Associated Press
RALEIGH ó Eric Staal had three goals and an assist and Carolina matched a club record with their ninth straight win by giving the Islanders the worst beating in franchise history.
Cam Ward made 12 saves, and his franchise-record 39th victory of the season was his sixth shutout of the year and 12th of his career.
Erik Cole assisted on all three of Staal’s goals and finished with four assists. Tuomo Ruutu scored twice and Scott Walker, Dwight Helminen, Rod Brind’Amour and Frantisek Kaberle also scored for the Hurricanes.
Penguins 6, Lightning 4
TAMPA, Fla. ó Sidney Crosby scored twice in a 1-minute, 4-second span midway through the second period to help Pittsburgh clinch a playoff berth.
Crosby (101) joined teammate Evgeni Malkin (NHL-leading 110), who had two assists, in reaching the 100-point mark this season. It is the first time two Pittsburgh players have reached 100 points during the same season since Mario Lemieux (161) and Jaromir Jagr (149) in the 1995-96 season.
Flyers 2, Panthers 1
PHILADELPHIA ó Jeff Carter scored the go-ahead goal at 7:32 of the third period, helping the Philadelphia Flyers clinch a playoff berth with a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.
Rangers 3, Canadiens 1
NEW YORK ó Chris Drury scored a pair of goals and the Rangers took advantage of Montreal’s careless defense and suspect goaltending to improve their chances of making the playoffs.
Maple Leafs 4, Devils 1
NEWARK, N.J. ó The son of one of the notorious Hanson brothers from the movie “Slap Shot” scored his first NHL goal, and Martin Gerber played a spectacular game with 47 saves as Toronto beat the suddenly inconsistent Devils.
Senators 3, Bruins 2
OTTAWA ó Dany Heatley scored his 38th goal on a power play in the second period and the Ottawa Senators set a franchise record with their ninth straight home win.