We have a very fun slate of games to look forward to Monday night.Three of the league's top four seeds are in action, and only two of the 12 teams playing aren't among the top 19.Let's take a look at the best way to attack the games.Golden Knights (-270) @ Blue Jackets (+220)The Vegas Golden Knights enter Monday on a mini two-game losing skid, during which they've been outscored by six goals.They own a 16-6-1 record and have been consistent all season long. The Golden Knights have dropped back-to-back games just one other time, and they responded with a 4-1 victory. I expect a similar result this time around.Although Vegas' five-on-five numbers have tailed off a bit of late, they are still solid. The Golden Knights sit 10th in high-danger chance share over the last eight games.Comparatively, the Columbus Blue Jackets sit 28th in that category during the same stretch. They haven't conceded chances at as high of a clip as earlier in the year, but their offense is now lifeless. No team has generated five-on-five high-danger chances at a lesser clip over the last eight games.Creating chances against this Bruce Cassidy-coached Golden Knights team is a difficult task at the best of times. With the Blue Jackets focusing more on the defensive side of the ice - and playing without key weapons like Patrik Laine and Zach Werenski - I just don't see them doing so Monday.Whenever Columbus is able to break through, it'll have to deal with Logan Thompson. The 25-year-old owns a rock-solid .917 save percentage through 35 NHL games and sits 10th among 33 goaltenders (minimum 10 appearances this season) in Goals Saved Above Expected. He's capable of cleaning up any mess that comes his way.I expect this veteran-heavy Golden Knights team to come out with purpose and take care of business against a bottom-feeding Blue Jackets side. Back Vegas in regulation to make the juice worth the squeeze.Bet: Golden Knights in regulation (-155)Stars (-115) @ Blues (-105)The Dallas Stars have played in a lot of high-scoring affairs this season. I think this contest could be an exception to the rule.Having dropped back-to-back games, and three of the last four, the Stars will no doubt be looking to tighten the screws and get back on track, especially given the opponent.The St. Louis Blues started the season in miserable fashion, but they've worked their way out of a big hole. They're currently holding a playoff spot and sit just six points back of the Stars for the division lead. The Blues have a game in hand, too.Although it's far too early to worry about playoff seeding, this is a divisional game between a pair of winning teams. It holds real meaning. I expect both sides to play accordingly and make the opposition work for everything offensively.When the inevitable defensive breakdowns occur, the goaltending should be able to hold up. Jake Oettinger enters play with a .917 save percentage and is one of the league's leaders in GSAE. While Jordan Binnington lags well behind with a .901 save percentage, he's in good form right now. Binnington has posted a .915 SV% over St. Louis' last 10 games.It's also worth noting these teams have played each other remarkably tough for years. They've met 15 times over the last few seasons, with 13 of those games going under the total in this contest (6.5).I understand there's been some roster turnover, and that Dallas has a new character behind the bench. A lot of the core players remain the same, though, so I think there's something that can be taken away from those numbers.Bet: Under 6.5 (-125)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Vancouver Canucks employee Rachel Doerrie filed a human rights complaint against the organization and assistant general manager Emilie Castonguay, she announced Sunday.The complaint states that Doerrie "suffered damage to her dignity, self-esteem, and physical and mental health" due to Castonguay's disparaging comments about her mental disability related to post-traumatic stress disorder.Doerrie also claims she was wrongfully terminated. The complaint states that Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin informed her the team had cause to terminate her contract because she spoke to the media about her promotion, an allegation she denies.The Canucks issued a response to Doerrie's complaint on behalf of Castonguay:"These allegations by Ms. Doerrie are absolutely not true, and her allegations of what I said to her are false and inaccurate. At no time was Ms. Doerrie treated differently due to gender, a mental disability, or a physical condition."The Canucks also issued their own statement:"We strongly disagree with the allegations brought forth by Ms. Doerrie. Our organization provided Ms. Doerrie with all the necessary resources, support, and opportunities to succeed in her role. We acted in good faith and abided by our contractual obligations, both during and after Ms. Doerrie's employment with the organization."Vancouver hired Doerrie as an analyst in January and promoted her to the coaching staff as an analyst/assistant to the video coach in August. She was let go in September.Doerrie says she accepted her initial role with the Canucks after president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford assured her that the organization "would take all necessary steps to best ensure that she remained healthy and that her health conditions would be appropriately dealt with by the Canucks." Doerrie's colleagues and supervisors were made aware of her mental and physical disabilities.Doerrie was diagnosed with PTSD in 2018, with associated panic and anxiety attacks and depression. The complaint states her PTSD is linked to a heart condition known as vasovagal syncope and a leaky heart valve, for which she received a diagnosis in 2018. She wears a heart monitor daily to manage the condition.Castonguay was hired shortly after Doerrie and became her boss. Doerrie claims Castonguay acted "cold" toward her after she received the promotion in August.In September, The Province's Patrick Johnston, a friend of Doerrie's, published an article featuring complimentary quotes from head coach Bruce Boudreau about Doerrie. The complaint states that Johnston texted Doerrie making her aware of Boudreau's comments. Doerrie responded to Johnston, asking him to include Boudreau's quotes in his story."OMG. So Kind. Wanna include those quotes when you tweet or write about it hahah. Make me look like I’m not an idiot," Doerrie texted Johnston, according to the complaint.Once the story - which didn't feature any comments from Doerrie - was published, she shared a link to it on her Instagram, as employees are permitted to do.The complaint states that the next day, Castonguay called Doerrie into her office to raise concerns about sharing the article and speaking to the media. Doerrie claims she didn't disclose her promotion or any confidential information to the media.Castonguay allegedly told Doerrie: "You're not important enough to be cared about" and "No one in the media is your friend." Doerrie says Castonguay also said: "I don't know if you have what it takes to do the job, mentally."Doerrie claims she suffered multiple cardiac episodes and anxiety attacks in the days following the meeting as a result of Castonguay's comments.Doerrie told the Canucks' human resources department of the alleged comments and was informed that Castonguay told the department that Doerrie had spoken to the media about her promotion, according to the complaint.Hours after Doerrie's discussion with HR, Allvin terminated her contract, per the complaint.Castonguay is listed as a respondent in the complaint "because of the central role she played in the termination of Ms. Doerrie's employment." The Canucks are listed as a respondent because "they are also liable for the discriminatory actions of Ms. Castonguay."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers lost their 10th straight contest after falling 5-2 to the New York Islanders on Saturday.The Metropolitan Division squads entered the third period tied 2-2, but Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier scored 22 seconds apart to hand Philadelphia another loss.Zach Parise also chipped in with a two-goal performance.The Flyers enjoyed a promising start to the campaign - their first under head coach John Tortorella - and were 7-3-2 before the start of their current streak.Their last win came on Nov. 8 against the St. Louis Blues. Philadelphia has since been outscored 44-20.Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech opened the scoring in the first period on Saturday, but Lukas Sedlak responded for the Flyers later in the frame.Joel Farabee gave Philadelphia its first and only lead midway through the second period, but it would soon evaporate as New York potted four unanswered goals the remainder of the way."You want to take the positives any time you can, but at some point in time, the positives go out the window," Flyers defenseman Tony DeAngelo said after the loss, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Olivia Reiner. "You've got to win a game."He added, "Close, but close isn't good enough, especially if you give up two goals in 20 seconds against a good defensive team."The Flyers have grown accustomed to lengthy losing streaks recently, with three double-digit slumps coming in the past 12 months:

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck disagrees with how the referees handled Friday's controversial goal call versus the Dallas Stars that could have cost Winnipeg the game against its Central Division rivals.Winnipeg had a 4-3 lead late in the third period when Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey pushed Stars captain Jamie Benn at the side of the net, which caused the forward to make contact with Hellebuyck's head. Hellebuyck's helmet came off, and he remained face down on the ice, but play continued.Around four seconds after the collision, and with Hellebuyck out of position, Stars phenom Jason Robertson scored into the yawning cage to tie the game with 20 seconds remaining in regulation.The veteran netminder thinks play should have stopped once he no longer had his helmet on."Those refs made a mistake. ... They put me in danger," Hellebuyck told reporters Saturday. "A lot of bad things that could have came from that. Plain and simple, when a goalie's mask gets knocked off, the play needs to get blown dead."He added, "I'm glad that I didn't have to speak last night because I know a lot more now than I did then. I was a lot more emotional then. ... Just like a player who loses his helmet has to go to the bench ... the same thing should apply for a goalie."Following a lengthy video review initiated by the situation room, it was deemed that the goal counted since Morrissey was the one who forced Benn into Hellebuyck. In addition, Rule 9.6 of the NHL rulebook states that if a goalkeeper has lost his helmet while the opposing team has control of the puck, play should only be stopped if there's no immediate scoring opportunity.Hellebuyck argued that since the Stars were able to complete a couple of passes leading up to Robertson's goal, the scoring chance wasn't immediate."The way the play goes, they're expecting me to get up, go to the post, and then square up to a point shot," he said. "For me, that's just way too long, and no one's gonna do that with no mask on. We don't want any goalie in this league (to do that); we don't want that for us. We don't want to see that anywhere in this league."The fact that happened last night is very eye-opening, and hopefully, we can get better and get this rule changed."Hellebuyck said the feeling in his neck was "very scary" and that he wasn't sure if he would be able to get up at first.Fortunately for the Jets, Hellebuyck was able to remain in the contest, and Morrissey iced the winner in overtime.The Jets improved to 12-6-1 thanks to the victory, while the Stars dropped to 12-5-4.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Wild head coach Dean Evason wasn't pleased that Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray never received a penalty despite knocking the net off its moorings three times during Minnesota's 4-3 defeat Friday."You can't knock the net off three times and not get anything out of it. It doesn't make any sense," Evason said postgame. "We have offensive time in there, sustained time, we could get more opportunities, and all of a sudden, boom, it's stalled out, the momentum's gone and whatever."I don't understand it. It's hard to ask (the refs), you don't want to yell at the refs all the time, but it didn't make any sense how a goaltender could knock it off three times and there's no repercussion."Here's a closer look at the trio of incidents:

The Boston Bruins lost arguably their most valuable player Friday, as goaltender Linus Ullmark left their game against the Carolina Hurricanes in the third period due to injury.Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton fell on Ullmark, who departed the contest favoring his right arm. Ullmark was replaced by Jeremy Swayman, and the Bruins later ruled the Swedish netminder out for the rest of the game with what they referred to as an upper-body injury.Ullmark has been sensational for Boston and is the clear Vezina Trophy front-runner this season. He's 13-1-0 in 14 starts and 15 appearances. The 29-year-old came into Friday's action leading the NHL in save percentage (.935) among goalies who've played more than three games in 2022-23, and his win total tops the league as well.The 2012 sixth-round pick is in his second campaign with the Bruins, whom he signed with as a free agent in July 2021. Ullmark inked a four-year contract with Boston carrying an average annual value of $5 million.He played his first six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins set a new NHL record by downing the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday for their 12th consecutive home win to start the season.Beantown star David Pastrnak had the honor of setting the benchmark by beating Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov in overtime.More to come.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The (short) Thanksgiving break is over, and the NHL returns to action in full force. There will be a ton of games over the next couple of days, starting with a handful of matinees on Friday.Let's waste no time and get to our best bets for the weekend ahead.Flames (-120) @ Capitals (+100)

NHL head coaches have a short shelf life. Sometimes when the message becomes stale, it's time for a fresh voice with new ideas and motivation tactics. It doesn't necessarily mean the coach isn't good at his craft. Sometimes it's just time for a change.The Ottawa Senators have reached this point with D.J. Smith.Smith, hired by the Sens in May 2019, is the league's seventh-longest-tenured head coach. Between the six coaches ahead of him, four (Jon Cooper, Mike Sullivan, Jared Bednar, Craig Berube) have won Stanley Cups, one (Rod Brind'Amour) won the Jack Adams Award, and the other (Todd McLellan) has a long track record of success and led the upstart Los Angeles Kings to the playoffs last season.Smith has accomplished none of this.Ottawa never even sniffed the playoffs in Smith's first three years on the job, finishing second-last in its division each season. But that's understandable - they were rebuilding.Expectations changed this past summer, though. The offseason additions of household names like Alex DeBrincat, Claude Giroux, and Cam Talbot were supposed to be the missing ingredients to help the Senators' budding young core make the leap. At the very least, the hope was for the team to stay in the race and play meaningful hockey down the stretch.The expectations placed Smith firmly on the hot seat in our preseason pressure cooker preview.But things have gone worse than even the most pessimistic critic could've imagined. The 6-12-1 Senators entered Friday with the NHL's second-worst points percentage (.342). On Ottawa's current pace, it's projected to be the worst season in franchise history since 1995-96 - when the club was still in its infancy stages.There have been underlying improvements this season that show the Sens have been slightly unlucky, but it's hard to give this team the benefit of the doubt. On the bright side, Ottawa generates plenty of offense, ranking third in the league in five-on-five expected goals for per 60 minutes. But certain issues have remained defensively, as the club ranks 23rd in expected goals against per 60.Additionally, the Senators rank 17th in goals per game and 28th in goals against per game. The defensive struggles are particularly alarming considering it's been a consistent issue throughout Smith's tenure. Smith played 45 NHL games as a defenseman and ran the Toronto Maple Leafs' blue line as an assistant coach under Mike Babcock before taking the Ottawa job. Theoretically, his teams should excel defensively. Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyBut this isn't entirely on Smith. The architect of this roster, general manager Pierre Dorion, deserves blame, too. While the Sens possess a vaunted top-six forward group, their depth up front is lacking. They also have multiple holes on defense, and the goaltending is average, at best.Injuries haven't helped, either. Center Josh Norris only played five games before being ruled out for three-to-five months. Stalwart defenseman Thomas Chabot is also currently sidelined. But every team deals with injuries. It's no excuse for a start this bad.Given their flaws, sprinkled with some bad luck, it might feel like the Senators' season is already doomed. But MoneyPuck still gives them a 21.6% chance to make the playoffs - better than 11 teams. Yes, that seems generous, but it shows that it isn't completely over.It might be over if Smith remains behind the bench, though. If Dorion chooses to keep Smith, it could be another head-scratching move on his resume.However, we can't rule out the possibility Dorion hasn't received clearance from above to fire Smith. After all, Smith is signed through next season. And a small market team like the Sens - whose ownership is currently in flux - may not be comfortable paying somebody not to coach for them.If that's the case, this club has bigger issues that won't be settled until the franchise is under new ownership. But if not, the clock is ticking on Smith.The Senators wouldn't necessarily have to hire a big-name head coach to find success. They have several intriguing internal options to consider, including Troy Mann, who, by all accounts, has done a nice job developing players with the AHL's Belleville Senators. The club also has associate coach Jack Capuano, who enjoyed a solid seven-year tenure as the New York Islanders' bench boss from 2010-17.But whether it be Mann, Capuano, or someone else, it's become evident the Sens need a fresh voice. Several teams in the past have seen immediate turnarounds after a coaching change. While it may seem like a desperate move, it's Ottawa's only chance of saving its season.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith is preaching positivity as his underachieving squad sits in the basement of the NHL standings."There's no room for negativity at this point," he told reporters Thursday. "I thought we worked extremely hard (Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights), didn't get the result we wanted, but feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to help, and being negative certainly isn't going to help."The Senators entered the campaign looking to end their five-season playoff drought after an explosive offseason that featured the additions of goaltender Cam Talbot and forwards Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux. But the team's 6-12-1 start probably isn't what it had in mind.Ottawa has dropped three straight contests while mustering just one goal in each of those losses. Its dreams of climbing the Atlantic Division standings already took a hit earlier in November when it suffered a seven-game winless streak."I know these guys care, I know they try every single night; I don't think anyone thinks there's a shortage of effort," Smith said. "I just think there's so much focus and maybe pressure on 'win a game now,' and you put too much pressure on yourself."There's 64 games remaining in the season. The first 20 is highly, highly criticized and looked at. There will be teams that are winning games right now that probably shouldn't be winning as much as they are that won't win as much in the next 20. You have to trust the process."Senators general manager Pierre Dorion and captain Brady Tkachuk have publicly defended Smith amid growing discontent within the fan base.Smith, for his part, part, thinks his players could "give a little bit more" and knows it's up to him to help turn the tide."My job is to win games, and I know that. ... My job is to fix things, and if guys are hurt and guys are out, I gotta make other guys play better, and I take full responsibility that we're not winning enough games," he said. "But in saying that, I'm not gonna be negative, and I'm not gonna ... turn and start pointing fingers."The Senators are tied with the Anaheim Ducks for last place in the league. The two squads face off Friday at 3 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Legendary Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Borje Salming died at 71, the team announced Thursday.He was diagnosed with ALS in August."The Toronto Maple Leafs mourn the loss of Borje Salming," team president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement. "Borje was a pioneer of the game and an icon with an unbreakable spirit and unquestioned toughness. He helped open the door for Europeans in the NHL and defined himself through his play on the ice and through his contributions to the community."Borje joined the Maple Leafs 50 years ago and will forever be a part of our hockey family. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Pia, his children Theresa, Anders, Rasmus, Bianca, Lisa, and Sara, and brother Stieg."Salming traveled to Toronto earlier in November during Hall of Fame weekend despite his illness. The Maple Leafs honored the franchise icon with a moving video tribute and lengthy standing ovation before icing an all-Swedish starting lineup."It was amazing to see a couple weeks ago the reception he got (during the ceremony in Toronto) and the moment it created and what he meant to this team, this organization, and to the city," captain John Tavares told reporters Thursday."It was hard not to be heavy-eyed in those moments, really take a step back and appreciate how he set the standard of what it is to be a Maple Leaf - his contributions and the effort he put forward on a daily basis and the competitive nature, and obviously the person and the player."Darryl Sittler, Salming's former teammate, was extremely emotional as the crowd at Scotiabank Arena saluted his friend. He reflected Thursday on their recent time together."He's at peace now. If it had to be, you couldn't have scripted his last days better; spending time with me, (Tiger Williams), (Lanny McDonald), (Jim McKenny), all the Hall of Fame Swedes," Sittler said, according to the Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby. "What made us feel good was his wife saying that since his diagnosis, she'd not seen him happier."Salming paved the way for many Europeans to play in the NHL after he joined the Maple Leafs in 1973. He instantly became a star, finishing top five in Norris Trophy voting in his first seven seasons while being named a first- or second-team All-Star six times."A superior all-around defenseman and the first Swedish star ever to play in the league, Borje Salming was as physically and mentally tough as he was skillfully gifted," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "He blazed the trail that many of the greatest players in NHL history followed while shattering all of the stereotypes about European players that had been prevalent in a league populated almost entirely by North Americans before his arrival in 1973."The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Borje, a towering presence and transformational figure in the game's history."Salming is the all-time Leafs leader in assists (620) while ranking fourth in points (768) and third in games played (1,099). His No. 21 was raised to the rafters by the Leafs in 2006 and officially retired in 2016. He's also enshrined on Legends Row, a series of statues outside Scotiabank Arena that pays homage to the top players in franchise history.Maple Leafs forward and fellow Swede William Nylander said the news of Salming's death caught him off guard."It's very sad. We saw him a few weeks ago. It's crazy how fast it went," he said. "It's just been hard to process."He added, "It's a terrible disease. At least now he's not hurting that way anymore."Salming became the first Swedish player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996. He was also recognized as one of the NHL's 100 Greatest Players as part of the league's centennial celebration in 2017."(Salming's) a person I've looked up to, especially as I've gotten to know the guy," said Toronto blue-liner Rasmus Sandin. "I didn't watch him play - I'm too young for that - but I've seen lots of stuff on YouTube and clips of him. Getting to know him, it was unbelievable."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every other offseason, for a fleeting moment in the tropical heat, Jonas Siegenthaler becomes the center of attention. The New Jersey Devils defenseman can feel eyes lock on his 6-foot-2, 218-pound frame as he walks through the fresh food market in his mother's hometown in rural Thailand."Everybody stares at me," Siegenthaler said during a recent interview, smiling at the mental image. "My mom's town is not touristy - like, at all - and I'm pretty tall for a half-Thai guy, and I have a little bit of a different skin color than them. It's cool, though. They all know my mom, or at least know of her."Siegenthaler, approaching 200 career NHL games, is the league's first and only player of Thai descent. While he lived in the southeast Asian country for half a year as a toddler, Siegenthaler owns a Swiss passport. He was born and raised in Zurich, where his father is from and his parents met and married. Elsa / Getty ImagesIn a league largely filled with white players from North America, Russia, or Scandinavia, Siegenthaler's half-Swiss, half-Thai background stands out. On the ice, though, No. 71 rarely attracts the untrained eye. Averaging only 0.17 points per contest in his career, Siegenthaler impacts the game in understated ways. He wins board battles, denies zone entries, and executes first passes.Asked what leaps off the page about Siegenthaler's play, Devils star forward Jack Hughes said "nothing" before letting out a short laugh. That response may not read like glowing praise, but it is. "There's a reason why we signed him to a long-term deal," Hughes added. "We want him around for a while."Siegenthaler, who inked a five-year, $17-million extension in July despite having a year left on his current deal, gets results. He's evolved into some kind of secret weapon for a 16-4-0 New Jersey squad that sits atop the Metropolitan Division thanks to an epic early-season win streak. (The Toronto Maple Leafs snapped the 13-game heater in chaotic fashion Wednesday.)In Siegenthaler's 330 five-on-five minutes this season, the Devils have throttled the opposition by a score of 25-7. As of Thursday morning, he was tied for seventh in the NHL in Evolving-Hockey's goals above replacement (GAR) metric, which attempts to assign a total value to each player by factoring in even-strength offense, shorthanded defense, penalty differential, and all other relevant bits found in play-by-play data."He doesn't get enough credit," captain Nico Hischier said of Siegenthaler, who trailed only Hughes in GAR last campaign. "It's just how it is, how it works. Media and fans give more attention to whoever scores goals, right? But he's as important of a player for our team as our goal scorers." Jamie Squire / Getty ImagesHughes, Hischier, and Jesper Bratt have carved out starring roles in the Devils' highlight reel en route to the NHL's fourth-best offense (3.7 goals per game). Led by tall, strong-skating blue-liners, the team has also produced superb results on defense, allowing the second-fewest goals per game (2.3).Under coach Lindy Ruff, New Jersey plays a go, go, go brand of hockey that can sometimes seem irresponsible. In reality, there's a method to the madness."We have tight gaps with long sticks," defenseman Ryan Graves said. "That's a huge part of it for us - shutting down rushes early and being quick the other way. Another part of it is overall defense. The forwards have been great. We swarm teams and end plays quickly, and that helps us transition into offense."Graves and defensive stud John Marino receive the stiffest assignments. Siegenthaler - traded to New Jersey within the past 18 months, just like Graves, Marino, forward Erik Haula, and goalie Vitek Vanecek - faces the second wave with Dougie Hamilton, who's more or less his opposite stylistically.Siegenthaler takes care of the small details so the roaming Hamilton can work his magic as a pseudo-fourth forward. Among 35 partners who've logged 200 five-on-five minutes, the pair ranks first in expected goals for percentage (65.2) and second in goals for percentage (73.3), per Sportlogiq's tracking data. (Graves-Marino is the only pair in the league with a better GF%.)In all situations, on a per-game basis, Siegenthaler is ninth in the league in puck-battle wins and 11th in defensive zone loose puck recoveries. He also leads all Devils skaters in stick checks - a hugely underrated defensive skill.His defensive acumen is on full display below. Watch how he uses positioning and stick work to outduel Connor McDavid in a one-on-one off the rush:

Weeks after superstar Leon Draisaitl called out his club's lackluster defense, the Edmonton Oilers are still seeking answers.Draisaitl's comments followed a 5-4 loss to the Washington Capitals on Nov. 8. Since then, the Oilers have won three of their seven games while being outscored 25-16, and they were left scratching their heads again after a 3-0 defeat to the New York Islanders on Wednesday night."We've got to be better," forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said, per The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman. "We are a playoff team, but we need to start playing like it consistently. To a man, everyone's got to step up and find a way through this."The latest loss dropped the Oilers to 10-10 after a 7-3 start. They are now four points back of a Pacific Division playoff spot and rank 29th in the NHL with 3.6 goals against per game.Edmonton was in a similar position at this point last season, but the team found its game when Jay Woodcroft was brought in as head coach. In 38 games after the change behind the bench, the Oilers raced to a 26-9-3 record and ranked sixth in goals against (2.76 per game) over that span.Woodcroft said he sees some encouraging signs but there's lots of work to be done."We're working to building a game, finding out who this year's version of the Oilers is," he said. "While we've done some good things, we haven't done enough good things for long enough to put something together here the way we would like to."Sometimes when you're figuring that stuff out, those chances sometimes end up in the back of your net. No one's happy about it, but we're working to correct it. If we can do a better job of handling those situations, we'll come out on the right side of the result."The Oilers' next game is Saturday against the New York Rangers.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets were trounced 6-1 by the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night, an effort that frustrated head coach Rick Bowness."We don't flush it. Not a chance. Not letting that go," Bowness said postgame, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo. "I think one of the concerns is the lack of discipline. That really bothered me tonight. Penalties at the wrong time. Turnovers at the wrong time. Yapping at the refs. Those things lead into other issues."The Jets took eight penalties and were shorthanded five times in the loss. Minnesota scored two power-play goals in the third period to seal the game."There are harsh reminders of how to play this game the right way. Harsh reminders of how to win in this league," Bowness said, according to the Winnipeg Free Press' Mike McIntyre.He added, "Take the responsibility that comes with being on a good team, being prepared, and playing the right way. None of those things we did tonight."Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt also condemned the team's performance."When you only play 10 good minutes of the game, it's not gonna do very well for you," Schmidt said postgame. "We spent a lot of time in the penalty box; that's also not gonna do very well for you. It's not a good recipe when you only play hard for 10 minutes of the game.""We've gotta talk to the schedulers and get us outta here this time of year," Schmidt joked, referring to Winnipeg's 7-1 defeat in Minnesota last November.The loss drops the Jets to 11-6-1 on the campaign. They'll look to bounce back against the Dallas Stars on Friday.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators are already generating a fair bit of buzz on the open market: More than 20 potential buyers have expressed interest in purchasing the franchise, sources told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.The organization announced it had initiated the process for the sale of the team earlier in November. The team must remain in Ottawa as a condition of the sale. The Senators retained New York-based investment bank Galatioto Sports Partners as a financial adviser.Among those who have reportedly approached the NHL's head office or Galatioto Sports Partners are billionaire Michael Andlauer and Rocco Tullio, who own the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs and Oshawa Generals, respectively.Farmboy CEO Jeff York and Paul Rivett, a co-owner of the Toronto Star, are also apparently trying to form investment groups.The flashiest name in the mix for the Senators is Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, who already co-owns Welsh football club Wrexham AFC with fellow actor Rob McElhenney.Reynolds recently confirmed his interest during an appearance on "The Tonight Show" in which he also said he would need a partner with "really deep pockets" to pull off a deal.The Senators are currently owned by Anna and Olivia Melnyk. They inherited the franchise from their father, Eugene, who died in March.Anna and Olivia are reportedly "thrilled" by the interest the franchise has garnered so far, per Garrioch.The Senators signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Capital Commission and other investors in June for a new downtown Ottawa arena at LeBreton Flats, but there are still several obstacles to an official agreement for a new rink. Such a deal would increase the value of the franchise, which Sportico recently calculated at $655 million.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for minor-league forward Curtis Douglas, the teams announced.Timmins, 24, has registered seven assists in 41 career NHL games across four seasons. He shoots right and stands at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds.The St. Catharines, Ontario, product was originally chosen 32nd overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2017. He was flipped to the Coyotes in the 2021 offseason as part of the deal that sent Darcy Kuemper to the Avs.Timmins has been hampered by injuries. Since finishing his junior career in 2017-18 - highlighted by winning a gold medal with Canada at the 2018 world juniors - he's been limited to just 93 games between the AHL and NHL.Timmins has ties to the Leafs organization, though. While Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas was running the OHL's Soo Greyhounds, he selected Timmins in the fourth round of the 2014 OHL priority selection draft.The Leafs are currently without their top three defensemen - Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, and Jake Muzzin - due to injuries, so it's possible Timmins could soon get into the lineup.Timmins comes with cost control, too. He carries an $850,000 cap hit this season and will be a restricted free agent at season's end. He won't be unrestricted until 2026.Douglas, meanwhile, stands at a towering 6-foot-9 and 242 pounds. The 22-year-old center has yet to make his NHL debut but has recorded 39 points in 91 career AHL games. He was originally a fourth-round pick by the Dallas Stars in 2018.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers traded veteran enforcer Ryan Reaves to the Minnesota Wild for a fifth-round draft pick in 2025, the team announced Wednesday.Reaves only played in 12 of New York's 20 games this season, averaging 8:27 per contest without recording a point. Reaves notched 13 points in 69 games last season and appeared in 18 playoff games as the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final.He and Wild general manager Bill Guerin are familiar with each other after spending part of the 2017-18 campaign together with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith announced men's hockey player Kamil Sadlocha is returning home "and will not practice or compete at this time" after directing a racial slur at Michigan State forward Jagger Joshua multiple times during a game earlier in November."I want to offer my sincere and heartfelt apology to Jagger Joshua. On behalf of Ohio State, I am so sorry," Smith said in a statement Tuesday. "No student or student-athlete should experience hatred or racism, and everyone should feel welcome."Sadlocha received a game misconduct during the Nov. 11 contest and the incident was later reviewed by the Big Ten. However, the conference didn't discipline the Buckeyes winger due to "the absence of indisputable evidence," according to a statement to The Detroit News' Tony Paul.Joshua, who is Black, said Monday that the lack of action following the review left him "confused and pessimistic about the movement of diversity within hockey culture."Smith said Ohio State players will soon undergo "complete education on racial sensitivity, diversity, equity, inclusion and the use of respectful dialogue."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes inked goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov to a four-year extension at an average annual value of $2 million, the club announced Wednesday.The 23-year-old's new deal will kick in next campaign and run through 2026-27. He's earning $842,500 this season.Kochetkov came into Wednesday's action without having lost a regular-season NHL game in regulation in his young career. He's 2-0-2 this campaign after going 3-0-0 over three appearances in 2021-22.The Russian played four postseason contests last spring amid injuries to the Hurricanes' top two netminders, Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta. He went 1-2 with a .869 save percentage.However, Kochetkov has impressed with Andersen out again in 2022-23. The youngster has a .914 save percentage this season and has allowed only eight goals in four games while recently splitting time with Raanta.Andersen and Raanta are both pending unrestricted free agents.Carolina drafted Kochetkov 36th overall in 2019.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With American Thanksgiving just a day away, the NHL is offering a full plate of games prior to the mini-break.Let's dive into a couple that stand out with our best bets.Flames (+100) @ Penguins (-125)The Penguins' on-ice product didn't look as bad as their record indicated over their seven-game skid. But I'm not sure they're as good as the results suggest over their 5-1-1 run that followed.Over the last seven games, Pittsburgh ranked 16th in expected goal share - coming in just above 51% - and won the high-danger chance battle by a total of five. The team played competent hockey but nothing special.The wins have masked a lot of flaws that remain with the Penguins. There isn't much scoring depth, a lot of their aging players have shown signs of decline, and No. 1 defenseman Kris Letang has struggled mightily in the defensive zone.Although the Flames have dealt with their own issues this campaign, their process was strong even when the results weren't there. And now the wins are starting to come.A big factor is Calgary is starting to figure things out on the wings. Centers Elias Lindholm, Nazem Kadri, and Mikael Backlund have mostly been reliable for the club. But the Flames needed to find wingers to work around them.Adam Ruzicka has quietly produced eight points in eight games while skating in the top six. Jonathan Huberdeau is starting to find his footing in Calgary, getting on the scoresheet in four of the last five.Things are really coming together for Darryl Sutter's side offensively, and - with the personnel they have - there's not much reason to be concerned about them at the other end.I think the Flames are a tier above the Penguins and expect it to show in this game.Bet: Flames (+100)Rangers (-175) @ Ducks (+135)The Ducks are an absolute disaster. This will be their 20th game of the season, and they still haven't recorded a regulation win.The biggest reason for the club's struggles is it can't defend a lick. At five-on-five, Anaheim has allowed shots, expected goals, and high-danger chances at a higher rate than every NHL team.As you'd expect, the Ducks' numbers on the penalty kill are similarly terrible. They rank bottom five in most categories and have conceded power-play goals at a higher clip than all but the Canucks. No matter the game state, quality and quantity are there for their opponent each night.The Rangers have been a mediocre offensive side at five-on-five, but this is certainly a matchup that'll help bring out the best in them. They also remain an extremely dangerous team on the power play and are more than capable of making the putrid Ducks' penalty kill pay. Even in a back-to-back, New York should be able to fill the net in this game.I expect Anaheim to contribute its fair share as well. The Rangers are expected to start Jaroslav Halak, who has struggled mightily in the early going of this campaign. The veteran backup has lost all five starts and given up 16 goals in that span.Halak's minus-0.623 mark in average goals saved above expectation per 60 minutes ranks 57th out of the 63 goaltenders to appear in at least five games this season.The Ducks are shallow up front but have enough talent at the top of their lineup - Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras, etc. - to do some damage.Expect plenty of goals in this one.Bet: Over 6 (-115)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Scoring hasn't come easy for Minnesota Wild rookie Marco Rossi this season: The center has mustered just one assist and 11 shots on goal in 16 games while averaging 12:26 minutes of ice time per contest.Rossi isn't used to this lack of production, having registered 18 goals and 53 points in 63 games with the AHL's Iowa Wild last season and erupting for 39 tallies and 120 points in 56 games in the OHL in 2019-20."It's frustrating because I never had that before," Rossi told The Athletic's Joe Smith on Tuesday. "The process is the important thing. Maybe now I don't really understand it, but maybe in 10 years, I will."All the other guys are telling me the same thing: 'Be patient. It's going to come. Then you don't have to worry too much about it.'"The 21-year-old has been a healthy scratch twice this season - including during Saturday's 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes - but head coach Dean Evason said the team hasn't decided whether to send him down to the AHL on a conditioning stint.Rossi knows which option he'd prefer."I think (the NHL) is better for my development," the Austrian said. "Because then you have the feeling how it is to be here, the surroundings here. It’s a process you have to go through. Down there (in the AHL), you don't learn those things."In your career or seasons, you always have ups and downs. In your downs, you probably learn the most. The things I learn here maybe I would never learn again."If Rossi is demoted, he wouldn't be the first high-profile rookie to receive that treatment this season. The Seattle Kraken sent Shane Wright to the AHL last Sunday after he was scratched for five consecutive contests.Rossi is aware that there are some lessons to be learned from the press box, though."Sometimes, you have too much pressure, so when you sit out, you have a different point of view on the game," he said. "Maybe you can think about that a little bit, 'What should I have done there?' The important thing is my head is free, so I don't have too much pressure on myself."Rossi - who Minnesota selected ninth overall in 2020 - will have another chance to enter the lineup Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets.The Wild sit in sixth place in the Central Division with a record of 8-8-2.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Maple Leafs are in a serious pinch.Toronto placed top blue-liner Morgan Rielly on long-term injured reserve with a knee injury Tuesday. Fellow rearguard Jake Muzzin may not play again this season due to a cervical spine injury. T.J. Brodie's oblique ailment, originally given a two-week recovery timeline, isn't progressing as the team initially hoped.Suddenly, the Leafs are missing 75% of their top four on the back end and will need to operate with the following depth chart:LDRDMark GiordanoJustin HollJordie BennMac Hollowell*Rasmus SandinTimothy LiljegrenVictor Mete* - Never played in NHLThat is, of course, unless they make a trade.There's no guarantee general manager Kyle Dubas makes an imminent move, but his hand may be forced if the remaining group of defenders struggles to tread water.The Maple Leafs have been buyers throughout Dubas' tenure but have some financial wiggle room to facilitate a move for once. Toronto has over $13 million on LTIR between Rielly and Muzzin, and it'd be able to accommodate a sizable contract even after the former returns if Muzzin's $5.625 million remains off the books.Trades at this juncture of the season are rare, and a deal could throw a wrench in what the Maple Leafs were planning for the deadline in March. Surrendering assets now could backfire when the market heats up over the winter, but the right move could reinforce the club's depth when it gets closer to full strength for the stretch run.The Maple Leafs have been solid defensively this season, ranking in the upper half of the league in both expected and actual goals against while sitting fifth in shots allowed per contest.Rielly, despite some individual defensive flaws, is a big piece of Toronto's system. He averaged nearly 23 minutes per night over the past four seasons and runs the club's top power play. Giordano or Sandin can fill in on the man advantage, so instead of finding a Rielly replacement, the Leafs might be better off shopping for some reliable placeholders capable of eating valuable minutes until some familiar bodies return.Here's a list of options Toronto could target amid its injury crisis.Pending UFAsVladislav Gavrikov, Blue Jackets Kirk Irwin / Getty Images Sport / GettyCap hit: $2.8 million

It doesn't appear Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell will miss any time after he was struck by an errant puck while sitting on the bench during Monday night's loss to the New Jersey Devils.Campbell said Tuesday he has a broken nose."It's sore, but I'm good. ... nothing crazy," he said.Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton inadvertently deflected the puck out of play toward Campbell in the final minute of the second period Monday.Campbell hasn't played since Nov. 10, when he stopped 25 of 32 shots in a 7-2 defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes. Oilers backup Stuart Skinner has outperformed Campbell this season and started all four of Edmonton's games since that loss, going 2-2-0 with a .911 save percentage.It's been a difficult campaign for Campbell, who has a 6-4-0 record and an .873 save percentage. The 30-year-old ranks third-last among all NHL netminders this season in both goals saved above expected (minus-5.54) and goals saved above average (minus-7.58) at five-on-five, according to Evolving Hockey. Only James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets puck-stopper Elvis Merzlikins have been worse in those categories.The Oilers will travel to New York to face the Islanders on Wednesday and the Rangers on Saturday.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' blue line has taken another major blow, as the club placed Morgan Rielly on long-term injured reserve Tuesday with a knee injury.The Leafs will now be without their three highest-paid defensemen for the foreseeable future. Jake Muzzin is also on LTIR and out until at least February with a spine injury, and T.J. Brodie is dealing with an oblique ailment.Players on LTIR must miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 days.Rielly was hurt Monday night in Toronto's overtime loss to the New York Islanders. He left the game in the third period and didn't return after colliding awkwardly with Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri. Rielly took a shift after the collision but then departed for the rest of the contest.The 28-year-old leads all Leafs skaters with exactly 23 minutes of average ice time over 20 games this season. Rielly hasn't scored a goal in 2022-23, but he ranks second on the team in assists (16) and fifth in points behind the club's four core forwards.Rielly was also driving possession before the injury. Toronto controlled 53.23% of the expected goals and 52.19% of the scoring chances with him on the ice at five-on-five this season, according to Natural Stat Trick.The Leafs recalled rearguards Victor Mete and Mac Hollowell from the AHL's Marlies in corresponding moves Tuesday. Toronto's blue line looked like this at Tuesday's practice, per TSN's Mark Masters:LDRDMark GiordanoJustin HollRasmus SandinTimothy LiljegrenJordie BennMac HollowellVictor MeteRielly is in his 10th season with the Maple Leafs, who drafted him fifth overall in 2012. He produced 10 goals and 58 assists while suiting up for all 82 games in 2021-22. The Vancouver-born defender missed only one contest during the shortened 2021 campaign.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tuesday night will be quiet in the NHL, with only two games.Sabres (-110) @ Canadiens (-115)The Sabres enter this contest riding a miserable eight-game losing streak in which they've been outscored by 19 goals.As crazy as it may sound, they haven't played nearly as poorly as those results would indicate. Their five-on-five expected goal share sits at a respectable 49.45% in that time. They have generated 15.55 xG while conceding 15.89.Put another way, at five-on-five, they've played their opponents almost exactly even in terms of weighted shots. Their reward for that has been nine goals for and 22 against - a minus-13 differential.Horrendous goaltending from a poor stable of netminders has played a part in that, no doubt, but the Sabres have also dealt with horrendous luck.They've scored on just over 5% of their five-on-five shots during this losing skid. They could trot me out on Tage Thompson's wing each night, and that number wouldn't last.Pucks are going to start going for them sooner rather than later, and this is a nice spot for their luck to turn. The Canadiens have dealt with goaltending issues of their own of late, with Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault combining to stop just over 88% of the shots over the last 10 games.Montreal isn't a stout defensive team, so goals tend to find its net in bunches when the netminders are struggling. That's good news for the Sabres.So, too, is the return of blue-liner Mattias Samuelsson. He eats up heavy defensive minutes for the Sabres on a nightly basis and handles himself just fine. Getting him back in the lineup will help Buffalo cut down on the number of looks it's giving up and make life easier on its struggling goaltenders.Less than a month ago, the Sabres closed -195 against the Canadiens. Now we're looking at close to a pick'em.The Canadiens haven't become a surprisingly good team in that time, and home ice isn't worth nearly that much. Take advantage of an overcorrection.Bet: Sabres (-110)Thompson over 3.5 shots + Doughty under 2.5 (+159)I love Tage Thompson in this matchup, but there's not as much value as I'd like taking him straight up. Thus, we're getting creative to muster up some additional value by playing Drew Doughty's under. Let's start with Thompson, though.Thompson has gone over this number in six consecutive games, recording a whopping 37 shots during that stretch. He isn't just hitting four; he's routinely soaring by that number. It isn't a fluke, as Thompson leads the NHL in shot attempts (59) over the last six games. With such crazy volume, he's a real threat to hit every night.A matchup against a pedestrian Canadiens defense - that also struggles to kill penalties (Tage is the primary shooter) - should only boost his volume. That showed last time these two met as Thompson recorded eight shots on goal.Now to Doughty. The veteran blue-liner is solid at both ends of the ice and plays a ton of minutes, but there are a couple of things working against him. First and foremost, he doesn't shoot very often. Doughty has registered two shots on goal or fewer in nine of his last 10 games. He hit three in the lone exception, so it's not like he blew by the number.This doesn't seem like a great spot for Doughty to buck the trend. The Rangers are a strong shot-suppression team that - like Los Angeles - tends to play somewhat low-event hockey. They also give up very little to defensemen. New York allows only 7.79 shots per game to blue-liners, which is one of the best marks in the NHL.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly suffered an undisclosed injury during the third period of Monday's 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Islanders and did not return.Rielly collided awkwardly with Kyle Palmieri. He played one more shift before heading to the dressing room.

This is the third edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2022-23 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday during the regular season.In this edition, we assign each team a word that sums up how their season is going so far.1. Boston Bruins (16-2-0)Previous rank: 2Indestructible: The Bruins shrugged aside droves of doubters, a coaching change, and injuries to star players over the offseason to find themselves atop the league standings. Boston's core simply refuses to take a step back.2. New Jersey Devils (15-3-0)Previous rank: 3Juggernaut: The Devils are the best team in the league in terms of expected goals for and expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five. They're also riding a 12-game winning streak, so it's hard to believe they're not for real.3. Vegas Golden Knights (14-4-1)Previous rank: 1Healthy: Injuries severely hampered the Golden Knights last season, causing the franchise to miss the playoffs for the first time ever. Now that Vegas has all of its key players on the ice, the team's playing like the powerhouse we expected it to be.4. Dallas Stars (11-5-2)Previous rank: 5Balanced: The Stars have four 20-point forwards, none of whom average more than 17 minutes per night. This Dallas squad has plenty of candidates up front to take over any game.5. Colorado Avalanche (10-5-1) John McCreary / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 6Stellar: While it's a bit concerning that the Avalanche sit in the bottom third of the NHL in expected goals for percentage, the defending champions are among the league's best clubs by most other measures. Goaltending was a question mark entering the season, but Alexandar Georgiev and Pavel Francouz have excelled so far.6. Winnipeg Jets (10-5-1)Previous rank: 9Surprising: Did anyone think the Jets would start off this well considering how their last campaign ended, how bad their offseason was, and how awkward it was when they stripped Blake Wheeler of the captaincy in September? Winnipeg is far exceeding expectations.7. Tampa Bay Lightning (11-6-1)Previous rank: 7Afloat: Fatigue from three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final could be catching up to the Lightning, as stalwarts Andrei Vasilevskiy and Victor Hedman are off to uncharacteristically poor starts. However, Tampa remains deep enough to win in spite of pretty much any obstacle and could be serious trouble if those aforementioned stars get going.8. Toronto Maple Leafs (10-5-4)Previous rank: 8Standard: Two weeks ago, the sky was falling after the Maple Leafs lost four games in a row during a brutal West Coast trip. Now, with just one regulation loss in their last nine games, the Leafs are right where we expected them to be: the upper echelon of the league. That foolish early-season overreaction, of course, has become standard in Toronto.9. Carolina Hurricanes (10-5-3)Previous rank: 4Solid: The Hurricanes were primed for success after an excellent offseason, and while Carolina still has some room for improvement, things have mostly gone well - aside from Frederik Andersen's injury. Pyotr Kochetkov appears ready for regular reps in goal, and the club remains competitive even without its No. 1 netminder.10. Seattle Kraken (10-5-3) Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 17Here: The Kraken are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race and boast some encouraging underlying numbers early in Year 2. Seattle is finally getting some saves, and its depth up front is a significant factor in a strong start.11. New York Islanders (11-8-0)Previous rank: 14Different: The Islanders were known as a dominant defensive team that struggled to score under Barry Trotz. They've opened things up a bit in their first season under Lane Lambert: The Isles rank 12th in goals per game and 11th in goals against per game.12. St. Louis Blues (9-8-0)Previous rank: 26Confusing: The Blues' results can be chronologically broken down into three simple parts: a three-game winning streak, an eight-game losing streak, and a six-game winning streak. Is St. Louis good? Who knows.13. Edmonton Oilers (10-8-0)Previous rank: 10Oops: Think Ken Holland wants a do-over on Jack Campbell's contract? The Oilers general manager should've known giving the lackluster goalie a five-year, $25-million deal was a bad idea. Stuart Skinner has been great in the crease for Edmonton, but Campbell's pact will make it tougher for Holland to improve the club this season and in the coming campaigns.14. New York Rangers (9-6-4)Previous rank: 13Meh: The Rangers have underwhelmed a bit, losing more games than they've won and sitting fourth in their division. Igor Shesterkin has been good but not Vezina Trophy-quality like last season, and Chris Kreider has regressed as expected. New York has yet to play at the level that got it to the Eastern Conference Final in the spring.15. Los Angeles Kings (11-8-2) Ronald Martinez / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 20Leaky: Despite a strong attack, the Kings are being done in by suspect goaltending. Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen both own sub-.900 save percentages and rank 60th and 62nd, respectively, in goals saved above expected this season.16. Pittsburgh Penguins (9-7-3)Previous rank: 25Fading: The Penguins are one of the best possession teams in the league this season, but that hasn't translated to a great deal of success. The perennial contenders' goaltending isn't good enough, and aside from Sidney Crosby's dependable contributions, Pittsburgh should be better than this.17. Florida Panthers (9-8-2)Previous rank: 11Uneven: Matthew Tkachuk is thriving in his new home while outperforming both Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar, who went the other way in the blockbuster trade involving the trio. But the Panthers have been up and down as a team and a far cry from the Presidents' Trophy winners they iced last season.18. Calgary Flames (8-7-2)Previous rank: 12Unfamiliar: On paper, the Flames should be a Stanley Cup contender. But with several new faces in key roles, Calgary appears to be taking longer to gel than expected.19. Detroit Red Wings (9-5-4)Previous rank: 18Shrewd: The Red Wings remain a long way from being a Cup threat, but their long list of offseason transactions has paid notable dividends in helping them be competitive. Ville Husso looks like a legitimate No. 1 netminder, while Dominik Kubalik leads the club with nine goals.20. Montreal Canadiens (9-8-1) Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 29Promising: The Canadiens won't compete for a playoff spot this season, but with a trio of 23-and-under stars in Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Kirby Dach all flourishing, Montreal is at least giving its fans reasons to be excited about the future.21. Nashville Predators (8-8-2)Previous rank: 23Purgatory: The Predators aren't good enough to seriously threaten for the Stanley Cup but aren't bad enough to recoup a high draft pick, putting them squarely in NHL purgatory.22. Minnesota Wild (8-8-2)Previous rank: 19Plummeting: Many expected the Wild to regress this season, and without elite goaltending, major flaws in Minnesota's offensive firepower are being exposed.23. Vancouver Canucks (6-9-3)Previous rank: 27Bo: Just imagine where the Canucks would be without Bo Horvat in 2022-23. The Vancouver captain ranks second in the NHL with 14 goals in 18 games. While this team is underachieving due in large part to Thatcher Demko's rough start, the wheels would've completely fallen off if not for Horvat's Herculean efforts.24. Washington Capitals (7-10-3)Previous rank: 21Beleaguered: Perhaps no team has been ailed by injuries more than the Capitals. Key players John Carlson, Dmitry Orlov, T.J. Oshie, and Connor Brown all missed time this season. Tom Wilson has yet to play, and Nicklas Backstrom may never play again. It could be the end of an era in Washington.25. Chicago Blackhawks (6-9-3) Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 22Facade: After a 4-2 start, the jig is up for the briefly promising Blackhawks. Chicago won only two of its last 12 and has a dreadful 38.22% expected goals rate over that span.26. Philadelphia Flyers (7-7-4)Previous rank: 16Predictable: The Flyers are who we thought they'd be. Yes, Philadelphia has been riddled with injuries to key players. But it's no surprise this team is near the bottom of the league standings given its lack of depth, which should've been addressed during an embarrassing offseason.27. Ottawa Senators (6-10-1)Previous rank: 24Failure: The Senators were supposed to make a leap and compete this season after some flashy offseason moves, yet as we approach the quarter pole of the campaign, Ottawa finds itself in an all-too-familiar position: the Atlantic Division's basement.28. Buffalo Sabres (7-11-0)Previous rank: 15Pain: We would've used "gut punch" if it weren't two words. All the wind in the Sabres' sails has been cruelly taken away amid a miserable eight-game skid. The untimely streak comes on the heels of a promising start to the year and continues a troubling trend of inconsistency in Buffalo.29. Arizona Coyotes (6-9-1)Previous rank: 30Embarrassing: As far as the on-ice product goes, things could be a lot worse for the obviously tanking Coyotes. But playing at a 5,000-seat college rink - which they're not even selling out every night - is a stain on the NHL.30. Columbus Blue Jackets (7-10-1) Ben Jackson / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 32Disappointing: So much for that electric Johnny Gaudreau-Patrik Laine duo. Maybe slotting Connor Bedard between the two for the 2023-24 campaign will be the tonic the Blue Jackets need.31. San Jose Sharks (6-11-3)Previous rank: 31Karlsson: Hockey is a team sport, but perhaps no single player in the NHL has done more team-carrying this season than the Sharks' lone bright spot, Erik Karlsson. With 28 points in 20 games - 11 more than the team's next-best player - the 32-year-old isn't only becoming worthy of Norris Trophy consideration: He's also deserving of some Hart Trophy recognition.32. Anaheim Ducks (5-12-1)Previous rank: 28Yikes: Everyone knows the Ducks are still rebuilding, but Anaheim was expected to take a step forward in 2022-23 with Calder Trophy runner-up Trevor Zegras developing further, along with the offseason additions of Ryan Strome and John Klingberg. There are still plenty of games left, but to say this team isn't making progress would be an understatement.(Analytics sources: Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils extended their winning streak to 13 games with a 5-2 victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.Their 13th consecutive win matches the Devils' franchise record, set during the 2000-01 season.After entering the second period tied at one, New Jersey jumped out to an insurmountable lead in the middle frame on goals from Dawson Mercer and Damon Severson.The Devils will look to break the franchise record Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun made his season debut Monday against the Nashville Predators.Forward Nick Schmaltz is also in the lineup for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in the season opener.Chychrun, who's been the subject of trade speculation since January, suffered a season-ending ankle injury in March and underwent wrist surgery in the offseason.Trade interest in Chychrun reportedly intensified right before the start of the 2022-23 campaign, but teams wanted to wait for him to get healthy. The Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and Columbus Blue Jackets were among the interested parties at the time.Arizona is seeking two first-round picks as part of a multi-asset package for Chychrun, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Monday.Chychrun said at the start of training camp that he wanted to be traded to a playoff contender.He recorded 21 points in 47 games last season, and he collected 18 goals and 23 assists in 56 contests the year prior, finishing 10th in Norris Trophy voting. The 24-year-old is under contract through 2024-25 at $4.6 million annually.Chychrun is paired with Shayne Gostisbehere on Monday.Schmaltz, meanwhile, tallied a career-high 59 points in 63 games last season. He's playing on the team's top line with Clayton Keller and Travis Boyd.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins winger Nick Foligno has been a part of some impressive hot streaks during his 16-year career, but the veteran thinks his current club's blistering start to the 2022-23 campaign is the start of something special.Foligno was captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets when they won 16 straight games in 2016-17 and was a rookie for the Ottawa Senators when they started the 2007-08 campaign 13-1."But this feels different, I'll say that," Foligno said, according to NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin. "The depth. The focus. We're a confident but not cocky group. I think sometimes your habits really slip when you go through that. I know in Columbus, it kind of did. We were just winning, and some games we didn't deserve to win, but we were on a roll, and we were feeling good - you just catch lightning in a bottle. Here, it's a little different."The Bruins, who sit atop the league standings, matched a league record with their 11th consecutive home win to start the season on Saturday."There's an expectation to win, but there's an understanding of how we're going to do that," Foligno said. "No one's cheating it."Many believed Boston was due for a step back this season after replacing Bruce Cassidy with Jim Montgomery behind the bench while also faced with serious offseason surgeries for Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. The new head coach has been an immediate fit, and both star players made early returns.On top of the Bruins' team success, Foligno himself has undergone a resurgence early on. The 35-year-old only managed two goals and 13 points in 64 games last year in his debut with Boston and was on waivers before the puck dropped on the new campaign. Foligno's nearly matched his previous output already this season with 10 points in 18 contests.The Bruins begin a two-game stint in Florida on Monday before returning home on Friday to possibly make NHL history in a clash against the Carolina Hurricanes.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Last week we got deep into the weeds - or maybe it was the everglades? - by evaluating how the betting market should have reacted to the Panthers losing top defenseman Aaron Ekblad for 11 games. This week, we'll head upstate to Tampa Bay to look at the Lightning's goaltenders.Andrei Vasilevskiy, 28, has won everything you can win as a goaltender - Vezina Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, multiple-time All-Star, etc. He's got an outstanding 2.51 goals against average over nine seasons and a career save percentage of .919. His backup Brian Elliott actually has pretty similar career numbers at 2.54/.910, respectively, but at 37 years old, he's best left for limited use.The Lightning were set to play the Stars last week, but oddsmakers didn't know who would start in goal for Tampa. The opening line suggested Vasilevskiy was in, but the team announced around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday that Elliott would be between the pipes.Here's how the Lightning's moneyline odds looked:OPENING MLIWPCLOSING MLIWP-16562.3%-13557.4%What's cool about watching those numbers change is that you can tell the market thinks the Lightning are about 5% more likely to win with Vasilevskiy than with Elliott in a one-game situation by translating the moneyline into an implied win probability (IWP).While that may feel low, you have to remember the backup goaltender is usually a rested professional motivated for a rare start, and his teammates may feel an intrinsic need to play harder and more defensively to keep shots down. In turn, just because the No. 1 goaltender is in doesn't mean he's 100% or not battling a crisis of confidence. In either case, there's also an element of luck when it comes to the bounces of a puck.Elliott and the Lightning beat the Stars that night in overtime despite allowing four goals. Even more surprisingly, Elliott improved to 4-1 on the moneyline this season - a much better win rate than Vasilevskiy's 7-6 record. Maybe that's a fluke - a product of a small sample size - but Elliott's saved 0.33 goals above expectation (GSAx) per game, while "Vassy" has a 0.27 GSAx per game.We always want to get the best price possible on our bets - that's the point of this guide - but understanding that all hope is not lost when the backup gets the call is another element to betting on the NHL.The recipeWe started the campaign using regular-season point totals as a baseline for rating teams since it's still our best measurement. Throughout the campaign, we'll adjust club ratings using on-ice metrics to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which various outliers like special teams results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events - such as three-on-three overtime and the shootout - can skew.The cheat sheetThere are no bad bets at the right price, but how do we know what a good price is?The following includes my fair price on the games (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I'd need to bet either side. I only need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. For games I project to be closer to a coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough for a worthwhile wager. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a team playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and a 3% consideration for a team on the second leg of a back-to-back without travel. When it comes to injured players, I do my best to estimate the impact on their team's win probability.When the betting markets open up the night before, you can compare those prices with our "price to bet" column to see if you're getting any value with either side's moneyline. There's also a possibility that a moneyline moves into a betable range at some point between market open and puck drop.DATEGAMETRUE MLPRICE TO BETNov. 21BOS@TB+119/-119BOS +140/TB -114CGY@PHI-154/+154CGY -147/PHI +182EDM@NJD+130/-130EDM +153/NJD -125CAR@WPG-125/+125CAR -120/WPG +148NYI@TOR+163/-163NYI +194/TOR -156ARI@NSH+249/-249ARI +305/NSH -237ANA@STL+173/-173ANA +206/STL -165COL@DAL+107/-107COL +118/DAL +103OTT@SJS+109/-109OTT +121/SJS +101VGK@VAN-103/+103VGK +107/VAN +114Nov. 22BUF@MTL+101/-101BUF +112/MTL +110NYR@LAK+112/-112NYR +131/LAK -107Nov. 23STL@BUF-137/+137STL -131/BUF +162BOS@FLA+131/-131BOS +155/FLA -126TOR@NJD+114/-114TOR +134/NJD -109CGY@PIT+111/-111CGY +123/PIT +100WPG@MIN+147/-147WPG +173/MIN -141ARI@CAR+345/-345ARI +441/CAR -326MTL@CBJ+122/-122MTL +144/CBJ -117NSH@DET-107/+107NSH +103/DET +118EDM@NYI-103/+103EDM +107/NYI +114PHI@WSH+165/-165PHI +196/WSH -158CHI@DAL+231/-231CHI +282/DAL -221VAN@COL+144/-144VAN +170/COL -138NYR@ANA-163/+163NYR -156/ANA +194OTT@VGK+183/-183OTT +219/VGK -175SJS@SEA+147/-147SJS +173/SEA -141Nov. 25CAR@BOS+109/-109CAR +121/BOS +101TOR@MIN-101/+101TOR +109/MIN +112CGY@WSH-110/+110CGY +101/WSH +121MTL@CHI+102/-102MTL +113/CHI +108COL@NSH+103/-103COL +114/NSH +107PIT@PHI-145/+145PIT -139/PHI +171NJD@BUF-145/+145NJD -139/BUF +172STL@TBL+148/-148STL +175/TBL -142ARI@DET+191/-191ARI +229/DET -182NYI@CBJ-132/+132NYI -126/CBJ +155SEA@VGK+156/-156SEA +186/VGK -150WPG@DAL+140/-140WPG +165/DAL -134LAK@SJS-133/+133LAK -128/SJS +157Nov. 26EDM@NYR+116/-116EDM +137/NYR -112CGY@CAR+127/-127CGY +150/CAR -122STL@FLA+203/-203STL +245/FLA -194TOR@PIT+102/-102TOR +113/PIT +109WSH@NJD+161/-161WSH +191/NJD -154PHI@NYI+168/-168PHI +200/NYI -161CBJ@NSH+153/-153CBJ +182/NSH -147DAL@COL+129/-129DAL +152/COL -124VAN@VGK+116/-116VAN +136/VGK -111Nov. 27ARI@MIN+275/-275ARI +341/MIN -262WPG@CHI-136/+136WPG -130/CHI +160VAN@SJS+105/-105VAN +116/SJS +105SEA@ANA-109/+109SEA +102/ANA +120OTT@LAK+173/-173OTT +206/LAK -165Matt 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 © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With American Thanksgiving coming later in the week, the schedule has been altered from its norms.Rather than the usually quiet Monday night in the NHL, we have a whopping 10 games on the docket.Let's dive into a couple that stand out.Oilers (+135) @ Devils (-155)The Devils are on an epic 12-game heater. While Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and the team's other high-flying stars are garnering a lot of attention, New Jersey's defense deserves a ton of credit.The club has posted sparkling defensive numbers at five-on-five over its winning streak. It ranks second in attempts against, second in high-danger chances against, and fourth in expected goals against on a per 60-minute basis.Considering they've spent the bulk of their time playing from ahead and defending leads, it's remarkable the Devils grade out so well. Generally, teams playing with the lead sit on their heels and invite pressure. Not New Jersey.That's good news because the Oilers can be lethal offensively. If you plan to sit back, allow Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to dominate the puck, and hope to hold up ... well, that's a disaster waiting to happen.The Devils won't adjust their playing style if they get a lead. They also have the defensive personnel necessary to at least slow Edmonton's big guns.On the flip side, I'm not sure I expect New Jersey to fill the net in this spot. Stuart Skinner has quietly provided the Oilers with solid goaltending when given a chance. He's saved 3.9 goals more than expected through nine appearances and ranks ninth (minimum nine games played) on a per-60 basis.I like the cushion of seven goals. I don't see eight or more being scored with the way Vitek Vanecek and Skinner are playing. However, under 6.5 at plus money is a worthwhile look as well.Bet: Under 7 (-140)Avalanche (-110) @ Stars (-115)The Avalanche are on a 7-3-0 run and have climbed up to second in what has been a mediocre Central Division thus far.Although they still have plenty of firepower - and they're not a team you'd ever want to face at full strength - I'm not sold on the current version of this club.At five-on-five over the 10-game stretch, Colorado sits 24th in shot share and 25th in expected goal share. The team has earned points by relying on a lethal power play and mind-numbingly good goaltending that's put up a save percentage better than 95%.While the man advantage is absolutely sustainable, Alexandar Georgiev and Pavel Francouz won't continue to make saves at this level. It's unrealistic for even Igor Shesterkin or Andrei Vasilevskiy to do so.The Stars don't possess overwhelming depth, but they're a deeper team than the Avalanche right now. That, coupled with one of the league's best top lines, has helped Dallas to a better five-on-five process. It sits middle of the pack in shot share and expected goal share - ahead of Colorado in both.Dallas also isn't as reliant on its goaltender, although Jake Oettinger has always been there when needed. He ranks third among all netminders in goals saved above expected (plus-9.4) through the first 20-25% of the season.I expect the Stars to control a little more of the run of play, and they have the higher ceiling goaltender to fall back on. As ever so slight favorites, I see value backing Dallas at home.Bet: Stars (-115)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shane Wright is headed to the minors.The Seattle Kraken assigned the 2022 fourth overall pick to the Coachella Valley Firebirds on a conditioning loan Sunday.Wright can be in the AHL for 14 days under the terms of the loan, and Seattle's expected to release him to Canada's world junior squad next month, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol scratched Wright in each of the last five games, which triggered the rule allowing Seattle to loan Wright to the AHL despite the fact he's only 18 years old.The center produced just one assist in the seven contests he played. Wright averaged only 8:06 of ice time, winning seven of 23 faceoffs.The former OHL star came into the draft as a potential No. 1 overall selection, but the first three teams passed before Seattle chose him.Wright, who'll turn 19 in January, racked up 32 goals and 62 assists in 63 games with the Kingston Frontenacs last season.The Ontario-born forward was granted exceptional status in the OHL ahead of his first two campaigns in the league in 2019-20. That allowed him to debut at the age of 15, and he joined only a handful of other players at the time to receive the distinction, including Connor McDavid and John Tavares. Michael Misa later earned the honor, and projected 2023 first overall pick Connor Bedard did so in the WHL.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner collected a pair of assists during Saturday's 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres, extending his point streak to 12 games.Marner joined Lorne Carr as the only players in franchise history with multiple 12-game point streaks. Marner's personal best is 13 games, which he set last season. Eddie Olczyk and Darryl Sittler share the franchise record point streak at 18 games."I'm just doing me, like usual," Marner said postgame. "Just trying to buzz out there. Trying to be the best I can be and lucky enough to have some great people to put some pucks in the net."Marner has three goals and 14 assists during his 12-game run and paces the Leafs with 22 points in 19 contests on the season.Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe reunited the dynamic duo of Marner and Auston Matthews during the contest after the former had been playing with John Tavares as his center over the last few games.Keefe said he made the move because he thought Marner and Matthews had a better chance of shutting down Buffalo's top line of Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch. The move proved successful in that regard, as the Sabres' top trio was limited to just one point - a goal from Tuch."Mitch, defensively, what he brings to our group with a matchup that challenging, I thought it was important to put those guys together," Keefe said."You forget that Matthews and Marner are two of the best defensive players in the league when they're committed to defending and being hard to play against."However, the reunion didn't result in any five-on-five offense for the Leafs' top line, as Marner did all of his damage on special teams.First, Tavares tipped home a Marner one-timer on the power play. Then, while shorthanded, Marner used his patented breakaway drop pass to set up Mark Giordano's goal.The rest of Toronto's Big Four also came through Saturday. William Nylander potted two goals, Tavares recorded a goal and two assists, and Matthews put up one assist. Matt Murray was also superb between the pipes, stopping 32 of 34 shots in the victory.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brady Tkachuk defended his head coach after a blowout loss had some Ottawa Senators fans chanting for D.J. Smith's dismissal."There's nobody to blame but ourselves, the players, just we weren't ready to play (Saturday)," the Senators captain said following a 5-1 defeat to the New Jersey Devils."That's my job to get everybody ready, and yeah, I'm sick and tired of seeing all this negativity (on) social media and all that. It's not one person, it's the group in here that needs to figure it out."The Senators were booed off the ice Saturday, and several Ottawa supporters vocalized their displeasure with the team's head coach.

Matthew Tkachuk will face his former team for the first time when the Florida Panthers host the Calgary Flames on Saturday, and though the star winger is mostly focused on securing a win, he expects the experience will be an unusual one."It's early in the year, but this game still means a lot for our team and for myself," he said Friday. "I'd be lying to you guys if I said, 'It's just another game.' ... It's extra special for me, knowing pretty much all those guys over there. Playing against them is going to be weird."Tkachuk spent his first six NHL seasons with the Flames. Fresh off a career-best campaign that saw him pot 104 points in 82 games, the then-restricted free agent informed Calgary in July that he would not sign a long-term deal with the team.The move triggered a blockbuster trade sending Tkachuk to Florida in exchange for a package including Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar.Flames head coach Darryl Sutter said the swap was different for Huberdeau than for Tkachuk because the latter was "ready for it.""There were times (last year) I felt sorry for Matthew," Sutter said. "He's a guy who was always at the rink, and he couldn't do nothing. He couldn't go anywhere. He couldn't go home. Good on him for going to (general manager Brad Treliving) about it."Tkachuk, 24, said his quick chemistry with his new team is "unbelievable." He currently leads the Panthers with 22 points in 16 games.The transition hasn't been as smooth for Huberdeau, who has eight points in 13 games as he adjusts to Calgary's system. Still, the 29-year-old said he's excited to show his former team what he can do."You look forward to it, obviously. In the summer after the trade I circled that date," said Huberdeau, who spent the first 10 seasons of his career with Florida. "Obviously, I want to do well, I want us to win. After that, it's kinda turn the page, and that's how it's going to be."Though Tkachuk will make his return to Calgary when the Flames host the Panthers on Nov. 29, he said he's already closed the book on that chapter of his career."I mean, I have to; you have to move on. I've got great memories there," he said. "It'd be unfair to my teammates here (in Florida), to the fans, to this whole organization that put a lot into this trade, into getting me - it'd be unfair for me to not close that book yet."The Panthers and Flames clash Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness said winger Nikolaj Ehlers will undergo sports hernia surgery next week and there's no timetable for his return, according to Postmedia's Scott Billeck.Bowness assured Ehlers will be available again at some point this season but that the team wouldn't have clarity until surgery takes place.Ehlers suffered the injury in the Jets' second game of the season and hasn't played since. He collected three assists before being sidelined.The 26-year-old has been a staple in Winnipeg's attack since his breakout 2016-17 season. Ehlers has collected 361 points in 480 career games since being drafted ninth overall by the franchise in 2014.The Jets are off to a great start in Ehlers' absence, sitting second in the Central Division with a 10-4-1 record.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils' message to opposing teams during their 11-game win streak is coming through loud and clear."We play hard, we play fast, and we're not a joke this year," forward Miles Wood told reporters Friday after practice. "We're a serious team and that's the best part about it because I've been on the teams where we haven't had success and I think teams kind of took us for granted at times. You can't say that this year."The Devils have ranked among the bottom five teams in the league in three of the past four seasons. They also allowed the third most goals (986) from 2018-19 to 2021-22.The young squad has flipped the script this season, though. The Devils are currently sporting a plus-22 goal differential - tied for second-best with the Vegas Golden Knights - while leading all teams in several key metrics at five-on-five, including goals for (64.3%), expected goals for (63.1%), and scoring chances for (62.2%), according to Natural Stat Trick.New Jersey has missed the playoffs in four consecutive campaigns but is on course to snap the unfortunate streak this year. It currently sits atop the Metropolitan Division with a 14-3-0 record.Wood was with the Devils the last time they made the postseason in 2017-18, and the veteran sees some differences between that team and his present squad."I feel like this team has a lot more depth in terms of skill whereas the playoff year ... (Taylor Hall) carried us," Wood said.Hall captured the Hart Trophy that campaign and ranked sixth in league scoring with 93 points in 76 games.Wood has played all 343 games of his NHL career in a Devils jersey, but the win streak is clearly meaningful for the team's newer members, too."This is pretty special to be part of," sophomore forward Dawson Mercer said. "Every day, we're coming into the locker room the day after a win (with) smiles on our faces all the time."We're still trying to get better and it's really working for us. ... We just want to make sure we maintain that."The Devils will attempt to extend their streak Saturday against the Ottawa Senators at 1 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer announced Scott Wedgewood is day-to-day after the goaltender was stretchered off the ice during Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers, according to Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News.Wedgewood may skate Saturday but won't be available versus the New York Islanders.The 30-year-old appeared to suffer an injury when he reached back and extended himself to make the second of two spectacular saves on an Anton Lundell breakaway in the second period. He immediately removed his blocker and clutched his lower back.

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams announced Friday that goaltender Eric Comrie is expected to miss multiple weeks due to a lower-body injury, according to The Buffalo News' Lance Lysowski.Comrie exited Wednesday's contest against the Ottawa Senators midway through the second period. Sabres star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin checked Mathieu Joseph into the crease as the Senators forward drove to the net, inadvertently causing him to crash into Comrie.The 27-year-old netminder stayed in the game for a few more minutes and surrendered a go-ahead goal from Brady Tkachuk before being replaced by veteran Craig Anderson.Comrie has started the lion's share of the Sabres' games this season, posting a 4-7-0 record to go along with a .887 save percentage and 3.62 goals against average. He posted a 40-save performance in back-to-back starts in October.Anderson and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who the Sabres recalled from the AHL on Thursday, will handle the starting duties with Comrie out.After a strong start to the campaign, Buffalo is now amid a seven-game losing streak. The Sabres' next chance to snap their skid comes Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom is holding himself accountable for an uncharacteristically poor start to the 2022-23 season."If you look strictly at the numbers, I've got to be better," Markstrom said after Thursday's loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis."I've got to step up here. We've got a great team, and we're playing good, and we're throwing a lot of pucks on their net. Pucks are going to find a way into their net, and I've got to keep them out."Markstrom, a Vezina Trophy runner-up last season, owns a .887 save percentage and 3.06 goals against average in 13 contests this campaign. He ranks 64th among all netminders with minus-6.46 goals saved above average in all situations, according to Evolving-Hockey.His teammates are confident he'll get his groove back sooner than later."It's a team game - he has our back, and we have his back," said Milan Lucic."We all know what he's capable of. He's one of the best goalies in the league. We have full confidence in him, and we want him to have full confidence in himself."Most of Calgary's problems over its underwhelming 7-7-2 start stem from issues in the crease. The Flames are a quality possession team, controlling 55% of shot attempts and 51% of expected goals at five-on-five while ranking top 10 in expected goals against per 60 minutes at 2.53. But they're dead last in the NHL with a team save percentage of .877.Backup Dan Vladar has also struggled following a strong first season with the Flames, registering a .881 clip in four appearances this campaign.Calgary has dropped to fifth in the Pacific Division after collecting only two wins in its last 10 games. The Flames return to the ice Saturday against the Florida Panthers, a highly-anticipated clash between the two clubs that orchestrated the biggest story of the offseason with the Jonathan Huberdeau-Matthew Tkachuk trade.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With just one NHL game scheduled for Friday, we're looking at a very tame start to the weekend.It's not a side or a total that stands out in that affair but rather a player prop.Let's dive into that plus a side for Saturday night.Trevor Moore over 2.5 shots (-150)

San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier may be open to hearing offers for Erik Karlsson, but the veteran defenseman said he's staying focused on the task at hand."I'm fully invested here at the moment. We are in a situation where we need to win a few games. I'm just worried about the next one," Karlsson told reporters Thursday, according to The Athletic's Corey Masisak. "That's all I can control. All that other stuff, it is nice for you guys to have something to talk about. I'll let you have at it."Acquiring Karlsson's services would come at a hefty price for any interested party, as he's currently in the fourth season of an eight-year deal with an $11.5-million cap hit. However, the Swede is garnering plenty of hype by leading all defensemen with 10 goals and 24 points through his first 18 games of the campaign.But the ball is mostly in Karlsson's court, with his pact carrying a full no-movement clause. The 32-year-old said he couldn't picture a scenario in which he'd waive it."If that question ever arises, you know, it's going to be between me and (Grier). It has not (come up)," Karlsson said. "So there's no point for me to think about that or speculate about that."Grier said earlier this week that he knows his top blue-liner is "happy" in San Jose but that he's well aware teams may propose a trade for the "difference-maker." Karlsson said he recognizes the position the new Sharks executive is in."I'm just playing right now. I understand (Grier's) comments," he said, per NBC Sports' Sheng Peng. "He's got to keep an open mindset about everything."Despite Karlsson's early bid for the Norris Trophy, the Sharks sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division with a 6-9-3 record.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe has made it a priority to get defenseman Rasmus Sandin's game back up to speed."It hasn't blossomed to the point you'd like it to," the bench boss told reporters Thursday. "It looks like he's low on confidence at this time, and we need to help him get back to being himself."Confidence is a strength of his and allows him to play his game and feel good about getting involved offensively. As that happens, you just naturally feel better defensively."The Maple Leafs have been outscored 7-4 with Sandin on the ice at five-on-five this season, and his 36.4% goal share is the lowest out of Toronto's blue-liners, according to Natural Stat Trick.Sandin is also a team-worst minus-4 through 17 games and has the second-most giveaways (13) among Maple Leafs defensemen while averaging just under 17 minutes of ice time per contest.Perhaps most notably, Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby scored Tuesday to make it 3-2 after the 22-year-old rearguard coughed the puck up to the captain.

We have a monstrous 13-game slate ahead of us Thursday night, meaning there's plenty of value on the board.A couple of Canadian teams on the road stand out the most to me. Here's why:Canadiens (-120) @ Blue Jackets (+100)The Blue Jackets have been one of the league's biggest disappointments in the early going. Expectations were higher for them after a splashy offseason headlined by signing Johnny Gaudreau, but they sit tied for dead last in points through 15 games.There isn't much reason to expect Columbus to right the ship anytime soon.The Blue Jackets are a top-heavy team that lives and dies on the performances of their stars (and goaltenders).With notables like Zach Werenski, Patrik Laine, and Jakub Voracek, among others, on the injured list, Columbus doesn't have the firepower to compensate for its lack of depth and defensive prowess.Elvis Merzlikins ranking last in goals saved above expected has only magnified the team's problems. The Blue Jackets need him to play well because Joonas Korpisalo (minus-13.2 GSAE last season) isn't the answer.Dealing with a laundry list of key injuries is relatively new to Columbus this season. Yet, at five-on-five, it sits 30th in high-danger chance share over the last 10 games. It was routinely being outplayed even with most of its key players healthy.While the Canadiens aren't exactly world-beaters, they're playing competent hockey. They've picked up 11 points over the last 10 games and rank six spots ahead of the Blue Jackets in high-danger chance share.Montreal has also gotten much better goaltending. Tonight's projected starter, Sam Montembeault, has saved 4.8 goals above expected through five appearances.Even over a small sample, it's encouraging that the Habs haven't seen a dip in performance when giving Jake Allen a night off.With the Canadiens performing better at five-on-five and Montembeault playing surprisingly well, I expect Montreal to rebound following a blowout loss Tuesday night.Bet: Canadiens (-120)Flames (+105) @ Lightning (-125)The Flames are playing some of the best hockey you'll see from a team that has won three of their last 10 games.At five-on-five, Calgary has controlled 55.70% of the shot attempts and 57.67% of the high-danger chances over the last 10. Both of those totals comfortably rank them inside the top five.The Flames' biggest problem was a lack of puck luck. Their PDO (shooting percentage plus save percentage) was unsustainably low during the losing skid and made all the difference considering they lost by a single goal in five of the seven losses. Had they gotten breaks, instead of the other way around, we could be talking about a team that's won seven of 10.At any rate, Calgary appears back on track. It picked up back-to-back wins against the Jets and Kings - two teams sitting second in their divisions. And strained winger Jonathan Huberdeau has finally started getting involved, earning points in each of those games.While the Lightning are always a tough out, there's plenty of reason to like the Flames in this spot. Tampa Bay sits 12th in shot share and eighth in high-danger chances over the last 10 contests. It's lagging a little behind Calgary at five-on-five.The Lightning also take a lot of penalties. That makes winning the special teams battle hard, which is important when going up against a strong five-on-five team.Perhaps more important than Calgary looking like the better five-on-five side or Tampa's inability to stay disciplined is Andrei Vasilevskiy's form.The star netminder has allowed at least three goals in seven consecutive starts, posting a sub-.900 save percentage in all but one of them.The Lightning are off right now, and I like the Flames to take advantage.Bet: Flames (+105)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman wasn't a fan of Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alexander Edler's questionable collision with Connor McDavid during Wednesday night's clash between the Pacific Division rivals."Obviously, I didn't like the hit," Hyman told reporters postgame following the Oilers' 3-1 defeat. "Good on (Darnell Nurse) for jumping in there and sticking up for Connor."One of those plays where you beat a D, and he sticks a knee out. Dangerous play. ... I don't know if he's doing it intentionally or whatnot, but you just can't do that."The incident occurred early in the second period. McDavid tried to enter the Kings' zone before getting stood up at the blue line between Edler and Kings forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan.Edler caught McDavid with his knee, drawing the ire of Nurse.

The Minnesota Wild placed Marc-Andre Fleury on injured reserve Wednesday, meaning the goaltender will be out for at least seven days, the team announced.Fleury had already been ruled out for Thursday's home game, as he was being evaluated for an upper-body ailment.The veteran goaltender stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced in a 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.Minnesota will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday and the Winnipeg Jets next Wednesday. The Wild begin their seven-game homestand against the Pittsburgh Penguins this week.Fleury, who'll turn 38 on Nov. 28, is 6-4-1 with a .906 save percentage and one shutout in 12 games for Minnesota this season. He's in his first full campaign with the Wild, who acquired him in a swap with the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2021-22 trade deadline.The three-time Stanley Cup winner is in his 19th season.Filip Gustavsson will take the reins in the Minnesota crease in Fleury's absence. The Wild backup is 1-3-1 with a .914 save percentage across five appearances in 2022-23. Minnesota landed the 24-year-old in the trade that sent Cam Talbot to the Ottawa Senators in July.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour didn't offer a positive update on the injured Frederik Andersen, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ondrej Kase on Wednesday."Nobody's close to getting back," he said after practice, according to team beat writer Walt Ruff.Andersen suffered an undisclosed injury during practice last Tuesday. He has missed the Hurricanes' past four games and hasn't suited up since allowing three goals on 21 shots against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 6.The veteran goaltender has struggled to start the 2022-23 campaign, logging an .891 save percentage and a 2.72 goals-against average across eight appearances.Andersen ranked fourth in Vezina Trophy voting in 2021-22. He and his tandem partner, Antti Raanta, took home the William M. Jennings Trophy after allowing the fewest goals against in the regular season.Teravainen, meanwhile, hasn't played since he was forced to exit Carolina's 7-2 romp of the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 10 due to an upper-body injury. He played over seven minutes in the contest and potted two assists.Brind'Amour confirmed Teravainen avoided a concussion. The winger hasn't found the back of the net this season but has seven helpers in 14 games.Kase was injured during the Hurricanes' season-opening victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 12. The forward has a long history of head injuries and is currently on the sidelines with a concussion.The Hurricanes sit third in the Metropolitan Division with a 10-5-1 record.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's impossible to make definitive statements about teams and players a month into the NHL season. The sample size is simply too small for a sport as chaotic as hockey and for a league as obsessed with parity as the NHL.That said, half-baked conclusions are welcomed anytime. And here's one the rest of the league would likely agree on: The Seattle Kraken, who lost 39 games by two goals or more in their debut campaign, are far from a pushover in Year 2. Jonathan Kozub / Getty ImagesAt 8-5-3, the Kraken have won half of their games. They've kept most of the remaining contests close, losing by a single goal six times. At worst, they've established themselves as a scrappy underdog. At best, they've laid the foundation to challenge for a playoff spot in a wide-open Western Conference."Coming into the year, we wanted to make sure we moved in the right direction," Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol said in an interview late last week. "Early on, we've been able to show that, demonstrate it night to night."So what's happened? In which specific areas has Seattle leveled up?With insight from Hakstol, data from analytics firm Sportlogiq, and some game footage, let's examine why and how the Kraken are markedly better.Dependable goaltendingAny sincere discussion about the Kraken must begin with goalie performance.In 2021-22, the trio of Philipp Grubauer, Chris Driedger, and Joey Daccord torpedoed all hope of relevancy by posting a cumulative save percentage of .880 and a goals saved above expected of minus-37.5. Only the New Jersey Devils, who trotted out seven goalies, had comparable results in the crease.This season, with Driedger unavailable as he recovers from knee surgery and Grubauer out after suffering a lower-body injury in the team's sixth game, offseason signee Martin Jones has carried the load with a .909 save percentage. Through 16 games, the Kraken's team SV% (.897) and team goals saved above expected (minus-0.47) rank 19th and 10th, respectively, in the NHL. Christopher Mast / Getty Images"Martin's been a huge part of some of the modest success we've had early on," Hakstol said. "We all know good goaltending allows you to feel good about what you're doing. It can erase mistakes, which usually leads to success. With a guy who's giving you those solid performances - plus one or two extra saves - that just builds the group. It builds confidence, swagger."Jones, 32, is best known for helping the San Jose Sharks reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2016. He wasn't inked to a one-year, $2-million deal to be the Kraken's new No. 1; general manager Ron Francis had already committed to Grubauer ($5.9-million cap hit through 2026-27) and Driedger ($3.5 million through '23-24). Jones was essentially a short-term bet - a 400-game veteran who, as Francis put it in July, "adds competition to our goaltending group.""He's done everything you would hope for," Hakstol said.

Montreal Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin will miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury, the team announced Tuesday.Drouin suffered the ailment Nov. 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights but had remained in the lineup up until Tuesday versus the New Jersey Devils.The 27-year-old has failed to score but has registered four assists in 12 games this season. He's in the final year of his contract with a $5.5-million cap hit.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.