Rangers 2, Sabres 1

Rick Nash scored the winning goal with 1:42 left, on New York's third shot of the third period, and the Rangers clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a victory over the NHL-worst Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

New York secured second place in the Metropolitan Division when the Philadelphia Flyers lost at Tampa Bay later Thursday. The Rangers will face either the Flyers or Columbus in the opening round of the postseason.

The Rangers struggled throughout against the lowly Sabres and goalie Matt Hackett, who played in just his seventh NHL game of the season.

Drew Stafford gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead in the second, and Benoit Pouliot tied in in the final minute of the frame.

Nash fired a one-timer off a cross-zone feed from Martin St. Louis, and sent the puck past Hackett's glove to break the 1-1 tie for his 26th goal. The Rangers then killed a late penalty against Brian Boyle, the third Sabres power play of the third period.

Drew Stafford gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead in the second, and Benoit Pouliot tied in in the final minute of the frame.

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 23 shots in the win, New York's last home game of the season. The Rangers' final game is at Montreal on Saturday.

Hackett made 28 saves for the Sabres, 2-15-1 in their last 18 games.

The Rangers dominated the Sabres 18-1 in shots in the second period, yet had only a 1-1 tie to show for it. Buffalo recorded the first five shots of the game, and New York didn't record its first until Pouliot's partial breakaway 7:30 in.

However, the Rangers had a 27-13 edge through 40 minutes.

The Sabres made the most of their only second-period shot and grabbed a 1-0 lead on it with 10:54 left in the period. Buffalo defenseman Mike Weber drifted backward with the puck from the right circle toward the blue line, and flipped a shot toward the Rangers net. Stafford, stationed in front of Lundqvist, got enough of his stick on it to deflect it into the net for his 16th goal of the season.

New York did nothing with its two power plays in the first period or its next two in the second after a two-goal performance with the man advantage Tuesday against Carolina.

It took until there were only 30.4 seconds left in the middle frame to get even with the Sabres.

Jets 2, Bruins 1

Bryan Little scored in the shootout to give Winnipeg a victory over Boston in its last home game of the season.

Little beat Chad Johnson with a low shot between his pads, the only scorer in three rounds.

Winnipeg's Evander Kane tied the game at 1 with a wrister that beat Johnson over his glove with 1:57 left in the third period. Just a few minutes earlier, Kane had hit the post after fans started chanting "Go Jets Go!" to try to propel their team to a victory.

Brad Marchand scored the opening goal at 10:12 of the first period for the NHL-leading Bruins, who have clinched the top spot in the Eastern Conference and have 115 points to lead the NHL, three ahead of the idle Anaheim Ducks.

Islanders 2, Canadiens 0

Evgeni Nabokov made 19 saves for his fourth shutout this season, and Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson scored power-play goals late in the second period as New York topped Montreal.

The loss, combined with Tampa Bay's 4-2 win over Philadelphia, hurt the Canadiens' chances of starting the playoffs on home ice. Montreal is second in the Atlantic Division with 98 points and one game left to play, while the Lightning have 97 points with two games remaining.

The Islanders posted their first regulation win in four games, but improved to 7-2-2 in their last 11 games.

The Canadiens, coming off a 3-2 overtime loss in Chicago on Wednesday, came out flat and never got their energy up as they were outshot 30-19.

New York held a 9-2 shots advantage early in the opening period, but couldn't beat Carey Price, even when the Montreal goaltender wandered halfway up the left boards and then misplayed the puck.

But Canadiens defenseman Douglas Murray, who returned from a three-game suspension, was ejected at 10:52 of the second period for a check from behind on Johan Sundstrom. The Islanders rookie turned around just as Murray checked him at the side of the net into the end boards.

Sundstrom was injured and taken to a hospital for tests. There was no immediate word on his condition.

The Islanders used the ensuing power play to open the scoring as Strome put a shot past Price through a screen by Casey Cizikas from the right circle at 15:07.

With former Islander Thomas Vanek off for high-sticking, Nelson whipped a shot under the cross bar from close range at 19:40.

Senators 2, Devils 1

Erik Karlsson scored the winner in the shootout to lift Ottawa to a victory over New Jersey.

Mike Hoffman also scored for the Senators and Robin Lehner stopped 38 shots to win his third straight game.

Michael Ryder scored his 18th of the season and Cory Schneider had 31 saves for the Devils.

The Senators had a power play for the final 35 seconds of overtime, but couldn't take advantage.