EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Scott Gomez had a goal and two assists as the New Jersey Devils ended a two-game losing streak with a 6-0 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Friday night.
The win boosted the slumping Devils -- 7-12-2 in their last 21 games -- back into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with 99 points.The Thrashers, who have lost five in a row, are winless in their last seven and have just one victory in their last 18 games.
Martin Brodeur finished with 22 saves for his sixth shutout of the year and 42nd of his career.
HURRICANES 3, SABRES 1: At Buffalo, N.Y., Paul Coffey's power-play goal with 7:34 left lifted Carolina to the win and into a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Sean Hill sealed the win, scoring into an open net with 4.9 seconds remaining.
Paul Ranheim also scored for the Hurricanes, who jumped ahead of the Sabres in the standings and caught the idle Montreal Canadiens in the race for the conference's final playoff berth.
Vaclav Varada scored for the Sabres, who had a four-game winning streak come to an end.
PANTHERS 3, SENATORS 1: At Sunrise, Fla., Mike Vernon stopped 32 shots and won his fifth consecutive start as Florida handed Ottawa its fifth loss in eight games.
The Panthers, winners of five of their last seven, are three points ahead of Ottawa for the fifth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Vernon was the difference in Florida's first win in four tries against Ottawa this season.
He stopped 11 shots in the first period, 10 in the second and 11 in the third, including several from point-blank range.
PREDATORS 2, CANUCKS 1: At Nashville, Tenn., Vitali Yachmenev scored a power-play goal late in the second period and Mike Dunham made 28 saves as the Nashville Predators beat the Vancouver Canucks.
The loss hurt the Canucks' playoff chances. Vancouver remains in 10th place in the Western Conference, three points behind San Jose for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The Canucks have four games left and close the season April 9 at San Jose.
Nashville won its 28th game of the year, equaling last season's total. Still, the Predators are last in the Western Conference.
COYOTES 3, FLAMES 1: At Calgary, Alberta, -- Greg Adams had two goals and Jeremy Roenick scored his 12th game-winner of the season as the Phoenix Coyotes, despite just 12 shots on goal, defeated the Calgary Flames.
The pivotal point in the game came early in the second period with Phoenix ahead 1-0.
Less than a minute after goalie Sean Burke preserved the lead by stopping Jarome Iginla on a 2-on-1, Roenick put Phoenix ahead 2-0 after an error by rookie Sergei Varlamov.
Varlamov, playing his second career NHL game, tried to make a short pass moving out of the Flames end, but it was intercepted by Roenick, who broke in alone and beat Fred Braithwaite.
Roenick is second in game-winning goals, one behind Pavel Bure of the Florida Panthers.
After Burke lost his shutout bid at 7:33 of the third period on Sergei Krivokrasov's first goal with Calgary, Adams sealed the victory with his second goal of the game -- into an empty net with 43 seconds left.