WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Bryan Little scored in the shootout to give the Winnipeg Jets a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins in their last home game of the season Thursday night.

Little beat Chad Johnson with a low shot between his pads, the only scorer in three rounds.

Winnipeg’s Evander Kane tied the game at 1 with a wrister that beat Johnson over his glove with 1:57 left in the third period. Just a few minutes earlier, Kane had hit the post.

Brad Marchand scored the opening goal at 10:12 of the first period for the NHL-leading Bruins, who have clinched the top spot in the East and have 115 points to lead the NHL, three ahead of idle Anaheim.

PREDATORS 2, COYOTES 0: Pekka Rinne made 29 saves to lead host Nashville over Phoenix, damaging the Coyotes’ playoff hopes.

The Coyotes entered the day two points behind the Dallas Stars in the wild-card race. Both teams have two games remaining, including Sunday’s finale when Dallas visits Phoenix.

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Phoenix will need to finish the season at least one point ahead of Dallas since the Stars have more regulation and OT wins.

RANGERS 2, SABRES 1: Rick Nash scored the winning goal with 1:42 left, on New York’s third shot of the third period, and the Rangers improved their chances for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a victory over NHL-worst Buffalo.

LIGHTNING 4, FLYERS 2: Richard Panik, Eric Brewer and Steven Stamkos had third-period goals to help host Tampa Bay beat Philadelphia and move within a point of Montreal for second place in the Atlantic Division.

Anders Lindback played in place of injured Tampa Bay starting goalie Ben Bishop, who may not be ready for the start of a playoff series next week against Montreal due to an upper-body injury.

ISLANDERS 2, CANADIENS 0: Evgeni Nabokov had to stop just 19 shots for his fourth shutout this season, and Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson scored power-play goals late in the second period as the New York Islanders won at Montreal.

The loss, combined with Tampa Bay’s 4-2 win over Philadelphia, hurt the Canadiens’ chances of starting the playoffs on home ice. Montreal is second in the Atlantic Division with 98 points and one game left to play, while the Lightning have 97 points with two games remaining.

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CAPITALS 5, HURRICANES 2: Troy Brouwer scored two goals and Washington won at Raleigh, N.C., in a Metropolitan Division matchup of teams knocked out of the playoff race.

Braden Holtby stopped 36 shots for Washington, which won its third straight after losing five in a row.

PANTHERS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2: Nick Bjugstad had two goals and an assist to lift Florida to victory at home over Toronto.

Roberto Luongo, who returned after missing Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury, made 27 saves.

SENATORS 2, DEVILS 1: Erik Karlsson scored the winner in the shootout to lift host Ottawa over New Jersey.

Mike Hoffman also scored for the Senators and Robin Lehner stopped 38 shots to win his third straight game.

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WILD 4, BLUES 2: Kyle Brodziak scored two goals and John Curry made 43 saves in his Wild debut to lead host Minnesota over St. Louis.

NOTES

Nine former players have sued the NHL over concussions, saying the league subjects its players to “devastating and long-term” health consequences by failing to warn players of the dangers of head trauma.

Among the players are former All-Star defenseman Brad Maxwell and Jack Carlson, whose brothers starred in the film “Slapshot.”


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