NHL
Vasillevskiy shines late, Lightning hold off Capitals 3-2
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the brink of a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Coach Jon Cooper and his players say it won’t be easy to close the deal against the Washington Capitals. ”We haven’t won anything yet,” Cooper said Saturday night after Cedric Paquette scored in the opening …
Maurice wants Jets to stay loose ahead of elimination game
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice wants the Jets to focus on fun, not the magnitude of Sunday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The expansion Golden Knights are up 3-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference final and could eliminate the Jets and reach the Stanley Cup Final with a victory. ”These are the …
Vegas looks to continue fairy tale with conference title
LAS VEGAS (AP) Just saying the Vegas Golden Knights are one win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final has a magical ring to it. But what’s even more mystical is thinking the Knights are a mere five wins from hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup in its inaugural season. Five more wins, over a potential …
Column: Viva Las Vegas! Knights a win from Stanley Cup Final
LAS VEGAS (AP) Marc-Andre Fleury sat shirtless in front of his locker, staring blankly, his exhausted gaze fixed nowhere. Pads still strapped to his legs after another spectacular night’s work, the Vegas Golden Knights goalie looked as if he were trying to gather his thoughts, trying somehow to make sense of it all. The rest …
Smith’s third-period goal lifts Vegas to 3-2 win over Jets
LAS VEGAS (AP) Reilly Smith scored on a breakaway late in the third period to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4 of the Western Conference final Friday night. Vegas, a 500-to-1 long shot to win the title when the season started, can advance to the …
Vasilevskiy Lightning top Caps 4-2 to even East final 2-all
WASHINGTON (AP) Jon Cooper’s Tampa Bay Lightning won Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final despite going the equivalent of more than a period without a shot on goal. They won despite falling behind about 4 1/2 minutes into the game. They won despite being called for three penalties – one right after the other …
Caps’ Backstrom a game-time decision to return from injury
WASHINGTON (AP) Nicklas Backstrom could return to the Capitals’ lineup for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Backstrom has missed Washington’s past four games with a right hand injury. Coach Barry Trotz called him a game-time decision and said early Thursday that Backstrom had not yet been medically cleared. …
Column: Misfits no more, Knights 2 wins from Cup final
LAS VEGAS (AP) A year ago at this time the Vegas Golden Knights had one minor league player on an otherwise empty roster and no idea what to expect when an entire team was finally assembled. Now, they are two wins away from playing for the Stanley Cup. The best story in sports got even …
Tickle Me, Fleury: Vegas goalie tickles Jets player’s ear
LAS VEGAS (AP) Marc-Andre Fleury gave Blake Wheeler quite an earful. During a scrum behind Vegas’ net with 2:34 left in the second period of the Golden Knights‘ 4-2 victory over Winnipeg on Wednesday night, Fleury reached over with his left hand and tickled the left ear of the Jets‘ unsuspecting Blake Wheeler . ”I …
Marchessault scores twice, Golden Knights top Jets 4-2
LAS VEGAS (AP) Jonathan Marchessault vowed after the Golden Knights‘ morning skate to come out swinging in Game 3 of the Western Conference final, looking to avoid a back-and-forth affair with the Winnipeg Jets. He didn’t disappoint. For the second straight game, Marchessault scored two goals – including one just 35 seconds into the game …