NHL Wrap: Ducks clinch 3rd straight Pacific Division crown

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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Andrew Cogliano and Francois Beauchemin each had a goal and an assist, and the Anaheim Ducks clinched their third straight Pacific Division title with a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.

Corey Perry, Nate Thompson and Simon Despres also scored in the fourth straight win for the NHL-leading Ducks, who became the first team to wrap up a division race with their eighth victory in 10 games overall.

Frederik Andersen made 22 saves, and Jakob Silfverberg had a career-high three assists in a dominant effort by the Ducks, who lead Nashville by four points for home-ice advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored and Ben Scrivens stopped 22 shots for the 28th-place Oilers, whose three-game winning streak ended.

Anaheim swept the clubs' four-game season series (see full recap).

Sharks keep slim playoff hopes alive
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Scott Hannan and Chris Tierney scored goals to help the San Jose Sharks keep their slim playoff hopes alive with a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night.

Patrick Marleau also scored and Logan Couture and John Scott added empty-net goals for the Sharks, who have won 13 straight regular-season home games against Colorado. Alex Stalock made 19 saves in his third straight start in place of sick starter Antti Niemi.

Matt Duchene scored a power-play goal for the Avalanche, who began a three-game road trip with a loss. Reto Barra made 25 saves.

The Sharks moved within five points of Winnipeg for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with five games remaining (see full recap).

Sabres rally to beat Maple Leafs
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Matt Moulson and Matt Ellis scored 1:41 apart in the third period, and the Buffalo Sabres rallied for a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

The Sabres overcame a 3-1 second-period deficit and won their second straight, inching closer to moving out of last place. Zac Dalpe and Cody Hodgson also scored in a matchup of cross-border rivals that featured a predominant number of fans wearing Maple Leafs jerseys.

Ellis added an assist, and Brian Gionta set up two goals for Buffalo (22-47-8), which moved to within two points of 29th-place Arizona.

James van Riemsdyk, Eric Brewer and Nazem Kadri scored for Toronto (29-43-6), which squandered a chance to win three straight for the first time since a six-game run from Dec. 10-16. The Maple Leafs are 10-34-3 since (see full recap).

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