Panthers Take 3-0 NHL Playoff Series Lead

Brandon Montour (Massachusetts) scored one goal and set up another, and Kyle Okposo (Minnesota) registered an assist in his first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in eight years, as the Florida Panthers defeated the rival Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-3, in Game Three of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series tonight. 

Florida, the NHL's defending Eastern Conference champion, now leads the best-of-seven series, three games to none. Tyler Motte (Michigan) scored one of the Lightning's three goals, which put them up by a 2-1 count at the time.

Florida will attempt to sweep the series in Game Four on Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, as the Panthers also look to win a playoff series against the Lightning for the first time ever. Tampa Bay, which claimed three straight Eastern Conference titles between 2020 and 2022 while also winning two Stanley Cups in that span, is seeking to avoid a second straight opening-round playoff ouster.

2014 Hobey Baker Award Finalists Announced

The finalists for the 2014 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey have been announced. Included are six forwards, three goaltenders, and a defenseman (listed below in alphabetical order):

Josh Archibald – U.Nebraska-Omaha, Jr., Forward
Greg Carey – St. Lawrence University, Sr., Forward
Nic Dowd – St. Cloud State University, Sr., Forward
Ryan Dzingel – Ohio State University, Jr., Forward
Johnny Gaudreau – Boston College, Jr., Forward
Shayne Gostisbehere – Union College, Jr., Defense
Kevin Hayes – Boston College, Sr., Forward
CJ Motte – Ferris State University, Jr., Goalie
Joel Rumpel – University of Wisconsin, Jr., Goalie
Adam Wilcox – University of Minnesota, So., Goalie

Carey and Gaudreau were Top 10 Hobey finalists a year ago, while Gaudreau was part of the 2013 Hobey Hat Trick of three finalists for the award that eventually went to St. Cloud State's Drew Leblanc.

The award's 27-member Selection Committee and an additional round of fan balloting (at www.hobeybakeraward.com from March 20-30) will now determine this year’s winner. The 10 finalists were chosen by all 59 Division I college hockey head coaches and by an inaugural online round of fan balloting.

The 2014 winner will be announced on April 11 in Philadelphia as part of the NCAA Division I Frozen Four men's ice hockey championship. Yale won last year's national title, its first ever, by beating ECAC rival Quinnipiac in Pittsburgh in the championship game.