Hockey Page 156 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Leafs C Auston Matthews (upper body) out at least 2 more games
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without captain Auston Matthews for at least the next two games as the star center continues to nurse an upper-body injury, NHL.com reported Friday.,Matthews, 27, has missed Toronto's last two games and will sit out Friday's contest at Detroit and Saturday's home show...

Senators, Jets look to keep rolling in return from holiday break
Two of the NHL's hottest teams face off when the Ottawa Senators battle the host Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night.,The Senators saw their six-game win streak come to an end in their most recent outing, when they fell 3-1 to the host Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, but their biggest worry following the los...

Surging Penguins visit floundering Islanders
The Pittsburgh Penguins spent the four weeks leading into the NHL's holiday break providing some evidence that the most bountiful era in team history might not be over yet.,The New York Islanders did not receive nearly the same amount of encouragement regarding their ability to extend the franchise'...

Rangers return from break desperate for turnaround, face Lightning
The New York Rangers will play the second game of their three-game road trip versus the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday night, but they likely did not travel in good spirits after a tough stretch before the Christmas break.,Last season's Eastern Conference runners-up were humming along following a 4-3 ...

Kings finally back home to face surging Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL over the past five and a half weeks. Now, with the holiday break in the rearview mirror, they'll look to keep it going when they visit the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.,Back on Nov. 18, the Oilers were 9-8-2 after a 3-0 loss to the M...

Generous Flyers aim to tighten up defensively vs. Ducks
Both the Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks have had several days to think about their most recent loss.,Following the holiday break, the Flyers and Ducks are back in action Saturday in Anaheim.,Philadelphia has lost four of its last five games, including a disappointing 7-3 defeat to the rival P...

Caps star Alex Ovechkin practices, eyes Saturday return
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin skated with his regular linemates in practice Friday and could return to the ice for Saturday's visit to the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to ESPN.,Ovechkin, who fractured his left fibula in a collision with Utah forward Jack McBain on Nov. 18, reportedly prac...

Panthers rested and ready to reset vs. Canadiens
The Florida Panthers are no different than many other teams around the NHL.,The Christmas break couldn't have come at a better time.,The Panthers hope the four days off provided their players enough time to reset heading into their matchup on Saturday afternoon against the visiting Montreal Canadien...

Avs sign G Mackenzie Blackwood to 5-year extension
The Colorado Avalanche announced a five-year extension for goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood on Friday.,Terms were not disclosed but multiple reports pegged the deal at $5.25 million per season through 2029-30.,Acquired from the San Jose Sharks on his 28th birthday on Dec. 9, Blackwood is 3-1-0 with a ...

Tomas Hertl returns to San Jose wearing a Golden Knights uniform
Center Tomas Hertl makes his first visit to the SAP Center since being traded last season when the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights visit the San Jose Sharks on Friday.,Hertl was the 17th overall pick of the 2012 NHL Draft by San Jose and in 11 seasons collected 218 goals and 484 points...

Stingy Devils open home-and-home with Hurricanes
The New Jersey Devils hope the momentum they built leading up to the NHL's holiday break will carry over after the three days off, as the Metropolitan Division leaders start a two-day, home-and-home series with the third-place Carolina Hurricanes on Friday in Newark, N.J.,Coach Sheldon Keefe's team ...

Avalanche hitting their stride ahead of Utah clash
The Colorado Avalanche finally received much-needed rest before they get ready to return from the holiday hiatus by visiting the Utah Hockey Club on Friday in Salt Lake City.,The Avalanche have relished their first break of four days between games all season. Even better, they are finding their stri...

Bruins take 5-game points streak into meeting with Blue Jackets
The Boston Bruins will look to continue their recent success following the NHL's three-day holiday break when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday for the opening leg of a home-and-home series. ,A 4-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Monday allowed Boston to go into the recess on a ...

Wild, Stars fresh and focused after holiday break
The Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars hope to exit the holiday break the way they went into it when they meet on Friday night in Dallas -- as winners.,Both teams entered play Monday on short losing streaks, but came away with victories before getting a few days off the ice.,Dallas knocked off the Utah...

Red Wings 'reset,' to debut new leadership vs. Leafs
The Detroit Red Wings will return from their Christmas break with a brand new look and perhaps a long-awaited burst of energy.,When the Red Wings face the Toronto Maple Leafs at home for the second time in two weeks on Friday, it will be with a hew head coach after Derek Lalonde and associate coach ...

Red Wings fire Derek Lalonde, hire Todd McLellan
The Detroit Red Wings fired Derek Lalonde and named Todd McLellan their new head coach on Thursday.,Lalonde, 52, is 13-17-4 in his third season on the bench and 89-86-23 overall. Detroit is seventh in the Atlantic Division and on pace to miss the playoffs for the ninth straight season.,McLellan, 57,...

Predators face Blues, look to maintain momentum
Thanks to a strong homestand, the Nashville Predators return from the Christmas break playing perhaps their best hockey of a dismal season. ,Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues will try to post back-to-back victories for the first time in more than three weeks. ,Riding a four-game point streak, the Preda...

Sabres riding rare momentum into battle with Blackhawks
After ending a 13-game winless drought, the Buffalo Sabres will look to start stringing some victories together when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.,Buffalo's nightmarish 0-10-3 streak was snapped in emphatic fashion in Monday's 7-1 win over the New York Islanders. All of the Sabre...

NHL roundup: Sabres rout Islanders to halt 13-game skid
Beck Malenstyn scored just 2:07 into the game Monday night for the visiting Buffalo Sabres, who never trailed as they snapped a 13-game losing streak by routing the New York Islanders 7-1 in Elmont, N.Y.,Jiri Kulich posted his first career two-goal game while Rasmus Dahlin collected a career-high fo...

Knights' Bruce Cassidy gets milestone win against Ducks
Tomas Hertl scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and also had an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights completed a four-game regular-season series sweep of the Anaheim Ducks with a 3-1 victory on Monday in Las Vegas.,The victory was the 119th for coach Bruce Cassidy with the Golden ...