TORONTO -- Carter Ashton hasnt scored in 30 NHL games this season, but he knows how to put the puck in the back of the net in the American Hockey League. Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday. "He took the game over," said Marlies coach Steve Spott. "You see what he can do at this level. "Hes going to have to find that same confidence and swagger when he plays for the (NHL parent) Maple Leafs. Here in the AHL, he does a nice job, he maintains possession of the puck, he uses his body, uses his speed, and it becomes a weapon for him. He just needs to find the confidence to do that at the next level." Ashton broke a 2-2 tie -- and completed his hat trick -- during a goal-mouth scramble when he deposited a rebound into the net past Monsters goalie Calvin Pickard at 6:16 of the third period. Defenceman T.J. Brennan, with his team-leading 21st of the season, gave the Marlies a two-goal cushion 45 seconds later when his point shot trickled through Pickards legs. Brandon Kozun closed out the scoring with an empty-netter at 17:51. "Its definitely a process, so to come back down and get these games and some good ice time, thats good for me," Ashton said. "And we finished off our homestand with a win, so thats great." Toronto went 7-3-0 on its 10-game homestand and improved to 33-18-4 on the season, good for first place in the North Division. Ashtons linemates, Spencer Abbott and Greg McKegg, collected two assists apiece in front of 4,351 fans at Ricoh Coliseum. Joey Hishon and Mike Sgarbossa replied for the Monsters, who dropped their second game in a row to fall to 23-26-6. "Give Lake Erie credit, they found a way to get back into it after a two-goal deficit," said Spott, who watched the Monsters strike twice in the latter stages of the second period after Toronto had staked a 2-0 lead. "We knew we were at home, playing the last period of a 10-game homestand, and we wanted to take advantage of it. I give our guys a lot of credit for the way they played the final 20 minutes." Marlies goalie Drew MacIntyre was sharp making 26 saves, while Pickard stopped 18 of 22 shots. Toronto led 1-0 after the first period and the score was tied 2-2 through 40 minutes. The Marlies opened the scoring 53 seconds into the first period when Ashton took a pass from Spencer Abbott in the slot, cut to the left and whipped a wrist shot past Pickards blocker. The Monsters had some chances of their own in the opening frame -- including a two-minute 5-on-3 power play and a breakaway by right winger Guillaume Desbiens -- but they couldnt beat MacIntyre. Ashton gave the Marlies a two-goal edge when he deflected Greg McKeggs point shot past a screened Pickard at 10:02 of the second period. The advantage was shortlived, however, as Hishon put the Monsters on the scoreboard 52 seconds later when he redirected a slapshot past MacIntyre. Sgarbossa tied it up when he whacked in a rebound for a power-play goal at 18:35 of the middle frame. Ashton regained the lead for Toronto with his third goal of the game at 6:16 of the third period, and Brennans goal 45 seconds later sealed the win for the Marlies. Kozun capped the scoring with an empty-netter at 17:51 Toronto went 0 for 3 on the power play while Lake Erie was 1 for 6. The Marlies and Monsters are off until next weekend, when Toronto visits Lake Erie for back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday. . Starters, when they struggle, have to live with it for five days. For Sergio Santos and Steve Delabar, two of the three men who authored one of the ugliest pitched innings in Blue Jays franchise history on Thursday night, the bounce-back chance came right away. . Then again, he really was at his home away from home. "It was nice to sleep in my own bed last night," Shields said after pitching Kansas City past the San Diego Padres 8-0 Wednesday.
http://www.cheapcanucksjerseysauthentic ... ersey.That sight softened the blow of what ended up as a 4-3 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.Knowing their teammate was fine after a scary headfirst fall in the opening minute of the game helped calm the Maple Leafs. . Then he got back at the team that released him five days before the start of last season, hitting a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning of the first game at Fenway Park since Boston won the World Series last October. .L. - Defending womens champion Alberta improved to 3-0 at the Canadian junior curling championships with a 10-3 win over Ontario in Sundays afternoon draw. LOS ANGELES -- Jonathan Quicks Olympic goaltending audition for U.S. national team coach Dan Bylsma ended after three Pittsburgh goals in one rocky period. All that proves to Bylsma is that his Penguins are awfully good. Jussi Jokinen had a goal and two assists in the first period, Evgeni Malkin scored in the opening minute, and Pittsburgh chased Quick early in a 4-1 victory over the struggling Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. Chris Kunitz and Tanner Glass both scored in their second straight game for the Penguins, who opened a two-game West Coast road trip with the franchises first regulation victory at Staples Center. Former Kings farmhand Jeff Zatkoff made 30 saves in the Eastern Conference leaders fourth win in five games. Quick didnt exactly make a stellar argument to Bylsma for the starting job in Sochi, giving up three goals on the Penguins first five shots before Martin Jones replaced him for the final two periods. Quick is competing with Detroits Jimmy Howard and Buffalos Ryan Miller, who was beaten 3-0 by the Penguins on Monday. "Its one game I get to see live, but ... Ive seen a lot of him," Bylsma said of Quick. "Its not a good outing for him, but hes got a body of work thats more than just this game." Quick was hurt by the NHLs best power play: Kunitz scored his career-high 27th goal on a two-man advantage, and Jokinen added his 16th moments later. Quick has started 13 of the Kings 14 games since returning from a 24-game injury absence. "If you give any team a 5-on-3, theyre going to create chances," Quick said. "They get one there, and then they get a 2-on-1 where they beat me over the shoulder. At that point, were not out of the game. We just couldnt get it together enough to get a couple (of goals)." Jokinen, a Finnish Olympian, had been in a three-game scoring drought in an otherwise stellar season. He credited this outburst to his mothers rare chance to see him play live: Most of the Penguins mothers are travelling with the club on this short trip. "I had a good first period, so I probably have to fly my mother here more than once a year,," Jokinen said.dddddddddddd. Anze Kopitar scored his third goal in five games for the Kings, but those are the only goals scored in the last nine days by the Kings, who have lost seven of eight. The Kings had played their last eight games away from Staples Center, including last weekends "home" game at Dodger Stadium. Theyve got a four-game homestand heading into the Olympic break, but still havent solved their scoring woes. "They are a high-powered team," Los Angeles defenceman Matt Greene said. "Its tough to come back when you arent scoring a lot of goals, and when you give up two on the penalty kill. Its tough chasing in a game against a team like this." The Staples Center crowd gave a reasonably warm welcome to Pittsburgh defenceman Rob Scuderi, who anchored the Kings defence during their Stanley Cup championship run in 2012 before leaving Los Angeles as a free agent last summer. But the high-scoring Penguins decisively won their matchup against the NHLs best defensive team, and they did it early. Just 53 seconds in, Jokinen made a spectacular no-look pass across the crowded crease to Malkin for his 15th goal. Kopitar evened it with a rocket of a shot from the faceoff circle midway through the period for the 16th goal by Slovenias only NHL Olympian. After Jarret Stoll and Dustin Brown were hit with penalties at the same time, Kunitz scored in front of Quick after tic-tac-toe passing from Jokinen and Sidney Crosby. Jokinen put the Penguins up 3-1 just 57 seconds later, ripping a one-timer past Quicks glove. Glass beat Jones with a sharp-angled backhand late in the second period for his fourth goal. "We were confident all along," Glass said. "We had a great start. Our power play was awesome, and then we were stingy when we had to be." NOTES: Pittsburgh scratched D Kris Letang with an illness. ... Jones and Zatkoff were AHL teammates from 2010-12. ... Pittsburgh hadnt visited Staples Center since Nov. 5, 2011, when Kunitz scored a late tying goal and the shootout winner. ... Pittsburgh C Brandon Sutter is Kings coach Darryl Sutters nephew. ' ' '
