Chicago Blackhawks forward Jujhar Khaira had to be stretchered off the ice after taking a heavy hit from New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba during Tuesday's contest.

The Blackhawks later announced that Khaira suffered an "upper-body blow" and had been taken to hospital for further testing.

The incident occurred midway through the second period. Trouba slammed into Khaira in the Blackhawks' zone. Khaira's head was down as he appeared to be trying to find the puck in his skates before the hit.

Khaira lay motionless on the ice after contact, and play was immediately halted.

Khaira was able to raise an arm to the crowd, according to Rangers beat reporter Vince Mercogliano.

Members of both teams showed support for the 27-year-old as he left the ice.

Blackhawks blue-liner Riley Stillman initiated a fight with Trouba shortly after the incident.

Khaira struggled with head injuries during the 2020-21 season. He has 65 points in 275 career NHL games.

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza was handed a six-game suspension for kneeing Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk in the head, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday.

Spezza took a run at a vulnerable Pionk on Sunday after the Jets blue-liner injured Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin with a knee-on-knee hit. Sandin is expected to miss two-to-three weeks, while Pionk was suspended two games and had to be placed in concussion protocol.

Here's a look at the incident, as explained by the NHL Department of Player Safety:

The league considered the play "reckless and retaliatory" and noted Spezza enacted "forceful retribution on a player in a vulnerable position."

Spezza will appeal the ruling, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. The first stage of the appeal process will go through NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. Spezza can opt for independent arbitration if he isn't satisfied with Bettman's ruling.

This is the first time Spezza has been suspended or fined in his 19-year NHL career.

The 38-year-old veteran has been an integral player for the Leafs, both for his leadership and on-ice performance. Spezza entered Tuesday tied for fourth on the team with seven goals in 26 games despite averaging only 11:58 of ice time per contest.

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Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager Laurence Gilman is "definitely in the mix" for the Vancouver Canucks' GM opening, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."

Gilman has held his role with Toronto since May 2018. He serves as the senior vice president and governor of the AHL's Toronto Marlies, manages the Maple Leafs' player development and farm system, and assists in player-personnel matters, among other duties.

Gilman spent seven campaigns in the Canucks' front office from 2009-15, serving as assistant GM and vice president of hockey operations under former general managers Mike Gillis (six seasons) and Jim Benning (one season). He also filled a variety of roles in the then-Phoenix Coyotes' front office from 1998-07.

The 56-year-old worked in the league office between his stints with Vancouver and Arizona.

Stan Smyl is currently serving as the Canucks' interim general manager after the team fired Benning on Sunday.

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We have a full slate of games on the docket tonight, which means the return of shot props! We've posted a 61-43 record and are up 17.66 units on the season.

Let's get into our best bets as we try to keep climbing.

Steven Stamkos over 2.5 shots on goal (+110)

Stamkos has recorded at least three shots on goal in seven of the last 10 games on the road. I like his chances of continuing that trend tonight against an injury-plagued Montreal Canadiens side that is bleeding shots.

At five-on-five, the Canadiens have allowed 66 shot attempts - including 39 shots on goal - per 60 minutes over the last 10 games. Both totals rank them dead last. And they posted those numbers with Jeff Petry, their best defender, in the lineup. One can only imagine how they'll fare without him.

Montreal has also struggled to suppress shots while killing penalties, sitting 28th in shots against per 60 in that time. Stamkos is a go-to shooter on the man advantage so he figures to benefit most from this advantageous spot.

Given Stamkos' road success and this mouth-watering matchup, I'm happy to back him at plus money.

Timo Meier over 3.5 shots on goal (-115)

Death, taxes, and Timo Meier going over his shot totals. He has amassed at least four shots on target in eight of his last 10 games and has averaged 4.9 in that span.

Meier has done his best work on home soil, going over the number in six of seven tries while recording 5.1 shots on target per contest.

While the Calgary Flames are a strong defensive side, they're much more exploitable on the road.

They concede only 23.33 shots on goal per 60 in their own building, which comfortably ranks them first. However, Calgary allows more than 31 shots per 60 on the road, putting it 17th in the league.

The Sharks will no doubt look to get their sniper in favorable matchups and, at home, they should be able to do just that. Back Meier to stay hot against the Flames.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Florida Panthers superstar Aleksander Barkov is back in the lineup for Tuesday's clash with the St. Louis Blues after missing eight games with a lower-body injury, the team announced.

Defenseman Gustav Forsling is back as well.

Barkov has been sidelined since taking a knee-on-knee hit from New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield on Nov. 16.

The first-place Panthers went 6-2 without their captain.

Barkov's been his typical dominant self so far this season, registering 17 points in 15 games while averaging nearly 21 minutes per contest.

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We started the week on a high note, going 2-1 with our best bets. The Vancouver Canucks blanked the Los Angeles Kings while the Anaheim Ducks kept things close and covered the +1.5 spread against the Washington Capitals. If not for a couple of posts from the New Jersey Devils, we could have been looking at a perfect night.

Nevertheless, we gave ourselves a good base to build upon, so let's get into our best bets for tonight's busy slate.

Rangers (-130) @ Blackhawks (+110)

The Blackhawks are not a good team. They just don't have the necessary defensive acumen or depth throughout their roster. However, they are better than they were at the start of the year.

Chicago has won six of its last 10 games. In that time, the team ranks 16th in shot attempt share, 22nd in scoring chance share, and it owns a positive goal differential. The Blackhawks aren't playing great hockey, per se, but they're competent, particularly when Marc-Andre Fleury starts.

Fleury has really responded from the worst start imaginable. Among 37 eligible netminders, Fleury sits eighth in five-on-five save percentage. He's sandwiched between Thatcher Demko and Connor Hellebuyck - great company!

Things haven't gone as smoothly for Alexandar Georgiev, who's projected to start tonight for the Rangers. He's conceded 7.7 more goals than expected through eight appearances this season. Among those with at least seven games played, only Aaron Dell and Anton Khudobin have allowed more goals than expected per 60 minutes than Georgiev (minus-1.25).

While New York's play is trending upwards, Georgiev tends to erase a lot of the good work done in front of him.

I see value on Chicago as home underdogs.

Bet: Blackhawks (+110)

Lightning (-220) @ Canadiens (+180)

The Canadiens have struggled from the word go this season, and things are somehow getting worse. They've controlled just 38.5% of the expected goals at five-on-five over the last 10 games, which is an unfathomably bad number.

With key players like Tyler Toffoli, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, and Jeff Petry out of the lineup due to injury, I don't see things getting better for Montreal. They might well get worse.

The Lightning have controlled better than 52% of the expected goals on the season. They should have their way against the injury-plagued Canadiens.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, who will return to the pipes following a night off, should have little problem fending off this putrid Canadiens offense.

I don't see Montreal hanging around in this game.

Bet: Lightning -1.5 (+120)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without forward Mitch Marner and defenseman Rasmus Sandin for the foreseeable future.

Marner will miss three-to-four weeks with a shoulder injury after colliding with teammate Jake Muzzin in practice last week, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Tuesday, according to ESPN's Kristen Shilton. Sandin is expected to miss two-to-three weeks after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk on Sunday. Pionk earned a two-game suspension for the collision.

Sandin avoided structural damage to his knee, but he's on crutches, Shilton adds.

The Leafs recalled defensemen Alex Biega and Kristians Rubins as well as forward Alex Steeves from the AHL. Toronto is also likely to be without forward Jason Spezza for a few games, as he faces an in-person hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Tuesday for his retaliatory hit on Pionk.

Here's how the shorthanded Leafs lined up at practice prior to Tuesday's tilt with the Columbus Blue Jackets:

Marner and Sandin have been key contributors for the Leafs this season. Marner's racked up 21 points in 24 games, while Sandin's logged a career-high average of 16:15 per contest.

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