Stanley Cup Finals

Rask made 39 saves and recorded his sixth career playoff shutout as Boston beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 Monday night to clinch their second-round series 4-2.

After two scoreless periods, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators competed in a furious third and final stanza with Lord Stanley's cup within the grasp of the Pens and the Preds looking to force a seventh and final winner-take-all game 7.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins are returning to the Stanley Cup finals after beating the Ottawa Senators in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. Their 3-2 double-overtime victory gives the Penguins a chance to become the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since the 1997 and '98 Detroit Red Wings...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Nashville Predators are now two wins away from their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals. The Predators own a two-games-to-one lead in the Western Conference finals after scoring twice in the third period of a 2-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks...

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Captain Joe Pavelski scored an early goal, Joel Ward added two of his own and the San Jose Sharks advanced to their first Stanley Cup final in franchise history by beating the St. Louis Blues 5-2 on Wednesday night in Game 6 of the Western Conference final. ...

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning are one win away from a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Tyler Johnson deflected Jason Garrison's wrist shot past Marc-Andre Fleury's glove 53 seconds into overtime to give the Lightning a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday night to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series...