NHL

Modern player evaluation is predicated on the platonic balance of the unquantifiable — the eye test, if you will — and data-oriented observation, rooted in a number of analytical categories. Veer too far to the unquantifiable and you’re stuck with mere narrative, which often can collapse under weighted examination. Basing evaluation solely off analytics, one

6:30 AM ET The NHL’s final four is set. The Vegas Golden Knights took care of business at home, eliminating the Colorado Avalanche to set up a semifinal date with the Montreal Canadiens. Sadly, we have two days off from hockey, before the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning kick off their series Sunday.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews and 2017 winner Connor McDavid were named as the National Hockey League’s three Hart Trophy finalists on Thursday. The most prestigious individual award in the NHL, the Hart Trophy is presented to the league’s most valuable player and is chosen by the Professional Hockey

7:45 AM ET LAS VEGAS — As the Vegas Golden Knights grind away in their thrilling second round series against the Colorado Avalanche, the team’s most productive line has been the second line. Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith have scored eight goals in five games against Colorado. Coach Peter DeBoer called the trio

6:29 AM ET The Boston Bruins were sent home on Wednesday night, and the New York Islanders are the third team to reach the Stanley Cup semifinals. Tonight, the Colorado Avalanche — the top team in the regular season — will try to avoid a similar fate as the Bruins. But the Avs’ task isn’t

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — For the second time in two weeks, fans inside Nassau Coliseum watched their team close out a playoff series. The Islanders eliminated the Bruins in Game 6 Wednesday with a 6-2 victory. They will now play the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Semifinals for the second consecutive postseason. Brock Nelson

6:35 AM ET The Tampa Bay Lightning are Central Division champions, and are waiting for the winner of the New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins East Division final, a series that could end on the Island tonight. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens got one game closer to seeing which team they’ll be facing in the Stanley

Just 10 seconds into overtime and the Colorado Avalanche almost ended it. Luckily for the Golden Knights, it didn’t go in, because they won it 40 seconds later, in the most Golden Knights way possible. After blocking a Colorado shot, Mark Stone raced up ice and beat Philipp Grubauer just 50 seconds into overtime to

I don’t know if you saw this yesterday, but Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year. It’s the second time Thibs has won the award, with the first coming when he was with the Chicago Bulls. But was Thibs the most deserving? I couldn’t help but notice when looking at

6:45 AM ET The Tampa Bay Lightning have a chance to eliminate the Carolina Hurricanes, though playing in front of their home crowd may be the boost the Hurricanes needs to keep their season alive. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche will try to find their game again in Denver after the Vegas Golden Knights put on

Getty Images Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy has been fined $25,000 after criticizing the officiating crew following the team’s Game 5 loss against the New York Islanders on Monday. Cassidy had claimed that the Islanders got the benefit of certain calls and hinted that the series hasn’t been officiated fairly. Here’s what Cassidy said,

The Bruins put forth one heck of an effort in Game 5, but the Islanders held on for a huge 5-4 win. With that, the Islanders lead the Bruins 3-2 in their Second Round series. Overall, Boston generated a towering 44-20 shots on goal advantage. The Isles are perfectly comfortable playing under those circumstances, and

7:00 AM ET UNIONDALE, NY — Mathew Barzal skated back onto the ice after the New York Islanders‘ Game 4 win. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum had been raucous all night, and Barzal gave the fans one more chance to roar as the game’s first star, pumping his fist and screaming “let’s go!” as he saluted

USATSI Happy Monday, everybody. I hope the start of your week is treating you well. I’m still buzzing a bit about the United States taking down Mexico in the Nations League final on Sunday night. It was a highly entertaining match filled with all the ridiculousness that tends to come with matches between the two

Getty Images Hockey history was made on Saturday. Taya Currie, 16, became the first woman selected in the Ontario Hockey League Draft when she was selected by the Sarnia Sting. Currie went as pick No. 267 in the draft, and didn’t play this past season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goaltender recently

The Golden Knights are just absolutely overwhelming the Avalanche, with Game 4 maybe being their masterpiece. The Golden Knights won Game 4 by a score of 5-1, tying their series vs. the Avalanche at 2-2. Vegas is on fire, and the Avs have a fire to put out. Let’s dive into a stunning Game 4

6:19 PM ET ESPN News Services RIGA, Latvia — Nick Paul scored in overtime on a 2-and-1 break with Ottawa Senators teammate Connor Brown and Canada won its 27th world hockey title, defeating Finland 3-2 on Sunday night. The victory capped a memorable comeback, even for a nation with as rich a history in hockey

Getty Images While sports in the United States have returned to a state that resembles their normal operations pre-pandemic, sports across the border in Canada remain heavily regulated as the Canadian government continues a more conservative approach in response to COVID-19. That’s posed a problem for the National Hockey League, but a way has now