Playoffs, Hockey | featured news

Beau Bennett and Evgeni Malkin scored 13 seconds apart in the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins clinched the Atlantic Division title by beating the free-falling Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Rookie Brandon Saad and Jonathan Toews scored 55 seconds apart midway through the third period, and the Chicago Blackhawks rallied to beat the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Sunday night to become the first team to clinch a NHL playoff spot this season.

Ryan Carter snapped a tie with 4:24 left, and the New Jersey Devils posted a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers after blowing a three-goal lead in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night.

Dwight King scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, Jonathan Quick made 18 saves, and Los Angeles rolled to the brink of their first Stanley Cup finals in 19 years with a 2-1 victory over Phoenix on Thursday.

Henrik Lundqvist went from shaking his head in disgust to raising his arms in celebration when time finally ran out on the Washington Capitals....

The Flyers wanted a physical series, but the Devils wouldn't have it. New Jersey is in the Eastern finals after a 3-1 win in Game 5 and discipline is the reason why, writes Sarah Kwak.

Washington defenseman Mike Green scored on a power play with 5 minutes 48 seconds in the game, giving the Capitals a victory and a 2-2 series tie with the Rangers.

Alexei Ponikarovsky scored on his own rebound with 2:39 left in overtime and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Thursday night to take a 2-1 lead in this Eastern Conference semifinal series.

In a game the Washington Capitals could ill afford to lose, it seemed counterintuitive that Alex Ovechkin would record a new career low for ice time in a single postseason contest. But when the Capitals needed someone to step up and break a tie in the third period of Game 2, it was Ovechkin who came through against the New York Rangers. Ovechkin’s tally on a booming point shot with 7 minutes and 27 seconds remaining stood as the game-winner in a 3-2 victory, sending this Eastern Conference semifinal series back to Washington with the teams tied at one game apiece.

Goals from unexpected sources put the Los Angeles Kings in position for another road triumph. Jonathan Quick - no surprise there - made those scores stand up. Matt Greene scored his first career playoff goal short-handed late in the second period and rookie Slava Voynov also got his first of the playoffs as the Kings beat the St. Louis Blues 3-1 in the opener of a Western Conference semifinal series on Saturday night.