Blackhawks Suffer First Loss – NHL News And Notes For January 31st

UNDATED (AP) — The San Jose Sharks are now the NHL's only team with a perfect record following Chicago's loss at Minnesota.

Matt Cullen scored once in regulation before adding the deciding goal in the Wild's 3-2 shootout win over the Blackhawks. Niklas Backstrom stopped all 28 shots he faced after replacing Josh Harding, who gave up two goals in the first 6:45. Cal Clutterbuck also scored for the Wild, who dropped the Blackhawks to 6-0-1.

Elsewhere on ice, Daniel Alfredsson scored his first goal of the season and Ottawa ended Montreal's four-game winning streak by routing the Canadiens 5-1. Craig Anderson turned back 31 shots and blanked the Habs after Tomas Plekanec (pleh-KAH'-nehch) scored a power-play goal 5 ½ minutes into the game.

Nail Yakupov scored 3:52 into overtime to give Edmonton a 2-1 win against Phoenix. Devan Dubnyk (DOOB'-nik) stopped 27 saves and blanked the Coyotes until Nick Johnson scored with 19 seconds left in regulation.

Roberto Luongo picked up his first win of the season and 61st career shutout by stopping 24 shots in Vancouver's 3-0 win over Colorado. Jason Garrison and Max Lapierre (lah-ee-EHR') each scored their first goals of the season, both of them unassisted.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The future of the Phoenix Coyotes is in jeopardy once again.

A league official tells The Associated Press that prospective owner Greg Jamison is unlikely to complete a deal to buy the team from the NHL before a lease agreement with the City of Glendale expires on Thursday. The official says that, barring a last-minute change, the former CEO of the San Jose Sharks won't have the money or investors in place to meet the deadline.

Jamison reached a 20-year, $324 million lease deal with Glendale last year that was reworked in November.

The Coyotes have been run by the NHL since the previous owner took the team into bankruptcy in 2009.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL has suspended New York Islanders forward Colin McDonald for two games after a boarding incident involving Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy on Tuesday.

Under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, McDonald will lose $7,567.56 in salary. The funds will be sent to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

In other hockey news:

— Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta was released from the hospital Wednesday, after absorbing a hard hit late in the first period of Buffalo's 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs Tuesday in Toronto. Kaleta, who has a history of head and neck problems, was boarded by Toronto's Mike Brown. Kaleta will miss Thursday's game at Boston.

— Rangers captain Ryan Callahan will be sidelined for 10 to 14 days after hurting his shoulder in New York's victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday night.