PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers want Ben Roethlisberger back, and he wants to return.

Team president Art Rooney II acknowledged the mutual desire between the Steelers and their longtime quarterback in a statement Wednesday morning.

"Ben Roethlisberger and I met yesterday morning and we had a productive meeting" Rooney said. "We were able to discuss a lot of things that relate to where we are and where we want to go. Ben assured me that he is committed to coming back to help us win, and I told Ben that we would like to have him back to help us win a championship. We both understand the next step is to work out Ben's contract situation."

Statement from #Steelers President Art Rooney II on QB Ben Roethlisberger: pic.twitter.com/mB0CwkmrCh

— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) February 24, 2021

The final year of Roethlisberger's current deal comes with a $41.2 million cap hit, though a contract restructure and extension could lower that by a maximum of about $14 million.

Roethlisberger, who turns 39 next week, also could opt to take a pay cut to the veteran minimum, which would put his cap hit just over $23 million.

In a statement to NFL Network on Tuesday night, Roethlisberger's agent Ryan Tollner said "we are happy to creatively adjust his contract to help them build the best team possible."

Rooney's statement is the most committal the Steelers have been toward bringing the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback back for at least one more season.

General manager Kevin Colbert was lukewarm last week in his assessment of Roethlisberger's status with the team, saying "hopefully, there is a way we could try and figure out and do what's best for the organization and do what's best for Ben."

Rooney echoed some of Colbert's sentiments in Wednesday's statement, saying that the sides still have to resolve Roethlisberger's contract situation -- something that has to be done by the open of the new league year on March 17.

Tiger Woods, a 15-time major champion and winner of a record-tying 82 PGA Tour tournaments, was seriously injured in a car wreck in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Woods, 45, underwent several hours of emergency surgery to repair what doctors called "significant orthopaedic injuries" to his lower right leg and ankle.

Here's everything we know about the accident and Woods' condition as of Wednesday morning:

What is Tiger's condition after surgery?

In a statement posted to Tiger's Twitter account at 12:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Dr. Anish Mahajan, the chief medical officer and interim CEO of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, said Woods suffered comminuted open fractures -- bones that were broken into more than two pieces and with breaks in the skin -- in the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula of his right leg.

pic.twitter.com/vZitnFV0YA

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 24, 2021

Mahajan said surgeons there placed a rod into the tibia of Woods' right leg, and they used a combination of screws and pins to stabilize injuries to his foot and ankle. Mahajan said Woods also suffered trauma to the muscle and soft tissue of his right leg, which required surgeons to release "the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling."

Mahajan's statement did not include details about Woods' left leg. In an earlier statement on Tuesday, Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, said he suffered "multiple leg injuries."

The statement said Woods was "awake, responsive and recovering" after several hours of surgery.

When and where did the accident happen?

Woods was involved in a single-car accident just after 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday near the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, about 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. Woods was the sole occupant of a 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV at the time of the wreck.

During a news conference on Tuesday, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Woods was traveling northbound on Hawthorne Boulevard at a "relatively greater speed than normal" while descending a steep hill in an area that has a "high frequency of accidents." He said there were no skid marks in the road and no signs that Woods attempted to brake.

According to Villanueva, Woods' vehicle hit the center divider, destroyed a wooden "Welcome to Rolling Hills Estates" sign and rolled over several times. After crossing the two southbound lanes, the SUV hit a curb and a tree before settling several hundred feet from the road. His vehicle narrowly missed hitting a utility pole.

Weather was not a factor, according to Villanueva, and authorities didn't immediately know how fast Woods was driving when he crashed. L.A. County sheriff's deputy Carlos Gonzalez said he sometimes stops people driving well over the speed limit in the 45 mph zone, where signs warn truck drivers to use lower gears because of the steep grade.

Villanueva said there was no immediate evidence that Woods was impaired at the scene.

What was Woods' condition when authorities found him?

Gonzalez initially arrived at the scene and found Woods struggling to get out of his SUV. He said Woods was wearing a seatbelt and was conscious and alert.

"I spoke to him. I asked him what his name was. He told me his name was Tiger, and at that moment, I immediately recognized him," Gonzalez said during the news conference.

Gonzalez said Woods was able to answer questions about what day it was and where he was.

"Tiger was able to speak to me lucidly," said Gonzalez, who added that Woods appeared "incredibly calm," probably because he was in shock.

Because of damage to the front end of the vehicle and the fact that the SUV was lying on its side, responders had to extricate Woods from the car through its windshield. L.A. County Fire Department chief Daryl Osby said responders used a pry bar and ax to remove the windshield and pull Woods to safety.

Villanueva noted that the airbags deployed and the cab of the SUV was still intact, which allowed Woods a "cushion to survive the crash."

"I will say that it's very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive," Gonzalez said.

Gonzales said Woods was unable to stand under his own power, so responders removed him from the scene on a backboard. Woods was alert enough to ask responders to call his manager to retrieve his golf clubs and luggage.

Villanueva said it would take "days to several weeks" for officers to complete their investigation into the crash. They were retrieving video from traffic cameras to determine whether another car or animal caused Woods' car to leave the road. Data might also be extracted from the car's computer system to determine how fast Woods was driving at the time of the wreck.

Why was Woods in L.A.?

Woods made an appearance but did not play over the weekend at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. His foundation helps organize and host the tournament.

Woods remained in the L.A. area to film outtakes and scenes for Discovery-owned GolfTV, a streaming entity in which he is involved. In a statement, GolfTV said Woods was filming on-course instruction for a series.

pic.twitter.com/FbfOBzlgtq

— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) February 24, 2021

On Monday, he worked with actor David Spade, former NBA player Dwyane Wade and actress Jada Pinkett Smith at Rolling Hills Country Club. Woods was scheduled to work with Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees in another shoot on Tuesday. He was apparently headed to Rolling Hills Country Club from a nearby resort when he crashed.

Can Tiger recover from his injuries to return to the course?

It's too early to say, but he undoubtedly faces a long and arduous recovery from his injuries. He was already dealing with debilitating back injuries. On Dec. 23, he underwent his fifth back procedure to alleviate pain and discomfort.

During a TV interview with CBS announcer Jim Nantz during Sunday's final round of the Genesis Invitational, Woods said he was hoping to play in the Masters in April. He is a five-time winner of the event, most recently in 2019.

"God, I hope so. I've got to get there first," Woods said in the interview. "A lot of it is based on my surgeons and doctors and therapist and making sure I do it correctly. This is the only back I've got; I don't have much more wiggle room left."

Woods' last official start was at the Masters, which was played this past November after being postponed from its typical April date because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He tied for 38th. Woods is 50th in the world ranking after playing only nine times during the 2020 season. In December, in his last public golf event, the PNC Championship, Woods played with his 12-year-old son, Charlie, before undergoing his latest back surgery.

Although he lost the chance to celebrate winning the 2019 NBA championship because a law enforcement officer wrongly prevented him from stepping on the court, Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri said what he thinks about is the many other minorities who find themselves losing far more after encounters with police.

"As much as we say 'Yeah, this happened to me,' there's worse that's happened to other people, right?" Ujiri said during an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" that aired Wednesday morning. "I lost a moment. People have lost their lives."

It was Ujiri's first television interview since the lawsuit against him by Alameda County Sheriff's deputy Alan Strickland was dropped earlier this month.

"I say it as humbly as I can: The privilege of the job I have is to fight for this," Ujiri said. "They are wrongly accused, there is no body cams, nobody sees what happens, and they are incarcerated or they are accused or they are charged. We have to fight for them."

As Ujiri was trying to take the court after Toronto beat the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals at Oakland's Oracle Arena, he was accosted by Strickland, only to eventually be pulled onto the court by Raptors star Kyle Lowry.

"We don't just go buy championships in Walmart or something," Ujiri said. "It's something you're trying so hard to do, and you're trying to figure out, 'How do I go and celebrate with my guys?' And now you get this confrontation, and it confuses you, you know? And, honestly, I was confused. I was taken aback, and I didn't know how to react."

Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern initially claimed Ujiri should be charged with battery of a police officer, but the department eventually declined to press charges.

Strickland then sued Ujiri last February, claiming that Ujiri hit him in the face and hands with both fists and that Strickland suffered "physical, mental, emotional, and economic injuries," including lost wages, lost opportunity for financial gain and future earning capacity.

Footage from Strickland's body cam was then released in August while Ujiri and the Raptors were in the NBA's bubble in Orlando, Florida. The footage did not show Ujiri punching Strickland -- instead, it showed Ujiri being shoved twice while trying to step onto the court. Ujiri then countersued, saying Strickland had fabricated his version of events.

Both suits were dropped earlier this month.

Despite knowing he did nothing wrong, Ujiri said that he couldn't sleep for three days in the wake of seeing the body cam footage for the first time. He also admitted that, over time, he began to question whether his version of events was the right one.

"I called my wife, I called my family, and I couldn't sleep for three or four days in the bubble," Ujiri said of his reaction upon seeing the body cam footage. "Because seeing that tape ... yes, you are vindicated, yes, this is the right story. [But] people said, 'You punched a police man, you hit his jaw, you broke his jaw.' There's all kinds of things [being said], and you begin to doubt yourself as time goes on. You begin to actually wonder what really happened."

Ujiri, who has helped countless children in Africa as part of his Giants of Africa program, said that, as he moves forward, he hopes that people begin to realize that they need to treat everyone they meet with the same level of respect.

"I want people to really think about humanity and who we are as human beings," Ujiri said. "It is really, really important we treat each other well."

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego Padres majority owner Peter Seidler couldn't make it any clearer.

He doesn't think San Diego is a small market, but rather views it for what it is: the eighth-largest city in the United States.

And he's certain the Padres can handle the three nine-figure contracts they've doled out in the past four years.

Outsiders have questioned how the Padres will be able to afford the $340 million, 14-year contract they gave electrifying shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. on Monday, the longest deal in baseball history. That deal comes on top of the $300 million, 10-year deal they handed slugger Manny Machado in 2019 and the $144 million, eight-year contract they gave first baseman Eric Hosmer in 2018.

After a relatively bruising two decades in which ownership wasn't willing or able to spend on big deals, these Padres are committed to competing.

"We love this city," Seidler told The Associated Press hours after the Padres announced the deal for Tatis, who has become one of the faces of baseball. "We want to honor the support our extraordinary fans give us.

"In 1984 and 1998, this place went crazy. And those were real teams that went to the World Series. I know we have the city's trust and the city trusts us. We're going to put good teams out there. From a franchise standpoint, we're going to get support and we're going to back it up with our actions reflective of the eighth-largest city in America."

Seidler is a grandson of the late Walter O'Malley, who moved the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958, and a nephew of Peter O'Malley, who owned the Dodgers until 1998.

He and civic leader Ron Fowler headed a group that bought the Padres in 2012 from John Moores, whose ownership had become tumultuous in the years after his stewardship resulted in San Diego reaching the 1998 World Series and then getting Petco Park built downtown.

In November, Fowler stepped down as executive chairman and Seidler was approved by fellow Major League Baseball owners to take over control of the team as chairman. Fowler will remain with the club in an advisory role and will continue to sit on MLB's labor policy committee.

Besides his involvement in baseball, Seidler is co-founder and managing partner of Seidler Equity Partners, whose net worth has been estimated to be $3 billion.

Seidler declined to delve deep into finances.

"We don't need to talk about it, but we'll let actions speak for themselves," he said. "We're very humble about what we're trying to do here because it's hard and we're not the only team chasing the trophy. But we're in the mix, we believe."

Baseball is coming off a pandemic-shortened season in which commissioner Rob Manfred said teams combined to lose $2.7 billion to $3 billion during the pandemic.

Seidler did say the Padres have set up the franchise "to be flexible so we have the opportunity to be opportunistic when it does make sense. We make decisions really with 10 years in mind, not year to year to year, although we are cognizant of the current year. I could not be happier with where we are in every way, business-wise, baseball-wise, and I'll speak for the people of San Diego. We're the eighth-largest city in America. There's nothing we can't do."

Led by Tatis and Machado, the Padres ended a 13-year playoff drought last year and beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild-card round before being swept out of the NL Division Series by the eventual World Series champion Dodgers.

Tatis is only 22.

"Significant to all of us, is what a difference it makes for our fans to know they can go to Petco anytime we're playing for 14 years and know they can see this remarkable talent and great person and a tough team for any other team in baseball to play," Seidler said.

The Padres recently gave six-year extensions to general manager A.J. Preller and CEO Erik Greupner.

"I generally believe in business, you do well when you have stability and excellence," Seidler said.

"I think this game is only going to get better and stronger year after year after year, and the pie's going to grow," Seidler said. "That's how we view things. We're going to continue to build this franchise. I see great upside for us. Yes, I'm well aware of the things immediately in front of us with the pandemic and other things. We're going to find ways to work through those and that's some of the thinking behind the decisions we make here."

The Padres have gone to the playoffs only six times in 52 seasons, reaching the World Series twice and losing it both times.

They believe they are built to go deep into October and know how formidable the Dodgers are.

"We're not hyperfocused on any one team," Seidler said. "We respect the heck out of what that franchise has accomplished, winning the World Series last year, winning our division for eight years in a row. Competition makes everybody better, and I expect it will make us better."

Although he was raised in a baseball dynasty, Seidler said he no longer bleeds Dodger Blue. He says he's not even sure what memorabilia he has from those days.

"I'm not a keeper and a saver, so I don't know, maybe somewhere in the dungeons of my basement there's a ball signed by Manny Mota that I would treasure, because I love that guy," Seidler said, referring to the famed pinch-hitter.

Seidler is focused on watching Tatis and his teammates.

"I think it's going to play out better than some of us optimists think. We really believe in this young man," he said.

Governing body’s CEO Joanna Coates believes work needs to be done to ensure policies and procedures are clear and consistent

A call for zero-tolerance life bans for abusive coaches has been backed by the CEO of UK Athletics (UKA), Joanna Coates, following the publication of an open letter to the national governing body which was signed by almost 2000 names.

British athletes Anna Gordon, Kate Seary and Mhairi Maclennan launched a petition earlier this month regarding the sanctions handed to coaches who are found to have broken the conditions of their coaching licence in cases relating to physical or sexual misconduct, harassment or abuse and the campaign received worldwide support.

Coates says a review is under way and that she “completely and utterly” agrees that for certain violations within the sport there should be a lifetime ban.

“We can make a statement about it but we now need to make sure that our policies and procedures reflect what we are saying,” Coates adds. “Some of them already do, I have to say, but we must ensure that we continue to change the culture of the organisation where people feel they can come forward. That’s what we should do as a governing body, we should provide a safe environment.

“Through the Christopher Quinlan review we knew we had quite a lot of work to do around safeguarding and discipline, especially when it’s around anything sexual, physical, aggressive or coercive. We have been working through that review and we will publish some more results at the end of March.

“I suppose it [the open letter] highlighted to me this nuance around the language that is used, because there is provision for lifetime bans within the coach licensing. Even if some coaches have had suspensions and people don’t think it is long enough, it is reviewed at that point – that doesn’t mean they get their licence back. That’s our error – it is not people not understanding, it is our error that we are not communicating that correctly.”

Coates believes work needs to be done to ensure the governing body’s policies and procedures are clear and consistent, while the launch of a new safeguarding software, MyConcern, is also in the pipeline as a way for people to report any concerns.

UKA can currently be contacted via [email protected]

“We were massively overwhelmed, humbled and motivated by the response and support we have received,” said Seary, Maclennan and Gordon, with Gordon having last year set up a peer platform ‘Signpost to Safety‘ which is designed to be a “bridge” between athletes and welfare officers in the UK.

“To see the power it can have when people unite their voices like this can really restore your faith in humanity.”

Ulster captain Iain Henderson has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him at the province until at least 2023.

His deal was set to expire this summer.

Having made his senior Ulster debut in 2012, Henderson succeeded Rory Best as the province's captain in 2019.

The 29-year-old has played 60 times for Ireland and represented the British & Irish Lions on the 2017 tour of New Zealand.

"It has been a great honour to captain both Ulster and Ireland in recent times," said Henderson.

"Irish rugby is in a good place despite the disruption the sport has experienced during the pandemic.

"As professionals we have been in a privileged position to be able to continue playing and I know we all hope to see supporters back in the Aviva Stadium and Kingspan Stadium in the near future."

Securing Henderson's deal is another big step for Ulster, who agreed to extensions with 23 senior players earlier this year.

Former Ireland prop Gary Halpin has died at the age of 55.

He spent the early part of his playing career at Leinster before moving to England where he enjoyed spells at Harlequins and London Irish.

Halpin also represented Ireland in the hammer throw at the 1987 World Championships.

The front-row forward famously scored a try against New Zealand in the pool stages of the World Cup in South Africa.

A teacher by profession, Halpin most recently worked as the head of boarding at Cistercian College in his home county.

The 2021 NHL season looks to have turned a corner, with games running smoothly (and as scheduled) recently, following a number of additional protocols undertaken due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

In this week's edition of ESPN's power rankings, we identified a stat for each team that helps tell the story of their season.

How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections ranking teams 1 to 31 -- taking into account game results, injuries and upcoming schedule -- and those results are tabulated in the list featured here.

Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to our Week 5 edition, published on Feb. 17. Points percentages are through the games of Feb. 23.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs

Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: .750
This week: vs. CGY (Feb. 24); @ EDM (Feb. 27, March 1)

Auston Matthews' 16-game point streak came to an end on Monday. But he still has 18 goals in his first 19 games, which would pace him for 78 (!) in a full 82-game season.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: .719
This week: vs. CAR (Feb. 24, 25); vs. DAL (Feb. 27); @ DAL (March 2)

No Nikita Kucherov, no problem ... for now. The Lightning are tops in the league averaging 3.63 goals per game. It helps that Steven Stamkos is in full rebound mode, at a career-high rate of 1.21 goals per game through 14.

3. Boston Bruins

Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: .750
This week: @ NYI (Feb. 25); @ NYR (Feb. 26, 28)

There were some people who figured David Pastrnak would regress this season. Those people were wrong. Pastrnak has scored 59 goals and 113 points in his last 82 games, dating back to last season.

4. Carolina Hurricanes

Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: .735
This week: @ TB (Feb. 24, 25); @ FLA (Feb. 27, March 1); @ NSH (March 2)

The Lightning finally found a way to score on the Canes and picked up a win on Monday. It marked the first regulation loss at home for Carolina in 359 days. Almost made it a year!

5. Vegas Golden Knights

Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: .719
This week: @ SJ (Feb. 25); @ ANA (Feb. 27); vs. MIN (Feb. 1)

Is it time to start talking about Marc-Andre Fleury as a serious Vezina Trophy candidate? The Flower is first in goals saved above expectation (10.36) according to Natural Stat Trick. His .942 save percentage tops all goalies with at least five starts.

6. Colorado Avalanche

Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: .633
This week: vs. MIN (Feb. 24); @ ARI (Feb. 26, 27); @ SJ (March 1)

The Avs stuck with Philipp Grubauer instead of looking for goaltending help this offseason. That has paid off. He's tracking for career bests in save percentage (.932), goals-against average (1.78) and is already one shutout shy of tying his career best (three).

7. Florida Panthers

Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: .765
This week: vs. DAL (Feb. 24, 25); vs. CAR (Feb. 27, March 1)

The Cats put up 29 shots in the second period against Dallas on Monday. While Chris Driedger and the blue line's surprise performances have been big stories, the offense is driving this team. It's legit.

8. Philadelphia Flyers

Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: .633
This week: vs. NYR (Feb. 24); @ BUF (Feb. 27, 28); @ PIT (March 2)

A poor outing in his first outdoor game put a spotlight on Carter Hart's season, and the numbers aren't pretty. The 22-year-old has been struggling to find consistency, posting a .891 save percentage through 10 games.

9. Edmonton Oilers

Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: .619
This week: @ VAN (Feb. 25); vs. TOR (Feb. 27, March 1)

Connor McDavid cannot be stopped. It took him 92 games to go from 0-100 points to start his NHL career. 82 games to get the next hundred. 68 games to get the next hundred. 67 games for the hundred after that. And 64 games to go from 400-500, which he hit last week.

10. Winnipeg Jets

Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: .639
This week: vs. MTL (Feb. 25, 27); vs. VAN (March 1, 2)

The Jets are clicking, and their most consistent performer has been Mark Scheifele. He's helping usher Pierre-Luc Dubois into the lineup on the top line (until Dubois switches back to center), and is on a 10-game point streak (seven goals, nine assists).

11. Washington Capitals

Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: .611
This week: vs. PIT (Feb. 25); @ NJ (Feb. 27, 28)

As Nicklas Backstrom nears the 700 career assist milestone this week, let's note that the center is also off to his best start (22 points in his first 18 games) in nine seasons.

12. Montreal Canadiens

Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: .611
This week: @ WPG (Feb. 25, 27); vs. OTT (March 2)

The Habs are in a bit of a slump right now, but still well positioned to qualify for the postseason. They play heavy, which should bode well if they do make it. Montreal leads the league in hits per 60 minutes (28.95).

13. Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: .618
This week: @ WSH (Feb. 25); @ NYI (Feb. 27, 28); vs. PHI (March 2)

We're still not sure what to make of this 2021 Penguins team, but they have been squeezing out wins. Pittsburgh leads the league with a .800 winning percentage in one-goal games.

14. New York Islanders

Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: .583
This week: vs. BOS (Feb. 25); vs. PIT (Feb. 27, 28); @ NJ (March 2)

The Islanders love to play at home. They're 5-0-1 at Nassau Coliseum this season, but 4-6-2 everywhere else. Now is a good time to make up ground in the East: eight of the Isles' next nine games are on Long Island.

15. St. Louis Blues

Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: .579
This week: vs. LA (Feb. 24); @ SJ (Feb. 27); @ ANA (March 1)

St. Louis has been snake-bitten by injuries and still needs to find consistency. But Justin Faulk has been fantastic for them. At 5-on-5, he's been on the ice for 23 goals for and just nine against.

16. Chicago Blackhawks

Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: .600
This week: @ CBJ (Feb. 25); vs. DET (Feb. 27, 28)

Chicago entered the season without five of their top 10 goal scorers from last season. That's why it's such a pleasant surprise that three newcomers -- Philipp Kurashev, Mattias Janmark and Pius Suter -- have combined for 17 goals already.

17. Minnesota Wild

Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: .600
This week: @ COL (Feb. 24); vs. LA (Feb. 26, 27); @ VGS (March 1)

The Wild seem to have found a terrific line combo with rookie Kirill Kaprizov, Victor Rask, and the recently returned Mats Zuccarello. Albeit in a small sample size, the trio have an expected goals for percentage of 67.7%.

18. Los Angeles Kings

Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: .559
This week: @ STL (Feb. 24); @ MIN (Feb. 26, 27)

Raise your hand if you had Dustin Brown atop the West Division goal-scoring race. The 36-year-old has 10 goals through his first 17 games (and reached his 1,200-game milestone this week).

19. New Jersey Devils

Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: .500
This week: @ BUF (Feb. 25); vs. WSH (Feb. 27, 28); vs. NYI (March 2)

Corey Crawford's surprise retirement just meant the Mackenzie Blackwood era could begin sooner. The 24-year-old is starting to look like a franchise goalie, going 4-2-1 with a .935 save percentage to begin the season.

20. Columbus Blue Jackets

Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: .525
This week: vs. CHI (Feb. 25); @ NSH (Feb. 27, 28); vs. DET (March 2)

As the Blue Jackets strive for more consistency, their top defensive pairing isn't quite as dangerous as usual. Zach Werenski is managing an injury while Seth Jones has been on the ice for 17 Columbus goals and 25 from opponents.

21. Dallas Stars

Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: .538
This week: @ FLA (Feb. 24, 25); @ TB (Feb. 27); vs. TB (March 2)

Dallas needs to figure out a way to get better starts. They've scored just five first-period goals in 21 games this season (for context, the Oilers lead the league with 28 first-period goals through 28 games).

22. New York Rangers

Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: .469
This week: @ PHI (Feb. 24); vs. BOS (Feb. 26, 28); vs. BUF (March 2)

The Rangers are still finding their way, dealing with on- and off-ice adversity. But they do lead the league in one interesting stat: takeaways per 60 minutes; they're averaging nearly eight!

23. San Jose Sharks

Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: .471
This week: vs. VGS (Feb. 25); vs. STL (Feb. 27); vs. COL (March 1)

Erik Karlsson's offensive production decline has been steep. The well-paid defenseman should return this week from a lower-body injury, but note his points-per-game rate (0.31) is nearly a third of what it was in his first Sharks season (0.85).

24. Arizona Coyotes

Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: .528
This week: vs. ANA (Feb. 24); vs. COL (Feb. 26, 27)

Last week, we highlighted Conor Garland. This week, it's Christian Dvorak. He may be riding a sky-high shooting percentage (25.0%) but he has nine goals through 18 games, not insignificant.

25. Calgary Flames

Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: .500
This week: @ TOR (Feb. 24); @ OTT (Feb. 25, 27, March 1)

Calgary's shutout of Toronto on Monday was pretty historic, giving a boost to a struggling team. It was the first time the Flames shut out the Maple Leafs in Toronto since the franchise relocated to Calgary.

26. Vancouver Canucks

Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: .391
This week: vs. EDM (Feb. 25); @ WPG (March 1, 2)

Entering the season, Elias Pettersson was a serious MVP candidate, but it hasn't gone his (or the Canucks') way. Pettersson leads the league with eight shots that have hit either the crossbar or a post (no one else has more than four).

27. Buffalo Sabres

Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: .438
This week: vs. NJ (Feb. 25); vs. PHI (Feb. 27, 28); @ NYR (March 2)

The number Sabres fans are fixated on is zero. That's how many goals Jeff Skinner has scored this season, despite making $9 million. Is now an appropriate time to mention he's under contract through 2026-27?

28. Nashville Predators

Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: .444
This week: @ DET (Feb. 25); vs. CBJ (Feb. 27, 28); vs. CAR (March 2)

Oh, where to begin in depicting Nashville's misery this season? The Predators have zero games where they led entering the third period, and have only held a two-goal lead three times.

29. Anaheim Ducks

Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: .395
This week: @ ARI (Feb. 24); vs. VGS (Feb. 27); vs. STL (March 1)

The Ducks are the only team besides the Red Wings to average fewer than two goals per game this season. So you understand why fans are so excited for the arrival of highly touted prospect Trevor Zegras.

Rite of passage for any NHL rookie - the solo lap. Go get 'em, @tzegras11! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/fFKYqHb0mi

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) February 23, 2021

30. Detroit Red Wings

Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: .310
This week: vs. NSH (Feb. 25); @ CHI (Feb. 27, 28); @ CBJ (March 2)

There are a few ways to show why the Red Wings just aren't there yet, but their power play has been so futile it's worth noting here. After Tuesday's blanking, they have now gone 13 games without scoring on the man advantage (0-for-36 in that stretch).

31. Ottawa Senators

Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: .310
This week: vs. CGY (Feb. 25, 27, March 1); @ MTL (March 2)

Ottawa is worst in the league with four goals against per game. The Senators also have a league-high eight losses in games where they outshoot their opponents. Likely related: Brady Tkachuk leads the league in shots taken.

Eight hundred and seventeen goalies have appeared in a National Hockey League game since the 1917-18 season, from George Abbott to Rob Zepp. Many of them have tried to accomplish one of professional sports' most exhilarating but rare feats. But to date, only seven of them have done it: a goaltender scoring a goal, on their own shot attempt, from the other end of the ice.

There have been 15 goals credited to 12 goalies in NHL history, beginning with Billy Smith of the New York Islanders in Nov. 1979. Seven of them were scored like Smith's was: The goalie was credited with a goal because they were the last player to touch the puck before an opposing player accidentally put the puck into their own empty net.

The other eight goals, however, were scored when a goaltender shot the puck from around his own crease into the opposing empty net, typically around 180 feet away. It's a feat of skill that, frankly, goes against the central programming of the position.

"When goalies are growing up and practicing, they're not trying to score a goal," said former NHL goalie Evgeni Nabokov, who scored on a shot for the San Jose Sharks in 2002. "Because your primary job is to stop the puck, you know?"

Former New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur leads all NHL goaltenders with three goals scored in his Hall of Fame career, including one he shot into his opponents' net in 1997.

"You have to be strong enough to shoot the puck over everybody's head and into the net," he said. "It's a little bit like a quarterback trying to throw a Hail Mary. You have to get through those windows of players in front of you before [the puck] can end up where you need it to go."

Some goalies view scoring goals as a science. Others see it as absolute, unrepeatable luck. But those who have scored goals on shots say there are rules and techniques that have to be followed for them to happen. And they all have their theories on why the NHL hasn't seen more of them.

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