National Hockey League Game Capsules

Dan Ellis made 27 stops and Cody Franson added a goal and one assist, as Nashville downed Los Angeles, 3-1, at Staples Center. Francis Bouillon and Joel Ward also tallied for the Predators, who have won four of their last five. Dustin Brown provided the lone score for the Kings, who had won two in a row coming in. Jon Quick surrendered all three goals on 25 shots in defeat.

Final Score: Boston 4, Buffalo 2

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Zdeno Chara tallied a goal and an assist, as Boston halted a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory against Buffalo at TD Garden. Marco Sturm, Mark Recchi and Byron Bitz also found the back of the net for Boston, which had been outscored 5-1 over its skid -- including back-to-back shutouts at the hands of the Rangers and Red Wings. Tuukka Rask faced 30 shots and allowed two by him in the win, which saw Steve Begin pick up two assists. Derek Roy and Jason Pominville scored for the Sabres, who have lost back-to- back games following a 5-1-0 stretch. Jhonas Enroth received his first NHL start and was beaten four times on 37 shots.

Final Score: Toronto 5, Detroit 1

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Jeff Finger and Phil Kessel each netted a goal and an assist, and the Toronto Maple Leafs notched their first home win with a 5-1 victory over the defending Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings. Kessel notched his first goal since coming over to the Leafs in an offseason trade from Boston, while Finger also scored his first goal of the season. Toronto, which now has earned a point in seven straight contests (3-0-4), has beaten the Red Wings three straight times. Wayne Primeau, John Mitchell and Alexei Ponikarovsky also scored for the Maple Leafs, who are just 1-4-2 at home this season. Jonas Gustavsson stopped 35 shots for the win. Daniel Cleary scored the only goal for the Red Wings, who had won their last three games. Chris Osgood struggled throughout the game, allowing all five goals on 28 shots to take the loss.

Final Score: New Jersey 3, Ottawa 2

Ottawa, ON (Sports Network) - David Clarkson and Andy Greene each had a power- play goal early in the third period to lift the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place. Zach Parise also netted a power-play score for the Devils, who have won five in a row and eight of nine overall. Martin Brodeur made 19 saves in the victory. Milan Michalek and Brian Lee had the goals for Ottawa, which was coming off an overtime win over Tampa Bay but tumbled to its fifth loss in the last seven games. Pascal Leclaire let in all three goals on 25 shots in the setback.

Final Score: Philadelphia 2, St. Louis 1 (SO)

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Mika Pyorala's first career shootout tally was the difference as Philadelphia clipped St. Louis, 2-1, at Wachovia Center. Each club tallied in the first three rounds, then Pyorala began the fourth with a high wrister to put the Flyers ahead. David Backes' try to keep the game alive for St. Louis ended up in Ray Emery's breadbasket. Scott Hartnell tallied in regulation for the Flyers, who have won four games in succession. Emery made 30 stops for the win, his ninth of the season. T.J. Oshie scored for the Blues, losers of four straight and five of six. Chris Mason took the loss despite a strong 35-save performance.

Final Score: Tampa Bay 3, Montreal 1

Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - Ryan Malone and Alex Tanguay picked up a goal and an assist each, as Tampa Bay posted a 3-1 victory over Montreal at Bell Centre. Antero Niittymaki was solid with 36 saves for the Lightning, who concluded a stretch of four straight road tilts at 2-1-1 coming off an overtime loss to Ottawa on Thursday. Rookie centerman James Wright scored his second career goal. Brian Gionta scored a power-play goal for the Canadiens, who returned home after beating division-rival Boston in a shootout on Thursday. Carey Price was tested with 21 shots and gave up each of the Bolts' three goals, as the Habs lost for the fourth time in the last six games.

Final Score: Washington 7, Florida 4

Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Mike Knuble registered two goals and picked up two assists, as the Washington Capitals scored five times in the third period to defeat the Florida Panthers, 7-4, at Verizon Center. Tomas Fleischmann also tallied twice, while Brooks Laich, Mathieu Perreault and Quintin Laing provided the rest of the scoring for the Capitals, who swept the home-and-home series after earning a 4-1 win Friday at the BankAtlantic Center. Nicklas Backstrom collected two assists, and Jose Theodore made 24 saves in the win. Michael Frolik, Dmitry Kulikov, Michal Repik and Cory Stillman each had a goal for the Panthers, who have lost six of their last nine games. Scott Clemmensen was beaten seven times on 32 shots in defeat.

Final Score: NY Islanders 6, Atlanta 3

Uniondale, NY (Sports Network) - Matt Moulson and Blake Comeau each had a goal and an assist as the New York Islanders downed the Atlanta Thrashers, 6-3, at Nassau Coliseum. Sean Bergenheim, Andy Sutton, Josh Bailey and Jack Hillen each had a goal for the Islanders, who had dropped their previous two games. Dwayne Roloson made 31 saves in the win. Christoph Schubert, Zach Bogosian and Pavel Kubina each lit the lamp for the Thrashers, who have lost six of their last eight games. Ondrej Pavelec started the game in net, but gave up five goals on 36 shots and was pulled after the second period. Johan Hedberg finished the game between the pipes and gave up one goal on nine shots.

Final Score: Minnesota 3, Dallas 2

St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Marek Zidlicky registered a goal and an assist to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars at Xcel Energy Center. Cal Clutterbuck and Mikko Koivu also scored for the Wild, who have won three of their last four games. Niklas Backstrom made 19 saves in the win. Loui Eriksson tallied twice on the power play for the Stars, who have dropped four of five. Alex Auld stopped 34 shots in defeat.

Latest Comment View all comments