Thursday night in the NHL | Three-point night for Lafrenière

Rangers win 4-1 over Wild

Alexis Lafrenière broke a 1-1 tie early in the third period on Thursday, guiding the New York Rangers to a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.

The 2020 first-round pick completed a two-on-one with Artemi Panarin, securing his fifth goal this season.

Lafrenière also played in the nets of Vincent Trocheck and Blake Wheeler. Panarin completed in an empty net.

Louis Domingue made 26 saves, being beaten only by Brandon Duhaime.

It was Domingue’s first NHL game in almost a year and a half.

His last appearance in the circuit dates back to the first round of the 2022 playoffs, with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick are injured. Domingue’s reserve was Dylan Garland.

Trocheck also provided two assists, helping the Rangers record their eighth win in nine outings.

The defeat in question was suffered in St. Paul, in a shootout.

Panarin scored at least one point in each of his team’s 13 games.

The Rangers will host the Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Marc-André Fleury stopped 24 shots for the Wild.

Allan Kreda, Associated Press

First hat trick for Charlie Coyle in 5-2 Bruins victory

Charlie Coyle scored his first career hat trick, Linus Ullmark made 27 saves and the Boston Bruins defeated the New York Islanders 5-2 on Thursday.

Coyle also had a first-period assist to help the Presidents’ Trophy holders earn an 11^e match in 13 outings.

Boston and the Vegas Golden Knights lead the NHL with 23 points.

Simon Holmstrom scored shorthanded to tie the game 2-2 early in the third period.

But David Pastrnak gave the Bruins the lead with a wrist shot that found its way between the pads of Ilya Sorokin.

Colyle made it 4-2 midway through the third when he redirected a pass from James van Riemsdyck.

The score remained the same until the last two minutes of play, when the Islanders removed Sorokin in favor of a sixth attacker.

The Bruins were able to get out of their zone, with a surplus created by Pastrnak and Coyle. The latter handed the puck to Pastrnak, who had a gaping cage on the right side. The Czech, however, preferred to help his teammate complete his hat-trick.

Brock Nelson also scored and Sorokin made 30 saves for the Islanders. They lost a third game in a row.

Trent Frederic was the other scorer for the Bruins.

Jimmy Golen, Associated Press

The Canucks extend their winning streak by defeating the Senators 5-2

Elias Pettersson scored a goal and added two assists, Ilya Mikheyev scored twice and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-2 on Thursday.

With his three points, Pettersson took first place in the NHL in points with 24 points, while he is in the heart of a streak of seven games with at least one point.

Brock Boeser and JT Miller also scored for the Canucks, who have won their last five games.

Casey DeSmith made 28 saves.

Drake Batherson and Artem Zub sparkled the red light for the Senators, who have lost three of their last four games.

Anton Forsberg gave up five times on 16 shots.

Boeser gave the Canucks an early lead, threading the needle 15 seconds into the first period.

Filip Hronek had an assist on the play to extend his point streak to eight games.

Zub returned to the Senators lineup after a seven-game absence due to a concussion.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press

Four points for Connor Bedard in 5-3 Blackhawks victory

Connor Bedard had his first multi-point night with two goals and two assists on Thursday, helping the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3.

The first pick of the last draft has seven goals and four assists this season, in 12 games.

Kevin Korchinski, Tyler Johnson and Corey Perry also scored for the visitors.

Nick Foligno had three assists and Petr Mrazek made 31 saves.

Anthony Cirelli, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos responded for the Lightning, who lost for the first time in seven regulation-time outings at home. Jonas Johansson stopped 24 pucks.

The Lightning controlled most of the first period, but the Blackhawks still returned to the locker room with a 4-2 lead.

A one-timer from Cirelli opened the scoring, but Bedard tied the game a few moments later.

Kucherov gave the Lightning the lead again, but the Blackhawks finished the period with three goals in 3:07.

John Kreiser, Associated Press

The Stars come from behind and win 5-2 against the Blue Jackets

Matt Duchene scored the decisive goal for the Dallas Stars, who erased a two-goal deficit to defeat the Blue Jackets 5-2 on Thursday.

The Texas club had lost its two previous meetings.

Mason Marchment, Craig Smith and Jason Robertson also scored, then Tyler Seguin had a goal and an assist.

Duchene and Nils Lundkvist both added two assists and Jake Oettinger blocked 28 pucks.

Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko threaded the needle and Spencer Martin made 27 saves for the Blue Jackets, who have lost three straight games.

The Blue Jackets scored two quick goals in the first period. Jenner took advantage of a pass from Johnny Gaudreau to find the back of the net after 1:08 of play. Marchenko then scored his third goal in four games at 8:43.

At the second intermission the score was 3-2 Dallas, however. The Stars are 6-0 when leading after two periods.

Nicole Kraft, Associated Press

A hat trick for Connor, the Jets win 6-3 against the Predators

Kyle Connor scored a hat trick and added an assist to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday.

Connor has scored five goals in his last two games.

Cole Perfetti, Mason Appleton and Brenden Dillon also flashed the red light in the victory. The Jets won their third straight game.

Mark Scheifele had three assists and Laurent Brossoit made 20 saves.

Filip Forsberg, with a double, and Philip Tomasino responded for the Predators, who have lost two games in a row and four of their last five.

Juuse Saros blocked 31 of the 36 pucks directed his way.

Scheifele earned a point on the power play in the game to move past Dustin Byfuglien (165) for fourth place in organization history.

Perfetti extended his point streak to five games.

Jim Bender, The Canadian Press

Thomas tips the scales and the Blues win 2-1 against the Coyotes

Robert Thomas broke a tie at 6:00 in the second period on Thursday, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes.

Thomas redirected a pass from Pavel Buchnevich, scoring his sixth goal of the season.

Thomas has scored at least one point in five straight games.

Oskar Sundqvist was the other scorer for the Blues, who have lost just once in their last four games.

Joel Hofer made 19 saves. The only one to thwart him was Lawson Crouse.

St. Louis was shut out on seven power plays. The club has the worst record in the league in power play, one goal in 35 chances.

Karel Vejmelka stopped 31 shots for the Coyotes, who began a five-game road trip.

Associated Press

Bjorkstrand decides with 32 seconds to play, the Kraken defeats the Avalanche 4-3

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his second goal of the game with 32 seconds left and the Seattle Kraken defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Thursday.

Bjorkstrand took advantage of a comeback to score.

Jaden Schwartz and Matthew Beniers also scored to help the Kraken inflict a first home loss on the Avalanche.

Philipp Grubauer made 23 saves against his former team. He also helped eliminate the avalanche in the first round last spring.

Bowen Byram, Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin scored for the Avalanche. Goaltender Ivan Prosvetov stopped 19 pucks.

Former Montreal Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen was taken to hospital after falling in the boards. His head took the blow.

Lehkonen had to be accompanied by therapists to leave the ice following a collision with Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.

The Avalanche announced that Lehkonen was “alert, responsive and able to move.”

For the Kraken, Jordan Eberle was out after being cut by a skate blade on his leg during the morning skate.

Pat Graham, Associated Press