nhl – Page 82

Blue Jackets good again, just not good enough for next level

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) In a season of broken records and firsts for the Columbus Blue Jackets, one of the most important eluded them again: winning a playoff series.

Capitals beat Blue Jackets in Game 6 to advance to 2nd round

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Alex Ovechkin scored twice and Braden Holtby had 35 saves as the Washington Capitals advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 6-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 6 on Monday night.

Capitals advance with 6-3 win over Blue Jackets in Game 6

Andersen helps Maple Leafs beat Bruins 3-1 to force Game 7 (Apr 23, 2018)

TORONTO (AP) Frederik Andersen stopped 32 shots to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday night, forcing a decisive Game 7 in the first-round series.

Lured out of retirement, Preds' Mike Fisher chasing 1st Cup

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Losing the Stanley Cup last June wasn’t what hurt Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg the most. Seeing how painful the loss was for veteran center Mike Fisher proved even more agonizing.

Young, speedy Avalanche show promise before playoff exit

DENVER (AP) Fair warning to the rest of the league: As fast and young as the Colorado Avalanche were this season, general manager Joe Sakic vows to make them even faster and younger.

Wild split with GM Chuck Fletcher after playoff exit

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The Minnesota Wild have split with longtime general manager Chuck Fletcher after the team’s first-round playoff exit.

Predators brace for physical series vs Jets in 2nd round

DENVER (AP) The Nashville Predators are done dealing with the speed of Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche.

Empty Cup: Flyers' title drought goes on with Game 6 loss

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Flyers fans spent the final minutes of another empty season doing what boorish fans do with elimination on deck. They chucked beer cans and threw trash and hats and whatever objects were within reach onto the ice. Flyers public address announcer Lou Nolan admonished fans – just as he had two years earlier when giveaway bracelets were hurled on the ice – but there was little anyone could do to stop them.

Jake Guentzel scores 4 goals, Penguins advance

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jake Guentzel scored four straight goals to help send the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins into the second round with an 8-5 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 on Sunday.

Predators beat Avs 5-0 in Game 6 to win first-round series (Apr 22, 2018)

DENVER (AP) Mattias Ekholm ignited the offense early with the first goal by a Nashville defenseman in the series, Pekka Rinne stopped 22 shots and the top-seeded Predators advanced to the second round with a 5-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 on Sunday night.

Guentzel scores 4 goals to lead Penguins to Game 6 clinch (Apr 22, 2018)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jake Guentzel scored four straight goals to help send the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins into the next round with an 8-5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 on Sunday.

Surging Capitals aim to close out Blue Jackets (Apr 22, 2018)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — After losing two games to start the postseason, the Washington Capitals stand on the brink of completing a comeback and advancing to the next round in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Goalie Martin Jones helps lead Sharks into 2nd round

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) For years, the San Jose Sharks seemed to have all the ingredients necessary to win a Stanley Cup. With the possible exception of a goaltender who could steal a game when the rest of the team wasn’t in top form.

Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs go home facing elimination

A year after Mike Babcock told arena staffers in Washington he’d see them a few days later for Game 7, John Tortorella claimed his Blue Jackets would be back after winning Game 6 back in Columbus.

High-scoring Lightning showing they play defense, too

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) The highest-scoring team in the NHL is playing a stingy brand of defense in the playoffs.

Backstrom scores in OT, Caps take 3-2 series lead

WASHINGTON (AP) Nicklas Backstrom scored his second goal of the game 11:53 into overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday and a 3-2 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Wennberg back for Blue Jackets in Game 5 against Capitals

WASHINGTON (AP) Alexander Wennberg will return to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ lineup for Game 5 at the Washington Capitals.

Bruins center Patrice Bergeron likely to return for Game 5

BOSTON (AP) Center Patrice Bergeron is ”optimistic” he can play Saturday when the Boston Bruins face the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5 of their first-round series.

Sharks 4th liners help team advance to 2nd round

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Eric Fehr and Marcus Sorensen spent most of the season toiling in the AHL, just waiting for their chance.

Avalanche stay alive, beat Predators 2-1 to force Game 6 (Apr 21, 2018)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Sven Andrighetto scored with 1:28 left to give the Colorado Avalanche a 2-1 victory over Nashville Predators 2-1 on Friday night, sending the first-round series back to Denver for Game 6.

Flyers beat Penguins 3-2 to force Game 6

PITTSBURGH (AP) Sean Couturier’s long shot from the point got past Matt Murray with 1:17 left and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 on Friday night to force a sixth game in the first-round series.

Blue Jackets, Capitals look to take series lead (Apr 20, 2018)

WASHINGTON — The best-of-seven is now a best-of-three.

Caps' Burakovsky to have surgery, out rest of first round

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) 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.

Bruins say Bergeron's status for Game 5 a game-day decision

BOSTON (AP) Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy says he will decide on Saturday whether forward Patrice Bergeron plays in Game 5 of the playoff against Toronto that night.

Once long shot, expansion Vegas now best bet in NHL playoffs

As an expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights have defied all sorts of odds.

Bruins take 3-1 lead; Caps-Blue Jackets series tied 2-2

TORONTO (AP) Brad Marchand scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and Tuukka Rask made 31 saves as the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Thursday night to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Bruins' Bergeron late scratch vs. Maple Leafs

TORONTO (AP) Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron was sidelined against the Toronto Maple Leafs for Game 4 of their playoff series with an upper-body injury.

Penguins, Predators look to lock up second round spots

PITTSBURGH (AP) Mario Lemieux had one question for Sidney Crosby after the Pittsburgh star slipped past his boss as the Penguins’ career playoff scoring leader during a Game 4 romp over Philadelphia.

Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen is day to day with injury

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) New Jersey top defenseman Sami Vatanen is being listed as day to day with an upper-body injury as the Devils prepare for a must-win Game 5 of their first-round series with the Tampa Bay Lightning.