At the end of each of the past 25 NHL seasons, the city of Detroit could count on the Red Wings hosting at least a couple playoff games.

That streak is well on its way to coming to an end, but head coach Jeff Blashill wants to use the remaining 10 games to make sure the postseason miss is a one-off.

"First of all, we have to know this isn’t OK," Blashill said, per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. "And if you don’t want to be here again, you better make sure that we continue to get better, and we better make sure that our approach is the right way so that the culture maintains."

Detroit won four Stanley Cups during their recent and extended run of success, and the expectations that come with being a perennially competitive team will remain through the offseason and into training camp come September.

"There are organizations where they have lost culture. They have missed the playoffs, and they miss it 10 straight years. We don’t want to be in this position again. This isn’t OK. That is the approach we are taking every day."

The Red Wings will begin playing at Little Caesars Arena next season, where they'll clearly be looking to serve up a hot and fresh slice of playoff hockey as soon as possible.

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It's almost that time of year already.

For those who won't be participating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, a trip to the World Championship is sometimes an option, but New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall seems to have already decided against suiting up for Canada this year.

Hall, who's never tasted NHL postseason action, has played for Canada at three of the past four worlds, winning two gold medals while recording 15 goals and nine assists in 28 games.

During his first season with the Devils, Hall has scored 18 goals to go along with 30 assists while missing ten games due to injury along the way.

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Rasmus Ristolainen didn't initially agree with the decision to toss him from Tuesday's game, but upon further review, he seems to have realized his mistake.

The Buffalo Sabres defenseman was given a five-minute interference major and a game misconduct for leveling Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel less than nine minutes into the contest.

"I tried to hit him. Obviously he didn’t get the puck so that’s unfortunate and too bad he got injured," Ristolainen told reporters Thursday, according to Amy Moritz of The Buffalo News.

"At the moment, I didn’t expect to get thrown out of the game but later on (I saw that) he obviously didn’t have the puck," Ristolainen said. "He didn’t get it. Our player broke the play and he got injured. So, I don’t know what are the rules but it probably was the right call. I’m not aware of the rules."

Guentzel was diagnosed with a concussion as a result of the hit, the intent on which Ristolainen reiterated was not malicious.

"(There was) no elbow because I turned my back and kind of hip-checked," he said. "I don’t know. Maybe he wasn’t ready for it. Like I said, I don’t want to hurt anyone. It’s too bad he got injured."

"I didn’t take any strides," he added. "I tried to give a little bit of time (for Guentzel to) be aware and when I was getting my eyes toward him I tried to look the puck, I tried to find the puck. It never got to him. I didn't see that. So it’s like a half a second there. Tough to react."

Ristolainen will have a hearing with the league's Department of Player Safety on Thursday afternoon, and he now finds himself in unfamiliar territory, having never been suspended.

"I haven't been in this position before," he said. "It's kind of new to me."

The 22-year-old blue-liner ranks fifth among all NHL skaters in ice time, averaging 26:42, leading the Sabres with 39 assists to go along with five goals in 74 games.

Guentzel had been clicking with Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary on the Penguins' top line, posting 11 goals and 25 points in 35 contests.

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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak has been suspended two games for boarding Blue Jackets forward Oliver Bjorkstrand during Wednesday's game in Columbus.

(Video courtesy: NHL.com)

As the video shows, Polak finished a check on Bjorkstrand with force, driving through Bjorkstrand's back to send him violently into the boards.

Polak also tracked Bjorkstrand from behind prior to the hit, and the forward was not eligible to be checked on the play. The onus was therefore on the defenseman to minimize impact or avoid the check altogether.

The veteran rearguard was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct at the time of the incident but had not been previously fined or suspended. The fact that Bjorkstrand was injured on the play also factored into the decision.

Polak will forfeit $25,000 in salary.

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The Florida Panthers understand that Jaromir Jagr is to be celebrated.

The club's doing just that Thursday with the Arizona Coyotes in town, while feting spring break and Mullet March at the same time.

If you're attending the game, you're getting one of these bad boys:

Here's the back:

(Image courtesy: @FlaPanthers)

How could you be in Florida and possibly wear anything else?

It's a big game, too, as the Panthers must win in order to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

As for Jagr, four more points and he'll hit 45, which happens to be his age.

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It's NCAA tournament time in more ways than one, and hockey's version of March Madness once again promises to be compelling for multiple reasons.

This year's regionals will begin with a can't-miss matchup Friday afternoon when defending champion North Dakota faces Boston University, a team loaded with first-round NHL prospects.

Here are five players to keep an eye on throughout the tourney:

Henrik Borgstrom

Borgstrom is one of the major reasons Denver enters the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.

The 19-year-old Finnish freshman posted 21 goals and 38 points in 33 games for the Pioneers in his first season in North America.

Borgstrom was drafted 23rd overall by the Florida Panthers last June, but he'll be appealing to more than just Cats fans this spring.

The center led all Division I freshmen in goals, and only two first-year players (Boston University's Clayton Keller and Penn State's Denis Smirnov) registered more points than Borgstrom this season.

Jake Oettinger

Boston University boasts a quartet of players who were snapped up in the 2016 draft - forwards Keller and Kieffer Bellows and defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Dante Fabbro - but their starting goaltender is a talented freshman who isn't yet property of an NHL club.

Oettinger placed third in NHL Central Scouting's mid-term rankings for North American goalies, and with good reason.

The 18-year-old went 20-10-3 with a 2.09 GAA and a .927 save percentage in his first collegiate season, and he'll be worth watching as the Terriers appear poised to make a deep run if they can knock out the defending champs in the opening round.

Michael Vecchione

Union College is led by a pair of undrafted forwards who may be among the most coveted free agents as soon as the season ends for the Dutchmen.

Vecchione ranked second in the nation with 29 goals and third with 62 points in his senior campaign.

The 24-year-old led all Division I NCAA skaters in points per game (1.68) and tied for the most game-winning goals (7) in the country this season.

Spencer Foo

Vecchione's teammate has been impressive in his own right.

Foo racked up 24 goals and 60 points in his junior season, ranking sixth and fourth in the nation in those categories, respectively.

The 22-year-old doubled his goal total and more than doubled his point production from his sophomore season, posting the country's third-best points-per-game (1.62) and ranking eighth in the country with 10 power-play goals.

Adam Fox

Calgary Flames fans have a little extra incentive to watch Harvard, because the East Region's top seed is anchored by a promising defenseman taken by Calgary in the NHL draft last June.

Fox tied for the lead among all Division I blue-liners with 36 points and finished second with 31 assists as a freshman this season.

He helped the Crimson win the ECAC, capture the Beanpot tournament in Boston, and post the best winning percentage in the nation.

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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 Thursday, March 23 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

• LW Alex Ovechkin (73K) & C Nicklas Backstrom (58K), Capitals (vs. Blue Jackets): Ovechkin's salary hasn't rebounded from his extended 10-game goal-less drought, even with six points in his last five games. Backstrom is criminally cheap for the someone ranked fifth in the points race. The Blue Jackets are allowing 8.51 scoring chances per 60 minutes since Feb. 23, and they lost 5-2, Wednesday, to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

• LW Mike Hoffman (66K) & C Jean-Gabriel Pageau (36K), Senators (vs. Penguins): Pittsburgh ranks 29th in scoring chances against per 60 minutes when on the road since Feb. 23. Only two teams are expected to allow more 5v5 goals per 60 minutes than Pittsburgh's 3.15. Ottawa's insistence on balancing the limited healthy forward talent resulted in Hoffman's line playing 20.73 percent of the 5v5 minutes last time out.

• C Nick Schmaltz (27K) & RW Patrick Kane (110K), Blackhawks (vs. Stars): It is impossible to roster Kane and LW Artemi Panarin together, even with a minimum-salary goalie. Schmaltz has three assists in two games as the center for the second line. Any additional production he provides relative to his low salary can help offset Kane's monstrous price tag.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Goalie Breakdown

• TARGET - Jake Allen (113), Blues (vs. Canucks): The Blues allow a league-low 3.55 scoring chances against per 60 minutes with their 1.83 expected goals against per 60 minutes also representing the best rate in the league while at home. Vancouver is expected to score a modest 2.45 goals per 60 minutes while acting as the visitor.

• BARGAIN - Budaj (75K), Lightning (at Bruins): Budaj relieves G Andrei Vasilevskiy who allowed four goals in three consecutive losses. Budaj stopped 26 of 28 shots faced in his most recent start. Boston has been expected to score a modest 2.45 5v5 goals per 60 minutes while at home over the past month.

• FADE - Connor Hellebuyck (87K), Jets (at Kings): The Kings have climbed up to rank sixth in expected goals per 60 minutes over the past month. Hellebuyck has allowed at least three goals in four of his past five games.

• CONTRARIAN - Curtis McElhinney (95K), Maple Leafs (vs. Devils): The Maple Leafs are on the second half of a back-to-back and will turn to McElhinney, after G Frederik Andersen picked up Tuesday's 5-2 win. The Devils have averaged a league-worst 6.84 scoring chances per 60 minutes while on the road over the past month.

Photo courtesy Getty Images

Bargain Plays

• C John Hayden (25K), Blackhawks (vs. Stars): Hayden has joined C Jonathan Toews and LW Richard Panik on the Blackhawks top line, with the trio playing 27.55 percent of 5v5 minutes in their most recent game. Hayden has a goal and two assists in his four games with the big club.

• LW Matt Nieto (25K), Avalanche (vs. Oilers): Nieto has gone point-less in four consecutive games and has just one goal in March. He has topped 15 minutes in two of his past three outings while skating on Colorado's second line with C Matt Duchene and LW Gabriel Landeskog. With neither of the high-priced stars performing consistently, Nieto is a safer low-risk option at the minimum salary.

• D Zach Werenski (27K), Blue Jackets (at Capitals): Werenski has oddly been held below 20 minutes in four of his past five games, but he has still be able to tally two goals and four assists. Head coach John Tortorella is intentionally managing his minutes in preparation for the playoffs, but he is still being used in ideal offensive situations.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Top Fades

• LW Jamie Benn (59K), Stars (at Blackhawks): Benn has been skating on a line with C Cody Eakin and RW Ales Hemsky of late, with the trio playing 23.47 percent of 5v5 minutes in the Stars' most recent game. The line severely handicaps Benn's personal ceiling at a salary reflective of his usual spot beside C Tyler Seguin.

• RW Nikita Kucherov (65K), Lightning (at Bruins): Kucherov has three goals in his past two games and eight goals and 15 points this month. He has at least three shots on goal in four straight games, but he's still operating at an inflated 19 percent shooting rate for March.

• D Roman Josi (52K), Predators (vs. Flames): Josi hasn't scored since a two-goal game Feb. 25. He does have 28 SOG in the drought, as he has been the victim of poor luck. His salary is too high for nothing but the chance of an assist in a difficult matchup.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Contrarian Options

• D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (51K), Coyotes (at Panthers): Ekman-Larsson has scored in back-to-back games with a total of 10 shots on goal in his past four outings. Florida is expected to allow 2.61 goals per 60 minutes while on home ice since Feb. 23. Arizona has averaged 8.20 scoring chances per 60 minutes while on the road over the same span.

• C Anze Kopitar (71K), Kings (vs. Jets): The Jets have allowed 11.76 scoring chances per 60 minutes in two road games since Feb. 23. Kopitar has been playing at a lower ceiling most of the season, largely due to the caliber of his linemates. He has tallied just one or fewer SOG in all but three games this month, but he has topped 20 minutes in all nine outings.

• LW Max Pacioretty (70K), Canadiens (vs. Hurricanes): Canadiens head coach Claude Julien has bumped C Alex Galchenyuk off the top line. A perceived downgrade, C Phillip Danault has actually played better with Pacioretty and RW Alexander Radulov this season. The trio owns a Corsi For rating of 55.47 percent in over 330 5v5 minutes together.

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The New York Islanders will have to try and secure a playoff spot without Ryan Strome.

The young forward broke his wrist during Wednesday's game against the Rangers and will be sidelined for several weeks, reports Arthur Staple of Newsday. Strome is therefore unlikely to play again this season unless the Islanders go on a deep run.

Staple adds that either Shane Prince or Alan Quine are likely to take Strome's spot in the lineup.

Strome had been playing some decent hockey of late, recording six goals and nine assists in 24 games since the beginning of February.

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With their slim playoff hopes fading by the day, the Florida Panthers will once again be without Aaron Ekblad.

The top-pair defenseman will not play in Thursday's game against Arizona due to a sore neck. The injury is supposedly unrelated to the concussion that kept him out of the lineup for four games earlier in March, according to George Richards of the Miami Herald.

No timetable has been set for Ekblad, who played just one game - Tuesday's loss to Carolina - following his return from the concussion.

Ekblad has recorded 10 goals and 11 assists in 68 games while averaging 21:27 a night, ranking second on the team in both points and average ice time for a defenseman behind Keith Yandle.

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Jonathan Bernier is flipping the script by putting the Ducks on the hunt.

In the month of March, and while filling in for the injured John Gibson, the Anaheim goalie has posted a record of 7-1-1 while stopping 272 of 287 shots against for a sterling save percentage of .948.

With Wednesday's win over the Edmonton Oilers, the Ducks now sit in sole possession of second place in the Pacific Division and only two points back of the San Jose Sharks.

Bernier's recent stretch marks some of the best hockey of his career, albeit in a small window. But after a poor showing with the Toronto Maple Leafs and an AHL demotion last season, it's an important resurgence, especially as he's set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer.

"I hope people understand that there was always a very good goalie there," Ducks' goalie coach Sudarshan Maharaj told Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register. "And I don’t want to use the word resurrection but I believe and I hope that what he has done has certainly drawn the attention of the people that are paying attention. Because he deserves it."

For his part, Bernier is happy to be a meaningful and consistent contributor to a winning team.

"It’s been a nice stretch just to play a lot of games and feel good about yourself and the work that you put in, that you get rewarded."

The Ducks, too, are also reaping the rewards.

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