RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes are still unbeaten at home in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but it took overtime.

The Canes fell behind the New York Rangers in the first period, tied the score late in the third and then won, 2-1, on defenseman Ian Cole’s goal at 3:12 of overtime in Game 1 of their second-round series.

The Hurricanes, ...Read more

SUNRISE, Fla. — The face, right? You’ve got to protect the face first.

And then it’s easily breakable bones. The forearm, the knees, even the feet.

Really, when it comes to blocking a frozen hockey puck whizzing at you at breakneck speed — and that’s not necessarily a euphemism — it’s best to go into turtle mode and pray it hits ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — I hate to disagree with Tristan Jarry, who gave his all against the New York Rangers on Sunday night by playing hurt after missing a month with a broken foot and playing well enough to give the Penguins a chance to win Game 7.

But I must.

"They're generational players," Jarry said of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang....Read more

Colorado’s Josh Manson zipped a game-winning shot past Blues’ goalie Jordan Binnington for a stunning 3-2 overtime victory at an electric Ball Arena Tuesday night. Manson’s shot from the top came midway through the first extra period of Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

The Avalanche played a penalty-free game until late in the...Read more

SUNRISE, Fla. — With Brayden Point, the best player in the Lightning’s first-round playoff series win over Toronto, sidelined for Tuesday’s second-round opener against Florida, the Lightning needed someone else to push the pace.

Enter Nikita Kucherov, who put the game on his stick in the second period and brought the Lightning back from a...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — In the same sense that we’re doomed to repeat the same stupid timeline over and over again off the ice — a New York broadcaster using the word “hillbilly” to describe the Carolina Hurricanes, and before the series even starts — there’s a pretty good chance the second round is going to look a lot like the first for ...Read more

CHICAGO — Even Jeff Greenberg knows this feels crazy, right?

Here’s a former Chicago Cubs assistant general manager, who worked in baseball for 16 years, making the leap to professional hockey — and not just switching from another sport but occupying one of the Chicago Blackhawks’ top three front-office positions as an associate general...Read more

MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Let us not visit the sins of the father upon the son. Tie Domi was as hated here as he was anywhere else, although it’s a two-way street, given that the Carolina Hurricanes put an end to what may have been his best shot at a Stanley Cup.

So what a strange world we are living in that nobody, nowhere could have been ...Read more

Nazem Kadri is prepared for whatever shenanigans might develop in Game 1 Tuesday in the Western Conference semifinals against St. Louis.

The Avalanche center might be asked to fight for the third time in four meetings against the Blues this season. Or, he could be targeted for big hits and taunted.

What is known is that St. Louis will try to ...Read more

Cam Talbot was benched during the best run of his NHL career, assigned to being the Wild's backup when the team started the playoffs before making a last-ditch, pinch-hit effort in a season-ending loss to the Blues.

But the goaltender wants to remain with the Wild and with another year left on his contract, he expects to stick around.

"Unless ...Read more

The running joke with the Dallas Stars is that this entire season is their version of “The Last Dance,” minus the championships, titles and victory parades.

Indeed.

When Tom Gaglardi bought the franchise and saved it from bankruptcy in November of 2011, he thought he had a nucleus similar to the Chicago Blackhawks when that franchise was ...Read more

After winning their first playoff series in more than 25 years, the Florida Panthers will face a familiar foe in the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Panthers pulled off a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory against the Washington Capitals in Game 6 Friday to close out the series, winning their first ...Read more

CHICAGO — The 2021-22 Chicago Blackhawks season probably has faded from fans’ memories already — because who really wants to remember anything that transpired on or off the ice during that turbulent time?

The team would rather have fans look forward as it begins to reinvent the franchise, including introducing potential season ticket ...Read more

The Florida Panthers were not openly rooting for anyone Saturday when the Tampa Bay Lightning took down the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their first-round series.

A day later, they couldn’t help but be excited about the outcome, though.

“In the end,” defenseman Brandon Montour said, “I think a lot of guys wanted to play this team.�...Read more

NEW YORK – A series that began in Game 1 with a triple overtime marathon that tested both teams’ stamina and Louis Domingue’s stomach was bookended in the same way.

Well, with one notable exception: The result.

The resilient Rangers fought back from 2-0, second-period deficits in Game 5 and Game 6 to force the all-or-nothing Game 7. They...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The Battle of Florida is on for Round Two of the playoffs.

The Panthers, who won the Presidents’ Trophy with 122 points this season, earned their first postseason series win since 1996 by defeating the Capitals in six games with a 4-3 win in overtime Friday. The Lightning took out the Maple Leafs in seven games with a 2-1 ...Read more

TORONTO — For many teams this season, the Lightning were the bull’s-eye after winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.

For the rival Florida Panthers, they were the blueprint.

Now the teams meet again in the postseason with more than Sunshine State bragging rights on the line.

Ask the Lightning’s players and coaches and they’ll...Read more