Smith picks up shutout as Flames end 7-game losing streak vs. Oilers

After a questionable return to the lineup against the New York Islanders on Sunday, Mike Smith looked back to form as the Calgary Flames netminder was perfect in a 1-0 shutout of the Edmonton Oilers.

Smith turned away all 28 shots thrown his way as the Flames halted the Oilers seven-game winning streak in the Battle of Alberta.

It marked the first win for Smith since missing an entire month with a lower-body injury. It was also Smith's first shutout since he blanked the Arizona Coyotes back on Nov. 30.

With the win, the Flames gained slight ground in the Western Conference playoff race. The team now sits tied with the Anaheim Ducks for 80 points, two points back of the Dallas Stars for the final wild-card spot

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pateryn: Shaw in danger of more concussions with style of play

Greg Pateryn implied Tuesday night that Andrew Shaw's apparent head injury was inevitable.

Here's what the Dallas Stars defenseman said postgame, according to The Athletic's Sean Shapiro, after the Montreal Canadiens forward was injured following a hit on Pateryn in the third period.

Pateryn revealed he was no worse for wear after the collision but added that Shaw puts himself at risk of head injuries with these types of hits.

"I'm fine," he said, according to Shapiro. "But that speaks for itself, the way he plays, that's why he has four or five concussions a year."

Canadiens head coach Claude Julien didn't want to dignify Pateryn's comments with a reply.

"Comments like that don't deserve a response," he told reporters, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "They speak for themselves."

Pateryn was given a roughing minor in the aftermath for getting a couple of punches in on Shaw while he laid on the ice. Shaw needed help getting to his feet after the hit, then left the game and didn't return.

Julien also revealed postgame that Shaw had not been taken to the hospital and it wasn't clear whether he'd been concussed on the play, but he was under close evaluation, according to Engels.

Shaw has suffered multiple concussions in his career, and he opened up to Engels last fall about trying to hide the symptoms.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Predators hit 100-point plateau, move into 1st place overall with win over Jets

The Nashville Predators rode a three-goal first period to a 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

With the win, the Predators reached the 100-point mark for the sixth time in franchise history. They also passed the Tampa Bay Lightning - who fell to the Ottawa Senators 7-4 on Tuesday - to take over first place in the overall standings.

The Lightning have 100 points on the season as well, but they've played one more game than the Predators.

This marks the fewest games (69) it has taken the Predators to reach 100 points in a season, beating the mark set by the club during the 2006-07 campaign when it reached the milestone in the 73rd game.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Niemi’s stellar play restoring his value as free agency looms

Who could have seen this coming?

After a disastrous run with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and a not-much-better showing as part of the Florida Panthers, Antti Niemi has seemingly found his game since joining the Montreal Canadiens.

The veteran 'tender, and former Stanley Cup winner, has turned back the clock since arriving in Montreal, where he's posted five wins and a stellar .933 save rate through 14 appearances.

Even more impressive is that Niemi is putting together such a performance on a club that finds itself in the bottom-third of the standings.

Team Games Record SV% GAA
Penguins 3 0-3-0 .797 7.49
Panthers 2 0-1-0 .872 5.11
Canadiens 14 5-2-4 .933 2.30

Furthering his comeback story, Niemi's latest victory came Tuesday as he turned aside 36 shots to guide the Canadiens to a 4-2 win over his former club, the Dallas Stars, the same team that tossed him aside last summer. Call it a night of redemption.

Only a few months ago, all signs pointed to Niemi's NHL career being on borrowed time. But given his bounce-back with the Canadiens, that may no longer be the case, as the pending unrestricted free agent will be an intriguing option this summer for teams in search of a reliable second-stringer.

No doubt Niemi will stand out from the crowd in free agency given the crop offers realistic backup options like Jonathan Bernier, Eddie Lack, and Chad Johnson. It's the sort of competition that will have teams once again betting on Niemi when the calendar turns to July.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canadiens’ Shaw injured in big collision with Stars’ Pateryn

Andrew Shaw was forced to exit Tuesday's game following a heavy hit on Dallas Stars defenseman Greg Pateryn.

Shaw collided with Pateryn along the boards in the third period, and the Montreal Canadiens forward went to the dressing room after being helped off the ice.

Here's a slo-mo look from a different angle:

Pateryn was given a roughing minor for taking a couple of shots at Shaw while the Canadiens agitator laid on the ice after the hit.

Shaw has a history of concussions, and opened up to Sportsnet's Eric Engels last year about trying to conceal them in the past.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bruins score 5 in 3rd period to rally from 3-goal deficit vs. Hurricanes

Don't ever count out the Boston Bruins.

After falling behind 4-1 against the Carolina Hurricanes with less than 10 minutes to play in the third period, the Bruins went off for three goals in just 1:17 to tie the game at 4-4.

They weren't done there.

Four minutes later, David Pastrnak scored his second of the period, as his one-timer on the power play gave Boston a 5-4 lead. Then, with 1:34 left on the clock, Pastrnak fired a puck into the empty net to collect his first career hat trick and cap off the five-goal onslaught for a 6-4 victory.

This marks the sixth time in franchise history that the Bruins have rallied from a third-period deficit of three or more goals to win in regulation.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bruins score 5 in 3rd period to rally from 3-goal deficit vs. Hurricanes

Don't ever count out the Boston Bruins.

After falling behind 4-1 against the Carolina Hurricanes with less than 10 minutes to play in the third period, the Bruins went off for three goals in just 1:17 to tie the game at 4-4.

They weren't done there.

Four minutes later, David Pastrnak scored his second of the period, as his one-timer on the power play gave Boston a 5-4 lead. Then, with 1:34 left on the clock, Pastrnak fired a puck into the empty net to collect his first career hat trick and cap off the five-goal onslaught for a 6-4 victory.

This marks the sixth time in franchise history that the Bruins have rallied from a third-period deficit of three or more goals to win in regulation.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jets’ Stastny a late scratch vs. Predators

The Winnipeg Jets' big trade-deadline acquisition was a last-minute scratch Tuesday night ahead of a key battle with the Nashville Predators.

Paul Stastny was originally listed as part of the Jets' lineup, but was later changed to a scratch.

He left the warmup early and was replaced by Shawn Matthias, according to the Winnipeg Sun's Ken Wiebe. Matthias was activated off injured reserve earlier in the day.

Stastny has eight points in seven games for Winnipeg since being acquired from the St. Louis Blues on deadline day.

The Jets now have eight injured players, including Mark Scheifele, Jacob Trouba, and Toby Enstrom.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Weber sidelined 6 months after undergoing foot surgery

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber will be sidelined for six months after undergoing foot surgery Tuesday.

The veteran defenseman has been out for more than three months, with his last appearance coming Dec. 16. Last month, the club elected to shut down Weber for the remainder of the season.

The recovery time frame could see Weber ready to return for next year's training camp.

In his second season with the Canadiens, Weber tallied 16 points in 26 games.

The 32-year-old is signed through the 2025-26 campaign.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.