NHL Capsules

 

NEW YORK (AP) -Nik Antropov scored three goals, chasing Henrik Lundqvist and sending the Toronto Maple Leafs to a season-high fourth straight victory, 6-2 over the slumping New York Rangers on Thursday night.
Toronto, which hadn’t won more than two in a row before this spurt, beat the Rangers in both road meetings this season – outscoring them 9-3. The Maple Leafs scored six times on 16 shots.
Matt Stajan and Mats Sundin gave Toronto a 2-0 lead in the first period on only four shots, but that advantage was gone before the intermission. Alex Steen scored late in the third, and Vesa Toskala finished with 23 saves.
Toronto.
Steve Valiquette started the third period for New York in relief of Lundqvist, who allowed four goals for the second straight game – both at home – after going 18 straight without yielding more than three.
Antropov finished off his second NHL hat trick when he made it 5-2 at 3:34 off the third, putting a shot past Valiquette’s glove.
Canadiens 4, Bruins 2
BOSTON (AP) – Chris Higgins had a goal and two assists to help Montreal snap a three-game losing streak with its seventh straight victory over Boston.
The Canadiens have outscored the Bruins 28-11 during the streak.
Higgins, Kyle Chipchura and Tomas Plekanec scored goals on the first six shots of the game against Tuuka Rask, forced into the starting role with Tim Thomas sidelined by an apparent groin injury. Mathieu Dandenault added a third-period goal for Montreal, and rookie Carey Price made 24 saves to improve to 7-4-1.
Phil Kessel and P.J. Axelsson scored for Boston, coming off a six-game road trip.
Penguins 3, Flames 2, SO
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) – Defenseman Kris Letang scored in the fourth round of a shootout to lift Pittsburgh in Sidney Crosby’s first NHL game in Calgary.
Letang ended it after Petr Sykora scored and Crosby and Evgeni Malkin missed.
Kristian Huselius scored Calgary’s lone goal in the shootout, while Jarome Iginla, Alex Tanguay and Matthew Lombardi failed to convert their chances.
Iginla had two goals for the Flames in regulation time, while Malkin and Ryan Malone, with a short-handed goal, replied for the Penguins.
It was the first meeting between the two clubs since Dec. 3, 2005, in Pittsburgh.
Kings 8, Sabres 2
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Dustin Brown had two goals and an assist, defenseman Tom Preissing scored twice on power plays and Michal Handzus had a short-handed goal for Los Angeles.
The Kings, who hadn’t scored more than three goals in any of their previous 11 games, had their biggest offensive output since an 8-6 home victory over Atlanta on Jan. 19, 2006.
Derek Armstrong and Jaroslav Modry scored their first goals of the season, Anze Kopitar had a career-high four assists, and Michael Cammalleri had a goal and two assists. Jonathan Quick, pressed into service because of injuries to Jason LaBarbera and Jean-Sebastien Aubin, made 15 saves in his NHL debut.
Drew Stafford and Thomas Vanek scored for the Sabres.
Canucks 5, Predators 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Daniel Sedin scored two third-period goals, and backup goalie Curtis Sanford made 26 saves for Vancouver.
Alex Burrows, Taylor Pyatt and Trevor Linden also scored for the Canucks, and Curtis Sanford made 26 saves. Jed Ortmeyer and Martin Erat scored for Nashville.
Sedin gave the Canucks a 3-2 lead at 8:11 of the third period, skating low through the slot and shooting the puck between the left post and goalie Dan Ellis. Sedin struck again at 12:26, scoring on a high shot from close range as Ellis dove to the ice.
Lightning 2, Hurricanes 1
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Vincent Lecavalier scored his 19th goal of the season, and Johan Holmqvist made 23 saves for Tampa Bay.
Lecavalier opened the scoring with a power-play goal 16 minutes into the second period, and Martin St. Louis added a third-period goal. Holmqvist allowed only Cory Stillman’s goal with 14 seconds left.
The Lightning have won three in a row following a six-game losing streak.