NHL

With Lemieux watching, emotional Pens end skid

PITTSBURGH - When 40-year-old Mario Lemieux retired Tuesday, he remarked how the NHL was in good shape with so many talented young players - particularly on his team.

But the Penguins' remaining veterans aren't ready to pass the torch just yet.

On a night billed as a showdown between top rookies Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, 37-year-old Mark Recchi and 36-year-old John LeClair each had two goals to lead Pittsburgh to a 8-1 win over the Washington Capitals.

Pittsburgh used a five-goal third period to break a 10-game losing streak.

Crosby had a goal and three assists, and Ovechkin had the lone Washington goal.

"It was just the matter of taking advantage of our chances and making things happen," Crosby said. "When we move the puck good things happen. It's not like we haven't been doing that in the past. It's just that they haven't been going in."

The Penguins produced a video tribute to Lemieux and showed it on the video screen during the first media stoppage in play. Fans stood and clapped and the cheers became louder when Lemieux and his wife, Nathalie, were shown on the scoreboard from their luxury box. Then players from both teams and the officials to join in the prolonged applause.

Pittsburgh defenseman Ryan Whitney received a spearing major and a game misconduct as time expired in the second period for shoving his stick into what appeared to be Ovechkin's mid-section. Ovechkin laid on the ice for several minutes but returned for the third period.

CANADIENS 5, FLYERS 3: Jan Bulis scored a career-best four goals and Montreal snapped a seven-game road losing streak.

Montreal hadn't won away from home since beating Tampa Bay Dec. 28 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Flyers center Peter Forsberg left with a left groin strain in the second and will be evaluated today. He missed two games last week with an abdominal muscle strain that initially was called a groin strain.

HURRICANES 4, PANTHERS 3 (SO): Erik Cole and Ray Whitney scored in the shootout to lift streaking Carolina. Hurricanes forward Rod Brind'Amour forced overtime with his second-power play goal with 1:04 left in the third. Carolina, which is 11-1 in its past 12, won the shootout 2-1, clinching when goalie Martin Gerber stopped Martin Gelinas. Nathan Horton gave Florida a 3-2 lead when he scored the only goal of the second period at 10:11.

STARS 4, BLUES 3 (SO): Sergei Zubov and Jussi Jokinen scored in the shootout as host Dallas remained perfect in the league's new tiebreaker this season. Jokinen set up Dallas defenseman Philippe Boucher's goal with 46.4 seconds to play, forcing overtime. The Stars are 6-0 in shootouts.

OILERS 6, MIGHTY DUCKS 4: Visiting Edmonton scored four times in the third, including two power-play goals by defenseman Chris Pronger, to overcome a 3-2 deficit. The Oilers capitalized against frustrated Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who drew 16 minutes in penalties including a 10-minute misconduct.

SABRES MAD: Sabres center Tim Connolly will miss at least six weeks with a left knee injury that occurred after a hit by Rangers defenseman Darius Kasparaitis.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said the hit on Tuesday was a cheap shot on Connolly, who was tied for the team lead with 38 points.

"I thought it was cheap, I thought he went low at the knees," Ruff said Wednesday. "It may not be the dirtiest hit ... but he didn't have to go low. He's known for that. He's a cheap shot artist."

Kasparaitis, who wasn't penalized, had no comment, a Rangers spokesman said.

[Last modified January 26, 2006, 01:02:16]