National Hockey

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jakob Silfverberg had a goal and two assists, and the Anaheim Ducks kept up their surge toward the post-season with their ninth win in 11 games, 5-3 over the Dallas Stars on Friday night.

CHICAGO — The playoff field for the Western Conference is almost set. Patrik Berglund and St. Louis are going to Colorado to try for the final spot.

TAMPA, Fla. — Nikita Kucherov reached a personal milestone and helped the Tampa Bay Lightning move closer to clinching the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins can admit it now. The regular season is kind of a drag. Being the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions creates a target on your back that's impossible to shake. An NHL-high 19 back-to-backs left them spent.

If the Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers are even in points, regulation and overtime wins, and goal differential at the end of the season, they will play a one-game tiebreaker to determine who goes to the playoffs.

Antti Raanta handled injuries, a scorpion infestation and a minor car wreck in his first year as a starting NHL goaltender.

The Senators honoured Jonathan Pitre, an Ottawa-area teen with a rare and painful skin condition who died this week, during their Friday night game at Pittsburgh.

The Senators honoured Jonathan Pitre, an Ottawa-area teen with a rare and painful skin condition who died this week, during their Friday night game at Pittsburgh.

NEW YORK — The NHL has never held a tiebreaker game for a playoff spot, but the ground rules have been set in the event one is needed this season.

NEWARK, N.J. — The worst season in nearly three decades is just a recent memory, and so is the five-year drought. The New Jersey Devils are back in the playoffs, and again in the hunt for the Stanley Cup. It's like old times.