The Florida Panthers are on the verge of advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on Thursday to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Florida got off to a strong start with Matthew Tkachuk opening the scoring midway through the first period, but Tampa Bay responded with two quick tallies to start the middle frame and grab a short-lived 2-1 lead.

Sam Reinhart, Brandon Montour, and Steven Lorentz scored in succession for the Panthers to put the game out of reach. Tkachuk then added an empty-netter after Nick Paul made it a one-goal game with just over five minutes to play.

The Lightning will look to extend their season with a win in Game 4 on Saturday night, while the Panthers hope to exact revenge on their in-state rivals for a 2022 sweep when the clubs last met in the playoffs.

Although the Panthers are in full control, it's been a tight series. Florida won Games 1 and 2 by a single tally and holds a narrow 7-5 goal advantage at five-on-five through three contests. However, the Panthers have been the stronger team by many metrics, holding edges in shot attempts (53.42%), scoring chances (60.61%), and expected goals (57.79%), according to Natural Stat Trick.

The Panthers' last sweep came in last year's Eastern Conference Final when they ousted the Carolina Hurricanes. The Lightning haven't been swept since falling to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2019 playoffs.

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Up 2-0 in their opening-round series, the New York Rangers find themselves in the same position they were in last year but are confident the result will be different this time around.

"New team identity," defenseman K'Andre Miller said when asked what's changed about this year's club, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.

New York stormed to a 2-0 lead in its first-round clash with the New Jersey Devils last spring before losing the next three contests and, ultimately, the series in seven games.

The collapse led to the club replacing head coach Gerard Gallant with Peter Laviolette.

The Rangers have an easier matchup on paper this year after winning the Presidents' Trophy, drawing the 91-point Washington Capitals in Round 1 after taking on the 112-point Devils in 2023.

Despite the advantageous situation, star blue-liner Adam Fox said New York knows not to take its opponent lightly as the series shifts to D.C. for Games 3 and 4.

"Definitely, you know you're not going to get anything easy," Fox said. "You win those two games last year, especially on the road, you think you can breathe easy coming home, but in playoffs, it's never like that. I think especially, now going on the road, we know we're stepping into a tough environment, and we'll be ready for that. I don't think we're expecting anything to come easy, especially on the road, especially with a desperate team over there."

The Rangers cruised to a 4-1 victory at Madison Square Garden in Game 1 and squeaked out a 4-3 win in Game 2. The series resumes Friday night.

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Up 2-0 in their opening-round series, the New York Rangers find themselves in the same position they were in last year but are confident the result will be different this time around.

"New team identity," defenseman K'Andre Miller said when asked what's changed about this year's club, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.

New York stormed to a 2-0 lead in its first-round clash with the New Jersey Devils last spring before losing the next three contests and, ultimately, the series in seven games.

The collapse led to the club replacing head coach Gerard Gallant with Peter Laviolette.

The Rangers have an easier matchup on paper this year after winning the Presidents' Trophy, drawing the 91-point Washington Capitals in Round 1 after taking on the 112-point Devils in 2023.

Despite the advantageous situation, star blue-liner Adam Fox said New York knows not to take its opponent lightly as the series shifts to D.C. for Games 3 and 4.

"Definitely, you know you're not going to get anything easy," Fox said. "You win those two games last year, especially on the road, you think you can breathe easy coming home, but in playoffs, it's never like that. I think especially, now going on the road, we know we're stepping into a tough environment, and we'll be ready for that. I don't think we're expecting anything to come easy, especially on the road, especially with a desperate team over there."

The Rangers cruised to a 4-1 victory at Madison Square Garden in Game 1 and squeaked out a 4-3 win in Game 2. The series resumes Friday night.

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Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery has no regrets about starting Linus Ullmark in Monday's Game 2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After keeping it a secret until warmup, Montgomery made the switch after Jeremy Swayman shined in a Game 1 victory, sticking to the rotating strategy the club employed throughout the regular season.

"No second guesses," Montgomery said, per Boston.com's Conor Ryan. "He was terrific. He made multiple big-time saves, and it's a strength of our team. Both of them played really well. We only scored two goals."

Ullmark stopped 30 of 33 shots in the loss. Last season's Vezina Trophy winner entered the postseason with a .915 save percentage in 40 appearances in 2023-24.

"There are some things to clean up, definitely. But it's a long series," Ullmark said. "Now it's all about recharging. The sun will come up tomorrow as well. We go to Toronto, and then duke it out once again."

Swayman made 35 saves in a convincing 5-1 Bruins victory in Game 1. The 25-year-old was near flawless against the Maple Leafs during the regular season, posting a 3-0 record with only four goals against.

Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday night.

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The Buffalo Sabres are bringing back Lindy Ruff for a second tour of duty as head coach, the team announced Monday.

"I am thrilled to welcome Lindy back as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres," general manager Kevyn Adams said.

"As I went through the hiring process, it quickly became clear Lindy was the person for the job. He has experience, a proven track record, familiarity with young players, and so much more.

"I want to be clear, though, that this hire was not made with nostalgia in mind. Lindy is the right person for the job now, and any history with our organization and community is simply an added bonus. I believe wholeheartedly that Lindy can help our team reach their goals and am excited to get to work with him."

Ruff was fired from his post by the New Jersey Devils in March after three-plus seasons with the club. The Sabres parted ways with Don Granato last week.

Granato, who was hired in 2021, was the sixth different bench boss Buffalo employed between firing and rehiring Ruff.

Ruff commanded the Sabres for 15 seasons from 1997 to 2013. He's the franchise's all-time leader in games coached (1,165) and wins (571). Buffalo made the playoffs eight times under Ruff's guidance and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1999. He won the Jack Adams Award in 2005-06.

The 64-year-old is fifth on the league's all-time wins list at 864.

Buffalo was expected to compete for a playoff spot this season after finishing 2022-23 with 91 points, but the Sabres fizzled to a sixth-place finish in the Atlantic Division and regressed by seven points. After Granato was let go, franchise cornerstone Tage Thompson said he hoped the new coach could instill accountability and consistency into the roster.

The Sabres haven't reached the postseason since 2011, the longest active drought in the NHL.

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Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz announced his retirement from the NHL due to recurring injuries.

He will work as an analyst in his native Czechia for the upcoming World Championship, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Francouz was limited to only 73 games with the Avalanche across four seasons, posting a 44-21-6 record and .919 save percentage. He made seven playoff appearances for Colorado in 2022, helping the club win the Stanley Cup.

The 33-year-old was ruled out for the entire 2023-24 campaign in November after undergoing offseason adductor surgery.

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The NHL board of governors voted in favor of the sale and relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Utah for the 2024-25 season.

The league is giving control of the franchise to Ryan and Ashley Smith while awarding former Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo the right to reactivate the team should he secure a fully constructed NHL-appropriate arena within five years.

The Smiths run the NBA's Utah Jazz, and the two organizations will share the Delta Center beginning next season, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. The arena has a hockey capacity of 12,000. The franchise collected 11,000 season-ticket deposits within hours of the sale announcement, notes The Athletic's Chris Johnston.

"As everyone knows, Utah is a vibrant and thriving state, and we are thrilled to be a part of it," commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

"The NHL's belief in Arizona has never wavered. We thank Alex Meruelo for his commitment to the franchise and Arizona, and we fully support his ongoing efforts to secure a new home in the desert for the Coyotes. We also want to acknowledge the loyal hockey fans of Arizona, who have supported their team with dedication for nearly three decades while growing the game."

Smith said his Utah team won't rush picking a name and could go into its inaugural season without one, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

Relocation talks for the Coyotes picked up steam earlier this month after years of rumors. The league's flip of the franchise to Smith was first reported last week. Smith has pushed hard to land a franchise and made a formal request to the NHL for an expansion club in January.

Coyotes players and staff were informed of the move last week. All of Arizona's hockey assets, including its full reserve list, roster, draft picks, and hockey operations will be transferred to the Utah franchise.

The Coyotes were unsuccessful in landing a new arena deal after moving to Arizona State's Mullett Arena ahead of the 2022-23 season. Scottsdale mayor David Ortega publicly opposed the Coyotes' latest plans to purchase a plot of land in North Phoenix for a new arena and entertainment district, calling the idea "not feasible."

Arizona players bid an emotional farewell to their home crowd Wednesday night after their season finale, a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Thursday that they signed defensive prospect Cade Webber to a two-year, entry-level contract worth $875,000 per season.

Toronto acquired Webber's rights from the Carolina Hurricanes prior to the trade deadline for a sixth-round pick in 2026. The 6-foot-7 blue-liner was a fourth-round draft selection of the Hurricanes in 2019 and recently finished his collegiate career with Boston University.

Webber, 23, notched six points in 38 games for the Terriers this past season, helping the school reach the Frozen Four. He was named Hockey East's top defensive defenseman in 2023-24.

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The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Vasily Podkolzin to a two-year contract extension Thursday.

The deal is worth $1 million per season, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

Podkolzin, the 10th overall pick in 2019, made 18 appearances for the Canucks this season, managing two assists. He also recorded 28 points in 44 games for AHL Abbotsford.

"We are happy with how hard Vasily has worked on his game to try and become a more consistent player," general manager Patrik Allvin said. "While there is still room for him to grow, starting the year in Abbotsford and working his way back up to Vancouver shows the type of commitment and dedication we want in all our players."

Podkolzin has 35 points in 136 NHL games since making his debut in 2021. He played three KHL seasons with SKA St. Petersburg before making the move to North America.

The Canucks qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2020 this season after winning the Pacific Division.

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Erik Karlsson offered a blunt assessment of the Pittsburgh Penguins' campaign after officially being eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday night.

"We are a huge disappointment," Karlsson told The Athletic's Josh Yohe. "We underachieved so much, and it's very disappointing. There's no other way to say it."

He added: "I think it's been an underachieving season for a lot of us. I think we're a much better team than what we've displayed in 81 games this season. But at the same time, we did all of this to ourselves. That's what is frustrating."

The Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06 last season and were expected by many to bounce back this year after acquiring Karlsson in a blockbuster trade with the San Jose Sharks over the summer.

The 33-year-old took a huge step back from his 101-point, Norris Trophy-winning 2022-23 campaign, with only 11 goals and 44 assists so far in his debut season with Pittsburgh. Karlsson's arrival was supposed to help resurrect the Penguins' putrid power play, but the club converted at a measly 14.3% rate this season.

"We couldn't get our minds out of the situation," Karlsson said of the slumping man advantage.

"That's what happens. When you're into something so incredibly deep like we all were on the power play, I think it actually becomes harder to see and figure out what the solution is. You try to get yourself out of that mindset. You try and try. You want to get rid of this feeling that you have, that something's not right on the power play, and you want to fix it. But we couldn't."

Karlsson is under contract for three more seasons at a $10-million cap hit. The Penguins have a projected $12.74 million in cap space over the summer to make improvements, and general manager Kyle Dubas previously said the club intends to compete for the playoffs while captain Sidney Crosby is still in the picture.

Karlsson hopes the current group is given another shot to prove themselves.

"I just hope we're together for a bit longer, because that way, we would get another chance to show just what we are capable of doing," he said. "I think we've learned a lot this season."

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