Allgemeine News » Philadelphia improved to 12-3-4

TAMPA Ryan Miller Jersey , Fla. (AP) — Although they trail Tampa Bay by 14 points in the standings, the Toronto Maple Leafs are having some head-to-head success against the top team in the NHL.Mitch Marner scored a go-ahead goal late in the second period, Nazem Kadri and Patrick Marleau each had a goal and an assist, and the Maple Leafs beat the Lightning 4-2 on Thursday night.“I think we embrace the challenge of playing against the best, and I think we’ve proved time and time again even though there’s tough parts to the season we compete with the best,” Kadri said. “I think that’s an important note to take out of this game.”Frederik Andersen stopped 36 shots and Zach Hyman added an empty-netter for the Maple Leafs, who had lost five of seven.“We showed we’re a pretty good hockey team when we work this hard,” Andersen said.Tampa Bay got goals from Brayden Point and Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves. Nikita Kucherov, the NHL leader with 76 points, had an assist after two straight games without a point.“We had our chances Womens Alex Goligoski Jersey , they had their chances,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We had some good looks.”The Lightning have a 14-point lead in the Atlantic Division over Toronto. Tampa Bay’s nine-game home winning streak ended.The teams are currently lined up for a potential second-round playoff series.The Maple Leafs lost the first meeting between the teams 4-1 on Dec. 13 despite outshooting Tampa Bay 49-21 and hitting the post or crossbar four times during the opening 30 minutes.The final two games of the season series are March 11 and April 4 in Toronto.Toronto took a 3-2 lead with 5:11 left in the second when Andreas Johnsson made a nifty backhand pass from behind the net to John Tavares, who sent the puck through the crease to a wide-open Marner.Marner reached 60 points in 46 team games, tied for fourth-fastest in Maple Leafs history. Only Lorne Carr (39 games, 1943-44), Darryl Sittler (40, 1977-78) and Doug Gilmour (41, 1992-93) did it quicker.The center is also the first Maple Leafs player to begin his NHL career with three consecutive 60-point seasons.Tavares finished with two assists.Both goalies made strong saves during the third. Andersen went post-to-post to stop Kucherov’s shot, and Vasilevskiy reached back near the goal line to grab Auston Matthews‘ shot that went off his glove.Andersen faced 16 shots in the third.“Excellent, especially down the stretch,” Kadri said. “We needed him. He’s been the backbone of our team.”After Marleau ended a nine-game goal drought with his 11th of the season at 13:06 of the second Christian Dvorak Jersey , Hedman pulled Tampa Bay even at 2 just 37 seconds later.Marleau has 546 goals overall, 30th on the career list. He has 695 assists.Point opened the scoring 9:48 into the game on his 30th goal during a power play. The center became the first NHL player to have at least 30 goals and 30 assists this season.“They’re a team that’s kind of built like us,” Point said. “They do a good job of taking away time and space.”Toronto tied it 1-all two minutes later on Kadri’s goal.Lightning star Steven Stamkos finished minus-two but had 10 shots on goal, six shots blocked and missed the net on two.NOTES: Toronto reached 60 points in 46 games, which tied the team record (1934-35, 1950-51 and 1961-62) for fewest games needed. … Point has 13 power-play goals. … Kadri stopped a 10-game goal drought. … Stamkos got his 350th assist on Point’s goal. He has six assists over the last five games. … Tampa Bay C Tyler Johnson left with a lower-body injury.UP NEXTMaple Leafs: Play at Florida on Friday night.Lightning: Host the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night. NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Stolarz was unbeatable during his first NHL game in six weeks.Oskar Lindblom scored early, Stolarz stopped 38 shots for his second career shutout and the Philadelphia Flyers held on to beat the New York Rangers 1-0 Tuesday night for their season-high fifth straight win.Stolarz, out since Dec. 15 while recovering from a lower-body injury, got his first shutout since Dec. 11, 2016, at Detroit in his second NHL start.“It’s good to get the win http://www.officialcoyotes.com/authentic-adidas-clayton-keller-jersey ,” the 25-year-old said. “For me to come out there and kind of just hold the fort down for the team, and they did a great job, too. I remember looking up at all the blocked shots. … A credit to the boys in front of me.”Stolarz, who missed last season rehabbing from knee surgeries, was making his eighth start this season and the 12th of his career.“It felt great coming back,” he said. “If I wasn’t ready I wouldn’t be back. … Points are at a premium now, so we are going to want to go in every night, and we’re going to have to play like it’s a playoff game if we want to get back into (the race).”The Flyers, who have won six of seven overall, have outscored opponents 20-10 during their winning streak. Philadelphia was coming off a 3-1 win at home over Winnipeg on Monday night in its first game back after an extended break for its bye and the All-Star Game.With the two wins in two days, the Flyers have pulled 10 points behind Pittsburgh for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However Youth Derek Stepan Jersey , coach Scott Gordon doesn’t want his team looking too far ahead,“We don’t have to worry about eighth place right now,” he said. “We have to worry about what’s in front of us, the closest team in front of us. … We get to a point where we can leapfrog them, then we worry about the next grouping of teams that are in front of us.”Alexandar Georgiev finished with 18 saves — including all seven Philadelphia shots he faced over the final two periods. New York, playing for the first time in 10 days, had won three straight.The Rangers pulled Georgiev for an extra skater with just under two minutes remaining, but couldn’t beat Stolarz.“It’s frustrating, obviously, when the game ends and you don’t get a goal,” New York coach David Quinn said. “There were opportunities and you have to capitalize on your chances and we didn’t do that today.”The 6-foot-6 Stolarz made 13 saves in the first period Womens Jason Demers Jersey , 12 in the second and 13 in the third.“One of his strengths (is) to get across laterally,” Gordon said. “With his size he’s getting there before a lot of goalies. … It was a tough challenge for our team (tonight) and it was a lot easier because of the effort (Stolarz) gave us.”Filip Chytil hit a goalpost from between the circles about eight minutes into the third, keeping the Rangers off the scoreboard. Stolarz then made a sprawling save in front on Brendan Smith’s shot that deflected off a Flyers player with about two minutes to go.Trailing 1-0, New York controlled play in the second period, outshooting Philadelphia 12-3.The Rangers went on their second power play of the game with just under eight minutes remaining in the period and had several good chances. Stolarz stopped a deflection by Chris Kreider from the right side, then denied Kevin Hayes and Kreider on successive tries in front 30 seconds later.The goalie also made a save on Vladislav Namestnikov’s backhand in front with 6:09 remaining, then made a sensational smothering save on Kreider seconds later.Kreider also hit a post from the left side with about 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the second.Philadelphia got on the board when Lindblom followed a flurry in front and backhanded a loose puck high for his sixth goal 1:40 into the game.“I was trying to find the puck in front of the net,” Lindblom said. “It was a nice goal to get.”NOTES: Philadelphia improved to 12-3-4 when scoring first and 17-2-2 when leading after two periods. … The Flyers have won all three meetings this season, including 4-0 at home on Nov. 23 and 3-2 in a shootout at New York on Dec. 23. The teams conclude their season series March 31 at Philadelphia. … Rangers forward Brett Howden left briefly in the first period after a hip check near the boards. Though he was back on the ice several minutes later, he did not play in the final two periods. The Rangers announced Howden sprained his knee and will be re-evaluated Wednesday. … Hayes was back in the lineup after missing nine games with an upper-body injury.UP NEXTFlyers: At Boston on Thursday night to cap a two-game road swing before a five-game homestand.Rangers: At New Jersey on Thursday night before returning for a five-game homestand.