Avalanche’s Varlamov steps up after being called out by Roy

Semyon Varlamov wants to make Patrick Roy happy.

After the Colorado Avalanche netminder was called out by his head coach asking him to "step it up," Varlamov cashed in a gutsy effort on Monday, turning away 37 of 38 shots and backstopping his team to a 3-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes.

The win came in just Varlamov's second game of the month after he was chased against the Minnesota Wild after conceding three goals on 12 shots.

Monday's victory was Varlamov's first since a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 17. He had gone winless in his three prior starts.

The 27-year-old now boasts a 22-17-3 record in 44 games this season.

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Babcock blames Maple Leafs’ veterans for shootout loss to Sabres

The Toronto Maple Leafs squandered a two-goal lead en route to a 4-3 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, but none of the team's rookies could be faulted for the defeat.

Head coach Mike Babcock addressed the media after yet another one-goal loss, where he pointed out that it was the team's experienced players and not the youngsters who had contributed to the loss.

"It wasn't our kids that made mistakes tonight," said Babcock. "It was two guys we count on big time there in the third period that cost us."

On the flip side, Babcock was pleased with his rookies and showed particular appreciation for the strong play of Nikita Soshnikov and Zach Hyman, the former of which collected his first NHL goal in the loss.

The Maple Leafs have now dropped five straight one-goal games and six games overall with just one point out of a possible 12.

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Julien becomes Bruins’ all-time wins leader

While Jaromir Jagr used Monday's contest between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers to make league history, Bruins head coach Claude Julien used it to set a franchise mark.

Related: Jagr passes Gordie Howe on all-time points list

With his team's 5-4 overtime win, Julien became the Bruins' all-time winningest coach, moving past Art Ross with his 388th career win with the club.

Julien now has a record of 388-215-85 in 688 career games with the Bruins. The 55-year-old will be honored by the club ahead of the its March 24th contest again the Panthers at TD Garden.

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Voracek pumped about another Flyers win

Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakub Voracek, out a couple weeks with a lower-body injury, is enjoying watching his team.

The Flyers won for the fifth time in six games Monday, completing a brilliant 5-1 homestand with a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Voracek was a little excited about the win:

Who needs 140 characters when you can get your point across in only 25?

The Flyers are only two points back in the wild-card race. It's going to be an exciting finish to the season.

Voracek has only 10 goals and 38 assists in 60 games. He's no doubt hoping to make amends in the playoffs.

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