Injuries force teams to adapt, push through in NHL playoffs
RALEIGH, N.C. — Mackenzie MacEachern went from joining the Carolina Hurricanes as a call-up from the minors to skating on the team’s top line in a road playoff game for a team struggling with injuries. “Obviously it’s a playoff game,” MacEachern said, “but it’s just trying to approach it like...
First Call: ESPN reports Allen Robinson passes physical with Steelers; Pirates look to stay hot; ex-Pens score in playoffs
Thursday’s “First Call” has an update on the Steelers trade for Allen Robinson. The Pirates hope to kick another opponent while they are down. A pair of WPIAL baseball stars faced off in Oakland. And a pair of ex-Penguins scored for their team in the NHL playoffs, while another struggled...
Winnipeg’s Morgan Barron receives 75-plus stitches after skate to face
LAS VEGAS — Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron took a skate to his face Tuesday night, requiring more than 75 stitches, but he returned to the ice less than a period later. Barron was injured in the first period during a big scramble in front of the Vegas Golden Knights’...
NHL playoffs: Vegas’ Jack Eichel, New Jersey’s Jack Hughes among top players to watch
The NHL playoffs are going on without Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin for the first time since their rookie year in 2006, but that doesn’t mean the chase for the Stanley Cup isn’t packed with star power. Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche are trying to go back to back....
NHL playoffs: Devils-Rangers, Bolts-Leafs highlight openers
After six weeks of hopeful excitement that his New Jersey Devils would face the New York Rangers in the opening round of the playoffs, Erik Haula had a simple, sarcastic take: “Here we are.” And the playoffs are finally here, too. Devils vs. Rangers in another chapter of their bitter...
Capitals, coach Peter Laviolette part ways after missing playoffsVideo
Peter Laviolette won’t be back as coach of the Washington Capitals, who now have a big decision to make after missing the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. The Capitals parted ways with Laviolette on Friday, less than 24 hours after their season ended, a decision general...
Former Robert Morris University goalie suits up for 1st NHL game
Reid Cooper was just a play away from making some local hockey history Thursday night. The former Robert Morris Colonial signed an amateur tryout contract with the Washington Capitals to be their backup goaltender during the franchise’s regular-season finale against the New Jersey Devils. If Cooper had gotten on the...
Wild plan to ride ‘Gus Bus’ and Marc-Andre Fleury in true goalie tandem
ST. PAUL, Minn. — When the Minnesota Wild brought back Marc-Andre Fleury and traded Cam Talbot for Filip Gustavsson last summer, their outlook in the net seemed obvious. Fleury was the three-time Stanley Cup winner with 19 seasons in the NHL who would be the primary goalie. Gustavsson was the...
Scotty Bowman embracing hockey retirement role
TAMPA, Fla. — When Scotty Bowman left the Chicago Blackhawks a year ago, he was open to taking another job. During the course of this season, the 89-year old Hall of Famer discovered not working for a team can be a good thing. Now, the record-holding, nine-time Stanley Cup winning...
Rangers, Islanders, Devils give Big Apple flavor to NHL playoffsVideo
Keith Yandle walked into coffee shops when he played hockey in New York and would hear people talking about the next Rangers game against the Islanders or the New Jersey Devils. “When you play those teams, even during the regular season, it adds a little bit more,” Yandle said. “Those...
Once-fired NHL coaches thrive with new playoff-bound teams
LAS VEGAS — Bruce Cassidy didn’t think his job was in jeopardy, having taken Boston to the NHL playoffs all six seasons as coach and serving in the Bruins’ system for 14 years. When he was fired on June 6, Cassidy was shocked and upset … for a few hours....
Blackhawks announce Toews will not be back next season
CHICAGO — Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews will not return to the team next year, ending a wildly successful run that included three Stanley Cup championships in 15 seasons. General manager Kyle Davidson said Thursday that the team will not re-sign its longtime center, who turns 35 on April 29....
Connor McDavid for MVP? Assessing the choices for top NHL awards
Connor McDavid has put together the first 150-point season in the NHL since the mid-1990s, Erik Karlsson is the first defenseman to hit 100 points in more than 30 years and the Boston Bruins made history by setting the single-season wins record. Put all that together, and who will win...
Bruins’ David Pastrnak accomplishes lofty goal of scoring 60Video
David Pastrnak followed Brad Marchand’s advice all the way to a career year. Many years ago, not long after Pastrnak entered the NHL in 2014-15, Marchand told his Boston Bruins teammate, “You have to always aim 10 goals higher than you think you can get.” Pastrnak did just that, shooting...
Madden Monday: Oneil Cruz’s injury is ‘further proof that they should allow the runner to run over the catcher’
Oneil Cruz’s fractured ankle is a gut punch for the Pittsburgh Pirates on many levels. Not the least of which is that the injury dampens the early momentum within the fan base and the belief that the team was on a fast ascent after nine games. Now, though, the 6-3...
Bruins break NHL single-season wins record by beating FlyersVideo
PHILADELPHIA — The Boston Bruins broke the NHL single-season wins record after beating the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-3, on Sunday behind David Pastrnak’s hat trick that got him to 60 goals for the first time in his career. Hats rained down from the many Bruins fans in attendance after Pastrnak scored...
Handful of NHL contenders thrive following major injuriesVideo
Mark Stone missing two months and counting after back surgery threatened to sink the Vegas Golden Knights. Instead, they have risen to the top of the Western Conference. Losing Kirill Kaprizov for several weeks looked like a big blow to the Minnesota Wild. They since have moved into first place...
NHL’s Pride nights collide with LGBTQ+ political climate
Sports leagues and teams often use Pride nights to raise the visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people — as well as sell them tickets — and the NHL has been a leader. They can include special jerseys designed by LGBTQ+ artists, performances, information tables, even drag performances. And they’re largely...
West Mifflin native Logan Cooley one of 3 finalists for Hobey Baker Memorial Award
University of Minnesota forward Logan Cooley, a native of West Mifflin, was named one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, an honor that recognizes the top men’s player in college hockey. Joining him are fellow Minnesota forward Matthew Knies and Michigan forward Adam Fantilli. The award’s foundation...
Nashville Predators’ McDonagh remembers shooting victims
BOSTON — When the Nashville Predators’ team flight took off for Boston, defenseman Ryan McDonagh wasn’t aboard. He stayed home Monday, to be with his three young daughters in the shaken community. A day after a fatal grade school shooting in Nashville left six dead, including three children, McDonagh caught...
Sabres’ Russian player won’t take part in Pride night warmup
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Ilya Lyubushkin is citing an anti-gay Kremlin law and fears of retribution at home in Russia for electing not to participate in the Buffalo Sabres’ pregame warmup on the team’s Pride night, when players are expected to wear rainbow-colored jerseys in support of the LGBTQ+ community. The...
Unwelcome spotlight falls on NHL team Pride night events
Pride nights, held annually for several years by National Hockey League teams to show support for the LGBTQ community, are in the spotlight following several high-profile incidents this season. A handful of players have objected to participating in pregame warmups that included Pride-themed jerseys, most recently Florida’s Eric and Marc...
John Tortorella earns 700th career win as Flyers top WildVideo
PHILADELPHIA — James van Riemsdyk scored the only goal in a shootout, and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Minnesota Wild, 5-4, on Thursday night for coach John Tortorella’s 700th career victory. Tortorella is 700-573-181 in 1,454 games as an NHL head coach. His 700 wins rank 12th in NHL history,...
Blackhawks won’t wear Pride jerseys, citing new Russian lawVideo
The Chicago Blackhawks, who have a Russian player, have decided against wearing special warmup jerseys to commemorate Pride night, citing an anti-gay Kremlin law that could imperil Russian athletes when they return home. The Blackhawks, who also have two players with connections to Russia, will not wear the jerseys before...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans shout pros, cons of free agent moves; Penguins fans just shout
Free agency praise and angst from Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Plenty of blame to go around from Penguins fans. Barbs for Mike Tomlin. Shots at Tristan Jarry. And a call for a fresh pair of Depends. All that and more in this week’s “U mad, bro?” For the second week in...
