NHL ROUNDUP | Thursday's games

Penguins 5, Rangers 3
PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists to close within three points of becoming the youngest player to have a 100-point season in the NHL, and the Pittsburgh Penguins further stalled the New York Rangers' bid to win their first division title since 1994. The Rangers stayed three points ahead of the Flyers, who lost 4-1 to New Jersey, in an Atlantic Division race that could be decided when the teams play Saturday in Philadelphia. The Penguins, last in the NHL overall standings, had won a league-low 20 games and only 10 at home before rookie Colby Armstrong had two goals and an assist and Sergei Gonchar continued his strong late-season play with a goal and an assist. Crosby had two or more points for the eighth time in 10 games and, with three games remaining, must average slightly more than one point per game to join Hall of Fame forward Dale Hawerchuk as the only 18-year-olds to score 100 points in an NHL season. Hawerchuk had 103 points for the Winnipeg Jets in the 1982-83 season, when he was 100 days older than Crosby is now.
Blue Jackets 4, Blues 1
COLUMBUS -- Pascal Leclaire stopped 26 shots and four players scored goals to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Fedorov, Mark Hartigan, Aaron Johnson and Manny Malhotra had goals for the Blue Jackets, who ended a three-game losing skid that came on the heels of a franchise-best six-game winning streak. Rostislav Klesla had two assists for Columbus, which now has 70 points -- one fewer than the franchise high during its inaugural 2000-01 season.
Predators 4, Wild 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Mike Sillinger scored two goals, and the Nashville Predators clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Nashville came into the game needing only two points to clinch the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, and even an Anaheim loss in regulation at Edmonton later Thursday night would have clinched the highest seeding yet for a franchise making only its second playoff appearance. But the Predators erased the need to wait and watch by winning their fourth straight game -- all with new No. 1 goaltender Chris Mason, who replaced Tomas Vokoun when his season was cut short by blood clots.
Panthers 5, Senators 4, OT
OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators clinched the Northeast Division title despite losing to the Florida Panthers. Daniel Alfredsson scored with 2 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 4 and send the game to OT, earning the Senators the point that clinched the division title. Joe Nieuwendyk won the game for Florida, scoring 3:30 into the extra period. Senators center Bryan Smolinski won a faceoff to the right of Roberto Luongo with 3.2 seconds left and Dany Heatley passed the puck back to Alfredsson, who fired a slap shot from the right point just over Luongo's glove for his 42nd of the season.
Thrashers 5, Capitals 3
ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Thrashers aren't giving up on their first trip to the playoffs. Marian Hossa scored the tiebreaking goal late in the second period, added an empty netter with 25 seconds to go as the Thrashers pulled within two points of Tampa Bay for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have three games remaining. The Thrashers must beat out the Lightning, who would likely win any tiebreaker scenario for the eighth spot because they have two more wins and beat Atlanta in the season series. Alexander Ovechkin scored his 50th goal for Washington.
Maple Leafs 4, Islanders 3, OT
UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Matt Stajan scored his second goal of the game with 1:08 left in overtime to give the Toronto Maple Leafs an important victory. Stajan came around the net, fought off two checks and sent a backhand from the high slot between the pads of a screened Garth Snow. Toronto also got goals from Darcy Tucker and Mats Sundin.
Canadiens 4, Bruins 3
BOSTON -- Alex Kovalev recorded two goals and an assist to help the Montreal Canadiens move a step closer to making the playoffs. Jan Bulis added a goal and two assists for the Canadiens, who are trying to make the playoffs for the second straight season. Currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, Montreal leads ninth-place Atlanta by six points with two games remaining.
Devils 4, Flyers 1
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Zach Parise scored two goals and Brian Gionta had three assists to give the Devils their ninth straight win and pull even with the Flyers in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. The teams are tied for fifth in the conference with 97 points and will face each other again on Sunday, also at Continental Airlines Arena.
Associated Press
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