NHL
Sabres rally past Senators, 3-2 BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – Thomas Vanek scored twice, including the game-winner with 4 minutes left, to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.
Maxim Afinogenov also scored in helping the Sabres open a season-high six-game homestand with a win and end a four-game losing streak against their Northeast Division rivals. Backup goalie Martin Biron was sharp in making 28 saves.
Peter Schaefer and Dean McCammond scored for Ottawa, which dropped to 8-3-1 in its past 12.
The Sabres, who twice squandered one-goal leads, won despite playing on consecutive nights after a 4-3 shootout win at Atlanta. And they defeated a well-rested opponent – the Senators had been off since a 3-2 shootout loss against Toronto on Saturday.
Islanders 2, Flyers 0
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Rick DiPietro made 27 saves in his fifth shutout of the season and the New York finally figured out Philadelphia at home.
DiPietro, 4-0-2 in his past six starts, turned aside some challenging shots but wasn’t really tested in posting his 11th NHL shutout. The Islanders stretched their point streak to a season-high eight games (5-0-3) and moved within two points of Carolina, the eighth-place team in the Eastern Conference.
Red Wings 4, Coyotes 2
DETROIT – Henrik Zetterberg scored twice, including a go-ahead goal early in the third period that was the 100th of his career, to lead Detroit over Phoenix.
Robert Lang and Pavel Datsyuk also scored for Detroit, which has won five straight to pull within a point of Central Division-leading Nashville. The Red Wings have won 11 in a row at home – matching their longest winning streak in three years – and are 20-3-3 overall at Joe Louis Arena.
Owen Nolan and Shane Doan scored for Phoenix, which has lost four of six games.
Detroit’s Dominik Hasek made 20 saves.
Curtis Joseph faced a lot more shots and stopped 44 to give the Coyotes a chance against one of his former teams.