The Battle of Alberta gifted hockey fans with one of the most exciting occurrences in the sport on Saturday: a goalie fight!

Calgary Flames netminder Cam Talbot and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith highlighted another great chapter in the provincial rivalry with a heated bout that's inspired us to revisit some of the most memorable goalie fights in NHL history.

Felix Potvin vs. Ron Hextall - Nov. 10, 1996

A wild affair between the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs, which included three separate player fights and a fiery altercation between captains Doug Gilmour and Rod Brind'Amour, ended with one of the most spirited goalie bouts ever.

All hell broke loose as time expired in the game, and Hextall immediately joined in on the action. The Flyers netminder skated full-tilt down the ice to engage with Potvin, and the two exchanged a series of heavy blows for a solid 30 seconds before succumbing to exhaustion.

Ray Emery vs. Martin Biron and Andrew Peters: Feb. 22, 2007

One of hockey's ultimate gladiators between the pipes, Ray Emery was never one to back down from a fight. The Ottawa Senators netminder took on all comers on this night in Buffalo.

Midway through the second period, the Buffalo Sabres matched their fourth line with the Senators' top unit. After Andrew Peters went after Ottawa star Dany Heatley, a line brawl erupted, and Emery fled from his crease to take on both Martin Biron and Peters with a grin from ear-to-ear.

Emery's competitive spirit and love of the game will live on forever. R.I.P., Razor.

Patrick Roy vs. Mike Vernon: March 26, 1997

It's one of the most famous regular-season games in NHL history. The fierce rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche reached its tipping point in late March of 1997, with each netminder taking center stage in a full-out line brawl.

After Red Wings forward Brendan Shanahan flew through the air to greet Roy at center ice, the Avalanche puck-stopper got his hands on Mike Vernon, and the goalies squared off in Roy's first tilt with a Detroit counterpart.

Patrick Roy vs. Chris Osgood: April 1, 1998

Roy was at it again just over one year later, but this time with Red Wings netminder Chris Osgood. Similar to the incident a season prior, a line brawl erupted, and Roy jumped at the chance to embrace the chaos.

After exchanging pleasantries with a dog pile of players, Roy noticed Osgood waiting for him at center ice and the rest was history.

Brent Johnson vs. Rick DiPietro: Feb. 2, 2011

The hockey world learned an important lesson on this night in Pittsburgh: Don't mess with Brent Johnson.

The Penguins netminder skated down the ice to greet Islanders' Rick DiPietro with a thunderous left hook that ended what might be the quickest goalie fight in NHL history. Kudos to Johnson for checking in on his fallen opponent after delivering what he knew was a direct blow. Class act.

Jonathan Bernier vs. Ryan Miller: Sept. 22, 2013

Who says preseason hockey is boring? An unlikely spat between then-Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel and (All-Star) John Scott, which turned the former into Paul Bunyan, ignited an unforgettable line brawl that ended with Jonathan Bernier and Ryan Miller taking center stage.

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New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider will not return to Saturday's contest against the Detroit Red Wings after suffering an upper-body injury, the team announced.

Kreider went to the locker room in the second period after taking an inadvertent knee to the head from teammate Mika Zibanejad.

The 28-year-old winger is considered one of the most coveted pending unrestricted free agents ahead of the Feb. 24 trade deadline.

Kreider was playing excellent hockey entering Saturday's tilt, notching six goals and nine points over his last nine contests. He ranks third on the Rangers in both goals (18) and hits (91) while averaging 17:42 of ice time per game this season.

The Massachusetts native took part in his first career All-Star Weekend in January after replacing teammate Artemi Panarin at the event.

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Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov exited Saturday's 4-0 loss against the Montreal Canadiens with a lower-body injury.

The 24-year-old center did not return to the game after getting tangled up with Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber near the midway mark of the second period.

Following the contest, head coach Joel Quenneville said the team doesn't think Barkov's injury is serious and will have more on his status on Sunday, according to FloridaPanthers.com reporter Jameson Olive.

Losing Barkov for an extended period would be a significant loss for a Panthers team in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. The 6-foot-3 Finn ranks second on the club with 54 points while averaging 19:58 of ice time per game, which leads all Florida forwards.

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Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton could return to the lineup before the end of the regular season.

The blue-chip rearguard was expected to miss the remainder of the campaign after suffering a broken fibula on Jan. 16 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the timeline for Hamilton's recovery has general manager Don Waddell pondering a potential return.

"The only thing that I'm cautious about is with Dougie they say 8-12 weeks," Waddell said Friday, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "If he's 10 weeks, that's the last week of March."

Wadell will have to decide how to approach the Feb. 24 trade deadline with Hamilton's status still somewhat uncertain. Carolina could place Hamilton and his $5.75-million cap hit on long-term injured reserve in order to create more cap space, but using that space to add another player could prevent the team from activating a healthy Hamilton for what's shaping up to be a critical final stretch.

"If he was ready to go that last week of the season, starting on March 28, we have five games," Wadell said. "Those might be the most important five games of the year. So if he was ready to come back, you'd want to try to keep space to bring him back."

Hamilton was in the conversation for the Norris Trophy this season, recording 14 goals and 40 points in 47 games before sustaining the injury. The 26-year-old earned his first All-Star nod earlier in January.

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The NHL is investigating the Arizona Coyotes after allegations they conducted physical testing on draft-eligible Canadian Hockey League players, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on "Insider Trading."

Physically testing players prior to the NHL combine is prohibited under league rules.

The OHL, WHL, and QMJHL - the three leagues under the CHL's umbrella - tell their respective junior teams to report any contact from NHL clubs. Multiple teams have stated there's been contact from the Coyotes, according to Dreger's sources.

If the Coyotes are found guilty, the club could face hefty fines of $250,000 or more per incident at the discretion of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Dreger adds.

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Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk wasn't trying to do anyone a favor when he decided to drop the mitts with Edmonton Oilers winger Zack Kassian during his club's 4-3 shootout win Wednesday night.

“I just didn’t like getting kinda pummelled at home like I did," Tkachuk said following the game, according to Flames reporter Wes Gilbertson. "A lot of people didn’t want me to do it, but I wanted to. It was a way for me to stick up for myself. It wasn’t anything to do with owing anybody. I was just doing it for myself.”

Tkachuk laid some heavy hits during the last meeting between the two sides Jan. 11, which resulted in Kassian pounding the Flames forward before calling him out postgame for refusing to fight back. Kassian was subsequently handed a two-game suspension for his actions.

This time, however, Tkachuk was more than willing to settle the score, and the Oilers forward appreciated his rival answering the bell.

“He wanted to fight right away, but I wanted to keep him guessing a little bit," Kassian said, according to the Edmonton Sun's Rob Tychkowski. "I respect him for stepping up. I told him before we even dropped the gloves. Now it’s over. I wish this would have happened in the first place and then it would have been done.”

The Battle of Alberta continues Saturday when the Flames and Oilers meet again in Calgary.

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The Edmonton Oilers have inked forward Zack Kassian to a four-year contract extension worth $3.2 million annually, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

The deal keeps the 29-year-old in Edmonton through the 2023-24 campaign. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted agent at the end of this season. With Kassian signed, the Oilers now have $1.26 million in projected cap space for 2019-20, according to CapFriendly.

Kassian has recorded 13 goals and 28 points through 44 games this season, and he's on pace to shatter career bests in each category. He also leads the team with 123 hits while averaging a career-high 16:15 of ice time per game.

The 6-foot-3 winger has missed the club's last two games after being suspended for an incident on Jan. 11 involving Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. He returns to the Oilers' lineup on Wednesday in a rematch with their Alberta rival.

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In the fourth edition of theScore's 2019-20 Vezina Trophy Power Rankings, we look at the leading candidates for the award entering the second half of the season.

5. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

The 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner is officially back in the hunt thanks to a sensational eight-week stretch.

Vasilevskiy rode a 10-game winning streak into the All-Star break, and he's gone 14-1-2 with a .933 save percentage over his last 17 starts. Since Dec. 1, he's posted a goals-against average of 2.19, slightly outplaying his expected goals against of 2.22.

The Russian netminder also gets credit for putting up elite numbers despite carrying a heavy workload. Vasilevskiy is one of just eight goalies with at least 36 starts this season, and he's tied for the lead in save percentage among that group.

4. Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes

Kuemper hasn't played since exiting a Dec. 19 contest with an injury, but his body of work throughout the first three months of the season was so impressive that he can't be omitted from these rankings.

The 6-foot-5 goalie has been the backbone of Arizona's defensive identity this season, and the club hasn't been the same without him. The Coyotes have won just six times in 14 outings since Kuemper went down, and they'll need him to return in Vezina-like form amid an extremely tight Pacific Division race.

Although the injury prevented him from suiting up, the 29-year-old Kuemper also earned his first All-Star Game nod this season.

3. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Where would the Jets be without Hellebuyck? The Vezina Trophy isn't handed out to the goalie who's deemed the most valuable, but the 26-year-old might be in a position to run away with the award right now if his teammates had given him a bit more defensive help.

Hellebuyck's high-danger save percentage looks rocky compared to the other goalies on this list, but consider this: The Jets have owned a league-worst 41.5% share of high-danger scoring chances at all strengths, and they've conceded 671 such opportunities this season, which is 45 more than the third-last club in that department.

Additionally, the 6-foot-4 puck-stopper has outplayed his expected goals against per 60 minutes and leads the NHL with 8.13 goals saved above average at five-on-five. Despite the Jets' serious defensive struggles, Hellebuyck has been dynamite.

2. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

Rask rebounded nicely after a shaky month of December, but a concussion has kept him sidelined since Jan. 14.

The Finnish netminder allowed two or fewer goals in six of seven starts prior to the injury, and he owns a .936 save percentage since Christmas. Staying cool under pressure, Rask ranks third in high-danger save percentage among all goalies and sixth (5.61) in goals saved above average (minimum 20 starts).

Although wins and losses are primarily a team stat, the fact that Rask has dropped just four starts in regulation this season speaks volumes about his resilient play.

1. Ben Bishop, Dallas Stars

Big Ben has stood tall for a Stars team that ranks 28th in goals for per game, the worst mark among all clubs that are currently in a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Dallas ranks first defensively, in large part due to Bishop's elite play.

The Colorado native has outperformed his expected goals-against average per 60 minutes by the widest margin of all netminders (minimum 20 starts). His expected save percentage is also .115 lower (.912) than his actual mark, which suggests he's often stopping more pucks than he should be.

Bishop has given the Stars a chance to win essentially every night, surrendering more than three goals on just three occasions through 33 starts. If that's not Vezina material, we don't know what is.

Honorable mention: Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues

(Advanced stats source: Natural Stat Trick, Corsica Hockey)

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The Atlantic Division team booked its ticket to the final of the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, defeating the Metropolitan Division contingent 9-5 in the first three-on-three game of Saturday night's festivities.

Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak and Ottawa Senators winger Anthony Duclair each recorded hat tricks for the Atlantic, while Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman tallied four points apiece.

Columbus Blue Jackets rearguard Seth Jones led the Metro squad with a four-point effort of his own, and New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier collected three points, including a pair of goals.

Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, who entered the game in the second period, stopped six of seven shots to earn the win.

The Atlantic is now 3-2 against the Metro since the introduction of the divisional three-on-three format in 2016. The Atlantic, which has never won the event, will take on the winner of the Central-Pacific matchup in the final.

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After Connor McDavid went leg-first into the goalpost against the Calgary Flames last April, the Edmonton Oilers superstar says he kept quiet regarding the severity of his injuries to avoid outside noise and to be able to focus on his recovery.

"I think the main focus was just getting healthy," McDavid said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "I didn't need any pressure (from the) media, I didn't need any more questions."

In a documentary called "Whatever It Takes," which was released Friday, McDavid revealed the full extent of his injuries: a full PCL tear, a torn meniscus on both sides of the knee, a cracked tibia, and a popliteus muscle that was torn off the bone.

"There was already lots of questions going on, so it was actually really nice just to be able to focus on myself and not have to answer questions and (deal with) the pressures of all the media and all the fans and stuff like that," McDavid said.

A doctor recommended undergoing surgery, which would've put McDavid's 2019-20 season in jeopardy and didn't guarantee that his knee would fully recover. McDavid had doubts about the procedure and, after a separate medical opinion recommended rehabilitation, opted to rehab his leg to avoid risking any long-term impediments from the unique operation.

"I'm a 22-year-old kid at the time and you never want to miss a season and you never want to go through a surgery that - I'm not going to call it risky or anything like that, but there's lots of questions," McDavid said. "It's not like it's an ACL where doctors can do that almost in their sleep. It's a PCL, and that's a surgery that only a few people can do and it's not been real mastered."

Appearing in his fourth consecutive All-Star Weekend, McDavid is in fine form as he looks to put the injury behind him. He leads the NHL in points (76) through 49 games this season and is on pace to tally a career-best 127.

"I feel real good. I don't think I'd be sitting here at the All-Star Game if I wasn't," McDavid said. "I feel good on the ice and I'm happy with how I've been playing."

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