SCOREBOARD
Saturday, Jan. 26
No games scheduled. The All-Star festivities begin with the skills competition.
STARS
Thursday
-Daniel Alfredsson, Senators, had three goals and four assists for a team-record seven points, leading Ottawa to an 8-4 victory at Tampa Bay
-Jarret Stoll and Shawn Horcoff, Oilers. Stoll scored twice in the final 1:23 of regulation to force overtime and Horcoff got the only goal in the shootout to help Edmonton beat Florida 4-3.
-Jonathan Cheechoo, Sharks, scored twice in the third period and San Jose topped St. Louis 4-1.
-Pascal Leclaire, Blue Jackets, stopped all 30 shots he faced in Columbus’ 1-0 win at Chicago.
-Derek Roy, Sabres, scored his second goal with 14:48 left to lead Buffalo past Dallas 2-1.
-Brendan Shanahan, Rangers, had the only goal of the shootout and New York edged Atlanta 2-1.
-Zbynek Michalek, Coyotes, scored with 29 seconds left in overtime to give Phoenix a 4-3 win over Nashville.
TO THE RAFTERS
The New York Rangers retired the No. 2 of former defenseman Brian Leetch on Thursday night. Leetch was an 11-time All-Star, the NHL rookie of the year in 1989, a two-time winner of the Norris Trophy for top defenseman and the MVP of the 1994 playoffs. During his speech, Leetch stunned the packed arena by announcing that the Rangers will retire the No. 9 of longtime teammate and ultimate fan favorite Adam Graves, who stood a few steps away at center ice.
BETTERING HIMSELF
Daniel Alfredsson broke his own Ottawa record for points in a game after recording three goals and four assists in Thursday night’s 8-4 win at Tampa Bay. Alfredsson became the third Senator to get six points at Buffalo on Nov. 2, 2005.
RALLY TIME
Montreal scored three unanswered goals in the third period and beat New Jersey for the first time in 10 tries, 4-3 Thursday night. It was also the Canadiens’ second victory in their last 20 trips to New Jersey.
STRAIGHT SHOOTERS
Edmonton matched Dallas’ NHL record for shootout wins in a season after collecting its 12th in a 4-3 win at Florida on Thursday night. The Oilers’ 12 shootout victories are twice as many as any other team in the league and make up more than half their total of 23 wins. The Stars also had 12 in 2005-06.
SMELLING BLOOD
San Jose won for the fifth time in seven games and moved into a tie with Dallas atop the Pacific Division after a 4-1 win over St. Louis on Thursday night. The Stars fell 2-1 to Buffalo on Thursday.
SCORING SPREE
Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin has 16 goals in his last 16 games after tallying in a 4-3 loss to Philadelphia on Thursday night.
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS
Columbus’ Pascal Leclaire recorded his league-leading eighth shutout of the season after stopping 30 shots in a 1-0 win at Chicago. Blackhawks netminder Nikolai Khabibulin made his first start in six games and made 26 saves, but his personal losing streak reached eight games (0-7-1).
BORN IN THE USA
Tampa Bay’s John Tortorella coached his 507th game Thursday night, breaking a tie with Herb Brooks for most games coached by an American-born NHL coach.
FEELING BLUE
St. Louis is 0-5-2 in its last seven games after a 4-1 loss at San Jose on Thursday night.
ONE AWAY
Washington moved within a point of Southeast Division-leading Carolina after holding off Toronto 2-1 on Thursday night. The Capitals have won five of six and are the only NHL team not to lose consecutive games in regulation since Nov. 22, the day Bruce Boudreau took over as coach for Glen Hanlon.
WELCOME BACK
Defenseman Dan Boyle returned to the Tampa Bay lineup Thursday night after missing the previous 36 games following wrist surgery and scored twice in the 8-4 loss to Ottawa. Boyle underwent surgery in early November to repair damaged tendons in his left wrist. He was injured Sept. 22 when a skate slipped from a hook above his locker, then missed the first nine games of the season.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Boston, coming off a home-and-home sweep of the New York Rangers last weekend, defeated the New York Islanders 4-1 Thursday night to take the season series 3-1.
HEADING OVERSEAS?
The NHL is in talks to open next season with games in Sweden and the Czech Republic. Swedish Hockey League sports director Tommy Topel said Thursday Ottawa would play Pittsburgh in Stockholm on both days, adding that NHL games are also planned for the same two days in Prague.
SPEAKING
“I’m disappointed in the whole team and its commitment to win. Their play was brutal. They already had their plans to head to (Las) Vegas or wherever the hell they’re going before the game was half over. It’s totally unacceptable. Everything it takes to win a hockey game, we didn’t do. It was a total lack of effort from everyone.” – New Jersey coach Brent Sutter after the Devils blew a three-goal third period lead en route to a 4-3 loss to Montreal on Thursday night.