SUNDAY SPORTS
Chandler Stephenson scored twice to help lead the Regina Pats to an 8-4 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings Saturday evening in the Brandt Centre. It earned Regina a split of its post-Christmas home-and-home set with Brandon (the Wheat Kings won 8-0 in Manitoba on Friday). Also scoring for the Pats were Connor Gay, Geordie Maguire, Adam Brooks, Carter Hansen, Dimitry Sinitsyn and Boston Leier. Dawson MacAulay made 22 saves to earn the win before a crowd of 3452.
The Pats host P.A. Monday at 7:00 pm on 620 CKRM (Press Box Sports Bar Pregame Show at 6:35 pm).
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The Anaheim Ducks’ team-record winning streak has reached double digits.
Saku Koivu’s second goal of the night came at 51 seconds of overtime as the Ducks beat Phoenix 3-2 for their 10th consecutive win on Saturday. Anaheim coughed up a 2-0 lead in the final five minutes of regulation before improving to a league-best 28-7-5, and 14-0-2 at home. The outcome puts them back in a tie with Chicago for the Western Conference lead with 61 points, although the Blackhawks have played one more game.
The Hawks also blew a two-goal lead late in the third period before absorbing a 6-5 shootout loss to the Blues in St. Louis. Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Berglund scored 1:17 apart in the last 3:51 of regulation before Kevin Shattenkirk notched the game-winner in the fifth shootout round.
The Boston Bruins missed a chance to push closer to the NHL’s Eastern Conference lead.
The Bruins erased a 3-1 deficit before Bobby Ryan scored with 4:35 remaining to give Ottawa a 4-3 triumph over Boston. Cory Conacher provided a goal and an assist as the Senators kept the Bruins three points behind the East-leading Pittsburgh Penguins.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
– Mike Fisher scored his second goal of the game with 26.4 seconds left to give Nashville a 3-2 victory over Los Angeles. Fisher also assisted on Patrick Hornqvist’s first-period goal before the Predators snapped a five-game losing streak.
– Tomas Plekanec scored in regulation before Lars Eller provided the lone shootout tally in Montreal’s 2-1 win at Tampa Bay. Carey Price made 14 of his 23 saves in the third period as the Canadiens ended the Lightning’s five-game winning streak.
– Henrik Zetterberg scored a goal in his first game back from an injury to help Detroit beat Florida 4-3. Zetterberg leads the Red Wings with 31 points despite missing the previous 11 games with a herniated disk in his back.
– Cory Schneider stopped 30 shots and Travis Zajac scored with 6:57 remaining to give New Jersey a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders.
– The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in a shootout at Rexall Place.
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Chris Weidman defended his UFC middleweight title when Anderson Silva broke his left leg on a kick in the second round, ending UFC 168 with a horrific injury Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Weidman (11-0) quietly celebrated his victory while medical personnel tended to Silva (33-6), whose left shin bent grotesquely while landing a kick on Weidman’s left leg 1:16 into the round.
Weidman, who earned his belt with an upset victory over the long-reigning champion in July, also dominated the first round of the rematch.
Ronda Rousey retained her bantamweight title in the UFC’s year-end event, submitting Miesha Tate with a third-round arm bar. Rousey then walked away from her bitter rival’s offer of a post-fight handshake, earning ferocious boos from the MGM Grand Garden crowd.
The show was heavy on violent stoppages. Heavyweight Travis Browne knocked out veteran Josh Barnett in the first round with a series of elbows to the head, earning the third straight early stoppage on the pay-per-view portion of the card.
(With files from the Canadian Press)
