(As of 12:01AM)
NHL:
Washington Capitals 4 Tampa Bay Lightning 0
Caps win the Eastern Conference championship 4-3 and advance to the Stanley Cup final for the first time in 20 years.
Alex Ovechkin scored 62 seconds into the game and Andre Burakovsky added a pair of second-period goals.
Braden Holtby blocked 29 shots for his second straight shutout.
The Lightning failed to score in the last 159 minutes, 27 seconds, a stretch of nearly eight periods.
Brett Connolly of PG was on the ice for 9:28.
He had three points in the series, but none in the last four games.
The Caps are 8-2 on the road in the playoffs.
Washington will visit the Vegas Golden Knights in Game One of the Cup Final starting Monday night at 5.
Game Two also goes in Vegas on Wednesday before the series shifts to Washington on June 2nd and 4th.
###
The New York Rangers have hired 58-year-old David Quinn as their new head coach.
Quinn was the coach of Boston University.
MEMORIAL CUP IN REGINA:
Regina Pats 6 Swift Current Broncos 5
The WHL-champion Broncos go 0-3 in the four-team round-robin and are eliminated.
Former PG Cougars defenceman Josh Anderson is part of the Swift Current team.
Regina will play the Hamilton Bulldogs in Friday’s semi-final with the winner to face the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in Sunday’s championship game.
The host Pats, Bulldogs and Titan all finished 2-1 in round-robin play.
MEMORIAL CUP SCHEDULE (PT) AND RESULTS:
GAME ONE = Friday, May 18 – Hamilton Bulldogs vs. Regina Pats (Regina won 3-2)
GAME TWO = Saturday, May 19 – Swift Current Broncos vs. Acadie-Bathurst Titan (Acadie-Bathurst won 4-3 OT)
GAME THREE = Sunday, May 20 – Regina vs. Acadie-Bathurst (Acadie-Bathurst won 8-6)
GAME FOUR = Monday, May 21 – Swift Current vs. Hamilton (Hamilton won 2-1)
GAME FIVE = Tuesday, May 22 – Acadie-Bathurst vs. Hamilton (Hamilton won 3-2)
GAME SIX = Wednesday, May 23 – Regina vs. Swift Current (Regina won 6-5)
SEMI-FINAL = Friday, May 25, 7PM – Regina vs. Hamilton
FINAL = Sunday, May 27, 4PM – Acadie-Bathurst vs. Regina/Hamilton winner
PRINCE GEORGE SENIOR LACROSSE:
RPR Mechanical/J.R. Construction Bandits 13 Westwood Pub Devils 9
The Bandits and Crossfire are tied for first with 5-2 records and play each other tonight at 8 in Quesnel.
STANDINGS: (on Thursday morning, May 24)
- Quesnel M. Daniels Crossfire = 5-2
- RPR Mechanical/J.R. Construction Bandits = 5-2
- Westwood Pub Devils = 4-3
- Co-op Petroleum Stylers = 2-4
- Mackenzie Omenica Fabricating Lumberjacks = 0-5
PGARA:
The Stock Car racing season begins Saturday at the PGARA Speedway with Turgeon Memorial Night.
The Canadian Tire Street Stocks, Chieftain Auto Parts Mini Stocks, and Tri-Par R.V. Rentals Hornets will be on the track starting with Time Trials at 6 followed by Racing at 7.
NBA: (Fifth game in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final)
Boston Celtics 96 Cleveland Cavaliers 83
Celtics lead 3-2 and they are 10-0 at home in the playoffs.
Game six will be played Friday night at 5:30 in Cleveland.
In the West, Golden State plays at Houston tonight (6PM) with the series even 2-2.
MLB:
LA Angels 5 Toronto Blue Jays 4
The 23-26 Blue Jays have lost five of their last six.
Jays conclude a seven game home-stand today (9:37AM).
NFL:
NFL owners have approved a new policy that addresses the controversy over national anthem protests.
The league will permit players to stay in the locker room during the “The Star-Spangled Banner” but require them to stand if they come to the field.