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It’s a game that might have been circled by many far in advance because of one particular matchup — Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury against his former club and his former teammate Michael Del Zotto Jersey , Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray.Now, neither is expected to start Thursday when the teams play at PPG Paints Arena.Fleury, the one-time Pittsburgh franchise goalie who made an emotional return in February in a 5-4 Penguins win after the Golden Knights plucked him in the 2017 expansion draft, instead started Wednesday at Washington.Article continues below ...In a rematch of the Stanley Cup final in June, the Golden Knights (1-3) lost to the Capitals 5-2.“I don’t think it was our best game, and I think there are a lot of things that we can tighten up, and awareness is something we can do a much better job (of),” Vegas’ Reilly Smith said.Fleury, who made 24 saves, is not expected to make back-to-back starts.Murray, meanwhile, sustained a concussion in practice Monday, his second concussion this calendar year and third of his NHL career. Because of the unpredictable nature of concussions, it is unknown how long he will be out. He has not practiced since getting hurt.So what was the big matchup instead will be Pittsburgh backup Casey DeSmith against Golden Knights backup Malcom Subban.Fleury’s return this time is a bit muted by his expected spot on the bench.“I think that probably plays into it, and the fact that he’s played here once already,” Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, a longtime close friend of Fleury’s, said, adding that Vegas is still a challenging opponent.“They’re a team that had a great year last year, have a lot of confidence built because of that. For us Sam Gagner Jersey , not having played a lot of games so far this year, we’re just trying to find our game a bit and get some momentum.”The Penguins (1-1) have no trouble turning their attention instead to their performance. They have given up 11 goals in two games and were particularly dismayed with their performance in a 5-1 loss Saturday against Montreal.Since that loss, the team has had three practices to work on things, including one that lasted an hour that winger Jake Guentzel called “high intensity” with most players remaining on the ice at least another 30 minutes, and another not originally scheduled.“I hope we respond the right way,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “My commitment to them is to be straightforward to them.“We certainly weren’t pleased with the effort that we had in the last game. We’re trying to identify areas where we need to improve, and we spent three days working on those areas.”Concentrating on one’s own team is fine with Vegas, a marked opponent this season as the defending Western Conference champion.“One thing that we have to (do is) stop talking about last year,” the Golden Knights’ Jonathan Marchessault told The Athletic. “It’s a new year now. Last year is over. It’s a new team.” BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Rasmus Dahlin nods his head acknowledging he’s familiar with the name when Scotty Bowman comes up in conversation. The 18-year-old is then taken aback upon hearing what the Hockey Hall of Fame coach had to say about the rookie defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres.For all the accolades the Swedish-born player received upon being drafted first overall in June, Dahlin paused briefly upon hearing the nine-time Stanley Cup-winner believes he has the potential to be the best defenseman in Sabres’ history.“Of course that’s fun to hear, but I’m just 18-years-old and I have many years in front of me,” Dahlin said. “I can’t think in that way. I just need to work as hard as I can to be as good as I can.”Moments later, Dahlin noted he still hasn’t even made the roster yet.“We’ll see,” he said.Perhaps someone in the Sabres’ front-office might want to break the good news by informing Dahlin his spot is secure for Buffalo’s opener against Boston on Thursday. Bowman had little doubt after watching Dahlin during a prospects tournament earlier this month; Dahlin wowed the 1,800 fans packing the Sabres practice facility by fearlessly jumping into the rush and showing off his play-making abilities with two goals and an assist against New Jersey.His first goal came after he danced around a defender and snapped a shot through a crowd. The second came on a two-on-one break, during which he raced into the left circle to convert a rebound.“He’ll have some growing pains, but he’s got a terrific shot,” Bowman told The Associated Press. “He’s got what they call a nose for the net. Bobby Orr did that.”Bowman, who spent six-plus seasons coaching in Buffalo Womens Devante Smith-Pelly Jersey , then ran down the list of Sabres’ defensive greats, such as current coach and Hall of Famer Phil Housley, Jim Schoenfeld, Jerry Korab and Mike Ramsey.“He’s only 18, but I think in about two to three seasons, if he continues at the same level that he has in Sweden, the Sabres could be looking at a career defenseman,” he said.The Sabres, who haven’t made the playoffs in seven seasons and finished last in the standings for the third time in five years, are certainly counting on it.“We see the potential, too,” general manager Jason Botterill said. “The bottom line is, it’s our job to develop him.”Dahlin will endure his growing pains, which were evident during preseason games in which he displayed some nerves while also getting accustomed to the smaller North American ice surface. There were occasions in which he was too cavalier with the puck, including being stripped by veteran Patrick Marleau of Toronto last week.More apparent is how the smooth-skating, no-look-passing youngster can provide a play-making element severely lacking among Buffalo’s defensemen a year ago.Sabres blue-liners combined for a league-worst 19 goals last season. Things were so anemic Buffalo didn’t get its first goal from a defenseman until 28 games in, when Jake McCabe scored on Dec. 5.Dahlin is decisive in breaking out of his own zone. He has an effortless stick-handling ability and he’s instinctive in knowing when to join the rush without being reckless.In the opening seconds of his first shift against New Jersey, Dahlin sped up the neutral zone to accept a pass and create a scoring chance after a Devils turnover.“He’s come in as advertised,” Devils GM Ray Shero said. “He has a confidence to his game. He’s got a flair to the way he plays.”Botterill went further in saying: “He seems to see everything. It’s something that’s very difficult to sort of explain, but he certainly has it.”At 6-foot-3 and 186 pounds http://www.officialcanucks.com/authentic-adidas-sven-baertschi-jersey , Dahlin was regarded as the most NHL-ready prospect in this year’s draft class, and drew comparisons to other elite Swedish defensemen, such as San Jose’s Erik Karlsson and former Detroit star Nicklas Lidstrom.Dahlin’s first taste of Buffalo came last winter, when the city hosted the World Junior championship. Dahlin helped Sweden win a silver medal and was named the tournament’s top defenseman with six assists in seven games. A month later, he represented Sweden at the Winter Olympics, where he had an assist in two games. Dahlin had seven goals and 13 assists in 41 games with Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League, and earned junior player of the year honors.Dahlin is soft-spoken, in part because he’s still getting a grasp of the English language. As for hockey, he said, it’s a game he always wanted to play growing up in Trollhattan, not far from Sweden’s west coast.Though Dahlin makes the game look easy, he said that’s far from how it has been.“I always played with older guys, so it’s never been that easy,” said Dahlin, who was 16 upon making his Swedish Elite League debut. “It’s always been a challenge for me to make the team and stuff like that. I think the challenge makes me motivated.”Now he’s on the cusp of playing in the NHL.“This is my dream,” Dahlin said. “And I really want to make the team.”

NEW YORK — The season is just two games old Womens Samuel Girard Jersey , but it has already been a transitional one for the New York Islanders and their new head coach, Barry Trotz. The adaptation process will continue Monday afternoon, when Robin Lehner makes his first start for the Islanders in a Columbus Day matinee against the San Jose Sharks at Barclays Center.It will be the third game of the season for both teams. The Islanders dropped their home opener Saturday, when they fell to the Nashville Predators, 4-3. Article continues below ...The Sharks last played Friday, when they earned a 3-2 overtime win over the host Los Angeles Kings.The narrow defeat for the Islanders on Saturday left Trotz — who coached the Washington Capitals to the team’s first Stanley Cup last spring — in the unfamiliar position of trying to find positives in a loss. New York, which allowed the most goals in the NHL last season (296) and lost star John Tavares to the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in July, followed up a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday by keeping the Western Conference powerhouse Predators off the scoreboard in the third period.“I thought we had some pretty good stretches,” Trotz told reporters afterward. “Our overall game, I thought we were pretty good. I thought we handled their speed well. I thought we managed the puck a lot better than we did in Carolina.”The Sharks also felt good about themselves following the adjustments they made against the Kings, whom they limited to one goal over the final two periods and overtime while getting their first win when New York native Kevin Labanc scored 2:54 into the extra period.“I thought the third period we really pressed, and I thought we were the better team in the third,” said Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer, whose squad outshot the Kings 12-5 in the third period and overtime. “The guys played as if we needed to win this game and we found a way to do it.”Trotz said following practice Sunday that Lehner, who signed with the Islanders in July following three seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, would draw the start Monday. It will be the first regular season game for Lehner since he entered alcohol rehab and began receiving treatment for bipolar disorder last spring.“I feel I’m ready to play,” Lehner told reporters Sunday. “There are still a few things we’re working on. We’re changing a few things I’ve been doing my whole life. That’s not an overnight thing.”Lehner is 0-4-0 in four career appearances against the Sharks.Martin Jones is likely to draw his third straight start for the Sharks. Jones is 1-0-0 in two career games against the Islanders.The Sharks will be without veteran center Joe Thornton, who was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury Sunday. To replace Thornton on the active roster, San Jose recalled center Dylan Gambrell from its AHL affiliate.The Islanders will be hosting a Western Conference foe on Columbus Day afternoon for the third time in four seasons since moving to Barclays Center. New York suffered a 3-2 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues last season and beat the Winnipeg Jets, 4-2, in 2015. DETROIT (AP) The Detroit Red Wings are a team in transition, and that was evident Tuesday night.Veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall scored a goal for his 400th point, while rookie defenseman Joe Hicketts, playing his second NHL game, grabbed a pair of assists for his first career points as the Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2.”It’s neat for sure Semyon Varlamov Jersey ,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. ”It’s good. I thought a number of our young players played well.”Luke Glendening scored twice and Darren Helm matched his career high with three points. Helm had a goal and two assists, and Frans Nielsen and Niklas Kronwall also scored for Detroit. Jimmy Howard made 22 saves to help the Red Wings win in regulation for the first time since a 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 24.Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang scored for the Penguins. Matt Murray stopped 21 shots.It took Pittsburgh 38 seconds to gain the lead. Crosby took Jake Guentzel’s cross-ice feed and snapped a shot before Howard could get across.”(Dylan) Larkin, Helm and (Anthony) Mantha was the line that went up against Crosby,” Blashill said. ”They didn’t start great. The turnover early and then they go down and score. But that’s the learning process that you have to do and after that they were really good, so that’s a real positive.”The Red Wings pulled even 17:43 into opening period. Helm found Kronwall pinching down from the point, and Kronwall whipped a quick shot past Murray. It was his 80th goal, tying him for fourth among Wings defensemen with Hall of Famer Marcel Pronovost.”I try to keep them,” Kronwall said of his milestone pucks. ”I’m not sure exactly where I have them. I don’t have that many, let’s be honest. I think they’re around somewhere.”Detroit, mired in a 1-12-1 stretch, grabbed the lead on the power play at 14:28 of the second period. Martin Frk faked a shot, then zipped the puck across the ice to Nielsen, whose high shot eluded the sprawling Murray.Just 41 seconds later, Detroit made it 3-1 when Glendening deflected Nick Jensen’s point shot.”We let them have the momentum with those two quick goals in the second period,” Crosby said. ”You can’t let that happen. Once we fell behind there, we were chasing the game.”The Red Wings added another goal 6:21 into the third period when Helm converted Larkin’s feed for his 10th.Letang’s point shot found its way through traffic and behind Howard with 3:16 left in regulation.Glendening finished the scoring into an empty net with 1:28 to play.”I don’t think we were struggling tonight, we just weren’t playing with the kind of urgency it takes to win games,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. ”This is a hard league, and it is hard to win a game no matter who you are playing.”If you aren’t willing to make the commitment it takes to give that kind of effort, you are going to get beat.”NOTES: Red Wings GM Ken Holland would not confirm reports that he and Blashill would return next season, saying only that the question would be answered by the end of the season. … The Penguins are the first visiting team to lose twice at Little Caesars Arena. They also fell 4-1 in Detroit on Dec. 31. . Glendening recorded his second career multi-goal game and first since Jan. 27, 2015 at Florida, along with his fifth career multi-point game.UP NEXTPenguins: At New Jersey on Thursday night.Red Wings: At Buffalo on Thursday night.—

ANNAPOLIS Womens Melker Karlsson Jersey , Md. (AP) Less than a minute after each of his team’s goals, Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen gave up a score to the Washington Capitals. Didn’t take long for him to get pulled from the Stadium Series outdoor game at the U.S. Naval Academy, either.Andersen turned in his latest shaky performance as the playoffs approach, allowing five goals on 25 shots in a little more than 1 1/2 periods Saturday night, and the Leafs lost to Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals 5-2.Toronto coach Mike Babcock seemed to finally lose patience with the Danish goalie that Toronto has been figuring it could count on to carry the team when the games matter the most. Andersen was given the hook because of poor play for the only time in 55 starts this season; he was taken out of a game on Feb. 5 after being hit on the head by another player’s skate.Why make the change?”Well, just, I mean, it was going in. And I didn’t want to leave him in there and (have) a bunch more go in,” Babcock said. ”He’s our guy. He’s our starter. We’ve got to look after him the best we can.”Rather than assign blame to Andersen, Babcock spoke more generally about mistakes his others players made against an opponent that eliminated the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs last season.”They look at us,” he said about the Capitals, ”and they still think we’re kids. And it looked like we were kids here tonight. I thought they smacked us around.”This was the fourth game in a row – and eighth in his past nine appearances – that Andersen allowed at least three goals. And after streaking into strong position in the Eastern Conference by winning 13 of 15 games, Toronto has now lost three in a row on a road trip that will conclude on Monday at the Buffalo Sabres.Andersen was replaced by backup Curtis McElhinney 11 minutes, 10 seconds into the second period. That was 21 seconds after Washington winger Jakub Vrana’s breakaway goal – his first score in about 2 months – made it 5-2.Other goals against Andersen were scored by Ovechkin – for his 40th this season and the 598th of his career – Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson.Ovechkin’s made it 2-1 in the second period, and arrived only 59 seconds after Zach Hyman put the puck past Capitals goalie Braden Holtby to temporarily tie things. Carlson’s goal came just 43 seconds after Nazem Kadri spun around and zipped a shot in to get Toronto within 3-2.Andersen didn’t offer much by way of explanation for the way this game went http://www.sanjosesharksteamshop.com/authentic-mikkel-boedker-jersey , although he did mention that the outdoor conditions might have made finding the puck more of a challenge than usual. He was sitting on the bench with a white wool cap on by the time the artificial lights went out in the third period, causing about a 15-minute delay.”There were certain spots where the lights – the reflection off the ice – was a little different,” he said. ”But it’s something both goalies have to potentially face.”— PITTSBURGH (AP) Mike Sullivan knows his team is ”wired” for offense, as tends to happen when you have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and – increasingly – Jake Guentzel on your roster.Yet the Pittsburgh Penguins have proven during their two-year run atop the NHL they know what they’re doing at the other end of the ice, too, playing with a discipline that’s more grit than glamour.Their hopes for a historic three-peat remain alive because of it.Guentzel scored twice and the Penguins held Washington star Alex Ovechkin without a shot on goal for just the third time in 107 career playoff games to grind out a 3-1 victory in Game 4 on Thursday night to even their typically taut Eastern Conference semifinal.Pittsburgh held Washington to three shots total in the third period.”It’s like we played Game 7 tonight,” said Malkin, who scored from his belly late in the second period to put Pittsburgh in front to stay. ”Unbelievable.”Well. Not exactly.This is what tends to happen when the two longtime rivals meet in the postseason. Washington edges ahead and the Penguins respond immediately, one of the main reasons Pittsburgh is 9-1 all-time against the Capitals in the playoffs.Plenty of work remains to be done for Washington to shrug off the weight of its ignominious history and for the Penguins to push their bid for a three-peat to the next round. Yet Pittsburgh laid down the blueprint over three periods that were decidedly tamer than the Game 3 chaos caused in large part by Washington forward Tom Wilson’s illegal high hit that left rookie Zach Aston-Reese with a broken jaw and led the league to suspend Wilson for three games.While Sullivan downplayed the impact of Wilson’s absence, the pushing and shoving was largely kept to a minimum save for a scrap between Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang and Washington’s T.J. Oshie as Guentzel skated down the ice to flip in an empty-net goal with 58 seconds to go.For the Penguins, the stakes – as they so often have during Sullivan’s tenure – far outweighed any search for retribution.”We understood it’s a huge game for us,” Malkin said.Instead the teams head to Washington for Game 5 on Saturday night all tied up, the ninth time in 11 postseason meetings the series will go at least six games. Same as it ever was.Oshie scored Washington’s lone goal – a shot from the slot on the power play 12:55 into the second that knotted the score at 1 – and Braden Holtby finished with 21 saves but the Capitals couldn’t sneak anything else by Murray, who stopped 20 shots just two days after putting together an admittedly ”shaky” performance in Game 3.The guys in front of Murray made his job relatively easy. The Penguins blocked 13 shots and rarely let Washington put together any sustained pressure.Devante Smith-Pelly replaced Wilson on the top line with Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, but Pittsburgh kept the clamps on. Ovechkin failed to put a single puck on net Tim Heed Jersey , though Washington coach Barry Trotz downplayed Ovechkin’s ineffectiveness.”Trust me, Ovie will get his shots,” Trotz said.He’s going to have to if he wants to keep pace with Guentzel. A year after scoring a playoff-high 13 goals while helping the Penguins to a second consecutive Cup, the slender 23-year-old is once again thriving in May.Guentzel gave the Penguins the lead 9:21 into the second period when he stood on the doorstep and banged home a rebound of Dominik Simon’s shot for his ninth of the playoffs and his 20th point of the postseason. Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier in 1988 are the last two players to reach 20 points in 10 or fewer postseason games.”I just kind of feel like the (pucks) are going in right now,” Guentzel said.Guentzel has a league-leading 10 playoff goals, joining Mario Lemieux as the only NHL players to reach double digits in their first two career postseasons.The 23-year-old, however, is still learning. He committed a slashing penalty after putting the Penguins in front, and Oshie’s shot from the slot 12:55 into the second tied it.Malkin went to his belly to put Pittsburgh back in front with 2:33 to go in the second. The Russian star flung himself at the puck during a scrum in the crease, the puck just flitting over the goal line following a scramble. There was no initial goal call on the play, reminiscent of a sequence in Game 2 in which the red goal light remained unlit after Pittsburgh’s Patric Hornqvist jabbed at it from in front.Replays in Game 2 proved inconclusive and the Capitals held on. This time, the review was kinder to the Penguins. Video clearly showed the puck inching across the line, and it stood after the Capitals challenged claiming goalie interference.”It’s a good goal, we’re happy,” Malkin said. ”Sometimes it’s a bad call against us. Sometimes it’s a good call. But we’re looking at the next game. We understand it’s not over.”NOTES: Crosby also failed to get a shot on goal but had two assists. … Pittsburgh F Carl Hagelin played 16:11 while wearing a full face shield in his return from an upper-body injury that forced him to miss the first three games of the series. … The Capitals have scored a playoff goal in nine of 10 playoff games. … The loss was Washington’s first on the road in the playoffs (4-1). … The Capitals were 1 for 3 on the power play. The Penguins were 2 for 4.—

NEW YORK (AP) A change to the NHL’s protocol for goaltender interference reviews is happening quicker than expected.Beginning with games on Wednesday William Karlsson Jersey , all coach’s challenges for goaltender interference will be decided by the league’s situation room in Toronto instead of on-ice officials getting the final say. The NHL board of governors approved the change Tuesday that was recommended by general managers and approved by the competition committee.The original intent was to change the policy beginning for the playoffs. Instead, the final two-plus weeks of the regular season will include reviews being decided by a group that includes a former official.Commissioner Gary Bettman says the intent was to maintain consistency across the board on goalie interference. GMs, coaches Alex Ovechkin Jersey Kids , goalies and skaters had all voiced some displeasure about the system and the wide range of calls made on the ice and by referees after taking a look at the replay.— PHILADELPHIA (AP) Philadelphia Flyers goalie Brian Elliott had abdominal surgery on Tuesday and will be out 5 to 6 weeks, general manager Ron Hextall said.Elliott re-aggravated an abdominal injury that cost him four games earlier this month in Saturday’s 4-3 shootout victory over Arizona.In 41 games this season, Elliott has posted a 21-11-7 mark with a 2.72 goals-against average and .908 save percentage.Flyers backup goalie Michal Neuvirth started Tuesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils Braden Holtby Jersey , two days after he made 38 saves in a 4-1 victory at Las Vegas.Philadelphia recalled Alex Lyon from Lehigh Valley of the AHL prior to Sunday’s game to serve as Neuvirth’s backup.Hextall was noncommittal as to whether he would pursue a replacement for Elliott before the Feb. 26 trade deadline.The Flyers began Tuesday in sixth place in a tightly bunched playoff race in the Eastern Conference.

NEW YORK (AP) A change to the NHL’s protocol for goaltender interference reviews is happening quicker than expected.Beginning with games on Wednesday William Karlsson Jersey , all coach’s challenges for goaltender interference will be decided by the league’s situation room in Toronto instead of on-ice officials getting the final say. The NHL board of governors approved the change Tuesday that was recommended by general managers and approved by the competition committee.The original intent was to change the policy beginning for the playoffs. Instead, the final two-plus weeks of the regular season will include reviews being decided by a group that includes a former official.Commissioner Gary Bettman says the intent was to maintain consistency across the board on goalie interference. GMs, coaches Alex Ovechkin Jersey Kids , goalies and skaters had all voiced some displeasure about the system and the wide range of calls made on the ice and by referees after taking a look at the replay.— PHILADELPHIA (AP) Philadelphia Flyers goalie Brian Elliott had abdominal surgery on Tuesday and will be out 5 to 6 weeks, general manager Ron Hextall said.Elliott re-aggravated an abdominal injury that cost him four games earlier this month in Saturday’s 4-3 shootout victory over Arizona.In 41 games this season, Elliott has posted a 21-11-7 mark with a 2.72 goals-against average and .908 save percentage.Flyers backup goalie Michal Neuvirth started Tuesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils Braden Holtby Jersey , two days after he made 38 saves in a 4-1 victory at Las Vegas.Philadelphia recalled Alex Lyon from Lehigh Valley of the AHL prior to Sunday’s game to serve as Neuvirth’s backup.Hextall was noncommittal as to whether he would pursue a replacement for Elliott before the Feb. 26 trade deadline.The Flyers began Tuesday in sixth place in a tightly bunched playoff race in the Eastern Conference.

EDMONTON Womens Duncan Keith Jersey , Alberta (AP) — Kailer Yamamoto celebrated his 20th birthday with two goals in the Edmonton Oilers‘ 4-3 preseason victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday.Yamamoto got his second of the game early in the third period, tapping a goalmouth feed from Drake Caggiula behind goalie Mike Smith to complete the scoring. Yamamoto has six goals in six exhibition games.Connor McDavid and Jujhar Khaira also scored and Cam Talbot made 39 saves to help the Oilers improve to 6-1. Johnny Gaudreau, Sam Bennett and Elias Lindholm scored for Calgary.Edmonton will face the Cologne Sharks in an exhibition game Wednesday night in Germany, and open the regular season next Saturday in Sweden against the New Jersey Devils.FLYERS 4, BRUINS 1At Boston, Brian Elliott made 26 saves, and Michael Raffl scored twice in the third period to lead the Flyers.Taylor Leier and Wayne Simmonds also scored for Philadelphia (4-2-1).Ryan Donato scored for Boston, and Tuukka Rask made 20 saves. The Bruins, who open the regular season Wednesday at the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals (5-2-1).RED WINGS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 1At Detroit, Jonathan Bernier made 25 saves to lead the Red Wings over the Maple Leafs.Dominic Turgeon, Vili Saarijarvi, Martin Frk, Libor Sulak and Matt Puempel scored for Detroit (7-1-0).Curtis McElhinney allowed all five Detroit goals on 37 shots, and Carl Grundstrom scored for the Maple Leafs (5-2-0).LIGHTNING 3, PANTHERS 2At Sunrise, Florida, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves to lead the Lightning past the Panthers.Mathieu Joseph, J.T. Miller and Cory Conacher scored for Tampa Bay (4-3-0).Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Hoffman scored for Florida (3-4-0). Roberto Luongo made 23 saves.SENATORS 3, CANADIENS 0At Ottawa, Ontario, Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist, Craig Anderson stopped 19 shots and Ottawa beat Montreal.Tom Pyatt and Bobby Ryan also scored for the Senators (2-4-0).Carey Price gave up all three goals on 21 shots in two periods, and Antti Niemi stopped all 10 shots he faced in the third period for Montreal (4-3-0).BLACKHAWKS 4, BLUE JACKETS 1In Chicago, Cam Ward made 16 saves to lift the Blackhawks past the Blue Jackets.Brent Seabrook, Artem Anisimov http://www.blackhawksshoponline.com/authentic-gustav-forsling-jersey , Brandon Saad and Patrick Kane scored for Chicago (2-4-0).Jonathan Davidsson scored for the Blue Jackets (3-5-0), and Joonas Korpisalo made 23 saves.COYOTES 4, CANUCKS 1At Kelowna, British Columbia, Michael Grabner and Derek Stepan had a goal and an assist to lead Arizona.Christian Fischer and Brad Richardson added goals for the Coyotes (4-2-0).Nikolay Goldobin scored a third-period goal for Vancouver (1-6-0).Jacob Markstrom made 12 saves for Vancouver and Darcy Kuemper had 15 stops for Arizona.DUCKS 3, KINGS 0At Los Angeles, John Gibson made 32 saves to record a shutout for the Ducks.Troy Terry, Carter Rowney and Ben Street scored for Anaheim, which finished preseason play 3-3-0.Jonathan Quick stopped 34 of 37 shots for the Kings, who went 1-4-1 in exhibition play. WASHINGTON (AP) The sight of Evgeni Malkin on the ice brought a smile to many in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ locker room.Even knowing they wouldn’t have him in the lineup for Game 1 of their second-round series against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions could glean some optimism that the skilled Russian center won’t be out long with his apparent leg injury.”It’s always nice to see a guy like him out there,” winger Bryan Rust said Thursday after an optional morning skate.”He’s a guy who’s obviously really important to our team and brings so much. Just to see him out there and see him getting closer is nice.”Coach Mike Sullivan said Malkin skating ”means he’s that much closer” to playing, even if the 31-year-old was wearing a white no-contact jersey. Malkin traveling with the team to Washington plus the progress he appears to be making could put him in line to return as soon as Game 2 Sunday afternoon.”It’s great for our team, great for Geno that he’s on the ice and skating,” Sullivan said. ”He’s a big part of this team. He’s a difference-maker and not an easy guy to replace.”Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia in Game 6 without Malkin, who was injured in Game 5 on April 20 and hadn’t practiced since. Absent the 2009 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP, the Penguins rely more heavily on superstar Sidney Crosby and fellow centers Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan and Tom Kuhnhackl.”We have the depth on our roster,” Kuhnhackl said. ”We’ve showed that before. At the end, it doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup and who’s out. Everyone’s capable of playing the right way.”Few in the NHL can play like Malkin, who has three goals and two assists in five playoff games so far. General manager Jim Rutherford acquiring Brassard at the trade deadline certainly helps Pittsburgh’s depth down the middle, but it takes more than one or two players to fill the void without Malkin.”One of the best players in the world, almost 100 points this year,” Brassard said. ”You can’t really replace a guy who scored 40 goals, but I think as a team we can do a better job and are trying to do a better job.”—

HERNING Andrew Ladd Jersey , Denmark (AP) Captain Connor McDavid scored a hat trick to lead Canada to a 5-0 win over Norway on Thursday at the ice hockey world championship, while the Czech Republic beat Russia 4-3 in overtime.Earlier Thursday, Cam Atkinson scored in overtime to give the United States a 3-2 win over Latvia, its fourth straight victory at the tournament.In another tight game, Slovakia kept its hopes alive for a quarterfinal spot by topping France 3-1, with Michal Cajkovsky scoring the final goal into an empty net.Bo Horvat scored the other two goals for Canada while goaltender Curtis McElhinney only needed to make nine saves for the shutout.”We came out and did what we had to again,” McDavid said. ”I think we’ve got a lot better as the tournament’s going on here. We understand what this tournament is about. We have to win all games.”After clinching his second consecutive Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer with 108 points, McDavid has four goals and six assists from four games at the championship.Boston Bruins forwards David Pastrnak and David Krejci only joined the Czech team only on Thursday morning after being knocked out of the NHL playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning and immediately made their presence felt.Pastrnak scored two goals, including the winner with 1:37 left in overtime, and added one assist while Krejci finished with a goal and three assists.Nikita Nesterov, Mikhail Grigorenko and Alexander Barabanov scored a goal each for Russia, which had shut out its previous three opponents.The Americans also won after Atkinson scored his third goal in the tournament 1:23 into overtime on a power play”It’s obviously nice to get that goal,” Atkinson said. ”It wasn’t our prettiest by no means, got to give credit to them. They fought from the start all over to the end,” he said. ”We took the points but we need to be a lot of better.”Chris Kreider gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead when he knocked in a loose puck on a power play, but Latvia defenseman Uvis Balinskis ended goalie Keith Kinkaid’s bid for a third straight shutout with a deflected shot with 2:03 remaining in the first period.Latvia then went ahead in the middle period through Andris Dzerins, but Colin White tied it for the U.S. with a slap shot that went between the pads of goalie Elvis Merzlikins.Captain Patrick Kane and forward Alex DeBrincat finished with two assists.Kinkaid made several key stops in the third period and finished with 17 saves in the game.”I was just trying to keep my team even at 2-2 and they did the rest,” Kinkaid said. ”It took the overtime period to do it but we’ve got the win.”The U.S. and Canada top Group B in Herning with 10 points followed by Finland on nine. Latvia has six points and Norway three.In Copenhagen, Sweden dominates Group A with 12 points while Russia is second with 10. Switzerland is one point back while Slovakia has seven, one more than the Czechs. Auston Matthews got a taste of playoff hockey last season. Patrik Laine has been waiting two years for this.The third pick in the 2016 draft? Well, Pierre-Luc Dubois is taking a surprising star turn in the spotlight of the NHL playoffs, too.Matthews, Laine, Dubois and 2017 top picks Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick look unfazed as they handle significant responsibilities in the postseason. For the first time since 1991, four teenagers have scored a goal in the first round of the playoffs, and all five budding superstars are in top-six forward roles, combining for five goals and six assists.”These guys are young guys,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock said after Matthews’ Game 3 winner against Boston was the 20-year-old center’s first point of the series.”They’re playing against real players and they’re young guys. You’ve got to go through some of these slappings in your life to kind of respond and learn how to respond and do things right.”They’ve been doing a lot of things right all season. Matthews’ 34 goals led the Maple Leafs; Laine’s 43 for Winnipeg were second in the NHL; Hischier’s 48 points were second on the Devils; and Patrick’s 30 and gradual improvement earned him a promotion to the Flyers‘ second-line center spot.Dubois was a bit of a surprise pick by Columbus behind Matthews and Laine at the 2016 draft, and he didn’t break into the NHL right away. Dubois wasn’t expected to mature this quickly and doesn’t get the kind of attention as last season’s top finishers for rookie of the year Anthony Beauvillier Jersey , but he’s used to that by now.”I’ve always been the guy kind of under the radar,” said Dubois, whose 48 points were third on the Blue Jackets. ”All my life it’s been pretty much like that. I don’t really look to impress other people. I just want to play well. I’ve never been the guy that everybody talked about, so it never really fazed me.”Dubois most impressively has earned the trust of old-school coach John Tortorella enough to be the Blue Jackets’ No. 1 center at age 19. Tortorella uses Dubois as an example to show older players how to handle situations, an ultimate sign of respect from a Stanley Cup-winning coach who doesn’t hesitate to put him on the ice against opposing stars.”He accepted it, he excelled,” Tortorella said. ”He has a mental toughness for a 19-year-old kid, to accept that type of responsibility and want more. It’s a different guy. You’ve got to be careful with young kids, but he has showed me tremendous progress and instant mental toughness as I’ve gotten to know him as the season’s gone on.”Laine isn’t tracking the stats of the other players in his draft class, but he knows how they are doing. Similarly, Dubois enjoys watching Matthews and Laine while trying not to compare himself to them.”They’re obviously really great players,” said Dubois, who picked up two assists in his first playoff game and scored a goal in his third. ”I know my game and people that know my game know that we’re all different players. There’s the offensive side of it, there’s the defensive side, there’s everything. Everything’s different about our games.”Production ties them together with Hischier and Patrick, who also don’t look out of place at all in their first playoffs at 19.New Jersey coach John Hynes said Hischier has been one of the Devils’ best players, which is the continuation of a season of learning for the first Swiss No. 1 pick.”I’ve seen every city, every rink and just for me it was a lot of experience this year, and guys helped me a lot,” said Hischier, who scored in Game 2 against Tampa Bay and played more than 17 minutes in the Devils’ Game 3 win. ”Just all around I think I grew as a person and as a hockey player.”Patrick wasn’t putting up a lot of points in the first half of the season but still felt he was playing well. Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol felt good enough about Patrick’s game that he promoted him and has reaped the benefits for the past couple of months and in the first round against Pittsburgh.”It’s nice for your confidence,” Patrick said. ”I think I kind of progressed through the year and kept getting better with every role they put me in.”Big roles aren’t a problem for Matthews and Laine, who are key drivers of play for the Leafs and Jets. Toronto finally got going against the Bruins in large part because of Matthews, who said he felt an earthquake in his feet when he scored in Game 3 and let out a scream to match.After Laine scored the tying goal in Game 1 against Minnesota in what became the Jets franchise’s first playoff victory, he motioned to fans for cheers before jumping into the glass. The Finnish winger is used to scoring goals – and a lot of them – but in the playoffs it’s even more special.”It was maybe a little bit nicer,” Laine said. ”I was saving my goals and celebrations for the playoffs. Now I can celly (celebrate) a little bit harder.”—AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed.—

BUFFALO Troy Brouwer Jersey , N.Y. (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon shrugged off his hot start with the Colorado Avalanche this season by suggesting he can be better.“It’s nice for sure. I think I can play better than I am,” MacKinnon said after scoring twice in a 6-1 rout of the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. “I’m just putting it in right now but I think, overall, it hasn’t been the easiest year so far.”Coach Josh Bednar agrees with his player, who has five goals and extended his season-opening scoring streak to four games.“I feel like he’s just kind of starting to hit his stride,” Bednar said, before turning his attention to the Avalanche’s top line rounded out by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog.“If they continue to work the way they’re working, and do the right things and pay attention to the process, it’s going to come for them,” he added.Tyson Jost and Colin Wilson scored power-play goals 2:25 apart in a first period in which the Avalanche built a 3-0 lead on Carl Soderberg’s goal with 3:30 left.MacKinnon scored his first of the game 28 seconds after Buffalo’s Nathan Beaulieu cut Colorado’s lead to 3-1 late in the second period.MacKinnon and Alexander Kerfoot then scored breakaway goals in the final five minutes as Colorado improved to 3-1 and bounced back from a 5-2 loss at Columbus.Semyon Varlamov stopped 30 shots to improve to 3-0. And Mackinnon matched the Colorado franchise record for a goal streak to open a season, set by John Mitchell three years ago.Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin , the first overall draft pick this summer http://www.officialhurricanes.com/authentic-adidas-andrei-svechnikov-jersey , got his first career point with an assist on Beaulieu’s goal.Otherwise, very little went right for Buffalo (2-2), which squandered a chance to match last season’s team-best three-game winning streak.Whatever momentum the Sabres attempted to generate were dashed with 22 second left in the first period when Kyle Okposo’s goal was disallowed following a coaching challenge for goalie interference.Officials determined Okposo interfered with Varlamov when he crashed into the crease to convert Jack Eichel’s pass. After redirecting the pass, Okposo backed into the goalie, forcing Varlamov to lift his right pad and allowing the puck to sneak in beneath it.“I knew it was going to be probably a 50-50 one,” Okposo said. “I don’t think me being there really affected it. But they did. And that’s how it goes.”Okposo was more frustrated over how Buffalo started the game.“I think it would’ve been nice to get out of there 3-1, but we deserved to be down 3-0,” he said. “We didn’t play well in the first period. Like, it was bad.”Buffalo’s bad breaks were compounded after Beaulieu scored.MacKinnon scored to regain Colorado’s three-goal edge after a Sabres clearing attempt got caught up referee Francis Charron’s skate. The puck dribbled to Rantanen, who fed a pass through the crease to a wide-open MacKinnon.“Last game we started out a little bit sloppy so it was something we emphasized before the game,” Wilson said. “We answered the bell there and stayed in our mindset the whole game.”NOTES: Colorado converted 2 of 4 power-play opportunities, while Buffalo went 0 for 7. … Avalanche C Vladislav Kamenev made his season debut. Acquired from Nashville in a three-team trade in November Brock McGinn Jersey Kids , he missed 50 games after breaking his arm in his Avalanche debut. … Sabres LW Johan Larsson made his season debut since sustaining a lower body injury during the preseason. D Zach Bogosian (lower body) was placed on injured reserve. … Sabres G Carter Hutton had 24 saves.UP NEXTAvalanche: Return home to play Calgary Flames on Saturday, before heading east for four-game road trip.Sabres: Open five-game road trip at Arizona on Saturday. OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks spoiled the Ottawa Senators‘ home opener with a big finish.Kane scored 38 seconds into overtime to give Chicago a 4-3 victory Thursday night. Alex DeBrincat, Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook also scored, and Cam Ward stopped 22 shots.“It’s kind of a good feeling to be down like that and have a comeback win, especially for the first game of the season,” Kane said. “It gave us a little confidence, so overall I think everyone was pretty pumped up after the game and happy to get the two points for the first game of the season.”Maxime Lajoie scored for Ottawa in his NHL debut, Colin White and Zack Smith added goals, and Craig Anderson made 37 saves.“Obviously, Kane gave it to us to get the game, but overall offensively we had so many chances http://www.officialhurricanes.com/authentic-adidas-elias-lindholm-jersey ,” Senators coach Guy Boucher said. “The key here was we didn’t bury it at the moment when it could have hurt.”Seabrook tied it midway through the third, with Kane finding the defenseman alone in front for a one-timer.“We’ve kind of been talking about being relentless in here and being resilient,” Kane said. “You give up three in the first and Ward really bounced back amazing after that. It’s a good way to start. You never want to be down going into the third, but to have it finish like that where you’re coming back, tying it up and winning in overtime gives everyone a lot of confidence.”The teams combined for five goals in the first period.Chicago opened the scoring when DeBrincat used Thomas Chabot as a screen before firing a shot past Anderson. Ottawa tied it when Smith’s shot deflected off Duncan Keith. The goal was Smith’s first since Feb. 21, also against Chicago.The Hawks regained the lead when Toews came down the wing and fired a shot off Anderson’s shoulder.The Senators tied it in Lajoie’s one-timer, and White made it 3-2 on a power play.“I never thought (Thursday) morning that I would play my first game and have my first goal in the NHL so I’m overjoyed and really happy,” Lajoie said. “The crowd was awesome and all the guys were just awesome about it.”NOTES: Ottawa LW Brady Tkachuk is day-to-day with a mild groin sprain. D Ben Harpur was a healthy scratch. … Chicago recalled G Collin Delia after Anton Forsberg was injured during the morning skate.UP NEXT:Blackhawks: At St. Louis on Saturday night.Senators: At Toronto on Saturday night.

WINNIPEG http://www.canucksshoponline.com/authentic-brock-boeser-jersey , Manitoba (AP) Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and said the expansion Vegas Golden Knights sent a message, bouncing back with a 3-1 series-evening win over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference final.”Every time we need a big game as a group, we show up,” Marchessault said. ”We showed the hockey world we earned the right to be here.”Tomas Tatar scored 6:37 into the game for the Golden Knights and Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 30 saves.Kyle Connor scored midway through the third period to pull Winnipeg within a goal. Marchessault restored the two-goal lead 1:28 later.Connor Hellebuyck had 25 saves for the Jets.After losing the series opener, Marchessault told reporters the team faced a must-win game.”If you’re going to talk out there in the media that you have to be better, I think you need to lead by example,” he said. ”I tried to do that.”Game 3 is Wednesday night in Las Vegas.”I don’t think anybody is panicking,” Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba said. ”We like our road game. We like where it was in the Nashville series.”Winnipeg won three times on the top-seeded Predators’ home ice, including Game 7 last week.The expansion Golden Knights appeared to be rusty in the series opener and the Jets scored three goals early in a 4-2 win about 48 hours after advancing out of the second round.It looked like they were going to pick up where they left off.”They came out flying again with a lot of speed,” Fleury said.Fleury, who helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win three Stanley Cups, made key stops early and got help from teammate and a post in the opening minutes to keep the puck out of his net.”Fleury had to make three or four really good saves in the first seven minutes http://www.canucksshoponline.com/authentic-henrik-sedin-jersey ,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. ”We rebounded after that. We got that 2-0 lead and it was a different game for us. When teams are chasing the lead, it’s tough for teams to battle back.”Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele, who has postseason-high 12 goals , got the puck past Fleury in the opening moments of the game and Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt cleared it from the crease .Vegas generated offense by making plays without the puck, forcing turnovers to set up goals.”We were on them,” Golden Knights forward Erik Haula said. ”That’s our game. We’re a fast team. I think we showed that.”Indeed.After the Jets failed to control the puck out of a corner in their end, Tatar ended up stuffing the puck in the net after hitting the side of the net with a shot.Connor was pressured into turning over the puck near center ice late in the opening period and Reilly Smith set up Marchessault, his former Florida Panthers teammate, at the blue line and he scored on a breakaway backhander.”There was about 57 minutes of that game that was pretty good for us,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. ”Three minutes of it got away from us.The Jets closed the scoreless second period and started the third on the power play and still couldn’t get the puck past Fleury.Yet.Winnipeg kept up the pressure on by relentlessly forechecking and drew another penalty early in the third. Connor took advantage, squeezing a shot between Fleury and the post from the bottom of the left circle 7:17 into the third.That whipped the white-clad fans into a frenzy – triggering jeers of ”Fleu-ry! Fleu-ry!” – and were quickly quieted by another Marchessault backhander that beat Hellebuyck.The Jets pulled their goaltender to add another skater over the last couple minutes of the game, but Fleury didn’t let the puck get past him again.NOTES: Vegas put Tatar and Tomas Nosek in place of David Perron and Oscar Lindberg. Gallant said Perron was not a healthy scratch. ”He wasn’t feeling well Jacob Markstrom Jersey ,” Gallant said. ”I think he’ll be fine.” … The Jets have not lost consecutive games this postseason. … Vegas acquired Tatar from the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline for a first-round pick and he played in just his fifth game of this postseason and scored his first goal. ”What a luxury to be able to put Tomas Tatar into a game in the playoffs,” Schmidt said. ”The guy has been an incredible player in this league and proved it for many years.”— PITTSBURGH (AP) Sidney Crosby crystallized the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ hot run against the Philadelphia Flyers with the kind of goal that he and few others on the planet can create.The Pittsburgh captain then sealed his team’s first season sweep of its cross-state rival in 11 years with a pass that wasn’t nearly as flashy but just as effective.Bryan Rust put his stick down in front of the Philadelphia net just in time to redirect Crosby’s feed past Petr Mrazek 2:25 into overtime to give the Penguins a 5-4 victory on Sunday.Pittsburgh pulled within three points of first-place Washington in the crowded Metropolitan Division and two points clear of Philadelphia after improving to 16-1-1 in its past 18 games at PPG Paints Arena.”We did some good things, especially the second and third, created a lot and found a way to win,” Crosby said of the Penguins, who have won a club-record 11 overtime games at home.The Flyers tied it on Sean Couturier’s goal with 43 seconds left in regulation, but the Penguins controlled the extra period. Rust ended it when his 13th goal of the season gave the Penguins their first sweep of Philadelphia since 2007 in what could be a playoff preview.Crosby’s second otherworldly goal in a week gave the Penguins the lead 17 seconds into the third period. The two-time MVP scored on an intentional double tap against Montreal last Wednesday. That one showcased his exquisite hand-eye coordination.This one showcased his strength.Crosby collected the puck high in the Philadelphia zone, used his left hand to keep Couturier at bay while using his right to dangle the puck before he skated to the left dot and ripped a wrist shot over Philadelphia defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and Mrazek’s glove.”I was trying to skate into space, get open and just kind of watching him do his thing,” Rust said. ”I’m not surprised. He is who he is for a reason.”Couturier exacted a bit of revenge when he knotted it late to assure the Flyers of at least a point to pull them into a third-place tie with Columbus.”It’s a big point,” Couturier said. ”We played a pretty good game overall. For sure, it’s disappointing not coming out of here with two points Markus Granlund Jersey , but we can build on this and maybe do a little better in little areas. Overall, I think we can build on this and keep going.”Evgeni Malkin scored his 42nd goal for Pittsburgh, pulling within two of the NHL lead held by Washington’s Alex Ovechkin. Patric Hornqvist and Derick Brassard also scored for Pittsburgh. Justin Schultz had three assists for the Penguins. Matt Murray finished with 41 saves.Rookie Travis Sanheim picked up his second career goal for the Flyers. Brandon Manning and Jordan Weal also scored. Starting goaltender Alex Lyon was pulled early in the second period after giving up three goals on 11 shots. Mrazek made 19 saves, but couldn’t get a glove on Rust’s winner.The erratic Flyers fell to 4-6-3 in March after going 10-1-2 in February and have struggled keeping their cross-state rivals in check this season. Pittsburgh scored five goals in all four season meetings, outscoring Philadelphia 20-12.Considering how crowded the division standings are with two weeks to go in the regular season, a first-round playoff meeting isn’t out of the question.If it happens, it could match the wide-open postseason clash in which the clubs scored 56 goals in six games as Philadelphia pulled off an upset in 2012.Pittsburgh’s play in the defensive end isn’t quite the hot mess it was six years ago, but the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions have struggled with consistency of late and had serious issues – particularly backchecking by the forwards – in keeping the puck out of their end at times.The Penguins have allowed an average of 37.4 shots over their past six games, a number they understand needs to go down if they want to have a realistic shot at a three-peat.”We have moments where I thought we were playing the game the right way,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. ”And then there were moments where we weren’t. It’s finding that consistency that’s going to make us a stiffer team or a stingier team to play against.”NOTES: The Flyers went 1 for 3 on the power play. Pittsburgh went 1 for 2. … The Penguins scratched D Matt Hunwick and Fs Carter Rowney and Zach Aston-Reese. … D Robert Hagg and Fs Taylor Leier and Dale Weise were healthy scratches for Philadelphia.UP NEXTFlyers: Continue three-game road trip in Dallas on Tuesday. Philadelphia edged the Stars 2-1 on Dec. 16.Penguins: Visit Detroit on Tuesday. The teams have split their first two meetings, each winning on home ice.—

VANCOUVER Jean-Gabriel Pageau Jersey , British Columbia (AP) Vancouver coach Travis Green did a double take when he saw Alex Biega doing postgame TV interviews.Biega got his first goal in over three years, Brandon Sutter had two goals and an assist and the Canucks beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Tuesday night.”You don’t see that a lot with the Bulldog being interviewed after his game-winner, so I had to get a picture of it,” Green said about Biega with a smile.Biega, who last scored on Feb. 16, 2015, blasted a slap shot from the corner of the blue-line that cleared traffic and found the net, giving Vancouver a 2-1 lead three minutes into the third.”The other (goal) was around the same spot, so I think I’m going to have to shoot pucks after practice around that spot,” Biega said.Sam Gagner also scored for Vancouver, which has won three of four since losing seven straight. Jacob Markstrom stopped 23 shots.Andrew Cogliano scored for the Ducks, who wrapped a four-game trip and are on a 5-1-1 stretch.The loss dropped Anaheim into a tie with the Los Angeles Kings for third in the Pacific Division, though the Kings have a game in hand. The teams play Friday night.”We’ve got probably two of the biggest games of the year coming up, L.A. on Friday night and Colorado on Sunday,” coach Randy Carlyle said. ”That pretty much sums it up, it’s desperation time for everybody and we’re going to have to play to a higher level than we did tonight.”Anaheim’s John Gibson made 26 saves. He has been dominant against Vancouver http://www.senatorsshoponline.com/authentic-mark-stone-jersey , coming into the game 6-1-1 with a 1.37 goals-against average and three shutouts against the Canucks.Vancouver got to him at 9:53 in the opening period. Daniel Sedin’s shot from the faceoff circle bounced off Gibson and right to Gagner, who batted in the rebound.Markstrom made two big saves in the second period. The first off a 3-on-2 with Ryan Getzlaf setting up Andrew Cogliano and the second on Corey Perry shooting from inside the slot.Markstrom later made a gaffe that lead to the Ducks’ tying goal. The puck took an odd bounce off the stanchion during a dump-in, and Markstrom was caught stranded as Cogliano whipped the errant puck in.”If we win 4-1 and that is the goal that beat me I’ll take that any day,” Markstrom said. ”It’s frustrating when it happens, but if we win 4-1, I’ll take that goal any day.”Sutter made it a two-goal lead when he burst out to a breakaway, hit the side of the net, then collected the puck and flipped it in over an out-of-position Gibson.Sutter added his second of the night into an empty net with 16 seconds left.NOTES: U.S. Olympian Troy Terry made his NHL debut for the Ducks. He played on a line with Ondrej Kase and Adam Henrique. … Newly signed Canucks C Adam Gaudette did not dress and is expected to make his NHL debut Thursday against Edmonton.UP NEXTDucks: Host Los Angeles on Friday night.Canucks: Host Edmonton on Thursday night.— LAS VEGAS (AP) The San Jose Sharks made it a priority to get faster following a loss in the Stanley Cup Final to Pittsburgh two years ago.The Sharks looked awfully slow and lost at times in the 7-0 rout at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in their second-round series opener.Vegas outhit the Sharks, 48-33.Vegas had 15 takeaways, San Jose had six.Vegas blocked 26 shots, the Sharks 13.San Jose was whistled for 10 penalties; Vegas just five.”We had a laundry list of issues,” coach Peter DeBoer said. ”We weren’t good, and they beat us. It’s obviously not pretty and we know we have to be better across the board.”The Sharks don’t have much time, and maybe that’s a good thing. Game 2 is Saturday night.San Jose won’t have forward Evander Kane, who was suspended one game for cross-checking Vegas forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in the head after a whistle late in the third period Thursday night. He was sent off and Joe Pavelski went off at the same time for slashing,In a video announcing the suspension Youth Matt Duchene Jersey , the NHL department of player safety said Kane’s cross-check ”was not a hockey play” and served no purpose other than to strike an opponent in the head.”I’m not a dirty player. It was just a forecheck that went into a scrum,” Kane said afterward. ”I just cross-checked him in the arm and unfortunately that rolled up when he extended his arm. There was no intent and I’m glad he wasn’t hurt on the play.”The game was out of hand by then.Goaltender Martin Jones, who looked brilliant in the first round by allowing just four goals in a sweep of Anaheim, came into the series with a career .931 save percentage, third best ever among goalies with at least 20 playoff games. He gave up four goals in the first period alone and was pulled after allowing a fifth 3:28 into the second period.”That was on us as a group and it wasn’t on him,” DeBoer said. ”I wanted to give him enough time that he could feel ready for Saturday but at the same time, you know, not have to stand in there and get embarrassed.”The Sharks started the series without star center Joe Thornton, who has been out since Jan. 23 with a knee injury, and there is no timeline for his return.The Sharks must figure out a way to solve Marc-Andre Fleury, who stopped 33 shots for his13th career shutout in the playoffs and third this postseason. Fleury made 17 saves in the first period alone, including 10 on the penalty kill, while his teammates were scoring at the other end. San Jose was 6 for 20 on the power play in the opening round against the Ducks but went 0-for-5 against Fleury.”We have to be better, that’s the message they sent,” DeBoer said. ”And we’ve got to respond to that.”—