In a surprising turn of events, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry returned to the lineup for Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Canadiens didn't include Petry in their initial lineup, but they announced moments before puck drop that he'd play in place of Brett Kulak.

Jon Merrill also returned to the lineup in the place of Alexander Romanov. Merrill hasn't played since Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Petry missed two contests against the Winnipeg Jets after injuring his hand during Game 3 of Montreal's second-round series. He's been one of the Canadiens' best postseason players, chipping in three assists while averaging 23:52 of ice time.

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Gerard Gallant is officially the new head coach of the New York Rangers, the organization announced Wednesday.

"Gerard's proven track record has made him one of the league's most sought-after coaches, and we are fortunate to have him as part of the team," team owner James Dolan said. "I have no doubt that he will play a critical role in helping us take the next steps to building a championship-caliber team."

Gallant replaces David Quinn, who was fired in May after three seasons with the club.

The 57-year-old recently guided Team Canada to an improbable gold medal at the world championship. He was previously head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights from 2017-20, where he led the team to a Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season.

Gallant also previously served as head coach with the Florida Panthers from 2014-17 and Columbus Blue Jackets from 2003-07.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs inked Jason Spezza to a one-year contract extension worth $750,000, the club announced Wednesday.

Spezza will earn the new league minimum next season after collecting the lowest-possible NHL salary for the last two campaigns.

The veteran forward, who turned 38 on Sunday, produced 10 goals and 20 assists in 54 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs in 2021 before excelling in the playoffs with three markers and two helpers in seven contests.

Spezza has played his last two campaigns with the Leafs. He has proven to be a perfect fit with the club in a bottom-six role. The Toronto-born player first signed with his hometown squad as a free agent in July 2019 after spending five seasons with the Dallas Stars.

He suited up for his first 11 campaigns with the Ottawa Senators, who drafted him second overall in 2001.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are rewarding their all-time leading scorer, promoting Rick Nash to director of player development Wednesday.

Nash spent the last two seasons as a special assistant to Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen after retiring as a player following his 15-year career.

The former star forward, who turned 37 on Wednesday, will now supervise the team's development staff, monitor the progress of the club's prospects, and offer feedback to upper management about which players should advance within the organization.

Nash ranks first in Blue Jackets history in goals, assists, points, and games played. The 2002 first overall pick racked up 547 points in 674 contests for Columbus and 805 points in 1,060 career games.

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New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz bemoaned a missed too-many-men call that led to a go-ahead goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

Ondrej Palat scored in the second period to give Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead, but replay showed the Lightning had extra players on the ice at the time. Trotz was predictably incensed on the bench afterward.

Trotz addressed the missed call postgame.

"The second goal hurt quite a bit," Trotz said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynki. "Obviously you guys know there was too many men on the ice there. They had seven guys."

Palat's tally wasn't the only debated goal in the high-octane affair. The Islanders scored on a power play in the first period after a controversial goaltender interference penalty on Lightning forward Brayden Point.

The Islanders were penalized five times in the contest to the Lightning's four.

Tampa Bay went on to win 4-2 and even the third-round series at 1-1. Game 3 goes Thursday in New York.

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New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov was briefly forced out of Game 2 during the first period after colliding with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point.

Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech shoved Point into Varlamov while he was driving toward the net. Point was handed a two-minute penalty for goaltender interference.

Varlamov was down for a few moments and later sent to the locker room. Ilya Sorokin entered the game in his place, stopping all six shots he faced. Varlamov returned to the crease for the beginning of the second period.

The Islanders scored immediately on the ensuing power play to tie up the contest.

Varlamov stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced prior to exiting.

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The Bell Centre will be a bit more full when the Montreal Canadiens return for Game 3 on Friday.

The Quebec government announced Tuesday that it's relaxing the rules for public events. One of the changes will increase the indoor capacity from 2,500 people to 3,500 and go into effect on Thursday.

Montreal was the first Canadian city to allow fans to attend NHL games during the first round of the playoffs. The majority of American teams welcomed back fans during the regular season, and the remaining teams in the postseason are operating near full capacity.

The Canadiens will take on the Vegas Golden Knights at the Bell Centre for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday. There were 17,884 fans in attendance for Game 1 in Vegas, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

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