Guarantees are nice. Heck, winning streaks in the playoffs are even better.

Related: Ovechkin: We're going back to Washington tied

But, for Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz, he knows exactly what he wants out of his club on Monday night if it hopes to knock off the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games and advance to the second round.

"If you have a chance to eliminate a team, you have to have that killer instinct," Trotz told the media on Sunday, according to Tarik El-Bashir of NBC Sports. "And it's the toughest game to win because the other team is desperate. Their backs are against the wall"

"They're going to have their max effort tomorrow. We've got to make sure that we've got a max effort, and if we do that, then we have a chance to win in Columbus. We've won there a couple of time already."

He's not wrong about that last part, as Washington won both Game 3 and 4 on the Blue Jackets' home ice. And following their Game 5 overtime victory on Saturday, the Capitals head back to Columbus with a chance to end their opponent's season.

Puck drop is set for Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET from Nationwide Arena.

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Naslund. Backstrom. Forsberg. Sedin. Pettersson.

Yup, you can pencil in Elias Pettersson's name in with some of Sweden's all-time players.

Fresh off a regular season in which he set the SHL (Sweden's top professional league) record for points by a U20 player, the Vancouver Canucks prospect has not slowed down in the playoffs.

Pettersson has 10 goals and 19 points in 13 playoff games, setting another SHL record for points in a single postseason by a U20 player, according to Elite Prospects.

When you combine the regular season and the postseason, the numbers are that much more impressive.

He also appears to have the clutch gene, showing incredible poise with a defender draped all over him to score the SHL Championship-winning goal. He was named SHL Playoff MVP for his efforts.

Drafted fifth overall by the Canucks in 2017, Pettersson - who turned 19 last November - could announce his presence in North America with authority next season.

Canucks fans have every reason to be giddy about this kid.

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Tuukka Rask put on a performance Saturday that he'll want to forget.

In Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Boston Bruins netminder allowed four goals on just 13 shots before getting the hook midway through the second period.

The veteran blamed himself for the 4-3 loss that saw the Maple Leafs close in on the Bruins' 3-2 series lead.

"(I) probably could have stopped more pucks with my eyes closed," Rask told Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com. "It's on me."

Backup Anton Khudobin came into the game in relief of Rask, turning aside eight shots, but the Bruins couldn't overcome the Maple Leafs' early lead.

Game 6 goes Monday in Toronto.

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Randy Carlyle's job is apparently safe for now.

Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray made it clear Saturday during his exit interview that his head coach will return next season, but said he's also looking to make changes to the team's style of play, according to Mike Coppinger of The Los Angeles Times.

Carlyle guided the Ducks to the playoffs for the second time in as many seasons since returning behind the Anaheim bench before the 2016-17 campaign, but his club was swept out of the first round by the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.

The Ducks made it to the Western Conference final in Carlyle's first season back in Orange County before losing to the Nashville Predators.

Carlyle is under contract through 2018-19, according to CapFriendly.

He also coached the team from 2006-07 to 2011-12.

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John Tortorella isn't even entertaining the possibility that Monday's Game 6 against the Washington Capitals will be the final game of the season for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"I won't have to say a damn word to them," the Blue Jackets head coach told reporters, including The Athletic's Aaron Portzline, after a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 5 on Saturday in Washington that gave the Capitals a 3-2 series lead.

"No," he continued. "We'll be back here for Game 7."

Tortorella's de facto guarantee is the second such declaration of the series, following Alex Ovechkin's prediction that the Capitals would tie the series at 2-2, which ultimately came true.

The Blue Jackets won the first two games of the series before the Capitals stormed back to win the next three.

If a Game 7 becomes necessary, it would be played Wednesday night.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are the first Eastern Conference team to move on in the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Mikhail Sergachev and Nikita Kucherov provided the offense as the Lightning knocked out the New Jersey Devils with a 3-1 victory in Game 5 on Saturday.

More to come.

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Anaheim Ducks forward Patrick Eaves missed all but two games this season with Guillain-Barre syndrome - a rare disorder that causes muscle weakness, reflex loss, and numbness or tingling in parts of your body - but it appears he'll be good to go for the 2018-19 campaign.

General manager Bob Murray announced that Eaves had surgery to repair a torn labrum - an injury he suffered during rehab from GBS, per Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register - and should be healthy by mid-October.

Eaves really started coming into his own prior to his diagnosis, scoring a career-high 32 goals while splitting time with the Dallas Stars and Ducks in 2016-17.

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Bill Peters is not without options.

A day after resigning as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, Peters has been linked to two of the other three vacancies around the league.

The Dallas Stars spoke with Peters after seeking permission from the Hurricanes to do so, but TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports "all signs still point to Calgary at this juncture as the front-runner."

The Flames - who recently fired Glen Gulutzan - also reportedly asked for permission to speak with Peters. The Stars' vacancy was created upon the announcement of Ken Hitchcock's retirement.

Peters, who hails from Alberta, is currently preparing to serve as head coach of Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets will get Alexander Wennberg back in the lineup for Game 5 against the Washington Capitals on Saturday after the forward missed the past three contests with an upper-body injury suffered in Game 1, head coach John Tortorella announced.

Wennberg suffered the injury after he was rocked by Tom Wilson.

Despite partaking in just over 10 minutes in the series thus far, Wennberg has made his presence felt, as he scored Columbus' first goal of Game 1, and teammate Thomas Vanek scored on the power play that ensued from Wilson's charging penalty.

The 23-year-old had a breakout, 59-point season in 2016-17, but regressed this year, picking up just 35 points in 66 games. Regardless, secondary scoring has hampered the Blue Jackets all year and throughout their last two losses in Games 3 and 4, so they will surely welcome his return.

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Nazem Kadri is ready to roll.

After serving his three-game suspension for a dangerous hit on Boston Bruins forward Tommy Wingels in Game 1, Kadri made it clear he's excited to get back on the ice Saturday night for Game 5.

"I can't wait. I can't wait. I'm sick of watching games," he told TSN's Mark Masters. "It's tough to be up there and watch. It's a little bit frustrating so I'm anxious to just get back on the ice."

The anticipation could serve Kadri and the Leafs well, as he's known to play better when he's on edge - as long as he controls his temper. Given that he was on record saying he didn't agree with the length of the suspension, the Leafs will certainly hope Kadri comes out flying in Game 5.

And down 3-1 in the series, Toronto will need every advantage it can get.

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