Derek Stepan scored twice and Rick Callahan had a goal and three assists to power the NY Rangers to a 4-2 win over Winnipeg.
SPIN: The Rangers maintained their grip on the last spot in the East for now but the Islanders on their heels. Rick Nash also scored for New York and the Rangers should be giving it their all in the final month as they try to sneak into the playoffs.
St. Louis knocked off Minnesota 4-1. Brian Elliott made 19 saves on 20 shots in relief of an injured Jaroslav Halak.
SPIN: Kevin Shattenkirk scored for the first time in 16 games, something his owners have been waiting forever for after his strong start to the season. Halak left the game with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Andy McDonald had a goal and an assist for the Blues as they handed Nicklas Backstrom a rare loss in goal for Minnesota.
The Islanders took down New Jersey 3-1 as John Tarvares scored his 22nd goal of the season for New York.
SPIN: The Islanders continue to hang tough in the battle for the final playoff spot. Evgeni Nabokov has 17 wins in goal this season and could be a sneaky goaltender to ride to victory in your fantasy playoffs.
Montreal completed a season sweep of Carolina with a 4-1 win. They failed to capitalize on a third straight loss by Winnipeg and sit four points out of the division lead.
SPIN: Carolina’s offensive woes continue as they have scored just one goal in six of their last eight games. Max Pacioretty scored twice for Montreal as their balanced approach continues to reap wins for the Habs.
Detroit slid past Colorado 3-2 sending the Avalanche to their ninth loss in their last eleven games.
SPIN: Damien Brunner scored for the first time in 15 games for the Red Wings. Henrik Zetterberg sat out his second game in a row with a groin injury. Colorado limps towards the finish of the season at the end of the month and the only question with them is when will they pack it up and quit on the season.
Chicago needed the shootout to knock off Nashville 3-2. Pekka Rinne made 38 saves for the Predators who stole a point from Chicago.
SPIN: Patrick Kane continues to look strong even in the absence of Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. Corey Crawford made 25 saves and the Hawks passed the Penguins for the top spot in the league at 57 points. Nashville has lost three in a row and needs to right the ship quickly before they fall any farther off the last playoff spot.
Anaheim blanked Dallas 4-0 behind 26 saves from Viktor Fasth.
SPIN: Bobby Ryan had a goal and an assist to give the Ducks all the offense they needed in this one. Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen has lost three of his last five starts and has given up at least three goals in four of those five games so the confidence in him carrying a team through the playoffs is shaken, not stirred.
Edmonton downed Calgary 4-1 as Justin Schultz had a goal and two assists in the win. Devan Dubnyk made 33 saves for the Oilers.
SPIN: It was a rough night for Miikka Kiprusoff of the Flames as he stopped three of the first six shots he saw before getting pulled. His name is still swirling in trade rumors and it’s anyone guess if he gets shipped before the deadline.
San Jose downed Vancouver 3-2. Joe Thornton had a goal and an assist in the win for the Sharks.
SPIN: San Jose scored all three of its goals in a 2:13 span of the second period. They’ve won five in a row and need every point to stay in the hunt for Western Conference playoff spots.
Multiple Goal Scorers
Stepan-NYR, Pacioretty-MTL
Stat of the Night–Perfect 10
The Canadiens have won all 10 games they’ve played against the Southeast Division this season.
Three Stars of the Night
1 Callahan
2 Stepan
3 Pacioretty
Tuesday’s Games (all times ET)
Ottawa at Boston 7pm
Winnipeg at NY Islanders 7pm
Washington at Carolina 7pm
Buffalo at Pittsburgh 730pm
Florida at Tampa Bay 730pm
Colorado at Nashville 8pm
Los Angeles at Phoenix 10pm
