NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees couldnt quite suppress a smirk as he deadpanned the Saints prescription for playing better on the road, which is where theyll be for the playoffs. Jerome Kersey Jersey . "Theres three main things we need to do," Brees began. "Were going to change up the Gatorade flavour, we feel good about that. Were going to change our travel sweats. Were going to change, at the hotel, the beefy mac (and cheese) recipe the night before, just kind of give it a little extra kick. We feel like those three things are going to help pull us through." For one last time this season, Brees and the Saints proved how tough they are to hang with in the Big Easy, clinching an NFC wild-card spot Sunday with a 42-17 rout of the downtrodden Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brees was his usual prolific self, passing for four touchdowns and even running for a score as New Orleans (11-5) concluded the regular season 8-0 at home. But the Saints went 3-5 on the road this season, and they had little time to celebrate their widely anticipated triumph over the Bucs before fielding questions about what they can do to change their fortunes outside the Superdome. "Were going to be told all week long that we cant win on the road," right tackle Zack Strief said. "We all acknowledge why people say that, and yet, the other games dont matter -- not anymore." If the Saints can indeed summon Superdome-like performances in the coming weeks, theyll be a dangerous No. 6 seed. New Orleans opens the playoffs Saturday night at NFC East champion Philadelphia. Three of Brees scoring strikes against Tampa Bay went longer than 40 yards -- 76 to Kenny Stills, 44 to Lance Moore and 41 to Robert Meachem. Brees passed for 381 yards, eclipsing 5,000 yards in a season for an unprecedented fourth time. He finished the season with 5,162 yards to go with 39 touchdowns. "We did a lot of things well today at time when we needed to," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "Im proud of how they finished. ... Its hard to get 11 wins in this league." Brees other TD was a 10-yard pass to tight end Jimmy Graham. Mike Glennon passed for 219 yards and two TDs for Tampa Bay (4-12). With doubts swirling about the future of second-year Bucs coach Greg Schiano, Tampa Bay closed the season with losses in its last three games, and four of its last five. "Any time you win only four games, there are definitely going to be some type of changes," right tackle Demar Dotson said. "Upstairs, downstairs-- I dont know what its going to be." The Saints had lost three of their previous four games to set up a season finale they needed to win to assure themselves of a playoff spot. They got back to the post-season for the fourth time in five seasons, the lone exception being 2012, when Payton was suspended the entire season in connection with the NFLs bounty probe. "Obviously, Seans a huge part of" the Saints return to the playoffs, Brees said. "Four out of five years, winning an average of 12 games in every one of those (playoff) years. Thats a big deal." Schiano, meanwhile, coached like he had nothing to lose, trying a fake field goal, which failed, and going for it three times on fourth down, converting one. In the end, his team was overmatched, outgained 468 yards to 290. Asked about his future, Schiano said: "I dont think I have to say anything. Thats not being smug. I come in and do my job the best that I can. Thats other peoples decision." Schiano did call a successful flea-flicker on which Glennon found Tiquan Underwood for a 48-yard score to tie it at 7. Glennon was also intercepted by Keenan Lewis, setting up Brees 9-yard touchdown run in the second half. Pierre Thomas provided New Orleans other second-half score on an 8-yard run. Brees was 17 of 21 for 321 yards in the first half, when he threw all of his scoring passes and had a maximum 158.3 passer rating. His final line was 24 of 31 for 381 yards, no interceptions and a rating of 157.4. Brees went over the 5,000-yard mark in style, hitting Meachem deep down the sideline to make it 21-7. Glennons 1-yard pass to Tim Wright in the corner of the end zone cut it to 21-14, but Stills score made it 28-14, and the Bucs did not threaten again. Notes: Lewis interception was his fourth. ... Saints OLB Junior Gallette had two sacks to reach a career-high 12. ... Tampa Bay gave up season highs in yards and points. ... The Bucs have won four or fewer games in three of the past five seasons. Maurice Lucas Jersey . -- Steven Stamkos scored his first goal since returning from a major injury, Ryan Callahan had his first goal with Tampa Bay, and the Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Thursday night. Theo Ratliff Jersey . Team spokesman Donald Beauchamp said there was no new information on the 80-year-old Hall of Famers condition. The family has requested privacy. https://www.cheapblazersonline.com/288i-cliff-robinson-jersey-blazers.html . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July.CHICAGO -- Jonathan Toews and rookie Brandon Pirri scored in a four-round shootout, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Phoenix Coyotes 5-4 on Thursday night for their fourth straight win. Radim Vrbata had the lone shootout goal for Phoenix, 7-1-1 in its last nine games. Pirri tied the score 4-all 3 minutes into the third, and 4 seconds after a Chicago power play had elapsed. He connected on a midair deflection of Brent Seabrooks drive from the top of the circle. Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa also scored in regulation for the Blackhawks, who extended their point streak to eight games (7-0-1). Chicago fired a season-high 52 shots through overtime at Coyotes goalie Mike Smith. Phoenix defenceman Michael Stone scored two goals for the first time in his career as the Coyotes overcame an early two-goal deficit to earn a point. Shane Doan and Lauri Korpikoski also scored for Phoenix. At 13-4-3, the Coyotes are off to their best start since 1998-99 when they were 15-3-2 after 20 games. Smith made 48 saves and Chicagos Corey Crawford had 26 in a wide-open, back-and-forth game. The 52 shots allowed by the Coyotes through overtime also were a season high. Smith entered having faced an NHL-high 555 shots. Phoenix defenceman Zbynek Michalek left after five shifts in the first period with a lower-body injury. The Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening 6:22, but the Coyotes came back to tie it 2-all after the first period. Saad opened the scoring 2:37 in when he popped in a rebound with Smith down on the ice and a scrum in the crease. Sharp made it 2-0 at 6:22 with a power-play goal, on a rising shot fired from tthe top of the slot and through a screen. CJ McCollum Jersey. The 23-year-old Stone cut it to 2-1 just 41 seconds later when his shot from the right point deflected off Pirris stick and past Crawford. Doans power-play goal, chipped in from the right side of the net with 5:56 left in the first, tied it at 2. Keith Yandles shot from the point missed the net, caromed off the back boards and straight to Doan. Hossa put Chicago back ahead 3-2 at 5:05 of the second when he drove to the net unchecked and scored on a rebound of his own shot from left wing. Then Korpikoski and Stone scored 2:11 apart late in the second to put Phoenix ahead for the first time, 4-3. From the edge of the crease, Korpikoski wrapped in a rebound of Radim Vrbatas shot with 5:05 left in the period to knot it at 3. Stones second goal, on a high drive from the top of the left circle, sailed past Crawford on the stick side and put the Coyotes in front. After Pirri scored to tie it at 4, the Blackhawks took control and outshot the Coyotes 17-6 in the third. Smith stopped Hossa from point-blank range with a minute left in regulation. Chicago dominated the overtime and outshot Phoenix 3-0 NOTES: The Blackhawks recalled 20-year-old forward Alex Broadhurst from Rockford of the AHL and placed C Michael Handzus on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 25. Handzus has missed the last eight games with an upper-body injury. Broadhurst, from the Chicago suburb of New Lenox, Ill., didnt play Thursday. ... Chicago D Michal Rozsival was a scratch. He was hit in the face with a puck on Sunday. ... Phoenix assigned forward Chris Brown to Portland of the American Hockey League. He had appeared in just four games. ' ' '