Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager Pat Verbeek joined NHL Live to discuss the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Lightning trail the best-of-7 series 1-0 after a 2-1 loss in Game 1 on Wednesday. Tampa Bay led 1-0 until Teuvo Teravainen and Antoine Vermette scored less than two minutes apart late in the third to lead Chicago to victory.

"It's a game we could have won, obviously," Verbeek said. "With six minutes left to go you're nursing a 1-0 lead. We had the chance, the [Ryan] Callahan breakaway, to kind of seal the deal. But we didn't and now we have to bounce back for this game.

New Jersey Devils coach John Hynes joined NHL Live to discuss what he called a special opportunity to coach in the League.

Hynes, 40, was hired Tuesday after coaching the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League since 2010 when he was promoted by Devils general manager Ray Shero, who held the same position with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton went 231-126-10-17 in Hynes' five seasons and advanced to the conference semifinals this season.

"It's very competitive coming up to the American Hockey League or junior hockey, so I feel fortunate that the last five years I've been able to been around excellent management and very good players," Hynes said. "We had a pretty good culture and structure in place in Wilkes-Barre. For me it's really exciting to be able to come in and work with a general manager that I know and trust, and have a lot of same values and beliefs."

New York Islanders prospect Michael Dal Colle joined NHL Live to discuss competing in the 2015 Memorial Cup and his Oshawa Generals place in the championship game Sunday.

The Generals, champions of the Ontario Hockey League, earned a spot in the finals with a 2-1 win Tuesday against the Michael Dal Colle. They were the only team to finish round-robin play 3-0-0, and will play for their fifth Memorial Cup title and first since 1990.

"I think we had a very good playoff run," Dal Colle said. "We played teams like North Bay and Erie, and getting through that and winning the OHL was a big accomplishment. We turned our minds to the Memorial Cup right away and I think that helped us in the round robin."

Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron joined NHL Live to discuss his nomination for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, which is awarded to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game, and his take on the Bruins' performance in the regular season.

Bergeron is a Selke finalist for the fourth straight season. He won the award in 2012 and 2014, and was the runner-up to Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews in 2013.

Toews and Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings are the other finalists.

"It's definitely something very special," Bergeron said. "It's an honor to be nominated. I've been lucky to be part of a great organization and teammates have been helping me a lot to get that recognition.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler joined NHL Live to look ahead to the Western Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets.

Game 1 is Thursday at Honda Center (10:30 p.m. ET; CNBC, TVA, SN, PRIME). "The last few days we've really been working hard," Fowler said. "We've had some good practices and it's allowed us time work on some things that we'd like to clear up heading into the playoffs. Now we feel like we're all prepared and we just have to go out there and execute."

The Ducks (51-24-7) earned 109 points to clinch the best record in the Western Conference and capture the Pacific Division title for the third straight year, and are eager to improve their recent postseason track record. Anaheim lost in seven games to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round in 2013. Last season, the Ducks advanced to the second round, where they lost to the Los Angeles Kings in seven.

Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn joined NHL Live to look back at the season and discuss winning the Art Ross Trophy as the League's leading scorer.

Benn will have hip surgery after playing through pain in each hip throughout the season.

"I was able to play in every game this year and it wasn't as bad as it sounded, I don't think," Benn said. "It wasn't affecting me out there. I was able to play and get through it."

Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond joined NHL Live to discuss the Senators' thrilling run to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"Whether it had very much to do with me or not, I think the team just started playing a certain way that makes us successful," Hammond said. "The wins and the streak we've been able to go on has been incredible. We've just kind of taken on this attitude that we're not done until we're officially done. I think that started way back when, when we were 10-12 points out, and we just continued with that.

"We're obviously on the outside looking in a little bit but I think the attitude of everyone in the room is if we're not going to make it we're going to at least go down swinging."

Viewed by many scouts as the best draft-age prospect since Sidney Crosby in 2005, Erie Otters center Connor McDavid joined NHL Live to discuss the upcoming Ontario Hockey League playoffs and his performance during the regular season.

The Otters finished 50-14-2-2 and will play the Sarnia Sting in the first round. They advanced to the Western Conference Finals last season before losing to the Guelph Storm.

"It was a good experience last year," McDavid said. "It obviously [stinks] coming up a little bit short but it's a learning experience and we can use it toward these playoffs. Everyone is looking forward to it and we're looking to get this thing going."

McDavid, 18, finished third in the OHL with 120 points and tied for fourth with 44 goals in 47 games despite missing six weeks because of a broken hand and competing in the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship. The 6-foot, 175-pound center had 11 points in seven WJC games to help Canada win the gold medal and earn a place on the tournament all-star team.

"I think I had a good year," McDavid said. "It kind of goes up and down when you get on a start that I did. I know I was playing great hockey and feeling pretty good. Then breaking your hand right before the World Junior … it was a pretty upsetting time but you get through that and I was able to salvage the year and have a pretty decent year."

McDavid and Boston University forward Jack Eichel are Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of the top North American skaters for the 2015 NHL Draft.

Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving joined NHL Live to look ahead to what he expects to be a furious finish to the regular season.

The Flames (40-27-6, 86 points) are third in the Pacific Division ahead of the Los Angeles Kings and 7-3-2 since captain Mark Giordano was injured. Despite being outscored 64-45 in the first period and 132-109 through two periods, Calgary's plus-35 goal differential (90-55) in the third leads the NHL.

"We're excited to be in the situation that we're in," Treliving said. "Any time you're going down the stretch and you've got a chance that's all you can ask for. We've given ourselves a chance. It's going to be an exciting push here down the stretch. Ultimately the goal is to get in, as we all know. Having to go through this experience is a great learning experience for our group and we're going to take it, as the old cliché says, one day and one game at a time and see where we end up."

Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper joined NHL Live to look back at a big win Sunday against the Boston Bruins and ahead to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Lightning, 7-1-1 in their past nine games, trail the Atlantic Division-leading Montreal Canadiens by two points but hold an eight-point lead over the Detroit Red Wings for second place and home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference First Round.

Tampa Bay's win Sunday was its first against Boston since March 13, 2012, a stretch of 10 games.

"It was a little bit of a relief," Cooper said. "I think I'm coming up on my two-year anniversary with the team and that was the one team, for me anyway being behind the bench, I've yet to steal a win until [Sunday] night, so it was pretty special."