San Jose star center Joe Thornton has been suspended for Game 4 of the Sharks' series against Vegas for an illegal check to the head of Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek in Game 3, the NHL's Department of Player Safety has announced.

In the second period of Saturday night's 6-3 win for the Golden Knights, Nosek played the puck in his defensive zone while skating toward the back of the Vegas net. Thornton was skating toward Nosek and delivered "a direct shoulder into Nosek's head," according to the NHL.

While the Knights player was slightly crouched, he didn't change the position of his body before Thornton delivered the hit. The NHL argued that Thornton could have delivered a full check through Nosek's shoulder rather than his head.

Thornton earned a minor penalty for the hit at 16:54 of the second period. His last suspension came during the 2010-11 season.

After Game 3, Thornton defended his hit on Nosek. "Honestly, I thought I barely touched him. He came right back. It's just one of those plays. I think my son hits me like that six times a day, it's just a weird position he put himself in. That's all," Thornton said.

Ryan Reaves, Nosek's teammate, disagreed with that assessment on Monday. "I've got a buddy with a grandpa who's going through the same thing. He can't see very well because he's getting old. Needs glasses. If he gets suspended, he's going to have a hard time seeing from the press box," he told the Las Vegas Sun.

Thornton, 39, had 16 goals and 35 assists in 73 games this season despite his lowest average ice time (15:33) since 1998-99, his second year in the NHL. He has a goal and two assists in the three games of this series, skating on the Sharks' third line.

The Golden Knights lead their series 2-1; Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Defenseman Jacob Bryson is skipping his senior season at Providence after signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres.

Bryson will report to Buffalo's AHL affiliate in Rochester after signing an amateur tryout contract. That means his NHL contract won't kick in until next season.

The Sabres selected Bryson in the fourth round of the 2017 draft.

The signing announcement Monday comes after Providence's season ended with a 4-1 loss to eventual national champion Minnesota Duluth in the Frozen Four semifinals held in Buffalo last Thursday. Bryson was the Friars' team captain and finished his junior season with four goals and a career-high 28 points in 42 games.

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 178 pounds, the 21-year-old Bryson finished with 11 goals and 73 points in 121 career games.

Look, we know what many of you were up to last night. Arya. Daenerys. Viserion. Winterfell.

So as a public service, here's what happened in the NHL last night (check out replays of every playoff game on ESPN+), and what to watch for tonight, in the latest edition of ESPN Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily:

Jump ahead: Last night's games | Three Stars
Play of the night | Today's games | Social post of the day

About last night ...

Game 3: New York Islanders 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 1 (Islanders lead series 3-0). The Islanders have a formula for this series, and it's a formula that has pushed the Penguins to the brink of elimination. It begins with a style of play that's not winning any beauty contests but is effective. As Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said, "there's not a lot of risk associated with the Islanders." That manifested itself in yet another sterling defensive effort, as Robin Lehner stopped 25 shots and Penguins star Sidney Crosby was held off the score sheet for the third straight game (and was a minus-3). It continues with perhaps the most opportunistic offense in the playoffs, crushing the momentum of the Penguins at every turn. To wit: The Penguins took a 1-0 lead at 12:54 of the first period; by the 14:24 mark, the Islanders had goals from Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson (62 seconds apart) to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish. On Tuesday, they'll attempt to do to Crosby what no team in the NHL has done to him: sweep him in the first round.

Game 3: Columbus Blue Jackets 3, Tampa Bay Lightning 1 (Blue Jackets lead series 3-0). Here's a quick history lesson about this series. It's the first time the Jackets have won three games in the same postseason. It's the first time the 2018-19 Lightning failed to score multiple goals in consecutive games. It's the fifth time in the 100-plus years of NHL postseason competition that a team that led the regular season in points found itself down 3-0 in a first-round playoff series, the last one being the 2012 Vancouver Canucks, who lost in five games to the Los Angeles Kings. In fact, none of these previous four teams rallied to win their series. The Lightning were without Victor Hedman (injured), Nikita Kucherov (suspended) and Steven Stamkos' offensive impact (invisible). They finally looked like themselves during a flurry of offensive chances in the third period, but Sergei Bobrovsky passed the test with 30 saves. With another power-play goal, the Jackets are now 4-for-8 for the series; the Lightning, who had the best power play and kill in the regular season, are 0-for-5 and didn't have a man advantage in Game 3.

Game 3: Winnipeg Jets 6, St. Louis Blues 3 (Blues lead series 2-1). The Jets relocated their offense in a must-win Game 3, scoring in bunches against rookie goalie Jordan Binnington (23 saves) and the Blues. Kevin Hayes, Patrik Laine (his third goal) and Kyle Connor scored in the second period just 4:01 apart to make it 3-1. After Vladimir Tarasenko scored his first of the playoffs to cut the lead, Brandon Tanev and Dustin Byfuglien scored goals 3:41 apart to all but put the game away. Kudos to Paul Maurice for his line tinkering, including a reunion of the TLC line of Tanev, Adam Lowry and Andrew Copp. Binnington, meanwhile, hadn't given up more than four goals in a game this season until this tilt. All eyes will be on the rookie to see how he responds in Game 4.

Game 3: Vegas Golden Knights 6, San Jose Sharks 3 (Golden Knights lead series 2-1). The other day, coach Gerard Gallant was asked about his second line of Paul Stastny, Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. "When did you declare them our second line?" he asked, earning chuckles. Since Stone arrived at the trade deadline, few trios in the NHL have matched the firepower of this Vegas line, and they owned Game 3: Stone had a hat trick and two assists, Stastny had two goals and three assists and Pacioretty had a goal and an assist. The line gave the Knights a lead just 16 seconds into the game and a 4-1 lead after two periods. Neither Marc-Andre Fleury nor Martin Jones put up good numbers in this brutally physical game between these newly minted rivals -- but Jones followed being pulled in Game 2 with an .850 save percentage in Game 3. Not great.

Three Stars

1. Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights. His hat trick was the first of the 2019 playoffs, the first in Golden Knights postseason history and his first in the past 414 regular-season or postseason games. He was absolutely incredible, with his usual defensive panache (four takeaways) and his underrated playmaking (like his feed to set up Stastny's goal) also grabbing the spotlight.

2. Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets. He didn't have much action for about 40 minutes, but Bob was the difference in the third period when Tampa found its offense, stopping 16 of 17 shots. "We have a really good goalie. I thought he stood really big in those 10 to 12 minutes there when they cranked it up," said coach John Tortorella.

3. Robin Lehner, New York Islanders. Like Bobrovsky, he was the beneficiary of the great defense being played in front of him, but he also did some heavy lifting in stopping all 18 shots he faced after the first period. One of the best stories of the postseason adds another chapter.

Play of the night

Evander Kane and Ryan Reaves finally fight after chirping all night pic.twitter.com/Rla9W0ktX4 - Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 15, 2019

While we'd normally showcase some display of offensive artistry, an athletic save or a quirky play in this space, the play of the night had to be the boiling over of the Evander Kane vs. Ryan Reaves feud in a late-game fight. While Kane sought to show the Sharks won't go down without a fight, that vibe was counteracted by the T-Mobile Arena game operations crew playing "Baby Shark (Do Do Do Do Do)" after it was over. Which was savage.

Dud of the night

Steven Stamkos and Sidney Crosby. With their teams in critical Game 3 battles, neither of these superstars posted a point on Sunday, remaining 0-for-the-playoffs. The Lightning needed something from their captain with Nikita Kucherov suspended and Victor Hedman out with an injury, but he was a minus-2 with no shots on goal. Crosby had three shots on goal ... and was a minus-3 in the Islanders' win.

What's on the schedule

Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 3, 7 p.m. ET. Series tied 1-1.

The Leafs should learn the fate of center Nazem Kadri before the game, as he appears in person before the NHL Department of Player Safety to answer for his hit on Jake DeBrusk in Game 2. DeBrusk and defenseman Torey Krug are "day-to-day," according to the team.

Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes, Game 3, 7 p.m. ET. Capitals lead 2-0.

The "Bunch of Jerks" return to Raleigh for the first playoff home game for the Hurricanes since May 26, 2009. To put that in perspective: Their most recent postseason home game was played three days before Pixar's "Up" debuted in theaters. It sounds like coach Rod Brind'Amour, despite two straight losses, intends to stick with goalie Petr Mrazek.

Nashville Predators at Dallas Stars, Game 3, 9:30 p.m. ET. Series tied 1-1.

Craig Smith's OT goal in Game 2 evened this series, in what coach Peter Laviolette called a more "complete" game for the Preds than Game 1. The Stars gave up 43 shots in Game 2 and only generated 23 for the game -- including 14 at even strength. They need to make greater use of their opportunities.

Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche, Game 3, 10 p.m. ET. Series tied 1-1.

UMass star Cale Makar quickly signed with the Avalanche after his college season ended. Will we see the outstanding young defenseman in Game 3? The underdog Avs knotted the series in overtime in Game 2. The Flames are looking for a faster start and to "be the more desperate team" in Game 3, according to coach Bill Peters. He also feels that going on the road will be healthy for his younger players: "It might be a little easier for the younger players to go on the road and play and not worry about entertainment value."

Social post of the day

What's a Vegas wedding without some Golden Knights vows? �� pic.twitter.com/RDvOPWltXj - x-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 14, 2019

The Golden Knights did a very Vegas thing before Game 3, having couples get married or renew their vows in front of the arena. They promised to give each other, ahem, a "Fleury" of kisses.

Quotable

This angle clearly shows exactly how bad of a hit that @SanJoseSharks veteran Joe Thornton imposed on @GoldenKnights>

This should at least at the very minimum be a single game suspension, but honestly, this one could cost him two or more. #VegasBorn>#SJSharks>pic.twitter.com/E7uANejKyf - Vegas Desert Sports (@VDesertSports) April 15, 2019

"Honestly, I thought I barely touched him. He came right back. It's just one of those plays. I think my son hits me like that six times a day, it's just a weird position he put himself in. That's all." -- San Jose Sharks star Joe Thornton on his hit to the head of Tomas Nosek that earned him a two-minute minor for checking to the head. Could it earn something more from the NHL Department of Player Safety? (Via Sin Bin)

Real Madrid stumbled to a 1-1 La Liga draw at Leganes on Monday, the latest disappointing result in a nightmare season for the European champions.

Zinedine Zidane's side, who are third in the table and 13 points behind leaders Barcelona, were uninspired against local rivals Leganes.

Madrid put in the kind of lethargic performance which has plagued their season, with Marco Asensio and Raphael Varane missing good first-half chances.

"For me as coach, and them as players, we must keep trying to play better," Zidane said. "We can play better, and we must play better. The first half was not so good, the second half a bit better. Even if this might have been a bad season, we must all give a bit more."

Jonathan Silva fired Leganes ahead in the 45th minute with their first chance of the game, driving home from the edge of the box.

Karim Benzema equalised at the start of the second half and Marcelo saw a shot tipped away as Madrid enjoyed a short period in ascendancy.

Leganes, 11th in the table, went close to winning the game but Youssef En-Nesyri had a goal correctly disallowed for offside.

Asked if Benzema annoyed by persistent talk that the Bernabeu hierarchy would sign a new striker this summer, Zidane said: "I don't know -- you'd have to ask him about that."

"[Benzema] is used to that, new players coming," Zidane said. "But he has shown his personality and that's it. He is a fantastic player and this year what has changed is that he has scored many more goals, so I am happy for him."

A Madrid player whose future remains uncertain is Welsh galactico Gareth Bale, who made little impression during a late run as a substitute.

"[Bale] is an important player of the squad," Zidane said. "He has played three of the last four games, I think. Today I wanted to make a change, that's all. Playing 10 or 15 minutes is difficult for those who come into the game, it was the same with Lucas [Vazquez]. We make the changes to win the game, and we did not do that today."

Information from Reuters and ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan was used in this report.

Arsenal boosted their hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League after a bizarre 10th-minute goal by striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave them a 1-0 win at 10-man Watford on Monday.

The result lifted the Gunners two places up to fourth on 66 points from 33 games, one behind third-placed Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal are ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea, who have played a game more, on goal difference. Watford stayed 10th with 46 points.

Arsenal manager Unai Emery was pleased with his team's first away clean sheet of the season.

"A clean sheet is very important," he told the BBC. "It is going to give us a lot of information, this match."

The fast-paced clash took a decisive turn in a frantic one-minute spell early on, as Aubameyang found the back of the net in unlikely fashion before Watford striker Troy Deeney was shown a straight red card for elbowing Lucas Torreira.

The home side's goalkeeper Ben Foster dwelled on Daryl Janmaat's back pass for too long, allowing Aubameyang to close him down and block his attempted goalmouth clearance as the ball ricocheted into the back of the net.

Foster made no excuses for his howler.

"I've said sorry to the lads," he said. "I tried to drag it on to my left and pass it out but before I knew it Aubameyang was bloody on me. He is too quick. In hindsight you have to get rid [of the ball] as quick as you can, even if it goes into row Z."

Torreira was taken off at half-time with a "small injury," said Emery, who also cited the atmosphere surrounding the Uruguay international after the Deeney incident.

"First I decided to do the change of Lucas Torreira because, after the red card, the atmosphere is against him," he said.

"Also, the doctor said to me in the first half that he has a little pain from Thursday's game against Napoli and I decided 'okay, it's the moment [to take him off]'."

Asked what he thought of Deeney's red card, the former Sevilla and PSG boss said he never saw the clash.

"I didn't see the red card. I leave the decision for the referee," he said. "It's clear it helped us, with the decisions, because we played with one more player from then on. It's more difficult for them. But our goal gave us the advantage in the first half and after the red card also."

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Watford kept pressing and missed a string of chances to draw level, having twice been denied by the woodwork as well as by some good saves from Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno.

The home side missed their best opportunity in the 80th minute when Arsenal substitute Ainsley Maitland-Niles slid in to block Andre Gray's goal-bound effort after the Watford forward rounded Leno.

Aubameyang, Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan also came close at the other end but Arsenal were forced to hang on in the closing stages with Watford throwing men forward.

The home team's manager Marco Silva praised his team for their fighting spirit in the face of adversity.

"We did a lot of things to try to win, a big effort," he said. "We didn't get any points but we played well. It was a difficult game with 10 men."