Alex Ovechkin scored in a three-goal second period as the Washington Capitals won their franchise-record 55th game of the season by beating the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 on Friday night.
Jay Beagle, Ovechkin and Jason Chimera all had goals within a 5:26 span to help Braden Holtby notch his 47th victory of the season. The Capitals goalkeeper is one away from matching Martin Brodeur’s mark for most wins in a single season.
Jarome Iginla and Gabriel Landeskog scored for Colorado.
Photo: AP
CANUCKS 3, DUCKS 2
In Anaheim, California, Emerson Etem scored the tiebreaking goal against his former team with 6 minutes, 37 seconds to play as Vancouver rallied from a third-period deficit for their second straight victory.
Dan Hamhuis scored the tying goal shortly after Nate Thompson put the Ducks ahead in the third period. Etem then batted home a rebound in the longtime Ducks forward’s first game back at the Honda Center since Anaheim traded the native of nearby Long Beach last summer.
Bo Horvat also scored and Jacob Markstrom stopped 34 shots for the Canucks, who on Thursday snapped their nine-game winless skid in San Jose.
John Gibson made 25 saves and Josh Manson scored in the opening minute for the injury-depleted Ducks, who had won three straight.
In St Louis, Missouri, David Krejci had two goals and two assists as the Boston Bruins snapped out of a scoring funk to beat the St Louis Blues 6-5 to hang onto third place in the Atlantic Division.
Loui Eriksson got his 500th career point with a goal and an assist and Patrice Bergeron scored his 30th this season for the Bruins, who totaled 10 goals while dropping six of their previous seven games. They are one point ahead of Detroit, which beat Minnesota 3-2, with four games remaining.
Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist and Alexander Steen and David Backes each had two assists for the Blues. St Louis ended a five-game winning streak, during which they allowed one goal and recorded for consecutive shutouts. The Blues are second overall in the Western Conference with 101 points and have four games to go.
BLACKHAWKS 5, JETS 4, OT
In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Brent Seabrook scored 1:02 into overtime after Artemi Panarin tied it late in the third period with his second goal of the game as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Jets.
Panarin also had two assists, including orchestrating a 2-on-1 with Seabrook in overtime. Panarin passed across the slot to the defenseman, and Seabrook beat Ondrej Pavelec with a shot inside the near post.
Patrick Kane and Brandon Mashinter also scored for the Blackhawks, who sneaked away winners in a game with four lead changes.
Earlier on Friday, Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith was suspended for six games for high-sticking Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle. Keith will miss five regular-season games and one post-season game.
Scott Darling had 28 saves for Chicago.
Blake Wheeler scored twice for Winnipeg and extended his point streak to seven games. Nic Petan and Dustin Byfuglien also scored.
RED WINGS 3, WILD 2
In Detroit, Michigan, Riley Sheahan had a goal and an assist to lead Detroit over Minnesota in a game with playoff implications for both teams.
Detroit entered one point behind Boston for third place in the Atlantic Division, while Minnesota came in with a five-point lead on Colorado for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.
Dylan Larkin scored on a power play in the first period before Tomas Tatar put Detroit up 2-0 2:32 into the second period.
After Jonas Brodin scored for Minnesota with 4:18 left in the second, Sheahan got his goal 2:08 into the third.
Mikael Granlund scored for the Wild 9:43 into the third.
Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard had 20 saves, while Devan Dubnyk made 26 stops for Minnesota.
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