Jake Evans of the Canadiens took a massive, dirty hit from Mark Schiefele of the Jets at the end of Montreal’s Game 1 win over Winnipeg. As Evans laid on the ice helplessly after the empty-net goal and hit to the head, a scrum broke out right next to him. His teammates were trying to get even with Schiefele, but Evans […]

Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans was taken off the ice on a stretcher following a hard hit from Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele in the final seconds of Wednesday night’s second-round playoff series opener. With 56.9 seconds remaining in Montreal’s 5-3 Game 1 victory in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Evans scored an empty-net goal on […]

Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. With their thrilling Game 7 victory over the heavily favored Toronto Maple Leafs, the Montreal Canadiens earned a spot in the North Division final. They’ll face the Winnipeg Jets, who had a significantly shorter experience in Round 1, but one that was no less impressive. They swept the Edmonton Oilers, while largely quieting […]

As the Stanley Cup playoffs continue to roll along, the NHL is announcing the finalists for the 2021 NHL Awards.  Several players have emerged as the names to look for when award winners are finally announced. Oilers’ center Connor McDavid looks like the heavy favorite to win the Hart Memorial Trophy over other top contenders such as the Leafs’ Auston Matthews, […]

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell was distraught after the Montreal Canadiens' series-clinching 3-1 victory in Game 7 on Monday night. A shot from Brendan Gallagher squeezed through his legs to give the Canadiens a 1-0 lead in the second period and Montreal went on to complete a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.  "It’s just tough," Campbell said in […]

Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. The Toronto Maple Leafs flopped in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Again. Blowing a 3-1 series lead, Toronto dropped a 3-1 decision in Game 7 of the North Division semifinals to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night on home ice, in the first playoff meeting between the rivals in 42 years. “It’s really hard […]

The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs square off Monday night (7 p.m. ET, CNBC) in the first Game 7 between the historic rivals since the 1964 playoffs.   Of course, just a few days ago it seemed unlikely the series would get to this point. The Leafs led the series 3-1 entering Game 5 in Toronto … and then the Habs […]

When the Avalanche sends out its power-play personnel Sunday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, there will be a sight as familiar as a Nathan MacKinnon one-timer or a Gabe Landeskog deflection: The drop pass. Ever since coach Jared Bednar was on the staff of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate in Springfield, Mass., nearly a decade ago, using the […]

The Toronto Maple Leafs aren't actually doing this, right?  That's the question on every hockey fan's mind after the Maple Leafs squandered an opportunity to advance to the second round with Thursday's 4-3 overtime setback to the Montreal Canadiens.  After fighting back from a 3-0 hole to force OT, the Leafs – who took the ice at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena with a 3-1 […]

Pittsburgh Penguins stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have won three Stanley Cups together. But since their last championship in 2017, they have won one playoff round. And the new management team of Ron Hextall and Brian Burke will have to figure out how to proceed after the Penguins unexpectedly won a division title but lost in the first […]