puck. Joe Pavelski had a hat trick to move into a tie for second

WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkins absence added to the Washington Capitals offensive woes and the Ottawa Senators were only too glad to take advantage. Kyle Turris and Jason Spezza scored, Craig Anderson made 34 saves and the Senators beat the Capitals 2-0 Tuesday night to hand Washington its sixth straight loss. With NHL scoring leader Ovechkin out with an unspecified lower-body injury, Washington failed to convert on five power plays. During their six-game skid, the Capitals have scored just seven goals, three of them by Ovechkin. "Yeah, hes absolutely a dangerous goal scorer, leading our team and leading the league in goals," Washingtons Troy Brouwer said. "Wed love to have him out there, but we dont have him right now. Even when he was in the lineup the last few games we still havent been scoring goals." In Ovechkins absence, some of Washingtons other offensive threats were silent. Nicklas Backstrom and Mikhail Grabovski had one shot each. Defenceman John Carlson whiffed on a promising slap shot, fired high on another and was stymied by Anderson on a breakaway. "Their goalie played well, but we had a lot of guys with some really good looks, good chances," Washington coach Adam Oates said. "We have to score some goals. I would say the chances were good chances tonight, and we had a lot of them. It is a matter of finishing." It was the 12th loss in the last 15 games for the Capitals, while Ottawa improved to 7-1-2 in its last 10 games to vault Washington in the Eastern Conference standings. Turris scored his 15th of the year with just over 7 minutes left in the second period when he converted on a rush down the right side. Spezza scored his 13th goal on a power play midway through the third period, rifling a wrist shot from the left wing that went just inside the near post and past Capitals goalie Braden Holtby, who finished with 24 saves in first start since Jan. 4. As they tried to rally, the Capitals didnt get their customary boost from their fans. The Verizon Center, which regularly sells out, was less than half full because of a snowstorm that closed schools and shut down the government Tuesday. "Its a building where they are notorious for coming back and getting momentum," Spezza said. "So to get the two-goal lead lets us play a little different style and with a little more confidence. I thought we played better with the lead tonight in general." It was the 32-year-old Andersons third shutout this year and 25th in his career. He was at his best in the third period when he sprawled for a save to help the Senators kill a penalty and later kicked away a drive by Marcus Johansson. "We played really well for 60 minutes," Anderson said. "From the start of the game to the end of the game we did things we were supposed to do." Washingtons frustration appeared to spill over late in the game when Grabovski received a 10-minute misconduct penalty during a tussle with Zack Smith. "I want the guys to compete and be frustrated," Oates said. "But you cant live in the penalty box. Were not doing a good enough job killing penalties. So that doesnt make sense, either. But I want them to fight for everything we can." NOTES: The Capitals recalled Nate Schmidt to fortify the defence after Steve Oleksy was sent to Hershey and John Erskine sustained an upper-body injury. Schmidt, 22, opened the year in Washington, totalling six points in 28 games. ... The move came a day after Washington sent goalie Philipp Grubauer back to Hershey. The rookie had been pulled from his previous two starts. ... The Capitals play their next five games on the road. Stitched Arizona Cardinals Jerseys . Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers were left fretting over an MRI on the stars left knee. Paul George scored 21 points, Roy Hibbert added 19 and the Pacers used a dominant fourth quarter to blow out the Cavaliers 91-76 on Tuesday The Pacers (25-5) have won eight in a row over Cleveland, their longest active streak against any opponent. Arizona Cardinals Jerseys China . This weeks Raptors Report puts a bow on Gays brief, 10-month tenure in Toronto and ponders how his absence will affect the teams offence. Are they a better team without him? In addition to acquiring some valuable cap flexibility, what impact will the four incoming players have this season and beyond? Click here for the Dec. http://www.cardinalscheap.com/. The Detroit Tigers star had microfracture surgery Friday to repair the medial and lateral meniscus in his left knee. "I dont want to say it was a surprise," team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said. Wholesale Arizona Cardinals Jerseys . They started shooting the puck. Joe Pavelski had a hat trick to move into a tie for second in the NHL in goals and the Sharks beat Philadelphia 7-3 Thursday night in the first game for both teams following the Olympic break. Cheap Arizona Cardinals Jerseys Online . -- Brandon Hope stopped 46 shots and Kurtis MacDermid scored with 27 seconds remaining in overtime as the Owen Sound Attack edged the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 5-4 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action.ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright held the hug with catcher Yadier Molina a few extra seconds, soaking in his latest pressure-packed performance for the St. Louis Cardinals. "Ive got to put it right up there with the most fun and one of the greatest moments of my career so far," Wainwright said. "Those are the kind of moments that starting pitchers live for. I almost didnt want to let go of Yadier." Wainwright went all the way on the mound Wednesday night, pitching the Cardinals past the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 and into the NL championship series for the third straight season. David Freese and Matt Adams each hit a two-run homer, and Wainwright scattered eight hits for his second dominant win of the division series. "I wanted it bad. Its probably the most nervous Ive ever been," Wainwright said. "I dont get a whole lot of nerves when I pitch. Before I pitched today, I was pretty nervous." For three years now, nobody is better than the Cardinals when they cant afford to lose. And after coming through again in a winner-take-all Game 5, St. Louis gets to stay at home to open the NLCS against the well-rested Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. By ending Pittsburghs storybook season, the Cardinals improved to 8-1 when facing post-season elimination the past three years. They also won Game 5 of the NL division series in Washington last year -- even though Wainwright got rocked -- and at Philadelphia in 2011. "Well take him on the mound any day, especially in a big situation," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "I love the fact that everybody kept asking him about Game 5 last year because I knew that was just bringing even more to the table, if you could even do that." Freese homered in the second inning off rookie Gerrit Cole, and Adams connected in the eighth against reliever Mark Melancon to make it 5-1. Pete Kozma added an RBI infield single, and Wainwright finished it off by striking out Pedro Alvarez with two on. "Im just so fired up for this team and this city right now," Wainwright said. "Cardinal fans were rockin today." Alvarez became the first major league player with an RBI in his first six post-season games on a fluke hit that caromed off first base in the seventh. But the Pirates, who stopped a record streak of 20 consecutive losing seasons this year, were held to one run in each of the final two games of their first playoff appearance since 1992. "We were able to take a huge step forward this year in restoring the pride and the passion of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization," manager Clint Hurdle said, "and rebonding our city with a ball team." Despite their charming turnaround and a victory over Cincinnati in the NL wild-card game, the Pirates havent won a post-season series since the 1979 World Series. Wainwright was helped by three double plays -- two when Pirates runners strayed too far on line drives. The right-hander struck out six and walked one in a 107-pitch complete game. "Every time we turned around, Wainwright got in the way tonight," Hurdle said. "The at-bats were better, the approach got better, but he kept making pitches."t; Sidelined with an arm injury when the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series, Wainwright threw seven innings of three-hit ball to beat Pittsburgh 9-1 in the series opener.dddddddddddd He is 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA and four saves in 15 career post-season games, including six starts. He even helped the Cardinals to a championship as a rookie closer in 2006. But still, Game 5 last season against the Nationals was fresh in his mind. "Its hard not to think back about what happened in Game 5 last year. I just wanted to prove I could go out there and be a good playoff pitcher," Wainwright said. The 23-year-old Cole beat the Cardinals with an impressive effort in Game 2. They got to him early this time even though his fastball hit 100 mph in the first inning against Matt Holliday. Freese made the kid pay for a full-count walk to Jon Jay with two outs in the second, lining a 1-2 pitch into the visitors bullpen in left. Cole gave up just three hits over five innings, but was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth. Jay made it 3-0 in the bottom half with a two-out RBI single off Justin Wilson. Freese struggled this season to overcome a back injury in spring training and had nine homers and 60 RBIs. But just like teammate Carlos Beltran, hes an October star with seven homers, 29 RBIs and a .325 average in 36 career post-season games. Adams power hitting helped the Cardinals overcame a mid-foot sprain to cleanup man Allen Craig in early September. And on this night, Adams hammered a first-pitch fastball from Melancon well over the right-field wall for his first RBIs of the series. The Pirates scratched out their lone run on two infield hits and the single by Alvarez that looked to be a harmless inning-ending groundout before it hit the bag. Freese was a hometown hero in 2011, both the NLCS and World Series MVP. He singlehandedly got the Cardinals to Game 7 of that World Series against Texas with a two-run triple with two outs and two strikes in the ninth and then ended Game 6 with a leadoff homer in the 11th. "Hes a stud. Hes a big-time player at big-time moments," Wainwright said. "And thats what we expect of him and thats what he continues to deliver." At 23 years, 31 days, Cole was the youngest NL pitcher to start Game 5 of a division series and the fifth-youngest NL pitcher to start a winner-take-all post-season game, according to STATS. Counting the post-season, Cole didnt allow a homer in six straight starts. That ended when Freese connected for a 2-0 lead in the second. Neil Walker drew a one-out walk in the first from Wainwright, who issued just 35 free passes during the regular season and none in Game 1. Walker went no further. After a leadoff single by Marlon Byrd in the second, Matt Carpenter was perfectly positioned at second base to snare Alvarezs liner and flip to first for a double play. NOTES: Lou Brock, clad in a red sport coat worn by all the Cardinals Hall of Famers, bounced the ceremonial first pitch, with pitcher Joe Kelly making a nice scoop. ... Josh Young, in town for the musical Evita, sang the national anthem. ... It was the 24th meeting between the teams this season, with each team winning 12 times. 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