George Webster, the battered former Michigan State All-American and pro football star who lost a U.S. Supreme Court attempt to have his NFL disability pension increased, died Thursday. He was 61. Michigan State University associate athletic director John Lewandowski said Webster died in Houston of heart failure.

Grant Hill leaned back in a leather chair in Orlando's locker room, watching the Washington-Indiana game and waiting to learn the Magic's postseason opponent. His teammates nearby were cheering for the Pacers, hoping they would help Orlando secure the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Hill sat quietly.

The Ottawa Senators brought a decisive end to Sidney Crosby's teenage years in the NHL. Ray Emery made 20 saves for his first playoff shutout, leading Ottawa to a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night to win their first-round series in five games. Dany Heatley, Antoine Vermette and Chris Kelly scored second-period goals and the Senators held Crosby without a point for a second...

The most unexpected skirmish happened before the game even started. Several hours later, Travis Moen finished the evening with an empty-net goal and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Minnesota Wild 4-1 Thursday night to clinch their first-round playoff series in five games. Ryan Getzlaf scored the go-ahead goal on a power play late in the second period, Corey Perry added his first career playoff goal with...

Marty Turco waited more than three years to celebrate in overtime of a playoff game, so he didn't mind missing Thursday night's winning goal too much. Turco made 21 saves before Brenden Morrow scored a power-play goal 6:22 into overtime to lead the Dallas Stars to a 1-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks, and avoid being knocked out in five games for a third straight playoffs.

Superior special teams and goaltending lifted the Calgary Flames into a deadlock in their playoff series with Detroit. Daymond Langkow scored twice, including the winner in the second period, as the Flames won 3-2 on Thursday night. Game 5 of the best-of-seven series will be Saturday in Detroit, with Game 6 back in Calgary on Sunday.

All of the Nashville Predators' bold moves and Stanley Cup hopes have come down to this: Win Friday night or go home without winning even one postseason series. The franchise that signed Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont last summer, then traded for Peter Forsberg in February to strengthen their chase of the Stanley Cup now finds itself in exactly the same position as a year ago, trailing San Jose 3-1...

Now Ryan Miller has something to dispute. The Sabres goalie didn't buy the notion that Buffalo is suddenly relying on luck to take control of its playoff series against the New York Islanders. The Isles can complain all they want about two contentious goals that went against them in consecutive games this week.

Surrounded by a pack of reporters in the Tampa Bay Lightning locker room, goalie Johan Holmqvist conceded that he enjoys the attention that comes with being in the NHL playoffs. "This is what you play the whole year for," the 28-year-old native of Sweden said. "When the media comes around, it's a bonus." The way he's playing in his first postseason series, Holmqvist may have to get used to it.

Michael Waltrip has been through tough times before.

While everyone else worries about Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s future with his late father's team, he insists the present is the biggest concern.