NHL roundup: Stars light the lamp three times in third period to sink Islanders

Johnston scored from the slot 4:10 into the final period on a feed from Nils Lundqvist. After scoring a career-most 45 goals last season, Johnston has goals in consecutive games after going goalless in his first seven outings.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Sunday:

PANTHERS 3 BLACKHAWKS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Lars Eller’s first goal of the season, with 2:23 left in the third period, lifted Florida to a win over Chicago.

Eller beat Spencer Knight with a high shot just inside the left post as he raced down the right wing and took advantage of a Chicago line change. Matthew Tkachuk and Sandis Vilmanis also scored for Florida, which ended a two-game losing streak.

Roman Kantserov and Ryan Greene connected for Chicago, which has dropped three straight.

Akira Schmid made 19 saves, while Knight stopped 29 shots.

The Blackhawks failed to score on seven power-play chances, including two brief 5-on-3 advantages, lowering their NHL-worst conversion rate to 8.33 per cent.

CANADIENS 2 JETS 1

WINNIPEG, Man. (AP) — Jacob Fowler made 33 saves and Montreal held off Winnipeg in the NHL Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium.

Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle scored and Cole Caufield had two assists to help Montreal improve to 6-3-2. The Canadiens opened a four-game trip Friday with a 4-1 victory over Chicago. Fowler has won his last five starts.

Isak Rosen scored for Winnipeg with 4:46 remaining at the home of the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots for the Jets (4-4-3).

The Jets became just the second Canadian team after Edmonton to host two outdoor games. The Jets also were blanked 3-0 by the Oilers in the first one, but spoiled Calgary’s 2019 outdoor game at Mosaic Stadium in Regina with a 2-1 overtime win.

It was Winnipeg’s first game since trading franchise goalie Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils on Friday. Dawson Mercer, who headlined the return from the Devils, had two shots and one blocked shot in 15:22 of ice time.

PREDATORS 6 AVALANCHE 2

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan O’Reilly had two goals and two assists, Steven Stamkos added two goals and an assist, and Nashville beat Colorado.

Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists, and Jack Drury also scored for the Predators, who had lost their previous two. Justus Annunen made 19 saves for his first victory of the season.

Artturi Lehkonen and Devon Toews scored and Scott Wedgewood made 29 saves for Colorado, losers of three of four.

Nashville converted on four of seven opportunities on the power play in the game, including both of O’Reilly’s goals. The Predators had just one opportunity with the man advantage in each of their previous three games.

Forsberg scored the game’s first goal at 4:01 of the opening period.

With the Predators on the power play, Stamkos blocked an attempted clear and the puck went to Roman Josi, who sent a pass to Forsberg, who beat Wedgewood with a wrist shot from the high slot.

Josi had three assists.

WILD 4 CANUCKS 2

VANCOUVER, B.C. (AP) — Former Vancouver captain Quinn Hughes had a goal to reach 500 NHL points and added an assist in his return to Rogers Arena in Minnesota’s victory over the Canucks.

Traded to Minnesota in December, Hughes was booed throughout the night.

He scored on a power player midway through the second period to make it 3-0, and set up Kirill Kaprizov’s NHL-leading 13th goal early in the third for a 4-0 advantage. In 13 games this season, Hughes has three goals and 13 assists.

Picked seventh overall by the Canucks in 2018, Hughes played 6 1/2 seasons in Vancouver before the blockbuster trade sent him to Minnesota. The deal saw Vancouver acquire Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, defenceman Zeev Buium and the Wild’s first-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft.

Kaprizov and Maxim Shabanov also each had a goal and assist, and Bobby Brink scored.

Calvin Pickard made 15 saves as the Wild improved to 8-3-2, following up a 5-1 victory over the Kraken in Seattle on Saturday.

Max Sasson and Brock Boeser scored for Vancouver. Leevi Merilainen stopped 30 shots.

Vancouver dropped to 2-10-1 with its 10th straight loss.

Hughes became the second-fastest American defenceman to reach 500 NHL points, achieving the feat in 520 games. Brian Leetch hit the milestone in 496 games with the New York Rangers.

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The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

NHL roundup: Stars light the lamp three times in third period to sink Islanders

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