NHL Capsules: Miller, Zetterberg keep Detroit on a roll at home
DETROIT (AP) — Drew Miller and Henrik Zetterberg scored in the third period, and the Detroit Red Wings extended their home winning streak to 18 games with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.
The Red Wings overcame two more goals by Edmonton's Sam Gagner to move within two wins of the NHL record of 20 straight home victories, set by the Boston Bruins during the 1929-30 season and matched by Philadelphia in 1976. The Bruins also won 19 in a row in Boston during the 1970-71 season.
Johan Franzen and Cory Emmerton also scored for Detroit, but Gagner answered with a pair of goals to tie the game. He has eight goals and six assists in four games.
SABRES 6, BRUINS 0
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — With Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff nursing three broken ribs and watching from the press box, goalie Ryan Miller made 36 saves to earn his second shutout in three games in a win over Boston.
Jason Pominville scored twice, set up both times up by Ville Leino, and helped Buffalo improve to 4-0-1 in its past five. Tyler Ennis had a goal and assist, and Drew Stafford, Christian Ehrhoff and Patrick Kaleta also scored for Buffalo, 5-0-4 in its past nine home games.
The Northeast Division-leading Bruins fell to 5-6-1 in their past 12 games. Boston, which won at Washington on Sunday, hasn't won two straight victories since beating Winnipeg and Montreal on Jan. 10-12.
Bruins starter Tuukka Rask didn't last 22 minutes before being pulled after allowing three goals on 10 shots. Tim Thomas gave up three goals on 19 shots.
The Bruins had a goal disallowed midway through the first period, when referee Rob Martell ruled Rich Peverley interfered with Miller before Milan Lucic redirected in a shot from the point.
DUCKS 3, HURRICANES 2, OT
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — All-Star Corey Perry scored at 2:14 of overtime to help Anaheim beat last-place Carolina for its second straight victory.
Saku Koivu and Nick Bonino added goals, and Jonas Hiller made 31 saves for the Ducks, who have won eight of 11. Anaheim closed a four-game homestand in which it outscored opponents 34-21.
Perry tripped Jussi Jokinen as the Hurricanes left wing was taking the puck from behind the net. Carolina coach Kirk Muller began yelling from the bench, believing Perry should have been called for a penalty.
The Hurricanes, the East's worst team, blew two one-goal leads in having their two-game winning streak ended. Cam Ward lost for the first time in four career games against Anaheim. He stopped 31 shots.
Eric Staal and Tuomo Ruutu scored for the Hurricanes.
FLAMES 4, SHARKS 3
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Olli Jokinen capitalized on a turnover by Colin White to break a third-period tie with his third goal of the game, and Calgary beat San Jose.
Jokinen also assisted on Jarome Iginla's second-period goal to help Miikka Kiprusoff earn his 300th NHL win and end San Jose's five-game winning streak in the series.
Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Michal Handzus scored for the Sharks, who have lost consecutive games following a three-game winning streak.
San Jose overcame deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 before Jokinen gave the Flames the lead for good early in the third period. The winner was set up by a poor clearing attempt by White. He played the puck out from behind the net and it deflected off the boards right to Alex Tanguay, who set up Jokinen for his seventh career hat trick and first since March 14, 2009, at Toronto.
Kiprusoff made 34 saves to become the 27th NHL goalie to reach 300 wins. He did it in the same building where he got the first of his career, while playing for the Sharks in 2001.
Other NHL News
Giroux shines as MVP candidate for Flyers
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The clip has become a replayed classic. Former Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bobby Clarke was at the podium and set to announce the team's first-round pick in the 2006 NHL draft. Then he blanked.
"Philadelphia selects, from Gatineau of the Quebec Junior League," Clarke paused, looked down at some paper, then glanced off to the side for some help. "I forget."
When the chuckles died down, Clarke made the announcement: Claude Giroux.
The blooper hit No. 3 on TSN's Top 10 draft moments in all sports in a segment aired before the All-Star game fantasy draft. It's about the only time Clarke, who led the Flyers to their only two championships in 1974-75, would ever be included in the same highlight reel as Deion Sanders and Yao Ming.
It's easy to look back and laugh these days. After all, no one around the league is forgetting Giroux's name this season.
The Flyers forward has grown into a superstar and a prime contender to win both the Art Ross Trophy for league scoring champion and Hart for NHL MVP. Of course, Giroux would like to be linked with Clarke for more than a draft gaffe — he wants to share the feeling of hoisting the Stanley Cup for the orange and black.
Giroux has done his part this season to help keep the Flyers in the thick of the Eastern Conference race. He was named to the All-Star team, has 20 goals, and his 60 points place second behind Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin for the scoring lead, entering Wednesday night's games.
Flyers veteran forward Jaromir Jagr has called Giroux, "a little Mario Lemieux."
Jagr would know, about as well as any player, what it's like to play with both players. He won a pair of Stanley Cups with Lemieux in the 1990s, and has partnered this season with Giroux on a line that also includes fellow All-Star Scott Hartnell. The 24-year-old Giroux is well on his way to surpassing last season's totals in goals (25) and points (76), proving general manager Paul Holmgren's bold decision last summer to trade Mike Richards and Jeff Carter and turn the keys over to Giroux was a wise one.
Giroux has only been slowed down this season by a concussion that forced him out of a few games and a two-week dry stretch in January that has him looking up in the points race.
With the Flyers four points behind the New York Rangers (they play Saturday) in the Eastern Conference race, Giroux has more pressing matters than focusing on the scoring title. But if more points mean more wins, Giroux is ready to become a bit more selfish and shoot more.
"If I'm scoring points, that means I'm helping the team win. So, obviously I want to do that," he said. "It would be cool to win it. But I never want to go out of my way to win a scoring title. If it's there, it's there. But I'm not too worried about it."
Clarke (1973, 1975, 1976) and Eric Lindros (1995) are the only Flyers to ever earn MVP honors. Giroux finds himself in the mix this season with Malkin, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, Toronto's Phil Kessel, Chicago's Jonathan Toews and Vancouver's Sedin brothers, Henrik and Daniel.
Giroux was recently named 2011 Pro Athlete of the Year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association.
Not quite the MVP. But not too bad in a city full of sports stars.
"He wants to score, he wants to get points," Hartnell said. "When he's going, our team is at its best. He's probably our biggest catalyst on our team. He loves life, he loves having laughs, he loves being around the boys. That's what you want in a young superstar. I'm not even sure if he knows how good he is."
He had two goals and five points in three games before the Flyers lost, 1-0, in a shootout to the New York Islanders on Tuesday. He's been counted on even more lately to handle the scoring load. Danny Briere returned against the Islanders after missing six games with a concussion, but James van Riemsdyk sat out for the 11th straight game.
He does more than score, though.
Giroux wins more than 50 percent of his faceoffs, leads the Flyers on the power play and isn't afraid to block shots.
Briere hasn't been surprised at Giroux's ascension into the league's elite.
"You could see it. It was just a matter of time," he said. "The thing that impressed me most about him is not his skill level anymore. We've seen it now for three years, four years. It's how hard he competes on every shift. That shows on the rest of the team as well."
When Holmgren suggested Briere take Giroux under his wing last season, he invited Giroux to live with him and his young boys. If the Art Ross included points for neatness and keeping up with chores, Giroux would win in a landslide.
"The kids were sad when he left this year," Briere said. "He was there with us for a year. It was like a tough breakup."
He's popular with the fans, too. In his first day on Twitter, Giroux gained more than 50,000 followers on (at)28CGiroux.
They love him in Philadelphia.
And they'll never, ever, forget his name again.
-- Dan Gelston
AP source: Wings vs. Leafs in 2013 Winter Classic
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A person familiar with the NHL's plan said the Detroit Red Wings will play the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 Winter Classic.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity on Wednesday because the league isn't expected to announce the matchup until Thursday.
Earlier Wednesday, the University of Michigan Board of Regents authorized the athletic department to seek a contract with the NHL that would allow the league to hold next year's showcase at Michigan Stadium. The NHL has offered to pay up to $3 million for a license to use the iconic college football stadium, according to the recommendation approved by the board.
The recommendation also said the Winter Classic would be scheduled for Jan. 1, 2013, with an alternate date of Jan. 2. A liquor license would be obtained so alcohol could be served at the event, and the NHL would bring its "advertising and other sponsorship arrangements" into the stadium.
Buffalo, Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have all hosted the Winter Classic, but a game at Michigan Stadium could draw the league's largest crowd.
"I think it's a really unique situation," Detroit's Drew Miller said after the Red Wings' 4-2 victory over Edmonton on Wednesday night.
The Wolverines and rival Michigan State attracted a Guinness World Record 104,173 people for a hockey game on Dec. 11, 2010.
This year's Winter Classic at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park drew 46,967, and the New York Rangers beat the host Flyers 3-2.
No Canadian team has participated in a Winter Classic, although there have been two outdoor Heritage Classics north of the border: Montreal at Edmonton in 2003, and Montreal at Calgary last year.
The game at Edmonton was the league's first outdoor regular-season game, although it came two years after Michigan State hosted Michigan in an outdoor hockey game at the Spartans' football stadium in front of 74,544 people.
Miller, who played at Michigan State, recalled watching his brother Ryan play in the 2001 game for the Spartans.
"I was a spectator for that one, and that was a lot of fun to be a part of," he said. "It's going to be amazing to play in front of 110,000 people, and the way they pack the people in there, it's going to be really fun."
Those teams met nearly a decade later in Ann Arbor and smashed the world attendance record. At that point, Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said the event was unlikely to become an annual tradition, but it could potentially be played in four-year cycles so future generations of Michigan players could participate.
The venerable Big House has undergone changes recently, such as the addition of permanent lights. Michigan hosted its first prime-time football game at the stadium last season, beating Notre Dame in dramatic fashion.
Although Detroit hasn't hosted the Winter Classic, the Red Wings played in it in 2009, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4 at Wrigley Field — the home of baseball's Chicago Cubs.
-- Noah Trister
Sabres' coach Ruff watches game from above the ice
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Walking slowly and stiffly, Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff made his way to the coach's box to watch his team play the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night, two days after he broke three ribs during a collision in practice.
"I'm doing OK," he told The Associated Press, with a laugh about 15 minutes before the game. "I'm vertical," he added with a smile.
Ruff was dressed in a suit, and appeared to have something wrapped underneath his shirt.
It was Ruff's first appearance at the Sabres' home arena since he was hurt during an accident late in practice on Monday. The coach had his feet taken out by defenseman Jordan Leopold, who slid into him from behind.
Ruff didn't attend practice Tuesday, and it is unclear when he can fully resume his coaching duties. Though he has consulted with coaches in person and by phone, Ruff isn't allowed behind the bench yet because of a fear he could get hit by an errant puck.
Assistant James Patrick is acting as interim coach on the bench, and Ruff joined goalie coach Jim Corsi on the press-box level.
The Sabres initially considered having Ruff watch the game from his office. By being in the coach's box, he is able to communicate with the bench through a wireless headset.
In his 14th season with the Sabres, Ruff is the teams' winningest and longest-serving coach. He last missed a game in March 2006 when he stayed home to be with his daughter, who was having surgery to remove a brain tumor.
-- John Wawrow
Prospal signs one-year extension with Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed left wing Vinny Prospal to a one-year contract extension through next season. General manager Scott Howson announced the extension Wednesday but did not release terms, citing club policy.
The 36-year-old Prospal signed with the Blue Jackets in July and has nine goals and 24 assists in 53 games with Columbus. He has the second-most points and is tied for third in goals on the Blue Jackets. Howson says the veteran player's leadership and performance have been assets.
Prospal is from the Czech Republic and has played for seven teams over more than 14 seasons in the NHL. He has 236 goals and 477 assists in 1,031 career games.
Flames D Smith signs 2-year deal for $1.55 million
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — The Calgary Flames have re-signed defenseman Derek Smith to a $1.55 million, two-year contract. The Flames announced the deal Wednesday.
Smith is currently sidelined with a high ankle sprain. He has two goals and eight assists in 32 games this season. Smith originally signed as a free agent with the Flames on July 13, 2011.
