The Pittsburgh Penguins recognized franchise legend and second-leading scorer in NHL history Jaromir Jagr with a video tribute Sunday at PPG Paints Arena as part of the club's 50-year celebration.
Fans in attendance rose to their feet as the video played, and Jagr tapped his chest and waved back in appreciation.
Jagr won two Stanley Cups, five scoring titles, and a Hart Trophy in 11 seasons with the Penguins. He racked up 439 goals and 1,079 points in 806 games, and another 147 points in the playoffs.
He's played for eight NHL franchises since his NHL debut with the Penguins in 1990.
Lazar's expected to replace Micheal Ferland, who has fallen ill.
Sam Bennett and Lance Bouma were Lazar's linemates at the morning skate, indicating he'll slot in there.
Lazar's been held out of the lineup in seven straight games since his acquisition from the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline. He contributed one assist and recorded 24 shots in 33 games for Ottawa before being acquired for a second-round draft selection.
Anthony Duclair returned to the Arizona Coyotes earlier this month following a stint with the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners, and no one is happier to have him back than 4-year-old Gracie Hernandez.
During the Coyotes' open practice Thursday, Gracie got an opportunity to meet Duclair and share a letter she had written him.
According to Cristina Ledra of NHL.com, it read, "Dear Duke, I'm Gracie and I'm four. I love you! Are you happy to be back? Will you marry me?"
After a blockbuster mid-season swap last year sent the 2013 fourth overall pick to Columbus in exchange for top-line centreman Ryan Johansen, all eyes were on the young Jones to prove he could be the top-tier rearguard the Blue Jackets have long craved.
He finished 2015-16 with 20 points through 41 games with his new club, a mediocre offensive showing to match his uneven defensive play.
But Columbus knew what they had in Jones, and proved their faith in him by way of a six-year, $32.4-million extension, paying the 22-year-old $5.4 million per year.
So when Jones took the ice for his first game of 2016-17, he did so knowing it was his turn to produce, and in doing so validate the Blue Jackets' ambitious swing for his services.
Living up to the hype
With the first of those six seasons nearly complete, Jones has rewarded the Blue Jackets' faith, coming through with a career year and playing a key role in spurring the club's dominant campaign.
Through 64 games this season, Jones has already posted a career-best 10 goals and 39 points, putting him on par with Drew Doughty and Nick Leddy for the 15th-most points among NHL defenders.
But that ranking doesn't tell the full story.
While he's been productive overall, and much better on the defensive side, the key to Jones' importance to Columbus this season has been his dominance during even-strength play.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Even-strength excellence
While teammate Zach Werenski leads the team's blue-liners with 46 points, nearly half his sum has come on the man advantage, with the ice tilted in the Blue Jackets' favor.
There's no denying Werenski has been an exceptional offensive force this season, but it's worth noting the heights Jones is reaching at even strength, where the majority of the game is played and the chips are stacked more evenly.
In this context, Jones is the far superior offensive option, as 33 of his 39 points have come at even strength, which ties Duncan Keith and Dustin Byfuglien for third-most in the league among blue-liners, bested only by Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson.
The same goes for Jones' goals count. All 10 have come during even-strength play, and only three defensemen have tallied more when teams send out equal numbers.
Keeping Columbus in the mix
Of course, meanwhile, the Blue Jackets have become one of the NHL's most dominant clubs, scoring the fourth-most goals per game (3.17), and sitting just two points behind the Washington Capitals in the Presidents' Trophy race.
There's no denying Jones has been crucial to that success. And his reasonable cap hit is going to be key to the Blue Jackets' ability to contend past this season as well.
With talented prospects like Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson due for extensions this summer, and Columbus already paying a pretty penny to its starting netminder and top forwards, the club will need every spare dollar it can find.
Jones is doing his part - with his 39 points, he's outscored 27 of the 34 defensemen earning salaries bigger than his this season.
The NCAA has revealed its men's hockey championship bracket for 2017 with Denver, Harvard, Minnesota, and Minnesota-Duluth tabbed as No. 1 seeds in their regions.
Denver officially enters as the No.1 overall seed.
Here's the path to the Frozen Four in Chicago.
East Region
Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
1. Harvard (24-5-2) 4. Providence (22-11-5)
Date: March 24, 4:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
3. Air Force (24-9-5) 2. Western Michigan (22-10-5)
Date: March 24, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Northeast Region
SNHU Arena, Manchester, New Hampshire
1. Minnesota (23-10-3) 4. Notre Dame (21-10-5)
Date: March 25, 3:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
3. Cornell (20-7-5) 2. UMass Lowell (24-10-3)
Date: March 25, 12:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Midwest Region
U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio
1. Denver (28-6-4) 4. Michigan Tech (23-14-7)
Date: March 25, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
3. Penn State (21-11-2) 2. Union (25-8-3)
Date: March 25, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
West Region
Scheels Arena, Fargo, North Dakota
1. Minnesota-Duluth (23-6-7) 4. Ohio State (20-10-6)
Date: March 24, 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
3. North Dakota (20-14-3) 2. Boston University (23-10-3)
Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.
Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Sunday's slate of games beginning at 7 p.m. and later (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockeyand apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
LW Artemi Panarin (60K) & RW Patrick Kane (94K), Blackhawks (vs. Avalanche): Panarin and Kane combine to be an expensive duo, but with Nick Schmaltz centering the two at 25K, it balances it out. Panarin and Kane have Sedin-like chemistry and will be a handful for Colorado, which allows the second-most goals against per game.
C Claude Giroux (65K) & RW Wayne Simmonds (63K), Flyers (vs. Hurricanes): The Flyers will catch the Hurricanes on the second game of a back-to-back. As a team, the Canes have the fifth-worst SV% in the NHL and Philly generates the seventh-most shots. Furthermore, Carolina is just 9-17-8 on the road this season.
C Jordan Staal (45K) & RW Sebastian Aho (48K), Hurricanes (at Flyers): If you feel like going with a more balanced lineup rather than one filled with studs and duds, roster Staal and Aho. Staal has seven points in his last six games while Aho is looking for a goal in three straight contests. Philly's goaltending has been awful all season long.
Bargain Plays
G Jonathan Quick (75K), Kings (at Flames): Even though the Flames are the NHL's hottest team, a former Vezina Trophy winner at the minimum price is simply highway robbery. Quick recorded a shutout in his last game to improve his SV% to .928 and his GAA to 2.02 in eight starts this season.
C Nick Schmaltz (25K), Blackhawks (vs. Avalanche): As mentioned, Schmaltz is now centering Panarin and Kane with Artem Anisimov sidelined. He only has 20 points on the year, but he provides outstanding value at 25K centering two of the league's most dangerous players.
RW Dustin Brown (35K), Kings (at Flames): Brown has picked up three points in his many games, but offensive contributions are only a bonus for the veteran winger. He has 177 hits on the year to go along with 147 shots, providing a stable floor in Squad Up's scoring system. In what projects to be a tough, physical game, look for Brown to step up.
Top Fades
C Anze Kopitar (62K), Kings (at Flames): Kopitar has picked up his play lately, registering five points in his last four games. Yet, it still doesn't make sense to roster him when teammate Jeff Carter is slightly cheaper. Carter not only has a higher ceiling thanks to his multi-goal potential, but he also takes more shots, giving him a higher floor.
RW Marian Hossa (49K), Blackhawks (vs. Avalanche): Hossa (lower body) didn't play in Chicago's tilt against the Maple Leafs on Saturday. He is currently listed as questionable, but it wouldn't make much sense for the Hawks to rush the 38-year-old back into action in a game they'll probably win anyway.
G Jeremy Smith (92K), Avalanche (at Blackhawks): Are you really going to fork up 92K for this 27-year-old journeyman goaltender playing for a historically bad team against a perennial cup contender? I didn't think so.
Contrarian Options
RW Jakub Voracek (71K), Flyers (vs. Hurricanes): Voracek will have low ownership since fellow RW Wayne Simmonds is cheaper and plays on a line with Claude Giroux. In spite of this, Voracek's high-volume shooting could result in a multi-goal game against the tired Hurricanes.
D Shayne Gostisbehere (49K), Flyers (vs. Hurricanes): Gostisbehere is more expensive than future Hall of Fame defensemen Shea Weber, Duncan Keith and Drew Doughty, so he will surely be faded. He has had an up and down season to say the least, but he has reeled off four points in his last five games. With all signs pointing towards a strong finish, spend up for him in this matchup.
C Kyle Turris (44K), Senators (at Canadiens): Playing with uninspiring linemates at 5v5 plummets his fantasy appeal, but 44K for a player as gifted as Turris presents great value. He had a power-play assist and five shots in 20:39 in Saturday's shootout loss versus Montreal. He will likely play a big part in the second leg of a home-and-home, but this time Carey Price will probably be watching from the bench.
The Ottawa Senators lost a nail-biter on Saturday night, their 4-3 shootout loss leaving the Montreal Canadiens two points up in the clubs' battle for the Atlantic Division title.
Though the match featured its fair share of drama, and a full 65 minutes plus a shootout to decide, Senators head coach Guy Boucher wasn't impressed.
It's not that it wasn't an intriguing one, but the theatrics were far from the level Ottawa will see once the regular season concludes.
"Playoffs - I know what it is," Boucher said after the loss, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "I've lived it to the seventh game of the conference finals. It's something different than this."
Boucher would know, as the 2011 conference finals run he referenced - which came during his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning - was about as tumultuous as they come.
First up was a seven-game battle with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who at the time were just one season removed from a Stanley Cup. An absurdly close 1-0 win - on the road, no less - decided the series in the final tilt.
That gave Boucher's club Alex Ovechkin and the then-top-seeded Washington Capitals, who Tampa Bay rolled over and swept in four quick decisions.
Then, finally, another seven-game grind, this time against the Boston Bruins - the eventual champs. Another 1-0 contest decided the series, again on the road, though this time it was the Lightning's opponent that claimed the series-clinching victory.
Needless to say, the Senators' division-title battles don't quite compare.
"Everybody’s getting excited for first place (in the division), and I keep saying it's not a positive thing," Boucher said. "It's a match where we're trying to play our best so we shouldn't be changing our focus. Focusing on the division doesn’t help us.
"We want to make the playoffs, no matter who we're playing."
As the Edmonton Oilers approach the final leg of their resurgent 2016-17 campaign, netminder Cam Talbot continues to cement his place among the best to ever suit up in the team's crease.
The 29-year-old's second season as a full-fledged starter has gone exceptionally well, as Talbot is the only Oiler who could make a case for having played a bigger role in the Oilers' ascent than young captain Connor McDavid.
With just 120 games in Edmonton colors under his belt, Talbot is already tied for the third-most shutouts in Oilers goaltending history, his nine clean sheets tying him with Grant Fuhr in this regard.
The former New York Rangers backup's 36 wins this season are also tied for the second-most ever posted by an Oilers goaltender in one campaign, with Tommy Salo the last to reach that mark, back in 2000-01.
Talbot's ranking among this season's crop of netminders is no less impressive. He sits second in wins, tied for sixth in save percentage (.921), ninth in goals-against average (2.35), and is tied for the third-most shutouts in the league with six this season.
That top-10 positioning easily confirms Talbot as the No.1 option Edmonton was long searching for. But it also bolsters his case as one of the best bargains in the game, at any position.
Talbot's performance may have launched him into the upper echelon of professional goaltenders, but his paycheque has yet to catch up. He carries a cap hit of just $4.17 million per season, with 22 other NHL netminders earning more than him annually.
Looking at the rest of the field, it's clear Edmonton is getting plenty of bang for its buck in net - a crucially important point, as the club is going to have to spend heartily over the next two summers with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl set to outlast their entry-level contracts.
Talbot's former partner in net, Henrik Lundqvist, leads the pack in terms of goaltender pay, doubling his former backup with an $8.5-million cap hit. Three other 'tenders hold annual cap hits over $7 million, while five top the $6-million mark and nine sit above $5 million.
And yet, only a handful from that group have better numbers than Talbot heading into the home stretch of 2016-17.
Edmonton has two more years of Talbot punching in at only $4.17 million per season, and considering his performance thus far and his current trajectory, it's fair to assume that bargain-bin value will only continue to climb.
