The Boston Bruins won for the fifth time in seven NHL games by beating the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 on Saturday, before heading off to play three games in California.
Defenseman Torey Krug had two goals and an assist, while Tuukka Rask made 36 saves and Daniel Paille also scored for Boston.
Dustin Byfuglien scored and Ondrej Pavelec stopped 25 shots for Winnipeg. The Jets have lost two in a row since bringing a three-game winning streak into the new year.
AVALANCHE 4, SHARKS 3
In Denver, the Colorado Avalanche held off the San Jose Sharks for their third straight win.
Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and Semyon Varlamov stopped 30 shots. Jamie McGinn and Erik Johnson also scored for the Avalanche, who have 56 points halfway through the season, the second-most in team history after the 2000-2001 squad.
Johnson’s shot from the blue line 5 minutes, 45 seconds into the second bounced past Antti Niemi and ended the goaltender’s day.
Niemi was pulled after allowing three goals and Alex Stalock took over, allowing MacKinnon’s second goal 14 seconds later to make it 4-0.
BLUES 6, BLUE JACKETS 2
Center Patrik Berglund scored two goals as the St Louis Blues rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets for their fifth consecutive victory.
The Blues (29-7-5), who have won only five times this season when they gave up the first goal in a game, started the rally 7:03 into the second period when Berglund deflected a shot by defenseman Barret Jackman past goalie Curtis McElhinney.
It was Berglund’s first two-goal effort this season, having scored only four in 37 games before Saturday.
St Louis goalie Brian Elliott won his 13th consecutive home game, extending his own franchise record.
KINGS 3, CANUCKS 1
In Los Angeles, winger Jeff Carter scored two goals and goaltender Jonathan Quick made 27 saves as the Kings beat the Canucks.
The Kings (26-13-4) snapped a five-game losing streak to open a five-game home stand and gain ground on the San Jose Sharks.
Goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 45 shots and center Ryan Kesler scored the lone goal for Vancouver (23-13-7), which dropped its third straight game.
SENATORS 4, CANADIENS 3 (OVERTIME)
Ottawa left-winger Clarke MacArthur scored a power-play goal 58 seconds into overtime as the Senators extended their season-high winning streak to four games with a win over the Montreal Canadiens.
MacArthur took his time to position himself before shooting past Montreal goalie Carey Price.
Center Daniel Briere scored Montreal’s first two goals and got his third point of the game with an assist on right-winger Brian Gionta’s tally 4:46 into the third that drew the Canadiens even at 3-3.
HURRICANES 3, ISLANDERS 2
In Uniondale, New York, centers Manny Malhotra, Jordan Staal and Brett Sutter scored in the second period as the Carolina Hurricanes hung on to beat the New York Islanders.
Staal and Sutter scored within a minute of each other late in the second as the Hurricanes won in regulation for the first time since Dec. 14, extended their winning streak to three and keeping the heat on Philadelphia for the third playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.
John Tavares and Thomas Vanek scored for the Islanders.
Also on Saturday it was:
‧ Sabres 2, Devils 1
‧ Rangers 7, Maple Leafs 1
‧ Panthers 5, Predators 4 (OT)
‧ Flyers 5, Coyotes 3
‧ Wild 5, Capitals 3
‧ Red Wings 5, Stars 1
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