Results - Wed, Apr 02, 2014

NY Islanders @ Ottawa 2-1 - Though the Islanders are out of the Stanley Cup Playoff picture, their latest win on a late-season roll dealt a blow to the Senators' hopes. Josh Bailey had a hand in two Islanders power-play goals in his 400th NHL game, and Anders Nilsson made 35 saves in a 2-1 win against the Senators on Wednesday. Bailey, who scored his eighth of the season at 17:09 of the first period, helped New York restore its one-goal lead with an assist on Casey Cizikas' sixth at 9:31 of the third. Milan Michalek scored his fourth goal in four games to draw Ottawa even at 1-1 on a power play at 6:41 of the third period. Craig Anderson made 25 saves for the Senators, whose three-game winning streak ended. Ottawa was on a 4-0-1 run that revived its playoff hopes. Michalek found a loose puck during a goalmouth scramble and shot into the right side of the net to spoil Nilsson's bid for his first shutout in more than two years. Cizikas restored the Islanders' lead when he drove the net to put home Bailey's pass into the crease from behind the goal line. Senators defenseman Eric Gryba was penalized for slashing 1:17 earlier. Ottawa was without captain Jason Spezza, defenseman Jared Cowen and left wing Colin Greening, who are each sidelined because of a lower-body injury. New York's Cal Clutterbuck failed to convert two shorthanded breakaways. He put a backhand over the net in the dying seconds of the second period after he was stopped by Anderson on a chance early in the first. Ottawa's Mark Stone shot wide of the left post with a chance at an open net earlier in the Senators' power play after Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey was called for tripping at 2:30 of the first.
Boston @ Detroit 2-3 - As he prepared his team to face the Red Wings on Wednesday, Bruins coach Claude Julien had a plan for defending red-hot forward Gustav Nyquist. Asked after the morning skate what the Bruins needed to take away from Nyquist's arsenal, Julien gave a one-word answer; "Breakaways." His response drew some chuckles from reporters because Nyquist had torched the Tampa Bay Lightning three days earlier for an electrifying breakaway goal in a big win. After he did it again, this time to the Bruins in Detroit's 3-2 victory at Joe Louis Arena, it was no laughing matter. Nyquist's breakaway goal with 7:12 left in the third period provided the winning margin, and was just as pretty as the one he scored against the Lightning. It was the third straight win for the Red Wings, who pushed their season point total to 86 and helped their own cause in the chase to make a 23rd straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Detroit owns the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference; the Red Wings are three points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets and four in front of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the first loss in regulation for the Bruins since March 1, ending a string of 16 straight games recording at least a point. The loss also snapped a nine-game win streak on the road and a 16-game string of recording at least a point away from TD Garden. Nyquist's game-winner and Howard's play in goal weren't the only examples of the Red Wings' scrappy effort amid a slew of injuries to regulars. There was also the game-tying goal scored at 11:06 of the third period by rookie Tomas Jurco, which came as the result of Tomas Tatar's kicked pass during a goalmouth scramble. That happened about 10 minutes after Carl Soderberg gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead during a power play 1:10 into the third. Boston actually carried the play for most of the game, but the Red Wings found a way to earn the two points for the third time in four head-to-head meetings. The Bruins outshot Detroit 35-20 and missed the net 10 times, including several chances in the second period with Howard out of position after making a save. They were shaking their heads in disbelief afterward. Just as they've been doing of late, the Red Wings' youth movement helped them capitalize on a few mistakes. The goals by Jurco and Nyquist were great examples. Jurco scored his off a pass that Tatar kicked across the crease to end a wild scramble that featured the puck disappearing at one point. Nyquist scored less than two minutes later. After picking up a loose puck off a turnover by Soderberg in the Detroit defensive zone, the speedy Nyquist turned on the jets through the neutral zone and created a one-man rush after zipping around 6-foot-9 defenseman Zdeno Chara at the Boston blue line. He fended off a couple whacks by Chara, then beat Rask for his 23rd goal in the past 28 games by roofing a shot into the upper right corner of the net. Johnny Boychuk scored the first goal for the Bruins, who played without first-line right wing Jarome Iginla for the first time. Iginla was a late scratch due to what the team called a lower-body injury. Julien said Iginla was day-to-day but that the injury wasn't serious. Boston forward Patrice Bergeron had his seven-game goal streak come to a halt, while Nyquist extended his own goal-scoring streak to three games. He has scored in nine of his past 10 games. Tatar scored Detroit's first goal, finishing with a two-point night in another step toward the postseason. Jurco, who had four shots and finished with a plus-2 rating, is just enjoying the ride.
Edmonton @ Anaheim 2-3 - This time, the Sucks only had to dig out of a two-goal hole. Two days after the Sucks overcame a four-goal deficit to beat the Winnipeg Jets in overtime, they spotted the Oilers a two-goal advantage before rallying in the third period for a 3-2 victory at Honda Center on Wednesday night. Corey Perry, whose last-minute goal Monday sent that game into overtime, scored twice in a 7:57 span of the final period to tie the game, then set up Francois Beauchemin's one-timer from the top of the left circle that beat Viktor Fasth with 1:21 left in regulation. The Ducks stretched their lead over the idle San Jose Sharks in the race for first place in the Pacific Division to three points. Anaheim still has a game in hand. The 50 wins are the most in franchise history. Phillip Larsson and Jordan Eberle scored for the Oilers, last in the Western Conference. Fasth, playing for the first time against the team that traded him to Edmonton last month, made 23 saves. Rookie Frederik Andersen stopped 30 shots for the Ducks for his 19th win in 24 decisions. It was the second tough road loss for the Oilers in as many nights. They overcame a 3-1 deficit against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, but couldn't hold a third-period lead and lost 5-4. The Oilers came out firing. Edmonton outshot the Ducks 7-1 in the first 10:33, forcing Andersen to be sharp. He stopped Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at the post before the five-minute mark and denied him again from the slot three minutes later. The Ducks began to push the tempo in the second half of the period, earning the game's first two power plays, but were unable to beat Fasth. The period ended scoreless, with the Oilers outshooting the Ducks 11-9. Edmonton finally got on the board at 16:04 of the second period thanks to a great power-play shot by Larsson. With Mathieu Perreault off for tripping, Larsson eased down through the right circle before firing a shot from wide of the faceoff dot that found a tiny spot in the top corner. It was Larsson's third of the season. The Oilers' big line, which combined for 10 points in the loss at San Jose, made it 2-0 at 2;51 of the third period. Nugent-Hopkins got the puck to Taylor Hall, setting up a 2-on-1 break entering the Ducks' zone. Hall found Eberle cutting to the net, and Eberle flicked the puck into the net for his 26th of the season and a 2-0 lead. But Andersen kept the Ducks in the game seconds later when he twice robbed Nugent-Hopkins, and Anaheim beat Fasth on the return rush. Instead, Anaheim's Matt Beleskey bounced off a check along the left half-wall, kept the puck and found Perry racing down the middle. Perry took Beleskey's pass and rocketed a shot from between the circle past Fasth at 3:28 to become the NHL's second 40-goal scorer this season. Only Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals (48 goals) has scored more. Perry scored his 41st and tied the game at 11:25 with a midair deflection of Stephane Robidas' right-point shot after the Oilers failed to clear their zone.

Edmonton Oilers @ San Jose Sharks 4-5 - 04/01

To the San Jose Sharks, no opponents have been scarier during their stretch run than the ones that won't be joining them in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Going into their game Tuesday night against the struggling Edmonton Oilers, the Sharks had already lost to the Buffalo Sables, Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets, Carolina Hurricanes and Calgary Flames. This time, the Sharks survived a huge scare from the Oilers and barely escaped with a 5-4 victory at SAP Center that boosted their hopes of winning the Pacific Division. San Jose increased its total to 105 points, one behind the first-place Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific. The Sharks have five regular-season games; the Ducks have seven, including one against the Oilers at home on Wednesday, and own the tiebreaker. The Sharks blew a 3-1 lead and had to come from behind in the third period.

"It's a bittersweet win," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "It was nice to see us come back and score five, and the power play contributed. Those types of things are nice, but I'm going to leave the rink a little more frustrated than excited. I'm sure some of our players will leave that way too. Back to work tomorrow. Try to get everything straightened out. I still think our team looks lethargic. Not as much physically but mentally. Some of the coverages that we're supposed to have, the face-off execution, picking up the right people. We're there but we're not really getting it done. I think this week's important for us. We'll get a little bit of practice time, some opportunities to rest and then get ready again. Right now we're still in a fight, which I think is good for us, to stay focused and have that battling mentality. Some of that slipped over the last little bit but we've got to get it back."

Patrick Marleau scored the game-winning power-play goal with 7:29 left in regulation. Andrew Desjardins, Dan Boyle, Tommy Wingels and Brent Burns also scored for the Sharks. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored two goals for Edmonton, while Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle each scored one. The threesome combined for 10 points. With David Perron in the penalty box for tripping Sharks defenseman Justin Braun, Marleau got to a loose puck in the right circle and beat goaltender Ben Scrivens for his 32nd goal of the season. Burns nearly fanned on a shot from the point, but the puck bounced off a pair of Oilers and hit Sharks forward Joe Pavelski's skate. Marleau put the puck in an open net, putting San Jose ahead 5-4.

"Coming down that back side looking for any scraps," Marleau said.

Edmonton (26-41-9), coming off a 5-0 loss at home against the New York Rangers on Sunday, lost for the fifth time in its past six games. The Oilers killed six penalties but gave up the game-winner on San Jose's seventh power play.

"Seven kills is too many against a team like that," Nugent-Hopkins said. "I know their power play isn't ranked super-high but that doesn't really matter. They have so much skill that at any time they can capitalize. We knew coming in we couldn't take penalties but for whatever reason, a couple that we probably shouldn't have taken and it comes back to bite us."

The Sharks led 2-1 after the first period and increased their lead to 3-1 at 2:45 of the second period when Wingels scored, snapping a 10-game goal drought. Wingels deflected a shot by defenseman Brad Stuart, then poked the loose puck past Scrivens. But Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle answered with back-to-back goals in the second as the Oilers pulled even at 3-3.

"The intensity probably dropped a little bit," Boyle said. "We're up 3-1 on a team that's not in the playoffs. Sometimes you take your foot off the gas a little bit. We fought hard to battle back."

Nugent-Hopkins launched a laser from the right circle that snuck inside the right post, beating Antti Niemi without the benefit of any traffic in front of the crease as Edmonton cut San Jose's lead to 3-2 at 13:04. Eberle tied it 38 seconds later with his 25th goal of the season. He ripped a shot from the right circle that appeared to ricochet off Braun and into the net. Nugent-Hopkins, who had gone hard to the net, was initially credited with the goal, but it was changed to Eberle's. Nugent-Hopkins put the Oilers ahead 4-3 at 6:16 of the third period with his 18th goal of the season, spinning and firing a shot from the left circle that beat Niemi to the stick side. But Burns took a pass from Joe Thornton and scored from just left of the crease at 10:35, making it 4-4.

"We're happy with the two [points], but we've got to tighten up for the postseason," Thornton said. "We've got five left and you want to be playing well before the postseason. Our goal is to win all five and see where it goes."

Oilers coach Dallas Eakins liked much but not all of what he saw from his young team. "We battled extremely hard. In my recent memory I can't remember a game where we were supporting and fighting and battling [like we did]. I liked our compete level. I thought we had lots of sacrifices. The bad part is that you can't take seven penalties against a team like that, especially in the third after we've battled back from a deficit. You just can't take those penalties. To take seven penalties, you're going to get in trouble."

The Sharks' fourth line produced an early goal as Desjardins scored 3:38 into the game. Defenseman Jason Demers forced a turnover along the boards and got the puck to Tyler Kennedy, who fired a shot from the right circle. Scrivens stopped that blast, but Desjardins put the rebound past him from close range for his third goal of the season. Edmonton pulled even at 12:34 of the first on Hall's power-play goal with Boyle in the box for roughing Matt Hendricks. Nugent-Hopkins met little resistance as he built up speed and brought the puck into San Jose's zone on a rush. Nugent-Hopkins zipped a pass to Hall in the left circle, and Hall wristed a shot that beat Niemi to the far side. The Sharks moved back ahead 2-1 on Boyle's 11th goal of the season at 15:54 with the teams skating 4 on 4. Thornton won a faceoff and passed to puck to Boyle in the slot. Boyle elevated a shot that got past Scrivens and inside the left post. Boyle extended his goal streak to three games after going 29 games without a goal. He has a five-game point streak. Boyle will try to extend those streaks Thursday night when the Los Angeles Kings come to San Jose. It could be a warm-up for a first-round playoff series if the Sharks can't overtake the Ducks.

"Coming down the stretch with the playoffs coming we can't give up four goals and expect to win hockey games," Boyle said.

Winnipeg Jets @ Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 SO - 04/01

After working into prime playoff position with a strong three-game Eastern road trip last week, the Phoenix Coyotes have returned home and played themselves right back into the danger zone. Andrew Ladd scored the Winnipeg Jets' only goal in regulation and converted the deciding goal in the shootout in a 2-1 win against the Coyotes on Tuesday at Jobing.com Arena. The Coyotes, who lost at home to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, dropped out of the Western Conference's final wild-card spot for the Stanley Cup Playoffs by failing to earn two points against the Jets. The streaking Dallas Stars beat the Washington Capitals 5-0 on Tuesday, drawing even with Phoenix at 85 points, and moved into the wild card by virtue of having one game in hand. Phoenix knew it had to win to stay ahead of Dallas, which trailed Phoenix by five points after the Coyotes completed their road trip at 2-0-1 with a 3-2 shootout win against the New Jersey Devils on March 27. Zbynek Michalek's goal early in the second period wasn't enough.

"It's hard to ignore the standings." Michalek said. "[The Stars] played on the East Coast, and they finished before we started, so I think everybody knew the score, knew they won, and we had to respond. We got one point, so we'll move on."

The Jets had lost 11 of their past 14 games, including a 5-4 overtime loss against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday in which they led 4-0 late in the second period. The win moved Winnipeg to 78 points, keeping its flickering playoff hopes alive. Rebounding to win was about more than two points for coach Paul Maurice and his team.

"It was obviously a tough one for us [Monday]," Jets forward Blake Wheeler said. "I think Paul did a great job of refocusing our team. He came in and he let us know it would be a huge statement game for us, regardless of where we are in the standings. As men, to come in here and respond when everything is stacked against us, the way we grinded it out to get two points … that was awesome."

The Jets swept the season series against the Coyotes, with two of the three wins coming by way of the shootout. And in a game filled with important bounces, most of them went Winnipeg's way, including Ladd's shootout goal, which hit the post and then Phoenix goalie Thomas Greiss' back before crossing the goal line.

"I lucked out," Ladd said. "I didn't realize it. I got back to the bench and saw it on replay. But I'll take it."

Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec made 28 saves and stopped Mikkel Boedker and Radim Vrbata in the shootout before Antoine Vermette fired Phoenix's final attempt off the goal post. Greiss made 21 saves in regulation and overtime, then stopped Bryan Little in the shootout before Ladd's shot ping-ponged past him. It was the first shootout goal Greiss allowed after stopping nine previous attempts this season.

"There's an extra point there you'd certainly like to have, but it wasn't for a lack of trying," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. "They got a couple of bounces, and we didn't. Sometimes as good as you want to be, the game doesn't let you be as good."

One of those bounces helped Winnipeg to an early lead. Phoenix defenseman Keith Yandle's attempt to send the puck around the boards hit referee Fredrick L'Ecuyer, and it stopped dead behind the Coyotes net. Little collected the puck, peeled around the net and fed Ladd for a one-timer that beat Greiss over the shoulder into the far corner at 10:01. Ladd's 23rd goal was his fourth in his past five games. The assist extended Little's point streak to seven games. It was the first time the Coyotes trailed after one period on home ice since Jan. 20 against the Toronto Maple Leafs (12 games). It didn't take them long to even the score. On a delayed penalty, Boedker found Vermette with a pass across the slot. Vermette drew Pavelec out of the net before teeing up Michalek, who was unmarked as the trailer, for a one-timer into a gaping net 19 seconds into the period. The goal energized Phoenix, which outshot Winnipeg 14-6 in the second period. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson kept the momentum going with an open-ice hit on Wheeler, one of 40 Phoenix hits in the first two periods. But Pavelec kept the game tied, making big saves on Chris Summers and then Jeff Halpern and Kyle Chipchura in succession late in the period. The Coyotes were strong again early in the third, and Boedker rang a shot off the far post with 9:50 left. But after mustering eight shots in a 30-minute span, the Jets picked up their game down the stretch, and Greiss needed a big save on Matt Halischuk with six minutes left to keep the game even. Phoenix had a power-play chance in overtime when Wheeler caught Boedker in the face with a high stick with 1:15 left. But the Jets held and forced the shootout.

"We knew it wasn't going to be pretty or textbook, but our goaltender was the difference at times in the game," Maurice said. "It was such a tough, tough way to come into this building. Just to be able to rebound after [Monday] and find a way. I couldn't be happier for the guys."

Dallas Stars @ Washington Crapitals 5-0 - 04/01

The Dallas Stars, in pursuit of their first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance since 2008, put together one of their most dominant performances of the season at the right time. Dallas pounced on the Crapitals in the final two periods of a 5-0 victory Tuesday.

"Once we got midway through the third, you start to feel pretty good about where you're at," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "It was a pretty tight game in the first period, and we were able to put one away. I think as soon as we got two [goals], it forced them a little out of their element and to take some chances."

Dustin Jeffrey scored twice, and Tyler Seguin, Ray Whitney and Ryan Garbutt scored for the Stars, who entered play one point out of the second Western Conference wild-card spot. Goaltender Kari Lehtonen made 35 saves for his fourth shutout of the season. He is 5-1-0 with a 1.67 goals-against average and .950 save percentage in his past six games.

"I just try to stay extra calm and wait for the players to make their moves," Lehtonen said. "I'm fortunate to have a few good games in a row here and hopefully I can keep it going. It's fun playing when there's a lot on the line and every game is so huge. We just have to keep taking this one game at a time and try to win the next one."

Washington has one win in its past six games (1-2-3). With six games remaining, the Capitals fell two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference wild-card race; the Blue Jackets earned a point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche and have a game in hand.

"Well, I mean, just a few days, a whole week ago, I thought we were playing the best hockey we have in years," Capitals defenseman John Carlson said, referring to Washington's 2-0-1 trip through California. "But you know, it seems like something always knocks us down a peg, and we certainly don't need that. As a team, we thought we probably need all seven (remaining games) to get in, but now we have no choice. It's definitely probably going to be a win-out situation."

The Capitals received the game's first power-play 8:39 into the first period when Eric Fehr drew a holding penalty on Trevor Daley during a strong shift by Washington's third line. The man-advantage was short-lived. Washington committed two turnovers at the point that led to Dallas shorthanded scoring chances, the second of which forced Carlson to slash Garbutt. During 4-on-4 play, Alex Ovechkin missed an opportunity to give the Capitals a lead when his wrist shot struck the post to Lehtonen's left. Ovechkin's career-long drought without an even-strength goal reached 16 games. Dallas scored its first goal at 15:08, taking advantage of a Washington defensive-zone turnover. As the Capitals attempted to clear the puck, Jamie Benn intercepted it with his glove before firing on net. Seguin clipped Benn's shot just enough for it to knuckle past Capitals goaltender Jaroslav Halak for his 33rd goal of the season. The Stars built a 3-0 lead midway through the second period with two goals in 34 seconds. Whitney scored at 9:16, finishing a 2-on-0 break with Alex Chiasson set up by a two-line pass from Alex Goligoski.

"We had a lot of chances," Whitney said. "We had a lot of 2-on-1s, and we even had a 2-on-0. Not often do you see that many scoring chances."

Seconds later, Jeffrey followed his shot, outmuscling several Capitals in front of the net to beat Halak for his first goal of the season and first as a member of the Stars. The 26-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins in November.

"I think it probably takes a little bit of weight off [Benn] and [Seguin's] shoulders, but they got us going [Tuesday]," Chiasson said. "I think everyone tries to contribute as much as they can, and I think when you go into a playoff push that is what makes a difference."

Following the goal, Capitals coach Adam Oates replaced Halak with Braden Holtby. Halak allowed three on 23 shots. Jeffrey scored his second goal of the game at 9:55 of the third period, finishing a tic-tac-toe passing play from Whitney and Chiasson. Garbutt finished his second shorthanded breakaway opportunity of the game, outracing Mike Green and beating Holtby with 5:10 left.

"There wasn't one part of the game tonight that was good enough: 5-on-5, power play, penalty kill, everything," Fehr said. "It looked like we weren't prepared. We talked about everything, but it looked more like a preseason game for us than a game that we needed to win to make the playoffs."

Carolina Hurricanes @ Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 - 04/01

The Pittsburgh Penguins failed to wrap up the Metropolitan Division title Tuesday night. After consecutive wins following a three-game losing streak, the Penguins lost 4-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes, the seventh-place team in the Metropolitan Division, at Consol Energy Center. Anton Khudobin made 11 third-period saves to earn his 17th win, and Eric Staal scored with 8:13 remaining in the third period to put the game away. Staal deflected a shot from Andrei Loktionov past Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury for a three-goal Carolina lead. The loss kept Pittsburgh from clinching the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins could have clinched with a win, a regulation loss by the Philadelphia Flyers, or an overtime loss and a Flyers loss in any fashion. Philadelphia lost to the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in a shootout. Fleury, who is 9-8-3 since Jan. 20, allowed four goals on 28 shots. The Penguins have struggled in their past 11 home games, going 4-5-2.

"I guess when you look at the last six games and the inconsistency of our play, I don't think any player looks at that and says, 'We're all right with that,' Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "We've been in a lot of hockey games that have been desperate, fighting for a playoff spot. We've known that, we've seen that. It shouldn't be an issue at all that we're locked in or we're in this spot or Game 76 doesn't mean anything to us. That shouldn't be a factor at all in our play."

The Hurricanes snapped a five-game losing streak to the Penguins and avoided a season sweep. They rebounded from a 2-1 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Monday.

"We've had some tough starts over the past couple weeks, but our goaltenders seem to be ready every time," Staal said. "We had a tough game in Ottawa last night, got in real late, and it took a while for us to get our legs into it, but once we did, we really took over. I thought we frustrated them and got the goals we needed."

Carolina built a 3-1 lead in the second period with two goals from Elias Lindholm. Loktionov and Jeff Skinner, each of whom had two assists, also had two-point games for the Hurricanes. With Penguins forward James Neal in the penalty box for tripping, the NHL's 29th-ranked power play scored against the League's fourth-ranked penalty kill. Skinner sent a pass from behind the goal through defenseman Olli Maatta's legs to Lindholm, who snapped a shot into the upper-left corner of the net for a 2-1 lead. Lindholm scored again 5:33 later after stripping defenseman Deryk Engelland of the puck. He fired a wrist shot past Fleury for his eighth goal of the season. Carolina had a 23-20 lead in shots entering the third period after trailing 12-2 earlier in the game.

"We said we wanted to come in and play a 1-0 quality type game," Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller said. "We wanted to get all the puck behind their D and make them stop in their zone and kind of stop them from getting their flow going in the game and getting their centers driving through the middle, which they love."

Pittsburgh played some of its best hockey through the game's opening 10 minutes, but couldn't take full advantage, allowing the Hurricanes to tie the game before the first period ended. Chris Kunitz's 35th goal of the season gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead 9:01 into the first. While Lee Stempniak battled for the puck along the boards, it squirted out in the middle of the ice to Kunitz, who fired a wrist shot past Khudobin. Sidney Crosby was awarded a secondary assist, his 100th point of the season. Crosby, who leads Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf by 17 points for the League lead, reached 100 points for the fifth time in his career, first since 2009-10, when he scored 109.

"It's a number," Crosby said. "I mean, it's nice. I don't think you go into seasons thinking about that. I think it's nice when you get the opportunity to do it, and it's a lot better when you win."

Pittsburgh had several more first-period chances, including a penalty shot. Penguins forward Brian Gibbons was awarded a penalty shot 2:26 into the game after he was hooked by defenseman Ron Hainsey. Gibbons skated wide to the left on the penalty shot before curving toward the net. He faked to his right, causing Khudobin to fall forward, and attempted to tuck it into the net's left side, but his shot went off Khudobin's right pad. The Penguins' failed attempts haunted them late in the period. Carolina recorded eight of the period's last nine shots and tied the game on a Justin Faulk slap shot with 5:21 remaining. After earning the puck out of the corner, Pittsburgh forward Jussi Jokinen sent a pass that deflected off Matt Niskanen's skate to Faulk near the blue line. Faulk slapped a shot past a sliding Niskanen and off Fleury's left shoulder for his fourth goal, first since Dec. 29.

"That first period, they came out quick," Carolina forward Jordan Staal said. "They tried to take us out of the game right away and they made some great plays to get opportunities. [Khudobin] was there to make some big saves, and I thought we got our legs and got our game under us and started taking away their time and frustrating them and creating chances of our own."

Results - Tue, Apr 01, 2014

New Jersey @ Buffalo 2-3 SO - Ville Leino, who does not have a goal this season, scored in the ninth round of the tiebreaker to lift the Sabres to a 3-2 victory against New Jersey at First Niagara Center on Tuesday night. Tyler Ennis scored twice in regulation and again in the shootout for the Sabres, and goalie Nathan Lieuwen made 33 saves through 65 minutes and seven more in the tiebreaker for his first NHL win. Dainius Zubrus and Tuomo Ruutu scored and Cory Schneider made 25 saves for the Devils, who fell to 0-11 in shootouts this season. They are 2-0-3 in their past five games and trail the Columbus Blue Jackets by three points for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Jacob Josefson and Jaromir Jagr scored in the shootout for New Jersey, which entered the night with one goal in 30 attempts this season. Travis Zajac had a chance to win it for the Devils in the fifth round and hit the post, but Schneider kept the Devils alive with a save on Cory Conacher. Leino eventually won it when he ripped a rising wrist shot past Schneider in the ninth round and Lieuwen denied rookie Mike Sislo, forcing the Devils to leave Buffalo with one point instead of two. Zubrus gave the Devils a 1-0 lead when he ended a 20-game scoring drought 8:16 into the second period. With the teams at even strength, Michael Ryder sent a pass from behind the net in front to Zubrus, who poked it past Lieuwen for his 11th goal of the season and first since Jan. 30. Ennis tied it for Buffalo at 1:39 of the third with his 20th goal of the season when he finished off a nice passing play with Drew Stafford and Leino, wristing Leino's feed from the right circle past Schneider to make it 1-1. It marked the second time in his career that Ennis has scored 20 goals in a season; he had 20 goals in 2010-11. The Sabres grabbed their first lead of the night when Ennis scored again, this time on the power play, at 4:41. With Devils forward Steve Bernier off for high sticking, Cody Hodgson sent a long pass that found its way through the crease to Ennis, who quickly ripped it past Schneider to make it 2-1. But the lead was short-lived; Ruutu tied it for New Jersey with a power-play goal 2:17 later. With Leino serving a holding penalty, Andy Greene sent a wrist shot from between the circles that Ruutu managed to redirect past Lieuwen to make it 2-2. It was Ruutu's seventh goal of the season. Each team had four shots on goal in overtime, but New Jersey ultimately found itself on the losing end of yet another shootout. The Devils have lost an NHL-record 15 straight shootouts dating to last season.
Calgary @ Toronto 2-3 - Maple Leafs forward David Clarkson picked the right night to break his goal drought. He scored a breakaway goal at 5:47 of the third period that proved to be the game-winner in a 3-2 victory against the Flames on Tuesday that snapped Toronto's eight-game losing streak. Mason Raymond sprung Clarkson on a breakaway, and he beat Flames goalie Karri Ramo for his first goal since Feb. 4 against the Florida Panthers and his first point in 17 games. He has 11 points this season. Clarkson's goal gave the Maple Leafs a 3-1 lead, but the Flames made the Air Canada Centre crowd nervous when Kris Russell scored his sixth goal of the season at 7:24 of the third. Russell found room alone in the faceoff circle to the left of Bernier (19 saves) and snapped a wrist shot over his shoulder. Toronto moved within one point of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second Eastern Conference wild-card position in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Maple Leafs grabbed a 1-0 lead 50 seconds into the second period when Jay McClement scored his fourth goal of the season. McClement batted a cross-crease pass from defenseman Cody Franson behind Ramo, who finished with 20 saves. Calgary thought it had tied the game at 6:53 when forward Curtis Glencross knocked down a point shot from defenseman Chris Butler and the puck went past Bernier. But a video review determined that the puck was deflected into the net with a high stick, and the goal was waved off. The Flames got a goal that counted at 16:55 when Matt Stajan beat Bernier on a breakaway. Stajan took a lead pass from defenseman T.J. Brodie, got in behind the defense, deked Bernier and slipped the puck underneath him for his 13th goal of the season. Dave Bolland put Toronto ahead to stay 2:16 into the third period with his eighth goal of the season. Bolland took a pass from defenseman Morgan Rielly and banked the puck off the stick of Brodie and past Ramo. It was Bolland's second goal since he returned from a cut ankle tendon on March 22. Defenseman Paul Ranger returned to the Maple Leafs lineup for the first time since he suffered an injured neck against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 19.

Florida @ NY Islanders 2-4 - The Islanders are not only surviving a rash of injuries that has forced them to play a host of rookies, they're actually thriving. Mike Halmo, one of 10 rookies among the 20 players dressed for the game, scored his first NHL goal in the third period, helping the Islanders beat the Panthers 4-2 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday night. The Islanders are without star center John Tavares and first-line right wing Kyle Okposo, as well as second-line forward Michael Grabner and veteran defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky due to injury. They also traded Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens at the NHL Trade Deadline on March 5. But the rookie-laden Islanders are now 4-0-1 in their past five games, their best stretch of the season. Josh Bailey had a goal and an assist, Travis Hamonic and Matt Martin also scored, and Evgeni Nabokov stopped 20 shots, allowing a first-period shorthanded goal to Quinton Howden and a power-play goal by Brandon Pirri with 5.9 seconds to play. Scott Clemmensen made 36 saves for the Panthers, who dropped their fourth game in a row and second in as many nights. Florida played its final road game; all of the Panthers' five remaining games are at BB&T Center. However, the Panthers were forced to stay in New York overnight due to plane problems. Panthers rookie defenseman Jonathan Racine, making his NHL debut, took an interference penalty 42 seconds after the opening faceoff, and each team scored a goal while he was in the box. Howden gave the Panthers the lead at 1:50 with an excellent individual effort. He stripped defenseman Matt Donovan at the left point, raced in and snapped a shot from between the hash marks that beat Nabokov cleanly for his fourth of the season. But the Islanders still had 52 seconds of power-play time against the NHL's worst penalty-killing unit, and they put it to good use. Hamonic got his third goal of the season at 2:35 when his wrister from the right point went through traffic and past Clemmensen. Bailey, who won the draw that led to Hamonic's goal, put the Islanders ahead 11:18 into the second period after some hard word by his linemates. Ryan Strome controlled the puck behind the net and fed an oncoming Colin McDonald, whose shot was stopped by Clemmensen. But Bailey found the rebound and snapped it home for his first goal since March 10 and eighth of the season. Bailey's struggles mirror those of the Islanders, who regressed after qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. McDonald did most of the work on Martin's goal at 17:36. He tapped the puck past Racine at the left point, raced deep into the circle in Florida's zone and took a bad-angled shot that hit Clemmensen's pads. Martin was unchecked as he raced down the slot and hammered in the rebound for his career-high eighth goal of the season. Halmo scored his first NHL goal 4:21 into the third, batting his own rebound out of the air and past Clemmensen to finish a 2-on-1 break. The Panthers lost Brad Boyes, their leading goal-scorer, when his back tightened up late in the first period. Boyes has been dealing with a bad back and was a game-time decision. Forward Scottie Upshall also left in the first period after being hit in the face by New York's Matt Carkner, but returned in the second period and finished the game despite a sore jaw.
Colorado @ Columbus 3-2 OT - Gabriel Landeskog scored his second goal of the game in overtime to cap the Avalanche's come-from-behind 3-2 win against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday at Nationwide Arena. The Avalanche rallied with two goals in the last 10:14 of regulation to send the game to overtime, with Landeskog scoring the equalizer with 4:47 left. Each of Colorado's goals went directly off a Columbus player in front of befuddled goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (25 saves). Colorado moved three points ahead of the third-place Chicago Blackhawks in the Central Division, and Columbus maintained the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Columbus led 2-0 with 10:14 left in the third on second-period goals by Cam Atkinson and Blake Comeau until its fortunes turned, capped by Landeskog's game-winning goal with the Avalanche on their first power play. Landeskog drew a holding penalty on Artem Anisimov with 2:21 left in overtime. With 32.2 seconds remaining he tried to send a pass through the crease to Nathan MacKinnon from the right side. Instead, the puck went off Columbus defenseman Jack Johnson's leg and into the net. Landeskog's 26th goal of the season was an exclamation point on a stunning comeback for the Avalanche and continued their dominance with the man advantage against the Blue Jackets. In a 5-3 win against the Blue Jackets on Dec. 31, Colorado scored on all three of its power-play chances. This time, the Blue Jackets appeared to be on the verge of killing off the man advantage, thanks to the strong work of Brandon Dubinsky, but the Avalanche were able to set up one last time to earn the victory. Bobrovsky lost the shutout with 10:14 left in the third when Colorado center Brad Malone was credited with his second goal of the season after his centering pass from the left corner caromed off Columbus left wing Nick Foligno, the only player standing in front of Bobrovsky. Landeskog scored 5:17 off an assist by MacKinnon to tie the game. The rookie, moved to the top line when Avalanche leading scorer Matt Duchene sustained a knee injury Saturday that will keep him out up to four weeks, took a pass from low in the right circle, then fed a pinpoint pass to the goalmouth for Landeskog, whose redirect went in off Blue Jackets defenseman Dalton Prout. The Blue Jackets had some help of their own in breaking the scoreless tie in the second period. Each goal was created off a turnover. Dubinsky set up the first goal by swiping the puck from Colorado defenseman Nate Guenin while they battled for possession behind the net. Dubinsky took control and fed Atkinson in the slot for a one-timer at 10:52 past Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov (24 saves). It was Atkinson's 20th goal. Guenin, a former Ohio State player, was the unlucky victim five minutes later on a play that started with Columbus defenseman Fedor Tyutin flipping the puck out of his own zone to center ice. Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie whiffed at his attempt to corral the puck, which then bounced over Guenin's stick. Comeau poked the puck from him and dished it left to Foligno. Comeau continued toward the net and was in perfect position to receive the return pass from Foligno for the quick shot.

Montreal @ Tampa Bay 1-3 - The Lightning got the better of the Canadiens on a night when both teams took a step towards meeting again in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Rookie Tyler Johnson scored a tiebreaking shorthanded goal at 12:41 of the third period and the Lightning beat the Canadiens 3-1 on Tuesday to wrap up their first playoff berth since 2011. For the Lightning, it was a sweet end to what has been a trying season piled high with adversity, one in which Steven Stamkos was lost for four months to a broken leg and team captain Martin St. Louis asked for and was granted a trade away from the team that made him a star. The belief, whether real or not, that they were being written off by everyone appears to have fueled the Lightning to reach this goal. It was perhaps the most difficult for Stamkos, who had to watch as his teammates picked up the slack from his injury, they were 22-18-5 in his absence as he worked hard to speed up his recovery, and then watching his mentor and great friend St. Louis get traded the day before his return to the lineup. But Stamkos has been a difference-maker, leading the Lightning to a 20-7-4 mark when he is dressed with 23 goals and 13 assists in 31 games. The Lightning was not the only team with something to celebrate postgame, though they were the only ones who were in the mood to do so. With the Washington Capitals' 5-0 loss to the Dallas Stars and the New Jersey Devils' 3-2 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the Canadiens also clinched their sixth playoff appearance in seven seasons despite going home without a point. The playoff qualification was of little solace to most in the Canadiens dressing room following the game, but coach Michel Therrien admitted he and his players should also be proud of what they did. The Lightning moved past the Canadiens into second place in the Atlantic Division with the victory. The teams are tied at 93 points, nine more than the Detroit Red Wings, but Tampa has six games left, one more than Montreal. If indeed these two teams meet in the playoffs, which looks very likely, it promises to be a fast-paced, closely fought series judging by the four games these teams played in the regular season. This was the first of the four that did not end 2-1, and that was only because Alex Killorn scored into an empty net with 44.3 seconds to play. It was Tampa Bay's third win in the season series and the first of the four games that did not go to overtime or a shootout. Canadiens goaltender Carey Price and Tampa Bay counterpart Ben Bishop have been outstanding in all four games, combining to allow 10 goals in 254 minutes of play. Each was tremendous again Tuesday, with Bishop making 25 saves and Price stopping 30 shots. Ryan Callahan, acquired from the New York Rangers in the St. Louis trade on March 5, scored his sixth goal in 14 games with the Lightning after Brendan Gallagher opened the scoring for the Canadiens. Johnson's winner came on a breakaway with Nate Thompson in the penalty box. He beat Price cleanly with a move to the backhand for his 23rd goal of the season and fifth on the penalty kill. Johnson tied Stamkos' franchise record for goals by a rookie and moved into a tie with Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins for the League lead in shorthanded goals. Lightning defenseman Michael Kostka was injured with 2:13 to play after taking a heavy hit from Canadiens defenseman Douglas Murray as he crossed the Montreal blue line. Kostka lay motionless on the ice for several minutes after the hit and the Lightning trainers called for a stretcher to come out on the ice, but Kostka eventually got up and skated slowly to the bench under his own power. Kostka will be re-evaluated Wednesday, Cooper said. Murray was assessed a match penalty for an illegal check to the head, which triggers an automatic review by the NHL Department of Player Safety. The Canadiens jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 10:18 of the first period on Gallagher's 19th goal of the season. A Tampa Bay clearing attempt was misplayed at the half boards by Lightning forward Teddy Purcell, and the puck bounced right into the slot to Mike Weaver. The Montreal defenseman made a nifty play with the puck to get into a shooting position and put a backhander on Bishop, who kicked it out onto Gallagher's stick for the rebound goal. The Lightning got even 9:19 into the second period on the power play when Callahan picked up a puck left for him by rookie Ondrej Palat before Palat fell and took out two members of the Canadiens in doing so. That cleared a path to the net down the right side for Callahan, who beat Price with a great backhand to the far corner. The Lightning came very close to taking a 2-1 lead on two occasions before the end of the period. The first came with about five minutes to play when Steven Stamkos and J.T. Brown broke in 2-on-1. Stamkos kept the puck and forced Price to make a difficult glove save before the rebound bounced out to Purcell in the slot. With Price on his knees Purcell shot high, only to have it stopped by Price's glove again. With 11.7 seconds to play, Purcell appeared to beat Price on a shot from the slot with Brown screening the goaltender in front. But after the officials got together to discuss it was deemed that Brown interfered with Price and waved off the goal. Replays appeared to suggest Brown made contact with Price after the puck entered the net. Purcell also hit the crossbar on a backhand from in tight about three minutes into the third period. When it was all over, Cooper walked off the bench and down the tunnel, reveling in another win. It was only when people began congratulating him as he made his way to the dressing room that he realized what had just happened, that the Lightning had just guaranteed themselves a spot in the playoffs.
Philadelphia @ St Louis 0-1 SO - Ryan Miller sat at his locker after a loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. The Blues goalie was feeling the burden of not performing up to par. But the 33-year-old has been through the battles before. He knows there's no better way to atone for a shaky outing than to shine the next time he's called upon. Not only did Miller shine Tuesday night, he was at his best since being acquired by the Blues on Feb. 28. Miller stopped 31 shots and denied Vincent Lecavalier and Claude Giroux in the shootout and was aided by shootout goals from T.J. Oshie and Kevin Shattenkirk in a 1-0 victory against the Cryers at Scottrade Center. It was Miller's first shutout in 101 games dating back to March 21, 2012, against the Montreal Canadiens, and he was busy right from the start. He made a save on Scott Hartnell from the slot 12 seconds into the game, then faced a 2-on-0 and stopped Michael Raffl 2:28 into the game after Alex Pietrangelo tripped over the skates of Shattenkirk. It was a telltale sign that it was going to be a special night. The shutout made the game even sweeter for Miller, who helped the Blues improve to 51-17-7 on the season, tying the franchise record for wins set in 1999-2000. They lead the Anaheim Ducks by three points in the Western Conference race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and trail the Boston Bruins by one point in the race for the Presidents' Trophy. Oshie continued his mastery in the shootout and Shattenkirk provided the winning margin. Oshie gave the Blues the lead in the shootout with a backhand shot over Flyers goalie Ray Emery and improved to 9-for-12 this season. Shattenkirk ended the game when he snapped a shot past Emery in the third round after Miller snagged Giroux's wrister. Emery's second shutout of the season came in a 28-save performance. He blanked the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 20, 2013. The Flyers have 87 points, three fewer than the New York Rangers after the latter's 3-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night. Philadelphia has two games in hand on New York. Neither team could score in the second period, but each missed out on prime scoring chances. Blues forward Jaden Schwartz intercepted a Braydon Coburn outlet feed and clanked the crossbar from the slot eight seconds into the period. Raffl was robbed by Miller on a one-time shot coming in from the right circle when the Blues goalie kicked over the left pad to keep the game scoreless 2:48 into the period. Pietrangelo was in the slot and fired a shot off the left post with 17 seconds left in the second to keep the game scoreless. In overtime, Miller stopped Flyers forward Jakub Voracek twice on the doorstep with his right pad with 1:30 remaining.

NY Rangers @ Vancouver 3-1 - Martin St. Louis admitted the pressure was mounting after going 14 games without scoring for his new team. Making his first goal for the Rangers an important one added to the sense of relief for the veteran forward. St. Louis scored his first goal since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning on a shorthanded 2-on-1 pass from Rick Nash midway through the third period, and the Rangers beat the Canucks 3-1 at Rogers Arena on Tuesday night. St. Louis' goal was the Rangers' third shorthanded in two games, and their seventh in the past 15, three more than they have managed to score on the power play in the same span. New York is in a three-way tie for second in the NHL with 10 shorthanded goals. With the Canucks pressing for the tie on a second straight power play, defenseman Yannick Weber's diving attempt to keep a puck in at the blue line came up short. Nash broke into the Vancouver end before passing across to St. Louis atop the right circle for a quick shot over Eddie Lack's glove. Daniel Carcillo and Benoit Pouliot scored in the first period for the Rangers, who have won seven of the past eight games to increase their lead for second place in the Metropolitan Division to three points over the Philadelphia Flyers. New York also set a franchise record with its 25th road win. With five games left, the Rangers have an eight-point lead on the Toronto Maple Leafs for the final Eastern Conference berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It wasn't all positive for the Rangers, who watched top defenseman Ryan McDonagh go straight to the dressing room appearing to favor his left shoulder with 43.8 seconds left after a high hit from Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows, who was assessed a five-minute major penalty for elbowing and a game misconduct. Ryan Kesler scored and Lack made 28 saves in his 17th straight start for the Canucks, who fell six points behind the Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes in the race for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Vancouver has five games left. It was the second regular-season game between the teams since they swapped coaches last summer. The Vigneault-led Rangers won each game against former coach John Tortorella and the Canucks, but neither coach put any extra stock in that storyline. Carcillo, who was dropped from the first to the fourth line, opened the scoring after Lack failed to control a dump in off the end boards 4:59 into the first period. The puck bounced right through the crease, setting off a scramble that ended with Brian Boyle knocking the puck out from under Lack's glove to a wide-open Carcillo on other side. Lundqvist, who made a couple of good saves on Kesler in the first three minutes, kept the Rangers ahead by staying patient to get his left arm on Chris Higgins partial breakaway shot midway through the period, and Pouliot made it 2-0 on a power play with 5:17 left. Lack made a good blocker save on Mats Zuccarello's shot from alone in the slot, and followed the rebound to his right. But the puck went straight to Derick Brassard, who quickly passed it back across the crease to an open Pouliot for a one-timer into an empty net. Kesler finally beat Lundqvist 6:21 into the second period. After winning an offensive zone, Kesler fought off a check from Dominic Moore and one-timed a cross-ice pass from Daniel Sedin between the legs of Lundqvist as he slid left to right across his crease. Each goaltender survived scrambles late in the second period, with Lack robbing Pouliot twice in front and Lundqvist getting his left pad on a tough deflection, then diving to poke away the rebound.

Results - Mon, Mar 31, 2014

Carolina @ Ottawa 1-2 SO - With nine points in their past 10 games, the Senators are making a late run to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoff picture. The run continued Monday night, when Ales Hemsky scored in the shootout to give Ottawa a 2-1 win against the Hurricanes at Canadian Tire Centre. Hemsky snapped a shot past Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward on the Senators' second attempt. Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson stopped all three Carolina shooters after making 30 saves through regulation and overtime. Mika Zibanejad scored in the first for Ottawa, which has points in five straight games (4-0-1) since a 2-8-2 skid nearly dropped it out of the playoff race. The Senators, who have seven games remaining, are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with 78 points, four out of a playoff spot. Jeff Skinner scored his 30th goal for Carolina, which is 13th in the Eastern Conference with 75 points. Ward made 28 saves in his first start in four games. There were two minutes of 3-on-3 in overtime after Senators defenseman Eric Gryba and Carolina's Nathan Gerbe were sent off for roughing at 2:49. Zibanejad got credit for his 14th goal at 1:41 of the first period. Hemsky created the scoring chance when he dragged the puck through his legs to fly past Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk, only to have his shot stopped by Ward. Hemsky recovered the puck in the left corner and passed back to the point to defenseman Patrick Wiercioch, whose shot went in off Zibanejad's skate. A video review upheld the goal. Ward stopped Clarke MacArthur moments later when he was sent in on a breakaway by Turris, who was named the NHL's First Star of the Week on Monday. Skinner drew Carolina even at 1-1 at 4:03. Skinner extended his goals streak to four games and his point streak to five when his passout front from behind the net went in off Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson. The Hurricanes came close to taking the lead a few minutes later when Alexander Semin drove a slap shot off the post from the right side. Senators captain Jason Spezza and defenseman Jared Cowen missed the game after both sustained lower-body injuries Sunday during a 6-3 win against the Calgary Flames. Zibanejad took Spezza's place at center between Hemsky and left wing Milan Michalek. Center Jean-Gabriel Pageau dressed for the Senators, who recalled him from Binghamton of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis Monday. Hurricanes forward Jiri Tlusty left the game late in the second after he was checked into the end boards by Gryba, who was penalized for boarding at 18:10. Tlusty did not return for the third period. Carolina was two men down for most of the third when center Andrei Loktionov went to the dressing room after he was tripped up in the right corner by Zack Smith at the end of a long shift. Loktionov, who did not return, was checked by Senators right wing Chris Neil earlier in the shift. Ottawa left wing Colin Greening missed his second game in a row because of a lower-body injury.
Florida @ New Jersey 3-6 - New Jersey Devils center Travis Zajac scored his first career hat trick and Jaromir Jagr had one goal and three assists on the way to a 6-3 victory against the Panthers at Prudential Center on Monday night. Zajac, who tied a career-high with four points, scored twice in the first period and added another goal in the third to record the first hat trick by a Devils player this season. New Jersey also received goals by Ryane Clowe and Jacob Josefson, and Cory Schneider made 13 saves in relief of Martin Brodeur. Brodeur, who was still credited with his 18th win of the season, was pulled after allowing three goals on nine shots midway through the second. The victory moved the Devils within three points of the Blue Jackets for the second of two wild-card spots in Eastern Conference race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with seven regular-season games remaining. The Blue Jackets have one game in hand on the Devils. Clowe, who recorded his first three-point game as a member of the Devils, was forced to exit the game with 1:45 left in the second after taking a big hit along the boards from Quinton Howden. In Clowe's absence, DeBoer reinserted left wing Tuomo Ruutu on the top line with Zajac and Jagr. DeBoer had no update on Clowe's condition at the end of the game. The Devils opened a 5-3 lead 4:02 into the third when Josefson scored his first of the season with his team shorthanded. Ryan Carter made the play happen when he created a turnover in the neutral zone, skated down his left wing before feeding Josefson across the blue line. Josefson lined a rope inside the right post past goalie Dan Ellis. Zajac completed his hat trick and scored his 16th of the season at 9:37 when he converted a wrist shot off assists from Ruutu and Jagr for a 6-3 lead. The three-goal game was the first for the Devils since Ilya Kovalchuk's hat trick on March 8, 2012 against the Islanders. The Panthers, who lost their sixth in the past seven games, received goals by Dmitry Kulikov, Brad Boyes and Brandon Pirri. Nick Bjugstad had two assists and Ellis made 26 saves. Florida, outshot 32-22, didn't make things easy for the Devils. Trailing 3-0 late in the second, Kulikov scored his eighth of the season while shorthanded when he took a feed from Bjugstad in the right circle and fired a shot that beat Brodeur to the long side at 17:22. The Panthers would pull within one goal 50 seconds into the second when Boyes scored his 20th off a rising backhand in the right circle that beat Brodeur to the short side. Clowe gave his team a 4-2 lead at 3:05 when he broke in 2-on-1 with Zajac and scored his seventh of the season at 3:05 from below the left circle. The Panthers trimmed the deficit to 4-3 when Pirri tipped home a point shot from Dylan Olsen at 6:35. The Pirri goal prompted DeBoer to replace Brodeur with Schneider. It marked the second time this season that Brodeur was pulled; it also happened Jan. 26 at Yankee Stadium in the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series when Brodeur allowed six goals on 21 shots and was replaced at the start of the third period in a 7-3 loss against the New York Rangers. Schneider made eight saves the remainder of the period. He had six stops during a Panthers power-play that included two quick attempts in the crease at 11:58 and a breakaway by Scottie Upshall at 12:11. The Devils came out flying in the first, outshooting (18-4) and outscoring (3-1) the Panthers. It was the type of start DeBoer was hoping for after watching his team generate 18 first-period shots over the past four games (1-1-2). Zajac scored his first of the game 12 seconds, the fastest goal to open a game scored by the Devils this season and the third fastest on home ice all-time. Jagr made it 2-0 when he retrieved a pass from Clowe low in the right circle and whisked a marvelous shot that beat Ellis high to the short side at 9:24. Zajac made it 3-0 when he connected for a power-play goal off a slap shot from the left circle at 11:33. The Devils had an opportunity to extend the lead late in the period when Florida captain Ed Jovanovski was whistled for a double roughing minor on Carter at 15:46. Instead, Kulikov pulled his team within 3-1 with his first shorthanded goal of the season.
Winnipeg @ Anaheim 4-5 OT - Stephane Robidas scored 16 seconds into overtime and the Anaheim Sucks staged the biggest comeback in team history by rallying from four goals down to beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-4 at Honda Center on Monday night. Andrew Cogliano and Luca Sbisa assisted on Robidas' fifth goal of the season. Anaheim outshot the Jets 25-6 in the third period and outscored them 3-0 to force overtime. Corey Perry tied it 4-4 with 22.7 seconds remaining in regulation, scoring his 39th goal after Anaheim pulled rookie goalie Frederik Andersen for an extra skater. Nick Bonino cut the Ducks' deficit to 4-1 in the second period, and Ryan Getzlaf and Hampus Lindholm scored in the third to set up Perry's game-tying goal. Andersen made 32 saves. The Sucks established a franchise record for most wins (48) in a season. Anaheim remained atop of the Pacific Division, three points ahead of the idle San Jose Sharks with a game in hand. The Ducks trail the Western Conference-leading St. Louis Blues by one point. Jacob Trouba, Matt Halischuk, Blake Wheeler and Eric Tangradi scored for Winnipeg. The Jets took a 1-0 lead on Trouba's ninth goal of the season 8:48 in. Trouba beat Andersen with a wrist shot on the glove side from in close. Bryan Little earned an assist to extend his point streak to six games. Later in the period, Winnipeg took advantage of a Ducks mistake in their zone and made it 2-0. Halischuk scored his fifth of the season at 13:39. Winnipeg dominated play in the first period and outshot the Ducks 19-4 and had a 31-11 edge in shots after two periods. The Jets increased their lead to 3-0 just 33 seconds into the second period on a power-play goal by Wheeler, who leads Winnipeg with 27 goals. The Jets have scored five power-play goals the past five games. Tangradi added Winnipeg's fourth goal of the game, from Zach Redmond and Anthony Peluso, midway through the second period. Bonino's 20th goal of the season brought the Ducks within 4-1 with 2:16 left in the second. Getzlaf scored via the power play, his 31st goal of the season, at 3:06 of the third and Lindholm made it 4-3 1:13 later. Patrick Maroon had two assists for the Ducks. Teemu Selanne, who began his NHL career and scored 147 goals with the original Winnipeg Jets, played his final game against the new Jets franchise that relocated to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011. Selanne has scored 684 career goals.
Minnesota @ Los Angeles 3-2 - No one can say the Wild aren't playing desperate. For the second straight game, they erased a third-period deficit against a lockdown, Pacific Division team. Matt Moulson and Mikko Koivu scored 62 seconds apart in the third and Zach Parise had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win against the Kings at Staples Center on Monday night. The Wild increased their lead to five points on the idle Phoenix Coyotes for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Wild goalie Ilya Bryzgalov made 18 saves and remained undefeated in regulation (4-0-2) since he joined Minnesota. The comeback came two days after the Wild rallied from a 1-0 deficit to beat Phoenix. The late rally came without center Mikael Granlund and right wing Nino Niederreiter, who did not play in the third period. Minnesota coach Mike Yeo said each has an upper-body injury and couldn't provide more information. The Wild trailed 2-1 going into the third and appeared to be another late-game loser to the Kings, who saw their six-game winning snapped and were 25-1-0 this season when leading after two periods. The third period push never came: Los Angeles had five shots on goal in the third. The Kings also blew a third-period lead March 17 against Phoenix. Moulson, a former King, tied it 2-2 when he broke free from the corner and went to the net to put in Jason Pominville's pass by Kings goalie and brother-in-law Jonathan Quick at 4:56 of the third. Koivu hammered Charlie Coyle's pass from the top of the left circle at 3:54 for a 3-2 lead. The Kings' top line continued its upward trend on a goal by Williams at 11:49 of the second. Los Angeles set up quickly in Minnesota's end and Williams was open to one time a patient, soft pass by Marian Gaborik for his 19th goal. Gaborik extended his point streak to four games. Defenseman Alec Martinez took advantage of a Minnesota lapse in the first period to score his 11th goal. Gaborik held in a clear attempt before Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon lost the puck to Anze Kopitar, who circled behind the net and set up a pinching Martinez at 6:30. Martinez finished with seven goals in March and has 12 points in his past 15 games. But the individual statistics were all that the Kings took away from the game. Minnesota generated a lot of zone time early in the second but Quick held ground, especially with a breakaway stop on Justin Fontaine and Kyle Brodziak on the ensuing rebound. Bryzgalov made a right leg save on Tanner Pearson on a 2-on-1. Minnesota left wing Dany Heatley was a healthy scratch for the second straight game and second of his career. Local emergency goalie Rob Laurie served as backup for the Wild after Darcy Kuemper was reportedly injured at the morning skate. The Kings scratched left wing Dwight King for an undisclosed minor injury.