3:20 PM ET TORONTO — Victor Hedman will be a game-time decision for the Tampa Bay Lightning when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 2 of their first-round NHL playoff series Thursday. “We’ll hope,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We’ll see what kind of roster we can [tee up].” That was one

1:46 PM ET Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski is in concussion protocol and will miss Game 2 against the visiting Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night, coach Peter DeBoer confirmed. “I don’t think that’s a secret,” DeBoer said Wednesday morning. Pavelski was injured on a high hit by Wild defenseman Matt Dumba in the second period

1:18 AM ET Associated Press DENVER — There were of course so many firsts for the Seattle Kraken in their postseason debut. First playoff goal for the franchise (and answer to a future trivia question): Eeli Tolvanen. First playoff penalty: Will Borgen. Above all, first playoff win and brief celebration. Alex Wennberg had a goal

9:59 PM ET TORONTO — The Tampa Bay Lightning crushed the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-3 to take Game 1 of their first-round NHL playoff series on Tuesday. But it came at a price. The Lightning lost top-pairing defenseman Victor Hedman in the first period to an undisclosed injury, followed by forward Michael Eyssimont (after a

1:29 PM ET Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron is questionable for Game 2 of their series against the Florida Panthers, coach Jim Montgomery said Tuesday. Bergeron was a game-time decision for Boston’s Game 1 victory on Monday but didn’t end up taking the pregame skate. The center left the Bruins’ regular-season finale at Montreal with

7:00 AM ET Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Rangers, is 11 miles away from Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils. They are separated by a river. They are bonded by an intense, decades-long enmity. The Battle of the Hudson is one of the NHL’s most storied rivalries.

10:24 PM ET ESPN staff The 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs are here, as 16 teams compete for the most magnificent trophy in sports. The record-setting Boston Bruins are the No. 1 overall seed, but their path will be a tough one. Out West, the defending Cup champion Colorado Avalanche hope to continue their reign atop

3:01 PM ET The Ottawa Senators are not bringing back goaltender Cam Talbot next season. General manager Pierre Dorion told reporters Monday that the team will not re-sign the impending free agent. Talbot went 17-14-2 with a 2.93 goals-against average and .898 save percentage this season. Dorion said Talbot is seeking a two-year deal and

Apr 15, 2023 As a service to fans who have a general interest in the National Hockey League but have no idea what’s happened since the Colorado Avalanche raised the Stanley Cup by preventing a Tampa Bay Lightning three-peat last year, we’re happy to provide this FAQ as a guide to the 2023 Stanley Cup

6:49 PM ET Associated Press BRAMPTON, Ontario — The Canadian government has restored funding to Hockey Canada. Hockey Canada made the announcement Sunday, adding that Canadian sport minister Pascale St-Onge made it official, before the Canada-U.S. gold-medal game at the world women’s hockey championship. Hockey Canada saw its funding shut off by the federal government