Avalanche beat Stars 2-0 to extend their edge in the Central Division race
DALLAS (AP) — Martin Necas broke a scoreless tie midway through the third period, Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-netter and the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche took a big step toward home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs with a 2-0 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday. Scott Wedgewood made 17 saves against his former team for his third shutout of the season in the first meeting of these Central Division rivals not to go to a shootout. Dallas won two of those three.
The regulation win gave the Avalanche an eight-point edge over the Stars, who have five games remaining. Colorado has seven games to go. The Stars won each of the postseason meetings with the Avs the past two seasons, and a second-round showdown could be looming this spring.
Dallas is headed toward an opening-round match with third-place Minnesota, which pulled within four points of the Stars with a 4-1 victory over Ottawa and has an extra game remaining. While Wedgewood has a good chance to start in net for the Avalanche, the Stars went with Casey DeSmith, the backup to Jake Oettinger, in the final regular-season meeting. DeSmith made 20 stops.
Colorado was without star defenseman Cale Makar for a second straight game due to an upper-body injury, while fellow blueliner Brent Burns became the second player in NHL history to play in 1,000 consecutive games. RANGERS 4, RED WINGS 1 NEW YORK (AP) — Failing to score until there were 32 seconds left and allowing a hat trick to Gabriel Perreault, Detroit lost an important game in its pursuit of a playoff spot in a defeat to New York. With six games left, the Red Wings remain on the outside looking in as part of a competitive Eastern Conference race down the stretch.
They are among a handful of teams fighting for the East’s second and final wild-card spot. Detroit’s loss clinched a berth for the Buffalo Sabres , who ended the NHL’s longest postseason drought at 14 seasons. Though his teammates came up empty on scoring, goaltender John Gibson made some big saves among his 17, playing well in his 14th consecutive start.
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