NHL

Columbus 0 3 3-6Vancouver 0 2 0-2First Period-None.Second Period-1, Vancouver, Horvat 12, 3:00. 2, Vancouver, D.Sedin 15 (H.Sedin, Burrows), 3:40. 3, Columbus, Bourque 4 (Johansen), 7:04. 4, Columbus, Dano 6 (Anisimov, Foligno), 10:01. 5, Columbus, Atkinson 16 (Letestu, Johnson), 18:18 (pp).Third Period-6,...

BUFFALO, New York (AP) Andrei Markov had a goal and four assists and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 7-2 on Friday to run its season-opening winning streak to eight games.The Canadiens are two victories away from matching the NHL record set by the Toronto Maple Leafs...

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - When Jonathan Toews scored twice in the final seconds to force overtime in Game 5, the Western Conference finals appeared to be bending under the weight of the Chicago Blackhawks' famed playoff tenacity.They bent, but the Anaheim Ducks didn't break.And now Chicago will need all...

DALLAS (AP) The Stars have activated goalie Kari Lehtonen from injured reserve and sent prospect Jack Campbell back to the minor leagues.Lehtonen has missed three games since sustaining a lower-body injury after replacing Antti Niemi during the second period of a 7-4 loss to Ottawa on Nov. 24.Niemi...

RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) Dallas continued its impressive road form with a 4-1 win at Carolina on Friday to increase the Stars' lead atop the NHL Central Division.Patrick Sharp scored the go-ahead goal for the Stars, who are setting the pace in the Western Conference and moved three...

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Jacob Josefson and Patrik Elias scored in the shootout and the New Jersey Devils snapped a season-high six-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night.Stefan Matteau and Reid Boucher, who were called up from the minors last month for...

ST. LOUIS (AP) St. Louis' David Backes scored in the ninth round of a long shootout to give the Blues a 3-2 win against Dallas on Saturday, trimming the gap between the top teams in the NHL Central Division.The Blues moved within seven points of the Stars in...

AP Hockey WriterNHL All-Star Game rules force tough omissions on rostersBy GREG BEACHAMLOS ANGELES (AP) The NHL All-Star Game's 3-on-3, four-team tournament format put an intriguing spin on a staid exercise when it was introduced last season.The format also essentially guaranteed a few glaring snubs when the All-Star...

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) - Ottawa Senators team owner Eugene Melnyk has been discharged from a Toronto hospital after undergoing a liver transplant last month.The team says in a statement Wednesday that the anonymous donor also been discharged.Melnyk's post-transplant recovery will require weekly follow-up with his transplant team. He's been...

AP Sports WriterNHL reviewing whether to penalize Canucks for tamperingBy JOHN WAWROWBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The NHL is reviewing whether to penalize the Vancouver Canucks for tampering after general manager Jim Benning expressed interest in acquiring players under contract, including Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos.''I have received a number...

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Brent Burns started a four-goal, second-period outburst with a highlight-reel move and Matt Nieto scored a short-handed goal following a botched Toronto line change in the Sharks' 7-0 victory over the Maple Leafs on Saturday for San Jose's most lopsided shutout since 2001.Tomas Hertl...

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Sidney Crosby is shooting the puck. Even more importantly for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it's going in. Funny how success seems to follow when that happens.The Penguins evened their series against the New York Rangers with a momentum-shifting 4-3 victory Saturday night. Crosby scored twice, including a...