Offline
(Sports Network) - After a wild meeting on Saturday, the Penguins and Maple Leafs will meet tonight for another encounter at Torontos Air Canada Centre. Watch the game live on TSN, beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. The Maple Leafs hosted the Penguins on Saturday and Pittsburgh halted a four- game losing streak with a 6-5 shootout win over Toronto. This marks the Penguins second straight test in Toronto, but the Maple Leafs have played since that encounter, dropping an overtime decision Sunday in Atlanta. The hero for Pittsburgh on Saturday was new addition Alex Kovalev, who paid quick dividends by scoring the only goal of the shootout, ringing the puck off the right post and into the net. Kovalev, acquired from Ottawa last Thursday, was the fourth skater in the shootout, and following his goal, Marc-Andre Fleury smothered Mikhail Grabovskis attempt to secure the extra point for the Pens. With 80 points, the Penguins are currently sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference playoff race, while Toronto is 10th and six points out of a postseason spot. Pittsburgh has won two of three against the Leafs this year and can claim victory in the season series tonight. The Pens have taken four of five overall from Toronto and have won three straight at Air Canada Centre. The Pens led Saturdays game, 3-2, after 40 minutes, but the offenses were just getting warmed up at that point. The teams combined to score five times in a span of 6:16 early in the third period and Pittsburghs Michael Rupp netted the last of those goals to tie the game at 5-5. Mark Letestu, playing for the first time since January 25, had a goal and an assist for the Penguins. He had missed the last 13 games with a knee injury. "Well leave [Toronto] with the two points, and we got them in an uncharacteristic way," said Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma. Maxime Talbot scored a short-handed goal for the Penguins, while Fleury ended with 26 saves. Kovalev, who previously played for the Pens from 1998-2003, also scored during regulation to get his second stint in Pittsburgh off to a good start. Joffrey Lupul lit the lamp twice for Toronto, while James Reimer turned aside 35 shots in the setback. "I think its just a case where the puck was just avoiding me tonight," Reimer said. "I dont know if there was any one thing where I kind of thought, Man, I didnt do that right." Toronto fell to 14-11-7 as the host after Saturdays loss, while the Pens improved their road record to 17-10-4. Reimer also started Sundays game in Atlanta, but he left in the second period with an undisclosed injury. He had stopped all 18 shots he faced before departing, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere allowed all three goals on 25 shots in the 3-2 overtime setback. Reimer, who is 10-4-3 with a 2.31 goals-against average during his rookie campaign, will get the start tonight. Ron Hainsey scored halfway through overtime to complete the Thrashers comeback win over the Maple Leafs at Philips Arena. Toronto led the game 2-0 after one period, but were never able to score after that. Nikolai Kulemin and Phil Kessel scored for the Maple Leafs in the setback. Streaking Blackhawks try to avoid getting burned by Flames (Sports Network) - Unlike the early parts of the season, the Blackhawks now look like a team ready to defend their Stanley Cup title. The Flames look like a club that could slow them down. Chicago tries to extend its longest winning streak of the season tonight and prevent Calgary from winning at the United Center for the first time in nearly three years. The Blackhawks extended their winning run to five straight games last night with a 4-2 victory over the Wild. They are also 7-1-2 in their last 10 contests and are even with the Stars and Kings for the Western Conferences last three playoff spots. Chicago is just a point back of fifth-place Calgary, but only one up on ninth-place Nashville. Captain Jonathan Toews has been the Blackhawks spark over the last month. He led all scorers in February with 21 points off six goals and 15 assists, earning the leagues Top Star honor for the month, and notched a goal and two helpers in Mondays win. Patrick Sharp added his 33rd goal of the season, tied for second most in the league, and finished with an assist, while Marian Hossa scored in his fourth straight game. Corey Crawford made 24 saves in his career-high eighth consecutive start. "We really feel were on a hot streak right now," Toews said. "Were taking it one game at a time. It doesnt matter how we get it, just matters we get the win and move on to the next one." Prior to Mondays win, Chicago acquired defenseman Chris Campoli from Ottawa for forward Ryan Potulny and a conditional second-round pick and he should be on the ice tonight. He will help to replace Jordan Hendry, who is out for the season with a torn left ACL. The Blackhawks have dropped both games in Calgary this year, but were a 4-2 winner in the lone meeting at the United Center on Dec. 5. Chicago has won nine of the past 11 meetings overall and five straight at home in this series. Calgary hasnt won in the Windy City since March 16, 2008, but comes into this game with a 5-1-1 mark over its last seven games. The Flames are coming off a sweep of a home-and-home set with the Blues, winning both games by a shutout. Miikka Kiprusoff made 27 saves in Sundays home win before turning aside 25 shots in last nights 6-0 victory, his sixth shutout of the season and 40th of his career. Jarome Iginla had two goals and an assist, while Alex Tanguay notched a goal and two helpers to give him a pair of goals and six assists over a five-game point streak. "We seemed to get some momentum with each goal, and it carried us forward as the game went on," said Iginla. "I really liked our team effort tonight." Brendan Morrison had three assists in the victory. Kiprusoff is 2-7-2 with a 3.98 goals-against average in his last 11 versus the Blackhawks and has made 17 straight starts overall. Backup Henrik Karlsson has never faced Chicago and hasnt started since Jan. 21. Crawford has split two career games versus the Flames with a 2.01 GAA. Mason Crosby Packers Jersey . 1 defence. The Lakers discovered Tuesday that the Pacers offence is becoming just as potent. Matt Flynn Packers Jersey . The Nationals also swept the three-game series, their first sweep since June 8-10, 2010 when they beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-game set. Jerry Hairston Jr. The U.S. Open winner, who had an eagle two and a double-bogey seven, is 8 under with Englishmen Gary Boyd and Simon Dyson, and Jamie Donaldson of Wales. McIlroy rued missing a four-foot putt for birdie at the 18th. B.J. Raji Packers Jersey . -- Free-agent left-hander Scott Kazmir agreed to terms on a $22 million, two-year contract with the Oakland Athletics on Monday, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said. A.J. Hawk Packers Jersey . Contract disputes lingered for days, weeks and months in the winter of 2012 and once more in summer of 2013 before the two sides finally compromised on an unhappy middle with a pair of one-year contracts.LIBERIA, Costa Rica - Canada looked to have everything under control at halftime Saturday against the European champions from Germany. After giving up two goals in three minutes in the second half, however, Canada had to settle for a 2-2 draw in their opening match of the Womens Under-17 World Cup. "We had the 2-0 lead and we gave that up, but Germany are the European Champions for a reason," said head coach Bev Priestman. "I think playing this level of opposition for all three games, I think we really need to stay focused and do the things that we do well and trust our strategy.dddddddddddd" Canada frustrated the Germans over the opening 45 minutes and went into the break up 2-0 from goals by Jessie Fleming and Marie Levasseur. Fleming gave Canada the lead three minutes into the contest and Levasseur added another in the 44th. Germany roared to life with goals in the 65th and 68th minutes by Nina Ehegoetz and Kim Fellhauer. ' ' '