Daniel Alfredsson had a goal and an assist, leading surging Ottawa past the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 Sunday, extending the host Senators’ unbeaten streak to eight.
The Senators also got goals from Alexei Yashin, Andreas Dackell and Magnus Arvedson in beating the defending Stanley Cup champions for the second time in five days.
Ottawa, 6-0-2 in its last eight games, improved to a franchise-record eight games over .500 (21-13-5). The Senators are one point behind Buffalo and Toronto for first place in the Northeast Division.
Ottawa’s Ron Tugnutt stopped 20 shots, lowering his league-leading goals-against average to 1.73. He has given up one goal or none in 11 of his 17 starts this season.
Steve Yzerman scored Detroit’s only goal.
Rangers 5, Lightning 2: John MacLean’s successful penalty shot highlighted a three-goal first period for host New York.
Dan Cloutier, subbing for struggling No. 1 goalie Mike Richter, made 22 saves to help the Rangers stop a two-game losing streak. Cloutier gave up only a second-period goal to Stephane Richer and a third-period goal to Pavel Kubina as the Rangers handed Tampa Bay its seventh straight road loss and fifth straight overall.
Mike Knuble, Adam Graves, Marc Savard and Wayne Gretzky also scored for the Rangers, who beat the Lightning 10-2 in their first meeting this season.
Panthers 2, Flames 1: Rob Niedermayer and Ray Whitney scored less than two minutes apart in the third period for visiting Florida.
Niedermayer backhanded a rebound past goalie Fred Brathwaite at 6 minutes 8 seconds of the third period to tie the game at 1-1. Just 1:50 later, Whitney got behind Flames defenseman Phil Housley, took a perfect pass from Rhett Warrener and put Florida ahead with a shot between Brathwaite’s pads.
It was the 12th goal of the season and first in seven games for Whitney, the Panthers’ leading goal-scorer.
Mighty Ducks 6, Oilers 4: Host Anaheim scored three goals during two-man advantages, including two 54 seconds apart by Teemu Selanne in the second period, to rally past Edmonton.
Paul Kariya had a goal and three assists to increase his league-leading point total to 55. Power-play point man Fredrik Olausson added a goal and two assists, Matt Cullen scored a short-handed goal and Guy Hebert stopped 33 of the 34 shots he faced after replacing the ineffective Dominic Roussel in the first period.
