Around the League notebook for Sunday, March 22

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF RACE (Click chart below to zoom)	WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF RACE (Click chart below to zoom)
Related information: "If the playoffs started today ..."  |  Current playoffs standings

SUNDAY'S RESULTS

Home Team in CAPS

DETROIT 2, St. Louis 1 (OT)

TAMPA BAY 5, Boston 3

NY RANGERS 7, Anaheim 2

Vancouver 3, ARIZONA 1

RANGERS DOMINATE DUCKS TO REACH TOP OF LEAGUE STANDINGS

The New York Rangers scored a season-high seven goals to defeat the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 7-2. The Rangers, who have won seven of their past eight games (7-1-0), are 46-18-7 (99 points) this season. The Rangers moved into a three-way tie with the idle Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim (in terms of standings points) at the top of the League standings. The Rangers, however, hold two and three games in hand and also own the ROW tiebreaker over both respective clubs (NYR: 42, MTL: 40, ANA: 38).

* The Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in 10 straight games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Rangers have allowed two goals or fewer in at least 10 consecutive games for the first time since a span of 12 straight games from Feb. 20-March 18, 1971.

* The Rangers have won six of their past seven home games (6-1-0) and have also earned points in 11 of their past 12 games on home ice (9-1-2).

* Derek Stepan (2-1—3) scored a power-play goal, an even-strength goal and added his 33rd assist to post his fifth three-point performance of the season. The first marker was also the third power-play goal of the season for Stepan, who has recorded 31 of his 46 points this season in multi-point performances.

* Keith Yandle (0-3—3) posted his second three-assist performance of the season. With 40 assists this season, Yandle ranks second among all defensemen in the category.

* Cam Talbot made 36 saves and is 19-7-4 with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. Talbot has earned points in eight of his past nine decisions (7-1-1), allowing two goals or fewer in each of those nine contests.

* J.T. Miller (1-1—2) scored his ninth goal and ninth assist to record his third multi-point game of the season.

* Kevin Hayes (0-2—2) and Mats Zuccarello (0-2—2) recorded their fourth multi-assist games of the season.

* Carl Hagelin (1-0—1) netted his 16th goal of the season, which stood as his fourth game-winning goal of the season. With 57 career goals, Hagelin moved into a tie with Jan Erixon and Ulf Nilsson for fourth on the Rangers' all-time goals list among Swedish skaters.

* The Rangers swept their season series versus the Ducks (2-0-0) and have won four of their past five home games against Anaheim (4-1-0), allowing two goals or fewer in each of them.

* The Rangers have earned points in nine of their past 10 games against Western Conference opponents (7-1-2).

TAMPA BAY INCHES CLOSER TO ATLANTIC DIVISION LEAD WITH WIN AGAINST BOSTON ...

The Tampa Bay Lightning scored three consecutive first period goals, including two within a span of 15 seconds, in a 5-3 win against the Boston Bruins. The Lightning, who have won three straight games and have earned points in eight of their past nine (7-1-1), are 45-21-7 (97 points) this season. Tampa Bay ranks second in the Atlantic Division standings and moved within two points of the idle Montreal Canadiens, who rank first in the Atlantic Division standings with a record of 46-20-7 (99 points).

* The Lightning earned their League-leading 29th home win of the season (29-7-1). Tampa Bay has won seven of its past eight games on home ice.

* J.T. Brown (1-1—2) and Anton Stralman (1-0—1) netted the goals 15 seconds apart in the first period. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Lightning hadn't scored two goals in a span of 15 seconds or less since Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov each scored within nine seconds on Jan. 14, 2014 versus the Rangers.

* Brown’s marker was his third goal and he had his fourth assist to post his second multi-point performance of the season. Stralman's tally was his eighth goal of the season.

* Ondrej Palat (1-1—2) scored his 16th goal on a power play and had his 40th assist to record his 16th multi-point game of the season. The marker was also Palat's third power-play goal of the season, which matched a career-high. Vladislav Namestnikov (1-1-2) scored his sixth goal and added his sixth assist to record the second multi-point game of his career.

* Ben Bishop made 25 saves and is 36-11-4 with a 2.31 GAA and a .916 save percentage. Bishop, whose 36 wins this season rank him third among League-leaders, has earned points in six consecutive decisions (5-0-1), which includes wins in three straight.

* Jason Garrison (1-0—1) scored his fourth goal of the season. The marker also stood as the third game-winning goal for Garrison, which matched a career-high.

* Matthew Carle (0-2—2) recorded his first multi-assist game of the season.

* Tampa Bay earned its first win versus Boston since a 6-1 victory on March 13, 2012, ending a 10-game losing skid against the Bruins (0-8-2).

... WHILE RED WINGS KEEP PACE WITH OVERTIME VICTORY AGAINST BLUES

Justin Abdelkader (1-1—2) scored 24 seconds into overtime on a power play to help the Detroit Red Wings to a 2-1 victory against the St. Louis Blues. The Red Wings, who rank third in the Atlantic Division standings, are 39-21-11 (89 points) and moved five points ahead of the Bruins, who rank fourth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 36-25-12 (84 points).

* Abdelkader’s marker was his 20th goal, his eighth power-play goal, his fifth game-winning goal and his team-leading second overtime goal of the season. Abdelkader had his 19th assist to post his seventh multi-point performance of the season.

* According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the most-recent time a member of the Red Wings scored a regular-season overtime goal in 24 seconds or less was Todd Bertuzzi, who also scored 24 seconds into overtime on Dec. 12, 2009 to defeat the Nashville Predators by a score of 3-2.

* Jimmy Howard made 23 saves and is 21-12-9 with a 2.34 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

* Erik Cole (1-0—1) scored his 21st goal of the season just 24 seconds into the third period.

* Detroit snapped a three-game home losing streak versus the Blues to sweep their season series against St. Louis (2-0-0).

EDLER'S LATE GAME-WINNER LIFTS VANCOUVER PAST ARIZONA

Alexander Edler (1-0—1) scored the game-winner on a power-play with 3:13 remaining in regulation to power the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-1 victory against the Arizona Coyotes. The Canucks, who rank second in the Pacific Division standings, are 42-26-4 (88 points). Vancouver moved four points ahead of the idle Calgary Flames, who rank third in the Pacific Division standings with a record of 39-27-6 (84 points).

* Yannick Weber (1-1—2) opened the scoring with his seventh goal and had his 10th assist to post his third multi-point performance of the season. Weber’s seven goals this season established a new career-high.

* Daniel Sedin (0-2—2) recorded his 11th multi-assist game of the season and extended his point streak to four games (2-4—6). D. Sedin leads the Canucks with 48 assists this season. Radim Vrbata (0-2—2) posted his third multi-assist performance of the season.

* Edler's tally was his seventh goal of the season. The marker also stood as his fifth power-play goal of the season (which matched a career-high) and his first game-winning goal since Nov. 6, 2010.

* Jacob Markstrom stopped all but one of 27 shots he faced to earn his first win of the season. Markstrom is 1-1-0 with a 3.08 GAA and a .879 save percentage.

DID YOU KNOW?

Anaheim forward Corey Perry (2-0—2) reached the 30-goal mark for the fifth time in his career and Arizona defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (1-0—1) reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career.

* According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only Teemu Selanne (seven such seasons) and Paul Kariya (six such seasons) have posted more 30-goal campaigns than Perry in Ducks history.

* Ekman-Larsson is the first defenseman in franchise history to reach the 20-goal mark since Phil Housley and Fredrik Olausson of the Winnipeg Jets scored 23 and 20 goals, respectively, during the 1991-92 season.

* In fact, Ekman-Larsson’s 20 goals are tied with Olausson for the fourth-most goals in franchise history by a defenseman in a season. Housley holds the record with 23 in the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons and Dave Ellett ranks third with 22 in 1988-89.

LOOSE PUCKS

Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall (0-1—1) recorded the 335th point of his NHL career (70-265—335) and tied Bruce MacGregor for 26th on the Red Wings' all-time points list. ... Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey (0-1—1) registered the 100th assist of his NHL career. ... St. Louis forward Alexander Steen (1-0—1) recorded his 300th point as a member of the Blues (129-171—300). Steen is the 18th player in Blues history to reach the milestone. ... St. Louis defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (0-1—1) extended his point streak to three games (0-3—3). ... St. Louis forward Paul Stastny (0-1—1) extended his point streak to three games (1-2—3). ... St. Louis has earned points in 10 of its past 12 road games (7-2-3). ... Boston forward Patrice Bergeron (1-0—1) opened the scoring just 33 seconds into the first period and extended his point streak to three games (2-1—3).. .. Rangers forward Rick Nash (0-1—1) extended his point streak versus Anaheim to seven games (5-3—8). ... Arizona goaltender Mike Smith made 41 saves while celebrating his 33rd birthday. ... Vancouver forward Derek Dorsett and Arizona forward Lauri Korpikoski skated in the 400th games of their NHL careers. ... The Los Angeles Kings recalled forward Mike Richards from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. ... Nashville Predators forward Craig Smith has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for high-sticking Buffalo Sabres forward Jerry D'Amigo.