VANCOUVER: Radim Vrbata and Shane Doan scored 1:18 apart on the same power play late in the third period to lift the Phoenix Coyotes to a 3-1 win over the NHL-leading Vancouver Canucks Friday. Phoenix backup goalie Jason LaBarbera made 46 saves, only conceding late when Vancouver defenseman Christian Ehrhoff spoiled the shutout bid. Lee Stempniak scored into an empty net with 1:05 left to restore the Coyotes' two-goal advantage. The Canucks had their winning streak snapped at seven games by their former backup goalie. Rangers 6, Canadiens 3: In New York, the hosts hammered home five goals in the opening period to set up a key win over Montreal. Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik and Brian Boyle scored 1:07 apart in the Rangers' highest-scoring first period in more than 11 years. The Rangers and Canadiens, fighting for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference with about three weeks left in the season, staged a postseason-like show at Madison Square Garden. New York, in seventh place, moved within five points of sixth-place Montreal with 10 games left for both teams. More importantly, the Rangers went four points ahead of Buffalo and Carolina. P.K. Subban, Brian Gionta and James Wisniewski scored for Montreal. Capitals 3, Devils 0: In Newark, New Jersey, Washington put another dagger in New Jersey's playoff hopes. Rookie Michal Neuvirth stopped 33 shots for his fourth shutout, defenseman Jeff Schultz broke an 81-game goal drought and Alex Ovechkin made a pair of fantastic passes to set up goals by goals by Mike Knuble as the Capitals won comfortably despite having only 12 shots on goal. The win gave the Capitals 94 points, tying them for first place in the Eastern Conference with idle Philadelphia. The Flyers have three games in hand and one more win. The Devils remained six points behind idle Buffalo in the race for the eighth and final playoff berth in the East with 11 games to play. Hurricanes 3, Islanders 2, OT: In Raleigh, North Carolina, Joni Pitkanen scored at 3:58 of overtime to give Carolina a win over New York. Carolina's Erik Cole forced overtime with a tying goal at 15:23 of the third.
