NHL ROUNDUP : Playoff Drought Ends for Streaking Flyers

Mikael Renberg scored with 8:29 remaining in the third period to give the Flyers a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday and their first trip to the playoffs in six years.

Playing at home, Atlantic Division-leading Philadelphia won its eighth consecutive game and stretched its lead over the second-place New Jersey Devils to seven points. A Flyer win over the Devils on Saturday would clinch Philadelphia’s first division title since 1986-87.

Tampa Bay 5, Quebec 2--It was rookie night at St. Petersburg.

Rookie Jason Wiemer scored his for the first NHL goal and set up another for the Lightning. Peter Forsberg scored both Quebec goals, adding to his lead among rookie scoring leaders (14 goals, 46 points). Five of the game’s seven goals were scored by rookies.

Calgary 2, Vancouver 2--Trevor Linden scored a pair of goals 21 seconds apart in the first minute of the second period at Vancouver, enabling the Canucks to tie the Flames.

Florida 1, New Jersey 0--Jesse Belanger’s third-period power-play goal at Miami gave the Panthers their first victory over the Devils. Florida had been 0-2 against New Jersey this season and was 0-3-2 last year.

Panther backup goaltender Mark Fitzpatrick had 17 saves to record his second shutout of the season.

The Panthers are 2-4-1 in their last seven games.

New York Rangers 3, Hartford 2--Sergei Zubov scored the tying goal and assisted on Petr Nedved’s game-winner as the Rangers came from behind at New York.

The win put the Rangers, Whalers and Washington Capitals in a three-way tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 41 points apiece. The Rangers would get sixth place with more victories (19). The Capitals have a game in hand on the other two clubs.

Boston 6, Ottawa 5--ay Bourque had the game-winner as the Bruins scored four goals in the third period to overcome a four-goal deficit at Ottawa and keep the Senators winless in 16 straight games.