At long last, Jacob Markstrom is a member of the New Jersey Devils, and the veteran netminder is motivated to reach the top of his game for his new team.

"I want to be pushed and I want to be challenged to perform my best, and I think my best will come out of this, for sure," he said during his introductory press conference Wednesday.

After making a not-so-secret run for Markstrom around the trade deadline, New Jersey acquired the 2022 Vezina Trophy runner-up from the Calgary Flames earlier Wednesday in exchange for a protected first-round pick at next year's draft and defenseman Kevin Bahl.

Goaltending was arguably the Devils' biggest weakness last season, and New Jersey has seemingly been trying to fill the position in a meaningful way ever since the end of the Martin Brodeur era.

As a result, Markstrom understands this gig comes with "high expectations."

"This is a big challenge. ... I just want to win hockey games," he said. "If we don't win, I'm the hardest criticizer of myself."

The 34-year-old waived his no-move clause to facilitate the trade, but it doesn't sound like it was a particularly difficult decision.

"You obviously look at the hockey perspective: 'Do you feel like the team can win?' When that's a yes, everything else comes pretty easy," Markstrom said. "New Jersey and (general manager Tom Fitzgerald) really made a push for me. When somebody wants you to come play for that team, it makes you feel good.

"It doesn't take much more than that for me to get excited. I want to jump on the ship and be a part of it and hopefully sail it in the right direction."

The Swede made his NHL debut during a relief appearance in New Jersey back in January 2011 as a member of the Florida Panthers, and his opponent was none other than Brodeur. Markstrom surrendered two goals on 14 shots in a 5-2 loss.

The newest Devil said he remembers "everything" about that contest.

"Having (Brodeur) stand there, you get goosebumps thinking about it. ... It was a lot of good memories," he said. "Maybe there's a meaning behind all of this now for me to put that jersey on where I started my NHL career."

Brodeur is currently serving as the Devils' executive vice president of hockey operations. Markstrom said he received a text from the Hall of Famer after the trade and is looking forward to working with the franchise legend.

"Hopefully I don't ask (him) too many questions," Markstrom joked.

New Jersey will likely rely on Markstrom and backup Jake Allen next season. The two goalies were selected three picks apart in the second round of the 2008 NHL Draft.

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Though Connor McDavid is grabbing the bulk of the headlines, Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman believes there's another Connor who should be getting his fair share of the credit.

"(Connor Brown) has been unbelievable, even more so in this Cup Final," Hyman told Sportsnet after the Oilers' Game 5 victory. "I think a lot of people lost faith in him. I mean, look how good he's been. He's an unbelievable player, I've played with him for a long time (with the Toronto Maple Leafs) so I knew how good he can be.

"He's showing it every night. At the highest stage, he's one of our best players."

Brown broke the ice during Edmonton's season-extending 5-3 victory Tuesday with a clutch shorthanded tally, his second goal and sixth point of the postseason. Thanks in part to the veteran winger, the Oilers' penalty kill has been lights out in these playoffs with an incredible 93.9% success rate, and the unit was a perfect 3-for-3 in Game 5.

"Special teams obviously were great," McDavid said of his team's latest win. "Penalty kill, there's nothing else to really say. They've been great. Brownie (scored) a massive goal to settle us in."

Brown struggled mightily in the regular season after missing all but four games of the 2022-23 campaign with a torn ACL. The 30-year-old totaled just 12 points in 71 games and had to wait until March 13 to score his first goal as he readjusted to the NHL.

Now, Brown is happy to put all the adversity behind him while helping Edmonton claw its way back into the Stanley Cup Final.

"It's been, obviously, quite the season for me to go from where I was to where I am," Brown said. "To contribute on the biggest stage is what you want to do as a player. At the end of the day, I'm having fun."

The Florida Panthers won the first three contests to put Edmonton into a daunting hole, but the Oilers since won back-to-back games to maintain their dreams of lifting Lord Stanley's Mug.

"We're writing the story, we're taking it into our own hands," Brown said.

When asked if the Oilers have planted a seed of doubt in the Panthers' heads, Hyman said, "It's just human nature."

"That's the beauty of sports, it's never over until it's over," he explained. "Everybody on the outside can think it's over, but the guys in this locker room, we just believe. ... We're two games away, we got a chance, an amazing opportunity to go back home and send it to seven."

The puck drops on Game 6 in Edmonton on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

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Edmonton Oilers rearguard Evan Bouchard became the fourth defenseman in NHL history to record 30 points in a single postseason Tuesday night.

Bouchard joined the exclusive club after Zach Hyman knocked in one of the blue-liner's patented power-play bombs in the second period of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The 24-year-old recorded two more points in the middle frame to bring his total to 32.

Brian Leetch was the last defenseman to accomplish the feat in 1994.

Bouchard also recorded his 26th assist of these playoffs on Corey Perry's tally to pass Coffey (25) for the most all-time in one postseason.

Earlier this spring, Bouchard became the third-fastest defenseman to reach 50 career playoff points (45 games) in NHL history, trailing only Bobby Orr (39 games) and Leetch (41 games).

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New San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky promised to bring changes to his struggling squad during his introductory press conference on Monday.

"Listen, there's been a lot of new coaches, and not one coach has got up and said, 'We want to play slow and we want to be passive,'" he said. "We want to be fast, we want to get on teams. ... I think fans will leave our building and say, 'Wow, that was a fun team to watch,' win or lose. The opponent will say, 'Man, that was a tough team to play against.' ...

"There'll be some changes structurally for sure, but I think you'll be proud of the team that we put on the ice."

Warsofsky didn't provide many specific details on what those changes would be, but he conceded "the numbers weren't great" last season. The Sharks finished last in the league with an abysmal 19-54-9 record and minus-150 goal differential.

"There has to be a system in place (where) our players know what's going on, they understand the system. ... There's some predictability with it," he said.

San Jose fired David Quinn in April and promoted Warsofsky to fill the vacancy after he spent two years as an assistant coach.

The 36-year-old pointed to his experience with the team as one of the main factors behind his decision to step in as head coach.

"I know the players that are here," he explained. "We just went through two really tough years. I know what they need. They're beat up a little bit. We need some new life, we need some energy, we need some positivity."

He added: "I think we're starting to see this light at the end of the tunnel, this hope and excitement (for) the future here, and I'm excited to be part of it."

Sharks general manager Mike Grier said Warsofsky ticked all the boxes that the organization was looking for and singled out his communication style as one of the major draws.

"We're gonna have a young group here," the executive said. "Connecting and speaking with and bonding with these young players is gonna be super important; it's gonna be a big, big part of us taking the next step forward."

There is more excitement to come for the franchise, as San Jose holds the first overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft later in June.

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Unsurprisingly, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid was as low-key as ever after breaking Wayne Gretzky's record for the most assists in a single postseason.

"Yeah, I guess it is (special)," he said with a chuckle after the Oilers' 8-1 mauling of the Florida Panthers on Saturday. "Obviously not the focus with where we're at, but (it's) not lost on me what he means to the game."

McDavid recorded his 32nd assist of these playoffs on Dylan Holloway's goal late in the contest to surpass the Great One.

Here's how the all-time list stands with McDavid in the No. 1 spot:

McDavid's teammates had a lot more to say about his record-breaking night.

"Connor probably won't admit it, but you've gotta feel proud about that," Connor Brown said. "It's not by accident. ... He works harder than anyone I've ever met. ... He's our best player."

Holloway was all smiles while calling McDavid's feat "unbelievable."

"Most of Gretzky's records are considered almost untouchable, and (McDavid), he's right there," he said. "It's pretty special to watch. He leads our team every day, on the ice, off the ice. ... Couldn't be happier for him."

McDavid picked a great time to erupt, as his memorable assist wrapped up a dominant four-point outing that helped Edmonton avoid being swept out of the Stanley Cup Final.

Zach Hyman has had a front-row seat to the McDavid show for the past three years, so the veteran didn't seem too surprised by the superstar's clutch performance.

"I think any time our team's back is against the wall, he's the first guy to push back," he said. "For us to come back, he's gotta be the best, and he seems to always be the best when we're in these situations."

Mattias Janmark, meanwhile, had an almost blasé attitude toward McDavid's excellence.

"I don't know if I thought he was that special tonight," the forward said, per Sportsnet. "Like, you see it every day, and you don't keep track of his points because it gets up there pretty quick. ... Every day you kind of get mesmerized by it."

McDavid is up to 38 points this spring, tying Gretzky's 1983 postseason for the fifth-most all time in a single playoffs:

Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

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Unsurprisingly, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid was as low-key as ever after breaking Wayne Gretzky's record for the most assists in a single postseason.

"Yeah, I guess it is (special)," he said with a chuckle after the Oilers' 8-1 mauling of the Florida Panthers on Saturday. "Obviously not the focus with where we're at, but (it's) not lost on me what he means to the game."

McDavid recorded his 32nd assist of these playoffs on Dylan Holloway's goal late in the contest to surpass the Great One.

Here's how the all-time list stands with McDavid in the No. 1 spot:

McDavid's teammates had a lot more to say about his record-breaking night.

"Connor probably won't admit it, but you've gotta feel proud about that," Connor Brown said. "It's not by accident. ... He works harder than anyone I've ever met. ... He's our best player."

Holloway was all smiles while calling McDavid's feat "unbelievable."

"Most of Gretzky's records are considered almost untouchable, and (McDavid), he's right there," he said. "It's pretty special to watch. He leads our team every day, on the ice, off the ice. ... Couldn't be happier for him."

McDavid picked a great time to erupt, as his memorable assist wrapped up a dominant four-point outing that helped Edmonton avoid being swept out of the Stanley Cup Final.

Zach Hyman has had a front-row seat to the McDavid show for the past three years, so the veteran didn't seem too surprised by the superstar's clutch performance.

"I think any time our team's back is against the wall, he's the first guy to push back," he said. "For us to come back, he's gotta be the best, and he seems to always be the best when we're in these situations."

Mattias Janmark, meanwhile, had an almost blasé attitude toward McDavid's excellence.

"I don't know if I thought he was that special tonight," the forward said, per Sportsnet. "Like, you see it every day, and you don't keep track of his points because it gets up there pretty quick. ... Every day you kind of get mesmerized by it."

McDavid is up to 38 points this spring, tying Gretzky's 1983 postseason for the fifth-most all time in a single playoffs:

Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

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Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice's impressive resume is missing a Stanley Cup championship, but Carter Verhaeghe hopes to help change that Saturday night.

"If we can win it for anyone, we wanna win it for him," the forward said, according to The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno.

A veteran of 1,848 regular-season games over 26 campaigns, Maurice ranks fourth all time in wins (869) by a bench boss in league history.

He also owns a record of 69-64 in the playoffs and has led Florida to back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final during his first two seasons in the Sunshine State.

The Panthers fell short last spring, falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. Now, they're one win away from their first championship in franchise history after stuffing the Edmonton Oilers into a 3-0 hole.

Maurice was raring to go while doing his best to stay centered with puck drop mere hours away.

"(I'm) probably not quite as calm as it looks; the feet are flying underneath this table. ... We have to keep this in context, right?" he said, per Sportsnet. "What is it, 11 in the morning? My brain is gonna shift pretty hard here in about four hours. ... But I've been selling 'Enjoy your day' for two years here and probably before that, and I believe it. I've had enough of the other days that aren't good.

"I'm damn well gonna enjoy the morning skate on a day like today. I refuse not to be in a good mood. ... If you can't enjoy this morning, what the hell are you doing? Like, what's the point of this?"

The Panthers know they'll be facing a desperate Oilers team looking to keep its season alive. Connor Brown said Saturday that Edmonton has "held the play" for the bulk of the series despite the deficit, but Verhaeghe shrugged off his opponent's comments.

"We don't focus on what they say," he said, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "They can say whatever they want. We're just focusing on what we have to do."

Game 4 is set for 8 p.m. ET.

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Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach Guy Boucher won't be returning to his post next season, the team announced Saturday.

Boucher was in charge of Toronto's power play in 2023-24 after being hired by the team last July.

The Maple Leafs owned the league's seventh-best unit in the regular season with a 24% conversion rate but struggled mightily in the playoffs, scoring just once on 21 opportunities during their first-round loss to the Boston Bruins.

Before Boucher, Spencer Carbery ran Toronto's power play for two seasons. Under his direction, the Leafs owned the league's top unit in 2021-22 and the second-best outfit in 2022-23.

Boucher was previously the bench boss of the Ottawa Senators from 2016-19, helping the team make the Eastern Conference Final in 2017.

Toronto fired head coach Sheldon Keefe in May, replacing him with Craig Berube. The 2019 Stanley Cup champion brought in Lane Lambert as an associate coach earlier in June.

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Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl has yet to register a point in the Stanley Cup Final, but he has the support of head coach Kris Knoblauch ahead of Edmonton's must-win Game 4 on Saturday night.

"I've seen Leon obviously play better, but to say he's playing poorly, I think, is vastly unfair," the bench boss said. "I think he's helping a lot, but like our team, everyone can be a little bit better. He takes a lot of pride in his game, he doesn't hide anything, he doesn't make excuses. ... He's been pretty, pretty good in pretty much every game that I've seen him play."

Draisaitl was dominant through the first three rounds of the postseason, amassing 10 goals and 28 points in 18 outings. He's since been stymied by the Florida Panthers and netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, but it's not for a lack of trying. Draisaitl has fired nine shots on net and 16 shots at all strengths in the series, per Natural Stat Trick.

Knoblauch called Draisaitl "the catalyst" on Ryan McLeod's goal in Game 3, though he didn't earn a point on the play.

"It's not too often Leon's held off the scoresheet like he has been," he said. "But I think he has been contributing. ... Sometimes it's not fair to just judge a player on his points, his goals and assists."

Draisaitl was critical of his own play following Edmonton's loss Thursday that put the team on the brink of elimination, saying he had to "look in the mirror and try to be better."

The Oilers' quest to stay alive will get a bit easier if Draisaitl finds a way to break through, but Knoblauch knows they're in for a "challenge" as they try to climb out of a 3-0 hole.

"If there's a group of men that I want to do this with, it's the guys in that room," he said. "From what I've seen through this season, how resilient they are, their perseverance, their focus, their attitude. I'm really excited for the next 10 days."

Puck drops on Game 4 at 8 p.m. ET.

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The Edmonton Oilers' top players have been largely shut down by the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, but Zach Hyman hopes keeping a clear mind can lead to a breakthrough with his team facing a 3-0 deficit.

"Not get frustrated," he said Friday when asked how he and his fellow star teammates can get rolling. "Keep getting the looks that we're getting, I think we can go to the harder areas. ... Those are the goals that you need to score this time of year."

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Hyman were among the Oilers' top producers through the first three rounds, but they've uncharacteristically struggled to get on the scoresheet against Florida. Draisaitl and Hyman have yet to register a point in three games, Bouchard has mustered just one helper, and McDavid has three assists.

Without the usual support from its stars, Edmonton has been outscored by Florida 11-4.

Despite the series deficit, the Oilers have dictated more than their fair share of the play. Edmonton has controlled 52.8% of the shot attempts, 55.6% of the expected goals, and 56.8% of the scoring chances at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.

As a result, Hyman said "it doesn't feel like a 3-0 series."

"I don't think (we've) spiralled, I think we're down 3-0 because we've given up freebies," he explained. "It's not like we're going out there and getting absolutely dominated by a team that's better than us. It's moments in the game where they've shown a little bit more maturity than we have. ... You just gotta win one and you're gonna start the momentum."

One area the Oilers need to improve on is the man advantage. They entered the Stanley Cup Final with the league's best postseason power play (37.3%), but they haven't been able to find the back of the net in 10 opportunities against Florida.

"We're getting one good look per power play essentially, it seems like," Bouchard said, per theScore's Jolene Latimer. "If one of those goes in, it's a different game. We've just got to make sure we put one in when we get the chance."

Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner kept his belief after Thursday's Game 3 loss, and Hyman is aiming to do the same.

"The odds say that we won't win. ... The odds said that we weren't going to make the playoffs at American Thanksgiving," he said. "Multiple times in these playoffs, we've been down. I think we play our best when our backs are against the wall, and facing elimination."

Puck drops on the Oilers' must-win Game 4 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

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