Sharks outlast Islanders
First Posted:
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Matt Nieto and Jason Demers scored first-period goals, and the San Jose Sharks made the most of 26 shots against the New York Islanders in a 4-3 victory on Friday night.
Joe Thornton and Marty Havlat added goals in the second as the Sharks won their fifth straight and improved to 20-6-3 against the Eastern Conference. Antti Niemi made 35 saves for San Jose.
Anders Lee, Brock Nelson and Frans Nielsen scored for the Islanders, who lost for the fifth time in six home games. New York, which began a four-game homestand following a 2-1-1 trip, is an NHL-worst 9-17-8 home record.
Former Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov stopped 22 shots for the Islanders in his first start against them.
Capitals 4, Canucks 3
WASHINGTON — Mike Green netted the go-ahead goal in the third period, Alex Ovechkin also scored, Evgeny Kuznetsov had three assists for his first NHL points, in the Washington Capitals’ win over the Vancouver Canucks.
Washington led 3-1 early in the third before Shawn Matthias and Nicklas Jensen scored for Vancouver to tie it.
Green put the Capitals ahead for good with 9:41 left, scoring with a slap shot off a feed from Nicklas Backstrom from behind the net.
Joel Ward and Tom Wilson also scored for the Capitals. Jaroslav Halak made 38 saves.
Jordan Schroeder scored Vancouver’s goal, and Chris Higgins and Christopher Tanev both had two assists. Eddie Lack stopped 17 shots.
Panthers 5, Devils
SUNRISE, Fla. — Scottie Upshall scored the go-ahead goal, and the Florida Panthers beat the New Jersey Devils.
Vincent Trocheck, Brad Boyes, Quinton Howden and Brian Campbell also scored for Florida. Roberto Luongo stopped 28 shots. Jonathan Huberdeau had two assists, and Boyes also had an assist.
Patrik Elias had a goal and assist, and Bryce Salvador and Jaromir Jagr also scored for the Devils. Cory Schneider made 17 saves.
The Panthers snapped a three-game losing streak and handed the Devils their first loss in three games.
Red Wings 2, Oilers 1, SO
DETROIT — Tomas Tatar scored on Detroit’s third shootout attempt, and Jimmy Howard stopped all three Edmonton attempts to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a win over the Oilers.
Edmonton’s Ryan Smyth tied the game midway through the third period. Smyth scored on a shot from the slot that was set up by Detroit defenseman Brendan Smith’s backhanded giveaway.
Riley Sheahan put the Red Wings ahead 1-0 late in the first period. They lost the lead and failed to take advantage of power plays late in regulation and midway through overtime.
The banged-up Red Wings are trying to reach the postseason for a 23rd straight time.
Edmonton has the worst record in the Western Conference and isn’t far from being eliminated from the playoff race for the eighth straight season.
