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Calgary Flames fire Mike Keenan following first-round playoff exit

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) -- Mike Keenan has been fired as coach of the Calgary Flames, a month after his team lost in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Montreal D Mathieu Schneider underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder last week. The 39-year-old was first injured April 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, forcing him to miss two regular-season games and two playoff games. He is expected to be ready to play by the start of training camp.

Mike Keenan has been fired as coach of the Calgary Flames, a month after his team lost in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Great ones get it done in the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard are doing just that, ensuring years of competition for LeBron once he becomes the undisputed best in the game, Ken Berger says.

The Arizona Republic reports Suns center Amar'e Stoudemire is working his back following eye surgery. From an October poke that tore his right iris to a February strike near the same eye, Stoudemire had suffered cumulative trauma that led to the Feb. 20 surgical discovery of relatively large tears on his right eye's retina. A thick fluid under the retina must be removed for Stoudemire to heal but draining it was too risky in February, leaving Stoudemire to wait for his body to resorb the fluid and nerve cells to regenerate. The team initially had announced that the surgery would put Stoudemire out for eight weeks, leaving some playoff hope open until the surgeon ruled that out two weeks later, saying the recuperation could take months. The surgeron is seeing Stoudemire every week to two weeks and will require Stoudemire to don protective eyewear for the rest of his basketball career. Stoudemire now has 20/25 vision with glasses. Suns GM Steve Kerr is in regular contact with the surgeon

The Boston Globe reports Celtics center Kendrick Perkins, who hurt his left shoulder during the playoffs, should not need surgery this offseason. 'Right now, Perk is going to be checked out early next week,' said Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. 'He'll have an MRI, but right now we're not thinking he needs surgery.'

The Nuggets ended 24 years of playoff futility, if only for a little while, against the Lakers.

Evgeni Malkin put Pittsburgh ahead for good by scoring twice in the third period of his first three-goal playoff performance and the Penguins beat the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4 last night to open a two-game lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

LeBron's supporting cast didn't provide much 'support' in Game 1, writes Steve Aschburner. It's the biggest reason the Cavs are facing their first playoff deficit.