There are eleven games for us to look over, and we lead off in Motown, where the Detroit Red Wings host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Jimmy Howard made the starts, but Hiller was pulled midway through the third period in favor of Dan Ellis. Detroit led off with the second of the season for Niklas Kronwall, courtesy of Valtteri Filppula and Johan Franzen. The Red Wings added on with a Henrik Zetterberg in the second period, his third of the campaign, fueled by Franzen and Nicklas Lidstrom. Lidstrom quickly potted another one for Detroit after that, and was helped by Drew Miller and Fabian Brunnstrom for his fourth of the year. The Red Wings kept control in the third period with Lidstrom notching his second of the game and fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Pavel Datsyuk and Ian White. Hiller was chased as Detroit made it 5-0 on a Franzen goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by White. This was the final, and the three stars were Lidstrom, Franzen, and Howard (22 save shutout). White earns an honorable mention.
East to New Jersey, where the Devils host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Martin Brodeur take to the creases. New Jersey opened the scoring in the second period with Patrik Elias netting his sixth of the season, assisted by Dainius Zubrus and Bryce Salvador. The Devils extended the lead with an Adam Henrique goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Zach Parise. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with Mark Flood's goal from Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets tied it late with the fifth of the season for Jim Slater, guided in by Flood and Byfuglien. The tie lasted into overtime, where New Jersey won 3-2 with another Henrique goal, his second of the game and third of the year, thanks to Parise and Adam Larsson. The three stars were Henrique, Slater, and Elias, and honorable mentions are in order for multi-point efforts by Parise, Flood, and Byfuglien.
Up into Ontario, with the Ottawa Senators welcoming the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth makes another start, this time opposing Craig Anderson. Ottawa led off with a Milan Michalek goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Chris Phillips and the goalie Anderson. Buffalo tied it in the second period with Derek Roy potting his second of the campaign, with the help of Ville Leino and Andrej Sekera. The Sabres gained the lead as Jordan Leopold notched his second of the year, thanks to Nathan Gerbe and Paul Gaustad. The Senators retied it with Erik Condra's goal, coming from Zack Smith. The tie lasted throughout the third period, into overtime and eventually a shootout, where Buffalo and Ottawa traded a pair each as Thomas Vanek and Brad Boyes neutralized the effects of Michalek and Jason Spezza. The Sabres would take it on a sixth round marker from Roy, for a 3-2 victory. The three stars were Roy, Anderson (31 for 33 in saves), and Michalek.
Back to the States, with the New York Islanders hosting the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Rick DiPietro got the starting nods. Washington drew first blood on a Joel Ward goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by John Carlson and Jeff Halpern. The Capitals extended their lead on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his sixth of the year, helped in by Nicklas Backstrom and Jeff Schultz. New York got going in the second period with the third of the season by Frans Nielsen, courtesy of P.A. Parenteau. The Islanders tied it on a Brian Rolston goal, via Nielsen and Parenteau. New York took the lead in the third period with the second of the campaign for Matt Martin, made possible by Steve Staios and Josh Bailey. Washington tied it up again with a power play goal by Brooks Laich, his second of the year, powered by Dennis Wideman and Backstrom. The Islanders retook the lead with a Parenteau goal, his second of the season, set up by Milan Jurcina and Nielsen. New York iced it with the eighth of the year for John Tavares, with help from the goalie DiPietro on the empty netter. The 5-3 game had the three stars given to Parenteau, Nielsen, and Ovechkin, although Backstrom was just a slightly better Capital tonight.
Retracing our steps to Ontario again, as the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Ben Scrivens get the start, but the young Scrivens was pulled after five goals (SPOILER) in favor of Jonas Gustavsson. Boston led off with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, powered by Rich Peverley and Patrice Bergeron as his fifth of the season. Seguin struck again in the second period with his second of the game and sixth of the year, and Bergeron had the lone assist. Eight seconds later, and just forty-two seconds into the middle frame, Milan Lucic put his fifth of the season away, and Zdeno Chara and David Krejci provided the helpers. Seguin polished off the hat trick later in the period with his seventh of the year, and guiding it in were Bergeron (for a sock trick) and Brad Marchand. Fourteen seconds after that (obviously goals come in pair tonight), Krejci potted his second of the season, via Lucic and Andrew Ference. Lucic was the first two break thru the new goalie, netting his second of the night and sixth of the year, courtesy of Krejci and Chara. Twenty-eight seconds later, Gregory Campbell made it 7-0, and he got assistance from Shawn Thornton. This was a final score (mercifully), and Seguin, Lucic, and Thomas (25 save shutout) had the three stars, and three-point nights also came from Krejci and Bergeron.
To New York once again, with the Rangers hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist tended the twines. New York struck first with Erik Christensen, on a power play goal, powered by Derek Stepan and Marian Gaborik. The Rangers extended the lead with a Dan Girardi goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Artem Anisimov and Christensen. New York kept it up with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his second of the year, via Stepan and Anisimov. Max Pacioretty put Montreal on the board in the second period with his fifth of the season, with helpers by Brian Gionta and Tomas Plekanec. Andrei Kostitsyn got the Canadiens closer, with his fifth of the year on the power play, guided in by Plekanec and Michael Cammalleri. The Rangers took it back on a Brad Richards goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers provided by Brandon Prust and Andre Deveaux. Gionta got Montreal back within one with his third of the campaign, coming off of Jaroslav Spacek and a sock trick earning assist from Plekanec. New York iced it 5-3 with Ryan Callahan scoring his sixth of the year in an empty net, set up by Ryan McDonagh and Brandon Dubinsky. The three stars were Anisimov, Girardi, and McDonagh, with obvious snubs on Christensen, Stepan, Plekanec, and Gionta.
Over to Pennsylvania, where the Philadelphia Flyers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Allen York both saw time 200 feet away from Ilya Bryzgalov. Philadelphia opened with James van Riemsdyk's sixth of the season, courtesy of Erik Gustafsson and Danny Briere. The Flyers extended the lead with Jaromir Jagr potting his sixth of the year on the power play, powered by the tenth assists for both Claude Giroux and Kimmo Timonen. Philadelphia assumed full authority with Max Talbot sinking his fifth of the season, thanks to Jakub Voracek. The Flyers continued with Giroux registering his ninth of the year, and the lone assist came from Jagr. Voracek made it 5-0 Philadelphia before the first period expired by netting his third of the season, with the help of Talbot and Andrej Meszaros. The Flyers kept their collective feet on the the throat of Columbus with a shorthanded goal in the second period, represented as the fourth of the year for Sean Couturier, and assists here came from Braydon Coburn and Eric Wellwood. Wayne Simmonds extended the Philadelphia led again with his third of the season, set up by van Riemsdyk. The Flyers had it at 8-0 by the end of the second as Matt Carle notched his third of the year, aided by van Riemsdyk and Briere. Columbus was finally allowed to score in the third period, as Derek Dorsett solved the Bryzgalov puzzle with his second of the season, assisted by Rick Nash. Philadelphia replied on a Couturier goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, finding twine from passes by Voracek and Harry Zolnierczyk. The Blue Jackets got the last laugh as Grant Clitsome scored to make it a 9-2 final, and he received the puck from Vinny Prospal and Aaron Johnson. The three stars were van Riemsdyk, Voracek, and Couturier, with a supporting cast of Briere, Giroux, Jagr, and Talbot primarily. Other honorable mentions go to Dorsett, Johnson, and Derek MacKenzie for having positive plus/minus numbers in the blowout loss. Dishonorable mention is in store for most of Columbus (excluding previously named Jackets), and Scott Hartnell, Andreas Lilja, and Zac Rinaldo, who didn't record a point in the game where points were not at a premium.
Off to less hostile environments for goalies, specifically Minnesota (no offense northerners) with the Wild hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Josh Harding put on the masks for this game. Minnesota opened the scoring in the second period with Dany Heatley recording his fourth of the season, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Nate Prosser. The Wild extended the lead with the third of the year by Guillaume Latendresse, an unassisted goal. St. Louis got on the board for a 2-1 score in the third period, with Jamie Langenbrunner netting the puck off of Vladimir Sobotka and Alex Pietrangelo. This was a final, and Harding (30 for 31 in saves), Latendresse, and Prosser were the three stars.
To the southwest, where the Phoenix Coyotes host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Mike Smith will play between the pipes. The scoring started with Phoenix in the second period, as Daymond Langkow downed his third of the season, and Keith Yandle and the goalie Smith had the assists. Adrian Aucoin extended the Coyotes lead, with help from Patrick O'Sullivan on the power play. Edmonton found the scoreboard in the third period as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sank his sixth of the year, courtesy of Jordan Eberle and Ryan Smyth. Phoenix took it back on a Boyd Gordon goal, his second of the season, made possible by Ray Whitney and Radim Vrbata. The Oilers pulled back within one on Theo Peckham's goal, fueled by Colton Teubert and Magnus Paajarvi. The Coyotes iced it 4-2 with an empty net goal by Whitney, his sixth of the year, set up by Vrbata and Gordon. The three stars were Langkow, Gordon, and Aucoin, with honorable mention to Whitney and Vrbata.
Hitting the west coast now, beginning in San Jose, where the Sharks host the Nashville Predators. Finns Pekka Rinne and Antti Niemi were the starting goaltenders here. David Legwand broke the scoring open in the second period with his fourth of the season, assisted by Patric Hornqvist and Colin Wilson. San Jose replied on a Joe Pavelski goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. The Sharks took the lead with a Martin Havlat power play goal powered by Couture and Ryane Clowe. San Jose extended the lead in the third period with a Couture goal, his fifth of the campaign, aided by Pavelski and Thornton. Hornqvist got the Predators back to scoring with his sixth of the season, guided in by Shea Weber and Francis Bouillon. Nashville tied it on Ryan Suter's third of the year, a power play goal made possible by Martin Erat and Weber. The Predators took the game into overtime and won it there with a Legwand goal, his fifth of the season and second of the game, taken off a pass by Bouillon. Legwand, Couture, and Pavelski got the three stars, and Weber, Hornqvist, Bouillon, and Thornton all also had good games.
Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Quick play in goal tonight. Pittsburgh broke through first with Steve Sullivan's goal via Kris Letang and James Neal on the power play. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with Anze Kopitar registering his seventh of the season, courtesy of Justin Williams and Matt Greene. The Kings took the lead in the third period with Simon Gagne scoring his fourth of the year, assisted by Kopitar and Williams. The Penguins tied it late on a Chris Kunitz goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Jordan Staal and Pascal Dupuis. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Kunitz and Letang overpowered Kopitar to take Pittsburgh to a 3-2 victory. The three stars were Kopitar, Letang, and Quick (31 for 33 in saves), with honorable mentions to Williams and Kunitz.
Lastly of all, I'd like to thank everyone who has stopped by and read this blog over the past year. It has been great to see the global support from many countries. Last night, we reached our 2,000th hit and I appreciate that people still come back to read this. I ask that you continue to read it, and tell your friends and family, so it can be shared with even more people. Thank you all very much, and I will keep posting tomorrow.
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