The Western Conference bubble teams were the main stories on Friday night, including the battle for 8th between Calgary and Detroit. The Flames were at home playing the struggling Pacific Division-leading Sharks, while the Red Wings traveled to Alberta to play the last-place Oilers in Edmonton. An unbelievable finish at Rexall Place gives us our Game of the Night:
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3 (SO)Edmonton's season couldn't get much worse. They came into Friday last in the league with 49 points, they went through a 1-18-2 span earlier in the year, including a 0-10-2 month of January, they were on a 5-game losing streak, and their starting goalie Devan Dubnyk, who was appearing in his 14th game this year, was still looking for his first career win (0-8-2).
Dubnyk ended up getting his first win, it just took a little longer than expected.
The Oilers jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than 5 minutes into the 1st period on goals from Andrew Cogliano and Ryan Whitney. Patrick Eaves scored for Detroit in the 2nd to cut the lead in half to 2-1. Dubnyk, who finished the game with 31 saves, and Jimmy Howard, who finished with 22 saves for the Red Wings, held the score in check late into the 3rd.
With time winding down in regulation and Howard on the bench for Detroit for the extra attacker, a loose puck found its way out of a scramble and right onto the stick of Detroit's Brian Rafalski, who deposited it into the net with 0.2 seconds remaining in regulation.
Fortunately for the Oilers, Gilbert Brule netted the winner in the shootout to salvage Dubnyk's first win. But the all-important 1 point for Detroit keeps them in the 8th and final playoff spot in the West. They are tied with Calgary with 81 points but have played 1 fewer game than the Flames.
Detroit's Western trip continues Saturday night when they will be in Vancouver to face the Northwest Division-leading Canucks.
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Wild 2 Blue Jackets 4
Minnesota came into Friday 11th in the Western Conference, 6 points out of a playoff spot, and needing a big win to stay in the race. It looked like they had it in their grip, but gave it away in the final 10 minutes of regulation. The Wild had a 2-0 lead over Columbus in the 2nd period, and a 2-1 lead with less than half of the 3rd period remaining. But the Jackets' captain, Rich Nash, who was playing his first game in 5 due to injury, scored 2 goals in the 3rd period, quickening what has been a slow dwindling of hope for playoffs in Minnesota. The Wild put up only 20 shots in the game, including a 5-shot 3rd period in which they were outscored 3-0. They stay at 74 points and are 7 points back of 8th. Columbus is up to 69 points, sitting 14th in the West.
Calgary entered the night 9th-place in the Western Conference and 1 point behind 8th-place Detroit for the final playoff spot in the West. The Sharks were coming off a 3-game losing streak, seeing their Western Conference lead slip away and their comfortable Pacific Division lead become not-so-comfortable in the process. They jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st and had a 4-1 lead in the 3rd, but a late frenzy from San Jose made Calgary fight for their lives. The Sharks' 4th-straight loss keeps them at 96 points and 2nd in the West, while their game-in-hand on Phoenix goes for naught and their 3 point lead on the Coyotes for 1st in the Pacific remains with 11 games left for both teams. Calgary is up to 81 points, now tied with Detroit, but remains in 9th because they have played 1 more game than the Red Wings.
Islanders 4 Ducks 5 (OT)
New York came into the game 7 points out of a playoff spot, but they had won 3-straight games, including a 5-2 win in Vancouver on Tuesday. Their 4th-straight was less than 1 minute away. The Islanders took a 4-2 lead into the 3rd period, led by 2 goals from Kyle Okposo. Jason Blake would score for Anaheim almost 10 minutes into the 3rd to cut the lead to 4-3. And with 32 seconds left in regulation, Lubomir Visnovsky's 2nd goal of the game tied it at 4 for the Ducks. Saku Koivu would end the game only 14 seconds into overtime, giving Anaheim the 5-4 win, their 3rd-straight, and keeping them within 7 points of the final playoff spot with 12 games remaining. The Islanders sit 12th in the Eastern Conference and are 6 points out of 8th.
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Saturday's Schedule:
Hurricanes @ Penguins, 1:00
Senators @ Stars, 2:00
Canadiens @ Maple Leafs, 7:00, NHL Network
Blues @ Devils, 7:00
Flyers @ Thrashers, 7:00
Sabres @ Panthers, 7:00
Capitals @ Lightning, 7:30, CSN
Blue Jackets @ Predators, 8:00
Blackhawks @ Coyotes, 9:00, NHL Network
Red Wings @ Canucks, 10:00
Islanders @ Kings, 10:30, FS West
