Carey Price has no time for people who steal souvenir pucks from children.
Following the Montreal Canadiens' 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night, Price was tossing pucks over the glass to some lucky kids when a young man snatched one of them out of the air. He began to celebrate, but then noticed Price staring him down and made the wise decision to hand over the biscuit.
For the first time in 25 seasons, the Red Wings won't partake in the playoffs, ending the third-longest run in league history. Tuesday's loss to the Carolina Hurricanes was the final nail in the coffin for a campaign long awaiting the inevitable.
Entering the season, general manager Ken Holland, the tenured architect of the Red Wings who has guided the team to four Stanley Cups, admitted his club was probably not a contender, but that a traditional teardown wasn't in the cards.
Rather, the Red Wings opted to rebuild on the fly, integrating young players like Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou around a strong supporting cast.
But the results weren't there this season, with the Red Wings poised to finish near the bottom of the East.
The Red Wings can be seen as victims of their own success to an extent, as years of sustained winning have caught up with them at the draft table, having had little opportunity to select highly touted prospects in the first round over the last two-and-a-half decades due to consistently impressive finishes in the standings. This year, though, Detroit will make its earliest first-round pick since 1990.
"We've got 11 picks in 2017," Holland said. "We've got an extra second-round pick in 2018, which is looking like it should be a deeper draft than this year. I also think every draft, players come out of the second, third and fourth rounds. We've got more spins of the wheel."
The silver lining is that the youth movement is already well on its way. At this year's trade deadline, Detroit shipped out three veteran skaters in Brendan Smith, Steve Ott, and Thomas Vanek to return a collection of draft picks, the lifeblood of a salary-cap league.
More hope is on the way from the farm, which has produced Mantha and Athanasiou in recent seasons, and continues to foster talent like Martin Frk, Evgeny Svechnikov, and Tyler Bertuzzi.
"We've got some players in Grand Rapids that we think are not very far away," Holland said. "We've got to continue to draft, develop and push these players through the system, and hope that some of them become way better than where we pick them in the draft."
The now-former Boston University defenseman decided to forgo the rest of his college career and has signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Boston Bruins' AHL affiliate in Providence, general manager Don Sweeney announced.
Per Sweeney, McAvoy will join @AHLBruins for practice and could play this weekend.
Signing McAvoy to an entry-level contract and bringing him straight to the big club would have burned a year off the deal since McAvoy will turn 20 on Dec. 21, as per Cap Friendly.
The Bruins could still call him up for the stretch run and possibly the playoffs should they agree to an ELC, but it seems as though they may wait until next season to bring his first pro deal into effect, thereby ensuring he plays a full three years before hitting restricted free agency.
McAvoy, who was drafted 14th overall in 2016, recorded eight goals and 43 assists in 75 games over two seasons at BU.
It's been a season of accolades for the franchise netminder. Last month, Price leapfrogged Dryden for third all time on the franchise wins list. He now ranks behind only Plante and Patrick Roy.
Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.
Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Wednesday, March 29 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockeyand apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
LW Marcus Johansson (34K) & C Evgeny Kuznetsov (45K), Capitals (at Avalanche): The Capitals second line played just 20.55 percent of the 5v5 minutes in Tuesday's overtime win over the Minnesota Wild. The top line of LW Alex Ovechkin, C Nicklas Backstrom and RW T.J. Oshie logged 26.03 percent of the minutes. The second line has a superior possession rating at 5v5 and averages a similar amount of scoring chances per 60.
LW Richard Panik (34K) & C Jonathan Toews (55K), Blackhawks (at Penguins): The Penguins sit fourth in the NHL standings, but their defense has been poor. Injuries can take the blame, and they remain without Ds Kris Letang, Olli Maatta, Trevor Daley and Ron Hainsey. Their 2.64 expected goals per 60 minutes on home ice ranks 25th. Chicago's top line played over 27 percent of the 5v5 minutes last time out.
LW Max Domi (49K) & RW Radim Vrbata (48K), Coyotes (vs. Blues): Arizona sits near the bottom of the league in every major defensive metric. The Blues have been worse on the road than the Coyotes are on home ice over the past month. St. Louis is expected to score 2.06 goals per 60 minutes, while Arizona is expected to put up 2.86 goals per 60. Domi's line played 26 percent of the last game.
(Photo courtesy Action Images)
Bargain Plays
C Nick Schmaltz (25K), Blackhawks (at Penguins): Schmaltz was much more appealing when he was centering the Blackhawks' second line than he is while beside Toews with the two sharing a position. He did dish out two assists in his most recent game, while playing 15:38. The line was Chicago's most frequently used threesome but played just 13.26 percent of the 5v5 minutes.
D Matt Niskanen (25K), Capitals (at Avalanche): The trade-deadline acquisition of D Kevin Shattenkirk has cut into Niskanen's power-play time, but he still played nearly 15 percent of the available PP TOI. He has topped 22 minutes of total ice time in each of his past three games.
(Photo courtesy Action Images)
Top Fades
LW Alexander Steen (66K), Blues (at Coyotes): The Blues horrible play on the road was noted above. Steen has been a big part of their struggles as just four of his 14 goals have come as a visitor this season. He has 32 points in 34 games at home but just 17 points in 35 home games. Steen has already been dropped to the third line with C Patrik Berglund and LW David Perron.
C Nathan MacKinnon (64K), Avalanche (vs. Capitals): Those hoping to take advantage of a tired Capitals team will need to think again. Many expect G Philipp Grubauer to be the first goaltender for the Vegas Golden Knights, and he has offered little more opportunity to opposing offenses than starter Braden Holtby this season. MacKinnon remains with just 15 goals and 48 points on the season.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)
Contrarian Options
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (43K), Coyotes (vs. Blues): Any stack of the Coyotes' forwards is extremely inexpensive, making OEL a logical inclusion. He has gone point-less in three consecutive games, playing at least 25 minutes in each of his past two. He isn't even the most expensive D on a thin slate.
LW Artemi Panarin (61K), Blackhawks (at Penguins): The overall performance of Chicago's second line suffers with C Tanner Kero filling in for the injured Artem Anisimov. The lower expectations makes Panarin the better choice over RW Patrick Kane, due to his more reasonable salary. He's totaled at least four SOG in all but one of his past five games.
The International Ice Hockey Federation has stepped in to help ensure NHL player participation at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, but work still needs to be done in order to reach an agreement with the International Olympic Committee.
The NHL is seeking something equivalent to IOC Top Sponsor status in order to market the Olympics on its various platforms, reports Karolos Grohmann of Reuters.
"Obviously, this time the owners of the NHL clubs are putting more commercial conditions to the IOC and the Olympic movement," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.
The IIHF has agreed to cover NHL players' travel and insurance costs, as the organization initially announced in November 2016. Those expenses had been paid by the IOC in the past.
Special treatment for the league from the IOC may not be in the cards, however.
Adams continued, "The IOC knows that the NHL understands that the Olympic movement cannot treat the owners of a commercial franchise of a national league better than an international sports federation or other professional leagues with regard to the Olympic Games."
From the IOC's point of view, participation alone brings a great deal of exposure to the NHL, especially in 2018 and 2022 when the Games will be played in markets serving billions in prime time.
The longest-serving member of the Edmonton Oilers could not stop smiling after his team clinched a playoff spot for the first time in his career.
That would be Jordan Eberle, who's appeared in 501 regular-season games for the Oilers since being selected in the first round of the 2008 NHL, and who will finally make his postseason debut in a few weeks.
To Eberle's credit, he turned the attention outward following Tuesday's win over the Los Angeles Kings, crediting a fan base that's suffered through a playoff drought that predates even him.
"It's been long years but the best thing is the fans have stuck with it," he said from the bench postgame. "We finally got there this year, now it's finally (clinched) and we can enjoy it."
Head coach Todd McLellan also pointed to Eberle's years of service with the club - as well as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who arrived in 2011 - but echoed the sentiment that the fans deserve recognition for their loyalty.
"There's a couple here who have been here through a lot of pain and couldn't be more excited for the opportunity that lies ahead of them," he said, per the team's website. "Maybe even more importantly, how about our fans? They've been there for 10 years, the rink has been sold out, they've gone through a lot of pain and they've stuck with us. I'm not sure that happens in any other city in the NHL, but it happens here in Edmonton."
The Oilers, of course, haven't appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since advancing to Game 7 of the 2006 Final.
The days of throwing jerseys on the ice in Edmonton are officially over.
With the 2017 playoffs two weeks away, the Pacific Division remains the closest race in the league, with the top four clubs - Anaheim, San Jose, Edmonton, and Calgary - separated by just a handful of points.
Which team claims the division title is anyone's guess, as all four clubs in the running have the potential to make waves down the final stretch.
That being the case, let's take a closer look at how these four rank at each position, and which team has the best shot at claiming the division:
In Net
1. Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton's Cam Talbot has been dominating in net all season long. He's posted seven shutouts on the season - tied for second-most in the league - while taking on a monster workload that has seen him earn 38 wins through 68 appearances. He may be the Oilers' MVP this season, and he's surely the Pacific's best goalie.
2. Anaheim Ducks
John Gibson is right behind. He hasn't had to endure the same workload, playing in just 49 games, but he boasts the best save percentage in the Pacific (.921), and has five shutouts as well. He's been sidelined since the end of February, but the Ducks have still surged, as Jonathan Bernier has dominated in Gibson's place.
3. Calgary Flames
Brian Elliott couldn't have had a worse start in Flames colors, but the veteran managed to right the ship at the perfect time. He's been on a tear since the beginning of February, ranking second in the division in save percentage (.932) and wins (10 in 16 games) as the Flames salvaged their season. There couldn't be a better time to heat up and live up to the hype.
4. San Jose Sharks
Fresh off a Stanley Cup Final appearance last season, Martin Jones has taken a slight step back this year. His save percentage is the worst of the four Pacific contenders' starters, and even Bernier, Peter Budaj, and Ryan Miller have bested him in that department. His numbers have dropped even lower as of late - he's sporting a .894 percentage through eight March appearances.
The Blue Line
1. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks boast the best blue-liner in the West right now - and perhaps the league - in Brent Burns. The bearded one has dominated offensively this year, racking up 28 goals and 73 points through 76 games. Defensively, the Sharks have allowed the fewest shots against per game of these four Pacific clubs, as well as the fewest goals against per game.
2. Calgary Flames
The Pacific's top offensive defender aside from Burns has been, surprisingly, Dougie Hamilton. He's got a career-high 48 points on the year, while he and Mark Giordano have emerged as one of the best pairings in the league. The rest of the group is holding their own as well, as the Flames are allowing the second-fewest shots per game among the Pacific contenders.
3. Anaheim Ducks
Cam Fowler is in the midst of one of the best offensive seasons of his career, notching a career-best 11 goals alongside his 37 points. He's also logging the second-most minutes per game among all Pacific blue-liners, just a hair above Burns. But overall, the Ducks are in the middle of the divisional pack when it comes to the number of shots they're letting through each game.
4. Edmonton Oilers
Andrej Sekera is having a far better second go-round in Edmonton, and the second-best season of his career. But the Oilers' blue-line issues are well-documented. While they've taken a step forward, they're still allowing the most shots per game among their fellow Pacific contenders, and leaning heavily on Talbot.
Up Front
1. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have the league's leading scorer in McDavid, but that's only part of the picture. Leon Draisaitl has emerged as an elite threat in his own right, topping the 70-point plateau and helping Edmonton's offense climb into the league's top 10. And between Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Milan Lucic, and the surprising Pat Maroon, the Oilers have some pretty dangerous depth options as well.
2. Calgary Flames
Calgary might not have a marquee, league-leading star like their provincial rivals do, but Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan are both among the top seven scorers in the Pacific - and they're not even playing on the team's best line. That distinction goes to the "Triple M" trio of Mikael Backlund, Michael Frolik, and Matthew Tkachuk, who have combined for 139 points and have been one of the most dominant lines in the league all year long.
3. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks' and Sharks' offenses are fairly even up to this point. The Sharks are slightly higher in goals per game and shots per game, but the discrepancy is very slight. Anaheim has a slight edge when it comes to depth, however, as their 2016-17 crew features seven forwards with double-digit goal totals, as opposed to the Sharks' three.
4. San Jose Sharks
That leaves San Jose last among these four clubs in the forwards department, which should indicate just how dangerous the Pacific is becoming, given the fact the Sharks boast some elite talents in Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, and Logan Couture. In terms of total offense, they likely have a slight edge over Anaheim due to Burns' dominance from the back end. But if we're talking forwards only, then Calgary, Edmonton, and Anaheim come out ahead.
Which team takes the division?
With all that in mind, it seems the Pacific belongs to the Oilers for the time being. Fresh off clinching their first playoff berth in a decade, Edmonton has officially made good on its rebuild, and looks set to be among the cream of the Pacific crop for a fair while.
The Oilers are far ahead of the rest in terms of offense, with both the best No.1 option and plenty of depth behind him, and they've also got the best goaltender in the division in Talbot - which makes their subpar defense less of an issue.
McDavid and Co. are going to be a handful over the final two weeks and in the playoffs, and if they can keep building up their blue line, this might just become an annual thing.
Bill Foley, owner of the Vegas Golden Knights, the NHL's newest franchise, confirmed to Yahoo's Josh Cooper that the summer expansion draft will be a made-for-TV special.
"We're going to be integrated into the NHL awards ceremony so it's going to be on live national TV," Foley said. "They're going to do an NHL award and then they're going to cut back to us and we're going to announce a couple of expansion drafts and have some jumbotron video of the guys we're drafting."
The NHL Awards have been in Sin City since 2009, usually held at a world-class hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. A venue for this year's ceremony in June has not yet been named, but if it were up to the Golden Knights owner, the team's new home, T-Mobile Arena, could play the perfect host.
"We have 88 days until the expansion draft and to do our announcement, that's going to be a gigantic event for us in Las Vegas at (T-Mobile Arena)," Foley added. "We're going to try to fill the arena to the extent we can fill every seat so people can really see what's going on with the expansion draft."
As for the Golden Knights, general manager George McPhee will soon have his chance to pore over each team's protection list, due June 17. The Golden Knights will submit their chosen players June 20, with selections announced the following day, evidently before a television audience.
The Unites States women's national team is ready to get to work after taking care of important business off the ice.
After agreeing to a four-year deal with USA Hockey that ensures a meaningful level of support for the program, the players collaborated on an inspiring video shared by Hilary Knight in advance of the 2017 Women's World Championship, set to begin Friday in Plymouth, Mich.
