Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov, Ryan McDonagh and Brian Boyle all scored as the Rangers stormed into a 4-0 lead in the first period to set up the win.

New York completed a 6-0 sweep of the Flyers to claim the top seed in the East for the first time since 1994, when they won their last Stanley Cup Championship.

Philadelphia have fallen three points behind Pittsburgh in the conference standings after the Penguins beat the Boston Bruins 5-3 behind two goals and an assist from Sidney Crosby.

The Bruins have already clinched the Northeast Division title.

The Western Conference-leading Vancouver Canucks recorded their seventh straight win but needed a shoot-out goal from Max Lapierre to finally sink the Anaheim Ducks 5-4.

The Canucks had trailed by two goals in the second period before goals from Lapierre and Chris Higgins brought them level.

The win puts Vancouver level with New York on 109 points at the top of the overall NHL standings.

The Buffalo Sabres remain on course for the post-season after edging out the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 in overtime.

Derek Roy got the winning goal after Buffalo has recovered from a 3-0 first period deficit.

Mike Smith made 54 saves and earned his third straight shut-out as the Phoenix Coyotes topped the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-0 to stay on course for the play-offs as they sit seventh in the Western Conference, leading San Jose by one point with two games left.

The Sharks had earlier beat the Dallas Stars 5-2 to strengthen their own hand in the play-off race as they sit eighth, three points above Dallas.

The New Jersey Devils remain on course for the sixth seed in the East with a 3-1 win over the New York Islanders, while Andrew Ladd's overtime goal saw the Winnipeg Jets deny the Florida Panthers the chance to lock up the Southeast Division title with a 5-4 win in Sunrise.

Cam Ward made 38 saves as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1, while a shoot-out goal from Alexander Radulov handed the Nashville Predators a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild.