Flyers 4, Capitals 3 (2OT)
PHILADELPHIA — Danny Briere saved the game for the Flyers in regulation and Mike Knuble got them a win away from the second round in a thrilling double-overtime finish.
Knuble poked in his second goal of the series 6:40 into the second OT to give Philadelphia a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night and a 3-1 series lead.
Jeff Carter scored twice for the Flyers, who can finish off the Caps in Game 5 on Saturday in Washington.
The Caps have dropped three straight in the series and it could be the end for them if leading scorer Alex Ovechkin can’t start finding the back of the net. Ovechkin, who scored 65 goals this season, had only one assist in Game 4.
Avalanche 3, Wild 2
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Jose Theodore and the Colorado Avalanche just sat back and waited. Then Wojtek Wolski and Paul Stastny pushed the Minnesota Wild to the edge of elimination.
Wojtek and Stastny scored 79 seconds apart early in the third period to give Theodore and the patient Avs a 3-2 series lead, after weathering a relentless effort by the Wild.
Minnesota outshot Colorado 32-14 over the first two periods. But following an interference penalty by Sean Hill, with 5 seconds left on the power play, Wolski sent the puck through goalie Niklas Backstrom’s pads for a 2-1 lead with 14:54 remaining.
Bruins 5, Canadiens 1
MONTREAL — Glen Metropolit scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period after Montreal goalie Carey Price made a reckless turnover and Boston avoided elimination in its first-round series.
Tim Thomas stopped 31 shots for the Bruins, who now trail the Eastern Conference quarterfinal 3-2.
Price gloved a puck at the side of his net and dropped it in front of him, but Petteri Nokelainen got his stick on it before Montreal’s Maxim Lapierre and Metropolit batted the puck into an open net 3:31 into the third to put the Bruins up 2-1.
Stars 3, Ducks 1
DALLAS — Stu Barnes and Steve Ott scored third-period goals for Dallas and Marty Turco came within 7.6 seconds of a shutout, putting the Anaheim Ducks on the brink of elimination after the Stars’ 3-1 win Thursday night.
Dallas leads the first-round series 3-1 going into Game 5 in Anaheim on Friday night.
Turco and the Stars are seeking their first postseason series win since a first-rounder in 2003, having dropped four straight. Anaheim, meanwhile, is a loss away from continuing a dismal streak for defending champs — none has reached the second round since Colorado in 2002.
Sharks 4, Flames 3
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo made sure San Jose wouldn’t squander the momentum gained in Calgary, moving the Sharks within one win of a fourth straight trip to the second round of the playoffs.
Marleau scored the tiebreaking goal late in the second period and Cheechoo added two goals in the third that sent the Sharks to a 4-3 victory over the Flames on Thursday night and a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.
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