Jarome Iginla wants out.

In an interview with Puck Daddy before the Colorado Avalanche were shut out by the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, Iginla confirmed that he hopes to be dealt to a postseason contender before the March 1 trade deadline.

"I would like to, at the deadline, go somewhere," Iginla, 39, said. "I would like to be in the playoffs. I would hope that there is some opportunity to go and play in the playoffs.

"Those are the best games, the most fun for sure, and you have a chance to win. So no, I haven't given up on that chance to win."

Iginla has briefly functioned as a rental commodity, pursuing the championship that has eluded him since his rookie season in 1996-97 with two short stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins in 2013 and 2014 following his 16 seasons with the Calgary Flames.

He chose stability over the chase in the summer of 2014, signing a three-year, $16-million contract with the Avalanche, a deal set to expire this summer.

Iginla said he hasn't approached management with a formal request to be dealt, but suggested that it's implied based on his age, contract status, and the direction of the last-place Avs.

"I have enjoyed it (in Colorado) and there are lots of great young guys here, and I think it's going to be a promising future. But yeah, my window is not the same as the other guys for sure."

The Avalanche are one of a few obvious sellers with the deadline now less than a month away. The club will likely have to retain a considerable portion of Iginla's $5.33-million salary to facilitate a deal.

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Finally rocked.

Devan Dubnyk was beaten five times for the first time this season Wednesday night in Calgary, as the Flames jumped on the Minnesota Wild on the second night of a back-to-back, defeating the Western Conference leader 5-1.

The Vezina Trophy front runner, who rode a 20-2-2 stretch coming in, allowed two or fewer goals in 27 of his 38 starts entering the contest. Before the loss, he had more shutouts (five) than starts where he allowed more than three goals.

But despite the positive results, Dubnyk's game-to-game trajectory suggests this was a long time coming. Five weeks to be exact.

Each of his five starts where he's allowed at least four goals this season have come since the holiday break, and during a 13-game run where he's stopped the puck at a pedestrian .903 rate.

He entered the holiday freeze with a spectacular .948 save percentage.

With Braden Holtby riding an upward trend, sporting better than a .935 save rate over the previous two months, and Sergei Bobrovsky's numbers remaining comparably solid, we might have a Vezina race after all.

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Progress lost in the standings seems trivial right now for the Boston Bruins.

Tuukka Rask and Patrice Bergeron hobbled off the ice Wednesday, injured in the club's 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals.

Appearing to hurt himself while over-extending to make a save, Rask told Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe he "popped his groin."

Most of the concern, however, was focused on the captain. Bergeron was able to return briefly after blocking a slap shot from Matt Niskanen with the inside of his knee early in the third, but was unable to finish the game. He walked with a "heavy limp" afterward, according to Shinzawa, and was not made available to speak with the media.

Claude Julien didn't offer an update on Bergeron, telling reporters it's "hopefully better than worse," reports AP's Stephen Whyno.

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Alex Ovechkin is at a fun stage in his career. It seems every goal carries with it some historical significance.

The generational sniper scored a go-ahead power-play marker in Washington's 5-3 win Wednesday over the Boston Bruins, and in the process eclipsed two Top 100 brethren.

Ovechkin's goal was the 550th of his career, which moved him passed Ron Francis for 27th all time. And because it came from his common home on the power play, he exceeded Wayne Gretzky on the all-time goals list when on the man advantage.

His 205th career power-play goal moved him into a tie with Joe Sakic for 14th all time, and 69 back of the NHL record held by Dave Andreychuk.

If he reaches the 40-goal plateau this year (he's at 25 through 50 games), he will exceed John Bucyk, Guy Lafleur, Mike Modano, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Mats Sundin, and improve to 22nd in NHL history.

He's 251 goals behind Gordie Howe for second all time, and 344 behind Gretzky's record of 894 goals.

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On the receiving end of a perfect set up on an exact zone entry, former Boston Bruins forward Brett Connolly burned his old club with a neat finish to restore a two-goal lead for the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.

Connolly's added a little scoring pop to the bottom six in his first season with the Capitals. He's up to nine goals, or three shy of his career-best total, in just 39 games.

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Brad Marchand's immense talent is outshining all that other stuff.

With all eyes intently watching him after two dangerous tripping incidents over the space of three games, the Boston Bruins controversial star erased a two-goal deficit by himself Wednesday night versus the Washington Capitals with his third multi-goal performance in the last four games.

Marchand's first goal was spectacular. He accepted a pass from Patrice Bergeron while darting through the slot, and, against his momentum, tucked a perfect snap wrist shot under the crossbar.

Marchand scored his second, and his 23rd of the season, on the other side of the first intermission, tapping in the finish as the Bruins dissected Washington's penalty kill.

He now has 13 goals in his last 13 games.

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Nicklas Backstrom has a reputation for a reason.

The Washington Capitals' world-class distributor threaded a microcosmic saucer pass through two defenders onto the stick of T.J. Oshie for an uncontested icebreaker in Wednesday's clash with the Boston Bruins.

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When Chicago Blackhawks backup Scott Darling pulls on his new slimmer-fit goalie pants before his next start, he will be doing so "begrudgingly," he told Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune.

He made his distaste for the NHL's new in-season mandate known prior to it coming into effect this weekend.

"I think it's a waste of time and money. But whatever the league feels they need to do."

An annoyance, sure. But when he continued on the topic, he hinted to the changes perhaps having the NHL's desired effect.

Stopping the puck is suddenly less simple.

"You just have to get used to it and squeeze a little bit harder when you go down," Darling said.

He explained that the tailored pants come in upwards of 10 different sizes, as opposed to the traditional small, medium, and large.

Darling's partner Corey Crawford, who wore the pants at the All-Star Game and a recent loss to the Washington Capitals, expressed concern about the inner part of the thigh having no padding.

"Hopefully we can do something where we're completely covered and not exposed," he said.

All NHL goaltenders will either slip, or fight their way into the new contoured pants beginning Saturday.

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Ken Hitchcock's career is not over, as far as Mike Babcock is concerned.

Related: Emotional Armstrong laments firing 'best friend' Hitchcock

The St. Louis Blues relieved Hitchcock of his duties on Wednesday, but the Toronto Maple Leafs bench boss doesn't think Hitchcock's career is over yet.

"I don't believe he's going away to retire, I just don't believe that," Babcock said, according to TSN's Mark Masters. "Someone will be happy to have him."

The Maple Leafs will take on the Blues in the club's first game with Mike Yeo as its head coach on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, a certain expansion franchise remains without a head coach.

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