Hurricanes Penguins Hockey
Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) cannot get his stick on an airborne puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Pittsburgh, Sunday, March 22, 2026.
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The Stanley Cup will have a new home this year after the back-to-back champion Florida Panthers had their season derailed by injuries. They're not the only perennial contender to miss the playoffs, either, with the Buffalo Sabres among half dozen or more newcomers. The Colorado Avalanche have been dominant since October and go in as the favorite after clinching the best regular-season record in the NHL. That has rarely been an indicator of who hoists the Cup at the end of four rounds, and it's anyone's guess who comes out of the East as well as the West.
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