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Matt Murray isn't in the mood to think about what it all means, this ride that he's on. Not the ripple effects his playoff run will have on his career, the franchise he plays for or the long-term future of Marc-Andre Fleury, whose guidance is one of the reasons Murray has become so good, so fast. ''I want to win,'' Murray said. Continue to Article

May 04, 2016 2:54:am EST

Matt Murray isn't in the mood to think about what it all means, this ride that he's on. Not the ripple effects his playoff run will have on his career, the franchise he plays for or the long-term future of Marc-Andre Fleury, whose guidance is one of the reasons Murray has become so good, so fast. ''I want to win,'' Murray said. Continue to Article

May 03, 2016 6:50:pm EST

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was slapped with a one-game suspension for interference on Tuesday following his late hit on Washington center Marcus Johansson, the National Hockey League confirmed. Johansson was left nursing what was described as an upper-body injury after Letang's hit on him during the Penguins second round playoff clash with the Capitals. Johansson lashed out at Letang following Washington's 3-2 defeat, accusing the Penguins player of intentionally targeting him. Continue to Article

May 03, 2016 4:35:pm EST

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was suspended one game on Tuesday by the NHL Department of Player Safety for illegally checking Washington Capitals forward Marcus Johansson in the first period of Game 3 of their conference semifinal series.  Hence, Letang will miss Game 4 of the their series. Which is pretty significant when you consider defenseman Olli Maatta is also likely out for Game 4 after Brooks Oprik delivered a head-shot on him in Game 2, earning a three-game suspension for the Capitals defenseman. That suspension prompted Washington coach Barry Trotz to hint that the NHL gives the Penguins preferential treatment. Less than 24 hours later, Letang gets a one-game suspension. Here’s the NHL suspension video: As we said earlier today, the primary issue was with the lateness of the hit. “Letang delivers a high forceful hit that makes significant head contact. This is interference. It’s important to note that Johansson is not eligible to be checked on this play,” according to the NHL. Not charging – the video specifically says his skates didn’t lift until impact – and not an illegal check to the head, as there was “significant head contact, but the head is not the main point of contact.” Letang had been fined once and suspended once before. He also avoided suspension in the first round against the New York Rangers after a series of circumstances made it look as though he hit Viktor Stalberg in the head with his stick. Johansson returned to the game, but was held out of practice on Tuesday. One assumes this could have been more than one game were there an injury, like with Maatta. But as it stands, one game is about right. And what a huge game it now becomes for the Capitals. The Penguins were 2-8-1 in the regular season without Letang. He’s skated 29:13 per game for the Penguins this postseason, and has 7 points in 8 games.  So the Penguins will probably have both Derrick Pouliot and Justin Schultz in the lineup for Game 4, along with Trevor Daley, Brian Dumoulin, Ian Cole and Ben Lovejoy. Matt Murray, Game 4 is in your hands.  --  Greg Wyshynski  is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at  puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com  or  find him on Twitter.  His book,  TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK , is  available on Amazon  and wherever books are sold. MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY Continue to Article

May 03, 2016 3:36:pm EST

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Tuesday that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will have a hearing for his hit on Marcus Johansson of the Washington Capitals. Which means that the Penguins playing Game 4 without arguably their most important player (at this time) is a very real possibility. Here’s how I understand the NHL sees the hit: It’s late. Not as late as Brooks Oprik’s hit on Olli Maatta, but without question one that was initiated after the puck is gone. The first standard is always “what rule did he break?” Letang isn’t going to be flagged for charging – his skates come off the ice on contact, and it’s not a “leaping” hit as many screengrabs might indicate. He isn’t going to be flagged for an illegal check to the head (more on that in a moment). He’s going to be flagged for interference, given how late the hit was. Now, on that head contact: It’s significant. But the head may not have been the “main” point of contact , which is now the NHL standard – it’s no longer the principal point of contact that matters. However, Johansson was no longer eligible to be hit in this situation, in any manner. So that head contact goes from being borderline permissible as part of a full body hit had Johansson had the puck, to being unacceptable since the hit was so late. So, again: It’s when Letang delivered the hit that’s the real kicker here. If there’s one consistent thing about Player Safety, it’s punishing hits that simply shouldn’t have been attempted. It’s hard to imagine Letang won’t be suspended now that there’s a hearing. It’s also hard to imagine it will be more than a game on the sidelines for him, being that Johansson played the rest of the game. Letang is averaging 29:13 per game. The Penguins are already down Maatta. They were 2-8-1 without Letang in the regular season. This suspension, should it come down, is a series-shifting one.  --  Greg Wyshynski  is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at  puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com  or  find him on Twitter.  His book,  TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK , is  available on Amazon  and wherever books are sold. MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY Continue to Article

May 03, 2016 10:17:am EST