Brian Elliott will be back in net when the St. Louis Blues attempt to stave off elimination for a third time in these playoffs Wednesday in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final versus the San Jose Sharks.

Head coach Ken Hitchcock confirmed Tuesday that Elliott will return to the starter's role after Jake Allen started Games 4 and 5.

Hitchcock said fatigue factored into his decision to turn to Allen, but affirmed his commitment to the veteran starter.

"We got the jolt we needed from Jake," he said. "These are Brian's playoffs. We'd like to see him finish the job."

Elliott made 17 consecutive starts for St. Louis to begin its postseason run, and was integral in the club's seven-game victories over the two highest-scoring teams in the Western Conference.

He's 9-8-2 with a .925 save percentage in his postseason appearances this spring.

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Brian Elliott will be back in net when the St. Louis Blues attempt to stave off elimination for a third time in these playoffs Wednesday in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final versus the San Jose Sharks.

Head coach Ken Hitchcock confirmed Tuesday that Elliott will return to the starter's role after Jake Allen started Games 4 and 5.

Hitchcock said fatigue factored into his decision to turn to Allen, but affirmed his commitment to the veteran starter.

"We got the jolt we needed from Jake," he said. "These are Brian's playoffs. We'd like to see him finish the job."

Elliott made 17 consecutive starts for St. Louis to begin its postseason run, and was integral in the club's seven-game victories over the two highest-scoring teams in the Western Conference.

He's 9-8-2 with a .925 save percentage in his postseason appearances this spring.

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The Boston Bruins and defenseman Kevan Miller have agreed to a four-year, $10-million contract extension, general manager Don Sweeney announced Tuesday.

In his first full NHL campaign, the 28-year-old set career highs in goals (five), assists (13), and games played (71). The stay-at-home defenseman was second on his team in both hits (164) and blocked shots (123) this season.

Miller will now avoid unrestricted free agency, after publicly sharing his hope to remain in Boston at the end of the regular season.

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The Boston Bruins and defenseman Kevan Miller have agreed to a four-year, $10-million contract extension, general manager Don Sweeney announced Tuesday.

In his first full NHL campaign, the 28-year-old set career highs in goals (five), assists (13), and games played (71). The stay-at-home defenseman was second on his team in both hits (164) and blocked shots (123) this season.

Miller will now avoid unrestricted free agency, after publicly sharing his hope to remain in Boston at the end of the regular season.

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The sprint to have Vadim Shipachyov put pen to an NHL contract could be all for naught.

The high-volume scorer may have to satisfy the existing option on his KHL contract with SKA St. Petersburg and report for one more season before being permitted to sign with an NHL club, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

There was speculation the Montreal Canadiens were - if not closing in on an agreement - pushing hard toward a pact with Shipachyov before Friedman's report.

On the heels of a 60-point season, the most productive of his eight-year KHL career, the 29-year-old led the World Championship in scoring with six goals and 12 assists in 10 games.

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It appears Pittsburgh Penguins forward Beau Bennett will be heading back to the press box after being a minus-2 in his team's Game 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, his postseason debut.

Conor Sheary, who was scratched during Sunday's game, was back on the Penguins' top line with Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist during line rushes at Tuesday's game-day skate, and also spent time with the team's second power-play unit.

Bennett, meanwhile, was left without a line.

Since recording three points in his team's first-round series against the New York Rangers, Sheary has gone cold, with just three assists in his last 10 games.

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With their season, and survival in their quest for a second Stanley Cup in the Sidney Crosby era, in the balance, the Pittsburgh Penguins are turning back to rookie goaltender Matt Murray.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan confirmed after the team's morning workout that after being unseated by Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 5, Murray would get the start Tuesday versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Sullivan said this about his decision, via NHL.com's Dan Rosen: "At this particular point in the season, we don't have the luxury of allowing players to play through things.

"We have to win."

Murray's performance has tailed off in the Eastern Conference Final after he spearheaded series wins over the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals in the first and second rounds. He has an .888 save percentage and has looked fatigued against the Bolts, dragging his overall postseason clip down to .923.

Meanwhile, Fleury played well enough to give Pittsburgh a chance in Game 5, but at the same time showed he went more than 50 days between starts because of a concussion suffered late in the season.

Murray's start will be his 14th of the postseason, which would give him one more than his career regular-season total.

The 21-year-old has a career 18-6-2 record with a .926 save rate in the regular season and playoffs combined.

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With their season, and survival in their quest for a second Stanley Cup in the Sidney Crosby era, in the balance, the Pittsburgh Penguins are turning back to rookie goaltender Matt Murray.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan confirmed after the team's morning workout that after being unseated by Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 5, Murray would get the start Tuesday versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Sullivan said this about his decision, via NHL.com's Dan Rosen: "At this particular point in the season, we don't have the luxury of allowing players to play through things.

"We have to win."

Murray's performance has tailed off in the Eastern Conference Final after he spearheaded series wins over the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals in the first and second rounds. He has an .888 save percentage and has looked fatigued against the Bolts, dragging his overall postseason clip down to .923.

Meanwhile, Fleury played well enough to give Pittsburgh a chance in Game 5, but at the same time showed he went more than 50 days between starts because of a concussion suffered late in the season.

Murray's start will be his 14th of the postseason, which would give him one more than his career regular-season total.

The 21-year-old has a career 18-6-2 record with a .926 save rate in the regular season and playoffs combined.

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Tip it on back, Duncan.

With Chicago Blackhawks uncharacteristically idle in May after their seven-game series defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Blues last month, some of their stars are able to enjoy the finer things reserved for those of a certain celebrity.

Like shot-gunning beers on stage with country singers.

Duncan Keith and Dierks Bentley, a noted Nashville Predators fan, cracked open a couple cans and shared a fast-moving cold one on stage at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park over the weekend.

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Hours and hours spent planted in front tipping rubber is paying dividends for Joe Pavelski and the San Jose Sharks.

Pavelski's league-leading 12th postseason goal, scored on a masterful tip, stood as the eventual game winner Monday night in Game 5, as San Jose moved to within one victory of reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time ever.

It's obviously plenty more complex, but the difference in the contest, and in turn so far in the Western Conference Final, is ascribed in part to the captain's dedication to his craft.

"It's incredible," remarked head coach Pete DeBoer. "You think back to some of the best scorers ever. His ability to get his stick on pucks in the offensive zone, in front on the net, different angles, is as good as anybody I've ever seen."

"But it's a great lesson. He works at it. He works at it every day. He gets (Brent Burns) or one of the other (defensemen), gets them to fire 100, 200 pucks. I'll watch him from the boards with the other coaches. He'll get a piece of every single one."

DeBoer added, "His biggest asset is he works at it."

Pavelski's persistence is really part of a overarching theme in these playoffs for the Sharks, who can close out the series on home ice Wednesday.

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