Ducks’ Kariya Makes Big Splash In Return

Paul Kariya returned Friday night, scoring twice and adding a pair of assists as Anaheim beat the visiting Washington Capitals 6-4.

Teemu Selanne, skating with his linemate for the first time this season, snapped a 4-4 tie when he scored his second goal of the evening, and NHL-leading 26th of the season, with 43 seconds left in the game.

Then Kariya, who ended his contract holdout a day earlier, added an empty-net goal with seven seconds remaining to complete the Mighty Ducks’ comeback from an early 3-0 deficit and earn his third standing ovation of the night.

Oilers hot in Motown

Dan McGillis scored with 4:08 left as the Edmonton Oilers beat host Detroit 3-2 for their second victory over the Red Wings in eight days.

The win was the Oilers’ first in Detroit since Nov. 9, 1993. But they’ve won their last two games against the Red Wings.

In New York, Radek Dvorak, who hadn’t scored in 13 games this season, had two short-handed goals in 5 minutes as the Florida Panthers beat the beleaguered Rangers 4-3.

The Rangers played amid media reports of a shakeup involving either coach Colin Campell or a trade.

Matthew Barnaby scored his first goal of the season with 15 seconds left in overtime to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.

Gilmour returns

“There’s a lot of memories. It’ll be fairly emotional,” said Doug Gilmour. The former Maple Leafs captain returns to Toronto tonight for the first time since being traded to the New Jersey Devils last season.

Gilmour propelled Toronto to the Western Conference finals in 1993 and 1994, almost lifting the Leafs into the 1993 Stanley Cup finals before losing in seven games to Wayne Gretzky’s Los Angeles Kings.