SCOREBOARD
Monday, Dec. 17
Washington at Detroit (7 p.m. EST). The NHL-leading Red Wings have collected at least one point in their last 10 games.
STARS
Saturday
-Alex Auld, Bruins, stopped 32 shots to help Boston blank Columbus 2-0.
-Fredrik Sjostrom and Martin Hanzal, Coyotes. Sjostrom scored twice and Hanzal had a goal and three assists to lead Phoenix to a 4-1 win at New Jersey.
-Dany Heatley, Senators, scored twice in Ottawa’s 7-3 rout of Atlanta.
-Saku Koivu, Canadiens, had two goals and Montreal topped Toronto 4-1.
-Josh Harding, Wild, made 35 saves and Minnesota held off Los Angeles 2-1.
-Tyler Kennedy, Penguins, scored the winning goal and added two assists and Pittsburgh edged the New York Islanders 3-2.
-Peter Budaj, Avalanche, made 31 saves and had an assist to lead Colorado to a 3-1 win over Nashville.
-Rod Brind’Amour, Hurricanes, banked a shootout shot in off the crossbar to give the Hurricanes a 6-5 win at Philadelphia.
READY TO RETURN
Anaheim added Scott Niedermayer to their active roster Saturday, clearing the way for the defenseman’s expected return against San Jose on Sunday. Niedermayer had been suspended since the season started while he pondered retirement. The 34-year-old Stanley Cup MVP announced his impending return Dec. 5.
FALLING LEAF
Toronto defenseman Bryan McCabe left Saturday night’s game against Montreal with a broken left wrist after an awkward hit into the boards from Andre Kostitsyn. The wrist, which is broken in three places, will force McCabe to miss the next six to eight weeks, according to team officials.
FREE SHOTS
Detroit was awarded two penalty shots for the first time in team history during its game against Florida on Saturday night, and converted one in the 5-2 victory. Pavel Datsyuk was awarded the first after being pulled down on a breakaway at 7:48 of the third period, but Florida’s Tomas Vokoun stopped him. Just over four minutes later, Vokoun threw his stick as Valtteri Filppula attempted to score. Filppula scored on his attempt with a fake and a high backhand shot for his second penalty shot goal of the season and the Red Wings’ first in a regular-season contest since Nov. 27, 1992.
SCORING SPREES
Dany Heatley recorded his third straight two-goal game with two more tallies in Ottawa’s 7-3 win over Atlanta on Saturday night. Ilya Kovalchuk scored twice for the Thrashers to increase his league-leading total to 26. … Philadelphia’s Joffrey Lupul had his second hat trick in three games with three goals in a 6-5 shootout loss to Carolina.
STOUT IN SHOOTOUTS
Edmonton improved to 10-1 in shootouts this season after rallying to beat Vancouver 2-1 Saturday night. The Oilers trailed 1-0 in the third round of the shootout before Shawn Horcoff and Fernando Pisani tallied for the victory.
THANKS…NOW SIT
Alex Auld recorded his first shutout with Boston by stopping all 32 shots he faced in Saturday night’s 2-0 win over Columbus, but the Bruins activated starter Tim Thomas off injured reserve following the game and assigned rookie Tuuka Rask to Providence of the AHL. Thomas went down with a strained groin on Dec. 5 and Auld was acquired from Phoenix the following day. Auld is 4-1 with Boston.
SURVIVING THE SHARK TANK
Dallas has won five straight in San Jose dating to Dec. 21, 2006, after posting a 4-1 win Saturday.
MAKING THEM COUNT
Colorado beat Nashville 3-1 Saturday night despite being held to a season-low 16 shots.
SURGING SENATORS
Ottawa has a five-game winning streak following a seven-game losing drought after a 7-3 win over Atlanta on Saturday night.
HOME WOES
The Flyers have won only one of eight home games (1-5-2) since opening the season 6-0 in Philadelphia after a 6-5 shootout defeat to Carolina on Saturday night.
OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS
Washington won for the fourth time in five games and dealt Tampa Bay its fourth defeat in the last five with Saturday night’s 3-2 win.
SPEAKING
“When the game was 4-2, some of our guys quit playing. That’s a first-place team. But it’s not too much to ask players to work their butt off on every shift.” – Florida captain Olli Jokinen after Saturday night’s 5-2 loss at Detroit.
“It’s not like getting hit into the boards where you can recover, but when you get hog-tied around the throat and you go back into the boards … that’s just brutal.” – Toronto coach Paul Maurice after defenseman Bryan McCabe broke his left wrist following an awkward hit into the boards from Montreal’s Andre Kostitsyn on Saturday night. McCabe is expected to be out six to eight weeks.