St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will have a hearing with the league after boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Thursday.

The hit occurred with 2:03 to play in the first period, and Sundqvist was given a two-minute minor for boarding.

Grzelcyk was injured on the play and didn't return after logging 4:29 of ice time in the opening frame. The blue-liner is in concussion protocol and will not travel with the team to St. Louis on Thursday afternoon, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed.

The 25-year-old Sundqvist has not previously faced supplementary discipline through two full NHL seasons.

Following the contest, Bruins forward David Backes said he doesn't think the collision was "a hit that we want in our game."

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Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand is taking responsibility for his line's slow start to the Stanley Cup Final after the team's 3-2 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 2 on Wednesday.

“We need to be better,” Marchand said of his line, according to The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa. “Personally, I wasn’t good the last two games. We can’t be playing like that.”

The Bruins' top line of Marchand, David Pastrnak, and Patrice Bergeron has been productive this postseason, but through two games against the Blues, the trio has combined for just one empty-net goal, one assist, and a minus-7 rating.

Boston's top line has fallen off against the Blues at five-on-five compared to its production against previous opponents.

TOI= Time on ice
CF%= Corsi For (Shot attempt share)
SCF%= Scoring chance share

Marchand and Bergeron have also uncharacteristically combined for eight turnovers through the first two contests, contributing to the Blues' 16 takeaways.

“They just competed hard,” Marchand said. “They won a lot of battles in our zone. They have really good sticks. So they turn a lot of pucks over and created some offense off that.”

The Blues erased a pair of deficits en route to the victory, stealing home-ice advantage with Game 3 set for Saturday in St. Louis.

All advanced stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick

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The St. Louis Blues will be without forward Robert Thomas and defenseman Vince Dunn for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, head coach Craig Berube confirmed.

Thomas was on the receiving end of a heavy hit from Bruins defenseman Torey Krug in the third period of Game 1, but Berube insists the injury isn't connected to that collision.

The skilled forward has scored just once this postseason, but his strong two-way play on a line with Patrick Maroon and Tyler Bozak has been instrumental to the Blues' success. In 177:12 of ice time at five-on-five, that line has owned 55.74 percent of the high-danger scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Dunn, meanwhile, took a puck to the face just two minutes into Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the San Jose Sharks, and he hasn't played since.

The 22-year-old blue-liner has been a key piece for the Blues throughout the playoffs, averaging 15:40 of ice time while contributing seven points in 16 games.

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Mark Stone scored his tournament-leading eighth goal and added one assist as Canada knocked off the Czech Republic 5-1 to advance to its fourth gold-medal game in the last five World Championships.

Canada will play Finland - the only team to have beaten them at this year's event - for the gold medal Sunday.

Matt Murray was sensational for Canada, stopping 40 shots for his fifth victory of the tournament on his 25th birthday.

After Stone opened the scoring in the first period, Darnell Nurse and Pierre-Luc Dubois added to the lead in the second to put Canada up 3-0 heading into the final frame.

Kyle Turris and Thomas Chabot sealed the game with tallies in the third period, while Tomas Zohorna scored the lone goal for the Czechs to snap Murray's shutout bid with six minutes to play.

Canada has guaranteed itself a podium finish after losing the bronze-medal contest to the U.S. at last year's event. With a victory over Finland, Canada would tie Russia/Soviet Union for the most gold-medal finishes at the worlds with 27.

Finland met Canada the last time it made the gold-medal contest in 2016, losing 2-0. The Finns haven't won gold since 2011 but have collected two silver medals (2014, 2016) since.

Canada has won eight consecutive games since suffering a 4-1 loss to Finland in the opening contest of the tournament.

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Carolina Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell confirmed he will continue to lead the club next season despite being without a contract.

"The answer is yes," Waddell said when asked if he'd be returning, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. "(Owner Tom Dundon and I) are working on terms, but we have a mutual agreement to continue in this direction."

After replacing former general manager Ron Francis on an interim basis in March 2018, Waddell was officially named president and full-time GM that May.

In his first full year filling the roles, Waddell helped the Hurricanes return to the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, reaching the Eastern Conference Final. The 60-year-old was named a finalist for GM of the Year for his work.

Waddell put his first imprint on the club by replacing head coach Bill Peters with assistant Rod Brind’Amour. He then traded Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm to the Calgary Flames for Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland.

In need of goaltending, Waddell signed free-agent netminder Petr Mrazek and claimed Curtis McElhinney off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. He then acquired forward Nino Niederreiter from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Victor Rask in a trade that worked out overwhelmingly in the Hurricanes' favor.

Carolina found tremendous success despite having the NHL's lowest payroll last season, with no player making more than $6 million.

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Finland has advanced to its first gold-medal game at the worlds since 2016 with a 1-0 victory over Russia on Saturday.

Kevin Lankinen was sensational in net for Finland, turning aside all 32 shots he faced for his second shutout of the tournament.

Neither goaltender would budge in the defensive affair until Finnish captain Marko Anttila found twine with under 10 minutes to play in what would prove to be the game-winner.

Henri Jokiharju and Joel Kiviranta picked up assists on Antilla's tally.

Andrei Vasilevskiy was solid between the pipes for Russia, allowing just the one goal while making 28 stops in the contest.

Russia will play for bronze for the third time in the last four World Championships after finishing sixth in 2018.

Finland has now won seven of its nine contests and will meet the winner between Canada and the Czech Republic for a chance to win its first gold medal at the worlds since 2011.

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The Stanley Cup Final will be a little more personal for Boston Bruins forward David Backes.

Starting on Monday, the Bruins take on the St. Louis Blues, the team that drafted the Minneapolis native in 2003 and helped him develop over 10 seasons.

"There's going to be heightened emotions," Backes said, according to NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin. "It's a binary decision now: It's us or them. There's no third party. No ties, none of that stuff. One of us is going to win the Cup. Either the St. Louis Blues or the Boston Bruins."

"I think it'll be extra sweet if we're able to win against that team and maybe an extra thump if they win it and we're not able to in this room," Backes added.

The 35-year-old recorded 206 goals and 460 points over 727 games with St. Louis, serving as team captain from 2011 to 2016.

Backes became an unrestricted free agent after the 2016 season, a campaign when the Blues were eliminated in the Western Conference Final. The power forward signed a five-year, $30-million contract with the Bruins that July, leaving behind teammates he had grown close to over the years in St. Louis, and the only city he knew in professional hockey.

"There are still some good friends - one of my best friends is on that team, he's the captain of their team," Backes said, referring to defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. "I told him I love him now, I'm going to love him afterward, but I'm going to hate him for the next three weeks here. I think that's a mutual decision."

The 13-year veteran understands the magnitude of the moment, and although he appreciates his former club, he's happy to be a member of the Bruins heading into the Cup Final.

"The stars have aligned for this to be one heck of an event," Backes said. "We're just going to embrace it and throw what we have out there in every shift and every moment of every game. I love this group. I wouldn't want to be in the Finals with any other group."

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The Minnesota Wild have a trade proposal on the table that's centered on Pittsburgh Penguins sniper Phil Kessel, sources told The Athletic's Josh Yohe.

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has said publicly he's willing to shake up his roster, while Kessel's name has frequently been mentioned in rumors.

Kessel helped the Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, but the team was swept out of the first round by the New York Islanders this postseason.

The 31-year-old has three years remaining on his current eight-year deal and carries an annual cap hit of $8 million.

In terms of what the Penguins can expect in exchange, it's believed that talented winger Jason Zucker would be part of the trade, reports Yohe. The 27-year-old's speed would fit the Penguins' run-and-gun style and he's hit the 20-goal mark in four of the past five seasons.

The two sides also apparently discussed Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson and Wild forward Victor Rask, both of whom are signed to long-term deals.

Kessel - a Madison, Wis., native - played one season with the University of Minnesota in 2005-06 before turning pro.

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The Minnesota Wild have hired Hall of Fame forward Mike Modano as their executive advisor, the team announced Thursday. He'll begin his new role Sept. 1.

Modano will work directly with Wild president Matt Majka and owner Craig Leipold on initiatives related to the team's sales, community relations efforts, and corporate partnerships in the club's newly created position.

"I am very thankful for this opportunity and excited to work with Craig and Matt to help support a number of Minnesota Wild business initiatives," Modano said. "I have always felt a special relationship with this community and look forward to reconnecting with all the wonderful fans in the State of Hockey as a member of the Wild organization."

Modano compiled 561 goals and 1,374 points in 1,499 career NHL games during 21 seasons with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise and the Detroit Red Wings.

The 48-year-old won a Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999 and was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.

The hire marks Modano's second stint in a front-office position, as he previously served as an executive advisor and alternate governor with the Stars from 2013-15.

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Mark Stone scored the overtime winner on Thursday to eliminate Switzerland and launch Canada into the World Championship semifinals.

The Canadians barely survived regulation, however, and needed a dramatic last-second scramble to force the extra frame.

With Canada down 2-1 late in the third period, Damon Severson fired a point shot that trickled over the goal line to tie the game with 0.4 seconds on the clock.

Stone's game-winner was his second tally of the contest and seventh of the tournament, moving him into a tie with Anthony Mantha - who did not play against Switzerland due to his one-game suspension - for the team lead.

Pierre-Luc Dubois had a pair of assists in the win, and Dante Fabbro, Shea Theodore, and Stone added helpers of their own. Matt Murray turned aside 22 shots to record his fourth win for Canada.

Sven Andrighetto opened the scoring for Switzerland with the lone first-period tally and Nico Hischier potted his fourth goal of the tournament.

Canada has now won seven straight contests heading into the semifinals.

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