NEW YORK (AP) — Mathew Barzal capped a solid all-around effort by the New York Islanders with their season on the line to get a big win. Barzal scored his second goal of the game on a deflection 1:24 into the second overtime and the Islanders beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in Game 4 on Saturday to avoid a sweep in their first-round playoff series. Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored and Semyon Varlamov stopped 42 shots — including 18 in the overtimes — on his 36th birthday to help the Islanders st

DENVER (AP) — Winnipeg defenseman Brenden Dillon is considered day-to-day after receiving stitches in his left hand where he was apparently cut by a skate blade. The Jets face Colorado in Game 4 on Sunday in a first-round series the Avalanche lead 2-1. Dillon suffered the laceration after the final horn of Colorado's 6-2 win Friday, when several players were involved in a fight. Soon after, Dillon skated toward the locker room holding his bleeding hand. There was blood on the ice and on the back

DENVER — A handful of Colorado Avalanche players participated in an optional skate Saturday after an emphatic win over Winnipeg a day earlier. The Jets went the opposite way, holding a full-team regular practice as they look to rebound from a third period and Game 3 loss they'd like to forget. Colorado scored five times in the final stanza — including three goals over a six-minute stretch — for a 6-2 win and 2-1 series lead. The teams face off again Sunday afternoon at Ball Arena. "We have these

NASHVILLE — Killing penalties hasn't always been a strength for the Vancouver Canucks. The team's penalty kill struggled through much of 2022-23 and threatened to be the worst in NHL history. After rebounding slightly late in the regular season, Vancouver still finished with a league-worst 71.6 per cent success rate. Now the special teams unit has become a strength for the Canucks, particularly in the first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators which the Canucks lead 2-1 heading i

Nine players have already scored for the New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers, 10 for the Colorado Avalanche. That depth of scoring early in the NHL playoffs has the Rangers on the verge of sweeping Washington, while Edmonton and Colorado are looking to take 3-1 leads Sunday in their respective first-round series against Los Angeles and Winnipeg. “You’re going to need that more throughout the course of the playoffs,” said Rangers coach Peter Laviolette, whose team could next face Carolina 18 yea

LOS ANGELES — Kris Knoblauch is five months into watching Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl go to work. The Oilers rookie head coach witnessed the dynamic duo drag Edmonton back from a disastrous start to the regular season, and they've elevated their game even further this spring. McDavid leads the playoffs with nine points, joining Wayne Gretzky as the only players in NHL history with eight assists through the first three games of a post-season. Draisaitl, meanwhile, has three goals and four a

WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Rempe, the New York Rangers' 6-foot-8 rookie who took the NHL by storm in recent months as a fighter and fan favorite, is back in the spotlight at playoff time. Rempe laid out Washington Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk with a big hit in Game 3 Friday night, one that drew a two-minute minor penalty but nothing more as far as on-ice retribution or off-ice punishment. The 21-year-old defended his actions Saturday, while debate swirled about whether the check that inju

New York Rangers (55-23-4, first in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Washington Capitals (40-31-11, fourth in the Metropolitan Division)Washington; Sunday, 8 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Rangers -191, Capitals +159; over/under is 5.5NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Rangers lead series 3-0BOTTOM LINE: The New York Rangers look to clinch the first round of the NHL Playoffs over the Washington Capitals in game four. The teams meet Friday for the eighth time this season. The Rangers won the previous meeti

Edmonton Oilers (49-27-6, second in the Pacific Division) vs. Los Angeles Kings (44-27-11, third in the Pacific Division)Los Angeles; Sunday, 10:30 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Oilers -146, Kings +123; over/under is 6.5NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Oilers lead series 2-1BOTTOM LINE: The Edmonton Oilers visit the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Friday for the eighth time this season. The Oilers won 6-1 in the last matchup. Zach

Vancouver Canucks (50-23-9, first in the Pacific Division) vs. Nashville Predators (47-30-5, fourth in the Central Division)Nashville, Tennessee; Sunday, 5 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Predators -123, Canucks +103; over/under is 5.5NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Canucks lead series 2-1BOTTOM LINE: The Vancouver Canucks visit the Nashville Predators in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Friday for the seventh time this season. The Canucks won 2-1 in th