The NHL-leading San Jose Sharks recovered from rare consecutive losses by edging the New York Rangers 3-2 after a frantic finish on Saturday.
New York dominated the third period and repeatedly came agonizingly close to the tying goal, but San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov made 17 saves in the period to keep the Sharks unbeaten in regulation time in 19 home games this season.
New York, which hadn’t lost in its previous six meetings with the Sharks, saw their lead atop the Atlantic Division cut to four points.
PHOTO: AP
BRUINS 4, HURRICANES 2
In Boston, a win over Carolina gave Boston its 13th straight home game win.
David Krejci and Shawn Thornton scored third-period goals for the Bruins, who are on the club’s longest home winning streak in 32 years.
Phil Kessel was credited with an assist to stretch his point streak to 17 games, the longest run for a Bruins player since 1997 to 1998. Kessel is tied Ray Bourque (1984-1985) for the fifth-longest streak in club history.
FLYERS 7, CAPITALS 1
In Philadelphia, Washington’s five-game winning streak came to a sudden halt at the hands of Philadelphia.
Scott Hartnell scored three goals, Jeff Carter added a pair, and Antero Niittymaki stopped a season-high 47 shots for the Flyers.
Hartnell notched his fifth career hat trick by scoring three times in the third period. Carter, who added two assists, has 24 goals — tying him for the NHL lead.
The Flyers are unbeaten in regulation in their past 11 home games.
BLACKHAWKS 3, CANUCKS 1
In Vancouver, British Columbia, Chicago downed Vancouver to notch a seventh successive win.
Cristobal Huet made 30 saves for the Blackhawks, who are on their longest winning streak since 1980-1981.
Huet has allowed just three goals in winning his past four starts.
RED WINGS 6, KINGS 4
In Detroit, Dan Cleary scored with 1:34 left to break a tie and lift Detroit over Los Angeles.
Pavel Datsyuk and Jiri Hudler both had a goal and an assist, and Andreas Lilja, Mikael Samuelsson and Kris Draper added goals for the Red Wings.
In other games, it was:
• Canadiens 4, Sabres 3, OT
• Maple Leafs 7, Penguins 3
• Coyotes 2, Blue Jackets 0
• Blues 4, Wild 2
• Senators 5, Stars 4, OT
• Predators 1, Islanders 0
• Thrashers 4, Lightning 3
BUMRAH WATCH: Captain Jasprit Bumrah left the SCG for scans for back spasms and although he returned to the ground, there was no word on if he would play Rishabh Pant’s blistering counterattack yesterday capped a chaotic second day of the fifth and final Test between Australia and India, with 15 wickets falling and the star bowler of the series leaving the Sydney Cricket Ground with an ambulance escort. Yet the Border-Gavaskar trophy still remains very much in the balance as India reached 141-6, holding a 145-run lead over Australia with three days remaining. “Low-scoring games like this, it just heightens the pressure within it, so long way still to go,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’s gonna be plenty of cricket, so we’ll see what happens.” Australia were bowled out for
Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan yesterday dumped defending champions Germany out of the United Cup with world No. 2 Alexander Zverev sidelined by an arm injury barely a week away from the Australian Open. The upset in Perth sent the Kazakhs into the semi-finals of the 18-nation tournament. In Sydney, women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek led Poland into the last eight by winning a rematch of her 2023 French Open final against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Britain also progressed to the quarter-finals with Katie Boulter’s dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki enough to guarantee they won their group. The US and
HAT-TRICK PREP: World No. 1 Sabalenka clinched her first win of the season, as she aims to become the first woman in 20 years to win three Australian Opens in succession Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini and Taylor Fritz yesterday all clocked impressive wins as tennis powerhouses Italy and the US surged into the quarter-finals of the mixed-team United Cup. World No. 3 Gauff swept past Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-2 to avenge a loss at the Paris Olympics, while Fritz took care of Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2 in searing Perth heat. That was enough to put the Americans — last year’s winners — into a last-eight clash with China today, while Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan today are to meet defending champions Germany, led by Alexander Zverev, in the other Perth quarter-final. In Sydney, the in-form
Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek yesterday beat Elena Rybakina in straight sets to take Poland into the final of the mixed-teams United Cup with victory over Kazakhstan. Last year’s runners-up face the US today for the title in Sydney after they beat the Czech Republic in the other semi-final. “This win makes me really proud,” Swiatek said after seeing off Rybakina 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to give Poland an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie. It was a statement of intent from the world number two with the first major of the year to start on Jan. 12. “It is perfect preparation for the
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