NHL: Breaking Stories and all the Latest from Fox Sports

Here is the latest Hockey News from Fox Sports.

Too many men penalties a concern for some NHL playoff teams
CHICAGO (AP) Rule 74 sounds simple enough. Too many men on the ice, and you get a two-minute penalty.

Capitals finally able to turn attention to playoffs
Coach Barry Trotz and the Washington Capitals finally have something to play for.

Panthers face Islanders, Lightning get Red Wings in playoffs’ first round
The New York Islanders will open the playoffs at the Florida Panthers, and that means Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers will face Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins for the third consecutive postseason.

Stars set to face Wild in first round of playoffs
In the West, the top-seeded Dallas Stars face the Minnesota Wild.

Wild vs. Stars first-round NHL playoff schedule announced
The Minnesota Wild will face off against the Dallas Stars in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs beginning on Thursday night.

Raffl gets tiebreaking goal as Flyers beat Islanders 5-2
NEW YORK (AP) Michael Raffl scored the tiebreaking goal early in the second period and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday night.

Pavel Datsyuk plans to retire from the Red Wings after the playoffs
Pavel Datsyuk plans to retire from the Red Wings after the playoffs

Ducks beat Capitals, clinch Pacific Division
WASHINGTON (AP) Corey Perry and Nick Ritchie scored, Frederik Andersen stopped all 24 shots he faced, and the Anaheim Ducks clinched the Pacific Division on the final day of the regular season by beating the Washington Capitals 2-0 on Sunday night.

Flyers score five unanswered goals to defeat Islanders
NEW YORK — Ties are long gone in the National Hockey League, so somebody had to win Sunday’s game between the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders. Finally, the Flyers figured, why not us?

Rangers open playoffs at Pens; Ducks vault Kings in Pacific
The New York Islanders will open the playoffs at the Florida Panthers, and that means Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers will face Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins for the third consecutive postseason.

Lightning will have to regroup before playoffs begin
FOX Sports Sun’s Rick Peckham and Brian Engblom take a look at the Lightning, who are getting ready for the playoffs with a roster impacted by a slew of injuries.

Caps stick to plan, sit Holtby with chance to break record
WASHINGTON (AP) Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz says Philipp Grubauer will start against the Anaheim Ducks, instead of Braden Holtby getting a chance to break Martin Brodeur’s NHL single-season wins record.

BC-AP Sports Preview Digest
Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Sunday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:

Sabres Eichel to forgo playing for US at world championships
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Buffalo Sabres rookie center Jack Eichel is passing up the opportunity to represent the United States at the World Ice Hockey Championships next month because he feels he needs a break.

Doan: We went in the right direction this season
Shane Doan discusses the Coyotes improvements in 2015-16 after a season-ending loss to the San Jose Sharks.

Ottawa Senators GM stepping down, will take on new role
Bryan Murray is stepping down as Ottawa Senators general manager.

Sabres rookie Eichel won’t play in world championships because he ‘needs a break’
The 19-year-old says he feels he needs a break.

Devils’ Elias reconsidering future after good final week
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Patrik Elias is suddenly thinking about playing an 18th season in the NHL.

Bryan Murray stepping down as GM of Ottawa Senators
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Bryan Murray is stepping down as Ottawa Senators general manager and taking on an advisory role within the organization.

Flyers beat Penguins 3-1, clinch playoff spot
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Wayne Simmonds scored two goals, Steve Mason stopped 18 shots and the Philadelphia Flyers clinched a playoff berth with a 3-1 win over the playoff-bound Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

Report: Pavel Datsyuk retiring from NHL after playoffs
Long-time Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk is ready to go back to Russia for good once the playoffs are over, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press.

Hurricanes confident rebuilding plan is on the right track
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) At times this season – and even after trading one of the best players in club history – the Carolina Hurricanes looked like a playoff team again.

Red Wings’ Datsyuk plans to retire from NHL after playoffs
DETROIT (AP) Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk is expected to retire from the NHL after the playoffs.

Etem scores shootout winner as Canucks beat Oilers 4-3 in season finale
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Emerson Etem scored in the seventh round of the shootout, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Saturday night in the finale of a disappointing season for each team.

Kings blow 3-0 lead at home, chance to clinch division in loss to Jets
LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Kings blew a three-goal lead and their chance to clinch the Pacific Division title Saturday night, losing 4-3 to the Winnipeg Jets on Mark Scheifele’s shootout goal.

Stars beat Predators 3-2 to clinch Central title
DALLAS (AP) Jason Spezza is feeling much better now. Same for the rest of the Dallas Stars.

Ovechkin has hat trick for 50 goals, Holtby ties record with 48 wins
ST. LOUIS (AP) Alex Ovechkin had three goals to reach 50 for the seventh time, Braden Holtby won his 48th game to tie the NHL single-season record and the Washington Capitals dashed the St. Louis Blues’ Central Division title hopes with a convincing 5-1 victory on Saturday night.

Nicklas Backstrom beats his old team in ‘great way to go out’
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Patrick Sieloff scored the go-ahead goal in his first NHL game and Niklas Backstrom made 35 saves against his former team, leading the Calgary Flames to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.

Patrik Elias interested in returning to Devils after season finale win
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Adam Henrique scored twice and Kyle Palmieri once to become the Devils’ first 30-goal scorers in four years and New Jersey ended another disappointing season with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

Blues give fans the shirts off their backs
David Backes gives his shirt to young Arthur and the rest of the Blues give theirs to other fans to show their appreciation for a season of support.

Late goal sends Coyotes into offseason with loss
Mike Smith saved 31 of 32 shots for the Coyotes, who have not scored in San Jose in 192:02, a span of over seven periods.

Tippett reflects on Coyotes improvement in 2015-16
Coyotes coach Dave Tippett discusses the disappointment of again missing the playoffs, but also of the improvements the team made of the promise four rookies showed in 2015-16.

Ducks-Capitals Preview
If not for the massive East Coast snowstorm in January, the Anaheim Ducks would already know their postseason fate and could have avoided a pair of long flights before the playoffs.

Benn on Stars clinching division and Western Conference
Stars beat the Nashville Predators 3-2

Kings have to ‘wait and see’ when it comes to the division title
A win would have guaranteed the LA Kings the Pacific Division but an shootout loss means they’ll have to wait for the outcome of the Ducks’ final game on Sunday.

Anze Kopitar said the Kings ‘had every opportunity to win the division’ after letting a three-goal lead slip against the Jets
Up 3-0 at home the LA Kings looked to be cruising to a division title but the Jets mounted a comeback to win in a shootout.

Stars beat Predators 3-2 to clinch Central title
DALLAS (AP) Jason Spezza is feeling much better now. Same for the rest of the Dallas Stars.

Jakob Silfverberg scores twice as Ducks beat Avalanche 5-3
DENVER (AP) Now that he has reached the 20-goal mark, Jakob Silfverberg officially feels like a bona fide scorer.

Galchenyuk, Pacioretty score twice; Canadiens beat Lightning
MONTREAL (AP) If there was a bright spot to a disappointing season for the Montreal Canadiens, it was the emergence of Alex Galchenyuk as a top-line center.

NHL Capsules
ST. LOUIS (AP) Alex Ovechkin had three goals to reach 50 for the seventh time, Braden Holtby won his 48th game to tie the NHL single-season record and the Washington Capitals dashed the St. Louis Blues’ Central Division title hopes with a convincing 5-1 victory on Saturday night.

Etem scores shootout winner as Canucks beat Oilers 4-3
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Emerson Etem scored in the seventh round of the shootout, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Saturday night in the finale of a disappointing season for each team.

Winnipeg Jets rally from 3 goals down to stun LA Kings 4-3
LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Kings blew a three-goal lead and their chance to clinch the Pacific Division title Saturday night, losing 4-3 to the Winnipeg Jets on Mark Scheifele’s shootout goal.

Pavelski scores on power play, Sharks beat Coyotes 1-0
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Joe Pavelski scored on a power play 7:29 into the third period and Martin Jones made 20 saves to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 1-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes in the regular season finale for both teams on Saturday night.

Wild lose in finale to Backstrom, Flames; playoffs next
The Minnesota Wild head into the playoffs having lost five straight games after falling to the Calgary Flames in the finale.

Gionta scores twice to lead Sabres over Islanders in OT
NEW YORK (AP) Brian Gionta scored twice, including the deciding goal with 2:14 left in overtime, to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

Galchenyuk, Pacioretty score twice; Canadiens beat Lightning
MONTREAL (AP) Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty each scored twice to reach the 30-goal mark and the Montreal Canadiens ended the regular season with a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.

Blue Jackets rally for 5-4 overtime win over Blackhawks
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Scott Hartnell scored a power-play goal at 2:28 of overtime, and the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied for a 5-4 victory over the depleted Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.

Ovechkin has 3 goals, Holtby ties wins record for Capitals
ST. LOUIS (AP) Alex Ovechkin had three goals to reach 50 for the seventh time, Braden Holtby won his 48th game to tie the NHL single-season record and the Washington Capitals dashed the St. Louis Blues’ Central Division title hopes with a convincing 5-1 victory on Saturday night.

Henrique scores 2, Devils beat Leafs in season finale
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Adam Henrique scored twice and Kyle Palmieri once to become the Devils’ first 30-goal scorers in four years and New Jersey ended another disappointing season with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

Panthers score 3 early goals, beat Hurricanes 5-2
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) The Florida Panthers finished off their record-setting regular season by scoring three times in the first eight minutes in a 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

Stars beat Predators 3-2 to clinch Central title
DALLAS (AP) Jason Spezza scored three times, including the game-winner with 1 minute remaining, and the Dallas Stars beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Saturday night to clinch the Central Division title and the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Sieloff gets goal in 1st NHL game, Flames beat Wild 2-1
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Patrick Sieloff scored the go-ahead goal in his first NHL game and Niklas Backstrom made 35 saves against his former team, leading the Calgary Flames to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.

Blue Jackets focused on finishing season on the winning end
It’s been a tough season, but the Columbus Blue Jackets are looking to finish the season off with a win.

Red Wings still reach playoffs despite 3-2 loss to Rangers
NEW YORK (AP) Despite ending the regular season with consecutive losses, the Detroit Red Wings found a way to extend their remarkable playoff streak.

‘It sucks’ :Torts isn’t going to sugarcoat Jackets season
Even with a win Saturday Coach Torts isn’t going to be rosy and positive about his Columbus Blue Jackets.

Saad: 30 goals something you can ‘cross of the list’
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Brandon Saad sees 30 goals as another step in the right direction for his young career.

Clarkson’s Corner: Jackets name Clarkson Community MVP
It’s all about giving back and making a difference. David Clarkson was named the Columbus Blue Jackets Community MVP.

NHL Capsules
NEW YORK (AP) Despite ending the regular season with consecutive losses, the Detroit Red Wings added another year to their remarkable playoff streak.

Avalanche GM Joe Sakic says coach Patrick Roy will return
DENVER (AP) Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic says coach Patrick Roy will be back next season despite missing the playoffs for a second straight year.

Jakob Silfverberg scores twice as Ducks beat Avalanche 5-3
DENVER (AP) Jakob Silfverberg scored twice, Corey Perry had three assists and the playoff-bound Anaheim Ducks beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 on Saturday.

Red Wings still reach playoffs despite 3-2 loss to the Rangers
Despite the loss, the Red Wings reached the playoffs for a 25th consecutive season when the Ottawa Senators beat the Boston Bruins.

Rangers slip past Red Wings 3-2
NEW YORK (AP) Kevin Hayes scored with 5:38 remaining, Antti Raanta made 31 saves and the New York Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Saturday.

Rangers slip past Red Wings; Detroit still reaches playoffs
NEW YORK (AP) Kevin Hayes scored with 5:38 remaining, Antti Raanta made 31 saves and the New York Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Saturday.

Panthers look to finish regular season on high note
The Florida Panthers will host the Carolina Hurricanes as the Cats look for one final tune-up before the regular season ends and the playoffs begin.

Bruins collapse with playoffs on line, lose 6-1 to Senators
BOSTON (AP) With Boston goalie Tuukka Rask out sick for the Bruins’ last-gasp run at a playoff berth, backup Jonas Gustavsson allowed four goals in the first half of the second period and the Ottawa Senators went on to win the regular-season finale 6-1 on Saturday.

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask misses crucial season finale
BOSTON (AP) Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask missed Saturday’s season finale against the Ottawa Senators as his team played for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens game preview
The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Montreal Canadiens in their regular-season finale.

Carolina Hurricanes at Florida Panthers game preview
The Atlantic Division champion Florida Panthers look to head into the playoffs on a high note by winning a sixth straight meeting with the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

Senators-Bruins Preview
While their fate could twist in a couple of directions over the final two days, coach Claude Julien likes the Boston Bruins’ chances of playing in the postseason.

Penguins-Flyers Preview
On the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture looking in, the Philadelphia Flyers still control their chances to sneak into the postseason.

Red Wings-Rangers Preview
When the NHL’s regular season ended on April 1, 1990, the Detroit Red Wings did not qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Preview: Wild vs. Flames
The Minnesota Wild are feeling some urgency to win their final game before the postseason gets underway.

Sabres-Islanders Preview
The top priority for playoff-bound teams is finishing with the best seed and getting healthy for the postseason. For the New York Islanders, the latter just doesn’t seem possible.

Blackhawks-Blue Jackets Preview
The Chicago Blackhawks’ title defense will begin on the road, and they’re banking on having two-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Corey Crawford in their net.

Red Wings recall C Joakim Andersson from AHL
DETROIT (AP) The Detroit Red Wings recalled center Joakim Andersson from Grand Rapids of the AHL on Friday.

Brandon Saad joins 30 goal club along with teammate Boone Jenner
Brandon Saad on what it feels like to score 30 goals, along with teammate Boone Jenner, in one season

Saad joins 30 goal club in Blue Jackets 4-1 win over Sabres
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Nick Foligno and Dalton Prout scored 2:09 apart in the second period in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Devils sign Boston College’s Steven Santini, Miles Wood
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Devils have signed Boston College defenseman Steven Santini and forward Miles Wood to three-year entry-level contracts that will start this season.

Foligno, Prout score in Blue Jackets 4-1 win over Sabres
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Nick Foligno and Dalton Prout scored 2:09 apart in the second period in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Torchetti hopes days off will get Wild back on track
Interim coach John Torchetti gave Minnesota Wild a few days off this past week.

Quinnipiac a step away from first NCAA hockey championship
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) When Rand Pecknold arrived at tiny Quinnipiac 22 years ago, he hardly envisioned the Bobcats becoming a staple in the NCAA tournament and competing for national hockey championships.

Blues sign defenseman Joel Edmundson to 2-year extension
ST. LOUIS (AP) The St. Louis Blues signed rookie defenseman Joel Edmundson to a two-year, $2.1 million contract extension Friday.

Tyler Toffoli uses his love of cupcakes for a good cause
King forward Tyler Toffoli got a cupcake making lesson before designing his very own cupcake. Tyler’s cupcake will be sold at all Sprinkles LA locations from April 15-30, with a portion of proceeds benefitting the Kings Care Foundation. When we make it to the Finals, the cupcake will be brought back.

Senators-Bruins Preview
While their fate could twist in a couple of directions over the final two days, coach Claude Julien likes the Boston Bruins’ chances of playing in the postseason.

Torts: My glass is half-full
John Tortorella gives his thoughts on the end of the Blue Jackets season

Trio of Blue Jackets rookies share what they’ve learned in first year
Blue Jackets rookies talk about what they’ve learned in their first year

Ducks take on Avalanche Saturday
Anaheim needs victories in its last two games plus some help in order to claim a fourth straight Pacific Division title. Asking the Ducks how much they really care about hanging another banner likely would elicit some pretty aloof responses.

Playoff-bound Wild can’t hide recent slide or weak record
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The Minnesota Wild will take the worst record into the playoffs by a Western Conference team in a full season since before the franchise existed.

Devils sign Boston College defenseman Steven Santini
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Devils have signed Boston College defenseman Steven Santini to a three-year entry-level contract that will start this season.

Lightning-Canadiens Preview
The fact the Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t win the Atlantic Division isn’t necessarily surprising. Someone other than Montreal beating them out is in some ways.

Predators-Stars Preview
While there may be other scenarios in which they can reach their goal, the Dallas Stars are only focused on taking care of their own business during a critical season finale.

Capitals-Blues Preview
The St. Louis Blues were 76 seconds away from falling out of contention for the top seed in the Western Conference before Vladimir Tarasenko decided not to let it happen.

Coyotes-Sharks Preview
The San Jose Sharks are locked into their postseason seed and admittedly find motivation tough to come by as they struggle down the stretch.

Wild’s Vanek to miss time in playoffs, timeline for return unclear
Head coach John Torchetti says that Minnesota Wild forward Thomas Vanek will miss the start of the team’s first-round playoff series.

Penguins rolling without Malkin as Cullen steps it up
WASHINGTON (AP) Do the Pittsburgh Penguins need Evgeni Malkin if they have Matt Cullen?

Ducks-Avalanche Preview
Anaheim needs victories in its last two games plus some help in order to claim a fourth straight Pacific Division title. Asking the Ducks how much they really care about hanging another banner likely would elicit some pretty aloof responses.

Wild will be without Vanek for start of playoff series
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Minnesota Wild left wing Thomas Vanek will miss the start of the team’s first-round playoff series with an upper-body injury he recently aggravated.

Jacques Demers in stable condition 2 days after stroke
MONTREAL (AP) Former Montreal Canadiens coach Jacques Demers was in stable condition Friday, two days after having a stroke.

Ducks lose to Kings 2-1
Late in a draining season, the Los Angeles Kings are glad to be in prime position to win the Pacific Division title. They’re even happier to get one over on the Anaheim Ducks just in case these local rivals meet again in the playoffs in a couple of weeks.