25 Sports Thursday, December 20, 2018 Hart and Gordon win debuts as Flyers edge Lightning earn feisty win over Canucks

DETROITS: James van Riemsdyk and Shayne scored for the Panthers, who beat Buffalo for the seventh Gostisbehere each had a and an assist to carry the straight time overall and the second time this season. Jeff host Philadelphia Flyers past the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Skinner and Rasmus Ristolainen scored goals for the Tuesday. Radko Gudas added a goal for the Flyers, who Sabres, who had gone 9-1-2 in their past 12 games on snapped a four-game losing streak. Flyers goaltender home ice. Carter Hart, one of the most highly touted prospects in the organization, made his NHL debut and recorded 20 saves. STARS 2, FLAMES 0 Hart became Philadelphia’s sixth different starting goal- Jamie Benn and Radek Faksa scored goals, and Ben tender through the first 32 games to set a league record. It Bishop and Anton Khudobin combined to turn away 24 was the first game for the struggling Flyers since the dis- shots as Dallas defeated visiting Calgary to end a four- missal of head coach Dave Hakstol. Scott Gordon was game losing streak. Bishop was forced from the game with named the interim head coach for the remainder of the a head injury at the 13:37 mark of the second period after season. Dennis Cholowski and Jacob de la Rose each being clipped on the chin by Calgary’s Garnet Hathaway as scored a goal for the Red Wings. Detroit goaltender he worked behind the net. Khudobin finished the second Jonathan Bernier received the start and made 30 saves period, stopping the three shots the Flames tested him after Jimmy Howard appeared to get injured during with in his six-plus minutes of action, before Bishop warmups. returned for the third period.

BLUES 4, OILERS 1 ISLANDERS 3, COYOTES 1 Patrick Maroon, Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier scored in a five- Schwartz scored third-period goals as St. Louis broke minute span of the second period, and New York ran its open a tie game to win at Edmonton. Jake Allen made 22 winning streak to three games by prevailing in Glendale, saves to record the win, the Blues’ third in four outings. Ariz. Islanders winger Joshua Ho-Sang scored his first goal David Perron scored in the first period for St. Louis. Jesse of the season, and goaltender Robin Lehner made 36 saves Puljujarvi collected a second-period goal for Edmonton. while improving to 4-0-0 in his career against the Cam Talbot stopped 26 shots for the Oilers, who have lost Coyotes. Lehner had not won since Oct. 30 at Pittsburgh, two straight games and saw a six-game home-ice winning going winless in his past six starts. Mario Kempe scored streak snapped. his first goal of the season for the Coyotes, who are 1-6-0 GLENDALE: Ryan Pulock #6 of the New York Islanders skates with the puck ahead of Christian Fischer #36 of since a four-game winning streak. the Arizona Coyotes during the first period of the NHL game at Gila River Arena on Tuesday in Glendale, RANGERS 3, DUCKS 1 Arizona. — AFP Kevin Hayes scored the go-ahead, short-handed goal KINGS 4, JETS 1 with 40 seconds left as New York rallied with three third- Austin Wagner scored two goals, and Los Angeles end- period goals to stun visiting Anaheim. Filip Chytil added an ed a four-game losing streak with a win over visiting also scored for Tampa Bay, while Tyler Motte and Chris Minn. Joe Pavelski and Lukas Radil also scored for the empty-netter with 18.6 seconds left to cap a comeback Winnipeg. Alex Iafallo and Nate Thompson also scored, Tanev tallied for Vancouver. Sharks, who won their season-high fifth straight game and that began when Vladislav Namestnikov scored the tying and Jonathan Quick made 27 saves for the Kings, who are 7-1-0 in their past eight. Radim Simek and Tomas Hertl goal just before the midway point of the third. Backup have the fewest points in the NHL (27). Mathieu Perreault BLACKHAWKS 2, PREDATORS 1 each had two assists and Radil had one. Couture has 19 goalie Alexandar Georgiev, making his first start since Dec. scored a goal for the fifth consecutive game, and Connor Gustav Forsling and Erik Gustafsson each scored, and points (seven goals, 12 assists) in his past 15 games. Devan 1, notched 14 saves as the Rangers ended a three-game Hellebuyck made 27 saves for the Jets, who had won a host Chicago held on for a win over Nashville. Chicago Dubnyk stopped 21 of 24 shots for Minnesota, which went losing streak and won for only the third time in 11 games season-high five consecutive games. won for only the second time in the past 12 games. 2-2-0 on a four-game homestand. (3-5-3). Pontus Aberg was credited with the lone goal for Blackhawks goaltender Cam Ward made 30 saves on 31 the Ducks, who had a four-game winning streak snapped LIGHTNING 5, CANUCKS 2 shots in his first appearance since primary starter Corey MAPLE LEAFS 7, DEVILS 2 Cedric Paquette, Adam Erne and Nikita Kucherov each Crawford was placed on injured reserve because of a con- Tyler Ennis scored twice, Auston Matthews and John PANTHERS 5, SABRES 2 recorded a goal and an assist as Tampa Bay won a penal- cussion. Kevin Fiala scored Nashville’s lone goal, and Tavares each had a goal and an assist, and Toronto cruised Evgenii Dadonov had a pair of goals and an assist in ty-filled game at Vancouver. The clubs combined for 58 Pekka Rinne stopped 34 of 36 shots. The Predators failed to a win at Newark, N.J. Patrick Marleau, Mitch Marner Florida’s four-goal third period, leading to a victory at minutes — 36 for Tampa Bay. Surprisingly, all the to collect a point for the first time in five games. and Morgan Rielly added one goal each for the Maple Buffalo. Aleksander Barkov, Dadonov and Frank Vatrano all goals came at even strength as the each team was blanked Leafs, who had lost two in a row. Nazem Kadri and scored in a span of 3:44 early in the period as the Panthers on five power plays. The Lightning improved to 9-0-1 in SHARKS 4, WILD 0 Connor Brown each notched three assists for Toronto. erased a 2-1 deficit. Dadonov added an empty-net goal their past 10 games, while the Canucks slipped to 5-1-1 in Logan Couture scored two goals, and Martin Jones Sami Vatanen and Nico Hischier scored for the Devils, who with less than three minutes to play. Troy Brouwer also their past seven games. Ondrej Palat and Steven Stamkos made 26 saves to lead San Jose to a victory at Saint Paul, lost their second in a row. — Reuters

Kuwait Stars beat Kuwait beat UAE Bahrain in Gulf Ice in wheelchair Hockey tournament basketball tourney

KUWAIT: “Kuwait Stars” hockey team beat its KUWAIT: Kuwait’s basketball wheelchair team on Tuesday beat UAE 48-31 Bahraini counterpart (5-0) in the opening match of the at the Ninth Gulf tournament, while Saudi Arabia defeated Bahrain 65-18. first Gulf Professional Clubs that began The Kuwaiti team, which made a second win at the event, dominated most Tuesday with the participation of five Gulf clubs. of the match. This takes the team’s aggregate points up to four. Saudi Kuwait stars which Arabia’s team also has four points in the second day of the tournament, includes local and pro which runs until Saturday. Both Bahrain and UAE have no win so far. On plays gave an impres- Monday, the Kuwaiti team defeated Bahrain 56-31 in the opening game of sive performance led the event that kicked off Monday evening. — KUNA by best player Ahmad Al-Ajmi. Players dic- tated their styles at both ends of the game, securing the first win for Kuwait. Meanwhile, “Abu Dhabi Storms” from UAE defeated “Oman Start of the tournament Fuhaid Al-Ajmi president Rockies by a score of of the Winter Games Club 5-0 also. The tournament is Authority for Sports Dr Saqer Al-Mulla told jour- ued the support of minister Al-Jabri of Kuwait being held under the nalists the authority is keen on supporting such sports in general. Chairman of Kuwait Winter patronage of Information Minister, State Minister for tournaments as they bring Gulf brothers together Sports Club Fuhaid Al-Ajmi said he is happy to Youth Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri and is being held in Kuwait and wished participants success. organize the first Gulf ice hockey clubs tourna- at the skating rink. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, He said Kuwait winter sports club, the tourna- ment, after oroganizing the first national hockey Oman and Kuwait are participating in the five day ment organizer, is considered an outstanding club teams championship few years earlier, and this tournament. Deputy Director General of Public in developing winter games in Kuwait. He also val- confirms the club’s pioneership at the Gulf level.

Stars team of Kuwait against Al- Bahrain of Bahrain. Opening ceremony of Gulf Ice Hockey Clubs tournament. — Photos by Yasser Al Zayyat

Ferrari great Michael Schumacher, Wolff suggested peo- added. “Also with Michael, it was only recognised after in the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year awards-a Hamilton deserves ple might not appreciate the 33-year-old Briton’s he retired and even more when tragedy struck. And I public vote-to Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas. achievements until he too had left the scene. think it’s a pity.” Schumacher, who turns 50 in January, He was condemned on social media for ‘slum’ com- “Not everybody recognizes a great career, a great has not been seen in public since the German suffered ments about his boyhood town Stevenage, words he later more recognition, sportsman or greatness overall while it’s happening. severe head injuries in a skiing accident five years ago. clarified, and has been criticised for moving to the tax There is a lot of negativity and envy whilst it happens,” Hamilton has set a string of records on his way to his fifth haven of Monaco where many other Formula One drivers says Wolff Wolff told Reuters in a telephone interview. “It’s only title this season, and could go on to match Schumacher’s reside. “We are live spectators, live witnesses of a great being recognized once a career has ended as having seven championships and 91 wins. racing driver at the peak of his abilities,” said Wolff. “In been really great and I don’t know why that is. We are The Briton, now on 73 victories, has won 51 of the 100 the U.S. you are very much inspired by success. In LONDON: Lewis Hamilton may be the greatest Formula extremely privileged in following a career of maybe the grands prix in the V6 turbo era that started in 2014 and Europe it triggers much more envy and negativity. One driver of all time but ‘negativity and envy’ are deny- greatest racing driver of all time. four of the last five championships. Hamilton also has a “I am certainly biased because I have an emotional ing him the recognition he deserves, according to his “Obviously Michael has set the records and was record 83 pole positions and is only the third driver ever attachment to Lewis, for me the greatest sports person Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. unbelievable but Lewis is on a similar trajectory,” he Comparing the five-time world champion to retired to win five titles or more. Last Sunday, he was runner-up that is in his career in Britain.” — Reuters