SCOREBOARD
Sunday, Dec. 16
Phoenix at N.Y. Rangers (5 p.m. EST). Wayne Gretzky, who finished his remarkable career with the Rangers in 1999, makes his first New York appearance behind the bench, coaching the Coyotes against his former team.
STARS
Friday
– Alexei Ponikarovsky, Maple Leafs, scored twice with an assist in Toronto’s 4-0 win over Atlanta.
– Brian Rolston, Wild, had a goal and two assists as Minnesota downed Anaheim 5-2.
– Dion Phaneuf, Flames, scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and added an assist to lead Calgary past Carolina 4-3.
SHUTOUT
Goalie Vesa Toskala continued his hot streak with 24 saves as Toronto blanked Atlanta 4-0 on Friday night. Toskala, who posted his second shutout of the season and eighth of his career, improved to 6-1 in his last seven games, a stretch that began with a 4-2 win in Atlanta on Nov. 29.
GOING WILD
Minnesota, averaging just 2.43 goals, snapped out of a scoring slump Friday night with a 5-2 victory over Anaheim. The Wild, who had scored just four times in their previous four games and no more than two goals in any of their past six, went 4-for-4 on power play opportunities in the second period, the first two coming after a 4-minute high-sticking penalty against Chris Kunitz, the other two after receiving a two-man advantage.
SWAPPED
Anaheim traded forward Andy McDonald to St. Louis Thursday, freeing up cap space for the return of defenseman Scott Niedermayer. McDonald, in the second year of a $10 million, three-year contract, was dealt to the Blues in exchange for center Doug Weight, left wing prospect Michal Birner and a seventh-round pick in the 2008 entry draft.
SPEAKING
“I don’t think we’ve ever had the same problem. Hockey players have been tested for many years in international play. It’s simply not part of their culture. And we have tested NHL players up to three times a year since January 2006 and obviously have not had many issues other than one failed test.” – NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly on the use of performance-enhancing drugs among hockey players.