National Sports

ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO — Saskatchewan's Jason Ackerman dropped his first game of the Canadian mixed curling championship Thursday, but remained among the frontrunners for a semifinal berth.

SYDNEY, N.S. — Justin Poirier scored a goal and an assist for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in a 3-1 win over the host Cape Breton Eagles in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League on Thursday.

OTTAWA — Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk has seen too many losing Novembers. The Senators fell to 1-3-0 to start the month after a 4-2 loss to the visiting New York Islanders on Thursday.

WINNIPEG — Connor Hellebuyck stopped 35 shots for his third shutout this season and 40th of his career as the Jets blanked the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 on Thursday.

BOSTON (AP) — Brad Marchand scored a backhand off of his own rebound with 20 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Flames on Thursday night.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A free-wheeling Jack Hughes had a goal and two assists and the New Jersey Devils beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 on Thursday night for their fourth win in five games.

President Dan MacKenzie believes the Canadian Hockey League and its players benefit from the NCAA's latest ruling that could create a big shift in hockey's development system.

OTTAWA — The New York Islanders survived a late comeback by the Ottawa Senators in Thursday's 4-2 win. The Islanders led 3-0 before Ottawa made it interesting in the third period.

CALGARY — Bobby Smyrniotis, shut out in five previous nominations, finally has a Coach of the Year Award to go with his four Canadian Premier League titles.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway returned to the lineup Thursday night against Utah in the team's first game since he was taken to the hospital after getting hit in the neck with a puck.