Hurricanes Tame Devils

Settling a score with an old nemesis moved the Carolina Hurricanes one step closer to the franchise’s first playoff berth in seven years.

“The New Jersey Devils had abused us all season, and it was nice to give a little back,” Gary Roberts said after the Hurricanes, losers in their previous four games against the Devils this season, defeated New Jersey, 4-2, on Tuesday night at Greensboro, N.C.

Keith Primeau scored his 30th goal and Ray Sheppard got his 25th and added an assist as the Southeast Division-leading Hurricanes broke a four-game winless drought. Roberts and Jeff O’Neill also scored for Carolina, which can wrap up the division title with five points in its last five games even if the second-place Florida Panthers win all of their remaining games.

San Jose 1, Phoenix 0--Goaltender Steve Shields extended his unbeaten streak to 10 games with the victory at Phoenix and the Sharks became the seventh Western Conference team to earn a playoff berth.

Bill Houlder scored a power-play goal in the second period, and Shields made it stand up with 33 saves for his fourth shutout of the season.

San Jose defenseman Bryan Marchment was serving a one-game suspension because of a racial comment he made to a Vancouver’s Donald Brashears, a black player, in a game on Saturday.

Buffalo 4, N.Y. Islanders 3--Jason Woolley had a goal and an assist for the Sabres at Uniondale, N.Y.