SCOREBOARD
Thursday, March 6
Anaheim at Colorado (9 p.m. EST). The Ducks are 11-1 since the return of Teemu Selanne, while the Avalanche welcomed back Peter Forsberg with a win over Northwest Division-rival Vancouver on Tuesday.
STARS
Tuesday
-Jason Pominville and Maxim Afinogenov, Sabres, each had two goals as Buffalo moved within one point of Philadelphia for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 5-2 victory.
-Martin Erat, Predators, recorded his first career hat trick as Nashville beat Edmonton for the eighth straight time, 5-1.
-Zach Parise, Devils, scored twice as New Jersey beat Toronto 4-1 to snap a three-game winless streak.
-Marc-Andre Fleury, Penguins, in only his second start following a long injury layoff with a bad ankle, made 35 saves in his first shutout since Nov. 24 as Pittsburgh blanked Tampa Bay 2-0.
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GOOD TO BE BACK
Sidney Crosby played for the first time in 6 1/2 weeks, setting up Maxime Talbot for the game’s first goal with only 2:47 remaining as Pittsburgh maintained first place in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference with a 2-0 victory over Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.
SNAPPED
Jason Williams had a goal and an assist as Chicago snapped the Wild’s three-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory Tuesday night, winning for the first time in Minnesota since March 29, 2002. The Blackhawks have won eight times in 11 games. … St. Louis stopped a six-game skid with a 3-2 victory over Los Angeles.
STANDINGS
Pittsburgh remained one point ahead of New Jersey atop the Atlantic Division and moved two points ahead of Montreal in the Eastern Conference, following a 2-0 victory over Tampa Bay and the Devils’ 4-1 win in Toronto on Tuesday night. … Miikka Kiprusoff made 39 saves for his 26th career shutout and second in five games as Calgary tied Minnesota for first in the Northwest Division with a 1-0 victory over Columbus.
STREAKING
Peter Forsberg’s return sparked Colorado to its fourth straight victory Tuesday night, 2-1 over Northwest Division-rival Vancouver.
SHUTOUTS
Florida’s Craig Anderson recorded his second consecutive shutout Tuesday night, stopping 40 shots in a 1-0 overtime victory at Boston. Anderson made 53 saves in another 1-0 victory over the Islanders on Sunday, the most in a shutout since shots on goal started being kept in the 1955-56 season.
SHOOTOUTS
Wade Dubielewicz – starting in place of grieving Rick DiPietro – improved to 2-0 in NHL shootouts, allowing one goal on six shots to the Rangers, and Jeff Tambellini scored the game-winner in the Islanders’ 4-3 victory Tuesday night. The Islanders, who had a season-high 53 shots in a 1-0 home loss to Florida on Sunday, got their fewest against the Rangers, 18. The Rangers remained unbeaten in regulation of their last 10 games (7-0-3).
SWINGS
Boston, which loss 10-2 to Washington on Monday, allowed just one goal Tuesday, but lost again 1-0 in overtime to Florida.
SIDELINED
Daniel Briere sat out Philadelphia’s 5-2 loss to Buffalo on Tuesday night with a shoulder injury sustained Sunday against the Rangers.
SPEAKING
“I saw it after the fact. It’s a totally blown call. There’s no excuse after that, but that third goal is a killer and it’s a totally blown call.” – Philadelphia coach John Stevens on Derek Roy’s game-winning goal as the fifth skater in a 4-on-4 situation of a 5-2 loss to Buffalo on Tuesday night.