Stars acquire forward Mark McNeill for Johnny Oduya

The Dallas Stats acquired forward Mark McNeill and a conditional fourth-round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Johnny Oduya on Tuesday. If Chicago should advance to third round of the playoffs this season, and Oduya plays in 50% or more in first two rounds, then the selection turns into Chicago's third-round pick in 2018. Additionally, Dallas retains 50% on Oduya's contract.

McNeill, 24, has posted 28 points (6-22=28) in 58 games played for Rockford of the American Hockey League (AHL). In 273 career regular season AHL contests, all with Rockford, he has amassed 157 points (72-85=157). He appeared in one career NHL contest with Chicago in 2015-16 collecting three hits. He will report to Texas, Dallas' top development affiliate in the AHL.

The 6-foot-2, 214-pound native of Langley, British Columbia was originally selected by Chicago in the first round (18th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Oduya, 35, has posted seven points (1-6=7) in 37 regular season games this season. Since joining Dallas in 2015-16, he has appeared in 119 regular season games for the team and recorded 28 points (5-23=28).

The 6-foot, 195-pound native of Stockholm, Sweden was signed as a free agent by Dallas on July 15, 2015.

Wild-Blackhawks March 12 game start time changed

The starting time of the Minnesota Wild at the Chicago Blackhawks on March 12 at United Center has been changed to 11:30 a.m. CT.

The game was originally supposed to start at 6 p.m. CT.

Sharks aim to maintain hold over Maple Leafs

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The San Jose Sharks have struggled at home in recent weeks. Those woes could end at the expense of their next opponent.

San Jose looks to continue its dominance over the Toronto Maple Leafs when the teams meet on Tuesday night at SAP Center.

The Sharks will be looking for their ninth win in a row over the Maple Leafs and 13th in the last 14 encounters dating back to Dec. 3, 2005. For the first time over that span, San Jose needed to play past overtime to get its latest win in the series as Logan Couture scored the lone shootout goal to lift the Sharks to a 3-2 victory on Dec. 16.

After winning eight of nine between Jan. 16 and Feb. 2, San Jose has gone 3-1-5 including three straight losses at home, all after regulation. It’s the Sharks’ longest skid at SAP Center since a four-game slide from Dec. 1-Dec. 28, 2015.

Despite their recent shortcomings on home ice, San Jose begins play atop the Pacific Division, five points in front of the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers with two games in hand over both clubs.

San Jose (36-18-7) returned from its bye week with a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

“It’s two big points for us in the division race and we have to keep getting points,” said Mikkel Boedker, who was one of four goal-scorers for the Sharks.

Brent Burns had an assist to give him five goals and three assists in a five-game point streak. Joe Thornton failed to record an assist for a second straight game and remains two helpers shy of becoming the 13th player in NHL history with 1,000.

There’s a good chance he could reach the milestone in this contest — in his last six home games versus the Maple Leafs, “Jumbo Joe” has five multi-point games while racking up 13 points (goal, 12 assists).

Toronto (28-20-13), which holds the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, begins a three-game swing through the Golden State hoping to avoid its third straight loss. Rookie star Auston Matthews knows the team faces a daunting task.

“Those are three pretty tough teams,” Matthews told the Toronto Star. “We’ve played all three and we haven’t beaten those California teams. Those are tough buildings to go into. They are tough, physical teams. A good test for us.”

Matthews scored both goals for Toronto in its 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. That gives the top overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft 30 goals with 17 coming on the road.

Matthews had a goal and an assist in the Maple Leafs’ loss to the Sharks in December. He needs five goals to surpass Wendel Clark for the most by a Toronto rookie.

The Maple Leafs also bolstered their defense on Monday by picking up veteran Brian Boyle from the Tampa Bay Lightning for minor leaguer Byron Froese and a second-round in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Boyle, who has 13 goals in 54 games, is expected to make his Maple Leafs’ debut Tuesday. He is looking forward to playing for one of the league’s improving teams.

“The potential and the opportunity is there, and I think the skill level is for sure there,” Boyle told the league’s official website. “Post-trade deadline last year when they started playing some of those younger guys, they were a tough team to play against then and then obviously this year as well, they’re just going to keep getting better and better with the coaching staff they have there.”

Toronto defenseman Jake Gardiner has two goals and five assists in a four-game point streak. He drew an assist against the Sharks earlier this season.

Canucks vie to get healthy against Red Wings

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia — First, the Vancouver Canucks had to contend with the mumps.

Now, they still have to deal with the virus — and potential negative effects of Alex Burrows’ trade Monday to the Ottawa Senators for Swedish prospect Jonathan Dahlen, 19.

Burrows had spent his entire career with the Canucks since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2005 following a rise up the minor leagues. He played prominent offensive, defensive and special teams roles.

Dahlen, who starred at the world junior tournament, has not signed an NHL contract and is not expected to join the Canucks before next season.

“(Burrows) is the type of guy that he showed up at the rink every day with a good attitude and put his work boots on and went to work,” Canucks general manager Jim Benning said. “So we’re gonna miss his leadership in the (dressing) room. We’re gonna have to have other guys step up.”

The first opportunity comes Tuesday as Vancouver (26-29-6) hosts the Detroit Red Wings (24-26-10) at Rogers Arena. But at least the hard-luck Canucks made some headway in their effort to bump the mumps.

Defenseman Chris Tanev took part in practice and is slated to return to action Tuesday. Tanev was quarantined after showing symptoms of the mumps virus, which has spread through the Canucks’ dressing room.

“I was in San Diego visiting my girlfriend,” he recalled after taking part in Monday’s practice. “I originally thought I broke my jaw or something. It started getting worse, especially as you swallow, two days later. So I went to the hospital. Once (I) realized it was potential mumps, I was just in my hotel room ordering room service.”

Officially, according to a news release, Tanev was in quarantine. He was prohibited from traveling back to Vancouver until Saturday.

He was the first of five Vancouver players to show symptoms during the team’s five-day break last week. Since then, defenseman Ben Hutton has also displayed signs of the virus, along with injured winger Anton Rodin (knee) and a club trainer. Hutton has been quarantined and will not play against the Red Wings.

“I’ve had (an immunization) shot before college and two years ago (when all NHL players were inoculated),” Tanev said. “It’s 90-percent effective. For most people, it worked. I just got unlucky.”

Rookie Canucks rearguard Troy Stecher, who had the only confirmed case of the mumps, is also expected to return after missing Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks.

Tanev and Stecher will slightly strengthen the Canucks’ lineup after they used a makeshift crew against San Jose. However, the Canucks are still weakened by the absence of several players due to the mumps and injuries.

But Stecher said the Canucks, who have lost nine of their past 12 games with all of the setbacks coming in regulation time, have no excuses.

“You just face adversity,” he said. “Every team has to go through adversity at some point in the season. Obviously, for us right now, it’s not that good a time to go through it. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. We’re nine points out right now. Our goal is still to make the playoffs.”

Defenseman Nikita Tryamkin and Mike Chaput and Markus Granlund, the team’s second-leading goal scorer, are slated to miss the game due to their ongoing mumps symptoms. The Canucks will also be without backup goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who is out day-to-day with an unspecified lower-body injury suffered in practice.

But in some other good news, defenseman Luca Sbisa is healthy enough to play after missing the third period against San Jose due to illness. A doctor told Sbisa that he did not have the mumps and he was feeling much better.

In addition to health woes, the Canucks are also grappling uncertainty as the NHL’s Wednesday trade deadline approaches. Meanwhile, wingers Jannik Hansen and goaltender Ryan Miller could play their final game in a Canucks’ uniform Tuesday — if they don’t get traded first. Hansen and Miller have given Benning lists of teams to which they would accept a trade.

“We’ve had some calls on (Miller),” Benning said. “We’ll see here (by Wednesday) where he ends up. But (with Los Angeles, one of his preferred teams) getting Ben Bishop, I don’t know how many other teams need good starting goalies.”

Meanwhile, the Red Wings were also grappling with trade speculation surrounding multiple players. The players considered most likely to move — defensemen Brendan Smith and Mike Green, and forwards Thomas Vanek, Steve Ott, and Riley Sheahan — all practiced Monday before the Wings flew to Vancouver.

Smith, who is an expiring contract, was hoping to stay with Detroit.

“I’ve always been happy here,” he told The Detroit Free Press.

With some defensemen potentially moving, the Red Wings signed rearguard Nick Jensen to a two-year contract extension Monday. In addition, the Red Wings recalled winger Drew Miller, the younger brother of Vancouver’s Ryan Miller, and netminder Jared Coreau from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League. Coreau was sent down to get action during Detroit’s five-day break. He has been seeing backup duty primarily while filling in for injured veteran Jimmy Howard (knee).

Winger Gustav Nyquist will serve the fifth of a six-game suspension for a highsticking infraction.

The Red Wings are 4-5-1 in their past 10 games and in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 26 seasons.

But Canucks coach Willie Desjardins does not expect potential distractions to throw the Wings off their game.

“They’re gonna be hungry,” he said.

Flames on a roll going into start of homestand vs. Kings

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CALGARY, Alberta — Johnny Gaudreau is heating up at the right time for the Calgary Flames.

The 23-year-old left winger had two goals and an assist on Sunday as the Flames skated to a 3-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

“It was a nice road trip and hopefully we can keep this thing going because I know how important this last month and a half is here,” Gaudreau told reporters after Sunday’s win, which was Calgary’s fourth straight on the road. “I think we can step up pretty big like we did on this road trip here and help our team get in the playoffs.”

The Flames (33-26-4) will kick off a four-game homestand on Tuesday at the Scotiabank Saddledome when they face the Los Angeles Kings (30-27-5), who lost 5-4 in overtime on the road to the Minnesota Wild on Monday.

Playing on a line with center Sean Monahan and right winger Micheal Ferland, Gaudreau has six assists to go with two goals in his past four games.

“I know I’ve been struggling trying to find the net throughout the season here,” said Gaudreau, who was named the NHL’s third start of the week on Monday. “I felt like I played a little bit more my game throughout the road trip, played it simple, just made smart little plays. I’ve got some nice chemistry with Ferly and Mony there, too.”

Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan said Gaudreau has been doing a good job lately of generating quality scoring opportunities.

“He’s feeling very confident now, especially coming off that four-assist performance,” said Gulutzan, referring to Gaudreau’s offensive outburst that led Calgary to a 6-5 overtime win in Nashville over the Predators last Tuesday. “We need him. This is the time you need your big players coming down the stretch.”

The Kings will be looking to bounce back after Wild center Mikael Granlund scored 12 seconds into OT on Monday.

“We had a couple breakdowns and Quickie had some huge saves for us,” said Kings center Nick Shore, referring to goalie Jonathan Quick’s 30-save performance. “We’re just going to have to get after it tomorrow.”

Tuesday’s game will be the second of five matchups between the Flames and Kings this season. The last time they met was Nov. 5 at Staples Center in L.A. when goalie Peter Budaj made 24 saves to backstop the Kings to a 5-0 win.

Budaj was subsequently traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday in a deal that brought back fellow netminder Ben Bishop to the Kings.

Quick made his second straight start for the Kings on Monday after returning to the lineup following a lengthy absence due to a groin injury.

“It’s a tough turnaround for him after an emotional first game for him,” L.A. coach Darryl Sutter told reporters while hinting that Bishop could get his first start for the Kings against the Flames. “Hey, we’ve got to make sure that guy who’s played two in a row is getting his proper rest and taking care of his body.”

Currently on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, the Kings will also face the Flames in Calgary on March 19 and 29 before the teams wrap up their season series on April 6 in L.A. at Staples Center.

Rising Penguins visit struggling Stars

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DALLAS — Two teams on divergent ends of the NHL playoff spectrum, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Dallas Stars, meet Tuesday night at American Airlines Center.

Pittsburgh (38-14-8) sits second in the Metropolitan Division and in great playoff position, but Penguins coach Mike Sullivan would like to see the reigning Stanley Cup champions raise their level of play even further.

“We all have to elevate our games,” Sullivan said after practice on Monday. “I think our coaches have to continue to strive to be better, to prepare this team the right way. I think everybody has to take ownership for what they bring to the table to help this team be successful. When we do that, I think we’re a very good team that can play against anybody.”

The Penguins, who are 13-10-5 on the road and 12-4-5 against the Western Conference, including a 5-4-1 mark against the Central Division, defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 on Saturday in an outdoor game at Heinz Field.

Pittsburgh has already defeated Dallas once this season, 6-2 at home back on Dec. 1.

And with the NHL trade deadline coming Wednesday, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby knows the possibility that a member of the team could be traded doesn’t alter their primary focus.

“Yeah, I think that there’s always a little more tension that time of year. I think the biggest thing is you just need to worry about your game and the way you need to play as a group,” Crosby said. “Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but we all have to do that.”

But it’s not as if focus has been an issue for the Penguins this season, especially recently. Pittsburgh is 6-1-3 over its past 10 games and currently riding a two-game winning streak.

Dallas (24-28-10) saw its minuscule playoff hopes grow a bit thinner after a 6-3 home loss to the Boston Bruins on Sunday afternoon, putting the Stars’ record against the Eastern Conference at 7-11-4.

The Stars are 17-10-6 in their building but are only 3-7-0 in their past 10 contests overall.

Fourth-year coach Lindy Ruff knows the reigning champions present another huge challenge for his club.

“Yeah, I think it’s an opportunity for our group to accomplish a lot of stuff inside a game because we felt we were right there with them last year — same type of team, a lot of speed, create a lot of chances,” Ruff said after practice on Monday. “We know we’re going to get chances. We’re going to play against some players that can make some special plays.”

Dallas backup goaltender Antti Niemi skated late after practice Monday with goaltending coach Jeff Reese, so it appears Niemi is line to get his first start in exactly two weeks Tuesday.

Niemi’s last start came Feb. 14 at Winnipeg. Kari Lehtonen started the next four games for Dallas.

Ruff feels the time is right to get Niemi back between the pipes.

“Yeah, I think the last couple of practices I’ve really liked. It seems like he’s got himself in a better place,” Ruff said of Niemi. “The goal is to get him back in there, get him playing again. I think he got a little bit out of sync, and all we’re trying to do is get him back in a better place.”

Tuesday also could mark the NHL debut for Dallas rookie forward Remi Elie, who was recalled from AHL Texas on Sunday morning.

Elie, 21, was a second-round pick (40th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft. He had 17 assists and 25 points in 49 AHL games at the time of his promotion.

“He’s skating well, heavy on the puck, hard to play against,” Ruff said of Elie. “He gets to the net with his speed a lot of times. I think he fits the way that we play.”

Ruff also offered an update on injured forward Ales Hemsky, who has yet to play this season due to hip surgery.

“Yeah, he’s getting closer. There’s a good chance we could see him in the next couple games, not (Tuesday), but after that I think we’d take a chance of trying to get him up and running,” Ruff said. “I don’t think it’s going to be easy for him to have that much time off, but he’s at a place now where I think he’s going to be cleared to play.”

Tuesday’s game could be the last in a Dallas uniform for several players: forwards Lauri Korpikoski and Patrick Sharp plus defenseman Johnny Oduya, all of whom could be dealt prior to Wednesday’s trade deadline.

Ruff admits he doesn’t read any speculation about who might or might not be traded. Instead, he is focused on the task at hand of winning games.

“Veteran guys already know,” the coach said. “They’ve been here, they’ve been through it all before, and it’s usually veteran guys or unrestricted free agents that are involved in it, and they’ve been there and done that.”

After OT win, Wild face well-rested Jets

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WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Minnesota Wild came off their bye week Monday and needed awhile to get going. Despite falling behind four times, the Wild eventually earned a 5-4 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings.

The Winnipeg Jets hope the return from their bye produces similar results when the Wild visit the MTS Centre on Tuesday.

Whether due to a trip to the tropics, a loss of focus or falling slightly out of game shape, NHL teams have fared poorly this season after their league-mandated week off at various points in the season. (Teams are each given five consecutive days without a game or practice.)

Supposedly well-rested teams have a woeful 7-13-4 in their first games back, including the Wild’s wild win over the Kings. Minnesota never led until Mikael Granlund scored 12 seconds after the faceoff to start overtime.

The Jets won three games and lost twice in overtime in their last five contests before their break, collecting eight points. But while they were idle, the teams ahead of them — notably the Calgary Flames, who are riding a four-game winning streak — pushed Winnipeg further away from a playoff spot.

Jets coach Paul Maurice is optimistic his squad will be able to avoid the post-bye-week pitfalls of most other teams this season.

“The challenges — and you look at the teams that have suffered through this — isn’t that the sharpness isn’t there or the hands aren’t there,” he said following practice on Monday. “That’s not the issue. It’s getting back to the compete — and that’s been our strength. Getting back to that, that level of competition that made us strong. That’s the big challenge for all of these teams coming out.”

While defenseman Jacob Trouba will serve the second game of a two-game suspension for an illegal hit on the Ottawa Senators’ Mark Stone, the Jets could welcome back fellow rearguard Toby Enstrom. The Swede sustained a lower-body injury on Feb. 11 that required surgery a few days later. He has missed five games while recovering.

The Wild will come to town with some new recruits, as general manager Chuck Fletcher was in the office last week. He acquired centers Martin Hanzal and Ryan White from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a several draft picks, including the team’s first round selection this June. White finished with a goal and an assist Monday in his Minnesota debut.

“We’re just putting our chips in the middle of the table for this year,” Fletcher said. “We think our players deserve the best chance possible to compete (for the Stanley Cup). It’s not fun trading picks. I don’t take it lightly. You can’t do this all the time. No question we paid a price.”

It’s a good thing Fletcher made his moves as both right winger Jason Pominville and left winger Zach Parise have been diagnosed with the mumps. Both are sidelined through at least Friday as part of a five-day quarantine.

This is the second time Fletcher traded a first-round pick — he sent the Wild’s 2013 first-rounder to Buffalo as part of the deal for Pominville — but this year’s draft isn’t considered to be as strong as the last two years, which yielded players such as the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews and the Jets’ Patrik Laine.

Blues open post-Shattenkirk era against Oilers

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ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues will enter the post-Kevin Shattenkirk era when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

Shattenkirk was traded to Washington late Monday night. The Blues received a first-round pick in 2017 and a conditional second-round pick along with forwards Zach Sanford and Brad Malone for the offensively gifted defenseman and goalie Pheonix Copley.

Shattenkirk, 28, had 258 points in 424 games in St. Louis and ranks No. 4 among all NHL defensemen this season with 42 points in 60 games. It’s speculated that he can command a seven-year, $49 million contract on the open market, which made it impossible for the Blues to re-sign him under their salary cap.

Last week, multiple sources reported that this past offseason, the Blues had agreements to trade Shattenkirk to the Oilers or to an undisclosed Eastern Division team, but Shattenkirk vetoed the deals by refusing to sign a contract extension with either team.

The mystery team was widely believed to be Tampa Bay, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Both extensions were reportedly in the seven-year, $42 million range.

Sanford, 22, is 6-foot-4, 203 pounds and was a second-round pick in 2013. He has two goals and one assist in 26 games this season. The 27-year-old Malone has dressed in 52 games for the Capitals’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hershey Bears, this season, tallying 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists).

The Blues have lost their last three games, after starting 7-1 under new coach Mike Yeo.

Their last loss, in Chicago on Sunday, came off their mandatory bye. Teams coming off the bye are now 6-15-4.

“We were right there,” said Blues goalie Jake Allen, who made 38 saves in the 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks. “We fought our way back in the game and it’s a tough one to swallow again. We’ve got to find ways to get even a point out of these games right now. They’re so crucial.”

The Blues are fourth in the Central Division with 67 points through 61 games. St. Louis is just three points ahead of Los Angeles for the final playoff spot.

The Blues could also be without forward Ryan Reaves, who hurt his foot blocking a shot on Sunday. Reaves did not participate during Monday’s practice.

“‘Reavo’ was just getting his foot looked at,” Yeo told the Post-Dispatch. “He blocked a shot last night. I haven’t got word yet on how he’s going to be. He’s getting an X-ray we’ll find out shortly on how he is.”

The Oilers enter the contest losers of their last two games, but are still tied with Anaheim for second in the Pacific Division with 74 points. Both teams have played 63 games, but the Ducks are idle until March 3.

In Sunday’s 5-4 loss at Nashville, the Oilers gave up three power-play goals and lost 43 of 66 faceoffs. Edmonton is the worst faceoff team in the league.

“When you’re in the 30th place in the league in the faceoff circle and there are 60 to 70 of them a night, you’re at a disadvantage,” Oilers coach Todd McLellan said. “We beat that to death.”

Goalie Cam Talbot is expected to start his 57th game, a career high for a season. He has a 31-18 record with a 2.40 goals against average, including a 2-0 mark with a 1.47 GAA against St. Louis this season.

Last-place Hurricanes visit inconsistent Panthers

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SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers continue to make very little sense.

They won the 2016 Atlantic Division title — against long odds — and then proceeded to change just about everything, from their uniforms to many of their players before finally firing coach Gerard Gallant.

Then, earlier this month, they finally seemed to have turned a corner, producing the first 5-0-0 road trip in franchise history … only to lose on Sunday night, marking four consecutive home defeats.

Worse yet, their starting goalie, Roberto Luongo, has lost confidence. And interim coach Tom Rowe apparently has lost confidence in Luongo as well, starting him just twice in the past six games.

Perhaps Luongo will get the start on Tuesday night when the Panthers (28-23-10) play host to the Carolina Hurricanes, who are in last place in the Eastern Conference.

After all, Luongo, who turns 38 in April, is a star in this league with 452 career wins. He is three wins short of passing Curtis Joseph for fourth place in NHL history.

However, Luongo’s .913 save percentage this season is well below his career average of .920 and would be his worst since the 2012-13 season, when he was limited to 20 games. In seasons in which he has played at least 25 games, this year’s save percentage is tied for the worst of his career.

Luongo’s 2.73 goals-against average is also poor, by his standards at least. If that number holds up, it would be his worst GAA since the 2005-06 season.

“Right now, I don’t deserve to be playing — that’s the bottom line,” Luongo told The Miami Herald at Sunday’s morning skate. “It’s been a battle (to get his game right) for the last little while.

“I’m glad we have a guy like (backup James) Reimer who is able to step in and do the job.”

Reimer made 31 saves but took a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.

“For me, everything is about the team and us winning games,” said Luongo, who is 16-15-6 this season. “James Reimer gives us a better chance to win every night (right now).

“Until I figure my game out, this is the way it should go, I think.”

Reimer, who turns 29 next month, is 12-8-4 with a .919 save percentage and a 2.46 goals-against average, which are better than his career averages.

Luongo, who had labrum surgery after last season, hinted there might be an injury issue currently but simultaneously downplayed that as a factor in his struggles.

“I can’t talk about that right now,” Luongo said. “Things aren’t going the way I want.”

That’s the case for the rest of the Panthers, too. Reilly Smith, for example, missed an easy chance at what could have been a tying goal in Sunday’s loss to Ottawa.

“He fanned on it, so I think I got a lucky break there,” Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson said. “He didn’t get all of it, and I was able to track it because it was slow enough to where I could react.

“If he gets all of that — a slap shot at 90 miles per hour — you are not going to stop it unless it hits you.”

But as bad as things are right now for the Panthers, they are worse for the Hurricanes, who are 1-5-1 in their past seven games, falling even further out of contention.

The Hurricanes (25-25-8) squandered a five-game homestand that culminated in a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Sunday.

As a result, the Hurricanes figure to be sellers before Wednesday trade deadline and have already dumped veteran defenseman Ron Hainsey in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“We’ve made it easy for management (to dump players),” Carolina coach Bill Peters said Sunday night. “(Management) will be making more decisions — I’m sure they are busy as we speak.

“I don’t have much of a leg to stand on, to argue (for keeping players).”

Canadiens, Blue Jackets on rolls heading into matchup

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MONTREAL — For the first time in 51 days, the Montreal Canadiens have won consecutive games. Now they’ll look to go streaking.

After turning a 3-1 third-period deficit into a 4-3 overtime win against the New Jersey Devils on Monday, the Canadiens have a chance to add to their slim Atlantic Division lead when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.

Monday’s victory combined with an Ottawa Senators loss allowed Montreal to add a touch of distance between their nearest pursuant, with four points separating the two clubs.

While the Canadiens have struggled offensively, there has been one constant: Max Pacioretty. The Habs captain has 13 points in 12 games in February after scoring a pair of goals — including the tying tally — against New Jersey. His 31 goals trail only Sidney Crosby and his six multi-goal games are one back of Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand’s total.

“I told him that if you lead by example, you’re going to be respected by all your teammates and that’s the kind of leadership I could live with and appreciate,” coach Claude Julien said of Pacioretty, who hit the 30-goal mark for the fourth straight season and the fifth time in his nine-year career. “That’s exactly what he’s doing. He’s leading by example and we need that from him. He’s done a great job.”

The Canadiens could use offense from others not named Pacioretty and perhaps might be seeing a turnaround from Alex Galchenyuk. The 23-year-old struggled in his return from a knee injury but has now scored in consecutive games for the first time since mid-November.

“I feel much better these last two games. I’ve found my rhythm,” he told reporters after the game.

The Columbus Blue Jackets arrive in Montreal appearing to have found their rhythm as well of late. While most teams have struggled coming out of the bye week, John Tortorella’s squad returned with a bang, following up a 7-0 pasting of the New York Islanders on Saturday with a 5-2 decision over the New York Rangers on Sunday.

“Coming off a break, and playing six periods like we have … you need to feel good about your team, and I do,” Tortorella told the Columbus Dispatch. “We talked a lot about that five-day break, about wetting our pants, about ‘what are we gonna look like?’ We’ve probably played six of our best periods of the year.”

The Blue Jackets are hoping that translates into a three-game winning streak, something the club hasn’t experienced since its franchise record 16-game win streak. But the wins have been coming recently, with four in their last five games.

Fourteen different players recorded points in Columbus’ last two games and seven players scored at least once. That includes Cam Atkinson, who is one goal shy of hitting the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career and, with 53 points, is one shy of setting a personal best.

It’s the third and final regular-season meeting between the two teams and Columbus’ lone visit to Montreal. The Blue Jackets have won both games so far but will be facing Carey Price for the first time.

Sabres vie to get back on track vs. surging Predators

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BUFFALO, N.Y. — As the NHL season heads into its critical stretch, the Buffalo Sabres and Nashville Predators are heading in separate directions.

The two teams will face off on Tuesday in Buffalo.

After a strong start through the first three weeks of February, the Sabres came out of their bye with a disastrous set of back-to-back games over the weekend that may have permanently derailed any hopes of a late playoff push.

On Saturday, the Sabres (26-26-10) sustained a 5-3 defeat to the worst team in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. One day later, they fell to the Arizona Coyotes — the second-worst team in the NHL in points — after surrendering the winning goal with 18.9 seconds remaining. The losses put Buffalo seven points behind the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Sabres were especially frustrated after the loss to Arizona.

“We just didn’t do enough to win the game,” Sabres center Jack Eichel said, according to the team’s website. “It’s frustrating. These are the ones that we need to have and we’re just slowly (taking) our chances away. It’s frustrating for all of us. I don’t know what it is, but we sit back, let them take the puck to us. We don’t push for that next one. We’re not forcing turnovers. We’re not getting in a forecheck.

“It seems like everyone just skates backwards. Every single guy is at fault here. As a group, we’ve been losing. We didn’t do enough to win the game.”

Eichel had a goal and an assist in the loss and continues to be a bright spot for the Sabres despite their recent turn of events. On the season, Eichel has 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 41 games.

All three of Arizona’s goals came in the third period against Buffalo.

“Regardless of the opponents, it can’t happen,” Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said after the loss to Arizona, according to the team’s website. “And we just got the feel where you have the two points in your back pocket and you let them slip away.”

The Predators (31-22-9), meanwhile, are in third place in the Central Division and appear to be well on their way to the postseason.

Nashville is riding a three-game win streak with recent victories over Colorado, Washington and Edmonton. The Predators have brought the offense as of late with 23 goals in their last five games; their only loss over that span was a 6-5 overtime loss to Calgary on Feb. 21.

Filip Forsberg was named the NHL’s First Star last week after an incredible showing of eight goals and two assists in four games. Forsberg had back-to-back hat tricks against Calgary and Colorado.

“I’ve been working on my shot as long as I can remember playing hockey,” Forsberg said, according to the team’s website. “I’ve always loved scoring goals and tried to do it in different ways.”

Forsberg (46 points — 24 goals, 22 assists) is second on his team in scoring, behind only center Ryan Johansen (47 points — nine goals, 38 assists).

Sputtering Avalanche look to add to Flyers’ troubles

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When the Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche meet in the City of Brotherly Love on Tuesday night, it may be more interesting to see which players are not on the roster as the NHL’s trade deadline draws near.

Both teams enter the contest out of the playoff picture and are potential sellers ahead of Wednesday’s trade deadline. As of Monday night, neither team had made a major trade but rumors swirled around both.

The Avalanche (17-40-3, 37 points) own the NHL’s worst record and have lost eight of their last 10 games. As a result, two of their best forwards, Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene, have dealt with a barrage of trade rumors.

Each had a different take on a potential change of address.

“I want to win,” said Duchene, 26, who has two years and $12 million remaining in his deal with the Avalanche. “Whatever it takes for that to happen, that’s what I want. It’s out of my control. It’s hard, but it’s harder when you’re away from the rink. On days off, your mind wanders. When I’m at the rink with the guys, it’s easy to get immersed in that.”

Landeskog, 24, has four years and more than $22 million left on his contract. He said he’s gone out of his way to avoid reading websites and watching sports news.

“Hopefully, these next couple days go by quick,” he said. “All we can do is focus on Philly and prepare for that game. It’s easier said than done, but I don’t read much or watch much. For me, it’s more outside noise as far as rumors go.”

Colorado is coming off Saturday’s 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres, a game in which rookie goaltender Jeremy Smith made 34 saves for his first NHL victory. Calvin Pickard sat out that game with a stiff neck and Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Monday he had not yet decided on Tuesday night’s goaltender.

He also said he’s thankful this will be his team’s final game before Wednesday’s trade deadline.

“When you approach a deadline the last couple days, there’s a little bit of nervous energy and anxiety, that’s for certain,” he said. “We’ve been dealing with the rumors for quite some time and that’s all they are. I think the guys have done a good job handling the outside noise that has come our way.”

The Flyers (28-26-7, 63 points) have lost four of their last five and have fallen six points out of a playoff spot. They were outscored 8-3 in consecutive losses to division rivals Washington and Pittsburgh.

“I do believe we’ve played some good hockey games, but it’s having that one goal to give us the lead or to tie up the game, I think that’s what we’re missing,” Flyers captain Claude Giroux said Monday. “You look at our results and you think that we’re a bad team and we’re not going in the right direction, but I strongly believe we are going in the right direction. We’ve got to keep pushing, keep playing as a team, and stick together. I think that’s the most important thing.”

Goaltender Steve Mason, who has watched Michal Neuvirth start the past seven games, will get the call for Philadelphia. Both goalies are in the final year of their contracts with the Flyers, as are defensemen Mark Streit, Michael Del Zotto and Nick Schultz.

“It’s not a position we’re proud to be in, but that’s the reality right now,” Mason said. “We understand what type of play is needed in order to get back into the playoff picture.”

The Flyers will be without defenseman Brandon Manning, who was suspended two games by the NHL for interfering with Penguins rookie Jake Guentzel on Saturday night. Del Zotto is expected to take his place in the lineup.

Red-hot Bruins aim to continue dominance vs. Coyotes

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BOSTON — The Boston Bruins, off to a torrid start under interim coach Bruce Cassidy, come off a four-game trip with the first of three home contests in five nights when the Arizona Coyotes visit on Tuesday night.

The Coyotes, who have the second-worst record in the league, haven’t won in Boston since March 5, 2009 and haven’t beaten the Bruins since the teams opened the 2010 season with a split of two games in the Czech Republic.

Arizona has been more competitive lately, winning six of its last 11 games — including Sunday night’s victory at Buffalo in the opener of a three-game road trip. On Tuesday, the Coyotes run into a Bruins’ team that won three of four on a western trip and six of seven under Cassidy — by a combined 31-14.

“I think we showed a lot of character during that road trip,” Patrice Bergeron said after Sunday’s 6-3 win at Dallas. “It’s not an easy trip. We’re playing some big, heavy teams and a fast team with a lot of skill today. It wasn’t easy by any means and I thought we battled through it.

“Losing that game in Anaheim, then right back and bouncing back against L.A. with a big win there. This afternoon, it’s an early game, it’s a different kind of routine for everyone and we all showed up and had a good game.”

Sunday’s game actually started at 11:30 a.m. CT and the Bruins came out strong. They rebounded after squandering a 2-0 lead and rode Bergeron and linemate Brad Marchand to the victory.

“I’ve said it since I got here, those guys have some special chemistry in how they support each other and know where each other are,” linemate David Backes said. “They’re still communicating out there, where each other are, the way they find each other and work together, it’s really special.

“We’re clicking right now. Not just our line, plenty of guys are contributing to wins, not just all on the scoresheet, doing the little things. It’s winning hockey and we need to keep this going.”

Bergeron, Marchand and David Krejci, Boston’s three most important offensive players, have all flourished under Cassidy, who took over for Claude Julien. Bergeron and Marchand have nine points apiece and Krejci eight under Cassidy’s watch.

The Coyotes dealt Martin Hanzal and Ryan White to the Minnesota Wild (for three draft picks and a prospect) and captain Shane Doan, who has turned down deals to stay with this franchise, wasn’t happy.

“It’s really hard, obviously, he’s a huge part of our team and someone you get to play with for 10 years,” Doan said. “You appreciate and understand how valuable … you can’t really replace him, and … the fact that we just continue to seem to go–I don’t know, it’s hard to understand how exactly–I mean, you understand people’s hands are tied. Just don’t get it.”

By moving Hanzal, the team may have opened the door for Doan to finally accept a trade. But he is 40 so the interest might not be there from another team.

The Coyotes made another trade with the Wild on Monday, acquiring Teemu Pulkkinen for future considerations. He said he would join the team in Boston.

The Bruins have beaten the Coyotes nine straight times and hope to continue the home success they started with three consecutive wins that started the Cassidy era behind the bench.

They host the New York Rangers Thursday night and the New Jersey Devils two days later.

“When you come out here (on the road), you always want to win every game,” Cassidy said. “Guys should be proud of themselves. I think we learned a little bit in Anaheim, the one that did get away, but we corrected that the other night in L.A. and I thought tonight again we had a good start and it kind of set the tempo for us.”

Shattenkirk might debut for Caps vs. Rangers

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NEW YORK — Already in possession of the NHL’s best record, the Washington Capitals might have an even stronger lineup when they take the ice Tuesday against the New York Rangers.

The Capitals swung a deal Monday night to acquire defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk from the St. Louis Blues. According to TSN, Shattenkirk is expected to make his Washington debut Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

Shattenkirk and goalie Pheonix Copley joined the Capitals in exchange for a 2017 first-round pick, a conditional second-round pick and forwards Zach Sanford and Brad Malone.

“We are excited to welcome Kevin to our organization,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said in a statement. “We felt it was important to acquire another defenseman to strengthen and add depth to our blue line. Kevin is a skilled, puck-moving defenseman who we think will help our team at even strength and on the power play.”

Shattenkirk’s arrival could help the Capitals thwart the Rangers’ hopes of catching up in the Metropolitan Division standings.

The Rangers (40-20-2) have played one more game and have seven fewer points than the Capitals (41-13-7), who lost 2-1 in regulation at MSG on Feb. 19. The Capitals have won two of three since that setback, while the Rangers have split their four contests, practically negating any forward progress.

Playing their fifth game in eight days, the Rangers were thoroughly handled the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday afternoon 5-1 at MSG.

Are the Rangers getting fatigued?

“I’m not sure, but it certainly can’t be an excuse,” New York center Derek Stepan said. “We have played three straight overtime games. I don’t know if that’s the case, but whatever it may be, we just weren’t the best team tonight. The better team won.”

The Rangers had won six straight before this current 3-2-1 stretch. They beat the New Jersey Devils in overtime on Saturday, although they got off to a slow start in that game. They fell behind 1-0 early against Columbus, a trend that disappeared during the winning streak but it appears to be back.

“We talked about trying to have a good start here, didn’t have one against Jersey and didn’t have another one here tonight,” Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh said. “That is disappointing for sure, but I don’t think anyone should be happy with their game tonight. We’ve had a lot of hockey here, but that’s everybody. We’ve had a good stretch here where things have been going our way, we’ve been finding ways to win, but you’ve got to come ready to play and come ready to put in a 60-minute effort here, and we didn’t do that.”

The Capitals won six in a row heading into their bye but have lost three of five since returning, including a 5-2 road loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday night. One positive for the Capitals: In their loss to the Rangers last week, they were playing the second half of a back-to-back on the road, while this time they will have an extra day of rest before skating at MSG.

If rust isn’t the issue, it could be injuries. Defensemen Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik and right winger T.J. Oshie have not played the past two games, although all three skated Monday in preparation for the Rangers. Niskanen appears to have the best chance of playing, though coach Barry Trotz said he wouldn’t know until Tuesday who would be in his lineup.

Or maybe the downtown has to do with the recent slump of Alex Ovechkin, who was held without a shot in two of the Capitals’ past six games, both losses. He had a shot and a goal taken away against the Predators after a video review showed he was offside, but Trotz isn’t worried about his captain’s production even if it is down now.

“Obviously, he’s a shooter; he’s got to get pucks to the net,” Trotz said. “He’s a little off, a little bit off. Players will go through that. Ovi’s pretty streaky if you look in his past. It wouldn’t surprise me if he got 10 goals in the next five games. It’s how he operates. Sometimes, he’ll go a little bit flat there, so he’s just going through a little bit of a dry spell, I think.”

Blackhawks sign Michal Rozsival, Jordin Tootoo

The Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday signed defenseman Michal Rozsival and forward Jordin Tootoo to one-year contracts that run through the 2017-18 season.

Financial terms were not disclosed. Each could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Rozsival, 38, signed a one-year contract with the Blackhawks on June 20, 2016. He has one goal and one assist in 51 games and 48 points (four goals, 44 assists) in 201 regular-season games with the Blackhawks. Rozsival has one goal and 10 assists in 54 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Blackhawks and was a member of Chicago's Stanley Cup-winning teams in 2013 and 2015.

In 957 NHL games, he has 308 points (68 goals, 240 assists) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes and Blackhawks.

Tootoo, 34, who also signed a one-year contract with Chicago on July 5, 2016, has no points and 21 penalty minutes in 36 games. In 790 NHL games with the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Blackhawks, he has 63 goals, 95 assists and 1,003 penalty minutes.

Rangers-Red Wings March 12 game start time changed

The starting time of the New York Rangers at the Detroit Red Wings March 12 at Joe Louis Arena has been changed to 7 p.m. ET.

The game was originally scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Rangers acquire D Brendan Smith from Detroit

The New York Rangers acquired defenseman Brendan Smith from the Detroit Red Wings for  tw draft picks on Tuesday.

Smith has recorded two goals and three assists in 33 games played in 2016-17.

The Rangers also announced that defenseman Dan Girardi will be sidelined with an ankle injury for 10 days to two weeks.

In a corresponding move to Girardi’s injury, the Rangers recalled Steven Kampfer from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

News & Notes: Nikita Kucherov helps Lightning continue hot streak

KUCHEROV POWERS LIGHTNING WITH RARE NATURAL HAT TRICK

Nikita Kucherov (3-1-4) scored three consecutive power-play goals in the second period for his second NHL hat trick to help the Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Ottawa Senators 5-1 and improve to 6-1-2 in their past nine games.

* Elias notes that Kucherov tallied the 10th natural hat trick in Lightning history and the first with all three goals scored via the power play. The last player from any team to score a natural hat trick with three power-play goals was Taylor Hall on Feb. 19, 2011 vs. ATL (w/ EDM).

* Kucherov, who matched a Lightning record for power-play goals in a game, paces the Lightning with 26-32-58 this season (54 GP) including nine points (five goals, four assists) in his past three games.

MONDAY'S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps

Montreal 4, NEW JERSEY 3 (OT)
TAMPA BAY 5, Ottawa 1
MINNESOTA 5, Los Angeles 4 (OT)

WILD RALLY TO CONCLUDE EIGHT-GAME HOMESTAND WITH WIN

The Minnesota Wild scored four tying goals -- including from newcomer Ryan White (1-1-2) -- and Mikael Granlund scored the winner 12 seconds into overtime to help them end their season-high eight-game homestand at 5-2-1.

* Elias notes that Minnesota overcame four separate one-goal deficits to win for the third time in its history. The other instances each were 5-4 shootout victories against the St. Louis Blues (April 4, 2006 and Feb. 11, 2011).

* Elias adds that the Wild (40-14-6, 86 points), who earned their 40th win in their 60th game, required the fewest games to reach the 40-win mark in their 17-year history, breaking the previous mark of 71 games set in 2006-07.

PACIORETTY ECLIPSES 30-GOAL MARK IN COMEBACK WIN
The Montreal Canadiens faced a pair of two-goal deficits before Max Pacioretty (2-0-2) tied the game with 51.8 seconds remaining in the third period to set the stage for Alex Galchenyuk's overtime winner. Montreal regained a four-point lead atop the Atlantic Division.

* Pacioretty scored his 30th and 31st goals of the season to move into second in the League (behind Sidney Crosby: 34) and reach the 30-goal mark for the fifth time in nine NHL seasons. Elias notes that Pacioretty became the fifth player in Canadiens history to have at least four consecutive 30-goal seasons and the first to do so since the 1980s.

* Alexander Radulov (1-3-4) had the first four-point game of his NHL career and Shea Weber had two assists. Radulov (15-31-46) and Weber (14-22-36) are second and third, respectively, in Canadiens scoring behind Pacioretty (31-24-55).

LOOSE PUCKS

Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk (26 saves) earned his League-leading 33rd win (33-11-3 in 47 GP) to eclipse his NHL career high of 32 from 2015-16 (32-26-6 in 67 GP) . . . New Jersey Devils forward Travis Zajac (1-1-2) extended his point streak to five games (3-5-8) . . . Forwards Filip Forsberg (NSH), Jonathan Toews (CHI) and Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) were named the NHL's "Three Stars" for the week ending Feb. 26 . . . Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning has been suspended for two games for interference against Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel . . . The Devils and Wild each hosted special events as part of Hockey Is For Everyone month . . . Renowned Canadian artist Tony Harris unveiled portraits of legends Johnny Bower and Frank Mahovlich as part of the NHL Centennial Celebration.

TRADE ACTIVITY HEATS UP WITH DEADLINE APPROACHING

After a pair of high-profile deals Sunday, the trade market continued to heat up as the hours count down to the NHL Trade Deadline on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET:

* The Washington Capitals acquired defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and goaltender Pheonix Copley from the Blues for forwards Zach Sanford and Brad Malone, and a first-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and a conditional pick(s).

* The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired forward Brian Boyle from the Lightning for forward Byron Froese and a conditional second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.

* The Ottawa Senators acquired forward Alexandre Burrows from the Canucks for forward prospect Jonathan Dahlen.

* The Canadiens acquired defenseman Jordie Benn from the Dallas Stars for defenseman Greg Pateryn and a fourth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.

* The Arizona Coyotes acquired forward Teemu Pulkkinen from the Wild for future considerations.

SNEAK PEEK AT TUESDAY'S ACTION

All Times Eastern

Washington @ NY Rangers, 7 p.m., SN1, SNO, SNP, TVA Sports, MSG, CSN-DC+
Nashville @ Buffalo, 7 p.m., MSG-B, FS-TN
Colorado @ Philadelphia, 7 p.m., NBCSN, CSN-PH
Arizona @ Boston, 7 p.m., NESN, FS-A PLUS
Carolina @ Florida, 7:30 p.m., FS-F, FS-CR
Columbus @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m., SNE, RDS, FS-O
Edmonton @ St. Louis, 8 p.m., FS-MW, SNW
Minnesota @ Winnipeg, 8 p.m., TSN3, FS-N
Pittsburgh @ Dallas, 8:30 p.m., FS-SW, ROOT
Los Angeles @ Calgary, 9 p.m., SN1 , FS-W
Detroit @ Vancouver, 10 p.m., SNP, FS-D
Toronto @ San Jose, 10:30 p.m., CSN-CA, SNO

SCORING, PLAYOFF RACES WIDE OPEN AS FINAL QUARTER BEGIN

The 2016-17 NHL season enters its final quarter during a 12-game slate tonight. A look at the wide-open scoring and Stanley Cup Playoff races through 920 of 1,230 games (74.8%):

* The race for the Art Ross Trophy is wide open, with Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (21-50-71 in 63 GP) leading a group of nine players separated by 10 points. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who has played in 54 games this season, is with 67 points (34 goals, 33 assists) followed closely by Sharks defenseman Brent Burns (27-38-65 in 61 GP) -- who is 11 points shy of breaking his own single-season franchise record for points by a defenseman -- and Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane (24-41-65 in 62 GP), last season's scoring leader.

* A group of five 30-goal scorers are frontrunners for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, with Crosby leading the way at 34 goals. Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty is second with 31, and a three-way tie for third place is shared by Los Angeles Kings forward Jeff Carter (61 GP) along with rookies Patrik Laine (55 GP) and Auston Matthews (61 GP). Laine and Matthews are the first pair of top-two picks from an NHL Draft to each score 30 goals the following season.

* Laine and Matthews also share the rookie scoring lead with 54 points apiece while they vie for the Calder Trophy. Laine has already set a Jets/Thrashers franchise record for goals by a rookie and has the second-most points by a rookie in franchise history behind Dany Heatley (26-41-67 in 2001-02; 82 GP). Matthews, meanwhile, needs five goals to break Wendel Clark's single-season record for goals by a Maple Leafs rookie and 13 points to become the highest-scoring rookie in Leafs history.

* First place in each of the League's four divisions is within reach for a number of teams, with no division leader owning more than a five-point lead on the next-closest team:

Atlantic Division

The Canadiens (34-21-8, 76 points) hold a four-point lead on the Senators (33-22-6, 72 points), with two other teams within seven points of the top spot.

Metropolitan Division

The reigning Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals (41-13-7, 89 points) own a five-point lead for the first spot in their division, with teams Nos. 2-4 separated by two points.

Central Division

The Wild (40-14-6, 86 points) and Chicago Blackhawks (39-18-5, 83 points) are separated by three points in the race for first place.

Pacific Division
The San Jose Sharks (36-18-7, 79 points) hold a five-point lead on the Anaheim Ducks (32-21-10, 74 points) and Oilers (33-22-8, 74 points), who share second place, four points ahead of the Calgary Flames (33-26-4, 70 points).

* The wild card race in each conference is equally close: in the Eastern Conference, one point separates the owner of the second spot and the first team outside the playoff picture; in the Western Conference, two points separate the first non-playoff team from the team holding the final position.

- NHL Public Relations

Kucherov. Galchenyuk, Granlund named our 'Three Stars of the Night'

NEW YORK -- UNB! Network NHL/hockey blog 'The Neutral Zone' has named Nikita Kucherov, Alex Galchenyuk, and Mikael Granlund as their 'Theee Stars of the Night' for the National Hockey League games taking place on February 27, 2017.

FIRST STAR - NIKITA KUCHEROV, F, TAMPA NAY LIGHTNING

Kucherov scored three consecutive power-play goals in the second period to register the first natural hat trick of his NHL career.

SECOND STAR - ALEX GALCHENYUK, F, MONTREAL CANADIENS

Galchenyuk scored at 2:54 of overtime to guide the Canadiens to their third straight road win.

THIRD STAR - MIKAEL GRANLUND, F, MINNESOTA WILD

Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Granlund (0:12) scored the fastest goal to begin an overtime period in Wild history.

NHL Capsules (February 28, 2017)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Mikael Granlund beat two defenders to find open ice and wrap the winning shot around goalie Jonathan Quick just 12 seconds into overtime, giving the Minnesota Wild a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.

Granlund’s 20th goal of the season gave goalie Devan Dubnyk his NHL-leading 33rd win and the Wild their 15th comeback victory. They answered all four goals in regulation by the Kings, from Nick Shore, Tanner Pearson, Jake Muzzin and Marian Gaborik.

Jason Zucker’s spinning wrist shot midway through the third period tied the game for the Wild, who also had goals from Nino Niederreiter, Jordan Schroeder and Ryan White in his debut. White and Martin Hanzal were acquired in a trade with Arizona the night before.

CANADIENS 4, DEVILS 3, OT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – Alex Galchenyuk scored on a power play at 2:54 of overtime and Montreal rallied from a two-goal third-period deficit to beat New Jersey.

Max Pacioretty scored twice in the final 11:23 of regulation to tie the game and Alexander Radulov added a goal for the Canadiens, who won consecutive games for the first time since early January. Al Montoya had 34 saves for Montreal.

Kyle Palmieri, John Moore and Travis Zajac scored for the Devils, who have lost four straight games (0-2-2), the past two in overtime. Cory Schneider made 29 saves.

LIGHTNING 5, SENATORS 1

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Nikita Kucherov scored three power-play goals in the second period and Tampa Bay kept its fading playoff hopes alive with a victory over Ottawa.

Kucherov had the second hat trick of his career and added an assist in the third period. Jonathan Drouin assisted all three of his goals and Victor Hedman assisted on two.

A day after trading goaltender Ben Bishop to Los Angeles and just hours after trading forward Brian Boyle to Toronto, the Lightning improved to 6-1-2 over their past nine games.

Capitals Acquire Shattenkirk, Copley from St. Louis

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Washington Capitals have acquired defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and goaltender Pheonix Copley from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forwards Zach Sanford and Brad Malone, the Capitals' first-round selection in the 2017 NHL Draft and conditional draft pick(s), senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today.

"We are excited to welcome Kevin to our organization," said MacLellan "We felt it was important to acquire another defenseman to strengthen and add depth to our blueline. Kevin is a skilled, puck moving defenseman who we think will help our team at even strength and on the power play. In addition, we are also pleased to welcome Pheonix back to the organization. We feel his addition solidifies our goaltending tandem in Hershey."

Shattenkirk highlights as he comes to Washington

04:34 • 12:22 AM

Shattenkirk, 28, has registered 42 points (11g, 31a) in 61 games with St. Louis this season and ranks tied for third among NHL defensemen in goals, tied for fourth in points and tied for seventh in assists. He is one of just four defensemen to rank in the top-10 in goals, assists and points this season, joining Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman. In addition, he ranks tied for second among defensemen in the NHL this season in power-play goals (7) and third in power-play points (20). Shattenkirk sits just three points shy of tying his career high in points (2013-14: 45), three goals shy of tying his career high in goals (2015-16: 14) and five assists shy of tying his career high in assists (2014-15: 36).

Last season, Shattenkirk recorded 44 points (14g, 30a) in 72 games with the Blues, setting his career high in goals and reaching the 40-point plateau for the fifth time in his career. He ranked tied for fourth among NHL defensemen with a career-high 26 power-play points and ranked tied for 11th among defensemen in goals (14). During the 2014-15 season, Shattenkirk recorded a career-high 36 assists and registered two points (1g, 1a) at the 2015 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus. He set career highs in points (45), power-play goals (7) and game-winning goals (5) in 2013-14 and became just the fourth defenseman in Blues history to score five game-winning goals in a season (Brian Benning, Al MacInnis, Alex Pietrangelo). During his rookie season in 2010-11, Shattenkirk recorded a nine-game point streak from Nov. 17, 2010 to Dec. 4, 2010 (4g, 9a), marking just the second time in NHL history a rookie defenseman has registered a point streak of nine or more games (Barry Beck, 1977-78). He led all NHL rookies in assists (34) and rookie defensemen in points (43) in 2010-11 and participated in the 2011 SuperSkills Competition during NHL All-Star Weekend in Raleigh.

The 6'0", 209-pound defenseman has earned 284 points (66g, 218a) in 471 career NHL games with Colorado and St. Louis. Since he entered the NHL in 2010-11, Shattenkirk ranks tied for ninth among NHL defensemen in goals, 10th in assists and tied for 10th in points. In addition, he ranks second among American defensemen in goals, third in points and fourth in assists during that span. Shattenkirk ranks sixth among defensemen in St. Louis history in points (258) and assists (199), seventh in goals (59) and 10th in games played (425). He was drafted by Colorado in the first round, 14th overall, in the 2007 NHL Draft. He ranks second among defensemen drafted in 2007 in goals, assists and points (P.K. Subban).

Shattenkirk has recorded 28 points (4g, 24a) in 47 career NHL playoff games. During the 2016 playoffs, he set career highs in points (11), assists (9) and goals (2) in 20 games with the Blues and ranked fifth in the League among defensemen in assists and sixth in points. Since 2011-12, he ranks tied for sixth among NHL defensemen in assists and tied for eighth in points.

The New Rochelle, N.Y., native has represented the United States at the 2014 Olympics, the 2010 World Championship and the 2009 World Junior Championship. He played three seasons at Boston University from 2007-10 and registered 78 points (18g, 60a) in 121 games. Shattenkirk helped Boston University capture the NCAA national championship in 2008-09 and assisted on the game-winning goal in overtime in the NCAA title game on April 11, 2009 vs. Miami (Ohio) at Verizon Center. During the 2009-10 season, Shattenkirk served as Boston University's lone captain as a junior, becoming the first junior to serve as lone captain of the Terriers since 1961-62.

Copley, 25, has appeared in two career NHL games with St. Louis, registering a 4.32 goals-against average and a .829 save percentage. The North Pole, Alaska, native made his NHL debut on Feb. 27, 2016 at Nashville and made 24 saves in his first career NHL start on Jan. 21 at Winnipeg. Copley has posted a 15-6-3 record this season with the Chicago Wolves (AHL) with one shutout, a 2.31 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. He ranks seventh in the AHL in goals-against average, tied for seventh in save percentage and tied for 11th in wins this season (min. 20 GP). The 6'4", 196-pound goaltender has posted a 47-26-9 record with seven shutouts, a 2.47 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in 88 career AHL games with Chicago and Hershey.

Sanford, 22, earned three points (2g, 1a) in 26 games with the Capitals this season. The Salem, Mass., native made his NHL debut on Oct. 13 at Pittsburgh and earned his first NHL point with an assist on Oct. 30 at Calgary. Sanford scored the game-winning goal in the third period on Feb. 11 against Anaheim, marking his first NHL goal. Sanford was drafted by the Capitals in the second round, 61st overall, in the 2013 NHL Draft.

Malone, 27, recorded 30 points (13g, 17a) in 176 career NHL games with Colorado and Carolina. The Miramichi, New Brunswick, native registered 20 points (7g, 13a) in 52 games with Hershey (AHL) this season and has recorded 95 points (36g, 59a) in 217 career AHL games with Lake Erie and Hershey.

Maple Leafs Acquire Brian Boyle from Lightning

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Monday that the hockey club has acquired forward Brian Boyle from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Byron Froese and a 2nd round draft pick in 2017.

Boyle, 32, has skated in 54 games with the Lightning this season, registering 22 points (13 goals, nine assists) and 48 penalty minutes. The Hingham, Massachusetts native has played in 603 career NHL regular season games, collecting 166 points (93 goals, 73 assists) and 470 penalty minutes. Boyle has also appeared in 100 NHL post-season games with the Lightning and Rangers, tallying 26 points (15 goals, 11 assists). He was originally drafted in the 1st round (26th overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Froese, 25, skated in two games with the Maple Leafs this season. The Winkler, Manitoba native also appeared in 48 games with the Toronto Marlies, registering 39 points (24 goals, 15 assists) and 18 penalty minutes.

The Maple Leafs begin a three-game road trip on Tuesday in California against the San Jose Sharks.

New-look Wild, Kings battle for third time this season

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SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The Los Angeles Kings were on a plane bound for a Monday night road game versus the Minnesota Wild before the first stars hit the red carpet at the Oscars, but the team from Hollywood did a nice job producing a blockbuster on Sunday anyway.

On Saturday, the Kings’ top goalie — Jonathan Quick — returned from a long-term injury and backstopped a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Less than 24 hours later, the goaltending situation in Los Angeles looked dramatically different, as general manager Dean Lombardi made a chess master’s move, getting a Bishop to defend the Kings.

Less than two seasons removed from a starring role in leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final, goalie Ben Bishop comes to the Kings in the first big move in advance of Wednesday’s trade deadline. The Kings are sending goalie Peter Budaj, who started 51 games for Los Angeles this season, to Tampa Bay.

While some experts believe the Kings still need offense to make a deep playoff run, in the near term it gives them perhaps the most important goalie tandem in the Western Conference, especially now that Quick is back and feeling confident.

“It’s great to be in the locker room on game day and all and to be a part of it,” Quick said on Saturday, after recording 32 saves versus the Ducks. He had not played since October, when he suffered a groin injury in the team’s season opener. “Everything feels good. I wouldn’t have played if it didn’t feel good.”

Monday will mark the third meeting of the season between the Kings and Wild, and the home team will look significantly different as well. On Sunday, the Wild made a small splash in the morning, signing free agent forward Ryan Carter to a two-way deal. They made a much bigger deal in the evening, trading a package that includes their 2017 first-round draft pick and their 2018 second-rounder to Arizona for center Martin Hanzal. In 51 games for the Coyotes this season, the 6-foot-6 Czech center has 16 goals and 26 points. Minnesota also got center Ryan White in the deal.

The Wild are coming off their bye week, having not played since a 5-3 home loss to Chicago last Tuesday, and should be tanned and rested, with a few players posting pictures from tropical locales where they spent the downtime. Before the Hanzal trade became official, Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said it felt good just to have his team back on the rink.

“I think there were some missed passes, but I just wanted them to get up and down the ice and get used to playing again,” Boudreau said, admitting he sought outside advice about how to get his team back in game shape after the layoff. “I talked to a couple friends of mine in the league and asked what they did, with different results and different thought processes.”

Both the Kings and Wild are playing back-to-back games after meeting in Minnesota, with the Wild facing the Jets in Winnipeg on Tuesday and the Kings facing the Flames in Calgary that same night.