Sharks 2, Red Wings 1
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The defensemen are scoring, the high-scoring forwards are working in the defensive zone, and Antti Niemi played the same way he did when he knocked San Jose out of the playoffs a year ago.
That all added up to another win for the Sharks and a two-games-to-none series lead against the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinals.
Niemi made 33 saves and the Sharks put together a complete performance to beat the Red Wings, 2-1.
Predators prevail
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Running out of time and chances, and stuck below the goal line, Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter threw the puck on net and hoped to get a whistle. He did better than that, netting the tying goal with 67 seconds left in regulation.
That forced overtime and set the stage for Matt Halischuk's winner 14 minutes, 51 seconds into the second extra session that gave the Predators a 2-1 win in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinal series and tied it at 1 on Saturday night.
Skinner leads Canada
NHL rookie-of-the-year finalist Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes scored twice for Canada, which routed France, 9-1, in Slovakia to advance to the second round of the ice hockey world championship.
In other games, Russia rebounded from Friday's opening-day loss to Germany by beating Slovenia, 6-4. Switzerland earned a berth in the second round with a 4-1 win over Belarus, and Germany beat Slovakia, 4-3.
Gretzky card auctioned
Wayne Gretzky's NHL rookie card earned $94,163 at an online sports memorabilia auction. SCP Auctions said that's the highest price ever paid for a hockey card. The card was graded 10, or mint condition, by Professional Sports Authenticator.
