T.J. Oshie is hoping the Washington Capitals' rather unconventional championship tradition lives on in the wake of the Washington Nationals' World Series victory Wednesday night.

After the Capitals captured their first Stanley Cup in 2018, the players made headlines with their exuberant celebrations, which included splashing around in public city fountains in Washington, D.C.

Oshie also quipped about taking responsibility for any fountains that went unused, adding he'd love to join the celebration.

"That's according to Yelp, so if I left anyone's fountain out, I apologize," the Capitals forward said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "But I'm sure those guys are going to have a good time and if they happen to jump in a fountain, I hope I get the call."

D.C. sports teams have now captured three professional championships over the last 16 months, with the Nationals, Capitals, and the WNBA's Washington Mystics all taking home their respective leagues' ultimate hardware.

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New Jersey Devils star Taylor Hall was rather miffed by the chorus of boo birds coming from the Prudential Center crowd during Thursday's 7-6 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"We’re kind of battling our own fans right now," Hall said, according to The Trentonian's Mike Ashmore. "We were 1-for-3 on the power play and we are getting booed. It’s a tie game, we are getting booed.

"That’s a tough environment to play in sometimes, especially when you are at home ... If you’re playing at home, you want to feed off the energy of the crowd and not let that affect you, but sometimes it does.”

Hall, whose two assists in the contest pushed his point total to nine in 10 games this season, is playing in the final year of his current deal and is scheduled to become one of the league's most coveted unrestricted free agents on July 1.

The 27-year-old became the first player in Devils' history to capture the Hart Trophy after his career-best 93-point campaign in 2017-18.

Following an exciting offseason, the Devils sit in last place in the Metropolitan Division with only two wins over their first 10 games.

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Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a broken finger on Oct. 16 against the Washington Capitals.

The 29-year-old skated on a line flanked by Mitch Marner and Trevor Moore, but head coach Mike Babcock says it's unclear when Tavares will return to game action.

“I can’t tell you when he’s playing. I just know we’re doing everything, and he’s doing everything, to be ready when he gets his opportunity," Babcock said following Wednesday's practice, according to The Athletic's Jonas Siegel. "The doctors will check that out and decide when he’s available.”

The Leafs don't play again until they meet the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, and Tavares says he'll have a better idea of his status for that contest after practice on Friday, according to the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan.

Tavares was originally slated to be out for at least two weeks.

The Ontario native tallied three goals and seven points in eight games before his injury. Tavares led the Leafs and finished third in the NHL with a career-high 47 goals in 2018-19.

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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.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins could have blue-chip forward Evgeni Malkin back as early as Nov. 2 against the Edmonton Oilers.

Malkin, who suffered a leg injury during Pittsburgh's second game of the season against the Columbus Blue Jackets, skated in a non-contact jersey at practice Monday.

"I skated last week every day. I feel good," the 33-year-old said following Monday's skate.

"I miss the ice, so much. I missed the last three weeks. It's a little bit hard mentally. I try to stay positive and focus and do my best and work hard. I hope I'm back versus Edmonton."

The Penguins have managed to weather the storm so far, posting a 6-4-0 record in Malkin's absence.

Pittsburgh forwards Bryan Rust and Nick Bjugstad returned to the lineup Saturday against the Dallas Stars as the team continues to recover from its early-season injury woes.

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St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko will undergo left shoulder surgery Tuesday and be re-evaluated in five months, the team announced Monday.

Tarasenko suffered the injury Oct. 24 against the Los Angeles Kings, leaving the contest in the first period after logging just four minutes and 37 seconds of ice time.

The 27-year-old winger was riding a five-game point streak before sustaining the injury. He's recorded three goals and 10 points through 10 games in 2019-20.

The talented Russian played a pivotal role during the Blues' Stanley Cup run this past spring, contributing 11 goals and 18 points in 26 playoff contests while averaging over 18 minutes of ice time per game.

Tarasenko has led the Blues in goals for five straight seasons, notching at least 30 tallies in each of those campaigns. Only Alex Ovechkin and John Tavares have recorded more goals than Tarasenko's 185 since the start of the 2013-14 season.

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Former Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly has inked a one-year deal with Kunlun Red Star of the KHL, the team announced Monday.

Smith-Pelly, 27, was released from a professional tryout with the Calgary Flames in September and went unsigned during NHL free agency. He tallied eight points in 54 games on a one-year contract with Washington last season.

The 6-foot winger played an important role when the Capitals captured their first Stanley Cup in 2017-18. He potted seven goals - including two game-winners - while averaging 12:02 of ice time per game through 24 playoff contests during that run.

Since being selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 2010 draft, Smith-Pelly has amassed 44 goals and 101 points over 395 career NHL games.

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Without a contract offer from an NHL club, former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov has inked a professional tryout contract with HC Lokomotiv of the KHL, the league announced Thursday.

Markov, 40, spent 16 seasons with the Canadiens. In August, he announced his desire to return to the NHL, with Montreal his first choice.

In September, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said the club was looking to take a younger approach, and he wasn't interested in bringing back the veteran rearguard.

Markov has spent the past two seasons with Ak Bars Kazan, posting 47 points in 104 games and winning the Gagarin Cup in 2018.

The Russian was selected by the Canadiens in the sixth round of the 1998 NHL Draft and ranks sixth in both games played (990) and assists (453) in franchise history.

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Breaking into the NHL at 18 years of age is no small task, but New York Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko isn't making any excuses for his sluggish start.

“We’re not playing good right now as a team, and I’m not playing good,” Kakko said, according to the New York Post's Brett Cyrgalis.

He added, "I'm playing bad hockey."

The Rangers selected Kakko with the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. The Finland native has just one goal and one assist through the first seven games of his career.

Kakko's ice time has decreased over four consecutive outings, and he played a season-low 9:51 in an overtime loss against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.

“Of course (it’s not fun) because we are not winning the games right now,” Kakko said. “But, hopefully it’s getting better. Like, next game, maybe I feel better.”

Since winning their first two contests of the season, the Rangers have lost five straight and have found the net just nine times. They'll look to get back on track at home on Thursday night against the first-place Buffalo Sabres.

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Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky paid a hefty price to get his old sweater number with his new team.

Bobrovsky, who wore the No. 72 with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2013 to 2019, rewarded teammate Frank Vatrano with a bottle of wine, a Rolex watch, and a McDonald's hamburger for surrendering the digits before the start of the season.

Bobrovsky is just the third Panthers player to don the No. 72 following Vatrano and former defenseman Alex Petrovic.

The Russian puck-stopper has had a shaky start to his tenure in the Sunshine State after inking a seven-year, $70-million pact with the Panthers this summer. Through six starts, Bobrovsky has posted a 4.07 goals-against average and .872 save percentage.

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