LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Kings coach D.J. Smith gave his team the day off Friday, but he sent his players home with a message: if they don't show up for work Sunday, they'll have the rest of the spring and summer off, too.

Players don't like to call any game a "must-win" because of the pressure it brings, but there's no other way to look at ...Read more

SALT LAKE CITY — The Vegas Golden Knights allowed four goals on the first eight shots they faced and lost 4-2 to the Utah Mammoth in Game 3 of their first-round series at Delta Center on Friday.

The Mammoth lead the best-of-7 series 2-1. Game 4 in Salt Lake City on Monday.

Utah, playing in its first home playoff game in franchise history, ...Read more

MONTREAL— The Tampa Bay Lightning want to be the bad guys, and there might not have been a better place for them to fit the bill as villains Friday than at Bell Centre.

The arena was not only deafening, but with a towel-waving sea of red right on top of the ice, it could have felt suffocating. Every time the puck touched the blades of Brandon...Read more

DETROIT — The team hasn’t changed, the frustration hasn’t changed, the issues haven’t changed. But with Steve Yzerman, the tone has changed, and that’s a start.

He can’t reasonably preach patience, and he’s not. He can’t keep asking for time, although ownership seems willing to give it. After previous failed seasons, Yzerman has...Read more

SEATTLE — Why should Kraken fans be excited about the franchise’s future?

On Wednesday, I asked that question of general manager Jason Botterill and CEO Tod Leiweke, who sat facing 31 reporters, broadcasters, bloggers, photographers and videographers in a crowded room inside the Kraken Community Iceplex.

Because I don’t know if there is ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — “Lehky” got lucky, but few players earn their breaks more than him.

Artturi Lehkonen had a shorthanded goal and set up another, while Scott Wedgewood made 26 saves as the Colorado Avalanche clawed its way to another victory, 4-2, Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Avs now lead the best-of-7 series 3-0, and will go for a...Read more

The Carolina Hurricanes have put a stranglehold on the Ottawa Senators in their Stanley Cup playoff series.

The Canes went into the Sens’ Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday and took a gritty 2-1 road win, claiming a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series.

Logan Stankoven scored his third goal of the series, Jackson Blake had ...Read more

BOSTON — So much for the home-ice advantage.

After the Bruins took it away from the Buffalo Sabres with a Game 2 win in Keybank Center on Tuesday, they gave it right back on Thursday when the Sabres shook off an early one-goal deficit and came away with a 3-1 win at TD Garden.

The B’s now have two days off to lick their wounds and prepare ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — His gloves dropped, his helmet off, his stringy hair falling into his face, Travis Konecny barked and shouted and cursed at Bryan Rust, the two of them seemingly oblivious now to the chaos they had inspired. Konecny had come close to sweeping a wrist shot into the Penguins’ net, and Rust had responded by shoving him down and ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — After losing the first two games of their first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins got off to the start they needed in Game 3.

They finally scored on a power play. They finally took a lead. They were limiting the rush chances that had killed them in the first two games of the series.

But ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — After the Tampa Bay Lightning’s last game at the Bell Centre, coach Jon Cooper was frustrated that it seemed like every time the officials separated a big scrum, they’d send an extra Lightning player to the bench or hand out an extra penalty to Tampa Bay.

In that April 9 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the teams combined...Read more

The Utah Mammoth use their speed well. The Vegas Golden Knights fell victim to it on the goal that decided Game 2 of their first-round series.

Mammoth center Logan Cooley scored the winning goal with six minutes remaining, and the Knights lost 3-2 at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday to even the best-of-7 series at a game apiece.

Utah winger Dylan ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning certainly took a fighting attitude into Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against Montreal Tuesday night at Benchmark International Arena.

They got some good punches in, and for a while it looked like their muscle-flexing was just what they needed to get back into the series.

In a matchup that could end ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The puck came trundling to Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner late in the second period Monday night, and he extended its fateful journey by backhanding it along the boards. His teammate Tommy Novak took his good sweet time retrieving it, as if he were a rollerblader coasting along a Southern California boardwalk, and ...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — They’ve been here before, these Carolina Hurricanes.

This is the eighth consecutive season they’ve been to the NHL playoffs. Saturday marked the Canes’ seventh consecutive win in a postseason opener, and Monday they made it 7 for 7 going 2-0 to start the playoffs, though this Game 2 took a game and a half.

After nearly ...Read more

PITTSBURGH ― The Flyers are a freight train, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are standing on the tracks.

Philly went into Western Pennsylvania and left with a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series thanks to a 3-0 win in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference’s first round.

Porter Martone and Garnet Hathaway scored, the Flyers delivered several big-...Read more

The Boston Bruins blew a two-goal third period lead, melting down in their own zone and lost a very winnable Game 1 to the Buffalo Sabres, 4-3. They completely fell apart with the game on the line.

This one hurts.

The B’s had a 2-0 lead and were doing a good job taking the crowd of the game, but when the B’s failed to clear their zone when...Read more