WEDNESDAY EYE-OPENER

An early deficit did not faze the Vancouver Canucks. Nick Bonino scored two goals and Ryan Miller made 20 saves as the Canucks beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Henrik Sedin and Derek Dorsett also scored for the Canucks. John Mitchell and Jamie McGinn found the back of the net for the Avs.

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Another Canadian team got down early. The Toronto Maple Leafs faced a 3-0 deficit and couldn’t come back against the Arizona Coyotes, falling 3-2. Mike Smith made 28 saves and Sam Gagner scored in his second straight game in the win. Dion Phaneuf and Cody Franson had power-play goals for the Leafs.

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Elsewhere in the NHL, the Oilers lost to the Flyers 4-1. Calgary beat Washington 4-3 in O-T, the Blackhawks blanked the Canadiens 5-0, Ottawa beat Detroit 3-1 and the Jets skated past the Predators 3-1.

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The Toronto Raptors took advantage of a depleated Oklahoma City Thunder lineup. The Thunder, without starters Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, fell to the Raptors 100-88. DeMar DeRozan had 16 points, while Lou Williams had nine of his 12 points in the fourth quarter for Toronto.

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An AP source with knowledge of the negotiations says the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to hire Oakland Athletics assistant G-M Farhan Zaidi as the club’s new general manager. Zaidi will now work under new president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who joined the Dodgers last month from the Tampa Bay Rays.

(CP)