Sharks’ Logan Couture thought he lost a testicle on shot block
Losing to the Vegas Golden Knights might not have been the most painful part. San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture, sacrificing his body in the way only hockey players can this time of year, blocked a shot by the Golden Knights’ Cody Eakin during Game 2 of their Western Coference...
Blue Jackets rally from 3-goal deficit to beat Lightning in Game 1
TAMPA, Fla. — Seth Jones scored the go-ahead goal on the power play to cap Columbus’ three-goal third period, and the Blue Jackets rallied to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3, in Game 1 of the teams’ first-round Eastern Conference playoff series Wednesday night. Jones made it 4-3 from the...
Champion Capitals face fresh-faced Hurricanes in 1st round of playoffs
WASHINGTON — When the Carolina Hurricanes take the ice for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Capitals on Thursday, their blue line will have less playoff experience than top Washington defenseman John Carlson. Of their 342 games of NHL postseason experience, captain Justin Williams and second-line center Jordan...
Panthers hire 3-time Stanley Cup winner Joel Quenneville as coach
SUNRISE, Fla. — Dale Tallon and Joel Quenneville are together again, and the Florida Panthers are ready for them to recreate their magic. Quenneville — who is second on the NHL’s all-time victory list — was hired Monday to coach the Panthers, who started their offseason with a splash. It’s...
NHL playoff matchups set for ‘best time of year’
The team expected to win it all faces an opponent that loaded up for the same thing, the defending champions go up against a playoff newcomer and the wild West is wide open in the quest for the Stanley Cup. The NHL playoffs open Wednesday when the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa...
Inside the life of the Capitals’ Tom Wilson, hockey’s most hated man
ARLINGTON, Va. — Tom Wilson tries not to read everything about him on social media. You’d think being on the receiving end of endless tweets and messages that are, well, not suitable for work would be reason enough to skip them. But Wilson can’t just ignore it all because sometimes...
Robin Lehner stops 31 shots as Islanders blank Coyotes 2-0
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson scored to back Robin Lehner’s fifth shutout of the season as the New York Islanders beat the Arizona Coyotes 2-0 Sunday. Lehner stopped 31 shots to help the Islanders win for the second time in two days and keep pace with first...
Marc Andre Fleury and wife welcome third baby, son James
The “Flower” and family welcomed a son. Marc Andre Fleury, the former Pittsburgh Penguins goalie, who now guards the net for the Vegas Golden Knights, and his wife Veronique Larosee welcomed their third child this weekend. Son James was born Friday weighing 9.3 pounds. He is the Fleurys’ third child,...
Capitals accept differences of opinion on White House visit
WASHINGTON — The news is constantly on television at the Washington Capitals’ practice facility, and like any workplace, there’s no shortage of opinions. “We’re human beings, and people share different opinions and different political views,” veteran team leader Brooks Orpik said. “It’s no different than anybody else. People that are...
NHL: Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly didn’t utter gay slur at official
TORONTO — Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly didn’t direct a gay slur at referee Brad Meier during the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the NHL said Tuesday after an investigation. Television cameras picked up what sounded like a slur with 1 minute, 51 seconds left in the second...
Marc-Andre Fleury nearly gets into goalie fightVideo
The “Fleury! Fleury! Fleury!” chants were going strong in Vegas Wednesday night for former Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. No, not because of a good save. And, no, he didn’t finally get that empty-net goal he has been endlessly searching to score. He almost got engaged in a goalie fight! There...
Red Wings great, NHL union pioneer Ted Lindsay dies at 93
DETROIT — Detroit Red Wings great and Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay has died at 93. His death was confirmed Monday by son-in-law Lew LaPaugh, president of the Ted Lindsay Foundation, which raises money for autism research. Lindsay died Monday at his home in Michigan. Lindsay was a nine-time All-Star...
First call: Blue Jackets jump Penguins; Carolina fans mad about Antonio Brown
In “First Call” Friday, the Penguins are back outside of the playoff bracket again. Pitt has a huge road challenge. A little perspective on the Bryce Harper signing. Carolina fans are mad at me. Back outside Columbus’ 4-3 win over the Flyers caused some shuffling in the Eastern Conference standings....
John Tavares gets showered with boos and profanities in return to Long IslandVideo
John Tavares’ return to Nassau Coliseum did not go as expected. Or maybe it did? The former captain for the New York Islanders made his first appearance to Long Island as a Toronto Maple Leaf and was showered with boos, expletives and projectiles. Leafs hit the ice at the Coliseum....
New-look Blue Jackets all in on Stanley Cup run
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets have made it clear they don’t want to wait any longer to make a serious Stanley Cup run. In a series of moves before Monday’s trade deadline, the Blue Jackets dealt mostly draft picks and prospects for players who can contribute and also...
NHL trade deadline: Blue Jackets load up; Stone lands with Vegas; Simmonds to Predators
The West got wilder, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are all in on their late-season NHL playoff push. The Blue Jackets followed up last week’s addition of Ottawa forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel by acquiring New York Rangers defenseman Adam McQuaid and New Jersey goalie Keith Kinkaid as Monday’s...
Oilers’ Connor McDavid suspended 2 games for check to head
NEW YORK — Edmonton Oilers All-Star Connor McDavid was suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of the New York Islanders’ Nick Leddy during Edmonton’s 4-3 win on Thursday night. The league announced the suspension Friday. McDavid was given a minor penalty for the hit, which occurred...
Blue Jackets acquire Matt Duchene from Senators
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Matt Duchene from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for two top prospects on Friday, adding a veteran center as they make a push for a playoff spot. The 28-year-old Duchene, one of the top players available ahead of Monday’s NHL trade deadline,...
Capitals acquire ex-Penguin Carl Hagelin from Kings
The Washington Capitals have acquired winger Carl Hagelin from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2019 third-round pick and a conditional sixth-round pick in the next year’s entry draft. The teams announced the trade Thursday after Washington winger Devante Smith-Pelly cleared waivers and was assigned to Hershey of the American...
First call: John Tortorella gives too much info on Artemi Panarin’s stomach issues
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” John Tortorella clears up some messy speculation about one of his players. Trevor Lawrence is a little too physical during an intramural game. Dirk Nowitzki gets deep on the topic of “heightism.” We get the point, coach Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella is nothing if...
Mike Tirico impresses during his 1st NHL game for NBC Sports
Mike Tirico tells aspiring broadcasters to take chances and get out of their comfort zone. On Wednesday night, Tirico took his own advice. Tirico called his first NHL game on NBCSN when the Detroit Red Wings played host to the Chicago Blackhawks. Hall of Famer Mike “Doc” Emerick, NBC’s lead...
Pierre McGuire nearly takes puck to the face
You think your job is dangerous. Pierre McGuire, NBC hockey analyst, puts his life — well, his face — on the blue line every game. During NHL games he’s covering, McGuire can usually be found in a booth between the two teams’ benches. No glass. No protection. On Sunday night’s...
Hurricanes respond to Don Cherry’s ’bunch of jerks’ comment with new T-shirt
If your team gets called out by a talking head on TV, what do you do? Sell T-shirts. That’s how the Carolina Hurricanes responded Sunday afternoon after hockey commentator Don Cherry referred to the team as “a bunch of jerks.” The team introduced new shirts with the “Bunch of jerks”...
Don Cherry calls Carolina Hurricanes ‘bunch of jerks’ because of victory celebrations
For Don Cherry, a man known for his flashy, attention-seeking suits, perhaps the irony was lost on him when he espoused a “get off my lawn” persona Saturday when discussing the topic of the Carolina Hurricanes’ postgame celebrations. The Hurricanes have been doing a lot of winning lately (three straight...
Ducks fire coach Randy Carlyle amid 7-game losing skid
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray tried to give Randy Carlyle as much time as possible to turn things around. But a seven-game losing streak and freefall into last place in the Western Conference showed Murray a turnaround wasn’t coming soon. Murray announced he would take over...
