NHL Weekend Roundup: Sabres, Panthers, Bruins, Rangers Triumph
The NHL witnessed a thrilling weekend of action, with several teams making significant strides in the playoff race.
In Buffalo, the Sabres overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in a shootout. Alex Tuch scored the decisive goal, while Jacob Bryson tied the game late in the third period. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves for Buffalo.
The Florida Panthers continued their dominance, defeating the Calgary Flames 5-1. Vladimir Tarasenko, acquired from Ottawa, scored his first two goals as a Panther. Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, and Kevin Stenlund also found the net for Florida, who now have won 17 of their last 20 games.
The Boston Bruins extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. David Pastrnak reached 40 goals for the third consecutive season, while Pavel Zacha had two goals and an assist. Linus Ullmark made 38 saves for Boston.
The New York Rangers shut out the St. Louis Blues 4-0, with Igor Shesterkin making 26 saves for his 13th career shutout. Vincent Trocheck and Jimmy Vesey scored in the first period, while Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko added goals later.
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-2, with Jesperi Kotkaniemi scoring the game-winning goal in the third period. Pyotr Kochetkov made 24 saves for Carolina, who have now won eight of their last 11 games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs edged out the Montreal Canadiens 3-2, with John Tavares scoring the game-winning goal in the third period. Max Domi and Bobby McMann also scored for Toronto, while Ilya Samsonov made 29 saves.
The Nashville Predators extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Luke Evangelista scored the game-winning goal in the third period, while Kevin Lankinen made 32 saves.
The Tampa Bay Lightning routed the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0, with defenseman Darren Raddysh recording five assists. Victor Hedman scored twice and added an assist, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves for his second shutout of the season.
The Washington Capitals defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1, with Tom Wilson scoring for the second consecutive game. Charlie Lindgren made 29 saves for Washington, who are now within striking distance of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The San Jose Sharks snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Thomas Bordeleau scored two power-play goals, while Magnus Chrona made 31 saves for his first NHL win.