Sunday Hockey games

Sunday brought a total of six games, with the NBC game of the week opening the series. Hosting it was the...

Pittsburgh Penguins with the New York Rangers visiting. Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury took to the creases. New York opened the scoring with Artem Anisimov netting his 18th of the season, with help from Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky. Pittsburgh answered with Jordan Staal notching his tenth of the year, James Neal and Ben Lovejoy provided the helpers. The scoring resumed in the third period with the Penguins potting a shorthanded goal from Chris Kunitz, his 21st of the campaign coming unassisted. Marian Gaborik tied it again for the Rangers with a power play goal, his 22nd of the season guided in by Dubinsky and Bryan McCabe. Eleven seconds later, New York took the lead with another power play goal, the 23rd of the year by Callahan powered by Erik Christensen and Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers continued with Derek Stepan registering his 19th of the season courtesy of Ryan McDonagh and Anisimov. Thirty-five seconds later, New York solidified their 5-2 victory with Dubinsky finding the empty twine with his 21st of the year, coming via Callahan. Callahan, Lundqvist (38 for 40 saves), and Dubinsky gathered the three stars.

Buffalo hosted the next game, with the Sabres welcoming the Nashville Predators to HSBC Arena. Andres Lindback and Ryan Miller were called in to guard the cages. Nashville entered the scoring with Blake Geoffrion notching his fourth of the season, assisted by Colin Wilson and J.P. Dumont. Buffalo replied in the second period with the eleventh of the year by Nathan Gerbe, courtesy of Paul Gaustad and Mark Mancari. The Sabres took the lead with Tim Connolly's eleventh of the season, guided in by Thomas Vanek and Tyler Myers. Buffalo extended their lead with the 19th of the year by Tyler Ennis, a power play goal powered by Drew Stafford and the goalie Ryan Miller. In a span of one minute and four seconds, Geoffrion tied the game for the Predators with his fifth and sixth goals of the season, with assists provided by Cody Franson and Sergei Kostitsyn on the second goal, as the first went unassisted. Nashville won the game 4-3 in the overtime that followed with a Martin Erat tally, his 14th of the year coming via Ryan Suter and David Legwand. Geoffrion, Gerbe, and Erat collected the three stars.

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the New Jersey Devils as well. Martin Brodeur and Steve Mason played between the pipes. New Jersey took a 2-0 lead with David Clarkson's tallies in the first and second period, his 11th and 12th of the season getting assistance from Jacob Josefson, Mattias Tedenby (twice), and Andy Greene. Nick Palmieri tacked on his seventh of the year for the Devils with no assistance. This would be the final, with Clarkson, Brodeur (13 save shutout), and Palmieri gaining the three stars.

Into Minnesota, where the Wild hosted the Montreal Canadiens. Alex Auld and Jose Theodore were given the starting nods. Montreal opened the scoring with the first of the season by Ryan White, with help from Benoit Pouliot and P.K. Subban. A fight later broke out between Clayton Stoner and White. The Canadiens quickly replied with an Andrei Kostitsyn tally, his 19th of the year coming off of Pouliot. Subban kept Montreal going with his ninth of the season, with David Desharnais and Pouliot collecting the assists, the latter finishing his sock trick. James Wisniewski made it 4-0 Canadiens with his tenth of the year, fueled by Michael Cammalleri and the goalie Alex Auld. Montreal rolled on with Travis Moen notching his sixth of the season, with helpers provided by Scott Gomez and Roman Hamrlik, causing Theodore to be yanked for Niklas Backstrom. Subban completed his hat trick with a second and third period goal, his tenth and eleventh of the year, the first being on the power play via Wisniewski and Cammalleri, and the latter being at even strength from White and Desharnais, with the first of those two finishing a Gordie Howe hat trick. Mikko Koivu saved Minnesota from a shutout with his 17th of the season, coming on a penalty shot. Montreal wrapped it up by a final of 8-1 with the second of the year by Tom Pyatt, with help from Brian Gionta and Desharnais, the latter wrapping up a sock trick. The three stars went to Subban, White, and Pouliot, with props to Desharnais for the game's fourth "trick."

Down to Anaheim, where the Ducks hosted the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Dan Ellis made the starts. Anaheim opened the scoring with Ryan Getzlaf notching his 18th of the season thanks to Corey Perry. Perry extended the Ducks lead with his 38th of the year, a power play goal fueled by Teemu Selanne and Getzlaf. Francois Beauchemin made it 3-0 Anaheim with his fourth of the season, assisted by Saku Koivu and Selanne, chasing Miikka Kiprusoff in favor of Henrik Karlsson. Calgary got on the board with a Tom Kostopolous goal, his seventh of the year guided in by Matt Stajan and Tim Jackman. The Flames pulled within a goal on Rene Bourque's 25th of the season, assisted by Curtis Glencross and Kostopolous. Kostopolous tied it for Calgary with his second of the game and eighth of the year, helped along by Steve Staios and Glencross. The Flames took the lead with a power play goal by Jarome Iginla, his 33rd of the season made possible by Alex Tanguay and Mark Giordano. The Ducks tied it with Selanne notching his 22nd of the year on the power play, courtesy of Getzlaf and Lubomir Visnovsky. Perry secured the 5-4 victory for Anaheim over Calgary in overtime with his second of the game and 39th of the campaign, helped in by Toni Lydman and Getzlaf, the latter claiming a sock trick. Perry, Selanne, and Kostopolous gained the three stars.

Finally, the Phoenix Coyotes hosted the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Ilya Bryzgalov tended the twines. Duncan Keith put Chicago ahead first with his sixth of the season, assisted by Nick Leddy and Marian Hossa on the power play. Phoenix tied it in the second period with the 13th of the campaign by Eric Belanger, guided in by Michal Rozsival and Mikkel Boedker. The Blackhawks retook the lead 2-1 with the fourth of the year by Chris Campoli, his power play tally made possible by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. This was the final, with Bryzgalov (26 for 28 saves), Crawford (22 for 23 saves), and Keith gathering in the three stars.

Two games for Monday, and a lot of extra work around that.