RALEIGH Alex Ovechkin Jersey Kids , N.C. (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins are going one way in the Eastern Conference and the Carolina Hurricanes are going the other.Sidney Crosby set up three goals and Matt Murray made 38 saves as the Penguins defeated the Hurricanes 3-0 Saturday night.Jake Guentzel scored twice and Kris Letang added a goal for the Penguins, who won for the fifth time in six games. It was Murray’s second shutout in 14 starts this season.“The last little stretch here, we’ve been playing really, really well,” Murray said. “The last 10 games or so, I would say our team has been trending in the right direction and getting better and better. We definitely wanted this one to end it on a good note.”The Penguins will get four days off before they have to get back on the ice for another game. After six games in nine days, it’s a welcome break.“We’ve played a lot of hockey in a short period of time,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “These guys they continue to play hard night in and night out. I couldn’t more happy for them. They deserve it.”Crosby, who has nine points in the past five games, has helped pick the Penguins up in the Eastern Conference standings. The Penguins had lost nine of 10 before catching fire near the end of November. They are 11-4-2 since Nov. 21, when they were in last place in the conference. With 42 points Braden Holtby Jersey , the Penguins are in eighth-place in the Eastern Conference after Saturday’s win.Crosby wrestled with the value of taking some time off with wanting to keep the momentum going.“A break is good in a way, you get some rest and you get to recharge,” Crosby said. “When you’re going like this, you want to keep going.”The Hurricanes lost for the fifth time in six games.Crosby set up behind the Carolina net and fed Letang for Pittsburgh’s first goal at 8:41 in the first period.The second goal, just 3 minutes into the second period, was nearly identical. This time Crosby found Guentzel in front of Carolina goalie Curtis McElhinney for the score.Crosby set up Guentzel for his second goal with 50.3 seconds left in the second period. Guentzel was alone in front of McElhinney and netted his 15th goal of the season.The Hurricanes, with 33 points, are two points out of last place in the conference.Carolina winger Warren Foegele had two breakaway chances in the first period, but Murray stopped both.The only goal that initially appeared to get by Murray came with 2 minutes left in the first. Dougie Hamilton’s slap shot from the right point sailed past Murray’s right shoulder and hit the inside of the crossbar. It was ruled a goal and then overturned.The Hurricanes fell to 2-6-1 in December and have one win in five home games this month. The players had a long meeting after the 4-1 home loss to Detroit on Thursday night. They talked about resiliency and mental toughness.Carolina was shutout for the third time this season and first time at home.“Defensively, as a unit we’re working pretty well,” Crosby said. “It takes time to do that but it takes a lot of effort Youth Christian Djoos Jersey , too. I thought we did a good job, especially the last week or two, of just focusing on taking care of our own end.”NOTES: For the first time since moving to North Carolina in 1997, the Hurricanes will wear the old Hartford Whalers uniforms on Sunday in their home game with the Boston Bruins. Carolina owner Tom Dundon, who bought the team last January, has embraced the marketing opportunities with the popular green-and-blue Whalers logo. … The attendance of 16,264 featured plenty of Penguins fans in black and gold. … Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan improved to 10-3-1 against the Hurricanes during his four-year tenure with the Penguins.UP NEXTPenguins: Get a four-day break before hosting Detroit on Dec. 27.Hurricanes: Host Boston on Sunday. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ryan O’Reilly believes good things are ahead for the rested and focused St. Louis Blues.Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists, and the Blues beat the slumping Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 on Saturday night.O’Reilly added a goal and an assist, Oskar Sundqvist also scored and Brayden Schenn had three assists for St. Louis, playing its first game in 10 days due to the All-Star game and the team’s bye week.“Coming off the break we had the mentality to be heavy and play a simple game http://www.officialcapitals.com/authentic-adidas-andre-burakovsky-jersey ,” O’Reilly said. “It wasn’t a perfect game by any means. We still had some breakdowns but guys showed up and we were ready to work.”The Blues jumped ahead 2-0 early as rookie Jordan Binnington took a shutout into the third period, finishing with 18 saves to improve to 6-1-1.Oliver Bjorkstrand and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored and Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Blue Jackets, who have dropped a season worst five in a row and cling to the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Joonas Korpisalo had 29 saves.“It can’t go like it did tonight,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said. “It’s not one particular person, it’s a team thing.”The Blues, eyeing the last Western Conference playoff spot, didn’t show any rust making crisp passes and winning most of the board battles.“You can feel it,” O’Reilly said. “We’re making our push. I believe we’re going to get in (to the playoffs). We’re just going to take it one game at a time.”They even got a bit fortunate on the first goal as Alex Pietrangelo’s long shot trickled between Korpisalo’s legs to O’Reilly for an easy tap in at 8:28 of the first. It was his team-leading 19th of the season, extending his point streak to seven games.Later in the period, the Blues pinned Columbus deep with Schenn slotting a pass to Gunnarsson, who redirected the puck for his third with 45 seconds remaining.“I felt the legs were there and we were pretty dialed in http://www.officialcapitals.com/authentic-adidas-evgeny-kuznetsov-jersey ,” St. Louis interim coach Craig Berube said.Columbus cut the lead in half early in the third on a one-timer by Bjorkstrand for his ninth from Panarin in the corner. But just 31 seconds later Tarasenko made it 3-1 at 6:49 on his 18th, jamming in another puck in the crease that squeaked through Korpisalo.“Great response,” Berube said of the Tarasenko, O’Reilly and Schenn trio. “That line was really good tonight. Just getting after it right away and attacking.”Korpisalo desperately wanted a different outcome on the play.“I kind of had it but it goes through and they score,” he said. “Huge points here and it cost us the game.”Dubois got Columbus to 3-2 on a wrist shot from the left circle for his 19th with 2:37 left with Korpisalo pulled for an extra attacker. Sundqvist ended the Blue Jackets’ comeback bid, scoring into the empty net with 30 seconds remaining.NOTES: The Blues are 9-4-1 on the road since Nov. 30. … O’Reilly has three goals and seven assists in his last seven games. … Schenn and O’Reilly picked up their 200th and 300th career assists, respectively. … Tarasenko has 10 goals and nine assists in 16 games against Columbus. … The 20 shots for Columbus matched their second lowest output of the season.UP NEXTBlues: At Florida on Tuesday night.Blue Jackets: At Colorado on Tuesday night.
RALEIGH Alex Ovechkin Jersey Kids , N.C. (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins are going one way in the Eastern Conference and the Carolina Hurricanes are going the other.Sidney Crosby set up three goals and Matt Murray made 38 saves as the Penguins defeated the Hurricanes 3-0 Saturday night.Jake Guentzel scored twice and Kris Letang added a goal for the Penguins, who won for the fifth time in six games. It was Murray’s second shutout in 14 starts this season.“The last little stretch here, we’ve been playing really, really well,” Murray said. “The last 10 games or so, I would say our team has been trending in the right direction and getting better and better. We definitely wanted this one to end it on a good note.”The Penguins will get four days off before they have to get back on the ice for another game. After six games in nine days, it’s a welcome break.“We’ve played a lot of hockey in a short period of time,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “These guys they continue to play hard night in and night out. I couldn’t more happy for them. They deserve it.”Crosby, who has nine points in the past five games, has helped pick the Penguins up in the Eastern Conference standings. The Penguins had lost nine of 10 before catching fire near the end of November. They are 11-4-2 since Nov. 21, when they were in last place in the conference. With 42 points Braden Holtby Jersey , the Penguins are in eighth-place in the Eastern Conference after Saturday’s win.Crosby wrestled with the value of taking some time off with wanting to keep the momentum going.“A break is good in a way, you get some rest and you get to recharge,” Crosby said. “When you’re going like this, you want to keep going.”The Hurricanes lost for the fifth time in six games.Crosby set up behind the Carolina net and fed Letang for Pittsburgh’s first goal at 8:41 in the first period.The second goal, just 3 minutes into the second period, was nearly identical. This time Crosby found Guentzel in front of Carolina goalie Curtis McElhinney for the score.Crosby set up Guentzel for his second goal with 50.3 seconds left in the second period. Guentzel was alone in front of McElhinney and netted his 15th goal of the season.The Hurricanes, with 33 points, are two points out of last place in the conference.Carolina winger Warren Foegele had two breakaway chances in the first period, but Murray stopped both.The only goal that initially appeared to get by Murray came with 2 minutes left in the first. Dougie Hamilton’s slap shot from the right point sailed past Murray’s right shoulder and hit the inside of the crossbar. It was ruled a goal and then overturned.The Hurricanes fell to 2-6-1 in December and have one win in five home games this month. The players had a long meeting after the 4-1 home loss to Detroit on Thursday night. They talked about resiliency and mental toughness.Carolina was shutout for the third time this season and first time at home.“Defensively, as a unit we’re working pretty well,” Crosby said. “It takes time to do that but it takes a lot of effort Youth Christian Djoos Jersey , too. I thought we did a good job, especially the last week or two, of just focusing on taking care of our own end.”NOTES: For the first time since moving to North Carolina in 1997, the Hurricanes will wear the old Hartford Whalers uniforms on Sunday in their home game with the Boston Bruins. Carolina owner Tom Dundon, who bought the team last January, has embraced the marketing opportunities with the popular green-and-blue Whalers logo. … The attendance of 16,264 featured plenty of Penguins fans in black and gold. … Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan improved to 10-3-1 against the Hurricanes during his four-year tenure with the Penguins.UP NEXTPenguins: Get a four-day break before hosting Detroit on Dec. 27.Hurricanes: Host Boston on Sunday. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ryan O’Reilly believes good things are ahead for the rested and focused St. Louis Blues.Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists, and the Blues beat the slumping Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 on Saturday night.O’Reilly added a goal and an assist, Oskar Sundqvist also scored and Brayden Schenn had three assists for St. Louis, playing its first game in 10 days due to the All-Star game and the team’s bye week.“Coming off the break we had the mentality to be heavy and play a simple game http://www.officialcapitals.com/authentic-adidas-andre-burakovsky-jersey ,” O’Reilly said. “It wasn’t a perfect game by any means. We still had some breakdowns but guys showed up and we were ready to work.”The Blues jumped ahead 2-0 early as rookie Jordan Binnington took a shutout into the third period, finishing with 18 saves to improve to 6-1-1.Oliver Bjorkstrand and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored and Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Blue Jackets, who have dropped a season worst five in a row and cling to the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Joonas Korpisalo had 29 saves.“It can’t go like it did tonight,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said. “It’s not one particular person, it’s a team thing.”The Blues, eyeing the last Western Conference playoff spot, didn’t show any rust making crisp passes and winning most of the board battles.“You can feel it,” O’Reilly said. “We’re making our push. I believe we’re going to get in (to the playoffs). We’re just going to take it one game at a time.”They even got a bit fortunate on the first goal as Alex Pietrangelo’s long shot trickled between Korpisalo’s legs to O’Reilly for an easy tap in at 8:28 of the first. It was his team-leading 19th of the season, extending his point streak to seven games.Later in the period, the Blues pinned Columbus deep with Schenn slotting a pass to Gunnarsson, who redirected the puck for his third with 45 seconds remaining.“I felt the legs were there and we were pretty dialed in http://www.officialcapitals.com/authentic-adidas-evgeny-kuznetsov-jersey ,” St. Louis interim coach Craig Berube said.Columbus cut the lead in half early in the third on a one-timer by Bjorkstrand for his ninth from Panarin in the corner. But just 31 seconds later Tarasenko made it 3-1 at 6:49 on his 18th, jamming in another puck in the crease that squeaked through Korpisalo.“Great response,” Berube said of the Tarasenko, O’Reilly and Schenn trio. “That line was really good tonight. Just getting after it right away and attacking.”Korpisalo desperately wanted a different outcome on the play.“I kind of had it but it goes through and they score,” he said. “Huge points here and it cost us the game.”Dubois got Columbus to 3-2 on a wrist shot from the left circle for his 19th with 2:37 left with Korpisalo pulled for an extra attacker. Sundqvist ended the Blue Jackets’ comeback bid, scoring into the empty net with 30 seconds remaining.NOTES: The Blues are 9-4-1 on the road since Nov. 30. … O’Reilly has three goals and seven assists in his last seven games. … Schenn and O’Reilly picked up their 200th and 300th career assists, respectively. … Tarasenko has 10 goals and nine assists in 16 games against Columbus. … The 20 shots for Columbus matched their second lowest output of the season.UP NEXTBlues: At Florida on Tuesday night.Blue Jackets: At Colorado on Tuesday night.