The 2006 Stanley Cup Final begins Monday, a decision made before Buffalo's overtime win on Tuesday night, which forces a seventh game in the Eastern Conference Final. If it goes the ... Read More

The first season under the new system is nearly done, but the NHL salary cap remains a mystery to fans, media and probably most NHL general managers. Consider the fallout ... Read More

The Edmonton Oilers are going to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1990. That might not sound like a big deal, especially considering that Edmonton is among the ... Read More

Or at its worst? Tuesday's game in Edmonton featured 60 shots, nine goals - eight of them in a heart-stopping third period - and an astonishing Mighty Ducks comeback that fell ... Read More

Coming home from California with a 2-0 series, it should all be good news for the Edmonton Oilers. But the Stanley Cup Playoffs have a way of throwing up unexpected ... Read More

Almost all of hockey's star players, no matter where they call home, are playing in the NHL. But is the typical NHL roster - down to its sixth defenseman and ... Read More

Edmonton and Anaheim begin on Friday night.The Pick: Oilers in seven. Carolina and Buffalo get underway on Saturday afternoon. The Pick: Hurricanes in six. Complete Conference Finals Schedule

It's that time of year when television networks fret over their Stanley Cup Playoff audiences. The CBC is reportedly bummed because Toronto didn't make the playoffs. Canadians watch the Maple Leafs ... Read More

Quarterfinal games will be played Wednesday at the 2006 World Hockey Championship. Given its unfortunate timing (conflicting with the Stanley Cup Playoffs) and its lack of star power (rosters are hastily ... Read More

Disappointed hockey fans in Detroit, Denver, Dallas and New Jersey can console themselves by recalling recent Stanley Cup glory, and look forward to other seasons with other teams in other ... Read More

The individual games have been pretty good. The results have been depressingly one-sided. That was the story of round two of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs, until the Edmonton Oilers and ... Read More

Latvia rarely earns much attention in the hockey world. But the country is in the spotlight this month, as it hosts the 2006 World Hockey Championship. Fans in Riga put ... Read More

When the Buffalo Sabres skated rings around the Philadelphia Flyers in round one, we all thought we knew the story: the speedy, flash and dash new NHL (Sabres) drives another ... Read More

If you weren't in front of the TV on Monday, you missed one of the best nights so far in the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs. By the way, your new ... Read More

Don't be fooled by the 7-6 final score. Game one of the Ottawa-Buffalo series was much more wide open than that. Featuring six blown leads, three goals in the final 97 ... Read More

I'm surprised this guy didn't surface before now: "Sometimes it's hard just to order a pizza," he tells the New York Times (free registration required). "As soon as I tell them ... Read More

Thanks to those who joined the discussion and responded to the round one predictions. By going 3-for-8 overall and 0-for-4 in the Western Conference, I left myself open to a ... Read More

All-Bargain Team Center: Fernando Pisani, Oilers - $611,000 5 goals and 1 assist. Two third-period goals to start the big comeback in game six. Left Wing: Andrew Brunette, Avalanche - $800,000 3 goals ... Read More

Grading the entertainment value of each first-round playoff series. Oilers 4 - Red Wings 2 A couple of games slowed to the point where it seemed they might grind to a halt ... Read More

Eastern Conference: (1) Ottawa Senators vs. (4) Buffalo Sabres (begins Friday) (2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3) New Jersey Devils (begins Saturday) Western Conference: (5) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Edmonton Oilers (begins Sunday) (6) ... Read More

Not so long ago, the agitated sports fan had very few options when it was time to blow off steam. A bitter and disappointed supporter could either call a sports phone-in ... Read More

Unless you bleed Oiler blue, Detroit-Edmonton was not the most entertaining series of the opening round. But if you're a neutral fan who loves an underdog, the final 20 minutes ... Read More

With half the results in, the opening round of Stanley Cup 2006 has produced one genuine surprise. With poor, beat up, wrung-out Jose Theodore manning the Avalanche net, Colorado's win over ... Read More