NHL Capsules

PITTSBURGH (AP) -Steven Stamkos scored his 46th goal to edge within one of NHL leader Sidney Crosby and the Tampa Bay Lightning prevented Pittsburgh from gaining ground in the Eastern Conference race, beating the Penguins 2-0 on Wednesday night.

Crosby and the Penguins couldn't find the net on a 5-minute power play in the first period resulting from just-recalled defenseman Matt Lashoff's boarding penalty and went on to lose their fourth in six games after winning their previous two.

Pittsburgh missed an opportunity to take a three-point lead in the Atlantic Division over idle New Jersey. The Lightning had lost 14 of their previous 18 overall and were coming off a 3-2 loss in Columbus on Tuesday night.

Lightning goalie Mike Smith made 27 saves for his second shutout of the season.

Steve Downie also scored for Tampa Bay.

DALLAS (AP) - Steve Ott had three goals for his first career hat trick, scoring short-handed early in the first period for Dallas and adding even-strength and power-play goals late in the second period.

Loui Eriksson and Brian Sutherby also scored, and Marty Turco made 29 saves to help end San Jose's winning streak at four games.

Rookie Logan Couture had a power-play goal for San Jose, the Western Conference leader with 104 points - three better than second-place Chicago. Sharks points leader Joe Thornton missed his second straight game because of a lower-body injury.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Jason Pominville scored his team-leading 24th goal to help Buffalo inch closer to clinching the Northeast Division title.

Raffi Torres had three assists in his first game back after missing six because of a hand injury, and Ryan Miller made 13 saves for his 39th victory - one short of matching a career high. The injury-depleted Sabres also got production from their role players as defenseman Henrik Tallinder, fourth-liner Adam Mair and rookies Tim Kennedy, Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Ennis also scored.

Buffalo won for the seventh time in eight games to move seven points ahead of second-place Ottawa in the division with 11 days left in the regular season.

Michael Frolik and Jeff Taffe scored for Florida, which is all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) - Miikka Kiprusoff made 29 saves and Calgary moved within two points of eighth-place Colorado for the final Western Conference playoff spot.

Rene Bourque opened the scoring for Calgary with his 25th goal of the season, beating Jason LaBarbera on a power play in the second period. Ales Kotalik made it 2-0 early in the third, and Lee Stempniak scored for Phoenix with 6:52 left.

LaBarbera also finished with 29 saves.

DENVER (AP) - Jason Blake had a goal and four assists, Saku Koivu added a goal and three assists and Anaheim Ducks kept its slim playoff hopes alive.

Playing some of their best hockey of the season, the Ducks have won seven of nine, including their last three wins with Curtis McElhinney in goal in place of ailing starter Jonas Hiller (back spasms). Curtis McElhinney made 27 saves.

Steve Eminger, Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne also scored for Anaheim. Milan Hejduk and Darcy Tucker scored for Colorado.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Antti Niemi made 21 saves for his seventh shutout of the season and third in seven games to help Chicago snap a three-game losing streak.

Ben Eager had a goal and two assists for his second multipoint game of the season, Tomas Kopecky scored twice, and Jonathan Toews added a goal. The Blackhawks won for just the third time in their last 10 games.

MONTREAL (AP) - Eric Staal scored the go-ahead goal at 2:55 of third period and Cam Ward made 34 saves for Carolina.

Brandon Sutter also scored for the Hurricanes. Carolina, which has won three of four, is 11th in the Eastern Conference with 75 points, seven behind Montreal.

Marc-Andre Bergeron scored for Montreal.