Duane Alan Steinel is now a hero in Buffalo.

The lifelong Sabres fan went viral after unleashing an incredible rant while calling into a local sports radio show Wednesday.

Here's the call he made to "Schopp and the Bulldog" on WGR 550:

(Audio courtesy: WGR 550)

Steinel took the Sabres organization and, specifically, co-owner Terry Pegula to task during the diatribe. He called out the team for its in-game ineptitude, but also cited a series of off-ice missteps involving the club's legends during its 50th season.

He referenced the embarrassment he felt seeing former Buffalo forward Danny Gare being forced to wear an unlicensed jersey at a fundraising event, as well as the organization giving former Sabres Dave Andreychuk and Mike Robitaille jerseys with their surnames misspelled.

"I don't need a Jerry Jones type of owner," Steinel said, before beginning to yell. "I need (an) owner who's going to answer the fans when they misspell names on jerseys and have Chinese knockoffs on alumni. What is going on? What are we doing?"

Steinel lamented the fact that no one from the organization has taken responsibility by publicly commenting on the mishaps or answering questions from fans amid another disappointing season.

"I don't need a damn camera in front of Terry Pegula every single day, but address our concerns," he said. "Be there when you screw up. Answer for the mistakes. Be accountable."

The rant resonated locally, blowing up on social media and even resulting in the creation of "We Are All Duane" T-shirts. But it also made the rounds on a national scale.

A representative of Pegula Sports and Entertainment - the team's parent company - subsequently "berated" WGR management, leading to the deletion of a tweet promoting the audio and increased attention around it as a result, The Athletic's John Vogl reported Thursday.

Pegula and his wife, Kim, bought the team in February 2011. The Sabres made the playoffs later that spring, but they lost in the first round and haven't returned to the postseason since.

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Although we are four months deep into the season, the Hart Trophy race still remains one of the league's most hotly debated topics.

With two months remaining in the regular season, opinions vary among NHL players and writers alike. Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon continue to separate themselves from the pack, but who's truly been the most valuable?

Meanwhile, some argue Leon Draisaitl and David Pastrnak have Hart cases of their own, but their production has been aided significantly.

Here are our top five Hart Trophy candidates as the unofficial second half of the season rolls on:

5. Auston Matthews

Even for his lofty standards, Matthews' contributions to the Toronto Maple Leafs have been impressive, particularly given the circumstances.

The 22-year-old star has buried 12 more goals and notched 10 more points than the next-closest teammate. He's been particularly hot lately, piling up nine goals in 10 games since the calendar flipped to 2020, and a whopping 20 markers in his last 21 contests. Matthews has also been a beast from a possession standpoint, posting stellar Corsi For and High-Danger Chances For rates in addition to the analytics listed in the chart above.

Those exploits are all the more commendable considering he's been dealing with a wrist condition for the last few weeks. He's not one of the front-runners for this award just yet, but with the Maple Leafs back in the playoff hunt, he now deserves to be included among the contenders.

4. John Carlson

Carlson has no shortage of talented teammates on the league-leading Washington Capitals, but his efforts still deserve recognition.

He's cooled off a bit since his early season offensive explosion, but the ultra-productive defenseman is still putting up big numbers, collecting a point per game in January. The Norris Trophy favorite is driving the Capitals' offense and posting favorable possession figures while logging a heavy workload.

Carlson is tied for 10th in the NHL points race, leads all blue-liners in that department, and is also pacing his team, registering eight more than second-place star Alex Ovechkin. Plus, his 96-point pace means he still has a shot at the first triple-digit campaign by a blue-liner since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.

3. Brad Marchand

It's tempting to give Hart consideration to Pastrnak based solely on his offensive output, but a closer look at the numbers shows his polarizing teammate remains a far more worthy contender.

Marchand has excelled whether he's been with Pastrnak (55.48 xGF% and 55.8 SCF%) or without him (much better figures of 62.88 and 63.41), whereas Pastrnak's numbers in these categories dip to 45.53 and 51.16 without Marchand.

That's largely due to the fact that Marchand is a more complete player than his Czech linemate. He does more on the defensive end, kills penalties, and leads the NHL in infractions drawn. The talented pest also ranks fifth in the league in assists (sitting in a tie for third in primary helpers) and is tied for sixth in points while playing in all situations.

2. Connor McDavid

No one doubts McDavid is the league's biggest game-changer. He's been No. 1 in this race at times during the 2019-20 campaign, and arguably still would be if not for MacKinnon's exploits. The Edmonton Oilers superstar is tied for the league lead in assists and points while averaging over a full minute of ice time more than the Colorado Avalanche dynamo.

However, McDavid has been aided by Draisaitl's significant production, even though he's also played a big role in facilitating it. It's none other than Draisaitl himself who's tied with McDavid for the NHL lead in assists and points, and he's matched McDavid's goal total as well. While Mikko Rantanen is averaging more than a point per game for the Avalanche, MacKinnon doesn't have a teammate scoring at a rate near that of McDavid's running partner.

Draisaitl's has also been worse without McDavid than McDavid has been without him, posting a 45.02 xGF% and a 44.13 SCF% mark away from the Oilers captain, compared to 46.10 and 46.47, respectively, with him. Conversely, McDavid has posted a gaudy 57.93 xGF% and 60.22 SCF% without Draisaitl.

So even if McDavid isn't the Hart front-runner right now, the value he brings to his team is obviously immense.

1. Nathan MacKinnon

Despite McDavid's impact, MacKinnon remains the Hart favorite. He proved his case when Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog were both forced out of the lineup for a prolonged period earlier this season, and he's continued to produce with six goals and 14 points in nine January games.

MacKinnon holds the edge over McDavid virtually across the board when it comes to driving possession, posting superior numbers in both of the analytics categories listed in the chart above. He also owns far better High-Danger Chances For (by a 57.45 to 52.69 margin) and Corsi For (53.06 to 48.82) rates.

The Colorado catalyst has racked up nearly double the points of the next-closest Avalanche skater (72 to Cale Makar's 37), a feat that remains remarkable regardless of the aforementioned injuries.

MacKinnon has demonstrated - both while his linemates were shelved and when they've been healthy - that no one's done more to improve his team.

Honorable mentions: Pastrnak, Draisaitl, Elias Pettersson, Jack Eichel.

(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)

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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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The San Jose Sharks' miserable season was dealt another devastating blow Thursday, as the team announced forward Tomas Hertl will miss the remainder of the year with a torn ACL and MCL.

Hertl ranks second on the Sharks in goals (16) and points (36) this season. He's fresh off his first career All-Star Game, where he put up five goals in two games as the Pacific Division won the tournament last weekend in St. Louis.

The 26-year-old joins San Jose's other top center, captain Logan Couture, on the sidelines long term. Couture was diagnosed to miss several weeks with a fractured ankle earlier in January.

San Jose currently sits 26th in the NHL with 48 points through 52 games and appears set to miss the playoffs for just the second time since 1997-98. Making matters worse, the Ottawa Senators own the Sharks' first-round pick this summer as a part of the trade package that landed Erik Karlsson.

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We enjoyed a 3-1 night on Wednesday, taking us to 7-3 overall since the All-Star break. It's nice to have the NHL back.

There are just three games tonight, which is strangely quiet for a Thursday, but I think we've got three winners picked out. Let's get to it.

GOATs and scapegoats (Wednesday)

Adam Henrique scored a pair of first-period goals to help the Anaheim Ducks (+110) beat the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday, ensuring we took home a nice profit on the night. That's what I call GOAT material.

We can't say the same for Dallas Stars forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, who each finished minus-1 and couldn't register a single point against a miserable Toronto Maple Leafs defense. That's why we didn't finish 4-0 on Wednesday.

Thursday's bets

Montreal Canadiens (-115)

I suffered through the Buffalo Sabres' loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, and there were some troubling signs from the Sabres. Forget about their ineffective penalty kill or complete lack of offense outside of Jack Eichel - the team just looked defeated long before the game was over. Losing to the Senators effectively ended any hope Buffalo had of pulling back into the playoff race, and given the seemingly fragile mindset of this team, it's hard to imagine a positive response here.

Despite what their record might indicate, the Canadiens are playing competitive hockey on a nightly basis. They're also getting healthy and have goaltender Carey Price in his best form of the season (.933 save percentage in January). Trust Montreal to leave Buffalo with two points.

New Jersey Devils (+120)

The Devils have been playing some really strong hockey on home ice over the past month. They've beaten the Ducks, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning while losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders in overtime. That's an impressive point haul given the quality of opponents.

It's fair to say the underachieving Nashville Predators are a step down in class. The Preds are coming off a hard-fought win in Washington on Wednesday that was both physically and emotionally draining, leaving them in a letdown spot here. Nashville is just 1-3 this season when playing on no rest (allowing 17 goals in those games) and has lost seven of its last eight in that spot. Falling to the Devils a night after beating the Capitals would be right in line with the sort of season the Predators have produced.

Best bet

Los Angeles Kings/Arizona Coyotes over 5.5 (+110)

There's still a perception that the Coyotes are an "under" cash cow, but that hasn't been the case on home ice ever since the team traded for Taylor Hall. Following the trade, Arizona has gone 6-1 to the over at Gila River Arena, with those games averaging a staggering 7.6 goals. Additionally, Thursday's contest is the second leg of a back-to-back for the Coyotes, and they've hit four straight overs at home when playing on no rest.

The Kings were also in action last night. They're 2-4 on the road this season when playing in the second game of a back-to-back, with five of those contests seeing at least six goals. Expect more fireworks on Thursday in the desert, despite what the total might indicate.

Trend of the night

The Coyotes are 1-9 in their last 10 home games played on no rest.

As mentioned above, Arizona faced Anaheim last night. The Coyotes have posted a brutal record on home ice recently when playing in the second leg of a back-to-back, so this would appear to be a good spot to fade them. That being said, the Kings also played last night and are cemented in the basement of the Western Conference, which makes them a tough team to back here, even at the generous price of +170.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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