This is already the third time this postseason - and the second time this series - that Rinne has been pulled mid-game in favor of Juuse Saros.
Mathieu Perreault, who hadn't played since Game 1 of the first round against the Minnesota Wild, notched the sixth tally that led to Rinne's departure.
There was no clear incident during which Backstrom may have suffered an injury, but it's worth noting the center only took three faceoffs in his 15:55 of ice time, indicating he may have already been battling some sort of wrist or shoulder ailment.
Already without forwards Tom Wilson and Andre Burakovsky, Washington would be in tough to close out its series - which it leads 3-2 - against the Penguins if Backstrom misses any time.
The Caps' first chance to finish off the Pens will come Monday night in Pittsburgh.
The redirect was Crosby's ninth goal and 20th point thus far this postseason. Considering the way he's been rolling, surpassing Mario Lemieux for the top spot on the franchise's playoff goal-scoring list could possibly happen in 2018 if the Pens make another run to the Stanley Cup final.
"It was a very blatant grab on (McAvoy's) shoulder," Marchand told reporters postgame, according to Mike Petraglia of CLNS. "It turned into a goal. The missed calls that are costing goals and games, it's unfortunate that they can't get it right, so hopefully they can fix that."
"It looked like he reached around and pulled him down," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy added in his postgame press conference, via NESN. "Charlie (McAvoy) is a strong guy, but it wasn't called, and it's in our net, and that's that."
Cassidy also took issue with Noel Acciari's third-period hooking penalty.
"It's game after game. I mean, to me, the calls - look at the Acciari penalty, it's unbelievable," the coach said, according to CBS' Michael Hurley. "The league gives you a directive at the start of the year that if you're going to after the stick, you gotta go under the stick and not on the hands, over the top of the hands. (Acciari) goes under the stick a foot from his hands, and you've got a 6-foot-5 guy that I think really sold it.
"And I think the officials have to be on top of that. They've gotta be on top of that call. Because it's not an infraction. He lifted his stick, as he's been directed to do."
The Bruins, now trailing 3-1 in the series, will try to keep their season alive in Game 5 on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Tampa Bay.
Despite a crash into the boards in which his ankle took the worst of it, Krug made it to the bench under his own power, but had to be helped to the dressing room.
Losing the diminutive blue-liner for any amount of time would be a massive blow for the Bruins. He has 12 points in 11 playoff games, including two assists Friday prior to his injury.
Even though spitting on an opponent results in a game misconduct, Marchand did not receive a penalty for his lick, but he was seen talking to the officials during a TV timeout shortly after. Teammate Zdeno Chara was also seen giving Marchand a stern talking to.
Fiala, 21, tallied 23 goals and 48 points during the regular season and has already scored three times in the playoffs, including an overtime winner in Game 2 against the Jets.
The 36-year-old Hartnell has only suited up for one playoff game this year, but has a wealth of postseason experience, and should add another dose of grit and nastiness to what's been a physical, in-your-face series thus far.
It's understandable that head coach Peter Laviolette might want Hartnell's experience in the lineup with Nashville trailing 2-1, but fourth-liner Miikka Salomaki would've been the more obvious candidate to come out, rather than a key offensive player in Fiala.
The Preds are also making a change on the back end, as Yannick Weber will enter the fold in place of Alexei Emelin, reports Seravalli.
San Jose Sharks netminder Martin Jones stood on his head Wednesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, stopping all 34 shots he faced. In doing so, Jones improved his already sensational career postseason numbers:
W-L
GAA
SV%
SO
22-16
2.01
.927
6
With his sixth career playoff shutout - and his second of 2018 - Jones tied Matt Murray for the most by any netminder across the last three years, per NHL Public Relations. He also moved one back of Evgeni Nabokov for the most playoff shutouts in Sharks history. Amazingly, Jones has done it in just 38 games, while it took Nabokov more than double (80) to reach seven shutouts.
Considering his playoff numbers, it's odd that Jones hasn't been especially great during the regular season. He's played well, but he's never had a season with a .920 save percentage, and he's never finished in the top five in Vezina Trophy voting.
But given his outstanding play when it matters most, it might be time to start including Jones' name in conversations about the game's elite netminders.
Tom Wilson's three-game suspension is a massive blow to the Washington Capitals' aspirations of defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the playoffs. Not only does the right winger's physicality make opponents aware of when he's on the ice, but he's also been a nice compliment to Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the Caps' top line, scoring 14 goals during the regular season.
This trio has also been firing on all cylinders in the playoffs. Ovechkin (8-5-13), Kuznetsov (5-4-9), and Wilson (2-5-7) have combined for 29 points in nine postseason games, so finding the correct replacement for Wilson is a key decision, to say the least.
Here are the forward lines Washington's been rolling out the last few games:
LW
C
RW
Alex Ovechkin
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Tom Wilson
Chandler Stephenson
Nicklas Backstrom
T.J. Oshie
Brett Connolly
Lars Eller
Devante Smith-Pelly
Jakub Vrana
Jay Beagle
Alex Chiasson
Assuming Andre Burakovsky remains out of the lineup with an upper-body injury (he hasn't played since Game 2 of Round 1), whoever enters the lineup in Wilson's place likely won't be inserted into a top-line role. Instead, here are five candidates to play alongside Ovechkin and Kuznetsov:
T.J. Oshie
Oshie would be a great fit. He isn't afraid to go in the corners, can be a playmaker and a finisher, is responsible defensively, and has experience playing with both Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. The problem is that it would leave Nicklas Backstrom without a proven offensive player on the second line. Lineup depth is crucial against the Pens, so this doesn't seem all that logical.
Brett Connolly
Connolly is a right-handed-shooting right winger currently playing out of position on the third line at left wing, so moving him back to his natural position could be a good fit.
Though he doesn't bring the same physicality as Wilson, Connolly isn't afraid to throw his weight around (72 hits during the regular season, 13 during the playoffs), brings size at 6-foot-3, and has scored 30 goals over the past two seasons despite a limited role. He could be Trotz's best option.
Devante Smith-Pelly
Smith-Pelly is basically a poor man's Wilson. Weighing 223 pounds and having already delivered 28 hits in the playoffs, he's Washington's second-most physical forward. His problem is offense, however, as he posted just seven goals in the regular season, while his career high is only 14.
Yet, given that Ovechkin and Kuznetsov create plenty of offense on their own, replicating Wilson's toughness might be Trotz's top priority in order to keep the line's chemistry intact. Going in that direction would make Smith-Pelly the best choice.
Jakub Vrana
Aside from Oshie, Vrana has the most offensive upside of the options. The 22-year-old was the 13th overall pick in 2014, and while he scored just 13 goals during the regular season, he has exceptional speed and offensive ability.
However, Trotz clearly doesn't trust him defensively. Vrana has been relegated to fourth-line duties, averaging just over nine minutes per game in the playoffs. Being out on the ice against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin requires acute defensive awareness, so while a promotion to the top line would be exciting, it's probably unwise.
Chandler Stephenson
Stephenson is probably the least sexy pick of the bunch, but he's had a nice playoffs so far, tallying five points and playing the sixth-most minutes among Washington's forwards - meaning Trotz clearly trusts him. He's fast and kills penalties, too, so even though he's just 24 with little playoff experience, he wouldn't be a defensive liability, provided his left-handed shot can play on the right wing.
Like with Oshie, promoting Stephenson would result in breaking up the team's second line, but it could turn out to be a shrewd move.
The King Clancy Trophy is awarded annually to the player (or potentially players in this case, since the Sedins are being grouped together) who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in the community.
The Sedin twins' on-ice leadership is well known, but their charitable efforts throughout Vancouver might fly under the average fan's radar. The Canucks outlined the pair's generosity and selflessness in a video that can be seen below:
“The Sedins finished their legendary playing careers last month after 17 NHL seasons with the #Canucks and their impact off the ice will be remembered with equal reverence in Vancouver.” - @NHLpic.twitter.com/r8ysgI5vtz
Zucker and Subban are also no strangers to charity work. Zucker's #Give16 campaign has raised over $900,000 in seven months, while Subban's work with children's hospitals in both Montreal and Nashville has been well-documented, and he also founded a new initiative this season - P.K.'s Blueline Buddies.
