Anderson shuts out Oilers in emotional return

LOS ANGELES — Ottawa’s Craig Anderson blanked the Edmonton Oilers 2-0 Sunday in an emotional victory for the Ottawa Senators goaltender whose wife was recently diagnosed with cancer. Anderson marked his return to the NHL club following his wife’s diagnosis by making 37 saves for his second shutout in as many starts. “We couldn’t really feel the gravity until the final whistle,” said Senators captain Erik Karlsson of Anderson. “He held a strong face but you could still see the pain in his eyes.” After returning home to Ottawa from a road trip last week to be with his wife Nicholle, Anderson flew back west Sunday when backup Andrew Hammond suffered an injury Friday in Calgary. It was a selfless move that resonated with the team. Anderson, of the US, had a stellar night for the Senators against the league’s highest scoring team at Rogers Arena in Edmonton. “It was an emotional night for us as a team,” said Ottawa forward Bobby Ryan. “Rightfully so that he should be emotional at the end, because the room was as well,” Ryan said. “The way he held it for 60 minutes and got through it speaks to his character. That was the quietest I’ve ever heard a room after a win. What Andy did tonight was pretty incredible.” New York Rangers left wing Michael Grabner had his first hat trick in more than five-and-a-half years, and goalie Antti Raanta made 31 saves in a 6-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Raanta, starting for the second time this season, lost his shutout bid with 3:24 remaining in the third period, when Lightning center Steven Stamkos scored a power-play goal. Grabner’s hat trick, his first since Feb. 11, 2011, and the third of his NHL career, highlighted a dominating night for the Rangers’ third line, which had four goals and five assists. Right wing J.T. Miller had a goal and two assists, and center Kevin Hayes had three assists. Each was plus-4. “They’re great players, have a lot of skill, so I just tried to open up some room for them,” Grabner said. “I used my speed and it worked. I thought we had a lot of chances as a line and could have had more.” Corey Crawford places team success above individual honors, but the Chicago Blackhawks goalie still savors the occasional shutout. Crawford got the chance to do that again at United Center on Sunday, when he made 32 saves in a 3-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings for his first shutout of the season and 20th of his career. “It’s nice,” Crawford said. “Every once in a while … mix [a shutout] in.” Crawford had eight saves in the first period, 11 in the second and 13 in the third against the Kings (4-5-0), who were shut out in a 1-0 loss at the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Shane Prince and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist, and Thomas Greiss made 33 saves to help the New York Islanders to a 5-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Barclays Center. Casey Cizikas, Josh Bailey and Travis Hamonic scored for the Islanders (4-5-0), who had three unanswered goals in the third period and avoided a three-game losing streak. Greiss was asked after the game if more efforts like Sunday could one day help him become the No. 1 goalie for the Islanders. He is one of three goaltenders on New York’s roster, along with Jaroslav Halakand Jean-Francois Berube. Colton Sceviour scored the first hat trick of his NHL career and had an assist to help the Florida Panthers to a 5-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. “That was exciting; I can’t even remember the last hat trick I scored,” Sceviour said. “I can’t take too much credit though. I think all three goals were shots from the blue.” The Panthers ended a three-game losing streak and are 6-1-1 in their past eight games in Detroit. Marcus Johansson scored two goals for a second straight night, and Braden Holtby made 21 saves to help the Washington Capitals to a 3-1 win against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Brett Connolly also scored for the Capitals (5-2-1), who have won two straight games after losing two in a row and are 2-1-0 on their four-game road trip. The Philadelphia Flyers have been living on the edge this season. They’re tied with the New York Rangers for most goals scored in the NHL (35), but they also have allowed the most in the League (38). After two straight one-goal losses, the Flyers found a way to win a back-and-forth game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Brandon Manning scored the game-winning goal shorthanded in the third period to lift Philadelphia to a 4-3 victory at PNC Arena. — Reuters