BUFFALO, N.Y. — J.P. Dumont and Adam Mair both scored in the second period to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.
Martin Biron made 24 saves for the Sabres, who climbed within six points of the New York Islanders for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Each team has six games remaining.
The Sabres have points in seven of eight games (4-1-0-3). Montreal lost in regulation for just the second time in 15 games (11-2-1-1).
Michael Ryder scored for Montreal, which could've clinched a playoff spot by earning one point.
THRASHERS 3, CAPITALS 2: At Atlanta, Daniel Tjarnqvist scored on a 55-foot shot with 7:24 remaining and Atlanta kept alive its their slim playoff hopes, beating Washington.
Kari Lehtonen won his second straight start since getting called up from the minors, stopping 23 shots. Matthew Yeats lost his first NHL start for the Capitals.
The Thrashers tied a franchise record with their 31st victory, but they're still 10 points behind the New York Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta, which has never made the postseason in its five-year history, has only five games remaining.
BLUE JACKETS 2, WILD 0: At Columbus, Ohio, Rick Nash scored his 39th goal and Marc Denis stopped 20 shots to lead Columbus over Minnesota.
Nash moved into a tie with Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk for the NHL goal lead.
Aaron Johnson scored his second goal of the season for the Blue Jackets, who have won two in a row since dropping eight straight.
Denis earned his fifth shutout of the season and the 14th of his career. He was seldom tested by the Wild, who have lost three consecutive games.
FLAMES 4, COYOTES 0: At Glendale, Ariz., Jarome Iginla scored his 39th goal, Roman Turek earned his second straight shutout and Calgary snapped a two-game skid by beating Phoenix.
Craig Conroy had a goal and an assist, Marcus Nilson and Martin Gelinas added goals, and Denis Gauthier had two assists for the Flames.
Turek, who beat St. Louis 3-0 in his last start on March 14, made 22 saves.
Brent Johnson stopped 27 shots for the Coyotes, who beat Minnesota in overtime Monday to snap the third-longest winless streak in franchise history at 15 games. They are 1-9-4-3 in their last 17.
CANUCKS 1, KINGS 0: At Vancouver, British Columbia, Matt Cooke scored midway through the first period and Dan Cloutier stopped 15 shots in the Vancouver Canucks' 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
Cloutier, making his first start after missing two games because of a hip injury, wasn't tested often. The Canucks recorded 27 shots and controlled the play through most of the first two periods.
Los Angeles didn't manage a shot through the first 10 minutes of the first two periods, but Cloutier had to be sharp when the Kings recorded the first six shots of the third. He stopped Anson Carter on partial breakaway five minutes into the final period, and got a little help when former Canucks player Trent Klatt rang a wrist shot off the crossbar midway through the second.
Luc Robitaille had a great chance to tie it with the goaltender pulled and 40 seconds left, but his shot from the slot bounced off the skate of Canucks center Artem Chubarov at the top of the crease, and Vancouver cleared the zone.
STARS 4, OILERS 3 (OT): At Edmonton, Alberta, Bill Guerin scored 3:11 into overtime to lift Dallas to a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers that clinched a playoff spot for the Stars.
Guerin converted Valeri Bure's centering pass for his 33rd goal, scored from point-blank range after Brenden Morrow scored with less than a minute left in regulation to send the game to overtime.