Hype for February 15, 2010

Four goals and the shootout clincher were scored by players who will participate in the Olympics starting this week.

But after the Nashville Predators beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 Sunday afternoon, the only Olympian anyone wanted to talk about was the one who blocked a shot with his foot.

Canada can breathe a sigh of relief.

The Vancouver Canucks were tired and a little testy, perhaps prematurely looking ahead to the Olympic break.

Given seven power-play opportunities against their division rival, the Minnesota Wild took full advantage of the rough stuff with one of their best all-around games of the season. Niklas Backstrom got his first win in three weeks, and the Wild scored three of their four power-play goals against Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, sending the Olympian to the bench early in a 6-2 victory on Sunday.

Alex Kovalev, Jason Spezza and Mike Fisher scored in a 6:59 span of the third period to propel the Ottawa Senators to a 4-3 comeback victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday.

Ottawa won for the 14th time in its past 16 games, erasing a 3-1 deficit to head into the Olympic break with momentum. Jarkko Ruutu also scored to improve the Senators to 3-0 against the Islanders this season.

Patrick Kane wanted to assure fans of the U.S. Olympic hockey team that he's fine.

"No, no," he insisted Sunday when asked if he was concerned about his knee after a mid-ice hit left him sprawled in pain.

Kane, a member of the U.S. Olympic team, went down with an injury to his right knee and gingerly skated to the bench early in the third period of the Chicago Blackhawks' game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Emergency crews say everyone is accounted for and OK after a partial roof collapse at a suburban Pittsburgh ice rink where a youth hockey tournament involving Canadian and U.S. teams. was taking place.

The collapse happened Sunday afternoon at the Rostraver Ice Garden, about 48 kilometres southeast of Pittsburgh. Officials found nothing after searching the building with cadaver dogs and infrared cameras.

Sherri Desroches, vice-president of Ontario's Ajax Minor Hockey said one of the teams playing in Rostraver is the Ajax Knights Tyke White team, which is made up of young children.

"These little boys are seven and eight years old. Tykes are pretty tiny," said Desroches.

Ottawa forward Jonathon Cheechoo has been re-assigned to the club's AHL affiliate in Binghamton, the clubs announced Saturday.

The moves comes a day after Cheechoo was placed on waivers to make room for newly-acquired forward Matt Cullen, clearing room under the team's salary cap.

Ryan Getzlaf figures he did more than enough against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday to keep his spot with Team Canada at the Vancouver Olympics.

The Ducks centre scored twice and added two assists in his first game back from a sprained left ankle as Anaheim beat the Edmonton Oilers 7-3. "In my mind, it's pretty made up," said Getzlaf of his participation at the Games. "Obviously I would like to be there."