#playoff-race

#playoff-race

He also continues to anchor this Heat defense, adding four blocks on the night as well. The biggest takeaway from Adebayo's outing was his aggression in getting to the free throw line. He went 13 of 17 on foul shots, as the veteran big man was assertive in attacking the basket and looking to create offense. That's what this team needs from Adebayo every night.

The Bruins' center had to be dropped from the Czechia Olympic team roster because of the upper body injury he suffered in the January 29 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Zacha had held out hope that he would be able to play in the Milan-Cortina Games but on Saturday he had to be replaced on the roster by Filip Chlapik of he Czech Extraliaga.

Our first five minutes of every period were not very good, but I thought we rebounded from it extremely well... I'll give credit to [Cleveland] for not quitting and pushing us to the end... It's a disappointment because we were up 2-0. If we're going to be the team we want to be, we have to make sure we close those types of games out.

The Islanders arrive riding momentum after a dramatic 5-4 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday at UBS Arena. Bo Horvat scored twice, including the overtime winner, and added an assist, while Mathew Barzal matched him with three points of his own. Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer continued his standout season with a goal and an assist, Ryan Pulock also scored, and Ilya Sorokin turned aside 31 shots as New York snapped a two-game skid.

It would also see third-year franchise centerpiece Connor Bedard exit the game; with less than a second to go, Bedard would suffer an upper-body injury that would keep him out of action for almost a month. He would later be placed on the injured reserve, a move which would not only end his chance at making Canada's Olympic roster, but also shelve him for four weeks.

We're now well past the halfway point of the NHL season, and things are still quite wacky. From all eight teams in the Atlantic being separated by just thirteen points to just six points separating eight teams in the Western Conference wild card race, it's still going to take some time to truly see some separation in the NHL. And the statistics don't even begin to paint such a picture. Here's just five of the wildest numbers from another chaotic month of NHL hockey.

This stretch will demand more from the Raptors' bench, and that is where things get complicated. Toronto has found success with its second unit this season. The team's leaders in net-rating include Jamal Shead at +5.5, Gradey Dick at +5.3, and Sandro Mamukelashvili at +5.2. Those numbers are encouraging, but expanded roles bring added pressure. Additionally, young and unproven players behind the usual bench rotation will be asked to take on expanded roles.

And especially not the way he played against the New York Jets on Sunday. Lawrence threw for 330 yards and a career-high five touchdowns and ran for another in the Jaguars' 48-20 rout at EverBank Stadium. That makes him the only player in NFL history with five or more passing TDs, one or more rushing TDs, and at least 50 rushing yards in a single game, per ESPN Research.

The Cowboys are the 19th best team by DVOA, which feels about right. With 14 teams making the playoffs, that means they're just on the outside of that threshold. It's worth noting that three of their four remaining opponents all rank below them in DVOA, as do two of the teams ahead of them in the conference standings. Let's highlight special teams real quick, because it's been bad.

During last night's broadcast, with the absence of Adam Fox, Kenny and Dave gave Vlad Gavrikov the moniker "Vlad Park" after Rangers legend Brad Park. While the entire Rangers team has brought us back from the brink over the last few games, Gavrikov in particular is showing just why the Rangers were so keen on signing him in free agency. Between last night in Ottawa and Monday's against Dallas, Gavrikov has essentially carried the team into looking this good.