J.T. Miller and the Vancouver Canucks haven't appeared in a postseason game for almost four years, and the veteran forward couldn't be more excited to end that drought.

"I just love the playoffs," he told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "And the older I get, the more I love them because your mindset changes. And I guarantee you it will change for every single guy in here. Once you get a taste of it one time - the city, the crowd, the away crowds ... I burn for it. It's the greatest feeling ever."

"Not getting to the playoffs has driven a lot of my frustration," he added. "I don't think anybody on this team has played a playoff game here in this building."

The Canucks will open their first-round series against the Nashville Predators on Sunday night in Vancouver. Since the 2020 playoffs took place in an Edmonton bubble for the Western Conference teams, Rogers Arena hasn't hosted a postseason contest since 2015, when the Canucks lost to the Calgary Flames in the first round.

Only two players from that roster - New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat and Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev - still play in the NHL.

Miller has 78 playoff games under his belt after being a part of four runs with the New York Rangers and two with the Tampa Bay Lightning, making him the second-most experienced postseason performer on the Canucks behind defenseman Ian Cole.

Vancouver was one of the league's biggest surprises this season, ascending to the top of the Pacific Division after finishing 12 points outside the playoff picture in 2022-23. Miller was key to the Canucks' success, pacing the team with a career-high 103 points (37 goals, 66 assists) in 81 contests.

Though the 31-year-old isn't about to limit Vancouver's window for success, he's aware these chances to win the Stanley Cup aren't guaranteed.

"We can do something special here, and we have to realize that," Miller said. "For the most part, teams ... get their crack for only a couple years. ... But we've got a chance to win this year.

"We have a special team. We have our expectations, and we're still building."

The Canucks were eliminated in the second round by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020. In addition to Miller, five other players on the current team were part of that run: Tyler Myers, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, and Thatcher Demko. Pettersson and Miller tied for the team lead with 18 points in 17 games.

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J.T. Miller and the Vancouver Canucks haven't appeared in a postseason game for almost four years, and the veteran forward couldn't be more excited to end that drought.

"I just love the playoffs," he told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "And the older I get, the more I love them because your mindset changes. And I guarantee you it will change for every single guy in here. Once you get a taste of it one time - the city, the crowd, the away crowds ... I burn for it. It's the greatest feeling ever."

"Not getting to the playoffs has driven a lot of my frustration," he added. "I don't think anybody on this team has played a playoff game here in this building."

The Canucks will open their first-round series against the Nashville Predators on Sunday night in Vancouver. Since the 2020 playoffs took place in an Edmonton bubble for the Western Conference teams, Rogers Arena hasn't hosted a postseason contest since 2015, when the Canucks lost to the Calgary Flames in the first round.

Only two players from that roster - New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat and Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev - still play in the NHL.

Miller has 78 playoff games under his belt after being a part of four runs with the New York Rangers and two with the Tampa Bay Lightning, making him the second-most experienced postseason performer on the Canucks behind defenseman Ian Cole.

Vancouver was one of the league's biggest surprises this season, ascending to the top of the Pacific Division after finishing 12 points outside the playoff picture in 2022-23. Miller was key to the Canucks' success, pacing the team with a career-high 103 points (37 goals, 66 assists) in 81 contests.

Though the 31-year-old isn't about to limit Vancouver's window for success, he's aware these chances to win the Stanley Cup aren't guaranteed.

"We can do something special here, and we have to realize that," Miller said. "For the most part, teams ... get their crack for only a couple years. ... But we've got a chance to win this year.

"We have a special team. We have our expectations, and we're still building."

The Canucks were eliminated in the second round by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020. In addition to Miller, five other players on the current team were part of that run: Tyler Myers, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, and Thatcher Demko. Pettersson and Miller tied for the team lead with 18 points in 17 games.

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Following a strong debut season that'll likely earn him the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard is already thinking about where he can improve for Year 2.

"Obviously, I want to get faster," he told reporters Saturday. "In the gym, more explosive probably, a little stronger for puck battles and netfront, little things like that. ... I'm gonna work on trying to create more offense. ... That creativity of playing the game and having fun."

Bedard already showed off plenty of offensive prowess with his Auston Matthews-inspired shot, clever passes, and a Michigan goal scored in December.

The 2023 first overall pick amassed 22 goals and 61 points in 68 outings to secure the best season by a Blackhawks rookie since Artemi Panarin in 2015-16, though the Russian wasn't a teenager at the time like Bedard.

The 18-year-old missed 14 games with a fractured jaw after taking a hit from New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith, but Bedard made it clear that he's not going to "shy away from trying to make something happen."

"I got blown up a decent amount this year. I'm gonna get hit a lot, it's hockey, it's a contact sport, so I'm not afraid of that," Bedard added.

He was a tough critic of his own game prior to the Blackhawks' last game of the season on Thursday.

"Personally, I think I was OK a lot," he said. "Maybe not as good as I hoped."

"I hope I'm better (next season), of course," he added. "I'll do everything I can throughout the summer to try to make that happen, but actions speak a lot louder than words."

Bedard pointed to his defensive play and faceoffs as other areas of improvement. He was a team-worst minus-44 on the season and won just 38.9% of his draws.

"An improved Connor Bedard is a scary thought," Blackhawks veteran Nick Foligno said Friday, per the Chicago Sun-Times' Ben Pope.

The Blackhawks ranked 31st in the league this season with a 23-53-6 record. Though it was a frustrating year, it left Bedard feeling more appreciative of Chicago's supporters.

"I couldn't be more grateful for everything this year that the fans did. ... (Patrick) Kane and (Jonathan) Toews were here for a long time, and with them not being here this year and (the fans) embracing us the way they did, it was incredible," Bedard said.

He added, "We know it was a tough year, but the support we got throughout never wavered. ... It exceeded my expectations by a long way, and my expectations were pretty high."

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are without star winger William Nylander for Game 1 against the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.

The 27-year-old experienced some discomfort when he woke up Thursday, one day after the Leafs' final regular-season game, reports TSN's Chris Johnston.

Nylander didn't attend Friday's practice or Saturday's optional morning skate.

He skated in all 82 games for Toronto this campaign, registering 40 goals and a career-high 98 points. He represented the Maple Leafs at the 2024 All-Star Game in February for the first time in his career.

This is just the second time Nylander has missed a game because of an injury in his nine-year NHL career. He sat out of a clash against the Washington Capitals in November 2016 with an upper-body ailment.

Nylander has posted 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 50 playoff games since his debut in 2015-16, good for the third most on the team behind Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

He put up two goals and seven points in 14 games during two previous playoff series against the Bruins in 2018 and 2019.

Bobby McMann also sat out Game 1 for the Maple Leafs on Saturday. He missed the final two contests in the regular season with what the club called a lower-body injury.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are without star winger William Nylander for Game 1 against the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.

The 27-year-old experienced some discomfort when he woke up Thursday, one day after the Leafs' final regular-season game, reports TSN's Chris Johnston.

Nylander didn't attend Friday's practice or Saturday's optional morning skate.

He skated in all 82 games for Toronto this campaign, registering 40 goals and a career-high 98 points. He represented the Maple Leafs at the 2024 All-Star Game in February for the first time in his career.

This is just the second time Nylander has missed a game because of an injury in his nine-year NHL career. He sat out of a clash against the Washington Capitals in November 2016 with an upper-body ailment.

Nylander has posted 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 50 playoff games since his debut in 2015-16, good for the third most on the team behind Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

He put up two goals and seven points in 14 games during two previous playoff series against the Bruins in 2018 and 2019.

Bobby McMann also sat out Game 1 for the Maple Leafs on Saturday. He missed the final two contests in the regular season with what the club called a lower-body injury.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs were without star winger William Nylander for their 5-1 defeat to the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of their first-round series Saturday night.

The 27-year-old experienced some discomfort when he woke up Thursday, one day after the Leafs' final regular-season game, reports TSN's Chris Johnston.

Nylander didn't attend Friday's practice or Saturday's optional morning skate.

He skated in all 82 games for Toronto this campaign, registering 40 goals and a career-high 98 points. He represented the Maple Leafs at the 2024 All-Star Game in February for the first time in his career.

This was just the second time Nylander has missed a game because of an injury in his nine-year NHL career. He sat out of a clash against the Washington Capitals in November 2016 with an upper-body ailment.

Nylander has posted 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 50 playoff games since his debut in 2015-16, good for the third most on the team behind Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

He put up two goals and seven points in 14 games during two previous playoff series against the Bruins in 2018 and 2019.

Bobby McMann also sat out Game 1 for the Maple Leafs on Saturday. He missed the final two contests in the regular season with what the club called a lower-body injury.

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After hearing his name in several trade rumors this season, Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom said he isn't sure what his future holds.

"I don't know," he told reporters Friday. "What I do know, and what I tell you guys every day, is I love winning hockey games. ... And I know everyone in that locker room wants to win hockey games, too. That's pretty much where my head is at right now."

The Flames had a fire sale this campaign, parting ways with pending free agents Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin.

Though Markstrom has two seasons left on his deal with a cap hit of $6 million and a no-move clause, the New Jersey Devils reportedly wanted to acquire the veteran ahead of the deadline and appear interested in taking another run at him in the offseason.

Flames general manager Craig Conroy was noncommittal when asked if he envisions Markstrom being on the team in 2024-25, saying "time will tell with everything we're doing."

Calgary is currently carrying three goalies - Markstrom, the injured Dan Vladar, and youngster Dustin Wolf - but Conroy said it's "tough to say" if that will still be the case come September.

In early March, Markstrom said his situation "could've been handled a lot different from up top." The Swede revealed Friday that he addressed his team the morning after making those comments.

"I wanted them to know everything that's going on and how I feel and what I was pointing at," he explained. "I love every single player on the team and I love the coaching staff. ... This is my home and has been for four years. I've got great relationships, and I take pride in who I am as a person."

Markstrom added that he thinks there's no tension between him and management, while Conroy said they had a "cordial" chat.

The Flames missed the playoffs for the second straight season, but Markstrom had a strong campaign. He ranked third among all netminders in goals saved above expected at all strengths (28.93), per Evolving-Hockey, and ranked among the best in high-danger save percentage (.868) at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.

However, all the 34-year-old cared about was his 23-23-2 record.

"Obviously, (I was a) .500 goalie. ... It's not where I want to be, I want to be still playing and win a lot more games than half of the ones I've played," he said.

Markstrom owns a career .907 save percentage and 105 wins in 213 appearances as a Flame.

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Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella looked inward after his team fell just short of the playoffs during his second season at the helm.

"I'm a little frustrated that I couldn't get the team to close the deal," he told reporters Friday. "That's what we wanted to do. It was a concern of mine with 25 games left or so in the season, 'Can we stay with it?' I think it's my job to get it to the end.

"I think the team played hard right to the end. I just didn't close the deal. ... So that's something that I've got to evaluate over the summer. Could I have done some things differently?"

The Flyers were battling for a playoff spot for most of the campaign but suffered an untimely eight-game losing streak, with five losses coming against teams outside the postseason picture.

Despite the disappointing finish, Philadelphia surpassed preseason expectations, and Tortorella said the experience has given the team "a good footing" for the future.

But the Flyers aren't there just yet.

"We are a ways away," Tortorella said while defending general manager Danny Briere's decision to prioritize the future at the trade deadline. "We have so much work to do with this team."

He added: "I think we still need to add talent to our team. There's no question on that."

The hard-nosed bench boss also reaffirmed his commitment to the team following reports that Philadelphia wants him back next season.

Though other changes may be coming to the Flyers, Tortorella made it clear that his coaching style won't be one of them.

"You got the wrong coach here if we're gonna be hugging like, 'We're here guys, we played a lousy period and a half there, but it's OK,'" he said. "You're not getting that from me, ever. Those are the decisions management has to make if they think I made a mistake and they show me the door. So be it.

"I'm not coming off of that because that's how you build a hockey team."

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In case there was any doubt, Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas wants captain Sidney Crosby to be a Penguin for life.

"The intention has always been clear," the executive told reporters Friday. "I think he should finish his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins. How long that is? I'm not going to put any limits on Sidney Crosby. He's capable of great things and is still performing at an extraordinarily high level."

Crosby has one season remaining on his 12-year, $104.4-million contract and is eligible to sign a new extension July 1.

"Obviously, I'm going to talk to Kyle and have a conversation with him," the future Hall of Famer said Thursday, according to NHL.com's Wes Crosby. "We'll see."

Dubas added it's "imperative" for contract talks to be kept private, according to team reporter Michelle Crechiolo.

Crosby was outstanding in his 19th NHL season, leading the Penguins with 42 tallies and 94 points while appearing in all 82 games for the second straight year. This campaign marked the third time he's eclipsed the 40-goal mark in his career.

Like Dubas, the future Hall of Famer also didn't put a limit on how many seasons he might have left.

"Obviously, at my age, and things like that, there will be a lot of factors," the 36-year-old said, adding, "I don't look any differently at how much longer I can play based off that. It's always just evaluating my game for what it is, not my age."

The Penguins missed the playoffs for the second straight season, falling outside the postseason picture by three points despite going 6-2-1 in April.

Dubas traded winger Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes before the March 8 deadline. A despondent Crosby said at the time that he wasn't sure what kind of message the front office was trying to send, and the reeling Penguins went on to lose seven of their next nine games.

On Friday, Dubas said he was "surprised and disappointed" by the players' response to the trade.

"If we had shaken the doldrums a little bit earlier, we might not be in this position," he explained, per The Athletic's Rob Rossi.

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Though Red Wings veteran Patrick Kane said he enjoyed his time in Detroit, he admitted "it's hard to say" what his future holds as a pending unrestricted free agent.

"I guess we'll see what happens," he told reporters Thursday. "I'm sure my agent and (Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman) will have those conversations and go from there."

Kane signed a one-year, $2.75-million deal with the Red Wings in November following his recovery from hip resurfacing surgery. He chipped in with 47 points (20 goals and 27 assists) in 50 games, good for the second most on the Red Wings since his season debut Dec. 7.

"Coming into this year, my decision was based on playing on a good team," Kane said. "A team where I thought I fit in well, obviously the comfort of playing with Alex (DeBrincat) again was something I was looking forward to. ... I was put in a great situation to succeed and play a lot of minutes."

He added: "I think it will be similar going forward: How do I fit in with the team, who would I play with, things like that. … (I'm) maybe looking for a little bit more stability as far as term. I think the right situation matters, too."

With three Stanley Cup championships and 143 playoff games (the 12th most among all active players) under his belt, Kane was key to the Red Wings' postseason push. They fell just short of the mark after finishing the season with the same amount of points as the Washington Capitals but five fewer regulation wins.

Detroit's playoff drought has now extended to eight years. Kane doesn't think that dry spell will last for much longer, though.

"I think they're in a great spot," he said. "(Dylan) Larkin, his competitiveness, young players stepping up at the right times and playing so well in the important games - (Moritz) Seider, (Lucas) Raymond, DeBrincat, (Simon) Edvinsson. ... I think the future's really bright for the team."

As for his own future, Kane said he was able to play pain-free this campaign and that he's looking forward to having a normal offseason in terms of his training.

"I think I can play for a long time, to be honest with you," he said with a smirk. "I'm 35, hopefully play to 40. Who knows? You just keep playing."

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