Ottawa extends winning streak at Canucks' expense | NHL

NHL

Senators beat Canucks, extend win streak to 11: The Vancouver Canucks' NHL-record road trip got just a little bit longer after Jason Spezza, Brian Elliott and the Ottawa Senators all extended their streaks for the second time in two nights.

Spezza scored his ninth goal in his past eight games and Ottawa extended its team-record winning streak to 11 with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

Elliott made 29 saves to break his own team record with his ninth straight win. He lost a shutout bid when Kyle Wellwood scored a power-play goal with 1:39 left.

Milan Michalek had a goal and an assist, and Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson had three assists a night after scoring twice in the final minute to lead the Senators to a 4-2 victory in Buffalo.

Thrashers trade Kovalchuk to Devils: Ilya Kovalchuk has been traded to the New Jersey Devils. The Atlanta Thrashers sent Kovalchuk and defenseman Anssi Salmela to the Devils for right winger Niclas Bergfors, defenseman Johnny Oduya, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first-round draft pick.

The 26-year-old Kovalchuk, set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, turned down the Thrashers' 12-year, $101 million extension offer.

Since the Thrashers drafted him No. 1 overall in 2001, Kovalchuk leads the NHL with 328 goals, but Atlanta has made just one playoff appearance and has never won a postseason game.

Olympics

Whitney, Gleason chosen for U.S. hockey team: Ryan Whitney of the Anaheim Ducks and Tim Gleason of the Carolina Hurricanes were chosen to replace injured defensemen Paul Martin and Mike Komisarek on the U.S. Olympic men's hockey team.

Whitney and Gleason were selected from the pool of players who participated in the team's orientation camp last summer. The moves to replace Martin and Komisarek were made less than two weeks before the United States' opening game in Vancouver against Switzerland on Feb. 16.

U.S. women beat Finland: Jessie Vetter saved 24 of 25 shots and the U.S. women's hockey team wrapped up its 10-game exhibition slate with a 5-1 win over Finland in Colorado Springs, Colo. Four-time Olympians Jenny Potter and Angela Ruggiero scored for the U.S.

College football

Broussard leaves WSU for ASU: Steve Broussard, one of the most prolific running backs in Washington State history and the school's running-backs coach for the past three years, has resigned to take a position under his former WSU coach, Dennis Erickson.

"I'm headed down to Arizona State," Broussard said, adding the change was motivated primarily by family issues. Broussard said he will coach wide receivers at Arizona State.

Soccer

Boxx goes first to Saint Louis in dispersal draft: Midfielder Shannon Boxx was selected first by Saint Louis Athletica in the Women's Professional Soccer dispersal draft.

Athletica traded several players to the Atlanta Beat to get the first pick in the draft, which is being used to disperse players whose rights were held by the Los Angeles Sol.

Philadelphia used the second pick on goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, who led the league with 12 shutouts last season, while Bay Area club FC Gold Pride used the third pick to get four-time FIFA player of the year Marta.

Ching, Orozco added to U.S. training camp: Forward Brian Ching, a former member of the USL Seattle Sounders, and defender Michael Orozco have been added to the 23-man U.S. roster for a training camp ahead of a Feb. 24 World Cup warmup against El Salvador at Tampa, Fla. Also on the roster is Sounders FC midfielder Brad Evans.

Revolution keeper has surgery on knee: New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis, 34, had surgery on his left knee. Reis had a procedure to fix his quadriceps tendon.

Estonia midfielder signs with Red Bulls: Estonia midfielder Joel Lindpere signed with the New York Red Bulls from Norwegian club Tromso.

Baseball

Tigers finalize $80M deal with Verlander: Ace pitcher Justin Verlander agreed to an $80 million, five-year deal to stay with the Detroit Tigers.

Thome signs contract Twins: Slugger Jim Thome signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Minnesota Twins and has been officially added to the team's 40-man roster.

Cubs settle with Marmol, add Millar: Pitcher Carlos Marmol and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a one-year contract worth $2,125,000, the midpoint between the figures the sides exchanged in arbitration last month. In addition, Chicago reached a minor-league contract with first baseman Kevin Millar.

Horse racing

Arkansas track aiming for Rachel-Zenyatta showdown: The stage is set for the first ladies of racing. Now all Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta have to do is show up.

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., threw some serious money at the two champion females who have yet to meet, enticing them with a $5 million purse for the Apple Blossom on April 3.

Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta were unbeaten last year, taking on males and females. Rachel Alexandra was the first filly to win the Preakness in 85 years; Zenyatta became the first female to win the Breeders' Cup Classic. Rachel Alexandra beat Zenyatta for Horse of the Year.

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