Devils recall Quennville, assign Hayes and Santini to Binghamton

The New Jersey Devils have assigned D Steven Santini to Binghamton (AHL), and recalled F John Quenneville from Binghamton, he has been assigned number 47.

Santini last played nearly a month ago, Jan. 7 against the Islanders. Has skated in 36 of the Devils 50 games this season.

Quenneville has 10 goals and 11 assists in 31 games for Binghamton this season.

In addition, the club has assigned F Jimmy Hayes to Binghamton on a conditioning stint.

Hayes has played in just 3 of the Devils' last 18 games.

Blue Jackets Recall Left Wing Markus Hannikainen From Monsters

The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled left wing Markus Hannikainen from the AHL's Cleveland Monsters.

In 27 appearances for Columbus this season, Hannikainen posted 2-2-4 with six penalty minutes and a -1 rating and added 0-3-3 with an even rating in seven appearances for Cleveland. In 41 career NHL appearances for the Blue Jackets spanning three seasons from 2015-18, Hannikainen, 24, supplied 3-3-6 with 12 penalty minutes and a -3 rating.

In 114 career AHL appearances, all for the Monsters, spanning three seasons from 2015-18, Hannikainen, a 6’1”, 200 lb., left-handed native of Helsinki, Finland, logged 26-34-60 with 42 penalty minutes and a +12 rating and notched 3-7-10 with two penalty minutes and a +12 rating in 16 appearances in the 2016 AHL Playoffs, helping the Monsters claim the 2016 Calder Cup Championship. In 117 career Liiga appearances for Jokerit, HPK, and JYP spanning parts of four seasons from 2011-15, Hannikainen tallied 22-31-53 with 67 penalty minutes and a +26 rating and represented Finland in the 2012 and 2013 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships, and the 2017 IIHF World Championships.

Gaunce scores twice, Canucks beat Blackhawks 4-2

Associated Press

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- The big smile on Brendan Gaunce's face spoke volumes.

Gaunce scored his second goal of the game late in the third period, and the Vancouver Canucks overcame an early deficit to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Thursday night.

His first goal in the second period tied the game 1-1. He scored his second with just 2:58 left in the third period. It came as the Blackhawks were pressing after cutting the Canuck lead to 3-2.

"It's great to score goals," Gaunce said. "You gain confidence offensively."

Gaunce has played 109 games over parts of three seasons for Vancouver, collecting five goals and six assists. The 23-year-old once went 95 games without a goal. His previous two goals this season came on the road, so his last goal Thursday earned a huge cheer from the announced crowd of 18,144.

"I couldn't really hear," he said. "I was pretty zoned out after I scored. It's good to contribute."

Daniel Sedin and Bo Horvat also scored for the Canucks. Troy Stecher added two assists, and Vancouver won for the fifth time in eight games after a 2-11-3 stretch.

The Canucks also won back-to-back games on home ice for the second time this season.

Nick Schmaltz and Alex DeBrincat scored for Chicago, which ended a two-game winning streak. Duncan Keith had two assists.

Chicago has not won three straight games since a five-game streak Dec. 8-17.

Jacob Markstrom stopped 26 shots for Vancouver. Forsberg, making his third straight start, stopped 17 shots.

Daniel Sedin made it 3-1 for Vancouver with 2:55 gone in the third. Jake Virtanen collected a puck in the slot, spun and fired a quick shot that Sedin tipped.

DeBrincat drew Chicago within in a goal when he scored on a slap shot over Markstrom's glove at 10:19.

The Canucks used a pair of second-period goals to take a 2-1 lead.

Stecher also had a hand in Horvat's goal at 9:58. He took a slap shot from the blue line that Horvat tipped for his 12th of the season.

Schmaltz showed some speed in scoring the only goal of the first period. He took a pass from Brandon Saad, cut across the front of the net, then beat Markstrom with a backhand at 15:15 for his 14th goal.

Jonathan Toews said the Blackhawks gave up too many good chances.

"We need to be better defensively," he said. "When pucks are around our net we have to make sure we are a little bit tougher and we're not giving them easy chances around our net."

NOTES: D Erik Gudbranson returned to Vancouver's lineup after missing five games with back spasms. ... Blackhawk left wing Patrick Sharp was a healthy scratch for the third straight game. ... Vancouver's Sam Gagner didn't return for the second period after suffering an upper-body injury when hitting Chicago's Tomas Jurco in the opening period.

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: Play at Calgary on Saturday night.

Canucks: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday night.

Shore's "lacrosse" goal helps Stars beat Coyotes 4-1

By JOSE M. ROMERO
Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Devin Shore's oddity of a goal was the result of years of playing a different sport.

"Yeah, 15 years of lacrosse paid off, I guess," Shore said with a smile after the Dallas Stars beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-1 on Thursday night.

Shore also had an assist during Dallas' three-goal second period, and the Stars extended their winning streak against the Coyotes to seven. Arizona has lost seven of nine overall, though this was its first game in a week thanks to the All-Star break.

Shore tied it at 1 in an atypical way when he lifted his stick to bat in the puck after Jason Spezza chipped it over the goal from behind the net. That was at the three-minute mark of the second.

"Heck of a play by `Spezz' ... You stick with it, get a bounce and it was good," Shore said.

Shore set up the second goal on a power play for Dallas at 5:21. He collected a rebound and centered to Tyler Seguin, whose shot got by Scott Wedgewood.

Kari Lehtonen stopped 17 shots and improved to 6-2 in his last eight starts, all on the road.

"I felt good going out there," Lehtonen said. "The start was a little rough ... but I was able to recover from that and keep playing."

Seguin got his team-leading 24th goal, and John Klingberg picked up his 43rd assist to lead the Stars.

Dallas had a potential third goal disallowed when the Coyotes challenged for offside, and Jamie Benn's power-play goal was reversed. But Mattias Janmark made it 3-1 at 6:36 of the second when he scored on a side-angle shot.

"We got going and once we started playing on our toes, we were excellent and carried it through the rest of the game," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said.

All of the goals came against backup Wedgewood, with Antti Raanta removed from the lineup after he was involved in an auto accident on his way to the game. Wedgewood had 21 saves.

Wedgewood kept the Stars from scoring a fourth goal in the second, when he smothered Seguin's breakaway attempt with 21.4 seconds to go.

Esa Lindell's empty-net goal with 1:36 to play completed the scoring.

Kevin Connauton, a defenseman whose first goal of the season came on Oct. 10, scored his second at 4:06 of the first period to give the Coyotes an early lead. His wrist shot beat Lehtonen with help from teammate Christian Fischer limiting Lehtonen's view of the puck on Arizona's second shot on goal of the game.

The Coyotes have 12 first-period goals in their last eight games.

The Stars served six minutes of penalties in the period, four to defenseman Julius Honka for a high stick to the face of Arizona's Brad Richardson. But the Coyotes couldn't capitalize on the power play and went 0 for 6 for the game.

"A lot of inexperience in the sense of one or two passes, shoot the puck, get people in there," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said of his team's power-play struggles. "I think a couple times guys got rattled for a reason, got skated into."

NOTES: The Coyotes turned to Wedgewood in net though Raanta was available to play. Raanta remained in the dressing room for the entire game and was held out as a precaution after he was rear-ended on a local freeway late Thursday afternoon. ... D Jason Demers (upper body injury) did not play and is day-to-day. ... Coyotes broadcaster Bob Heethuis called his 1,000th career game. ... Stars F Antoine Roussel missed his second straight game with a nasal infection. C Martin Hanzal, a former longtime Coyote, was also scratched and missed his fourth straight game with a muscle strain.

UP NEXT

Stars: Host Minnesota on Saturday.

Coyotes: At Los Angeles Saturday.

Compher scores overtime winner as Avalanche top Oilers 4-3

Associated Press

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- A late comeback bid by the Oilers didn't deflate the Colorado Avalanche.

J.T Compher scored 2:28 into overtime as the Avalanche snapped a three-game losing skid with a 4-3 victory over the Oilers, who had tied the game with just 27 seconds left in the third to send it to extra time.

"I thought we played well most of the game, only to unfortunately lose the lead late in the third," said Compher, who scored his 10th goal of the season. "I thought we played well enough to finish it off, and for us to get that extra point in overtime at the end is huge for us with the playoff race we are in.

"A huge part of our team is character. You are going to let in goals late like that every now and then, but for us to bounce back and get the two points was huge going forward."

Nikita Zadorov, Blake Comeau and Samuel Girard also scored for the Avalanche, who had a 10-game winning streak before going on their recent skid.

"It is nice to get a win after losing three in a row," Zadorov said. "We have gotten three of the four points on this road trip so far, so it has been a good trip for us."

Connor McDavid had a pair of goals, and Drake Caggiula scored once for the Oilers, who have lost two of their last three.

Edmonton had tied it with just 27 seconds remaining in regulation and the goalie pulled as McDavid rifled in a puck after it caromed off the boards.

"Both teams really needed that extra point," Oilers forward Milan Lucic said. "For most of that overtime, we had possession - we just weren't able to get the shot off to get the goal. They were able to get the bounce and get the point. It's a big one to give up and a big point for them with both teams being where they are in the standings."

There was no scoring and few good chances in the first period, with Colorado getting 10 shots on Oilers backup Al Montoya and Edmonton putting eight shots on the Avalanche's Jonathan Bernier.

Colorado broke the deadlock three minutes into the second period when Zadorov picked off a poor Edmonton clearing attempt and proceeded to beat Montoya up high for his fourth goal of the season.

The Avalanche went up 2-0 five minutes later on a power-play blast by Girard, his first goal in 36 games with Colorado since coming over in a trade with Nashville earlier this season.

McDavid knocked in his own rebound out of the air and into the net for his 16th of the season just over a minute later.

Caggiula pushed a puck across the goal line while Bernier attempted to smother it with his glove with less than a minute to go in the second period, but a review nullified the goal.

Shortly afterward, the Avalanche got a short-handed goal on a backhand shot by Comeau.

Edmonton pulled back within one seven minutes into the third as Caggiula tipped a shot out of midair for his seventh.

NOTES: It was the first of three meetings this season between the teams. ... Due to some quirks in the schedule, the Oilers had only played three games in the previous 18 days, but play 33 games in the next 66 days.

UP NEXT:

Avalanche: at Winnipeg on Saturday.

Oilers: host Tampa Bay on Monday.

Lightning strike with 5 unanswered goals, zap Flames 7-4

Associated Press

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) -- Led by a big night by Alex Killorn, Tampa Bay took advantage of a rare off-night by Mike Smith.

Killorn had two goals and two assists to tie a career high for points as the Lightning struck for five unanswered goals, including four in the third period, in a 7-4 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

Down 4-3 after two periods, Tampa Bay tied it 12 seconds into the third when Killorn pounced on a loose puck near the Flames face-off dot, spun and sent a backhander on net that slipped past Smith.

"The puck hasn't really been falling my way for a lot of the season, so to have a game like this, it's great and gets my confidence back," said Killorn, who had just three points over his previous 16 games.

Killorn's line with rookies Matthew Peca (one goal, two assists) and Yanni Gourde (two assists) combined for nine points.

"Early in the game, that line was really engaged," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "And you know how it is, they get one and all of a sudden, it's like the balloon pops and now they've got the vibes going."

Cory Conacher scored on a sharp angle at 5:16 to give the Lightning the lead for good at 5-4.

Just over a minute later, Steven Stamkos scored his 19th of the season and that was it for Smith. As he got the hook from coach Glen Gulutzan for David Rittich, Smith smashed his stick across the goalpost.

"It was disappointing to let your teammates down like that and lay an egg," Smith said. "Just too many bad goals. It's plain and simple."

Smith entered the night sixth in the NHL with a .925 save percentage.

"What are we in, game 51? It's the first time our goaltending couldn't be considered a star in the game," Gulutzan said.

Conacher's second of the night at 8:26, on a shot from below the goal line, capped the third-period surge. Braydon Coburn and Matthew Peca also scored for Tampa Bay, which maintained its one-point lead over Vegas atop the overall standings.

Micheal Ferland, Mikael Backlund, Sean Monahan and Matt Stajan scored for Calgary. After a seven-game winning streak, the Flames are winless in their last six (0-4-2).

"We're going through a tough patch right now. There's no doubt about it," Stajan said. "Adversity has hit. We have to stick together in these walls and get through this."

The Lightning improved to 4-2-0 on this stretch of eight straight games on the road. They play in Vancouver on Saturday.

"We needed to have a look in the mirror," Stamkos said, "and come out with a lot more urgency and compete after the Winnipeg game (3-1 loss) and I thought we did that."

Tied at 1, the Lightning took their first lead 2:04 into the second period when Killorn scored on the power play.

The lead was short-lived with Calgary roaring back with three straight goals to open up a 4-2 advantage.

After sitting in the penalty box on Killorn's goal, Backlund made up for it on his next shift with a beautiful solo effort to tie it at 2 at 3:38. After crossing the Lightning blue line, he deked around Mikhail Sergachev with a nifty toe-drag, then promptly ripped a wrist shot into the top corner.

Less than two minutes later, Monahan gave Calgary the 3-2 lead, and Stajan added his second of the season at 14:27.

Smith stopped just 21 of 27 shots to fall to 20-15-6. Rittich made three saves.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, who improved to 30-9-2, had 42 saves.

NOTES: Calgary was 50-0-3 when leading after two dating to last season, but has lost two games in a row in regulation in which it led after 40 minutes. ... Calgary has had the lead in each game in its skid. ... Ferland has scored the first goal in a game five times, which leads the team.

UP NEXT

Lightning: at Vancouver on Saturday night.

Flames: vs. Chicago on Saturday night

Rinne, Forsberg lead Predators over Kings 5-0

By JIM DIAMOND
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- After welcoming Filip Forsberg back to the lineup, the Predators looked like the team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final last season.

Pekka Rinne made 19 saves, Forsberg had a goal and an assist, and Nashville beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-0 on Thursday night.

Craig Smith, Calle Jarnkrok, Colton Sissons and Viktor Arvidsson also scored. Ryan Johansen had three assists.

"I think it was maybe one of our best 60-minute efforts in a while," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said.

Making his first start since representing the Predators in last weekend's All-Star Game, Rinne earned his fifth shutout of the season and 48th of his career. With play stayed largely in the other end, Rinne had a chance to enjoy the show put on by his teammates.

"I didn't have a lot of work tonight and that was just fun to watch our guys," Rinne said. "Especially our forwards, they played a really strong game. I thought that we were on-point on the forecheck, we turned a lot of pucks over and created chances off them."

Jonathan Quick returned after missing the Kings' previous two games with an undisclosed injury. He made 31 saves.

"They had the momentum for 60 minutes," Kings coach John Stevens said. "They checked hard tonight. They had a simple game plan and we got checked off the puck all night."

Nashville peppered Quick with 15 shots on goal in the first, beating him three times.

Smith scored first at 10:02 of the opening period on a power play, about a minute after Johansen had a goal disallowed. Los Angeles challenged Johansen's score, and after video review, officials determined that Arvidsson pushed Kings defenseman Drew Doughty into Quick prior to Johansen's shot.

Forsberg made it 2-0 at 16:02 of the first. With Nashville on a prolonged two-man advantage, Forsberg beat Quick with a wrist shot that deflected in off of the diving goaltender.

The Predators activated Forsberg off injured reserve earlier Thursday. He missed Nashville's previous 11 games with an upper-body injury.

Laviolette reunited Johansen, Forsberg and Arvidsson on the team's top line. The trio combined for six points in the game.

"We're a lot more deadly with him on our side," Johansen said of Forsberg. "We had a lot of fun out there tonight supporting each other and outworking our opponents and getting some results too finding the back of the net."

Jarnkrok took advantage of Doughty's turnover and made it 3-0 at 17:21 of the first, finally swatting a backhand past Quick on the short side after two attempts.

"They are really good checkers," Kings forward Tanner Pearson said. "You are transitioning up ice, they are closing it pretty quickly from behind and try to create turnovers that way. They beat us tonight."

Sissons ended a 29-game goalless stretch when he beat Quick at 11:01 of the second, and Arvidsson scored at 9:44 of the third.

NOTES: Quick is 5-10-2 in his career against Nashville. ... Jake Muzzin and Anze Kopitar ended their six-game point streaks for LA. ... The Predators have not allowed a power-play goal in their last four games. ... Nashville is 25-2-3 when scoring first this season.

UP NEXT:

Kings: Host Arizona on Saturday.

Predators: Host New York Rangers on Saturday.

Perron's OT goal vs. Jets gives Golden Knights 34th win

Associated Press

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) -- The Vegas Golden Knights have already made some NHL history. They're far from finished with what they want to accomplish this season.

David Perron scored 3:57 into overtime to lead Vegas past the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Thursday night for the Golden Knights' 34th victory, the most by an NHL expansion team in its debut season. They surpassed the mark set by both Florida and Anaheim in the 1993-94 season.

"It doesn't mean a whole lot right now, to be honest with you," said Gerard Gallant, who has coached his team to a Western Conference-leading 34-12-4 record, one point back of league-best Tampa Bay.

The Jets had the puck rolling in the crease three times in the extra period, but it couldn't get it into the net. Perron then fired a high shot past Connor Hellebuyck to win it.

"We're just trying to battle and get two points again every night and that's what we're trying to do," Gallant said. "But you know, at the end of the season we'll look at it and be happy, I'm sure."

Winnipeg's Kyle Connor had tied it with a high shot to Marc-Andre Fleury's glove side with 2:36 left in the third period. Joel Armia also had a goal and one assist for Winnipeg.

Hellebuyck made 28 saves for the Jets (30-13-9), who were trying to set a franchise record with their eighth straight home win.

Fleury stopped 24 shots for Vegas (34-12-4). It was his 389th win, putting him into a tie for 13th among NHL goaltenders.

"That's (Fleury) for you right there. He loves those kinds of moments," Perron said of the overtime scrambles. "I don't know how the puck stayed out, but he found a way to keep it out."

Reilly Smith had a short-handed goal and Erik Haula scored a controversial goal on the power play for Vegas.

Haula's go-ahead goal came with 1:30 left in the second period. Golden Knights forward James Neal was in front of Winnipeg's net and broke his stick with a swing to Hellebuyck's mask. The puck was under the netminder and Haula reached in his stick from the other side of the crease and knocked it in.

The Bell MTS Place crowd started screaming and Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice challenged for goaltender interference, but a review upheld the goal. The NHL Situation Room released an explanation stating no infraction had occurred.

"What (the official) said is the puck wasn't covered, it was laying in the crease, so the guy was allowed to take a two-hand smack to my face," Hellebuyck said. "I don't understand it. I think it's a terrible call. You would think the video replay is there for that reason."

It had Jets captain Blake Wheeler frustrated, too.

"The explanation was that the puck was behind the goalie, which gives their player the right to break his stick over (Hellebuyck's) head," Wheeler said. "There's been an outcry with the league to get this right. We were told before the game that it was going to be a little bit cleaner, they were going to be looking for goalie interference. It's the first time I've seen a guy break a stick over a goalie's head."

Maurice also questioned the explanation.

"I don't know how there would be an event that would be more egregious with goaltender interference, just beyond the spirit of the rule," Maurice said. "The idea that a guy could clean a goalie out would be goalie interference, but a two-hand to the head wouldn't. What are we going to do with our goalies now? The puck's loose in the crease, so swing away?"

Winnipeg led 1-0 after the first period, thanks to a gaffe by Fleury. The veteran goalie went behind the net to get the puck, but the Jets' Matt Hendricks stole it and passed it out to Armia, who was in front of the empty net to score his 10th of the season.

Winnipeg got its second power play of the game midway through the second, but the visitors' pressuring penalty kill led to Smith's tying goal. Smith stole the puck from Jets captain Blake Wheeler inside Winnipeg's blue line and beat Hellebuyck with a high shot on the breakaway at 12:10.

Haula's goal came during the visitors' first power play of the game. The goal extended Haula's point streak to seven games, with four goals and five assists.

Connor scored his 17th goal with 2:36 on a pass from the boards by Armia.

NOTES: Perron also had an assist for Vegas, giving him a seven-game point streak with four goals and six helpers. ... Vegas outshot the Jets 27-25 going into overtime.

UP NEXT

Golden Knights: play their third game of a six-game road trip Friday in Minnesota

Jets: continue their 10-game homestand with the third game Saturday against Colorado.

Karlsson scores in OT to end Senators' skid at 6 games

Associated Press

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) -- Erik Karlsson scored in overtime in his 600th NHL game, and still the Ottawa Senators had to contend with bad news at the end of Thursday night.

Karlsson scored 32 seconds into overtime to lift Ottawa over the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 and snap a six-game skid, but the Senators may be without Bobby Ryan for a stretch after he re-aggravated a hand injury.

Ryan scored early in the third period for Ottawa but left the game shortly after as he once again took a puck to the hand, re-aggravating an ongoing injury to his fingers.

"It's not broken, it's the same thing and it flares up again," Senators coach Guy Boucher said. "That might be a reflection of what's happened all year is that we get something positive and then we have to live with something that's not necessarily what we want."

Karlsson one-timed a pass from Matt Duchene on a power play, beating Ryan Miller with a shot inside the near post.

"I'm very fortunate to play as many games as I have and I'm very lucky in that aspect and hopefully I have 600 more," Karlsson said. "First and foremost the win was the best thing. That's what we were after and it's nice to see that we got it."

Mike Condon stopped 30 shots in his best game this season.

Ryan Kesler tied it with 54 seconds left in regulation after Anaheim pulled Miller for an extra attacker. Miller made 30 saves, but Anaheim ended a three-game winning streak.

The Ducks are vying a wild card spot in the competitive Western Conference and can't afford to lose any ground, making the overtime point that much more important.

"It was a weird game," Kesler said. "It was tough to get some calls there and not get calls on the other side to flip things. We're going to learn from our mistakes, but it was key we got a point and every point is huge right now. Our conference is so tight so we've got to fight for points on this road trip."

Each team already had a player in the penalty box when Anaheim's Jakob Silfverberg took a tripping penalty early in the third period. Ottawa scored on the 4-on-3 when Ryan tipped Mike Hoffman's shot.

Miller was pulled with just over two minutes left in regulation time. Condon made a spectacular save on Kesler, but the forward got a second chance shortly after that and redirected shot by Rickard Rackell.

NOTES: Ottawa C Colin White and D Fredrik Claesson were healthy scratches. D Johnny Oduya (lower body) returned to the lineup after missing the last four games, while Nate Thompson also made his return from a lower-body injury that kept him out of the last five games. ... Magnus Paajarvi, acquired off waivers, made his home debut for the Senators.

UP NEXT

Ducks: Plat at Montreal on Saturday.

Senators: Play at Philadelphia on Saturday.

Ward, Hurricanes beat Canadiens 2-0 for 3rd straight win

By JOEDY McCREARY
AP Sports Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Cam Ward has beaten the Montreal Canadiens plenty of times during his long career - but until now, never in a shutout.

Ward stopped 27 shots in his second shutout of the season, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat Montreal 2-0 on Thursday night.

Brett Pesce and Brock McGinn scored to help the Hurricanes win their third straight, sweep the season series from Montreal and keep themselves in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Carolina entered two points out of a playoff spot and has opened an eight-game homestand with consecutive victories.

"It's crunch time. All you've got to do is look at the standings, and we've kind of preached that this is our playoffs," Ward said. "We've got a lot of games here at home, you want to kind of build some momentum, get some fans into the building and reward them with some wins."

Carey Price made 28 saves for the Canadiens, who have lost three in a row and fell to 2-5-2 in their last nine games.

"You don't like losing, and it is frustrating, but I think there was an effort there tonight," coach Claude Julien said. "But I'd like to see desperation add to that effort, because that's what we need to turn things around."

McGinn made it a two-goal game with 5:09 remaining, taking a smooth pass from Justin Williams and slipping the puck past Price.

That gave Ward some breathing room, and he finished with the 27th shutout of his 13-year career - but his first in 36 games against the Canadiens while improving his lifetime record against them to 20-12-4. He previously blanked defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh 4-0 on Jan. 4.

"The best player on the ice, by far," Pesce said.

Ward outdueled Price for the third time this season. The teams' final meeting of the season bore little resemblance to their last one a week earlier - a wild 6-5 win by Carolina in Montreal.

"It needed to be a reverse" of that one, Ward said. "Carey Price is a world-class goaltender. You knew he was going to bounce back and be tough to beat."

Both teams entered as two of the league's leaders in shots: The Hurricanes rank fourth in the NHL with an average of 34.3 shots, while the Canadiens are two spots behind at 33.8 shots per game.

"They came with a push," Pesce said, "and I thought we weathered it as best as we could."

Pesce came through with all the offense the Hurricanes needed at 2:43 of the second, when he blasted a slap shot from the point that got past Price. It came seconds after he whiffed on a shot attempt from just inside the blue line.

"You make a little mistake," Julien said, "and it's in the back of our net right now."

NOTES: Montreal LW Paul Byron was back in the lineup two nights after leaving the Canadiens' loss to St. Louis following a fall into the boards. ... Pesce's goal was his first since Jan. 14, 2017 - a span of 81 games. ... Montreal assistant Kirk Muller spent three seasons as Carolina's head coach.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Return home to take on Anaheim on Saturday.

Hurricanes: Play host to Detroit on Friday night.

McElhinney stops 25 shots, Maple Leafs beat Rangers 4-0

By VIN A. CHERWOO
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Curtis McElhinney is getting more comfortable as his career progresses, and it's been showing on the ice.

The veteran backup stopped 25 shots for his second shutout of the season and seventh of his career as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Rangers 4-0 on Thursday night.

"I just feel like I'm getting better and better," said the 34-year-old McElhinney, who is in his second season with Toronto after spending the previous four with Columbus. "I feel certainly more comfortable about my game than where I did five years ago."

McElhinney is now 5-4-0 in nine starts this season and lowered his goals-against average to 2.25 - the lowest of his career in a season while making more than one start.

James van Riemsdyk, Patrick Marleau, Zach Hyman and Justin Holl scored for the Maple Leafs in their second straight shutout and fourth straight win. Toronto also completed a sweep of the three-game season series with the Rangers.

It came one night after Frederik Andersen had 25 saves in a 5-0 win at home against the Islanders, giving Toronto back-to-back shutouts for the second time this season. The Maple Leafs extended their shutout streak to 142 minutes, 17 seconds since Dallas' Tyler Seguin scored late in the second period of Toronto's 4-1 win last Thursday.

"We did a great job in front of the net," McElhinney said. "The biggest takeaway from the game tonight and even the last one was smart decisions with the puck at the blue line."

Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock likes how his team has played lately, improving to 7-2-3 in their last 12 and sitting three points behind second-place Boston in the Atlantic Division.

"We think we're getting better," he said. "We think we have a chance to be quite a bit better so we're just a work in progress. ... We're deeper than we've been, we have four lines."

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was pulled early in the second period after giving up four goals on 13 shots. Ondrej Pavelec came on and stopped all 19 shots he faced. New York, shut out for just the second time this season, has lost eight of its last 12.

The Rangers were playing for the first time since winning at San Jose last Thursday in their last game before the All-Star break, but coach Alain Vigneault didn't want to use the layoff as an excuse.

"We had two really good practices prior to this, so we should have been better than this," he said.

McElhinney had two nice saves on Rick Nash about six minutes into the third, first on a shot from the right circle and then a tip attempt in close six seconds later. McElhinney also denied Jimmy Vesey in front midway through the period.

Toronto built a 2-0 lead in the first period and then quickly adding to it in the second.

Marleau scored 52 seconds into the middle period off a rebound of a shot by Nazem Kadri for his 17th.

Hyman took a pass from William Nylander, skated in on Lundqvist and went forehand to backhand before putting it in from the left side for his 10th at 3:05 to make it 4-0 and chase Lundqvist.

Holl got Toronto on the board 8:42 into the game as his shot from the right side beyond the faceoff circle beat Lundqvist, who was being screened by Hyman, and rang off the left post and in. It was the defenseman's second career goal - and second in two nights after being called up from Toronto of the AHL for his NHL debut Wednesday.

The Maple Leafs made it 2-0 when van Riemsdyk put a backhand past Lundqvist for his 20th with 4:37 left.

NOTES: Toronto also had consecutive shutouts at New Jersey on Nov. 18 and against Montreal on Nov. 18. ... The Maple Leafs were without D Ron Hainsey (illness) for the second straight game. LW Matt Martin was a healthy scratch for the fourth straight game. ... Rangers F Chris Kreider missed his 14th straight game due to a blood clot in his right arm and ensuing rib surgery to alleviate it. D Kevin Shattenkirk is also out while recovering from knee surgery. ... New York F Pavel Buchnevich left the game after a collision with Toronto's Jake Gardiner about halfway through the second period and did not return.

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: At Boston on Saturday night to close a two-game trip before a five-game homestand.

Rangers: At Nashville on Saturday night to open a two-game trip.

Hischier's late goal lifts Devils over Flyers 4-3

By TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- The All-Star break has done wonders for the New Jersey Devils. They are winning again, and they have gotten the Philadelphia Flyers off their back in the playoff hunt, for now.

No. 1 overall draft pick Nico Hischier scored on a deflection with 1:27 to play, capping the Devils' rally to beat the Flyers 4-3 on Thursday night.

"We know it's a really important game, a four-point game," Hischier said after the Devils won their second straight after the break. "We knew they were right behind us. We had a really good start but it was up and down. At the end we won, and it feels good, but we've got to keep going."

The win was New Jersey's fourth in 14 games (4-7-3) since Dec. 29, and this was big. Had the Flyers held on, they would have tied the Devils with 58 points.

New Jersey, which is now four points ahead with a game in hand, came into the period down 3-2.

Damon Severson tied the hard-fought contest with 9:00 left, and Hischier's first goal in 11 games spoiled goaltender Alex Lyon's first NHL start.

"We had a little bit of a tough second period and it was a little bit dicey at times but we were able to find a way to stay in the game the whole night," Severson said.

Kyle Palmieri and Drew Stafford also scored for the Devils, while Keith Kinkaid made 22 saves.

Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds and Shayne Gostisbehere scored for the Flyers, who were looking for their third win over the Devils in less than a month. Lyon made 18 saves a night after making his NHL debut in relief of Michal Neuvirth, and Philadelphia lost its second in two nights. It also marked the first time the Flyers have lost three straight in regulation.

Blake Coleman set up the winner on a rush. His pass toward the net was re-directed by Hischier between Lyon's pads, just barely getting through and crossing the goal line.

"The guy put it to the net and I thought I was in really good position, but I just opened up a little bit and things happened fast enough in this league where you are going to pay for that," Lyon said. "I learned the hard way. I am just going to try to learn from my mistakes and be sharper next time."

Pavel Zacha set up Severson's tying goal after the Devils won a battle for the puck behind the net.

Gostisbehere gave the Flyers a 3-2 lead 7:01 into the second period with a shot from the left circle that hit off Kinkaid's side and the goalpost before trickling into the net. The puck got to the Flyers defenseman after a cross-ice pass hit off Severson's skate.

"I feel bad for Alex, we kind of let him down there," Gostisbehere said. "It's about getting back on the horse. There is a lot of hockey left. We have to get some wins here."

With both teams right on the playoff bubble in the Eastern Conference heading into the final two-plus months of the regular season, this game was intense. There were two fights in the first period and several scrums, resulting in power plays that led to all four first-period goals.

Palmieri put the Devils ahead 1-0, beating Lyon from the right circle with a shot over the goaltender's shoulder.

Giroux tied it a little more than three minutes later with a shot into an open net with the Flyers enjoying a two-man advantage.

Stafford gave New Jersey 2-1 lead at 13:49, deflecting a shot by John Moore past Lyon. Simmonds scored on a rebound at 15:46 to tie the score at 2-all.

NOTES: Seven of Palmieri's 10 goals have been on the power play. ... Giroux's goal was the Flyers' second this season with a two-man advantage. ... Flyers F Travis Konecny had his five-game goal-scoring streak snapped. .... Philadelphia D Radko Gudas angered the Devils by jumping into Palmieri after a rush into the offensive zone. Travis Zajac got into a fight with Gudas minutes later, but all it did was give Philadelphia the power play on which Simmonds got his 17th goal.

UP NEXT

Flyers: Host Ottawa on Saturday night.

Devils: Host Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

Yandle has goal, 2 assists in Panthers' 4-2 win over Sabres

By JOHN WAWROW
AP Hockey Writer

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Keith Yandle and the Florida Panthers took advantage of the undisciplined Buffalo Sabres in the first period. And then the Panthers stood their ground once things got chippy in the final two minutes.

Yandle scored a goal and had two assists, and Harri Sateri stopped the final 19 shots he faced - and 30 overall - in a 4-2 victory in a game that finished with officials issuing four major penalties - three to Sabres players - on Thursday night.

"Yeah, that was one of those games that got out of hand a little bit with some cheap stuff," Yandle said. "But the big thing is finding a way to win, and we did a good job of that."

The Panthers scored three times - including two power-play goals - in a span of 7 minutes, 5 seconds to build a 3-1 lead in the first period. Then emotions began flaring once Colton Sceviour sealed the win by sneaking in a backhand shot with 2:24 remaining in the third.

The most serious scuffle involved Buffalo forward Johann Larsson, who was issued a 10-minute match penalty and 5-minute major for cross-checking Vincent Trocheck across the face with 35 seconds left. Larsson's hit came after Trocheck slashed Buffalo defenseman Jake McCabe at the Florida blue line.

Some 90 seconds earlier, Sabres forward Evander Kane was issued a major penalty for interference for his blindside hit on Aleksander Barkov just inside Buffalo's blue line. Barkov had just released a pass and was pushed back by a hit from Buffalo's Marco Scandella, before being immediately bowled over by Kane, who was following the play.

Kane was then confronted by Florida's Nick Bjugstad with the two exchanging punches in the corner.

Yandle took exception to Kane's hit, accusing the forward of "kind of running around and being stupid."

Kane defended himself by saying he couldn't have avoided Barkov, who was already falling backward.

"I didn't really see them," Kane said.

Larsson said he doesn't believe he did anything to justify the match penalty, even though replays showed him striking Trocheck in the face.

"The guy came right at me and I pushed him a little bit," Larsson said, who faces a one-game misconduct pending an NHL review on Friday.

Trocheck was not penalized for his slash on McCabe. McCabe was issued a 5-minute fighting major, as was Panthers defenseman Alexander Petrovic. Florida forward Micheal Haley then picked up a 10-minute misconduct for sparking a scuffle in front of the Buffalo net with 3 seconds left.

Mike Matheson and Denis Malgin also scored for the Panthers, who won consecutive games for the first time since winning five in a row from Dec. 19-30. Sateri, a 28-year-old NHL rookie, won his second career game with starter Roberto Luongo and backup James Reimer both sidelined with lower-body injuries.

Ryan O'Reilly and Zemgus Girgensons scored, and Chad Johnson stopped 28 shots for a Sabres team that continues to struggle at home. Buffalo ranks last in the Eastern Conference standings and dropped to 6-14-3 at home after entering the day tied with Arizona with the NHL's fewest home wins.

The Sabres blamed themselves for four penalties that led to two of Florida's three first-period goals. That included Yandle tying the game by scoring during a two-man advantage at the 11:06 mark by one-timing in Barkov's feed into the right circle.

Missed scoring chances didn't help Buffalo either.

Kane, O'Reilly and Kyle Okposo all had shots that missed the net from in close.

"We've got to hit the net. We've got to bear down on our chances," Okposo said. "It's frustrating when you don't win at home."

Panthers coach Bob Boughner was relieved to escape with a victory and come out of the NHL All-Star break with two wins following a 4-1 victory at the New York Islanders on Tuesday,

"Our ice was slanted in the second half of the game, and I think our brains turned off a little bit," Boughner said. "It probably wasn't one of our prettier wins of the year, but I guess I can't be picky."

NOTES: Reimer took part in the team's morning skate, but missed his third consecutive game with a lower-body injury. ... Sabres C Jacob Josefson returned after missing seven games with a lower body injury. ... Barkov played in his 300th career game.

UP NEXT

Panthers: open three-game homestand against Detroit on Saturday.

Sabres: continue five-game homestand against St. Louis on Saturday.

Rask makes 32 saves, leads Bruins over Blues 3-1

By MARK ALTMAN
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) -- Tuukka Rask was again up to the task for the Bruins.

Rask made 32 saves and extended his personal point streak to 19 games lifting Boston to a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.

"Any team will play better when you know the goaltender has your back," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We got sick of losing."

Rask is 17-0-2 in his last 19 starts and the Bruins improved to 15-1-4 in their last 20 games overall. David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron and David Backes scored for Boston.

In a game featuring two of the top three teams in goals against average, the goalies were the story as Jake Allen made 22 of his 43 saves in the second period - including a spectacular glove stop of Krejci. Rask matched Allen by robbing Jaden Schwartz 1:45 into the third period with a glove save of his own.

"When I came off the ice, I started to feel bad for Jake, but then I was happy for him," Blues coach Mike Yeo said. "He rose to the occasion and if he continues to play like that, the game will reward him."

With the goalie pulled, Schwartz gave the Bruins a scare when he extended his scoring streak to five games and cut the lead to 2-1 with 1:32 remaining.

Backes scored an empty-netter against his old team with 1 second left to end it.

"Felt like I was on the cusp a few times tonight and my eyes were getting larger as I tried to beat the clock," Backes said. "Most complete game I feel we have played."

Krejci's goal was a controversial one at 12:32 of the first. He slipped the puck past a distracted Allen, who had collided with two Bruins players after making the initial save on Ryan Spooner. The Blues challenged by claiming goaltender interference, but the goal was upheld.

"You never know the way those challenges are going to go," Bruins defenseman Torey Krug said.

Bergeron added an insurance goal on the power play when he one-timed David Pastrnak's pass to beat Allen over the shoulder for a 2-0 Bruins lead at 9:05 of the third.

The Blues had previously won three straight and five of six.

NOTES: Kevan Miller left in the second period with an upper-body injury. ... Spooner had two assists for the Bruins. ... Boston scored first for the first time in nine games. ... Allen was undefeated in four career starts against Boston and started for the first time in seven games. ... Brad Marchand served the third game of his five-game suspension. ... St. Louis is 3-5-1 in its last nine road games.

UP NEXT

Blues: at Buffalo on Saturday.

Bruins: host Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Islanders’ Barzal Named NHL Rookie of the Month for January

NEW YORK – New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal, who led all rookies with 12 assists and 15 points in 13 games (3-12—15), has been named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for January.

Barzal edged Tampa Bay Lightning center Yanni Gourde (6-2—8 in 12 GP), Islanders teammate Ryan Pulock (2-6—8 in 13 GP), Pittsburgh Penguins center Dominik Simon (4-3—7 in 11 GP) and Chicago Blackhawks right wing Alex DeBrincat (4-3—7 in 12 GP) for the honor.

Barzal registered at least one point in eight of his 13 January appearances, highlighted by 2-3—5 Jan. 13 at NYR – his second five-point performance of the season (also Nov. 5 vs. COL: 0-5—5). Only four other rookies have posted multiple five-point games within a single season during the League’s expansion era (since 1967-68); Barzal became the first to do so since 1981-82 (Marian Stastny).

The 16th overall selection in the 2015 NHL Draft, Barzal paces all rookies with 35 assists and 51 points through 52 contests this season. The 20-year-old Coquitlam, B.C., native joins Arizona Coyotes center Clayton Keller (October) and Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser (November and December) as a Rookie of the Month winner in 2017-18.

Malkin, Bergeron and Bernier Named NHL ‘Three Stars’ for January

NEW YORK – Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Jonathan Bernier have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of January.

FIRST STAR – EVGENI MALKIN, C, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Malkin led the NHL with 12 goals and ranked second with 19 points in 12 games (12-7—19) to lift the Penguins (28-21-3, 59 points) to a 9-3-0 January and second place in the Metropolitan Division. He collected at least one point in eight of his 12 contests, highlighted by four three-point performances. Those included his 12th career hat trick Jan. 30 vs. SJS (3-0—3) and 22nd career four-point outing Jan. 13 vs. DET (2-2—4). Malkin also scored three game-winning goals, headlined by his 12th career overtime winner Jan. 7 vs. BOS. The 31-year-old Magnitogorsk, Russia, native shares fifth place in the NHL with 26 goals and sits 11th overall with 55 points through 48 contests this season. That includes a League-best 19 goals and 34 points in 26 outings since the start of December.

SECOND STAR – PATRICE BERGERON, C, BOSTON BRUINS

Bergeron ranked second in the NHL with nine goals and fourth with 17 points in 11 games (9-8—17) to guide the Bruins (29-11-8, 66 points) to an 8-1-2 January and within five points of first place in the overall League standings. He found the scoresheet in nine of his 11 appearances, headlined by a career-high four goals and five points (tied) Jan. 6 vs. CAR. In doing so, Bergeron became the first Boston player to score four goals in one game since Oct. 28, 1999 (Dave Andreychuk). The 32-year-old Ancienne-Lorette, Que., native and four-time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner sits third on the Bruins with 20-22—42 in 43 outings this season. He now has reached the 20-goal milestone in nine of his 14 NHL campaigns, including five straight.

THIRD STAR – JONATHAN BERNIER, G, COLORADO AVALANCHE

Bernier posted a League-high eight wins, compiling a 2.10 goals-against average, .939 save percentage and one shutout in 11 games to propel the Avalanche (27-18-4, 58 points) to an 8-2-1 January. He yielded two or fewer goals in seven of his 11 appearances, including his 16th career shutout Jan. 4 vs. CBJ (34 SV). Bernier also made a season-high 45 saves Jan. 18 vs. SJS (5-3 W), three shy of his career best set Dec. 5, 2013 (w/ TOR). The 29-year-old Laval, Que., native – who won a career-high nine straight games from Dec. 31 – Jan. 22 (1.53 GAA, .955 SV%, 1 SO) – owns a 14‑9‑2 record with a 2.67 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and two shutouts in 25 outings this season.

Several Capitals players end droughts in 5-3 win over Flyers

By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Chandler Stephenson, Andre Burakovsky and T.J. Oshie ended lengthy goal droughts to help the Washington Capitals rally past the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 on Wednesday night.

Stephenson scored twice after going without a goal for 28 games, Burakovsky scored on the power play after coming up empty for 10 games and Oshie lifted his arms and looked to the sky when he scored on the power-play to end his 13-game dry spell. Devante Smith-Pelly scored Washington's fifth goal on 20 shots to chase Philadelphia starter Michal Neuvirth midway through the third period of a game the Capitals trailed 2-0 after one.

Braden Holtby stopped 27 of the 30 shots, including an important glove save early on Travis Konecny and several saves against Flyers captain Claude Giroux. The Capitals avoided what would have been their first four-game home losing streak since 2010 on the heels of their NHL-best 10-game home winning streak that ended Jan 11.

No. 2 pick Nolan Patrick, Konecny and Jakub Voracek scored for Philadelphia. Alex Lyon made his NHL debut in relief of Neuvirth, stopping five shots in preparation for what could be his first start Thursday at New Jersey.

The Flyers got off to a hot start when Patrick made the most of his promotion to second-line center by scoring on a 2-on-1 rush with Wayne Simmonds just 1:18 in. Holtby robbed Konecny on another rush, but the young forward scored to make it 2-0 at 7:50 as he followed up Sean Couturier's initial shot.

As much as Philadelphia dominated the first period, Washington took over in the second, starting with a mistake by Neuvirth when he lost the puck under him. Stephenson poked it in to get the Capitals on the board and scored on a breakaway 47 seconds later to tie it at 2.

Stephenson's two goals in under a minute came after he scored two in his first 36 games this season.

With Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald in the penalty box for slashing, Lars Eller won a faceoff and a puck battle before directing it on net for Burakovsky's first power-play goal of the season 14:32 into the second to give the Capitals the lead. It was all Capitals from there, though Flyers fans filled the arena with "E-A-G-L-E-S" chants days before the Super Bowl.

NOTES: Smith-Pelly replaced healthy scratch Jakub Vrana, who has one point in 13 games. Smith-Pelly's goal was his first since Jan. 2. ... Patrick had his first career multipoint game. ... Neuvirth and Lyon were Philadelphia's goaltending tandem because Brian Elliott is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

UP NEXT

Flyers: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

Capitals: Visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.

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Follow Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

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For more NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey

Red Wings beat Sharks 2-1 in shootout

By NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT (AP) -- Petr Mrazek capped an impressive January with another sharp performance.

Mrazek made 30 saves, and then stopped Tomas Hertl in the seventh round of a shootout to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night. Mrazek went 3-1-1 in January with two shutouts and a .940 save percentage, easily his best month of the season.

"When you get to play, when you play lots of minutes, you get the confidence, the swagger back, and try to build from that," Mrazek said.

Justin Abdelkader scored in the final round of the tiebreaker, and Mrazek's save on Hertl ended the game. Trevor Daley scored for the Red Wings in the third period before Kevin Labanc responded for San Jose.

Gustav Nyquist, Andreas Athanasiou, Tomas Tatar and Abdelkader scored in the shootout for Detroit, while Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Chris Tierney scored for the Sharks.

The Red Wings had a season-high 44 shots, but San Jose salvaged a point thanks to goalie Martin Jones and Labanc's goal with 4:59 remaining in regulation. The Sharks spoiled Mrazek's bid for another shutout in January after an extended period in Detroit's zone. Luke Glendening of the Red Wings was caught without a stick, and Labanc's wrist shot through traffic beat Mrazek high to the glove side .

Jones played in a 5-2 loss at Pittsburgh the previous night, allowing one of the goals on a bad giveaway . He was much better against Detroit.

"He looked good and gave us a chance to win a game that we probably didn't deserve," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. "The Red Wings looked fresher than we did and played a smart game. Jonesy gave us a chance, but I think getting one point is a fair result."

Detroit was playing its first game after the All-Star break. The Red Wings had their chances before Daley opened the scoring. Darren Helm was unable to convert a clean breakaway early in the second, and Martin Frk had an open net on a third-period rebound, but the puck went wide.

San Jose defenseman Justin Braun, who was without a stick at the time, stuck out a skate and appeared to get a piece of Frk's shot.

"I thought our energy was really good, I thought our compete was really good. I didn't think we were great in the first, I thought we got better as the game went along," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "Some of that is you're coming off break a little bit. But I thought we got better as the game went along and I thought by the end we did lots of good stuff so I thought we deserved the two points."

Daley put Detroit up 1-0 with 13:12 remaining in the third. Jones appeared to have stopped Daley's backhander from a tough angle, but the puck dropped over his left pad and ended up in the net for the defenseman's fourth goal of the season.

The goal came moments after Pavelski hit the post at the other end.

NOTES: San Jose's Brent Burns had six shots in the first period and nine for the game. ... Labanc played his 100th NHL game. The goal was his sixth of the season. ... The Sharks lost their third straight game without Joe Thornton, who is out with a right leg injury.

UP NEXT

Sharks: Visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.

Red Wings: Visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night. 

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For more AP NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey

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Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister

Holl scores in NHL debut as Maple Leafs blank Islanders 5-0

Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) -- Justin Holl walked into Air Canada Centre on his own a couple hours before Wednesday night's game, with his minor league equipment bag and a bundle of sticks in his hands.

He originally expected to have the day off. He was sure glad he played.

Holl scored in his NHL debut and Travis Dermott got his first goal in his ninth career game, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-0 victory over the New York islanders.

"It's almost surreal," Holl said. "You're like `Wait did that really happen?' And you're like, `Nice, it did.'"

The 26-year-old Holl joined the Toronto organization on an AHL contract in 2015-16 before earning a two-way deal last season. He played in 239 minor league games before suiting up against New York.

"I have confidence in my abilities, sometimes you have to work a little harder for the things you want," said Holl, who was selected by Chicago in the second round of the 2010 draft. "You have faith it's all gonna turn out all right."

Holl and Dermott spent parts of the last two seasons together on the Toronto Marlies, making the evening that much more special for the blue-line duo.

"Crazy, you can't put it into words," the 21-year-old Dermott said. "You can't write it up any more perfect with (Holl) up here as my partner.

"It all came together perfect tonight."

Kasperi Kapanen, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner also scored for the Maple Leafs (29-18-5), and Frederik Andersen made 28 saves for his fourth shutout of the season.

Thomas Greiss stopped 45 shots for the Islanders (25-22-5), who also lost 4-1 at home against Florida on Tuesday.

"Just really unacceptable the level we're playing at," captain John Tavares said. "Not gonna win too many hockey games the way we've played the last couple nights."

Toronto had three rookie defensemen in the lineup after scratching regulars Morgan Rielly (upper body), Roman Polak (viral infection) and Ron Hainsey (illness). Holl made his NHL debut alongside first-year skaters Andreas Borgman and Dermott. Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev returned to Toronto's lineup after missing 17 games with a foot injury.

The Maple Leafs scored twice in each of the first two periods.

"When you play a fast team like that it's always a challenge," Islanders coach Doug Weight said. "They came at us hard and looking back we had some really good chances we missed.

"Our guys battled, we just have to find a way to be better."

Kapanen opened the scoring 5:37 into the game by jamming in a loose puck near the goal line.

Matthews doubled the lead when he picked up a Zach Hyman rebound in the slot and sent a wrist shot by Greiss at 13:39. Jake Gardiner started the play with a long outlet pass and picked up the other assist to extend his point streak to six games.

New York appeared to be gaining some traction before Marner skated into the slot and re-directed a Nazem Kadri pass to make it 3-0 at 10:32.

Tavares had a great chance to put his team on the board on the power play, but he juggled the puck at the side of an open net before getting off a weak shot that Andersen had no trouble with despite being on his back.

Dermott finished off a pass from William Nylander with 1:01 to play in the second. Matthews skated right to the Islanders net to pick up the puck as a keepsake for Dermott.

"He gets excited any time anybody scores a goal. You can hear him probably up in the press box," Matthews said. "Him scoring his first, he was pretty pumped up."

Holl made it 5-0 with a wrist shot from an off angle that slipped through Greiss' legs at 3:42. This time it was Hyman who collected the puck for his teammate.

"Obviously, good for those kids," Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "You don't get to score your first NHL goal very often - one time."

NOTES: Toronto F Matt Martin was a healthy scratch for a third straight game. ... Islanders F Andrew Ladd was activated from injured reserve and inserted into the lineup after missing nine games with an upper-body injury.

UP NEXT

Islanders: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.

Maple Leafs: Visit the New York Rangers on Thursday night.