SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Sharks are going to have the opportunity to play spoiler over the final two-plus weeks of the regular season as the final few spots and seedings for the postseason are determined.

That doesn’t mean it’s always going to happen.

The Sharks allowed two goals to Artemi Panarin in the first period and another ...Read more

DETROIT — The Red Wings crept a little closer Saturday to a playoff spot.

It's still bunched up, five teams separated by a point (pending the New York Rangers' game in San Jose), but the Wings are one of the five after a 2-1 victory over the depleted Boston Bruins.

Marco Kasper and Lucas Raymond (power play) had Wings goals and goaltender ...Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Back-to-back games against the same team this late in the season has the look of a playoff primer.

The opener had the feel, too.

After an early deficit, late fumble and plenty of pushing and shoving in between, the Wild were denied, 5-2, by the Devils on Saturday night at Xcel Energy Center, costing them in the standings.

...Read more

The Golden Knights won their sixth straight game with a 3-1 victory over the host Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.

Reilly Smith scored a go-ahead power-play goal with 13:35 remaining, and center Jack Eichel scored to extend his point streak to six games (six goals, six assists).

Goaltender Adin Hill made 22 saves for his ...Read more

DENVER — Someone's streak was going to end on Saturday afternoon.

The St. Louis Blues carried an eight-game win streak. The Colorado Avalanche won their previous 11 home games.

In a 2-1 Blues win over Avalanche, it was Colorado that was left to begin anew. Pavel Buchnevich scored the game-winning goal for St. Louis with 11:06 remaining in ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Some will be happy and some will be sad, but all can agree that what happened at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday afternoon was fun.

Facing the Buffalo Sabres, a team that entered the day one point behind the Flyers in the standings and currently slotted into fourth spot in the upcoming draft, the Flyers won, 7-4.

Their ...Read more

Right wing Pavel Dorofeyev scored a go-ahead power-play goal with 3:10 remaining, and the Golden Knights rallied for a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday at United Center in Chicago.

Left wing Victor Olofsson scored twice to end a 21-game drought, and captain Mark Stone scored for the Knights (44-20-8) in their fifth straight victory...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — Even as the streak grew longer, Jackson Blake of the Carolina Hurricanes did not dwell on it, much less fret about it.

He’s a rookie in the NHL. His team is winning, headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs again. His teammates respect him. He has the faith and trust of his head coach, Rod Brind’Amour.

The fact that Blake had ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — It was always going to end this way, with John Tortorella saying something incendiary that he couldn’t take back or breaking under the burden of coaching a bad team.

That is what the Flyers are right now, a bad team, and that is why they fired Tortorella on Thursday morning.

He had signed up to help guide them at least ...Read more

SEATTLE — During the past few years, handmade signs along the glass at NHL games have become less encouraging and more enterprising. A night out at the rink needs a game-worn, or at least pregame-worn, souvenir.

It started humbly, with young fans offering to trade their favorite players candy for a puck. Now it’s escalated to asking for a ...Read more

DENVER — Things are going so well for the Colorado Avalanche right now that Devon Toews made as many saves during the second period Thursday night as the opposing goaltender.

The Avs blew this one open with an efficient three goals on five shots in the second, en route to a 4-0 victory against the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena. Martin Necas...Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Alex Ovechkin didn’t get any closer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, but the Wild made progress in their chase of a playoff berth.

While keeping Ovechkin six goals away from passing Gretzky, the Wild rallied to win 4-2 Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center and pick up a much-needed pair of points with nine games ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The new era of Flyers hockey started with a win.

After coach John Tortorella was fired Thursday morning, the Flyers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 6-4. It snapped a six-game losing streak and gave the hometown team its second win in 13 games.

Brad Shaw earned his first win as the Flyers’ interim head coach, and the 19th of...Read more

Sidney Crosby finally got his historic point Thursday evening in Buffalo, pinging a wrister past James Reimer to secure his 20th career point-per-game season, passing Wayne Gretzky for most all time.

With the Penguins down 2-0, the captain received a pass from behind the net from Rickard Rakell. Crosby deftly handled the puck with his skate ...Read more

DETROIT — This was shades of last season down the stretch, when the Red Wings pulled off dramatic rallies and victories.

The Wings certainly made things interesting Thursday but couldn't complete the comeback, falling to Ottawa, 4-3.

It was the Wings' 11th loss in the last 14 games and kept them stalled outside of the playoff picture, which ...Read more