Avalanche top Penguins to keep rolling
NHL: Jean-Sebastien Giguere turned aside 34 shots for his second shutout in 11 days and the Colorado Avalanche edged the Penguins 1-0 in Pittsburgh on Monday night.
Gabriel Landeskog scored the game’s only goal 5:26 into the second period as Colorado improved to 8-1, the best start in franchise history.
The game was billed as a fight for bragging rights between Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby and Colorado rookie Nathan MacKinnon. The former No. 1 picks both are from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, in Canada.
Instead, Giguere stole the show. Pittsburgh (7-2) went 0 of 7 on the power play and lost for the first time at home despite outshooting the Avalanche 34-14.
• Prior to the game, Colorado forward Cody McLeod was suspended for five games by the NHL for his hit along the boards on Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall last week.
The suspension will cost McLeod $29,487, with the money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
• Sharks remain unbeaten in regulation: Logan Couture scored in the shootout and the San Jose Sharks (8-0-1) beat the Red Wings 1-0 in Detroit, to remain the last team without a regulation loss.
Each goalie got a shutout for not allowing a goal in 65 minutes. San Jose’s Antti Niemi made 24 saves for his 24th career shutout, and Jimmy Howard, who earned his 17th shutout, stopped 27 shots.
• Hamrlik retiring after 20 seasons: Defenseman Roman Hamrlik has retired after a 20-year career.
The three-time All-Star was drafted first overall by Tampa Bay in 1992. He played 1,395 games in the regular season and 113 in the playoffs with the Lightning, Oilers, Islanders, Flames, Canadiens, Capitals and finally the Rangers last year.
From Zlin, Czech Republic, Hamrlik had 155 goals and 483 assists for 638 points while averaging over 23 minutes in ice time.
• Hall of Fame defensman Stanley dies: Allan Stanley, a Hall of Fame defenseman who won four Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs during a 22-year NHL career, has died.
Stanley, 87, was born in Timmins, Ontario. Nicknamed “Snowshoes” for his ponderous skating style, Stanley had 100 goals, 333 assists and 792 penalty minutes over 1,244 regular-season NHL games.
Sixers plan to hold Noel out for season
NBA: Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said rookie Nerlens Noel is likely to miss the season for the 76ers.
“I doubt – everybody doubts – that he’s going to play this year,” Brown said.
The coach said no official decision has been made regarding the 6-foot-11 center, who is still recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The Sixers acquired Noel from New Orleans in a draft-day trade for All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday. At the time, Noel was expected to be sidelined until December while he recovered from the injury, suffered in February during his lone season at Kentucky.
• Nuggets’ Robinson fined: Denver guard Nate Robinson has been fined $10,000 for pushing Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams from behind and striking him in the chest during the fourth quarter of a preseason game on Tuesday.
• Thunder’s Thabeet suspended: Oklahoma City center Hasheem Thabeet has been suspended one game without pay for head-butting the Pelicans’ Greg Stiemsma after the pair exchanged shoves during the Thunder’s loss to New Orleans on Thursday.
Rodriguez’s lawyers blocked by MLB
Miscellany: Alex Rodriguez’s lawyers were blocked from holding a news conference with a person they described as a “major league baseball whistleblower” when the commissioner’s office obtained an order from the arbitrator hearing the case.
More than an hour after the scheduled start of the news conference, one of Rodriguez’s lawyers read the substance of the order from arbitrator Fredric Horowitz to the assembled media.
The lawyers would not say whether the “whistleblower” worked for Major League Baseball, one of its teams or some other affiliate. They also said the “whistleblower” had facts not directly related to the substance of the case.
• Grambling players return to practice: Grambling players say they are ending their boycott after speaking with former coach Doug Williams, who advised them to, “Go out there and play football.”
In a statement, team representative Naquan Smith said players reached out to several people, including Williams, and their ex-coach put them in contact with Baton Rouge businessman Jim Bernhard.
Smith said Bernhard told the players he has their “best intentions at heart and that he would ensure we had updated facilities, but we had to agree to being back practicing Monday … and finish the remainder of our season.”
• Mosley, Mundine fight called off: Backers for Shane Mosley say the boxer has withdrawn from a scheduled bout with Anthony Mundine in Sydney on Wednesday due to a contract dispute.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer issued a statement from Los Angeles saying “we have no choice but to protect our fighter” because terms of the contract had not been met.
The official weigh-in was scheduled for today in Sydney.