With John Tavares set to make his return to Long Island in two weeks, questions about his decision to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs this past offseason are already rolling in.

"I have absolutely no regrets," Tavares told reporters following Sunday's loss to the New York Rangers. "I'm in a great spot. It's been a tremendous opportunity and we're just beginning.

"When I made the decision it felt right to me and it was the best thing for me and my career."

Tavares' decision to leave the New York Islanders and join his childhood team is thus far paying off. The 28-year-old is just five goals shy of tying his career high of 38, with 26 games still to play. Meanwhile, his 60 points in 56 contests have him on pace to set a career best in that category, too.

The Maple Leafs will tangle with the Islanders on Feb. 28, as Tavares will look to avenge a 4-0 loss to his former team back on Dec. 29.

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Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Scott Darling is taking a personal leave of absence, general manager Don Wadell announced Sunday.

"He's obviously had a tough year on the ice and he needs, from a mental standpoint, needs to regroup basically," Wadell told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer.

After struggling throughout the 2017-18 campaign, Darling has played just eight games for the Hurricanes this season, posting a 3.34 goals-against average and a .884 save percentage. He was placed on waivers Nov. 29 and has spent the majority of the campaign with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers.

"He had a tough game the other night and his agent called me and said he would like to take a personal leave of absence and would we allow that to get his mind back together," Waddell said. "That night he got rocked for about five (goals) and before he had a shutout (in regulation) before we lost in overtime 1-0. So we gave him the leave of absence."

Waddell added there is no set timetable for the 30-year-old's return.

"I'll touch base with him," he said. "I told him to take a week and touch base with me in a week or so and we'll go from there."

Carolina acquired the rights to the 6-foot-5 netminder in 2017 after his impressive three-year run as the Chicago Blackhawks' backup goaltender. Darling signed a four-year, $16.6-million deal to be the Hurricanes' starting goalie a week later.

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The Anaheim Ducks will wait until the offseason to name a new head coach, but general manager Bob Murray already has a potential replacement in mind.

Dallas Eakins, the coach of the AHL affiliate San Diego Gulls, will be a "definite candidate," Murray said Sunday, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic.

The 51-year-old has coached the Gulls since their inception ahead of the 2015-16 season and has amassed a record of 143-86-20. The team holds a 25-15-5 record this year, good for third place in the Pacific Division.

Prior to his time with the Gulls, Eakins served as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers from 2013 to 2014. He was fired midway through his second season with the team after it started 7-19-5.

In his other AHL coaching stint, Eakins amassed a record of 157-114-41 over four seasons with the Toronto Marlies, which was highlighted by an appearance in the Calder Cup Final in 2012.

The Ducks dismissed head coach Randy Carlyle on Sunday with the team enduring a stretch during which it has lost 19 of the last 21 contests.

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The Anaheim Ducks fired head coach Randy Carlyle on Sunday, the team announced. General manager Bob Murray will take over on an interim basis.

Anaheim has lost 19 of its last 21 contests and was handed a seventh consecutive defeat Saturday.

"We thank Randy for everything he has done for the organization," Murray said. "Leading the team to a Stanley Cup and three conference final appearances, he has accomplished so much in Anaheim. Difficult decisions need to be made when times are tough, and our play has clearly been unacceptable. We have a tradition of success in Anaheim and we need to get back to that."

Carlyle had two stints as Ducks head coach, the first stretching from 2005-12 and highlighted by a championship in 2007. After four-plus years in Toronto, he landed back in Anaheim in 2016-17 and made the playoffs in each of his first two campaigns before the wheels came off this season.

Anaheim currently sits in 28th place with 51 points through 56 games but owns the league's worst goal differential by a wide margin at negative-55. The Ducks also rank dead last in shots per game (27.5) and 29th in shots against per game (34.3) while owning the 29th-ranked power play at 14.9 percent.

Murray has never coached at the NHL level, but he'll guide the Ducks down the stretch until the club begins its search for a full-time replacement in the offseason.

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James Neal will be booking a dental appointment in the near future.

The Calgary Flames forward lost some chiclets when he was caught up high by the stick of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alex Biega midway through the third period of Saturday's game.

Biega was assessed a double minor for his errant stick, while Neal was able to finish the game.

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Ken Hitchcock criticized his Edmonton Oilers players at length following a 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

"At this time of year, the coaches can't want it more than the players," the head coach told reporters postgame. "At the end of the day, it's going to be decided whether we want to play the right way because it's successful, or whether we just want to do our thing. (This) was a game (in which) we just wanted to do our thing and paid dearly for it."

The Sharks jumped out to a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes, outshooting the Oilers 12-5 in the opening frame. Edmonton played a better middle stanza, but the Oilers trailed 3-1 through two periods. Then they allowed two more San Jose goals, including Kevin Labanc's third of the game.

"We didn't even give ourselves a fighting chance," HItchcock said. "The game was over. When you turn it over that many times and you make casual plays like that, you give yourself no chance. We did it on the first (and) second goal(s), we did it on the fourth goal.

"...We can't play this way and actually expect to win hockey games."

The Oilers defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-1 on Thursday night, but Edmonton has now lost seven of its last eight contests.

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Randy Carlyle has seen a lot in his coaching career, but even he is surprised by how prolonged the Anaheim Ducks' slump has been.

"You don't expect to have to live through this stuff for this extended period of time," Carlyle told reporters after a 6-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman.

The defeat was the Ducks' seventh straight and 19th in their last 21 contests..

General manager Bob Murray has been reluctant to fire Carlyle. Last month, after Anaheim's 11th consecutive loss in what was ultimately a 12-game skid, Murray said he wasn't considering a coaching change "at this time."

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