Claude Giroux scored 3 minutes, 57 seconds into overtime, lifting the Philadelphia Flyers over the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in a fight-filled game on Tuesday night.
After a throwback clash that featured one ejection and 93 penalty minutes, perhaps this one should have been decided by the judges’ scorecards rather than goals.
Philadelphia wing Zac Rinaldo was tossed and faces a likely suspension for plowing Kris Letang into the glass.
Flyers All-Star and NHL scoring leader Jake Voracek threw a series of fists in his first fight of the season, while Pittsburgh forward Steve Downie gave a flippant wave to a jeering crowd as he skated to the locker room after his role in a brawl.
Heated rivals for years, the teams fought four times in the second period for a total of 66 penalty minutes.
Pittsburgh’s Beau Bennett and Philadelphia’s Chris VandeVelde scored in the third to make it 2-all. Luke Schenn also scored for the Flyers, while Chris Kunitz tied it with a shorthanded goal.
LIGHTNING 4, CANUCKS 1
Alex Killorn scored two goals, while Valtteri Filppula added a goal and an assist as Tampa Bay took over the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a victory over Vancouver.
Brian Boyle also scored for the Lightning, who lead the New York Islanders by one point in the East. Ben Bishop stopped 27 shots in Tampa Bay’s eighth straight home win.
Vancouver got 22 saves from Ryan Miller. Frank Corrado ruined Bishop’s shutout bid at 8:09 of the third.
RANGERS 3, SENATORS 2, OT
Carl Hagelin deflected in Derek Stepan’s slick backhand pass 2:55 into overtime to give New York a comeback victory over Ottawa.
The Senators had the better of the chances in the extra session, but Hagelin put the winner behind goalie Craig Anderson as the Rangers won their third straight and 16th in 19 games heading into the NHL All-Star break.
Chris Kreider tied it for New York in the third period. Kevin Hayes also scored, while Henrik Lundqvist made 33 saves.
Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek had second-period goals for Ottawa. Anderson stopped 32 shots, but let New York’s only one in overtime get past him.
OILERS 5, CAPITALS 4, SO
Teddy Purcell scored the decisive goal in a shootout after Edmonton rallied from a two-goal deficit late in regulation as the Oilers ended Washington’s seven-game home winning streak.
Purcell beat Capitals goalie Braden Holtby in the fourth round of the shootout after Viktor Fasth stopped Eric Fehr.
The victory was the 12th in 47 games for Edmonton and only the fourth on the road.
Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the opening 14 minutes for the Capitals, who held leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 before the Oilers made one final push during the final 5 minutes of regulation.
Purcell scored at 15:49 to make it 4-3, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tied it with a wrist shot at 18:53 after Fasth vacated the net for an extra skater.
Derek Roy and Nikita Nikitin also scored in regulation for Edmonton.
Despite the loss, Washington headed into the All-Star break with at least a point in 19 of its last 22 games.
Jay Beagle and Nicklas Backstrom also scored goals for the Capitals, who have lost three straight.
RED WINGS 5, WILD 4, SO
Gustav Nyqust and Pavel Datsyuk scored in a shootout as Detroit outlasted Minnesota after the Wild rallied from three goals down in the third period.
Detroit won for only the second time in nine shootouts this season and came away with their fifth consecutive victory overall. Nyquist also scored in regulation, but the Red Wings blew a 4-1 lead in the third.
Zach Parise scored twice for Minnesota, but missed his attempt to start the shootout. Mikko Koivu, who also scored in regulation, had his shootout attempt stopped by Petr Mrazek.
Nyquist’s backhander under Minnesota goalie Darcy Kuemper gave the Red Wings the win.
The Red Wings reached the All-Star break a point behind Tampa Bay for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Detroit’s five-game winning streak is a season high.
In other results, it was:
‧ Canadiens 2, Predators 1
‧ Blackhawks 6, Coyotes 1
‧ Bruins 3, Stars 1
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