The National Hockey League’s board of governors approved the sale of the Predators to a group led by David Freeman, the Chief Executive Officer of a venture capital firm. David Freeman’s group still needs approval from the city council and Nashville’s Metro Sports Authority in order to implement some changes that will maximize the revenues to the arena lease for the Nashville Predators. The club lost $70 million in outgoing owner Craig Leipold’s ten years of ownership. The League changed the scheduling format, so that every team will from now on face each other at least once every season, cutting down on division matches.

Dustin Brown finished off a perfect Kings shootout yesterday as Los Angeles won for the 2nd time in 8 matches, 3-2 over the Sharks. Kopitar and O’Sullivan scored shootout goals for the Kings against Nabokov, who had stopped twenty-eight of thirty shots in regulation. The Kings ended a 5-game road trip by handing San Jose their 3rd straight setback. Anze Kopitar and Patrick O’Sullivan scored during the 2nd period as Los Angeles overcame a 1-0 deficit. Rivet produced a power-play goal to tie it 3:41 into the 3^rd period.

Scott Hartnell, Philadelphia Flyers’ forward, was suspended for 2 games by the National Hockey League yesterday. He is actually the 4th Philadelphia Flyers player, who was disciplined this season for an illegal hit. Scott Hartnell checked defenseman Andrew Alberts from the Boston Bruins in the head on Monday. He was assessed a major penalty for boarding. During the 2nd period, he was ejected in and Andrew Alberts left the game with an unspecified head injury.

Oilers 5, Canucks 4: Horcoff had one goal and one assist in regulation, then scored the game-winner in the 5th round of a shootout for the Edmonton Oilers on yesterday night. The Oilers took a 3-1 lead after one period but saw Vancouver take the lead on Naslund’s power-play goal at 7:34 in the 3rd period. Penner tied it forty-six seconds later on an Oilers man advantage. The Oilers outshot The Canucks 14-4 in the 2nd period and 25-11 through the first forty minutes

Rick DiPietro earned his 100th National Hockey League victory with an eighteen-save effort yesterday night and the Islanders beat the Rangers for the 3rd time this season, 2-1. Rick DiPietro, the 1st goalie ever drafted Number 1, when the New York Islanders took the Massachusetts native in 2000, followed up a 1-0 victory on Friday against the New Jersey Devils with another stunning performance in a game against Long Island’s biggest rival.

Ohlund’s clean record in ten seasons did not count for much on Sunday. The veteran Canucks defenseman was handed a 4-game suspension for playing woodchopper’s ball on the back of Koivu’s left calf. Mattias Ohlund met with reporters between the 1st and 2nd periods of the Vancouver Canucks’ game with the Calgary Flames on Sunday and said he respected the league’s decision.

Daniel Alfredsson stepped up and led his team the Ottawa Senators to a tough victory. The captain, playing in his 800th career match, scored 2 goals to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 win over the Sabres on Thursday. On a Senators team full of stars, Daniel Alfredsson has been the brightest so far this season. He looked so great on the ice in a game where Ottawa as a whole turned in a poor performance

Sean Avery, the New York Rangers’ forward is preparing to file a libel charge against a Toronto radio personality, who reported that Saturday’s pre-game “fight” between New York’s winger and Toronto’s Darcy Tucker started after Sean Avery brought up Jason Blake’s cancer condition. Avery has privately denied the charge as broadcast by Howard Berger on The Fan 590. Howard Berger cited an unnamed New York Rangers player as the original source of the report.

The Thrashers look to continue their home dominance of the Panthers, when the two teams meet Tuesday. Atlanta has won the last eleven home meetings against Florida since their last loss in October 2003. The Thrashers had their season-best 3-game win streak snapped against the Hurricanes on Saturday, suffering a 5-3 setback. Hossa scored 2 goals in the loss, logging his 2nd consecutive 2-point match.

Eric Lindros, the winner of the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP in 1995, retired in his hometown of London, Ontario, yesterday, ending a career derailed by a series of concussions and other minor injuries. Eric Lindros, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound center, had 372 goals, 865 points and 1,398 penalty minutes in 760 games for the Rangers, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Dallas.