Rangers power past Hurricanes in Game 4 to even series
NEW YORK — Andrew Copp had a goal and two assists, and Frank Vatrano and Adam Fox each had a goal and an assist as the New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-1, in Game 4 on Tuesday night, evening the second-round series. Mika Zibanejad also scored, Ryan Lindgren...
For Panthers, regular season success didn’t lead to Stanley Cup runVideo
SUNRISE, Fla. — There will be a Presidents’ Trophy banner hanging over the Florida Panthers’ home ice next season. The team’s media relations department will spend its summer rewriting the record book because tons of pages need updating. And the earliest that the Panthers will again have to hear about...
First Call: Aaron Donald not at OTAs yet; NFL free agents at positions of need for Steelers; ex-Penguin stays hot in playoffs
Tuesday’s “First Call” updates the Aaron Donald situation in Los Angeles. We check in on potential free agents the Pittsburgh Steelers may want to investigate. A rematch of an ex-Pirate pitching duel takes a turn. And a former Penguin stays hot in the postseason. A.D.’s day Los Angeles Rams star...
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning blank Panthers to complete sweep
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning are running out of superlatives to describe Andrei Vasilevskiy’s dominance. The reigning Conn Symthe Trophy winner delivered another stellar playoff performance for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions Monday night, stopping 49 shots to beat the Florida Panthers, 2-0, and finish a four-game...
NHL, St. Louis police looking into threats made toward Nazem Kadri
The NHL said Monday that St. Louis police are investigating threats made toward Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri, who has been the subject of racist social media posts since he was involved in a collision that ended the season of Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The...
Mika Zibanejad leads Rangers to 1st win over Hurricanes in Game 3
NEW YORK — After two tough losses on the road put them in another series deficit, the New York Rangers again bounced back with a big home win. Mika Zibanejad had a goal and an assist, Igor Shesterkin stopped 43 shots and the Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-1, on...
Mike Sielski: Why the Flyers’ 47-year Stanley Cup drought won’t end soon
PHILADELPHIA — As of Friday, May 27, it will have been 47 years since the Flyers last won the Stanley Cup. If you have a fondness for the sadomasochistic, you can continue parsing that number to illustrate just how long that drought has been: 17,168 days, 411,744 hours, and on...
Ross Colton scores late, Lightning beat Panthers in Game 2
SUNRISE, Fla. — Ross Colton scored with 3.8 seconds remaining, giving the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday night. The stunning finish put the Lightning up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series...
Predators extend coach John Hynes, assistants through 23-24Video
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators extended the contracts of coach John Hynes and his assistants through the 2023-24 season, trying to build on a season with several individual successes for a franchise that wound up being swept in the playoffs for the first time. General manager David Poile announced...
Maple Leafs say Mitch Marner was victim of carjackingVideo
TORONTO — Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner was the victim of a carjacking in Toronto, the team said Tuesday as city police investigated. Marner was not hurt in the carjacking that took place in east Toronto on Monday evening, the team said. “He was unharmed in the incident and the...
Expect more traditional playoff hockey in NHL’s 2nd round
With full arenas around North America buzzing for the NHL playoffs for the first time in three years, the first round overflowed with energy that sometimes amounted to blowouts and full penalty boxes. By the time almost every series reached Game 6 — and five got to Game 7 —...
Golden Knights fire Peter DeBoer after missing playoffs
LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights fired coach Peter DeBoer on Monday in the aftermath of missing the playoffs for the first time in their five-year franchise history. General manager Kelly McCrimmon made the announcement and thanked DeBoer for his work with the organization. “Since joining the organization, Pete...
Islanders promote longtime Barry Trotz assistant Lane Lambert
When the New York Islanders fired coach Barry Trotz, general manager Lou Lamoriello believed the team needed a new voice. That new voice is coming from inside the same coaches’ room. The Islanders on Monday named Lane Lambert as Trotz’s replacement, giving his longtime assistant his first head coaching job...
Rematch round: Blues-Avalanche, Panthers-Lightning up nextVideo
Florida Panthers deadline addition Brandon Montour might not have had a rooting interest in Game 7 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Many of his teammates who got eliminated by the Lightning were happy to see the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions win to...
Capitals out in 1st round for 4th time since winning Cup in 2018
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin thinks it’s pretty messed up that the Washington Capitals haven’t won a playoff series since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2018. This time, they have only themselves to blame. “We have it, but we just blow it away,” Ovechkin said Friday night after his team’s Game...
Max Domi, Antti Raanta help Hurricanes close out Bruins in Game 7
RALEIGH, N.C. — Max Domi scored twice in the second period, and Antti Raanta had 27 saves to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Boston Bruins, 3-2, on Saturday to win the deciding Game 7 of their first-round playoff series. Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the Hurricanes, who finally put...
Panthers beat Capitals in OT, win 1st playoff series since 1996Video
WASHINGTON — On the wrong side of a comeback effort this time, the Florida Panthers rebounded in overtime and made sure they wouldn’t need to go home to finish their first-round series. Carter Verhaeghe scored the OT winner to send the Panthers to the second round by beating the Washington...
Bruce Boudreau to return as coach of Canucks
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Bruce Boudreau will return as coach of the Vancouver Canucks next season after helping to turn the struggling NHL club around as a midyear replacement. Speaking Friday afternoon after completing a “rough round” of golf, the 67-year-old Boudreau said “we have some unfinished business in Vancouver,...
Bruins beat Hurricanes to force 7th game
BOSTON — Brad Marchand scored one goal and assisted on another, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 23 shots to lead the Boston Bruins past the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-2, on Thursday night and send their first-round playoff series to a decisive seventh game. The home team has won all six games in...
Matthews, McDavid, Shesterkin are finalists for Hart Trophy
NEW YORK — Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid are two of the finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy, the NHL’s most valuable player award. New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin is also in contention for the prize awarded “to the player adjudged to...
First Call: Pitt’s possible partners in proposed ACC football scheduling changes; Capitals blow lead, on cusp of elimination
Thursday’s “First Call” provides some updates about potential changes to the ACC football conference. The Penguins-Rangers game at Madison Square Garden wasn’t the only crucial result to track in the NHL playoffs. The upcoming Pirates-Reds series this weekend has a different tone to it than the one they played last...
First Call: Steelers referenced as ‘potential’ landing spot for former Pro Bowl cornerback; Canes go back up on Bruins
Wednesday’s “First Call” stokes the conversation about a former Pro Bowl cornerback perhaps connecting with the Steelers. Some local players got on the scoresheet in NHL playoff action. And there is some question about the extent of Tom Brady’s deal with Fox. Bucks for Bradberry? On Tuesday, I mentioned the...
1st week of NHL playoffs full of fast starts, blowoutsVideo
Turns out a two-goal lead is the safest lead in the first round of the NHL playoffs. A three-goal lead? Insurmountable. Fall behind at all in a game? Well, good luck. The first week of the NHL playoffs has been a stark contrast to the regular season that was full...
Canadiens win NHL Draft lottery; Devils move up to No. 2Video
The Montreal Canadiens are not only hosting the NHL Draft in July, they’ll have a chance to be the headliners after winning the draft lottery Tuesday night. The Canadiens followed a turbulent season in which they finished last in the overall standings by retaining the right to the No. 1...
Islanders fire coach Barry Trotz after missing playoffs
Barry Trotz was fired as coach of the New York Islanders on Monday, with general manager Lou Lamoriello saying he felt the team needed a new voice. Trotz lost his job after four seasons with the Islanders and the first without a playoff appearance. The 59-year-old, who ranks among the...