The inescapable storyline leading up to Tuesday's tilt between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals was Alex Ovechkin's pregame comments, in which he said his opponent needs to learn to "play differently" if it plans on winning a Stanley Cup.

After the Capitals' 4-3 victory, during which Ovechkin recorded four points, Leafs head coach Mike Babcock was asked what he thought about the player's statement.

"Well, I don't know if he's wrong," Babcock said. "I think he knows because he lived it. If you look at Steve Yzerman, he lived it. A lot of guys live it until they're 30. You've got to decide whether you wait until you're 30 or do you want to figure it out now? It's the ultimate team game and you've got to sacrifice individual rights for team rights."

Ovechkin's list of individual accomplishments was largely overshadowed by a lack of playoff success prior to winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. The Capitals hadn't made it out of the second round since drafting Ovechkin until they won it all two seasons ago.

"He lived it," Babcock said. "He was the guy. Then he figured it out. 'This is what we've got to do to win.'"

Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews was also asked about Ovechkin's comments and agreed that playoff growing pains can help a team.

"Yeah, I mean, how many times did they lose to Pittsburgh before they finally broke through?" Matthews said, according to TSN's Mark Masters. "You learn from those experiences."

Ovechkin's stellar performance Tuesday night continued his dominance versus the Maple Leafs, as he scored his 40th and 41st goals in his 50th game versus Toronto.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin suffered a leg injury in the first period of Tuesday's contest versus the Washington Capitals and didn't return.

After the 4-3 overtime loss, Mike Babcock said Muzzin suffered a charley horse, according to TSN's Mark Masters. The head coach didn't provide a potential recovery timeline.

Muzzin took a hard hit against the boards from Tom Wilson and left the game in discomfort.

The Maple Leafs were forced to finish the game with five defensemen. But luckily for them, blue-liner Travis Dermott returned to the lineup for his season debut on Tuesday after a 13-game absence.

Muzzin has played a massive role on Toronto's back end to start the season. He's notched nine points while averaging over 23 minutes per night, which ranks second among all Maple Leafs skaters.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman suffered an undisclosed injury Tuesday night against the New York Rangers and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith.

More to come.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

Nearly a month into the season, the NHL landscape is taking shape. We have enough of a sample size that slow starts are cause for legitimate concern, while hot ones provide valid reason for optimism. As a result, Stanley Cup odds are also on the move.

Let's look at some of the biggest risers and fallers as October ends.

Edmonton Oilers (20-1)

Previous odds (Oct. 8): 50-1

Any value on the Western Conference co-leader is gone as the Oilers' odds have shortened to 20-1 courtesy of their 8-3-1 start. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are on pace for 143 points each, while James Neal has already exceeded his goal total from last season. Still, this feels like a great time to sell high on Edmonton.

The power play is scorching, but per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, the Oilers are 26th in the NHL in Corsi For, 29th in Fenwick For, 30th in shots for, and 25th in expected goals for (courtesy of Natural Stat Trick). Those rankings would be even worse if not for the heroics of their top line. Edmonton has minimal talent outside of its big four forwards, and that lack of depth will eventually prove its undoing.

Anaheim Ducks (25-1)

Previous odds (Oct. 8): 80-1

Bob Murray has done an excellent job of orchestrating the Ducks' turnaround following a quack-less 2018-19 campaign. Most pundits predicted they'd compete for a lottery pick this season, not a wild-card berth, but they're a well-coached team with a strong system and one of the best goalies in the world in John Gibson.

Anaheim is also getting solid contributions from veterans Jakob Silfverberg, Adam Henrique, and Ryan Getzlaf, while defenseman Hampus Lindholm - a former sixth overall pick - appears to finally be having a breakout season. Still, the Ducks lack the scoring or high-end talent to be taken seriously as Cup contenders and will likely only go as far as Gibson can take them.

Calgary Flames (30-1)

Previous odds (Oct. 8): 20-1

An obvious regression candidate coming into the season, the Flames have sputtered. Their inability to string together victories speaks to the team's mediocrity.

Surprisingly, it's not goaltending that's holding Calgary back - David Rittich and Cam Talbot have performed admirably thus far. It's the rest of the team that's cause for concern. Though the Flames haven't been bad, they haven't done anything particularly well, and just about all of their underlying numbers rank below the median. They're talented enough to stay in the wild-card race, but the same issues that were exposed in the playoffs last season will result in a big step back this season.

Vancouver Canucks (40-1)

Previous odds (Oct. 8): 50-1

There might not be a more exciting team in hockey this month. The Canucks are fourth in the NHL in goals per game this season and runaway leaders with 5.4 goals per game at home (Nashville is second with 4.43). Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat, and Quinn Hughes form one of the best young cores in hockey, and general manager Jim Benning, who took a lot of heat for acquiring veteran J.T. Miller (13 points in 11 games) this summer, suddenly looks like a genius.

So what about the goaltending? Jakob Markstrom's been impressive, while highly regarded prospect Thatcher Demko has been terrific in four starts and appears capable of shouldering the load should Markstrom drop off. The Canucks may be a couple years away from being legitimate contenders, but there's something special brewing in Vancouver.

Arizona Coyotes (40-1)

Previous odds (Oct. 8): 60-1

After losing their first two games, the Coyotes have lost just once in regulation over their last nine. It's time to start taking them seriously. They're allowing just 2.09 goals per game - only Boston's conceded fewer - and the underlying numbers suggest they could be even better; the team's rate of 1.77 expected goals against per 60 minutes is the lowest in the NHL.

And it finally looks like Arizona has the scoring to match. The Coyotes have scored at least three goals in seven straight and rank in the top 10 for expected goals for per 60 minutes. Phil Kessel (two goals in 11 games) hasn't even hit his stride yet. In a murky Pacific Division, you would be wise to put your money on Arizona at this price before Edmonton.

New York Rangers (80-1)

Previous odds (Oct. 8): 30-1

Kaapo Kakko told Finnish media he's not having fun playing hockey, and that about sums up the Rangers' October. They're by no means a bad hockey team, but they're not nearly as far along in the rebuilding process as a lot of people wanted to believe. Frankly, 80-1 is where this line should have been all along.

Condolences if you drank the Kool-Aid and bought in at 30-1. If it's any solace, you're not the first person to fall for undeserved hype surrounding a New York team, and you won't be the last.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils forward Nikita Gusev will be a healthy scratch Wednesday but will be given a special learning opportunity with club legend Patrik Elias in the press box.

"(Elias) knows the difference between the leagues. He knows the differences of coming over as a European player to here," head coach John Hynes said Tuesday. "... Patty was a cerebral offensive player, but he was very good on both sides of the puck."

"... Because Patty's been around with us so long, he knows how we want to play and he knows some of the adjustments it takes for a young player."

The 27-year-old Gusev led the KHL in scoring last season and has three goals and one assist in nine games to kick off his NHL career.

"It's been a lot of hockey for him since he's come in," Hynes added. "... He's a veteran player with tons of experience, but he's a rookie in the NHL. That's something we want to help him work through."

Elias spent 20 seasons with the Devils between 1995 and 2016 and played in the Russian Superleague during the lockout in 2004-05. He amassed 408 goals and 1025 points in 1240 games with New Jersey.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brent Seabrook isn't thrilled about having to watch his team's game from the press box once again.

The Blackhawks defenseman will be a healthy scratch for the second consecutive contest when Chicago faces the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night, according to NBC Sports Chicago's Charlie Roumeliotis.

"I don't think I need rest," the veteran blue-liner said after the morning skate. "I think I feel great. I'm 34. You guys seem to want to write articles about my age and my speed. I feel like I still got a lot to offer in this league and (can) still be a good player for somebody."

Seabrook was also forced to sit out the Blackhawks' win Sunday versus the Los Angeles Kings. Tuesday will mark the third time he's been designated a healthy scratch in his 15-year career.

He has produced one goal and no assists in nine games this season while averaging 17:39 of ice time. He averaged 19:06 in 2018-19 and has a career mark of 22:01.

Seabrook is in the fourth season of an eight-year, $55-million contract. He's spent his entire career with Chicago and helped the club win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks prospect Nils Hoglander got the hockey world buzzing on Tuesday with a spectacular goal while playing for Swedish club Rogle BK Angelholm.

The Canucks' 2019 second-round pick fought off his defender by banking the puck off the net before scooping it up for an incredible lacrosse-style tally.

Hoglander, 18, had two goals and three points in nine contests entering Tuesday's outing.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will be out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, the team announced Tuesday.

"Landy got hurt over the last couple of games and came to practice Sunday, had some discomfort," Avs head coach Jared Bednar told the media, including the Denver Post's Mike Chambers. "He's going to miss some significant time here, I really don't have a timetable."

It's unclear exactly when the 26-year-old Landeskog suffered the injury. He logged more than 20 minutes of ice time in Colorado's most recent game on Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Swedish forward has recorded three goals and seven points in 11 games this season for the Avalanche, who occupy first place in the Central Division.

Landeskog's absence comes after it was announced last week that star linemate Mikko Rantanen will be out week-to-week with a reported leg injury.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.