The Boston Bruins staved off elimination with a 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 6 on Thursday night.The series now shifts back to Carolina with the decisive Game 7 set for Saturday.More to come.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cam Talbot, who started the lion's share of the regular season for the Wild, is making his first start of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday night in Minnesota's must-win Game 6 against the St. Louis Blues."To add Cam into the mix now, it doesn't really change our mindset," Marcus Foligno said earlier Thursday, according to the Star Tribune's Sarah McLellan. "We want to win. We want to win for both our goalies. We know Cam is going to be excited to get in there and shut the door."The Wild leaned on Marc-Andre Fleury through the first five contests. Although he was outstanding for Minnesota's victories in Games 2 and 3, he's allowed four goals in each of the Wild's three losses.A goalie switch did wonders for the Blues earlier in the series. Jordan Binnington has put up a .935 save percentage across two victories since being swapped in for Ville Husso following the team's Game 3 loss.Talbot logged a .911 save percentage and 2.76 goals against average across 49 appearances in the regular season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It appears the Edmonton Oilers are putting the explosive duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together alongside Kailer Yamamoto on the top line ahead of Thursday's must-win Game 6.McDavid and Draisaitl were grouped together at the morning skate in Los Angeles, hours before Edmonton is set to take the ice down 3-2 in its first-round series with the Kings.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba won't face supplementary discipline for his hit on Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby during Game 5 on Wednesday night, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Crosby exited the contest late in the second period moments after colliding with Trouba. There was no penalty called on the play.

Wednesday was a solid bounce-back night for our shot totals as we were one Jonathan Huberdeau shot from a 3-0 outing. At any rate, a winning night is a winning night.We'll take the victory and look for another on a night full of elimination games.Mitch Marner over 2.5 shots (-157)Marner let us down last time out, but it wasn't for a lack of opportunities. He attempted six shots in Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, hitting the net only twice. Among the misses were a breakaway and a one-timer in the wheelhouse that saw his stick shatter to erase any chance of a shot.We won't abandon a promising process because of an unlucky result. So we're going right back to Marner in Game 6.The Toronto Maple Leafs' star winger has enjoyed plenty of success against the Lightning this season, operating with a 63% hit rate while averaging four shots per game over eight meetings.Toronto leans heavily on Marner under normal circumstances. With a chance to close out a series against the back-to-back champions - and earn an extra few rest days in the process - he could get even more run.Adrian Kempe over 3.5 shots (-130)Kempe is a man possessed right now. He's averaged a whopping 5.1 shots per game over his last 10 contests, including 5.4 in this series against the Edmonton Oilers.He's hit in four of five postseason games so far, falling but one puck short in the lone exception. Success against the Oilers is nothing new for Kempe; he's had their number all season long.Kempe has hit in seven of the Los Angeles Kings' nine games versus Edmonton (regular-season and playoffs) while averaging five shots on target per game. He's not just sneaking by; there's generally wiggle room.The Kings are playing for a spot in Round 2 and will have the ability to get Kempe on the ice for ideal matchups against a Darnell Nurse-less Oilers team. His success should continue.Leon Draisaitl over 3.5 shots (+120)There's nothing like backing star players in do-or-die spots. They see more run than usual and everything funnels through them. That makes Draisaitl very attractive.While he's failed to register four shots in three consecutive games, two of them were blowout victories in which he played 15 minutes or less. He has hit in two of his three games with at least 20 minutes of ice time, falling one short in the exception.It seems unlikely that a road elimination game will be a blowout spot for the Oilers. Draisaitl should see a ton of ice time in this spot, and you can bet he'll be looking to make his mark and avoid another early exit for the Oilers.With an implied 45% chance of recording four shots, there is value to be had backing Draisaitl.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews, Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin were announced as the 2021-22 Hart Trophy finalists on Thursday.Matthews repeated as the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner this season after becoming the first player to score 60 goals in a campaign since Steven Stamkos in 2011-12. The American center, who missed nine games this campaign, was on pace for 67 goals in 82 contests, a number that hasn't been reached since Mario Lemieux potted 69 in 1995-96.Matthews, a two-time Hart nominee, is widely considered the front runner for the award thanks in part to his defensive game. The 24-year-old averaged a whopping 3.66 takeaways per 60 minutes this season, and Toronto controlled almost 64% of the expected goals with the pivot on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.McDavid is looking to capture his third career Hart Trophy after earning his fourth nomination. The 25-year-old phenom bagged the Art Ross Trophy for the second straight campaign after leading all skaters with a career-best 123 points in 80 regular-season contests.If McDavid wins, he'd become the first player to earn two consecutive Hart Trophies since Alex Ovechkin went back-to-back in 2007-08 and 2008-09. It'd also mark the third straight season that the Hart Trophy ended up in Edmonton, as Leon Draisaitl received the honor in 2019-20.Shesterkin, who earlier this week was also named a Vezina Trophy finalist as the league's top goaltender, was a key component to the Rangers' success this season. He led the NHL in save percentage (.935) and goals against average (2.07) among netminders who played at least 25 games this regular season.The 26-year-old also paced all players, including skaters, in wins above replacement (8.9), according to Evolving Hockey. A first-time nominee, Shesterkin is looking to become the third goalie to win the Hart Trophy this century and the latest since Carey Price in 2014-15.The Professional Hockey Writers Association determines the winner of the Hart Trophy, which is given annually "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team."The victor will be revealed sometime during the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Wednesday night was a good one for our best bets, as the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers both erased deficits en route to multi-goal victories on home ice.We'll look to have another successful night with a pair of games Thursday.Wild (-110) @ Blues (-110)The Minnesota Wild find themselves on the brink of elimination following a disastrous third period. I'm going right back to them in this spot.Yes, the Wild have dropped three of five and are now on the road. That's hardly ideal. But I can't ignore the way they've dictated play at five-on-five.Minnesota has controlled a hair under 58% of the expected goal share in that game state. Only the Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Flames grade out better. The Avalanche, as you all know, swept their first-round opponent, while the Flames and Penguins find themselves in the driver's seat.The Wild are generating their share of opportunities, and no team has allowed fewer high-danger chances at full strength. Sooner or later, you have to think that'll reflect on the scoreboard.I'm still not sold on the St. Louis Blues' defense without Torey Krug, nor am I sold that Jordan Binnington, who posted a .891 save percentage over 19 games in 2022, will continue playing mistake-free hockey.If the Wild can stay out of the box against this lethal Blues power play, they should be able to bring the series home for Game 7.Bet: Wild (-110)Hurricanes (+105) @ Bruins (-125)This has been a series of home-ice advantage, with the hosts winning all five meetings thus far. I expect that trend to continue Thursday night.The Boston Bruins have slapped the Carolina Hurricanes around through two games in Boston. They've controlled nearly 63% of the expected goal share across all game states while outscoring the Hurricanes 9-4.Antti Raanta wasn't available for one of those games, but I'm not sure it would've mattered considering how well Boston performed.I don't think the Bruins will be impacted by playing with their backs against the wall. They've been in this situation many times before - they can handle the pressure.The likely return of Hampus Lindholm should be a huge help as well. He's appeared in only two of the five games thus far, helping the Bruins control a defense-leading 66% of the expected goal share.Lindholm can chew up minutes in bulk while providing strong defensive play and a stabilizing presence. With last change, Bruce Cassidy will be able to maximize Lindholm's abilities and get him out there to help neutralize Carolina's best players.It might not be easy, but expect the Bruins to ride their experienced stars and level the series.Bet: Bruins (-125)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames won 3-1 on Wednesday to push the underdog Dallas Stars to the brink of elimination. Keep an eye on these three storylines in Game 6 and - if the Stars extend the series - Game 7.Oettinger's response Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesBefore this month, Jake Oettinger's NHL playoff experience was limited to two periods of mop-up duty during the Stars' charge to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020. He faced eight shots and didn't allow a goal. Maybe that was an early sign he's built for the spring spotlight.Phenomenal goaltending has been the story of this series, and Oettinger is its biggest revelation. He's not at fault for Dallas' deficit. He's the obstacle Calgary has to overcome to close out the Stars and advance. Oettinger's postseason stats - a .956 save percentage and a league-best 8.07 goals saved above average - suggest the 23-year-old is capable of stealing Game 6 and turning Game 7 at Scotiabank Saddledome into a coin flip.Beating Oettinger has required pinpoint finishing. Elias Lindholm sniped three goals early in the series when Dallas kept losing him in the slot. Rasmus Andersson ripped a slapper past Oettinger at five-on-three in Game 4, and Johnny Gaudreau's nifty deke on a penalty shot opened his five-hole. In Game 5, Oettinger was powerless to stop Mikael Backlund's tap-in before Andrew Mangiapane wired a wrister in off the post.Dallas' defensive play was stronger Wednesday than it was when Oettinger's 50 saves kept Game 4 close. According to Natural Stat Trick, only six Calgary shot attempts in Game 5 rated as high-danger opportunities; the Flames racked up 25 in both Game 3 and Game 4. Oettinger stonewalled Matthew Tkachuk on an early breakaway Wednesday but otherwise didn't have to sweat much through two periods.The balance the Flames struck between patience and urgency paid off late and delivered the win. Knowing Oettinger hasn't whiffed on a shot all month, Backlund and Mangiapane were precise when they got their opportunities to strike. How will the young netminder respond in Dallas?Mangiapane's awakening Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesOn the first shift of Game 5, Mangiapane beelined down the left wing and took a flip pass from Backlund at the offensive blue line. As he squared to shoot on the move, Jani Hakanpaa dislodged the puck with his long reach and thrust Mangiapane hard into the boards.This series has been a slog for Calgary's secondary scorers, who haven't produced as expected. Mangiapane, the MVP of the 2021 world championships, springboarded from that event to a breakout 35-goal regular season. Calgary traded its first-round pick so that Tyler Toffoli could provide 20-goal punch. Blake Coleman had double-digit point totals in both of the Tampa Bay Lightning's Stanley Cup runs.Calgary's second and third lines contributed a mere three points through the first four games of the series, with none from Mangiapane. But he took over Wednesday's third period, starting when he forced a turnover behind the Dallas net and fed Backlund for a one-timer that Oettinger gloved. The duo connected on Backlund's goal when Mangiapane, thinking shrewdly, spun and passed a loose puck he'd retrieved toward the crease instead of backward to the point.Other Flames forwards had prime looks in Game 5. Dillon Dube drew a slashing penalty while Oettinger denied him on a partial break. One chance that Toffoli rang off iron landed behind the Stars goalie and slid through the crease, leaving Toffoli shaking his head on the bench afterward.For Calgary to go deep this year, more of these players will need to step up to support the first line. The Stars still haven't scored against Tkachuk, Lindholm, and Gaudreau at five-on-five, but Tkachuk has yet to resemble a 104-point scorer. Rough play and settling scores with John Klingberg have sidetracked him at times, so it's worth tracking his offensive shifts in Game 6 to see what he can conjure.Stars' last hurrah Derek Leung / Getty ImagesDoes Dallas have enough offensive juice to win two more games?Rick Bowness' lineup shuffling yielded results in Game 5 when Jason Robertson, demoted to the second line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, got a fortunate bounce on an odd-man rush. Robertson's first tally was the Stars' lone goal Wednesday because Jacob Markstrom otherwise stood tall, stopping Joe Pavelski point-blank later in the second period and again as time waned in the third.Video review supplies the blueprint to stifle Dallas' attack and end the series. Pavelski has scored on a sweet tip and on two rebounds he deposited by the crease, once when he waltzed in undefended on a power-play rush. Seguin got the puck as the trailer on a similar rush in Game 4 and beat Markstrom through traffic over his glove. Markstrom saved Robertson's wrister in tight in Game 5, but the puck deflected in off Noah Hanifin's arm.In other words, Pavelski is uniquely threatening among Stars forwards, while a couple of his teammates have cashed opportunities in transition. If the Flames minimize Dallas' rush chances, Markstrom could well improve his own immaculate save percentage - a .952 mark on 53 fewer shots faced than Oettinger.The Stars have scored as many goals against Calgary - eight, including two into empty nets - as the Edmonton Oilers potted in a single blowout win over the Los Angeles Kings last week. Dallas was outshot 16-5 in the third period as it squandered the lead Wednesday and, like Edmonton, now faces elimination. For Oettinger to prolong the Stars' season, he needs help in the form of Benn or top-line center Roope Hintz pressuring Markstrom more than they have been.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames are one win from advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after defeating the Dallas Stars 3-1 on Wednesday night in Game 5.Calgary scored three goals in the third period, and Andrew Mangiapane broke a 1-1 deadlock midway through the frame to provide Calgary the edge before Trevor Lewis deposited an empty-netter.Jacob Markstrom made 20 saves in the victory, Calgary's second in a row after falling behind 2-1 in the series.Game 6 goes Friday in Dallas. The Flames haven't advanced to the second round since 2015.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette had mixed criticism for his team following Wednesday's 5-3 loss against the Florida Panthers."There's two games that were played. There was the game to push it to 3-0 where I liked everything we did, including the power play, the penalty kill, and the five-on-five play," Laviolette said postgame. "And then there's the game that took place after that where if you play against a team like Florida that is a high-octane team, we're just feeding them, and we can't."Washington took a commanding 3-0 lead against the Panthers in Game 5 but surrendered five unanswered goals to lose the pivotal matchup. The team was also minutes away from winning Game 4 before allowing a late equalizer that led to an overtime loss.T.J. Oshie, who scored two goals Wednesday, also wasn't happy that his team couldn't hold on to such a big lead."Giving up a three-goal lead, I don't know how many times we've done that this year," Oshie said. "But in the playoffs, it should be easier to keep playing the same way and getting pucks deep and all that. But this swings momentum."Despite now being on the brink of elimination, Oshie still took some positives from the club's play and is looking ahead."We gotta reset here. Obviously, you don't want to be down 3-2, especially when we felt like we had a chance to go up 3-1 in the last game," Oshie said. "You just gotta regroup. We got a veteran group in there, a bunch of guys with a lot of great character, and we'll be a little pissed off here tonight, wake up tomorrow and head home and get back to work."The Capitals take on the Panthers in Game 6 on Friday in Washington.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby left Wednesday's Game 5 against the New York Rangers in the second period and didn't return.Specifics on Crosby's potential injury aren't confirmed at this point. However, he only played one shift after this collision with Rangers blue-liner Jacob Trouba.

Shane Wright, the projected No. 1 overall pick, is oozing confidence ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft."I think that based off all my work, this past year and into my past as well, I think I deserve to be the first overall pick," Wright said, per TSN. "I deserve to have that honor. I believe that I am the best player in this draft, and I believe that I should be taken first overall."The Montreal Canadiens won the draft lottery Tuesday night and own the top pick. The NHL will host the draft in Montreal on July 7.Wright has long been projected to go atop the draft after being granted exceptional-player status in the OHL as a 15-year-old for the 2019-20 season. The 18-year-old said he's happy with the lottery's outcome and would love to hear his name called by the Canadiens."Montreal would be an unbelievable place to go to if I'm lucky enough to be selected," Wright said. "I'm definitely super happy with how the results turned out."He added: "I think it would just be extra special. First of all, a dream come true just being drafted, and then to (possibly) be drafted first overall by a franchise in that city as well, in such an unbelievable city, with that sort of fan base and the history around that organization. It would be pretty incredible and a lifelong dream come true."Wright put up 94 points in 63 games with the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs this past season.Logan Cooley and Juraj Slafkovsky are expected to round out the top three of the draft. Both players' stocks have rapidly risen over the past few months.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We had a very successful regular season for shot totals and have found another level in the playoffs. Unfortunately, we hit some regression Tuesday, as all three of our players fell short of their respective totals.We'll look to get back on track with another trio for Wednesday's three-game slate.Jonathan Huberdeau over 2.5 shots (-143)Death, taxes, and backing Huberdeau on home ice. The Panthers star had a monstrous regular season and has carried that into the playoffs. Huberdeau has at least three shots in two of four games this postseason; one can guess where those games took place. That's right: Florida.Huberdeau has generated three shots or more in 31 of his last 36 games (regular season and playoffs) at FLA Live Arena. That's a ridiculous 86% success rate. Although the odds are starting to move, there is still real value in backing Huberdeau. These odds imply he has only a 58% chance of hitting three shots against the Capitals.Sam Bennett over 2.5 shots (-125)Bennett isn't Huberdeau, but he might well be the next best thing. Despite falling short in both home dates to start this series, Bennett enters Wednesday's contest having hit three shots in 22 of his last 30 in Florida. That's a 73% hit rate.He's one of the most efficient shot generators in the NHL, especially at home; he gets more ice time in advantageous situations and usually makes the most of it.The Panthers' offense has been prolific in this series with Bennett on the ice: No Florida forward has been on the ice for more shot attempts than Bennett (71 through four games). The Panthers get a ton of looks when Bennett is involved, and history tells us he'll take more than his fair share of them.Mikael Backlund over 2.5 shots (-106)Backlund isn't a player we've backed often, but there are several encouraging factors working in his favor here. For starters, the Flames center has feasted on the Stars all season, recording three shots or more in six of seven meetings this year. The lone exception was Game 4 of this first-round matchup; Backlund had two shots on target despite generating a whopping seven attempts. With that kind of volume, he was unlucky not to hit.Is this data telling, though, or has Backlund simply been lucky? The underlying numbers suggest the former. He's averaged 5.9 shot attempts against Dallas this season, well above his overall total of 4.4 per game.That's probably not a coincidence, as the Stars were one of the league's worst teams at preventing shots to centers down the stretch.The matchup is good, and Backlund has consistently taken advantage of it. Look for him to do so again in Game 5.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse will miss one game for headbutting Los Angeles Kings forward Phillip Danault on Tuesday night.Nurse launched himself at Danault in the final seconds of the second period during the Kings' 5-4 win in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.

Will demons be exorcised at Amalie Arena on Thursday?Following a wild 4-3 victory Tuesday, the same Toronto Maple Leafs core that's failed to close out consecutive series against the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Montreal Canadiens now has a chance to eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of a seesaw first-round matchup."I don't think tonight is going to matter if we don't take the next step. The hardest step," Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters following Game 5.Keefe's right. Going up 3-2 on the Lightning isn't an accomplishment in and of itself. So, how might the Leafs take the "hardest step" on Thursday?We map it all out below.Deliver star-caliber performances Andrew Lahodynskyj / Getty ImagesThe NHL playoffs tend to bring all of hockey's tired cliches to the forefront. Most are just that - tired and eye roll-worthy. Yet every year a select few prove instructive, including, "Your best players need to be your best players."Toronto's four highest-paid players - Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander - must rise to the occasion in Game 6. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Their collective ineffectiveness in crucial games in the past has hung over this Leafs era like a stormy cloud, and the skies won't clear until they, at minimum, push the club into Round 2.The Leafs were putrid in the first period of Game 5. However, they redeemed themselves in the final 40 minutes as the Big 4, along with goalie Jack Campbell, led the way. Tavares, Nylander, and Matthews all scored, Marner earned the primary assist on Matthews' game-winner, and a textbook display of puck protection by Tavares led to Toronto's other goal, potted by defenseman Morgan Rielly. Matthews was especially impactful, recording 13 shot attempts, issuing seven hits, and winning 11 of 18 faceoffs in 23:42. Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesMatthews and Marner have been steady over the series. They haven't always been super productive - and they've been tamer on the road when Tampa Bay has held last change - but they've also never been a drag. Neither guy has been accused of disengaging like Nylander or disappearing for stretches like Tavares. The $11-million-a-year captain, in particular, entered Game 5 with a target on his back."John's time is going to come," Keefe said of Tavares on Tuesday morning, and it certainly did. Meanwhile, Nylander was instrumental in the 4-3 come-from-behind victory.That said, given the Big 4's checkered history and the roller-coaster vibe of this series, there's no guarantee all four of them will pop off in Game 6. Tampa Bay has regained last change, which means Matthews and Marner will get a healthy dose of shutdown forward Anthony Cirelli and all-world defenseman Victor Hedman. Hypothetically, while the Lightning focus on Matthews and Marner, Tavares and Nylander should be feasting on easier minutes. After all, you invest in a Big 4 in part to create matchup headaches for the opposition.It'll be interesting to see how that dynamic plays out in a do-or-die for Tampa Bay. Not only are the Lightning the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, but they're also a ludicrous 16-0 following their last 16 playoff losses. It's a mind-boggling stat, really. So, if there's one certainty heading into Thursday, it's that the Lightning won't be intimidated by a strong Game 5 by the Leafs' Big 4.Break even in the crease Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesThis high-powered matchup hasn't been kind to the goaltenders. Neither Campbell nor Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy has looked particularly sharp for longer than a couple of periods in a row, and their save percentages reflect it.Through five starts apiece, Campbell's sitting at .895, Vasilevskiy's at .880. The numbers are somewhat close only because Campbell had an awful Game 4 where he allowed five goals on 16 shots before getting pulled. Otherwise, the Leafs starter has undeniably been the better goalie, which is no small feat considering Campbell's a journeyman and Vasilevskiy's a future Hall of Famer.Campbell, who had an up-and-down regular season, was mostly phenomenal in Game 5. He surrendered two goals on his first four shots before settling in to save 30 of the next 31, including multiple point-blank opportunities by Nick Paul and a Steven Stamkos one-timer when Tampa Bay led 2-1.Goaltending is generally difficult to pin down game to game. It seems almost impossible to say for certain Campbell or Vasilevskiy is the better bet in Game 6. On one hand, Campbell is confident. He's coming off a well-earned win, so shouldn't he get the love? On the other hand, Vasilevskiy has a proven track record. He's the best goalie in the world, so shouldn't we expect him to shine brightest in a bounce-back scenario, especially with his season on the line?Goaltending is always an X-factor, but in this series, the skaters appear to be dictating the outcome. So, at the end of the day, if Campbell can simply be as good as Vasilevskiy, the Leafs' chances of finishing off the Lightning on Thursday go up substantially. Just break even.Rein in unicorn Hedman Richard Lautens / Getty ImagesHedman has arguably been the series' most valuable player through five games. He's been borderline dominant at times, and if he logs another fine performance in Game 6, expect Game 7 to go in Toronto on Saturday night."As Heddy goes, we go," is how Lightning coach Jon Cooper has framed it.Hedman, who earned his sixth straight Norris Trophy nomination earlier this week, has been a monster this series in all three zones. With the 6-foot-6, 240-pounder on the ice at five-on-five, Tampa Bay is controlling 57% of the shot attempts, 60% of the expected goals, and 63% of the goals scored. His seven points are tied for first on the Lightning with winger Nikita Kucherov.Tampa Bay players constantly moved their bodies and sticks into shooting lanes during Game 5. This led to Toronto forcing passes, firing the puck from weird angles, or shooting directly into shin pads. Naturally, Hedman played a huge role in the Lightning blocking 16 shots, as he tied for the team lead with three.Tampa Bay players also made a ton of stretch passes Tuesday. This led to plenty of odd-man rushes and breakaways. As you'd expect, Hedman contributed to this scheme, too, while not neglecting his defensive responsibilities. The Leafs' blue line has its weapons, yet there's no defenseman in the entire NHL who combines skating, smarts, size, and skill quite like Hedman. He's a unicorn.Hedman's not perfect (he wasn't great in Game 1). Still, similar to Vasilevskiy, Stamkos, Kucherov, and Brayden Point, he's got big-game DNA. If Toronto can somehow rein him in, it would solve a lot of the team's problems.Be aware of the environment Kevin Sousa / Getty ImagesThere are three key environmental factors the Leafs must be mindful of.First, the officiating standard. Both teams now have five games of intel on what is and isn't a penalty in this series. The mature approach is to adjust to the soft calls and play within the new boundaries. Toronto currently leads the playoffs with 24.4 penalty minutes per game. A power-play goal for Tampa Bay could spoil the elimination game and force a coin-toss Game 7.Second - and this is connected to the first factor - is the buzz inside Amalie Arena. Like we saw at Scotiabank Arena for Game 5, the crowds are getting raucous. So raucous, in fact, that it looked like Stamkos' second-period penalty on Matthews on Tuesday was assessed only after the hometown fans reacted to the collision. Hey, officials are human. They'll sometimes whistle iffy penalties based on crowd behavior. The Leafs have to watch themselves Thursday.Third, start on time. Going down 2-0 in the first period of Game 5 was dangerous business. The Leafs can't play with fire like that again if they expect to win this series. Bringing intensity to the first shift and not letting your foot off the gas is a basic concept, but, for whatever reason, Toronto has a history of easing into games. It can't happen Thursday, plain and simple.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Our best bets were a mixed bag Tuesday night. The Toronto Maple Leafs came through for us on home soil but, unfortunately, the Minnesota Wild fell apart down the stretch against the St. Louis Blues.We'll aim for better results with two plays for Wednesday night.Capitals (+180) @ Panthers (-220)It took some time, but the Florida Panthers are starting to come into their own in this series. They're generating chances at a higher rate than earlier on, which is scary considering all the weapons they have in their arsenal.Florida should have some extra pep in its step following a comeback victory in Game 4. The Panthers should also be encouraged by their improved five-on-five play. Florida is at a point where the team is controlling the overall run of play at full strength.The Panthers' expected goal share sits at nearly 54% through four games. The Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, and Wild are the only teams that have fared better in that game state. Of that group, only Minnesota trails in its series.It goes without saying that a team with as much star power and depth as the Panthers is going to come out on top more often than not when they have edges in the chance department. That should continue to be the case in this game as Florida generated shots, chances, and goals at a higher rate on home ice during the regular season than every other team in the league.The Capitals have put up a good fight to this point, but I think the Panthers are going to hit another level and put Washington on the brink.Bet: Panthers in regulation (-145)Stars (+180) @ Flames (-220)This is the most lopsided 2-2 series you'll see. The Flames are rolling the Dallas Stars at five-on-five, giving up nothing defensively while generating very efficient shots.Calgary's share of the expected goals sits at 59.56% at five-on-five. For perspective, the Avalanche posted a 59.66 xGF% in their sweep over the Nashville Predators.It's not an exaggeration to say the only reason the Stars are in this series is the play of Jake Oettinger. He owns a .960 save percentage through four games, with .943 being his worst showing thus far.As good as Oettinger is, though, it's unrealistic to expect him to perform at that kind of level while seeing such large workloads. He'll hit a wall - perhaps sooner than later - and then the Flames will run away with the series.Calgary was a dominant home side all season long. The team has started to separate itself from the Stars in this series, and I think that'll continue in Game 5.Look for the Flames to win inside 60 minutes, putting them in position to advance to the second round as early as Friday.Bet: Flames in regulation (-130)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider, Anaheim Ducks phenom Trevor Zegras, and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting are the finalists for the Calder Trophy in 2021-22.Seider led all rookies in assists (43), average time on ice (23:02), and blocked shots (161) while playing all 82 games. The 21-year-old German also ranked fourth in the class in points (50) and third in shots on goal (187).Zegras captivated the hockey world with several jaw-dropping plays, but he was far more than a viral star. The American forward tied for second in the rookie class in goals (23), ranked third in assists (38), and finished second in points with 61 across 75 games.The 21-year-old produced the second-most even-strength points (44) among his contemporaries, and Red Wings rookie Lucas Raymond was the only first-year forward to average more ice time.Bunting, who turns 27 in September, led all rookie forwards in assists (40) and topped the entire class in points (63). He tied with Zegras for second in goals and tied for the lead among his peers in even-strength markers (21). The Canadian forward also led the class in even-strength points (58) by a wide margin of 14 while playing in 79 games.The Professional Hockey Writers Association votes to determine the winner of the Calder Trophy, which is awarded annually to "the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League."To be considered a rookie, a player "must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons, nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons. Any player at least 26 years of age (by Sept. 15th of that season) is not considered a rookie."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Instead of working to determine which hockey team is better ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, we apparently only needed to exercise some restraint and avoid betting Game 1 to find value. That way, we could've just piled into the loser of each series' first game to even the series in Game 2.Losers of Game 1 went 6-2 on the moneyline in Game 2. The exceptions were the Predators - whom the Avalanche swept - and the Bruins, who eventually drew even back in Boston.All of this is said in hindsight, but it's worth looking at a pair of issues around the concept of the "bounce-back game." How much of an adjustment, if any, are oddsmakers making for a bounce-back performance, and how much better does a team play after a Game 1 loss?Moneyline market adjustmentLet's compare the losing teams' consensus closing moneylines for Game 1 and what they closed at before Game 2:TEAMGM1 CLOSING MLGM2 CLOSING MLBruins+100+100Lightning+100+115Wild-130-135Oilers-205-210Rangers-140-170Panthers-245-265Predators+250+280Stars+195+205The Lightning, Predators, and Stars were the only losers to get a better price in Game 2. The market, never shy to back the Maple Leafs, got ahead of itself after the team's convincing Game 1 win. Meanwhile - whether it was the Wild, Oilers, and Panthers after a loss or the Avalanche and Flames after a win - the big favorite had their price pushed even higher.With the Penguins forced to go with their third-string goaltender, the Rangers were bet out to -170 - the biggest discrepancy of the eight games. The move was a 4.5% increase in implied win probability and ended up being worth it when New York won.Overall, the market didn't react strongly to the idea of a bounce-back situation for any of the various "types" of teams.Even-strength playKnowing oddsmakers and the betting market don't overreact after a loss - and considering the 6-2 record - did teams actually play better in a bounce-back situation? Or was it just a matter of the puck going in at a better rate?Let's look at the even-strength expected goal share for each team in Game 2 compared to the first game.TEAMGM1 5-ON-5 XG%GM2 5-ON-5 XG%Bruins*58.6%69.8%Lightning44.6%52.7%Wild61.8%45.1%Oilers43.1%64.8%Rangers34.1%36.4%Panthers44.1%58.3%Predators*43.9%30.8%Stars46.9%45.1%The Bruins and Predators need asterisks as they lost both games on the road, but at least Boston improved its already good even-strength play.The Wild didn't play as well at five-on-five as they did in a Game 1 loss but won anyway. Then they lost again in Game 4 with a similar ratio. That series is just weird.The Lightning, Oilers, Rangers, and Panthers all improved their play in a win, while the Stars basically continued to play the Flames close to even and benefitted from the lone (non-empty net) goal the second time around.On average, teams that lost the first game of the series bounced back by playing 3.24% better at even strength in Game 2, albeit with a wide dispersion of results. If that was reflected in a moneyline, it'd look like the difference between -110 and -125 for a pick'em game or -200 and -233 for a heavier favorite.The 1-1 series refreshWith so many series at 1-1, the change in locations for Game 3 could be considered somewhat of a refresh.Five of the six teams that took a lead after Game 3 lost in Game 4, but the Panthers, Flames, and Kings were the only ones to improve their expected goal share in Game 4.With a little patience, bettors could have gone 11-3 on the moneyline just by relying on the NHL's signature parity. Though given the small sample size and mixed results of whether the trailing team can be expected to play better, bettors should be wary of blindly backing the bounce-back spot.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-2 in Game 5 on Tuesday to take a 3-2 series lead.Vladimir Tarasenko scored two goals in 68 seconds in the third period to help secure the victory. He later added an empty-netter to complete the natural hat trick.The Wild got off to an early lead thanks to two goals in the first period from Kirill Kaprizov. Ryan O'Reilly and Brandon Saad scored the Blues' other two goals in the contest.Jordan Binnington turned away 29 of the 31 shots he faced, while Marc-Andre Fleury allowed four goals on 31 shots.The Blues will have a chance to eliminate the Wild in Game 6 at home on Thursday night.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Veteran forward Jason Spezza didn't find the scoresheet in the Toronto Maple Leafs' Game 5 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, but he still profoundly affected the game's result.Spezza gave a moving speech in the dressing room during the first intermission to help fuel Toronto's comeback, according to his teammates."He's a great leader, and he's been around, and he knows what it takes, and when he speaks, we listen," William Nylander said postgame, per David Alter of The Leafs Nation.What message did Spezza deliver?"Just that it wasn't good enough, and we have to start battling in this game. That was the gist of the message," Nylander added. "We got our legs going in the second."The Maple Leafs got off to an abysmal start. The Lightning led 2-0 after the first period and seemed to be in control, producing 78.1% of the expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick.But Spezza's speech clearly kickstarted the club, as Toronto outscored Tampa 4-1 the rest of the way and controlled 74.1% of the expected goals in the final two periods."Spezz really spoke well, and I think everyone as a group understood that as each game passes by, the margin for error gets smaller and smaller," captain John Tavares said.Spezza was a healthy scratch in the first two games of the series in favor of Kyle Clifford and Wayne Simmonds, but he hasn't come out of the lineup since.The 38-year-old is in his 19th NHL season and still seeking his first Stanley Cup ring.The Maple Leafs lead the Lightning 3-2 and have a chance to secure their first playoff series win since 2004 in Game 6 on Thursday night.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Has Filip Forsberg played his last game with the Nashville Predators? The pending unrestricted free-agent winger hopes not."I've said that since Day 1: The goal is to come back here," Forsberg said following Nashville's elimination from the playoffs Monday, per NHL.com's John Glennon. "The business side is completely different than the on-ice side. (We'll) just kind of have to wait and see and play it out."There's been obviously some (negotiation) progression throughout the season from where we started in September, and me and my agent and (the Predators front office) are going to be in ongoing conversation in the process. We'll just have to see where we end."Forsberg appeared to be soaking in what potentially could be his final game as a home player at Bridgestone Arena after the Colorado Avalanche eliminated the Predators.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions are one loss away from having their season end.The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in Game 5 on Tuesday to take a 3-2 lead in the series.The Leafs trailed 2-0 after a dismal first period but came from behind to earn the victory.Auston Matthews scored the game-winning goal with six minutes left in the contest via a shot-pass off Andrei Vasilevskiy's pad from Mitch Marner during a two-on-one rush.Toronto will look to secure its first playoff series victory since 2004 in Thursday's Game 6 in Tampa Bay.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Boston Bruins 5-1 in Game 5 on Tuesday to take a 3-2 series lead.The series will shift back to Boston for Game 6 on Thursday where the Hurricanes will have a chance to advance to Round 2.Tony DeAngelo, Vincent Trocheck, and Teuvo Teravainen each had three points while Seth Jarvis added two goals.Connor Clifton scored a goal midway through the third period to finally get the Bruins on the board, but it was too little too late.Jeremy Swayman allowed four goals on the 37 shots he faced, while Antti Raanta stopped 34 of 35 shots.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has cleared COVID-19 protocol and is in the lineup for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Montreal Canadiens won the draft lottery Tuesday and will get the No. 1 selection in the upcoming 2022 NHL Draft hosted in Montreal.The Canadiens haven't drafted first overall since the club selected Doug Wickenheiser in 1980.New Jersey moved up to second overall after entering Tuesday with the fifth-best odds of winning the lottery.Here are the full results:PickTeam1Montreal Canadiens2New Jersey Devils3Arizona Coyotes4Seattle Kraken5Philadelphia Flyers6Columbus Blue Jackets (via Chicago)7Ottawa Senators8Detroit Red Wings9Buffalo Sabres10Anaheim Ducks11San Jose Sharks12Columbus Blue Jackets13New York Islanders14Winnipeg Jets15Vancouver Canucks16Buffalo Sabres (via Vegas)Shane Wright has for years been the consensus No. 1 pick for the 2022 draft. He was granted exceptional-player status in the OHL as a 15-year-old for the 2019-20 season. Wright posted 94 points in 63 games with the Kingston Frontenacs during the 2021-22 campaign.This will be the Devils' fourth pick in the top five of the draft since 2017. The club selected Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes first overall and Luke Hughes fourth overall over that period.Forwards Logan Cooley and Juraj Slafkovsky are projected to round out the top three picks of this year's draft.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Story contains coarse language.Former Nashville Predators captain Jason Arnott was apparently not a big fan of his old teammate and current Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter.Arnott and Suter played together in Nashville for four seasons from 2006-07 to 2009-10. Arnott said Suter has attitude problems, especially in contrast to Shea Weber - who succeeded Arnott as the Predators' captain in 2010-11."The attitude of (Suter) was night and day to (Weber)," Arnott said on The Cam & Strick Podcast Tuesday. "All he would do is complain about how come he's not on the power play, how come he doesn't play enough, 'I can't believe this guy's making this much money.'"(Weber), he was night and day," Arnott continued. "He wanted to learn, super respectful, played hard, so two different dynamics of mentality of players."Predators general manager David Poile made his preference clear between the star defensemen during the summer of 2012. A 27-year-old Suter left Nashville as an unrestricted free agent, signing a 13-year, $98-million contract with the Minnesota Wild.Twenty days later, the Predators matched a 14-year, $110-million offer sheet to keep the 26-year-old Weber.Arnott also claims that Suter's attitude played a part in his departure from the Wild this past summer. Minnesota bought out the remaining four seasons of his contract in the offseason, leaving substantial dead cap hits on the books for the next three years."I heard he was a huge distraction in that (Wild) dressing room," Arnott said. "Knowing (general manager Bill Guerin), he's not putting up with that and he's cleaning house."He added: "Now look at them. They have a phenomenal team without all that money and distraction."The 37-year-old signed a four-year, $14.6-million contract with the Dallas Stars after getting bought out by the Wild.Suter isn't the only member of the Stars that Arnott had an issue with in Nashville, though. Arnott also said that a young Alexander Radulov was a distraction."We'd be surrounded by (head coach Barry Trotz) doing a play on the board at practice and all you'd hear was 'ting, ting' and I looked down at the other end and (Radulov) was shooting pucks," Arnott said.He added: "So I pulled him aside one day and I go 'you do that again and I'm gonna fucking tear your head off. Don't ever disrespect the team like that.'"Despite stellar production, Radulov never stuck in Nashville. He played two seasons with the Preds from 2006-08, left for the KHL, returned to Nashville for nine games in 2011-12, then bolted back to the KHL for another four seasons. He returned to the NHL again with the Montreal Canadiens in 2016-17 and has now spent the last five years in Dallas.Arnott spent 18 seasons in the NHL, including four with Nashville, and won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2000. He retired in 2013.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jack Eichel's solid production with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021-22 is suddenly a lot more impressive.Golden Knights president of hockey operations George McPhee revealed Tuesday that the center played through an injury down the stretch while continuing to fit in seamlessly with his new club."What most people probably wouldn't know is that he ... broke his thumb in a bad way about three or four weeks into his return," McPhee said on "The Bob McCown Podcast." "It was non-displaced so he didn't have to have surgery, but it was a bad fracture and the guy didn't miss a game."We had to numb him up, and it wasn't easy because when that wore off, he was in a lot of pain. But he toughed it out for six weeks with that."McPhee added that the Golden Knights didn't have much hesitation about performing the artificial disc replacement surgery Eichel wanted, which the Buffalo Sabres were unwilling to approve before trading him to Vegas."We did as much research as you could do, and boy, there weren't many second thoughts," McPhee said. "It just seemed to be a great advancement in modern medicine and as procedures go, it sounded like it was pretty simple, but it's more elaborate than people would know."Eichel debuted with Vegas on Feb. 16. The Golden Knights ultimately missed the playoffs, but that wasn't their prized acquisition's fault. He racked up 14 goals and 11 assists over 34 games with the team down the stretch, including nine goals and seven assists across his final 21 contests beginning March 15.The 25-year-old also drove possession with the Pacific Division squad. He posted favorable expected goals for (50.58) and scoring chances for (50.94) percentages at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.Eichel is under contract through 2025-26 at a $10-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shot totals continue to treat us very well, as we've profited in four consecutive posts, including picking up a 3-0 sweep along the way.Let's look at the some of the best values for Tuesday night's slate.Brayden Point over 2.5 shots (-125)Brayden Point is quietly on a nice little shooting run, registering at least four shots in three consecutive games and generating 14 total over that span.The Tampa Bay Lightning have been playing him on the wing with Anthony Cirelli rather than with the marquee stars they have, and having more puck to go around has led to a bigger offensive role and higher shot volume.Point's line isn't going to garner attention from the Toronto Maple Leafs' best matchup units, and Cirelli nor Alex Killorn are likely to be overly trigger-happy. This is a good spot for Point to keep firing.Mitch Marner over 2.5 shots (-167)I generally try and dig up plays close to even money, but I think Mitch Marner is worth the price of admission here. He has hit the over in five of seven meetings against the Lightning this year, averaging 7.4 attempts per contest - well above his season average of 5.9 attempts.Now Marner finds himself back on home soil, where Sheldon Keefe can get him more advantageous matchups than possible on the road. That's a nice plus.I also expect Keefe to rely even more heavily on his stars in this spot. He'll leave no stone unturned to avoid letting the back-to-back champions put the Leafs on the brink, especially with Game 6 coming in their building.The Leafs should put their best foot forward in this game, meaning Marner will be among those leading the charge.Evander Kane over 3.5 shots (-125)Evander Kane is at another level with his shot generation right now. The gritty winger is throwing pucks at the net every chance he gets, piling up 36 attempts and 23 shots on target through just four games. That equates to nine attempts and nearly six shots on goal per game - insane volume.Playing on a line with Connor McDavid means you get the puck in dangerous areas a lot, and Kane clearly isn't shy about taking those chances.To put his shot volume into perspective, Kane is 12 attempts - and 10 shots on target - ahead of the next closest Edmonton Oilers player.With the series all squared up, you can bet the Oilers will lean heavily on their big guns in this game. Expect Kane to play a big part once again.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Longtime San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau retired Tuesday after 23 NHL seasons.The 42-year-old confirmed his decision in The Players' Tribune. He's the league's all-time leader in games played with 1,779. He didn't suit up in the NHL this season.Marleau played 20 full campaigns and part of another with the Sharks, who drafted him second overall in 1997.The Saskatchewan-born skater spent his first 19 seasons with San Jose before playing two with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He then suited up for 58 games with his original club in 2019-20 before the Sharks traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the deadline.Marleau re-signed with San Jose in October 2020 and broke Gordie Howe's games played record of 1,767 in April 2021."(Retirement is) bittersweet for sure, but I have so much to look forward to," Marleau wrote in a piece published Tuesday. "Who knows what the world has in store for me. If you would have told that kid on the frozen pond that he would break a games played record held by none other than Gordie Howe, he would have thought you were crazy."It was never something I aimed for; it was just me loving this game so much that I never, ever wanted to hang up my skates."Marleau is the Sharks' all-time leader in goals, points, even-strength goals, power-play goals, shorthanded goals, game-winners, and shots on goal.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Monday was a good night for our best bets - the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche both came through with regulation victories.After backing a pair of road sides, we'll flip the switch and try our luck with two home teams Tuesday night.Lightning (+105) @ Maple Leafs (-125)This is one of the most evenly matched opening-round series, which is what we expected heading into the playoffs.The Toronto Maple Leafs' 16-14 lead on the scoreboard is reflective of the series as a whole. The margins are very slim, but Toronto's been slightly better than the Tampa Bay Lightning, controlling 51% of the shots and 52% of the expected goals across all situations.I like the Maple Leafs to get a result tonight and put the Lightning on the brink. While the two sides split in each building, home ice has been very important in this series.Toronto can get Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner ice time in more advantageous situations. David Kampf's line will take some of the load off and eat ice against Tampa's best, which will make a big impact.Matthews and Marner combined for 10 points through the first two games to help Toronto outplay Tampa Bay at five-on-five. But it was a very different story on the road: The superstar duo combined for two points, and the Lightning outchanced the Leafs with them on the ice - Marner especially.It's fair to say stars have been the deciders each night. With the Maple Leafs at home and in better position to extract more from theirs, I expect them to prevail.Bet: Maple Leafs (-125)Blues (+115) @ Wild (-140)This series is also tied through four games, but I love what I've seen from the Minnesota Wild and am confident they're the better side.The St. Louis Blues have been slapped around at five-on-five all series long, controlling a hair over 40% of the expected goals and high-danger chances. Not great!Already dealing with issues defensively, the Blues now have a cluster of injuries on the back end. Torey Krug, Nick Leddy, and Robert Bortuzzo are all banged and expected to miss time. Krug is most important, of course, and head coach Craig Berube already announced that the 31-year-old will be out for a while.The Wild should come out with a convincing effort on home soil. With their best players out there, they should have no problem taking advantage of a very patchwork defense unit.Jordan Binnington getting the nod in goal would be another positive for Minnesota. He held his own last time out but posted an .891 save percentage over 19 games after the calendar flipped. He's not in great form and can be exploited.Bet: Wild (-140)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nathan MacKinnon believes Cale Makar may be more than just one of the top defensemen in the NHL."He might be the best player in the league right now," MacKinnon said after the Colorado Avalanche's series-clinching win over the Nashville Predators on Monday night."The way he dominates from the back end is amazing - all season, but (in) these playoffs, he's taken another step with his leadership in the room, being more vocal, and obviously on the ice. … He might be one of the best (defensemen) to ever play by the end of his career at this rate," MacKinnon added.Makar notched a goal and two assists in Monday's 5-3 victory, giving him 10 points in these playoffs - the most in NHL history by a blue-liner through four games of a postseason. He entered Tuesday as the NHL's playoff points leader.The 23-year-old is a finalist for the Norris Trophy. He topped all of the league's rearguards with 28 goals and ranked second at the position with 86 points while producing excellent underlying numbers this season.Makar led the NHL among defensemen and ranked eighth among all skaters in both wins above replacement (four) and goals above replacement (22.7), according to Evolving Hockey. He also posted stellar expected goals for (57.05) and scoring chances for (57.44) percentages at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.The Avalanche standout narrowly lost the Norris Trophy to Adam Fox of the New York Rangers last campaign after claiming the Calder Trophy in 2019-20.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Igor Shesterkin, Jacob Markstrom, and Juuse Saros are the Vezina Trophy finalists for 2021-22.Shesterkin led the NHL in save percentage among goaltenders who played at least seven games this season, posting a stellar mark of .935 over 53 contests. He went 36-13-4 with six shutouts, and he was the biggest reason the New York Rangers exceeded expectations.The 26-year-old is the first Rangers finalist since Henrik Lundqvist, who accomplished the feat five times and won it in 2011-12.Markstrom posted a 37-15-9 record while authoring a .922 save percentage in 63 games. He led the league with nine shutouts, helping the Calgary Flames unexpectedly win the Pacific Division.The 32-year-old is the Flames' first Vezina Trophy finalist since Miikka Kiprusoff in 2006-07. Markstrom would be only the second Calgary player to win it along with Kiprusoff, who took it home in 2005-06.Saros topped all NHL netminders with 67 games played and faced more shots than anyone not named Connor Hellebuyck this season. Saros went 38-25-3 with a .918 save percentage and four shutouts. He helped guide the Nashville Predators to a playoff berth.The 27-year-old is the second player in franchise history to be a finalist for this award along with Pekka Rinne, who did so four times and won it in 2017-18.The NHL's 32 general managers vote to determine this award at the end of the regular season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As Game 5 action looms in the first round of the playoffs, one series is done while six matchups are deadlocked at two wins apiece. These trends and performances have shaped the NHL postseason so far.Scorers can't be stopped Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesDisregard the old saying that it's harder to score in the postseason. Offense surged in 2021-22 to heights unseen in 26 years, and the trendline has kept rising in May.Teams combined to score 6.28 goals per game during the regular season, the most since the league saw the same average in 1995-96. Through Monday's playoff action, teams have potted 6.56 goals per game - 7.00 exactly when excluding the Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars, whose goalie duel is a glaring outlier.The offensive barrage keeps generating blowouts. Almost half the games played so far have been decided by four goals or more. Twelve of 16 playoff squads have scored five goals in a game, and seven have done so more than once. A flood of empty netters has seen teams that pull the goalie outscored 20-1.Game 4 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs typified the frenzy. Tampa Bay scored five early goals as it shelled Jack Campbell in its 7-3 win. The other five tallies came late as the Maple Leafs heated up, with the Lightning striking twice on the empty net. Tampa Bay also had eight power plays because Toronto's extracurricular stickwork - slashes, hooks, high sticks - kept getting penalized.Referees are enforcing a strict standard. They've granted 263 power-play opportunities so far, or 8.22 per game. There were 5.78 man advantages per game during the regular season and 5.49 in the 2021 playoffs. It's telling that Connor McDavid has drawn four penalties after getting zero calls in the past two postseasons; the Edmonton Oilers' power play is one of seven league-wide that's averaging a goal per game or better.Most series are tied, though only three games have required overtime. The losing goalie impressed in a couple of those outings. Igor Shesterkin stopped 79 pucks to help the New York Rangers push the Pittsburgh Penguins to three extra periods. When Connor Ingram made 49 straight saves in the Nashville Predators' 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, his night to remember was Colorado's only low-scoring game of the first round.Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, meanwhile, became the third player in the salary-cap era to record 10 points in a four-game series. Nathan MacKinnon is up to five goals, as are Jake Guentzel, Evander Kane, Kirill Kaprizov, and David Perron.Goaltending drama Joe Sargent / NHL / Getty ImagesIngram, Nashville's third-string goalie, stepped in when Juuse Saros sprained his ankle and Colorado chased David Rittich. Louis Domingue, Pittsburgh's third goalie, won the triple-overtime game in relief of Casey DeSmith after devouring spicy pork and broccoli at the intermission. Pyotr Kochetkov, the Carolina Hurricanes' third goalie, came off the bench to replace Antti Raanta and beat the Boston Bruins in the fourth NHL game he'd ever played.Thanks to injuries and defensive woes, 26 netminders have already appeared in the postseason. That doesn't include the established starters who have been sidelined since April: Saros, Pittsburgh's Tristan Jarry, and Carolina's Frederik Andersen.Few goalies are enjoying themselves. Four Game 1 starters - Rittich, Linus Ullmark, Ville Husso, and Vitek Vanecek - wobbled early and were benched for their respective backups. Campbell, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Jonathan Quick all have save percentages below .900. Even Shesterkin, the Vezina Trophy lock, has been lit up and yanked in two Rangers defeats.So who's playing well? According to Natural Stat Trick, Edmonton's Mike Smith has saved 4.58 goals above average in his four starts, ranking him second in the playoffs to Jake Oettinger of Dallas (6.97). Oettinger was the Stars' fourth-string option when the season started, but he's looked unflappable in thwarting Calgary's attack. His .960 save percentage - Oettinger has surrendered six goals in four games - remains sparkling. Glenn James / NHL / Getty ImagesFaltering favoritesColorado swept Nashville, yet two matchups that were lopsided on paper are knotted up. The Flames and Panthers won their respective Game 4s on Monday, but both have looked vulnerable at times instead of asserting their superiority.The Flames needed 53 shots to overcome Oettinger in Game 4. They beat him at five-on-three and on Johnny Gaudreau's penalty shot before Calgary's top line connected at even strength. Gaudreau's five-on-five scoring splits - 3.58 points per 60 minutes in the regular season, 2.31 in the playoffs despite a rash of chances - reflect that this series has been the Oettinger show. At least Jacob Markstrom's response (.952 save percentage) bodes well.Escaping Washington with an overtime victory didn't solve Florida's problems on special teams. The regular-season juggernaut that scored more goals than any team this century is the only playoff club without a power-play tally. The Panthers are mired in an 0-for-13 skid while the Capitals have gone 5-for-17. Washington has limited Florida's dangerous chances at five-on-five, and Ilya Samsonov's save percentage is .949 since he replaced Vanecek. Patrick Smith / Getty ImagesNames to watchThese three groups of players are under pressure to produce this week.Top scorers gone cold: This tag applied to Steven Stamkos until he bombed a slapper past Campbell early in Game 4. The same went for William Nylander until he scored twice on Vasilevskiy in garbage time, and for Sam Reinhart until he forced OT against the Capitals on Monday.Across the league, 30-goal forwards who have yet to net one in the playoffs include Anthony Duclair, Matthew Tkachuk, Andrew Mangiapane, Jason Robertson, Adrian Kempe, Pavel Buchnevich, and Kevin Fiala. Ryan Hartman and Mikko Rantanen haven't scored either, though both have five helpers. Mark Blinch / NHL / GettyDeadline acquisitions: Some March trade additions are contributing in May. Rangers pickups Frank Vatrano and Andrew Copp have combined to score five times. Colin Blackwell and Brandon Hagel have each scored a key goal in Toronto's series against the Lightning, and Hagel and Nick Paul have drawn five penalties apiece.Less positively, huge hits injured Boston's Hampus Lindholm and Pittsburgh's Rickard Rakell. As for the biggest names to move at the deadline, Claude Giroux has been quiet since scoring in Florida's playoff opener, Mark Giordano has been steady for Toronto in third-pairing minutes, and eight of the 11 goals Marc-Andre Fleury has allowed came in Minnesota's two losses.X-factors in 2-2 matchups: Here's one skater from every team to watch in the series that are tied.

Barry Trotz is out as New York Islanders head coach, as the club dismissed him Monday after four seasons.Trotz guided the Islanders to back-to-back semifinal-round appearances before they failed to qualify for the postseason in 2021-22. New York made the playoffs in his first three campaigns at the helm, bowing out in the second round in 2018-19.The 59-year-old won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top bench boss that season, three years after claiming it with the Washington Capitals.Trotz went 152-102-34 for a .587 points percentage with the Islanders."It's my role to make the best decision for the organization going forward and I believe this group of players needs a new voice. It's in no way negative on Barry Trotz," club president of hockey operations and general manager Lou Lamoriello said Monday, according to MSG's Shannon Hogan.Lamoriello added that he didn't consult the players and made the decision to part with Trotz on his own, per the New York Post's Mollie Walker.This season was a particularly difficult one for the Islanders. They played the first 13 games of their regular-season schedule on the road while awaiting the opening of UBS Arena and were then ravaged by a COVID-19 outbreak in November, which ultimately forced them to play 45 games in 90 nights to close out the campaign.Trotz turned the club into a defensive juggernaut after arriving in June 2018 following a four-year stint with the Capitals and 15 years with the Nashville Predators. He employed a suffocating system with New York, and the Islanders executed it to near-perfection for much of his time with the squad until this season's struggles.The Canadian coach led Washington to a Stanley Cup victory in 2018 before deciding to leave that team.Trotz will surely be a leading candidate for head coaching vacancies. The Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers already have openings. Winnipeg Jets interim coach Dave Lowry will be invited to interview for the role, but there's a chance he won't return. It's also unclear whether the Vancouver Canucks will retain Bruce Boudreau.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

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Florida Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette wasn't a fan of T.J. Oshie's hit on Sam Bennett in the third period of Game 4 on Monday night.The Washington Capitals winger caught Bennett up high right before Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a go-ahead goal. No penalty was called on the play.Here's another look:

New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant didn't mince words about his team's effort following a lopsided defeat in Game 4 at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins."Played soft, we were soft all over the ice," Gallant told reporters after the 7-2 loss. "That's the biggest difference - we were soft all over the ice."Pittsburgh dominated every facet of Monday's game. The Pens outshot the Rangers 41-24, outhit them 54-49, won 60.4% of the faceoffs, and controlled 79.2% of the expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick. Even MoneyPuck's Deserve-to-Win-O'Meter was as one-sided as it comes. MoneyPuck.comGallant disagreed with the notion that New York's lack of playoff experience compared to Pittsburgh's played a part in the blowout."I wouldn't use the word 'inexperienced,' I'd use the word(s) 'not committed to playing the right way,'" Gallant said. "We played the right way in New York, there's no reason why we can't play the right way tonight. It's not from the inexperienced guys, either. They're part of our group, but tonight you (saw) a lot of soft, bad plays by a lot of people. It was a team effort tonight."Gallant did excuse goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who was pulled for the second time this series after allowing six goals on 30 shots after two periods. The bench boss noted there were "probably four" goals that were deflected in, and added that the Vezina Trophy favorite will be back between the pipes for Game 5.Instead, Gallant pointed the finger at his team's collective defensive effort."There wasn't much commitment to playing defense tonight," Gallant said.This isn't the first time Gallant has berated his team after a loss this year. In March, he said his team should "be embarrassed" for hanging Shesterkin out to dry after a 6-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. In April, he called his club's performance "horseshit" after a 3-0 defeat to the New York Islanders.The Rangers, who trail the Pens 3-1 in the series, will try to keep their season alive Wednesday.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pierre McGuire is no longer a member of the Ottawa Senators' front office, the club confirmed to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch on Monday.The Senators hired McGuire last July on a three-year contract to be their senior vice president of hockey development. He primarily focused on scouting and the club's AHL affiliate in Belleville."We thank Pierre for his contributions and wish him the best in his future endeavours," the club said in a statement.McGuire had a lengthy stint as a television analyst with TSN and NBC before joining the Senators organization.The 60-year-old won a Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991-92. He went on to become the head coach of the Hartford Whalers for three seasons. McGuire also had a stint as a Senators scout and assistant coach in 1994.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper isn't starting Game 4 against the Nashville Predators due to the eye injury he sustained in Game 3, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said Monday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Bednar said Kuemper's eye is doing well but is still swollen. The netminder left Game 3 late in the first period after Predators forward Ryan Johansen inadvertently put his stick through the netminder's mask.The Colorado bench boss said postgame Saturday that Kuemper was a possibility to play Monday.Pavel Francouz is starting in Kuemper's place. Colorado's No. 2 goalie entered the team's Game 3 victory in relief of Kuemper, stopping 18 of the 20 shots he faced in the 7-3 win.The Avalanche enter Monday's contest in Nashville up 3-0 in the best-of-seven series.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A week ago, we took a look at the four matchups that began on Night 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and used the results of those games to find value on a team in-series.The four other series have each seen three games played. As we start the second week of hockey's best time of year, let's use a larger sample size to investigate if there's anything worth playing when push comes to shove in winning time - except Avalanche-Predators, which is essentially over.Penguins lead Rangers 2-1Igor Shesterkin being pulled from Game 3 in Pittsburgh wasn't an indictment of the netminder. Up to that point, the league's best goaltender this season was every bit worth the hype. However, it was an indication of the nature of small sample sizes and what's required of any goaltender to carry a team on his shoulders throughout the playoffs. It was also evidence that, for a short period of time, a journeyman NHL goalie can hold up with a good team in front of him.TEAM5-ON-5 XG5-ON-5 HDCHDGPenguins13.22586Rangers8.89322The numbers themselves are inflated thanks to the three overtimes in Game 1, but that gave us even more of a sample size of two teams playing at even strength.Having faced 26 more high-danger scoring chances at even strength, it's inevitable that Shesterkin would break. Even with his rough start in Game 3 factored in, stopping almost 90% of high-danger chances is much better than the league average of 87%.The problem is that the Penguins' replacement-level goaltenders have been every bit as good against the Rangers' best chances. Casey DeSmith and Louis Domingue have stopped 93.75% of the even-strength high-danger chances while Tristan Jarry's been out with a lingering injury.Along with their six high-danger conversions, the Penguins have three power-play goals and two markers on non-high-danger conversions - i.e. weak goals on Shesterkin. Eight of the Rangers' 12 tallies have come at even strength, but six of them have come from non-high-danger chances. While the Pens' goalies are making big saves, they're giving some goals back. Shesterkin hasn't been doing that.Best betIf you're looking to back the Penguins on the idea that the Rangers can't keep scoring soft, even-strength goals, a bet on Pittsburgh at -105 at home in Game 4 is probably the way to go versus paying the -160 series price. If that bet loses, coming back on the Pens at plus money to win the series at 2-2 will be the bet to make.Capitals lead Panthers 2-1TEAM5-ON-5 XG5-ON-5 HDCHDGCapitals6.44254Panthers6.81294I didn't see this coming. There was nothing from either the regular season or the recent playoff performances from the Capitals' core to indicate Washington would be competitive with the Panthers.Game 3 flattered the Capitals, as they converted at an unusually high rate on both the power play (2/6) and even-strength high-danger chances (2/9). However, in hockey betting, playing teams evenly while getting priced as a significant underdog is its own win.Best betThe Caps (+120) are still underdogs despite a series lead, which tells you oddsmakers are still reticent to buy into Washington. Instead, since the predictive metrics indicate a closer series, I'll shift gears to bet this matchup to go seven games and get plus money on over 6.5 games (+105).Stars lead Flames 2-1TEAM5-ON-5 XG5-ON-5 HDCHDGStars4.12241Flames4.54241After a very quiet pair of contests in Calgary, things went wild in Dallas with both teams doubling their even-strength high-danger chance outputs with 16 apiece.Every game has been played tightly in both predictive categories, but the expectation is that the Flames are the cream that will rise to the top over the course of seven games. We're already sitting on a series bet on the Stars (+1.5 games), but there's no denying the plausibility of the Flames taking two of the next three.Best betCalgary is -120 to win the series, and we can expect the Flames to be north of -200 in a seventh game at home. Grabbing that right now could set up a situation where you've already cashed the Stars (+1.5 games) and have a great price on the Flames in the last game of the series.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators, and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the three Norris Trophy finalists for 2021-22.Makar led all defensemen with 28 goals and ranked second at the position in points with 86 over 77 games this season. He also slotted in sixth among blue-liners in average ice time at 25:40, besting his two finalist counterparts in that regard.The 23-year-old was the runner-up for the Norris Trophy last season, losing out to Adam Fox of the New York Rangers by less than 9% of the vote. Makar won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in 2019-20.Makar's underlying numbers were superior to those of Josi and Hedman this season. The Avalanche controlled 57.05% of the expected goals and 57.44% of the scoring chances with Makar on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. Josi's figures in those categories were 51.59% and 52.04%, respectively, while Hedman authored percentages of 54.94 and 55.4.Josi topped all of his positional counterparts with 73 assists and 96 points in 80 contests during the 2021-22 campaign. He averaged 25:33 in ice time and also led all defensemen with 59 even-strength points.Hedman played all 82 games in the campaign, ranking third among rearguards in goals (20), second in assists (65), and third in points by a blue-liner behind Josi and Makar. Hedman won this award in 2017-18, and he's been a finalist in each of the four subsequent seasons.The Professional Hockey Writers Association votes on the Norris Trophy, which the NHL hands out annually to the defenseman who demonstrates "the greatest all-round ability in the position" during the regular season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shot totals continue to be very good to us this postseason as we won all three plays Friday night.We'll look to pick up where we left off as we start the week anew.Nazem Kadri over 3.5 shots (+120)Nazem Kadri hasn't skipped a beat since returning to the Colorado Avalanche's lineup. He's recorded eight shots per contest through just three games, which is well above his season average of 6.3.With arguably the league's most lethal side on the man advantage also dominating territorially at even strength against the Nashville Predators, Kadri is getting every opportunity to shoot the puck.Dating back to the regulation season, Kadri has recorded four shots and just a hair under eight attempts per game versus the Predators. At plus money, there appears to be real value in backing Kadri.Roman Josi over 3.5 shots (-112)Roman Josi is a cheat code, especially come playoff time. He's a very efficient shot-generator, and he plays so many minutes for Nashville that he's a real threat to hit each and every time out.Josi has recorded at least four shots in each game of this series against the Avs. He's also played no fewer than 24 minutes, even though two of the three contests were blowout losses. With the Predators' season on the line Monday, there's no doubt Josi will see as much ice as he can handle.Combine his shot volume and high ice totals with the fact Colorado allowed shots in bulk to defensemen all season long, and it's easy to get excited about backing Josi.Johnny Gaudreau over 2.5 shots (-155)Johnny Gaudreau's shot totals are a little underwhelming through three games. However, when you dig beneath the surface, the outlook is much more positive.The dynamic Calgary Flames winger has attempted a series-leading 21 shots. No other forward on either the Flames or the Dallas Stars has more than 15. Gaudreau is touching the puck a lot and he is getting looks, they just haven't hit the target.While the playoffs are no doubt a different animal, I don't think that explains a star forward hitting the net on 33% of his attempts after doing so successfully 57% of the time over an 82-game season.So long as the attempts are there, the shots on target should follow. Look for Johnny Hockey to be very involved Monday night.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tonight is a crucial one for all eight teams in action. Three sides can put their opponent on the brink with a victory, while one club could potentially end its series outright.Let's take a look at where the value lies.Flames (-155) @ Stars (+130)The Calgary Flames are off to a very disappointing start. They have struggled mightily to get the offense going, netting just three goals through three games, and that's how they found themselves trailing in a series they were heavily favored to win.Although the Flames have struggled in years past, and this sort of feels like deja vu, I wouldn't write them off. They have not played poorly overall - outside of finishing - and there is reason to believe the squad can right this ship sooner than later.Calgary has controlled nearly 52.5% of the expected goals at five-on-five. The team's not running the Dallas Stars off the ice, but it's encouraging to have gotten the better of the chances at full strength.The Flames look even better when all situations are taken into account, as their share of the high-danger chances sits at 55.71% - good for fifth highest in the playoffs.So why isn't Calgary scoring while other sides are? A lack of finishing and puck luck. The team is shooting just 3.13%. That's right - opposing goalies have stopped nearly 97% of the shots taken. It doesn't matter if the club was facing prime Patrick Roy. The Flames should score at a higher rate than that, and it's a fair expectation moving forward.Calgary has also converted on only one of the 39 high-danger chances it's generated for a putrid 4.17% finishing rate on top-tier looks. No other team sits below 12%.Regression is going to come - let's hope it starts tonight.Bet: Flames in regulation (+100)Avalanche (-250) @ Predators (+200)Juuse Saros or not, the Nashville Predators do not belong on the same ice as the Colorado Avalanche. That has been very evident so far.Colorado has out-attempted Nashville 264-150 (+114), out-chanced them 132-62 (+70), and outscored them 16-6 (+10) through just three contests.It's nearly impossible to beat any team while being so decisively outplayed each and every night. When the opponent has as much talent as Colorado, it is borderline impossible to keep up.And the results have proven that. The Avalanche have a pair of blowout wins, and they outshot Nashville 51-26 in the lone close game.With respect to the Predators, I don't think they have enough high-end talent - or depth - to flip the switch and put up much of a fight against a healthy Avs side built to overpower almost any opponent.Colorado will be out for blood to finish this series, get home, and rest up for the next round. The team's dealt with a ton of injuries this season and knows the importance of mopping things up to ensure the guys don't need to put any extra mileage on their bodies.Look for the Avs to get a win inside 60 minutes - perhaps even comfortably.Bet: Avalanche in regulation (-155)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares was critical of his performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a lopsided 7-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 on Sunday."I mean, I haven't been able to produce offensively as I'd like and I would still like to create more offensively; I expect more and want to be better," Tavares said after the loss, according to The Leafs Nation's David Alter.Tavares assisted William Nylander's third-period goal when the game was well out of reach to bring his point total to two through four games this postseason. Eight Lightning power plays limited Tavares' ice time to only 13:50 on Sunday, his lowest total of the season.Tavares' underlying numbers have been underwhelming to this point. With the 31-year-old on the ice this series at five-on-five, Toronto owns 44.05% of shot attempts, 38.78% of scoring chances, 46.92% expected goals, and has been outscored 2-0."He’s working, he’s trying. It’s tough, it’s a tough series out there," head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Tavares.The Leafs and Lightning have alternated wins to this point. Game 5 goes Tuesday night in Toronto.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues turned to goaltender Jordan Binnington for Game 4 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.Binnington made 28 saves on 30 shots en route to the Blues' series-tying 5-2 victory.Ville Husso started the previous three contests for the Blues, mustering a .906 save percentage and 3.02 goals against average. The 27-year-old shut out the Wild in Game 1 but has since struggled, surrendering nine goals on 59 shots across Games 2 and 3.Binnington has plenty of experience backstopping the Blues in the playoffs. He became the first rookie goaltender in NHL history to record all 16 of his team's victories en route to a Stanley Cup win in 2019, authoring a .914 save percentage and a 2.46 goals against average.The Ontario native hasn't replicated that success in the postseason since - he put up a sub-.900 save percentage during the Blues' subsequent two playoff appearances. Binnington snapped a nine-game losing streak in the playoffs with Sunday's victory.Husso challenged Binnington for the No. 1 spot in St. Louis this regular season. Binnington appeared in just 37 games, logging a .901 save percentage.The Blues ran with 11 forwards and seven defensemen in Game 4. Blue-liner Scott Perunovich made his NHL playoff debut. He'd been out of the lineup since Jan. 16 due to a wrist injury.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour had all the confidence in the world when he challenged the Boston Bruins' game-tying tally in Game 4 for goalie interference."I would've bet my life on that one," Brind'Amour told reporters following his team's 5-2 loss, according to Bally Sports.The Hurricanes held a 2-1 lead late in the second period. With the Bruins on the power play, Brad Marchand backhanded the puck into netminder Antti Raanta. The puck ended up in the crease between his legs. Contact appeared to be made with Raanta's left pad and Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk ended up scoring in the ensuing chaos.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy entered COVID-19 protocol and was not in the lineup for Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.After the Bruins' 5-2 win, Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy said he didn't have an update on when McAvoy would make his return but added the team learned of the situation Sunday morning, according to NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin.McAvoy didn't practice Saturday. The NHL and NHLPA agreed to stop testing asymptomatic players after the All-Star break, which indicates the rearguard is showing symptoms.The league's COVID policy dictates players who test positive must isolate for five days and can be cleared anytime after that if they retest negative and are asymptomatic. Game 5 of the series is scheduled for Tuesday, and Game 6, if necessary, would be played Thursday.The talented blue-liner's absence leaves a gaping hole on the Bruins' back end. McAvoy is a fringe Norris Trophy candidate after piling up 56 points over 78 regular-season contests in 2021-22. The 24-year-old led all Bruins skaters in average ice time this season, outpacing his next-closest teammate by over two minutes.McAvoy averaged 25:15 over the first three games of the first-round series - nearly six more minutes than Brad Marchand, who sat second on the club at 19:34 entering Sunday's game.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Antti Raanta is in the crease once again for the Carolina Hurricanes.The veteran goaltender is starting Game 4 against the Boston Bruins on Sunday, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour confirmed, according to team reporter Walt Ruff."The other day, (Raanta) wasn't feeling the best, so that was an easy decision (to hold him out)," Brind'Amour said.Raanta exited early in Game 2 and didn't return following a collision with Bruins forward David Pastrnak, forcing Carolina to turn to Pyotr Kochetkov for the remainder of the contest. The rookie stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced as the Hurricanes prevailed 5-2 to take a 2-0 series lead.Kochetkov, who will be 23 in June, then started Game 3 and allowed four goals on 28 shots in a 4-2 loss.Brind'Amour said after Game 2 that Raanta didn't need to go through concussion protocol. Raanta, who turns 34 on Thursday, turned aside all but one of the 42 shots he faced over the first two games of the opening-round series.The Hurricanes' No. 1 goalie, Frederik Andersen, hasn't played since April 16 due to an injury of his own.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

From a spicy-pork-and-broccoli-fueled triple-overtime victory to a heart-stopping roller-coaster ride of a Game 3, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Louis Domingue has run the gamut of playoff emotions."I'm trying to control my emotions. It's pretty hard, to be honest. It's so new and it's a lot, but we're gonna take it a day at a time and move on," Domingue said after Saturday's wild 7-4 victory over the New York Rangers, per team beat reporter Michelle Crechiolo.He continued, "From the moment I brought my net outside in the street and put my rollerblades on and played outside and had cars go around my net, this is the film I was playing in my head the whole time."Domingue, the Penguins' third-string goalie, was unexpectedly thrust into the postseason spotlight thanks to injuries. Regular starter Tristan Jarry hasn't played since April 14 due to a foot injury, while No. 2 option Casey DeSmith will miss the remainder of the playoffs after undergoing core muscle surgery Friday.DeSmith sustained the injury during the Penguins' Game 1 triple-overtime victory Tuesday. He exited during the second overtime period and Domingue was perfect in relief, stopping all 17 shots he faced before Evgeni Malkin netted the game-winner.Domingue allowed five goals on 40 shots in the Penguins' Game 2 loss but hopped back into the win column Saturday after making 32 saves on 36 shots.The 30-year-old played in just two regular-season NHL games this campaign and spent the bulk of his time in the AHL. He suited up for one NHL contest each in 2019-20 and 2020-21.The puck drops on Game 4 on Monday at 7 p.m. ET. The Penguins hold a 2-1 series lead.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mark Scheifele didn't ask the Winnipeg Jets for a trade during his exit meeting with the team, Elliotte Friedman reported during Saturday's edition of "32 Thoughts."The longtime Jets forward appeared to be questioning his future with the franchise after Winnipeg missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17."I just have to know where this team is going and what the direction is and what the changes are going to be, if any," Scheifele said after the Jets' final game of the season.He continued, "I have to think about my career and what's going to be best for me. Those are going to be ... talks with my agents and everyone in my family (to) figure out what I really want."Scheifele ranked second on the Jets in scoring with 70 points in 67 games but led all Winnipeg forwards with a career-worst 60 giveaways. The team failed to control over 50% of the expected goals, scoring chances, and high-danger chances with him on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.He has two seasons remaining on an eight-year, $49-million deal. Drafted seventh overall by the Jets in 2011, Scheifele has 230 goals and 347 assists in 642 career games.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.