2015 NHL scores: Rangers complete California sweep, Islanders spoil Columbus excitement

There’s no stopping the New York teams right now.

Jan 11, 2015, 1:02 PM UTC

Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Rangers are kings of California.

With a 3-1 win over the Sharks in San Jose on Saturday, the Rangers are 4-0 against California teams this season while outscoring them 12-4. No team has done better in the Golden State.

And frankly, no team has played better overall than New York over the last two weeks. The Rangers are riding a 10-1-0 stretch in which Henrik Lundqvist has shined and the offense has eaten defenses alive. For them to put on the kind of performance they did in San Jose at the end of a long western road trip shows how formidable they are at the moment.

Speaking of formidable, how about that other New York team? The Islanders rolled into Columbus on Saturday and ruined the brewing All-Star Game excitement in Nationwide Arena. And they did it without help from their lone all-star, John Tavares. The Isles have now won four of six on this road trip as their offense keeps flowing.

All the NHL Scores

Bruins 3, Flyers 1

Predators 3, Wild 1

Avalanche 4, Stars 3

Penguins 2, Canadiens 1 (OT)

Capitals 3, Red Wings 1

Islanders 5, Blue Jackets 2

Senators 5, Coyotes 1

Blues 5, Hurricanes 4 (SO)

Jets 5, Kings 4 (SO)

Flames 1, Canucks 0

Rangers 3, Sharks 1

Three things we learned

1. Carey Price had Sidney Crosby beat--until the final shot. The battle between Montreal and Pittsburgh essentially boiled down to two players. Price was tested by Crosby all night long, and each shot he faced was turned away with confidence. But Crosby got the last laugh.

2. Eric Staal is still really good.

estaal

3. The NHL All-Star Game will look different this year.

Between the lockout and the Olympics, it's been awhile since we actually got to enjoy an NHL All-Star Game. And the game we're getting won't look familiar. Gone are mainstays like Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Lundqvist, the Sedin twins and Zdeno Chara. The roster is younger and filled with rising stars. Frankly, we can't wait.

Impact Moment

Less than an hour after being named an All-Star, Jimmy Howard went down with an injury.

howardouch

Howard injured his groin so badly that he had to be stretchered off. The Red Wings haven't given any official word on his status, but it's safe to assume that playing in the All-Star Game in two weeks isn't a sure thing anymore.