Final Score: New Jersey 3, Chicago 2
Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Martin Brodeur is now the NHL's all-time winningest netminder. Brodeur made 30 saves to help the New Jersey Devils defeat the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-2, at Prudential Center. The 36- year-old Brodeur notched the 552nd win of his illustrious career to surpass Patrick Roy for the most victories in league history. Lost in Brodeur's historic night was Patrik Elias becoming New Jersey's all-time leading scorer with an assist on a short-handed goal by Brian Gionta. The helper gave the slick playmaker, who has played his entire career with New Jersey, 702 points, breaking the mark of current Devils assistant coach John MacLean. Jamie Langenbrunner and Travis Zajac also tallied for New Jersey, which has won four in a row and eight of its last nine overall. Cam Barker and Dustin Byfuglien found the net for the Blackhawks, who are heading in the opposite direction, having dropped eight of their last 11 games. Nikolai Khabibulin allowed three goals on 30 shots in a losing cause.
Final Score: NY Rangers 4, Montreal 3 (SO)
Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - Chris Drury notched the game-winner in the third round of the shootout, as the New York Rangers clipped Montreal, 4-3, at the Bell Centre. After Montreal's Andrei Markov began the round with a goal to tie the shootout at two-apiece, Drury beat Carey Price with a sizzling wrister from the slot to ice the game for New York. Nik Antropov, Nikolai Zherdev and Ryan Callahan scored in regulation for the Rangers, who have won three of their last four games. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 26 shots for the win. Alex Kovalev, Maxim Lapierre and Markov tallied once each for the Canadiens, who have dropped three in a row. Price took the loss despite a strong 39-save performance.
Final Score: Ottawa 4, Buffalo 2
Ottawa, ON (Sports Network) - Brendan Bell scored two of the three Ottawa power-play goals as the Senators held off the Buffalo Sabres, 4-2, at Scotiabank Place. Daniel Alfredsson chipped in with a goal and an assist, while Dany Heatley also lit the lamp for Ottawa, which was coming off a 4-3 shootout win over Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Senators have won six of seven overall. Filip Kuba dished out three helpers in the win. Brian Elliott stopped 11-of-13 shots between the pipes for Ottawa. Jason Pominville had a goal and an assist, and Toni Lydman added a marker for the Sabres, who have dropped six in a row. Mikael Tellqvist allowed four goals on 36 shots for Buffalo, which hasn't won on the road since a victory in Toronto on February 17. Tellqvist was making his first start since being acquired by Buffalo from Phoenix at the NHL trade deadline on March 4.
Final Score: Pittsburgh 6, Atlanta 2
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Evgeni Malkin recorded a five-point outing and eclipsed the 100-point plateau for the season, as the surging Pittsburgh Penguins ended Atlanta's longest winning streak in franchise history at six games with a 6-2 victory at Mellon Arena. Malkin helped put the game away with back-to-back goals in the second period and narrowly missed a hat trick after being awarded an eventual unsuccessful penalty shot late in the third. Sergei Gonchar had a four-point game with a goal and three assists for the Penguins, who won for the ninth time in their last 11 contests. Chris Kunitz, Jordan Staal and Mark Eaton added goals and Marc-Andre Fleury made 18 saves in the win. Bryan Little and Eric Boulton had the goals for Atlanta, which had been riding the hot play of goaltender Kari Lehtonen, whose career-high 49 saves on Monday against Washington helped extend the Thrashers' win streak. Johan Hedberg manned the pipes on Tuesday and was victimized for all six goals on 31 shots. The club was without star winger Ilya Kovalchuk for a third straight game because of an upper-body injury. Kovalchuk leads the Thrashers with 36 goals.
Final Score: Toronto 4, Tampa Bay 3 (SO)
Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - John Mitchell scored the game-winner in the sixth round of the shootout, as the Toronto Maple Leafs erased a three-goal deficit, rallying to win 4-3 over Tampa Bay at St. Pete Times Forum. Mitchell also scored in regulation and Jeffrey Hamilton sent the game to overtime with a goal late in the third. Jason Blake had a goal and an assist and provided the Leafs with an abundance of energy in the comeback win. Curtis Joseph recorded 19 saves in the win. Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos and Matt Pettinger scored for the Lightning, who had a brief two-game winning streak snapped. Tampa Bay staked Karri Ramo to a three-goal lead but watched it slip away as he allowed three goals on 39 shots with each coming over the final 20:24.
Final Score: Washington 3, Florida 0
Sunrise, FL (Sports Network) - Jose Theodore was spectacular between the pipes, stopping 19-of-19 shots, as the Washington Capitals shut out the Florida Panthers, 3-0, at BankAtlantic Center. Theodore improved to 28-15-4 on the year and collected his second shutout of the season. Brooks Laich, Viktor Kozlov, and Mike Green scored for the Capitals, who bounced back from a 5-1 loss to Atlanta on Monday. John Erskine tallied two helpers for Washington. Tomas Vokoun stopped 22 shots in defeat for the Panthers, who have lost four straight and five of their last six games. Florida hadn't dropped four in a row since doing so from December 26-31.
Final Score: Detroit 3, Philadelphia 2
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg scored just 1:32 apart in the third period as Detroit rallied from a two-goal deficit to best Philadelphia, 3-2, at Joe Louis Arena. Pavel Datsyuk and Franzen recorded a goal and assist each for the Red Wings, who have won four of five. Chris Osgood made 24 stops in the victory, improving to 23-6-7 on the season. Scott Hartnell and Joffrey Lupul tallied for the Flyers, who fell for the third time in four contests and extended their winless string in the Motor City to 16 games over more than 20 years. Philly has not won a game in Detroit since a 4-3 decision on November 4, 1988, losing 14 times and tying twice in that span. It is currently the longest drought for one team in one city in the NHL. Martin Biron took the loss, allowing three goals on 48 shots, but made 35 stops through the first two periods alone as the Red Wings enjoyed a shot advantage more than double their opponents through 40 minutes of play.
Final Score: Minnesota 3, Colorado 2 (SO)
St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Nick Schultz tied the game late in the third period and Marek Zidlicky netted the deciding goal in the shootout, as the Minnesota Wild defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2, at Xcel Energy Center. Stephane Veilleux also scored in regulation for the Wild, who snapped a four- game skid and registered at least a point for the fifth time in six games (2-1-3). Niklas Backstrom stopped 24 shots for the win. Cody McLeod and Ryan Smyth lit the lamp for the Avalanche, who have lost nine of their last 12 games. Peter Budaj took the loss with a 27-save effort.
Final Score: Edmonton 2, St. Louis 1 (SO)
Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Ales Kotalik notched the lone goal in the shootout, as Edmonton nipped St. Louis, 2-1, at Rexall Place. Kotalik began the second round by beating Chris Mason with a backhander, then Dwayne Roloson stopped Brad Boyes with a pad stop. Mason stoned Sam Gagner to open the third round, then Roloson ended the contest by foiling David Backes with his right pad stretched out against the post. Sheldon Souray tallied for the Oilers, who halted a three-game losing skid. Roloson made 30 saves in regulation for the win. Backes lit the lamp for the Blues, who have dropped two of three. Mason performed well in defeat, stopping 33-of-34 shots.
Final Score: Vancouver 4, Dallas 2
Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Mats Sundin and Ryan Kesler both registered a goal and an assist, as the Vancouver Canucks doubled up the Dallas Stars, 4-2, to set a franchise record with their 10th straight win on home ice. Steve Bernier and Daniel Sedin also scored for the Canucks, who have not lost at GM Place since January 31. That setback, ironically, was the ninth in a row at home prior to this current hot stretch. Roberto Luongo made 24 saves to improve his record to 26-9-6 this season. Steve Ott and Stephane Robidas found the net for Dallas, which has dropped three of its last five games. Marty Turco took the loss with a 21-save performance.
Final Score: Phoenix 4, San Jose 3
Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - Shane Doan scored an impressive power-play goal with 27 seconds left in the game to lift the Phoenix Coyotes past the San Jose Sharks, 4-3, at Jobing.com Arena. Despite the loss, San Jose still clinched the Pacific Division because Dallas lost to Vancouver, 4-2, on Tuesday. It's the fourth division crown in franchise history for the Sharks. Doan also dished out three helpers on the night. Kyle Turris tallied two goals and a pair of assists while Dmitri Kalinin added a goal and an assist for the Coyotes, who snapped a five-game losing streak. Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 33 shots for the win. Joe Thornton tallied twice and picked up an assist for the Sharks, who secured a playoff spot with Sunday's win over Anaheim. Patrick Marleau also lit the lamp, while Rob Blake had three helpers. Evgeni Nabokov was pulled after allowing three goals on nine shots in the opening 20 minutes. Brian Boucher made 10 stops the rest of the way.
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