The St. Louis Blues hired Jim Montgomery as their head coach on Sunday and fired bench boss Drew Bannister.

• Montgomery signed a five-year contract with the Blues just five days after being fired as the head coach of the Boston Bruins after two-plus seasons.

  A Jack Adams Award winner as NHL coach of the year in 2022-23, Montgomery posted a 120-41-23 record with the Bruins before being dismissed after an 8-9-3 start to this season.

  The Blues also limped out of the blocks under Bannister, losing seven of their past nine games (2-6-1) to fall to 9-12-1 on the season. They reside in sixth place in the Central Division.

  Montgomery, 55, owns a 180-84-83 record in 297 games behind the bench as a head coach with the Dallas Stars (2018-20) and Bruins. He also served as an assistant in St. Louis for two seasons (2020-22) under then-head coach Craig Berube.

  During his first season behind the bench in Boston (2022-23), Montgomery guided the team to a 65-12-5 record for 135 points and an .823 points percentage -- all NHL single-season marks.

  However, the Florida Panthers stunned the Bruins in seven games in the Eastern Conference opening round in April 2023. Last season, Boston won its first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Panthers in six games.

  Bannister, 50, took over behind the bench on Dec. 14, 2023, after Berube was fired following a 13-14-1 start. St. Louis went 30-19-5 under Bannister's leadership but missed the playoffs for a second straight season.

  The Blues removed the interim tag from Bannister's title on May 7 and signed him to a two-year contract.

  --Field Level Media

Dylan Guenther scored twice and added an assist, leading the Utah Hockey Club to a 6-1 victory over the host Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.

• Jack McBain, Mikhail Sergachev, Nick Bjugstad and Alexander Kerfoot also scored for Utah, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Clayton Keller had three assists while Nick Schmaltz, Michael Carcone and Logan Cooley added two helpers apiece.

  Karel Vejmelka made 27 saves for his first career victory over Pittsburgh.

  Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored his 600th career goal in the loss. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 24 shots for Pittsburgh, which has lost three games in a row and eight of its past 10 (2-5-3).

  Flames 4, Wild 3 (SO)

  Rasmus Andersson scored the game-winning goal in the fifth round of a shootout and Calgary completed a perfect four-game homestand with a win over visiting Minnesota.

  Kevin Rooney, Martin Pospisil and Yegor Sharangovich scored regulation-time goals for the Flames, who coughed up a two-goal, third-period lead but recovered.

  Marco Rossi had a goal and an assist while Matt Boldy extended his point streak to six games with two assists for the Wild, who were without top scorer Kirill Kaprizov due to a knee injury. Minnesota has only one regulation-time road loss this season (9-1-3).

  Golden Knights 6, Canadiens 2

  Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev each had a goal and two assists and visiting Vegas tied a franchise record by scoring five goals in the second period in a lopsided victory over Montreal.

  Callahan Burke scored his first NHL goal and Tomas Hertl, Tanner Pearson and Keegan Kolesar also scored for the Golden Knights.

  Emil Heineman and Jayden Struble scored goals and Brendan Gallagher had two assists for Montreal, which had won three of its past four games. Samuel Montembeault stopped 20 of 25 shots before giving way to Cayden Primeau at the start of the third period. Primeau finished with two saves for the Canadiens, who dropped their seventh straight game against Vegas.

  Flyers 3, Blackhawks 2 (OT)

  Matvei Michkov scored in overtime to complete host Philadelphia's comeback from a 2-0, third-period deficit against Chicago.

  Sean Couturier and Noah Cates scored to send the game to overtime, and goaltender Aleksei Kolosov made 19 saves for his first NHL win as Philadelphia snapped a two-game skid.

  Lukas Reichel and Pat Maroon each collected a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek sparkled with 34 stops in the loss.

  Kings 2, Kraken 1

  Adrian Kempe scored his team-leading 10th goal of the season and Los Angeles held off a late flurry to defeat visiting Seattle in the first meeting of the season between the Pacific Division rivals.

  Quinton Byfield also scored and Anze Kopitar added two assists for the Kings, who won for just the second time in their past five games. Goaltender David Rittich made 19 saves.

  Brandon Montour scored for Seattle, and Joey Daccord stopped 19 of 21 shots. It was just the second loss in the past seven games for the Kraken, though they have lost their past five road contests while being outscored 17-5.

  Avalanche 7, Panthers 4

  Jonathan Drouin scored his first two goals of the season, leading Colorado to a win over Florida in Sunrise, Fla.

  Mikko Rantanen also scored for Colorado, giving him 10 goals in his past nine games. He also had three assists. Goalie Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves for his fifth straight win as the Avalanche improved to 6-1-0 in their past seven games.

  Sam Reinhart, who entered the night with the NHL lead in goals, scored his 16th in the loss as the Panthers fell to 1-5-0 in their past six games.

  Canucks 4, Senators 3

  Jake DeBrusk had two goals and an assist and visiting Vancouver overcame the ejection of star Quinn Hughes to hang on for its seventh straight road win, beating Ottawa.

  Kiefer Sherwood recorded a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who prevailed despite Hughes being issued a game misconduct for boarding Josh Norris with 7:31 remaining in the first period. DeBrusk snapped a six-game goal drought as the Canucks improved to a franchise-best 7-1-0 on the road.

  The Senators' Brady Tkachuk posted his 10th goal of the campaign and received his own misconduct penalty with less than seven minutes left in the game. But late goals from Claude Giroux and Tim Stutzle made things interesting for Ottawa, which is mired in an 0-4-1 slide.

  Bruins 2, Red Wings 1

  Brad Marchand scored a go-ahead goal with 8:30 remaining in the game as visiting Boston topped Detroit, handing the Red Wings their fourth loss in five games.

  Justin Brazeau had a power-play goal and Jeremy Swayman made 19 saves for the Bruins. Lucas Raymond scored for Detroit, which got 27 saves from Cam Talbot.

  Dylan Larkin assisted on Raymond's goal, giving him 300 career assists. He's the 15th Red Wings player to reach 300 assists.

  Stars 4, Lightning 2

  Matt Duchene and Roope Hintz netted third-period goals less than a minute apart and Dallas rallied twice to beat host Tampa Bay.

  Locked in a 2-all tie in the final frame after erasing a pair of one-goal deficits, Dallas turned to its speed game with rushes by Duchene and Hintz to exploit the Lightning's rear guard to win for the fifth time in its past six contests (5-1-0).

  Anthony Cirelli scored both Lightning goals and has now scored in five straight games. Brandon Hagel had two assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves.

  Devils 3, Capitals 2

  Tomas Tatar and defenseman Dougie Hamilton each scored a power-play goal to lift New Jersey over host Washington.

  Tatar also had an assist on defenseman Brenden Dillon's goal in the second period. Jake Allen made 24 saves to propel the Devils to their ninth win in their past 12 games overall and their second in three meetings with the Capitals this season.

  Washington's Connor McMichael scored a power-play goal, and defenseman Matt Roy also tallied. Charlie Lindgren turned aside 30 shots for the Capitals, who have lost two in a row without injured superstar Alex Ovechkin (broken left fibula).

  Blue Jackets 5, Hurricanes 4 (SO)

  Elvis Merzlikins recorded 32 saves and then made three more in a shootout as Columbus rallied past visiting Carolina.

  Kirill Marchenko scored twice for the Blue Jackets, notching the game-tying goal with just 66 seconds remaining in regulation after Columbus pulled Merzlikins for an extra attacker.

  Pyotr Kochetkov made 27 saves for the Hurricanes, but he had to leave the game with 2:08 remaining in overtime after teammate Sean Walker, who was blocking Zach Werenski from driving to the net, collided with his netminder and hit him in the head.

  Predators 4, Jets 1

  Jonathan Marchessault had a goal and an assist for Nashville in its win over visiting Winnipeg.

  Roman Josi scored twice, Steven Stamkos also scored and Juuse Saros made 23 saves for the Predators, who had lost four of their past five games (1-2-2).

  Adam Lowry scored and Eric Comrie made 32 saves in his fifth start of the season for the Jets, who have lost three of their past five games after a 15-1-0 start.

  Islanders 3, Blues 1

  Kyle Palmieri scored twice as New York finally preserved a third-period lead in defeating St. Louis in Elmont, N.Y.

  Palmieri scored late in the first period and even later in the third on an empty-netter for the Islanders, who snapped a three-game losing streak (0-2-1) in which they squandered a third-period lead in each setback. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin earned his 100th career win by making 24 saves.

  Jake Neighbours scored in the opening minute of the third for the Blues, who have lost seven of their past nine games (2-6-1). Goalie Jordan Binnington recorded 28 saves.

  Sabres 4, Sharks 2

  Alex Tuch broke a third-period tie with a short-handed goal and James Reimer made 31 saves in his Buffalo debut in beating host San Jose.

  Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist and Bowen Byram had two assists for the Sabres, who swept a three-game road swing through California.

  Fabian Zetterlund and Luke Kunin scored for the Sharks, who have lost three straight games. Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves.

  Oilers 6, Rangers 2

  Connor McDavid scored twice in the third period and added an assist in the second and Leon Draisaitl collected a goal and an assist as host Edmonton rolled past New York.

  Darnell Nurse scored a short-handed goal in the waning seconds of the first period while Vasily Podkolzin and Evan Bouchard also scored for the Oilers, who are 5-2-1 in their past eight games. Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark collected two assists apiece for Edmonton, which is 8-2-1 in its past 11 meetings with New York.

  Artemi Panarin scored twice and Jonathan Quick allowed six goals on 40 shots for the Rangers.

  --Field Level Media

Minnesota Wild star forward Kirill Kaprizov did not play in Saturday's road game against the Calgary Flames due to a lower-body injury.

• Kaprizov, who entered Saturday tied with Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL lead with 34 points, was on the receiving end of a knee-on-knee collision with the Edmonton Oilers' Drake Caggiula in Thursday's game.

  Kaprizov finished the game but did not practice on Friday.

  "I thought it was a knee-on-knee hit," Minnesota coach John Hynes said following his team's 5-3 road victory over the Oilers. "Thankfully he came back and he looked good. Obviously, you don't want to see those types of hits in the game."

  Kaprizov entered Saturday riding a franchise-record 11-game road point streak, with 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists). He also came in with a seven-game point streak, posting 13 points (six goals, seven assists).

  The Wild traveled to Calgary with the best record in franchise history through 19 games (13-3-3), including an NHL-best 9-1-2 road mark.

  Minnesota was also without forward Marat Khusnutdinov (lower body) and recalled forward Travis Boyd for Saturday's game.

  --Field Level Media

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies was placed on injured reserve Friday due to an upper-body injury, though coach Craig Berube said the former second-round pick is showing signs of improvement.

• The decision to put the 22-year-old Knies on IR, retroactive to Wednesday, means the third-year player won't suit up for Sunday's home game against the Utah Hockey Club.

  During Wednesday's 3-0 victory over the visiting Vegas Golden Knights, Knies was hit under the chin by the shoulder of Zach Whitecloud and fell hard to the ice. Knies left the game immediately and hasn't practiced since.

  Officials deemed it a clean hit, though Whitecloud got into a subsequent scuffle with Knies' teammate, Simon Benoit, who received a double minor. Whitecloud was cited for a two-minute roughing infraction.

  In 20 games this season, Knies has 12 points (eight goals, four assists). Over 103 career games since 2022-23, the Phoenix native has totaled 48 points (23 goals, 25 assists) after being drafted by Toronto in 2021.

  In a corresponding move, Toronto recalled forward Alex Nylander after signing the 26-year-old to a one year, $775,000 contract on Friday.

  Nylander has 12 points (eight goals, four assists) this season in 14 games for the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

  The Calgary, Alberta native and brother of Toronto's William Nylander has 49 points (25 goals, 24 assists) in 121 NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres (2016-19), Chicago Blackhawks (2019-20), Pittsburgh Penguins (2022-23) and Columbus Blue Jackets (2024). Buffalo made Nylander the No. 8 overall pick in the 2016 draft.

  In other Leafs news, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson missed practice Friday with an illness. The 33-year-old, who averages 21:09 of ice time, had an assist in Wednesday's win and has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 20 games.

  To fill Ekman-Larsson's spot, the Leafs recalled defenseman Philippe Myers from the Marlies on Friday. Myers played 12:11 in his one game with Toronto this season, a 4-3 overtime loss on Oct. 26 against the host Boston Bruins.

  Also on Friday, Berube said that forward Max Domi may return for Sunday's game despite being on the IR with a lower-body injury. Domi, 29, has six assists this season in 19 games.

  --Field Level Media

Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden signed a five-year, $12.5 million contract extension through the 2029-30 NHL season on Friday.

• Howden, 26, has appeared in 20 games this season and has nine points. He and Ivan Barbashev are tied for second on the team with eight goals, trailing Pavel Dorofeyev (10).

  The No. 27 overall pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2016 NHL Draft, Howden has appeared in 371 games for the New York Rangers (2018-21) and Knights, recording 110 points (47 goals, 63 assists).

  "I feel like over the years I've definitely grown obviously as a player on the ice and a person off the ice," Howden said. "Just getting a chance to start somewhere fresh, new, was the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me.

  "Coming to a new spot and a winning culture as well really helped change my game. I just think over the years I built more confidence. I'm surrounded by such great players that it's easy to learn from and easy to play with. I feel very grateful I was given the opportunity to come here."

  Howden won the Stanley Cup with the Knights in 2023 and has six goals and six assists in 32 playoff games.

  --Field Level Media

Zach Werenski capped a career-high five-point night with his goal 1:26 into overtime, and the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied for a 7-6 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

• Werenski, who scored in the teams' six-goal second period and had three assists, sent an open wrister past Lightning netminder Jonas Johansson (36 saves) to help Columbus overcome a 3-0 hole and win for the third time in four games.

  Sean Monahan had a goal with three assists and Kent Johnson scored twice in his return from missing 14 games due to a shoulder issue.

  Nikita Kucherov had three assists for the Lightning, who struggled defensively after allowing three goals combined in winning the previous three games. Four Tampa Bay players - Mitchell Chaffee, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Conor Geekie - each had a goal and an assist.

  Flames 3, Rangers 2

  Connor Zary broke a third-period tie and host Calgary regrouped after blowing a two-goal lead to beat New York.

  Matt Coronato and Yegor Sharangovich both collected one goal and one assist for the Flames, who are riding a three-game winning streak. Dustin Wolf made 27 saves, and MacKenzie Weegar collected three assists.

  Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle scored for the Rangers, who had their three-game winning streak end. Igor Shesterkin tied his career high with 46 saves amid an impressive goalie battle.

  Bruins 1, Utah 0

  Elias Lindholm scored the lone goal in the second period and Joonas Korpisalo pitched a 21-save shutout as Boston won Joe Sacco's debut as interim head coach, defeating visiting Utah.

  Korpisalo made nine saves in the middle frame and also helped the Bruins withstand a late flurry from the visitors. The Bruins finished 1-for-7 on the power play -- converting for the second consecutive game after going without a goal in the previous six in a row -- and 4-for-4 killing penalties.

  Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots for Utah, which has lost four of its last five games and was shut out for the fifth time in 19 games.

  Devils 4, Hurricanes 2

  Jesper Bratt scored twice as part of a three-point game as New Jersey beat Carolina in Newark, N.J.

  Stefan Noesen scored on a power play early in the second period before Dougie Hamilton collected the game-winner midway through the third for the Devils, who have won three of four (3-1-0). Jack Hughes added three assists and Jacob Markstrom made 20 saves as he earned the win in his 500th career game.

  Jack Roslovic scored the game's first goal and Andrei Svechnikov tied the score early in the third for the Hurricanes, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Spencer Martin recorded 17 saves.

  Golden Knights 3, Senators 2

  Ilya Samsonov made 38 saves as visiting Vegas beat Ottawa and presented Bruce Cassidy with his 400th career coaching victory.

  Jack Eichel, Brett Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev scored goals and Ivan Barbashev had two assists for Vegas, which snapped a two-game losing streak. The Golden Knights improved to 12-1-1 all-time against the Senators. Cassidy, an Ottawa native, became the eighth active coach in the NHL to hit the 400-win mark.

  Adam Gaudette and Drake Batherson scored goals and Linus Ullmark finished with 29 saves for the Senators, who lost their fourth straight game.

  Red Wings 2, Islanders 1

  Lucas Raymond scored with 51.1 seconds remaining as Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over visiting New York.

  Raymond took a pass from Dylan Larkin and scored from the left circle for his third goal this season. Jonatan Berggren scored the Red Wings' first goal with 4:46 left, while Alex Lyon made 22 saves.

  Simon Holmstrom scored the Islanders' goal. Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves for the Islanders, who finished 1-2-2 on their five-game road trip.

  Avalanche 2, Capitals 1

  Miles Wood scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period to fuel visiting Colorado to a victory over Washington.

  The loss wasn't the only bad news for the Capitals, who announced prior to the game that superstar captain Alex Ovechkin is expected to miss four to six weeks due to a fracture to his left fibula. Pierre-Luc Dubois scored in the first period and Logan Thompson turned aside 25 shots to fall to 8-1-1 in his first season with the Capitals.

  Colorado's Mikko Rantanen scored on a power play in the second period, his team-leading 13th goal of the season and ninth in his last eight games. Alexandar Georgiev made 30 saves in his return from a two-game absence caused by an upper-body injury.

  Blackhawks 3, Panthers 1

  Petr Mrazek made 32 saves and Nick Foligno had a goal and an assist as Chicago downed visiting Florida.

  Teuvo Teravainen and Craig Smith also scored for the Blackhawks, who ended a three-game losing streak with the upset win over the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

  Since completing a seven-game winning streak, the Panthers are 1-4-0 in their last five games. Sam Reinhart scored for Florida, and Spencer Knight stopped 17 shots.

  Blues 3, Sharks 2 (OT)

  Jordan Binnington made 22 saves through regulation and overtime, then stopped all three shootout attempts for his 151st career victory as St. Louis beat visiting San Jose.

  Binnington tied Mike Luit atop the Blues' all-time victories list among goalies. Jordan Kyrou and Nathan Walker scored in regulation for the Blues, who won for just the second time in their past eight games (2-5-1). Jake Neighbours provided the lone goal for either team in the shootout.

  Alexander Wennberg scored twice for the Sharks, who have won just one of their past six games (1-2-3). Mikael Granlund and Macklin Celebrini assisted on both goals.

  Wild 5, Oilers 3

  Frederick Gaudreau had two goals and an assist and Minnesota beat Edmonton.

  Marcus Foligno had a goal and an assist, Matt Boldy and Marcus Johansson also scored, Ryan Hartman had two assists and Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves for the Wild, who have won three of four.

  Corey Perry had a goal and an assist, Leon Draisaitl and Jeff Skinner also scored and Stuart Skinner made 21 saves for the Oilers, who have lost three of four (1-2-1).

  --Field Level Media

The Washington Capitals will be without their captain and goal-scoring machine Alex Ovechkin for four to six weeks after he was diagnosed Thursday with a fractured left fibula.

• Ovechkin, 39, exited Monday's 6-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club with 14:30 remaining following a collision with Utah forward Jack McBain. A teammate had to help him off the ice.

  The Capitals announced Tuesday that Ovechkin was considered week-to-week as he underwent further evaluation on his leg. On Wednesday, the team placed him on injured reserve and recalled forward prospect Ivan Miroshnichenko from AHL affiliate Hershey.

  The injury interrupted Ovechkin while he was on a hot streak. He scored two goals in the Utah game before going down and has 13 goals in his past 11. Before Thursday's games, he owned the NHL lead with 15 goals on the season.

  Ovechkin's pursuit of history will now be postponed as well. With 868 goals in his career, the Russian needs 27 to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time mark of 894.

  --Field Level Media

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen will have knee surgery on Friday and miss about eight to 12 weeks of action, general manager Eric Tulsky announced Thursday.

• The procedure was characterized as "not major" and "just a clean-up" by TSN, but the timeline would keep him sidelined until mid-January.

  Andersen, 35, is 3-1-0 with a .941 save percentage and a 1.48 goals-against average in four starts this season, his fourth campaign with Carolina and 12th in the NHL. His most recent start was on Oct. 26.

  The two-time Jennings Trophy winner is 298-128-52 with 27 shutouts, a 2.55 GAA and .916 save percentage in 499 games with the Anaheim Ducks (2013-16), Toronto Maple Leafs (2016-21) and Hurricanes.

  Pyotr Kochetkov will continue handling primary duties in net for the Hurricanes with Spencer Martin as a backup.

  --Field Level Media

Sebastian Aho and Jalen Chatfield each registered a goal and an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes stayed hot with a 4-1 road victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.

• The Hurricanes scored three times in the first seven minutes of the third period to win for the 12th time in 14 games. Carolina has outscored its opponents 12-2 in winning its past three contests.

  Ryan Poehling scored the lone goal for Philadelphia, which has lost two in a row after a 4-0-1 stretch. Ivan Fedotov made 33 saves for the Flyers, while Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 18 shots for the Hurricanes.

  The score was tied 1-1 just over a minute into the third period when Aho stole the puck at the blue line, skated to some open ice at the high slot and took a shot that trickled through Fedotov and into the net.

  Kraken 3, Predators 0

  Brandon Montour had a goal and an assist and Joey Daccord made 24 saves for his first shutout of the season as Seattle defeated visiting Nashville.

  Daniel Sprong scored his first goal in his second stint with the Kraken, and Yanni Gourde tallied an empty-netter. Chandler Stephenson had three assists and Jaden Schwartz added two helpers. The Kraken completed a 5-1-0 homestand. Daccord posted all five victories, and he didn't play in a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday.

  Juuse Saros stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced as the Predators wrapped up their road trip with a 1-2-2 mark.

  Stars 5, Sharks 2

  Jason Robertson scored once in a three-point outing while Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston each collected one goal and one assist to pace host Dallas past San Jose.

  Jamie Benn and Evgenii Dadonov also scored for the Stars, who have won four of five games. Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger made 21 saves.

  Mikael Granlund notched one goal and one assist and Jake Walman scored for the Sharks, who have one victory in their past five outings (1-2-2). Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 26 shots.

  Maple Leafs 3, Golden Knights 0

  Fraser Minten scored his first career NHL goal, Joseph Woll earned his second career and Toronto defeated visiting Vegas.

  Woll made 31 saves while earning his first shutout of the season. William Nylander added a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who have won three in a row. Pontus Holmberg contributed an empty-net goal, and Mitch Marner and John Tavares each had two assists as Toronto won for the sixth time in seven games.

  Adin Hill stopped 23 shots for the Golden Knights in the opener of a five-game road trip. Vegas has lost two in a row.

  Sabres 1, Kings 0

  Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 23 saves in his return from an injury and Jason Zucker scored the lone goal to help visiting Buffalo edge Los Angeles.

  Luukkonen, who missed two games with a lower-body injury, earned his sixth career shutout to improve to 4-0-0 since Nov. 5. Zucker tipped Rasmus Dahlin's point shot on the power play 38 seconds into the third period for his 200th NHL goal for the Sabres.

  Rittich made 18 saves for the Kings, who have lost three of their past four games.

  --Field Level Media

The Chicago Blackhawks will be without top defenseman Seth Jones for four weeks after he sustained a right foot injury against the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 14.

• Jones, 30, was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. He may have been hurt while blocking a shot in Chicago's 3-1 loss to Seattle, coach Luke Richardson told reporters on Wednesday.

  "Unfortunate for us and him, he was rolling along pretty good," Richardson said ahead of Chicago's game Thursday against the visiting Florida Panthers. "But that's just the nature of the business."

  Entering Wednesday, Jones -- who has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 17 games this season -- led all skaters in ice time at 25:43.

  Jones was the No. 4 overall pick in 2013 by the Nashville Predators. In 814 games over 12 seasons with the Predators (2013-16), Columbus Blue Jackets (2016-21) and Blackhawks (2021-present), the four-time All-Star blueliner has 415 points (92 goals, 323 assists).

  "He's got a calming presence back there with the puck," fellow Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic said on Monday. "It's safe to say when he's out there, you trust him and you're not worrying about things going wrong or him necessarily making any mistakes.

  "He's very steady and the mistakes he does make he's able to make up for with his defensive skill, not only the defensive side but offensive as well. He's a big help and contributes to our offense. So yeah, especially now with us lacking that kind of part of our game, our scoring, (his absence) is definitely hurting us."

  Richardson said defenseman Artyom Levshunov, the No. 2 overall pick by the Blackhawks in this year's draft, likely won't be called up to fill Jones' spot. Chicago's coach also said defenseman Kevin Korchinski, who along with Levshunov is playing with Rockford of the American Hockey League, is also not expected to join the NHL club.

  A fractured foot suffered during the offseason prevented the 19-year-old Levshunov from practicing with the Blackhawks until Oct. 22.

  Korchinski, 20, was selected No. 7 overall in 2022 but didn't play in the AHL least season. The Canadian Hockey League and the NHL have an agreement that a CHL player can't suit up in the AHL until the age of 20.

  --Field Level Media

The Washington Capitals placed captain Alex Ovechkin on injured reserve Wednesday as he recovers from a lower-leg injury.

• Ovechkin, 39, exited with 14:30 remaining in Monday's 6-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City following a collision with Utah forward Jack McBain.

  Ovechkin scored two goals before the injury and has 13 in his past 11 games. With 868 goals in his career, the Russian veteran needs 27 to break Wayne Gretzky's mark of 894 set from 1978-99.

  On Tuesday, the Capitals announced Ovechkin would be week-to-week pending further evaluations with team physicians on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

  The Capitals filled his roster spot with forward Ivan Miroshnichenko, recalled from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.

  Miroshnichenko, 20, has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 16 games with Hershey this season. He recorded six points (two goals, four assists) in 21 games with Washington last season.

  The Capitals selected him with the 20th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft.

  --Field Level Media

Mark Scheifele scored in each period for his ninth career hat trick and the host Winnipeg Jets beat the Florida Panthers 6-3 on Tuesday night.

• Three days after Winnipeg lost 5-0 at Florida to suffer back-to-back losses for the first time this season, it got back at the Panthers to close a home-and-home set. Scheifele capped his hat trick with 10:14 left in regulation with a nifty goal just after a power play ended to give the Jets a 4-2 cushion.

  That marker proved key, as Matthew Tkachuk got Florida within 4-3 with a power-play goal past screened Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (20 saves) with 3:22 left in the third period. However, Morgan Barron recorded two short-handed empty-netters to provide some insurance for Winnipeg, which improved to 9-1-0 at home.

  A.J. Greer and Sam Reinhart also scored for the Panthers, who have lost three of their past four games after winning seven straight. The result also ended a six-game road winning streak for Florida.

  Ducks 3, Blackhawks 2

  Leo Carlsson scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and Alex Killorn had a goal and assist to lift visiting Anaheim past Chicago.

  Trevor Zegras added two assists for Anaheim, which won its third straight while sending the Blackhawks to their third loss in a row. Ducks goaltender John Gibson made 18 saves.

  Jason Dickinson scored twice and Connor Bedard had two assists for Chicago. The Ducks outshot the Blackhawks 24-20 and had a 27-13 advantage in hits. Dickinson recorded his first multi-goal game of the season while Bedard ended a three-game pointless streak. Five of Bedard's 12 assists this season have come against the Ducks.

  Rangers 4, Canucks 3

  Chris Kreider scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and Igor Shesterkin made 21 saves as visiting New York won its third straight game, defeating Vancouver.

  Mika Zibanejad, Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko each had a goal and an assist and Adam Fox added two assists for New York, which improved to 7-1-0 on the road with a sixth win in eight games.

  Quinn Hughes, Conor Garland and Kiefer Sherwood scored goals and Elias Pettersson had two assists for Vancouver, which finished just 2-4-0 on a six-game homestand. Arturs Silovs made 29 saves.

  Oilers 5, Senators 2

  Connor McDavid had two goals and an assist and Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and two assists in Edmonton's win at Ottawa.

  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the Oilers' other goal, and Vasily Podkolzin recorded two assists. Stuart Skinner stopped 27 of 29 shots to help Edmonton improve to 4-1-1 in its past six games.

  Linus Ullmark stopped 26 of 31 shots for the Senators, who are on a three-game winless streak (0-2-1). Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris scored for Ottawa, and Nick Jensen had two assists.

  Lightning 3, Penguins 2 (OT)

  Brayden Point returned to Tampa Bay's lineup and scored 3:58 into overtime as the Lightning won their third straight game by rallying past host Pittsburgh.

  Point, who missed the previous four matches with a lower-body injury, tucked in his second goal of the night and 10th this season to lift the Lightning to a 5-0-1 mark against the Metropolitan Division. Anthony Cirelli scored his fifth goal this season, Darren Raddysh had two assists and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 shots for Tampa Bay.

  Pittsburgh's Jesse Puljujarvi scored for the second straight game and Rickard Rakell netted his seventh goal this season. Sidney Crosby dished out the primary assist on Rakell's second-period power-play tally that made it 2-0 and gave Crosby his 1,017th career helper.

  Flames 2, Islanders 1 (SO)

  Andrei Kuzmenko and Justin Kirkland scored in a shootout to give host Calgary a comeback victory over New York.

  Rasmus Andersson scored in regulation for the Flames, who have won three of their past four outings. Dustin Wolf made 28 saves between regulation and overtime before turning back both Islanders he faced in the shootout.

  Pierre Engvall had the lone goal for the Islanders, who are 1-1-3 in their past five outings. Semyon Varlamov stopped 30 shots prior to the shootout in an outstanding goaltending battle.

  Wild 4, Blues 2

  Kirill Kaprizov scored twice as visiting Minnesota defeated St. Louis to improve to 7-2-1 in its last 10 games.

  Ryan Hartman and Jonas Brodin also scored for the Wild. Filip Gustavsson earned the victory with 22 saves.

  Scott Perunovich and Jake Neighbours scored for the Blues, who are 1-5-1 in their past seven games. Jordan Binnington made 24 saves in defeat. Blues center Robert Thomas was back in the lineup after he missed 12 games with a broken ankle.

  --Field Level Media

The Boston Bruins fired Jim Montgomery on Tuesday, 20 games into the current season and two years removed from a historic season when he was named the NHL's coach of the year.

• The Bruins are 8-9-3 for 19 points, tied for third in the Atlantic Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference. Boston is 31st of 32 teams in averaging 2.40 goals per game and is 28th in allowing 3.45 goals per game.

  General manager Don Sweeney promoted associate coach Joe Sacco to interim head coach.

  "Jim Montgomery is a very good NHL coach and an even better person," Sweeney said in a statement. "He has made a positive impact throughout the Bruins organization, and I am both grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to work with him and learn from him."

  The Bruins have lost four of their last five games, including home defeats to St. Louis in overtime on Saturday and to Columbus 5-1 on Monday.

  "Our team's inconsistency and performance in the first 20 games of the 2024-25 season has been concerning and below how the Bruins want to reward our fans," Sweeney said. "I believe Joe Sacco has the coaching experience to bring the players and the team back to focusing on the consistent effort the NHL requires to have success. We will continue to work to make the necessary adjustments to meet the standard and performance our supportive fans expect."

  Montgomery, 55, guided his first Bruins team in 2022-23 to a 65-12-5 record for 135 points and an .823 points percentage -- all NHL single-season marks. He was honored with the Jack Adams Award as top coach.

  However, the Florida Panthers stunned the Bruins in seven games in the Eastern Conference opening round in April 2023. Last season, Boston won its first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Panthers in six games.

  In 184 games, his Bruins were 120-41-23 in the regular season and 9-11 in the playoffs. Montgomery also coached the Dallas Stars in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, going 60-43-10.

  "On behalf of the Boston Bruins, we thank Jim Montgomery for his accomplishments and impact on our organization," team president Cam Neely said in the statement. "Jim's open and honest communication with players, staff and management, as well as the positive attitude that he brought to the rink every day, helped lead our franchise to several on-ice accolades, including a historic 65-win season in 2022-23. We wish Jim and his family the best moving forward both personally and professionally."

  Sacco, 55, has been with the Bruins as an assistant coach (2014-24) and associate coach this season. He was the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche from 2009-13, compiling a 130-134-30 record.

  A former assistant with the Buffalo Sabres (2013-14), Sacco also played 13 NHL seasons for five teams from 1990-2003.

  "I'm supportive of Don's decision to address our current play and performance," Neely said. "Joe Sacco has a wealth of experience and knowledge of our roster and can help lead our team in the right direction. He has a strong understanding of our standards and expectations, and I trust he will do all he can to accomplish our organization's goals this season."

  --Field Level Media

Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller is taking an indefinite leave of absence for undisclosed personal reasons, general manager Patrik Allvin announced Tuesday.

• "Right now, our sole focus is making sure that J.T. knows the entire organization is here to support him," Allvin said in a statement. "Out of respect to J.T., we will have no further comment at this time."

  Miller, 31, shares the team in goals (six) with three other players. His totals in assists (10) and points (16) trail only star defenseman Quinn Hughes (15, 18).

  Miller logged only 11 minutes, 41 seconds of ice time in the Canucks' 5-3 loss against the Nashville Predators on Sunday. He has averaged nearly 18 1/2 minutes of ice time per game this season.

  Miller has totaled 655 points (244 goals, 411 assists) and a plus-68 rating in 816 career games with the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Canucks. He was selected by the Rangers with the 15th overall pick of the 2011 NHL Draft.

  --Field Level Media

New York Rangers forward Filip Chytil is close to a return after exams determined he did not sustain a concussion last week, ESPN reported Tuesday.

• Chytil, 25, is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will reportedly rejoin the team ahead of Thursday's game in Calgary.

  Chytil, who has a history of head injuries, collided with teammate K'Andre Miller during the second period of last Thursday's 3-2 victory against the San Jose Sharks. He returned for one shift later in the period before retreating to the locker room.

  He did not travel with the team for Sunday's contest at Seattle, instead meeting with specialists who reportedly determined he did not sustain a concussion.

  Through 15 games this season, Chytil has nine points (four goals, five assists) and a plus-11 rating centering the third line with Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko.

  The concern for Chytil was compounded because he missed all but 10 games last season with an upper-body injury that was believed to be a concussion.

  Drafted 21st overall in 2017, Chytil has recorded 153 points (68 goals, 85 assists) in 352 career games for New York.

  --Field Level Media

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin's pursuit of Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record is on hold after an injury to his lower leg on Monday night.

• The team announced Tuesday that the 39-year-old forward is considered week-to-week pending further evaluations with team physicians on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

  Ovechkin exited with 14:30 remaining in Monday's 6-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City following a collision with Utah forward Jack McBain.

  After what appeared to be inadvertent contact, Ovechkin crumpled to the ice and took a moment to get to his skates. He was helped off the ice by teammate Jakob Chychrun and sat on the bench briefly before returning to the locker room.

  Ovechkin scored two goals before the injury and has 13 in his last 11 games. With 868 goals in his career, the Russian veteran needs 27 to break Gretzky's mark of 894 set from 1978-99.

  Ovechkin tied an NHL record on Monday when he scored against a 178th different goalie, Utah's Connor Ingram. He now shares that mark with Jaromir Jagr. In addition, Ovechkin posted his 100th multi-goal road game, becoming the first player to hit that mark.

  The Capitals, winners of three straight games, next play on Thursday against the visiting Colorado Avalanche.

  --Field Level Media

Alex Ovechkin scored two goals one night after notching a hat trick, but he exited in the third period with a lower-body injury as the Washington Capitals beat the Utah Hockey Club 6-2 on Monday in Salt Lake City.

• Ovechkin got hurt because of a leg-on-leg collision with Utah's Jack McBain. After the Capitals prevailed to complete a sweep of their three-game road trip, coach Spencer Carbery said the team was awaiting word on Ovechkin's status.

  Dylan Strome and Brandon Duhaime each had a goal and an assist, while Aliaksei Protas and Nic Dowd also scored for Washington. Charlie Lindgren made 24 saves for the win. Ovechkin has a league-high 15 goals in 18 games this season and is 27 away from surpassing Wayne Gretzky's NHL record of 894.

  McBain and Nick Bjugstad scored for Utah, which has lost three of its past four games. Connor Ingram allowed four goals on 13 shots before being lifted for Karel Vejmelka in the second period.

  Sharks 5, Red Wings 4 (OT)

  Rookie sensation Macklin Celebrini scored his first career overtime goal and William Eklund tallied twice to lead host San Jose past Detroit.

  Tyler Toffoli and Luke Kunin also scored and Alexander Wennberg produced two assists for the Sharks, who snapped a three-game skid. Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 17 saves.

  Dylan Larkin had a goal and an assist while Marco Kasper, Michael Rasmussen and Alex DeBrincat also scored for the Red Wings, who have only one victory in their past six games. Goalie Cam Talbot stopped 29 shots.

  Canadiens 3, Oilers 0

  Sam Montembeault made 30 saves and Jake Evans had a goal and an assist in Montreal's shutout of visiting Edmonton.

  Brendan Gallagher and Kaiden Guhle also scored for the Canadiens, who are 3-1-0 in their past four games. Montembeault logged his second shutout of the season.

  The Oilers' third shutout loss of the campaign ended the team's four-game point streak (3-0-1). Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard stopped 22 of 24 shots.

  Blue Jackets 5, Bruins 1

  Columbus never trailed, logging a three-goal first period and netting a pair of short-handed tallies en route to a win over host Boston.

  Dmitri Voronkov, Mathieu Olivier and James van Riemsdyk built the Blue Jackets' 3-0 lead at the first intermission before Justin Danforth and Yegor Chinakhov found the back of the net in the final period.

  Sean Monahan handed out two assists and Elvis Merzlikins made 28 saves for Columbus, which had lost seven of its previous eight games (1-6-1). Charlie Coyle scored the lone goal and Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots for Boston, which has lost three straight (0-2-1).

  Avalanche 3, Flyers 2

  Cale Makar scored twice as visiting Colorado opened its four-game road trip with a victory over Philadelphia.

  Casey Mittelstadt chipped in a goal and an assist and Mikko Rantanen set up two goals for the Avalanche, who have won four of their past five games. Colorado's Justus Annunen made 24 saves.

  Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster scored for the Flyers, who lost in regulation for the first time in six games (4-1-1). Aleksei Kolosov recorded 26 saves while starting in net for the Flyers in place of Samuel Ersson (lower-body injury).

  Ducks 4, Stars 2

  Brett Leason notched a goal and two assists while leading Anaheim to a win in Dallas, ending the Stars' three-game winning streak.

  Leason has two goals and four assists in four games since returning to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for three straight games. Lukas Dostal made 34 saves for the Ducks, who have won three out of four.

  Esa Lindell and Matt Duchene scored and Casey DeSmith made 23 saves for Dallas.

  --Field Level Media

Riding his hottest streak of the season, Alex Ovechkin saw his night came to an early end on Monday.

• Now the Washington Capitals and their captain will wait to see if he will miss more than just the end of a blowout win.

  After scoring two goals in what would be a 6-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City, Ovechkin collided with Utah forward Jack McBain while trying to get the puck out of the defensive zone with 14:30 left in the game.

  After the players caught each other in the legs in what appeared to be inadvertent contact, Ovechkin crumpled to the ice and took a moment to get to his skates. The 39-year-old veteran was helped off the ice by teammate Jakob Chychrun and sat on the bench briefly before going back to the locker room.

  He did not return.

  After the game, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery told reporters Ovechkin was still being evaluated.

  The two goals gave the Russian 868 goals for his career, putting him 26 behind Wayne Gretzky's NHL-record total. The goals also gave Ovechkin the NHL lead for this season with 15. The 18 games Ovechkin needed to get to 15 are the fewest in his distinguished career he has taken to hit that mark in a season.

  He scored a hat trick in a 5-2 win at Vegas on Sunday and has 13 goals in his last 11 games.

  Ovechkin also tied an NHL record on Tuesday when he scored past a 178th different goalie, Utah's Connor Ingram. He now shares that mark with Jaromir Jagr. In addition, Ovechkin posted his 100th multi-goal road game, becoming the first player to hit that mark.

  The Capitals, winners of four straight, next play on Thursday against the visiting Colorado Avalanche.

  --Field Level Media

New York Islanders defenseman Mike Reilly will undergo a heart procedure on Tuesday that will sideline him indefinitely, the team announced Monday.

• Reilly didn't know he had a heart condition until it was found during testing for a concussion that he sustained during a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 1. He landed on injured reserve because of that concussion and has missed New York's past seven games.

  "It was picked up through the different echocardiograms that you do for different reasons that you go through with any post-concussion situation," Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said of the heart problem. "It's probably a blessing in disguise of what transpired. They detected this, something that you're sometimes born with but never knew."

  Lamoriello said it could be "several months" before Reilly is back on the ice.

  "(His quality of life will be) 100 percent, and he will be able to play once this procedure is done," Lamoriello said. "It takes quite a bit of time."

  Reilly, 31, has not recorded any points in 11 games this season for New York.

  --Field Level Media

Referee Mitch Dunning had to be taken off the ice via stretcher during the first period of a meeting between the host Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche on Monday night.

• Dunning took a hard fall after colliding with Colorado defenseman Josh Manson about 6 1/2 minutes into the game. Play stopped, and medical personnel from both teams came to tend to the 32-year-old official.

  Manson came over to Dunning and checked on him as he was being taken off the ice.

  Dunning has been a full-time referee in the NHL since 2022.

  --Field Level Media

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse will be sidelined five to 10 days after taking a shot to the head from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves over the weekend.

• "Obviously there was a big scare there ... since then, he's progressed really well, he's doing as good as he can," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters Monday.

  Reaves hit Nurse with his shoulder as the latter was attempting to skate out from behind the net during the second period of the Leafs' 4-3 overtime win over the Oilers on Saturday. Nurse was bleeding after the exchange and did not return to the game.

  Reaves received a five-minute major penalty for an illegal check to the head and a game misconduct. He was suspended for five games by the NHL on Sunday.

  Nurse, 29, has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 18 games this season.

  In his 11th NHL season, all with the Oilers, Nurse has 276 points (78 goals, 198 assists) and a rating of plus-69. The Oilers selected him No. 7 overall in the 2013 draft.

  --Field Level Media

Toronto Maple Leafs center Calle Jarnkrok is considered month-to-month after undergoing groin and sports hernia surgery, the team announced Monday.

• Jarnkrok, 33, has not played in a game this season.

  Jarnkrok tallied 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 52 games last season for the Leafs.

  The former second-round pick has 301 career points (136 goals, 165 assists) in 699 career games played for four teams, most notably the Nashville Predators (2013-21).

  Jarnkrok is in the third season of a four-year, $8.4 million contract in Toronto.

  --Field Level Media

Alex Ovechkin notched his 31st career hat trick and Logan Thompson made 40 saves to lead the Washington Capitals to a 5-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night in Las Vegas.

• Ovechkin is 29 goals shy of passing Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL scoring record of 894 goals after tallying the 864th, 865th and 866th goals of his career. It also marked the 176th multi-goal game of Ovechkin's career, 13 shy of Gretzky's record, and moved him into a tie for the league goal-scoring lead (13) with Florida's Sam Reinhart and Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl.

  Jakob Chychrun and Jakub Vrana also scored goals and Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas each had two assists for Washington, which improved to 6-0-0 against Western Conference teams with its first regular-season win in seven tries at T-Mobile Arena.

  Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar each scored for Vegas, which had a two-game winning streak snapped. Ilya Samsonov finished with 20 saves.

  Hurricanes 4, Blues 1

  Martin Necas scored two goals and earned two assists to lead Carolina past St. Louis in Raleigh, N.C.

  Necas extended his point streak to 13 games. He has 10 goals and 17 assists during that span. Eric Robinson had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes, who have won 11 of their past 13 games. Andrei Svechnikov also scored a goal and goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov made 29 saves to earn his ninth victory in 11 starts.

  Jake Neighbours scored a goal and Joel Hofer made 20 saves for the Blues, who are 1-4-1 in their past six games.

  Rangers 2, Kraken 0

  Jonathan Quick made 24 saves for his second consecutive shutout and the 62nd of his career as New York defeated host Seattle.

  Alexis Lafreniere and Zac Jones scored for the Rangers, who won their second game in a row and improved to 10-0-0 when scoring first this season. Quick, in his 18th NHL season, has won all four of his starts to begin the campaign.

  Seattle goaltender Philipp Grubauer stopped 21 of 23 shots as the Kraken had a four-game winning streak come to an end. Grubauer was making his first start since Nov. 5. He missed four games with an undisclosed injury due to an "unfortunate accident" at home, according to Kraken coach Dan Bylsma.

  Predators 5, Canucks 3

  Steven Stamkos scored twice and Zachary L'Heureux scored his first career goal as visiting Nashville beat Vancouver.

  Roman Josi collected one goal and one assist, Gustav Nyquist scored once and Filip Forsberg posted two assists for the Predators, who snapped a three-game skid. Goaltender Juuse Saros made 24 saves.

  Aatu Raty, Elias Pettersson and Kiefer Sherwood scored for the Canucks, who have only three wins in 10 home games this season. Danton Heinen recorded two assists and goalie Kevin Lankinen, who joined the Canucks this season after two campaigns with the Predators, stopped 16 shots.

  --Field Level Media

The NHL fined Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk $5,000 on Sunday for clipping Florida defenseman Jesper Boqvist during the host Panthers' 5-0 victory on Saturday.

• The fine is the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.

  Pionk received a 10-minute misconduct penalty on the play in the third period. He appeared to be trying to hip check Boqvist but caught him on the knee instead and sent the Panthers forward to the ice in apparent pain.

  The last time Pionk was punished by the league's Department of Player Safety was a $5,000 fine on April 12, 2023, for cross-checking.

  Pionk, 29, has 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) and 16 penalty minutes in 18 games this season for the Jets.

  He has 234 points (37 goals, 197 assists) in 485 regular-season games with the New York Rangers and Jets. He has 14 points (all assists) in 22 playoff contests.

  --Field Level Media

Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves was suspended five games without pay following his illegal check to the head of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse on Saturday night in Toronto.

• The NHL Department of Player Safety announced the punishment on Sunday after his disciplinary hearing. Reaves will forfeit $35,156.25, based on his average annual salary, under terms of the collective bargaining agreement. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assist Fund.

  Reaves hit Nurse in the head with his shoulder as the latter was attempting to skate out from behind the net during the second period of the Maple Leafs' 4-3 overtime win over the Oilers. Nurse was bleeding following the exchange and did not return to the game.

  Reaves received a five-minute major penalty for an illegal check to the head and game misconduct.

  Reaves, 37, has been suspended three times during his NHL career.

  He has one assist and 23 penalty minutes in 16 games this season.

  Reaves has totaled 136 points (63 goals, 73 assists) and 1,095 penalty minutes in 893 career games with six different teams.

  --Field Level Media