• The Canadian Press

    Oilers captain McDavid named Hart finalist along with MacKinnon, Kucherov

    NEW YORK — Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid was named a finalist for this year's Hart Trophy on Tuesday as he seeks to win the NHL's most valuable player award for a second straight season. Colorado Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon and Tampa Bay Lightning right-wing Nikita Kucherov are the other finalists as voted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. McDavid, who won his third Hart Trophy last season, finished third in league scoring with 132 points (32 goals, 100 as

  • The Canadian Press

    St. Louis Blues remove interim tag and name Drew Bannister full-time coach

    The St. Louis Blues have removed the interim tag from Drew Bannister’s title and named him their full-time coach. President of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong announced the move Tuesday. Bannister, 50, signed a two-year contract to remain in the role after replacing Craig Berube when the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach was fired in December. The Blues went 30-19-5 after Bannister took over for Berube and finished six points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Confere

  • The Canadian Press

    Five things to know about the NHL playoffs

    The Boston Bruins opened their second round with a little revenge, and the New York Rangers are trying to remain undefeated. Here are five things to know entering Tuesday’s post-season action: BRUINS STRIKE FIRST Jeremy Swayman stood on his head with 38 saves to help Boston take down the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Game 1 of their second-round series. The Bruins temporarily exorcised some demons from last year, when the Panthers pulled off a 3-1 comeback in the first round to eliminate Boston after

  • The Canadian Press

    Boston takes 1-0 series lead into game 2 against Florida

    Boston Bruins (47-20-15, second in the Atlantic Division) vs. Florida Panthers (52-24-6, first in the Atlantic Division)Sunrise, Florida; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Panthers -175, Bruins +146; over/under is 5.5NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Bruins lead series 1-0BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Bruins visit the Florida Panthers in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Monday for the sixth time this season. The Bruins won 5-1 in the previous me