FRIDAY EYE-OPENER

San Jose’s Joe Thornton thought he had forced overtime, but replay showed otherwise and the Sharks fell to the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Thornton scored what looked to be the tying goal in the final second of regulation, however video review made clear that time had expired before the puck crossed the goal line.

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Alex Tanguay did all he could to help halt Colorado’s three-game losing streak. Tanguay scored in regulation and added the winner in a shootout to lift the Avalanche to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Reto Berra had 33 saves through overtime in his first start in six games.

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Around the league, Edmonton let a 2-1 lead slip as they fell 5-2 to the Bruins in Boston, the Calgary Flames dropped a 5-2 decision to the Lightning in Tampa Bay, Ottawa got a solid performance from Craig Anderson in a 3-0 shutout over the Minnesota Wild, and in Winnipeg, Sidney Crosby scored in a shootout as the Penguins edged the Jets 4-3.

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Cleveland’s defence was all over Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton as the Browns turned an AFC North showdown into a shockingly one-sided matchup. Cleveland improved on its best start in 20 years by beating the Bengals 24-3, holding Dalton to just 86 passing yards, intercepting him three times and sacking him twice. The Browns are now tied with Pittsburgh for first place in the division.

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The Houston Rockets are an NBA best 6-and-0 to start the year after downing the San Antonio Spurs 98-81. Dwight Howard had a massive night for the Rockets, pouring in 32 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. Cory Joseph of Pickering, Ontario had 18 points off the bench to lead San Antonio. In other NBA action the Portland Trailblazers hammered the Dallas Mavericks 108-87.

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The Minneapolis Police Department is re-evaluating its escort policy for NFL teams, following the recent crash of buses carrying the Washington Redskins on their way to play the Minnesota Vikings. A police spokesman said that the department will not be providing any escorts until that re-evaluation has been completed.

(Canadian Press)