Joe Pavelski once again proved himself to be timeless Thursday.

The 38-year-old Dallas Stars stalwart overtook the illustrious Alex Ovechkin as the league's active leader in playoff goals Thursday with his overtime marker in Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

"He's ageless, you know? What do you say about him?" Stars head coach Peter DeBoer said postgame. "I've seen that movie over and over again - it never gets old.

"He lives for those moments. He wants to be in those situations ... and delivers almost every time."

Additionally, Pavelski has 18 career playoff game-winners, including four this postseason, tying him for fifth all time.

Pavelski also became the oldest player to have a four-goal game earlier this postseason. He's recorded nine tallies and 13 points across 12 playoff games this year.

The Stars are hoping to become the fifth team to erase a 3-0 deficit after their Game 4 victory. Pavelski has experience being on the other side of one of those historic comebacks, falling to the Los Angeles Kings while with the San Jose Sharks in 2014.

"You never think it can happen. ... You don't want to be in those situations, but when you're on the other side, you understand it can happen," he said.

Pavelski added: "You just have to keep putting your game out there and having the belief that you can buy more time and earn more time. … Keep trying to put a little doubt in their minds."

Puck drops on Game 5 in Vegas on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Even though the Western Conference champion is yet to be determined, the NHL released its two scheduling scenarios for the Stanley Cup Final.

The Dallas Stars staved off elimination in Game 4 of the West final with an overtime victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night. On Wednesday, the Florida Panthers swept the Carolina Hurricanes to prevail in the Eastern Conference Final.

If the Golden Knights win Game 5 on Saturday, the Cup Final would play out as follows, with all puck drops taking place at 8 p.m. ET:

*If necessary

If the Stars take Game 5 to prolong the series, the Cup Final would look like this, pending the eventual winner (and, again, with all games beginning at 8 p.m. ET):

All of the games in both scenarios would be broadcast on Sportsnet, CBC, and TVA Sports in Canada. In the United States, every game will be on TNT and truTV, with TBS also airing all but Game 1 and 6 in the first scenario and all but Game 5 in the second.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canada took down Finland 4-1 during Thursday's quarterfinal at the 2023 IIHF World Championship to advance to the semifinals for the eighth straight tournament.

The clash was a rematch of the previous three gold-medal showdowns, with Finland winning in 2019 and 2022 and Canada ascending to the top of the podium in 2021 (the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Netminder Sam Montembeault was named Canada's player of the game after making 27 saves against the tournament co-hosts and reigning gold medalists.

Jack Quinn's first goal of the tournament started the action for the Canadians. His quick shot snuck under Finnish goalie Emil Larmi before the midway mark of the opening period.

Sammy Blais padded the lead in the middle frame with a nifty snipe off of a three-on-one, while Michael Carcone was responsible for the dagger in the third period.

Teemu Hartikainen got Finland on the board in the game's final minutes with the goalie pulled - much to the excitement of the crowd in Tampere - but it was ultimately too late. Canadian captain Tyler Toffoli restored his team's three-goal lead with an empty-netter.

The Canadians finished the preliminary round in second place in Group B, while Finland took the third spot in Group A.

Standing in the way of Canada's fourth straight gold-medal game appearance is Latvia, which pulled off a major upset in a 3-1 victory over Sweden. The underdogs were outshot 41-15 by a talented Swedish squad, but Latvian goalie Arturs Silovs was outstanding throughout his 40-save performance.

The teams will square off on Saturday, with Latvia competing for a medal at an IIHF event for the first time.

Team USA - which is undefeated at the Worlds so far - will face Germany in the other semifinal after blanking Czechia 3-0.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With a brand-new one-year extension in hand, Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo is already trying to set the tone for his up-and-coming squad's 2023-24 campaign.

"We can't be scared of the expectations ... next year," he told the media during a press conference Thursday. "Last year, there (were) no expectations. Everybody's writing rosy articles: 'This group is a good team, it's becoming a good team.' And that's great, but how do you do that with expectations?

"There's guys that are starting to get bigger contracts, there's guys that are starting to get noticed nationally. There's going to be lofty expectations next year, and I think that we can't run from that."

The Sabres recorded their highest win and point totals (42 and 91, respectively) since the 2010-11 season, finishing just one point behind the Florida Panthers for a playoff spot.

Those Panthers have since gone on a shocking Stanley Cup Final run, upsetting the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Carolina Hurricanes. With Buffalo looking to snap a 12-year playoff drought, Okposo is looking to Florida for inspiration.

"I think that it's pretty evident by what's happened in the playoffs this year that we're not very far from reaching the top of the mountain. ... I think that we're extremely close," he said.

Okposo added: "Should our goal be to make the playoffs? Should our goal be to be two points better than we were this year? No. That's expected now. ... Our window - I think it's opening, and we have to be prepared for that. Everybody's got to come better, starting with me."

The 35-year-old veteran winger chipped in with 11 goals and 17 assists in 75 games during his seventh season in Buffalo.

Okposo has competed in 24 playoff contests over three seasons, all with the New York Islanders.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night with a dramatic win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Vegas Golden Knights will hope to do the same and complete a sweep of their own Thursday in Dallas.

Let's take a look at the best ways to attack the game.

Golden Knights (+105) @ Stars (-125)

The Stars and Golden Knights have met six times this season, including the playoffs. Five of those games featured five goals or fewer.

The lone exception came in the opening contest of the series, where the Stars tied the contest late in regulation to push the game over the number and force extra time. Both teams generated 35-plus shots in that contest and had more than their fair share of scoring chances.

The past two games haven't played out that way. These teams recorded just 52 shots on goal in Game 2 and only 50 in Game 3.

I expect we'll see the same this time around. With Jake Oettinger struggling mightily and a key weapon out of the lineup in Jamie Benn, I very much doubt the Stars will try to open the game up and turn things into a track meet.

The same can be said of the Golden Knights. They've gotten this far playing structured, grind-it-out hockey. Getting away from that and trading chances with Adin Hill between the pipes is probably not the optimal path to victory.

With the extremely high stakes present in a 3-0 situation, I expect both sides to play pretty close to the vest, taking this to an under for the sixth time in seven meetings.

Bet: Under 5.5 (-120)

Tyler Seguin over 2.5 shots (-132)

Seguin is a Golden Knights killer, at least when it comes to generating shots. He leads the entire series with 22 attempts through three games, good for an average of more than seven per.

This kind of volume is nothing new for Seguin. For whatever reason, he's feasted on the Golden Knights for quite some time.

Seguin has piled up 29 shots on goal through six meetings against Vegas this calendar year, which is an average of nearly five.

There's no reason to expect anything different in Game 4. Seguin led all Stars forwards in ice time last game, logging over 20 minutes despite the blowout.

He should once again get all he can handle this time around, especially with Benn sidelined due to suspension. Look for Seguin to take advantage.

Wyatt Johnston over 2.5 shots (+110)

Johnston is another player who should benefit greatly from Benn's absence. He played close to 19 minutes last time out, which was his highest total since Game 1 of the Seattle series.

Johnston made the most of his ice time, generating four shots on goal and a pair of scoring chances while helping the Stars win the attempt battle 14-5 at five-on-five.

Johnston's strong form goes beyond last game. He's registered at least four shots on goal in four consecutive contests and gone over his total in four of the past five against Vegas.

With Johnston creating shots in bulk and seeing a boost in usage sans Benn, we should expect another lively offensive effort.

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 2023 Memorial Cup begins Friday as the CHL's league champions converge in Kamloops, B.C., to battle it out for junior hockey supremacy.

From a numbers perspective, the Memorial Cup may be the hardest trophy to win in hockey. Sixty CHL teams are down to four: host Kamloops Blazers, QMJHL's Quebec Remparts, OHL's Peterborough Petes, and WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds.

Rosters are stacked across the board. Twelve members from Canada's gold-medal-winning team at January's world juniors and nine first-round picks from the past two drafts are on display.

The Saint John Sea Dogs, last year's hosts, were victorious as the tournament was held for the first time in three years. The QMJHL has captured three straight Memorial Cups dating back to 2018, with the OHL winning most recently in 2017 and the WHL back in 2014.

Here are 12 prospects to watch over the coming 11 days at the Memorial Cup.

Kamloops' dynamic duo

There's a strong case to be made that Kamloops has the two best players at the Memorial Cup.

The hockey world was introduced to Olen Zellweger and Logan Stankoven at the past two World Junior Championships. Both were named among Canada's top three players at the 2022 tournament, with Stankoven also landing on Canada's list this January.

The duo's playoff performance is nothing short of remarkable. Despite losing in the conference finals to Seattle, Stankoven and Zellweger still finished first and second, respectively, in WHL postseason scoring.

Stankoven also led the WHL in playoff scoring last spring when Kamloops was again eliminated by Seattle in the conference finals. The Dallas Stars second-rounder has simply thrashed junior competition at every step and now has a chance to complete his U20 career with a championship on home ice.

Most were astonished when the Blazers traded a stunning 10 draft picks to land Zellweger at the WHL trade deadline, along with Washington Capitals selection Ryan Hofer. Even with that massive price tag, Zellweger has more than lived up to the hype.

Zellweger led the Blazers with 11 postseason goals, which also ranked third league-wide. Between the regular season and playoffs, Zellweger has tallied 43 goals in 69 WHL games this season. Reminder: He's a defenseman.

The Anaheim Ducks second-rounder is worth tuning in for by himself, let alone with his running mate Stankoven. Kamloops' two-headed monster will be among the top challenges for opposing coaches at the Memorial Cup.

Guenther's shot at redemption

Dylan Guenther won the WHL championship last season with the Edmonton Oil Kings - where he led the team in scoring during the regular season and playoffs - but an injury prevented him from playing in the Memorial Cup. A year later, he has a chance at redemption with the Thunderbirds.

It didn't appear that Guenther would get this opportunity when he made the Arizona Coyotes out of camp. Even when he was loaned to Team Canada for the world juniors - a tournament in which he scored seven goals, including the gold-medal winner - it looked like Guenther would complete the 2022-23 campaign in the NHL.

That's until Seattle made a splash at the WHL trade deadline to acquire his rights in a blockbuster move that featured significant conditional draft picks. Guenther played 11 more games with the Coyotes before ultimately being sent back to the WHL at the beginning of February.

Since then, Guenther and the Thunderbirds have dominated. Seattle won its first 12 games with Guenther in the lineup and has lost just six games total since his arrival.

Guenther's 16 goals in 19 games led the WHL playoffs, and his 28 points paced the Thunderbirds. He's looked every part of the dominant goal-scoring prospect that made him the ninth overall pick in 2021.

Over the past three seasons, Guenther has scored 99 goals against WHL competition. He'll be hoping to push past 100 en route to a Memorial Cup title in Kamloops.

1st-round picks on display

Brad Lambert has his mojo back.

Once considered a top-five prospect in the 2022 class, Lambert's abysmal season in Finland saw him plummet on draft day. The Winnipeg Jets ended his fall at 30th overall and decided a move to North America this season was best for his development.

Following a lackluster 14-game stint in the AHL and a fairly pedestrian world junior performance, the Jets demoted Lambert to the WHL. Having played against much older competition for the better part of four years, Lambert finally had the chance to regain his form playing against his peers. And he's thrived.

Lambert was immediately a dominant force upon arriving in Seattle. He tallied 17 goals and 38 points in 26 regular-season games and has remained an elite offensive threat in the postseason. His 26 playoff points are second on the Thunderbirds, only behind Guenther.

The flashy Finnish forward is joined by Kevin Korchinski in Seattle. The highest-drafted player at the 2023 Memorial Cup, having been selected seventh overall by the Chicago Blackhawks last summer, Korchinski's 1.35 points per game is the second-highest scoring rate by a WHL defenseman in their post-draft season since 1996.

Korchinski's scoring has dipped in the postseason, but he remains a pivotal presence on the Thunderbirds' blue line and among the highest potential players on display this week.

Brennan Othmann has won at every level; the New York Rangers prospect has two world junior gold medals, a U18 gold, an OHL Cup, and now an OHL Championship in his trophy case. After leading the Petes in playoff scoring with 25 points, he'll be looking to end his junior career in style out west.

Unlike the previous three first-rounders, Zachary Bolduc hasn't had the same international opportunities to become a recognizable name. On the heels of back-to-back 50-goal seasons, the St. Louis Blues prospect is finally primed to showcase his talents on a big stage with the Remparts.

Depth prospects turning heads

Thomas Milic made a name for himself at the 2023 world juniors, where he backstopped Canada to a gold medal. The undrafted netminder has only gained momentum since returning to the Thunderbirds.

His performance this year has surely done enough to put him on NHL draft boards this summer, despite his undersized 6-foot frame. He went 27-3-1 in the regular season, 5-0-0 at the world juniors, and 16-3-0 in the WHL playoffs. His combined record from 2022-23 heading into the Memorial Cup is an astounding 48-6-1.

Milic isn't the only depth prospect catching scouts' attention throughout the CHL postseason. Despite playing on a team with two first-round forwards, it's been a pair of fifth-rounders in James Malatesta and Justin Robidas racking up points in Quebec.

Robidas - a Carolina Hurricanes draft pick and the son of former NHLer Stephane - led the Remparts in playoff scoring with 27 points in 18 games, while Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Malatesta earned the nod for QMJHL playoff MVP thanks to his 14-goal postseason.

Seattle Kraken fourth-rounder Tucker Robertson was a major piece of Peterborough's underdog run through the OHL. After leading the Petes in scoring in the regular season, he tallied 22 points in the playoffs. Robertson has nine postseason goals, none bigger than his OHL Championship-winning deflection in Game 6 against the London Knights.

Out west, Stars sixth-rounder Matthew Seminoff feasted upon WHL netminders prior to Kamloops' exit in the conference finals. He tallied 10 goals and 19 points in just 14 games. He'll need to be a key scorer behind Stankoven and Zellweger if the Blazers are going to upset the league champions on home ice.

Kamloops and Quebec kick off the tournament Friday at 9 p.m. ET.

(Statistics source: Elite Prospects)

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.