Ovechkin sends Capitals past Avalanche

Alex Ovechkin scored at 14:04 of the third period as the Washington Capitals beat the Colorado Avalanche.

Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and an assist and left winger also scored for the Capitals. Goaltender Braden Holtby stopped 27 shots for Washington.

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James van Riemsdyk scored two goals as the Toronto Maple Leafs snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Maple Leafs left winger scored twice in a span of 2:44 as Toronto scored three unanswered goals in the second period after the first ended 1-1.

Center Alex Killorn and center Steven Stamkos scored for the Lightning.

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Max Pacioretty scored twice to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a win over the St. Louis Blues.

Goalie Carey Price made 31 saves for the Canadiens, who beat St. Louis for the first time since Nov. 16, 2008.

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Defenseman Adam Clendening scored just four minutes into his debut and the Blackhawks scratched out a victory over Calgary.

Patrick Kane scored the game-winner at the 9:12 mark of the third period for the Blackhawks.

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A second-period goal by Ottawa defenseman Jared Cowen stood as the winner in the Senators' victory over the Nashville Predators.

Senators goalie Robin Lehner made 33 saves to pick up his first victory since Oct. 28.

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Detroit center Tomas Tatar scored two goals, including the game-winner late in the third period, and the Red Wings pulled off a scrappy, come-from-behind victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

Tatar broke a 3-3 tie with his eighth goal of the season at 15:10 in the third where the Red Wings scored two unanswered goals to win.

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Jason Zucker scored a tiebreaking goal with 45.4 seconds left in the game to lift the Minnesota Wild to a win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Nino Niederreiter and defenseman Marco Scandella also scored goals and goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 37 saves to help the Wild win their fourth successive game.

Claude Giroux scored the tying goal with 3:30 left and defenseman Mark Streit also had a goal for the Flyers, who lost their fourth consecutive game.

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Dallas center Cody Eakin scored one of two goals in the third period as they defeated the Arizona Coyotes.