Bruce Boudreau's on a five-game regulation losing streak for the first time in his coaching career, and his postgame scrum Sunday perfectly summed up how he was feeling.

The Minnesota Wild erased a 4-0 deficit, scoring four in the second period to tie the game, but eventually fell 5-4. Boudreau wanted nothing of a question about his club's "resiliency" in almost pulling off a miracle comeback:

"That's all, I'm done."

And another career first for Boudreau:

Minnesota's 2-8 in March. Better now than in April, right?

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hips don't lie.

In Claude Giroux's case, an inability to bounce back quickly from offseason hip surgery has taken a toll at times this season, the Philadelphia Flyers captain admitted prior to Sunday's game against the Hurricanes.

"When you try to make plays you used to make and can't really make them, it is frustrating and confusing," Giroux said, according to Marc Narducci of Philly.com. "When you start getting the confidence back, you know you can make those plays you just go out there and make it happen."

Giroux added, "Even if you don't feel good out there, you have to find the right way to be strong mentally."

Giroux's numbers are indeed down - his 14 goals and 37 assists through 70 games have him on pace for production levels unseen since early in his career.

The good news is that he's been able to play every game for the Flyers this season, and a healthy summer with regular workouts will be key to the team's chances of bouncing back with a more successful 2017-18.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid and Cam Talbot have the Edmonton Oilers on the cusp of the playoffs.

And while the world is now well aware of the absurd talent McDavid possesses, as the 20-year-old eyes his first of many Art Ross and Hart trophies, it can be argued that Talbot's been as crucial to the Oilers' success as No. 97.

Related: Talbot continues climb among Oilers' all-time netminding greats

By now, you know the facts: No goalie has played more games, faced more shots, and made more saves than Talbot. And you can forget about fatigue - Talbot's save percentage is an exceptional .929 in March.

Talbot's not worried about the workload. It's the culmination of his hard work, his journey to becoming a No. 1, and of the habits he picked up along the way.

"I've always had a pretty good work ethic and I got to sit behind one of the best in the world and watch his work ethic for two years," Talbot told NHL.com's Tim Campbell, reflecting on his two seasons as Henrik Lundqvist's backup with the New York Rangers.

After providing excellent relief in 34 starts in 2015-16 when Lundqvist was hurt, Talbot got his chance. He was traded to the Oilers for three draft picks in late June 2015, and, in his late 20s, he knew it was now or never. When the time came, he planned to be ready. And he was. He is.

Now, with a top-10 save percentage in the league, Talbot is willing to look back, albeit briefly.

"I did a good job preparing myself," he said.

Talbot signed a three-year extension last January, and he certainly hasn't let the security of $12.5 million affect how hard he works, or his game.

"You can never be too sure," he said. "You want to be confident in yourself. But I still had something to prove to myself, and to this organization when they traded for me. I think I've done a pretty good job of that."

If you disagree, you're wrong. Simple as that.

Talbot has never started a playoff game. That'll change this spring. In two limited postseason relief appearances in 2014, the 29-year-old stopped 11 of 13 shots. Here's another safe bet: That .846 save percentage is going up.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Eric Staal became the first player from the 2003 NHL Draft class to appear in his 1,000th career game Sunday in Winnipeg.

The milestone wasn't lost on him, despite the fact his Minnesota Wild dropped a fifth straight game, this time to a Jets club far down in the standings.

Staal is also the highest-scoring player selected in 2003, with the vast majority of his career spent with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Staal has been a big part of the Wild's success this season, setting aside the recent skid. His resurgence suggests there's plenty left in the tank to add to his totals.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

March hasn't been too kind to the Minnesota Wild ... or their head coach.

The former Central Division leaders traveled north for a date with the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, falling 5-4 to bring their record to 2-8 this month.

It was also Minnesota's fifth consecutive defeat in regulation - the first time a team under the command of Boudreau has ever done so, per Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.

The Wild put forth a valiant effort against the Jets, heavily controlling the shot counter (48-21), and erasing a 4-0 deficit to tie the game with four goals in a span of just over 10 minutes in the second period. But it wasn't enough.

The loss also kept the gap between Minnesota and the Central-leading Chicago Blackhawks at five points, a stunning development after the Wild were nine points clear of their division rivals a month ago.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames signed goaltender Tyler Parsons to a three-year, entry-level contract, the club announced Sunday.

A second-round draft pick last year, Parsons starred for the U.S. at this year's world juniors, as the Americans won gold over Canada in a shootout. Parsons was perfect in the skills competition with the championship on the line, stopping all five Canadian shooters he faced.

The 19-year-old certainly has a winning pedigree, as his resume includes a Memorial Cup championship - won in overtime - with London last year. He's apparently clutch, too.

Parsons has also produced an excellent 2016-17 season in the OHL, with a .925 save percentage in 34 games. He's gotten better in each of his three junior campaigns:

From Chesterfield, Mich., Parsons is 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, and - the Flames hope - the goalie of the future in Calgary.

Also on Sunday, the Flames announced the signing of forward Ryan Lomberg to a two-year, two-way contract beginning next season. Lomberg's spent this season in the AHL, and has eight goals and 11 assists in 57 games.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dustin Byfuglien got the better of one of the NHL's top goalies in fine fashion.

The Winnipeg Jets defenseman joined the rush and fired a wicked backhand from the faceoff circle that found its way over Devan Dubnyk's left shoulder during Sunday's game against Minnesota.

Blake Wheeler drew the assist on the play, marking his 500th career point.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Micheal Ferland's breakout season has hit a speed bump.

The Calgary Flames left winger will miss Sunday's game against Los Angeles while under observation for mumps, the team announced.

Several players around the league have been diagnosed with mumps in recent weeks, most notably in Vancouver and Minnesota.

Ferland's recorded 14 goals and seven assists in 67 games this season, and will be replaced in the lineup by Curtis Lazar, who'll make his debut with the Flames.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Before maturing into one of the NHL's finest producers, Brad Marchand's name was in headlines among the hockey community generally for the wrong reasons.

Now in the midst of his best professional campaign, the Boston Bruins super pest-turned-offensive dynamo has caught the attention of the NHL world for crafting a flat-out incredible season.

On Sunday afternoon, Marchand sits in second place in the ever-changing NHL scoring race, one point behind Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. His 37 goals trail only Crosby, and since the calendar flipped to 2017, no player has been more productive.

In 32 games since Jan. 1, Marchand leads the league with 27 goals and 48 points, naturally thrusting his name into the mix for the "Rocket" Richard, Art Ross and perhaps even the Hart Trophy.

However, an MVP award isn't on Marchand's mind.

"I'm not even paying attention to any of it," Marchand told CSNNE's Joe Haggerty. "We're at the end of the season, and that's so important. That's the only thing that matters right now."

Marchand and the Bruins are looking to snap a two-year absence from the postseason, and currently hold a three-point cushion for third place in the Atlantic Division heading into Monday's pivotal clash with the pressing Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto coach Mike Babcock, who slotted Marchand alongside Crosby and Patrice Bergeron at the World Cup in September to galvanize No. 63's coming-out party, believes Marchand deserves to be recognized as one of the game's top forwards.

"No one's driving his team harder," Babcock told Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "Marchy's a great guy and he's a real good player, plays hard. He's competitive. He's all-in every day and he does a good job for his team."

Marchand might be in tough to outshine Crosby and McDavid in the eyes of voters, but he can no longer be ignored. Whatever he amounts to over the course of Boston's next 11 games, his presence among the NHL's elite forwards is now firmly cemented.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Over the final three weeks of the season, the race to watch is atop the Metropolitan Division standings.

What happened Sunday?

With a win over New Jersey, the Columbus Blue Jackets earned their 100th point of the season, and not only matched the Washington Capitals for first in the Metro and the NHL as a whole, but also became the second team to clinch a playoff spot.

Not to be outdone, the Pittsburgh Penguins benefited from a natural hat trick by Sidney Crosby to beat Florida, climbing within one point of both Washington and Columbus.

All three teams, therefore, are in the running for first in the Metro, as well as the Presidents' Trophy as the league's best team in the regular season (the Blackhawks, with 97 points, are the next-best club).

Finishing first in the Metro, however, matters on a much deeper level.

What's at stake?

Based on the NHL's current playoff format, the team that finishes first in the Eastern Conference - which, at this point, will definitely come from the Metro - would be matched up with the second wild-card team in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Meanwhile, the second- and third-place teams in the Metro - and quite possibly the NHL - would meet, with the loser facing the harsh reality of getting bounced in the first round despite one of the league's best regular-season records.

As of Sunday ev, here's a look at the relevant matchups:

• Washington (46-17-8, 100 points) vs. Toronto (32-23-15, 79 points)
• Columbus (47-18-6, 100 points) vs. Pittsburgh (45-17-9, 99 points)

With all due respect to the Maple Leafs and what they've achieved this season, that's a steep drop in quality of opponent for the first-place team.

Washington, Columbus, and Pittsburgh all have 11 games remaining on the schedule. Don't expect any of them to coast into the playoffs when a point or two could mean the difference between a long playoff run with home-ice advantage and an early postseason exit.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.