The No. 5 seed Edmonton Oilers are slated to take on the 12th-seeded Chicago Blackhawks in what has potential to be the most electric series of the qualifying round. Neither club has made the playoffs since 2017. Edmonton is looking to prove they're a true contender in the Western Conference; Chicago barely squeaked into the playoff picture and hopes to rekindle some of the magic that led the club to three Stanley Cups from 2010-15.

Schedule

*If necessary

Tale of the tape

Season series

The Oilers and Blackhawks met three times this past season, with Chicago winning twice and holding a 10-9 advantage in goals. The two clubs have previously met four times in the playoffs, but not since 1992, when Chicago swept Edmonton to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

Key players to watch

Patrick Kane

It goes without saying Kane is the primary player the Oilers will have circled going into the series. Although he's approaching 32, Kane hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, ranking eighth in league scoring while leading the Blackhawks with 84 points in 70 games this past season.

Kane also has unparalleled playoff pedigree and has proved he's capable of taking over a series by himself on numerous occasions throughout his dominant postseason career. In 127 playoff games, Kane's notched 123 points, 11 game-winning goals, three championships, and a Conn Smythe.

Connor McDavid

If you thought Kane was an obvious choice, McDavid's status in this section is a layup. The entire hockey world will be watching him closely, eager to see what he's capable of in his return to the playoffs. If his regular season was any indicator - 97 points in 64 games - the Oilers' captain will be ready to deliver against a flawed blue line that will have their hands full.

We'd be remiss not to at least mention Leon Draisaitl in this section, as the second half of the Oilers' near-unstoppable duo led the league in scoring by a significant margin and is likely to be a Hart Trophy finalist for his efforts.

Blackhawks can win if...

They focus on discipline. The power play is where the Oilers do the majority of their damage, and giving McDavid and Draisaitl - who were No. 1 and 2 in scoring with the man advantage this season - extra opportunities is simply asking for trouble.

Oilers can win if...

They just play their game. Top to bottom, Edmonton is the better team, and have the firepower to make this a short series if they're able to quickly shake off the rust. The Oilers also have the advantage of playing at home, and even though there won't be any fans in attendance, the familiarity of playing in their usual surroundings should be a major boost.

X-factors

Corey Crawford/Malcolm Subban

With a lack of weapons up front and a subpar blue line, goaltending is the X-factor for the Blackhawks. Two-time Stanley Cup winner Corey Crawford proved he's still a capable No. 1 after posting a .917 save percentage in 40 appearances this season, but the 35-year-old hasn't been an active participant in training camp thus far.

If the starting role falls on the shoulders of Malcolm Subban, he'll have to be the Blackhawks' best player if they hope to advance. That's a tall order against one of the most potent offenses in the NHL, especially considering Subban authored a .890 save percentage in 21 appearances in 2019-20.

Kailer Yamamoto

When one offense features two of the most explosive forwards in the league, it's easy for other contributors to get lost in the shuffle. Improved depth is one of the main reasons Edmonton was able to get back to the playoffs this season, and Yamamoto put himself on the map by emerging as a key piece in the club's attack.

The 2017 first-round pick posted 26 points in 27 games after being recalled from the AHL, and developed chemistry on the second line alongside Draisaitl. With the majority of the Blackhawks' focus on Edmonton's All-Star centers, Yamamoto should be able to take advantage and find ways to produce in a depth position the Blackhawks simply can't match.

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Avangard Omsk won't take part in a preseason tournament in August after 20 people from the KHL team tested positive for the coronavirus.

The results included players and staff members tested in training camp, general manager Alexei Volkov told The Associated Press.

Volkov said those infected are isolating and most aren't showing clear symptoms.

The Sochi Hockey Open is scheduled for Aug. 4-9.

The KHL canceled the rest of its season during the playoffs in late March due to the pandemic.

In late May, the league said it plans to open the 2020-21 campaign on Sept. 2.

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The NHL's two winningest active coaches take center stage in this series as Barry Trotz's New York Islanders face off against Joel Quenneville's Florida Panthers.

Which future Hall of Fame bench boss will help his team navigate its way out of the play-in?

The case for New York

The Islanders would hold a significant coaching edge against just about any other Eastern Conference play-in opponent. The gap is reduced with Quenneville behind the Florida bench, but Trotz's impact on the Islanders has far exceeded what Quenneville's managed in his first year with the Panthers. The Islanders likely aren't a playoff team in either of the last two seasons without him.

Trotz has transformed the Isles into a defensive juggernaut, and that's a great blueprint for playing hockey deep into the summer. Scoring is an issue for this team, but there are few better remedies for a struggling offense than facing a porous defense - and the Panthers had just that this season, ranking 28th in goals against per 60 minutes.

The break came at a good time for New York, and you can bet Trotz will be on his team to make the most of the fresh start. The Islanders were bleeding before the season was suspended, losing 10 of 12 and trending toward missing the playoffs entirely. Having been granted a reset, they'll be looking to live up to their reputation as fast starters, posting a 16-3-1 record to start this season and a 29-15-4 mark to begin the last.

The case for Florida

A second chance for the Panthers could spell trouble for the rest of the Eastern Conference. Had the season not been suspended, Florida would have likely missed the postseason for a fourth successive campaign despite entering the year with lofty ambitions. A trendy underdog heading into the season, the Panthers started with just one win from their first five games and were forced to play catch-up.

But the restart will act as a blank canvas for this incredibly talented Florida team. Led by superstars Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, the Panthers are loaded up front, ranking sixth in the NHL in goals per game this season. They have an All-Star-caliber goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky and one of the league's best coaches overseeing the entire operation. They've struggled defensively but have the luxury of easing back into things against an Islanders team that struggles to generate shots and high-danger scoring opportunities.

The question remains: Which Bobrovsky will show up for this series? His poor playoff record had followed him for some time, but he exorcised those demons last season, posting a terrific .925 postseason save percentage against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins. If he plays even close to his capabilities, the Islanders' often anemic offense will struggle to find answers.

The pick

New York Islanders (-120)

This is one of the toughest series to call, but it's impossible to overlook the impact that Trotz has made on the Islanders; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and this entire roster has bought into his system. The team's ability to quickly get off the mark is a testament to his coaching, and Bobrovsky's typical early-season struggles should be a big boost for the Isles' offensive inefficiencies. The Panthers netminder has posted save percentages of .873 and .882 in October of the last two seasons, and Florida simply can't afford another slow start here if it's to have any chance in this series.

(Odds source: theScore Bet)

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.

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Former Vancouver Canucks defenseman and coach Jack McIlhargey died at age 68 after battling cancer, the team announced Monday.

McIlhargey spent time with the Canucks as a player from the 1976-77 season until 1979-1980. He played in 167 games with the club, amassing 24 points and over 400 penalty minutes.

He also logged a five-year stint with the Philadelphia Flyers and two seasons with the Hartford Whalers. McIlhargey appeared in 393 career games, totaling 47 points and 1,102 penalty minutes.

The Flyers released the following statement:

After retiring from playing, McIlhargey rejoined the Canucks in 1985 as an assistant coach, and he went on to spend the next 20 years coaching and scouting at various levels within the organization. He finished his coaching career as a Flyers assistant from 2007 to 2010.

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Carey Price knows he's going to have his hands full when the Montreal Canadiens take on the Penguins in the qualifying round, and joked about what his team will need to do to stop some of Pittsburgh's biggest stars.

"We can ask them nicely to stay at the hotel for the games," Price said on how to shut down Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the Penguins' lethal power play, per TSN. "Or we can work as a group and take their time and space away."

The Penguins' power play wasn't as good this season as it's been in years past. While it only clicked at a 19.9% rate - which was good for 16th in the league - the unit did have to deal with injuries throughout the campaign.

Over the past three years, Pittsburgh's power play ranks third in the league with a 23.8% success rate. With the team fully rested and ready to go, Montreal may have its hands full while on the penalty kill.

Price acknowledged that the Canadiens are clearly the underdogs in the series, but he still believes they have a chance to win.

"At the end of the day we're going to win and lose as a team, it's always been like that," Price said. "I can sway the odds obviously with outstanding play but at the end of the day we're all going to need to play over our heads to win."

The Canadiens will take on the Penguins in the best-of-five qualifying play-in round on Aug. 1. Montreal finished the season with the 24th-best record in the league while the Penguins finished seventh.

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New York Rangers forward Brendan Lemieux has been suspended for two games of the upcoming play-in round for a late hit on Colorado Avalanche winger Joonas Donskoi on March 11, the league announced Monday.

The Department of Player Safety already held a hearing with Lemieux on March 13, but a verdict was never announced due to the uncertainty regarding the league returning to play.

While Lemieux will miss the first two games of New York's qualifying-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, he'll be eligible to participate in the Rangers' exhibition contest on July 29.

The 24-year-old has been suspended once before in his career.

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Max Domi took the ice with his teammates Monday for the first time since training camp began last week.

"He's on board. Obviously he's back," Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien told reporters, including Sportsnet's Eric Engels, after practice. "But we know that, in his case, if there's ever anything that happens that would put him at risk, he could leave."

The Canadiens announced on July 12 that Domi, who has Type 1 diabetes, would have 7-to-10 days to decide whether to take part in the third phase of the NHL's return-to-play plan. Training camps opened across the league one day later.

Montreal said at the time that Domi and the club had "agreed to take this responsible approach and to take this time to evaluate the ongoing situation in order to make the best decision for Max's health at the end of this period."

Domi was the Canadiens' third-ranked scorer this season, notching 17 goals and 44 points in 71 games. The 25-year-old posted the fourth-highest average ice time among Montreal forwards at 17:06.

The Canadiens are scheduled to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in an exhibition contest on July 28 before beginning their play-in series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Aug. 1.

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A popular Cinderella pick to make waves in the postseason, the New York Rangers face perhaps the toughest test of the qualifying round against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Can the Rangers flourish in the underdog role, or will the Hurricanes rain on New York's playoff chances?

The case for Carolina

The Hurricanes arguably have the NHL's best defensive core thanks to an embarrassment of riches on the back end. Brady Skjei and Sami Vatanen were acquired at the deadline, Dougie Hamilton has recovered from his injury, and Brett Pesce is targeting a mid-August return. Add Jaccob Slavin, Joel Edmundson, Jake Gardiner, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Haydn Fleury to the mix, and the Canes will have to scratch a pair of defensemen that would be top-six locks on most other teams. That's a good recipe to quell a Rangers offense that ranked fifth in the NHL in goals scored this season.

Coaching is also a real strength for Carolina. Rod Brind'Amour developed a successful game plan to stifle a high-powered Washington Capitals offense in the team's first-round upset last season, and with an improved roster, you have to feel confident he can do so again versus New York.

Offensively, there's every reason to believe the Hurricanes can keep up with the Rangers. Carolina - led by dynamic youngsters Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, and Andrei Svechnikov - has both the star power and the forward depth to provide plenty of support for its loaded blue line. And while New York scored a bunch of goals this season, the team allowed a ton as well, becoming one of just nine clubs to concede more than 220 tallies.

The case for New York

Those who firmly believe that good goaltending leads to playoff success will be strong advocates of the Rangers in this series. New York's depth in goal is equal to Carolina's on the back end, as either Alexander Georgiev, Igor Shesterkin, or Henrik Lundqvist could get the nod between the pipes. All three inspire more confidence than the Hurricanes' Petr Mrazek or James Reimer, who combined for a miserable .836 save percentage against the Rangers this season.

New York will take solace from its 4-0 record against Carolina this season, as well as the fact that its superstar forwards feasted on the Hurricanes' shaky goaltending. Artemi Panarin, the Eastern Conference's leading scorer, had three goals and six assists in four games against Carolina this season, while Mika Zibanejad recorded four goals and three assists in three games.

Panarin is the best player in this series, and his burden is lightened by a dynamic second line of Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Pavel Buchnevich. That offensive firepower, combined with the Rangers' significant edge in net, makes them incredibly attractive at the current price.

The pick

Carolina Hurricanes (-135)

Mrazek and Reimer have both had up-and-down seasons, but goaltending can be streaky. Mrazek came through for the Canes last postseason, and with the quality of the team in front of him, he'll have all the support he needs to catch fire and help Carolina make a deep run. The Rangers' lack of a clear starter in net could prevent any of their goalies from getting into a groove, and in order to pull off the upset against a loaded Hurricanes roster, New York's margin for error is razor-thin.

(Odds source: theScore Bet)

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.

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