2:10 AM ET Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon was direct in his assessment of his team’s effort in a 4-1 Game 2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night. “We were bad. We were really bad tonight,” MacKinnon said with the Western Conference second-round series now tied 1-1. “We just didn’t have our

7:58 PM ET Experiencing a sporting event in person provides a different experience for attendants compared to watching it from home. From the stadium food to the crowd’s rambunctious energy, spectating a contest from the stands has considerable perks. Another benefit is that you could bump into a celebrity as you take in the action.

3:06 PM ET Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators have extended the contracts of coach John Hynes and his assistants through the 2023-24 season, trying to build on a season with several individual successes for a franchise that wound up being swept in the playoffs for the first time. General manager David Poile

8:36 PM ET Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point will miss Game 2 of his team’s second-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers on Thursday with a lower-body injury. Point, a first-line center and staple on the Tampa Bay power play, did not play in the Lightning’s Game 1 victory on Tuesday after going hard

11:12 PM ET Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Ian Cole had played 103 career playoff games before competing in Game 1 of their series against the New York Rangers on Wednesday night, scoring one postseason goal. Now he has two. Cole, 33, scored at 3:12 of overtime to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 come-from-behind overtime win over

7:00 AM ET Iconic sports rivalries are built to stand the test of time. No matter the players. No matter the coaches. No matter the standings. No matter who won the last game — or the last 10. It’s a seed planted between two teams that can’t be uprooted. The bad blood is merely transfused,

7:00 AM ET As the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs reach the second round, it’s time to check in on the race for the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. Keep in mind that the Conn Smythe is based on a player’s performance during the entire postseason, not just the championship round. Here’s a look at

12:42 PM ET Favorites had the slight edge in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Six of the eight series favorites won, and favorites overall were +0.85 units. It continued a profitable NHL season for favorites, which were +35.9 units during the regular season. Make picks throughout the postseason for a chance at

4:16 PM ET ESPN News Services PITTSBURGH — Evgeni Malkin wants to stay in Pittsburgh. So does Kris Letang. There’s comfort in the only NHL city they’ve ever called home. Success too. It’s why neither three-time Stanley Cup champion has ever hit the open market during their long careers. Until now, anyway. While Malkin and

7:00 AM ET The Colorado Avalanche enter the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs as a heavy favorite to win the Western Conference and eventually hoist the chalice for the first time since 2001. Some call them dominant, a juggernaut or, in popular hockey parlance, a “wagon.” Whatever the label, the Avalanche have