SCOREBOARD
Wednesday, Jan. 2
N.Y. Rangers at Calgary (9 p.m. EST). The Rangers, who closed out 2007 with three straight wins, begin a three-game swing through Western Canada.
STARS
Monday
-Rick Nash, Blue Jackets, scored three times to lift Columbus over Edmonton, 4-2.
-Manny Legace, Blues, made 31 saves for his 20th career shutout to help St. Louis get past NHL-leading Detroit, 2-0.
-Radim Vrbata, Coyotes, scored two power-play goals and scored in the shootout to help Phoenix squeak by Colorado, 4-3.
-Dan Ellis, Predators, stopped 22 shots for his third career shutout and Nashville edged Dallas, 1-0.
-Marc-Andre Bergeron, Islanders, had two goals and an assist in New York’s 4-1 victory over Carolina.
ON THE ROAD
Joe Thornton and Milan Michalek each had a pair of assists to lead San Jose over Minnesota 3-2 on Monday for its 10th consecutive road win. The Sharks, who last lost a road game on Nov. 9, are now tied with four other teams for second on the NHL’s list for consecutive road wins. Detroit won 12 straight on the road in March and April of 2006. San Jose will have a chance to tie the Red Wings’ record when they visit Anaheim and Phoenix in the middle of January.
NEW YEAR’S EVE LUCK
Daymond Langkow had two assists to help Calgary edge Vancouver 2-1 on Monday. Since first hosting a New Year’s Eve game in 1987, the Flames have won nine times, lost five and tied three against opposing teams. It’s the first time they have matched up against the Canucks on New Year’s Eve.
MILESTONE
Boston ended a six-game skid (0-5-1) with a 5-2 win over Atlanta on Monday. The Bruins’ first goal of the game – a power-play score by Dennis Wideman – was the team’s 18,000th, making Boston the second NHL team to reach that mark. Montreal has 18,886. The win snapped the Bruins’ worst stretch since they ended last season 0-6-0.
FIRSTS
St. Louis beat Detroit 2-0 on Monday to snap a four-game slide and hold the Red Wings scoreless for the first time this season. Detroit had won 14 of 16 coming in. … Ethan Moreau scored his first goal since Oct. 21. 2006, a span of 113 games, in Edmonton’s 4-2 loss to Columbus. Moreau was sitting out with a shoulder injury.
STRUGGLING
The New York Islanders upended Carolina 4-1 on Monday to hand the Hurricanes their second straight loss and fourth in six games. The Islanders won in Raleigh for the first time since April 2, 2004.
SNAPPED
Rick Nash scored three times to break out of a goal-scoring slump and Columbus downed Edmonton 4-2 on Monday for its third straight home win. Nash hadn’t scored a goal in eight games dating to a two-goal performance on Dec. 5. The loss dropped the Oilers to 0-4-2 in their last six games. … J.P. Dumont scored the only goal to help Nashville Predators ended a seven-game losing streak in Dallas with a 1-0 victory over the Stars.
SPEAKING
“Once your face gets a little numb you feel fine. The ears were cold a little bit, maybe a little frostbite on them, but that’s all right.” – Buffalo defenseman Brian Campbell, after the Sabres practiced at Ralph Wilson Stadium for Tuesday’s Winter Classic against Pittsburgh.