There's always a winner and a loser in the NHL, and this is a new nightly look at some of the winners and losers in the biggest games and biggest situations across the league.
WinnersPittsburgh Penguins: Even though they were down three of their top defensemen -- Kris Letang , Paul Martin and Deryk Engelland -- the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to extend their winning streak to eight games on Friday night, defeating the Florida Panthers by a 2-1 margin at the Consol Energy Center in a shootout thanks to goals from Evgeni Malkin and James Neal .
It wasn't always the most exciting game, but the Penguins were able to get the job done with a shorthanded defense and continued to gain ground on the New York Rangers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
For weeks it appeared that the Rangers had a stranglehold on the division, and the top seed, but their recent slump -- which continued with a 4-3 loss in Chicago on Friday -- combined with the Penguins winning streak has narrowed the gap to just four points, and the teams still meet two more times this season, including this upcoming Thursday night in New York at Madison Square Garden. It's already setting up to be a huge game.
[Related: Penguins 2, Panthers 1 -- Letang the missing piece?]
Calgary Flames: The Flames wrapped up their three-game homestand with a 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets, taking five of a possible six points over the three games, moving them into the ninth spot in the Western Conference, just one point behind the San Jose Sharks for the eighth playoff spot.
Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 42 of 45 shots in the win.
[Related: Flames 5, Jets 3]
Detroit Red Wings: The Detroit Red Wings generated 15 shots on goal on Friday night.
A team that is built on puck possession and pounding its opponents down by controlling the puck and playing in the offensive zone, recorded 15 shots on goal in a 60-minute game. Fortunately, four of them found a way to beat Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick , as the Red Wings earned a 4-3 win, erasing what was a 3-2 Kings lead with less than four minutes to play in regulation. Darren Helm scored the game-winner with just over a minute to play in the third period, while Henrik Zetterberg added a pair of goals in the win, helping to snap what had been a two-game losing skid. [Related: Red Wings 4, Kings 3]LosersLos Angeles Kings: And if the Red Wings were winners in that game, then the Kings were most definitely losers.
After Dwight King gave Los Angeles a 3-2 lead with just under five minutes to play in regulation, it appeared as if the Kings were going to pick up an important two points in their quest to qualify for the postseason, only to watch as the Red Wings found just enough offense to get the win. A win that would have pushed the Kings ahead of the San Jose Sharks, at least for the time being, for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. Instead, they remain on the outside looking in. [Related: Playoff Race]Winnipeg Jets: The Jets failed to gain any ground in the Southeast Division race due to their loss in Calgary, and remain just outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture. A slow start did them in on Friday night, falling behind 3-0 early to the Flames, a deficit they were never able to overcome.
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