NHL Sports

Some NHL rivalries evolve from a big game, a major trade or a short-lived scuffle, then fade after a few years. Not the Philadelphia Flyers vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Colorado Avalanche want to play a faster, more attacking brand of hockey, similar to the style that brought them two Stanley Cup titles.

Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom stand in front of the net, distracting goaltenders and tipping pucks past them as well as any NHL player.

When Olie Kolzig removed his nameplate from the Washington Capitals' locker room after their last playoff game, then skipped a mandatory meeting the next morning, everyone figured his time with the team was over.

Left wing Jason Blake of the Toronto Maple Leafs, defenseman Chris Chelios of the Detroit Red Wings and right wing Fernando Pisani of the Edmonton Oilers were selected Friday as finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Maxim Afinogenov scored two goals, Alex Ovechkin added another and Alexei Morozov had the winner in the shootout to give Russia a 4-3 victory over Belarus in a qualifying-round game at the world hockey championship Friday.

Former Sabres enforcer Rob Ray is suing the NHL Players' Association for a second time over money owed him during the NHL lockout, accusing the union of deceiving him into settling his initial suit two years ago.