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Columbus, Ohio • The Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled at times in an injury-filled season.
When a game is in the balance, however, they still have the personnel and the experience to end up with the two points.
Chris Kunitz and Beau Bennett scored goals 47 seconds apart midway through the third period and Marc-Andre Fleury made 35 saves and the Penguins clinched a playoff spot with a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.
"I thought to a man we stepped up," coach Dan Bylsma said after his team ended a string of three regulation defeats. "We're fighting for every inch we can get right now. Tonight, this was exactly what we've talked about and wanted from this game. It was a playoff-type game, with playoff-type intensity."
The Penguins are now at 99 points to move closer to clinching the Metropolitan Division title.
But it was far from easy, particularly without star forward Evgeni Malkin (foot) and other injured mainstays such as Paul Martin, Pascal Dupuis and Kris Letang.
Bennett hadn't played in the past 50 games after surgery on his wrist. Yet he came up with the game-winning goal.
Fleury was at his best early — and late. He made a terrific save on the first shift on Cam Atkinson's shot off a deflection. Then he made huge saves on Brandon Dubinsky and Atkinson during a scrum in front of the net in the final seconds.
Senators 5, Blackhawks 3 • In Ottawa, Ontario, Craig Anderson had 46 saves and Clarke MacArthur had a goal and two assists and Ottawa beat Chicago on Friday night.
It was Anderson's first game back since being injured March 10. EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
GP W L OT Pts GF GA
x-Boston 73 50 17 6 106 233 153
Montreal 75 42 26 7 91 195 188
Tampa Bay 73 40 24 9 89 217 195
Detroit 73 33 26 14 80 195 209
Toronto 75 36 31 8 80 218 235
Ottawa 73 30 29 14 74 210 246
Florida 74 27 39 8 62 178 240
Buffalo 73 20 45 8 48 139 218
Metropolitan Division
GP W L OT Pts GF GA
x-Pittsburgh 74 47 22 5 99 228 184
N.Y. Rangers 75 41 30 4 86 200 183
Philadelphia 73 39 27 7 85 210 206
Columbus 73 37 30 6 80 205 198
Washington 73 34 27 12 80 212 218
New Jersey 73 31 28 14 76 177 190
Carolina 73 32 32 9 73 184 205
N.Y. Islanders 73 28 35 10 66 204 246
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
GP W L OT Pts GF GA
x-St. Louis 73 50 16 7 107 238 164
Chicago 75 42 18 15 99 247 196
Colorado 73 46 21 6 98 224 200
Minnesota 74 37 26 11 85 183 188
Dallas 73 35 27 11 81 210 210
Winnipeg 74 33 32 9 75 206 216
Nashville 75 32 32 11 75 186 226
Pacific Division
GP W L OT Pts GF GA
x-San Jose 75 47 19 9 103 230 181
x-Anaheim 72 47 18 7 101 231 182
Los Angeles 74 43 25 6 92 185 157
Phoenix 74 36 26 12 84 205 209
Vancouver 75 34 30 11 79 183 201
Calgary 74 31 36 7 69 189 217
Edmonton 73 25 39 9 59 180 241
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.
x-clinched playoff spot
Friday's games
Philadelphia 4, Toronto 2
Pittsburgh 2, Columbus 1
Ottawa 5, Chicago 3
Dallas 7, Nashville 3
Calgary 4, N.Y. Rangers 3
Anaheim at Edmonton, late
Saturday's games
Boston at Washington, 10:30 a.m.
San Jose at Colorado, 1 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 5 p.m.
Detroit at Toronto, 5 p.m.
Montreal at Florida, 5 p.m.
New Jersey at N.Y. Islanders, 5 p.m.
Columbus at Carolina, 5 p.m.
Dallas at St. Louis, 6 p.m.
Minnesota at Phoenix, 7 p.m.
Anaheim at Vancouver, 8 p.m.
Winnipeg at Los Angeles, 8 p.m.