BOSTON — Bruins center Patrice Bergeron was back on the ice for Game 5 of Boston’s first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs after missing the previous game with an undisclosed injury. The Maple Leafs extended the series with a 4-3 win Saturday. The Bruins lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 back in

New Jersey Devils forward Brian Boyle, Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo and Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal have been named finalists for the Bill Masterton Trophy, the NHL announced Saturday. The award is given to a player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.” Boyle was diagnosed with chronic myeloid

6:17 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews had the top-selling jersey among NHL players for the 2017-18 season, topping last year’s leader, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matthews, 20, was fourth in jersey sales in 2016-17, when he won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. One factor

5:45 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN As each NHL team is eliminated from playoff contention — either mathematically or by losing in the postseason — we’ll take a look at why its quest for the Stanley Cup fell short in 2017-18, along with three keys to its offseason and a way-too-early prediction on what 2018-19 will

ARLINGTON, Va. — Washington Capitals winger Andre Burakovsky will have minor surgery to repair an upper-body injury and miss the rest of the first-round series against Columbus. Coach Barry Trotz says Burakovsky could return if the team advances deeper in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Burakovsky was injured in Game 2 on Sunday on a hit

12:57 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN Carolina Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters has resigned, the team announced Friday. Peters, 51, went 137-138-53 in his four seasons with the Hurricanes, who missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the ninth consecutive season — the longest drought in the NHL. “I have a lot of respect for Bill as

On paper, the San Jose Sharks did not appear to be clear-cut favorites over the Anaheim Ducks in the opening round of the playoffs. Stanley Cup Playoffs Central »Schedule » | Experts’ picks » Jump to a series:• TB-NJ | • BOS-TOR• WSH-CBJ | • PIT-PHI• NSH-COL | • WPG-MIN• VGS-LA | • ANA-SJ San

Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron was scratched from Thursday night’s Eastern Conference playoff game vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team made the announcement minutes before warmups Thursday night, adding that Bergeron is day-to-day because of an upper body injury. The 32-year-old forward showed no signs that he would be out of the lineup as

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NHL has suspended Nashville Predators forward Ryan Hartman for Game 5 against the Colorado Avalanche for an illegal check to the head of Carl Soderberg. The league’s Department of Player Safety issued the suspension Thursday after a hearing. Nashville’s Ryan Hartman suspended one game for an illegal check to the head

Facing elimination, the Colorado Avalanche will start Andrew Hammond in goal for Game 5 against the Nashville Predators on Friday. Hammond held the Predators scoreless on eight shots in the third period Wednesday as the Avalanche attempted to come back from three goals down before ultimately losing 3-2 and dropping to a 3-1 series deficit.

Station Casinos properties in Las Vegas are hoping to attach themselves to the excitement of the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team, which, remarkably in its first season, is now the favorite to win the Stanley Cup. The hotel and casino operator is sending out redemption details to its 150,000 “Boarding Pass” loyalty members to be

6:00 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN As each NHL team is eliminated from playoff contention — either mathematically or by losing in the postseason — we’ll take a look at why its quest for the Stanley Cup fell short in 2017-18, along with three keys to its offseason and a way-too-early prediction for what 2018-19 will

3:40 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN The Vegas Golden Knights are now co-favorites to win the Stanley Cup, according to the Westgate Sportsbook. That’s a stunning turnaround considering the NHL’s newest expansion team opened the season with 200-1 odds. As of Wednesday, the Golden Knights are tied with the Nashville Predators with 4-1 odds. The Golden

LOS ANGELES — One year ago, the Vegas Golden Knights had no players on their roster, and Gerard Gallant was four days into his new job as the first head coach of the expansion team. On Tuesday, Vegas became the first franchise in NHL history to sweep a postseason series in its inaugural season when

LOS ANGELES — Outside of the Los Angeles Kings‘ training facility is a photo of the Stanley Cup and the names engraved on it after the Kings won the trophy in 2012 and 2014. There are 11 players left on the roster from the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2014, meaning there are

Young Washington Capitals fan Keelan Moxley was standing near the ice before her team’s playoff game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, watching warmups, when Capitals winger Brett Connolly noticed her and tried to toss her a puck. A man behind her caught the puck and gave it to the boy next to Keelan

Heartbreak. It’s defined as crushing grief, anguish or distress. Fans of Washington’s four major sports teams know it better than anyone. Consider: The knee of the Washington Redskins‘ prized rookie quarterback is shredded in a playoff game; he’s never the same. A team once known as the Bullets – the Washington Wizards — becomes known

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov missed Monday night’s Game 3 matchup with the Boston Bruins in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Komarov, 31, has a lower-body injury sustained in Game 2 on a hard check from Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller. Coach Mike Babcock said Komarov will try skating Tuesday and would likely be a

Boston Bruins center Riley Nash is likely to make his return to the lineup Monday as the first-round series shifts to Toronto for Game 3. “He’ll take warm-up,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We’ll plan on him playing. We know there will be some rust, but once they’re clear to go they’ll get all the

Apr 13, 2018 Emily KaplanESPN WINNIPEG, Manitoba — In late March, when Patrik Laine limped off the ice against the Los Angeles Kings after blocking a shot, the status of the Winnipeg Jets winger’s left leg quickly became a minor international incident. In Laine’s native Finland, newspapers published dueling doctors’ prognoses. Fans tweeted at the

Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak was a one-man wrecking crew Saturday night, tallying three goals and three assists in the team’s 7-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Pastrnak became the first player since Claude Giroux in 2012 and just the sixth overall to have a three-goal, three-assist playoff game. At 21 years, 324 days,

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — Injured Humboldt Broncos players got a visit from the Stanley Cup. Tom Straschnitzki, whose 19-year-old son, Ryan, was badly injured in the junior hockey team’s bus crash, was in a waiting area at Royal University Hospital on Friday night when a large box was wheeled in. Recognizing the box from Stanley Cup

8:50 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri has been for suspended three games for his hit on Boston Bruins forward Tommy Wingels. Kadri was assessed a major penalty for charging and a game misconduct in the Maple Leafs’ first playoff game Thursday night against the Bruins. The incident occurred at 8:14

LAS VEGAS — Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty called his one-game suspension after an illegal check to the head of Vegas Golden Knights forward William Carrier “B.S.” and “awful” before missing Game 2 of their Stanley Cup playoff series on Friday. “I don’t think it’s suspension-worthy,” Doughty said after participating in the team’s morning

The Dallas Stars announced on Friday that Ken Hitchcock is retiring from coaching after 22 years, leaving the Stars’ bench after only one season to become a consultant with the team. So we asked our NHL experts: Who should be the next Stars coach? Greg Wyshynski, senior writer: No retreads. The Stars literally just tried

12:12 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Ken Hitchcock is retiring from coaching after 22 years, leaving the Dallas Stars‘ bench after just one season to become a consultant with the team. “Ken Hitchcock is an icon when it comes to head coaches, not only in hockey, but across all of sports,” Stars general manager Jim Nill

Apr 13, 2018 Greg WyshynskiESPN Watching the parade of postseason news conferences from eliminated teams has been like watching the NHL as scripted by “Veep” creator Armando Iannucci, minus the colorful prose. It’s a collection of empty suits spackling over their own backsides and deflecting blame as if they have a force field up. Patrik

7:44 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri will have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Friday for a vicious hit he delivered on Tommy Wingels of the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup playoff series. But to hear Kadri describe it, he’s a victim

8:52 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty has been suspended for Game 2 of their Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights after an illegal check to the head of forward William Carrier in Game 1. The hit was delivered midway through the third period Wednesday night, as Carrier

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tossing catfish onto the ice has been a popular hockey tradition in Music City, and the Nashville Predators finally have their own catfish tank inside the arena. President Sean Henry unveiled the new tank hours before the Predators opened the NHL postseason against the Colorado Avalanche in their first-round Western Conference series.