The Vancouver Canucks didn't get anything going on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars during a 6-1 loss. Now captain Bo Horvat is looking to get his team back on track after just one win in Vancouver's last eight games.

"When you're down like that it really sinks in that this sucks," Horvat said postgame, according to The Athletic's Thomas Drance. "Down five goals in the third period with no chance of coming back, we'll remember that feeling and make sure it doesn't happen again."

After going 8-3-1 in October, the Canucks have started to slide while posting a 2-5-3 record in November.

"We're a type of team that we can't just have a couple of guys going, we need everybody to step up and everybody to play," Horvat added. "Right now we're kind of separated. Our timing isn't there, and we gotta figure that out and start playing the way we were in October."

The Canucks started a six-game road trip on Tuesday night. They visit the Nashville Predators next on Thursday.

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Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov exited Tuesday's contest versus the St. Louis Blues after a monstrous hit from Brayden Schenn.

The hit came in the second period and Kucherov missed the remainder of the contest.

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said postgame that the star winger's absence wasn't concussion-related, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith.

Kucherov, the reigning NHL MVP, has posted 18 points in 18 games this year.

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Losing took its toll on Nathan Beaulieu during his time in western New York.

The blue-liner spent parts of two campaigns with the Buffalo Sabres before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets last season. He sought a trade after his role diminished in Buffalo under former head coach Phil Housley.

"I wasn’t in a good situation, I guess you could say. I tried to get out of there multiple times and it just didn’t happen," Beaulieu told The Athletic's Ken Wiebe. "I played on some good teams in Montreal, we made the playoffs every year except for one. Then you go to the complete polar opposite for two years in a row and it tests your will and your love for the game, for sure.

"You heard Ryan O’Reilly say it and I know (the Sabres) didn’t like what he said, but he couldn’t have put it better. I could say the exact same thing."

After the 2017-18 season and before he was traded from the Sabres to the St. Louis Blues, O'Reilly said he "lost the love of the game multiple times."

"You really question a lot of things," Beaulieu continued. "I know we have such an amazing life, but if you don’t enjoy it, it’s not all it’s (cracked) up to be because it gets tough and there are some dark days.

"All the money (in the world) couldn’t save it. Mentally, it was so degrading."

O'Reilly and Beaulieu aren't the only ex-Sabres players to criticize the team. Chicago Blackhawks goalie Robin Lehner, who spent three seasons with the Sabres, called Buffalo an "atmosphere of negativity" in March.

The Sabres finished last in 2017-18, and after a hot start in 2018-19, they still posted the league's fifth-worst record. They haven't made the playoffs since 2010-11.

In an NHL player poll that ESPN conducted earlier this month, 34% of the 50 players said Buffalo is the road city they dread visiting the most, second only to Winnipeg at 42%.

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When Sportsnet made the decision to fire Don Cherry, it vacated the biggest seat on one of the nation's longest-running television broadcasts, Hockey Night in Canada.

Following one of the most divisive decisions in the network's history, the entire nation awaits its next move. Regardless of how you feel about Cherry, replacing him is a difficult and delicate matter.

The Kingston, Ontario native was the face of "Coach's Corner" since its inception nearly 40 years ago. Broadcasters come and go, but Cherry was more than just an analyst. He was the eccentric representation of an outdated hockey persona. He had a vibrant image and brash personality that was both unyielding and unapologetic. You either hated him or you clung to every word he said. Regardless of which category you fell into, Cherry was, for nearly four decades, must-watch television. "Coach's Corner" was his baby, and it was nurtured and embedded into the fabric of the nation.

The popularity of the segment was largely due to its impenitent nature, which leaves the network with a massive decision to make. Does it continue to run "Coach's Corner" in a similar fashion with a new host or does it rebrand the show completely?

Should Sportsnet opt to continue with the long-standing program, oddsmakers have identified the likeliest list of replacements:

Sitting atop the list, and for good reason, is Brian Burke. A former Calder Cup champion, Burke left the AHL to study at Harvard Law School, setting the stage for a lengthy career in NHL front offices. He assumed the role of general manager, in addition to other positions, for five different teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Hartford Whalers, and Anaheim Ducks, where he won a Stanley Cup.

Just like Cherry, Burke has an old-school hockey mind, and he's largely set in his ways. He's brazen, truculent, and unpolished. His hockey opinions are unwavering and in your face. However, he's progressive when it comes to off-ice issues. Burke is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights. His late son, a gay- rights activist, was tragically killed in a car accident in February 2010. Most importantly, Burke is able to differentiate between toughness on the ice and sensitivity off of it. Cherry's inability to do so ultimately proved to be his undoing.

The 64-year-old Burke also has the appearance suitable for the role. While Cherry's look was defined by his vibrant suits, Burke's style resembles that of an exhausted politician following a grueling campaign. His grey, slicked-back hair detracts from his often disheveled attire - shirt buttons undone, tie draped around his shoulders. Describe it however you like, but Burke certainly has an unmistakable look. If Sportsnet is looking to make a seamless transition from Cherry, there is no better option.

Barring an overhaul to the segment's format, the eventual full-time replacement will likely have an NHL background. Don Cherry was a two-time Stanley Cup finalist as the head coach of the Boston Bruins, as well as a Jack Adams Award winner.

The professional and personal relationships Cherry formed in the game during his time as a player and coach helped him provide viewers with insight into the lives of players - both past and present - we watch night in and night out. He told the sorts of stories you can only pick up from being deeply entrenched in the game and not just covering it from afar.

That would essentially rule out Elliotte Friedman and Chris Johnston, the latter of whom had a lengthy CHL career, but never reached the NHL. Both are well-spoken journalists with their finger on the pulse. They are great at what they do and serve a valuable purpose to the network, but they lack the required personality to effectively fill the role of host of "Coach's Corner."

Colby Armstrong is another entertaining member of the hockey media, but it's hard to envision his affable nature and fresh-faced grin on "Coach's Corner." "Armdog" is everyone's friend and no one's enemy. He just doesn't fit.

It's also difficult to imagine the network breaking up the broadcast tandem of Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson. Choosing Simpson for this gig would be like grabbing the roll of toilet paper from downstairs to replace the empty one in the main bathroom. Either way, you're going to need a new roll.

Aside from Burke, Sportsnet would be foolish not to consider Paul Bissonnette, arguably the best replacement to have been left off this list. Bissonnette, or "BizNasty" as he's known on Twitter, certainly doesn't lack in confidence. He believes hockey should be played a certain way and despite having grown up in the new age, he respects the old-school mentality that personalities like Cherry and Burke have fought to preserve. The former Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick has an infectious personality and is a terrific ambassador for the game, much like Cherry was.

Upon retiring in 2017, Bissonnette immediately found a home in hockey media. He accepted a role as a color commentator for the Arizona Coyotes radio network, and a year later, he joined the popular hockey podcast "Spittin' Chiclets." He immediately became the focal point of the podcast, with his outlandish stories stealing the spotlight. He's not afraid to speak his mind and he has the ability to stand up for what he believes in without directly offending or insulting others in the process.

As successful as the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast has become, developing a cult following among hockey players and fans alike, it shouldn't be too hard to convince Bissonnette, a native of Welland, Ontario, to return home to assume the most coveted role in Canadian hockey broadcasting.

Still, at 34, Bissonnette has a limited amount of broadcast experience. While his future in the industry is bright, Burke remains the most sensible choice for the job. Already with Sportsnet, Burke could slot into the role on a full-time basis as soon as this weekend. Given his undeniable similarities to Cherry, some viewers might not even notice a difference.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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The annual award given to the NHL's top general manager will be renamed in honor of the late Jim Gregory, the league announced Tuesday.

The league ran the idea by general managers at Tuesday's meetings in Toronto, and it received a unanimous stamp of approval, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

"This is a terrific tribute to a wonderful man by a group uniquely qualified to appreciate his many contributions to our game," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

"During his tenure as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jim Gregory transformed the art of team-building. Through the many years he spent at the League, our general managers regularly sought his counsel. They universally revere his lifetime of service to the NHL."

The award was first presented to then-Phoenix Coyotes general manager Don Maloney in 2009-10. Last season, Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney captured the honor.

Gregory, who died Oct. 30 at 83 years old, served as general manager of the Maple Leafs for 10 seasons from 1969-79 and then as a league executive for four decades. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builders category in 2007.

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Garnet Hathaway will have a hearing Wednesday morning regarding the spitting incident from Monday's game against the Anaheim Ducks, NHL executive vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said Tuesday, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

The Washington Capitals forward was assessed a match penalty for spitting on Ducks defenseman Erik Gudbranson during a scrum late in the second period.

"The refs were trying to break it up and it felt like there was a couple sucker punches thrown and I got one quick and then reacted a little emotionally and unfortunately spit came out of my mouth after I got sucker-punched and it went on him," Hathaway said postgame, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.

Six players were penalized for their roles in the melee.

Hathaway, 27, is in his first season with the Capitals after spending the previous four campaigns in the Calgary Flames organization.

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Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer will return to the crease Tuesday against the Calgary Flames, the team announced.

Grubauer, 27, has missed the club's last five contests with a lower-body injury he sustained earlier this month.

Netminder Pavel Francouz, who suffered a head injury Nov. 12, has also been cleared to return and will assume backup duties Tuesday.

The Avalanche weathered the storm with Grubauer sidelined, posting a 4-1-0 record in his absence while receiving steady play from Francouz and rookie puck-stoppers Antoine Bibeau and Adam Werner.

Through 11 starts this season, Grubauer has authored a 6-3-2 record with a 2.80 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.

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