Panthers keep slim playoff hopes alive with win over Predators

With a nail-biting victory against the Nashville Predators, plus the Philadelphia Flyers' loss to the New York Islanders, the Florida Panthers' ever-so-slim playoff hopes were kept alive Tuesday.

Roberto Luongo had his team in the contest all night long, registering 45 saves, while Colton Sceviour provided the game-winning goal.

Entering play Tuesday, Florida sat six points back of the Flyers with one game in hand, closing that gap to four with three games remaining.

Florida plays the Boston Bruins - twice - and the Buffalo Sabres to close the regular season.

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Panarin sets Blue Jackets single-season points record

Artemi Panarin has made Columbus Blue Jackets history in his first season with the club.

The winger recorded one goal and two assists Tuesday against Detroit, reaching 80 points for the season (27 goals, 53 assists) in 80 games.

The total eclipses the franchise's single-season points record of 79 set by Rick Nash in 2008-09, according to the Blue Jackets.

Panarin was acquired from Chicago in a multi-player trade last summer that saw Brandon Saad go the other way. He recorded 77 points as a Blackhawks rookie in 2015-16, and 74 with Chicago last season.

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Price sets Canadiens record for games played by goalie

Montreal goalie Carey Price made history in starting Tuesday against Winnipeg, passing Jacques Plant for the most regular-season games played by a Canadiens goaltender.

Price recently passed Patrick Roy - who appeared in 551 games - for second on the list.

Entering Tuesday, Price had a 286-200-61 career regular-season record with a .919 save percentage after being drafted fifth overall by Montreal in 2005.

Price's eight-year, $84-million extension kicks in next season, meaning he'll continue to set the bar in Montreal for the foreseeable future.

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Bruins’ Carlo to miss 3-4 months with fractured ankle

With the postseason only days away, the Boston Bruins received some unfortunate injury news, as the team announced Tuesday that defenseman Brandon Carlo will be out three-to-four months with a fractured ankle.

Related: Bruins' Brandon Carlo stretchered off with apparent leg injury

Carlo was injured during Boston's victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday after a nasty fall. He appeared to catch an edge while battling for the puck with Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov. Carlo didn't need to be stabilized but did leave on a stretcher.

The 21-year-old will have the fracture repaired next week.

Through 76 games for the Bruins this season, Carlo had six points to his credit in just over 19 minutes of ice time per night.

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Senators’ Karlsson sitting out season-ending road trip to be with family

Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson did not travel with the team for its season-ending three-game road trip, choosing instead to remain home with his wife Melinda following the recent death of their infant son, Axel.

The Senators confirmed his absence Tuesday, according to NHL.com.

Karlsson made waves Monday by keeping the puck after what could have been his final home game with the club, as trade talk has followed the all-world defenseman for weeks.

With this new development, Ottawa's loss to the Winnipeg Jets could very well end up being his Senators swan song.

Karlsson ends his season with nine goals and 53 assists in 71 games, and is currently fourth among rearguards in total points.

General manager Pierre Dorion has said the team plans to offer Karlsson a contract extension July 1; failing an agreement, the defenseman can become an unrestricted free agent in 2019.

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Senators’ Gaborik heads to L.A. to see specialist, ending season

Marian Gaborik's season is over.

The Ottawa Senators forward announced he's heading to Los Angeles to see a specialist, lamenting the fact he's unable to finish the season with his new team.

Earlier this season, Gaborik was acquired in a trade that saw Dion Phaneuf sent to Los Angeles.

Gaborik appeared in 16 games, recording four goals and three assists. His last appearance came March 22, when he was sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

The 36-year-old has three seasons remaining on a contract that carries a $4.875-million salary cap hit.

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6 coaches who could be on the hot seat at season’s end

This season has been a rarity of sorts for NHL bench bosses.

For the first time since 1966-67, not a single coach has been fired midseason. The men who occupy the 31 head coaching spots should see it as an accomplishment, but general managers might just be taking their time before pulling the trigger.

Several dominoes could fall once the regular season comes to an end. There are as many as a half-dozen coaches on the hot seat as the final week of the regular season wraps up:

Bill Peters

Peters' time with the Carolina Hurricanes could very well come to an end in roughly a week's time.

Peters' biggest knock is the fact he's been with the club for four years and has not been able to reach the postseason.

The club is already looking for a new GM, and it makes sense for a new coach to follow suit. There is also a chance the new GM will look to bring in his own coach, it's not uncommon. On the other hand, there is the potential for Peters to walk, as sources have reportedly told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman that Peters has an "out" in his contract, one he can exercise in the first week after the season ends.

All that considered, it seems more likely than not that Peters will be out in Carolina.

Alain Vigneault

There could soon be a job opening in the Big Apple.

After five seasons with the Rangers and four postseason appearances, Vigneault's tenure in New York could be coming to an end.

After leading his club to the Stanley Cup Final in his first year with the team and an appearance in the conference final the following campaign, Vigneault then saw mixed results with losses in the first and second rounds, before missing the postseason completely this season.

The Rangers announced their intention to rebuild back in February, and with the team seemingly turning a new leaf as they look toward the future, it would not come as a surprise if the next step in that process included a new coach.

Such was the case during his time with the Vancouver Canucks, Vigneault got his club close to a Cup victory, but not close enough.

Glen Gulutzan

Gulutzan has only been behind the Calgary Flames' bench for two seasons, but each has been miserable in its own way.

Last season, the Flames were swept in the first round at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks after finishing with the first wild-card spot in the West. This year, after the team retooled in the offseason acquiring Travis Hamonic and Mike Smith, the club saw an even worse fate, missing the playoffs outright.

Amid that, Gulutzan has gained a reputation of reaming out his teams in practice, including twice this season and one where he threw his stick into the stands.

According to Friedman, players approached Gulutzan last season suggesting they would prefer a more calm approach, but obviously he hasn't taken that completely to heart.

Barry Trotz

You can't argue with the success Trotz and the Washington Capitals have had during the regular season over his four years with the club, but his playoff accolades are a different story.

Including the 2017-18 year, Trotz has led the Capitals to three straight division titles, two straight Presidents' Trophy wins, and picked up the Jack Adams in the 2015-16 season. However, under Trotz, the Capitals have failed to go any further than the second round of the playoffs, and let's be honest, this is a results-driven league.

No decisions will be made on his future until after the Capitals season concludes, meaning Trotz could very well be playing for his job this spring.

Todd McLellan

Some might call this season a one-off for the Edmonton Oilers, but whatever it is, it hasn't been pretty.

After reaching the conference finals last year, the Oilers have taken a nose dive, and are now set to finish among the 10 worst teams in the league. Very few could have seen this type of regression, but nevertheless, here we are.

There are many fingers being pointed as to why the club sits where it does, and one that can't be ignored is the one directed at McLellan. Sure, he's at the mercy of what GM Peter Chiarelli has given him, but, his club's home penalty kill - which ranks as the worst in NHL history since the stat started being tracked - is under a microscope.

The team may elect to give him another shot since wisdom would argue the team isn't nearly as bad as its play would suggest, but regardless, McLellan's seat is awfully warm these days.

Joel Quenneville

While any of the men above could certainly be canned in the coming weeks, the name garnering the most speculation is Quenneville.

The Chicago Blackhawks bench boss has been with the club for the past 10 years and will miss the playoffs for the first time in his tenure this season.

He still has two years remaining on his contract that sees him owed $12 million, but with the team set to miss the postseason and some apparent animosity between him and Stan Bowman - reportedly over the firing of assistant coach Mike Kitchen last summer and the Artemi Panarin trade - it would come as no surprise if Quenneville was fired or if he elected to leave himself.

The belief around the hockey world is that if Quenneville became available, several teams might fire their head coach for the chance to bring in the 59-year-old. His resume speaks for itself. With that, Quenneville could be the domino that starts the postseason firing carousel.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Toews won’t play for Canada at World Championship

Jonathan Toews has turned down a chance to extend his season.

The Chicago Blackhawks captain won't play for Canada at the upcoming World Championship, he told Scott Powers of The Athletic.

In turning down the invite, Toews appears to be taking advantage of some rare off time. For the first time since his rookie campaign, his Blackhawks won't take part in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Manitoba native has participated in two World Championships - in 2007 and 2008. His last international appearance came at the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.

The 2018 World Championship will be hosted in Denmark and begins May 4.

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Injured Stamkos won’t play vs. Bruins

Steven Stamkos will sit out Tuesday's contest against the Boston Bruins due to a nagging lower-body injury.

Stamkos suffered the injury Sunday against the Nashville Predators. He exited early into the second period and did not return.

On Monday, the Lightning updated Stamkos' injury status to day to day.

This marks the second game in the last five that Stamkos has missed because of a lower-body ailment, as he skipped a contest against the Arizona Coyotes on March 26.

Tuesday's game against the Bruins carries major playoff implications, as Boston currently sits two points ahead of Tampa Bay atop the Atlantic Division. A Lightning victory without Stamkos in tow could prove even more difficult.

Stamkos sits second in team scoring with 86 points in 78 games.

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Ducks’ Fowler out 2-6 weeks with shoulder injury

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler will be out anywhere from two to six weeks after sustaining a shoulder injury against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, the team announced Tuesday.

The news comes with the Ducks in a battle to nail down one of the remaining playoff spots in the Western Conference.

The club sits in the first wild-card spot with 95 points, one point back of the Los Angeles Kings for third in the Pacific, two points up on the Colorado Avalanche, who sit in the second wild-card spot, and three points up on the St. Louis Blues, who sit just outside the playoff picture with 92 points.

Fowler has already missed 12 games this season but has still managed a respectable 32 points in 67 games. The 26-year-old leads the team in ice time, logging an average of 24:51 a night.

The team also announced that goaltender John Gibson, who left Sunday's game with an upper-body injury, is day to day.

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