It's Black Monday in the NHL, and it appears Jets head coach Paul Maurice is safe.

"For me, Paul (Maurice) has my full support," general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said at a press conference Monday.

There's no denying that the Jets underachieved this season, but most of that should fall on the goaltending rather than the coaching.

The Jets finished with the third-worst save percentage and allowed the third-most goals against in the league. This comes in spite of the fact that they surrendered the 17th fewest scoring chances against per 60 minutes at five-on-five, according to Corsica.Hockey.

If the Jets fail to upgrade from the trio of Connor Hellebuyck, Michael Hutchinson, and Ondrej Pavelec this offseason, it could cost Maurice his job next season if he once again fails to bring the Jets to the postseason.

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The Montreal Canadiens will be without hard-hitting defenseman Alexei Emelin (lower body) for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday against the New York Rangers, according to the club's official Twitter account.

Emelin will be re-evaluated as the week progresses, reports TSN's John Lu.

Emelin had only 10 points in the regular season, but set a physical tone with 241 hits and 71 penalty minutes. He also finished third on the team with 127 blocked shots.

Look for veteran Andrei Markov and youngster Nathan Beaulieu to play expanded roles as left-sided defensemen.

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Craig Anderson has earned the final first star honor of the regular season.

The latest player of the week awards were announced on Monday, with the Ottawa Senators netminder earning top spot.

Anderson went 3-0-1 with a 1.44 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage in four games, helping his club clinch second spot in the Atlantic Division and home ice for their first-round matchup against the Boston Bruins.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom was named the second star after pacing the league in both points and assists with seven across four games.

The week caps off a career season for the 23-year-old that saw him hit highs in goals (12), assists (26), and points (36), while leading the team's defense core in both goals and points.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point secured the third star after finishing tied for second in the league with four goals and two assists in four games.

Point's week was highlighted by a two-goal output in a pivotal game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which was ultimately for naught, as Toronto clinched the final wild-card spot in the East on Saturday.

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Sabres center Jack Eichel clearly isn't the type of person to mince his words.

During an end-of-season press conference Monday, Eichel said too many guys in the dressing room are simply happy to just be in the NHL, which is part of the culture that needs change, according to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.

Eichel has plenty of reasons to be frustrated. First off, the Sabres aren't going to the playoffs for the second straight season. Secondly, Connor McDavid, who was picked ahead of him in the 2015 NHL Draft, won the Art Ross Trophy, will likely take home the Hart Trophy, and will be going the postseason. Lastly, Eichel missed out on a $2-million bonus by 0.01 point.

"I think guys want to win, but there's a difference between saying you want to win and actually wanting to win and putting the work in and dedicating your life to it," said Eichel, per John Vogl of the Buffalo News.

Statistically speaking, Eichel did his part this season. He led the team with 57 points despite missing 21 games due to injury. Aside from Ryan O'Reilly, nobody else on the team was able to crack the 50-point plateau.

The Sabres' rebuild has gone slower than expected. It has to be frustrating for Eichel to see a division rival like the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are earlier in their rebuild, make the playoffs before his team.

With a young core featuring Eichel, O'Reilly, Sam Reinhart, and Evander Kane up front, Rasmus Ristolainen on the back end, and Robin Lehner in net, a playoff berth can't be too far away.

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Braden Holtby might need a bigger trophy shelf.

After taking home the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender in 2015-16, Holtby is the winner of the William M. Jennings trophy as the goaltender who plays at least 25 games for the club allowing the fewest goals.

Holtby posted a record of 42-13-6 this season with a .925 save percentage, a 2.07 goals against average, and a league-leading nine shutouts. He will likely be up for the Vezina trophy once again.

Despite all of these awards, there is still one piece of hardware Holtby is without: a Stanley Cup. He and the Capitals will begin their quest for Lord Stanley's mug Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Had the New York Islanders clinched a playoff spot, they still would've been without captain John Tavares into the postseason.

Tavares spoke to the media Monday, and he noted he was hoping to return to the Islanders lineup for Game 3 or 4 of the playoffs had they earned a spot, according to Newsday's Arthur Staple.

Like the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Islanders missed out on the final playoff spot by a single point thanks in large part to a comeback win Saturday by the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

As Tavares enters the summer, talk is sure to pick up on his pending free agency. The 26-year-old has one year remaining on a six-year, $33-million contract and could become an unrestricted free agent for the first time.

Tavares briefly touched on the subject Monday, only suggesting that a decision isn't likely coming anytime soon, stating: "It doesn't have to be decided tomorrow," according to Staple.

Tavares concluded this season with 28 goals and 66 points to pace the Islanders.

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The Vancouver Canucks have fired head coach Willie Desjardins, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

The news comes after Desjardins and the Canucks missed the postseason for the second straight season. The 2016-17 campaign was extremely bad, marking the team's worst finish in a full 82-game season since 1998-99 when they tallied just 58 points.

Desjardins has seen a steady regression in points since joining the team for the 2014-15 season. After finishing with 101 points in 2015, the club captured just 75 last year, and just 69 this time around.

The 60-year-old has previously served as head coach of the Dallas Stars' American Hockey League affiliate the Texas Stars, where he helped the team win the Calder Cup in 2014.

The Canucks saving grace this season is that they will have the second-best chance at winning the draft lottery.

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The Bruins could be without two stalwarts on the back end for Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said that Brandon Carlo won't play in Game 1 and that Torey Krug is unlikely to suit up.

The 6-foot-5 Carlo has provided Boston with a second tower of power on their first D pairing alongside Zdeno Chara this season. The 20-year-old rookie averaged 20:49 of ice time with a plus-9 rating and 16 points.

Krug is coming off a career-high 51 points this season. If he is unable to go, Boston will be losing their top puck mover and primary power-play quarterback.

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Ryan O'Reilly will be playing for a different kind of championship this spring.

The Buffalo Sabres forward said he will represent Canada at the World Championship next month, according to Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio.

For O'Reilly, it marks the third straight year he will represent Canada at the tournament, giving him the opportunity to capture his third straight gold medal at the event.

Despite his club's failure to make the playoffs, O'Reilly still turned in a productive season with the Sabres posting 20 goals and 55 points in 72 games.

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Take a big sigh of relief, Sens fans.

Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion confirmed that star defenseman Erik Karlsson and gritty forward Zack Smith will play Wednesday in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins. Dorion also added there's a "very good chance" Karlsson's defense partner, Marc Methot, will also play in Game 1.

Karlsson has been dealing with a foot injury after blocking a shot March 28. He was held out of action for two games following the injury but returned for two games. With Ottawa's playoff spot secure, he was held out of the club's final three games.

Methot hasn't played since March 23 against Pittsburgh after having a portion of his finger hacked off by Sidney Crosby.

Smith has been out since March 30 with a lower-body injury.

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