New York Islanders forward Mat Barzal summarized his team's 7-0 lashing at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night with two words.

"Just brutal," he said, according to Newsday's Andrew Gross.

"You can imagine what it felt like," Barzal continued. "It wasn't fun. It was 2-0, 3-0, had a couple looks in their end and then back the other way and they would score."

The matchup was goalless heading into the second frame. Islanders head coach Lane Lambert called a timeout to settle his team when Rickard Rakell and Jake Guentzel broke the deadlock, but the latter quickly netted his second goal of the game once play resumed.

Evgeni Malkin scored the next two tallies before Radim Zohorna capped off a six-goal middle stanza for the Penguins.

"Just a weird lull in the second period that obviously cost us the game," Barzal lamented. "A sold-out rink like that tonight in front of our fans, it's unacceptable."

The loss marked the Islanders' worst defeat since falling 7-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 25, 2017.

Islanders captain Anders Lee was disappointed in New York's inability to turn the tide.

"I think the concerning part is just our lack of ability to stop the bleeding and have a response," he said. "They're going to have moments where they pop one or two quick, but to let it get to where it got, it's just not a part of our DNA. It was tonight, and that's the part that's frustrating the most."

In Pittsburgh's dressing room, Kris Letang was the man of the hour.

The veteran defenseman factored in on all but one of the Penguins' goals and logged five assists in the second period alone, becoming the first blue-liner in NHL history to record that many helpers in a single frame.

"That's an unbelievable feat when you think about it," Penguins bench boss Mike Sullivan said, per The Associated Press' Scott Charles. "Especially in today's game when the parity in the league is so high. Against a good team like the Islanders, it's not an easy thing to do. Couldn't be happier for him. Obviously, he's an elite player for us."

When the final horn sounded, Letang had tied the record for the most assists (six) by a rearguard in a single game, joining Gary Suter (1986), Paul Coffey (1986), Ron Stackhouse (1975), Bobby Orr (1973), Pat Stapleton (1969), and Babe Pratt (1944).

Letang's son, Alex, seemed to have a gut feeling that Wednesday's game would be a big one.

"Alex was actually talking to me before I left this morning," Letang said, according to team beat reporter Michelle Crechiolo. "He said, 'I'm gonna watch the entire game.' I'm like, 'No, no, no - we have to get going on the ice tomorrow morning.' He was like, 'No, I really want to watch this one!'

"So, I hope he got to see it all. I think he's going to be pretty pumped."

The Penguins and Islanders meet again Dec. 31.

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

Getty Images sports photographers snapped action shots around the globe in 2023. Here's a compilation of their finest work.

Shohei Ohtani is mobbed after striking out Mike Trout to clinch Japan's victory over the United States in the World Baseball Classic final.

Travis Kelce finds Patrick Mahomes in the thick of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LVII celebration.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook roars after scoring an and-1 layup against the Memphis Grizzlies.

LSU forward Angel Reese taunts Iowa star Caitlin Clark as time wanes in the NCAA championship game.

UConn guard Andre Jackson Jr. dunks emphatically in a Final Four clash with Miami.

Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall leaps above Charlotte defenders to reel in a dazzling one-handed catch.

Running back J.K. Dobbins dives for a touchdown to propel the Baltimore Ravens past the Houston Texans.

Aaron Rodgers' left Achilles tendon ruptures on the opening drive of his New York Jets debut.

Blood gushes from Top Noi Kiwram's eye during his UFC flyweight bout with Nyamjargal Tumendemberel in China.

Maori rugby league player James Fisher-Harris greets the opposition ahead of an all-star match in New Zealand.

Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak exults after scoring in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Sprung on a breakaway, Bo Horvat tallies a postseason goal for the New York Islanders.

Oakland A's baserunner Tony Kemp contorts to elude the tag of Boston Red Sox catcher Jorge Alfaro.

A Miami Marlins teammate showers Jean Segura with Gatorade following a walk-off win over the Chicago Cubs.

Indiana Fever rookie Aliyah Boston dribbles below the hoop during a WNBA game in Seattle.

Eventual world champion Sha'Carri Richardson crosses the 100-meter finish line at the U.S. Track and Field Championships.

Fernando Ferreira jumps for joy as he completes the Boston Marathon.

Nick Taylor, the first homegrown Canadian Open winner in 69 years, savors his tournament victory with caddie Dave Markle.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart absorbs a huge hit against Tulane.

Novak Djokovic stumbles over the net while facing Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon.

Donna Vekic serves the ball at the Australian Open.

PGA pro Sam Burns shoots from the bunker at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.

French motocross rider David Rinaldo takes flight while executing a trick at X Games California.

Artistic swimmer Yukiko Inui competes at the World Aquatics Championships in Japan, her home country.

Australia players celebrate a missed penalty kick that helped seal France's defeat in the Women's World Cup quarterfinals.

Catalina Usme clutches teammate Daniela Arias following Colombia's elimination from the World Cup.

Lionel Messi is feted for leading Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup title in his first MLS season.

Louis Lappe's walk-off home run in the Little League World Series final elicits joy from his El Segundo, California, squad.

The triumphant LSU baseball team dogpiles in the infield at the end of the College World Series.

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh holds onto a pop-up against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Giovani Santillan clocks welterweight opponent Alexis Rocha en route to knocking him out in California.

Danielle Collins prepares to deliver a serve at the San Diego Open.

Partners Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram kiss the US Open men's doubles trophy.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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

Getty Images sports photographers snapped action shots around the globe in 2023. Here's a compilation of their finest work.

Shohei Ohtani is mobbed after striking out Mike Trout to clinch Japan's victory over the United States in the World Baseball Classic final.

Travis Kelce finds Patrick Mahomes in the thick of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LVII celebration.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook roars after scoring an and-1 layup against the Memphis Grizzlies.

LSU forward Angel Reese taunts Iowa star Caitlin Clark as time wanes in the NCAA championship game.

UConn guard Andre Jackson Jr. dunks emphatically in a Final Four clash with Miami.

Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall leaps above Charlotte defenders to reel in a dazzling one-handed catch.

Running back J.K. Dobbins dives for a touchdown to propel the Baltimore Ravens past the Houston Texans.

Aaron Rodgers' left Achilles tendon ruptures on the opening drive of his New York Jets debut.

Blood gushes from Top Noi Kiwram's eye during his UFC flyweight bout with Nyamjargal Tumendemberel in China.

Maori rugby league player James Fisher-Harris greets the opposition ahead of an all-star match in New Zealand.

Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak exults after scoring in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Sprung on a breakaway, Bo Horvat tallies a postseason goal for the New York Islanders.

Oakland A's baserunner Tony Kemp contorts to elude the tag of Boston Red Sox catcher Jorge Alfaro.

A Miami Marlins teammate showers Jean Segura with Gatorade following a walk-off win over the Chicago Cubs.

Indiana Fever rookie Aliyah Boston dribbles below the hoop during a WNBA game in Seattle.

Eventual world champion Sha'Carri Richardson crosses the 100-meter finish line at the U.S. Track and Field Championships.

Fernando Ferreira jumps for joy as he completes the Boston Marathon.

Nick Taylor, the first homegrown Canadian Open winner in 69 years, savors his tournament victory with caddie Dave Markle.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart absorbs a huge hit against Tulane.

Novak Djokovic stumbles over the net while facing Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon.

Donna Vekic serves the ball at the Australian Open.

PGA pro Sam Burns shoots from the bunker at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.

French motocross rider David Rinaldo takes flight while executing a trick at X Games California.

Artistic swimmer Yukiko Inui competes at the World Aquatics Championships in Japan, her home country.

Australia players celebrate a missed penalty kick that helped seal France's defeat in the Women's World Cup quarterfinals.

Catalina Usme clutches teammate Daniela Arias following Colombia's elimination from the World Cup.

Lionel Messi is feted for leading Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup title in his first MLS season.

Louis Lappe's walk-off home run in the Little League World Series final elicits joy from his El Segundo, California, squad.

The triumphant LSU baseball team dogpiles in the infield at the end of the College World Series.

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh holds onto a pop-up against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Giovani Santillan clocks welterweight opponent Alexis Rocha en route to knocking him out in California.

Danielle Collins prepares to deliver a serve at the San Diego Open.

Partners Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram kiss the US Open men's doubles trophy.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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

Sweden 🇸🇪/Finland 🇫🇮 | Canada 🇨🇦 | United States 🇺🇸

With a four-team, NHL-sanctioned international hockey tournament expected to take place in February 2025, theScore is choosing rosters for all nations set to partake.

For Canada and the United States, there are a lot of quality players to choose from. Opinions on who should make the rosters vary depending on who you ask, so we tasked five members of our hockey editorial team - Kayla Douglas, Josh Gold-Smith, Sean O'Leary, John Matisz, and Josh Wegman - with selecting their own squads.

Below, we dive into each editor's Team USA and the most pressing question surrounding their roster:

Kayla Douglas 👇

Biggest question: You're the only one who didn't tap Hellebuyck as the starter. USA is loaded in net, but can you explain your lack of faith in the experienced, three-time Vezina finalist?

The United States can't go wrong with any of these three options in the crease. It's an embarrassment of riches and, as a Canadian, I'm jealous.

I don't have a lack of faith in Hellebuyck. He's outstanding. It's just that he's currently 30 and is constantly one of the most overworked goalies in the league (he paced all netminders in shots faced for four straight seasons from 2018-22). With this event expected to be held in February 2025, Hellebuyck has one more year to get through. Wear and tear starts to add up.

Demko, meanwhile, is two years younger and excelling after a down year. By the time this tournament rolls around, he might have the same number of Vezina Trophies (one) as Hellebuyck. - Douglas

Josh Gold-Smith 👇

Biggest question: You're the only editor to omit Tage Thompson. Why do you feel the 47-goal scorer from a season ago isn't worthy of a spot on the team?

It's not that Thompson isn't gifted or hasn't proven himself in the past. That 47-goal, 94-point campaign was remarkable. But this season has been a different story. Yes, he missed nine games with an injury but, even when healthy, he hasn't consistently been that dominant player we saw in 2022-23.

Let's start with the counting stats. Thompson's per-game offensive output is down to about half of what it was last campaign. Sure, the Sabres have disappointed as a team, but Thompson's also been underwhelming individually.

The 26-year-old's underlying numbers have been pedestrian this season. His five-on-five expected goals for percentage is hovering around 50%, and his individual expected goals per 60 minutes rate ranks about 200th in the league. He still possesses a rare combination of size, speed, and skill, but he hasn't been the dynamic game-changer he was over the last two campaigns. - Gold-Smith

John Matisz 👇

Biggest question: Caufield made only two of the five teams, and you're the only one to have him in your top-12 forwards. Amid a disappointing season, what makes you believe the diminutive sniper should make it?

For this exercise, I put a huge emphasis on filling the lineup with different player archetypes. After all, we're building a real team, not picking favorites for the All-Star Game. I placed value on growth potential, too, since younger players can level up multiple times between Dec. 2023 and Feb. 2025.

That brings us to Caufield.

He may not be producing at a high rate right now, but the 22-year-old is an elite finisher, full stop. I tabbed Caufield over fellow shooters Brock Boeser and Alex DeBrincat largely because of his history with Jack Hughes. The duo was electric for two years at the U.S. National Team Development Program. Their skill sets complement each other perfectly, while the third member of my "second" USA line, J.T. Miller, can do the dirty work. - Matisz

Sean O'Leary 👇

Biggest question: You took only two right-handed defensemen and have them playing together on the top pair. Are you worried that having three blue-liners playing their off side could pose issues against some of the world's best players?

To quote Billy Beane's character in "Moneyball," I don't care about righty-lefty. Short tournaments force players out of their usual positions all the time, and these are some of the most talented players in the world. They're fully capable of making adjustments.

I also think Fox and McAvoy are USA's top two horses, and their history of being international teammates dates back to the 2017 world juniors. Both players have the mobility and puck-moving prowess to be effective on either side of the ice and, on the off chance it goes terribly, management can shake up the pairings before elimination games begin. Placing these stalwarts on the same unit also created the opportunity for an all-Hughes pairing which, for the sake of fun, factored into my decision. - O'Leary

Josh Wegman 👇

Biggest question: You're the only one who took both Tuch and Kreider. What makes them deserving of roster spots over the likes of Boeser, Caufield, DeBrincat, Keller and others?

Tuch and Kreider are big, fast, north-south wingers who can get in on the forecheck and wreak havoc. While both players can put the puck in the net, they can affect the game positively in other ways - and in limited minutes - even if they're not contributing offensively. That's important in a bottom-six role on a star-studded team. To me, the same can't be said for Boeser, Caufield, DeBrincat, and Keller. - Wegman

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

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

The World Junior Championship is typically a tournament dominated by 19-year-olds, but it also presents an opportunity for draft-eligible players to boost their stock with a strong performance.

While the 2023 WJHC was loaded with draft-eligible talent, including four of the eventual top five picks, the 2024 tournament isn't quite as strong in that regard. The United States omitted projected No. 2 pick Cole Eiserman, and Russia's absence from the tournament prevents other potential top-10 selections from showcasing their talents.

However, the projected No. 1 pick is expected to play a huge role again, as Connor Bedard did a year ago. Below, we rank the top five draft-eligible players competing at the world juniors.

1. Macklin Celebrini, Canada 🇨🇦

Position: C
Club team: Boston University (NCAA)
Draft projection: 1st overall

Celebrini doesn't carry the same hype that Bedard did a year ago, but most scouts see him as a comparable prospect to the 2023 draft's No. 2 and 3 selections, Leo Carlsson and Adam Fantilli.

The Vancouver, British Columbia, native was excellent for Boston University before leaving for Canada's camp, producing 10 goals and 15 assists in 15 games - both of which still lead the team.

Celebrini is a highly skilled player with the ability to be both a playmaker and a finisher. Canada is putting a lot on the 17-year-old's plate, too, as he's been playing a middle-six role with a spot on the top power-play unit in pre-tournament action.

2. Adam Jiricek, Czechia 🇨🇿

Position: RD
Club team: Plzen HC (Czechia)
Draft projection: Top 10

Adam's older brother, David - the 2022 No. 6 pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets - was a man among boys at last year's tournament, leading Czechia to a surprising silver medal by racking up seven points in as many games.

Adam will aim to follow suit - but with gold around his neck at tournament's end. Like his brother, he brings good length to the table. He's nearly 6-foot-3, but he could still stand to fill out his 178-pound frame. While he doesn't have the same offensive flair as David - Adam's only mustered one point in 19 games this season - he's a better skater, which was one of the lone knocks on David.

3. Konsta Helenius, Finland 🇫🇮

Position: C
Club team: Jukurit (Liiga)
Draft projection: Top 10

Helenius is listed at just 5-foot-11 and 176 pounds, but his size hasn't stopped him from being a force in Finland's top professional league this season, tallying 20 points in 28 games. It's possible that going from playing against men to playing against fellow teenagers could help Helenius break out even further.

Helenius plays with high-end pace and has showcased the ability to make skilled plays at top speed. He's considered more of a playmaker than a shooter.

4. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Norway 🇳🇴

Position: RW
Club team: Mora IK (Allsvenskan)
Draft projection: Mid-1st

The next Mats Zuccarello? Brandsegg-Nygard is easily the most promising prospect Norway has ever produced, but whether he can put together a career as good as the nation's greatest player ever - by far - remains to be seen.

Norway's chances of winning the tournament are slim to none. Avoiding relegation would be considered a massive success. While Brandsegg-Nygard's stats in Sweden's second-best professional league this season aren't anything special - six points in 22 games - he possesses a heavy shot that'll be heavily relied on to produce offense.

5. Zeev Buium, United States 🇺🇸

Position: LD
Club team: Denver (NCAA)
Draft projection: Mid-1st

Buium is the second defenseman on this list whose older brother has already been selected in an NHL draft. Shai Buium was taken 36th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 2021.

At 6-feet, Zeev is three inches shorter than his brother, but he projects to be taken much earlier in the draft. Zeev is much more offensively gifted than his brother. He has excellent offensive instincts, can quarterback a power play, and uses his feet to join the rush. While he impressively sits third on Denver with 25 points in 18 games this season, it remains to be seen what kind of role he'll be able to carve out on a loaded Team USA that already has Lane Hutson to run the top power-play unit.

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

Whether it's at the end of the regular season or during some obvious break in the schedule, you'll hear about the most, and least, profitable teams in a given league. But it's largely irrelevant.

What is worth a quick investigation - during this hiatus in the hockey season - is how the best and worst teams in the NHL have done for their bettors, who were either willing to lay a price to back the good teams or were able to hold their nose and bet on the bad ones.

We were given a hint before the season as to who would be good this season. The Hurricanes, Devils, Avalanche, and Maple Leafs were all expected to push for more than 106 points, or 1.3 points per game, in the standings.

We were also given a hint as to who might be bad this season. The Blackhawks, Ducks, and Sharks were lined at 71 points or worse (0.86 points per game).

Here's how blindly betting on those six teams has fared this season.

Why is hockey so difficult to bet on? Blindly betting on both the good and bad teams can be a losing proposition.

With a high rating coming into the season, the Avalanche have needed to win 62% of their games to be marginally profitable.

At the other end, getting big underdog moneyline prices on the low-rated teams hasn't guaranteed profits, either.

The Sharks lost their first 11 games, making them profitable at +7.1 units since a disastrous start. What's even wilder is that, before heading into the Christmas break with a five-game losing streak, San Jose had an 18-game stretch of winning 12.1 units for their bettors.

The cheat sheet

The dirty little secret in the betting world is that, while there are no bad bets at the right price, the discovery process of what a good price looks like is hidden.

Each week, we balance market information from regular-season point totals and in-season advanced metrics - with an even-strength focus - to determine the win probability for each team and the moneyline needed to bet on either side. The idea is to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which can be skewed by outliers like special-team results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events.

You can use whatever parameters you like to decide how much of an edge you need to trigger a bet, but here are mine:

• True line favorite of -111 or longer: 1%
• True line between -110 and +110: 2.5%
• True line underdog of +111 or longer: 4%

I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a team playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and a 3% consideration for the second leg of a home back-to-back. When it comes to injured players, an estimation is made on the player's impact on their team's win probability.

When the betting markets open up the night before, you can compare those prices with our "price to bet" column to see if you're getting any value with either side's moneyline. There's a possibility that a moneyline moves into a bet-friendly range at some point between the market opening and puck drop.

Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.

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

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! On a special Holiday edition of S&P, we welcome the Celebrini boys, Macklin and Aiden, back to the program. The Boston Terrier bros discuss what it's like to play college hockey together, growing up as Canucks fans in Vancouver, living the college life, and being a part of the up-and-coming talent coming out of the Lower Mainland. Macklin chats about the upcoming World Junior tournament in which he'll lace up for Team Canada as a 17-year-old, playing NCAA hockey in his draft-eligible season, being a top draft prospect, as well as his fellow North Vancouver buddy Connor Bedard; Aiden discusses the role of being an older brother, being drafted by the Canucks, and what it's like having a younger brother who's expected to go first overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. Plus, we hear about youngest brother RJ, who's lighting it up in minor hockey, as well as father Rick, who worked for the Canucks as the director of rehabilitation before joining the Golden State Warriors as the director of sports medicine and performance. Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

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