The San Jose Sharks appear to be looking into a familiar face to fill the hole behind their bench.San Jose has received permission from the Los Angeles Kings to speak to Marco Sturm as part of its coaching search, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.The Sharks drafted Sturm 21st overall in 1996. He amassed 128 goals and 273 points in 553 games for the organization while establishing himself as a fan favorite.His eight-season tenure with the club ended when he was packaged to the Boston Bruins as part of the trade that sent Joe Thornton to San Jose.Though he's never served as a head coach at the NHL level, Sturm has been bench boss of the Ontario Reign, the Kings' AHL affiliate, since 2022. The Reign were eliminated from the Calder Cup Playoffs on Sunday.Sturm was also an assistant coach for the Kings from 2018 until he took over the Reign.The 45-year-old has also helmed the German national team, helping his country win silver at the 2018 Olympics.The Sharks fired David Quinn in April after finishing last in the league with an abysmal 19-54-9 record. The team's next head coach will be its fourth since 2019.San Jose won the draft lottery earlier in May, earning the right to select Macklin Celebrini first overall in June.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks bench boss Rick Tocchet was named the 2023-24 Jack Adams Award winner on Wednesday, beating out finalists Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators and Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets as coach of the year.Tocchet guided the Canucks to a 50-23-9 record in his first full season behind the bench, good enough to earn the Pacific Division title and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. He's the third Vancouver coach to win the Jack Adams, joining Pat Quinn (1992) and Alain Vigneault (2007)."A lot of buy-in (from the players), right from Day 1," Tocchet answered when asked about the Canucks' success this season. "They believed in the staff, and we believed in them."Final ballots favored Tocchet in a landslide, as he earned 82 of 114 first-place votes.Brunette, the runner-up for the honor, led the Predators back to the playoffs this spring after the organization had an eight-year streak snapped in 2022-23. Nashville's season turned around on the strength of a 16-0-2 run from mid-February to late March, a span in which the club led the league in goals for and against per game. Brunette was also nominated for the Jack Adams in 2022 when he helped the Florida Panthers capture the Presidents' Trophy.Bowness, who retired this month after nearly 40 years behind NHL benches, oversaw a 110-point campaign with Winnipeg, the second-highest total in Jets franchise history. The nomination was the first of Bowness' career.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't reached out to any teams about potentially trading All-Star winger Mitch Marner this offseason, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reports.Marner's been involved in trade rumors since the Leafs flamed out of the playoffs against the Boston Bruins in the first round, while president Brendan Shanahan said in the wake of the defeat that the front office will "consider everything" this summer.Marner, 27, is approaching the final season of a six-year contract signed in 2019. He has a full no-trade clause, and he and agent Darren Ferris haven't made a list of teams the player would accept a trade to, LeBrun notes.The Maple Leafs and Marner can come to an agreement on a contract extension as of July 1. Toronto signed winger William Nylander to an eight-year, $92-million extension in January, which is likely comparable to what Marner is seeking on his next deal.Marner has been one of the league's top producers since signing his current contract, ranking eighth among all players with 509 points in 417 games over that span. He's added 37 points in 44 playoff contests but has taken plenty of heat since registering only a goal and two assists in Toronto's seven-game defeat to the Bruins this spring.The Leafs drafted Marner fourth overall in 2015. The club has reached the playoffs each year since his rookie campaign in 2016-17 but has only won one series in that time.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney vows to be on the attack this summer."We're going to be aggressive," Sweeney said, per the Boston Globe's Conor Ryan. "I've got to find the players to complement our group."The Bruins, fresh off a second-round exit, project to have over $20 million in cap space this offseason. As for what they could stand to add, speed is a priority."We're not as fast as we'd like to be," team president Cam Neely said.But there's also internal business to address. Winger Jake DeBrusk is the team's top pending unrestricted free agent, while goaltender Jeremy Swayman is the most pressing restricted free agent.Sweeney added that locking up Swayman is high on his offseason to-do list."It's a priority and it will continue to be a priority," Sweeney said.Swayman is coming off a stellar regular season in which he posted a .916 save percentage in 44 games. He was even better in the playoffs - he was inarguably the team's best player - recording a .933 save percentage in 12 contests.With fellow goalie Linus Ullmark entering the last year of his deal, there are rumors the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner could be on the move. He was reportedly almost traded to the Los Angeles Kings at the deadline but used his no-trade clause to nix the deal.After Ullmark took a back seat to Swayman in the playoffs, there's further speculation that the former could be traded. Ideally, though, Sweeney hopes to keep them both."In a perfect world, we'd love to keep the tandem because it's damn good," he said.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings removed the interim tag from head coach Jim Hiller to make him their full-time bench boss, the team announced Wednesday.Additionally, the club signed Hiller to a three-year extension, reports ESPN's Kevin Weekes.Hiller took over for the fired Todd McLellan midway through the 2023-24 campaign and guided the Kings to a 21-12-1 record. Los Angeles was then ousted by the Oilers in Round 1 for the third year in a row.The Kings' defense and power play both improved under Hiller's watch.StatMcLellanHillerPoints%.583.632GF/G3.153.03GA/G2.652.44PP%21.225.0PK%87.380.6This is Hiller's first stint as an NHL head coach. He previously served as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs. The 55-year-old was also a head coach in the WHL with the Tri-City Americans and Chilliwack Bruins. He was named the WHL and CHL coach of the year in 2011-12 for leading the Americans to a 50-18-0-4 record.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After Edmonton's thrilling Game 7 win Monday, the conference finals of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are set, and they should be doozies.The Oilers will face the Dallas Stars in the West, while the New York Rangers will battle the Florida Panthers in the East. Unlike many other seasons, no Cinderella stories are taking place in 2024. This year's third round features three of four division winners and an Oilers squad that led the NHL in points after hiring Kris Knoblauch as head coach in mid-November.We're also destined to end a lengthy Stanley Cup drought, as the Oilers (1990), Rangers (1994), Stars (1999), and Panthers (none since entering the league in 1993) have all paid their dues while waiting for a championship.There's no shortage of eye-catching storylines for each team left, but we've already broken down each squad heading into the final four. We'll skip ahead and rank the best possible Stanley Cup Final matchups.4. Panthers vs. Stars Joel Auerbach / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe Stars and Panthers would likely offer fun-to-watch, fast-paced hockey if they met with a championship on the line, but this clash lacks the pizzazz of the other possibilities. We aren't knocking either squad, but unless you're a hardcore hockey fan, chances are you probably aren't well aware of what these teams have to offer.Both Dallas and Florida are deep with quality players and play a sturdy defensive game. That could create a tight-checking brand of hockey that doesn't always bring fans out of their seats. There's some notable star power on both teams - Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Miro Heiskanen, among others - who could change that narrative and drive an offensive game. Still, the Stars and Panthers are the top two teams remaining in terms of goals against.A second consecutive all-Sunbelt Stanley Cup Final (Florida lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023) may result in lower TV ratings and draw the ire of Cup-starved fans of bigger markets, but the NHL would likely be happy about continuing to grow the game down South.3. Rangers vs. Stars Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyAt first glance, this matchup feels like a solid weeknight feature in the regular season, but hockey fans can't ask for much more than the top seed in each conference competing for the title. The Rangers and Stars were the NHL's two best teams this season by points and project to match up fairly evenly. The X-factor for both squads comes between the pipes, as Igor Shesterkin and Jake Oettinger have been the two best goalies in the playoffs.Both netminders are firmly in the Conn Smythe race, but not everyone loves a goalie duel - especially on the biggest stage. Beyond the stars in the crease, there's not an overflow of compelling storylines between clubs that lack a shared history. There are some veterans on each side - Joe Pavelski and Ryan Suter for Dallas, Blake Wheeler and Chris Kreider for New York - whose first championship would make for a feel-good story, but that's not enough for a top-two spot in our rankings.2. Panthers vs. Oilers Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyWith all due respect to the Stars, we picked the Oilers as the Western representative in each of our top two matchups. The sport benefits from showcasing the best players, and Connor McDavid competing for the Stanley Cup for the first time is easily the most captivating outcome the NHL has to offer.Edmonton has been must-see TV this spring, pouring in nearly four goals per game and converting 37.5% of its power-play opportunities. The Oilers boast the top four scorers in these playoffs - Leon Draisaitl, McDavid, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - as well as leading goal-getter Zach Hyman. The club's core labeled this season "Stanley Cup or bust," and they've stayed true to their word so far as the team aims to snap Canada's championship drought at 31 years.As fun as the Oilers are to watch, the Panthers would offer a significant test. Florida may have the antidote to Edmonton's attack in Barkov, who ran away with the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward this season. Watching the captains go toe to toe in a series-long chess match would produce remarkable theater for Xs and Os aficionados and casual fans alike.Another fun aspect of this series would be Tkachuk renewing hostilities with the Oilers. The Panthers winger sparked some unforgettable drama in the Battle of Alberta during his years with the Calgary Flames, and you can guarantee he'd be in the thick of things again.1. Rangers vs. Oilers Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe Panthers might offer better storylines against the Oilers on the ice, but McDavid and Co. competing for the Cup against the league's biggest American market is a dream scenario for the NHL. The best player in the world aiming to cement his legacy as an all-time great in the World's Most Famous Arena is storybook stuff.The Rangers don't have a matchup to slow down McDavid but can rely on all-world defenseman Adam Fox and Shesterkin as the last line of defense. New York's best bet might be trying to match Edmonton offensively with a top six as good as any in the league. The Oilers and Rangers engaging in a track meet would make for a breathtaking series, enhanced by two of the best crowds in the sport.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.The puck drops for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night. Let's look at a few of the best ways to attack the series opener.Mika Zibanejad: Over 0.5 assistsZibanejad's a very dangerous goal-scorer, particularly on the power play. But it's his playmaking that's causing opponents the most problems of late.He's in the midst of an unbelievable assist streak having picked up at least one apple in 14 of his past 15 games dating back to the regular season.With Chris Kreider scoring at will, Zibanejad, whose one-timer is understandably respected in power-play situations, has a lot of incentive to distribute the puck.Furthermore, Zibanejad has tallied at least one assist in 60% of his home games this season, including his last meeting with these same Panthers.Odds: -105 (playable to -130)Matthew Tkachuk: Under 3.5 shotsTkachuk has had a difficult time generating shots against the Rangers. He attempted six shots or fewer in the last eight head-to-head meetings.His shot volume is also noticeably lower when playing on the road, as he averaged 3.8 shots on 6.9 attempts in Florida this season but just 3.4 shots on 5.7 attempts away from home.The difference was even more drastic after the calendar flipped to 2024. Tkachuk averaged 7.1 attempts per game at home and just 5.2 on the road.He sees tougher matchups away from home - Paul Maurice tends to use the Aleksander Barkov line against the opposing team's best units in Florida - and the Rangers should be able to keep Tkachuk's shot volume down in this game.Odds: -130 (playable to -145)Jacob Trouba: Over 3.5 blocked shotsTrouba is a shot-blocking machine. He recorded at least four blocks in eight of his last 10 games and all five playoff games in New York thus far.He's showing a remarkably consistent floor and ceiling, which will continue against the Panthers.They are an excellent volume-shooting team and averaged just under 68 attempts per 60 minutes in the regular season, slotting them only behind the Hurricanes.Trouba spends a ton of time chasing play in the defensive zone - no player remaining in the playoffs has been on the ice for more shot attempts against per minute - and an elite shot-generating team like the Panthers should lead to an abundance of blocking opportunities.Odds: -110 (playable to -150)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For one fabled night in the 1976 postseason, the Bruins couldn't stop Reggie Leach.The Flyers sharpshooter wheeled down both wings to snap five pucks past Boston's Gilles Gilbert, exploiting the stand-up goaltending method that ruled the era. The flurry of backhands and wristers rifled by Leach off the rush sent the Broad Street Bullies to a third straight Stanley Cup Final. He only needed three rounds - Philadelphia earned an earlier bye as one of the NHL's top teams - to net 19 goals in 16 games, an enduring playoff record.One explosive series helped Jari Kurri match Leach. The Oilers' Finnish sensation got to 19 goals in 18 outings by humbling the Black Hawks, written as two words at the time, in the 1985 conference finals. Kurri's three hat tricks and 12 tallies over six feverish games - the goal count in the round favored Edmonton 44-25 - caused suffering for Murray Bannerman, Chicago's occasional All-Star netminder.Leach and Kurri set career highs in goals (61 and 71, respectively) in the years of their playoff outbursts. Swept in the Cup Final by the Canadiens' budding dynasty, Leach was the first and only skater to collect the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing effort. Kurri's Oilers won their Cup series in five games.Their durable record, held jointly for almost 40 years, is being pressured this spring. Zach Hyman, the pure finisher on Connor McDavid's wing, scored his 11th playoff goal in Edmonton's winner-take-all defeat of the Canucks. Hyman slipped behind fatigued defenders to tip Evan Bouchard's wrist shot and widen the lead that sealed an Oilers-Stars conference final.Different Oilers flirt with the goals record annually. In 2022 and 2023, a sniper's blazing start fueled series triumphs but fizzled against a powerhouse opponent, making the mark unattainable. If Dallas shackles Hyman, he'll join Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane as Edmonton forwards who've followed this trajectory. Derek Cain / Getty ImagesThe road to 20 playoff goals is a sprint and a marathon. To threaten Leach and Kurri, a scorer's spree has to persist through to the Cup Final. Stumbling blocks crowd the route.Two snipers exited this postseason for surprising reasons right before their clubs lost in the Western semis. Colorado's Valeri Nichushkin (nine goals) reportedly failed a drug test and was suspended for six months under the terms of the players' assistance program. Vancouver's Brock Boeser (seven goals) developed a blood clot.Out east, the Rangers were teetering against the Hurricanes until Chris Kreider's natural hat trick in a nine-minute span set up New York's date with the Panthers in Round 3. He whacked in a rebound, redirected a point shot to the top corner, and freed up his stick to tap in a cross-crease feed. Josh Lavallee / NHL / Getty ImagesKreider and Hyman both dominate near the net. All seven of Kreider's goals and eight of Hyman's 11 have been scored from the low slot or inside the blue paint, per NHL EDGE. Firing in high volume, Hyman leads the postseason in shots on target (50 or 4.2 per game). He buries them at five-on-five and on the power play by keeping his blade on the ice, ready to one-time, graze, or push the puck over the line when the defense fixates on McDavid or Draisaitl.Combined with some external twists of fate, Leach's relentlessness in 1976 - he scored in 10 straight games, with the ninth being the barrage against the Bruins - strengthened his hold on the record.A dangerous challenger, Joe Sakic, entered the 1996 Cup Final with 17 goals but added only one more as the Avalanche swept the Panthers. In 1919, the influenza outbreak that killed a teammate and cut short the championship series limited Canadiens legend Newsy Lalonde to 17 goals in 10 appearances.Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Four fantastic starts to recent postseasons proved unsustainable.Draisaitl in 2023: Banked 13 goals through eight games, many with his lightning release from sharp angles. Draisaitl looked capable of surpassing Leach within a couple of rounds, only for the Golden Knights to blank him four straight times to hasten Edmonton's downfall.Kane in 2022: Tallied five multi-goal games, including two hat tricks, for 12 goals through two series before the Oilers were steamrolled by the Avalanche. Kane was suspended for the elimination game for boarding Nazem Kadri.Mark Scheifele in 2018: Bagged five multi-score games and 14 total goals before the expansion Golden Knights bounced the Jets in Round 3, which stopped him from equaling the high for goals in the salary-cap era (15) set by Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin during Cup runs.Johan Franzen in 2008: Netted nine goals in a four-game demolition of Colorado but was knocked out of the next round with concussion-like symptoms. He ultimately returned in time to finish with 13 as the Red Wings clinched the title.Another playoff scoring record - Wayne Gretzky's 47 points in 1985, when he dished 14 primary assists to Kurri - has been invincible for decades. Spurred by Gretzky's unstoppability, the Oilers averaged 5.44 goals in that postseason, and he became the last player to complete the Hart Trophy-Conn Smythe Trophy double.A target to track in the coming weeks is 36 points - the high for this era that Evgeni Malkin achieved in 2009. Almost half of his output came in a six-game span as the young, ascendant Penguins rallied to stun the Capitals and sweep the Hurricanes en route to a Cup breakthrough.Malkin's mark narrowly survived challenges from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nikita Kucherov when their teams lifted the chalice.Averaging 1.5 points over 24 games, as Malkin did in '09, makes his milestone matchable. Several stars - McDavid, Draisaitl, Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Nathan MacKinnon, and David Pastrnak - bested that pace in recent years for a couple of rounds before their teams bowed out of the bracket prematurely.Three Oilers top the current points leaderboard. Draisaitl (24 through 12 games), McDavid (21), and Bouchard (20) produced at ridiculous rates against the Kings and Canucks. If Edmonton beats Dallas to reach the final, they'll be in position to upstage Malkin's banner year.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Many pre-playoff Conn Smythe candidates have been weeded out with the conference finals set to begin. Some interesting contenders remain in the Stanley Cup Playoffs' final four, but - like the championship market - there's no clear favorite.Conn Smythe oddsPLAYERODDSJake Oettinger+350Igor Shesterkin+450Connor McDavid+600Aleksander Barkov+700Leon Draisaitl+800Matthew Tkachuk+900Miro Heiskanen+1100Wyatt Johnston+1200Artemi Panarin+2500Sergei Bobrovsky+2500Carter Verhaeghe+2500Vincent Trocheck+3000Mika Zibanejad+3000Jason Robertson+3000Sam Reinhart+5000Evan Bouchard+5000Chris Kreider+6000Zach Hyman+7500Roope Hintz+10000Alexis Lafreniere+15000Ryan Nugent-Hopkins+15000Adam Fox+15000Aaron Ekblad+30000Calvin Pickard+30000Stuart Skinner+30000Brandon Montour+30000Jamie Benn+30000Joe Pavelski+30000Vladimir Tarasenko+30000With no runaway scorer or generational goaltending performance, there's almost no chance this year's Conn Smythe winner doesn't come from the champion. So, let's look at where the value lies for each team and their odds to win the Cup.Rangers (+350)The Rangers have five forwards within four points of each other. Artemi Panarin's (+2500) regular-season prowess has earned him enough respect to have the shortest odds of the group. Chris Kreider (+6000), who leads the league in power-play goals this postseason, is the value play. However, Igor Shesterkin's numbers (9.09 GSAx) compare to 2021 Conn Smythe winner Andrei Vasilevskiy. Shesterkin will have to continue that play for the underdog Rangers to win the Cup.The drawback to backing Shesterkin (+450) is that his odds aren't far enough off from the Rangers' +350 odds to claim the title. That means you'd be taking on the risk that New York wins and one of its scorers steals the award in the next two rounds for minimal extra payout.Panthers (+225)We steered clear from backing any Panthers before the playoffs. Here's how their top candidates' odds have changed with Florida the Eastern Conference Final favorite:PLAYERBEFORE PLAYOFFSNOWAleksander Barkov+2500+700Matthew Tkachuk+2000+900Sergei Bobrovsky+2000+2500Carter Verhaeghe+6000+2500Sam Reinhart+3000+5000There's still plenty of value on your Panther of choice. Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk have a small points lead on their teammates, but Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe are capable of getting plenty of big tallies as they're first and third, respectively, on Florida in playoff shots on goal. Sergei Bobrovsky needs to pick up his play significantly to reach the statistical threshold of past winning goaltenders.Oilers (+280)The question here will always be, "Can the Oilers win the Stanley Cup without Connor McDavid being their most valuable player?"He's kept his teammates in contention with just two goals so far in the playoffs, but anyone watching Edmonton knows McDavid drives most of the team's offense with his playmaking and the attention he receives from the opposition. Unlike Shesterkin, McDavid's odds of +600 provide a considerable gap from his team's Stanley Cup odds of +280. He's worth another look as he'll have to up his production to upset the Stars and beat either Florida or New York.Stars (+240)Jake Oettinger is the favorite, but it's unlikely that a goalie with just a 3.05 GSAx through two rounds would be the main reason the Stars win the Stanley Cup. Dallas has eight forwards with six-plus points, but Miro Heiskanen is the standout candidate thanks to his team-leading 13 points.Our pre-playoff bet on Heiskanen at 60-1 has aged nicely. His stellar play will get more attention as the lights shine brighter on the Stars.Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.The Oilers escaped Vancouver with a Game 7 win, outlasting the shorthanded Canucks. Edmonton now has some questions to answer after that long series, and with a quick turnaround for the start of the Western Conference Final.The Stars answered their own doubts in the last round against the Avalanche and will host Game 1 on Thursday.Unlike the Eastern Conference Final, the team with home-ice advantage in this series is the favorite at a parallel price.Advanced metrics glossary

Matthew Tkachuk believes this year's Florida Panthers are better equipped to win the Stanley Cup than last year's Cinderella squad that defied the odds to reach the final."Last year, I think we were just kind of riding the wave going into it, much like this year," Tkachuk said, per team reporter Jameson Olive. "But going into this, we know what it's going to take to ultimately come out on top."The Panthers are set to take on the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final, which begins Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. Florida finished only four points behind the Rangers in the regular-season standings and won the Atlantic Division one year after sneaking into the second wild-card spot on the final day of the 2023 season.Last year's Panthers erased a 3-1 series deficit to the Boston Bruins in the opening round and then went 8-1 over their next two series before losing in the Stanley Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights.Like Tkachuk, captain Aleksander Barkov said his squad has grown since falling short last spring."Sometimes when you go all the way to the finals and you're this close and you don't win it, you're just like, 'you're never going to win it,'" he said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "I think after it happened to us last year, every single guy in the room, we just knew we needed to work a little harder, and everyone did. Everyone came to camp better than ever before, and it just carried into the season."We knew that we can do it, we're close, and everyone got better. And here we are again, we are really close."Tkachuk and Barkov have been Florida's top two producers in these playoffs, logging 14 and 13 points, respectively, in 11 games.The Panthers played the Rangers three times in the regular season, going 2-0-1.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Now that we're in the conference final round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the race for playoff MVP has started to come into focus.A stellar two-way defenseman leads the way this time, while more than one goaltender has been instrumental in their teams' respective runs.Here are our top five Conn Smythe contenders as we enter the penultimate stage of the postseason:xGF% = Expected goals for percentage at five-on-five

Four teams are four wins away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.Those teams finished first, second, fifth, and ninth in regular-season points. None of them are perfect, but only one has a glaring weakness (we'll get to that in a bit). In short, the conference finals should be awesome.Here's one big question, X-factor, and tactic for each club.New York Rangers Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesAt stake: The last time the Rangers won the Cup? 1994. Last Cup Final appearance? 2014. Here they are again, right on schedule. This year's squad earned the Presidents' Trophy, then won seven straight to start the playoffs.Big question: Will New York's special teams get a chance to shine? The Rangers were outscored 22-20 at even strength in Rounds 1 and 2. They advanced because they destroyed the Capitals and Hurricanes during special-team minutes, 15-4. While that's typical Rangers hockey, it's also risky business. Fewer penalties are called in the final two rounds. Plus, the Panthers have earned 13 more minutes on the power play than penalty kill through 11 games. That said, New York will have ample opportunity to goad them into penalties. Florida thrives on chaos and sometimes crosses the line.X-factor: Vincent Trocheck, who's the definition of a "gamer." Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere's center possesses the toolbox of a finesse player and the mentality of a grinder. Trocheck loved mixing it up with his old Carolina teammates in the last series. His ex-teammate list for this one consists of three guys he'll see lots of: Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, and Sergei Bobrovsky. An important member of the top power-play and penalty-kill units, Trocheck paces all New York forwards in average ice time (23:12). He's also leading or tied for the lead in points, shots on goal, and faceoff percentage. Josh Lavallee / Getty ImagesTactic: Stretch passes, specifically off the stick of goalie Igor Shesterkin. The Panthers' defense is structurally sound, but they can get caught with too many bodies on the forecheck from time to time. Quick-striking will be invaluable for the Rangers, and Shesterkin can certainly help. He led all goalies in stretch passes during the regular season, according to Sportlogiq. The key here is that New York has the game-breaking talent to turn long bombs into legitimate scoring chances. Case in point: Shesterkin's two-zone pass to Mika Zibanejad in Game 2 versus Carolina led to an overtime goal.Florida PanthersAt stake: After disposing of Tampa Bay in five games and Boston in six, Florida's attempting to advance to the Cup Final for the second year in a row. The Panthers' playoff roster features 11 pending unrestricted free agents.Big question: Can Gustav Forsling continue to carry Ekblad? Florida's shutdown pairing limited Nikita Kucherov to three five-on-five points in Round 1 and David Pastrnak to two in Round 2. However, one guy - Forsling - has done the heavy lifting (with help from Selke Trophy-winning center Barkov, of course). Ekblad has been sluggish - off his mark on defensive assignments and sloppy with the puck. He doesn't get a ton of touches yet is tops on the team in giveaways. Minimizing the impact of superstar Panarin and his stellar linemates is the pair's toughest assignment to date. No pressure, Forsling. Rich Gagnon / Getty ImagesX-factor: Carter Verhaeghe, who leads the Panthers with six goals, including the overtime winner in Game 2 versus Tampa. His career playoff production (0.80 points per game) is slightly higher than in the regular season (0.75), and he's potted nine game-winners in 48 playoff contests since signing with Florida as a free agent in 2020. In other words, the moment's never too big for Verhaeghe, and that lethal wrist shot of his can turn a game on its head.Tactic: Buzz the net, which is pretty much the only way to put pucks past Shesterkin right now. According to NHL Edge, 19 of the 25 goals Shesterkin has allowed this postseason have come off high-danger shot attempts. While it's always wise to prioritize quality scoring chances, especially when an elite goalie's between the pipes, that 19-of-25 stat underlines the necessity for Florida. The Panthers should be up for the task, too. In the regular season, they ranked first in chances generated off the forecheck, second in chances off rebounds, and third in chances off the cycle. Florida peppers goalies with slot shots and layered screens and must lean into that identity in this series.Dallas StarsAt stake: Dallas lost to Tampa in the 2020 bubble Cup Final and Vegas in last year's Western Conference Final. The Stars' road to the 2024 conference final included battles with the heavyweight Golden Knights and Avalanche. Sam Hodde / Getty ImagesBig question: Will Roope Hintz return to the lineup? The Finnish center left midway through Game 4 of the second round and, as of Monday afternoon, was considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Yes, Dallas boasts the deepest forward group in the NHL (eight 20-goal scorers!), but not having speedy Hintz, the sixth-place finisher in Selke voting, would be a huge blow. Matt Duchene filled in admirably alongside Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski to end the Colorado series. However, he's a 3C at this point in his career. If Hintz returns, another question: Can a compromised Hintz be effective?X-factor: Thomas Harley, who's hunkered down as the responsible one on a pairing with franchise defenseman Miro Heiskanen. This isn't the kind of role anybody would have predicted ahead of Harley's first full NHL season. But the giant, smooth-skating blue-liner has embraced it nonetheless. His point total (two in 13 games) has become a non-issue because Heiskanen's activating enough for both of them. The Stars are up 6-4 in goals and 7.8-5.1 in expected goals over the duo's 160 five-on-five minutes, per Evolving-Hockey. Cooper Neill / Getty ImagesTactic: Manage Chris Tanev's workload, which will be easier said than done. The Stars need Tanev, who's arguably the best pure defender left in the playoffs. The trade deadline acquisition does everything right: stick checks, shot blocks, and first passes. Coach Pete DeBoer needs him to continue flourishing in extremely tough minutes, in general, and especially because he doesn't trust his bottom pairing of Ryan Suter with one of Nils Lundkvist, Alex Petrovic, or Jani Hakanpaa. Still, DeBoer can't grind Tanev into dust. At 34, he's playing nearly 24 minutes a night despite never averaging more than 22 in a postseason throughout his 14-year career. The benefit of last change in Games 1 and 2 opens the door to give Tanev a breather or two per period.Edmonton OilersAt stake: Competing in the conference finals for a second time in three years, this is the most successful stretch of the Connor McDavid era. Edmonton was the lone team in the second round that made a midseason coaching change.Big question: Can they get any offense from the bottom six? The Oilers' forward group is top-heavy, so an imbalance of some kind should be expected. However, coach Kris Knoblauch needs his role players to pitch in ASAP. Ryan McLeod, Warren Foegele, Connor Brown, Sam Carrick, Corey Perry, and Derek Ryan have all failed to score a five-on-five goal in Edmonton's 12 games, while Mattias Janmark has potted one. That's an unacceptably low level of contribution, even with most of the top six seemingly scoring at will. Codie McLachlan / Getty ImagesX-factor: Connor McDavid, who's won 13 major individual awards in nine seasons but never played in the Cup Final. It would be disingenuous to pick another Oiler. McDavid's a generational player in the prime of his career and his core traits - world-class speed, hockey IQ, and playmaking - make him a perpetual offensive threat and, thus, the ultimate X-factor. McDavid, running mate Leon Draisaitl, and defenseman Evan Bouchard have each surpassed the 20-point mark through two rounds, which is wild. The power play's humming. Somehow, though, it feels as if No. 97's best performances are still to come.Tactic: Protect Stuart Skinner at all costs - which is to say, keep doing what you're doing, Oilers skaters. Edmonton is first among playoff teams in all-situations expected goals against per game. Insulating the goaltender has become a survival tactic for a team relying on Skinner and backup Calvin Pickard. Skinner has looked flat-out uncomfortable going down for saves at times, and he owns a goals saved above expected number to match it (minus-7.1 through 10 games, according to Sportlogiq). East-west passing has burned Skinner on multiple occasions. The same goes for tips and deflections. Skinner versus Stars goalie Jake Oettinger is Round 3's biggest mismatch.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Nashville Predators traded defenseman Ryan McDonagh and a 2024 fourth-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2025 second-rounder and a 2024 seventh-round pick, the teams announced Tuesday.The veteran blue-liner played five seasons with the Lightning from 2017-22. He won two Stanley Cups with Tampa Bay."A lot of emotions, but, in the end, you are obviously really excited for what lies ahead. ... You look forward to starting the process again with Tampa," McDonagh said, according to Bally Sports Florida's Gabby Shirley.Predators general manager Barry Trotz said McDonagh requested the team explore trading him back to Tampa Bay, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman.McDonagh, who turns 35 in June, tallied 32 points in 74 games last season with Nashville. He played 21:47 per night and has averaged over 20 minutes every season since his rookie campaign in 2010-11.McDonagh ranked second on the Predators with 139 blocked shots. His 4.6 goals above replacement was third among Nashville defenders, behind Roman Josi and Alexandre Carrier, according to Evolving-Hockey.The Minnesota native is under contract for two more seasons at a cap hit of $6.75 million and has a full no-trade clause. McDonagh signed the contract in 2018 when he was with Tampa Bay."This trade adds to our already deep corps of draft picks over the next two drafts and allows us to continue to make tweaks and improvements to our team during the offseason," Trotz said in a statement. "We want to make decisions that help us build on the success we had in the 2023-24 season by giving us as many weapons as we can get, whether it's younger players on our roster, more impactful draft choices, or salary-cap flexibility."Nashville owns 12 draft picks in the first three rounds over the next two drafts after the trade.The Lightning sent McDonagh to the Predators in July 2022 for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash.Tampa Bay has six NHL defensemen under contract for next season with the reacquisition of McDonagh. The Lightning have $5 million of cap space after the trade, according to CapFriendly. Pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos remains without a contract for next season.Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said the team still has "some cap space" and talks with Stamkos are "ongoing," according to team reporter Chris Krenn.Nashville now has $26 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly, with no significant free agents to re-sign.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.As usual, the Rangers' metrics didn't look great, but they toppled the Hurricanes in six games anyway. New York did it without fully sticking to its recipe, with just one power-play goal in the final four games and a below-average even-strength high-danger chance conversion rate of 11.5%. Yet again, the Presidents' Trophy winners are underdogs, as they face the reigning Eastern Conference-winning Panthers.Advanced metrics glossary

Newly hired Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube spoke to the media for the first time Tuesday alongside president Brendan Shanahan and general manager Brad Treliving.Berube, who was courted by multiple teams, mentioned the Maple Leafs' roster and the lure of coaching for the franchise as reasons he opted to come to Toronto.The 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach described the importance of communication between himself and his players."Communication is huge. I think one of my strengths is I'm a great communicator with my players," Berube told reporters. "They know where they stand. I'm gonna tell them when they're playing well; I'm gonna tell them when they're not playing well. I'm gonna tell them things that need to be improved upon. All types of things."Treliving reiterated the vital nature of a player's relationship with their coach."To have success at this time of the year is very difficult, and you've gotta be able to push people into uncomfortable positions and into uncomfortable things," Treliving said. "Well, to me, you have to connect with people first. There has to be a partnership, a relationship, and a trust."Treliving lauded former coach Sheldon Keefe but said, "It was time we needed something different. We needed a different delivery. A different voice giving the delivery. ... Craig comes at it in a different way."The Maple Leafs talked to nine candidates during the interview process, Treliving said.As part of that process, Shanahan noted the team spoke with a range of players who had played for Berube."They all came back to us with the same message: That he's a great coach, a great person, and ... 'I'd go through a wall for the guy.' So, it was impressive as we went through the interview process."Berube described the style he's going to bring to the Maple Leafs."Competitive. We don't want to get outworked ever," he said. "We want to be highly competitive every night. And it's all about the team for me. That's one of the things I really focus on and that's part of building the team. Everybody's important on the team; everybody's gotta be used on the team. They all have jobs and roles on the team. That's a real important aspect for me."Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet believes his club can enter the offseason with their heads high despite their playoff run ending with a Game 7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on home ice Monday night."They put respect back in this city and this jersey, let's face it," Tocchet said after the loss, per Sportsnet. "The fans got something to be proud about, and it's all because of the players."Vancouver fans gave the players a standing ovation after Monday's loss, a 3-2 final in which the Canucks made a push for overtime.

The Edmonton Oilers staved off a third-period comeback attempt by the Vancouver Canucks to win 3-2 in Monday's Game 7 of their second-round series and set up a clash with the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.The Oilers appeared to be in cruise control after three consecutive second-period goals, but the Canucks struck twice in four minutes midway through the final frame to set up a frenetic finish."We know how to make it stressful," Oilers captain Connor McDavid told Sportsnet postgame.McDavid, who was held off the scoresheet Monday but had nine points in the previous six games, credited his teammates' perseverance after trailing 3-2 in the series."I thought we defended well," McDavid said. "We played two really good games. Backs were against the wall, and we responded. Really proud of the group."Edmonton shined in its own zone in Game 7 before Vancouver broke through with Conor Garland's goal, limiting the Canucks to 12 shots through 40 minutes. The Oilers blocked 22 shots in the contest and started generating momentum after a four-minute penalty kill in the first period in which Vancouver failed to register an attempt on goal.Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner had to make only 15 saves but expressed his gratitude toward being between the pipes again after sitting out Games 4 and 5 following poor performances."It's everything, being able to have the support of your teammates," Skinner said. "You're with them for potentially years on end, and you're with them every single day throughout the season. They're your best friends, they're your brothers, right? So, being able to hear that from them and have that support from them means the world."The Canucks have now lost three consecutive Game 7s dating back to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. Vancouver took a huge leap forward this season, winning the Pacific Division with 109 points after missing the playoffs three straight years.Rick Tocchet's crew ran into major injury trouble as the playoffs progressed, with first- and second-string netminders Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith getting hurt in the first round. Vancouver ruled leading goal-scorer Brock Boeser out of Game 7 on Sunday night due to a blood clotting issue.The Oilers are in the conference final for the second time in three years. The Colorado Avalanche swept them in the third round in 2022.Edmonton and Dallas met three times in the regular season, with the Stars winning twice.The series begins Thursday night in Texas.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks will be without Brock Boeser for Game 7 of their second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed.Boeser is dealing with a blood clotting issue and his recovery timetable is unclear, but it's not a life-threatening situation, sources told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The Canucks' medical staff found a blood clot that had developed in Boeser's leg after Game 6, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports. He's been placed on blood-thinning medication and is expected to miss the rest of the playoffs, Seravalli adds."Obviously had a great year for us. Big part of the team," Tocchet said. "Scored some big goals for us. So, it's a tough one, but next man up, right? That's the way you gotta approach it, like we have all year."Tocchet didn't divulge the specifics of Boeser's injury and didn't give a timeframe for his return.The American forward leads the Canucks with seven goals this postseason, and he's tied for the team points lead with 12 in as many outings. He was averaging 20:18 of ice time, up from 18:36 during the regular season.Boeser notched a hat trick in Vancouver's Game 4 victory over the Nashville Predators in the first round, and he collected two goals and an assist in the Canucks' Game 3 win over the Oilers.He racked up a club-high 40 tallies along with 33 assists over 81 regular-season contests.The Canucks are 17-11-4 over the past half-decade without Boeser in the lineup, according to Sportsnet Stats.Game 7 is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Monday in Vancouver.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Although the Oilers managed their first non-nail-biter win of their series with the Canucks on Saturday, momentum hasn't carried over from one tilt to the next. Neither team has been able to win consecutive games.Will that trend change? The betting market thinks so, as the Oilers are a significant favorite for the seventh and final time in this series.Game 7: Oilers (-160) @ Canucks (+135)Vancouver has been undervalued in the betting market since losing Vezina Trophy nominee Thatcher Demko after the first game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Canucks went 3-2 in games lined close to pick'em, proving to be a profitable bet against the Predators. In Round 2, blindly betting the underdog Canucks six times continued to make backers money.News broke Sunday of the latest injury twist for the Canucks - their leading playoff goal-scorer, Brock Boeser, is likely out with a blood clotting issue.When Demko was announced as out, the market dropped the Canucks' chances of winning Game 2 versus the Predators from 60% to 55%. Whether or not that downgrade was warranted, Vancouver lost the game but showed it could still win the series.After news of Boeser's unavailability, the Canucks' perceived chances took a 3% hit, going from +120 to +135. But will they be able to overcome his absence for one game?We won't know the answer until Monday night, but we can look at how this series has been played in Vancouver at even strength using expected goals (xG), high-danger chances (HDC), and high-danger goals (HDG).TEAMxGHDCHDGOilers5.88272Canucks6.78263Unsurprisingly, the numbers are very close in such a tight series.As for the goaltenders, Stuart Skinner returned to the net in Game 6 and played well, though the Canucks missed several early chances to test him. Meanwhile, Arturs Silovs continued his up-and-down postseason with a GSAx of minus-2.04. Like momentum in this series, his play vacillates nightly.What might be more predictable is one of the X-factors coming into this series: the Oilers' outrageously efficient power play. After racking up goals in the first few games, Edmonton has gone 0-for-8 in the last two. If that's because the Canucks' coaching staff effectively drilled the team on how to prevent the Oilers from getting their go-to looks, that's a good sign that Game 7 will be won at even strength.Before the series, we expected this to go seven, betting the Canucks +1.5 games and cashing that ticket with their Game 5 win. Almost anyone holding a ticket on Vancouver to win the series with odds from +220 before the series to +160 midway through is sitting pretty for a game lined shorter than that.If you don't have a side, with so much uncertainty in net and a series that's been played close to 50-50 including the games in Edmonton (12.7-12.1 even-strength xG), the home underdogs are the only side worth a bet in this winner-take-all showdown.Best bet: Canucks moneyline (+135)Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers didn't need Leon Draisaitl to do much in their 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 6 on Saturday night, but he still found a way to make headlines.Draisaitl became the third-fastest player ever to collect 100 career playoff points when he assisted on Evander Kane's tally that made it 5-1 in the third period. He got his 99th when he set up Dylan Holloway's goal that opened the scoring in the first.

Blake Wheeler is available to play in the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers should the New York Rangers find a spot for him in the lineup.Wheeler was placed on injured reserve in February with a season-ending leg injury but recently shed his no-contact jersey in practice and hopes to return to game action."I think once you get rid of the red jersey, and the fact they take me off of the injured reserve, I think that's been my goal the whole time since I got hurt: to be an option and be available again. And that's where we're at," Wheeler said, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "It's going to be in the coach's hands from there, but I'm ready in any capacity I can to help out."New York signed Wheeler last summer after he was bought out by the Winnipeg Jets. The 37-year-old registered 21 points in 54 games as a Ranger before his injury.It's unclear who the red-hot Rangers will pull out of the lineup if Wheeler slots in. New York is 8-2 so far in the playoffs while averaging 3.50 goals per game.Wheeler began the season in a top-six role but will take any ice time he can get as he chases the first Stanley Cup of his 16-year career."You sit on the couch watching these guys play ... I just want to be back with the guys, with the group on the ice with them, in any capacity I can," Wheeler said. "They're a heck of a group in here. I've had just a blast playing with these guys all year. And then certainly the run they've been on, just like I said, that's the motivation right there."The Eastern Conference Final is scheduled to begin Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers last reached the third round in 2022 and haven't been to the Stanley Cup Final since 2014.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rod Brind'Amour isn't going anywhere.The former Jack Adams Award-winning head coach agreed to a multi-year extension with the Carolina Hurricanes, the team announced Sunday.The contract is five years, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports."Rod has been instrumental to the success we've had over the last six season," general manager Don Waddell said. "Ever since he joined the organization 24 years ago, Rod has embodied what it means to be a Hurricane. We hope to keep him a Hurricane for life."The rest of the Hurricanes' coaching staff - assistant coaches Jeff Daniels and Tim Gleason, video coach Chris Huffine, and goaltending coach Paul Schonfelder - also received extensions.Brind'Amour coached under the final year of his contract in 2023-24 and could've become a free agent.Reports following Round 1 of the playoffs indicated Brind'Amour had become unsure about his future with the organization that's employed him for the last 24 seasons.The Hurricanes were ousted by the New York Rangers in six games in Round 2. The club has qualified for the playoffs in each of Brind'Amour's six seasons as head coach, making it as far as the Eastern Conference Final in 2019 and 2023. He was named the NHL's coach of the year in 2021.Brind'Amour played 10 seasons with the Hurricanes from 2000-10, captaining the franchise to its lone Stanley Cup in 2006. He became the director of player development immediately after his retirement before moving to an assistant coach role in 2011 and taking the head coach job in 2018.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin reflected on his bounce-back campaign after his season ended in Friday's Game 6 loss against the Dallas Stars and expressed a desire to remain with the team."Awesome," Drouin said of his first season in Colorado, according to DNVR Avalanche. "Obviously had tough years in Montreal, so to come here and play with this team, kinda find my way as the year went on, it was cool. It's a great bunch of guys, this staff is awesome. It's a great place to play hockey."Drouin tallied 19 goals and a career-best 56 points in 79 games this year. His resurgent campaign came after a two-goal, 29-point season with the Canadiens."It was a good year for me. Definitely took some steps forward toward my game, how I want to play," Drouin said. "Credit to a lot of people here, from the coaching staff to the players. It's a hell of a group, a lot of good players."Drouin signed a one-year contract worth $825,000 on July 1 with the Avalanche. He rekindled some of his chemistry with former Halifax Mooseheads teammate Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado a decade after the duo last shared the ice in the QMJHL.The 29-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent and is in line for a notable raise from his sub-$1-million cap hit."I'd love to come back here and sign here," Drouin said. "I've loved my time here, my family's loved their time."Colorado has $15.9 million in projected cap space entering the summer, according to CapFriendly. The Avalanche have six forwards under contract for 2024-25, plus restricted free agent Casey Mittelstadt.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is this year's recipient of the Frank J. Selke Trophy, the NHL announced Saturday.Barkov won the honor for the second time in his career. He last claimed it for the abbreviated 2021 season and was also a finalist for the next campaign.The 11-year veteran beat out Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews and Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal for this year's award, which recognizes the league's top defensive forward.Barkov ran away with it in a landslide. Here's how the top 10 shook out among the 41 players to garner votes:PlacePlayerVoting Points1Aleksander Barkov18172Jordan Staal5393Auston Matthews514T4Sam Reinhart440T4Anze Kopitar4406Roope Hintz3157Adam Lowry3088Seth Jarvis1529Sidney Crosby8510Joel Eriksson Ek65Barkov excelled at both ends of the ice in 2023-24. In addition to posting 80 points in 73 games, the 28-year-old played a significant role in the Panthers tying the Winnipeg Jets for the fewest goals against.He authored a sublime 61.07 expected goals for percentage at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, while ranking among the NHL's best in standing points above replacement, wins above replacement, and goals above replacement, per Evolving Hockey.Barkov also dominated in the faceoff circle, winning a career-high 57.3% of draws (ninth in the NHL among players with 50 games played and at least 500 taken), while lining up for a team-high 1,100 in total.Matthews ranked second in the league in SPAR, WAR, and GAR while trailing only Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin in takeaways (by five) among all NHL skaters.Staal boasted favorable underlying numbers of his own while helping the Hurricanes allow the fourth-fewest goals.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks are going the distance.The Oilers handily defeated the Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 on Saturday to force a winner-take-all contest Monday night in Vancouver.The winner of Game 7 will book a ticket to the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars.It was a dominating performance by the Oilers, who outshot the Canucks 27-15."All we did is give ourselves a chance to play one more game," Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. "We gotta bring the same mindset to Vancouver on Monday."Edmonton's star players came through when the team needed them most. Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Evan Bouchard each put forth three-point efforts. Leon Draisaitl picked up a pair of assists, while Zach Hyman potted his 10th goal of the postseason.Stuart Skinner wasn't tested often in his return to the crease but was stellar when called upon, stopping 14 of 15 shots."Not many shots, but the ones they did get I thought were dangerous, and he did a great job stepping up," McDavid said postgame, per Sportsnet.Vancouver tallied eight high-danger scoring chances compared to Edmonton's nine, according to Natural Stat Trick.Skinner took a back seat to Calvin Pickard for Games 4 and 5 after struggling to the tune of a .793 save percentage in the first three contests of the series. McDavid said the team's belief in Skinner never wavered."We never had a doubt, honestly," McDavid said. "He's a battler. He's always been a battler. Our team always responds, and he's no different."Arturs Silovs, meanwhile, struggled in the opposite crease, as he was on the hook for all five goals. He projects to get the call in Game 7, too, as Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said injured netminder Thatcher Demko won't be able to return Monday. Vancouver's other option between the pipes is veteran Casey DeSmith, who hasn't played since Game 3 of Round 1.Tocchet believes in his group's ability to turn the page after a rough performance."We are a good bounce-back team," Tocchet said. "That's the way I look at it. Our job right now is we gotta flush this game. Obviously some guys know they have to play better. You have 48 hours to get your energy back. It's Game 7, people would kill to be in this situation right now."Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers turned back to goaltender Stuart Skinner with their season on the line Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks."I'm excited to get back in the net. I'm excited to get to do my job again," Skinner said pregame, per NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger.Calvin Pickard started the previous two tilts for Edmonton after Skinner managed a .793 save percentage over the first three games of the series.Pickard shined in a Game 4 victory but allowed three goals on 35 shots in a Game 5 loss that gave the Canucks a 3-2 series lead.Skinner had a strong showing in the opening round against the Los Angeles Kings, going 4-1 with one shutout and a .910 save percentage. The 25-year-old was 36-16-5 over 59 regular-season appearances.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

They're the TikTok generation, and they're changing sports as we know it. As Gen Z gains increasing purchasing power, all areas of sport are feeling their influence.Gen Z doesn't think or act like fans of yesteryear, so their alternative approach to sports consumption means leagues and teams must rethink their marketing strategies. Capturing their attention is vital to maintain the revenue growth sports have enjoyed for decades."The traditional mindset fan is someone who watches the broadcast or buys tickets and goes to the game," said Heidi Browning, the NHL's chief marketing officer. "But that's not how this generation thinks. They can consider themselves fans of sports by following content and following athlete stories without ever even attending a game."Research by Morning Consult shows 33% of U.S. Gen Zers - defined as those between ages 13 and 25 - don't watch live sports broadcasts. They also don't watch them in person; almost 50% of Gen Zers in the 1,000-person survey said they'd never attended a live professional sporting event.But none of that means they're not sports fans. "They still can engage in watercooler conversations with their friends, they still buy merchandise, they still aspire to be like certain athletes," Browning said. "So I think that we need to look broader into how we define fandom when we look at this next generation."Part of Browning's strategy has been to engage hockey fans ages 13-17 on an annual youth advisory board that the league has been running for six years. Past participants range from all over North America - Hawaii to Newfoundland."The whole idea behind this program is to expose them to the business of hockey, while at the same time hearing from them how our marketing is resonating," Browning said. Jared Silber / NHL / Getty ImagestheScore discussed the league's marketing efforts with Browning and the specific challenges of engaging the next generation.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.theScore: What's the most surprising thing you've learned from working with the youth advisory board?Browning: Something that's surprising is how much content they consume on a daily basis. Not only do they consume it, but they consume it on multiple channels. They have an opinion on it, they remember it, and they can give you perspective on it. The advice that they give to us is very practical but also inspirational for us and aspirational for us as we continue to shape our programs for the future.Statistics show Gen Zers are both attending live sporting events less frequently and watching fewer broadcasts. Do you get the sense that Gen Z is watching sports less?Browning: I think that they do watch sports, but they also look at sports through a different lens. It's not just about the game that's on the ice. It's the whole picture. By that I mean, they want to know the athletes, they want to know the human behind the visor. They want to know everything about them, their lives, personalities, families, and their interests. What are the causes they care about?This idea of athlete-driven media is not just a hockey thing. This is a global phenomenon. So they'll follow athletes in the sport they love. They'll even follow athletes of sports they don't even watch just because they're interesting humans. It's pervasive across all sports, and it's a global shift.

Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery pointed to a lack of offense as the primary reason the Florida Panthers eliminated his club Friday night."I didn't sense frustration, but a lack of our ability to score in the playoffs in general. You can't win every game 2-1," Montgomery said after the Game 6 loss, per NBC Sports Boston."We didn't finish. Outside of Game 1, did we score more than two goals?"Boston opened the second-round series with a 5-1 victory but failed to score more than two goals in each of the next five games - four of those losses. The Bruins were also limited to two goals or less in the final three contests of their first-round matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs but advanced to face Florida with a 2-1 overtime victory in Game 7.The Bruins finished the regular season ranked 14th in the NHL with 3.21 goals per contest, a mark that fell to 2.38 in 13 playoff games this spring.However, Montgomery conceded other reasons than a lack of goals for why the Panthers got the best of his squad."It's not the only thing, there's several other elements of the series," Montgomery said. "The territorial zone time they had over us, it has compounding effects."The Panthers have eliminated the Bruins in back-to-back playoffs. In 2023, Florida ended Boston's historically successful season by erasing a 3-1 series deficit in the first round.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt Duchene became an instant hero in Dallas early Saturday morning, as his double overtime goal in Game 6 eliminated the Colorado Avalanche and sent the Stars to the Western Conference Final.Duchene let out an emotional celebration after depositing a loose puck with eight minutes left in the game's fifth period but had difficulty putting the moment into words."I don't even know what (I did)," Duchene said, per NHL.com's Ryan Boulding. "I know I ended up on my knees like last time I got one in overtime, but I have no idea, to be honest with you. It's just elation, right?""It just popped out to me, shot it in, and then blacked out, pretty much," he told the NHL on TNT crew after the win.Duchene's tally is the third playoff overtime winner of his career, but he described this one as extra special."This is only the second time I've been past the first round in my career," he said, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "Now we're going to the conference finals. At 33, I think there's a certain level of appreciation that you have that you wouldn't have had as a young player."Duchene last reached the second round in 2019 as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He joined the Stars last summer on a one-year, $3-million deal after the Nashville Predators bought him out with three years remaining on his contract."(Duchene) came in, and he really changed our team," general manager Jim Nill said. "Just a different dimension. Another element of offense for us. And he's bought into how we've got to play, too. He had to change his game. So, it's been a good fit."Duchene registered 65 points in the 2023-24 regular season and has added six points in the playoffs.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Friday that they hired former St. Louis Blues bench boss Craig Berube as their head coach.Berube's contract is for four years, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.The 58-year-old led the Blues to a Stanley Cup in 2019. He replaced Mike Yeo 19 games into that campaign and sparked an incredible turnaround, as the club was in last place around midseason. He was named a Jack Adams Award finalist that season.Berube guided St. Louis to the postseason in each of the next three seasons, losing in Round 1 in 2020 and 2021, and Round 2 in 2022. The team missed the playoffs in 2023 and fired him after a 13-14-1 start to the 2023-24 campaign.His only other NHL head coaching experience came with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2013-15, failing to advance past the first round of the playoffs.Berube enjoyed a 1,054-game NHL playing career from 1986-2003 as an enforcer, racking up 159 points and 3,149 penalty minutes - the latter being the seventh most all time. The Calahoo, Alberta, native played 40 games for the Leafs during the 1991-92 season.

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan will run the United States' bench at next year's 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Olympics in Italy, USA Hockey announced Saturday.The 4 Nations Face-Off takes place next February and will include Canada, USA, Sweden, and Finland. It's the start of a revamped international event calendar that's scheduled to stage a best-on-best tournament every two years.The NHL confirmed it will return to the 2026 Olympics in February after missing the previous two tournaments. The league hasn't participated in a best-on-best event since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.Sullivan has coached USA in some capacity four separate times. He was tabbed to lead the Stars and Stripes at the 2022 winter games in Beijing before the NHL pulled out due to COVID-19 complications.The 56-year-old led the Penguins to championships in 2016 and 2017, becoming the first American-born head coach to win the Stanley Cup twice. Sullivan's 375 regular-season wins since taking over in Pittsburgh are the fourth-most in the NHL.The United States is expected to compete for gold; Auston Matthews, Jack and Quinn Hughes, and Matthew and Brady Tkachuk are among the many star players at USA's disposal.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It was always going to be Craig Berube in Toronto, wasn't it?The Maple Leafs hired the former St. Louis Blues bench boss Friday in a move that should surprise nobody.Barring the unlikely scenario that Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour became available, Berube was the most obvious fit for the Maple Leafs from Day 1. Optically, it made too much sense.A 2019 Stanley Cup winner with the Blues, Berube is an easy sell to the fans and holdover players for a team that's consistently come up short in the postseason. The Leafs have made the playoffs eight straight years - tied for the longest active streak in the league - but only have one series victory to show for it. The franchise hasn't won a Stanley Cup since 1967.Having a Stanley Cup ring doesn't mean Berube has some magic formula for winning. If that were the case, he'd still be in St. Louis. But it undoubtedly helps begin his tenure in Toronto with a certain level of respect that his predecessor lacked.When NHL teams look for a new head coach, they typically hire someone different from their last bench boss, and that couldn't be more true with this move. Scott Rovak / National Hockey League / GettySheldon Keefe, the Leafs' coach of the last five seasons, took the job without any prior NHL coaching experience. His puck-possession system was highly successful in the regular season, and he'll likely coach in the NHL for a long time. But accountability was a persistent issue during his tenure. In the Keefe era with Kyle Dubas as general manager, Toronto's star players were treated like the innocent, youngest sibling that could do no wrong. Rarely were they criticized publicly by the team for their shortcomings.Berube will help establish a culture of accountability that the Leafs have lacked in recent years."There were some words that were said that I can't repeat," former Blues goalie Jake Allen recalled of Berube's first time addressing the team as head coach in 2018-19, per The Athletic's Joshua Kloke. "(Berube) made his presence felt immediately. We understood from that moment on that every single person in that locker room was accountable for their own actions, and he was going to hold you to that standard."By all accounts, Berube is honest and direct. That's fitting because when Berube's Blues were at their best, they were a hard-working team with a direct, north-south style of play. How that works with the Maple Leafs remains to be seen, but general manager Brad Treliving - hired a year ago - is clearly trying to build a blue line that mimics the 2019 Blues.That Cup-winning team boasted a top four on defense consisting of 6-foot-3 Alex Pietrangelo, 6-foot-6 Colton Parayko, 6-foot-4 Jay Bouwmeester, and 6-foot-5 Joel Edmundson. See the theme?Size on the back end was a staple of Treliving-built teams in Calgary, too, and he's beginning to do the same in Toronto. Just look at the defensemen he's acquired since taking over:PlayerAcquisition typeHeightWeightCade WebberTrade6-7208 lbsJoel EdmundsonTrade6-5221 lbsIlya LyubushkinTrade6-2200 lbsSimon BenoitSigning6-3203 lbsJohn KlingbergSigning6-3190 lbsWilliam LagessonSigning6-2211 lbsMax LajoieSigning6-1191 lbsNoah ChadwickDraft6-4201 lbsTreliving also clearly values toughness, based on the signing of Ryan Reaves last offseason. Berube, a former NHL enforcer himself, is as tough as they come, sitting seventh in NHL history with 3,149 penalty minutes.Synergy between a head coach and a GM is important in any sport, and Treliving and Berube seem to have it - whether you believe in their philosophies or not.The coaching options outside of Berube weren't the most appealing, either.The Leafs also reportedly spoke to Todd McLellan and Gerard Gallant about the vacancy. McLellan, a disciple of Mike Babcock whose teams have consistently underachieved in the playoffs, would've been a tough sell to the fan base. Gallant went to both a Stanley Cup Final and an Eastern Conference Final in a four-year span, but he failed to get the most out of the New York Rangers' young players, and the team has thrived since his departure.Hiring someone without NHL head coaching experience would've been far too risky for Treliving - especially in a market that receives as much attention as Toronto. There was no obvious internal replacement, either.Berube, for what it's worth, played 40 games with the Leafs in 1991-92. That isn't a game-changer, but it doesn't hurt, either. For a man who wasn't afraid of anyone as a player - even Bob Probert - it's hard to imagine he'd be afraid of the spotlight in Toronto. Graig Abel / Getty Images Sport / GettyEvery coach has their strengths and weaknesses, though. For Berube, he's considered far more of a motivator than a strategist."From a technical standpoint, like Xs and Os, we didn't really change a whole lot," Parayko said of when Berube took over in St. Louis, per TSN's Chris Johnston. "He just came in and made sure that we put in the work and worked together. He got everybody to buy into their roles."Nailing his assistant coach hires will be critical. Special teams were up and down during Berube's six seasons in St. Louis. The power play had some great years, ranking 10th overall during his tenure, while the penalty kill was more inconsistent, ranking 20th.Incumbent Leafs defensive assistant Mike Van Ryn worked under Berube in St. Louis and could be an option to stay, though he was fired by the Blues in 2023.Finding a suitable coach to run the power play should be No. 1 on Berube's to-do list. Toronto's power play has consistently gone cold in the postseason, and it reached an all-time low when it went 1-for-21 in Round 1 against the Boston Bruins this year under Guy Boucher's watch.Fortunately for Berube, he should have unlimited resources available, as the Maple Leafs are the NHL's wealthiest organization. If there's an assistant he covets, money won't be an issue.It also makes sense that the team with the deepest pockets was able to land Berube, the most coveted coach on the market.Sometimes a hiring or an acquisition is obvious for a reason - it's the right fit. At the very least, the Leafs' process with this move is sound. But ultimately, Berube will be judged on one thing: playoff success.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt Duchene scored the winner in double overtime as the Dallas Stars defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in Game 6 to advance to the Western Conference Final.

The Florida Panthers are heading to the Eastern Conference Final to face the New York Rangers after eliminating the Boston Bruins with a 2-1 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.Defenseman Gustav Forsling scored the game-winner with 1:33 left in regulation.

The Boston Bruins got captain Brad Marchand back in the lineup for Friday's Game 6 against the Florida Panthers after he missed the previous two contests with an upper-body injury.Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery inserted Marchand into the starting lineup alongside Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic.Marchand was injured by a hit from Panthers forward Sam Bennett in Game 3. The collision sparked plenty of controversy, as Bennett appeared to sneakily punch Marchand in the head as he braced for contact. But the Bruins veteran said he would have done the same thing if roles were reversed.The Bruins need a win Friday to force a Game 7 as they attempt to overturn a 3-1 deficit in the series.Marchand came into Friday's tilt tied for Boston's scoring lead this postseason and boasts 10 points in 10 games.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.You never get a second chance to make a first impression, but the Panthers and Stars have another opportunity to close out dangerous opponents. It should be more challenging for both since each had home-ice advantage in Game 5. But as the Stanley Cup Playoffs progress, the good clubs don't seem to have a problem playing on the road.The visiting team is 13-8 in the second round this year. In the 10 games involving Friday's teams, the home side has won just once in each series, with Florida and Dallas winning Game 2. The market's usual addition of a 3.5% to 4% win probability for playing at home seemingly doesn't apply, so let's investigate Friday's moneyline prices and whether we should ignore location entirely.Game 6: Panthers (-140) @ Bruins (+120)The concern coming into the series was whether the wear and tear of the postseason would accumulate for the Bruins, as the club had to take on the Panthers less than 48 hours after beating the Maple Leafs in overtime of Game 7. Boston had every excuse to go away quietly in Game 5 but generated 12 even-strength high-danger chances to Florida's four. The Panthers' effort incensed head coach Paul Maurice - a red flag.Keeping the series alive earned the Bruins bonus time off with two days between Games 5 and 6. Now, they return home with captain Brad Marchand expected back and Jeremy Swayman still playing well (2.57 GSAx).Boston has scored on four of its 48 even-strength high-danger chances for the series. That's an 8.3% conversion rate that suggests the Bruins have been unlucky, especially compared to Florida's 15% (6-of-40) efficiency on those opportunities.The Panthers are widely considered the better team but haven't shown enough separation in the underlying metrics. Florida doesn't warrant being a definitive favorite in a game where Boston - the team and city - can taste blood in the water.Best bet: Bruins moneyline (+120)Game 6: Stars (+100) @ Avalanche (-120)The Stars missed their opportunity to buy themselves some much-appreciated rest, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Despite Dallas generating nine high-danger chances and more expected goals than Colorado in Game 5, Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon combined for three markers following a poor performance by the Avs duo at home in Game 4.That's the type of production the Avalanche need from their leaders to compete with a much deeper Stars team. Unlike Boston, they don't have an extra day of rest between games.Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger struggled in Game 5's third period, allowing 2.51 more goals than expected. It was a relative outlier poor performance for a netminder who saved almost six goals above expected (5.92 GSAx) since a disastrous first contest of the postseason.The Stars were the NHL's best road team this campaign and are 4-1 away from home this playoffs. With the expectation that Oettinger bounces back, the Avalanche don't go 2-for-3 on the power play, and the Stars contain Makar and MacKinnon, back Dallas to outlast Colorado is the way to play Game 6.Best bet: Stars moneyline (+100)Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils signed pending unrestricted free agent Kurtis MacDermid to a three-year, $3.45-million contract Friday.The Devils acquired MacDermid, who has lined up at wing and defense in recent seasons, from the Colorado Avalanche before the March trade deadline.He appeared in 16 contests for New Jersey, logging one assist and 50 penalty minutes, which include four fighting majors.MacDermid's notched 31 points in 265 games since breaking into the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2017-18 campaign.He was one of six pending UFAs on New Jersey's books before his new deal.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chris Kreider's third-period natural hat trick in Game 6 against the Carolina Hurricanes etched his name in New York Rangers lore, and it's no surprise he drew nothing but praise from his peers after sending his club to the Eastern Conference Final."He put us on his back," head coach Peter Laviolette said, per The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "At the end of the day, we needed to score goals, and this is what he does. This is what he did tonight. It was a pretty unbelievable performance by him, especially for a guy who wasn't on the ice yesterday."Laviolette continued: "He's one of the leaders on the team for a reason. He's the elder statesman on the team, one of them. We needed that from him."Kreider missed practice Wednesday to take a maintenance day before he put in the performance of a lifetime Thursday. The 33-year-old scored three times in nine minutes to singlehandedly erase Carolina's 3-1 lead and end the series when it looked certain the Hurricanes would force a Game 7."We were a little down on ourselves after the second period," said Vincent Trocheck. "Whenever you're in a spot like that, you need your big players to come up big. Chris did that tonight."Kreider is the Rangers' longest-tenured player. He was a first-round pick in 2009 and has been a regular in New York's lineup since 2013. Over 12 seasons, Kreider's notched 552 points in 815 games and 71 more in 116 playoff appearances.Although he was the hero, Kreider was humble when asked to assess his performance."It means we get to play more hockey," he said.The Rangers will play either the Florida Panthers or Boston Bruins in Round 3. Florida leads that series 3-2.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

J.T. Miller scored the winner with under a minute remaining as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 to take a 3-2 series lead in the second-round matchup Thursday night.

The New York Rangers rallied to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 in Game 6 of their second-round series to move on to the Eastern Conference Final.Chris Kreider capped off a natural hat trick for the eventual winner with 4:19 left in the third period as the Rangers prevailed after trailing 3-1 heading into the final frame.

The New York Islanders signed KHL free-agent forward Maxim Tsyplakov to a one-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.Tsyplakov enjoyed a breakout campaign with Spartak Moscow in Russia's top league this season. He ranked fourth in the KHL with 31 goals and registered 47 points in 65 games. His previous best was 10 goals and 25 points in 2022-23.The 25-year-old was third among KHL forwards with 145 hits. He's listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds.Tsyplakov tallied two goals and four points in 11 postseason games. He finished the campaign playing on the wing but also operated at center during the regular season, winning 51.9% of his draws.At least 12 NHL teams were interested in Tsyplakov's services, his agent said in February.Tsyplakov won't require waivers and will be a restricted free agent when his contract expires next summer, according to CapFriendly.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand addressed the collision with Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett that put him on the sidelines for Games 4 and 5."(Bennett) plays hard, he's an extremely physical player," Marchand said Thursday, according to Boston.com's Conor Ryan. "Great player for the group. I think he got away with a shot, but I'm not gonna complain. Shit happens. That's part of especially playoff hockey. I've been on the other side of a lot of plays. ... It sucks to be on the other side of it, but that stuff happens."Bennett caught Marchand with a punch while bracing for a hit in Game 3. Bennett wasn't penalized on the play and didn't receive supplemental discipline.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We're approaching the dog days of the NHL playoffs and the end of multi-game slates. Let's waste no time getting to a few of my favorite props.Parlay: Guentzel over 2.5 shots and Rangers +2.5 goalsJake Guentzel quickly registered two shots on goal in Game 5 before being held shotless for nearly 40 consecutive minutes to finish things off. While frustrating, it doesn't scare me away.He's recorded three or more shots in 15 of the past 18 meetings against the Rangers. Guentzel's averaged well over four shots per game in that span, so it's not as if he's just squeaking by.He's an elite playoff performer and has been as advertised for the Hurricanes. Nobody on the roster has scored more goals than Guentzel in these playoffs, and he's 13 scoring chances clear of his closest teammate (Andrei Svechnikov).Igor Shesterkin is a wall almost every night. Carolina will need its sniper to help facilitate offense in this do-or-die game. The Hurricanes having home ice and the ability to control matchups will make life easier for Guentzel.I like pairing this with the Rangers on an alternate puck line of +2.5 to drastically improve the odds.New York allows fewer than 2.5 goals per game in the playoffs, and the Hurricanes are renowned for not scoring on as many of their chances as they probably should.The Rangers have covered this line in all but one playoff game. The exception was Game 5 when they entered the third period up a goal and allowed four unanswered to finish things out.I think the Rangers will try and play things pretty close to the vest in a high-stakes affair on the road. This game should be low-scoring, making it difficult for the Hurricanes to gain real separation.Odds: +106Connor McDavid: Over 3.5 shotsMcDavid's recorded at least four shots in three straight games against the Canucks, averaging more than seven attempts per.I expect the volume to continue in Game 5. McDavid has played at least 23 minutes in each game this series, giving him all the time he could hope for to generate shots on goal.The Oilers also recently juggled the lines, putting Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back on the top unit with McDavid and Zach Hyman.This version of Edmonton's top line recorded under 80 shot attempts per 60 minutes of five-on-five play during the regular season. League-wide, it finished fourth in that category.The Oilers are seemingly always on the front foot. Game 4 was a perfect example. Edmonton's top line generated a whopping 21 shot attempts in just over 12 minutes of five-on-five play.Nugent-Hopkins is extremely pass-happy, so a lot of the shots end up on the sticks of McDavid and Hyman.Game 5 is a huge swing game in the series. Given the stakes and how dominant this Oilers trio has been all year, McDavid should play a ton and earn plenty of shooting opportunities along the way.Odds: -114 (playable to -130)Evander Kane: Under 2.5 shotsThe Canucks haunt Kane like no other team. Including regular-season play, Kane's finished under his shot total in eight consecutive games against the Canucks. He's rarely even come close.Kane's recorded just four total shots over his past five games against the Canucks. Generating two shots, let alone three, has proven to be an immense challenge.The Canucks are a very structured team that gives up very little in the way of shot volume. They allowed 26.75 shots per 60 at five-on-five play during the regular season and have actually reduced that number even further in the playoffs.The Canucks make it extremely difficult to generate shots efficiently, and Kane doesn't get the ice time - or power-play reps - to compensate for that.As a bonus, Kane's hit rate on the road is 11% lower than it is on home ice. There just isn't much reason to expect Kane to break out of this shooting slump.Odds: -150 (playable to -165)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.A thinly shaved sliver of ice has separated the Oilers and Canucks through four games, so you'd assume their series is destined for seven games. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes, having battled back with two wins after going down 0-3, are just hoping to get to a Game 7.Game 6: Rangers (+140) @ Hurricanes (-165)In Game 3, oddsmakers opened the Hurricanes at -170 to get back into a series they trailed 0-2. The market corrected that, closing Carolina as -150 favorites in Games 3 and 4. Now back in Raleigh for Game 6, an opening moneyline of -165 has tilted upward because the Hurricanes appear to have figured out the Rangers. Paying an ample price for Carolina isn't all that appealing, so we'll turn to the total for a bet in Game 6.After being the difference in the Rangers' three wins, Igor Shesterkin has a minus-0.03 goals saved above expected in New York's losses. However, the star goaltender is one of the few players in the league we expect to be at his best after a pair of mediocre performances. Defense should also be a priority for New York after it allowed three goals in a single period in each of the last two games.Following early-series penalty-killing catastrophes, the Hurricanes have turned off the Rangers' power-play scoring spigot. After four New York goals with the man advantage, the Rangers haven't converted since tying Game 2 in the third period. At even strength, New York has generated just 19 high-danger chances in Games 3-5. Meanwhile, after getting Game 3 off, Frederik Andersen saved 1.29 goals above expected in Game 5, potentially finding the form he brought into the playoffs.Late-series hockey is played close to the vest, so with both goalies set up for strong games, we'll bet on a low-scoring affair.Best bet: Under 5.5 goals (-120)Game 5: Oilers (-145) @ Canucks (+125)We rejected the idea of a best bet in Game 4. We expected the Oilers - down 2-1 in the series and at home - to tap into the desperation that often makes the difference in playoff hockey but were unwilling to pay a -200 price to bet on them winning.Edmonton did prevail, but not before blowing a 2-0 lead despite making a concerted effort to protect Calvin Pickard by allowing Vancouver only four even-strength high-danger chances (Pickard stopped two). The Oilers only generated an average number of scoring chances (eight) at five-on-five.They desperately tried to draw penalties to put their incredible power play on the ice, but the Canucks maintained their discipline, taking just two minors. Hoping for more than one power-play goal and a breakdown from Vancouver's seventh defenseman isn't a viable strategy for Edmonton if its Game 4 showing is the best it can offer. It's certainly not worth laying odds on the road.Pickard didn't hurt the Oilers as much as Stuart Skinner's play did, but we should expect Vancouver to generate more five-on-five offense at home (with a more dangerous power play). If that happens, the 32-year-old journeyman may be exposed, and a 50% even-strength high-danger chance save rate won't cut it.Given the plausibility of that scenario, with the Canucks' turn to be the desperate group, a bet on the underdog is worth pulling the trigger on.Best bet: Canucks moneyline (+125)Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to make several meaningful changes this offseason.The first came quickly. Just days after being eliminated from the playoffs, the Maple Leafs moved on from Sheldon Keefe as head coach, firing him before a two-year contract extension even began.Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said the club would be thorough in its search for a new bench boss but acknowledged that plenty of vacancies are available. Toronto will have to move with some urgency.According to oddsmakers at theScore Bet, Craig Berube is the favorite to be the Leafs' new bench boss, while Todd McLellan is hot on his tail.CoachOddsCraig Berube-125Todd McLellan+150Any other coach+300Gerard Gallant+800Dean Evason+900Joel Quenneville+1500Guy Boucher+1700Bruce Boudreau+1800Jay Woodcroft+1800Darryl Sutter+3000Dan Bylsma+6000Claude Julien+7000There's been a lot of speculation regarding Berube to the Leafs, and understandably so. He's a hard-nosed coach who has a Stanley Cup victory on his resume.With the Maple Leafs perceived to be a "soft" team that always falls short when it matters most, it's not surprising the organization may feel Berube is the perfect elixir.However, McLellan seems to be firmly on the radar. He hasn't enjoyed much postseason success in recent years, but his squads have generally performed well in the regular season.McLellan also has a reputation as more of a defensive-minded coach who could perhaps be a change of pace and provide a fresh voice to try to get over the hump.Ultimately, I think Berube will be Toronto's guy when all is said and done. The Maple Leafs have the deep pockets to give him the kind of money he'll command. Berube is highly sought after and has a Cup ring, which undoubtedly provides ammunition in contract negotiations.There has been so much talk about the Leafs doing the little things right, getting to the hard areas when the games are tough, and making things happen without relying just on skill.Right or wrong, Berube seems to be the perfect fit for what the team wants.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers are deadlocked at two wins apiece. The goal count in the dramatic series is 14-14. The Round 2 matchup's now a best-of-three, and the squad that ticks these boxes in Game 5 and beyond will have the greater chance to advance.Score by committee Curtis Comeau / Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThe Oilers' reliance on six skaters has gotten extreme. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, and Mattias Ekholm are all playing more than 23 minutes a night. This quintet partnered with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to score the bulk of Edmonton's goals (13) and points (35 of 40) in the series.The Oilers' fifth through 12th forwards have three assists. Six passengers - Ryan McLeod, Warren Foegele, Dylan Holloway, Mattias Janmark, Corey Perry, and Connor Brown - went pointless through Game 4 while firing fewer shots on net together (14) than Hyman, Bouchard, and Draisaitl did individually. The nonexistence of help for Edmonton's stars has the potential to ruin the playoff run.Vancouver's first and third lines - J.T. Miller between Brock Boeser and Pius Suter, Elias Lindholm between Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua - combine strong forechecking, playmaking, and sharpshooting. Defensemen notched points on 13 Canucks goals by moving the puck through the neutral zone, funnelling it into scoring areas, or, in Nikita Zadorov's case, joining the rush to bury it themselves.Both teams are icing replacement netminders - Vancouver due to injury, Edmonton because of performance. Can Elias Pettersson, who's been held to one power-play tally, test Oilers journeyman Calvin Pickard? Will Foegele or Evander Kane, who were both 20-goal scorers, trouble rookie marvel Arturs Silovs?Exploit secondary D pairs Codie McLachlan / Getty ImagesEdmonton's up 7-2 in goals and has generated 75% of dangerous chances during Bouchard and Ekholm's shared shifts, per Natural Stat Trick. Vancouver's Quinn Hughes-Filip Hronek duo hasn't been scored on in 62 minutes of play.While the top pairs deliver, others cling to the cliffside. The breakup of Cody Ceci and Darnell Nurse, witnesses to six Canucks goals through three games, strengthened the Oilers' defensive structure, but they were still responsible in Game 4 for a costly slipup (Nurse deflected a shot past Pickard) and regrettable missed tap-in (Ceci's misfire off the rush teed up a two-minute defensive shift for him and Brett Kulak).Tyler Myers was tentative and backed away from the puck before Hyman scored in the series opener. The Oilers bagged goals in transition when Myers' partner - Carson Soucy in Game 2, Noah Juulsen in Game 4 - pinched to throw a fruitless hit. Edmonton's taken 78.3% of the shot attempts in Soucy-Myers shifts, suggesting that pair could be barraged Thursday when Soucy returns from his cross-checking suspension.Pull away on special teams Codie McLachlan / Getty ImagesTwo factors have stopped the relentless Oilers power play (5-for-10 in the series, 14-for-30 in the postseason) from pushing Vancouver to the edge of elimination.One is the Canucks' own PP prowess. They scored in Game 2 when Miller fed Pettersson on the weak side and struck twice in Game 3 thanks to Lindholm's dirty work in the bumper role. Sputtering during a double minor in Game 4 - the Canucks gave up seven clearances and a breakaway before they recorded a shot - hampered Vancouver's comeback attempt.Some combination of disciplined defense and a shortfall of whistles has minimized Vancouver's time in the box. Edmonton's power-play opportunities are down from four per game in the first round to 2.5 in this matchup. For context, every NHL team averaged more than 2.5 man advantages this season.Decisively win final frame Andy Devlin / NHL / Getty ImagesThe trailing team has dictated play in each third period. Both rallied to complete a comeback - Vancouver in the thrilling opener, Edmonton in overtime of Game 2. Silovs' late heroics in Game 3 and leakiness on Bouchard's Game 4 winner proved decisive.Cowing to the opponent's desperation, neither side has played confidently with the lead. Although Edmonton's shot advantage in third periods (49-21) is monumental, Vancouver's erased multiple two-goal cushions. Silovs' .939 save percentage in the stanza trumps the Oilers' ugly .762 team mark. That explains why Thatcher Demko has barely been missed.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram is this year's recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, the NHL announced Wednesday.Ingram - who entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to treat his obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression in 2021 - enjoyed a breakout season this past campaign.The 27-year-old secured the Arizona Coyotes' starting job, going 17-9-1 with a .919 save percentage over his first 30 games in 2023-24. He finished 23-21-3 with a .907 mark across 50 contests for the otherwise lackluster squad.Carolina Hurricanes netminder Frederik Andersen and Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington were the other finalists.Andersen was forced out of the lineup with a blood clotting issue six games into his season and ultimately missed 49 contests. Upon making his return in March, the 34-year-old won nine of 10 games with a .951 save percentage and three shutouts, helping the Hurricanes place third in the NHL.Kylington took about a year-and-a-half off from hockey for mental health reasons before rejoining the Flames in January. He later revealed that during his absence, he'd worried about whether or not he'd be able to resume his career. The Flames blue-liner, who'll turn 27 on Sunday, averaged 17:15 of ice time while chipping in three goals and five assists over 33 games upon returning. Calgary made him a second-round pick in 2015.The Masterton Trophy is handed out annually to the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey." The Professional Hockey Writers Association votes to determine the winner.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Utah NHL franchise is hiring agent Chris Armstrong as its top hockey decision-maker and alternate governor, reports Sports Business Journal's Josh Carpenter and Alex Silverman.Armstrong's exact title is to be determined. His last day with Wasserman Sports and Entertainment will be May 31.Bill Armstrong - who's not related to Chris - has served as general manager of the Arizona Coyotes for the last four seasons. He's expected to stay on as GM through the relocation to Utah and report directly to Chris.Chris Armstrong has mostly represented professional golfers, including Salt Lake City native Tony Finau. He also repped Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas during 2023 negotiations with the Toronto Maple Leafs.The Montreal, Quebec, native advised Utah owner Ryan Smith in his acquisition of the NHL franchise, which was confirmed in April.Ryan and Ashley Smith also own the NBA's Utah Jazz. The NHL club will share the Delta Center with the Jazz and begin play next season.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One-half of the Los Angeles Kings' goaltending puzzle for the 2024-25 season has been solved.Pending unrestricted free-agent netminder David Rittich is staying put on a one-year, $1-million contract, the team announced Wednesday.The 31-year-old journeyman was a revelation for the Kings last season, posting a .921 save percentage and a 2.15 goals against average in 24 games after starting the season in the AHL.Rittich wasn't nearly as effective in the postseason, though, recording an .872 save percentage in two games before the Kings were ousted by the Edmonton Oilers in Round 1.Prior to signing Rittich, the Kings had no goalies under contract for next season. Cam Talbot and Pheonix Copley are also pending UFAs.Rittich owns a .906 save percentage in 196 games across eight NHL seasons between the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, and Kings. He spent most of his time with the Flames, serving as the team's primary starter for two seasons.Further addressing the goaltending position is still expected to be a major priority for Kings general manager Rob Blake this offseason. Blake reportedly had a deadline deal in place for Boston Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark, but the reigning Vezina Trophy winner nixed the move with his no-trade clause.While the UFA goalie class isn't overly strong, some notable veteran netminders are expected to be on the trade block. In addition to Ullmark - who's taken a back seat to Jeremy Swayman so far this postseason - Jacob Markstrom and Juuse Saros are among those who could be made available this summer.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.