Read the reports from Thursday’s games in the NHL.
Consult the meeting summaries
Penguins win 6-5 against the Red Wings
Sidney Crosby reached the milestone of 1,000 assists and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 6-5 on Thursday.
The assist came on Erik Karlsson’s winning goal at 1:40 in overtime.
Crosby is 14e player in NHL history to reach this plateau.
Earlier in the match, he assisted on Drew O’Connor’s goal before scoring a 41e goal this season.
Crosby passed Phil Esposito at 10e ranking of point scorers in league history.
Bryan Rust, Kris Letang and Jeff Carter scored the other goals for the Penguins, who hold the last playoff spot in the East.
The Red Wings were beaten for the third time in four games.
They remain in the race to beat the Penguins, however.
A sixth shutout of the season for Sergei Bobrovsky
PHOTO SAM NAVARRO, USA TODAY SPORTS
Sergei Bobrovsky receives hugs from his teammates after his shutout.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots for his sixth shutout of the season, Sam Reinhart recorded his 54e net of the campaign and the Florida Panthers defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 on Thursday.
Bobrovsky, who has 44 career shutouts, is tied with Connor Ingram of the Arizona Coyotes and Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the most shutouts this season.
Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Rodrigues and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored in the victory. Oliver Ekman-Larsson had two assists.
Jet Greaves stopped 42 shots for the Blue Jackets.
Tkachuk opened the scoring after just 47 seconds of play.
The Panthers scored two goals late in the second period to lead 3-0 after 40 minutes.
Tarasenko scored with a backhand to complete the score.
Colby Guy, Associated Press
The Leafs lose 6-5 against the Devils
PHOTO DAN HAMILTON, USA TODAY SPORTS
Nolan Foote (25) was one of the Devils’ scorers.
Jesper Bratt completed a double with 1:14 remaining in the third period on Thursday, leading the New Jersey Devils to a 6-5 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Auston Matthews of the defeated clan added two more goals, leading the NHL with 68 goals this season.
His haul is the best since Mario Lemieux’s 69 goals in 1995-96.
Timo Meier of the Devils and John Tavares of the Leafs also scored twice.
Erik Haula and Nolan Foote were the other scorers for the Devils, while Jake Allen made 27 saves.
David Kampf scored the other goal of the game and Ilya Samsonov blocked 14 shots.
William Nylander competed in a 600e career regular season game.
The Maple Leafs will host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
The Canadian Press
Sabers win 4-2 against Capitals
PHOTO JEFFREY T. BARNES, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) and Jack Quinn (22)
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 22 shots and the Buffalo Sabers beat the Washington Capitals 4-2 on Thursday.
Alex Tuch, Zach Benson, Jack Quinn and Dylan Cozens, in an empty net, scored the Sabres’ goals.
The Capitals also lost in Buffalo nine days ago, 6-2. The team has won just once in its last seven games.
Connor McMichael and Tom Wilson scored in the loss. Charlie Lindgren allowed three goals on 16 shots.
Benson opened the scoring at the end of the first period.
Tuch doubled the Sabres’ lead with his 22e net of the campaign, at 12:37 of the middle period.
McMichael responded by scoring 1:59 later for the Capitals.
Wilson found the back of the net with a minute left in the game.
Washington remains hopeful of snatching the last place which gives access to the playoffs in the East.
John Wawrow, Associated Press
Brady Tkachuk tips the scales in Tampa shootout
PHOTO CHRIS O’MEARA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brady Tkachuk
Brady Tkachuk was the only scorer in the shootout as the Ottawa Senators had the last word 3-2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
Tkachuk had a goal and an assist in regular time.
Top point scorer on the circuit, Nikita Kucherov provided two assists for a total of 98 assists this season.
Wayne Gretzky delivered 11 seasons of at least 100 assists, while Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr each had one such season.
Kucherov was complicit in the flukes of Conor Sheary and Brayden Point.
Drake Batherson also found the back of the net.
The Lightning are assured of the first of two additional playoff spots in the East.
The Senators will conclude the local portion of their campaign Saturday evening, against the Montreal Canadiens.
Associated Press
The Flyers find their way to victory
PHOTO DANNY WILD, USA TODAY SPORTS
Bobby Brink
Bobby Brink scored the key goal early in the second period and the Philadelphia Flyers ended an eight-game losing streak on Thursday, winning 4-1 over the New York Rangers.
Cam York, Travis Konecny and Noah Cates also scored for the Flyers, while Samuel Ersson blocked 24 shots.
Ryan Poehling had two assists for the Flyers, one of four clubs fighting for the final playoff spot in the East.
The Flyers will host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.
Artemi Panarin scored for the Rangers. The latter remain at 53 victories, one victory away from establishing an organization record.
Associated Press
Jets shut out Stars 3-0
PHOTO JEROME MIRON, USA TODAY SPORTS
Laurent Brossoit (39) and Dylan Samberg (54)
Laurent Brossoit made 24 saves, David Gustafsson scored at his 24e anniversary and the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Dallas Stars 3-0 on Thursday.
Undefeated for five games, the Jets prevented the Stars from winning the Central section title.
Nikolaj Ehlers opened the scoring with his 24e goal of the season, at the end of the first period.
Gustafsson hit the target halfway through the second period and Mark Scheifele completed it into an empty net.
Second in the league in goals scored, the Stars were shut out for the third time this season, the first since a 4-0 loss to the Lightning on December 4.
They were shut out at home for the first time this season.
Schuyler Dixon, Associated Press