Toonstruck 1 » PITTSBURGH (AP) — New Jersey Devils forward

Brian Boyle wants to serve as a role model in the fight against cancer.He certainly was inspiring on Monday night.The cancer survivor scored three times for his first career hat trick Kevin Shattenkirk Jersey , leading the Devils to a 5-1 victory over the slumping Pittsburgh Penguins.Boyle got his natural hat trick on “Hockey Fights Cancer” night in Pittsburgh. It included two power-play goals and two redirections in front of the net.“I love these nights, I really do,” Boyle said. “Just the initiative and seeing the survivors on the ice and being recognized. Sometimes you feel kind of alone. It can be a dark place at times during a cancer fight. But to be seen, the support everybody shows and the money raised, it’s just a phenomenal thing.”The 33-year-old Boyle was diagnosed with a form of bone marrow cancer at the beginning of training camp last season. He underwent treatment, returned to the lineup last November and won the NHL’s Masterton Trophy for best exemplifying qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.“There’s ups and downs, just like life,” Boyle said. “The worst kind of part of it was when people felt sorry for you. They don’t know what to say, and you want them to feel comfortable around you. I think it’s important to reach out and ask questions if you need help.”Will Butcher had a goal and two assists for New Jersey, and Travis Zajac scored his fourth goal. Jean-Sebastien Dea, who spent the last two seasons in Pittsburgh, had two assists.The Devils stopped a three-game slide with their first road win. They were outscored 15-6 during the losing streak.Keith Kinkaid made 35 saves for New Jersey, which has won four of its last five against Pittsburgh.“It’s an easy game to get up for (with Pittsburgh winning) two championships in the past three years,” Kinkaid said. “They’re a good team http://www.officialhockeyrangersshop.com/authentic-adidas-marc-staal-jersey , but I think we match up well against them.”Jamie Oleksiak scored for the Penguins, who have dropped four in a row.Matt Murray stopped 23 shots in two periods before he was pulled for Casey DeSmith, who made 11 saves. Murray has allowed at least four goals in each of his five home starts.Prior to its slide, Pittsburgh outscored the opposition 23-6 during a four-game winning streak. It’s only the third time the Penguins have lost four straight under Mike Sullivan and the first time Pittsburgh has dropped four in a row at home under the fourth-year head coach. Pittsburgh has two wins in seven home games this season. It won 30 home games each of the two previous seasons.“A week ago, we were feeling good about ourselves when we won four in a row on the Western Canada trip,” Sullivan said. “It’s not a good feeling when you’re in these types of situations, but we have to rely on one another to get out of it. We believe we have what it takes to be a very good team in the league.”Boyle gave the Devils a 2-1 lead in the first period when he tipped a Ben Lovejoy shot behind Murray from the top of the crease.Boyle extended the lead with a power-play goal in the second period. His between-the-legs redirection from the top of the crease made it a 3-1 game.Boyle scored his second power-play goal off a one-timer from Taylor Hall with 19.7 seconds to play in the second period. Hall has at least one point in 10 of 12 games this season.“Scoring goals is the most fun thing in hockey, as an individual player,” Boyle said. “And then you can help a team win a game, especially the way we’ve been going lately, it’s a big one for us.”NOTES: Devils F Joey Anderson recorded his first NHL point. … Penguins F Derick Brassard (lower body) missed his fifth game. He hasn’t skated since Oct. 25. … Devils F Marcus Johansson recorded his 200th NHL assist. … Devils D Andy Greene played in his 800th career game. … Devils F Stefan Noesen (upper body) missed his second straight game. … The Devils wore a “Stronger Than Hate” sticker on their helmets, featuring the team logo and the Star of David. It was in response to the tragic shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue last month.UP NEXTDevils: Continue a seven-game road trip Tuesday at Ottawa.Penguins: Visit Washington on Wednesday. NEW YORK (AP) — After rallying from two goals down early in the second period to take the lead in the third, the New York Islanders didn’t get discouraged when Colorado tied the score late. They kept their focus and beat the struggling Avalanche in overtime.Ryan Pulock scored his second goal of the game 2:23 into the extra period to lift New York to a 4-3 victory Saturday.“We kind of dug ourselves a hole to start, getting down 2-0, but we stuck with it Authentic Mats Zuccarello Jersey ,” Pulock said. “Kind of an unfortunate bounce late for them to tie it, but we didn’t go into a shell, we kept playing and we found a way to get it done.”Jordan Eberle had a goal and an assist, Josh Bailey also scored and Brock Nelson had two assists for the Islanders. Robin Lehner stopped 25 shots as New York, which began the day two points ahead of Washington atop the Metropolitan Division, won for the eighth time in 11 games (8-1-2).On the winner, Pulock fired a one-timer from the left faceoff circle off a pass from Casey Cizikas for his fifth of the season.J.T. Compher had tied it 3-3 with 2:45 remaining when his shot deflected in off the skate of Islanders defenseman Devon Toews.The Islanders took their first lead of the game a little more than three minutes earlier with their third straight goal.Just 5 seconds after Soderberg and New York’s Mathew Barzal were sent off for roughing, the Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog was whistled for hooking to put the Islanders on a 4-on-3 power play. Pulock beat Varlamov just 23 seconds into the advantage on a slap shot from the left circle with 6:03 remaining for his first goal in 16 games.“It’s been a while since I scored, maybe at times gripping the stick a little too tight, but I was able to get a couple tonight. …I think my last goal was an empty-netter, so before that it’s been a while since I scored on a goalie, so it’s a good feeling.”Carl Soderberg had a goal and two assists, and Erik Johnson had a goal and an assist for Colorado, which matched a season high with its sixth straight loss (0-4-2). Semyon Varlamov finished with 37 saves in the Avalanche’s 16th loss in 19 games (3-12-4).Colorado’s last two losses have both come in overtime, also losing 4-3 at Washington two days earlier.“We kind of let this one slip away from us a little bit Mika Zibanejad Jersey ,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “It’s disappointing to a certain extent that we were unable to get two points out of this one, but we played two really good teams in their buildings and found a way to get points in both of them.”Tyson Barrie nearly won it for Colorado 15 seconds into overtime, but his shot went off the crossbar.Bailey tied it 2-2 at 8:03 of the third, putting in the rebound of his own shot after Varlamov stopped the initial attempt. It was Bailey’s 12th of the season and first since Jan. 18 against Washington.Johnson pushed the Avalanche’s lead to 2-0 at 2:36 of the second. With the teams skating 4-on-4 after a pair of penalties, he got a pass from Soderberg, skated into the offensive zone and cut to the right before firing it into the top left corner for his fifth.“When you’re winning, you find extra jump,” Islanders captain Anders Lee said. “The adversity — down two goals — it doesn’t bother us.”Eberle finally got the Islanders on the board with 1:47 left in the middle period. Varlamov stopped Lee’s shot from between the circles but was unaware the puck trickled behind him, and Eberle skated in from the left side and knocked it in for his 13th.Soderberg got Colorado on the scoreboard with 9:41 left in the opening period when he knocked in the rebound of Johnson’s shot that bounced off the end boards right in front for his 18th.NOTES: Colorado also went 0-4-2 from Dec. 21 to Jan. 2. … Soderberg has eight goals and four assists in 15 games since Dec. 31. … Johnson has two goals and two assists in his last three games. … The Islanders swept the season series after winning the first meeting, 4-1 on Dec. 17 at Denver. … Pulock now has six points in his last four games. … Nelson has points in four straight games, totaling four assists and five points in the stretch. … Lehner is 12-2-1 in his last 15 games.UP NEXTAvalanche: At Boston on Sunday to finish a three-game trip.Islanders: Host Minnesota on Sunday to wrap a three-game homestand.