on an island green. If there's a tie, a longest-drive competition will determine the winner.In Tendy Tandem, one goaltender from each division is designated as either a shooter or a netminder. The shooting goaltender will attempt to hit a target from a designated mark, with his results determining how many players get to shoot for his team. The netminder from the opposing division will then face one, two, or three players, depending on the points earned by the shooting goalie.Fastest skater, hardest shot, breakaway challenge, and accuracy shooting all return to the 2023 All-Star Game as well.Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo will participate as a celebrity goaltender in the breakaway challenge. Team USA's Alex Carpenter and Hilary Knight, as well as Team Canada's Emily Clark, Rebecca Johnston, and Sarah Nurse will also take part in the festivities.The individual winner of each event will earn $30,000.The All-Star Skills Competition kicks off Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. ET. The All-Star Game will take place the following day.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes signed defenseman Juuso Valimaki to a one-year contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.The deal is worth $1 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Valimaki has registered two goals and 10 assists in 43 games this season while averaging 14:59 per contest. He's also added 41 shots, 37 blocks, and 24 hits. His 47.77% expected goals share at five-on-five leads all Coyotes defensemen, per Natural Stat Trick.Arizona claimed the 24-year-old off waivers from the Calgary Flames in October. The Flames originally selected him 16th overall at the 2017 draft.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winning bets is fun. Losing them? Not so much. The Variance Monster bit us on Monday as the Islanders and Maple Leafs racked up an unforeseeable 7.5 expected goal (xG) count at even strength, sending the game over a total that dropped a full goal from 6.5 to 5.5 before the opening faceoff.Beating the market with that kind of closing-line value should provide better results, but that's the nature of sports. Things like the Stars outperforming the Sabres 15-5 in high-danger chances can happen, and when you get the wrong Buffalo goalie, a bet can go awry. Fortunately, there are plenty of wagers to choose from Tuesday as we look to get back in the winning saddle.Sharks (+130) @ Red Wings (-150)We'll start with our bread and butter: a moneyline value play fit for the weekly betting guide. With a season-long 52.3 xG% and a 55.8% high-danger chance rate at even-strength, the Sharks will offer are value often. The Red Wings are the inverse, with five-on-five percentage rates in the mid-40s.Both teams have middle-of-the-road power plays, but San Jose's penalty kill is third in the NHL. Why don't the Sharks win more games? Goaltending. In most cases, finding consistent value with one team means the goalies aren't up to snuff.James Reimer hasn't been good this season, but he's the best option for San Jose. Ville Husso, meanwhile, hasn't been much better in his first season with the Red Wings; this matchup is close to even, with my projections giving the Sharks a 48.6% chance to win. A +130 moneyline implies San Jose will win 43.5% of the time, and a 5% edge is enough to take a shot on the Sharks.Pick: Sharks (+130)Golden Knights (+150) @ Devils (-175)Bettors are jumping ship on the Golden Knights, whose Pacific Division lead has dwindled with a 5-7 moneyline record since the Christmas break. Still, Vegas is tied with the Hurricanes in allowing the fewest even-strength high-danger chances in the NHL in that time.Known for having a substantial home-ice advantage, the Golden Knights are an impressive 15-4-2 on the road this season. They shouldn't fear traveling to face the Devils - who are a surprising .500 on the moneyline at home. New Jersey has experienced regression of its own after an incredible start, ranking 23rd in xG% at five-on-five since Christmas.Season-long metrics indicate the Golden Knights have a 43.5% chance to win a game that's lined as though they're 40% likely. Given home-road splits and the Devils' average play of late, jump back on the Vegas boat at +150.Pick: Golden Knights (+150)Jets (-120) @ Predators (+100)In the last of our value plays, we've got the Predators as 55% favorites at home against the Jets, who aren't the same team on the road that they are at the Canada Life Centre. They carry even-strength play at a 53% rate in Winnipeg, but it's the inverse on the road, and we're getting even money on Nashville.The Jets play their last contest of a five-game, eight-day road trip that's taken them from eastern Canada through Philadelphia and down to Music City. The Predators have played just twice in that time, and Juuse Saros continued his strong play at home - where he's a half-goal better than he is on the road - with a Saturday win against the Kings.Pick: Predators (+100)Blackhawks (+190) @ Canucks (-227)This has nothing to do with the numbers, as the metrics in the moneyline guide indicate we need +212 to consider backing the Blackhawks. But these two teams have vastly different vibes around them right now.Normally, the inclination is to back a team that just fired its head coach because that usually happens midseason after the players have quit on the incumbent. That's not the case in Vancouver, where the Canucks have publicly embarrassed themselves in their handling of fan-favorite Bruce Boudreau. Vancouver's players have had ample opportunity to jump to life and play better defense to protect leads. Instead, they've proven incapable of doing so time and again. That shouldn't immediately change with a new voice in the dressing room.If the Canucks win, it's because Chicago is bad. But the Blackhawks have won six of their last eight - apparently losing interest in tanking narratives. Historically, they're always up for a trip to Vancouver, and it makes more sense to bet on the team feeling good and giving maximum effort at +190 than to lay a big price amid a messy situation.Pick: Blackhawks (+190)Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs filled the net Monday in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders, but Mitch Marner was unable to find the scoresheet, ending his franchise-record home point streak at 20 games.Marner was even reunited with Auston Matthews in the contest after the team came out flat in the first period, but it was the second line of John Tavares, William Nylander, and Calle Jarnkrok that did most of the damage. Nylander collected four points, Tavares notched a goal and an assist, and Jarnkrok bagged a goal.Darryl Sittler previously held the club record for most consecutive games at home with a point at 18, set in 1977-78. Marner broke the record Jan. 17 with a pair of assists against the Florida Panthers, then added to it with a goal in Toronto's next home game two nights later against the Winnipeg Jets.Monday's contest was only the second time all season Marner didn't record a point at home. In total, the playmaking winger's tallied 32 points in 25 games at Scotiabank Arena this season, including 29 during the streak.Marner set the Maple Leafs record for 19 straight overall games with a point earlier in the campaign. He padded his record to 23 before it was snapped, making it the NHL's fourth-longest streak in the last 30 years.In total, the 25-year-old has registered 56 points in 48 games this season.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators assistant coach Bob Jones has ALS, general manager Pierre Dorion announced Tuesday."Bob and his family's wishes are to take the courageous step of making his condition public in an effort to drive ALS awareness as he fights this disease," the GM said in a statement.Jones will continue coaching, and Dorion said the coach has the Senators' full support to take any time away he requires during the season."The thoughts and well-wishes of the entire National Hockey League family are with Ottawa Senators assistant coach Bob Jones and his family," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement Tuesday. "We admire his courage in making his battle with ALS public, and we will support him and his family in this fight."Jones is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Senators. He previously worked in the AHL and coached in the OHL for over 20 years.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a disease that gradually paralyzes the individual as the brain becomes unable to communicate with muscles in the body.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Dillon Dube scored at 2:25 of overtime to give the Calgary Flames a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night.Andrew Mangiapane had a goal and two assists, and Nazem Kadri and Walker Duehr also scored for the Flames. Dan Vladar stopped 22 shots to improve to 10-4-4 this season.Patrik Laine had a goal and two assists, and Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko also scored for Columbus. Johnny Gaudreau had two assists in his return to Calgary for the first time since leaving as a free agent last summer. Joonas Korpisalo finished with 45 saves.In the extra period, Dube got a cross-ice pass from Mangiapane on a 2-on-1 and fired a one timer past Korpisalo for his 12th of the season to give Calgary the win after they gave up leads of 2-0 and 3-2.Gaudreau, who is fifth all-time in Flames history with 609 points, was greeted by boos and derisive chants of “John-ny” the moment he stepped on the ice.Gaudreau was awarded a penalty shot five minutes into the opening period when Calgary defenseman MacKenzie Weegar hooked him on a breakaway. A wave of boos followed Gaudreau’s approach to the Flames' net, and intensified when he shot the puck high attempting to pick the net’s top corner.A video tribute minutes later brought many in the crowd to their feet to acknowledge his eight seasons of Flames’ service, but that goodwill was short-lived.Jenner tied the score 3-3 at 4:34 of the third as he got a pass from Laine, skated into the left circle on a 2-on-1 with Gaudreau and a fired a shot that beat Vladar for his 13th.Duehr got the Flames on the scoreboard with 3:42 left in the first as his one-timer from just above the faceoff dot deflected off the inside of Korpisalo’s pad and in so fast that it was unclear where the puck was until officials fished it from inside the net. It was Duehr's second goal in six games since he was called up from the AHL on Jan. 7.Kadri made it 2-0 at 1:32 of the second. After a turnover by the Blue Jackets, Kadri spun in the slot and wired the puck over Korpisalo’s right arm for his team-leading 19th.Marchenko got Columbus on the board, ripping Gaudreau’s cross-ice pass over Vladar’s glove at 9:04 while Dube served a tripping penalty. It was Marchenko's 10th.With Kadri serving a delay-of-game penalty, Gaudreau feathered the puck across to Laine, who dropped to his knee to squeeze a shot by Vladar at 9:53 for his 14th to tie it 2-2.Mangiapane put the Flames back ahead with 3:43 left in the second. The Blue Jackets turned the puck over behind their own net and Mikael Backlund fed Mangiapane in the slot and he spun and beat Korpisalo glove side for his 10th.VALUABLE VLADARThe Flames have earned at least a point in Vladar’s last 12 starts, with a 9-0-3 record since Nov. 29. That’s the longest active point streak this season among NHL goalies.SIDELINEDCalgary D Chris Tanev left the game midway through the first period after a collision in the neutral zone.UP NEXTBlue Jackets: At Edmonton on Wednesday night in the second of a four-game trip.Flames: Host Chicago on Thursday night to wrap up a four-game homestand.___AP NHL: www.apnews.com/hub/NHL and www.twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TORONTO (AP) — William Nylander had two goals and two assists as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the slumping New York Islanders 5-2 on Monday night.John Tavares had a goal and an assist, Calle Jarnkrok and Auston Matthews also scored and Justin Holl had two assists for Toronto, which is 3-0-1 in its last four and 6-2-1 in its last nine. Ilya Samsonov had 31 saves.Anders Lee scored twice for New York in its ninth loss in 10 games (1-6-3). Ilya Sorokin had 33 saves.The Maple Leafs 1-0 after one period and coach Sheldon Keefe tweaked his top-6 forward group during the first intermission, reuniting Tavares and Nylander, and slotting Mitch Marner alongside Matthews.“I don’t think a lot had to be said (in the intermission) other than pointing out the obvious, but it’s on the players,” Keefe said. “They did the talking and, more importantly, just came out on the ice way more focused.”Toronto tied it at 5:07 of the second when Nylander scored off the rush after a nice play from Tavares.“We decided to battle and compete a little bit more,” Nylander said of the team’s play in the second period. “That’s what took over the game.”Lee put New York back ahead 1:10 later on a one-timer that fooled Samsonov for his 17th.Toronto it on a power play at 7:53 when Samsonov caught the Islanders on a long change with a stretch pass. Nylander quickly fed Tavares, who moved in alone and backhanded his 21st goal of the season upstairs against his former team.“I wasn’t expecting it, to be honest,” Tavares said of Samsonov’s quick strike. “Happy I got back onside because he sends it up there quickly.”Keefe had a lot of praise for Tavares’ play in the second period.“Best period John Tavares has played all season,” Keefe said. “That got Willie going. Willie finished the chances and Willie was good. But I thought J.T. was excellent.”The Leafs, who lost 3-2 in overtime to the Islanders here on Nov. 21, then took their first lead 1:40 later when Nylander used a delicate flip pass to send Jarnkrok in alone to score his 11th.Sorokin stopped Michael Bunting’s penalty shot later in the period, but Nylander buried his second of the night and 26th overall with 3:28 left in the middle period after stealing the puck from Scott Mayfield in the offensive zone.Matthews sealed the win with his 25th at 7:44 of the third on a breakaway off a pass from Holl.“Our details and our awareness cost us,” Islanders coach Lane Lambert said. “We’ve got to just absolutely get past that and clean it up.”New York opened the scoring with 22.2 seconds left in the first when Lee swatted home a loose puck in the crease for his 16th after Brock Nelson’s shot glanced off Samsonov’s shoulder and hit the post.The Toronto goaltender was sharp on a number of chances earlier in the period, including a terrific blocker stop at full stretch on Casey Cizikas.SAMSONOV ON A RUNSamsonov made his third straight start and fourth straight appearance. Samsonov came in 14-4-2 record and a .919 save percentage, while Matt Murray was 11-5-0 with a .911 save percentage as part of Toronto’s goaltending tandem.DEBUTS AND RETURNSNew York D Samuel Bolduc made his NHL debut. The 22-year-old from Quebec had eight goals and 26 points in 40 AHL games this season. ... Also, Islanders F Kyle Palmieri and D Adam Pelech returned to the lineup after long injury absences.UP NEXTIslanders: At Ottawa on Wednesday night to wrap up a two-game trip.Maple Leafs: Host the New York Rangers on Wednesday night in the second of a five-game trip.___AP NHL: www.apnews.com/hub/NHL and www.twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rasmus Dahlin is well aware that only five of the 44 skaters selected for the upcoming All-Star Game in Florida are defensemen."I guess the fans want to see forwards," the Buffalo Sabres blue-liner told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News on Monday. "It is what it is. I'm going on vacation and I'm going to have a good time, but, obviously, I want to be there. That's just how it goes."Dahlin ranks second in scoring among NHL defensemen with 52 points, but he was not named to the Atlantic Division's All-Star roster. Tage Thompson was Buffalo's representative on the initial roster, while Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews and Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak earned spots through the NHL All-Star Fan Vote.All nine skaters on the Atlantic Division's roster are forwards.Though he'd prefer to participate in the All-Star festivities, Dahlin plans to enjoy a break from his 26:10 of average ice time."The rest is well-needed for sure," the 22-year-old said. "A few of us are going to have a good time - mental break and also a physical break. So I'm excited for that, too. Some days, you've got to take your day off if you have to, but I think the body gets used to it."Dahlin earned the first All-Star nod of his young career last season. He's looking forward to watching Thompson - who's tied for third in the league with 32 goals - put on a show as the Sabres' representative this time around."People want to see his skill and what he's good at," Dahlin said. "So I'm super excited for him. I'm going to watch. I want him to do something sick out there and have a blast. I'm sure he's going to do it a few times more in his career, but enjoy this moment, for sure."Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Johnny Gaudreau says he understands if Calgary Flames fans are upset about his departure ahead of his first game back in the city with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night."Sports is awesome," Gaudreau told NHL.com's Craig Merz on Friday. "It brings people together, and I got to play there for 10 years, nine years, and I had some great memories, and they're probably a little upset that I'm not there anymore. I get it."Even though the skilled winger isn't expecting a warm welcome, he's looking forward to suiting up at the Saddledome again."They love their team, and that's why I loved playing there so much, and I loved being part of that organization for 12, 13 years," he said. "It's going to be fun going back."Gaudreau's current teammates had some fun with him at Monday's morning skate, perhaps preparing him for what's to come in the evening.

Josh Norris' comeback was short-lived, as the Ottawa Senators forward will have shoulder surgery and miss the remainder of the season, the club announced Monday.The same injury forced him out for 38 games earlier this campaign. Norris played only three contests in his return to the lineup, scoring the Senators' lone goal in a 5-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday."(Norris) tried, did his best to join the boys but re-injured it in the third (period) just reaching," Senators head coach D.J. Smith said Monday, according to TSN's Claire Hanna. "He didn't want to leave the bench to make a big deal of it, but he was done halfway through."Here's where Norris appeared to aggravate the injury:

Pearl Jam once sang, "It's all just inadvertent imitation, a pattern in all mankind." So, with our usual astute NHL handicapping All-Star taking his own break, you're stuck with analysis from a reasonable facsimile. Here, we'll usher you toward valuable hockey bets in lieu of the weekly betting guide.Islanders (+190) @ Maple Leafs (-230)The Maple Leafs can't be trusted as a big favorite, as was exemplified Saturday when they coughed up another two-goal lead to Montreal. However, the Leafs' metrics are good enough to support their moneyline price here, and I'd need +227 to consider backing the underdog Islanders.Instead, we'll turn to the total. Ilya Sorokin leads the NHL in Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) this season, but Ilya Samsonov has averaged +0.62 GSAx per game to Sorokin's +0.86. This means we've got a matchup of two top-five goaltenders on a per-game basis.The fear is always that the Leafs will play a loose game, scoring with ease but also giving up a few more goals than you'd expect. However, coming off a loss, they should be a little more focused on playing a grinding, defensively responsible style, which the Isles are often up for.Since the Christmas break, both teams have struggled to convert their even-strength high-danger chances (HDCs). The Islanders have 11 goals on 136 HDCs for just an 8% clip, which is well below the league average of 13%. But the Leafs have had the same issue, converting their 140 HDCs at just 9%. Maybe regression hits all at once Monday night, but between good goaltenders and bad recent scoring metrics, the under has to be the play.Pick: Under 6.5 (-135)Panthers (+110) @ Rangers (-130)Are the Panthers back?! Florida scored us a win Saturday, but we'll temper the enthusiasm given the team's 49% even-strength Expected Goal Share (XG%) in that game. That said, the Wild scored by going two-for-two on the power play and converting at six-on-five with the goalie pulled late.A 100% power-play efficiency is an outlier, but it's also a decent sign that Florida was on the penalty kill just twice. Although the Panthers have recorded the most short-handed time on ice all season, they're in the middle of the pack in that category since Jan. 1.As for the Rangers, they've regressed to the bottom third of the NHL in even-strength high-danger chance creation since the calendar turned to 2023. This is more in line with last season's metrics, but without the super-human performance by Igor Shesterkin.Alex Lyon should get another start in net, and given how bad the Panthers' goaltenders have been this season, his slightly above-average play has been a revelation in back-to-back wins. Florida is live to make it three straight.Pick: Panthers (+110)Sabres (+150) @ Stars (-175)Through two periods Saturday afternoon, we thought our shot on the underdog Ducks in Buffalo had a chance in a 3-3 game. Anaheim lost 6-3. However, we try to find ways to fade the Sabres as a big favorite - or against a team that won't allow their offense to bail them out - because of their goaltending situation.The Stars' Jake Oettinger leads the NHL in GSAx since the Christmas break. It's expected that Buffalo will start Eric Comrie in the first game of a week-long road trip; his 3.67 goals against per game means it's less likely that the Sabres steal one. In lieu of laying a big price on the moneyline or hoping for a two-goal victory, we'll find the middle ground and back Dallas to win in regulation on the three-way line.Pick: Stars to win in regulation (-110)Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford was apologetic to Bruce Boudreau during Sunday's press conference introducing Rick Tocchet as head coach but insisted criticism for the team's handling of the situation has been "overplayed.""I will apologize to Bruce for this: Probably, in my interviews over the course of the season, when people ask me a question, I'm probably too direct and too honest. ... Sometimes that affects certain people. And in this case, it probably did affect him," Rutherford told the media, including Sportsnet."I'm sorry I did that, and I've learned from it. So I've decided that I need to zip it. I'm not going to talk about the team; I'm going to let Patrik (Allvin, Vancouver's GM) and Rick Tocchet talk about the team."There was significant speculation over Boudreau's future leading up to Sunday's firing. Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano criticized the Canucks' treatment of Boudreau, while Vancouver defenseman Tyler Myers admitted the conjecture was impacting the team.After apologizing, Rutherford maintained the Canucks' search for a new coach was typical."It's not any different than most situations in professional sports, where a team is not winning as much as people would like, and there's speculation that there's gonna be changes," Rutherford said. "If you go back to the last time there was a coaching change here, there was speculation about it. And the owner was talking to Bruce about coming here before there was a change made. So, there's not a whole lot different other than what I've apologized for."Rutherford added, "I have had several calls - and I know a lot more than you do - from people that feel that this was really overplayed by everybody."Tocchet will debut as Vancouver's head coach when the Canucks face the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks dismissed head coach Bruce Boudreau and hired Rick Tocchet in his stead, the team announced Sunday.Tocchet, who's now the 21st bench boss in franchise history, is joined by assistant coach Adam Foote and defensive development coach Sergei Gonchar. Assistant coach Trent Cull was also relieved of his duties."We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Bruce and Trent for their contributions to this organization," general manager Patrik Allvin said in a press release. "We appreciate their dedication and wish them nothing but the best moving forward. This was not an easy decision to make but one that we felt was necessary for this franchise."Tocchet was most recently the head coach of the 2020-21 Arizona Coyotes, who finished in fifth place of the realigned West Division with a record of 24-26-6 during the pandemic-shortened campaign. He and the Coyotes mutually agreed to part ways at the conclusion of that season.He joined TNT as an analyst at the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign."Rick Tocchet brings a wealth of knowledge to this team from both a coach and player perspective," Allvin said. "He has had more than two decades of coaching experience, guiding teams of various styles."Tocchet compiled an all-time coaching record of 178-200-60 over six seasons, including four in the desert. Two of his teams (the Coyotes in 2018-19 and 2019-20) finished their campaigns over .500.The 58-year-old has only made the playoffs once, losing in the opening round to the Colorado Avalanche in 2020 after eliminating the Nashville Predators in the qualifying round.Tocchet began his NHL head coaching career with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2008-09. He won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017 as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins.The Canucks have struggled mightily this season and lost 10 of their last 12 games. They occupy sixth place in the Pacific Division at 18-25-3 and sit 14 points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.Vancouver went 50-40-13 with Boudreau at the helm. He led the Canucks to a stunning turnaround last season after taking over for the fired Travis Green in December 2021. They went 32-15-10 after the coaching change and only missed the playoffs by five points.The 68-year-old became a fan favorite during the run and retained that status amid the Canucks' struggles this season. Fans started chanting, "Bruce, there it is," in his honor in 2021-22. They did so again Saturday night during Boudreau's final game behind Vancouver's bench, after which he was clearly emotional.Boudreau said he and the players shared a moment after the final buzzer sounded Saturday."I just had 15 of them come up to me, and we were all crying together, which is silly for us men to do sometimes," he said. "I think they would have went through a wall for me, and as a coach, that's all you can ask for, quite frankly."Reports of Boudreau's imminent firing had been circling for the past couple weeks. The veteran head coach posited his own theory for the delay Saturday."I don't know the reasoning why I'm still here. Maybe it's because the next games are Chicago, Seattle, and Columbus for the new group," he said. "Good luck."Seven of the Canucks' last eight opponents are currently in a playoff spot.The incessant rumors contributed to a tumultuous time for the Canucks. Defenseman Tyler Myers told reporters that the outside noise impacted his team's performance during Friday's 4-1 loss to the Avalanche, while rearguard Luke Schenn said his teammates were "speechless" after failing to get a win for Boudreau against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.Boudreau has had to navigate his way through a handful of emotional media availabilities about his future over the past few days. He told reporters Friday he'd "be a fool" to say he didn't know about his precarious job status before tearfully cutting the scrum short.The grizzled bench boss was in his 15th season as an NHL coach. He piloted over 1,000 games and earned 10 playoff berths. Boudreau took the Anaheim Ducks to the Western Conference Final in 2015.He owns an all-time coaching record of 617-342-128.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pending restricted free-agent forward Timo Meier hasn't discussed a contract extension with the San Jose Sharks, his agent, Claude Lemieux, told the Mercury News' Curtis Pashelka.Lemieux added that he's "very realistic" about Meier possibly getting traded.Meier's current deal carries a $6-million cap hit, and a team would have to give him a $10-million qualifying offer in the offseason to hold onto his negotiating rights, according to CapFriendly.His qualifying offer might be hard for cap-strapped contending teams to swing, but the 26-year-old is enjoying a dynamite campaign for the floundering Sharks. Meier leads San Jose with 27 goals - 11 clear of Logan Couture, who has the second most - and ranks second on the team with 47 points in 47 games.If Meier keeps up his scoring clip, he could shatter his previous career high of 35 goals set last season.During the most recent edition of the "32 Thoughts" podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Sharks have "indicated a willingness" to allow other teams to talk to Meier's representatives about a cheaper extension than the qualifying offer if they make an appealing trade proposal.Meier addressed that report Saturday, saying, "I know that teams - if there's a trade - are going to want to talk extension, so I think that this makes sense," per Pashelka.San Jose drafted Meier with the ninth overall pick in 2015. In a January 2022 game against the Los Angeles Kings, he became the first player in Sharks history to score five goals in a single contest.The Swiss winger has 150 goals and 311 points in 441 career NHL games.Meier isn't the only high-profile trade target on the Sharks' roster. Defenseman Erik Karlsson has turned some heads with a Norris Trophy-worthy campaign, but he has four years remaining on his pact with an $11.5-million cap hit.The trade deadline is set for March 3 at 3 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin sat out his first game of the season Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights due to a lower-body injury.Ovechkin has missed 48 games in his 18-season NHL career. Only 28 of those have been the result of an injury.The 37-year-old's 30 goals this season rank sixth league-wide. He has 52 points through 48 contests.The Capitals are fourth in the Metropolitan Division with a 25-17-6 record.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Bruce Boudreau saga in Vancouver appears to be coming to an end.The Canucks are expected to name Rick Tocchet head coach on Monday, according to Sportsnet's Jeff Marek.Tocchet has featured on TNT's hockey panel as an analyst since the beginning of the 2021-22 season. He was most recently on an NHL bench in 2020-21 with the Arizona Coyotes.The 58-year-old posted a 125-131-34 record as the Coyotes' head coach over four seasons. Tocchet made the playoffs once, losing in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche in 2020 after knocking off the Nashville Predators in the qualifying round. He parted ways with Arizona following the 2020-21 campaign.Tocchet won back-to-back Stanley Cups as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.Speculation over Boudreau's future has been rampant in recent days. Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers commented on the impact it has had on the team, while Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano criticized Vancouver's treatment of Boudreau.The 68-year-old was emotional on Friday when discussing the uncertainty of his future.Sergei Gonchar and Adam Foote are expected to join Tocchet in Vancouver as assistants, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Gonchar coached alongside Tocchet for two seasons in Pittsburgh. The 48-year-old was last on an NHL bench in 2020 as an assistant with the Penguins. He's been an assistant coach with the Russian national team this season.Foote spent parts of two seasons as head coach of the WHL's Kelowna Rockets before being fired in 2020. Previously, the 51-year-old was a team consultant with the Avalanche from 2013-17.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield will miss the remainder of the season with a right shoulder injury, the team announced Saturday.Caufield will undergo surgery in the near future. The team will provide an update on his recovery timeline after the procedure.Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis told reporters on Saturday that Caufield sustained the injury earlier in the season and had been playing through it."He was getting evaluated every game. It was something he had to deal with," St. Louis said. "We got some information late last night that sent us down this path."Caufield leads the Canadiens with a career-high 26 goals and ranks second on the team with 36 points in 46 games.He logged 17:41 of ice time and put up three shots on goal during the Canadiens' 6-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday.The 22-year-old can become a restricted free agent this summer. He confirmed Friday that his agent, Pat Brisson, opened preliminary contract talks with Montreal.Though Caufield noted that he isn't in any rush to put pen to paper and would leave the heavy lifting to his representatives, he said the contract negotiations are still "in the back of (his) mind."General manager Kent Hughes said Wednesday that the team wants to sign Caufield to a long-term deal, according to NHL.com's Sean Farrell.The Canadiens selected Caufield with the 15th overall pick in 2019. The Wisconsin native put up 84 points in 123 NHL games since entering the league in 2020-21.His 53 goals in that span are the most on the Canadiens despite the fact that he's played in 61 fewer games than Nick Suzuki, who has the second most.Montreal is in last place of the Atlantic Division with a record of 19-24-3.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canucks bench boss Bruce Boudreau garnered sympathy from Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano as his coaching career in Vancouver hangs precariously in the balance."I don't know what's going on here, but I love Bruce," Cogliano told reporters after his team's 4-1 victory over the Canucks on Friday night, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "I think he's a great man. He cares about players, he cares about his team, and he's a good coach."I have my thoughts on what's going on here with him on a personal level, and I don't think it's warranted. He's done a good job throughout the league."Boudreau coached Cogliano for five seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. Anaheim missed the playoffs only once during Boudreau's tenure and finished first in the Pacific Division four times.Cogliano potted a career-high 21 goals with Anaheim in 2013-14, Boudreau's second full campaign behind the Ducks' bench."We had a lot of success in Anaheim, and I actually attribute a lot of my success in the league to him," Cogliano said. "So I owe him a lot. ... And I think he'll come out on top of all this."Cogliano, 35, opened the scoring Friday with his seventh goal of the season.It was a dramatic night for the Canucks, who Boudreau said looked "a little disenchanted at times" during the loss. The off-ice noise surrounding the team has become deafening as Boudreau's firing appears imminent. It's been speculated that Rick Tocchet will replace Boudreau in Vancouver.As for the Avalanche, they've won four straight games as they continue to fend off the injury bug while staying in the playoff hunt.Colorado holds the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a 24-17-3 record. The Avs are tied with the Calgary Flames with 51 points, but the defending Stanley Cup champions have two games in hand.The Avalanche will take on the Seattle Kraken Saturday at 10 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're bringing the NHL weekly betting guide to life for a loaded Saturday on the ice. Let's start with a pair of matinee games as those north of the border celebrate "Hockey Day in Canada," even if most of the value is south of the border.Ducks (+215) @ Sabres (-260)It's never easy to start a day with a bet that'll probably lose, but that's the reality with an underdog this big. The Ducks are too big of an underdog. My numbers give Anaheim a 38% chance of winning in Buffalo.The Sabres have run hot and cold this season, compiling a cold spell running eight contests and a six-game winning streak over the campaign. They've won just two of their last seven games, generating an average 50% high-danger chance rate at five-on-five over that time.There's very little to like about the Ducks, as they sit last in the NHL in goal differential. They also own a league-worst expected goal (XG) share over their current 6-10 stretch. However, Anaheim is being priced as high as +240, which is an implied win probability of less than 30%. That makes the Ducks an ugly but long-term profitable play.Pick: Ducks (play down to +200)Lightning (+100) @ Flames (-120)Later in the afternoon, we've got a more palatable underdog. I have the Lightning - available at +100 - as a slight favorite of 52.7% to win in a game lined like a coin flip.After winning at a 62.5% rate before the Christmas break, Tampa Bay has since won nine of 12 games and are second in the NHL in both XG and high-danger chances shares at even strength.Flames backers have been waiting for Jacob Markstrom's play to improve to his previous high level. His GSAx has dropped thanks to a minus-1.69 rate since the break. Meanwhile, Andrei Vasilevskiy is as steady as ever, with negligible difference in his home/road splits.Pick: Lightning (play up to -105)Wild (-105) @ Panthers (-115)The Panthers' even-strength metrics are good enough to make them the sixth-best team in my ratings. But for much of the season, they've refused to win games - largely due to terrible goaltending from Spencer Knight and Sergei Bobrovsky. Florida demoted Knight, and Bobrovsky left Thursday's game with an injury.If the Panthers can get replacement-level goaltending from either Bobrovsky or Alex Lyon on Saturday, they can continue a push that's seen them go 6-3 with a trio of excusable road losses in Dallas, Vegas, and Toronto. Now just four points out of a playoff spot, Florida should edge the Wild. Minnesota is just 6-6 since the Christmas break, with sub-50% even-strength metrics in that time.Pick: Panthers (play up to -135)Kings (-105) @ Predators (-115)We don't like to rely on the finicky nature of goaltending in a one-game sample size. But in another 50-50-type game, we'll take Juuse Saros over whomever the Kings put in between the pipes.The Predators netminder is second in GSAx this season, and his home splits are favorable with a 2.55 GAA and .921 save percentage. L.A. may have thought it found the answer to its horrendous goaltending in Pheonix Copley. However, his above-average December stats have turned into below-average January numbers.Pick: Predators (-115)Blackhawks (+215) @ Blues (-260)Like our first game, we have another scary underdog that provides about 6% of value over a 100-game sample size. Unfortunately, they're only playing one contest Saturday night, but at odds longer than +200, the Blackhawks have to be the bet.Since losing Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly (and later Torey Krug), the Blues are 6-3, which makes no sense. The team's even-strength metrics have been among the worst in the NHL over that time. Chicago is also down near the bottom but has won five of its last six contests.In a game between two bad teams whose recent results are over their heads, we'll take better than 2-to-1 odds on something closer to a coin flip than the market suggests.Pick: Blackhawks (play down to +200)Avalanche (-105) @ Kraken (-115)Unlike the bets above, this is less a numbers play and more about the situation. The Avalanche are coming off a win in Vancouver last night and will be turning to backup goaltender Pavel Francouz for their final road game until after the All-Star break. While Alexandar Georgiev boasts a plus-7.55 GSAx this season, Francouz has played just moderately.The Avs' even-strength metrics have been average this campaign. Maybe their power play can be the difference against the Kraken's weak link - the penalty kill. But Seattle has consistently found ways to beat better opponents since the calendar turned to 2023.Pick: Kraken (-115)Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cole Caufield admits he hasn't fully blocked out his contract negotiations."You try not to (think about it), but you really can't really get away from it," the Montreal Canadiens star told the media, including TSN, on Friday. "It's everywhere, you hear it a lot. But for me, (I'm) just trying to stay away from it. It's going to happen when it happens."On Tuesday, it was reported the Canadiens and Caufield's agent, Pat Brisson, opened preliminary contract talks roughly a month ago. The 22-year-old winger confirmed as much Friday and acknowledged he's given it some thought."Obviously, I love being here. I love this team and this group of guys, so (I'll) just take it one step at a time, but for sure it's in the back of my mind," he said.When asked whether the dollar amount or terms are sticking points in talks, Caufield downplayed the notion of either one being a reason there's no deal yet."Honestly, I don't really see it like that," he said. "It's probably just (about) the best fit for me. (Brisson) and the guys behind the scenes take care of those things, but I'm not too worried."Caufield also said he's in no rush to finalize anything at the moment. The young sniper is a pending restricted free agent who's in the final year of his entry-level pact. He's due for a hefty raise from his current average annual value of approximately $881,000.The American has racked up 26 goals and 10 assists over 46 games in 2022-23. He produced 23 tallies and 20 helpers over 67 contests last season, including 22 of those goals in the 37 games he played after the Canadiens replaced head coach Dominique Ducharme with Martin St. Louis.Caufield is in his third season and second full campaign with the Habs, who drafted him 15th overall in 2019. He won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA's top men's hockey player in 2021.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Max Pacioretty tore his Achilles tendon late in Thursday's win over the Minnesota Wild, the Carolina Hurricanes announced.Pacioretty sustained the same injury in August, which delayed his Hurricanes debut until January.Carolina acquired Pacioretty in a July trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. The 34-year-old scored three goals in the five contests in which he suited up with the Canes.Pacioretty also departed Carolina's victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 12 with an injury that was unrelated to his first Achilles tear. He missed the next two contests with that ailment before returning Thursday.The veteran forward has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, and especially recently. He was limited to 39 games last season and missed eight in 2021. Pacioretty was able to play all 71 tilts for Vegas in the abbreviated 2019-20 campaign, but he suited up for only 66 and 64 in the two prior seasons, respectively.Pacioretty played his first 10 campaigns with the Montreal Canadiens, who drafted him 22nd overall in 2007. The Connecticut-born winger spent his next four with the Golden Knights before they shipped him to the Hurricanes.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bruce Boudreau acknowledged the widespread speculation that the clock is winding down on his tenure as Vancouver Canucks head coach in an emotional media availability Friday."I mean, I'd be a fool to say that I don't know what's going on," the veteran bench boss said. "Like I said before, you come to work and you realize how great the game is."A choked-up Boudreau said he'd "talk later" when asked what it means to him to be a head coach in the NHL and politely ended his scrum.

Though Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson reiterated that he and his family are happy in San Jose, he acknowledged that the potential of being moved to a contending team at the March 3 trade deadline is appealing."I will never sway from that: I want to win," he said during a recent appearance on the "Got Yer Back" podcast with Pierre LeBrun and Ryan Rishaug. "I think as you get older and you've been around for a longer time, you realize it's not as easy as it looks and you gotta hit it at the right time. Obviously if it does happen, then I hope that I do."Karlsson, 32, is enjoying a resurgent campaign: He paces all skaters with 45 even-strength points and he tops all defensemen with 15 goals and 47 assists in 46 games while averaging over 25 minutes of ice time a night. If he keeps it up, the veteran can become the first rearguard to crack the 100-point mark since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.His flashy numbers will garner interest from some teams bound for the postseason, but Karlsson carries a cap hit of $11.5 million through 2026-27, which is a hefty price tag. The ball is also firmly in Karlsson's court thanks to his no-movement clause, so he might not end up being traded at all.If he stays put, Karlsson hopes the Sharks' road back to relevancy and competitiveness is a short one."We'll see where we're at, but I like the way it's going, I know that much," he said. "I know that the hires that they've made and the people that they've put in charge are doing a great job in moving in the right direction. ... I know that the future here is going to be really bright."I just hope that it's within my timeline. If it's not, that’s a different discussion and that's where we haven't really gotten yet, I don't think. It's also a tricky part because you never know; it could work out really fast or it could be a little bit of a longer thing. Sometimes that's a gamble you have to take."The Swede isn't a stranger to being traded. After spending the first nine seasons of his career in Ottawa, the Senators sent him to the Sharks in 2018. Karlsson said he thinks he's more prepared for another potential move because of his experience."As long as you are somewhere where you believe in what they're doing and you're fully invested, I think that’s all you can ask for, is to have a legitimate chance and hope that it works out," Karlsson said. "So we'll see what happens for me.”In November, Karlsson said he was "fully invested" in the Sharks as the rumor mill began to churn.San Jose currently sits seventh in the Pacific Division with a record of 14-23-9.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jim Rutherford put on a clinic earlier this week, answering a series of pointed questions over a 45-minute press conference with Vancouver reporters. The Canucks president of operations is, if nothing else, as transparent as any executive in the NHL. Props to him for hanging in there.That said, with a few days to digest Rutherford's remarks - which touched on Bruce Boudreau's job status, the Tanner Pearson injury saga, and the latest on unrestricted free agents Bo Horvat and Andrei Kuzmenko - the key takeaway concerned his plan to rejuvenate the franchise."We're not looking towards a rebuild. I'd rather call it a retool," Rutherford said. The longtime executive said that a year ago, he thought the roster might require "minor surgery," but he now believes it needs "major surgery." Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesIn a vacuum, there's nothing inherently wrong with aspiring to turn around this 18-23-3 non-playoff team over one-to-three years. In fact, in the era of tanking, it's admirable. Yet, in the Canucks' situation, an aggressive retool is ill-advised. It was a flawed approach when Jim Benning was general manager, and it remains flawed with Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin in control.Vancouver doesn't have the salary-cap flexibility, high-end prospects, or draft capital to fix its problems over a short time frame. A scorched-earth rebuild in which cornerstones Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes depart would probably be overkill. But the Canucks need something closer to scorched earth, versus a quick retool, if they want to challenge for a Stanley Cup one day. The roster is littered with negative-value players and contracts.A central part of Rutherford's plan involves injecting the lineup with new players aged 26 or younger. This will be extremely difficult to pull off. Any young NHLers on other teams likely have something wrong with them if they're on the trade block, and if they don't, they'll cost a fortune to acquire.And where are these tradable assets? I don't see many desirable pieces beyond core players like Hughes, Pettersson, and goalie Thatcher Demko. Moving first-round picks for players you hope will develop is risky for a franchise with a dearth of blue-chip prospects. And if the Canucks can indeed scrounge up enough assets to acquire these young NHLers, will these trades shake out as an overall net positive, or will they create holes elsewhere? Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesThis type of quick-fix mentality is what got the Canucks in a cap bind in the first place. Benning was always papering over old mistakes with new mistakes. Instead of building a sustainable winner, he focused his attention on sneaking into the playoffs. Rutherford and Allvin haven't inspired confidence that they'll reverse course, as evidenced by the Ilya Mikheyev signing and the message they've been delivering of late.During his media availability, Rutherford revealed the Canucks were talking to Kuzmenko about an extension. But ... why? Kuzmenko is arguably Vancouver's best chip ahead of an important trade deadline. The smart move is to part ways with him while his value is high. Trading him avoids a pricy extension for a 26-year-old rookie and moves the "retool" forward.But that's apparently not the plan. Again, flawed logic.Kraken's recent bets paying off Steph Chambers / Getty ImagesThe Seattle Kraken are decidedly different in Year 2. Different lineup. Different playing style. Different results - especially during five-on-five action.The 2021-22 Kraken ranked 19th in shooting percentage (8.1) and 31st in save percentage (.900) at five-on-five. This season, they rank first (10.9%) and 19th (.915).These dramatic swings have led to the top five-on-five offense in the league and a much improved record. Seattle is tied for first in the Pacific Division and sit second in the Western Conference in points percentage, having surpassed last year's win total of 26 in just 45 games. Christopher Mast / Getty ImagesGeneral manager Ron Francis didn't receive glowing reviews for his work at the 2021 expansion draft. It's not that Francis screwed up the expansion draft; he was just super conservative, and that left the Kraken with a boatload of cap space (roughly $30 million heading into free agency). Over the past year, the GM has used cap flexibility to his advantage.Here are five notable additions:Daniel Sprong - Acquired from Washington prior to last season's trade deadline, then signed to a one-year deal in October. Trigger man on power play who plays fourth-line minutes at five-on-five. Ranks fourth in NHL with 2.1 goals per 60 minutes, trailing only stars David Pastrnak, Tage Thompson, and Connor McDavid.Oliver Bjorkstrand - Acquired from Columbus for third- and fourth-round picks this past offseason. Disappointing results to start his Kraken tenure (seven goals, 22 points in 45 games). Leads the team in shots on goal (115), but his 6.1 shooting percentage is down from his career average of 12.0%. If he starts getting better puck luck, he'll enjoy a massive second half.Andre Burakovsky - Signed a five-year, $27.5-million contract as a UFA. No longer buried on Colorado's depth chart, the pace-pushing Swedish winger leads the Kraken in points (38) and shot attempts (193).Eeli Tolvanen - Claimed off waivers from Nashville in December. Former first-round pick was due for a change of scenery and role. Seven points in 11 games.Martin Jones - Signed a one-year, $2-million contract as a UFA. Owns an .894 save percentage in 33 games. Not great, yet an improvement on last year's starter.'Winding road' to Karlsson's side Christian Petersen / Getty ImagesJaycob Megna was so far off the radar ahead of the 2012 NHL Draft that, to this day, he's under the impression Bob Murray, then GM of the Anaheim Ducks, selected him despite never seeing him play a single shift.As the story goes, Murray took Megna with the second-last pick of the draft (210th overall) solely due to a strong sales job from one of Anaheim's scouts. It was Megna's second pass through after not being selected in 2011."It changed my thought process when I was in college as far as what I can do playing hockey," said Megna, who didn't expect to be drafted. "It gave me that little extra motivation as far as my performance and work ethic and trying to achieve the goal of playing in the NHL. It was a blessing in that sense."A decade later, Megna is taking a regular shift alongside Erik Karlsson, a Norris Trophy front-runner and one of the greatest defensemen of his generation. Megna's embraced a "safety valve" role on the Sharks' top pair while pitching in 10 points in 43 games on 18:44 of ice time a night. Megna, whose contract carries an annual cap hit of just $762,500 this year and next, will set a new personal high for games played in a season on Sunday. Thearon W. Henderson / Getty ImagesIt's been a "winding road" for Megna. He spent three years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and then seven in the AHL. The Florida native dressed for only 43 NHL games for the Ducks from 2016-19 and was essentially a minor-league lifer until he caught on with the injury-plagued 2021-22 Sharks.Asked which area of his game has improved the most since the 2012 draft, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Megna immediately mentioned his skating ability."It was also just figuring out what kind of style or what kind of role I needed to play to stick in the NHL," Megna said. "Being a bigger guy, I'm looked upon to be more physical, and that's something that's improved and still can be improved further. Being dependable, making that first pass, killing plays in the defensive zone, blocking shots - these are all still important duties for D-men."In other words, Megna's a perfect complement to the roving Karlsson.Gretzky's brilliance always lurking AAron Ontiveroz / Getty ImagesEvery once in a while, Wayne Gretzky's name is dropped during conversations about the modern game. If it isn't about how Gretzky might perform in 2023 (exceptionally well), or how he's progressing as a broadcaster for TNT, the conversation is likely about how many times he's done certain things.I like to call this the Gretzky Trump Card.Connor McDavid's on pace for his first 150-point season. What a phenomenal year! Gretzky Trump Card: No. 99 hit the 150-point milestone nine times.McDavid's on pace for his sixth 100-point season in eight years. Wow! Yeah, Gretzky did it 15 times, including four 200-point campaigns, over 20 years.Mitch Marner recorded a 23-game point streak from late October to mid-January. What a run! Gretzky had seven point streaks of 23 games or longer.Alex Ovechkin celebrated the 30th hat trick of his career in late December. What a player! Gretzky, a playmaker first and foremost, made hats fly on 50 occasions.There's more, but you get the point: While he competed in an era that catered to offensive players - and that bit of context shouldn't be removed from any discussion about his feats - Gretzky's output is nonetheless stunning.Parting shotsJohn Gibson: As of Thursday morning, Ducks goalie Gibson had faced by far the most inner-slot shots in total (248) and per game (8.6). The inner slot is the prime scoring area right in front of the goalie. Montreal's Jake Allen (7.9), Arizona's Karel Vejmelka (7.3), and Detroit's Ville Husso (7.0) were the only other starters facing seven or more a game. Gibson's save percentage has plummeted over the past handful of years. A portion of that is on him, but so much of it is on his environment. The Ducks, to put it kindly, are doing Gibson no favors.

Montreal Canadiens rookie Arber Xhekaj wasn't impressed by the antics of Florida Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas during Thursday night's testy contest."He never does," Xhekaj said when asked if Gudas answered for his actions during the Habs' 6-2 defeat, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "I don't know what's up with that guy. He'll be taking runs at guys' knees all game. He does play hard, I'll give it to him. But at some point, you've gotta show that you're going to be able to do that."Gudas drew Xhekaj's postgame ire after he nearly caught Kirby Dach with a knee-on-knee hit late in the third period. Dach laid out Gudas in the Panthers' zone moments prior.No penalties were called during the sequence. Here's a look at the incident:There were three fights in the third period of the contest, none of which involved Gudas. Xhekaj himself dropped the gloves with Panthers forward Givani Smith.Gudas has a lengthy suspension history. Most recently, he was banned for two games in 2019 for high-sticking Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov. Gudas also once sat for 10 contests after slashing former Winnipeg Jets forward Mathieu Perreault in 2017.Xhekaj expressed frustrations with the officiating during Thursday's matchup, which saw the Atlantic Division rivals combine for 90 penalty minutes. Canadiens forward Josh Anderson received a questionable two-minute penalty for cross-checking Gudas in the second period, while Grigori Denisenko stayed out of the box after hitting Xhekaj from behind."You don't like that. Obviously, if they call (Anderson's) penalty on Gudas, it's a weak call," Xhekaj said. "And then my neck into the boards like that. I get it, I'm a big guy, but you've gotta call the game. That's how it gets out of control."Veteran forward Eric Staal left the contest after taking an unpenalized hit from Canadiens rearguard Michael Matheson in the opening frame. Panthers All-Star Matthew Tkachuk went on to fight Matheson in the third period.The Panthers capitalized on four of their eight power-play opportunities, while the Canadiens failed to score on five chances. Florida did most of its damage in an eventful second period, finding the back of the net five times.The two teams will square off again March 16.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL announced the 12 fan-voted players heading to the 2023 All-Star Game on Thursday.Two skaters and one goaltender have been added to each division's roster. The fan-driven selection process ran through Jan. 17, which included a Twitter component for the first time.The eight-man initial rosters were unveiled on Jan. 6 and included one representative from each team.Here are the newest group of players named to the All-Star Game.AtlanticPosition PlayerTeamFAuston MatthewsTORFDavid PastrnakBOSGAndrei VasilevskiyTBLMetropolitanPositionPlayerTeamFArtemi PanarinNYRDAdam FoxNYRGIlya SorokinNYICentralPositionPlayerTeamFNathan MacKinnonCOLFMikko RantanenCOLGConnor HellebuyckWPGPacificPositionTeamPlayerFLeon DraisaitlEDMFBo HorvatVANGStuart SkinnerEDMThe festivities in Florida begin with the skills competition on Feb. 3 and wrap up with the All-Star Game on Feb. 4.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Michael Matheson wasn't penalized for a hit that injured Florida Panthers forward Eric Staal on Thursday night.Matheson stopped, turned slightly, and caught Staal up high when both players pursued the puck along the boards late in the first period.

Evander Kane wants the NHL and his fellow players to improve the way they market themselves."Hockey has always been more of a reserved sport. We must do a much better job promoting our athletes as a league," the Edmonton Oilers forward told Andscape's Adam Aziz."It's not just on the league but also the players," Kane continued. "Guys have to want to put themselves out there. Get in front of the camera and open their mouths to showcase themselves. We don't have many guys that enjoy doing that type of stuff. I could count on one hand the guys who are genuinely good at it. When you look at many of the players the NHL tries to promote and use as faces of the league, they are some of the quietest, reserved people."Some may interpret Kane's final point as a dig at Oilers captain Connor McDavid, but the winger heaped praise on the center when asked how McDavid handled reporters pointing out Kane's history of off-ice controversy when Kane was on the verge of signing with Edmonton last January."(McDavid is) the best player ever to play the game," Kane said. "It felt like the media had this hit piece on me and tried to get everybody to denounce and cancel me without knowing the facts. And you fast forward to almost a year later now, it's funny how things change."For Connor, it showed he was not a follower. He's a leader. We have a lot of followers in society and a lot of followers in our game. It was refreshing to see that type of leadership. When I looked at the landscape of where I could go at that time, his comments meant quite a bit to me."Kane has been one of the most outspoken players ever since he arrived in the NHL, and he's been trying to get the league to improve its marketing efforts for years. Back in 2014 while with the Winnipeg Jets, he questioned why other leagues were better at it and said hockey is in the entertainment business."If you are mindful of that, maybe me winning money in Las Vegas and being excited about it - like anyone else would - isn't the worst thing in the world," he said at the time.The veteran forward was referring to the furor that arose over a photo he posted on Twitter during the lockout in 2012 that showed him holding stacks of money and pretending to use them as a phone to call boxer Floyd Mayweather from his Vegas hotel room.Kane is in his second season with the Oilers and his 14th in the NHL.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt Dumba is taking a seat Thursday.The Minnesota Wild are making the veteran defenseman a healthy scratch against the Carolina Hurricanes, head coach Dean Evason announced."We had a real good meeting," Evason said, per The Athletic's Michael Russo. "He knows why he's sitting out tonight."Dumba said he was surprised and that "it's an organization decision."Alex Goligoski will take Dumba's place in the lineup.Dumba has endured a down year by his standards, with four goals and eight assists in 43 games. He's also averaging 21:12 of ice time per game, his lowest since 2016-17. Additionally, his underlying numbers are poor. Evolving-Hockey.comThe 28-year-old has been the subject of trade rumors. Recent reports indicated that the Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators are interested in Dumba's services.Dumba carries a $6-million cap hit this season and is a pending free agent. The 2012 No. 7 pick has spent his entire 10-year career in Minnesota.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There are 13 games scheduled for an extremely busy Thursday in the NHL. Let's waste no time in getting to a few shot props that really stand out.Patrik Laine over 3.5 shots (-125)It hasn't been a banner year for Patrik Laine - or any member of the Columbus Blue Jackets - but the streaky sniper appears to be heating up.Laine registered 29 shots and six points over the last six games. He's been far and away the Blue Jackets' most prominent shooter, attempting a ridiculous 50 shots during that stretch.For perspective, Johnny Gaudreau (28) is the only other player on the team with more than 22 attempts over the same period.Laine is shooting from anywhere and everywhere right now, and I expect that to continue in a mouthwatering matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. No team allowed a higher rate of shots at five-on-five or on the power play than the Ducks over the last 10 games.Anaheim bleeds shots each and every night no matter the caliber of opponent. It allowed at least 35 shots in seven straight and 39 or more in six straight.This Blue Jackets team should be able to send John Gibson plenty of rubber, and Laine will no doubt be the player doing the heavy lifting.Miro Heiskanen over 2.5 shots (-120)Heiskanen is somewhat of a cheat code right now. The fluid, minute-munching blue-liner recorded three shots or more in nine of the last 10 games.The lone exception came Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks. Heiskanen didn't struggle to generate opportunities, attempting five shots. He just failed to hit the target on three of them.I like Heiskanen to bounce back quickly against the Los Angeles Kings. For one, the shot volume he's generating is almost unmatched.He averaged 6.7 attempts per game over the last 10, which is more than anyone but Roman Josi and Dougie Hamilton. With that kind of output, the Dallas Stars blue-liner will hit very frequently.Los Angeles' stingy shot-suppression defense hasn't hindered Heiskanen at all. He went over the number in each of the five times he faced the Kings since the beginning of last season, generating four or more shots four times.Expect another strong performance Thursday night.Alex Ovechkin over 4.5 shots (-125)The Arizona Coyotes give up a lot of shots. They routinely get caved in at five-on-five and averaged more shorthanded time per game than all but two teams.That should be music to the ears of Ovechkin, the NHL's distant leader in power-play attempts. He doesn't need a lot of time to pile up the shots on the man advantage. Facing an undisciplined team like the Coyotes definitely raises his floor and ceiling.It's also worth noting the Coyotes rank dead last in shots against per game against left-wingers, which happens to be the position Ovechkin plays.Ovechkin piled up 13 attempts and six shots on goal when he faced the Coyotes earlier this campaign. He should be in line for another big performance this time around.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A very busy week of NHL action continues as we get set for a juicy 13-game slate.Let's dive into a couple of my favorite plays on the board.Wild (+140) @ Hurricanes (-165)Although there are plenty of high-end forwards set to take the ice in this game, the defenses stand out the most.The Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes are two of the very best defensive teams in the league, as has been the case for several years.We'll start with the road side. Minnesota is the only team conceding fewer than 10 high-danger opportunities per 60 minutes of five-on-five play. They also grade out very well in terms of expected goals, allowing an average of 2.34 per 60 minutes. That's the third-best total in the league.It just so happens the Wild are taking on one of the two teams ahead of them. The Hurricanes have given up 2.10 expected goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, establishing a fairly healthy gap between them and the Boston Bruins (2.30) and Minnesota (2.34).Both the Wild and Hurricanes are capable of suffocating opponents in any third. They can forecheck, cause turnovers high up the ice, and sustain shift after shift working down low in the offensive zone. They also have the ability to handle their assignments and prevent glaring breakdowns in the defensive zone.Given those characteristics, it's hardly surprising the Wild and Hurricanes are quite adept at killing penalties. They rank inside the top seven of limiting expected goals in undermanned situations.The Wild and Hurricanes combined to score only 12 goals in their three meetings during the 2022 calendar year, going under the number each time out.I expect similar Thursday night.Bet: Under 6 (-125)Capitals (-190) @ Coyotes (+160)The Arizona Coyotes have hit a new level of bad. They won just one of the last 10 games, needing overtime to grind out the lone victory against a mediocre Detroit Red Wings team - in the latter half of a back-to-back.Hockey is a very luck-driven sport - sometimes you play well and don't get the bounces, making you look worse than you are. This isn't one of those times.Over the last 10 games, the Coyotes rank 31st in expected goal generation and in the bottom five in expected goal suppression. They're having a miserable time at both ends of the ice.Earlier in the year, Karel Vejmelka was able to mask some of those problems and help the Coyotes steal a few wins. Whether he was playing over his head or whether the workload has simply caught up with him, Vejmelka has really slowed of late.Of 38 netminders to log at least 400 minutes over the past month, Vejmelka ranks 34th with a putrid .884 save percentage. No matter the circumstances, that's never going to be good enough.The Washington Capitals may have tailed off a little bit of late, but there isn't any real cause for concern. I think they've simply been going through an adjustment period while working a few key players back into the lineup.Considering how poorly the Coyotes are playing at both ends of the ice and the level of goaltending they're getting from Vejmelka right now, this is a perfect spot for the Capitals to get the ship moving in the right direction.Look for Washington to take care of business inside 60 minutes.Bet: Capitals in regulation (-120)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.