Duncan Keith

Getting forward Patrick Sharp back in the lineup and gaining a lead helped the Chicago Blackhawks snap their longest winless streak of the season. Sharp and Martin Havlat each scored two goals, Nikolai Khabibulin made 14 saves, and Chicago defeated the Kings, 4-1, on Sunday to end an 0-3-2 slump. Sharp skated in his first game after missing 16 with a left knee injury.

Dallas center Mike Modano broke Phil Housley's NHL record for career points by an American-born player with two quick goals in the opening minutes of the Stars' 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at San Jose. Modano's back-to-back goals, including a short-handed record-breaker, in the first 4:24 gave him 1,233 points in 1,253 regular-season games -- 242 games fewer than Housley played.

The Vancouver Canucks announced Monday that winger Daniel Sedin, who missed the first three games of their playoff series against the Kings because of a concussion, will join the team for a full practice on Tuesday. A loss to the Kings on Wednesday at Staples Center would end the season for the Canucks, who won the Presidents' Trophy for having the NHL's best regular-season record. The announcement, made on the team's Twitter feed, was something of a surprise. Sedin, who was injured March 21 when he took an elbow to the head from Chicago's Duncan Keith, had practiced once last week but was unable to play in the Canucks' two losses at Vancouver.

The Ducks probably can't win this struggle, but they still have some fight in them. After a feisty 4-2 win over Chicago on Wednesday at the Honda Center, they have beaten the top two teams in the Western Conference in consecutive games. But even after the wins over San Jose and Chicago, they are still eight points out of a playoff spot with 13 games left — and four teams between them and eighth-place Detroit. Add another concern after defenseman James Wisniewski's second-period hit on Brent Seabrook knocked the dazed Chicago defenseman out of the game with what was termed — in one of hockey's euphemisms — "an upper-body injury."

Three months after their contract expired, negotiators for the machinists union reached a tentative agreement Wednesday with McDonnell Douglas Corp. on a four-year contract. "It appears we're going to recommend the company's" offer, said Calvin Duncan, president of the International Assn. of Machinists & Aerospace Workers Local 725. The proposed agreement would provide for a 2.5% general wage increase the first year, a 2% increase the second year and bonus payments of 2.

Dustin Brown's first goal was an important one for the Kings. His second goal Sunday night was one to remember. The 23-year-old left wing helped rally the Kings in regulation, then scored 3:31 into overtime for a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The game-winner past Nikolai Khabibulin was Brown's 18th goal, setting a season high. "I just made a quick move, a power move to the net," Brown said of the winning goal. "I got in tight and tried to get it over him."

General Manager Dean Lombardi and other key Kings executives were given more time to take the next step in a rebuilding process that accelerated this spring when the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Lombardi, who had a year left on the contract he signed in 2006, received a two-year extension with an option. In addition Ron Hextall , the Kings' assistant general manager, Jeff Solomon , the vice president of hockey operations and legal affairs, and Coach Terry Murray each got two-year extensions through the 2012-13 season.

CHICAGO ? Viktor Stalberg scored 4 1/2 minutes into overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 3-2 victory Sunday night that snapped the Anaheim Ducks' six-game winning streak. Stalberg redirected Duncan Keith's shot past Jonas Hiller for his sixth goal and second in two nights. Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa each had a power-play goal and an assist to help the Blackhawks snap a three-game slide. Corey Perry had two goals for the Ducks, who were trying to match the franchise record for consecutive wins.

Kris Versteeg scored the go-ahead goal from the left circle with 1 minute 30 seconds left and the Chicago Blackhawks rallied to beat the Vancouver Canucks, 4-2, on Monday night to even the Western Conference semifinals at 1-1. Game 3 will be played Wednesday night in Vancouver. In a furious final rush, Versteeg lost the puck near the goal. It went out to Duncan Keith, who slid the pass to Versteeg for a shot that beat goalie Roberto Luongo to send the crowd at the United Center into a frenzy.