N H L - National Hockey League

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Stars defeat Blackhawks, clinch playoff berth

 

Fast start helps Dallas secure spot in postseason

 

by Brian Hedger / NHL.com Correspondent

11:15 AM

CHICAGO -- The Dallas Stars scored four first-period goals and clinched a spot in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 6-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Tuesday.

The Stars (44-21-9), who hadn't qualified for the postseason since 2013-14, needed two points to clinch a playoff spot. They did it by defeating the Blackhawks (42-25-7) for the fourth time this season, in the finale of a five-game season series.

Dallas has won three straight games and is 6-1-2 in its past nine. The Stars took a 4-0 lead in the first period at United Center for the second straight game; they scored the first four goals of a 4-2 win on Feb. 11, paced by Patrick Eaves' hat trick.

Eaves scored in the first again Tuesday, along with Colton Sceviour and Vernon Fiddler, who scored twice. Radek Faksa scored for Dallas in the second and Cody Eakin scored into an empty net at 13:48 of the third. Kari Lehtonen made 30 saves.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/stars-defeat-blackhawks-to-clinch-playoff-spot/c-279826334?tid=279768842

Edited March 23, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Wild hold off Kings, regain second wild card in West

 

Dubnyk makes 38 saves to help Minnesota move ahead of Colorado

 

by Dan Myers / NHL.com Correspondent

11:44 AM

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Devan Dubnyk made 38 saves and the Minnesota Wild moved back into a wild card playoff position with a 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday.

Dubnyk, now 8-1-1 in his past 10 decisions, made 14 saves in the first, 11 in the second and 13 in the third to help Minnesota win its third straight game. The Wild (35-28-11) moved one point ahead of the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. The Avalanche, who host Minnesota on Saturday, have a game on hand.

Erik Haula and Mikko Koivu scored goals for Minnesota. Tyler Toffoli had the only goal for Los Angeles, which limited the Wild to 17 shots on goal.

Los Angeles (44-24-5), first in the Pacific Division, has lost the first two games of a three-game trip that concludes against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. The Kings had won four in a row before losses on back-to-back nights at the Nashville Predators and the Wild.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/minnesota-wild-defeat-los-angeles-kings/c-279827394?tid=279768732

Edited March 23, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Canucks shut out for third consecutive game

 

Pavelec makes 28 saves; Jets end three-game slide

 

by Patrick Williams / NHL.com Correspondent

30 minutes ago

WINNIPEG -- The Vancouver Canucks were shut out for the third consecutive game, a 2-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre on Tuesday.

Adam Lowry put Winnipeg ahead 2:30 into the third period, Mark Scheifele scored into an empty net and Ondrej Pavelec made 28 saves to help the Jets end their three-game losing streak.

The Canucks (27-33-12) have been shut out for the past 228:00. They have not scored since 12:00 of the first period in a 3-1 loss against the Colorado Avalanche on March 16. Vancouver has scored three goals during a five-game losing streak.

"We didn't have a lot of chances tonight," Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins said, "but we have to capitalize on the ones we do get."

After allowing a season-high 50 shots in a 3-0 home loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, the Canucks allowed 49 against Winnipeg.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-shut-out-vancouver-canucks/c-279824018?tid=279768626

Edited March 23, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Lightning tied for first after win against Red Wings

 

Tampa Bay, Florida even in Atlantic Division standings

 

by Corey Long / NHL.com Correspondent

11:54 AM

TAMPA -- Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist to help the Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Detroit Red Wings 6-2 at Amalie Arena on Tuesday.

Erik Condra, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat scored for the Lightning (42-26-5), who moved into a first-place tie in the Atlantic Division with the Florida Panthers. Each team has nine games remaining.

Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm scored for the Red Wings (36-26-11), who are tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. The Flyers lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Columbus Blue Jackets but have a game in hand on Detroit.

"It was a full team effort and we want to play well at home," Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said. "It was a tough road trip for us (2-2-0), but we had a couple days off to refocus and we came out strong."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/tampa-bay-lightning-defeat-detroit-red-wings/c-279823044?tid=279768516

Edited March 23, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Ovechkin, Capitals clinch No. 1 spot in East

 

Defeat Ottawa and will be Eastern Conference top seed in Stanley Cup Playoffs

 

by Chris Stevenson / NHL.com Correspondent

11:56 AM

Ovechkin's power-play tally WSH@OTT: Ovechkin pads the Capitals' lead with PPG

3/22/16: Alex Ovechkin slams the puck past the right pad of Craig Anderson for the power-play goal, putting the Capitals up by two in the 1st

 

OTTAWA -- The Washington Capitals clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday.

Mike Richards, Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie scored for the Capitals (52-15-5), who also won the Metropolitan Division and ended a three-game losing streak on the road.

Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby made 28 saves for his 44th win of the season. He needs four more victories to tie Martin Brodeur for the most wins in a season (48). Brodeur set the record with the New Jersey Devils in 2006-07.

The Capitals, coming off a 6-2 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, avoided losing back-to-back games in regulation for the first time this season.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/washington-capitals-defeat-ottawa-senators/c-279822834?tid=279768506

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Brown, Canadiens keep Ducks from clinching

 

Montreal forward scores, assists on game-winning goal at 8:13 of third period

 

by Sean Farrell / NHL.com Correspondent

40 minutes ago

Brown's go-ahead goal ANA@MTL: Brown capitalizes on turnover, provides lead

3/22/16: Mike Brown finds the loose puck after the turnover and wrists it home, scoring his first Canadiens goal for a 3-2 lead in the 2nd

MONTREAL -- Montreal Canadiens right wing Mike Brown fell a fight short of a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, but he was greeted like Maurice Richard by a capacity Bell Centre crowd Tuesday after his rare two-point game.

Brown scored in the second period and set up Lucas Lessio's go-ahead goal at 8:13 of the third to give Montreal a 4-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks, who could have clinched a Western Conference berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win.

"We didn't play good enough," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "When you give up four goals, you're not going to win a lot of games. And we gave up four goals and the guys that scored their goals, here, then everybody on their team got really hungry and determined. And we knew that was going to be the case. If we let them be in the game long enough, they were going to be a tough opponent, but we didn't take advantage in the first period when we should have."

Anaheim, which had won two in a row, plays at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/anaheim-ducks-montreal-canadiens-recap/c-279821966?tid=279768504

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Flyers move into second wild card in East

 

Columbus rallies, defeats Philadelphia in shootout

 

by Craig Merz / NHL.com Correspondent

11:47 AM

 

Jenner's nice shootout goal PHI@CBJ: Jenner beats Mason in the shootout

3/22/16: Boone Jenner makes a nice move to beat Steve Mason for the lone goal in the shootout

 

COLUMBUS -- The Philadelphia Flyers surrendered a two-goal lead in the final 1:04 of the third period before eventually losing 3-2 in a shootout to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday.

Philadelphia (35-24-13) gave up goals to Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson in the last 64 seconds of regulation and Jenner had the deciding goal in the fifth round of the shootout.

The point moved the Flyers into the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. The Flyers and Detroit Red Wings each have 83 points, but Philadelphia has a game in hand. Detroit lost 6-2 at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

Mason, who made 51 saves, started on consecutive nights after making 23 saves in a 4-1 win at the New York Islanders on Monday.

"We gave away the extra point there. That's real disappointing," Mason said

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/columbus-blue-jackets-rally-defeat-philadelphia-flyers-in-shootout/c-279823158?tid=279768502

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Coyotes end drought, defeat Oilers

 

After being shut out past two games, Arizona breaks through against Edmonton

 

by Jerry Brown / NHL.com Correspondent

12:48 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Martin Hanzal and Tobias Rieder scored second-period goals to help the Arizona Coyotes to a 4-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Gila River Arena on Tuesday.

Alex Tanguay and Max Domi scored and Mike Smith made 27 saves for the Coyotes (32-34-7), who extended their franchise-record points streak against the Oilers to 23 games (19-0-4).

Smith is 13-1-1 in his career against Edmonton.

Jordan Eberle and Mark Letestu scored goals and Connor McDavid had two assists for Edmonton (29-40-7), which hasn't defeated Arizona in regulation since Jan. 25, 2011.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/coyotes-end-scoring-drought-to-defeat-oilers/c-279832758?tid=279768844

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Sabres rally late to defeat Hurricanes

 

Kane, Larsson score 1:00 apart in third period to erase 2-1 deficit

 

by Kurt Dusterberg / NHL.com Correspondent

11:59 AM

RALEIGH, N.C. -- For a moment late in the third period, it looked like all hope was lost after the Buffalo Sabres squandered consecutive power plays and gave up the go-ahead goal to the Carolina Hurricanes six seconds later.

But Evander Kane and Johan Larsson answered, scoring one minute apart to lift the Sabres to a 3-2 win against the Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Tuesday.

"When they got the goal, it did pass through my mind that we gave up the opportunity to win the game," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said.

Buffalo (30-34-10) swept the three-game season series with Carolina (31-28-14). Goaltender Chad Johnson made 25 saves to improve his record to 7-1-0 against the Hurricanes, who have lost five in a row.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/buffalo-sabres-carolina-hurricanes-recap/c-279819534?tid=279768290

 

 

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Elliott, Blues hold off Sharks

 

Goalie makes 37 saves; loss prevents San Jose from clinching playoff berth

 

by Eric Gilmore / NHL.com Correspondent

2:29 PM

SAN JOSE -- It didn't take St. Louis Blues goaltender Brian Elliott long to get back in a groove after missing 10 games with a knee injury.

Elliott made 37 saves for his second straight shutout, Robby Fabbri scored a third-period goal and the St. Louis Blues prevented the San Jose Sharks from clinching a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 1-0 victory at SAP Center on Tuesday.

Elliott, who made 19 saves in a 3-0 victory at the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, earned his third shutout of the season.

"We kept their chances to a minimum tonight again, just like Vancouver," Elliott said. "What chances they did [have] I could see. It's just about battling. It's kind of a playoff atmosphere out there. Tough rink to play in with big bodies all over the ice. I thought our guys handled it really well."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/st-louis-blues-edge-san-jose-sharks/c-279834144?tid=279768846

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Islanders top Senators, end four-game losing streak

 

Tavares triggers three-goal second period, Berube makes 22 saves

 

by Brian Compton @BComptonNHL / NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

10:46 AM

NEW YORK -- John Tavares, Matt Martin and Brock Nelson scored in the second period to help the New York Islanders to a 3-1 win against the Ottawa Senators at Barclays Center on Wednesday.

Jean-Francois Berube made 22 saves for New York (39-24-9), which ended a four-game losing streak and pulled within one point of the Pittsburgh Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders moved four points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

New York will visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.

"We did a good job of getting a lead, especially [against] a team that had to travel and played [Tuesday] night," Tavares said. "Good to see some pucks go in. Hopefully it can lead to some more."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/new-york-islanders-defeat-ottawa-senators/c-279845908?tid=279768848

Edited March 24, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Rangers roll by Bruins, pad playoff lead

 

New York ahead of Pittsburgh by four points; Boston loses fourth straight

 

by Dan Rosen @drosennhl / NHL.com Senior Writer

12:35 PM

NEW YORK -- The power play delivered early and goalie Henrik Lundqvist dazzled often to lift the New York Rangers to a 5-2 win against the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored power-play goals in the first 11:39, and Lundqvist made 39 saves to give the Rangers (42-24-8) a second straight win. They defeated the Florida Panthers 4-2 here Monday.

New York pulled four points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins have two games in hand; they play here Sunday.

"We're getting closer and closer to the first step of the many goals you set going into the season," Lundqvist said of qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/new-york-rangers-defeat-boston-bruins/c-279847560?tid=279768852

Edited March 24, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

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Panthers regain Atlantic lead

 

Florida moves into first; Bruins lose fifth straight

 

by Matt Kalman / NHL.com Correspondent

11:23 AM

Jokinen's great deflection FLA@BOS: Jokinen tips in the puck top-shelf for goal

3/24/16: Jussi Jokinen tips the feed from Dmitry Kulikoy top-shelf for his 16th goal of the season, extending the Panthers' lead

 

BOSTON -- Linemates Reilly Smith, Vincent Trocheck and Jussi Jokinen each scored and Roberto Luongo made 34 saves and the Florida Panthers moved back into first place in the Atlantic Division with a 4-1 win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Thursday.

Trocheck and Jokinen each had an assist and Jonathan Huberdeau scored into an empty net for the Panthers (41-24-9), who have 91 points and moved two points ahead of the idle Tampa Bay Lightning. The Panthers conclude their three-game road trip at the Lightning on Saturday in a battle for first place between the two Florida-based teams.

"It's nice to have that rivalry, that both teams are competitive right now and jockeying for position," Luongo said. "We're going to enjoy tonight. Tomorrow we're going to refocus and get ready."

Florida, which won for the first time in three games, ended a nine-game losing streak in Boston with its first win here since Dec. 8, 2011. Smith's even-strength goal at 13:51 of the second period and Trocheck's shorthanded goal at 18:46 put the Panthers ahead after the Bruins scored first.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/florida-panthers-hand-boston-bruins-fifth-straight-loss/c-279869016?tid=279789744

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Penguins shut out by Devils rookie

 

Pittsburgh fails to gain in playoff race; Wedgewood makes 39 saves

 

by Wes Crosby / NHL.com Correspondent

9:41 AM

Wedgewood withstands the pressure NJD@PIT: Wedgewood makes back-to-back saves on Fehr

3/24/16: Scott Wedgewood knocks down Eric Fehr's wrister, then withstands the pressure on rebound attempts to help maintain the Devils' lead

 

PITTSBURGH -- New Jersey Devils goalie Scott Wedgewood faced a wrist shot from Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby eight seconds into his second NHL start Thursday.

Wedgewood stopped that shot and went on to stop all 38 other Penguins shots to earn his first NHL shutout and help the Devils to a 3-0 win at Consol Energy Center.

With Cory Schneider recovering from an MCL sprain, Wedgewood made his NHL debut in a 2-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. He has allowed one goal, to Blue Jackets forward Jared Boll, on 67 shots through two starts.

"I'm super happy, super stoked for the way that it's going right now and obviously, I don't want to get too high or too low at any point throughout the year," Wedgewood said. "But right now, it's feeling good. I'm feeling confident in my game and the guys around me are making it very easy to play to at this level."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/new-jersey-devils-defeat-pittsburgh-penguins/c-279867226?tid=279789916

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Third-period surge helps Hurricanes top Blue Jackets

 

Rask, Terry, Lindholm score 1:38 apart; Carolina ends five-game losing streak

 

by Craig Merz / NHL.com Correspondent

12:25 PM

Terry's breakaway goal CAR@CBJ: Terry beats Bobrovsky on break for the lead

3/24/16: Chris Terry makes a series of pretty moves on a breakaway and backhands a shot past Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead

 

COLUMBUS - Goaltender Eddie Lack did his part to keep the Carolina Hurricanes within striking distance for two periods before a quick-strike offense took over.

Lack made 42 saves and the Hurricanes scored three times in a 1:38 span of the third to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 at Nationwide Arena on Thursday.

"We talked about it in the intermission," Lack said. "We responded well. It makes it easier when you get a two-goal lead like that."

The Hurricanes (32-28-14) ended a five-game losing streak and are seven points out of the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference with eight games remaining.

Columbus (30-36-8) was eliminated from contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/carolina-hurricanes-columbus-blue-jackets-recap/c-279867112?tid=279790046

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Ducks clinch playoff berth in loss

 

Toronto gets overtime win on goal by Kadri

 

by Mike Brophy / NHL.com Correspondent

3:12 PM

Kadri's overtime winner ANA@TOR: Kadri nets his second goal for OT winner

3/24/16: Nazem Kadri collects his own pass off a deflection and flips it home for his second goal of the game and a 6-5 overtime win

 

TORONTO -- The Anaheim Ducks got the point they needed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre on Thursday.

The Ducks trailed the Maple Leafs 4-1 but took a 5-4 lead. Toronto's Connor Brown tied the game with his first NHL goal with 4:23 left in the third period, and Nazem Kadri won it 41 seconds into overtime with his second goal of the game.

Anaheim (40-23-10) qualified for the postseason for the fourth consecutive season and ninth of the past 11 (since 2005-06).

Captain Ryan Getzlaf said he was pleased the Ducks qualified for the playoffs but displeased with the way they've been playing.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/ducks-in-playoffs-lose-to-maple-leafs/c-279870300?tid=279789944

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Red Wings keep pace in playoff chase

 

Defeat Canadiens to remain tied with Flyers for second wild card

 

by Paul Harris / NHL.com Correspondent

11:50 AM

Sheahan tallies twice in win MTL@DET: Sheahan tallies twice to lead Wings to win

3/24/16: Riley Sheahan potted two goals to pace the Red Wings' offense, leading to a 4-3 win against the Canadiens

 

DETROIT -- Riley Sheahan scored two goals and the Detroit Red Wings held off the Montreal Canadiens for a 4-3 win at Joe Louis Arena on Thursday.

Luke Glendening also scored and Anthony Mantha got his first career NHL goal for Detroit (37-26-11). Mike Green had two assists and Petr Mrazek made 26 saves.

Detroit, which has made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the past 24 seasons, are tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the second wild card, but the Flyers have a game in hand. The Red Wings are one point behind the Boston Bruins for third place in the Atlantic Division with a game in hand.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/red-wings-defeat-canadiens-recap/c-279870832?tid=279789946

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Predators rally, defeat Canucks in shootout

 

Nashville moves within two points of third place in Central

 

by Robby Stanley / NHL.com Correspondent

10:57 AM

Smith's nifty shootout goal VAN@NSH: Smith makes nifty moves for shootout winner

3/24/16: Craig Smith pulls out several dekes and waits out Ryan Miller to lift the puck for the shootout winner

 

NASHVILLE -- Craig Smith's goal in the fourth round of the shootout gave the Nashville Predators a 3-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.

Nashville (38-23-13) trailed 2-0 heading into the third period. With the win, the Predators pulled within two points of the Chicago Blackhawks for third place in the Central Division.

"I don't think we can be happy with our first and second period," Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne said. "The second was better than the first. I don't know what's the reason, but we've been really strong in the third period as of late and that was a key for us again."

Filip Forsberg tied the game 2-2 at 13:08 of the third period on a wraparound. Forsberg retrieved the rebound of a shot from defenseman Mattias Ekholm and got the puck past Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller for his 31st goal.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/nashville-predators-rally-and-defeat-vancouver-canucks/c-279871676?tid=279790152

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Parise's hat trick powers Wild past Flames

 

Victory boosts Minnesota's lead for second wild card in West

 

by Dan Myers / NHL.com Correspondent

12:11 PM

 

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- It didn't take long for Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise's luck to change in a big way against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Parise broke out of a slump by scoring three first-period goals for his fifth career hat trick to help the Wild to a 6-2 win against the Flames at Xcel Energy Center.

Parise scored all of his goals against former teammate Niklas Backstrom, who started his second game with the Flames since being acquired from Minnesota on Feb. 29 for forward David Jones.

The outburst ended a six-game drought for Parise, who had scored one goal in his previous 16 games and two in his past 25.

"Great players want to do great things all the time. Zach just has to stick with his identity, which he's done a great job with," Wild coach John Torchetti said. "I've seen it the last for our five games, and he didn't get rewarded for it, but it all equals out. If he got three or four points tonight, it equals out for the last four games. Now we've got seven games left, and good things will happen for him. Just keep working, and stick to his identity, and good things will come.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/zach-parise-hat-trick-lifts-wild-past-flames/c-279870830?tid=279790154

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Wheeler, Jets defeat Kings

 

Winnipeg forward ties career-high with 47 assists; Los Angeles loses third straight

 

by Patrick Williams / NHL.com Correspondent

12:34 PM

WINNIPEG - The Los Angeles Kings lost their third consecutive game as the Winnipeg Jets defeated them 4-1 at MTS Centre on Thursday.

The three-game losing streak tied a season-high for the Kings (44-25-5), who are 8-5-4 when tied after the second period this season. The loss reduced the Kings' lead in the Pacific Division to three points as the Anaheim Ducks earned a point in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday.

"We're not happy in here, and we need to fix things really quickly," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. "You can't be losing three games in a row at any time in the season. It's really frustrating that we did this, and we need to fix things, and we need to get winning hockey games because right now we're blowing our spot at the top of the division and near the top of the [Western Conference]."

Anze Kopitar scored and Jonathan Quick made 20 saves for the Kings.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/los-angeles-kings-winnipeg-jets-recap/c-279870620?tid=279790080

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Three third-period goals help Flyers top Avalanche

 

Gudas, Giroux score 19 seconds apart; Philadelphia remains in second wild card spot

 

by Rick Sadowski / NHL.com Correspondent

1:09 PM

Giroux gives Flyers lead late PHI@COL: Giroux beats Varlamov for late lead

3/24/16: Claude Giroux settles a bouncing puck and beats Semyon Varlamov, giving the Flyers a 3-2 lead late in the 3rd period

 

DENVER -- Radko Gudas and Claude Giroux scored 19 seconds apart late in the third period to help the Philadelphia Flyers defeat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 at Pepsi Center on Thursday.

Gudas scored his fifth of the season on a shot from just inside the blue line with 5:43 left. Giroux retrieved a long rebound after Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov made a save against Wayne Simmonds. He skated to his right and scored inside the near post to break a 2-2 tie with his 21st goal of the season.

The Flyers (36-24-13), who are 7-1-2 in the past 10 games, remained in the second wild card spot into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. The Detroit Red Wings also have 85 points, but Philadelphia has a game in hand.

"It was just a really big rebound there and I was able to go around and get it," Giroux said. "It was pretty fun to score that goal."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/philadelphia-flyers-colorado-avalanche-recap/c-279874662?tid=279790370

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Coyotes end Stars' winning streak

 

Hanzal scores twice; Arizona stops Dallas' run at three games

 

by Jerry Brown / NHL.com Correspondent

2:08 PM

Hanzal's second goal of the game DAL@ARI: Hanzal nets SHG for his second of the game

3/24/16: Martin Hanzal cleans up the rebound for a shorthanded goal, extending the Coyotes' lead to 3-1 with his second goal of the game

 

GLENDALE, Ariz. - It took him nine years, 554 NHL games and more scrums and slashes around enemy nets than he can count, so Arizona Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal wasn't about to treat his 100th NHL goal with a shrug of the shoulders.

Hanzal scored two goals, including the long-sought milestone in the second period, and Louis Domingue made 37 saves to help the Coyotes to a 3-1 win against the Dallas Stars at Gila River Arena on Thursday.

Hanzal sits 293 goals behind teammate Shane Doan's franchise record, but kidded that he was just pacing himself at age 29 and had plenty of time challenge his 39-year-old teammate.

"Yeah 100, it's just a number. But it's a nice number," said Hanzal, who has never scored more than 16 goals in any season but has filled a big role for the Coyotes as their best down-low presence. "It took me what, nine years? So maybe another 35 and I might catch [Doan]."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/arizona-coyotes-end-dallas-stars-winning-streak/c-279879990?tid=279790416

Edited March 25, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

[Guns of the Patriots]

Credits NHL.com

 

Sharks lose to Oilers, fail to clinch playoff berth

 

Edmonton rallies from early two-goal deficit for victory

 

by Eric Gilmore / NHL.com Correspondent

2:37 PM

Maroon buries McDavid's feed EDM@SJS: Maroon scores on two-on-one for lead

3/24/16: Patrick Maroon gets a pass from Connor McDavid on a two-on-one and buries a wrist shot, giving the Oilers a 4-3 lead

 

SAN JOSE -- The San Jose Sharks will have to wait two more days for another chance to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Edmonton Oilers scored four times in the second period to overcome a two-goal deficit and defeated the Sharks 6-3 at SAP Center on Thursday, preventing San Jose from clinching a spot in the playoffs.

San Jose led 2-0 after one period, but Lauri Korpikoski, Taylor Hall, Adam Clendening and Patrick Maroon scored to give Edmonton a 4-3 lead through two periods.

Jordan Eberle scored his 24th goal of the season at 12:54 of the third, knocking a rebound past James Reimer to make it 5-3. Hall scored into an empty net with 5.8 seconds remaining, giving him 25 goals for the season.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/edmonton-oilers-defeat-san-jose-sharks/c-279879244?tid=279790488

Edited March 25, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

[Guns of the Patriots]

Credits NHL.com

 

Carlson scores in OT, Capitals defeat Devils

 

New Jersey rookie Wedgewood falls short of second straight shutout

 

by Mike G. Morreale / NHL.com Staff Writer

9:51 AM

NEWARK, N.J. -- Defenseman John Carlson scored with 2:43 remaining in overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 1-0 win against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Friday.

Carlson took a pass from Jason Chimera in the right circle and scored on a slap shot against rookie goaltender Scott Wedgewood. Carlson returned to the lineup after missing 13 games with a lower-body injury.

Wedgewood was trying for a second straight shutout in his third NHL start. With 25 saves Friday, he has stopped 91 of 93 shots since debuting Sunday.

Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby made 22 saves for his third shutout of the season. Holtby needs three wins to tie Martin Brodeur for the most in a season (48). Brodeur set the record with New Jersey in 2006-07.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/carlson-helps-capitals-beat-devils-in-ot/c-279897428?tid=279806410

Edited March 26, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

[Guns of the Patriots]

Credits NHL.com

 

Lightning outlast Islanders, regain first in Atlantic

 

Johnson breaks tie in third period; Tampa Bay loses Stralman with injury

 

by Corey Long / NHL.com Correspondent

10:14 AM

Lightning net two in nine seconds NYI@TBL: Lightning net two in nine ticks to gain lead

3/25/16: Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov score nine seconds apart from each other for the Lightning in the 1st period

TAMPA -- Tyler Johnson scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period, and the Tampa Bay Lightning moved back into first place in the Atlantic Division with a 7-4 win against the New York Islanders at Amalie Arena on Friday.

Johnson broke a 4-4 tie by beating Thomas Greiss at 10:09 for his 13th goal of the season, and defenseman Jason Garrison scored his fifth 23 seconds later for a 6-4 lead. Victor Hedman hit the empty net with 1:25 remaining.

Tampa Bay (43-26-5) and the Florida Panthers each have 91 points with eight games remaining; the Lightning are ahead because they have 40 regulation and overtime victories to 34 for the Panthers. The teams play Saturday at Amalie Arena.

Nikita Kucherov, Vladislav Namestnikov, Steven Stamkos and Andrej Sustr also scored for Tampa Bay, and Ben Bishop made 27 saves.

The Lightning lost defenseman Anton Stralman in the first period with a non-displaced fracture of the left fibula. Stralman got tangled up with Islanders forward Anders Lee in front of the Tampa Bay net, his foot appeared to get caught under him and his leg bent awkwardly. He had to be helped off the ice and did not return.

Coach Jon Cooper said Stralman will be out indefinitely.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/lightning-islanders-recap/c-279898394?tid=279806614

Edited March 26, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots