Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.Red Wings 5, Kings 2: Four Stanley Cups, six Norris Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy, 10 All-Star games, and now ... 1,000 career points. With his assist on Henrik Zetterberg's goal at the 3:24 mark of the third period (his second assist of the game), Nicklas Lidstrom recorded the 1,000th point of his remarkable career, joining fellow rearguards Paul Coffey, Ray Bourque, Al MacInnis, Phil Housley, Brian Leetch, Larry Murphy, and Denis Potvin as the only defensemen to reach such a mark. As for the rest of the Wings, they pulled out a 5-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings, and did so in shorthanded fashion, playing without the services of not only injured forward Johan Franzen, but also Pavel Datsyuk.
After the jump: Video of Lidstrom's milestone, Ovechkin scores two, and more
Capitals 4, Sharks 1: Alex Ovechkin entered Thursday's game riding a three-game goal-less streak, which seems like an eternity for him. It goes without saying that he was probably due for a goal or two, and, hark, that's exactly what he provided in a 4-1 win against San Jose, while also recording 13 of Washington's 36 shots on goal. Alexander Semin and Matt Bradley also filled the net for Washington, while Semyon Varlamov stopped 15 shots. Varlamov took over for Jose Theodore when he left with an injury following the first period.
Avalanche 3, Canadiens 2: After a five-game road trip to open the season, the Montreal Canadiens finally had their home opener on Thursday night and the surprising Colorado Avalanche managed to crash the party with a 3-2 win. The Avs received goals from Milan Hejduk, Kyle Cumiskey and Ryan O'Reilly, while Craig Anderson continued to shine by stopping 29 of 31 shots. Despite a rare 7-on-5 power play to close out the game, Montreal's final push came up just short.
Thursday's Other Games
Hats off to Milan Michalek for his hat trick in Ottawa's 7-1 win over Tampa Bay. [Box Score, Recap]
Chicago improves to 5-1-1 with its win in Nashville. [Box Score, Recap]
Phoenix beats St. Louis in overtime. [Box Score, Recap]
Loose Pucks
-- Vancouver Canucks forward Pavol Demitra is dealing with shoulder tendinitis. [Nucks Misconduct]
-- The Phoenix Coyotes sent 2008 first-round pick Mikkel Boedker to San Antonio of the AHL. [Arizona Republic]
-- Don't look now, but Marc-Andre Fleury is 6-0. [Pensburgh]
Video Of The Day
Nice work, Mr. Lidstrom.
Friday's Key Games
Islanders vs. Sabres: The Islanders haven't won in four games, and all four have been decided by one goal, including three overtime decisions. They travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres who have yet to lose in regulation.
Flyers vs. Panthers: Florida hasn't won since its season-opening win against Chicago in Finland. The Panthers have another tough game on Friday when they host The Broad Street Bullies.
Canucks vs. Flames: After opening with three straight losses, the Canucks have won two in a row. The Flames, after opening with four straight wins, have now lost three in a row. The two teams meet Friday in Calgary.
