Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Kevin Hayes each collected one goal and three points as the host Winnipeg Jets erased an early two-goal deficit to claim a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night and vault into the top spot in the Central Division. Goalie Laurent Brossoit stopped 35 shots for the Jets, who snapped a two-game losing skid and moved one point ahead of the Predators. Winnipeg, which went into the game with one win in six outings (1-4-1), also has three games in hand. Amazingly, the score was tied 2-2 with six minutes remaining before a wild finish featuring four goals down the stretch — including a pair of empty-net goals for Winnipeg. Pekka Rinne made 27 saves for the Predators, who have lost two straight and three of four games. Capitals 3, Islanders 1 Jakub Vrana and Alex Ovechkin scored 68 seconds apart early in the third period for Washington, who moved into a tie for first place in the Metropolitan Division with New York by scoring three in the third period at Uniondale, N.Y. Both the Capitals and Islanders have 81 points, though New York has a game in hand. T.J. Oshie was credited with an empty-net goal with 1:28 left for the Capitals, who have won three straight and five of their past six. Washington goalie Braden Holtby made 20 saves. The Capitals are 2-1-0 this season against the Barry Trotz-led Islanders. Trotz steered Washington to the franchise's first Stanley Cup win last season. Tom Kuhnhackl scored in the first period for the Islanders, who have lost four of six (2-3-1). Goalie Thomas Greiss recorded 26 saves. Sabres 4, Penguins 3 (OT) Conor Sheary's second goal of the game with 48.2 seconds left in overtime gave Buffalo a stunning win over visiting Pittsburgh. Sheary's shot from above the left hash mark sailed past the blocker of goaltender Matt Murray on the winner. Newly acquired defenseman Brandon Montour tied it 3-3 for Buffalo with 2:32 left in regulation on a long-range shot that wove its way through a crowded crease, and he also had an assist. Linus Ullmark, facing Pittsburgh for the first time in his career, made 41 saves as the Penguins outshot the Sabres 44-30. Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist, Nick Bjugstad and Patric Hornqvist also scored, and Justin Schultz had two assists for Pittsburgh, which is 1-1-2 in its past four. Canadiens 4, Rangers 2 Joel Armia recorded his first career hat trick and Carey Price made 28 saves as Montreal beat New York for a split of its four-game road trip. Brendan Gallagher also scored for the Canadiens, who trailed 1-0 after the first period but rallied for their second straight win after dropping the first two games on the trip. In the mix for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, Montreal has won four of six following an 0-3-1 slide. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 32 shots for the Rangers, who have dropped three in a row (0-1-2). Hurricanes 5, Blues 2 Sebastian Aho broke a second-period tie with a short-handed goal as Carolina defeated visiting St. Louis in Raleigh. Justin Williams, Justin Faulk, Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for the Hurricanes. Staal's goal was his first since Nov. 2. He has played three games since returning to active status after missing about two months due to a concussion. The Hurricanes have won four straight and 10 in their past 12. The Blues went 12-1-1 in February, but they have experienced a recent dip in offensive production. They've gone five straight games without scoring more than two goals, and they are 2-2-1 in that span. Flyers 6, Devils 3 Travis Konecny was credited with a bizarre go-ahead goal late in the second period as Philadelphia won at Newark. Devils goalie Cory Schneider attempted to poke a loose puck out of the way of Konecny, but the puck caromed off Konecny's shin pad and the skate of the New Jersey's Kevin Rooney before squirting into the net. Golden Knights 3, Ducks 0 Marc-Andre Fleury had 34 saves to pick up his league-leading seventh shutout, and visiting Vegas won its third consecutive game in sweeping the season series over lowly Anaheim. Sharks 4, Avalanche 3 Marcus Sorensen scored two goals, Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist, and host San Jose beat Colorado. — Reuters
