Brandon Sutter scored the winner early in the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins ran their winning streak to 11 games with a 4-2 win over the New York Islanders on Friday. Pittsburgh matched the longest winning streak by a team this season as the team tied Chicago's 11- game run earlier in the shortened campaign. The Penguins are the first team in NHL history to win at least 10 games in a row for three consecutive seasons. The team went on an 11-game run from Feb. 21-March 17 of last season and won 12 in a row from Nov. 17-Dec. 11, 2010. Pittsburgh now has a three- point lead over Montreal for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, and trails Chicago by three points for first overall in the NHL. Pascal Dupuis had a goal and an assist, while Chris Kunitz and Joe Vitale also scored for Pittsburgh, which got 33 saves from Tomas Vokoun. Mark Streit and Josh Bailey scored for the Islanders, who have dropped three straight. Evgeni Nabokov gave up three goals on 24 shots.
Final Score: Columbus 5, Calgary 1
Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - Nick Foligno potted a pair of goals in a 51- second span as part of a three-goal second stanza that helped the Columbus Blue Jackets extend their club-record point streak to 12 games with a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames at Nationwide Arena. Artem Anisimov capped the second-period flurry, while Jared Boll and Colton Gillies also lit the lamp for the Blue Jackets, who improved to 8-0-4 since losing its last regulation game to Chicago on Feb. 24. Sergei Bobrovsky posted 24 saves to improve to 8-0-2 in his last 10 games. Curtis Glencross scored the lone Calgary goal, while Miikka Kiprusoff allowed all five goals on 28 shots for the Flames, who have lost nine straight on the road and three in a row overall.
Final Score: Washington 6, Winnipeg 1
Winnipeg, MB (Sports Network) - It wasn't a shutout, but the Washington Capitals still tightened the Southeast Division race. Alex Ovechkin scored twice, Braden Holtby made 30 saves and the Capitals swept back-to-game games in Winnipeg with a 6-1 rout. Holtby had blanked the Jets in each of the last two matchups -- both at the MTS Centre. He turned aside 20 shots in Thursday's 4-0 triumph. Mike Ribeiro and Marcus Johansson each had two assists for Washington, which closed to within five points of the first-place Jets. Winnipeg starting goaltender Ondrej Pavelec was pulled in the second period after allowing three goals on nine shots. Al Montoya stopped 12 shots in relief for the Jets, who have lost three of four overall.
Final Score: Detroit 5, Anaheim 1
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Justin Abdelkader posted the first hat trick of his career as Detroit ended Anaheim's home winning streak with a 5-1 win on Friday. Anaheim came into this contest having won 13 straight at home, but thanks to Abdelkader and 33 saves from Jimmy Howard, the Red Wings put an end to that run. Abdelkader also had an assist while Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen each had a goal and two assists for the Red Wings, who have won three of four. Teemu Selanne had the lone goal of the game for the Ducks, who hadn't lost at home since a 5-0 loss to Vancouver on Jan. 25. Viktor Fasth was pulled early in the second period after giving up three goals on 11 shots, while Jonas Hiller made 10 saves the rest of the way. These two teams will meet again in Anaheim on Sunday.
