Pius Suter scored twice and Robert Hagg snapped a 75-game scoreless streak as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Washington Capitals 3-1 on Tuesday.
The Red Wings have won six of their last seven games, moving ahead of the Capitals in the hunt for playoff drafts in the East, with hopes of ending a six-year streak without making the spring ball.
The Capitals lost their fifth straight game in regulation, the team’s longest such streak since January 2014, the last time they did not make the playoffs.
The Red Wings kept going, though Dylan Larkin was kicked out of the game midway through the first period for cross-checking TJ Oshie in the face.
Larkin, captain of the Red Wings and free agent at the end of the season, was his team’s best player since returning from the NHL All-Star Game.
Hagg scored his first goal since Oct. 25, 2021, while Suter scored shorthanded in the first period and his second of the game in the third period. Ville Husso stopped 26 shots.
The Capitals’ only goal came during Larkin’s match penalty, when Tom Wilson deflected Erik Gustafsson’s shot.
Darcy Kuemper allowed three goals on 25 shots, while former Red Wings Anthony Mantha left the game in the second period with an injury.
Jakub Vrana, traded by the Red Wings to the Capitals for Mantha in 2020, received a tribute video and a standing ovation. Vrana helped the Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018 and was a crowd favorite in Washington.
Stephen Whyno, Associated Press
Svechnikov wakes up and scores two goals
PHOTO KARL B DEBLAKER, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sebastian Aho (20)
Andrei Svechnikov scored twice in the first eight minutes to end a 19-game scoreless streak as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the St. Louis Blues 4-1 on Tuesday.
Sebastian Aho scored in the second period and Seth Jarvis added a goal and two assists. Svechnikov also had an assist as the Hurricanes won their fourth straight game and 11e in their last 12 outings.
Frederik Andersen stopped 35 shots for his fifth straight win. Jordan Binnington stopped 33 pitches.
Justin Faulk scored the goal for the Blues, who have lost three in a row and haven’t won on the road since January 8. The Blues have lost five games in a row.
Svechnikov scored the game’s first goal after just 1:26 of play. His 19 scoreless games was his longest streak in 338 NHL games. He scored his second goal 7:57 into the first period, salvaging a rebound from Jarvis’ shot.
Faulk, a former defenseman with the Hurricanes, scored early in the second period to restore hope for the Blues.
Aho then made it 3-1 later in the second period. His 25 goals this season is a Hurricanes high. Aho has scored 12 goals in his last 13 games.
Blues defender Marco Scandella was playing his first game of the season. It was at the same time his 700e NHL career encounter.
Bob Sutton, Associated Press
O’Reilly shines in Maple Leafs win
PHOTO JEFFREY T. BARNES, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ryan O’Reilly (90)
Newcomer Ryan O’Reilly scored twice on his team’s first two shots, then completed his hat trick in an empty net, helping the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Buffalo Sabers 6-3 on Tuesday .
Playing his third game in four nights since the Maple Leafs acquired him from the St. Louis Blues, O’Reilly hit the target twice within 37 seconds in the first period.
The Maple Leafs took a 4-0 lead in the first period.
O’Reilly also picked up an assist. Linemates John Tavares and Mitchell Marner also kept the official scorer busy. Tavares had a goal and three assists, while Marner had five assists.
Michael Bunting and William Nylander also scored for the Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov stopped 29 shots. He fended off the first 22 shots aimed at him before being beaten three times in the final 14:48 of play.
Alex Tuch, Jack Quinn and Jeff Skinner scored for the Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luokkonen allowed four goals on 10 shots before being replaced by Craig Anderson after 12:09 of play. Anderson stopped 17 shots.
John Wawrow, Associated Press
The Lightning score 4 goals in the second
PHOTO KIM KLEMENT, USA TODAY SPORTS
Steven Stamkos (91) and Jakob Silfverberg (33)
Nick Paul scored the first of four goals in under six minutes for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period as Brayden Point earned their 200e point in the NHL and the team beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-1 on Tuesday.
This is the sixth straight loss for the Ducks.
Ross Colton, Anthony Cirelli and Zach Bogosian also scored during the Lightning’s offensive streak in the second period. Andrei Vasilevskiy finished the game with 24 saves.
The Lightning got the first 21 shots of the second period. Trevor Zegras was robbed by Vasilevskiy with 1:09 to go.
The Lightning, the only team in the NHL with a home goals-per-game average over four, is 14-0-1 in its last 15 games at Amalie Arena.
Ryan Strome deprived Vasilevskiy of a shutout by scoring after 6:28 in the third period. Lukas Dostal made 38 saves for the Ducks, who are -5-1 in their last six games and have allowed 36 goals to just 15 in that streak.
Point and Corey Perry scored in the third period. Rookie defenseman Nick Perbix had three assists for the Lightning.
Paul snapped an 11-game scoreless streak when he beat Dostal with a shot from the right circle in the second period. Sound 17e net of the season to give his team a 1-0 lead represents a personal career high.
Colton doubled the Lightning’s power-play lead midway through the period. Cirelli was left alone in the slot and fired a backhand shot to beat the keeper moments later. Bogosian went there with a slap shot from the point to add to his team’s lead.
Point scored on the power play early in the third period. Perry, who scored 372 in 14 seasons with the Ducks, made it 6-0 less than two minutes later before Strome scored.
John Kreiser, Associated Press