NHL

Blues fire coach Ken Hitchcock, promote Mike YeoST. LOUIS (AP) The St. Louis Blues have fired coach Ken Hitchcock.Assistant and coach-in-waiting Mike Yeo replaced him ahead of schedule. Yeo was supposed to succeed Hitchcock after this season, the veteran coach's final in St. Louis.General manager Doug Armstrong announced...

Nashville 0 1 0-1N.Y. Rangers 1 1 2-4First Period-1, N.Y. Rangers, Staal 5 (Zuccarello, Brassard), 6:36.Second Period-2, N.Y. Rangers, Kreider 17 (Zuccarello, Brassard), 4:14. 3, Nashville, Cullen 7 (Beck, Santorelli), 15:24.Third Period-4, N.Y. Rangers, Moore 6 (Girardi, Glass), 5:51. 5,...

AP Hockey WriterBackup plan: The case to play goalies on consecutive nightsBy JOHN WAWROWIf NHL coaches want to provide goalies quality downtime during a constricted schedule, Martin Biron believes he has an ideal backup plan.Rather than split starts as teams often do when playing on consecutive days, the former...

Ducks send Kase to AHL, clearing room for Ritchie's returnANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned left wing Ondrej Kase to their AHL affiliate in San Diego, likely clearing room for Nick Ritchie to make his Stanley Cup playoff debut.The Ducks made the move Saturday, several hours...

All-Star D Victor Hedman out for Lightning with illnessLOS ANGELES (AP) All-Star defenseman Victor Hedman is sitting out of the Tampa Bay Lightning's game at Los Angeles due to an illness.The Lightning made the announcement Monday, shortly before the opening faceoff.Hedman participated in the pregame warmup, but left...

N.Y. Rangers 1 2 3-6Colorado 0 1 2-3First Period-1, N.Y. Rangers, Boyle 8 (Hayes, McDonagh), 16:30.Second Period-2, N.Y. Rangers, Hayes 9, 1:47. 3, Colorado, Landeskog 11 (Mitchell, MacKinnon), 12:46. 4, N.Y. Rangers, Zuccarello 11 (Nash, Brassard), 16:02.Third Period-5, Colorado,...

Gordie Howe's ashes to be interred in Saskatoon statueSASKATOON, Saskatchewan (AP) Gordie Howe's ashes will be interred in a statue at the Saskatoon arena.A Saskatoon official said Wednesday that the city has received permission from the province to inter the cremated remains of Howe and his wife, Colleen,...

CHICAGO (AP) Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith will be sidelined for four to six weeks after he had right knee surgery on Tuesday.Keith, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, has two assists in six games this season. The team says he had a meniscal tear repaired.The loss of Keith, who...

All-Star Victor Hedman out for Lightning with illnessLOS ANGELES (AP) NHL All-Star defenseman Victor Hedman sat out the Tampa Bay Lightning's game at Los Angeles on Monday.Hedman participated in the pregame warmup, but left early. The Lightning didn't immediately announce why Hedman sat out for the first time...

WASHINGTON (AP) Capitals coach Barry Trotz says captain Alex Ovechkin will be a game-time decision against the San Jose Sharks.Ovechkin missed Washington's morning skate ahead of Tuesday night's game for personal reasons.No other details were given.Ovechkin is a three-time NHL MVP who led the league with 53 goals...

June 24 - NHL Awards, Las Vegas.June 26-27 - NHL draft, Sunrise, Fla.July 1 - Free agency begins.

NEW YORK (AP) - Take the spotlight off goaltender Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals and put it on Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning.If it sounds fickle, that's the way it's been for the goaltenders in this series between two of...