Saturday’s Hockey

14 games, two shootouts, three overtimes, 85 goals.

Only the Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals were not in action.

The Boston Bruins and Winnipeg Jets won their respective games to clinch a playoff berth.

 

Arizona Coyotes v New Jersey Devils 

1-2 (SO)

The Arizona Coyotes fell out of the second western wild card spot after a 2-1 shootout defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils.

Arizona, who have lost four in a row, are a point behind the Colorado Avalanche, who defeated the Chicago Blackhawks later in the day. 

Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored in regulation for the visitors and Conor Garland was the only Coyote to convert in the shootout. Darcy Kuemper made 31 saves, including 12 in the third period, and stopped four of six in the shootout. 

Drew Stafford equalized in the first period for the Devils, which turned out to be enough to send the game into overtime and then to penalties.

Pavel Zacha scored for New Jersey in the sixth round of the shootout on his first shootout attempt this season and Richard Panik hit the crossbar to end the tiebreaker. Blake Coleman also scored in the shootout, before Garland‘s goal, followed by Zacha winning it with his first NHL shootout goal.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves for the hosts, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention. Blackwood earned his second NHL shootout win after stopping four of six in the tie-breaker.

 

Up Next:

Coyotes v Islanders – Sunday, March 24 (3pm)

Sabres v Devils – Monday, March 25 (7pm)

 

New York Islanders v Philadelphia Flyers

4-2

The New York Islanders moved within a point of the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division with a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Josh Bailey scored two goals, Brock Nelson scored one and assisted another and Nick Leddy also netted for the Isles, who hadn’t scored in 134:27.

Robin Lehner made 22 saves for the Islanders, who had been shutout in their previous two games.

Robert Hagg and Shayne Gotisbehere scored for the Flyers, who are seven points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second eastern wild card from the Eastern Conference. Carter Hart made 36 saves.

Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier each extended their point streak to five games with assists on Gotisbehere‘s goal. Giroux has seven assists, whilst Couturier has eight points – three goals, five assists. 

Up Next:

Coyotes v Islanders – Sunday, March 24 (3pm)

Flyers v Capitals – Sunday, March 24 (12:30pm – NBC)

 

Chicago Blackhawks v Colorado Avalanche

2-4

The Colorado Avalanche moved into the second wild card spot in the west with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

J.T. Compher, Colin Wilson, Sven Andrighetto and Derick Brassard scored for the Avs, who have won four in a row and are a point ahead of the Minnesota Wild and Arizona Coyotes. Wilson has four points (1g, 3a) in a three-game point streak. 

Philipp Grubauer, who has won his past four starts and is 6-2-0 in his last nine with three shutouts, made 29 saves for the hosts. 

Erik Gustafsson and Jonathan Toews scored and Corey Crawford made 21 saves for Chicago, who have lost three in a row and are six points behind Colorado for the second wild card.

 

Up Next:

Avalanche v Blackhawks – Sunday, March 24 (8pm – NBCSN)

 

Ottawa Senators v Edmonton Oilers

4-3 (OT)

The Edmonton Oilers remain six points adrift of the wild cards with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Brady Tkachuk scored two goals, including at 2:09 of overtime, scoring on a 2-on-1.

Bobby Ryan and Brian Gibbons also scored for the visitors, whilst Craig Anderson, who had an assist, made 26 saves to win for the first time since December 17. 

Anderson is 11-7-1 with five shutouts against Edmonton and is 15-25-4 this season.

Connor McDavid, Alex Chiasson and Colby Cave scored, and Mikko Koskinen made 31 saves for Edmonton.

Oilers defenseman Andrej Sekera played his 700th NHL game.

Up Next:

Sabres v Senators – Tuesday, March 26 (7:30pm)

Kings v Oilers – Tuesday, March 26 (9pm)

 

Minnesota Wild v Carolina Hurricanes

1-5

The Carolina Hurricanes maintained their lead for the first Eastern Conference wild card with a comfortable 5-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.

Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and two assists for the Canes, who remain two points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens with a game in hand and trail the Pittsburgh Penguins by four for third place in the Metro Division. 

Jordan Staal, Brett Pesce, Andrei Svechnikov and Lucas Wallmark also scored for the hosts, who went 19-8-3 against the Western Conference this season.

Pesce, who had a +5 rating has set an NHL career high in both goals and assists this season (7g, 19a). 

Petr Mrazek made 24 saves for the hosts and is 8-1-0 in his last nine starts.

The Hurricanes were coming off a 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday when they surrendered four third period goals.

Carolina’s Justin Williams‘ assist gave him 300 points (421 games, two stints) with the Hurricanes, who scored three unanswered goals in the third period.

Eric Staal scored for the Wild, who trail the Colorado Avalanche by a single point for that second wild card from the west. Devan Dubnyk made 29 saves after making 21 in a 2-1 win at the Washington Capitals on Friday.

Kevin Fiala had an assist on E. Staal‘s goal to set an NHL career high of 26. He had 22 in 64 games with the Nashville Predators before being traded in February. Jared Spurgeon‘s assist matched his NHL career-high of 28.

 

Up Next:

Predators v Wild – Monday, March 25 (8pm – NBCSN)

Canadiens v Canes – Sunday, March 24 (7pm – ESPN+)

 

Nashville Predators v Winnipeg Jets 

0-5

Kyle Connor scored his first NHL hat trick and added an assist for the Winnipeg Jets, who thrashed their Central Division rivals, the Nashville Predators, 5-0 at Bell MTS Place to clinch a place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Connor has eight points – five goals, three assists – in his last four games.

Kevin Hayes had a goal and three assists, Andrew Copp scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves for a shutout in his second consecutive start for the hosts, who have won five of their last six and moved four points ahead of the Preds with a game in hand.

Calle Jarnkrok appears to give the visitors a 1-0 lead at 3:10 of the the second period, but the Situation Room in Toronto initiated a review that determined the puck was played with a high stick.

Pekka Rinne made 38 saves for Nashville, who have lost two in succession.

Up Next:

Predators v Wild – Monday, March 25 (8pm – NBCSN)

Stars v Jets – Monday, March 25 (8pm)

 

New York Rangers v Toronto Maple Leafs

2-1 (OT)

With a 2-1 overtime loss the Toronto Maple Leafs lost ground for second place in the Atlantic Division.

Zach Hyman tied the game in the third period for the hosts to send the game to overtime. Frederik Andersen made 26 saves for the Leafs, who trail the Bruins by seven points. 

Toronto were given a scare midway through the third period when John Tavares had to be helped off the ice after being cross-checked by Rangers defenseman Marc Staal. Fans and players were relieved when he came back out and didn’t miss a shift.

Pavel Buchnevich scored in regulation for New York, before Ryan Strome scored 1:48 into overtime to win the affair.

Alexander Georgiev made 44 saves for the visitors, who were eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention after the Canadiens defeated the Sabres 7-4.

The Rangers have played at least 21 games that have been decided in either overtime or a shootout this season. They are 2-9 in games decided in overtime and 6-4 in games decided in a shootout. 

 

Up Next:

Penguins v Rangers – Monday, March 25 (7pm – ESPN+)

Panthers v Leafs – Monday, March 25 (7pm)

 

Buffalo Sabres v Montreal Canadiens

4-7

The Montreal Canadiens stayed in step with the Eastern wild card race with a 7-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Brendan Gallagher had two goals and an assist, Max Domi and Tomas Tatar each had a goal and two assists, Artturi Lehkonen, Andrew Shaw and Paul Byron also scored for the hosts, who are three points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. 

Domi got his 200th NHL point with the first of his two assists. He reached 202 points (62g, 140a) in 297 games with the Arizona Coyotes and Montreal, meaning he reached the 200pt mark in 539 fewer games than his father, Tie Domi, who achieved the feat in 836 games.

Lehkonen’s goal was the 22,000th in Canadiens history, including the team’s eight seasons in the National Hockey Association (1909-17) prior to the founding of the NHL.

Carey Price made 23 saves for Montreal, who won their third straight after going 1-4-0 in their previous five, they also remain two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes.

Sam Reinhart, Alexander Nylander, Marco Scandella and Jack Eichel scored for the visitors, who were eliminated from playoff contention.

Eichel, who also registered an assist, has scored a goal against each of the other 30 NHL teams. He had eight assists but hadn’t scored in his previous 15 meetings with Montreal.

Carter Hutton made 37 saves for the Sabres, who have just one win in their last 10 (1-8-1).

Up Next:

Sabres v Devils – Monday, March 25 (7pm)

Canadiens v Canes – Sunday, March 24 (7pm – ESPN+)

 

Boston Bruins v Florida Panthers

7-3

The Boston Bruins clinched a Stanley Cup Playoff berth with a 7-3 thrashing of the Florida Panthers.

Zdeno Chara became the 22nd defenseman in NHL history to score 200 goals, whilst becoming the fifth NHL defenseman older than 42 (42yrs, 5days) to score a regular-season goal and the first since Chris Chelios (46yrs, 55days) for the Detroit Red Wings on March 20, 2009. 

Noel Acciari, Brad Marchand, Karson Kuhlman, Steven Kampfer, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron also scored and Jaroslav Halak made 31 saves and registered an assist for Boston, who have won four in a row and lead the Toronto Maple Leafs by seven points for second place in the Atlantic Division. 

Bergeron has eight points (5g, 3a) during this four-game point streak.

The Bruins, who join the Tampa Bay Lightning as teams from the Eastern Conference that have clinched, have qualified for the playoffs for three straight seasons and have made them 72 times, second in NHL history to the Montreal Canadiens’ 83 appearances. 

Boston have 101 points, the second straight season in which they’ve surpassed 100 and the NHL-best 23rd time.

Mike Hoffman had a goal and an assist, Jayce Hawryluk and Vincent Trocheck also scored, and Sam Montembeault made 32 saves for the Panthers, who lost for the third time in their last eight games and had their three-game home win steak end.

Florida’s Keith Yandle play his 900th NHL game.

 

Up Next:

Bruins v Lightning – Monday, March 25 (7:30pm – ESPN+)

Panthers v Leafs – Monday, March 25 (7pm)

 

Tampa Bay Lightning v St Louis Blues

3-4

The St Louis Blues moved within two points of second place in the Central Division with a shock 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The hosts gained on the Nashville Predators, who lost 5-0 to the Winnipeg Jets, and moved six points ahed of the Dallas Stars, who lost 3-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Brayden Schenn had a goal and an assist, Robert Thomas, Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored, and Jordan Binnington made 39 saves.

Binnington earned his 20th win to move within two of matching the Blues record for most in a season by a rookie goaltender (Jake Allen in 2014/15).

Tampa were without forward Yanni Gourde who was serving the first of a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal on Thursday.

Alex Killorn, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos scored for the Bolts, who have clinched the Preisdents’ Trophy, but had their seven-game winning streak end and remain four wins from tying the NHL record for one season with six to play.

Point‘s score was his 40th goal of the season, an NHL career-high and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves for the Lightning. 

 

Up Next:

Bruins v Lightning – Monday, March 25 (7:30pm – ESPN+)

Knights v Blues – Monday, March 25 (8pm)

 

Pittsburgh Penguins v Dallas Stars 

3-2

The Pittsburgh Penguins tightened their grip on third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars.

Jared McCann scored twice, Jake Guentzel scored once and Matt Murray made 29 saves for the Pens, who have at least a point in seven of their last eight and are tied with the New York Islanders for second place, a point behind the Washington Capitals (both play on Sunday).

McCann has scored 11 goals, three shorthanded, in 26 games with the visitors, since being acquired in a trade from the Florida Panthers. He scored eight in 46 games before the move.

Guentzel has 15pts (9g, 6a) in his last 12 games. Defenseman Marcus Pettersson played in his 100th NHL game. 

Tyler Seguin and Andrew Cogliano scored for Dallas, who outshot Pittsburgh 15-9 in the third period and had a 6-on-4 for the final 1:20 after Bryan Rust was penalized for holding and Anton Khudobin went to the bench for the extra skater. 

Khudobin made 27 saves and Seguin has 11 points (2g, 9a) in past nine games.

The Stars hold the first wild card from the west, they’re two points ahead of Colorado.

 

Up Next:

Penguins v Rangers – Monday, March 25 (7pm – ESPN+)

Stars v Jets – Monday, March 25 (8pm)

 

Calgary Flames v Vancouver Canucks

3-1

The Calgary Flames increased their lead atop the Pacific Division with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

Mark Giordano had a goal and two assists, Garnet Hathaway scored and assisted another, Andrew Mangiapane also scored and Mike Smith made 27 saves for Calgary, who have clinched a Stanley Cup Playoff berth and moved six points ahead of the San Jose Sharks with seven games remaining.

Giordano extended his point streak to seven games (2g, 8a). With 72pts (16g, 56a) in 73 games this season, the 35-year-old became the third NHL defenseman aged 35+ with 70pts in a season. Sergei Zubov and Nicklas Lidstrom did it twice.

Calgary’s fourth line of Derek Ryan, Hathaway and Mangiapane generated all three goals. The three have combined for eight goals and nine assists in their last six games.

The Flames (101) surpassed 100pts for the first time since 2005/06, joining the Tampa Bay Lightning (120) and Boston Bruins (101) as the only NHL teams with 100+ this season.

Brock Boeser scored and Jacob Markstrom made 28 saves for Vancouver, who lost for the first time in four games and are six points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card from the west.

Elias Pettersson had an assist on the goal and now leads the Canucks and NHL rookies with 64pts (27g, 37a) in 64 games.

Up Next:

Kings v Flames – Monday, March 25 (9pm)

Blue Jackets v Canucks – Sunday, March 24 (10pm)

 

Detroit Red Wings v Vegas Golden Knights

3-2 (OT)

Despite losing 3-2 in overtime, the Vegas Golden Knights gained in the Pacific Division. Vegas, who had won four in a row, are five points behind the San Jose Sharks for second place.

Cody Eakin and Reilly Smith scored for Vegas and Malcolm Subban, who was making his fourth straight start, made 27 saves. 

Eakin scored his NHL career-high 20th of the season and Smith played his 500th NHL.

Anthony Mantha scored twice, including the winner, for Detroit, who have won three of four and are already eliminated from Playoff contention. Jimmy Howard made 28 saves. 

Luke Glendening scored the other goal for the Red Wings. His first goal since February 12 (18 games). 

Red Wings forward Taro Hirose had an assist for his third straight game to begin his NHL career. He is the Big Ten Player of the Year at Michigan State and signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Detroit on March 12.

 

Up Next:

Red Wings v Sharks – Monday, March 25 (10:30pm)

Knights v Blues – Monday, March 25 (8pm)

 

Anaheim Ducks vs Los Angeles Kings

3-4 (SO)

The Anaheim Ducks’ playoff hopes are still alive despite a 3-4 shootout victory. Had they lost in regulation they would have been eliminated, instead they sit eight points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card from the west.

Cam Fowler, Rickard Rakell and Carter Rowney scored in regulation, and Ryan Miller made 27 saves for the Ducks, who were playing the second of a back-to-back and their third game in four nights.

Kyle Clifford and Jeff Carter scored, before rookie Carl Grundstrom got the equalizer late in the third for L.A., who have won consecutive games for the first time since a three-game win steak at the start of February.

Jonathan Quick made 17 saves for the Kings and Anze Kopitar scored the only goal in the shootout.

 

Up Next:

Ducks v Canucks – Tuesday, March 26 (10pm)

Kings v Flames – Monday, March 25 (9pm)

 

KEY

 

ALL TIMES U.S. EASTERN