SCOREBOARD
Saturday, Dec. 15
Florida at Detroit (7 p.m. EST). The Panthers try for their fifth straight road win when they face the NHL-leading Red Wings.
STARS
Thursday
-Jarome Iginla and Kristian Huselius, Flames, had three goals each in Calgary’s 9-6 victory at Tampa Bay.
-Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza, Senators, scored two goals apiece to lead Ottawa past Pittsburgh 4-1.
-Mike Ribeiro, Stars, had two goals and two assists and Dallas topped Los Angeles 4-1.
-Tomas Vokoun, Panthers, stopped 33 shots to help Florida edge St. Louis 1-0.
-Bill Guerin, Islanders, had a pair of goals and New York held off Phoenix 3-2.
-Jamie Langenbrunner, Devils, scored twice and New Jersey beat Boston 3-1.
-Mark Streit, Canadiens, scored two goals in Montreal’s 4-1 victory at Philadelphia.
-Ales Hemsky, Oilers, scored the only goal of the shootout to lift Edmonton to a 4-3 win at Detroit.
DOZEN THANKS
Philadelphia signed scoring leader Mike Richards to a 12-year contract extension Thursday. While the team didn’t disclose financial terms, The Canadian Press reported the deal was for $69 million. The 22-year-old forward has a career-high 14 goals this season and also has 20 assists. He’s third in the NHL with three short-handed goals.
STRAIGHT SHOOTERS
Edmonton won its second shootout in as many games and improved to 9-1 in that round this season after posting a 4-3 win at Detroit on Thursday night. The Oilers also snapped the Red Wings’ seven-game winning streak.
DETHRONING THE KINGS
Dallas is 11-1-1 in its last 13 games against Los Angeles after a 4-1 victory on Thursday night. The Stars, who have won seven straight at home against the Kings to tie the club’s longest active home winning streak, own a 48-26 scoring advantage over those 13 matchups.
ONE-TWO PUNCH
Dany Heatley scored twice for the second night in a row and Jason Spezza, coming off a three-point night at Carolina on Wednesday, had two goals and two assists in Ottawa’s 4-1 win over Pittsburgh on Thursday night. Half of Spezza’s eight goals this season have come in two games against the Penguins, and Heatley has 13 goals in 19 career games against them, plus seven assists.
OFFENSE APLENTY
Calgary and Tampa Bay faced each other for the first time since Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup finals and the Flames escaped with a 9-6 victory on Thursday night. The Lightning defeated the Flames 2-1 to win the Cup in the previous meeting.
SHARK BITES
San Jose has won six of its last seven games after beating Vancouver 5-2 on Thursday night.
ROAD WARRIORS
Florida has its first four-game road winning streak since February 2003 after edging St. Louis 1-0 on Thursday night.
ON THE MEND
Buffalo defenseman Teppo Numminen skated with his teammates Thursday for the first time since open heart surgery three months ago. The 39-year-old Numminen was cleared to practice after visiting the Cleveland Clinic on Monday and following up with team doctors on Wednesday. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff estimates it will be at least a month before Numminen is ready to return to the lineup.
SUSPENDED
The NHL suspended Carolina forward Scott Walker one game without pay Thursday for head-butting Ottawa’s Mike Fisher during a fight on Wednesday night.
SPEAKING
“I think the ushers and the families were the only ones in the stands.” – New Jersey defenseman Mike Mottau after Thursday night’s game against the Bruins was played in front of a sparse crowd because of a major snowstorm that hit Boston. The Devils won 3-1.