Hockey

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are rolling. The Carolina Hurricanes are reeling.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sam Bennett scored one of his two goals in Florida's three-goal first period, Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves and the Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-0 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference final.

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer has jokingly referred to himself as being Finnish during these NHL playoffs. After all, he has five of the 13 players from Finland who are on the rosters of the four teams still chasing the Stanley Cup.

TORONTO — Brendan Shanahan needs a new plan. The same goes for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

A former member of Canada’s world junior hockey team briefly broke down in tears Thursday at the sexual assault trial of five of his ex-teammates as he faced questions over texts he sent a week after the encounter at the heart of the case.

DALLAS — More of the front 40 and less of the back 20 was the Edmonton Oilers' theme Thursday.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks hired Jeff Blashill on Thursday, giving him a second chance to prove himself as a head coach in the NHL. Blashill, a 51-year-old Michigan native, coached the Detroit Red Wings for seven seasons.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks hired Jeff Blashill on Thursday, giving him a second chance to prove himself as a head coach in the NHL. Blashill, a 51-year-old Michigan native, coached the Detroit Red Wings for seven seasons.

Taylor Hall and Seth Jones started the 2025 calendar year as teammates on a Chicago Blackhawks team mired in a multiyear rebuild and sitting at the bottom of the NHL standings. Now they're squaring off for a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

DALLAS — The Edmonton Oilers controlled the NHL's Western Conference final opener until suddenly they didn't. The lone Canadian club left in Stanley Cup contention this year was up 3-1 on the Dallas Stars after two periods Wednesday.