Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. NEW YORK — The New York Rangers entered Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals with their adrenaline still pumping from Monday’s Game 7 win at the Carolina Hurricanes. The Tampa Bay Lightning, in contrast, hit the ice for the first time since completing a sweep of the Florida Panthers way back on […]

Whether Avalanche goalie Darcy Kuemper plays in Thursday’s Game 2 against Edmonton in the Western Conference finals is uncertain. “We’ll see,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said Wednesday. “I don’t know yet.” Kuemper, who sustained an “upper-body” injury early in the second period of Colorado’s 8-6 victory in Game 1 on Tuesday night, pulled himself out of the game during a […]

Emily Kaplan is ESPN’s national NHL reporter. The 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs are down to their final four teams, as the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning battle it out in the East, while the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers match up in the West — and if Game 1 of that series is any indication, we’re in for […]

Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. RALEIGH, N.C. — The New York Rangers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 7 on Monday night, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals to face the Tampa Bay Lightning. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 36 saves for this second win in a Game 7 during the playoffs. Forward Chris Kreider scored twice, while […]

What to watch in the Colorado Avalanche’s third-round NHL Western Conference playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers: Who has the edge? Forwards The Avalanche and Oilers ranked fourth and seventh, respectively, in goals per game in the regular season (3.76 and 3.55). In the playoffs, both high-octane offenses have shifted into a higher gear — the Oilers-Avalanche are 1-2 in […]

The Avalanche enters the Western Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers not quite as healthy as it was in the first two rounds of the postseason, but similarly deep and dangerous. Colorado’s lone injury is to defenseman Sam Girard, who broke his sternum in Game 3 against the St. Louis Blues in the conference semifinals and will miss the rest […]

Nazem Kadri said that the post-series handshake line with the St. Louis Blues on Friday night at the Enterprise Center was predictably cordial. “Handshake line was fine,” he said after the Avalanche’s Sunday practice at Ball Arena. “Most hockey players leave whatever happened on the ice on the ice and I think there was a lot of respect for each […]

Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. NEW YORK — The New York Rangers defeated the Hurricanes 5-2 in Game 6 on Saturday night, extending Carolina’s playoff road losing streak to six games. But Game 7 is back in Raleigh on Monday night, where the Hurricanes have won all seven games this postseason — and where they eliminated the Boston […]

ST. LOUIS — Darren Helm might deserve a new nickname, “Hallelujah Helm.” The former Detroit Red Wings forward became a Colorado hero Friday night, scoring with 5.6 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Avalanche to its first Western Conference finals since 2002. Helm’s slap shot from the left circle gave the Avs a 3-2 victory over St. Louis in […]

The NHL released the complete Oilers-Avalanche Western Conference Finals series schedule on Friday night. Colorado’s Game 1 against Edmonton will be on Tuesday at Ball Arena. The best-of-seven schedule: Game 1: Oilers at Avalanche, Tuesday, May 31, 6 p.m. TNT Game 2: Oilers at Avalanche, Thursday, June 2, 6 p.m. TNT Game 3: Avalanche at Oilers, Saturday, June 4, 6 […]