• The Canadian Press

    John Tortorella says he failed to get Flyers to 'close the deal' in wake of late-season collapse

    VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) — Put those playoff plans on hold, Flyers fans. And not just this season. Philadelphia is stuck on the outside of the postseason for the fourth straight year after its fate was decided in Game 82. The Flyers’ acceleration from expected painful rebuild to the cusp of the playoffs was faster than expected — especially among those whose opinions matter most, coach John Tortorella and general manager Danny Briere — which made the late-season freefall all the more puzzling and gut

  • The Canadian Press

    At playoff time, NHL teams march to the beat of their goaltenders and count on them to save the day

    DENVER (AP) — Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev went home after a recent shaky outing and immediately watched film — the car-racing thriller “The Fast and the Furious.” Anything to keep his own mind from racing. It's playoff time, where teams march to the beat of their goaltenders. They want them laser-focused, full of confidence and ready to save the day. There are quite a few teams going into the postseason with big decisions in net. That includes Boston, which could split the goaltending

  • The Canadian Press

    The Florida Panthers are weird. And coach Paul Maurice says that as a compliment

    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Ordinarily at playoff time, this would be bulletin-board material: A coach in the NHL referred to the Florida Panthers as weird. Except this time, nobody minded. Because the guy who said it was Panthers coach Paul Maurice. Weird, goofy and unique are just some of the terms Maurice uses to describe his team, and he's saying those words in the most endearing way possible. To him, they're all badges of honor, part of the reasons why the Panthers finished with 110 points

  • The Canadian Press

    History with Maple Leafs could help Bruins snap short playoff slump

    BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Bruins may have found just the solution to their playoff slump: A first-round matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins haven't lost a playoff series to Toronto since 1959, winning six straight series that have helped extend their Original Six rival's Stanley Cup drought to more than half of a century. Boston won all four regular-season matchups with the Leafs during the regular season — all motivation, no doubt, for Toronto to turn things around. “I think just wi