ANDREI VASILEVSKIY

Patrice Bergeron got his 1,000th career point with a second-period assist and the Boston Bruins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 for their seventh straight win.

Edmonton forward Evander Kane was cut on the left wrist by a skate blade and taken to the hospital with a frightening injury during the Oilers’ 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

With that in mind, let's explore who you should take with your first-round pick, depending on where you end up in the draft. If you have the sixth overall pick, but my recommendation for the third is still available, take my choice for the third overall selection. 12 — Recommendation: Roman JosiWho the best defenseman to pick after Makar is a matter of some debate, but I lean towards Josi. He's surpassed the 50-point mark on six occasions and won the Norris Trophy in 2019-20 with 65 points in 69 games. He likely won't match Makar in terms of goals, but Josi is a serious contender to lead all blueliners in points in 2022-23.

Nathan MacKinnon saved his best performance in the Stanley Cup Final for when it mattered most.

The Avalanche took down the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Sunday in game 6 of the finals.

Andrei Vasilevskiy rejected shot after shot, keeping the two-time defending champions’ quest for a threepeat alive. In the end, another superb performance by the star goaltender wasn’t enough to keep the Colorado Avalanche from wresting the title away. Steven Stamkos got them off to a fast start, scoring from in front of Darcy Kuemper less than four minutes into the game. Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen scored for Colorado in the second, and the Lightning never recovered in falling to 2-6 when trailing after two period this postseason. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

The Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t relinquish their stronghold on the Stanley Cup without a fight.

Stanley Cup Avalanche Lightning Hockey Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) reacts after scoring on Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack) (Phelan Ebenhack)TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — The Colorado Avalanche are back atop hockey’s mountain after dethroning the two-time defending champions. They locked things down by holding on to the puck and not letting Tampa Bay even shoot the puck on Darcy Kuemper in the third period. That mentality helped the Avalanche get over the hump, and Bednar became the first coach to win the Stanley Cup, American Hockey League's Calder Cup and ECHL's Kelly Cup. Instead, they'll return to Denver to celebrate with the Stanley Cup. When that happens, Colorado will get the chance to defend its crown and attempt to follow Tampa Bay in sustaining a perennial Cup contender.

The Colorado Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup after dethroning the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Stanley Cup Lightning Avalanche Hockey Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor (25) tries to control the puck from the ice during the second period in Game 5 of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Friday, June 24, 2022, in Denver. It's back to the slushy ice of Amalie Arena for the Colorado Avalanche after they failed to close out the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final. The Lightning overpowered Colorado with tougher physicality, clogged the neutral zone and once again relied on goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy's firebolt reflexes to counter Colorado's superior speed in a 3-2 victory in Game 5 on Friday night at Ball Arena. Neither did the calls as the Lightning knocked the Avalanche around, with or without the puck on their sticks. Tampa Bay went with four forwards when Avalanche star Cale Makar was whistled for tripping in the second period during a 4-on-4 skate.

The Colorado Avalanche were stymied in their quest to close out the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Tampa Bay Lightning spoiled Colorado’s party and they are still in the hunt for a third straight Stanley Cup title after beating the Avalanche 3-2 in Game 5.

A resilient win,” said Kadri, who had been sidelined since being injured during Game 3 of the Western Conference final against Edmonton. “I figured it was time to join the party.”The Avalanche outshot the Lightning 11-3 in the extra period. Vasilevskiy stopped Logan O'Connor on a breakaway, and Colorado had a shot clang off the post and another hit the crossbar before Kadri ended it. Game 5 is Friday night in Denver, where Colorado won the first two games of the series and are 7-2 this postseason. Anthony Cirelli scored 36 seconds into the game and Victor Hedman also scored in regulation for the Lightning.

Nazem Kadri scored at 12:02 of overtime — perhaps with too many Colorado players on the ice — and the Avalanche beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final to move within a victory of dethroning the two-time defending champion Lightning.

Stamkos, Paul, Maroon and Perry scored in the second period, when the Lightning chased Colorado goalie Darcy Kuemper while pulling away to trim their series deficit to 2-1. The defending champs became the first team since 1919 to win a Stanley Cup Final game after losing by seven-plus goals the previous game. The Avalanche lifted Kuemper after Maroon scored a soft goal that put the Lightning up 5-2 with 8:45 remaining in the second. The Lightning became the third team in NHL history score six goals in a Stanley Cup Final after yielding at least seven the previous game. Paul scored for the Lightning after sitting out a portion of the first period with what appeared to be a right leg injury.

Steven Stamkos, Pat Maroon and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning scored four times in the second period and beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Steven Stamkos, Pat Maroon and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning scored four times in the second period and beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Stanley Cup Lightning Avalanche Hockey Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) scores on Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the third period in Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher) (John Locher)DENVER — (AP) — Marinate on this for a quick moment: Colorado has 11 goals in the Stanley Cup Final so far, and not one from star forward Nathan MacKinnon. Along with it, they have a 2-0 lead over Tampa Bay in the best-of-seven series, with Game 3 in Tampa on Monday night. He joined Patrick Roy as the Avalanche goaltenders who've recorded a shutout in the Stanley Cup Final (Roy accomplished the feat in 1996 and twice in 2001 as Colorado captured its two Stanley Cup trophies). “Whether Mac is scoring or not, he’s driving the play, he’s wearing guys down, he’s forechecking, he’s above pucks.

The fast-flying Colorado Avalanche have zoomed out to a 2-0 series lead over Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final.

Stanley Cup Lightning Avalanche Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) looks up after a fight during the third period in Game 2 of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche, Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Denver. “He’s been our backbone for years and years and years and we owe it to him to have a better game next game. And this marked the biggest shutout in a Stanley Cup Final since Pittsburgh's 8-0 win over the North Stars in 1991. “This is a championship-caliber team,” Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson said of the Lightning. I think they’re patient and they’ll adjust and they kind of let things go and I think that’s what’s made them so successful.

Stanley Cup Lightning Avalanche Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy looks back as the puck enters the net for a goal by Colorado Avalanche center Darren Helm during the second period in Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Denver. Andrei Vasilevskiy and the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions were thumped 7-0 by the Avalanche, losing not only the game but their cool and their mojo in the process. This marked just the second time in Vasilevskiy’s 465-game NHL career that he allowed that many goals in a game. Captain Steven Stamkos was hollering and angling for a fight with the Lightning down 3-0 in the first period. Corey Perry went to the penalty box at the end of the second with Tampa Bay trailing 5-0 after getting into a quarrel in the Colorado crease with J.T.

The Tampa Bay Lightning shrugged off their overtime loss to Colorado in the opener of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Colorado Avalanche overwhelmed the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-0 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Colorado Avalanche secured the Game 1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning Wednesday night. Gabriel Landeskog posted the first goal for the Avalanche only seven minutes into the game. Only a minute later Mikhail Sergachev fired the puck, hitting the post and giving the Lightning a tied game. At the 1:23 mark, Andre Burakovsky soared his shot into the right side of the net, giving the Avalanche a 4-3 win over the Lightning. The Lightning will take on the Avalanche for Game 2 this Saturday at 8 p.m. in Denver.

Stanley Cup Lightning Avalanche Hockey The Colorado Avalanche celebrate after an overtime goal by Andre Burakovsky in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher ) (John Locher)DENVER — (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning weren't the ones who looked like the two-time defending champions in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night. Home teams have won 64 consecutive Cup Final games when leading by two or more goals, per ESPN. The Avalanche's legs were both fast and fresh in their first game in nine days and their first Stanley Cup appearance in 21 years. "We’re in the Stanley Cup Final.

For much of the game it looked as if the Colorado Avalanche and not the Tampa Bay Lightning were the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.

Stanley Cup Lightning Avalanche Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy gives up goal on a shot from Colorado Avalanche left wing Andre Burakovsky, not seen, during overtime in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (David Zalubowski)DENVER — (AP) — Andre Burakovsky scored 1:23 into overtime and the Colorado Avalanche opened the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-3 victory over the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night. Burakovsky is one of only two Avalanche players who have won the Cup. The arena was rocking from the start of warmups for the first Stanley Cup Final game in the city in 2001 — also the last year the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, with Sakic serving as captain. If anything, Game 1 against the Lightning showed this series won't be easy for either team.

Andre Burakovsky scored 1:23 into overtime and the Colorado Avalanche opened the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-3 victory over the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.

The Stanley Cup Final is a showdown between the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the high-scoring Colorado Avalanche.

At 32 and wrapping up his 14th season, Steven Stamkos is no longer one of the NHL’s most prolific scorers or even the second- or third-best player on his own team.

The two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning face the best in the West Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final beginning Wednesday in Denver.

Steven Stamkos scored two goals and the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year after beating the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final.

Steven Stamkos scored two goals and the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year after beating the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final.

Mikhail Sergachev scored his second goal of the game with 1:50 remaining to break a tie and lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night for a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference final.

The New York Rangers have been in a similar position before in this postseason — looking to reverse the momentum back home after dropping two games on the road.

Game 5 is Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers won Games 1 and 2 and are 8-1 this postseason. Until Vasilevskiy's bid for a shutout ended, the Rangers hadn’t scored since Chris Kreider’s power-play goal put them up 2-0 at 9:44 of the second period in Game 3. It has been all Tampa Bay since then, with Kucherov and Stamkos scoring to wipe out the Game 3 deficit before Palat won it in the final minute. He was injured Sunday, when he exited in the second period after only playing a little over seven minutes. ... New York forward Filip Chytil left just past the midpoint of the second period after a hit by Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.

Nikita Kucherov scored on a breakaway and Andrei Vasilevskiy had 33 saves , helping the Tampa Bay Lightning shut down the New York Rangers 4-1 and even the NHL’s Eastern Conference final at two games apiece.

Ondrej Palat scored with 42 seconds left and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Sunday to cut their deficit in the Eastern Conference finals to 2-1.

Lightning Rangers Hockey New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) makes a save in the second period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Friday, June 3, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) (John Minchillo)TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — There’s no panic in the Tampa Bay Lightning. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions are down 2-0 to the New York Rangers in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal but remain confident they have what it takes to climb back into the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Sunday at Amalie Arena after the Rangers dominated the first two games at home. The Rangers are two wins away from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, but don’t want to get head of themselves.

There’s no panic in the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Lightning Rangers Hockey New York Rangers right wing Kaapo Kakko (24) scores on Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) in the first period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Friday, June 3, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) (John Minchillo)NEW YORK — (AP) — Mika Zibanejad scored in the third period, Igor Shesterkin stopped 29 shots and the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Friday night to take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals. The series shifts to Tampa for Game 3 on Sunday and Game 4 on Tuesday night. The Lightning got an early power play when the Rangers' Ryan Reaves was whistled for slashing 2 1/2 minutes into the game. Motte nearly gave the Rangers the lead with 8 1/2 minutes remaining, but his shot deflected off the goalpost.

Mika Zibanejad scored in the third period, Igor Shesterkin stopped 29 shots and the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 to take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Lightning Rangers Hockey New York Rangers' Filip Chytil celebrates goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, June 1, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) (Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK — (AP) — Filip Chytil scored twice in the second period and the New York Rangers routed the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Kaapo Kakko had the puck behind the Lightning net, came out to the goalie's right and sent a pass to Chytil in slot that he fired it past Vasilevskiy. It gave the Rangers a goal with the man advantage for the sixth straight game, tying a franchise playoff record, previously accomplished in 1986 and 1990. Kreider got the Rangers on the scoreboard first 1:11 into the game on the game's first shot on goal.

Filip Chytil scored twice in the second period and the New York Rangers routed the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos knows the attention going into the series will be on the men in goal. PAST HISTORYThe Rangers won all three meetings in the regular season, with the last coming more than two months ago. This is the team's first postseason matchup since the 2015 conference finals, won by the Lightning in seven games. “Our core is quite a bit the same, their team has changed over quite a bit, different coach," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “We’re as hungry and desperate and willing to do whatever it takes at this point to try and keep this journey going,” Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh said.

Andrei Vasilevskiy has won a Vezina Trophy and two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

There will be a Presidents’ Trophy banner hanging over the Florida Panthers’ home ice next season.

Up next is Tampa Bay's sixth trip to the East finals in eight years, where they'll face either the Carolina Hurricanes or New York Rangers. “It’s the most fun and gut-wrenching and nerve-wracking time of the year, but that’s just an amazing feeling,” Stamkos added. The Lightning joined the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens as the only franchises to win at least 10 consecutive playoff series. Maroon, who won with St. Louis in 2019 before signing with Tampa Bay two years ago, has been a part of 14 consecutive series wins. Two more series wins, and the Lightning will become the first team to win three consecutive Stanley Cup titles since the Islanders claimed four in a row from 1980-83.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth time in eight years after sweeping the Florida Panthers in four games.

Vasilevskiy won his sixth straight game, a streak that began with the Lightning facing a 3-2 series deficit in the opening round. The Lightning joined the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens as the only franchises to win at least 10 consecutive playoff series. NOTES: The Panthers outshot the Lightning 17-3 in the first period and 34-15 through the second. It was the 42-year-old, six-time All-Star’s 187th career playoff game — second-most among active NHL players. He hasn’t played since being injured during the Lightning’s opening-round Game 7 victory over Toronto.

Andrei Vasilevskiy had 49 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning completed a four-game sweep of the Florida Panthers with a 2-0 victory that sends the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions back to the Eastern Conference final for the sixth time in eight years.

The Florida Panthers are on the brink of getting swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Panthers Lightning Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) watches his shot get past Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for a goal during the second period in Game 3 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. Game 4 is Monday night at Amalie Arena, where the Lightning have won three of four games this postseason. Sam Reinhart scored Florida’s lone goal in Game 3, snapping a puzzling 0-for-25 start to the playoffs for the Panthers’ power play. Kucherov and Stamkos added empty-net goals in the final four minutes after the Panthers removed Bobrovsky in favor of an extra attacker. NOTES: With his 50th career playoff goal, Perry moved ahead of Brad Marchant and Patrick Bergeron into sole possession of sixth place among active career playoff goal leaders.

Steven Stamkos scored two goals and Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 to move to the brink of another trip to the Eastern Conference final.

Ross Colton scored with just under four seconds remaining, giving the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Florida went 0 for 18 on the power play in the series win against the Capitals and was scoreless on three more tries Tuesday. But Tampa Bay cashed in three of its six chances. Bellemare’s goal came 3:35 into the third period, giving Tampa Bay its first lead of the game — and the Lightning kept it the rest of the way. Tampa Bay left no doubt late, with Kucherov and Colton each getting power-play tallies in the final 4:06 to put the game away. ... Tampa Bay improved to 15-19 in Game 1s.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, Andrei Vasilevskiy remained red-hot with 34 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning topped the Florida Panthers 4-1 in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Lightning Maple Leafs Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nicholas Paul celebrates his second goal of the night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, during the second period in Game 7 of a first-round series in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Toronto. The Maple Leafs were once again unable to push through and finally flip a long, ugly narrative of playoff failures for a franchise that has now lost its last seven series, including six straight dating back to 2017. William Nylander then missed high on a breakaway and the Tampa goaltender robbed Matthews with the Maple Leafs buzzing. The Maple Leafs, however, just couldn’t find a way through with Campbell on the bench for an extra skater to complete another chapter of playoff disappointment. The forward — in agony as he headed down the tunnel to the locker room — tried to return for the second period, but shut it down after a brief shift.

Jack Campbell stopped 32 of 36 shots for the Maple Leafs, who are chasing their first playoff series win in 18 years. The Maple Leafs, who've been eliminated in the first round each of the past five seasons, are 0-for-their-last-8 in close-out games. The Maple Leafs rallied to win Game 5 at home, overcoming an early two-goal deficit and scoring three times in the third period to win 4-3 and take a 3-2 series lead. It looked like one goal might stand through the end of the period until the Maple Leafs mounted a another charge in the final minute. His second goal gave the Maple Leafs the lead with just eight seconds left before the second intermission.

Brayden Point scored on a rebound with 1:56 remaining in overtime to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs and force a Game 7 in the first round playoff series between the Atlantic Division rivals.

APTOPIX Lightning Maple Leafs Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) makes a save on Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) during the second period of Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Tuesday, May 10, 2022 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) (Nathan Denette)TORONTO — (AP) — Auston Matthews scored the tiebreaking goal with 6:06 left in the third period and the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied from an early two-goal deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on Tuesday night and take a 3-2 lead in the first-round playoff series. The Leafs took their first lead when Nylander scored his third goal in the last two games on Vasilevskiy. The Maple Leafs were coming off a 7-3 loss to Tampa Bay in Game 4. The Leafs continued to push as the period wore on, with Vasilevskiy forced to make a number of huge saves.

Corey Perry and Ondrej Palat also scored, and Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov each had two assists for the Lightning. William Nylander scored twice and Jake Muzzin also had a goal for the Maple Leafs. Tampa Bay put the finishing touches on a dominant performance with empty-net goals by Palat and Colton in the final 5:20. They were all over the Maple Leafs from the start Sunday night, with Stamkos beating Campbell from just inside the blue line exactly one minute into the game. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, were 0 for 2 in man-advantage situations before finally breaking through against Vasilevskiy with the first of Nylander’s two goals at 2:27 of the third.

Ross Colton scored twice, Andrei Vasilevskiy had 22 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning got off to a fast start and beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-3 in Game 4 to even their first-round playoff series.

Jack Campbell had 32 saves — including three to protect the lead on a late power play — and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

So much for the notion that goals are hard to come by in the playoffs.

Lightning Maple Leafs Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) try to defend against Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto, Monday, May 2, 2022. Jake Muzzin scored and David Kampf added a goal on a short-handed breakaway for Toronto, which killed off five Lightning power plays, including an early five-minute major. The second game of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday in Toronto. Teams that have won the series opener hold an all-time record of 499-228, including a 9-6 mark last season. The third and fourth games in the series are set for Friday and Sunday in Tampa.

The first-round matchups are set for the NHL playoffs that begin Monday.

President Joe Biden avoided politics in honoring the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning for winning the Stanley Cup in each of the past two seasons.

Victor Hedman scored twice, Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and two assists and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 on Sunday night. Hedman, Corey Perry and Sergachev scored Tampa Bay's last three goals in a 32-second span in the third. “We were shooting pucks, and good things happen,” Hedman said.

Among the 41 Russia-born players currently in the NHL, only Washington star Alex Ovechkin and Calgary defenseman Nikita Zadorov have weighed in about the war. “It’s difficult for all the Russian players in the league,” said Brian MacLellan, general manager of the Capitals, who have three other Russians on their roster in addition to Ovechkin. Milstein expressed appreciation for the efforts of the league, players' union, teams and police departments. “Hockey players have families at home. It doesn’t matter who is in the war, Russia, Ukraine, different countries.

Most Russian players in the National Hockey League have remained silent about their country's invasion of Ukraine.

Tanner Jeannot and Filip Forsberg each scored a power-play goal for Nashville, which dropped to 0-2 in outdoor games. This was the outdoor game the Predators, and Nashville, had wanted for years at Nissan Stadium, the home of the NFL's Tennessee Titans, across the Cumberland River from their own arena. Nine players remain from Nashville’s first outdoor game in the 2020 Winter Classic in Dallas. Andrei Vasilevskiy came in tied for the league-lead with 27 wins for Tampa Bay with Juuse Saros’ 25 victories tying him for fifth. DRESS FOR THE MOMENTBoth Tampa Bay and Nashville made to sure to coordinate their wardrobes before heading to this game.

Steven Stamkos had a goal and two assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 to spoil the first outdoor game in Music City.

Washington star Alexander Ovechkin and high-scoring Edmonton teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl headline the rosters for the NHL All-Star Weekend announced Thursday.

Mika Zibanejad had his eighth career hat trick, Igor Shesterkin stopped 38 shots for his second shutout of the season and the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0.

A handful of NHL players are voicing frustration over the decision not to allow them to go to the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Ondrej Palat scored 36 seconds into overtime after Tampa Bay teammate Corey Perry tied it late in the third period, and the Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in the first NHL game following an extended holiday break.

Baskow)The NHL is emerging from an extended holiday break with taxi squads and other roster revisions, a move made to guard against more disruptions to the season amid more players and coaches going into COVID-19 protocol Sunday. Taxi squads, which were used during the shortened 2021 season, are set to be in effect until at least the All-Star break in early February. Players on the taxi squad will count as being in the minors for cap purposes. The goal of the changes is to keep the NHL season going after 64 games already have been postponed for coronavirus-related reasons. Because of its seven teams based in Canada, the NHL cannot follow the lead of the NFL by not doing blanket testing of fully vaccinated, asymptomatic players.

Baskow)The NHL will emerge from an extended holiday break with taxi squads and other roster revisions to guard against more disruptions to the season. Taxi squads, which were used during the shortened 2021 season, are set to be in effect until at least the All-Star break in early February. Players on the taxi squad will count as being in the minors for cap purposes. The goal of the changes is to keep the NHL season going after 64 games already have been postponed for coronavirus-related reasons. The NHL began its annual Christmas break a day earlier than anticipated last week amid a rapid increase of positive COVID-19 test results among players.

The NHL will emerge from an extended holiday break with taxi squads and other roster revisions to guard against more disruptions to the season.

Lightning Golden Knights Hockey Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) falls after his shot was turned away by Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, in Las Vegas. Baskow)LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Steven Stamkos scored the tiebreaking goal on a third-period power play and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied past the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on Tuesday night in the final NHL game before an extended holiday break. Mark Stone scored twice and Nicolas Roy also had a goal for the Golden Knights. It was the only NHL game played Tuesday night after nine others were postponed because of coronavirus concerns. But it didn't take long for the Lightning to strike back, as they needed only 43 seconds late in the second to get back-to-back goals.

Steven Stamkos scored the tiebreaking goal on a third-period power play and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied past the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in the final NHL game before an extended holiday break.

Tampa Bay also got goals from Alex Killorn and Brayden Point. Taylor Raddysh picked up his first NHL point, coming in his eighth game, by assisting on Point's goalBrett Leason got his first NHL goal and Conor Sheary also scored for the the Capitals, who came in 5-0-3. Washington star Alex Ovechkin had his season-opening eight-game point streak (nine goals, six assists) end. Killorn and Cirelli had second-period goals as Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead. Leason scored 1:13 into the game when his shot from the right wing boards was redirected past Vasilevskiy off Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman’s stick.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves, Anthony Cirelli had a goal and two assists, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat Washington 3-2 to end the Capitals’ eight-game season-opening point streak.

The NHL returned to ESPN with a doubleheader that averaged 884,000 viewers, and TNT's coverage attracted more than 669,000 viewers.

The final three Pittsburgh goals were into an empty net. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was in attendance as Tampa Bay unveiled its 2020-21 Stanley Cup banner during a pregame ceremony. Lightning coach Jon Cooper pulled Vasilevskiy with 6 minutes left and it paid off when Cirelli scored at 14:23. Bowman (Detroit 1997-98), Lightning coach Jon Cooper and Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan (2016-17) are the last three NHL coaches to win back to back Stanley Cups. RECORD-TYING WINSullivan tied Dan Bylsma for the most regular-season wins by a Pittsburgh coach with 252.

(Gerry Broome/Associated Press )TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning became the first team since 2017 to win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game 5 of the Finals on Wednesday night. The Lightning became the first home team to raise the Stanley Cup since 2015, when they lost to the Blackhawks in Chicago. It was the third Stanley Cup in franchise history for Tampa Bay, and the first on home ice after winning last season’s in the “bubble” in Edmonton, ESPN reported. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy had a series-ending shutout for an NHL-record fifth consecutive time dating to the 2020 Stanley Cup final. Tampa Bay is now 15-0 in the playoffs after a loss since the opening round of the 2020 tournament.

Six years later, he’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion at the peak of his career after backstopping the Tampa Bay Lightning to a second consecutive title. Continuing to validate the organization’s faith in him, Vasilevskiy had a shutout in all four series clinchers, never lost back-to-back games and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. “It’s all about experience and how the team is playing in front of you,” he said before the Game 5 clincher. “Night in, night out (the) backbone of this team.”That was Bishop’s role in 2015 before a torn groin derailed his Cup final. Vasilevskiy had started a total of 13 NHL games at that point and had the spotlight on him at age 20 on hockey’s biggest stage.

APTOPIX Stanley Cup Hockey The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate their series win over the Montreal Canadiens to clinch the Stanley Cup in Game 5 of the NHL hockey finals, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) (Gerry Broome)TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — It only took scoring once for the Tampa Bay Lightning to strike twice and repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Winning a Stanley Cup is one thing. He finished with 29 saves — one too few to prevent a Cup celebration for Tampa Bay. The Lightning won the Cup for the third time in franchise history and denied Montreal a 25th league championship banner. The Tampa Bay Rays went to the World Series last fall.

The Lightning are the first team to go back-to-back championships since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

The defending champion Lightning outshot the Canadiens 13-4 in a dominant start to their second opportunity to wrap up the series and win the Cup for the second time in 10 months. But they couldn't crack Price, who seems to have found his groove in the final after a rough first three games. Forward Blake Coleman, a pending free agent who's likely playing his final series with the Lightning, had a dominant first period on the forecheck, frazzling the Canadiens and drawing a penalty. At the other end of the ice, Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made four saves and sticked away the puck from a danger area with the Canadiens buzzing. ___Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

Stanley Cup Hockey Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) scores past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup final in Montreal, Monday, July 5, 2021. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP) (Paul Chiasson)MONTREAL — (AP) — Josh Anderson jumped back into the play, and the Montreal Canadiens killed Tampa Bay's chance for a Stanley Cup sweep. Anderson scored his second goal 3:57 into overtime, and the Canadiens avoided elimination by defeating the defending champion Lightning 3-2 in Game 4 on Monday night. The Canadiens appeared to be in big trouble after Shea Weber received a double minor for high-sticking late in regulation. But they killed off the penalty, and then became the first team to score in OT to avoid a sweep in the Stanley Cup Final since the Bruins did it in 1946 against the Canadiens, according to STATS.

Stanley Cup Hockey Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) scores past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup final in Montreal, Monday, July 5, 2021. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP) (Paul Chiasson)MONTREAL — (AP) — Josh Anderson jumped back into the play, and the Montreal Canadiens killed Tampa Bay's chance for a Stanley Cup sweep. Anderson scored his second goal 3:57 into overtime, and the Canadiens avoided elimination by defeating the defending champion Lightning 3-2 in Game 4 on Monday night. Carey Price stopped 32 shots for Montreal, and rookie defenseman Alexander Romanov also scored. Interim coach Dominique Ducharme’s lineup changes paid off as Romanov stepped up in just his third career playoff game.

Stanley Cup Hockey Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) scores past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup final in Montreal, Monday, July 5, 2021. The Lightning lead the series 3-0. If necessary, Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday at Tampa Bay. The goal came exactly 5 minutes after the Canadiens regained the lead on rookie Alexander Romanov’s shot from the right point. Barclay Goodrow also scored for Tampa Bay, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 shots in regulation.

Stanley Cup Hockey Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) scores past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup final in Montreal, Monday, July 5, 2021. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP) (Paul Chiasson)MONTREAL — (AP) — Ryan McDonagh’s no-look pass set up Barclay Goodrow, and the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning evened the score at 1 against the Montreal Canadiens after two periods of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night. Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry turned over the puck with a weak clearing attempt from deep in his own zone. The 33-year-old Price got a glove up to stop Nikita Kucherov’s snapshot from the right circle in the opening minute. Some 30 seconds later, Price held his ground at the right post to stop two shots from Blake Coleman.

Stanley Cup Hockey Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) scores past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup final in Montreal, Monday, July 5, 2021. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP) (Paul Chiasson)MONTREAL — (AP) — Josh Anderson scored and Carey Price stopped 12 shots, sending the Montreal Canadiens into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead over the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night. Looking to avoid a four-game sweep, the Canadiens took their first lead of the series when Anderson converted Nick Suzuki’s pass into the slot at 15:39. Otherwise, Montreal had been thoroughly outplayed by the Lightning in being outshot 11-1 before Anderson’s goal. The 33-year-old Price got a glove up to stop Nikita Sergachev’s snapshot from the right circle in the opening minute of Game 4.

But the Lightning showed again why they're the champs and favorites to repeat by taking blow after blow and responding. Suzuki tied it for Montreal after Anthony Cirelli put the Lightning on the board a few minutes earlier. Carey!” at Price, and the Lightning improved to 13-2 this postseason when leading at the second intermission. JOSEPH INMathieu Joseph replaced Killorn in Tampa Bay's lineup, skating 6:23 in his first game since May 20. BATTERED CANADIENSThe Lightning were not the only team on the ice to have some attrition of injuries add up.

Price finished with six saves and Vasilevskiy 13 to go along with chants of “Va-sy! Vasilevskiy made an early stop when Montreal’s Nick Suzuki found space in tight and got his right shoulder on a shot by Cole Caufield a little later. Price was at his best on two successful penalty kills after the Canadiens streak ended at 32 late in Game 1. Tough forward Brendan Gallagher, whose forehead was bloodied on a takedown Monday night, blocked a shot at 5-on-5 for the Canadiens without a stick early in Game 2. ___Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

The defenseman playing in his 46th playoff game beat Price from the slot off a pass from Ondrej Palat at 6:19 of the opening period. Playoff goals leader Brayden Point also assisted Cernak's goal for Tampa Bay, which had never won Game 1 of a Stanley Cup Final. Price made his Stanley Cup Final debut in his 14th season with the Canadiens. He's the first goaltender in league history to win more than 400 regular-season and playoff games combined before appearing in a Cup Final. The Lightning are in the Stanley Cup Final for the third time since 2015.

He lost a bid for a fifth shutout this postseason when Ben Chiarot scored his first career playoff goal for the Canadiens. Cernak also scored his first career postseason goal for Tampa Bay. Playoff goals leader Brayden Point also assisted Cernak's goal for Tampa Bay, which has never won Game 1 of a Stanley Cup Final. Price is making his Stanley Cup Final debut in his 14th season with the Canadiens. The Lightning are in the Stanley Cup Final for the third time since 2015.