10:47 PM ET Associated Press BOSTON — Boston Bruins forward David Backes rushed himself off the ice Tuesday night after taking a skate blade to the face late in the first period but returned at the start of the second and finished the game. Backes pushed Oliver Ekmann-Larsson near the side of the net and
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5:39 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray is nearing a return from a lower-body injury that has sidelined him since mid-November. The two-time Stanley Cup winner practiced with his teammates on Tuesday for the first time since going on injured reserve last month. The 24-year-old has struggled this season when
7:00 AM ET There are several different ways to try to quantify an individual player’s contributions to his respective team’s overall results. From an offensive perspective, one way to do so is to look at what percentage of the goals being generated by the team are the result of the specific player’s creation. So in
7:00 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Miro Heiskanen admittedly didn’t know much about Texas before relocating there from Finland this summer. He knew of the Dallas Stars, even before they drafted him third overall in 2017, because his countryman Jere Lehtinen played 14 years with the team and won the Stanley Cup. He knew about the
2:28 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN ESPN presents the Best Player in the World of the Week, celebrating the player that has the best stats, impact or storyline to earn the honor. To nominate someone, please email us here by midnight on Monday each week. Photos and context are encouraged! Jett Woo, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
1:05 PM ET The Anaheim Ducks announced Tuesday that center Rickard Rakell has a sprained ankle is out indefinitely, while backup goaltender Ryan Miller will be sidelined approximately six weeks with a sprained MCL. The Ducks filled Miller’s void by claiming goaltender Chad Johnson off waivers from the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. The Ducks
10:02 AM ET The Chicago Blackhawks fired Joel Quenneville on Nov. 6, and have gone 3-11-2 under the guidance of Jeremy Colliton. While the bitter cold of winter sets in, we offer up some optimism: What’s a reason for hope for Blackhawks fans right now? Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer: The hope for Blackhawks fans
1. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Col C1 1 2. Auston Matthews, C, Tor C2 2 3. Connor McDavid, C, Edm C3 3 4. Brad Marchand, LW, Bos LW1 4 5. Nikita Kucherov, RW, TB RW1 5 6. Mark Scheifele, C, Wpg C4 6 7. John Tavares, C, Tor C5 7 8. Mikko Rantanen, RW, Col RW2
12:11 AM ET Frustration turned to fisticuffs during the St. Louis Blues‘ practice on Monday, when teammates Robert Bortuzzo and Zach Sanford went at each other. The Blues have lost eight of their past 11 games, including a 6-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, which likely helped fuel the flaring of tempers. Bortuzzo
7:00 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Amid all the cathartic carousing that Alex Ovechkin did after finally leading the Washington Capitals to a Stanley Cup was this undeniable fact: That time marches on steadily (or at least steadier than anyone marched in that gloriously festive victory parade in June). Ovechkin would be become a father in