Lightning even series with overtime win against BruinsVideo
TORONTO — Ondrej Palat scored at 4 minutes, 40 seconds of overtime to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, evening their Eastern Conference semifinal series at one game apiece. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy had 22 saves and became Tampa...
NHL fines John Tortorella $25,000 for conduct in media session
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella was fined $25,000 for his conduct during a media session after his team was eliminated from the playoffs, the NHL said Tuesday. Following the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Game 5 victory over the Blue Jackets, Tortorella ended his video news conference after...
Stars use 4-goal 2nd to beat Avs, take 2-0 lead in series
EDMONTON, Alberta — From a goal off the chest to another that may have just crossed the line — depending who’s asked — the Dallas Stars were getting the big bounces and breaks. That’s what it takes this time of year. Alexander Radulov scored on a deflection off his upper...
Islanders shut out Flyers in series opener
TORONTO — The New York Islanders came out hot to begin their second-round playoff series against Philadelphia, creating numerous good chances and scoring an early goal. Semyon Varlamov did the rest. Varlamov stopped 29 shots for his second straight shutout, Andy Greene scored his first playoff goal in a decade...
Bubble fatigue cited as mental challenge during NHL playoffs
The hotels might be posh, their amenities and service first rate, and yet life inside the NHL’s two playoff bubbles isn’t exactly glamorous. Having spent nearly a month cooped up at the tunnel-connected hotel-arena complex in Edmonton, Alberta, Rick Bowness acknowledged there’s times he’s had to coax himself to step...
Jaroslav Halak stops 35, Bruins hang on for win over Lightning
TORONTO — Brad Marchand says it’s no coincidence the Boston Bruins are starting to look like the team that led the NHL regular season with 100 points and 44 wins. After floating through the preliminary seeding round a few weeks ago, the President’s Trophy-winning Bruins have flipped the switch now...
Robin Lehner gets 1st playoff shutout, Golden Knights top Canucks
EDMONTON, Alberta — Robin Lehner recorded his first career playoff shutout and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Vancouver Canucks, 5-0, Sunday night in the first game of their second round playoff series. The 29-year-old Lehner, who is playing for his fifth NHL team, turned aside 26 shots. “I thought...
John Steigerwald: Reaction to Mike Milbury’s remark out of control
Add Mike Milbury to the list. He has been canceled because of a completely innocuous remark he made while working as an analyst during Thursday night’s NBC telecast of the Islanders-Capitals game. Analyst Brian Boucher said this about the NHL’s bubble, which, by the way, might have played a part...
Agent for Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury raises questions with tweetVideo
Peter DeBoer didn’t name his starting goaltender for Sunday’s Game 1 of the Vegas Golden Knights’ second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks. A tweet Saturday by Marc-Andre Fleury’s agent may have given that information away, and it certainly stirred up questions in the middle of the playoffs. Agent Allan Walsh...
Mike Milbury steps away from broadcasting rest of NHL playoffsVideo
Mike Milbury is stepping away from broadcasting the rest of the NHL playoffs after his on-air comment that there were no women in the league’s quarantined bubble to disrupt concentration drew widespread criticism. The former player, coach and general manager released a statement through NBC Sports on Saturday, saying: “I...
Canucks blitz Jordan Binnington, eliminate Blues in Game 6
EDMONTON, Alberta — The Vancouver Canucks brought a bright, young team to the Western Conference bubble, lacking in postseason experience but boasting several budding stars. They’re playing like they’re planning to stay awhile. The Canucks sent St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington to the bench early with three scores in a...
Flyers eliminate Cinderella Canadiens, earn matchup with Islanders
TORONTO — Flyers goalie Carter Hart grew up rooting for Carey Price and was thrilled to met his goalie idol this season. Beating the Canadiens and getting congratulated by Price in the handshake line felt so much better for Hart. “He said, ‘Helluva series’ and he’ll be watching,” Hart said....
Mark Madden: NHL, NFL restrictions changing media coverage for now, possibly the future
The NHL didn’t allow any media into its two bubbles except those working for its member franchises and for NHL.com. The Professional Hockey Writers Association protested. I get that. But I also understand what the NHL did. The league wanted to keep the bubble tight and under its control. There...
Denis Gurianov scores 4, Stars rally to clinch series over Flames
EDMONTON, Alberta — Denis Gurianov and the Dallas Stars pulled off quite a trick, turning a big early deficit into a lopsided series-clinching victory. Gurianov scored four goals, including a hat trick in the second period while also assisting on the go-ahead score, and Dallas rallied from a three-goal deficit...
Barry Trotz’s Islanders eliminate Capitals with Game 5 shutout
TORONTO — Anthony Beauvillier scored twice, Semyon Varlamov shut out the team that drafted him and the New York Islanders knocked the Washington Capitals out of the playoffs in the first round by beating them 4-0 Thursday night in Game 5. The Islanders will move on to face either the...
Tyler Motte scores twice, Canucks rally to beat Blues
EDMONTON, Alberta — Fourth-line grinder Tyler Motte scored two breakaway goals to power the Vancouver Canucks to a come-from-behind 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night. The Canucks lead the best-of-seven opening-round series 3-2 and can send the defending Stanley Cup champions packing from the postseason with...
First Call: Steely McBeam shunned, case for Cam Heyward, NFL playoff bubble talk, typical Torts and Tom Wilson
Thursday’s “First Call” looks at the prospect of an NFL playoff bubble. Some stats to back up Cameron Heyward’s call for a contract extension. Bad news for Steely McBeam. And a pair of Penguins fan favorites do what they do best. NFL playoff bubble? The NFL won’t be played in...
Canadiens beat Flyers in Game 5 to avoid elimination
TORONTO — Nick Suzuki buried the winner 22 seconds after Philadelphia tied it in the third period, Brendan Gallagher snapped a goal drought and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Flyers 5-3 on Wednesday night in Game 5 to stave off elimination in the first-round playoff series. Joel Armia scored twice...
Avalanche rout Coyotes in Game 5 to win 1st-round series
EDMONTON, Alberta — Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and two assists, Nazem Kadri also scored twice and the Colorado Avalanche routed the Arizona Coyotes, 7-1, on Wednesday to close out the first-round playoff series in five games. Colorado, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, took control of the...
Patrice Bergeron, Bruins beat Hurricanes to advance in playoffs
TORONTO — Patrice Bergeron broke a tie with 3.5 seconds left in the second period, David Pastrnak returned with two assists and the Boston Bruins beat the Carolina Hurricanes, 2-1, on Wednesday to win the first-round playoff series in five games. The Bruins trailed 1-0 entering the final 5 minutes...
Lightning send Blue Jackets home with OT win in Game 5
TORONTO — The Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated Columbus from the Stanley Cup playoffs in five games Wednesday, rallying from a two-goal, third-period deficit before beating the Blue Jackets, 5-4, on Brayden Point’s goal 5 minutes, 12 seconds into overtime. Point also delivered the winner in Game 1 of the best-of-seven...
Golden Knights eliminate Blackhawks with 4-3 win in Game 5
EDMONTON, Alberta — Facing an early deficit, the Vegas Golden Knights were sparked by their stars, setting the stage for Alex Tuch to send the top seed in the Western Conference into the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Tuch scored the tiebreaking goal 1 minute, 34 seconds into...
Alex Ovechkin helps Capitals rally past Islanders to avoid sweep
TORONTO — Alex Ovechkin scored twice, including the go-ahead goal early in the third period, as Washington rallied from two goals down to beat the New York Islanders 3-2 Tuesday night and avoid a sweep in their first-round series. Evgeny Kuznetsov also scored for the Capitals and Braden Holtby stopped...
John Klingberg gets winner, Stars beat Flames for 3-2 lead
EDMONTON, Alberta — John Klingberg didn’t have the decisive goal taken away this time. The Dallas defenseman scored his first goal since the NHL’s restart early in the third period, and the Stars held on for a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames in a crucial Game 5 of their...
Carter Hart’s 2nd straight shutout leads Flyers to victory
TORONTO — Carter Hart is making postseason history and has the Flyers on the brink of advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. Hart stopped 29 shots for his second straight shutout, Michael Raffl and Phil Myers each scored and the...
