The Penguins extended the
NHL’s longest current winning streak by holding off a late charge from the
suddenly slumping Coyotes.
Ray Whitney scored 21st goal
of the season, but Phoenix dropped its third straight after going unbeaten in
regulation in February to surge to the top of the Pacific Division.
At Winnipeg, Manitoba, Blake Wheeler scored the
deciding goal on a breakaway in the third period and Bryan Little had three
assists in Winnipeg’s victory over Buffalo.
Andrew Ladd and Chris
Thorburn also scored and Ondrej Pavelec made 23 saves for the Jets (32-27-8),
who maintained their hold on eighth place in the Eastern Conference and
stretched their lead over Washington to three points.
Corey Tropp scored for
Buffalo, and Ryan Miller stopped 28 shots. The Sabres (30-28-8) are tied for
10th place with Tampa Bay, four points behind Winnipeg.
At Anaheim, California, Bobby Ryan scored the
tiebreaking goal off a breakaway with 11:51 to play, and Corey Perry netted two
goals in the frantic final minutes of Anaheim’s victory over Edmonton.
Jonas Hiller made 34 saves in
his 26th consecutive start for the Ducks, who aren’t giving up on their
unlikely playoff hopes. Anaheim finished a brutal stretch of six games in nine
days in 12th place in the Western Conference with 68 points, five behind
eighth-place San Jose.
Perry scored his 200th career
goal with 3:20 to play before putting another puck into an empty net with 1:14
left. Jordan Eberle scored a power-play goal for Edmonton in between Perry’s
goals, but the Ducks hung on to earn their 42nd point since Jan. 1, tying them
with St. Louis for the NHL’s best record in 2012.
Jason Blake had an early
power-play goal for the Ducks, who have won five straight and 10 of 11 over
Edmonton.
Shawn Horcoff tied it in the
second period for the Oilers.
