NHL

AP Hockey WriterPassing Fancy: How Lightning's Nikita Kucherov became a starBy STEPHEN WHYNOThe lesson Nikita Kucherov learned from childhood coach Gennady Kurdin is on display every time he laces up his skates and steps on to the ice.Kurdin taught Kucherov the very common Russian hockey philosophy that the sport...

Sharks decline to give qualifying offer to D Dylan DeMeloSAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The San Jose Sharks have declined to issue a qualifying offer to defenseman Dylan DeMelo, making him an unrestricted free agent.The Sharks announced Monday that the team gave qualifying offers to forwards Tomas Hertl and...

Smith scores twice, Predators top Canadiens 4-1MONTREAL (AP) All eyes were on P.K. Subban and Shea Weber. Craig Smith stole the show.Smith scored twice and the Nashville Predators defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on Saturday night in the second matchup between Subban and Weber since the blockbuster trade...

AP Was There: Game 4 of 1970 Blues-Bruins for Stanley CupBOSTON (AP) EDITOR'S NOTE - On May 10, 1970, the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 29 years. The Bruins won it at the expense of the St. Louis Blues, who were swept...

AP Sports WriterBettman says he hasn't talked to Stars about Lites' commentsBy JAY COHENSOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he hasn't reached out to the Dallas Stars about CEO Jim Lites' expletive-laced criticism of high-priced forwards Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin.Lites ripped Benn and Seguin...

AP Hockey WriterAfter sunny All-Star break, NHL playoff race is heating upBy GREG BEACHAMLOS ANGELES (AP) Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were linemates. Connor McDavid scored on a pass from Ryan Kesler. Wayne Simmonds was the shooting star of the show.The dreamlike quality of the NHL All-Star Game...

AP Hockey WriterPens appreciate now-Coyotes coach Tocchet's role in Cup winsBy STEPHEN WHYNOWhen Rick Tocchet returns to Pittsburgh, he will see another Stanley Cup banner in the rafters and be celebrated for his part in the championship.Tocchet doesn't plan on reminiscing too much about the Penguins' back-to-back titles, except...

AP Hockey WriterBest in the West? Vegas finally meets its match vs. DallasBy STEPHEN WHYNOEDMONTON, Alberta (AP) After they moved on to the Western Conference final, the Dallas Stars gathered around televisions to see who they'd face next.They watched the Vegas Golden Knights tilt the ice against the...

New Seattle NHL arena remains on schedule for summer of 2021SEATTLE (AP) The arena for Seattle's NHL expansion franchise remains on track to open sometime in the summer of 2021.Construction officials said Monday that the entire bowl of the former KeyArena has been demolished and excavation work is...

The VANCOUVER and the MONTREAL will both be gunning for a victory on 2/1/2021 at 7:00 PM when they meet in a game matchup. VANCOUVER vs MONTREAL When: 2/1/2021 7:00 PM Where: ROT TEAM PL OU ML 41 VANCOUVER 1.5 (-110) 6 -115 -105 140 -160 42 MONTREAL TV: 7:00 PM LINE: 0 PREDICTION: MONTREAL , VANCOUVER Oddsmakers currently have the VANCOUVER listed as 140-moneyline favorites versus the MONTREAL, while...

AP Sports WriterBill Torrey, GM of Isles' 4 Stanley Cups, dies at 83By TIM REYNOLDSSUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Bill Torrey, the jovial bow-tie wearing Hall of Famer who was the general manager of the New York Islanders when they won four consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1980s and eventually...

Chicago Blackhawks winger Marian Hossa will play Friday night against the San Jose Sharks after recovering from a blow to the back of the head by the Vancouver Canucks' Jannik Hansen, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. Blackhawks forward Daniel Carcillo will also play Friday night, according to Quenneville. Carcillo has...