Carbery said Darcy Kuemper will start in goal, against his former team. With Kuznetsov out, expecting the forward lines to be: Ovechkin-Strome-Wilson Protas-McMichael-Mantha Milano-Lapierre-Phillips Malenstyn-Dowd-NAK https://t.co/lKyE5GAB6i
It's the first time Kuznetsov has been a healthy scratch since May 3, 2021, when he was late to a team function and sat for disciplinary reasons.
Kuznetsov produced just four goals and five assists in 19 games this season and has only managed one point in his last six contests. He's struggled defensively, too.
I wonder what the Capitals saw in Kuznetsov's minutes so far this season that made them decide to healthy scratch him. pic.twitter.com/Hba2ejnzn9
The 31-year-old reportedly requested a trade this past offseason. He has two years left on his contract with a $7.8-million cap hit, making him the third-highest-paid player on the active roster.
Kuznetsov has spent his entire 11-year career in Washington and ranks seventh on the franchise's all-time points list with 560.
I think this is a great buy-low spot for the Lightning. Although the Bolts have dropped four consecutive games and five of the last eight, I think they are playing a lot better than their record indicates.
At five-on-five, Tampa Bay generated 2.81 expected goals per 60 minutes over the past eight games. That is a very healthy mark for any team. Despite all the shooting talent the Lightning possess, those outputs have translated to only 1.75 goals per 60 minutes. That's more than a full puck difference.
We have seen a similar story between the pipes. The Bolts have conceded 2.34 expected goals per 60, which slots them a hair outside the top 10. That has converted into 3.55 actual goals, a higher rate than all but the Ducks and Blues.
Put another way, the Lightning are not scoring as much as they deserve, and the chances they concede are ending up in the back of the net far too frequently.
That is not going to continue forever, especially with Andrei Vasilevskiy back in the fray.
Dallas completely embarrassed Tampa Bay last time out, winning 8-1 and leading from the first minute onwards.
I don't think that sat well with Jon Cooper and an experienced Lightning team used to dishing out rather than taking. Expect a much better effort, and perhaps some positive regression, from the Lightning in a game where a win is needed.
The Hurricanes are a little underrated right now. I don't think they're getting enough respect for the powerhouse that they are. They rank fifth in the league in wins, and that is with the NHL's worst team save percentage. Yes, worst.
They have absolutely dominated teams at five-on-five. They generate chances in bulk while giving up very little. Their power play ranks in the top half of the league in scoring efficiency. Their penalty kill is elite. I could go on.
Top to bottom, the Hurricanes are playing like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. They're just not getting any saves.
While it is easy to point at their lack of a name-brand goaltender and say they're getting what they deserve, the Hurricanes used the exact same trio last season and finished top 15 in total save percentage. It's not as if they're putting everything on false hope.
With how well the Hurricanes limit chances, they don't even need their goaltenders to be good. They just can't be this bad.
That shouldn't be an issue against the Jets. They are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of shot and goal generation and don't have many high-end finishers.
If the Hurricanes get semi-respectable goaltending, they have a strong chance of winning.
The Hurricanes are absolutely tormenting teams at five-on-five right now, while the Jets rank 20th in expected goals share over the past couple of weeks. Getting Gabriel Vilardi back in the lineup helps, for sure, but it'll take some time before he's firing on all cylinders.
Look for the Hurricanes to grind out a road win against a solid Jets side.
Bet: Hurricanes (-125)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.
Tuesday's game between the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils will see all three Hughes brothers play in the same contest for the first time in the NHL.
"Of course, you dream you're going to play with your brothers in the NHL one day," Jack, the middle brother of the three, told NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "You're in the basement, hanging out, playing, but you never really think it's going to become a reality. For it to happen, it's definitely pretty wild. It's three kids in one game."
Jack and his older brother Quinn first faced off in the NHL on Oct. 19, 2019. The youngest of the trio, Luke, was 16 at the time.
"I definitely didn't expect something like this to happen when we were kids, but it's really cool," Luke said. "That's the dedication shown by our parents. ... How hard they worked and how hard the three of us worked too. It's going to be fun."
Tuesday's meeting will be the ninth time in league history that three brothers play in the same game, most recently done by Eric, Jordan, and Marc Staal on April 13. But Luke added that Tuesday will be the first time all three Hughes brothers play in an organized game at any level.
"We probably talked about it as kids playing mini sticks and stuff," Quinn said. "But as far as this year, they're going to want two points, I'm going to want two points, and everyone's worried about their individual game."
Jack pointed out the contest will be particularly special for Luke, who models his game after his oldest brother.
"I think Quinn's obviously the guy (Luke's) looked up to his whole life," Jack said. "I've played Quinn before, Quinn's played me, but those two have never played against each other, so I think they'll have a lot of fun. I think Luke will get a good kick out of it, for sure."
Parents Ellen and Jim will be in attendance at Vancouver's Rogers Arena, with more friends and family set to take in the Jan. 6 meeting between the Canucks and Devils in New Jersey.
The two older Hughes brothers have been exceptional this season, and the youngest is on a comparable trajectory. Quinn is tied for the league lead in scoring among defenders with 34 points in 25 contests, while Jack boasts a league-high point-per-game rate with 30 points in 17 games. Luke ranks second in rookie scoring and is tops among freshmen defenders.
Puck drop for the "Hughes Bowl" is at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday.
We picked up a clean sweep with our player props Friday night, with Jack Hughes and Thomas Chabot going over their shot totals, while Dawson Mercer got a point.
We'll look to pick up where we left off with a few of my favorite props for Monday's fruitful slate.
Cam Atkinson: Over 2.5 shots
Atkinson has been as consistent as anyone this season. He's averaging 3.2 shots on goal per game and has cleared his line in 17 of 24 appearances, including a remarkable 10 of 12 (83%) on home ice.
The Flyers winger can find success against anyone, not just teams that bleed shots like the Blue Jackets and Sharks.
Atkinson registered at least three shots against the Golden Knights, Kings, Devils, Hurricanes, and Rangers over the past 10 games. Those sides excel at limiting shots, yet Atkinson recorded four or more in four of those matchups.
I expect him to continue his success against the Penguins on Monday night. They've quietly given up a lot of shot volume of late, averaging a hair under 33 shots allowed per game over the last 10. Only seven teams have given up more.
With home ice in his back pocket and an advantageous shooting matchup, Atkinson should make noise.
Odds: -130 (playable to -150)
Brayden Point: Over 2.5 shots
Point is a completely different player at home - at least in terms of shooting the puck.
The Lightning's star pivot recorded three shots or more in nine of 12 games in Tampa Bay, averaging a healthy 3.3 per contest. That's a stark contrast from the 2.3 average he's managed on the road.
Point has a sneaky good matchup to stay hot at home. Although the Stars are a strong defensive team, they're susceptible to giving up volume against opposing centers. They rank bottom 10 in shots against versus the position.
I also like that there's plenty of motivation for the Lightning in this game. They've dropped four in a row, falling out of the playoffs as a result. They were also just embarrassed by the Stars last time out.
Dallas really needs a win and will be out for revenge against a team that just thumped it 8-1. We should see a steady dose of Point in this one, giving him ample opportunity to fire a few pucks on net.
Odds: -130 (playable to -150)
Alex Ovechkin: Over 3.5 shots
Ovechkin has become very matchup-dependent at this stage of his career. To generate the kind of volume we saw nightly for nearly two decades, he needs a weak shot-suppression defense and power-play opportunities. The Coyotes check both boxes.
While they've won a lot of games of late, that has more to do with stellar goaltending from Connor Ingram than improved defensive play. They're tied for 27th in shots against per game over the last eight.
The Coyotes also take a lot of penalties. Only seven teams have taken more minors per game, and they're 28th in shot suppression while undermanned.
Put another way, Arizona spends a lot of time in the box and gives up shots in bulk on the penalty kill. That should greatly benefit Ovechkin, who generates a lot of his volume on the power play.
Look for the Capitals star to get back on track in this one.
Odds: -110 (playable to -125)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.
The Winnipeg Jets signed winger Nino Niederreiter to a three-year extension with an average annual value of $4 million, the club announced Monday.
The 31-year-old is making $4 million per season on his current contract too. The new deal keeps him in Winnipeg through his age-34 campaign.
Niederreiter has produced six goals, eight assists, and 27 hits in 23 games this season while playing on Winnipeg's third-line checking unit alongside Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton.
The Jets acquired Niederreiter ahead of the 2023 trade deadline from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a second-round pick.
The New York Islanders selected him fifth overall at the 2010 NHL Draft. He's also played for the Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes in his 13-year career. His most productive season came in 2016-17 with the Wild when he recorded 25 goals and 57 points.
Winnipeg now has just two key pending unrestricted free agents remaining in defensemen Brenden Dillon and Dylan DeMelo. The club already signed top center Mark Scheifele and starting goalie Connor Hellebuyck to matching seven-year, $59.5-million extensions before the start of the campaign.
This is the fourth in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2023-24 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.
In this edition, we look at each team's biggest surprise so far this season.
1. New York Rangers (18-4-1)
Previous rank: 3
Jonathan Quick turns back the clock. Quick struggled mightily in 2022-23, culminating with the Los Angeles Kings trading the franchise icon in a cap dump. Nobody saw a .918 save percentage and 7-0-1 record coming for the 37-year-old upon arriving in New York. His re-emergence has taken some of the workload off Igor Shesterkin.
2. Boston Bruins (17-4-3)
Previous rank: 1
No. 1 in the Atlantic. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Bruins fan who didn't think Boston would take a step back after a record-setting 2022-23, especially without Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci in the picture. But here are the Bruins atop their division again. It's business as usual.
3. Vegas Golden Knights (16-5-4)
Previous rank: 2
No Cup hangover. The Golden Knights haven't missed a beat since hoisting the Stanley Cup in June. Vegas rattled off seven straight wins to commence the campaign, and Adin Hill looks as dominant as he did in the postseason. If any team were expected to have a Cup hangover, you'd think it would be the club from Vegas.
4. Los Angeles Kings (14-4-3)
Previous rank: 5
Cam Talbot. The Kings have one of the deepest rosters in the NHL, but a massive question mark in net left many uneasy about Los Angeles' chances this season. Talbot has posted a .930 save percentage in 16 games,and his resurgent campaignhas helped push the Kings into the top three in the league by points percentage.
5. Dallas Stars (14-5-3)
Glenn James / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: 8
Wyatt Johnston. The 20-year-old has never heard of a sophomore slump, apparently. He only knows a sophomore surge. Johnston ranks fourth on the Stars with 17 points and second with nine goals in 22 games. At the rate he's going, he'll smash his offensive output from his rookie year (24 tallies, 41 points in 82 games).
6. Vancouver Canucks (16-8-1)
Previous rank: 4
Just ... all of it. No, really, take your pick. Quinn Hughes' Norris Trophy-worthy season. Elias Pettersson's Hart Trophy-worthy season. Thatcher Demko's Vezina Trophy-worthy season. The list goes on and on. We all knew these guys were good, but they are rolling right now. And the Canucks are moving right along with them.
7. Colorado Avalanche (15-7-2)
Previous rank: 7
Alexandar Georgiev's swift decline. After starting the season with six consecutive victories, Colorado's No. 1 netminder has gone 7-6-1 with a .884 save percentage.
8. Carolina Hurricanes (14-8-1)
Previous rank: 11
Goaltending woes. Coming into the season, you couldn't find a team that was three goaltenders deep like the Hurricanes. Two months into the campaign, Frederik Andersen's out for the foreseeable future, while Pyotr Kochetkov and Antti Raanta sport abysmal sub-.890 save percentages.
9. Florida Panthers (14-8-2)
Previous rank: 6
Matthew Tkachuk's scoring struggles. After dominating the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the talented pest has struggled to find the back of the net through the first two months of the new season. He scored just four times in 24 contests and ended a lengthy 10-game goal drought with a tally Saturday.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs (12-6-4)
Kevin Sousa / NHL / Getty Images
Previous rank: 10
Lack of regulation wins. The Maple Leafs finished with the third-most regulation victories in each of the past two seasons, so it's surprising that Sheldon Keefe's squad is having a hard time handling its business in 60 minutes this campaign. Toronto has just five regulation wins, tied with the Blackhawks and Kraken.
11. Detroit Red Wings (13-7-3)
Previous rank: 15
Patrick Kane pickup. GM Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings have shown they mean business by signing the coveted unrestricted free-agent winger. Detroit holds the third spot in the Atlantic Division and will have its eye on snapping a seven-year playoff drought.
12. Winnipeg Jets (13-8-2)
Previous rank: 9
Resilience. The Jets came out of a rumor-filled offseason with new life. Head coach Rick Bowness recently praised his team's tighter culture, and we're seeing exactly what he sees. The proof: Winnipeg went 9-2-2 during Bowness' month-long absence. That's cohesion, baby.
13. Washington Capitals (12-7-2)
Previous rank: 12
Alex Ovechkin's plummeting pursuit of Gretzky. If you were told during the preseason that the Capitals would be in a playoff spot come December, you'd likely anticipate Ovechkin being amid another remarkable goal-scoring campaign. But that isn't the case - his five goals in 21 games don't even have him on pace for 20 this season.
14. New Jersey Devils (11-10-1)
Previous rank: 16
Key injuries. The trio of Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Dougie Hamilton missed a combined five games last season. However, they've already sat out 18 contests this campaign due to injuries. Hughes and Hischier are at least back in the lineup now, but Hamilton is out indefinitely. Ouch.
15. Tampa Bay Lightning (10-10-5)
Mark LoMoglio / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: 13
Goals against. The Bolts were expected to be in tough without Andrei Vasilevskiy to start the season, but nobody could have foreseen Tampa Bay ranking 31st with 93 goals against. No player on the Lightning is above zero in plus-minus this season.
16. Pittsburgh Penguins (11-10-2)
Previous rank: 17
Dismal power play. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang. A man advantage featuring that collection of players somehow ranks in the bottom five of the NHL. The Penguins need to start operating above a 10.9% clip on the power play and do it quickly.
17. Arizona Coyotes (12-9-2)
Previous rank: 21
Connor Ingram takes starting gig. After Karel Vejmelka played 50-plus games over each of his first two NHL seasons, everyone anticipated the Czech native would again be the guy for the Coyotes. Well, everyone except for Ingram. The 26-year-old has been superb with a .926 save percentage. As a result, Arizona is rewarding him.
18. New York Islanders (10-7-6)
Previous rank: 24
Poor penalty kill. Success while down a skater has been a hallmark of Islanders hockey in recent years, but New York's penalty kill ranks 31st at a paltry 72.6%.
19. Philadelphia Flyers (12-10-2)
Previous rank: 14
Underlying numbers. Expectations for the Flyers this season were universally microscopic. However, Philly is sneakily playing some quality hockey, ranking fifth in expected goal share (54%) and third in expected goals against per 60 minutes (2.33).
20. St. Louis Blues (12-10-1)
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Previous rank: 18
Jordan Binnington. The Blues' oft-angered netminder looked to be at a major career crossroads after producing his worst season yet in 2022-23. He's rebounded nicely with a .910 clip and 3.6 goals saved above average this campaign.
21. Calgary Flames (10-11-3)
Previous rank: 25
Jonathan Huberdeau's struggles continue. After a 60-point drop in production upon Huberdeau's arrival in Calgary, a coaching change was hoped to rejuvenate the talented playmaker. But Ryan Huska hasn't managed to help Huberdeau find his form again, as the forward's scoring rate is even lower than a season ago. His minus-11 is also the worst on the team.
22. Nashville Predators (12-12-0)
Previous rank: 28
Juuse Saros. The backbone of the Predators hasn't been himself yet this season. After three consecutive campaigns earning Vezina Trophy votes, Saros is struggling to a .900 save percentage with minus-2.07 goals saved above average.
23. Edmonton Oilers (9-12-1)
Previous rank: 29
Connor Brown. To say everything about the Oilers' start would be low-hanging fruit, so we'll single out Brown. He was widely expected to be a key bargain signing and perhaps even ride shotgun to old junior teammate Connor McDavid, but he's managed a single assist in 16 games this season.
24. Minnesota Wild (8-10-4)
Previous rank: 27
Soap-opera start. There have been faulty goaltending performances, underperforming stars, a meeting with their very disappointed GM, a fired coach, and now a three-game winning streak under their new bench boss, John Hynes. The Wild aren't lacking for drama, but they are lacking victories.
25. Ottawa Senators (9-10-0)
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Previous rank: 19
Not enough progress. This is supposed to be the season the Senators enter the playoff mix, but Ottawa finds itself facing an uphill battle past the schedule's quarter mark. Although the Sens hold several games in hand, they're eight points back of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
26. Buffalo Sabres (10-13-2)
Previous rank: 23
Devon Levi not the answer (yet). Expectations for Levi as a rookie netminder were astronomically high coming into the campaign. Many pegged him as the man to take over the Sabres' crease and lead Buffalo back to the playoffs. After nine games and a dismal .876 save percentage, a demotion to the AHL will hopefully help the 21-year-old find his game again.
27. Montreal Canadiens (10-11-3)
Previous rank: 26
Josh Anderson's cold spell. The speedy power forward has been a 20-goal threat when healthy for most of his career, but he's stuck on zero this season through 24 appearances. His shots per-game rate is also well below his lifetime average, sitting at 1.92 compared to 2.3.
28. Seattle Kraken (8-11-6)
Previous rank: 22
Sputtering offense. Thanks to a well-balanced approach, Seattle finished fourth in goals last season en route to its first-ever playoff berth. However, the Kraken currently own the 24th-ranked attack this campaign and have only four forwards with more than five goals.
29. Anaheim Ducks (10-14-0)
Previous rank: 20
Roller-coaster ride of a season. We thought the Ducks would be pretty bad, but their first two months of the campaign have been more up-and-down than expected. Anaheim was on a high with a six-game win streak before falling back down to earth with eight consecutive losses. Please stop, we're getting nauseous.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets (8-14-4)
Ben Jackson / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: 31
Johnny Gaudreau. Even though the Blue Jackets underwhelmed in the standings last season, Gaudreau still operated at just under a point per game. This season? An astonishingly low 13 points in 26 contests, a far cry from his near Hart Trophy form two seasons ago.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (7-16-0)
Previous rank: 30
Kevin Korchinski. Connor Bedard isn't the only rookie impressing in the Windy City. Korchinski isn't generating as many headlines, but the 19-year-old defenseman has racked up two goals and seven points in 23 games while averaging 19:27 of ice time per contest. Not bad for a guy who's never seen any AHL action.
32. San Jose Sharks (6-17-2)
Previous rank: 32
Modest turnaround. All hope appeared to be lost when the Sharks allowed 10 goals in back-to-back games to fall to 0-10-1, but San Jose is a respectable 6-7-1 since its nightmarish start.
Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar is unavailable for Sunday's clash against the Los Angeles Kings due to a lower-body injury, head coach Jared Bednar said, according to Corey Masisak of The Denver Post.
Makar missed the final few minutes of regulation and the entire overtime during Saturday's shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
Bednar added he doesn't know if Makar will miss time beyond Sunday's game. The Avalanche play the Ducks again Tuesday.
Makar's appeared in all of Colorado's 23 contests this season, leading the club with 34 points while averaging more than 24 minutes of ice time per contest. Multiple ailments limited the 2022 Norris and Conn Smythe winner to 60 appearances last season.
Sunday's tilt between the Avalanche and Kings features two of the best teams in the Western Conference. Both clubs have won seven of their past 10 games and are top four in their conference in points percentage.
