Red Sox thump Cardinals to win World Series

There hasn't been a party like this in New England for nearly a century.

Turmoil to triumph. Worst to first.

David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox, baseball's bearded wonders, capped their remarkable turnaround by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 in Game 6 on Wednesday night to win their third World Series championship in 10 seasons.

Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz carries relief pitcher Koji Uehara after winning Game 6 of baseball's World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday in Boston. The Red Sox won 6-1 to win the series. (David J. Phillip/Associated Press)

"We've dealt with a lot. But our team came together, and we stuck by each other," Dustin Pedroia said. "What a great feeling."

Shane Victorino, symbolic of these resilient Sox, returned from a stiff back and got Boston rolling with a three-run double off the Green Monster against rookie sensation Michael Wacha.

John Lackey became the first pitcher to start and win a Series clincher for two different teams, allowing one run over 6 2-3 innings 11 years after his Game 7 victory as an Angels rookie in 2002.

With fans roaring on every pitch and cameras flashing, Koji Uehara struck out Matt Carpenter for the final out. The Japanese pitcher jumped into the arms of catcher David Ross while Red Sox players rushed from the dugout and bullpen as the Boston theme "Dirty Water" played on the public-address system.

"We have a lot of players with heart. We probably don't have the talent that we had in '07 and '04, but we have guys that are capable [of staying] focused and do the little things," said Ortiz, the Series MVP.

And the Red Sox didn't have to fly the trophy home. For the first time since Babe Ruth's team back in 1918, Boston won the title at Fenway Park. The 101-year-old ballpark, oldest in the majors, was packed with 38,447 singing, shouting fans anticipating a celebration 95 years in the making.

World Series winners since 2000

• 2013—Boston Red Sox (AL)
• 2012—San Francisco Giants (NL)
• 2011—St. Louis Cardinals (NL)
• 2010—San Francisco Giants (NL)
• 2009—New York Yankees (AL)
• 2008—Philadelphia Phillies (NL)
• 2007—Boston Red Sox (AL)
• 2006—St. Louis Cardinals (NL)
• 2005—Chicago White Sox (AL)
• 2004—Boston Red Sox (AL)
• 2003—Florida Marlins (NL)
• 2002—Anaheim Angels (AL)
• 2001—Arizona Diamondbacks (NL)
• 2000—New York Yankees (AL)

— The Associated Press

"Maybe they won't have to go another 95 years," said John Farrell, a champion in his first season as Boston's manager.

There wasn't the "Cowboy Up!" comeback charm of "The Idiots" from 2004, who swept St. Louis to end an 86-year title drought. There wasn't that cool efficiency of the 2007 team that swept Colorado.

This time, they were Boston Strong — playing for a city shaken by the marathon bombings in April.

"This is for you, Boston. You guys deserve it," Ortiz told the crowd. "We've been through a lot this year and this is for all of you and all those families who struggled."

After late-season slumps in 2010 and 2011, the embarrassing revelations of a chicken-and-beer clubhouse culture that contributed to the ouster of manager Terry Francona, and the daily tumult of Bobby Valentine's one-year flop, these Red Sox grew on fans.

Just like the long whiskers on the players' faces, starting with Gomes' scruffy spring training beard.

"As soon as we went to Fort Myers, the movie's already been written," Gomes said. "All we had to do was press play, and this is what happened."

Ortiz, the only player remaining from the 2004 champs, had himself a Ruthian World Series. He batted .688 (11 for 16) with two homers, six RBIs and eight walks — including four in the finale — for a .760 on-base percentage in 25 plate appearances.

Even slumping Stephen Drew delivered a big hit in Game 6, sending Wacha's first pitch of the fourth into the right-centre bullpen.

By the time the inning was over, RBI singles by Mike Napoli and Victorino had made it 6-0, and the Red Sox were on their way.

'Time to shine'

"Hey, I missed two games. It's time to shine," Victorino said.

All over New England, from Connecticut's Housatonic River up to the Aroostook in Maine, Boston's eighth championship can be remembered for the beard-yanking bonding.

Fans bid up the average ticket price to over $1,000 on the resale market and some prime locations went for more than $10,000 each. Nearly all the Red Sox rooters stood in place for 30 minutes after the final out to view the presentation of the trophy and MVP award.

"It was an awesome atmosphere here tonight," Lackey said.

The win capped an emotional season for the Red Sox, one heavy with the memory of the events that unfolded on Patriots Day, when three people were killed and more than 260 wounded in bombing attacks at the Boston Marathon. The Red Sox wore "Boston Strong" logos on their left sleeves, erected a large emblem on the Green Monster and moved the logo into the centre-field grass as a constant reminder.

"There's I think a civil responsibility that we have wearing this uniform, particularly here in Boston," Farrell said. "And it became a connection initially, the way our guys reached out to individuals or to hospital visits. And it continued to build throughout the course of the season. I think our fans, they got to a point where they appreciated the way we played the game, how they cared for one another. And in return they gave these guys an incredible amount of energy to thrive on in this ballpark."

Red, white and blue fireworks fired over the ballpark as Commissioner Bud Selig presented the World Series trophy to Red Sox owners John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino, leaving a haze over the field.

Are you glad the Red Sox won the World Series?

"When the fireworks went off at the presentation of the trophy out there, when the ballpark was filled with smoke, it was completely surreal," Farrell said. "To be in this position, given where we've come from, reflecting back a year ago at this time, there's been a lot that's happened in 13 months."

Players then put on goggles for the champagne celebration in the cramped clubhouse.

"They had tremendous will," Henry said.

Among the players blamed for the indifferent culture at the end of the Francona years, Lackey took the mound two days shy of the second anniversary of his elbow surgery and got his first Series win since the 2002 clincher. He pitched shutout ball into the seventh, when Carlos Beltran's RBI single ended the Cardinals' slump with runners in scoring position at 0 for 14.

Junichi Tazawa came in with the bases loaded and retired Allen Craig on an inning-ending grounder to first. Brandon Workman followed in the eighth and Uehara finished.

St. Louis had been seeking its second title in three seasons, but the Cardinals sputtered after arriving in Boston late Tuesday following a seven-hour flight delay caused by mechanical problems. Symbolic of the team's struggles, reliever Trevor Rosenthal tripped while throwing a pitch to Ortiz in the eighth, balking Pedroia to second.

Pedroia had brought back memories of Carlton Fisk's 1975 Game 6-winning home run, sending a first-inning drive about 10 feet foul of the Green Monster foul pole — and waving his left arm once to try to urge the ball fair as he came out of the batter's box.

Lackey escaped a two-on, none-out jam in the second when he retired Matt Adams and David Freese on flyouts and, after a wild pitch, struck out Jon Jay. Boston wasted a similar threat in the bottom half, then went ahead on the third.

Jacoby Ellsbury singled leading off and took second on Pedroia's grounder. Ortiz was intentionally walked, Napoli struck out and Gomes was hit above the left elbow with a pitch, loading the bases.

Victorino, wearing red, white and blue spikes with an American flag motif, had been 0 for 10 in the Series and missed the previous two games with a bad back.

Dropped from second to sixth in the batting order, he took two balls and a called strike, then turned on a 93 mph fastball and sent it high off the 37-foot-high wall in left. Gomes slid home as Yadier Molina took Matt Holliday's one-hop throw and applied the tag, and the catcher then argued with plate umpire Jim Joyce.

Victorino, pumped with emotion, went to third on the throw and pounded his chest with both fists three times.

After Drew's homer, Lance Lynn relieved Wacha with two on, and RBI singles by Napoli and Victorino boosted Boston's lead to 6-0. Wacha entered 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his post-season career but gave up six runs, five hits and four walks in 3 2-3 innings, the shortest start of the 22-year-old's big league career.

'Too many mistakes'

"I just made too many mistakes," Wacha said. "It doesn't matter how hard you're throwing if you can't locate it."

Boston was a 30-1 underdog to win the World Series last winter but joined the 1991 Minnesota Twins as the only teams to win titles one season after finishing in last place. Now, the Red Sox will raise another championship flag before their home opener next season April 4 against Milwaukee.

The Red Sox had not played a Series Game 6 since that infamous night at New York's Shea Stadium in 1986, when Bill Buckner allowed Mookie Wilson's 10th-inning roller to get through his legs. And there had not been one at Fenway since Fisk's 12th-inning home run off the foul pole atop the Green Monster.

Following consecutive late-season skids, the Red Sox parted with Francona at the end of the 2011 season and reports emerged of players drinking beer and eating fried chicken in the clubhouse during games.

Members of the Boston Red Sox celebrate on the field after winning the 2013 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park on Wednesday. (Bob DeChiara/USA Today Sports/Reuters)

Valentine took over as manager, injuries caused Boston to use a club-record 56 players, and the Red Sox skidded to a 69-93 record, their poorest since 1965.

Farrell, Boston's pitching coach from 2007-10, was hired after a pair of seasons in Toronto's dugout.

A roster turnover began in August 2012 when Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and their big-money contracts were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deal that saved Boston just more than $261.66 million through 2018. The Red Sox restocked during the off-season by signing seven major league free agents for contracts of three years or fewer at a total of $100.45 million: Victorino, Napoli, Gomes, Drew, Uehara, Ryan Dempster and Ross.

After losing closers Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey to injuries early in the season, the Red Sox remained relatively healthy: Seventeen players wound up on the DL, down from 27. They finished 97-65 — matching St. Louis for the best record in the major leagues — and made the playoffs for the first time since 2009. They also became the first team since the 2005 Cardinals to navigate the season without losing more than three in a row.

Boston hit just .211, the lowest average for a Series champion in 39 years and 13 points lower than the Cardinals. But after falling behind 2-1 on the first-game ending obstruction call in post-season history, the Red Sox tied it the following night on the first-game ending pickoff in the post-season. That sparked the Red Sox to three straight wins and another title.

"When we started rolling," Ortiz said, "nobody ever stopped the train."

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NHL players show off Halloween costumes

Point of View

MacKinnon, Dubinsky Mike Kostka among those dressed up

By Jordan Shifman, CBC Sports Posted: Oct 30, 2013 8:52 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 31, 2013 8:49 AM ET

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Jonathan Bernier stands tall as Leafs down Flames

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

That was the prevailing sentiment from the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night, who in an increasingly familiar storyline, won 4-2 over the Calgary Flames despite being outshot by a wide margin.

James van Riemsdyk scored a pivotal short-handed goal and Jonathan Bernier made 41 saves as the Maple Leafs won their third in a row and increased their lead atop the Atlantic Division despite being outshot for the 11th game in a row.

"Right now, the way we're playing, we're winning and I think it's hard for a team to change what we're doing," Bernier said. "We're scoring some big goals, we're getting some huge blocked shots, and some good 'PK' and a good 'PP' and that's a huge thing for us."

With Toronto playing on consecutive nights and the Flames having had three days off, the game started predictably with Calgary going to the attack immediately.

'Right now, the way we're playing, we're winning and I think it's hard for a team to change what we're doing.'- Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier 

However, despite peppering Bernier for 15 shots, they trailed 2-0 after the first thanks to an opportunistic Leafs offence that connected twice on seven shots against Karri Ramo.

The key goal was scored by van Riemsdyk with four seconds remaining in the period.

"A couple games ago, I had a similar chance and I just tried getting over the blue-line and taking a wrister," van Riemsdyk said. "This time, I saw we had a 2-on-2, there wasn't much time, so I thought I'd try to kick it wide and Jay (McClement) made an unbelievable pass underneath the triangle of the defenceman and I just tried to throw it on net as quickly as possible."

While Calgary drew back to within one goal on two occasions, Toronto did not relinquish the lead the rest of the night. It was Toronto's first victory in Calgary since Dec. 27, 2002. The Leafs had lost their last seven visits to the Scotiabank Saddledome.

"(Bernier) was definitely huge for us. Our goaltending has been great all year and we seem to get outshot every night but our goalies give us a chance and we are getting some timely scoring and that's been our recipe so far," said van Riemsdyk.

Joffrey Lupul, Mason Raymond and Paul Ranger into an empty net — also shorthanded — rounded out the scoring for Toronto (10-4-0). The Leafs wrap up their three-game road trip through Western Canada on Saturday in Vancouver.

Matt Stajan and David Jones scored for Calgary (5-5-2), which lost at home in regulation for the first time (3-1-1). The Flames wrap up a three-game homestand Friday against Detroit.

"It's just so frustrating right now. I thought we played a pretty good game from the top on down but that was one heck of a performance from Bernier," said ex-Leaf Joe Colborne, who led all Flames forwards with a season-high 23:54 in ice time. "We were going to the net hard, we were creating secondary rebound chances and it was just one of those nights where things aren't going to go in."

Entering the night, the storyline was Phil Kessel, who had seven goals and 10 points in the previous four games to climb into a tie for second in the NHL's scoring race behind Sidney Crosby.

However, the Flames — like they blanked Alex Ovechkin in their previous game — were also able to hold Kessel off the scoreboard.

"I felt that we had a good game. We are not very pleased with the result but I don't know what we could have done more," said Flames coach Bob Hartley. "Offensively we generated a lot. Our forechecking was good. Our puck decisions in the offensive zone were very good but Bernier basically stole the game away from us."

As is always the case when Toronto visits Calgary, the Saddledome's 'sea of red' turned into a mixture of blue and red with plenty of very vocal Toronto supporters on hand.

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier (45) played for the first time in three games, turning away 41 shots for a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. (Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters)

With Toronto clinging to a 2-1 lead, the visiting fans got something to cheer about 5:59 into the third period when David Clarkson took the puck to the net and while he was stopped, Raymond was right there to tuck in the rebound.

Scoring against Calgary is nothing new for Raymond, a native of nearby Cochrane, Alta. It's his 11th career goal against the Flames, the most he's scored against any team.

Calgary fought back to within one again when Jones deflected Kris Russell's point shot at 14:39 of the third, but they could not get back to even despite getting a man advantage with three minutes left when Clarkson was sent off for boarding.

It was the second boarding penalty of the night for Toronto.

In the second, Carter Ashton sent Flames defenceman Derek Smith head first into the boards from behind, an incident that resulted in a fight between Ashton and Sean O'Brien, who jumped in to Smith's defence.

Smith left the ice on his own, albeit slowly. He did not play the rest of the period but he returned in the third.

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Red Sox slugger David Ortiz named World Series MVP

Most Valuable Papi.

David Ortiz walked off as the World Series MVP on Wednesday night, capping a dominant week in which he spurred the Boston Red Sox over St. Louis with a mix of power, patience and a most timely pep talk.

Ortiz hoisted reliever Koji Uehara after the final out of a 6-1 win, then Big Papi raised the gleaming gold trophy in his crowning achievement.

"I know I'm one of the forces for this ballgame and I like to take things personal," he said. "And that's been my whole career, a challenge."

"I wasn't trying to be the guy, but I know I got to get something done to keep the line moving," he said. "I don't even have to do anything today, I guess, the rest of the team took over."

Now a three-time champion, Oritz is the last link to the Red Sox team that swept the Cardinals in 2004 and ended an 86-year title drought.

After a while, the Cardinals simply gave up trying to get him out. Ortiz walked four times — three of them intentional — in the 6-1 win Wednesday night in Game 6 that clinched the championship.

When Ortiz came to the plate for the last time, in the eighth inning with the outcome safely in hand, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina stood up and spoke to him in the batter's box. Molina softly patted Ortiz twice on the side, too.

Well done, pal.

Ortiz watched four more wide ones and trotted to first base, having piled up totals that not even slow-pitch softball players dream about: He reached base a whopping 19 times in 25 plate appearances.

The sellout crowd broke into thunderous chants of "MVP! MVP!" each time Ortiz batted. Quite a turnaround for the 37-year-old slugger who badly slumped in the AL championship series.

Ortiz hit 11 for 16 (.688) with two home runs and six RBIs against the Cardinals, and just missed a grand slam when Carlos Beltran robbed him by reaching over the short bullpen wall.

Asked to describe Ortiz, manager John Farrell paused.

"Well, I'd probably rather let his bat do the talking, because it's pretty special," he said.

Ortiz also drew eight walks and legged out a few infield hits, helped by St. Louis second baseman Matt Carpenter playing way out in shallow right field. At one point, Ortiz tied a Series record by reaching base in nine straight trips.

"He's as hot as anyone you're going to see this time of year," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "We tried to make tough pitches in tough situations, tried to pitch around him at times."

Ortiz's .760 on-base percentage and batting average were the second-highest in Series history, trailing only Billy Hatcher's marks of .800 and .750 in 1990 for Cincinnati.

As Ortiz came up in the first inning, Molina and plate umpire Jim Joyce talked about him.

"This guy's unbelievable," Molina said on Fox audio.

"He's fun to watch," Joyce said.

Yet for all the impact he made swinging the bat in getting 11 of Boston's 41 hits — or just standing there and watching the Cardinals pitch around him — Ortiz made an equally important contribution with his words.

With St. Louis leading the Series 2-1 and the Red Sox scuffling in Game 4, Ortiz called his bearded band together for an impromptu huddle in the dugout.

Ortiz said he merely told the guys to relax, stay loose and appreciate the moment. His teammates told a different story after Boston rallied to win.

"It was like 24 kindergartners looking up at their teacher. He got everyone's attention and we looked him right in the eyes," said Jonny Gomes, who answered with a winning home run. "That message was pretty powerful."

That's also what the Red Sox expect from their Dominican-born thumper, known for his neatly tailored suits and dazzling diamond jewelry.

Whatever the Red Sox need, and whenever they need it, he's ready. When the Series shifted to St. Louis and there was no designated hitter, he adeptly moved from the DH spot to first base.

He did the same thing way back in the 2004 Series, and again in 2007 when the Red Sox swept Colorado.

As the Red Sox celebrated on the field after the final out, Ortiz considered what it meant to win a third title. Easy, he answered.

"That means I'm getting old," he said.

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Red Sox celebrate World Series victory at Fenway

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Phil Kessel's 4-point night powers Leafs past Oilers

Everything that Phil Kessel touches at the moment seems to result in a goal.

Kessel had two goals and two assists on Tuesday as the Toronto Maple Leafs won their second game in a row, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 4-0.

The 26-year-old winger has now recorded seven goals and 10 points in his last four games to move into a tie for second place in the NHL's point-scoring race.

"I've just been getting a couple of good bounces right now," Kessel said. "I've had some good passes and some guys have been making some good plays. I've been pretty fortunate. I'm just playing the game and trying to help the team win."

Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle has been satisfied with how Kessel has found his game after recording just two assists in his previous four games.

'I've had some good passes and some guys have been making some good plays. I've been pretty fortunate. I'm just playing the game and trying to help the team win.'- Maple Leafs sniper Phil Kessel

"Puck luck is part of it, but skilled players find a way to get goals," he said. "The puck kind of follows those guys around. He doesn't need many opportunities to score.

James van Riemsdyk and Nazem Kadri also scored for the Maple Leafs (9-4-0) who have won three of their last four to take over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division, moving ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

James Reimer stopped 43 shots for his 11th career shutout.

"As a team, I don't think we want to give up 40-plus shots, but having said that, I don't think it was as dangerous as the quantity suggested," Reimer said. "Our defence and our whole team did a heck of a job of eliminating second chances. Edmonton played well and came at us, but I thought we protected the house really well."

Richard Bachman stopped 22 shots for the Oilers (3-9-2), who have now lost four straight.

"You look at that game and it was about who finishes chances and who doesn't tonight for me," said Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins. "I don't believe we were outcompeted, outhit, outtoughed, outshot. We were outfinished, that's what we were. We talked about that, the Toronto Maple Leafs, they're a team that doesn't have the puck a whole lot, they've been outshot a lot this season. But if you give them the opportunity, they will score. They have guys that can put it in the net and they showed that tonight."

Edmonton outshot the Leafs 43-26.

"We didn't find a way to score," said Oilers forward Sam Gagner, who played his first game of the season. "It's a results-based league, it doesn't matter, you can't sit back and think things are good because we got a lot of shots. We have to find a way to score, that's all that really matters."

Toronto started the scoring just over a minute into the game on their first shot of the contest. Kadri made a nice play to hook a pass to a hard-charging Kessel on his way to the net and he was able to fake out Oilers goalie Bachman with a quick move to score his eighth goal of the season.

Edmonton had its chances in the fast-paced first period. Most notably on a drop pass from Nail Yakupov that defender Nick Schultz shot wide of an empty net.

Bachman was able to keep it a one-goal game early in the second on a big glove save on Mason Raymond, but couldn't do it again a minute later as Kessel dished a two-on-one pass off to van Riemsdyk, and he chipped it into the net.

Toronto went up 3-0 with 11 minutes left in the second period as Bachman lost track of a deflected shot that went behind the net and Kessel displayed his skill by barely pulling the puck over the goal-line before putting it in the roof of the cage for his second goal of the night.

The Maple Leafs added to their lead six minutes into the third period as Morgan Rielly finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play by rifling a puck off of Kadri and in.

"I thought it hit him," said Rielly, who was originally credited with his first career NHL goal. "He tried to give me credit for it at the start, but I said if it hit him he should have it. I'm not too worried about it. I'm just glad we got the win."

Kadri also had two assists in the game.

The Maple Leafs are right back at it in Calgary on Wednesday to play the Flames. The Oilers remain home to face the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

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Sochi Olympics 100-day countdown event

Live

CBC Sports unveils broadcast plans at noon ET

CBC Sports Posted: Oct 29, 2013 2:47 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 30, 2013 10:16 AM ET

On Wednesday, CBC Sports marks 100 days until the start of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Watch the festivities live from the Canadian Broadcast Centre in Toronto starting at noon ET.

We'll unveil our coverage plans for the Sochi Games and introduce the broadcast team that will bring the Olympics home to Canadians from coast to coast.

The Sochi Olympics run from Feb. 7-23, 2014.

Visit cbc.ca/olympics for the latest news, video, photos, analysis and more.

Comments on this story are pre-moderated. Before they appear, comments are reviewed by moderators to ensure they meet our submission guidelines. Comments are open and welcome for three days after the story is published. We reserve the right to close comments before then.

Submission Policy

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Carey Price shines in Canadiens' win over Stars

It isn't pretty hockey, but it's working for the Montreal Canadiens.

For a second game in a row, the Canadiens used patient, defensive hockey and sharp goaltending to hold onto a slim lead as they downed the Dallas Stars 2-1 in the NHL on Tuesday night.

Rene Bourque scored the winner in the second period after Michael Bournival opened the scoring in the first for Montreal (8-5-0).

The Canadiens were coming off a 2-0 victory against the Rangers in New York on Monday night with Peter Budaj in goal that was just as successful and just as dull to watch for the spectators. 

'The last two games it's been really good team defence, whether it's getting pucks out or blocking shots or just being in position.'- Canadiens defenceman Douglas Murray

"The last two games it's been really good team defence, whether it's getting pucks out or blocking shots or just being in position," said defenceman Douglas Murray. "It was a good effort by the whole team."

The Canadiens are short on forwards with Max Pacioretty, Daniel Briere and Brandon Prust all nursing injuries, so coach Michel Therrien has the team playing basic, defence-first hockey.

"With the fact that we're missing some players, we have to concentrate on good defensive play and we did that tonight," said Therrien. "I like the effort everyone is giving us.

"Carey (Price) made the saves. It was a big team win. That's four big points in two nights."

Dallas outshot Montreal 27-24, but managed only Cody Eakin's goal on a long shot that fooled Price late in the second frame.

The Stars, last in the Central Division at 5-6-1, were also playing a second game in as many nights, having topped the Sabres 4-3 in coach Lindy Ruff's return to Buffalo on Monday.

It was their third set of back-to-back games this season. In one they lost both games and in the other two they won the first game but lost the second.

"We've got to start finding a way in back-to-backs, especially on the road," said Eakin. "It's hard, yeah, but to be a good team you have to do it.

"These points are huge. They're harder to get as the season progresses, so we have to start bearing down."

Eakin used P.K. Subban as a screen on a rush and fooled Price with a medium speed wrist shot from outside the circles at 17:27 of the second to draw the Stars to within one goal.

"It was one of those ones where I used him as a screen," said Eakin. "I had some speed and caught him off guard a bit."

The Stars pushed hard for the equalizer in the third, when they outshot Montreal 9-3, but Price stood his ground.

The Canadiens struck first as Raphael Diaz lifted a wrist shot from the point to the far post that Bournival tipped off defenceman Stephane Robidas and past Kari Lehtonen at 12:02 of the first. The rookie Bournival has three goals and four assists in his last seven games.

"I wasn't sure if I deflected it," the 21-year-old said. "I felt it on my stick but I didn't want to say anything."

Bourque put in a Diaz rebound 12:55 into the middle frame.

It was a much-needed goal for his line with struggling centre David Desharnais and, for the last two games, recent call-up Louis Leblanc.

Desharnais started the play with a rush up the right side that was stopped. A Dallas clearing attempt was intercepted by Diaz, who picked up his second point of the night.

Desharnais has no goals and one assist in 13 games, but the line did well and Therrien gave them more ice time than usual.

"We were moving our feet," said Bourque. "We finally got a few chances offensively.

"Davy and I have been snake-bitten, but we're getting chances."

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Olympic uniforms, then and now: cast your vote

Photos

A look back at some of the best and worst Team Canada Olympic uniforms

CBC News Posted: Oct 30, 2013 4:50 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 29, 2013 6:23 PM ET

The Hudson's Bay Company and the Canadian Olympic Committee are set to unveil Team Canada's official uniforms for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Wednesday at an event in Toronto.

It marks the ninth time HBC has served as official outfitter to Canada's Olympic team. The first was in 1936, and the company is under contract to supply the team until 2020.

For Sochi, HBC tweaked its popular red mitten design from the 2010 Vancouver Games and released the 2014 edition of the red Olympic mittens on Sept. 10.​

Athletes will wear the uniforms at the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as in the Olympic Village and on the podium in the event of a medal win.

The new team uniforms will be unveiled at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, marking 100 days until the start of the Olympics in Russia.

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Canada's uniforms for Sochi Winter Games to be unveiled

Canadians will get their first look Wednesday at the uniforms the country's Olympians and Paralympians will wear at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.

Hudson's Bay Company is set to reveal the team uniforms at 2 p.m. ET in Toronto. Athletes will wear the uniforms at the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as in the Olympic Village and on the podium in the event of a medal win.

Star athletes including moguls skiers Chloe and Justine Dufour-Lapointe, figure skaters Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, and assistant chef de mission Jean-Luc Brassard, the former moguls skier, will attend the event.

The unveiling takes place 100 days before the start of the Games in Russia.

Hudson's Bay has managed to keep a lid on the uniforms so far. The same couldn't be said for the men's and women's hockey jerseys, photos of which leaked on Sept. 6.

HBC has outfitted Canada's winter athletes for the Olympics since 2006, as well as at various points throughout the history of the Winter Games dating back to 1936. It released the 2014 edition of the red Olympic mittens on Sept. 10, with some design tweaks made to the wildly popular items from the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Adidas is scheduled to unveil the athletes' training gear on Nov. 7.

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Canucks edge Capitals for 4th straight victory

Vancouver Canucks head coach John Tortorella leaned heavily on his first line during the team's recent seven-game road trip.

Monday night was just more of the same.

Daniel Sedin scored the winner in the third after helping to set up linemate Ryan Kesler's tying goal a few minutes earlier as the Canucks rallied to defeat the Washington Capitals 3-2.

Fresh off a 5-1-1 road trip, the Canucks found themselves down 2-1 early in the final period despite dominating the Capitals in all three zones.

That's when the line of Kesler, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin took over to help Vancouver to its fourth straight victory.

Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks, centre, during the second period at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. (Rich Lam/Getty Images)

"They had the puck a lot tonight," said Tortorella of the trio. "They've been consistent so we'll keep them together and see where we go with it."

After the teams traded goals early in the third period, Kesler and the Sedins played keepaway in the Washington zone to give Vancouver the lead for good. Daniel Sedin finished the sequence off by faking a pass at the top of the slot and blasting a shot past Washington goalie Michael Neuvirth at 5:01 for a 3-2 lead.

"Resiliency. You go down early in the third and we find a way to battle back and get the go-ahead (goal)," said Kesler, who along with the Sedins played over 23 minutes. "That's the way our team's been all year."

Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin was stopped on a penalty shot by Roberto Luongo just 79 seconds into the game and was also on for both the tying and winning goals.

"When the Kesler goal was scored it was my guy, I was kind of playing position as centre and the third goal, he make a great move and [Capitals forward Marcus Johansson] was kind of guessing," he said. "Two shifts cost us the game."

Kesler now has five goals and three assists in his last five
games since being paired with the Sedins after scoring just once in the first six games of the season.

"Through the whole year [Kesler] has done all the things we've asked of him and now the puck's going in for him," said Tortorella. "I'm happy he's getting rewarded, because he deserves it."

Luongo made 17 saves to get the victory, while Zack Kassian also scored for Vancouver (9-4-1), which played at Rogers Arena for the first time since Oct. 12. Henrik Sedin's assist on the winner extended his point streak to nine games.

Jason Chimera, with a goal and an assist, and Mikhail Grabovski scored for Washington (5-7-0), which got 38 stops from Neuvirth.

The final period started well for Washington initially, with Grabovski beating Luongo glove side at 1:52 to give the Capitals their first lead at 2-1, but Kesler tied it up again with his eighth of the season by slapping a puck past Neuvirth just 61 seconds later.

Daniel Sedin then scored his fourth of the campaign as Vancouver finished the night with a 41-19 edge in shots.

"They stayed in the game and they got that second goal and it's tough to come back from those, but we were able to score two pretty quick ones," said Henrik Sedin. "First game back after a long road trip, we got a good start. They took over a little bit late in the first but after that I thought we should have won this maybe a little bit more comfortably."

Tied 1-1 after the first period, Vancouver outshot Washington 16-3 in the second but couldn't find a way past Neuvirth.

Canucks defenceman Jason Garrison walked into a one-timer on a power play early in the period that Neuvirth was equal to. Ovechkin then hit the post behind Luongo off the rush on a Washington man advantage.

The Canucks opened the scoring at 11:31 of the first period on Kassian's second goal of the season. The big forward moved down the right wing and snapped a shot past Neuvirth on the short side.

Asked about Kassian's performance, Tortorella was blunt: "Good at times, crappy at times. But he's coming. He still has to work on his consistency."

Washington tied the score just over three minutes at 14:36 later when Mike Green's shot from the point found Chimera's stick at the edge of the crease. Chimera, who has goals in three straight games, started the sequence with a big hit in the Vancouver zone.

Ovechkin was awarded his penalty shot at 1:19 of the period when he was pulled down on a partial breakaway. Tied for the NHL lead in goals with 10, Ovechkin got Luongo goalie moving with his first fake, but was unable to finish.

"If he scores on a penalty shot it's a whole different feeling for a player of that calibre," said Capitals head coach Adam Oates. "He had a couple chances. We have to figure out a way to get more."

Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows returned to the lineup after breaking a bone in his right foot in the season opener.

Although Burrows was back healthy, Vancouver's sick bay is still a busy place. Tortorella will be without David Booth for about two weeks, while fellow forwards Jannik Hansen and Dale Weise are each expected to miss three-to-four weeks.

Still on the injury front, Canucks forward Jordan Schroeder, who hurt is left foot blocking a shot in the pre-season, will require surgery to insert a pin in his ankle. Tortorella said he expects the second-year man to be out for two months.

All the walking wounded for Vancouver meant that Canucks forward Darren Archibald played his second career NHL game, while Jeremy Walsh suited up for the fifth time.

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Senators long overdue for win in Chicago

The only thing the Ottawa Senators are doing consistently during their slump is spotting opponents early leads.

Facing a Chicago Blackhawks team that has made a habit of getting on the scoreboard first may only add to those woes.

Struggling Ottawa looks to avoid a fourth loss in five games when it visits Chicago on Tuesday night.

The Senators (4-5-2) have allowed 16 first-period goals - second-most in the NHL behind Buffalo - and fell to 1-5-2 when allowing the first score after a 5-2 loss to San Jose on Sunday.

They've fallen behind 2-0 in each of the three defeats during their slump, with the lone victory being a 6-1 win at Detroit on Wednesday.

''I just thought we chased the game the whole night,'' Senators head coach Paul MacLean said. ''I'm very concerned about the way that we've played to this point in the season.''

Ottawa allowed two goals within the first 6:35 before Erik Karlsson's first-period goal. Marc Methot scored in the second with Karlsson and captain Jason Spezza picking up assists.

''We can't spot good teams leads,'' Spezza said. ''We get behind, and then it doesn't matter what we do. We're chasing the whole game.''

That likely can't happen against Chicago, which scored first for the ninth time in 12 games en route to a 5-1 win at Minnesota on Monday. It improved to 7-0-2 when netting the first goal.

Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad had a goal and an assist apiece for the Blackhawks (7-2-3), who had allowed 11 goals during a two-game skid. Chicago entered the game last in the NHL with a 72.2 penalty-kill percentage, but it killed all three shorthanded situations against the Wild.

''We haven't been playing the way we want to play,'' said Blackhawks forward Nick Leddy, who scored a power-play goal. ''We know we can play that way all the time and I think this gives us some confidence.''

Patrick Sharp had only one assist in his previous five games but scored his second goal of the season. Marian Hossa, who had 188 goals for the Senators from 1997-2004, assisted on Sharp's tally.

''It was nice to put one in. Hopefully, that starts something,'' Sharp said.

Corey Crawford made 29 saves, but there's a chance Nikolai Khabibulin gets the nod in net in the second of a back-to-back. Khabibulin, who is 2-5-0 with a 4.08 goals-against average in his last seven against Ottawa, allowed each goal in a 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday in his most recent start.

Craig Anderson, who posted a 3.19 GAA in 56 appearances for the Blackhawks from 2002-06, could be in net for the Senators. He made 24 saves Sunday and is 4-0-2 with a 3.01 GAA in six starts against his former team, though he hasn't faced Chicago since being acquired in a trade with Colorado in February 2011.

No matter who is in net, Anderson said the Senators need to be more disciplined.

''Right now, we make a mistake and it ends up in our net,'' Anderson said. ''I'm not sure how you change that.

"You need a little bit of luck. But at the same time, you've got to limit the amount of mistakes you make.''

The Blackhawks have won five of six against the Senators, with Hossa scoring the deciding goal in a 2-1 victory in the most recent meeting March 2, 2012.

Ottawa hasn't won in Chicago since March 28, 2001.

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Peter Budaj, Canadiens shut out Rangers

The New York Rangers had all the comforts of home after spending most of the first month of the season on the road.

The star-studded blue carpet and a full house of their fans at a completely refurbished Madison Square Garden were there Monday night for the Rangers' home opener.

All that was missing was New York's offence.

Peter Budaj made 27 saves for his 11th career NHL shutout, and Tomas Plekanec and Alex Galchenyuk provided the scoring as the Canadiens spoiled the Rangers' long-awaited homecoming with a 2-0 victory. 

'Our guys were able to keep our ground and tried to box the players out so I can see the pucks.'- Canadiens goalie Peter Budaj

"I think we did a lot of good things," said Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who made 25 saves after a two-game injury absence. "We just hoped for an early goal for us to get the energy and confidence and get the building going.

"It was a disappointing loss, but it was great to be back."

Lundqvist was outshined by Budaj, the Canadiens' 31-year-old backup to Carey Price. Budaj was at the top of his game despite playing for only the second time this season and first since Oct. 10 at Edmonton when he stopped 27 of 28 shots in a win.

Plekanec scored the go-ahead goal on a power play in the second period. Budaj made it stand up for Montreal (7-5), which had lost three of four since a four-game winning streak.

"Our guys were able to keep our ground and tried to box the players out so I can see the pucks," Budaj said. "When I didn't see them, they blocked the shots. When I saw the puck, I was able to make the save."

The Canadiens blocked 28 shots.

"All our D and forwards were doing the little things right," Budaj said. "It does help tremendously when the team in front of you plays so well and blocks shots."

Galchenyuk scored his second of the season with 2:51 left with a goal that stood up to a video review. It was scored just moments after Budaj blocked an in-close chance for Mats Zuccarello.

"If that's not a kick, I don't know what a kick is," the aggravated Lundqvist said. "Seriously, there needs to be some sort of consistency in the calls.

"It's just a frustrating goal there that kind of kills the whole game. It would be very interesting to hear their explanation for it just to know moving forward what the rule really is."

New York ended its 3-6 trip with a stirring 3-2 overtime win at Detroit on Saturday. But even with a healthy Lundqvist, the Rangers couldn't build off that momentum.

"Guys were so excited. There was a definite energy in the room," forward Chris Kreider said. "The effort was there — the same effort as Detroit, if not more. We learned from that game and we got better but we didn't get the result we wanted. So go back to the drawing board."

Budaj turned aside a quick, hard drive by Kreider by blocking the shot with his glove and deflecting it off the crossbar in the first period.

"I felt pretty solid," Budaj said. "I got a little lucky there at the beginning. I was able to make the save, and it hit the crossbar. You always need a little bit of luck."

Kreider was still shaking his head after the game about his missed opportunity.

"What net didn't I see? It was wide open," he said after a deep exhaled breath. "It's just another one I've got to have."

Jesper Fast also took two whacks at the puck while stationed at the right post in the closing minutes of the second period without success.

Budaj's best stop was perhaps 6 minutes into the third period, when the teams were skating 4-on-4 after interference calls 21 seconds apart. J.T. Miller had a partial breakaway in the Montreal zone and fired a drive that Budaj stopped with his left arm.

Miller was denied again by Budaj midway through the third with a hard shot from the right of the crease.

Plekanec made it 1-0 with 3:26 left in the second period.

With Brian Boyle serving a roughing penalty, Montreal used a quick three-man passing play to set up Plekanec's team-leading sixth goal. Brian Gionta moved the puck to Michael Bournival, who made a pass to Plekanec, who came in alone on Lundqvist.

Plekanec went past Rangers defenceman Anton Stralman, skated in on his forehand and shifted the puck to his backhand before depositing a shot behind Lundqvist.

"That defenceman, I don't think he made such a great play," Plekanec said. "He kind of opened that lane for me to go to the net."

Both teams recorded seven shots in the first period. The Rangers had a 14-11 edge in the second, but couldn't get a puck past Budaj.

That has been a common theme for the road-weary Rangers, who were shut out twice during their road trip and managed only 15 goals.

Lundqvist showed no signs of injury in his first game back following a week of limited action as he recovered from an undisclosed ailment. He moved well and seemed sharp on most of Montreal's chances.

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said he decided on a goalie for Tuesday's game at the Islanders, but didn't reveal his choice.

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Whitecaps fire head coach Martin Rennie: report

Martin Rennie has reportedly been fired as head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Several media outlets say Rennie has been relieved of his coaching duties and that the Whitecaps will make his firing official on Tuesday.

The Whitecaps (13-12-9) saw their Major League Soccer post-season hopes crushed when they lost their second last game of the season, 3-2 to the Colorado Rapids in Commerce City, Colo on Oct. 19.

Vancouver finished the season in seventh place, with the Rapids (14-11-9) taking the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Rennie became head coach of the Whitecaps on Nov. 1, 2011. He joined the team after the Carolina RailHawks, his former club, were eliminated from the United Soccer Leagues First Division's post-season.

The 38-year-old Scot earned a Major League Soccer record of 24-25-19 over his two seasons in Vancouver. He led the Whitecaps to the playoffs in 2012 — his first season with the club — making Vancouver the first Canadian team to ever qualify for the MLS post-season.

The Whitecaps exited in the first round, losing to the eventual-champion Los Angeles Galaxy.

Rennie did not have much more success outside of league play. Vancouver failed to win the Canadian championship and advance to the CONCACAF Champions League under his guidance.

The Whitecaps did win the Cascadia Cup this season, a trophy awarded to the top team in head-to-head competition with the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers. It is Vancouver's only championship since joining MLS.

In addition to the Whitecaps and RailHawks, Rennie has coached the Cleveland City Stars of the USL's Second Division and the Cascade Surge of the USL's Premier Development League.

Sportsnet, the Province and the Vancouver Sun were the first to report the decision.

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Tiger Woods, EA Sports end video-game relationship

Company to work with PGA Tour on next golf title

The Associated Press Posted: Oct 29, 2013 10:04 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 29, 2013 10:09 AM ET

EA Sports' popular PGA Tour game will no longer be named for Tiger Woods.

The company announced on its blog that it and Woods have made a "mutual decision to end our partnership" and that the company would keep working with the PGA Tour on its next golf title.

EA Sports' popular golf game has been named for Tiger Woods since it first came out in 1998. This year's game, titled "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14," will be the last one to bear his name.

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Red-hot Avalanche come back to drop Jets

The Colorado Avalanche showed they can win playing from behind as well as with a lead.

Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist in the third period, Semyon Varlamov stopped 24 shots and the streaking Avalanche beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Sunday night.

Matt Duchene and Jan Hejda also scored and Gabriel Landeskog added two assists for the Avalanche. Under first-year coach Patrick Roy, they are 10-1 for the second time in franchise history.

"That was the first time we came from behind in the third period," Stastny said. "We got chances and we didn't stop. We just kept going."

Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little had a goal and assist each for the Jets.

The Avalanche trailed 2-1 entering the third but came out strong at the start of the period. They put nine quick shots on goalie Al Montoya before Hejda tied it with 12:47 left off an assist by Stastny.

Stastny netted the winner with 5:28 left to give Colorado its fourth straight victory. 

'Power play is getting old...We're seeing some of the same things we saw last year. We don't make the greatest decisions, we don't execute, and these are the things we lamented before. We were 0-for-5; it cost us the game.'- Jets coach Claude Noel

"When [Alex Tanguay] brings two guys to him, you know something good is going to happen," Stastny said. "I was just going back door and trying to yell as loud as I can to Landy because he was looking to shoot. He changed his mind at the last second and just gave me a tap-in. He passed it between two sticks. That's something we practice."

The rally was ignited before the Avalanche took the ice in the third period. During the intermission Roy broke out video tape to correct some things to help free up the offence.

"We had to make some adjustments because the way they play defensively," Roy said. "We wanted to transfer pucks. That's what generated our best chances and our goal. They overload the puck side. We moved the puck and that opened the ice for us."

It helped Stastny break out with his second goal and eighth point of the season.

"The goals to me aren't as important," he said. "As long as someone on our line is getting them, someone from our team is contributing."

Montoya stopped 33 shots before being pulled for an extra skater with 1:30 left. Despite controlling the puck in Colorado's end, the Jets managed just one shot with the advantage.

"They're the hottest team in the league right now so I was ready from the gate," Montoya said. "We knew what they were going to bring. Just disappointing to not come away with at least a point."

The Jets went 0 for 5 on the power play to add frustration to the loss. Winnipeg has failed to capitalize on 25 power-play chances in the last eight games and has just five goals in 49 chances this season.

"Power play is getting old. These are the same players we had last year and there was a reason why we were last year," coach Claude Noel said. "We're seeing some of the same things we saw last year. We don't make the greatest decisions, we don't execute, and these are the things we lamented before. We were 0-for-5; it cost us the game."

Wheeler gave Winnipeg a 2-1 lead when his hard shot from the right side slipped through Varlamov's legs with 9:58 left in the period.

Montoya tried to make it stand up but after tremendous pressure, the Avalanche tied it. Stastny's shot from a sharp angle bounced out to Hejda, who used a screen by Tanguay screen to beat Montoya with 12:47 left.

The Avalanche scored first when Ryan Wilson started a 2-on-1 break by putting a pass on the tape of Steve Downie's stick in the neutral zone. Montoya stopped Downie's slap shot from just inside the blue line, but the puck caromed right to Duchene, who was skating down the left side. He scored in the open net at 8:04 of the first.

Little matched the goal midway through the period after Nick Holden's shot off the back boards bounced to him in the right circle. His one-timer beat Varlamov stick side.

Winnipeg couldn't generate many chances after that, opening the door for Colorado's comeback.

"It was pretty special to win that one. The first time we've been behind going into the third," Duchene said. "New territory for us, but we believed and we had some big guys step up."

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Coyotes' Hanzal to have hearing for hit on Oilers' Petry

Phoenix centre called for charging during Saturday's win over Edmonton

CBC Sports Posted: Oct 27, 2013 7:14 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 27, 2013 7:20 PM ET

Martin Hanzal will have to answer for his actions on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. 

The Phoenix Coyotes centre will have a hearing with the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety Monday for a charging incident on Edmonton Oilers blue-liner Jeff Petry. 

The infraction occurred at 13:42 of the first period of Phoenix's 5-4 victory when Petry was levelled into the boards by Hanzal after playing the puck. 

Petry remained in the game while Hanzal received a two-minute penalty for charging. 

Hanzal, who stands 6'6 and weighs 230 pounds, is a 26-year-old native of the Czech Republic. He's enjoyed a hot start to the 2013-14 campaign with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 12 games so far. 

Petry, a six-foot-three, 195-pound native of Ann Arbor, Mich., has two goals and two assists this year to go along with eight penalty minutes in 12 games.

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Alex Stalock, Sharks sink Senators in Ottawa

Alex Stalock waited a long time for his first NHL start, but says it was well worth it.

The 26-year-old stopped 38 shots and was instrumental in leading the San Jose Sharks to a 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators Sunday night.

Stalock, who previously had made just three appearances in relief of starter Antti Niemi, admitted he was nervous and excited.

"I think it helped a lot being a five o'clock game for me and not having to sit around all night and come to the rink and go through the routine," he said. "It was a little easier than sitting around all day in my hotel room."

Stalock made 16 saves in the first period and helped the team jump out to a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes of play.

"Maybe it's a good thing that I saw a lot early and was able to feel it," said Stalock. "They were kind of shooting it from everywhere, which I was kind of expecting they would, but not being in a game yet I was lucky enough to make saves."

Stalock's teammates were happy to see him pick up the win and were thrilled to be able to give him a few early goals to help with his confidence.

"He's been patiently waiting behind [Niemi] and to come out with a performance like that was huge for us," said Sharks captain Joe Thornton. 

'Maybe it's a good thing that I saw a lot early and was able to feel it. They were kind of shooting it from everywhere, which I was kind of expecting they would, but not being in a game yet I was lucky enough to make saves.'- Sharks goalie Alex Stalock

Tomas Hertl, Andrew Desjardins, Tommy Wingels, James Sheppard and Joe Pavelski scored for the Sharks (10-1-1), who were playing their fourth of a five-game road trip.

The Senators (4-5-2) received goals from Erik Karlsson and Marc Methot, who picked up his first of the season. Craig Anderson made 24 saves in defeat.

This marked the first time this season that the Sharks had been outshot in a game.

The Senators have few answers for their play of late, but realize things have to change.

For the second straight game Ottawa allowed the opposition to jump out to a 2-0 lead.

"We can't spot good teams leads," said Senators' captain Jason Spezza. "We get behind and then it doesn't matter what we do, we're chasing the whole game."

The Senators lack of urgency proved costly as the Sharks scored two early third-period goals to put the game out of reach.

Sheppard scored his first of the season as he beat Anderson far side and Pavelski made it 5-2 after burying a big rebound.

Trailing 3-1 to start the second period, the Senators gave the home crowd something to cheer about when Methot closed the gap with a bullet from just inside the blue line.

A poor start by Ottawa proved to be the difference yet again.

"I just thought we chased the game the whole night," said Ottawa coach Paul MacLean. "I'm very concerned about the way that we've played to this point in the season."

In the past the Senators would often struggle at the start of games, but were resilient and became known for their ability to come back late.

"Our identity in the past has been a hard-working group that's very competitive and comes to play the whole game and plays hard the whole game," added MacLean. "Right now we don't do that. So what is our identity?"

The Senators were chasing the Sharks nearly from the start of the game.

Hertl opened the scoring at 1:16 as the puck bounced over Senators' defenceman Joe Corvo's stick, allowing Hertl to quickly put it between Anderson's legs.

Just over five minutes later sloppy play by the Senators in their own end allowed Desjardins to make it 2-0 as he picked up a rebound and scored off his backhand.

Ottawa cut the lead in half midway through the period, as Karlsson was able to score through traffic. With Senators' forward Cory Conacher creating a screen Stalock barely had a chance to see the shot until it was behind him.

Any momentum from the Ottawa goal was lost after giving up a short-handed goal with less than two minutes remaining in the period.

Karlsson bobbled the puck at his own blue line and San Jose's Logan Couture took off on a breakaway. While Anderson made the initial save the puck rested in the crease and Wingels banged it in to restore the two-goal lead.

"Right now we make a mistake and it ends up in our net," said Anderson. "I'm not sure how you change that. Obviously you need a little bit of luck, but at the same time you've got to limit the amount of mistakes you make."

This was the second and final meeting between the two teams this season.

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Red Sox rally to square World Series with Cardinals

There's no telling how these wacky World Series games will end.

One night after a rare obstruction call, Jonny Gomes hit a decisive homer when he wasn't even in the original lineup and Koji Uehara picked off a rookie at first base for the final out.

An entertaining, even goofy World Series is tied at two games apiece following Boston's 4-2 victory Sunday night, which ensured the title will be decided back at Boston's Fenway Park.

"Emotional roller-coaster here, obviously," Gomes said.

Inserted into the lineup about 75 minutes before gametime, Gomes hit a tiebreaking, three-run shot off reliever Seth Maness in the sixth inning.

Felix Doubront and surprise reliever John Lackey, both starters during the regular season, picked up for a gritty Clay Buchholz to help the Red Sox hang on.

And of course, another bizarre ending: Uehara picked off pinch-runner Kolten Wong — with post-season star Carlos Beltran standing at the plate.

It was the first post-season game in history to end on a pickoff, according to STATS.

Game 5 is Monday night at Busch Stadium, with Boston left-hander Jon Lester facing Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright in a rematch of the opener won 8-1 by the Red Sox.

Gomes helped get Boston started in the fifth when he followed David Ortiz's leadoff double with a 10-pitch walk that tired starter Lance Lynn, who had faced the minimum 12 batters through the first four innings.

Stephen Drew's sacrifice fly tied the score 1-all, erasing a deficit created when centre fielder Jacoby Ellsbury's third-inning error advanced Matt Carpenter into scoring position for Beltran's RBI single.

Ortiz, who homered in the first two games of the Series, had three of Boston's six hits and was the club's leader, smacking his hands together and screaming at teammates to get going when he pulled into second base on his double. Then, after the fifth inning, he huddled the Red Sox for a pep talk in the dugout.

Adrenaline rush

Not long after, Gomes' drive put Boston ahead 4-1 in the sixth.

With adrenaline taking over, Gomes spiked an arm through the air as he rounded first base, yelled and banged his chest with a fist twice. Teammates tugged on Gomes' beard for good luck when he got back to the dugout, including a two-handed pull by Mike Napoli.

While talk of umpires' calls dominated discussion following two of the opening three games, this one turned on a manager's pregame decision.

John Farrell's original Red Sox lineup didn't include Gomes, but Victorino's back had been bothering him since Saturday, so Daniel Nava was moved from left field to right and from fifth to second in the batting order. Gomes was inserted into the No. 5 hole behind Ortiz.

"Since I signed up for this game, all I wanted was the opportunity," Gomes said. "I just wanted to be in the box."

Gomes had been 0 for 9 in the Series before the home run, and Red Sox outfielders had been 4 for 40 with no RBIs. Following Dustin Pedroia's two-out single and a four-pitch walk to Ortiz by Lynn, Maness threw five straight sliders to Gomes, who sent the last one into the Red Sox bullpen in left as Matt Holliday kept running back only to run out of room.

"I take a lot of pride in the at-bat in front of me and behind me," Gomes said. "Obviously, Big Papi is pretty much an intentional walk. I did what I could to give him a little protection."

Carpenter singled in a run in the seventh off Craig Breslow in the seventh after pinch-hitter Shane Robinson doubled with two outs against Doubront on a ball that skidded away from Gomes. Junichi Tazawa came in and got Holliday to hit an inning-ending grounder to second, a night after allowing a tiebreaking, two-run double to Holliday.

Doubront got the win with 2 2-3 innings of one-hit relief. Lackey, the Game 2 loser and Boston's probable Game 6 starter, pitched the eighth for his first relief appearance in nine years, overcoming a two-base throwing error by third baseman Xander Bogaerts — Boston's seventh error of the Series — and a wild pitch.

With a runner on third, Lackey got Jon Jay to pop up and David Freese to ground out.

Uehara, Boston's sixth pitcher, got three outs for his sixth save this post-season, completing a six-hitter.

Lynn was the hard-luck loser, leaving with the score tied and two on for Maness, who allowed Gomes' homer on his fifth pitch.

A night after one of the craziest endings in Series history — an obstruction call on Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks — Boston ensured the Series will return to Fenway Park for Game 6 on Wednesday night.

"We stayed away from throwing the ball down the third base line tonight," Gomes said.

Special anniversary

It was a special anniversary for both teams. Exactly nine years earlier, the Red Sox completed a four-game sweep of the Cardinals across the street at old Busch Stadium for their first championship since 1918. And two years earlier, Freese hit a tying, two-run, two-out triple in the ninth against Texas and a winning homer in the 11th to force a Game 7, which St. Louis won the following night.

Buchholz, in his first appearance since the AL championship series finale on Oct. 19, fought through shoulder issues and his velocity topped out at 90 mph. He lasted a season-low four innings and 66 pitches before he was lifted for a pinch-hitter, but he allowed just an unearned run and three hits.

"We have guys with heart. Clay, he brought everything he's got," Ortiz said. "I have never seen Clay throwing an 88 mph fastball."

Fielding for the Red Sox became trouble again in the third when Carpenter singled to centre with one out, and the ball appeared to take a high hop and roll away from Ellsbury. Carpenter sprinted to second on the second error of the Series by Ellsbury — who had just three during the regular season.

Beltran singled into centre field two pitches later, making him 8 for 10 with 12 RBIs with runners in scoring position during the post-season.

There almost was another miscue in the fourth following a one-out walk to Jay. Freese bounced to Drew, and the shortstop grabbed the grounder on the run and flipped the ball with his glove high to Pedroia at second. He jumped and just got his left foot down in time to force Jay, who slid into him hard.

After Ortiz's double to the right-centre field wall in the fifth, Gomes fell behind 0-2 in the count and then worked out his walk. Lynn appeared to be too fine with his pitches as he walked rookie Bogaerts, loading the bases, and Drew lofted a fly to medium left near the foul line.

Holliday's one-hop throw home hit the sliding Ortiz in the back and bounced away. Lynn recovered to strike out David Ross and induce an inning-ending groundout from pinch-hitter Mike Carp.

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Surging Kings edge Richard Bachman, Oilers in shootout

The Los Angeles Kings had their highest shots total in four-plus seasons — and still had to go to a shootout to pin the loss on Richard Bachman in his Edmonton Oilers debut.

Anze Kopitar scored the deciding goal in the tiebreaker, helping the Kings beat the Oilers 2-1 on Sunday night for their seventh victory in nine games.

"When a guy like that gets a call up and gets a chance to play, you expect his best effort," Kings forward Jeff Carter said. "We tried to make it as tough for him as possible, getting bodies and pucks to the net. I thought he played a heck of a game, but we got the two points."

The Kings outshot Edmonton 48-18 in regulation and overtime. Nail Yakupov scored for the Oilers on a power play in the second period and Mike Richards tied it less than 14 minutes later. 

'When a guy like that gets a call up and gets a chance to play, you expect his best effort. We tried to make it as tough for him as possible, getting bodies and pucks to the net. I thought he played a heck of a game, but we got the two points.'- Kings' Jeff Carter on Oilers goalie Richard Bachman

The Kings are 5-0 in games that have gone past regulation. Jonathan Quick improved to 4-0 in shootouts, having stopped 10 of 11 shots he's faced in tiebreakers. In 2010-11, he led the NHL with 10 shootout wins and had an .818 save percentage.

Bachman made a career-high 47 saves after getting recalled Sunday from Oklahoma City of the American Hockey League. The three-year veteran played his first 32 NHL games with the Dallas Stars, posting a 14-10 record and a 2.94 goals-against average. Last April 9, he stopped all 22 shots he faced against the Kings in relief of an injured Kari Lehtonen and got credit for a 5-1 victory at Dallas.

The Kings' shot total was their highest since April 10, 2010, when they had 55 against the Oilers' Devan Dubnyk in a 4-3 shootout loss at Los Angeles.

"The first period was pretty routine, in terms of shots against (10)," Bachman said. "They had a couple of long shots, but I was able to see them and that helped me get into a rhythm and get into a groove out there. Guys in this league are too good, so you can't relax too much. You've got to stay alert, because if you get too comfortable, they'll make you pay."

Another potential goal by Richards was disallowed by referee Mike Leggo with 6:08 left in the third period. Bachman made the initial save on Carter's 25-foot wrist shot from the slot, and teammate Matt Frattin made contact with him just before Richards fired the rebound over the fallen goaltender. But there was no penalty called on Frattin.

"I felt like I got hit pretty good there," Backman said. "Obviously, I couldn't tell if he was pushed into me or not. But from my perspective, he was driving the crease pretty hard and knocked me down, and I wasn't able to move or control the puck. So it was a good call."

Kings centre Jordan Nolan, who hadn't had gotten a penalty in his first 10 games, brawled with Luke Gazdic at 2:09 of the second period — just 3 seconds after Edmonton's Ryan Jones duked it out with Kyle Clifford. Kings defenceman Jake Muzzin was sent off for interference 20 seconds later, and the Oilers opened the scoring on the ensuing power play as Yakupov converted a rebound of Anton Belov's 55-foot one-timer.

Bachman, playing because of Dubnyk's sore ankle, stopped the first 19 shots he faced before the Kings tied it at 16:58 of the second period. Carter beat Belov to a loose puck behind the Oilers' net and fed it out to Muzzin, whose one-timer was stopped by Bachman before Richards converted the rebound.

Edmonton had a power play for 4 full minutes in the first, as Drew Doughty got a hooking penalty exactly two minutes after Jarret Stoll was sent off for the same infraction. The Oilers came up empty that time and finished 1 for 4 with the man advantage, after coming in a league-worst 1 for 21 on the road.

It was a bumpy opening period for the Oilers. Center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins crumpled to the ice after a knee-on-knee hit by Clifford at the 7:44 mark and remained there for a couple of anxious moments before he was assisted to the bench by a couple of teammates. But he was back in time for the start of the Oilers' first power play.

Just 1:09 after the hit on Nugent-Hopkins, defenceman Ladislav Smid went crashing into the back of the net in the Oilers' zone and knocked it off its moorings after successfully defending a 2-on-1 rush by Carter and Clifford.

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Hotstove: Should coaches, GMs be fined for suspensions?

Video

CBC Sports Posted: Oct 26, 2013 8:40 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 26, 2013 8:40 PM ET

In the latest segment of Hotstove Tonight on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday, the panel discussed if the NHL will start fining coaches and general managers for player suspensions.

Commentator Glenn Healy says NHL general managers will meet in March and explore their options.

For more on the story, watch the full segment in the video above.

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Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir win 5th Skate Canada title

Scott Moir was teased about getting "misty" on the medal podium Saturday, as he sang along to the national anthem after winning Skate Canada International gold.

Moir and partner Tessa Virtue had just captured their fifth Skate Canada Grand Prix title to kick off what will likely be their final season competing.

"Misty? I was checking the Leafs score," Moir shot back, to much laughter.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," he added. "It's emotional, I think for Tessa and I, hearing your anthem in your own country, it's very special.

"We've been lucky to have some great opportunities, Olympic Games, many Skate Canadas … but it's always special to stand up there to hear your national anthem and sing along to it. Smelling the roses, if you will."

Virtue, from London, Ont., and Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., scored 181.03 points, bringing the Harbour Station crowd to its feet with their elegant free dance to music by Russian composer Alexander Glazunov — a program they call their "labour of love," set to a piece of music that has already seen 25 revisions — and counting.

They hope it's the program that will propel them back to the top of the Olympic ice dance podium one more time.

"Tessa and I, it was really about creating a moment with this program, and we were able to do that for ourselves, and hopefully fans felt it as well," Moir said.

Canadian teammates Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje claimed silver with 175.23, while Americans Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won bronze with 153.20.

Virtue, from London, Ont., and Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., skated to music from "The Seasons," a Russian ballet that has never been used in international competition and a piece of music their coach Marina Zoueva chose to appeal to Russian sensibilities at the Sochi Olympics.

If last season's free dance to "Carmen" was all drama and passion, "The Seasons" is silvery grace, more similar in style to their free program that won them gold at the Vancouver Games, but still unique, and packed full of intricate lifts and spins.

"Winning the Olympics is our main goal, but we know we can't do anything that's been done before, we don't want to be compared to anyone else … and having music that no one has ever skated to is motivating for us," Moir said. "We want to create a unique moment in our career. We have to stay true to ourselves and even when we're trying to win the Olympics, we're not willing to sell out to do it."

The ballet represents the four seasons, but also represents the course of the Canadians' career. The beginning is about their love for skating, the middle about their outside pressures and conflicts, and then rediscovering their love for skating.

The final 30 seconds, Moir explained in his Coles Notes version, is meant to be the two in Sochi, "triumphing and achieving our goal."

"One thing we wanted to make sure this season is we didn't try and repeat what we did in Vancouver. It's easy to go back and duplicate that but so much has changed, in the sport of ice dancing but also in our own skating and within our partnership. So Marina had a great vision of how she wanted this program," Virtue explained. "It's important to show the change of seasons, Glazunov's seasons, but also to relate to our story.

"There's so much to tell in the last 17 years and I think that makes us that more invested and connected to the program."

In pairs earlier in the day, Canadians Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford went from from elated to frustrated in the span of a few minutes as uncharacteristically low technical marks dropped the pair to bronze.

Stefania Berton and Ondrej Hotarek won gold with 193.92 points, while China's Sui Wenjing and Han Cong claimed the silver (193.77). Paige Lawrence of Kennedy, Sask., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., were fourth.

Julia Lipnitskaia, a 15-year-old phenom from Russia, won the women's singles title, scoring 198.23 points after a virtually flawless long program. Akiko Suzuki claimed the silver with 193.75, while American Gracie Gold won bronze (186.65). Amelie Lacoste of Delson, Que., was fifth.

There was more disappointment on the Canadian team Saturday when Kaetlyn Osmond, a 17-year-old from Marystown, N.L., withdrew with a hamstring injury.

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Coach's Corner: Why Don Cherry feels sorry for John Scott

Video

Cherry says Sabres' enforcer must make something happen in limited ice time

CBC Sports Posted: Oct 26, 2013 9:03 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 26, 2013 9:03 PM ET

Buffalo Sabres enforcer John Scott has been the subject of heavy scrutiny over the past several days for his hit to the head of Boston Bruins forward Loui Eriksson on Wednesday. 

But Don Cherry thinks people need to stop placing so much blame on the six-foot-eight, 270-pound winger, who was suspended indefinitely pending an in-person hearing next week.

The candid Coach's Corner commentator said on his Hockey Night in Canada segment Saturday why he felt sorry for Scott, and that he has to make something happen in his limited ice time. 

Click the above video to find out more and tell us whether you agree or disagree with Cherry in the comments section below.

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Obstruction call in 9th gives Cardinals Game 3 World Series win

No way Allen Craig and the St. Louis Cardinals would get tripped up in one of the wildest World Series endings imaginable.

A rare obstruction call on third baseman Will Middlebrooks let Craig score with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, finishing off a mad-cap play that sent the Cardinals over the Boston Red Sox 5-4 Saturday night for a 2-1 Series lead.

"I'm in shock right now," St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina said.

So was most everyone at Busch Stadium.

The Cardinals poured out of the dugout to congratulate Craig. The Red Sox also rushed to the plate, to argue with the umpires. The fans seemed too startled to cheer.

A walk-off win? More like a trip-off.

"Tough way to have a game end, particularly of this significance," Red Sox manager John Farrell said.

After an umpire's call was the crux of Game 1 and a poor Boston throw to third base helped decide Game 2, this night combined both elements.

Molina singled with one out in the ninth off losing pitcher Brandon Workman. Craig, just back from a sprained foot, pinch-hit and lined Koji Uehara's first pitch into left field for a double that put runners on second and third.

With the infield in, Jon Jay hit a grounder to diving second baseman Dustin Pedroia. He made a sensational stab and threw home to catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who tagged out the sliding Molina.

But then Saltalamacchia threw wide of third trying to get Craig. The ball glanced off Middlebrooks' glove and Craig's body, caroming into foul territory down the line.

After the ball got by, Middlebrooks, lying on his stomach, raised both legs and tripped Craig, slowing him down as he tried to take off for home.

"I just know I have to dive for that ball. I'm on the ground. There's nowhere for me to go," Middlebrooks said.

Third base umpire Jim Joyce immediately signalled obstruction, but the players left nothing to chance.

"With the defensive player on the ground, without intent or intent, it's still obstruction," Joyce said. "You'd probably have to ask Middlebrooks that one, if he could have done anything. But that's not in our determination."

Craig kept scrambling to get up.

"He was in my way. I couldn't tell you if he tried to trip me or not. I was just trying to get over him," he said.

Left fielder Daniel Nava retrieved the ball and made a strong throw home, where Saltalamacchia tagged a sliding Craig in time. But plate umpire Dana DeMuth signalled safe and then pointed to third, making clear the obstruction had been called.

"I was excited at first because we nailed the guy at home. I wasn't sure why he was called safe," Middlebrooks said.

"We're all running to home to see why he was called safe. We didn't think there was any obstruction there, obviously. As I'm getting up, he trips over me. I don't know what else to say."

Said Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday: "You hate for it to end on a somewhat controversial play."

"You would like for it to end a little cleaner, but that's part of it," he said.

Painful flashback

To some Red Sox fans, the tangle might've brought back painful memories from the 1975 World Series. In Game 3, Cincinnati's Ed Armbrister wasn't called for interference by plate umpire Larry Barnett when he blocked Boston catcher Carlton Fisk on a 10th-inning bunt. Fisk made a wild throw, setting up Joe Morgan's winning single.

Craig returned for this Series from a sprained left foot that had sidelined him since early September. After an awkward slide on the final play, he hobbled off the field in apparent discomfort.

The Red Sox scored twice in the eighth to tie it 4-all. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a single and Shane Victorino was hit by a pitch for the sixth time this post-season. Both runners moved up on Pedroia's groundout, and David Ortiz was intentionally walked.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny went to hard-throwing closer Trevor Rosenthal with the bases loaded, hoping for a five-out save from a rookie who has looked almost untouchable this October. But the Red Sox pushed two runs across.

Nava drove in one with a short-hop grounder that was smothered by second baseman Kolten Wong, who had just entered on defence in a double-switch.

Wong went to second for the forceout, but Nava beat the relay and Ellsbury scored to make it 4-3. Xander Bogaerts tied it when he chopped a single up the middle.

Workman jammed Holliday and retired the slugger on a routine fly with two on to end the bottom of the eighth. That sent the game to the ninth tied at 4. Rosenthal wound up with the win.

Holliday's two-run double put the Cardinals on top 4-2 in the seventh.

It was a tough inning for Red Sox reliever Craig Breslow. Matt Carpenter reached safely when he checked his swing on an infield single to shortstop. Carlos Beltran was grazed on the elbow pad by a pitch — making no effort to get out of the way.

Beltran, in fact, almost appeared to stick his elbow out just a tiny bit to make sure the ball made contact.

Junichi Tazawa came on and Holliday pulled a grounder past Middlebrooks at third. The ball kicked into the left-field corner and Holliday went all the way to third on the throw to the plate.

Preventing further damage

Tazawa then got a couple of strikeouts and prevented further damage.

It was Middlebrooks' first inning in the field. He entered as a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh and took over at third base in the bottom half.

That shifted Bogaerts to shortstop — and neither one was able to make the difficult defensive play Boston needed in that inning.

Cardinals starter Joe Kelly, one of the few major league pitchers to wear glasses on the mound, set down his first nine batters. The Red Sox seemed to see him better the next time around in coming back from a 2-0 deficit.

Bogaerts opened the fifth with a triple that banged-up right fielder Beltran couldn't quite reach. The rookie later scored on a grounder by pinch-hitter Mike Carp.

Slumping Shane Victorino drew a leadoff walk from Kelly in the sixth and wound up scoring the tying run. Ortiz grounded a single off lefty reliever Randy Choate, and Nava greeted Seth Maness with an RBI single that made it 2-all.

Their fielding woes from Game 1 far behind them, the slick-fielding Cardinals made several sharp plays. Kelly barehanded a one-hopper, Carpenter threw out a runner from his knees up the middle and third baseman David Freese backhanded a line drive.

St. Louis quickly broke ahead, scoring in the first inning for the first time this October on RBI singles by Holliday and Molina. After the Cardinals got three hits in a span of four pitches, Red Sox reliever Felix Doubront began heating up in a hurry before Jake Peavy settled down.

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Sebastian Vettel captures 4th straight F1 title

German driver races to Indian Grand Prix win

The Canadian Press Posted: Oct 27, 2013 9:54 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 27, 2013 9:57 AM ET

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel claimed his fourth straight Formula One championship Sunday after turning in a trademark clinical performance to win the Indian Grand Prix in Greater Noida, India.

Starting from pole, Vettel again dominated the Buddh International Circuit to join F1 greats Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as just the third driver to win four consecutive championships.

Vettel finished almost 30 seconds ahead of second placed Nico Rosberg in a Mercedes, with Lotus driver Romain Grosjean taking his second straight third after starting from 17th on the grid.

With Vettel's win, Red Bull has also claimed its fourth straight constructor's title, despite losing Mark Webber to mechanical problems while in second place.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa was fourth with teammate Fernando Alonso finishing a disappointing 11th.

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Skate Canada International

Live Blog

Follow Pj Kwong's updates from Saint John

CBC Sports Posted: Oct 22, 2013 12:23 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 25, 2013 2:59 PM ET

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating makes its second stop of the season this week in Saint John for Skate Canada International.

As always, this year's field is packed with Canadian stars going head-to-head with their international rivals.

Patrick Chan, the three-time reigning men's world champion, is making his Grand Prix season debut, along with Olympic ice dance gold medallists and two-time world champs Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Up-and-comer Kaetlyn Osmond competes in the ladies' event, and world pairs bronze medallists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford look to continue their ascension as the Sochi Olympics approach.

Follow our Scribble Live blog for the latest news, notes, photos, video and commentary from CBC figure skating analyst Pj Kwong.

Join the conversation by entering your comments below, or by tweeting with the hashtag #cbcskate.

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Ryan Kesler, Eddie Lack propel Canucks past Blues in OT

Thanks in large part to centre Ryan Kesler, the Vancouver Canucks' longest road trip of the season proved to be very successful.

Kesler scored his second goal of the game at 4:45 of overtime to lift the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Friday night. The Canucks went 5-1-1 on their seven-game trip.

"Day by day, it's a really good trip," Vancouver coach John Tortorella said. "Throughout the trip, we won in different ways.

"We kept our composure. We handled ourselves and stayed within ourselves. We know how long this trip has been."

The Blues agreed with Tortorella's assessment.

"They were playing their game, and they were right into it," Blues forward David Backes said. "It took a while for us to wake up. It's not acceptable. We needed two points."

The Canucks let a two-goal advantage slip away but managed to get to overtime. When it looked as though the game was headed for a shootout, Vancouver took advantage of a mistake.

With 33.6 seconds left in the extra session, Patrik Berglund was sent off for hooking Canucks forward Daniel Sedin.

Vancouver controlled the ensuing faceoff and scored on the 4-on-3 advantage when Kesler got the puck down low in the slot and swatted it past goalie Jaroslav Halak.

Kesler has seven goals on the young season, but he isn't satisfied.

"I can always improve," Kesler said. "I'm going to keep riding it. This trip has helped me a lot."

Backup goalie Eddie Lack made 22 saves in the win. Chris Higgins had Vancouver's other goal, and Mike Santorelli added two assists.

Alexander Steen had a goal and an assist for St. Louis, and Vladimir Sobotka also scored.

The Blues played their first game in a week, and their layoff showed during much of the first two periods.

"We discussed it before the game," Steen said. "There's no excuse for not coming out harder than we did, but as the game progressed, I thought we got into it more and started taking over."

Higgins gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead with 2:49 left in the first period when he raced down left wing on a 3-on-2 rush and took a shot from the left circle. Defenceman Roman Polak slid down to block the shot, but he deflected it instead, and the puck sailed over Halak's left shoulder.

After Kesler made it 2-0 with a one-timer from the slot at 9:34 of the second period, the Blues got back in it by scoring on a 5-on-3 power play with 6.4 seconds left in the period.

T.J. Oshie got control of the puck deep in the left circle and sent a centring pass to Steen, who beat Lack with a one-timer.

Sobotka made it 2-2 with a shot from the right circle 1:38 into the third period.

"When they scored late in the second and early in the third, we kept our composure," Tortorella said. "As the third went on, we changed the tide."

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