The Associated Press

BOSTON - The Boston Bruins got a key save in overtime from Steve Shields to preserve a 2-2 tie Monday night with the Tampa Bay Lightning and qualify for the NHL playoffs.

Miami University graduate Dan Boyle took a shot from point-blank range with 25 seconds left, but Shields stopped it with his pads.

Coupled with the New York Rangers' overtime loss, the Bruins clinched an Eastern Conference playoff berth. The Lightning wrapped up no worse than the sixth seed in the East.

John Grahame held off the B's despite the Lightning being outshot 19-4 in the last 25 minutes.

Tampa Bay extended its franchise-record unbeaten streak to 6-0-6 and is 13-2-8 in its last 23 games. But its long winless string in Boston continued. The Lightning are 0-14-4 there since their last victory - Dec. 17, 1997. Overall, they're 1-15-5 in Boston. Mike Knuble and Nick Boynton scored for Boston. Ruslan Fedotenko and Fredrik Modin had goals for Tampa Bay.

Thrashers 4, Rangers 3, OT

NEW YORK - Yannick Tremblay scored a power-play goal at 2:40 of overtime.

Marc Savard had a pair of goals and added an assist for Atlanta, and Dany Heatley assisted on three goals - including the game-winner. Eric Lindros was off for high-sticking when Tremblay scored.

The Rangers trail the idle Islanders by three points with three games to play in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They play tonight, and an Isles win would eliminate the Rangers from playoff contention.

Avalanche 3, Sharks 1

DENVER - Milan Hejduk had two goals and an assist, and Patrick Roy stopped 22 shots as the Avs beat San Jose extend their home unbeaten streak to a team-record 16 games. Colorado is 23-4-3-3 in its last 33 games to inch closer toward a record ninth division title.

Red Wings 3, Predators 0

DETROIT - Curtis Joseph earned his 41st career shutout - fifth this season - as the Red Wings won their third straight Central Division title. Steve Yzerman, Henrik Zetterberg and Sergei Fedorov also scored for the Red Wings, who have 106 points.

It was only the second goal for Yzerman since his return in February from offseason knee surgery.

Canadiens 4, Hurricanes 0

RALEIGH, N.C. - Backup goaltender Mathieu Garon got his second shutout in seven games, stopping 33 shots as Montreal snapped a three-game losing skid.

Wild 3, Flames 0

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota's Manny Fernandez earned his eighth career shutout by stoning Calgary with 26 saves.

Stars 3, Sabres 0

DALLAS - Marty Turco made 18 saves for his sixth shutout of the season as the Stars moved into a tie for the NHL's best record.

The Pacific Division-champion Stars have 107 points, one more than Detroit in the race for home ice throughout the Western Conference playoffs. Dallas pulled even with East leader Ottawa in race for the NHL's top record.

Flyers 6, Penguins 1

PITTSBURGH - Keith Primeau scored once and set up two goals in just more than eight minutes of the second period as Philadelphia beat the Pens for the fourth time in 17 days. The Penguins' Jamie Pushor scored the opening goal in the first period. But Flyers goaltender Roman Cechmanek had little difficulty thereafter.

Kings 5, Coyotes 4, OT

PHOENIX - Steve Kelly scored 1:42 into overtime as L.A. snapped a seven-game winless streak.

Blues 5, Oilers 5

ST. LOUIS - Ethan Moreau scored with 1:52 left in regulation, Edmonton's third goal of the third period, as the Oilers rallied to tie St. Louis.