MATT DUCHENE

First Liners (Risers)Dylan Cozens, C, BUFCozens, selected seventh overall in 2019, took a major step forward last season with 38 points in 79 games. It looks like that was just the start of Cozens becoming a viable fantasy option. Taken ninth overall in 2021, Guenther has three goals and eight assists while seeing most of his action in the bottom-six. The result was new career highs in goals (27), assists (27), points (54) as well as several other categories. After a decent start, Strome has hit the skids a bit.

Nino Niederreiter scored his debut goal for the Nashville Predators, who beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 in Prague in the NHL regular-season opener.

After the San Jose Sharks missed the NHL playoffs for a third straight season for the first time in franchise history, Tomas Hertl is determined to turn things around.

The Avalanche now are in the Western Conference semifinals for a fourth straight season and second consecutive after sweeping their first-round opponent. Andre Burakovsky had a goal and two assists, Cale Makar added a goal and an assist, and Devon Toews added a goal for Colorado. Yakov Trenin scored twice for Nashville, which was swept for the first time in franchise history in its 15th playoff appearance. Filip Forsberg scored his first of the series giving Nashville its first lead this series at 3:58 of the third. Colorado scored three times over the final 11:05 to wrap up a series by outscoring Nashville 21-9.

Gabriel Landeskog scored twice in the second period, and the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators 7-3 for a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference series.

Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews scored 22 seconds apart in a five-goal first period, sending the Colorado Avalanche to a 7-2 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

Sidney Crosby scored the second of his two goals at 2:21 of overtime for his 1,400th career point, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins snap a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators.

Steven Stamkos had a goal and two assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 to spoil the first outdoor game in Music City.

The Buffalo Sabres had just completed a pregame meeting and veteran forward Kyle Okposo was struck by what he noticed once the coaches left the room. Without referencing how things went in the past, Okposo was making a clear point about the current — post-Jack Eichel — makeup of the Sabres and the bonds being formed among a group of developing youngsters and journeymen.

Luke Kunin scored his second goal at 16:10 of the second overtime,and the Nashville Predators beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 Sunday to tie the first-round series 2-2.

Oilers star Connor McDavid, who had 105 points in the regular season, is still looking for his first point of the series as the Jets lead 2-0.

Now the Predators, 0-5 after trailing 2-0 in a best-of-seven series, will try to tie it up Sunday in Game 4. Duchene scored his first goal of the series in the longest game yet of this postseason. Roman Josi flipped the puck to Duchene, who skated up the slot and flipped the puck over Alex Nedeljkovic for the victory. Ryan Ellis had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Mikael Granlund also scored for Nashville. Staal tied it at 3:31 with his third goal this series on a breakaway, beating Saros with a wrister.

Matt Duchene scored at 14:54 of the second overtime and the Nashville Predators beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 on Friday night to cut their series deficit to 2-1.

Their first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators offers the chance to maintain that upward trajectory — or suffer the first significant stumble of that three-season climb. The teams open their series Monday, with the Hurricanes facing heightened expectations after winning the Central Division for their first division crown since hoisting the Stanley Cup 15 years ago. “We’ve been more or less playing playoff hockey for the last two months because our playoff lives were on the line,” defenseman Ryan Ellis said. Last year they swept the best-of-five qualifier series against the New York Rangers after losing 31 of 37 previous meetings. Fans sounded much louder in the final two regular-season games, a boost in a season where seats around the NHL were mostly empty.

The Carolina Hurricanes and the Nashville Predators begin their Stanley Cup playoff series Monday.

Tim Peel's career as an NHL referee is over after his voice was picked up by a TV microphone saying he wanted to call a penalty against the Nashville Predators. Referee Tim Peel is shown in this Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, file photo. Derik Hamilton / AP"Nothing is more important than ensuring the integrity of our game," NHL vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell said in a statement. "I don't think it's right. I think if it's an obvious one I don't think it should be made up for."

Tim Peel's career as an NHL referee is over after his voice was picked up by a TV microphone saying he wanted to call a penalty against the Nashville Predators. The league on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, announced that Peel no longer will be working NHL games now or in the future. Peel will “no longer will be working NHL games now or in the future," the league said. “Watch what happens at the end of games,” said Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour, a former center who played more than 1,600 NHL games. That level of experience made him a “senior-level official” in the terms of the league's collective bargaining agreement with the NHL Officials Association.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)DALLAS – Joe Pavelski had two goals and two assists and Alexander Radulov also scored twice, helping Dallas beat the Nashville Predators 7-0 on Friday night in the Stars' delayed season opener. Five of Dallas' goals came in the second period, including three power-play goals and an unassisted short-handed wrist shot by Esa Lindell. Pavelski and Kiviranta added power-play goals in the third period, those against Pekka Rinne, who entered after Saros allowed five goals on 20 shots. CAPTAIN HURTStars captain Jamie Benn was injured when his right leg buckled awkwardly after a collision with Viktor Arvidsson in the second period. Three of the shots game in the first period, including a wraparound attempt into Khudobin’s pads and a hard second shot on the rebound.