Posted by John Pereira, Special to ESPN.com
The Ottawa Senators freefall down the Eastern Conference standings continued on Saturday night. A 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins was their fourth loss in their past five games and they now sit just two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. Tim Thomas made 34 saves to pick up his third shutout of the season and third consecutive win. He's playing some magnificent hockey as the Bruins push closer to the playoffs, with his save percentage well above .933 in his past four games. Meanwhile, rookie David Krejci had a goal and two assists for the Bruins to extend his point streak to three games. Over that span, he has five points and is finally showing his offensive flair. With 25 points in just 52 games this year, he may be a name to keep in mind late in drafts next year.
The battle of Alberta is a hard-fought one on a normal night, so now imagine what it was like with a playoff spot on the line. Dustin Penner scored the go-ahead goal on the power play in the third period to give the Oilers a 2-1 win over the Flames. The goal also moved the Oilers into a tie for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference to keep their dreams of the postseason alive. The resurgence of Dwayne Roloson continues. After being an afterthought for the better part of four months, he has recaptured his role as the No. 1 goaltender and looked good, stopping 31-of-32 shots on the night. Expect to see him between the pipes on a nightly basis should the Oilers make it into the playoffs.
If the Toronto Maple Leafs ever had any questions about where this team should go in the future, they got their answer on Saturday night. In what should have been an easy game for the first-place Montreal Canadiens, two Toronto rookies pushed the Leafs to a surprising 4-2 win. Anton Stralman and Jiri Tlusty had two goals each, while Nik Antropov chipped in with three assists. Stralman in the past has drawn comparisons to fellow countryman Niklas Lidstrom at times, as he has a good point shot and passing game. He's coming off an impressive season in the Swedish Elite League last year and might be a name to watch next year. Tlusty, meanwhile, is the Maple Leafs' second-highest rated prospect and could become a good offensive sniper who doesn't shy away from the physical aspect of the game. If he's given regular ice time next year with talented wingers, he could be beneficial to fantasy owners.
After they acquired Mike Richards, the Dallas Stars were supposed to be a legitimate contender for the right to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup finals. Things didn't quite pan out as hoped and the team has gone on to drop eight of their past nine games. Apparently a matchup with the worst team in the league was enough to cure what ailed the Stars. Loui Eriksson, Jere Lehtinen, Mattias Norstrom, Mike Ribeiro and Brad Richards all had multipoint nights as the Stars beat the Kings 7-2. I do, however, have some concern about Marty Turco. He allowed two goals despite only seeing 14 shots, I'd consider benching him until he improves.
Alexander Ovechkin scored his league-leading 62nd goal as the Washington Capitals shut out the Florida Panthers 3-0 on Saturday night. Cristobal Huet made 34 stops for the win and just his second shutout of the season. Huet has won his past six games and is a sure bet to re-sign with Washington in the offseason. Olaf Kolzig will undoubtedly sail into the sunset of retirement, while Huet assumes the No. 1 job next year.
You wouldn't know the Tampa Bay Lightning were one of the worst teams in the NHL by the way they played in Saturday night's 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Karri Ramo stopped 38 shots for the Lightning, as he made his third consecutive start in place of Mike Smith, who remains sidelined with a sprained ankle. The offensive side of the game was highlighted by two players who didn't even start the season in Tampa Bay. Jeff Halpern and Jussi Jokinen, both acquired in the Brad Richards trade, each scored for the Lightning.
The Blues-Blackhawks game had all the intensity of a playoff game, at least during the third period. Chicago had a 4-0 lead early in the third period in part due to performances from Andrew Ladd and Jonathan Toews, then they almost squandered it. The Blues led by Keith Tkachuk, Brad Boyes and Paul Kariya, scored three goals in the final 15 minutes, but eventually fell short. The win was a big one for the Blackhawks, as a loss would have all but eliminated them from playoff contention. They now sit four points back of eighth-place Nashville.
The roller coaster ride continues for fans of the Philadelphia Flyers as the team desperately tries to hold onto a playoff spot in the tight race in the East. For the second straight game, the Flyers were able to tie it up late in the third period and send the game into a shootout. Antero Niittymaki stopped all three shots he saw in the shootout and Daniel Briere scored the winner to give the Flyers the 4-3 decision over the New York Islanders. By all accounts the game shouldn't have been this close, but Wade Dubielewicz kept the Islanders in the game making 51 saves. With general manager Garth Snow's track record, a performance like that should earn Dubielewicz a 10-year contract extension...
John Pereira is a fantasy hockey analyst for ESPN.com.
