Puck Podcast

NEW YORK – Alex Kovalev is the NHL’s first star of the week after helping the Montreal Canadiens move closer to clinching an Eastern Conference playoff berth with a 3-0-0 record

MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens will be without defencemen Andrei Markov and Mathieu Schneider for Monday’s game against the Ottawa Senators

Ron Wilson will coach the U.S. men’s hockey team at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.USA Hockey made the announcement today on a conference call. It will be the second Olympics for the Toronto Maple Leafs coach, who was also behind the bench at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano

Scoring summaries from Sunday’s NHL games:Avalanche 4 at Canucks 1 First Period1. Colorado, Galiardi 2 (Hejduk, Tucker) 7:32Penalty – H.Sedin Vcr (high-sticking) 15:02

Results Sunday:IIHF Women’s World Championship At Hameenlinna, FinlandPreliminary Round Kazakhstan 2 Switzerland 1 (SO)Russia 3 Japan 1 Sweden 6 China 1IIHF Men’s Under-18 ExhibitionAt MinneapolisCanada 6 Finland 5 (OT) Czech Republic 5 Norway 0 At Blaine, Minn

VANCOUVER, B.C. – Rookie T.J. Galiardi had his first career two-goal game as the injury-ravaged Colorado Avalanche dealt a blow to Vancouver’s hopes for home-ice advantage in the playoffs, beating the Canucks 4-1 Sunday

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Kris Versteeg beat fellow rookie star Steve Mason on a breakaway at 3:10 of overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night

SUNRISE, Fla. – Bryan McCabe and Rostislav Olesz each had a goal and an assist to lead the Florida Panthers to a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night

CALGARY – The Calgary Flames have destiny in their own hands heading into the final week of the regular season.If they can break out of their slump and string together a season-ending win streak, they’ll earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs

WASHINGTON – Tomas Fleischmann had his first multipoint game in nearly two months, and the Washington Capitals got goals from six different players to move into sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference with a 6-4 victory Sunday over the Atlanta Thrashers

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Forward Drew Stafford was in no mood Sunday to lament how difficult the Sabres have made it on themselves in a bid to make the playoffs entering the final week of the regular season

DETROIT – Marian Hossa scored with 55 seconds left to lift Detroit to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, snapping the Red Wings’ three-game losing streak

Canadiens 6 at Maple Leafs 2First Period1. Montreal, Kovalev 24 (Schneider) 6:11 (pp)2. Montreal, Latendresse 14 (Hamrlik, Lapierre) 8:53Penalties – Stajan Tor (tripping) 4:21, Dandenault Mtl (hooking) 6:42, Harrison Tor (roughing), Kubina Tor (roughing), Laraque Mtl (roughing) 18:07

LOS ANGELES – Rookie forward Brian Boyle provided the Los Angeles Kings with an answer to their goal-scoring problems.Boyle scored twice in the first period to jump start the struggling offence in a 6-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday night

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Ryan Getzlaf set up goals by Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne, and the Anaheim Ducks stayed in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race with a 5-2 victory over the NHL-leading San Jose Sharks on Saturday night

EDMONTON – Sam Gagner scored a goal and added two assists as the Edmonton Oilers kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night

WINNIPEG – Darryl Boyce’s second-period goal proved to be the winner and Justin Pogge made 34 saves as the Toronto Marlies defeated the Manitoba Moose 3-2 in AHL action on Saturday

TORONTO – Jay Harrison isn’t afraid to come to the defence of his teammates – even if it means dropping the gloves with one of the NHL’s most feared fighters

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ville Koistinen scored the only shootout goal to give the Nashville Predators a 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night