Tuesday NHL Games

There were ten games on Tuesday, allowing the players recently swapped to get to their new home arenas and start practicing with their teams. We start in...

New York, where the Rangers hosted the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Henrik Lundqvist were the goalies. Tyler Myers opened the scoring for Buffalo with his tenth of the season, a power play goal coming from Drew Stafford and Tim Connolly. The Sabres made it 2-0 in the second period with the newly-acquired Brad Boyes netting his 13th of the year, also a power play goal, with help from Paul Gaustad and Andrej Sekera. Forty-five seconds later, New York got on the board with Erik Christensen notching his ninth of the campaign, another power play tally, guided Bryan McCabe and Vinny Prospal. Buffalo extended the lead with a Jochen Hecht goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Sekera and Steve Montador. The Rangers made it 3-2 with Artem Anisimov potting his 14th of the year, helped along by Ryan Callahan and Wojtek Wolski. This would be the final, and the three stars went to Hecht, Miller (29 for 31 saves), and Anisimov.

Down south, the Atlanta Thrashers hosted the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Chris Mason took to the cages. Montreal struck first with Max Pacioretty scoring his 12th of the season unassisted. The Canadiens made it 2-0 with James Wisniewski potting his seventh of the year on the power play from Andrei Kostitsyn and David Desharnais. Atlanta entered the scoring in the third period with a Nik Antropov goal fueled by Anthony Stewart for his eleventh of the season. Montreal sealed the deal at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Brian Gionta, his 23rd of the year, with helpers provided by Scott Gomez and Pacioretty. This was the final, and Price (40 for 41 saves), Pacioretty, and Antropov earned the three stars.

Into the nation's capital, with the Washington Capitals hosting the New York Islanders. Nathan Lawson and Michal Neuvirth tended the twines. New York drew first blood in the second period with the 28th of the season by Matt Moulson, with assistance from P.A. Parenteau and John Tavares. Washington tied it with only forty-eight seconds left in regulation with a Brooks Laich goal, his 14th of the campaign made possible by newcomer Jason Arnott and Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin clinched the game in overtime with his unassisted 25th of the year on an end-to-end rush. The three stars were awarded to Ovechkin, Laich, and Neuvirth (28 for 29 saves).

Down south a bit to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes hosted the Florida Panthers. Scott Clemmensen and Cam Ward were called upon to make the starts. Carolina struck first with a Cory Stillman goal, scoring his ninth of the season against his former team with the help of Erik Cole and Joni Pitkanen. Eric Staal returned from injury to net his 28th of the year for the Hurricanes, courtesy of Stillman and Joe Corvo on the power play. Florida got on the board in the second period with Stephen Weiss notching his 17th of the campaign, thanks to David Booth and Jason Garrison. There was a scoring drought after this time, preserving a 2-1 final for Carolina, and giving the three stars to Stillman, Ward (41 for 42 stops), and Staal.

Going north of the border to Ottawa, for the Senators hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Craig Anderson played in front of the cages. The first two periods were quiet, and Nathan Horton busted the silence in the third with his 18th of the year, with help from Brad Marchand and Adam McQuaid. This was the game's only goal, giving Boston the 1-0 win, and the three stars were Rask (33 save shutout), Anderson (20 for 21 stops), and Zdeno Chara (presumably playing around 10 hours of hockey in the game) with a personal shout-out to Horton for kind of.... uh.... winning the game, possibly?

Back into the States, specifically Missouri, where the St. Louis Blues hosted the Calgary Flames in the second game of the home-and-home. Miikka Kiprusoff and Ben Bishop were again in the nets. Calgary was the first to score with an Alex Tanguay goal, his 17th of the season made possible by Jarome Iginla. The second period was quiet, before Iginla struck for the Flames with his 26th of the year, courtesy of Brendan Morrison and Tanguay. Calgary extended the lead again with a David Moss goal, his 16th of the season coming on the power play via Mark Giordano. Iginla found the twine again for the Flames with his second of the game and 27th of the year, helped along by Morrison and Tanguay again. Robyn Regehr also scored for Calgary, providing his second of the season on the power play, from sock trick Morrison and Rene Bourque. The Flames wrapped it up at 6-0 with five second left in the game on the eleventh of the year by Niklas Hagman, fueled by Mikael Backlund. The three stars were Iginla, Kiprusoff (25 save shutout), and Tanguay.

Heading southwest to Phoenix, where the Coyotes hosted the Dallas Stars. Kari Lethonen and Ilya Bryzgalov were in between the pipes. Dallas was the first on the board with a goal from Tom Wandell, his fifth of the season coming off of Toby Petersen. The Stars extended the lead in the third period with a Jamie Langenbrunner goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers provided by Steve Ott and Adam Burish. Rostislav Klesla, the former Columbus Blue Jacket, potted his fourth of the season to put Phoenix on the board, while Kyle Turris and Shane Doan picked up the assists. Ray Whitney added his 12th of the campaign for the Coyotes to tie the game at 2 with only thirty-eight seconds left in regulation, and Doan grabbed another assist. Dallas, however, only needed thirty-three seconds to take the 3-2 lead, with Jamie Benn getting his 14th of the year on the power play, courtesy of Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro, clinching the victory. Benn, Doan, and Klesla picked up the three stars.

Heading north to Edmonton, where the Oilers hosted the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Martin Gerber were in the creases. Blake Geoffrion put Nashville up early with his first of the season, helped along by Ryan Suter and Matt Halischuk. Forty-one seconds later, Jim Vandermeer tied it for Edmonton with his second of the year, coming from Sam Gagner. This tie would last into a shootout, where Jordan Eberle and Martin Erat exchanged goals before Linus Omark took the Oilers to victory over the Predators. Gerber (34 for 35 saves), Vandermeer, and Mike Fisher (celebrity wife) got the three stars.

Staying in Canada, the Vancouver Canucks hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets. Putting on the masks were Steve Mason and Roberto Luongo. Vancouver was the first on the board with Mason Raymond netting his eleventh of the season with the help of Ryan Kesler and Sami Salo. Columbus answered in the second period with the 17th of the year by the new teammate Scottie Upshall, with assists coming from Samuel Pahlsson and Derek Dorsett. The tie lasted into a shootout where Rick Nash and Raymond exchanged goals, followed by another offsetting pair from Antoine Vermette and Alexandre Burrows before Raffi Torres secured the game for the Canucks in the eighth round. Luongo (30 for 31 saves), Upshall, and Salo earned the three stars, while the blogger would like to mention Raymond and Torres.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks welcomed the Colorado Avalanche to the Shark Tank. Brian Elliott and Antti Niemi took care of the nets. Colorado was first on the board in the third period with Erik Johnson nailing his seventh of the season on the power play unassisted. San Jose answered with the 16th of the year for Joe Thornton, fueled by Jason Demers and Devin Setoguchi. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Ryane Clowe provided the heroics for the Sharks with the lone tally. The three stars went to Niemi (18 for 19 saves), Elliott (34 for 35 saves), and Thornton.

That's all Tuesday had to offer, with many spectacular goaltending performances. Wednesday's games will come out at the earliest available time.