MacKinnon ruled out after big collision with Hall

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Twice before, the Carolina Hurricanes had reached the playoffs only to see their ascent to becoming a serious Stanley Cup contender blocked by the Boston Bruins. Two newcomers helped the Hurricanes finally push past their playoff bully — and in a Game 7, at that....

Morgan Rielly, the Toronto Maple Leafs' longest-tenured player, crouched over and lowered his head. Jason Spezza, possibly on the ice for the final time as an NHLer, rested his chin on the knob of his stick and stared into the middle distance. Other players slumped similarly, each wearing a chunk of the elimination loss.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point exited Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs after suffering an apparent leg injury late in the first period. Point got tangled up along the boards and immediately hobbled off the ice without putting any pressure on his right leg. Point returned for a...

With the conclusion of an electrifying Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL unveiled schedules for all four second-round matchups. Florida Panthers (A1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (A3) Game Home Date Time (ET) 1 Panthers May 17 7 p.m. 2 Panthers May 19 7 p.m. 3 Lightning May...

Brendan Gallagher knows all about the Toronto Maple Leafs' playoff demons - he contributed to them, after all, by helping the Montreal Canadiens to a first-round upset of the North Division's top team last season. As the Maple Leafs brace for Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday...

The New York Islanders elevated associate coach Lane Lambert to the top job Monday. Lambert succeeds his former boss, Barry Trotz, who the Islanders fired seven days ago. It won't be the first time Lambert has served as Islanders head coach. The 57-year-old held the job on an interim basis earlier this season when Trotz stepped away for personal reasons and then landed on the COVID-19 list. However, it is Lambert's first full-time NHL head coaching job.

The Vegas Golden Knights have fired head coach Peter DeBoer, the team announced Monday. DeBoer just wrapped up his third season behind the bench in Sin City, going 98-50-12 overall. The Golden Knights failed to advance to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history after finishing the 2021-22 campaign with a 43-31-8 record, which put them three points out of the Western Conference's second wild-card spot.

We finally know why Viktor Arvidsson didn't suit up in the playoffs. The Los Angeles Kings forward will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a herniated disc and will require approximately three-to-five months to recover, general manager Rob Blake said Monday, according to The Athletic's Lisa Dillman. If Arvidsson needs all...

Sidney Crosby attended the Pittsburgh Penguins' optional practice on Saturday and is considered day-to-day, head coach Mike Sullivan announced, according to team reporter Michelle Crechiolo. Crosby missed the Penguins' Game 6 loss to the New York Rangers on Friday night with an upper-body injury. The veteran is reportedly dealing with...

The Avalanche gave credence to the idea of a top team being able to "flip the switch" come playoff time by sweeping the Predators. In the process, they boosted their market rating to where it was before injuries compromised their stacked lineup. Nashville was without Vezina-nominated goaltender Juuse Saros, which...

No matter the sport, bettors who are handicapping a series should start by establishing a rating for the teams involved. We now have information from before the campaign, during the regular season, and after the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, the Rangers' win over the Penguins and,...

TEAM ODDS (May 16) ODDS (May 2) The Avalanche remain clear favorites entering the second round of the playoffs - and for good reason. They legitimately swept the floor with the Predators in the opening round. They won in four games, and the run of play was as lopsided as the series score indicated. Colorado outscored Nashville 21-9 while controlling a mind-numbing 67% of the expected goals across all game states.

Tampa Bay Lightning star Brayden Point is "highly doubtful" for Game 1 of their second-round series against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, head coach Jon Cooper said, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Eduardo A. Encina. Cooper added the forward will be considered day-to-day after that. Point exited Game 7...

HIGHER SEED (ODDS) LOWER SEED (ODDS) Colorado Avalanche (-400) St. Louis Blues (+300) Calgary Flames (-195) Edmonton Oilers (+160) Florida Panthers (-155) Tampa Bay Lightning (+130) Carolina Hurricanes (-200) New York Rangers (+165) Best bet. Alex Moretto: Hurricanes (-200) This is the perfect storm for the Hurricanes, who couldn't have...

The NHL history books will read like the Panthers had the easiest of the four first-round series in the Eastern Conference. While the three other series went the distance, Florida needing three straight wins (two in overtime) to come back from 2-1 down to the Capitals was no simple feat. As a result, the market has soured on the Presidents' Trophy winner, and its rating may have dipped.

This is the 16th edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2021-22 campaign and the second of these Stanley Cup Playoffs. In this edition, we rank the eight teams left in the postseason. 1. Colorado Avalanche. During the regular season, Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter said a first-round...

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is questionable for Tuesday's Eastern Conference finals opener against the Miami Heat after sustaining a midfoot sprain in Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. The Celtics are hopeful Smart will play after he underwent...

The NBA unveiled the Eastern and Western Conference finals schedules, courtesy of NBA.com's Mark Medina. The top-seeded Miami Heat will host the Boston Celtics in Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference finals at FTX Arena on May 17 and 19. The series then shifts to TD Garden for Games 3 and 4 before returning to Miami for Game 5 (if necessary).

As Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker approaches the first Game 7 of his career at home versus the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, the three-time All-Star says he's relishing the additional tension that comes with the do-or-die territory. "Just understanding your season is at stake," Booker said Saturday, according to ESPN's...

This probably wasn't the result anyone expected. The Mavericks blew away the top-seeded Phoenix Suns on their own court Sunday to win Game 7, sending Dallas to the Western Conference finals and knocking out last year's runner-up in the process. The lopsided result produced plenty of wild stats and numbers...