Hype for March 24, 2010

The San Jose Sharks were relieved and back in first place in the Pacific Division after ending their long losing streak.

Evgeni Nabokov stopped 18 shots, and four San Jose players scored to help the Sharks snap a six-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

Martin Brodeur is making it very hard for future goaltenders to break his records as he piles up milestones for the New Jersey Devils.

Brodeur made 19 saves Tuesday night in the Devils' 6-3 win over the  Columbus Blue Jackets. The victory lifted him to the 40-win mark for the eighth time. No other NHL goalie has had more than three such seasons.

Ottawa Senators forward Milan Michalek will be out of the lineup for at least two weeks, after suffering a left knee injury last Thursday in Atlanta.

Head coach Cory Clouston said "he is hopeful that rehab in the next two weeks will help Michalek avoid surgery that would sideline him for an extended period of time."

Anton Volchenkov showed he'll do whatever it takes to get the Ottawa Senators into the playoffs.

Volchenkov was all over the ice Tuesday, blocking shots and delivering some game-changing if questionable hits as the Senators beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0. In the third period, Volchenkov nailed Simon Gagne with a check from behind that took the Flyers forward out of the play and resulted a Daniel Alfredsson's insurance goal. Volchenkov did not receive a penalty for the hit.

Boston was in danger of giving up the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Fortunately for the Bruins, they had the right team chasing them.

David Krejci scored a goal and assisted on another, Tuukka Rask blanked Atlanta for the second time this season, and the Bruins kept up their mastery of the Thrashers with a crucial 4-0 victory Tuesday night.

Rene Bourque took advantage of some hard work from Jarome Iginla to help the Calgary Flames in their playoff push.

Bourque scored the game-winner late in the second on Tuesday as the Flames topped the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. Bourque's 23rd goal of the season came after he broke in alone on Jonas Hiller and put a wrist shot through the legs of the Anaheim netminder. Iginla set things up by stealing the puck from Ducks forward Corey Perry at his own blue-line and chipping it ahead to Bourque.

It's far too late to do any good for this season, but the Edmonton Oilers are on a bit of a roll.

Tom Gilbert had a goal and an assist as the Oilers continued to make a surprise late surge, winning their third in a row with a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Robert Nilsson and Andrew Cogliano also scored for the last-place Oilers (24-42-7) who were coming off consecutive wins over Detroit and San Jose and have now won seven of their last nine at home.