NHL roundup: Isles sink Ducks to move back into wildcard spot

In the opening period of Sunday night's game, the New York Islanders demonstrated their dominance by netting goals through Casey Cizikas, Kyle Palmieri, and Brock Nelson. This impressive performance allowed them to secure a wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference, as they triumphed over the Anaheim Ducks with a resounding 6-1 victory.

Bo Horvat, Pierre Engvall, and Cal Clutterbuck found the back of the net in the third period for the Islanders, extending their winning streak to six games. This is their longest winning streak since they had a nine-game run from February 28 to March 14, 2021.

Currently, the Islanders and Detroit Red Wings both have 72 points, but New York has a game in hand in the wildcard race. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov made his first start for the Islanders since February 22 and made 22 saves.

The Ducks, on the other hand, have lost three of their past four games, with Alex Killorn scoring in his fourth consecutive game. Lukas Dostal, the Ducks' goalie, recorded 13 saves.

In another game, the Oilers shut out the Penguins with a score of 4-0. Connor McDavid contributed a goal and two assists, while Darnell Nurse scored twice.

Calvin Pickard was outstanding in goal, stopping all 41 shots he faced. This marked Pickard's second shutout of the season, the sixth of his career, and his first against Pittsburgh.

Mattias Ekholm also added a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who had previously lost two games in a row. Tristan Jarry made 38 saves for the Penguins, who have now lost three consecutive games and six of their last seven.

Lastly, the Wild emerged victorious in overtime with a 4-3 win against the Predators. Matt Boldy scored the game-winning goal just 3 minutes and 50 seconds into overtime, securing the victory for Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minn.

Jonas Brodin, Kirill Kaprizov, and Ryan Hartman also contributed goals for the Wild, who have now gone 3-0-1 in their past four games. Boldy had an impressive performance with two assists in addition to his goal.

For the Predators, Mark Jankowski, Luke Evangelista, and Ryan O'Reilly each scored a goal. By forcing overtime, the Predators earned at least one point for the 12th consecutive game, going 10-0-2 during that stretch.

Carolina dominated the game against Calgary, with a final score of 7-2. The Hurricanes' offensive trio of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Teuvo Teravainen each contributed a goal and two assists, showcasing their exceptional skills.

Additionally, Jordan Martinook, Jalen Chatfield, Brent Burns, and Seth Jarvis also found the back of the net for Carolina.

Chatfield and Jarvis also provided assists, while Jordan Staal and Jesperi Kotkaniemi contributed two assists each. Frederik Andersen, the Hurricanes' goaltender, made 17 saves to secure the victory.

On the other side, Dryden Hunt and Yegor Sharangovich scored for Calgary, but it wasn't enough to overcome Carolina's dominant performance.

Dan Vladar, the Flames' goaltender, made 33 saves throughout the game. This win marks the Hurricanes' third consecutive victory and their fifth win in their last six games.