by ldh2013 » Sat Jun 18, 2016 8:23 am
PHILADELPHIA - For the Columbus Blue Jackets, it just felt good to finally get a win. .James Wisniewski and Nick Foligno both scored two goals, and Columbus snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night.Its a big confidence booster to see us be able to do it, Foligno said. In games before, we allowed it to slip away.Ryan Johansen had four assists for the Blue Jackets, who tallied three goals on the power play and avoided a team record for consecutive losses.Weve done a great job staying positive in this locker room, understanding were all in this together, Wisniewski said.Jakub Voracek, Claude Giroux and Michael Del Zotto scored for Philadelphia, which had won three straight but hadnt played in nearly a week.We couldnt keep up, Flyers coach Craig Berube said. We looked like a step behind.Foligno broke a 2-2 tie with 10:13 left in the second period when he waited out goalie Steve Mason, while moving laterally in front, and deposited a wrist shot into a wide-open net.Wisniewski put Columbus up 4-2 just under four minutes later when he scored during a 5-on-3 advantage, beating Mason on the stick side after a rebound in front.Del Zotto brought Philadelphia within 4-3 just over a minute into the final period when he ripped a slap shot from the left circle that zoomed past Curtis McElhinneys glove side, clanked off the post and went in.But Columbus held on.Its a really good feeling, Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said. But its just one step in the right direction. We did a lot of good things tonight. Some areas we have to get better at. Enjoy it right now.McElhinney stopped 24 shots. Mason made 34 saves.We did a lot of good things, Foligno said. (McElhinney) was great and our power play was clicking. Every line was playing really well for us. Thats the way we play and the way we have our success.The game marked the return of Columbus forward Scott Hartnell, who had 326 points in seven seasons as a popular member of the Flyers before being traded during the off-season for R.J. Umberger and a draft pick.Hartnell received hearty applause during pregame introductions and got a standing ovation midway through the first period when the Flyers played a video tribute of his highlights in a Philadelphia uniform, ending with Thank You Scott Hartnell.It was really a cool minute there, Hartnell said. It felt like forever. It really touched me that they would do that for me.Columbus scored two of the three goals in the first period, all of which came on the power play.Wisniewskis slap shot from the point got through traffic and past Mason to give the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead with 11:37 remaining.Girouxs one-timer from the top of the left circle went off Columbus defenceman Dalton Prout and through McElhinneys legs to tie it with 7:02 left.Foligno scored the go-ahead goal with 2:50 remaining when Tim Erixons pass found him wide open at the right post for an easy tap-in.NOTES: Voracek, who also had an assist, tied a career-high with a point in his ninth straight game. ... McElhinney made his sixth straight start in place of Sergei Bobrovsky (finger). ... Philadelphia had won five straight at home. ... Columbus C Artem Anisimov (concussion) missed his seventh straight game. ... Blue Jackets D Jack Johnson returned after serving a three-game suspension for an illegal hit. ... Columbus D Fedor Tyutin (lower body) was injured in the third period and didnt return. He will be evaluated further on Saturday, Richards said. . -- Despite being only two games above . . This week, they discuss the American support of the World Cup, the passivity of NHL GMs, the clubhouse issues of Bryce Harper, and the career of the retired Alex Kovalev. . The Rockets were even more surprised that he achieved the feat coming off the bench. Lin tallied 15 points, a career-high 11 rebounds and 10 assists and James Harden returned from injury to score 28 points to help the Rockets to their third straight victory, 106-92.SUNRISE, Fla. -- Mike Cammalleri seems to be in the middle of most of the Calgary Flames victories lately. Cammalleri scored the tiebreaking goal in the second period and the Flames beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 Friday night. Cammalleri has scored the game winning goal in six of the Flames last seven victories. Cammalleri broke a 1-1 tie at 6:09 of the second. Jiri Hudler brought the puck from behind the net and passed across to Cammalleri in front. His wrist shot that found the net for his team-leading 26th goal and 500th NHL point. "Its special to reach certain benchmarks like that," Cammalleri said. "Whenever something like that happens, it gives you a second to reflect and appreciate what we get to do and all the people that have helped you. But I?think my best hockey is ahead of me, so I look forward to many more." Kenny Agostino also scored for Calgary and Joey MacDonald stopped 34 shots. Vincent Trocheck scored for the Panthers, and Roberto Luongo made 15 saves. Luongo started his first game since March 27th against Carolina when he left after the first period following a collision with the Hurricanes Radek Dvorak. Luongo sustained a mild concussion and missed three games. "A win would have been nice but I thought the effort was there, the boys played really hard, we carried the play most of the night. Youve got to give their goalie credit, he played well and made some big saves," Luongo said. "We just couldnt get that equalizer." The Flames won their second straight and fifth in their last eight. They picked up their pace in the second period, then withstood a 17-shot barrage by Florida in the period. "We promised our fans and we even promised ourseelves that we would play the games to win until the final second of the regular season, and I just felt in the first period we were going through the motions," Flames coach Bob Hartley said. . "Thats not the identity, thats not the culture that we want to create. So I?just thought that it was unacceptable and I?politely let them know." The Panthers have lost five straight and eight of nine. All of the scoring took place in about 4 1/2 minutes of the second period. Calgary took just six shots in the period but scored twice. The Flames took a 1-0 lead on Agostinos wrist shot from the left circle that got past Luongo at 1:34. It was Agostinos first NHL goal, and came in his fifth game. He was acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh for Jarome Iginla on March 27. "It was kind of a broken play and the puck just came to me," Agostino said. "Unforgettable feeling when it went in." The Panthers tied it less than a minute later on a power-play goal by Trocheck. MacDonald blocked a shot by Jimmy Hayes but the puck bounced out into the slot. Trocheck was there for the rebound and beat MacDonald on the stick side at 2:21 for his 4th goal since being recalled from AHL San Antonio on March 5th. "Hayes had a nice shot, low pad, the rebound just bounced out into the slot," Trocheck said. "Luckily I was right there and put it home." NOTES: Luongo celebrated his 35th birthday by playing in his 800th NHL game. ... Panthers F Brandon Pirri has 10 points in the last 14 games. ... Panthers F Brad Boyes missed the game with a sore back. ... Cammalleri has 19 points in his last 14 games. ... Hudler leads the Flames with 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists) in 71 games. ' ' '