Articles by Doug Stolhand

SAN ANTONIO – The Toronto Marlies hit the road and seized control in their best-of-seven American Hockey League opening-round series with San Antonio.

PITTSBURGH – If this is how it’s going to be, order up six more games.Evgeni Malkin’s power-play goal with 1:41 to go in the third period Friday night lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to an entertaining 5-4 win over New York in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal, capping a wild night that saw the visiting Rangers cough up a 3-0 lead.

QUEBEC – Jason Spezza and Eric Staal don’t want to be sitting in the stands the next time a Canadian hockey team competes at the Olympics.They were members of the taxi squad in 2006 and could only watch as Canada was beaten by Russia in the quarter-finals.

CALGARY – The Calgary Flames filed out the doors of the Pengrowth Saddledome on Friday and some of them for the last time.The backbone of the team – captain Jarome Iginla, goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff and defencemen Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr – are all under long-term contracts for the next five seasons and Kiprusoff and Phaneuf another year beyond that.

MONTREAL – Guy Carbonneau watched forward Tom Kostopoulos deck Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen with a left hook and wondered what all the fuss was about.

MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens are known for their speed and skill, but for Guy Carbonneau it’s his grinders who have been at their best in the playoffs.

DETROIT – As a rookie in 2005, Johan Franzen whizzed past Steve Yzerman on the ice.A nickname was born.Mule.The six-foot-three, 220-pound Swede showed he’s more than just big when he scored twice and had an assist to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-3 series-opening win over the Colorado Avalanche.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – John H. McConnell, a steel magnate who was the majority owner of the Columbus Blue Jackets, died Friday. He was 84.The team announced his death, but no further details were immediately released.

QUEBEC – Washington Capitals defenceman Mike Green was added to Canada’s roster for the IIHF World Hockey Championship on Friday.The 22-year-old Calgary native had 18 goals and 38 assists playing in all 82 games for Washington this season.

DETROIT – Colorado Avalanche forward Wojtek Wolski will not play in Game 2 against the Detroit Red Wings and likely will miss the rest of the second-round series because of an upper-body injury.

PITTSBURGH – Mom doesn’t like it but she better get used it. It won’t be the last time two Staal brother face off in the NHL playoffs.The next two weeks won’t be fun for Linda Staal, two of her sons, Jordan and Marc, battling it out with so much at stake.

PITTSBURGH – Penguins forward Gary Roberts will sit out Friday night’s second-round playoff game against the New York Rangers with a groin injury.

NEW YORK – New Jersey Devils centre John Madden was named a finalist for the Frank Selke Trophy for a fourth time Friday, along with Detroit Red Wings forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

MONTREAL – Police reported lots of jubilation but little confrontation as a show of force coupled with the resolve of citizens amounted to quiet night following Thursday night’s Montreal Canadiens victory.

ALBANY, N.Y. – Ryan Potulny scored in the fifth overtime, ending the longest game in American Hockey League history as the Philadelphia Phantoms beat the Albany River Rats 3-2 Thursday night.

MONTREAL – Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Stevens watched his words regarding two decisive calls by referees Don Van Massenhoven and Mike Hasenfratz in his team’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semi-final on Thursday.

Movements in the world of hockey Thursday:National Hockey LeagueLOS ANGELES KINGS-Agreed to terms with F Bud Holloway on a three-year contract.

A quick look at Thursday’s NHL games:Flyers 3 at Canadiens 4 (OT)First Period1. Philadelphia, Umberger 2 (Coburn, Hatcher) 13:152. Philadelphia, Dowd 1 (Downie, Thoresen) 16:49Penalties – None.

DETROIT – Johan Franzen scored two goals and had an assist to help Detroit build a three-goal cushion, and the Red Wings held on to beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 Thursday night in Game 1 of their second-round series.

MONTREAL – Tom Kostopoulos scored 48 seconds into overtime and the Montreal Canadiens drew first blood in their second-round series with the Philadelphia Flyers with a 4-3 win Thursday.