NHL

10:45 PM ET TAMPA BAY — The Tampa Bay Lightning have eliminated the New York Rangers and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight season, with the Colorado Avalanche rested and ready for Game 1 (Wednesday, 8 ET, ESPN). Here are five things we learned about the Lightning so far in their

8:00 AM ET ESPN staff The 2022 NHL Eastern Conference finals matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers has reached Game 6, with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning holding a 3-2 advantage. The Colorado Avalanche await the winner of the series, which could be the Lightning following Saturday night’s game.

5:49 PM ET Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres acquired goalie Ben Bishop in a trade with the Dallas Stars on Friday in a salary cap-related paperwork move involving a veteran who is not expected to play again because of degenerative right knee injury. The Sabres add the final year of Bishop’s contract,

4:26 PM ET Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. — It will be Miller Time once more in Buffalo. The Sabres are honoring their franchise goalie leader in wins and games played by retiring Ryan Miller’s No. 30 jersey next season. The team made the announcement by releasing a video Friday that showed Miller being informed of

7:00 AM ET There was this coach I heard about. He hadn’t yet served as an NHL head coach. His qualifications indicated he was ready to do so. So like a fan of a new indie band double-checking its coolness with a music snob, I reached out to an NHL team executive to ask how

7:41 AM ET It’s a scene familiar to any NHL fan. The puck crosses the line. The crowd roars as the goal horn echoes through the arena. Then the beats of the team’s goal song hit, signaling a full-on celebration and Pavlovian responses from those in attendance. In New York, the fans sing “whoa” and

12:24 AM ET NEW YORK — The Tampa Bay Lightning ended the New York Rangers‘ eight-game home playoff winning streak with a 3-1 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday night, pushing them to the brink of elimination. It’s familiar territory for the Rangers. “We’ve been down 3-2 in every series

6:58 PM ET The New York Rangers will be back at full strength as they try to regain the edge in the Eastern Conference Final. Coach Gerard Gallant said Ryan Strome and Filip Chytil will be in Thursday night. Strome was cross-checked by Ondrej Palat in the second period of Sunday’s loss in Tampa and

7:00 AM ET The New York Rangers return to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday following two straight wins by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Sunshine State that evened the series at 2-2. “We’re one of three teams left here. You expect their best. You want their

12:11 PM ET Edmonton Oilers star forward Leon Draisaitl played most of the NHL postseason with a high ankle sprain, according to general manager Ken Holland. Draisaitl had declined to officially confirm the news himself before Holland finally did during his end-of-season media availability on Wednesday. Holland said Draisaitl was injured in a collision with

7:23 AM ET The Tampa Bay Lightning won Games 3 and 4 at home to knot up their Eastern Conference finals series against the New York Rangers at 2-2. They looked very much like a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion in doing so: Controlling play, coming through in the clutch and getting superstar performances from winger

7:00 AM ET The 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs have blessed us with some superb — if expected — production from the game’s biggest stars. For Connor McDavid, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Mika Zibanejad, Leon Draisaitl, Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon (and many more), we are grateful. However, it’s time we raise awareness about the players who came

12:45 AM ET TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Rangers will be “angrier” heading back home after back-to-back losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning tied the Eastern Conference finals at 2-2, according to forward Artemi Panarin. “It makes us more hungry and angrier. Sometimes that’s good when you’ve lost. I think it’s just how we’ll

7:34 PM ET Associated Press SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken will be without goalie Chris Driedger for most of next season after he underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, the team said Tuesday. Driedger was injured while playing for Canada against Finland in the title game of the world championships.

7:00 AM ET TAMPA BAY — Nikita Kucherov doesn’t exactly have a poker face. “He’s the type of guy where you can tell when things are going good or not going good, on and off the ice, based on his body language,” said ESPN analyst Ryan Callahan, Kucherov’s former linemate with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

11:47 PM ET After dominating three rounds of their postseason competition, the Colorado Avalanche are headed to the Stanley Cup Final. The Avs’ superstars have delivered, as Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are both making strong cases for the Conn Smythe. But they’ve gotten superb production from depth players as well, including a series-winning goal

8:48 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor has won the Lady Byng Trophy, given to the NHL’s most gentlemanly player. The league announced the honor Monday night before Game 4 of the Western Conference finals between Colorado and Edmonton. Connor tied for the second-fewest number of minor penalties

8:00 AM ET ESPN staff Following the Colorado Avalanche‘s 4-2 victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, the Edmonton Oilers are one loss away from a sweep. After a six-goal outburst in Game 1, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl & Co. have managed just two combined in the following two contests. Will the Oilers