WEDNESDAY EYE-OPENER

It took a shootout, but the Calgary Flames won their third straight. Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau both scored in the shootout as the Flames edged the Anaheim Ducks 4-3. Dennis Wideman had a pair of goals in regulation. Former Duck Jonas Hiller made 24 saves for the win. Hiller played seven seasons with Anaheim before signing with the Flames in the summer.

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Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice finally found some offence after juggling his lines against the New Jersey Devils. Mathieu Perreault and Mark Scheifele scored less than two minutes apart early in the second period, as the Jets beat the Devils 3-1. Michael Frolik added a goal late in the third to seal the victory.

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In other NHL action, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a night they would like to forget. The Leafs were trounced 9-2 by the Nashville Predators at home. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens had a six-game winning streak snapped by the Pittsburgh Penguins, losing 4-0. Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves for the shutout.

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Kobe Bryant put up 28 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 114-109. Elsewhere in the NBA, Milwaukee beat New York 117-113, Oklahoma City got by Utah 98-81 and New Orleans downed Sacremento 106-100.

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Just a couple months after beating the Oakland Athletics in the A-L wild-card game, Billy Butler may become their newest member. A source says that Butler and the A’s have reached a three-year contract worth 30 million dollars. Butler helped the Kansas City Royals reach the World Series last month. The Royals fell to the San Francisco Giants in Game 7.

(Canadian Press)