National Hockey

Washington coach Barry Trotz wasn't surprised his squad started the season slow. Pain from another playoff flameout lingered.

WINNIPEG — Mathieu Perreault's two goals Sunday afternoon lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks while also continuing the club's torrid pace on home ice this season.

MONTREAL — The struggling Montreal Canadiens aren't ready to give up on their season quite yet. General manager Marc Bergevin said he's still confident the Canadiens can have a big second half of the NHL season and make the playoffs.

NEW YORK — The struggling Islanders desperately needed a boost and thanks to rookie Sebastian Aho, they received a lift heading into their bye-week break.

CHICAGO — Anton Forsberg made 32 saves, Nick Schmaltz and Alex DeBrincat scored in the first period, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the slumping Edmonton Oilers 4-1 on Sunday.

PHILADELPHIA — Barely a month removed from a 10-game losing streak, the Philadelphia Flyers have climbed back into playoff contention. They can thank the high-scoring trio of Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek.

BOSTON — Patrice Bergeron had four goals and an assist, surpassing 700 points for his career while leading the Boston Bruins to a 7-1 rout of the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

CALGARY — Dougie Hamilton was as surprised as anybody that he was left alone in the slot late in Saturday's game at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

LOS ANGELES — Austin Watson scored two goals, P.K. Subban added two assists and the Nashville Predators sent the Los Angeles Kings to their first regulation loss at home since mid-November, 4-3 Saturday night.

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche are playing with a swagger they didn't have while struggling last season.