The kid can snipe.

Calgary Flames rookie forward Matthew Tkachuk fired an absolute rocket up and over Mike Smith of the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday, and from a seemingly impossible angle to boot.

The goal was Tkachuk's fourth in 14 games this season.

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Michael Ferland has demonstrated to the hockey world what a devastating yet clean body check looks like.

The Calgary Flames forward lowered the boom on Oliver Ekman-Larsson along the boards, forcing the Arizona Coyotes defenseman to skate off the ice and down the tunnel.

A serious injury would be problematic, to say the least.

As the third period began, it became clear that a crisis had been averted.

Ekman-Larsson was averaging 25:05 a game heading into Wednesday's action, with five goals and three assists to his credit.

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It's been a good week for Rogie Vachon.

The three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Canadiens and legendary Los Angeles Kings netminder celebrated his Hockey Hall of Fame induction Monday night with a hole-in-one on the golf course 48 hours later.

Vachon waited 31 years before his call to the Hall of Fame.

You have to wonder if that's the 71-year-old's first ace.

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The defending Stanley Cup champions have been brought down a peg or two, for one night at least.

The Pittsburgh Penguins dropped a 7-1 decision to the rival Washington Capitals on Wednesday, and head coach Mike Sullivan hopes it's a teachable moment, in a manner of speaking.

The Capitals were in control of the game basically from start to finish, out attempting the Penguins by a margin of 68-46. Both of Pittsburgh's goalies saw time in this one, as Marc-Andre Fleury entered the game after Matt Murray was sequestered to the quiet room. Neither was particularly effective, but certainly could not be faulted for the overall poor effort from the team as a whole.

Before Wednesday, the Penguins' most lopsided loss of the season had come at the hands of the Nasvhille Predators on Oct. 22, a game that ended 5-1.

As a reminder, Pittsburgh lost five of their last six games to end the 2016-16 regular season - including 6-1 and 7-2 decisions - meaning this one probably won't matter much in the grand scheme of things.

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The Verizon Center crowd performed its civic duty Wednesday, filling in for Washington Capitals anthem singer Caleb Green when his mic cut out as he readied to sing the "Star Spangled Banner."

It's not uncommon for crowds to belt out anthems, but you can almost hear the patrons realize in unison they were required, each stepping in.

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Alex Ovechkin didn't want to be left out.

With his Washington Capitals already up 5-0 Wednesday on the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ovechkin dropped a fancy, yet deadly, deke on Marc-Andre Fleury to extend the lead.

The goal was Ovechkin's eighth of the season, a modest total for the six-time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner.

It also broke a mini-drought, as Ovechkin hadn't scored in the past four games.

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For most teams, it would be the death knell.

Team captain and leading goal scorer Steven Stamkos has been ruled out of the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup indefinitely, and could potentially miss a majority chunk of the season with a meniscus tear suffered in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings.

It's a massive hit for Stamkos, who will miss significant time in three of the last four seasons, his unplanned absences costing him both a spot on Canada's Olympic team and the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring.

But while Tampa Bay wouldn't have 10 wins from 17 games and a top-three spot in the Atlantic Division standing without Stamkos' start - which had him on pace to threaten his career-best point totals - this isn't a team that will wilt in his absence.

For all its top-end talent, Tampa Bay's strength is its depth. The Lightning offset injuries to Stamkos, top-pairing defender Anton Stralman, and No. 1 goaltender Ben Bishop on the path to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final last season, because the next man up doesn't present a significant drop-off in Steve Yzerman's organizational structure.

Jonathan Drouin's close to returning from injury, and like last spring when he showcased at the height of his career to date, he'll take Stamkos' spot in the Lightning front nine. Head coach Jon Cooper will have to incorporate the blender to accommodate the personnel shift, and saturate the center ice position, but the Bolts remain high skilled and fully capable of cruising to a postseason spot in their post-Stamkos configuration.

This luxury is twofold, because the process of healing a meniscus injury can involve certain strategy. Whether it's surgery or stringent physical rehabilitation, the Lightning can exercise patience, and choose the healing method best for Stamkos' long-term health and performance.

After a season of slumps, scorn, and sickness, Stamkos was off to one of his best starts, and offering value on the $68-million discounted contract he signed in the summer.

For this reason, his absence is extraordinarily disappointing. But it's one the Lightning have proven they can handle.

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Evgeni Malkin's display of aggression proved to be costly.

The Pittsburgh Penguins' star center decided to mix it up with Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner near the end of the first period Wednesday, but in the process inadvertently knocked Matt Murray's mask off his head.

To add insult to injury, Malkin's stick then spun around and caught Murray right in the face.

Murray skated off to receive medical attention, with Marc-Andre Fleury relieving him for the time being. Moments later, and with Malkin in the box, T.J. Oshie scored to give the Capitals a 3-0 first-period lead.

Murray was able to return to the bench for the second period to serve as Fleury's backup.

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The Florida Panthers and Anaheim Ducks flipped depth forwards Wednesday, with Logan Shaw heading to Orange County in exchange for Michael Sgarbossa, the clubs have confirmed.

Shaw was chosen by Florida in the third round, 76th overall in 2011. He has appeared in 53 games at the NHL level, scoring five goals and seven points.

The undrafted Sgarbossa joined the Ducks last season after entering the league with the Colorado Avalanche. He has three assists in 19 career games.

Sgarbossa will report to the Panthers' minor-league affiliate in Springfield.

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