Best of NHL: Maple Leafs Top Penguins to Clinch 2nd Playoff Berth Since 2004

TORONTO -- Connor Brown broke a tie with 2:48 left and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 on Saturday night to wrap up their first playoff spot since 2013.

James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Kasperi Kapanen and Auston Matthews also scored for Toronto, and Curtis McElhinney stepped in for an injured Frederik Andersen with 12 saves.

Toronto will play the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the playoffs if the Maple Leafs pick up at least a point in their season finale against Columbus on Sunday.

Phil Kessel, Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel scored for Pittsburgh, and Marc-Andre Fleury gave up four goals on 30 shots (see full recap).

Jets end season on franchise-best 7-game win streak
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Blake Wheeler scored a short-handed goal with 45 seconds left in regulation to lift the Winnipeg Jets to their franchise-record seventh straight victory with a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday.

With Joel Armia in the penalty box for tripping, Mark Scheifele carried the puck up the center of the ice, waited for Wheeler to get near the net and then sent him a pass he used for a low backhander past Pekka Rinne. It was Wheeler's 26th goal.

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Winnipeg was already eliminated from the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons since relocating from Atlanta but ended the season in record-breaking form for the Jets/Thrashers franchise.

Kyle Connor, playing in his first NHL game since Nov. 29, also scored for Winnipeg. Ryan Ellis had a short-handed goal for Nashville (see full recap).

Blues beat Hurricanes in shootout, clinch 3rd in Central
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Vladimir Tarasenko scored in the fourth round of the shootout, and the St. Louis Blues beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 on Saturday night.

Scottie Upshall scored a short-handed goal, Alexander Steen, Ryan Reaves and Ivan Barbashev added goals and Alex Pietrangelo and Tarasenko had two assists apiece. The Blues clinched the No. 3 seed in the Central Division after earning at least a point for the 16th time in 18 games.

Jeff Skinner scored twice, giving him an NHL-leading 17 goals since March 1, and Joakim Nordstrom and Klas Dahlbeck also had goals for Carolina while Noah Hanifin and Brett Pesce each assisted on both goals by Skinner.

Carter Hutton made 34 saves for the Blues while Cam Ward stopped 35 shots for Carolina.

Hutton made three straight stops in the tiebreaker after Lee Stempniak scored in Round 1. Tarasenko ended it by beating Ward with a hard snap shot (see full recap).

Islanders top Devils to stay alive in playoff hunt
NEWARK, N.J. -- Jaroslav Halak made 37 saves, Anders Lee scored twice and the New York Islanders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Adam Pelech and Jason Chimera also scored as the Islanders won their fifth straight game -- all with Halak in goal. He is 6-1-0 since being recalled from Bridgeport of the AHL on March 23.

Whether New York gets to the playoffs will be determined by the Toronto Maple Leafs. If the Maple Leafs win either of their final two games -- home against Pittsburgh on Saturday night and home vs. Columbus on Sunday night -- they get the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and eliminate the Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The regular season ends on Sunday.

Beau Bennett scored twice for the Devils, who have three wins in their last 23 games (3-16-4) (see full recap).

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