Kovalchuk boosts Devils

Ilya Kovalchuk made his first goal with the slumping Devils a big one, snapping a third-period tie to lead New Jersey to a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night at Newark, N.J.

Flyers 3, Canadiens 2: Jeff Carter scored his 25th and 26th goals, and Michael Leighton made 31 saves in Philadelphia's win over visiting Montreal.

Canucks 4, Blue Jackets 3: Mikael Samuelsson scored on a lazy, deflected popup that wafted over goalie Steve Mason's head, capping Vancouver's comeback from a two-goal deficit to win at Columbus.

Rangers 3, Penguins 2, OT: Olli Jokinen scored at 1:02 of overtime to lift New York at Pittsburgh.

Avalanche 2, Coyotes 1: At Denver, Matt Duchene scored twice, leading Colorado past Phoenix.

Thrashers 3, Wild 2: At St. Paul, Minn., Niclas Bergfors scored the game-winner midway through the third period and Atlanta beat Minnesota.

Blues 4, Maple Leafs 0: Chris Mason made 30 saves for his second shutout of the season, and T.J. Oshie and Alexander Steen scored short-handed goals to help host St. Louis beat Toronto.