Offtopic » Colorado has had its share of bumps

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Calgary Flames goalie David Rittich was more than happy to share the credit after getting his first career shutout.It was a perfectly reasonable position from Rittich after seeing the hard work put in on both ends of the ice by defenseman Travis Hamonic and the Flames.Rittich stopped 21 shots and Hamonic scored to help the Flames to a 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.“I get a shutout Authentic Jonathan Toews Jersey , but they didn’t have too much because our team played pretty good,” said Rittich, who has won three straight starts and five of his past six. “I have to say thank you to the locker room because they played really good.”The Flames have won five of their past six games.Jack Campbell made 35 saves for the Kings, who have been held to one goal or fewer in six of their first 16 games.The Flames went in front 2:26 into the first period. Hamonic got his second goal, with Garnet Hathaway setting a screen that kept Campbell from seeing the shot to the far post. Austin Czarnik and Noah Hanifin had assists, with Hanifin picking up his third in the past four games.“I mean, I don’t score much, so it was nice. A bonus,” Hamonic said. “Glad to help the team out that way, but I thought defensively our group collectively was really good.”Hamonic also played his part to help smother the Kings’ floundering offense. He used his body to break up a pass by Ilya Kovalchuk during an odd-man rush in the second period Custom Minnesota Wild Jerseys , when the Kings managed four shots on goal.Hamonic also disrupted a breakaway by Tanner Pearson on the power play in the third period, coming up from behind to delay Pearson from shooting and allowing Rittich to make the save when Pearson did put the puck on goal.“I think he was the most noticeable guy either way on either team,” Flames coach Bill Peters said of Hamonic. “He just found a way to be involved in the game.”The Kings struggled to create chances on a consistent basis, continuing a recurring theme this season. Even when Jeff Carter won an offensive-zone face-off with 44 seconds remaining and Campbell pulled for an extra attacker, the Kings still could not beat Rittich.“We’re getting some shots, but not the shots we want,” Kings forward Alex Iafallo said. “We need to get that passion back, that hunger to get to the soft areas and keep making plays.”After beating the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Tuesday in coach Willie Desjardins’ debut with the team, the Kings have lost two straight and scored one goal each in defeats against the Minnesota Wild and Flames.Desjardins said the Kings would have to be more aggressive on offense, even if it meant getting away from the sound defensive structure that has been the team’s identity this decade.“I think that’s the way they have always won Patrick Kane Jersey , so I think some of the top guys think a little bit more defensively,” Desjardins said. “The guys on the other side, (Flames forward Johnny) Gaudreau, (Sean) Monahan, they are always thinking offense. Saying that, I think we have to create some systems that are going to get guys more involved. We got to force ourselves to get up ice and play more aggressive and play more offensive.”NOTES: The Kings are 1-8-1 when allowing the first goal this season. … Kings C Michael Amadio returned to the lineup after not playing since Oct. 25. Amadio was a healthy scratch for the previous three games following a stint in the AHL. … Flames F Elias Lindholm had his point streak end after six games. He had three goals and six assists during that span.UP NEXTFlames: Wrap up their three-game California road trip at San Jose on Sunday.Kings: Conclude their seven-game homestand by hosting Toronto on Tuesday. The Buffalo Sabres, the hottest team in the NHL, come to Detroit on Saturday to face a team that has also ignited after a horrible start to the season.The Detroit Red Wings have gone 9-3-0 after leaving the gate a dreadful 1-7-2.“We needed to make up some ground for the start we had,” Detroit center Dylan Larkin told the team’s website. “We know that. We’ve done a good job the past month.”Article continues below ...Yet as impressive as Detroit’s turnaround has been, it pales in comparison with the Sabres’ run of success.“I’m excited to see what they got www.montrealcanadiensteamshops.com , excited to match up against them,” Detroit forward Justin Abdelkader said. “It’s going to be a great test.”Friday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens was Buffalo’s eighth straight victory. They are closing in on some hallowed ground in franchise history.In 1976-77 and 1979-80, the Sabres won nine in a row. In 1983-84 and 2006-07, Buffalo put together club-record 10-game winning streaks.Jeff Skinner scored two goals in Friday’s win, giving him 17 for the season and a tie for the NHL lead. He found the net with 2:26 left in regulation to tie the score and added the winner on the power play at 3:06 of overtime.“I don’t think I’ve ever won eight straight, so that’s a good thing,” Skinner told WKBW. “You try to produce offensively to help the team win. As long as you’re contributing to wins, I think it’s a good feeling.“We want to try and keep it going.”With 10 goals in Buffalo’s first 16 games, Skinner reached the 10-goal mark quicker than any Sabres player since Thomas Vanek (10 games) in 2012-13. Vanek currently plays for the Wings.Buffalo is 10-0-2 when scoring first this season, but the Sabres have come back to win six times during their eight-game winning streak.Sabres goalie Carter Hutton has won seven games in a row.“I think we’re enjoying it for sure http://www.redwingsshoponline.com/authentic-anthony-mantha-jersey , and we don’t want to lose,” Sabres captain Jack Eichel said. “I mean, who wants to lose? You want to go out and try to win every game you play.“We’ve got another tough test (Saturday) against Detroit, a team that’s playing really well.”The Wings did the opposite of the Sabres on Friday, squandering a 1-0 lead and falling 3-1 on the road to the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals.“I think every game we just prove to ourselves that when we play, we’re as good as anybody in the league and we’ve just got to play,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “I thought we played a good hockey game.“I’m not disappointed in how we played, I’m disappointed in the result.”Still seeking to claw their way into a playoff position, the Red Wings are in the midst of a four-game stretch (Boston, Washington Darren Helm Jersey , Buffalo, Columbus) against teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference.“Buff’s a real good team,” Blashill said. “They’ve got a number of good, high (draft) picks that are starting to come into their own.“Certainly Eichel’s at an age here where I’ve coached him, I know how talented he is. He’s as talented as anybody in the league. It looks like he’s playing real good. He’s certainly not alone.“It’ll be a good challenge. But that’s what the league is every night. We’ve got to make sure we come back and play another great game.”The Red Wings are 9-3-0 in their last 12 games. Only Calgary (six) and Buffalo (five) have more wins than Detroit (four) when trailing after two periods.