Blake Has Scare in Islander Loss

The New York Islanders’ Jason Blake crashed headfirst into the boards midway through the third period Tuesday, overshadowing the team’s home defeat.

Blake had feeling in all of his extremities and didn’t suffer any serious back or neck injuries when he crashed into the boards during a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild.

Blake, New York’s second-leading scorer with 24 points on 13 goals and 11 assists, was undergoing tests a few hours after the game and was expected to remain overnight in a hospital.

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Florida 7, Nashville 3 -- Nathan Horton had his first career three-goal game to help the host Panthers end a four-game losing streak.

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Atlanta 7, Detroit 6 -- Patrik Stefan scored twice in Atlanta to help the Thrashers beat Detroit for the first time.

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New Jersey 2, Edmonton 1 -- Viktor Kozlov and Brian Gionta scored at home for New Jersey in a shootout.

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Vancouver 3, New York Rangers 2 -- Vancouver’s Matt Cooke knocked in a rebound with 4:31 left at New York, ending a tie in his first game since sitting out 17 because of a broken jaw.

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Philadelphia 3, Columbus 1 -- Rookie Jeff Carter scored the go-ahead goal early in the second period at Columbus, Ohio.

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St. Louis 3, Pittsburgh 0 -- Curtis Sanford, in his first start since Nov. 26, made 21 saves at St. Louis for his second shutout.

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Carolina 5, Chicago 3 -- Aaron Ward was awarded the tying goal after a video review early in the second period and Matt Cullen put host Carolina ahead about a minute later.

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Montreal 5, Phoenix 2 -- Andrei Kostsitsyn scored his first NHL goal to help lift the host Canadiens.

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Canuck goalie Dan Cloutier will sit out at least the rest of the regular season because of a knee injury that will require surgery.

He partially tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee when Duck forward Rob Niedermayer ran into him during the first period of a Nov. 20 game.

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Columbus forward Sergei Fedorov, a member of the 1998 and 2002 Russian Olympic hockey teams, withdrew from consideration for the Russian team that will compete in the Turin Games.

He said in a statement that the Blue Jackets were his priority and that a groin injury had led him to conclude “the most important thing is for me to continue to work toward being 100% healthy.... I don’t believe that participating in the Olympics, which is a short, intense tournament, would be the best thing to do.”

Fedorov was traded to Columbus by the Ducks last month.