MIAMI — The NHL has its dream Stanley Cup Final in a Florida Panthers-Edmonton Oilers rematch: Reigning champion Cats out to break Canadian hearts again as the great Connor McDavid tries to exact his revenge and win the one prize that has eluded him.

Lots to unpack. Let’s dig right in as we savor Game 1 on Wednesday in the northwest:

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SEATTLE — The Kraken named Lane Lambert the third coach in franchise history on Thursday. Lambert guided the New York Islanders for a season and a half, his only prior NHL head coaching experience.

Lambert, 60, was associate coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. The Kraken presumably had to wait until the Maple Leafs were eliminated ...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — It ended in ridiculous fashion, but the Carolina Hurricanes sealed their own fate before that. Their last-gasp power play to keep their season alive came to nothing, and the puck came to Sam Bennett right out of the box with the home net empty.

Bennett ended their season with 54 seconds to go, with the easiest goal of the ...Read more

CHICAGO — Former Chicago Blackhawks captain and three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews is eyeing a return to the NHL in the fall, according to a report Thursday.

TSN analyst Pierre LeBrun posted on social media that Toews “reached out to his agent Pat Brisson yesterday to inform him he’s 100 percent committed to coming back to the...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — They came slowly, even quietly, off the bench late Wednesday night, easing toward goalie Sergei Bobrovsky with quick nods and half-smiles that spoke of their good night’s work.

But there were no hugs, no shouts, certainly no celebratory sticks thrown in the air like back when they started all this winning two springs ago. So...Read more

SEATTLE — We’re waiting.

More than a month after the Kraken missed the playoffs and fired their coach for a second consecutive season, Dan Bylsma’s seat has yet to be filled. Meanwhile, incoming coaches have been hired by the Kraken’s competitors. Mike Sullivan to the Rangers. Rick Tocchet to the Flyers. Joel Quenneville to the Ducks. ...Read more

The Florida Panthers are heading back to the Stanley Cup Final.

Florida used a three-goal second period to negate a horrid first period and then Carter Verhaeghe scored the game-winner with 7:39 left to play for a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final on Wednesday at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., ...Read more

MIAMI — The warranted narrative of this Florida Panthers’ postseason had been the team’s stellar play away from home -- airports and hotels somehow foretelling unlikely magic on ice.

That narrative faced an ill-timed dead-end Wednesday night ... but it lives on.

And the repeat-championship dream moves a big step closer.

Florida ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Tired of it yet? Why wouldn’t you be? It’s become a tradition: another deep playoff run by the Florida Panthers, another terrific postseason for Sergei Bobrovsky, and another reason to revisit the worst trade that any Philadelphia franchise has made this century.

It would be cruel to bring up Bobrovsky apropos of nothing, ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Fifty years ago Tuesday, Reggie Leach stood next to Larry Goodenough on the Flyers’ bench at the old Aud, watching as the clock ticked down. As the seconds decreased one by one, the defenseman turned to Leach and said out loud what everyone in the arena in Upstate New York and watching in Philly knew was coming.

“‘We’re...Read more

SUNRISE, Fla. — There was Matthew Tkachuk coming back from two months off with two goals in Game 1 against Tampa Bay in a script too good to believe. There was Brad Marchand scoring in overtime in Game 3 against Toronto to avoid a 3-0 hole, and the Game 7 that sent Toronto to the coldest of summers.

There were the three thrilling games for ...Read more

CHICAGO — During Jeff Blashill’s introductory news conference Tuesday at the United Center, the new Chicago Blackhawks coach was asked the most relevant, to-the-point question in this “tough” sports town:

How long will it take to get to a championship level?

“Is that my ‘Welcome to Chicago’ moment?” Blashill said as a smile ...Read more

SUNRISE, Fla. — The Carolina Hurricanes still have hockey to play.

Faced with a win-or-else game against the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference final, the Hurricanes responded with a 3-0 victory Monday in Game 4 behind goalie Frederik Andersen.

The Panthers, who had taken a 3-0 lead in the series, must travel back to Raleigh, N.C., ...Read more

SUNRISE, Fla. — It only took three embarrassing losses, their season pushed to the brink of elimination and a Russian rookie defenseman thrown into the deep end of the borscht finally feeling his feet under him for the Carolina Hurricanes to finally show up and make their presence felt.

And there they were Monday night, piling up shots, ...Read more

MIAMI — The Florida Panthers will go for their first chance to wrap up the Eastern Conference final down three key players.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice said wingers Sam Reinhart and A.J. Greer along with defenseman Niko Mikkola are all out for Game 4 on Monday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

All three are listed as day-to-day.

Reinhart is ...Read more

CHICAGO — Jeff Blashill didn’t make the kind of history he was looking for in Detroit.

His seven-year run as a first-time NHL head coach from 2015-22 included presiding over the Red Wings’ third-worst finish by points percentage (.275).

But Chicago Blackhawks great and TNT analyst Eddie Olczyk believes the second time can be the charm ...Read more

SUNRISE, Fla. — They finally won a period, just a single 20-minute period, for the first time in this series. A platform to build upon? No, just fool’s gold, setting the stage for even more humiliation.

The Carolina Hurricanes aren’t just staring a sweep in the face after collapsing to a 6-2 loss in Game 3 on Saturday. They’re well on ...Read more

MIAMI — This for two-thirds of the game was the Carolina Hurricanes team that had been advertised all along. The smothering, shot-blocking, in-your-face defense. The team that would aim to tough the artistry and open skating out of the Florida Panthers and turn game and series into a grind.

Didn’t see that Carolina team the first two games ...Read more

SUNRISE, Fla. — Both the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers will be missing key players Saturday for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final.

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said defenseman Jalen Chatfield will miss another playoff game. Chatfield has been sidelined the past three games with an undisclosed injury and did not participate in...Read more