New York Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin had to be helped off the ice Friday after suffering a lower-body injury against the San Jose Sharks.

Head coach Gerard Gallant said postgame that the ailment is "not as bad as it looked."

Shesterkin appeared to be in discomfort after stretching out for a loose puck in front of his crease. He didn't put any weight on his right leg as teammate Jacob Trouba and a member of the club's medical staff helped Shesterkin off the ice.

The 25-year-old was visibly frustrated after he left the surface, punching a wall with his blocker on the way to the dressing room.

Backup Alexandar Georgiev finished the game in Shesterkin's absence.

Shesterkin has been one of the best goalies in the league this season, entering Friday with a 12-3-2 record, a .935 save percentage, and a 2.15 goals against average. He ranks second in the league in goals saved above expectation (12.1) and fourth in goals saved above average (10.8), per Evolving-Hockey.

Georgiev, meanwhile, entered Friday with an .858 save percentage and 4.08 goals against average in six appearances this season.

Shesterkin and Georgiev combined for a 28-save shutout in the Rangers' 1-0 victory.

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Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced Friday.

Getzlaf exited Tuesday's contest versus the Los Angeles Kings after logging only 2:48 of ice time, and he was unavailable for Wednesday's clash versus the Vegas Golden Knights.

The 36-year-old is off to a terrific start this season, recording 20 points in 23 games while ranking fourth in the NHL with 19 assists.

The Ducks sit third in the Pacific Division with a 13-8-3 record.

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Thursday was a good night on the ice. We won both shot props and rightfully backed the Colorado Avalanche to win in regulation. Had things gone differently for the New York Islanders in overtime, we'd have swept the board. Alas, a 3-1 night will have to do.

Let's keep climbing as we head into the weekend.

Sharks (+170) at Rangers (-200)
Dec. 3, 7 p.m. ET

You generally want to target strong defensive teams and quality goaltending when looking at unders. This game certainly meets that criteria.

The San Jose Sharks, somewhat surprisingly, have played fantastic defensive hockey of late. At five-on-five, they've given up just 1.77 expected goals per 60 minutes in the last seven games. That's good for second in the NHL behind only the Boston Bruins.

Meanwhile, the New York Rangers have certainly found their footing defensively after a horrendous start to the season. They've allowed just 1.89 expected goals per 60 in the last seven, which slots them fourth in that span.

Seven games is a rather arbitrary cutoff, but the point is both teams enter this contest playing stingy defense.

And it's not as if the goaltenders need the help. James Reimer sits eighth among those with 10-plus appearances in goals saved above expectation per start.

Igor Shesterkin grades out even higher in that regard, sitting third at +0.828 GSAE per start.

With both teams limiting quality, and each starter playing at a high level, I don't expect fireworks in this game.

Bet: under 5.5 goals (-105)

Blues (+130) at Panthers (-140)
Dec. 4, 1 p.m. ET

The St. Louis Blues are going to be a common fade for the next couple of weeks. Starting netminder Jordan Binnington is in COVID-19 protocol for around 10 days, which means a lot of Ville Husso. That's bad news for St. Louis.

Though his numbers are solid through five games, Husso posted a .893 save percentage last year and was rather mediocre in the AHL the two seasons prior. There's a pretty long track record that suggests he's nothing more than a fringe NHL goaltender.

The Florida Panthers are certainly going to put him to the test. They lead the league in shot attempts per 60 and sit second - behind only the Toronto Maple Leafs - in scoring chances per 60. They should be able to generate a lot against Husso, and I like their odds of capitalizing.

Back the Panthers on home soil against a Blues side missing key players Binnington and Justin Faulk.

Bet: Panthers (-140)

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

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Jeff Gorton met with media on Friday for the first time since being named Montreal Canadiens executive vice president of hockey operations.

The veteran executive discussed a wide range of topics, including a possible rebuild for the league's most storied franchise.

Gorton said he needs more time to acclimatize to his new surroundings, but the team would be transparent if they decide to rebuild, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.

The Canadiens currently sit 29th in the league with a 6-17-2 record, months after reaching the Stanley Cup Final.

Gorton has experience implementing foundational changes to his rosters. In 2018 as general manager of the New York Rangers, he and then-president Glen Sather penned a letter to fans warning of an impending rebuild. It seemed unorthodox at the time, but three years later, the Rangers have a brand new look and are contenders in the Metropolitan Division.

Gorton also provided some insight on what he envisions for the makeup of the Canadiens.

"The team had a tough start, I recognize that and (owner) Geoff (Molson) and I went through that," Gorton said, per The Athletic's Marc Antoine Godin. "Things need to happen. My teams are fast and skilled. We need to work on player development. We need to add analytics."

"We need to build that out better. We need to modernize it. I believe in it," Gorton said, according to TSN's John Lu.

As for the club's general manager search, Gorton said the club will cast a wide net but likely won't name Marc Bergevin's successor until after Christmas. Gorton also confirmed Dominique Ducharme's job as head coach is safe for the rest of the season, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

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There's still plenty of hockey to be played in this NHL season, but the Hart Trophy race continues to take shape nearly two months into the campaign.

The top three contenders have remained as such for the majority of 2021-22 - though the order of that trio looks a bit different this time around - while another longtime impact player and a young star in the making are building cases to be included in the MVP conversation.

Here are our top five Hart candidates with one-quarter of the season in the rearview mirror.

5. Steven Stamkos

The Tampa Bay Lightning are used to dealing with injuries, but Stamkos has raised his ever-reliable game while playing without Nikita Kucherov for most of this season and with Brayden Point now on the shelf as well.

Stamkos ranks among the NHL's goals and points leaders while collecting three more goals and three more points than the next closest Lightning skaters. Yes, Tampa Bay also boasts all-world defenseman Victor Hedman and standout goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, but Stamkos has kept the Lightning's offense afloat while the team has been without its two most electric forwards.

Much like the player who's ranked third on this list, Stamkos is at an age when he should be declining. But the veteran center, who'll be 32 in February, hasn't slowed down, and his steady play has been critical to Tampa Bay's success.

4. Troy Terry

Terry's emergence has been one of the NHL's best stories this season. The 24-year-old reeled off a 16-game point streak from Oct. 18 to Nov. 18, during which he amassed 12 goals and 10 assists while burying nine of those markers at even strength. Terry is the most surprising name near the top of the league's scoring list, but it's time to start recognizing his impressive contributions.

The forward's production has been a major reason the Anaheim Ducks have exceeded expectations. Terry has scored more than twice as many goals as any teammate in 2021-22. He also leads the club in points, with eight more than the next closest teammate not named Ryan Getzlaf, and 19 of the captain's 20 points are assists. Getzlaf deserves some credit for Terry's dominance, but the latter proved Wednesday he can score without the playmaking pivot in the lineup.

Terry's inflated shooting percentage is bound to regress, but the underlying numbers show he's no fluke. The winger's favorable expected goals for percentage bodes well for the future, especially considering his goals for percentage is under 50% at 47.06. That means the team has actually had additional opportunities to score with Terry on the ice but just hasn't converted them.

3. Alex Ovechkin

Ovechkin has carried his team amid multiple injuries even more effectively than Stamkos has. The Washington Capitals have been without Nicklas Backstrom for all of 2021-22, while T.J. Oshie has missed various stretches and Anthony Mantha remains out indefinitely after getting hurt in early November.

And yet, Ovi has been nothing short of incredible this season, which is even more jaw-dropping considering he's 36 years old. The Russian ranks second on the NHL's goal-scoring list and third in the league in points this season. He's scored 11 more times and racked up 10 more points than his next closest teammate.

Ovechkin isn't just banging home power-play one-timers to pad his numbers, either. The Capitals captain has relied on that method for only one of 19 markers in 2021-22, and he leads the league in both even-strength goals and points. If not for the Edmonton Oilers' dynamic duo, Ovi would be the Hart favorite.

2. Leon Draisaitl

Draisaitl continues to lead in the "Rocket" Richard and Art Ross Trophy races, and there's no denying his immense talent. However, the German has an absurd shooting percentage of 27.8% in 2021-22, which will surely regress as the season goes on. He's also scored half of his goals on the power play.

His underlying numbers at five-on-five also remain largely unfavorable. The 26-year-old has a commendable goals for percentage in those situations (63.89), but his subpar expected goals for percentage indicates an inability to drive possession. In addition, the Oilers aren't controlling the share of scoring chances with Draisaitl on the ice at five-on-five, earning only 45.34% of them.

Draisaitl's analytic figures without McDavid are even worse. The 2019-20 Hart Trophy winner has a 42.76 xGF% and a 41.72% SCF% while playing without the Edmonton captain at five-on-five. Draisaitl is undoubtedly one of the NHL's most valuable players, but a closer look at numbers beyond just goals and points clearly indicates he's still not the Hart frontrunner.

1. Connor McDavid

Draisaitl has been producing at a higher rate than McDavid since the start of November, but the latter superstar remains the NHL's most valuable player for several reasons.

Firstly, the Oilers are better with just McDavid on the ice than they are with only Draisaitl at five-on-five. In contrast to Edmonton's paltry xGF and SCF percentages with Draisaitl and without McDavid, the team is driving possession at rates above 50% when the two-time MVP is playing without his older teammate.

Draisaitl deserves credit for his stellar production while logging a bit more ice time, but McDavid has been more effective by just about any analytic measure. The 24-year-old has favorable xGF and SCF percentages on an individual basis in addition to his superior numbers in the with-and-without comparison.

McDavid also boasts the NHL's best individual expected goals rate in all situations and one of the league's top ixG figures at five-on-five, while Draisaitl sits 94th in the latter. So while Draisaitl's counting stats are superior, McDavid has consistently proved he has a greater impact on his team's ability to control the play and create more scoring opportunities, thereby demonstrating his superior value.

(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving Hockey)

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After yet another loss, fans in Montreal are starting to lose patience with the Canadiens.

Late in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, a spectator tossed a Canadiens jersey onto the Bell Centre ice:

Nick Suzuki, one of Montreal's lone bright spots during a miserable season so far, touched on fans' frustrations postgame.

"Yeah, I saw it (the jersey). It's not a good feeling for the players," Suzuki said.

"It's tough. It's tough to get booed. But the fans want to see wins, and they're used to productive teams, and we're not doing that right now. I can definitely see why they're getting angry."

The Canadiens were outshot 34-20 Thursday and only managed 18 scoring chances to Colorado's 37, per Natural Stat Trick. The Avalanche were playing the second half of a back-to-back on the road after losing 8-3 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

With the loss, the Canadiens now own a 6-17-2 record and have the third-worst points percentage in the league. Suzuki is tied for the team lead in points (15) with Tyler Toffoli.

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Shot props return to the app for this busy Thursday night in the NHL. We're sitting on a 46-34 record for +11.35 units on the year.

Let's get into our best bets.

Victor Hedman over 2.5 shots (-110)

The Blues are a structured defensive team that takes away quality shots and forces teams to the perimeter. They rank ninth in high-danger chances against per 60 but 17th in shots against per 60. St. Louis will undoubtedly stress the importance of protecting the middle of the ice with Jordan Binnington unavailable due to him being in COVID-19 protocol.

Victor Hedman figures to be a prime beneficiary of the Blues' style. We saw that firsthand the last time these two sides met when Hedman recorded three shots on goal at five-on-five alone. Across all game states, he amassed six shot attempts and five shots on target, easily clearing the number.

Look for the Lightning's leader in shot attempts and shots on goal to be heavily involved in this one.

Jonathan Huberdeau over 2.5 shots (-120)

While Jonathan Huberdeau is rightfully thought of as a playmaker first, he's not afraid to pull the trigger. That has certainly been evident of late.

Huberdeau has piled up 35 shots on goal over his last 10 games, and he recorded at least three shots in nine of those contests.

He's consistently hitting the number, so this isn't a spot where I'm worried about a letdown.

The Sabres bleed shots like few other teams, giving up 34.02 per 60 minutes of play over their last 10 games. Only the Canadiens, Flyers, and Devils have allowed shots at a higher clip.

Let's ride the hot hand in an advantageous matchup.

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

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