Oilers’ Kassian out week-to-week with lower-body injury

Edmonton Oilers forward Zack Kassian will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, head coach Dave Tippett announced Saturday.

The bruising right wing suffered the injury early during Wednesday's contest against the Montreal Canadiens when he went to lay a hit on defenseman Shea Weber. Kassian previously missed 17 games earlier in the season due to an upper-body injury.

Kassian has amassed two goals and three assists in 27 games this campaign. The 30-year-old ranks third on the Oilers with 13.68 hits per 60 minutes while averaging 11:51 minutes of ice time per game.

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Knight, Coyne Schofield call out IIHF’s lack of Plan B for canceled worlds

American women's hockey stars Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield aren't impressed with the IIHF's failure to implement a contingency plan following the cancellation of the 2021 world championship.

The IIHF and the Nova Scotia government nixed the tournament Wednesday due to COVID-19 concerns, just weeks before it was scheduled to take place May 6-16 in Halifax and Truro.

"The cancellation of the women's world championship at the last minute this week was just another reminder that women's hockey continues to be treated as an afterthought," Knight wrote in a statement Friday.

She continued: "The health and safety of the people of Nova Scotia is, and must be, the top priority. However, to cancel this critical event so close to its start - with some teams en route to the site to begin an eight-day quarantine process - and provide no other option is incredibly disappointing."

Coyne Schofield shared similar sentiments.

"To learn that there was no contingency plan and the IIHF is letting 250 of the best players in the world return to their homes today with, 'We are seeking new dates,' is simply unacceptable," she stated Thursday.

The IIHF and Hockey Canada said in a joint statement after the cancelation that they aim to stage the event "in the summer of 2021." The possibility of moving the event from Nova Scotia is on the table.

IIHF president Rene Fasel said the organization didn't have a safety net in place because there didn't appear to be a need for one.

"As both the IIHF and Hockey Canada had assurances that this event was going to proceed a few days before the cancellation announcement, this news was completely unexpected," Fasel said, per The Canadian Press.

The 2020 women's world championship was also canceled due to the pandemic.

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Flames to play Habs as scheduled after canceled morning skate

The Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens will play as scheduled Friday evening after the Flames canceled their morning skate due to one player receiving a positive COVID-19 test, the team announced.

Calgary forward Josh Leivo was added to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list Friday afternoon, per Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The NHL recently rescheduled 13 North Division games after the Vancouver Canucks paused their season due to a coronavirus outbreak. The division is now scheduled to play until May 19.

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Simmonds denies Leafs are playing dirty: ‘We’re defending ourselves’

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds isn't buying the idea that his team has played dirty against the Winnipeg Jets lately.

"Every time we've played them, they've tried to run us out of the building to start games," Simmonds said, according to TSN's Mark Masters. "We come back, and we're physical, and now we're a dirty team? I don't buy that. We're defending ourselves."

The NHL handed Leafs veteran Joe Thornton a $3,017.24 fine earlier Friday for an interference penalty on Jets forward Mathieu Perreault during Thursday's contest. Thornton was given a two-minute penalty on the play.

Newly acquired forward Nick Foligno also delivered a questionable hit Thursday to defenseman Josh Morrissey.

In a matchup last week, Zach Hyman received a $5,000 fine for high-sticking Neal Pionk.

Simmonds believes the Leafs are simply matching the Jets' intensity and said he's "sick of guys jumping on our goalie and being allowed to spear our goalie and the refs not calling it."

The 32-year-old took matters into his own hands during Thursday's high-octane game after Pierre-Luc Dubois delivered some shots to goaltender Jack Campbell while he had the puck covered.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice was asked Friday if he believes the Leafs are a dirty team.

"I don't think so. The league has said they're not, so we'll abide by the league's rulings," Maurice said, according to Winnipeg News' Mike McIntyre.

"But they are a poorer team," he joked. "There's some fines. Probably looking at some part-time jobs now."

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Leafs’ Bogosian to miss at least 4 weeks with shoulder injury

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Zach Bogosian will miss at least four weeks with a shoulder injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Friday, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

Bogosian suffered the injury during Tuesday's 6-3 loss against the Vancouver Canucks after falling awkwardly into the corner boards.

With the defender out of the lineup, the Leafs' defensive pairings looked like this at Friday's practice with Rasmus Sandin stepping in:

Bogosian had four assists in 45 games this season while averaging 14:40 of ice time per game.

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Ducks’ Silfverberg out 4-6 months after undergoing hip surgery

Anaheim Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg will miss the next four-to-six months after undergoing successful surgery for femoroacetabular impingement and to repair a torn labrum in his right hip, the team announced Friday.

Silfverberg had apparently been playing through the issue for the past two campaigns.

"Jakob is a great teammate and leader in our locker room," general manager Bob Murray said.

"He did everything he could to continue playing, but after two years dealing with this issue, now is the right time to help him get to 100 percent. He has been an impactful player in all situations for us, and we are confident he will return to full health by next season."

The 30-year-old recorded eight goals and eight assists in 47 games this season. The Ducks inked him to a five-year, $26.25 million contract in 2019.

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Red Wings’ Larkin to miss remainder of season

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin will miss the remainder of the season due to an upper-body injury, the team announced Friday.

Larkin joins a slew of forwards including Tyler Bertuzzi, Frans Nielsen, and Bobby Ryan who have also already been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.

Detroit has seven games remaining on its schedule and currently sits in seventh place in the Central Division with a 17-25-7 record.

Larkin, 24, recorded nine goals and added 14 assists in 44 games this season.

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