NHL on NBC analyst Mike Milbury made it clear who he believes is at fault for the Nashville Predators' disappointing season thus far, which resulted in head coach Peter Laviolette getting fired Monday.

Milbury pointed fingers at the club's top three centers - Ryan Johansen, Matt Duchene, and Kyle Turris.

"I think the problem in Nashville is down the middle," Milbury said on Monday's broadcast. "Johansen, Duchene, and Turris, all chronic underachievers. You're not gonna win with those guys in the middle. You can't count on them. Johansen had one playoff season where he was going pretty good till he got hurt, but the rest of these guys, when the moment comes, they have faltered."

"... I don't see this middle as being anything I'd be afraid of to go up against. These guys I think are overpaid and underperforming."

Johansen, Duchene, and Turris have all had disappointing seasons thus far. Johansen and Duchene are the team's two highest-paid players this season, and Turris is tied for fourth.

Nashville has not yet named a replacement for Laviolette. When studio host Kathryn Tappen asked what kind of coach could get this trio going, Milbury said it would require some magic.

"Houdini, it would be Houdini to get them going here in the middle," he said. "These guys ... they bark a lot. That's not good enough for me. They don't try hard enough down the middle here. And if you have that in that key position, you're never gonna be successful."

Milbury doubled down on the players' effort level and questioned their character.

"I don't see them coming to the well night after night with effort," he said. "That's what bothers me."

Johansen, Duchene, and Turris were all acquired in major moves by general manager David Poile during Laviolette's reign as head coach.

Johansen was traded straight up for Seth Jones in 2016, then eventually signed an eight-year, $64-million extension with the Predators. Turris came to Nashville from the Ottawa Senators in a three-way trade on Nov. 17, 2017, and immediately signed a six-year, $36-million extension that day. Duchene inked a seven-year, $56-million contract as a prized free agent this summer.

Milbury also noted that the Predators need better goaltending from Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros (combined .894 save percentage) to be successful, but he didn't tee off on the netminders in the same manner as he did Johansen, Duchene, and Turris.

Nashville is sixth in the Central Division and sits five points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

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

The Nashville Predators have fired head coach Peter Laviolette and associate coach Kevin McCarthy, the team announced Monday.

No interim coach has been named, with a decision on who will coach the club on Tuesday versus the Bruins to be announced, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Laviolette's contract was scheduled to run through the 2020-2021 season. The Predators must honor the remaining $2.5 million owed to the bench boss unless Laviolette is hired somewhere else before the deal expires, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

The Predators suffered their fourth loss in five games on Sunday, dropping their record to 19-15-7 on the season. The club sits four points out of a wild-card playoff seed entering Monday's action.

Laviolette was hired by the Predators ahead of the 2014-15 season. He posted a record of 248-143-60 behind Nashville's bench and helped the club reach the postseason over five consecutive campaigns, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017. He becomes the sixth head coach fired this season.

In 2017-18, Laviollete led the club to a franchise-best 53-win season to capture the Presidents' Trophy.

The 55-year-old was just the second coach in Nashville's history. Barry Trotz filled the position from the franchise's inaugural season in 1998-99 until 2013-14.

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

Two of the NHL's biggest stars are voicing their hope that the league will return to the Olympics.

Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers want a chance to represent their respective countries on the world's biggest stage. They expressed their feelings one day after IIHF president Rene Fasel said the NHL has been given until the end of August to determine whether it will send players to Beijing in 2022.

"A lot of guys take a lot of pride in playing for their country, so the Olympics is top of the tops as far as that goes," Matthews said on Monday ahead of his matchup with McDavid, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "That'd be a pretty amazing experience to be able to put on the U.S. jersey and play in a tournament, for sure."

McDavid feels the same way.

"Anytime you get a chance to represent Canada on a best-on-best tournament, it's always so special and makes for the best hockey. So, I definitely hope that I get that opportunity one day," he said.

The NHL didn't send its players to the games in 2018 for the first time since 1998. Matthews and McDavid are just two of the numerous players who have said they'd relish the opportunity to play in the Olympics.

However, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman remained resistant to the idea when asked about it in November, saying the tournament is "incredibly disruptive" to the NHL season.

The most recent best-on-best tournament for players over 20 years old was the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, when Matthews and McDavid dazzled as linemates on Team North America. Both players have also received a taste of international play at the world juniors and world championship.

Matthews is currently second in the NHL in goals this season with 28, while McDavid is tied for the league-lead in points with 65 through 44 contests.

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

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section

Now that every NHL team has played at least 40 games this season, the first Monday of 2020 signals the start of the second half.

Meanwhile, I've evaluated our bets from the opening half of the campaign and identified strong and weak points in our approach. For instance, we've been hitting on our underdog plays at a strong rate. Moving forward, we'll focus more on those value plays - while limiting the number of favorites we back - in hopes of ensuring a profitable stretch run.

Let's kick off 2020 with a bang.

Game betting

Edmonton Oilers at Toronto Maple Leafs (Monday)

While both of these teams are certainly capable of playing run-and-gun hockey, it's not the preference for either of them. The Oilers have been the second-most-profitable under team on the road this season, while the Leafs have trended to the under on home ice since Sheldon Keefe's appointment as head coach. With a high total of 6.5, the under warrants serious consideration here.

Colorado Avalanche at New York Rangers (Tuesday)

I like the Avalanche to beat the somewhat struggling Islanders on Monday before facing the Rangers on Tuesday. However, Colorado's in the midst of a 3-9 run on the road when given no rest, with six of the last seven such contests staying under the total. The Rangers are playing just .500 hockey on home ice, but they offer great value in this spot as home 'dogs.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Vegas Golden Knights (Tuesday)

This game is part of a seven-game homestand for the Golden Knights, who've already won the first four. And Vegas has lost just once in eight attempts when playing its fifth successive home contest. Meanwhile, the Penguins are in the midst of an impressive road run, which has seen them win five of their last six away from Pittsburgh. They've been scoring a ton of goals - as have the Knights on home ice - which suggests the over is the strongest play here.

Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers (Wednesday)

The Flyers have posted an impeccable 13-2-4 record at home this season. The Capitals, once unbeatable on the road, have slipped a bit in recent weeks, losing in Boston and Carolina. This will be the second game of a back-to-back for Washington - which is playing at home on Tuesday - and when you consider the Flyers' impenetrable home form, they're certainly worth backing as 'dogs here.

Arizona Coyotes at Tampa Bay Lightning (Thursday)

Taylor Hall hasn't exactly hit the ground running with the Coyotes, scoring only twice in nine games while Arizona has posted just a 5-4 record with him in the lineup. The Lightning, meanwhile, finally seem to be figuring it out. They've won eight in a row entering this week and have shored up their defensive issues. But instead of laying a ton of juice with Tampa, consider the under 6.5 goals in a game featuring a pair of teams that have played stout defensive hockey in recent weeks.

Dallas Stars at Anaheim Ducks (Thursday)

The Stars will be decent-sized favorites when they visit California on Thursday, as they sit well ahead of the Ducks in the standings. However, the Ducks are a very different team on home ice (11-7-3) versus on the road (6-13-2). They've also won six straight over the Stars in Anaheim, holding Dallas to just nine total goals in those games, including a pair of shutouts. Ride with the Ducks as home 'dogs in this one.

Game props

Ottawa Senators at Washington Capitals (Tuesday)

You have to go all the way back to November 2013 to find the last time the Senators scored at least three goals in Washington. Ottawa has been held to two goals or fewer in its last eight visits to D.C., making its team total under 2.5 a very strong bet here.

Vancouver Canucks at Florida Panthers (Thursday)

These teams are no strangers to scoring - or allowing - early goals. The Canucks have hit the first-period over in six of their last eight on the road, while the Panthers have hit the mark in three straight at home and five of their last seven overall. So, there should be plenty of fireworks when these clubs meet in the Sunshine State; don't hesitate to back the over 1.5 goals in the first period.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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

Ilya Kovalchuk will suit up for his first game as a member of the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night versus the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced.

The veteran sniper practiced on the Habs' top line alongside Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault on Monday morning, according to Sportsnet. Kovalchuk should get significant ice time between that role and the power play.

"Obviously, the coach put me on one of the top lines, so it's a lot of responsibility," Kovalchuk told reporters after the team's morning skate. "But I'm feeling good, I'm ready to go."

Montreal signed Kovalchuk to a one-year, two-way deal worth $700,000 at the NHL level Jan. 3, weeks after the Los Angeles Kings terminated what remained of his previous contract. He hasn't played in a game since Nov. 9 and has posted nine points in 17 games this season.

The Canadiens, who've been hit hard by injuries recently, are hoping the former 50-goal scorer can help boost their attack as they look to climb back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

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

The New York Rangers have recalled goaltender Igor Shesterkin from the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, the team announced Monday.

Shesterkin was drafted 118th overall by New York in 2014, and he's been one of the world's top goalie prospects ever since.

Across 117 KHL appearances over the past six years, the 24-year-old posted an 88-16-7 record along with a .935 save percentage. And his success has translated well to the North American game in his first season, as he leads the AHL in goals-against average (1.93), save percentage (.932), and shutouts (three).

Goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev have shared duties for the Rangers this season, but Shesterkin will get his first NHL start on Tuesday versus the Colorado Avalanche with Lundqvist backing him up, according to The Athletic's Rick Carpiniello.

The Rangers are 19-18-4 this season, seven points back of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

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