NHL NEWS JAN 9 – BLUE JACKETS, PENGUINS CONTINUE WINNING WAYS

The Blue Jackets (28-7-4, 60 points) rebounded from back-to-back losses to become the first 60-point team in the NHL while the Penguins (26-8-5, 57 points) won their first game of 2017 to move into a share of second place in the League standings.

The Flyers tied the game with 16.5 seconds remaining in regulation but Nick Foligno scored in overtime to help the Blue Jackets halt a two-game skid that followed their record-setting 16-game win streak. Foligno scored his 14th goal of the season (37 GP) – two more than he totaled in 2015-16 (72 GP) – to help Columbus move within 16 points of their total from last season (34-40-8, 76 points).

Six different players scored for the Penguins as they earned their fifth consecutive win and improved to 13-1-2 in their past 16 contests dating to the start of December – their lone regulation loss coming at the hands of Columbus on Dec. 22 (7-1 L). Pittsburgh also extended its home point streak to 12 games dating to Nov. 26 (11-0-1) to boost its League-leading home record to 18-2-2 (38 points).

NHL NEWS AND MUSINGS

• Sidney Crosby (26-18—44 in 33 GP) tallied 0-2—2 and Patrick Kane (12-32—44 in 43 GP) posted 0-3—3 as the pair moved into a share of second in League scoring, behind Oilers captain Connor McDavid (14-34—48 in 42 GP), who also had two helpers
• Penguins defensemen Justin Schultz, who led NHL defensemen with 6-12—18 in December (15 GP), notched an assist to push his point streak to five games (1-4—5)
• Teammate Phil Kessel (2-4—6) also extended his point streak to five games
• Joel Quenneville (CHI) became the third head coach in NHL history to serve 1,500 career regular-season games, joining Scotty Bowman (2,141) and Al Arbour (1,607)
• Lightning defenseman Jason Garrison played in his 500th career game.

SUNDAY’S NHL RESULTS
Home Team in Caps
CAROLINA 4, Boston 3 (OT)
PITTSBURGH 6, Tampa Bay 2
COLUMBUS 2, Philadelphia 1 (OT)
CHICAGO 5, Nashville 2
OTTAWA 5, Edmonton 3
Minnesota 2, ANAHEIM 1

MONDAY’S NHL ACTION
All Times Eastern
Florida @ New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Washington @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary @ Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Dallas @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.