NHL Friday: Flyers best Devils in shootout

So what happened in overtime really shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Datsyukian indeed.

Dumb. Dangerous. Unnecessary.

I’ll take a wild guess and predict that Peter Laviolette will have some choice words for Schenn in the locker room after this penalty put his team in position to lose the game.

As it turns out, even Rinne is not immune to whatever is ailing the Preds.

So all in all: six goals on 14 shots in two games. Not good. And now the Preds face an uphill battle in Calgary.

Financial details were not disclosed, as per Phoenix policy, but Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the contract is in the $5.5 million per year range.

Ekman-Larsson is in the middle of a Norris Trophy-caliber season. The 21-year-old Swede is sixth among NHL defensemen with 17 points and has a plus-8 rating. It was important that the Coyotes get a deal done eventually, as Ekman-Larsson was approaching the end of his entry-level contract and was poised to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Ownership issues notwithstanding, the Coyotes now have their franchise defenseman locked up long-term.

Brennan has played in 21 games for the Sabres, scoring just two goals and registering 12 penalty minutes. He’s a product the Panthers are quite familiar with, as he played under current Florida coach Kevin Dineen when the two were with the Portland Pirates in the American Hockey League.

It’s not the sexy, big trade that many have been expecting from the Panthers lately, but it provides some depth to a badly depleted roster. Meanwhile, the Sabres have added another draft pick to their rebuilding process.

• Let’s name the new divisions!

• Suspension for Corey Perry?

Things have no been going well for the Flyers. This is especially true when they face the Devils. After proclaiming Wednesday night’s game against New Jersey as a must-win in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Flyers lost in underwhelming fashion, 5-2. With the playoffs becoming a fading dream, can the Flyers breathe some life back into their season on Friday night?

2. Will the Flyers’ best players ... be their best players?

There are three games scheduled in the NHL on Friday night, with two contests in the Western Conference and one in the Eastern.

The New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers will play the tail end of a home-and-home in Philadelphia, while the Calgary Flames host the Nashville Predators. The Edmonton Oilers will close out the night by hosting the Detroit Red Wings.