SCOREBOARD
Saturday, Jan. 12
Detroit at Ottawa (7 p.m. EST). The top two teams in the NHL meet for the only time this season.
STARS
Friday
-Nikolai Zherdev, Blue Jackets, scored twice in the last 6 minutes – once on a highlight-reel move that provided the go-ahead goal – that helped Columbus beat St. Louis 6-4.
– Mike Sillinger, Islanders, scored twice in regulation and added another in the shootout and New York edged Calgary 5-4.
-Josh Harding and Marian Gaborik, Wild. Harding made 41 saves and Gaborik scored two goals to lead Minnesota to a 5-2 win at Chicago.
EASTERN STARS
an Hossa, Carolina’s Eric Staal and Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis. Florida’s Tomas Vokoun will split time in goal with DiPietro and starter Martin Brodeur of New Jersey. The East will have Vokoun’s former Predators teammate Kimmo Timonen of Philadelphia on defense along with Buffalo’s Brian Campbell, Sergei Gonchar of Pittsburgh, and Toronto’s Tomas Kaberle.
BLACK-AND-BLUE HAWKS
Chicago has lost its past nine meetings with Minnesota and eight straight overall after a 5-2 defeat on Friday night. The Blackhawks last defeated the Wild on Oct. 23, 2005, and are 0-6-3 against Minnesota during the streak. They are 0-6-2 during their overall eight-game drought.
RUDE GUESTS
Phoenix improved to 15-9 on the road and handed Vancouver its first regulation loss at GM Place since Nov. 1 with a 4-3 victory on Friday night. The Canucks were 12-0-2 in their previous 14 games at home.
ISLAND-SIZE TARGET
New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro faced 42 Calgary shots Friday night, but stopped 38 of them plus two more in the shootout for a 5-4 victory. In the first four games of the Islanders’ five-game road trip, DiPietro has faced an average of 39.5 shots.
CHIMING IN
Columbus’ Jason Chimera snapped a 26-game goalless drought in a 6-4 win over St. Louis on Friday night.
SEASON OVER
St. Louis forward Mike Johnson will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder. The 33-year-old right wing, signed as a free agent on Oct. 4, 2007, has two goals and three assists in 21 games this season.
SPEAKING
“I hate to blame Habby for the loss. I’d rather look to the other side, how well the other goalie played. But he knows they’re not good goals.” – Chicago coach Denis Savard on goalie Nikolai Khabibulin after Friday night’s 5-2 loss to Minnesota. Khabibulin made only 11 saves and stopped just three of six shots in the second period.