Senators sign Colin White to entry-level contract

Colin White is officially in the mix.

The Ottawa Senators signed the skilled forward to a three-year, entry-level contract one week after he agreed to report to the team's AHL affiliate on an amateur tryout agreement.

White, who was selected 21st overall by the Senators in 2015, scored 35 goals and added 41 assists in 72 NCAA games with Boston College.

By playing him this season, the Senators will burn the first year off his contract, thereby making him eligible to become a restricted free agent in 2019.

Ottawa begins a home-and-home series with the Red Wings on Monday.

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Neuvirth released from hospital after collapsing Saturday

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michal Neuvirth was released from hospital after collapsing and being stretchered off during Saturday's game, the club announced Sunday.

All diagnostic testing came back normal, and Neuvirth is now resting at home after being taken to Pennsylvania Hospital.

The netminder will be re-evaluated Monday.

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Squad Up Daily NHL Fantasy Dose: Ducks in hot water against Flames

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.

Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for the seven-game slate beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST, Sunday, April 2 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

  • LW Johnny Gaudreau (63K) & C Sean Monahan (50K), Flames (vs. Ducks): The Ducks have allowed 9.92 scoring chances and 2.78 expected goals per 60 minutes over the past month. They're on the second half of their all-Alberta double header. Monahan, Gaudreau and LW Micheal Ferland average 11.32 scoring chances per 60 minutes in over 210 minutes played together this season.
  • LW Tanner Pearson (56K) & C Jeff Carter (69K), Kings (vs. Coyotes): The Coyotes rank 30th in Corsi For percentage since March 2 at just 43.32 percent. The Kings rank second in the same time at 55.14 percent. Los Angeles averages 9.51 scoring chances per 60 minutes while Arizona allows 10.57, with a league-worst 3.12 expected goals allowed per 60 minutes.
  • C Eric Staal (50K) & RW Nino Niederreiter (48K), Wild (vs. Avalanche): The Wild lead the league with a CF% of 55.63 percent since March 2 and a league-low 1.81 expected goals allowed per 60 minutes. They average 2.63 expected goals of their own on 8.32 scoring chances per 60 minutes. Staal has notched at least three shots on goal in five consecutive games.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Goalie Breakdown

  • TARGET - Sergei Bobrovsky (90K), Blue Jackets (vs. Capitals): The Capitals have averaged 31.94 SOG per 60 minutes but an uncharacteristically-low 7.48 scoring chances per 60 minutes over the past month. They have more than enough talent to capitalize on any individual chance, but Bobrovsky posted a .967 save percentage in March with four shutouts. He has the highest ceiling of the day.
  • BARGAIN - Antti Niemi (75K), Stars (at Lightning): The Lightning are averaging just 2.18 expected goals for per 60 minutes over the past month. Niemi is having the worst season of his career, and he has just one win since the beginning of February. Both teams are on the second half of a back-to-back and Niemi is expected to receive more goal support.
  • FADE - Jonathan Quick (117K), Kings (vs. Coyotes): Quick is the night's second-most expensive goalie. Arizona averages fewer than 29 shots on goal per 60 minutes, limiting Quick's potential saves total. Should the Coyotes convert for a goal or two, Quick will be unable to return value even with the victory bonus.
  • CONTRARIAN - Anthony Stolarz (75K), Flyers (at Rangers): Stolarz closed out Saturday's shutout victory over the New Jersey Devils, making all 26 saves in relief of G Michal Neuvirth. With Neuvirth and G Steve Mason out, Stolarz should receive the nod on Sunday. The Rangers have averaged just 2.29 expected goals per 60 minutes over the past month.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Bargain Plays

  • C Travis Konecny (27K), Flyers (at Rangers): Konecny joined C Claude Giroux and RW Jakub Voracek on the top line for Saturday's game. The trio played 19.7 percent of the 5v5 minutes for the Flyers' forwards. It was a six-game high of 13:08 time on ice for Konecny. He hasn't scored since March 19 and has thrice gone without a shot on goal during the slump. He'll have more opportunity as part of the star-studded trio.
  • LW Micheal Ferland (25K), Flames (vs. Ducks): Ferland comes much cheaper than the duo of Monahan and Gaudreau, mentioned above. His ceiling is the lowest of the three top-liners, but he's still likely to factor in if the other two have a big night. He had at least one SOG in each of his past 11 games.
  • RW Chris Stewart (25K), Wild (vs. Avalanche): Similarly to Konecny and Ferland, Stewart is the underpriced third wheel on a star-studded line. He played 10.53 percent of the 5v5 minutes with the aforementioned Staal and Niederreiter in Minnesota's most recent game. His 16:22 of TOI was his most of the season.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Top Fades

  • D Victor Hedman (61K), Lightning (vs. Stars): While Hedman regularly offers adequate amounts of hits and blocked shots, his offensive contributions have been sporadic. Despite a quality matchup against the struggling Niemi, Hedman is risky as the slate's second-most expensive defender. Owners should spend slightly more for San Jose Sharks D Brent Burns, who also has a very good matchup.
  • RW Mats Zuccarello (56K), Rangers (vs. Flyers): Zuccarello is the second-most expensive option at his position, with plenty of more productive stars priced below him. He has just one shot on goal in his past four games. He still dished out four assists during the stretch but owners need more goal support in five-man lineups.
  • LW Jonathan Drouin (73K), Lightning (vs. Stars): Drouin is priced 1K above teammate LW Ondrej Palat. Drouin has been the more productive of the two with four goals in his past five games, but Palat has been the more consistent high-volume shooter during the same span.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Contrarian Options

  • RW Nikita Kucherov (95K), Lightning (vs. Stars): A very high position-leading salary may deter some owners from attempting to make room on their roster for Kucherov, but he ranks fourth in the NHL with 22 multi-point games this season. Five of those have come in his past six games, while has notched a total of 26 SOG during the streak.
  • D Jake Muzzin (41K), Kings (vs. Coyotes): An often overlooked defenseman on his own team, Muzzin has assists in two consecutive games and at least two shots on goal in nine of his past 10 outings. He topped 21 minutes in all but one of his past 11 contests.

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Canucks’ Stecher fell for April Fools’ joke that had him playing forward

Anything seems possible in the ongoing attempts to give the Vancouver Canucks' offense a boost.

To wit: defenseman Troy Stecher, who's never played forward, was fully accepting of an apparent first-line assignment that later turned out to be an early April Fools' prank.

"I saw the lineup was posted (with Stecher on the wing with the Sedins), but we've had so many new personnel coming in with the deadline, and waivers, and the direction we're headed and I didn't think much of it," Stecher said, per Jason Botchford of The Province.

"I thought 'It's a different opportunity, I guess. I'll try to embrace it.'"

As it happened, the Canucks were shut out by the Kings on Friday, so playing Stecher at forward might have actually helped.

Only the last-place Colorado (152) has scored fewer goals than the Canucks this season, by the way.

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Baby rides fake Zamboni at intermission

They sure start them young in Tampa Bay.

A small Lightning fan was seen "driving" a "Zamboni" during the first intermission between the hometown team and the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

Thankfully, the child was strapped in safely, considering the blazing speed at which the model contraption flew around the corners.

Let's just be glad the young speed demon won't be tearing up the roads for a while.

(Video courtesy: NHL.com)

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Flames’ season may have turned the corner over a few beers

Read the room.

The ability to do so and act accordingly is an important leadership trait, and one Glen Gulutzan appears to have benefited from mid-way through his first season as head coach of the Calgary Flames.

Scene: After a rough 5-1 loss in Montreal back in January - their fourth L in a row - the Flames were en route to Ottawa via train, and the attendants had been instructed not to serve the players any adult beverages.

Enter Gultzan, and a few frosty brews.

"Just in my gut, sitting there as we were driving for the first 10-15 minutes, the whole thing didn’t feel right. I wanted to move forward, not backwards," Gulutzan said, per Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun.

"I just said, 'I'm putting the beer back here and you guys are going to sit down with your headphones off and you’re gonna figure this out. We're gonna figure this bleeping thing out. Because we're a good team, you're gonna figure this thing out.' That's exactly what I told them."

The rest is history.

Calgary went on to win its next game against the Senators, and has since clinched a Western Conference playoff spot.

It may have been a small gesture on the part of the head coach, but it went a long way toward easing the tension.

"It was a big part of our season to be able to just forget that game," said defenseman Deryk Engelland. "To be able to just put it aside hours later and come together as a team, it just showed how tight we are and it made us even tighter. I guess that was kind of the turning point of our season. I think all the boys will remember that one."

Especially if their season ends with a little bit of the bubbly.

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Finland beats Canada for 1st time in women’s hockey with upset at worlds

Call it the Finnish "Miracle on Ice."

History was made Saturday night, as Finland edged Canada 4-3 in preliminary round play at the women's World Hockey Championship to earn its first-ever victory over the Canadians in women's hockey.

It was also Canada's first-ever loss to a nation other than the United States in IIHF competition.

Ronja Savolainen scored the winner with 1:41 remaining, intercepting a clearing attempt and firing a shot past Canadian goaltender Genevieve Lacasse.

Finnish goalie Noora Raty compared the stunning victory to a "semi-pro team beating a pro team," according to Sportsnet's Kristina Rutherford.

It was indeed Canada's second consecutive defeat at this year's tourney, following a 2-0 loss to the U.S. in their opening game Friday.

"We're giving it our all right now, but we're not clicking," Canada forward Brianne Jenner said. "We're just struggling right now."

The Canadians wrap up their preliminary round schedule against Russia on Monday, while Finland faces the defending champion American squad later that night.

Canada now must play a quarterfinal game Tuesday, instead of having its customary bye to the semfinal.

So what's the Finnish word for miracle?

"Ihme!" Riikka Valila answered postgame Saturday, according to the tournament's official website.

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Boucher: Senators will ‘battle until the end’ amid injuries

The Ottawa Senators are holding on for dear life.

While a playoff spot remains well within their grasp, four straight losses have allowed the Toronto Maple Leafs to pass the Senators for second place in the Atlantic Division. Ottawa is also in danger of falling to the second wild-card spot, with the Boston Bruins right on their heels.

Making matters worse are injuries on the blue line, as Cody Ceci - who'll miss at least the next game - was forced to leave Saturday's action, with Erik Karlsson and Marc Methot already sidelined.

Head coach Guy Boucher doesn't seem to be sweating it, though.

"We've had unbelievable adversity all year long," Boucher said Saturday, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. "It started in training camp, and if you would have told us we'd be here fighting for that spot, I would have told you that's a good spot to be in. We're in the spot now. It's about fighting until the end, and it's probably going to be a fight right to (the) end.

"We're going to battle until the end, and, hopefully, some of the guys will be able to come back. It's not about whose injured. We've got to stick together."

Ottawa has five games remaining on the schedule, including a key matchup with the Bruins on April 6. Thankfully, Karlsson is listed as day to day, and could be back as soon as Monday.

Avoiding a first-round series with the best team in the Metropolitan Division, however, is definitely something worth fighting for.

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Grant Fuhr graciously acknowledges Talbot’s place in Oilers’ history

Cam Talbot is on the verge of making Edmonton Oilers history.

By earning his 40th win of the season with an overtime decision against Anaheim on Saturday, Talbot tied Grant Fuhr's franchise record for most victories in a single regular season.

The Oilers legend responded with a great measure of class.

Talbot responded in kind.

What sets Fuhr apart, of course, is the five Stanley Cups won with the Oilers. But based on the way the past decade has gone in Edmonton, winning a round or two would certainly help boost Talbot's standing in Edmonton hockey history even further.

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