In Anaheim, California, Steve Rucchin set up Mike Leclerc's goal 10 seconds into overtime with his third assist on Wednesday as Anaheim beat Calgary 4-3 to set an obscure NHL record.
The Ducks' last 10 victories all have been by one goal. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that breaks the mark set by the first Ottawa Senators franchise during the 1926/1927 season.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Petr Sykora scored twice in the third period for the Mighty Ducks. Patric Kjellberg also connected for Anaheim, which increased its lead over Chicago to four points for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot. Paul Kariya had two assists
Oleg Saprykin scored on his 22nd birthday for Calgary and Chris Drury recorded his 100th career goal during a power play. But the Flames remained winless in their last eight games at Anaheim (0-6-2).
Blue Jackets 1, Sharks 0
Marc Denis stopped 38 shots and rookie Rick Nash provided the only goal as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the San Jose Sharks 1-0.
It was the first time the Blue Jackets had ever won a 1-0 game.
The shutout was Denis' third of the year and seventh of his career. He faced 19 shots in the first two periods and 19 in the third as the Sharks turned up the pressure. Denis came into the game 0-4-0 against the Sharks with a 5.11 goals-against average.
San Jose, which lost its fourth successive game, had beaten the Blue Jackets in their last four meetings. Columbus tied a franchise record as it stretched its home points streak to six (4-0-2).
Senators 3, Penguins 0
In Pittsburgh, Toni Dahlman scored his first NHL goal and Patrick Lalime stopped 20 shots for his sixth shutout of the season as Ottawa defeated Pittsburgh.
Marian Hossa, the NHL's second-leading goal scorer, and Chris Neil also scored for the Senators, who moved within one point of Dallas for the league's overall points lead.
Facing his former team, Lalime was rarely tested while playing for the first time since sitting out two games with the flu. Only Toronto's Ed Belfour [seven] has more shutouts this season.
Rangers 3, Panthers 1
In Sunrise, Florida, Sandy McCarthy scored his second goal of the season late in the second period and Mike Dunham made 27 saves as New York beat Florida to snap a seven-game winless streak.
Alexei Kovalev, acquired from Pittsburgh in an eight-player trade Monday, scored an empty-net goal with 10.8 seconds remaining.
Defenseman Tom Poti also scored for the Rangers, who gave Glen Sather his first victory since he took over as coach Jan. 30, when he fired Bryan Trottier. The Rangers had been 0-2-1-1 under Sather.
Capitals 5, Thrashers 1
In Atlanta, Jaromir Jagr scored his 31st goal as Washington scored five times in the first period to thrash Atlanta.
The Capitals had five goals on their first eight shots against goalie Byron Dafoe, who was booed by the Philips Arena crowd before he was replaced by Pasi Nurminen at the start of the second period.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
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