National Hockey League Game Capsules

Uniondale, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Matt Stajan notched the game-winner with 5:32 left in the third, as the Calgary Flames edged the New York Islanders, 4-2, on Thursday at Nassau Coliseum. With the game tied 2-2 late in the final frame, Stajan lit the lamp from atough angle on the low right side to put the Flames in front. Mikael Backlund then buried an empty-netter in the closing seconds to account for the final margin, as the Flames won for the sixth time in their last seven games. Sean Monahan and Dennis Wideman each scored once, while Reto Berra registered 28 saves for Calgary, which snapped a four-game road losing streak. Thomas Hickey and Calvin de Haan recorded a goal apiece, while Evgeni Nabokov allowed three goals on 21 shots for the Islanders, who have lost six of their last seven games.

Final Score: Edmonton 2, NY Rangers 1

New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Nail Yakupov potted the game-winning goal with 1:38 remaining as the resurgent Edmonton Oilers exited Madison Square Garden with a 2-1 triumph over the New York Rangers. Yakupov’s late score and a stout 35-save performance from Ben Scrivens improved Edmonton, which still sits last in the Western Conference, to 5-1-0 over its last six outings and halted the Rangers’ season-high win streak at four games. Ryan Smyth had the other goal for the Oilers, with Derick Brassard recording the Rangers’ lone marker and Cam Talbot finishing with 29 saves in a losing cause.

Final Score: Philadelphia 3, Colorado 1

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Steve Mason turned away 38 shots to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche Thursday. Mark Streit and Michael Raffl scored a goal apiece and Claude Giroux added an empty netter for the Flyers, who have won three straight. Sean Couturier registered two assists in the win. Nathan MacKinnon scored the lone Avalanche goal and Semyon Varlamov allowed two goals on 34 shots for Colorado, which has lost two straight.

Final Score: Washington 4, Winnipeg 2

Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) – Troy Brouwer scored a pair of goals to lead the Washington Capitals to a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets at Verizon Center. Alexander Ovechkin and Tom Wilson also scored for the Capitals, winners in two of their last three games. Braden Holtby made 34 saves in the win. Bryan Little and Dustin Byfuglien had one goal apiece for the Jets, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Ondrej Pavelec allowed all four goals on 30 shots in the setback.

Final Score: Montreal 5, Vancouver 2

Montreal, QC (SportsNetwork.com) – Max Pacioretty registered a hat trick to help the Montreal Canadiens take a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks at Bell Centre. Ryan White scored his first goal of the season and Tomas Plekanec also scored for the Canadiens, winners in four of their last six games. Carey Price made 42 saves in the win. Chris Higgins and Alexander Edler scored one goal apiece for the Canucks, losers in six straight. Roberto Luongo allowed four goals on 28 shots in the setback.

Final Score: Ottawa 3, Buffalo 2

Ottawa, ON (SportsNetwork.com) – Milan Michalek scored twice in the third period, including the game-winner with 22.1 seconds to play, sending the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 triumph over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre. With less than 30 seconds to play, Jason Spezza stickhandled around a defender in the slot before dishing to the inner half of the left circle for Michalek, who rifled a wrister high over the short side of Jhonas Enroth for a 3-2 lead. Ottawa’s Erik Condra went off for tripping at 19:44 to give Buffalo a late power play, but Craig Anderson came up with a huge save as the horn sounded to secure the Senators’ second straight win. Erik Karlsson scored Ottawa’s other goal, Spezza added two assists and Anderson stopped 30 shots in the triumph. Drew Stafford notched a goal and an assist, while Tyler Ennis scored the Sabres’ other goal in their fourth straight setback.

Final Score: Toronto 4, Tampa Bay 1

Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – The Toronto Maple Leafs scored three times in the third period to back a 31-save performance from Jonathan Bernier and come through with a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Jay McClement, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak all lit the lamp during the final frame, with Phil Kessel assisting on two of the tallies to help the Leafs to a fourth win in five games. The first two of those goals came against Cedrick Desjardins, pressed into duty for the Lightning after Ben Bishop was forced to exit after two periods with an upper-body injury. Bishop stopped 21-of-22 shots prior to departing, with Desjardins coming up with 11 saves. Ondrej Palat had Tampa Bay’s lone score in the loss, the Lightning’s second straight and fourth in five outings.

Final Score: Detroit 3, Florida 1

Sunrise, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – The Detroit Red Wings received a pair of goals from Swedish Olympians in Gustav Nyquist and Daniel Alfredsson and pulled out a 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Pavel Datsyuk returned from a 14-game absence due to a lower-body injury, and though Russia’s captain was virtually non-existent, the star forward saw the Red Wings improve to 5-1-2 over the past eight games. Jimmy Howard made 16 of his 23 saves in the third period, his only blemish coming on a Scottie Upshall breakaway in the closing seconds of the first. Tim Thomas was a hard- luck loser after a 30-save performance.

Final Score: St. Louis 3, Boston 2 (OT)

St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) – T.J. Oshie scored 3:29 into overtime to lift the St. Louis Blues over the Boston Bruins, 3-2, on Thursday. Jaden Schwartz had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who bounced back from a 5-4 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. Alexander Steen also lit the lamp. Jaroslav Halak stopped 36-of-38 shots for the victors. David Krejci and Brad Marchand scored for the Bruins, who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Tuukka Rask turned aside 24-of-27 shots. Boston was without defenseman Zdeno Chara on Thursday.

Final Score: Minnesota 3, Nashville 2 (OT)

St. Paul, MN (SportsNetwork.com) – Nino Niederreiter scored 2:16 into overtime to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday. Jonas Brodin and Zach Parise also scored and Niederreiter added an assist for the Wild, winners in two straight. Darcy Kuemper made 16 saves in the win. Craig Smith provided both goals for the Predators, who have lost two straight. Carter Hutton made 33 saves in the setback.

Final Score: Los Angeles 2, Columbus 1 (OT)

Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Robyn Regehr scored 2:33 into overtime to lift the Los Angeles Kings over the Columbus Blue Jackets, 2-1, on Thursday. Jake Muzzin scored early in the third period for the Kings, who snapped a four-game skid heading into the Olympic break. Jonathan Quick stopped 24-of-25 shots. Jack Johnson scored the lone goal for the Blue Jackets, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 18-of-20 shots.

Categorized in: NHL