NHL

Underperforming Maple Leafs fire coach Mike BabcockTORONTO (AP) The underperforming Toronto Maple Leafs fired coach Mike Babcock on Wednesday and replaced him with Sheldon Keefe.Babcock had a record of 9-10-4 this season for the struggling Leafs, who are 0-5-1 in their last six games, including five straight losses...

Predators' Hartman fined $1K for spearing Bruins' WagnerNEW YORK (AP) Nashville Predators forward Ryan Hartman has been fined $1,000 by the NHL for spearing Boston Bruins forward Chris Wagner.The incident occurred at 19:04 of the second period of Saturday's night game between the Predators and Bruins, which Boston...

AP Sports WriterBill Torrey, GM of Isles' 4 Stanley Cups, dies at 83By TIM REYNOLDSSUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Bill Torrey, the general manager of the New York Islanders when they won four consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1980s and the first president of the Florida Panthers, died Thursday.The Panthers...

AP Sports WriterWhalers fans still rooting, 22 years after the team's moveBy PAT EATON-ROBBHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) For Mark Anderson, the opening game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins was a trip down memory lane.Anderson was watching Game 1 closely at a gathering in suburban Hartford Thursday...

May 1-17 - IIHF World Championship, Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic.June 17 - Last possible day for Stanley Cup finals.June 26-27 - NHL draft, Sunrise, Fla.July 1 - Free agency begins.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) - New York Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi practiced Friday and is expected to play in Game 2 of the playoff series with Pittsburgh on Saturday night. Girardi took a puck in the face in the third period of New York's 2-1 win in Game 1 on Thursday...

Associated PressHellebuyck makes 35 saves to lead Jets over Blues 4-2By STEVE OVERBEYST. LOUIS (AP) Connor Hellebuyck wasn't in the mood to celebrate just yet.The Winnipeg goalie stopped 35 shots to help the Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2 Thursday night - his second win over the...

AP Sports WriterWith Hughes in Devils camp, it's easy to overlook Ty SmithBy TOM CANAVANNEWARK, N.J. (AP) With Jack Hughes in the New Jersey Devils' development camp, it's easy to overlook Ty Smith.Hughes was the No. 1 overall selection in the draft last month and much is expected...

PITTSBURGH (AP) - NBC Sports Network analyst Brian Engblom needed stitches after taking a puck to his forehead late in the second period of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 3-2 shootout victory over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday night.Penguins star Sidney Crosby tipped Brenden Dillon's outlet pass over the glass...

AP Sports WriterKorpi or Elvis? Blue Jackets running goaltender derby againBy MITCH STACYCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) When the season began, no one in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization was sure either one of the two top goaltenders could be an everyday starter in the NHL.Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins...

AP Hockey WriterNHL '17: Penguins, Capitals losses make East wide openBy STEPHEN WHYNOA handful of Pittsburgh Penguins players whose names are on the Stanley Cup, some of them twice or even three times, are gone.The same goes for core players from the back-to-back Presidents' Trophy winning Washington Capitals.The goliaths...

Emergency to keep Blue Jackets coach out of All-Star GamaeNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella has returned to Ohio because of a family emergency, keeping him out of both Thursday night's game with Nashville and the NHL All-Star Game this weekend.The Blue Jackets announced Tortorella's...