Hockey Today - Monday, Nov. 19
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOREBOARD Monday, Nov. 19
Tampa Bay at Atlanta (7 p.m. EST). The Thrashers are 9-4 since Don Waddell took over as coach and can reach .500 for the first time this season with a win over the Lightning.
Tuesday, Nov. 20
Boston at Toronto (7 p.m. EST). Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin needs one goal to pass Hall of Famer Frank Mahovlich and move into sole possession of 27th place on the career list.
STARS Sunday
- Nicklas Lidstrom, Red Wings, had a goal and two assists and Detroit beat Columbus 5-4 in a shootout.
- Josh Harding, Wild, finished with 27 saves in Minnesota's 4-1 win over Colorado.
- Markus Naslund and Henrik Sedin, Canucks, each had a goal and an assist to lift Vancouver over Calgary 4-1.
FIRSTS
Matt Foy scored for the first time in more than two years in Minnesota's 4-1 victory over Colorado on Sunday. Foy, a healthy scratch nine times this season, hadn't scored since Oct. 12, 2005. ... Willie Mitchell and Brad Isbister both scored their first goals of the season for Vancouver in a 4-1 win over Calgary.
HOT AND COLD
Vancouver got past Calgary 4-1 on Sunday to improve to 5-0-1 in their last six games. The Canucks are 8-0-1 within the Northwest Division, with the only loss a 1-0 shootout defeat against Edmonton on Wednesday. The Flames have lost six of eight and are 4-5-3 within the division.
SNAPPED
Johan Franzen scored the winning shootout goal in the fifth round of the tiebreaker and Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory over Columbus on Sunday. ... Columbus had killed 15 consecutive short-handed situations before allowing a power-play goal to Nicklas Lidstrom in the first period.
REVERSAL
Columbus entered Sunday's game with Detroit just 3-for-44 with the man advantage, dating to Oct. 27, before tallying three power play goals in the 5-4 loss.
SPECIAL-TEAMS WOES
After allowing three short-handed goals Saturday against Chicago, Detroit gave up three power-play scores to Columbus on Sunday but won 5-4.
SUSPENDED
The NHL suspended Vancouver defenseman Mattias Ohlund for four games Sunday for his stick-swinging hit on Minnesota forward Mikko Koivu. After Koivu was whistled for an elbowing penalty on Friday, Ohlund responded by swinging his stick and slashing Koivu, cracking a bone in the forward's left leg.
SIDELINED
Chicago forward Rene Bourque will miss at least a month after breaking his thumb during Saturday's 5-3 win over Detroit. Bourque had two short-handed goals and an assist during the game, but injured his thumb while blocking a shot in the third period.
SPEAKING
''The last two games, from our side, are probably the worst two games of the year. I don't have an explanation for it.'' - Colorado's Milan Hejduk, after the Avalanche were defeated 4-1 by Minnesota on Sunday. Colorado has been outscored 10-2 after going 7-1-1 in its previous nine games.
Monday's NHL betting matchup notes
ASSOCIATED PRESS
N.Y. Islanders at N.Y. Rangers
The Rangers look to avoid their third straight loss to the Islanders this season when the teams meet Monday at Madison Square Garden.
Florida at Washington
This game pits the two worst teams in the Southeast Division, with Florida just four points ahead of Washington. The Panthers have dropped six of their last eight games (2-5-1), scoring two goals or fewer in six of those contests.
Tampa Bay at Atlanta
The Lightning are 6-2-1 in Atlanta since losing three in a row there.
Ottawa at Montreal
Ottawa is 11-6-1 against Montreal since the start of the 2005-06 season, but has lost five of its last seven at the Bell Centre.
Nashville at St. Louis
St. Louis is 2-0-0 versus the Predators this year after going 1-4-3 against them last season.
Los Angeles at Dallas
Dallas has won its last five home games against the Kings.
Canucks defenseman Mattias Ohlund suspended four games for hit on Mikko Koivu
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TORONTO --The NHL suspended Vancouver defenseman Mattias Ohlund for four games Sunday for his stick-swinging hit on Minnesota forward Mikko Koivu.
Koivu was injured in the third period Friday night after getting whistled for an elbowing penalty. Ohlund responded by swinging his stick and slashing Koivu, cracking a bone in the forward's left leg.
Koivu has five goals with 11 assists in 19 games for the Wild. He will miss about a week.
Blackhawks' Bourque to miss at least four weeks with broken thumb
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO --Chicago Blackhawks forward Rene Bourque will miss at least a month after breaking his thumb during Saturday night's 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
Bourque added two short-handed goals and an assist during the game, but injured his thumb while blocking a shot in the third period.
So far this season, the 25-year-old has three goals, all short-handed. He's also added five assists for eight points in 16 games.