NEW YORK: Centre Claude Giroux had a goal and two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Centre Vincent Lecavalier, left winger Scott Hartnell and right winger Wayne Simmonds also scored for the Flyers, who snapped a two-game losing streak.
Philadelphia (39-27-7) closed within one point of the New York Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Left winger James van Riemsdyk and centre Dave Bolland scored goals for the Maple Leafs, who lost their seventh straight game.
The Leafs (36-31-8) have fallen out of the top eight in the play-off standings in the Eastern Conference.
Left winger Chris Kunitz and right winger Beau Bennett scored 47 seconds apart in the third period, leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Defenceman James Wisniewski scored the only goal for the Blue Jackets.
Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury had 35 saves while Blue Jackets goaltender Curtis McElhinney, making a rare start in place of a sick Sergei Bobrovsky, had 29 saves, but allowed goals on two straight shots in the third.
The Blue Jackets, who entered play as the seventh-placed club in the Eastern Conference, would likely face the Penguins, who officially clinched a play-off berth, in the first round if they hold onto that spot.
For any hope of making the play-offs, the Ottawa Senators knew they had to run the table with 10 straight victories and they put number one in the books on Friday, defeating the defending Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks 5-3.
Goaltender Craig Anderson made an impressive return from an upper-body injury with 46 saves for the victory.
Senators’ goals were scored by wingers Erik Condra, Milan Michalek and Clarke MacArthur, centre Kyle Turris and defenceman Cody Ceci. Wingers Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa and defenceman Brent Seabrook replied for Chicago.
The 29th-place Edmonton Oilers dealt the Anaheim Ducks a shocking and costly 4-3 overtime loss. Oilers captain Andrew Ference scored the winner with 1:09 left in overtime.
The Ducks slipped in a furious battle for top spot in the Pacific Division.
Anaheim got right to work, scoring on its first shot of the game 35 seconds after the opening faceoff through Nick Bonino.
The Oilers tied it five minutes later on centre Sam Gagner’s third goal in nine games.
Oscar Klefbom’s first NHL goal gave the Oilers a 3-2 lead with 11 minutes to play with the Ducks getting the tying goal from centre Mathieu Perreault with 4:30 left in regulation to get to overtime.
Ramo faced a season-high 41 shots in the Flames net, but came up with just enough stops to backstop Calgary Flames to a 4-3 victory over former Vezina Trophy winner Lundqvist and the rest of the Rangers.
REUTERS
