The National Hockey League's concussion policy has been a hot-button topic since Connor McDavid was pulled at a crucial point from a game Sunday, only to be cleared to return to the eventual overtime loss for the Edmonton Oilers.
McDavid himself said he was shocked about having to undergo the testing, while teammate Patrick Maroon talked about how hockey is a "man's game."
San Jose Sharks forward Joel Ward went through the same earlier this season - pulled from a game and later cleared - but sees the inherent importance of exercising caution.
"I was upset about it because I knew I was OK," Ward said, per Paul Gackle of The Mercury News. "But we're dealing with people's lives here. It's a lot more serious than just a game."
It's a sentiment echoed by teammate and 22-year-old center Chris Tierney, who was removed from a game on Nov. 30 after being flagged by a concussion spotter.
"Guys understand that you want to have a career in this game," he said. "You don't want to risk something to go back to play in the second or third period of a regular-season game. Guys understand it could have an affect on your life after hockey."
So while the Oilers failed to pick up an extra point in Sunday's loss, the alternative of allowing McDavid to continue playing while potentially concussed could have had major ramifications for the player, team, and league in the long run.
The Florida Panthers defenseman sustained a lower-body injury Monday. Head coach and general manager Tom Rowe said Yandle will "be out for a while," according to ESPN's Shawn Hutcheon.
Yandle last missed a game in 2008, when the Arizona Coyotes were the Phoenix Coyotes. He's played in every game since, and even suited up in 84 in 2014-15 after a trade to the New York Rangers.
In his first season as a Panther, Yandle has a goal and 11 assists in 26 games, averaging 21:48 in ice time. His loss is a big one for the defending Atlantic Division champs.
Yandle's run of 577 consecutive games ranks 10th all time in NHL history. All good things come to an end.
Every Tuesday, theScore's editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."
Calgary Flames
Plus: Johnny Gaudreau's return to the lineup three weeks early seemed to give the Calgary Flames a shot in the arm. The club went off for eight goals against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, with Gaudreau collecting one and an assist.
Minus: With the second-worst power play and fourth-worst penalty kill, the Flames' special teams are still a cause for concern. Gaudreau's return should aid the PP, but he's just one man - and that does not solve the PK.
The Take: After it appeared the sky was falling, Calgary is now 5-1-1 in its last seven games. Will the improved play hush the Dougie Hamilton rumors?
Edmonton Oilers
Plus: Yeah, yeah, we knowConnor McDavid is good, but so is Leon Draisaitl. The 21-year-old put up five points in four games last week, including a three-spot against the Winnipeg Jets, giving him 21 points on the year.
Minus: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins got his first goal in five games this week. That's great, but four goals and 12 points in 27 games simply isn't good enough.
The Take: With a modest 2.56 goals-against per game, the Oilers' defense appears to be doing a solid job of keeping the opposition at bay. However, it might be worth exploring the market on Nugent-Hopkins soon for an even greater upgrade on the back end.
Montreal Canadiens
Plus: After a slow start, captain Max Pacioretty now has five points in his last five games, including a three-point effort against the Los Angeles Kings - perfect timing for the club, as you'll see.
Minus: The Canadiens received devastating news Monday with the announcement that their leading scorer, Alex Galchenyuk, will be sidelined indefinitely with a lower-body injury. The club's scored three goals or more just twice in its last seven games, so Galchenyuk will surely be missed.
The Take: The Habs continue to roll with wins in four of their last five games on the back of Carey Price, who continues to do his thing. As we head toward Christmas, there appear to be minimal flaws in the club's game.
Ottawa Senators
Plus: Two questionable performances against the Penguins and Sabres aside, Ottawa's strength has been between the pipes, no question. Whether it's Craig Anderson or Mike Condon, their teammates can only praise the netminders for the club's 32 points so far.
Minus: Their record is great, but the Senators are eventually going to have to provide their goaltenders some more run support. Averaging 2.35 goals per game is just not going to cut it.
The Take: Ottawa did provide glimpses of offensive firepower in its 5-4 loss to Buffalo and 8-5 defeat to Pittsburgh. The Senators can score, but can they mesh their defensive systems and offensive touch in the same game?
Toronto Maple Leafs
Plus: The Maple Leafs are getting production from all over. With three players with 10 goals or more and six with 15-plus points, the team is clearly spreading the offense. Meanwhile, Nazem Kadri is making a name for himself as a shut-down center. Who knew?
The Take: The Maple Leafs' youngsters continue to show promise, but with night-and-day results home and away, consistency is still the biggest issue - along with a defensive core that simply doesn't stack up to the elites of the league.
Vancouver Canucks
Plus: The jury is likely still out on the Vancouver Canucks, but with a 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games, they're clearly doing something right.
Minus: As great as the team's recent run has been, look closer and you'll see two of those wins came against the Arizona Coyotes (19 points), one against the Colorado Avalanche (18 points), and one against the Maple Leafs (25 points) ... not the toughest competition around.
The Take: The Canucks aren't a playoff team. We all know this. However, this week, president Trevor Linden asserted that a rebuild is not forthcoming as long as the Sedins are in town. That likely means they'll miss out on both a high-end draft pick and the playoffs at season's end, a worst-case scenario for any club.
Winnipeg Jets
Plus: Four points in four games is all the Jets could have asked from Bryan Little following his return to the lineup last week.
Minus: As impressive a week as the Jets had, they've still now gone 10 games without managing four or more goals. Patrik Laine and company continue to chip in, but some secondary scoring would go a long way.
The Take: Three wins against the perceived titans of the Central Division in Chicago, Nashville, and St. Louis have leapfrogged the Jets over the Predators and into a playoff spot. With slightly more consistent goaltending, Winnipeg could become a dominant force in the West.
Buffalo was in Edmonton that night, and the Oilers were coming off two straight wins to start the season. The Sabres put an end to that mini run, spanking the home team 6-2. It was one of only two games the Oilers lost in October.
On the weekend, McDavid was asked about his first game against Eichel, last season on March 1. The Oilers won 2-1, with No. 97 scoring both goals, including the overtime winner. Good times.
"I do remember that game," McDavid said, according to NHL.com's Tim Campbell. "It was definitely a good one for our team, but they gave us a pretty good thumping here when they played us earlier this year, so we owe them one."
Eichel sat out the October game, his ankle not yet ready for action. This time he's back, and while he tweaked his ankle Monday, he should be good to go Tuesday.
The second overall pick to McDavid in 2015, Eichel scored his team's lone goal against the Oilers in March. The two young stars will forever be linked, and even spent some time as teammates during the World Cup of Hockey in the fall.
McDavid says Eichel is as much a personality as he is a player.
"He's a little bit more animated than he leads on. He's definitely a good guy."
On this night, though, he's the enemy.
Interestingly enough, both players head into Tuesday night's affair with 27 goals on their NHL resumes:
Getting an opportunity to shake an NHL player's hand is something many kids dream of, but a young Pittsburgh Penguins fan had something else in mind Monday night.
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang stuck out his hand to the fan, but instead of shaking it, the fan dabbed on him.
My brother was given the opportunity to shake Kris Letang's hand and dabbed instead. I blame the school bus and the internet pic.twitter.com/kniVKd2LSP
A youth hockey player made the most of an opportunity to skate on NHL ice while the Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres rested during intermission Monday.
Micha of the Capitals' Mites on Ice team scored a goal and celebrated in style, paying homage to his favorite player, Alex Ovechkin.
Barry Trotz isn't happy about a new dimension recently added to Alex Ovechkin's game.
The Washington Capitals captain was called for his team-leading 11th minor penalty during Monday's overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres, and it's come to the point where the head coach needs to address it head on.
"Unacceptable," Trotz said after the game, per Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic. "He’s our leader, he can’t take those penalties ... I’m going to address it harshly with him (Tuesday)."
Over the past five games, Ovechkin has been called for six minor penalties, and has failed to score a goal, while the team has a 2-2-1 record.
"He’s got to lead by example," Trotz continued. "He’s the captain and right now he’s (got) way too many penalties on his behalf."
For the Capitals to have the best chance of winning, clearly they need Ovechkin scoring on the power play instead of giving the opposition opportunities to do the same.
Ovechkin's career high in penalty minutes is 89, and he's on pace for 75.
Appearing in just his ninth game of the season after failing to make the club out of training camp, Lazar logged just under four minutes before exiting after a collision with Brian Dumoulin.
He hasn't registered a point this season.
Warren notes that Ottawa will have to recall a forward from Binghamton before its game Wednesday versus the San Jose Sharks.
