Rick DiPietro made 29 saves as the New York Islanders moved closer to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference by blanking the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0 in National Hockey League play Sunday in Uniondale.
The Islanders moved six points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. Both teams have seven games left to play.
New York has won four of its last five games to regain control of the final playoff spot after snapping a 0-3-1-2 skid.
The Lightning continue to lead the Eastern Conference overall standings by one point over the Philadelphia Flyers, with the Boston Bruins just two points back.
Tampa Bay is struggling, losing four of its last five games, two of them to the Islanders, after picking up at least one point in 18 consecutive games to take the Conference lead.
The Lightning blew a three-goal lead in Boston to lose 6-5 on Saturday. Tampa Bay has six games left in the regular season.
Mark Parrish opened the scoring with his 19th goal of the season with just 1:56 remaining in the first period to give DiPietro the only goal he would need.
Michael Peca and Adrian Aucoin then scored 2:46 apart in the third period to seal the win for the Islanders, who won three of four games against the Lightning this season.
It was DiPietro's fourth shutout of the season and of his career.
John Grahame made 22 saves in goal for Tampa Bay.
In other games, Michael Leighton made 39 saves, including nine in overtime, as the Chicago Blackhawks battled to a 2-2 tie with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Aleksey Morozov scored with 7.9 seconds left in overtime as the streaking Pittsburgh Penguins edged the New York Rangers 4-3. Mark Messier of the Rangers was ejected for spearing in the second period.
Steve Rucchin and Sergei Fedorov both scored twice as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks beat the Detroit Red Wings 8-6 in the highest scoring game in the NHL this season.
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