Artemi Panarin may have gotten away with one Thursday versus the Minnesota Wild.

The New York Rangers star had his name called in the shootout and delivered a goal after putting a series of moves on goaltender Alex Stalock. However, before he deposited the puck upstairs, Panarin came close to going backward, which would have caused the play to be blown dead.

The Wild called for the play to be reviewed, but the referees upheld their decision. Zach Parise then hit the post on his attempt and Minnesota lost 4-3.

After the controversial result, NHL public relations offered the following explanation:

Video review confirmed Panarin kept the puck in constant motion towards the goal line in his shootout attempt, therefore, scored legally. The decision was made in accordance with rule 24.2, which states in part, "The puck must be kept in motion towards the opponent's goal line and once it is shot, the play shall be considered complete."

Minnesota head coach Bruce Boudreau was none too pleased with the call.

"It should've been (called back). I just read the rule and the rule says the puck has to be going forward at all times. I may be blind, but it doesn't look like it was going forward at the end," he said, per The Athletic's Michael Russo.

By earning one point, the Wild now sit three points back of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The victory for the Rangers was their third in a row.

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Andreas Johnsson is going to miss some time after getting hurt in a loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

The Toronto Maple Leafs forward's knee injury "is not going to be short term," head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters postgame. The Toronto bench boss added they will know more about the winger's status Friday.

Johnsson left the game after teammate Kasperi Kapanen inadvertently collided with him in the first period.

The Maple Leafs ruled Johnsson out for the remainder of the contest shortly after. The injury occurred on his third shift of the night.

Johnsson has collected eight goals and 21 points in 43 games this season. The 25-year-old notched 20 markers across 73 contests in 2018-19, his first official NHL campaign.

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Zack Kassian might be getting another call from the NHL's Department of Player Safety in the near future.

The Edmonton Oilers forward kicked Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak while lying on the ice late in the first period Thursday night.

Kassian, who wasn't penalized, tried to explain himself postgame.

"(On) that play, he was holding my leg and it was just reactionary," he told Sportsnet's Gene Principe. "I just tried to get loose. I was laying there awhile and I was trying to get my leg out and get moving."

Meanwhile, Cernak gave his side of the story.

"I think he was a little bit mad," the Lightning blue-liner told reporters, including The Athletic's Joe Smith. "I asked him what was wrong with him, because that’s not the right play. (That's not) what to do on the ice. He didn’t say (anything). So I don’t know. Lucky it wasn’t higher."

Kassian was suspended two games in January for his role in an altercation with Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk.

The 29-year-old received his ban exactly a month prior to Thursday's incident after pummeling Tkachuk during their game on Jan. 11.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs and defenseman Jake Muzzin are expected to come to terms on a contract extension by the Feb. 24 trade deadline, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."

"It's getting closer. It's not done yet, (but) the expectation is - if all things progress in the fashion that they are - that they should have a contract extension in place for Jake Muzzin as early (as) or before the trade deadline," Dreger said.

The term and value of the extension are unclear at this point, and Dreger added the Maple Leafs are working through different scenarios to determine what's best for their salary-cap picture.

Toronto acquired Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings last season. An unrestricted free agent as of July 1, the 30-year-old said in late January he'd "love to stay" with the team beyond this campaign.

The Maple Leafs are projected to have roughly $10 million in cap space for the 2020-21 season, according to Cap Friendly. That figure excludes any potential increase to the league's salary cap. Along with Muzzin, Toronto defensemen Tyson Barrie (unrestricted), Cody Ceci (unrestricted), and Travis Dermott (restricted) are all slated to become free agents at season's end.

Muzzin's been limited to 46 games this season due to a broken foot he suffered in December. He's posted three goals and 12 assists while averaging 21:38 per contest in 2019-20.

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Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

You can't beat perfect.

Despite there being just three NHL games on Wednesday, we finished 4-0 with our bets to rake in a hefty profit.

Let's keep the good times rolling into a busy Thursday night.

GOATs and scapegoats

It's hard to have a scapegoat when you don't lose a bet. Instead, Wednesday night was full of GOATs: Carey Price and Tukka Rask combined for a .939 save percentage to help us hit the under. Twelve different Los Angeles Kings players registered points in a win over the Calgary Flames. Patrick Kane went over 3.5 shots in the first period, while Bo Horvat needed just two to go over his shot total.

All of these guys are forever in my good books.

Thursday bets

Columbus Blue Jackets (-115)

I can be guilty of looking a gift horse in the mouth. Sometimes, you see a line and it just looks off, so you stay away or even bet the other side. More often than not, you live to regret it.

This feels like one of those instances. The Blue Jackets are playing great hockey right now - riding a 6-1-1 run on the road - while the Buffalo Sabres have dropped five of their last seven on home ice, including losses to the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings. The price on Columbus seems a bit short here given the current direction of both teams, but I'm not going to let it scare me off. The Blue Jackets are the play here.

Dallas Stars (+130)

Frederik Andersen will return tonight for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but that won't sway my stance on this game. A goalie can only mask so many defensive issues. The Leafs have largely struggled at home of late, needing overtime to beat the Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes - the latter coming with the help of a controversial disallowed goal. Those unconvincing wins followed a 2-5 stretch at Scotiabank Arena, during which Toronto also needed overtime to beat the Senators.

This matchup is a significant step up in competition, as the Stars have emerged victorious in seven of their last 10 on the road. They're also riding a 4-1-1 road run versus Eastern Conference teams. Toronto won in Dallas last month, but I like the Stars to return the favor here at a very generous price.

Calgary Flames' team total under 2.5 (+140)

There's no team in the NHL that's struggled more in a particular city than the Flames have in Anaheim. Calgary's won just two of its last 32 road games against the Ducks and has scored two or fewer goals in its last nine contests in Anaheim. This time, the Flames will also be playing the second leg of a back-to-back. They've gone 3-4 on no rest this season, scoring two or fewer goals in five of those seven games while being shut out twice.

Best bet

St. Louis Blues/Vegas Golden Knights over 6 (-105)

Who doesn't love a good show in Vegas? The Golden Knights have allowed four or more goals in five of their last six home games, giving up at least three in all of them. The Blues have allowed three or more goals in nine straight on the road and four or more in six of their last seven. If we're looking at three goals against as the floor for both of these teams, this game should have no issue sailing over the total.

Trend of the night

The Edmonton Oilers are on an 11-2 run away to Eastern Conference teams.

They'll play down south tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are the hottest team in hockey but will be missing Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, and Steven Stamkos. The Oilers are dealing with their own major absence in superstar Connor McDavid, so even at +180, it's going to take some courage to back this trend. Are you feeling dangerous? I know I am.

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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Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara has been fined $5,000 for cross-checking Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher in the neck during Wednesday's game. However, Chara avoided a suspension, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Thursday.

Both players were handed minors on the play; Chara for cross-checking and Gallagher for roughing.

Chara's estimated career earnings are $97,993,695, according to CapFriendly.

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Freddie is ready.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen said he'll play Thursday night against the Dallas Stars after missing the last four games with a neck injury, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.

Newly acquired backup Jack Campbell was stellar holding down the fort in Andersen's absence, going 2-0-1 while starting the last three games with a .918 save percentage and a 2.52 goals-against average.

Michael Hutchinson relieved Andersen when the Dane suffered the injury last week against the Florida Panthers. Hutchinson allowed three goals on 13 shots in the losing relief effort and was also on the hook for the club's 5-3 loss against the New York Rangers in the following game. He hasn't seen the ice since and was placed on waivers Thursday, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Andersen owns a .910 save percentage, a 2.87 goals-against average, and is tied for second in the league with 24 wins.

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