Philadelphia rookie Porter Martone found the back of the net for the first time in his NHL career during overtime, delivering the Flyers a crucial 2-1 victory against the Boston Bruins at home on Sunday.
The game-winning sequence unfolded rapidly when Boston was assessed two penalties just seven seconds apart during the extra period. Philadelphia capitalized on the two-man advantage within 15 seconds, as Christian Dvorak fed a pass into the slot where Martone initially had his shot denied by goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. However, the young winger – appearing in only his fourth professional game – converted the rebound for the decisive tally.
Goaltender Dan Vladar turned aside 18 shots while Dvorak contributed the other Philadelphia goal. The victory propelled the Flyers past the New York Islanders into third place within the Metropolitan Division standings. Philadelphia had entered Sunday trailing the Islanders by one point and was part of a four-team deadlock for the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card position.
Pavel Zacha tallied Boston’s only goal, though the Bruins maintain their position atop the wild-card standings despite suffering their third consecutive defeat. Korpisalo finished with 29 saves, highlighted by a spectacular late-regulation sequence where he denied Jamie Drysdale’s shot and followed with an outstanding pad save on Tyson Foerster’s rebound attempt.
Senators 6, Hurricanes 3
Brady Tkachuk found the net twice during Ottawa’s final four-goal surge in a victory over visiting Carolina.
Dylan Cozens, Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto each contributed one goal and one assist as the Senators secured a vital victory, winning for just the second time in their previous six contests. Ottawa currently occupies the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card position. Claude Giroux added an empty-net goal with 57 seconds left, while goaltender Linus Ullmark recorded 25 saves for the Senators, who converted twice on the power play.
Logan Stankoven, Andrei Svechnikov and Taylor Hall scored for Carolina, which suffered only its second loss in six games. Jackson Blake registered two assists and Frederik Andersen made 25 saves. The Hurricanes remain one point away from securing the Metropolitan Division title with five contests remaining.
Wild 5, Red Wings 4
Kirill Kaprizov completed a hat trick, capping it with the winning goal with 1:51 left on the clock, as visiting Minnesota overcame Detroit.
After Minnesota surrendered a 4-1 advantage during the opening 15 minutes of the final period, Kaprizov delivered his third goal of the game and 43rd of the campaign on a power-play opportunity. He fired a shot from the right circle past Detroit’s Cam Talbot following a feed from Matt Boldy. Boldy and Vladimir Tarasenko also found the scoresheet.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Patrick Kane each recorded a goal and assist for Detroit, though Kane drew the tripping penalty that resulted in Minnesota’s game-winner. Albert Johansson and J.T. Compher also scored for the Red Wings, who have dropped four of their last five games and nine of their previous 13 matchups.
Penguins 5, Panthers 2
Rickard Rakell scored twice while Evgeni Malkin contributed two assists as Pittsburgh defeated visiting Florida.
The triumph marked Pittsburgh’s second consecutive victory over the Panthers and completed a season series sweep. Sidney Crosby tallied once and added two assists, while Bryan Rust recorded a goal and assist for the Penguins, who extended their lead over the third-place New York Islanders to seven points in the Metropolitan Division.
Arturs Silovs made 29 saves for Pittsburgh, which improved to 4-1 in its last five outings. Cole Schwindt and Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers (37-37-3, 77 points), who have lost consecutive games and been eliminated from playoff contention. Daniil Tarasov stopped 18 shots for Florida, which has fallen in five of seven games.
Devils 3, Canadiens 0
Jacob Markstrom earned his first shutout of the campaign as visiting New Jersey defeated Montreal, ending the hosts’ eight-game winning streak.
Timo Meier, Cody Glass and Connor Brown scored for the Devils to maintain their slim playoff aspirations. Markstrom made 18 saves for his 25th career shutout, including two spectacular stops that prevented Montreal’s dynamic forward Cole Caufield from reaching the 50-goal milestone.
New Jersey sits seven points outside playoff position with five games left and gained some revenge after dropping a 4-3 shootout decision to Montreal on Saturday. The Devils have now won 11 consecutive games in Montreal. Third-string goaltender Jacob Fowler made 17 saves for Montreal, which had already clinched a playoff berth before the game.
Rangers 8, Capitals 1
Will Cuylle scored twice within a 2:40 span during a five-goal second period en route to his first career hat trick, leading host New York to a dominant victory that prevented Washington from gaining ground in the competitive Eastern Conference playoff race.
Washington fell three points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second and final wild-card spot. The Capitals also trail the New York Islanders by two points and sit one point behind both the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets. Charlie Lindgren made 24 saves but matched a career high by allowing eight goals for the second time.
Rookie Adam Sykora and Adam Fox also scored during the explosive second period as the Rangers won for the fifth time in six games following a six-game losing streak. Igor Shesterkin recorded 20 saves.
