nhl playoffs

It'll Be Matt Murray

The first serious goalie controversy of the postseason has resolved itself quickly—at least, for now. Matt Murray was first off the ice at today’s team skate, and will start in net for the Penguins in tonight’s desperate Game 4 in Ottawa.

The Ducks Have Gotten So Good At Making Their Lives Difficult

The Ducks are either thermodynamically impervious to momentum, or, even more useful in the NHL playoffs, they have short memories. Goldfish-short. Short enough to win four separate games this postseason that they trailed by two goals, or to come back from an 0-2 hole in the conference semis, or to forget a 7-1 blowout…

Ducks OT Goal Evens West Final

Anaheim thwarted Nashville’s OT-forcing comeback and ended the Predators’ home playoff win streak when Corey Perry’s drive went off PK Subban’s stick and ended up past Pekka Rinne 10:25 into the additional period, giving the Ducks a 3-2 win and leveling the Western Conference final at two games each.

Predators Score In Final Minute To Send Game 4 To Overtime

Trailing 2-1, with 35 seconds left in Game 4 of the conference finals, the Nashville Predators’ Filip Forsberg snuck one past the Anaheim Ducks’ goalie to tie it up and send the game to overtime.

Marc-Andre Fleury Is Running Out Of Rope

Hell yes, a goalie controversy! It took long enough.

Yes, The Senators Are Still Boring

The best way to shut anyone up—the best comeback for literally anything critical anyone is saying about your team—is to score a whole bunch of goals. The Senators, very accurately derided as a “boring” team to watch thanks to their neutral-zone-coagulating defense and a drowsy transition game, exploded for four goals…

Nashville Is A Great Place To Play Hockey

For about 20 minutes of Game 3, the Predators were unstoppable. Filip Forsberg scored the tying goal 3:54 into the third period, and Roman Josi netted the power-play winner with 2:43 left, and in between were two goals waved off for goaltender interference. Throughout, the Predators surged, doubling up the Ducks on…

Phil Kessel Yelled A Lot And Scored

Phil Kessel is relatable, which is a nice way of saying that he’s large and goofy. But as with all world-class athletes, we must resist the urge to see too much of our pathetic selves in him. Kessel is, obviously, one of the most talented offensive players in hockey—he’s quietly having a hell of a postseason, now up…

Ryan Kesler Is Making Ryan Johansen So Mad

The Western Conference Finals were always going to be decided up top. Nashville, without a ton of scoring from its depth forwards, relies heavily on its top line centered by Ryan Johansen, and they’ve been ultra-hot in these playoffs. Anaheim’s shutdown line, anchored by Ryan Kesler, can certainly find the net but…

Guuuuuuuuuh.

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Bobby Ryan Overtime Goal Earns Ottawa Game 1 Win

Bobby Ryan’s goal five minutes into overtime put Ottawa up 1-0 in their Eastern Conference final series against Pittsburgh after the Senators claimed a 2-1 win over the Penguins.

Alex Ovechkin Was Playing Hurt

This should not come as a total surprise to anyone who watched Alexander Ovechkin disappear for stretches in the Capitals’ seven-game series loss to Pittsburgh: Dude was ailing.

So Much For The Ducks' Demons

Capitals fans, don’t read this … Ducks fans thrilled to have finally broken a playoff curse, hello.

Here We Are Again

So what do you want them to say? They’ve answered all these questions before.

Capitals Choke Yet Again

Through the first six games of their series with the Penguins, the Capitals were the superior team. They outshot the Pens by 11 shots per game through Game 6, and entered Game 7 on a high, winning the previous two games and scoring nine goals in the process.

Erik Karlsson Put The Senators On His Back

If you want a measure of how valuable defenseman Erik Karlsson is to the Ottawa Senators, all you need to do is look at how much they use him.

Connor McDavid Enjoys Interaction With Fans

Young Oilers superstar Connor McDavid can’t get enough of hanging out with eager fans! He loves it!

I'm Not Sure Sidney Crosby's Brain Is OK

Sidney Crosby says he was evaluated for (another) concussion after going headfirst into the boards. His coach says he wasn’t. He didn’t miss a shift. Someone here is lying, and someone—maybe multiple someones—is letting Crosby down.

Already-Concussed Sidney Crosby Smashed Headfirst Into Boards

Tonight in the first period of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Game 6 against the Washington Capitals, Penguins star Sidney Crosby got wrecked again. Crosby smashed headfirst into the boards behind the Capitals’ goal, then dazedly sat up and struggled to get back on his feet. It was a scary hit on its own merits made even…

We Found The One Thing P.K. Subban Doesn't Do Well

After a 3-1 Game 6 elimination of the Blues, the Nashville Predators are on their way to the first conference finals in franchise history. One enormous reason why has been the defense, with lights-out goaltending from Pekka Rinne and outstanding work by the blueline pairings of Mattias Ekholm/P.K. Subban and Roman…

The Oilers Reminded Everyone They Have A Young Superstar Not Named Connor McDavid

When you play on a line with Connor McDavid, two things are going to happen. You’re going to score a lot, and you’re not going to get proper credit. Leon Draisaitl had a “quiet” 77 points in just his second season, but it’s taken an explosion in Edmonton’s series against the Ducks—away from McDavid for the last two…

Nashville TV Station Thinks The Predators Are In The Stanley Cup Finals

“PREDS HEAD TO STANLEY CUP FINALS!”

Ottawa Takes 3-2 Series Lead On Kyle Turris Overtime Goal

Jimmy Vesey’s heroics did not hold up as Ottawa tied up the Rangers with 90 seconds remaining in regulation and then scored 6:28 into overtime as Kyle Turris scored his third career playoff OT goal to give the Senators a 5-4 win and a 3-2 series lead.

After Giving Up Three Goals In Three Minutes, Oilers Frustrated With Lack Of Interference Call

The Oilers were three and a half minutes from a shutout victory in last night’s Game 5 against the Ducks. Then everything went wrong.

Sidney Crosby Is Getting Closer And The Capitals Are Panicking

The last time we saw Sidney Crosby, he didn’t look so good. He had gotten slashed then cross-checked, and was diagnosed with a concussion. That was four days ago. Here’s what Crosby looks like now:

Police Investigating Alleged Rape At Penguins Game

According to KDKA in Pittsburgh, police are investigating an alleged rape that ocurred in the bathroom at the Pittsburgh Penguins game on Wednesday night.

The Rangers Are Too Much And Too Fast For The "Kanata Wall"

The Senators are not a fast team, or at least that’s not how they want to play. They are a team designed to win close, low-scoring games, and they’ve generally done so with an effective defense designed by coach Guy Boucher to funnel everything to the sides of the ice. But the Rangers are barging straight ahead.

The Penguins Are Flopping Shitbirds

The Capitals lost to the Penguins last night, and the final nail in the coffin for Washington came at the very end, when their attempt to pull goalie Braden Holtby for a man advantage was thwarted when the refs called high sticking on T.J. Oshie…

This Is Fine

The Caps are down 3-1 now, and there are certain things that happen that can indicate it’s not really going to be your game/series/decade. Things like Dmitry Orlov scoring an own goal in what would be a one-goal game:

In Praise Of A Perfect Helper

The Rangers’s 4-1 pummeling of the Senators in Game 3 was maybe the most expected thing in the world. New York is almost certainly the better team to begin with in this series, and has played like the better team for long stretches of it. Here’s a stat: Still down 2-1 after last night’s win, the Rangers have now led…