SCOREBOARD
Monday, March 3
Montreal at San Jose (10:30 p.m. EST). The Canadiens have won three straight and seven of 10 to take over first place in the Eastern Conference.
STARS
Saturday
-Daniel Alfredsson, Senators, had two goals and an assist, helping Ottawa beat Pittsburgh 5-4.
-Mats Sundin, Maple Leafs, had a goal and two assists to lead Toronto to a 3-2 win at Washington.
-Jarome Iginla, Flames, reached the 40-goal plateau with two tallies in Calgary’s 3-1 win over Phoenix.
-Ryan Smyth, Avalanche, scored two second-period goals to help Colorado defeat Los Angeles 5-2.
-Sergei Samsonov, Hurricanes, had two goals in Carolina’s 5-1 win over Tampa Bay.
-Andrei Kostitsyn, Canadiens, scored a power-play goal late in the third period to lift Montreal past New Jersey 2-1.
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS
motionless on the ice for several minutes as trainers rushed out to attend to him. The Avalanche reported that he was conscious and walking, but was sent to the hospital for further examination.
ON TOP
Montreal jumped past New Jersey into first place in the Eastern Conference with its 2-1 win over the Devils on Saturday night. The Canadiens have won three in a row and seven of their last 10 to give them 81 points – one more than the Devils and Ottawa. … Ron Wilson set a San Jose coaching record with his 193rd victory, passing Darryl Sutter after a 2-0 win over St. Louis.
OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS
Philadelphia has won three straight following a 0-8-2 skid after beating the New York Islanders 4-1 on Saturday. The Flyers are two points ahead of Buffalo and four in front of the Islanders in the chase for the final playoff spot in the East. … Pittsburgh has lost four of five after falling at Ottawa 5-4 on Saturday. The drought follows a stretch in which the Penguins won six of eight.
SOMETHING’S BRUIN
Rookie David Krejci scored for the third straight game Saturday, sending Boston past Atlanta 3-2 for the Bruins’ sixth straight victory. The Bruins stretched their unbeaten streak to eight games (7-0-1) and are alone in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
NOT SO FAST
Peter Forsberg won’t play Saturday night against Los Angeles, saying he needs to practice more with his Colorado teammates before playing in a game. He said he could make his debut Tuesday night against Vancouver. However, the team has only one practice scheduled before the Canucks game and Forsberg isn’t sure that gives him enough time. Forsberg signed a one-year deal with Colorado last Monday.
NO RUST
Brian Boucher recorded a shutout in his San Jose and season debut, making 23 saves in a 2-0 win at St. Louis on Saturday night. A former first-round draft pick and member of the NHL’s all-rookie team in 1999-2000, Boucher had four shutouts for the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms this season. He picked up his first win since March 3, 2007, at Phoenix and first shutout since Nov. 12, 2006, against Columbus.
SNAPPED
Dallas had its four-game winning streak halted and lost for just the third time in 16 contests with Saturday night’s 3-1 loss to Nashville. … Alex Ovechkin ended a seven-game drought without a goal and added an assist in Washington’s 3-2 loss to Toronto. He is one tally shy of his second career 50-goal season. … Colorado ended a four-game home losing streak by beating Los Angeles 5-2.
EXTENSION
Brad Boyes, among the NHL leaders with 32 goals, signed a new four-year, $16 million contract with St. Louis on Saturday night. Boyes, 25, is second on the team with 47 points and second in the NHL with a 20.1 shooting percentage.
SPEAKING
“He came up to me and said, ‘Do you want to get it over with?’ I said, ‘Sure.”’ – Los Angeles rookie defenseman Jack Johnson on being challenged to a fight by Colorado veteran Ian Laperriere moments after Johnson injured Avalanche forward Ryan Smyth with a check into the glass on Saturday night. The fight never took place as Kings defenseman Rob Blake stepped in and played the role of peacemaker, quickly breaking up the fracas.