National Hockey

VANCOUVER — Leaning against a dark blue cement wall adorned with a Vancouver Canucks logo in the bowels of Rogers Arena, club president Trevor Linden reflects upon his team as it approaches the midway point of the regular season.

CALGARY — The Calgary Flames may be in playoff contention nearing the halfway point of their regular season, but they have lots of company.

BROSSARD, Que. — It will be up to the Montreal Canadiens' top players to turn the team's fortunes around in the second half of the NHL season.

LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights signed scoring leader Jonathan Marchessault to a $30 million, six-year contract extension Wednesday, the clearest sign yet that the first-year, first-place organization is going for it.

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers focused Wednesday on fixing a profoundly dysfunctional penalty kill unit that has come to symbolize a season confoundingly mired deep in the ditch.

Nashville Predators forward and leading scorer Filip Forsberg will miss four to six weeks with an upper-body injury. The Predators announced the extent of Forsberg's injury Wednesday.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar says goaltender Semyon Varlamov is "day-to-day" after suffering a lower-body injury. Varlamov felt some soreness after making a move in net Tuesday night against Winnipeg.

TORONTO — Defence, slow starts and injuries are some of issues that have challenged the Toronto Maple Leafs in their quest to become an elite team.

There's no need to push the panic button in Pittsburgh yet. Soon, maybe. There are plenty of examples of a reigning Stanley Cup champion not making the following season's playoffs, most recently the Los Angeles Kings in 2015.

VANCOUVER — Ryan Miller acknowledged an ovation from the crowd marking his return to Rogers Arena with a wave moments before the opening faceoff.