Thursday NHL Games

There were a total of eleven games on Thursday night. They started off with...

The Atlanta Thrashers hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Chris Mason were called on for the starts. Ottawa was the first on the board with a Colin Greening goal, his first of the season, with help from Brian Lee and Chris Phillips. The scoring stayed silent until the Senators scored again in the third period with Bobby Butler potting his sixth of the year, thanks to Erik Karlsson and Ryan Shannon. Atlanta got on the board with Dustin Byfuglien sending his 19th of the season into the mesh with assistance by Tobias Enstrom and Andrew Ladd. Ottawa made it 3-1 with Nick Foligno scoring his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Derek Smith and Sergei Gonchar. The final was as mentioned, with Butler, Foligno, and Anderson (42 for 43 saves) taking the three stars.

Moving along to Philadelphia, where the Flyers hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Sergei Bobrovsky were in front of the cages. Philadelphia was the first to score with former Leaf Kris Versteeg netting his 16th of the season, helped along by Mike Richards and Chris Pronger. Twenty-one seconds later, Toronto tied it with Nikolai Kulemin registering his 24th of the year, thanks to Clarke MacArthur. Versteeg netted another goal, his second of the game and 17th of the year to retake the lead for the Flyers, with helpers provided by Richards and Matt Carle. The Maple Leafs tied it again, this time with Dion Phaneuf potting his fourth of the campaign, powered by Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski. Toronto took a 3-2 lead on Darryl "No Nose Goes" Boyce's fourth of the season, with assists from Colby Armstrong and Phaneuf. This was the final, and the three stars belonged to Versteeg, Richards, and Boyce.

Back south to Carolina, where the Hurricanes hosted the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Cam Ward took their usual spots in front of the nets. The scoring was opened by Buffalo in the second period when Steve Montador put his fifth of the season into the twine, with the efforts of Tyler Ennis and Andrej Sekera being valued. Carolina replied on a Jiri Tlusty goal, his sixth of the year, from Jamie McBain and Brandon Sutter. The Sabres retook the lead on a Brad Boyes goal, going as his 14th of the campaign, via Montador and Sekera. The Hurricanes tied it again with Chad LaRose potting his 12th of the season, courtesy of Jeff Skinner. The tie lasted into overtime, where Carolina took Buffalo down when McBain netted his fifth of the year, fueled by Joni Pitkanen and Eric Staal. The three stars were given to McBain, Ward (27 for 29 saves), and LaRose.

Staying in the eastern regions of the country, the Washington Capitals hosted the St. Louis Blues. Ty Conklin and Michal Neuvirth were given the starting nods. St. Louis visited the scoresheet first on the 18th of the season by Alex Steen, helped along by Chris Stewart and Barret Jackman. Washington tied it in the second period with the first of the year for Scott Hannan, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and Matt Hendricks. the Blues retook the lead on B.J. Crombeen's sixth of the campaign, an unassisted. The Capitals found another equalizer, with Nicklas Backstrom scoring his 16th of the season, assisted by Mike Knuble and Ovechkin. Washington took a 3-2 lead in the third period with Jason Arnott's first as a Capital and 14th of the year, with help from Alexander Semin and Brooks Laich. This was the final, giving the three stars to Arnott, Ovechkin, and Steen.

Over to Boston, where the Bruins hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mike Smith and Tim Thomas stood in the creases. The game was quiet until Tampa Bay struck on Eric Brewer's ninth of the season, coming off of Blair Jones and Steve Downie. Boston replied with Steve Kampfer netting his fifth of the campaign, with help from the newly acquired duo of Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley. The Bruins took a 2-1 lead with Milan Lucic registering his 28th of the year with guidance from David Krejci and Nathan Horton. This was the final, and the three stars went to Lucic, Johnny Boychuk, and Thomas (27 for 28 saves).

Into New York City, where the Rangers hosted the Minnesota Wild. Jose Theodore and Henrik Lundqvist answered the call to start. New York was first on the board with Sean Avery netting his third of the season, with the help of Erik Christensen and Vinny Prospal. Minnesota replied in the second period with Kyle Brodziak sending his 14th of the year home on the power play via Jared Spurgeon and Pierre-Marc Bouchard. The Wild took the lead with the first of the season by Casey Wellman, assisted by Brent Burns and Andrew Brunette. Minnesota made it 3-1 in the third period on a Bouchard goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Martin Havlat and Brodziak. This was to be the final, and the three stars belonged to Brodziak, Theodore (40 for 41 saves), and Bouchard.

Heading down to Florida, where the Panthers hosted the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Tomas Vokoun made the starts. Montreal was first on the board with the earth-shaking Hal Gill tally, his first of the season, with help from Andrei Kostitsyn and James Wisniewski. Kostitsyn also scored his 16th of the year for the Canadiens, guided by Travis Moen and Lars Eller. Scott Clemmensen was called on to relieve Vokoun from the nightmare he was producing. Montreal kept going with David Desharnais sinking his seventh of the season, thanks to Benoit Pouliot. Eller made it 4-0 with his fifth of the year, helped along by Moen and Wisniewski. This would be the final, with Price (30 save shutout), Kostitsyn, and Wisniewski picking up the three stars.

Finally breaking out west to Edmonton, where the Oilers hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Devan Dubnyk put on the goalie masks. The first noticeable event involved Derek Dorsett dropping the mitts with Jason Strudwick. The scoring was opened by Edmonton on the power play in the form of the 14th of the season for Sam Gagner, and crediting the helpers to Magnus Paajarvi and Tom Gilbert. The Oilers extended the lead with Taylor Hall netting his 22nd of the year, thanks to Shawn Horcoff and Strudwick. Jordan Eberle kept Edmonton going in the early second period, chasing Steve Mason away with his 15th of the season, helped along by Horcoff and Hall, bringing on Mathieu Garon in relief. Columbus finally got on the board with Matt Calvert netting his eleventh of the year, finding the sticks of Samuel Pahlsson and Dorsett previously. The next fight involved Dorsett once again, and Hall in his first NHL fight, completing a Gordie Howe Hat Trick simultaneously, and also spraining his ankle. The Blue Jackets pulled within a goal in the third period with Scottie Upshall notching his 18th of the season, assisted by R.J. Umberger and Kris Russell. The Oilers managed to seal victory at 4-2 with an empty netter by Andrew Cogliano, his tenth of the year going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Hall, Dubnyk (26 for 28 saves), and Horcoff.

Staying in Western Canada, the Vancouver Canucks hosted the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Roberto Luongo tended the twines. The scoring was all quiet until Blake Geoffrion potted his second of the season for Nashville in the third period, made possible by Jordin Tootoo and Kevin Klein. The Predators extended the lead with Patric Hornqvist potting his 18th of the year, an unassisted tally. Nashville secured the victory with an empty net goal by David Legwand, his eleventh of the campaign, guided in by Martin Erat and Joel Ward. Rinne (29 save shutout), Luongo (26 for 29 saves), and Tootoo earned the three stars.

Onward into California, where the San Jose Sharks hosted the Detroit Red Wings. Joey MacDonald and Antti Niemi were the masked men. San Jose was the first to score with a Dany Heatley goal, his 21st of the season coming off of Ian White and Patrick Marleau. Detroit replied with a power play goal from Tomas Holmstrom, his 14th of the year made possible by Mike Modano and Nicklas Lidstrom. Heatley put the Sharks back in front with his 22nd of the season and second of the game, a power play goal produced by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. San Jose made it 3-1 with Marleau netting his 25th of the year, an unassisted goal that would bring us to the final. The three stars went to Heatley, Marleau, and Niemi (26 for 27 saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings hosted the Phoenix Coyotes. Ilya Bryzgalov and Jonathan Bernier were in between the pipes. Los Angeles opened the scoring over halfway through the third period on the power play, with Jarret Stoll sinking his 18th of the year with assists from Anze Kopitar and Ryan Smyth. This was the final, and Bernier (25 save shutout), Keith Yandle, and Stoll got the three stars.

That's all for Thursday, Friday will be started soon. It appears that the problem I told you all about may have resolved itself tonight, but we'll keep an eye on it. This was a difficult disruption to work with, and it appeared to have no clear-cut or easy solution.