NHL

AP Sports WriterCrosby, Penguins hungry for shot at rare NHL threepeatBy WILL GRAVESPITTSBURGH (AP) The chance to make history doesn't come up in the Pittsburgh Penguins dressing room. It doesn't have to.Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and company understand the stakes: that no team since the New York Islanders...

Senators' Karlsson set to make season debut on TuesdayOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson will make his season debut when the Senators host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.Senators coach Guy Boucher confirmed his captain's return to the lineup at Monday's practice.Karlsson missed Ottawa's first five games...

Tkachuk, Smith lift Flames over Avalanche 4-0 in Game 1CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and Mike Smith made 26 saves for his first playoff shutout in nearly seven years, and the Calgary Flames blanked the Colorado Avalanche 4-0 on Thursday night in Game 1 of their...

Associated PressPetrovic scores in 3rd period, Panthers beat Hurricanes 3-2By PAUL GEREFFISUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Alexander Petrovic scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period to lift the Florida Panthers to a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night.Evgenii Dadonov and MacKenzie Weegar also scored to help...

Associated PressWatchdog clears Interior chief Zinke in speech to NHL teamBy MATTHEW DALYWASHINGTON (AP) An independent watchdog has cleared Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke of wrongdoing when he gave a speech to a National Hockey League team owned by a campaign contributor.The Office of Special Counsel said Zinke's June...

Associated PressFanDuel inks deals with NHL, Devils for sports bets, fantasyBy WAYNE PARRYATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) The wall that professional sports leagues in the U.S. fought so hard to maintain between themselves and legal sports betting continues to crumble.The four major pro sports leagues fought New Jersey's efforts...

AP Sports WriterFlyers turn to winner Vigneault to snap championship droughtBy DAN GELSTONVOORHEES, N.J. (AP) The Tampa Bay Lightning team that just flamed out in the first round of the playoffs is dotted with former New York Rangers who played in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final:Ryan Callahan, Ryan...

Associated PressByron's 2 goals lead Canadiens past Penguins 5-1By DAN SCIFOPITTSBURGH (AP) The Montreal Canadiens used a systematic approach to frustrate and shut down the Pittsburgh Penguins' star-studded attack.Paul Byron scored two goals and added an assist, leading the Canadiens to a 5-1 victory over the Penguins on...

AP Sports WriterDeparting stars could slow progress for Blue JacketsBy MITCH STACYCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) If the Blue Jackets' two best players leave town as expected, it will ripple through just about every move the team makes this summer.Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and winger Artemi Panarin are unrestricted free agents...

AP Hockey WriterSabres fire GM Botterill in series of cost-cutting movesBy JOHN WAWROWBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula reversed course by firing general manager Jason Botterill on Tuesday as part of a drastic cost-cutting purge of front-office staff and scouts on a team preparing...

AP Hockey WriterNHL primes pump for future talent with transfer feesBy STEPHEN WHYNOWhen Rasmus Dahlin put pen to paper on his first NHL contract, the reverberations carried to Gothenburg and Lidkoping in his native Sweden.The No. 1 overall pick signing with the Buffalo Sabres earned Sweden more than $250,000...

Blackhawks keeping Quenneville, Bowman after poor seasonCHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Blackhawks are not making changes behind the bench after missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade.Team President Joe McDonough told reporters Thursday that he plans to bring back both coach Joel Quenneville and general manager...