National Hockey League results | Wednesday

Lightning 6, Stars 2

TAMPA, Fla. — Defenseman Erik Cernak had a goal and two assists to help the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Dallas Stars 6-2 on Wednesday night.

Defending champion Tampa Bay has won six of the seven meetings this season between the 2020 Stanley Cup finalists. The teams will meet again Friday night in Tampa.

Senators 5, Canadiens 1

OTTAWA, Ontario — Erik Brannstrom had three assists for his first career multi-point game, Shane Pinto scored his first NHL goal and Ottawa stalled Montreal’s playoff charge.

Blue Jackets 4, Predators 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Mikhail Grigorenko scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-2 comeback victory over Nashville, preventing the Predators from clinching a playoff spot Wednesday night.

Oliver Bjorkstrand had two goals, including an empty-netter with less than a second remaining, and Jack Roslovic also scored for the Blue Jackets, who stopped a two-game skid and won for just the second time in 12 games. It also marked the fifth straight game (2-0-3) Columbus has earned a point.

Capitals 4, Rangers 2

NEW YORK — T.J. Oshie had a hat trick, Vitek Vanecek made 19 saves and the Washington Capitals beat the depleted New York Rangers 4-2 in a fight-filled game.

Oshie beat Alexandar Georgiev 12 seconds into the middle period with a shot from the right circle with Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich in the penalty box.

Oshie scored again at 8:26 of the second — again with Buchnevich penalized for a high-sticking major — his 20th goal of the season.

Nic Dowd also scored for Washington at 14:48 of the second with assists to defenseman John Carlson and Dmitri Orlov, his second of the game.

Oshie, whose father died this week, completed his hat trick with an empty net goal at 18:20 of the third.

Rangers rookie Alexis Lafreniere ruined Vanecek’s shuout bid at 1:15 of the third period with his 11th goal of the season. Fellow rookie forward Morgan Barron scored his first NHL goal at 18:44 to complete the scoring.

Ducks 3, Blues 2, SO

Vegas at Minnesota, late Colorado at San Jose, late Winnipeg at Calgary, late

Los Angeles at Arizona, late