Another loss, this time at the hands of the New York Rangers, further cemented the harsh truth Sunday night that the Detroit Red Wings will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 1989-90 season.

The Red Wings - entering this season - had made the playoffs an astonishing 25 years straight, the third-longest streak in NHL history.

That's 27 years ago, and the world was a much different place back then. Of course, I myself wasn't around, but here is what was going on in the world:

• "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips was leading Billboard's top Hot 100 songs.
• The top grossing movie of the year was "Home Alone."
• Nelson Mandela was released from prison Feb. 11 after 27 years, but we all knew that.
• George H.W. Bush was America's president, while Brian Mulroney was Canada's Prime Minister.
• The Edmonton Oilers were busy winning their fifth and final Stanley Cup to date.
• Wayne Gretzky was capturing his third-last Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer.
• Buster Douglas upset Mike Tyson via knockout to win the Heavyweight title.
• The Detroit Pistons were NBA Champions.
• The Cincinnati Reds swept the Oakland A's to win the World Series.
• The San Francisco 49ers were your Super Bowl champs.
• The Cosby Show was the highest rated show on prime-time television.
• Meanwhile, Donald Trump saw the opening of the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City in 1990. It closed in October 2016 after its parent company went bankrupt.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks signed forward Anthony Louis to a two-year contract, the team announced Monday.

Louis is coming off his fourth season at Miami University, where he set career highs in both goals and points with 14 and 39, respectively.

The 22-year-old was drafted by the Blackhawks in the sixth round, 181st overall in 2013 after collecting 10 goals and 25 points in 24 games with the U.S. National Development Team.

Louis will report to the Blackhawks' American Hockey League affiliate the Rockford IceHogs.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

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 are the fantasy implications following the news Ottawa Senators RW Mark Stone is "week-to-week" and will miss at least the next three games due to a lower-body injury:

Stone's injury couldn't come at a worse time for fantasy owners, as the fantasy playoffs are now underway. On the year, he has 22 goals and 28 assists in 63 games. If you don't have any IR spots remaining, he can be dropped.

Nobody on the Senators stands to benefit from Stone's absence. Underachieving winger Bobby Ryan is expected to return from an injury of his own this week and could see extended time on the power play, but there's a chance he is just eased back into the lineup having not played in nearly a month.

If Ryan plays a decent amount of minutes Tuesday or Thursday, then he might be worth an add for Saturday, as Ottawa will play a Saturday/Sunday home-and-home with the Montreal Canadiens.

In spite of the potential upside Ryan brings, he is also prone to being a complete dud. He has provided more of the latter this season, which should force Stone's fantasy owners to a find a replacement for him outside of Canada's capital:

RW Oliver Bjorkstrand, Columbus Blue Jackets

Oliver Bjorkstrand has been a goal-scorer at every level. He scored 144 goals in 193 career WHL games. In his 88-game AHL career, he totaled 31 goals.

All that's left to prove is the NHL. He has nine goals in 29 career NHL games, but three of those marks have come in his last four games.

There's reason to believe this type of goal scoring will continue. He is getting 5.4 iSCF60 (individual scoring chances for per 60 minutes) at 5v5, per Corsica.Hockey. This not only leads the Blue Jackets, but it is the fourth-highest in the league.

Bjorkstrand is granted some pretty juicy matchups this week: at Philadelphia, vs. Florida, at NY Islanders and at New Jersey.

LW/RW Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes

Aho, hasn't been surging like Bjorkstand lately, but he has been productive over a larger sample size. In his last 40 games, he has scored 17 goals and added 10 helpers. The rookie seems to be getting better and better as the season goes on.

Carolina will play a league-high five games this week, giving Aho added value.

LW/RW Micheal Ferland, Calgary Flames

Calgary is 14-2-1 over their last 17 games. Plenty of fantasy relevancy has come out of this, including the relatively unknown Micheal Ferland.

During this 17-game stretch, Ferland has potted nine goals, though he has only added one assist during this span. He is playing on a line with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, so this production could continue as long as Calgary keeps winning.

(Photos courtesy Action Images)

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The concussion suffered by Aaron Ekblad during Saturday night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning will keep the defenseman out of the lineup for 7-10 days, head coach Tom Rowe said, according to George Richards of the Miami Herald.

Ekblad suffered the injury after taking a hit to the back of the head from Gabriel Dumont.

Related: Panthers' Rowe calls Dumont's hit on Ekblad 'a real cheap shot'

Forward Denis Malgin will be out of the lineup for the same time frame as he also deals with a concussion, while Jakub Kindl will draw into the lineup Tuesday when the club hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to Richards.

Ekblad is having another strong campaign with 10 goals and 21 points in 67 games.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping an increase in ticket prices will actually benefit fans.

Renewals for season tickets began Monday and prices are up between $7-$16 per ticket. The news of the hike is sure to rub fans the wrong way - especially with the club already billed with the most expensive tickets league-wide, according to Ticket I.Q. - but as MLSE chief commercial officer David Hopkinson insists, the hike is to combat scalpers and those selling tickets on the secondary market.

"If we don’t price the tickets appropriately versus what the market is going to pay for them, guess what happens," Hopkinson said, according to Morgan Campbell of the Toronto Star. "The tickets don’t get cheaper. Just other guys make the money ... and that doesn’t help your hockey team. That doesn’t help us get better."

Along with the higher prices, the Maple Leafs will also introduce a new membership program in which fans can buy full-season tickets, multi-game packages, and earn rewards.

"There is a significant arbitrage here that we’ve got to try and close," Hopkinson said. "Someone’s going to end up with the money, and we’d rather it’s not a guy in a parka

Despite the increased prices, Hopkinson feels the team should still see 99.6 percent of season-ticket holders re-up for next season.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski, Anaheim Ducks goaltender Jonathan Bernier, and Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson were named the latest three stars of the week Monday.

Pavelski scored top honors after pacing the league with five goals and adding an assist for a cool six points in four games. The Sharks earned three wins thanks in large part to his two-goal games against the Winnipeg Jets and the Dallas Stars.

Bernier captured the second star after going a perfect 3-0-0 with a 1.62 goals-against average, a .948 save percentage, and one shutout. His clean sheet came in a decisive 1-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, while he also helped his club take down the league-leading Washington Capitals.

Finally, Karlsson led all defensemen with six points, including two goals. The Senators captain helped his club extend its winning streak to six games and keep pace with the Montreal Canadiens for top spot in the Atlantic Division.

The Senators sit just two points behind the Canadiens with two games in hand. Meanwhile, Karlsson now sits eight points back of Brent Burns for top spot in defenseman scoring.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Max Pacioretty snapped a five-game goalless skid in a big way Sunday with two goals as the Montreal Canadiens rallied late to defeat the Edmonton Oilers.

With the pair of goals, Pacioretty sits second in the NHL with 33, just one behind Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

It marks Pacioretty's fourth straight 30-goal campaign, but still the 40-goal mark eludes him.

Pacioretty is on pace to finish with 39 goals for the second time in his career. He's been far and away the club's most lethal offensive option and, as mentioned, is in contention for the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.

However, the question remains: Will Pacioretty finally eclipse the 40-goal mark this season?

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

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 Monday, March 13 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

• C Sean Monahan (50K) & LW Johnny Gaudreau (61K), Flames (vs. Penguins): The Penguins have rotated goalies in each of their last seven games. If this trend continues, Marc-Andre Fleury (.887 SV%, 3.60 GAA on the road) will be between the pipes. The Flower could get burnt to the ground against the red-hot Flames. Monahan and Gaudreau have been offensive catalysts during Calgary's 14-2-1 run.

• C Ryan Johansen (66K) & LW Filip Forsberg (73K), Predators (vs. Jets): Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck has also been awful on the road this season, posting an .898 SV% and a 3.14 GAA. Nashville is 19-8-7 at home. Expect their two leading point-getters, Johansen and Forsberg, to lead the way in this contest.

• C Brayden Point (35K) & RW Nikita Kucherov (72K), Lightning (at Rangers): With G Henrik Lundqvist sidelined, the Rangers can either put Antti Raanta in the unfamiliar position of starting on back-to-back days, or turn to Magnus Hellberg between the pipes. Neither option is appealing, meaning big performances could be had from Kucherov and Point.

Goalie Breakdown

• TARGET - Tuukka Rask (100K), Bruins (at Canucks): The Canucks rank 26th in xGF60 (expected goals for per 60 minutes) and 28th in goals for per game. Rask and the Bruins should have no problem shutting down such a lackluster offense.

• BARGAIN - Jake Allen (79K), Blues (at Kings): Allen is 8-5 with a .937 SV% since head coach Ken Hitchcock was fired, Feb. 1. Against a sub-par offense like Los Angeles', Allen provides outstanding value on a slate with few bargains in goal.

• FADE - Marc-Andre Fleury, Penguins (at Flames): As previously mentioned, Fleury has been an absolute dumpster fire on the road. Do not roster him against the hottest team in the NHL.

• CONTRARIAN - Brian Elliott (93K), Flames (vs. Penguins): Elliott will surely have low-ownership with the league's top offense coming to town. However, he has back-to-back shutouts and a .963 SV% in his last seven games. A hot goalie can shut down even the best of offenses.

Bargain Plays

• RW Oliver Bjorkstrand (31K), Blue Jackets (at Flyers): Bjorkstrand's 5.4 iSCF60 (individual scoring chances for per 60 minutes) lead the Blue Jackets. Lately, Bjorkstrand has been taking advantage of these chances, potting three goals in his last four games. The 21-year-old Dane has plenty of talent and could be coming into his own.

• LW Micheal Ferland (27K), Flames (vs. Penguins): Playing on a line with Monahan and Gaudreau, Ferland has scored nine goals during Calgary's 14-2-1 run.

• D T.J. Brodie (26K), Flames (vs. Penguins): Brodie has also been a key part of Calgary's hot streak. He has six points in as many games from the back end. He posted back-to-back 40-point campaigns coming into the season, so this offensive surge shouldn't surprise anyone.

Top Fades

• C Sidney Crosby (87K), Penguins (at Flames): It's extremely tough to build a lineup around a player costing 87K. Though it may seem fitting since Crosby wears number 87, it just isn't a smart investment with how great Brian Elliott has been lately. If you want a Penguin for contrarian value, roster C Evgeni Malkin, who is cheaper and has been equally productive.

• LW Jonathan Drouin (56K), Lightning (at Rangers): Drouin is centering Tampa's second line between Yanni Gourde (?) and Alex Killorn. Drouin has very little career experience at center. Don't bother drafting a player skating out of position.

• C Claude Giroux (57K), Flyers (vs. Blue Jackets): Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed just six goals in his last six games, including three shutouts. Don't bother spending up for an inconsistent offensive producer like Giroux.

Contrarian Options

• C Matt Duchene (48K), Avalanche (at Coyotes): Duchene has gone 10 games without a point, so you can expect his ownership will be somewhere between zero and one percent. If there were a game for Duchene to get off the schneid, this would be it. Arizona has the highest xGA60 and allows the most scoring chances.

• RW Blake Wheeler (59K), Jets (at Predators): Rookie phenom Patrik Laine is cheaper with better production at the same position, meaning Wheeler, who has two three-point games in the past 10 days, will be faded.

• D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (54K), Coyotes (vs. Avalanche): OEL has a higher salary than more productive D who play on superior teams, so he won't have too high of ownership. However, Colorado allows more goals against per game than any other team, increasing Ekman-Larsson's chances of a multi-point night.

(Photos courtesy Action Images)

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Each day this week, we'll publish mock expansion keeper lists by division, beginning with the Atlantic. On Friday, we'll reveal our mock expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights team.

Note: NMC = No-movement clause

Boston Bruins

• The Bruins risk losing 2012 first-round pick Malcolm Subban, although his minor-league development may not give Vegas much reason to slot him into one of its three goalie spots.

Buffalo Sabres

• The decision-making process should not be difficult after yet another disappointing season in Buffalo. Keep the young, key players; expose the dead weight.
• That said, Vegas may focus its attention on goaltenders Anders Nilsson and Linus Ullmark.

Detroit Red Wings

• As loyal as the Red Wings are to players the club has developed, exposing Jimmy Howard, Niklas Kronwall, and Darren Helm is the right move at this point in the team's trajectory.

Florida Panthers

• Florida has a big decision to make in goal - protect Robert Luongo, whose durability seems to be fading, or the younger, cheaper, but less established James Reimer?
• Jaromir Jagr in Vegas? Yes please.

Montreal Canadiens

• If Montreal can't come to terms on a contract extension with Alexander Radulov, he could very well be exposed, with Charles Hudon his likely replacement on this list.

Ottawa Senators

• The Senators can expose Bobby Ryan, who - despite being the highest-paid player on the team - does not have an NMC in his deal. Ditching that $7.25-million cap hit would be a gift, but it's unlikely to happen.
• A good defenseman could be lost here (likely Marc Methot or Chris Wideman), while Mike Condon may have played himself into consideration.

Tampa Bay Lightning

• The fact Ryan Callahan has an NMC is rather unfortunate, since it means Vladislav Namestnikov will be exposed.
• 2012 first-round pick Slater Koekkoek hasn't emerged as a full-time NHL option with the Lightning, but could turn into a nice piece for the Golden Knights.

Toronto Maple Leafs

• Despite a measure of unforeseen success this season, Toronto should remain focused on building and therefore protect younger (and cheaper) forwards like Josh Leivo and Brendan Leipsic over veterans such as Eric Fehr and Matt Martin.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Covers.com is the biggest and best source for sports betting information, providing unrivaled and original content sports bettors cannot live without.

Our Covers NHL cheat sheet breaks down the best NHL betting notes so you can handicap the week like a pro, including the red-hot Calgary Flames who are riding a nine-game winning streak and have gone from postseason afterthought to Western Conference powerhouse.

Leafs Face Florida Test

The Toronto Maple Leafs face a stiff test this week as they look to keep their Eastern Conference playoff hopes alive. The Maple Leafs make their second of two trips to the Sunshine State this season, visiting the Florida Panthers in Miami on Tuesday before heading off to Tampa for a Thursday date with the Lightning. Toronto was successful in its first trip to Florida, winning both games in extra time; things were a lot worse prior to this season, with Toronto going just 3-9-0 SU and 5-6-1 O/U in the previous 12 games in Florida dating back to the start of the 2013-14 season.

We're Going Streaking

Two of the hottest teams in the league do battle Thursday night in the Canadian capital as the Ottawa Senators square off against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Senators come into the week riding a six-game winning streak that has lifted them into a tie with the Montreal Canadiens atop the Atlantic Division. Even more impressively, the last three victories have come on the road, where Ottawa is now a red-hot 20-12-0 on the season and 16-15-1 O/U. But the Sens might have their hands full with a Chicago team that won 12 of 13 games over a five-week stretch (before dropping games on both Thursday and Friday of last week) and has an impressive 20-11-1 road mark of its own entering the week.

Don't Forget the Flames

The Calgary Flames have gone from postseason afterthought to Western Conference powerhouse as they enter the week on a league-high nine-game winning streak. But the Flames have a difficult week ahead; they'll face the defending-champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night, then host a Boston Bruins team with wins in 10 of its previous 13 games Wednesday. A game against the always-dangerous Dallas Stars' offense follows, while the Flames end the week with a contest against a Los Angeles Kings team that has prevailed in five of its last six meetings with Calgary.

Injury Updates

* The Florida Panthers have struggled mightily without the services of starting netminder Roberto Luongo, who hasn't played since March 2 due to a lower-body injury. The Panthers have lost all four games since Luongo went down, and have allowed a whopping 17 goals over that span.

* The Ottawa Senators might be without talented winger Kyle Turris for their pivotal Thursday night tilt with the Blackhawks. Turris has missed the previous three games with a finger injury and is questionable to return Tuesday versus Tampa Bay; luckily, the Sens haven't missed a beat, scoring 12 goals in his absence.

Player Notes

* No player has been more prolific this month than Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel, who has five goals and five assists in six games so far in March. While that scoring run hasn't exactly helped the Sabres in the standings - Buffalo has lost four of the six games - it has done wonders for the total, with Buffalo going 5-1 O/U in that span.

* The Penguins are once again reminding teams that they have big scoring threats beyond Sidney Crosby. Second-line center Evgeni Malkin is scorching opposing goaltenders so far this month, racking up six goals in six games while adding three assists; it'll come as no surprise that Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU over that span with 21 goals in their last five games.

* On the flip side, new Florida Panthers forward Thomas Vanek isn't exactly having the kind of impact his new team was expecting when it acquired him from Detroit at the trade deadline. Vanek has just one goal and zero assists in five games with the Panthers, and his minus-9 rating is the worst of any player in the league over that span.

Stanley Cup Futures

* The Blackhawks' scintillating February has put them near the top of Sports Interaction's Stanley Cup futures odds. Chicago comes into the week at +600 to win the title, and looks like one of the strongest plays on the board. It is worth noting, however, that the Blackhawks will play nine of their final 14 regular-season games on the road.

* So how has a six-game winning streak helped the Senators' Stanley Cup odds? They're listed at +2000 to take home their first NHL championship in franchise history. But the road to a high postseason seed is still a rocky one for Ottawa, which has three more games left against the rival Canadiens in the regular season.

* The Bruins looked like playoff afterthoughts once upon a time, but are surging back up the Eastern Conference standings and are within striking distance of both the Senators and Canadiens in the Atlantic. The Bruins enter Monday at +2200 to win the Stanley Cup, and have a favorable sked down the stretch with eight of their final 10 games played at home.

Over/Under Trends

* Few teams in recent memory have been as allergic to the Over play as this year's edition of the San Jose Sharks. Going into Sunday, the Sharks were 1-7-1 O/U in their previous nine games and have played just 16 Overs through their first 67 games, easily the lowest total in the NHL.

* The Minnesota Wild have been all over the place from a totals perspective, playing four straight Overs to close out the month of February - and following that up with four straight Unders to open March. An 11-goal slug-fest with the Tampa Bay Lightning followed, putting the Wild at 33-25-8 O/U going into Sunday.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.