DETROIT (AP) -Pavel Datsyuk had two goals and an assist, and the Detroit Red Wings became the first team to secure a playoff spot with a 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.
It was the fifth straight win for NHL-leading Detroit, which reached 100 points for an league-record tying eighth-straight season. Montreal had 100-point seasons from 1975-82.
Johan Franzen had a goal and an assist each for the Red Wings and Mikael Samuelsson and Valtteri Filppula also scored. Nicklas Lidstrom had two assists and Chris Osgood made 16 saves.
Trevor Daley, Jere Lehtinen and Brenden Morrow scored Dallas’ goals and Joel Lundqvist had two assists. Marty Turco stopped 26 shots.
Devils 4, Wild 3, OT
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Jamie Langenbrunner scored the shootout winner and New Jersey moved back on top of the Eastern Conference standings with a victory over Minnesota.
Marian Gaborik scored his 35th goal for the Wild, who had a power play to start overtime.
New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur has given up seven goals in two games, but was untouchable when it counted. Dainius Zubrus tied the game early in the third period at 3 after the Devils trailed 2-0 early.
Stephane Veilleux extended his career-goals high to nine and Brent Burns gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead.
Vitaly Vishnevski and Brian Gionta got the Devils even in the second.
Lightning 3, Bruins 1
BOSTON (AP) – Mike Smith stopped 35 shots, and last-place Tampa Bay got goals from Jeff Halpern and Andreas Karlsson in a victory over slumping Boston.
Vincent Lecavalier made it 3-1 on an empty-net goal with 7.8 seconds left. Even with the win, the Lightning remained in last place in the Eastern Conference.
Boston didn’t score until Chuck Kobasew tipped Marco Sturm’s slap shot from the point into the net to make it 2-1 with 12:03 left. It was the sixth goal in six games for the Bruins, who are seventh in the Eastern Conference but sliding fast with just one win in seven games.
Senators 3, Canadiens 0
MONTREAL (AP) – Jason Spezza scored two goals and Martin Gerber stopped 28 shots for his second shutout, leading Ottawa over Montreal.
Spezza scored on a power play in the first period before reaching 30 goals for the second straight season with his second of the game early in the second.
Antoine Vermette also scored for Ottawa, which won its third in a row to draw even with Montreal with 87 points.
The Senators took over the Northeast Division lead by virtue of their 40th win, one more than the Canadiens. Both teams have 10 games remaining.
Thrashers 6, Flames 4
ATLANTA (AP) – Bobby Holik scored on a pass from Ilya Kovalchuk in the closing minutes and Atlanta overcame a three-goal deficit in beating Calgary.
Kovalchuk scored into an empty net with 1:01 remaining, completing a hat trick and pushing his goal total to 48 this season. The Thrashers, down 3-0 early in the second period, tied it at 4 on a goal by Chris Thorburn at 10:10 of the third.
Holik scored the winner with 3:47 left, beating goalie Curtis Joseph. It was the Flames’ second loss in a row and third in four games.
Jarome Iginla scored two goals – giving him four in three games – and Daymond Langkow added a short-handed tally and two assists to lead Calgary.
Kings 4, Predators 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Alexander Frolov scored two goals to lift Los Angeles over Nashville.
Dustin Brown and Matt Ellis also scored for the Kings, and J.P. Dumont had the lone goal for the Predators.
Ellis scored an empty-net goal with 1:53 left.
Coyotes 2, Canucks 0
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Ilya Bryzgalov had 24 saves for his fifth career shutout and Phoenix beat Vancouver to revive its flickering playoff hopes.
Niko Kapanen and Daniel Winnik each scored and Martin Hanzal had two assists for Phoenix, which pulled within three points of eighth-place Vancouver in the Western Conference race.
Bryzgalov recorded his third shutout of the season and second since Phoenix claimed him off waivers from Anaheim in November.
Roberto Luongo had 43 saves for the Canucks.
Avalanche 5, Oilers 1
DENVER (AP) – Jaroslav Hlinka and Tyler Arnason each had a goal and an assist, helping Colorado move into sole possession of first place in the Northwest Division.
Colorado has won eight of nine, including five straight at home. The Avalanche own the division lead outright for the first time since Dec. 18.
Peter Budaj stopped 23 shots. He is 5-0 this season and 9-1-2 in 12 career appearances against Edmonton.
Jeff Finger, David Jones and Wojtek Wolski also scored for Colorado. Sam Gagner accounted for Edmonton’s lone goal.
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