LOS ANGELES — If the Rangers were going to encounter the type of malaise that’s marked much of the last month through which the club has won only five of 13 games (5-6-2), better now than in another three weeks, when such stupor will result in immediate expulsion from the playoffs. For as they begin […]
Read MoreWhen the Islanders return to action Friday in Pittsburgh, they will have a significantly different look. Ryan Strome is out indefinitely with a broken wrist suffered in Wednesday’s win over the Rangers, according to a source. He is unlikely to return unless the Isles advance deep into the playoffs. Of course, they’ll have to get […]
Read MoreTORONTO — Auston Matthews had two assists and William Nylander had a goal and an assist as the Maple Leafs topped the Devils 4-2 on Thursday night for their seventh win in nine games. Nylander set a franchise rookie mark by extending his points streak to 10 games, while equaling another team record for power-play […]
Read MoreSidney Crosby’s flailing stick claimed a handful of victims this week, the latest of whom has an NHL owner calling for his indefinite suspension. Senators owner Eugene Melnyk savaged the Penguins star Friday morning for his vicious two-handed slash on the hands of Ottawa defenseman Marc Methot, forcing Methot to leave Thursday night’s game with a brutally […]
Read MoreEL SEGUNDO, Calif. — It will be one more start for Antti Raanta, his eighth straight Saturday against the Kings in Los Angeles, before Henrik Lundqvist regains the net Sunday in Anaheim against the Ducks. “I feel good, but when you come back, you can’t expect to feel perfect right away,” Lundqvist said, referring to […]
Read MorePITTSBURGH — Embattled goaltender Jaroslav Halak is glad to be back and contributing to the Islanders’ run to the playoffs. Halak, after spending time with AHL Bridgeport, won for the first time since December when John Tavares scored in the shootout to lead the Islanders over the Penguins 4-3 on Friday, pushing them into the […]
Read MoreEL SEGUNDO, Calif. — This is shaping up as the most challenging decision of Alain Vigneault’s four-year tenure in New York, for now that the Rangers’ seven core defensemen are ready to go, the coach is going to be charged with sitting out one of them every night as a healthy scratch. That means maybe […]
Read MoreIt couldn’t have been more clear that Doug Weight is not going to allow the fact there are three goalies currently on the Islanders’ roster to disrupt his team yet again. So much so, the always accommodating coach cut off a question — soon to apologize — when asked about it Saturday afternoon before his […]
Read MoreThe question in front of the Islanders is less about what exactly led to the deep stinging that resulted from the 2-1 defeat to the Bruins on Saturday night at Barclays Center, a brutal loss that allowed Boston to leapfrog these Brooklynites for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Instead, the question for […]
Read MoreJeff Skinner scored the go-ahead goal on a breakaway with 10:26 left and the surging Hurricanes stretched their point streak to 10 games with a 3-1 victory Saturday night at Prudential Center that eliminated the Devils from playoff contention for the fifth straight year. Sebastian Aho scored twice and Eddie Lack made 26 saves for […]
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