Ilya Kovalchuk scored the tiebreaking goal on a five-on-three power play with about eight minutes left to complete the New Jersey Devils’ 3-2 comeback victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.
Washington led 2-1 entering the third period on power-play goals by Mathieu Perrault and Mike Ribeiro.
Andrei Loktionov made it two-all midway through the last period, and Kovalchuk put New Jersey ahead for the first time off Patrik Elias’ assist. Elias had scored a short-handed goal in the second period.
The East-worst Capitals (5-10-1) dropped to 0-7-1 against the conference’s top six teams. They will get another chance today when they host New Jersey again.
PANTHERS 5, FLYERS 2
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jonathan Huberdeau and Peter Mueller each had two goals to help Florida snap a five-game losing streak with a victory over Philadelphia.
Tomas Kopecky also scored for Florida, who were 0-2-3 since a 3-2 shootout victory in Philadelphia on Feb. 7. Scott Clemmensen, who backs up Jose Theodore, stopped 32 shots to earn his first win since April 7 last year.
Luke Schenn and Jakub Voracek scored Philadelphia’s goals in the third period.
The Flyers came out flat one night after a wild 6-5 win at Pittsburgh. It did not help when they learned before the game that center Matt Read will miss six weeks because he tore rib cage muscles when hit by the Penguins’ Chris Kunitz.
Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov was replaced by Brian Boucher after Florida took a 4-0 lead.
Schenn snapped Clemmensen’s shutout bid with 6:08 left.
BRUINS 4, LIGHTNING 2
In Tampa, Florida, Nathan Horton scored two goals as Boston beat Tampa Bay.
Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand also scored for Boston, which improved to 6-1-1 on the road.
After blowing a two-goal lead, the Bruins took a 3-2 advantage on Marchand’s goal from the slot with 6:02 to go in the second. Horton extended the lead to 4-2 when he redirected Zdeno Chara’s pass at 2:33 of the third.
Tampa Bay got goals from Steven Stamkos and Cory Conacher, but the Lightning’s two-game winning streak, which followed an 0-5-1 stretch, was snapped.
The Bruins took a 2-0 lead early in the first on goals by Horton and Bergeron. Horton has 26 goals and 46 points in 45 games against the Lightning.
SENATORS 3, RANGERS 2
In Ottawa, Kaspars Daugavins scored in the seventh round of the shootout and backup goalie Ben Bishop earned the victory in relief of injured starter Craig Anderson as Ottawa beat the New York Rangers.
The Senators lost Anderson at 1:43 of the third period after Rangers forward Chris Kreider was tripped in front and slid into him. No penalty was called on the play and Anderson had to be helped to the dressing room because of a sprained right ankle.
Daugavins appeared to mishit his winning shootout attempt that beat Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist between the legs. Kreider was then stopped by Bishop to end the game.
Jakob Silfverberg also scored in the shootout for Ottawa, and Ryan Callahan had the lone goal for the Rangers. Silfverberg and Mika Zibanejad scored for the Senators in regulation. Anderson stopped all 21 shots he faced before being replaced by Bishop.
Callahan and Ryan McDonagh scored 51 seconds apart in the third period for the Rangers. Lundqvist made 35 saves.
BLUE JACKETS 3, RED WINGS 2
In Detroit, Michigan, Vinny Prospal scored with 24.7 seconds left, capping a comeback that lifted Columbus over Detroit.
Damien Brunner and Valtteri Filppula scored in the first two-plus minutes of the game to put the Red Wings ahead by two, a cushion they wasted for a third time during their five-game losing streak.
R.J. Umberger’s power-play goal a couple of minutes after Detroit took their two-goal lead pulled Columbus within one. Derek Dorsett tied it in the third period for the Blue Jackets, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
The game took a frightening turn early in the second period when Columbus center Artem Anisimov was taken off the ice on a stretcher after being struck in the head by Red Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey. Anisimov was alert and able to move when he was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
Detroit scored on their first and third shots against Sergei Bobrovsky, who bounced back to finish with 28 saves.
In other play on Thursday, it was:
‧ Maple Leafs 3, Sabres 1
‧ Islanders 4, Canadiens 3
‧ Jets 4, Hurricanes 3
‧ Canucks 4, Stars 3
‧ Wild 3, Oilers 1
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