The San Jose Sharks spoke critically Friday against the NHL suspension imposed on forward Raffi Torres -- and a day later it cost them.

• The league fired back on Saturday, fining the organization $100,000 for comments made by general manager Doug Wilson, who called Torres' suspension for the remainder of the second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings "unfair."

  The NHL commissioner's office announced that the fine included an automatic $25,000 for discussing the suspension within a 48-hour window and $75,000 for the "inappropriate nature of the comments."

  Torres was suspended for a hit on the Kings' Jarret Stoll in Game 1 of the series. The league ruled that it was an illegal check to the head area. Stoll left that game and also didn't return to play in Game 2.

  The Sharks had strongly disagreed with the ruling in a statement issued Friday .

  "It is abundantly clear that this was a clean hockey hit," Wilson said. "As noted by the NHL, Raffi's initial point of contact was a shoulder-to-shoulder hit on an opponent who was playing the puck. He did not leave his feet or elevate, he kept his shoulder tucked and elbow down at his side, and he was gliding -- not skating or charging."

  Because it was the fourth suspension of Torres' career, he is considered a repeat offender for dangerous hits under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

  The San Jose Mercury News reported Saturday that the Sharks will not comment on the organization's fine.

  The two teams met in Game 3 on Saturday night with the Kings holding a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

CHICAGO -- It was almost as if the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks switched bodies in Saturday's Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

• In Game 1 on Wednesday, the Blackhawks dominated and outshot the Red Wings, 42-20, en route to a 4-1 victory.

  In Game 2 on Saturday at the United Center, the Red Wings were the ones who did the dominating, outshooting their rivals, 30-20, en route to a 4-1 victory of their own, tying the best-of-seven series at one game apiece.

  "Obviously we were disappointed that we didn't play the way we were capable of in Game 1," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "So we went through it and had a look at it and just felt that, if we do what we normally do, we'll be right here and it will be a tight series and we'll have an opportunity. Good for us, it's a best-of-five."

  The performance of Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard, who stopped 19 of Chicago's paltry 20 shots, was completely different than his poor outing in the series opener.

  "This series is a long ways from over, I think," Howard said. "It was a totally different game. It seemed like we were able to get in on top of their 'D' and get our gameplan going."

  Needless to say, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville was not happy by his team's performance, arguably one of its worst this season.

  "Across the board, we should all assume some responsibility that we have to be much better than that," Quenneville said. "I thought our game was way off as far as the pace that was needed, and we weren’t smart in certain areas."

  The series moves to Detroit for Game 3 on Monday and Game 4 on Thursday. Game 5 will be back in Chicago on Saturday, May 25. If needed, Game 6 would be back in Detroit on May 27, and the finale would be May 29 in Chicago.

  Brendan Smith's goal at 16:08 of the second period proved to be the game-winner for the Red Wings, breaking a 1-1 tie. Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula added third period insurance goals for the Red Wings.

  "We knew that they were going to come back and play much better than they did in Game 1," center and captain Jonathan Toews of the Blackhawks said of the Red Wings. "Obviously, we didn't quite match the effort."

  It was pretty clear from Saturday's opening faceoff that the Red Wings were significantly more aggressive and physical.

  There was also a significant contrast in the play of the two goalies. While being inundated in Wednesday's series opener, Howard was exceptional in the net for the Red Wings this time.

  Conversely, Crawford, who had not given up more than two goals in a game to Detroit this season before Saturday, and who entered with a personal eight-game winning streak against the Red Wings dating to last season, was clearly off his game.

  "Whether I played well or it's a game I want to forget about, it's always just about the next one," Crawford said tersely after the game. "It doesn't matter what happened.

  "They (the Red Wings) maybe were a little tighter defensively (than in Game 1), I think. We made some great plays, maybe just got cut off here or there by a good stick by them. Our guys were doing a good job; I was seeing a lot of those pucks."

  At the same time, even though Chicago took an early lead on Patrick Kane's goal at 14:05 of the first period, the Blackhawks quickly fell apart afterward.

  It was Kane's first goal of the playoffs, not a good sign for a player who tied for the team scoring lead during the regular season with Jonathan Toews, who remains without a goal in the postseason.

  "They kind of used our own style against us as far as holding on to the puck and keeping it away from us," Kane said of the Red Wings. "It didn't seem like we generated much tonight at all."

  Kane even went so far as to call the outcome a wake-up call for the Blackhawks.

  "Yeah, I think so," Kane said. "Maybe after the first game, we thought it was going to be an easy series or that we had a lot of confidence in here.

  "But they're a good team and have a lot of players that still want to battle and prove themselves even more than they have already. By no means is it going to be an easy series or cakewalk."

  Detroit tied the game at 2:40 of the second period when Damien Brunner scored his fourth goal of the playoffs.

  "I think we wanted to come out and play better," said forward Henrik Zetterberg, the Red Wings' captain. "We weren't happy with how we played in Game 1. We knew we could play better. It was nice to see we could do it."

  If there was one consolation in the loss, the Blackhawks killed off all four Detroit power plays, extending their perfect streak to 24-for-24 in the postseason.

  The Blackhawks are the only team that has not allowed a power-play goal during the playoffs.

  But when you get royally trounced as the Blackhawks did Saturday, there's little consolation that can be found in such an end result, particularly with the series now shifting to Detroit for the next two games.

  The Blackhawks are 5-2 thus far in the playoffs, while Detroit climbed to 5-4.

  Detroit took its first lead of the series at 16:08 of the second period when Smith's wrister found its way past Crawford to make it a 2-1 advantage.

  "We're confident in our group and we really think we can be in this series and are excited about the opportunity," Babcock said.

  NOTES: The Blackhawks are 5-1-0 vs. Detroit in 2013, including regular season and playoff games. ... Right wing Viktor Stalberg appears to still be in coach Joel Quenneville's doghouse, as he was scratched from the Chicago lineup for the second straight game. Some media reports believe a feud between the two began after Stalberg complained about a lack of playing time in the opening playoff series against Minnesota. Quenneville has not publicly addressed the issue, but Stalberg still sitting speaks volumes in and of itself. ... Attendance was 21,822. ... Detroit is in its 22nd consecutive season of making the playoffs, from 1991 to the present. It is the longest active streak in professional sports. ... Detroit has the most victories in the NHL in the regular season (818) and playoffs (111) since 1997-98.

Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza will return from injury for Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

• Spezza missed most of the lockout-shortened season with a back injury.

  Coach Paul MacLean and Spezza told reporters after practice Saturday that Spezza will play in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal game on Sunday. But they are not sure how much he will be able to play.

  "I've gone through a full recovery," Spezza said. "Obviously being off a long time you're never going to be quite the same right away but the doctors said I'm fine. I've put in the work."

  Pittsburgh leads the best-of-seven series 2-0.

CHICAGO -- Detroit coach Mike Babcock hoped to steal a win in one of the first two games of the Western Conference semifinal series against the host Chicago Blackhawks.

• While his team failed to do so in the series opener on Wednesday, the Red Wings committed nothing short of grand larceny in Game 2, beating the Blackhawks, 4-1, in a Saturday matinee at the United Center.

  Brendan Smith's goal at 16:08 of the second period proved to be the actual game-winner for the Red Wings, breaking a 1-1 tie and eventually leading to the series being tied at one game apiece.

  Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula added third period goals as the Red Wings dominated Chicago in almost the same way that the Blackhawks dominated Detroit in the opening game of the series, also by a 4-1 score.

  To illustrate Detroit's dominance, the Red Wings outshot Chicago 30-20. It was one of Chicago's worst showings this season.

  The series moves to Detroit for Game 3 on Monday and Game 4 on Thursday. Game 5 will be back in Chicago on Saturday, May 25. If needed, Game 6 would be back in Detroit on May 27, and the finale would be May 29 in Chicago.

  Detroit took its first lead of the series at 16:08 of the second period when captain Henrik Zetterberg found Smith open, with Smith lifting a wrister past Chicago goalie Corey Crawford to make it a 2-1 Wings' advantage.

  The Red Wings outshot the Blackhawks, 8-5, in the second period, making it a 20-13 advantage over Chicago in the first two periods.

  Smith added the insurance goal as the Red Wings assured that the series would go at least to five games, if not longer.

  Crawford, who has been nothing short of outstanding in the postseason thus far, gave up three (or more) goals to the Red Wings for the first time in six meetings this season (four regular season and two playoffs).

  The Blackhawks opened the scoring at 14:05 of the first period on the first goal of the playoffs by regular season co-scoring leader Patrick Kane.

  Patrick Sharp passed to Bryan Bickell, who laid off to the adjacent Kane, who slammed a wrist shot past Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard for the tally.

  Detroit tied the game early at 2:40 of the second period when Damien Brunner scored his fourth goal of the playoffs, deking around Chicago goalie Crawford.

  After being outshot, 42-20, and outscored, 4-1, in Game 1, the Red Wings came out significantly more aggressive and physical in Game 2. They quickly jumped on Crawford, outshooting the Blackhawks, 7-2, in the first 10 minutes of play.

  Fortunately for Chicago, Crawford stopped all shots, although two tricklers came close to getting away from him and finding their way into the net.

  The Red Wings outshot the Blackhawks in the first period, 12-8.

  NOTES: Coming into Saturday's game, the Blackhawks were 5-0-0 vs. Detroit in 2013, including regular season and playoff games. ... Right wing Viktor Stalberg appears to still be in the doghouse of Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, as he was benched for the second straight game. According to various media reports, the feud stems from Stalberg complaining about a lack of playing time in the opening playoff series against Minnesota. Quenneville has not publicly addressed the issue with the media, but Stalberg still sitting speaks volumes in and of itself. ... Attendance was 21,822. ... Detroit is in its 22nd consecutive season of making the playoffs, from 1991 to the present. It is the longest active streak in professional sports. ... Detroit has the most victories in the NHL in the regular season (818) and playoffs (110) since 1997-98.

The Carolina Hurricanes announced Saturday that center Eric Staal will need about three months to recover from an MCL sprain in his right knee, but will not need surgery.

• Staal sustained the injury during the World Hockey Championships during the week. He is expected to be ready for the start of the 2013-14 season.

  Staal's injury occurred Thursday playing for team Canada against Sweden when he was hit by Alex Edler, who was ejected from the game and suspended for the rest of the tournament.

  Staal had 18 goals and 35 assists in 48 games this season. He finished sixth in the NHL with 53 points.

San Jose forward Raffi Torres decided not to appeal his suspension for the remaining games in the Western Conference semifinal series against the Los Angeles Kings, but the that doesn't mean the Sharks are happy about the length of his banishment.

• Sharks general manager Doug Wilson responded Friday with a forceful statement, saying the organization strongly disagreed with the NHL's decision.

  "We are proud of the work Raffi has put in to successfully adjust his game," Wilson said. "Although it's unfortunate that Jarret (Stoll) was injured on the play, we feel this decision is grossly unfair to the Raffi, his teammates and our fans.

  "However, Raffi does not want to be a distraction to his teammates and has decided not to appeal this suspension and we respect that decision."

  The Sharks believe Torres' hit on Stoll, who was knocked out of Game 1 and missed Game 2, was legal. Torres had the option under the Collective Bargaining Agreement to appeal the suspension, which was a minimum of three games and a maximum of six, to commissioner Gary Bettman.

  "It is abundantly clear that this was a clean hockey hit," Wilson said. "As noted by the NHL, Raffi's initial point of contact was a shoulder-to-shoulder hit on an opponent who was playing the puck. He did not leave his feet or elevate, he kept his shoulder tucked and elbow down at his side, and he was gliding -- not skating or charging.

  "It appears that the NHL has not only made an inappropriate application of this rule but is trying to make an example out of a player who is being judged on past events, one who has changed his game dramatically this season and taken only six minor penalties in 39 games."

  In the 2012 playoffs, Torres was suspended for 25 games after a hit on Chicago’s Marian Hossa. Torres, then with the Phoenix Coyotes, appealed and the suspension was reduced to 21 games.

  The latest suspension is the fourth of Torres' career, which makes him a repeat offender under the CBA.

PITTSBURGH -- On Friday in Pittsburgh, the Penguins were trying to do to the Ottawa Senators what they were not able to do to the New York Islanders in their first-round series: take a 2-0 series lead.

• From the start it appeared as though Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby wasn't about to let the chance to take a 2-0 series lead slip away again, as he collected a hat trick and his 100th career playoff point in powering the Penguins to a 4-3 victory.

  Just as in Game 1, the Penguins got on the board first and early.

  Crosby notched his 100th career playoff point at 3:16 into the contest when he turned Erik Karlsson, one of the NHL's top defensemen, inside-out at the blue line and broke in alone on Ottawa netminder Craig Anderson, beating him with a hard wrist shot through his five hole to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

  Crosby was able to reach the 100-playoff point plateau in just 75 career playoff games, making him the fifth quickest player in NHL history to accomplish that feat.

  The Penguins were awarded two power-play opportunities after they had taken the 1-0 lead, but failed to convert on either.

  Conversely, the Senators wasted no time in taking advantage of their first power-play opportunity when Kyle Turris threw a rather ordinary wrist shot from just below the left faceoff circle that snuck through the five hole of Pittsburgh netminder Tomas Vokoun at 13:15 of the first, tying the game at 1-1.

  Less than three minutes later, Anderson let in a rather ordinary shot of his own when Crosby skated down the left wing and simply pushed the puck toward the net, which banked off of Anderson's pads and in to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead, which they took into the first intermission.

  The Penguins were awarded a power play early in the second and Crosby completed the natural hat trick by overpowering Anderson with a slap shot from the left faceoff dot at 1:15 of the second period to extend the Pittsburgh lead to 3-1.

  That goal was enough to chase Anderson from the net in favor of Robin Lehner, who made his NHL playoff debut.

  The Senators battled right back and scored less than a minute later when Colin Greening broke down the left wing and blistered a wrist shot over Vokoun's glove to cut the Pittsburgh lead to 3-2.

  However, just as the Senators looked like they might climb back into the game, Pittsburgh struck again when Brenden Morrow tipped in a Paul Martin blast from the point at 8:04 of the second, just seconds after Guillaume Latendresse was released from the penalty box for boarding.

  The Senators had a golden opportunity to get back to within one at 2:52 of the second when rookie Cory Conacher broke in on a breakaway, but Vokoun stacked his pads and made the save on Conacher's wrist shot to keep the Penguins ahead by two.

  The Senators did pull back within one at 2:01 of the third when Vokoun found himself far from his net after making a save. The rebound from the save bounced toward the Pittsburgh net, but Vokoun wasn't able to get back through the mass of bodies in the crease in time to prevent Jean-Gabriel Pageua from tapping the puck in to an open net.

  But that was as close as the Senators would get.

  Vokoun made 19 saves for the victory, while Anderson was tagged with the loss making 18 saves.

  Game 3 will be Sunday night in Ottawa.

  NOTES: The Penguins are now 31-22 all-time in Game 2s. Meanwhile, the Senators have a 5-17 record in Game 2s. ... The Penguins are 27-3 (regular season and playoffs) when they are perfect on the penalty kill. ... The Senators had the best penalty kill in the NHL during the regular season, killing 88 percent of opponents' power plays. ... Evgeni Malkin is five points shy of reaching 100 career playoff points. Daniel Alfredsson is four points shy of reaching the same plateau. ... With his second goal, Crosby took sole possession of fourth place on the Penguins' all-time playoff points list, surpassing Ron Francis. ... Scratches for the Penguins included forwards Tanner Glass and Jussi Jokinen and defensemen Mark Eaton and Simon Despres. Scratches for the Senators included forward Matt Kassian and defensemen Eric Gryba and Mike Lundin.

Three finalists are vying for the Jack Adams Award, the NHL's version of the coach of the year award.

• Bruce Boudreau of the Anaheim Ducks, Paul MacLean of the Ottawa Senators and Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks were named finalists based on balloting by the NHL Broadcasters' Association, who voted at the end of the regular season. The winner is announced during the 2013 Stanley Cup Final.

  Quenneville's Blackhawks won the Presidents' Trophy, boosted by a record start to the season by earning a point in each of their first 24 games (21-0-3), smashing the NHL's longest previous season-opening streak of 16 games set by the Anaheim Ducks in 2006-07.

  Boudreau led the Ducks to the Pacific Division title and No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a club-record points percentage (.688, 30-12-6) in his first full season as their head coach.

  MacLean, a 2012 finalist for the award who is in his second year with Ottawa, guided the Senators (25-17-6) to the postseason with a youthful lineup necessitated by a persistent rash of injuries.

  ---Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and forward Craig Adams were absent from Friday's morning skate, and their status is unknown for Game 2 Friday night against Ottawa.

  Both practiced on Thursday.

  ---Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates told 106.7 The Fan in Washington he could "easily" beat up New York Rangers coach John Tortorella when he was asked the question on air.

  Oates was riled up that Tortorella said the Capitals were "whining" about officiating in the completed series in which the Rangers led power-play chances 28-16.

  "Well, I think he's out of line," Oates said. "He should be worried about his own series. We didn't whine once during the series. I never complained. I don't know, did you guys ever hear me complain about officiating?"

  ---The New York Islanders re-signed forward Eric Boulton to a one-year deal.

  Boulton, 36, played in 15 games for the Islanders this past season, after playing the 2011-12 season with New Jjersey.

  Known primarily for his physical play, Boulton had no goals or assists this past season.

The New York Islanders re-signed forward Eric Boulton to a one-year deal.

• Boulton, 36, played in 15 games for the Islanders this past season, after playing the 2011-12 season with New Jjersey.

  Known primarily for his physical play, Boulton had no goals or assists this past season.

  Financial terms were not released. He earned $540,000 last year.

Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates is willing to give New York Rangers coach John Tortorella something to whine about.

• Oates told 106.7 The Fan in Washington he could "easily" beat up Tortorella when he was asked the question on air.

  Oates was riled up that Tortorella said the Capitals were "whining" about officiating in the completed series in which the Rangers led power-play chances 28-16.

  "Well, I think he's out of line," Oates said. "He should be worried about his own series. We didn't whine once during the series. I never complained. I don't know, did you guys ever hear me complain about officiating?"

  The Rangers won the Eastern Conference quarterfinals series in seven games to advance to the semifinals against Boston. The Bruins won Game 1 on Thursday.

  "We've got everybody and their brother whining out there in Washington about what happened in that series," Tortorella told the New York Daily News. "And I think that's a big reason they lose that series."

Three finalists are vying for the Jack Adams Award, the NHL's version of the coach of the year award.

• Bruce Boudreau of the Anaheim Ducks, Paul MacLean of the Ottawa Senators and Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks were named finalists based on balloting by the NHL Broadcasters' Association, who voted at the end of the regular season. The winner is announced during the 2013 Stanley Cup Final.

  Quenneville's Blackhawks won the Presidents' Trophy, boosted by a record start to the season by earning a point in each of their first 24 games (21-0-3), smashing the NHL's longest previous season-opening streak of 16 games set by the Anaheim Ducks in 2006-07. The club went on to a 36-7-5 record for 77 points. The Blackhawks ranked first overall in team defense (2.02 goals-against per game), second in offense (3.10 goals per game) and third in penalty killing (87.2 percent). Quenneville won the award in 1999-2000 with St. Louis in his previous appearance as a finalist.

  Boudreau led the Ducks to the Pacific Division title and No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a club-record points percentage (.688, 30-12-6) in his first full season as their head coach. Boudreau won the Adams Award in 2007-08 with Washington in his first appearance as a finalist.

  MacLean, a 2012 finalist for the award who is in his second year with Ottawa, guided the Senators (25-17-6) to the postseason with a youthful lineup necessitated by a persistent rash of injuries. The roster shuffling included a league-high 14 rookies making an appearance. Still, Ottawa had the top defensive record in the Eastern Conference (2.08 goals-against per game).

LOS ANGELES -- When push came to shove, the Los Angeles Kings reared back and threw a haymaker.

• The result was two goals in less than a minute late in the third period, the Kings racing back from a one-goal deficit to record a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

  It was wild. I was crazy. It was the NHL playoffs at its best.

  And it was the Kings reaching back and delivering a devastating blow.

  "We found a way," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "You know what, the power play was on, we've been talking about it, we've been getting good looks and good opportunities and not finishing, and we got it from different guys, quite honestly."

  Trailing 3-2 with less than two minutes remaining, the Kings got a tying goal from Dustin Brown at the 18:17 mark to knot it at 3-3.

  With Staples Center rocking, Trevor Lewis scored 22 seconds later to put the Kings up 4-3. Both goals came on the power play.

  "We played well," San Jose forward Joe Thornton said. "We just didn't win. We thought we deserved a better fate, but that's playoff hockey. They did their job. They got two at home. Now we have to go home and do our job.

  "You get in penalty trouble later on, it happens, but now we have to get the job done at home.

  Said Sharks forward Joe Pavelski: "It's a tough loss regardless; we know we can break through. We have done it before. We know we're going to get our chances, and we did, and we could have had another one. It was just a tough way to lose it.

  "We have to get rid of it quick and take a lot of good things out of it. We played them hard, and we felt like we carried the pace for most of it. They are a good team, obviously, they found a way tonight. It's tough to lose on a 5-on-3 so late and then give up another one quick. Take it in and move on. It will be nice to go home."

  The Kings' late goals came after Marc-Edouard Vlasic put the Sharks up 3-2 at 8:56 of the third.

  The Sharks helped Los Angeles by taking two untimely penalties. Brad Stuart was penalized for tripping at 17:19, and Vlasic was called for delaying the game 22 seconds later.

  The Kings who made them pay.

  "It was huge. Power play got it done in the end when we needed it most," Lewis said. "We got some work to do and clean things up, but it's a big win for us."

  Kings center Anze Kopitar agreed -- San Jose presented an opportunity, and Los Angeles took it.

  "But that's what happens if you put pressure on them," Kopitar said. "Last five minutes was good. We were in there and we were cycling the puck a lot, but again, we got to do that for 55 minutes before that."

  The Sharks erased a 2-0 deficit by scoring twice in the second period ahead of Vlasic's tiebreaking goal.

  The Kings took a 2-0 lead on goals by Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty, and with goalie Jonathan Quick playing as well as he has, that seemed like an insurmountable lead.

  Underneath it all, though, was the reality the Sharks were outplaying the Kings, at least in terms of offensive activity, as they peppered Quick with shots.

  Quick has a breaking point, and that arrived in the form of goals by Patrick Marleau and Stuart to tie the game 2-2 in the second period.

  That ultimately led to the Sharks taking the lead, and for most of the third period, the likelihood the series would head to San Jose on Saturday tied at 1-1.

  However, the Kings reared back and threw their biggest punch of the playoffs, and in the process took a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.

  Quick finished with 28 saves. Sharks goalie Antti Niemi stopped 27 shots.

  "I liked our game. We'll meet tomorrow at the rink and I'll tell our team that." San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. "The thing I like about our team, maybe in the past this would have bothered our team more, but with the group of guys we have, I think we can recover from this.

  "I think we can get out and play hard again. We'll take our chances just like we did tonight. There are a few areas we need to clean up, but guys played their hearts out. But again, like I said after Game 1, that doesn't get you wins in the playoffs. Scoring more than the other team does, and we're going to have to do that."

  NOTES: In a move that surprised virtually no one, Sharks LW Raffi Torres was suspended Thursday for the remainder of the series for the vicious hit he delivered to Kings C Jarret Stoll in Game 1. The hit knocked Stoll out of the game -- and perhaps for an extended period -- and considering the nature of the injury and Torres' checkered past with questionable hits, the league doled out a harsh penalty. Brendan Shanahan, the NHL's director of player safety, announced the decision and cited Torres' apparent head-hunting on the play as a reason for the stiff punishment. ... Torres has a long history with the league, serving three suspensions for illegal hits, including a 21-game suspension last year when he took out Chicago RW Marian Hossa with a hit to the head that resulted in Hossa suffering a concussion. ... Stoll's spot at center on the third line went to Brad Richardson, who's been the victim of the Kings' deep depth at center. Richardson played in just 16 games while scoring six points during regular season. Before Thursday, he'd played in one game in the playoffs, against St. Louis in the first round. Now he might play a prominent role against a deep Sharks team that can roll out Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, Scott Gomez and Joe Pavelski at center. "Hey, you want him to take advantage of (the opportunity)" Sutter said. "He has to play well for us. It's not easy, quite honest, when you look at San Jose's four centermen."

LOS ANGELES -- When push came to shove, the Los Angeles Kings reared back and threw a haymaker.

• The result was two goals in less than a minute late in the third period, the Kings racing back from a one-goal deficit to record a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

  It was wild. I was crazy. It was the NHL playoffs at its best.

  And it was the Kings reaching back and delivering a devastating blow.

  Trailing 3-2 with less than two minutes remaining, the Kings got a tying goal from Dustin Brown at the 18:17 mark to knot it at 3-3.

  With Staples Center rocking, Trevor Lewis scored 22 seconds later to put the Kings up 4-3.

  Both goals came off power plays, both coming after Marc-Edouard Vlasic put the Sharks up 3-2 at 8:56 of the third.

  The Sharks erased a 2-0 deficit by scoring twice in the second period ahead of Vlasic's tiebreaking goal.

  The Kings took a 2-0 lead on goals by Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty, and with goalie Jonathan Quick playing as well as he has, that seemed like an insurmountable lead.

  Underneath it all, though, was the reality the Sharks were outplaying the Kings, at least in terms of offensive activity, as they peppered Quick with shots.

  Quick has a breaking point, and that arrived in the form of goals by Patrick Marleau and Brad Stuart to tie the game 2-2 in the second period.

  That ultimately led to the Sharks taking the lead, and for most of the third period, the likelihood the series would head to San Jose on Saturday tied at 1-1.

  However, the Kings reared back and threw their biggest punch of the playoffs, and in the process took a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.

  Quick finished with 28 saves. Sharks goalie Antti Niemi stopped 27 shots.

  NOTES: In a move that surprised virtually no one, Sharks LW Raffi Torres was suspended Thursday for the remainder of the series for the vicious hit he delivered to Kings C Jarret Stoll in Game 1. The hit knocked Stoll out of the game -- and perhaps for an extended period -- and considering the nature of the injury and Torres' checkered past with questionable hits, the league doled out a harsh penalty. Brendan Shanahan, the NHL's director of player safety, announced the decision and cited Torres' apparent head-hunting on the play as a reason for the stiff punishment. ... Torres has a long history with the league, serving three suspensions for illegal hits, including a 21-game suspension last year when he took out Chicago RW Marian Hossa with a hit to the head that resulted in Hossa suffering a concussion. ... Stoll's spot at center on the third line went to Brad Richardson, who's been the victim of the Kings' deep depth at center. Richardson played in just 16 games while scoring six points during regular season. Before Thursday, he'd played in one game in the playoffs, against St. Louis in the first round. Now he might play a prominent role against a deep Sharks team that can roll out Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, Scott Gomez and Joe Pavelski at center. "Hey, you want him to take advantage of (the opportunity)" Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "He has to play well for us. It's not easy, quite honest, when you look at San Jose's four centermen."

Losing is painful enough, but Washington Capitals center Alex Ovechkin endured even more suffering while managing to play with a broken left foot in the final two games of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the New York Rangers.

• Ovechkin sustained a hairline fracture in the first period of Game 6 when he blocked two shots by Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh. The first shot came at 14:29 and left Ovechkin struggling to get up off the ice.

  Ovechkin soldiered on in the final two games of the series. He took six shots on goal and had 16 hits but was limited to an average of 19 minutes per game and had no points. He finished the series with one goal and one assist.

  After the Capitals were eliminated by the Rangers, Ovechkin's season didn't end there. He went to Helsinki, Finland, to play for Russia in the 2013 IIHF World Championship. In a quarterfinal game on Thursday, Ovechkin had a goal and an assist in an 8-3 loss to the United States.

BOSTON - Brad Marchand's hockey Thursday began with him leaving the morning skate in pain after pulling up at the end of a drill.

• His hockey Thursday ended with him finishing off a Patrice Bergeron pass for a goal 15:40 into overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers in the first playoff game between the two old rivals in 40 years.

  It was the first goal of the playoffs for Marchand, the Bruins' goal leader in the regular season.

  And when it was over, the feisty left wing said a text received from former teammate Mark Recchi helped him before in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

  "He just texted me and told me to play my game and not to worry about anything else. The goals and stuff will come," said Marchand. "It's nice to hear from him. He's obviously a guy that I went through a lot when I played with him, and it was good to hear from him again."

  A terrible pass on the rush by New York's Derick Brassard sent Bergeron away on a rush. Bergeron, the late-regulation and overtime hero in Monday's comeback win over Toronto, hit Marchand cutting for the net for a short tap-in past Henrik Lundqvist.

  "It's kind of a blur," said Marchand, who also posted an assist, his fourth of the playoffs. "From the second it goes in to see everybody jump on the ice and surround you, it's a bit of a blur. Obviously, a huge adrenaline rush and very excited."

  It capped a good game for Marchand.

  "I thought Brad, personally, that was one of his better games of the playoffs ... that's the Brad Marchand that we know," Bruins coach Claude Julien said.

  Lundqvist blamed himself on the overtime goal.

  "I thought I made a bad decision," he said. "It's a tough play, but I could play it better.

  "That was a tough overtime for us. We didn't really get going, and they came out with a lot of energy and created a lot of chances. I thought we played a pretty good game. We did, but special teams were the difference."

  The Bruins had a power play goal (on four chances) while the Rangers went 0-for-3 with the extra man and are 2-for-31 in the playoffs.

  Lundqvist had already made 15 saves in overtime, eight of them on a Bruins power play, keeping the Rangers, who finished Washington off in Game 7 Monday, alive.

  "I thought it was pretty even going into the overtime. But we got spanked in the overtime," said New York coach John Tortorella, whose team is 0-3 in overtime games during these playoffs.

  Game 2 is Sunday afternoon in Boston before the series shifts to New York for Games 3 and 4.

  The win came three nights after the Bruins pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in playoff history in eliminating Toronto. They became the first team ever to rally from three goals down in the third period to win a Game 7.

  Defensemen Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug (playing in his first NHL playoff game, as one of three rookies forced into action on the defense) also scored for the Bruins.

  Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan scored for the Rangers in a span of 15.3 seconds that bridged the end of the second period and start of the third.

  Tuukka Rask made 33 saves for the Bruins, who were led by their captain, Chara, who logged 38:02 of ice time and had nine shots on goal, six hits, an assist and two blocked shots. He led a Boston defense that was missing the injured Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference and Wade Redden.

  "I'm just trying to help the team out the best I can," Chara said.

  The Bruins, playing with three rookies replacing the injured defensemen, took a 1-0 lead 12:23 into the second period when Chara took a shot that squirted through Lundqvist, who fell backward and knocked the puck into the net.

  The Rangers then scored with 1.3 seconds left in the second period and just 14 seconds into the third to take the lead.

  Johnny Boychuk's slapper from the right point hit the outside of the far post with one-tenth of the second remaining in regulation, pushing the game into overtime.

  NOTES: New York's Rick Nash (28 shots, six Thursday) and Boston's Tyler Seguin (33 shots, four Thursday) still don't have a playoff goal. ... New York's Michael Del Zotto suffered a bloody left ear when hit with a Bergeron shot later in the first period but returned. ... While the Bruins were missing three of their top six defensemen, the Rangers were without D Mark Staal (eye), and they haven't had D Michael Sauer for almost two seasons because of concussion problems. The Rangers were also missing forwards Ryane Clowe and Darrell Powe, both out with suspected concussions. ... Tortorella, who is from the Boston area, refused to talk about coaching at home in the playoffs. "Don't ask me questions about me; ask me questions about the team, please," he said. ... The Rangers won two of the three games the teams played during the regular season, one in overtime and the other is a shootout. ... The Bruins are 47-45 in the opening games of seven-game series, while the Rangers are 29-35. ... Lundqvist allowed only seven goals in the seven first-round games. ... Thursday's Bruins fan banner captain was dance instructor Adrianne Haslet-Davis, who, despite losing a foot in the Boston Marathon bombings, vows not only to dance again, but also to participate in the marathon in the future. ... Face in the crowd: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

BOSTON - Brad Marchand scored his first goal of the playoffs 15:40 into overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers in the first playoff game between the two old rivals in 40 years Thursday night.

• A terrible pass on the rush by New York's Derick Brassard sent Patrice Bergeron away on a rush. Bergeron, the late-regulation and overtime hero in Monday's comeback win over Toronto, hit Marchand cutting for the net for a short tap-in past Henrik Lundqvist.

  Marchand left the morning skate in pain after pulling up after a drill, but was able to play.

  Lundqvist had already made 15 saves in overtime, eight of them on a Bruins power play, keeping the Rangers, which finished Washington off in Game 7 Monday night, alive in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinal.

  Game 2 is Sunday afternoon in Boston before the series shifts to New York for Games 3 and 4.

  The win came three nights after the Bruins pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in playoff history in eliminating Toronto.

  Marchand had an earlier assist as defensemen Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug (playing in his first NHL playoff game) also scored for the Bruins. Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan scored for the Rangers in a span of 15.3 seconds at the end of the second and start of the third periods.

  Tuukka Rask made 33 saves for the Bruins.

  Boston, playing with three rookies replacing the injured Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference and Wade Redden, took a 1-0 lead 12:23 into the second period. Chara took a pass from NHL playoff scoring leader David Krejci and took a shot. Lundqvist made the save, but the puck squirted through, and, as he fell backward, Lundqvist put the puck in his own net, ending a personal shutout streak of 152 minutes, 23 seconds.

  The Rangers then scored with 1.3 seconds left in the second period and just 14 seconds into the third to take the lead.

  Rick Nash, who still hasn't scored in the playoffs, took a long pass, carried down the right side and went around the net. He then hit Tyler Seguin's stick as Seguin attempted to clear the puck. McDonagh got it at the point and shot through a screen to tie the game.

  Carl Hagelin then got the puck to Stepan for a screened shot that put the Rangers ahead, but the Bruins came right back on the power play to tie it again.

  Steve Emminger was off for holding when Krug took a pass from fellow rookie Dougie Hamilton, walked in and blasted one through Lundqvist, 2:55 into the finale.

  Shortly after, Krejci was alone in the slot and his shot hit the crossbar, evening the crossbar tally for the night (Michael Del Zotto hit one in the first period).

  Both teams had late penalties, the Rangers killing 1:35 of the final 2:09. After the penalty ended, Johnny Boychuk's slapper from the right point beat Lundqvist and hit the outside of the far post, just as the buzzer sounded.

  Del Zotto suffered a bloody left ear when hit with a Bergeron shot later in the first period but returned.

  The entire first period was what could be expected from two defensive-minded teams: close checking and not much offense. The Rangers had the early shot advantage, but the Bruins wound up with an 11-8 shots edge in the period.

  New York's Taylor Pyatt was sent off for a shaky boarding call 2:22 into the second period. The penalty was called because Boychuk went down in a heap. Chara was called for a questionable hook (makeup call?) on Nash at 4:38, but neither side really came close to scoring on the power plays.

  NOTES: While the Bruins were missing three of their top six defensemen, the Rangers were without D Mark Staal (eye), and they haven't had D Michael Sauer for almost two seasons because of concussion problems. The Rangers were also missing forwards Ryane Clowe and Darrell Powe, both out with suspected concussions. ... Rangers coach John Tortorella, who is from the Boston area, refused to talk about coaching at home in the playoffs. "Don't ask me questions about me; ask me questions about the team, please," he said. ... The Rangers won two of the three games the teams played during the regular season, one in overtime and the other is a shootout. The OT winner was by Marian Gaborik, since traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets is a deal that landed the Rangers three regulars. ... The Bruins came in 46-45 in the opening games of seven-game series, while the Rangers were 29-34. ... Lundqvist allowed only seven goals in the seven first-round games against the Capitals, while Rask yielded 18 in seven games against the Maple Leafs. ... Thursday's Bruins fan banner captain was dance instructor Adrianne Haslet-Davis, who, despite losing a foot in the Boston Marathon bombings, vows not only to dance again, but also to participate in the marathon in the future. ... Face in the crowd: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

San Jose Sharks winger Raffi Torres was suspended Thursday for the rest of the second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings as a result of his hit on Kings center Jarret Stoll in Game 1 on Tuesday night.

• "Rather than hit Stoll through the core of his body, Torres takes a route that makes Stoll's head the principle point of contact," NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan said in announcing the league's punishment. "Although we'd agree Torres might make initial contact with Stoll's shoulder, that is a glancing blow. In fact, the head is the principle point of contact. ...

  "Torres neither leaps nor uses his elbow in delivering this hit. However, if he chooses to attempt a hit such as this, Torres must take a route that ensures he hits through the core of the body and does not make the head the principle point of contact."

  Torres has been suspended three times previously during his career, including a 25-game suspension stemming from a hit on Chicago's Marian Hossa in the 2012 playoffs while playing for Phoenix that later was reduced to 21 games.

  Torres was assessed only a two-minute minor for the hit on Stoll, who suffered a head injury in the Kings' 2-0 win. Stoll didn't return for the third period on Tuesday night and was not at practice on Wednesday.

  Torres had two goals and four assists in 11 regular-season games for the Sharks after he was acquired from the Coyotes. He has one goal in five postseason games.

Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks, Matt Moulson of the New York Islanders and Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the finalists for the 2013 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded "to the player judged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."

• Kane, 24, had just eight penalty minutes this season, despite averaging 20:03 minutes on the ice each game. He scored 23 goals in 47 games, the same number he scored in 82 games last season. During one stretch, Kane went 25 games between penalties.

  The 29-year-old Moulson, a finalist last season, had four penalty minutes while finishing second on the team with 44 points and third with 15 goals. He played 47 of 48 games and averaged 19:09 of ice time per game, second among Islanders forwards. After two minor penalties in a two-game span in early February, Moulson then played the final 37 games outside of the penalty box.

  Two-time winner St. Louis had 14 penalty minutes while posting a League-high 60 points. He could become the third player in NHL history to win the Lady Byng and Art Ross trophies in the same season, following Wayne Gretzky (1994) and Mikita (1967-68).

  The winner is selected by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, who submit ballots at the end of the regular season. The winner will be announced during the 2013 Stanley Cup Final.

CHICAGO -- In a season that has been nothing short of magical thus far, the Chicago Blackhawks showed Wednesday that they still have a few more tricks left up their sleeve.

• Snapping a 1-1 tie that existed from the middle of the first period, the Blackhawks exploded for three goals in the third period to trounce the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 Wednesday in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals at the United Center.

  "(We were) much better from our prior series," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said, referring back to the opening round against the Minnesota Wild. "I thought what we're talking about in our team game was in place. We had some pace, had some speed, zone time, and I thought everybody contributed."

  That wasn't the case, though, for the Red Wings, who were outshot 42-21.

  "We know we're better than this, so we have to find a way to get better for Game 2," Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "We have to do a way better job of just being on our toes, wanting the puck, talk to each other, winning battles. We didn't do near a good enough job of that tonight."

  The Blackhawks garnered last-period goals from Johnny Oduya, Marcus Kruger and Patrick Sharp, the latter providing an empty-net tally with 49 seconds left.

  "It was scary playing in a tie game against a team like that," Sharp said. "Good teams don't change the way they play. They just keep playing a team system, and that's what we did, and we were able to get a few in the third."

  Getting goals from the second, third and fourth lines continued a trend that the Blackhawks rode to five-game series victory against the Wild.

  Surprisingly, the team's top scorers, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, who combined for 46 goals in the regular season, have yet to score one goal in the postseason.

  Instead, Sharp has stepped up in a big way in the playoffs with a team-leading six goals, while Marian Hossa has four, including a first-period score Wednesday.

  It's almost as if Quenneville's playoff strategy is to keep his top scorers from scoring so as to confound the opposition. It worked well against the Wild, and again in Game 1 against the Red Wings.

  There was a significant new wrinkle in Wednesday's game, as well. Chicago spent much of the regular season and the Wild series being more of a finesse team, but Wednesday the Blackhawks played a markedly more physical game than usual.

  "We're going to have to keep going and go at them as much as you can, try to get that little bit of an edge to get the go-ahead goal," Oduya said.

  Detroit, which is known for its physical style of play, initially seemed taken aback that the Blackhawks came out from the opening faceoff in a pronounced attack mode on both defense and offense.

  "I was hoping to come in here and steal this first game," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said.

  Quenneville said of his players, "I thought everybody had a good game. I thought we had a lot of good contributions in a lot of areas there, and certain guys were more productive offensively, but the team game was what led to our offense."

  In addition, Chicago's penalty kill was a perfect 3-for-3, extending its streak of killing off all 20 of its opponents' man-advantage opportunities this postseason.

  The fierce rivals are facing each other for what will be the last time as conference opponents. Detroit will move to the Eastern Conference next season.

  Wednesday was the 800th meeting all-time between the teams (regular season and postseason). Even with the loss, Detroit still leads the overall series 398-318-84.

  Chicago, which swept the four-game regular-season series between the teams, now holds a 40-35 lead in all-time playoff meetings with Detroit, but the Blackhawks have not won a playoff series against the Red Wings since 1992.

  Chicago opened the scoring at 9:03 of the first period when Hossa slammed home a power-play slap shot past Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard from about 30 feet out.

  Detroit wasted little time tying the game, as a Chicago defensive breakdown allowed Damien Brunner to score at 10:57 past Chicago goalie Corey Crawford.

  Brunner and Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg are tied for the team lead with three goals apiece in the postseason.

  Oduya's goal at 8:02 of the third period snapped the tie, and Kruger scored just over three minutes later.

  Game 2 is a Saturday afternoon matinee in Chicago before the series shifts to Detroit next week for Games 3 and 4.

  NOTES: Crawford continued to start in goal for the Blackhawks, even though Ray Emery is reportedly fully healed from a lower-body injury that kept him out of the Minnesota series. Crawford made 20 saves Wednesday. ... Howard finished with 40 saves. ... Detroit F Justin Abdelkader left the game early in the first period after a vicious crosscheck, but he returned in the second period, even flipping Chicago C Dave Bolland, with both players drawing penalties of two minutes for slashing and two more minutes for roughing. ... Quenneville benched F Viktor Stalberg for the game. At least one media report claimed it was due to Stalberg complaining about lack of playing time in the Wild series. ... Attendance was 21,494.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Eric Gryba is likely to miss Friday's Game 2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of an upper-body injury he sustained in Tuesday's Game 1, the Ottawa Sun reported Wednesday.

• Gryba was injured when he took a hit from Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik.

  Gryba likely will be replaced by either Andre Benoit or Mike Lundin.

  Gryba had two goals and four assists during the regular season, and he has no postseason points.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin, who was lost for the season when he tore ligaments in his knee in early April, is not expected to be available for the beginning of next season either, the Montreal Gazette reported.

• He has yet to have surgery on his knee.

  Emelin, 27, led Montreal in hits this year, with 110, even though he missed the final 10 games of the regular season. He had three goals and nine assists in 38 games for the Canadiens this year.

CHICAGO -- Snapping a 1-1 tie that existed from the middle of the first period, the Chicago Blackhawks exploded for three goals in the third period to trounce the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 in Wednesday's Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

• Johnny Oduya put the Blackhawks in front 8:02 into the final period. A 15-foot wrist shot resulted in his second goal of the postseason.

  Marcus Kruger increased Chicago's lead to 3-1 at 11:23. Kruger was in the right place at the right time, grabbing a rebound and putting it past out-of-position Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard, an in-close shot from just left of the Red Wings' net. The goal was Kruger's second of the playoffs.

  With 49 seconds remaining in the game, Patrick Sharp scored his team-leading sixth goal of the postseason into an empty net.

  The game continued a trend for the Blackhawks from the opening playoff round against Minnesota, in which lesser-known players came up with big goals as opposed to regular-season scoring stars like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, neither of whom has scored a goal in the postseason.

  Chicago spent much of this season being more of a finesse team, but Wednesday the Blackhawks played a markedly more physical game than usual.

  Detroit, which is known for its physical style of play, initially seemed taken aback that the Blackhawks came out from the opening faceoff with a pronounced attack mode on both defense and offense.

  Chicago outshot Detroit by a lopsided 42-21 margin.

  The Red Wings pulled Howard from the net with about 90 seconds left, paving the way for Sharp's tally.

  Chicago opened the scoring at 9:03 of the first period when Marian Hossa slammed home a power-play slap shot past Howard. Toews centered a perfect feed to Hossa, who was practically all alone about 30 feet in front of the net, with only one other Red Wing player around.

  It was Hossa's fourth goal of the playoffs, second best on the team behind Sharp's total.

  Detroit wasted little time in tying the game, as a Chicago defensive breakdown allowed Damien Brunner to score less than two minutes later (at 10:57) past Chicago goalie Corey Crawford.

  It was Brunner's third goal of the playoffs, tying him with team captain Henrik Zetterberg for most goals on the team thus far in the postseason.

  This series has all the markings of a Stanley Cup finals, with two fierce archrivals facing each other for what will be the last time in regular conference play. Detroit will move to the Eastern Conference next season.

  Of note, Wednesday also was the 800th meeting all-time between the teams, including both regular season and playoffs. Detroit came into the game leading the overall series 398-317-84.

  Chicago, which swept the four-game regular-season series between the teams, came into the game holding a tight 39-35 lead in all-time playoff meetings with Detroit.

  However, the Blackhawks have not defeated the Red Wings in a playoff series since 1992. The last time the teams met was in the 2009 Western Conference Finals, which Detroit won in five games.

  There was concern on both sides of the puck coming into this series. Blackhawks fans feared their team may be rusty, not having played since last Thursday when they wrapped up their opening playoff series, defeating the Minnesota Wild in five games.

  On the flip side were Red Wings fans, who were worried their team may be tired after taking their opening-round series against Anaheim to a full seven games, ending with Detroit's win Sunday.

  NOTES: Crawford continued to start in goal for the Blackhawks, even though Ray Emery is reportedly fully healed from a lower-body injury that kept him out of the opening Western Conference quarterfinals against the Minnesota Wild. ... Detroit F Justin Abdelkader left the game early in the first period after a vicious crosscheck. He did not return in that period, but was back on the ice in the second period, even flipping Chicago's Dave Bolland, with both players drawing identical penalties of two minutes for slashing and two more minutes for roughing. ... Chicago coach Joel Quenneville benched F Viktor Stalberg for the game. At least one media report claimed it was due to Stalberg complaining about lack of playing time in the Wild series. ... Attendance was 21,494.

Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks are the three finalists for the 2012-13 Frank J. Selke Trophy.

• The award goes to the forward who "best excels in the defensive aspects of the game."

  The top three vote-getters on ballots cast by NHL writers are named finalists. The winner will be announced during the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals.

  ---Let's play two in Yankee Stadium. Two hockey games, that is, and not baseball.

  The NHL announced Wednesday that a twin bill is scheduled outdoors in New York early next year. The New York Rangers will face the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 12:30 p.m. ET and the Rangers will play the New York Islanders on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m. as part of the league's outdoor stadium series.

  Three other previously announced games will be played outside next year. The Detroit Red Wings will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 1 in Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the NHL Winter Classic, the Anaheim Ducks will face off against the Los Angeles Kings in Dodger Stadium on Jan. 25 and the Chicago Blackhawks will play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 1 in Soldier Field.

  ---The Ottawa Senators ruled out the return of center Jason Spezza for Game 2 of their Eastern Conference series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.

  Spezza hasn't played since he underwent back surgery on Feb. 1 for a herniated disc. He practiced with the team before it left for Pittsburgh, but he didn't make the trip. The Senators trail 1-0 in the best-of-seven series.

The Ottawa Senators ruled out the return of center Jason Spezza for Game 2 of their Eastern Conference series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.

• Spezza hasn't played since he underwent back surgery on Feb. 1 for a herniated disc. He practiced with the team before it left for Pittsburgh, but he didn't make the trip.

  "I think Jason still has some hurdles to get over before we get to that point with him coming in to say he's ready to play, and us allowing him to play," Senators coach Paul MacLean told the Ottawa Citizen on Wednesday.

  Spezza played in five regular-season games before the injury and had five points.

  The Senators trail the Penguins 1-0 in the best-of-seven series after a 4-1 loss on Tuesday night.

Let's play two in Yankee Stadium. Two hockey games, that is, and not baseball.

• The NHL announced Wednesday a twin bill is scheduled outdoors in New York early next year. The New York Rangers will face the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 12:30 p.m. ET and the Rangers will play the New York Islanders on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m. as part of the league's outdoor stadium series.

  "The teams playing in these two games -- the Rangers, Islanders and Devils -- have tremendously loyal fans and the rivalries are intense because of their proximity and playoff history," said Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA special assistant to the executive director. "Yankee Stadium is a landmark venue in New York City, and to see hockey played in such a celebrated setting will be extremely memorable to the players and everyone involved."

  Three other previously announced games will be played outside next year. The Detroit Red Wings will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 1 in Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the NHL Winter Classic, the Anaheim Ducks will face off against the Los Angeles Kings in Dodger Stadium on Jan. 25 and the Chicago Blackhawks will play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 1 in Soldier Field.

  "The innovative nature of the Stadium Series affords the opportunity to have all three NHL teams in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area play, outdoors, at one of the most-celebrated stadiums in the world,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We'll be able to create a multifaceted, multi-day experience for our fans."

  The Rangers played an outdoor game in the 2012 Winter Classic in Philadelphia, defeating the Flyers 3-2.