Puck Podcast

RALEIGH, N.C. – Carolina’s improbable playoff run has been fuelled by dramatic finishes and unlikely heroes.The Hurricanes’ flair for drama has taken the hockey world by surprise, however, the Carolina players look at it as business as usual

HAMILTON, Ont. – Representatives of Jim Balsillie and Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger met Thursday to discuss a Copps Coliseum deal.Balsillie is hoping to buy the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes and move the NHL team to Hamilton

OTTAWA – Defenceman Erik Karlsson, the Ottawa Senators’ first-round pick in the 2008 entry draft, has signed an entry-level contract with the club

If blowing a 3-1 series lead and getting knocked out of the first round wasn’t enough incentive for the New York Rangers to shake things up, a franchise sale might be

BERN, Switzerland – The Canadians were too much for little Latvia to handle at the IIHF World Hockey Championship.Dan Hamhuis had a goal and an assist Thursday as Canada advanced to the final four at the tournament with a 4-2 quarter-final win

Alexander Medvedev – president of the Kontinental League; member of the KHL’s St Petersburg team SKA’s board; and council member of the International Ice Hockey Federation – is right at the epicenter of European hockey

Results Wednesday:IIHF Men’s World Championship At Bern, SwitzerlandChampionship Round At BernQuarter-finalsRussia 4 Belarus 3U.S. 3 Finland 2AHL PlayoffsDivision Finals(Best-of-7)Eastern Conference Atlantic DivisionProvidence 4 Worcester 2(Providence leads series 2-0)East DivisionWilkes-Barres/Scranton 3 Hershey 2 (OT)(Hershey leads series 2-1)Western Conference North DivisionManitoba 3 Grand Rapids 2(Manitoba wins series 4-0)ECHL PlayoffsSecond Round Division Finals(Best-of-7)National Conference Pacific DivisionLas Vegas 5 Stockton 1(Las Vegas wins series 4-3)IHL Turner CupLeague Championship(Best-of-7)Muskegon 4 Fort Wayne 3 (OT) (Fort Wayne leads series 3-1)Central Ray Miron President’s Cup CHL Championship(Best-of-7)Texas 6 Colorado 2(Texas wins series 4-1) QMJHL League Championship(Best-of-7)Drummondville 9 Shawinigan 2 (Drummondville leads series 3-1)OHL J

Scoring summaries from Wednesday’s NHL playoff games:Bruins 2 at Hurricanes 3 (OT)First Period1. Boston, Lucic 1 (Wideman, Savard) 8:43Penalty – Ference Bos (boarding) 16:28

Movements in the world of hockey Wednesday:American Hockey LeagueWILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS-Signed LW Casey Pierro-Zabotel.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Tied after regulation in a key playoff game, the Carolina Hurricanes were in need of a timely goal. That meant it was Jussi Jokinen’s time to shine

PITTSBURGH – On a night the Pittsburgh Penguins felt satisfied to limit Alex Ovechkin to one goal, they needed 3 1/2 periods and a huge disparity in shots and power plays before figuring out how to beat the Washington Capitals and whiz kid goalie Simeon Varlamov

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Mark Cullen had a power-play goal and added an assist as the Manitoba Moose advanced to the American Hockey League Eastern Conference final with a 3-2 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday

ANAHEIM, Calif. – It is rare for the Detroit Red Wings to lose three straight post-season games, but when it happens it is usually at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks

On the surface, Jim Balsillie would appear to be every sports league’s ideal for a prospective owner – rich, well-connected and brimming with enthusiasm for the game

CHICAGO – Defenceman Mattias Ohlund and the Vancouver Canucks might have finally figured out how to shut down the Chicago Blackhawks.The challenge now is to keep Chicago’s late firepower bottled up as Vancouver looks to take command of the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series with a win Thursday

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Anaheim Ducks defenceman James Wisniewski will remain in an Orange County hospital for a second night after getting hit in the chest by a puck but is expected to be released Thursday morning

PHOENIX – The NHL is planning a showdown in court over the Phoenix Coyotes filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and the proposed sale of the team to BlackBerry boss Jim Balsillie

Winnipeg hockey fans, whose hearts were ripped out when their beloved Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes over a decade ago, are crossing their fingers in hopes the financially strapped NHL franchise could be returning to Canada

TORONTO – Premier Dalton McGuinty says he’d love to see another NHL club in southern Ontario.McGuinty says he would cheer on any team that came to the province if Research In Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie has his way

TORONTO – NHL players have picked the same three finalists for the Lester B. Pearson Award who are up for the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player – Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Pavel Datsyuk