Canadian curling champion Brad Gushue first struck up a friendship with Bob Cole some 20 years ago during the NHL lockout. The legendary broadcaster — an elite curler himself in his younger days — would often watch the up-and-coming skip throw stones at the local club in their hometown of St. John's, N.L. "At times during my career, I'd talk to him about how things were going," Gushue said. "The one thing with Bob, he was always very honest with me and very direct. He gave me some good advice."
The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes put themselves one win away from earning first-round sweeps, while three Canadian teams set out to take the lead in their series on Friday. Here are five things to know entering Friday’s post-season action: HOSTILE TERRITORY The Vancouver Canucks might have taken both games in Nashville in the regular season, but the playoffs are a different animal. After an impressive regular season, Vancouver finds itself in a 1-1 series against the Predators after
Boston Bruins (47-20-15, second in the Atlantic Division) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (46-26-10, third in the Atlantic Division)Toronto; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Maple Leafs -114, Bruins -106; over/under is 6NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Bruins lead series 2-1BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Bruins visit the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Wednesday for the eighth time this season. The Bruins won 4-2 in the previous match