The Ottawa Senators made franchise history during Game 1 of their series with the Boston Bruins.

The Senators held the Bruins without a single shot on goal over the course of the second period, marking a first for the team in a playoff game.

For the Bruins, this was not a first.

Shots were then fired via social media.

Seems like a recipe for success to us.

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The Golden Knights appear to have found their coach.

A press conference has been scheduled for noon Thursday, where the NHL's 31st franchise is expected to name Gerard Gallant as head coach, according to Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Carp added Golden Knights owner Bill Foley would not confirm the hiring of Gallant, but it's widely believed the former Florida Panthers bench boss is indeed the man for the job.

Gallant spent two full seasons with Florida - and guided the team to a division title in 2015-16 - before being fired early this season. Prior to that, he served as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2003-06.

Altogether, his career coaching record stands at 152-140-4-31, and at this point last year, he was coaching the Panthers in the playoffs and was later named a Jack Adams Award finalist.

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Boston Bruins center David Krejci was announced as a late scratch from Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators.

Krejci, who did not practice Monday but was still expected to suit up, is listed as having an upper-body injury, per the team.

In 82 games this season, Krejci recorded 23 goals and 31 assists while playing a second-line center role. He was replaced in the lineup by rookie Sean Kuraly.

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Leave it to Scott Hartnell to fuel the fire.

In advance of Game 1 of an opening-round series between his Columbus Blue Jackets and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the veteran winger was asked whether the opposing team had matured since he last saw them in the playoffs as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

His response, singling out Sidney Crosby, was a backhanded compliment at best.

"Maybe Sid," Hartnell said, per Sam Werner of the Post-Gazette. "He's not whining all the time."

Hartnell, who was traded by the Flyers to Columbus in 2014, is set to suit up in his first playoff game as a member of the Blue Jackets. He brings 91 postseason appearances to the table, and recorded two goals and three assists in the six-game series victory for Philadelphia over Pittsburgh in 2012.

Clearly, old rivalries die hard.

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A loss to Columbus in the final game of the regular season has dimmed Toronto's playoff outlook considerably.

Whereas a single point would have set up a first-round series with the Ottawa Senators, the Maple Leafs will now go head-to-head with the Washington Capitals, who enter the postseason as the best team in the NHL and with the most serious of Stanley Cup aspirations.

It'll serve as a tough test for the young club, admits head coach Mike Babcock.

"We're going to find out what playoff hockey is in a hurry," Babcock said Sunday, per Mark Masters of TSN. "I'll do my best the next couple days to explain what's going to happen. They're not going to believe me."

Still, that Toronto is in this position after a 30th-place finish a year ago is wildly encouraging.

Babcock also lauded the addition of veteran Brian Boyle late in the season, without whom the Maple Leafs may not have advanced. His experience will be relied upon heavily for as long as this run lasts.

Toronto faces the possibility of beginning the playoffs without Nikita Zaitsev, but Babcock said he's not concerned about an upper-body injury that forced the defenseman to make an early exit Sunday.

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The Stanley Cup playoffs will feature the Toronto Maple Leafs for only the second time in the shootout era.

The Maple Leafs clinched their first playoff appearance in a full season since 2004 with a win over the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

It's a development few expected after a 30th-place finish last season, but made possible thanks to the infusion of high-end talent via the draft and trades, as well as the dedication and leadership exemplified by veterans who've experience the highs and more frequent lows over the past several years.

Toronto's last playoff appearance, of course, resulted in a seven-game, opening-round loss to the Boston Bruins, highlighted by a near impossible comeback by the latter in the final game. One gets the sense this group is ready to exorcise those demons once and for all.

What's left to be determined is Toronto's first-round opponent, as well as the status of goalie Frederik Andersen, who left the clinching win with an apparent head injury.

For now, Toronto will celebrate, with a final regular-season game against Columbus on tap Sunday. If the Maple Leafs get a point, they'll face Ottawa in the first round. If not, Toronto will have a date with the Washington Capitals.

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For the first time since the 2013-14 season, the Boston Bruins have booked their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, courtesy of a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

This most recent victory - Boston's sixth in a row - improved the Bruins' record to 18-7-0 since the decision was made to fire Claude Julien in favor of interim bench boss Bruce Cassidy, who's made a good case to have that tag removed sooner rather than later.

The Bruins, however, were forced to play 40-plus minutes without leading scorer Brad Marchand, who was ejected near the end of the first period for spearing Jake Dotchin.

Boston last advanced to the postseason as Presidents' Trophy winners in 2014. But they missed out on the postseason by two points in 2015, and came up short again last season after finishing level in points with Detroit but losing the tiebreaker.

What's yet to be determined is whether Boston will secure an Atlantic Division spot or fall to the second wild card. The former would mean a first-round date with Toronto or Ottawa, while the latter would set up a date with the top team in the Metropolitan Division, which will likely be Washington.

Either way, the Bruins will certainly be among the final 16.

As for the Lightning, they're still technically in the race, but their chances took a massive hit with this loss.

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Crisis officially averted.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will have goaltender Frederik Andersen back between the pipes for Thursday's game against the Nashville Predators.

Andersen missed one game - a win backstopped by Curtis McElhinney - with an upper-body injury suffered in Buffalo on Saturday. He returns for the first of seven games remaining on the regular-season schedule and with a postseason berth in sight.

In 61 appearances this season, Andersen has posted a record of 30-15-14 with a .918 save percentage.

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Edmonton is no longer feeling blue.

Not only have the Oilers clinched their first playoff berth since 2006, the franchise has decided to part ways with the blue home jersey in favor of the orange-heavy look, beginning in the playoffs and extending into next season and beyond.

"I want to touch and respect the past, but we’re in a new building. We’re in a new era. We have a new leader in Connor McDavid. We have a team that is building their identity for today,” said Oilers Entertainment Group vice-chairman Bob Nicholson, per Terry Jones of the Edmonton journal.

"It’s great to talk about playoff memories from the past and 2006 (trip to Stanley Cup Final), but this is a new era. We will go orange for the playoffs with the jerseys."

Nicholson added: "Next year, we are mandated by the NHL to go to two uniforms without a third jersey. We will have two new uniforms, one orange and one white."

The orange jerseys were brought back last season as a tribute to the old WHA club and to commemorate the closing of Rexall Place.

Now, it's become a fixed orange-ment.

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Frederik Andersen appears set to suit up for Thursday's big game against the Predators.

The Toronto Maple Leafs goalie took the optional skate Wednesday, the morning after he was forced to sit out a win over the Blue Jackets with an upper-body injury.

Andersen said he felt good after taking the ice, and is traveling with the team to Nashville while fill-in Garret Sparks has been sent back to the AHL.

According to TSN's Mark Masters, Andersen said it will be determined on the plane whether he'll play against the Predators, although he added he felt optimistic and ready to go.

Barring a setback and emergency recall, all indications are that Andersen should at least be able to serve as backup to Curtis McElhinney.

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