Vrbata tallied a goal and an assist to help the Coyotes beat Minnesota 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Analysis: It was the first multi-point effort for Vrbata since the first two games of the season, when he totaled three goals and one assist. He has 11 points in 21 games.
The Philadelphia winger scored his third goal in as many games in Wednesday night's 3-2 win in Los Angeles.
Analysis: The No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 draft is starting to heat up in his rookie season. He has five of his six goals over the last seven games and is tied for third on the Flyers with 17 points.
Boucher made 37 saves to earn his first win for Philadelphia, a 3-2 victory at Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
Analysis: Boucher has appeared in just two of the Flyers' 18 games this season and suffered a 4-1 defeat against his former team, San Jose, on Oct. 25.
Pyorala scored his first NHL goal as the Philadelphia Flyers opened a trip with their seventh victory in eight games, 3-2 over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.
Analysis: Pyorala had one assist in his previous 17 games.
An infected finger will keep McKee out two to four weeks, the fifth defenseman that the Penguins are missing.
Analysis: Sergei Gonchar is expected to return soon, but the Penguins will definitely feel the loss of McKee, who has a goal and four assists and a plus-five rating.
Gionta will be out of action indefinitely with a broken bone in his left foot.
Analysis: The 30-year-old right winger, who was on crutches at the team's practice facility Wednesday, was hit on the foot by a shot Nov. 3 in a game against Atlanta. He played the next four games despite the pain. Gionta is tied for the team lead with eight goals with Mike Cammalleri and is third in team scoring with 13 points.
Wilson scored his first career goal and added an assist and the Avalanche beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Analysis: Originally signed as a free agent by Calgary on July 1, 2008, Wilson was dealt to Colorado last March along with forward Lawrence Nycholat and a draft pick for defenseman Jordan Leopold. "I didn't really play with them but it's always nice to score on your old team or old organization,'' Wilson said. "I'm just happy to get the win and to score my first goal in a winning game."
Ward had a goal and two assists as the Predators beat the Sharks 4-3 Tuesday night for their third straight win and seventh in nine games.
Analysis: Ward totaled 35 points in 2008-09, his first full NHL season, but more efforts like this one will help him surely surpass that total. He has eight points in his last nine games.
Coach John Tortorella was not happy with Gilroy's effort on Matt Bradley's third-period goal with 4:51 left Tuesday in a 4-2 loss to Washington.
Analysis: Gilroy couldn't deny Bradley from behind, and Bradley beat Henrik Lundqvist with a rising shot to the glove side for his fourth of the season. "Even if he takes a penalty, he can't allow that shot to be taken. I thought he had an opportunity to stop it," Tortorella said of the rookie Gilroy. "He needs to realize that he needs to pull out with Redds (Wade Redden) stuck on the boards there. It's a bump, but he'll learn from it."
Crosby lifted the Stanley Cup in June, and now he is carrying the Olympic torch at home. Hundreds of people lined a downtown street on Wednesday to watch the captain of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins with the flame.
Analysis: Crosby, whose hometown of Cole Harbour lies across the harbor from Halifax, was one of 12,000 torchbearers tasked with carrying the flame across Canada as part of a massive relay.
