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

CHICAGO — Whatever you think of Kyle Davidson as Chicago Blackhawks general manager, you can’t say he doesn’t put his heart in it.

Looking back on the season, Davidson dealt with several curveballs: firing a coach, a player’s very public trade request and a worse-than-expected finish in the standings.

But the biggest bombshell was ...Read more

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – The Blues put themselves in position to get a needed road win in their first-round series of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but they couldn’t hold on to two leads and lost to the Winnipeg Jets, 5-3, on Saturday night at Canada Life Centre.

Kyle Connor scored with 1:36 to play after a faceoff following an icing call brought ...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Paul Maurice, a master of the spoken word, chose an uncommon word for a coach recently about his job: Joy.

As in delight.

As in sheer happiness

Have you heard a coach use that word around a pro sports team? Ever? But doesn’t it reflect what the Florida Panthers have built when held up against words slung by the ...Read more

DENVER — If trust is a two-way street, Valeri Nichushkin needs to stop kicking Stanley Cups to the curb.

“We trust him. And that’s the management, the coaches — everybody trusts him,” Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson told me this week before Colorado’s Stanley Cup playoff opener at Dallas on Saturday.

“If his teammates can trust...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings were playing for history Thursday and the Calgary Flames were playing for pride. Pride won, with Nazem Kadri scoring twice and and Sam Morton, Zayne Parekh and Mikael Backlund also scoring to give the Flames a 5-1 win in the final game of the NHL regular season.

Taylor Ward, making his NHL debut, got the ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Thursday was the 73rd matchup between longstanding rivals Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. And health permitting, it won’t be the last time they face each other.

Ovechkin confirmed that in hilarious fashion Thursday morning in Pittsburgh. The Washington Capitals star was asked about playing against Crosby “one more time.”

...Read more

It’s been a trying few years for Flyers fans, but they got what they wanted on Thursday night, as the team lost its season finale, 5-4, in Buffalo, N.Y., to the Sabres, and with it, clinched the fourth-best odds in the upcoming NHL draft lottery. Entering the night, the Flyers knew a regulation loss would be enough to see them leapfrog the ...Read more

And that'll be it for the Red Wings' 2024-25 regular season.

Fittingly, somewhat disappointing.

Toronto defenseman Chris Tanev scored his third goal of the season with two seconds left in regulation time to force overtime, then forward Scott Laughton — who scored four goals in a game against the Wings earlier this season while in ...Read more

CHICAGO — Connor Bedard faced his share of challenges in a turbulent season for the Chicago Blackhawks.

A second straight campaign left the Hawks near the bottom of the league.

Bedard went through a coaching change, a 12-game goal drought and a self-admitted crisis of confidence.

Want to sign up for more? Apparently, yes.

Bedard also ...Read more

Eighty-two games are in the books. As Anakin Skywalker would say, this is where the fun begins.

The Golden Knights’ eighth regular season is in the books after a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The next time the Knights take the ice will be in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Their ...Read more

SAN JOSE – Another season in which the San Jose Sharks have finished at the bottom of the NHL standings has, perhaps mercifully, come to a conclusion.

The Sharks hoped to finish the year on a positive note. But with their 3-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night at SAP Center, they ended with just 20 wins and 51 points, only ...Read more

The Red Wings aren't simply checking off the final days of the schedule, they are closing the season on a positive note.

They continued an impressive season-ending run Wednesday with a 5-2 victory in New Jersey.

The victories aren't going to get the Wings into the playoffs — they were eliminated Saturday — but it'll enable the Wings to ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Looking forward to the Eastern Conference final.

It begins here this weekend.

Of course, that’s not how the NHL sees it. Nor anyone north of the Florida border. The official version is that the playoff series between Tampa Bay and Florida is no different than any other first-round matchup in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

But, c�...Read more

The Vegas Golden Knights clinched the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in a 5-4 shootout loss against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.

Left wing Brandon Saad had a goal and two assists, and right wing Pavel Dorofeyev scored for the Knights (49-22-10).

That’s not the important news to come out of this game, however....Read more