National Hockey League Game Capsules

Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) – Patrice Bergeron scored two goals and the Boston Bruins blanked Chicago, 3-0, in the Blackhawks’ first visit to TD Garden since winning the Stanley Cup last June. Tuukka Rask made 28 saves for his NHL-leading seventh shutout of the season, as the Bruins improved to 13-0-1 in their last 14 games. Corey Crawford stopped 20 shots for the Blackhawks, who were shut out for the second time in three games. Bergeron went to the slot and redirected Matt Bartkowski’s point shot past Crawford, extending his goal streak to five games and giving Boston a 1-0 lead at 11:50 of the first period. Carl Soderberg and Bergeron scored 13 seconds apart in the third period to provide the Bruins with some breathing room.

Final Score: Phoenix 3, New Jersey 2 (SO)

Newark, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) – Mikkel Boedker scored the lone goal in the shootout, as the Phoenix Coyotes clipped the New Jersey Devils, 3-2, on Thursday at Prudential Center. After New Jersey’s Damien Brunner came up empty to start the shootout, Boedker followed with a nifty backhander over Martin Brodeur before Thomas Greiss turned away the final two Devils to send Phoenix to its second straight win. Kyle Chipchura and Chris Summers supplied a goal and an assist apiece, while Greiss finished with 26 saves for the Coyotes, who remained locked in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Adam Henrique and Ryane Clowe each lit the lamp for the Devils, who have lost an NHL-record 13 consecutive shootouts dating back to last season. Brodeur registered 25 saves in the setback.

Final Score: Los Angeles 3, Pittsburgh 2

Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Drew Doughty scored the game-winner early in the third period and the Los Angeles Kings stayed hot on the road with a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alec Martinez and Jeff Carter also scored for the Kings, who have won eight straight away from home to tie the franchise’s longest road winning streak set from Dec. 18, 1974-Jan. 16, 1975. Martin Jones stopped 35-of-37 shots for Los Angeles, which has won five in a row and sits third in the Pacific Division. Taylor Pyatt and Chris Kunitz lit the lamp for the Metropolitan Division-leading Penguins, who came into Thursday’s game needing one point to clinch a playoff spot. Jeff Zatkoff turned aside 29-of-32 shots for Pittsburgh, which has dropped three straight.

Final Score: Montreal 5, Detroit 4

Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) – Max Pacioretty and Thomas Vanek each scored during a wild third period to help the Montreal Canadiens stay hot by posting a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Vanek added a pair of assists and Tomas Plekanec potted a pair of early goals for the Canadiens, winners of four straight and seven of their last eight games. David Desharnais had a goal and an assist, while Carey Price survived a three- goal outburst by the Red Wings in the final frame during a 26-save effort. Tomas Tatar accounted for two of Detroit’s third-period scores and Riley Sheahan recorded a goal and an assist, but Jimmy Howard stopped just 24-of-29 shots as the Red Wings were dealt a third straight defeat and missed out on a chance to improve their playoff chances.

Final Score: Tampa Bay 3, NY Islanders 2 (SO)

Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Sami Salo scored the winner in the 13th round of the shootout as the Tampa Bay Lightning took a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday. Four players from each team had scored in the first 12 rounds, and Salo gave Tampa the advantage when he lifted a backhander past Evgeni Nabokov. Ben Bishop then preserved the win as he stopped Johan Sundstrom’s offering. Ryan Callahan scored both goals while Bishop turned away 25 shots for the Lightning, who had dropped their previous two. With the win, Tampa now has 89 points and sits in the third spot in the Atlantic Division, two back of Montreal. Matt Donovan posted a goal and an assist while Ryan Strome gave a goal for the Islanders, who had won four of six coming into the game. Nabokov stopped 29 shots.

Final Score: Carolina 3, Florida 0

Sunrise, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Jiri Tlusty tallied twice and Anton Khudobin posted a 35-save shutout, as the Carolina Hurricanes blanked the Florida Panthers, 3-0, on Thursday at BB&T Center. Jeff Skinner scored Carolina’s other goal, while Khudobin completed his first whitewash of the season and third of his career with a 12-save third period. Roberto Luongo started in net for Florida and stopped 11-of-12 shots in the first period, but the veteran netminder was forced to leave the contest prior to the start of the second after being run over by Carolina’s Radek Dvorak with just over seven minutes left in the opening frame. Dan Ellis recorded 18 saves in relief for the Panthers, who have lost four of their last five games.

Final Score: St. Louis 5, Minnesota 1

St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) – T.J. Oshie’s first career hat trick highlighted the St. Louis Blues’ latest victory, a 5-1 drubbing of the slumping Minnesota Wild at Scottrade Center. Jaden Schwartz and Brenden Morrow also tallied for the current Western Conference leaders, who improved to 11-2-1 since acquiring goaltender Ryan Miller from Buffalo on Feb. 28. Miller did his part as well in this one, taking a shutout bid into the final nine minutes and turning aside 27 of the 28 shots he faced. Counterpart Darcy Kuemper wasn’t as effective, coming up with just 19 saves as the Wild lost for the ninth time in 12 games. Minnesota’s lead over Phoenix for the top wild-card spot in the West also shrunk to one point after the Coyotes downed New Jersey on Thursday. Zach Parise accounted for the lone Wild goal in Minnesota’s ninth consecutive setback to the Blues.

Final Score: Nashville 6, Buffalo 1

Nashville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) – The Nashville Predators avoided the longest home losing streak in franchise history with a 6-1 rout of the NHL- worst Buffalo Sabres. The Predators had gone 0-5-1 at Bridgestone Arena to match the team-record slide, but rode a four-goal first period to a third win in their last four games overall. Shea Weber scored twice using his patented cannon shot, while rookies Calle Jarnkrok and Colton Sissons each potted their first NHL goal. Carter Hutton picked up the win with 32 saves. Buffalo went 1-4-0 on its road trip and has lost 10 of 11 overall.

Final Score: Colorado 3, Vancouver 2 (OT)

Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) – Tyson Barrie scored the winner 55 seconds into overtime as the Colorado Avalanche took a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. In the extra session, Matt Duchene circled around the left boards to get clear of defenders before firing a pass to the front of the net where Barrie tipped it home for the win. Duchene had a goal and an assist while Gabriel Landeskog also had a goal for the Avalanche, who have won their past two after a three-game losing streak. Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 shots in the win. With 95 points, Colorado sits just one point back of Chicago for second place in the Central Division with a game in hand. Yannick Weber and Zack Kassian scored for the Canucks, who had a three-game winning streak stopped. Eddie Lack turned away 25 shots in the loss. Vancouver’s playoff hopes are quickly fading, as the team is five points back of Phoenix for the final wild card spot with just seven games to play.

Final Score: Winnipeg 4, San Jose 3

San Jose, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Tobias Enstrom scored the winner with 3:36 to play to help the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. Blake Wheeler had a goal and two assists while Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien also scored for the Jets, who had lost nine of 11 coming into the game. Al Montoya stopped 27 shots in the win. Dan Boyle, Logan Couture and Brent Burns scored for the Sharks, who have dropped four of their last six, but still hold a two-point lead over Anaheim for the top spot in the Pacific Division. Antti Niemi turned away 27 shots.

Categorized in: NHL