T.J. Oshie picked the perfect time to get on the scoresheet.
The Washington Capitals winger fired home his first goal of the playoffs in the opening period of Game 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, finding the back of the net at the 2:58 mark.
It was a crucial goal for the Capitals, who were down 2-1 in their series against the wild-card Maple Leafs and looked to build an early lead Wednesday. The three previous contests were decided in overtime, with the Capitals taking Game 1 and the Maple Leafs coming out on top in the two most recent affairs.
But Oshie's most important goal would come at the 12:59 mark of the third period, after keeping the puck in the zone and beating Maple Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen with a five-hole goal.
Initially an insurance marker, the goal ended up as the game-winner, after Toronto center Tyler Bozak brought the score to 5-4 with 27 seconds left on the clock.
While Oshie registered four points - all assists - through the first three games of the series, the two tallies were his first goals since wrapping the regular season with a career-high 33.
It's that type of performance that will make the 30-year-old one of the top free agents available this summer.
Oshie and the Capitals will have a chance to push their series lead to 3-2 in Washington on Friday.
Bergeron is a three-time Selke winner, last capturing the trophy in 2015. Kesler has taken home the Selke once, in 2011. A win this year would mark the first for Koivu.
Bergeron appeared in 79 games this season, recording 21 goals and 32 assists. He finished with a plus-12 rating.
Kesler skated in all 82 games, finishing second on the team with 58 points (22 goals, 36 assists). He was a plus-eight on the season.
Koivu registered 18 goals and 40 assists in 80 games. His plus-27 rating was third-best among forwards league-wide, behind only T.J. Oshie and Minnesota teammate Jason Zucker.
The Penguins took the contest 3-1, despite being outshot 32-29. It was all Columbus in the first period, as the Blue Jackets put up 16 shots to the Penguins' three.
Things went the opposite way in the middle frame, with the Penguins leading the shot margin 16-4.
"I'm not worried about the team. This is why it's a series," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch after the loss. "We had some good minutes, even in the second period. I'm encourage. We lose the game, but I thought we did some good things. We'll get ready for Game 2."
The coach praised young defenseman Zach Werenski. The rookie blue-liner appeared in his first playoff game, leading all Columbus defenders with six shots. He finished third on the team with 25:19 in ice time.
"What can you say about it? He hasn't played ... a 19-year-old kid ... We lose the game, (but) I thought he put on a show," Tortorella said. "His determination ... I hope it rubs off on other people on our team. That was inspiring to me to see what he can do."
The Penguins carried a 3-0 lead into the third period, where Blue Jackets forward Matt Calvert broke the shutout bid by Penguins netminder Marc-Andre Fleury.
Fleury was a late start for the game after Matt Murray sustained a lower-body injury in the pregame warmup. But the last minute change didn't throw the Blue Jackets for a loop.
"(Fleury has) been a starter in this league a long time and he's won a Stanley Cup," said Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky. "It wasn't like we were licking our chops and making a big deal about it."
The second game of the series comes Friday in Pittsburgh.
On Tuesday, Thornton was hopeful he'd be ready for the opening game of the series. He missed the final three games of the regular season as he dealt with the ailment.
Thornton scored seven goals and added 43 assists this season.
The status of Buffalo Sabres coach Dan Bylsma remains up in the air after general manager Tim Murray failed to provide a ringing endorsement of his bench boss at Wednesday's season-ending press conference.
"He's the coach today like I'm the GM today," Murray told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. "I haven't had any thoughts of firing him up to this point. The reason I always say today is because something could happen tomorrow."
Despite Bylsma being only two years into a five-year pact, there are murmurs the Sabres could make a change behind the bench. That discussion kicked into overdrive Sunday, when the Dallas Stars fired Lindy Ruff.
Ruff previously coached the Sabres for 15 seasons and his availability could cut short Bylsma's tenure in Western New York.
The Sabres had a disappointing second season under Bylsma, finishing with 78 points, three fewer than the previous campaign. The coach could reason star center Jack Eichel was lost for a quarter of the year after suffering a high-ankle sprain in training camp, but in the end the Sabres failed to make progress where it matters.
This season marks six straight years of a playoff-less spring in Buffalo, the league's longest active drought behind only the Carolina Hurricanes, who have gone eight years without seeing the postseason.
On Wednesday, Murray lamented the team's poor puck possession, adding it's up to him to add more speed and skill to the lineup. But is the Sabres' biggest issue behind the bench?
"Players have legitimate gripes about the coach," said Murray, who conducted exit interviews with the players at the beginning of the week. "I think players have some legitimate gripes about the way our team is built and that's me. And I think players have some gripes that aren't legitimate and are excuses. Again, we're all to blame."
Murray will meet with Bylsma and team owner Terry Pegula next week, where it's believed the coach's fate with the club could be decided.
If the Sabres are to make a change - and if they want to give Bylsma a fair shot at open positions in NHL circles - they'll need to act quick.
The Arizona Coyotes took to Twitter on Wednesday, jabbing the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves after the club unveiled a new logo that looks awfully similar to the design worn by the desert hockey club.
The Penguins have already locked up the second seed in the Metropolitan Division, so the possibility existed the team could rest some players in preparation for the postseason.
Evgeni Malkin, who has missed the last 11 games with a shoulder injury and is close to returning, will not play Saturday. Marc-Andre Fleury gets the start in goal for the Penguins.
The Maple Leafs are battling the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders for the final wild-card seed in the East. Two points in its final two games guarantees a playoff spot for Toronto.
The club announced that it has recalled defenseman Mikhail Sergachev on an emergency basis from the OHL's Windsor Spitfires.
The Canadiens drafted Sergachev with the ninth overall pick last year. He began the season with Montreal, appearing in three games before being returned to junior.
Sergachev recorded 43 points in 50 games with the Spitfires this season.
The Canadiens currently have a banged up blue line, with defensemen Shea Weber, Alexei Emelin, and Jordie Benn all dealing with day-to-day ailments.
But let's not to forget the freshmen who graced the league a year ago, some who have built on their initial success to others, who haven't been as fruitful in their second seasons:
▲ Connor McDavid
It's one thing to produce as a rookie. It's another to climb the ranks and become the league's most dominant player in only your second season, but that's the case when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers captain.
McDavid sits first in league scoring with 95 points, seven ahead of runner-up Patrick Kane. He also ranks first league-wide in points per game, coming in at 1.20, ahead of Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos. The 20-year-old already sits among the NHL's best.
After his first season was cut short due to a collarbone injury, limiting him to just 45 games, McDavid played his 100th career game this season, collecting 108 points by then. That total has reached 143 points in 124 contests. Credit McDavid's performance in returning the Oilers to relevancy, as the club has locked down its first playoff berth since 2006.
▼ Shayne Gostisbehere
The Philadelphia Flyers blue-liner has taken a step back in his second season, not an uncommon occurrence for sophomore skaters, particularly on the back end.
After netting 17 goals and 29 assists a year ago, the Philadelphia defenseman regressed this season, as his production dropped off with 10 fewer tallies, despite playing in 10 more games, with two games remaining on the season. His point production also fell by eight points. On five occasions, Flyers coach Dave Hakstol made Gostisbehere a healthy scratch.
Still, it's key to remember that, despite his second-year struggles, the 23-year-old Gostisbehere remains a big piece of the Flyers' blue line, as he'll continue to grow into a critical role surrounded by the likes of rookie Ivan Provorov and up-and-comers Samuel Morin and Philippe Myers.
▲ Jonathan Marchessault
After toiling with the Tampa Bay Lightning a year ago, when Marchessault put up a respectable 18 points in 45 games, he moved cross-state, landing a deal with the Florida Panthers.
It may have been the best buy of the offseason. Agreeing to a two-year contract worth $750,000 per season, the Panthers got a prime bargain in Marchessault, now a 30-goal scorer. He's tops on the team in goal production, ahead of rising offensive stars like Vincent Trocheck and Aleksander Barkov.
As for the Panthers, the team will sit on the sidelines this postseason, unable to build on last year's playoff appearance. But with a healthy lineup next season, and continued production from Marchessault, the future looks bright in Florida.
▼ Dylan Larkin
After netting 23 goals and 22 assists in 2015-16, the Detroit Red Wings forward declined in both categories this season, totaling 16 and 14, respectively.
The good news is that most of Larkin's lagging production came in the season's first half, while his scoring touch picked up following a shift from the wing to center. Larkin played up the middle prior to turning pro and the Red Wings envision him as a center long term.
The Red Wings won't make the playoffs for the first time in 25 years. But the future is now in Detroit, as the franchise turns the page and begins to lean on its young talent. Larkin, alongside Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou, are the next wave charged with returning the Red Wings to the winner's circle.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)
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Panarin was named the NHL's first star of the week after recording five goals and adding an assist in his past four contests. His best performance came Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, when he scored twice to lead the Blackhawks to a 3-1 victory.
His six-point streak pushed his total to 72 on the season, marking back-to-back 70-point seasons for the second-year pro.
The week began on a high note for Johansson, as he captured four assists in a 5-4 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild.
Edmonton Oilers netminder Cam Talbot was named the third star of the week. Talbot won all three contests he appeared in, posting a 1.66 goals-against average alongside a .946 save percentage.
The goaltender recorded his 40th win of the season, tying the franchise mark set by Grant Fuhr.
