Flames edge Avs

Daymond Langkow and Craig Conroy scored first-period, power-play goals, and Calgary beat Colorado 2-1 in a pivotal Northwest Division clash on Thursday night at Denver.

Canadiens 4, Bruins 2: At Boston, Alex Kovalev had two goals and an assist for Montreal. … Penguins 4, Lightning 2: At Pittsburgh, Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist in defeating Tampa Bay. … Senators 3, Blues 2: At Ottawa, Jason Spezza scored his 31st goal during a win over St. Louis. … Hurricanes 2, Panthers 1 (SO): At Sunrise, Fla., Sergei Samsonov and Eric Staal scored in the shootout for Carolina in a win over Florida. … Red Wings 6, Predators 3: At Nashville, Tenn., Johan Franzen’s third-period goal broke a tie for Detroit. … Canucks 4, Oilers 1: At Edmonton, Alberta, Matt Pettinger’s late second-period goal helped Vancouver win its third in a row. … Kings 6, Coyotes 5 (SO): At Glendale, Ariz., Patrick O’Sullivan scored in a shootout to give Los Angeles a victory over Phoenix.

Off the ice

Minnesota defenseman Kurtis Foster will miss the rest of the season, including the playoffs, after crashing into the boards Wednesday during a race to the puck with San Jose’s Torrey Mitchell. Foster had surgery Thursday to repair a displaced fracture in his femur. A stabilizing rod was put into his leg. … Richard Zednik skated alone briefly Wednesday, enjoying the ice for the first time since a near fatal injury in February when his throat was slashed by teammate Olli Jokinen’s skate.