Baertschi lifts Canucks over Avalanche 4-3 in OT

Associated Press

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Sven Baertschi scored 1:07 into overtime and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Tuesday night.

The Swiss forward took a feed in the extra period and ripped his 11th of the season high past Jonathan Bernier's glove.

Bo Horvat, Michael Del Zotto and Daniel Sedin also scored for Vancouver. Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 shots, and Christopher Tanev had three assists.

Gabriel Landeskog scored twice and J.T. Compher had the other goal for Colorado, which got 22 saves from Bernier.

Mikko Rantanen added two assists for the Avalanche, who lost leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon to an upper-body injury in the second period.

Colorado has dropped three in row after winning 10 straight games.

Trailing 3-2 after allowing three straight goals in the second period, the Canucks tied it two minutes into the third when Sedin scored his 12th of the season on a 5-on-3 power play as he fell to the ice.

The Avalanche nearly went back ahead on a man advantage of their own, but Rantanen hit the post behind Markstrom before Sedin also clanged one off the iron behind Bernier a couple of minutes later.

Markstrom made a big stop on Colin Wilson with just more than a minute to go in regulation.

Down 2-0 after the first period, Colorado got on the board at 4:20 of the second when Erik Johnson's shot deflected off Tanev's stick in front and changed direction on its way toward Markstrom. The goalie appeared to try to head butt the puck to safety, but Compher was there to tap home his ninth.

Colorado tied it 2:02 later when Tyson Barrie's shot from the slot that was stopped by Markstrom bounced off Landeskog and in for his 18th.

Vancouver failed to connect on consecutive power plays despite a number of chances, and the Avalanche made the Canucks pay when Landeskog scored his second of the night on a Colorado man advantage at 15:05 with a shot that got stuck behind the middle post in Markstrom's net.

MacKinnon, second in NHL scoring behind Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov with 61 points, was hurt shortly thereafter on a hit from Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler. The 22-year-old appeared to be favoring his left shoulder on the bench before heading to the locker room.

The Canucks opened the scoring at 6:36 of the first after the Avalanche turned the puck over at the offensive blue line.

Thomas Vanek poked the puck ahead to Horvat, who raced past Samuel Girard before beating Bernier low to the blocker side for his 11th - and first in four outings since returning from a broken foot that sidelined Vancouver's top center for 18 games.

Colorado had a chance to get even a couple of minutes later, but Markstrom was there to stop Dominic Toninato on a 2-on-1 rush.

Del Zotto stretched the Canucks' lead to 2-0 at 11:45 when his shot from the point through traffic beat Bernier over his blocker for the defenseman's third of the season.

NOTES: Barrie returned to the lineup after missing 13 games with a broken hand.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

Canucks: Continue a five-game homestand Thursday against Chicago.

Marchessault keys late flurry as Knights stun Flames 4-2

Associated Press

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) -- With a flurry of quick goals in the waning moments, the Vegas Golden Knights rallied for a record-tying victory Tuesday night.

Jonathan Marchessault scored the go-ahead goal and added an assist as the Golden Knights scored three times in the final two minutes for a 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames.

Vegas' 33rd victory tied the 1993-94 Florida Panthers and 1993-94 Anaheim Mighty Ducks for the most by a first-year expansion team. The Golden Knights still have 33 games remaining.

"We're a good team and we deserve a lot of the things that we've gotten," Erik Haula said. "We try to play hard night after night and we have one of the best goalies in the league."

Just 10 seconds after Haula tied it 2-all at 18:14 of the third period, Marchessault got around Mark Giordano and beat Calgary goalie Mike Smith.

David Perron scored into an empty net and Reilly Smith also had a goal for Western Conference-leading Vegas (33-12-4) in the opener of a six-game road trip.

Matthew Tkachuk got his seventh goal in the last eight games for the Flames (25-17-8), who lost in regulation for the first time in 12 games. They had gone 7-0-4 since last losing in regulation on Dec. 29.

Sam Bennett also scored for Calgary.

The tying goal was a bizarre one. Flames forward Michael Frolik got the puck in his own end and, in trying to pass it back to a defenseman, put the puck on Calgary's net instead. Mike Smith stopped it with his pad but Haula knocked in the rebound, stunning the home crowd.

"My fault," said Frolik, who was playing his first game after missing 12 with a broken jaw. "Puck came to me and I panicked a little bit. I should have turned and cleared the puck from our zone, and I saw (TJ Brodie) there and I just tried to pass it to him, but I passed it to his backhand. You guys saw what happened. An awful play."

Off the ensuing faceoff, Marchessault got the puck off the boards, darted around Giordano and beat Mike Smith over his glove.

"Like the rest of you, I'm a little bit in shock," Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said. "It's games like this. They sting. They hurt. They hurt every guy. They hurt everybody here. But it's how you react to it, and the good teams can get back after a tough one like this, and that's what we're going to have to do."

It was the first time in the last two seasons that Calgary lost in regulation when leading after two periods. The Flames had been 50-0-3 during that stretch.

"It's tough to swallow," said Bennett, who scored his seventh goal. "We played a great game up until the last two minutes. It shows you what can happen if you take your foot off for a second."

Calgary took a 2-1 lead at 18:43 of the second on a beautiful wraparound goal by Tkachuk.

The 20-year-old faked as though he was carrying the puck behind the net and spun back in the other direction. Not realizing that, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury left both feet to desperately dive headfirst toward the far post, only for Tkachuk to tuck the puck inside the near post.

Trailing 1-0 after the first period, the Flames tied it 6:02 into the second when Bennett slid a puck under Fleury as he cut in off the wing.

Vegas opened the scoring at 16:03 of the first when its sizzling power play converted its first try of the night. As he skated through the slot, Reilly Smith deflected Marchessault's point shot past Mike Smith.

Mike Smith responded right after that with perhaps his biggest stop of the night. Less than 20 seconds later, William Karlsson got behind the Calgary defense, but as he attempted a deke, Mike Smith smothered the shot with his trapper.

Mike Smith finished with 31 stops and fell to 20-14-6.

Fleury, tested 33 times, improved to 13-4-2.

NOTES: Frolik returned to his spot on a line with Mikael Backlund and Tkachuk. ... It was the first of four matchups between the teams this season. ... Haula and Perron extended their point streaks to six games.

UP NEXT

Golden Knights: Play at Winnipeg on Thursday night.

Flames: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.

Kuemper makes 28 saves, Kings shut out Stars 3-0

Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) -- Darcy Kuemper picked up his ninth career shutout. He handed off the credit to his teammates with the Los Angeles Kings.

Kuemper made 28 saves to help Los Angeles beat the Dallas Stars 3-0 on Tuesday night.

"The guys made it so easy in front of me that it was just fun to go out there and play," he said.

The 27-year-old Kuemper made his second straight start in place of Jonathan Quick, who is out with an upper-body injury. Kuemper got his second shutout and improved to 7-1-3 in his first season with Los Angeles.

"I'm just excited for the opportunity to play a couple in a row," Kuemper said.

Paul LaDue, Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez scored as Los Angeles (27-18-5) earned its second straight win. The Kings are among a group of playoff contenders with 59 points, one point behind Dallas.

Ben Bishop made 39 saves for the Stars (28-19-4), who dropped their second straight game, but retained a tenuous one-point lead for the Western Conference's first wild card.

"I think the desperation of playing a team ahead of us in the standings really brought the best out of us tonight," Kuemper said. "Against a line as scary as their top line is, we hardly gave them anything."

Dallas star Jamie Benn did not record a shot on goal. Alexander Radulov, who came into the night with 16 points in nine games, and Tyler Seguin failed to connect on any of their eight shots.

"I thought tonight we were the worst group of guys out there," Seguin said.

The Stars have been outscored 7-1 in their last two games, including a 4-1 loss to Toronto right before the All-Star break.

"The game before the break (Toronto) came in and checked us hard with no response, and today the same thing," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. "So the concern is how do we respond to getting played hard. Instead of getting excited and digging in, we go the other way."

Dallas came up empty on each of its four power plays against the NHL's best penalty killers.

"(Dustin Brown) does the job on the penalty kill, and he's done that all year," Kings coach John Stevens said. "He's critical to the success on the power play, taking a beating in net front."

LaDue scored his first NHL goal just 3:05 into the game. Anze Kopitar skated from behind the net almost to the left point and passed across to LaDue in the right faceoff circle. He sent a wrist shot inside the left goalpost.

"I kind of saw a spot open and just tried to shoot to that part of the net," LaDue said. "It ended up making it through a few sticks and into the net."

Los Angeles increased its lead to 2-0 after Radulov was sent off for holding a stick in the second. Doughty's shot from above the right circle deflected in off Bishop as Stars defenseman Stephen Johns tried to prevent the puck from crossing the goal line.

The Kings were unable to score during a four-minute power play midway through the second. Los Angeles stopped two Dallas power plays in the closing minutes of the period and the first minute of the third.

Nine seconds after Brown left the penalty box, Martinez scored on a snap shot from the left circle.

NOTES: Brown had 11 shots on goal. . Los Angeles has stopped 86 percent of opponents' power plays. ... Quick is on injured reserve. ... LaDue's goal was his first in 24 career games. His father, Jay, got to see the goal because the Kings' dads made the trip to Dallas. ... Stars D Dan Hamhuis played in his 1,000th career game.

UP NEXT

Kings: Visit Nashville on Thursday.

Stars: Travel to Arizona for a game on Thursday.

Hutchinson wins 1st start of season, Jets top Lightning 3-1

Associated Press

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) -- Michael Hutchinson wasn't about to miss his chance to play in an All-Star Game, albeit in the minor leagues.

Even if that meant arriving in Winnipeg only seven hours before a rare appearance in net for the Jets.

Hutchinson made 23 saves in his first NHL start of the season to help Winnipeg beat the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 on Tuesday night.

Both teams let their starting goaltenders - ranked first and second in wins - have a night off after they took part in last weekend's NHL All-Star festivities at Tampa Bay.

Hutchinson was replacing Connor Hellebuyck after his own All-Star appearance - in the AHL showcase Monday at Utica, New York. Hutchinson said he took a 7 a.m. flight through Chicago, slept on the plane and got into Winnipeg just before noon.

"It's my eighth year of pro hockey and I've never played in an All-Star Game before," he said after his 100th NHL game. "They don't happen every year.

"So who knows? I might never get another chance to play in one. So I felt it was a good opportunity where I could make it and do both. I felt I could have success in both games."

Hutchinson was sent to the Manitoba Moose after training camp and acknowledged after his recent recall that he was upset by the move.

"You always have a little bit of a chip on your shoulder with the way the season's been going, but when you're out there you don't think about it at all," he said after the game.

Patrik Laine scored his team-leading 23rd goal for the Jets (30-13-8). Kyle Connor and Bryan Little also scored, and Blake Wheeler had two assists.

It was the first of 10 straight home games for the Jets, who have won seven in a row at Bell MTS Place and are 18-3-1 there this season.

Rookie forward Matthew Peca scored for Tampa Bay (34-13-3), which had its three-game winning streak snapped.

Louis Domingue played his 10th game of the season for the Lightning in place of NHL-leading goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and stopped 34 shots.

The Lightning had a welcome addition to the roster with defenseman Victor Hedman back for his first game since injuring a knee on Jan. 11. He was expected to miss three to six weeks and had sat out five games.

Hedman, who played 25 minutes, said he felt good but expected better. His teammates were happy to see him back.

"He's a guy you can't replace," forward Tyler Johnson said. "We thought it was going to be a lot worse, and then you see him come back at three weeks. He's a guy that works extremely hard. He rehabs hard."

The Jets were starting a stretch without defenseman Jacob Trouba, who's out six to eight weeks with an ankle injury.

Playing his fourth NHL game this season, Peca took a slick pass from Brayden Point and put a shot past Hutchinson with 29 seconds left in the first period. Peca had been invited to the AHL All-Star Game, but decided not to go. He was called up from Syracuse on Jan. 21 for the first time this season after playing 10 games with the Lightning last year.

Winnipeg got a two-man advantage early in the second after Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn went off for tripping at 2:43 and teammate Chris Kunitz followed with a delay of game 12 seconds later.

Wheeler sent a cross-ice pass to Laine in the middle of the faceoff circle 35 seconds later and he ripped a high shot past Domingue at 3:30 to tie it 1-all. It was his 12th power-play goal of the season.

Eight seconds after another Winnipeg power play was over, Connor scored his 16th when he jammed the puck in during a scramble in front at 8:35.

Little's goal off a rebound with 5:25 left in the third had the crowd roaring. Tampa Bay soon went on a power play, but Alex Killorn rang a shot off the post.

Jets coach Paul Maurice wasn't making any predictions about Hutchinson's role down the road, saying his team's depth in the crease is key.

"The backup role is very unforgiving, so you need to go in and have success," he said. "(Hutchinson) was here when we got real young for a couple years and it was tough standing in between the pipes certain nights and his numbers reflected that. Now, he got to play behind a pretty good team tonight, as well, and against a good team and he played well."

NOTES: The Jets were 1 for 4 on the power play and the Lightning 0 for 4.

UP NEXT

Lightning: At the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Jets: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.

Forsberg, Hinostroza lead Blackhawks past Predators 2-1

By JIM DIAMOND
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Chicago Blackhawks turned away a big charge by the Nashville Predators down the stretch.

Anton Forsberg led the way.

Forsberg made 22 of his career-high 42 saves in the third period, helping the Blackhawks beat the Predators 2-1 on Tuesday night.

"Today we actually worked as a team," said Forsberg, who is sharing the goal with Jeff Glass while Corey Crawford is out with an upper-body injury. "We did a really good job of keeping most of the shots outside. I know it was a lot of shots, but it didn't feel like it was that many hard scoring chances, so that way I think it was a team effort."

Last-place Chicago, which needs a big finish to get into the playoffs, returned from the All-Star break with its second straight win. Vinnie Hinostroza had a goal and an assist and David Kampf also scored for the Blackhawks.

Kyle Turris had Nashville's only goal and Juuse Saros made 29 saves. The Predators lost in regulation for the first time since Jan. 2.

"They just didn't go in," coach Peter Laviolette said. "At the end of the day, there's probably close to 30 chances there and we scored one goal, so that's not enough. We were OK, we were good enough, we kept it to two goals against a team that can score goals, but we couldn't score. We had lots of chances."

Kampf got the lead for the Blackhawks at 3:03 of the first.

On the right boards, Tomas Jurco knocked down an attempted clear by Saros and kicked the puck toward Hinostroza in the right circle. Hinostroza poked the puck off Nashville defenseman Roman Josi, and Kampf beat Saros with a wrist shot high to the glove side.

Turris tied it with his ninth goal 2:12 into the second.

Craig Smith forced a turnover by Forsberg behind the Chicago net. Smith passed to Scott Hartnell below the goal line, and he fed Turris all alone in the slot for his first goal since Dec. 29.

"Especially at home, we like to start fast and get on top of teams and we didn't do that," Turris said. "We talked about it being a big, important, division game against a really good team, and we knew that they were going to come out hot and we had to match that. It was just a slow start, and we have to do better than that."

Hinostroza got the eventual game-winner at 14:33 of the second.

Inside the Chicago blue line, Patrick Kane absorbed a hit from Nashville's Miikka Salomaki but was able to move the puck to Nick Schmaltz. Schmaltz then carried it into the Nashville zone on the right side and sent a pass to Hinostroza at the top of the right faceoff circle. Aided by a screen from Predators defenseman Matt Irwin, Hinostroza fired a one-timer by Saros on the far side.

Kane's assist was his 30th of the season.

"One of the best players in the league is taking a hit to make a play, making unselfish plays goes such a long way," Hinostroza said. "He made a great play, (Schmaltz) made a great pass and I was fortunate to see that go in. The more guys we have sacrificing themselves for the team, the better we're going to do."

Nashville made a furious push to tie it in the third, but Forsberg stepped up for Chicago. He made one of his best plays with 1:30 remaining, denying Calle Jarnkrok's try from the low slot.

"He was great tonight," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "First 40 minutes we were all right in the game, but we certainly put him through a different task the last 20. I thought they had some great looks and the opportunities they had on rebounds would have been in the net, but he absorbed a lot of pucks from point-blank positioning."

NOTES: Salomaki played his 100th career NHL game. ... The Predators are 0-10-2 when trailing after two periods this season. ... Hinostroza has points in three consecutive games. ... All four games in this season's series between the teams have been decided by one goal, with each team winning two games.

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: At Vancouver on Thursday.

Predators: Host Los Angeles on Thursday.

Hutton continues to roll, Blues shut down Canadiens 3-1

By STEVE OVERBEY
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Carter Hutton insists his recent run is not the result of a new strategy or a different outlook.

"I'm the same goalie, I'm just playing more," Hutton said.

And winning, too.

Hutton stopped 33 shots in his sixth straight start, helping the St. Louis Blues beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 on Tuesday night.

The 32-year-old Hutton appears to have supplanted Jake Allen as St. Louis' No. 1 goaltender. He is 8-1-1 in his last 10 starts and has stopped 94 of 96 shots over the last three games.

"When you get a chance to play some games you have to play well," Hutton said. "Before I was playing well every two weeks. Now, I'm getting more chances."

St. Louis coach Mike Yeo said the team still has plans for Allen, but he acknowledged he can't sit Hutton down while he is on a big-time roll.

"It's a mixture of confidence and desire to stay in there," Yeo said. "He's doing a great job."

Montreal captain Max Pacioretty said Hutton was the difference.

"We just weren't able to solve (Hutton) enough to give us a chance to win," Pacioretty said.

St. Louis has won five of six overall. The struggling Canadiens have lost 11 of 15.

Ivan Barbashev, Patrik Berglund and Alexander Steen scored for St. Louis, which has won its last five games against Montreal.

Charles Hudon broke up Hutton's shutout bid with a 6-on-4 goal with 1:07 remaining.

Barbashev snapped a scoreless tie with his second goal of the season early in the second period. He whipped a wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle past goalie Carey Price, who fell to 14-18-4. Barbashev spent 21 games in the minors earlier this season.

"I've got a better pace since the start of the season," Barbashev said. "It makes me feel more comfortable out there."

Berglund pushed the lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal early in the third. He jumped on the rebound of a shot by Tage Thompson.

Steen added an empty-netter with 2:17 left.

Montreal is 2-4-2 in its last eight games and remains 10 points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"We're not looking for moral victories, we're looking for points," Pacioretty said. "Really what we need are answers among ourselves about how to win hockey games."

Montreal winger Paul Byron left the ice after being shoved into the boards late in the third period. Coach Claude Julien said the injury does not appear to be "overly alarming."

NOTES: Montreal C Phillip Danault missed his seventh consecutive game with a concussion. ... The Blues have earned at least one point in eight of their last 10 games against Montreal. ... Canadiens D Joe Morrow returned to the lineup in place of Jordie Benn. Morrow had been a healthy scratch in the previous seven games. ... The Canadiens recorded the first nine shots of the game.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Visit Carolina on Thursday.

Blues: Visit Boston on Thursday.

Wild get rare road win, top Blue Jackets 3-2 in shootout

By NICOLE KRAFT
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- It was a long night on the road for the Minnesota Wild.

This time, it was worth it.

Zach Parise and Chris Stewart scored in the shootout, and the Wild beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Tuesday.

Devan Dubnyk had 28 saves for Minnesota (27-18-5), which earned its 10th road win of the season. Jason Zucker scored his 20th goal, and Charlie Coyle added his fifth in the third period.

"It's been a tough go on the road," Dubnyk said. "We all felt it. We all talked about it. There is nothing we can say to make it go away. We just need to go play better.

"It was a good start for us tonight."

Columbus (27-19-4) lost for the fourth time in six games. Sergei Bobrovsky made 41 stops, Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist and David Savard scored his third of the season.

Savard got the lead for the Blue Jackets when he scored on a top-shelf shot from the blue line just 1:16 into the game, surprising Dubnyk. Dean Kukan got an assist on the play for his first NHL point.

Savard had a chance for another goal at 12:19, but it was waved off for a distinct kicking motion.

Minnesota got on the board with a power-play goal at 4:25 of the second. Zucker beat Bobrovsky in a battle for the puck in the crease, matching Eric Staal for the team lead in goals and extending his point streak to seven games.

"The first 10 minutes of the second period was a perfect road game," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Getting it deep, shooting at the net ... doing all the simple things."

The Wild jumped in front when Coyle scored right after his team killed off a Stewart slashing penalty, but the Blue Jackets responded.

With Zucker in the box for delay of game, Panarin scored his 13th of the season at 14:48 on a shot from the right circle.

Panarin also scored Columbus' only goal in the shootout, which went four rounds.

"We can't have so many ebbs and flows in the game," Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. "There are already enough to begin with. It can't come from us.

"Look at our effort in the first period, dominating. The second period hits, and our effort goes away. They come right way and start dictating."

NOTES: The Wild play three of their next four games on the road. ... Blue Jackets F Brandon Dubinsky returned after missing 18 games with an orbital fracture. He played almost 15 minutes and was a plus-one.

UP NEXT

Wild: Hosts Vegas on Friday.

Blue Jackets: Host San Jose on Friday.

Aho, Hurricanes beat Senators 2-1

Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Sebastian Aho was itching to get back on the ice after missing two weeks with a concussion and a knee injury.

He celebrated with a big goal for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Aho and Victor Rask scored in the third period, helping the Hurricanes top the slumping Ottawa Senators 2-1 on Tuesday night.

"I was very excited. I've been waiting for this since I got hurt," Aho said. "It felt really good to get that goal."

Cam Ward made 29 saves for Carolina in the opener of a season-long eight-game homestand. The Hurricanes returned from the All-Star break with their second straight win after dropping six of eight.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored and Craig Anderson made 37 saves for the Senators, who have lost six in a row. Ottawa hit three posts, including two in the first period.

"I really think we deserved to get out of this with at least one point," coach Guy Boucher said. "I really thought after two periods we had a chance to win this one."

Pageau put Ottawa in front with his seventh goal in the second, but Carolina responded with a big rally in the final period.

Aho took a drop pass from Teuvo Teravainen at the blue line and fired a slap shot that deflected off the stick of Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot and past Anderson. Aho, who leads Carolina with 17 goals, had missed four straight games after a collision with Calgary's Marc Giordano on Jan. 14.

"It was awesome to see him out there," Ward said. "I was really impressed with the way that he played and the way he handled himself when he was injured too. I assumed he was going to be out longer, and here we are. He wanted to play. He wants to be an impact player and we need him out there. Obviously as a team we were excited that he's back."

New Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon opened the lower seating bowl at PNC Arena to all ticket holders in an effort to create a better home atmosphere, and the Hurricanes reaped the benefits down the stretch.

After Aho's goal energized the crowd, the Hurricanes maintained their momentum and Rask fired a power-play wrist shot from the left faceoff circle past Anderson on the goaltender's stick side at 11:32.

Ward finished it off, making two stops in the final seconds to secure the victory.

NOTES: Aho had no apparent issues in his return, playing 19:03. ... Ottawa D Erik Karlsson reached 300 career penalty minutes when he was called for hooking in the first period. ... The Senators scratched D Erik Burgdoerfer and C Filip Chlapik. ... The Hurricanes scratched D Klas Dahlbeck, F Josh Jooris and F Phillip Di Giuseppe.

UP NEXT

Senators: Return home to host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

Hurricanes: Continue their homestand against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Malkin's hat trick powers Penguins past Sharks 5-2

By WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Matt Murray wanted to feel a sense of normalcy, so the Pittsburgh Penguins goalie went back to work Tuesday night for the first time since his father, James, died this month.

"I just tried to come in and forget about the fact I hadn't played in a while and try to get lost in the game," Murray said.

There were no outward signs of emotion. No tears. That's simply not the understated Murray's way. Looking as sharp as he has all season, the 23-year-old Murray stopped 40 shots in a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, including a handful of spectacular stops early that kept the Penguins in it long enough to rally for their eighth win in 10 games.

"Matt's a mature kid," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's grounded. I think he has good perspective on where he's at and the opportunity in front of him."

Murray took a leave of absence following his father's death on Jan. 16. He returned last week but stayed out of the lineup while rookie Casey DeSmith filled in capably as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions have slowly pulled themselves out of an early-season funk.

By Tuesday morning, Murray was ready to go and he responded by looking very much like the player who backstopped the Penguins to consecutive championships, including a six-game triumph over San Jose in the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.

"We try to support him and know it's huge game for him and hope it gives him a little like push, little bit of confidence," center Evgeni Malkin said.

Malkin did his part, picking up his 12th career hat trick over the final 20:04. The Russian star's 24th goal of the season late in the second period tied it. His 25th early in the third gave Pittsburgh the lead for good and his 26th rolled into an empty net with just more than a minute remaining.

"Like last couple weeks, I feel like I'm so lucky, but it's fine," Malkin said. "It helps the team to win. I feel like my shots, it's coming."

Brent Burns and Logan Couture scored power-play goals for the Sharks but San Jose dropped its second straight game without Joe Thornton, who is out indefinitely with a right leg injury.

Martin Jones finished with 26 saves but also gave the puck away behind the San Jose net in the third period. Patric Hornqvist intercepted Jones' sloppy clearing attempt and fed it in front to a streaking Malkin, who had little trouble putting it into an open net 6:01 into the third.

"You can't beat yourself on the road, let alone going into the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions' building, and that's exactly what we did," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said.

Bryan Rust, hindered by injuries this season, scored twice and nearly beat Malkin to a hat trick but his attempt at an empty-netter clanged off the crossbar. Moments later, Malkin didn't miss.

"I won't hear the end of that for a while," Rust said with a laugh.

Rust's first goal since Nov. 27 on a slick backhand that slid by Jones gave Pittsburgh the lead 11:09 into the first, but the Sharks used a pair of power-play goals in the second to surge ahead. Burns slipped a wrist shot from the point through traffic to tie it at the game's midway point, and Couture pounded home a rebound 18:35 into the second for his 200th career goal.

San Jose's momentum didn't last.

With time winding down in the second, Burns tried a backhand clear behind the San Jose net that Pittsburgh's Phil Kessel chased down in the corner before feeding it to Malkin, who ripped it by Jones with just four seconds left to even things up and give the Penguins a serious boost.

"There are mistakes here and there," Couture said. "Mistakes happen. They scored on a couple tonight. Next game, that probably won't happen. Or next game, we'll probably get those ones. So, I thought we played really well."

NOTES: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby got an assist on Malkin's empty-netter to extend his point streak to 10 games. ... Malkin played in his 754th career game, passing Jean Provonost for fourth-most in franchise history. ... The Sharks scratched forward Jannik Hansen, C Daniel O'Regan and D Tim Heed. The Penguins scratched D Chad Ruhwedel, D Matt Hunwick and forward Ryan Reaves. ... Pittsburgh went 0 for 3 on the power play. The Sharks were 2 for 5 with the man advantage.

UP NEXT

Sharks: Continue their five-game road trip Wednesday in Detroit.

Penguins: Host the Washington Capitals on Friday.

Sateri gets 1st career win as Panthers beat Islanders 4-1

By VIN A. CHERWOO
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Harri Sateri had a long road to the NHL, and he was all smiles after his first career victory.

The 28-year-old rookie stopped 32 shots to help the Florida Panthers beat the New York Islanders 4-1 Tuesday night.

Selected by San Jose in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL draft, the native of Finland spent four seasons in the minors before playing the last three years with Podolsk Vityaz of the KHL. He made his NHL debut Jan. 2 at Minnesota and got his fourth straight start against the Islanders with Roberto Luongo and James Reimer sidelined by lower-body injuries.

"It's a dream come true," Sateri said of his first win after coming in 0-3-0 with 4.59 goals-against average. "Finally I'm here."

Mike Matheson, Evgenii Dadonov, Keith Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau scored for Florida, which snapped a three-game skid and improved to 3-6-1 since closing December with five straight victories.

"We were on top of them all night, we didn't allow a lot of outnumbered rushes," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. "We tracked really well in the neutral zone, we squeezed well and we denied a lot of entries. I thought that was the difference."

Adam Pelech scored for the Islanders, who have lost four of six. Jaroslav Halak, starting for the sixth straight game and 15th in the last 17, finished with 36 saves.

"We just weren't executing that well and just weren't as quick to pucks as we needed to be," New York captain John Tavares said. "We just didn't make it tough enough on their goaltender. We just didn't have our best today."

Florida was in control from the start. Yandle increased the lead to 3-0 on a long slap shot from the left point near the blue line at 4:14 of the third period. It was his fifth goal of the season.

Pelech, playing in his 100th career game, ended Sateri's shutout bid 55 seconds later with his second.

Sateri had to make several nice stops down the stretch to preserve the two-goal lead, including two saves on Anders Lee with about 8 1/2 minutes to go, a wrist shot in front by Brock Nelson 90 seconds later, and a tip by Lee with 6 1/2 minutes left.

"He's played well enough for us to win, we just haven't been able to be good enough for him," Yandle said. "I thought tonight he was awesome. We played well enough to get him a win."

Huberdeau added his 17th with 1:11 remaining. It was his eighth goal and 16th point in the last 14 games.

The win moved the Panthers 10 points behind Philadelphia for the last wild card in the Eastern Conference. The New York Rangers, Islanders and Carolina are also in front of Florida, all bunched up within two points of the Flyers.

"No one's waving the white flag here," Boughner said. "I'm going to scrape every point we can. Tonight was a great start for that after the All-Star break."

Matheson got Florida on the board 8:57 into the game with a hard wrist shot from the right point that ricocheted off the back of the crossbar and back out. Matheson's fifth of the season was confirmed after a video review.

Dadonov made it 2-0 with 5:20 left in the second when he scored on a wraparound inside the right post. It was Dadonov's fourth goal and ninth point in his last nine games.

NOTES: Former Islanders great John Tonelli took part in the ceremonial puck drop before the game. Tonelli was on the Islanders' four Stanley Cup championship teams from 1980-83 and had 206 goals and 338 assists in seven seasons in New York. ... Former Islanders coach Jack Capuano, now the associate coach under Boughner, returned to Brooklyn for the first time since he was fired Jan. 17, 2017. Capuano spent 6 1/2 seasons as head coach of the Islanders, leading them to their first postseason win since 1993 when they beat Florida in the first round of the 2016 playoffs. He received mild applause when he was announced during a brief tribute on the videoboard during a timeout in the first period. ... Islanders C Casey Cizikas was activated off IR and returned after missing six games with an upper-body injury. He was the left wing on the third line with Brock Nelson and Alan Quine. ... Tavares played in his 638th game, tying Derek King for 10th place on franchise list.

UP NEXT

Panthers: At Buffalo on Thursday night

Islanders: At Toronto on Wednesday night.

Devils snap 4-game skid with 3-1 win over Sabres

By JOHN WAWROW
AP Hockey Writer

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Following the Devils' pregame skate Tuesday, forward Taylor Hall wasn't sure what to expect upon returning to the lineup after missing three games with a sore right thumb.

Nothing appeared to be bothering New Jersey's top offensive threat come the third period, when Hall fired in a shot from the left circle for the decisive goal in a 3-1 win over Buffalo. Sabres goalie Robin Lehner actually got a piece of the shot with his glove, but the puck still had enough momentum to trickle behind him.

"Sometimes you get in the game and adrenaline takes over and you find a way to feel good," Hall said afterward. "Not to make myself sound like a warrior, but you play through stuff, and a lot of the guys in this room are."

The Devils have plenty to feel better about in coming out of the NHL All-Star break by snapping a four-game skid that included two shutout losses.

Kyle Palmieri scored an empty-net goal and added an assist, and Miles Wood also scored in a game the Devils never trailed. Backup goalie Keith Kinkaid stopped 27 shots in his first game since missing three with a groin injury. He started in place of Cory Schneider, who missed his fourth game since also hurting his groin.

This was the type of fresh start veteran defenseman Andy Greene hoped the Devils would get after a four-day break, and following a difficult stretch in which they went 2-7-3.

"It's a mental reset and that was important for us," Greene said. "This is only one game, but hopefully this is the start of a good run here."

The Sabres, by comparison, reverted to their past troubles by continuing their home woes while failing to build off the momentum of sweeping a three-game swing through Western Canada.

Jake McCabe scored a power-play goal, and the Eastern Conference's last-place team opened a five-game homestand with a loss that dropped the Sabres to 6-13-2 in Buffalo. That doesn't include a 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic at Citi Field, which was considered a Sabres "home" game.

"It's tough. We want to bring that hockey that we showed that we can play out west to this arena," McCabe said of a road trip in which the Sabres outscored their opponents by a combined 11-1. "We need to bring that for our fans and for this city. And tonight's unacceptable."

McCabe's goal cut the Devils' lead to 2-1 with 5:02 remaining. The Sabres were unable to capitalize on their fourth and final power-play opportunity when Devils rookie Nico Hischier was penalized for cross-checking with 2:45 remaining.

Kinkaid made a key save during a scramble in front with 1:30 left. He reached out with his left arm to turn aside Ryan O'Reilly's chance from in close.

Wood opened the scoring 5:49 into the second period by bursting up the left wing and then cutting through the crease to backhand the puck into the open right side.

Lehner, who finished with 25 saves, set a career best with his shutout streak that ended at 145 minutes and 15 seconds, topping his previous best by more than 19 minutes. He had stopped a combined 63 shots in a 5-0 win over Edmonton and a 4-0 victory over Vancouver last week.

Wood's goal also ended the shutout streak shared by Lehner and backup Chad Johnson at 199:19 - a little under 27 minutes short of the franchise record.

NOTES: Before the game, the Sabres held a moment of silence in tribute to USA Hockey executive Jim Johannson, who died unexpectedly on Jan. 21. General manager Jason Botterill, U.S.-born coach Phil Housley and forward Jack Eichel spoke fondly of Johannson in a video broadcast on the scoreboard. Housley referred to Johannson as "the classiest guy you'd ever want to meet." ... Devils coach John Hynes said Schneider is scheduled to begin skating on his own in the next day or so. ... In discussing the Devils' skid earlier in the day, Hall provided an amusing quote that didn't exactly add up by saying: "Hockey's a funny game. It goes in 10-game segments. We started off 9-2 and then in our last 11, I think we're 2-9-2. So what team are we?"

UP NEXT

Devils: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

Sabres: Host the Florida Panthers on Thursday.

Henrique scores twice, Ducks end Bruins' streak with 3-1 win

By DOUG ALDEN
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) -- A quick start for the Anaheim Ducks finished Boston's run of 18 straight games with a point.

Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg scored in the first period, when Anaheim held Boston to just five shots, and the Ducks held on for a 3-1 victory Tuesday night.

"We did a good job in the first period. We had some jump going," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.

The Ducks became the first team to beat the Bruins in regulation since Washington's 5-3 win Dec. 14 at Boston. Cam Fowler and Rickard Rakell had two assists apiece for Anaheim.

John Gibson stopped all 25 shots he faced before leaving in the third period after taking a puck off his chest earlier in the period. Ryan Miller played the final 7:25 and nearly completed a shutout for the Ducks before Ryan Spooner scored for Boston with 41 seconds left.

"We're trying to get on a streak of our own. I think we've been trending in the right direction with our hockey," Miller said.

Henrique scored into an empty net with 6.1 seconds remaining to seal it for the Ducks, who halted Boston's five-game winning streak and a stretch of 18 games with at least one point (14-0-4), which tied for the second-longest in franchise history.

"At some point it's going to happen. Hopefully we realize we need to be good from when they drop the puck," Bruins center Patrice Bergeron said. "We weren't moving our feet at the beginning. We had no forecheck or sustained pressure."

Anton Khudobin stopped 24 shots for the Bruins, who never recovered after being outshot 15-5 in the first period and falling behind 2-0 on goals by Silfverberg and Henrique.

"I thought we did a good job of that, controlling the play and obviously coming out with the lead," Henrique said. "Especially against this team at home, with the way they've been playing for a really long time, it was a big start for us."

The Ducks have won eight straight against the Bruins, who haven't beaten Anaheim since a 3-2 shootout win on Oct. 21, 2013.

The Bruins, who got away with several slow starts while riding their streak into the All-Star break, could not rally this time.

"It was disappointing the way we came out. We got the result that shows for it," Bergeron said. "You're not going to be able to get back in games every time."

Anaheim took a 1-0 lead when Khudobin couldn't quite hang onto a long backhand by Fowler. The puck fell from Khudobin's glove and slid across the crease, where it appeared to be knocked in by Bruins captain Zdeno Chara as he went crashing into his own net 9:04 into the game. Silfverberg was credited with the goal and assists went to Fowler and Rakell, who set up the Ducks' second goal a few minutes later when Henrique scored.

The Ducks were on a power play and worked the puck around the corners, then to Henrique in the right circle for a wrist shot that beat Khudobin on the stick side at 13:59.

"We get a bounce that went our way and then we scored a power-play goal to give us a 2-0 game and we kind of rode that the rest of the way," Carlyle said. "I think we were guilty of trying to play too cute in the second. We had opportunities to direct pucks toward the net and we decided to pass off. We got a little bit sloppy in the neutral ice with turnovers. We can't do that."

Gibson needed a few minutes to regroup after a hard shot from Bergeron hit him in the ribs early in the third, then ended up leaving with 7:25 left and was replaced by Miller.

"He looked like he was kind of having a little trouble. Hopefully it's nothing that's going to affect him too long," Miller said.

NOTES: The Ducks opened a five-game road trip against Atlantic Division teams. ... Boston LW Anders Bjork left after the first period with an upper-body injury. ... Boston was without leading scorer Brad Marchand, who sat out the second of a five-game suspension for throwing an elbow last week against New Jersey.

UP NEXT

Ducks: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.

Bruins: Host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.

Jaromir Jagr clears waivers, expected to play in Czech league

Jaromir Jagr cleared waivers on Monday after the Calgary Flames placed him on waivers Sunday.

Jagr, 45 is expected to play in the Czech Republic. But his future in the NHL is uncertain.

Jagr has posted 766 goals (3rd all-time), 1155 assists, (5th all-time) for 1921 points (2nd all-time) in 1733 career NHL games played (3rd all-time).

He has a resume of two Stanley Cups, three Lester B. Pearson Awards, one Hart Trophy,  and one Masterton Trophy.

Rakell, Boeser lead Pacific Division to NHL All-Star win

By FRED GOODALL
AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Vancouver's Brock Boeser was more than happy to just be at the NHL All-Star game, mingling with some of the high-profile players he grew up admiring.

Leaving Amalie Arena as the first rookie to take MVP honors since Mario Lemieux in 1985 on Sunday far exceeded anything he imagined possible.

"Shocked," the 20-year-old said Canucks star said, describing his reaction. "I never would have dreamt this any time in life."

Rickard Rakell had two goals and Boeser, Johnny Gaudreau and Drew Doughty also scored to help the Pacific Division beat the Atlantic 5-2 in the championship game of a four-team divisional tournament played in an entertaining three-on-three format adopted for the All-Star game in 2016.

The NHL's leading rookie scorer with 24 goals and 19 assists for the Canucks also had a helper in the final after scoring to put his team ahead for good in the Pacific's 5-2 semifinal victory over the Central Division.

"I was definitely nervous coming into it," said Boeser, the only rookie among 15 first-time All-Stars. "(I said) enjoy this, just have fun, smile. That's what I did."

Goalies Marc-Andre Fleury and Mike Smith teamed to allow just four goals in the two games the Pacific won to claim the $1 million winner-take-all prize.

Mike Green had two goals for the Atlantic, one off both Fleury and Smith in the final.

Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov had three goals in the Atlantic's 7-4 semifinal win over the Metropolitan Division, however the Lightning's young star was shut out in the championship game.

"After we saw that we won the first game, we said we needed to tighten up a little bit and play a little harder there for the cash," said Gaudreau, who plays for the Calgary Flames.

"We made sure we were ready to go. (Because) now there's something to play for in the finals," said Smith, who stopped six of seven shots in the second half. "Our guys did a good job to up the tempo."

All-Star weekend began with a free outdoor concert headlined by Fitz and the Tantrums and also featured a three-day fun fest for fans, as well as the annual skills competition that wrapped up Saturday's festivities.

Adding spice and a unique flavor to the experience was Tampa's annual Gasparilla Pirate Invasion, which drew what officials estimated as an additional 200,000 people to the downtown waterfront for a parade and other activities.

Players walked the red carpet, posing for pictures and signing autographs before entering Amalie Arena for the first All-Star game played in Tampa since 1999, the last of Wayne Gretzky's 18 appearances in the midseason showcase that shifts to San Jose, California, next season.

"Tampa proved it's a great hockey town," said Lightning first-time All-Star Brayden Point, added to the game because of an injury to Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman. "It's awesome."

With the Lightning's Jon Cooper coaching the Atlantic Division, and the team with the NHL's best record represented by a league-high four players, the sellout crowd of 19,092 roared its approval when the Atlantic-Metropolitan semifinal began with goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, plus Kucherov, Point and Steven Stamkos on the ice at the same time.

Kucherov's hat trick in the Atlantic's semifinal win was the first for an All-Star game since the NHL instituted the three-match, three-on-three tournament format.

"He's a magical player," Cooper of the 24-year-old two-time All-Star who's among the league's leading scorers.

Point, Toronto's Auston Matthews and Buffalo's Jack Eichel also scored for the Atlantic, which rallied from a 3-1 deficit after Vasilevskiy allowed early goals to Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Philadelphia's Claude Giroux and Washington's Alex Ovechkin.

Boeser snapped a 2-2 tie, James Neal of the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights scored two goals, and Edmonton's Connor McDavid had four assists in the Pacific's semifinal win over the Central Division.

–––

More AP hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey

Live Blog: NHL All-Star Gane updates

UPDATE 2:

The Atlantic Division defeated the Metropolitan Division 7-4 to advance to the NHL All-Star Game final against the Pacific Division.

UPDATE 1:

The Pacific Division defeated the Central Division in the first semifinal game of the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday in Tampa.

Nathan MacKinnon and P.K. Subban scored for the Central, and Drew Doughty, James Neal (2), Brock Boeser, and Brent Burns scored for the Pacific.

For the Central, Pekka Rinne made 4/4 saves, while Connor Hellebuyck made 5/8 saves.

For the Pacific, Marc-Andre Fleury and Mike Smith each made 7/8 saves.

Flames place Jagr on waivers

TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie reports the  Calgary Flames have placed Czech legend Jaromir Jagr on waivers in what could pave the way for contract termination.

Jagr, 45, needs to play only 38 more games to overtake Gordie Howe for most games played in NHL history. However, Jagr reportedly wants to continue playing in Europe.

Playing in Europe would be the case if Jagr clears waivers. However, he may very well have played in his last NHL game.

All-Star Skills Competition Results

This year, the 2018 GEICO NHL All-Star Skills Competition was revamped, featuring six events: Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater, Dunkin' Donuts NHL Passing Challenge, GEICO NHL Save Streak, Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay, PPG NHL Hardest Shot and Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting.

Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater

Eight skaters will compete in the Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater. Each skater will be timed for one full lap around the rink. The skater may choose the direction of the lap and can be positioned a maximum of three feet behind the start line located on the penalty box side of the center red line. The skater must start on the referee's whistle and the timing clock will start when the skater crosses the start line. In the event of a clock malfunction, the official time will be recorded by the referee's stopwatch. The skater with the fastest time is the winner of the Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater, and if there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players will skate another lap to determine the winner.

Player | Time (secs.)

1. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning | 13.579

2. Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets | 14.250

3. Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks | 14.181

4. Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes | 14.317

5. Josh Bailey, New York Islanders | 14.413

6. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche | 14.056

7. Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres | 13.828

8. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers | 13.454

Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater Winner: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (13.454)


Dunkin' Donuts NHL Passing Challenge

Eight players will compete in the Dunkin' Donuts NHL Passing Challenge, which consists of three skills over one round, including (1) Target Passing, where each player must complete four successful passes to targets that light up in a random sequence; (2) Give and Go, where each player must successfully complete the four required passes through a course set up in the neutral zone; and (3) Mini Nets, where each player must complete one pass over a barricade and into each of four mini nets, as well as an additional pass into the game net. Each skill must be completed before a player moves on to the next. The referee's whistle signals completion of each skill. The player to complete all three skills in the fastest time is deemed the winner of the Dunkin' Donuts NHL Passing Challenge, and if there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players will compete again to determine the winner.

Player | Time (secs.)

1. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning | 1:39.562

2. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers | 1:07.419

3. Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues | 1:05.951

4. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes | 1:04.530

5. Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild | 54.679

6. Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues | 46.610

7. Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins | 1:00.015

8. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings | 1:47.415

Dunkin' Donuts NHL Passing Challenge Winner: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues (46.610)


GEICO NHL Save Streak

Five goalies and all 36 skaters will participate in the GEICO NHL Save Streak, a shootout grouped by division where goalies compete to make the most consecutive saves. Each goalie will face one opposing division and a minimum of nine scoring attempts. Each scoring attempt is officiated in accordance with NHL shootout rules and begins on the referee's whistle. Players from each division will shoot in numerical order, lowest to highest, with the divisional captain shooting ninth. A goalie's round at the GEICO NHL Save Streak cannot end with a save -- if the divisional captain's shot is saved, the goalie will continue to face shooters until a goal is scored. If the goalie makes a save on the divisional captain's shot, the order of shooters to follow is the same as at the original order. The goalie with the longest consecutive save streak during his time in net is the winner of the GEICO NHL Save Streak. If there is a tie for longest consecutive save streak, the goalie with the highest total saves made during his round will be crowned the winner.

Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers

vs. Central Division Shooters | Goal or Save

1. John Klingberg | Save (1), Save (4)

2. Brayden Schenn | Save (2), Save (5)

3. Eric Staal | Save (3), Goal

4. Blake Wheeler | Save (4)

5. Alex Pietrangelo | Save (5)

6. Nathan MacKinnon | Goal

7. Patrick Kane | Save (1)

8. Tyler Seguin | Save (2)

9. P.K. Subban | Save (3)

Longest Save Streak: 5


Goaltender: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

vs. Pacific Division Shooters | Goal or Save

1. Brock Boeser | Save (1), Goal

2. Drew Doughty | Save (2)

3. Anze Kopitar | Goal

4. Johnny Gaudreau | Save (1)

5. James Neal | Save (2)

6. Oliver Ekman-Larsson | Save (3)

7. Rickard Rakell | Goal

8. Brent Burns | Goal

9. Connor McDavid | Save (1)

Longest Save Streak: 3


Goaltender: Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators

vs. Metropolitan Division Shooters | Goal or Save

1. Noah Hanifin | Save (1), Save (10)

2. Zach Werenski | Save (2), Save (11)

3. Brian Boyle | Save (3), Save (12)

4. Josh Bailey | Save (4), Save (13)

5. Claude Giroux | Save (5), Goal

6. Kris Letang | Save (6)

7. Sidney Crosby | Save (7)

8. John Tavares | Save (8)

9. Alex Ovechkin | Save (9)

Longest Save Streak: 13


Goaltender: Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights

vs. Atlantic Division Shooters | Goal or Save

1. Jack Eichel | Save (1), Save (8)

2. Aleksander Barkov | Goal, Save (9)

3. Brayden Point | Save (1), Save (10)

4. Mike Green | Save (2), Save (11)

5. Auston Matthews | Save (3), Save (12)

6. Brad Marchand | Save (4), Save (13)

7. Erik Karlsson | Save (5), Save (14)

8. Nikita Kucherov | Save (6), Goal

9. Steven Stamkos | Save (7)

Longest Save Streak: 14


Goaltender: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

vs. Central Division Shooters | Goal or Save

1. John Klingberg | Save (1)

2. Brayden Schenn | Goal

3. Eric Staal | Save (1)

4. Blake Wheeler | Save (2)

5. Alex Pietrangelo | Save (3)

6. Nathan MacKinnon | Goal

7. Patrick Kane | Save (1)

8. Tyler Seguin | Save (2)

9. P.K. Subban | Goal

Longest Save Streak: 3

GEICO NHL Save Streak Winner: Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights (14)


Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay

Eight players will compete in the Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay, a timed single-round event that includes three skills: (1) Stickhandling, where a skater controls a puck through a series of eight pucks in a straight line; (2) Cone Control, where a skater controls a puck through a series of eight cones in a zig-zag formation; and (3) Gates, where a skater approaches a gate and is required to shoot or otherwise guide the puck through the lighted rung of a gate. Each skill must be completed before moving on to the next skill. The referee's whistles will signal completion of each skill and the player to complete the three skills in the fastest time is deemed the winner of the Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay. If there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players will compete again to determine the winner.

Player | Time

1. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames | 24.650

2. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers | 33.233

3. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators | 37.417

4. John Tavares, New York Islanders | 28.242

5. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers | 29.220

6. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs | 44.344 

7. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars | 39.078

8. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks | 32.792

Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay Winner: Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames (24.650)


PPG NHL Hardest Shot

Five players will compete in the PPG NHL Hardest Shot. Over two rounds, each player will attempt two shots measured in miles per hour (mph), with the highest speed of their two shots recorded. After each player's first attempt, the order of shots for second attempts will be based on the speed recorded in the first round, slowest to fastest. For each attempt, a single puck is positioned on the ice 30 feet from the center of the goal. Starting no further than the nearest blue line, the shooter may skate towards the puck and shoot it from its positioned spot into the goal. Shots must be on goal to be calculated and all shots are recorded by radar in miles per hour. If a puck enters the goal uncalculated due to a malfunction of the radar equipment, the shooter will be allowed an additional attempt. If player breaks his stick he will be given another attempt. The player who records the fastest speed is the winner of the PPG NHL Hardest Shot. If there is a tie for the fastest speed, the tied players will shoot again to determine the winner.

ROUND 1

Player | Shot 1 (mph)

1. John Klingberg, Dallas Stars | 96.6

2. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals | 98.8

3. P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators | 95.5

4. Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks | 88.0

5. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning | 95.2


ROUND 2

Player | Shot 2 (mph)

1. Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks | 92.4

2. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning | 95.9

3. P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators | 98.7

4. John Klingberg, Dallas Stars | 97.6

5. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals | 101.3

PPG NHL Hardest Shot Winner: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals (101.3)


Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting

Eight players will compete in the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting, a timed event where a shooter is positioned 25 feet from the goal line and shoots pucks at five LED targets located in the net. On the referee's whistle, one of the five LED targets will randomly light up for three seconds and the player will attempt to hit the lighted target. Hit targets will be taken out of the random sequencing and if the target is not hit within three seconds, the next target will be lighted. The clock stops when the player has successfully hit all five targets, the player that hits all five targets in the fastest time will be crowned the winner of the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting. If there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players will compete again to determine the winner.

Player | Time (secs.)

1. Brian Boyle, New Jersey Devils | 11.626

2. Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets | 22.531

3. James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights | 14.262

4. Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks | 11.136

5. Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins | 44.692

6. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings | 50.844

7. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins | 15.851

8. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning | 21.923

Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting Winner: Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks (11.136)

Player Assignments for the 2018 GEICO NHL All-Star Skills Competition

TAMPA – The National Hockey League today announced the player assignments for the 2018 NHL All-Star Skills Competition. The 2018 NHL All-Stars will compete in six events showcasing their talent tonight at 7 p.m. ET at AMALIE Arena in Tampa, Fla., home of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The competition will be televised on NBCSN in the U.S. and on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. All six events of the competition will be individual competitions, with the winner of each event earning $25,000.

Details, rules and participants for all six events of the competition are listed below.

· Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater™

· Dunkin’ Donuts NHL Passing Challenge™

· GEICO NHL Save Streak™

· Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay™

· PPG NHL Hardest Shot™

· Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting™

Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater™
Eight skaters will compete in the Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater™. Each skater will be timed for one full lap around the rink. The skater may choose the direction of their lap and can be positioned a maximum of three feet behind the start line located on the penalty box side of the center red line. The skater must start on the referee’s whistle and the timing clock will start when the skater crosses the start line. In the event of a clock malfunction, the official time will be recorded by the referee’s stopwatch. The skater with the fastest time is the winner of the Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater™, and if there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players will skate another lap to determine the winner.

Participants:
Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks
Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes
Josh Bailey, New York Islanders
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Dunkin’ Donuts NHL Passing Challenge™
Eight players will compete in the Dunkin’ Donuts NHL Passing Challenge™, which consists of three skills over one round, including  (1) Target Passing, where each player must complete four successful passes to targets that light up in a random sequence; (2) Give and Go, where each player must successfully complete the four required passes through a course set up in the neutral zone; and (3) Mini Nets, where each player must complete one pass over a barricade and into each of four mini nets, as well as an additional pass into the game net. Each skill must be completed before a player moves on to the next. The referee’s whistle signals completion of each skill. The player to complete all three skills in the fastest time is deemed the winner of the Dunkin’ Donuts NHL Passing Challenge™, and if there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players will compete again to determine the winner.

Participants:
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers
Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes
Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild
Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings

GEICO NHL Save Streak™
Five goalies and all 36 skaters will participate in the GEICO NHL Save Streak™, a shootout grouped by division where goalies compete to make the most consecutive saves. Each goalie will face one opposing division and a minimum of nine scoring attempts. Each scoring attempt is officiated in accordance with NHL shootout rules and begins on the referee’s whistle. Players from each division will shoot in numerical order, lowest to highest, with the divisional captain shooting ninth. A goalie’s round at the GEICO NHL Save Streak™ cannot end with a save – if the divisional captain’s shot is saved, the goalie will continue to face shooters until a goal is scored. If the goalie makes a save on the divisional captain’s shot, the order of shooters to follow is the same as at the original order. The goalie with the longest consecutive save streak during his time in net is the winner of the GEICO NHL Save Streak™. If there is a tie for longest consecutive save streak, the goalie with the highest total saves made during his round will be crowned the winner.

Participants:
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers, vs. Central Division

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets, vs Pacific Division

Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators, vs. Metropolitan Division

Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights, vs. Atlantic Division

Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning, vs. Central Division

Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay™
Eight players will compete in the Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay™, a timed single-round event that includes three skills: (1) Stickhandling, where a skater controls a puck through a series of eight pucks in a straight line; (2) Cone Control, where a skater controls a puck through a series of eight cones in a zig-zag formation; and (3) Gates, where a skater approaches a gate and is required to shoot or otherwise guide the puck through the lighted rung of a gate. Each skill must be completed before moving on to the next skill. The referee’s whistles will signal completion of each skill and the player to complete the three skills in the fastest time is deemed the winner of the Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay™. If there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players will compete again to determine the winner.

Participants:
Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
John Tavares, New York Islanders
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

PPG NHL Hardest Shot™
Five players will compete in the PPG NHL Hardest Shot™. Over two rounds, each player will attempt two shots measured in miles per hour (mph), with the highest speed of their two shots recorded. After each player’s first attempt, the order of shots for second attempts will be based on the speed recorded in the first round, slowest to fastest. For each attempt, a single puck is positioned on the ice 30 feet from the center of the goal. Starting no further than the nearest blue line, the shooter may skate towards the puck and shoot it from its positioned spot into the goal. Shots must be on goal to be calculated and all shots are recorded by radar in miles per hour. If a puck enters the goal uncalculated due to a malfunction of the radar equipment, the shooter will be allowed an additional attempt. If player breaks his stick he will be given another attempt. The player who records the fastest speed is the winner of the PPG NHL Hardest Shot™. If there is a tie for the fastest speed, the tied players will shoot again to determine the winner.

Participants:
John Klingberg, Dallas Stars
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators
Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting™
Eight players will compete in the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting™, a timed event where a shooter is positioned 25 feet from the goal line and shoots pucks at five LED targets located in the net. On the referee’s whistle, one of the five LED targets will randomly light up for three seconds and the player will attempt to hit the lighted target. Hit targets will be taken out of the random sequencing and if the target is not hit within three seconds, the next target will be lighted. The clock stops when the player has successfully hit all five targets, the player that hits all five targets in the fastest time will be crowned the winner of the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting™. If there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players will compete again to determine the winner.

Participants:
Brian Boyle, New Jersey Devils
Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets
James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights
Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks
Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning.

McDonagh's 2 goals lead Rangers past Sharks 6-5

By JOSH DUBOW
Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) – After three straight losses to open their road trip, the New York Rangers head into the All-Star break on a high note thanks to an unlikely goal scorer.

Ryan McDonagh scored his first two goals of the season and J.T. Miller added a goal and two assists that helped the New York Rangers salvage the final game of a four-game road trip by beating the San Jose Sharks 6-5 on Thursday night.

"The team needed that," Miller said. "We've done a lot of good things over the road trip but the win category hasn't been where we wanted. That's a good way to cap it off and make it feel good going into the break."

New York had been outscored 13-6 in losing the first three games of the trip with Miller getting benched for the final two periods in Anaheim on Tuesday night because of careless turnovers.

But the Rangers overcame a deficit in the second period with two goals from McDonagh and a short-handed tally from Brady Skjei. Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast also scored for New York, and Ondrej Pavelec made 23 saves.

"I really believe that on this road trip we played better than our record indicates," coach Alain Vigneault said. "We're 1-3 but in all four games we had good starts. Somehow the second periods might have been a little bit more challenging, but tonight we found a way to get a real strong second. They came at us hard in the third but we were able to do what we needed to do."

Logan Couture scored twice to give him 20 goals on the season. Barclay Goodrow, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tomas Hertl also scored for San Jose, and Kevin Labanc had three assists.

Aaron Dell made 23 saves.

The Sharks played without star forward Joe Thornton, who will likely miss several weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his injured right knee earlier Thursday. This marked the first time San Jose played a game without Thornton or Patrick Marleau - who left for Toronto in free agency over the summer - since Jan. 21, 2004, at Arizona.

Couture did his best to overcome Thornton's void, giving San Jose a 2-1 lead early in the second when he beat Pavelec from the slot after a good rush by Labanc.

But the Rangers erased that deficit with three goals from their defensemen in a span of just over six minutes. McDonagh struck twice in just 1:12 after scoring no goals in his first 44 games. Skjei added the insurance goal with the Sharks on the power play when Labanc cleared a rebound off Skjei's leg and into the net.

"It's a tough league to win in and then you lose a guy like Joe," Couture said. "We have to step up and other guys have to take advantage of the opportunity. We created enough offense but we played bad defensive hockey. They could have scored more than six. We gave them way too much."

Vlasic got the Sharks back within one goal midway through the third, but San Jose couldn't manage the equalizer against Pavelec.

Miller then scored with 1:50 remaining to restore the two-goal lead which was crucial when Hertl scored with 49.7 seconds to play.

"It was a pretty sloppy game in general," Vlasic said. "There were chances at both ends. We could have scored 10 and they could have scored 10 as well."

The Rangers got a boost from Hayes, who returned to the lineup after missing six games with a leg injury. Brent Burns got caught too far up ice, allowing Hayes to take a pass from Miller and come in alone on Dell to beat him with a slap shot.

The Sharks answered with two goals before New York tied it again late in the period when Fast scored off a cross-ice pass from Michael Grabner.

NOTES: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, McDonagh was the first Rangers defenseman to score two goals in a span of 72 seconds or fewer since James Patrick did it in 11 seconds on March 25, 1986, against New Jersey. ... Burns' assist on Goodrow's goal extended his points streak to six straight games.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Host Toronto next Thursday night.

Sharks: Visit Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

–––

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey