Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly interview-style podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.

Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Mark Edwards, NHL scout and founder of HockeyProspect.com, joins this week's show to discuss a variety of draft-related topics, including:

• Wayne Simmonds and HockeyProspect.com's origin story
• Mark's scouting philosophies and 3-to-9 grading scale
• First overall in the 2020 NHL draft: Lafreniere or Byfield
• Stutzle, Perfetti, Askarov, and other high-end prospects

... and more

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Anthony Mantha is nearing a return to the lineup, but it turns out that his ailments were worse than they initially appeared.

In addition to hurting his ribs, the Detroit Red Wings forward revealed Wednesday that he suffered a second significant injury when Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin slammed him to the ice Dec. 21.

"I had a punctured lung," he told reporters, including the Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James. "That's what took the six weeks to heal. We didn't want to risk that. Then obviously the ribs, it's a matter of time before it heals. And then the head was just preventative."

To make matters worse, Mantha also came down with an illness shortly thereafter.

"With the force of impact, my ribs punctured my lungs," he added. "It was probably the worst pain I've been in. And on top of all that, I got the flu on Day 2 of being injured. I had (a) 103 (degree) fever. So it was just a terrible first week."

Mantha passed a final concussion test Tuesday morning.

"I don't think I had a concussion, but we just wanted to make sure," he said.

The 25-year-old has missed 17 games since the incident but said he hopes to return between Feb. 10 and 15. The Red Wings will be on the road in Buffalo (Feb. 11), New Jersey (Feb. 13), and Boston (Feb. 15) during that span.

Mantha poured in 12 goals and 24 points across 29 games before getting hurt and still leads the club in points per game this season.

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Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan practiced Wednesday for the first time since entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in November, the team announced.

The veteran winger, who hasn't played since Nov. 16, was medically cleared and is working on getting his conditioning back.

"It's like missing training camp ... he is a ways away but he took his first step," head coach D.J. Smith said, according to TSN's Brent Wallace.

There is no timeline for Ryan's potential return to the lineup.

Ryan, 32, is the Senators' highest-paid player with an annual cap hit of $7.25 million. He has two more years beyond this season remaining on his contract.

The New Jersey native recorded one goal and four points through 16 games before stepping away from the team.

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

Tuesday night was a sickening case of what could have been.

We had a pair of winners in the Arizona Coyotes (-125) and a contest between the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks that needed extra time (+300). But we were otherwise buried by a blown three-goal lead, bad bounces, an overtime loss, and a shootout loss. You can't make this stuff up.

Despite a modest two-game slate, I'm feeling great about Wednesday's card. It's going to be a big night.

GOATs and scapegoats

This distinction could go to Antti Raanta for his shutout in the desert, but Tuesday's true GOAT was overtime king Marcus Hogberg. The guy lives for OT. As noted in yesterday's article, seven of his last 10 starts had required the extra frame. Well, make that eight of his last 11 after last night. I sincerely hope you took advantage of the +300 odds on a tie game after regulation.

There are several deserving contenders for Tuesday's scapegoat crown, but one particularly irked me. I hate to rag on a classy veteran like Joe Pavelski, but he really did us no favors last night. Not only did he squander a glorious chance to break a 3-3 tie late, but he committed an unforgivable turnover that gifted the New York Islanders an overtime win after the Dallas Stars absolutely dominated the three-on-three period. Just a brutal loss.

Wednesday's bets

New York Rangers (+120)

To call this a massive game for the Toronto Maple Leafs would be an understatement. They collapsed in rather spectacular fashion Monday against a team they're chasing in the playoff race, and they now find themselves in a crucial bounce-back spot against a team they need to beat. But what evidence have the Maple Leafs provided to suggest they have the character to respond? I'm especially hesitant to trust them with Frederik Andersen out.

Michael Hutchinson gets the start and has been absolutely miserable away from Toronto this season, allowing at least four goals in each of his seven road appearances. He's posted a 4.73 goals-against average with an .861 save percentage away from home in 2019-20. The Rangers should be able to get to him fairly easily with the Maple Leafs' leaky defense offering little resistance.

On the other side, Igor Shesterkin will get the nod for New York. The rookie has impressed in his first four NHL starts, allowing three goals or fewer in each of them while posting a 3-1-0 record with a .927 save percentage. Hutchinson can only dream of such numbers. Getting the Rangers at plus-money is an absolute steal.

Chicago Blackhawks (+140), Blackhawks' team total over 3.5 (+215), Boston Bruins' team total under 2.5 (+200)

I've got a tripleheader going at the United Center tonight. The Blackhawks are 5-0-0 at home when playing on no rest this season, scoring at least four goals in each contest. They're 9-1 straight up in the second legs of back-to-backs regardless of the venue, allowing two goals or fewer in seven of those games. The Bruins, meanwhile, have lost five of their last six road games after playing at home the night before, allowing at least four goals in each of those tilts. They've also scored two or fewer goals in each of their last five games played on no rest. I need to get my hands on a Blackhawks jersey for tonight.

Best bet

New York Rangers' team total over 3.5 (+130)

If Hutchinson's stats weren't enough to convince you, consider this:

The Rangers have scored four or more goals in six of their last nine games at Madison Square Garden, only failing to do so against the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, and Dallas Stars - three of the NHL's four best teams in terms of goals allowed. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, rank bottom-five in that regard and have allowed 27 goals over their last five road games against Eastern Conference teams.

Trend of the night

The Maple Leafs are on a 9-0-1 run to the over in road games against Eastern Conference opponents.

That's quite a remarkable run. Toronto has both conceded and scored in bunches over that stretch, but bookmakers are starting to adjust, setting a total of 7 for tonight's contest. Still, you'd have to be a glutton for punishment to bet the under.

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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With a two-assist performance Tuesday night, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton became the 14th player in NHL history to reach 1,500 career points

Jumbo Joe reached the milestone on Kevin Labanc's third-period tally versus the Calgary Flames.

Thornton's historic feat came in the 1,620th game of his illustrious career. Here's where he stands among the all-time leaders:

Thornton, 40, is now up to 22 points across 54 games in his 22nd NHL season. His lifetime resume includes four All-Star nominations, a Hart Trophy, an Art Ross, and two Olympic gold medals.

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The Buffalo Sabres' season is beginning to unravel.

The Sabres fell 6-1 to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night, marking the club's fourth loss in its last five games. Buffalo is now 11 points back of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Forward Sam Reinhart says the players have nobody to blame but themselves.

"It's all coming down to the players at this point," he told The Buffalo News' Mike Harrington postgame. "The systems and the game plans that are set out for us give us an opportunity to have success ... Guys need to demand more of themselves and a lot of guys need to step the hell up."

Reinhart scored Buffalo's lone tally in the ugly defeat and is on pace for career highs in goals (29) and points (68) this season. He ranks second on the team - behind captain Jack Eichel - in both those categories.

Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen also sounded off after the loss.

"We didn't play good enough. We didn't work hard enough," he told The Athletic's John Vogel. "Today was shit."

Head coach Ralph Krueger called the loss "truly unacceptable," according to Harrington.

The frustration extends outside the Sabres' dressing room, too. Before the contest, general manager Jason Botterill admitted that owners Terry and Kim Pegula aren't pleased with the team's season thus far.

"To put it bluntly, my conversations with Terry and Kim, they’re frustrated with the results," Botterill said on WGR-Radio. "They want better results."

The Sabres had a glorious opportunity to make up some ground coming off their 10-day break last week, but lost to the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens by a combined score of 8-3.

"You can understand our fans' frustration," Botterill said. "Our organization is frustrated by that."

A diehard Sabres fan spoke for all of western New York last week with a passionate radio rant that went viral after he called out the club's ownership.

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