Hall’s OT score helps Hurricanes top Flyers 3-2 to take 2-0 lead in 2nd-round series of NHL playoffs
RALEIGH, N.C. — Taylor Hall slipped the puck past Dan Vladar at 18:54 of overtime to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, on Monday night, taking a 2-0 lead in their second-round series in the NHL playoffs. Hall took a short feed from Sean Walker and carried...
Wild seek reset after crazy 9-6 loss to Colorado in Game 1
DENVER — Kirill Kaprizov arrived in the banquet room Monday for media availability wearing a pair of hotel slippers. The Minnesota forward’s attitude about the series, even after a wild 9-6 loss to Colorado in Game 1, proved just as chill as his footwear choice. “We need better,” Kaprizov said....
Stunning Avalanche win over Wild turns defense-1st series into a 15-goal frenzy
DENVER — Two of the NHL’s best defenses and a pair of the game’s ironfisted goaltenders are squaring off in Round 2, promising a paucity of pucks flashing the red light in the Minnesota-Colorado series, right? Not in Game 1. A whopping 14 players scored Sunday night, Colorado goalie Scott...
Rick Tocchet looks for Flyers to ‘figure it out quickly’ entering Game 2 against Hurricanes
RALEIGH, N.C. — It was a rough start for the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the NHL playoffs. Coach Rick Tocchet knows his team has to adjust quickly against the Carolina Hurricanes as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes won 3-0 in Saturday night’s best-of-seven...
Canadiens outlast Lightning in Game 7 to win thrilling 1st-round series
TAMPA, Fla. — Alex Newhook broke a tie with 8:53 left and the Montreal Canadiens outlasted the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1, in Game 7 on Sunday night to end the thrilling first-round series. The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round after finishing off their first series...
Sabres beat Bruins to reach 2nd round for 1st time since 2007
Alex Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson scored in the first period, Zach Benson added another early in the third and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Boston Bruins, 4-1, on Friday night in Game 6 to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2007....
Hurricanes emerge from lengthy between-rounds pause to face Flyers
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes had a long wait for Round 2 of the NHL playoffs, even to find out they would be playing the Philadelphia Flyers. The Eastern Conference’s top seed closed a four-game sweep of Ottawa last Saturday, then spent four days waiting for the Flyers to...
Flyers’ York gets back stick he threw into stands
VOORHEES, N.J. — Cam York threw his stick into the stands after he scored a playoff winner for the Flyers and, almost like a boomerang, it came back to him at practice. York’s overtime goal beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 1-0, in Game 6 of their first-round series and helped the...
Wild beat Stars for 1st playoff series win in 11 years
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Quinn Hughes led Minnesota to its first playoff series victory in 11 years, scoring twice in the Wild’s 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 6 on Thursday night. Minnesota will face Presidents Trophy winner Colorado in the second round. The Avalanche have not played...
Canadiens edge Lightning in another close game to take 3-2 series lead
TAMPA, Fla. — Alexandre Texier broke a tie 1 minute, 6 seconds into the third period, and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2, on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the first-round series. Rookie Jakub Dobes stopped 38 shots to help Montreal move within a...
Scott Wedgewood rises from career backup to Avalanche’s playoff rock
DENVER — Scott Wedgewood tends to notice just about everything happening around him, no matter the task. That traffic pattern five lights ahead while driving? He’s already planned for it. The people passing by while he’s walking in the airport or the mall with his family? He’s logged each detail....
Wild going home with chance to advance for 1st time since 2015
DALLAS — Mats Zuccarello and the Minnesota Wild are now in the position that they try to be in every season in the NHL playoffs. Things feel a bit different now, with the Wild going home for Game 6 on Thursday night with a chance to eliminate the Dallas Stars...
David Pastrnak scores in OT to keep Sabres from eliminating Bruins
David Pastrnak scored on a breakaway 9 minutes, 14 seconds into overtime, and the Boston Bruins avoided elimination with a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series Tuesday night. Catching Buffalo on a line change, Hampus Lindholm fed a pass up the right...
NHL playoffs roundup: Sabres score 4 goals in 1st period vs. Bruins, take 3-1 lead in series
BOSTON — Sabres coach Lindy Ruff shut down any talk of putting forwards Tyson Kozak and Jason Zucker back in after injuries sent them to the locker room late in Game 4 of Buffalo’s first-round playoff series against the Bruins. “I said ‘There’s no need to return at this time,’”...
NHL playoffs roundup: Logan Stankoven scores again as Hurricanes sweep Senators
OTTAWA, Ontario — Logan Stankoven scored the go-ahead goal in the third period as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated Ottawa, 4-2, on Saturday to sweep the first-round series. Taylor Hall added a goal and an assist before Sebastian Aho buried two pucks into the empty net. Frederik Andersen made 25 saves....
Canadiens beat Lightning in OT to take lead in all-extra-time series
MONTREAL — Lane Hutson scored on a slap shot at 2 minutes, 9 seconds of overtime, and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2, on Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series that has opened with three extra-time thrillers. Hutson fired a shot from...
NHL playoffs are already nearing record for penalty shots
No game in the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs has ever ended with a goal on a penalty shot in overtime, and Carolina’s Jordan Martinook was not eager to make history. He and the Hurricanes thought they’d won Game 2 of their first-round series against Ottawa when teammate Mark Jankowski scored,...
Sabres rally to beat Bruins for series lead; Hurricanes go up 3-0
BOSTON — Bowen Byram scored a minute after Boston missed a penalty shot, and Alex Tuch broke a third-period tie to help Buffalo come from behind and beat the Bruins, 3-1, on Thursday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series. Alex Lyon stopped 24 shots in...
Oilers’ Connor McDavid downplays injury despite no points through 1st 2 playoff games
EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor McDavid downplayed getting banged up in Game 2 of the Edmonton Oilers’ first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night. McDavid’s lower right leg appeared to buckle when he collided early in the second period with teammate Mattias Ekholm, who was attempting to check Anaheim’s...
First Call: Mike McCarthy ‘would love to have 4′ QBs; another potential Steelers trade partner; Pens’ history down 0-2
Wednesday’s “First Call” has an interesting quote from Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy about quarterbacks. The Steelers may have another trade partner in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. NHL television ratings look good. The Penguins have some history on their side when it comes to...
Moser scores in OT as Lightning beat Canadiens and tie 1st-round series
TAMPA, Fla. — J.J. Moser scored 12:48 into overtime to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, tying the first-round playoff series at 1-1. The series shifts to Montreal for two games, with Game 3 set for Friday night. Game 4 is...
Big hits are already piling up in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs
DENVER — The big hits always roll out this time of year. It’s just part of playoff hockey, especially in the tone-setting first round. So keep that head on a swivel. Through seven contests, teams are averaging a combined 86.9 hits per game, with the Carolina Hurricanes leading the list...
NHL playoffs roundup: Sabres score 4 3rd-period goals to beat Bruins in Game 1
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Mattias Samuelson scored with 3 minutes, 24 seconds left, and Buffalo overcame a two-goal deficit in the final eight minutes to beat the Boston Bruins, 4-3, on Sunday night in the Sabres’ first playoff game in 15 years. Tage Thompson scored two goals 3:42 apart to tie...
Playoff drought over, Sabres seek to rekindle rivalry with 1st-round matchup against Bruins
BUFFALO, N.Y. — At 26, Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin is too young to appreciate the intense playoff rivalries Buffalo once enjoyed with various opponents. A 14-season playoff drought has a way of thinning whatever bad blood once existed between the Sabres and former rivals such as Ottawa, Philadelphia, Montreal and...
Boldy has 2 goals, assist as Wild overwhelm Stars to open series
DALLAS — Matt Boldy had two goals with an assist, Joel Ericksson Ek scored two power-play goals and rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt stopped 27 shots in his postseason debut to help the Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars, 6-1, on Saturday in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series....
