LOS ANGELES — Tired legs still led to two points. The Avalanche wasn’t nearly at its best through a consecutive-night stretch but used strong goaltending and timely goals to finish 2-0 on its Southern California road trip. The Avs capped their SoCal sweep with a 4-1 victory on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Western Conference-leading Colorado, […]

A call to Toronto and success in the shootout helped the Avalanche extend its club-record home winning streak to 14 games Monday afternoon at Ball Arena. Nathan MacKinnon’s go-ahead goal with 3:32 remaining put the Avs ahead. Although the Minnesota Wild tied the game shortly thereafter, the Avs remained perfect in a shootout and skated off 4-3 winners over their […]

It doesn’t take an astute hockey mind to appreciate the explosive, electric play of Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, who routinely produces the sort of highlight plays of superstar forwards. But when it comes to his top-pair partner, Devon Toews, you’ve got to dig into the details to appreciate his play. The 6-foot-1,191-pound blueliner is a master at possessing the puck […]

For the first time in a seven-game stretch, the red-hot Avalanche on Saturday collected points without using a comeback. Colorado improved to 6-0-1 in its last seven games by dominating the Arizona Coyotes 5-0 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. “I liked the way played throughout the whole 60 minutes, the consistency of our game. And it helps when […]

The rosters for the 2022 NHL All-Star Game were announced Thursday, captained by Auston Matthews (Atlantic), Alex Ovechkin (Metropolitan), Nathan MacKinnon (Central) and Connor McDavid (Pacific). There’s no shortage of star power — on the 10-man rosters and the “last man in” voting group for each division — but a number of talented players are notable for their absence from […]

Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. Patrik Laine is a winger for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Depending on what he’s wearing to the game, he is also a James Bond villain, an extra from “The Matrix” or the DJ at a club that’s strictly for vampires. These were some of the reactions to Laine’s pregame fits, from the purple […]

Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. Walt Disney World is currently celebrating its 50th birthday, having opened roughly four months before Jaromir Jagr was born. To honor this magical place, and with no small amount of corporate synergy, we’ve decided to use this week’s NHL power rankings to match all 32 teams with the Disney World attractions — rides, […]

Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. Jack Eichel said he was like a kid on Christmas morning during his first skate with the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. “It’s a bit of an emotional moment for me. Another step in the process,” he said after practice. “I know it’s only an optional morning skate. But after everything that I’ve […]

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar calls catchup hockey losing hockey. But lately, his team has had extraordinary success playing from behind. The slow-starting Avs on Monday night used another comeback to win its fifth consecutive game and extend its club-record home winning streak to 12 games. The losing goalie: Philipp Grubauer, who took more money to sign with the expansion Seattle […]

Emily Kaplan is ESPN’s national NHL reporter. The San Jose Sharks placed Evander Kane on waivers on Saturday, and told him they plan to terminate his contract for “breach” and for violating the AHL COVID-19 protocols. Other teams will have the opportunity to claim Kane in the next 24 hours. If he goes unclaimed, the Sharks will terminate the remainder […]