A 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday marked the 500th career win for Minnesota Wild bench boss Bruce Boudreau.

Boudreau became the second-fastest coach to reach the impressive plateau, trailing only the legendary Scotty Bowman.

The 63-year-old made his NHL coaching debut in 2007, and has put up remarkable showings across three stops:

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A familiar name to hockey fans could soon suit up for the Montreal Canadiens, as the team has signed undrafted free agent Hayden Verbeek to an entry-level contract.

Verbeek, 20, is the nephew of former NHLer Pat Verbeek, whose 20-year career spanned stops with five teams, 1,424 games, and 1,063 points.

The younger Verbeek has spent the past four seasons with Sault Ste. Marie of the OHL. This season, he has 30 goals and 31 assists in 67 games.

Verbeek attended the Arizona Coyotes' prospect development camp on a tryout last offseason.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will have reinforcements between the pipes Tuesday, as starting netminder Matt Murray is set to return to the lineup after missing nine games with a concussion.

Murray's last appearance came Feb. 24 against the Florida Panthers, while his last victory came one night prior versus the Carolina Hurricanes. He'll man the crease against the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

In Murray's absence, the Penguins turned to backup netminders Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith. Their numbers in Murray's absence, however, left something to be desired. Since Feb. 27:

In 41 appearances this season, Murray has posted a 23-13-2 record with a .909 save percentage and 2.82 GAA.

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And then, there were 10.

Finalists for the 2018 Hobey Baker Award - an annual recognition of the NCAA's top hockey player - were announced Wednesday.

Among this year's finalists are Henrik Borgstrom, a first-round draft choice by the Florida Panthers in 2016, and Ryan Donato, a Boston Bruins prospect and USA Hockey product who competes at Harvard University.

Also included are three goaltenders. No netminder has won the Hobey Baker since Ryan Miller of the Anaheim Ducks claimed it 2001.

Recent winners have proven to be an instant hit in the NHL, particularly the last four recipients: Will Butcher, Jimmy Vesey, Jack Eichel, and Johnny Gaudreau.

A 27-member committee will select this year's winner at a later date.

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Who could have seen this coming?

After a disastrous run with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and a not-much-better showing as part of the Florida Panthers, Antti Niemi has seemingly found his game since joining the Montreal Canadiens.

The veteran 'tender, and former Stanley Cup winner, has turned back the clock since arriving in Montreal, where he's posted five wins and a stellar .933 save rate through 14 appearances.

Even more impressive is that Niemi is putting together such a performance on a club that finds itself in the bottom-third of the standings.

Furthering his comeback story, Niemi's latest victory came Tuesday as he turned aside 36 shots to guide the Canadiens to a 4-2 win over his former club, the Dallas Stars, the same team that tossed him aside last summer. Call it a night of redemption.

Only a few months ago, all signs pointed to Niemi's NHL career being on borrowed time. But given his bounce-back with the Canadiens, that may no longer be the case, as the pending unrestricted free agent will be an intriguing option this summer for teams in search of a reliable second-stringer.

No doubt Niemi will stand out from the crowd in free agency given the crop offers realistic backup options like Jonathan Bernier, Eddie Lack, and Chad Johnson. It's the sort of competition that will have teams once again betting on Niemi when the calendar turns to July.

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Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber will be sidelined for six months after undergoing foot surgery Tuesday.

The veteran defenseman has been out for more than three months, with his last appearance coming Dec. 16. Last month, the club elected to shut down Weber for the remainder of the season.

The recovery time frame could see Weber ready to return for next year's training camp.

In his second season with the Canadiens, Weber tallied 16 points in 26 games.

The 32-year-old is signed through the 2025-26 campaign.

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Welcome Marc-Andre Fleury to the 400-win club.

The Vegas Golden Knights goaltender reached the historic milestone with a 3-2 victory Monday over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Fleury is just the 13th netminder to reach 400 wins, doing so in the second-fewest number of games.

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Is Alex Ovechkin the greatest goal-scorer to ever play the game?

That's the question after the Washington Capitals captain pocketed his 600th career marker Monday, becoming the 20th player in NHL history to do so.

Two points for consideration:

While 19 others reached the 600-goal plateau prior to Ovechkin, none did so in the current era.

In fact, the most recent player to hit 600 was Jarome Iginla, who met the mark in January 2016. Iginla scored his first goal in 1996, nine years before Ovechkin made his NHL debut.

Before that? Look to Teemu Selanne, who notched his 600th in March 2010, while Joe Sakic turned the trick in February 2007.

In all, Ovechkin was the fourth-fastest to enter the 600-goal club, doing so in 990 games. Only three players outpaced Ovie, as Wayne Gretzky scored his 600th in Game 718, while Mario Lemieux did so in 719. Brett Hull reached it in 900 contests.

All things considered, is Ovechkin the premier goal-scorer of all time?

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Is Alex Ovechkin the greatest goal-scorer to ever play the game?

That's the question after the Washington Capitals captain pocketed his 600th career marker Monday, becoming the 20th player in NHL history to do so.

Two points for consideration:

While 19 others reached the 600-goal plateau prior to Ovechkin, none did so in the current era.

In fact, the most recent player to hit 600 was Jarome Iginla, who met the mark in January 2016. Iginla scored his first goal in 1996, nine years before Ovechkin made his NHL debut.

Before that? Look to Teemu Selanne, who notched his 600th in March 2010, while Joe Sakic turned the trick in February 2007.

In all, Ovechkin was the fourth-fastest to enter the 600-goal club, doing so in 990 games. Only three players outpaced Ovie, as Wayne Gretzky scored his 600th in Game 718, while Mario Lemieux did so in 719. Brett Hull reached it in 900 contests.

All things considered, is Ovechkin the premier goal-scorer of all time?

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matt Martin will return to the lineup Monday versus the Buffalo Sabres after sitting the previous 18 games as a healthy scratch.

Martin's last appearance came Jan. 22, when the Maple Leafs fell 4-2 to the Colorado Avalanche.

While he has stayed positive from the sidelines, he's happy to get another shot against the Sabres.

"When it first starts, you think it's just going to be a couple (games). I think we hit a month," Martin told TSN's Kristen Shilton. "It definitely dragged on for a while. Some days are harder than others."

In 47 games this season, the winger has picked up 11 points and 45 penalty minutes.

He's signed through the 2019-20 campaign at a $2.5-million cap hit.

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