RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nic Dowd scored on a deflection with 4:56 remaining and the Washington Capitals clinched a playoff berth with a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.

Brett Connolly and Jakub Vrana also scored and Braden Holtby made 24 saves to help the defending Stanley Cup champions reach the 100-point mark for the fifth straight season and wrap up their 11th spot in the playoffs in 12 years. 

ISLANDERS 5, JETS 4

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Casey Cizikas and Jordan Eberle scored 33 seconds apart in the final two minutes to lift New York past Winnipeg.

Cizikas took advantage when Winnipeg couldn’t clear the puck and scored with 1:46 to go to make it 4-4. Eberle added his second goal of the game with 1:13 left when he got into the crease and beat Connor Hellebuyck.

STARS 3, OILERS 2, SO

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Jamie Benn scored the shootout winner in Dallas’ victory over Edmonton.

Alexander Radulov and Miro Heiskanen scored in regulation for the surging Stars. They won their third straight game to tighten their hold on the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

BLUE JACKETS 6, CANADIENS 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice, Sergei Bobrovsky had 28 saves and Columbus beat Montreal to move into an Eastern Division wild-card spot.

The Blue Jackets tied Montreal for the second wild card and they hold the tiebreaker with five games remaining. Carolina is one point ahead in the first slot.

RED WINGS 5, 

SABRES 4, OT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Tyler Bertuzzi scored his second goal of the game in overtime to lift Detroit over Buffalo.

Dylan Larkin also had two goals for Detroit, Filip Hronek added a goal, and Jimmy Howard made 35 saves.

PANTHERS 5, 

SENATORS 2

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice and Florida beat Ottawa to snap a three-game losing streak.

Troy Brouwer, Dryden Hunt and Evgenii Dadonov also scored for Florida. Roberto Luongo made 28 saves. Colin White and Brady Tkachuk scored for Ottawa.

CANUCKS 3, 

KINGS 2, SO

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Tanner Pearson scored in the fourth round of the shootout and the Canucks kept their faint playoff hopes alive.

Brock Boeser and Alex Edler scored in regulation for the Canucks, who are seven points behind Colorado for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with four games to play. The win snapped a three-game losing skid for the Canucks. Quinn Hughes, selected seventh overall by Vancouver in 2018, earned an assist in his NHL debut.