Gameday 89 (Wed, 17 Apr) - Results

Montreal v Pittsburgh 4-6 - Almost to a man, the Pittsburgh Penguins insist they aren't preoccupied with earning the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed. Their determined, crisp play, though, belies the notion Pittsburgh isn't playing with a purpose as its regular season enters its final 10 days. Brenden Morrow and Brandon Sutter each scored twice, Jarome Iginla added a power-play goal for his 1,100th career point and the Penguins won their fifth consecutive game, 6-4, against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday at Consol Energy Center. Pittsburgh improved to 33-10 by winning at home for the 14th time in its past 15, extending its lead on Montreal and the Boston Bruins to nine points. The Penguins and Canadiens each have five games remaining and Boston has a game in hand. Defenseman Douglas Murray added his first goal since Dec. 9, 2010 for the Penguins, who have won 20 of their past 22, a stretch that began with a 7-6 overtime win at Montreal on March 2. Pittsburgh is 6-0-1 in its past seven against the Canadiens, winning all three meetings this season, the first time in franchise history the Penguins swept the Habs. Brian Gionta, Alex Galchenyuk, Gabriel Dumont and Andrei Markov scored and Lars Eller and David Desharnais each had two assists for Montreal, which has lost three in a row. The Canadiens have been outscored, 18-8, in their past three, their starting goalie pulled in each game. While it was Carey Price getting yanked by Therrien in losses to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, on Wednesday it was Peter Budaj who lasted one period. Budaj had been 7-0-0 with a 1.59 goals-against average in his past nine appearances (six starts), but he allowed three goals on nine shots. Price wasn't too much better, allowing three goals on 20 shots. Once again, Pittsburgh played without four key players, Sidney Crosby (broken jaw), Evgeni Malkin (shoulder), James Neal (concussion) and Paul Martin (hand). Malkin, the NHL’s reigning MVP, took part in the morning skate and is nearing a return, but it was no matter for the Penguins. They improved to 12-2 without Malkin and won for the second game in a row without him or fellow former NHL scoring champion Crosby. Marc-Andre Fleury, who was knocked out of the teams' previous meeting March 26 because of a neck injury, improved to 9-1 in his past 10 starts and moved into a tie for the NHL lead in wins with his 22nd. Sutter opened the scoring 7:24 into the game and made it 5-1 with a power-play tally off an assist from Morrow at 10:30 of the second. Morrow, who has four goals in his past two games, finished off a Gordie Howe hat trick when he fought P.K. Subban with 12:55 left in the third. Iginla's goal was his second in eight games. Defensemen Kris Letang and Matt Niskanen each had two assists for the Penguins, who can wrap up the East’s regular-season title with a victory at Boston in their next game Friday. Galchenyuk scored for the fifth time in his past seven games for Montreal, and Pittsburgh's Pascal Dupuis extended his points streak to a season-high six games with an assist on Morrow's first goal of the night. Morrow, Sutter and Iginla each have 11 goals this season. Murray's goal was his first in 147 games. The Penguins have killed 20 consecutive penalties at home and are 6-for-16 on the power play in their past three games. Pittsburgh's Jussi Jokinen did not play during the final 10 minutes of the second period or the third period because of illness. Joe Vitale did not play the final 10:01 of regulation after absorbing a blocked shot, but Bylsma shrugged off the severity of a possible injury, calling it a "bruise."

Buffalo v Boston 3-2 - The Boston Bruins rode high on the emotions of an extra-passionate crowd at TD Garden in the first major sporting event here since the Boston Marathon bombings of Monday, and for 59 minutes looked destined for an emotional victory. The Buffalo Sabres' drive for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, however, prevailed in the closing seconds of regulation. Buffalo's Cody Hodgson scored a power-play goal with 27 seconds remaining to tie the game during a 6-on-4, and Drew Stafford scored the only goal in the shootout for a 3-2 Sabres win. After the game, the teams congregated at center ice and saluted the fans of Boston, who responded with chants of "U-S-A!" Though the Bruins didn't get two points, the one clinched a playoff spot and tied the Montreal Canadiens for first place in the Northeast Division. And more than anything, the Bruins started the healing process for a city shocked by the tragic events of Monday. Despite a tumultuous season in Buffalo that's featured a coaching change and the trade of several veteran players out of town, the Sabres have won three in a row and six of eight to pull within two points of the New York Rangers and the Winnipeg Jets for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres have four games remaining. A penalty on Boston's Andrew Ference for delay of game opened the door for Buffalo's late goal. Hodgson tipped a Thomas Vanek pass behind goalie Anton Khudobin to tie the game 2-2. The Sabres' comeback was a dramatic end to an emotional night. The feeling in the building revealed itself early, as many more hundreds of people were already at their seats or near the glass than usual for pregame warm-ups 30 minutes before the puck dropped. The Bruins took the ice to a rousing ovation. When it came time for the game, the Bruins heard a playoff-caliber cheer, and after a moment of silence and video tribute to the victims, longtime Bruins anthem singer Rene Rancourt came out to play his usual role. But after a couple verses he quieted down, waved his arms and led the crowd in "The Star-Spangled Banner" with the 17,565 on hand providing the majority of the vocals. The Bruins didn't immediately feed off the added energy; it took them 4:58 to put their first shot on Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, who finished with 41 saves. But with "Let's Go Boston!" chants replacing the usual "Let's Go Bruins!" roars throughout the first several minutes of the period, the home team finally gave its fans a reason to really yell. Boston's Chris Kelly won a battle in the corner of the Buffalo zone and fed the front of the goal, where Daniel Paille one-timed a puck past Miller for a 1-0 lead at 5:45. Boston outshot Buffalo, 12-9, in the first period. However, a late penalty against Zdeno Chara cost the Bruins the lead. With 1:40 remaining, Vanek tipped a power-play goal past Khudobin after a wrist shot from the blue line by Christian Ehrhoff. The Bruins broke the tie with 5:12 left in the second period. Kelly and Paille again hooked up, this time with Paille feeding the puck across the slot to Kelly. After he stopped the puck with his skate, he worked it to his blade for a flip over Miller's pad and a 2-1 lead. However, the Bruins weren't able to hang on long enough for the two points.

Detroit v Calgary 2-3 - In the heart of the Western Conference playoff chase, the Detroit Red Wings needed to take two points from the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. Jimmy Howard gave Steve Begin a pair of gifts instead. Begin scored twice in the third period off of puck-handling gaffes from the Detroit goaltender as the Flames edged the Red Wings 3-2 at Scotiabank Saddledome. The loss, coupled with an overtime victory by the Columbus Blue Jackets, drops Detroit out of a playoff spot and into ninth in the West. The Red Wings have a game at hand over the Blue Jackets. With the puck tangled in Howard's feet behind the net after a miscommunication with defenseman Jonathan Ericsson, Begin bounced the puck off the Detroit goaltender and into the back of the net just 2:28 into the third period for a 2-1 lead. After Kiprusoff robbed Pavel Datsyuk on a one-timer and Henrik Zetterberg's rebound attempt at 8:16, Begin extended Calgary's lead on his second gift from Howard. Retrieving a dump in with the Detroit on the power play, Howard went and fetched the puck behind the net. With Begin pressuring him and no defensemen to outlet a pass to, Howard fanned on his attempt to ring it around the boards. The Flames forward scooped up the puck and calmly wrapped the puck around into the net. Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff gave one back to Johan Franzen at 17:18 after the Detroit forward lobbed a backhand from center that bounced in front of the net and between the legs of the Calgary keeper to cut the lead to 3-2. With a power play and Howard pulled for an extra attacker, Kiprusoff flashed his glove for the most spectacular of his 36 saves, robbing Jakub Kindl from the high slot on an uncontested slapper with 16.6 seconds remaining to preserve the win. It was the best of 36 saves Kiprusoff made in what could be his second-to-last start in Calgary as a member of the Flames amidst speculation about the 36-year-old's future. Though desperate for two points, the Red Wings couldn't muster a shot on net until Valtteri Filppula's attempt to jam the puck by the pad of Kiprusoff 5:03 into the game. Zetterberg fared no better on his first chance of the game. Streaking down his off wing, the Detroit captain uncorked a slap shot that Kiprusoff blockered away. Kiprusoff also frustrated the duo of Joakim Andersson and Damien Brunner, stoning the former in tight and throwing out the left pad to rob the latter on the rebound near the midway mark of the period. The save sparked Calgary as the Flames broke open the scoring with a dizzying goal off the stick of Lee Stempniak. Gaining the zone, Stempniak dropped the puck for Sven Baertschi bursting into the zone. Baertschi spun around and sailed a backhand pass just behind Cory Sarich, forcing the defenseman to spin again and fired the puck on net. Howard stopped the initial shot, but put the puck right onto the stick of Stempniak, who wasted no time depositing the rebound into the yawning cage at 13:28. Outshooting the Flames 11-2 in the second period, Detroit drew even. Taking a centering feed in the corner from Andersson, rookie Gustav Nyquist tapped in his third of the season behind Kiprusoff at 12:31. Nyquist had a few opportunities to add another before the period let out. Cutting across the slot with the puck, Nyquist rolled a weak backhand just wide of the far post after being forced to avoid a diving poke check from Kiprusoff with 3:06 remaining. On his next shift, Nyquist stripped Roman Horak of the puck at the hashmark, circled the net and fed a pass to Andersson in the slot. He fired into a scramble, but Kiprusoff's right arm kept the puck out with 15.5 seconds on the clock.

Columbus v Anaheim 3-2 - Some of the Columbus Blue Jackets were unaware of the out-of-town scoreboard that rims the lower bowl of Honda Center. Others took notice that the door to the Stanley Cup Playoffs was ajar. Wherever their eyes gazed, Columbus stuck its foot in the door with an impressive come-from-behind 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. Fedor Tyutin redirected Nick Foligno's shot-pass with 2:41 left in overtime as Columbus jumped into eighth in the Western Conference standings. Tyutin didn't know that the Detroit Red Wings lost. Columbus had already gotten into the top eight of by getting to overtime but Tyutin's play gave them the extra point and extended its winning streak to five games. The Blue Jackets are 16-4-3 since March 1. Anaheim looks more and more like a team that has already clinched a postseason berth and doesn't have much motivation in the home stretch. Players denied that is it difficult elevating themselves emotionally and mentally. Columbus erased a 2-1 deficit in the third on Matt Calvert's goal at 9:23. The overtime winner capped an extremely tight, well-goaltended game in which goals came from unlikely sources because Viktor Fasth was exceptional and Sergei Bobrovsky matched him. Columbus got two scoring chances early, but Fasth got his paddle on Marian Gaborik's shot from the slot and stopped Ryan Johansen on a shorthanded breakaway attempt. He also gloved Jack Johnson's shot on a power play late in the period. Foligno worked the puck on the left side and threw it to a streaking Tyutin, who just glanced the puck to make it slip by Fasth for what Tyutin said was his first overtime goal. Anaheim got just the odd bounce it needed to get out of its scoring slump on a weird play that put the Ducks ahead, 2-1, at 4:53 of the third. David Steckel's shot from five feet out hit a skate, bounced straight up in the air, landed in the crease and rolled into the net before Bobrovsky and nearby Vinny Prospal realized what happened. Steckel's first goal of the season and first since March 23,2012, could have tipped the game toward the Ducks after Columbus hemmed in Anaheim for good portions of the second period and forged a 1-1 tie on Blake Comeau's redirect of James Wisniewski's shot that went in off the left post at 16:28. Comeau, a trade deadline pickup from the Calgary Flames, has goals in two straight games after he was scratched in back-to-back contests. With Cam Fowler and Luca Sbisa injured, the Ducks inserted offensive-minded Sami Vatanen and the Finnish defenseman came through on the power play with his first NHL goal on a terrific snap shot for a 1-0 lead 11:37 into the game. Ryan Getzlaf sent the puck to Vatanen on the left side off a faceoff win six seconds into Comeau's holding penalty, and Vatanen zipped it far side as Corey Perry screened Bobrovsky. Bobby Ryan retrieved the puck. It got Anaheim out of a 1-for-17 power play outage. Nikita Nikitin played three shifts in the third period. Columbus coach Todd Richards said Nikitin has a lower-body injury and will likely be re-assessed Thursday.