Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg will miss at least two weeks after sustaining an injury in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, head coach Jim Montgomery said postgame.
Klingberg left late in the second period and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest with what the Stars classified as a lower-body ailment.
The 27-year-old blue-liner was struck up high by a shot from Avalanche rearguard Nikita Zadorov shortly before exiting, and Montgomery confirmed Klingberg suffered the injury on that play.
Montgomery added the team will know more about the defenseman's status after he's evaluated Wednesday.
Klingberg has managed only four points in 17 games this season, but he entered Tuesday's contest ranking second among Stars players in average ice time.
Patrick Marleau achieved a major milestone on Tuesday night.
The San Jose Sharks forward became only the sixth player in NHL history to suit up for 800 straight regular-season contests.
Marleau and Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle are the only active players to accomplish the feat, with Arizona Coyotes forward Phil Kessel not far behind.
San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane is being sued by a Las Vegas casino that claims the 28-year-old failed to pay back $500,000 in gambling markers he received in mid-April.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, which filed the lawsuit Monday, claims Kane took out eight separate credits of varying amounts between $20,000 and $100,000, according to court documents obtained by Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The Cosmopolitan also seeks repayment of legal fees associated with the lawsuit.
Kane and the Sharks were in Las Vegas playing the Golden Knights in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs around the time he reportedly used the markers.
The Vancouver native is in the second season of a seven-year, $49-million deal he signed with San Jose ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.
"I mean, it was pretty clear, (Sherwood) spears, slashes the goalie and I was standing up for him," Lucic said on Tuesday, according to Flames reporter Kristen Anderson. "I'm more than willing to do that. I thought the referees got it right on the ice the first time."
Lucic delivered a sucker punch to Sherwood after the Blue Jackets winger tried to poke the puck free from beneath Flames netminder David Rittich before the whistle. Sherwood was shaken up but returned to finish the contest, and Lucic was handed a double minor for roughing.
Despite the punishment, Lucic says he doesn't plan to change his approach.
"They even got a slashing penalty on the play," Lucic said. "I think even Rittich said it was the second time he got slashed in three games and you have to step up for your teammates and I'm more than willing to do that. This suspension won't change that moving forward."
The 6-foot-3 enforcer isn't alone in his disapproval of the league's decision. Flames general manager Brad Treliving also chimed in on Sunday, saying the club vehemently disagrees with the suspension.
However, Lucic is a repeat offender after being suspended four times and fined on five occasions over his 13-year career.
Treliving acquired Lucic this past offseason from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for forward James Neal in effort to add more toughness to the Flames' lineup. The 31-year-old leads the team this season in hits (31) and penalty minutes (30).
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The NHL season is still in its infancy, but if you had to pick a Hart Trophy winner right this second, who would it be?
Not so easy, is it?
Several players have pieced together great starts to the season, resulting in a jump up the odds leaderboard.
Here are the latest odds for the NHL Hart Trophy winner, along with some of the biggest movers since the start of the season:
Player
Current Odds (11/5)
Opening Odds (10/1)
Connor McDavid
3-1
13-4
Nathan MacKinnon
7-1
9-1
Sidney Crosby
7-1
7-1
Nikita Kucherov
8-1
5-1
Auston Matthews
9-1
10-1
Alex Ovechkin
10-1
10-1
David Pastrnak
10-1
33-1
Brad Marchand
12-1
40-1
Mark Stone
16-1
50-1
Taylor Hall
20-1
12-1
Mark Scheifele
22-1
22-1
John Carlson
25-1
N/A
Steven Stamkos
25-1
25-1
Mitch Marner
28-1
28-1
Johnny Gaudreau
33-1
50-1
Connor McDavid (3-1)
Previous odds (Oct. 1): 13-4
No surprise here, as Connor McDavid opened as the clear favorite and continues to occupy that spot after notching 24 points through 16 games, leading the Edmonton Oilers to first in the Pacific Division.
If the Oilers make the playoffs, McDavid will warrant significant consideration for the award due to his team's lack of depth. However, the underlying numbers are slightly concerning for the club.
Edmonton has outscored teams 18-9 at five-on-five when McDavid is on the ice despite being outshot and outchanced. That's a testament to McDavid's skill, but even a little regression from him would be incredibly detrimental to the Oilers' playoff chances.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a pretty decent skater. Connor McDavid just made him look like a pylon he was doing a practice drill around. pic.twitter.com/tMyvhQerHU
But one of their stars is generating concern, as 11 points in 13 games is an alarming rate of production for Nikita Kucherov, who has topped 100 points in each of the last two seasons. It's still early, but he'll need to score 89 points over the team's final 69 games to reach that mark again (don't hold your breath).
Something really does seem off about Kucherov, who has posted pedestrian numbers at both five-on-five and on the power play.
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (10-1)
Previous odds (Oct. 1): 33-1
David Pastrnak's 28 points through his team's first 14 games are the most since Daniel Alfredsson and Peter Forsberg managed the same tally in 2005-06.
It's been an unbelievable start to the campaign for Pasta, who's on a 12-game point streak after being held off the scoresheet during the Boston Bruins' first two contests. He's scored eight power-play goals, which is more than the total 10 teams have produced.
Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron also deserve credit. With Pastrnak at right wing, the three form the NHL's most dominant line, combining for 31 goals for and only nine against this season. They're unstoppable right now with Pastrnak as the ring leader, and an MVP both on and off the ice.
It's become common to call Mark Stone the best winger in hockey, but that doesn't make it any less true. He's on pace for his best career offensive output after notching 18 points in 15 games.
Stone's underlying numbers are right in line with his career averages. That suggests his production could regress, but perhaps the change of scenery has made all the difference. Including the playoffs, he's tallied 41 points in 40 games since being dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils (20-1)
Previous odds (Oct. 1): 12-1
Taylor Hall took home the Hart Trophy at the end of the 2017-18 campaign, his second season with the New Jersey Devils. A knee injury limited him to just 33 games last year, but optimism was high in New Jersey coming into 2019-20 following general manager Ray Shero's busy offseason.
Early returns haven't met lofty expectations. Hall has recorded fewer goals (two) than the Devils' wins (three) through their first 12 games. New Jersey is also being outscored and outshot at five-on-five when Hall is on the ice as frustration starts to build in Newark.
#NJDevils Taylor Hall: “We’re kind of battling our own fans right now. We were 1-for-3 on the power play and we are getting booed. It’s a tie game that we are getting booed.”
No one has made a bigger jump up this board than Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson, who has never received a Hart Trophy vote.
His 23 points rank fifth this season, and he's scored by far the most among defensemen. He's totaled more goals and assists than Sidney Crosby, Mitch Marner, and Elias Pettersson, among others. The Capitals' 20 goals at five-on-five when he's on the ice slots Carlson second among all NHL players.
His credentials are obvious, and if the season ended today, he might be the Hart Trophy front-runner. However, getting the support of a star-studded cast doesn't help Carlson's case, and it's uncertain if his point-scoring pace is sustainable.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
The Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers are first in their respective divisions largely because of these players, but which pair holds the edge?
The case for Marchand, Pastrnak
Duo
GP
GF
GA
TOI
xGF%
CF%
Pastrnak/Marchand
14
18
7
165:37
61.93
58.80
Stats are at even strength
GF = goals for, GA = goals against, xGF% = expected goals for, CF% = shot attempt differential
The Bruins have cruised to six straight wins while earning points in their last 10 games, and they've lost just once in regulation this season. Much of their success can be attributed to first-line juggernauts Pastrnak and Marchand, with help from their center Patrice Bergeron.
Through 14 contests, Marchand has recorded two five-point games, and he's riding a career-best 13-game point streak. Pastrnak has also been terrorizing opponents, and he leads the league in goals and points.
Hockeyviz.com
The Boston wingers' underlying numbers show how dominant they've been to start this season. Averaging just under 20 minutes per game, the two have been driving play in the offensive zone and rank among the top forwards in Corsi For Percentage.
They help generate offense from all over the zone when on the ice.
Hockeyviz.com
Marchand and Pastrnak have combined for 24 markers, which accounts for 46 percent of the Bruins' goals this season.
The case for McDavid and Draisaitl
Duo
GP
GF
GA
TOI
xGF%
CF%
McDavid/Draisaitl
16
20
11
261:00
46.60
46.54
After McDavid and Draisaitl were responsible for 40 percent of Edmonton's goals last season, linemate James Neal has supported them early this campaign with his secondary scoring. The high-octane duo is still off to a scorching start, even if the underlying numbers aren't as flashy.
Their time on ice is the stat that jumps out. Among all forwards, McDavid and Draisaitl rank first and second in ice time, averaging just under 24 minutes per night. The two are playing hard minutes in Edmonton, and they start shifts and play in the defensive zone more often than last year.
Hockeyviz.com
McDavid continues to drive play at a high rate when in the offensive zone, creating lots of scoring chances from high-danger zones. Draisaitl, meanwhile, has had less of an isolated impact in the offensive zone than his linemate so far this season.
Hockeyviz.com
The pair have combined for 20 goals this year, which is 44 percent of the Oilers' total. With linemate Neal's 11 goals included, the line has notched 69 percent of the team's tallies.
Bottom line
The Bruins duo holds the edge early this season due to its better production. Pastrnak and Marchand may enjoy the luxury of playing with one of the league's best two-way centers in Bergeron, but we shouldn't penalize them for that.
With tons of hockey left to be played, it'll be a treat to watch these four superstars duke it out at the top of leaderboards.
