With the NHL preparing for a 24-team playoff, theScore will be counting down the top 50 players who will be taking part in this unique event. We'll reveal 10 players every day until the top 10 is unveiled on June 6.

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

50. Johnny Gaudreau, Flames

Gaudreau wasn't nearly as efficient this season as he was in years past. After a slow start to the campaign, though, the dynamic winger caught fire in the second half. He potted eight goals and added 19 assists in 28 games after Jan. 1. Even during an inconsistent season, the 26-year-old still possesses the raw talent to dominate his opponents in elimination play.

49. Matthew Tkachuk, Flames

Few players offer Tkachuk's unique blend of scoring touch, physicality, and two-way play. The 22-year-old winger is blossoming into the face of the Calgary Flames, and it would be hard to design a player better equipped to endure the grind of playoff hockey.

48. Dougie Hamilton, Hurricanes

Hamilton was playing the best hockey of his career before he suffered a broken fibula in January, and he'll be hungry for the chance to return to form. The 6-foot-6 defenseman is a gifted skater for his size, which is one of the main reasons he's able to dominate the possession game. Hamilton ranked in the top 10 in both Corsi For and expected goals this season, and he was 17th in high-danger scoring chances (minimum 600 minutes played).

47. Kyle Connor, Jets

You have to watch Connor on more than one occasion to fully appreciate him. He doesn't have the blazing speed or rocket shot that other elite goal-scorers possess, but he knows how to put the puck in the net. It seems he buries every chance he gets down low. Connor is a highly intelligent, hard-working player with very soft hands around the net.

46. Claude Giroux, Flyers

Giroux cooled off a bit this campaign after posting more than a point per game in 2018-19 and a career-high 102 points the season prior. However, he's still among the game's most dependable centers at age 32, and he's one of the biggest reasons the Philadelphia Flyers played so well before the break.

45. Shea Weber, Canadiens

When Weber is healthy, he's still one of the most dominant defensemen in the league. With months to rest some nagging injuries, a recuperated Weber will be extremely valuable for the Montreal Canadiens. His ability to log significant minutes and contribute on both offense and defense will make him a lethal threat in playoff-style hockey.

44. Mathew Barzal, Islanders

An offensive wizard on arguably the NHL's most defensive-minded team, Barzal stands out among his peers. He's one of the best skaters in the league and his vision is off the charts. He's also up for a new contract after this season, so he'll want to prove his worth with a strong playoff showing.

43. Seth Jones, Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets are a completely different team when Jones is in the lineup. Columbus won just three of 14 outings and allowed 3.57 goals per game after the 6-foot-4 rearguard injured his ankle in early February. Jones, an agile skater with a strong hockey acumen, ranked seventh in average ice time this season while often paired against opponents' top talents.

42. Ben Bishop, Stars

Bishop is arguably the best goalie in the NHL when healthy and on his game, though he wasn't even the best goalie on his own team this season, as Anton Khudobin led the league with a .930 save percentage. However, it'll almost certainly be the three-time Vezina finalist getting the call in the postseason.

41. Cale Makar, Avalanche

If not for a certain Vancouver Canucks blue-liner, Makar would be the clear Calder Trophy favorite. Nevertheless, he has a strong case in his own right and is already one of the NHL's best defensemen. The 21-year-old ranked second in the rookie points race and led all qualified first-year players in points per game. The Colorado Avalanche phenom has looked more than comfortable in the league since debuting during last year's postseason, and his future looks exceedingly bright.

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In addition to Sidney Crosby, Braden Holtby, P.K. Subban, and Shea Weber, several other NHL players spoke out against racial injustice Wednesday.

Boston Bruins star Patrice Bergeron released his statement through the team's Twitter account, offering to educate himself while pledging to donate to two separate initiatives.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog also chimed in, saying we need to "learn how we got to this point, so we can do better."

Washington Capitals enforcer Tom Wilson announced he'll be making a donation to the oldest minority hockey program in the United States.

Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher also released a statement shortly before his captain did, condemning "bad police officers and ... the systems that allow them to continue to wear a badge," as well as looters who are "stealing the headlines."

Former NHL goaltender Ben Scrivens, who's currently working on his master's degree in social work, questioned why this many NHL players didn't speak out after the Bill Peters firing saga, K'Andre Miller's zoom call, or Akim Aliu's Players' Tribune article.

Dylan DeMelo of the Winnipeg Jets and Adam Henrique of the Anaheim Ducks also tweeted out statements of their own.

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Welcome to Puck Pursuit, an interview-style podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.

Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Los Angeles Kings prospect and Canadian world junior championship hero Akil Thomas joins the show to discuss a variety of topics, including:

• Perspective on George Floyd's death and associated protests
• Experiences with racism as a black hockey player
• How his life changed after scoring the gold medal-winning goal
• Starting Zale Apparel clothing line and the "Soul On Ice" podcast
• Plans for offseason, and next season when he should turn pro

... and more

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With the United States facing one of its biggest crises in more than 50 years, sports leagues and stars took to social media Tuesday with black screens - under the hashtag #BlackoutTuesday.

LeBron James and Steph Curry were front and center among NBA stars.

In addition to the league itself, several NBA teams tweeted out the item, as did teams in leagues across the sports spectrum and around the world.

In the NFL, New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell and Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz were among the star players making their voices heard.

New York Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman chimed in, among other baseball stars.

In the NHL, Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Mitch Marner made his feelings known.

Protests in response to the police killing of Minnesota resident George Floyd have also spread to Europe. From across the Atlantic, Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero voiced his support.

Others from the soccer world included Real Madrid star Gareth Bale, Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe, and Jozy Altidore of Toronto FC and the U.S. men's national team.

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Think you have what it takes to be the Ken Jennings or James Holzhauer of the sports world? Find out by taking our latest quiz, made up of sports-themed "Final Jeopardy" questions from the iconic game show.

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Athletes everywhere continue to get creative as they deal with their respective leagues being on hiatus. Some are better at it than others. Every Sunday throughout May, we'll look back on the week that was before crowning a quarantine king or queen. Here are the top isolation moments from the sports world over the last seven days.

10. 'What up, 'Bron!'

There's just something pure - and surprisingly soothing - about watching LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and JR Smith casually enjoy a bike ride in the Los Angeles sunshine. The excitement of this Lakers fan when he catches a glimpse of James only adds to the feel-good nature of it all.

9. Tom, Gisele take the 'Couples Challenge'

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen took part in TikTok's "Couples Challenge," which asks couples to close their eyes and answer a series of rapid-fire questions about their relationship, often with wildly entertaining results. All the family secrets, like which of the two is "more annoying when hungry," are revealed.

8. No pooping in the squat rack

Let's start off by saying that New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban is in ridiculous shape. Based on the wildly challenging workout below, he'll be ready if the NHL does make its return this season. Far more importantly, though, are we just supposed to ignore the toilet in the squat rack? When you gotta go ...

7. Special delivery from FedEx

Any NBA teams out there looking for a spot-up 3-point shooter in anticipation of the league's return this summer? Call this FedEx employee. He delivers from downtown.

6. Cutch is getting good at this

From imaginative home videos to sleepy workout regimes, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen has become something of a social media star over these past couple months. So has his alter ego, Uncle Larry.

5. A whole new fan experience

With fans unable to attend matches amid the pandemic, Danish soccer club AGF Aarhus came up with a unique solution, inviting 10,000 supporters to a Zoom party and placing giant screens in the stands so they could watch their season opener "in person." Better yet, they got to see a last-minute equalizer.

4. Take your workout to the next level

Staying in peak physical condition has required professional athletes everywhere to devise creative workouts, but Marlon Humphrey's latest effort takes the cake. Just watching the Baltimore Ravens cornerback and his brother sprint up this gravel hill is enough to make your quads burn.

We're with Humphrey's former teammate Eric Weddle on this one:

3. One small step for Gritty

Gritty commemorated this weekend's successful SpaceX rocket launch by taking one giant leap of his own on social media. Never change, Gritty.

2. Egg on your face

With the French soccer season canceled, Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar is keeping himself busy and entertained by pranking his 8-year-old son, Davi Lucca. Take a miniature header challenge, start with some ping pong balls, then throw an egg into the mix and see what happens. Parenting 101.

1. Bolts Fly Together

In an ode to a classic scene from "The Mighty Ducks" film franchise, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Alex Killorn rounded up his teammates - rescuing them from their respective oddball tasks - to create this spectacular video, which culminates in a Sea-Doo "Flying V" formation.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Athletes everywhere continue to get creative as they deal with their respective leagues being on hiatus. Some are better at it than others. Every Sunday throughout May, we'll look back on the week that was before crowning a quarantine king or queen. Here are the top isolation moments from the sports world over the last seven days.

10. 'What up, 'Bron!'

There's just something pure - and surprisingly soothing - about watching LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and JR Smith casually enjoy a bike ride in the Los Angeles sunshine. The excitement of this Lakers fan when he catches a glimpse of James only adds to the feel-good nature of it all.

9. Tom, Gisele take the 'Couples Challenge'

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen took part in TikTok's "Couples Challenge," which asks couples to close their eyes and answer a series of rapid-fire questions about their relationship, often with wildly entertaining results. All the family secrets, like which of the two is "more annoying when hungry," are revealed.

8. No pooping in the squat rack

Let's start off by saying that New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban is in ridiculous shape. Based on the wildly challenging workout below, he'll be ready if the NHL does make its return this season. Far more importantly, though, are we just supposed to ignore the toilet in the squat rack? When you gotta go ...

7. Special delivery from FedEx

Any NBA teams out there looking for a spot-up 3-point shooter in anticipation of the league's return this summer? Call this FedEx employee. He delivers from downtown.

6. Cutch is getting good at this

From imaginative home videos to sleepy workout regimes, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen has become something of a social media star over these past couple months. So has his alter ego, Uncle Larry.

5. A whole new fan experience

With fans unable to attend matches amid the pandemic, Danish soccer club AGF Aarhus came up with a unique solution, inviting 10,000 supporters to a Zoom party and placing giant screens in the stands so they could watch their season opener "in person." Better yet, they got to see a last-minute equalizer.

4. Take your workout to the next level

Staying in peak physical condition has required professional athletes everywhere to devise creative workouts, but Marlon Humphrey's latest effort takes the cake. Just watching the Baltimore Ravens cornerback and his brother sprint up this gravel hill is enough to make your quads burn.

We're with Humphrey's former teammate Eric Weddle on this one:

3. One small step for Gritty

Gritty commemorated this weekend's successful SpaceX rocket launch by taking one giant leap of his own on social media. Never change, Gritty.

2. Egg on your face

With the French soccer season canceled, Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar is keeping himself busy and entertained by pranking his 8-year-old son, Davi Lucca. Take a miniature header challenge, start with some ping pong balls, then throw an egg into the mix and see what happens. Parenting 101.

1. Bolts Fly Together

In an ode to a classic scene from "The Mighty Ducks" film franchise, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Alex Killorn rounded up his teammates - rescuing them from their respective oddball tasks - to create this spectacular video, which culminates in a Sea-Doo "Flying V" formation.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For every title-winning team and dynasty, the sports world seems to offer up equally terrible franchises. Call it a balancing act. But amid the losses, unwanted records, and overall futility, there are plenty of interesting facts to be found. How much do you know about some of the truly awful teams throughout sports history? Find out by taking the quiz below.

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Athletes everywhere continue to get creative as they deal with their respective leagues being on hiatus. Some are better at it than others. Every Sunday throughout May, we'll look back on the week that was before crowning a quarantine king or queen. Here are the top isolation moments from the sports world over the last seven days.

10. Bend it like Virgil

Premier League clubs returned to socially distanced training sessions in small groups this week as England's top flight continues to work toward a June return. It gave players their first opportunity in roughly two months to display their skills in a familiar setting, and Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk took full advantage by showing everyone at the club that he should probably be on free-kick duty when the season resumes.

9. Demko appears to be missing something

Going without certain items we're accustomed to having is an all-too-common predicament during these times, and Thatcher Demko can certainly relate. The Vancouver Canucks goaltender shared photo and video evidence of his quarantine equipment shortage, and the moral of the story here applies to life as a whole: Make the best of what you have.

8. Brady welcomes Eli to Twitter

Eli Manning finally joined Twitter on Saturday and was promptly welcomed to the social media platform by Tom Brady, who poked fun at himself by referencing the two Super Bowls he lost to the retired New York Giants quarterback. Manning topped Brady in Super Bowl XLII and XLVI, tossing late touchdown passes to sink the New England Patriots on both occasions.

7. Your dog is sick of watching you train

Any soccer clubs looking for a no-nonsense defender might want to give this exuberant pup a call. The tackling form needs a bit of work - that's a clear yellow card, at the very least - but you can't question the effort. Swiping the cone for good measure was a power move, too.

6. Virtual Melvin Ingram is unstoppable

In a wacky Madden NFL 20 experiment, the Los Angeles Chargers used Pro Bowl defensive end Melvin Ingram at the unlikeliest of positions - all of them. The results were astonishing, with the 77-yard touchdown pass likely the best part.

5. Cutch challenges 'Uncle Larry' to Home Run Derby

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen has been killing time in weird ways. Taking the cake thus far is a two-minute video of him challenging his alter ego, Uncle Larry, to a Home Run Derby that showcases some suspect swings.

4. Fitzpatrick perfects the quarantine look

When it comes to grooming, Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is a man amongst boys. His quarantine look is unrivaled.

3. Kanter's pets creep everyone out

Boston Celtics big Enes Kanter made everybody on Twitter incredibly uncomfortable when he posted a video of him feeding ... whatever these things are. Apparently, they are baby Gouldian finches, which look much more aesthetically pleasing once they've grown. However, that doesn't really do much to quell the unsettling feeling, especially when paired with that music.

2. Murray shows no mercy

San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray said on Instagram that it took these kids a couple of months to work up the courage to ask him to play a game before they finally did so on Tuesday. Evidently, Murray was itching to hoop again during the NBA's hiatus, and he hilariously pulled out all the stops on them, including a windmill jam. They might never ask him to play again.

1. Cat-like reflexes ... literally

Call him Meownuel Neuer, Marc-Andre purr Stegen, Tim Meoward, or any other cat-inspired parody of a real goalkeeper's name that you like. We'll simply refer to this fleet-footed feline as the best shot-stopper on the internet. Multiple soccer teams worldwide would be better off with this cat between the sticks than their actual netminder right now.

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Few things are more exciting in sports than an incredible comeback. There's nothing quite like overcoming the odds and pulling out a victory from the jaws of defeat. So, how much do you know about the best come-from-behind wins in sports history? Find out by taking our quiz below.

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