Category Archives: Hockey News

Carey Price will travel with Canadiens for 2-game trip to Florida

The Montreal Canadiens will have a familiar passenger for Wednesday's trip to the Sunshine State.

Goaltender Carey Price will travel with the club for a two-game road trip, with stops in Tampa Bay (Thursday) and Florida (Saturday), head coach Michel Therrien announced.

Price, of course, has been sidelined since November with a leg injury, slowly but surely working his way back to the lineup in the meantime.

The Canadiens have already been eliminated from the playoffs, but with five games remaining on the schedule, price may get an opportunity to shake off some rust before the end of the regular season.

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Penguins’ Sullivan: Letang one of the NHL’s ‘most elite defensemen’

The Pittsburgh Penguins won for the ninth time in 10 games Tuesday, coming back from a three-goal deficit to win 5-4 in a shootout over the Buffalo Sabres, and no player had a bigger impact than defenseman Kris Letang.

The 28-year-old logged an incredible 35:14 of ice time, picked up an assist on a Tom Kuhnhackl shorthanded goal in the second period, and scored one of the two Penguins' shootout goals. He also finished the night with a game-high eight shots on goal.

"His fitness level is off the charts. He's a tremendous competitor," head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters post-game. "I honestly think he doesn't get the recognition in the hockey world he deserves. He is one of the most elite defenseman this league has," Sullivan continued.

The blue-liner has proved his worth over the Penguins' recent run, recording four goals and six assists in the last 12 games where they've posted a 10-2-0 record.

With the Penguins now just one point behind the New York Rangers for second in the Atlantic, it may not be too late for No. 58 to get some serious Norris consideration.

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Islanders’ Okposo rips Barclays Center ice after shootout win

After scoring the shootout winner against the Carolina Hurricanes to pick up a huge extra point for the New York Islanders, Kyle Okposo wasn't in a celebratory mood as he discussed the ice conditions with reporters following Tuesday's game.

"Awful," Okposo said of the ice, per Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post. "Can't have it like that. It's got to change. It's got to be better than that."

Since the Islanders moved into Barclays Center at the start of the season, the arena has been subject to criticism, with issues ranging from ice conditions to obstructed seating. It was also reported the Islanders and the facility were exploring ways to end their 25-year lease agreement.

Okposo, who has two goals in his past five games, may not have to worry about the ice after this season as he may explore unrestricted free agency in July.

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Maple Leafs’ Kadri scores 3rd career hat trick in win vs. Panthers

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri spoiled the Florida Panthers' attempt to take sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division on Tuesday with the third hat trick of his career in a 5-2 win.

It was his first three-goal performance in almost exactly three years, with the last one coming March 30, 2013.

Kadri connected on a pair of second-period power plays to give the Maple Leafs a 3-1 lead, and sealed the victory on an empty-netter with less than three minutes remaining.

The 25-year-old continues to record points in bunches of late. A two-assist night against the Islanders on March 9 and a four-point outburst Thursday against the Ducks are the only two times he found the scoresheet in his past 13 games.

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