NHL

7:00 AM ET The first tailgater arrived at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, at 10:30 a.m. on Monday. “By noon, I saw about 20 or 30 tents set up,” Carolina Hurricanes GM and president Don Waddell said. When the gates opened for an 8 p.m. puck drop? You can only imagine the level of

6:44 AM ET Thursday night’s four-game playoff slate was all about theatrics, and plenty of offense. Thirty goals were scored over four games. Friday is a big day for clarification, as the Washington Capitals try to even their series with the Boston Bruins, the Colorado Avalanche look to build a 3-0 lead over the St.

8:22 PM ET Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares was taken off the ice on a stretcher after taking a knee to his face. Tavares gave a thumbs-up as he left the ice. The incident happened in the first period of the team’s first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens. Tavares fell to the ice after

8:45 AM ET The Tampa Bay Lightning had Nikita Kucherov and his $9.5 million salary-cap hit on the shelf for the entire regular season, only to have him recover in time to score two goals in their first game of the 2021 NHL playoffs. This is some next-level hockey villainy (at least to some outside

7:00 AM ET The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t played since May 14. The Montreal Canadiens haven’t played since May 12. But now that the North Division’s regular season has finally come to an end, it’s finally time for these rivals to hit the ice for Game 1 of their highly anticipated series. Tonight also brings

7:00 AM ET Connor McDavid is inevitable. “He’s that good. You turn on the TV every night. If the Oilers played, you’re going to get a McDavid highlight, somehow and some way,” Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice said. The Edmonton Oilers‘ star treated the NHL’s 56-game regular season sprint like most of us treat vacation

6:50 AM ET We’ve had some remarkable — and tense — hockey so far in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and if Tuesday had a theme, it was stellar goaltending. Netminders in all three games stole the show. On Wednesday, Canadian teams get to join the party, as the North Division slate finally kicks off with

7:00 AM ET After a bubble-encased 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, we’re back to a more traditional setup for the 2021 postseason. However, there are some tweaks. Thanks to a one-year realignment, the first two rounds will be intra-divisional. Then, the four Cup semifinalists will be re-bracketed based on regular season record, with No. 1 facing

3:02 PM ET Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill has been given a contract extension despite a losing record and missing the playoffs in five straight seasons. Terms were not disclosed. Blashill, 47, just completed his 10th season with the organization. He originally joined the Red Wings as an assistant coach for the 2011-12 season.

6:50 AM ET The incredible hockey continued on Day 3 of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, including the fourth overtime game of the postseason and the Cup favorite Colorado Avalanche showing how dominant they are. Tuesday brings the sequel to perhaps the best game of the playoffs so far, between the Florida Panthers and Tampa

4:59 PM ET Tom Brady and Tiger Woods attended a Winnipeg Jets practice recently. Full disclosure: Neither GOAT was actually in attendance. But two actual goats named in the sports legends’ honor by their owner, Jets star Mark Scheifele, made their presence known. “They were buzzing around on the ice, so that was pretty cool.

3:00 PM ET The Stanley Cup has a ubiquitous place in pop culture. BIA saw it as a proxy for bling in a hip-hop lyric. “Wrist Stanley Cup/I can show you how to skate,” is how it’s name-dropped in “Skate,” a track that dropped in late 2020. “When I went to the studio and heard

6:43 AM ET Two overtime games, and one absolute barn-burner in front of a crazed crowd in Florida. The road teams went 3-0. No one held more than a one-goal lead. The second day of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs brought the heat. And to think, half of the series haven’t even started yet. Two

7:00 AM ET Anthony Mantha was accustomed to hating this time of year. The 26-year-old, a 2013 first-round pick of the Red Wings, became a regular for Detroit in 2016-17 — right after the franchise’s NHL record streak of 25 consecutive playoff appearances ended. The Red Wings entered a rebuild, with no end in sight.

9:25 PM ET ESPN News Services MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens reassigned goalie Carey Price and forward Brendan Gallagher to the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Sunday for conditioning as they return from injuries. Price and Gallagher will take part in the Rocket’s morning skate Monday before facing the Toronto Marlies in

7:38 AM ET The first night of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs set the bar high for the postseason. We had drama, with the Washington Capitals losing their starting goalie in the first period. We had intensity, as the Capitals and Boston Bruins had a spirited affair. Finally, we had a surprise, as the Caps

8:00 AM ET NHL Insiders The 2021 NHL season was a campaign the likes of which we’ve never seen — and hope to never see again. The game schedule was limited (both in overall volume and variety of opponents). The fan capacity was limited. Thankfully, the permutations of how the Stanley Cup Final might play

7:03 AM ET NHL Insiders Playoff hockey is back! The first-round matchups for the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs are set, which means betting options galore. Here are some of the bets we like throughout the postseason. Our panel includes ESPN betting analyst Doug Kezirian and ESPN NHL writers Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski. Check out