Rangers, Senators earn final playoff spots in Eastern Conference

Detroit • Jordin Tootoo netted the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and Johan Franzen scored on a power play with 6:26 left, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-1 win Wednesday night over the Los Angeles Kings and into eighth place in the Western Conference.

Detroit is one point ahead of Columbus and one behind seventh-place Minnesota. All three teams have two games remaining.

The Red Wings are aiming to extend their postseason streak to 22, the longest in North American professional sports.

Detroit's Jimmy Howard made 23 saves and Pavel Datsyuk scored a game-tying goal midway through the second period.

The Dallas Stars, who are four points behind Detroit, host Columbus on Thursday and Detroit on Saturday.

Detroit will also face the banged-up and already eliminated Nashville Predators on Thursday at home.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Kings are trying to finish fourth to earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They will host San Jose, which also has a chance to be fourth, on Saturday. EASTERN CONFERENCE

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

z-Pittsburgh 47 35 12 0 70 157 116

x-Boston 46 28 13 5 61 127 102

y-Washington 47 26 18 3 55 146 128

x-Montreal 47 28 14 5 61 145 125

x-Toronto 47 26 16 5 57 144 129

x-Ottawa 46 24 16 6 54 111 100

x-N.Y. Rangers 47 25 18 4 54 126 112

x-N.Y. Islanders 47 24 17 6 54 138 137

Winnipeg 48 24 21 3 51 128 144

New Jersey 47 19 18 10 48 112 125

Philadelphia 47 22 22 3 47 131 140

Buffalo 47 20 21 6 46 123 142

Carolina 47 19 24 4 42 125 152

Tampa Bay 47 18 25 4 40 145 145

Florida 47 14 27 6 34 107 168

WESTERN CONFERENCE

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

z-Chicago 46 35 6 5 75 151 98

y-Anaheim 47 30 11 6 66 137 113

y-Vancouver 47 26 14 7 59 125 114

x-St. Louis 47 28 17 2 58 126 114

x-Los Angeles 47 26 16 5 57 130 116

x-San Jose 47 25 15 7 57 122 113

Detroit 47 23 16 8 54 121 115

Minnesota 46 25 18 3 53 118 120

Columbus 47 23 17 7 53 117 118

Dallas 47 22 21 4 48 130 139

Phoenix 46 20 18 8 48 116 123

Calgary 47 19 24 4 42 127 157

Edmonton 46 17 22 7 41 112 131

Nashville 47 16 22 9 41 110 136

Colorado 46 15 24 7 37 110 145

d-division leader

x-clinched playoff spot

y-clinched division

z-clinched conference

Thursday's games

Philadelphia 2, N.Y. Islanders 1

Ottawa 2, Washington 1, OT

N.Y. Rangers 4, Carolina 3, OT

New Jersey 3, Pittsburgh 2

Toronto 4, Florida 0

Detroit 5, Nashville 2

Boston 2, Tampa Bay 0

Montreal 4, Winnipeg 2

St. Louis 4, Calgary 1

Columbus 3, Dallas 1

Anaheim 3, Vancouver 1

Friday's games

N.Y. Islanders at Buffalo, 5 p.m.

Edmonton at Minnesota, 6 p.m.

Calgary at Chicago, 6:30 p.m.

Colorado at Phoenix, 8 p.m.