>>Gordon, Robinson Steal Show At All-Star Saturday Night
(New Orleans, LA) — Many expected Magic forward Aaron Gordon to be the highlight of the night following last year’s dunk contest, but Rockets guard Eric Gordon helped steal the show at NBA All-Star Saturday Night in New Orleans. Eric Gordon beat out Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving in overtime to win the Three-Point Contest. Aaron Gordon was eliminated after the first round of the Verizon Slam Dunk Contest after his drone-dunk went bad. Indiana’s Glenn Robinson the Third jumped over Pacers teammate Paul George, Indiana’s mascot, and a cheerleader for his last dunk, slamming the ball behind his head to win the dunk contest. Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis beat out Utah’s Gordon Hayward in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. The All-Star Game tips off on Sunday night at 8 p.m. Eastern time in New Orleans, and will air on TNT.
Sabres Cool Off Blues
(Buffalo, NY) — Ryan O’Reilly’s second-period goal proved to be the difference as the Sabres cooled off the Blues, 3-2, in Buffalo. Evander Kane also lit the lamp in the second and Nicholas Baptiste scored in the first for the Sabres. Robin Lehner racked up 37 saves in Buffalo’s third straight victory, which ended a six-game win streak for St. Louis. Vladimir Tarasenko and Scottie Upshall found the back of the net for the Blues, who are 7-2-and-0 this month.
Zetterberg, Red Wings Slip Past Capitals
(Detroit, MI) — Henrik Zetterberg tallied two assists and scored the winning goal in the shootout as the Red Wings slipped past the Capitals, 3-2, in Detroit. Frans Nielsen and Tomas Tatar lit the lamp in regulation before Zetterberg put the Wings over the top in the shootout. Thomas Vanek also scored a shootout goal. Petr Mrazek stopped 34 shots as Detroit ended a five-game skid. Zach Sanford and Daniel Winnik recorded goals for the Capitals as their six-game win streak came to an end. Washington leads the league with 85 points in the standings.
Oilers Win On Road, Top Blackhawks
Chicago, IL) — Cam Talbot rejected 38 shots as the Oilers held off the Blackhawks 3-1 in Chicago. Matthew Benning, Milan Lucic and Connor McDavid scored for Edmonton. McDavid’s empty-netter with 27 seconds left pushed his points total to a NHL-leading 67. The Oilers won their third straight. Richard Panik’s goal with less than five minutes left pulled Chicago within one. The Blackhawks lost for the first time in six February games.
Devils Hold Off Islanders
(Newark, NJ) — Cory Schneider had a busy night in the net as the Devils held off the Islanders, 3-2, in Newark. The Devils built a three-goal lead by the third period, and Schneider racked up 40 saves in the win despite giving up two late goals. Travis Zajac finished with a goal and assist and New Jersey improved to 25-23-and-10. Andrew Ladd and Anthony Beauvillier scored in the third for the Isles to make it a game. New York has alternated wins and losses for the past six games. The two teams meet again Sunday in Brooklyn.
Stars End Skid, Beat Lightning In OT
(Dallas, TX) — Antoine Roussel collected his first hat trick as the Stars beat the Lightning 4-3 in overtime in Dallas. Jamie Benn’s goal with 73 seconds left in the extra-period ended it. The Stars had lost their previous three games. Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman had two goals and an assist. The Lightning are 3-0-and 2 in their last five games.
Wild Top Predators At Home
(St. Paul, MN) — Jason Zucker had two goals and assisted on another as the Wild skated by the Predators 5-2 in the Xcel Energy Center. Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu each contributed a goal and an assist. Minnesota is 4-and-1-and 1 on this eight-game homestand. They have won 39 games, topping their victory total for last year. Colin Wilson and P.K. Subban had the Nashville goals. The Predators are 3-and-4 in February.
Sharks Handle Coyotes
(Glendale, AZ) – Brent Burns scored twice as the Sharks handled the Coyotes, 4-1, in Glendale. Micheal Haley finished with a goal and assist as the Sharks built a three-goal lead after two periods and didn’t look back. Aaron Dell made 36 saves for San Jose. Martin Hanzal prevented the shutout with a late goal for Arizona. The ‘Yotes fell to 20-30-and-7.
Panthers Overcome Kings
(Los Angeles, CA) — Aleksander Barkov, Jussi Jokinen and Jonathan Huberdeau each found the back of the net as the Panthers topped the Kings in Los Angeles. Florida has won four in a row and seven of its last eight. Tanner Pearson and Dwight King scored in the second period for the Kings to tie the score at two. Los Angeles has lost four out of its last five.