Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe wasn't impressed with the example captain John Tavares set during Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils.

"John Tavares has been the example for us, he's been outstanding for us for a long period of time," Keefe said postgame. "He himself got carried away tonight. That's our captain, so if that's gonna happen, then the rest of our bench is just picking it up as we go."

Tavares said Wednesday that he understands the reasoning for getting called out by Keefe.

"I think, especially as the captain, you really want to be at the top of the list of being accountable and setting the standard and the way we need to play," Tavares said. "He's good in discussions with me and throughout our lineup about 'when there's plays to be made, make the plays, certainly depending on the situation and in the game we're in.'

"I had an opportunity in the second period, tried to make a play, and misjudged it. That's on me. Obviously, I have to be accountable, hold (myself) to a high standard, especially as the captain, doing the right things."

The Maple Leafs outshot the Devils 45-25, but a series of turnovers and mistakes allowed New Jersey to be opportunistic and convert on odd-man rushes.

Toronto had energy from the get-go, racking up 25 shots in the first period alone. Keefe believes the Leafs got too comfortable afterward.

"I just thought we got incredibly sloppy and careless," he said. "I thought our guys got a little too excited, a little too carried away."

Tavares signed a seven-year, $77-million contract with the Leafs as a free agent in 2018 and was named captain the following year.

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Martin Brodeur understands why goaltending workloads have changed in recent years, but the Hall of Famer still thinks the players at his old position are overprotected nowadays.

"I think we baby our goalies," the New Jersey Devils executive vice president of hockey operations told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun on Tuesday. "I see it. I'm part of it. It's like, my goalie coach will say, 'He's played five games the past eight days …' I'm like, 'So?'"

Brodeur played at least 70 games in 12 of his 22 seasons, including a stretch from 1995-96 through 2007-08 in which he averaged 73 contests. But lately, the majority of NHL teams have resorted to goaltending tandems. Some clubs, like the Boston Bruins, employ a virtually even split, while others use a "1A/1B" approach with the backup starting more often than he would've in the past in order to help preserve the No. 1 netminder for the long run.

Goaltenders' job security has also become more fraught, while some puck-stoppers that are now mainstays initially emerged from relative obscurity.

"The sport has changed, but the position has changed a lot, just because of the workload that these guys are having," Brodeur said. "It's so volatile, that position. One year, you can be the top goalie. The second year, it's like you don't even belong in the league. It's weird how really volatile the position has become."

The four-time Vezina Trophy winner believes the split workloads contribute to how unpredictable the position can be in the modern game.

"It's the system of 1A and 1B that's going to create that," Brodeur said. "Because it's always going to be, 'We can't play back-to-back (games).' You're so scared the No. 1 gets hurt. And so you baby that guy for the longest time. So, these guys are playing 55 games. They should be playing 65-to-70 games like we did."

Brodeur acknowledged the average goalie now is better than when he played but said it's harder to trust younger netminders, so experience often wins out.

The legendary former crease-patroller helped the Devils win three Stanley Cup championships and led Canada to two Olympic gold medals. New Jersey won the William Jennings Trophy (a team goaltending award) five times during Brodeur's career, and he was a three-time Hart Trophy finalist.

Brodeur was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. He joined the Devils' front office in August 2018 as executive vice president of business development. Brodeur became an advisor to the team's hockey operations department when Ray Shero was fired in January 2020. New Jersey promoted him to his current role in November 2022.

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Bill Guerin has a clear message for those vying for spots on the American roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off and Olympic teams: Play in the World Championship.

"I think it's important for guys to go," Guerin, the United States' general manager for both the 4 Nations Face-Off and Olympics, told The Athletic's Michael Russo. "Hey look, there's some guys that are going to be a lock for both teams. But there are going to be guys that are on the bubble. If they haven't played in the playoffs or meaningful games in a long time - or ever - I want to see how they perform.

"So, in that respect, I think the World Championships are extremely important."

The World Championship is held in May, so it's only available to players whose NHL teams miss the playoffs or are knocked out early. But after the grind of a long season, players can choose to begin their offseason rather than play more hockey.

"I want to see commitment, and if a trip to the Caribbean is more important than the World Championships, then you're not really committed," Guerin, who also serves as GM of the Minnesota Wild, said. "Our player pool is pretty substantial now. I'm not going to say, black and white, 'If you do this, then yes. If you do this, then no.' But we're trying to put the best team on the ice that we possibly can. But we also want guys that are committed.

"I get there are situations, like guys are getting married, guys are having babies, guys are injured. I get that. But if you're not?"

Florida Panthers assistant GM Brett Peterson will serve as GM for the United States squad at the 2024 World Championship, which takes place in Czechia. It's a tournament the U.S. has historically struggled in despite its depth of talent. The nation hasn't finished better than third since winning gold at the 1960 Winter Olympics, which doubled as the World Championship.

The 4 Nations Face-Off is a new NHL-sanctioned event that will feature the best players from Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland in a four-team tournament in February 2025. The 2026 Olympics, meanwhile, will be the first Winter Games the NHL has partaken in since 2014.

The U.S. hasn't won a best-on-best tournament since the 1996 World Cup. Canada was victorious in each of the last three, winning at the 2016 World Cup, the 2014 Olympics, and the 2010 Olympics.

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It was a successful night on the ice. We won our side, our total, and one of our props to give us a 3-2 record and turn a profit Tuesday.

We probably deserved even better, with Seth Jones (three missed attempts) and Nathan MacKinnon (five missed attempts) falling one shot shy of going over their respective numbers despite plenty of opportunities.

At any rate, a winning night is a winning night. Let's take a look at a few plays for Wednesday's slate as we look to string them together.

Jakob Chychrun: Over 2.5 shots

Chychrun's shooting has hit a different level of late. He's recorded three shots or more in eight of the past 10 games and 12 of 15 overall.

His only failures in that span came against the Kings, Predators, and Devils. That's two strong defensive teams comfortably holding onto playoff spots and one desperately trying to work its way in.

Chychrun has averaged 3.4 shots on 6.5 attempts while logging more than 22 minutes per night during this hot streak. He's playing a lot at even strength and also finds himself skating on the top power-play unit, leading the team in attempts and shots on target.

His role as a primary shooter on the man advantage has raised the floor and ceiling for Chychrun each night, and he's reaping the benefits.

The Sabres tend to play in plenty of high-paced games, and only nine teams have spent more time shorthanded over the last 10. This is a good matchup for Chychrun to build on his recent success.

Jeff Skinner: Under 0.5 points

Skinner appears to have fallen out of favor in Buffalo. He was recently demoted to the third line and pulled off the top power-play unit by head coach Don Granato. That's drastically cut into his ice time, as Skinner has played 14 minutes or fewer in nine of the last 10 games. Unsurprisingly, Skinner failed to record a point in seven of them.

He hasn't been productive when seeing such usage. Skinner has failed to get on the scoresheet in 14 of 22 games (64%) this season when logging 15 minutes or fewer.

The matchup looks great for Skinner on paper, but the Senators are in decent form. They've won five of the past eight games, with two of the losses coming against powerhouses like the Hurricanes and Bruins.

Joonas Korpisalo is also in the midst of one of his better stretches of the season. He's posted a save percentage of .900 or higher in five of his last six games and saved +2.05 goals more than expected in that time.

Odds: -150 (playable to -165)

Anthony Duclair: Over 0.5 points

Duclair has hit the ground running since joining the Lightning at the trade deadline. He leads the team in shot attempts, shots, scoring chances, high-danger chances, and goals at five-and-five and has more points than all but Nikita Kucherov.

Duclair has found the scoresheet in all seven games with the Bolts and made the most of playing opposite Steven Stamkos on a dangerous second line.

This offensive surge from Duclair is one of the reasons the Lightning have climbed back into the race for the third seed in the Atlantic Division.

While the Bruins are a difficult matchup for offensive players, they're in the latter half of a road back-to-back, and Linus Ullmark isn't as untouchable as a year ago. He hasn't played quite as well as Jeremy Swayman this season despite often getting the weaker opponents in the rotation.

With a key role in a high-powered offense, the red-hot Duclair is worth backing for a point at a very reasonable price.

Odds: -120 (playable to -135)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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It was a dream NHL debut for Josh Doan on Tuesday at Mullett Arena.

The 22-year-old scored twice with his father, Shane Doan, in attendance as the Arizona Coyotes beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2.

"That was something special," Josh told reporters after the game. "Right from the beginning, all the guys made it so unique and special."

Shane is the Coyotes' franchise leader in every major statistic. He accumulated 402 goals and 972 points in 1,540 games with the franchise over 21 seasons.

"It's crazy, people clapped for his first shift," Shane said on the Coyotes' broadcast before Josh found the back of the net. "It's just special, we're so fortunate."

Josh already has one up on his dad, as it took Shane 17 games to score his first NHL goal.

He got his first of the night late in the second period to put Arizona up 2-1.

"I almost missed it," Shane said postgame, according to ESPN. "It's so cool."

One wasn't enough for Josh, as he deflected in the eventual winner midway through the third.

The young winger has 26 goals and 46 points in 62 games this season with the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners. He leads all rookies in goals.

Josh was born in Scottsdale, Arizona, and grew up playing for the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes. After two years with the USHL's Chicago Steel, he played at Arizona State for two seasons and then turned pro.

"As a kid, it wasn't something that was for a while in the works when I was undersized at 16," Doan said. "It's been a long journey."

The Coyotes drafted Josh 37th overall in 2021 after he went undrafted the prior year.

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If it were up to Jake Guentzel, he'd still be a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"My intention was to stay," the Carolina Hurricanes forward said after his team's 4-1 loss Tuesday against the Penguins, according to 93.7 The Fan's Jeff Hathhorn. "They just thought there was a better direction, to go a different way. It's out of my hands, not my choice."

Pittsburgh dealt Guentzel to the Hurricanes ahead of March's trade deadline for Michael Bunting, three prospects, and a conditional second-round pick.

Tuesday's game was his first in Pittsburgh since the trade. The Penguins honored Guentzel with a tribute video in the first period.

"It's special," Guentzel said. "You look back at all of the memories you've had here. It's just a cool little touch that they do."

The 29-year-old winger, a pending unrestricted free agent, spent his entire eight-season career in Pittsburgh before being sent to Carolina.

General manager Kyle Dubas said trading Guentzel was one of the most "difficult decisions" he's made as an executive. However, the deal left longtime captain Sidney Crosby without answers when asked by the media what message the move sent to the club.

Dubas later elaborated on the choice to move Guentzel, saying, "My sights were set on giving the team as long as possible to assert itself more in the race."

Guentzel has been on fire with two goals and 12 points in nine games with the Hurricanes. Carolina is up 16-1 in all situations with him on the ice, and the only goal against was an empty-netter.

The Penguins are nine points out of the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot with 11 games to play. The Hurricanes are second in the Metropolitan Divison with 97 points.

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The New York Rangers became the first team to clinch a berth in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Rangers emphatically booked their postseason ticket Tuesday with Adam Fox's overtime winner against the Philadelphia Flyers.

With the Detroit Red Wings' overtime loss to the Washington Capitals, the Rangers clinched a playoff spot by securing a point against the Flyers.

The 6-5 victory for New York was a wild back-and-forth affair, with Philadelphia tying the contest four times. The teams combined for seven goals in the third period.

The Rangers are headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season. New York lost in the first round against the New Jersey Devils last year after making the Eastern Conference Final the season prior.

New York is also the first team this season to reach 100 points, hitting the mark for the third straight year. The Rangers have compiled three consecutive 100-point campaigns two other times in the franchise's history - 1970-73 and 2014-17.

The result was head coach Peter Laviolette's 800th victory in his NHL career, making him the seventh bench boss to do so.

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