We have a crucial Game 4 to look forward to Wednesday night. The Colorado Avalanche have an opportunity to grab a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, giving them a chance to win it all on home ice in Game 5.If the Avs lose, though, the Tampa Bay Lightning would draw even in a series where they once looked outmatched. Even if they don't have home-ice advantage, you don't want to give the back-to-back champs that kind of life.Which team will prevail in Game 4? Who will be the key characters? Let's dig into that with our three best bets.Avalanche (-110) @ Lightning (-110)The Lightning showed their teeth in Game 3. Their team defense improved, Andrei Vasilevskiy was excellent, and their stars - led by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos - were borderline unstoppable.That wasn't the case for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon's line couldn't break through at five-on-five, and with Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky out of the lineup, Colorado lacked the high-end scoring depth to compensate.It was a good wake-up call for the Avalanche, one I expect them to respond to. While the Lightning did a good job of keeping MacKinnon and Co. out of the high-danger areas, they gave up a lot of shots and Grade B chances.For example, with MacKinnon on the ice at five-on-five, Colorado outshot Tampa Bay 26-11 and had a 17-10 edge in scoring chances. Top-tier looks or not, you're still playing with fire when players like MacKinnon can generate that many opportunities.Keeping Colorado's best players off the scoresheet at full strength yet again feels like a tall order. Plus, the potential returns of Kadri and/or Burakovsky could provide a real boost.This game might well come down to Darcy Kuemper. He doesn't need to be great for the Avalanche to win, but he can't be allowing leaky goals from mid-range like he did in Game 3.I think he'll respond and give the Avs what they need to put the Lightning on the brink.Bet: Avalanche (-110)Victor Hedman over 2.5 shots (good to -155)Hedman didn't record his second and third shots until the dying minutes of Game 3. Don't let that fool you, though; the process couldn't have been better. The star blue-liner was firing from anywhere and everywhere all night long, piling up nine shot attempts.While defenders don't hit the net as frequently as forwards, that kind of volume is going to get results almost every time out.I'm not sure I expect another nine attempts from Hedman in Game 4, but I do expect enough for him to get three shots.Hedman has 58 attempts through nine playoff home dates, putting him one back of Nikita Kucherov for the team lead. He's a shooting machine in Tampa Bay, and, as I've repeatedly said before, the Avalanche give up plenty of shots to defensemen.Win or lose, I expect another active game from the star Swede.Cale Makar over 2.5 shots (good to -200)Makar also came through for us in Game 3 - with ease, at that - so we're going right back to the well.He generated four shots on goal in the first period alone in what was a 10-attempt, five-shot night for the emerging superstar.That kind of volume is nothing new for Makar. He has 26 shot attempts through just three games in this series.Makar also has 15 points and 56 shot attempts through eight road games this postseason. That's seven attempts per contest, which is more than enough for him to hit the target three times.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.

Colorado Avalanche phenom Nathan MacKinnon has been explosive in the playoffs, but he's yet to score a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.Despite the untimely drought, the 26-year-old is staying even-keeled."Obviously, I want to score goals, but I have to do my job out there, play really good defense, create for my linemates, forecheck, every little thing, and stay aggressive and shoot the puck," MacKinnon told reporters after the Avalanche's 6-2 loss Monday. "I feel like they'll go in. I just have to trust myself, that's all I can really do at this point. No time for doubt."The talented star has still been noticeable against the Bolts - he's logged two helpers, and the Avalanche have controlled 72.3% of the shot attempts, 68.7% of the expected goals, and 61.1% of the high-danger chances in the series with him on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.MacKinnon didn't score in four straight games during the Avalanche's second-round clash against the St. Louis Blues, but he broke that slump with a hat trick in Game 5.Teammate Mikko Rantanen went through a dry spell of his own earlier this postseason, scoring just one empty-netter through the first 10 games of the playoffs. He then produced four goals in four games against the Edmonton Oilers.When asked if he had any advice for MacKinnon, Rantanen didn't think the three-time Hart Trophy finalist needed it."I think he's a good enough player, he knows what to do," Rantanen said. "He's playing well, he's creating chances for other guys, and he's had some chances, too, in all the three games."I think we've all been there. ... Everybody's gotta stay with it, you can't be frustrated at this time of year."The Lightning got themselves back into the series with a win in Game 3, but MacKinnon said the Avalanche never thought taking down the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions would be easy."It's the Stanley Cup Final. We're not expecting a sweep," he said, according to ESPN's Kristen Shilton. "This is fun. This is awesome. Good or bad, we're not going to trade our spot with anyone. ... We knew they were too proud to go away. We still feel good. We feel good about our team - top to bottom."MacKinnon has 20 points in 17 games in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Puck drops on Game 4 at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov exited Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final late in the third period after suffering an apparent injury.Kucherov seemed to be in discomfort after getting cross-checked by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point didn't suit up in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche.Riley Nash joined the lineup in Point's absence.Point missed Rounds 2 and 3 of the postseason with a lower-body injury but returned for Games 1 and 2 of the final.The 26-year-old clearly wasn't close to being 100% healthy in those contests, as he averaged only 17:20 of ice time. For context, he averaged 21:24 in Games 1-6 in the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs before he got hurt in Game 7, and he averaged 19:28 during the regular season.Point's absence leaves a gaping hole in the lineup. He recorded 58 points in 66 games during the regular season, and while he tallied only two goals and two assists in Round 1, he was a crucial presence on Tampa's shutdown line with Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Avalanche forward Andre Burakovsky wasn't in the lineup for Colorado's 6-2 Game 3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.Burakovsky exited Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final shortly after taking a puck to the hand in the second period. He didn't travel with the Avalanche to Tampa on Sunday but was expected to join the team later on Monday after being evaluated.The sniper has been a force against the Bolts. He scored the overtime winner in Game 1 and potted a goal and an assist before departing the Avs' 7-0 victory Saturday. Burakovsky also missed Games 2 and 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers with a lower-body injury.Following the morning skate, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said both Burakovsky and center Nazem Kadri are day-to-day, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh.Kadri hasn't played since getting boarded by Oilers forward Evander Kane in Game 3 of the conference finals. He continued to skate on his own Monday.Burakovsky has three goals and five assists in 12 contests this postseason. He won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning bounced back in a big way Monday night, defeating the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final for their first win of the series.Colorado opened the scoring in the first period, but Tampa Bay buried three unanswered goals on two occasions to cement the decisive victory.More to come.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes have given restricted free-agent defenseman Ethan Bear permission to speak to other teams, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Carolina still hopes to sign Bear, but the two sides are not close to an agreement, Friedman added.Bear recorded 14 points in 58 games last season while averaging a career-low 16:05 per contest. His underlying numbers were rather pedestrian: Evolving-Hockey.comCarolina acquired the 24-year-old from the Edmonton Oilers last offseason in exchange for forward Warren Foegele. Bear's previous contract carried an average annual value of $2 million.Bear would not be eligible to sign an offer sheet with an opposing team until free agency opens July 13. The Hurricanes could, however, re-sign him or trade him before then.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A collection of high-ranking Hockey Canada executives testified about a settled sexual assault lawsuit before the House of Commons on Monday.The lawsuit stated eight unnamed CHL players, including some on Canada's 2018 world junior team, sexually assaulted a woman in June of that year following an event in London, Ontario.None of the players involved were conclusively identified, and the lawsuit wasn't heard in court. It was filed in April 2022 and settled in May.Outgoing Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney said no public funds were used to settle the lawsuit, according to CBC's Richard Raycroft. The governing body instead liquidated a portion of its investments to cover the cost, per TSN's Rick Westhead.Renney added Hockey Canada became aware of the alleged incident the day after it occurred. The organization recommended players participate in the investigation but didn't mandate it. President of Hockey Canada Scott Smith said 12-13 players cooperated.Smith admitted Hockey Canada is "probably behind" when it comes to proper education initiatives for players. He also said the organization has dealt with one or two allegations of sexual assault per year over the past five or six years.He added Hockey Canada's code of conduct did not cover off-ice behavior at the time, but it has since been revised.Renney stated Hockey Canada didn't do a good enough job supervising its players at the event in question."The line was blurred there and we fell short," he said.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks landed coveted free-agent forward Andrei Kuzmenko.

The Dallas Stars are naming Peter DeBoer their next head coach, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The two sides are reportedly working on a four-year deal worth over $4 million per season, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.DeBoer was fired by the Vegas Golden Knights after failing to reach the playoffs this season. The Stars' position opened when veteran bench boss Rick Bowness opted to step down after Dallas was eliminated by the Calgary Flames in Round 1.Bowness coached Dallas for three seasons, guiding the club to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020.DeBoer was unable to help an injury-ravaged Golden Knights roster to the playoffs in a year they were expected to compete for the Stanley Cup. He joins the Stars with a career record of 513-379-123 and a 68-55 mark in the playoffs.The 54-year-old has made the Stanley Cup Final twice - in 2012 with the New Jersey Devils and 2016 with the San Jose Sharks.With Dallas' post reportedly filled, the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and Winnipeg Jets are the three teams left searching for a new head coach this offseason.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning star Brayden Point is a game-time decision for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday, head coach Jon Cooper announced, according to team beat reporter Chris Krenn.Point was absent from morning skate, and Corey Perry took his spot on the top power-play unit. The exact reason for his questionable status in Game 3 is unknown. Point suited up for the first two contests against the Colorado Avalanche after missing the previous two series with a lower-body injury.The 26-year-old played almost 18 minutes in Game 1 and logged 16:40 in Game 2 against the high-flying Avs. He has two goals and three assists in nine contests this postseason.Point leads the league with 30 playoff goals since the 2020 bubble. He exited Game 7 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an apparent leg injury after getting tangled up along the boards.Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy also didn't participate in morning skate, but he'll get the start despite surrendering seven goals on 30 shots in Game 2.The Bolts are down 2-0 in the series and will look to hold off the Avalanche in Tampa Bay. Puck drop is at 8 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche have jumped out to a 2-0 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning. While Colorado has looked like the much better team, it's the total that appeals most to me in Game 3.Let's dig deeper into that, as well as a couple of player props.Avalanche (-105) @ Lightning (-115)Seven goals were scored in each of the first two games, pushing the total over on both occasions.There's reason to expect different as the series shifts back to Tampa. For one, the two sides haven't exactly been trading chances. They've combined to generate 4.39 expected goals per game thus far.Even with the shooting talent each side possesses, you'll generally see plenty of unders with that kind of output.Andrei Vasilevskiy has looked a little out of sorts through two games, but I wouldn't expect that to continue. He's consistently bounced back after hitting a rut, and he owns a .947 save percentage on home ice this postseason.The Lightning are also much, much better defensively in their own building. At five-on-five, they've conceded 2.19 expected goals and 8.31 high-danger chances per 60. Oh, and opponents have scored only six five-on-five goals through eight home games.Their road numbers don't exactly compare. The Bolts have allowed 2.64 expected goals and 11.74 high-danger chances per 60 while conceding 25 times over 11 contests away from Tampa. That's a stark contrast.I'm not suggesting the Lightning will all of a sudden neutralize the high-powered Avalanche. But there's reason to believe there'll be tighter checking in Tampa, just like in each of the first three rounds.Bet: Under 6 (-125)Victor Hedman over 2.5 shots (-137)We've targeted the Avalanche with defenders all season long, and there's no reason to stop now. The Lightning play a lot of low-to-high hockey in the offensive zone - especially at even strength - which is why it's no surprise to see that their top three players in shot attempts this series are defenders.Unsurprisingly, Hedman is leading the pack. He attempted seven shots in the series opener and came through with three on target last time out.We're going right back to the well with Hedman in Game 3. Not only are the Avalanche a fruitful matchup for big-minute defenders with a willingness to shoot, but Hedman also stands to benefit from home ice. He's averaged well over six attempts per game in Tampa during the playoffs, which leads the Lightning.He's as likely as any to test Darcy Kuemper as the Bolts try to claw their way back into the series.Cale Makar over 2.5 shots (-180)Makar has been an absolute monster this postseason, and not just at home. The blossoming superstar has 13 points through eight road games - no Avalanche player has more than eight - and has attempted 46 shots in that span.Nathan MacKinnon, who has 50 shot attempts on the road, possesses one of the highest shooting floors and ceilings in this spot. His shot line sits at 4.5, which should put Makar's value in perspective.Defensemen don't hit the net at the same frequency as forwards since their shots generally come from further out. Makar is always up in the play, though, and he's as threatening as any blue-liner in the sport.Look for him to be heavily involved in the attack and generate his share of shots.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 confident he's ready to make an immediate impact in the NHL next season."I think I am. I really do. Just based off watching out there, it’s fast. It’s going to be an adjustment at the start. The biggest thing is going to be the speed and just kind of learning the league," Wright told Sportsnet's Luke Fox."But I think with a lot of work this offseason, and with a lot of training and developing in training camp, and learning a lot from the coaches and other players, I think I can step in to really make a difference. And that’s where I want to be. That’s where I see myself, and I think that’s the goal I set for myself for next year."Wright has been the consensus top pick for the 2022 NHL Draft since he was granted exceptional status into the OHL at 15 years old. The 6-foot center put up 94 points in 63 games for the Kingston Frontenacs this season before adding 14 in 11 playoff contests.The Montreal Canadiens are hosting this year's draft and also own the No. 1 pick. Wright recently met with Habs brass and gushed about the possibility of suiting up for the iconic franchise."I really love what they’re all about, what they were saying about the city and describing the organization and describing where they want to go in the future and them wanting to build a winning franchise," Wright said.Montreal hasn't drafted first overall since taking Doug Wickenheiser in the top spot in 1980. The New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes round out the top three in this year's order.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Steven Stamkos offered a blunt assessment of the Tampa Bay Lightning's performance in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche."You guys all saw what happened tonight," Stamkos told reporters following the 7-0 defeat. "That's totally not acceptable, especially at this time of the year."However, Stamkos is confident in his team's ability to bounce back and even offered a formula as to how they can do so."People are going to be watching this game tonight, probably think the series is over," he said. "But our group, we're a very resilient group. We're going to go back home. We were in this position last round. Whether it's 1-0 or 7-0 or 10-0, it's a loss in the playoffs, and you've got to move on. You've got to man up as a team and as a person. Our team is going to do that."The Lightning rallied back against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final, winning four straight games after falling down 2-0 in the series. Colorado appears to be a different beast, though, totally dominating in Saturday's outing.The Avalanche controlled 71.9% of the shot attempts and 82.9% of the expected goals at five-on-five while outshooting the Lightning 30-16, according to Natural Stat Trick.Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was equally frank about the current state of the series."They're playing at an elite level right now - give them credit. We are not," Cooper told reporters postgame."They're two good teams, they're just playing at a much higher level than we are right now, and I think it was evident watching that game tonight. So we have to elevate our play."Cooper also explained his rationale for leaving Andrei Vasilevskiy in net for the entirety of the game instead of pulling him after the second period when the Bolts were already down 5-0."Even if I did, I don't think he would've come out," Cooper said. "That's what a competitor he is. And that's why he's the best."Stamkos added that the players let their star netminder down."We left them out to dry tonight," the captain said, according to Steven Ellis of The Hockey News."He's been our backbone for years and years and years, and we owe it to him to have a better game next game. And I mean, it could have been more. He made some unbelievable saves. So by no means is this on him tonight."Game 3 goes Monday in Tampa Bay.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers are on the verge of signing head coach Jay Woodcroft to a three-year deal, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reports.Woodcroft took over for Dave Tippett in February. The team did not give him an interim title but guaranteed he would be the head coach for the remainder of the campaign.The 45-year-old did a superb job, guiding Edmonton to a 26-9-3 record down the stretch before leading the club to the conference finals.Woodcroft has been with the Oilers organization since 2015-16, starting as an assistant coach for three years before heading the AHL's Bakersfield Condors for parts of four campaigns.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom underwent left hip resurfacing surgery on Friday, the team announced.There's no specific timeline, but the club noted he will begin his rehab and "lengthy recovery process" immediately.Backstrom missed the first 28 games of the 2021-22 regular season while recovering from a hip injury. The 34-year-old posted six goals and 25 assists in 47 contests. His 0.66 points per game marked a career low."The hip's not going to be 100%," Backstrom said May 15, two days after the Caps were eliminated from the playoffs. "That's something we all know. Some days are good. Some days are less good. That’s just life."This isn't Backstrom's first hip surgery. He underwent an arthroscopic procedure in 2015, but Friday's surgery is considered more serious.Hip resurfacing surgery is a form of hip replacement surgery. Ryan Kesler is the most notable NHL player to undergo the procedure in recent memory. He did so in 2019 and it effectively ended his playing career.Without Backstrom, the Capitals' center depth is made up by Evgeny Kuznetsov, Lars Eller, Connor McMichael, and Nic Dowd, though it's possible they add more options down the middle in the offseason.Backstrom has three years left on his contract with a $9.2-million cap hit. Washington can free up that money by placing him on long-term injured reserve to begin the 2022-23 campaign if he's required to miss time.Selected by the Capitals with the No. 4 pick in 2006, Backstrom has spent his entire 15-year career in Washington. He's been a staple of consistency ever since, reaching the 70-point mark eight times. The Swede is the Capitals' franchise leader in assists (747) and ranks second behind Alex Ovechkin in points (1,011).Since entering the NHL in 2007-08, only Patrick Kane has tallied more assists, and only Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Kane, and Evgeni Malkin have recorded more points.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks are listening to trade offers for two-time 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.The Blackhawks have reportedly had ongoing discussions with teams, and while it's no guarantee they move him, they're seeking a return that would feature a young player, high draft picks, and top prospects.DeBrincat is just 24 years old and is coming off a season in which he tied his career high with 41 goals and set a new personal best with 78 points. Over the course of his five-year career, he's averaged 35 goals and 68 points per 82 games. His underlying numbers over the last three campaigns are superb, too. Evolving-Hockey.comThe 5-foot-7 winger has one more year left on his contract with a $6.4-million cap hit before becoming a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. He can become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.The Blackhawks appear set for a teardown after finishing 27th in the league standings this past season. However, general manager Kyle Davidson said in May there's "absolutely" a place for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane moving forward. The franchise pillars are each entering the final season of the matching eight-year, $84-million extensions they signed in 2014.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings are among a handful of teams who have inquired about the availability of Montreal Canadiens blue-liner Jeff Petry, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on Friday's edition of "Insider Trading.""(The) Dallas Stars are a team that has some interest in Jeff Petry, especially if they can't re-sign pending UFA John Klingberg," LeBrun said. "I can tell you right now there have been not been any talks with Klingberg of late. It looks like he's headed to the UFA market."LeBrun continued: "I'm told Detroit is also a possible destination. Five or six teams have talked to Montreal recently about him."Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said he was open to trading Petry shortly after he took over the job in January, but he insisted the player didn't request to be shipped out of Montreal.Hughes traded captain Shea Weber - who is bound to long-term injured reserve for the remainder of his contract - to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. He's expected to be one of the league's busiest executives this offseason with 14 draft picks at his disposal and a desire to kick-start Montreal's rebuild.Petry, 34, joined the Canadiens during the 2014-15 season. He's registered 248 points in 508 games with the club, including 27 in 68 appearances in 2021-22.The Michigan native has three seasons remaining on his contract at a cap hit of $6.25 million.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Andrew Brunette is a Jack Adams Award finalist after leading the Florida Panthers to a Presidents' Trophy as the interim coach in 2021-22, but that hasn't stopped the club from talking to multiple high-profile free agent bench bosses.The Panthers have interviewed Barry Trotz, Peter DeBoer, Travis Green, Rick Tocchet, and will potentially speak to Paul Maurice, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.Trotz is considered the biggest fish available. The two-time Jack Adams winner (2016, 2019) ranks third on the all-time wins list with 914 career victories. He coached the Nashville Predators for 15 years and the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders for four apiece. Considered a defensive mastermind, Trotz won a Stanley Cup with the Caps in 2018 and guided an unheralded Isles team to back-to-back conference final appearances in 2020 and 2021.The 59-year-old intends to make his decision by July 1, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. In addition to interviewing with the Winnipeg Jets and Detroit Red Wings for their coaching vacancies, Trotz has also spoken with the Predators about a potential management role.DeBoer got his NHL coaching start with the Panthers back in 2008. He coached the Cats for three seasons before stops with the New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, and Vegas Golden Knights, making Stanley Cup Final appearances with the Devils (2012) and Sharks (2016).Tocchet spent last season as an analyst for TNT. He coached the Arizona Coyotes in the four years prior, leading them to one postseason appearance in 2019-20.Green coached the Vancouver Canucks for parts of five seasons before the team fired him in December following an 8-15-2 record. He made one playoff appearance in 2019-20.Maurice, who ranks seventh on the all-time wins list with 775 victories, coached the Winnipeg Jets for the last nine years before resigning in December. He also served as the bench boss for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes, the latter of whom he guided to the 2002 Stanley Cup Final.After Florida's second-round sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov gave Brunette a ringing endorsement."He did an unbelievable job," Barkov said in May. "We all respect him, we all love to play for him, we love to work hard for him, and we had a lot of fun doing it."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nashville Predators chairman Herb Fritch has agreed to sell the majority of his ownership stake to former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, the team announced Friday.Pending approval from the organization and the league, Haslam will become minority owner over the next few months and majority owner within a few years through a multi-phased purchase."The pending addition of Gov. Haslam to the ownership group solidifies that local stewardship for years to come, with the shared philosophy for making Smashville the most unique sports market in our league and country as our players and coaches compete for the Stanley Cup each season," team president and CEO Sean Henry said."We are excited and appreciative that he has agreed to join the ownership team."The Predators have 16 members in their ownership group, led by Fritch.Haslam is also the former mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee. He used to own the Tennessee Smokies, a minor-league baseball franchise.Haslam's brother, Jim, owns the NFL's Cleveland Browns.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella admitted during his introductory press conference Friday that his team has a long way to go after a tough 2021-22 season."I'm not going to sit here and say we're going to be Stanley Cup contenders next year. I get that," he said. "I know there's some work to do. ... That's what I want to do, that's what coaches do. I'm looking forward to the challenge."He continued: "I'm not afraid of what people are saying about the team. I get it's out there. It fuels me. ... I'm looking forward to getting to the bunker in that locker room with all the Flyers and (going) about our business."Despite winning six of their first 10 games, the Flyers finished last in the Metropolitan Division with a 25-46-11 record under Alain Vigneault and interim bench boss Mike Yeo. Philadelphia missed the playoffs for the third time in the past four years.Tortorella believes his first order of business is to improve the team's play around the puck to make life easier for young netminder Carter Hart."I think we need to give Carter a little more support as far as how we play around him, allow him to really get himself into the National Hockey League. ... This is how you go about it," Tortorella said.The Flyers ranked in the bottom third of the league in shot attempts for (46.6%), expected goals for (46.5%), and scoring chances for (44.9%), per Natural Stat Trick. They also gave up the seventh-most high-danger chances at five-on-five this season.Tortorella added that, though he isn't a fan of the term, Philadelphia's "culture" needs to change."Bottom line is, I want the team to be hard," he said. "I think we need to present ourselves, look harder coming off the bus, coming into buildings. I want other teams to say, 'You know what? We've got our hands full tonight.'"A two-time Jack Adams Award winner, Tortorella spent the 2021-22 season as a studio analyst for ESPN.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens traded captain Shea Weber to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Evgenii Dadonov, the team announced Thursday.Weber missed the entire 2021-22 campaign due to ankle, foot, knee, and thumb injuries. His playing career is widely considered to be over, but he's under contract until 2026 at a cap hit of $7.857 million. The Golden Knights will stash Weber on long-term injured reserve to increase salary cap flexibility."First of all, I would like to thank Shea for all that he has done for and represented to the Montreal Canadiens," general manager Kent Hughes said."Not only was Shea an exceptional hockey player who played through significant injuries in an attempt to bring the Stanley Cup back to Montreal, he was also a great leader whose leadership will have a positive impact on our team well beyond his time with us."The Nashville Predators sent Weber to Montreal before the 2016-17 season in a blockbuster trade for P.K. Subban. He racked up 146 points in 275 games for the Habs while averaging over 24 minutes per night."Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined playing for, let alone being named captain of, the Montreal Canadiens," Weber wrote in a statement released Friday. "Pulling on that legendary jersey every night was one of the greatest honors of my career, and it's something I appreciated every chance I got."The hard-nosed blue-liner was one of the top defenders of his generation at his peak. Weber was a three-time Norris Trophy finalist and won two Olympic gold medals for Team Canada.Dadonov is under contract for the upcoming season at a $5 million cap hit. The Golden Knights tried to deal him to the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline, but the NHL voided to trade due to complications with the player's no-trade clause.The Canadiens are Dadonov's fourth team since returning to the NHL in 2017-18. The 33-year-old put up 43 points in 78 games for Vegas this season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers officially named John Tortorella the 23rd head coach in franchise history Friday.The agreement reportedly brings the veteran to the City of Brotherly Love on a four-year deal worth roughly $4 million per season, according to ESPN's Kevin Weekes.Tortorella was identified as one of Philadelphia's candidates in May. The 63-year-old will be the Flyers' seventh head coach in the last 10 years after the team fired Alain Vigneault this past season and had Mike Yeo complete the campaign in an interim role.The Flyers have missed the playoffs in three of the past four years after finishing last in the Metropolitan Division in 2021-22."John demands the best out of his players every single game. He is a Stanley Cup champion and has a lengthy track record of both regular-season and playoff success," general manager Chuck Fletcher said. "During the interview process, we discussed a number of factors that are crucial to bring this team immediate success, and it became clear to me that his vision and style make him the right person to restore a winning environment to our locker room."ESPN hired Tortorella as a studio analyst when he and the Columbus Blue Jackets mutually agreed to part ways after six seasons in 2021. The outspoken bench boss has also coached the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks, winning a Stanley Cup in 2004 and two Jack Adams Awards along the way.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Newly minted Golden Knights bench boss Bruce Cassidy isn't bothered that he's Vegas' third coach in just six seasons."I've gotten to know (Gerard Gallant and Peter DeBoer) a little bit over the years. Two excellent coaches doing good jobs in the league, but I thought I did a good job in Boston, too, and here I am," Cassidy said during his introductory press conference Thursday. "It's part of the business. So no, that did not factor into (my decision) at all."He continued: "I want my name on the Stanley Cup. That was the conversation. And I believe this team has the ability to do that. ... To me, if we can take care of business, everything will fall into place."Cassidy declined to reveal the terms of his contract but said he was pleased to join the organization and that he was aiming for security.Gallant - the Golden Knights' first coach - guided the team to a first-place finish in the Pacific Division and a Stanley Cup Final berth in its inaugural season. He was fired midway through Vegas' third campaign following a four-game losing streak.DeBoer replaced Gallant in January 2020, and the Golden Knights made it to the conference finals in the playoff bubble following another first-place finish in the division. He also led the team to the semifinals in 2021, but Vegas fired him at the end of this season after it failed to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.CoachRecord in VegasTotal regular-season games coachedGerard Gallant118-75-20213Peter DeBoer98-50-12160The team finished the 2021-22 campaign with a 43-31-8 record, which put it three points out of the Western Conference's second wild-card spot.Vegas also had to contend with a slew of injuries to several key players, including captain Mark Stone, defenseman Alec Martinez, forward Max Pacioretty, goaltender Robin Lehner, and new addition Jack Eichel.General manager Kelly McCrimmon wants his team to enter the 2022-23 season hungry for more, a sentiment Cassidy echoed. Cassidy, fired by the Boston Bruins on June 6, said he wants to prove he's "capable of doing the job and winning, winning in the postseason.""It's not gonna consume me every day by any means," he added. "I think when you come close to winning the Cup, it's always in the back of your mind. You want to finish the job. I definitely have that mindset."Like the Golden Knights, Cassidy has never claimed a Stanley Cup. He piloted the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, but they fell to the St. Louis Blues in seven games.The Bruins made the playoffs in each of Cassidy's six seasons as head coach.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Game 1 of one of the most anticipated Stanley Cup Finals in recent memory did not disappoint. Unless, of course, you weren't one of the bettors cashing moneyline tickets on Andre Burakovsky's goal 83 seconds into overtime.The moneyline saw its own brand of excitement in the four days leading up to puck drop. The Avalanche opened as favorites at a price of -165, only to see the market disagree with that assessment. Subsequent betting dropped that number to as low as -140. Whether one had the patience to wait for the best price or grabbed the Avs early, they were rewarded with a victory. But was that the "right" result? Based on Game 1's metrics, where should we lean in Game 2 from a value standpoint?Lightning (+120) @ Avalanche (-145) Five-on-five play (Game 1)TEAMxGFHDCHDGLightning1.2282Avalanche2.66132Whether it was their 62% high-danger chance (HDC) rate at even strength or a 68% expected goal share while at five-on-five, the Avalanche proved that a moneyline price between -150 and -200 was probably pretty fair despite needing overtime to win Game 1.As many expected based on the conjecture leading up to this series, goaltending was the equalizer, but not in the way we may have thought. Andrei Vasilevskiy looked a little shaky in the first period, giving up three goals - two from high-danger scorings areas and one on a five-on-three power play. For the rest of regulation, he repeatedly turned the Avs aside but still finished with a -0.76 goals saved above expectation (GSAx).Vasilevskiy wasn't at his best in the early games of the Lightning's series with the Maple Leafs (-0.45 GSAx) and Rangers (-2.91 GSAx). Each time, he performed better in Game 2.Darcy Kuemper wasn't particularly good in Game 1 either. A -1.07 GSAx and the Lightning's 25% even-strength HDC conversion rate - double the regular-season league average - confirm that. Plus, a third goal was scored from a non-high-danger area. Perhaps concessions can be made for it being Kuemper's first action since Game 1 against the Oilers.For all the speed and skill that the skaters possess, there was just an average number of quality chances at even strength, and a lengthy two-man advantage resulted in a Colorado goal.The price discovery in the market from before Game 1 corrected the opening odds, so there's less value on betting the Tampa Bay moneyline than we hoped for as our target to bounce back. As an alternative, with the faith that we have in the Lightning late in any series, taking your pick of a pair of series markets is the prudent way to back them before Game 2. Either the Lightning to win the series (+225) or Lightning +1.5 games (+120) is valuable, depending on what tickets you have already.I expect both Vasilevskiy and Kuemper to perform better in Game 2. Anytime I lean toward the Lightning, I look to the under, as they'll be more likely to dictate a low-event pace - the type of game they want to play. They've kept opponents under 10 high-danger chances in their three previous Game 2s, and if they can achieve that tall task in Denver on Saturday, we'll be in for a contest that closely resembles the low-scoring second and third periods from Game 1.Pick: Under 6 goals (-105)Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning don't believe they brought their A-game to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.The back-to-back defending champions fell 4-3 in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche and tipped their caps to their opponent after a loss that was more lopsided than the final score made it appear."There's some positive signs for us in this game, but the right team won the game," head coach Jon Cooper said, according to NHL.com's Chris Krenn."Give them credit for pulling it out. We've got better in us, though. I don't think, by a country mile, we gave them our best game and we still had a chance to pull it out."The Avalanche, who hadn't played since June 6 after sweeping the Edmonton Oilers, came out firing in their first final appearance since 2001. Colorado led 2-0 in the first 10 minutes and carried play for much of the contest before Andre Burakovsky buried the overtime winner.At five-on-five, the Avalanche outshot the Lightning 32-18 while owning 56.36% of shot attempts, 59.52% of scoring chances, and 71.24% expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick.Tampa's loss on Wednesday continued a bizarre trend for Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. In Game 1s this postseason, the superstar netminder is 1-3 with a .884 save percentage and 3.99 goals against average. Aside from series openers, Vasilevskiy is 11-3 with a .939 clip and 1.90 goals against average.The Lightning have shrugged off series deficits numerous times this spring. Tampa Bay trailed three times in the opening round against the Toronto Maple Leafs and went down 2-0 to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.Game 2 is set for Saturday night in Denver.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Brayden Point returned to the lineup for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. He recorded one assist while playing just under 18 minutes in Tampa's 4-3 overtime loss.Point hadn't played since departing Game 7 of the Lightning's first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a lower-body injury. He registered two goals, including the overtime winner in Game 6, and two assists in the opening-round matchup.Point was instrumental to Tampa Bay's back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. He logged 56 points in 46 playoff games from 2020 to 2021 and his 28 goals in that same span lead the league by a wide margin: Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon is second with 17 goals, a feat he accomplished in just 25 contests.Despite missing one of their most impactful players since May 14, the Lightning swept the Florida Panthers in the second round and overcame a slow start to take down the New York Rangers in six games.Point seems to enjoy taking on the Avs. He has eight points in 10 career contests against Colorado, including two goals and one helper in two games this season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche turned to goaltender Darcy Kuemper for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was previously undecided on whether Kuemper or backup Pavel Francouz would start the series-opening contest.Goalie (2022 playoffs)GPSV%GAAGSAAGSAxDarcy Kuemper10.8972.65-3.05-4.39Pavel Francouz6.9062.86-0.71-1.06(Analytics source: Evolving-Hockey)Kuemper sustained an upper-body injury during the first game of the Western Conference Final versus the Edmonton Oilers. He didn't play for the remainder of the Avalanche's four-game sweep, but he dressed as the backup for the series finale and later said he'd completely recovered from the ailment.Francouz was steady in place of the No. 1 netminder, holding back the Oilers' high-octane offense with a .908 save percentage and 2.81 goals against average. He made a statement with a 24-save shutout in Game 2.The Czech native also had to take over in the first round after Kuemper exited Game 3 with an eye injury and didn't suit up for Game 4. Francouz authored a .902 save percentage across two appearances in relief against the Nashville Predators to help Colorado complete the sweep.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks aren't planning to let forward Brock Boeser walk away as an unrestricted free agent this summer, president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre.Boeser is a pending restricted free agent. The Canucks must tender a one-year, $7.5-million qualifying offer to retain his rights, per CapFriendly. The 25-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent on July 13 if Vancouver doesn't extend a qualifying offer to him, something Rutherford said won't happen."No, we're not going to let him walk," Rutherford said. "We recognize he's a good player. We can figure out a way to fit him in next season with him taking his qualifying offer. Everything gets tricky and difficult, but we can figure it out."The executive added that the team would prefer to sit with Boeser and his agent to work out a longer-term deal.If Boeser rejects the qualifying offer, he'll remain a restricted free agent, and the Canucks will retain his negotiating rights.Boeser put up 23 goals and 23 assists in 71 games in 2021-22 while seeing a slight dip in ice time. However, he saw an uptick in production after Bruce Boudreau replaced Travis Green behind the bench on Dec. 5.TenureGPGPP/GPBoeser under Green224100.45Boeser under Boudreau4919360.73Rutherford said the two sides hadn't discussed a new contract recently as Boeser's father died late last month after a long battle with Parkinson's disease and cancer.Boeser just wrapped up the final season of a three-year deal with an average annual value of $5.875 million.The deadline for qualifying offers is July 11. The offers aren't open for acceptance prior to July 13.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the verge of making history. After punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final again on Saturday, the Bolts will look to become the first team since the early-'80s New York Islanders to win three straight titles. Given what's at stake, we're taking a deeper dive into how Tampa Bay constructed this star-studded roster.Steve Yzerman did not win a Stanley Cup ring as a Lightning executive, but his fingerprints are all over this team. During his run as general manager from 2010-2018, Yzerman routinely found gems in the draft - both in the first round and beyond - and made several savvy trades.When Yzerman stepped down as GM in September 2018, Julien BriseBois took over and didn't miss a beat. He hasn't been afraid to get aggressive when putting the finishing touches on the lineup, and it's clearly paid massive dividends.Below, we'll break down exactly how the organization got this 2021-22 team together.MethodPlayersHomegrown10Trade7Free agency5Homegrown Gregory Shamus / National Hockey League / GettyAs always, the best way to build is through the draft, and no team has done a better job of that over the last 15 years than the Lightning.Alex Killorn (June 23, 2007): One of the final parting gifts from Jay Feaster, the architect of Tampa's 2004 Stanley Cup team, was drafting Killorn in the third round in 2007. The gritty two-way winger has proven he can excel in any role he's played during his 10 seasons with the Bolts.Steven Stamkos (June 20, 2008): Stamkos has lived up to the billing since being taken first overall in 2008. A two-time "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner, his name is littered across the franchise leaderboards, and he's in his ninth season as captain.Victor Hedman (June 26, 2009): Hedman was chosen second overall - one pick after John Tavares and one before Matt Duchene. The 6-foot-6 Swede is not only the best player from his draft but one of the best defensemen ever. Hedman's been a Norris Trophy finalist six years in a row and is arguably the most important player of Tampa's dynasty.Nikita Kucherov (June 25, 2011): Yzerman's first draft in 2010 came just a month after he started the job, but following a full year of proper preparation with his scouts, he hit multiple home runs in 2011. Kucherov somehow managed to slip to the second round despite his immense talent, and the 2019 Hart Trophy winner is now one of the most dangerous players in the game.Ondrej Palat (June 25, 2011): Yzerman found another gem in the 2011 draft, nabbing Palat in the seventh round. He was also the second of two seventh-round picks for the Lightning that year (Matthew Peca being the other), so even the front office didn't know he'd become this good. Palat doesn't garner too many headlines, but he's blossomed into the perfect complementary top-six winger.Andrei Vasilevskiy (June 22, 2012): Drafting Vasilevskiy - the 2019 Vezina winner and 2020 Conn Smythe winner - at 19th overall was obviously a brilliant move. But what's even more brilliant is how the Lightning acquired the pick (they drafted Slater Koekkoek 10th overall with their own first-rounder). Ahead of the 2012 trade deadline, Yzerman sent Steve Downie to the Colorado Avalanche as part of a three-way trade that netted Tampa the Detroit Red Wings' first-round pick, which the club used on Vasilevskiy.Brayden Point (June 28, 2014): It's a mystery how Point fell to the third round despite coming off a 91-point season with the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors in his draft year. Yzerman was clearly excited to draft him because he traded up one spot to snag him at 79th overall. Point is arguably Tampa's most complete forward.Anthony Cirelli (June 27, 2015): Cirelli only tallied 36 points in 68 games during his draft year, so it's not as much of a surprise that he fell to the third round, where the Bolts scooped him at 72nd overall. Chalk it up to tremendous scouting - Cirelli has since developed into a Selke-caliber center with a knack for scoring big goals.Ross Colton (June 25, 2016): Another late-round gem, the team selected Colton in the fourth round. While he's not as much of a household name, Colton brings a lot of the same things Cirelli and Point do: Speed, versatility, and a 200-foot game. He's also coming off a breakout year with 22 goals.Cal Foote (June 23, 2017): Foote has taken some time to develop after getting drafted 14th overall. He's yet to lock down a permanent spot on Tampa Bay's blue line, but he's still just 23, and defensemen tend to take longer to develop.Trade Francois Lacasse / National Hockey League / GettyThe Lightning drafted and developed the bulk of their roster, but several key pieces - including most of the blue line - were acquired via trade.Erik Cernak (Feb. 26, 2017): Looking to offload Ben Bishop knowing Vasilevskiy was waiting in the wings, the Bolts shipped their starting goalie and a fifth-rounder to the Los Angeles Kings for Peter Budaj, a seventh-rounder, and Cernak. The 6-foot-3 blue-liner plays hard minutes and is arguably the team's most underrated player.Mikhail Sergachev (June 15, 2017): Just one year after the Montreal Canadiens selected Sergachev ninth overall, they sent him to Tampa Bay in exchange for Jonathan Drouin, the 2013 third overall pick. It was a bold move for the Lightning at the time - Drouin was excellent in the 2016 playoffs, and 2016-17 was his best campaign - but it's clearly been a massive win as Sergachev is still just scratching the surface of his potential.Ryan McDonagh (Feb. 26, 2018): This should be considered grand larceny. Before the 2018 deadline, Tampa landed McDonagh and J.T. Miller from the New York Rangers for Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, a 2018 first-rounder (Nils Lundkvist), and a 2019 second-rounder (Karl Henriksson). McDonagh is an indispensable member of the Bolts' blue line, playing tough matchups that free up Hedman for more offensive chances.Jan Rutta (Jan. 11, 2019): Koekkoek didn't quite pan out, so the Lightning traded him and a fifth-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for Rutta and a seventh-rounder. Rutta isn't flashy, but he's been a solid, stay-at-home partner for Hedman. This marked BriseBois' first notable trade as GM.Brandon Hagel (March 18, 2022): Some scoffed at the price for Hagel. The Lightning gave the Blackhawks two first-round picks, Boris Katchouk, and Taylor Raddysh for the 23-year-old winger and a pair of fourth-rounders. Hagel hasn't produced much in a Bolts uniform, but if he helps them win another ring, it's all worth it. Plus he has two more years on his contract at just $1.5 million per season.Nick Paul (March 20, 2022): To bolster the bottom-six forward group, Tampa landed Paul from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Mathieu Joseph and a fourth-round pick. Paul has been massively important to the Lightning this postseason, averaging 18:28 per contest, scoring clutch goals, and using his size to wreak havoc on the forecheck.Riley Nash (March 21, 2022): The club acquired Nash from the Arizona Coyotes for future considerations. He's played four games this postseason.Free Agency Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / GettyThe Lightning haven't been very busy in free agency - mainly because most of their money is tied up in their homegrown stars. But the Bolts have still used this method to make low-cost additions to the fringe of the roster.Pat Maroon (Aug. 24, 2019): Maroon initially signed a one-year, $900,000 deal with the club. He re-upped on a two-year deal with the same average annual value and then again on another two-year contract for $1 million per season. The fourth-line enforcer has become an important "glue guy."Zach Bogosian (July 28, 2021): Bogosian is in his second stint with the Lightning. After the Buffalo Sabres terminated his contract in 2020, he joined the Bolts for their first Cup run. After spending one year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bogo returned to Tampa on a three-year deal with an $850,000 AAV this past offseason.Brian Elliott (July 28, 2021): Needing a new backup for Vasilevskiy after Curtis McElhinney retired this past offseason, Tampa inked Elliott to a one-year, $900,000 contract. In April, the team handed the veteran netminder an identical contract for 2022-23.Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (July 28, 2021): The Lightning signed Bellemare to a two-year, $2-million contract. The 37-year-old Frenchman is still a great skater and responsible defender - the perfect mix for a fourth-line center.Corey Perry (July 29, 2021): If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? Perry lost in back-to-back Cup finals to the Lightning with the Dallas Stars in 2020 and the Habs in 2021, so he decided to sign with the reigning champs on a two-year, $2-million contract. The 37-year-old has proven he can still play while primarily in a fourth-line role after a 19-goal, 40-point season.Crafty contracts Scott Audette / National Hockey League / GettyAcquiring the right players is one part of the job, but keeping them under the hard salary cap is another. Playing in Florida - where there's no state income tax - helps, but the Lightning have still received extraordinary value per dollar with almost all of their key players.Up front, Kucherov ($9.5 million AAV) is easily worth over $10 million. Stamkos ($8.5 million AAV) likely took less to stay in Tampa instead of testing the market in 2016. Point just played out the final year of his three-year deal with a $6.75 million AAV, and even his eight-year extension beginning in 2022-23 with a $9.5 million AAV is a bargain. Cirelli is also underpaid at $4.8 million per year.Defense is where the value is even more tremendous. Hedman ($7.875 million AAV) was the 14th highest-paid blue-liner in the league this season. Sergachev ($4.8 million AAV) and Cernak ($2.95 million) are easily worth more, too.Vasilevskiy ($9.5 million AAV) is the third highest-paid goalie in the league, but he easily could've demanded over $10.5 million, surpassing the AAVs of Sergei Bobrovsky and Carey Price.Yes, being in Florida provides an advantage, but Yzerman and BriseBois deserve plenty of credit for finding ways to keep this core together.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Now that the Colorado Avalanche have overcome their string of early exits and reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning it in 2001, it's worth examining how they put this team together.Colorado's rise truly began when the club promoted Joe Sakic to executive vice president of hockey operations in May 2013. The move gave the legendary former Avalanche forward final say on all hockey personnel decisions over then-general manager Greg Sherman, who Colorado demoted to assistant GM while adding GM to Sakic's responsibilities in September 2014.Here's how Sakic and the Avalanche assembled the deep squad that finally broke through after four years of disappointment.Note: This is based on Colorado's roster during the Western Conference Final unless otherwise indicatedMethodPlayersHomegrown6Trade12Free agency5Waivers1Homegrown Bill Wippert / National Hockey League / GettyGabriel Landeskog (June 24, 2011): The Avalanche secured their first major building block with the second overall pick more than a decade ago, nearly two years before Sakic took the reins. Landeskog claimed the Calder Trophy and has worn the "C" for the Avalanche ever since they made him the youngest captain in NHL history at the time in September 2012. The versatile 29-year-old had his best season in terms of goal-scoring and point production on a per-game basis in 2021-22.Nathan MacKinnon (June 30, 2013): A true franchise cornerstone, MacKinnon is the centerpiece of this Avalanche juggernaut and one of the most irreplaceable superstars of his era. Sakic was fortunate to select MacKinnon first overall with the very first pick of his tenure. The supremely skilled center's consistently superb output is the biggest reason Colorado transformed from the NHL's second-worst squad in 2012-13 to a perennial contender.Mikko Rantanen (June 26, 2015): The Avalanche landed another key piece when they chose Rantanen 10th overall. It didn't take long for the Finnish winger to click on the top line, and he's since proven to be far more than just a beneficiary of MacKinnon's greatness. Rantanen can create offense even when head coach Jared Bednar separates him from the two other homegrown game-changers up front.Cale Makar (June 23, 2017): Colorado lost the 2017 draft lottery but certainly made the most of its spot. Makar has lifted the Avalanche to a whole new level since they snagged him with the fourth overall pick. The dynamic defenseman is a Calder Trophy winner and a two-time Norris Trophy finalist who has a chance to win the latter this season.Bowen Byram (June 21, 2019): Two years after taking Makar, Colorado chose Byram with the same draft slot thanks to a conditional first-rounder it got from the Ottawa Senators for Matt Duchene. The promising defenseman, who turned 21 on Monday, missed nearly three months this season due to a concussion after dealing with two concussions and COVID-19 in his rookie year. He's played well since returning in April.Alex Newhook (June 21, 2019): Colorado drafted Newhook 12 picks after Byram. The Newfoundland-born forward played parts of two solid seasons at Boston College before the Avalanche summoned him for six games in 2021. Newhook played most of the current campaign in the NHL and is still developing, but he's shown flashes of his potential and is still only 21 years old.Trade Scott Rovak / National Hockey League / GettyErik Johnson (Feb. 19, 2011): Johnson predates Landeskog as the longest-tenured player on this roster. The St. Louis Blues sent the defenseman to the Avalanche to complete a trade made one day earlier, and there's a reason Colorado has kept him around. Johnson's contributions have been instrumental to his current squad's success.J.T. Compher (June 26, 2015): Compher, acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in the first Ryan O'Reilly trade, has given Colorado underrated value over six seasons. He's played on both the power play and penalty kill while providing depth as a third-line center.Samuel Girard (Nov. 5, 2017): Remember how Sakic got the first-rounder in the Duchene trade that he used to take Byram? The shrewd exec snared another key member of his supporting cast in that deal, taking Girard from the Nashville Predators. The 24-year-old is done for these playoffs due to a broken sternum sustained in Round 2, but when healthy, he's a great skater and a vital piece of the puzzle for the Avalanche.Andre Burakovsky (June 28, 2019): Colorado landed Burakovsky from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round pick, a third-rounder, and Scott Kosmachuk - a now-28-year-old journeyman playing overseas. The Avalanche clearly won that swap, at least for the time being. Burakovsky set career highs with 22 goals and 39 assists over 80 regular-season games in 2021-22.Nazem Kadri (July 1, 2019): The Toronto Maple Leafs surely regret shipping Kadri to Denver for a package including Tyson Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot. Kadri is reportedly unlikely to play in the championship round after undergoing thumb surgery, though Bednar still hopes he can suit up. Regardless, the 31-year-old is one of the biggest reasons the Avalanche are playing in the Cup Final. Kadri also racked up career-highs in assists and points this season.Devon Toews (Oct. 12, 2020): Colorado somehow got Toews from the New York Islanders for two second-rounders a couple of years ago, and even back then, that seemed like a steal. The 28-year-old was rock-solid for the Islanders and has been even better for the Avalanche, serving as the perfect partner for Makar and as one of the most underrated players in the league.Kurtis MacDermid (July 27, 2021): MacDermid definitely isn't one of Colorado's most important players, but he took an interesting route to the Mile High City. The imposing defenseman spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, who then exposed him in the expansion draft. The Seattle Kraken selected MacDermid but dealt him to the Avalanche for a fourth-rounder six days later.Darcy Kuemper (July 28, 2021): The Avalanche let Philipp Grubauer walk last summer and immediately acquired Kuemper from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Conor Timmins, plus a first-rounder in this year's draft and a third-rounder in 2024. Despite how difficult this postseason has been for Kuemper, these moves still look brilliant in hindsight.Josh Manson (March 14, 2022): Colorado gave up a 2023 second-round pick and defensive prospect Drew Helleson to secure Manson's services from the Anaheim Ducks. It'll be a while before we can truly judge the trade, but Manson's grinding style and penalty-killing prowess have undoubtedly helped his new team.Nico Sturm (March 15, 2022): Colorado traded Tyson Jost to the Minnesota Wild for Sturm in a cost-cutting move to facilitate other deadline deals. The undrafted German doesn't have much upside as a 27-year-old with a history of modest production, but he played seven playoff games this spring.Artturi Lehkonen (March 21, 2022): Getting Manson was important, but acquiring Lehkonen from the Montreal Canadiens one week later was a terrific move that paid immediate dividends. The Finnish forward, who'll turn 27 in July, is known for his strong two-way game and has thrived in Colorado's top six.Andrew Cogliano (March 21, 2022): The Avalanche picked up Cogliano, who turned 35 on Tuesday, from the San Jose Sharks for a 2024 fifth-rounder. It's unclear whether the veteran forward will play in the final because, like Kadri, he recently underwent surgery. When healthy, Cogliano typically plays on the fourth line and the first penalty-killing unit.Free agency Michael Martin / National Hockey League / GettyPavel Francouz (May 2, 2018): Sakic signed Francouz out of the KHL after the Czech goaltender reeled off two straight stellar seasons with Traktor Chelyabinsk. Francouz started his North American tenure in the AHL and made his NHL debut in December 2018. The 32-year-old has been one of the best backups in the NHL over the past two campaigns.Logan O'Connor (July 23, 2018): The Avalanche inked the undrafted O'Connor out of the University of Denver, where he helped the Pioneers win a national title in his sophomore year. The Texas-born winger, who'll turn 26 in August, gives Colorado some grit and defense up front.Valeri Nichushkin (Aug. 19, 2019): Nichushkin underachieved with the Dallas Stars, who selected him 10th overall in 2013. But the Avalanche took a chance on him after the Stars let him walk, and the 27-year-old is now a key secondary scorer in his prime.Darren Helm (July 29, 2021): Helm joined Colorado after 14 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. The longtime depth forward still plays that role, but he has a flair for the dramatic. Helm scored in the final seconds of Game 6 against the Blues, eliminating them 13 years to the day after his overtime winner sent the Wings to the Cup Final.Jack Johnson (Oct. 10, 2021): The Avalanche took a flier on Johnson after signing him to a tryout deal in September. The 35-year-old is the oldest player on the team by eight days over Helm. Johnson didn't play this postseason until after Girard got hurt, but the veteran has suited up for all seven games since.Waivers John Russell / National Hockey League / GettyNicolas Aube-Kubel (Nov. 13, 2021): Colorado nabbed Aube-Kubel from the Philadelphia Flyers, and the 26-year-old has fit in just fine in its bottom six. His offensive numbers have never been eye-popping, but the Alberta-born winger provides some sandpaper on a team oozing skill.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Four victories separate the Tampa Bay Lightning from a third straight championship. The Colorado Avalanche are the last team that can dethrone them. Expect these seven questions to define the Stanley Cup Final, which gets underway in Denver at Ball Arena on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.Will the goalie battle be close? Mark LoMoglio / NHL / Getty ImagesTampa Bay wins games and the Stanley Cup when Andrei Vasilevskiy dominates, which is his habit. The Lightning are 3-5 this postseason when he allows three or more goals and 9-0 when he lets in two or fewer.Vasilevskiy's shutdown streaks either cover full rounds (hello, Florida Panthers) or spur the Lightning to series comebacks (goodbye, New York Rangers). No wonder he enters the final as our Conn Smythe Trophy favorite.Darcy Kuemper has endured a rough spring. High-sticked in the eye during the Nashville Predators series, Kuemper missed time against the Edmonton Oilers with an upper-body injury but returned to back up Pavel Francouz in the Round 3 finale. Francouz is undefeated in six playoff games, and his .906 save percentage beats Kuemper's .897 mark.Avalanche coach Jared Bednar hasn't revealed his Game 1 starter, but Kuemper's track record suggests he's the smart choice. He posted a .921 save percentage in 57 regular-season appearances in 2021-22. Kuemper ranked sixth in the NHL with 15.77 goals saved above expected, per Evolving Hockey (Vasilevskiy was fourth at 17.6).If Kuemper plays, Colorado's title hopes hinge on him rediscovering that form. Tampa Bay will three-peat if Vasilevskiy makes this a mismatch.Is there enough gas in Tampa Bay's tank? Andy Lyons / Getty ImagesThe rust-versus-rest debate is an unavoidable storyline in the playoffs. There are a few ways to tackle the topic here.The Lightning had three days off between rounds, the Avs eight. Colorado, therefore, is theoretically the rested team. However, as we saw at the start of Round 3 with Tampa Bay, rest isn't always better. The Lightning looked out of sorts in the first two games against the Rangers - rusty, if you will - after an eight-day layoff.From a big-picture perspective, Lightning players should have more wear and tear on their bodies. The team has appeared in 65 playoff games in the past three postseasons, by far the most in the NHL. The Avalanche have appeared in 39. Will all of that mileage catch up to the likes of star winger Nikita Kucherov?Colorado also plays at the fastest pace in the league and often sustains pressure in the offensive zone for long stretches. That can lead to two-minute shifts and, eventually, fatigue. Does this stylistic matchup mean a player like Victor Hedman, who's recorded the most playoff ice time among all NHLers during the Lightning's three-year run, will be gassed as the series progresses?Can Colorado's offense remain this potent? Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThe Avalanche are one of three teams this century to score four goals per game in the playoffs, discounting squads that lost in Round 1. Another is the Oilers team that Colorado just swept. The other is Colorado circa 2020.The last time a playoff club topped the Avs' current scoring average (4.64 goals) was in 1988. The Avalanche recorded an eight-goal game, two seven-goal showings, and two six-goal performances during their romp to this year's final. They attack at breakneck speed, hoard possession, put a ton of shots on net (40.7 per game), and convert at a high rate. Insurmountable leads often follow.Colorado's offensive depth is impressive. Cale Makar has assisted seven of Nathan MacKinnon's 11 goals and set up seven other teammates at least once: Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri, Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, J.T. Compher, and Devon Toews. They've set a high standard to try to maintain against Vasilevskiy.Who wins Cirelli-MacKinnon showdown? Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesYou won't find Anthony Cirelli's name atop any Conn Smythe rankings. But the Lightning center deserves kudos for what he's done through three rounds.Cirelli's been on the ice for a total of 252 five-on-five minutes. He's spent most of that time against stars - Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner of Toronto, then Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau of Florida, and finally Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider of New York. In those difficult, tension-filled minutes, Tampa Bay has surrendered four goals. That's it. Four.Up next: none other than MacKinnon. Alongside Landeskog and Nichushkin, the Avs superstar center has walked all over the opposition these playoffs. With MacKinnon on the ice at five-on-five, Colorado has scored 20 goals, allowed eight, and posted a cool 62% expected goals rate.MacKinnon is the perfect mix of power and grace; his speed and lower-body strength make him a nearly uncontainable force. Cirelli, who possesses a relentless motor and leans on his low center of gravity, is staring down his toughest task to date. Eh, nobody said winning a third Cup would be easy.Which No. 1 defenseman will shine brightest? Julio Aguilar / Getty ImagesThere's a two-thirds chance that the final features the 2021-22 Norris Trophy winner. Makar and Hedman are up for the award alongside Predators captain Roman Josi, the result of all three defensemen clearing 85 points in the regular season.Makar and Hedman will aim to tilt the title series before the Norris winner is revealed live from Tampa next Tuesday - the awards show is scheduled between Games 3 and 4.Makar's on track to become the first defenseman since Paul Coffey and the fourth ever to average more than 1.5 points in the playoffs (minimum 10 games played). Hedman helped neutralize Matthews, Barkov, and Artemi Panarin in major minutes against those stars at five-on-five. Makar and Hedman are elite power-play quarterbacks. Both embody two-way excellence.This matchup is also fascinating because of their dissimilarities, namely that Hedman is seven inches taller and eight years older. They look different and drive the same results. Watching them duel should be a treat.Will Kadri or Brayden Point impact series? Michael Martin / NHL / Getty ImagesInjuries aren't ravaging either team. Of the few players on the mend, two are particularly impactful - Kadri for Colorado and Point for Tampa Bay.Kadri, who was well on his way to changing the narrative around his playoff history before getting injured midway through the third round, skated Sunday - albeit without a hockey stick. The 31-year-old center is recovering from thumb surgery, and while Bednar hasn't officially ruled out a Game 1 return, it seems highly unlikely Kadri's in for the opener.Point is "extremely probable" to reappear at some point in the series. That said, a Game 1 return following a 10-game absence isn't guaranteed. Point practiced Monday alongside his teammates, which is always a positive sign. However, the Lightning haven't announced if the playoff beast (league-high 30 goals over the past three postseasons) is indeed drawing in for the opener.It's fair to suggest that either player's reinsertion could swing the series.Will there be an officiating controversy? Michael Martin / NHL / Getty ImagesContentious calls have swung close games throughout the postseason. Justin Holl's pick was whistled for interference in Game 7 of Round 1, negating John Tavares' would-be equalizer. Blake Coleman's goal was disallowed in the Battle of Alberta finale because he was deemed to have kicked the puck in. Makar scored against Edmonton last round thanks to a generous interpretation of the offside rule.Complaints about the referees, Situation Room reviews, and the rulebook's ambiguous language are inevitable this time of year. Coaches gripe to the media and fans vent online, but no team was eliminated because of one call.When these debates arise, the aggrieved side tends to wonder how people would feel if the call affected Game 7 of the Cup Final. It'd be on trend if that happened in this series.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey is finally back. After what felt like a never-ending layoff, the Stanley Cup Final begins tonight.Let's look at three of my favorite bets for the opener.Lightning (+135) @ Avalanche (-160)The Lightning are tough in any building, but they're not nearly as good on the road as they are at home - at least they haven't been this postseason.Through three rounds, the Lightning own a 7-1 record on home soil. A lot of the success has stemmed from air-tight defense and getting the matchups they want. They've conceded just six goals at five-on-five and given up only 8.3 high-danger chances per 60. That's very impressive, especially considering some of the firepower they've gone up against.Luckily for the Avalanche, the Lightning look a lot more beatable on the road. They own a 5-4 record and have conceded 18 goals at five-on-five, two per game. They've had a much harder time limiting chances, allowing 11.5 high-danger looks per 60 at full strength.While it's possible there's some early rust to shake off, the Avalanche are a different beast at home and should give the Lightning all they can handle. This postseason, they've controlled nearly 61% of the shot attempts, 60% of the expected goals, and generated more than 13 high-danger looks per 60 at five-on-five.They can unleash arguably the best five-man unit in the NHL, with Nathan MacKinnon's line routinely backed by the ridiculously talented pairing of Devon Toews and Cale Makar.If Andrei Vasilevskiy - who owns a .910 save percentage on the road these playoffs - isn't at the top of his game, I think the Avalanche's speed and scoring depth will prove too much to overcome as the game progresses.I don't think it'll be a blowout by any means, but I like the Avalanche to take care of business inside 60.Bet: Avalanche in regulation (+105)Nathan MacKinnon over 4.5 shots (-143)MacKinnon has hit another level this postseason. He has piled up 82 shots through just 14 games, which equates to 5.8 per contest, and has been particularly effective on home soil. MacKinnon is generating nearly 6.6 shots per game on 10.7 attempts at Ball Arena. Absurd numbers.The Lightning are a very good defensive side - there's no debating that. But they've quietly given up quite a bit of volume to centers, conceding 13.71 shots per game.For perspective, no team allowed more than 12 shots per game to centers in the regular season. The playoffs are a much smaller sample size, sure, but if the Lightning are struggling to suppress shots versus centers, that's probably not changing on the road against a player like MacKinnon.Victor Hedman over 2.5 shots (-125)We've targeted the Avalanche with defenders all season long, and we're not going to stop now, especially with someone as talented as Hedman on the other side.He's been a shooting machine throughout the playoffs, sitting just one shot back of Jacob Trouba for the lead among defensemen. The difference there is that Trouba has played three more games.Hedman plays insane minutes in all game situations, and clearly, he's not trigger-shy. Nikita Kucherov is the only Lightning player with more shots or attempts than Hedman.Look for the big Swede to be heavily involved in the final third.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.

The Philadelphia Flyers are in the final stages of negotiating a contract with John Tortorella for their head coaching vacancy, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reports.The deal is not done, but the team has offered the 63-year-old the job, Weekes adds.Tortorella will reportedly meet with the Flyers on Thursday to discuss the offer, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Tortorella was identified as one of Philadelphia's coaching candidates last month, and he said he was "very fortunate" to have interviewed with the franchise.Philadelphia is in the process of selecting its seventh bench boss in the last 10 years after opting to move on from interim boss Mike Yeo. Yeo took over for Alain Vigneault in December and finished the season last in the Metropolitan Division.Tortorella became a studio analyst for ESPN after he and the Columbus Blue Jackets mutually agreed to part ways following the 2020-21 campaign. He coached the Ohio franchise for six seasons, qualifying for the playoffs four times.The two-time Jack Adams Award winner has also coached the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay Lightning in his career, winning a Stanley Cup with the Bolts in 2004.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks all-star goaltender John Gibson refuted a recent report that he's requested a trade out of Orange County."All of the rumors that I got in a call from (agent) Kurt (Overhardt) yesterday are false because I haven’t had a conversation with anybody there," Gibson said, according to The Athletic's Eric Stephens. "None of that is true."When I signed my extension in Anaheim however many years ago, I said I’d be honored to play in the same city and be a part of the same organization my whole career. I still have all my intentions on doing that."Gibson's eight-year, $51.2-million contract kicked in for the 2019-20 season. Anaheim has finished no higher than sixth in the Pacific Division each of the last four years, but Gibson thinks the franchise can turn a corner under new general manager Pat Verbeek.Verbeek took over the position in February and promptly sold some long-time Ducks players to recoup future assets. The club traded Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson, and Rickard Rakell at the deadline, giving Anaheim four picks in the first two rounds of the upcoming draft as well as nearly $40 million in cap space, according to Cap Friendly.Gibson sees this summer as a big opportunity for the Ducks to become playoff contenders again."I think that’s the exciting part," Gibson said. "We can go back to saying all the moves that were made last season and all that, but it opened up a lot of money into cap space. It opened up draft picks and opportunities to help make our team better this offseason. You ask anybody on the team, they’re excited to see what’s going to happen. See, hopefully, how our team gets better and add some pieces and see where that goes."Gibson was drafted 39th overall in 2011 and broke into the NHL in 2013-14. He immediately made a name for himself as one of the league's top netminders, owning a .921 save percentage and 57.7 goals saved above average in 228 appearances over his first six seasons.However, his numbers have dipped drastically over the past three campaigns. Gibson is 47-71-21 with a .904 clip and minus-19.1 GSAA over a 142-game span since 2019-20.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights are set to hire former Boston Bruins bench boss Bruce Cassidy as their next head coach, according to ESPN's Kevin Weekes.Cassidy led the Bruins to the postseason in all six years at the helm, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019. The 57-year-old won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2019-20, and he ranks 12th all-time in points percentage among coaches with at least 82 games.The Golden Knights fired Peter DeBoer as head coach on May 16 after missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

You can bet on the Stanley Cup winners at almost any time of the year. Minutes after Lord Stanley's holy grail is awarded later this month, the 2023 odds will be up.For the player-specific market, Conn Smythe Trophy betting has been available for months, with odds changing as team results have come in.There's a strong possibility you exhausted betting options long before the series odds and Conn Smythe market matured to their current point. However, there are fresh markets to bet on, including player matchups for who'll score more points in the Stanley Cup Final.Head-to-head points marketCOL PLAYER (Odds)TB PLAYER (Odds)Cale Makar (-150)Victor Hedman (+115)Nathan MacKinnon (-120)Nikita Kucherov (-110)Mikko Rantanen (-120)Steven Stamkos (-110)Across 14 playoff games, the Avalanche averaged 4.64 goals scored and 2.86 allowed, while the Lightning averaged 3.05 scored and 2.41 allowed in 17 games.If you split the difference, Colorado might be expected to score 3.5 goals per game this series, which admittedly seems high given Tampa Bay's ability to dictate pace. Meanwhile, the Bolts might be expected to score just under three goals per game.The 3.5-2.96 disparity justifies the Avalanche players' status as favorites in these matchups. Cale Makar's superlative play - he's one point behind Nikita Kucherov for the active lead - is reason enough for him to be a larger favorite over his counterpart on the blue line.Makar (-150) over HedmanA bet on Makar (-150) means you believe there's a greater than 60% chance he outscores Victor Hedman. Makar's series point totals are 10, three, and nine. Hedman's best is seven points - against the Maple Leafs in a seven-game series. He added three and four points in the next two rounds.A simple comparison suggests Makar might have an even more commanding chance of leading. His 1.57 points per game to Hedman's 0.82 indicates a point share of 65.6% in favor of the Avs star. With a fair price closer to -200, Makar's a good bet as the favorite at a discount price.Kucherov (-110) over MacKinnonTwo things are working against the top players on the Avalanche in these matchups. The first is the focus Nathan MacKinnon and his linemates will get from Anthony Cirelli and the Lightning's top defensive group - not to mention their second level of defense and all-world goaltender.The second is the Avalanche's strength in depth, which allows them to produce offense elsewhere. MacKinnon won't need to outscore the Lightning's top scorer for the Avs to win the series.Stamkos (-110) over RantanenThe Avalanche have struggled in their penalty-killing this postseason, recording a 24.3% kill efficiency. This gives Kucherov and Steven Stamkos an advantage since the Lightning rely on the power play to give them an edge in the low-event games they want to play.Stamkos found his sea legs against the Rangers, having his best, most impactful series since the start of this Lightning run in 2020. Meanwhile, Mikko Rantanen has taken a back seat to MacKinnon and Makar, and his 1.21 points per game playoff average will likely come down.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey Canada insists it didn't draw from taxpayer money to settle a sexual assault lawsuit in May."We can say definitively that no government funds were used in the recent settlement of the lawsuit," the organization said in a statement Tuesday.In April, a woman said eight CHL players sexually assaulted her in June 2018 after a Hockey Canada event in London, Ontario.On Monday, a Canadian government subcommittee asked Hockey Canada executives to testify regarding the out-of-court settlement, the amount for which is unknown. The plaintiff asked the judge to award $3.55 million.Hockey Canada said Tuesday it "welcomes the opportunity" to appear before the committee.NDP MP Peter Julian told TSN's Rick Westhead on Monday that CEO Scott Smith, former CEO Tom Renney, and foundation chair David Andrews are among those requested to testify June 20. The hearing will be webcast, and any executives who decline to take part will be issued a summons to do so, the lawmaker added.Canada's sports minister, Pascale St-Onge, has also ordered an audit of the entity's financial activity to determine whether it used government funds in the settlement.The NHL is investigating the matter as well and pledged to punish anyone involved if necessary.Taxpayers partially fund Hockey Canada, giving the government jurisdiction over the federation.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The hockey world can now focus on one series: the Stanley Cup Final between the Lightning and the Avalanche. By now, hockey bettors have likely weighed in on who they think will win and how they are betting this matchup. They have likely set up a position in the Conn Smythe Trophy market as well. But wait, there's more.While player prop markets exist throughout the postseason, the Stanley Cup Final markets garner a singular focus.Total goals series leaderPLAYER ODDSMikko Rantanen+500Nathan MacKinnon+500Nikita Kucherov+650Steven Stamkos+700Gabriel Landeskog+850Nazem Kadri+1200Valeri Nichushkin+1500Cale Makar+2000Ondrej Palat+2200Andre Burakovsky+3500Brandon Hagel+3500Corey Perry+4000JT Compher+4000Victor Hedman+4500Alex Killorn+5000Anthony Cirelli+5000Artturi Lehkonen+5000Brayden Point+5000Devon Toews+5000Mikhail Sergachev+5000Nick Paul+5000Ross Colton+5000Alex Newhook+10000Bowen Byram+10000Josh Manson+10000Pat Maroon+10000Ryan McDonagh+10000With between four and seven games to be played in this series, and a Game 1 total set at six goals, the expected average number of goals for this series is between 24 and 42. So the question is: How many individual goals will be needed to lead the series?Here are the recent Stanley Cup Final goal leaders and their total:YEAR PLAYER GOALS2021Nikita Kucherov32020Brayden Point52019Ryan O'Reilly52018Alex Ovechkin/Devante Smith-Pelly/Reilly Smith32017Jake Guentzel42016Six players tied22015Five players tied22014Five players tied2As you can see, three is usually all that's needed to grab a tie for the lead in series goals. That low number means that almost anyone is capable of cashing a ticket for you in this market.Best betsThe favorites are atop the board for a reason, but we'll want to throw a few darts further down the list since it's possible that one or two multi-goal games might be all it takes for an outlier result. Brayden Point would normally be among the favorites. He's expected to return at some point in this series, and even if that doesn't happen until the third game, that still gives him a chance to score four times.The Lightning plan to win low-event, low-scoring games, but when that doesn't work for them, it'll be the Avalanche's depth at forward that can score. With Tampa's checking line playing close attention to Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog, there's room for someone else to have a big series. Seven other Avs have scored between five and six goals this postseason. Of that group, Artturi Lehkonen (50-1) is the forward with the longest odds, which makes him the best value.For Tampa, it can get its necessary goals via the man advantage. Lehkonen's former teammate, Corey Perry, has the fourth-most ice time on the Lightning power play. Considering his 40-1 price, Perry's a better bet to score a few times than many ahead of him on the board.Total points series leaderPLAYER ODDSNathan MacKinnon+350Nikita Kucherov+400Cale Makar+450Mikko Rantanen+600Steven Stamkos+750Gabriel Landeskog+900Nazem Kadri+1200Victor Hedman+1200Brayden Point+1500Devon Toews+3000Valeri Nichushkin+4500Ondrej Palat+4500Artturi Lehkonen+5000Alex Killorn+10000Alex Newhook+10000Bowen Byram+10000Andre Burakovsky+10000Brandon Hagel+10000Corey Perry+10000JT Compher+10000Anthony Cirelli+10000Mikhail Sergachev+10000Nick Paul+10000Ross Colton+10000Josh Manson+10000Pat Maroon+10000Ryan McDonagh+10000Obviously, this market adds assists to the goals market above, and the odds are adjusted accordingly. Most notably, top-tier defensemen like Cale Makar and Victor Hedman are given a better chance of leading the series in points than goals.In the last 10 years, the points leader in the Stanley Cup Final has needed between five and nine points to cash tickets for their bettors. That's a larger amount than the goals market, meaning the favorites are more likely to lead the way.Best betsMakar (+450) comes into this series with four more points than MacKinnon amongst the Avalanche throughout the playoffs but is lower than his teammate on the board. Makar has a five-point game under his belt and could realistically get to nine points in this series.Hedman is second on Tampa Bay in power-play points and is 12-1 in this market. With the big Swede playing the point on the power play, the return of Brayden Point could mean a couple of extra assists on shots coming in from the blue line, as Point is a key cog in the middle of the Lightning man advantage. Nikita Kucherov's power-play goals will likely come from Hedman's one-timer setups, so he's somewhat neutralized there. This series could shape up a lot like their first-round meeting with the Maple Leafs when Hedman had seven points.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins want Kris Letang back in the fold beyond next season.Signing the talented defenseman to a multi-year contract is the club's top priority, reports The Athletic's Rob Rossi.The Penguins' new owners, Fenway Sports Group, reportedly want to secure both Letang and fellow pending unrestricted free agent Evgeni Malkin for the duration of their careers, seeing their retention as a means to ensure Sidney Crosby retires as a member of the team as well.Letang established career highs with 58 assists and 68 points this season. The 35-year-old has played his entire 16-year career with the Penguins, playing a pivotal role in two of their three Stanley Cup championships in that span.The Penguins' management group has repeatedly expressed its desire to re-sign both Letang and Malkin. The two stars have also stated they'd like to stay. Crosby is under contract through 2024-25. The trio has been together for all of Letang's 16 seasons, the longest run by three teammates in NHL history.In January, it was reported Letang was looking for a raise on his next contract. The Montreal-born rearguard will be coming off an eight-year deal carrying a cap hit of $7.25 million.Pittsburgh has approximately $23 million in cap space. The club's other pending UFAs include trade-deadline acquisition Rickard Rakell, fellow forward Evan Rodrigues, and backup goaltender Casey DeSmith. Kasperi Kapanen and Danton Heinen are the team's pending RFAs.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canadian Heritage's standing committee agreed Monday to ask Hockey Canada officials to testify about an out-of-court settlement of a sexual assault lawsuit, according to TSN's Rick Westhead.The lawsuit, which was filed in April and settled in May, involved some members of Canada's 2018 world junior team.CEO Scott Smith, former CEO Tom Renney, former senior VP of insurance and risk management Glen McCurdie, and foundation chair David Andrews are among those being asked to testify in Ottawa on June 20, per Westhead.If they don't respond or decline to testify, they'll be summoned to do so, MP Peter Julian said.In the settled lawsuit, a woman said eight CHL players sexually assaulted her in June 2018 following a Hockey Canada event in London, Ontario.The plaintiff asked the judge to award $3.55 million, but the settlement amount is unknown. The allegations weren't proven in court and none of the defendants filed a response.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Not only were New York Rangers fans confused about Kaapo Kakko's healthy scratch from Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night, but Kakko was as well.The young forward said he didn't find out he'd be sitting on the sidelines until he saw the lineup sheet. Although Kakko added that no one explained the move to him, he wants to use the decision as motivation."I want to show, like, 'I'm better than that. You should put me in the lineup, I'm a good player,'" he told reporters Monday, per SNY.Kakko admitted he was unhappy not being in the lineup, but the pending restricted free agent said he doesn't think that'll play a role in his contract negotiations. He also said he likes playing in New York.Head coach Gerard Gallant also spoke Monday, elaborating on his staff's choice to sit Kakko."Trying to win a hockey game, just dressing my lineup," he said.Gallant added: "We love the kid, he's a good player ... but we just thought the best lineup was trying to win that game."Kakko was a member of the Rangers' "Kid Line" in the playoffs. He logged two goals and three assists in 19 postseason contests.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Nashville Predators are bringing defenseman Jeremy Lauzon back on a four-year contract carrying an average annual value of $2 million.Lauzon was a pending restricted free agent. The Predators acquired him from the Seattle Kraken in March in exchange for a second-round pick in this year's draft.The 25-year-old is known more for his physical play than offensive production.

The award for the Stanley Cup Playoffs' most valuable player is like a political campaign. There are voters to appeal to and a time to do it. Unlike Super Bowl MVP or NBA Finals MVP, the Conn Smythe Trophy should encapsulate everything a player's done throughout the entire playoffs, but like an election, many voters will be swayed by what happens most recently.With the Lightning and Avalanche set to meet in what we hope will be a close series that lives up to exceptions, each team has a pair of stars that have put their names atop the ballot going into the Stanley Cup Final.Conn Smythe Trophy oddsPLAYER ODDSCale Makar+150Nathan MacKinnon+175Andrei Vasilevskiy+375Nikita Kucherov+425Mikko Rantanen+1600Gabriel Landeskog+1800Steven Stamkos+1800Victor Hedman+1800*Not listing players with odds 50-1 or longerWe've been putting together our own group of candidates in a player portfolio over the course of the playoffs, and the last man standing is Cale Makar (+450 going into the Western Conference Final). He's now the favorite.The second choice is also an Avalanche skater - Nathan MacKinnon - who has been the favorite at times throughout the middle of the second round and the start of the conference finals. With the Avalanche considered moderate favorites in the Stanley Cup Final, their implied win probability (approximately 66%) is passed down through Makar and MacKinnon's odds.Despite being listed on the oddsboard, the chances of Mikko Rantanen or Gabriel Landeskog supplanting the two superstars on Colorado is slim to none.The Lightning have a two-man ticket of Andrei Vasilevskiy and Nikita Kucherov, but the market is unsure who should be getting top billing for Tampa. The 2021 winner - Vasilevskiy - has stepped up his game after early series struggles against both the Rangers and the Maple Leafs. Projecting forward, if the Lightning are to thwart the Avalanche offense, Vasilevskiy will likely get the credit - even if Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman have major roles in that success.But if the Lightning can keep up with Colorado's scoring depth, you'd have to consider that Kucherov will be firing successfully early and often.The one long shot that's tempting is Steven Stamkos at 18-1 because of what we just saw against New York. Stamkos scored the type of timely goals that the Lightning need to win their low-scoring games. However, he's eight points behind Kucherov in the playoffs. He could get the nod over his teammate if he can close that gap slightly while also scoring critical vote-inspiring, game-deciding goals. Between the two Lightning forwards at that pricing, that's the route I'd be more likely to take.Notable in their absence on the board is an Avalanche goaltender. That's appropriate since the Avs have used both Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz, and it's too late for one to stand out as a playoff MVP.Best betSince this market has existed for weeks - unlike the other sports championships - we have to acknowledge the bets we've already made and our best work already being done. The best is getting Makar - the favorite - at a far better price than currently available on the board.If you're late to the defenseman's coming out party and are searching strictly for value now, Vasilevskiy has to be the most likely candidate to be worth his almost 4-to-1 payout.Of course, you're probably already invested in this series either via this Conn Smythe market or the Stanley Cup futures market, and with this series being a true toss-up, standing pat with whatever ticket(s) you have is probably the most prudent strategy.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.`Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A pair of Pacific Division teams from north of the border are among the suitors hoping to land free-agent forward Andrei Kuzmenko.The 26-year-old is interviewing with the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers this week, as well as two teams based in the United States, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.Kuzmenko hopes to decide on his NHL destination within the next 10 days, adds Dreger.The Russian winger apparently met with the Canucks in early May.Kuzmenko can only sign a one-year, entry-level contract at a maximum of $925,000 due to his age.He ranked second in the KHL points race this season with 53 in 45 games. Kuzmenko played the last four seasons with SKA Saint Petersburg after suiting up for his first four with CSKA Moscow.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs have produced something of a dream matchup in the final. Two-time defending champions the Tampa Bay Lightning - looking for the first three-peat in the NHL since 1982 - will take on a Colorado Avalanche team that's been the Cup favorite for the last two seasons.The Avalanche have taken advantage of a stellar power play, converting 31.1% of the time, but now face a stifling Tampa team that's killed 82.5% of its penalties. The Lightning are a more sustainable 22.6% with the man advantage. Meanwhile, opponents scored on 24.3% of their power plays against Colorado.Even-strength play (2022 playoffs)TEAM xGFxGA HDCFHDCALightning44.5936.06192145Avalanche39.9628.32148125Both teams have seen almost 20 high-danger chances (HDC) in their games, with each building a significant advantage in expected goals share. Colorado outclassed its first two opponents (Nashville, St. Louis) and the Lightning dominated the Rangers at even strength.When it comes to converting their opportunities, the Avalanche have been just slightly below expectation, scoring on 11.7% of their high-danger chances at five-on-five. Their goaltending duo of Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz has been league average, stopping just shy of 87% of opponents' high-danger chances.Meanwhile, the Lightning converted just 8% of their five-on-five high-danger chances against Jack Campbell, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Igor Shesterkin. Thankfully for Tampa Bay, Andrei Vasilevskiy has allowed just 5.3% of opponents' chances.Series oddsTEAMGAME 1SERIESSERIES HANDICAPLightning+140+145+1.5 (-140)Avalanche-165-175-1.5 (+115)The Avalanche get the nod as the favorites, in keeping with their rating by the market coming into the playoffs. A bet on Colorado implies that you think it wins this series more often than 63.6% of the time.Projected pricesHopefully, you used our NHL betting guide to evaluate your bets during the regular season and what value truly means in hockey. For the playoffs, we've continued to use even-strength metrics like expected goals and high-danger chance rates, as well as high-danger conversion rates (for and against), to try to predict who'll play better in the postseason.True moneylinesThe true moneyline takes the implied win probability for each team and converts it to an inverted price for each side before the sportsbook takes its vig on a bet.The following is the expected price for each side when the contests are played in Colorado (Games 1, 2, 5, and 7) and Tampa Bay (Games 3, 4, and 6).AVALANCHELIGHTNINGTrue ML in Colorado-115+115True ML in Tampa Bay+125-125True series price-104+104My rating system does not like that the Avalanche fell behind the Oilers in five-on-five HDC at 48-41 with a sub-50% share of expected goals. Meanwhile, the Lightning's rating is boosted by their 16.45-9.97 advantage in expected goals and 86-42 HDC dominance over the Rangers with both teams at full strength. The Avalanche are penalized for having an easier route and thus fall below Tampa in overall rating.Price to betWe'd need at least a 4% edge on an underdog and a 1% edge for the favorite in the regular season. Using that same threshold, here are the prices to bet for each scenario:GAME 1/2/5/7GAME 3/4/6SERIESAvalanche-110+148+122Lightning+135-120+100Since the numbers indicate the Lightning should be favored on neutral ice and the odds don't reflect that, it suggests the Lightning will be a valuable bet on a game-to-game basis and overall for a series that looks like a coin flip on paper.Derivative series marketThe following is the probability for each of the eight possible series results, along with a fair price for an exact result bet.Series resultProbability/Converted oddsAvalanche 4-05.6%/+1679Avalanche 4-112.8%/+683Avalanche 4-213.9%/+621Avalanche 4-316.8%/+497Lightning 4-06.7%/+1390Lightning 4-112.2%/+722Lightning 4-217.5%/+471Lightning 4-314.6%/+585There's some value on the Lightning to win unexpectedly quickly, but unlike the Avalanche and Oilers, Tampa Bay doesn't play a high-variance style that leads to a short series. The Bolts often take some time to work into a matchup.Best betsThe numbers-assisted narrative that didn't give the Rangers much of a chance against the Lightning asked, "How will they do against high-level goaltending?"The same question should be asked of the Avalanche.Vasilevskiy struggled early in the Eastern Conference Final, but when he found his usual form - with 3.61 goals saved above expectation (GSAx) in the final four games - the Rangers couldn't score during five-on-five play.The Avalanche are 11-1 in games against the likes of David Rittich (minus-3.76 GSAx), Connor Ingram (minus-1.19 GSAx), Ville Husso (minus-5.13 GSAx), and Mike Smith (minus-6.42 GSAx vs. Colorado). The best goaltending they've faced in their run to Stanley Cup Final was the two-plus games against Jordan Binnington (plus-1.73 GSAx), who was injured with the Blues up 1-0 in Game 3 when the series was tied.I question the production of Nathan MacKinnon and the Avs' top line in this series. It'll be facing Anthony Cirelli and his shutdown line that's stymied star snipers on the Maple Leafs, Panthers, and Rangers. Also, barring an injury, Colorado shouldn't get the same number of soft goals it accumulated in a sweep of the Predators, late in the series with the Blues, and from start to finish against the Oilers.With a position on Cale Makar to win the Conn Smythe already, we'll use the numbers that suggest an edge toward a tight series - not to necessarily bet on the Lightning to make history, but for them to make a strong run at doing so.Pick: Lightning +1.5 games (-150)Over 5.5 total games (-180)Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mikko Koskinen is leaving the Edmonton Oilers and heading back overseas.The goaltender signed with Lugano in Switzerland's National League.Koskinen was a pending NHL unrestricted free agent.The Finnish netminder, who'll turn 34 in July, went 27-12-4 with a .903 save percentage in 45 regular-season games with the Oilers this season. However, he saved minus-2.01 goals above expected and minus-6.27 goals above average in 2021-22, according to Evolving-Hockey.Koskinen also appeared in three playoff games this spring, going 0-2 while allowing six goals on 58 shots. He surrendered five of them in a 9-6 loss to the Calgary Flames in Game 1 of their second-round series.Mike Smith was limited to 28 contests during the regular season but started all 16 of Edmonton's games in this postseason, relegating Koskinen to the backup role he served for much of his NHL tenure.Koskinen, who played four games with the New York Islanders in 2010-11, spent the last four campaigns with the Oilers, who inked him to a one-year pact out of the KHL in May 2018.Peter Chiarelli, then Edmonton's general manager, gave Koskinen a three-year deal carrying a $4.5-million cap hit just 27 games into the goalie's first season back in the NHL in January 2019. Koskinen was 14-10-1 with a .911 save percentage at the time and ultimately went 25-21-6 with a mark of .906 that season.Koskinen played two campaigns in Finland's SM-liiga and five in the KHL in between his two NHL stints. The Islanders drafted him 31st overall in 2009.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Stanley Cup Final is upon us; thus, our list of Conn Smythe candidates has been considerably shortened.Several stars on the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers had their playoff MVP candidacies dashed after being eliminated in Round 3. If either team had advanced, some combination of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Igor Shesterkin would easily make the top three on our list. Sadly, that trio's otherwordly postseason efforts were all for naught, and the star-studded rosters of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche boast an impressive collection of worthy candidates.Without further ado, here are our top-five Conn Smythe candidates with only one round to go.5. Connor McDavid Codie McLachlan / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPPATOIXGF%163323:0259.44%Surprise, McDavid still made the cut.Although his playoff is over, the world's most dynamic player deserves recognition. After all, he's still probably going to lead the postseason in scoring despite playing only 16 games. McDavid's 33 points are the 10th-highest total in postseason history. Adjusted for points per contest, his 2.06 rate is the ninth-best playoff showing ever, and four players ahead of him on the list played fewer than 10 games.It's incredibly rare for someone on a losing team to win the Conn Smythe, let alone a player receiving a vote when bowing out before the final. That said, it's not unprecedented. Erik Karlsson got a nod for his Herculean efforts in 2017 when the Ottawa Senators were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Final.4. Nikita Kucherov Mark LoMoglio / National Hockey League / GettyGPPATOIXGF%172320:5952.15%Kucherov is Tampa's most dynamic offensive threat and sits fifth in playoff scoring after three rounds. He could soar up the rankings with a big final but comes in fourth for now due to lesser advanced stats and extra games played over the players ahead of him on the list.If Tampa three-peats, Kucherov will be a primary reason why. He has six more points than the second-most productive Lightning skater (Ondrej Palat), and he's the driving force behind the club's lethal power play with 10 points on the man advantage.Kucherov will cement his status as one of the greatest playoff performers of his generation if he wins the Conn Smythe. Over 65 postseason games from Tampa's first Cup run until now, Kucherov's registered a whopping 85 points to bring his career per-game mark to 1.15 in the playoffs. Add in a potential third championship ring and a postseason MVP, and that's a surefire Hall of Fame resume.3. Nathan MacKinnon Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPPATOIXGF%141821:0760.25%MacKinnon's stats aren't as eye-popping as some others, but the Avalanche superstar has only played 14 games as Colorado has cruised to a 12-2 playoff record. He's averaging 1.29 points per contest and is completely tilting the ice in his team's favor analytically.The 26-year-old has clearly stated his desire to win a championship in recent years, and few players appear to want it more. He's crafted some signature performances this postseason, and the hockey world can reasonably expect him to find another level on the biggest stage.MacKinnon will certainly be on the Conn Smythe shortlist if he maintains his production level and guides Colorado to the Cup. However, he'll have to outdo one of his teammates to take home the hardware.2. Cale Makar Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPPATOIXGF%142227:0560.32%Despite already earning two Norris Trophy nominations and winning a Calder Trophy in the early stages of his career, the 2021-22 postseason has somewhat felt like a coming-out party for Makar. Everyone knew the sky was the limit for the dynamic defender when the Avs drafted him fourth overall in 2017, but now the entire hockey world is witnessing his ascent from superstar to a potential all-time great. Even Wayne Gretzky said Makar's impact at both ends of the ice is reminiscent of none other than Bobby Orr.Makar enters the Stanley Cup Final sitting sixth in scoring and first - by a landslide - in average ice time among the remaining players. He's recorded two-and-a-half more minutes per game than Lightning workhorse and perennial Norris adversary Victor Hedman. Makar's influence on every contest is remarkable, as evidenced by his natural talents and dominant underlying stats. If he wins the Conn Smythe, he'll be the first 23-year-old blue-liner to capture the award since - yup, you guessed it - Orr in 1972.1. Andrei Vasilevskiy Julio Aguilar / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPRecordSV%GSAXGSAA1712-5.92810.658.03Vasilevskiy surged to the top of our list after outdueling Shesterkin in the Eastern Conference Final, reminding us that he's still the best at his position against his toughest challenger.The Bolts' netminder is posting ridiculous numbers again this postseason and has proven he's the ultimate playoff X-factor when faced with must-win situations. Vasilevskiy's refusal to wilt in big games has led the way for Tampa Bay's lauded postseason grit and resilience. He's a virtual lock to take home his second consecutive Conn Smythe if he shuts down Colorado's high-octane attack with similar numbers to what he's already posted this spring.Philadelphia Flyers legend Bernie Parent (1974-75) is the lone goalie in league history to win the award in back-to-back years. Furthermore, Patrick Roy, Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Orr, and Parent are the only players with multiple Conn Smythes in their trophy cases. That's unfathomably rarified air.Vasilevskiy's reputation to date already has him fast-tracked for the Hall of Fame, but his legacy will enter the greatest goalie of all-time discussion if he repeats as playoff MVP.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving Hockey)Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning had the New York Rangers right where they wanted them midway through the third period Saturday night. Down 1-0 in an elimination game, New York looked tired and overmatched, having generated only a handful of quality scoring chances all night.A Lightning victory - and series win - seemed inevitable.Then Lightning captain Steven Stamkos took a penalty, and the Rangers' power play capitalized to even the score. Suddenly, New York had life, hope.It lasted just 21 seconds.Moments after leaving the penalty box, Stamkos made it 2-1 to put the resilient Lightning in control again. The rest of the third was a mere formality."I was just confident in our group, that we'd find a way, whether it was in a regulation or it was in overtime," Stamkos told reporters following the thrilling Game 6 victory on home ice. "We deserved to win the game tonight, and that was the feeling that we had from puck drop to the intermissions - just keep going, our will is going to take over." Mark LoMoglio / Getty ImagesThere's something uniquely surgical about this Lightning group. They've become the first team to earn a spot in three consecutive Stanley Cup Final series since the mid-1980s Edmonton Oilers in large part because they bend but don't break. It's as if no level of pushback can kill their collective spirit.In 2019, owner Jeff Vinik and general manager Julien BriseBois had, as head coach Jon Cooper put it Saturday, "an easy out" after the Lightning were swept in the first round of the playoffs following a 62-win regular season. They could have gone in a different direction. Instead, the coach returned and the core - both its stars and complementary players - remained almost fully intact.You know what happened next - back-to-back Cups in 2020 and 2021. And over the past 40 days, the Lightning outlasted the star-studded Toronto Maple Leafs in a seesaw seven-game series, held the high-octane Florida Panthers to three goals in a four-game sweep, and turned a 2-0 deficit versus the Rangers into dust by allowing just five goals in the final four games of Round 3.Pick a playing style and Tampa Bay's players will adjust and execute. They're highly adaptable and don't panic in gut-check situations. "I'm utterly impressed by what they do to win a hockey game," Cooper said.Cooper called making a third straight Cup Final an "unthinkable" accomplishment, and honestly, the sport's most quotable bench boss is bang on. The modern NHL, with 30-plus teams and a prohibitive salary cap, is designed for parity, not dominance. Toss in complications associated with competing for championships amid a global pandemic, and the Lightning have arguably cemented their dynasty status ahead of the 2022 Final.We're witnessing one of the greatest runs in NHL history - full stop, no debate. Mark LoMoglio / Getty ImagesIf scholars are searching for the intersection of "skill mastery" and so-called "killer instinct," the Lightning dressing room would be a pretty good laboratory. Forget the incredible collection of raw talent among a group featuring Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, and Stamkos, the real magic of this team - what makes it extraordinary - is how its core absorbs new role players year after year without missing a beat.Remember the kind of impact third-liners Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, and Blake Coleman had on the club's 2020 and 2021 runs? "How could that value, the tangible and intangible, possibly be replaced?!" pundits bemoaned.Well, while they're not all on the same line, forwards Nick Paul, Corey Perry, and Brandon Hagel have done an admirable job replacing the Gourde trio."Each guy," Stamkos said, "is a part of the process."That includes the six OGs from the 2015 Cup Final team - Stamkos, Hedman, Kucherov, Vasilevskiy, Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat - as well as other longtime Bolts such as Ryan McDonagh and Anthony Cirelli, the Zach Bogosians and Pat Maroons at the bottom of the lineup, and everybody in between. Mark LoMoglio / Getty ImagesOf course, the work is far from over. The Colorado Avalanche, who swept Connor McDavid and the Oilers in the other conference final series, are probably the most talented squad the Lightning will have come across over the past three postseasons. Colorado's certainly a better team on paper than Tampa Bay's previous Final opponents, the Dallas Stars (2020) and Montreal Canadiens (2021).Built on speed, skill, and connectivity, the Avs are a nightmare to defend against, especially off the rush. They come at opponents in waves. Colorado's forward group, led by Nathan MacKinnon, is diverse and deep, while the defense corps, led by Cale Makar, is mobile and smart. The only position in which Tampa Bay has a clear advantage is goaltender, where Vasilevskiy's resume and toolbox exceed those of Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz.The most important head-to-head will be Cirelli versus MacKinnon. Cirelli, a 24-year-old two-way center with a relentless motor, logged 252 five-on-five minutes this postseason. In those minutes, the Lightning allowed only four goals, despite Cirelli and linemates seeing plenty of Toronto's Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, Florida's Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, and New York's Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.Point missed the second and third rounds, but the Lightning survived. Pulling out four wins without the superstar center a third time could prove very difficult. Point, who's been sidelined with a lower-body injury for a month now, is "extremely probable" to return sometime during the Cup Final, according to Cooper. His status is a major X-factor ahead of Game 1.Yet, no matter who's in the lineup or which team you cheer for, this should be a stellar Cup Final. Soak it in. Because, by definition, greatness is rare. And win or lose, Tampa Bay is an era-defining team. One of the best of all time."We don't know what's going to happen over these next 10-14 days," Stamkos said. "But we're going to give it our all. It's gotten us this far, again."John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers gave their fanbase some good news the morning after the club was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Vitali Kravtsov signed a one-year, one-way contract extension, his agent Dan Milstein confirmed Sunday.The pact is worth $875,000, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.New York left the young forward off the opening-night roster, and Kravtsov was apparently unhappy he didn't make the team. The Rangers reportedly permitted Kravtsov to seek a trade in October before loaning him to the KHL. He returned to play for Traktor Chelyabinsk, where he began his pro career and played parts of the five previous seasons.Kravtsov produced six goals and seven assists over 19 games with the latter squad in 2021-22, adding seven more tallies and three more helpers in 15 playoff games overseas this spring.In terms of his NHL status, Kravtsov was a pending restricted free agent without arbitration rights. To keep him under team control, New York would have given him a qualifying offer worth a nearly identical value to the contract he ultimately signed, according to CapFriendly.The Rangers drafted the 22-year-old Russian winger ninth overall in 2018.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.