Previewing USA-Finland in 4 Nations Face-Off: Stats, top players, key matchups

The hockey description of playoff panic involves the grip on a hockey stick, and it’s a wonderful metaphor. Players paralyzed by postseason pressure are said to be gripping their sticks too tightly. Those who thrive inside that absurd vice of tension, on the other hand, are said to have a gentle, caressing touch. They hold their sticks like, I don’t know, like delicate wheels of Humboldt Fog, playing freely and joyfully without denting the cheese. “The majority of guys in the league squeeze it in the playoffs; you know, they get a little bit too tense,” Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner once told me. “They still play good, but you don’t make those really nice plays, plays that are maybe

The Anaheim Ducks have committed to general manager Bob Murray for a few more seasons. The team announced on Saturday that it has signed Murray to a two-year contract extension that will now run through the end of the 2021-22 season. “Bob has created a winning organization with his commitment and expertise