OSKAR LINDBLOM

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid ran away in the voting to win his second Hart Trophy as NHL MVP after leading the league in points.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom has won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Buffalo Sabres celebrate a goal by center Curtis Lazar (27) during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday, March 31, 2021. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)BUFFALO, N.Y. – Embarrassment for Brandon Montour and the Buffalo Sabres turned into relief on Wednesday night. The Sabres ended their 18-game skid — the NHL’s longest in 17 years — with a resounding 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. AdThe Sabres also snapped a 0-9-2 home skid, one short of matching a franchise record set during the 1990-91 season. After Philadelphia’s Ivan Provorov scored 3:50 into the second period, Buffalo responded by closing the period with goals from Fogarty and Casey Mittelstadt.

The Flyers were spurred by a replenished lineup in which four players returned after spending two weeks in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. They included Scott Laughton, who scored a breakaway goal to make it 3-0 late in the second period. Elliott improved to 5-1 this season and upped his career record to 15-2-2 with four shutouts against the Sabres, including a 40-save outing in a 3-0 win on Jan. 19. Elliott chalked up his dominance to opening his career with Ottawa, Buffalo’s traditional Atlantic Division rival. The Sabres dropped to 2-6-1 in their past nine and played their second game without captain Jack Eichel, listed as day to day with a lower body injury.

Philadelphia Flyers' James van Riemsdyk celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, in Philadelphia. With Gritty thrusting his bulbous belly from his sofa, the Flyers turned Patrick and Lindblom's homecoming into a meaningful victory. Jankowski, who scored just five goals last season, scored the first one of this season 5:12 into the game. Farabee had assists on van Riemsdyk, Patrick and Hayes’ goals. UP NEXTThe Penguins and Flyers play again Friday in Philly as part of a packed, 56-game schedule necessitated by the pandemic.

Weeks after he completed bone cancer treatments, Lindblom returned to the Philadelphia Flyers to begin the unlikeliest of comebacks. Lindblom says hes happier than ever to be back on the ice and skated with Flyers in Toronto Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020, before they played Montreal in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Lindblom turned 24 on Saturday and a day later he received a rousing applause from the Flyers hours before they prepared for their playoff game against Montreal. Now Im here and Im happier than ever, Lindblom said Sunday. Lindblom got to ring the bell on July 2 at Abramson Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital, which signified that he had completed his radiation treatments.