Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta scored 39 seconds apart in the third period Sunday o lift the surging New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers in East Rutherford, N.J.
Sergei Brylin also scored for the Devils and Martin Brodeur made 24 saves to help New Jersey extend its winning streak to seven. The victory gave the Devils 93 points. pulling them within two of the fifth-place Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference.
The Atlantic Division-leading Rangers, who had won three in a row, got goals from Blair Betts and Sandis Ozolinsh while Kevin Weekes made 23 saves.
PANTHERS 6, LIGHTNING 3: At Sunrise, Fla., Juraj Kolnik and Olli Jokinen each scored two goals to help Florida beat Tampa Bay. Nathan Horton and Joe Nieuwendyk also had goals for Florida and Jamie McLennan made 29 saves. Vaclav Prospal,Dan Boyle and Martin St. Louis tallied goals for Tampa Bay. John Grahame had 41 saves for the Lightning, who remain tied with Montreal at 89 points for the final two playoff berths in the Eastern Conference. Kolnik picked up a loose puck in the left circle and his shot went just inside the top corner of the net to put Florida ahead 4-3 with 5 minutes left in the third. Nieuwendyk's empty net goal with 90 seconds left made the score 5-3. Kolnik added a goal in the last half minute of the game.
WILD 5, AVALANCHE 2: At Denver, the Pepsi Center crowd went wild after Peter Budaj surrendered back-to-back goals to Minnesota 42 seconds apart early in the first period of the Avalanche's loss. That's right. They cheered. Because into the crease skated Jose Theodore for his Colorado debut a month and a day after his trade from Montreal. The cheers didn't last long, however, as Theodore's long-anticipated arrival couldn't prevent the already-eliminated Wild from putting a serious dent in the Avs' playoff aspirations with a win behind Marian Gaborik's eighth career hat trick.
BLUES 2, OILERS 1: At St. Louis, rookie Jason Bacashihua carried a shutout into the final minute and the Blues, inspired after Al MacInnis' jersey was retired, beat Edmonton to end a franchise-record 13-game losing streak. Jamal Mayers and Mark Rycroft scored for the Blues, who won hours after the Blues retired MacInnis' No. 2 jersey. In the process, they put a dent in the Oilers' playoff hopes. The Oilers declined to participate in the 45-minute pre-game ceremony, feeling it was inappropriate for the Blues to honor MacInnis before a late-season game that held meaning to them Among those snubbing the ceremony was defenseman Chris Pronger, a longtime teammate of MacInnis' before being traded last September.
SHARKS 4, STARS 1: At San Jose, Calif., captain Patrick Marleau tied the Sharks' single-season points record, Jonathan Cheechoo scored his 49th goal and the Sharks won their fourth straight game down the playoff stretch. Joe Thornton had two assists in a three-goal third period for the Sharks, who moved into a seventh-place tie with Edmonton in the Western Conference standings with 91 points — and San Jose has played two fewer games than the Oilers.