SAN JOSE, Calif. — This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not this year.

The lottery? That wasn’t the San Jose Sharks’ concern anymore. No, this team is pushing for the playoffs now.

And while they didn’t make the postseason, they certainly made an impression on the league. The Sharks were not just on the rise; they are imminent. Their NHL ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Before the Ducks had even checked out of their hotel Wednesday for the short bus ride to T-Mobile Arena for Game 2 of their Stanley Cup playoff series, the Las Vegas sports books had made the hometown Golden Knights heavy favorites.

That proved to be a poor bet a couple of hours later when the Ducks rolled to a 3-1 victory, ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Sometimes, the view from the ice is no different than from your couch.

Sometimes, it’s not the analytics or freak bounces or behind-the-scenes secrets. Sometimes, the outcome is as simple as you think it is.

“I feel like that’s (been) our excuse the last few years, hockey gods and bad bounces. (There were) bad bounces, ...Read more

DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon’s postseason was off to a slow start after three games. Three contests later, he’s a Conn Smythe Trophy candidate.

MacKinnon had a goal and two assists — his third straight three-point game — and the Colorado Avalanche rolled to a 5-2 win in Game 2 of this second-round series Tuesday night against the ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks will pick fourth in the NHL draft, their fourth consecutive year with a top-four pick.

The Hawks entered Tuesday’s draft lottery with the second-highest odds (13.5%) of landing the No. 1 pick, which wound up going to the Toronto Maple Leafs (8.5%).

The San Jose Sharks then won the second draw, dropping the ...Read more

DENVER — Jared Bednar would not divulge who is starting in net for the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of this second-round playoff series, but Minnesota coach John Hynes is making a change.

Filip Gustavsson will replace Jesper Wallstedt in the net Tuesday night for the Wild at Ball Arena. Wallstedt allowed eight goals in a 9-6 Colorado win in ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — You try to re-sign Nikita Kucherov.

Of course, you try to re-sign Kucherov. How can you not?

He’s a generational player, a future Hall of Famer and the key to your offense. There are only a handful of players on the planet who can do the things Kucherov can do on ice, and so you do not toss a skater like that aside just ...Read more

Call it experience playing until the final whistle, or the Force being with the Vegas Golden Knights on Star Wars Day.

Either way, they benefited from it and find themselves ahead in the series.

Ivan Barbashev broke a tie with 4:58 to go after the linesman appeared to waive off a potential icing, and the Knights held on to defeat the Anaheim ...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes keep on winning playoff games.

But for the first time in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Hurricanes faced some adversity. For the first time, they had to play from behind and had to go to overtime Monday to turn back the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, in Game 2 of their second-round series at Lenovo ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks are guaranteed a top-four pick for the fourth straight season when the NHL draft lottery takes place Tuesday evening.

The Hawks have the second-best odds at 13.5% to get the No. 1 pick for the third time in franchise history. They struck gold with the other two: Patrick Kane in 2007 and Connor Bedard in 2023. ...Read more

They should have worn the Nordiques and North Stars jerseys for this one.

The Colorado Avalanche, fresh off a defensive grind against the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, held off the Minnesota Wild, 9-6, in a chaotic Game 1 of their second-round playoff series that looked more like something out of the ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning did more than enough to win their do-or-die Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens Sunday night at Benchmark International Arena.

Tampa Bay held Montreal to nine shots on goal, including just four through two periods. It didn’t allow any in a second period that included 3 minutes, 50 seconds spent on the...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburghers have always been a sucker for nostalgia. We tend to romanticize things that have been around awhile — and when they go away, it can feel like a part of us is missing.

Some of us grieve the closing of an old Kennywood ride or a local dive bar similar to a loved one’s passing. Heck, some people had an emotional ...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — The legend of Logan Stankoven continues to grow.

The Carolina Hurricanes center, their little big man, scored twice and grabbed a piece of Stanley Cup playoff history Saturday in a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of their second-round series at Lenovo Center.

The second game of the Eastern Conference series...Read more

SALT LAKE CITY – The script of the first round was, indeed, the same as the last.

The Vegas Golden Knights are moving on to the second round after defeating the Utah Mammoth 5-1 in Game 6 at Delta Center on Friday.

Next up will be the Anaheim Ducks in the second round for the first playoff matchup ever between the Interstate-15 rivals. ...Read more

BOSTON — The Bruins are plum out of resilience.

Doubted before the year and then at various points during the 82-game schedule, the B’s constantly pushed back against expectations. But on Friday, their season was finally extinguished by the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-1 defeat at TD ...Read more

MONTREAL — The Lightning didn’t shy away from the magnitude of their must-win Game 6 against the Canadiens Friday at Bell Centre. Yes, their season was on the line, as they trailed 3-2 in the first-round series, but they also were staring at the possibility of four straight first-round playoff exits.

Outside the arena, Canadiens fans were ...Read more

CHICAGO — Chicago Blackhawks star center Connor Bedard reportedly will opt out of playing for Canada in the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship this month. Bedard instead will use the time to nurse injuries suffered in the 2025-26 NHL season.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman first reported the news.

Bedard suffered a separated shoulder Dec....Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Stars are going back to Dallas … but the Wild aren’t.

They eliminated the Stars with a 5-2 victory in Game 6 tonight at Grand Casino Arena to clinch their first playoff series in 11 years.

Next up is a second-round matchup with first-place Colorado.

Quinn Hughes’ second goal of the night snapped a 2-2 tie 10:38 ...Read more