N H L - National Hockey League

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Senators rally, top Red Wings in shootout

 

Extend winning streak to three, longest since November

by Chris Stevenson / NHL.com Correspondent

11:25 AM

Turris scores game-winner in SO DET@OTT: Turris goes five-hole for GWG in SO

2/20/16: Kyle Turris waits out Petr Mrazek and eventually puts a wrist shot through the five hole, helping secure a win for the Senators

 

OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.

The Senators (28-26-6) trailed 2-1 with four minutes left in the third period but tied the game at 16:09 on defenseman Dion Phaneuf's first goal with Ottawa.

Kyle Turris scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Senators their first three-game winning streak since November.

The Red Wings (29-20-10) have lost three in a row. Andreas Athanasiou and Brad Richards scored for the Red Wings, taking advantage of mistakes by Senators captain Erik Karlsson.

 

Phaneuf ties game late in 3rd DET@OTT: Phaneuf's first goal as a Senator ties game

 

• Zack Smith equaled his NHL high in goals with his 14th of the season, and Craig Anderson made 29 saves for Ottawa.

Karlsson's pass into the slot in the Ottawa zone led to the goal by Athanasiou at 10:46 of the second period. Richards was credited with a goal at 17:52 when Karlsson deflected his pass behind Anderson.

Karlsson's tough second period started when he spun after winning a battle along the end boards and passed the puck into the slot. Athanasiou stepped into it and scored his second of the season on a slap shot.

Smith tied the game 1-1 at 11:46 when he barged through the slot and redirected a pass by Jean-Gabriel Pageau behind Mrazek. That came after Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith turned over the puck when his stick broke.

 

Mrazek's robbery of Ryan in OT DET@OTT: Mrazek stones Ryan on breakaway in OT

The Red Wings went ahead 2-1 when, playing 4-on-4, Karlsson extended his stick to stop a pass by Richards intended for Mike Green at the back door and deflected the puck between Anderson's pads.

Mrazek was hit by a hard shot near the right side of his neck from Senators defenseman Patrick Wiercioch at 4:05 of the first period but stayed in the game and made 25 saves.

The Red Wings played without leading goal-scorer Dylan Larkin, who was sick. Teemu Pulkkinen, who was scratched for the past eight games, replaced him.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Capitals top Devils on Orpik's late goal

 

Defenseman breaks tie by scoring with 3:58 remaining

 

by Katie Brown / NHL.com Correspondent

11:03 AM

Orpik's 3rd-period goal NJD@WSH: Orpik gives Capitals the lead

2/20/16: Brooks Orpik fires a wrist shot that gets by Cory Schneider for a 4-3 Capitals' lead

WASHINGTON -- It took 13 NHL seasons and 798 regular-season games, but Brooks Orpik finally has a game-winning goal.

At first he wasn't sure if it was really his.

"There was so much traffic in front," Orpik said after his goal with 3:58 remaining in the third period gave the Washington Capitals a 4-3 victory against the New Jersey Devils at Verizon Center on Saturday. "I put it on net, I knew [Devils goaltender Cory] Schneider probably couldn't see it either. Either [T.J. Oshie] or [Alex Ovechkin] started celebrating, so I knew it was in."

Orpik, who missed more than three months with a lower-body injury before returning earlier this week, worked his way into the left circle, took a pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov and one-timed it past Schneider for his second goal of the season, breaking a 3-3 tie. His other goal came on Oct. 10, also against New Jersey.

 

Ovechkin finishes Orlov's dish NJD@WSH: Ovechkin nets his 38th goal of the season

As a stay-at-home defenseman, Orpik isn't known for his scoring prowess; this was his 15th career goal. However, the Capitals' system makes it easier for any defenseman to jump into the play. Orpik has three points in three games since his return.

"When you have defensemen [that] are aggressive against the walls and with the forwards that we have, we can make plays down low," said Orpik, who did score a series-clinching overtime goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. "You get rewarded sometimes when you find those holes, the way those guys can pass the puck."

The Capitals (43-10-4) have won three consecutive games and have points in 21 of their past 23 home games.

"Nobody really gets caught up in [streaks]," Orpik said. "We have the standings posted in the room so everybody's well aware of where we are in the standings but when it comes to streaks …. when you start worrying about stuff like that you start to lose focus on the process that you're trying to accomplish."

 

Oshie's 3rd-period goal NJD@WSH: Oshie ties the game on deflection

"I think we played terrible [in the] first period," Ovechkin said. "[Holtby] keeps us in the game and give us a chance to rebuild our game in the second, and that's what we did."

Forwards Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri had first-period goals for the Devils (29-24-7), who have lost three in a row. Schneider made 28 saves in his 50th start of the season and second in as many nights.

"I thought it was pretty competitive game either way," Devils coach John Hynes said. "I thought we had a couple of situations in the d-zone that weren't handled as sharply, as correctly as they needed to be, and they wound up in the back of our net."

 

Palmieri's sweet goal NJD@WSH: Palmieri scores from impossible angle

Zajac opened the scoring at 15:28 of the first period. Palmieri put the initial shot on net and Zajac knocked in the rebound with Holtby out of position for his ninth of the season.

Ovechkin tied the game at 17:02. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov sent a cross-ice pass to Ovechkin, who had time to settle the puck and beat Schneider from the left circle. Ovechkin leads the NHL with 38 goals and has 17 in his past 17 games. It was the 513th goal of his career, tying Jeremy Roenick for 37th on the NHL's all-time list.

Palmieri put the Devils back in front with 28 seconds remaining in the period. His sharp-angled shot from below the right circle squeezed between Holtby's right shoulder and the post. The goal was Palmieri's 22nd of the season.

Kuznetsov tied it at 9:16 of the second period. Schneider stopped Michael Latta's stuff attempt, but Kuznetsov buried the rebound for his 17th goal of the season. Kuznetsov has 23 points in his past 16 games and leads the Capitals in scoring with 60 points.

Boucher beat Holtby with a shot from the point for his fourth goal of the season to put New Jersey back in front.

 

Kuznetsov's 2nd-period goal NJD@WSH: Kuznetsov's top shelf tally

 

But the Capitals turned up the offensive pressure and Oshie, playing his 500th NHL game, tied the game for the third time when his shot banked off the skates of two Devils defensemen and went past Schneider for his 17th goal of the season.

"That's a group character in this locker room," Ovechkin said. "Starts from our goaltending … everybody was all in in the third. We just have to be better in the first period and if not [for Holtby], it would be really hard to come back."

It was the first of four consecutive home games for the Capitals, who play the Arizona Coyotes on Monday.

The Devils, who lost 1-0 at home to the New York Islanders on Friday, are off until they host the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

"I think we have a chance to win any game," Hynes said. "We want to continue to win and be a competitive team. We didn't do that tonight, so there's nothing to be frustrated about. We've got to be better than what we were. We know what we need to fix, and that's what the process needs to be over the next couple days."

Edited February 21, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Pearson OT goal lifts Kings

 

Quick makes 33 saves vs. Predators

 

by Robby Stanley / NHL.com Correspondent

12:04 PM

Quick's save in OT LAK@NSH: Quick makes a great save in OT

2/20/16: Jonathan Quick blocks a potential game-winning shot in overtime on Ryan Johansen's shot

NASHVILLE -- Tanner Pearson scored 1:18 into overtime to give the Los Angeles Kings a 2-1 win against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.

Pearson received the pass from defenseman Alec Martinez and took a shot from the slot that beat Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne for his eighth goal.

The Kings (34-20-4) were 3-3-1 on their seven-game road trip and are 19-10-3 on the road.

Jake Muzzin gave the Kings a 1-0 lead at 15:57 of the first period on a wrist shot from the point. He took the pass from forward Dwight King and shot it through traffic past Rinne for his seventh goal.

Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis tied it 1-1 on the power play with 26.6 seconds remaining in the first. Forward James Neal took the original shot that was stopped by Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, but Ellis got to the rebound and scored his seventh goal.

 

Ellis' PPG ties it up LAK@NSH: Ellis ties the game on a power-play goal

Quick made 33 saves; Rinne had 28.

Predators defenseman Barret Jackman left the game in the second period after falling into the boards in a battle for the puck. He did not return.

Kings center Anze Kopitar missed the game because of a lower-body injury. He left a 2-1 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday after the first period and is day-to-day.

Los Angeles will host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday; Nashville will play at the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Gostisbehere extends streak to 15 games with OT goal

 

Flyers rookie has longest run by defenseman since 1995

 

NHL.com

11:15 AM

Gostisbehere's OT winner PHI@TOR: Gostisbehere wins it in overtime

2/20/16: Shayne Gostisbehere taps a Jakub Voracek feed past James Reimer to win the game in overtime, extending his point streak to 15 games

 

Shayne Gostisbehere of the Philadelphia Flyers extended his record point streak by an NHL rookie defenseman to 15 games Saturday with an overtime goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre.

He scored at 29 seconds to give the Flyers a 5-4 win.

Gostisbehere has the third-longest streak by any NHL rookie since 1987-88, behind Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets (17 games; March 9-April 15, 1993) and record-holder Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalanche (20 games; Feb. 3-March 17, 2007).

Gostisbehere's streak is the longest by an NHL defenseman in more than 20 years, since Chris Chelios had a 15-game streak for the Chicago Blackhawks (Oct. 26-Nov. 28, 1995).

The streak, which started Jan. 19, is the second-longest in the NHL this season, behind the 26 games of Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane (Oct.17-Dec. 13).

Gostisbehere has 12 goals and 22 assists in 40 games this season.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Jagr passes Hull, Panthers defeat Jets

 

Scores Nos. 741, 742, moves into third on all-time list

 

by Alain Poupart / NHL.com Correspondent

12:09 PM

• 

Jagr moves to third all time WPG@FLA: Jagr scores 742nd goal to move ahead of Hull

2/20/16: Jaromir Jagr finds a loose puck and smacks in a wrister for his 472nd career goal, putting him ahead of Brett Hull for third all time

 

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Jaromir Jagr had two goals to move past Brett Hull into third place on the NHL's all-time list when the Florida Panthers defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 at BB&T Center on Saturday.

Jagr tied Hull with his 741st goal in the second period to tie the game 1-1 and scored his 742nd at 13:37 of the third period to give Florida a 3-1 lead.

"It's great, but I don't really think about it, to be honest with you," Jagr said. "I don't feel like I played really well for a few games, so I wanted to make sure I play a little bit better today. I had a little more jump, so it was pretty good."

Jagr, who had a goal in Florida's 2-1 shootout loss against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, leads the Panthers with 20 goals. It's his 19th season with 20 goals or more.

 

Jagr ties Hull for third all time WPG@FLA: Jagr scores 741st goal to tie Hull

"It's awesome for him to score those two goals and go ahead of Brett Hull," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. "It's unbelievable. He had great chances and great jump to his legs. We were happy to see that. We were hoping to get him that hat trick, but it just didn't happen."

Reilly Smith broke a 1-1 tie at 3:58 of the third, ending a streak of 24 failed power-play opportunities for the Panthers.

Smith scored on a wrist shot from the right circle.

"We were working the puck pretty well, and it hasn't been that way lately," Smith said. "I think the puck had eyes getting through there."

Dmitry Kulikov and Jussi Jokinen, who played in his 800th NHL game, each had two assists.

Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo made 30 saves.

 

Smith's go-ahead goal WPG@FLA: Smith gives Panthers the lead in the 3rd

Luongo, who had allowed at least three goals in each of his five starts after appearing in the NHL All-Star Game, denied two breakaways in the second period, making a glove save on a wrist shot by Blake Wheeler and poking the puck away from Mathieu Perreault on a deke attempt.

 

He also denied Chris Thorburn on a partial breakaway in that second period.

"Sometimes you feel like you're following the play well and you're on top of it," Luongo said. "Tonight was one of those games where my body was going toward the puck. That's what I've been trying to do all week, and I'm happy I was able to come through with a couple of big saves in the second and the boys rewarded me in the third."

Florida (34-18-7) is 2-2-1 on a six-game homestand that concludes against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday.

The Panthers won for the third time in eight games (3-3-2). They came in with a five-point lead over the Boston Bruins atop the Atlantic Division.

 

Luongo gloves Wheeler's wrister WPG@FLA: Luongo keeps Wheeler from scoring breakaway

 

Nikolaj Ehlers scored for Winnipeg (25-29-4). Michael Hutchinson made 28 saves in his first start since Feb. 6.

"We had a bunch (of chances) there in the second, went in alone a couple of times," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "But that's what that guy (Luongo) does so well, he's gonna clean up those mistakes and keep you in that tight game. They've got enough firepower up front.

"Sixty-eight (Jagr), you give a good player a little bit of room, he's going to make you pay. You give a great player too much room, he's going to hurt you bad."

Jagr tied Hull at 4:53 of the second period. As Kulikov carried the puck into the Jets zone, Jagr skated toward the slot before redirecting Kulikov's pass. The deflection beat Hutchinson over the glove side.

Jagr's second goal came off a pass from Jussi Jokinen. With his back to the net, Jagr lifted the stick of Jets defenseman Tyler Myers and spun around to flick a shot into the upper left corner.

"You've gotta have great teammates to pass you the puck, and they did it," Jagr said. "I got 20 goals at age 44 because of them. Thank you, guys."

The Jets played without their second-leading scorer, Bryan Little, who is day-to-day because of an upper-body injury.

 

Ehlers' tip-in WPG@FLA: Ehlers tips in Byfuglien's shot for PPG

 

Already missing center Aleksander Barkov and three other injured forwards, the Panthers lost Jonathan Huberdeau when he sustained an upper-body injury in the first period.

Huberdeau was injured 5:46 into the game when he crashed into the boards behind the Winnipeg net after being checked by defenseman Jacob Trouba. Huberdeau stayed on the ice for several seconds before being escorted to the dressing room.

"It wasn't a dirty hit," Gallant said. "He pushed him into the boards and he banged the back of his head. A little whiplash; I hope he's going to be OK. I don't think it's real serious. It's hockey, it happens to every team, but we're probably going to get a few guys back next week."

Defenseman Michael Matheson, Florida's first-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, and forward Kyle Rau each made his NHL debut. Rau screened Hutchinson on Smith's go-ahead goal.

 

Hutchinson saves Bjugstad's shot WPG@FLA: Hutchinson snares Bjugstad's snap shot

Ehlers opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 14:35 of the first period. With Garrett Wilson in the penalty box for hooking, Dustin Byfuglien's wrist shot from the point went off Ehlers' body as he was fighting for position in front of the net.

"The second period wasn't what we wanted it to be," Smith said. "We gave away too many chances. I think they had two or three breakaways, and [Luongo] did a great job standing on his head. It was great to see [Jagr] kind of take over the game and become third all-time. It's definitely an honor to be a part of this team and history."

Edited February 21, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Bruins rally for win against Stars

 

Boston scores six straight goals after falling behind by two

 

by Steve Hunt / NHL.com Correspondent

12:47 PM

• 

Marchand's tricky goal BOS@DAL: Marchand ties the game with nifty backhand

2/20/16: Brad Marchand takes in a pass from Brett Connolly, brings the puck to his backhand and taps it in for his 29th goal of the season

 

DALLAS -- Brad Marchand scored two goals to help the Boston Bruins to a 7-3 win against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Tuukka Rask made 26 saves for Boston (32-21-6), which trailed 3-1 after the first period before scoring six straight goals.

Kevan Miller, Loui Eriksson, David Krejci, Brett Connolly and Matt Beleskey each had a goal for the Bruins, who went 4-2-0 on their season-high six-game road trip.

Connolly scored an empty-net goal to put Boston ahead 6-3 with 2:44 remaining after Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen headed to the bench for the extra attacker. Beleskey capped the Bruins outburst by scoring off a rebound on the power play with 23 seconds remaining.

 

Marchand's top-shelf snipe BOS@DAL: Marchand notches 30th goal of the season

Patrice Bergeron, Dennis Seidenberg, Zdeno Chara and Joe Morrow each had two assists, and Connolly and Krejci each had one for Boston, which went 3-for-7 on the power play. Entering Saturday, the Bruins were 1-for-32 on the power play since the All-Star break.

Dallas (37-17-6), which lost its third straight (0-2-1), got goals from Ales Hemsky, Antoine Roussel and Patrick Sharp. Jason Demers had two assists, and Lehtonen made 35 saves.

After Jamie Benn was denied by Rask on an early breakaway and Demers hit the right goal post, Dallas took the lead 11:59 into the first period when Hemsky beat the Boston goalie top shelf and to the short side on a wrist shot from the left circle.

Marchand tied it at 13:24 of the first when he scored on a backhand after he got behind Stars defenseman Alex Goligoski and Connolly hit in stride in the slot.

 

Krejci's long power-play goal BOS@DAL: Krejci scores from blue line, pads lead

Dallas regained the lead at 15:44 of the first when Roussel redirected a wrist shot by Johnny Oduya from near the Boston blue line for his ninth goal.

The Stars went ahead 3-1 when Sharp ended an 18-game goal drought with his 17^th of the season at 16:28 of the first. Sharp's wrist shot from the slot on a breakaway got through Rask, who prevented the puck from crossing the line. It was Sharp's first goal since Jan. 3 at the New York Islanders.

Boston responded with three goals in the second period to take a 4-3 lead into the third. Marchand scored his second of the game and 30^th of the season at 13:24 to pull the Bruins within one. His wrist shot from just outside the left circle beat Lehtonen to the far post on the power play.

Miller tied it 35 seconds later with a wrist shot from the right point that bounced inside the slot before landing inside the right post.

 

Eriksson's go-ahead stuff-in goal BOS@DAL: Eriksson jams the puck into the net

The Bruins took their first lead with 52 seconds remaining in the second when Eriksson scored his 21^st goal by poking in a loose puck that was sitting between Lehtonen's legs. Lehtonen made the save after Dennis Seidenberg's pass deflected off Eriksson's right skate, but Eriksson, who played for the Stars from 2006-13, alertly knocked it in.

Krejci, who played his 600^th NHL game, put the Bruins ahead 5-3 when he scored on the power play 4:50 into the third period. His wrist shot from near the Dallas blue line deflected in off Oduya's right knee.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Blues make it five in a row

 

Quick start helps St. Louis defeat Coyotes

by Jerry Brown / NHL.com Correspondent

30 minutes ago

Tarasenko's power-play goal STL@ARI: Tarasenko scores in traffic on power play

2/20/16: Vladimir Tarasenko receives the pass from Paul Stastny, then fires in a wrist shot through the Coyotes defense on a power play

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The St. Louis Blues scored four goals in the first 10:06 and rolled to their fifth straight win, a 6-4 victory against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on Saturday.

The Blues, who scored two or fewer goals in nine of their past 11 games, tied a season high with six goals and got four from Vladimir Tarasenko, Alexander Steen, Jaden Schwartz and Carl Gunnarsson in a span of 9:02 to continue their recent success against the Coyotes.

Steen left the game because of an upper-body injury later in the first period and did not return. He was checked into the boards by Arizona defenseman Kevin Connauton and his left shoulder crashed into the boards as he went down.

Patrik Berglund and David Backes scored in the third period goal for St. Louis (35-17-9), which has won seven straight games against Arizona, outscoring the Coyotes 29-9. The Blues have won seven straight games at Gila River Arena dating back to March 22, 2011.

 

Steen scores from tough angle STL@ARI: Steen scores top-shelf during breakaway

Blues goalie Brian Elliott made 30 saves and is 12-3-3 since taking over for the injured Jake Allen on Jan. 8. He has allowed two or fewer goals in six of the past seven games.

Arizona (27-25-6) lost the game and top defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who sustained a lower-body injury in the first minute of the game while committing a tripping penalty against Tarasenko.

Ekman-Larsson, who has 17 goals and a career-high 45 points, came back for one short shift before leaving for the rest of the game.

The Coyotes, who have scored 12 goals in the past two games, got two goals from Max Domi and one from Connauton and Shane Doan. But a good start quickly deteriorated.

 

Doan's wrap-around goal STL@ARI: Doan goes around the net to score a wrister

Twenty-three seconds into the game, Doan came out from the behind the net and slid a backhand shot between Elliott's pads. Doan has 24 points in the past 29 games since coming back from an injury on Dec. 12.

But the lead lasted less than a minute; the Blues scored against Coyotes goalie Louis Domingue four times on 10 shots before he was pulled for the rest of the period. Domingue returned and finished with 18 saves.

Tarasenko started it on the power play at 1:08 with a shot through traffic from above the circle through traffic that beat Domingue over the shoulder.

Steen put the Blues in front at 4:22 when Domingue left room off the near post and Steen picked the high corner from a sharp angle.

Then at 7:49, Domingue lost the handle on an innocent-looking shot from Tarasenko and dropped the puck behind him near the goal line. Schwartz was able to get his stick down and get just enough to push it over the line.

 

Domi's second goal STL@ARI: Domi cuts the deficit to one goal in the 3rd

Schwartz, who missed 49 games because of an ankle injury, has scored four goals in five games since returning.

Gunnarsson completed the run at 10:06 with a shot from the point that was inadvertently redirected by Connauton and past Domingue to give the Blues a 4-1 lead.

Domingue was replaced by another rookie, Niklas Treutle, for the rest of the period. But he came back and settled down while Arizona got back in the game.

Connauton made it 4-2 at 9:21 of the second period, taking advantage of a screen by teammate Martin Hanzal to put a shot that Elliott got a piece of but couldn't stop.

 

Berglund's tip-in STL@ARI: Upshall sets up Berglund for a pretty score

Then 50 seconds into the third, Connauton fought hard to gain possession and put a shot to the net that was deflected into the slot. Domi pounced on the puck and worked his way around a sprawling Elliott to pull Arizona within 4-3.

But Berglund restored the two-goal lead at 7:18, redirecting a feed from Scottie Upshall past Domingue for his fifth goal.

Domi got his second of the game with an extra attacker at 19:26 before Backes scored into an empty net with 0.3 seconds remaining.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

[Guns of the Patriots]

Credits NHL.com

 

Barrie's two goals help Avalanche edge Oilers

 

Win is fourth in five games for Colorado

 

by Derek Van Diest / NHL.com Correspondent

1:56 PM

 

Barrie's go-ahead goal COL@EDM: Barrie scores off of pass from Iginla

2/20/16: After some nifty passing, Tyson Barrie gets the puck on the doorstep and hammers it home to give the Avalanche their first lead

 

EDMONTON -- Defenseman Tyson Barrie scored two goals to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place on Saturday.

John Mitchell also scored for Colorado (31-26-4) and goaltender Calvin Pickard made 25 saves for his fourth win of the season. The victory moved Colorado ahead of the Nashville Predators into the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. The Avalanche have won four of their past five games.

Forwards Taylor Hall and Benoit Pouliot scored and Cam Talbot made 26 saves for the Oilers (22-32-6), who have lost four in a row and fell to last place in the overall standings.

Hall opened the scoring 7:14 into the first period when he buried a rebound past Pickard after the goaltender made an excellent pad save on Leon Draisaitl.

 

Barrie's second goal of night COL@EDM: Barrie lights the lamp early in 3rd period

Mitchell tied the game at 11:19. He was left unattended at the edge of the crease and tapped a centering pass from Blake Comeau into a wide-open net.

Barrie put Colorado ahead to stay 1:23 into the second period when he jumped into a rush and tipped a cross-ice pass from Jarome Iginla past Talbot.

The Avalanche had an excellent opportunity to extend their lead later in the second period when Oilers defensemen Mark Fayne and Darnell Nurse took minor penalties 42 seconds apart. Colorado came close to scoring during the two-man advantage when Barrie hit the crossbar on a one-time shot from the point. Talbot slid across to make a good save on Comeau on a cross-crease pass from Matt Duchene during the 5-on-4 portion of the power play.

Barrie gave Colorado a 3-1 lead at 3:49 of the third period, firing a shot through traffic and past Talbot.

 

Hall's goal on rebound COL@EDM: Hall gets to the rebound, lights the lamp

Teddy Purcell scored for Edmonton at 8:46, but the goal was waived off and a goaltender interference penalty was assessed to Hall, who crashed into Pickard at the top of the crease. The Oilers challenged the call, claiming Hall had been pushed into the goaltender, but the call stood.

Pouliot scored with 1:41 remaining to cut the lead to 3-2, converting a centering pass from Jordan Eberle with Talbot on the bench for an extra attacker.

The Oilers conclude a six-game homestand Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators. The Avalanche are at the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday in the second of a two-game road trip.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

[Guns of the Patriots]

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Letang helps Penguins defeat Sabres

 

Defenseman has three assists; Fleury makes 24 saves for Pittsburgh

 

by Joe Yerdon / NHL.com Correspondent

6:15 AM

Kessel's goal extends lead to 3-1 PIT@BUF: Letang and Kessel connect, Pens stretch lead

2/21/16: Kris Letang fakes a shot from the right boards and sends a perfect pass over to Phil Kessel, who flips the puck into a wide open net

BUFFALO - Kris Letang and the Pittsburgh Penguins got the bounce-back effort they were looking for on Sunday.

Letang had three assists and helped the Penguins to a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center.

Letang set up second period goals from Scott Wilson and Phil Kessel and a shorthanded breakaway goal by Matt Cullen in the third period.

"It was really important," Letang said. "I think we didn't play a great game against Tampa Bay [on Saturday], but it's just in our mind right now it's a back-to-back game, afternoon game, and we have to get a lot better. It got a lot better and I think one thing we need to improve is our start of a game; it's not where it needs to be."

Letang had an assist and took three minor penalties in the Penguins 4-2 loss to the Lightning on Saturday.

"He's obviously an important player for us," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "He logs a lot of minutes. He's such a good player when he plays the game the right way and when he has control over his emotions. I love the fact that he's a passionate guy. He's a competitive guy. He really cares. That's why he's emotional but I love that about him, and that's what I told him. But obviously he's got to channel it the right way and I thought he did that tonight."

 

Hornqvist's tip-in opens scoring PIT@BUF: Hornqvist puts Penguins ahead with tip-in

The game was tied 1-1 after the first period and the Sabres had a 15-6 advantage in shots. The Penguins (30-20-8) took over in the second period.

Wilson made it 2-1 and extended his goal scoring streak to three games. He received a cross-crease pass from Letang and took a snap shot that beat Sabres goalie Robin Lehner up high for his third goal of the season 5:28 into the period.

"I'll take what I can get," said Wilson, who was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Feb. 1. "Just the confidence thing has helped me a lot. In the American League you can kind of pick your spots more and I think [sullivan] has put me in good situations. ... I think that, confidence-wise, has helped me a lot."

Kessel made it 3-1 with his 19th goal of the season with 2:10 left in the second when he received a cross-ice pass from Letang near the side of the Sabres net and put a wrist shot past Lehner.

"I was going to shoot and I saw him open, so I just slid the puck in on the back door," Letang said.

 

Cullen's breakaway goal in 3rd PIT@BUF: Cullen scores on shorthanded breakaway

Cullen made it 4-1 with a shorthanded breakaway goal, his eighth of the season, 7:52 into the third period after he received a pass from Carl Hagelin. Letang chipped the puck to Hagelin who flipped the puck ahead to Cullen for the breakaway. Cullen's shot was trapped by Lehner momentarily before is slid out underneath him and into the net.

"I felt it. I squeezed it, but I didn't really feel if it went through or not," said Lehner, who made 27 saves. "I don't know. It's unfortunate because I felt like I played well and I wanted to make that stop for the team. But sometimes things happen and I regret that one."

Sabres forward Brian Gionta scored 13 seconds later on the power play when he tipped a Zach Bogosian shot past Fleury for his eighth of the season to make it 4-2.

Bogosian scored two goals including his third of the season with 21.4 seconds left in the third to conclude the scoring.

 

Bogosian's tally late in 3rd PIT@BUF: Bogosian scores second of game in 3rd

The Penguins have won eight straight games against Buffalo.

The Sabres (24-29-7) have lost two of their past three games.

Patric Hornqvist gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead 9:09 into the first period. Sidney Crosby got an assist on the goal. He has 48 points in 30 career games against the Sabres.

"You don't want to lose a couple in a row," Crosby said. "There's going to be times where you lose. We had a decent game yesterday. We could've been on the other side of it easily, but we've got to regroup and get two points here today, and we found a way."

Bogosian made it 1-1 with 6:12 remaining in the first period with a power-play goal. With Hornqvist off for slashing, Bogosian took a slap shot that beat Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury low to the right side for his second goal of the season. It was Bogosian's first power play goal since Dec. 31, 2011.

Fleury made 24 saves after not starting on Saturday because of an illness.

 

Fleury's pad save in 1st PIT@BUF: Fleury shows off reflexes with save in 1st

 

"That was good actually just to get back into it," Fleury said. "I didn't face a shot [saturday]. It's good to get into it quick, get some shots, feel the game a little bit. I felt pretty good after."

Sabres forward Ryan O'Reilly missed the game with a lower-body injury he sustained in the Sabres 4-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday and will be out the next 3-4 weeks. Justin Bailey was recalled from Rochester on Sunday to take his place in the lineup.

"He's a guy who plays in every situation for our team, so he plays in the offensive zone, he plays in the defensive zone, he's playing power play, he's playing penalty k*ll," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. "You need a big draw, he's somebody stepping over the boards, and that's something that we're going to miss and we're going to have to replace. I think you see the importance of that in our game tonight."

Edited February 22, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

[Guns of the Patriots]

Credits NHL.com

 

Wild defeat Blackhawks in Stadium Series game

 

Minnesota has quick start, wins fourth straight

 

by Mike G. Morreale @mikemorrealeNHL / NHL.com Staff Writer

9:39 AM

Niederreiter finishes tic-tac-toe CHI@MIN: Niederreiter completes Wild's pretty passing

2/21/16: Jason Pominville starts a pretty tic-tac-toe passing setup for the Wild, as Nino Niederreiter lights the lamp for a three-goal lead

MINNEAPOLIS -- It was a moment the State of Hockey had waited for ever since Minnesota re-entered the League 15 seasons ago.

The first professional hockey game held outdoors in the state on Sunday was everything Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold had envisioned when he petitioned for the type of outdoor event that exemplifies what is near and dear to every Minnesotan.

In the end, the Wild capped it off with a 6-1 win against the rival Chicago Blackhawks in the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series Game before 50,426 at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota.

It became evident that by the time the State of Hockey anthem was played and those in attendance were serenading their team with chants of 'Let's Go Wild!', Minnesota had long drained whatever life remained in the Blackhawks.

Perhaps Brooks Suter, the 5-year-old son of Wild defenseman Ryan Suter, summed it up best when asked by a reporter his favorite part of the day while sitting on dad's lap during the postgame press conference.

 

Dumba opens the scoring CHI@MIN: Dumba nets juicy rebound for an early lead

 

• 51 • 4:30 AM

 

"The win," he said.

Minnesota's third line of Erik Haula centering left wing Nino Niederreiter and right wing Jason Pominville combined for three goals and eight points. Pominville had a goal and two assists.

"Our line has been playing with confidence," Pominville said. "I think at one point [in the season] I was just thinking too much and not going out there and playing. And I just said go out there and play and have fun and that's what we've been doing."

Along with Pominville, Haula also had a goal and two assists to equal the record for points in a regular-season outdoor NHL game achieved by seven other players. Matt Dumba, Thomas Vanek and Ryan Carter also scored for the Wild (27-22-10), who extended their franchise-best streak of scoring five goals in a game to four straight games.

Goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who made 31 saves for the Wild, had his shutout end with 7:55 left in the third when Patrick Kane scored along the goal line below the right circle. The goal by Kane was his 35th of the season for the Blackhawks (38-19-5).

 

Full report at

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/wild-blackhawks-stadium-series-recap/c-279049960?tid=278839676

Edited February 22, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Credits NHL.com

 

Kesler, Ducks cruise to victory against

 

Flames Anaheim wins fifth straight behind center's three-point game

 

by Abbey Mastracco / NHL.com Correspondent

12:35 PM

Kesler scores his second of game CGY@ANA: Kesler forces turnover and scores

2/21/16: Ryan Kesler's forecheck forces a turnover that leads to his second goal of the game, putting the Ducks up, 4-1, in the 3rd

ANAHEIM -- Ryan Kesler had two goals and an assist to help the Anaheim Ducks to their fifth straight victory, a 5-2 win against the Calgary Flames at Honda Center on Sunday.

Patrick Maroon, Ryan Getzlaf and Kevin Bieksa scored for the Ducks (31-19-8), Hampus Lindholm had two assists, and goalie John Gibson made 22 saves.

Kesler put the Ducks up 2-0 when he beat Flames goalie Jonas Hiller at 6:54 of the second period after taking a pass from behind the net from Andrew Cogliano.

Kesler scored an unassisted goal at 4:56 of the third period to give Anaheim a 4-1 lead. He stole the puck from forward Micheal Ferland in the Calgary zone and shot high over Hiller for his 11th goal.

 

Kesler's goal doubles the lead CGY@ANA: Kesler wrists one past Hiller for 2-0 lead

It was Kesler's third multigoal game in his past 19 and his first three-point performance of the season. He has two goals and five assists during a five-game point streak.

Coach Bruce Boudreau said Kesler's play has been at the same high level all season.

"He's been a beast for a long time," Boudreau said. "Just because he doesn't score, some people don't think he's playing as good as he has in the past. But I think he's been phenomenal. He's checking the other team's top line all of the time, whether home or on the road, and he's done a great job with it."

Kesler said his line, with Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg, is finally getting results on the offensive end to go with its defensive dirty work against opponents' top lines.

"It's obviously a tough job for my line shutting down those guys," Kesler said. "We got rewarded tonight.

 

Bieksa's one-timer extends lead CGY@ANA: Bieksa adds to lead on the power play

 

The Flames (26-29-3), who got goals from Mark Giordano and Mikael Backlund, have lost 22 straight regular-season games in Anaheim. Their last win was Jan 19, 2004.

A little less than two minutes after Kesler's first goal, Giordano scored on the power play to cut the Ducks lead to 2-1.

Getzlaf scored 16 seconds into the third period to put Anaheim up 3-1. David Perron stole the puck from Calgary defenseman Dougie Hamilton in the corner and sent a feed to Getzlaf, who scored his eighth goal with a one-timer from the low slot.

"The big goal was the third goal on the first shift of the third period," Boudreau said. "I thought it was going to be a nip-and-tuck game, and then we scored that and it seemed to deflate them a little bit."

Flames coach Bob Hartley agreed with Boudreau.

 

Giordano scores PPG CGY@ANA: Giordano's PPG cuts the deficit to one

 

"That first shift gave them a lot of momentum," Hartley said. "We felt we ended the second period strong and the boys were very positive in the locker room between the second and third periods. They got back to their game and they have been playing so well that we knew it was going to be tough."

Giordano was disappointed with Calgary's effort in the third period. The Flames captain said he expected them to make a bigger push after the way they had played in the first and second.

"We should have gave it to them in the third," Giordano said. "Tonight, I thought we were there, we were right there with them. But in the third period, we gave them goals that we don't usually give up, and that was the end of it."

Maroon opened the scoring at 15:36 of the first period to extend the Ducks' streak to five straight games with a power-play goal. With Giordano off for a delay of game penalty, Maroon took a pass from Lindholm at the edge of the right circle and slipped a wrist shot past Hiller to the short side from close range.

Bieksa one-timed Lindholm's pass by Hiller from the top of the left faceoff circle for a power-play goal with 5:07 left to give the Ducks a 5-1 lead. After he had two goals in the first 56 games, Bieksa scored one in each of the past two.

 

Maroon cashes in on second chance CGY@ANA: Maroon opens the scoring on PPG

 

Backlund caught Gibson out of his net to make it 5-2 with 45 seconds remaining.

Hiller, who played seven seasons with the Ducks, made 28 saves.

Cogliano played his 680th consecutive game, passing the Vancouver Canucks' Henrik Sedin for the sixth-longest streak in NHL history.

Anaheim continues a five-game homestand against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. Calgary will play at the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

Edited February 22, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Credits NHL.com

 

Klein, Rangers edge Red Wings

 

New York defenseman scores game-winner in overtime

 

by Jon Lane @JonLaneNHL / NHL.com Staff Writer

1:00 PM

Klein's game-winner in overtime DET@NYR: Hayes feeds Klein for game-winner in OT

2/21/16: Kevin Hayes races down the ice on a 2-on-1, then sets up Kevin Klein for the game-winning wrist shot in overtime

 

NEW YORK -- Kevin Klein scored at 1:59 of overtime to give the New York Rangers a 1-0 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Goalie Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves for his fourth shutout. The Rangers (34-19-6) have won seven of their past nine games (7-1-1) and 10 of their past 14 (10-3-1).

The winning sequence began after Lundqvist stopped Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist in close. The puck got behind Lundqvist and rested in the crease before Rangers forward Chris Kreider swept it out of harm's way. Kevin Hayes took it the other way on a 2-on-1 and sailed the puck to Klein for a shot that beat Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard top shelf.

"[Hayes], I mean, he put a perfect pass in there for me," Klein said. "It was nice to see that. He kind of looked at me, I kind of knew it was coming and I managed to place it well."

Howard made 29 saves for Detroit (29-20-11), which went 0-3-1 on its four-game road trip. The Red Wings have lost six in a row away from Joe Louis Arena, their longest such skid since March 2012.

 

Lundqvist stuffs three attempts DET@NYR: Lundqvist keeps Red Wings off the board

"Definitely both goaltenders brought their 'A' game to the table," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "I feel we did what he had to do here. We came out strong and we had some real good looks initially. Their goaltender made some big saves for them. After that, it was a battle.

"It was a 1-0 game, but it had some huge looks. It could have been different."

Lundqvist and Howard each put on a show. Lundqvist was tremendous during a flurry early in the second period. After Teemu Pulkkinen's outlet pass to Brendan Smith began an odd-man rush, Smith found Andreas Athanasiou, who with a burst of speed took the first shot at 6:33. Lundqvist then made two more saves, one on Smith at 6:38 and the other on Pulkkinen at 6:43.

Rangers forward Jesper Fast was awarded a penalty shot with 5:25 left after he was taken down by Red Wings defenseman Mike Green, but Howard turned him away with a pad save. Howard also delivered when he robbed Fast at the left post off a Derick Brassard pass at 16:16 of the third but was eventually handed a tough-luck loss. The Red Wings goalie hasn't won since Dec. 3, a stretch of 11 appearances.

"It's not satisfying because we didn't get the win," Howard said. "It doesn't matter, you still want to get the two points, but it was a fun game to be a part of."

 

Howard stops penalty shot DET@NYR: Howard knocks away Fast's penalty shot

Hayes appeared to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 5:54 of the third, but the goal was negated by Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill's successful challenge for goalie interference. A misplay from Howard behind his net led to Hayes banking a shot from the right corner off Howard's skate. But replays showed Oscar Lindberg's skate clipping Howard's mask prior to the puck crossing the goal line.

"At the end of the day, this is about finding ways to win games, to stay focused, and that's what we are trying to do," Vigneault said. "It's all about getting the two points. There's a lot of things going on. It's not easy for both sides, so you do what you have to do."

The Rangers penalty k*ll, which entered the game 28th in the NHL (77.5 percent), was 4-for-4, allowing one shot on goal. New York's k*ll is 9-for-9 in its past two games.

"I think we work great as a unit," Klein said. "We've got our trigger points; when one guy goes, we can see the read off it. And the bobbling pucks, we are getting to those and putting sticks on them. You look at what the forwards do up front when they're blocking those one-timers for us. It's the key to our success."

The Rangers lead the New York Islanders by five points for second place in the Metropolitan Division. They also continue to roll at home, where they're 22-6-3, and have persevered without defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who missed the game and is day-to-day with a jaw contusion and neck spasm sustained when he was elbowed in the head by Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov in the second period of a 3-2 win Thursday.

 

Howard saves Brassard's shot DET@NYR: Howard deflects shot from the doorstep

Despite everything seemingly going against them, the Rangers found a way to head into a three-game road trip starting Tuesday at the New Jersey Devils with a victory.

"Going into the third, I think the key is patience and trust that you will get to where you want to be," Lundqvist said. "You will find a way to win the game. When that happens -- overruled [goal], missed penalty shot, 2-on-0 big chance -- you just have to stick with it and keep playing the way we were playing. I thought again that it shows a lot of good signs for this group that we stayed confident and patient, and in the end, we earned this one."

Red Wings rookie forward Dylan Larkin returned after missing one game because of an illness.

Rangers forward Marek Hrivik made his NHL debut after he was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Sunday.

The Red Wings return home to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

Edited February 22, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

[Guns of the Patriots]

Credits NHL.com

 

Stamkos' goal lifts Lightning past Hurricanes

 

Center scores late, Tampa Bay wins third straight

 

by Kurt Dusterberg / NHL.com Correspondent

12:44 PM

Stamkos puts Lightning ahead TBL@CAR: Stamkos rips a power-play goal for the lead

2/21/16: Tyler Johnson finds Steven Stamkos in the slot, and he rips a power-play goal past Cam Ward to give the Lightning the lead in the 3rd

 

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning aren't proud of their recent special-teams play, but with the game on the line in the third period Sunday, the two units rose to the occasion.

With the score tied 2-2 in the third period and Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal off for high sticking, Steven Stamkos set up in the slot and took a pass from Tyler Johnson in the corner before sending a wrist shot inside the left post at 14:17 for a 3-2 lead. The Lightning entered the game with the 24th-ranked power-play unit, and earlier in the game had given up a short-handed goal for the third straight game.

This followed the Lightning killing off the second of two minor penalties in the game.

"Listen, we needed our penalty k*ll to k*ll off a penalty, they did. We needed our power play to win the game for us, and they did," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said after the Lightning defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2. "That's what we want, and that's what happened. It was good."

 

 

Full coverage at https://www.nhl.com/news/tampa-bay-lightning-carolina-hurricanes-recap/c-279049404?tid=278839888

Edited February 22, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Miller makes 37 saves, Canucks top Avalanche

 

Vancouver ends four-game losing streak

 

by Kevin Woodley / NHL.com Correspondent

3:19 PM

Hansen's second goal of the game COL@VAN: D. Sedin finds Hansen for another nice goal

2/21/16: Daniel Sedin sends a pretty pass to Jannik Hansen, who beats Semyon Varlamov for his second goal of the game

 

VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Canucks finally broke out of a long offensive slump Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche at Rogers Arena.

Jannik Hansen scored two goals, and Henrik Sedin had four assists in a 5-1 win against the Avalanche.

But the First Star in the lopsided win was goaltender Ryan Miller, whose 37 saves included several that left the Avalanche shaking their heads.

"He was playing one [heck] of a game," Hansen said. "No question he's the First Star. He did everything right. When we were outplayed, outmanned, he found a way to make a save."

 

Miller's sick toe save COL@VAN: Miller takes away sure goal with unreal save

 

It was the first time the Canucks scored more than four goals since a 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 7. Entering Sunday, they were 2-5-1 and averaging 1.88 goals per game in February.

The victory ended Vancouver's four-game losing streak and six-game slide on home ice.

It's possible none of it would have happened without several spectacular saves from Miller early.

"We haven't scored that many in a while, but I thought the best part was Miller's play," Canucks coach Willie Desjardins said. "You need that sometimes to get out of a slump."

 

Vrbata chips puck past Varlamov COL@VAN: Vrbata scores in closing seconds of 2nd

 

Adam Cracknell, Radim Vrbata and Christopher Tanev, into an empty net with 8:23 left, scored for the Canucks (23-24-12), and Daniel Sedin had three assists.

Matt Duchene ended Miller's shutout bid when he scored off a rebound with 41.8 seconds left to make it 5-1.

"[Miller] was enormous," Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin said. "It's too bad to see the last one go in. He deserved the shutout, but we'll take the win and move on."

Miller made a brilliant right-pad save against Carl Soderberg in the first period and Erik Johnson in the second period to keep the Canucks in the game despite being outplayed for long stretches early.

"It's probably one of the better performances I've seen from a goaltender against us this year," Colorado coach Patrick Roy said. "He was moving well. He was reading plays well. He was outstanding out there. Outstanding."

 

Hansen extends the lead COL@VAN: Hansen tallies off D. Sedin's flawless pass

 

Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves for the Avalanche (31-27-4), who lost for the second time in six games despite outshooting the Canucks 38-29.

Colorado was coming off a 3-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and had several quality chances to score early. But Miller made a handful of point-blank saves, denying Nathan MacKinnon in close three times and sliding across his crease left to right to rob Soderberg of a tap-in goal.

"I want to help the boys out," Miller said. "I think with that one I was able to keep some momentum."

Cracknell, the Canucks' fourth-line center, opened the scoring 8:31 into the first period, stopping a shot atop the crease and pulling the puck around Varlamov before lifting a backhand over the sprawling goalie.

 

Cracknell opens the scoring COL@VAN: Cracknell backhands the puck past Varlamov

 

Hansen doubled the lead with 1:14 left in the first, finding a spot between four defenders in the slot and one-timing Daniel Sedin's pass from behind the net past Varlamov.

Miller stopped Soderberg again on a shorthanded breakaway five minutes into the second period, gloved a Jarome Iginla one-timer from the left faceoff dot, and got a break when defenseman Francois Beauchemin hit the crossbar on a power play.

"We had a couple of those where he just saved it with his toe or pad and breakaways and posts and crossbars," Soderberg said. "We had a little bit of everything. We deserved one or two goals there."

Cracknell, who had gone 28 games without a goal before scoring against the Calgary Flames on Friday, appeared to score again with 7:43 left in the second, but it was disallowed after a video review determined he had batted it in with his hand.

 

Miller flashes the glove COL@VAN: Miller robs Iginla with a nice glove save

 

Miller denied Iginla from in close soon after, but he saved his best for Johnson with 3:31 left in the period. Trailing on a 3-on-2 rush, Johnson had an empty net to shoot at from the slot, but Miller splayed out and got his right skate on the shot.

"Some nights, you just have to tip your hat," Duchene said. "That toe save (against Johnson), the save off Soderberg; even if you give them five, it still could have been a 5-5 game if not for him."

Vrbata made it 3-0 when he scored on a rebound on the power play with 4.4 seconds left in the second after Varlamov was penalized for playing the puck outside the trapezoid.

The goal ended a 14-game drought and was the second in 25 games for Vrbata, who left the game limping four minutes into the third period after falling awkwardly in the corner. Desjardins didn't have an update on Vrbata, saying he would be re-evaluated Monday.

Hansen scored his second goal on a pretty 2-on-1 pass from Daniel Sedin at 8:09 of the third. Colorado pulled Varlamov with 10:19 left for an extra attacker, and Tanev scored his second goal in 20 games into the empty net.

 

Miller robs Soderberg COL@VAN: Miller lunges across crease, stops Soderberg

 

Despite the lopsided score, Roy couldn't find much fault in the Avalanche's play.

"After the second period, I said, 'I don't have much to say. You guys are playing a good game … we're playing well and there's no reason for us to change anything,'" Roy said. "When a goalie plays like [Miller] did, it's hard to come back."

Duchene finally scored on a late scramble, but only after Miller had been pushed out of his crease by Iginla, who was bumped from behind by Canucks center Jared McCann. The goal counted after a video review.

Miller took losing the shutout so late in stride.

"Jarome's a smart player, he knows what he's doing. Tough guy like that doesn't go down for anything, and then gets a little bump and then he's on top of me. That's gamesmanship," Miller said. "If you were to have told me we would win 5-1 tonight, I would have taken it all night. Right now, we're worried about wins and positive energy. As long as all the guys are going and feeling good, we can build on that."

Edited February 22, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Credits NHL.com

 

Saad scores late, Blue Jackets defeat Bruins

 

Columbus uses big second period to top Boston

 

by Matt Kalman / NHL.com Correspondent

12:46 PM

Saad scores goal on broken play CBJ@BOS: Saad's insurance goal pads lead in 3rd

2/22/16: After a whiffed shot attempt in which a stick goes flying, Brandon Saad gains control and flips a wrist shot into an open net

 

BOSTON -- Boone Jenner had two goals and the Columbus Blue Jackets scored three times in the second period during a 6-4 victory against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Monday.

Brandon Saad, William Karlsson, Scott Hartnell and Dalton Prout also scored for the Blue Jackets (24-29-7), who improved to 5-1-1 in their past seven road games.

The Blue Jackets outshot Boston 35-30 and also hit the post four times. They were 2-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty k*ll.

"We talked about that, we needed to start winning some special teams battles in the games," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "I thought we did a good job of killing penalties tonight and just kept it simple. And also 5-on-5, I thought we played a really good game, managed the puck, made some good plays, made some good decisions in the neutral zone. And I thought everybody contributed."

 

Full report at https://www.nhl.com/news/boston-bruins-columbus-blue-jackets-recap/c-279069212?tid=278840260

Edited February 23, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots