Rick Nash ended up helping the Sharks make the postseason, after all.
The Columbus winger, reportedly sought by San Jose at the trade deadline, scored two go-ahead goals, and the Blue Jackets beat the Avalanche 5-2 on Thursday, eliminating Colorado from postseason contention and, along with an earlier loss by Dallas, securing the Sharks' playoff spot.
Steve Mason made 35 saves, and Cam Atkinson added his first career hat trick for the Blue Jackets, who are last in the league in points but have won four of five.
Predators 2, Stars 0:
Pekka Rinne had a 28-save shutout to eliminate visiting Dallas from playoff contention. ... The Stars' fourth straight loss, the previous two to San Jose, secured playoff spots for the Kings and Coyotes. ... Nashville moved into fourth in the West.
Flyers 2, Sabres 1:
Matt Read beat Ryan Miller on a breakaway with 4:21 left in the third to break a tie and eliminate visiting Buffalo from postseason contention.
Capitals 4, Panthers 2:
Washington and Florida both secured postseason bids, thanks to the Sabres' loss, and the host Capitals' ensured the Southeast Division title will be decided on the final day of the season by winning. ... The Panthers, a playoff team for the first time since 2000, need a point or a Washington loss Saturday to wrap up the Southeast. ... Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth stopped all 13 shots he faced before exiting with an injury in the second period. Braden Holtby took over and stopped 12 of 14 shots.
Bruins 3, Senators 1:
Anton Khudobin stopped 44 shots in his Boston debut as both teams rested regulars ahead of a likely first-round matchup.
Penguins 5, Rangers 2:
Marc-Andre Fleury made 35 saves and tied Tom Barasso for the Pittsburgh franchise record for wins (226), and the host Penguins clinched the fourth seed and home-ice advantage against the Flyers in the playoffs' first round.
Hurricanes 2, Canadiens 1:
Cam Ward stopped 30 shots through overtime and all three in a shootout, and Eric Staal scored the winner in the tiebreaker for host Carolina.
Islanders 5, Jets 4:
Michael Grabner scored his second go-ahead goal of the third period with 46.8 seconds left for host New York.
Maple Leafs 3, Lightning 2:
Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos scored his 59th goal of the season, but Dion Phaneuf's goal in overtime made host Toronto the winner.
Devils 2, Red Wings 1:
Petr Sykora broke a 1-1 tie for visiting New Jersey with 8:40 left.
Wild 2, Blackhawks 1:
Josh Harding made 22 saves through OT and was 3-for-3 in a shootout for host Minnesota, and former Shark Devin Setoguchi scored the only goal in the tiebreaker. ... Wild winger Cal Clutterbuck tied it with 3:12 left in regulation.
Sharks clinch
The Sharks clinched a playoff spot during their night game against the Kings on Thursday, as did the Kings and Coyotes, thanks to losses by the Stars and Avalanche. Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Jose all remained in contention for the Pacific Division title:
| Team | GP | Pts | TB* |
| 3. Kings-n | 80 | 93 | 34 |
| 7. Coyotes | 80 | 93 | 34 |
| 8. Sharks-n | 80 | 92 | 33 |
Note: * tiebreaker for teams with the same number of points and games played is non-shootout wins; n-night game not included.
This article appeared on page B - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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