Detroit Red Wings 7-3 Buffalo Sabres
The Detroit Red Wings returned to winning ways in strong fashion, defeating the struggling Buffalo Sabres 7-3. It would take seven and a half minutes to see the first goal of the game, which came from the visitors via Tage Thompson. About five minutes later, the Red Wings responded through Marco Kasper, and it was then that the goals flowed from the home team.
Alex DeBrincat made it 2-1 for Detroit a few minutes later, with Patrick Kane adding a power play marker. Buffalo would quickly return the deficit to just one, as Josh Norris got one back for them. The hosts would add a fourth midway through the second as Vladimir Tarasenko got on the scoreboard. Once again, however, the Sabres responded. This time, Zach Benson made the most of a power play situation to lead the teams into intermission with the game finely poised.
It would turn out to be the best things got for the away team, as Kane scored his second on a man advantage just 96 seconds into the third. Kasper also got his double four minutes later, before Moritz Seider capped off the scoring later on in the frame.
The Red Wings' six-game losing skid is over, with the victory putting them back in the running for the postseason. They are still two points out from eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres are still stuck at the bottom of the conference from the defeat.
Calgary Flames 3-4 Vancouver Canucks (SO)
The Vancouver Canucks earned a 4-3 shootout win over the Calgary Flames. It was Pius Suter who opened the scoring with 6:27 left in the opening period. Nazem Kadri responded for the Flames four minutes later as the teams went into locker rooms level.
Jake DeBrusk restored the lead for Vancouver on a power play, making it 2-1. The lead would not last long, as Jonathan Huberdeau returned things to level pegging three minutes later. That came off a short-handed situation for the Canucks. They would then take the lead as Huberdeau found another a couple minutes later on a power play. Elias Pettersson got the visitors' equalizer with 6:44 left in regulation.
Overtime resolved nothing, meaning a shootout would decide the winner. Pettersson scored Vancouver's first penalty shot, before Huberdeau responded in the third round. After Suter failed to end the game, the Canucks were handed a reprieve as Yegor Sharangovich failed to convert his next attempt. Up stepped Conor Garland, who made no mistake in getting the Canucks the win.
Both teams are now tied on 71 points, leaving them tied for the last playoff spot. Despite the defeat, the Flames currently occupy eighth spot, in comparison to the Canucks' ninth place.