McElhinney robs Smith with desperate paddle stop

No Frederik Andersen, no problem.

Curtis McElhinney did his best imitation of his goaltending partner Tuesday night, robbing Florida Panthers forward Reilly Smith with a desperation paddle save.

As fate would have it, Smith scored later in the period to cut the Maple Leafs' lead to 2-1.

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McElhinney robs Smith with desperate paddle stop

No Frederik Andersen, no problem.

Curtis McElhinney did his best imitation of his goaltending partner Tuesday night, robbing Florida Panthers forward Reilly Smith with a desperation paddle save.

As fate would have it, Smith scored later in the period to cut the Maple Leafs' lead to 2-1.

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Parise takes high stick, nasty collision on same play

Minnesota Wild winger Zach Parise had to be helped off the ice during his club's matchup against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.

Midway through the first period, Parise took a stick to the face from Tom Wilson near center ice, before colliding with Jay Beagle as he fell.

The winger was in considerable pain before he eventually left the ice and headed down the tunnel. Wilson was handed a double-minor penalty for the incident.

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USA Hockey, USWNT reach 4-year deal in time for worlds

USA Hockey and the U.S. women's national team have reached a four-year agreement "that will result in groundbreaking support" for the program, USA Hockey announced Tuesday.

The deal ensures the national team will compete at this year's women's world championship, which begins Friday in Plymouth, Mich.

"Today reflects everyone coming together and compromising in order to reach a resolution for the betterment of the sport," USA Hockey president Jim Smith said. "We'll now move forward together knowing we'll look back on this day as one of the most positive in the history of USA Hockey."

The team planned to boycott the world championship unless a deal was struck, citing unfair wages and a lack of support for the players. While negotiations and dialogue between the two parties were ongoing, time was fast running out for an agreement to be reached, especially with the U.S. hosting the tournament.

The team will practice Thursday, and will host Canada on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

ESPN's Johnette Howard has a number of reported details on the deal:

  • Compensation per player will rise to $70,000.
  • The women's team will now earn performance-related bonuses for the first time, and players could see their incomes reach six figures with world championship and Olympic titles.
  • A gold medal is worth $20,000 to the team, and a silver $15,000.
  • Each national team member will receive a $2,000 monthly stipend, regardless of experience. Before this agreement, newer team members were earning between $750 and $2,000, based on experience.
  • Travel, insurance, and per diem amounts will now be the same for the women as they are for the men's team.
  • Committees will be established for marketing, scheduling, and public relations recommendations, and a foundation position will be created to focus on fundraising, which pales in comparison to the U.S. boys' developmental team and the USHL.

"Our sport is a big winner today. We stood up for what we thought was right and USA Hockey's leadership listened," captain Meghan Duggan said. "I'm proud of my teammates and can't thank everyone who supported us enough."

The dispute became a major story in hockey circles, with NHLers chiming in, and support for the team coming in droves on social media.

"I'm glad we could come together and reach and arrangement that will have a positive and lasting impact," forward Hilary Knight said.

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Chara hits 600-point mark for his career

Zdeno Chara has hit the 600-point plateau.

The beastly Boston Bruins defender hit the milestone by picking up the primary assist on Patrice Bergeron's first-period marker against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

For Chara, his 600 points are good enough for the fourth-highest mark by any defenseman since he entered the league during the 1997-98 season.

The 40-year-old also sits third on the Bruins' all-time defenseman points list behind only Ray Bourque and Bobby Orr - not bad company.

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Matthews sets Maple Leafs rookie record for goals

Move over, Wendel Clark.

Auston Matthews set a Toronto Maple Leafs rookie record for goals in a season with his 35th on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.

You can watch video of the goal here.

It's been a banner rookie season for the kid from Arizona for a number of reasons, but at 19 years old he's already proven he can score in the NHL, and will do so for a long time.

Clark scored 34 in his rookie season of 1985-86, but the two players were already linked in Maple Leafs history, as they're the only two first overall picks Toronto has made in the draft.

Matthews leads Toronto with 62 points on the season, and is trailed by fellow rookies William Nylander - who extended his Maple Leafs rookie-record points streak to 12 games with an assist on Matthews' goal - and Mitch Marner.

In fact, Matthews' goal moves him into a tie for fourth in the league with Vladimir Tarasenko, and pushes him one ahead of Patrik Laine for the rookie NHL lead. Laine, though, has played seven fewer games than Matthews.

And all these goals are great for Matthews' wallet.

He's in line for a $2-million bonus - one the Maple Leafs will gladly pay - should he finish in the top 10 in the league, according to The Athletic's James Mirtle.

The kids are the future for the Maple Leafs, and it appears the future has arrived a lot earlier than anyone imagined it would.

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Watch: Blue Jackets’ Jones dances into zone, sets up Atkinson goal

Safe to say the Buffalo Sabres defense wants this one back.

Columbus Blue Jackets rearguard Seth Jones embarrassed the Sabres' blue line during the clubs' Tuesday night tilt, weaving in and drawing a crowd before dishing to a wide open Cam Atkinson who easily netted his 34th of the year.

The helper gave Jones an even 30 assists on the season, as well as 41 total points.

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Oilers sign UMass Lowell product Gambardella to entry-level deal

The Edmonton Oilers again dipped into the college free-agent pool Tuesday.

The club announced the signing of forward Joseph Gambardella to a two-year, entry-level contract, which will begin in 2017-18.

Gambardella is a 23-year-old left-handed shooter who had a very productive final college season, setting career marks across the board with 18 goals, 34 assists, and 52 points in 41 games for UMass Lowell.

He finished tied for ninth in NCAA scoring, his impressive 1.27 points per game and seven game-winning goals standing out among his numbers.

Gambardella stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 200 pounds. He finished his college career with 47 goals and 129 points in 160 games.

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Gaborik serving as healthy scratch vs. Oilers

The Los Angeles Kings fourth-most expensive forward will take Tuesday night's game in from the press box.

Marian Gaborik will serve as a healthy scratch when the Kings tangle with the Edmonton Oilers.

The 35-year-old has had a dismal campaign having managed just 10 goals and 19 points in 51 games - the lowest marks of career in a season where he has played at least 50 games.

Of course Gaborik's poor play hurts the most for the Kings financially as he remains under contract for the next four seasons with a cap hit of $4.875 million.

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KHL coach ejected for throwing water bottle, tries to blame assistant

Lokomotiv head coach Alexei Kudashov let his frustrations get the best of him Monday in his team's Gagarin Cup series against SKA.

It's unclear what exactly set him off, but Kudashov responded by throwing a water bottle onto the ice and accidentally hit SKA forward Ilya Kablukov in the process, leading to him being ejected. Before leaving the bench, Kudashov motioned toward his assistant, who was all too happy to take the blame (the referees weren't fooled, though).

Lokomotiv went on to lose 2-1 in overtime, falling to 3-0 in the series.

- With h/t to Puck Daddy

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