There are ten games on today, and we begin with a Boston Bruins home game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Tuukka Rask were in the creases. Carolina led off with the second goal of the season by Anthony Stewart, assisted by Brett Sutter and Joni Pitkanen. Pitkanen extended the Hurricanes lead in the second period with his second of the year, courtesy of Tuomo Ruutu and Tim Brent. Boston finally got on the board with a third period goal on the power play, Rich Peverley's third of the season, and the opportunity was created by Dennis Seidenberg and Joe Corvo. Carolina restored a two goal lead with Eric Staal's third of the year on the power play, guided in by Jussi Jokinen and Pitkanen. The Hurricanes added on another power play goal, coming from Ruutu's tape and Chad LaRose and Tomas Kaberle put the passes in place for the goal. The final was 4-1, with Ward (33 for 34 in saves), Pitkanen, and Brandon Sutter getting the three stars, although more deserving of the third slot would be Ruutu.
Next up, the Washington Capitals host the Florida Panthers. Jakob Markstrom and Tomas Vokoun are the starting goalies. Marcus Johansson scored his third of the season to put Washington up early, a power play goal powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals made it 2-0 in the third period with an Alexander Semin goal, his second of the year, fueled by Mike Knuble and Dennis Wideman. Washington iced it at 3-0 with a Jason Chimera empty net goal, assisted by Semin and Brooks Laich for his fourth of the season. Vokoun (20 save shutout), Johansson, and Markstrom (29 for 31 in saves for NHL debut) were the three stars.
Over to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets hosting the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Steve Mason were given the green light to play goal. Dallas broke open the scoring in the second period with a Steve Ott goal, his second of the season coming off of Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn. The Stars extended the lead with a Benn goal, his second of the year, made possible by Radek Dvorak and Adam Burish. Columbus got on the board with a power play goal by Derick Brassard, powered by Rick Nash and David Savard. Dallas replied with a Michael Ryder goal, his second of the season helped along by Sheldon Souray and Brenden Morrow. The Blue Jackets got the score to 3-2 with a Kris Russell goal, which went down unassisted. They failed to get an equalizer, and lost by the aforementioned score. The three stars were Lehtonen (38 for 40 in saves), Benn, and Brassard.
Up to Minnesota, with the Wild hosting the road warrior Pittsburgh Penguins. Brent Johnson and Niklas Backstrom were the masked men. Pittsburgh led off early in the second period with a Chris Kunitz goal, and Pascal Dupuis picked up the lone assist. The Penguins extended the lead with Jordan Staal netting his third of the season, a power play goal powered by Matt Cooke and Zbynek Michalek. Minnesota got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Cal Clutterbuck, his second of the year, guided in by Mikko Koivu. Pittsburgh quickly got an insurance goal in the third period by James Neal, his sixth of the season going down unassisted. The Penguins extended the lead with a shorthanded Dupuis goal, his second of the year coming from Cooke. The Wild replied with a Guillaume Latendresse goal, thanks to Matt Cullen and Brett Bulmer. The final here was 4-2 with Johnson (24 for 26 in saves), Clutterbuck, and Staal getting the three stars, although Dupuis and Cooke also could have gotten a star.
North again to Montreal, with the Canadiens hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Carey Price go to battle in net. The scoring began with Montreal's Raphael Diaz in the second period, and he was helped out by Max Pacioretty and Andrei Kostitsyn. Buffalo tied it on a Jordan Leopold goal coming off of Drew Stafford and Derek Roy. With three seconds left in the period, the Sabres took the lead on the fourth of the season by Thomas Vanek, fueled by Jason Pominville and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Buffalo wrapped the game up with an empty net goal by Christian Ehrhoff, assisted by Roy. Miller (40 for 41 in saves), Pacioretty, and Diaz were the three stars, although cases can be made for Roy and Vanek.
Staying in Canada, the Ottawa Senators hosted the Philadelphia Flyers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Auld started, although Craig Anderson made a relief appearance for the Senators later in the game. Philadelphia led off with the second of the season by Matt Read, assisted by Sean Couturier and Matt Carle. The Flyers pulled farther ahead on a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his second of the year powered by Read and Claude Giroux. Giroux later struck with his own power play goal, his fourth of the season, with help from Chris Pronger and Jaromir Jagr. The Flyers kept it up by making it 4-0 on a Max Talbot goal via Read and Scott Hartnell. Ottawa got on the board late in the second period with a Jason Spezza goal, courtesy of Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson as his second of the year. Philadelphia tacked on another goal with James van Riemsdyk notching his second of the season, thanks to Jakub Voracek and Kimmo Timonen. Quickly following that was another Flyers goal, as Couturier netted the puck, with assistance from Carle and Read, the latter completing a sock trick. Philadelphia scored again near the end of the game, although the scorer is currently unknown, but the assists went to Talbot and Zac Rinaldo. Karlsson added one on for the Senators, and he got help along the way from Zenon Konopka and Zack Smith. The final was 7-2 and the three stars were Read, Giroux, and Couturier.
Moving across the country, we have our first game of the season in the battle of Alberta, as the Calgary Flames host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Miikka Kiprusoff tended the twines. Edmonton was first to score as Tom Gilbert netted the puck on the power play, and Corey Potter and Shawn Horcoff grabbed the helpers. Calgary tied it on a Jay Bouwmeester goal in the third period, assisted by Olli Jokinen and Lee Stempniak. The Flames took the lead as Alex Tanguay put the rubber in the twine, thanks to Cory Sarich and David Moss. They would hold onto this lead and win 2-1, and the three stars went to Jokinen, Bouwmeester, and Horcoff, although both goalies had fabulous games.
Finally we reach the western coast of Canada, with the Vancouver Canucks hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo play between the pipes. New York finally opened the scoring in the third period on a Michael Rupp goal, with assists from Michael Del Zotto and Brandon Prust. The Rangers extended their lead with a Ryan McDonagh goal, assisted by Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov. New York followed it up with Brian Boyle's goal, guided in by Prust and Ruslan Fedotenko. The Rangers put the game away 4-0 with a Marian Gaborik goal, his third of the year, made possible by McDonagh and Brad Richards. The three stars were Lundqvist (40 save shutout), McDonagh, and Prust.
Down to the desert, with the Phoenix Coyotes hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jason LaBarbera will be in net. Chicago led off with a power play goal by Marian Hossa, his second of the season powered by Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith. Phoenix replied in the second period with a Taylor Pyatt goal, courtesy of David Schlemko and Rostislav Klesla. The Blackhawks retook the lead with Jonathan Toews netting his second of the year, with helpers coming from Andrew Brunette and Sharp. The Coyotes retied it with a Ray Whitney goal, his third of the season, going down thanks to Daymond Langkow's pass. Chicago took the lead once again with a Jamal Mayers goal, with Keith and Viktor Stalberg providing the assistance. The Blackhawks got an insurance goal as Dave Bolland potted his fourth of the year, shorthanded and unassisted. Chicago continued the attack with a Bryan Bickell goal, his second of the season, fueled by Michael Frolik and Bolland. The final was 5-2, and the three stars were Bolland, Sharp, and Bickell.
Finishing off the games for the night, we have the Los Angeles Kings hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Jonathan Quick play in the blue paint. Los Angeles drew first blood with a Simon Gagne goal, his second of the season made possible by Jarret Stoll and Willie Mitchell. Stoll gave the Kings a 2-0 lead in the second period with a goal assisted by Dustins Brown and Penner. Los Angeles stayed on the offensive with a Brown goal, a power play goal powered by Mike Richards and Jack Johnson. The Kings struck early in the third period with the fourth of the year by Anze Kopitar, chasing Halak in favor of Brian Elliott, and assists were provided by Gagne and Justin Williams. Gagne added on his second of the game and third of the season to make it 5-0 with help from Kopitar and Williams. This was a final, and the three stars were Gagne, Quick (27 save shutout), and Stoll, with honorable mentions to Brown, Kopitar, and Williams.
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