(Sports Network) - Mike Green scored two power-play goals in the third period, and the Washington Capitals (web | news) rallied from a late deficit to capture a 5-3 win over the New York Islanders. With the win, the Capitals eclipsed the 100-point mark for the first time since the 1999-2000 season, when the team had 102 points. With five games remaining and 101 points, the team will have an opportunity to top the team record of 107 points set during the 1985-86 campaign. Washington currently sits in second position in the Eastern Conference. Green, with 30 goals on the season, became the eighth defenseman all-time to post a 30-goal season in his career. The last came back in 1992-93, as Kevin Hatcher scored 34 for the Capitals. The others are Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey, Doug Wilson, Denis Potvin and Phil Housley. Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Keith Aucoin also scored for the Capitals, who need a loss, regulation or overtime, by the Hurricanes on Thursday to clinch their second straight Southeast Division title. Jose Theodore notched his 30th win of the season with 24 saves. Frans Nielsen had a goal and an assist, while Richard Park and Kyle Okposo each had a goal for the Islanders, who have a league-worst 59 points. Joey MacDonald made 38 saves in the setback.

Final Score: Atlanta 3, Buffalo 2 (OT)

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Ilya Kovalchuk scored the game-winner with 29.9 seconds left in overtime and added an assist in regulation as the Atlanta Thrashers edged the Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, at Philips Arena. With time running down in the extra period, Thomas Vanek's shot was blocked by Kovalchuk and the Thrashers star caught up to the puck and was able to beat Ryan Miller between the five-hole to give Atlanta the win. Zach Bogosian and Slava Kozlov also tallied for Atlanta, which was coming off a 6-3 win over Ottawa on Saturday. The Thrashers have won three straight and four of their last five overall. Johan Hedberg turned aside 30-of-32 shots for the Thrashers, who swept the four game series with the Sabres this year. Atlanta starting netminder Kari Lehtonen missed the contest with an upper body injury and is scheduled to be re-examined in the next day or two. Vanek had a pair of power-play goals for the Sabres, who were trying to build off a 4-3 shootout win at Montreal on Saturday. Buffalo, which had its three-game winning streak snapped, is five points behind the Canadiens for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Miller made 27 saves for Buffalo.



Final Score: Toronto 3, Philadelphia 2

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Ian White netted the game-winner in the second period and Curtis Joseph was solid with 32 saves, as the Toronto Maple Leafs edged the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, in the opener of a home-and-home series at Air Canada Centre. Jamal Mayers and Lee Stempniak also scored for the Maple Leafs, who snapped a two-game skid and won for the third time in their last five games. The Maple Leafs have done something this season that hadn't occurred in the longstanding franchise's history. Unfortunately, it's not something to boast about. For the first time ever, Toronto will miss the postseason for a fourth consecutive season while extending its Cup drought to 42 years. Claude Giroux registered a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who have dropped three of four. Martin Biron was replaced by Antero Niittymaki in the second period after surrendering three goals on 28 shots. Niittymaki turned aside all 10 shots he faced for the remainder of the contest. Two years removed from finishing last overall in the NHL, the Flyers are poised to return to the playoffs with the same nucleus that made it all the way to the Eastern Conference finals last year before injuries to the defense corps proved too much to overcome against a tough Pittsburgh club. With 92 points, Philadelphia is tied with Pittsburgh for the fourth seed after the Penguins bedeviled New Jersey, 6-1, on Wednesday. Both clubs are one point ahead of idle Carolina.



Final Score: Pittsburgh 6, New Jersey 1

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Sidney Crosby scored his 30th goal of the season and assisted on another, as the Pittsburgh Penguins continued to improve their playoff chances with a 6-1 rout of the slumping New Jersey Devils. Chris Kunitz also had a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who are now tied with Philadelphia for fourth place in the East with 92 points. The Flyers, who lost to Toronto on Wednesday, still hold one game in hand. Crosby extended his points streak to 16 consecutive games. Jordan Staal, Bill Guerin, Matt Cooke and Evgeni Malkin also contributed to the offense with a goal apiece. Hal Gill and Sergei Gonchar each had a pair of assists, and Marc- Andre Fleury made 24 saves in the win. Brian Gionta scored the lone goal for the Devils, who have lost six straight for the first time since November 2-14, 2000. Martin Brodeur was not his usual self, allowing all six goals on 37 shots to fall to 1-5-1 since becoming hockey's all-time wins leader. The Devils are still six points ahead of the Penguins and Flyers for the Atlantic Division lead but fell three points behind Washington for the second position in the conference.



Final Score: Chicago 3, St. Louis 1

Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Jonathan Toews and Samuel Pahlsson each tallied in the first period as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the St. Louis Blues, 3-1, at United Center. Colin Fraser added a short-handed goal for Chicago, which recovered from a 4-1 setback at Montreal on Tuesday. The Blackhawks, who have won four of six overall, claimed their first win of the season over St. Louis (1-4-1). Chicago has 93 points and sits fourth in the Western Conference. Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 16-of-17 shots for the Blackhawks. Jeff Woywitka scored for the Blues, who had their five-game winning streak snapped. St. Louis remains one point out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. They are bidding for their first playoff appearance since the 2003-04 campaign. Chris Mason, who was making his 28th straight start between the pipes, made 27 saves for St. Louis.



Final Score: Phoenix 3, Colorado 0

Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Good things do indeed come to those who wait. Al Montoya turned away all 23 shots he faced to notch a shutout in his long- awaited NHL debut, as the Phoenix Coyotes defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 3-0, in a clash at Pepsi Center between teams that aren't bound for the postseason. A standout at the University of Michigan, Montoya, the first Cuban-American to play in the league, backstopped Team USA to the gold medal at the 2004 World Junior Championship and was taken sixth overall by the Rangers later that year. Shane Doan, Mikkel Boedker and Zbynek Michalek scored for the Coyotes, who have won three of their last four games. Phoenix hasn't reached the playoffs since 2002, when the club was expelled in the first round by San Jose. Andrew Raycroft made 32 saves for the Avalanche, who are 0-7-1 in their last eight games, the longest winless streak since the franchise relocated from Quebec following the lockout-shortened 1994-95 campaign. The combination of injuries and unsteady goaltending has the once-mighty Avalanche in unfamiliar territory: taking up residency in the basement of the Western Conference with 64 points. Colorado is out of the postseason picture for the second time in three years.









Copyright 2009 The Sports Network
All rights reserved

 Email To Friend