Home sweet home for Tuukka Rask.

The Boston Bruins goaltender felt he was right where he belonged Thursday - in the crease at TD Garden, leading his team to a victory.

"It felt like I was home, basically," Rask said following his season debut against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Rask looked right at home, too, stopping 25 of 27 shots in the 3-2 victory. It was his first game since last June following offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip.

Rask said he felt much better physically than he did a year ago when he played through the injured hip. The 34-year-old referenced a couple of kick saves he made during Thursday's contest while talking about his improved mobility.

"Some stuff like that last year was totally out of the question," Rask said.

At least one of his Bruins teammates was pleased to have the longtime netminder back in goal, too.

"I was so happy to have him back, you have no idea," David Pastrnak said. "I was ready to leave it all out there for him. I told him, 'I'm going to get a hat trick' before the game, and he didn't believe me."

Pastrnak followed through on his promise, scoring all three of Boston's goals.

While Rask was certainly thrilled that Pastrnak provided some goal support, he's also pleased this year's Bruins squad has more fellow Finns with the additions of Erik Haula and Urho Vaakanainen.

"We've had enough Czechs and Slovaks and Swedes, so it's about time we get some Finns," Rask joked.

Rask signed a one-year, $1-million contract on Tuesday to return to the Bruins.

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The NHL revealed the players selected for the upcoming 2022 All-Star Game on Thursday. The rosters are headlined by familiar faces like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon, but there are also 18 first-time All-Stars.

Each division's team will still have one player added to its roster as fans will be able to vote for the "Last Men In." Fans won't be able to choose from just anyone, though. Each NHL team has a designated player that can be voted for. Here's a look at each team's nominee:

The NHL requires each team to have at least one representative at the All-Star Game, which, quite frankly, is just silly. It rewards undeserving players on bottom-feeding teams and punishes elite clubs for having too much talent.

Here are our five biggest snubs, both from the initial All-Star rosters and the nominees for the Last Men In.

Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins

No matter how well he plays, Marchand still doesn't seem to get the respect he deserves. He's one of the most dominant players in the league once again, scoring at a 56-goal and 114-point pace this season. This isn't anything new for Marchand; since the beginning of the 2018-19 season, only McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have more points than him.

The Bruins forward simply dominates the competition whenever he's on the ice, regardless if it's at five-on-five, shorthanded, or on the power play. He hasn't been able to totally shake the pest label he rightfully earned, but simply put, he has been one of the NHL's biggest stars for years now and should be showcased among the league's best.

Jacob Markstrom, Calgary Flames

John Gibson and Thatcher Demko got the nod in net for the Pacific Division, leaving Markstrom in the dust. Both goaltenders certainly have great cases to be All-Stars, but Markstrom has arguably been the best of the three. His 11.82 goals saved above average ranks seventh among all goalies in the NHL, and his .926 save percentage ranks sixth. Both of those marks are ahead of Gibson and Demko.

Johnny Gaudreau rightfully got the call as the Flames' representative, but Markstrom should have been one of the two goaltenders for the division. An easy solution here could have been for Troy Terry to be the Ducks' player selected. The youngster is having an incredible season as he's fifth in the NHL in goals (22) and has been one of the team's most important players.

Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche

Rantanen drew the short straw here simply because the Avalanche have too many good players. He entered Thursday seventh in league scoring with 40 points in 30 games, and it's ludicrous that Clayton Keller is on the team over him. No disrespect to Keller, but the Coyotes winger has only tallied 26 points in 34 games. Those are solid numbers but not worthy of an All-Star spot. He made it simply because Arizona has nobody better.

The Avalanche deserve at least four All-Stars, including Rantanen - one of the game's brightest young stars. But now, he's snubbed just because the Coyotes had to have a representative.

Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers

Ekblad has been in the Norris Trophy conversation all season for his strong play. The Panthers blue-liner entered Thursday fifth among defensemen with 32 points in 35 games, eighth in average time on ice at 25:19, and 15th in expected goals percentage at 56.4%.

Yes, Jonathan Huberdeau and Barkov are both worthy representatives for the Cats. However, Ekblad is clearly more deserving of a spot on the team than Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres and Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens. Heck, Suzuki is a forward, and Ekblad still has 13 more points than him.

Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers

The Metropolitan Division is stacked between the pipes. Frederik Andersen and Tristan Jarry are both having sensational seasons, but you could argue that Shesterkin has been even better. Here's how the three netminders stack up in save percentage, goals saved above expected, and goals saved above average:

All three are pretty close, but Shesterkin has a slight edge. The key difference is the Penguins and Hurricanes are two of the best analytical teams in the league, ranking second and fourth, respectively, in expected goals percentage. The Rangers, meanwhile, rank 21st, meaning Shesterkin is responsible for bailing out his club more than the other two.

(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)

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The NHL announced the rosters for the 2022 All-Star Game on Thursday.

Each team will include 11 players consisting of nine skaters and two goalies. The NHL will allow fans to vote for the last player to make each squad. Voting closes Jan. 17.

Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, and Alex Ovechkin will each serve as captains for their respective divisions.

The festivities will take place Feb. 4-5 in Las Vegas. The event was postponed in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

Andrew Brunette of the Atlantic Division's Florida Panthers, Rod Brind'Amour of the Metropolitan's Carolina Hurricanes, Jared Bednar of the Central's Colorado Avalanche, and Peter DeBoer of the Pacific's Vegas Golden Knights were named the All-Star coaches on Wednesday.

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The imminent return of the Quebec Nordiques appears to be a long shot at this point.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman met virtually with Quebec finance minister Eric Girard on Thursday about the possibility of an NHL franchise returning to Quebec City, according to The Canadian Press.

Although both parties described the chat as "cordial," it did not yield the results Nordiques fans were seeking.

"We explained that, while we were appreciative and flattered by the interest expressed, unfortunately, we were not aware of any opportunity that could address that interest at the current time," Bettman said.

"We appreciate that the lines of communication between the parties have been refreshed, and we agreed to stay in touch with each other as circumstances warrant going forward."

Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced his interest in bringing an NHL franchise back to the province's capital last November, stating that there were meetings set up with Bettman in the coming months.

One thing Quebec City has in its favor is an NHL-ready arena. The Videotron Centre opened in 2015 and contains 18,259 seats, which would make it the 16th-largest rink in the NHL. The QMJHL's Quebec Remparts are currently the primary tenant.

The NHL recently expanded to 32 teams with the addition of the Seattle Kraken. With no further expansion plans on the horizon, a relocation is likely Quebec City's best chance at getting a team.

There has been plenty of speculation about the Arizona Coyotes' future in the desert in recent years. The city of Glendale informed the team in August that the 2021-22 campaign will be its last at Gila River Arena, but team president Xavier Gutierrez said at the time that the franchise is "100% committed to finding a long-term arena solution here in Arizona."

The Coyotes submitted a bid in September to build an arena in nearby Tempe, Arizona, but they reportedly don't currently have the votes in Tempe City Council to get approval. The team's plans for 2022-23 are unknown.

The Quebec Nordiques were an NHL team from 1979-95 before relocating to Colorado and becoming the Avalanche.

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Team USA revealed its men's Olympic hockey squad Thursday for the upcoming 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

With NHL players no longer attending the international competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States' lineup is a mix of prospects and journeymen. Sixteen of the 25 players are 23 years old or younger, while six of the remaining nine are 30 or over.

Here's the full 25-man roster:

Forwards

Beniers, drafted second overall in 2021, and Brisson, selected 29th overall in 2020, are the most highly touted forwards on the team. Knies, a second-rounder in 2021, has impressed in his freshman year at Minnesota and is a name to watch.

Shore is the most experienced ex-NHLer of the group, having played in 299 career games with the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets.

Defensemen

Despite their age, Faber and Sanderson could log heavy minutes for this blue line. Sanderson, the No. 5 pick in 2020, won a world junior gold with the U.S. in 2021 and was the captain for this year's team before the tournament was canceled. Faber, a second-rounder in 2020, was also a returning member of Team USA's world junior squad.

Kampfer (231 NHL games) is the most seasoned member of the blue line and will be counted on for experience.

Goalies

It's hard to project who might get the call between the pipes to open the tournament, but Mann has posted a .930 save percentage in Sweden this year following a stellar NCAA career at Michigan.

The last time NHL players attended the Olympics was in the 2014 Sochi Games, where the United States took fourth place after falling to Finland in the bronze-medal game. Team USA failed to reach the podium again in 2018.

The United States' men's team hasn't captured a medal since winning silver during the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

Team USA will hit the ice for the first time at the Olympics in a preliminary-round clash against China on Feb. 10.

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Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman has been suspended one game for headbutting Boston Bruins forward Erik Haula during Wednesday night's contest, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Thursday.

The incident occurred in the middle of a scrum during the third period. Haula entered the fray and grabbed Wideman from behind. In the ensuing scuffle, Wideman thrust his head against Haula's.

The Department of Player Safety ruled that Wideman's contact was intentional and direct.

He received two minor penalties for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct.

This is the first time that Wideman has been fined or suspended by the league in his 204-game NHL career.

The 32-year-old will forfeit $3,750 in salary as a result of the suspension.

Boston won the contest 5-1.

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Our shot props have gone a little cold over the last couple days. Even so, we're still having a fantastic season. Our record sits at 110-90 for +15.31 units.

Let's dive into a couple of my favorite props as we look to get back on track.

Elias Lindholm over 2.5 shots on goal (-120)

Elias Lindholm is one of those guys with extreme home and away splits. On home soil, his shot volume is remarkably consistent. He's averaged 3.45 shots on goal and five shot attempts per game in Calgary. That's led to great success with his shot props, as he's gone over the number (2.5) in eight of 11 contests and fallen just one shot shy in two of the other three.

Beyond the Saddledome, it's a drastically different story. He's hit three shots in just eight of 22 away games, recording one shot or fewer eight different times. That's no coincidence, since he's averaged just 3.54 attempts per game on the road. The shot volume is not even in the same stratosphere.

Luckily for us, Lindholm is back at home and finds himself in a very juicy spot. The Ottawa Senators rank last in shot suppression on the road, and not just at five-on-five: They also allow shot attempts at a higher rate on the penalty kill than any other team.

They are a defensive mess. Tonight, they should be rusty as well; they're playing just their second game since Dec. 18.

I expect the Flames to dictate play and pile up the shots. Lindholm, their No. 1 pivot, should be at the forefront of the fun.

Patrick Kane over 3.5 shots on goal (-115)

Patrick Kane is a volume shooter and one of the best offensive talents in the NHL, and Thursday night, he's drawing the best matchup you could hope for.

The Montreal Canadiens are a horrendous team that's missing a plethora of players due to injuries and COVID-19. As such, they're getting railroaded on a regular basis - and bleeding shots in the process.

Over the last 10 games, the Canadiens rank last in shots on goal against per 60 minutes across all game states. Thursday's visit to the Chicago Blackhawks is the latter half of a road back-to-back, so there's not much reason to expect improvement.

Look for Kane to take advantage.

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

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NHL veteran Eric Staal signed a professional tryout contract with the Minnesota Wild's AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild announced Thursday.

The 37-year-old Staal plans to see where he's at physically with Iowa in hopes of playing for Team Canada at the Beijing Olympics, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.

NHL players won't compete in the international tournament this year due to COVID-19 issues.

Staal, who was an unrestricted free agent, spent four seasons with Minnesota from 2016-20. He last played for the Montreal Canadiens during their Stanley Cup Final run, registering eight points in 21 games while averaging 11:31 of ice time per contest.

The forward has represented Canada at the Olympic Games before, winning a gold medal in 2010 in Vancouver.

Staal hasn't played in an AHL game since 2005 when he put up 77 points in 77 contests for the now-defunct Lowell Lock Monsters. He's set to play Friday when Iowa squares off against the Chicago Wolves, per Russo.

The Ontario native was drafted second overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2003. He has 441 goals and 593 assists in 1,293 career NHL games.

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With a jam-packed 11-game slate on the docket, let's get right into our best bets.

Blue Jackets (+220) @ Hurricanes (-260)

I've been attacking the Columbus Blue Jackets a lot of late and the returns have been very strong. I'm going right back to the well Thursday with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Columbus is playing very poor hockey right now. The team controlled just 43% of the expected goals at five-on-five over the last 10 games.

By comparison, the Hurricanes rank first in the NHL during that time with a 60.73 xGF% at five-on-five. They should dominate the run of play and pile up chances, especially considering their star power and the ability to get advantageous matchups with last change.

I think the Hurricanes will take care of business with relative ease, especially if Columbus is missing important players. Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen mentioned a few things are up in the air - including the status of Jakub Voracek.

Bet: Hurricanes -1.5 (-110)

Kraken (+175) @ Blues (-210)

The Seattle Kraken are not a good hockey team. Their goaltending, surprisingly, has turned out to be the worst in the NHL, and they don't have nearly enough offensive firepower to compensate.

Even so, I think this line is a little extreme. The St. Louis Blues are a playoff-level squad, but they're not at their best right now. At five-on-five, they've controlled around 49% of the expected goals over the last 10 games. That's about average - certainly not anything to write home about.

Vladimir Tarasenko is not expected to play, and neither are David Perron and Brayden Schenn. That's a lot of top-six-caliber forwards out at one time.

Seattle's goaltending is unreliable, but the Kraken are not giving up much despite the consistently large goal totals. Wednesday night, for example, they conceded five goals to the Dallas Stars despite allowing only 25 shots and 2.32 expected goals.

In terms of goals saved above expectation, Chris Driedger is ahead of Philipp Grubauer by half a puck per game. He's more likely to keep the Kraken in the mix if they deserve to be. With this many key forwards out for the Blues, I think Seattle will be able to keep things close.

Bet: Kraken +1.5 (-135)

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

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