Game Recap - Hockey Wiretap
Stuart, Kessel Help Bruins Snap Six-Game Skid
A friendly sibling rivalry turned out favorably for Mark Stuart and the Boston Bruins.
Stuart's goal broke a tie a period after brother Colin scored his first NHL goal for Atlanta, and the Bruins ended a six-game skid with a 5-2 victory over the Thrashers on Monday.
"It was nice," Mark Stuart said. "He one-upped me earlier, so I had to do it."
Boston's first goal of the game -- a power-play score by Dennis Wideman -- was the team's 18,000th, making the Bruins the second NHL team to reach that mark. Montreal has 18,886.
"Maybe Boston Bruins' trivia one day," Wideman said.
Phil Kessel and Matt Lashoff added insurance goals in the third for Boston. P.J. Axelsson also scored for the Bruins, 0-5-1 in their previous six games. It was their worst stretch since they ended last season 0-6-0.
Flyers Blank Panthers Behind Niittymaki's 38 Saves
The Flyers' Derian Hatcher scored a rare goal at a most opportune time.
The defensman's second goal this season, along with 38 stops by goalie Antero Niittymaki, helped Philadelphia beat the Florida Panthers 1-0 on Sunday.
"It's always nice to score. What more can I say?" said Hatcher, who has just 80 goals in 1,022 career games.
It was the third career shutout and first of the season for Niittymaki, who has appeared in 111 games over parts of four seasons with the Flyers.
Sharks Win Team-Record 9th Straight Road Game
Steve Bernier helped the San Jose Sharks set a team record.
Bernier had a goal and two assists in the Sharks' 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators 5-2 Saturday night, winning a franchise-record ninth straight road game.
Joe Thornton and Milan Michalek each had two assists for San Jose. Marcel Goc, Craig Rivet, Matthew Carle and Torrey Mitchell also scored for the Sharks. J.P. Dumont and Alexander Radulov scored for the Predators.
"We have had to be really patient on the road," said Goc. "When we are patient we don't have the breakdowns. The Predators scored two quick goals on us, but that happens. We kept with our game pla,n and it is working."
Sharks' Nabokov Gets NHL-Best 20th Win
Evgeni Nabokov and the San Jose Sharks just keep winning.
Nabokov made 26 saves for his fifth shutout and league-leading 20th win of the season, and the Sharks extended their club-record road winning streak to eight games with a 1-0 win over the St. Louis Blues on Friday night.
"We stuck with the plan, and we killed some big penalties," he said. "The key in a game like that is stay tight, stay patient and hope something good would happen."
The Sharks also set a team record by earning a point in their 11th straight road game (10-0-1). San Jose, which got a goal from Milan Michalek late in the third period, has outscored its opponents 32-16 over the stretch.
Nabokov now has 39 career shutouts, fourth among active goaltenders.
Ovechkin, Johnson Hurt In Caps' Loss To Penguins
Capitals' backup goalie Brent Johnson sprained his left knee late in the first period of a 4-3 overtime loss in Pittsburgh on Thursday night and will be out at least a week.
The Capitals also played most of the third period without star Alex Ovechkin, who needed a several stitches to close a cut on his leg. Ovechkin, whose 26th goal had given Washington a 3-2 lead, played only about 1 1/2 minutes in the final period even though his injury was minor.
Devils' Brodeur Takes Second Place In Career Shutouts
Patrik Elias gave Martin Brodeur all the support he needed to beat the Flames -- and leave George Hainesworth behind.
Brodeur broke a tie with Hainesworth for second place on the NHL's career shutout list by making 30 saves in the Devils' 1-0 overtime victory over the Flames on Sunday night.
Brodeur has three shutouts this season to push his career total to 95. Terry Sawchuk tops the list with 103.
Senators Get Back To Winning Ways
When you're the high-flying Senators, back-to-back losses constitute a slump.
After a lackluster effort in Atlanta and a tough overtime loss at home to Chicago, the Senators were looking to get back to their winning ways. The Rangers provided that perfect tonic.
Chris Kelly snapped a second-period tie, and Martin Gerber came back from a day off to lead the Senators to a 3-1 victory over Sean Avery and the Rangers on Sunday night.
Arnott Nets Hat Trick As Preds End 5-Game Slide
This trick was a long time in the making.
Jason Arnott recorded his first hat trick in more than two years, and the Nashville Predators snapped a five-game losing streak by beating Los Angeles 4-3 Saturday night and sending the Kings to their seventh straight loss.
Arnott scored 2:34 in to give the Predators a 1-0 lead. He took a pass from Jordin Tootoo as they entered the Los Angeles zone on a 2-on-1. Tootoo fed Arnott in the low slot, and Arnott redirected it past goalie Jason LaBarbera.
"Jordin is known for his aggressiveness, but he can also make plays," Arnott said. "He showed great energy and great skill to set me up on the first goal."
Lubomir Visnovsky got Los Angeles even at 11:10, and the Kings took a 2-1 lead on Patrick O'Sullivan's short-handed goal midway through the second period.
Wild's Gaborik Scores 5-Goals
Marian Gaborik became the first NHL player in more than 10 years to score five goals in a game as Minnesota defeated the New York Rangers 6-3 on Thursday.
Gaborik became the first since Detroit's Sergei Fedorov on December 26, 1996, to score five goals in a single game.
He netted the natural hat trick in a span of just over 12 minutes in between the first and second periods after the Rangers' Michal Rozsival opened the scoring at 10:51 of the opening period.
Gaborik had a hand in all six of Minnesota's goals as the Wild stretched their winning streak to four games.
Coyotes Win In Gretzky's Return To N.Y.
Wayne Gretzky spoke in a hoarse voice through a wide smile and even mustered a few laughs.
The flu and laryngitis notwithstanding, the Hall of Famer's return to Madison Square Garden could not have been better.
Illness, not anger, robbed Coach Gretzky of his voice. He didn't have to yell at his team Sunday night as the Phoenix Coyotes rolled to a 5-1 rout of the New York Rangers.
Back in the building where he played the final game of his brilliant career eight years earlier, Gretzky stood behind the Coyotes' bench for the first time in New York and left with a most satisfying win.
"I don't know if it was revenge," Gretzky said. "They're a good team. Over 82 games, you're going to have games where it doesn't go your way. We got a couple lucky bounces and did some good things, but I know the next game they play they'll be a much different team."
Sharks Spoil Niedermayer's Return
San Jose came away winners Sunday night, with Joe Thornton's shootout goal giving the Sharks a 2-1 win over the Ducks, and spoiling Scott Niedermayer's return to the ice.
Maple Leafs' McCabe Breaks Hand In Loss To Montreal
The Maple Leafs lost more than a game against the Canadiens on Saturday.
Rangers' Shanahan Snaps Devils' Streak
Brendan Shanahan ripped a shot past G Martin Brodeur 30 seconds into OT, breaking a scoreless tie and sending the Rangers to a 1-0 victory Sunday.