ZACH PARISE

Vladimir Tarasenko had three goals in the third period to break open a tied game and series, and the St. Louis Blues pushed the Minnesota Wild to the edge of elimination with a 5-2 victory in Game 5.

Jake Guentzel scored twice, Sidney Crosby also had a goal and the Pittsburgh Penguins earned a playoff berth for the 16th straight season with a 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night. Guentzel scored his 36th and 37th goals and Crosby his 29th as the Penguins extended the longest active postseason streak among teams in major North American professional sports. Danton Heinen equaled a career high with his 16th goal, while Kris Letang and Brock McGinn also scored for Pittsburgh, which tied Calgary for the seventh-longest playoff streak in the NHL since 1967.

Zdeno Chara is returning to the team where he started his career after agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with the New York Islanders.

Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop has waived his no-movement clause to be exposed in the Seattle expansion draft after approaching the team with the idea.

Moving on from the past is an early theme of the NHL offseason. Consider it like summer cleaning before most of the jumbling for the 2021-22 season happens after the Seattle expansion draft next week. Vegas is exempt after the Golden Knights rode their 2017 expansion draft to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. The ramifications of the Kraken's expansion draft sure will. “Once the expansion draft is over, I expect things would heat up,” Holland said.

Moving on from the past is the early theme of the NHL offseason.

Wild Buyouts Hockey FILE - In this July 9, 2012, file photo, Minnesota Wild NHL hockey players Ryan Suter, left, and Zach Parise are introduced during a news conference in St. Paul, Minn. After signing with Minnesota together, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter are being bought out together. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File) (Jim Mone)Nine years after Zach Parise and Ryan Suter signed twin contracts together worth nearly $200 million with the Minnesota Wild, they are being bought out together in a stunning turn of events early in the NHL offseason. Parise and Suter were signed through 2025 at matching salary cap hits of $7.538 million each year. Minnesota made the playoffs eight times in nine seasons since signing Parise and Suter but never got past the second round. “I know they both have game left, and they’re going to help another team," Guerin said.

Wild Buyouts Hockey FILE - In this July 9, 2012, file photo, Minnesota Wild NHL hockey players Ryan Suter, left, and Zach Parise are introduced during a news conference in St. Paul, Minn. After signing with Minnesota together, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter are being bought out together. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File) (Jim Mone)After signing with Minnesota together, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter are being bought out together. The Wild announced Tuesday that the team is buying out the final four years of each player's contract, a stunning move early in the NHL offseason. Parise and Suter signed identical $98 million, 13-year contracts on July 4, 2012, and now they'll go back into free agency together on July 28. The buyouts will combine to cost the Wild almost $15 million against the salary cap in 2023-24 and 2024-25 for Parise and Suter not to play for them.

The Minnesota Wild are buying out the contracts of veteran stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

Mattias Janmark notched his first career hat trick as the Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Minnesota Wild with a 6-2 win in Game 7 of their opening-round series.

APTOPIX Wild Golden Knights Hockey Minnesota Wild left wing Jordan Greenway (18) celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, May 24, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) (John Locher)LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Cam Talbot made 37 saves and the Minnesota Wild beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 despite having only 14 shots on goal to stave off elimination in their opening-round playoff series on Monday night. Vegas, which was looking to close out a playoff series at home for the first time, leads the series 3-2. Mark Stone and Alec Martinez scored for the Golden Knights. It marked the first time the Golden Knights allowed three goals in a playoff period in 11 games, dating to the postseason bubble last season.

Cam Talbot made 37 saves and the Minnesota Wild beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 despite having only 14 shots on goal to stave off elimination in their opening-round playoff series.

Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby and Washington winger Tom Wilson separately questioned the NHL on a lack of clarity between clean and dirty hits. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Boston Bruins are resuming practice since having two games postponed resulting from five players being placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. The team announced it will practice Wednesday night, a day before the Bruins are still scheduled to host the New York Islanders. The total is down from 15 on Tuesday, which was the most since 18 players were in the protocol on Feb. 17. The conference allowed a limited number of fans to attend the Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

The NHL is embarking on a free agent period like never before in hockey history. A handful of the top free agents are still available, but NHL teams aren't waiting for those big fish to sign to make other moves. Koivu signed for $1.5 million for next season, and they need to re-up top center Pierre-Luc Dubois and other restricted free agents. Teams have to move money, and in order to move money, they might have to move some really good players.”Some good free agents found new homes Saturday. The Buffalo Sabres signed center Cody Eakin to a $4.5 million, two-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal.