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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Predators are back in the series. The Detroit Red Wings are searching for their lost momentum.Jason Arnott scored with 3:58 left in the final period, the second Nashville goal in nine seconds, and the Predators rallied to beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-3 Monday night and cut the first-round series deficit to 2-1.

OTTAWA – Even the courageous return of captain Daniel Alfredsson wasn’t enough for the Ottawa Senators.Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal scored 1:18 apart early in the third period Monday night and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Senators 4-1 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven, Eastern Conference quarter-final series.

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks’ failure to make this year’s playoffs has cost general manager Dave Nonis his job, the NHL team said Monday night.

Movements in the world of hockey Monday:National Hockey LeagueBUFFALO SABRES-Signed D Chris Butler.DALLAS STARS-Recalled LW Chris Connor, D Dan Jancevski, LW James Neal, RW Konstantin Pushkarev and LW Francis Wathier from Iowa (AHL).

DALLAS – The Dallas Stars opened the playoffs with a shutout on the road against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, took a 2-0 lead in Game 2 and seemed well on their way to ending their streak of post-season flops.

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Phoenix Coyotes signed Kevin Porter, winner of the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s top college hockey player, on Monday.

VOORHEES, N.J. – Danny Briere expects a different kind of reaction than the one he heard his last playoff series in Philadelphia.In that one, Briere played for the enemy Buffalo Sabres.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville Predators centre David Legwand returned to the lineup Monday night for Game 3 against the Detroit Red Wings after missing 14 straight games with a deep bone bruise on his left foot.

CALGARY – A day later, the Saddledome was still buzzing over the improbable 4-3 Calgary Flames win over the San Jose Sharks. One in which a 40-year-old back-up goaltender, who had not sniffed playoff action since 2004, stole the show to put Calgary up 2-1 in the series and swing momentum toward a club that had limped and backed into the post-season only two weeks before.

EDMONTON – Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe further solidified his defence corps Monday by signing Denis Grebeshkov to a one-year contract.The 24-year-old Russian had three goals and 15 assists in his first year with the Oilers.

VOORHEES, N.J. – Patrick Thoresen gingerly walks through the Flyers’ locker room, still needs ice to ease swelling in his groin and is unlikely to play in Game 3 of Philadelphia’s playoff series against Washington.

BOSTON – The Montreal Canadiens are having trouble finding the net in their first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins, and no one is taking it harder than top-line centre Tomas Plekanec.

NEW YORK – After two home playoff losses, the New Jersey Devils didn’t sugarcoat their predicament or try to fool anyone about the trouble they were in.

OTTAWA – A few minutes after the Pittsburgh Penguins left the ice at their pre-game skate Monday a PR man for the team announced that Sidney Crosby would have his daily news conference down the hall.

NEW YORK – Sean Avery found yet another way to annoy Martin Brodeur, and forced the NHL to change a rule in his honour.The Hall of Fame resume of the New Jersey Devils goalie doesn’t resonate with Avery, the New York Rangers forward, who has turned agitation into an art form.

WILMINGTON, Mass. – The Boston Bruins say it remains unclear whether centre Patrice Bergeron will play again this spring.Bergeron has been held out of the playoffs as a precaution because of the Grade 3 concussion he suffered in October.

Sean Avery’s front-facing, arm-waiving screen tatic employed during Game 3 against the Devils won’t be allowed to happen again after the NHL released for the following advisory on the interpretation of the league’s unsportsmanlike conduct rule:
 "An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty (Rule 75) will be interpreted and applied, effective immediately, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender’s face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play.

OTTAWA – The Ottawa Senators might have their captain back in the lineup for Game 3 on Monday night against Pittsburgh.Senators head coach Bryan Murray indicated after the pre-game skate that Daniel Alfredsson’s return was a possibility.

OTTAWA – Daniel Alfredsson made a stunning comeback to the Ottawa Senators lineup on Monday night.The Senators captain has not practised with his teammates since getting injured April 3 in Toronto but he took in the pre-game warm-up Monday night and decided he was good enough to return with his team down 2-0 in their best-of-seven, Eastern Conference quarter-final series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

OTTAWA – The presence of Daniel Alfredsson in the Ottawa Senators’ lineup Monday night couldn’t prevent another loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.