In the weeks leading up to the 2018 NHL Draft, theScore NHL prospect writer Hannah Stuart breaks down 10 of the most notable draft-eligible players. The second edition focuses on Andrei Svechnikov.

Comparing Barrie Colts forward Andrei Svechnikov to Alex Ovechkin is easy; Svechnikov is a pure sniper who's seemingly able to score on any shot and often intimidates his opponents. But that comparison would be lazy, and the weight of it would do Svechnikov a disservice. The 18-year-old is his own player - not just an elite goal scorer, but someone who's also put work into improving his playmaking over the last year, and someone who will enter the NHL as a highly skilled and well-rounded forward.

After spending the previous season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, Svechnikov was selected first overall by the Colts in the CHL Import Draft. He sits atop NHL Central Scouting’s North American Rankings, and every independent scouting service that combines North American and international skaters has him second, behind only Rasmus Dahlin.

Year in review

Svechnikov's first season with the Colts did not get off to an ideal start. A broken hand in late October required surgery and kept him out until the beginning of December. His 44 regular-season games, however, were enough to lead all OHL rookies with 72 points, including 40 goals. He received the Emms Family Award as OHL Rookie of the Year, and was named to the OHL All-Rookie first team.

He also recovered in time to join Team Russia for the world juniors. Russia’s coaching staff doesn’t typically give Under-18 players much ice time, so Svechnikov had less of an opportunity to impress than fellow prospects Brady Tkachuk and Filip Zadina, who played prominent roles on their respective teams and saw their draft stocks rise because of it. That being said, Svechnikov looked good when he saw the ice and finished the tournament with five assists in five games.

Like Dahlin, Svechnikov isn't playing at the U18 World Championship. After the Colts were eliminated from the OHL playoffs, it was revealed he'd been playing through an injury of some kind. The Colts and the Russian Hockey Federation agreed he was too injured to be effective, and would be better served by resting.

Areas of strength

Svechnikov is an offensive dynamo. He’s an elite goal scorer, with an arsenal of shots that seem NHL-ready. He can score from far out, or from in tight. He’s also a skilled playmaker who's able to stickhandle through traffic and make passes that confuse opponents, and he noticeably improved in that area in the second half of this season.

His hockey sense and vision is top end, allowing him to seemingly score at will because he can read the ice and find the right play. He’s also a good skater - not elite, but good. He’s agile, especially for someone his height, and his stride is strong. He uses his physicality to win battles, and that physicality - combined with his strong balance - makes it difficult to knock him off the puck.

Areas of improvement

One standout issue with Svechnikov is discipline. In addition to earning a four-game playoff suspension during the Colts' first-round series against the Mississauga Steelheads for a hit to the head, he finished the regular season with 67 penalty minutes in 44 games. Last season with the Lumberjacks, he had 68 PIM in 48 games. Svechnikov is going to be a key offensive weapon for the NHL team that drafts him, but to do that, he needs to stay out of the box. His aggressive style of play is a strength when he doesn’t cross the line - he just needs to find that balance.

Otherwise, there are no glaring issues with Svechnikov’s game right now. He could stand to improve his play in his own end, and while he’s a good skater, he certainly isn’t the best in his class. Right now, however, his offensive prowess is such that it often makes up for what he lacks. Moreover, those lacking areas can be improved with commitment (which he’s shown he has) and focused development.

Scouting reports

“Physically ready for the NHL, Svechnikov blends world-class finishing ability with hard-nosed and defensively responsible play. A goal scorer who can impact the game in all situations. Terrific blend of speed, power, and precision. He’ll be a front-line threat for years to come.” - Cam Robinson, DobberProspects.com

“Svechnikov plays a responsible game without the puck, has a strong stride with good top-end speed, good instincts at reading the play to set up or be open for chances. He also has an excellent finishing touch to bury his chances." - Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting

Did you know?

• Svechnikov’s 1.64 points per game was the highest mark among OHL rookies since the 2006-07 season.

• He's expressed his desire to one day play in the NHL with his brother, Evgeny, a Detroit Red Wings prospect (and depending on the outcome of the draft lottery, he might get his wish).

• In addition to being named OHL Rookie of the Year this season, Svechnikov was the Rookie of the Year in the USHL last year.

• 64 of his 72 points were primary points, and he averaged 3.95 shots per game.

Other entries in this series:

• Rasmus Dahlin

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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theScore imagines what the cast of The Avengers would look like if it were comprised entirely of NHL stars.

Thor - Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Dude's got blonde flow and lightning bolts pasted all around him at all times. Sprinkle in the fact that Hedman also lays people out with thunderous hits on a nightly basis, and he might as well trade in his stick for a hammer to complete the ensemble.

Plus, we already know he loves to dress up.

Hulk - Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets

Speaking of laying people out, both Byfuglien and the Hulk make a living off smashing their opponents. A task that the Jets' blue-liner has seemingly perfected over recent weeks, handing out a bevy of punishing hits while leaving his enemies in a crumpled heap.

Word to the wise: Do not get Byfuglien angry. We all know what happens when he gets angry.

Iron Man - Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

Ovechkin and Tony Stark sometimes find themselves in the unfortunate scenarios of trying to play the hero while instead becoming villainized for their shortcomings and ego-driven behaviors.

And while Ovechkin has come a long way in terms of shedding the bad rep of being a selfish player, he's short on rings, and still operating in the shadow of some of the more accomplished players in the NHL. A feeling similarly shared by Iron Man when fighting alongside some of the more wholesome and popular Avengers like Captain America or Thor.

Hawkeye - Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Even if you don't watch hockey on the regular, you watch enough highlight shows to know that McDavid makes a living out of threading needles, picking corners, and finding the slimmest of spaces to operate in. And, if you've been following the exploits of Clint Barton - aka Hawkeye - over the last handful of years, you're well aware he operates in a very similar manner.

McDavid uses a carbon fiber stick, whereas Hawkeye gets his job done with a carbon fiber bow and arrow. But both men are surgical with their precision.

Captain America - Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets

The Jets captain might not have the ravishing good looks of the current version of Captain Steve Rodgers, as portrayed by actor Chris Evans, but the rest of Wheeler's attributes make him the perfect player to lead the NHL's band of Avengers.

Strength, leadership, a willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of his squad, both Cap and Wheeler do it all, and all in the name of others. Oh, don't forget, despite playing north of the border in Winnipeg, Wheeler's still a good ol' American boy, obviously a necessary trait to fill this role.

Ant-Man - Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames

Let's not overthink this one: Ant-Man and Gaudreau go to their utility belt of tricks to fool their enemies, and both are effective at what they do despite being limited by their relatively small frames.

Gaudreau might only stand 5-foot-9 and 157 pounds, and much like Ant-Man, that doesn't stop him from being larger than life once the pressure is on.

Spider-Man - Andrei Vasilevksiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

Not only does Vasilevskiy spend a lot his nights sitting in a web of netting, but his freakish athleticism and seemingly supernatural flexibility are surely the result of a bite from some kind of radioactive arachnid.

And while the young Russian will likely leave the professional photography to the real Spidey, his innate sixth sense and ability to contort his body are remarkably similar.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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After falling down 2-0 and 3-1 to the Boston Bruins in their opening-round series, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock wants his crew to relish the opportunity that didn't seem possible only a few days ago.

The Leafs staved off elimination for the second time on Monday night, forcing a Game 7 with a 3-1 win on home ice. Now, it's winner take all between the Atlantic Division rivals, and Babcock didn't mince his words on the magnitude of the situation.

"We've been talking about it all along, we're playing a really good team in Boston and this series is fun, it's high-end, there’s no room, they've got high-end players," Babcock said. "But, we think we're going to win. We've thought that all along, we started poorly and crawled our way back. Now, you have the opportunity of a lifetime."

The situation mirrors that of the 2013 postseason, when the Maple Leafs clawed back from a 3-1 deficit versus the Bruins in Round 1, only to infamously watch their 4-1 lead slip away in the third period of the series-deciding contest.

Toronto will once again travel to Boston carrying the momentum, but this time will seek to flip the script and finish the job in the only first-round series to go the distance.

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Alex Ovechkin is ready.

The Washington Capitals' superstar winger scored a pair of goals in Monday's first-round series win over Columbus, and the Metropolitan Division winners are once again set to meet Pittsburgh in Round 2 as a result.

Even after being eliminated in each of the past two postseasons by the Penguins, Ovechkin is embracing the challenge.

"I can’t wait," he said, per Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. "It’s a huge opportunity for us to take a step forward."

Ovechkin has, of course, been key to the Capitals' success to date, recording five goals and three assists in six games against the Blue Jackets.

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Here we go again.

The Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 6 of their first-round series, thereby advancing to Round 2 where they will face the Pittsburgh Penguins for the third consecutive year.

Columbus built a 2-0 lead in the series, only to see Washington win the next four after reinstating Braden Holtby as the starting goalie in lieu of Philipp Grubauer.

Washington will enter the second round as the higher seed, but after having lost to the Penguins in each of the past two postseasons. Pittsburgh won in six games in 2016 and prevailed in seven last year, and went on to win the Stanley Cup both times.

This will be the third time these two teams have met in the playoffs in the Alex Ovechkin/Sidney Crosby era, with Pittsburgh also winning in the second round back in 2009.

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TORONTO (AP) Frederik Andersen stopped 32 shots to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday night, forcing a decisive Game 7 in the first-round series.

William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Tomas Plekanec scored for the Maple Leafs, who trailed the series 3-1 before winning two straight. They also trailed 1-0 early in the second period of this one. Nikita Zaitsev added two assists, and Marner and Plekanec each had one.

Jake DeBrusk scored for the Bruins, and Tuukka Rask - pulled in Game 5 at home, finished with 27 saves.

Game 7 is Wednesday night in Boston with the winner advancing to face Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference semifinals..

There was a moment of silence before the opening faceoff at Air Canada Centre to honor the 10 people killed Monday when a van mounted a sidewalk in Toronto's north end and struck multiple pedestrians. Fifteen others were injured.

Scoreless after an end-to-end first period, the Bruins grabbed a 1-0 lead 1:02 into the second when David Krejci won a faceoff after an icing against Auston Matthews right to DeBrusk, beat Andersen between his arm and body.

Toronto responded just 35 seconds later when Nylander buried a rebound of Jake Gardiner shot from the point for his first goal of the playoffs.

The Leafs appeared to go ahead at 3:04 when Zach Hyman beat Rask with a no-look backhand as he fell to the ice. The Bruins challenged the play for goalie interference, and replays showed the forward knocked the stick out of Rask's hands as he cruised through the crease just before scoring.

Boston appeared to control the play after that as Toronto could barely get out of its own zone or complete a clean breakout. Andersen - who recorded 42 stops in a 4-3 victory in Game 5 on Saturday - made great saves off Rick Nash, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron to keep things level.

The Maple Leafs, however, wend ahead with 6:35 left in the period when Marner was quickest to a loose puck in the slot and beat Rask with a backhand to the far post after Marchand couldn't clear.

Toronto killed off its first penalty early in the third, and was then left fuming when David Backes elbowed Andersen in the mask, but was only assessed an offsetting roughing minor when Roman Polak came to his goalie's defence.

The Leafs couldn't connect on their third power play moments later, and Andersen stoned Sean Kuraly with under 10 minutes to go.

Rask then robbed Nylander off a great feed from Auston Matthews.

The Bruins went back to the power play with under six minutes left, but the best chance came when Rask stopped Kasperi Kapanen on a 2-on-1 that turned into a breakaway before stoning Krejci on a one-time shot that brought the towel-waving crowd to its feet.

Rask followed that up by stopping Matthews on another 2-on-1 off a pass from Plekanec before Plekanec sealed the win with an empty-netter with 1:14 to play.

Both goalies were on their game in the first as the clubs combined for 27 shots on goal, including 17 from Boston.

Andersen made a nice stop on Nash less than two minutes in after a Maple Leafs turnover before Rask, who allowed four goals on 13 shots before getting pulled in Game 5, fought off Zaitsev's point shot.

Marchand came close when his shot off another turnover struck the inside of Andersen's pad and bounced out the other side.

Rask held the fort on the game's first power play, and Andersen followed up with his second incredible stick save of the series when he swatted a Backes attempt from in tight with Nash lurking.

NOTES: The Maple Leafs fell behind the Bruins 3-1 the last time the clubs met in the playoffs back in 2013 before tying the series 3-3 with back-to-back 2-1 victories. Toronto then became the first team in NHL history to blow a three-goal lead in the third period of a Game 7 as the Bruins stormed back from a 4-1 deficit and won 5-4 in overtime. ... Coming into these playoffs, teams that take a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series hold an all-time record of 270-28 - good for a success rate of 90.6 per cent. ... The Maple Leafs have trailed 3-1 in a best-of-seven series 15 times, with their only victory coming in the 1942 Stanley Cup Final when they stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Detroit Red Wings.

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Shortly after their equalizer brought the score to 1-1, it appeared the Toronto Maple Leafs jumped out to their first lead of Game 6 after Zach Hyman banged home a loose puck in the crease.

But then, the Boston Bruins decided to challenge for goaltender interference, and after a review from the referees and the league office, it turns out head coach Bruce Cassidy had a reasonable hunch, as the tally was quickly reversed.

Here's another angle, which shows Hyman made contact with Tuukka Rask's stick in the crease before tucking the puck underneath his pad.

After the non-goal and subsequent review, Mitch Marner put the Maple Leafs ahead for real with just over seven minutes remaining in the second frame.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs issued a statement in advance of Game 6 against the Boston Bruins after nine people were killed and 16 injured as multiple pedestrians were struck by a van Monday afternoon.

The game will go on as scheduled, but with increased security measures inside and outside the arena, where hundreds of fans are set to gather to watch.

"The Toronto Maple Leafs and MLSE are keeping all of those impacted by today’s tragic incident in Toronto in our thoughts and prayers. Our organization continuously works in close partnership with Toronto Police Service, and other security agencies, to ensure the safety of all fans attending games at Air Canada Centre, including playoff tailgate events at Maple Leaf Square.

"In addition to the safety measures already in place, Toronto Police Service will be implementing a number of additional measures including road closures surrounding Air Canada Centre tonight to create the safest environment for our fans watching in Maple Leaf Square, as well as providing enhanced security inside Air Canada Centre."

Puck drop is set for shortly after 7 p.m. ET.

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