NHL roundup: Avalanche beat Stars 5-4 in shootout, halting Dallas’ 10-game win streak

DALLAS (AP) — Valeri Nichushkin scored with 15 seconds remaining in regulation, then connected on one of NHL-leading Colorado’s two goals in a shootout to beat Dallas 5-4 on Friday night, ending the Stars’ franchise-record winning streak at 10 games.

Martin Necas had a goal and three assists for the Avalanche, then made the victory-clinching shot in the shootout after Nichushkin went first.

The Avalanche still had an extra skater on the ice — after Stars captain Jamie Benn had missed an open net on his shot with just over a minute left in regulation — when Nichushkin’s 13th goal tied it. Nichushkin had shots ricochet off both posts earlier in the third period.

Jake Oettinger had 25 saves for the Stars and Scott Wedgewood, his former backup in Dallas, stopped all 10 shots he faced throughout overtime before denying former teammates Jason Robertson and Matt Duchene in the shootout.

Wedgewood took over in net for the Avs after Benn’s goal 1:52 into the second period put Dallas up 4-2 after only 11 shots against Mackenzie Blackwood.

Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskanen and Justin Hryckowian each had a goal and an assist for the Stars, who hadn’t lost since Jan. 22. Their 86 points rank second in the NHL, seven behind their Central Division rival.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Friday:

PANTHERS 3 RED WINGS 1

DETROIT (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk had his sixth career hat trick and Florida beat Detroit to snap a four-game losing streak.

Eight points behind Boston for the final wild-card spot in the East, two-time defending champion Florida is in danger of becoming the first Cup-winning team to miss the playoffs the following season since Los Angeles in 2014-15.

Tkachuk had his first hat trick since Jan. 9, 2024, against St. Louis. He has eight goals in 16 games this season. He made his season debut Jan. 19 after recovering from off-season surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves after the Panthers chose not to deal the 37-year-old goalie before the deadline Friday.

Alex DeBrincat scored his team-high 33rd goal for Detroit. John Gibson made 20 saves.

CANUCKS 6 BLACKHAWKS 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Brock Boeser batted the puck in to break a tie at 2:40 of the third period and NHL-worst Vancouver beat Chicago to end a seven-game losing streak that started in January.

Boeser smacked the puck past Arvid Soderblom after Linus Karlsson’s cross-ice feed ramped up the goalie’s stick and into the air. Max Sasson and Boeser added empty-netters.

Drew O’Connor, Jake DeBrusk and Teddy Blueger had first-period goals and Nikita Tolopilo stopped 20 shots to help Vancouver win for the first time since a 2-0 home victory over Anaheim on Jan. 29. The Canucks had lost 10 of 11.

Ryan Donato, Ilya Mikheyev and Frank Nazar scored for Chicago in its fourth loss in five games since the Olympic break. Soderblom made 16 saves.

Before the game, Chicago traded forward Nick Foligno to Minnesota for future considerations. Andrew Mangiapane made his debut for the Blackhawks after being acquired from Edmonton on Wednesday.

HURRICANES 6 OILERS 3

EDMONTON, Alta. (AP) — Jackson Blake scored twice, K’Andre Miller had three assists and Eastern Conference-leading Carolina beat Edmonton for its seventh victory in eight games.

Nikolaj Ehlers added a goal and an assist, and Shayne Gostisbehere, Jordan Martinook and Jordan Staal also scored, and Frederik Andersen made 13 saves. The Hurricanes are 40-16-6 overall, going 16-2-3 in their last 21.

Zach Hyman scored twice for Edmonton, and Vasily Podkolzin added a goal. The Oilers have lost six of eight to fall to 30-25-8.

Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots for Edmonton.

Ehlers has five goals in his last three games, hitting the 20-goal mark Friday for the ninth time in his 11 NHL campaigns.

Oilers star Connor McDavid picked up an assist to extend his points streak to six games.

DUCKS 6 CANADIENS 5 (SO)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Kreider got the tying goal with 42 seconds left in regulation and Alex Killorn scored in the sixth round of the shootout, sending Anaheim to a victory over Montreal.

Kreider matched his career best with a four-point night for the Ducks, who won for the seventh time in eight games despite blowing a two-goal lead in the third period. Cutter Gauthier, who also scored in the shootout, and Leo Carlsson had a goal and an assist apiece.

Anaheim improved to 8-0 in shootouts this season despite going just 2 for 6 against Montreal, with even Mason McTavish failing to score for the first time in six tries this season.

Radko Gudas and Jackson LaCombe also scored, and Lukas Dostal stopped 23 shots in a rough performance before he came up big in the shootout. Anaheim earned its 19th comeback victory, matching Montreal for the NHL lead.

Cole Caufield scored two of Montreal’s three goals in the third period and Lane Hutson had a goal and two assists. Samuel Montembeault made 28 saves for the Habs, who have lost four of six.

BLUES 3 SAHRKS 2

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Robert Thomas scored his second goal of the game 54 seconds into overtime and St. Louis beat San Jose, just hours after trading captain Brayden Schenn.

Thomas scored on a rebound of a shot by Philip Broberg, giving him four goals in three games since returning from an injury.

The Blues entered trade deadline day near the bottom of the Western Conference standings and are looking to the future having traded away Schenn to the New York Islanders and defenceman Justin Faulk to Detroit.

That left St. Louis undermanned with only five healthy defencemen against the Sharks, but the Blues still managed to pull out their third straight win. Jimmy Snuggerud also scored and Jordan Binnington made 23 saves.

Kiefer Sherwood had tied it in the third period for San Jose when he beat Binnington with a one-timer from the circle. This has been an eventful week for Sherwood, who scored the winner on Tuesday against Montreal for his first goal with the Sharks and then signed a five-year, $28.75 million extension on Wednesday.

Macklin Celebrini also scored for the Sharks.

WILD 4 GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Filip Gustavsson made 30 saves and Minnesota scored three goals in a 3:07 span in the second period in a victory over Vegas.

Third in the Central Division, Minnesota improved to 3-2 since the Olympic break. Vegas is second in the Pacific Division.

Mats Zuccarello opened the second-period scoring spree at 5:18 on a wrist shot. Zach Bogosian followed with a slap shot at 8:07, and newcomer Michael McCarron had a tip-in at 8:25. Vladimir Tarasenko scored with 4:18 left in the third, with McCarron assisting in his Wild debut.

Pavel Dorofeyev and Mitch Marner had third-period goals for Vegas, and Akira Schmid stopped 20 shots. Dorofeyev scored his 30th of the season, ending Gustavsson’s shutout bid with a power-play goal at 2:17.

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The Associated Press