"Jets Clinch Top Seed in Western Conference: NHL Recap"
Cole Perfetti netted a slick goal on his initial shootout attempt to aid the Winnipeg Jets in securing the top spot in the Western Conference with a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
The Jets are inching closer to their first Presidents' Trophy in franchise history with this win, while the Blackhawks have now lost seven of their last nine games (2-5-2). Winnipeg has two regular-season games remaining and holds a five-point lead over the Washington Capitals, who have three games left, for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Josh Morrissey scored twice, Kyle Connor recorded a goal and an assist, and Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves for the Jets.
Frank Nazar and Connor Bedard both had a goal and an assist, while Spencer Knight stopped 37 of the 41 shots he faced in net for the Blackhawks.
Hurricanes 7, Rangers 3
Seth Jarvis notched a goal and two assists as the Carolina Hurricanes claimed a victory in Raleigh, N.C., that eliminated the New York Rangers from playoff contention.
Jordan Staal and Jackson Blake each contributed a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes. Jayden Chatfield and Mark Jankowski also scored to help Carolina build a 5-1 lead early in the third period. Pyotr Kochetkov made 28 saves to earn the win.
Will Cuylle scored late in the second period for the Rangers, while J.T. Miller and Adam Fox tallied goals in the third period to cut the deficit to 5-3. Igor Shesterkin allowed five goals on 26 shots for New York.
Maple Leafs 1, Canadiens 0 (OT)
Mitch Marner scored just 36 seconds into overtime to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 1-0 victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens.
Marner's game-winning goal came from the edge of the left circle after receiving a pass from William Nylander. Anthony Stolarz made 15 saves to earn his third shutout of the season and the 11th of his career. With this win, the Maple Leafs now hold a four-point lead over the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.
Jakub Dobes stopped 34 shots for the Canadiens, who needed a win in regulation to secure a playoff spot.
Flyers 4, Islanders 3 (SO)
Tyson Foerster scored twice in regulation and Bobby Brink netted the only goal in the shootout as the Philadelphia Flyers eliminated the New York Islanders from playoff contention.
Samuel Ersson made 37 saves in regulation before stopping all five shootout attempts for the Flyers, who have won five of their last six games. Brink's decisive shootout goal featured a series of stick-handling moves before he snapped a wrist shot past Marcus Hogberg.
Anders Lee, Noah Dobson, and Bo Horvat each recorded a goal and an assist for the Islanders. Hogberg made 19 saves as New York lost for the ninth time in 11 games.
Kings 5, Avalanche 4
Kevin Fiala scored twice, Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere each had a goal and two assists, and the Los Angeles Kings strengthened their hold on second place in the Pacific Division with a win over the Colorado Avalanche.
Anze Kopitar also scored, Andrei Kuzmenko added two assists, and Darcy Kuemper made 22 saves for the Kings. With this win, Los Angeles now holds a four-point lead over the idle Edmonton Oilers. Both teams have three games remaining before their likely matchup in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Brock Nelson scored two goals, including the 300th of his career, to lead the Avalanche. Valeri Nichushkin had a goal and an assist, and Sam Malinski also scored for Colorado, who rested six top players including leading scorers Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
Panthers 3, Sabres 2 (SO)
Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist for the Florida Panthers in their shootout win over the visiting Buffalo Sabres.
Anton Lundell scored the lone goal in the shootout
