PITTSBURGH — Sidney Crosby whipped in a one-timer and raised his hands in the air. It was subtle, the kind of celebration you do when your team is trailing, 3-0, in a playoff series.

But with the opening goal of Game 4 in Philadelphia, Crosby announced his presence in the series. He hasn’t looked back.

With the Penguins on the brink of ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Rarely does a 10-second clip inside a hockey game tell the story of an entire playoff series, let alone one that doesn’t feature a goal or even a momentum-shifting save.

But there was Artemi Panarin, architect of three extra-man goals in the first three games, collecting the puck along the left wall with the desperate Los ...Read more

SALT LAKE CITY – John Tortorella’s morning skate press conference lasted 1 minute, 13 seconds.

He fielded five questions. Three times, he gave the same response verbatim.

“We’re ready to play,” he said.

It turns out the Vegas Golden Knights were, indeed, ready to play at the start. Then the rest of the game happened.

The final 35 ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Monday’s Game 5 could have been the last game of the Penguins’ Big Three era, with Evgeni Malkin’s future in Pittsburgh unclear and his team trailing the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-1, in a first-round series.

The PPG Paints Arena glass wasn’t ready to see it end.

A miracle bounce off the glass behind the Flyers’ net gave ...Read more

MONTREAL — The Tampa Bay Lightning desperately needed to win Game 4 Sunday at Bell Centre, as dropping both games in Montreal would put their season on the brink, requiring them to win three straight.

When Cole Caufield’s power-play goal with 6:31 left in the second period put the Canadiens ahead 2-0, it was the first multiple-goal lead for...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Seven times in the past 12 seasons the Los Angeles Kings have advanced to the Stanley Cup playoffs, only to leave after the first round.

They've changed coaches five times, general managers twice, even the team captains have changed over that span. But the results have not.

The latest flameout came Sunday when the Colorado ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Eventually, the dam did finally break.

The Los Angeles Kings put forth a valiant effort, but they were never able to hit and defend their way to enough offense, and the Colorado Avalanche finished off a four-game sweep Sunday afternoon with an 5-1 victory in Game 4 at Crypto.com Arena.

Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and added an...Read more

BOSTON — Almost 15 years have passed since Milan Lucic blew up goalie Ryan Miller on TD Garden ice, an infamous hit that would help send the Buffalo Sabres into their Dark Ages. On Sunday in Game 4 at the Garden, the Sabres finally got a little payback.

With a chance to tie the best-of-seven series on Causeway Street, the Boston Bruins were ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The Penguins had almost 72 hours to sit on their 3-0 series deficit to the Philadelphia Flyers. They emerged from that long break as a rejuvenated team and delivered their best performance of the playoffs by far.

Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell each had a goal and an assist as Pittsburgh beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-2, on ...Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have turned their first-round matchup against the Dallas Stars into a best-of-three.

They rallied for a 3-2 overtime win in Game 4 at Grand Casino Arena to even up the series 2-2.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Dallas.

Matt Boldy deflected in a Jared Spurgeon shot with 28.9 seconds left in overtime to polish...Read more

For the Carolina Hurricanes, make it a sweep.

The Hurricanes finished off the Ottawa Senators in four games, winning a gutter war Saturday to take a 4-2 victory in the Stanley Cup first-round playoff series.

The Canes answered every challenge, physical and otherwise, in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series. They move on to face the ...Read more

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