Sunday, February 6, 2011

NHL on Super Bowl Sunday

As a prelude to "The Big Game," the NHL scheduled three games for our viewing pleasures. The first of which should be the main-view grabber, the NHL's own big game with the...

Washington Capitals hosting the injury-ridden Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Michal Neuvirth got the starts in goal for today's game. Brooks Laich opened the scoring for Washington in the first period with his eleventh of the season, helped along by John Erskine and Mathieu Perreault. The Capitals take a 2-0 lead in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Marcus Johansson, his seventh of the year getting assistance from Jeff Schultz. Washington wraps the game up in the late third period with an empty net goal by Mike Knuble, his 13th of the campaign coming off of Matt Hendricks. The three stars were awarded to Neuvirth (22 save shutout), Laich, and Johansson.

The next game of the day is in Montreal, with Canadiens hosting the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Carey Price pick up the starting honors. Dainius Zubrus puts New Jersey up early with his tenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Ilya Kovalchuk made it 2-0 for the Devils with his 16th of the year, thanks to Colin White and Travis Zajac. Starting in net in the second period for New Jersey is Johan Hedberg, covering for a likely-injured Brodeur. Zajac adds his own goal for New Jersey, his ninth of the season, making it 3-0 thanks to Anton Volchenkov. Montreal got on the board with a goal by P.K. Subban, his sixth of the year, with the helpers by Scott Gomez and Max Pacioretty. Kovalchuk sealed the deal at 4-1 for the Devils with his second of the night and 17th of the season into the empty net with the help of Zajac. Earning the three stars were Kovalchuk, Subban, and Zajac.

Lastly, we have the blogger's nightmare, with the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the St. Louis Blues. Ty Conklin and Dan Ellis took to the creases for the game. Steven Stamkos put Tampa Bay up first with his 40th of the season, which got help from Brett Clark and Martin St. Louis (and you now know why this is a nightmare; glad it only happens once a year). St. Louis tied the game at one just thirty seconds into the second period with the 12th of the year by Patrik Berglund, with Alex Steen and T.J. Oshie picking up the helpers. The Lightning quickly reclaimed the lead with a Dominic Moore goal, his ninth of the season getting the assistance need from Stamkos and Marc-Andre Bergeron. The Blues answered back with David Backes putting his 17th of the year in the twine on the power play with the help of Steen and Oshie. St. Louis took the lead on the first of the season by Nikita Nikitin, made possible by Jay McClement. Tampa Bay retied the game on a Steve Downie marker just thirty seconds later, his sixth of the year helped along by Stamkos and St. Louis. The Lightning toppled the Blues after a scoreless third period with an overtime power play goal from Vincent Lecavalier, with assists from Bergeron and Stamkos, the later notching a sock trick. The three stars were Stamkos, Downie and Backes.

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