As a service to fans who have a general interest in the National Hockey League but have no idea what’s happened since the Vegas Golden Knights raised the Stanley Cup by defeating the Florida Panthers in June 2023, we’re happy to provide this FAQ as a guide to the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. And for […]
Continue readingWe’ve got all the angles covered to get you ready for the playoffs as ESPN hockey reporters Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton take a look at each of the 16 postseason teams, offering the reasons each team could win it all, along with the (potentially) biggest flaws, players to watch and a bold prediction […]
Continue readingPrevious winners Cale Makar, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ryan O’Reilly will each look to add more hardware to their shelves. The Conn Smythe is often tied to the team winning the Stanley Cup. You can check out teams’ odds of winning here. Here is a list of every player’s odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. […]
Continue readingStone has been out of the Golden Knights’ lineup since Feb. 20, when he was diagnosed with a lacerated spleen. It led to a long-term stint on injured reserve for the second year in a row. Last season, the 31-year-old had a second back surgery in a 13-month window that led to him being out […]
Continue readingFor this week’s edition of the power rankings — closing out the regular season — we’re comparing each club’s preseason expectation (using the standings point over/under totals from ESPN BET as a proxy) to their actual number of standings points on April 12. How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and […]
Continue readingWhen the New York Rangers clinched a playoff berth on March 26, there wasn’t a celebration. There was barely an acknowledgment of the feat in their dressing room after an overtime win against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. The accomplishment was procedural, a bridge to greater things. “If you want to lift the Stanley Cup, you’ve […]
Continue readingOf the three Atlantic Division teams that were supposed to make the leap into serious playoff contention this season — the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators — only the Wings realistically remain in the race as the month of April begins. But with a 3-5-2 record in their past 10 games, their […]
Continue readingAs with most Thursdays on the NHL schedule, the lineup of matchups is pretty stellar. It includes an interconference showdown of two of the hottest teams in the league as the Nashville Predators visit the Florida Panthers (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+/Hulu). There is also a game that will have big ramifications on the Eastern Conference […]
Continue readingTo help you win a title in your league, we called in ESPN fantasy analysts Sean Allen and Victoria Matiash to highlight a prime playoff performer from each club — and in many cases, they are players who are available in a large majority of ESPN leagues. How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey […]
Continue readingIn one respect, fantasy managers in head-to-head playoff competition can feel a kinship with those presently competing on NCAA hardcourts: There’s no tomorrow if you don’t win today. So never mind how you got here, or who helped make it happen. What only matters is now. If that means replacing some fantasy fixtures with timely […]
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