DENVER — There were some exaggerated exhales Saturday afternoon at Ball Arena.

Gavin Brindley and Cale Makar both snapped goal-scoring droughts and the Avs grinded out a 3-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Makar scored twice, including one into an empty net, and Nathan MacKinnon had a pair of assists to help Colorado win for the second ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Shakir Mukhamadullin scored the go-ahead goal at the 9:27 mark of the third period to help lift the San Jose Sharks to a badly needed and entertaining 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday before a sold-out crowd of 17,435 at SAP Center.

Trailing a rush up the ice, Mukhamadullin took a pass from William Eklund and ...Read more

So much has gone right for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season. But their biggest weakness cost them another point Saturday.

They fell, 3-2, in a shootout to the struggling New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Pittsburgh’s record in shootout games is now 1-8.

Two of the Penguins’ three shootout attempts didn’t hit the net. Rangers ...Read more

The Wild weren’t rusty in their return from the three-week Olympic break … but they were in their second game back.

They lost their touch and fell, 5-2, to the Mammoth at Delta Center on Friday, and it cost the Wild their six-game win streak.

Former Minnesota Gopher Logan Cooley scored for Utah, and Team USA gold medalist Clayton Keller ...Read more

The Vegas Golden Knights rallied for a chance to tie at the end of regulation, but lost, 3-2, to the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Friday night.

Tomas Hertl scored a power-play goal for his 600th career point, and Braeden Bowman added a goal in the third to cut a three-goal deficit to one midway through the first.

Mitch Marner ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The honeymoon is officially over for the San Jose Sharks.

For months, this young, rambunctious, and altogether infectious bunch played with house money, thumbing their collective noses at the idea of another year of rebuild futility. They pretended to be a finished product.

They didn’t know any better. And if they did, ...Read more

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche had a chance Thursday night to regain some real separation between them and the Minnesota Wild.

It didn’t happen, and special teams were again an issue.

Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek scored a pair of power-play goals, while the Avalanche took too many penalties and did not convert their chances with the ...Read more

NEW YORK ― It appears all of that on-ice time during the NHL’s break for the Winter Games paid off for Matvei Michkov.

He scored not only the Flyers’ first goal of the game, but he also took a penalty to put the Flyers on the kill at the end of regulation, and then he came right out of the box and scored the overtime winner in a 3-2 win ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — In the first two periods Thursday, the Penguins often looked like a team that hadn’t played in three weeks and was missing its captain.

But their goaltender kept them in the game. And the third period brought the type of all-around dominance that has propelled Pittsburgh into playoff position deep in the season.

The Penguins ...Read more

The Lightning found themselves in an early three-goal hole less than seven minutes into Thursday night’s game in Carolina.

But Tampa Bay has shown before that it’s able to survive such surges. It wasn’t that long ago when the Lightning rallied from four down in front of 65,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium to beat the Bruins in their ...Read more

The party isn't ending for Dylan Larkin.

The Red Wings' captain and Team USA gold-medal winner scored his 28th goal — and second goal of Thursday's game — in overtime, giving the Wings a 2-1 victory over host Ottawa.

Larkin won a faceoff, got the puck to Lucas Raymond on the wing, and Raymond lofted a feeder pass to Larkin who won the race...Read more

SUNRISE, Fla. — The night started with the Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews at center ice, set to take an honorary puck drop from Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito and head equipment manager Teddy Richards.

The four were part of the United States men’s hockey ...Read more

BOSTON — Charlie McAvoy changed his red, white and blue for black and gold on Thursday for the Bruins’ morning skate. But rest assured, those American colors will not be running from the B’s standout defenseman any time soon.

McAvoy returned to everyday life after he and his USA teammates captured the gold medal over Canada in the Winter ...Read more

BOSTON — The Bruins return to action was not a work of art, but it delivered them the two points they needed to start the final stretch run.

With the Columbus Blue Jackets breathing down their necks in the Eastern Conference standings, the B’s gutted out a 4-2 victory over the Jackets at TD Garden on Thursday.

A couple of former Blue ...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Soon after the USA men’s hockey team sparked celebrations across the country with Jack Hughes’ gold-medal-winning goal against Canada on Sunday, the team was engulfed in a political controversy.

FBI Director Kash Patel was seen on video celebrating in the locker room with the team, and Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk...Read more