Thomas Vanek on Thursday night broke a tie in the second period as the Minnesota Wild beat Columbus 3-2, pushing the Blue Jackets to 0-8-0 and spoiling John Tortorella’s debut.
Columbus’ start is the worst season-opening regulation losing streak in the NHL since the New York Rangers started 0-11-0 in 1943-1944. Tortorella took over as coach on Wednesday after Todd Richards was fired.
Zach Parise tied for the league lead with his sixth goal 5 minutes, 4 seconds in.
Photo: AFP
After Alexander Wennberg and Brandon Dubinsky countered for Columbus, Nino Niederreiter tied it and Vanek scored the winner with 8 minutes, 48 seconds left in the second with his third goal of the season.
STARS 4, PENGUINS 1
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jason Spezza scored his fifth goal of the season as Dallas beat Pittsburgh for their fifth straight victory.
Johnny Oduya and John Klinberg scored their first goals of the season and Mattias Janmark got his third, helping the Stars finish a perfect four-game trip. They are 6-1-0 overall.
Antti Niemi stopped 33 shots for his third victory of the season and fourth straight against Pittsburgh. Niemi made 37 saves in a 3-0 win over the Penguins two weeks ago in Dallas, Texas.
Nick Bonino scored for Pittsburgh. The Penguins (3-4-0) had won three straight.
Evgeni Malkin’s four-game points streak ended, as did his stretch of three straight games with a goal.
The Penguins have scored 11 goals in their first seven games. They ended a five-game home stand, their longest this season, and are to play six of their next seven on the road.
BLACKHAWKS 3, PANTHERS 2
In Chicago, Patrick Kane and Brent Seabrook each had a goal and two assists as Chicago beat Florida in their first game since top defenseman Duncan Keith had surgery to his right knee.
Artem Anisimov also scored for the Stanley Cup champions, and Corey Crawford made 16 saves to improve to 5-1 in seven career starts against Florida. Keith had a meniscal tear repaired on Tuesday, sidelining the two-time Norris Trophy winner for four to six weeks.
Jaromir Jagr and Vincent Trocheck scored for Florida. The Panthers have dropped three in a row.
CAPITALS 3, CANUCKS 2
In Vancouver, Alex Ovechkin on Thursday night broke a tie with 4 minutes, 55 seconds left as the Washington Capitals beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 for their fourth straight victory.
Jay Beagle pulled Washington even at 5 minutes, 42 seconds of the third, and Ovechkin won it with his fifth goal of the season. Jason Chimera scored in the first for the Capitals, but Radim Vrbata and Henrik Sedin each had a goal and an assist in the second for Vancouver.
Washington’s Braden Holtby made 23 saves. He stopped Daniel Sedin on a two-on-one midway through the third, and made a save against Bo Horvat with less than 7 minutes left.
Washington are 5-1-0 and have beaten Chicago, Carolina and Calgary on their streak.
RANGERS 4, COYOTES 1
In New York, Henrik Lundqvist made 34 saves and Kevin Hayes broke a tie early in the third period in New York’s victory over Arizona.
Chris Kreider, former Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle and Rick Nash also scored for New York. Nash’s goal was his 700th career point. Mats Zuccarello added two assists.
Klas Dahlbeck scored for Arizona. The Coyotes have lost four in a row after opening the season 3-0.
Hayes broke a 1-1 tie at 2 minutes, 35 seconds of the third period. Goalie Mike Smith turned the puck over to J.T. Miller trying to play the puck behind the goal line. Miller found Hayes along the goal line, and the center lifted a backhander into the net.
In other results, it was:
‧ Kings 4, Sharks 1
‧ Devils 5, Senators 4, SO
‧ Predators 5, Ducks 1
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