Red Wings Eliminate Some Bad Habits, 4-2

The Detroit Red Wings haven’t been scoring many goals or winning on the road lately. On Sunday, they solved both problems.

Aaron Ward and Brendan Shanahan scored 1:04 apart early in the third period, erasing a Washington lead and sparking the Red Wings to a 4-2 victory at Washington that snapped the Capitals’ undefeated streak at seven games.

Detroit had scored only eight goals in its past six games, but the four-goal outburst against Washington gave the Red Wings 10 in three games.

“I think it’s more important that we won than scoring four goals,” Detroit right wing Doug Brown said. “If we win 1-0 or 4-3, it doesn’t matter to us.”

With the Capitals ahead, 2-1, Detroit reeled off three third-period goals to end an 0-3-2 road slump. The Red Wings had not won on the road since an 8-1 triumph in Toronto on Dec. 27.

“In the third period, we seemed to get into the next gear, kind of like [last year] in the playoffs,” Red Wing Coach Scotty Bowman said. “At least it’s good to know we can come back to that level.”

Sergei Gonchar and Adam Oates scored for the Capitals, who have not defeated Detroit in four games dating to Jan. 30, 1994.

Buffalo 5, Florida 2--Brian Holzinger scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and Derek Plante had a power-play goal early in the third for the Sabres at Miami.

Buffalo’s Michael Peca scored his 11th goal of the season into an empty net with 36 seconds left.

After Ray Whitney’s 20th goal drew the Panthers even, 2-2, at 9:17 of the second, Holzinger skated untouched into the slot and beat John Vanbiesbrouck to the glove side with a backhander at 14:27.

N.Y. Islanders 2, Boston 2--Paul Kruse’s slap-shot goal with 8:40 left in regulation gave the Islanders the tie at Uniondale, N.Y.

Kruse, who has a game-winning and game-tying goal in consecutive games, skated to the blue line along the left boards and fired a shot past Boston goalie Byron Dafoe.

Zigmund Palffy also scored for New York, which is undefeated in its last three games and undefeated in its last four at home. Tommy Salo stopped 31 shots for the Islanders.

Anson Carter and Jason Allison each had a goal and an assist for Boston, and Dafoe stopped 32 shots.

Montreal 6, Carolina 3--The Canadiens got a hat trick from Vladimir Malakhov at Greensboro, N.C., and improved to 8-0-2 away from home since Christmas.

Malakhov scored twice in the first period, helping Montreal build a pair of three-goal leads in the first 24 minutes.

Mark Recchi added two assists and Eric Houde had his first NHL goal as the Canadiens improved their Eastern Conference-leading road record to 17-8-2.

Notes

The Montreal Canadiens acquired Zarley Zalapski and Jonas Hoglund from the Calgary Flames for Valeri Bure and future considerations.