NHL News

7:00 AM ET If the 2011 Stanley Cup Final were pitched as a movie script, it would have been rejected for being too outlandish. One player biting his opponent. A series-long suspension after a star player was stretchered off the ice after a hit. Goalie trash talk in the media. The heavy underdog upsetting the

8:48 AM ET The underdog had its day in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup semifinals between the New York Islanders and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Can the Montreal Canadiens continue shocking the hockey world against the Vegas Golden Knights? Check out the ESPN NHL Playoffs Daily to catch up every day of the postseason

7:24 PM ET TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Islanders were mentally prepared for Game 1 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series. The Tampa Bay Lightning were not. “Our work ethic was there. Our compete [level] was there. Our minds weren’t there,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper, whose team lost 2-1 at home on Sunday

8:00 AM ET The altered format of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs — where the final four teams were reseeded based on regular-season record — meant that we could have gotten some wild matchups in the Stanley Cup semifinals. Or, as is the case with this series, we’ll get to see a rematch of the

8:00 AM ET The Vegas Golden Knights were a juggernaut during the 2021 NHL regular season, and in the West Division finals, they made the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche look like pretenders. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens seemed to make the North Division bracket by default as the No. 4 seed. And yet, they shocked the

8:10 AM ET NHL Insiders We’re down to the final four teams in contention for the Stanley Cup. Our No. 1 vs. No. 4 matchup pits the Vegas Golden Knights against the Montreal Canadiens. Vegas was one of the top Cup favorites at the start of the postseason, while Montreal was not. But the Habs

8:14 PM ET Associated Press BOSTON — Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask will have surgery to repair a previously undisclosed torn labrum in his hip, he said Friday, two days after the team was eliminated from the playoffs by the New York Islanders. Rask, who is eligible to become a free agent, said he hopes

6:30 AM ET The NHL’s final four is set. The Vegas Golden Knights took care of business at home, eliminating the Colorado Avalanche to set up a semifinal date with the Montreal Canadiens. Sadly, we have two days off from hockey, before the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning kick off their series Sunday.

7:45 AM ET LAS VEGAS — As the Vegas Golden Knights grind away in their thrilling second round series against the Colorado Avalanche, the team’s most productive line has been the second line. Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith have scored eight goals in five games against Colorado. Coach Peter DeBoer called the trio

6:29 AM ET The Boston Bruins were sent home on Wednesday night, and the New York Islanders are the third team to reach the Stanley Cup semifinals. Tonight, the Colorado Avalanche — the top team in the regular season — will try to avoid a similar fate as the Bruins. But the Avs’ task isn’t

8:13 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks announced Wednesday they had agreed to an entry-level contract with Lukas Reichel after selecting the forward in the first round of the 2020 NHL draft. Reichel’s three-year deal runs through the 2023-24 season with a $925,000 salary-cap hit. General manager Stan Bowman said Reichel made

6:35 AM ET The Tampa Bay Lightning are Central Division champions, and are waiting for the winner of the New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins East Division final, a series that could end on the Island tonight. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens got one game closer to seeing which team they’ll be facing in the Stanley

12:19 PM ET Nazem Kadri‘s eight-game suspension has been upheld by a neutral arbitrator, a source confirmed to ESPN. The Colorado Avalanche center is eligible to return for a potential Game 7 of the second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. The series is tied 2-2, with Game 5 on Tuesday in Denver. Kadri, whom

6:45 AM ET The Tampa Bay Lightning have a chance to eliminate the Carolina Hurricanes, though playing in front of their home crowd may be the boost the Hurricanes needs to keep their season alive. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche will try to find their game again in Denver after the Vegas Golden Knights put on

7:00 AM ET UNIONDALE, NY — Mathew Barzal skated back onto the ice after the New York Islanders‘ Game 4 win. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum had been raucous all night, and Barzal gave the fans one more chance to roar as the game’s first star, pumping his fist and screaming “let’s go!” as he saluted

6:40 AM ET The 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs have seen two series sweeps already, and a third could be on the way, as the underdog Montreal Canadiens can eliminate the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4. Meanwhile, the intense New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins series heads back to Beantown for a pivotal Game 5, as

6:19 PM ET ESPN News Services RIGA, Latvia — Nick Paul scored in overtime on a 2-and-1 break with Ottawa Senators teammate Connor Brown and Canada won its 27th world hockey title, defeating Finland 3-2 on Sunday night. The victory capped a memorable comeback, even for a nation with as rich a history in hockey

7:31 AM ET The New York Islanders tied up their series, 2-2, on Saturday, thanks to a boost from the crowd at Nassau Coliseum. In the West, can the Vegas Golden Knights do the same against the Colorado Avalanche tonight at T-Mobile Arena? Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens take to their home ice as the Winnipeg