Four games on today as the crazy sports weekend winds down to a close. First off...
The Ottawa Senators host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Craig Anderson take to the nets. Ottawa struck early with the seventh of the season by Jason Spezza, assisted by Sergei Gonchar and Erik Karlsson. Carolina tied it with Pat Dwyer's third of the year, and Brett Sutter picked up the lone assist. The Senators took the lead back with another Spezza goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, a power play goal powered by Gonchar and Karlsson. Ottawa extended the lead late in the second period with a David Rundblad goal, with the helpers by Bobby Butler and Zenon Konopka. The Hurricanes pulled back in the third period with an Eric Staal goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Joni Pitkanen and Tuomo Ruutu. The Senators extended the lead with Zack Smith recording his fourth of the season, courtesy of Kaspars Daugavins and Filip Kuba. Carolina kept roaring back with an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Chad LaRose on the power play. The final was 4-3, with Smith, Gonchar, and Spezza earning the three stars, and honorable mention for Karlsson.
South and west to Minnesota, with the Wild hosting the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Niklas Backstrom tend the twines. Minnesota was first to score with a power play goal by Cal Clutterbuck, his sixth of the season, powered by Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley. Calgary answered with the fourth of the year by Mark Giordano, an unassisted goal. Lee Stempniak put the Flames in front with his fifth of the season, thanks to Mikael Backlund and Chris Butler. The Wild tied it back up with Nick Johnson potting his third of the year off of Kyle Brodziak. T.J. Brodie gave Calgary the lead back with a goal, and he was helped by Matt Stajan and Tim Jackman, prompting Backstrom's removal and Josh Harding's insertion to the goalie area. The Flames got going again in the third period with an unassisted Alex Tanguay goal, his fourth of the season. Calgary made it 5-2, the eventual final, with the seventh of the year by Jarome Iginla, guided in by Curtis Glencross and Olli Jokinen. The three stars were Iginla, Stempniak, and Clutterbuck.
Backtracking to the east, with the Columbus Blue Jackets welcoming the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott is in the crease, as well as Curtis Sanford. Columbus was first on the board in the second period with the third of the season by Derek Dorsett, assisted by Samuel Pahlsson and Fedor Tyutin. St. Louis tied it with Kris Russell netting his fifth of the year, with the help of Alex Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues took a 2-1 lead in the third period with the ninth of the campaign for David Backes, a power play goal powered by T.J. Oshie and Jason Arnott. This would be a final, and the three stars were Backes, Dorsett, and Russell.
Lastly, the Anaheim Ducks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Jonas Hiller play in goal. Anaheim opened with a Francois Beauchemin power play goal, his third of the season, fueled by Teemu Selanne and Luca Sbisa. Toronto answered with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by John-Michael Liles and Joffrey Lupul. The Maple Leafs kept going with Clarke MacArthur scoring his ninth of the season, with the help of Tim Connolly. Toronto extended the lead in the second period with the fifth of the year by Joey Crabb, helped along by Luke Schenn and Joe Colborne. The Maple Leafs added on again in the third period with Bozak's second of the game and sixth of the season, made possible by Phil Kessel and Lupul. The Ducks answered back with a Corey Perry goal, his tenth of the year, pushed through by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. Toronto finished it at 5-2 with Schenn scoring into the empty net and Nikolai Kulemin was credited with an assist. The three stars were Bozak, Perry, and Dion Phaneuf, although Schenn or Lupul could easily unseat their captain for the third star.
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