Hockey headlines for May 15, 2021

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Jets beat Leafs in season finale (Winnipeg Sun)
Avalanche won five straight to secure NHL Presidents’ Trophy — now comes the tough part (Denver Post)
Former Chicago Blackhawks player’s attorney expects 2010 teammate and a ‘person in management’ to be called as witnesses in sexual assault lawsuit (Chicago Daily Herald)
Rangers sneak Gerard Gallant interview in before he heads to World Championships (New York Post)
Rick Bowness to return as Stars head coach next season, GM Jim Nill says (Dallas Morning News)
Hockey’s storyteller Elliotte Friedman stays humble (Globe & Mail)
Avalanche Are Cup Favorites, but Even the Islanders Can Dream (New York Times)
Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov — fasten your seatbelts. The road to the Stanley Cup starts here (Toronto Star)
Ted Leonsis hopes busy weekend for Capitals, Mystics and Wizards is harbinger of better times (Washington Post)
Marner gets rest in season finale as Maple Leafs look to finish healthy (Toronto Sun)
David Poile's shrewd decision to keep Predators together through tough stretch pays off (The Tennessean)
Long-term deals, coach search top Jackets GM's to-do list (Columbus Dispatch)
Leafs lose regular-season finale to Jets; Canadiens next up in first round (Toronto Sun)
For Golden Knights, it’s Stanley Cup or bust (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Vegas Golden Knights, Wild's playoff opponent, have had playoff success (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
Let the (playoff) games begin: Avs present tough challenge for Blues (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Isles' top task in first round will be trying to cancel out Crosby (New York Newsday)
Playoff history with Islanders evokes heartbreak, humiliation for Penguins fans (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
The long and winding road (Winnipeg Free Press)
Golden Knights say history against Wild not predictive (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
How much does home ice matter to the Lightning? (Tampa Bay Times)
Injuries threaten to derail Golden Knights’ pursuit of Cup (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Peter Laviolette, master motivator, is known for his pep talks. Here’s why they work. (Washington Post)
The many cliches of Wild coach Dean Evason (and how they changed the culture) (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry 'ready to play,' but Casey DeSmith's status is uncertain (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
All eyes on Tuukka as playoffs begin (Boston Herald)
Wild's Cam Talbot no stranger to high-stakes playoff hockey (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy rested, ready for playoffs (Tampa Bay Times)
‘Try to cherish every opportunity’: Penguins’ core prepares for what could be last Cup chase together (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Taylor Hall has found right fit with Bruins, looks forward to postseason (Boston Globe)
Max Pacioretty trade works out for Golden Knights in long run (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Wild rookie Kirill Kaprizov takes center stage: ‘He’s already the face of the franchise’ (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
‘Like a new man’: At 25, Barkov is comfortable with captaincy, stardom and contention (Miami Herald)
After slow start, Alex Pietrangelo rounding into playoff form (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov excited to be healthy, heading to playoffs (Tampa Bay Times)
As Stars shift their focus to the offseason, improving goal-scoring will be a high priority (Dallas Morning News)
Dorion encouraged by Matt Murray's progression as the season developed (Ottawa Citizen)
Stars center Roope Hintz (groin) needs surgery, plus more end-of-season injury updates (Dallas Morning News)
Blackhawks signings Henrik Borgstrom, Arvid Soderblom add even more competition to 2021-22 roster (Chicago Sun-Times)
Canucks prospect Mike DiPietro’s game, absent games, sees ‘big strides’ (Vancouver Province)
Penguins assign goaltender Alex D'Orio to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Canucks urge fans to get vaccinated so they can get back in the stands (Vancouver Province)
Face mask guidelines to remain in place for Penguins' postseason games (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Unleash the Caniacs: More hockey fans will be allowed at PNC Arena in time for Game 1 (Raleigh News & Observer)
Penguins CEO David Morehouse: Team trying for 100% capacity by Game 5 of Islanders series (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)