Montreal Canadiens defenseman Brett Kulak confirmed Friday he tested positive for COVID-19 in early July but has since recovered.

"I was a little bit shocked ... you just don't know how it will affect you and how symptoms kind of develop and increase," Kulak said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "Some guys shake it off in a day or two and sometimes it can linger on and it can get, obviously, really severe."

Kulak, 26, joined the Canadiens at training camp for the first time Thursday after completing his 14-day quarantine. The 6-foot-2 rearguard said he experienced symptoms that impacted his ability to train.

"I think the first couple of days were the worst," he said. "Waking up I just had pressure in my head, a little kind of dull headache all day.

"I was trying - because I had my first negative test - I was just trying to do exercise in my hotel room, some (bodyweight) stuff, and I could tell I just didn't have the energy for it that I should have for kind of the difficulty of stuff I was doing."

Kulak recorded seven assists while averaging 17:08 of ice time over 56 contests this season, his second with Montreal.

Canadiens defenseman Xavier Ouellet also said Thursday he tested positive but didn't feel any symptoms. The 26-year-old joined the team at training camp for the first time Wednesday.

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On Sunday, chartered planes in 22 NHL cities across North America will take off carrying professional hockey players, coaches, and staff. One of two Canadian cities will be the destination: Edmonton for those from the Western Conference, Toronto for those in the East. The Oilers and Maple Leafs, "home" teams by geography only in an ambitious 24-team playoff tournament set to begin next Saturday, will be there waiting.

Once on the ground, those groups of up to 52 people from each city - "traveling parties" is the official NHL term - will be transported by bus to assigned hotels. Proper physical distancing will be expected en route and as buses pass into fenced-in areas surrounding Sutton Place and the JW Marriott in Edmonton, and Hotel X and the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.

Everyone from the star forward to the backup goalie and from the equipment manager to the social media manager must follow the same protocol once inside one of these four high-end hotels. The hub-city "secure zones," or bubbles, are designed to shield all participants of the NHL's return-to-play efforts from the coronavirus, the cause of the pandemic that halted the 2019-20 season on March 12.

"Paramount in everything we've done to date and everything we'll be doing moving forward is the health and well-being of all NHL personnel," commissioner Gary Bettman said Thursday in a video presentation released by the league.

Ultimately crowning a Stanley Cup champion in October amid a pandemic - easily the greatest logistical undertaking of Bettman's 25-year tenure - will rely upon the tightness of these bubbles over the coming weeks.

Can they pull it off? We'll see. A better question right now might be: What do players think of the bubble and what will soon be their new reality?

"We don't really know what to expect, to be honest with you," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said last week as details were still being ironed out. "But, at the same time, it'll be like a little tournament. We're used to going to tournaments as kids (where) you're together as a team."

"Maybe guys will get a couple of mini sticks and have some good old times," Canucks forward Tanner Pearson added, half-jokingly. "I would imagine that we'll have a common room or something, where we can all hang out and at least get out of our rooms and not lay in our beds all day."

It turns out amenities in both cities will be fairly extensive.

Edmonton's secure zone, which includes the two team hotels, a third hotel for overflow staff, an events plaza, and Rogers Place, offers 14 restaurants, bars, pubs, food trucks, and pop-ups. On-site food options range from tacos to Tim Hortons, while concierge service is available for orders at grocery stores, pharmacies, and other restaurants within the city.

Also in the Edmonton bubble are eight movie theaters, dining areas, and activities spaces; 24 lounges, suites, and offices within Rogers Place; and 13 fitness centers, weight facilities, and practice rinks. Among the activities the NHL is promising players are pingpong, cornhole, basketball, and soccer.

"We're hoping our lifestyle, food-wise, doesn't change," Blues forward David Perron said. "We're guys who like to take care of ourselves, who like having good, healthy food. It's nice every once in a while to have a cheat day and eat whatever you want, but I think it's important that we're being taken care of that way."

Toronto has two secure zones - one downtown near Scotiabank Arena and another a few blocks west at Exhibition Place, a mixed-use district in which Hotel X is located. Similar to Edmonton, there will be plenty of bars and restaurants, movie theaters, and team-dedicated rooms within the confines. Noteworthy perks: players will have access to BMO Field, home of Major League Soccer's Toronto FC, for leisure purposes - pickleball is being promoted as a marquee pastime - and the league's secured private access to the underground tunnel that connects Scotiabank Arena and the Fairmont Royal York.

The most interesting part of both setups might be that players are being encouraged to watch other games from suites inside the arenas. It's kind of like a minor hockey tournament, after all.

"Appreciate what you have," Stars forward Joe Pavelski said. "We get to play some hockey, and we get to get back to compete. It's going to be unique as far as a bunch of teams in the same hotel, games going left and right once they get started. And no fans."

"You have to keep a mental sharpness, in a sense where there's going to be a lot of time in the hotel rooms," Coyotes forward Derek Stepan said. "In order for us to do this thing right, guys have to be really smart. You've got to be able to keep your head on your shoulders, stay sharp, and not get into dulls and lulls and have good energy when you come to the rink. I think that's a mental toughness thing."

Meanwhile, inside the hotels, every player is assigned his own room on a floor exclusive to the team, according to the NHL's Phase 4 health and safety protocol. No guests are allowed in private rooms - not even teammates, coaches, or staff. Housekeeping staff will be limited to every third day.

Hotel pools are open, but saunas, steam rooms, and spas are not. Fist bumps, high-fives, and handshakes are big no-nos, and face coverings must be worn at all times, with obvious exceptions, such as eating and exercising. And no talking during elevator rides, which have rules regarding physical distancing.

So far, the NHL's avoided a major outbreak; only two players tested positive during Week 1 of training camp out of a pool of more than 800. Teams have handled daily COVID-19 tests throughout Phases 2 and 3, but they'll pass that duty to the league upon arrival to hub cities. Those inside will be tested daily and know results within 24 hours.

These are high stakes from a health perspective and a competitive perspective. The protocol document states that breaking rules in the bubble environment could result in "significant penalties, potentially including fines and/or loss of draft picks."

"Leaving the bubble is just not something that we can tolerate," Bettman reiterated in the presentation. "Everybody's used terrific judgment to this point, and I know that we can count on everybody moving forward."

"I'm just trying to have an adequate number of shows downloaded before I get up to Canadian Netflix," Lightning goalie Curtis McElhinney quipped. "I'm not sure what to expect. I don't know what our lives are going to look like once we're up there. I think the teams, the organization, and the NHL are trying to do their best to make sure that everyone feels comfortable and accommodated. It'll certainly present its challenges, but it'll give us an opportunity as a group to spend a lot more time together."

The Lightning's longest road trip this season lasted two-and-a-half weeks. A Stanley Cup favorite ahead of the restart, Tampa Bay's now bracing for a lengthy stay at Hotel X. Players could conceivably be living in the same room for weeks, potentially months, with the last possible day of the Stanley Cup Final tentatively scheduled for Oct. 4.

"We're going to bring a lot more stuff than when we go on a normal road trip. You plan on being there for two months," Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau said.

"Travel's just getting there, and once you get there you can set up," Pavelski said. "You don't have to pack up every other night. You can get your room how you want it and go from there."

Capitals goalie Braden Holtby plans to bring one of his guitars; Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin won't forget his golf putter; Bruins forward Charlie Coyle is making room in his luggage for supplements and healthy snacks; Jets defenseman Luca Sbisa has "loaded up" on books; Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook will be recruiting teammates to play the board game Super Tock; Rangers forward Ryan Strome fully expects poker games to commence in the team's common area; and seemingly every other player headed to one of the hub cities is ensuring all video game devices - XBox, PlayStation, Nintendo Twitch, etc. - are accounted for.

There should be fewer formal suits spotted this postseason. The players' association negotiated a looser game-day dress code into the resumption of play agreement, and Leafs center Auston Matthews and other fashion-forward NHLers expressed their excitement. Meanwhile, the Wild, the West's 10-seed, instituted a casual dress code featuring team-issued collared shirts and matching pants.

Steve Mayer, the NHL's chief content officer, said Friday that players were told "in a very stringent tone" to remain separated from players from other teams for the first five days of the bubble experience. It's uncertain how much, if any, inter-team mingling will be permitted following those initial guidelines, but the idea of two bitter on-ice rivals grabbing a beer at the hotel bar on an off day is intriguing.

"That's going to be the real neat part, being in the same hotel as the teams you're playing against. That'll be different," Holtby said. "There's so many quality people around the league on different teams. I think guys can turn it off pretty quick once you get away from the game to see old friends and that kind of thing."

"It's going to be hard not to see the other guys," Sbisa said. "You're going to share elevators on your way up to your floor. You're going to see all the other guys, so it's definitely going to be different. But it's going to be the same for everyone. Everyone is in the same boat. Everyone has to deal with the same thing. It's an even playing field."

Depending on who you ask, the concept of a bubble's no big deal. These players are adults and professionals. The issue is leaving family behind. Families aren't permitted inside the bubbles until the conference finals, which will take place in Edmonton in September.

"I'm not worried about me," Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. "I'm going to be around my teammates, I'm going to be in a hotel, and playing hockey, really. For me, the hardest part is going to be everything going on back home. (My wife) and our kids and how all of that's going to work on the day-to-day. So that's going to be the hardest part, sort of weighing those things and being out of touch with that aspect of things. It's been four-plus months of doing it together and to just kind of up and leave is definitely tough. But it's all part of what I do for a living."

Players can leave the secure zone for only three reasons: to receive medical assessment or care; to get a second opinion on a health matter; or to return home for an urgent matter, such as a death in the family. If a player does leave - Washington's Lars Eller said he'll likely leave for the birth of his child - he must pass four consecutive COVID-19 tests over a four-day period before returning to normal bubble activities.

"I was quite against the league and the PA when it came to not being able to bring our families from the get-go," Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner said. "I had a lot of discussions with them about that. … It's not just about the players' mental health, it's about the families' mental health, too. There's a lot of players with young kids and wives and stuff, and we're going to leave them at home, alone, quarantined in the house with the kids. It's going to be equally as tough for them as it is for us."

Players are about to enter the unknown on the ice - playing in empty arenas after a very long layoff - and off it. The integrity of the entire return-to-play plan rests on members of each traveling party looking out for themselves and one another.

"I've seen some quotes from other guys around the league saying, 'We have food, we have a bed, we have the boys,'" Strome said. "When you're on the road, I think that's all that goes on. It's just a good time to bond."

John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.

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Welcome to Puck Pursuit, an NHL podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.

Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Matt Larkin, senior writer for The Hockey News, joins the show to discuss a variety of postseason-related topics, including:

• Dress code in bubble, type of hockey to expect
• Oilers heavily favored, but don't count out Hawks?
• Will Jets-Flames turn into a throwback series?
• Why the Canucks shouldn't take the Wild lightly
• Predators-Coyotes could be defensive showdown

... and more!

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The New York Islanders and Florida Panthers play totally opposite styles, and with veteran head coaches behind each bench, this Eastern Conference matchup could turn into somewhat of a chess match.

Florida has made the postseason just twice during the last two decades, while the Islanders look to crack the playoffs for the fourth time in six seasons. Can the Panthers' run-and-gun style overwhelm the Islanders, or will New York's pesky approach knock Florida off its game?

Schedule

*If necessary

Tale of the tape

Season series

The Islanders implemented their game plan to its fullest against Florida in 2019-20, sweeping the season series 3-0 and holding the Panthers to just four goals across those contests. Netminder Thomas Greiss stood tall in all three games for New York while Panthers stars Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov combined for only one even-strength point.

It's hard to weigh the significance of those results, however, as the two clubs haven't faced off in nearly eight months; all three meetings came prior to Dec. 13, and each side has made key changes since. The deadline addition of Jean-Gabriel Pageau will help the Islanders match up at center, and Panthers newcomers Erik Haula and Lucas Wallmark round out Florida's offensive depth.

Key players to watch

Aleksander Barkov

A premier two-way talent, Barkov will be tasked with catalyzing the Panthers' offense and keeping the Islanders' top scorers in check. The Finnish star slightly regressed offensively this season following his career-best 96-point campaign in 2018-19, but he remains the team's most important player and is counted upon in all situations.

One of the key matchups in this series will likely feature Barkov's line going against the defensive pairing of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock. Only four blue-liners spent more time on the ice against Barkov than the Islanders' shutdown duo this season. Though Barkov struggled to find the net, the Panthers' captain posted a dominant Corsi For rating (71.05) and expected goals-for percentage (67.77) while on the ice against Pulock and Pelech.

Mathew Barzal

Barzal's tremendous vision and elite skating ability have helped him become one of the game's most dangerous playmakers. The 23-year-old tallied seven points in eight playoff games last spring and led the Islanders in scoring with 60 points in 68 contests this season while pacing the club's forwards in average ice time (20:03).

He's a possession monster whose ability to control the play gave the Panthers nightmares this season. New York owned 60.11% of expected goals for against Florida with Barzal on the ice at five-on-five and 64% of high-danger scoring chances. He also found the scoresheet in all three meetings, netting two goals and four points.

Florida will need to be particularly aware of Barzal in transition. The crafty pivot ranked second in the league with 66 takeaways at five-on-five and will make the Panthers pay for any mistakes in the neutral zone.

Panthers can win if ...

They score early. The Islanders have no problem gaining leads and sitting back in a neutral-zone trap to suffocate their opponent. With a league-best .963 winning percentage when leading after two periods, it will be paramount for the Panthers to implement their style and dictate the tempo of each contest early on.

Islanders can win if ...

Their numbing forecheck disarms the Panthers' potent offense. New York led the NHL this season in hits per 60 minutes (27.71) and Florida ranked fifth in turnovers per 60 (11.11). The Panthers rely on speed and skill through the neutral zone, and the Islanders will do all they can to keep their opponents in their own end while grinding down their defense.

X-Factors

Anders Lee

The Islanders' captain has been the club's most consistent scoring threat over the last several seasons and will hope to rebound after regressing slightly in 2019-20. Lee hit the 20-goal mark for the fourth straight campaign and embodied the club's gritty style of play with 102 hits and 50 blocked shots this season.

It's not only the frequency of Lee's scoring but the timing of it that makes him such an important player. The 30-year-old owns a team-best 28 game-winning goals, including six this season. At 6-foot-3, Lee also has the ability to cause chaos in front of the Panthers' goal, and his 31 deflected shots ranked second in the league this season.

Sergei Bobrovsky

The Panthers will hope Bobrovsky has saved his best for this final stretch. The Russian netminder has had a debut season to forget, and his play against New York will go a long way in deciding the outcome of the series.

If Bobrovsky isn't sharp, Florida's offense may not be able to bail him out against the defensively sound Islanders. In what could be a low-scoring series, the 6-foot-2 puck-stopper simply can't afford to be outplayed in goal. Bobrovsky was phenomenal for the Columbus Blue Jackets during their stunning first-round sweep over the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019 and will hope to recapture that form.

(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)

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The NHL revealed a detailed plan on Thursday for the final phase of its return to play, including information about general rules and safety measures, life in the bubble for players and staff, and how broadcasts and game presentations will look.

The league will test every person - players, team staff, event staff, and hotel staff - in the bubble daily and expects to receive results within 24 hours.

A fencing system will run through and enclose the entirety of the bubbles to keep everyone inside. There will be 97 security guards and health ambassadors throughout the secure zones in Toronto and 125 in Edmonton.

The JW Marriott, Sutton Place Hotel, and Delta Hotels will be used in Edmonton. All three are within walking distance to Rogers Place Arena.

In Toronto, players and staff will be housed at Hotel X and the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

The players will have access to a number of amenities in both cities. Select restaurants will already be in the secure zones, but some pop-ups will also be created with the help of local chefs and restaurants. They will all be open early in the morning until late at night, and a variety of options will be available.

Players and staff will also have access to a concierge system that will work with outside delivery companies to provide those in the bubble with food, pharmaceutical needs, and other goods.

There will be space for indoor and outdoor activities, include ping pong, movie theaters, tennis, basketball, and pickleball. Each city will have at least 15 workout facilities and outdoor areas for people to train. Players in Toronto will also have access to BMO Field.

Each arena will have dedicated lounges where players can stay after games to watch other contests. Hotels are also fitted with pools and patios, which players will have access to.

The league will use video, audio, and lighting to its advantage to ensure that each game looks different from the previous one. There will be LED screens, monitors, and stages around the ice to create a unique look for television audiences.

Regular NHL broadcasts utilize 20 cameras per game, whereas broadcasts for the upcoming playoffs will use 32. Teams will have their personal goal songs, goal horns, in-arena music compilations, and videos.

The league also partnered with EA Sports to use its library of in-game sounds for crowd noise. It also received videos from fans of all 24 teams that will replicate team-specific chants.

The qualifying round of the 24-team tournament is set to kick off on Aug. 1. Teams are expected to arrive in their respective hub cities by July 26.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have been practicing for nearly two weeks now, and head coach John Tortorella doesn't love what he's seen from some of his players.

"My concern is some of the people that we are going to need to make a difference for us to win a series, I don't think they're ready right now," Tortorella said after practice Thursday, according to NHL.com's Craig Merz. "I don't think they're doing the things they need to do right now to get ready for that series. Not a bunch. A few. A couple."

Columbus is gearing up to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in the best-of-five play-in round. The Blue Jackets finished the season with a 33-22-15 record and enter the qualifying round as the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference.

"For the most part, I've liked what I've seen here," Tortorella continued. "It's just the two or three guys that are pretty important people. It's a concern of mine. ... I'm not so sure we get total concentration out of some key people. That's what we're working to try to get."

The Blue Jackets hit the ice Thursday after a day off. Tortorella stopped practice and yelled at the team after 30 seconds of the opening drill, according to Merz.

Tortorella was recently named a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy, though he's entering unknown territory with the upcoming playoff format after spending nearly five months away from hockey.

"This isn't getting ready for the regular season and then trying to find your game in 15 games during the regular season. This is a sprint. And I think some guys have been dead-on right from the start," Tortorella said. "Other guys, not so much. I think we're in single digits right now as far as getting ready to play. I don't want us to fall into this trap of wading in. We need to be ready to go."

The first game of the series is on Aug. 2.

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Montreal Canadiens defenseman Xavier Ouellet and Winnipeg Jets blue-liner Anthony Bitetto each confirmed Thursday they tested positive for the coronavirus.

Ouellet says he initially tested negative upon arriving to training camp, but subsequently had a positive result despite not feeling any symptoms.

"I had zero symptoms, there was not one point where I felt sick or anything," Ouellet said, according to Sportsnet.

"I don’t really know if I actually had it or not. But the protocols with the league and the governments are pretty strict and they’re there to keep it safe for everyone. So I had to isolate myself and wait a little bit before I could come back which is what I did. But since that positive test I’ve tested negative every day and felt healthy, zero symptoms."

The 26-year-old joined the Canadiens at training camp for the first time Wednesday.

Bitetto tested positive positive for the virus June 24 and recently completed a 29-day quarantine, according to Sportsnet's Ken Wiebe. The 30-year-old says he feels fortunate that his case wasn't too serious.

"I feel very lucky to have had minor symptoms," Bitetto said, per Wiebe. "I didn't have it bad by any means. There were days I woke up and I was completely fine and I'm like 'I have this virus? How?' It didn't make any sense. It was nothing like I've ever had."

Ouellet and Bitetto join Edmonton Oilers defenseman Caleb Jones and Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews as the only four players to make their positive tests public.

The NHL has seen a decline in COVID-19 cases since Phase 3 began July 13. Two out of 2,618 tests administered to more than 800 NHL players over the first five days of training camp returned positive.

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The Calgary Flames are desperate for a taste of playoff success after last season's disappointing first-round exit, but they face a tough draw against a Winnipeg Jets squad with mounds of playoff experience.

Can Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets go into Alberta and inflict more playoff misery on the Flames?

The case for Calgary

The Flames struggled to get out of first gear and were unable to build any energy after an early coaching change. Calgary's offense started to come to life before the pause, suggesting interim coach Geoff Ward found the right formula among his forwards. The Flames averaged 4.06 goals per game over their final 15 regular-season contests and Johnny Gaudreau broke out of his slump with 16 points over that stretch.

Calgary should expose Winnipeg, despite the Flames' offensive woes. The Jets’ run-and-gun style allowed the second-most high-danger scoring chances in the regular season while creating the fourth fewest. Winnipeg was also a miserable 29th in expected goal rates and 22nd in shot differential.

The Jets attempted to rebuild their defense on the fly and it simply hasn't worked. Calgary holds a significant edge on the blue line in this series. Mark Giordano is healthy after missing most of February and Noah Hanifin is making a welcome return to the lineup. That will be a big help for whomever the Flames pick to play goalie. Cam Talbot is enjoying a terrific bounce-back season and he's built a strong case to get the starting nod.

The case for Winnipeg

It's hard not to turn this into a "Connor Hellebuyck for Vezina" segment. The 27-year-old has enjoyed a spectacular season that should see him named top goaltender. Hellebuyck has posted an outrageous 22.37 goals saved above average, and he was second in save percentage among netminders who started at least half their team's games. He also faced 509 high-danger shots - by far the most in the NHL. Tuukka Rask, the only full-time starter with a better SV%, saw just 279.

Hellebuyck managed his strong stats behind a defense that was a mess for most of the year. Winnipeg had the fifth-most expected goals against this season but allowed the 12th fewest thanks to the netminder.

Hellebuyck should get more help from a defensive group that improved toward the end of the season. Deadline acquisition Dylan DeMelo has given a big push, while a healthy Sami Niku and Luca Sbisa should bolster the back end's strength. Winnipeg's forward group is loaded with high-end talent and shouldn't have any trouble providing goal support.

The pick

Winnipeg Jets (-105)

There was so little separating these teams in the regular season - just a .001 points percentage difference in favor of Calgary - and both Canadian clubs will be feeling the pressure to live up to expectations. Neither was particularly impressive in any offensive or defensive categories, but it's hard to back the Flames as the favorite with a significant disadvantage in goal. In a battle between a pair of evenly matched teams, go with the likely Vezina winner and a plethora of game-breaking talent up front.

(Odds source: theScore Bet)

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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