In a season full of spectacular performances, Nathan MacKinnon may have authored his masterpiece Tuesday night.

It wasn’t just that MacKinnon had at least four points for the eighth time this season, including seven times at Ball Arena. Or his third hat trick of the year. Or that he reached 50 goals for the first time in his career, or pulled...Read more

SUNRISE, Fla. — It’s official — this is the second-greatest regular season in Florida Panthers history.

The Panthers, who shut out the visiting Ottawa Senators, 2-0, on Tuesday night, have 104 points. This season’s Panthers passed the 2015-2016 team (103 points). But with just three games left, Florida’s franchise record of 122 points...Read more

MONTREAL — In a season of must-wins, this was the must-win of must-wins.

The Flyers entered Tuesday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens desperate. They had to stop the bleeding. And it wasn’t a small, slow bleed; it was a seven-game losing streak kind of bleed. If they wanted to make the playoffs, they had to find the game that ...Read more

BOSTON — Perhaps the Bruins were due for a stinker in this tough stretch of their schedule. And the Carolina Hurricanes were only too happy to deliver it to them.

After the B’s beat the Canes in Carolina last week, the B’s showed they could be hospitable hosts as well, dropping a 4-1 decision at TD Garden as the Hurricanes rode a dominant...Read more

DETROIT — Making the playoffs for the Red Wings has just become a little more difficult.

Maybe a lot. We'll see in the next several days, but Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Washington certainly isn't going to help matters.

Washington goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 43 saves spurring the victory, as the Wings outshot the Capitals, 44-23, but were ...Read more

CHICAGO – In the month since he arrived from Russia, Marat Khusnutdinov has previewed the potential that made him an intriguing Wild prospect.

He hasn't scored his first NHL goal, but the center picked up his second assist Sunday in the 4-0 win at Chicago, but his confidence has been on the rise.

"It's a lot quicker of a game," said ...Read more

The Golden Knights let another opportunity get away.

The Knights grabbed a lead twice, failed to maintain it both times and lost 4-3 to the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Monday.

The Knights led 2-0 and 3-2 before failing to score in the third period. They suffered their second straight loss in regulation after Friday’s 7-4 defeat to ...Read more

TORONTO — The Penguins lost, 3-2, in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Monday. That snapped their four-game win streak.

Jake McCabe got the winner with 3:30 left in OT and tired Penguins on the ice.

The Leafs took their first lead, 2-1, early in the third period, after Erik Karlsson went to the penalty box for ...Read more

SEATTLE — Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen claims that, while playing junior hockey in Iowa, he once slapped a puck into an opponent’s empty net from close range with the goalie pulled.

Tolvanen somehow escaped that night unharmed by opposing players but admits he wouldn’t dare try it in the NHL. And for good reason, given how Ottawa Senators...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Robert Thomas is back.

With a four-point night during a 6-5 shootout win over the Ducks on Sunday at Honda Center, Thomas busted out of a slump in a big way as the Blues snapped a brief two-game skid.

Jordan Kyrou scored the game-deciding goal for the Blues in the first round of the shootout, and Jordan Binnington stopped ...Read more

CHICAGO — Jesper Wallstedt was much better in his second NHL game than his debut.

So were the Wild players in front of them.

They teamed up for a 4-0 victory over the Blackhawks on Sunday at United Center, with Wallstedt stopping 24 shots to become the first Wild goaltender to christen his first victory with a shutout that helped the Wild ...Read more

DETROIT — The Red Wings needed a victory Sunday to stay firmly in the playoff chase and they made sure quickly they would.

Lucas Raymond (26th, 53 seconds), Patrick Kane (19th, 4 minutes, 24 seconds) and Dylan Larkin (power play, 31st, 7:37) scored first-period goals before Buffalo awoke, as the Wings skated to a 3-1 victory.

Goaltender Alex...Read more

SEATTLE — An old axiom from schoolyards and streets applies equally to NHL rinks: Don't start something you can't finish.

And finishing often involves accepting a challenge to drop your gloves and fight. Dropping gloves is an expected ritual as old as professional hockey itself, especially if a player has laid another one out through a ...Read more

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Has anyone tried to reboot the Flyers? Maybe unplug them, wait 30 seconds, and plug them back in?

Scratch that last one, 30 seconds may be too long of a wait right now. In Game No. 78, the Flyers lost, 6-2, to the Columbus Blue Jackets — a team that entered the night 21 points below them in the standings.

With the loss, ...Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Kirill Kaprizov scored not one but two highlight-reel goals to climb one shy of 40 for a third consecutive season, but Kaprizov's blitz wasn't enough to overcome the Jets.

The Wild fell, 4-2, on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center to drop their second straight and remain 10 points out of a playoff spot with a season-long five-...Read more

BOSTON — The ever-growing hatred between the Bruins and Panthers was on full display in a playoff-like atmosphere at TD Garden on Saturday.

And fortunately for the B’s, this one had a happier ending than last April’s playoff matchup.

The B’s could not hold a one-goal lead in the third, but Jesper Boqvist lifted the B’s to a 3-2 ...Read more