National Hockey

When the Washington Capitals faced the New York Islanders in the playoffs five years in a row in the 1980s, players knew everything.

With the first round of the NHL playoffs in the books, The Canadian Press takes a look at the four series that will determine the conference finalists.

BOSTON — Auston Matthews described scoring in the playoffs like feeling "an earthquake in your feet" following his winner in Game 3 of Toronto's series with the Boston Bruins.

PITTSBURGH — Sidney Crosby doesn't think the Pittsburgh Penguins have some sort of mystical edge over the Washington Capitals.

TORONTO — The first round of the NHL playoffs weeded out any pretenders in quick fashion, with only the Boston Bruins needing seven games to advance.

WINNIPEG — At first, it was just a few thousand people braving the cold to cheer on the Winnipeg Jets in a street party. Then the numbers grew. And, with each game, the crowd got bigger.

BOSTON — The Toronto Maple Leafs had been here before — up a goal heading into the third period of a Game 7 at TD Garden. Wednesday's collapse won't rewrite any record books, but it hurts just the same.

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins didn't need overtime this time, and they didn't even need all four third-period goals to send the Toronto Maple Leafs home for the summer again.

TORONTO — Still reeling from Monday's deadly van attack, hundreds of Torontonians braved the rain outside Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night to cheer on the city's teams as they played in pivotal games.

TORONTO — Colorado's Jared Bednar, Boston's Bruce Cassidy and Vegas's Gerard Gallant were named the finalists for the Jack Adams Award on Wednesday, given annually to the coach voted best in the NHL.