There was no collapse. The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions for the first time, and they took about the hardest path possible to the title.

Aleksander Barkov had two game-winning goals in Florida's series against Boston.

The Florida Panthers will play the New York Rangers for a spot in the Stanley Cup Final.

Chris Kreider had a third-period hat trick to help the New York Rangers erase a two-goal deficit and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 to close out the second-round playoff series in six games and advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

Aleksander Barkov slipped through three Bruins defenders to score the go-ahead goal and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 16 shots to give the Florida Panthers a 3-2 victory over Boston and a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Brady Skjei scored on the power play with 3:11 left to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers 4-3, staving off a sweep by winning Game 4 of the second-round playoff series.

Vladimir Tarasenko and Carter Verhaeghe scored on the same Bruins double-minor, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 14 shots and the Florida Panthers beat Boston 6-2 on Friday night and take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The New York Rangers have carried the form that made them the NHL’s best regular-season team straight into the postseason.

Artemi Panarin redirected a pass between his legs at the crease to beat Pyotr Kochetkov just 1:43 into overtime and the New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the second-round playoff series.

The Rangers and Hurricanes were among the top special teams units during the regular season.

Jason Robertson scored a power-play goal to put Dallas ahead late in the second period after Tyler Seguin took a shot to the face and the Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 5.

Elias Lindholm scored 1:02 into overtime as the Vancouver Canucks stunned Nashville 4-3 Sunday and grabbed a 3-1 lead putting the Predators on the brink of elimination in their best-of-seven, first-round series.

Noah Hanifin broke a tie with an unassisted goal late in the second period and the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights beat the top-seeded Dallas Stars 3-1 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.

Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky might have had the save of the year.

Sebastian Aho and Jordan Martinook scored 9 seconds apart late in the third period to help the Carolina Hurricanes complete a comeback from three goals down to beat the New York Islanders 5-3.

Jeremy Swayman made 35 saves to lead the Boston Bruins to a 5-1 victory over the the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

Stefan Noesen grabbed a loose puck atop the crease and pushed it past Semyon Varlamov early in the third period to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Islanders 3-1 to open their NHL playoff series.

The attorney general for the District of Columbia contends that the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals are obligated to play their games in the downtown arena through 2047.

Hockey is coming back to the New Jersey Meadowlands this weekend with MetLife Stadium serving as the venue for the NHL’s Stadium Series.

When the NHL implemented 3-on-3 play in overtime nearly a decade ago, the idea was to see the most speed and skill hockey had to offer.

Italian officials want to hold the hockey games at brand new 16,000-seat arena in Milan (which is co-hosting along with Cortina d’Ampezzo), but in what’s become a theme of other construction efforts for the 2026 Games, the Italians are doing things at the last minute and better hope no delays occur.

The police chief in London, Ontario, has issued a public apology to a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by members of Canada's 2018 world junior team.

Court documents show five players from Canada's 2018 world junior team have been charged with sexual assault.

For the first time, the NHL can boast bringing together the world's top professional players — both men and women — under one roof during its All-Star festivities in Toronto this week.

The death of American hockey player Adam Johnson from a skate cut to the neck during a game in England has led to plenty of talk about how to prevent laceration injuries on the ice.

Former NHL player Alex Formenton has turned himself in to police in connection with an investigation into an alleged sexual assault by several members of Canada's 2018 world junior team.

Four current members of the National Hockey League and a former NHL player have been charged with sexual assault.

Five players from Canada’s 2018 world junior team have taken a leave of absence from their current clubs in recent days.

Amazon will partner with Diamond Sports as part of a restructuring agreement as the largest owner of regional sports networks looks to emerge from bankruptcy.

How well do you remember what happened in the sports world in 2023?

They are snippets in time, unforgettable snapshots that gloriously capture the soaring euphoria and gut-wrenching agony of the games we love, not to mention the randomness of a moment that might’ve gone unnoticed otherwise.

A man who was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut by a skate during a game, has been released on bail.

Police in England have arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson whose neck was cut by a skate during a game.

The Florida Panthers started the season without Sam Bennett, and they are bracing to be without him once again.

Bryce Harper wants to take a swing at the Olympics.

Police say former NHL player Nicolas Kerdiles has died after a motorcycle crash in Nashville.

The new Professional Women’s Hockey League has unveiled its Original Six franchises.

NHL great Dominik Hašek says Russian and Belarusian athletes must state loud and clear they condemn Russia for the war in Ukraine or be banned from next year's Paris Olympics.

The stage is set for a new women’s hockey league to begin in January.

The Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in Murphy vs.

A person with knowledge of the sale tells The Associated Press the Qatar Investment Authority is buying a roughly 5% stake of Monumental Sports & Entertainment as part of a $4.05 billion deal.

Vegas Golden Knights fans lined the Las Vegas Strip for a Stanley Cup victory parade and a rally in front of their home arena to mark the team’s first NHL championship.

The modern era for Las Vegas sports began when the NHL awarded the city an expansion franchise in 2016.

Given what’s taken place in the past, there are two certainties as Las Vegas celebrates with the Cup this summer.

Bruce Cassidy has been the Golden Knights’ coach for only a year, but he knows full well the history of the Misfits.

Jack Eichel is a Stanley Cup champion with the Vegas Golden Knights less than two years removed from undergoing neck surgery that no NHL player had previously come back from.

Jonathan Marchessault has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for leading the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup.

The Golden Knights delivered their city a true Vegas-style party from dazzling passes to a Mark Stone hat trick to all-out goal celebrations.

Bruce Cassidy has won the Stanley Cup as coach of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Vegas Golden Knights are one win from the Stanley Cup with a big defensive corps that bucks the trend of smaller blue lines.

The status of leading scorer Matthew Tkachuk is the biggest question facing the Florida Panthers down 3-1 to Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Vegas Golden Knights left Florida on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup.

It can be done.

The Vegas Golden Knights are on the verge of winning their first Stanley Cup title after holding on to beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 in Game 4 of the final.

The Florida Panthers all like to argue before overtime on who's going to score the winning goal.

The Stanley Cup Final finally looks like a competitive series.

Carter Verhaeghe scored 4:27 into overtime and the Florida Panthers pulled off some more postseason dramatics to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night.

Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk returned after leaving Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final and provided more of his trademark playoff heroics.

The Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers were connected by tragedy five years before meeting in the Stanley Cup Final.

Paul Maurice walked away from coaching in the middle of last season.

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice might have been channeling his inner Aaron Rodgers when he told the assembled media to “breathe.”.

Zach Whitecloud scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Adin Hill made perhaps the save of the playoffs in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Russian players left playing in the Stanley Cup Final say they're focused on hockey and not their country's war in Ukraine.

The Vegas Golden Knights will play the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final beginning Saturday.

The NBA Finals could’ve featured glamour teams like the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

The Carolina Hurricanes are evaluating their next steps after falling in the Eastern Conference Final in their fifth straight playoff appearance.

They were No. 8 seeds.

The Vegas Golden Knights are in their second Stanley Cup Final in the franchise's six seasons a year after the only time they missed the playoffs.

William Karlsson scored two goals and had an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights advanced to their second Stanley Cup Final with a 6-0 rout over Dallas.

The Western Conference Final isn't over yet, and suddenly feels much different.

Ty Dellandrea scored twice in a 1:27 span midway through the third period and the Dallas Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Saturday night to stay alive in the Western Conference Final.

Alec Martinez was part of the 2014 Los Angeles Kings team that erased a 3-0 first-round series deficit and beat Joe Pavelski and the San Jose Sharks in Game 7.

Joe Pavelski scored on a power play at 3:18 of overtime and the Dallas Stars avoided a sweep in the Western Conference final with a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.

The Florida Panthers are headed to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 27 years.

The Dallas Stars will be without captain Jamie Benn for at least the must-win Game 4 of the Western Conference Final.

Matthew Tkachuk scored a power-play goal with 4.9 seconds left, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 36 shots to cap off a brilliant series, and the Florida Panthers earned their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 27 years by beating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 to win the Eastern Conference title in a sweep.

Jonathan Marchessault and the Vegas Golden Knights are one more win from reaching another Stanley Cup Final.

The Vegas Golden Knights certainly know how to rally when they've fallen behind in these NHL playoffs.

Matthew Tkachuk finished a feed from Sam Reinhart at the 1:51 mark of overtime to help the Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 for a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference final.

Matthew Tkachuk beat Frederik Andersen in the final seconds of the fourth overtime to lift the Florida Panthers past the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 early Friday to open their Eastern Conference final series.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers are playing in the longest game in each franchise's history to open their Eastern Conference final.

Paul Maurice never considered himself retired.

Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer is 7-0 in Game 7s in his career after a 2-1 win over Seattle in the Western Conference semifinals.

Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston scored goals and the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference final with a 2-1 win over the Seattle Kraken in Game 7.

Jordan Eberle scored twice, Eeli Tolvanen had a goal and two assists, and the Seattle Kraken beat the Dallas Stars 6-3 to force a deciding Game 7 in their Western Conference semifinal series.

Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists, and the Vegas Golden Knights moved one win from the Western Conference Final after beating the Edmonton Oilers 4-3.

The Carolina Hurricanes keep finding the back of the net despite losing multiple talented goal scorers to injury.

Roope Hintz scored two goals and had an assist, Joe Pavelski scored his seventh goal of the second-round series and the Dallas Stars beat the Seattle Kraken 5-2 in Game 5.

Jordan Martinook had a goal and two assists and the Carolina Hurricanes scored five times in the second period to beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 on Tuesday night for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal.

Jack Hughes scored two goals, set up two more and had a near fight as the New Jersey Devils began the task of digging out of another hole with a 8-4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Sunday.

The Dallas Stars canceled a watch party that was planned during their road playoff game Sunday night in the plaza outside their home arena.

Joe Pavelski scored his fifth goal in two games since returning from concussion protocol as the Dallas Stars beat the Seattle Kraken 4-2 to even the second-round series at a game each.

Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl and Dallas' Joe Pavelski became just the second pair of NHL players to each score four goals on consecutive days in the playoffs.

Ivan Barbashev scored two goals and the Golden Knights overcame Leon Draisaitl’s four goals to beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-4 in Game 1 of the second-round series.

The Carolina Hurricanes got goals from Brett Pesce and Seth Jarvis alongside a suffocating defensive performance in the opening period to jump quickly on the New Jersey Devils for a 5-1 win Wednesday night to open their second-round playoff series.

Joe Pavelski became the oldest player ever with a four-goal game in the NHL playoffs, and did it in his return two weeks after going into concussion protocol.

The Presidents’ Trophy curse was too strong — even for a team coming off the best regular season in NHL history.

The Calgary Flames fired head coach Darryl Sutter on Monday, the latest major change at the NHL club after a disappointing season.

Vincent Viola has a problem.