FTS -- Tuesday on Ice

photo credit: The Canadian Press / Paul Chiasson

KOVALEV, PRICE PUSH HABS PAST HAWKS
MONTREAL KEEPS PLAYOFF SPOT

The Canadiens woke up this morning still in 8th place in the Eastern Conference because their best players are playing their best. Alexei Kovalev beat Cristobal Huet 25 seconds into the game to extend his goal-scoring streak to four games. And Carey Price came within 7:42 of a shutout in this 4-1 defeat of the Blackhawks. Montreal (39-27-10) is unbeaten over its last four games and trails the Rangers by one point (with a game in-hand) for 7th in the East. Patrick Sharp scored the only goal for Chicago (40-24-11), which has dropped two straight. The Hawks sit 5th out West, a single point worse than Calgary.

Panthers 5 – Senators 2

This is the third consecutive win for the Panthers, but they still cannot crack the East’s Top 8. Florida trails Montreal by one point for that final playoff spot. This Panther push has been keyed by the power-play, which has connected twice in each of the last three games. In this one, Richard Zednik and Bryan McCabe scored with the man advantage. Nathan Horton, Stephen Weiss and Michal Frolik also scored for the Panthers (38-28-11), while Chris Campoli and Chris Kelly notched the Ottawa (33-33-10) goals. The loss officially eliminated the Sens from playoff contention.

Bruins 3 – Lightning 1

Boston (49-17-10) is officially back on track after registering its fourth victory in a row. Manny Fernandez made 24 saves, and Chuck Kobasew and Blake Wheeler became the team’s seventh and eighth 20-goal scorers. Zdeno Chara scored as well for the Bruins; it was the 17th of his season, which ties his career-high.

Blue Jackets 2 – Predators 1

Columbus is now 11-0-0 this season when Raffi Torres finds the back of the net. The gritty winger tapped in a rebound at 4:05 of the third period to break a 1-1 tie with Nashville (38-31-8). Steve Mason did the rest to give the Blue Jackets (40-29-8) a four-point cushion over Anaheim/Nashville for 6th-place.

Ducks 5 – Oilers 3

The Niedermayer brothers did some showing off Tuesday night in Edmonton. Scott scored once and had two assists, while Rob beat Dwayne Roloson twice. Their efforts propelled Anaheim (39-32-6) into a tie with Nashville for the final two playoff spots out West. The Oilers (36-32-9) have now dropped five of six and are tied with Minnesota for 10th-place, three points out of the bracket.

Canucks 2 – Wild 1 OT

Henrik Sedin’s goal four minutes into overtime and Roberto Luongo’s 33 saves have the Canucks (42-25-9) in first place in the Northwest Division. Vancouver is one point better than Flames and is third overall in the conference. Luongo’s victory made him just the fifth goaltender in history with four consecutive 30-win seasons. Minnesota’s slump continued thanks to an 0-for-5 effort on the power-play and despite holding the Canucks without a shot in final period. The Wild (36-32-9) are tied with Edmonton for 10th in the West, three points behind the Ducks and Predators.

Stars 3 – Kings 2

Dallas’ seven-game skid is finally over, but is it too little, too late? The Stars (34-33-10) woke up this morning in 12th-place out West. Six points and three teams separate them from a playoff spot with five games to go. Brendan Morrison (twice) and Mike Ribeiro scored for Dallas, while LA got goals from Anze Kopitar and Jack Johnson.

IN OTHER NEWS…

The Hall of Fame tweaked its selection process Tuesday, making it easier for women to be elected. Starting in 2010, the Hall will consider male and female candidates separately, with up to four men and two women selected for enshrinement. Currently, men and women are viewed together, making it difficult for a female nominee to garner enough votes.

The Maple Leafs have signed Notre Dame forward Christian Hanson to a two-year entry-level contract. Hanson is the son of “Slap Shot” star Dave Hanson. Christian had 15 goals and 16 assists in 37 games this season for the Fighting Irish.

Former Devils and Blues forward Mike Danton is now in a Canadian prison, according to TSN. Danton served four years of his 7-1/2-year sentence for a “murder-for-hire” plot in a Minnesota facility. Under Canadian law, he is now eligible for full parole.

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

Islanders @ Capitals 7:00pm ET
Sabres @ Thrashers 7:00
Devils @ Penguins 7:30 (Game of the Night)
Flyers @ Maple Leafs 7:30
Blues @ Blackhawks 8:30
Coyotes @ Avalanche 9:00