Steven Stamkos had two goals and added an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 on Monday in a matchup of the Atlantic Division’s top teams.
Both have 93 points, but Montreal have played one fewer game.
Valtteri Filppula and Victor Hedman also scored for the Lightning, who have outscored Montreal 16-5 on their way to winning all four games between the teams this season.
Photo: Kim Klement - USA TODAY Sports
Montreal, who lost for the sixth time in eight games, got goals from Tomas Plekanec and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau.
Stamkos secured the win with his 39th goal, an empty-net power-play goal with 1 minute, 5 seconds to play.
CAPITALS 4, SABRES 3, SO
In Buffalo, New York, Evgeny Kuznetsov scored in regulation and scored the lone goal in the shootout to lead Washington over last-place Buffalo.
Matt Niskanen had two assists for the Capitals, who overcame a pair of one-goal deficits. Curtis Glencross and Mike Green also scored for Washington, who matched last season’s win total and opened a four-point edge over eighth-place Boston in the Eastern Conference standings.
Braden Holtby made 30 saves in his 14th consecutive start, and was coming off a 2-0 shutout over the Bruins on Sunday.
Johan Larsson tied the game with 6:10 left in the third, when he deflected in defenseman Chad Ruhwedel’s shot from the right point.
Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson also scored for the Sabres.
KINGS 1, COYOTES 0
In Los Angeles, Andy Andreoff scored his first NHL goal late in the second period and Jonathan Quick earned his sixth shutout of the season, leading Los Angeles to a vital victory over Arizona.
The defending Stanley Cup champions, who are 13-4-1 since an 0-3 road trip through Boston, Washington and Florida, climbed back into the second and final Western Conference wild-card spot.
They have 13 games left to hold onto it.
Quick made 25 saves en route to his franchise-record 37th shutout.
Mike Smith stopped 34 shots for the Coyotes, blanked for the 10th time. Arizona are 1-13-1 since Feb. 10.
OILERS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 1
In Edmonton, Canada, Benoit Pouliot scored two goals and Jordan Eberle had a goal and two assists as Edmonton came away with a victory over Toronto.
Anton Lander also scored for the Oilers, who snapped a seven-game skid.
James van Riemsdyk scored for the Maple Leafs, who have lost three in a row and six of their past seven games.
Toronto have just one win in their past 21 road games.
The Oilers started the scoring just 53 seconds into the first period on the game’s first shot as a blast from Pouliot deflected off the stick of Eric Brewer and past Toronto starter Jonathan Bernier.
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