NHL | theScore

The Vancouver Canucks will likely be without Brock Boeser for Game 7 of their second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Boeser is dealing with a blood clotting issue and his recovery timetable is unclear, but it's not a life-threatening situation, sources told Friedman.The American forward leads the Canucks with seven goals in these playoffs, and he's tied for the team points lead with 12 in as many outings. He was averaging 20:18 of ice time, up from 18:36 during the regular season.Boeser notched a hat trick in Vancouver's Game 4 victory over the Nashville Predators in the first round, and he collected two goals and an assist in the Canucks' Game 3 win over the Oilers.He racked up a club-high 40 tallies along with 33 assists over 81 contests during the regular season.The Canucks haven't fared poorly when missing Boeser over the last half-decade.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet offered a positive update on goaltender Thatcher Demko's uncertain status Wednesday.Tocchet said Demko has "improved immensely the last 72 hours" but wouldn't say if the netminder could be an option in Vancouver's second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji.Demko has been out since Game 1 of the first round versus the Nashville Predators with a knee injury. Reports last week suggested he'd be unavailable until at least Game 5 of the second round.The Vezina Trophy finalist went 35-14-2 with a .918 save percentage in 51 games this season. He missed 14 contests during the regular season with an unrelated knee injury.After backup Casey DeSmith was injured in Game 3 against the Predators, third-stringer Arturs Silovs took over the Canucks' crease and hasn't looked back. The Latvian has won four of seven starts and has a .907 save percentage in the playoffs, including a Game 6 shutout in Nashville to clinch the series for Vancouver.The Canucks lost 3-2 in Tuesday's Game 4 and return to Vancouver with the series even at 2-2 against the Oilers.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Monday's Game 4 took an unexpected turn before the puck even dropped at Colorado's Ball Arena. An Avalanche team expected to bounce back from two straight losses and even the series was now without its leading goal-scorer this postseason, Valeri Nichushkin, after he was suspended for six months for failing a drug test. To make matters worse, Devon Toews was also announced out with an illness.As a result, Colorado closed as a pick 'em after being widely available at -140 (58.3% implied win probability). The Avs then fell behind after a lifeless period, continuing a trend that hasn't seen them lead in regulation this series.Now Colorado faces elimination. What should we make of Wednesday's Game 5?Game 5: Avalanche (+130) @ Stars (-150)Since Dallas and Colorado both opened -140 as the home team in Games 5 and 4, respectively, we can infer that the market is still rating these two teams identically.We didn't think they were equal before the series due to the Stars' even-strength metrics and superior goaltending, and there's little reason to believe that now. Dallas has 9.28 expected goals at even strength to Colorado's 6.12 since Game 1, when the Stars entered the series less than 48 hours after a Game 7 revenge win over Vegas.Neither goaltender has played much better or worse than expected. That's more of a problem for Colorado, since it's likely either a bad game is coming for Alexandar Georgiev or a great one is coming for Jake Oettinger.The Stars have played in five series since missing the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, all of which have gone six games or more. They should have ample motivation not to take a wounded Avalanche group lightly and earn much-needed rest halfway through a postseason run.With Nichushkin out, Toews' status up in the air, and the Stars' strong showing, it's no surprise that Dallas has garnered interest. The Stars have been pushed to -150 to close out the series, which is still below our target threshold of -170.Best bet: Stars moneyline (-150)Nathan MacKinnon: Over 4.5 shotsMacKinnon let us down in Game 4, but the volume was as good as it gets. He attempted 12 shots in a losing effort but only got four on target.MacKinnon's attempted 12 or more shots on 14 different occasions this season. Game 4 was the only time he failed to reach five shots.I expect MacKinnon to hover around that mark again in Game 5. The Avalanche are playing for their season, so he should be heading for an absurdly large workload as long as the game is remotely close.Valeri Nichushkin's absence could boost his volume as well. MacKinnon averaged 4.6 shots per game on 8.1 attempts with Nichushkin in the fold, going over his total just 36% of the time. He recorded 5.4 shots on 8.9 attempts without Nichushkin, with his hit rate soaring to 66%.A lot will fall on MacKinnon's shoulders in this do-or-die game. Expect him to come through.Odds: -102 (playable to -125)Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers were full of praise for goaltender Calvin Pickard after he backstopped the team to a crucial Game 4 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday."He looked like a guy that had played 100 playoff games," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters. "Composed, really solid, seeing the puck really well. ... A lot of nice plays. Not only that, just the confidence being in net. I don't know how many times he played the puck really well. That's not a guy who's nervous at all, he's enjoying it."Game 4 was Pickard's first career start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 32-year-old made 19 saves on 21 shots.Knoblauch wouldn't confirm whether Pickard would start Game 5, but the bench boss noted "his body of work from (Game 4) allows us to have a lot of confidence in him if we did."Pickard posted a .909 save percentage in 23 games this season. It's the most NHL contests he's played in a campaign since 2017, which he spent with the Colorado Avalanche."Obviously, drafted in Colorado, played there for a couple years, you think you're gonna be on the same team your whole career," Pickard told reporters. "Then, 10 teams later, you're here. It's been a great journey, there's been a lot of learning experiences for me. I don't regret any of it. I'm grateful for this opportunity and just ride it out."Star forward Leon Draisaitl lauded Pickard on and off the ice."Unbelievable. What an awesome guy, what an awesome story," he told reporters. "All year, he's given us a chance to win, and every time he's in there, it seems like he's standing on his head. Super proud of him, not an easy thing to do."Pickard and the Oilers evened the series 2-2 with the victory and travel to Vancouver for Game 5 on Thursday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers prevailed 3-2 in Game 4 against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, evening the series at 2-2 in dramatic fashion.After Brock Boeser tied it for the Canucks, Evan Bouchard scored the game-winner just over one minute later with 39 seconds remaining in regulation.

Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet singled out Elias Pettersson following Tuesday's 3-2 loss in Game 4 to the Edmonton Oilers."He needs to get going," Tocchet said, per The Athletic's Thomas Drance. "I don't know what else to say."Pettersson has managed just one goal and three assists in 10 games so far this postseason. He's been held to just one point in the series.The star Swede is not the only Canucks player who needs to elevate their game, though, according to the Jack Adams Award finalist. Tocchet had some harsh words for several other unnamed players who he believes aren't carrying their weight."We need five or six guys to get going here. I mean, this is the Stanley Cup Playoffs," he said. "There's some guys, I don't know if they (knew) it was the playoffs. We can't play with 12 guys."Tocchet added: "You can't win if you have five, six, or seven passengers. It's playoff hockey. One of those guys can be the hero for us next game, but they've got to step it up."The rest of the Canucks' core is performing as expected in the postseason, as Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller, and Quinn Hughes are all producing above or near a point-per-game clip.The Canucks have been outscored 2-1 while Pettersson has been on the ice at five-on-five in Round 2 and have controlled 44.1% of the expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick.Pettersson ranked third on the Canucks with 89 points in 82 games during the regular season.The series sits at 2-2 heading back to Vancouver for Game 5 on Thursday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Story contains coarse languageFlorida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice didn't hesitate to justify his Game 5 tirade Tuesday, saying after the contest that his team were short on profanity."I don't know the exact words of the message. I wasn't mad at them. I understood what they were going through. I just thought they needed some profanity in their life, and I brought some," Maurice explained postgame. "I don't excel at a lot of things in life, but fuck me, am I good at that."

New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba is the 2024 winner of the Mark Messier Leadership Award, the league announced Tuesday.The award is given "to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey."Messier, a Hockey Hall of Famer and former Rangers captain, picks the winner with suggestions from team and league personnel. Messier led the Rangers to their last Stanley Cup win 30 years ago.Trouba is in his second season as New York's captain and is the first Rangers player to win the award in its 18-year existence.The hard-hitting defenseman helped the Rangers win the Presidents' Trophy this season. He recorded 22 points in 69 games while averaging 21:15 of ice time per contest.Off the ice, Trouba is involved with the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which helps bring life-changing opportunities to young people facing illness, financial challenges, or the death or injury of a family member in uniform. He also supports the Epilepsy Foundation in New York and runs a youth hockey camp.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov spoke candidly on Tuesday about the Game 3 melee that resulted in Carson Soucy being suspended for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid."He's a big part of our team," Zadorov told reporters. "Obviously it's a big loss for us. ... At the end of the day, (the NHL has) to protect their investment. So that's my understanding of the situation."Soucy is unavailable for Tuesday's Game 4 clash as he serves a one-game suspension. Zadorov was handed a $5,000 fine for his actions in the fracas.

Austria nearly pulled off an all-time comeback against Canada at the men's IIHF World Championship on Tuesday.Trailing 6-1 entering the third period, Austria scored five unanswered goals on nine shots to force overtime.Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi, the only active NHLer from Austria, netted the tying goal with 49 seconds left in regulation after a turnover from Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle.

Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin will be unavailable for the remainder of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs after entering stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, the league announced Monday."Under the terms of the joint program, Nichushkin will be suspended without pay for a minimum of six months and then will be eligible to apply for reinstatement," the NHL's statement reads.Nichushkin recently failed a drug test, sources told Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.The 29-year-old missed 22 games during the 2023-24 regular season while in the player assistance program.If he violates the stage 3 treatment plan, Nichushkin will enter stage 4 and be suspended without pay for at least one year, and reinstatement will not be guaranteed.Nichushkin missed Games 3-7 of the Avalanche's Round 1 series against the Seattle Kraken in 2023 for what was deemed "personal reasons" after an incident at a Seattle hotel. A team doctor found an intoxicated woman in his hotel room the day of Game 3 and called an ambulance to transport her to a hospital, per a Seattle police report. Nichushkin didn't face any criminal charges and apparently would've been cleared to play in Round 2 had the Avs advanced.The power forward will be sorely missed by the Avalanche. He recorded 53 points in 54 games during the regular season and is tied for the league lead with nine goals in eight games so far this postseason."Val, obviously, is struggling with something," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said following Colorado's 5-1 loss in Game 4 without Nichushkin. "I have two thoughts. Yeah, it sucks for our team. We've gotta turn the page. We gotta go play way better than we did today. ..."The second one is I've gotten to know Val as a person and I've gotten to know him as one of our teammates and a player and I want what's best for him."Nichushkin's nameplate was already replaced in the Avs' locker room."He made his decisions," teammate Jack Johnson said, per The Denver Post's Corey Masisak. "That's all I'm going to say on that. He made his decisions."The Avalanche signed Nichushkin to an eight-year, $49-million extension in July 2022.The Russian winger has played nine NHL seasons, recording 274 points in 512 games. He was drafted 10th overall by Dallas in 2013 and spent four seasons with the Stars before signing with Colorado as a free agent in 2019.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Monday night wasn't kind to us on the ice. After previously hitting in all 13 games in which he attempted at least 12 shots, Nathan MacKinnon found the target only four times on a dozen tries. And Jake Guentzel couldn't get to three shots despite sitting at two a minute into the second period. Ouch.We'll look to rebound with three props for the NHL's Tuesday night two-pack.Aleksander Barkov: Over 0.5 assistsBarkov continues to be an assist machine. He's recorded eight through nine playoff games and five in this series against the Bruins.The Finn's track record against Boston is strong. Barkov has posted 17 assists in his previous 20 games versus the club, including 10 in the last 10.And his home splits against the Bruins are downright absurd. Barkov has 11 assists over his last nine home games and has picked up at least one in eight contests. For whatever reason, Barkov has no problem creating goals against one of the league's stingiest teams.The Panthers have generated more expected goals at five-on-five with Barkov on the ice in this series than with any other forward. He's getting plenty of opportunities at full strength while serving as a primary distributor on the power play.Nobody on Florida's top unit has more power-play points than Barkov in this series, and nobody on that No. 1 unit has attempted fewer shots.Barkov is looking to pass, and he's doing a great job of finding teammates in dangerous areas. Expect that to continue Tuesday.Odds: -110 (playable to -130)Matthew Tkachuk: Over 3.5 shotsTkachuk's shot generation has been excellent in this series. He leads all players with 17 shots on target through four games, and his volume has increased throughout the series. Tkachuk has piled up 12 shots over the past two games while attempting eight-plus in each.The 26-year-old has a strong history against the Bruins, particularly in Florida. Tkachuk recorded four shots or more in seven of the last nine at home versus Boston.Opponent aside, he's also ramped his shooting up in the playoffs. Tkachuk has cleared this line in seven of nine games during this run.The Panthers have steamrolled the Bruins with Tkachuk on the ice at five-on-five, winning the shot attempt battle 61-34. They've dominated during Tkachuk's minutes, and he should see plenty of ice time Tuesday with a chance to end the series.Look for Tkachuk to live around the paint and pick up a handful of shots.Odds: -130 (playable to -140)Evander Kane: Under 2.5 shotsTo say Kane's had a miserable time against the Canucks would be an understatement. The veteran winger has faced Vancouver seven times between the 2023-24 regular season and playoffs, recording two shots or fewer in each game. He's also combined for only four shots over their last four meetings.The Canucks are an excellent defensive team. They give up few shooting opportunities and are willing to get into the lane to block the ones they concede. That's why Kane has failed to enjoy any form of success against them, even in games when his attempt volume is solid.Kane's had no success against the Canucks, and his ice time is dwindling, having logged fewer than 15 minutes in two of the past three games.If Kane isn't getting a full workload against an elite shot-suppression team, I see plenty of value in backing the under.Odds: -140 (playable to -160)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard confirmed he's starting Tuesday's critical Game 4 against the Vancouver Canucks, according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.Pickard's start will be his first of the playoffs. He relieved Stuart Skinner for the third period Edmonton's Game 3 loss, stopping all three shots he faced. The limited action was Pickard's first taste of the NHL postseason in his nine-year career.Skinner has struggled during these playoffs, particularly since the start of the second round. He's allowed 12 goals in three games against the Canucks for a .793 save percentage after owning a .910 clip in five contests against the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1.After Edmonton's Game 3 defeat, head coach Kris Knoblauch said the club "needs more saves." The Oilers outshot the Canucks 45-18 in the contest but lost 4-3.Pickard made 23 appearances for the Oilers this season, going 12-7-1 with a .909 save percentage.Puck drop is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET with Vancouver holding a 2-1 series lead.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand is unavailable for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Florida Panthers, head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed.Marchand participated in Boston's Tuesday morning skate but will miss a second consecutive contest after sustaining an upper-body injury from a hit by Sam Bennett in Game 3.The Bruins trail 3-1 in the series. The Panthers grabbed a commanding lead with a comeback victory in Game 4, sparked by a controversial tying goal by Bennett. The tally stood after a goalie interference review, and Florida jumped ahead on the scoreboard in the third period.The hotly debated goal prompted Bruins general manager Don Sweeney to suggest referees answer for controversial calls by making officials available to the media after games.Marchand is Boston's top scorer this postseason, recording 10 points in 10 contests.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Tuesday's matchups feature a doubleheader of sizeable home favorites, but the two scenarios couldn't be more different. The underdog Bruins face elimination at the paws of the Panthers, while the Canucks still aren't getting much credit in the market despite having a 2-1 series lead over the Oilers.Let's investigate the odds for each game and see if there's anything worth playing Tuesday night.Game 5: Bruins (+175) @ Panthers (-210)We came into this series thinking it might end earlier than the betting market suggested. The idea for taking under 5.5 games (+135) was that Boston would need to jump on the Panthers early to mitigate the effects of a long first-round series with the Bruins playing every second night for nearly a month.That happened, but for one game. The other reason we bet on a short series is because the Panthers are considerably better, which has come to the forefront with three straight Florida wins. Now we're sitting on a ticket that cashes with a Panthers win Tuesday, a bet that doubles as a moneyline wager at considerably better odds.Speaking of the pricing, the betting market closed with Florida as -160 favorites before the club's two home games - an implied win probability of 61.5%. After two wins in Boston, the Panthers are now -210 in Sunrise to close out the Bruins. That's an implied win probability of 67.7%.What's changed for Boston to make it theoretically 6% less likely to win? Losing captain Brad Marchand is the obvious difference. But even though it lost both home games, the Bruins generated 20 even-strength high-danger chances to Florida's 12.A price shift to this degree, combined with competitive analytics, would normally lead us toward a bet on the underdog. However, if you're holding a ticket that cashes with a Panthers win, there's no reason to do anything but stand pat.Game 4: Canucks (+175) @ Oilers (-210) In any fairly priced matchup, you look for spots in the series where the pricing might become askew.The Canucks were the better team in Game 1, but for more than two periods, it looked like a rough outing from Arturs Silovs (minus-2.28 GSAx) would cost them. An Oilers win would've likely overvalued them in the market, but Vancouver's thrilling comeback splashed water on that and created a desperation level from Edmonton in Game 2 that we don't like to fade.With the series tied, the Canucks jumped out to leads of 3-1 and 4-2 in Game 3 before going into a defensive posture in the third period. Silovs spiked up with 2.62 goals saved above expected (GSAx), while Stuart Skinner cratered, allowing 2.52 goals more than expected.Considering Edmonton recorded only two more high-danger chances than Vancouver at five-on-five, had one more power play, and played over three minutes of six-on-five hockey, does a game with a misleading 45-18 shot total carry a price adjustment? Only if you think the underdog Canucks are better than the +175 moneyline suggests.Two goaltenders capable of significant highs and lows aren't something we should be dying to predict nightly. The Oilers could further complicate things by turning to Calvin Pickard in Game 4, a goalie with a regular season GSAx/60 right around the NHL average of 0.15.These teams have combined for 13.06 expected goals at even strength, or 4.35 per game, and that's before accounting for soft goals or those coming from power plays, which are a combined 7-for-17. With three straight contests going over 6.5 goals in this series, Oilers playoff games are now 7-1 to the over. But the betting market hasn't adjusted, leaving the total at 6.5.If you're holding a Canucks +1.5 games ticket from our series preview, you have three chances for that bet to be a winner. For Game 4, the only case to be made for a valuable bet is on either the underdog or the over.Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After a Game 4 win over the Colorado Avalanche in which Wyatt Johnston was the primary difference-maker, Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer couldn't stop gushing about his impact on the team."He was all over the rink," DeBoer said, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "Just fantastic. A fantastic, young hockey player that is going to be a cornerstone, and I have no doubt (he) will wear a letter probably sooner than later for this franchise. Just an incredible kid."Johnston, who turned 21 Tuesday, is tied for second in the playoff goals race with seven and ranks second on Dallas with 11 points in 11 games. He logged two goals and an assist Monday to help the Stars grab a 3-1 series lead over the Avs.Johnston is getting it done in all situations, too. He's the third-youngest player in NHL history to score a shorthanded and power-play goal in the same playoff game, behind Glen Wesley and Wayne Gretzky, according to Statscentre.Additionally, Johnston is the eighth player ever to reach 10 or more playoff goals before turning 21, and he's only the third skater to have four postseason game-winners prior to turning the same age, per NHL public relations. Jaromir Jagr (five) is the only player to have more.Johnston was drafted 23rd overall by the Stars in 2021. He's the draft class' leading scorer with 106 points in 164 regular-season games."It's been a pretty cool a couple of years," Johnston said, "And I'm just really thankful and just so happy to have met some amazing people on the way and just have a chance to be with the Stars and just kind of being around some amazing people."Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday in Dallas with the Stars on the verge of advancing to the Western Conference Final.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars are one win away from a second straight trip to the Western Conference Final after defeating the Colorado Avalanche 5-1 in Game 4 on Monday to take a 3-1 series lead.Wyatt Johnston scored a pair of goals and added an assist on the eve of his 21st birthday to lead the charge.The Avalanche were without two key members of their team on Monday. Valeri Nichushkin, who's tied for the playoff lead with nine goals, was suspended for six months after reportedly failing a drug test. Top-pair defenseman Devon Toews missed the game with an illness.The Stars lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final a year ago.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have met with Craig Berube and Todd McLellan as part of their search for a new head coach, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.Berube was fired by the St. Louis Blues in December, while McLellan was let go by the Los Angeles Kings in February. The Leafs relieved Sheldon Keefe of his duties last week after his fourth first-round exit in five years on the job.After firing Keefe, Toronto general manager Brad Treliving said the club's coaching search will begin immediately. At a press conference Friday, Treliving noted he's seeking a bench boss that can help Leafs players with the intangibles it takes to win in the playoffs.Berube was with the Blues for parts of six seasons, amassing a 206-132-44 record. He helped guide St. Louis to the Stanley Cup in 2019 despite the club sitting at the bottom of the league standings when he took over.The 58-year-old also had a two-year stint with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2013-15.McLellan has led the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, and Kings dating back to the start of his head coaching career in 2008. He's 598-412-134 across 16 years and has earned nine playoff berths. The 56-year-old is a two-time Jack Adams Award finalist.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy one game Monday for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid.The incident occurred at the end of Sunday's Game 3.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is calling for more transparency from the NHL and its officials after Sam Bennett's controversial goal became the primary storyline from Boston's Game 4 loss to the Florida Panthers."Those questions should be directed either at the director or supervisor of officials, supervisor series, and/or the officials," Sweeney said Monday, according to WEEI. "You want full access and transparency? Then put the officials in front of the microphone."He added: "We're not in a position to be criticizing the officials. That's standard protocol. We'll get fined as a result of that, so there's no intention on my point to be critical."Bennett pushed Bruins forward Charlie Coyle into goaltender Jeremy Swayman before potting the equalizer in the second period of Sunday's game. The Panthers went on to win the contest and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.