Gameday 82 (Wed, 10 Apr) - Results

Toronto v NY Rangers 2-3 - Coming into Wednesday's crucial game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers coach John Tortorella said he was pleased with the play of Mats Zuccarello. He just wanted to see the team's recent acquisition do one thing: score. Playing his seventh game with the Rangers this season after starting the year with Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the Kontinental Hockey League, Zuccarello didn't record any shots during regulation or overtime. But he scored when it mattered most, notching the lone goal in the shootout to give the Rangers a 3-2 win Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. The shootout winner, scored in the second round of the tiebreaker, beat Toronto goaltender James Reimer between the legs and gave the Rangers 44 points, good for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The sixth-place Ottawa Senators and seventh-place New York Islanders have the same number of points, with Ottawa owning a game in hand and the Islanders having one more non-shootout victory. Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves through overtime and stopped all three Toronto shooters in the tiebreaker, ending the game with a pad save on Mikhail Grabovski, who started the game centering Toronto's fourth line before earning a chance to prolong the shootout. Carl Hagelin and Ryan McDonagh scored in regulation for the Rangers while Phil Kessel scored both Toronto goals. Reimer made 26 saves in a losing effort, but the single point earned in the shootout moved Toronto closer to clinching its first playoff berth since 2004. The Maple Leafs sit fifth in the East with 49 points, seven ahead of the ninth-place Winnipeg Jets. With a playoff atmosphere in the building, the Maple Leafs' aggressive forecheck gave New York trouble early on. Lundqvist made several big saves, including one off a quick shot from Kessel following a perfect behind-the-net feed by Tyler Bozak. The Rangers goaltender continued to make big stops in the second period, stopping Clarke MacArthur and Nazem Kadri in quick succession early in the middle frame. But Kessel struck 1:42 into the second, swiping the puck off Ryan Callahan's stick and swatting it past Lundqvist all in one motion. When another recent Rangers acquisition, wing Ryane Clowe, dropped gloves with Mark Fraser just 24 seconds later, the pace of the game suddenly changed. Playing their fourth game in six days, Toronto quickly lost a step, going more than 24 minutes without registering a shot on net. While the Maple Leafs waded through a second-period lull, the Rangers pounced. New York tied it at 10:55 when Derek Stepan's blocked shot trickled over to Hagelin at the left side of the crease. Hagelin then fired the puck into the gaping net for his ninth goal of the season and first in 11 games. Almost six minutes later, McDonagh made a play that brought the Rangers faithful to their feet. Handling the puck at the blue line, the defenseman made a slick move to lose Kadri before firing a long wrist shot through traffic that beat Reimer at 16:43 to give New York a 2-1 lead. After being dormant for more than a full period, the Maple Leafs evened the score when Kessel took a perfect cross-ice pass from James van Riemsdyk on a 2-on-1 rush and beat Lundqvist at 8:05 of the third period. The goal came on the Leafs' first shot in 24:33 of game action, during which Toronto was outshot 12-0. Both teams had chances in regulation and overtime. Callahan had a prime opportunity with seven minutes left in regulation and Clowe off for hooking. Following a scrum in front of the Toronto net, the Rangers' captain found himself with the puck and a wide-open cage in front of him. But Carl Gunnarsson managed to get a piece of the shot and send it wide. The best chance in overtime came when a wide-open Kadri found the puck in the slot following Dion Phaneuf's rush to the net with 1:39 remaining, only to be foiled by Lundqvist's blocker. With the shootout win, Lundqvist has allowed two or fewer goals in 11 of his past 12 contests; he has a 7-3-2 record and .936 save percentage over that span. His clutch goaltending couldn't have come at a better time for the Rangers, who have only eight games remaining, beginning with a visit to the Islanders on Saturday night.

Boston v New Jersey 5-4 - The Boston Bruins had one goal in mind prior to faceoff on Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center, stake claim to first place in the Northeast Division. Mission accomplished. The Bruins (26-9-4, 56 points) received a pair of goals from Gregory Campbell, 24 saves from backup goalie Anton Khudobin, and withstood a furious late rally, on the way to a 5-4 victory that moved them one point ahead of the Montreal Canadiens and into sole possession of first place in the Northeast for the first time since March 26. Boston has won 11 of the past 12 games against New Jersey, including all three matches this season to extend their winning streak to seven over the past two seasons. The Devils last defeated the Bruins on April 10, 2011. New Jersey's Matt D'Agostini scored his first goal for the Devils with 37 seconds remaining in the third period and goalie Martin Brodeur pulled for the extra attacker to pull his team within 5-4, but the Bruins hung on in the end. The Bruins also received goals from Daniel Paille, Zdeno Chara and Tyler Seguin. Brodeur, who last celebrated a victory against Boston on March 15, 2010, finished with 13 saves. The Devils suffered their eighth straight defeat (0-4-4) to equal the second longest losing skid in team history, which was done five times. New Jersey's longest losing streak is 10 games, from Oct. 14 to Nov. 4, 1983, which was in its second season in the Garden State. Boston denied the Devils on eight power-play opportunities, including a pair of two-man advantages in the first period when the visitors built a 3-0 lead on a pair of goals by Campbell and one by Paille in the opening 8:12 of the first. Boston broke a string of three unanswered goals by New Jersey 7:33 into the third to open a 5-3 edge when Seguin took a pass from a hustling Paille in front of Brodeur and knocked home his 13th of the season with a tip in front. Paille sped past Devils defenseman Mark Fayne behind the cage before dishing to Seguin. The Devils scored their third straight goal when defenseman Andy Greene wristed a shot from the left circle that beat Khudobin 5:58 into the third and sent the hometown faithful among the crowd of 17,625 into a frenzy. Adam Henrique made the play possible when he kicked the puck onto his stick in the right circle before sending a pass to Greene, who found open space on the ice to score his fourth of the season. After spotting Boston a 4-0 lead, New Jersey pulled to within two in the second period. Patrik Elias put the Devils on the board at 12:07 when he deflected a shot off the stick of Steve Sullivan that beat Khudobin high to the long side. The goal by Elias was his first in eight games. New Jersey pared the deficit to 4-2 on a shorthanded goal. Travis Zajac broke in on a semi-breakaway with Milan Lucic shoving from behind before lining a shot between Khudobin's pads at 18:12. Lucic and Johnny Boychuk appeared to be crossed on the play, allowing Zajac to split the two and break in on Khudobin, who was making his first career start against the Devils. The goal came 3:01 after Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for an elbow to the head of Boston's Brad Marchand along the boards in the New Jersey end. Marchand did not return to the game, and Volchenkov's absence left the Devils with four defensemen. The Bruins opened a four-goal lead 3:06 into the second when Chara lumbered into to slot to poke in a rebound with his team on the power play. Jaromir Jagr skated into the left circle before dishing to David Krejci in the slot. Krejci jammed an attempt that Brodeur appeared to initially smother, but Chara extended his stick to loosen the puck over the goal line. Prior to the Boston goal, Chara took a big slap shot that New Jersey captain Bryce Salvador blocked with this right hand at 2:59 of the second. Salvador suffered a wrist injury and did not return. The Devils certainly didn't get off to the start they needed with their Stanley Cup Playoff hopes in jeopardy. Not only did they fail to capitalize on four power-play opportunities, including the pair of 5-on-3s, but the Bruins connected for two shorthanded goals and barely missed on a third when Boychuk's penalty shot with his team down a man was denied by Brodeur 3:58 into the game. Campbell gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 1:10 into the game when he gained inside position in the slot before taking a pass from Jagr and backhanded an attempt past Brodeur. The Devils had a golden opportunity to at least pull even when Boychuk was sent to the box for tripping at 1:48 and Chara for delay of game at 2:21, giving the home team a two-man advantage for 1:27. Though the Devils had plenty of zone time, they couldn't generate a quality chance on Khudobin, and as Boychuk was exiting the box, he picked up the puck and skated in before getting hooked from behind by Marek Zidlicky to earn the penalty shot. Seconds after Brodeur's big save, Seidenberg was whistled for an illegal check to the head at 4:14, giving New Jersey another two-man advantage for seven seconds. Thirty seconds after Chara's penalty expired and the Bruins still one man down, Paille took a feed from Krejci in the left circle and curled in on Brodeur before knocking his own rebound past the fallen goalie at 4:51. The Bruins extended the lead to 3-0 on Campbell's second of the game off a deflection of a point blast by Ference at 8:12. Peverley made the play possible when he forced one of seven Devils' turnovers in the first despite the fact Boston was shorthanded with Nathan Horton in the box for holding.

Vancouver v Calgary 4-1 - Roberto Luongo wasn't supposed to get the start. The Calgary Flames may have preferred it that way. A late replacement after Cory Schneider fell ill, Luongo kicked out 40 shots while the Vancouver Canucks erupted for three goals in a 4:50 span late in the third to beat the Flames 4-1 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday. Luongo was announced as the surprise starter in the afternoon after Schneider wasn't available to play. The Canucks signed University of Calgary goaltender Dustin Butler to serve as backup to Luongo, who made his first start in 12 games. Calgary's loss combined with a Colorado Avalanche win puts the Flames just one point up on 30th place in the NHL standings. Maxim Lapierre ensured the Canucks would leave with the pair of points, the club’s fourth straight victory. After a Chris Butler turnover behind the net, Andrew Ebbett fed Lapierre in the slot, who chipped the puck behind Flames starter Miikka Kiprusoff to give the Vancouver a 2-1 lead at 12:37. Mason Raymond added an insurance marker 3:03 later, batting a Dan Hamhuis rebound out of mid-air and behind Kiprusoff to extend the lead to two. Daniel Sedin put the finishing touches on the game, taking a pass from Henrik Sedin in the slot and beating Kiprusoff via the power play to make it 4-1 at 17:27. It was Daniel’s first power-play goal since Jan. 25. The flurry came after Luongo shined earlier in the third, making 17 saves in the final 20 minutes. Luongo denied both Mikael Backlund and Curtis Glencross in succession. Gaining the blue line with a head of steam, Backlund fired a snapshot Luongo handled. Flying by the net, Glencross knocked the rebound out of mid-air, but right into the glove of the Canucks’ keeper to preserve the 1-1 tie. After passing the midway mark of the period, Luongo's acrobatics were on display again. After kicking our a rebound on Lee Stempniak's initial shot, he dived fully outstretched to keep the ensuing crease scramble at bay. Trading chances through the opening 20 minutes of the game, Glencross was first to capitalize. Taking a pass from Maxwell Reinhart and working the puck into the slot, Glencross had his initial shot blocked by Kesler. But he seized control of the puck again and beat Luongo to the blocker at 16:17. With an assist on the play, Reinhart recorded his first career NHL point. It took the Canucks just 64 seconds to respond to Glencross' tally. Scrambling around the crease with Kiprusoff down, Alexandre Burrows tried to nudge the puck over the line and got help after Dennis Wideman inadvertently poked the puck into the Flames net with 2:39 remaining in the frame. Daniel Sedin did his best to break the tie 4:05 into the second period, but his booming shot from the high slot was met by Kiprusoff's left pad. Kiprusoff was equally as good just a dozen seconds into Kesler's hooking minor, making a sprawling shorthanded stop off Burrows after a nice set-up from Lapierre at 11:50. Killing Sven Baertschi's tripping minor with six minutes left in the second, Kiprusoff was equally as impressive. First, Kiprusoff blockered away Kesler's attempt in the slot after a stationary give-and-go feed with Burrows parked to the left of the goal. The Flames' goaltender got lucky on the same power play after Kesler, playing just his second game after missing 19 with a broken ankle, deflected a Daniel Sedin blast from the point. Equal to the task, Luongo denied Reinhart his first career goal with just 10.3 seconds remaining, trapping a blast off the stick of the 21-year-old after he took a soft drop pass from Wideman.

Phoenix v Edmonton 3-1 - In a game between teams desperate for points, the Phoenix Coyotes showed more urgency. Mike Smith stopped 29 shots Wednesday as the Coyotes beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 at Rexall Place to pull within one point of the eighth-place Detroit Red Wings for the final Western Conference playoff berth. The Coyotes have 42 points, one fewer than the Red Wings, who also have a game in hand. Boyd Gordon and Antoine Vermette had second-period goals for the Coyotes, who started a three-game trip through Western Canada with a 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, the beginning of a stretch that will see them play six of seven games on the road. David Moss added a power-play goal in the final seconds. The Oilers got a third-period goal by rookie Nail Yakupov, but lost their fourth game in a row and remained at 39 points, four out of a playoff berth. They lost to the Coyotes for the first time in three tries this season. Phoenix outshot Edmonton 10-8 in a scoreless first period, then needed 37 seconds of the second period to take the lead for good. Gordon scored his fourth goal of the season when his bad-angled shot from along the goal line went into the net off goaltender Devan Dubnyk. Dubnyk was his own worst enemy on the Coyotes' second goal. He took his time playing the puck behind the net, and as Phoenix forward Chris Conner pressured him, the goaltender slid a blind pass toward the right circle, where Vermette jumped on the puck and snapped it into the half-empty net at the 9:00 mark for his ninth of the season. The Coyotes came close to breaking the game open late in the period when Moss stole the puck and raced in on a shorthanded breakaway. Moss beat Dubnyk but not the post, leaving the lead at 2-0 after 40 minutes. Edmonton, outshot 22-15 through two periods, came out with a much more spirited effort in the third. Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff was all alone in front just over two minutes into the period but couldn't beat Smith; seconds later, Martin Hanzal got a stick on a shot by Jordan Eberle with Smith down on the ice. The Oilers broke through at 7:49 when Phoenix defenseman David Schlemko couldn’t control the puck in his own zone. Ryan Smyth whacked the puck toward the net and off Smith's pads, and Yakupov batted the rebound into the net for his 10th of the season. Smith held off the Oilers, making the best of his 14 third-period saves when he denied Sam Gagner's stuff shot and with 18 seconds remaining. Horcoff took a cross-checking penalty during the ensuing scramble. Moss' power-play goal iced the win, and may have ended the Oilers' slim playoff hopes.

Colorado v Anaheim 4-1 - Jean-Sebastien Giguere had a little something to say about the Anaheim Ducks clinching a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In their first game since Giguere heavily criticized his teammates and questioned their commitment, the Colorado Avalanche jumped all over a heavy-legged Ducks team for a 4-1 victory Wednesday night. Giguere, who led the Ducks to the Cup in 2007, made 21 saves and the Avalanche got a shorthanded goal from captain Gabriel Landeskog in a morale-boosting triumph, their third road win and first since Feb.14. Colorado was 1-8-1 with 15 goals scored in its previous 10 games. Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf returned from a leg injury and looked quite rusty. Defenseman Cam Fowler left the game with an upper body and coach Bruce Boudreau did not have an update. The only positive note for the Ducks, who needed one point to clinch, was Teemu Selanne's 674th career goal, which capped a beautiful end-to-end passing sequence in the second period. Giguere called out his team after a loss Monday, saying "It's embarrassing. I'm embarrassed to be here right now." Apparently they listened. Giguere did his part, particularly with some early stops and a glove grab off Bobby Ryan in the second period. After the buzzer Patrick Bordeleau was the first to hug Giguere, who got his first win in eight starts (0-4-2). Colorado had lost 10 of its previous 12 visits to Anaheim. Colorado took a 4-1 lead into the third, partly because of a rough stretch by Getzlaf and Luca Sbisa. Sbisa took a bad interference penalty and Matt Duchene finished off some nice puck movement with a one-timer at 7:54, just before the penalty expired, to make it 3-0. Sbisa later tried to clear the puck to the boards but it deflected off a defender's stick and Jamie McGinn rifled a water-bottle wrist shot high past Jonas Hiller at 17:30. Getzlaf went 0-for-5 in the faceoff circle in the first period and was beaten shorthanded in the second by Landeskog when Landeskog drove down the left wing and cut across for a backhand to make it 2-0. Landeskog's eighth goal ended a seven-game scoring drought. Getzlaf admitted some pucks got away from him and he needed to move his feet more. Anaheim played its 26th game in 46 days, but no one pointed to a lack of rest as a reason for the loss. The return of Getzlaf allowed the Ducks to have Matthew Lombardi center the second line and reunite the shutdown line of Daniel Winnik, Saku Koivu and Andrew Cogliano. But the Koivu line was on the ice for Colorado's first goal as Anaheim was asleep at the start. John Mitchell was all by himself on the left side of the net to whack in Duchene's rebound 64 seconds into the game. Mitchell's 10th goal was his first in 12 games.