Blackhawks turn back Avalanche
Islanders fire coach Capuano
DENVER — Vinnie Hinostroza scored twice in the third period, including the go-ahead goal with 11:49 remaining, and the Chicago Blackhawks rallied for a 6-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.
Tanner Kero had two goals and Nick Schmaltz and Brent Seabrook also scored for Chicago, which snapped a two-game skid.
The Blackhawks switched around their line combinations, breaking up the Jonathan Toews-Marian Hossa tandem in an effort to spark the offense. It certainly worked with Hinostroza, Kero and Hossa combining for eight points. Hossa had three assists.
Matt Duchene had two goals and Blake Comeau and Matt Nieto also scored for the last-place Avalanche, who wrapped up a four-game homestand with a 1-3 mark. This game felt more like a road game, though, with all the Blackhawk fans in attendance.
The loudest cheer of the night came when Hinostroza scored the game-winner by tapping a shot past Semyon Varlamov.
Colorado pulled Varlamov with around 35 seconds remaining, but couldn’t get anything past Corey Crawford. Kero added an empty-netter with 10.6 seconds left.
The 22-year-old Hinostroza entered with four career goals.
There were a combined four goals scored in a frenzied second period, with Colorado taking a 3-2 lead on Nieto’s first goal of the season. The advantage
lasted all of 19 seconds as Kero answered. DEVILS 4, WILD 3: In St. Paul, Minn., Beau Bennett scored with 2:17 remaining to lift New Jersey over Minnesota in an unexpected victory. SENATORS 6, BLUES 4: In St. Louis, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone each scored twice to lead Ottawa over St. Louis. FLAMES 5, PANTHERS
2: In Calgary, Alberta, Mikael Backlund scored twice in a 13-second span in the second period to break a 2-2 tie and the Flames beat Florida BLUE JACKETS 4, HURRICANES 1: In Columbus, Ohio, Brandon Dubinsky ended a 17-game scoring drought with two goals, Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist and the Blue Jackets beat Carolina. STARS 7, RANGERS 6: In New York, Patrick Sharp scored twice, Jamie Benn and Patrick Eaves had a goal and two assists each and Dallas held on for a wild victory over New York. MAPLE LEAFS 4,
SABRES 3: In Toronto, Auston Matthews, Leo Komarov and Matt Martin each scored in a nineminute span in the second period and Toronto rallied to beat Buffalo for its 10th win in 13 games.
ISLANDERS: Stuck in last place in the Eastern Conference, the New York Islanders fired coach Jack Capuano on Tuesday, ending one of the longest tenures in the NHL.
General manager Garth Snow named assistant GM/coach Doug Weight as Capuano’s interim replacement in the hopes that a new voice could provide a spark for his struggling team. The Islanders are 17-17-8 and their 42 points are the fewest in the East.