Hype for April 02, 2010

After a year's absence, the Ottawa Senators marked their return to the Stanley Cup playoffs in dramatic fashion Thursday night.

Alex Kovalev and Jason Spezza had goals in the shootout and Erik Karlsson scored twice in regulation as the Senators beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 to ensure a return to post-season play.

It was inevitable that the Flyers would eventually lose to the New York Islanders. But after two years of dominance, playoff-hopeful Philadelphia picked the worst possible time for a letdown.

Playing mostly for pride with only a handful of games left, the Islanders scored three goals in the first period - two by Blake Comeau - and snapped a 15-game losing streak to Philadelphia with a 6-4 victory Thursday night.

The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't want to let the season slip away without sending a message to the Buffalo Sabres.

Luke Schenn's long knuckling shot broke a third-period tie Thursday as the Maple Leafs defeated Buffalo 4-2 - the first time Toronto beat its division rival all season. Solving the Sabres provided plenty of motivation for a Leafs team that has just four games left to play before the start of another long summer.

Edmonton winger Dustin Penner is day-to-day after suffering a scratched cornea Tuesday night in the Oilers' 5-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

It happened in the first period when a puck that Nicklas Lidstrom was attempting to clear out of his zone deflected off Penner's stick and struck him under the right eye. Penner left the game and did not return.

The Nashville Predators want everything clicking when they hit the playoffs.

Ending a scoring drought on their own ice is a good - and big - start.

Steve Sullivan scored the go-ahead goal at 6:05 of the third period, and the Predators beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on Thursday night to move within a point of clinching a playoff berth. The Predators trailed 0-2 in the second before breaking a home-scoring drought that had stretched over more than eight periods.

Although Dustin Brown pretty much whiffed on the cross-ice pass from Ryan Smyth, his tepid shot somehow got under the pads of star Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo, leaving the Los Angeles captain with a goal and a sheepish grin.

It was that kind of night for both Brown and Luongo when Los Angeles seized control of its playoff destiny and left the Canucks wondering about their own post-season fitness.

Brown had three goals and an assist, and the Kings roared to an early five-goal lead while inching closer to their first playoff berth since 2002 with an 8-3 victory over Vancouver on Thursday night.