The tightly-contested clash between division foes featured two hits - one by each team - causing injuries, but referees only deemed Brandon Tanev's blow illegal.
The Penguins forward received a five-minute major and was ejected in the second period for the following hit on Bruins blue-liner Jarred Tinordi.
Tinordi's hit on Evgeni Malkin in the opening frame went uncalled by refs.
"I hope as players we get some clarity on what's a good hit and what's not," Crosby said postgame, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "It's tough to really gauge when you're out there. I know it's fast, but right now, it's really hard to know what is, in fact, clean and what's not. And when you're out there playing, it's important to know that."
Both Tinordi and Malkin left the game with injuries. There's been no update on either player's status, but Crosby made it clear he hopes the Bruins defender isn't seriously hurt.
"I don't think he (Tanev) had any intent there," Crosby said. "I hope Tinordi's OK. He went in pretty awkward. But I don't think there was any intent. I thought he hit him clean. He hit him timely as far as the puck being there. (Tinordi) did go in awkwardly, so you never like to see that. But I didn't think it warranted a five-minute (major penalty)."
Boston won the game 2-1. The Bruins sit in fourth place and trail the Penguins by three points in the East Division with two games in hand.
The April 12 trade deadline was a prominent talking point during Dubas' mid-season availability Tuesday, and the general manager divulged that he hopes to complete a trade sooner than later to mitigate the 14-day quarantine period between Canada and the United States. He added that he'd prefer a rental player due to the flat salary cap, and Toronto is keen on bolstering its forward group.
"We had to move out some forwards that were good for us in order to add on the back end, and thus we feel like that's an area where we may want to look a bit more," Dubas said, per TSN's Kristen Shilton.
Some of Toronto's top prospects include Nick Robertson, Rasmus Sandin, and 2020 first-round pick Rodion Amirov.
The Leafs are right up against the $81.5-million salary cap, so they'd likely need to move a player out or have another team retain salary if a trade is made.
Toronto currently sits sixth in the NHL and first in the North Division with 40 points through 30 games, but its grip on the top spot weakened after losing four of its last five games.
New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin will address the assault allegation that led to his recent leave of absence after the season.
"It's probably not the time to discuss it right now," Panarin said Monday, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I have nothing to hide. I will address everything after the season, but right now, the focus is on the game and not these discussions."
The Rangers announced on Feb. 22 that Panarin would be away from the team indefinitely after his former KHL coach, Andrei Nazarov, said the winger got into a physical altercation with an 18-year-old woman in Latvia in 2011.
New York called the allegation a "fabricated story" and said it was "an intimidation tactic" in response to Panarin's political stances. Panarin has been publicly critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past and expressed support for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Multiple former KHL teammates of Panarin disputed the allegation, and the league said it never received a complaint.
Panarin ultimately missed nine games while away from the Rangers, returning to the lineup March 13. The 29-year-old has recorded 22 points in 16 games this season.
A 19-year-old defenseman for Dynamo St. Petersburg's junior team died three days after taking a puck to the head during a playoff game, the KHL announced Tuesday.
Timur Faizutdinov collapsed on the ice after being struck by a puck shot from the neutral zone, according to The Associated Press. He was reportedly taken to the hospital in Yaroslavl and treated for his injuries.
KHL playoff games on March 17 and 18 will hold a moment of silence in Faizutdinov's memory.
"When it's your eighth year and it's been almost identical to the years in the past, at least I have thick skin," he said, per The Athletic's John Vogl. "I know how to handle it. You've got to keep your confidence up and you've got to still work hard. You can't lose your shit after a few losses."
Ristolainen added: "One way or the other, we need to get going. I feel like we need one win and we relieve the pressure in the team, and then maybe we can put some more wins together."
Buffalo was expected to be in playoff contention after making key offseason additions in Taylor Hall and Eric Staal. Instead, the Sabres sit dead last in the NHL and appear bound to extend their league-worst playoff drought to 10 seasons.
Buffalo has been hampered by underperforming players, injuries, and postponements due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Ristolainen, who contracted the virus, detailed his harrowing symptoms in late February.
The Sabres drafted Ristolainen, 26, eighth overall in 2013. He's notched 235 points and averaged nearly 24 minutes per contest in 512 games with the club.
Nashville currently sits seventh in the Central Division, 10 points back of a playoff spot. The Predators have qualified for the postseason each campaign since 2014, leaving Rinne with an unfamiliar feeling right now.
"For sure, I want to have success," he said. "I've been fortunate that we've been, for most of my career, doing pretty well. For the most part, we've never been sellers at the deadline. Obviously, I don't want to go through that. This is the team I want to retire (with)."
Rinne is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the Predators will likely sell off some assets prior to the trade deadline as they stare down a potential rebuild.
The 38-year-old has been Nashville's No. 1 netminder since the 2008-09 season, and he was among the NHL's best goalies at his peak. Rinne has been a Vezina Trophy finalist four times, and he won the award in 2018. The veteran owns a career .917 save percentage across 678 games despite being below .900 in each of the past two seasons.
Vegas placed Fleury on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list Thursday, one day after he started versus the Minnesota Wild.
The 36-year-old is a strong Vezina Trophy candidate at the midway point of the season, posting a .938 save percentage and 1.73 goals-against average in 17 appearances.
Kucherov underwent hip surgery in December and was ruled out for the regular season.
BriseBois is treating Kucherov's postseason return like a major trade-deadline acquisition. It's unlikely the club will add anyone else due to financial restraints.
"We literally have zero cap space," BriseBois said.
Kucherov's injury allowed Tampa Bay to stash his $9.5-million cap hit on the long-term injured reserve, freeing up room to make some crucial offseason signings. The Bolts would be roughly $10 million over the $81.5 million cap if the 2018-19 MVP was healthy right now. There's no salary cap in the playoffs.
The Lightning aren't struggling without their star winger while posting an 18-5-2 record. Kucherov registered 85 points over 68 games last season, and then he led the playoffs in scoring with seven goals and 27 assists in 25 contests as Tampa captured the Stanley Cup.
Welcome to the eighth edition of "Looking North," our weekly Friday dive into the all-Canadian division. This installment dates back to March 5.
The rundown
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
The Oilers rebounded nicely from last week's disaster, collecting two tight wins over the Flames and Senators before blowing Ottawa out 7-1 on Wednesday. How Edmonton would respond to the first-place Maple Leafs smothering them was a big talking point, and Dave Tippett's club delivered.
Conversely, Toronto hit the skids following its sweep of the Oilers. The Leafs lost three games in regulation for the first time during the Sheldon Keefe era, giving up considerable ground as the division leaders. However, they did earn a crucial extra point with an overtime win over Winnipeg on Thursday. The Jets have won seven of their last 10 contests, and they're six points back of the Leafs with two games in hand. The two clubs meet again Saturday.
The Canadiens appear to have adjusted to Dominique Ducharme's systems, earning a pair of convincing wins to inject life into a season that seemingly reached its breaking point long ago. The Habs weren't perfect, but they were also dealing with a terrible schedule that sent them from Vancouver to Calgary on back-to-back nights.
The Flames lost their first two games after firing Geoff Ward, but they bounced back with a victory in Darryl Sutter's return behind the bench. It's too early to project how Calgary will finish after its surprise head coach hire, but the club will surely be intriguing to watch.
Finally, the Senators pulled off a promising shootout win in Calgary, but they followed it up with a pair of defeats in Edmonton. The Sens sit 30th in the NHL with a .328 points percentage.
Team
Points over last week
Edmonton Oilers
6 (3-1-0)
Montreal Canadiens
5 (2-1-1)
Vancouver Canucks
4 (2-1-0)
Winnipeg Jets
3 (1-1-1)
Calgary Flames
3 (1-1-1)
Toronto Maple Leafs
2 (1-2-0)
Ottawa Senators
2 (1-2-0)
The stars
Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / Getty
Forward: Connor McDavid was held off the scoresheet during an important three-game set against the Maple Leafs last week, but he rebounded significantly. The NHL's leading scorer padded his cushion in the Art Ross race with two goals and six assists to help the Oilers get back on track.
Defenseman: Jeff Petry continued his excellent campaign this past week, sniping three goals to move into second among defensemen with 24 points. His underlying numbers this season are also phenomenal. Montreal is outscoring opponents 25-12 and owns 57% of the expected goals with Petry on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Goalie: Carey Price put an eventful week in Montreal on the back burner while playing brilliantly after the dismissal of Claude Julien and longtime goalie coach Stephane Waite. The netminder won two of his three starts, and he posted a .963 save percentage and 0.98 goals-against average.
Canadian of the week
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
McDavid gets the nod here, too. Not only did his eight points lead the league, but no other Canadian playing on home soil registered more than four points over the same span.
The Oilers captain remains on a separate planet from his peers.
The moments
Draisaitl dazzles vs. Senators 🤩
Draisaitl had already produced a six-point game versus the Senators this season. But he didn't feel like resting on his laurels in their latest clash, burying a hat trick and adding two assists. The dynamic superstar also appeared on the highlight reel, flying coast to coast for one tally, and then converting after an otherworldly no-look pass from McDavid to complete the hatty.
Matthews' overtime showstopper 🤩
Connor Hellebuyck was moments away from stonewalling the Leafs for a second consecutive game. But Matthews - bad wrist be damned - sealed the victory in overtime for Toronto with this silky smooth top-shelf backhand.
Gaudette drops the hammer 🔨
Is there a hockey highlight more satisfying than a player unleashing an on-the-fly slapshot off the post and in? Adam Gaudette delivered this glorious blast during the final minute of the third period versus Montreal, sparking the Canucks to a comeback shootout victory.
The question
Derek Leung / Getty Images Sport / Getty
There's no denying Calgary's core has underachieved over the last few seasons. But can Sutter be the voice the Flames need?
The two-time Cup winner's straightforward style and fixation on team discipline could be the right jolt for this group to wake up and meet expectations. But if his approach doesn't click and Calgary misses the playoffs, hiring a coach who retired to become a full-time rancher in 2018 could result in serious repercussions.
Right away, one thing is abundantly clear: Sutter's work is cut out for him. It was anticipated the Flames would compete for the top spot in the North Division, yet they sit 22nd in goals for per game and 18th in goals against.
Quote of the week
Canadiens forward Phillip Danault was mired in a goal drought that extended more than a calendar year. He finally got off the schneid late in Wednesday's blowout win over the Canucks, and Danault wasn't shy about expressing his relief afterward.
"Yeah, I think there was more than one monkey. I threw a bunch of monkeys off my back," Danault said, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu.
Games to watch
The Leafs and Jets will play the rubber match of their high-octane three-game set Saturday night. Looking ahead to next week, the always-entertaining Battle of Alberta is featured on Monday and Wednesday.
