Red Wings Lock Up Top Spot in West

Robert Lang’s first goal as a Red Wing was the game-winner in a 3-2 victory at Columbus, Ohio, giving Detroit the best record in the West heading into the playoffs.

But all of that got lost after the game, when the Blue Jackets lashed out over what they considered a cheap shot by the Red Wings’ Kirk Maltby.

Columbus General Manager Doug MacLean called the hit on defenseman Rostislav Klesla “gutless.”

Klesla was checked by Maltby into the open Detroit bench door jamb. Klesla was down on the ice for several minutes before he was helped to the dressing room.

Preliminary reports said Klesla had a badly bruised thigh.

“You can’t say he didn’t see the door open because it was open for four seconds -- we watched it on video,” Columbus interim Coach Gerard Gallant said.

“He just drove him into the door. Not smart at all by him.”

The Red Wings’ fourth consecutive win gave them 107 points, clinching the top seeding in the Western Conference playoffs.

Lang played his first game after sitting out because of a rib injury.

Buffalo 4, New York Rangers 3 -- Mark Messier scored a goal and then was given a hero’s salute in what could have been his last home game with the Rangers.

Messier admitted afterward that he was leaning toward retirement.

“I guess there’s no blueprint for something like this,” Messier said.

“I didn’t know what to expect of myself. It would have been a lot simpler, a lot easier if I had come out a month ago and announced [my retirement].

“It would have been a lot less stress.”

Messier’s 694th goal in his 1,756 game wasn’t enough as the Rangers lost to the Sabres, who stayed alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Edmonton 3, Dallas 1 -- Ryan Smyth broke a second-period tie with a power-play goal, and the Oilers boosted their playoff chances by ending Dallas’ 17-game home unbeaten streak.

Edmonton improved to 89 points, drawing even with seventh-place St. Louis in the Western Conference.

New York Islanders 5, Montreal 1 -- At Uniondale, N.Y., Mark Parrish and Roman Hamrlik each had two goals to help the Islanders move closer to a playoff berth.

Ottawa 5, Florida 4 -- Martin Havlat scored with 6:26 left in the third period, leading the Senators at Sunrise, Fla.

Minnesota 5, Colorado 4 -- Marc Chouinard scored his second goal of the game 53 seconds into overtime to lift the Wild at St. Paul, Minn.

Calgary 1, Phoenix 0 -- Jarome Iginla scored his 40th goal and Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 27 shots for his fourth shutout as the Flames won at Calgary, Canada, and clinched their first playoff berth in eight years.