SCOREBOARD
Friday, Nov. 30
Montreal at New Jersey (7 p.m. EST). The Devils try to push their winning streak to six games when they host the Canadiens.
STARS
Thursday
-Martin Erat, Predators, scored with 22.2 seconds left to give Nashville a 6-5 victory over Ottawa.
-Roberto Luongo, Canucks, made 26 saves for his third straight shutout and Vancouver defeated Columbus 2-0.
-Zdeno Chara, Bruins, scored two power-play goals to help Boston edge Florida 4-3.
-Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Ducks, made 38 saves and Anaheim beat Calgary 4-1.
-Jiri Hudler, Red Wings, had a goal and an assist in Detroit’s 4-2 win over Tampa Bay.
THREE IN A ROW
record at 10:22, moving past Ken Lockett, a backup who played 55 games over two seasons and set the mark in April 1975.
APPROVED
The NHL’s board of governors approved the sale of the Nashville Predators and changed the league’s scheduling format Thursday night to allow every team to face each other at least once every season. After a three-year experiment in developing rivalries in hockey’s far-flung outposts, the NHL voted to go back to the scheduling format used before the 2004-05 lockout, most notably decreasing the current eight games against every team’s divisional opponents to six. The sale of the Predators was awarded to an investment group led by David Freeman, the CEO of a venture capital firm.
FINALLY
The New York Rangers defeated the Islanders for the first time in four tries this season after their 4-2 victory on Thursday night. The Rangers were 3-8-1 in the past 12 matchups dating to April 11, 2006.
SLUMPING
w York Rangers.
SWEET SIXTEEN
Detroit goalie Chris Osgood improved to 16-0 lifetime against Tampa Bay after making 21 saves in Thursday night’s 4-2 win. Osgood is also 12-1-1 on the season.
LONGEVITY
Jarome Iginla played in his 804th career game Thursday night, moving him past Hall of Fame defenseman Al MacInnis into first place on Calgary’s career list. Iginla ranks second in goals (337), third in points (698) and fourth in assists (361).
SNAPPED
Florida’s winning streak ended at a season-best four games after a 4-3 defeat to Boston on Thursday night. The loss also prevented the Panthers from breaking the .500 mark for the first time this season (12-13-1).
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Ilya Kovalchuk scored his NHL-leading 20th goal in Atlanta’s 4-2 loss to Toronto on Thursday night. The goal 16:20 into the second, breaking an offensive drought for the Thrashers that lasted seven-plus periods and covered 166 minutes. Kovalchuk has 12 points, including six goals, in his past seven games.
AN INNOCENT MAN
Manager James Johnson.
CAPITAL PAIN
Washington forward Boyd Gordon will miss at least the next two games with an undisclosed injury, and captain Chris Clark was listed as questionable for Friday’s game at Carolina. Gordon scored in the shootout during Washington’s loss to Florida on Wednesday night, but did not skate Thursday. Clark was listed day to day after missing the end of Wednesday’s game with a groin injury.
SPEAKING
“He said he is going to take my stitches out. I think that was stupid. I think he could show a little bit of respect, but he didn’t. I cannot respect him.” – New York Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek on what Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg said to him during a scuffle between the teams on Thursday night. Martinek received 15 stitches on the left side of his face after being cut by a skate blade Wednesday night against Ottawa. Hollweg denied the allegations.