NEW YORK — The Chicago Blackhawks built a 3-0 second-period lead and then held off the Boston Bruins 3-2 for their eighth consecutive victory Thursday. Goaltender Scott Darling, filling in for the injured Corey Crawford, finished with 32 stops as the rampant Blackhawks improved to 20-8-1. Kings 5, Senators 3 The Los Angeles Kings spoiled the head-coaching debut of Ottawa's Dave Cameron by beating the Senators. Goals by centers Anze Kopitar and Trevor Lewis 1:42 apart early in the third period broke a 2-2 tie and helped the Kings end a two-game losing run. Avalanche 4, Jets 3 (SO) Center Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist and added the deciding tally in the shootout, and the Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat the Winnipeg Jets and snap a four-game losing streak. Blues 6, Islanders 3 Left wing Alexander Steen scored his second goal of the game just over four minutes into the third period to break a 2-2 tie as the St Louis Blues beat the New York Islanders. Lightning 2, Hurricanes 1 Right-winger Nikita Kucherov scored on a shot that was kicked into the net by Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Ron Hainsey with 31 seconds remaining as the Tampa Bay Lightning escaped with a win. Blue Jackets 3, Capitals 2 (OT) Columbus battled back from a pair of one-goal deficits to send the game into overtime, where left winger Nick Foligno scored on the power play with 18.8 seconds remaining as the Blue Jackets beat the Washington Capitals. Predators 5, Coyotes 1 Nashville left-winger James Neal scored his 11th goal of the season and center Mike Fisher scored his first and the Predators sent the Arizona Coyotes to their eighth straight home loss. In other games it was: Flyers 4, Devils 1; Sabres 4, Flames 3; Sharks 2, Wild 1. Mumps spreading through NHL Once mumps invades a professional sports dressing room, it finds a fertile breeding ground and the NHL is finding that it is not easy to get rid of. Multiple players on multiple teams from coast to coast have come down with the mumps, an illness more typically associated with children. It started in Anaheim and plagued the Ducks, who had three players affected. The Minnesota Wild was next, with five victims. Tanner Glass of the New York Rangers then came down with it, and as recently as Wednesday, the New Jersey Devils had two players turn up sick. “It is certainly an outbreak that was unexpected and has caused unwanted disruption at the team level, but it is not something we have any significant control over,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said. “As long as our clubs are doing what they need to do to minimize risk of contraction, we are hopeful that the wave of cases will run their course and life will return to normal.” Millions are vaccinated at a young age, but Aberg said the immunity can wane with age and “10 to 20 percent of individuals who have been vaccinated may not have full protection.” — Agencies
