Fedorov’s Return Lifts Red Wings

Sergei Fedorov was just trying to survive. He wound up doing that, and more.

Fedorov, returning to the ice for the first time in six games, scored the Detroit Red Wings’ first goal Wednesday night in a 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators at Detroit.

“It was nice to see him score, right off the bat,” Red Wing Coach Scotty Bowman said. “It might have been good for his confidence, but I don’t think confidence is a problem for Sergei.”

Yuri Butsayev had two goals and an assist, while Steve Yzerman, Pat Verbeek and Stacy Roest also scored for the Red Wings, who broke open a 3-3 game with a last-second goal in the second period and two early third-period scores.

Greg Johnson scored two goals for Nashville.

Fedorov had been sidelined since suffering a concussion Nov. 20 against the Edmonton Oilers.

San Jose 4, Colorado 2--Owen Nolan scored two goals to extend his goal-scoring streak to six games and assisted on another at San Jose.

Nolan, who leads the league with 22 goals, helped the Sharks win for only the fifth time in 15 games.

Florida 6, Phoenix 1--Pavel Bure scored three goals in the third period at Phoenix.

Dallas 2, Carolina 1--Guy Carbonneau’s goal with 1:38 to play lifted the Stars at Dallas.

A sliding Juha Lind nudged a pass from behind the net to Carbonneau in the slot. Carbonneau, 39, skated to his right and lifted a shot over Carolina goaltender Arturs Irbe for his fourth goal of the season.

Ottawa 0, Buffalo 0--The Senators’ Ron Tugnutt made 30 saves, and Martin Biron made 23 at Buffalo, N.Y.

N.Y. Rangers 2, Edmonton 1--Adam Graves scored 3:15 into overtime and Theo Fleury scored his first goal in more than a month at New York.

Notes

The NHL will use two referees in every game next season. Completing a two-day meeting in Boca Raton, Fla., NHL owners postponed discussion of whether to have their players in the 2002 Olympics. . . . The Atlanta Thrashers acquired forward Shean Donovan in a trade that sent goaltender Rick Tabaracci to the Colorado Avalanche. . . . Brent Gretzky, the 27-year-old brother of Wayne Gretzky, tied a United Hockey League record with eight points in Asheville’s 11-1 victory over Knoxville at Ashville, N.C.