Sanderson scores in OT as Senators beat Maple Leafs 4-3 to avoid sweepVideo
OTTAWA, Ontario — Defenseman Jake Sanderson scored on a long wrist shot from the left boards at 17:42 of overtime, and the Ottawa Senators beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3, on Saturday night to force a fifth game in the first-round series. Sanderson kept the puck in at the blue...
Barbashev scores in OT, Golden Knights beat Wild 4-3 in Game 4 to even first-round seriesVideo
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Some puck luck finally went the Vegas Golden Knights’ way, and they avoided getting pushed to the brink of elimination. Ivan Barbashev scored at 17:26 of overtime, and the Golden Knights beat the Minnesota Wild, 4-3, in Game 4 on Saturday to even their first-round playoff...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: NHL sabotages its own playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs are underway. Hockey’s showcase, or so the NHL thinks. Early TV ratings showed that viewership is down 12%. That’s no surprise. Hockey is a winter sport. It’s played on ice. But we’re already a month into spring and the postseason just started. The NHL season is...
Playoff hockey with a sellout crowd returns to Montreal for the first time since 2017Video
When the Canadiens made their improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, hockey-mad Montreal did not even get to enjoy it properly in person. Because of covid-19 pandemic restrictions, there were no fans in the stands for the first round and the start of the second, with limited...
Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog returns to lineup for Game 3 after missing 3 years with knee injuryVideo
DENVER — Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog played out this moment in his mind again and again while working his way back. His return was everything he envisioned, too. The start, anyway, with all the cheers and that big early check to show — without a doubt — that he...
West Mifflin native Logan Cooley selected to United States’ roster for IIHF World Championship
Utah Hockey Club forward Logan Cooley, a native of West Mifflin, has been selected for the United States Men’s National Team for the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) World Championship tournament. USA Hockey announced the first 18 members of the roster on Thursday via a release. In his second...
Martinook, Andersen help Hurricanes push past Devils 3-1 for 2-0 lead in 1st-round playoff seriesVideo
RALEIGH, N.C. — Jordan Martinook and Frederik Andersen played with the steady veteran composure that comes only through game after game played in postseason intensity. It’s a big reason why the Carolina Hurricanes hold a 2-0 lead in a playoff series yet again. Martinook saw an opening and pounced on...
Alex Ovechkin scores 1st playoff overtime goal as Capitals beat Canadiens in Game 1Video
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored the first playoff overtime goal of his NHL career to give the Washington Capitals a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Monday night. Fresh off breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most goals in league history 15...
Kraken fire former Penguins coach Dan Bylsma; Jason Botterill to take over as GMVideo
The Seattle Kraken fired former Penguins coach Dan Bylsma on Monday, ending his tenure after one season that concluded far out of playoff contention. And that’s not the only change coming after the Kraken failed to qualify for a second consecutive year. Seattle is expected to move longtime general manager...
Connor’s late goal fuels Jets to 5-3 win over Blues in playoff openerVideo
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Kyle Connor’s one-timer with 1 minute, 36 seconds remaining in the third period snapped a 3-3 tie and lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-3 victory in Saturday’s opening game of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the St. Louis Blues. Connor also contributed a pair of assists,...
Current and former Golden Knights goalies helped lead 3 teams to NHL playoffsVideo
LAS VEGAS — Marc-Andre Fleury was on the bench the last time the Wild visited Vegas, but when he appeared on the video board late in that Jan. 12 game, the crowd cheered and chanted his name as if he had just made a save to help put the Golden...
From old guys chasing the Stanley Cup to new players breaking in, what to watch in the NHL playoffs
The puck drops on the first round of the NHL playoffs Saturday when Winnipeg hosts St. Louis followed by the must-see matchup of Colorado and Dallas. The other six series get going next week, from the Toronto-Ottawa Battle of Ontario to Tuesday’s opener of another cross-state showdown between Tampa Bay...
NHL sets another attendance record, topping 23 million fans for the 1st time
NEW YORK — The NHL has set another attendance record and surpassed 23 million fans for the first time. The league on Friday reported an attendance figure of 23,014,458 over the 1,312-game regular season. That represents 96.9% capacity over 32 teams with the Montreal Canadiens making up the biggest share...
Panthers’ Puljujarvi suspended 2 games for illegal check to head of Lightning’s ChaffeeVideo
SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida Panthers forward Jesse Puljujarvi, formerly of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mitchell Chaffee, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Thursday. Puljujarvi received a match penalty after running his right shoulder into...
Spencer Carbery coached the Capitals to 1st in the East. His NHL colleagues rave about how he did itVideo
WASHINGTON — Spencer Carbery integrated several offseason additions to perfection, helped the Washington Capitals become the first NHL team to qualify for the playoffs this season and navigated Alex Ovechkin’s successful pursuit of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record. All that makes Carbery a prime candidate to win the Jack...
Who will win Stanley Cup? Odds, math and probability collide on picking champVideo
Everybody’s got a hunch this time of year, a thought about the so-called Presidents’ Trophy “curse” or maybe a dark-horse Stanley Cup pick. Only one team of the 16 in the NHL playoffs gets to be champion, and even before the first round begins Saturday, there is rampant disagreement on...
Judge rejects defense that Gaudreau brothers contributed to their deaths by cycling while impaired
SALEM, N.J. — The family of NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew listened in pain Tuesday as lawyers debated whether the men’s own drinking contributed to their deaths when they were hit by an allegedly drunken and enraged driver as they cycled at night. After nearly two...
Sharks’ Logan Couture expected to announce end of career because of an injury
SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture is expected to announce he will end his playing career because of a debilitating injury that has sidelined him for more than 15 months. The Sharks announced Monday that Couture and general manager Mike Grier will hold a news conference...
U.S.-based Original Six Red Wings, Rangers, Bruins, Blackhawks eliminated from playoffs for 1st time
The Original Six teams based in the United States have a rich history, combining to hoist the Stanley Cup 27 times. And now, they share an unwanted distinction. Detroit, Boston, Chicago and the New York Rangers will all miss the playoffs in the same year for the first time in...
First Call: Report says Steelers have WR target if George Pickens trade happens; see goal of the year from future No. 1 NHL pickVideo
Are the Pittsburgh Steelers quietly planning to trade George Pickens? If so, they may also have a plan to replace him. Support is growing for Shedeur Sanders after an initial slip down the draft board. We look at the Pirates’ next opponent as they return home for a full week...
Former Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith allows 3 goals in last minute of regulation, as Canucks make NHL history with comeback win over Stars
DALLAS — Kiefer Sherwood set an NHL record three weeks ago by accumulating the most hits in a season. He helped the Vancouver Canucks made history Tuesday night with a big comeback in the final minute of regulation. Sherwood scored with 1 minute, 16 seconds left in overtime after the...
Mark Madden: Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking goal renews debates
Alex Ovechkin eclipsing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career record for goals has renewed a debate: Who would be on hockey’s Mt. Rushmore? The correct answer: Nobody. There will never be a Mt. Rushmore for hockey or baseball or football or anything but Mt. Rushmore. Mt. Rushmore doesn’t even seem to be...
How Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record
Alex Ovechkin became the greatest goal scorer in NHL history because of a never-before-seen combination of a wicked shot, consistency over two decades and remarkable durability that kept him on the ice long enough to break Wayne Gretzky’s record. Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal Sunday against the New York...
Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record by scoring his 895thVideo
NEW YORK — Alex Ovechkin fired just about the perfect version of his signature one-timer that has defined his remarkable career. When the puck hit the net, it made him the top goal scorer in NHL history. Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal Sunday in the Washington Capitals’ 4-1 loss...
Wayne Gretzky has been helping Alex Ovechkin long before this record goal chaseVideo
WASHINGTON — A little more than three decades before Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record, the “Great One” had his own chase. Gretzky was in hot pursuit of Gordie Howe’s record in the spring of 1994. Howe was there when Gretzky tied and passed him. His...
