Marian Hossa scored twice to help the Atlanta Thrashers defeat the Washington Capitals 5-3 and pull within two points of Tampa Bay for the final playoff spot in the NHL Eastern Conference on Thursday.
Both teams have three games remaining. Atlanta must beat out the Tampa Bay Lightning, who would likely win any tiebreaker scenario for the eighth spot because they have two more wins and beat Atlanta in the season series.
Alexander Ovechkin scored his 50th goal for Washington, becoming the second rookie in NHL history to reach 50 goals and 100 points. Teemu Selanne had 76 goals and 132 points for the Winnipeg Jets in 1992-1993.
The Thrashers, who entered the league in 1999, are one of only two franchises that have never made the playoffs (Columbus is the other). They have given themselves a chance with five wins and an overtime loss in their last seven games.
Hossa snapped a 3-all tie with 9.3 seconds left in the second period. Then, after the Capitals pulled goalie Olaf Kolzig in the final minute and were on the verge of having a two-man advantage, Hossa knocked Ovechkin off the puck at the point and swooped in for the easiest of goals, his 39th of the season.
Hossa also had two assists.
Maple Leafs 4, Islanders 3, OT
At Uniondale, New York, Matt Stajan scored his second goal of the game with 1:08 left in overtime to give Toronto an important victory.
Stajan came around the net, fought off two checks and sent a backhand from the high slot between the pads of a screened Garth Snow.
Toronto also got goals from Darcy Tucker and Mats Sundin. Jean-Sebastien Aubin stopped 23 shots for the Leafs, who are three points behind Tampa Bay for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have three games remaining.
Robert Nilsson, Trent Hunter and Shawn Bates scored for the Islanders, while Snow made 27 saves. He is now winless in his last 12 appearances in net, 10 of them starts.
Canadiens 4, Bruins 3
At Boston, Alex Kovalev recorded two goals and an assist to help Montreal move a step closer to making the playoffs.
Jan Bulis added a goal and two assists for the Canadiens, who are trying to make the playoffs for the second straight season. Montreal hasn't had back-to-back playoff appearances since three straight berths, ending with the 1997-98 season.
Currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, Montreal leads ninth-place Atlanta by six points with two games remaining. The Canadiens need just one point or an Atlanta loss or tie to clinch a playoff spot.
Penguins 5, Rangers 3
At Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists to close within three points of becoming the youngest player to have a 100-point season in the NHL, and Pittsburgh further stalled the New York Rangers' bid to win their first division title since 1994.
The Rangers stayed three points ahead of the Flyers, who lost 4-1 to New Jersey, in an Atlantic Division race that could be decided when the teams play Saturday in Philadelphia.
Jaromir Jagr added to his Rangers team record by getting his 54th goal and league-high 122nd point midway through the first to put the Rangers up 1-0.
Devils 4, Flyers 1
At East Rutherford, New Jersey, Zach Parise scored two goals and Brian Gionta had three assists to give New Jersey its ninth straight win and pull even with Philadelphia in the Eastern playoff standings.
RSS