Penguins win sixth straight
Chris Kunitz scored his 19th goal, Sidney Crosby had two assists, and the Pittsburgh Penguins jumped out to a four-goal lead before beating the visiting Minnesota Wild, 5-2, on Thursday night for their sixth straight victory.
Chris Kunitz scored his 19th goal, Sidney Crosby had two assists, and the Pittsburgh Penguins jumped out to a four-goal lead before beating the visiting Minnesota Wild, 5-2, on Thursday night for their sixth straight victory.
Rookie defenseman Olli Maatta sealed the Penguins' win when he scored on a third-period penalty shot. Pascal Dupuis and Brandon Sutter each scored for the second consecutive game, and defenseman Matt Niskanen also tallied for Pittsburgh, which has won 11 of 12 overall and nine straight home games.
Crosby extended his season-best point streak to nine games. He leads the league with 51 points.
Drew Stafford scored the winning goal in the third period, and Ryan Miller made 34 saves in the host Buffalo Sabres' 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins.
Marcus Foligno and Brian Flynn both had a goal and an assist, and Tyler Myers also scored for Buffalo, which won consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 15.
James van Riemsdyk and Joffrey Lupul scored in the shootout as the host Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Phoenix Coyotes, 2-1.
Troy Bodie scored in regulation, and James Reimer made 34 saves for the win, just the Leafs' second in their last seven games.
Martin Hanzal scored for the Coyotes and Mike Smith made 26 saves.
Flying lighter
The Flyers' Claude Giroux is one of six players transitioning into Bauer Hockey's futuristic OD1N skates and protective equipment unveiled Thursday in Chicago.
The OD1N gear shaves pounds from the bulky head-to-toe ensemble hockey players wear and, according to Bauer, improves mobility, speed and performance while also improving protection through the use of new materials and by staying in place better.
Chicago's Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Washington's Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom are other NHL skaters switching to the customized gear. The New York Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist has been wearing thinner lighter OD1N goalie pads, made from materials that are similar to the soles of running shoes.
The OD1N skates weigh only 550 grams each, compared to about 750 for other high-end models. The skates have carbon composite blade holders with stiffness and flex patterns customized to players' skating styles.
- Staff and wire reports