NHL
Bettman: NHL Puck and player tracking to start in playoffs
Puck and player tracking is coming to the NHL beginning in the playoffs. Commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday that puck and player tracking will be up and running in all playoff arenas this spring and is expected to be fully operational leaguewide beginning next season. “There will be more data than ever before,” Bettman said. …
Women’s players hope NHL All-Star Weekend helps their cause
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Annie Pankowski got an email from the NHL asking if she’d like to be a part of its All-Star Weekend and jumped at the opportunity. Then she found out she wouldn’t be alone. A year after U.S. teammate Kendall Coyne Schofield grabbed the spotlight by becoming the first woman to take …
Sharks owner gives GM Doug Wilson vote of confidence
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — San Jose Sharks owner Hasso Plattner gave general manager Doug Wilson a vote of confidence Thursday with his team mired in 13th place in the Western Conference. Plattner said the entire organization is disappointed in the performance so far but he believes Wilson can lead the team back to contention. …
Bjorkstrand, Merzlikins lead Blue Jackets past Jets
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice, Elvis Merzlikins stopped 27 shots, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight win. Bjorkstand broke the tie with a top-shelf shot over the shoulder of Winnipeg goalie Laurent Brossoit with 5:38 left in the game. Bjorkstrand had …
Columbus hosts Winnipeg after Bjorkstrand’s 2-goal game
Winnipeg Jets (25-21-4, fourth in the Central Division) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (26-16-8, fifth in the Metropolitan Division) Columbus, Ohio; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Winnipeg Jets visit Columbus after Oliver Bjorkstrand scored two goals in the Blue Jackets’ 2-1 win over the Rangers. The Blue Jackets have gone 15-9-2 in home games. …
NHL teams realize backup goaltender is important position
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Bruins had it all set up to honor backup goalie Jaroslav Halak on Tuesday night for becoming the 74th goalie in NHL history to play in 500 games. Then something went wrong: Starter Tuukka Rask was injured, Halak became the No. 1 guy and the Bruins decided to postpone the …
Blackhawks play the Panthers on 5-game win streak
Florida Panthers (27-16-5, third in the Atlantic Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (24-20-6, fifth in the Central Division) Chicago; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Chicago will try to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Blackhawks take on Florida. The Blackhawks are 12-11-3 at home. Chicago has allowed 25 power-play goals, killing 83.1% of …
Minnesota hosts Detroit after Kunin’s 2-goal game
Detroit Red Wings (12-34-4, eighth in the Atlantic Division) vs. Minnesota Wild (22-21-6, seventh in the Central Division) St. Paul, Minnesota; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Red Wings visit Minnesota after Luke Kunin scored two goals in the Wild’s 5-4 loss to the Panthers. The Wild are 13-6-4 on their home ice. …
Acciari scores late to give Panthers 5-4 win over Wild
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Noel Acciari scored with 5.6 seconds left in the third period and the Florida Panthers beat the Minnesota Wild 5-4 Monday night for their fifth straight win. Acciari tipped a shot from the point by Mark Pysyk that was first tipped by Aaron Ekblad. A video review upheld the goal …
MacKinnon reaches 30-goal mark, Avs beat Red Wings 6-3
DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon doesn’t have to dig too deep to find a reason why he scores so much. “I shoot a lot of pucks,” the Colorado All-Star forward said. Shoot, it’s really not that easy. MacKinnon scored twice to reach the 30-goal mark for a third straight season and the Avalanche beat the …