Penalty Shot Lifts Flames

Shean Donovan has become the Calgary Flames’ penalty-shot specialist.

Donovan scored on a penalty shot with 2:08 remaining, his second successful attempt in two months, giving the Flames a 2-1 victory over Phoenix on Tuesday night at Glendale, Ariz.

Donovan was awarded the penalty shot because he was pulled down from behind by Phoenix defenseman Ossi Vaananen, who had slipped and lost the puck to the Calgary forward.

Donovan skated slowly toward the crease, faked a shot to his backhand to draw goalie Sean Burke to the ice, pulled the puck back across his body and slipped it into the right side of the net for his 16th goal. Donovan also scored on a penalty shot Dec. 2 against San Jose.

“I had something in mind and tried it, but if he didn’t bite I was in trouble,” Donovan said. “I just rushed into it and went blank. It’s pretty easy for my mind to go blank.”

Carolina 2, Toronto 0 -- Kevin Weekes made 32 saves for his sixth shutout, and Erik Cole scored a short-handed goal as the Hurricanes won at Toronto.

Weekes has the second-most shutouts in the NHL this season, four fewer than New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur. Weekes, who has 19 career shutouts, is 17-17-7 this season and is the only goalie to win a game for the Hurricanes.

Vancouver 3, Chicago 2 -- Magnus Arvedson scored twice, and Daniel Sedin had two assists, lifting the Canucks at Vancouver, Canada.

The Blackhawks suffered a franchise-record 18th consecutive road loss.

Todd Bertuzzi also scored for the Canucks, who completed their five-game homestand with three consecutive victories. The goal was Bertuzzi’s fourth in three games since ending a 10-game drought.

New Jersey 4, Columbus 3 -- Grant Marshall scored in his first game against his former team, and Patrik Elias added a goal and an assist in the Devils’ victory at Columbus, Ohio.

Sergei Brylin had a goal and Martin Brodeur stopped 28 shots as New Jersey won its third in a row.

Rick Nash scored his NHL-leading 31st goal for the Blue Jackets.

Tampa Bay 6, Pittsburgh 2 -- Pavel Kubina scored two power-play goals 54 seconds apart, Cory Stillman had two goals during Tampa Bay’s four-goal third period and the Lightning ran Pittsburgh’s home losing streak to a club-record eight games.

The game was the first in the NHL in more than two seasons with multiple penalty shots -- both unsuccessful. Penguin rookie Marc-Andre Fleury smothered Dan Boyle’s shot, and Brian Holzinger shot high and wide.

Colorado 3, Edmonton 1 -- Peter Forsberg scored two goals for the second consecutive game since returning from a groin injury and the Avalanche won at Denver.

David Aebischer made 33 saves and had an assist on one of Forsberg’s goals.

Buffalo 4, Montreal 1 -- Maxim Afinogenov scored to spark a three-goal third period that lifted the Sabres at Buffalo, N.Y.

Boston 2, New York Islanders 2 -- P.J. Axelsson’s goal with 1:57 left in regulation gave the Bruins a tie with the Islanders at Uniondale, N.Y.