Pacific wins ASG Tournament; John Scott wins MVP

"The 100 Yards" Staff Report

Pacific Division forward John Scott (28) of the Montreal
Canadiens is picked up by his teammates after beating
the Atlantic Division during the championship game of
the 2016 NHL All Star Game at Bridgestone Arena. 

(PHOTO: Christopher Hanewinckel/USA
TODAY Sports)

Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks) scored the only goal at 13:38 in the 2016 NHL All-Star Game tournament final to earn the Pacific Division the championship in the tournament.

John Scott was voted MVP of the tournament.

The Pacific won the tournament and the $1 million prize pool with a 1-0 victory. Goalies John Gibson (Anaheim Ducks) and Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings) combined for a 17-save shutout. 

"We were mucking and grinding," San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns said. "We want to represent our division. That's the way we roll over there."

Atlantic beats Metro to play in main ASG / Pacific beats Central

"The Neutral Zone" Game Report

The Atlantic Division all-stars defeated the Metropolitan Division all-stars to play the winner of the Western Conference game in the 2016 NHL All-Star Game by a final score of 4-3.

PK Subban scored the game-winning-goal for the Atlantic division from a pass set up by Dylan Larkin.

Erik Karlsson, Aaron Ekblad, and Jaromir Jagr also scored for the Atlantic Division.

Kris Letang, Evgeni Kunetsov and Evgeni Malkin scored for the Metropolitan Division.

The Pacific all-stars defeated the Central all-stars and will face the Atlantic division all stars in the All-Star Game final.

Larkin beats Gartner's fastest skater record

"The Neutral Zone" Staff Report

Jan 30, 2016; Atlantic Division forward Dylan Larkin (71) of
the Detroit Red Wings reacts after participating in the fastest
skater competition during the 2016 NHL All Star Game Skills
Competition at Bridgestone Arena.

(PHOTO: Aaron Doster, USA TODAY Sports)

On Saturday in the 2016 NHL All-Star Skills Competition, Dylan Larkin, 19, did a solo run in the fastest skater competition to beat Mike Gartner's record for the fastest time in the competition.

Larkin set a 13.172 seconds lap, breaking Gartner's record of 13.386 seconds that was set in 1996.

Dylan Larkin beat Mike Gartner's #NHLAllStar Fastest Skater record. pic.twitter.com/eIxVnI3qTh

— The Neutral Zone (@neutralzonenhl) January 31, 2016

John Scott's Media Day comments

"The Neutral Zone" Staff Report

John Scott

John Scott sat down with the media on NHL All-Star Game media day o Friday

"I sat down with Gary [Bettman] and we had a quick chat. He said if we're gonna have you here we're gonna have a good time and we're gonna make the best of it, and have fun in Nashville."

Scott also gave his input when asked about if the NHL will tweak the All-Star fan voting.

"I guess they'll do something. I don't think it'll have the same effect of the fans next year, but they should do something if they don't want this happening for sure".

Ryan McDonagh's comments at All-Star Media Day

"The Neutral Zone" Staff Report

Ryan McDonagh

New York Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh spoke at media day for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game.

When asked what it would be like to be coached under Barry Trotz, McDonagh said "[Barry] talked a little strategy with us already, so there's a bit more details, things you can strategize about".

Here were McDonagh's comments on the All-Star Game:

"It's exciting to watch on TV, you don't necessarily have to see it live to see the excitement, fast paced." 

John Tavares' All-Star Media Day Comments

"The Neutral Zone" Staff Report

John Tavares

New York Islanders captain John Tavares, who will captain the Metropolitan Division in the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game, spoke to the press at the game's media day on Friday.

Tavares was named captain on Thursday when it was released the Metro division's original captain, Alex Ovechkin, would not play in the game.

Tavares mentioned that the schedule usually "picks up" after the All-Star Game.

When asked about the other New York representative (from the Rangers) Ryan McDonagh, Tavares gave some brief comments.

"I've certainly talked to him a few times," Tavares said. "I have a lot of respect for him, we play against each other so much. He does so much for his team. Such a great all-around player, and such a great skater. Those guys are never easy to play against."

NHL Eastern Conference 2016 All-Star Skills Competition Roster

"The Neutral Zone" Staff Report

The rosters for the Eastern Conference for the 2016 NHL All-Star Skills Competition are set. Here is how the full Eastern Conference All-Stars Skills Competition roster will look:

Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater: Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings), Brandon Saad (Columbus Blue Jackets), Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators), Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge: Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington Capitals), Brandon Saad (Columbus Blue Jackets), P.K. Subban (Montreal Canadiens), Cory Schneider (New Jersey Devils)

DraftKings NHL Accuracy Shooting: John Tavares (New York Islanders), Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington Capitals), Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers), Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins), Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals), Jaromir Jagr (Florida Panthers)

AMP Energy NHL Hardest Shot: Aaron Ekblad (Florida Panthers), Justin Faulk (Carolina Hurricanes), P.K. Subban (Montreal Canadiens), Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Gatorade NHL Skills Challenge Relay

One-timer right shooters: Aaron Ekblad (Florida Panthers), Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins), Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)

One-timer passer: Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins)

Mini-net passer: Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals)

Puck control relay: Justin Faulk (Carolina Hurricanes)

Stick Handling: Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers)

Goalie Goals: Braden Holtby (Washington Capitals)

One-timer left shooters: Ryan McDonagh (New York Rangers), Leo Komarov (Toronto Maple Leafs), Ryan O'Reilly (Buffalo Sabres)

One-timer passer: Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Mini-net passer: Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins)

Stick handling: Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings)

Goalie Goals: Ben Bishop (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Discover NHL Shootout: Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins), Jaromir Jagr (Florida Panthers), P.K. Subban (Montreal Canadiens), Ryan O'Reilly (Buffalo Sabres), Leo Komarov (Toronto Maple Leafs), Aaron Ekblad (Florida Panthers), Roberto Luongo (Florida Panthers)

Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins), Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals), Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning), Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington Capitals), Ryan McDonagh (New York Rangers), Justin Faulk (Carolina Hurricanes), Braden Holtby (Washington Capitals)

Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers), Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings), John Tavares (New York Islanders), Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins), Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators), Brandon Saad (Columbus Blue Jackets), Cory Schneider (New Jersey Devils)

Trotz: Capitals' coach Returning to Nashville is coming in "Full Circle"

"The 100 Yards" Staff Report

Barry Trotz

Barry Trotz may be the coach of the Washington Capitals, but he is still loved by the fans of the Nashville Predators.

Trotz is returning to Nashville as a coach in the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game. I an interview with the NHL Network, Trotz said that his return to Nashville was coming in "full circle".

"To me, it's full circle," Trotz said. "I came [to Washington] last year for the first time and it was a little emotional, like when you've been somewhere for a long time."

Trotz said that the fans who will see Evgeni Kunetsov replace Alex Ovechkin in the game are "in for a treat."

Flames' Wideman suspended indefinitely for hitting linesman Henderson

"The Neutral Zone" Suspension Report
Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman has been suspended indefinitely pending a hearing for checking and knocking down linesman Don Henderson on Wednesday night.

Wideman will have a hearing Tuesday with the NHL's department of hockey operations.

11:19 into the second period of the Flames' game against Nashville, Wideman got up after being hit and struck Henderson on the way to the bench.

Wideman said he was in pain and was just trying to get off the ice, adding that he couldn't avoid Henderson.

Wideman apologized to Henderson after the incident.

Ovechkin, Toews suspended for (going to be) missing All-Star Game; Ovechkin replaced by Kuznetsov

"The Neutral Zone" Staff Report

Alex Ovechkin

It was announced Thursday morning that Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin would not play in the 2016 NHL All-Star Game due to a lower-body injury.

Evgeni Kuznetsov will replace Ovechkin's in the game, while John Tavares will take captaincy of the Metropolitan Division team in the game.

Also, along with Jonathan Toews, Ovechkin will be suspended for his respective team's first game after the All-Star Game for missing the game.

Jonathan Toews

But what happened to Toews?

“[Toews] was pulled from Tuesday night’s third period because of an illness and remains symptomatic today,” Blackhawks team physician Michael Terry said in a release. “At this time, rest over the break is most important for him to properly recover and be fully healthy heading into the rest of the regular season.”

James Neal of the Nashville Predators will replace Toews in the game.

Recaps of last night's NHL games

LIGHTNING 1, MAPLE LEAFS 0

TAMPA, Fla. - Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves, Steven Stamkos scored his 21st goal and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0 on Wednesday night.

Tampa Bay entered the All-Star break by winning eight of its last nine games.

Jonathan Bernier stopped 28 shots for the Maple Leafs, who have lost nine of 10 (1-7-2). Toronto has been outscored 31-11 during that stretch.

Stamkos put the Lightning up 1-0 at 4:38 of the first with a shot from the left circle during a power play.

FLYERS 4, CAPITALS 3 (OT)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jakub Voracek scored 38 seconds into overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the NHL-leading Washington Capitals in the teams' final game before the All-Star break.

Voracek's second goal of the night snapped the Flyers' three-game losing streak and the Capitals' two-game winning streak. Brayden Schenn and Ryan White also scored for Philadelphia.

Despite 28 saves from Braden Holtby, the Caps lost at home for the first time since Nov. 19 against the Dallas Stars. Andre Burakovsky had two goals and Nicklas Backstrom scored his 16th of the season.

Philadelphia's Michal Neuvirth stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced to beat his former team for the first time.

Recaps of last night's NHL games

PENGUINS 2, DEVILS 0

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 25 shots for his fourth shutout of the season and the surging Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New Jersey Devils 2-0 on Tuesday night for their third straight win.

Sidney Crosby got his 17th goal of the year for the Penguins. The two-time MVP has scored in each of Pittsburgh's last seven home games, the longest home scoring streak of his career.

Phil Kessel added an insurance goal, and the Penguins have won four of five to draw even with the Devils for eighth place in the Eastern Conference heading into the All-Star break.

Cory Schneider made 29 saves for the Devils, who saw their four-game winning streak snapped. New Jersey went 0 for 4 on the power play, managing just one shot on goal during 8 minutes with the man advantage.

PANTHERS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 1

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck scored power-play goals and Florida rolled into the All-Star break on another good note by topping Toronto.

Reilly Smith and Jussi Jokinen each had a goal and an assist for Florida, which improved to 20-0-1 when scoring at least three times.

Roberto Luongo made 22 saves for Florida, which goes into the break atop the Atlantic Division and in second place in the Eastern Conference. Brian Campbell had two assists for the Panthers, who signed Barkov to a six-year contract extension earlier in the day.

Nazem Kadri scored for Toronto, which has lost eight of its last nine games. James Reimer stopped 22 shots for the Maple Leafs.

HURRICANES 5, BLACKHAWKS 0

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Riley Nash scored twice, Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist and Carolina routed Chicago in the final game before the All-Star break for each team.

Carolina outshot the reigning Stanley Cup champions 16-5 in the first period, taking a 3-0 lead and chasing goalie Corey Crawford.

Eddie Lack made 26 saves to improve to 4-1 in his career against the Blackhawks. Crawford, replaced by Scott Darling, made 13 saves.

The Hurricanes, 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, completed a season sweep of the Blackhawks, who have lost three of their last four.

Chicago has two wins at Carolina since the 1997-98 season.

SABRES 3, SENATORS 2

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Standout rookie Jack Eichel scored twice to erase a one-goal deficit and Buffalo came back to beat Ottawa.

Eichel tied it 2-2 with 6:12 left in the second period, then got the winner 1:08 into the third to help the Sabres end a three-game slide.

Evander Kane had the other goal for Buffalo, which got 34 saves from Robin Lehner in his first win of the season.

Erik Karlsson and Bobby Ryan scored for the Senators, and Craig Anderson stopped 19-of-22 shots.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau thought he had tied the game in the final moments of the third, but a review showed time had expired.

BLUE JACKETS 5, CANADIENS 2

MONTREAL (AP) — Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson each had a goal and an assist to help Columbus beat Montreal and sweep a home-and-home.

Boone Jenner, Scott Hartnell and Brandon Saad also scored for the Blue Jackets. Rookie goaltender Joonas Korpisalo stopped 28 shots and improved to 4-0-1 in his last five starts. The Blue Jackets also beat Montreal 5-2 on Monday night in Columbus.

Devante Smith-Pelly and Alex Galchenyuk scored for Montreal. Ben Scrivens made 21 saves and fell to 0-4 with Montreal.

Montreal lost captain Max Pacioretty to injury midway through the second period after he took a slap shot from P.K. Subban to the left side of his face. Pacioretty, the team's leading scorer with 19 goals, did not return in the third.

HKN--DUCKS-BRUINS

BOSTON (AP) — Corey Perry scored his 20th goal and added an assist for Anaheim in a win over Boston.

Shea Theodore, David Perron and Ryan Kesler also each had a goal and an assist, and Kevin Bieksa and Mike Santorelli also scored for the Ducks. Anaheim scored four straight goals after falling behind 1-0 in the opening minute and has won five of six. The Ducks take a three-game winning streak into the All-Star break.

Frederik Andersen finished with 32 saves for the Ducks.

Jonas Gustavsson started in goal for Boston but left after the first period with an undisclosed illness. The Bruins said Gustavsson was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for observation after allowing two goals on 16 shots. Starter Tuukka Rask took over for Gustavsson at the start of the second period and stopped 19 of 22 shots.

Zach Trotman and Zdeno Chara scored for Boston.

JETS 5, COYOTES 2

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Rookie Nikolaj Ehlers had a hat trick and Dustin Byfuglien added two goals and an assist to help Winnipeg beat Arizona.

Veteran winger Blake Wheeler assisted on all of Ehlers' goals, and Ehlers' first hat trick extended his point streak to four games.

Brad Richardson and Anthony Duclair scored for Arizona.

Connor Hellebuyck stopped 32 shots for the Jets.

Louis Domingue started for Arizona and made 20 saves before being relieved by Anders Lindback for the third period. Lindback stopped all 12 shots he faced.

Ducks forward Horcoff suspended 20 games

"The Neutral Zone" Suspension Report

Shawn Horcoff

Anaheim Ducks forward Shawn Horcoff has been suspended for 20 games, without pay, for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

Based on his average annual salary, Horcoff will forfeit $357,526.88.

The National Hockey League will have no further comment on this matter.

In 45 games played with the Ducks in 2015-16, Horcoff has six goals and four assists. He currently has 186-career goals and  320-career assists.

Panthers sign Barkov to six-year contract extension

"The Neutral Zone" Staff Report

Aleksander Barkov

The Florida Panthers have agreed to terms with center Aleksander Barkov to a six-year contract extension, the Panthers announced Tuesday.

Financial terms were not disclosed but the Miami Herald reported it's worth $35.4 million.

"We are thrilled to sign Sasha to a multiyear contract," general manager Dale Tallon said. "He is a highly-skilled, intelligent and dynamic young center that plays an exceptional game at both ends of the ice. Sasha is an important part of the foundation of our future and a cornerstone player who is continuing to develop into one of the league’s elite centers."

Recaps of last night's NHL games

RANGERS 6, SABRES 3

NEW YORK — Red-hot J.T. Miller scored from in close after the Rangers squandered a two-goal third-period lead and New York came back to beat Buffalo 6-3 Monday night for its eighth straight win over the Sabres.

Derick Brassard scored twice and Mats Zuccarello added a power-play goal after Miller snapped a 3-all tie for the Rangers, who headed into the NHL All-Star break with three wins in four games.

Rookie defenseman Dylan McIlrath and Viktor Stalberg also scored for the Rangers.

Zemgus Girgensons scored twice in a 1:13 span early in the third period to rally Buffalo from a 3-1 deficit. It was his first game after missing four with an upper-body injury.

Brian Gionta also scored for Buffalo, which lost its third straight game overall. Rookie Jack Eichel assisted on both Girgensons’ goals.

STARS 2, FLAMES 1

DALLAS — Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza scored 80 seconds apart early in the second period and Dallas beat Calgary.

It was only the third win in 11 games this month for the Stars, who closed out a 3-6-2 stretch heading into the All-Star break after leading the Western Conference for much of the season.

The Stars have 67 points, three behind conference and Central Division-leading Chicago.

Benn’s 28th goal of the season came 2:43 in the second, with a little backhanded flip just off the right post. Then Spezza had an open shot off the left post behind Karri Ramo after the goalie had skated up for another shot that was wide.

Ramo stopped 28 shots.

Antti Niemi, making his third straight start for Dallas, had 23 saves.

BLUE JACKETS 5, CANADIENS 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cam Atkinson had his third-career hat trick and Brandon Saad scored twice to help Columbus beat struggling Montreal to end a three-game losing streak.

Atkinson’s linemates Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner each had three assists and rookie Joonas Korpisalo turned aside 32 shots.

Montreal’s P.K. Subban tied it 2-2 midway through the second, but Columbus scored three goals in the third, including a go-ahead score from Saad 9:06 into the period.

Columbus played a second straight game without coach John Tortorella after he broke two ribs falling after a collision with a player at practice Friday.

BRUINS 3, FLYERS 2

PHILADELPHIA — Brett Connolly redirected Zdeno Chara’s shot from the point with 1:54 left, lifting Boston over Philadelphia.

Connolly tipped the wobbly shot and one-hopped the puck past Michel Neuvirth for his seventh goal of the season.

Brad Marchand scored a goal for the fifth straight game and Patrice Bergeron also scored for the Bruins.

Boston’s Tuukka Rask stopped 34 shots in his return from a late scratch Saturday night with an undisclosed injury.

RED WINGS 4, ISLANDERS 2

NEW YORK — Justin Abdelkader and Danny DeKeyser scored 1:11 apart in the second period to lead Detroit over New York.

Brad Richards scored in the first period and Petr Mrazek stopped 27 shots to give the Red Wings their second win in five games (2-2-1). Luke Glendenning added an empty-netter in the final minute to seal Detroit’s third win in the last 11 meetings (3-6-2) against the Islanders.

Brock Nelson and Mikhail Grabovski scored for New York, and Jaroslav Halak had 22 saves while the Islanders lost in regulation for the first time in five games (3-1-1).

Both teams were playing for the last time before the All-Star Game this weekend in Nashville, Tennessee.

COYOTES 2, WILD 1, SO

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Anthony Duclair had the only goal in the shootout, rookie Louis Domingue made 34 saves and Arizona came back to beat Minnesota.

Domingue stopped all three shooters he faced in the shootout to help Arizona win its second straight. Antoine Vermette tied it with 1:13 left in regulation on a short-handed goal.

Devan Dubnyk made 23 saves in his final start before heading to his first All-Star Game. Charlie Coyle got his third goal in three games with 9:40 left but was stopped to end the game in the shootout.

Recaps of last night's NHL games

BLACKHAWKS 2, BLUES 0

CHICAGO - Corey Crawford stopped 25 shots for his league-leading seventh shutout, rookie Artemi Panarin and Andrew Shaw scored and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the St. Louis Blues 2-0 on Sunday night to end a two-game losing streak.

Crawford wasn't consistently tested while earning his 19th career shutout. The defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks rebounded from listless road losses at Tampa Bay and Florida that followed a franchise-record 12-game winning streak.

St. Louis's Brian Elliott made 23 saves in his eighth straight start since taking over for Jake Allen, who suffered a lower-body injury on Jan. 8. Elliott is 5-2-2 since entering in the second period of that game against the Ducks.

KINGS 3, SHARKS 2, OT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Vincent Lecavalier tied it with 12.2 seconds remaining in regulation, Marian Gaborik scored in overtime and Los Angeles rallied past San Jose.

Drew Doughty also scored while the Kings earned their league-best sixth win when trailing after two periods and extended their lead in the Pacific Division to nine points over the second-place Sharks. Jhonas Enroth made 30 saves to earn his first win since Nov. 12.

Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski scored for the Sharks, who extended their point streak to nine games despite the loss. It's the longest streak for San Jose since getting a point in the first nine games in the 2013-14 season. Martin Jones made 29 saves.

SENATORS 3, RANGERS 0

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Craig Anderson stopped 35 shots for his third shutout this season and Ottawa snapped a two-game skid with a win over New York.

Bobby Ryan, Mike Hoffman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each scored for Ottawa and Anderson earned his 32nd career shutout.

Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves for the Rangers.

The 18,940 on hand at Canadian Tire Centre were treated to a goaltending duel for much of the afternoon.

Both Anderson and Lundqvist made a number of big saves to keep the game scoreless.

Leading 1-0 early in the third, the Senators got a little breathing room as Hoffman scored his team-leading 22nd to make it 2-0. Hoffman used Ryan as a decoy on a 2-on-1 and beat Lundqvist glove side.

HURRICANES 5, FLAMES 2

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Kris Versteeg scored twice to lead Carolina over Calgary.

Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm and Joakim Nordstrom also scored for Carolina. The Hurricanes led 3-0 early in the second period and chased Calgary goalie Karri Ramo. Eddie Lack made 33 saves for Carolina.

Calgary got goals from Jiri Hudler and Joe Colborne. It fell to 0-15 when trailing after one period.

Versteeg scored his first on a pass from Eric Staal to put Carolina ahead 3-0 at 3:50 of the second. He scored again on a power play with 8:47 left in the third for a 4-2 advantage.

Recaps of last night's NHL games

SUNRISE, Fla. - Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist, and the Florida Panthers stopped Tampa Bay's seven-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory over Lightning on Saturday night.

The Panthers won their second straight after a four-game skid and increased their lead in the Atlantic Division to five points.

Brian Campbell, Vincent Trocheck, Reilly Smith and Nick Bjugstad also scored for Florida. Roberto Luongo stopped 38 shots.

Luongo gave up two goals late in the third period, halting a scoreless streak of 127 minutes, 9 seconds.

Victor Hedman and J.T. Brown scored for the Lightning. Ben Bishop, who allowed four goals in his previous four starts, gave up four on 30 shots. He was replaced by Andrei Vasilevskiy at the start of the third period.

AVALANCHE 3, STARS 1

DALLAS (AP) — Carl Soderberg and Gabriel Landeskog each scored a short-handed goal, and Colorado beat Dallas for its fourth consecutive victory.

Semyon Varlamov made 42 saves for the Avalanche, outshot 43-15. Mikhail Grigorenko added Colorado's final goal with 5:51 remaining.

Jason Demers scored for the Stars, who fell to 2-6-2 in their last 10 games. Antti Niemi stopped 12 shots.

Colorado beat Dallas for the 11th time in 12 meetings during Lindy Ruff's three seasons as Stars coach.

SHARKS 4, WILD 3

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Joe Pavelski scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:28 to go, leading San Jose to its seventh win in eight games.

Tomas Hertl, Joonas Donskoi and Joel Ward also scored to help the Sharks extend their season-high point streak to eight games. Martin Jones made 25 saves.

San Jose has used its longest point streak since going 7-0-1 in March 2014 to move into second place in the Pacific Division.

Chris Porter, Charlie Coyle and Jarret Stoll scored for the Wild, who have lost six of their past seven games. Darcy Kuemper made 29 saves.

PENGUINS 5, CANUCKS 4

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin scored three times to help Pittsburgh rally for the win.

It was Malkin's 10th career hat trick and first since Feb. 25, 2012. Malkin, who leads the team with 23 goals and 47 points, has 19 points in his last 15 games.

Sidney Crosby had a point in a season-best sixth straight game when he scored an empty-net goal. Bryan Rust scored his second of the season for the Penguins, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit for the second time in as many games.

Vancouver's Jannik Hansen also had a hat trick, the second of his career. Bo Horvat scored his ninth for the Canucks, who had a chance to finish their six-game road trip with four wins and nine of 12 possible points.

DUCKS 4, RED WINGS 3

DETROIT (AP) — Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler each scored twice to lift Anaheim to the victory.

The Ducks have won four straight games on the road against the Red Wings and have not lost a regulation game in Detroit since Nov. 5, 2011.

Anaheim was snowed out of its game against the Capitals in Washington D.C. on Friday night.

Darren Helm, Tomas Jurco and Danny DeKeyser scored for the Red Wings, who have not won at home in their last five games (0-4-1).

BRUINS 3, BLUE JACKETS 2, SO

BOSTON (AP) — Ryan Spooner and Torey Krug scored in the shootout, leading the Bruins past the Blue Jackets.

Brad Marchand had a goal in his fourth straight game for Boston, which has won four of five overall. David Pastrnak also scored for the Bruins.

Kerby Rychel and Dalton Prout scored for the Blue Jackets. Prout's goal was his first in 108 games, but Columbus lost its third in a row.

Bruins backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson made 31 saves through overtime. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 32 shots for the Blue Jackets.

CANADIENS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2, SO

TORONTO (AP) — Max Pacioretty and Lars Eller scored in the shootout, and Montreal stopped a five-game winless streak.

David Desharnais and Tomas Fleischmann scored for the Canadiens in regulation. Mike Condon finished with 17 saves.

Peter Holland had the lone goal for Toronto in the shootout, which followed a busy overtime in which both teams had chances to win it.

After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, the Maple Leafs cut the deficit to 2-1 in the second period and tied it at 4:37 of the third period when Joffrey Lupul scored on a rebound of a shot by Holland that Condon could not hang onto.

Nazem Kadri also scored for Toronto, and Morgan Rielly had two assists in his 200th NHL game.

DEVILS 3, JETS 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Lee Stempniak scored twice and Corey Schneider made 22 saves, helping New Jersey to the road win.

Stempniak got his 13th goal of the season in the first period and then added another on a redirected shot in the third. Jacob Josefson also scored for the Devils.

The Jets' lone goal was scored late on the power play by Dustin Byfuglien, his 12th of the season.

Schneider improved to 22-14-5 on the season, while Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck made 13 saves.

Winnipeg's Mathieu Perreault left in the first period with a lower-body injury after being hit by Devils forward Tuomo Ruutu.

COYOTES 3, KINGS 2

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Jordan Martinook scored 22 seconds into the third period to snap a tie, Shane Doan had a goal and an assist, and Arizona overcame a bizarre goal by Los Angeles.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored and Louis Domingue stopped 21 shots as the Coyotes snapped a four-game skid and handed the Pacific Division leaders their second consecutive loss.

Nick Shore scored into an open net after Domingue took off his mask during play, and Dustin Brown scored his first goal in 11 games for the Kings, who have dropped three of four to Arizona.

Martinook roofed a backhand over Jonathan Quick off a breakaway on the first shift of the third. Quick had 26 saves.

Flyers-Islanders game postponed

"The Neutral Zone" Staff Report

A severe winter snowstorm rumbling through the East Coast had caused the postponement of three NHL games since Friday.

The New York Islanders also had their game against the Philadelphia Flyers scheduled for Saturday evening at Barclays Center postponed. The Flyers still held practice at the arena.

The Washington Capitals game against the Pittsburgh Penguins scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Verizon Center will have to be rescheduled, the second game the Capitals had postponed in the past two days. The Capitals were supposed to play the Anaheim Ducks on Friday in a game that was originally moved up to 5pm instead of 7pm in an attempt to possibly end the game before the weather became severe; however, the NHL announced Friday afternoon it would not be played and would need to be postponed.

Sunday's Penguins-Capitals game postponed.

"The Neutral Zone" Staff Report

The game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals at Verizon Center scheduled for Sunday, January 24 has been postponed due to the severe snowstorm impacting the Washington, DC, area.

Yesterdays game between the Ducks and the Capitals was supposed to be at 7pm in Washington DC, but rescheduled to 5pm earlier this week, but was later postponed as well.

A makeup date will be announced as soon as it can be confirmed.

Ducks-Capitals postponed due to severe weather

"The Neutral Zone Staff Report

Today’s game between the Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals at Verizon Center has been postponed due to the severe snowstorm impacting the Washington, DC area.

A makeup date will be announced as soon as it can be confirmed.

A decision regarding Sunday’s Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals game at Verizon Center, NHL Game No. 720, will be announced Saturday morning.

Recaps of last night's NHL games

LIGHTNING 2, BLACKHAWKS 1

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Nikita Kucherov snapped a second-period tie with his 20th goal and the streaking Tampa Bay Lightning ended Chicago's franchise-record 12-game winning streak with a 2-1 win victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions on Thursday night.

The win was the seventh straight for the Lightning - one shy of a team record - and gave the defending Eastern Conference champs a split of the season series with the Blackhawks, who won last year's Stanley Cup final against Tampa Bay in six games.

Ben Bishop had 17 saves as the Blackhawks were held to a season-low 18 shots. Corey Crawford stopped 31 shots to keep the Blackhawks in the game, but it wasn't enough to extend a career-best nine-game winning streak for the Chicago goaltender.

Anton Stralman scored in the first period and Victor Hedman had two assists for the Lightning. Artem Anisimov scored Chicago's lone goal in the opening minute of the game.

CANUCKS 4, BRUINS 2

BOSTON (AP) - Daniel Sedin became the Vancouver Canucks' career leader in goals with 348, scoring twice in the third period of a victory over the Boston Bruins.

Sedin tucked the rebound of Christopher Tanev's shot past Tuukka Rask for the eventual winner with 12:57 remaining. He also scored into an empty net in the final minute. Sedin scored two goals in Vancouver's 3-2 overtime win against Florida on Jan. 11 to tie Markus Naslund for the franchise lead, but went scoreless in four straight games before Thursday.

Sven Baertschi and Alexandre Burrows also scored for Vancouver, and Jacob Markstrom made 28 saves.

Brad Marchand and Jimmy Hayes scored for Boston, while Rask stopped 23 shots in his 300th career NHL game.

DEVILS 6, SENATORS 3

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Travis Zajac had a goal and three assists, Kyle Palmieri scored twice, and the New Jersey Devils scored five times in the first period in a victory over the Ottawa Senators.

Joseph Blandisi scored his first NHL goal and had two assists. Lee Stempniak and Adam Henrique also scored to help the Devils win their third straight and improve to 6-1-1 in their last eight games against the Senators.

Cory Schneider stopped 29 shots for New Jersey.

Mika Zibanejad, Mike Hoffman and Cody Ceci scored for Ottawa, which had won two straight.

PENGUINS 4, FLYERS 3

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Phil Kessel scored twice and Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Philadelphia Flyers to end an eight-game winless streak against their cross-state rival.

Crosby continued his five-game point streak for the Penguins, who defeated the Flyers for the first time since Oct. 17, 2013. Phil Kessel scored his 13th and 14th goals of the season and Trevor Daley scored his fourth for the Penguins.

Jakub Voracek extended his seven-game point streak against Pittsburgh with his sixth goal of the season. Claude Giroux and Brayden Schenn also scored.

FLAMES 4, BLUE JACKETS 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Rookie Sam Bennett scored twice and Johnny Gaudreau had the tiebreaking goal to lead the Calgary Flames past the league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets.

Michael Frolik also scored as Calgary improved to 6-7-1 since a seven-game winning streak in early December. Mark Giordano and Mikael Backlund each added two assists, and Karri Ramo stopped 27 shots.

Scott Hartnell and Brandon Dubinksy scored for Columbus, which lost Sergei Bobrovky to another lower-body injury. Playing his second game since missing 17 with a groin injury, Bobrovsky left with 8:30 remaining in the second period after allowing two goals on 13 shots.

HURRICANES 1, MAPLE LEAFS 0, OT

TORONTO (AP) - Jordan Staal scored on a rebound in overtime, Eddie Lack stopped 31 shots and the Carolina Hurricanes downed the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Staal started the play with a rush up the ice and beat his man to the net to chip in the ricochet off a shot from Justin Faulk at 2:54 of the extra period.

Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau had Toronto's first real chance to score on a goal-mouth scramble while on the power play midway through the period, but couldn't get a good shot on a Lack rebound.

James Reimer stopped 39 shots.

PREDATORS 4, JETS 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) - Ryan Johansen kept up his hot play since being traded with a goal and an assist to lead the Nashville Predators over the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 on Thursday night.

Johansen has four goals and nine points in seven games since his trade from Columbus on Jan. 6.

Craig Smith, James Neal and Calle Jarnkrok, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Predators.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored his ninth goal of the season for Winnipeg, which has dropped two straight to start its six-game homestand.

STARS 3, OILERS 1

DALLAS (AP) - Jamie Benn scored his 27th goal, and the Dallas Stars beat the Edmonton Oilers to end a season-high four-game losing streak.

Dallas' Jason Spezza scored in the first period and assisted on Jyrki Jokipakka's goal in the second. Antti Niemi, who made 23 saves, allowed goals by Teddy Purcell on the power play in the second period and Nail Yakupov with 3:03 remaining in the game.

Cam Talbot had 32 saves for Edmonton, which had scored eight goals in splitting the first two games of their three-game trip, but managed only 25 shots on goal against Dallas.

SHARKS 3, COYOTES 1

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Tommy Wingels and Chris Tierney scored first-period goals, Martin Jones stopped 23 shots and the San Jose Sharks beat the slumping Arizona Coyotes.

Patrick Marleau added an empty-net goal as the Sharks extended their points streak to a season-best seven games and moved ahead of the Coyotes into second place in the Pacific Division.

On a night when Arizona honored Shane Doan for recently breaking the franchise's career mark for goals, the captain assisted on Brad Richardson's third-period score. But the Coyotes have managed just four goals in an 0-3-1 stretch.

Capitals-Ducks game moved up due to DC snow

"The Neutral Zone" Roster Report

With Winter Storm Jonas barreling toward the DC area, the NHL has announced the start time of Friday’s game between the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks has been moved from 7pm to 5pm.

Metro service in and out of Verizon Center will remain open until 11 p.m.

All tickets for Friday’s game, originally scheduled for 7pm, will be accepted for the new start time.

Blackhawks trade Garbutt to Ducks for Sekac

"The Neutral Zone" Trade Report

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired forward Jiri Sekac from the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday in a trade for forward Ryan Garbutt.

Sekac is in the final season of his contract and can become a restricted free agent on July 1.

"Probably a good opportunity for both guys," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Get a look and probably more opportunity to play."

Rangers sign free-agent Paille

"The Neutral Zone" Roster Report

Free agent forward Daniel Paille agreed to terms with the New York Rangers on Thursday, general manager Jeff Gorton announced.

Financial terms were not released, it is rumored that Paille agreed on a two-way contract worth $575,000 in the NHL and $100,000 in the American Hockey League. He will travel with the Rangers to Raleigh, N.C., for their game Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes but it's unclear if he'll play, coach Alain Vigneault said.

Recaps of last night's NHL games

BLUES 2, RED WINGS 1

DETROIT - Brian Elliott stopped 29 shots, Dmitri Jaskin scored a key third-period goal, and the St. Louis Blues beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 Wednesday night.

Ty Rattie also scored for St. Louis. Elliott came within 2:13 of becoming the first goalie in 69 games to shut out the Red Wings, but Henrik Zetterberg spoiled his bid with a power-play goal through Justin Abdelkader's screen.

Detroit pulled Petr Mrazek with two minutes left, but their momentum was destroyed when Dylan Larkin took a penalty with 58 seconds to play. Mrazek finished with 18 saves.

AVALANCHE 2, SABRES 1

DENVER (AP) — Francois Beauchemin scored a go-ahead goal with 31.7 seconds left in the third period to lift Colorado past Buffalo.

Alex Tanguay had a goal and an assist and Semyon Varlamov had 27 saves for Colorado. Beauchemin also had an assist.

The Avalanche, who scored twice in the third, went ahead when Beauchemin's shot from the point went off Sabres defenceman Mark Pysyk and beat goalie Robin Lehner high for his sixth of the season.

The Sabres pulled Lehner for an extra attacker but didn't get a shot on goal.

DUCKS 3, WILD 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Rickard Rakell scored the go-ahead goal with 6:19 left in the third period and rookie John Gibson made 25 saves to lead Anaheim past Minnesota.

Chris Stewart also scored for the Ducks, who are 11-2-0 in their last 13 games against Minnesota. Jakob Silfverberg added an empty-netter with 49 seconds remaining.

Jarret Stoll scored for the Wild, who have lost five in a row. Devan Dubnyk stopped 24 shots.

Lightning suspend Drouin for missing AHL game

"The Neutral Zone" Suspension Report

The Tampa Bay Lightning suspended forward Jonathan Drouin indefinitely without pay Wednesday for failing to report to an American Hockey League game between the Syracuse Crunch and Toronto Marlies.

Drouin, the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, has been with Syracuse since Jan. 2. A trade request made on his behalf by his agent in November was revealed the next day.

Tampa Bay said it will have no further comment.

Recapf of last night's NHL games

BLACKAHWKS 4, PREDATORS 1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 Tuesday night for their franchise-record 12th straight win.

Chicago tied the Florida Panthers' recent streak for the longest in the NHL this season. The league record is 17 consecutive wins by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Rookie forward Richard Panik had a goal and an assist, Artem Anisimov also scored and Artemi Panarin added two assists for Chicago. Andrew Desjardins scored into an empty net, and Corey Crawford won his ninth straight.

Ryan Ellis scored for Nashville, which has lost six of seven.

CAPITALS 6, BLUE JACKETS 3

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Nicklas Backstrom scored twice, Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist and Braden Holtby earned his league-leading 30th win to lift NHL-best Washington past last-place Columbus.

Marcus Johansson added a goal and an assist, and Jason Chimera and Andre Burakovsky also scored for the Capitals, off to the best start in franchise history at 35-8-3. Evgeny Kuznetsov had a career-high four assists, and Matt Niskanen chipped in with two. Holtby made 32 saves.

Kerby Rychel had a goal and an assist, and Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray also scored for Columbus, which was attempting to match its longest winning streak of the season at three games.

The Blue Jackets also welcomed back their No. 1 goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, who missed 17 games with a groin injury.

KINGS 3, STARS 2

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Milan Lucic scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Anze Kopitar added two assists to his recent scoring tear during Los Angeles' victory over Dallas.

Vincent Lecavalier scored a power-play goal for the third straight game, and Drew Doughty also scored in Los Angeles' ninth win in 12 games since Christmas. Jonathan Quick made 27 saves for the Kings, who opened a 12-point lead atop the Pacific Division despite playing in their third game in four days.

Ales Hemsky and Cody Eakin scored first-period goals for the Stars, who have lost a season-worst four straight and seven of eight. Kari Lehtonen stopped 26 shots in the playoff contenders' first meeting of the season.

BRUINS 4, CANADIENS 1

MONTREAL (AP) — Patrice Bergeron broke a 1-all tie in the second period and Boston downed slumping Montreal, leaving the Canadiens winless in five games.

Max Talbot, David Pasternak and Brad Marchand, with an empty-net goal, also scored for the Bruins, who won their third straight and avenged a 5-1 loss to Montreal in the Winter Classic on Jan. 1. The teams wore their Winter Classic jerseys in the rematch.

Mark Barberio scored for the Canadiens, who led their division with a 19-4-3 record in early December, but are in a 4-16-1 funk. Montreal outshot the Bruins 39-24.

LIGHTNING 6, OILERS 4

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brian Boyle scored a go-ahead, short-handed goal in the third period and Tampa Bay beat Edmonton to extend its winning streak to a season-high six games.

The Lightning also got goals from Nikita Nesterov, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Killorn.

Tampa Bay will host Chicago on Thursday night in the Blackhawks' first game in Tampa since beating the Lightning in last season's Stanley Cup Final.

Zack Kassian, Mark Letestu, Leon Draisaitl and Iiro Pakarinen scored for Edmonton.

The Oilers said center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, hurt blocking a shot in Monday's win at Florida, will miss six to eight weeks with a hand injury.

MAPLE LEAFS 3, FLYERS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matt Hunwick's slap shot with 7.5 seconds left lifted Toronto over Philadelphia.

Hunwick's first goal of the season snapped Toronto's five-game losing streak. Joffrey Lupul and Roman Polak also scored for the Maple Leafs.

Matt Read and Shayne Gostisbehere scored the Flyers, who lost for just the second time in seven games and failed to crack the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

James Reimer stopped 31 shots for Toronto.

RANGERS 3, CANUCKS 2, OT

NEW YORK (AP) — J.T. Miller scooped up his own rebound and scored on a wraparound 3:54 into overtime, and New York rallied for a victory over Vancouver.

Mats Zuccarello tied the game in the third period for the Rangers, who outshot the Canucks 49-20 — including 19-3 in the third period and overtime.

Derek Stepan also scored for the Rangers, and Henrik Lundqvist made 18 saves.

Ryan Miller was outstanding in defeat for Vancouver. He made 46 saves, one fewer than he had in a win over the New York Islanders on Sunday.

Andrew Burrows and Sven Baertschi scored for the Canucks, who played without captain Henrik Sedin. He is sidelined with an upper-body injury.

DEVILS 4, FLAMES 2

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Cory Schneider made nine of his 26 saves in the third period to lead New Jersey over Calgary.

Adam Larsson, Lee Stempniak, Reid Boucher and Andy Greene scored for the Devils, who have won two straight after dropping three in a row.

Sean Monahan and Kris Russell scored for the Flames, who have lost four of five to drop to 20-21-3. Jonas Hiller stopped 22 shots.

NHL says John Scott will captain Pacific Team in all-star game

"The Neutral Zone" Roster Report

John Scott

Despite a recent trade to Montreal, John Scott will captain the Pacific Division in the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game.

Scott was voted as captain by fans for the game but was traded to the Canadiens soon after.

"I am looking forward to enjoying a fun and unique experience at All-Star Weekend in Nashville with my family," Scott said in a statement released by the league. "While being voted to the All-Star Game by the fans was not something I expected to happen, I am excited to participate in the All-Star events with my fellow players."

The trade from the Coyotes on Friday disappointed did disappoint Scott. 

 "Yeah, obviously," Scott said. "It's something I didn't expect. It came out of thin air for me. I had no idea I was going to get traded. But hey, it is what it is. I had a contract with the Coyotes, and they could trade me wherever they wanted. It's their decision. They wanted to make their team better, and that's what happened."

Senators' Hoffman leaves game VS Sharks with injury

"The Neutral Zone" Injury Report

Mike Hoffman

Ottawa Senators forward Mike Hoffman was injured in the second period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Monday 

Hoffman did not return to the game after the hit.

Hoffman collided with Sharks goalie Alex Stalock in the crease at 5:40 of the second period. Hoffman crashed into the left post with his right shoulder, knocking his helmet off and knocking the net loose.

Senators coach Dave Cameron did not have an update on Hoffman's condition after the game. 

Ottawa won in a shootout, 4-3.