Los Angeles Kings winger Ilya Kovalchuk isn't pleased with how head coach Willie Desjardins is using him lately.

Kovalchuk was a healthy scratch for the second time in three games on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, with Desjardins opting to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

The veteran sniper doesn't support that idea, and he didn't enjoy sitting in the press box.

"It's horrible," Kovalchuk said, according to The Athletic's Lisa Dillman. "That's the worst. But he (Desjardins) didn't play young guys. He plays 7 D. That's his new strategy.

"What you can do? That's his decision and he's the head coach - 10 more games. What else we can do. Just practice hard and show the young kids that thing can happen to anybody. You just have to keep going."

Kovalchuk returned to North America last summer on a three-year $18.75 million contract with the Kings after a five-season stint in the KHL. He was brought in to help bolster Los Angeles' offense, but the season hasn't gone according to plan.

The Kings started the season 4-8-1 and fired John Stevens before naming Desjardins interim head coach. Under Desjardins, the club is 22-31-7 and sits last in the Western Conference with 60 points.

"After Willie came here, I don’t have a chance. I play five, six minutes a game," Kovalchuk said.

"A few games I play with Kopi (captain Anze Koptiar)," Kovalchuk said. "We did well. We score all five games and then he (Desjardins) decide to change and I never play again, much. That’s the way he sees the situation."

Kovalchuk has appeared in 60 of the Kings' 73 games in 2018-19, registering 14 goals and 17 assists. Despite recent difficulties, the 35-year-old doesn't appear to regret choosing to play in the Golden State.

"That's what is good about California," he said. "Every day, almost every day, the sun's up. It's easier to go through those kind of stretches in your career. When you're in some city when it's raining, snowing every second day, then it's pretty tough."

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Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde has been suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of Carolina Hurricanes pivot Jordan Staal, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Friday.

Here's the play:

The hit occurred in the first period of Thursday's matchup - a 6-3 victory for Tampa Bay. Gourde was assessed a 10-minute match penalty and was ejected from the game, while Staal briefly exited the contest before returning to score a goal in the middle frame.

Gourde is eligible to return to the Bolts' lineup March 30 versus the Washington Capitals. In 75 games this season, the 27-year-old has notched 20 goals and 24 assists.

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With rumors and speculation running rampant among the masses, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock decided to clear the air Friday on his relationship with general manager Kyle Dubas.

The spotlight on their partnership grew intense following the club's 3-0 loss in Nashville on Tuesday, after which Babcock said other teams around the NHL have done a better job playing through injuries than the Leafs. Some took the comment as a shot at Dubas, but Toronto's veteran coach insisted he meant no harm.

"We've talked about this since this happened," Babcock said Friday, according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "How would I say it? If any of my comments in any way - because then I read the article and I don't read it that way, at all - but if any of my comments in any way hurt anyone, it (wasn't intended)."

Babcock is in his fourth season as the Leafs' coach, but Dubas is in his rookie season as Toronto's GM, which Babcock believes is a factor in the duo's growing relationship.

"(Dubas) and my relationship isn't as good as it will be four years from now," Babcock said. "Mine with (Detroit Red Wings GM) Ken Holland wasn't as good in my first (season) as in my 10th or Bryan Murray in my first (with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) as in my third. It takes a while to build."

Toronto currently sits sixth in the NHL with 93 points and is all but locked into a playoff spot for the third consecutive season with Babcock at the helm.

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Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly NHL podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's National Hockey Writer.

Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.

In this episode, John's joined by Jonathan Willis of The Athletic to bounce around the league as the regular season winds down. Topics include:

• Which team(s) should scare the juggernaut Lightning?
• Load management, bad PR, and the Edmonton Oilers
• Mark Stone and other smart trade deadline deals
• Surprises, insights from the recent NHLPA Player Poll

... and more!

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Although Edmonton Oilers CEO Bob Nicholson apologized for publicly criticizing Tobias Rieder's play this season, the Oilers forward sounded off on the incident Friday.

"You kind of can't believe it. I feel like it's disappointing and I'm offended by it," Rieder said, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug. "I'm the first one to admit I haven't had a good year."

Nicholson went off on a tirade at a breakfast for season-ticket holders Thursday, directly blaming Rieder's individual lack of production for the team's precarious playoff position.

The German forward was surprised to hear such critical commentary from the front office with the team sitting five points out of a playoff position with eight games remaining.

"It went a little too far and Bob knows that ... I thought the timing was a bit weird, we're still fighting for the playoffs. I'm still going to do my best," Rieder added.

Rieder's agent, Darren Ferris, also voiced his displeasure regarding the comments, calling Nicholson's remarks "unacceptable." As for Rieder's teammates, the 26-year-old says everyone's on the same page regarding the issue.

"We talked before the game and they don't think it was right either ... it's good to know they have my back," Rieder said, according to Rishaug. The NHLer added that he accepts Nicholson's apology.

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Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby will not be in attendance Monday when his teammates visit the White House as Stanley Cup champions.

"I've got to stay true to my values, and I'm going respectfully decline the offer," Holtby said Friday, according to The Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan.

"In saying that, it's a tough situation for everyone to be in, to be forced to make a decision of that standing," he added. "You're a team and you want to stick together no matter what, so I hope everyone kind of blows it away and that we don't worry about who goes and who doesn't."

Capitals forward Brett Connolly already declined the invitation, citing his support for Devante Smith-Pelly. Smith-Pelly, who played a crucial role in Washington's championship run but is currently with the AHL's Hershey Bears, has previously spoken out against President Donald Trump and will also skip the visit.

“For me, it's just a personal thing," Holtby said. "I believe in what I believe in, and in order to stick to those values, I think I have to do what I feel is right. But that doesn't make a difference (in) everyone else's decision.

"We stick by every single teammate we have and their decision. That's about it."

Holtby is an active supporter of the LGBTQ community. He's marched in D.C.'s Pride Parade and was the Capitals' "You Can Play" ambassador for the past two seasons. That involvement factored into his decision.

"My family and myself, we believe in a world where humans are treated with respect regardless of your stature, what you're born into," the 29-year-old said. "You're asked to choose what side you're on, and I think it's pretty clear what side I'm on. I believe that this is the right decision for myself and my family."

The Capitals announced there would be no official ceremony or media availability during their visit. They will receive a tour of the White House and meet President Trump in the Oval Office, reports Khurshudyan.

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The truck driver who caused the deadly crash with the Humboldt Broncos' bus was sentenced to eight years in prison Friday, according to Bre McAdam of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu of Calgary, Alberta, pleaded guilty earlier this year to 29 counts of dangerous driving.

Judge Inez Cardinal said Sidhu's remorse and guilty plea were mitigating factors, but she had to consider the number of people who were killed or seriously injured as a result of the crash.

In April 2018, Sidhu drove through a stop sign at a rural Saskatchewan intersection and collided with the junior hockey team's bus. Sixteen people were killed and 13 were injured.

The judge noted that Sidhu will be deported after serving his sentence because he's a permanent resident and not a Canadian citizen.

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Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde will have a hearing Friday for an illegal check to the head of Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced.

Here's a look at the play, which took place in the first period of Thursday's contest:

Gourde was handed a 10-minute match penalty and a game misconduct for the hit. The 27-year-old has never faced supplemental discipline from the league.

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Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk joined CFRA's Bill Carroll for a radio interview on Friday morning and voiced strong opinions on a number of topics, including the Toronto Maple Leafs' rebuild, his own team's trades, and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.

While discussing the challenges of building and maintaining a championship contender in the salary cap era, Melnyk was quick to take a jab at how the Leafs have allocated their salaries.

"They're going to have a tough time winning the Stanley Cup without defense," Melnyk said, "because they're hitting the cap, they can't bring anybody new in so they're stuck, and that's where you have to be extremely careful. ... They collapse their team, say we gotta do a rebuild, but you know, mistakes were made and somebody forgot about defense."

When talking about his own rebuild with the Senators, Melnyk insisted he needed to trade away Ottawa's budding stars to accommodate the younger talents of the future.

"A lot of people were really upset about us trading away the three in the end, (Matt) Duchene and (Mark) Stone and (Ryan) Dzingel, and if you think about it, they're all looking for a seven- or eight-year contract at the age of 27," Melnyk said.

"Five or six years from now, they're all going to be in their almost mid-30s and you're going to have all these kids coming up."

In a later discussion regarding the contentious RendezVous LeBreton proposal to build a new downtown arena west of Parliament Hill, Melnyk openly ridiculed Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson after Carroll noted how critical Watson has been of Melnyk throughout the process.

"He is so lucky that I keep my mouth shut, he should keep his," Melnyk said of Watson. "I have a lot to say but I don't say it, but you know what, I'd be very careful I was him and walking around mouthing off. With him opening up like that, you know all he does is the NHL offices, they look at it and say, 'Hey do we really want to bring more events to this city?'"

Melnyk concluded the radio hit by calling out the Ottawa media, specifically stating that one particular reporter was "bush league" for asking general manager Pierre Dorion to listen to a taped call of an upset Senators fan.

TSN's Ian Mendes immediately took to social media, tweeting, "So, Eugene Melnyk just called me 'bush league' on the air. So there's that." Soon after, Mendes' colleagues began speaking out in his defense.

The Friday radio hit came just one day after Melnyk joined Sportsnet 590 The Fan and stated that the Senators need to identify their "real fans."

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