The San Jose Sharks earned their NHL-best 25th home victory with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
Patrick Marleau scored his 33rd goal and Joe Thornton had two assists for the Sharks, who maintained their three-point lead atop the Western Conference standings.
Surging Los Angeles lost in regulation for just the third time in a month.
The Sharks improved the NHL’s best home record to 25-2-3 by holding Los Angeles scoreless in the final 36 minutes.
The Kings are 11th in the conference standings, three points behind Edmonton, which provisionally holds the eighth and last playoff spot.
BLACKHAWKS 4, PANTHERS 0
In Sunrise, Florida, goaltender Cristobal Huet stopped 31 shots as Chicago beat Florida.
Ben Eaqer scored twice for Chicago, with Andrew Ladd and Jonathan Toews also finding the net.
The Blackhawks, who were playing away from home for the 10th time in 11 games, have won their past three and now have 18 road victories this season.
FLYERS 6, SABRES 3
In Philadelphia, Mike Richards had two goals and three assists for a career-high five points as Philadelphia downed Buffalo.
Mike Knuble broke a third-period tie to help the Flyers notch a third straight win.
Richards scored his NHL-leading sixth short-handed goal and second in two games as well as adding an empty-netter.
FLAMES 3, WILD 2, OT
In St Paul, Minnesota, Adrian Aucoin scored with 1:10 left in overtime for Calgary in a narrow win over Minnesota.
Aucoin’s winner came after he ringed a shot off the post on a breakaway earlier in the extra period.
PENGUINS 5, CANDIENS 4
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sergei Gonchar’s first goal gave Dan Bylsma his first win as an NHL coach as Pittsburgh edged slumping Montreal.
Gonchar, playing only his third game after missing most of the season because of a shoulder injury, scored to enable the Penguins to hang on despite squandering a two-goal third-period lead.
In other NHL matches it was:
• Devils 3, Lightning 2, SO
• Stars 4, Oilers 2
• Canucks 5, Senators 2
• Blue Jackets 4, Maple Leafs 3, SO
• Blues 2, Predators 1, OT
• Coyotes 4, Thrashers 3, SO
• Hurricanes 6, Islanders 2
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and