The San Jose Sharks relieved Ron Wilson of his head coaching duties on Monday, a little over a week since the club bowed out in the second round of the playoffs.

Pavel Datsyuk recorded his first career playoff hat trick as the Detroit Red Wings took a commanding three games to none series lead with a 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals at American Airlines Center.

DALLAS Pavel Datsyuk and the Detroit Red Wings got the best retaliation against Mike Ribeiro and the Dallas Stars - a record-setting victory. Datsyuk scored twice in the first period then again with 2:41 left, and the Red Wings beat the Stars 5-2 Monday night to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Maxime Talbot scored the go-ahead goal 8:51 into the third period, as the Pittsburgh Penguins topped the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-2, in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Talbot returned to the lineup after missing the last three games due to a broken right foot. Sidney Crosby finished with a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who took a 2-0 series lead and can increase the advantage in the third contest, set for Tuesday in Philadelphia. Marian Hossa and Jordan Staal also scored for the Penguins. Sergei Gonchar finished with three assists, while Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 30-of-32 shots in the victory for Pittsburgh, which has won 15 consecutive home games and is a perfect 7-0 in the playoffs so far at Mellon Arena. Jeff Carter scored, and Mike Richards added a shorthanded tally for the Flyers, who also lost Game 1 by a 4-2 score. Martin Biron faced 37 shots, and stopped 34 of them. Philadelphia was already playing without star defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who is out for the entire series with a blood clot, but also lost blue-liner Braydon Coburn less than two minutes of the game. He was hit in the face with a puck and did not return.

Brandon Dubinsky registered a hat trick and Dustin Brown added two goals with an assist to power the United States to a 9-1 rout of Norway in the finale of the qualifying round of the 2008 World Hockey Championship.

Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen is still experiencing concussion-like symptoms and will not be available to play in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars on Monday.

SAN JOSE, Calif. The San Jose Sharks fired coach Ron Wilson on Monday after his club followed another outstanding regular season with yet another early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. The Nashville Predators have signed forward Martin Erat to a seven-year, $31.5 million contract. Erat ranks third on the team in career scoring (253). He joined Nashville in the 2001-02 season after being selected in the 1999 draft.

Finland scored three times in the third period, including what turned out to be a phantom goal, to upend the United States with a contentious 3-2 victory at the 2008 World Hockey Championships.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn left in the first period of his team's playoff game against Pittsburgh after the puck hit him in the face.

The Nashville Predators have signed forward Martin Erat to a seven-year contract worth $31.5 million.

The top-seeded Detroit Red Wings will try to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals tonight, when they visit the Dallas Stars for Game 3 at American Airlines Center.

Maxime Talbot scored the go-ahead goal 8:51 into the third period, as the Pittsburgh Penguins topped the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-2, in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.

PITTSBURGH Max Talbot, a sometimes overlooked fourth-line forward on a team renowned for its stars, scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins took a two-game lead in the Eastern Conference finals by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 Sunday night.

Eric Staal scored four goals and added an assist as Canada hammered Germany 10-1 at the 2008 World Hockey Championships.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals tonight, when they host the rival Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2 at Mellon Arena.

DETROIT The Detroit Red Wings kept rolling without their hottest player. Darren Helm and Henrik Zetterberg scored first-period goals to help make up for the loss of Johan Franzen and Detroit held on for a 2-1 win Saturday night over the Dallas Stars and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

DETROIT Johan Franzen was scratched from the Detroit Red Wings' lineup for Game 2 of the Western Conference finals and will miss Game 3 because of concussion-like symptoms.

Chris Osgood needed to make just 17 saves to help the Detroit Red Wings to a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals at Joe Louis Arena.

Evgeni Malkin scored twice and added an assist, as Pittsburgh doubled up Philadelphia, 4-2, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals from Mellon Arena. Sidney Crosby and Petr Sykora also tallied for the Penguins, who improved to 9-1 in the postseason and have won the first game in each of their playoff series. Pittsburgh also improved to 6-0 on home ice. Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves to earn his ninth win. Mike Richards scored twice for the Flyers, who fell to 8-5 on the playoff year. Martin Biron had an uncharacteristically off night in net, allowing four goals on only 21 shots in the loss. Philadelphia missed the impact of veteran defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who is likely lost for the remainder of the playoffs with a blood clot in his left leg. Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen was scratched from the lineup for Game 2 of the Western Conference finals because of concussion-like symptoms.

MINNEAPOLIS Jacques Lemaire has 11 Stanley Cup championship rings, 500 victories as a coach and is widely considered one of the best coaches in the NHL.

In the first shootout of the tournament, Sergei Mozyakin and Alexei Morozov each scored in the shootout to help Russia to a 4-3 win over Belarus at the 2008 World Hockey Championships.

Jacques Lemaire announced Saturday that he will return next season as head coach of the Minnesota Wild, which will be his eighth with the club.

PITTSBURGH For all the skill he possesses at age 21, all the goals he's scored, all he's done to put the Pittsburgh Penguins three victories away from the Stanley Cup finals, Evgeni Malkin has a weakness. Give him a breakaway, and one of the NHL's best players becomes just another player.

The top-seeded Detroit Red Wings will try to take a two games to none lead in the Western Conference finals tonight, when they welcome the Dallas Stars for Game 2 at Joe Louis Arena.

DENVER The Colorado Avalanche want to play a faster, more attacking brand of hockey, similar to the style that brought them two Stanley Cup titles. Now, they're looking for a coach who fits that description.

PITTSBURGH Evgeni Malkin scored two dazzling goals 5 minutes apart to give Pittsburgh a two-goal lead, after Sidney Crosby tied it, and the Penguins rode their two big stars to a 4-2 victory over cross-state rival Philadelphia in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Friday night.

Evgeni Malkin scored twice and added an assist, as Pittsburgh doubled up Philadelphia, 4-2, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals from Mellon Arena.

WASHINGTON When Olie Kolzig removed his nameplate from the Washington Capitals' locker room after their last playoff game, then skipped a mandatory meeting the next morning, everyone figured his time with the team was over.

The Dallas Stars inked free agent forward Fabian Brunnstrom to a two-year entry-level contract on Friday.

The Colorado Avalanche announced Friday that Joel Quenneville will not return as head coach for the 2008-09 season.

NEW YORK Left wing Jason Blake of the Toronto Maple Leafs, defenseman Chris Chelios of the Detroit Red Wings and right wing Fernando Pisani of the Edmonton Oilers were selected Friday as finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Washington Capitals goaltender Olaf Kolzig has said that he will not be returning to the team he has spent his entire NHL career with, according to a report on Friday.

Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Jason Blake, defenseman Chris Chelios of the Detroit Red Wings and right wing Fernando Pisani of the Edmonton Oilers are the finalists for the 2008 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

A pair of cross-state rivals will begin the Eastern Conference finals tonight, as the second-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins host the sixth-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series at Mellon Arena.

DETROIT Johan Franzen, Brian Rafalski and Tomas Holmstrom scored power-play goals for the Detroit Red Wings, who built a big lead in the second period and coasted to a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night.

Tomas Holmstrom posted a goal and an assist, as the Detroit Red Wings downed the Dallas Stars, 4-1, in Game 1 of their Western Conference finals series from Joe Louis Arena. Brian Rafalski, Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula also scored for the top-seeded Red Wings, who will host Game 2 on Saturday night. Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall both had two assists, while Chris Osgood ran his playoff record to 7-0 by stopping 20- of-21 shots. Brenden Morrow lit the lamp for the fifth-seeded Stars, while Marty Turco was victimized for four goals on 31 shots.

Tomas Holmstrom posted a goal and an assist, as the Detroit Red Wings downed the Dallas Stars, 4-1, in Game 1 of their Western Conference finals series from Joe Louis Arena.

Jonas Hiller made 28 saves to lead Switzerland to a 4-2 victory over Sweden at the 2008 World Hockey Championship.

PHILADELPHIA Flyers All-Star defenseman Kimmo Timonen will likely miss the Eastern Conference finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins because of a blood clot in his left ankle.

Philadelphia defenseman Kimmo Timonen will miss at least the Eastern Conference finals after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his left ankle.

The Florida Panthers agreed to terms with defenseman Keaton Ellerby, their first-round pick in 2007, on an entry level contract on Thursday.

The Western Conference finals get underway tonight in Hockeytown, as the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings welcome the fifth-seeded Dallas Stars to Joe Louis Arena for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.

TORONTO Paul Maurice was fired as coach of the Maple Leafs on Wednesday after Toronto failed to make the playoffs during his two years. The dismissal was the first big move in what is expected to be an active offseason for the team.

DETROIT The Detroit Red Wings just about lapped the competition in the regular season and have rolled to six straight wins in the playoffs, heading into the Western Conference finals.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Jeff Halpern injured his right knee in Team USA's loss to Canada on Tuesday at the World Championship, and will likely require surgery, the Lightning announced Wednesday.

Dany Heatley scored with just 46.8 seconds to play as Canada defeated the United States, 5-4, at the 2008 World Hockey Championship.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have scheduled a press conference for Wednesday afternoon, at which time the team is expected to announce the firing of head coach Paul Maurice.

The Buffalo Sabres have agreed to terms with forward Nathan Gerbe, who will forgo his senior year at Boston College.