Love them or hate them, Brad Marchand's antics have proven to be effective over his career, and the Boston Bruins' ultimate agitator was at it again in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final.

With the Bruins holding a 3-0 lead in the second period, Marchand roped Carolina Hurricanes captain Justin Williams into a holding penalty after appearing to get away with a high stick. The Bruins All-Star proceeded to make a "C" with his fingers, holding it to his chest and appearing to taunt Williams for poor leadership.

Matt Grzelcyk scored the Bruins' second power-play goal of the game - and fourth of the series - with Williams in the box to extend the lead to 4-0.

Following the contest, Williams took full responsibility for his role in the incident.

"I've got to know better," the 37-year-old said, according to Fox Sports Carolina. "I'm old enough and I should be able to know better. I'm disappointed in general, absolutely."

The Hurricanes lost 6-2 and now face a 2-0 series deficit heading back to Carolina for Game 3 on Tuesday night.

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Ralph Krueger is rising on the Buffalo Sabres' list of coaching candidates and will get "a real shot at the job," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman wrote in Sunday's edition of "31 Thoughts."

Friedman adds that Sabres general manager Jason Botterill spoke to Krueger in 2017 before hiring Phil Housley, who was fired last month.

Krueger, the soon-to-be former English Premier League executive, coached the Edmonton Oilers in 2012-13 and led Team Europe to an unexpected run to the World Cup of Hockey final in 2016.

The Sabres have reportedly considered several candidates for the position, including Dave Tippett, Jacques Martin, and Todd McLellan, who the Los Angeles Kings later hired.

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The Ottawa Senators are interested in reuniting with an old flame.

The Sens have received permission to interview Dallas Stars assistant coach Rick Bowness for the team's head coaching vacancy, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Hiring Bowness would bring the organization full circle, as he was the first head coach in the franchise's history. He compiled a 39-178-18 record before he was fired in his fourth season during the Senators' forgettable infancy years.

The 64-year-old has been coaching since the mid-80s. His long resume also includes stops as the bench boss of the original Winnipeg Jets (1988-89), as well as with the Boston Bruins (1991-92), New York Islanders (1996-98), and Phoenix Coyotes (2003-04).

Before joining the Stars this past season, Bowness spent five campaigns on the Tampa Bay Lightning's coaching staff and seven seasons as an assistant with the Vancouver Canucks.

Bowness will mark the sixth coaching candidate Ottawa has interviewed, according to McKenzie. Interim head coach Marc Crawford and Belleville Senators bench boss Troy Mann represent two internal candidates. Another one of the club's former coaches, Jacques Martin, has also been interviewed, as well as Toronto Maple Leafs assistant D.J. Smith and Providence College head coach Nate Leaman.

Ottawa finished last in the NHL with 64 points this season. In the midst of a rebuild, the Senators made it clear after Guy Boucher's dismissal that they're seeking someone with player development expertise.

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The San Jose Sharks defeated the St. Louis Blues 6-3 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final on Saturday.

More to come.

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Welcome to Art of the Mask, a video series in which theScore sits down with some of the world's top netminders to talk about goalie mask art.

In Episode 5, Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Louis Domingue walks us through the finer details of a team-themed mask he wore during the 2018-19 season. From a sky line depiction to shouting out organizational pillars, Domingue dedicates most of the design to the Tampa Bay area and its NHL club.

Previously in this series:

• Philipp Grubauer of the Colorado Avalanche
• Filip Gustavsson of the Belleville Senators
• Christian Purboo of the North Bay Battalion
• Garret Sparks of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Don't forget to subscribe to theScore's YouTube channel. Be sure to rate the video and leave a comment, too!

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Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares will miss approximately one month of offseason training due to the oblique injury he suffered with Team Canada at the World Championship, the Leafs announced Saturday.

Tavares was sent home from the tournament, held in Slovakia, on Thursday to be evaluated by Leafs' doctors.

More to come.

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