NHL Wrap: Gudlevskis, TB edge Blue Jackets

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TAMPA, Fla. -- Kristers Gudlevskis made 36 saves to win his NHL debut, Eric Brewer scored two goals, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Friday night.

Ondrej Palat also scored for the Lightning, who took a one-point lead over Montreal for second place in the Atlantic Division. A runner-up finish would give Tampa Bay home-ice advantage in its first-round playoff series with the Canadiens.

Boone Jenner and David Savard had goals for Columbus. The playoff-bound Blue Jackets are tied with Philadelphia -- which has one game at hand -- for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Gudlevskis had played in the ECHL and AHL, and for Lativa in the Sochi Olympics this season. Anders Lindback started in place of the injured Ben Bishop in the Lightning's 4-2 win Thursday night over Philadelphia (see full recap).

Ovechkin scores 51st in Caps' shutout
WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-leading 51st goal to help lead the Washington Capitals to a low-intensity 4-0 rout of the coasting Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night in a game between teams whose postseason fates had already been decided.

Jay Beagle had his first career two-goal game, and Nicklas Backstrom also scored as the Capitals won their fourth straight, a hollow winning streak because they won't be in the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Jaroslav Halak made 34 saves in his first shutout since the trade deadline deal that brought him to Washington from the St. Louis Blues. It was also his first game since a dustup earlier this week over whether he was skittish about facing his former team.

The Blackhawks, shut out for the fourth time this season, were already assured of making the postseason as the third-place team in the Central Division (see full recap).

Hurricanes end drought in Detroit
DETROIT -- Cam Ward had 28 saves, and the Carolina Hurricanes ended a quarter-century of regular-season futility in Detroit, beating the Red Wings 2-1 on Friday night.

The Hurricanes hadn't won a regular-season game at Detroit since Nov. 14, 1989, when they were still the Hartford Whalers. They did win Game 1 of the 2002 Stanley Cup finals at Detroit, but that was their only victory of that series.

Elias Lindholm and Jiri Tlusty scored in the first period Friday, and Carolina held on to hand the Red Wings their second regulation loss in eight games.

Riley Sheahan scored for the Red Wings in the third period.

Detroit has already clinched its 23rd straight postseason berth, and the Hurricanes are out of the running. The Red Wings outshot Carolina 29-19 but ended up with what could be a costly loss in the race for playoff seeding (see full recap).

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