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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch had to have faith.When the Vegas Golden Knights decided to send them to the minors at the start of last season Tom Kuhnhackl Jersey Womens , Theodore and Tuch chose to believe what general manager George McPhee told them.“The message was that we were part of the future of this team and he definitely saw us in that long-term plan,” Theodore said.Within weeks, they were back in the NHL as part of the fastest-starting expansion team in history and played significant roles in the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. Each player got a long-term contract before he played his first game this season, and they weren’t alone as McPhee went about the process of turning Vegas from a one-year wonder into a perennial title contender.He locked up 75-point forward Jonathan Marchessault through 2024, signed face-of-the-franchise goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to a three-year extension, inked defenseman Nate Schmidt to a six-year contract that begins next season, signed center Paul Stastny as a free agent and acquired big winger Max Pacioretty in a trade with Montreal. Those moves have paid off so far with Vegas five points back of first place in the Pacific Division and looking like its second act could rival its first.“We have a couple guys signed long term, and it’s fun because it means that we have a core and we’re building something,” Marchessault said. “You want to be part of a story as a hockey player, and it feels like we’re part of one here.”The Golden Knights’ story was a fairy tale: A team that looked on paper like it would be among the worst in the league won its division and steamrolled to the final before losing to McPhee’s former team, the Washington Capitals, in five games. Marchessault said he felt in June like this team could be a legitimate threat for years to come.McPhee’s job was to ensure that. The veteran executive who got to build the Golden Knights from scratch through a wildly successful expansion draft understood he had the benefit of not having to dig out from bad contracts. But he also shouldered the burden of drawing up a whole host of new ones after one season during which seemingly everyone overachieved.“We did have a lot of work to do because most of the guys that we acquired were either free agents or were on one-year deals and their deals had matured and it was time to negotiate again Anthony Beauvillier Jersey Womens ,” McPhee said. “And we just thought, we know what they are, we’re comfortable projecting what they will be in the future and we had the cap space, so why not use it now because cap space is like perishable inventory. If you don’t use it, it’s gone at the end of the year. We just wanted some cost certainty moving forward, so it would help us to plan for things better in the future.”Fleury got $7 million a year, Schmidt, $5.95 million, Theodore, $5.2 million, Marchessault, $5 million and Tuch Dustin Tokarski Jersey Womens , $4.75 million. Fleury leads the NHL with 26 wins, Schmidt has played over 23 minutes a game since returning from suspension, Theodore leads Vegas defensemen with 21 points and Tuch and Marchessault are 1-2 on the team in scoring.Beyond cost certainty, it was money smartly spent to keep morale up, raise expectations and get bang for owner Bill Foley’s buck.“When you have a guy believe in you like that, sign you to that kind of a term, you don’t want to make him look bad and I think every night you want to go out and you want to play your best,” said Theodore, who is under contract through 2025. “I think it’s been paying off for us and hopefully will in the future.”Even though only wingers James Neal and David Perron and defenseman Luca Sbisa aren’t back from the core group that went to the Cup final, McPhee couldn’t stand pat and think success would repeat itself. He consciously added Stastny, Pacioretty and Nick Holden to replace the lost production and provide an influx of talent.“When you’re a couple games away from winning, I think you’ve got to try and do whatever you can Valtteri Filppula Jersey Womens ,” Schmidt said. “You have to add something in order to beat the best teams.”The way Pacioretty looks at it, McPhee wasn’t scanning the aisles. He was shopping off a specific list. They weren’t part of the playoff run — Stastny was on the Winnipeg Jets team that Vegas beat in the Western Conference final — but brought some more balance.“They wanted guys like me and Stas to come in and play a little bit of a two-way game,” Pacioretty said. “That’s how we want to help our team. We know that especially offensively that this team last year had guys who were relied upon every night to create. And we still want to be those guys coming in, but we also know that there’s areas on both sides of the puck that we can help this team.”Injuries have hampered Pacioretty and Stastny so far, but they and the Golden Knights will really be judged in the playoffs. After falling three victories short of a championship, players feel like they have what it takes to win this time and for years to come.“As our owner said at the beginning of the year, we just don’t want to be a winning team. We want to have a winning franchise,” Marchessault said. “Last year we really felt like we have something special, and we have some unfinished business.” DENVER (AP) So about that swipe P.K. Subban took at the speedy forward causing Nashville so much grief.”Playoff hockey,” the Predators defenseman said a day after clocking Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon in the side of the head with his right glove. Once untangled, both were sent to the penalty box for holding during Colorado’s 5-3 win Monday.”Do it again next game,” Subban said .This series definitely took a step toward the chippy side as the top-seeded Predators lead 2-1 heading into Game 4 in Denver on Wednesday.”We’re just getting to know each other Fredrik Claesson Jersey Womens , right?” Colorado defenseman Nikita Zadorov said. ”It’s the playoffs. It’s always like that. It’s fun. They’re an experienced team that went to the final last season, and they know what to do to draw penalties. Sometimes after the whistle.”On a play in the second period Monday, Mackinnon was skating along the boards when Subban poked at the puck with his stick in his left hand and then delivered a blow with his right. Subban tossed MacKinnon to the ice as teammates rushed in. Subban was booed by the raucous crowd the rest of the night.”I just try to play hard,” Subban said. ”I don’t really hear it anymore. It’s happened so much over my career. Just try to go out there and do my job, be an impactful player when I’m on the ice.”Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog understands the heightened emotions this time of year. Even more so since the Avalanche haven’t been in postseason position since 2014.”There’s a lot on the line,” Landeskog said. ”If you’re not emotionally involved, it would be weird. You leave everything on the ice. That’s what we did. I’m sure they feel the same way on the other side.”Subban relishes the physical nature of a series – and perhaps getting under the skin of an opposing forward or two.”It’s easy to get into it when you know you’re going to hit somebody, when you know you have to finish all your checks,” Subban said. ”Next game should be another physical one.”So far, Colorado has scored the game’s first goal in each contest. What’s more, the Avs hold a 5-0 advantage in first-period scoring during the series.That’s partly why Nashville went through a frenzied practice Tuesday, complete with some light checking.”Today Dylan DeMelo Jersey Womens , there was a message behind it and some passion in our practice,” defenseman Ryan Ellis said. ”It was great to see. Not only competing but making plays. We need that to translate into the game.”Goaltender Pekka Rinne was sharp as well, turning back just about everything thrown at him during practice. That hasn’t been the case in a series where he’s given up 10 scores and has a 4.17 goals-against average. Rinne was taken out Monday with Colorado leading 4-0 after MacKinnon’s second goal of the game at 4:25 of the second period.”For sure, yesterday was a disappointing night for all of us,” Rinne said. ”We need to bounce back.”Nashville coach Peter Laviolette isn’t that concerned with the psyche of his elite goaltender – or that of his team, which advanced to the Stanley Cup Final a season ago before losing to Pittsburgh.”If we could’ve played at noon, they’d all want to play right away,” Laviolette said. ”That’s the nature of competitive people.”And that’s why Landeskog thinks the Avalanche will see a revamped Rinne on Wednesday.”He’s a real good goaltender and made it tough on us all series long really,” Landeskog said. ”I’m sure he’s going to want to come back and have a good game.”NOTES: Colorado D Samuel Girard practiced Tuesday while wearing a non-contact jersey. He’s day-to-day, coach Jared Bednar said.—

SAN JOSE Nic Dowd Jersey Womens , Calif. (AP) — Ken Hitchcock knows the routine well by now as he begins his tenure as new coach of the Edmonton Oilers. For the fourth time in his long coaching career, Hitchcock has been tasked with taking over a struggling team in the middle of the season.Hitchcock was hired Tuesday as coach of his hometown Oilers after the team fired Todd McLellan with the team languishing in sixth place in the Pacific Division.“It’s not going to change overnight, but we can start taking some steps,” said Hitchcock, who led St. Louis to a first-place finish in 2011-12 after taking over as coach one month into the season. “I told the players today I can take them to a place personally that they can’t get to themselves, but they’ve got to buy into that, and it’s not going to be comfortable at times.”The Oilers have lost six of seven games, getting outscored 27-11 in those losses, in a rough start to McLellan’s fourth season behind the bench. The team missed the playoffs in two of his previous three seasons despite having superstar Connor McDavid on its roster and the Oilers were just 9-10-1 entering their game Tuesday night at San Jose.“It’s tough to pinpoint what we need, but we’re all to blame here,” McDavid said. “This obviously isn’t on Todd at all. It’s on us as players. That’s just how the business works sometimes. We got to wake up here.”McLellan is the fourth coach to be fired already this season, following John Stevens in Los Angeles www.officialducks.com , Joel Quenneville in Chicago and Mike Yeo in St. Louis. The Oilers are ahead of only the Blues and the Kings in the Western Conference standings.“Obviously we’re in a rough patch here,” general manager Peter Chiarelli said. “We’re leading into American Thanksgiving. It’s a bit of a template for making the playoffs. I felt I was seeing some things that I had seen last year after not seeing them for quite a fair bit this year, and these recurring themes, I wanted to nip them in the bud.”The 66-year-old Hitchcock announced his retirement in April after a 22-year coaching career, which included a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999. He had two stints in Dallas as well as head coaching stops in Philadelphia (2002-2006), Columbus (2006-2010) and St. Louis (2011-2017).Hitchcock is the third-winningest coach in NHL history with an overall record of 823-506-88-119 (.603 winning percentage). He has guided teams to eight division titles and twice to the best record in the NHL and has an 86-82 playoff record.“It’s definitely going to be tough,” said forward Kyle Brodziak, who played for Hitchcock in St. Louis. “It’s always an adjustment. Guys will have to get used to different styles. Hitch is a hard coach, He’s going to be tough on guys and demand a lot. We have to be ready to produce and face the music for sure.”St. Louis made the playoffs in each of Hitchcock’s five full seasons, reaching the Western Conference finals in 2016. The Blues abruptly fired Hitchcock in February 2017, cutting short what was already going to be his last season in St. Louis. He returned to Dallas with the hope of getting the Stars back to the playoffs but a late-season slump kept them out for the second straight year and the eighth time in 10 seasons.In April, Hitchcock said he was retiring for good but changed his mind when the chance to coach the Oilers came up.He pointed to the chance to coach in his native Edmonton in an organization with many people he has worked with in the past Anaheim Ducks T-Shirts Authentic , including with Chiarelli on Team Canada in 2014 as a reason to come back. Hitchcock said he also looks forward to coaching the 21-year-old McDavid, who has won the past two scoring titles.“He’s an awesome player. But he has an awesome responsibility,” Hitchcock said. “It’s not just scoring goals and getting points and stuff like that. He sets the competitive tone of the hockey club. I can really help him. I’ve been through some really good players who learned to adapt and do those things. I can help him along there and get him to understand what his responsibility is because he’s carrying too much of the burden and he needs to lighten the load a little bit.”There is plenty of blame to go around for the lackluster start in Edmonton by a top-heavy roster led by McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Chiarelli traded winger Taylor Hall to New Jersey for defenseman Adam Larsson in June 2016, and then signed forward Milan Lucic to a seven-year, $42 million contract a few days later. Hall won the Hart Trophy as league MVP last season, while Lucic has two goals in his last 66 games.Hitchcock becomes the seventh coach for the Oilers since the team fired Craig McTavish at the end of the 2008-09 season, following Pat Quinn, Tom Renney, Ralph Krueger, Dallas Eakins, Todd Nelson and McLellan.“He’s always had very good defensive teams,” Lucic said of Hitchcock. “We need to come together as a group no matter who the coach is.” VANCOUVER Anaheim Ducks Hoodies Authentic , British Columbia (AP) — Thatcher Demko was nervous before stepping on the ice.It sure didn’t show.The 23-year-old goalie made 36 saves in his second NHL game, leading the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.“An opportunity for me,” Demko said. “I’m just really excited and wanted to make the most of it.”Alex Edler, Sven Baertschi, Brock Boeser and Loui Eriksson scored for Vancouver. Bo Horvat had two assists.Buffalo got goals from Evan Rodrigues, Kyle Okposo and Sam Reinhart. Linus Ullmark stopped 19 shots.“For a large majority of the game we played the way we wanted to, but those mistakes we’re making are just a little too big,” Reinhart said. “I’m sure we can correct and we are going to.”Demko, who made one appearance for the Canucks last season, was called up Jan. 4 from the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League after Vancouver traded backup goalie Anders Nilsson to Ottawa.“I’ve been working hard and just patiently waiting for that first chance,” Demko said.He was tested early and often Friday, and his performance had the crowd chanting “Dem-Ko! Dem-Ko!” in appreciation of some highlight-reel saves.“He was great. Good to see. He was one of our best players tonight Anaheim Ducks Hats Authentic ,” Vancouver coach Travis Green said.Rodrigues beat the young goaltender 8:48 in after Rasmus Ristolainen got a pass to the left wing down low and Rodrigues chipped it up over Demko’s pad.Vancouver had yet to register a single shot.Edler got the Canucks on the board 3½ minutes later with a massive slap shot from the blue line. The speeding puck squeezed through traffic and past Ullmark down low.Vancouver went up by one at 15:31 of the first after defenseman Derrick Pouliot sliced a pass through the Buffalo crease to Baertschi, who collected it on his tape and popped the puck into a wide-open net.The Swiss left wing sustained a concussion in October that kept him out of the lineup for 30 games. He has six points since he returned late last month.Early in the second, Pouliot and fellow defenseman Erik Gudbranson got caught behind the Vancouver net, leaving Okposo wide open at the hash marks. The right wing got the puck and flipped a backhand past Demko to even the score.Vancouver pulled ahead once again eight minutes into the period.Horvat stripped Buffalo’s Lawrence Pilut of the puck and made a beautiful pass to Boeser in front of the Sabres net. The right wing tipped it in for his 16th goal of the season.“Me shooting the puck hasn’t been working so I thought I’d give it to somebody who’s going to put it in the net,” Horvat said.Horvat doesn’t have a goal since Dec. 20, but his assist was his 200th career point.“Never when you’re playing in the NHL do you think you’ll be able to hit these kind of milestones,” he said. “It’s really exciting and it feels even better to get that win.”The lead didn’t last long. Almost three minutes later, Conor Sheary made a quick pass to Reinhart in front of the Vancouver crease and he put in a no-look backhand up high.“Probably half our team didn’t play their best hockey game. And when you can not play your best and win, that’s a real bonus in the NHL,” Green said.“Our goalie gave us a good period in the third period. And we found a way to win a hockey game.”Nearly six minutes into the third, Canucks left wing Josh Leivo dug out the puck from behind the Buffalo net and dished it to Eriksson. He put a one-timer past Ullmark for his fourth point in three games.The Sabres had opportunities to tie it again on a power play late in the third. Ullmark was pulled with 87 seconds left, but Demko held strong.“Responsibility without the puck Custom Anaheim Ducks Jerseys , that was the difference. But I can’t complain, we had a heck of a game,” Buffalo coach Phil Housley said.The Canucks registered just four shots in the opening period. Demko kept them in a game that got off to an “ugly” start, according to Horvat.“That’s unbelievable. Especially at a young age, coming in. These are meaningful games and he stepped up like great players do and he played phenomenal tonight,” Horvat said. “We owe him a lot of credit.”NOTES: Vancouver’s Nikolay Goldobin was a healthy scratch for the second game in a row. … The defeat ended a three-game swing through Canada for the Sabres, who lost 7-2 in Edmonton on Monday and beat Calgary 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday.UP NEXTSabres: Off until after the All-Star break.Canucks: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Frederik Andersen continued the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ early season undefeated run on the road with a perfect night in goal.Andersen made 31 saves for his first shutout of the season and 16th overall and the Maple Leafs routed the high-scoring Pittsburgh Penguins 5-0 on Saturday night.“It’s a tough building against a really good team Custom Nashville Predators Jerseys ,” Andersen said. “We were talking about the first period being key for us and I thought we came out flying, skating really well and we didn’t allow too much.”Morgan Rielly scored twice and John Tavares had a goal and an assist to help Toronto improve to 6-0 on the road. The Maple Leafs are averaging an NHL-best 5.4 goals on the road. Zach Hyman and Patrick Marleau also scored and Kasperi Kapanen had two assists.The Maple Leafs picked up their first win with star forward Auston Matthews out indefinitely with a shoulder injury. Toronto scored just one goal in each of its two straight regulation losses without Matthews, who has 10 goals and 16 points in 11 games.“Guys are willing and able to accept more responsibility, more minutes and bigger situations,” Rielly said. “The strength of this team is the depth. I think there are lots of guys that can take that responsibility.’Evgeni Malkin saw his nine-game point streak end for the Penguins. They have lost three straight.“You win a few games in a row and you feel good about yourself, but the league has a funny way of humbling you and right now we’ve been humbled www.officialdevils.com ,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We didn’t deserve to win tonight.”Matt Murray made 26 saves. Murray, who shut out Toronto on Oct. 18, briefly left the game midway through the second period with an equipment issue. Backup Casey DeSmith stopped both shots he faced.The Penguins were swept in a home-and-home series with the New York Islanders on Tuesday and Thursday. They won their previous four games in Canada by a combined 23-6 margin, including a 3-0 shutout at Toronto on Oct. 18.Pittsburgh went 61-15-6 at home, finishing with at least 30 home wins each of the last two seasons. But the Penguins won just two of their first six home games this season. Carolina was the last team to shut out the Penguins at home on Jan. 4 during the 2017-18 season.“We got beat by a team that was hungry,” Sullivan said. “When we come with the right attitude and emotional investment New Jersey Devils T-Shirts Authentic , the rest of our game follows suit. If we’re not invested, we can look ordinary, and I think that was the case tonight.”Tavares opened the scoring midway through the first period when he tipped a Mitch Marner shot behind Murray. Tavares opened the season with six goals in his first four games, but he had just one in his next nine before scoring on Saturday.Marleau gave the Leafs a 2-0 lead just 44 seconds into the second period. Marleau took a pass from Kapanen off the rush and slipped a backhand deke behind Murray from the top of the crease.Rielly made it 3-0 12 seconds after a power play expired. He snuck behind the Penguins’ defense off the rush, took a pass from Tavares and lifted a glove-side wrist shot underneath the crossbar.“We’re looking forward to getting home,” Rielly said. “It’s important we get some wins at home. We feel good about going on the road New Jersey Devils Hoodies Authentic , but it’s time we start to assert ourselves.”NOTES: The Maple Leafs are 4-0 when they score first. … Penguins’ F Derick Brassard missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury. … Penguins’ D Jack Johnson played in his 800th NHL game and F Carl Hagelin appeared in his 500th game. … The Maple Leafs recalled F Trevor Moore from Toronto of the American Hockey League on Friday, but he was scratched.UP NEXTMaple Leafs: Host Vegas on Tuesday night.Penguins: Host New Jersey on Monday night. Nashville Predators (39-27-5, second in the Central Division) vs. Los Angeles Kings (25-36-8, eighth in the Pacific Division)Los Angeles; Thursday, 10:30 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles faces Nashville in Western Conference play.The Kings are 16-18-4 against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles has allowed 49 power-play goals, stopping 75.6 percent of opponent opportunities.The Predators have gone 17-14-4 away from home. Nashville has scored 31 power-play goals New Jersey Devils Hats Authentic , converting on 13.2 percent of chances. In their last meeting on Feb. 21, Nashville won 2-1.TOP PERFORMERS: Anze Kopitar leads the Kings with 19 goals and has totaled 48 points. Dustin Brown has scored five goals and recorded 6 points over the last 10 games for Los Angeles.LAST 10 GAMES: Predators: 5-5-0, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.9 assists, four penalties and 9.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game with a .906 save percentage.Kings: 2-6-2, averaging 2.1 goals Custom New Jersey Devils Jerseys , 3.1 assists, 3.6 penalties and 9.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.7 goals per game with a .875 save percentage.Kings Injuries: Austin Wagner: day to day (lower body).Predators Injuries: None listed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck scored third-period goals Nicklas Backstrom Jersey , Thomas Greiss made 19 saves and the New York Islanders beat the Capitals 2-0 on Friday night in Barry Trotz’s return to Washington to move into first place in the Metropolitan Division.Trotz’s Islanders have won four in a row and 14 of 17 games to leapfrog the team he coached to the Stanley Cup last year. They held Washington under 20 shots and improved to 7-0-0 in the second half of back-to-back sets this season.The Capitals have hit a rough patch under new coach Todd Reirden, losing four in a row for the first time since March 2017. Washington has just one 5-on-5 goal during its skid and has lost seven of 10.Greiss wasn’t tested much on the way to his second shutout this season. Bailey redirected Mathew Barzal’s shot 5:08 into the third, and Clutterbuck scored on a 2-on-0 rush not long after.PENGUINS 3, COYOTES 2, OTGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Phil Kessel scored on a power play at 4:09 of overtime, Matt Murray stopped 30 shots and Pittsburgh beat Arizona.Pittsburgh had a 4 on 3 in overtime when Richard Panik was called for slashing and Kessel cashed in, redirecting Sidney Crosby’s shot from the point past Darcy Kuemper.Outscored 10-4 in consecutive losses, Pittsburgh fell behind on Clayton Keller’s first-period goal. The Penguins rallied in the second when Jusso Riikola and Jake Guentzel scored 40 seconds apart, but Derek Stepan scored with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third to tie it.With his power-play goal, Keller became the fastest player in Arizona history to reach 100 points, hitting the mark in 132 career games.PANTHERS 3 James Neal Jersey Womens , MAPLE LEAFS 1SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Mike Matheson scored the winning goal and Florida beat Toronto to snap a seven-game losing streak.Mike Hoffman and Frank Vatrano also scored for Florida. Roberto Luongo made 20 saves moved within four wins of tying Ed Belfour (484) for third place on the NHL’s career list.Vincent Trocheck, who returned to the Panthers‘ lineup after missing 27 games with a broken ankle, had an assist on Matheson’s goal. Ron Hainsey scored for the Maple Leafs.FLAMES 6, RED WINGS 4CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Sam Bennett scored twice, including the go-ahead goal late in the third period, to lead Calgary past Detroit.Sean Monahan, James Neal, Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie — into an empty net — also scored for Calgary. The Pacific Division-leading Flames extended their points streak to seven games (6-0-1).Calgary was 3 for 3 with the man advantage, with every goal coming from the second power-play unit.Dylan Larkin scored twice, and Anthony Mantha and Mike Green also had goals for Detroit.CANADIENS 4 T.J. Oshie Jersey , BLUE JACKETS 1COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Tomas Tatar and Joel Armia each scored twice, Carey Price stopped 34 shots and Montreal beat Columbus.The Canadiens have won four in a row and five of the last six.Oliver Bjorkstrand scored for Columbus.SENATORS 4, HURRICANES 1RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Bobby Ryan and Mark Stone scored 13 seconds apart in the second period and Ottawa beat Carolina.Magnus Paajarvi and Christian Wolanin also scored, and Anders Nilsson made 33 saves. Ottawa has won four of five after an eight-game losing streak.Warren Foegele scored for Carolina.CANUCKS 4, SABRES 3VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Thatcher Demko made 36 saves in his second NHL game, leading Vancouver past Buffalo.Alex Edler, Sven Baertschi, Brock Boeser and Loui Eriksson scored for Vancouver.Buffalo got goals from Evan Rodrigues, Kyle Okposo and Sam Reinhart. Linus Ullmark stopped 19 shots.Demko Authentic Blake Wheeler Jersey , who made one appearance for the Canucks last season, was called up Jan. 4 from Utica of the AHL after Vancouver traded backup goalie Anders Nilsson to Ottawa. Jon Cooper didn’t blame Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Tampa Bay Lightning digging a deep hole early in the Eastern Conference final.Two games and two losses brought plenty of criticism of the young Russian goaltender. Cooper wasn’t thrilled about that.”The questions were coming from the other side of the table, and I felt it was the questioning of Vasilevskiy,” the Tampa Bay coach said. ”We don’t. He’s been the guy for us.”Vasilevskiy is the guy who turned the series around for the Lightning, who now lead the Capitals 3-2 and can eliminate Washington on the road in Game 6 on Monday night and move on to the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. After a 6.00 goals-against average and .839 save percentage in Games 1 and 2, he has a 2.00 GAA and .943 save percentage since as the series’ biggest difference-maker.”Just tried to stay positive and play my game,” Vasilevskiy said last week. ”It’s very important, especially in the playoffs. Good or bad game, doesn’t matter. Turn the page, start over again and again. That’s how you get success.”Vasilevskiy has found plenty of success this season, his first as a full-time NHL starter. The 23-year-old is a Vezina Trophy finalist after leading the league with 44 wins and eight shutouts.But Vasilevskiy hasn’t made it easy on himself. He rarely does.Cooper saw it during the 2016-17 season when Vasilevskiy struggled during a stretch of 10 consecutive starts when Ben Bishop was hurt and then again late this season when a swoon by him and the entire team almost cost Tampa Bay the East’s top seed. Vasilevskiy bounced back strong each time.”His ability to be able to turn the page now and understand, `You know what there might be a tough night for you http://www.officialhockeyjetsshop.com/authentic-adidas-bryan-little-jersey , but I’m going to go out the next night anyway and I’ve got to be there for my team,’ – I think that’s where his growth process has really come in,” Cooper said.The same happened between Games 2 and 3 in this series. The shy Vasilevskiy who has been reluctant to do interviews told a pool reporter he didn’t make any adjustments from his worst games against the Capitals to his best.Somehow, he has looked like an entirely different goalie. Chants of ”Vasy! Vasy!” filled Amalie Arena in Game 5 on Saturday night when he stopped 28 of 30 shots, and the highest praise was reserved for inside the Lightning’s locker room.”He’s a world class goaltender, that’s what he does,” defenseman Braydon Coburn said. ”He battles hard every day in practice all season long, and he’s raised his game in the playoffs here.”No doubt his teammates have improved their play in front of Vasilevskiy, with defenseman Anton Stralman saying: ”We always feel like we owe him.” But against a star-studded Capitals team led by countrymen Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vasilevskiy had to raise his game to give Tampa Bay any chance.Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said confidence in Vasilevskiy never wavered, and he has showed them on the ice evidence of what they’ve seen all season.”He just expects a lot,” Stamkos said. ”You see his work ethic every day in practice. You guys don’t get to see what goes on in the room Womens Connor Hellebuyck Jersey , but his mental preparation, his physical preparation, he wants to be the best all the time. He doesn’t want to give up a goal at all, including in practice. That’s the mentality he has and that’s why he’s so good.”If the Capitals can crack Vasilevskiy like they did the first two times, there will be a Game 7 on Wednesday night at Tampa Bay. But they’d better figure that out and get an even better game from Braden Holtby because the Lightning are 11-0 in the playoffs when scoring three-plus goals.That record is thanks to Vasilevskiy, who doesn’t like cameras but loves playoff hockey.”It’s definitely a fun time,” he said. ”Lot of emotions. Different hockey. It’s pretty fun to play. Just excitement level is pretty high. A different season.”—AP Sports Writer Fred Goodall in Tampa, Florida, contributed to this report.—

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Rangers have announced forward Pavel Buchnevich will miss four to six weeks with a broken thumb.The 23-year-old sustained the injury during the Rangers’ 5-4 shootout victory at Columbus on Saturday night. He had a goal and an assist in the game Authentic Stephen Johns Jersey , giving him three goals and three assists in New York’s season-best 5-0-1 run.For the season, Buchnevich is tied for fifth on the team with nine points (five goals, four assists) in 14 games.Rangers coach David Quinn said Monday the team will see how the next few games go before deciding whether to call someone up in Buchnevich’s absence.New York was also expected to be without forward Mats Zuccarello against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night, and Quinn hoped to have him back Thursday night when the Rangers visit the crosstown-rival Islanders. SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Panthers coach Bob Boughner went from hopeful to desolate to elated in a matter of seconds.Filip Forsberg’s apparent tying goal with 0.6 seconds left was disallowed due to goalie interference, giving Florida a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.”It was a crazy finish,” Boughner said. ”Ten seconds to go and you’re thinking it’s over, then you see the clock tick down and the puck go in.”Viktor Arvidsson was posted in front of Florida goalie Roberto Luongo on the play, and his stick made contact with Luongo as he tried to shove in a rebound. The puck slid under Luongo in the crease Youth Tyler Pitlick Jersey , and Forsberg swooped in for an easy score. It was called a goal on the ice, but replay officials ruled that Arvidsson had interfered with Luongo, saying his stick ”caused Luongo to spin and cause the covered puck to come loose.””Obviously, at first, I wasn’t quite sure what happened, but once I saw the replay, the puck was between my legs and the guys just basically pitchforked me,” Luongo said. ”And as he spun me around, the puck came loose. I was happy that they made the right call there because it was going to be a little bit upsetting if that would have been a goal.”The Predators didn’t agree.”We scored a goal to tie the game with less than a second left Tyler Seguin Jersey , and then they take it away from us,” Forsberg said. ”This one was clearly a goal. The puck is never covered, the goalie had no clue where it is, and it ends up on my tape and it’s in.”Luongo tied a season high with 45 saves. Colton Sceviour scored the winning goal and Jonathan Huberdeau also scored for Florida. Luongo started his second game in two nights and had to take fluids intravenously after Monday’s 3-2 win over Carolina.”After last night’s game, I made sure that I did whatever was necessary to get the recovery needed within 24 hours to play again. I was happy the way I felt,” Luongo said.Roman Josi scored for NHL-leading Nashville, and Pekka Rinne made 31 saves. The Predators would have clinched the Western Conference with a win.”We played a good game,” coach Peter Laviolette said. ”Their goalie played really well. There’s a lot at stake for them as well. Our guys played hard, we just couldn’t hit the back of the net.”The Panthers are four points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference and five behind the New Jersey Devils with a game in hand.”It was a great to finish to a hard-fought game by both teams Anthony Duclair Jersey Womens ,” Boughner said. ”A tough test in back-to-back against the best team in the league. (Luongo) made some amazing saves when they had their pushes. He was the difference tonight.”Sceviour stretched the Panthers lead to 2-0 at 10:33 of the third. Evgenii Dadonov flipped the puck from behind the net back to Sceviour on the right side, who poked it past Rinne.”I was the beneficiary there,” Sceviour said. ”(Dadonov) did a lot of the work there and made a heck of a pass. I just had to put it in pretty much an open net.”The Predators closed to 2-1 on Josi’s goal with 3:52 left in the third. Josi fired a shot from in front that got past Luongo.Huberdeau’s deflection gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead with 1:30 left in the first. Jamie McGinn shot from the right side, and the puck bounced off Huberdeau and got past Rinne.Luongo made a save at 11:27 of the second and went down on the ice when the puck hit his rib area but remained in the game.UPSET CELEBSA few high-profile hockey fans joined the Smashville faithful in blasting the overturned goal on social media.”Dear (at)nhl I love you and I always will but (at)PredsNHL were robbed tonight,” wrote actor Kiefer Sutherland.”I am seriously livid. (at)NHL , fix this,” said Carrie Underwood , wife of predators forward Mike Fisher.”Hey (at)NHL , those are the kind of calls that cause fans to lose faith in the head office Chris Kreider Jersey ,” said golfer Brandt Snedeker.NOTES: Luongo, who turns 39 on April 4, is one game away from becoming the third goaltender in NHL history to play 1,000 games. … Arvidsson returned after missing the last game with a lower-body injury.UP NEXTPredators: At Washington on Thursday night.Panthers: Host Boston on Thursday night.—

Despite the threat of an offer sheet Jean-Gabriel Pageau Jersey , the Vegas Golden Knights aren't rushing to negotiation and finalize a deal with dynamic forward William Karlsson.While speculation is that offer sheets will be the focus of much discussion this summer in the NHL, it doesn't seem the Golden Knights are paying much attention to the noise. With names like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and the Knights' Karlsson reaching restricted free agent status,聽 the team聽is choosing not to talk contract at this point in the year, instead聽running the risk that Karlsson will be a target for other teams. via USA TodayDuring an appearance on Fox Sports Las Vegas (audio link), GM George McPhee indicated that there is no push to get a deal done.聽Citing that both the Golden Knights and Karlsson鈥檚 camp came into the 2018-19聽season looking聽to determine what kind of player Karlsson really is. Is he the center that scored 78 points last season? Or, is he the center who is on pace for 52 points this season?聽Because Vegas wasn't sure, the team signed Karlsson to only a one-year, $5.25 million deal last summer.advertisingWhat This MeansThe question becomes http://www.senatorsshoponline.com/authentic-mark-stone-jersey ,聽is this really a risk by the organization? With some big-ticket players at the same position Karlsson is, Vegas knows they'd like to keep their star in the fold. At the same time, their confident other players will attract the offer sheets if one is even submitted by an opposing GM.McPhee and the聽Golden Knights are happy enough to let Karlsson finish out the season, see where he finishes in terms of production and make their decision from there. Should, for some reason, they lose him to an offer sheet, there are plenty of players the team can target to replace him. This is the year of restricted free agents in the NHL.advertising DALLAS (AP) Once the Boston Bruins broke through in the third period, they couldn’t be stopped.David Pastrnak snapped a tie with 12 seconds left and the Bruins scored three straight goals in the third to rally past the fading Dallas Stars 3-2 on Friday night.”We said between periods we just need the one goal,” Pastrnak said. ”If we get the first one, we’re going to get another.”Brad Marchand scored Boston’s first goal and assisted on the other two Youth Matt Duchene Jersey , including a short-handed goal by Tim Schaller that tied it midway through the third period.With only seconds remaining, a scramble followed a faceoff in the Dallas end, and Marchand passed to Pastrnak in front. While falling down, he put the puck past Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen.”I was thinking shoot,” Marchand said, ”but I had a couple guys in my lane and I saw (Pastrnak) drive and I figured if I get it down there, hopefully he can make a play.”Tuukka Rask made a season-high 40 saves for the Bruins.”He made a lot of really big saves, especially early on,” Marchand said. ”He’s been the backbone of our team all year, for a few years now.”The second-place Bruins won for the first time in three games (1-0-2) to move within four points of Atlantic Division leader Tampa Bay. Boston has already clinched a playoff berth.The Stars are winless in their last seven games (0-5-2). They remained four points behind Colorado for the second Western Conference wild card.”I didn’t think we were very good in our own end with the puck Mike Condon Jersey ,” coach Ken Hitchcock said. ”We had all kinds of opportunities on the first and third goal to get it out.”Dallas led 2-0 on a first-period goal by Esa Lindell and Jamie Benn’s short-handed score late in the second.In the third, Marchand tipped in a shot by Pastrnak before Schaller scored on a 2-on-1 with Marchand.Lehtonen finished with 33 saves.”We had the game. We just need to keep going,” Lehtonen said. ”It was a broken play, that (first) goal. Shot that got tipped. I thought it was going to come faster to the net.”Lindell scored 2:26 into the game. Jason Dickinson tried to deflect a shot from the right point into the net but the puck went wide right. Curtis McKenzie picked it up behind the goal line and passed to Lindell high in the left faceoff circle. His wrist shot went in off Rask’s right arm.Benn missed two good scoring opportunities early in the second period, but connected at 19:22. He took a pass from Tyler Seguin at the Dallas blue line and had a breakaway when Matt Grzelcyk fell down. Benn slid a backhand under Rask.NOTES: The Bruins have won their last five games in Dallas. … Stars D Marc Methot returned after missing four games because of a hand injury. … Three of Schaller’s 11 goals have come short-handed. … Benn’s short-handed goal was his first this season, the Stars’ fifth and the ninth allowed by Boston. … Dallas gave up eight goals in 22 opponent power plays on its winless six-game road trip but returned home and killed off all three against Boston. The Bruins’ penalty killers are 12 for 13 in the last five games, including 4 for 4 on Friday. … Marchand has 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in his last 11 games.UP NEXTBruins: Visit the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, the third stop on a four-game trip.Stars: Play the second of three straight home games Sunday against Vancouver.—

DENVER (AP) — Don’t be fooled: That third-period lead isn’t so safe.Not this season Dougie Hamilton Jersey Womens , anyway. There’s been quite a comeback for the comeback.The NHL has seen 110 third-period comeback wins spanning 611 games through New Year’s Eve. That’s third-most in league history and not far off the 114 rallies in 2014-15 and 113 in ’13-14, according to research by the NHL stats and information department.Going into the new year, the only teams without a third-period comeback for a win in regulation were Carolina (0-13-2 when trailing after two) and Los Angeles (0-17-1). And the only team not to lose with a final-period lead remains Toronto, which is 19-0-0.Translation: Don’t leave early, because anything can and often does happen in the final period.“Fans are getting what they want,” joked Montreal forward Tomas Tatar said. “It’s got to be pretty intense for them.”These days and in this speedy version of the game, no lead seems out of reach. Take Tampa Bay on Saturday: Down a goal in the third against Montreal, Adam Erne tied it up and then scored the game-winner with 1:02 remaining.“There’s no more of sitting back and closing and trying to suffocate the other team,” Montreal coach Claude Julien said when his team was in Denver on Dec. 19. “It’s a skating game now. With the skating game that’s being allowed right now, there’s more offense being showcased.”Try sitting on the puck to protect a lead with the likes of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nikita Kucherov or Nathan MacKinnon attempting to swipe it away.Good luck with that.“The league is just getting faster and faster, young guys are coming through the league and they’re really, really good skaters http://www.officialsharks.com/authentic-adidas-brent-burns-jersey ,” Tatar said. “It’s just a fast game. It’s faster than ever.”Not only that, but these youngsters don’t view things as erasing a deficit so much as an opportunity to crank up the intensity.“Everybody is good throughout the lineup,” Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “That makes it that much harder to put teams away. It goes to show how many good players there are in the league and how many game-changers there are, that can turn things around.”And no slashing. Or holding. Or hooking. Defensemen need to be on their best behavior.“Defensively speaking, when you can’t clutch and you can’t grab — it’s been that way for 10 years now — that really opens up the ice and allows guys to score,” Avalanche defenseman Ian Cole said. “The guys are as skilled as they’ve ever been. Every year, they’re more skilled and scoring more and more ridiculous highlight-reel goals. Guys are shooting from the goal-line and it’s going off the side of the goalie’s mask and in. Guys are doing stuff now that they haven’t done before — or doing it more often.“The skill level is as high as it’s ever been in the league.”Hence, the volume of comebacks. This also helps when down: A positive attitude.“You always have to believe. You can’t give up,” Tatar said. “And you don’t have to. There’s a big chance you score one or two goals and you’re back in the game.”That was the case on Dec. 15 for Dallas, which fell behind the Avs 3-0 after one period and 4-2 after two. The Stars tied it up late in the final period before Colorado scored twice to earn the win.Nothing is easy.“I don’t feel comfortable with any lead until the buzzer sounds,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “It’s a tribute to the talent around the league. When teams start feeling it, they start coming at you in waves, and it’s tough to defend.”That’s why the best defense is sometimes to remain on the offensive. Don’t sit back — keep striking.“We’re trying to stay aggressive,” Landeskog said. “The O-zone is the best place to play defense. At least Julien Gauthier Jersey Womens , that’s the way we think about it. That’s easier said than done. The team that’s behind is always going to push.”THREE AMIGOSMikko Rantanen (17 goals, 45 assists) and MacKinnon (24 goals, 35 assists) get the lion’s share of the credit on the high-scoring top line for Colorado.Chalk up another assist for Rantanen, though, because he wanted to make sure Landeskog received full credit, too. Landeskog’s tied for the team lead with 24 goals.“He flies under the radar,” Rantanen said. “The way he plays the game is the right way always. That’s real fun to watch.”WINTER CLASSICThe 2020 Winter Classic will be held at the Cotton Bowl in Texas. Dallas will host the 12th edition of the NHL’s annual outdoor game on New Year’s Day against an opponent yet to be determined. Commissioner Gary Bettman also said the Heritage Classic will return on Oct. 26 when Winnipeg plays Calgary at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan. In addition, the NHL will bring an outdoor game to the Air Force Academy on Feb. 15, 2020, as part of the Stadium Series. Colorado will play a team not yet announced.LEADERS (through Monday)Points: Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay), 65; Goals: Alex Ovechkin (Washington), 29; Assists: Kucherov, 46; Game-winning goals: Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado) Womens Evander Kane Jersey , 7; Rookie goals: Elias Pettersson (Vancouver), 19; Goals-against average: Robin Lehner (New York Islanders), 2.14; Shutouts: Marc-Andre Fleury (Vegas), 5; Wins: Fleury, 22; Save percentage: Lehner, .930.GAME OF THE WEEKJohn Tavares leads Toronto against Minnesota on Thursday. Tavares is two goals shy of 300 for his career. He was the first overall pick by the New York Islanders in 2009. This kind of deja vu, the New Jersey Devils can do without.Last January when the Nashville Predators most recently visited New Jersey, the Devils had seven injured regulars missing from the lineup. As such, the resulting 3-0 loss to the Predators was not a big surprise.Now, with the teams again set to face off Thursday at Prudential Center, the Devils are hoping for a better result despite another rash of injuries.Article continues below ...The Devils (4-2-0) placed defensemen Steven Santini and Ben Lovejoy, and winger Drew Stafford, on injured reserve earlier this week. Veteran center Travis Zajac is battling a lower body injury and may not be able to play Thursday, while winger Jesper Bratt remains on IR with a fractured jaw. Then there is goaltender Cory Schneider Authentic Joe Pavelski Jersey , who is still rehabbing offseason hip surgery in the minor leagues.“That’s a lot hanging over our heads, but we have to be ready to play,” said Devils coach John Hynes. “We have a team picked to win the Stanley Cup coming in, and they’re coming off a loss, so we we’ve got to be ready to play no matter what.”Four players were recalled from the Devils AHL affiliate in Binghamton this week. Rookie forward John Quenneville is back after starting the season in New Jersey, as is veteran defenseman Eric Gryba. They are joined by forward Kevin Rooney and former KHL defenseman Yegor Yakovlev in joining the Devils for Thursday’s contest.“Those guys should bring energy to your team and you should have some real hungry guys in your room,” said Hynes. “That’s important to find ways to win.”The Devils are looking to snap a two-game slide, punctuated by Saturday’s lackluster 5-2 loss to the Flyers in Philadelphia. In response, Hynes put the team through a series of battle drills in an exhausting practice on Monday before returning to normal hockey drills the next two days.“We kind of got away the last few games from our game,” said Devils forward Marcus Johansson. “We’re going to make sure we’re ready to play hard when the next game comes up.”Despite Tuesday’s 5-4 home-ice loss to the San Jose Sharks, the Predators won seven of their first nine games this season. The defeat snapped a five-game winning streak.Viktor Arvidsson scored two goals and added an assist in the loss, and has six goals, tied for the team lead with Filip Forsberg. However, it wasn’t enough as the Predators surrendered three unanswered goals in the third period.“We weren’t going to win out the rest of the season Joe Thornton Jersey ,” Nashville forward Colton Sissons told nhl.com. “Obviously, it stings a little more when you have a two-goal lead heading into the third in your own building. We don’t like that one bit.”While the Predators do not have the injury woes New Jersey does, they are a bit banged up. Defenseman Dan Hamhuis left Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed injury and his availability for Thursday’s game in New Jersey is not known. And Pekka Rinne, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, is on IR with as lower body injury.In Rinne’s place, 23-year-old Juuse Saros was elevated to the starter’s role. He has four wins in five decisions on the season with a 2.37 goals-against average and one shutout, but did allow five goals on 32 shots in the loss to San Jose.“One of the best up-and-coming goalies in the league,” Forsberg said of Saros to The Tennessean.Added Predators coach Peter Laviolette, “Juuse has given us no reason to think he can’t handle this.”The Predators won each of their last three visits to Prudential Center, including last year’s blanking of the Devils. Saros has two career appearances against the Devils, a regulation win and an overtime loss to go along with a 1.45 GAA.

TORONTO (AP) — Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm scored in a 55-second span of the third period to lead the Calgary Flames to a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night.Lindholm and Monahan each added an assist as Calgary snapped a three-game losing streak. Michael Frolik added an empty-net goal to seal it. Mike Smith made 24 saves.Nazem Kadri Colton Sissons Jersey , playing his 500th NHL game, scored for Toronto. Frederik Andersen stopped 31 shots.CANUCKS 5, WILD 2VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Rookie Elias Pettersson scored two goals and Vancouver snapped a two-game losing streak.Pettersson, whose second goal came on a breakaway in the third period, now has seven goals in seven games. He leads all NHL rookies in goals and points with 10.Markus Granlund and Jake Virtanen also scored for the Canucks, who ended the Wild’s five-game winning streak. Ben Hutton scored into an empty net with 39.1 seconds remaining.Jordan Greenway scored his first NHL goal, and Ryan Sutter added a power-play score for the Wild. RALEIGH Adam Henrique Jersey , N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes brought back the Hartford Whalers for a night, and two of their younger stars kept “Brass Bonanza” seemingly playing on repeat.Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen each had two goals and two assists and the Hurricanes beat the Boston Bruins 5-3 on Sunday while wearing Whalers uniforms for the first time since moving 21 years ago.Aho, a 21-year-old who was born three months after the Whalers’ final game, had his fourth career four-point night and his second in five games, while it was the third for his linemate Teravainen. They assisted on each other’s two goals.“Obviously, when you’re scoring, you get more confidence. That’s how it goes,” Aho said. “It’s maybe a little bit easier to score when you get a couple of goals. I’m feeling pretty good right now Womens Andrew Cogliano Jersey , but it’s not just me. My linemates are helping me out a lot.”The Hurricanes scored four straight goals — three in the second period — to erase an early 2-0 deficit and snap a two-game losing streak that had left them two points out of last place.“You could see from the start, they were engaged, even when we got down,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “That was nice to see the level of engagement for 60 minutes. … (The Bruins are) going to have their moments, and they did, but I felt like we just kept battling, and we got the win.”Justin Faulk also scored for Carolina, which scored two short-handed goals for the first time since 2013.Ryan Donato had two goals Brandon Montour Jersey Kids , Steven Kampfer also scored and Brad Marchand had two assists for the Bruins, who had won three straight and six of eight.Tuukka Rask made 32 saves for Boston, which pulled to 4-3 on Donato’s blast with 3:55 left in the second period. But the Bruins goalie made a critical miscue in the third, turning the puck over near the left post, and that led to Teravainen’s short-handed goal that put Carolina back up by two with 12:40 remaining.“Huge mistake by me, and there’s the game,” Rask said. “The way I see it, it was just an early Christmas gift to the fellow Finns.”Petr Mrazek stopped 27 shots for the Hurricanes Womens Cam Fowler Jersey , who broke out the throwbacks to celebrate their Hartford Whalers heritage, donning jerseys with the whale-tail logo for the first time since they moved to North Carolina in 1997 and left plenty of hurt feelings back in Connecticut.While former owner Peter Karmanos Jr. preferred to leave the Whalers in the past, his successor, Tom Dundon, has fully embraced the organization’s old identity — stating his desire for a turn-back-the-clock game within weeks of buying the team in January.And when Teravainen cut the Hurricanes’ deficit to 2-1 with 7:05 left in the first, they piped “Brass Bonanza” over the PNC Arena speakers.“We wanted to just put everything out there, and work as hard as we can, and thank God we made it happen this time Corey Perry Jersey ,” Teravainen said.That catchy tune blared again three times in the second, twice courtesy of Aho. He tied it with a short-handed goal 89 seconds into the second, then scored the go-ahead goal with a kneeling-down shot from the slot at 7:11.The nostalgia ran deep throughout this one, with chants of “Let’s go Whalers” occasionally breaking out during the game. And the latest twist to the Hurricanes’ post-victory celebration on the ice — after their coordinated claps, the players flopped to the ice as if they were beached whales.“You’re laughing, so I guess (the idea) was good,” Aho said.NOTES: Carolina C Jordan Staal was scratched with an upper body injury. … A slightly less-intense version of one of those storied Bruins-Whalers fights took place early between Boston D Brandon Carlo and Hurricanes RW Andrei Svechnikov — who was born 3 years after the Whalers moved. … Carolina will bring its Whalers throwbacks to New England for its game at Boston on March 5.UP NEXTBruins: Play host to New Jersey on Thursday night.Hurricanes: Visit first-place Washington on Thursday night.

NEW YORK — The Florida Panthers are looking forward to playing Wednesday night because it will provide them an opportunity to forget about what happened Tuesday.The New York Islanders are looking forward to Wednesday night so they can confirm they haven’t forgotten how to play hockey.The Panthers will complete a back-to-back set Wednesday night Chris Wagner Jersey Womens , when they visit the Islanders in New York’s first home game in more than two weeks at Barclays Center.Article continues below ...Both teams are coming off lopsided losses. The Panthers suffered their first multi-goal defeat of the season Tuesday, when they fell to the host New York Rangers, 5-2. The Islanders last played Saturday night, when they completed a 1-3-0 road trip by dropping a 4-1 decision to the San Jose Sharks.The defeat Tuesday continued a frustrating trend for the Panthers (1-3-3), who scored first for the sixth time in seven games. Florida has led in all of its losses.“We came out and played pretty well and got the first goal,” Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said afterward. “Usually, that’s enough to spark the team and inspire all of us to play at a higher level. For some reason, we have a tough time holding on to leads. Once we get that lead, we aren’t playing aggressive enough.”The Islanders (3-4-0) feel as if they aren’t playing enough, period. While they are one of six teams to have played seven or fewer games, no one else has experienced as sporadic a schedule as New York, which has already had two three-day breaks and one four-day break.In addition, Wednesday marks the third home game for the Islanders Alex Galchenyuk Jersey Womens , who are splitting this season between Barclays Center in Brooklyn and their old home, Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. Only the Arizona Coyotes have played as few as two home games.“Every team we’ve played against is what you (would) consider a playoff team,” Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey told Newsday following practice Tuesday. New York’s last six games have been against teams that qualified for the postseason last year.“That’s the good part of it. The bad part is when you have four days between a game, you might lose your game legs a little bit. You’re almost easing your way into the game, just defending and playing smart, whereas it’s not really instinctual like when you’re playing three games in four nights or playing every other night for a month, which is what everyone would prefer.”James Reimer, who replaced Michael Hutchinson in net early in the third period Tuesday, is likely to draw the start in goal for the Panthers on Wednesday night.Reimer, who stopped both shots he faced against the Rangers, last started Friday, when he was pulled for Hutchinson in the second period after giving up four goals on 20 shots in what turned out to be a 6-5 shootout win over the Washington Capitals.The Islanders are expected to counter with Thomas Greiss, who has split time this season with Robin Lehner.Greiss Carter Rowney Jersey Womens , who sat in favor of Lehner the previous two games, last played Thursday, when he recorded five saves in relief of Lehner in New York’s 7-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Greiss made his most recent start Oct. 17, when he took the defeat after making 21 saves in a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.Reimer is 5-2-2 in 12 games against the Islanders. Greiss is 2-2-1 in five regular-season appearances against the Panthers, though he was the only goalie used by the Islanders in their six-game win over Florida in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals in 2016. TORONTO (AP) Frederik Andersen could sense this was going to be a low-scoring game without many chances. He was right – and he was sharp when it counted.Andersen made 40 saves and James van Riemsdyk scored the only goal as the surging Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Florida Panthers 1-0 on Tuesday night for their seventh consecutive victory at home.”These are always fun,” Andersen said. ”The game was tough from the beginning. I think the ice was a little tough.”Article continues below ...The shutout was Andersen’s career-best fifth of the season. The 28-year-old goalie reached 30 wins for the third time.Andersen also improved to 7-0-2 with a 1.82 goals-against average, a .952 save percentage and two shutouts this season when facing 40 or more shots.Opponents are taking note of his elevated game.”Especially this year, he’s really taken his game to another level,” Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo said after Tuesday’s morning skate. ”Obviously in the top tier of goaltenders in the league now, and he’s giving his team a chance to win every night.”Toronto (37-20-5) has won 11 of 12 overall and improved to 14-4-2 since Jan. 4.The Panthers (26-25-6) have dropped back-to-back games after opening their five-game road trip with three straight wins. Florida entered the night six points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.Florida threatened in the third with Luongo pulled for an extra attacker, but Andersen managed to thwart the Panthers’ best chance – a point shot from Keith Yandle with 23 seconds remaining.Luongo stopped 30 shots in the loss.”I thought both goaltenders were really hot tonight,” said Jonathan Huberdeau. ”I think in the third we had some pressure, we got a lot of chances Luke Schenn Jersey Womens , but it didn’t go in. It’s a tough loss.”Andersen is the fifth Maple Leafs goaltender to register multiple shutouts when making at least 40 saves since 1955-56 when the NHL began counting shots on goal as an official statistic.”I think a huge part of it is fitness,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock said. ”He did a real nice job this summer and so he’s just building off of confidence. I think last year, if I’m not mistaken, was the first time he’s ever really been the starter.”So, you go through that and you get comfortable and you get comfortable with your teammates and it just goes from there.”With 28 seconds left in the first period, van Riemsdyk beat Luongo between the legs with a shot from the faceoff dot for his 25th goal of the season. Jake Gardiner had an assist for his 200th NHL point.”In a lot of those situations, there’s not a lot of time so you just want to try to get it off as quick as you can,” van Riemsdyk said. ”To say I was shooting there would probably be a lie. I was just trying to throw it on the net and get it there quick and it went in, thankfully.”Patrick Marleau nearly made it a two-goal game 1:02 into the third by finishing off a 2-on-1 feed from Mitch Marner, but couldn’t beat the right pad of Luongo.With 2:40 remaining, Leo Komarov’s shot beat Luongo but rang off the post.The Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs 2-1 in a shootout on Nov. 22 in the only previous meeting between the teams this season. Toronto visits Florida on Feb. 27.NOTES: The Maple Leafs traded forward Eric Fehr to San Jose for a 2020 seventh-round draft pick. The move drops Toronto to 48 contracts and gives general manager Lou Lamoriello added flexibility before next week’s trade deadline. . Marleau (1,555) passed Jarome Iginla for 12th place on the NHL’s career list for games played. . Yandle played in his 800th career game. The 31-year-old defenseman owns the NHL’s longest active streak with 689 consecutive games played.UP NEXTPanthers: Host the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.Maple Leafs: Continue their three-game homestand Thursday night against the New York Islanders.—

ANAHEIM Youth Colin Miller Jersey , Calif. (AP) Deep into their 80th game in a season riddled with injuries and setbacks, the Anaheim Ducks still weren’t certain they were heading back to the playoffs.So the Ducks dug down deep and came out with the ticket to the Stanley Cup tournament. And now that they’re in, their hard-earned resilience could be a nightmare for anybody in their path.Ondrej Kase scored the tiebreaking goal on a rebound with 3:56 to play, and the Ducks clinched their sixth consecutive postseason berth with a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night.Kase secured his first 20-goal season by jumping on a long rebound of Josh Manson’s shot, and Andrew Cogliano added an empty-net goal. Nick Ritchie also scored, while Manson and Francois Beauchemin had two assists apiece as the Ducks officially extended the NHL’s second-longest streak of consecutive postseason berths – a streak they share with Minnesota.”It’s very satisfying,” goalie Ryan Miller said. ”The guys certainly turned a corner. We were grinding from the start.”Miller made 26 saves in his first start since March 9 for the Ducks, who have won eight of 10 in their usual late-season surge.Anaheim also leapfrogged archrival Los Angeles into third place in the Pacific Division, leading by one point with two games to play for both clubs.The Ducks’ streak of five consecutive Pacific Division titles was ended by Vegas this season, but Anaheim’s veteran lineup remains a foreboding matchup for any playoff opponent. The Ducks still have most of the core that reached the Western Conference finals twice in the past three seasons.”This whole year has been a bit of a struggle,” captain Ryan Getzlaf said. ”With the start we had, and the players we had out of the lineup, it was tough to see the big picture at that point. Our guys did a good job battling throughout the whole year. We accomplished one goal we wanted.”Matt Dumba scored a power-play goal and Devan Dubnyk stopped 28 shots for the Wild, who took their fifth loss in seven games during what turned out to be a meaningless contest for them.When the St. Louis Blues’ loss to Chicago ended during the first period in Anaheim, Minnesota was locked into third place in the Central Division, ensuring a first-round matchup with Winnipeg or Nashville.”Both of those teams have had pretty fantastic seasons, and (neither is) really a great option,” Dubnyk said. ”But I think us, as a group Calvin De Haan Jersey Womens , have shown that we can play and beat anybody in the league, including both those teams. I think it will be exciting for us.”The Blues’ result also clinched a playoff berth for the Kings, and it meant the Ducks would be able to clinch as well. Coach Randy Carlyle’s team didn’t miss the chance, even while playing without several injured regulars – a theme of the Ducks’ entire season.”You can’t hide the fact that it’s been a different type of year for our hockey club,” Carlyle said. ”But every time people were ready to count them out, they were able to stand up and say, `That’s not happening.”’Ducks goalie John Gibson sat out with an upper-body injury that doesn’t appear to be serious, and Miller coolly picked up his second straight victory after coming on in relief for Gibson on Sunday.Both teams were without their top defensemen. Minnesota’s Ryan Suter is done for the year with a broken ankle, while Anaheim’s Cam Fowler missed his first game since Nov. 19 with a shoulder injury that could require six weeks of recovery.Dumba’s goal in the second period was his second of the season at Honda Center, where he scored the overtime winner for Minnesota on Dec. 8.Nearly seven minutes later, the Ducks evened it by crowding Dubnyk. With Adam Henrique’s help, Ritchie got credit for his 10th goal of the season.”They got a fluke goal to tie it up, I thought, but (in) the third period, they definitely outworked us,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. ”It was a great test. We talked about how this is what playoff hockey is going to be like. Maybe it’s a cheap lesson learned.”NOTES: With Fowler out and Kevin Bieksa still recovering from surgery on his left hand, D Andy Welinski appeared in his fifth career NHL game for Anaheim. Welinski had been down in the AHL since Dec. 19. … Minnesota F Luke Kunin had surgery Tuesday repairing a torn ligament in his left knee. He will need 6-7 months of recovery time. … Boudreau lost at Honda Center for the first time in three visits since the Ducks fired him in 2016 after a first-round exit from the playoffs. … Mike Trout attended the game with his family after playing in the Angels’ 13-inning victory over Cleveland earlier in the day across Katella Avenue.UP NEXTWild: At the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.Ducks: Host the Dallas Stars on Friday.— TORONTO — The Montreal Canadiens visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night as two long-time rivals open the season with widely different expectations.After signing free agent center John Tavares in the offseason to augment an already promising group of young players led by center Auston Matthews, the Maple Leafs are shooting for the Stanley Cup this season. Tavares had a fine preseason, working well with right winger Mitch Marner.The Canadiens Womens Deryk Engelland Jersey , however, are trying to climb back to respectability after a dismal 2017-18 season.Article continues below ...The Maple Leafs have shown signs during the past two seasons that they are growing into Cup contenders, but they have lost in the playoffs in the first round twice in a row.And with a pair of first-round losses in the past two Stanley Cup playoffs relatively fresh, the Leafs collectively shake their heads at the idea a similar fate could be awaiting them next April.“We’ve been there, done that,” defenseman Morgan Rielly said. “We have done the thing where we make the playoffs and lose in the first round. It’s not very fun and I think we’re tired of that. The goal is to start with a good couple of months, build toward a playoff push, make the playoffs and go from there. You have to take it one step at a time, but when you look at the big picture, you want to play longer and have a shorter summer than we did in the last two years.”The Canadiens made two big offseason deals, sending Alex Galchenyuk to the Arizona Coyotes and former captain Mac Pacioretty to the Vegas Golden Knights. In return, the Habs received Max Domi from Arizona and Tomas Tatar, a second-round draft pick and good prospect Nick Suzuki from Vegas.The Canadiens also named defenseman Shea Weber as the 30th captain in the team’s storied history Monday, replacing Pacioretty. “I don’t know how many times you can say an honor, because you look at the guys (on the walls) in our dressing room, guys that have worn this letter in this organization’s history, it’s special,” said Weber, 33 http://www.officialknightsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-james-neal-jersey , who was acquired from the Nashville Predators two years ago in exchange for P.K. Subban. Weber underwent offseason knee surgery and is not expected to be return to competition until mid-December, which makes it even important that goaltender Carey Price regains his old magic.Habs general manager Marc Bergevin said the choice for captain was obvious. “The players all feel the same way, we all feel the same way that Shea is the right guy to lead this team and we didn’t want to wait,” he said. “Training camp was over, season starts on Wednesday and (Monday) was the perfect day.”In another development, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the third overall pick in the draft this past June, has earned a roster spot to open the season. The 18-year-old is the youngest Canadiens player since Mario Tremblay broke in shortly after his 18th birthday in 1974.As the opener drew closer, the Maple Leafs were still waiting to sign their restricted free agent William Nylander.Meanwhile, the Leafs traded defenseman Connor Carrick to the Dallas Stars for a seventh-round draft choice Monday and put goaltenders Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard on waivers. Both were claimed, which means Garret Sparks, the American Hockey League goaltender of the year last season with the Toronto Marlies, will begin the season as the backup for Frederik Andersen.“We’re going to be ready to go, for sure,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “In the NHL, there is nothing between all of us. Every night you play it’s a one-goal game and it’s a battle. And yet the good teams win more of those one-goal games and at the end, it seems like you won every night easy. But you didn’t. You scratched and clawed your way through the year. That’s just what you do.”