NHL roundup: Sebastian Aho's late goal lifts Hurricanes past Panthers

Sebastian Aho found the back of the net with just 18.9 seconds remaining, while Pyotr Kochetkov made an impressive 44 saves to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 1-0 victory over the Florida Panthers in a highly anticipated matchup between two top Eastern Conference teams in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday night.

Aho's 21st goal of the season was scored during a late power play and was assisted by Andrei Svechnikov and Jesper Fast. Following the game, there was a scrum between the teams.

Kochetkov, who had served as the Hurricanes' backup in the previous two games, made 16 saves in the third period to secure his third shutout of the season and seventh in his 56-game career.

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots, but Florida's six-game winning streak came to an end. The Panthers had won 10 of their last 11 games.

In the Maple Leafs' 7-3 victory over the Golden Knights, Auston Matthews scored his league-leading 52nd goal, while Max Domi netted two goals. This win marked Toronto's season-high sixth consecutive victory in Las Vegas.

Domi's performance included his 19th multi-goal game of his career. Pontus Holmberg contributed with a goal and an assist,

Mitch Marner provided two assists, and Jake McCabe, David Kampf, and John Tavares also found the back of the net for Toronto. The Maple Leafs quickly took a 4-0 lead in the first period.

Matthews continued his impressive scoring streak with his 10th goal in the last five games, while Marner extended his assist streak to 15 over his last six games.

Martin Jones made 23 saves for the Maple Leafs, who have scored a total of 34 goals during their six-game winning streak.

For the Golden Knights, Jonathan Marchessault had a goal and an assist, Shea Theodore contributed with two assists, and Michael Amadio and William Karlsson also scored.

However, Vegas suffered their fourth consecutive home loss. Logan Thompson replaced starter Adin Hill at the 14:20 mark of the first period after allowing three goals on 20 shots and finished the game with 18 saves.

The Capitals defeated the Lightning 5-3 as Rasmus Sandin scored the go-ahead goal with less than five minutes remaining.

Washington's Connor McMichael had a pair of goals, including an empty-netter, while Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Anthony Mantha also found the back of the net.

Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson each contributed two assists. T.J. Oshie left the game after a fall on the ice with no contact.

In another game, the Flames beat the Bruins 3-2 in overtime with Nazem Kadri scoring the game-winner. Oliver Kylington and Martin Pospisil also scored for Calgary, with Jacob Markstrom making 31 saves in goal.

Detroit Red Wings defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in overtime, with Patrick Kane scoring the winning goal at 3:42.

This victory marked the Red Wings' third consecutive win and ended a 10-game losing streak against Colorado.

Dylan Larkin assisted on Kane's goal and also scored the regulation goal. Alex Lyon made 30 saves in the winning effort.

On the other side, Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche, bringing his point total to 93, while backup goaltender Justus Annunen recorded 28 saves.

Kris Letang found the back of the net twice, leading Pittsburgh to a decisive victory over Montreal and ending their two-game losing streak.

Drew O'Connor contributed with a goal and an assist, while Erik Karlsson provided two assists for the Penguins. Goaltender Tristan Jarry was outstanding, making 30 saves and improving his career record against Montreal to 6-1-1.

Notably, forward Colin White had an intriguing situation, being placed on waivers by the Penguins before the game and then claimed by Montreal.

Despite the sudden change, White performed well, earning a plus-1 rating in just over 11 minutes of ice time.

Ottawa emerged victorious over Dallas with a score of 4-1. Josh Norris showcased his skills by scoring two goals, while Drake Batherson contributed with two assists.

The Senators have been performing well lately, maintaining a three-game points streak (2-0-1) and achieving a commendable record of 9-3-3 in their last 15 games.

Aside from Norris, Thomas Chabot and Shane Pinto also found the back of the net for Ottawa. Goaltender Anton Forsberg displayed his prowess by stopping 14 of the 15 shots he faced, securing his 10th win in 19 games this season.

On the other side, Joe Pavelski managed to score the lone goal for the Stars. Scott Wedgewood stepped in as a relief goaltender and made 18 saves out of 19 shots. Starting goaltender Jake Oettinger was replaced midway through the second period after allowing three goals on 11 shots.

Nashville defeated Los Angeles with a score of 4-1, with Colton Sissons contributing a goal and two assists, and Juuse Saros making 27 saves.

The Predators ended the Kings' four-game winning streak. Jeremy Lauzon, Mark Jankowski, and Yakov Trenin also scored for Nashville, who have now won three consecutive games for the first time since December 10-16.

Kevin Fiala scored the lone goal for the Kings, with David Rittich making 17 saves. Los Angeles has a record of 5-2-0 since Jim Hiller took over as interim head coach on February 2.