The Vancouver Canucks agreed to terms with forward Vasily Podkolzin on a two-year contract on Thursday.

• The Canucks did not disclose the specifics but TSN reported the deal carries a $1 million average annual value.

  Podkolzin, 22, had two assists in 18 games with the Canucks in 2023-24. He added 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 44 games with Abbotsford of the American Hockey League.

  "We are happy with how hard Vasily has worked on his game to try and become a more consistent player," general manager Patrik Allvin said in a news release. "While there is still room for him to grow, starting the year in Abbotsford and working his way back up to Vancouver shows the type of commitment and dedication we want in all our players. Our group looks to forward to helping Vasily continue to improve and get better."

  Podkolzin has tallied 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in 136 career NHL games since Vancouver drafted him 10th overall in 2019.

  --Field Level Media

Two-time Stanley Cup champion Jeff Carter announced his retirement from the NHL after playing his final game for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.

• Carter, 39, totaled 851 points (442 goals, 409 assists) in 1,321 games across 19 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings and Penguins. Carter won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2012 and 2014 and a gold medal with his native Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

  "I'm going to be a dad. You miss a lot being a hockey player, you're in and out in a way," Carter said following the Penguins' 5-4 loss at the New York Islanders on Wednesday. "My family sacrificed a lot for me to live out my dream. I'm going to be home and be a dad, and then figure it out from there."

  Carter scored a goal at 10:56 of the third period to tie Wednesday's game at 4-4.

  "That was really nice. When (coach Mike Sullivan) put me out there, I knew I wasn't leaving the net," Carter said. "... Pretty special moment to get one there at the end. Something I'll remember, for sure."

  Carter had 15 points (11 goals, four assists) in 72 games this season with Pittsburgh.

  "He's got so much poise, a lot of experience. He's won everything there is to win -- Calder Cup, Stanley Cup, Olympics. He's had an amazing career," Penguins superstar captain Sidney Crosby said. "... A great guy to have -- he brings it every single night. He's just a winner."

  --Field Level Media

NHL point leader Nikita Kucherov made history by recording his 100th assist of the season as the Tampa Bay Lightning topped the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4 on Wednesday.

• In the regular-season finale for both teams, Kucherov, who has 144 points (44 goals, 100 assists) also scored. He reached the century mark in helpers when he set up Brayden Point's goal at 17:05 of the second, a marker that lifted Tampa Bay to a 4-1 lead.

  Wayne Gretzky (on 11 occasions), Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr and Connor McDavid are the only other players in NHL history to rack up 100 assists in a single season. McDavid joined that club here in 2023-24.

  For the Lightning (45-29-8, 98 points), Nicholas Paul, Anthony Duclair and Brandon Hagel each had a goal and an assist. Tanner Jeannot also scored. Steven Stamkos posted two assists and goaltender Matt Tomkins stopped 34 shots as Tampa Bay finished 25-11-5 at home.

  Stars 2, Blues 1 (SO)

  Jake Oettinger made 25 saves as Dallas earned a shootout victory over visiting St. Louis to clinch the top Western Conference playoff seed.

  Oettinger's best save came in overtime, when he reached his stick back to stop Robert Thomas' elevated shot toward the open side of the net. Mason Marchment scored the regulation goal for the Stars, and Jason Robertson netted the shootout winner.

  Thomas scored for the Blues, and Jordan Binnington made 36 saves.

  Islanders 5, Penguins 4

  Simon Holmstrom roofed a shot for the go-ahead goal at 14:27 of the third as New York topped Pittsburgh in Elmont, N.Y.

  Holmstrom, Brock Nelson and Samuel Bolduc each had a goal and an assist and Casey Cizikas and Kyle Palmieri also scored for the Islanders, who begin a playoff series Saturday against Carolina. New York goaltender Ilya Sorokin made 40 saves.

  Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist and Rickard Rakell, Valtteri Puustinen and Jeff Carter also scored for the Penguins. Sorokin made a save on a penalty shot by Sidney Crosby with 30 seconds left.

  Coyotes 5, Oilers 2

  Dylan Guenther scored once and added an assist to end the Coyotes' season, and likely the franchise's time in Arizona, with a victory over Edmonton in Tempe, Ariz.

  Liam O'Brien, Matias Maccelli, Lawson Crouse and Sean Durzi also scored for the Coyotes, who are expected to relocate to Salt Lake City. Goaltender Connor Ingram made 28 saves.

  Sam Carrick and Warren Foegele had the goals for the Oilers, and goaltender Calvin Pickard stopped 19 shots. The Oilers are 1-2-1 in their past four games.

  --Field Level Media

Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith all but confirmed the worst-kept secret in hockey on Wednesday: He is set to purchase the Arizona Coyotes and move them to Salt Lake City.

• Speaking at the World Congress of Sports in Los Angeles, Smith said, according to Sports Business Journal, "There's no secret on what's out there online. Normally, not everything on the internet is true, but in this case, it's pretty true."

  Sportsnet reported that the NHL's Board of Governors will meet on Thursday to approve the team's sale and relocation.

  Smith spoke at the Los Angeles event a day after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman did so.

  On Tuesday, Bettman said of the Coyotes, per SBJ, "We're exploring options as to how to deal with (the arena situation) because, particularly for the players, it isn't an ideal circumstance. I know there's a lot of rumors and speculation and, when we have something to announce, we'll do it. But we are exploring our options."

  Multiple media outlets reported last week that the franchise was about to be sold ahead of a move to Utah.

  On Wednesday night, the Coyotes concluded their second season of playing home games at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Ariz.

  Earlier this month, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo unveiled a plan to buy a 110-acre site in Phoenix and build a privately funded arena. However, Bettman acknowledged that the timeline for that potential venue to be ready was prompting the NHL to explore other options for the club.

  The league is prepared to buy the team from Meruelo for $1 billion before reselling it to Ryan Smith and his wife, Ashley Smith, for $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion, according to SBJ. The amount above $1 billion would be split among the other teams as a relocation fee, per the report. Meruelo also reportedly would receive a chance to purchase an expansion team when the Phoenix arena is operational.

  --Field Level Media

Despite the Washington Capitals making a late push and clinching a playoff spot Tuesday night, top prospect Ryan Leonard has opted to return to Boston College rather than join the team for the postseason.

• "We support Ryan's decision to return to one of the best programs in the nation to continue his development," Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said in a statement Wednesday. "Ryan showed great leadership and made tremendous progress during his first year, which saw him score the most goals by a freshman in Boston College program history and the third-most goals in the NCAA.

  "We will continue to monitor his development and progress next year and look forward to watching Ryan build upon his successful freshman season."

  After the Capitals selected him with the No. 8 pick of the 2023 draft, Leonard helped Boston College reach the Frozen Four, posting 60 points (31 goals, 29 assists) in 41 games.

  --Field Level Media

The Minnesota Wild signed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to a one-year, $2.5 million extension for next season.

• The team announced the deal Wednesday, one day before its season finale against the visiting Seattle Kraken.

  Fleury is 17-14-5 with two shutouts, a 2.98 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage in 39 games (35 starts) this season, his 20th in the NHL.

  "I've been asked a lot, by fans, media, friends and family, what's next for me," Fleury said. "It's good that this is so. I don't have to talk about it for another year. The next year will be (my) last."

  He is 561-329-96 with 75 shutouts, a 2.60 GAA and .912 save percentage in 1,024 games (863 starts) with the Pittsburgh Penguins (2003-17), Vegas Golden Knights (2017-21), Chicago Blackhawks (2021-22) and Wild (2022-24).

  Fleury, who turns 40 in November, won three Stanley Cup championships with Pittsburgh (2009, 2016, 2017) and earned the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy with Vegas.

  The Penguins drafted the Quebec native with the No. 1 overall pick in 2003.

  --Field Level Media

The Canadiens exercised the two-year option on Martin St. Louis' contract Wednesday, keeping the head coach behind the bench in Montreal through the 2026-27 season.

• St. Louis, 48, guided the Canadiens to a 30-36-16 record this season, resulting in the third consecutive campaign in which the team failed to qualify for the playoffs since reaching the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. He is 75-100-26 since replacing Dominique Ducharme on Feb. 9, 2022.

  "Every day he proves something else," Canadiens executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton said of St. Louis. "There's not a day that goes by we're not happy he's at the helm."

  A Stanley Cup champion as a forward with Tampa Bay, St. Louis totaled 1,033 points (391 goals, 642 assists) in 1,134 career games with the Calgary Flames, Lightning and New York Rangers. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.

  --Field Level Media

T.J. Oshie scored the winning goal into an empty net with three minutes remaining as the visiting Washington Capitals clinched a playoff spot with a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

• Trailing the Capitals by two points, the Flyers needed to win in regulation to keep their playoff chances alive, so Philadelphia coach John Tortorella pulled goalie Samuel Ersson with 3:10 remaining in a 1-1 game. Seconds later, Oshie skated in along the right boards and shot into the empty net.

  The Capitals completed the season with a third consecutive win to grab the No. 2 wild card in the Eastern Conference. They missed the postseason in 2022-23 after a streak of eight straight playoff campaigns.

  The Detroit Red Wings beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in a shootout on Tuesday to finish tied with the Capitals with 91 points, but Washington won the regulation-wins tiebreaker 32-27 to take the spot.

  Panthers 5, Maple Leafs 2

  Florida rallied to defeat Toronto in Sunrise, Fla., jumping the Boston Bruins in the standings to win the Atlantic Division title.

  The Panthers got goals from Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour in the second period. Reinhart added an empty-net goal, giving him 57 tallies for the season -- second in the league.

  Mitch Marner and Noah Gregor scored for Toronto. Florida's Anthony Stolarz (24 saves) beat Joseph Woll (37 saves) in a battle between backup goalies.

  Canucks 4, Flames 1

  Thatcher Demko was superb in his return from a 14-game absence caused by a knee injury, making 39 saves as Vancouver clinched the Pacific Division title with a convincing win over visiting Calgary.

  Tyler Myers had a goal and an assist while Dakota Joshua, J.T. Miller and Nils Hoglander also scored for the playoff-bound Canucks, who are division champs for the first time in 11 years.

  Brayden Pachal had the only marker for the Flames, while goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves.

  Golden Knights 3, Blackhawks 1

  Logan Thompson made 22 saves as Vegas moved into third place in the Pacific Division with a victory over visiting Chicago.

  Brayden McNabb, Michael Amadio and Nicolas Roy scored for Vegas, which moved one point ahead of the idle Los Angeles Kings into third with one game remaining for both teams.

  Vegas finishes the regular season on Thursday against the visiting Anaheim Ducks, while Los Angeles hosts Chicago. The Kings, who were idle on Tuesday while dropping into the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, hold the regulation-wins tiebreaker.

  Red Wings 5, Canadiens 4 (SO)

  Patrick Kane scored the only goal of the shootout as visiting Detroit beat Montreal but still failed to reach the postseason for the eighth consecutive season.

  The Red Wings were officially eliminated from playoff contention moments earlier by virtue of Washington's victory over Philadelphia. Detroit's David Perron scored with under five seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. Moritz Seider, Joe Veleno and Daniel Sprong scored the other goals for the Red Wings, while James Reimer made 29 saves.

  Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens. Alex Newhook, Brendan Gallagher and Cole Caufield also scored, while Cayden Primeau stopped 36 shots.

  Jets 4, Kraken 3

  Kyle Connor scored twice as Winnipeg won its seventh game in a row, defeating visiting Seattle and ensuring home ice in the first round of the playoffs.

  The victory gave the Jets 108 points, three more than the Colorado Avalanche with each team down to one game remaining. That gives Winnipeg second place in the Central Division and Colorado third. The Dallas Stars already have clinched the division.

  Jets forwards Tyler Toffoli and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and an assist, while Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk each had two assists. Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves.

  Blue Jackets 6, Hurricanes 3

  Zach Werenski scored twice and added two assists as Columbus doubled up visiting Carolina.

  Luca Del Bel Belluz, James Malatesta, Johnny Gaudreau and Alex Nylander also scored for the Blue Jackets, who wrapped up their season by snapping a four-game losing streak. Mathieu Olivier and Erik Gudbranson each added two assists and Jet Greaves made 38 saves.

  Teuvo Teravainen scored twice and Jesperi Kotkaniemi added the other goal for Carolina, who were resting many regulars with their playoff fate already determined. Brent Burns and Stefan Nosen had two assists apiece in the loss. Spencer Martin stopped 19 shots for the Hurricanes, who saw their five-game winning streak end.

  Senators 3, Bruins 1

  Jiri Smejkal and Jakob Chychrun scored second-period goals to propel Ottawa to a win over host Boston, knocking the Bruins out of first place in the Atlantic Division as the regular season ended.

  Pavel Zacha scored and Linus Ullmark made 17 saves for the Bruins, who lost for the third time in four games and wound up in second place behind Florida.

  Smejkal collected his first NHL goal while Artem Zub also scored for the Senators. Ottawa goaltender Anton Forsberg was a rock, making a whopping 22 of his 34 saves in the third period.

  --Field Level Media

Despite widespread reports that the Arizona Coyotes are set to be sold and moved to Salt Lake City, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman refused to confirm the transaction.

• Bettman, speaking Tuesday at the CAA World Congress of Sports in Los Angeles, merely lamented the franchise's arena difficulties in the Phoenix area.

  Earlier this month, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo unveiled a plan to buy a 110-acre site in Phoenix and build a privately funded arena.

  However, last week numerous media outlets reported that the franchise was set to be sold ahead of a move to Utah. The NHL's executive committee approved the team's move on Monday, according to Sportico.

  The Coyotes are about to conclude their second season of playing home games at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Ariz.

  Bettman said Tuesday, according to Sports Business Journal, that Meruelo's new arena likely would need three to five years to be up and running, while the Coyotes were pointing at a three-year timeline.

  "We're exploring options as to how to deal with (the arena situation) because, particularly for the players, it isn't an ideal circumstance," Bettman said, per SBJ. "I know there's a lot of rumors and speculation and, when we have something to announce, we'll do it. But we are exploring our options."

  The league is set to buy the team from Meruelo for $1 billion before reselling it to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith for $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion, according to SBJ. The portion above $1 billion would be split among the other teams as a relocation fee, per the report. Meruelo also reportedly would be given a chance to buy an expansion team when the Phoenix arena is in place.

  --Field Level Media

The National Hockey League single-season attendance record was broken Monday with 18 games to spare, the league announced Tuesday.

• A total of 22,560,634 fans have watched games in the regular season through Monday, filling arenas at 97 percent capacity, the NHL said. The previous mark was 22,436,532 set in 2022-23.

  The league has included 32 teams for three seasons with the addition of the Seattle Kraken. Games have been played this season in the 32 home arenas as well as Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton; Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden; T-Mobile Park in Seattle; and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

  A highlight included 79,690 in attendance -- the third-largest crowd in NHL history -- on Feb. 18 for the New York Rangers' 6-5 overtime win over the rival New York Islanders outdoors at MetLife Stadium.

  The schedule still has eight games on Tuesday, four on Wednesday and six on Thursday to conclude the regular season.

  --Field Level Media

Pursuing the Atlantic Division title, the Florida Panthers received an unexpected boost with the return of forward Carter Verhaeghe for Tuesday night's regular-season finale against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.

• Verhaeghe, 28, wasn't expected back until Game 1 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after suffering an upper-body injury April 1 against the Maple Leafs.

  Florida entered Tuesday one point behind the first-place Boston Bruins, who close out their regular season Tuesday at home against the Ottawa Senators.

  Verhaeghe is Florida's second-leading goal scorer (33) and has 38 assists in 75 games this season. In five seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning (2019-20) and Panthers, he has 248 points (126 goals, 122 assists) in 329 games. Toronto selected him in the third round of the 2013 draft.

  While head coach Paul Maurice confirmed that Verhaeghe is returning, he said defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (upper body) will not play Tuesday.

  Ekman-Larsson, 32, last played on Saturday and has 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 80 games this season, his first with Florida.

  In 14 seasons with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (2010-21), Vancouver Canucks (2021-23) and Panthers, Ekman-Larsson has 471 points (144 goals, 327 assists) in 982 games. The Coyotes selected him sixth overall in the 2009 draft.

  --Field Level Media

The NHL cleared controversial Montreal Canadiens defenseman Logan Mailloux to make his NHL debut in the Tuesday night season finale against the visiting Detroit Red Wings.

• The Canadiens drafted the Ontario native in the first round (31st overall) in 2021 despite reports that he had appeared on many teams' "do not draft" lists after an incident in Sweden.

  While Mailloux was on loan to the Swedish club SK Lejon in November 2020, he was fined by authorities there after admitting to charges of sharing an intimate photo of a woman without her consent.

  Mailloux was suspended indefinitely by the Ontario Hockey League in September 2021. The ban was lifted late that December.

  Mailloux, 21, spent this season with the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League, tallying 47 points (14 goals, 33 assists) in 70 games and earning a spot in the AHL All-Star Game.

  NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's office released a statement on Tuesday morning.

  "We have met with Logan Mailloux multiple times over the course of the last eight to 10 months. We are comfortable that he recognizes the gravity of his prior conduct and is committed to making better and more responsible decisions in the future. He has been cleared to participate in National Hockey League play."

  The Canadiens (30-36-15) close out the regular season against the Red Wings at the Bell Centre. Montreal failed to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third straight campaign.

  --Field Level Media

The Buffalo Sabres fired head coach Don Granato on Tuesday after another season ended without a trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

• The 13-year playoff drought, which began after the team's last playoff trip in 2011, is the longest in the NHL.

  "I have a plan, and if the plan moves quickly, even better," Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said Tuesday afternoon.

  Adams said he knows the qualities he wants in the next Sabres' coach, but one stands out above the rest.

  "Experience," he said. "I have it in my mind exactly what I'm looking for."

  The Sabres (39-37-6, 84 points) also fired assistant coach Jason Christie and video coordinator Matt Smith. The Sabres have had six head coaches since Lindy Ruff took them to the playoffs.

  Granato, 56, was 122-125-27 in 274 games. He replaced Ralph Krueger on March 17, 2021.

  In 2022, Granato received a two-year contract extension that hadn't even kicked in yet. He is under contract through the 2025-26 season.

  "I would like to thank Don for his time in Buffalo and commitment to the Sabres organization," Adams said in a team statement earlier Tuesday. "He has been integral in the development of many of our players and has undoubtedly been the right coach to bring us to where we are now, but I felt it was necessary to move in a different direction at this point in time. My expectation is to be a consistent contender and unfortunately that goal has not been met. ... This is not a decision I take lightly but know it is in the best interest of our team moving forward."

  Granato's tenure ended Monday with a 4-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Sabres finished sixth in the Atlantic Division.

  The Sabres went 42-33-7 in 2022-23 and missed the playoffs by one point. The team is tied with the New York Jets for the longest playoff drought in the four major sports.

  Granato became the eighth NHL coach to be fired this season, following Jay Woodcroft (Edmonton Oilers), Dean Evason (Minnesota Wild), Craig Berube (St. Louis Blues), D.J. Smith (Ottawa Senators), Lane Lambert (New York Islanders), Todd McLellan (Los Angeles Kings) and Ruff (New Jersey Devils).

  --Field Level Media

Connor McDavid returned to action to score a goal and record his 100th assist of the season in the Edmonton Oilers' 9-2 rout of the visiting San Jose Sharks on Monday.

• McDavid missed Edmonton's previous three games with a lower-body injury, but he quickly marked his return by scoring just 53 seconds after the opening whistle on Monday. McDavid later tallied his milestone assist at 15:35 of the second period, setting up Zach Hyman's 54th goal of the season.

  NHL legends Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky (on 11 occasions) are the only other players in league history to record at least 100 assists in a season.

  If the Oilers win their last two games and the Canucks lose their final two in regulation, Edmonton will squeak past Vancouver for the Pacific Division title.

  Danil Gushchin and Fabian Zetterlund scored for the Sharks, who are already assured of finishing with the worst record in the NHL.

  Rangers 4, Senators 0

  Artemi Panarin scored in the third period and added an assist, Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves and New York clinched the Metropolitan Division title and Presidents' Trophy by shutting out visiting Ottawa.

  The Rangers clinched their first division title since 2014-15, when they also last claimed the Presidents' Trophy. New York will host the Eastern Conference's second wild-card team in the opening round of the playoffs.

  Panarin ended his most productive regular season on a 13-game point streak and finished with 49 goals and 71 assists. Joonas Korpisalo allowed four goals on 34 shots as Ottawa was blanked for the fourth time this season.

  Islanders 4, Devils 1

  Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist as New York clinched a playoff berth with a victory against New Jersey in Newark, N.J.

  Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Kyle MacLean also scored as New York secured third place in the Metropolitan Division and improved to 7-0-1 this month. The Islanders recorded just 19 shots on goal but made the most of their chances.

  Timo Meier scored his team-best 28th goal for the Devils, who ended a disappointing season with their seventh loss in nine games (2-6-1).

  Red Wings 5, Canadiens 4 (OT)

  Lucas Raymond scored his second goal of the night with 24.4 seconds remaining in overtime to give Detroit a 5-4 home win over Montreal, keeping the Red Wings' playoff hopes alive.

  Detroit rallied from a 4-1 deficit to remain in contention for the second Eastern Conference wild card. J.T. Compher also scored twice for the Red Wings, and Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist. Detroit got three assists from Shayne Gostisbehere.

  Brendan Gallagher scored two goals in defeat for the Canadiens in the opener of a home-and-home set between the teams to close the regular season. Sam Montembeault made 30 saves.

  Penguins 4, Predators 2

  Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson each had a goal and an assist as Pittsburgh kept its playoff hopes alive by beating visiting Nashville in the Predators' regular-season finale.

  Reilly Smith and Emil Bemstrom added goals for the Penguins, who sit one point behind the Washington Capitals and Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

  Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg scored goals and Ryan McDonagh had two assists for the Predators. Nashville currently sits in the first wild-card spot in the West but can fall to the second depending on how the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings finish their regular seasons.

  Sabres 4, Lightning 2

  Dylan Cozens scored twice as part of a three-point night, Jordan Greenway had a goal and an assist and Buffalo capped a disappointing season with a win against host Tampa Bay.

  Zach Benson also scored and Jack Quinn had two assists for the Sabres, while backup goaltender Eric Comrie stopped 31 shots.

  Steven Stamkos reached the 40-goal plateau for the seventh time in his 16-season Lightning career, and Erik Cernak also scored. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves.

  Capitals 2, Bruins 0

  John Carlson and Nic Dowd scored and Charlie Lindgren recorded a 16-save shutout as Washington beat visiting Boston to remain in control of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

  Carlson opened the scoring 12 minutes into the game and Dowd added a late empty-netter for Washington, which is tied with Detroit at 89 points, one point ahead of the Penguins and two points up on the Philadelphia Flyers for the second wild card.

  Jeremy Swayman made 23 saves while David Pastrnak had a team-high five shots for Boston, which would have clinched first place in the Atlantic Division with two points but still sits one point ahead of the Florida Panthers.

  Wild 3, Kings 1

  Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist as Minnesota ended Los Angeles' eight-game home winning streak.

  Matt Boldy and Ryan Hartman also scored, Marco Rossi had two assists and Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves for Minnesota, which was outscored by a combined 13-3 in its previous two meetings with Los Angeles this season.

  Blake Lizotte scored and Cam Talbot had 25 saves and an assist for the Kings, who remain one point ahead of the Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific Division. Los Angeles was trying to win nine straight at home for the first time since its franchise-record, 12-game run at home in 1992-93.

  --Field Level Media

Tomas Hertl scored on a deflection 1:23 into overtime as the Vegas Golden Knights, behind a pair of goals by William Karlsson, rallied from a three-goal, third-period deficit to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas.

• Hertl, stationed in front of the crease, redirected Jack Eichel's shot from the left point inside the right post for the game-winner. Hertl's goal came on a power play after Colorado defenseman Josh Manson picked up a high-sticking penalty on Eichel with 11.2 seconds left in regulation.

  Karlsson scored his 29th and 30th goals of the season, the second with 3:37 left in regulation to tie it 3-3. Ivan Barbashev also scored and Adin Hill finished with 21 saves for Vegas, which moved within one point of third-place Los Angeles in the Pacific Division with two games remaining for both teams. Vegas also holds the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

  Cale Makar had a goal and an assist and Ross Colton and Mikko Rantanen also scored for Colorado, which is one point behind the second-place Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division. Colorado has one game remaining, while Winnipeg has two.

  Hurricanes 4, Blackhawks 2

  Seth Jarvis scored two power play goals in the third period and Carolina defeated host Chicago, keeping alive the possibility of finishing with the best record in the NHL.

  Jarvis had the tying and go-ahead tallies before Sebastian Aho notched an empty-net goal in the team's fifth consecutive victory.

  Carolina has 111 points, tied with the Dallas Stars and one behind the NHL-leading New York Rangers. All three teams have one game left in the regular season.

  Blues 4, Kraken 1

  Nathan Walker had a goal and an assist and Joel Hofer made 19 saves as St. Louis handled visiting Seattle after surrendering the game's first goal.

  Jordan Kyrou, Kasperi Kapanen and Brayden Schenn also scored for the Blues, who won for the third time in their last four games.

  Jared McCann scored and Joey Daccord made 24 saves for the Kraken.

  Flames 6, Coyotes 5

  Nazem Kadri scored twice in the third period amid his second consecutive three-point game and Andrei Kuzmenko scored once with an assist to lead host Calgary to a comeback victory over Arizona.

  Matt Coronato, Connor Zary and Yegor Sharangovich also scored for the Flames, who have won two consecutive games and three of four.

  Dylan Guenther recorded his first career multi-goal game with a pair of tallies while Alex Kerfoot, Matias Maccelli and Josh Doan also scored for the Coyotes.

  --Field Level Media

The Anaheim Ducks signed forward Cutter Gauthier to an entry-level contract on Sunday.

• The three-year deal starts this season, and Gauthier is expected to make his NHL debut when Anaheim wraps up its 2023-24 campaign against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.

  Gauthier, 20, just finished his season with Boston College, which fell 2-0 to Denver in the men's ice hockey national championship on Saturday. Gauthier finished the season with an NCAA-best 38 goals, the most by an NCAA player since 1999-00.

  "We are excited to sign Cutter and have him begin his NHL career with the Ducks immediately," Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek said. "He was the top goal-scorer in college hockey and has the dynamic ability to produce in all situations. We look forward to having him join our group of top young players already in the NHL."

  After being selected fifth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2022 NHL Draft, Gauthier was traded to the Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick back on Jan. 8. It soon came out that Gauthier had told the Flyers he did not want to play for the organization.

  Anaheim is 26-50-5 this season. Its 57 points are third-fewest in the NHL.

  --Field Level Media

The NHL on Sunday fined Boston Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk $2,734.38 -- the maximum allowed for unsportsmanlike conduct under the collective bargaining agreement.

• Shattenkirk was not penalized for his action with 19:37 left in the first period of the Bruins' 6-4 victory over the host Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. The Penguins' Michael Bunting had made contact with the Bruins' Linus Ullmark, his stick catching the goaltender's skates and causing him to fall over.

  Bunting then skated past the Boston bench, where Shattenkirk apparently reached out with his stick and hit Bunting with it.

  The league's Department of Player Safety announced the fine, with the money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

  Shattenkirk scored one goal and Bunting had one goal and one assist in the game, with Ullmark (28 saves) earning the win.

  --Field Level Media

Miro Heiskanen had a goal and two assists and Jason Robertson added one of each as the Dallas Stars clinched their first Central Division title since 2016 with a 3-1 victory against the visiting Seattle Kraken on Saturday afternoon.

• Craig Smith also scored for the Stars, who had a chance to clinch the Western Conference regular-season crown if Vancouver lost in regulation at Edmonton, but the Canucks won 3-1. Jake Oettinger made 26 saves as Dallas remained one point behind the New York Rangers for first place overall in the NHL.

  Jake Oettinger made 26 saves as Dallas remained one point behind the New York Rangers for first place overall in the NHL. Kailer Yamamoto scored and Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 of 30 shots for the Kraken, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

  The Stars scored in the final minute in each of the first two periods. Seattle spoiled Oettinger's shutout bid at 14:11 as Tomas Tatar stole Oettinger's clearance attempt along the left-wing boards and fed Yamamoto for a tip-in at the top of the crease.

  Rangers 3, Islanders 2 (SO)

  Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck scored in the shootout as the host Rangers rallied late for a victory over the Islanders.

  Panarin also netted the tying goal to extend his points streak to 12 games when his shot from the right circle went over Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin and banked off the top of the net with 4:17 remaining in regulation. The goal gave him 118 points -- five shy of Jaromir Jagr's 2005-06 single-season team record.

  Panarin scored in the first round of the shootout and Trocheck netted the clinching goal in the third round as the Rangers set a team record for regular-season wins (54) and pulled three points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division race. Brock Nelson scored twice in the final 8:18 of the second period for the Islanders, who saw a season-high tying six-game winning streak stopped.

  Red Wings 5, Maple Leafs 4 (OT)

  Captain Dylan Larkin scored a power-play goal 41 seconds into overtime to fuel Detroit's win over host Toronto.

  The Red Wings are tied with the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers for the Eastern Conference's second wild card. Alex DeBrincat scored two goals, David Perron and Larkin each collected a goal and an assist and defenseman Simon Edvinsson also tallied. James Reimer celebrated playing in his 500th career game by making 32 saves against his former team for the Red Wings.

  Toronto's Auston Matthews netted his NHL-leading 69th goal to extend his goal-scoring streak to a career-high eight games and his point streak to 14 games. Matthews' goal total is the most in the NHL since Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux had 69 in 1995-96. Mitch Marner collected a goal and two assists and captain John Tavares and Nicholas Robertson also tallied. Ilya Samsonov turned aside 27 shots for the Maple Leafs.

  Bruins 6, Penguins 4

  Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist as visiting Boston beat Pittsburgh to move into first place in the Atlantic Division.

  Jake DeBrusk, Kevin Shattenkirk, Brad Marchand, Morgan Geekie and Danton Heinen also scored, and Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak each added two assists for the Bruins, who have won five of six. Boston goaltender Linus Ullmark made 28 saves.

  Michael Bunting scored twice, Drew O'Connor had a goal and an assist, and Bryan Rust also scored for the Penguins, who had their 10-game point streak (7-0-3) snapped and are one point behind a trio of teams that are tied for the second wild-card berth in the East.

  Flyers 1, Devils 0

  Travis Konecny scored his NHL-best sixth short-handed goal midway through the second period and Philadelphia kept its playoff chances alive with a victory over visiting New Jersey.

  The Flyers won their second straight after getting outscored 42-18 in an eight-game losing streak. Philadelphia posted consecutive wins for the first time since a four-game winning streak Feb. 6-12. Konecny scored Philadelphia's 16th short-handed goal and first since Jan. 6, reaching 400 career points in the process. Philadelphia goalie Samuel Ersson made 20 saves for his fourth shutout this season and his fifth career shutout.

  The Devils dropped to 2-5-1 in their past eight games and mustered little offense after earning a 6-5 win in Toronto Thursday. New Jersey was blanked for the fourth time this season after scoring 12 goals in the first three meetings with the Flyers.

  Jets 7, Avalanche 0

  Sean Monahan had two goals and an assist, Adam Lowry also scored twice, and Winnipeg routed Colorado in a preview of their first-round playoff series.

  Connor Hellebuyck had 30 saves for his fifth shutout of the season and the second in a row for the Jets, who have won six straight.

  The Avalanche have dropped four of their past six games. Colorado also lost defenseman Samuel Girard to an upper-body injury in the first period. He didn't return.

  Panthers 3, Sabres 2 (OT)

  Sam Reinhart scored with 1:02 left in overtime as Florida continued its run of dominance over Buffalo with a win in Sunrise, Fla.

  Reinhart beat his former team with his 55th goal this season and his 10th game-winner of the season. The Panthers clinched home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs, where they will face either the Toronto Maple Leafs or Tampa Bay Lightning.

  Over the past three seasons, Florida has defeated Buffalo in 10 of 11 meetings. Anton Lundell and Kevin Stenlund also scored for the Panthers.

  Capitals 4, Lightning 2

  John Carlson set a franchise record with a tiebreaking power-play goal in the third period and Washington boosted its playoff chances with a win over visiting Tampa Bay.

  At 8:29 of the third, Carlson put Washington ahead 3-2 with his 150th career goal -- and ninth of the season. He now has the most markers by a defenseman in Capitals franchise history, passing Kevin Hatcher (149). Washington moved into a tie for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

  Anthony Duclair and Brandon Hagel found the back of the net for Tampa Bay, which holds the top wild card in the East. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 30 shots.

  Predators 6, Blue Jackets 4

  Roman Josi scored twice and added two assists as Nashville dealt Columbus its 11th straight loss on the road (0-10-1).

  Nashville increased its lead to five points over the Vegas Golden Knights for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Tommy Novak scored twice and added an assist, and Cody Glass and Filip Forsberg also tallied. Juuse Saros made 31 saves.

  Trey Fix-Wolansky scored twice, James Malatesta had a goal and an assist, and Alexandre Texier added a goal for the Jackets. Jet Greaves stopped 31 shots.

  Senators 5, Canadiens 4 (SO)

  Drake Batherson scored the deciding goal in the shootout to lift Ottawa over visiting Montreal.

  Brady Tkachuk had two goals and an assist, and Jake Sanderson had three assists for the Senators. Joonas Korpisalo made 21 saves.

  Cole Caufield scored twice, Mike Matheson and Alex Newhook each had a goal and an assist, and Cayden Primeau made 40 saves for the Canadiens.

  Wild 6, Sharks 2

  Kirill Kaprizov scored two goals and added one assist, and Minnesota pulled away for a win over host San Jose.

  Liam Ohgren added his first career goal and his first career assist for Minnesota. Matt Boldy also tallied a goal and an assist, and Declan Chisholm and Marcus Johansson scored one goal apiece. Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stopped 27 of 29 shots to earn his second career victory.

  Jan Rutta and Mario Ferraro each scored one goal for San Jose. The Sharks missed an opportunity to post back-to-back wins for the first time since January. Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood gave up six goals on 38 shots.

  Kings 3, Ducks 1

  David Rittich made 28 saves for Los Angeles in a win against visiting Anaheim.

  Pierre-Luc Dubois, Matt Roy and Kevin Fiala scored for the Kings, who moved three points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific Division with two games left for Los Angeles and three for Vegas.

  Trevor Zegras scored and Lukas Dostal made 25 saves for the Ducks, who were coming off a 6-3 loss to the visiting Flames on Friday and have lost 9 of 11 overall (2-7-2).

  Canucks 3, Oilers 1

  Casey DeSmith made 32 saves as visiting Vancouver moved a step closer toward clinching the Pacific Division title with a victory over Edmonton.

  Sam Lafferty, Pius Suter and Dakota Joshua scored goals for Vancouver, which increased its division lead to five points over second-place Edmonton. The Oilers still have three games and a possible six points left on their schedule while the Canucks have two games remaining. DeSmith snapped a personal four-game losing streak with his first starting victory since March 23.

  Evander Kane scored a goal and Stuart Skinner finished with 24 saves for Edmonton, which lost its second straight game. Oilers center Connor McDavid, the reigning league MVP and scoring champion who is third in the NHL in scoring with 130 points, sat out his third straight game with a lower-body injury.

  --Field Level Media

The Arizona Coyotes' owner issued a statement Saturday, explaining his inability to comment on the subject of the team's immediate future.

• Alex Meruelo, in his words via X, formerly Twitter, said he would refrain from any "official public comments" at this time.

  "There has been a lot of discussion in recent days about the future of the Arizona Coyotes," he said. "I understand and empathize with the concerns of our fans, our community, our partners, our players, our front office, and all of our team members.

  "I hope to address these issues as soon as I am able to speak on the topics."

  He added there are many unresolved issues and "we are unable to make any official public comments at this time," while promising to address concerns "as promptly as possible."

  According to reports, Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong flew to Edmonton to tell players before their game there that the team would be moving to Salt Lake City to play next season.

  Armstrong has declined comment.

  Meruelo took over in 2019 as the majority stakeholder, and became the Coyotes' sole owner, as well as chairman and governor, in 2023.

  -Field Level Media

Washington defenseman Nick Jensen was stretchered off the ice late in the first period Saturday afternoon in the Capitals' home match against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but he appears to have escaped serious injury.

• As the period moved inside the final two minutes, Lightning forward Michael Eyssimont shoved Jensen hard into the boards near the red line.

  Jensen, 33, appeared to lose consciousness after slamming into the wall and remained motionless as his teammates went after Eyssimont.

  Play was stopped, and the native of Rogers, Minn., was stretchered off the ice.

  The Capitals broadcast crew reported they had received word that Jensen was alert and had full use of his extremities.

  With 1:31 still left in the period and tensions escalating, the officials chose to send the clubs to the dressing room and carry the remaining 91 seconds over to the second period.

  A nine-year NHL veteran, Jensen has one goal and 13 assists in 78 games.

  -Field Level Media

Superstar captain Connor McDavid will sit out his third straight game Saturday when his Edmonton Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks.

• McDavid sustained a lower-body injury during the final five minutes of the Oilers 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames on April 6. He missed the 5-1 victory versus the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday and a 3-2 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Friday.

  Edmonton (48-24-6, 102 points) trails Vancouver (48-22-9, 105 points) by three points entering the showdown but still has one game in hand on the Canucks.

  "I never want to miss games. I really don't," McDavid said Friday. "It's frustrating, but at the end of the day we're after bigger things here and everyone being healthy is priority No. 1."

  McDavid, 27, has recorded 31 goals to go along with career-best 99 assists in 74 games this season.

  A three-time (and reigning) Hart Trophy winner, McDavid has totaled 980 points (334 goals, 646 assists) in 643 career games since being selected by the Oilers with the top overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft.

  --Field Level Media

The defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights built an early lead and went on to a 7-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Las Vegas on Friday, clinching the final Western Conference playoff berth in the process.

• Jack Eichel, Nicolas Roy and Pavel Dorofeyev each had a goal and an assist and Chandler Stephenson tied his career high with four assists for Vegas, which snapped a three-game losing streak.

  Jonathan Marchessault, Tomas Hertl, William Karlsson and Keegan Kolesar scored one goal apiece, Noah Hanifin added two assists and Logan Thompson finished with 25 saves for the Golden Knights. Vegas also moved within one point of the third-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division.

  Marat Khusnutdinov scored his first NHL goal and Ryan Hartman also scored for Minnesota. Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 23 saves for the Wild, who lost for the fourth time in their past five games.

  Flames 6, Ducks 3

  Nazem Kadri collected one goal and two assists in his 900th career game and Andrei Kuzmenko posted his second career hat trick as visiting Calgary claimed a victory over Anaheim.

  Andrew Mangiapane and Connor Zary also scored for the Flames, who have won two of three games. Dustin Wolf, the two-time AHL top goaltender, made 19 saves, while Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and Martin Pospisil all collected two assists.

  Frank Vatrano, Olen Zellweger and Sam Colangelo -- in his NHL debut -- scored for the Ducks. Anaheim goalie John Gibson stopped 21 shots.

  Hurricanes 5, Blues 2

  Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin each had a goal and an assist as Carolina helped to eliminate St. Louis from the chase for the final wild-card spot in the West.

  Jake Guentzel scored a pair of empty-net goals for the Hurricanes, who have won four straight and pulled to within a point of the New York Rangers for the Metropolitan Division lead. Frederik Andersen made 29 saves.

  Zack Bolduc and Jordan Kyrou scored, and Jordan Binnington made 37 saves for the Blues, who were eliminated when the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Minnesota Wild later Friday.

  Predators 5, Blackhawks 1

  Filip Forsberg scored his 10th career hat trick en route to setting the franchise single-season goal-scoring record as visiting Nashville cruised past Chicago.

  Forsberg scored his 44th, 45th and 46th goals to move into sole possession of the franchise single-season scoring mark previously set by Matt Duchene (43) in 2021-22. Kiefer Sherwood and Jason Zucker also scored for Nashville, Luke Evangelista added two assists and Kevin Lankinen made 25 saves.

  Philipp Kurashev scored for the Blackhawks, who took their third straight loss. Arvid Soderblom finished with 35 saves.

  Coyotes 3, Oilers 2 (OT)

  Matias Maccelli scored the overtime winner and added an assist as Arizona improved to 9-5-0 over its last 14 games by edging host Edmonton.

  Maccelli took a Michael Kesselring pass and beat Calvin Pickard glove side for his 15th of the season at 1:35 of the extra period. Josh Doan and Logan Cooley scored the other Arizona goals, and Karel Vejmelka made 38 saves on a day when Coyotes management arrived in Edmonton to address rumors of the team's relocation to Salt Lake City.

  Adam Henrique and Darnell Nurse scored for the Oilers, who still secured home ice in the first round of the playoffs with the single point. Evander Kane had two assists, and Pickard stopped 25 shots.

  --Field Level Media

Arizona Coyotes players were informed that the franchise is being relocated to Salt Lake City, multiple media outlets reported on Friday, though at least one report indicated those conversations weren't quite so definitive.

• The potential move would come along with a change in ownership per ESPN, as the NHL has worked to help negotiate a sale to Ryan and Ashley Smith, who own the NBA's Utah Jazz.

  "We are interested. We are ready, and we're a partner," Ryan Smith told The Athletic earlier this week. "The arena is done. We think we have a solution. And that's my message to the NHL."

  The Athletic reported that the Friday conversation between Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong and the players was slightly more contingent in nature, confirming only that relocation "is possible," but that players would have a chance to visit Salt Lake City should the sale occur.

  The Coyotes' future has been in flux for some time, as the franchise has had difficulty finding an appropriate home arena in over recent seasons.

  After not being able to reach an agreement to continue playing in Glendale at their previous home, Gila River Arena, the Coyotes have played in Arizona State's 5,000-seat Mullett Arena the past two seasons.

  That was seen as a stopgap solution by the NHL, which urged team owner Alex Meruelo to find another stadium deal or sell the club.

  Ownership announced plans last week to buy land in Phoenix to build a privately funded arena and entertainment district.

  However, that plan hinged on the club winning a June 27 land auction for the 110-acre site that will be auctioned off by the Arizona State Land Department. The appraised price of the site is $68.5 million.

  The NHL franchise relocated to Arizona from Winnipeg in 1996 and played in Phoenix until a move to Glendale, Ariz., in 2003. The latter city terminated its lease with the Coyotes following the 2021-22 season.

  Last year, the Coyotes lost an election with Tempe voters in a plan to build a $2.3 billion arena and entertainment district.

  Smith added to the relocation speculation on Monday with a post on X, formerly Twitter, soliciting potential team names for a Salt Lake City NHL team.

  --Field Level Media

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone was expected to return to the ice Friday, nearly two months after suffering a lacerated spleen.

• The club announced Stone received the green light to practice with the team starting with the morning skate and would be wearing a non-contact sweater.

  Stone was injured Feb. 20 in a game against the Predators when he collided with Nashville's Yakov Trenin late in the second period of the 5-3 loss. Stone, 31, took a hit in the area of his chest and ribs and later was placed on long-term injured reserve.

  At the time of the injury, Stone led the team with 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) in 56 games. Stone retains the lead in assists but has been passed by forward Jonathan Marchessault in points (67) and goals (41).

  The team did not say whether Stone would be available for the playoffs, should the Knights qualify.

  Stone has 567 career points (212 goals, 355 assists) in 640 career games in 12 NHL seasons with the Ottawa Senators (2012-19) and the Golden Knights.

  The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Knights (42-28-8, 92 points) hold a three-point lead for the second wild card over the St. Louis Blues (42-32-5, 89). The Blues have three games remaining in the regular season while the Knights have four.

  The Knights also are in the chase to finish in third place in the Pacific Division. To do so, they'd need to surpass the third-place Los Angeles Kings (42-26-11, 95), who are up by three points.

  The Knights host the Minnesota Wild (37-32-9, 83 points) on Friday.

  --Field Level Media

Erik Karlsson scored from the top of the slot at 1:40 of overtime Thursday as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the visiting Detroit Red Wings 6-5 to move into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

• Sidney Crosby had a legacy night for the Penguins, moving past Phil Esposito into 10th on the NHL's all-time scoring with 1,591 points. Crosby finished with a goal and two assists, reaching 1,000 assists in his career.

  Bryan Rust added a goal and two assists and Drew O'Connor, Kris Letang and Jeff Carter also scored for the Penguins, who have a 10-game point streak (7-0-3). Pittsburgh goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves.

  Lucas Raymond had a hat trick and an assist, Dylan Larkin contributed a goal and two assists and Jeff Petry scored for the Red Wings. Detroit goaltender Alex Lyon made 21 saves, and Alex DeBrincat notched three assists.

  Kings 4, Flames 1

  Viktor Arvidsson scored two goals and Los Angeles clinched a playoff berth for the third straight season with a win against visiting Calgary.

  Kevin Fiala and Akil Thomas also scored, Anze Kopitar had two assists and Cam Talbot made 23 saves for the Kings, who won their fourth game in the past five to take a three-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific Division.

  Jonathan Huberdeau scored and Jacob Markstrom made 26 saves for the Flames, who have lost nine of their past 11 games.

  Islanders 3, Canadiens 2 (OT)

  Kyle Palmieri scored 1:17 into overtime for New York, which overcame a pair of one-goal deficits and moved closer to clinching a playoff berth with a win over Montreal in Elmont, N.Y.

  Pierre Engvall scored a tying goal in the second and Casey Cizikas scored in the third for the Islanders, who have won six straight and are three points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins in both the race for third place in the Metropolitan Division and the second Eastern Conference wild card.

  The Islanders are four points ahead of the Red Wings, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, who are tied for ninth place in the East. Jordan Harris and Cole Caufield scored for the Canadiens, who have lost four of five (1-4-0). Sam Montembeault recorded 28 saves.

  Flyers 4, Rangers 1

  Travis Konecny scored and added an assist as visiting Philadelphia never trailed and snapped an eight-game losing streak with a victory over New York.

  Konecny helped the Flyers get their first win since beating the Boston Bruins on March 23. Philadelphia also moved to within one point in the race for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

  Cam York scored in the first period and Bobby Brink netted the tiebreaking goal off a fortuitous bounce 3:29 into the second. New York star Artemi Panarin scored a five-on-three power-play goal to extend his points streak to 11 games. Panarin also raised his points total to 117 -- six behind Jaromir Jagr's 2005-06 team record.

  Jets 3, Stars 0

  Laurent Brossoit made 24 saves for his third shutout of the season as visiting Winnipeg held off Dallas for its fifth consecutive victory.

  The loss delayed the Stars' attempt at capturing the Central Division. A win by Dallas would have clinched the title. Instead, the Jets prevailed and moved ahead of the Avalanche for second in the Central. Both Winnipeg and Colorado are 49-24-6 for 104 points, but the Jets hold the regulation-wins tiebreaker.

  Nikolaj Ehlers, David Gustafsson and Mark Scheifele scored for Winnipeg. Mason Appleton provided two assists.

  Devils 6, Maple Leafs 5

  Jesper Bratt scored his second goal of the third period at 18:46 and visiting New Jersey survived two goals from Auston Matthews to earn a win over host Toronto.

  Bratt and Timo Meier each finished with two goals and an assist for the Devils, who were 1-4-1 in their previous six games.

  Matthews extended his goal streak to seven games with his league-leading 67th and 68th goals of the season. He passed Dave Keon for third on the all-time Maple Leafs goals list with 367.

  Panthers 4, Blue Jackets 0

  Sam Reinhart scored his 54th goal -- second most in the NHL this season -- as host Florida defeated Columbus in Sunrise, Fla.

  Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves as the Panthers shut out their second straight opponent. Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Rodrigues and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored and Oliver Ekman-Larsson added two assists in the win.

  The Panthers have already clinched a playoff berth. They are one point behind the first-place Boston Bruins, who were idle, in the Atlantic Division. Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves, a 23-year-old rookie making just his seventh NHL start, produced 42 saves.

  Sabres 4, Capitals 2

  Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 22 saves and Buffalo beat visiting Washington.

  The Capitals trail the Pittsburgh Penguins by one point for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after the Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-5 in overtime late Thursday.

  Alex Tuch scored his 22nd goal of the season for the Sabres, who had lost two straight and have been eliminated from playoff contention. Jordan Greenway and Henri Jokiharju each had two assists.

  Senators 3, Lightning 2 (SO)

  Brady Tkachuk scored the only goal in a shootout, Anton Forsberg made two crucial saves and Ottawa beat host Tampa Bay.

  Tkachuk, who notched his team-leading 35th goal and an assist in regulation for the Senators, beat Lightning goalie Matt Tomkins (25 saves) with a backhander in the bottom of the first round during the backup netminder's first career shootout.

  The Lightning got a goal and an assist from Point and Conor Sheary. Tampa Bay is 11-2-2 in the past 15 games.

  Sharks 3, Kraken 1

  Rookie goaltender Devin Cooley made 49 saves as San Jose spoiled Seattle's final home game of the season.

  Luke Kunin, Kyle Burroughs and Fabian Zetterlund scored and William Eklund had two assists for San Jose, which is in last place in the NHL's overall standings.

  Brian Dumoulin scored for Seattle and Joey Daccord, making his first start since March 30 after an undisclosed injury, stopped 20 of 23 shots. The Kraken, who will play their final four regular-season games on the road, had a two-game winning streak snapped.

  --Field Level Media