Mark Stone used every bit of his leg to stay onside. He then made sure it mattered.

The Ottawa Senators forward tied up Game 7 at 1-1 only 20 seconds after Chris Kunitz gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a lead, going upstairs on Matt Murray with a wicked shot.

Here's a better look at Stone's stretch:

Erik Karlsson set up the goal, leading the rush on the play. It was his 15th assist of the playoffs, tying a Sens postseason record.

Conor Sheary and Kunitz hooked up on the Pens' goal:

It was Kunitz's first goal since the middle of February.

Sheary, meanwhile, has been all over the ice in Game 7, making his mark in his return to the Pittsburgh lineup.

The game went to overtime tied 2-2.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Apparently Mother Nature isn't a fan of Game 7s.

There have been multiple reports of power outages in the city of Ottawa, which obviously comes at an unfortunate time, considering the Senators are set to play in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final at 8 p.m. ET.

Jon Willing, an Ottawa of the Ottawa Citizen is reporting that power isn't estimated to be restored until 1:30 a.m. - Just in time for triple overtime, right?

Those living in this area of the city are likely frantically calling up friends in other neighborhoods to see whose cable hasn't been affected. Otherwise, fans will need to head to the closest sports bar that still has power.

The media has been saying that all of the pressure tonight is on the Pittsburgh Penguins, but now Hydro Ottawa is under more pressure than ever before as the Sens play in their biggest game in nearly a decade.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Justin Schultz is back in the Pittsburgh Penguins' lineup for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Ottawa Senators.

Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist took part in the pregame warmup but wasn't listed in the lineup.

Schultz hadn't played since he was hurt in Game 2 of the series against the Senators when he hit awkwardly into the boards by Ottawa forward Mike Hoffman midway through the first period.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It wasn't the most significant defeat of Ryan Kesler's NHL or international career, but the veteran Anaheim Ducks forward says losing Game 6 of the Western Conference Final to the Nashville Predators was the most difficult.

"This was the toughest loss of my career," Kesler told reporters Thursday at the Ducks' final media session of the season. "This stings. It still stings. We left everything out there."

Kesler struggled in the series as a whole, collecting one point in six games, and he was on the ice for four more goals against than goals for in Game 6.

Still, the 32-year-old has endured several losses that one would expect to cut deeper than Monday night's elimination at the hands of the Predators, including Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final as a member of the Vancouver Canucks and Team USA's gold-medal game disappointment at the Olympics in 2010.

Ducks defenseman Kevin Bieksa echoed Kesler's sentiment Thursday, calling their Game 6 loss the toughest of his career despite the fact that he was also Kesler's teammate on a Canucks squad that came one win short of winning a championship.

Whether it's a case of recency bias or simply a sense of urgency because neither Kesler, 32, nor Bieksa, 35, has ever won the Cup, it's clear the pain of this particular loss is still lingering.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On the heels of their season-ending loss to the Nashville Predators in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final on Monday, the Anaheim Ducks revealed severe injuries to two key blue-liners.

Defenseman Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm will both require shoulder surgery for torn labrums this offseason, general manager Bob Murray announced Thursday.

Lindholm's rehab should take four-to-five months, while Vatanen's will take longer, per Murray.

Both defenseman played in all six games versus the Predators, logging regular minutes.

The news adds to the onslaught of injuries Anaheim had to deal with throughout the postseason, as ailments to netminder John Gibson and forwards Patrick Eaves and Rickard Rakell ravaged the Ducks' roster when it mattered most.

Murray and the Ducks face a major conundrum for the upcoming expansion draft due to numerous valuable players that need protection, and the injuries to Vatanen and Lindholm add yet another wrinkle.

With Kevin Bieksa's no-movement clause, Anaheim can only protect three more defenseman if they opt for the eight skater, one goalie format. That leaves one of Vatanen, Lindholm, or the up-and-coming Josh Manson ripe for the taking.

A potential trade for one of these players may be in the works, but the market could definitely shrink with such serious injuries now in play.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Newly-minted Sabres general manager Jason Botterill hasn't wasted any time making a much-needed addition to his blue line, signing 24-year-old defenseman Viktor Antipin to a one-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.

Antipin spent 2016-17 with Magnitogorsk Metallurg in the KHL, recording six goals and 18 assists in 59 games while averaging 21:58 of ice time per game. He upped his play during his team's run to the KHL finals, scoring seven times with four helpers in 18 playoff games, logging over 24 minutes per night. He was awarded a golden helmet (given to playoff All-Stars) for his postseason play.

"Viktor is a well-rounded defenseman who has played in all situations at the pro level," Botterill said in a statement released by the team. "His mobility and puck-moving skills make him a perfect match for what we're hoping to build with our defense corps next season."

Antipin will be joining a D-core in serious need of reinforcements. Rasmus Ristolainen is a true No. 1 defenseman, but after him, the projected depth chart is pretty bleak:

Obviously McCabe isn't fit to play on a top pair, nor is Gorges capable of being a top-four defenseman anymore, so Botterill still has plenty of work to do, given that Dmitry Kulikov and Cody Franson are both pending unrestricted free agents. Nonetheless, the acquisition of the 5-foot-11 Antipin is a step in the right direction.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues added Steve Ott to their coaching staff, the team announced Thursday.

Ott will join head coach Mike Yeo's staff as an assistant coach on a three-year contract.

"Steve was a competitor on the ice as a player and I expect him to bring that energy in this role," Yeo said. "He was highly respected as a player and a person among his teammates and I believe he will be a huge asset to our staff."

Ott played 122 games in a Blues uniform between 2013-16, racking up 157 penalty minutes to go along with 17 points.

The announcement effectively ends Ott's 16-year playing career. He most recently suited up this season for the Montreal Canadiens, including six playoff games.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Though his stay was short, the Anaheim Ducks appear to have made a good impression on Patrick Eaves.

The 33-year-old was acquired from the Dallas Stars ahead of the trade deadline, and while he played just a combined 27 games with the Ducks in both the regular season and playoffs, he seems to have enjoyed his stay.

"'I'm proud of this team," Eaves said. "I would love to be back here."

Related: Ducks' Eaves, Rakell were sidelined with high ankle sprains

Eaves will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and though he would like to return to the Ducks, he admits his decision will largely be impacted by his family, according to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register.

Ideally, Eaves would like a multi-year deal, especially after signing consecutive one-year contracts. After tallying a career-high 32 goals and 51 points in 79 games, that might not be an issue.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Eugene Melnyk took it upon himself to write a letter to a newspaper disputing what he feels was an unfair analysis of the Ottawa Senators' playoff ticket-selling woes.

Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun wrote Wednesday that the team owner was primarily to blame for the fact not every game this postseason has sold out. The article also ran in the Ottawa Citizen.

Brennan opined, "The only logical explanation for fans negatively stealing so much of the spotlight from the Senators' unexpectedly wondrous ride through the playoffs has to be a growing, general contempt for the team's owner, for one reason or another."

Hogwash, Melnyk retorted Thursday, via the Ottawa Citizen:

If someone chooses to put the blame on (me) for this reality, well they simply have no clue how hard I work, how passionate I am, and how committed I am to the Ottawa Senators and their success on the ice, off the ice and in our community.

We could debate for days on why things are the way they are. I will only say that I, along with our entire organization, remain steadfastly committed to working hard on numerous fronts to make the Ottawa Senators an even bigger part of this city and equally important - to our country.

Melnyk added winning the Stanley Cup has always been his primary focus as he tries to ensure a competitive hockey team takes the ice in Ottawa "with the resources we have."

He added, "Our playoff success this year is no one person's doing. I couldn't possibly name all of the people in one letter. And similarly, if there are empty seats in our building during these playoffs, it is certainly unfair to point the blame squarely on any one person - especially me."

Melnyk encouraged fans to savor the team's playoff run, which could end Thursday in Game 7 against Pittsburgh - or extend to the franchise's second modern-day Stanley Cup Final appearance.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.