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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The Vancouver Canucks rely so heavily on the Sedin twins to generate their offence that it feels good when they can get a win without their biggest stars getting on the score sheet. Chris Higgins had a goal and an assist, Roberto Luongo made 22 saves and the Canucks got plenty of contributions from their lower lines to snap a nine-game losing streak against the San Jose Sharks with a 4-2 victory on Thursday night. This marked the first time all season that the Canucks won without a point from Daniel or Henrik Sedin. "It probably wont happen too often," Higgins said. "Give them a little rest on that. It seems like they carry a lot of the burden. Theyre great players. Obviously they want that burden. Its good that we can get a win without those guys getting points." Brad Richardson, Mike Santorelli and Zack Kassian also scored for the Canucks, who had lost all five regular season meetings between the teams the past two seasons and were swept by San Jose in the first round of the playoffs last spring. "It feels good because we just beat a pretty good team on home ice," said Kevin Bieksa, who had two assists. "You guys have made us well aware that weve lost nine in a row to these guys, so its nice to end that little skid and more importantly to get a big two points." Joe Thornton and Mike Brown scored for the Sharks, who lost their fourth straight game, but just the second in regulation all season. Antti Niemi allowed four goals before being replaced early in the second period as the Canucks controlled the play for much of the first 40 minutes and weathered a strong push from San Jose in the third. "We were clearly outworked," coach Todd McLellan said. "In the real world you work for eight hours and in the hockey world you work for 60 minutes. And we didnt even come close to that. ... When you have a bus load that didnt show up to play its pretty hard." Vancouver killed an early power play and got a strong save from Luongo on a tip by Logan Couture in the first half of the period to help seal the victory. Vancouver got the win without any production from the usual suspects. Henrik Sedin had points in an NHL-best 12 straight games, while brother Daniel had his seven-game point streak snapped. Linemate Ryan Kesler had 10 points in the past nine games before being held without a point. "Thats a good sign for our club, getting some help and some depth within our team as far as producing," coach John Tortorella said. "Were going to need it as we continue to go on through this trip." The Canucks dominated the second period, outshooting the Sharks 17-5 and getting the only goal when Bieksas point shot hit Kassians skate and went past Niemi to make it 4-2 with 14:38 left in the second. That ended Niemis night after he allowed four goals for the third time in four games. Alex Stalock came in and stopped all 21 shots he faced but the Sharks were unable to get anything past Luongo the rest of the way and lost. "Its been twice weve stunk up the joint in the first and second and try to come back in the third," Thornton said. "Tonight, we just couldnt catch up. We have to be better in the first two -- it starts there." It was a wide-open first period with odd bounces and costly misplays leading to five goals as the Canucks took a 3-2 lead. The Sharks got the first break when Thornton innocently played the puck around the boards only to have the puck hop back over the net and deflect off Luongos shoulder before falling into the net for a goal just 1:17 into the game. "Quite comical the way the game started," Luongo said. "But like weve been doing all year we answered right back and we get ourselves right back in the game." The Canucks answered quickly when Bieksa took the puck away from Tyler Kennedy along the boards and Richardson capitalized by shooting it past Niemi. After Santorelli and Brown traded goals on nice plays in transition, another San Jose turnover helped the Canucks take the lead into the second. Jason Demers and Scott Hannan misplayed a puck in their own zone and Higgins got it and flipped it over to make it 3-2 with 1:05 to play in the first. NOTES: Vancouvers Ryan Stanton fought Andrew Desjardins in the first period after the Sharks forward gave Luongo a snow shower after the whistle. ... After having at least 50 shots the past two games, the Sharks were held to 11 in the first two periods. ... The Canucks have killed off all 14 power play chances by the Sharks this season. . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. .That is precisely what they got Sunday.The Ravens trailed at halftime and never built a comfortable lead against lowly Jacksonville, yet did just enough to squeeze out a 20-12 win to stay in the thick of the AFC playoff race. .Y. - The New York Yankees made it official Saturday, announcing the completion of a seven-year deal with free-agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and a one-year contract for returning starter Hiroki Kuroda. . Ghoulam has put pen to paper on a four and a half year deal, tying him to Napoli until 2018. The 22-year-old Algeria international, who played for France at Under 21 level, has made 87 league appearances in four seasons at Saint-Etienne. .com) - Fair Grounds commences its road to the Kentucky Derby Saturday with the 71st running of the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- James van Riemsdyk had at least one point on his stick with 44 seconds left. With plenty of net to shoot at, the Toronto Maple Leafs winger-turned-centre wouldve scored had it not been for Buffalo Sabres defenceman Christian Ehrhoff getting in the way. Van Riemsdyk was left to shake his head as offensive production continued to desert the Leafs in a 3-1 loss Friday night at First Niagara Center. "That was a heck of a play by him. He made a good read and sacrificed his body for it," van Riemsdyk said. "I guess we are not getting those bounces right now, but weve got to keep fighting for it." The Leafs did plenty of fighting on an emotional night in Buffalo that marked the start of the Pat LaFontaine era as president of hockey operations and Ted Nolans return as coach after a 16-year break. They outshot an opponent for just the third time all season and the first time since Oct. 5, but Marcus Folignos goal stood up as the game-winner. Coach Randy Carlyle and goaltender Jonathan Bernier pointed to losing the special-teams battle as the reason for the loss. Steve Ott scored on the power play for the Sabres, while the Leafs went 0-for-3 to fall to 2-for-12 on the power play in their past five games. Its no coincidence theyre 1-3 in that time and that the one victory came in a shootout, but theres more to these offensive woes. The Leafs have just four goals in their past four games, and just two at even strength after Trevor Smith scored in Buffalo. "Were just not getting the results," Carlyle said. "Weve had chances, we had glorious opportunities. Its just that right now were squeezing the sticks or were getting hit in the shaft or players making a big stop." The biggest stop came when Ehrhoff got in the way of van Riemsdyks shot, which couldve been his first since moving to centre after Dave Bollands injury in Vancouver on Nov. 2. Tyler Bozaks long-standing hamstring injury already tested the Leafs depth down the middle, and Nazem Kadris three-game suspension for elbowing Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom compounded the problem. Smith, called up from the AHLs Marlies to replace Kadri in the lineup, scored his second goal of the season on his fifth shot in the second period. It wasnt the prettiest goal, but it was something. "I just tried to get it off as quick as I can," Smith said. "I think it hit a D-man in front and went in, but well take em where we can get em." The Leafs will take it, but theyd also benefit from their top offensive players scoring. Joffrey Lupul, Mason Raymond and Phil Kessel each scored once in the previous three games, but it has proven to be not nearly enough. "Its a long season, theres ebbs and flows a bit," van Riemsdyk said. "Were going to keep with the same approach: just getting a lot of pucks to the net. Were getting some good chances, weve just got to start burying them." Meanwhile, the Leafs have been counting on their goaltending to keep them in games..dddddddddddd The crossbar helped Bernier a bit as he struggled to track the puck. "It was a tough game for me," said Bernier, who made 24 saves on 26 shots. "They tipped a lot of pucks, especially in the first, and they had a lot of presence up front. They played well. They worked really hard and they kept it simple." Perhaps that could serve as a blueprint for the Leafs, starting Saturday when they host the Sabres at Air Canada Centre. Carlyle liked his teams effort and worth ethic on the road, but he lamented a lack of second opportunities. "The one thing that we could do is we could shoot the puck," Carlyle said. "Put the puck towards the net and drive people towards the net. Shoot the puck. Dont try to be so fine. It seems like were trying to pick the top corners, theyre trying to pick spots where we should be just concentrating on quicker release, get pucks directed at the net, have that second and third opportunity. And I think wed be rewarded." Van Riemsdyk shouldve been rewarded in the games final minute. With Bernier off for an extra attacker, the Leafs got their best chance of the night with goaltender Ryan Miller likely unable to get over in time. Foligno called Ehrhoffs block "something special." "It was just desperation," Ehrhoff said. "I know (Miller) was just on the other side of the net and the puck came out to van Riemsdyk and I just tried to make myself as big as I can, and I got the save." Just 12 seconds later Ehrhoff iced the game by scoring an empty-netter from his own goal line. "It brings a smile to my face," Miller said. "Christian Ehrhoff had the play of the game and saved our butts and then he put it away. It was a great turn of events there to watch him make that play on the back side, have great awareness to find it and help me out then get it down the ice and split the uprights." The Sabres gave Nolan his first NHL head-coaching victory since 2008 and first behind the bench for Buffalo since 1997. "You know what? I cant even put it into words," he said. "It was one of those games where you didnt know where this type of day would ever happen again. It was really very emotional. Ill have a good cry after everybody leaves." Bernier believed the Leafs deserved "a better fate" than a regulation loss, but Carlyle doesnt want his players crying about falling short against the Sabres. "We cant get down on what happened tonight," Carlyle said. "They dont feel very good about themselves, but its about results-oriented and thats what happens. But I thought our work ethic was strong, we did a lot of good things in the hockey game and were going to have to continue to work on that." Notes -- Rookie defenceman Morgan Rielly was a healthy scratch for the second time in three games and fourth time this season. When he played Wednesday at the Minnesota Wild, the Leafs dressed seven defencemen. ... Folignos goal was his seventh point in seven career games against Toronto. ' ' '
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