Matt Calvert on Friday returned from taking a slap shot to his forehead that required about 30 stitches and scored a tiebreaking goal in the third period to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets to a franchise-record seventh straight home win, 4-2 over the New York Rangers.
William Karlsson had a goal and an assist, while Sam Gagner and Boone Jenner also scored for Columbus, who recovered from blowing a 2-0 lead in the third period.
The Blue Jackets have won three in a row overall and seven of nine.
Sergei Bobrovksy had 25 saves.
Michael Grabner and Mika Zibanejad scored for New York, who lost for the third time in 14 games. Henrik Lundqvist made 20 saves for the Rangers.
About three minutes after Zibanejad evened the score at 8 minutes, 32 seconds of the third, the Rangers were looking to take the lead on a power play, but a bandaged Calvert snuck a short-handed shot under Lundqvist’s right arm.
The Rangers pressured at the end, but Bobrovksy stopped Chris Kreider’s close range redirection with 11.6 seconds left.
Jenner scored into an empty net with Lundqvist pulled for an extra attacker.
Victor Rask had a goal and an assist in Carolina’s three-goal third period as the Hurricanes rallied for a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
Jeff Skinner and Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the Hurricanes during their outburst over a 5 minute, 50 second span in the third period.
Jeff Petry and Andrew Shaw scored for league leaders Montreal. Al Montoya finished with 15 saves.
Kris Letang scored 1 minute, 24 seconds into overtime, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the last placed New York Islanders 3-2 to rebound from one of their worst losses in recent memory.
Sidney Crosby set up the winner by faking a shot and then passing to Letang, who fired in his second of the season.
Pittsburgh were beaten 7-1 by the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night, their biggest defeat during coach Mike Sullivan’s nearly year-long tenure.
Matt Murray had 20 saves, and the Penguins also got goals from Crosby and Trevor Daley.
Jay Beagle scored with 5 minutes, 11 seconds left in the third period to give injury-ravaged Washington a 1-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
Dmitry Orlov’s shot was stopped by Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard, but Beagle tapped in the rebound for his fourth of the season.
Braden Holtby had 25 saves for his first shutout this season and 24th of his career.
Howard finished with 27 saves for the Red Wings, who have lost three straight.
Elsewhere, Marian Hossa’s goal with 2 minutes, 23 seconds left in the third period lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
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