Fred Goodall Associated Press Published 4:50 p.m. UTC May 24, 2018 Tampa, Fla. — Alex Ovechkin lifted the Prince of Wales Trophy, spun around and set it back down on a table. The rest of the Capitals joined him for a team photo after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 on Wednesday night in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final, a victory that sent Washington to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years. A decade of playoff frustration is fading fast. “I think Ovie has been on a mission,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “They wanted this game, no question.” Ovechkin scored early and Andre Burakovsky added two second-period goals as the Caps continued to shed a label as postseason underachievers. Braden Holtby stopped 29 shots for his second straight shutout and the Lightning, who led the NHL in goals during the regular season, failed to score in the last 159 minutes, 27 seconds of the series — a stretch of nearly eight periods. … [Read more...] about Wednesday’s NHL playoffs: Caps beat Lightning in Game 7
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Wednesday’s NHL: Rangers hire Quinn as coach
Associated Press Published 2:50 p.m. UTC May 24, 2018 New York — The Rangers hired Boston University’s David Quinn as their new head coach Wednesday, the second college coach hired by an NHL team this month and third in the past four years. Quinn replaces Alain Vigneault, who was fired hours after the Rangers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010. An introductory news conference was scheduled for today. “In a coaching career that has spanned over two decades at the collegiate, pro, and international level, David has helped his teams achieve success while simultaneously teaching the game and helping his players develop on and off the ice,” general manager Jeff Gorton said. “He is the ideal choice to bring our loyal and passionate fans the winning hockey they deserve.” The 51-year-old Quinn coached Boston University to four NCAA Tournament appearances in five seasons, including a trip to the national title game in 2015. He spent the … [Read more...] about Wednesday’s NHL: Rangers hire Quinn as coach
NHL goes green with Constellation
Constellation, a Baltimore-based energy firm, is entering a partnership with the National Hockey League that will promote the company's brand while it works with the league on minimizing the NHL's environmental impact.Constellation has sponsorship deals with the Ravens and Orioles, among other professional clubs, but this is its first league-wide deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.Under the deal, Constellation will conduct energy efficiency analyses, recommend energy management strategies at NHL venues, and support development of renewable energy sources. The savings are intended to offset the league's carbon footprint of 550,000 metric tons during the 2014-15 season.The partnership "reflects the most important environmental initiative ever announced by a professional sports team globally," said Alan Hershkowitz, president of the Green Sports Alliance and a former senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council. The alliance is a coalition of teams dedicated to the … [Read more...] about NHL goes green with Constellation
NHL’s Brett Connolly Gives Puck to Little Girl In Best Video Ever
Breaking News PROBLEM: NHL player REALLY wants to give a puck to an adorable little girl fan, but two little boys kept stealing the puck away. SOLUTION: Well, you're just gonna have to watch ... it's the most adorable thing you're gonna see ALL DAY! It all went down during warm-ups at Sunday's Washington Capitals vs. Columbus Blue Jackets playoff game in D.C. where right wing Brett Connolly wanted to hook the little one up with a souvenir. Problem was, there were a couple bigger kids flankin' her ... and they crushed her dreams TWICE when Brett flipped a puck over the glass. It was basically the saddest thing ever ... until the girl finally got puck #3 and lit up like the Nintendo 64 kid on Christmas (OK, maybe not that intense). Hockey fan 4 life, right?? … [Read more...] about NHL’s Brett Connolly Gives Puck to Little Girl In Best Video Ever
STX signs a half dozen NHL players
STX LLC has signed six more National Hockey League professionals to multi-year deals to play with STX equipment as their season gets underway.The Baltimore-based sports equipment maker, known for its lacrosse sticks, entered the hockey market last year and hopes to expand awareness of its brand with the new athletes as it goes up against entrenched competitors. It already has deals with five other NHL players.The new ones include J.T. Miller, a New York Rangers center; Adam McQuaid, a Boston Bruins defenseman; Matt Martin, a New York Islanders left wing; Colin McDonald, a Philadelphia Flyers right wing; Shawn Thornton, a Florida Panthers right wing; and Vincent Trocheck, a Panthers center."As we continue to expand our presence in the NHL and beyond, elite-level athletes everywhere are making the conscious choice to use STX Hockey equipment and that validates the high-performance nature of our products," said Matt Hoppe, senior global brand manager at STX, in a statement.The players … [Read more...] about STX signs a half dozen NHL players