The Toronto Maple Leafs extended their points streak to six games while winning their fourth in a row, 4-3 in overtime at Ottawa. Pavel Kubina scored the tying and winning goals. The winner came 33 seconds into O-T when Kubina beat Brian Elliot through the legs on a goal the young goaltender should have stopped. Senators coach Cory Clouston says Elliot was inconsistent like the rest of the team.
Dwayne Roloson made 43 saves, and the Edmonton Oilers edged the Minnesota Wild 3-2, to move into a tie with Anaheim for seventh place in the crowded Western Conference. The Oilers are two points up on the Wild and Dallas. Ales Hemsky, Zack Stortini and Tom Gilbert scored for the Oilers, who hit the road with a four-game road trip that starts Tuesday in Nashville.
Jaroslav Halak just keeps on winning, and has supplanted Carey Price as the Montreal Canadiens’ go-to goalie. Halak made 46 saves to win his fourth straight start as Montreal nipped San Jose 3-2. Andrei Markov, Saku Koivu and Josh Gorges scored in the first period as the Canadiens opened a 3-0 lead.
Jason Arnott scored three goals, and Pekka Rinne made 30 saves for his sixth shutout of the season as Nashville bombed Detroit 8-0. The Predators set a franchise record with five first-period goals.
Washington tightened up the top of the N-H-L’s Eastern Conference playoff race with a 4-3 overtime victory at Boston. Alexander Semin’s slapshot from just inside the red line lit the lamp just 22 seconds into O-T, drawing the Capitals within eight points of the Bruins in the struggle for home-ice in the East.
Rookie David Perron scored the game-winner on a third-period power play in the St. Louis Blues’ 3-1 victory over Phoenix.
New Jersey remains two points behind Washington in the East race with a 7-2 drubbing of the Florida. Zach Parise had two goals and an assist for the Devils.
Yann Danis made 31 saves for his second straight shutout at home, and Sean Bergenheim scored twice in the New York Islanders’ 2-0 victory over the Buffalo. The Sabres remain tied with Carolina for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Rich Peverley scored two of Atlanta’s four third-period goals, and Ilya Kovalchuk had two goals and three assists in the Thrashers’ 5-3 victory over Carolina.
Corey Perry scored the tying goal in the third period, Teemu Selanne added the winner 1:31 later, as the Anaheim Ducks handed Dallas its fourth straight home loss, 4-3.
Ryan Callahan and Nikolai Zherdev scored in the first 68 seconds, and the New York Rangers went on to bury the Colorado Avalanche 6-1.