EDMONTON, Canada — The Edmonton Oilers played like they couldn’t afford to lose Friday. And they didn’t, scoring two goals 10 seconds apart late in the third period to beat the Los Angeles Kings 7-4 in a wild first-round playoff game that saw the lead change hands three times in the final 25 minutes.

The Kings still lead the best-of-...Read more

The New Jersey Devils’ resiliency was tested — in full — Friday by the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

It took two overtimes to decide Game 3 of the first-round series, a test of grit and endurance by both teams, before the Devils emerged with a 3-2 victory at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Simon Nemec’s goal ...Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — During the regular season, Vegas’ top line of Jack Eichel centering Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev combined to produce 70 goals and 142 assists while amassing 475 shots on goal for a Vegas Golden Knights team that won the Pacific Division and earned the No. 2 seed in the NHL’s Western Conference.

Through the opening two ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all 19 shots he faced to lead the Florida Panthers to a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday in Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series at Amalie Arena.

Florida is now up 2-0 in the best-of-7 series after opening the series with a 6-2 win on Tuesday. The matchup now shifts to ...Read more

SEATTLE — On April 29, 2024, Ron Francis wore a black pullover and black pants to announce the firing of the Kraken’s first coach.

The general manager had signed Dave Hakstol to a contract extension barely nine months earlier, after he guided Seattle to a 46-28-8 record, 100 points and a playoff upset of the reigning Stanley Cup champion ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published my year-end Penguins report card over the weekend. It included five A grades, a few failing marks and a whole lot of meh in the middle.

When I put out my player grades after each season, one question I always get from our readers is why I don't include coach Mike Sullivan. My response is that...Read more

DALLAS — The Colorado Avalanche had a chance to take complete control of this series. That chance slipped away into the Texas night.

Colin Blackwell, who didn’t play in Game 1, scored with 2:14 left in overtime of Game 2 of this Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round series to give the Dallas Stars a 4-3 victory on Monday night inside American ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Matthew Tkachuk got the puck in the slot early in the second period. He weaved and bobbed with the puck on his stick, trying to fake out Andrei Vasilevskiy before finally slipping a low wrist shot past the star goaltender for a power-play goal.

Tkachuk skated toward the bench, looked back to his teammates and raised his arms in ...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — Put Jordan Martinook in a playoff series with the New Jersey Devils and it’s like lighting a fuse.

The Carolina Hurricanes forward — who is more about hustle and grit than shooting and scoring — has turned into the best form of himself against the Devils in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Martinook has played with fire but ...Read more

DENVER — No more stashing No. 92 away for a rainy day. Storm clouds are forming near Chopper Circle.

“Gabe wanted to get in a groove and take warm-up and get in the room and be part of it,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of captain Gabriel Landeskog’s activation and subsequent scratch before Monday’s overtime loss at Dallas. “So,...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — It’s all so weird to Brett Pesce. So weird. The New Jersey Devils’ team hotel is not far from where he lived in Raleigh, the neighborhood still so familiar. He played 35 playoff games in what’s now the Lenovo Center as a member of the home team, and Sunday afternoon was his first as a visitor.

Things that feel so ...Read more

SEATTLE — The Kraken restructuring became official Tuesday morning. The team's only general manager to date, Ron Francis was elevated to president of hockey operations while handing over some of the day-to-day business of roster management.

Jason Botterill, Kraken assistant general manager and one-time Buffalo Sabres general manager, will ...Read more

SEATTLE — For the second consecutive year, as the Stanley Cup playoffs surge on, the Kraken are reportedly looking for a coach. They will also have a new general manager, according to another report.

After just one year in charge, the Kraken fired coach Dan Bylsma on Monday, according to a report by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

The ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The surprise standing ovation greeting Alex Ovechkin on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena was not only appropriate but pretty darn cool. A worthy, longtime rival to the Penguins' stars, Ovechkin was feted for breaking the NHL's all-time goal-scoring record, something many thought would never be touched.

But Ovechkin, now 39 and coming...Read more

The Golden Knights, under coach Bruce Cassidy, know how to start a playoff series.

Left wing Brett Howden scored twice to lead the Knights to a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.

Right wing Pavel Dorofeyev and center Tomas Hertl also scored, while goaltender Adin Hill made...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — There are no friends in playoff hockey, certainly not in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

From the drop of the puck in the opening game, it becomes a mano a mano test all over the ice. The only acceptable outcome is to win the game, and players must be prepared to do anything to do it.

It might mean Seth Jarvis of the Carolina ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Danny Briere, the Flyers’ general manager, spent some time Saturday morning making a list. This was very relatable and reassuring. It was good to know that a National Hockey League general manager makes lists just like the rest of us conscientious adults do. Made me feel nice and solid inside. Except my lists usually are ...Read more