Auston Matthews continues to show why he's the near-consensus No. 1 pick for June's NHL draft with an incredible performance Thursday in the quarterfinals at the World Championship.
Facing the Group A-winning Czech Republic team, the 18-year-old tied the game at one with a beautiful second-period goal, and he came up huge again in the shootout - beating goalie Dominik Furch five-hole to help the United States pick up the victory
Keith Kinkaid stopped Tomas Zohorna to clinch the win for the Americans after making 25 saves during the game. Zohorna scored the only Czech goal in regulation, ironically, on a penalty shot in the first period.
Matthews, who now leads his team with eight points in eight games, awaits the winner between Canada and Sweden for Saturday's semifinal match.
Holland said he's informed the forward and the defenseman that he "definitely won't sign them before July 1, if at all."
Richards collected 10 goals and 28 points in his first season with Detroit.
The 36-year-old played for three different teams over the last three campaigns, winning the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 after claiming his first championship with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.
Quincey was limited to 47 games due to injury in 2015-16. He posted 11 points while carrying a cap hit of $4.25 million.
Patrik Laine sees Auston Matthews and raises him one.
Laine unleashed an absolute snipe to give Finland a 3-1 lead in its quarterfinal game against Denmark, shortly after Matthews scored an impressive goal to tie the United States' quarterfinal against the Czech Republic on Thursday.
Matthews is thought to be the projected first overall pick in the upcoming draft, but Laine is stating his case to be the top selection. The Finnish forward leads all skaters in the tournament with seven goals and ranks third with 11 points in eight games.
Laine may have had some extra motivation for Thursday's game.
Auston Matthews' audition to be selected first overall is going very well.
The American forward took a pass from Boston Bruins center Frank Vatrano, went to the backhand and scored an impressive goal to tie Thursday's quarterfinal between the United States and the Czech Republic at the World Championship.
Matthews leads the U.S. with four goals at the tournament and his seven assists are tied for the team lead with Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin.
Kassian recorded eight points in 36 games with the Oilers this season after being dealt Dec. 28 by the Montreal Canadiens, who acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks almost six months prior.
The 25-year-old started the season suspended while in the NHL's substance abuse program, and was immediately waived by the Canadiens after being reinstated Dec. 15.
Though Jon Cooper might not be happy with the way his team played Wednesday night, he's not throwing his rookie goaltender under the bus.
Tampa Bay's 21-year-old rookie netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy made 44 saves in the lopsided 4-2 loss, but the team in front of him couldn't put forth the same effort.
"It's extremely disappointing to give up 48 shots," Cooper said postgame. "You feel bad for the kid. He's keeping us in there. We're not bailing him out."
Cooper, as usual, followed up with a joke about the situation.
Cooper: "It doesn't matter who was in net. We could've had Bish and Vasy in at the same time and they still might've squeaked a couple in."
The Tampa Bay Lightning feel they only have themselves to blame for being down two games to one after the Pittsburgh Penguins reclaimed home-ice advantage with a dominant 4-2 win Wednesday.
"Right now, we're feeding their game a lot more than they're feeding ours," defenseman Anton Stralmansaid postgame.
Both clubs got off to an even, fast-paced start - it wasn't until the second period that Stralman feels things went off the rails.
"They really turned the tables in the second period," Stralman said, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "They spent basically the whole period in our zone."
The #TBLightning were hanging on for dear life during that sequence. Puck was in their zone for 105 straight seconds.
The Penguins ultimately outshot the Lightning 48-28, including a 21-6 margin in the second period. The Lightning will get their chance at evening the series Friday when they host the Penguins for Game 4.
Miscommunication makes for excellent live television.
Following a Game 3 win for the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, NBC analyst Pierre McGuire asked Phil Kessel about his breath.
The thing is, he wasn't trying to offer Kessel an Altoid, but rather ask about how he felt after a grueling contest.
Don't believe the narrative that Phil Kessel's career has been rejuvenated in Pittsburgh. The truth is, his playoff performance with the Penguins is reflective of his career as a whole.
Kessel recorded an assist and scored the following goal in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, improving his postseason point-per-game average to 1.03.
That Kessel is appearing in only his fourth postseason is more reflective of where he played for six seasons than his individual abilities. And even in his lone and short playoff run with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he certainly came to play.
Team
Playoff Year
Games
Goal
Assists
Shots
Boston
2008
4
3
1
13
Boston
2009
11
6
5
38
Toronto
2013
7
4
2
28
Pittsburgh
2016
14
7
9
42
The 28-year-old is excelling on the big stage and it should come as no surprise, considering he's been one of the top performers in the NHL in recent years.
To wit, Kessel ranks fourth among all players in goals at five-on-five (159) and seventh in total points in the same situation (319) since the beginning of 2008-09 and through this past regular season, according to Corsica Hockey.
And don't forget Kessel led all players in points at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi with five goals and three assists in six games, adding further credence to his reputation as a big-game player.
He's even drawing rave reviews from Lightning head coach Jon Cooper.
Jon Cooper: "Phil Kessel doesn't get near the respect he deserves."
Kessel developed great chemistry with linemates Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino (allowing for an amazing "HBK" line name), and has the most points to date for a Penguins team that has the look of a Stanley Cup winner.
Taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy when it's all said and done would be the perfect way to cap his first march with the Penguins.
Crosby hammered his fifth tally of the postseason - the eventual game-winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning - on a lethal one-timer in Wednesday's 4-2 victory, and with that, the Penguins improved to 5-0 in the playoffs when he registers a goal.
Pittsburgh is 5-4 in games in which he doesn't score.
After notching the overtime winner in Game 2, Crosby now has goals in consecutive games for the second time this postseason.