We have nine games for your inner hockey fan to enjoy tonight. We begin in...
Washington, D.C., with the Capitals hosting the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Michal Neuvirth will be in the nets. Dallas led off with the fifth of the season by Michael Ryder, assisted by Trevor Daley and Jamie Benn. Washington answered with an Alexander Semin power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Brooks Laich. Ryder gave the Stars the lead back with his second of the game and sixth of the season, fueled by Benn and Loui Eriksson. The Capitals tied it in the second period with the second of the year for John Carlson, set up by Cody Eakin and Marcus Johansson. Dallas fired back in the third period with Adam Burish notching his third of the season, thanks to Brenden Morrow. The Stars extended the lead on a Benn power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, guided in by Burish and Sheldon Souray. Dallas made it 5-2, the eventual final with Eric Nystrom's fourth of the year, and Radek Dvorak picked up the lone helper. The three stars went to Benn, Ryder, and Daley, although Burish deserves mention too.
Up to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Jonas Gustavsson got the starts, but Ben Scrivens relieved Gustavsson in the second period. Florida opened with a Jack Skille goal off of Mike Weaver. The Panthers added on in the second period with Marco Sturm scoring, via Skille and Keaton Ellerby. Tomas Kopecky kept Florida in control with his third of the season, made possible by Dmitry Kulikov's tenth assist and Scottie Upshall. The Panthers continue the assault in the third period with Sean Bergenheim notching his second of the year, helped along by Shawn Matthias and Matt Bradley. Toronto finally got on the board with a Phil Kessel goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Carl Gunnarsson and Joffrey Lupul. Matthias set up the final with his second of the year for Florida, making it 5-1 with the help of Bradley and Jason Garrison. The three stars here were Theodore (38 for 39 in saves), Skille, and Matthias.
Crossing the border to Buffalo, with the Sabres hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Ryan Miller got the starting nods. Winnipeg opened with a Mark Flood goal, his second of the season, assisted by Tanner Glass and Jim Slater. The Jets extended the lead on a Bryan Little goal, made possible by Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ladd. Buffalo replied with Derek Roy sinking his third of the year, a power play goal with the lone assist by Tyler Myers. Eleven second later, Corey Tropp tied it for the Sabres, and was aided by Nathan Gerbe and Paul Gaustad. Winnipeg retook the lead with Tanner Glass recording his third of the season, thanks to Kyle Wellwood. Buffalo found another tying goal with the sixth of the year by Jason Pominville, a shorthanded goal fueled by Gaustad. Little got the Jets back in front in the second period with his second of the game, a power play goal set up by Dustin Byfuglien and Tim Stapleton. Now, we usually don't mention fights here, but Glass' scrap with Cody McCormick about midway through the second period earned him the infamous Gordie Howe Hat Trick, the first such of the year if my memory is right, so congratulations are in order. The Sabres tied it again with the ninth of the season for Thomas Vanek, a power play goal powered by Brad Boyes and Roy. Byfuglien gave Winnipeg yet another lead in the third period with his second of the year, and he received the puck from Wheeler to make it happen. Buffalo found yet another equalizer though, in the form of Roy's second of the night and fourth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Pominville and Christian Ehrhoff. This tie at 5 lasted into overtime, where the Sabres downed the Hurricanes with Vanek netting his tenth of the year and second of the game, receiving help from Pominville and Marc-Andre Gragnani. The three stars of this 6-5 game were awarded to Pominville, Roy, and Little, and the many honorable mentions include Byfuglien, Glass, Wheeler, Vanek, and Gaustad.
Back into Canada again, with the Montreal Canadiens welcoming the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Carey Price were the masked men. Edmonton led off the scoring in the second period with the third of the season by Ryan Jones, an unassisted and shorthanded goal. The Oilers extended the lead in the third period with Tom Gilbert notching his second of the year, via Ales Hemsky and Ryan Smyth. Montreal stayed alive on the sixth of the season by Max Pacioretty, fueled by Tomas Plekanec and P.K. Subban. Edmonton put them down by a 3-1 margin on the seventh of the year for Smyth, and empty net goal with the lone assist by Shawn Horcoff. The three stars were Khabibulin (28 for 29 in saves), Jones, and Michael Cammalleri, although Smyth had a much better case for the third slot.
To the tri-state area, with the New Jersey Devils hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Martin Brodeur were playing in the creases. Carolina led off with the fourth of the season for Brandon Sutter, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. New Jersey tied it in the second period with Dainius Zubrus notching his fourth of the year, via Anton Volchenkov and Patrik Elias. Petr Sykora gave the Devils a lead in the third period with his second of the season, made possible by Elias. The Hurricanes tied it again with the third of the campaign by Joni Pitkanen, coming off of Jamie McBain and Zach Boychuk. New Jersey would take the game 3-2 on the fourth of the year for Adam Henrique, assisted by Zubrus and Mark Fayne. The three stars here were Henrique, Elias, and Sykora, with honorable mention to Zubrus.
West to Detroit, with the Red Wings hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jimmy Howard received the starts, although Jean-Sebastian Giguere had to relieve Varlamov about halfway through the game. Detroit drew first blood on a Nicklas Lidstrom goal, his sixth of the season going down unassisted. The Red Wings got up to 3-0 with a pair of power play goals by Johan Franzen in the second period, his sixth and seventh of the year, allowing Valtteri Filppula two assists and Jiri Hudler and Niklas Kronwall one apiece. Colorado got on the board with the fifth of the season by Gabriel Landeskog, also a power play goal, powered by Matt Duchene and Kyle Quincey. Detroit got it back in the third period with the second of the year for Danny Cleary, made possible by Pavel Datsyuk and Jakub Kindl. The Avalanche pulled a little closer on a Milan Hejduk power play goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Ryan Wilson and Erik Johnson. The final was 5-2 Red Wings, thanks to Franzen using his eighth of the year to make the score as such, completing the hat trick with the unassisted goal. Franzen, Lidstrom, and Filppula were the three stars.
To a more central location, with the St. Louis Blues hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jaroslav Halak tend to the twines. St. Louis opened with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Barret Jackman. The Blues made it 2-0 in the second period with a power play goal by Chris Stewart, his third of the season, powered by T.J. Oshie and Carlo Colaiacovo. St. Louis kept it up with Oshie netting his fourth of the year, thanks to Shattenkirk and Jackman. The final was 3-0 and the three stars were Halak (29 save shutout), Jackman, and Shattenkirk, with honorable mention to Oshie.
Northwest, to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Miikka Kiprusoff are between the pipes. Minnesota started off with a Darroll Powe goal, helped along by Nick Johnson and Kyle Brodziak. The Wild added on in the second period with Dany Heatley's fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Mikko Koivu and Marek Zidlicky. Minnesota put the game away with Guillaume Latendresse potting his fourth of the year into an empty net for a 3-0 win, with assists by Heatley and Nate Prosser. The three stars went to Backstrom (41 save shutout), Curtis Glencross, and Matt Cullen were the official three stars, although anyone recording a point would fit in the last two slots.
Lastly, the Los Angeles Kings host the Nashville Predators. Anders Lindback stands 200 feet away from Jonathan Bernier as the backups do battle. Los Angeles opened with an Alec Martinez goal, coming on the power play from Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll. The Kings extended the lead with a Drew Doughty goal, made possible by Stoll and Kyle Clifford. Nashville got on the board with the fourth of the season by Matt Halischuk, fueled by Shea Weber. The Predators tied it on a Craig Smith goal, his fifth of the year, a power play goal going in unassisted. Los Angeles took the lead back with Mike Richards registering his third of the season, thanks to Dustin Brown and Dustin Penner. The Kings extended the lead as Simon Gagne put his fifth of the year away, with the help of Penner and Williams. Nashville made a valiant attempt at overcoming the deficit with Patric Hornqvist sinking his seventh of the campaign, with the help of Ryan Suter and Martin Erat, but they failed to get the equalizer and lost 4-3. The three stars were Stoll, Doughty, and Suter, wiht honorable mentions to Penner and Williams.
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