ST. PAUL, Minn. - T.J. Oshie scored his second goal of the game 1:42 into overtime to bookend Alex Ovechkin's hat trick, Braden Holtby earned his 40th win, and the NHL-leading Washington Capitals beat the Minnesota Wild 5-4 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory.

After Eric Staal's goal for the Wild tied the game with 26.6 seconds left in regulation, Oshie took a pass in the left circle from Marcus Johansson and beat struggling Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk with a wrist shot. Johansson had four assists.

Martin Hanzal and Jason Pominville had a goal and an assist apiece, but the Wild lost for the eighth time in nine games and fell to 3-11-1 in March after forward Zach Parise exited early with an injury .

Oshie started Washington's longest road trip in six years, five games over an eight-day span, with a first-period goal set up by Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Holtby made 26 saves, brushing off goals by Jared Spurgeon and Staal in the final five minutes to reach 40 victories for the third consecutive season. Martin Brodeur (2005-08, New Jersey) and Evgeni Nabokov (2007-10, San Jose) are the only other goalies in NHL history to do so.

Dubnyk, who stopped 15 shots, has given up 26 goals over his last eight games.

Ovechkin gave him even more trouble, guiding the Capitals one step closer to the Presidents' Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. His 17th career three-goal game came all on power plays.

After Nate Prosser was penalized for hooking, Backstrom and Johansson set up Ovechkin for a vintage left-circle wrist shot to finish the tic-tac-toe sequence and break a tie. Dubnyk was slow to pivot right after going down to a knee on a pass.

Ovechkin, the gap-toothed great, took over the team goal lead from Oshie with a slap shot from the same spot a little later in the second period following a hooking call on Nino Niederreiter.

Then, after Hanzal scored for just the second time in 14 games with the Wild since arriving in a trade with Arizona, Ovechkin triggered a shower of hats from the crowd by burying a feed from Backstrom.

Ovechkin has a whopping 11 goals and six assists in six career games against Dubnyk, four of those with Minnesota.

The Wild, who once had a cushion on Chicago for the Western Conference lead, must hold off surging Nashville and St. Louis in the Central Division to make sure they can at least start the first round at home. This was a promising performance against such a daunting opponent, especially after losing Parise, but there's a lot of work left for them to do on their game before the postseason.

Parise took a high stick from Tom Wilson to the face and collided with Jay Beagle's knee on his fall to the ice, where he stayed for several seconds while kicking his feet in pain before needing assistance off the ice. Parise didn't return, and the Wild went without a whimper on their four-minute power play.

NOTES: After 12 straight home games without allowing a power-play goal, the Wild have given up four in their last two games. ... Oshie has nine goals and 10 assists in 25 career games against the Wild. He played in high school in Warroad, Minnesota.

UP NEXT

Capitals: At the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night.

Wild: Host the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.

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TORONTO - Auston Matthews broke Wendel Clark's 31-year-old franchise rookie record with his 35th goal of the season, and the Toronto Maple Leafs earned a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

The victory kept Toronto (87 points) one point up on the Boston Bruins (86) for the third playoff spot in the Atlantic Division and four up on the Tampa Bay Lightning (83).

Curtis McElhinney made 25 saves to earn the win for the Leafs. Leo Komarov and Zach Hyman also scored for Toronto.

James Reimer allowed two goals on 14 shots for Florida before he was knocked from the game with an injury and replaced by Reto Berra, who made 10 saves. Reilly Smith and Jaromir Jagr scored for the Panthers.

Starting in place of injured No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen, McElhinney was the focus of attention in Toronto heading into the game, but Matthews quickly wiped that away with his record-setting score nearly 12 minutes in.

Hyman instigated the action, controlling the puck from behind the Florida goal before finding Matthews in front, his shot slipping between the pads of Reimer to top Clark for the franchise mark.

Clark said he knew after the second period of Matthews' NHL debut against Ottawa - when he scored four goals, including three after less than 22 minutes - that Matthews would likely shatter his record from the 1985-86 season.

''It's good,'' said Clark, who works as a community representative of the Leafs. ''If we're going to be any good we need these young guys breaking all (these records) and doing well.''

Mitch Marner recently tied Gus Bodnar's franchise rookie mark for assists (40), William Nylander matching team rookie records for power-play goals (nine) and power-play points (25) while also establishing a new rookie mark for the team with a point streak that was extended to 12 games on Tuesday night.

Matthews joined Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby as the only rookies since the 1995-96 season to scored 35 goals.

Clark compared him to former Leafs captain and franchise leading scorer, Mats Sundin. Just like Sundin, Clark said, Matthews could be dangerous all by himself, but also gifted in finding teammates for open looks.

He said Matthews had a ''goal-scorer's touch'' and the ''hands of a little guy'', his strength also likely to grow in the years ahead.

Matthews also increased his NHL lead for game-opening goals - now with 14 on the season - and pulled within four points of Peter Ihnacak's franchise rookie mark for points (66), set during the 1982-83 season.

The Leafs controlled almost every aspect of the first period, outshooting the Panthers 13-3 while spending shift after shift in Florida's zone. Komarov increased Toronto's lead to 2-0 less than three minutes after Matthews's goal, finishing a 2-on-1 opportunity with Connor Brown.

Falling out of the playoff race in recent weeks, Florida found some pushback in the opening minutes of the second, but McElhinney was sharp. He stopped Jussi Jokinen and Smith on consecutive chances around the midway point of the period.

The 33-year-old was starting with Andersen missing his first game because of an upper-body injury suffered Saturday in Buffalo when he was bumped in the head by Sabres forward William Carrier.

It was a similar play that knocked out Reimer - Toronto's longtime starter before Andersen - from Tuesday's game, Brian Boyle clipping him as he circled the net. Reimer stayed down in apparent discomfort immediately afterward as Boyle fought Colton Sceviour. He finally helped to a sitting position by a team trainer and left the ice with a persistent grimace on his face.

Smith got the Panthers on the board with less than five minutes left in the second, beating Matthews to the net as he redirected Keith Yandle's point pass.

McElhinney made two big saves early in the third to keep the Leafs in front, the latter a right pad stop on Aleksander Barkov. It was shortly after, that Hyman scored a short-handed goal that increased Toronto's lead back to two.

Hyman became the fifth Leafs rookie to score at least 10 goals this season.

Jagr pulled Florida within one in the final minute of regulation.

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BOSTON - Tuukka Rask made 24 saves in his return from a one-game absence and the Boston Bruins beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Tuesday night, boosting their playoff chances.

Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Noel Acciari and David Backes scored for the Bruins, who moved three points ahead of idle Tampa Bay for the second Eastern Conference wild card with six games remaining. Boston began the night a point behind Toronto for third place in the Atlantic Division.

Rask was sidelined with a lower-body injury for Boston's 2-1 road win against the New York Islanders on Saturday.

Bergeron's goal was his 18th of the season, and Krejci got his 22nd. Acciari scored his first career goal in 43 NHL games, Backes netted his 17th of the season and Zdeno Chara earned his 600th NHL point with an assist on Boston's first goal.

Craig Smith scored his 10th goal for the Predators, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Pekka Rinne made 27 saves but took his first loss in six starts.

Nashville remained one point ahead of idle St. Louis for third in the Central Division.

The Predators had won three straight meetings with the Bruins, including a 2-1 victory Jan. 12 in Nashville.

Bergeron opened the scoring 2:28 into the first period, slamming home a rebound after Chara's shot from the blue line bounced off Rinne's leg.

Krejci's wrister trickled through Rinne's legs to double the Bruins' lead at 13:52 of the first.

Smith redirected Roman Josi's shot past Rask to cut the Nashville's deficit in half with 8:44 remaining in the third.

Acciari tapped in a shot-pass from Riley Nash as the Bruins converted on a 3-on-1 chance with 4:13 to play. Backes scored an empty-netter with 1:31 left to seal it.

NOTES: Nashville C Mike Fisher (lower body) missed his fourth straight game. Predators general manager David Poile told 102.5 The Game radio Tuesday he is hopeful Fisher can return ''as soon as Thursday.'' ... Predators D Yannick Weber (upper body) sat out for the second consecutive night. ... Boston C Tim Schaller (lower body) missed his ninth game in a row. ... Chara was named the Bruins' nominee for the Masterson Trophy, which honors dedication to hockey. ''It's a game that gives you so much delight and makes you a better person,'' the 40-year-old defenseman said. ... Boston recalled G Zane McIntyre from Providence of the AHL on an emergency basis two hours before the game, but was returned during the first-period intermission.

UP NEXT

Predators: Open a two-game homestand Thursday against Toronto.

Bruins: Continue a three-game homestand Thursday against Dallas.

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RALEIGH, N.C. - Lee Stempniak and Joakim Nordstrom scored about five minutes apart in the first period, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 Tuesday night in the teams' second meeting in two nights.

Jordan Staal and Elias Lindholm also scored for Carolina and Cam Ward stopped 21 shots. The Hurricanes have earned a point in 12 straight games (8-0-4) to move four points out of the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.

The Red Wings beat the Hurricanes on Monday in a makeup game rescheduled from Dec. 19 when a Freon leak at PNC Arena made for unplayable ice. Tuesday's contest was regularly scheduled.

The postponement resulted in three games in the three days for the Red Wings. They won the first two but visibly struggled with their energy in the finale to snap a four-game point streak.

Tomas Nosek scored his first NHL goal and Jimmy Howard made 29 saves for Detroit.

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NEW YORK - Viktor Arvidsson scored early in the second period, Juuse Saros stopped 24 shots and the Nashville Predators held on to beat the New York Islanders 3-1 Monday night for their fourth straight win.

Kevin Fiala and Ryan Johansen also scored to help the surging Predators win for the seventh time in eight games and remain in control of third place in the Central Division.

Josh Bailey scored and Thomas Greiss finished with 28 saves for the Islanders, who remained two points behind Boston for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. New York has lost six of its last nine overall (3-5-1) and is 0-4-1 in its last five at Barclays Center since earning a point in 11 straight (9-0-2) on home ice.

Arvidsson made it 2-0 at 3:15 of the second as he deflected a centering pass from Filip Forsberg past Greiss for his 29th, tying him with Forsberg for the team lead. The goal was reviewed but stood after it was determined the puck went off Arvidsson's skate and then his stick before going in.

It was Arvidsson's sixth goal in eight games and Nashville's NHL-leading 95th in the second period this season.

The Islanders were booed midway through the period as they failed to get a good scoring chance on their second power play of the game. New York finished 0 for 2 on the man advantage, falling to 2 for 21 over their last eight games.

Johansen added an empty-netter for his 13th with 21 seconds left.

Bailey got the Islanders on the board with 2:40 left in the middle period as he deflected a shot by Nick Leddy from the left side down and past Saros. It was Bailey's 13th goal of the season and first in 16 games.

The Predators appeared to take the lead about 8 1/2 minutes into the game when Ryan Ellis fired a shot from the right point that seemed to deflect off an Islanders defender and past Greiss. However, New York interim coach Doug Weight challenged for offside and the goal was waved off after a video review showed Fiala was indeed guilty of the infraction.

Fiala made up for it when he put Nashville ahead at 10:17 by firing a shot from the high slot past Greiss' blocker side for his ninth.

NOTES: Predators C Mike Fisher missed his third straight game due to a lower-body injury. ... D Roman Josi played in his 400th career game, all with Nashville. ... Johansen's goal was his 58th point, keeping him two ahead of Arvidsson for the team lead. ... The Predators improved to 23-3-7 when scoring first and 27-1-5 when leading after two periods. The teams conclude their two-game season series April 4 at Nashville. ... The Islanders agreed to terms with F John Stevens on a two-year, entry-level contract. The 22-year-old had five goals and 23 assists this past season as a senior at Northeastern and totaled 26 goals and 80 assists in four seasons with the Huskies. ... Islanders D Johnny Boychuk missed his 12th straight game with a lower-body injury. F Ryan Strome missed his third straight with an upper-body injury sustained last week in win at New York Rangers. ... The Islanders play five of their last seven games on the road, where they are 15-16-5.

UP NEXT

Predators: At Boston on Tuesday night.

Islanders: At Philadelphia on Thursday night.

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WASHINGTON - Fourteen U.S. senators wrote a letter to USA Hockey's executive director Monday over their concerns about the treatment of the women's national team.

Players have threatened to boycott the upcoming world championships over a wage dispute. The senators, all Democrats, urged David Ogrean to resolve the matter and ensure the team receives ''equitable resources.'' They cited the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.

USA Hockey's board of directors meets Monday, and players said Sunday night they hope there's a deal.

The senators joined a chorus of support that also includes unions representing players from the NHL, NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball. Those organizations said over the weekend they stood with the women's team and criticized USA Hockey for attempting to find replacement players.

The U.S. is the defending champion at the International Ice Hockey Women's World Championship, which begins Friday in Plymouth, Michigan.

In negotiations over the past 15 months, players have asked for a four-year contract that pays them outside the six-month Olympic period. The senators' letter notes the $6,000 that players earn around the Olympics and USA Hockey's $3.5 million annual spending on the men's national team development program and other discrepancies.

''These elite athletes indeed deserve fairness and respect, and we hope you will be a leader on this issue as women continue to push for equality in athletics,'' the senators wrote.

In a statement Sunday night, players said they hoped USA Hockey would approve terms discussed last week. They said the agreement has the ''potential to be a game changer for everyone.''

The letter was signed by: Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey of Massachusetts, Patty Murray of Washington, Dianne Feinstein of California, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Thomas Carper of Delaware, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Robert Menendez and Cory Booker of New Jersey, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

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EDMONTON, Alberta - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Drake Caggiula each had a goal and an assist and the Edmonton Oilers moved into a three-way tie atop the Pacific Division with a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

Benoit Pouliot and Leon Draisaitl also scored for the Oilers, who have won six of their last seven games and are now tied with San Jose and Anaheim at 91 points.

Sven Andrighetto scored for the Avalanche, who have dropped five games in a row.

Edmonton took a 1-0 lead on its first shot 1:54 into the opening period when Pouliot tipped Matt Benning's point shot past goalie Calvin Pickard.

Andrighetto scored 45 seconds later by fighting off Adam Larsson and tucked the puck past goalie Laurent Brossoit, who had 24 saves.

The Oilers retook the lead midway through the first on a goal from Draisaitl - his 27th goal and 70th point.

After a scoreless second period, the Oilers made it 3-1 with 11:14 remaining in the third when Caggiula redirected Nugent-Hopkins' pass past Pickard on the power play.

Nugent-Hopkins put the game away with another power-play goal with 4 1/2 minutes to play, his 16th of the season.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Colton Sissons and James Neal both scored twice to lead the Nashville Predators over the staggering San Jose Sharks 7-2 on Saturday night.

Cody McLeod, P.K. Subban, and Viktor Arvidsson also scored for Nashville, which has won three straight and six of seven. Craig Smith and Colin Wilson had three assists apiece to help the Predators move a point ahead of St. Louis for third place in the Central Division.

Pekka Rinne made 26 saves in winning his fifth consecutive start.

Patrick Marleau and Justin Braun scored for the Sharks, losers of six straight. They remained tied with Anaheim atop the Pacific Division.

San Jose allowed six goals in Friday night's loss at Dallas.

Sissons scored the game's first goal at 4:14 of the opening period.

Behind the San Jose net, Smith battled with Tomas Hertl and passed the puck off the back of the cage to Wilson on the left side. He made a spinning backhand pass to Sissons just outside the slot, and he beat Sharks goaltender Martin Jones with a backhand to the stick side.

McLeod made it 2-0 at 15:19 of the first.

Roman Josi carried the puck up the left side. Inside the San Jose blue line, he went past Sharks defenseman Brent Burns near the left wall. From the left faceoff dot, Josi's wrist shot deflected off Jones' jersey and then the crossbar before landing on the goal line, where McLeod was there to tap it in for his fifth goal of the season.

Marleau cut the Nashville lead in half at 4:24 of the second with a power-play goal when he deflected Burns' slap shot from the high slot by Rinne for his 26th of the season.

Nashville regained its two-goal lead 24 seconds later when Neal scored on the power play with a wrist shot from the left circle.

Subban's slap shot from the right wall made it 4-1 at 14:39. Braun concluded the second-period scoring at 16:19 when he beat Rinne from the left circle with a wrist shot on the stick side.

Sissons got his second of the game at 5:27 of the third on a deflection of Smith's shot.

Smith has six assists over his last three games. Sissons has three goals in his last two games.

Neal added a power-play goal at 17:01 of the third, and Viktor Arvidsson scored a short-handed goal with 37 seconds remaining.

Jones finished with 27 saves.

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NEW YORK - Riley Nash scored twice and backup goalie Anton Khudobin made 18 saves as the Boston Bruins beat the New York Islanders 2-1 Saturday night, snapping a four-game losing streak.

Nash broke a 1-1 tie with his second goal of the contest at 4:12 of the third period, beating Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss from the slot for his seventh goal of the season. Dominic Moore assisted on the decisive goal, which lifted Boston two points ahead of the Islanders for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

John Tavares scored for New York and Greiss finished with 16 saves.

Tavares had a golden chance to knot the score with just over six minutes left in the third period but rang the puck off the crossbar with the Islanders on their sixth power play of the game.

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NEWARK, N.J. - Jeff Skinner scored the go-ahead goal on a breakaway with 10:26 left and the surging Carolina Hurricanes stretched their point streak to 10 games with a 3-1 victory Saturday night that eliminated the New Jersey Devils from playoff contention for the fifth straight year.

Sebastian Aho scored twice and Eddie Lack made 26 saves for the Hurricanes, who are 7-0-3 in their last 10. They remained five points out of a playoff spot with nine games to go in the regular season.

Travis Zajac scored for the Devils, who have not made the postseason since going to the Stanley Cup final in the 2011-12 season. Cory Schneider stopped 25 shots for New Jersey, which is 2-12-2 in its last 16 games.

Skinner's goal was his 30th of the season and seventh in the last five games. He poked the puck past Devils defenseman Andy Greene at the left point and skated in alone on Schneider.

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