Semyon Varlamov stopped 37 shots for his 100th NHL win and Brad Malone scored his first goal of the season, helping the Colorado Avalanche hold off the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Wednesday.
Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly added goals as the Avalanche took four of five from the Blackhawks in the season series. They also moved a point ahead of the defending Stanley Cup champions for second place in the Central Division.
Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad scored for Chicago. Antti Raanta made 26 saves filling in for Corey Crawford. It was the first time Raanta has been in net since Jan. 28.
Photo: AFP
With a goal and an assist, Duchene extended his points streak to a career-best nine games.
Varlamov became the fourth Russian-born goaltender to record 100 wins, joining Evgeni Nabokov (347), Nikolai Khabibulin (333) and Ilya Bryzgalov (213). This also was Varlamov’s 33rd win, second-most in the league behind Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury (34).
BRUINS 4, CANADIENS 1
In Montreal, Carl Soderberg, Patrice Bergeron and Milan Lucic scored in the second period as Boston beat Montreal for their sixth straight victory.
Tuukka Rask made 35 saves, and Zdeno Chara also scored for Boston. The Bruins improved to 43-17-5 and pulled within a point of idle Pittsburgh for the Eastern Conference lead. They are 9-1-2 in their past 12 games.
David Desharnais scored for Montreal. The Canadiens have lost three in a row and are 3-4-1 without injured No. 1 goalie Carey Price since the Olympic break.
FLAMES 7, DUCKS 2
In Calgary, Alberta, Mikael Backlund scored twice and added an assist to help Calgary rout Anaheim.
Backlund set up Mike Cammalleri in the slot for a power-play goal at 11 minutes, 28 seconds of the first that chased Ducks starter Jonas Hiller, then beat Frederik Andersen two minutes later to make it 4-0.
Backlund added his second of the night 1:31 into the second period, this time shorthanded. Firing a wrist shot past Andersen as he broke in alone off the wing, it was the Flames’ second short-handed goal of the night and NHL-leading 11th of the season. Backlund has four of them, tying him for top spot with Boston’s Brad Marchand and Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson.
Mark Giordano, T.J. Galiardi, Ladislav Smid and Corban Knight with his first NHL goal also scored for Calgary. Andrew Cogliano and Nick Bonino scored for Anaheim. The Pacific Division-leading Ducks are 0-2-0 in their past four games.
CANUCKS 3, JETS 2, SO
In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Chris Higgins had the only goal in the shootout as Vancouver beat Winnipeg, rebounding from a third-period collapse in their last game.
The Canucks, 2-4-1 in their past seven games, allowed seven goals in the third period in a 7-4 home loss to the New York Islanders on Monday night.
Alexandre Burrows, with the first and second goals of his injury-marred season, tied it 2 at 11:17 of the third period. Andrew Ladd and Michael Frolik scored for Winnipeg. The Jets have lost five straight.
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