Tuukka Rask’s lengthy points streak came to an end at the hands of an unlikely source.
Evander Kane, Scott Wilson and Benoit Pouliot each got pucks past the Bruins’ goaltender to snap his career-best personal 21-game points streak and lift the last-place Buffalo Sabres to a 4-2 victory Saturday night in Boston. Rasmus Ristolainen scored Buffalo’s final tally on an empty-netter.
Rask went 19-0-2 during his streak, with his last regulation loss before Saturday coming in a 5-3 decision at Nashville on Dec. 4. Ryan Spooner and David Backes each scored for Boston, which snapped its four-game winning streak.
Jack Eichel left the game with a lower-body injury after the Sabres’ former No. 2 overall pick out of Boston University collided with Boston’s Matt Grzelcyk — another BU product — behind the Bruins’ net late in the first period.
Lightning 4, Kings 3
Andrei Vasilevskiy had 44 saves and Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist to lead Tampa Bay past Los Angeles at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
Alex Killorn, Cedric Paquette and Nikita Kucherov scored goals for Tampa Bay, which won for the seventh time in nine games, but Vasilevskiy was the story, making several highlight-reel stops, including a behind-the-back glove save in the first period to rob Anze Kopitar. He also stopped an Adrian Kempe deflection of a Drew Doughty shot with 1:08 left that would have tied the game.
Jonny Brodzinski, Kyle Clifford and Christian Folin scored for Los Angeles, which had a three-game win streak snapped and was playing the second half of a back-to-back in the Sunshine State. The Kings defeated the Panthers, 3-1, on Friday night.
Predators 3, Canadiens 2 (SO)
Pekka Rinne stopped 47 shots through overtime, including 10 in the five-minute 3-on-3 period, and all three in the shootout while Ryan Ellis netted the lone shootout goal as Nashville beat host Montreal at Bell Centre.
The Predators — who went to extra time in all four games of this road trip — lost their previous two outings, but with Saturday’s win are on a 10-1-3 roll that has them perched atop the Central Division standings.
Carey Price made 30 saves through overtime for the Canadiens, who have lost two straight.
Maple Leafs 6, Senators 3
Mitch Marner scored two goals and added three assists as host Toronto doubled visiting Ottawa.
The Maple Leafs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first 12 minutes and rarely looked back. Marner’s second goal was the 100th point of his young National Hockey League career.
Patrick Marleau provided an empty-net goal and two assists while Auston Matthews, James van Riemsdyk and Nazem Kadri also scored as the Leafs posted their third straight win and eighth in the past 11. Toronto goaltender Frederik Andersen stopped 22 of 25 shots for his 27th victory of the season.
Blue Jackets 6, Devils 1
Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist, the former as part of a three-goals-in-three-minutes scoring binge, as host Columbus blew past New Jersey at Nationwide Arena.
The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for Columbus and resulted in points for just the second time in its past six outings. Sergei Bobrovsky turned away 34 shots on goal for Columbus to earn the win.
The Blue Jackets broke open the game over a 3:09 stretch of the second period, scoring three times to take a 4-0 advantage.
Wild 3, Blackhawks 0
Charlie Coyle scored two goals, Devan Dubnyk stopped all 44 shots he faced and Minnesota cruised past Chicago at Xcel Energy Center.
Mikko Koivu also scored as Minnesota won for the eighth time in the past 12 games.
Chicago’s winless streak reached five games. The Blackhawks were shut out for the fifth time this season.
Hurricanes 3, Avalanche 1
Brock McGinn scored his second goal 35 seconds into the third period as Carolina went on to defeat Colorado at PNC Arena.
With the score tied 1-1, McGinn came down the slot to collect a pass from Elias Lindholm — who also assisted on the first goal — and score the go-ahead goal. Lindholm battled to gain control of the puck behind the net.
Jeff Skinner also scored for the Hurricanes, with his tally providing a two-goal gap with 6:43 remaining. Carolina goalie Cam Ward made 29 saves. He needed only seven saves in the third period.
Flyers 4, Coyotes 3 (SO)
Nolan Patrick’s shootout goal gave visiting Philadelphia a win over Arizona at Gila River Arena.
Claude Giroux, Michael Raffl and Wayne Simmonds scored for the Flyers in regulation time as Philadelphia posted its third consecutive win. Jason Demers, Alex Goligoski and Zac Rinaldo replied for the Coyotes, who have dropped four of their past five decisions.
Philadelphia goaltender Brian Elliott stopped 24 of 27 shots, but Michal Neuvirth was in goal for the shootout. Arizona goaltender Antti Raanta recorded 40 saves on 43 shots.
–Field Level Media
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