The Boston Bruins came from behind to beat the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday evening.

The win gives the Bruins a commanding 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal and also puts the Rangers on the brink of elimination.

The visitors fell behind 1-0 after Taylor Pyatt opened the scoring in the second period but Boston came roaring back in the final frame with goals from Johnny Boychuk and Daniel Paille.

The Bruins hold a commanding lead in the series and can wrap things up Thursday night in Game 4.

Boston coach Claude Julien was pleased with the result and praised Paille and the rest of the fourth line for their contributions in the victory.

“They have scored some big goals for us in the playoffs,” he said. “We have confidence in that line. We’ve said it a million times. Tonight was no exception.

“They were on for both goals. You look at Paille’s speed, he puts defenses on their heels. We use them because they are good not because we have to.”

Things started off well for the hosts when Pyatt gave them a 1-0 lead but the scoreline was a bit deceiving as goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist kept the Rangers in the game with some outstanding saves.

Gregory Campbell admitted the Bruins were frustrated by Lundqvist but knew that if they kept shooting they would score eventually.

“We wanted to stay the course, keep chipping away,” he said. “Lundqvist was on his game. We knew we were going to have to keep firing away and it wasn’t going to be easy.”

The Bruins finally beat Lundqvist early in the third period when Boychuk’s shot squeezed through traffic and flew past the New York goalie.

Boston then completed the comeback when Paille pounced on a loose puck in the crease to stun the home fans.

The Boston Bruins will have a chance to close out the series in four games when they meet the New York Rangers on Thursday evening at Madison Square Garden.

Boston Bruins Push New York Rangers To Brink Of Elimination is a post from: The Inquisitr

The San Jose Sharks downed the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in Game 4 at the HP Pavilion on Tuesday evening in the NHL playoffs.

Brent Burns and Logan Couture scored for the home team as they evened up the Western Conference semifinal at two games each.

Mike Richards scored the lone goal for the Kings who have seen their 2-0 lead in the series evaporate and they will now have to regroup ahead of Thursday’s pivotal encounter at Staples Center.

The Sharks dominated the early stages of the game with Joe Thornton leading the charge. He stole the puck from Slava Voynov before setting up Burns on his second attempt at 6:09 of the first period.

Thornton complimented Burns and stated he was confident the puck would start going in for his teammate sooner rather than later.

“Burnzie has been shooting the puck real well so it was just a matter of time until he put one in the net,” the San Jose captain said.

“After the first shot, the puck came right back to me. He was open again and I just made the pass.”

Couture made it 2-0 early in the second period as he was at the right place at the right time when Dan Boyle’s point shot hit his shin pad and beat Jonathan Quick.

The goal ended up being the game winner but Couture was quick to praise Thornton for his inspired performance.

“Joe was dominant tonight,” he said. “That was vintage Joe Thornton. Unbelievable, creating turnovers, making passes, skating. Skating like a young guy.

“He was flying. We need Joe to play like that for the rest of the playoffs.”

The Kings thought they had cut the deficit in half at 6:06 of the second period but a quick whistle nullified the goal, much to the chagrin of the visitors.

Richards did get Los Angeles on the board in the third period as they tried in vain to tie the game, despite outshooting the Sharks 14-2 in the final frame.

The San Jose Sharks held on to pick up a vital win over the Los Angeles Kings and the series is now tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 at Staples Center on Thursday.

San Jose Sharks Beat Los Angeles Kings To Even Series is a post from: The Inquisitr

The San Jose Sharks were fined $100,000 by the NHL this weekend after Doug Wilson criticized the league for suspending Raffi Torres.

Torres was suspended for the remainder of the Sharks’ playoff series against the Los Angles Kings for an illegal check on Jarret Stoll during game 1.

Wilson argued that Torres’ hit was legal and that the league had misinterpreted the rule.

After the suspension, Wilson said in a statement: “It is abundantly clear that this was a clean hockey hit … As noted by the NHL, Raffi’s initial point of contact was a shoulder-to-shoulder hit on an opponent who was playing the puck. He did not leave his feet or elevate, he kept his shoulder tucked and elbow down at his side, and he was gliding _ not skating or charging … It appears that the NHL has not only made an inappropriate application of this rule but is trying to make an example out of a player who is being judged on past events, one who has changed his game dramatically this season and taken only six minor penalties in 39 games.”

The league said that it issued the fine because of a policy that forbids teams from talking about disciplinary actions until 48 hours after the fact. CBS reports that the policy carries an automatic $25,000 fine. The league decided to fine the Sharks an additional $75,000 due to the “inappropriate nature” of Wilson’s comments.

Wilson has not commented on the fine yet.

The Kings won the first two games of the series but the Sharks came back with an overtime win last night.

Do you think the San Jose Sharks deserved a $100,000 fine?

San Jose Sharks Fined $100,000 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sidney Crosby scored his second career playoff hat trick on Friday as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Ottawa Senators to take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Crosby took advantage of an Ottawa defense playing on its heels a bit, scoring three times in a little more than a period. The Penguins went on to win the game 4-3, with a chance to put a stranglehold on the series at it now moves back to Ottawa.

Though Ottawa’s defense paid extra attention to Crosby, they could not stop him on Friday night.

“He’s one of the best in the game and if you give him time, space to make plays, to shoot puck he’s going to burn you,” Ottawa defenseman Chris Phillips said. “That’s what we did tonight. We gave him too much room and he took advantage.”

The Penguins have now taken care of business in the opening part of the series, winning both home games and looking very much like the team many picked to win the Stanley Cup.

“You want to play well at home and make sure you get here,” Crosby said. “We did that, we got two wins. I don’t think your mindset changes. We know that it’s going to get harder.”

Pittsburgh stumbled a bit in the first round, allowing the New York Islanders to stretch the series to six games thanks in part to poor goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury. But the Penguins have turned to veteran Thomas Vokoun since then, and he has been more than enough to put them past the Islanders and dig the Senators into a hole.

“I think we outplayed them,” Vokoun said after Friday’s win. “The score could’ve been a lot worse if not for good play by their goalie. The win is the most important thing and we got that.”

The Penguins also shook off concerns that Sidney Crosby might not be fully recovered after taking a puck to the jaw late in the season and missing several weeks.

As the series shifts to Ottawa, the Senators could be in for a difficult time. The team has never won a series after dropping the first two games.

The Penguins and Senators play again on Sunday.

Sidney Crosby Notches Hat Trick In Game 2 Win For Penguins is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Chicago Blackhawks pulled away from the Detroit Red Wings in the third period on Wednesday for a 4-1 win in the series opener. Right-winger Patrick Sharp led the way with a goal and two assists as the Blackhawks have now won five-of-six games to start the playoffs.

Chicago’s early lead off a powerplay goal by Marian Hossa lasted a little more than a minute midway through the first period as Damien Brunner tied the game at one for the Red Wings. Brunner stuffed home a rebound past Corey Crawford after Hossa’s opening goal.

The Blackhawks had multiple chances to finish out the period with another goal,but goaltender Jimmy Howard made one crucial save after another to keep the Red Wings alive. It was more of the same in the second period, as both teams failed to find the net and the score remained tied at one going into the third.

Chicago picked up the pressure even more to start the third as Dave Bolland had a breakaway early in the frame, but Howard made the stop once again. It was only a matter time before the Blackhawks regained the lead as the Red Wings never had a response.

Just over eight minutes into the final period, defenseman Johnny Oduya finally broke through after a great pass from Patrick Sharp. Oduya made a run into the middle of the offensive zone while Sharp moved the puck up the side boards.

Sharp then hit Oduya with a perfect pass, and the 31-year-old sent a wrist shot over Howard’s glove-side to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead. Minutes later they added to their lead when Marcus Kruger sent in a backhand after the puck was knocked around behind the net.

Patrick Sharp’s empty net goal in the final minute sealed the Game 1 victory for the Blackhawks. Corey Crawford stopped 20-of-21 shots on the night for his fifth win of the playoffs.

Here’s video of the Blackhawks crucial win in the series opener against the Red Wings:

Game 2 is Saturday at the United Center before the series moves to “Hockeytown” in Detroit for Game 3.

Do you think the Chicago Blackhawks will run away with the series and easily advance to the conference finals?

[Image via Mafue]

Blackhawks Breakout In Third Period To Beat Red Wings In Game 1 [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 2-0 in the opening game of their Western Conference semifinal at Staples Center on Tuesday night.

Jonathan Quick made 35 saves for his sixth career playoff shutout to help the Kings take a 1-0 advantage in the series.

Slava Voynov and Mike Richards scored for the home team as they cruised to their fifth straight win in the 2013 NHL playoffs after coming back from two games down to beat the St. Louis Blues in six games.

Quick was stellar in between the pipes for the Kings once again and revealed that winning the opening game was his top priority.

“We wanted to get off on a good foot, no matter how we did it,” he said. “We got better during this game but we’ve got some work to do.”

The Sharks put unrelenting pressure on the hosts in the opening minutes of the game but could not find a way past Quick, who frustrated them all night long, especially in the third period when they outshot the Kings 16-4.

San Jose coach Todd McLellan rued his team’s missed opportunities in front of goal and stated that cost them the game.

“When the night ends you have to get the job done,” he said. “You can have as many good looks as you want. You can be in all alone.

“You have to find ways to finish and we have players that are capable of doing that. We have players that a capable of scoring greasy, dirty, play-off style goals.”

Quick has now only conceded six goals in his last five games as the Kings started a playoffs series at home for the first time in 21 years.

The Los Angeles Kings will look to extend their winning streak in the playoffs when they host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night for Game 2.

Los Angeles Kings Blank San Jose Sharks In Game 1 is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Pittsburgh Penguins brushed aside the Ottawa Senators 4-1 in the opening game of their Eastern Conference semifinal on Tuesday night.

The Penguins did most of their damage on the power play, netting two goals with the man advantage to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Paul Martin, Chris Kunitz, Evgeni Malkin and Pascal Dupuis scored for Pittsburgh, who were in control of the game from start to finish at the Consol Energy Center.

Ottawa coach Paul MacLean admitted the Sens must play better and added that special teams cost them dearly.

“We only took three minor penalties and they took advantage of two of them,” he said. “On paper it’s pretty easy, two power play goals and one short-handed and they win by three.

“Overall I think we did get better as the game wore on but we are going to have to be better than we were tonight to win some games.”

Martin opened the scoring for the Penguins 2:41 into the game when his point shot hit an Ottawa defenceman and slipped past Craig Anderson.

Ottawa fought back and tied the game just over two minutes later when Colin Greening poked in a loose puck past Tomas Vokoun.

However, the Pens retook the lead at the 12:15 mark of the first period when Malkin tapped in from close range.

Kunitz doubled the home team’s advantage in the second period before Dupuis secured the win with a short-handed goal in the third period.

Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma was delighted with the performance and hailed his team’s depth.

“I love the way our team came out and played that game,” he said. “We’re not counting on just one guy to carry the load, we were able to do a lot of good things.”

The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to take a 2-0 lead in the series when they host the Ottawa Senators once again on Thursday night.

Pittsburgh Penguins Beat Ottawa Senators In Series Opener is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Dallas Stars have fired head coach Glen Gulutzan after the team missed the playoffs for a franchise-record fifth consecutive season. The Stars finished at the bottom of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference in 2013 with a 22-22-4 record.

Gulutzan spent two seasons with the Stars after coaching the majority of his career in major junior hockey and in the minor leagues. Last season, he led the Stars to a 42-35-5 record though they fell six points short of a playoff berth.

Glen Gulutzan got the job as the Stars’ head coach after the 2011 season as he led the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Texas Stars, to the playoffs in each of his two years as their coach. His success in the minors was capped off by a run to the Calder Cup Finals during the 2010-2011 season in his first year with the Texas Stars.

He came to Dallas in hopes of rebuilding on a franchise that was synonymous with winning when captain Mike Modano led the team to a Stanley Cup victory in 1998-99. Gulutzan’s aspirations never produced on the ice at the top level and the Dallas Stars’ have now fired the coach just weeks after the regular season ended.

Gulutzan’s team was quite competitive in his first year as a coach in the NHL, but any improvements this year didn’t have enough affect on the front office to keep him around any longer.

The Stars finished much worse than they started in 2013 with five straight losses to end the season, which eventually led to Glen Gulutzan’s dismissal. Assistant coach Paul Jerrard was also fired by new general manager Jim Nill, though the team has decided to stick with assistant Curt Fraser and goaltending coach Mike Valley.

“They are both quality coaches and men, but we have decided to go in a different direction with our coaching staff and we wish them well in their next endeavors,” Nill said in a statement about the team’s decision to fire Gulutzan and Gerrard.

Did the Dallas Stars make the right decision by firing Glen Gulutzan and taking the team in a different direction?

Dallas Stars Fire Head Coach Glen Gulutzan After Missing The Playoffs is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Boston Bruins scored two goals in 31 seconds during the final minutes of Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night before winning in overtime to advance to the second round of the NHL Playoffs. The Maple Leafs looked to have the game under control with a 4-1 lead early in the third period, but the Bruins rallied back and erased the three-goal deficit in front of a sold out crown at TD Garden.

The Maple Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1966-67, and they will now have to wait another year, or longer, as they fell apart in the final minutes on Monday.

Both teams were aggressive to start the game, and the Bruins jumped out to an early lead when Matt Bartkowski scored his first goal of the playoffs just over five minutes into the first period. The Maple Leafs responded by tying the game at one off Cody Franson’s powerplay goal less than four minutes later.

Franson found the back of the net again in the second period to give the Maple leafs a 2-1 lead going into the third. Things started getting interesting in the final frame, as the Maple Leafs lit the lamp twice in the first 5 1/2 minutes.

The Bruins’ crowd had fallen silent until Nathan Horton gave Boston a glimmer of hope with his fourth goal of the playoffs midway through the period. They were desperate in the final minutes as they began firing the puck on net in hopes of beating Leafs’ goaltender James Reimer to force overtime.

They did just that as Tuuka Rask was sent to the bench for an extra skater. With 1:22 remaining, Milan Lucic tapped in a rebound off a slapshot from Zdeno Chara that cut the Maple Leafs’ lead to one.

The crowd was back in it, and the Bruins fed off their energy to find the back of the net again just 31 seconds later. With a screen in front of James Reimer, center Patrice Bergeron threw the puck on net from the top of the zone that sneaked past the young goaltender to tie the game at three and make way for a dramatic finish.

Bergeron wasn’t done yet as he netted the final tally six minutes into overtime to send the Maple Leafs’ home for good. Reimer did all he could on the play, and made save after save before a rebound slid outside the crease and into Bergeron’s stick for the  game winner.

“It was one of the crazy ones I’ve been part of,” Bergeron said after the comeback win in Game 7. “We found a way, not necessarily the way we would have liked to play the whole game.”

The Boston Bruins are now the first NHL team ever to win a Game 7 after trailing by three goals in the third period, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. It wasn’t pretty, but it surely had the make-up of an instant classic in “Beantown.”

The Bruins will now face the New York Rangers in the second round as they beat the Washington Capitals in Game 7 on Monday night as well.

Can the Boston Bruins ride the momentum into the series with the Rangers after their stunning comeback in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs?

[Image via Michael Miller]

Boston Bruins Stunning Comeback Leads To Overtime Victory In Game 7 is a post from: The Inquisitr

A youth hockey game in Russia turned into a giant brawl that lasted more than two minutes with seemingly no interference from adults, and now video of the fracas is going viral on the internet.

The fight came from a tournament in Novokuznetsk, Russia, and involved all of the young players on the ice squaring off and beating each other senselessly. The players are around 10 or 11 years old and appear oblivious to the unspoken rules of fighting on the ice.

At several points during the Russian youth hockey brawl, players in white jerseys surround and gang up on players from the blue team (in professional hockey fights are strictly one-on-one).

Other players continue punching opponents after they have stopped fighting back (the Yahoo! Sports block Puck Daddy notes that at the 1:08 mark, a player in white “all Ralphie on Scut Farkus” as he actually sits on his opponent to land more blows).

The video of the giant Russian youth hockey brawl has gone viral as several sports blogs have picked it up. Deadspin noted the popularity of the clip is in its sheer bizarreness of it all:

“These are kids. These are kids on skates absolutely beating the crap out of each other for a solid 2 minutes. At two separate points in time on this video a child flies in the air, tackles another child and continues to beat the crap out of him. Near the end, one kid has another kid pinned down and is wailing on him. The referees appear incapable of tearing these children off one another. There is weird, Russian rap.”

But the strangest part of the Russian youth hockey brawl isn’t the behavior of the children on the ice but instead the adults. The coaches from both teams seemed content to let the players fight out their differences, waiting a full two minutes before coming onto the ice to stop them.

Video Of Giant Brawl In Russian Youth Hockey Game Goes Viral is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Leafs fan has helped to shed some light on the Elisha Cuthbert eyeroll situation, saying he’s not to blame for what looked like a moment of frustration between two famous players’ wives.

The incident goes back to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins. After Dion Phaneuf committed a turnover that led to the Bruins scoring the game-winning goal against Leafs goalie James Riemer, cameras seemed to catch April Reimer, the goalie’s wife, shooting a nasty look at Phaneuf’s fiance, actress Elisha Cuthbert.

In response Cuthbert appeared to roll her eyes.

The incident led to a backlash among Leafs fans who thought she was criticizing Reimer, and the quick moment created a popular video on the internet, but Cuthbert explained that it didn’t happen the way it appeared. She said the gesture wasn’t directed toward the Leafs goalie or his wife.

Cuthbert (who is newly of work since her ABC sitcom Happy Endings has been canceled), said it’s impossible for fans to see what’s going on based on short clip that offers no context.

Things are not always what they seem. I’m insulted and disappointed by a lot of these Comments. That’s real. Not a 3 sec. Clip.

— Elisha Cuthbert (@HappyElishas) May 9, 2013

Reimer backed her up. The goaltender’s wife took to Twitter to explain that they were both reacting to the rude comment of a nearby fan. For good measure she added a picture of her standing next to Elisha, both of them smiling.

For those who were thinkin @happyelishas and I were rolling our eyes @ eachother. Was the jerk beside us #rudecomment twitter.com/april_reimer/s…

— April Reimer (@april_reimer) May 9, 2013

Someone in the crowd at Game 6 on Sunday wanted to let the world know that he wasn’t the reason Elisha Cuthbert rolled her eyes. The fan, seated behind Reimer, wore a shirt that read:“It Wasn’t Me #rudecomment.”

Elisha Cuthbert Eyeroll: Fan Helps Clear Up The Situation is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 at the Air Canada Center on Sunday night to force Game 7 in what has been an enthralling Eastern Conference quarterfinal.

Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel gave the Leafs a 2-0 lead in the third period before Milan Lucic scored with less than a minute to go but it was too little, too late for the Bruins who have now lost two straight in the series.

Boston will now host Toronto in the deciding game at TD Bank Garden on Monday evening.

James Reimer and Tuuka Rask were once again solid in between the pipes and the game was scoreless in the final stanza before the Leafs took the initiative.

Phaneuf, whose mental mistake gifted the Bruins an overtime win in Game 4, atoned for his error by driving hard to the net and tipping in Nazem Kadri’s shot past Rask to open the scoring.

Phaneuf was delighted with the goal and felt he needed to make things right after his high-profile gaffe.

“I felt that I owed it to the guys and luckily I was able to tip that in, it definitely felt good,” the Leafs’ captain said.

“Kadri gets the puck up high. He has a lot of skill. I felt if I went to the front, it gives him a chance to shoot through a screen and luckily I tipped it in.”

Kessel gave Toronto a 2-0 lead a short time later after pouncing on a rebound and backhanding the puck past Rask to send the ACC faithful into a frenzy.

Chants of ‘Thank you Kessel’ echoed throughout the arena but the 25 year old was keen to play it down.

“I’m not talking about it,” he stated. “It think it’s over with now. Two teams battling out there. I’m just playing the game and hopefully things happen out there.”

The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins on Sunday to rally from a 3-1 deficit and force Game 7, which is set for Monday night at TD Bank Garden.

Toronto Maple Leafs Beat Boston Bruins To Force Game 7 is a post from: The Inquisitr

The New York Rangers fended off elimination Sunday with a 1-0 win over the Washington Capitals in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden. Derick Brassard’s second period goal was all the Rangers would need as Henrik Lundqvist was spectacular in net to force a Game 7.

Lunqvist was a brick wall as the Rangers were on the brink of elimination, and he stopped all 27 shots he faced to live another day. The Capitals failed to take advantage of multiple offensive chances on the night and they now return home with another shot at ending the Rangers’ Stanley Cup hopes.

Last season, the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the Capitals in Game 7 of the semis, and they will look to do the same this year in the first round. The Rangers have now faced the Capitals in each of their last four playoff appearances dating back to the 2008-09 season.

Derick Brassard gave the Rangers new life on Sunday as he lit the lamp just over nine minutes into the second period for the only goal of the game. The Rangers’ pressured early in the period and Brassard took advantage midway through the frame.

The puck slid from behind the net to John Moore at the point as the Capitals were spread out through their defensive zone. Moore found Brassard with a pass and the 25-year-old hit a slapshot past Capitals’ goaltender Braden Holtby to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.

The third period was just as exciting, and the Capitals picked up the pace in hopes of forcing overtime. Henrik Lundqvist wasn’t having it as he stopped 12 shots in the final period to hold off the Capitals’ late surge.

Here’s video highlights of Game 6 as the Rangers took care of business to extend the series:

The rubber match is Monday night at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., where the Capitals have won all three games this series. The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs also face off in a Game 7 on Monday, and the winner will meet either the Rangers or Capitals in the second round.

Who do you have winning Game 7 between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers?

[Image via Robert Kowal]

Rangers Edge Capitals 1-0 To Stay Alive In First Round [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Detroit Red Wings beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in Game 7 on Sunday night to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs. Captain Henrik Zetterberg led the way with an early goal as the Red Wings held on late to upset the Ducks in the first round.

Anaheim finished the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the NHL, just behind the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference. They now will go home early while the Red Wings advance to face the Blackhawks in the second round.

Zetterberg got Detroit on the board just under two minutes into the first period on Sunday as he beat Ducks’ goaltender Jonas Hiller to give the Red Wings a 1-0 lead. Rookie Emerson Etem evened the score midway through the period for the Ducks before Justin Abdelkader lit the lamp with a shorthanded goal.

Adbelkader stole a pass from Francois Beauchemin near his own blue line and took off down the ice for a breakaway. He beat Hiller through the five-hole to give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead going into the second period.

After a slow start to the second period, Valtteri Filppula added to the Red Wings’ lead with his first goal of the playoffs just over 13 minutes into the frame. With a 3-1 lead, goaltender Jimmy Howard took over and held off the Ducks for a first round upset.

The Red Wings played a defensive third period while managing five shots and held on after a late scare by the Ducks. Beauchemin scored on the powerplay with 3:17 remaining to cut Detroit’s lead to one but it wouldn’t be enough as Jimmy Howard stopped the Ducks last few rushes to end the game.

Howard started every game in the first round for the Red Wings and capped off the series by stopping 31-of-33 shots Sunday to advance. Here are video highlights of the Red Wings’ huge win in Game 7:

The Red Wings, who sneaked into the playoffs with four straight wins to end the regular season, will now move on to face the best team in 2013. The Chicago Blackhawks strung together 24 straight games with a point to start the season and cruised the rest of the way before beating the Minnesota Wild in five games in the first round of the playoffs.

The Blackhawks will look start where they left off with Detroit as they have won the last seven meetings against the Red Wings. Are the Blackhawks too strong or will the Detroit Red Wings continue rolling into the second round for another upset in the Western Conference playoffs?

[Image via Michael Miller]

Red Wings Beat Ducks 3-2 In Game 7 To Advance [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Pittsburgh Penguins are on to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after defeating the New York Islanders 4-3 in overtime of Game 6.

In a series in which Sidney Crosby finally returned and the Penguins tapped into their offensive firepower, it was an unlikely hero who netted the game winner. Defenseman Brooks Orpik, who normally keeps close to the back end and isn’t known for his offense, scored on a slap shot from the left point 7:49 into the overtime period.

Orpik had only scored 12 goals in his nine NHL seasons. His last one came in November 2011, also against the Islanders.

“Felt great, of course, to score. I don’t score too many,” Orpik said.

The series presented more trouble than the Penguins had anticipated. Coming into the series and the NHL playoffs as the odds-on favorite to win the cup, Pittsburgh was expected to steamroll through the Islanders. It looked to be that way after Game 1, in which the Penguins pummeled the Islanders to win 5-0.

But then something strange happened. The Islanders hung on tight, and some shaky goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury — who would be replaced be veteran Thomas Vokoun — allowed the Islanders to hang in the series, nearly forcing a Game 7.

New York had a lead late into the third period of Game 6, but the Penguins knotted the score on a goal from Paul Martin.

“It’s great to finish it, I tell you that,” Vokoun said. “We got everything we could have handled. They played great and it was a tough series.”

Vokoun earned praise for his play after being inserted in Game 5 of the series.

“To be thrown into the middle of a series and play the way he did, that’s huge,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “Especially tonight. They carried the play and had a lot of great chances. He was sturdy and solid for us.”

Now the Pittsburgh Penguins are on to the second round, where they will face the No. 7 Ottawa Senators.

Penguins Defeat Islanders, Advance On Rare Goal From Brooks Orpik is a post from: The Inquisitr

Washington, D.C. — Last night’s Capitals vs. Rangers matchup ended in overtime when Mike Ribeiro scored the game-winner at 9:24.

It was the center’s first playoff goal in five years and gives the Caps a 3-2 series lead over the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference quarter finals as  both  hockey teams head back to Madison Square Garden for game six — a potential elimination game — on Sunday. Said Ribeiro: “I know I was behind that D, and the puck just came onto my stick. It was pretty cool.”

The Rangers, who find themselves in a must-win situation after fighting back from a two game deficit, also lost to the Capitals in overtime in Game 2 at the Verizon Center. The last four games have been decided by one goal.

The Capitals gave up a goal to the Rangers’ center Brian Boyle in the first minute of the game but they pitched a shutout for the rest of the afternoon. The Caps’ Joel Ward scored on a power play in the second period. New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had 33 saves. His counterpart Braden Holtby had 24 saves.

Ironically it was Boyle’s penalty that created the power play situation leading to Ribeiro’s game-ending goal for the Caps.

Sunday’s meeting between the two NHL teams gives the Washington Capitals a closeout opportunity: “The Caps took a 3-2 lead in a series in which the home team has not lost. The Rangers clawed back from a 2-0 series deficit by taking Games 3 and 4 at the Garden, but now they must win Game 6 on Sunday afternoon at home just to stay alive for a Game 7 Monday night back in D.C.”

Ribeiro, who signed a five-year contract with the Dallas Stars in 2008, was traded by the Stars to the Capitals in June 2012.

[Image credit: Michael Miller]

Who do you think will win ultimately the series, the Capitals or the Rangers? Do you think the playoff series will go seven games?

Capitals Vs. Rangers Decided By Mike Ribeiro OT Goal is a post from: The Inquisitr

Toronto Maple Leafs fans waited nearly a decade for playoff hockey to return. Now they will get at least one more game after the Maple Leafs defeated the Boston Bruins on Friday to force a sixth game.

Toronto claimed Game 5 on Friday night by a 2-1 margin, getting a shorthanded goal from Tyler Bozak and another goal from Clarke MacArthur. James Reimer came up big in the net for Toronto, stopping 43 shots to allow his team to stay alive in the playoffs.

Though the Maple Leafs now get to go home for Game 6 on Sunday, forcing a decisive seventh game in Boston won’t be an easy task. The Bruins have already won twice in Toronto during the series, and actually haven’t lost a playoff game in Toronto since 1959.

The Boston Bruins are trying to avoid another playoff collapse. In the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals the team blew a 3-0 series lead against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are just trying to hang on to play another day.

“We came in with the mindset to just get it back to Toronto to give ourselves a chance. We’ve done that,” MacArthur said. “We want to keep going. We’ve worked hard all year and I can see it starting to pay off.”

Leafs coach Randy Carlyle knows his team has a big task ahead.

“I’m sure that we’ve poked the Bruins,” Carlyle said. “They’re going to be a very desperate team come Sunday night, and we have to be equally desperate.”

Some of that desperation was on display Friday. After falling down 2-0, the Bruins outshot the Leafs 32-8 in the second and third periods.

“The third period was more like our team,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “If there’s anything you need to understand from this, it’s that we’ve got to play three periods like we did in the third if we’re going to close this off.”

The Toronto Maple Leafs had been out of the playoffs since 2004, which was the longest active drought in the NHL.

Toronto Maple Leafs Win In Boston To Force Game 6 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Long-time Colorado Avalanche superstar Joe Sakic is returning to the team as the new Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. The Avalanche announced the decision on Friday in hopes of rebuilding after falling apart in the 2013 season.

Colorado fell to the bottom of the NHL’s Western Conference in 2013 and have now failed to qualify for the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. During his time as a player for the Avalanche, Sakic led the team to the playoffs in 11 straight seasons from 1994 to 2006. The first being with the Quebec Nordiques before the team officially moved to Denver, Colorado.

Joe Sakic played his entire 20-year career for the organization before retiring after appearing in 15 games in 2008-09. In 1,378 career games, Sakic scored 625 goals and added 1,016 assists.

He was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in November of 2012. He earned the right to join the greats in the Hall as he was named an NHL All-Star 13-times and brought home two Stanley Cups.

He now returns to the game as an executive for the team he carried for all those years. Outside of naming Joe Sakic the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, the Avalanche also announced that Josh Kroenke is the new team President.

Former President Pierre Lacroix stepped down from the role and will now serve as an adviser to the team. After being appointed, Kroenke announced the addition of Joe Sakic to the front office.

“I am thrilled to announce that Joe Sakic has agreed to become Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Avalanche,” Kroenke said in a statement on Friday. “In that role, Joe will be in charge of all hockey-related decisions moving forward.”

Sakic has a difficult task ahead of him as he looks to make the Avalanche competitive again. Before bringing in the talent on the ice, he’ll first start by finding a new head coach.

The Avalanche fired coach Joe Sacco only days after the team lost 3-1 to the Minnesota Wild to end the season. Sakic and the rest of the Avalanche’s front office will now begin the process of interviewing for the new opening behind the bench in the coming weeks. As the offseason progresses, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sakic bring in more talent as he’s always been considered one of the most respected men in professional hockey.

Did the Colorado Avalanche make the right decision in giving Joe Sakic control of hockey operations?

[Image via Håkan Dahlström]

Joe Sakic Returns To Colorado Avalanche As Executive is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Minnesota Wild 5-1 at the United Center on Thursday evening to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Marion Hossa led the way for the Blackhawks with two goals as they advanced to the Western Conference semi-finals for the first time since 2010.

Marcus Kruger, Andrew Shaw and Patrick Sharp also scored for Chicago who made short work of the Wild, winning the series in five games.

Hossa praised his team’s effort and admitted it was a relief to get past the first round after failing to do so in the last couple of seasons.

“We knew we hadn’t done it in two years,” he said. “Minnesota, they still have a great team and are missing some players. We found a way. Now we get ready for the second round.”

Hossa opened the scoring at 15:39 of the first period after some good work by captain Jonathan Toews before the Blackhawks doubled their advantage early in the second stanza through Kruger.

Hossa then scored his second goal of the game to give the hosts a commanding 3-0 lead. The Wild tried to make a game of it when Torrey Mitchell beat goalie Corey Crawford just past the midway point of the period.

However, Crawford shut the door for the remainder of the game and Shaw and Sharp put the cherry on top of what was a sweet win indeed for the Presidents Trophy winners.

However, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville urged his players to improve their game in the next round.

“I still think that we need to get a different type of pace to our game that’s catching up to the other series that are being played and what the playoffs are all about,” he said.

“It’s not the regular season. There’s another type of appetite we need to get as well.”

The Chicago Blackhawks thumped the Minnesota Wild and will face either the San Jose Sharks or the Detroit Red Wings in the next round.

Chicago Blackhawks Oust Minnesota Wild From NHL Playoffs is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Ottawa Senators thumped the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 at the Bell Centre on Thursday night to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Sens took the series 4-1 over the favored Canadiens and sees them reach the second round of the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Cory Conacher led the way for Ottawa with two goals while Zach Smith, Daniel Alfredsson, Kyle Turris, and Erik Condra also scored to silence the Montreal faithful.

Ottawa coach Paul MacLean was delighted with the win and downplayed some of the unsavory moments in the rough and tumble series.

“We just beat the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup playoffs,” he exclaimed. “I mean, to me that’s huge. I’m going to call my mom and say we finally beat her team.

“I thought the whole series was fun. I didn’t think it was bitter at any time.”

The Sens withstood an early barrage from the Canadiens thanks to the steady play of goalie Craig Anderson and stunned the hosts 2:17 into the game when Zack Smith scored from close range.

Conacher made it 2-0 when he tapped in at the 12:26 mark and that goal sucked the life right out of the arena. Montreal cut the deficit in half with 13 seconds left in the first period when P.K. Subban scored on the power play.

Ottawa then scored four straight goals and Anderson shut the door to clinch the series, and Alfredsson sung his goaltender’s praises after the game.

“Andy made some great saves and we took over more and more as the game went on,” Ottawa’s captain stated.

“Finding a way to win two games in this building feels great and so was being able to finish it off on our first chance.”

The Ottawa Senators outscored the Montreal Canadiens 20-9 in the series and will now have a few days of rest before the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Ottawa Senators Thump Montreal Canadiens To Win Series is a post from: The Inquisitr

After the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Boston Bruins last night Elisha Cuthbert was caught on camera giving April Reimer a massive stink eye.

Well, that’s not exactly what happened.

A video surfaced showing the two hockey wives (Cuthbert is engaged to Leafs defense man Dion Phaneuf and Reimer is married to Leafs goaltender James Reimer) giving each other two evil looks.

Hockey fans speculated that Cuthbert was staring down Reimer after her husband let the winning goal during overtime.

Well, it turns out that Cuthbert wasn’t upset with April or her husband. The actress was apparently fed up with a fan that was sitting in the area.

April took to Twitter to clear up the confusion saying that a fan was making rude comments after the loss. She even posted a picture of herself with Cuthbert after the game to ensure fans that they were still friends.

So there you have it. There isn’t any bad blood between the hockey wives. Thank goodness that’s been cleared up.

For those who were thinkin @happyelishas and I were rolling our eyes @ eachother. Was the jerk beside us #rudecomment twitter.com/april_reimer/s…

— April Reimer (@april_reimer) May 9, 2013

In case you missed it the first time around, here’s the video of Elisha Cuthbert giving April Reimer an annoying fan, the stink eye.

[Image Via Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com]

Elisha Cuthbert Didn’t Give Stink Eye To April Reimer is a post from: The Inquisitr

David Krejci netted a hat trick, including the overtime winner, to lift the Boston Bruins past the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in Game 4 at the Air Canada Center on Wednesday night.

Krejci scored 13:06 into the extra session to hand the Bruins a commanding 3-1 lead in the Easter Conference quarterfinal ahead of Game 5 in Boston on Friday evening.

Patrice Bergeron also scored for the visitors, who erased a 2-0 deficit with three goals in a wild second period before the Leafs tied it to send the game to overtime.

Krejci was humble about his heroics after the game and revealed he was just doing his job.

“I’m just trying to do my best,” he said. “I know I had a run a couple of years ago but I know I had a bad run so I’m just trying to play my best, go out there and do my hardest and not worry about the result.”

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Leafs, who jumped out to 2-0 lead in the first period thanks to goals from Joffrey Lupul and Cody Franzen.

However, Boston fought back with three goals in 17 minutes before Clarke MacArthur knotted things up to end a frenetic second period.

There was no scoring in the third period, which set up a free flowing overtime that left fans of both teams on the edge of their seats.

Toronto had a plethora of chances to win the game but was stopped time and again by Tuuka Rask and it was Dion Phaneuf’s mistake that led directly to Krejci’s overtime winner.

The Leafs’ captain inexplicably went for a thunderous hit that took him out of position, which led to a two on one that Boston capitalized on.

A solemn Phaneuf shouldered the blame for the gaffe that has put the Leafs in a big hole.

“It was a big mistake and a bad time to make it,” he said. “I take responsibility for it. It is unacceptable.”

David Krejci’s hat trick has put the Bruins in prime position to clinch the series against the Leafs at TD Bank Gardens on Friday.

Krejci Nets Hat Trick As Bruins Down Leafs In Overtime is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Ottawa Senators came from behind to stun the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in overtime at ScotiaBank Place on Tuesday evening.

Kyle Turris scored the winner 2:32 into the extra period to give the hosts a commanding 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal.

Montreal missed a great opportunity to tie up the series but blew a 2-0 advantage, conceding the tying goal with only 22 seconds left in regulation and is now on the brink of elimination.

The Canadiens looked calm and composed in Game 4, taking the lead early at the 2:52 mark of the second period when P.K. Subban snapped a shot past Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson.

Montreal then doubled its advantage less than a minute later as Alex Galchenyuk wristed a shot that found the top corner.

Anderson made a couple of good saves to keep the Sens in the game and those stops proved to be huge when Mika Zibanejad cut the deficit in half at 11:55 of the third frame.

Cory Conacher then sent the home fans into raptures when he pounced on a loose puck and made no mistake from close range with 22 second remaining.

Montreal goalie Carey Price went down with an injury at the end of the third period and was replaced by Peter Budaj, who looked shaky in overtime.

The Sens stunned Montreal 2:32 into OT when Turris’ innocuous shot somehow squeezed through Budaj to give them a stranglehold on the series.

Turris admitted Lady Luck smiled upon him and the Senators but praised his team’s tenacity.

“That was a bit of a lucky shot but I’ll take it,” he said. “How we did it tonight was sticking around and giving ourselves a chance to win.”

Ottawa coach Paul Maclean was proud of his players’ resilience and hailed what was an enthralling encounter.

“That’s the nature of our team,” he said. “We play the whole game and don’t stop playing until it’s over. I thought it was a heck of a playoff game.”

The Ottawa Senators will look to clinch the NHL playoff series when they lock horns with the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday evening at the Bell Centre.

Ottawa Senators Top Montreal Canadiens In Overtime is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Vancouver Canucks were swept by the San Jose Sharks in their Western Conference quarterfinal following a 4-3 overtime loss at the HP Pavilion on Tuesday night.

Patrick Marleau scored on the power play at the 13:18 mark of the extra session to send the Canucks packing. Vancouver was clinging to a 3-2 lead late in the third period but gave up the tying goal with 4:27 left in regulation time.

Mason Raymond, Alex Burrows, and Alex Edler scored for Vancouver who were not happy with the officiating in the series and were fuming at the fact that San Jose’s last two goals came on the power play.

However, Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin bemoaned his team’s lack of discipline and refused to lay the blame on the referees.

“This year, this is not the way we wanted it to end,” he said. “It was almost like we were a first playoff team going to the box too many times.

“A lot of guys have been together a long time. It’s disappointing because you only have so many chances.”

Joe Pavelski led the Sharks’ attack with two goals with Brent Burns and Marleau chipping in with one apiece.

The Sharks were deadly on the power play, scoring seven times in four games and was a major reason why they swept an opponent in the NHL playoffs for the first time ever.

Logan Couture could sense Vancouver’s frustration but opined that the referees did a good job in the four games.

“They were never happy this whole series about the officiating but all the penalties were penalties and the refs did a great job,” he said.

“They were undisciplined, they took penalties and we capitalized.”

The Vancouver Canucks were swept for the fourth time in franchise history and a plethora of questions remain about whether the current crop of players can bring the city its first Stanley Cup.

Vancouver Canucks Swept By San Jose Sharks After Overtime Loss is a post from: The Inquisitr

Damien Brunner scored with just under five minutes remaining in overtime to cap off a thrilling 3-2 win for the Detroit Red Wings over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 4 at Joe Louis Arena on Monday night.

The Western Conference quarter-final is now tied at 2-2 with both of Detroit’s wins coming in overtime, after Gustav Nyquist’s heroics in Game 2 last Thursday.

The scene will now shift to the Honda Center in Anaheim for the all-important Game 5 where both teams will be looking to take a stranglehold on the series.

The Ducks started off well on Monday evening and took the lead at the 5:07 mark of the first period after Matt Beleskey’s second goal of the NHL playoffs.

It was a tight-checking affair with no goals in the second period setting up a tense 20 minutes for the Red Wings who were trying to avoid a 3-1 hole in the series.

Detroit came out flying in the third period and knotted the score at 1-1 thanks to Brendan Smith’s goal just over a minute into the stanza.

However, the Ducks fought back and took a 2-1 lead when David Steckel beat Jimmy Howard at the midway point of the third period.

The Red Wings were desperately searching for the tying goal and their prayers were answered when Pavel Datsyuk scored with just under seven minutes remaining in regulation time.

The Ducks had a glorious chance to win it late in the game when Ryan Getzlaf had a breakaway but Howard stood tall between the pipes to send the game into overtime.

Brunner took center stage in the extra session after he found himself in the right place at the right time to cap off a wild sequence in front of the Anaheim net.

Damien Brunner scored the winner when he swatted the puck into the net after some good work from Nyquist to send the Motor City faithful rocking deep into the night.

Damien Brunner Scores In Overtime To Lift Red Wings Past Ducks is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Toronto Maple Leafs’ fan was knocked out on his birthday after watching his favorite team on the road in Boston against the Bruins for Game 2 of their first round match-up on Saturday night.

Kyle Hay, of Oshawa in Ontario, Canada, made the trip to watch the Leafs’ even the series at one with a 4-2 victory over the Bruins but the loss didn’t sit well with one of their fans. After the game ended, Hay was sucker punched and knocked out cold by another man in attendance.

He later posted on Twitter that he laid unconscious on the ground for three to five minutes before waking up and being helped to the hospital. After it was all said and done, Hay had three staples in the back of his head, a swollen cheek, and a concussion.

The Bruins lose and in return a Leaf’s fan gets knocked out by an angry Bruins’ supporter who fled the scene and has yet to be found. Hay had absolutely no plans of getting sucker punched after the game Saturday night but he went down hard anyways and walked away as faithful to the Leafs as he was before.

It’s unknown whether he had it coming for him or not, but that doesn’t excuse the violence that occurred after what looks to be an exchange gone awfully wrong.

Kyle Hay spoke with theleafsnation.com, and has no recollection of the incident though he was wearing his Maple Leafs’ mask when he was struck.

“After the game I was blind-sided with a sucker punch while I had my mask on,” Hay said about the incident. “Honestly, I do not remember what happened.”

Here’s video of Hay on the ground after the sucker punch. It’s easy to see that he was knocked out cold.

Game 3 of the first round series is Monday night in Toronto as the Bruins look to regain control after losing 4-2 at home on Saturday.  It’s unknown if Kyle Hay will be in attendance, but he would have tons of support from his fellow fans though it has to be awkward fpr a guy that is now known as the “Leafs’ fan who got knocked out in Boston.”

Leafs’ Fan Knocked Out On His Birthday At Bruins Playoff Game [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Susannah Collins was fired from her job with Comcast Chicago after a slip of the tongue led her to say that the Chicago Blackhawks had a “tremendous amount of sex” during the season.

After the reporter was fired there were plenty of people who were a bit perplexed as to why the network would find what was an honest mistake a fireable offense.

We later found out that it wasn’t the “sex” comment that got the brunette beauty fired but rather her appearances on a YouTube sports themed show called Sports Nutz at the beginning of her career.

The show starred Susannah Collins and Sam Raddock as a pair of potty mouthed women who covered the latest in sports new. There wasn’t any pornographic material or anything close. Cursing and suggestive language is where the show began and ended.

This wasn’t a situation where the reporter’s first few words on broadcast television were curse words either. It later came out that Collins hadn’t hidden the fact that she did the show, Comcast even knew about the program when it hired her.

What led to the woman who started out as the “shoot the puck” girl being let go was that the Chicago Blackhawks chairman, Rocky Wirtz pushed for her removal.

After learning of the videos, Wirtz wrote a letter to Comcast, and cc’d Whitesox Owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts in which he said that he was offended by the reporter’s past.

The Blachawks head man demanded that she be removed from his team’s broadcast and the deed was done. That doesn’t appear to be the end of this particular saga. People have already taken to Twitter to highlight just how hypocritical the chairman is being.

If Susannah Collins was fired for racy videos, what will the ‘Hawks do about the scantily-clad Ice Girls and Shoot-the-Puck eye-candy?

— Dan Bernstein (@dan_bernstein) May 3, 2013

What do you think of Susannah Collins being pushed out by Blackhawks ownership?

Susannah Collins Pushed Out By Blackhawks After ‘Sex’ Gaffe is a post from: The Inquisitr

Boston, MA — Jeff Bauman came out on the ice in a pre-game ceremony before tonight’s Toronto Maple Leafs-Boston Bruins NHL playoff game and inspired the crowd by waving a “Boston Strong” banner.

The honorary fan banner captain ceremony usually involves the honoree waiving the Bruins banner, but this of course was a special ceremony for a special person.

While Bauman waived the Boston Strong flag in the ceremony, fans enthusiastically passed a Bruins banner through the crowd.

On April 15, Bauman was standing near the finish line of the Boston Marathon waiting for his girlfriend to finish when the bomb exploded. The explosion tore off his legs beneath the knee, and an extremely graphic photo showed paramedics and Carlos Arredondo bringing Bauman out in a wheelchair.

Despite his devastating injuries, Bauman was not deterred. When he was still in intensive care, the 27-year-old gave the FBI a description that helped determine the identity of the two suspects from thousands of people seen in the photos.

In a statement, Jeff Bauman had this to say: “I want to thank everyone for their amazing support for me and all those injured and their families. I’m making great progress and I thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Please continue to respect our space at this time. I want to thank the Bruins players and organization for the generosity and support for all those impacted. Like all those in Black and Gold I can’t wait to see them on another quest for the cup. Go Bruins!”

Jeff Bauman has been getting help from across the country in his recovery. He does not have health insurance, so some of his friends began asking the internet for donations to cover his high costs. They created a page on the crowdfunding site gofundme.com as part of this important effort.

At this writing, Toronto leads Boston 3-2 late in the third period of game 2.

Watch Jeff Bauman as the Bruins official flag bearer in the fan banner captain ceremony before tonight’s game:

Jeff Bauman Honored In Bruins ‘Boston Strong’ Pre-Game Ceremony [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sidney Crosby returned to the ice Friday night as the New York Islanders rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 to even the series at one. Crosby returned to his old self, scoring two quick goals to give the Penguins the lead before the Islanders stormed back.

The Penguins started off strong as Evgeni Malkin lit the lamp just 43 seconds into the contest. Crosby followed with his first taste of playoff action in 2013 as he scored on the powerplay less than three minutes later to make it 2-0 Penguins.

The Islanders cut the Penguins’ lead in half when Matt Moulson scored his first goal of the playoffs at the 12:56 mark in the first. Moulson got the puck near the crease, to the left of Marc-Andre Fleury, and he beat the Penguins’ goaltender for the Islanders first of the playoffs.

Just 18 seconds later, Crosby netted his second of the game off a rebound to give the Penguins a 3-1 lead going into the second period.  The Islanders would regain momentum in the second after Kyle Okposo dropped the gloves with Matt Niskanen.

Okposo got the best of Niskanen in the bout and he landed a few right hands before the linesman jumped in. Niskanen went to the box with blood running down his face and the Penguins were never the same.

Colin McDonald scored 14 seconds after the fight to cut the Penguins’ lead to one early in the second period. Midway through the second, Matt Martin tied the game at three after the puck took a weird bounce off the boards and he tapped it in past Fleury.

The game remained tied at three until the third period when another tough bounce found it’s way through Fleury’s five-hole. Kyle Okposo, who started the Islanders’ rally with the fight in the second, capped it off with his first goal of the playoffs.

Okposo threw a shot at net that went wide to the right of Fleury. The puck carimed off the boards behind the net and shot back towards the crease before going off Fleury’s stick and into the net.

Fleury grabbed the puck and threw it down the ice in disgust as the Islanders stole Game 2 from the Penguins. The series now moves to Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum all tied at one as the Islanders erased the Penguins home ice advantage with the split.

Here’s full highlights of Game 2 as the New York Islanders rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in Sidney Crosby’s return. Will the Islanders go on to win the series or are the Penguins strong enough to wear them out on the road and regain control?

[Image via Michael Miller]

Islanders Rally To Beat Penguins 4-3 In Crosby’s Return [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sidney Crosby is set to return to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the New York Islanders.

After a month away from the team, Crosby was medically cleared to play on Thursday afternoon. He got right to work, skating with linemates Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz.

Crosby took a puck to the face in a late-season matchup, forcing him to get facial surgery and sparking fears of another concussion after the star forward already missed the bulk of two seasons with a head injury.

Crosby was close to returning for the series opener, but Shawn Roarke of NHL.com reported that a doctor wasn’t ready to give him clearance to play. Crosby participated in the team’s morning skate on Wednesday with a mouth guard and black jersey so other players knew not to check him.

Now that he’s been cleared to return, Sidney Crosby said he’s ready to go.

“I think that if a doctor clears you to play that gives you a lot of confidence going out there knowing that you can play and take a hit so I’m not concerned,” Crosby said.

The Penguins didn’t need Crosby at all in Game 1, beating the Islanders 5-0. The Penguins came into the playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference and favorite of many to win the Stanley Cup, and with Crosby back in the lineup they are only more dangerous.

“It means a lot. He’s the guy that sets the elite skill level out there and more important the competition level out there,” said Pittsburgh defenseman Douglas Murray. “Obviously it’s a confidence boost getting his skill back in the lineup.”

Crosby said hes excited to return to the team.

“I think every time you play in the playoffs there’s always a little bit extra, especially coming back after missing some time. I think you just want to make sure you’re ready but we’re all excited to play in those kinds of games, you welcome that, these are the ones you want to be in,” Sidney Crosby said.

Sidney Crosby To Return For Game 2 Against Islanders is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chicago, IL – Susannah Collins has been fired from her job covering the Chicago Blackhawks for Comcast SportsNet.

Collins made a “Freudian slip” on Tuesday night during the pregame show of the NHL team’s first playoff game, which led to her downfall. The sports reporter/anchor stated that the Blackhawks had a “tremendous amount of sex” during the regular season when she meant to say “success.” See embed below

Collins immediately corrected herself, but the flub subsequently went viral.

In a statement, Comcast insisted that the sex comment was not the reason that Collins will no longer work the Blackhawks games through their Stanley Cup playoff run: “Due to circumstances unrelated to her on-air remarks Tuesday night, Susannah Collins and Comcast SportsNet Chicago have parted ways. We appreciate everything Susannah has contributed to our network over the past year and wish her the best in her future endeavors.”

So what was the reason that she is now off the air if it wasn’t the “tremendous amount of sex” blooper?  It may perhaps have been a series of edgy YouTube videos that she previously made: “But the mistake put a spotlight on Collins, and that quickly refocused attention on a series of  raunchy YouTube videos uploaded between 2009 and 2010.  As co-host of Sports Nutz, Collins pushed the boundaries of sports journalism — and good taste — with sexually explicit reports and potentially offensive racial stereotypes.”

The Blackhawks won Tuesday night’s game 2-1 against the Minnesota Wild on a Bryan Bickell overtime goal.

Prior to working for Comcast in Chicago, Collins — a University of Illinois graduate — worked for Showtime Sports, the NFL Network, and the CBS TV affiliate in New York.

Thanks for laughing along with me & my “tremendous” slip, guys. Who couldn’t use a good chuckle every now & then right?? #Whoops!

— Susannah Collins (@susannahcollins) May 1, 2013

Collins also was the reporter interviewing Mr. T when he scored a goal in between periods of a Blackhawks game in March at the United Center.

In a separate incident, rookie news anchor A.J. Clemente was recently fired by a zero-tolerance North Dakota TV station on his first night on the job for letting loose with some profanity.

Do you think that Comcast overreacted when it “parted ways” with Susannah Collins after this incident? Do you consider this blooper a firing offense?

Sports Reporter Susannah Collins Fired For ‘Sex’ Blooper [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Andrew Ference was suspended for one game by the NHL after his hit on Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward Mikhail Grabovski on Wednesday night at TD Bank Garden.

The Boston Bruins‘ defenseman laid out Grabovski with a thunderous check to the head in the first period of the home team’s 4-1 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarter-final.

No penalty was called on the play but NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan reviewed the hit and handed Ference a one-game ban.

“While we agree that Grabovski is eligible for some body contact during the puck chase and that Ference can and should reasonably protect himself against impending hits, the fact remains that Ference cannot initiate a check such as this that recklessly targets Grabovski’s head and makes it the principle point of contact,” he ruled.

This is not the first time that Ference has been suspended as the rugged defenseman was slapped with a three-game ban in January 2012 for an illegal hit on Ryan McDonagh.

The most recent incident took place just past the midway point of the first period when the two players were chasing the puck in the corner. Ference then turned and lunged towards Grabovski, hitting him in the head.

Grabovski was able to finish the game but admitted to reporters that he still felt a little woozy.

“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “I can’t remember. You tell me. I remember it was a hard hit, maybe an elbow?

“I feel fine though. Besides playoffs hurt. That’s a given, especially in a physical series and this isn’t the only one that would qualify at the moment.”

Andrew Ference’s suspension will mean that the 34 year old will be unavailable for the Bruins in Game 2 at TD Bank Garden as it looks to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series on Saturday evening.

Andrew Ference Suspended For Hit On Mikhail Grabovski In NHL Playoffs is a post from: The Inquisitr

Superstar Sidney Crosby may not have to rush his return to the ice as the Pittsburgh Penguins crushed the New York Islanders 5-0 in Game 1 of their playoff opener. Crosby was ruled out for Game 1 after visiting a doctor on Tuesday, but it didn’t seem to affect his teammates when they took the ice against the Islanders.

The Penguins have dominated the Islanders this season, winning every meeting outside the first way back in January. Wednesday night was no different as Pittsburgh jumped all over the Islanders in the first two periods.

Beau Bennett got the Penguins on the board with a powerplay goal just under four minutes into the first. Pascal Dupuis followed with another goal 10 minutes later to make it 2-0 Penguins going into the second.

Pittsburgh came out even stronger in the second and lit the lamp twice in the first two minutes to force the Islanders to relieve Evgeni Nabokov in net. Nabokov lasted just over 21 minutes in the contest, and made 11 saves on 15 shots before being pulled down 4-0.

Dupuis scored his second goal of the game 32 seconds after Kris Letang found the back of the net on a Penguins’ powerplay at the 1:19 mark of the second period. Kevin Poulin was then given the job of slowing down the Penguins and fared much better than Nabokov.

Poulin’s only slip-up came midway through the second when Tanner Glass scored from the corner near the side boards. Glass threw the puck at net while battling off defenders and it went through Poulin’s five-hole to give the Penguins a 5-0 lead.

The young Islanders goaltender settled in from there and didn’t give up another goal in the game. His team mates failed to give him any support as the Penguins shut down the Islanders the rest of the way.

Marc-Andre Fleury was spectacular in net for Pittsburgh and stopped all 26 shots he faced on the night. Eight of Fleury’s 26 saves came in the final period as the Penguins cruised to a Game 1 victory. The French-Canadian goaltender credited his teammates for taking control and keeping up the pressure late in the game.

“We got some goals. Some perfect goals,” Fleury said in the locker room after the win. “Our guys had been great all night.”

Sidney Crosby has no timetable for a return, but after Wednesday’s dominating performance the Penguins’ may not need him in the first round. Crosby is eager to rejoin his team on the ice but he hasn’t been cleared to play though doctors are pleased with his progress.

Game 2 is Friday night back at the Console Energy Center as the Penguins look to extend their series lead to two games. The Islanders will have to be more aggressive on both ends of the ice if they expect to compete with the Eastern Conference powerhouse.

The Pittsburgh Penguins crushed the Islanders in Game 1, but can they continue their brilliant play without leader Sidney Crosby on the ice?

[Image via Michael Miller]

Penguins Crush Islanders 5-0 In Playoff Opener is a post from: The Inquisitr

Pittsburgh Penguins’ star Sidney Crosby hasn’t played in a game in 32 days and he will now have to wait a little longer. Crosby didn’t receive clearance for the playoff opener against the New York Islanders after visiting with a doctor on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old took a puck to the face in a game against the Islanders on March 30th and immediately went into surgery later that day. After it was all said and done, Crosby had dental work and surgery to fix his broken jaw.

The injury forced him out of the Penguins’ lineup for the rest of the regular season and his return is still up in the air as Pittsburgh’s quest begins for the Stanley Cup. The Penguins last won the Cup in 2009 and haven’t made it out of the quarterfinals since 2010.

Crosby’s presence on the ice would create more offensive chances for the Penguins but there is no timetable in place for his return. Before the injury, Crosby led the NHL in points and assists while positioning the Penguins atop the Eastern Conference.

According to Shawn Roarke of NHL.com, the jaw looked good and there were no setbacks though the doctor wasn’t ready to give him clearance to play. Crosby participated in the Penguins’ morning skate while wearing a mouth guard and a black jersey that practically means, “don’t touch me.”

The Islanders dropped the last three games of the season and fell to eighth place as the New York Rangers went on a run and climbed the standings.  They now match-up with the best team in the conference though Crosby won’t see the ice in Game 1.

The Islanders start on the road with two games in Pittsburgh, which might not be a bad thing. They finished with a better road record this season and never beat the Penguins at home.

The Penguins beat the Islanders in every meeting outside of a 4-1 loss at home in January. Pittsburgh is favored to win their first round series against the Islanders, even without Crosby.

Will Sidney Crosby return to the Penguins before the end of the first round?

[Image via Michael Miller]

Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby Out For Playoff Opener is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Chicago Blackhawks will be playing an outdoor hockey game next year against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field in Chicago.

The Blackhawks, who recently beat the Wild 2-1 in overtime during the opening game of the NHL playoffs, announced today that they’d be taking over the Chicago Bears’ stadium for an early Spring game in 2014.

USA Today reports that the Blackhawks and the Penguins will face off on the field on March 1, 2014.

NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins said: “The stadium series takes what everyone loves about those games, being outdoors, giving fans the opportunity to tailgate and celebrate the sport in fun venues …”

The NHL has hosted a few outdoor games. In 2009, the Blackhawks hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field for the league’s second Winter Classic. Collins said that the outdoor events have always been a success and the league is hoping to add more to the schedule.

Collins said: “Soldier is one of those iconic venues – a phenomenal stadium, and Chicago is a great market … We loved the experience at Wrigley, but we need as big a venue as we can have to get in as many fans into this game as possible.”When you see how these games light up a market, big markets like Chicago, you are left with the question of why wouldn’t you do more of these?”

In addition to the Blackhawks game at Soldier Field, the NHL will also host the Winter Classic next year at Michigan Stadium. The league is also looking to host more outdoor games next season at venues like Yankee Stadium in New York and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

[Photo by Joon Han]

Blackhawks To Host Penguins At Soldier Field Next Season is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 in overtime on Tuesday night as the NHL playoffs are now underway. Bryan Bickell scored the game-winning goal as the Blackhawks escaped Game 1 with a win after falling behind early.

Cal Clutterbuck opened up the scoring against the Blackhawks just under five minutes into the first period. Clutterbuck threw a shot on net from the side boards and beat Corey Crawford near the post to give the Wild a 1-0 lead.

Crawford rarely gives up a soft goal, but he wasn’t positioned correctly as Clutterbuck entered the zone and it cost him. The Wild would go on to hold their one-goal lead until early in the second period.

Marian Hossa tied the game at one for the Blackhawks with a wrist shot past Josh Harding just over two minutes into the second. Patrick Kane drove the puck into the zone and hit Hossa with a backhand pass for the assist.

Neither team scored in the third, setting up for an overtime thriller as both team’s goaltenders had been stellar between the pipes through regulation. Hossa had a chance to end it early in overtime but missed with a backhand in front of the net as Josh Harding sprawled out and made the save.

Harding finished with 35 saves on the night, but it wasn’t enough as the Blackhawks took advantage of a two-on-one break late in the overtime. Bryan Bickell found himself all alone in front of Harding during a break and capitalized with a backhander of his own.

Defenseman Johnny Oduya made the play possible by chipping the puck up the boards to Viktor Stalberg near the Wild’s blue-line  Stalberg scooped up the puck and hit Bickell with a quick pass before the 27-year-old changed direction and beat Harding.

The Blackhawks stole Game 1 from the Wild and hope to take a two-game lead on Friday at the United Center. Chicago finished the regular season as the NHL’s best team and Presidents’ Trophy winners, making anything less than a Stanley Cup unacceptable.

Here are the highlights of the overtime thriller in Chicago if you missed it:

The Minnesota Wild were without their starting netminder Niklas Backstrom on Tuesday as he suffered a leg injury during pregame warm-ups. Josh Harding was great in net as Backstrom’s replacement after only appearing in five games during the regular season.

Harding’s small work load this season was due to being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last summer but he hasn’t let it affect him going forward into the playoffs.

Backstrom’s status for Friday night’s contest has yet to be announced but it doesn’t look like head coach Mike Yeo has any problem sticking with Harding.

“Phenomenal,” Yeo said about his backup’s performance in Game 1. ”It’s hard to sit here and try to paint an accurate picture of what he’s gone through, because I have no idea, we have no idea. He’s a guy that, certainly, for many reasons you’re rooting for.”

The Wild will look to erase Tuesday’s defeat with a win of their own of Friday to return home with a split. The Blackhawks have other plans as they hope to make it out of the first round for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2009-10.

Can the Minnesota Wild even the series on Friday or will the Chicago Blackhawks begin pulling away in the first round of the NHL playoffs?

NHL Playoffs: Blackhawks Beat Wild 2-1 In OT [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The NHL playoff schedule has officially been released after the regular season came to a close Sunday night. The Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins lead the field while the Minnesota Wild found a way to sneak in with the final spot in the West.

The lockout-shortened season made for quite the finish as multiple teams had a shot at the playoffs in the final month. The New York Rangers and New York Islanders made headlines in the Eastern Conference while the Wild and Detroit Red Wings held off the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final two spots in the West.

The Islanders lost their last three games of the season but managed to hold on to the final spot in the East. The Winnipeg Jets were in striking distance but lost their last two games to give the Islanders their first playoff berth since 2007.

The Rangers jumped the Ottawa Senators during the last week of play for the sixth seed, just one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for fifth. The Boston Bruins finished a point behind the Montreal Canadiens in the Northeast and hold the fourth seed.

The Canadiens grabbed the second spot behind the Penguins while the red-hot Washington Capitals won eight of their last 10 games to seal up the third seed. The Western Conference race was just as tight though the Blackhawks ran away with 77 points for the top spot.

The Blue Jackets won each of their last three games to draw even in points at 55 with the Wild. Minnesota was given the tie-breaker due to having more regulation and overtime wins.

The Detroit Red Wings clinched the seventh seed for their 22nd consecutive playoff appearance, more than any team of any professional sport. The Los Angeles Kings, defending Stanley Cup champions, finished two points ahead of the San Jose Sharks for fifth while the St. Louis Blues won their last three to finish fourth.

The Vancouver Canucks ended the season as the only team in the Northwest division with a positive goal difference at plus-six and clinched the third seed. The top two spots in the West have really never changed as the Anaheim Ducks locked up the second seed behind the story of the year in the Blackhawks.

Chicago started the season on a remarkable run by gaining at least one point in 24 straight games. The Blackhawks started 21-0-3 before losing to the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 in regulation on March 8th.

It’s been a race to the finish ever since and the playoffs have finally arrived. Here is the complete NHL playoff schedule along with television spots as first round match-ups begin Tuesday:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 8 New York Islanders

Game 1: at Pittsburgh, May 1, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN, TSN
Game 2: at Pittsburgh, May 3, 7 p.m., NBCSN, TSN
Game 3: at New York, May 5, 12 p.m., NBC, TSN
Game 4: at New York, May 7, 7 p.m., NBCSN, TSN
Game 5: at Pittsburgh, May 9, 7 p.m., TBD
Game 6: at New York, May 11, TBD
Game 7: at Pitsburgh, May 12, TBD

No. 2 Montreal Canadiens vs. No. 7 Ottawa Senators

Game 1: at Montreal, May 2, 7 p.m., CNBC, CBC, RDS
Game 2: at Montreal, May 3, 7 p.m., CNBC, CBC, RDS
Game 3: at Ottawa, May 5, 7 p.m., NBCSN, CBC, RDS
Game 4: at Ottawa, May 7, 7 p.m., CNBC, CBC, RDS
Game 5: at Montreal, May 9, 7 p.m., CBC
Game 6: at Ottawa, May 11, CBC
Game 7: at Montreal, May 12, CBC

No. 3 Washington Capitals vs. No. 6 New York Rangers

Game 1: at Washington, May 2, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN, TSN
Game 2: at Washington, May 4, 12:30 p.m., NBC, TSN
Game 3: at New York, May 6, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN, TSN
Game 4: at New York, May 8, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN, TSN
Game 5: at Washington, May 10, 7:30 p.m., TBD
Game 6: at New York, May 12, TBD
Game 7: at Washington, May 13, TBD

No. 4 Boston Bruins vs. No. 5 Toronto Maple Leafs

Game 1: at Boston, May 1, 7 p.m., CNBC, CBC, RDS
Game 2: at Boston, May 4, 7 p.m., CNBC, CBC, RDS
Game 3: at Toronto, May 6, 7 p.m., NHLN, CBC, RDS
Game 4: at Toronto, May 8, 7 p.m., NHLN, CBC, RDS
Game 5: at Boston, May 10, 7 p.m., CBC
Game 6: at Toronto, May 12, TBD, CBC
Game 7: at Boston, May 13, TBD, CBC

WESTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Chicago Blackhawks vs. No. 8 Minnesota Wild

Game 1: at Chicago, April 30, 8 p.m., NBCSN, CBC
Game 2: at Chicago, May 3, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN, CBC
Game 3: at Minnesota, May 5, 3 p.m., NBC, CBC
Game 4: at Minnesota, May 7, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN, CBC
Game 5: at Chicago, May 9, TBD
Game 6: at Minnesota, May 11, TBD
Game 7: at Chicago, May 12, TBD

No. 2 Anaheim Ducks vs. No. 7 Detroit Red Wings

Game 1: at Anaheim, April 30, 10:30 p.m., NBCSN, TSN
Game 2: at Anaheim, May 2, 10 p.m., NBCSN, TSN
Game 3: at Detroit, May 4, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN, TSN
Game 4: at Detroit, May 6, 8 p.m., CNBC, TSN
Game 5: at Anaheim, May 8, 10 p.m., TBD
Game 6: at Detroit, May 10 TBD
Game 7: at Anaheim, May 12, TBD

No. 3 Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks

Game 1: at Vancouver, May 1, 10:30 p.m., NBCSN, TSN
Game 2: at Vancouver, May 3, 10 p.m., CNBC, TSN
Game 3: at San Jose, May 5, 10 p.m., NBCSN, TSN
Game 4: at San Jose, May 7, 10 p.m., CNBC, TSN
Game 5: at Vancouver, May 9, 10 p.m.
Game 6: at San Jose, May 11, TBD
Game 7: at Vancouver, May 13, TBD

No. 4 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Kings

Game 1: at St. Louis, April 30, 8 p.m., CNBC, CBC
Game 2: at St. Louis, May 2, 9:30 p.m., CNBC, CBC
Game 3: at Los Angeles, May 4, 10 p.m., NBCSN, CBC
Game 4: at Los Angeles, May 6, 10 p.m., NBCSN, CBC
Game 5: at St. Louis, May 8, TBD
Game 6: at Los Angeles, May 10, TBD
Game 7: at St. Louis, May 13, TBD

NHL Playoff Schedule Released As Season Comes To A Close is a post from: The Inquisitr

Joe Sacco was fired today by the Colorado Avalanche.

Sacco has been coaching the Avalanche since 2009. He lead the team to the Stanley Cup during his first season as head coach but has failed to make the playoffs every year since then.

General manager Greg Sherman said:

“The organization believes a change of leadership behind the bench is needed going forward … Joe has worked for this franchise for eight seasons and he is a dedicated and hard-working coach. We appreciate all he has done and wish him the best in the future.”

The Avalanche had a rough season this year. They never won more than two games in a row and with the exception of the first four games of the season, the Avalanche were never about .500.

The team ended their season this year in 29th place with a 16-25-7 record.

Sacco’s time with the Avalanche started strong but he has never been able to match the success of his first season as head coach. Sacco will leave the Avalanche with a 130-134-30 record in four seasons.

The Avalanche has announced that head coach Joe Sacco has been relieved of his duties.

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 28, 2013

Sacco has coached his last game with the Avalanche but he isn’t done coaching this year. He’ll lead the US squad at the World Championships later this week with Avalanche players Paul Stastny and Erik Johnson.

Joe Sacco Fired By Avalanche is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ryan Miller said his fate with the Buffalo Sabres is out of his hands.

The All-Star goalie just played his 500th game with the team in its season finale, with Miller fittingly carrying the Sabres to a 2-1 shootout win over the playoff-bound New York Islanders. It’s been a common theme since Miller took over in 2006, with the goalie taking the lead and willing an otherwise mediocre team to a victory.

The Sabres just ended a disappointing season, missing the playoffs for the fourth time in the last six years, and it could mean the end of the road for Miller. The team fired head coach Lindy Ruff early in the strike-shortened season and go into this offseason with a great degree of long-term uncertainty.

Facing what could be a one- to two-year rebuilding process, many expect the Sabres to trade Miller in the offseason to a contender.

Miller, who has one year left on his contract, has said publicly that he would like to return but added that it’s not his decision.

“My status, it’s really up to [General Manager Darcy Regier] and the direction they’re going to go,” Miller said. “It’s definitely signs of a little bit of a shift in the long-term plan, so I don’t know. … Ultimately, it’s not going to be up to me. We’ll see.”

Ryan Miller appears to be expecting a trade. The goaltender recently put his Buffalo townhouse up for sale, though he has been spending the offseasons away from Buffalo since joining the team.

In other years that meant returning to his native Michigan, but now that Miller has gotten married to actress Noureen Dewulf, he spends the summer months in Los Angeles. Facing such a long distance, Miller may be looking for a trade to a Western Conference team.

Whatever happened, Miller seemed resigned to his fate.

“If it’s to be in Buffalo, I’m going to savor my whole career somewhere I like to be. That’s great,” Ryan Miller. “If it’s somewhere else, I’m going to have to accept it and move on. That’s sports.”

Ryan Miller: Future With Buffalo Sabres ‘Not Up To Me’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke is suing 18 internet commenters for character assassination in connection with a rumor about Hazel Mae that he says is a lie.

Various websites, Twitter postings, and other social media outlets had put forth the theory that Burke was fired by Toronto because he hooked up with sportscaster Hazel Mae and got her pregnant. In his lawsuit, Burke contends those allegations are false and defamatory. Hazel Mae works for Rogers Sportsnet; prior to that she anchored on NESN and then the MLB Network.

Burke’s lawsuit, which was filed in British Columbia Supreme Court, contends that the defamatory comments on the internet about the Hazel Mae relationship (or more accurately, non-relationship) were made with the knowledge that they were false or with reckless disregard to the truth. Burk is seeking to recover a wide range of money damages as well as an injunction against an further defamatory postings.

The former NHL executive’s legal team doesn’t know the actual identities of the named “John Doe” defendants so the legal papers only identifies them for now by their screen names as placeholders. If the lawsuit continues into the discovery phase, Burke may be able to obtain their actual identities.

Burke’s lawyer ad this to say about the legal action against the Internet posters: “A lot of people think that they can with impunity say whatever outrageous things on the Internet and nobody’s ever going to be able to find them or hold them accountable. Brian is going to hold them accountable … Brian has decided that it is time to stop people who post comments on the Internet from thinking they can fabricate wild stories with impunity.”

Burke currently works as a scout for the Anaheim Ducks.

Presumably Canadian law is similar to that of the US where it is very difficult for someone considered a public figure (i.e., a celebrity) to recover damages for defamation  unless there is a finding of “actual malice” on the part of the person or organization that published the stories in question.  Burke’s lawsuit does contain an “actual and express malice” claim.

Do you think Burke’s lawsuit holds water or is he on thin ice in going ofter anonymous internet posters for allegedly lying about him?

Brian Burke Sues Internet Commenters Over Hazel Mae Rumor is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jochen Hecht has decided to hang up his skates after 14 seasons in the NHL, leaving the Buffalo Sabres to return to his home country.

The German forward announced his retirement after the team’s 2-1 shootout win over the New York Islanders on Friday, which closed out the season for the Sabres.

Jochen Hecht said he made the decision to retire a week ago, around the time the Sabres were officially eliminated from playoff contention. This is now the fourth time in the last six seasons that Buffalo has failed to reach the playoffs, and the team is looking at at least one more year of rebuilding before it can contend again.

As he announces his retirement, Jochen Hecht said he plans to return to his native Germany where he and his wife will raise their children.

“It’s best for everybody to start a new life,” Hecht said of his decision to retire from the NHL.

Jochen Hecht started his NHL career playing for the Edmonton Oilers with a stop in St. Lois before being traded to Buffalo in 2002. He has been a staple on the Buffalo roster since then, serving as captain in 2007 and 2008 and notching a career-high 56 points in 2006-2007, when the Sabres won the President’s Cup. Hecht finishes his NHL career with 186 goals and 463 points in 833 career games.

Hecht may not be the only longtime Buffalo Sabres player departing from the team. There are rumors that the team will unload Ryan Miller in the offseason, swinging a trade to get as much value as they can before the netminder becomes an unrestricted free agent after next season. With the Sabres headed into a rebuilding season the 32-year-old goalie could also use a fresh start with a team ready to contend for the Stanley Cup.

Before he retired, Jochen Hecht got a nice parting gift from the Buffalo Sabres and interim head coach Ron Rolston. Hecht was selected as the final shootout participant for Buffalo, but failed to score.

Jochen Hecht To Retire From NHL, Return To Germany is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ryan Miller played his 500th game with the Buffalo Sabres on Friday, and there’s a more than good chance it will be his last with the club.

Miller had 30 saves to lead the Sabres to a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders in a shootout. Though the Islanders are playoff bound, the Sabres ended a disappointing season at 21-21-6 and missed out on the playoffs.

After firing Lindy Ruff earlier in the year and trading away a number of their players for draft picks and prospects, the Sabres are clearly a team in flux. Facing the possibility of a 1-2 year rebuilding process before they are once again a contender, and with Ryan Miller entering the last year of the contract, the Sabres are expected to trade the franchise netminder in the offseason.

As a sign that Ryan Miller is likely to leave, the goalie has put up his Elmwood Village townhouse for sale.

Ryan Miller hasn’t been spending his offseasons in Buffalo anyway. He used to return to his native Michigan, but now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Noureen Dewulf. But still the townhouse listing seems a sure sign that Ryan Miller will be traded before the start of the 2013-14 season.

Miller bought the three bedroom, four bath townhouse for $348,500 back in May 2006, as he was leading the team on an unlikely run to the Eastern Conference Finals. That year the Sabres came within 20 minutes of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, but their injury-depleted defense couldn’t hold a lead against the Carolina Hurricanes.

That seems like decades ago for Sabres fans. After winning the President’s Cup the next year (but again falling apart in the Eastern Conference Finals), the team has struggled and only made the playoffs two times in the previous six seasons. Though the Olympian netminder has been able to keep the team competitive, Ryan Miller will likely be traded to a Cup contending team this offseason.

Ryan Miller Trade Rumor: Goaltender Has Likely Played Last Game With Buffalo Sabres is a post from: The Inquisitr

Seth Jones has a famous sport lineage, but a background very rare for his sport.

The top NHL prospect is the son of former NBA player Popeye Jones, and later this year is likely to become the first African-American player selected No. 1 in the NHL entry draft. With the potential to become one of the sport’s biggest stars and bring hockey to a new and largely untapped market, many people are starting to take notice of Seth Jones.

Count Jay-Z as one of them. The hip-hop mogul has reportedly targeted Jones to become a member of his Roc Nation Sports marketing team. There’s a good chance it could happen — his dad is already represented by CAA, Roc Nation’s partner.

“When Seth comes to the NHL draft [in Newark, NJ] in June, his family, agents at CAA and Roc Nation are going to have a powwow to see if he’ll sign with them,” a source told the New York Post.

While he’s set to make a splash on American television sets, Seth Jones has ahlready made quite a name for himself on the ice. As a defenseman for the Portland Winterhawks, he’s shined with his gritty play and two-way playing skills. His game has helped Jones become the top-rated player in Central Scouting’s final NHL Draft rankings.

Popeye Jones recognizes the potential his son has to introduce hockey to a new audience.

“The way Amy and I always raised our boys, we told them they had the best of both worlds, they were black and white,’’ Popeye Jones said. “We never had any racial issues. … we’ve discussed this, and I think Amy and I know, and Seth knows, that he’s probably looked at more as an African-American player. That’s fine, he accepts that responsibility and understands he has a chance to help grow the game and hopefully bring more inner-city kids into the sport.’’

Seth Jones has already started doing that. The African-American phenom has yet to be drafted in the NHL, but already has non-hockey outlets interested in his debut in the big leagues.

Seth Jones: African-American Hockey Phenom Getting Interest From Jay-Z is a post from: The Inquisitr

Duncan Keith has stirred up a bit of controversy with remarks to a female reporter that are being viewed as sexist.

The Chicago Blackhawks defenseman was talking to a reporter after his team’s loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday when he appeared to call her out for her gender.

Keith was asked by reporter Karen Thomson about a play in which he gave a solid slash to Canucks forward Daniel Sedin, who scored a goal on the play.

Here is the exchange:

Keith: “What did you see?”

Thomson: “Well, there it looked like there was a penalty that went undetected. You seemed a bit frustrated.”

Keith: “Oh, no. I don’t think there was. I think he scored a nice goal, and that’s what the ref saw. Maybe we should get you as a ref maybe, hey?

Thomson: “Yeah, maybe. Can’t skate though.”

Keith: “First female referee. Can’t probably play either, right? But you’re thinking the game, like you know it? Seeya.”

The remarks didn’t sit well with Greg Wyshynski of the Yahoo! Sports blog Puck Daddy. He wrote that it was “oafish and demeaning,” though he didn’t believe that was Keith’s intention.

“His intention was to do what many pro athletes backed into a corner do, which is to accuse the journalist pestering them of being a clueless moron because they ‘never played the game,’ “ Wyshynski wrote, adding “(Which must suck for science writers, who are summarily disqualified from opining about the Rover because they’ve never been to [expletive] Mars …)”

For her part, Thomson seemed to handle the Duncan Keith comments well, later tweeting:

So I think my exchange with Duncan Keith is renewing the #Canucks #Blackhawks rivalry! Lol #heldmyown

— Karen Thomson (@KJT1040) April 23, 2013

Ultimately, Karen Thomson didn’t seem too hurt by Duncan Keith’s remarks. She later tweeted, “hockey is an emotional game and things are often said in the heat of the moment,” adding that she had “moved on.”

Duncan Keith In Hot Water For Sexist Remarks is a post from: The Inquisitr

The New York Rangers have officially knocked the New Jersey Devils out of the Eastern Conference playoff race with a 4-1 win on Sunday. The Devils looked to be back on track and in the playoff hunt after a 3-0 shutout win over the Philadelphia Flyers last week, but the Rangers cut their run short after jumping on the Devils early in the first period Sunday afternoon.

Ryan Callahan opened up the scoring for the Rangers with his 13th goal of the season just 34 seconds into the game. The Rangers were pushing the play behind the net when Devils’ goaltender Martin Brodeur lost sight of the puck.

Callahan picked up the puck near the right post while Brodeur was looking left and tapped it in for an early lead. Derek Stepan would make it a two-goal lead 12 minutes in when he found the back of the net for his 16th goal of the lockout-shortened season.

Taylor Pyatt made it 3-0 Rangers midway through the second period, which stood until the 5:13 mark of the third. Callahan then netted his second of the game on the powerplay to put away the Devils for good.

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 26-of-27 shots he faced on Sunday for his 22nd win of the season. The Rangers are now three points ahead of the Winnipeg Jets for the final playoff spot in the East.

The Devils lone goal came late in the third period as Andrei Loktionov scored his eighth of the season with seven minutes left in the game. New Jersey took nine shots in the final frame but couldn’t bridge the gap after falling behind in the first two periods.

The 4-1 loss will keep the Devils from returning to the playoffs after making a run to the finals last season. The Devils went on to lose to the Los Angeles Kings in six games but were expected to contend again this year.

Those expectations were not met as the Devils will miss the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Martin Brodeur has been between the pipes for the Devils for each of the past 20 seasons but his return next year is still up in the air.

Rangers coach John Tortorella noted that his team picked up the pace at the right time, and it showed in their offensive output on Sunday.

“I thought our whole team played pretty well away from the puck,” Tortorella said after the big win. “We scored some timely goals.”

The Rangers have three games left to hold off the Jets for the final playoff spot in the East and next face the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. The Panthers have lost six straight games and haven’t been in the playoff discussion for over a month.

Can the New York Rangers hold on to the final playoff spot in the East after gaining momentum with a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Rangers Knock Devils Out Of Playoff Race With 4-1 Win is a post from: The Inquisitr

Los Angeles, CA — Tommy Lasorda dissed Jack Johnson of the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets during the ceremonial puck drop on Thursday night before a Los Angeles Kings home game.

Was Lasorda in a non-verbal way saying “puck you” to Johnson?

The occasion of the Tommy Lasorda-Jack Johnson “cold” shoulder was Los Angeles Dodgers Pride Night at the Staples Center. After the brief ceremony, Lasorda shook hands with Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown who was representing the home team in the ceremony, but completely ignored Johnson, a former Kings player who is a Blue Jackets captain. In the video below, you can see the smile on Johnson’s face, so he good-naturedly took the diss in stride. “Lasorda, on hand for the ceremonial puck drop, has probably looked happier on his way to see the proctologist than he did as he waddled out to center ice where Dustin Brown and Jack Johnson were waiting. He chatted briefly with the Kings’ captain, dropped the biscuit, shook hands with Brown… and then turned his back and walked away, completely blowing off the Blue Jackets’ Johnson.”

It is customary of course for the puck dropper to shake hands with players from both teams.

Johnson, a defenseman who made his debut with Los Angeles in March 2007,  was traded away by the Kings in February 2012 and thereby missing being part of the Stanley Cup championship team. He was “relentlessly booed” during the Thursday night matchup, which was his first game back since the trade.

Baseball Hall of Famer Lasorda, 85, was the long-time manager of the MLB Dodgers. During his 20-years as skipper of the team, Lasorda won 1,599 games, two World Series, and four National League pennants. He ended his managerial career in 1996 shortly after suffering a heart attack.

Lasorda later explained why he snubbed Jack Johnson: “You do not talk to the opposition.”

The Kings won the hockey game against the Blue Jackets 2-1. The Kings also wore Dodger-themed jerseys during their pre-game warmup, and the gear will be auctioned off for charity.

Watch Tommy Lasorda ignore Jack Johnson during the ceremonial puck drop:

Tommy Lasorda Ignores Jack Johnson During Ceremonial Puck Drop [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The New Jersey Devils got their first win of April on Thursday in a 3-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Brodeur was in net for the Devils and got his second shutout of the season to hold off elimination for another day.

The Devils are currently six points back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with five games left to play. Two of their final five games are against the New York Rangers, who are clinging to the final playoff spot.

The Devils will need to win out and receive some help from other teams if they hope to sneak into the playoffs. The Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres are also looking to make a move on the Rangers in the final week. It should make for a wild finish in the Eastern Conference as all four teams are within six points of eighth place.

Martin Brodeur made things easy for his team on Thursday as he went on to make 23 saves for his 11th win of the season. Brodeur now has 121 career shutouts for the most all-time in the NHL.

Ryan Carter opened up the scoring for the Devils just over five minutes into the second period. Carter scored after a turnover in the neutral zone that led to a two-on-one break with Brian Gionta.

Gionta hit Carter with a pass as they crossed the blue line and Carter beat Flyers’ netminder Ilya Bryzgalov to the blocker-side. Midway through the second, the Flyers’  Jakub Voracek got a rebound off a shot from the point that hit off his skate and went in the net past Brodeur.

After review, the goal was called off and the Devils lead remained 1-0. The Devils’ lead would stay at one until late in the third period.

Matt D’Agostini caught a break and beat Bryzgalov to the short-side to give the Devils a 2-0 lead with five minutes remaining in the contest. The Flyers failed to respond and Adam Henrique finished them off with an empty net goal in the final minutes.

Carter’s goal in the first would end up being the game-winner as the Devils snapped a 10-game winless streak. Is the gap between the New Jersey Devils and eighth place too much to make-up in the final five games, or can Martin Brodeur and company find a way to return to the playoffs in 2013?

[Image via James Teterenko]

Devils Shutout Flyers 3-0, Snap 10-Game Winless Streak is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Montreal Canadiens right-winger Ryan White has been suspended five games by the NHL for a check to the head of Kent Huskins in the Canadiens 7-3 lopsided loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. White is now the second player to be suspended five games for an inappropriate hit this season with Patrick Kaleta of the Buffalo Sabres.

Kent Huskins was bringing the puck from behind his own net to start a Flyers’ breakout when he was hit in the head by the Canadiens young winger. White led with his shoulder and connected with Huskins before finding himself in a scrum near the boards.

Kurtis Foster immediately reacted to White’s hit and speared him into the ground before a scuffle ensued.  The linesman jumped in quickly to break-up the fight as Kent Huskins laid flat on the ice in pain.

Huskins took his time getting up and looked okay after the hit but will miss the rest of the season with a concussion. White was ejected from the contest and will now miss the next five games.

The Canadiens could use White’s aggressive play as they are currently on a three-game losing streak. Montreal is also tied atop the Northeast division with the Boston Bruins at 57 points.

Philadelphia went on to blow out the Canadiens after a dominating performance in the Flyers’ four-goal second period as the NHL focused on the devastating hit by White. Here’s video of White’s head shot on Kent Huskins:

The NHL has made it known that players may not extend off the ice to make a check, especially on open ice. These types of hits can cost a player their career and can be avoided with clean checks to the body.

The NHL met with Ryan White for a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday and made the decision to suspend him for the reckless blow to Huskins. The NHL made a statement after the hearing and noted that “White will forfeit $18,581.10″ of his salary during the suspension.

White will be eligible to return to the ice on April 27th for the Canadiens final regular season game as his suspension began Wednesday night while his team faced the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins sent the Canadiens home with a 6-4 loss after Peter Pudaj struggled in net and was relieved after the first period.

Ryan White has just one point on the season as he scored a goal against the New Jersey Devils in late January. He’s appeared in 25 games this year and is second on the team with 67 penalty minutes.

Should Ryan White have been suspended for longer than five games after his reckless head shot on Kent Huskins?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Canadiens’ Ryan White Suspended Five Games For Hit On Kent Huskins [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Boston Bruins 3-2 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres was overshadowed by one of the most powerful moments in sports history. Just before the puck dropped Wednesday night, the 17,000-plus in attendance at TD Garden sang one of the greatest renditions of the national anthem.

The Boston community was struck with tragedy early this week when multiple explosions went off at the Boston Marathon. Three people were killed during the bombings and over 130 people were injured.

The Bruins game Wednesday was the first major sporting event in the city since the bombings, and the “Bostonians” provided a moment Americans will never forget.

The night started with a moment of silence for all those affected by the Boston Marathon Tragedy before an emotional video montage was played. After the video, famous anthem singer Rene Rancourt took the ice and began the national anthem.

The crowd joined in immediately, and Rancourt respectfully gave them the spotlight.  Rancourt has been singing the national anthem at Boston Bruins’ games for the past 35 years, and last night’s rendition will go down as his most memorable after only singing the first few lines.

He understood the moment and conducted the fans as if they were an orchestra. American flags waved and everyone sang along before finishing with a roar that could be felt across the nation. Here’s video of the 17,000 strong belting out one of the most beautiful renditions of the national anthem:

For one moment, Boston was smiling again and hope had been restored. The crowd ended the anthem with “Let’s Go Boston” chants before the game began and the chanting never stopped once the puck dropped.

With emotions high, the Bruins jumped out to an early lead when Daniel Paille scored just over five minutes into the first period. The Sabres responded later in the period as Thomas Vanek netted his 17th goal of the season on the powerplay.

The Bruins took the lead in the second before giving it back in the third off another Sabres’ powerplay. The two teams played an even overtime before the Sabres’ Drew Stafford scored the lone shootout goal to end the game.

Once the game had ended, both teams met at center ice and raised their sticks to the air in a salute to the Boston community. The crowd owned the moment as they did the anthem and began chanting “USA, USA” until both teams left the ice.

This wasn’t the first time a Boston crowd has sung the national anthem as they did it at Fenway Park during a Red Sox game in 2007. The anthem that day was sung by an autistic man who had struggled before Red Sox nation gave him some support. Here’s the video:

It will take time for Boston to heal, but Wednesday night’s display was a heart-felt moment of relief for everyone. It wasn’t about a hockey game or sports in general for that matter. It was about a community banded together for the long road of recovery ahead.

“Boston Strong.”

[Image via Wikimedia Commons]

Powerful Moment As Boston Bruins’ Crowd Sings National Anthem [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The NHL is reportedly close to announcing plans for six outdoor contests in the 2013-2014 season, expanding the league’s popular Winter Classic series to a number of football and baseball stadiums.

The series will kick off with the Winter Classic, played on New Year’s Day in Ann Arbor, Michigan between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs. The game will be a makeup, as the original contest was scheduled for January 1, 2013 but canceled as the NHL lockout stretched into the season.

The series will also reportedly include games in New York, Chicago, Vancouver, and even warm weather Los Angeles.

A source close to the league said the NHL hopes to announce the six outdoor games within the next week.

Three of the games will reportedly be played in the days leading up to Super Bowl XLVII at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The NHL would reportedly try to capitalize off the media attention by having the New York Rangers play two outdoor games at Yankee Stadium against the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders.

The other games would be played during Hockey Weekend Across America at the end of February, with the Chicago Blackhawks taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field and Vancouver Canucks hosting the Ottawa Senators.

The NHL had already announced its intention for multiple outdoor games. At a press conference unveiling the 2014 Winter Clasic, the leagues chief operating officer John Collins said there would definitely be more outdoor games to come.

“It’s not necessarily a new conversation,” Collins said at the press conference. “We’ve been looking at this and talking about this for a while. But I think now we’re looking at it real hard.”

The NHL suffered a hit when it lost out on the Winter Classic in 2013, an event that has stretched its brand and earned much-needed national attention. Though some have expressed concern that multiple outdoor games could water down the Winter Classic, others see it as a smart move on the league’s part.

NHL Plans For Six Outdoor Games In 2014 To Go Along With Winter Classic is a post from: The Inquisitr