Thursday in the NHL

The NHL had five games on the block for Thursday, a lighter load than average. It started off in...

Philadelphia, with the Flyers hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Brian Boucher were given the starts. The game was quiet for the first two periods, taking until the opening seconds of the third frame for Philadelphia to score, a power play goal by Jeff Carter from Mike Richards and Chris Pronger for his 26th of the season. Danny Briere made it 2-0 Flyers with his 27th of the year, also a power play goal, with the help of Claude Giroux and Matt Carle. Carolina got on the board forty seconds later with the 13th of the season by Tuomo Ruutu, courtesy of Char LaRose. The Hurricanes failed to muster any further offense and lost 2-1. Briere, Boucher (31 for 32 saves), and Carter got the three stars.

Following that, the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and James Reimer were assigned to the creases. The scoring was opened by Toronto in the second period when Nikolai Kulemin tallied his 21st of the season, with the help of Phil Kessel and Mikhail Grabovski. New Jersey got the equalizer in the third period with Dainius Zubrus notching his eleventh of the year, assisted by Mark Fayne and Patrik Elias. The Devils sealed the victory in overtime with an Ilya Kovalchuk marker, his 18th of the season coming with assistance from Anssi Salmela. Kovalchuk, Hedberg (31 for 32 saves), and Reimer (37 for 39 saves) got the three stars.

Next up, the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Marc-Andre Fleury tended the twines. Pittsburgh was the first to score with a Brett Sterling marker, his first of the season made possible by Dustin Jeffrey and Nick Johnson. Los Angeles tied it with the 15th of the year by Jarret Stoll, courtesy of Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams. The 1-1 tie lasted throughout the second and third periods into the extra frame where the Penguins' Jordan Staal sealed a victory with his fourth of the season, thanks to Pascal Dupuis. Earning the three stars were Staal, Fleury (32 for 33 saves), and Stoll.

Up in Canada again for the Montreal Canadiens hosting the New York Islanders. Mikko Koskinen and Alex Auld covered the mesh. Montreal drew first blood with a Max Pacioretty goal, his ninth of the season going in with the help of David Desharnais and Jaroslav Spacek. New York responded with John Tavares potting his 19th of the year, an unassisted goal. The Canadiens regained the lead with Benoit Pouliot sinking his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Ryan White. The Islanders again tied the game, this time with Michael Grabner tallying his 18th of the year, helped along by Frans Nielsen and Jack Hillen. Fifty-eight seconds later, Tomas Plekanec gave Montreal the 3-2 lead with his 19th of the season, requiring no help. New York responded with Grabner getting his second of the night and 19th of the year, with Nielsen and Hillen again gathering the helpers. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Kyle Okposo's goal for the Islanders defeated the Canadiens. Okposo, Pacioretty, and Plekanec earned the three stars.

Lastly, the Florida Panthers hosted the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Tomas Vokoun were in between the pipes. Buffalo was the first to score in the second period with the third of the season by Mike Weber, assisted by Jason Pominville and Jochen Hecht. Steve Bernier tied the game for Florida with his fifth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Jason Garrison and Dennis Wideman. The Sabres retook the lead in the third period on Thomas Vanek's 22nd of the season, coming from Pominville and Tyler Myers. Marty Reasoner tied the game again for the Panthers with his eleventh of the year, with Wideman collecting another assist. The tie lasted into the extra overtime frame, where Myers won the game on his seventh of the season, via Nathan Gerbe. The three stars were awarded to Myers, Bernier, and Reasoner.

Friday games out by noon Saturday.