Month: April 2009

CHICAGO – Nikolai Khabibulin made 25 saves, and Jonathan Toews’ scored his team-leading 32nd goal as the Chicago Blackhawks clinched their first playoff berth in seven years by beating the Nashville Predators 3-1 on Friday night

HAMILTON, Ont. – David Desharnais scored a hat trick as the Hamilton Bulldogs overcame the Grand Rapids Griffins 6-3 in AHL action Friday.Tied at three in the third period, the Bulldogs scored three unanswered goals in the final five minutes for the win

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Wild finally figured out Miikka Kiprusoff with three goals on 10 shots in the first period for a 4-0 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday night that kept their slim playoff chances alive

SUNRISE, Fla. – Rich Peverley scored his second goal of the game in the third period to break a tie and lift the Atlanta Thrashers to a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Friday night

NEWARK, N.J. – Martin Brodeur made seven saves in a rare relief role, and Zach Parise scored in overtime as the New Jersey Devils snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night

WASHINGTON – The Washington Capitals clinched their second consecutive Southeast Division title despite losing 5-4 to the Buffalo Sabres on Jason Pominville’s breakaway goal 1:51 into overtime Friday night

PHILADELPHIA – Jeff Carter scored three goals, Danny Briere had a goal and three assists, and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 8-5 on Friday night

NEWARK, N.J. – The night off for New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur lasted less than 21 minutes.Brodeur, the Devils’ workhorse, was scheduled to have a quiet night Friday after being honoured in a pre-game ceremony for setting the NHL record for regular-season wins

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Johnny Boychuk of the Providence Bruins was named the winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the American Hockey League’s outstanding defenceman Friday

TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier underwent successful wrist surgery Friday.The arthroscopic procedure was done at the Philadelphia Hand Centre to repair damaged cartilage in his right wrist, the NHL team said Friday

BOSTON – Goaltender Tim Thomas has finally struck it rich with the Boston Bruins.He has signed a US$20-million, four-year contract extension with the NHL club

OTTAWA – Daniel Alfredsson was just a rookie the last time the Ottawa Senators missed the playoffs. With the exception of the lockout year, longtime teammate Chris Phillips has never endured a spring without a post-season game to look forward to

TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have landed another coveted college free agent.University of Denver centre Tyler Bozak signed a two-year deal with the NHL team on Friday

Ak Bars Kazan rallied from an early three goal deficit to upend Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 4-3 in overtime Friday to level the best-of-seven KHL Gagarin Cup final at one game apiece

EDMONTON – With a five-word text message, Edmonton Oilers’ owner Darryl Katz took the heat off embattled coach Craig MacTavish Thursday and put it directly on his players

SAN ANTONIO, Tex. – The last Staal brother is headed for professional hockey.Jared Staal signed an amateur tryout contract with the American Hockey League’s San Antonio Rampage on Friday

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Columbus Blue Jackets activated left-winger Jason Chimera off injured reserve Friday.The move came less than a month after he underwent surgery to repair a groin injury

Ron Wilson is headed back to the Olympics with the U.S. men’s hockey team.A source tells The Canadian Press that USA Hockey will name Wilson its coach for the 2010 Vancouver Games on Monday

According to a report by the Boston Globe, Tim Thomas has signed a new deal with the Bruins that will keep him in Boston for at least the next three seasons

THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Vancouver Canuck Taylor Pyatt is on his way home to Thunder Bay, Ont., after his fiancee was killed in a car accident.

Carly Bragnalo was killed yesterday in a crash in Jamaica where she was on holidays