National Hockey

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators got exactly what they wanted Thursday night.

TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Rangers were a determined group from the opening puck drop, and the result was a win over one of the NHL's best. J.T. Miller scored 1:19 into overtime and the Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Thursday night.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin says he isn't trying to make a political statement by voicing his support for Vladimir Putin ahead of the Russian presidential election.

WASHINGTON — Lars Eller looked determined not to let the Washington Capitals lose another game at home, so he took things into his own hands.

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins placed forward David Backes on injured reserve Thursday and expect him to miss up to eight weeks as he recovers from surgery to remove a portion of his colon.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — In a game that included 20 penalties and 52 penalty minutes, the San Jose Sharks found a way to win ugly.

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks are probably glad they traded Cory Schneider to a team in the Eastern Conference.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Playing on the road against a quality opponent while trying to break out of a losing skid is just the kind of situation the Toronto Maple Leafs brought Patrick Marleau in for.

EDMONTON — A game against the struggling Edmonton Oilers was what they Pittsburgh Penguins needed to get their road trip back on track.

CHICAGO — While the Chicago Blackhawks work on their power play and coach Joel Quenneville searches for the right combinations for his lineup, at least they have Corey Crawford in goal.