Lightning/NHL

Win helps Brodeur tie Plante

By wire services
Published March 31, 2006

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Martin Brodeur continued his ascension in the NHL record book Thursday night and helped the Devils strengthen their playoff position in the process.

Brodeur made 29 saves and moved into a tie with Jacques Plante for fourth place on the league's all-time win list in New Jersey's 3-1 victory over Buffalo.

Brodeur picked up his 437th win in his 804th career game, making him the fastest goaltender in league history to reach that mark. Next on the list is Terry Sawchuk with 447.

New Jersey remained tied with Tampa Bay and Montreal for sixth place with 83 points, and all three moved seven points ahead of ninth-place Atlanta.

John Madden scored 51 seconds into the game and Zach Parise and Brian Gionta added third-period goals.

"The way we've been playing, we've been playing well against quality teams," Parise said. "From here on out, we've got to do that every night."

Daniel Briere, the Sabres' co-captain, missed the game, serving the first of a two-game suspension levied by the league, a day after striking Boston defenseman Brian Leetch with a high stick.

CANADIENS 3, CAPITALS 2 (OT): Saku Koivu put a backhander past Washington's Olaf Kolzig with 57.4 seconds remaining in overtime, giving host Montreal its fifth straight victory. With the goal, Koivu, who extended his points streak to five games earlier, ended his 23-game goal drought. Washington center Jeff Halpern scored a power-play goal with 2.5 seconds remaining in regulation to tie it.

SENATORS 4, RANGERS 1: Ray Emery made 24 saves and Ottawa overcame the absence of three top defensemen to beat visiting New York. The Eastern Conference-leading Senators played without defensive partners Zdeno Chara (hand) and Chris Phillips (knee), and Wade Redden missed the game to travel to Saskatchewan to be with his ailing mother. Chris Neil, Patrick Eaves, Dany Heatley and Peter Schaefer scored for the Senators. The Rangers remain four points ahead of second-place Philadelphia in the Atlantic Division.

RED WINGS 4, PREDATORS 2: Brendan Shanahan and Jason Williams each had a goal and an assist in the third period to pace league-leading Detroit on the road. Tomas Holstrom and Kris Draper also scored for the Wings. Mike Sillinger and Scott Hartnell scored for the host Predators.

OILERS 4, KINGS 0: Dwayne Roloson made 20 saves for his first shutout with host Edmonton, moving the Oilers into a tie three-way tie for sixth place in the Western Conference. Sergei Samsonov, Jaroslav Spacek and Ales Hemsky each had a goal and assist, and Raffi Torres also scored.

McCAULEY'S STREAK ENDS: San Jose center Alyn McCauley sat out the game against Phoenix with an undisclosed lower-body injury, ending his streak of consecutive games played at 169. The streak was the sixth-longest in the Sharks' franchise history.

[Last modified March 31, 2006, 01:09:18]