The San Jose Sharks fired head coach David Quinn after two campaigns at the helm, the team announced Wednesday.

The Sharks finished in last place in the league this season with an abysmal 19-54-9 record.

"David is a good coach and an even better person," general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. "I would like to personally thank him for his hard work over these past two seasons. He and his staff did an admirable job under some difficult circumstances, and I sincerely appreciate how they handled the situation."

Grier added that there's no timeline to hire a new bench boss, per San Jose Hockey Now's Sheng Peng. The executive hired Quinn to replace Bob Boughner in July 2022.

San Jose also parted ways with head athletic trainer Ray Tufts, who had been with the franchise since 1997-98.

Quinn had one season left on his contract, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

His second year behind the Sharks' bench was marred by two separate double-digit losing streaks, including an 11-game slump to start the campaign. San Jose then dropped 12 straight games in the winter.

Sandwiched between those two skids was an admirable 9-7-2 run.

The Sharks suffered through another horrendous stretch after the All-Star break in which they won just one game in 19 outings.

San Jose also became the first team to surrender 10 goals in back-to-back games since the 1965-66 Boston Bruins after being outscored 20-3 by the Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins across two contests in early November.

The Sharks' .287 points percentage is the second-worst mark of the salary-cap era, beating just the 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings (.275).

The last time a team posted fewer than 20 wins in a full 82-game season was in 2001-02 when the Atlanta Thrashers went 19-47-11-5.

San Jose only had one 20-goal-scorer on its roster this season (Fabian Zetterlund), and only one player eclipsed the 50-point mark (Mikael Granlund).

"The roster was what it was," Grier told reporters Wednesday, including NBC Sports. "It wasn't a playoff team by any means. ... There were some things that I don't really want to get into too much that we would have liked to see (be) better. ... I just felt it was what we needed to do."

The rebuilding Sharks went 41-98-25 under Quinn's leadership and traded away several star players during his tenure, including Brent Burns, Timo Meier, Erik Karlsson, and Tomas Hertl.

The 57-year-old coached the New York Rangers for three seasons (2018-21) prior to being hired by San Jose. The Rangers made the qualifying round in the 2020 playoff bubble but were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Sharks have missed the playoffs for five straight campaigns.

With Quinn's dismissal, there have been 16 NHL head coaching changes since the end of last season, per LeBrun.

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The Islanders will turn to goalie Ilya Sorokin for Thursday's Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes with New York down 2-0 in the series, head coach Patrick Roy announced Wednesday, per the New York Post's Ethan Sears.

Semyon Varlamov has started the first two games of the opening-round clash and has surrendered six goals on 63 shots, good for a .905 save percentage. The Hurricanes beat him twice in a span of nine seconds to seal the comeback victory in Game 2.

The 35-year-old has saved 2.2 goals above expected at all strengths in the series so far, per Natural Stat Trick.

"We knew we would have to use both goalies," Roy said, per NHL.com's Shawn P. Roarke. "They are both sharp and (Varlamov) faced a lot of shots in the last game, so it would be good to have someone fresh (Thursday)."

Sorokin posted a .909 save percentage and a 25-19-12 record during the regular season - a bit of a down year by his standards. He's appeared on the Vezina Trophy ballot in each of the past two campaigns and was the runner-up last season.

The Islanders leaned on Varlamov down the stretch as they forced their way into the playoff picture. He posted a sterling 8-1-1 record, .930 save percentage, and 2.09 goals against average in his last 10 games of the regular season. He had won his last five starts heading into the postseason.

Sorokin owns a career .925 save percentage, 2.70 goals against average, and 6-5 record across two playoff runs in 2021 and 2023.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are expected to be without defenseman Brett Pesce for the remainder of the series.

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Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce is expected to miss the rest of Carolina's first-round clash against the New York Islanders, head coach Rod Brind'Amour confirmed Wednesday, per the Raleigh News & Observer's Chip Alexander.

The blue-liner's status moving forward should Carolina advance to the second round is currently unknown, but he could be out of action for at least a few weeks with a noncontact, lower-body injury, a source told Alexander and Luke DeCock.

The Hurricanes hold a 2-0 series lead, with Game 3 scheduled for Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Pesce exited during the second period of the Hurricanes' 5-3 comeback victory in Game 2. He appeared to be in some discomfort after a seemingly routine play in Carolina's zone and ended up being ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

Brind'Amour told reporters after the game that Pesce's injury wasn't "looking good."

Pesce has pitched in with one assist and a team-leading three blocks in these playoffs so far.

The 29-year-old logged three goals and 13 points in 70 outings during the regular season while averaging just over 20 minutes of ice time per contest.

Pesce once again spent the bulk of his time on a pairing with Brady Skjei this season. The Hurricanes dictated 58.3% of the shot attempts and 53.2% of the expected goals with the duo on the ice at five-on-five, though they got outscored 40-37, per Natural Stat Trick.

Tony DeAngelo was paired with Skjei during Wednesday's skate.

The Hurricanes selected Pesce in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft. He can become an unrestricted free agent this summer after playing out the final season of a six-year deal with a cap hit of $4.025 million.

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Brad Marchand is deeply familiar with Boston's first-round opponent, but he doesn't think these are the same Toronto Maple Leafs that his Bruins have dismantled in prior postseasons.

"They're playing a really good, playoff-type game right now," he said Tuesday. "You knew they would. They're built different than in the past years. They're playing a lot more physical, very committed to forechecking, playing very tight defensively. So, you've got to give them credit. They're one of the top teams for a reason. And then when you add their offensive ability on top of that, they're a tough team to play right now.

"We're seeing it. ... It's a very tight playoff series. We knew it was going to be a battle. They've shown up. They're playing for keeps. It's a good challenge."

Marchand has clashed with the Leafs in the playoffs three other times in his career, first in 2013 and then in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019. The Bruins won each of those series in seven games, and Marchand has totaled seven goals - including two game-winners - and 21 points in 21 contests over that span.

The veteran winger has logged three assists through two games so far in this series.

The Bruins took Game 1 in a 5-1 decision, but the Maple Leafs answered with a 3-2 victory on Monday. It's been a wildly physical affair so far, with the teams combining for exactly 200 hits. Boston holds a narrow edge with 103 hits to Toronto's 97.

Though the series is tied, the Maple Leafs have tilted the ice in their favor through the first two contests. Toronto has dictated 58.3% of the shot attempts, 68.2% of the scoring chances, 57% of the expected goals, and 65.8% of the high-danger chances at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.

Marchand said he doesn't think the Bruins have played up to their full capabilities just yet.

"We can be better for sure. ... We can definitely prove our game and put a better showing out there," he said.

The series shifts to Toronto for Game 3 on Wednesday.

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Lindy Ruff has already spent a combined 25 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres as a player and head coach, but his latest stint with the franchise is personal.

"I think I understand ... how great this city is when you have a successful hockey club. ... It would mean a lot to have this group of players experience what I was able to experience as a player and as a coach," the bench boss said Tuesday during his introductory press conference. "This building shook in some of the playoff series."

Ruff played 608 games with the Sabres from 1979-89, then returned to serve as head coach from 1997 to 2013. Buffalo made the playoffs eight times with him at the helm, including three trips to the conference finals and one to the Stanley Cup Final.

The Sabres extended their playoff drought to 13 seasons after missing out on the postseason by seven points. The last time they played beyond the regular season was in 2011 when Ruff was nearing the end of his first tour behind Buffalo's bench.

Ruff, whom the New Jersey Devils fired in early March, made it clear he didn't say yes right away when the Sabres called.

"I was questioning myself, 'Why would I do this?'" he said. "Then I came to a point, 'Why wouldn't I?' Because I'm a risk-taker. I think if there's no risk, there's no reward. I'm putting myself in that position."

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams spoke to double-digit candidates after firing Don Granato last Tuesday but soon landed on Ruff as the right person for the job.

"I truly believe that he's the person to take us to the next level," Adams said. "Our players are craving it, we're excited about it, and the hard work begins now."

Ruff knows that shifting the Sabres' culture to a winning one won't be easy, but he believes he's a "much better coach" now than when he first left Buffalo.

"The only thing we can say is, when we hit camp, we're going to prove that we're going to get to the next level," Ruff said.

"I want (the players) to love playing here," he added. "I want them to love playing for each other, and I want them to love being a Buffalo Sabre for Sabres fans that I think are some of the greatest in the league. How are we gonna get there? We're going to have to earn it from Day 1. ... We're gonna have to step on the ice when the season starts and earn the respect of everybody."

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The Los Angeles Kings' 7-4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night marked their 14th playoff meeting in the last three years, and veteran defenseman Drew Doughty thinks it was his team's "poorest" showing yet.

"We're a much better team than that. We're a very good, solid two-way team," he said postgame. "We don't usually give up that many chances. We've always had good goaltending here, but we also do a good job making it easier for the goalie in this organization. Tonight, we did not. ... (Cam Talbot) made a ton of great saves, too, so you can't be putting any blame on him.

"It's all the guys in front of him."

The Oilers outshot the Kings 45-37 while holding a 23-16 edge in high-danger chances at all strengths, per Natural Stat Trick. Edmonton also converted on three of its four power-play chances, while the Kings failed to score on two opportunities.

All of those stats were uncharacteristic of Los Angeles in the regular season. The Kings boasted the NHL's second-best penalty kill (84.6%) while conceding the third-fewest goals per game (2.56) and fourth-fewest shots per contest (28). They also allowed 10.57 high-danger chances per 60 minutes at all strengths, placing them among the stingiest teams in the league.

Doughty said he was surprised by the amount of mistakes the Kings made against Edmonton.

"That's not our motto; that's not the way we play. It's frustrating," he said.

"We're letting their top guys get way too much speed and just go through the neutral zone like it's nothing," Doughty explained. "It's tough on the D when those guys are flying. We gotta fix that, and we know that."

The Kings won Game 1 against the Oilers in 2022 and 2023 but went on to lose both Game 2s and the series as a whole.

Doughty is looking forward to the opportunity Wednesday's rematch will bring.

"It's a seven-game series. You've got to (be the) first to four," he said. "We're down 1-0 but we can easily make it 1-1 next game. ... Just have a short memory and be ready to win the next one. That's it."

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New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier is set to undergo elective arthroscopic shoulder surgery Tuesday and is expected to make a full recovery for training camp, the team announced.

Meier revealed Wednesday that he was dealing with a double MCL injury and an oblique ailment, but he didn't mention any issues with his shoulder.

The 27-year-old put up 28 goals and 52 points in 69 games this season, but he was far more productive when Travis Green took over for Lindy Ruff behind the bench in March.

Meier's 15 goals during Green's stint at the helm are tied with Florida Panthers stud Sam Reinhart for the fifth most in the league over that span, trailing only Steven Stamkos, Auston Matthews, Kirill Kaprizov, and Filip Forsberg.

The Swiss winger is ready to build on the momentum from his strong second half.

"I know how big the offseasons are for me personally," he said. "To play at my best, I gotta be in the best shape. If I want to play a consistent style of game that brings me success, I gotta put a lot of work in at the gym. ... That's the goal for me."

The Devils acquired Meier from the San Jose Sharks prior to the 2023 trade deadline and signed him to an eight-year extension with an average annual value of $8.8 million in June. He carries the highest cap hit of all New Jersey's forwards.

Meier has totaled 37 goals and 66 points in 90 contests as a Devil. He registered four points in 11 playoff games last spring.

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The Winnipeg Jets' series-opening 7-6 victory against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday wasn't a masterclass in goaltending, but Connor Hellebuyck isn't worried about his performance one bit.

"This time of year, who cares about stats, really?" he said Monday. "Stats are just gonna be something people look at, pick apart, and talk about.

"At the end of the day, it's 'Did you win, or did you not win?' ... 16 wins (gets you) the Stanley Cup and that's my goal, so who really cares about everything else that goes with it?"

The likely Vezina Trophy winner surrendered six goals - including three at five-on-five - on 46 shots.

The Avalanche's underlying numbers during the contest were dominant. Colorado dictated 65.2% of the shot attempts and 68.2% of the expected goals while holding a 17-9 edge in high-danger chances at all strengths, per Natural Stat Trick.

"I felt like I had a really good game," Hellebuyck said. "When the results end up like that, I instantly know - I've been in this league long enough - it's gonna be, I gotta stop one more than the other guy."

Jets coach Rick Bowness didn't blame Hellebuyck for any of the goals against.

"Some of them had seeing eyes, some of them were bouncing all over the place, some of them were just dead giveaways on our part," the bench boss said Sunday, per NHL.com's Darrin Bauming.

He added, "It could have been worse. Seriously. ... And Connor had to play better and he made a lot of big saves at the right time, which he always does."

At the other end of the ice, Alexandar Georgiev fared much worse.

The Avalanche netminder conceded seven goals on just 23 shots for an abysmal .696 save percentage. He allowed 5.04 goals above expected in all situations.

Unlike Bowness, Colorado head coach Jared Bednar wasn't so quick to defend his goaltender's performance.

"(Georgiev's game) probably needed to be better, right?" he said. "I thought we played well, we created some chances. He made some good saves, but we're (going to) need like a couple more saves than that probably to win, you know?

"But it is what it is. We'll regroup. We made some mistakes in front of him that we'll have to clean up and try to get the job done. It's a team game."

Georgiev led all goalies with 38 wins in the regular season but owned an .897 save percentage, and his minus-12.45 goals saved above average was the seventh-worst mark in the league, per Evolving-Hockey.

The 28-year-old is focused on keeping his spirits high following Sunday's stinker.

"They scored some really good goals, a couple lucky ones," Georgiev said, according to the Denver Post's Corey Masisak. "You have to stay positive and try to find out what happened today and move forward. It's only 1-0 in the series, so I'm looking forward to the next game."

Game 2 is set for Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

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Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone returned to the lineup on Monday for Game 1 of his club's opening round against the Dallas Stars.

Stone was sidelined for the last 26 games of the regular season after sustaining a lacerated spleen on Feb. 20 against the Nashville Predators. Vegas went 13-11-2 in his absence and ended the campaign in the second wild-card spot of the Western Conference.

He racked up 16 goals and 53 points in 56 games prior to his absence.

The Golden Knights also welcomed back for defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and forward William Carrier.

Pietrangelo missed the past seven games and 13 of the last 15 contests. He was initially sidelined by an illness, but he ended up needing to get his appendix removed.

Carrier, meanwhile, last played on March 25 and has since been out with an upper-body injury.

Stone was cleared for contact and was a full participant in practice on Saturday.

Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said before the game he doesn't expect to limit Stone's minutes, though he'll keep an eye on him and make adjustments if necessary, per The Athletic's Jesse Granger.

Stone was in a similar position last year. He sat out the second half of the regular season with a back injury but was able to return for the first game of the postseason.

The veteran forward didn't seem to be hampered by his ailment, recording 11 goals and 24 points in 22 games to help the Golden Knights lift the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.

"I think last year I had more of a distinct timeline," Stone said Monday. "This year, I wasn't super confident that I'd be standing here today ready to go. The timeline was a lot more - not delicate, but I guess longer. I had some people tell me it was eight weeks, some people tell me it was six months. It was just a wait-and-see, see how the scans go."

Stone and his $9.5-million cap hit were on long-term injured reserve the past two deadlines, giving general manager Kelly McCrimmon more room to bolster his squad.

In 2023, the Golden Knights added forwards Ivan Barbashev and Teddy Blueger, as well as goaltender Jonathan Quick. This season, Vegas brought in winger Anthony Mantha, forward Tomas Hertl, and rearguard Noah Hanifin.

McCrimmon said in March that it was "ridiculous to suggest" the Golden Knights are exploiting the league's LTIR system.

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The Vancouver Canucks did their part on the ice to secure their first playoff win at Rogers Arena in nine years, but the players gave some credit to the fans in attendance.

"The building was crazy," forward Dakota Joshua said after his team's 4-2 Game 1 victory over the Nashville Predators. "You think you know what to expect until you get out there, and you don't. The fans were behind us all night, and it was nice to pull through for them."

The Canucks headed into the third period down 2-1. Pius Suter tipped in captain Quinn Hughes' shot for the equalizer, and Joshua scored the game-winning goal just 12 seconds later for the fastest two playoff goals in franchise history.

Joshua then iced the contest with an empty-netter for the first two postseason goals of his career. Prior to Sunday's thrilling win, the 27-year-old only had one other game of playoff experience under his belt.

"A special moment. I'll never forget it," he said of his heroics. "It makes you want to keep doing it."

Hughes took in some postseason action last spring while supporting his brothers, Jack and Luke, on the New Jersey Devils during their run to the second round.

He may be a little biased, but the star defenseman said there was no comparison to the atmosphere at Rogers Arena.

"I couldn't really believe how loud (our) fans were," Hughes said. "I've seen some playoff games ... but it wasn't anything like what we just witnessed. ... To be able to come out here and see the support and see how much it means to the city and the people here is pretty special."

The Canucks were welcomed to the ice by a standing ovation from the thousands of fans waving rally towels.

Vancouver last made the playoffs in 2020, but those games took place in Edmonton with no fans in attendance due to the pandemic.

J.T. Miller is one of six current Canucks who were on that roster. Prior to Sunday's Game 1, the veteran forward was itching to begin the playoffs. He clearly wasn't disappointed by the atmosphere.

"When we came out on the ice today, it was probably one of the more special things I've been a part of, other than the birth of my children and my wedding," Miller said. "It's hard not to get choked up when you see that, that literally is everything. ... If you can't get up for that, then you've got something wrong with you. That was amazing."

Now, the Canucks have to reset and turn their attention to Game 2 on Tuesday.

"We weren't perfect by any means tonight," Miller said. "I think we can be even better, which is great. ... We need to understand that there's still another gear and come off the high of being back in that playoff environment."

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