Matthews reaches 60th goals, Maple Leafs blank Red Wings
Canes win division; Bruins, Preds clinch wild-card spots
TORONTO, April 27, (AP): Auston Matthews scored his NHL-leading 59th and 60th goals of the season, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 to clinch home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The 24-year-old Matthews, who snapped a five-game goal drought, is the first player to score 60 times in a campaign since Steven Stamkos in 2011-12.
John Tavares had the other goal and Jack Campbell made 20 saves to register his fifth shutout of the season for Toronto, which set a franchise record with its 30th home victory of the season.
Hurricanes 4, Rangers 3
In New York, Vincent Trochek had a goal and an assist, rookie Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 31 shots and Carolina beat New York to clinch the Metropolitan Division title.
ICE HOCKEY
Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Jordan Martinook also scored for Carolina, and Brady Skjei had two assists.
Bruins 4, Panthers 2
In Boston, Jake DeBrusk snapped a 2-2 tie in the second period, Linus Ullmark made 19 saves and Boston beat Florida to clinch the first wild card in the Eastern Conference.
DeBrusk scored the eventual gamewinner when he slammed home the rebound of a Brad Marchand shot at 4:59. Ullmark is 5-1 in his last eight appearances and has only allowed 10 goals in that span.
Flames 5, Predators 4, OT
In Nashville, Tenn., Matthew Tkachuk forced overtime by scoring with a second left in the third and Elias Lindholm’s OT goal secured Calgary’s win over Nashville.
Despite losing its third straight, Nashville clinched a wild-card spot thanks to Dallas’ shootout win over Vegas.
Avalanche 5, Blues 3
In Denver, Valeri Nichushkin scored one of Colorado’s three goals in the second period and the Avalanche held on late to match the franchise record for points in a season with a win over St. Louis.
Erik Johnson and Josh Manson also scored in the second. Artturi Lehkonen added a goal just 9 seconds into the third