Hockey News

PITTSBURGH - It took Sidney Crosby at the top of his game to put the Pittsburgh Penguins back in the hunt for the Stanley Cup.

Crosby scored Pittsburgh’s first two goals of the series and Adam Hall got the game-winner as the Penguins came alive with a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final on Wednesday night. The Red Wings, who shut out Pittsburgh in consecutive games in Detroit, lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game 4 set for Saturday night at Mellon Arena.

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TORONTO - The Phoenix Coyotes’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage defeated the Toronto Marlies 3-0 in Game 6 of the North Division Semifinals.

Rookies Chad Kolarik and Dylan Reese tallied two points apiece for the Rampage, and second-year netminder Josh Tordjman made 38 saves in a victory over the Marlies that forces a series-deciding Game 7 on Monday night in Toronto.

Kolarik and Reese each scored in the first period to get the Rampage off to a fast start.

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DENVER - If the Colorado Avalanche make the playoffs, they will have their captain to thank.

Joe Sakic forced overtime by scoring with 5.9 seconds left in regulation, and then added the decisive tally in a shootout as the Avalanche strengthened their playoff position with a 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night.

The Avalanche are seventh in the Western Conference with 90 points, four ahead of Nashville and Vancouver, who are battling for the eighth and final spot. Edmonton is two points behind the Canucks and Predators.

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NEWARK, N.J. - Kyle Okposo picked the perfect time to score his first NHL goal. He will always have the story of how he made Martin Brodeur his first victim.

“Scoring a game-winning goal against one of the best goalies in history, that’s not bad at all,” he said. “I don’t know what could be better.”

Okposo, the New York Islanders’ 19-year-old top prospect who was called up this week from the minor leagues, scored a tie-breaking power-play goal with 2:35 remaining and helped his new club beat the New Jersey Devils 3-1 on Friday night.

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The Peoria Rivermen scored, battled, and brawled its way to a 5-2 win over the Lake Erie Monsters before 7,763 fans on Friday night at Carver Arena.

This was a rare game with so many separate story lines it became difficult to pick favorites. Rookie Julian Talbot, who just signed a two-year contract with the St. Louis Blues only days before, netted a hat trick and tacked on an assist in the victory. Nikolay Lemtyugov scored a pair of markers including a game-winning goal of top 10 highlight reel material. And freshman netminder Ben Bishop registered his first pro win and first pro fight, leading the Rivermen with nine minutes in penalties while stopping 17-of-19 shots for the win.

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HERSHEY, PA. — Riding high from a 5-0 blowout over the Hershey Bears Saturday night, the Manitoba Moose earned a 3-1 win in Sunday’s matinee rematch. The victory extended the club’s winning streak to a season-high six games, concluded a perfect five-game road trip, and marked rookie goalie Cory Schneider’s eighth consecutive win.

Only 41 seconds into the game, Mike Brown and Louis Robitaille scrapped behind Schneider’s net, proving there’s still plenty of tension left over from Saturday night’s game. The pair of fighting majors maintained even-strength play for three more minutes until Bears defenceman Tyler Sloan took a cross-checking penalty to offer the Moose the game’s first powerplay.

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DETROIT - The Nashville Predators finally played like a desperate team.

Rich Peverley’s second-period goal broke a tie and lifted the Predators to a 3-1 win over the Red Wings on Saturday, snapping Detroit’s five-game winning streak.

Dan Hamhuis and Jerred Smithson also scored for Nashville, which is fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Dan Ellis made 34 saves for the Predators, who broke a three-game losing streak.

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PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia’s Jeff Carter enjoys the added responsibility.

Carter scored his second goal with 1:54 left in the third period and the Flyers defeated Tampa Bay 3-2 to snap a five-year home losing streak against the Lightning.

“I just take it and run with it,” said Carter, a third-year player who has recorded at least a point in four straight games (five goals, two assists). “I’ve never been in such a situation where you’re relied upon so heavily. I kind of like it.”

Carter, who has a career-high 25 goals, has given a big lift to the hurting Flyers. Philadelphia is without key offensive performers such as Simon Gagne, out for the year with a concussion; Mike Richards, out for another two weeks (hamstring), and Joffrey Lupul, day-to-day (high ankle sprain).

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GLENDALE, Ariz. - Talk about a hot goaltender.

Playing with a sunburned face, Montreal’s Carey Price stopped 37 shots to lead the Canadiens to a 4-2 victory over Phoenix on Thursday night.

Price said he got sunburned during a four-hour fishing trip on nearby Bartlett Lake during the Canadiens’ stay in the Phoenix area this week.

“I wasn’t feeling that hot, but all of a sudden we all got back into the van to go back to the hotel and we just started burning,” Price said. “We were out on the water, so all the light’s reflecting off the water.”

Coach Guy Carbonneau said he wasn’t concerned the sunburn would affect Price, who wore a headband to prevent his mask from irritating the burned skin. Price was eager to atone after giving up six goals in a 6-4 loss at San Jose on Monday.

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