Jets Drop Avs In OT – NHL Roundup

UNDATED (AP) — Steven Stamkos had a natural hat trick and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat Toronto 5-3 in a game that included a frightening injury to Maple Leafs defenseman Paul Ranger.

Ranger left the ice on a stretcher after his head hit the boards following a first-period hit from Alex Killorn. The Maple Leafs said Ranger was "stable, conscious and alert," after being taken to the hospital for what the team called a "precautionary assessment."

In other NHL action:

— Corey Crawford made 23 saves and the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks gave coach Joel Quenneville (KWEHN'-vihl) a milestone victory with their 4-0 shutout of the St. Louis Blues. It's the 700th career victory for the veteran coach, which places him third on the all-time NHL list. There was a downside to Chicago's victory as Patrick Kane, its leading scorer, is expected to be out about three weeks due to a lower body injury

— Blake Wheeler scored in overtime on a shot through the crowd in front of the goal to give the Winnipeg Jets a 5-4 win against Colorado.

— Vancouver blanked Nashville 2-0. Nicklas Jensen and Alexander Edler scored 1:13 apart in the third period to break a scoreless tie.

UNDATED (AP) — Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson has undergone surgery on the middle finger of his left hand and is expected to be out 4-6 weeks, keeping him out the rest of the regular season. He broke his finger and partially tore a tendon in it during Tuesday night's win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Wings already were without forwards Pavel Datsyuk (DAHT'-sook) and Henrik Zetterberg as they try to make the Stanley Cup playoffs for the 23rd consecutive season.

In other NHL news:

— Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler will be out 3-5 weeks with a sprained ligament in his left knee. Fowler is enjoying a breakout season with six goals and 30 assists in 67 games.

— The Dallas Stars say Rich Peverley has undergone successful surgery to correct an abnormal heart rhythm, just more than a week after the forward collapsed on the bench during a game. Peverley is expected to return to Dallas on Thursday and may require further treatment. The 31-year-old Peverley chose less invasive treatment after an irregular heartbeat was diagnosed during training camp.