NHL roundup: Valeri Nichushkin scores as Avs down Bruins in shootout

Nathan MacKinnon extended his home point streak to 22 games this season with an assist, and Alexandar Georgiev made 23 saves in regulation and overtime, along with three crucial saves in the shootout for Colorado.

On the other side, Brad Marchand scored two goals, John Beecher also added a goal, and Jeremy Swayman made an impressive 33 saves for Boston.

Despite MacKinnon and Rantanen failing to convert their shootout attempts, Nichushkin sealed the win for the Avalanche with a well-placed wrist shot under Swayman's glove.

In his season debut, Matt Murray put on an impressive performance, making 23 saves and securing his first NHL shutout in his fourth career start. His outstanding goaltending helped lead the Dallas Stars to a victory over the Minnesota Wild in Saint Paul, Minn.

Contributing to the Stars' success, Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz each had a goal and an assist, while Radek Faksa and Jason Robertson also found the back of the net for Dallas. This win ended their season-long three-game losing streak.

Unfortunately for Minnesota, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was denied his 552nd victory, which would have moved him past Patrick Roy for second place in the league's all-time wins by a goalie. Fleury made 16 saves but fell short of the milestone.

Moving on to another game, the Vancouver Canucks emerged victorious with a 6-3 win over the New York Rangers. Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander played a crucial role in the Canucks' success, each scoring two goals. Pettersson had an impressive four-point showing, while Hoglander recorded his fourth career two-goal game. Thatcher Demko, the Canucks' goalie, made 39 saves to secure the win.

Despite Vincent Trocheck's two goals, including an early power-play goal, and Artemi Panarin's tally, the Rangers couldn't overcome the Canucks' strong performance. Igor Shesterkin allowed five goals on 25 shots, and the Rangers suffered their third loss in four games, dropping to 8-7-1 since December 5.

In the matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers, Evgeni Malkin and Chad Ruhwedel played pivotal roles in the Penguins' 4-1 victory.

Malkin contributed a goal and an assist, while Ruhwedel scored his first goal of the season. Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made an impressive 36 saves, while Carter Hart stopped 35 of the 39 shots he faced.

With Malkin's goal in the third period, the Penguins secured a comfortable lead of 4-1. Their strong defensive play prevented the Flyers from mounting a comeback, and Flyers coach John Tortorella never pulled Hart for an extra skater.