NHL

Phillip Danault scored the game-winning goal late in the third period to cap a two-point night, leading the visiting Los Angeles Kings to a 4-3 victor...

Game 2 will be Wednesday, also in Raleigh. Ville Husso made 37 saves to earn a shutout in his first NHL playoff appearance. With overtime on the horizon, Danault broke a deadlock with 5:14 remaining. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves for the Lightning. Game 2 will be Wednesday, also in Toronto. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and an assist and Torey Krug had three assists for the Blues, who improved to 10-0-1 in their past 11 games against Minnesota. Trevor Moore scored once in a three-point game for the Kings, while Alex Iaffalo collected one goal and one assist and Brendan Lemieux scored once.

NHL.com identifies an X-factor from each team in fantasy hockey playoff pools counting the entire 2022 postseason.

Sean Durzi, D, LAK - The Los Angeles Kings defenseman played heavy minutes (22:59 per game) down the stretch in the absence of injured Drew Doughty (wrist surgery; out for season), scoring 12 points (one goal, 11 assists), seven on the power play, with 56 SOG in 25 games. He was tied for third on the Wild in power-play points (17), had their fourth most goals (26) and shots on goal (223) and fifth most points (NHL career-high 49) playing mostly on the third line. Evander Kane, F, EDM - After signing a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers on Jan. 27, Kane had the best points-per-game average (0.91; 39 in 43 games) of his NHL career. Adam Fox, D, NYR - The New York Rangers defenseman and reigning Norris Trophy winner was fourth in the NHL at the position in points (74 in 78 games) and third in assists (63) this season, each a career high. Duchene has been productive in the postseason (21 points in 28 games) for Colorado, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville. Letang, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and potential 2022 unrestricted free agent, is tied for second among active NHL defensemen in playoff pools (86 in 142 games) behind Victor Hedman of the Lightning (88 in 132). He scored three points (including an overtime goal) with 21 SOG in seven games last postseason. Frederik Andersen, G, CAR - The Carolina Hurricanes goalie is tied for third in the NHL in save percentage (.922) and ranks second in GAA (2.17) this season but has not played since April 16 because of a lower-body injury and will remain out against the Boston Bruins in Game 1. Overshadowed by Steven Stamkos' first 100-point season (106), Point has scored better than a point per game (24 points in 20 games) against the Atlantic Division this season and could help the Lightning contain and match the Maple Leafs' center duo of Auston Matthews and John Tavares. Matt Duchene, F, NSH - The Nashville Predators forward led them with NHL career-high 43 goals (eighth in League) and 16 power-play goals (tied for third) this season. Nicklas Backstrom, F, WSH - The Washington Capitals center had the worst points-per-game average (0.66) of his NHL career this season but has bounce-back appeal considering he scored 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 20 games during their 2018 Stanley Cup run. Jack Campbell, G, TOR - The Toronto Maple Leafs goalie performed well during his only playoff appearance last season against the Montreal Canadiens with a .934 save percentage and 1.81 goals-against average in seven games.

Being a historically great regular-season team doesn't mean much come NHL playoff time. So will the Panthers live up to their potential?

After that, they could face the 116-point Hurricanes in the conference final, and the Avs in the Cup final. Any high-scoring team will expect goals to be harder to come by in the postseason, but the Panthers are second in the league in both GF% and xGF% at even strength. 1 1 1 1 1 All five of the shootout-era teams on the list failed to even make the Cup final, much less win it. Here are the top 20 teams in NHL history by regular-season point total, including this season’s Panthers and Colorado Avalanche. 2 seeds have lost in the first round. For context: Since the NBA went to a 16-team playoff format in 1984, just five no. If the Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup favorites, they’re an unusually easy favorite to root for.

Phillip Danault scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to give the Los Angeles Kings a 4-3 victory against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the ...

"I thought we worked our way into things and found a way to compete in the end it came down to an error in the third period and they capitalized on it." "I thought we did the things we needed to do for the most part," Kings coach Todd McLellan said. "I thought we did a great job of getting ourselves back in the game and giving ourselves a chance. "I liked how we battled back in the game; we didn't quit on it. "I liked our special teams, I thought our power play kept us in it," McDavid said. I thought 'Quicky' made huge saves when we needed them and did a good job." "There was some good stuff from Darnell tonight," Woodcroft said. Moore gave the Kings a 1-0 lead at 11:00 of the first period. "I thought we did a good job, kind of like we have all year, just leaning on our leadership," Moore said. "There's lots of emotion with fans back in the building and I thought we just didn't handle it all that well; they got the jump on us," McDavid said. "In a tight game like that you can't afford to make mistakes like that. "I was just trying to make something happen; obviously trying to do too much there," Smith said.

The National Hockey League announced today the odds for clubs participating in the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery, set for Tuesday, May 10, at NHL Network's ...

** Under the terms of a Nov. 4, 2021 trade, Vegas will transfer its 1st-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft to Buffalo if it is not a top 10 pick. * Under the terms of a July 23, 2021 trade, Chicago will transfer its 1st-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft to Columbus if it is not a top 2 pick. The 2022 NHL Draft will take place at Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens, over two days. Click here to view the mid-season rankings. REMINDER: The NHL announced changes to the Draft Lottery format on March 23, 2021. The event will be broadcast live beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet, SN NOW and TVA Sports.

Any NHL awards voters that had Jared Spurgeon on their Lady Byng ballot might want their vote back after what happened Tuesday night.

Spurgeon received a two-minute minor penalty on the play. "Reminder, for uh… "Didn't look at it.

There's something uncomfortably Minnesota sports about the Wild's first-round opponent in the 2021-22 NHL playoffs. As in, “Remember when the Wild had 113 ...

The Wild finished with the second-most points in the West, four behind Colorado, and should be playing the Los Angeles Kings, who finished third in the weaker Pacific Division. The Blues should be playing Edmonton. But when you look at the standings and see the amount of points we’ve had with these two teams, I’d think we’d be in better positions.” The rest of the postseason qualifiers are pitted against their closest division rival, which in the cases of the Wild and Blues is kind of a bummer. Winning the division is cool, and you get a banner to hang, but how many Wild fans can remember the year their team won its lone division title? But given the choice between a great series and lopsided one that the Wild win, well, there’s little doubt which one Wild fans would choose. As it was on Monday afternoon, the Wild and Blues were trains barreling opposite ways down the same track.

TORONTO - Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford will have a hearing Tuesday with the NHL's department of player safety after receiving a major penalty in ...

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WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin looks ready to play for the Washington Capitals in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Florida Panthers at ...

"You'd like to see the goaltender just take off and run," Laviolette said. "Like I said during the regular season, that was also the case. He is 21 goals behind Gordie Howe in second with 801 goals and 114 behind Gretzky's NHL record of 894. Ovechkin was injured when he tripped over the stick of goalie Erik Kallgren and crashed left shoulder first into the end boards after failing to score on a breakaway during the third period of Washington's 4-3 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 24. "Looks great," Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom said after feeding Ovechkin for one-timers at the end of practice. "To be honest, I haven't really noticed anything different," Washington coach Peter Laviolette said Tuesday. "He was a full participant.

How Florida wins - Pedal to the metal. The Panthers became the first team since the 1995-96 Penguins to average 4+ goals per game this season. Their offense is ...

DeSmith at the end of the day and think that the Pens are going to come out on top of a playoff series with such a discrepancy in net. How New York wins - Beat the forecheck. Far too often, the Pens have had too many passengers at times this season, with plenty of players going ice cold at times (Kasperi Kapanen, Jeff Carter, Evan Rodrigues, even reliable Bryan Rust in the last 10 games). These types of players need to kick in, and the stars must produce as well to give Casey DeSmith the goal support he is going to need and deserve. How Calgary wins - By playing the games. The Pens have been a great process team but haven’t gotten enough results in execution this season, and in the past few playoffs. Calgary, on the other hand, is one of the deepest teams in the league all around the ice. How Colorado wins - Just remember what time to get to the rink? That’s not a good combination to attempt to stand in the way of a juggernaut Presidents Trophy team. How Nashville wins - Fight fire with fire. It will be exciting to see what kind of display they have to offer. How Florida wins - Pedal to the metal. Bobrovsky has been good before in the playoffs though, in 2019 when he helped spearhead the biggest upset in modern times when Columbus downed Tampa. The Caps do have enough offensive muscle, assuming Alex Ovechkin is able to put the team on his back despite a bad shoulder.

Casey DeSmith keeps insisting the NHL playoffs are no different than any other game he's ever played in his life. The Pittsburgh goaltender believes his job ...

The adrenaline, however, will be familiar. “It’s such a battle-oriented environment.” The stakes will be considerably higher. Jordan Binnington helped St. Louis to the franchise’s only championship in 2019. “Those first 10 minutes sometimes feel like it’s the fastest game you’ve ever played in your life,” Nashville veteran defenseman Roman Josi said. “(Boldy’s) made, obviously, great strides and progress, not only physically but mentally,” coach Dean Evason said. It’s about us, how we’re going to help them.” Both conferences feature players with unremarkable resumes who could have an outsize impact on the outcome. “If you don’t have a battle mindset, I think it’s hard to succeed in the playoffs just because it’s a grind,” he said. Stop the puck when it comes your way. It’s a great approach — in theory. At least at first blush.

After Alex Ovechkin missed three games with an upper-body injury, the Capitals will have him back on the ice to open their first-round playoff series ...

Ovechkin's 780 career goals trails only Gordie Howe (801) and Gretzky (894). He scored 50 goals this season for the ninth time in his career, tying Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the NHL record. He was a full participant, he wasn't held out of anything and he competed at full-go.

Tristan Jarry is not expected to play for the Pittsburgh Penguins in at least the first two games of the Eastern Conference First Round against the New York ...

"The fact that he's on the ice, I think, is a big step. "It's tough to see," said Danton Heinen, who is currently left wing on the second line. "[Zucker] is such a great guy. The game against Minnesota was his first back from missing the previous 30 because of a core muscle injury that required surgery Jan. 25. He replaced Matt Murray for Game 4 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers, making 20 saves in a 1-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens that eliminated Pittsburgh. But we're certainly encouraged that he's back on the ice." The Penguins, who finished third in the Metropolitan Division, have not advanced beyond the opening round the past three postseasons. "I've had playoff experience in juniors," DeSmith said on April 28. They've had a lot of success. "We play the same way in front of every goalie," defenseman Kris Letang said. He was 11-6-5 with a 2.79 GAA and .914 save percentage in 26 games (24 starts). Every time they've been in games, they've played really well."

In assessing the status of his Pacific Division champion Calgary Flames, coach Darryl Sutter may have at the same time aptly captured the unpredictable ...

I own a home and will retire... Sorry the page you were looking for cannot be found. The Indians finished second at 646, while the Longhorns were third with a 668 as both teams qualified for state. The Indians finished second at 646, while the Longhorns were third with a 668 as both teams qualified for state.

Kyle Clifford was suspended one game by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Tuesday.

Clifford had four points (one goal, three assists) in 23 games for the St. Louis Blue and Maple Leafs this season. "I want Cliff in because of his physicality and what he brings," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. Clifford was given a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct at 6:59.

Pat Maroon says Tampa Bay will remain physical throughout its first-round series vs. Toronto.

“Play heavy on the forecheck. “I’m sitting in all the PP meetings, taking practice. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on He also can get around for a big man and possesses a good stick. Lightning defenseman Jan Rutta got the worst of the skirmishes, dripping blood from his forehead after a fight with Morgan Rielly in the third. “Playing a heavy hockey game is about playing fast, playing getting into the D zone, closing quick, breaking off fast, finishing your checks when you have the opportunity,” Maroon said.

The other wild card team takes on the other division winner. The second and third place teams from the divisions battle it out in the other playoff matchups. In ...

I do think the Avalanche will be able to get out of the Western Conference, but maybe not without a scare from the Calgary Flames. Colorado is just too talented at every position, and the team will be on a mission after last season's early exit. If that continues in the postseason, the Bruins are well-equipped to deal with that and keep the Hurricanes off the scoreboard. Chris: Similar to the Hurricanes/Bruins series, a goaltender injury is one of the biggest storylines to watch. Ovechkin is likely going to play in Game 1, but he's going to need to be superhuman for the Capitals to have a chance. Will the third time be the charm for Carolina or will it just be more of the same? To put it briefly, Auston Matthews. The Toronto superstar is on another level than everyone else this season and may very well be the MVP, and he doesn't have a bunch of slouches around him. That is what will make the difference in this series. I do think Darryl Sutter devises a plan to put a lid on Dallas' top line, and Calgary is the much deeper team in this series. Hart Trophy candidate Johnny Gaudreau had the best season of his career for a team that had the second-most points in the Western Conference. In addition, goaltender Jacob Markstrom was a brick wall at times and will be a huge asset throughout the postseason. For a team that didn't make a marquee addition in the offseason, Calgary relied on the star power that they already had in place to build a Stanley Cup contender. The Preds have shown an ability to be a scrappy bunch this season, but grit and sandpaper won't be enough to pull off the upset against this Avalanche squad. For Minnesota, Kaprizov is the engine that powers a deep forward group that includes a nice balance of skill and defensive ability.

The matchups are set. Half the league is headed for vacation. The other half is set to embark on a path that could take two months and will end with one ...

This series between the sixth-ranked Wild and eighth-ranked Blues certainly qualifies. We’ve been mostly wrong all year, we might as well go out with the opportunity to be super wrong. Speaking with five active NHL executives from across the league, we asked them to separate the 16 playoff teams into tiers from 1 to 5. If you like chaos, drama and unexpected twists and turns then your wishes were granted on the final full night of the NHL regular season. Nurse is dealing with a lower-body ailment. That’s the most challenging part of any playoff pool strategy as you need to determine which teams go how far and whether it’s worth it to take one player over another depending on that factor. As the Canadian rightsholder, Sportsnet and its people will carry through until the Stanley Cup is presented. As Canada prepares for the start of the NHL playoffs next week, Sportsnet’s hockey hosts, analysts and play-by-play voices are preparing to punch in for a shift that will last for two months. Wild fans yearn for a long playoff run. But on April 28, prior to the Bruins’ final home game of the regular season, the Walpole native learned he was needed the following night in Toronto. Wagner saw several of his teammates while taking a pre-flight COVID-19 test. That’s a thought few would have had a couple months ago as two injuries and subsequent struggles to regain his form nearly derailed the Oilers’ season. For this year anyway, the Kings are leaving them all behind.

Nico Sturm and Alex Newhook celebrate a goal for the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs have the best odds in the FiveThirtyEight model to win the Stanley Cup. Dustin ...

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The Stanley Cup could be staying in Florida if the Panthers can continue to dominate.

It remains the longest skid to open a season in MLB history and the longest streak at any point in the season for an American League team. That opened the door for Frank Robinson to become the first Black manager in franchise history. The 1961 Phillies own the record for the longest losing streak in modern MLB history at 23 games. Things didn’t get much easier for the Orioles after they snapped the streak. Washington nailed both selections, choosing Arrington and offensive lineman Chris Samuels. Arrington was a three-time Pro Bowler before leaving in free agency after an ugly contract dispute (and retired after tearing his Achilles tendon midway through his first season with the Giants), while Samuels was named to six Pro Bowls before a spinal issue ended his career. … No Texas Longhorns were selected in the NFL draft for just the second time since 1938. The Flames, who had the third-best record in the West, are also a possible candidate. Kelsie Whitmore became the first woman in the starting lineup for an Atlantic League game. Answer: In 2000, when the Browns took defensive end Courtney Brown first and Washington picked linebacker LaVar Arrington second. They scored the fourth-most goals in the league this season (308, 3.76 per game) but don’t have a single player among the league’s top 20 goal scorers. I was talking with a Hurricanes fan yesterday who couldn’t remember Kreider’s name and called him “the guy who looks like he’d play the devil in a movie.” He’ll look even more evil if the Rangers make a deep run and he lets the goatee flourish. The Oilers are the only other Canadian team in the field.

Are the Stanley Cup playoffs finally back to normal? · NHL players didn't go to the Olympics, did they? · How much was scoring up this season?

The Bruins no longer have playoff mainstays in goalie Tuukka Rask (who retired) and center David Krejci (who left to play in the Czech Republic). But they still have a core of Patrice Bergeron (a pending free agent), Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy, supported by a cast that includes Taylor Hall and Hampus Lindholm. The Bruins have eliminated the Hurricanes in two of the past three postseasons. One point of concern: Goalie Tristan Jarry, outstanding in the regular season, has a broken foot, and his availability for this series could be impacted. The Kings were one of the surprises of the NHL, making the playoffs for the first time since 2018. The Leafs haven't won a playoff series since 2004 -- including last season's stunning first-round loss to Montreal -- and are searching for their first Stanley Cup win since 1967. This is the most compelling playoff series of the first round, full stop. Los Angeles Kings (No. 3, Pacific Division). The Connor and Leon show was in full effect, as McDavid (123 points) and Draisaitl (110) carried the Oilers to the postseason. The Lightning, meanwhile, are trying to become the NHL's first team to win three straight Stanley Cup championships since 1982. St. Louis Blues (No. 3, Central Division). The Wild had their best offensive season in franchise history, powered by a 47-goal season from star winger Kirill Kaprizov. The Blues had their best offensive season since the 1990-91 season, powered by star winger Vladimir Tarasenko (82 points), who went from requesting a trade last offseason to leading the Blues in scoring. It was a full 82-game season in the NHL for the first time since 2018-19. They also had one of the league's top goalies in Jacob Markstrom. The Stars could be a considered a one-line team, but it was an extraordinary line: Joe Pavelski (81 points), Roope Hintz (37 goals) and 22-year-old breakout star Jason Robertson, who had 41 goals. It had no home in the East. For the first time in NHL history, all eight teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs cracked 100 points in the standings. Nashville did too, but fell to the last seed in the West after blowing a lead in its final game at the Arizona Coyotes.

The Florida Panthers will get their revenge on the Colorado Avalanche 26 years later in a rematch of the Stanley Cup Final, according to EA SPORTS NHL 22 ...

The first round had two upsets based on seeding. The Panthers, who won the Presidents' Trophy during the regular season with team records for wins (58) and points (122), defeated the Avalanche in six games in the simulation. They eliminated the Washington Capitals in five games in the Eastern Conference First Round, the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in the second round and the Boston Bruins in six games in the Eastern Conference Final.

With Pavel Buchnevich on his knees, Jared Spurgeon brought his weight down on his stick and delivered a cross-check to Buchnevich's right ankle, ...

Spurgeon is considered one of the NHL's cleaner players. With Buchnevich on his knees, the Minnesota defenseman brought his weight down on his stick and delivered a cross-check to Buchnevich's right ankle. Game 2 of the series is Wednesday night.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning are very familiar with each other entering Game 1 of their Eastern Conference First Round series at ...

For the Maple Leafs to overcome his heroics, they'll have to have a net-front presence and create screens in front of him. "We've had some failures in the past, and it certainly motivates you. "We've talked to them the past couple of weeks about what we need from them and what our expectations are," Keefe said. Toronto (54-21-7) finished second in the Atlantic Division and Tampa Bay (51-23-8) was third. "I think it's a lot of things," he said. The forward scored a personal NHL-best and Lightning-high 106 points (42 goals, 64 assists) in 81 games.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are one of the most exciting postseason formats that the sports world has to offer. For the first time in three years, each NHL ...

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Eleven former-Badgers on seven teams will compete for a chance to raise Lord Stanley in the 2022 NHL Playoffs.

Here is TV information for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs: Monday, May 2. Eastern Conference. Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET; ...

Eastern Conference Western Conference Eastern Conference

Port Huron's Jack Campbell posted the shutout for the Leafs in a 5-0 win over the Lightning in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.

Taylor Hall scored for Boston early in the third. Andrei Svechnikov punctuated the win with an empty-net goal at 17:59,. Game 2 is Wednesday in Edmonton. The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Friday. Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe predicted a “borderline violent” series, and that’s exactly how things unfolded seven minutes into the first period. Mitch Marner had a goal and two assists. Teuvo Teravainen and Vincent Trocheck added third-period goals.