NHL

5:49 PM ET Associated Press MONTREAL — Montreal forward Jake Evans, who has not played since sustaining a concussion on a hit by Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele on June 2, will accompany the Canadiens to Las Vegas for their Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Golden Knights. Interim Canadiens coach Dominque Ducharme said Saturday that Evans,

8:10 AM ET NHL Insiders We’re down to the final four teams in contention for the Stanley Cup. Our No. 1 vs. No. 4 matchup pits the Vegas Golden Knights against the Montreal Canadiens. Vegas was one of the top Cup favorites at the start of the postseason, while Montreal was not. But the Habs

8:00 AM ET The Vegas Golden Knights were a juggernaut during the 2021 NHL regular season, and in the West Division finals, they made the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche look like pretenders. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens seemed to make the North Division bracket by default as the No. 4 seed. And yet, they shocked the

8:00 AM ET The altered format of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs — where the final four teams were reseeded based on regular-season record — meant that we could have gotten some wild matchups in the Stanley Cup semifinals. Or, as is the case with this series, we’ll get to see a rematch of the

8:14 PM ET Associated Press BOSTON — Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask will have surgery to repair a previously undisclosed torn labrum in his hip, he said Friday, two days after the team was eliminated from the playoffs by the New York Islanders. Rask, who is eligible to become a free agent, said he hopes

6:33 PM ET The Columbus Blue Jackets stayed in-house for their new head coach, hiring assistant Brad Larsen to replace John Tortorella on Thursday. Larsen, 43, signed a three-year deal to become the eighth head coach in franchise history. He has been an assistant coach with the Blue Jackets for the past seven seasons, starting

9:30 AM ET When Carey Price returned home after winning Game 4 against the Winnipeg Jets, there was a gift waiting for him. Placed on the front porch of his Montreal home was a goalie stick. Strapped to the blade was the head of a broom, a neighborly acknowledgment of the Montreal Canadiens‘ second-round sweep,

6:30 AM ET The NHL’s final four is set. The Vegas Golden Knights took care of business at home, eliminating the Colorado Avalanche to set up a semifinal date with the Montreal Canadiens. Sadly, we have two days off from hockey, before the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning kick off their series Sunday.

1:12 AM ET LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights are going to the semifinals for the third time in four years — not bad for a team that has been around for only four years. Vegas knocked out the Colorado Avalanche with a 6-3 win in Game 6 on Thursday, its fourth straight win

7:45 AM ET LAS VEGAS — As the Vegas Golden Knights grind away in their thrilling second round series against the Colorado Avalanche, the team’s most productive line has been the second line. Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith have scored eight goals in five games against Colorado. Coach Peter DeBoer called the trio

9:45 AM ET The Montreal Canadiens are eight wins away from capturing the Stanley Cup. One Canadian team was going to make it out of the North Division playoffs. No one expected it would be them. Some of us are a little bummed about it, including me. I’ve picked against Montreal in both of its

6:29 AM ET The Boston Bruins were sent home on Wednesday night, and the New York Islanders are the third team to reach the Stanley Cup semifinals. Tonight, the Colorado Avalanche — the top team in the regular season — will try to avoid a similar fate as the Bruins. But the Avs’ task isn’t

8:13 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks announced Wednesday they had agreed to an entry-level contract with Lukas Reichel after selecting the forward in the first round of the 2020 NHL draft. Reichel’s three-year deal runs through the 2023-24 season with a $925,000 salary-cap hit. General manager Stan Bowman said Reichel made

6:35 AM ET The Tampa Bay Lightning are Central Division champions, and are waiting for the winner of the New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins East Division final, a series that could end on the Island tonight. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens got one game closer to seeing which team they’ll be facing in the Stanley

1:47 AM ET DENVER — After coughing up a 2-0, third-period lead at home, the Colorado Avalanche are on the brink of elimination. Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone scored 10 seconds into overtime of Game 5 on Tuesday, and the Knights now take a 3-2 series lead back home. Game 6 is Thursday, the

12:19 PM ET Nazem Kadri‘s eight-game suspension has been upheld by a neutral arbitrator, a source confirmed to ESPN. The Colorado Avalanche center is eligible to return for a potential Game 7 of the second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. The series is tied 2-2, with Game 5 on Tuesday in Denver. Kadri, whom

6:45 AM ET The Tampa Bay Lightning have a chance to eliminate the Carolina Hurricanes, though playing in front of their home crowd may be the boost the Hurricanes needs to keep their season alive. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche will try to find their game again in Denver after the Vegas Golden Knights put on

3:36 AM ET ESPN News Services MONTREAL — Tyler Toffoli scored at 1:39 of overtime, lifting the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night and a four-game sweep of their second-round playoff series. Toffoli took a cross-crease pass from Cole Caufield and beat Connor Hellebuyck with a one-timer for