Senators Blank Islanders
(Ottawa, Ontario) — Craig Anderson stopped all 33 shots sent his way in his first start since December 5th as the Senators blanked the Islanders, 3-0, in Ottawa. Anderson had been out to tend to his wife, who was battling cancer. Mark Stone started the scoring in the first period with Zack Smith and Jean-Gabriel Pageau lighting the lamp in the second. The Senators have won two straight games. Thomas Greiss gave up all three goals on 24 shots for New York. The Isles hadn’t been shut out since November 14th.
Flyers Down Sharks In OT
(Philadelphia, PA) — Wayne Simmonds scored the winning goal in overtime as the Flyers downed the Sharks, 2-1, at the Wells Fargo Center. Simmonds’ goal was his 23rd of the year. Ivan Provorov lit the lamp in the third period as the Flyers ended a three-game slide. Michal Neuvirth made 23 saves for Philly. Patrick Marleau’s 20th goal of the year season tied the game for San Jose in the third. Aaron Dell made 33 saves in defeat. The Sharks have lost four straight.
Stars Blitz Hurricanes
(Dallas, TX) — The Stars used a three-goal first period to blitz the Hurricanes, 5-2, in Dallas. Patrick Eaves scored twice, one each in the first two periods. Curtis McKenzie and Esa Lindell also lit the lamp in the first to five Dallas and early lead. Kari Lehtonen knocked away 22 shots as the Stars ended a four-game losing streak. Sebastian Aho and Justin Faulk scored for Carolina. The ‘Canes have dropped seven of their past 10 games.
Blue Jackets Slip Past Red Wings
(Columbus, OH) — Cam Atkinson’s second period goal proved to be the tiebreaker as the Blue Jackets slipped past the Red Wings, 2-1, in Columbus. Brandon Dubinsky finished with two assists, and Boone Jenner had a first period goal plus an assist for the Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 35 saves in the win. Columbus improved to 35-14-and-5. Thomas Vanek scored the lone goal for Detroit on a power play in the first period. The Wings are on a three-game slide.
Rangers Double Up Avalanche
(New York, NY) — Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves and reached an impressive milestone as the Rangers topped the Avalanche 4-2 at Madison Square Garden. The win was the 400th of Lundqvist’s career. He is the 12th goalie to reach the mark and only the third to do it with just one team. Kevin Klein scored twice and New York has won five-straight. Gabriel Landeskog and John Mitchell lit the lamp for Colorado in defeat. The Avs have a league-worst 32 points and have lost 11-of-13.
Berglund, Blues Hammer Canadiens
(Montreal, Quebec) — Patrik Berglund notched a hat trick as the Blues hammered the Canadiens, 4-2, in Quebec. Berglund lit the lamp in each period as St. Louis won its fourth straight game. David Perron added a goal and Jake Allen racked up 28 saves. Shea Weber and Max Pacioretty scored for Montreal, which has lost five of its past six games. Al Montoya made 18 saves in defeat.
Lightning Cruise Past Jets
(Winnipeg, Manitoba) — Ben Bishop stopped 32-of-33 shots sent his way to help lift the Lightning past the Jets 4-1 in Winnipeg. Brayden Point, Brian Boyle, and Ondrej Palat staked Tampa Bay to a three-goal lead after two periods. Victor Hedman added an empty-netter for insurance. The Lightning have earned points in four-straight games. Jacob Trouba lit the lamp to prevent the shutout for the Jets. Winnipeg has lost four in a row.
Capitals Top Ducks In Wild Game
(Washington, D.C.) — Six different skaters lit the lamp to help the Capitals clip the Ducks 6-4 at the Verizon Center. T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, and Tom Wilson spotted Washington a three-goal lead after one. Daniel Winnik scored shorthanded in the second. Zach Sanford’s first career goal and a Marcus Johansson empty-netter put the game away. The Caps have won six-straight. Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and two assists for Anaheim in defeat. The Ducks have lost five of their last seven.
Panthers Outlast Predators
(Nashville, TN) — The Panthers used a four-goal second period as they outlasted the Predators, 7-4, in Nashville. Vincent Trochek had two goals and one assist as Florida held a 5-3 lead after two periods. Jonathan Huberdeau finished with a goal and two assists as the Panthers chased Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne in the second period. Viktor Arvidsson put together a hat trick for the Preds, who have lost three of their past four games. Rinne gave up four goals on 16 shots before getting pulled.
Coyotes Beat Penguins In Overtime
(Glendale, AZ) — Connor Murphy scored with 22 seconds left in overtime for his first goal of the season to lift the Coyotes to a 4-3 victory over the Penguins in Gila River Arena. Martin Hanzal had a pair of goals as Arizona led 3-1 early in the third period. The ‘Yotes have played three straight overtime games, winning two. Pittsburgh tied it on Phil Kessel’s goal with 15 seconds remaining in regulation. The Penguins are 4-0-and 2 in their past six games.
Blackhawks Cruise Past Oilers
(Edmonton, Alberta) — Scott Darling stopped 30-of-31 shots to help the Blackhawks cruise past the Oilers 5-1 in Edmonton. Richard Panik had a two goals and an assist. Patrick Kane, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Artem Anisimov also lit the lamp in the winning effort. Chicago has won five in a row. Patrick Maroon scored the lone Oilers goal in defeat. Edmonton has gone pointless in four of its last five outings.
Cavaliers, James Overpower Nuggets
(Cleveland, OH) — LeBron James scored 27 points and doled out 12 assists as the Cavaliers defeated the Nuggets 125-109 in Cleveland. Kyrie Irving also scored 27 points, while Kevin Love contributed 16 points and 13 rebounds. The Cavaliers won for the fifth time in six games. Nikola Jokic’s 27 points led the Nuggets. Denver has lost five of its last eight.
Warriors Hold Off Thunder In Durant’s Return
(Oklahoma City, OK) — Kevin Durant’s return to Oklahoma City was not pleasant, but he put up 34 points as the Warriors held off the Thunder, 130-114, at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Durant shot 12-of-21 from the field and overcame boos, trash talk, and extra-physical play from his former team. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson each scored 26 as Golden State put up 43 in the second quarter to go ahead for good. Russell Westbrook finished with 47 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, but also turned the ball over 11 times. Victor Oladipo added 20 points in defeat. Durant and the Warriors will visit OKC again on March 20th.
Rockets Pound Out Decisive Win Over Suns
(Houston, TX) — James Harden scored 40 points as the Rockets drilled the Suns 133-102 at Houston. Patrick Beverley had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets. Houston jumped out to a 77-53 lead at halftime. The Rockets won their fourth straight. Devin Booker’s 18 points paced Phoenix. The Suns lost for the fourth time in five games.
Mavericks Crush Magic
(Dallas, TX) — The Mavericks opened up a 26 point halftime lead and cruised past the Magic 112-80 in Dallas. Wesley Matthews led a balanced offensive attack with 20 points. Dirk Nowitzki and Seth Curry had 14 apiece while Nicolas Brussino and Yogi Ferrell each had 10 off the bench. The Mavs have won eight of their last 11 games. Bismack Biyombo paced Orlando with 15 points. The Magic shot a dismal 39-percent from the field and just 3-of-23 from three in the losing effort.
Celtics Hang On, Clip Jazz
(Salt Lake City, UT) — Isaiah Thomas had 29 points including 4-of-7 from deep to help the Celtics clip the Jazz 112-104 in Salt Lake City. As a team Boston shot 59.2-percent from the field. Al Horford scored 16 and Kelly Olynyk added 19 off the bench in the winning effort. Boston has won nine of is last eleven games. Gordon Hayward paced the Jazz with 31 points in defeat. George Hill contributed 22, Utah fell to 34-and-21.
Bucks Beat Pacers Behind Bench Play
(Indianapolis, IN) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 20 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds as the Bucks topped the Pacers 116-110 at Indianapolis. Mirza Teletovic scored 19 in 17 minutes off the bench. Milwaukee reserves outscored the Indy’s 55-to-40. The Bucks picked up just their second win in the past nine games. C.J. Miles led the Pacers with 23 points. Indiana has lost three in a row after having its seven-game winning streak snapped.
76ers End Miami’s Win Streak
(Philadelphia, PA) — The 76ers didn’t need Jahlil Okafor or Joel Embiid to end the Heat’s 13-game win streak in a 117-109 win in Philadelphia. Dario Saric, Nerlens Noel, and Robert Covington each put up 19 point in the victory. Embiid missed his ninth straight game with a knee injury, and Okafor didn’t play due to a coach’s decision. Philly led by six at halftime and never trailed after that. Goran Dragic had 30 points, but it wasn’t enough to extend the Heat’s win streak to 14. James Johnson scored 26 off the bench.
Clippers Top Hornets
(Charlotte, NC) — The Clippers pulled away in the fourth quarter as they topped the Hornets, 107-102, in Charlotte. Blake Griffin finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists while Jamal Crawford scored 22 off the bench. L.A. built a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and held on for its second straight win. Nic Batum keyed the Hornets with 25 points and eight assists. Frank Kaminsky the Third added 20 in defeat. Charlotte has dropped nine of its past 10 games.
Top-Ranked Gonzaga Clips Saint Mary’s
(Moraga, CA) — Top-ranked Gonzaga remained the nation’s last undefeated team by clipping number-20 Saint Mary’s 74-64 in Moraga. Przemek Karnowski dropped 19 points with nine rebounds and Johnathan Williams scored 17 with nine boards of his own in the winning effort. Nigel Williams-Goss added 14 points. The Bulldogs improved to 26-and-0. Jock Landale paced the Gaels with 24 points in defeat. He was their only player in double figures. Saint Mary’s dropped to 22-and-3.
#2 Villanova Cruises Past #25 Xavier
(Cincinnati, OH) — Jay Wright notched his 500th win as second-ranked Villanova cruised past number-25 Xavier, 73-57, in Cincinnati. Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo each scored 17 points for the Wildcats. Kris Jenkins added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists as ‘Nova improved to 24-and-2 overall. The Musketeers trailed by a dozen at halftime and couldn’t spark a rally. Rashid Gaston finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Providence Upsets #21 Butler
(Providence, RI) — Providence used a late 7-0 run to upset number-21 Butler, 71-65, at the Dunkin Donuts Center. Alpha Diallo led the Friars with 15 points, and Kyron Cartwright added 14. Diallo scored four points on the 7-0 run, which started with 2:06 remaining. The win ended a two-game slide for Providence, which improved to 15-and-11. Nate Fowler posted 19 points off the bench for Butler, and Kethan Savage added 13 in the loss. The Bulldogs dropped to 19-and-6 and have lost three of their past four.
Notre Dame Knocks Off #15 Florida State
(South Bend, IN) — Bonzie Colson’s big game keyed Notre Dame as it knocked off number-15 Florida State, 84-72, in South Bend. Colson finished with 33 points and 13 rebounds as the Irish took a nine-point halftime lead and held on for the win. Matt Farrell and Steve Vasturia each scored 15 in Notre Dame’s second straight win following a four-game slide. The Irish are 19-and-7. Terance Mann led the Seminoles with 15 points. Florida State is 21-and-5, but has dropped three of its past six games.
Spieth Extends Lead Pebble Beach Pro-Am
(Pebble Beach, CA) — Jordan Spieth shot a seven-under 65 for the second-straight round to extend his lead at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Spieth holds a six-stroke lead at 17-under par heading into the final round. Brandt Snedeker sits alone in second place at minus-11. Dustin Johnson and Kelly Kraft are tied for third, seven-strokes back at 10-under. The world’s number-one player Jason Day shot a third round 75 to fall into a tie for 11th, 10-strokes off the lead. Final round action will begin Sunday at 7:38 a.m. local time in Pebble Beach.