The Montreal Canadiens needed three tries to beat the Atlanta Thrashers in a shootout. Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Vesa Toskala took eight to win one of those tiebreakers anywhere against anyone.
Mats Sundin and Alex Steen scored goals to win it and get Toskala out of his career-long shootout slump.
“It seemed like I was 0-10 in shootouts … 0-7 doesn’t seem that bad now, but it’s nice to get the two points,” Toskala said after the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 shootout win in Boston over the Bruins on Thursday night.
Montreal’s Andrei Kostitsyn and Saku Koivu scored shootout goals after Cristobal Huet handed Atlanta a gift goal in the third period, allowing the Canadiens to escape with a 3-2 road victory over the Thrashers.
In two other meetings this season, the teams also went to the shootout tied at 2. Atlanta came out on top in those games, but the Canadiens pulled out this one for their fourth win in five games.
“You’re never too confident in a shootout,” Koivu said.
In other NHL games, it was Washington 5, Edmonton 4 in a shootout; Ottawa 5, Carolina 1; Detroit 3, Vancouver 2 in a shootout; Anaheim 2, Nashville 1; Columbus 4, Phoenix 3; and Dallas 4, San Jose 2.
Toskala’s first NHL shootout victory helped the Maple Leafs snap a six-game road losing streak. Toronto, which won for the third time in 10 games, had been outscored 39-19 during that span. The Leafs allowed fewer than three goals for the first time in 11 games.
“This was a big win for us and Vesa,” Steen said. “We gave them the one point, but we are happy to come out of here with two.”
Phil Kessel and Marc Savard failed on their shootout attempts for Boston.
The Thrashers went 0-for-2 in the shootout. Slava Kozlov shot wide and Marian Hossa’s attempt to go five-hole was blocked by Huet, who squeezed his pads together in the nick of time.
“It was a good opportunity for me to really step up and make sure we didn’t get beaten in the shootout,” Huet said. “I definitely felt I owed the team something after the two goals.”
Red Wings 3, Canucks 2, SO
At Detroit, Henrik Zetterberg scored the only goal of the shootout and the NHL-leading Red Wings snapped a three-game losing streak.
Dan Cleary scored twice for Detroit in regulation and Dominik Hasek made 26 saves.
Henrik Sedin had a goal and an assist for Vancouver and Markus Naslund also scored. Roberto Luongo made 47 saves. The Canucks scored twice in the last 4 minutes of the second period to tie it at 2.
Zetterberg scored the winning goal in the shootout.
Senators 5, Hurricanes 1
Antoine Vermette had his first two-goal game of the season, and Martin Gerber made 36 saves to lead host Ottawa.
Mike Fisher, Randy Robitaille and Jason Spezza also scored for the Senators, who became the first Eastern Conference team to reach 30 wins. Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson injured his hip and was forced out of the game early in the second period.
Ray Whitney scored his 21st goal on a 5-on-3 advantage early in the third, but Carolina’s losing streak reached a season-high four games. The Hurricanes have dropped eight of 10.
Capitals 5, Oilers 4, SO
At Washington, Matt Bradley scored after 11 other Capitals missed in the shootout.
Bradley, who has two goals this season, finally broke the deadlock in the 12th round. Olie Kolzig then stopped Sheldon Souray, the 24th shooter in the tiebreaker, to end it.
Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Mike Green all scored for the third straight game.
Shawn Horcoff, who had two goals for the Oilers, tied it 4-all at 7:40 of the third period.
Ducks 2, Predators 1
At Nashville, Tenn., Brandon Bochenski and Corey Perry scored goals and Stanley Cup champion Anaheim stretched its winning streak to a season-high five games.
Ryan Getzlaf earned an assist on both goals, stretching his point streak to 12 games.
The Ducks, 7-0-1 in their last eight games, won the season series with the Predators 3-1.
Jason Arnott’s power-play goal at 15:24 of the third cut Nashville’s deficit to 2-1.
Stars 4, Sharks 2
Mike Modano scored his second goal with 7:06 left, and visiting Dallas further tightened the Pacific Division race.
Marty Turco made 28 saves, Niklas Hagman also scored and Jeff Halpern added an insurance goal with 2:09 left for the Stars, who won for just the third time in 10 games. Dallas’ slumps seem to evaporate at the Shark Tank, where the Stars have won six straight, including all three visits this season.
Modano’s second two-goal game of the season in San Jose pulled the Stars even with the Sharks in the division standings, just one point behind first-place Anaheim.
Joe Thornton and Milan Michalek scored for the Sharks, who have lost three straight.
Blue Jackets 4, Coyotes 3
At Glendale, Ariz., Rick Nash scored with 21.5 seconds left to lift Columbus to its fourth straight win.
Martin Hanzal had scored a power-play goal on a rebound 77 seconds earlier to tie the game 3-3.
Nash finished with two goals and an assist, Rostislav Klesla also scored and Sergei Fedorov and Michael Peca each had two assists for the Blue Jackets, who passed idle St. Louis for second place in the Central Division.
Peter Mueller had a goal and assist, and Shane Doan also scored for the Coyotes, who have lost three of five.
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