NHL

CHICAGO (AP) - Faceoffs can provide a big lift in the NHL playoffs.Three of the top four teams in faceoff percentage in the first round of this year's playoffs won their series.Washington coach Barry Trotz says faceoffs are overlooked, given how important it is to control the puck. The...

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Two people familiar with the Buffalo Sabres coaching search have told The Associated Press that former San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan and minor-league coach Luke Richardson are among the team's initial candidates.Neither has been interviewed yet, and the list is expected to grow in...

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - The Tampa Bay Lightning are eager to take another shot at the Montreal Canadiens.A year after being swept by their Atlantic Division rivals in the opening round of the NHL playoffs, the confident Lightning will be looking for redemption when the teams meet again in...

TUKWILA, Wash. (AP) - The mayor of the Seattle suburb of Tukwila has sent letters to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressing his support for a proposed new multipurpose arena that could house franchises for both leagues.The city released documents pertaining to the proposed arena...

ST. LOUIS (AP) - St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong and coach Ken Hitchcock sat side by side, presenting a united front for a franchise bleeding from its latest playoff flop.Armstrong on Tuesday praised Hitchcock's job in transforming the Blues from also-rans to legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, but...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The precocious Russian forward drafted in the first round by the Washington Capitals finally delivered a breathtaking, winning goal in a Game 7. No, not Alex Ovechkin - Evgeny Kuznetsov.Skating around every opponent on the ice, Kuznetsov scored the go-ahead goal with 7:18 remaining, and Braden...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Zach Parise scored twice, including a short-handed, highlight-reel goal to get Minnesota going in the first period, and the Wild advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday in Game 6.Justin Fontaine also scored, Nino...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Wild have signed Swiss center Christoph Bertschy (BAIRT'-chee) to a three-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2015-16 season.The Wild announced the signing Sunday.A 21-year-old native of Fribourg, Switzerland, Bertschy had 14 goals, 16 assists and 26 penalty minutes in 44 games with...

Vancouver 3 1 0-4Calgary 1 2 4-7First Period-1, Vancouver, McMillan 1 (Higgins, Horvat), 2:36. 2, Vancouver, Hansen 2 (Matthias, Tanev), 7:32. 3, Vancouver, Vrbata 2 (D.Sedin, H.Sedin), 9:42 (pp). 4, Calgary, Ferland 1 (Stajan, Jones), 17:02.Second Period-5, Calgary, Monahan 2 (Hudler,...

The Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at Scotiabank Saddledome. Vancouver at Calgary When: 9:00 PM ET, Saturday, April 25, 2015 Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVA PREDICTION: Flames 4, Canucks 2 Join BetOnline and get...

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.

NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Rangers used Carl Hagelin's overtime goal and spectacular goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist to beat Pittsburgh 2-1 on Friday night to advance in the Eastern Conference playoffs.Hagelin skated out from behind the net and put a wrist shot on the short side behind...