The New York Islanders pulled within three points of the New York Rangers for second spot in the Metropolitan Division with a throwback 6-4 victory in their first visit to Madison Square Garden this season.

Johnny Boychuk scored twice in the first period, and Brock Nelson and Kyle Okposo also tallied for the Islanders before Eric Staal closed a wild, seven-goal opening frame with his first goal with the Blueshirts.

Naturally, the pace slowed in the second period and the score remained the same until midway through the third, when Derick Brassard knotted the game at four with a one-time shot on the power play. But with 88 seconds left in regulation, Cal Clutterbuck snapped a quick shot past Antti Raanta - starting again for the injured Henrik Lundqvist - off an offensive zone faceoff, preserving an all-important regulation win.

The Islanders have the benefit of three games in hand in their pursuit of the Rangers, who are now barely clinging to second spot in the division and the provisional right to host their cross-borough rivals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Jaroslav Halak made 22 saves for the victory, which was the Islanders' sixth on their seven-game road trip.

The two teams will meet again at Madison Square Garden April 7, in a game that could ultimately finalize seeding in the division.

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Terrible news for the New Jersey Devils.

Starting goaltender Cory Schneider has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee, the club announced, according to The Record's Tom Gulitti. He'll be re-evaluated in two weeks.

That sound you heard? That was New Jersey's playoff hopes leaving the building.

Schneider is the Devils. He was hurt Friday after making a beautiful pad save, jamming his right knee into the goalpost in the process. New Jersey lost a huge game to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, 6-1, falling seven points behind in the wild-card race. Schneider is missed.

A first-time All-Star this season, Schneider has a .923 save percentage, four shutouts, and 2.17 GAA. He's a large reason why the Devils are a top-10 defensive team. The club is last offensively, averaging only 2.2 goals per game.

The club will turn to Keith Kinkaid for now. He went into Sunday's game with a .910 save percentage in 14 games. Pittsburgh roughed him up, scoring six times on 30 shots.

Injuries have taken their toll on the Devils. The team's best offensive player, Mike Cammalleri, hasn't played since Jan. 26 and could miss the rest of the season.

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Jason Spezza's first goal on his former team was doubly special.

The Dallas Stars forward scored with the man advantage in the second period Sunday, notching his first career goal against the Ottawa Senators.

Spezza's marker also gave him at least one goal against all 30 NHL teams.

The 32-year-old center now has 24 goals and 24 assists in his second season with Dallas.

He was traded by the Senators to the Stars on July 1, 2014, and signed a four-year extension four months later.

Spezza, who spent 11 seasons with Ottawa, still ranks second on the Senators' all-time goals, assists, and points lists.

He has 292 goals and 797 points in 829 career games.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)

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Punching up in the heavyweight division in his entire career, Jordin Tootoo has relied on speed to carve out an enforcer role in the NHL.

But on Sunday, after having exchanged words with Tom Sestito, he was just a touch overzealous.

Tootoo's seven unanswered punches before Sestito let go of his stick gave the Penguins a power play, which they capitalized on with a goal.

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Patrick Kane came ready to play Sunday.

The Chicago Blackhawks star wasted no time opening the scoring against the Detroit Red Wings, beating goaltender Petr Mrazek to finish off an end-to-end rush 21 seconds into the game.

Kane's 38th goal was also his 89th point of the season, giving him a new career high in the latter category.

It was the fastest goal he's scored to open a game in his career, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

Duncan Keith scored less than six minutes later to chase Mrazek from the game.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)

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Much-maligned defenseman Justin Schultz will make his Pittsburgh Penguins debut Sunday against the New Jersey Devils.

He'll take Derrick Pouliot's spot in the lineup.

The heavily recruited attack-minded defender, whom the club is treating as a project, of sorts, after four disappointing seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, was acquired prior to last week's trade deadline for a third-round draft pick.

Pittsburgh sits five points up on the Devils, and three clear of the Philadelphia Flyers for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

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The Winnipeg Jets announced Sunday they'll host the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field on Oct. 23.

It'll be the fourth edition of the Heritage Classic, and the first since the Ottawa Senators defeated the Vancouver Canucks at BC Place in 2014.

The Jets will play in an outdoor game for the first time in franchise history, while the Oilers will participate in their second after hosting the first-ever Heritage Classic at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium in 2003.

The festivities will also include an alumni game between former Jets and Oilers on Oct. 22. Wayne Gretzky will captain the Edmonton legends and Dale Hawerchuk will lead Winnipeg's former stars.

Hawerchuk confirmed that Teemu Selanne will play for the Jets' alumni.

"We're thrilled that the Jets, their fans, and the city of Winnipeg will launch the 2016-17 NHL outdoor season with the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

"Alumni games also create a unique brand of excitement, and so it is with great anticipation that we look forward to seeing the returning Jets and Edmonton Oilers getting together to rekindle special memories."

The Oilers and the original Jets entered the league together as part of the four-team WHA-NHL merger in 1979.

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The New York Rangers will be without Henrik Lundqvist for at least one more game.

The 34-year-old goaltender skated Sunday but won't dress for the club's inter-borough matinee tilt with the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden.

"He's on the right track," Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault said. "It should be just a day or two more."

Lundqvist left Thursday's loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins with neck spasms suffered when teammate Ryan McDonagh collided with him in the crease, and the netminder drew a delay of game penalty for dislodging his own net in frustration to ensure a stoppage in play.

Related - Holtby: Delay of game penalty on Lundqvist 'absurd'

Antti Raanta will start for the second consecutive game after making 32 saves in a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Friday. Magnus Hellberg will back him up again after being recalled due to Lundqvist's injury.

After Sunday's game, the Rangers embark on a two-game road swing, facing the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday and the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

Lundqvist is 31-17-4 with a 2.31 GAA, a .923 save percentage, and four shutouts in 53 contests.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Sunday that forwards Kasperi Kapanen and Brendan Leipsic were returned to the AHL's Toronto Marlies after serving as emergency recalls.

Kapanen, 19, was held without a point in his first four NHL games, recording six shots on goal since being called up Feb. 29. Leipsic has appeared in six games with the Maple Leafs this season, recording a goal and two assists.

The two demotions come after head coach Mike Babcock said Saturday that forwards Milan Michalek and Brad Boyes are nearing returns from injury, according to Jonas Siegel of the Canadian Press.

Michalek is yet to make his Maple Leafs debut as he is continues to recover from a broken finger suffered in a Jan. 22 game, while still a member of the Ottawa Senators. Boyes has missed the team's last two games with an upper-body injury.

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After scoring four unanswered goals during the third period of Saturday's game against the Colorado Avalanche, the Nashville Predators continued a pair of franchise-best point streaks as they picked up a 5-2 victory in Denver.

Recording 20 out of a possible 24 points in their last 12 outings, the team now holds a comfortable cushion atop the Western Conference wild-card standings, leaving the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche to battle for the final playoff spot.

Wild-card standings

Aside from the team's offensive outburst in the final frame, forward Filip Forsberg set a franchise record of his own during the second period, becoming the first Predator to score 14 goals over a 14-game stretch, according to Elias Sports. The Swede scored just 14 goals over his first 52 outings to begin the season.

The only other player to average a goal-per-game over a 14-game period is league-leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.

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