Puck Podcast

CALGARY – Fresh off winning a silver medal with Sweden at the world junior hockey championship, Calgary Flames first-round draft pick Mikael Backlund has decided to stay in North America.

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Adam Burish celebrated his birthday in style Tuesday night.Burish started a four-goal outburst in the opening period with his first score of the season, and the Chicago Blackhawks routed the Phoenix Coyotes 6-0 behind Cristobal Huet’s 22 saves.

WINNIPEG – Artem Ansimov scored a pair of power-play goals and P.A. Parenteau added three assists as the Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the Manitoba Moose 6-3 in American Hockey League action Tuesday.

TORONTO – Florida goaltender Tomas Vokoun can only hope hitting a new statistical benchmark will help earn him more starts for the Panthers.Vokoun posted his 200th career win in a 4-2 decision over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, but there hasn’t been a lot of reason to celebrate for the 32-year-old Czech goalie this season.

DETROIT – Ty Conklin made 23 saves for his eighth career shutout and Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and two assists, sending the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Wojtek Wolski scored both goals for the Colorado Avalanche in a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.It was the fifth loss in a row for the Predators.

HAMILTON – Yanick Lehoux had a goal and an assist as the Hamilton Bulldogs beat the Philadelphia Phantoms 4-2 in the American Hockey League on Tuesday.

PITTSBURGH – Evgeni Malkin set up all the goals, Petr Sykora and Sidney Crosby scored them. Marc-Andre Fleury made a series of important saves in the third period.

According to a report from Sportsnet.ca, the Kontinental League may ask its players to take a pay cut in light of falling commodity prices that have hurt the league’s financial backers.

WASHINGTON – In a statement game against a heated rival, the unusual happened as Washington Capitals red overcame Philadelphia Flyers orange – on the ice and in the stands.

TORONTO – The evening started with fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs booing former whipping boy Bryan McCabe. It wasn’t long before those taunts were turned on the home team.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Derek Roy had a goal and two assists and the Buffalo Sabres avoided blowing a three-goal lead to beat the slumping road-weary Ottawa Senators 4-2 on Tuesday night.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Sergei Samsonov scored his 200th career goal and the Carolina Hurricanes withstood a late rally to beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Tuesday night.

BOSTON – Niklas Backstrom stopped 28 shots for his second straight shutout and fifth of the season to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 1-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

TORONTO – The NHL is coming to a cellphone near you.Bell Mobility has reached an agreement with the league and the NHL Players’ Association to be the exclusive carrier of NHL content.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Forward Jason Krog of the Manitoba Moose was one of 24 players named to the Canadian roster Tuesday for this month’s American Hockey League all-star classic.

ST. LOUIS – Blues forward Paul Kariya had left hip surgery on Tuesday and will be sidelined indefinitely.Kariya had two goals and 13 points in the Blues’ first 11 games before injuring the hip Nov.

VANCOUVER, B.C. – Mats Sundin was talking more like a player than a passenger when he left practice for the Vancouver Canucks’ charter flight to Wednesday’s game in Edmonton.

TORONTO – Fresh off their championship victory, members of Canada’s junior hockey team arrived at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on Tuesday with gold medals around their necks and fans cheering their appearance.

One day after winning gold with the Canadian juniors, forward Chris DiDomenico has been traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs by the Saint John Sea Dogs.