We're not sure about Auston Matthews' affinity for the service industry, but at the rink, he's an excellent tipper.

The Toronto Maple Leafs phenom scored against the Anaheim Ducks on a tremendous redirection Monday night, reaching out to tip in Nikita Zaitsev's shot with one hand on his stick.

It was Matthews' 15th goal of his rookie season in his 31st game.

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Sometimes, life is simply about playing with the hand you've been dealt.

The Carolina Hurricanes projected a game of solitaire on to the video board at PNC Arena while their game against the Detroit Red Wings was delayed due to an issue with the ice-cooling system Monday.

The issue was eventually fixed, but the arena staff still required time to restore the ice to its proper temperature before the game could begin.

It's unfortunate that an ice delay was in the cards, but good to see all hands on deck in addressing the issue.

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The Carolina Hurricanes and Detroit Red Wings will have to wait to take to the ice.

Scheduled to begin play at 7 p.m. ET at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., the game has been delayed due to an issue with the cooling system.

At least one player has heard the delay will be significant.

That timeline was corroborated by the Red Wings' Twitter account.

Nearly 30 minutes after the game was supposed to start, progress has been made.

According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, there's a limit as to how long Detroit can wait, as the Red Wings are set to play Tuesday in Tampa Bay.

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After six full seasons in the AHL, a journeyman forward appears to be on the verge of fulfilling a dream.

Pat Cannone will likely make his NHL debut for the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night against the Colorado Avalanche after being recalled Monday from the club's AHL affiliate in Iowa.

"It's a great opportunity and I'm really looking forward to it," the 30-year-old said Monday. "Lot of emotions running high."

Wild forward Erik Haula is dealing with a nagging foot injury, and Zac Dalpe - his ideal replacement - is playing for Iowa on Monday in his first game since having knee surgery in November.

The Wild don't want Dalpe going back to back yet, meaning Cannone should get the opportunity to play for Minnesota on Tuesday, head coach Bruce Boudreau told Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.

He'd become the second-oldest Wild player to make his NHL debut behind Lubomir Sekeras, who was 31 when he first played for Minnesota in 2000, the Elias Sports Bureau confirmed to Russo.

The Bayport, N.Y., product's wife, Natalie, will be in the building on Tuesday, and his parents are attempting to make the trip.

"You play for (this), you work hard for (this)," Cannone said Monday. "It was a long time coming and I'm looking forward to the opportunity."

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The New York Rangers will once again be without Rick Nash for an undetermined period of time because of a groin injury.

This according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, who reports the winger suffered a new groin injury early in overtime during Sunday's shootout win over the Islanders. The injury was suffered on the opposite side of Nash's groin from the injury that sidelined him for four games earlier in December.

He'll reportedly miss at least one game (Tuesday in Pittsburgh), after which the Rangers will have two days off until their next game on Dec. 23.

Nash had scored two goals in three games in his return, boosting his season total to 13 in 30 appearances.

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You've heard it by now: The Columbus Blue Jackets are red-hot.

A perennial laughing stock, Columbus has drastically changed the narrative this season, currently riding a nine-game winning streak to go with the NHL's best winning percentage (.759).

So, what's changed?

Well, a bounce-back season from Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky and a refined players-first approach from head coach John Tortorella, for starters, but it's the rarely mentioned Cam Atkinson who's propelling one of the NHL's most potent attacks.

In 29 games this season, Atkinson leads Columbus with 31 points, four clear of Alexander Wennberg. Atkinson's 12 goals and 19 assists tie him with Pittsburgh's Phil Kessel for ninth league-wide, trailing the usual suspects of elite NHL point production.

What's more, Atkinson is the only player in the top 10 other than Sidney Crosby who hasn't reached the 30-game mark yet. Averaging 1.07 points per game this season, the 27-year-old is tied with for fifth with Nikita Kucherov in that respect, and trails only Vladimir Tarasenko, Steven Stamkos, Connor McDavid, and Crosby.

Last season, on the 27th-place Blue Jackets, Atkinson shared the team lead in points with Brandon Saad at 53 - a career high. During Columbus' nine-game tear, Atkinson has notched 11 points, putting him easily on pace to establish a new personal best.

Who knows when - or if - the Blue Jackets will cool off, but for the time being, any praise is well deserved.

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Joel Eriksson Ek will be named captain of Team Sweden at the 2017 world juniors, reports Swedish hockey writer Uffe Bodin.

The 19-year-old forward was drafted 20th overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2015. Eriksson Ek made his NHL debut this season, scoring five points in nine games. He has since been returned to Farjestad of the SHL, where he's recorded three points in eight games.

A native of Karlstad, Eriksson Ek recorded two points in six games with Sweden at last year's world juniors.

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Finland has tapped Olli Juolevi as its captain for the 2017 world juniors, the Vancouver Canucks announced Monday.

A native of Helsinki, Juolevi was drafted fifth overall by the Canucks in the 2016 NHL Draft.

The 18-year-old returns to the tournament after scoring nine points in seven games with Finland last year en route to its gold-medal finish.

A member of the OHL's London Knights, Juolevi has scored 21 points in 26 games this season. He finished with 42 points in 57 games with the Knights last season.

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Hockey Canada has named Dylan Strome as its captain for the 2017 World Junior Hockey Championship, while forward Mathew Barzal and Thomas Chabot will serve as alternate captains.

"We have eight players on this team who are captains of their club teams, and numerous other associate captains, so there is an abundance of leadership," Team Canada coach Dominique Ducharme said in a statement. "Dylan, Mat, and Thomas have been through this tournament before, and we have confidence in their ability to lead this team on and off the ice."

Strome, 19, was part of last year's entry at the world juniors, recording four goals and two assists in five games. Drafted third overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2015, Strome made his NHL debut this season, tallying one point in seven games. He has since been returned to his junior club, the OHL's Erie Otters, where he has recorded 16 points in seven games. He scored 111 points in 56 games with the Otters last season.

The 19-year-old Barzal was also on last year's Canadian roster, scoring three points in five games. A first-round selection by the New York Islanders in 2015, Barzal appeared in two NHL games this season. Drafted from the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, the center has scored 19 points in 13 games with Seattle this season. He scored 88 points in 58 games with the Thunderbirds in 2015-16.

Chabot, 19, is also a returnee from last year's tournament, where he tallied three assists in five games with Team Canada. A 2015 first-round pick by the Ottawa Senators, Chabot played one NHL game this season before returning to the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. The defenseman has scored 20 points in 14 games with Saint John this season after recording 45 points in 47 games last season.

Pre-tournament action begins Monday with Team Canada facing Finland. Canada also has two other exhibition games later in the week against the Czech Republic and Switzerland before opening round robin action on Dec. 26 vs. Team Russia.

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Artemi Panarin, Henrik Lundqvist, and Eric Staal are the NHL's three stars of the week.

Panarin received first-star honors after collecting 10 points in four games, including back-to-back three-point outings over the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues. The Chicago Blackhawks forward has helped power his team to five straight victories to sit atop the NHL standings.

Lundqvist was named the second star of the week following three straight victories in which he allowed just three combined goals. He also teamed with backup netminder Antti Raanta to record the first shared shutout in New York Rangers history in a 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars.

Staal ear the week's third star after registering five points in three games, including four goals. The veteran forward has seen a resurgence in his first season with the Minnesota Wild, tallying 24 points in 30 games and helping the Wild to their current seven-game winning streak.

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