Doughty rips Flames’ Tkachuk, Sharks’ Burns

Drew Doughty took no prisoners on Monday.

The Los Angeles Kings defenseman expressed his distaste for Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. Then he criticized San Jose Sharks blue-liner Brent Burns while praising Calgary's Mark Giordano ahead of Monday's meeting between the Kings and Flames.

"No respect for him - none," Doughty said of Tkachuk, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis. "I respect everyone else. I'll never talk to him off the ice. He's not respected by most of the people in the league, it's not just me - that's just a fact."

During Tkachuk's 2016-17 rookie season, he delivered an elbow to Doughty's face and received a two-game suspension. Doughty then called Tkachuk "a pretty dirty player," according to LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen.

Doughty's next target was Burns, who the rearguard clearly considers unworthy of claiming the Norris Trophy again.

"All you’ve got to do is watch one San Jose Sharks game and you’ll see Brent Burns get beat three times a game, literally, and everybody has him up for the Norris. I just don’t get it," Doughty said, according to Sportsnet's Ryan Leslie.

"I would want Giordano on my team before I’d want those points guys," Doughty continued. "Giordano has like 75 points or something and he plays good defense. From me, based on how I know he plays, I think he should be the front-runner."

Doughty won the Norris Trophy in 2016, and Burns was given the honor the following year.

Burns entered Monday's action leading all defensemen with 77 points in 75 games, while Giordano ranked second at the position with 72 in two fewer contests.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Lightning are NHL’s best bounce-back bet

We've been waiting patiently for the Tampa Bay Lightning to lose so we could cover how well they've performed following a loss. It took a while.

The NHL's top team at 58-14-4 went 16 full days and nine games between their two most recent losses. The Lightning are (finally) coming off a 4-3 defeat by the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, setting them up for an angle that deserves your attention when the Bolts meet the Boston Bruins on Monday.

Line: Tampa Bay -150
O/U: 6 (Over -116/Under +106)
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

The Lightning have responded well after a loss - only twice this season have they endured back-to-back losses, and one of those involved a 1-0 overtime defeat by the Blues. Before we go into more specifics, here's how Tampa has fared in games after a loss in general:

Opponent Closing Line Result
Blue Jackets TB -170 W 8-2
Blackhawks TB -140 W 6-3
Devils TB -166 W 8-3
Canadiens TB -135 W 4-1
Sabres TB -124 L 2-1
Penguins TB +100 W 4-3
Panthers TB -156 W 7-3
Sabres TB -190 W 5-4
Canucks TB -198 W 5-2
Blue Jackets TB -185 W 4-2
Stars TB -156 W 2-0
Sharks TB -156 W 6-3
Islanders TB -140 W 1-0
Blues TB -180 L 1-0
Penguins TB -179 W 5-4
Senators TB -550 W 5-1
Red Wings TB -450 W 3-2

That's good for 15-2 straight up, while $100 bettors would be up $1,196 after accounting for prices. What's arguably even more fascinating, though, is the response of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy after games in which he's credited with the loss. Since he was in the crease for the most recent loss against the Blues and is expected to be in net for Monday's game, that sets up what's been an unbelievable bounce-back angle. Here's how Vasilevskiy has fared after he takes a loss:

Opponent Closing Line Result
Blue Jackets TB -170 W 8-2
Avalanche TB -125 W 1-0
Canadiens TB -135 W 4-1
Maple Leafs TB -141 W 4-1
Canucks TB -198 W 5-2
Blue Jackets TB -185 W 4-0
Stars TB -156 W 2-0
Sharks TB -156 W 6-3
Islanders TB -145 W 1-0
Blues TB -185 L 1-0
Penguins TB -179 W 5-4
Maple Leafs TB +104 W 6-2

Going 11-1 with a 1.25 goals-against average is pretty decent, as is the fact Lightning opponents went 10-1-1 to the team total in that sample.

Mind you, this is not a lecture about predictive analytics, but merely an observed trend in how the Lightning and their star netminder have performed following a loss this season. But if history wants to repeat itself Monday, expect the Lightning to get back in the win column against the Bruins.

Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tortorella: Blue Jackets must play with ‘shinny-hockey mentality’

John Tortorella is pining for his Columbus Blue Jackets to simplify their game and reset mentally while mired in a 6-7-1 slump since the trade deadline.

The Jackets haven't jelled the way many expected after they added Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid, and Keith Kinkaid for the stretch run. Columbus currently sits outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but Tortorella wants his team to drown out that noise and just have fun.

"Just go play. We need to have a shinny-hockey mentality," Tortorella told The Province's Ben Kuzma prior to Columbus' 5-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. "We're trying to really clean the slate here. Good players always expect more out of themselves and not getting results, it tends to bog them down because they're not feeling it."

He added: "The biggest thing now is we need to not overthink anything ... Don't overload your mind with a lot of thinking and numbers that people throw at me all the time with the problems we've had as a team."

The Blue Jackets are averaging 2.36 goals per game since the deadline. The top line of Artemi Panarin, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Cam Atkinson has combined for four goals in March. Duchene, meanwhile, has tallied six points in 16 contests since joining the squad.

Tortorella admits that Columbus' top players are feeling pressure to perform after the team went all-in at the deadline.

"They've got to feel a result to not let their confidence waver, because it can go either way if we don’t start getting results," Tortorella said. "We need to find a way to release ourselves and get on the attack and keep it simple. The one thing when you're dealing with some guys who aren't used to being put under a microscope and you’re supposed to win now, is that it changes a bit with expectations and that has affected some guys."

Sunday's decisive victory was a step in the right direction, but the Blue Jackets still trail the Montreal Canadiens by two points for the second wild-card spot with one game in hand.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Duluth among No. 1 seeds in NCAA Hockey Championship

The defending champions from Minnesota Duluth, alongside Minnesota State Mankato, St. Cloud State, and Massachusetts will be the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Hockey Championship bracket.

For the second straight year, St. Cloud State is the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.

Here's the path to the NCAA Frozen Four, which will take place April 11 and 13 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo (all times ET):

West Region

Scheels Arena, Fargo, N.D.

1. St. Cloud State (30-5-3)
4. American International (22-16-1)

March 29, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN3)

2. Denver (22-11-5)
3. Ohio State (20-10-5)

March 29, 4 p.m. (ESPNU)

Northeast Region

SNHU Arena, Manchester, N.H.

1. Massachusetts (28-9)
4. Harvard (19-10-3)

March 29, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)

2. Clarkson (26-10-2)
3. Notre Dame (22-13-3)

March 29, 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

East Region

Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, R.I.

1. Minnesota State Mankato (32-7-2)
4. Providence (22-11-6)

March 30, 1 p.m. (ESPNews)

2. Northeastern (27-10-1)
3. Cornell (20-10-4)

March 30, 4:30 p.m. (ESPNews)

Midwest Region

PPL Center, Allentown, Pa.

1. Minnesota Duluth (25-11-2)
4. Bowling Green (25-10-5)

March 30, 4 p.m. (ESPNU)

2. Quinnipiac (25-9-2)
3. Arizona State (21-12-1)

March 30, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN3)

You can view the full bracket here.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Islanders’ Trotz pleads for patience from fans amid power-play slump

Head coach Barry Trotz appreciates the passion from the New York Islanders' fan base, but asks they show more support amid the team's struggles on the man advantage.

"It doesn't help that our fans boo us 30 seconds into the power play," Trotz said, according to the New York Post's Brett Cyrgalis. "In our own rink, give us an advantage ... we have fantastic fans, and they have the right to boo, but we need their help."

The Islanders' power play entered Sunday's action ranked 29th in the league, operating at 14.5 percent. With just one goal over their last 36 opportunities, Trotz understands the criticism is warranted, but hopes fans can exercise a little more patience.

"Power play is not good, we deserve to get booed," he said. "But give us a couple of them. If it's the third or fourth one and we're not doing anything, then you can boo. Every team needs the support of their fans. When you're struggling, you don't need other people kicking you down."

Trotz will likely be a candidate for the Jack Adams Award this spring. With seven games remaining, he's improved the Islanders' point total by 13 from one year ago. The 56-year-old became the fourth bench boss in league history to coach in 1,600 games when the Islanders took on the Arizona Coyotes Sunday.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Leafs laud Rangers’ Georgiev after he stymies them again

The Toronto Maple Leafs gave credit where it was due after Alexandar Georgiev excelled against them for the second time this season.

The New York Rangers goaltender made 44 saves in a 2-1 overtime victory Saturday night, following up a 55-save performance in a 4-1 win over Toronto in February.

"Their goalie has just got our number," Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews told reporters. "Somehow he’s just made some unbelievable saves (Saturday night) and kept them in it and then obviously, it comes down to one play in overtime to get the extra point."

Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen praised his counterpart as well.

"He was playing well down there, he obviously made a game out of it," he said.

Zach Hyman echoed that sentiment.

"It just wasn’t going in," the Toronto forward said. "Give credit to their goalie, he played great."

Georgiev helped the Rangers snap a five-game losing streak with the victory, and said afterward it felt like winning a championship.

New York center Ryan Strome potted the winner less than two minutes into overtime.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.