Thursday's hockey: Panthers, Hurricanes take 3-0 leads; Broadcaster Bob Cole dies

Tampa, Fla. — Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves, Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Brandon Montour, Sam Reinhart and Steven Lorentz also scored for the Panthers, who will seek a sweep Saturday night in Tampa.

Tkachuk had a first-period goal and added an empty-netter with 32 seconds left.

Steven Stamkos, Tyler Motte and Nicholas Paul scored for Tampa Bay, with Paul cutting it to 4-3 with 5:10 left. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 shots.

Montour gave Florida a 3-2 lead on a blue-line shot with 3:30 left in the second, with Lorentz making it a two-goal game from the slot at 9:41 of the third.

After withstanding several minutes of sustained pressure at the defensive end, Florida tied it at 2 on Reinhart’s goal at 9:58 of the second.

Stamkos scored 44 seconds into the second before Motte put Tampa Bay up 2-1 just 2:12 later. The 34-year-old Stamkos is the ninth player 34 or older to score in each of his team’s first three playoff games, and the first since San Jose’s Patrick Marleau in 2014.

Thirty-two seconds after the Panthers killed off Tampa Bay’s second power play, Tkachuk opened the scoring midway through the first.

Tkachuk became the 12th US-born player to have 20 postseason goals in 50 or games or fewer. The list also includes his father, Keith Tkachuk.

Tampa Bay appeared to tie it with 18 seconds left in the first, but Anthony Cirelli’s goal on the Lightning’s third power play was disallowed following a video review found the play was offside.

The Lightning, with the NHL's top regular-season power play, went 0 for 4. Florida did not have a power play.

With Florida forwards Sam Bennett (shot off hand) and Ryan Lomberg (illness) out, right wing Kyle Okposo was inserted into the lineup and had an assist in his first playoff game since 2016.

Carolina 3, (at) N.Y. Islanders 2: Defensemen Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov got Carolina off to a fast start and the Hurricanes held on to beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Thursday night for a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.

Sebastian Aho also scored for the Hurricanes and Andrei Svechnikov had two assists. Frederik Andersen stopped 29 shots. Carolina won for eighth time in nine games at UBS Arena, which opened for the 2021-22 season.

Brock Nelson and Pierre Engvall scored for the Islanders. They are a loss away from being eliminated by Carolina in the first round for the second straight year.

Ilya Sorokin, getting the start after Semyon Varlamov went in the first two games, was pulled in the second period after giving up three goals on 14 shots. Varlamov came on and stopped all eight shots he faced.

Game 4 is Saturday in New York.

With the Hurricanes leading 3-2, Andersen made a nice save falling backward on a shot by Alexander Romanov about 6 1/2 minutes in the third period. The puck lay in the paint briefly before the goalie covered it up.

Andersen made another stellar save while sitting on the ice, reaching up to grab a shot by Romanov with 5:48 left.

The Islanders pulled Varlamov for an extra skater with 1:55 to go, but could not get the equalizer.

Cole, the voice of hockey in Canada, dies at 90

Toronto — Bob Cole, the voice of hockey in Canada for a half century who served as the soundtrack for some of the national sport's biggest moments, has died. He was 90.

Friend and fellow broadcaster John Shannon said Cole died Wednesday night in his hometown of St. John's, the capital of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the network for which Cole worked, announced his death Thursday, adding daughter Megan said her father had been healthy “up until the very end.”

“He’s such a legend, such a great man,” said Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon, a Nova Scotia native. “I’ve met him a few times over the years. At charity golf tournaments in Halifax, he’d come out and support Atlantic Canadians. Amazing person, super funny. Just a great guy and obviously some of the best calls of all time.”

Known for his “Oh baby!” catchphrase, Cole called some iconic games as part of CBC's “Hockey Night in Canada." His distinctive play-by-play style added even more flavor to the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union, the 2002 Olympic final in Salt Lake City and numerous Stanley Cup Finals.

Cole called his first game, on radio, between Boston and Montreal in April 1969 and moved to TV in 1973. He called his last game on April 6, 2019 – the regular-season finale between the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs – and in between was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, winning the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster.

Greg Millen, a former NHL goaltender-turned-broadcaster, said Cole’s voice was “almost like a symphony.”

“Bob had an unbelievable ability of bringing the game up and down depending on what was happening on the ice," Millen said.

Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe opened his remarks between playoff games Thursday by passing along condolences to Cole's family.

“Someone who touched the game in so many ways, as an icon in our sport and the voice of hockey, not just in Toronto, but in our country,” Keefe said. “A sad day for sure.”

Ovechkin hopes patience pays off

Alex Ovechkin has just one shot on goal through the first two games of the Washington Capitals' first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers, which they trail 2-0.

Coach Spencer Carbery acknowledged after the Game 2 loss this week that Ovechkin is “struggling” and looks a bit off. The Capitals need production out of the No. 2 goal-scorer in NHL history, among other things, to get back in the series against the league's best team from the regular season. Game 3 is at home Friday night.

“I think it's just settle down a little bit,” Ovechkin said Thursday. "Not good, but sometimes you just have to do what you can do out there: play physical, try to create open space for your linemates. But we’re all in the same boat. We all have to play better if we want to get success.”

Ovechkin's lowest shot total through the first two games of a series before now was four (2012 vs. Boston) and five in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final against Vegas. Washington went on to win each series.

The 38-year-old longtime captain and face of the franchise said patience is the key to getting more pucks on net against fellow Russian Igor Shesterkin, who has stopped 42 of the 46 shots he has faced so far.

"Try to find the lane," Ovechkin said. “We play against a good hockey team. They’re going to sacrifice their body. They’re going to play hard against our top lines, blocking shots, (be) physical, and we just have to play simple and if we have the puck on our stick don’t throw it right away.”

Carbery said he and Ovechkin have had some good discussions about how to get through defenders and be closer to the net for higher-quality opportunities and “attacking as much as he can.”

“That’s not necessarily from the perimeter – getting to the inside, taking a couple extra steps, threaten, change your shot angle," Carbery said. “And now you’ve changed your shot angle and now there’s no longer shin pads and a stick in your lane.”

Getting Ovechkin the puck in better positions to shoot is also on the Capitals' to-do list. It can pay dividends, after he scored just eight goals in his first 43 games this season and finished with 31 after a torrid second half.

Teammates and coaches aren’t worried about Ovechkin and expect him to be able to turn it on. He has 853 goals in the regular season trailing just Wayne Gretzky and 72 in the playoffs, one shy of Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski for the most among active players.

“He’ll be good," Carbery said. "He’s been through so many situations like this, I expect him to step up big time in Game 3.”

Golden Knights in the driver's seat

Jack Eichel and defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas got exactly what they anticipated, and withstood that early hard push in Game 2 by the desperate Dallas Stars.

The Golden Knights didn’t settle for a split while starting the first-round series on the road.

“We expected them to come out and push hard that first five, 10 minutes and they did,” Eichel said. “We responded. We were able to come in here after the first period and it’s all tied. … They gave us all we could handle.”

Eichel assisted on the tying goal by Jonathan Marchessault late in the first period before adding an empty-netter late, Noah Hanifin scored the tiebreaker with unassisted goal late in the second period and the Knights won 3-1 on Wednesday night for a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Las Vegas.

“We’re in a good spot, but there’s still a lot of hockey left to be played,” Hanifin said. “We’re happy to get back into our building and have that momentum on our side. … Just got to keep doing what we’re doing, chipping away at it and play our game.”

Hanifin was one of the three trade-deadline acquisitions for the Knights, the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

Marchessault’s second goal of the series was his franchise-record 36th in the postseason while appearing in all 90 of Vegas’ playoff games. Logan Thompson had 20 saves in his second career playoff start, though Dallas didn’t get a shot to him in the final 5:37 of the game.

“Loved our first period. We make one mistake at the end of the first, probably deserved to be up. That was probably a critical point in the game,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Eichel, the wrong guy gets behind us at the wrong time. And that’s what they do, they make you pay. So you come out of the first after playing a great period and you have nothing to show for it.”

Hawks agree to 6-year deal with Vlasic

The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to a six-year contract with defenseman Alex Vlasic, rewarding one of their best young players with a long-term deal.

The team announced the move on Thursday. The contract runs through the 2029-30 season with a $4.6 million salary-cap hit.

“Alex made enormous strides this year and proved he is a legitimate top-four defenseman in the NHL,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a release. “In his first full season in the NHL, Alex established himself as an important piece of our young core, and we’re excited to have him with us for the next six years.”

Chicago went 23-53-6 this year, setting a franchise record for losses. But it is hoping for a turnaround as soon as next season, and the contract for Vlasic stamps the Wilmette, Illinois, native as part of the team's young core.

The 6-foot-6 Vlasic, who turns 23 in June, had two goals and 14 assists in 76 games this season. He averaged almost 21 1/2 minutes of ice time, ranking second on the team behind fellow defenseman Seth Jones.

Vlasic and Jones are on the U.S. roster for the world championships in Czechia next month.

Vlasic was selected by Chicago in the second round of the 2019 draft, and he made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in March 2022. He has three goals and 16 assists in 97 career NHL games.

Eastern Conference playoff matchups

Rangers vs. Capitals

(Rangers lead 2-0)

▶ Game 1: Rangers 4-1

▶ Game 2: Rangers 4-3

▶ Game 3: Friday @ Washington, 7 p.m.

▶ Game 4: Sunday @ Washington, 8 p.m.

Bruins vs. Maple Leafs

(Bruins lead 2-1)

▶ Game 1: Bruins 5-1

▶ Game 2: Leafs 3-2

▶ Game 3: Bruins 4-2

▶ Game 4: Saturday @ Toronto, 8 p.m.

Panthers vs. Lightning

(Panthers lead 3-0)

▶ Game 1: Panthers 3-2

▶ Game 2: Panthers 3-2 (OT)

▶ Game 3: Panthers 5-3

▶ Game 4: Saturday @ Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.

Hurricanes vs. Islanders

(Hurricanes lead 3-0)

▶ Game 1: Hurricanes 3-1

▶ Game 2: Hurricanes 5-3

▶ Game 3: Hurricanes 3-2

▶ Game 4: Saturday @ N.Y. Islanders, 2 p.m.

Western Conference playoff matchups

Dallas vs. Vegas

(Golden Knights lead 2-0)

▶ Game 1: Vegas 4-3

▶ Game 2: Vegas 3-1

▶ Game 3: Saturday @ Vegas, 10:30 p.m.

▶ Game 4: Monday @ Vegas, TBD

Winnipeg vs. Colorado

(Series tied 1-1)

▶ Game 1: Jets 7-6

▶ Game 2: Avalanche 5-2

▶ Game 3: Friday @ Colorado, 10 p.m.

▶ Game 4: Sunday @ Colorado, 2:30 p.m.

Vancouver vs. Nashville

(Series tied 1-1)

▶ Game 1: Canucks 4-2

▶ Game 2: Predators 4-1

▶ Game 3: Friday @ Nashville, 7:30 p.m.

▶ Game 4: Sunday @ Nashville, 5 p.m.

Edmonton vs. Los Angeles

(Series tied 1-1)

▶ Game 1: Oilers 7-4

▶ Game 2: Kings 5-4 (OT)

▶ Game 3: Friday @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

▶ Game 4: Sunday @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

Michigan-area hockey

Tuesday

▶ Saginaw 3, Sault Ste. Marie 1

Wednesday

▶ Toledo 6, Kalamazoo 2

Thursday

▶ NTDP U18s 9, Slovakia 0

Friday

▶ Toledo at Kalamazoo, 7

Saturday

▶ Rockford @ Grand Rapids, 7 (AHL)

▶ NTDP U18s vs. Norway, 10:30 a.m. (Hockey Network)

▶ Toledo at Kalamazoo, 7:15

Sunday

▶ NTDP U18s vs. Latvia, 11 a.m. (Hockey Network)

▶ Grand Rapids vs. Rockford

American Hockey League playoffs

Central Division semifinal

(Best-of-five series)

▶ Game 1: Saturday @ Grand Rapids, 7

▶ Game 2: Wednesday @ Rockford, 7

▶ Game 3: Friday @ Rockford, 7

▶ Game 4: Sunday, May 5 @ Grand Rapids, 4

▶ Game 5: Friday, May 10 @ Rockford, 7

Central Division semifinal

(Best-of-five series)

▶ Milwaukee vs. winner of Texas-Manitoba

ECHL

Central Division Semifinal

(Best-of-seven series)

▶ Game 1: Toledo 3-2 (OT)

▶ Game 2: Toledo 5-2

▶ Game 3: Toledo 6-2

▶ Game 4: Friday @ Kalamazoo, 7

▶ Game 5: Saturday @ Toledo, 7:15 *

▶ Game 6: Tuesday @ Kalamazoo, 7 *

▶ Game 7: Wednesday May 1 @ Toledo, 7:15 *

* if necessary

Road to the Memorial Cup in Saginaw

(Saginaw hosts May 24-June 2)

▶ Friday, May 24: WHL vs. Saginaw, 7:30

▶ Saturday, May 25: OHL vs. QMJHL, 4

▶ Sunday, May 26: Saginaw vs. QMJHL, 7:30

▶ Monday, May 27: OHL vs. WHL, 7:30

▶ Tuesday, May 28: QMJHL vs. WHL, 7:30 

▶ Wednesday, May 29: Saginaw vs. OHL, 7:30 

▶ Thursday, May 30: Tie breaker (if necessary)

▶ Friday, May 31: Semifinal, 7:30

▶ Sunday, June 2: Final, 7:30

CHL playoffs in WHL, OHL, QMJHL

Western Hockey League

▶ Saskatoon Blades vs. Moose Jaw Warriors

▶ Prince George Cougars vs. Portland Winterhawks

Ontario Hockey League

▶ Oshawa Generals vs. North Bay Battalion

▶ London Knights vs. Saginaw

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

▶ Baie-Comeau Drakkar vs. Cape Breton Eagles

▶ Drummondville Voltigeurs vs. Victoriaville Tigres