NHL

AP Hockey WriterPressure still on Caps, but spotlight is on Fleury in Game 6By STEPHEN WHYNOThree goals in five minutes sparked sing-song chants of ''FLEU-RY! FLEU-RY!'' and might've planted enough of a seed of belief for the Washington Capitals against the Pittsburgh Penguins.All series the Capitals had struggled to...

The Latest: Luke Bryan rooftop gig set to kick off Game 6NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Latest on Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final (all times local):4:55 p.m.Country music star Luke Bryan says he would've rearranged everything for the opportunity to kick off NBC's broadcast of Game 6...

Coyotes trade goalie Mike Smith to FlamesGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) The Arizona Coyotes traded longtime starting goaltender Mike Smith to the Calgary Flames on Saturday for a conditional 2018 third-round pick, defensive prospect Brandon Hickey and the rights to unrestricted free agent goalie Chad Johnson.As Calgary gets the starter...

AP Hockey WriterWill NHL awards honor Leafs, Oilers, Columbus?By JOHN WAWROWMike Babcock, John Tortorella and Todd McLellan had plenty in common.Not only did the three steer their playoff-starved franchises to the postseason, they are the NHL coach of the year Jack Adams Trophy candidates.Before this season, the Maple Leafs,...

Kings agree with coach Darryl Sutter on contract extensionLOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Kings and coach Darryl Sutter have agreed to a multiyear contract extension that begins in the fall.The two-time Stanley Cup champion coach reached an agreement that is reportedly for two more seasons with an...

AP Sports WriterIt's a trap! Cup champion Penguins wary of stingy SenatorsBy WILL GRAVESPITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Penguins spent the first two rounds of the playoffs engaging in high-stakes games of rope-a-dope with Columbus and Washington, absorbing some hits, avoiding others and counterpunching brilliantly to get halfway to...

The Latest: Penguins a Game 6 win from defending Cup titleNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Latest on Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final (all times local):4 p.m.Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are a win from becoming the NHL's first team to win consecutive Stanley Cup titles in...

AP Hockey WriterOvechkin finished playoffs with lower-body injuryBy STEPHEN WHYNOWashington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin finished the playoffs playing through a lower-body injury that required pain-numbing injections.The Russian Hockey Federation announced the injury Thursday, saying Ovechkin would not be able to play at the world championships in Europe because...

AP Sports WriterLos Angeles Kings prospect raised by 2 momsBy JAY COHENCHICAGO (AP) Moments after Jaret Anderson-Dolan was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings, he hugged his mothers Fran and Nancy. They cried a few tears as Anderson-Dolan made his way to the floor of the United Center...

Correction: Blues-Predators Bet storyNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) In a story May 1 about a bet between the Nashville and St. Louis mayors over the Predators-Blues playoff series, The Associated Press misspelled the last name of Nashville's mayor on the first reference. It is Megan Barry, not Berry.A corrected version...

AP Hockey WriterPower down? Why power plays are less successful in playoffsBy STEPHEN WHYNOHaving a potent power play is certainly useful in getting to the playoffs. Once there, maybe not as much.Eight of the top 11 power-play teams in the playoffs this year lost in the first round, and...

AP Sports WriterHealth of Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis still in questionBy TERESA M. WALKERNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The health of Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis is in question after he couldn't finish Game 5, and the Predators are offering no clues at all for Game 6 on Sunday night.Ellis did...