NHL

AP Sports WriterBoston Bruins fire coach Claude JulienBy JIMMY GOLENBOSTON (AP) The Boston Bruins fired Stanley Cup-winning coach Claude Julien on Tuesday as the team was in danger of missing the playoffs for a third straight season.He was the longest-tenured coach in the NHL.General manager Don Sweeney announced...

Lightning lose goaltender Bishop to apparent leg injuryPITTSBURGH (AP) The opening minutes of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning featured scary moments for both teams.Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang left briefly early in the first period after getting hit illegally...

Sens' Anderson gets shutout after wife's cancer diagnosisEDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Craig Anderson leaned on his stick in the hallway behind the Senators' bench and put his head down. The public address announcer said his name, and he lumbered onto the ice, tears flowing during an ovation from the...

Blackhawks announce 3-year deal with forward Nick SchmaltzCHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Blackhawks agreed to a three-year contract with forward Nick Schmaltz on Sunday.The Blackhawks selected Schmaltz in the first round of the 2014 draft. The deal helps ease the sting from the loss of Teuvo Teravainen, who was...

AP Sports WriterPreds leaning on Rinne to force Penguins back to PittsburghBy TERESA M. WALKERNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Pekka Rinne is a friendly, polite man off the ice. Slipping the puck past the Nashville Predators goaltender is one of the few ways to anger the 6-foot-5 Finn.Pucks bouncing past...

The Latest: Cole gives Penguins 1-0 lead early in Game 4SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The Latest on Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks (all times local):5:33 p.m. PDTIan Cole picked a great time to score his first goal in...

Red Wings trade Russia-bound Datsyuk's contract to CoyotesBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The Detroit Red Wings gained salary-cap relief by trading veteran star Pavel Datsyuk's contract to the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night at the NHL draft.The 37-year-old Datsyuk said last week that he will return home to Russia to...

The Latest: Game 4 starts after Metallica's anthemSAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The Latest on Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks (all times local):5:20 p.m. PDTGame 4 of the Stanley Cup Final is underway after a rousing national anthem from...

AP Sports WriterDown 0-2 and still scoreless, Blackhawks remain confidentBy TERESA M. WALKERNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Chicago Blackhawks know one thing with an absolute certainty: They must play better.Scoring their first goal against Pekka Rinne this postseason would be a good start.Instead, the Western Conference's top seed trails...

Blackhawks re-sign forward Richard Panik to 2-year dealCHICAGO (AP) The Blackhawks have rewarded Richard Panik for a breakout season by re-signing him to a two-year deal that runs through 2018-19.The 26-year-old Panik set career highs with 22 goals, 22 assists and 44 points in his first full season...

Tampa Bay 1 3 2-6Montreal 1 0 1-2First Period-1, Montreal, Petry 1 (Mitchell, Prust), 7:20. 2, Tampa Bay, Filppula 2 (Hedman, Killorn), 19:36 (pp).Second Period-3, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 1 (Garrison, Coburn), 8:06. 4, Tampa Bay, Kucherov 2 (Johnson, Stamkos), 12:29 (pp). 5,...

AP Hockey WriterArizona-born Matthews goes 1st in NHL draft; Finns followBy JOHN WAWROWBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Once the ''Go Leafs, Go!'' chants subsided after Toronto selected Arizona-born center Auston Matthews with the first pick in the NHL draft, the Finns began their march to the podium.Three players from Finland...