Phoenix Coyotes advance to first conference final

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Phoenix Coyotes had been waiting so long for a new owner that they barely blinked when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced a tentative deal was in place. They had become immune to the ownership saga and, besides, had more pressing business …

Flyers’ Claude Giroux draws suspension for Game 5

VOORHEES, N.J. — Philadelphia All-Star forward Claude Giroux was suspended by the NHL Monday for his illegal check to the head on New Jersey center Dainius Zubrus in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Giroux will miss Tuesday’s Game 5 at the Wells Fargo …

Predators suspend Alexander Radulov, Andrei Kostitsyn for Game 3

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators have suspended forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn for Game 3 on Wednesday night against the Phoenix Coyotes for violating team rules. The Predators announced the suspensions Tuesday morning and did not specify which rules the forwards broke. General …

Phoenix Coyotes take 2-0 series lead

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Phoenix Coyotes didn’t need any overtime theatrics or miracle saves from Mike Smith. With five players scoring in a balanced, dominant performance Sunday night, the Coyotes beat the Nashville Predators 5-3 to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal …

Corey Crawford to start Game 5 against the Coyotes

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville didn’t think twice about starting goalie Corey Crawford in a do-or-die Game 5 against the Phoenix Coyotes. He just didn’t want to announce it a day beforehand. Questions were raised about Crawford starting in Game 5 after he …

Raffi Torres gets 25-game suspension for hit on Marian Hossa

Raffi Torres has been suspended 25 games by the NHL on Saturday for his vicious headshot on Marian Hossa in Game 3 of the Blackhawks’ first-round series with the Phoenix Coyotes. If the full suspension is not served by the end of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the remaining games will carry over to next season. It will cost Torres $21,341 in salary.

Penguins pound Flyers with 10-spot

PHILADELPHIA — Sidney Crosby, at last, found a way to silence the Flyers fans that love to hate him from warmups to the final horn. How? Crosby and the Penguins dished out the kind of punishment they can only hope swings the series back their …

NHL playoff fights draw huge TV ratings

The men who run the National Hockey League talk nobly about the importance of growing the game, and their reaction to Sunday’s Game 3 between the Penguins and the Flyers will serve as a crucial case study in how the league’s power brokers visualize its …

Flyers fight their way to 3-0 lead over Penguins

PHILADELPHIA— Fists were flying faster than shots on goal. Sidney Crosby and Claude Giroux even became knotted in the pushing, pulling and shoving, a pair of superstars willing to mix it up to prove which team was the baddest on the ice and the scoreboard. …

NHL sits Carl Hagelin 3 games

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Carl Hagelin still seem stunned a day after laying out Swedish countryman Daniel Alfredsson with an elbow to the head that left the Ottawa captain with a possible concussion and landed the mild-mannered New York Rangers rookie in trouble with the NHL. …

Bruins slip past Capitals in OT thriller

BOSTON — Chris Kelly’s newest piece of jewelry is a thick, padlocked chain that he wore around his neck after scoring the game-winning goal in Boston’s playoff opener on Thursday night. The message: Try not to be the weak link “He wasn’t,” Bruins goalie Tim …

Stanley Cup playoffs: Capsule previews and predictions

No. 1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Kings

Season series: Canucks won 2-1-1.

Back check: Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (10 shutouts) will make the Canucks sweat and should outplay Roberto Luongo. But the Canucks, who won 8 of 9 without Daniel Sedin (concussion) …

Sidney Crosby to return for Penguins

PITTSBURGH — Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will return to the ice Thursday night, when Pittsburgh faces the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Crosby, battling concussion problems, hasn’t played since Dec. 5, and has only played in eight games this season. He also missed …

NHL great Jean Beliveau has stroke

MONTREAL — Montreal Canadiens great Jean Beliveau has had a stroke and is being treated at a hospital. The NHL team says Tuesday the 80-year-old Hall of Famer was admitted after he was stricken Monday night. The Canadiens say Beliveau is “undergoing active investigation and …

Predators, Canucks add pieces; Rick Nash stays put

The Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks added some reinforcements for a playoff run, while Rick Nash’s wish for a deal didn’t come to fruition Monday as the NHL trade deadline passed without any blockbuster moves. Having won a playoff series for the first time in …