NHL

Sabres D Pilut to miss 5-6 months after shoulder surgeryBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Buffalo Sabres defenseman Lawrence Pilut will miss the start of next season after having surgery to address a shoulder injury.The Sabres did not reveal which shoulder was repaired or when Pilut was injured in their announcement...

Avs defenseman Erik Johnson nears return from broken legDENVER (AP) Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson is nearing a return after being sidelined since early December with a broken leg.Although Johnson won't play Tuesday against Los Angeles, coach Jared Bednar said the Avalanche's top defenseman has been going through...

Boucher, Markstrom help Canucks beat Stars 6-0DALLAS (AP) Jacob Markstrom and the Vancouver Canucks were good enough on Sunday.Two days after saying, ''I'm not good enough,'' Markstrom made 30 saves for his second career shutout and the Canucks beat the Dallas Stars 6-0.Markstrom also had said some teammates...

NEW YORK (AP) The New York Islanders signed defenseman Marek Zidlicky to a one-year contract Friday. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed.The 38-year-old Zidlicky had seven goals and 27 assists in an NHL-high 84 regulart-season games last season for New Jersey and Detroit. He was scoreless in...

AP Hockey WriterNHL's best referee: Wes McCauley goes by his own bookBy STEPHEN WHYNOWes McCauley keeps his good calls close and his bad calls closer.Any time the veteran NHL referee is feeling too good or gets down on himself, he breaks out a binder full of his missed calls...

AP Hockey WriterNHL's restricted free agents have proven to be untouchablesBy LARRY LAGESome of the NHL's best, young players are available.Technically.Mitch Marner, Brayden Point and Jacob Trouba are just a few of the restricted free agents in a bumper crop.Every team in the league would like to add any...

AP Hockey WriterStars beat Capitals in OT for 3rd straight winBy STEPHEN WHYNOWASHINGTON (AP) Jason Spezza and Tyler Pitlick scored 10 seconds apart, Jason Dickinson had the overtime winner and the Dallas Stars beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Saturday night for their first three-game winning streak of...

Associated PressBonino's hat trick leads Predators over Blackhawks 3-0By JIM DIAMONDNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Nick Bonino scored the goals and his Predators teammates made it an easy night for Pekka Rinne.Bonino had a natural hat trick, Rinne made 20 saves for his second consecutive shutout and the Nashville Predators...

Associated PressKane scores 2, Sharks win 5-2 to end Lightning point streakBy GIDEON RUBINSAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Missing three regular defensemen, the San Jose Sharks got a complete team effort and handed the Tampa Bay Lightning their first regulation loss in 5 1/2 weeks.Evander Kane scored two goals...

Devils goalie Cory Schneider placed on injured reserveNEWARK, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Devils placed goalie Cory Schneider on injured reserve with a lower-body injury suffered Thursday night in a 5-4 overtime victory at Ottawa.Schneider left after the second period. Keith Kinkaid replaced him and stopped all nine...

AP Sports WriterPanthers starting over with new coach and new top lineBy TIM REYNOLDSSUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Florida general manager Dale Tallon has selective amnesia. To him, how things went for the Panthers last season is no longer worth talking about or even remembering.It's another restart for Florida.With a...

AP Hockey WritersOvechkin, Crosby favor NHL going directly into playoffsBy JOHN WAWROW and STEPHEN WHYNOPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby prefers the NHL skip the rest of the regular season and head directly to the playoffs if games resume during this pandemic-interrupted spring.Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is on the...