Colorado Avalanche (50-25-7, third in the Central Division) vs. Dallas Stars (52-21-9, first in the Central Division)Dallas; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Stars -145, Avalanche +122; over/under is 6.5NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Stars lead series 3-1BOTTOM LINE: The Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 3-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Monday for the ninth time this season. The Stars won the previous matchup 5-1. Wyatt Johnston

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin returned to the lineup Monday night against Dallas, trying to fill a scoring void on the heels of Valeri Nichushkin's suspension. Drouin had an assist in just over 19 minutes of action during a 5-1 loss to the Stars in Game 4 that pushed the Avalanche to the brink of elimination in the second-round series. He'd been sidelined since he suffered a lower-body injury in the regular-season finale. Drouin posted career-high numbers in points (56

NEW YORK (AP) — Jordan Staal and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored 3:06 apart in the third period, and the Carolina Hurricanes got four goals in the final period for a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the second-round playoff series on Monday night, staving off elimination for the second straight game. Jordan Martinook and Martin Necas also scored in the Hurricanes’ big third period, and Frederik Andersen — starting for the fourth time in five games in this series and ninth time in 10 games

NEW YORK (AP) — Trailing by a goal with 20 minutes to go and their season on the line, the Carolina Hurricanes weren't discouraged. They knew they could turn the game around. Jordan Staal and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored 3:06 apart early in the third period, and the Hurricanes got four goals in the period for a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the second-round playoff series on Monday night, staving off elimination for the second straight game. “There was no panic, we understood what th

EDMONTON — Stuart Skinner has been here before. Like every professional hockey player, the Edmonton Oilers goalie has weathered periods of patchy play over his career. Now he's looking to those experiences as he fights to regain his form. “I think going through those adversities have really helped me, especially the situation that I’m in right now. Because I know I’ve been here before, I’ve been in a situation where maybe it doesn’t feel like it’s going your way," Skinner said Monday, less than

The Rangers lost a second consecutive game to the Carolina Hurricanes in their second round playoff series, blowing an early lead and falling, 4-1, in Game 5 Monday night at MSG.

SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — Storied French soccer club Saint-Étienne said on Monday it was in exclusive talks for a sale to Toronto businessman Larry Tanenbaum. The full purchase of the 1976 European Cup finalist should be ratified within weeks, the club said in a statement four days before a key end-of-season game in its push to be promoted back to the top tier. Tanenbaum is the chairman and a minority owner of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns several major Toronto sports franchis

EDMONTON — Vancouver Canucks defenceman Carson Soucy has been suspended one game for a cross-check on Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. A skirmish began after the final buzzer sounded in Vancouver's 4-3 victory in Game 3 Sunday after Soucy shoved McDavid behind the Canucks' net and McDavid responded by hitting Soucy's leg with his stick. Canucks blue liner Nikita Zadorov then cross-checked McDavid from behind, and Soucy cross-checked the Oilers captain in the face as he was falling. Souc

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy was suspended one game on Monday for a cross-check on Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. A skirmish began after the final buzzer sounded in Vancouver’s 4-3 victory in Game 3 on Sunday night. Soucy shoved McDavid behind the Canucks’ net and McDavid responded by hitting Soucy’s leg with his stick. Canucks blue liner Nikita Zadorov then cross-checked McDavid from behind, and Soucy cross-checked the Oilers captain in the face

MONTREAL — Kori Cheverie heard the jubilation coming from the visitors' locker room loud and clear Saturday night. The PWHL Montreal head coach is eager for her team to prove it was premature. Boston put Montreal on the ropes with a triple-overtime road victory to take a 2-0 series lead in their best-of-five semifinal, and celebrated loud enough for their opponents to catch the whole thing. “They think they have it,” Cheverie said Monday at the Verdun Auditorium. “Certainly after their celebrati