Milbury sorry for comments

Former coach and NBC Sports analyst Mike Milbury apologized Friday for saying during a playoff game broadcast that there weren’t women in the NHL bubble to disrupt the players’ concentration.

The comments were made during Thursday night’s game between the Islanders and Capitals during a discussion about the environment in the bubble. The 24-team playoffs are being staged entirely in access-limited arenas and hotels in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta.

“It was not my intention to disrespect anyone,” Milbury said in a statement released by NBC. “I was trying to be irreverent and took it a step too far. It was a regrettable mistake that I take seriously.”

NBC Sports said in a statement that they were disappointed in Milbury’s comment and have addressed it with him.

Milbury earlier this month also received criticism when he took exception to Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask opting out because he wanted to spend time with his family.

Last year, NBC Sports suspended former NHL forward and commentator Jeremy Roenick for making inappropriate comments about coworkers and former NHL coach Don Cherry was fired by Rogers Sportsnet over an antiimmigrant rant on the air. Earlier this week, Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman was suspended after making homophobic comments during a game.

Stars surge onward: Joe Pavelski was starting to get up off the ice after being knocked down in the front of the net when a puck came whizzing toward his head.

“Saw this black thing coming my way and just trying to get out of the way,” said Pavelski, the veteran center who in his first playoff series with the Stars was part of another big comeback clincher.

For the first time since 19982001, a stretch that included their only Stanley Cup title in 1999, the Stars have won playoff series in consecutive seasons. They will face the Avalanche in the second round in the NHL’s Western Conference bubble in Edmonton, Alberta.

Pavelski ducked out of the way of rookie teammate Denis Gurianov’s wrister, the puck skimming over the right shoulder of the bent-over former Sharks captain to ignite the big Stars surge. It was the first of Gurianov’s three goals in the second period, and four overall for the Stars in a 7-3 win over the Flames in Game 6 on Thursday night, when the Stars were down three goals even before their first shot.

“If we’re talking about comebacks, I mean, obviously, last year in the Game 7 against Vegas, that’s got to be up there,” Pavelski said.

San Jose was down 3-0 midway through the third period in Game 7 of the opening round in last year’s playoffs when Pavelski went down on the ice bleeding after being cross-checked by Golden Knights center Cody Eakin. That drew a major penalty and the Sharks scored four goals during the fiveminute power play, then won 5-4 in overtime.