Avs Off To Best Start In Team History – NHL Roundup For Oct. 22nd

UNDATED (AP) — The NHL's top four teams combined for just one goal in regulation and overtime on Monday night.

That goal came off the stick of Gabriel Landeskog (LAN'-dehs-kahg), whose second-period tally helped the Colorado Avalanche beat the Penguins 1-0 in Pittsburgh. J.S. Giguere (zhih-GEHR') made 16 of his 34 saves in the third period for his second shutout in 11 days.

The Avs are off to the best nine-game start in team history at 8-1.

The 7-2 Pens entered the game with a league-high 31 goals before being blanked for the first time since March 30.

In the other two NHL games last night:

__ Antii Niemi (AN'-tee nee-EH'-mee) made 24 saves before stopping three more shots in a shootout as San Jose blanked Detroit 1-0. Neither team put anything into the net until Logan Couture scored on the Sharks' second shootout attempt to support Niemi's 24th career shutout. The Sharks remain the league's only team without a regulation loss, improving to 8-0-1 for an NHL'-high 17 points. Jimmy Howard made 27 saves in his 17th career shutout.

— T.J. Brodie scored the tiebreaking power-play goal with 29.7 seconds to play, and the Calgary Flames rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL has handed down a five-game suspension to Colorado Avalanche forward Cody McLeod for his hit along the boards on Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall last week.

Kronwall was carried off the ice on a stretcher early in the first period after being rammed into the boards in the Red Wings' 4-2 win last Thursday. He suffered a concussion and cuts to the ear.

And Islanders forward Michael Grabner has been suspended for two games by the league for an illegal check to the head of Carolina forward Nathan Gerbe (GUR'-bee) on Saturday.

TORONTO (AP) — Veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik has retired after 20 NHL seasons. The three-time All Star started his career in 1992 with Tampa Bay and has played nearly 1,400 games with the Lightning, Oilers, Islanders, Flames, Canadiens, Capitals and Rangers.

TORONTO (AP) — Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Allan Stanley has died at age 87.

Stanley broke in with the Rangers and later played for the Blackhawks and Bruins before flourishing in Toronto, where he won four Stanley Cups. He and fellow Hall-of-Famer Tim Horton formed a fierce defensive tandem during Stanley's 10 years with the Maple Leafs.