NHL scores 2016: Bruins, Senators squander chances to make headway in the Atlantic

With the Metropolitan Division currently aflame with four teams currently holding win streaks of five or more games, the Atlantic is taking a backseat in the Eastern Conference. Which is fair enough. What the Metro is doing right now is nothing short of incredible.

All those win streaks in the Metro are going to have an impact on the playoff chances of several teams in the Atlantic. Specifically, that with the lead the Metro is building, it’s highly realistic the Atlantic could send just three teams to the playoffs.

So with the Bruins and Senators both failing to pick up an extra point in overtime and a shootout respectively on Wednesday, the division remains gridlocked.

Ottawa had probably the best chance to pull away from the Bruins, facing a Sharks team coming off a shootout victory in Toronto the previous day. Yet San Jose’s tying goal in the final moments of the third helped propel them to a 4-3 shootout win.

Boston, on the other hand, had to come back against the streaking Penguins, but were ultimately outdone in overtime by a score of 4-3 as well.

With a Lightning win over Calgary, the top of the Atlantic continues to tighten. Tampa Bay is three points out from a top-three spot, with the static Panthers and Red Wings just two points behind them with Montreal still sitting pretty at the top.

It’s a jostling match that will likely leave two talented teams on the outside looking in come April. Should the Senators and Bruins continue to leave points on the table, it might just be them.

Sharks 4, Senators 3 (SO)
Penguins 4, Bruins 3 (OT)
Lightning 6, Flames 3
Flyers 4, Avalanche 3

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1. The Flyers now have 10 straight wins

Philadelphia’s magic run continued in Colorado after besting the league’s worst team 4-3. A back and forth game went Philadelphia’s way after an early goal in the third period tuned into a pair of goals in less than two minutes.

Brayden Schenn continued to be hot with his fifth goal in his last three games that doubled the Flyers’ lead.

There was also a goal waved off for a high stick in the second.

Oh and a fight after a clean hit.

Ten straight wins is the NHL’s longest streak this year. Behind them? The Penguins and a host of other Metropolitan Division teams.

2. The Department of Player Safety could be getting a workout

Wednesday saw a pair of hits by Kris Letang and Mike Hoffman that could be getting second looks from player safety.

First, the most likely one. Hoffman took a stick to the back of Logan Couture’s head in a play that earned the Senators’ forward a five-minute major and an ejection.

The cross-check had Couture down on the ice for a few moments, and he never returned to the game nor was there word after the match of the status of his injury.

Letang’s most likely took care of itself with the penalties doled out on the ice, after the Penguins’ defenseman caught David Pastrnak up high.

Letang was penalized two minutes for interference, but the effects of the hit were felt throughout the Penguins’ victory.

3. Victor Hedman hit some milestones

Wednesday night was Victor Hedman’s 500th NHL game, a career that’s spanned eight seasons in Tampa Bay. And what a way to celebrate such a milestone by scoring his 250th point with three assists in the Lightning’s 6-3 win over the Flames.

Meanwhile Calgary’s six game win streak has come to an end with the loss.

The Bruins were able to get back into their game thanks to a misplay by Matt Murray and his defenseman Brian Dumoulin.