Zajac lifts Devs by Islanders
Cory Schneider made 40 saves and Travis Zajac had a shorthanded goal and an assist to lead the Devils over the Islanders, 3-2, in Newark on Saturday night.
Devante Smith-Pelley and Pavel Zacha also scored for the Devils (25-23-10), who finished 3-2-0 on its longest homestand of the season. Schneider stopped a penalty shot by John Tavares.
The Isles dropped to 26-21-10, including 7-13-4 on the road. Andrew Ladd and Anthony Beauvillier scored for the Islanders, while Thomas Greiss made 18 saves.
The first of four regular-season meetings between the Metropolitan Division rivals — and the first half of a weekend home-andhome — was a matchup of teams trying to make up ground in the playoff race.
JOHNSON LEADS AT RIVIERA
Dustin Johnson made two tough pars around the turn and poured it on late with three birdies over his last four holes for another 5-under 66 and a one-shot lead in the Genesis Open at Riviera. It was a good place to be Saturday afternoon, except he was only halfway home at rainy Riviera. The tournament lost an hour to fog Thursday, then seven hours when heavy rain and wind arrived in southern California on Friday, and two more hours Saturday morning to get the course cleaned up for play.
He was at 10-under 132 and had a one-shot lead over Pat Perez, who birdied his last two holes for a 66, and Cameron Tringale, whose wedge from 82 yards flew straight into the cup on No. 18 for a birdie and a 64.
RUSSIAN BEAR DIES AT 74
Ivan Koloff, the Canadian professional wrestler known as “The Russian Bear” in the ring, has died after fighting liver cancer. He was 74. Koloff’s daughter, Rachel Marley, and the WWE confirmed the death.
“I’m sad to wake up and hear of the passing of my very close friend the Russian Bear Ivan Koloff,” Ric Flair tweeted. “You will be missed My Friend. Rest in peace.”
Born in Montreal as Oreal Perras, Koloff was one of wrestling’s top villains in the 1970 and 1980s. In 1971, he pinned Bruno Sammartino in Madison Square Garden to take the WWF title.
Koloff later was an ordained minister in Greenville, N.C.
The death came a day after fellow former wrestler George (The Animal) Steele died a 79.