Nov 11, 2022 The Boston Bruins were rumored to be washed up. They were supposed to be too old. And too injured. And too past their prime. No way could this Bruins’ team run with the younger, faster Atlantic Division teams — let along the high-flying league at large. That part turned out to be

12:02 PM ET After a long rehab from offseason surgery, Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy made his season debut Thursday night against the Calgary Flames and scored the second-period game-winner that helped give the Bruins a 3-1 win. McAvoy, the Bruins’ top-pairing blueliner, underwent a complex left shoulder arthroscopic stabilization procedure on June 3 and was

4:00 PM ET One month into the 2022-23 campaign, defensemen Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Karlsson, Cale Makar, and Brandon Montour sit atop the value table, averaging at least 3.0 fantasy points/game in ESPN.com standard leagues. With the exception of Makar’s inclusion, not exactly how most (all) of us thought the first 30 days would roll out.

10:50 AM ET ESPN staff Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is currently chasing down career NHL goal No. 800. After starting the 2022-23 season at 780, he has scored eight goals thus far. Ovi is third on the all-time NHL goals list, behind Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801). The next highest active player

6:20 PM ET Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky was suspended for two games by the NHL on Wednesday. Slafkovsky, 18, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft, was penalized for a boarding infraction on Detroit Red Wings forward Matt Luff in Montreal’s 3-2 shootout victory Tuesday night. Slafkovsky was handed a five-minute

5:15 PM ET Associated Press Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, who was bullied by NHL prospect Mitchell Miller in middle school, says he hasn’t seen any proof that Miller has changed his ways. In a statement released Wednesday by the Hockey Diversity Alliance, Meyer-Crothers, who is Black and has developmental disabilities, said Miller reached out by text to

9:30 AM ET When it comes to NHL debates, “small sample size” is the most reliable counterargument. If there’s a team off to a blazing start, showing signs of being an unexpected Stanley Cup contender? “Small sample size.” If there’s a team that isn’t delivering on its hype? “Small sample size.” The same goes for

10:00 PM ET ESPN News Services TAMPA, Fla. — Edmonton forward Evander Kane was cut on the left wrist by a skate blade Tuesday night and taken to the hospital with a frightening injury during the Oilers’ 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Oilers said Kane was in stable condition and scheduled to

1:00 PM ET Rankings like these ones are meant to be for the rest of the season. It means we have to sometimes downplay the short-term gains and think about the long-term wins. Brandon Montour (up one spot to No. 158) has been dazzling on the point for the Panthers for the past few weeks,

4:41 PM ET The NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers relocated to become the Winnipeg Jets in 2011. But next month they’ll hit the ice again in Georgia thanks to the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators — for one night only. The Gladiators, a minor league affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes, will take on “the persona of the Thrashers” when