NEW YORK — Ryan Callahan scored a career-high four goals and five points and the New York Rangers finally found some success at home in a dominating 7-0 victory over the sliding Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.
Callahan, who had nine previous two-goal games and two four-points outbursts in the NHL, scored twice in the first period when New York built a 2-0 lead, added another in the second when the edge grew to 4-0, and netted his 20th of the season in the third with a goal off his skate.
New York got top-line forward Marian Gaborik back in the lineup for the first time in seven games following a concussion. He didn't get on the score sheet, and it didn't matter. Mats Zuccarello added two goals and Artem Anisimov also scored for the Rangers, who snapped a four-game losing streak at home while wearing their road whites at Madison Square Garden for the first time this season.
Callahan, who added an assist in the third period, has 10 goals and six assists in 16 games since returning from a broken hand on Feb. 1. Henrik Lundqvist was sharp, making 24 saves in his NHL-leading ninth shutout.
New York, seventh in the Eastern Conference, leads eighth-place Buffalo by two points. The sluggish Flyers have dropped a season-worst four in a row and are in danger of losing their hold on first place in the East.
CAPITALS 3, PANTHERS 2, OT: At Sunrise, Fla., AlexanderSemin scored 48 seconds into overtime for Washington. NicklasBackstrom and BoydGordon also scored to help the Capitals take the Southeast Division lead. The Capitals, the division champion he last three years, are in first place for the first time since they shared the top spot on Jan. 17. Washington has 82 points, one more than Tampa Bay heading into their showdown Monday night in Tampa. MichalNeuvirth made 32 saves, extending his Capitals rookie record with his 22nd victory. The victory was Washington's fourth in a row, the team's longest winning streak since Nov. 24-Dec. 1. BillThomas and DavidBooth scored for Florida. The Panthers have a season-high five-game losing streak.
FLAMES 3, PREDATORS 2: At Calgary, JaromeIginla scored on a penalty early in the second period to become the 10th NHL player to reach 30 goals in 10 straight seasons, helping streaking Calgary beat Nashville. MikeGartner and JaromirJagr share the record with 15 consecutive 30-goal seasons. The 33-year-old Iginla has 471 NHL goals, two behind DenisSavard and AlexMogilny for 49th on the career list. Iginla was awarded the penalty shot when he was tugged from behind by SergeiKostitsyn on a breakaway on PekkaRinne. On the penalty shot, Iginla slid the puck through Rinne's legs to tie it at 2. CurtisGlencross broke the tie midway through the third period. MarkGiordano had a power-play goal in the first and OlliJokinen had two assists for the Flames, fifth in the Western Conference after going 15-3-3 in their last 21 games. MiikkaKiprusoff made 21 saves. MartinErat and RyanSuter scored in the first for Nashville, tied for ninth in the West.
CANUCKS 3, DUCKS 0: At Anaheim, Calif., CorySchneider made 26 saves for his first career shutout, MannyMalhotra scored two goals and NHL-leading Vancouver won consecutive games for the first time in four weeks. NHL scoring leader DanielSedin got a power-play goal in the third period for the Canucks, who had alternated wins and losses for a full month before back-to-back victories in Southern California to kick off a five-game trip. Schneider capitalized on a rare chance to play in place of starter RobertoLuongo, earning his first shutout in 29 career appearances. DanEllis stopped 13 shots in his first regulation loss in five appearances with the Ducks, whose three-game winning streak ended.
SABRES 3, WILD 2, OT: At St. Paul, Minn., DrewStafford scored 46 seconds into overtime for Buffalo, picking up the puck at the Minnesota blue line, going around BrentBurns and tucking the puck under goalie JoseTheodore's leg. JasonPominville and RobNiedermayer also scored to help Buffalo move into eighth place in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of Carolina for the final playoff spot. The Sabres are 6-0-1 in their last seven road games, the first time they've earned points in seven straight road games since opening the 2006-07 season by winning an NHL-record 10 straight away from home. WarrenPeters and MarekZidlicky scored for Minnesota, which has lost three of four. The Wild earned a point for advancing to overtime to move into a tie for ninth in the Western Conference with Anaheim and Nashville, a point behind eighth-place Los Angeles.
DEVILS 3, ISLANDERS 2, SO: At Uniondale, N.Y., BrianRolston scored in the sixth round of the shootout to give surging New Jersey its 20th victory in 24 games (20-2-2). BlakeComeau tied it for New York with 3:42 left in regulation, firing a loose puck from the low slot past MartinBrodeur for his 18th goal this season. IlyaKovalchuk, who also scored in the shootout, broke a 1-1 tie with a goal at 2:52 of the final period when he moved in and beat AlMontoya over his glove with a high wrist shot. Rolston also scored for the Devils in regulation, and Brodeur stopped 20 shots. JoshBailey added a goal for the Islanders. The Devils, 30-31-4 overall, are eight points behind eighth-place Buffalo in the race for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.