The New York Rangers didn't waste any time getting retribution against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

The teams squared off in a trio of fights to begin the game in response to Tom Wilson punching Pavel Buchnevich in the back of the head and injuring star winger Artemi Panarin in Monday's meeting.

Just moments later, Wilson, who escaped with just a $5,000 fine for his role in Monday's skirmish, answered the bell against New York rearguard Brendan Smith.

Following that bout, another fight ensued between Rangers blue-liner Anthony Bitetto and Capitals forward Michael Raffl.

Even some of the more skilled players got in on the action, with Ryan Strome and Lars Eller squaring off in an unlikely bout.

The sides combined for six fights and 72 penalty minutes just over four minutes into the heated affair.

New York released a pointed statement Tuesday calling for George Paros, head of the NHL Department of Player Safety, to be removed from his position for failing to suspend Wilson.

The Rangers surprisingly fired team president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton on Wednesday, saying the club needed "a change in leadership" to "succeed in the manner our fans deserve."

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Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has been suspended two games for boarding Pittsburgh Penguins rearguard Mark Friedman during Tuesday's contest, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday.

The play occurred late in the third period after Friedman scored an empty-net goal to put Pittsburgh up 7-3. Gostisbehere was assessed a two-minute minor for cross-checking.

"It is important to note that this is not a defensive play in which Gostisbehere is attempting to reach the puck carrier to prevent a goal from being scored," the league explained in its decision.

"It is only after the empty-net goal was apparent that Gostisbehere adjusts his skating path, takes a hard stride to reach Friedman, and begins to initiate this contact ... this is an intentional shove delivered at speed to the back of the player who is not adequately positioned to protect himself."

This is the first time in 380 career contests that Gostisbehere has received supplemental discipline.

The Flyers, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention, have three games remaining this season.

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Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere delivered a dangerous cross-check to Mark Friedman after the Pittsburgh Penguins rearguard potted an empty-net goal to seal a 7-3 victory Tuesday.

Gostisbehere was assessed a two-minute minor for cross-checking. Friedman crashed hard into the boards but got up on his own.

Gostisbehere, 28, has never received supplemental discipline from the league over 380 career outings.

It was a heated affair between the Pennsylvania rivalries. Friedman dropped the gloves with Flyers forward Joel Farabee earlier in the contest, and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby got into a wrestling match with Travis Konecny.

Tuesday's game was the last between the sides this campaign, with the Flyers taking the season series 5-3.

Pittsburgh moved back into the top spot in the East Division with the victory.

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With the 2020-21 regular season heading into crunch time, there are still plenty of key affairs to be determined down the stretch. Teams are jockeying for the final playoff positions, players are battling for individual hardware, and a few of the league's stars look to leave their marks.

Here are five storylines to follow as the campaign winds down.

McDavid's chase for 100

Connor McDavid needs 16 points in the Edmonton Oilers' final eight outings to rack up a remarkable 100 over the shortened 56-game slate. The schedule should benefit McDavid, too, with games coming against favorable opponents.

The Oilers have five tilts remaining with the Vancouver Canucks - a club valiantly playing out its schedule after enduring a COVID-19 outbreak - two against the Montreal Canadiens, and one against the Calgary Flames. McDavid has tallied eight points in five games against the Canucks this season and 15 in nine outings against Edmonton's provincial rivals.

McDavid is already in rarified air with his historic campaign, as The Athletic's James Mirtle pointed out. The Hart Trophy favorite is on pace for 144 points over a full 82-game slate, which would mark the highest single-season total since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr amassed 161 and 149, respectively, in 1995-96.

Race for final playoff seeds

The Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues are close to clinching the last playoff spot in their respective groups, but a pair of races in the North and Central Divisions should provide plenty of entertainment down the stretch.

In the North, the Flames have battled back into contention and sit six points behind the Canadiens for fourth. The sides don't meet again this season, but Calgary has a chance to end strong with its final four games coming against Vancouver. The Habs, however, have three games against the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs and a pair against McDavid and the Oilers.

The race in the Central is seemingly between two clubs at this point, with the Chicago Blackhawks needing a miracle to get in. The Dallas Stars, with one game in hand, sit two points behind the Nashville Predators for the final berth in the division. The Predators have made the playoffs in six straight seasons, and a pivotal game between them and the Stars Saturday will make a big impact on the Preds' hopes of extending that streak.

Matthews' historic scoring pace

With an eight-goal cushion, Auston Matthews has all but locked up his first career Rocket Richard Trophy, but the Maple Leafs superstar has a chance to make history along the way.

Matthews' absurd goals per game mark has been bested just once since 2005-06. With 36 tallies in 46 games, the blue-chip pivot is producing at a 64-goal pace over 82 games - just one shy of Alex Ovechkin's memorable 65-goal campaign in 2007-08.

*Minimum 45 games played

If Matthews continues to score at this pace over the Leafs' final six games, he'll become just the fourth player since 1985-86 to lead the league in tallies with 0.78 goals per game or higher, according to NHL PR.

Ovechkin's climb into top 5

Alex Ovechkin remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury, but the Washington Capitals' perennial sniper is bound to break more records this season. Ovechkin's just one goal back of tying Marcel Dionne for fifth all-time in goals, and with six games remaining, The Great Eight appears destined to move into the top five.

What's perhaps most remarkable about the Russian winger's marveled career is that he's scored at a more efficient pace than any player above him. Ovechkin ranks sixth all-time in goals per game and first among all players who've played at least 1,000 career contests.

Awards races

Some of the major awards are essentially decided - including the Rocket Richard, Hart Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award - but there are a few still up for grabs. The Norris Trophy, Calder, and Jack Adams could go several ways, so let's dive into each.

Norris Trophy (Top defenseman)

If Colorado Avalanche phenom Cale Makar didn't miss extended time earlier this season, the award would likely be his to lose at this point. However, New York Rangers rearguard Adam Fox is having an incredible sophomore season, and it's feeling increasingly likely that the Big Apple will celebrate its first Norris Trophy winner since Brian Leetch in 1996-97.

Fox has already set a new career high with 47 points in 50 games to lead all defensemen in scoring while also boasting strong underlying numbers. Bruins rearguard Charlie McAvoy has also stepped up in a major way this campaign, and Boston faces the Rangers in a pair of games next week.

For a deeper look into the race, check out our most recent Norris Trophy power rankings.

Calder Trophy (Top rookie)

Welcome to the NHL, Jason Robertson. The Stars rookie has put himself on the map with an absolutely torrid two-month stretch. Robertson has racked up 33 points over his last 30 games to turn the Calder Trophy hunt into a two-horse race between him and Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov.

It's worth noting that Dallas closes out its campaign with six straight road games, and Robertson has amassed just eight of his 40 points away from home this season. Kaprizov, meanwhile, has netted seven goals in his previous seven games and is on pace for 37 tallies over a full 82-game slate.

For a deeper look into the race, check out our most recent Calder Trophy power rankings.

Jack Adams (Best coach)

This one's tough. There's often a pretty clear favorite for the Jack Adams, but this year's crop of candidates remains quite large.

Rod Brind'Amour has done a sensational job in his third year with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pete DeBoer has led the Vegas Golden Knights to the league's best record to date, Dean Evason has lifted a surprise Minnesota team, and Sheldon Keefe has established an identity Toronto has lacked in recent years.

In addition, Mike Sullivan has done a tremendous job keeping the injury-hampered Pittsburgh Penguins near the top of the division once again, and Joel Quenneville has finally gotten the most out of a talented Panthers roster in Florida.

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The Kraken have officially been released.

The Seattle franchise made its final expansion payment Friday to formally become the NHL's 32nd team, the league announced.

"On behalf of the board of governors, I am delighted to officially welcome the Seattle Kraken to the NHL as our 32nd member club," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

"Congratulations to David Bonderman, the Bonderman family, their partners, the entire Seattle Kraken organization, the city of Seattle, and Kraken fans as the club continues on its exciting journey towards puck drop in October."

The Kraken are now permitted to begin building their roster through trades and signings, attend league meetings, vote on rule proposals, and receive confidential league information.

The NHL expansion draft is reportedly set to take place July 21 and teams are required to submit their protected players lists July 17.

Seattle will begin its inaugural campaign in 2021-22.

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Philadelphia Flyers netminder Carter Hart is out for the remainder of the season due to an MCL sprain in his left knee, the team announced Thursday.

Hart struggled in his third NHL season after putting together a pair of promising campaigns to begin his career. He's set to become a restricted free agent this summer.

The 22-year-old ranks last in save percentage (.877), goals-against average (3.67), and goals-saved above average (-22.93) among all goalies with at least 15 appearances this season.

Hart finished ninth in Calder Trophy voting after a stellar rookie campaign in 2018-19. He followed that up with a solid sophomore season and was excellent in the 2020 playoffs, boasting a .926 save percentage over 14 outings.

The Flyers sit 11 points back of the final playoff spot in the East Division with only seven games remaining.

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Los Angeles Kings prospect Quinton Byfield will make his NHL debut Wednesday against the Anaheim Ducks, head coach Todd McLellan confirmed, according to The Athletic's Lisa Dillman.

The Kings selected the 6-foot-4 forward second overall at the 2020 draft.

Byfield, 18, tallied eight goals and 20 points over 30 outings with the American Hockey League's Ontario Reign this season.

The Ontario native also represented Canada at both the 2020 and 2021 world juniors. He recorded seven points in seven games in the 2021 event.

Byfield is the highest-selected Kings player since the club drafted Drew Doughty No. 2 overall in 2008.

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Hockey Canada named Gerard Gallant head coach for the 2021 World Hockey Championship in Riga, Latvia on Wednesday.

The longtime NHL bench boss will work alongside assistants Mike Kelly and André Tourigny. Kelly, currently the director of hockey operations for the OHL's Oshawa Generals, previously worked as an assistant under Gallant with the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers.

Gallant hasn't coached since being let go by the Golden Knights in January 2020. He was hired as the club's first-ever head coach ahead of its inaugural campaign in 2017-18 and led Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final that season.

Gallant previously served as head coach for the Panthers from 2014-17 and Columbus Blue Jackets from 2003-07.

The Prince Edward Island native earned a gold medal as an assistant coach for Canada at the 2007 world championships.

The tournament is slated to begin May 21, with the gold medal game set for June 6.

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In the fourth edition of theScore's 2021 Vezina Trophy Power Rankings, we take a look at which netminders lead the race as we near the end of the season.

This edition dates back to March 24.

GAA = Goals against average
xGA/60 = Expected goals against per 60 minutes
SV% = Save percentage
HDSV% = High-danger save percentage
GSAA = Goals saved above average

5. Philipp Grubauer, Avalanche

Previous ranking: 2

It's been a tough stretch for Grubauer, but his body of work on the campaign keeps him in the hunt for the hardware. The Avalanche goaltender has been on the COVID-19 list since April 12 and had a few shaky starts before then, which includes allowing seven goals on 18 shots in a loss against the Minnesota Wild.

However, Grubauer has been integral to Colorado's success, and he's endured one of the league's largest workloads this season. The German puck-stopper still ranks second in wins and fifth in both minutes played and starts despite being out for over two weeks. Grubauer also owns the league's best high-danger save percentage and co-leads with five shutouts.

4. Semyon Varlamov, Islanders

Previous ranking: 5

A model of consistency for the Islanders, Varlamov is the only netminder to appear on all four installments of our rankings so far. The native Russian owns a .940 save percentage in April and hasn't seen that number dip below .917 in any month during this campaign.

The 6-foot-2 puck-stopper has allowed just 17 goals over nine starts in the last month but has just four wins to show for it, thanks to a lack of goal support. Varlamov also ranks third in goals saved above average and is one of three goalies, along with Grubauer and Marc-Andre Fleury, with an NHL-best five shutouts.

3. Marc-Andre Fleury, Golden Knights

Previous ranking: 3

Robin Lehner's return to the crease has likely thwarted Fleury's chances at going on a run for the hardware to end the season. The 36-year-old has made only six starts in April but has bounced back after a shaky stretch, winning each of his last four starts while allowing only six goals in that span.

Fleury's also dealt with a high volume of high-danger shots this year (236) and has faced the second-most rush attempts (50) among all goaltenders, proving his numbers between the pipes aren't just benefiting from playing behind a juggernaut Golden Knights club.

2. Juuse Saros, Predators

Previous ranking: Not ranked

The Predators' red-hot netminder has collected a league-high 12 wins since the last edition of our rankings and is the main reason Nashville is back in playoff contention after a miserable start.

Saros has finally developed into the No. 1 goalie that the club believed would succeed longtime puck-stopper Pekka Rinne. The 26-year-old has allowed two or fewer tallies in 20 of his previous 24 outings and owns an absurd .944 save percentage over that span. Saros ranks seventh in shots faced and 11th in minutes, proving he can produce while burdened by a large workload.

He may have been shelled for a season-high six goals by the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, but Saros was peppered with 55 shots while being in net for the second straight night.

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning

Previous ranking: 1

The hardware appears to be Vasilevskiy's to lose at this point. The Lightning's stingy goalkeeper leads the league in save percentage (min 22 games), wins, minutes played, goals saved above average, and ranks second in high-danger save percentage. The 26-year-old has also made the second-most high-danger saves, further proving that his numbers are for real.

Tampa Bay would be wise to give Vasilevskiy a bit more time off down the stretch, but even if the team does, we don't foresee anyone stopping the Russian netminder from claiming his second career Vezina Trophy.

Honorable mentions: Cam Talbot (Wild), Igor Shesterkin (Rangers)

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Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon says head coach Rod Brind'Amour will remain with the club beyond this season.

Brind'Amour's current contract is set to expire this summer, but Dundon says he's not worried about negotiating a new deal.

"I've never been concerned," Dundon said Tuesday on The Bob McCown Podcast. "I've never really had a problem keeping good people, if I want to keep them, we keep them, we'll find a way and he's the best.

"I have no interest in owning the team without him coaching it, so he's going to coach it."

The Hurricanes hired Brind'Amour as head coach in May 2018 and have ascended to become one of the league's top teams since.

Carolina owns a 115-64-19 record with Brind'Amour behind the bench and has made the playoffs in three straight seasons, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Final in his first campaign.

Dundon credits Brind'Amour, who previously served as an assistant coach, for changing the culture of the club when he was promoted.

"That's probably the main thing. There were a couple of really good players, but there was a person here who was really good at getting the most out of everyone and creating a culture.

"And he loves the Hurricanes, right? That wasn't something a lot of people can say. Even when we were no good, he still loved it, and he thought about it the way it was when he played and they were good."

Brind'Amour played for the Hurricanes from 1999-2010, and captained the team to its first and only Stanley Cup in 2006.

The Hurricanes sit first in the Central Division and second in the league entering Tuesday's action.

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