National Sports

ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO — Malcolm Spence score a hat trick for the Erie Otters in a 9-3 win over the host Niagara IceDogs in the Ontario Hockey League on Thursday. Spence scored his third goal when Erie was short-handed.

ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO — Saskatchewan's Jason Ackerman dropped his first game of the Canadian mixed curling championship Thursday, but remained among the frontrunners for a semifinal berth.

SYDNEY, N.S. — Justin Poirier scored a goal and an assist for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in a 3-1 win over the host Cape Breton Eagles in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League on Thursday.

OTTAWA — Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk has seen too many losing Novembers. The Senators fell to 1-3-0 to start the month after a 4-2 loss to the visiting New York Islanders on Thursday.

WINNIPEG — Connor Hellebuyck stopped 35 shots for his third shutout this season and 40th of his career as the Jets blanked the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 on Thursday.

BOSTON (AP) — Brad Marchand scored a backhand off of his own rebound with 20 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Flames on Thursday night.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A free-wheeling Jack Hughes had a goal and two assists and the New Jersey Devils beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 on Thursday night for their fourth win in five games.

President Dan MacKenzie believes the Canadian Hockey League and its players benefit from the NCAA's latest ruling that could create a big shift in hockey's development system.

OTTAWA — The New York Islanders survived a late comeback by the Ottawa Senators in Thursday's 4-2 win. The Islanders led 3-0 before Ottawa made it interesting in the third period.

CALGARY — Bobby Smyrniotis, shut out in five previous nominations, finally has a Coach of the Year Award to go with his four Canadian Premier League titles.