Flyers sweep Western Canadian road trip after 10-game losing skid

The Philadelphia Flyers' double-digit run of defeats is now firmly in the rear-view mirror.

Claude Giroux notched a goal and an assist, and Jakub Voracek chipped in three helpers of his own as the Flyers dumped the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 on Thursday night.

Philadelphia extended its win streak to three, with all of those victories coming on the road against Western Canadian clubs this week.

The Flyers snapped their 10-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Monday, doubled up the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Wednesday, before beating the Canucks one night later.

Philadelphia begins a five-game homestand Tuesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Karlsson snaps career-long 10-game pointless drought

The drought is over.

Senators captain Erik Karlsson snapped a 10-game pointless streak with an assist on Matt Duchene's first-period tally Thursday night in Los Angeles. The drought was the longest such streak in Karlsson's career.

Despite the offensive slump, Karlsson amazingly still has 18 points in 22 games this season, ranking third on the Sens despite missing the first five games of the year recovering from offseason foot surgery.

The Senators tied Thursday's game in the dying seconds of the third period, but fell 4-3 in overtime on Drew Doughty's game-winner.

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Blues season-ticket holder dresses as emergency goalie

Tyler Stewart had a night to remember.

The St. Louis Blues season-ticket holder - who's a vending machine worker by day, according to The Associated Press - briefly served as the club's backup goaltender Thursday night.

So how did that happen?

Goalie Carter Hutton got hurt in the morning skate, and while the Blues called up Ville Husso from their AHL affiliate, he couldn't make it to the arena in time for puck drop.

That gave Stewart the unlikely opportunity to hear head coach Mike Yeo's pregame speech, speak to several Blues players, and warm up alongside starter Jake Allen.

The 25-year-old signed a tryout contract Thursday afternoon.

Stewart watched the first period from the Blues' dressing room, and Husso made it to the arena with about five minutes left in the opening frame.

"It's something I'll never forget," Stewart said, according to the AP. "This was my Christmas present."

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15 possible team names for Seattle’s potential NHL franchise

With the NHL announcing an agreement to consider an application for an expansion franchise in Seattle, it's time to start brainstorming ideas for a potential team name.

A city located by the Pacific Ocean with plenty of mountains and a diverse wildlife, there are many elements that relate strongly to Seattle, which usually brings out the most creative ideas when branding a new team.

Without further ado, here are 15 possible team names for Seattle's potential NHL franchise:

Bonanzas: Bonanza Peak is the fifth-highest mountain peak in all of Washington. Plus, as a city with numerous Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft, Starbucks, and Amazon, it fits the definition of "something that is very valuable, profitable, or rewarding," per Merriam-Webster.

Cascades: The Cascade Mountain Range (also referred to as Cascades) is the tallest mountain range in Washington, and one of the longest mountain ranges in North America, stretching from British Columbia to California.

Chickadees: Birds usually make for pretty good team names, so why not go with one of the more popular ones in Seattle? It gets its name from the sound it makes: Chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee.

Cougars: Cougars are pretty cool animals, and with all of the mountains nearby, there have been cougar sightings near Seattle in the past.

Eagles: A simple, yet effective team. Eagles are very common in Seattle.

Evergreens: Seattle's nickname is the "Emerald City," due to the evergreen forests in the area. Naming your team after a tree may not seem ideal, but the "Seattle Evergreens" has a pretty nice ring to it.

Glaciers: Glacier Peak is the fourth-highest mountain in Washington.

Metropolitans: This wouldn't be Seattle's first hockey team. In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans became the first American team to win the Stanley Cup before folding in 1924.

Mountaineers: As you may have noticed, Seattle is known for its mountains, so why not pay homage to those brave enough to climb them?

Mountain Lions: Another name for cougar, but still cool.

Rainiers: Mount Rainier is the highest mountain peak in Washington. Plus, it rains a lot in Seattle. The only problem with this is the Seattle Mariners' Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma is named the Rainiers, so some sort of agreement would have to be worked out.

Salmon: Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle is famous for their Salmon toss. Maybe if the team was named after the fish, this could become a ritual at their games?

Sandpipers: Out of all these team names, the Seattle Sandpipers might have the best ring to it. The Sandpiper is a popular type of bird in the city.

Sea Otters: Sea otters live in shallow coastal waters off the northern Pacific. They're underrated intelligent animals.

Space Needles: The Space Needle observation tower is Seattle's most iconic landmark, and possibly the first thing you think off when someone mentions Seattle.

Which team name do you like the best?

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Watch: Panthers’ scoreboard randomly shoots out smoke during play

The Winnipeg Jets' and Florida Panthers' offenses weren't the only things smoking Thursday night.

A rather unique scoreboard malfunction occurred late in the third period at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla., as smoke machines and lights started going off randomly with about five minutes left and the Panthers leading 5-4.

The problem was rectified after a quick TV timeout

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Quebec City won’t be considered for NHL expansion yet again

Seattle has the green light, but a certain Canadian city has once again been left waiting at a stop sign.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Thursday that the league is only looking at Seattle for potential expansion, meaning Quebec City is not a possibility this time around, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

Related: NHL opens application process for Seattle expansion franchise

Bettman said he doesn't know where this leaves Quebec City going forward, per TSN's Pierre LeBrun, and added that the former NHL city is still on the league's radar, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.

Quebec City submitted an expansion application in June 2016, but the NHL deferred it and chose Las Vegas as the only new franchise destination.

Quebecor, a local media company, oversaw the construction of the $370-million Videotron Centre, which opened in fall 2015.

The NHL's Nordiques left Quebec City for Denver and became the Avalanche in 1995.

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Canucks would welcome Seattle franchise

The city of Seattle took its first major step toward securing an NHL franchise Thursday, and a potential local rival is more than willing to welcome it to the region.

Vancouver is just over a three-hour drive from Seattle, so naturally, the Canucks would align nicely as a team to build a rivalry with.

According to Vancouver's president of hockey operations, Trevor Linden, the Canucks are more than open to the idea of having another team nearby to stoke the competitive flames that come with playing against a club from the geographical area.

A Pacific Northwestern hockey rivalry? Why not.

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Bettman confirms Hurricanes’ sale agreement, insists they won’t relocate

The Carolina Hurricanes have an agreement in place to sell the team, and Gary Bettman is adamant that they're not going anywhere.

The NHL commissioner confirmed that the club's signed a purchase agreement with its prospective new owner, Dallas-based businessman Tom Dundon, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Bettman added that the sale won't be officially closed for a few weeks, but insisted "this is not a team that will be moved," according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Dundon signed the purchase agreement with longtime Hurricanes chairman Peter Karmanos on Wednesday night. Dundon is the chairman and managing partner of Dundon Capital Partners, a private investment firm.

Under the new agreement, Dundon will own 52 percent of the team, while Karmanos will own 48 percent, and Dundon will have an option to buy out Karmanos' share in three years' time, LeBrun added.

Karmanos has owned the franchise since the Hartford Whalers days, purchasing it along with Compuware partner Thomas Thewes and now-Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford in 1994.

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NHL opens application process for Seattle expansion franchise

The NHL Board of Governors has agreed to consider an application for an NHL expansion franchise in Seattle, commissioner Gary Bettman said in a press conference Thursday, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.

Bettman said the expansion fee would be $650 million, which is $150 million more than Las Vegas paid.

The NHL will allow a potential ownership group, led by billionaire David Bonderman and legendary film and TV producer Jerry Bruckheimer, to file an application and then conduct a season-ticket drive, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

While this is similar to the Golden Knights' beginnings, it doesn't guarantee a team will arrive in the Pacific Northwest.

If a team was indeed brought to Seattle, it would be looking at the 2020-21 season to begin play, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

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Flames’ Tkachuk suspended 1 game for unsportsmanlike conduct

For the second time in less than a month, Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk was handed a suspension by the NHL Department of Player Safety.

Tkachuk was assessed a one-game ban Thursday for unsportsmanlike conduct against Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matt Martin during Wednesday's game. Amid a scrum, Tkachuk speared Martin from the Flames' bench.

This latest infraction comes after he was handed a one-game suspension last month when, during a game against the Detroit Red Wings, Tkachuk tapped Luke Witkowski on the leg after his opponent had left the ice.

The suspension means Tkachuk will miss Thursday's game against the Montreal Canadiens.

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