(Sports Network) - Marek Zidlicky netted the game-winning shootout tally and Niklas Backstrom made 24 saves while halting each of Pittsburgh's three shootout attempts as the Minnesota Wild topped the Penguins, 2-1, at Mellon Arena. Mikko Koivu was credited with Minnesota's regulation goal and helped the Wild to their third straight win and fourth in their last five contests. Matt Cooke scored the lone goal for the Penguins, who had their six-game winning streak snapped and lost for the first time this month.

Final Score: Carolina 2, Montreal 1 Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - Ray Whitney's power-play goal in the third period proved to be the game-winner, and Cam Ward was strong with 28 saves, as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1, at RBC Center. Sergei Samsonov also scored for Carolina, which has won two straight following a three-game skid. The Hurricanes remain at home for two more contests in this four-game homestand which will continue on Friday against Phoenix. Robert Lang scored the only goal for Montreal, which has dropped three of its last four games. Carey Price was tremendous between the pipes with 46 saves in defeat.



Final Score: Edmonton 7, Columbus 2

Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - Dwayne Roloson made 37 saves and the Edmonton Oilers exploded with four goals in the third period in their 7-2 thumping of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Shawn Horcoff had a goal and two assists, while Andrew Cogliano, Sheldon Souray, Lubomir Visnovsky and Tom Gilbert each scored and added a helper for Edmonton, which came in having four combined goals during its recent three-game slide. Pascal Leclaire allowed all seven goals on a mere 19 shots for Columbus, which has dropped three of four. Kristin Huselius and Rick Nash each recorded a goal in the loss.



Final Score: Florida 4, Tampa Bay 3 (SO)

Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - Nathan Horton was credited with the game-winning tally in the shootout and the Florida Panthers edged instate rival Tampa Bay, 4-3, at St. Pete Times Forum. Bryan McCabe scored twice and David Booth also tallied in regulation for the Panthers, who have won three of their last four games overall. Tomas Vokoun allowed three goals on 52 shots in the win. Vokoun made 15 saves in the first period and 20 more in the second. Radim Vrbata, Steve Eminger and Evgeny Artyukhin scored for the Lightning, who have lost in a shootout in both of their first two games under interim head coach Rick Tocchet. Barry Melrose, a former coach turned hockey television personality for over a decade, returned to the bench this season but was fired on Friday after a 5-7-4 start. Mike Smith finished with 33 saves for Tampa Bay, which fell to 2-4-3 in November.



Final Score: Chicago 3, Phoenix 2 (SO)

Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp both lit the lamp in the shootout, and the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Phoenix Coyotes, 3-2. Toews was able to beat Ilya Bryzgalov through the legs in the shootout, and Sharp followed with a shot that beat the goaltender stick side. Nikolai Khabibulin saved both Phoenix attempts, including a great glove save off Peter Mueller to secure the win. Kris Versteeg and Sharp scored the goals in regulation for the Blackhawks, who snapped a three-game losing streak by starting their six-game road trip with a win. Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 36-of-38 shots for the win. Zbynek Michalek and Shane Doan both scored for the Coyotes, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit but lost their third straight game. Bryzgalov allowed two goals on 40 shots in the loss.



Final Score: Calgary 4, Colorado 1

Calgary, AB (Sports Network) - Adrian Aucoin and Rene Bourque scored while Miikka Kiprusoff made 22 saves, as the Calgary Flames defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 4-1, in the opener of a home-and-home set at Saddledome. Jarome Iginla and David Moss also scored for the inconsistent Flames, who are now 3-5 since a six-game win streak. These two teams will meet in Denver on Thursday. Peter Budaj was stellar with 47 saves for the Avalanche, who saw their three-game win streak halted. Marek Svatos scored the only goal in the loss.















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