NHL: Streaking Bruins top sliding Panthers

Day in the NHL • Boston wins fifth in a row, while Florida loses 7th straight.

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Boston • Tuukka Rask made 23 saves and Boston got goals from four players, winning 4-1 Thursday to hand Florida its seventh straight loss.

Rask improved to 9-1 against Florida in helping Boston win for the third time in its past seven home games. The Bruins have won five straight and seven of their last eight against the Panthers.

Florida has lost 10 of its past 11 games and is on its longest skid (0-3-4) since a 10-game slide in April 2011.

David Krejci gave Boston a 1-0 lead when his shot from the blue line beat Panthers goalie Scott Clemmensen at 7:17 of the second period.

Brad Marchand had the winner on a wrist shot 4:09 into the third period, snapping a 12-game drought without a goal for Boston.

Capitals 3, Wild 2 (SO) • Nicklas Backstrom scored the only goal in a shootout, and host Washington rallied to beat Minnesota for its fourth straight victory.

Braden Holtby had 33 saves for the Capitals before blanking the Wild during the shootout. Holtby outplayed Minnesota goaltender Josh Harding, who stopped 25 shots.

After two players from each side failed to score in the shootout, Backstrom beat Harding with a wrist shot that went into the upper left corner of the net. Holtby then denied Charlie Coyle to win it.

Coyle and Mikael Granlund scored in regulation for the Wild, whose three-game winning streak ended.

Alex Ovechkin and Marcus Johansson had Washington's goals.

Lightning 4, Oilers 2 • Steven Stamkos had two goals to help Tampa Bay beat Edmonton in Tampa, Fla., for its sixth win in seven games.

Stamkos, who extended his goal-scoring streak to five games, has 13 goals this season. Ben Bishop made saves on first-period breakaway shots by Mark Arcobello and Taylor Hall.