Friday’s games
Hurricanes 4, Capitals 2: Sebastian Aho scored the game-winning goal within the final two minutes of regulation time as the host Hurricanes tallied four unanswered goals.
Jake Guentzel scored twice in a three-point performance and Martin Necas scored once for the Hurricanes (48-22-7, 103 points). Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov made 14 saves and Jaccob Slavin netted two assists.
Alex Ovechkin scored twice and Dylan Strome collected two assists for the Capitals (36-30-10, 82 points), who have fallen out of a playoff position due to a five-game swoon. Goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped 41 shots.
Sabres 4, Flyers 2: Jack Quinn had two goals and Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist to lead the host Sabres.
The Sabres (37-35-5, 79 points) have won two straight games, and are still alive in their pursuit of an Eastern Conference wild-card playoff berth.
Rasmus Dahlin scored Buffalo’s other goal. Alex Tuch and Zach Benson each had two assists.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 32 of 34 shots to earn his 26th win of the season.
The Flyers are 0-4-2 in their last six games and dropped out of third place in the Metropolitan Division and into the wild card race.
Thursday’s late games
Jets 5, Flames 2: Gabriel Vilardi notched his first NHL hat trick to help the host Jets clinch a playoff spot. Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and an assist, Tyler Toffoli also scored, Josh Morrissey had two assists and Connor Hellebuyck made 31 saves for the Jets, who remain four points behind the Colorado Avalanche for second place in the Central Division with six games left for each.
Kings 2, Sharks 1: Akil Thomas scored his first NHL goal to help visiting Los Angeles. Adrian Kempe also scored and David Rittich made 15 saves for the Kings, who pulled within a point of the Nashville Predators for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Predators 6, Blues 3: Filip Forsberg scored twice in a three-point game to pace host Nashville to snap a three-game skid and strengthened the Predators’ playoff chances. Roman Josi, Anthony Beauvillier, Michael McCarron and Mark Jankowski also scored for the Predators, who hold the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. Goaltender Juuse Saros sparkled with 44 saves, while exWing Gustav Nyquist collected three assists, including the 300th of his career.
Avalanche 5, Wild 2: Jonathan Drouin scored two goals and dished one assist as visiting Colorado pulled away. Nathan MacKinnon also posted a three-point night with one goal and two assists for the Avalanche. Artturi Lehkonen and Mikko Rantanen added one goal apiece.