Connor McDavid breathed a big sigh of relief when X-rays revealed he did not break his leg after crashing into the post on Saturday night against the Calgary Flames.

But in the moment, the Edmonton Oilers superstar feared the worst.

"I was just worried to stand up. I thought my leg was just going to give away," McDavid told reporters Sunday. "If I'm being completely honest, I thought my leg was in two pieces."

McDavid was upended by Mark Giordano after burning the Flames defenseman wide. He was skating over 25 mph prior to the trip.

McDavid did not think it was a dirty play by Giordano.

"You can't fault Giordano for trying to make a play on the puck," said McDavid, adding that blue-liner was very apologetic afterward.

When a reporter asked whether the injury would change the way he drives to the net in the future, McDavid responded emphatically.

"They pay me $100 million to play my game, part of my game is beating guys wide and going to the net," he said. "So I'll have to give my money back (to Oilers owner Daryl Katz) if I stop doing that, so I'm not doing that."

McDavid aired his disappointment in the Oilers' latest letdown after a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights officially eliminated them from playoff contention earlier in the week, and his sentiment remains the same.

"I'd be a complete loser if I wasn't frustrated," he said. "It's frustrating personally, it's frustrating as a group. We want to be in the playoffs, we want to be competing late in the season."

McDavid's comments in Vegas led some to believe he wants out of Edmonton, but the 22-year-old squashed that notion.

"I want to be here. If I didn't want to be here I wouldn't have signed an eight-year deal," he said.

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Connor McDavid breathed a big sigh of relief when X-rays revealed he did not break his leg after crashing into the post on Saturday night against the Calgary Flames.

But in the moment, the Edmonton Oilers superstar feared the worst.

"I was just worried to stand up. I thought my leg was just going to give away," McDavid told reporters Sunday. "If I'm being completely honest, I thought my leg was in two pieces."

McDavid was upended by Mark Giordano after burning the Flames defenseman wide. He was skating over 25 mph prior to the trip.

McDavid did not think it was a dirty play by Giordano.

"You can't fault Giordano for trying to make a play on the puck," said McDavid, adding that blue-liner was very apologetic afterward.

When a reporter asked whether the injury would change the way he drives to the net in the future, McDavid responded emphatically.

"They pay me $100 million to play my game, part of my game is beating guys wide and going to the net," he said. "So I'll have to give my money back (to Oilers owner Daryl Katz) if I stop doing that, so I'm not doing that."

McDavid aired his disappointment in the Oilers' latest letdown after a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights officially eliminated them from playoff contention earlier in the week, and his sentiment remains the same.

"I'd be a complete loser if I wasn't frustrated," he said. "It's frustrating personally, it's frustrating as a group. We want to be in the playoffs, we want to be competing late in the season."

McDavid's comments in Vegas led some to believe he wants out of Edmonton, but the 22-year-old squashed that notion.

"I want to be here. If I didn't want to be here I wouldn't have signed an eight-year deal," he said.

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The Los Angeles Kings have asked the Edmonton Oilers for permission to discuss their vacant head-coaching position with Todd McLellan, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports.

The Oilers fired McLellan and replaced him with Ken Hitchcock in November. LeBrun reported at the time that McLellan is still under contract for the rest of this season and 2019-20 at $3 million per campaign.

The Kings aren't bringing back interim bench boss Willie Desjardins for next season. He took over after Los Angeles dismissed John Stevens a couple of weeks before Edmonton's move last fall.

McLellan spent parts of four seasons behind the Oilers' bench after seven with the San Jose Sharks, arguably the Kings' biggest rival.

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The Buffalo Sabres fired head coach Phil Housley on Sunday, the team announced.

Sabres general manager Jason Botterill took some responsibility following the move, telling reporters, including The Buffalo News' Mike Harrington, that it was his decision to dismiss Housley.

"We didn't put the proper roster out there," he added.

Botterill also pointed to "lapses defensively in our structure," a notable remark considering Housley is a legendary former blue-liner who's known as a defensive specialist.

Housley was hired following the 2016-17 season after a successful four-year stint as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators. He was unable to turn the Sabres around, though, failing to make the playoffs both seasons in Buffalo and compiling a record of 58-84-22.

After a successful month of November, which included a 10-game winning streak, the Sabres sat atop the NHL standings. However, from that point, Buffalo went 16-33-8 and failed to win in regulation during March.

The Sabres' next head coach will be the club's fifth bench boss since Lindy Ruff's 15-year run came to an end midway through the 2012-13 campaign.

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Los Angeles Kings interim head coach Willie Desjardins won't be back behind the bench next year, the team announced Sunday.

"Today we thanked Willie Desjardins for his effort and dedication while serving as our interim head coach," general manager Rob Blake said in a statement. "We wish Willie and his family nothing but the best going forward. The process for hiring our next head coach is underway and we look forward to conducting a thorough search for the right person to lead our team."

Desjardins took over for John Stevens just 14 games into the season and couldn't right the ship, compiling a 27-34-8 record. The Kings finished with both the second-worst offense and overall record in the NHL.

The former head coach was also publicly criticized by Ilya Kovalchuk after making the high-paid forward a healthy scratch.

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The Florida Panthers are moving quickly in their quest to replace Bob Boughner behind the bench and have reportedly received permission from the Chicago Blackhawks to speak to Joel Quenneville about the vacancy, a source told ESN's Greg Wyshynski.

The Panthers have offered Quenneville a multi-year deal worth more than $6 million per season with bonuses, Wyshynski added. Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock is the league's highest-paid coach at around $6.25 million annually.

The Panthers fired Boughner on Sunday after two seasons without making the playoffs, while Quenneville was let go in November after 11 seasons with the Blackhawks. He has one season remaining on his contract with Chicago at $6 million.

Quenneville has a long relationship with Panthers general manager Dale Tallon, winning the Stanley Cup together with the Blackhawks in 2010. Tallon joined the Panthers' front office that same year, while Quenneville went on to win two more championships in Chicago.

In a statement, Tallon said the Panthers want a "transformative, experienced head coach with Stanley Cup pedigree," to right the ship in Florida.

Quenneville is by far the most experienced coach available on the open market with 22 years behind an NHL bench. He also ranks second all-time with 890 wins.

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The Florida Panthers fired Bob Boughner on Sunday after two seasons as the club's head coach, the team announced.

"We made a tough decision today and have relieved Bob Boughner of his duties as head coach," president of hockey operations and general manager Dale Tallon said in a statement. "We didn't meet expectations this season and share responsibility for that fact. After careful evaluation, we have determined that this is a necessary first step for our young team and we will seek to identify a transformative, experienced head coach with Stanley Cup pedigree to lead our team going forward. We're grateful to Bob, Paul, and their families for their hard work and their dedication to the Panthers organization and we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors."

The Panthers registered 86 points this season and missed the playoffs for the third straight year. They did receive strong performances, however, from Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, who each eclipsed 90 points.

Florida's struggles came between the pipes, as it ranked 28th in the league with 273 goals against.

In March, Tallon said the club plans to be aggressive in free agency, which can be made possible with the over $17 million in projected cap space it has next season, according to Cap Friendly.

The next Panthers head coach will be the franchise's sixth since 2013. Anaheim, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Philadelphia, and St. Louis also have vacancies behind the bench.

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The schedule for the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs was announced Sunday. Below are the dates and start times of all eight matchups, which get started Wednesday, April 10.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Tampa Bay Lightning (A1) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (WC2)

Boston Bruins (A2) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (A3)

Metropolitan Division

Washington Capitals (M1) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (WC1)

New York Islanders (M2) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (M3)

Western Conference

Pacific Division

Calgary Flames (P1) vs. Colorado Avalanche (WC2)

San Jose Sharks (P2) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (P3)

Central Division

Nashville Predators (C1) vs. Dallas Stars (WC1)

Winnipeg Jets (C2) vs. St. Louis Blues (C3)

*If necessary
TBD: To be determined

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