8:17 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN The Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks ended their previous series with big rallies, and that momentum carried over to the second round, and both are now out to 1-0 series leads. Here’s what happened in the NHL last night (check out replays of every playoff game on ESPN+) and

2:06 PM ET San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski has officially been ruled out of Friday’s series opener against the Colorado Avalanche, according to coach Peter DeBoer. Pavelski remains day-to-day from the controversial hit that knocked him out of Game 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Right winder Joonas Donskoi also will not play Friday.

7:00 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN There are many reasons to like the Colorado Avalanche in this series. They have distinct advantages in overall team speed and in goaltending. They’re healthier, and they’re rested in comparison to the San Jose Sharks. And yet it’s difficult to ignore the supernatural forces that propelled the Sharks through the

1:41 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Every time I think about the spring of 1990, I think about seeing “Back to the Future Part III,” with that weird steampunk cowboy flex, and watching John Druce. If you aren’t familiar with the name John Druce, it’s because he was a supporting cast forward with four different teams

7:00 AM ET Emily KaplanESPN When the upstart New York Islanders dispatched the Sidney Crosby-led Pittsburgh Penguins in a first-round sweep, we figured we’d be in for an interesting playoffs. Little did we know what was in store. The wacky first round concluded with the Carolina Hurricanes — aka “Bunch of Jerks,” aka the team

7:00 AM ET Emily KaplanESPN Consider where these teams were in January. New Dallas Stars coach Jim Montgomery told reporters that his team suffered from “a culture of mediocrity,” and that’s not long after the Stars weathered the Christmas storm of the team’s CEO calling out the two highest-paid players in an expletive-laced rant. The

4:04 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski is doubtful for Friday night’s Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche after suffering a gruesome head injury on a controversial play in the third period of the Game 7 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. “I saw him this morning. He’s OK. I mean,

7:00 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN The Boston Bruins extended their ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round, rallying from a 3-2 series deficit to eliminate them in seven games. The Bruins used a familiar formula: clutch defense and goaltending, dynamic play from their top-line players and the inevitability of Nazem Kadri doing

7:52 PM ET Associated Press NHL players and coaches were split Wednesday on whether changes are needed to video review protocol a day after a major penalty played a dramatic role in San Jose’s Game 7 victory over Vegas. Cody Eakin was assessed a major penalty for cross-checking and injuring Joe Pavelski in the third

The Washington Capitals have a simple goal — they want to win back-to-back Stanley Cups. If they want to keep that dream alive, though, they’ll have to find a way to beat the visiting Carolina Hurricanes in Game 7 of the first-round Eastern Conference series Wednesday night. Washington won last year’s Stanley Cup with stifling