Saturday in the NHL | Nick Schmaltz gets 7 points in Coyotes win

Nick Schmaltz had two goals and five assists to set a new team record with seven points in the Arizona Coyotes’ 8-5 win over the Ottawa Senators.

Schmaltz set up the Coyotes’ four straight third-period goals to put them back in front. Carson Keller scored twice, including the one that tied the game 5-5. Lawson Crouse followed with the winning goal on the power play.

Playing his second career game, Coyotes rookie Matias Maccelli scored his first NHL goal to make it 4-0 midway through the second period. But then the Senators got going and Parker Kelly scored twice in a five-goal streak in just over six minutes between the end of the second and the start of the third period.

The Coyotes, who beat the NHL’s top team the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, have now won four of their last six games and are on their best streak of the season.

Shayne Gostisbehere and Dyson Mayo added to the Coyotes lead in the third period. Gostisbehere finished the game with three assists and Keller had two.

Josh Norris, Alex Formenton and Nick Paul blackened the scoresheet for the Sens side who suffered a fourth straight loss.

Jack Magruder, Associated Press

Canucks edge Leafs 6-4

Alex Chiasson scored the game-winning goal and Thatcher Demko stopped 34 shots as the Vancouver Canucks rallied from a one-goal deficit in the third period to upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4 on Saturday night.

JT Miller, Brock Boeser, Travis Hamonic and Tanner Pearson had a goal and an assist apiece for the Canucks (28-23-6). Tyler Motte completed the scoring in an empty net and Bo Horvat contributed to the offensive production with two assists.

Auston Matthews replied for the Leafs (35-16-4) with his 38^and and 39^and goals of the season to reclaim the NHL’s top scoring ranking. John Tavares, with a goal and an assist, and Nick Robertson also found the back of the net for the Leafs. Jack Campbell took the loss with 23 saves.

This loss will perhaps have a bittersweet flavor for forward Wayne Simmonds, who was playing his 1000th career game in the National Hockey League.

The Maple Leafs led 4-3 after two periods, but the Canucks came out strong in the third period. They leveled the mark from the 63^and second when Pearson deflected a pitch past Campbell.

The Canucks in turn took the lead at 6:55 when Mitch Marner lost his stick in the defensive zone. Horvat then sent the puck in front of the net and Marner tried to kick it with his skate, but it was instead on the blade of Chiasson’s stick that the disc ended up and he hastened to send it to the bottom of the net.

The Leafs’ formidable power play had a chance to tie the game in the period on a penalty awarded to defenseman Luke Schenn, but Demko rose at the right time, especially on a scoring chance from William Nylander .

Then, Demko closed the door on Matthews with three minutes left in the game before doing the blow again to Marner when the Leafs had removed their goaltender in favor of a sixth skater.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

Bruins beat Blue Jackets in playoff

David Pastrnak was the lone shootout scorer as the Boston Bruins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 on Saturday.

After Pastrnak hit the target, Jeremy Swayman confirmed the win by stopping Jakub Voracek.

This same Voracek had created the deadlock at 19:57 in the third period during a power play, with a slapshot from the top of the slot.

Patrice Bergeron, Jake DeBrusk, Erik Haula and Craig Smith were the other scorers for the Bruins, who earned a seventh victory in eight games.

Swayman made 20 saves.

Gustav Nyquist, Vladislav Gavrikov and Zach Werenski scored the other goals for the Blue Jackets, winning just once in five games.

Elvis Merzlikins stopped 28 shots.

The Canadian Press

Predators crush Sharks 8-0

Juuse Saros made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as Matt Duchene scored twice in an 8-0 Nashville Predators win over the San Jose Sharks.

Matt Luff and Michael McCarron also had two goals apiece for the Preds. Yakov Trenin and Mikael Granlund completed the scoring while Roman Josi added four assists to his collection. It’s just the third win in nine games for the Tennessee side.

The Sharks conceded a 10^and loss in 12 games by being unable to offer any offensive support to their goaltender Alex Stalock who was playing his first NHL game in nearly 19 months. Stalock stopped 22 shots before giving way to Zach Sawchenko as the score was 6-0.

The 8-0 score tied the game for the Sharks’ worst shutout loss at home. The previous beating of such magnitude came against the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins on December 5, 1991, in the very first season in Sharks history. Mario Lemieux had six points and Kevins Stevens had a hat trick.

Goaltender Stalock was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers earlier this week due to an injury suffered by James Reimer who joined his assistant Adin Hill on the injured list.

Drafted by the Sharks in 2005, Stalock was solid in the opening moments of his first NHL start since Aug. 7, 2020. He was with the Minnesota Wild at the time. He didn’t stand a chance, however, when Philip Tomasino set up a one-timer from McCarron for the game’s first goal.

Duchene added a second late in the first period on a leaping shot from the point.

Saros was less busy, but still had to stand out a few times against Ryan Dzingel in the first half, then ahead of Timo Meier, Rudolfs Balcers and Tomas Hertl in the second half.

Josh Dubow, Associated Press