Canucks nip Flames, move into tie for 1st
Markus Naslund and Anson Carter scored 9 seconds apart in the second period to lead Vancouver to a 2-1 win at Calgary, Alberta, on Tuesday night and move the Canucks into a first-place tie with the Flames atop the Northwest Division.
Vancouver (34-21-5) has won three straight against its division rival after losing the first four meetings of the season. The Canucks continue a three-game road trip Thursday night in Nashville, Tenn.
Avalanche 4, Wild 2: Milan Hejduk had a goal and an assist and David Aebischer stopped 33 shots and continued his mastery of Minnesota as Colorado defeated the Wild at Denver. Aebischer improved to 4-0 against the Wild this year and has allowed only six goals in those games. He is 9-2-0 against Minnesota.
Canadiens 5, Islanders 3: Christopher Higgins scored two goals to help visiting Montreal beat New York. Higgins made it 3-0 with 42 seconds left in the second period, firing a wrist shot past goalie Garth Snow on a rush down the left wing, and beat U.S. Olympian Rick DiPietro with a high wrist shot at 8:34 of the third.
Panthers 8, Lightning 2: Chris Gratton, Olli Jokinen and Joe Nieuwendyk each had two goals to help Florida defeat Tampa Bay at Tampa, Fla. Nieuwendyk and Jokinen also had an assist for three-point games. Martin Gelinas and Joel Kwiatkowski had the other Florida goals.
Capitals 5, Maple Leafs 3: Matt Pettinger scored twice and Washington ended a four-game losing streak with a win at Toronto. Rookie sensation Alex Ovechkin, Brian Willsie and Ben Clymer also scored for the Capitals, who improved to 3-1 against Toronto.
Sharks 5, Red Wings 1: At San Jose, Calif., Joe Thornton had a goal and three assists and Jonathan Cheechoo also scored one of San Jose’s franchise-record five power-play goals as the Sharks beat Detroit.
Around the league
Philadelphia Flyers captain Keith Primeau will miss the rest of the season because of lingering symptoms from a concussion four months ago. Primeau said he would be sidelined for the playoffs but did not rule out returning next season, saying he had made progress in his recovery. Primeau was injured Oct. 25 after a hit from Montreal’s Alexander Perezhogin, the latest and most severe in a list of head injuries the center has sustained in a 15-year career. … Pittsburgh owner Mario Lemieux left a hospital, one day after undergoing a medical procedure to help control his irregular heartbeat. Lemieux retired last month, saying he could no longer play at a high level. In December, he learned he had atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that can cause his pulse to flutter wildly. … The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired forward Cam Severson from Calgary in exchange for defensman Cale Hulse.