Although there's an 18-point gap between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division standings, Thursday's matchup holds particular significance for Jonathan Drouin, who will play his first game against his former club since being traded over the summer.

Drouin returns to Tampa Bay after a roller coaster three-year tenure that saw him demand a trade and hold out of his subsequent AHL assignment. He capped it all off with playing the best hockey of his career in a deep playoff run and throughout the season that followed.

For better or worse, Drouin always found his way into the spotlight with the Lightning, but with the entire saga in tow, the 22-year-old says he doesn't regret how it all played out.

"Maybe being more patient in my decision-making, where I'm young and stubborn and want to do my own thing, and what I did," Drouin told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.

"But I've said it before, I don't regret what I did, it got me to my hometown team and a lot of good players to play with."

Drouin was drafted third overall to the Lightning in 2013, and recorded 95 points across 164 regular-season contests. This year in Montreal, he's notched five goals and 13 assists in 32 games.

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Ottawa Senators defenseman Fredrik Claesson will have a hearing Thursday for an illegal check to the head on Boston Bruins forward Noel Acciari, the NHL announced.

Here's a look at the play in question:

Claesson was assessed a match penalty for the hit, which triggers an automatic one-game suspension.

He also fought Tim Schaller after the blow, earning 25 total minutes in penalties.

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It's truly a wonderful time to be a hockey fan.

The game is being played at a level never seen before, allowing for jaw-dropping highlights almost every night.

Cutting a list of goals of the year to five is no easy task, but here's what we came up with:

5. Spurgeon's home run - Jan. 17

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon set the bar high early in the year, scoring in a way we hadn't really seen before.

Spurgeon's catch-and-shoot really was a hit.

4. More magic from Crosby - March 21

Sidney Crosby has wowed us so many times over the course of his already legendary career, but the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar brought something fresh to the table with this ridiculous one-handed backhand goal in Buffalo after cutting straight through the Sabres' defense.

3. Matthews channels his inner Ovi - Feb. 19

It wasn't quite the same as Alex Ovechkin's unforgettable tally against the Coyotes, but Toronto Maple Leafs (then) rookie Auston Matthews somehow managed to score on his backhand while falling to the ice in Carolina.

2. Henrique dunks on Vatanen, Devils - Dec. 18

The beauty of this goal wasn't just the play, but the story it told.

Less than three weeks after being traded by the Devils to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Sami Enervate, Adam Henrique made his return to New Jersey.

Back in his old barn, he proceeded to score a truly sensational goal at the expense of not just his former club, but the very player for whom he was deemed expendable.

1. Karlsson's pass to Hoffman - April 17

Let's be clear: Mike Hoffman's execution of the Peter Forsberg breakaway move on Boston Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask in the playoffs stands alone on its own merits.

But what made this the clear-cut goal of 2017 was a picture-perfect pass from Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson that was delivered from his own goal line and landed at just the right spot for Hoffman to break in onside.

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The Buffalo Sabres are cursed, or at least that's how goaltender Robin Lehner sees it.

The team was up 2-1 against the New York Islanders late in the third period on Wednesday, but after Josh Bailey scored a controversial goal with just over a minute remaining in regulation, the team fell 3-2 in overtime.

Bailey's game-tying goal came after it seemed as though Lehner made an incredible glove stop. However, further review proved Lehner's catching glove was behind the goal line, and with the puck visible, it was deemed a good goal.

"I know Toronto already made up their mind it was a goal before they shot the puck," Lehner said, according to BuffaloNews.com's John Vogl. "It's just how it works in this league.

"We're one minute away from winning 2-1, and we lose 3-2."

"Everything is predetermined against us," Lehner said. "It's not to be sulking or anything. We're not where we want to be or anything like that. It's just how it is. It's just how it is. The Islanders are in a playoff spot, and it is what it is."

It doesn't help that the Sabres have been abysmal in games that have extended past regulation, having gone 1-8 in contests requiring overtime or a shootout.

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With an assist on Kyle Connor's second-period goal against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night, Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler moved into first place on the franchise's all-time assists list.

Wheeler picked up his 288th assist with the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers franchise to move one past Ilya Kovalchuk for top spot.

The 31-year-old also currently ranks third on the franchise's all-time goals and points lists, with Kovalchuk leading both categories and teammate Bryan Little slotted second.

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Two games, two wins.

Team Canada scored its second victory in as many nights at the World Junior Hockey Championship on Wednesday, defeating Slovakia 6-0.

Canada got off to an early start, as forward Sam Steel found the back of the net less than four minutes in.

The team carried a 1-0 lead into the first intermission before adding more offense in the second frame from Jordan Kyrou, Jonah Gadjovich, and Taylor Raddysh.

The Canadians tallied twice more in the third period, getting one goal from Maxime Comtois and another from Gadjovich, who was named Player of the Game for Canada. Captain Martin Bodak received the honor for Slovakia.

Goaltender Colton Point earned the shutout in his first game of the tournament, stopping 20 shots.

Canada's next game comes Friday against the United States, while Slovakia will play the Americans on Thursday.

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Arizona Coyotes pest Zac Rinaldo was handed a six-game suspension Wednesday evening for sucker-punching Samuel Girard of the Colorado Avalanche last Saturday.

Related - Watch: Coyotes Rinaldo gets match penalty for punching Avs' Girard

The intent to injure was clear on Rinaldo's part, and he has been suspended multiple times in the past.

With that said, do you think six games is a just punishment?

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