Bubble hockey champions: Tampa Bay Lightning win Stanley CupVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — The Tampa Bay Lightning are the champions of bubble hockey. Brayden Point scored his playoff-best 14th goal and the Lightning beat the Dallas Stars 2-0 on Monday night to win the Stanley Cup and finish off the most unusual NHL postseason in history, staged nearly entirely in...
Bubble won’t be back for full 2020-21 NHL season
EDMONTON, Alberta — The 64 days spent in the NHL playoff bubble feel like six months to Barclay Goodrow. “It’s tough,” the Tampa Bay Lightning forward said. “It’s been a grind.” It’s a grind he and players won’t do again next season. The league and Players’ Association will meet within...
Underdog Stars, Lightning both confident going into Game 6 of Cup FinalVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — After an un-Dallas Stars-like first overtime period in which they sat back and let the Tampa Bay Lightning take it to them, players and coaches in the locker room had a distinct message. “We’ve got to play to win. Let’s go at them. Let’s get back on...
Lightning miss out in OT for once and head to Game 6
EDMONTON, Alberta — The Tampa Bay Lightning missed a chance for another overtime-clinching series victory, the kind they have enjoyed this entire postseason. They didn’t get a power-play goal, either, so the Stanley Cup Final is going at least one more game. “I thought we played a good enough game...
Kevin Shattenkirk scores in OT as Lightning go up 3-1 in Stanley Cup FinalVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Kevin Shattenkirk scored in overtime on a controversial power play, Brayden Point had two goals and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Dallas Stars, 5-4, on Friday night to take a 3-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final and move to the cusp of winning the...
Neighbor calls 911 when hockey fans yell ‘Shoot! Shoot!’
TAMPA, Fla. — A neighbor called sheriff’s deputies on some rabid Tampa Bay Lightning fans who were screaming “shoot! shoot!” as they watched Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final on television Wednesday night. The call prompted several Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies to show up at Devon Garnett’s apartment door....
Stamkos scores, leaves, Lightning beat Stars 5-2 in Game 3Video
EDMONTON, Alberta — Steven Stamkos scored on his first shot since February, left with injury and the Tampa Bay Lightning kept dominating without him, blowing the Dallas Stars out of an empty arena with a 5-2 rout in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night to take...
Stanley Cup Faceoff: Stars, Lightning showing value of draws
EDMONTON, Alberta — When Ron Francis knew something was working on faceoffs, he would experiment and not use his best moves right away. That was usually during the regular season. In the playoffs and in the Stanley Cup Final, the Hall of Fame center knows players can’t afford not to...
First Call: Pirates may ‘earn’ MLB top draft choice; NFL mask fines; former Penguins are NHL buyout targets
Wednesday’s “First Call” shows us that the Pirates may be in line for Kumar Rocker atop the MLB draft after all. We try to figure out when the NBA and NHL may restart for next season. And the NFL keeps handing out mask fines for coaches. Ready to Rock? ESPN’s...
Bubble crankiness ratchets up the nasty for Stars, Lightning in Stanley Cup FinalVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Pat Maroon shot a puck into the Dallas bench, nailing an opponent in the face. Victor Hedman tripped Corey Perry before a faceoff. Perry put Tampa Bay’s Cedric Paquette into a headlock before getting flipped over. The dislike is building quickly for the Stars and Lightning in...
Bubble watch: Nastiness between Stars, Lightning intensifies during Stanley Cup finalVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Pat Maroon shot a puck into the Dallas bench, nailing an opponent in the face. Victor Hedman tripped Corey Perry before a faceoff. Perry put Tampa Bay’s Cedric Paquette into a headlock before getting flipped over. The dislike quickly is building for the Stars and Lightning in...
Sharks confident Bob Boughner ready to lead team back to topVideo
The San Jose Sharks saw enough from Bob Boughner behind their bench last season to be confident he’s the coach to lead them back to the top. Sharks general manager Doug Wilson formally retained Boughner as San Jose’s coach Tuesday, removing the interim tag to make him the ninth full-time...
Lightning beat Stars 3-2 in Game 2, get even in Stanley CupVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Nikita Kucherov and the Tampa Bay Lightning got themselves up off the ice to get even in the Stanley Cup Final. Kucherov had the primary assists on power-play goals by Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat in the first period before Kevin Shattenkirk scored and the Lightning held...
Oilers’ Draisaitl is first German to win Hart as NHL MVPVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP on Monday after leading the league in scoring. Draisaitl is the first German player to win the Hart Trophy. The league announced its most prominent award winners before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup...
Slow-starting Lightning seek early spark vs Stars in Game 2
Blake Coleman and the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to have to focus on faster starts to games if they’re going to count on enjoying better finishes against the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Final. A Lightning team that led the NHL in scoring for a third straight season...
Stars hammer Tampa to open Stanley Cup Final
EDMONTON, Alberta — The well-rested Stars took it to the banged-up Tampa Bay Lightning hard and early, and goaltender Anton Khudobin closed it out with 22 third-period saves as Dallas won Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, 4-1, on Saturday night. Joel Hanley and Jamie Oleksiak continued the Stars’...
Gary Bettman: Next NHL season could start in December or January
EDMONTON, Alberta — NHL commissioner Gary Bettman raised the possibility of next season beginning after the tentatively planned Dec. 1 start date, even while the plan remains for each team to play 82 games and the league hold a full playoffs. Much like its plan to resume this season, the...
Stars, Lightning could turn Stanley Cup finals into defensive showdownVideo
This already was going to be an unusual Stanley Cup, and it now has a matchup for all of those who like their games to be a bit defensive. The Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning, two of the league’s southernmost teams playing for the title in a bubble in...
Anthony Cirelli scores in OT, Lighting beat Isles to reach Stanley Cup FinalVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Anthony Cirelli scored in overtime to send the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final with a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final Thursday night. Cirelli returned in the third after injuring his right knee in the...
NHL playoffs showcase Russia’s goaltending renaissanceVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Nikolai Khabibulin wakes up in Yekaterinburg to watch NHL playoff highlights and beams with pride at the saves made by so many Russian goaltenders. For the first time, there are three Russian starting goaltenders in the conference finals, and two will face off in the final. Sixteen...
Jordan Eberle scores in double overtime as Islanders stay alive
EDMONTON, Alberta — Jordan Eberle scored on a two-on-one break 12:30 into the second overtime and the New York Islanders avoided elimination with a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final on Tuesday night. Semyon Varlamov stopped 36 shots and Ryan Pulock...
Stars overcome adversities, missteps to reach Stanley Cup FinalVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Inside a lounge at the JW Marriott usually reserved for their meals and meetings, the Dallas Stars enjoyed a moment. It wasn’t an all-out party because they still are four wins away from winning the Stanley Cup. It was a low-key celebration of reaching the final, a...
Capitals hire Stanley Cup-winning coach Peter LavioletteVideo
Peter Laviolette was hired Tuesday as coach of the Washington Capitals, who hope to harness his ability to quickly take a team to the Stanley Cup Final in what could be the final few years of their championship window. Laviolette is the first Cup-winning coach hired in the franchise’s 46-year...
Stars on to Stanley Cup Final after OT win over Vegas
EDMONTON, Alberta — Denis Gurianov scored on a one-timer during a power play 3 minutes, 36 seconds into overtime, and the Dallas Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-2, on Monday night to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000. The Stars forced overtime in...
Quick-strike Lightning beat Islanders, take 3-1 lead in seriesVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Blake Coleman tied the score 15 seconds after the New York Islanders took the lead, Ondrej Palat scored the go-ahead goal 12 seconds later and the Tampa Bay Lightning moved within a victory of the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-1 victory Sunday in Game 4 of...
