SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Pavel Zacha scored the winning goal with 2:21 to go in regulation and Boston defeated Florida 4-3 on Tuesday night.
The Bruins also broke a tie with Florida atop the Atlantic Division and now hold a two-point lead although the Panthers have played one less game.
Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak and Trent Frederic also scored for the Bruins and Jeremy Swayman made 18 saves.
Evan Rodrigues, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers while Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves.
Elsewhere in the NHL on Tuesday:
RANGERS 6 FLYERS 5 (OT)
NEW YORK (AP) — Adam Fox scored in overtime and Igor Shesterkin made 36 saves as the New York Rangers defeated Philadelphia.
After the teams traded seven goals in a frenetic third period, Fox rifled home the winning goal 36 seconds into overtime as the first-place Rangers won for the 48th time and clinched a playoff spot for the third straight season. Alexis Lafreniere scored twice for the Rangers and Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Rangers.
Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad and Jonny Brodzinski also scored for the Rangers.
PENGUINS 4 HURRICANES 1
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist and the Penguins scored two goals on five shots in the second period, spoiling Jake Guentzel’s return to Pittsburgh with a victory over Carolina.
Bryan Rust scored his 23rd of the season and his seventh goal in 10 games. Jesse Puljujarvi added his third of the season — and second in as many games for the Penguins, who were outshot 31-14 in the last two periods. Drew O’Connor added an empty-net goal at 18:04 of the third.
Crosby scored his 35th goal of the season and became the first active player, and 14th in NHL history, with 15 or more 40-assist seasons. The Penguins snapped a three-game losing streak and rebounded from an overtime loss at Colorado on Sunday, when they squandered a four-goal lead.
Alex Nedeljkovic, Carolina’s second-round draft pick in 2014, stopped 38 shots for Pittsburgh.
CAPITALS 4 RED WINGS 3 (OT)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dylan Strome scored twice, Charlie Lindgren made 30 saves and Washington beat Detroit In a pivotal matchup in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Capitals moved two points ahead of Detroit and still have an extra game left to play. They’re also right on the heels of Philadelphia for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
“I think we’re proving a lot of people wrong right now,” Strome said.
Washington has won three in a row and five of six to improve its post-season position to the best it has been in recent weeks. There are 10 games left for the Caps to play this NHL regular season as they attempt to get back in after failing to qualify last year.
