It was as bad a start as the Florida Panthers could have imagined; but at the end of the night, they found a way to bank a crucial two points with an exciting 4-3 shootout victory over the New York Rangers Friday at Madison Square Garden.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got goals from five players Friday and took over second place in the Metropolitan Division with a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils at PPG Paints Arena.

Brian Elliott got back in his routine on Friday, won the battle with the flu and beat the Dallas Stars.

The Buffalo Sabres ended a frustrating trip to California by beating one of the Western Conference's contenders.