NICK SUZUKI

The Montreal Canadiens have selected Slovak winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the first pick in the NHL draft.

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.

Brad Marchand scored two goals 15 seconds apart in the first period and completed the hat trick with a short-handed goal in the second, leading the Boston Bruins to a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

Nikita Kucherov has led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the verge of a second consecutive Stanley Cup championship by doing a little bit of everything.

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 Tampa Bay Lightning lead the Stanley Cup Final two games to none after beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-1on Wednesday night.

Of course, the Canadiens have felt this way before, looking outclassed in the semifinal opener against Vegas before roaring back and winning in six games. Cooper and his team will also need to adjust to Montreal's adjustments and will rely on a mature approach to playoff hockey. “(We are) trying to get to the strength of our game as much as possible and wear teams down over the course of a long series,” Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. They did last year in the final falling behind to Dallas and last round against the New York Islanders. Tampa Bay players have said on multiple occasions the Canadiens are “here for a reason” and that they won't underestimate the opponent standing in their way of a second Cup championship.

The Montreal Canadiens need more from their best offensive line in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Canadiens won 4-1. (AP Photo/John Locher) (John Locher)LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Carey Price made 26 saves to lead Montreal to 4-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night, putting the Canadiens one win away from the Stanley Cup Final. The Canadiens lead Vegas 3-2 in the their best-of-seven series, with Game 6 scheduled for historic Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday. The Golden Knights, who have scored 11 goals in the series, have gotten just four from their forwards. It was all the Golden Knights would get, as Price stopped the final nine shots he saw, and Suzuki - who never got to suit up for one regular-season game with the Golden Knights - made an empty-net goal to provide the final margin___.

Carey Price made 26 saves to lead the Montreal Canadiens to 4-1 road victory over the Vegas Golden Knight, putting the Canadiens one win away from the Stanley Cup Final.

Montreal's Cole Caufield is the best of a handful of college hockey stars who went from playing at the NCAA level this season to jumping right into the NHL playoffs.

Canadiens Maple Leafs Hockey Montreal Canadiens centre Nick Suzuki (14) scores on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell (36) during overtime in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto on Thursday, May 27, 2021. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) (Frank Gunn)TORONTO — (AP) — Nick Suzuki scored 59 seconds into overtime and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on Thursday night, rebounding after blowing a three-goal lead to force Game 6 in the Original Six first-round matchup. Jake Muzzin scored twice for Toronto. The Maple Leafs missed an opportunity to win a playoff series for the first time since 2004, but still have two more cracks at advancing. The Maple Leafs got even with 8:06 left in regulation when Muzzin drove the net and tipped Galchenyuk’s shot through Price’s legs.

This is a Stanley Cup matchup for all of those who like their games to be a bit defensive. “In today’s NHL you need that for your team to be successful,” Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said Friday. “We're not surprised,” Stars defenseman John Klingberg said. ... He’s doing it all right now.”The Stars signed 14-year veteran Andrej Sekera as a free agent last summer, and he is finally in his first Stanley Cup Final with his fifth team. “Everyone is obviously very hungry to go all of the way,” said Hedman, part of Tampa Bay's loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final five years ago.