National Hockey League Game Capsules

Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – With Sidney Crosby’s goal and two assists leading the way, the Pittsburgh Penguins ran their home winning streak to 10 games with a 4-3 decision over the Calgary Flames at CONSOL Energy Center. James Neal scored once and assisted on another for the Penguins, with Pascal Dupuis and Harry Zolnierczyk also lighting the lamp to support a 27-save effort from Marc-Andre Fleury. Pittsburgh held on for its seventh straight victory overall after jumping out to a 4-1 lead late in the second period. Paul Byron, Mike Cammalleri and Jiri Hudler all had goals in the loss, Calgary’s fourth straight to close out a five-game trip. Karri Ramo stopped just 19-of-23 shots in defeat.

Final Score: Phoenix 4, Ottawa 3 (OT)

Antoine Vermette finished off his second career hat trick with 2:37 remaining in overtime, as Phoenix slipped past Ottawa, 4-3, on Saturday. Following a left-circle faceoff win, Derek Morris received the puck at the point and put a shot on net which Craig Anderson stopped, but the rebound popped out to Vermette and he slid the puck home to end the contest. Radim Vrbata netted the other score and Mikkel Boedker added two assists for the Coyotes, who snapped a three-game slide and finish their four-game road trip in Buffalo on Monday. Mike Smith stopped 37 shots, including one on Clarke MacArthur earlier in the extra session which allowed Phoenix a shot to win the game. Marc Methot posted a goal and an assist for the Senators, who got other tallies from Kyle Turris and Zack Smith. Anderson took the loss despite 34 stops.

Final Score: Los Angeles 3, Colorado 2 (SO)

Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Anze Kopitar recorded the only goal in the shootout allowing Martin Jones to grab a share of an NHL rookie record, as Los Angeles claimed a 3-2 victory over Colorado at Staples Center. Kopitar bested Semyon Varlamov to kick off the second round, and Jones backed it up by stopping Matt Duchene, PA Parenteau and Ryan O’Reilly in turn to record the eighth straight win to start his career. Bob Froese held the record since beginning his rookie campaign (1982-83) with the Philadelphia Flyers by winning his first eight appearances. Jeff Carter and Justin Williams tallied in regulation for the Kings, who have won three in a row and nine of their last 10. Jones made 23 saves over the first 65 minutes. Erik Johnson and O’Reilly scored to wipe out a 2-0 deficit and Varlamov came up with 37 saves for the Avalanche, who have lost six of 10.

Final Score: Boston 4, Buffalo 1

Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) – David Krejci recorded a goal and an assist as the Boston Bruins topped the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 on Saturday. Krejci broke a 1-1 tie early in the second period and assisted on Milan Lucic’s insurance goal in the third. Reilly Smith scored a pair of goals, including an empty- netter in the closing seconds. Tuukka Rask made 34 saves to help Boston get revenge for a 4-2 loss in Buffalo on Thursday in the first game of the home- and-home. Zemgus Girgensons netted the lone Buffalo goal, while Jhonas Enroth yielded three goals on 38 shots in the setback. The loss snapped the Sabres’ two- game winning streak.

Final Score: Detroit 5, Toronto 4 (SO)

Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) – The shootout drought is over for the Detroit Red Wings. Daniel Alfredsson and Pavel Datsyuk both scored during the penalty shot tiebreaker to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in a preview of the 2014 Winter Classic. The Red Wings had lost six shootouts this season and an NHL-record 11 straight overall.

Final Score: Tampa Bay 3, Carolina 2 (OT)

Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Radko Gudas scored 2:16 into overtime to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Gudas potted his second goal of the year after skating into the Carolina end and unleashing a rising shot that beat Justin Peters high to the glove side from the right circle. Victor Hedman scored in the first period and Martin St. Louis tied the game with a power-play marker in the third for Tampa Bay, which won its fourth in a row. The Lightning also moved to 6-1-0 against Carolina since the beginning of the 2012-13 season. Ben Bishop made 25 saves for the Lightning, while Peters stopped 47 shots. Jiri Tlusty scored both goals for the Hurricanes, who have lost two straight and five of their last six contests.

Final Score: Anaheim 5, NY Islanders 3

Uniondale, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Kyle Palmieri potted the game-winner as part of a four-goal third period and Ryan Getzlaf recorded a hat trick to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-3 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday. Mathieu Perreault added a goal and Frederik Andersen stopped 18 shots for the Ducks, who have won a franchise-record eight straight games. Thomas Vanek scored twice and Frans Nielson added a goal for the Islanders, losers in 14 of their last 16 games. Evgeni Nabokov allowed four goals on 30 shots in the setback.

Final Score: New Jersey 5, Washington 4 (OT)

Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) – Andy Greene notched the game-winner 43 seconds into overtime, as the New Jersey Devils edged the Washington Capitals, 5-4, on Saturday at Verizon Center. On the deciding goal, Jaromir Jagr ripped a shot from the high slot that Braden Holtby sticked away, but Greene got his shaft on the disc and deflected it into the back of the net out of mid air to send New Jersey to victory. Greene and Jagr each finished with a goal and two assists, while Marek Zidlicky scored twice and Dainius Zubrus added a goal and an assist for the Devils, who have picked up at least one point in four straight games (3-0-1). Martin Brodeur backstopped the victory with 18 saves. Joel Ward registered a goal and an assist, while Alex Ovechkin and Jason Chimera potted a marker apiece for the Capitals, who have lost three of their last five games. Holtby stopped 32 shots in the setback.

Final Score: Columbus 6, Philadelphia 3

Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – David Savard, Boone Jenner, Ryan Johansen and R.J. Umberger picked up third-period goals to help Columbus claim a 6-3 victory over the Flyers in the back end of a home-and-home set. Corey Tropp and Nikita Nikitin each recorded a pair of assists for the Blue Jackets, who responded well after wasting a three-goal lead and surrendering five goals in the final period in a 5-4 loss in Philadelphia on Thursday. Curtis McElhinney was strong in the crease with 33 saves. Wayne Simmonds tallied twice and Sean Couturier once for the Flyers, who have a home game on Monday against Minnesota before embarking on a six-game holiday road trip. Ray Emery was shelled for five scores on 28 shots in defeat.

Final Score: Montreal 4, Nashville 3 (OT)

Nashville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) – David Desharnais’ unassisted goal 1:43 into overtime lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Canadiens coughed up a 3-0 lead over the last two periods but were saved by Desharnais, who collided with Mattias Ekholm at the left boards and plucked the puck from the Predators defenseman before rifling a slapshot past Carter Hutton from the left circle. P.K. Subban, Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec also scored for the Canadiens and Carey Price had 31 saves. Shea Weber’s power-play goal tied the game for Nashville with 6:20 remaining in regulation. Gabriel Bourque and Nick Spaling had the other goals and Hutton made 17 saves after coming in for starter Marek Mazanec, who was lifted after giving up three goals in the first period. The Canadiens had lost four of their last six coming in, scoring just seven goals in those six games. They are 1-1 on a six-game road trip but won’t play again until facing the Tampa Bay Lightning next Saturday. The Predators have lost three in a row.

Final Score: St. Louis 6, Edmonton 0

Edmonton, AB (SportsNetwork.com) – Chris Stewart registered his third career hat trick to back Brian Elliott’s shutout performance in the St. Louis Blues’ 6-0 thrashing of the lowly Edmonton Oilers. Stewart set up another goal, while Elliott made 23 saves. Jaden Schwartz and Patrik Berglund both had a goal and one assist for the Blues, who have won five of their last seven games. Ilya Bryzgalov surrendered all six goals on 33 shots in Edmonton’s season-high sixth consecutive loss.

Final Score: San Jose 3, Dallas 2 (SO)

San Jose, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Joe Thornton scored the lone goal of the shootout in the fifth round, lifting the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 triumph over the Dallas Stars on Saturday at SAP Center. San Jose trailed 2-0 early in the second period, but got a goal apiece from Jason Demers and Joe Pavelski to tie the tilt and force an extra session. After neither team lit the lamp in overtime, the first eight shooters came up empty in the shootout before Thornton ripped a wrister past the blocker side of Kari Lehtonen to put the Sharks in front. Alex Stalock, who stopped 44 shots through the first 65 minutes, turned away all comers in the shootout to send the Sharks to their third victory in five tries. Ray Whitney and Antoine Roussel each scored once, while Lehtonen allowed two goals on 39 shots for the Stars, who had won two straight.

Categorized in: NHL