Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

NHL Short Notes

10/30/2014 at 10:18am EDT

ABDELKADER RALLIES RED WINGS PAST CAPITALS
Down 2-1 after 40 minutes, Justin Abdelkader (2-1—3) scored the tying and winning goals in the third period to lift the Red Wings to their first victory in Washington since Dec. 9, 2005 (snapping a 0-3-1 skid).

* Abdelkader recorded his seventh career game-winning goal and second this season. He also scored the overtime winner Oct. 23 vs. PIT – a game in which the Red Wings rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the final three minutes of regulation to force the extra period.

* Abdelkader posted the second three-point game of his NHL career; he registered a career-high 3-1—4 March 22, 2013 at ANA.

* Pavel Datsyuk added 1-1—2, including the primary assist on Abdelkader’s decisive tally and an insurance marker with less than one minute left in regulation. He has collected at least one point in all four of his appearances this season, totaling 2-3—5.

* Datsyuk now has 5-13—18 in 14 career games against the Capitals, including 5-7—12 in seven career visits to Verizon Center.

* Jimmy Howard made 25 saves to improve to 4-1-2 with a 1.96 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in seven appearances this season.

SMITH, PREDATORS HALT OILERS’ STREAK
Craig Smith (2-0—2) scored the opening and closing goals to lead the Predators to a victory in the first outing of their six-game, 12-day road trip.

* Smith matched a career high with two goals, accomplished six previous times (most recently April 13 at MIN).

* Roman Josi collected two helpers for his first multi-point game of the season and first multi-assist performance since March 14 at CHI (0-3—3).

* Pekka Rinne made 26 saves to improve to 6-1-1 with a 1.71 goals-against average, .936 save percentage and one shutout in eight appearances this season.

* Taylor Beck recorded the decisive marker, his first career game-winning goal and first overall tally since April 12, 2013 vs. DAL.

* The Predators snapped a three-game losing streak against the Oilers and also picked up their first win in Edmonton since Nov. 28, 2011, breaking another three-game slide.

* The Oilers suffered their first overall loss since Oct. 17, bringing an end to their four-game winning streak.

LOOSE PUCKS
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet for the fifth consecutive game, the longest regular-season point drought of his NHL career . . . Oilers forward Taylor Hall scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season, while teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins picked up an assist to extend his point streak to five games (3-2—5) . . . Predators forward Paul Gaustad (600), Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen (500), Red Wings forward Darren Helm (300) and Predators forward Colin Wilson (300) all played in milestone games . . . The Department of Player Safety suspended Rangers defenseman John Moore for five games for an illegal check to the head of Wild forward Erik Haula . . . ICYMI: NHL stars shared their favorite Halloween costumes . . . Capitals goaltenders Braden Holtby and Justin Peters donned special masks in honor of the club’s Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night. The masks, along with the special jerseys the team wore during warmups, generated more than $55,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (courtesy of the Capitals).

SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Boston @ Buffalo, 7:00 p.m., NESN, MSG-B, BELL TV (#BOSvsBUF)
Winnipeg @ New Jersey, 7:00 p.m., TSN3, MSG (#WPGvsNJD)
Los Angeles @ Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m., NHLN-US, SN360, TVA2, FS-W, ROOT (#LAKvsPIT)
Chicago @ Ottawa, 7:30 p.m., CSN-CH, TSN5, RDSI (#CHIvsOTT)
Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m., CSN-PH, SUN (#PHIvsTBL)
Arizona @ Florida, 7:30 p.m., FS-A, FS-F (#ARIvsFLA)
Anaheim @ St. Louis, 8:00 p.m., PRIME, FS-MW (#ANAvsSTL)
San Jose @ Minnesota, 8:00 p.m., CSN-CA, FS-WI, FS-N+ (#SJSvsMIN)
NY Islanders @ Colorado, 9:00 p.m., MSG+, ALT (#NYIvsCOL)
Montreal @ Vancouver, 10:00 p.m., SN360, RDS (#MTLvsVAN)
NBCSN Channel Finder
Sportsnet Channel Finder

KINGS LOOK TO EXTEND STREAK IN PITTSBURGH
The Kings, who are 6-0-2 in their last eight games, will try to extend their point streak when they visit the Penguins on a national telecast in both the U.S. and Canada (NHLN-US, SN360, TVA2). Pittsburgh has won six of the last eight contests in this head-to-head series, but the clubs split their two meetings in 2013-14 – with each winning in the other’s building. The Kings are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss Tuesday in Philadelphia, while the Penguins are 2-0-1 in their past three, including an 8-3 victory over the Devils Tuesday in which they posted seven unanswered goals. This matchup pits two of the highest scorers in the NHL: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who ranks second in the League with 7-7—14, and Kings forward Tyler Toffoli, who is tied for third with 5-8—13.

WILD TRY TO REMAIN FLAWLESS ON HOME ICE
The Wild will try to maintain their unblemished record on home ice when they face the Sharks at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota is a perfect 3-0-0 at home this season, including a pair of shutouts by Darcy Kuemper (Oct. 9 vs. COL and Oct. 23 vs. ARI), and has recorded four shutouts in its last nine contests at Xcel Energy Center dating to the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wild’s hot streak on home ice extends to their head-to-head series with the Sharks; they have won six consecutive meetings at Xcel Energy Center dating to Nov. 2, 2010, including two via a shutout. Overall, Minnesota is coming off a 4-3 victory Tuesday in Boston in which it rallied from a two-goal, third-period deficit. San Jose, meanwhile, looks to close its three-game road trip with a perfect record following wins Sunday in Anaheim and Tuesday in Colorado.

HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER AWARENESS NIGHTS
The Penguins and Senators both host their Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Nights Thursday. Click on the respective links for more details.

thanks to the NHL PR department for the above information



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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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