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Devils beat Penguins, 3-1, to sweep weekend series
Crosby goes pointless in both games against New Jersey ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Ilya Kovalchuk and David Clarkson scored less than two minutes apart in the second period as the New Jersey Devils beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 on Sunday night for their season-high fifth straight win.
It was the second time New Jersey beat Pittsburgh in as many games after the Devils ended the Penguins' five-game winning streak in the first installment of the home-and-home series Saturday.
Clarkson's power-play goal at 13:20 of the second period to make it 3-0 was his second of the game and team-leading ninth goal of the season. Johan Hedberg made 23 saves and the former Penguins goalie won his first game in five starts in Pittsburgh as a member of the visiting team (1-4-1).
Tomas Vokoun made 20 saves in his first start at home and James Neal scored Pittsburgh's only goal 15 seconds into the third period. Sidney Crosby, whose season-high six-game points streak ended Saturday, was held without a point for the second straight game.
The Penguins allowed a season-low four shots on goal in the first period, but Clarkson scored his eighth goal of the season on a 2-on-1 with Patrik Elias to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead at 13:06. The Devils are 7-0-1 this season when scoring first.
The Penguins got their first power play of the game almost immediately after Clarkson's goal then another before the period was over, but could not even the score heading into the second.
Kovalchuk made it 2-0 for New Jersey at 11:27 of the second period, again on a 2-on-1, and the Devils got their first power play of the game less than a minute later when Pittsburgh left wing James Neal was called for cross-checking at 12:09.
At 13:20, Clarkson scored his second of the game to make it 3-0 for New Jersey. With Kovalchuk set up for a one-timer in the left circle, Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik cheated away from the net toward Kovalchuk and left Clarkson all alone to knock in the rebound of a shot from Elias.
Blackhawks 3, Predators 0: Marcus Kruger and Jonathan Toews each scored 66 seconds apart in the second period as Chicago remained the NHL's lone undefeated team in regulation.
Patrick Kane also added a goal in the third as the Blackhawks wrapped up their season-high six-game road trip with their fourth straight win and improved to 10-0-2 overall and 8-0-2 away from Chicago. Goalie Corey Crawford got Chicago's first shutout of the season and the sixth of his career making 17 saves.
Nashville lost a 2-1 overtime game at Minnesota on Saturday night. Back home to start a four-game homestand, the Predators had their 17th consecutive sold-out crowd. But the Predators reverted back to their early offensive woes struggling to shoot the puck at the net.
Bruins 3, Sabres 1: Patrice Bergeron scored the go-ahead goal on a third-period power play to lead the hot-starting Boston Bruins to the win.
Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic, into an empty net, also scored. Backup goalie Anton Khudobin made 25 saves in only his second start of the season.
The Bruins (8-1-1) are off to the team's best start to a season by earning 17 points in their first 10 games. The team's previous best was 16 points through 10 games, set four times, the last in 1978-79, when they opened 7-1-2.
Boston beat the only team that's defeated them this season, after the Sabres won 7-4 at Boston on Jan. 31. And the Bruins continued their roll following an extended break.
Oilers 3, Blue Jackets 1: Magnus Paajarvi scored a go-ahead short-handed goal with 3:10 remaining and Devan Dubnyk made 39 saves as Edmonton snapped a five-game losing streak.
Sam Gagner scored into an open net and assisted on the game-winner, and Ales Hemsky scored in the first period for Edmonton, which still has earned points in four of its last six.
R.J. Umberger scored his first of the season to tie it in the third for Columbus, which lost its third straight despite outshooting the Oilers 40-14 overall and 15-3 in the third period.
Rangers 5, Lightning 1: Carl Hagelin had two goals and an assist and Henrik Lundqvist made 19 saves in New York's victory that extended Tampa Bay's losing streak to four games.
Lundqvist was sharp throughout and was helped by some early offense. Hagelin scored his first goal just 31 seconds in and then made it 3-0 in the second period. Ryan Callahan added a breakaway goal with 4:47 left in the first, and Arron Asham and Rick Nash scored in the third for the Rangers (6-5), who have won four of six.
On the flipside, the Lightning -- who entered with an NHL-best 42 goals this season -- have netted only six during their skid. Tampa Bay (6-5) might have been a bit weary following a long bus ride from Boston on Saturday after its game against the Bruins was postponed by the big Northeast snowstorm.
Red Wings 3, Kings 2: Jonathan Ericsson scored with five seconds left to lift Detroit.
Los Angeles failed to clear the puck, less than a minute after they tied the game, and Ericsson took advantage. His slap shot from above the right circle trickled through Jonathan Quick's pads.
Los Angeles pulled Quick with a minute left to add an extra skater and forward Kyle Clifford got off the bench in time to keep the puck in the Detroit end. Clifford's shot rebounded off Jimmy Howard and Alec Martinez scored on a putback to make it 2-all at the 19:07 mark of the third period.
Pavel Datsyuk and Damien Brunner scored on shots set up by Henrik Zetterberg in the first period and Howard made 45 saves to help the Red Wings win three straight for the first time this year.
Hearing for Grabovski: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski will face a disciplinary hearing with the NHL on today amid biting allegations.
Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty said Grabovski bit him during a fight at 11:30 of the third period in Toronto's 6-0 victory over Montreal on Saturday.
Grabovski faces a hearing with the league's department of player safety, which was initially scheduled for Sunday afternoon but rescheduled to Monday morning.
Grabovski received a 10-minute misconduct and a roughing minor after the scuffle. Pacioretty was also issued a 10-minute misconduct on the play.
Pacioretty emerged from the incident showing his wrist to the officials, claiming that Grabovski bit him.
Halak activated: The St. Louis Blues have activated goalie Jaroslav Halak from injured reserve, a signal that struggling Brian Elliott is headed for some time on the bench.
Halak is 3-0 with a 2.10 goals-against average and two shutouts this season. He had been sidelined by a groin strain.
Elliott gave up five goals on 23 shots in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Ducks on Saturday, then four more on six shots in the shootout. The Blues have dropped four in a row.
MacDonald on waivers: The Detroit Red Wings have put goaltender Joey MacDonald on waivers.
If MacDonald is not claimed by noon today, the Red Wings plan to send him to play for the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins.
He is 31-48-13 with a 3.04 goals-against average with Detroit, Toronto, the New
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