Nichushkin's personal life is in a 'good spot' ahead of Avalanche-Stars playoff series, coach says
DENVER — Valeri Nichushkin took strides to take his hard-checking, goal-scoring game to another level this season.
Same with his life away from the rink , his Colorado Avalanche teammates, coach and GM maintain.
It was nearly a year ago against the Dallas Stars when Nichushkin was suspended for six months and placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The announcement came just before Game 4 of the second-round series, marking the second straight postseason where the right winger from Russia was unavailable because of circumstances away from the ice.
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Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
After 2 overtime games, Panthers and Oilers relish days off as Stanley Cup Final shifts to Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — After Brad Marchand scored the winning goal in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, he and Florida Panthers teammate Sam Bennett were asked how they kept their bodies going during another long and intense matchup against the Edmonton Oilers. 'I think (Marchand) grabbed a Blizzard … I think it was Oreo today,' Bennett quipped, referring to a viral moment during the Eastern Conference finals when Marchand joked that he enjoyed a chocolate chip cookie dough treat from Dairy Queen between periods — which was later revealed as a spoonful of honey. Advertisement 'Nice plug," Marchand responded with a chuckle. 'I like that.' They were joking, of course, but there was a point in Friday night's double-overtime game that Marchand spent time between periods pedaling on an exercise bike to stay loose — as players from both teams shuffled their tired bodies on and off the ice for hours. The first two games of the Stanley Cup Final have gone to overtime, only the sixth time in NHL history that's happened and first since 2014. Game 1 went on until Leon Draisaitl's power-play goal 19:29 into the extra period. Marchand put Game 2 to an end with a breakaway goal 8:07 into the second overtime. With the series tied 1-1, both teams will embark on a cross-continent trip from Canada to Florida, enjoying an extra day's rest between games to recover after an intense start to their championship series. Game 3 is Monday night in Sunrise, Florida. Advertisement "Obviously a long game, a lot of back and forth," said Florida defenseman Seth Jones, who led the Panthers in ice time at 34 minutes, 35 seconds on Friday. Jones, who is averaging a team-high 25:45 on the ice in the postseason, played more than 30 minutes in both of the first two games of the series. He scored in the first period on Friday — his fourth goal of the postseason — and assisted on Dmitry Kulikov's goal in the second. 'We came here for a split and got it," Jones added, "and just going to recover now.' Panthers coach Paul Maurice said heading back to Florida with the series tied — instead of being down 0-2 — does make a minor mental difference, but one of his team's strengths is its tunnel vision approach. Advertisement 'It's mathematically significant," Maurice said. "I'd like to think that we'd be dragging here today, this morning, if we had lost that game having had the lead for so long. But I think we're really good at cutting it off. "It's the same morning this morning at the meal room as it was two days ago (after the Game 1 loss). It's just on to the next day. We understand how to leave our days — the good ones and the bad ones — in the past and handle the day we have right now.' The Oilers are moving forward in the series with an equally short memory after missed chances in Game 2. Corey Perry, whose goal with 17.8 seconds left in the third period forced overtime, said the back-and-forth nature of the series was to be expected from the two teams, but there's no use in getting hung up on 'what-ifs.' Advertisement 'What's it going to do?' Perry said. "It's not going to do anything for you now. Get on the plane tomorrow and get some rest and be ready for Game 3.' Few players have spent more time on the ice in the series than Connor McDavid. The Edmonton star played 31:12 in Game 1, and just over 35 minutes in Game 2 — more than anyone else in the game. That's nearly 10 minutes more than his postseason average of 24:22. McDavid's impact was certainly felt on Friday. He had three assists, including one in which he zipped through Florida's penalty kill to set up Draisaitl's power play goal in the first. Draisaitl noted after the game there's only one player in the world that can make such a highlight-reel play, but stressed the importance of using the two days off to recalibrate. Advertisement 'At this time of year, you've got to move on,' he said, 'There's not time thinking about it too long. Obviously it stings right now, but we have to move on.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and Alanis Thames, The Associated Press
Miami Herald
6 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Panthers vs. Oilers Stanley Cup Final changes rinks. And, probably, little else
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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rory McIlroy Offers Eye-Opening Comments on Maple Leafs
Rory McIlroy Offers Eye-Opening Comments on Maple Leafs originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into a crucial offseason following another early playoff exit. Toronto fell short in Game 7 of their second-round series with the Florida Panthers, sending them to another bitter offseason. Advertisement With the team having multiple key players entering free agency, the roster could look very different next season. But many have questioned the legitimacy of the title contention from this franchise, considering the playoff failures that occur each year. However, golf star Rory McIlroy hasn't lost faith. The veteran golfer had some eye-opening comments on the Maple Leafs' title chances. 'If I can win the Masters, then the Leafs can win the Stanley Cup,' he told TSN's Bob Weeks, having been longtime friends with Pelley. 'I hope they do it, I was pulling for them hard, especially now because Keith is involved.' Rory McIlroy walks off the 15th green during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Dedmon-Imagn Images The Maple Leafs have seen a 57-year Stanley Cup drought, last lifting the trophy in 1967. Toronto has built consistent winning teams almost every year, but the organization continues to fall short in the playoffs. Advertisement 'I guess we now all have to throw our support behind the Oilers at this point, but one day I hope…it's only a matter of time.', McIlroy said. The franchise is expected to make some big changes across the roster this offseason in the hope of mixing things up. The Maple Leafs front office seems determined to bring a title back to Toronto, starting with the president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Keith Pelley. "Our next step is to take it to the next level and we felt that this move would help us get to the next level. Make no mistake about it, making the playoffs and winning rounds is not our aspirational goal; our goal is to win the Stanley Cup.", Pelley stated. Maybe McIlroy will turn out to be right someday. But for now, the Maple Leafs have a lot of work to do before they can fully be considered true Stanley Cup contenders. Advertisement Related: Sabres Predicted to Land All-Star in Major Offseason Move Related: Surprising NHL Team Expected to Be 'Major' Players in Free Agency This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
