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.
wftv.comRed Wings Maple Leafs Hockey Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91) carries the puck around the side of the Detroit Red Wings' net as Red Wings' Jordan Oesterle (82) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Matthews scored twice, the second on one of his patented snapshots, to become just the third player in the NHL’s salary cap era to register 60 goals in a season as Toronto defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 on Tuesday night. Matthews, who had gone five games without scoring, joined Steven Stamkos in 2011-12 and Alex Ovechkin in 2007-08 as the only players to reach 60 goals since the mid-1990s. “If you’re scoring 60, you’re finding ways to get it done no matter who you’re matched up against. And after Tavares doubled the Leafs’ lead at 4:03 of the third with his 27th, Matthews buried No.
wftv.comFour people with direct knowledge of the player’s decision have told The Associated Press that Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel is changing agents while in the midst of a long-standing dispute with the team over how to treat a neck injury.
(Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) (Frank Gunn)Toronto captain John Tavares will probably miss the rest of the first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens after sustaining a concussion and a knee injury during Game 1. The center's availability for the rest of the postseason is uncertain, if the Maple Leafs advance. Speaking by conference call before Game 2 on Saturday night, Dubas indicated the knee issue is expected to keep Tavares out of the lineup at least two weeks. “The head injury and concussion, I think it’s very difficult to place a timeline on when someone’s going to return,” Dubas said. Tavares was checked to the ice in the first period of Thursday’s 2-1 loss by Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot.
wftv.com“You just don’t throw experience on the ice and experience wins the game. You still have to play the game,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We’ve had 2-1 leads before in playoff series and know how to deal with that,” Cooper added. “I think Game 1 could have went either way, so we were close in all the games,” Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau said. A look at other games on Saturday:PENGUINS at ISLANDERS, Penguins lead series 2-1 (3 p.m. EDT, NBC)The Penguins have been successful in stopping the Islanders from building much momentum.
wftv.comCanadiens Maple Leafs Hockey Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (91) is helped onto a stretcher after being injured during the first period against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Thursday, May 20, 2021, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) (Frank Gunn)TORONTO — (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares was discharged from the hospital Friday, one day after leaving the ice on a stretcher following a knee to his head. Tavares was kept overnight at St. Michael’s Hospital and is now resting at home under the supervision of team doctors, the team said. The 30-year-old center crashed into Montreal’s Ben Chiarot 10:29 into the first period of Thursday’s playoff series opener and was hit in the head by Corey Perry’s knee as he fell. Tavares gave a thumbs-up as he was wheeled off the ice.
wftv.comCanadiens Maple Leafs Hockey Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron (41) scores on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell (36) during the third period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Thursday, May 20, 2021, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) (Frank Gunn)TORONTO — (AP) — Paul Byron broke a tie with a short-handed goal from his knees with 7:16 left and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 on Thursday night in Game 1 of the first-round series between Original Six rivals. The game was marred by an early collision that sent Toronto captain John Tavares off the ice on a stretcher to a hospital. With Tomas Tatar off for high-sticking and the Maple Leafs looking to take the lead, Byron raced past Rasmus Sandin, with the rookie defenseman dragging down the Montreal forward. They finished the regular season fourth in the all-Canadian North Division, 18 points behind the first-place Maple Leafs.
wftv.comCanadiens Maple Leafs Hockey Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (91) is helped onto a stretcher after being injured during the first period of Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Thursday, May 20, 2021, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) (Frank Gunn)TORONTO — (AP) — Toronto captain John Tavares was taken off the ice on a stretcher after a collision early in Game 1 of the Maple Leafs' first-round playoff matchup with the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. The Maple Leafs finished first in the all-Canadian North Division to earn the first seed in the playoffs. The Maple Leafs and Canadiens are facing off in a playoff series for the first time since 1979. “We’d like to express our concern for John Tavares and are sending him our best wishes for a speedy recovery,” the Canadiens posted on Twitter.
wftv.comRewind to 2019 and early 2020 and that description fits the Tampa Bay Lightning, who added some grit and toughness to their talented core and went on to win the Stanley Cup. The Lightning effect was clear as soon as NHL free agency opened. “You need guys that are going to have a little bit of sandpaper. “We maybe have taken a little bit of a step back from the most skillful lineup we’ve ever had to more of a balance between the will and the skill," Poile said. We certainly have a little bit more physicality, a little bit more grit and I think it’s probably and hopefully a better mix than we had last year.”___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
NHL players could start participating in voluntary small-group workouts, and teams began opening their training facilities Monday. Players learned Thursday training camps can open July 10, pending an agreement on returning to play later this summer. Now, the players are expected to trickle back in preparation of the resumption of the season. Players started skating by the handful this week in places like Boston, Chicago, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Edmonton, while some teams waited to open their doors. Veteran Nashville general manager David Poile said that while almost a dozen players remained in the area, the NHL has instructed teams not to ask or encourage players to show up because this stage is voluntary.
The announcement came at nearly the same time the Pittsburgh Penguins revealed one of their players had tested positive for the coronavirus. The team said the unidentified player was not in Pittsburgh, was isolated after experiencing symptoms and has recovered. So far, nine NHL players have tested positive: five from Ottawa, three from Colorado and one from Pittsburgh. Everybody is used to a best of seven, Pittsburgh player representative Kris Letang said. Any team that is going to win five rounds, four rounds of best of seven ...
Staple Center is one of the possible locations the NHL has zeroed in on to host playoff games if it can return amid the coronavirus pandemic. Seven of the 10 locations the NHL has zeroed in on to hold playoff games if it resumes are American cities not restricted by Canadas 14-day mandatory quarantine upon arrival. Before the NHL commits to where games could be held, officials are planning for multiple scenarios. But that isnt stopping NHL executives from pitching the ability to host playoff games. None of us would agree to a situation where we are taking away testing from people that need it, Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said.
