The Detroit Red Wings won 7-4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday as they try to secure their playoff berth.
The Penguins remain in last place for the playoffs among draft teams, but only three points ahead of their closest pursuers, the Florida Panthers.
Quebecer David Perron completed a hat trick thanks to three goals scored in the last period in the space of 13 minutes. It’s his eighth in his career, but his first in his current uniform.
Perron scored on a wrist shot early in the third, put Detroit up 5-4 on the power play with 3:40 to go, then added his 19th goal of the season 45 seconds later.
The Wings took a 3-0 lead in the first period after just 10 shots, but the Penguins tied the game in the second period. Following the equalizer, Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde was sent off. The goal was confirmed on video replay except that Lalonde, disagreeing with the decision because of what he called goalkeeper obstruction, got angry and the official had had enough.
This is the third time a coach has been sent off since last season.
Dylan Larkin completed the scoring after also providing two assists. Jonatan Berggren, Andrew Copp, Dominik Kubalik also hit the mark in the victory.
The Lightning slows its slide
Steven Stamkos scored twice as Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 29 shots he faced in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 4-0 shutout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Vasilevskiy now has three shutouts to his name.
This victory slows down a slide of four defeats for Jon Cooper’s men.
The Hurricanes were shut out for the third time in their last 10 games.
Point is just three goals away from a 50-goal first season.
Steven Stamkos opened the scoring for Tampa with his 31st of the season. He also had an assist for his 124th career game by more than one point, bringing him within three of Martin St-Louis’ team record.
For Stamkos, it is also the first time he has beaten goalkeeper Pyotr Kochetkov, who becomes his 136th career victim. Alex Ovechkin leads this category in the NHL, having beaten 169 different goaltenders since joining the NHL.
Alex Killorn completed in an empty net with 4:21 to go for the Lightning.
Nikita Kucherov obtained a 75th assist, he who is second in the league in this chapter.
Recognition for Lafrenière with the Rangers
Quebecer Alexis Lafrenière had two assists to become the second New York Rangers player to reach 20 assists at age 22 or under in ten years in a 6-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Adam Fox with 25 assists in 2019-20 had also achieved this feat. The former Rimouski Océanic player has a record of 15 goals and 20 assists since the start of the campaign.
In the Metropolitan section, the Rangers are only two points behind the Devils. They will also face them Thursday, in New Jersey.
With a goal and an assist, Mika Zibanejad reached 80 points for the second straight season. His teammate Artemi Panarin established the same five days ago. Zibanejad and Panarin became the third pair to do so in a row at Rangers since Rodrigue Gilbert and Steve Vickers (1974-75 – 1975-76) and Gilbert and Jean Ratelle (1971-72 – 1972-73).
Zibanejad has 13 points in its last eight games.
Meanwhile, Vincent Trocheck became the fourth Rangers player in the last decade to reach 20 goals in his first season with the club.
Filip Chytil, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Patrick Kane have the others for Rangers.
Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves in the win.
Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and an assist in the loss. His assist was his 50th assist this season.
Kirill Marchenko scored the other goal in the loss, his 20th of the campaign.
