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Kraken hire Lane Lambert as their third coach
SEATTLE — The Kraken named Lane Lambert the third coach in franchise history on Thursday. Lambert guided the New York Islanders for a season and a half, his only prior NHL head coaching experience.
Lambert, 60, was associate coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. The Kraken presumably had to wait until the Maple Leafs were eliminated ...Read more

Luke DeCock: Hurricanes let another game -- another playoff series -- slip through fingers
RALEIGH, N.C. — It ended in ridiculous fashion, but the Carolina Hurricanes sealed their own fate before that. Their last-gasp power play to keep their season alive came to nothing, and the puck came to Sam Bennett right out of the box with the home net empty.
Bennett ended their season with 54 seconds to go, with the easiest goal of the ...Read more

Jonathan Toews reportedly eyeing return to NHL after ex-Blackhawks star sat out last 2 seasons
CHICAGO — Former Chicago Blackhawks captain and three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews is eyeing a return to the NHL in the fall, according to a report Thursday.
TSN analyst Pierre LeBrun posted on social media that Toews “reached out to his agent Pat Brisson yesterday to inform him he’s 100 percent committed to coming back to the...Read more

Dave Hyde: Next! Resilient Panthers advance to third straight Stanley Cup Final.
RALEIGH, N.C. — They came slowly, even quietly, off the bench late Wednesday night, easing toward goalie Sergei Bobrovsky with quick nods and half-smiles that spoke of their good night’s work.
But there were no hugs, no shouts, certainly no celebratory sticks thrown in the air like back when they started all this winning two springs ago. So...Read more

Mike Vorel: As NHL teams hire coaches, is it time for concern with Kraken's search?
SEATTLE — We’re waiting.
More than a month after the Kraken missed the playoffs and fired their coach for a second consecutive season, Dan Bylsma’s seat has yet to be filled. Meanwhile, incoming coaches have been hired by the Kraken’s competitors. Mike Sullivan to the Rangers. Rick Tocchet to the Flyers. Joel Quenneville to the Ducks. ...Read more

Carter Verhaeghe scores game-winner to send Panthers back to Stanley Cup Final
The Florida Panthers are heading back to the Stanley Cup Final.
Florida used a three-goal second period to negate a horrid first period and then Carter Verhaeghe scored the game-winner with 7:39 left to play for a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final on Wednesday at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., ...Read more

Greg Cote: Road magic! Panthers win 5-3 in Carolina, win East for 3rd straight Stanley Cup Finals.
MIAMI — The warranted narrative of this Florida Panthers’ postseason had been the team’s stellar play away from home -- airports and hotels somehow foretelling unlikely magic on ice.
That narrative faced an ill-timed dead-end Wednesday night ... but it lives on.
And the repeat-championship dream moves a big step closer.
Florida ...Read more

Mike Sielski: The Flyers let Sergei Bobrovsky get away. That mistake should teach them a valuable lesson.
PHILADELPHIA — Tired of it yet? Why wouldn’t you be? It’s become a tradition: another deep playoff run by the Florida Panthers, another terrific postseason for Sergei Bobrovsky, and another reason to revisit the worst trade that any Philadelphia franchise has made this century.
It would be cruel to bring up Bobrovsky apropos of nothing, ...Read more

Reggie Leach was the final ingredient the Flyers needed to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 1975
PHILADELPHIA — Fifty years ago Tuesday, Reggie Leach stood next to Larry Goodenough on the Flyers’ bench at the old Aud, watching as the clock ticked down. As the seconds decreased one by one, the defenseman turned to Leach and said out loud what everyone in the arena in Upstate New York and watching in Philly knew was coming.
“‘We’re...Read more

Dave Hyde: 'Disjointed' and 'slow' Panthers aim to close out Carolina in Game 5
SUNRISE, Fla. — There was Matthew Tkachuk coming back from two months off with two goals in Game 1 against Tampa Bay in a script too good to believe. There was Brad Marchand scoring in overtime in Game 3 against Toronto to avoid a 3-0 hole, and the Game 7 that sent Toronto to the coldest of summers.
There were the three thrilling games for ...Read more

5 things we learned about new Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill, including his vision for Connor Bedard
CHICAGO — During Jeff Blashill’s introductory news conference Tuesday at the United Center, the new Chicago Blackhawks coach was asked the most relevant, to-the-point question in this “tough” sports town:
How long will it take to get to a championship level?
“Is that my ‘Welcome to Chicago’ moment?” Blashill said as a smile ...Read more

Hurricanes stay alive, shut out Panthers in Game 4, send series back to Raleigh
SUNRISE, Fla. — The Carolina Hurricanes still have hockey to play.
Faced with a win-or-else game against the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference final, the Hurricanes responded with a 3-0 victory Monday in Game 4 behind goalie Frederik Andersen.
The Panthers, who had taken a 3-0 lead in the series, must travel back to Raleigh, N.C., ...Read more

Luke DeCock: Probably too late, but not too little as Hurricanes look like themselves
SUNRISE, Fla. — It only took three embarrassing losses, their season pushed to the brink of elimination and a Russian rookie defenseman thrown into the deep end of the borscht finally feeling his feet under him for the Carolina Hurricanes to finally show up and make their presence felt.
And there they were Monday night, piling up shots, ...Read more

Reinhart, Mikkola, Greer out for Game 4 against Carolina
MIAMI — The Florida Panthers will go for their first chance to wrap up the Eastern Conference final down three key players.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice said wingers Sam Reinhart and A.J. Greer along with defenseman Niko Mikkola are all out for Game 4 on Monday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
All three are listed as day-to-day.
Reinhart is ...Read more

Will Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill make the most of his second chance? 'He's way farther ahead now.'
CHICAGO — Jeff Blashill didn’t make the kind of history he was looking for in Detroit.
His seven-year run as a first-time NHL head coach from 2015-22 included presiding over the Red Wings’ third-worst finish by points percentage (.275).
But Chicago Blackhawks great and TNT analyst Eddie Olczyk believes the second time can be the charm ...Read more

Luke DeCock: Hurricanes on brink of wrong kind of history after another blowout loss to Panthers
SUNRISE, Fla. — They finally won a period, just a single 20-minute period, for the first time in this series. A platform to build upon? No, just fool’s gold, setting the stage for even more humiliation.
The Carolina Hurricanes aren’t just staring a sweep in the face after collapsing to a 6-2 loss in Game 3 on Saturday. They’re well on ...Read more

Greg Cote: Panthers break Carolina's heart, spirit with 6-2 win for 3-0 lead in East finals
MIAMI — This for two-thirds of the game was the Carolina Hurricanes team that had been advertised all along. The smothering, shot-blocking, in-your-face defense. The team that would aim to tough the artistry and open skating out of the Florida Panthers and turn game and series into a grind.
Didn’t see that Carolina team the first two games ...Read more
Dominant third period turns close Game 3 into another Panthers rout of Hurricanes
SUNRISE, Fla. — After a pair of blowout wins to begin the Eastern Conference final, the Florida Panthers were finally tested in Game 3 by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Well, for two periods.
But in the end, the Panthers’ depth pushed them over their opponent — and now within one win of a return to the Stanley Cup Final.
Forward Jesper ...Read more

Hurricanes, Panthers missing key players for Game 3 of Eastern Conference final
SUNRISE, Fla. — Both the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers will be missing key players Saturday for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final.
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said defenseman Jalen Chatfield will miss another playoff game. Chatfield has been sidelined the past three games with an undisclosed injury and did not participate in...Read more

Dave Hyde: Everything looks possible as Panthers cruise past Carolina in Game 2
It was 1-0 in the opening seconds, 2-0 before everyone settled in, and when it reached 3-0 still in the first period, it wasn’t so much that anything looked possible Thursday for the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final.
Everything looked possible beyond this night, too.
A sweep-peat of Carolina?
Why not?
A little ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Jonathan Toews reportedly eyeing return to NHL after ex-Blackhawks star sat out last 2 seasons
- Dave Hyde: Next! Resilient Panthers advance to third straight Stanley Cup Final.
- Kraken hire Lane Lambert as their third coach
- Luke DeCock: Hurricanes let another game -- another playoff series -- slip through fingers
- Mike Sielski: The Flyers let Sergei Bobrovsky get away. That mistake should teach them a valuable lesson.