Twelve games on this Saturday, beginning with a lone matinee between the...
Host Los Angeles Kings and visiting Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jonathan Bernier play in goal. Montreal struck first late in the first period on a Tomas Plekanec goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Andrei Kostitsyn and Yannick Weber on the power play. Kostitsyn extended the Canadiens' lead with his seventh of the year in the second period, coming off of Lars Eller and Louis Leblanc. Los Angeles got on the board with a Dustin Penner power play goal powered by Drew Doughty and Trent Hunter. The third period was silent, leaving the 2-1 score as a final, with Price (26 for 27 in saves), Kostitsyn, and Penner getting the three stars.
Back across the south to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning face off against the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Mathieu Garon will be assigned to stop the puck. Tampa Bay opened with a Steve Downie goal, his third of the season, assisted by Steven Stamkos and Teddy Purcell. New York evened it in the second period with a Ruslan Fedotenko goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan. The Lightning retook the lead on the second of the season for Tom Pyatt, passed from Dana Tyrell and Nate Thompson. Artem Anisimov retied it for the Rangers in the third period, netting his third of the year, coming off of Derek Stepan. Stepan later put New York in the lead with his fifth of the season, via Anisimov and Ryan McDonagh. The Rangers finished it at 4-2 with a Richards empty net goal thanks to McDonagh, going in the books as his tenth of the year. Stepan, Pyatt, and Victor Hedman received the three stars, although Anisimov, Richards, and McDonagh had good cases for the third slot.
Far to the north, the Winnipeg Jets host the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Ondrej Pavelec received the starting nods. Evander Kane put Winnipeg on the board first with his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Dustin Byfuglien and Bryan Little. New Jersey replied with Adam Henrique notching his sixth of the year, via Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk. The Devils took the lead in the second period on a power play goal from Patrik Elias, his ninth of the season, powered by Adam Larsson. The Jets tied it back up with a shorthanded Alex Burmistrov goal, his sixth of the year, and Little picked up the lone assist. Winnipeg took the lead again in the third period on a Mark Stuart goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Blake Wheeler and Zach Bogosian. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with Kane's second of the game and fourteenth of the year, going into the empty cage unassisted. Kane, Parise, and Little were the three stars.
Back to the south, where the Carolina Hurricanes host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Backups Brent Johnson and Brian Boucher tried to ban pucks from going between the pipes. They were successful until about midway through the second period, as Pittsburgh's Craig Adams scored his third of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz. Carolina tied it with a Jamie McBain goal, via Joni Pitkanen and Anthony Stewart. The Penguins regained the lead as Arron Asham potted his second of the campaign, courtesy of Adams and Paul Martin. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a Pascal Dupuis goal, his eighth of the year, thanks to Matt Niskanen and Evgeni Malkin. The Hurricanes cut it to 3-2 but never got an equalizer after a second McBain goal, coming on the power play from Patrick Dwyer and Jussi Jokinen. Adams, McBain, and Crosby were the game's three stars.
Up the coastline to Boston, where the Bruins welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer returned from a concussion and opposed Tuukka Rask in front of the cages. Boston got things going in the second period with a David Krejci goal, his fifth of the season, thanks to Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic. Toronto replied on a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Jake Gardiner and Joey Crabb. The Bruins took the lead back with Chris Kelly scoring his tenth of the campaign, coming off of Rich Peverley and Andrew Ference. Boston extended the lead with Johnny Boychuk's third of the season, helped along by Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins finished it at 4-1 with a Horton goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Krejci and Lucic. The three stars would go to Boychuk, Rask (21 for 22 in saves), and Krejci, while Horton and Lucic also played admirably.
Traveling to D.C., where the battle of the National Capitals heats up again as the Washington Capitals host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Michal Neuvirth were the goalies of choice for the game. Washington quickly got the lead with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his ninth of the season, and the lone assist went to John Carlson. Ottawa replied in the second period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his second of the campaign, and Jason Spezza was there for the assistance. The Capitals regained the lead in the third period on a Troy Brouwer goal, his seventh of the year, via Alex Ovechkin and Dennis Wideman. The Senators equalized it again with Milan Michalek netting his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Daniel Alfredsson and Nick Foligno. The game went to overtime, where Washington toppled Ottawa 3-2 on Brooks Laich's fifth of the year, made possible by Jason Chimera and Karl Alzner. Laich, Backstrom, and Neuvirth (32 for 34 in saves) got the three stars.
To the southwest again, where the Phoenix Coyotes and Philadelphia Flyers do battle in the desert. Ilya Bryzgalov faced another of his old teams, now with Mike Smith protecting the goal. Philadelphia led off with Matt Read sinking his tenth of the season unassisted and on the power play. The Flyers added on with Wayne Simmonds scoring his fifth of the year, thanks to Danny Briere and Read. Philadelphia continued with a Claude Giroux goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Kimmo Timonen and Jaromir Jagr. The Flyers wouldn't let up, as Scott Hartnell drained his eleventh of the year on the power play, powered by Briere and Read, which would force Smith from the net to be replaced by Jason LaBarbera in the second and third periods. Phoenix got on the board with a second period Ray Whitney goal, his ninth of the season, with help from Radim Vrbata and Derek Morris. The Coyotes made it 4-2 late in the third period on the fifth of the year by Mikkel Boedker, set up by Keith Yandle and Raffi Torres. Read, Briere, and Whitney would get the three stars.
Back to the Midwest, where the Nashville Predators host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Anders Lindback have the goalie masks on. Buffalo led off at exactly halfway through the first period when Luke Adam drained his ninth of the season, thanks to Ville Leino and Christian Ehrhoff. The Sabres extended the lead with the second of the year by Zack Kassian, and Adam and Leino had the helpers here. Nashville answered in the third period with a Craig Smith power play goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by David Legwand and Colin Wilson on the power play. Buffalo replied with Tyler Ennis scoring, and the lone assist went to Derek Roy. The Predators tried to make it close with Legwand recording his seventh of the year to make it 3-2, with the help of Roman Josi and Jonathon Blum, but they failed to get the equalizer. The three stars were awarded to Adam, Miller (32 for 34 in saves), and Legwand, while Leino also had a decent performance.
Staying in the region, the St. Louis Blues hosted the Chicago Blackhawks. Ray Emery and Brian Elliott got assigned to start. St. Louis started off with David Perron's goal, his first since a concussion that cost him over a season's worth of games, helped along by Patrik Berglund and Roman Polak. Chicago tied it with the fifteenth of the season by Jonathan Toews, assisted by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Patrick Kane. The Blues replied with a Chris Stewart goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Vladimir Sobotka. The Blackhawks tied it back up with Marian Hossa notching his tenth of the season, a shorthanded goal, with the help of Duncan Keith. Chicago took the lead on a Patrick Sharp power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Keith and Toews. The Blachawks rolled on in the third period when Hossa struck with a power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, passed from Sharp and Kane. Chicago iced it 5-2 with the fourth of the year by Michael Frolik, sailing into the empty net after touching the tape of Dave Bolland. The three stars went to Hossa, Perron, and Sharp, while Keith, Toews, and Kane also put up nice numbers.
Southward to Dallas, where the Stars host the New York Islanders. Rick DiPietro and Andrew Raycroft will be in net. New York led off with a pair of Matt Moulson goals, his tenth and eleventh of the season, with assists doled out to John Tavares on both the power play and even strength tallies, and Mark Streit on the power play, P.A. Parenteau on the even strength. The Islanders added on in the second period with Dylan Reese scoring, courtesy of Matt Martin and Marty Reasoner. Tomas Vincour got Dallas on the board with a goal, thanks to Stephane Robidas and Mike Ribeiro. The Stars pulled closer with the tenth of the year by Eric Nystrom, assisted by Vernon Fiddler and Nicklas Grossman. Dallas tied it with a Jake Dowell goal, coming off of Tom Wandell and Toby Petersen. Moulson finished the hat trick and gave New York the lead again with his third of the game and twelfth of the season, allowing Tavares to complete the sock trick alongside an assist by Parenteau. Wandell retied it for the Stars, and his goal was set up by Dowell and Radek Dvorak. The Islanders made it 5-4 near the end of the second with Moulson's fourth of the game and thirteenth of the year, with Parenteau earning a sock trick on his lone assist. This would be a final when the third period went silent, and the three stars were Moulson, Tavares, and Wandell, while Parenteau and Dowell earn the honorable mentions.
Into Alberta, where the battle for the province is fired up again as the Edmonton Oilers host their southern neighbors, the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Nikolai Khabibulin tend the twines. Edmonton opened early on a Lennart Petrell goal, his second of the season, made possible by Darcy Hordichuk and Ryan O'Marra. The Oilers extended the lead with a Sam Gagner goal, assisted by Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff. Calgary got on the board with an Olli Jokinen power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Jarome Iginla and Rene Bourque. The Flames tied it with the eighth of the season for Bourque, courtesy of Roman Horak and Blake Comeau. Edmonton retook the lead in the third period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twelfth of the year, with the help of Jordan Eberle. Calgary quickly retied with Derek Smith netting his second of the season, and Iginla had the lone assist. The Flames then took the lead with a power play goal by Mikael Backlund, and Iginla picked up a sock trick with a primary assist, alongside Smith on the secondary. Calgary finished it with an empty net goal by Jokinen, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with no assistance. The three stars in the 5-3 game were Iginla, Gagner, and Bourque, while Smith and Jokinen also played well.
Down to San Jose, where we wrap up the day as the Sharks host the Florida Panthers. Backups Scott Clemmensen and Thomas Greiss are in the blue paint. San Jose led off with Logan Couture netting his ninth of the season, coming off of Brent Burns. Florida answered with Stephen Weiss on the power play, his ninth of the year, powered by Tomas Fleischmann and Kris Versteeg. The Sharks regained the lead with a Jamie McGinn goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Michal Handzus and Colin White. The Panthers tied it in the second period with an unassisted Marco Sturm goal, his second of the year. Florida grabbed the lead with Fleischmann notching his twelfth of the season, with the help of Versteeg and Weiss. The Panthers extended the lead with Jack Skille registering his second of the year, shorthanded and unassisted. San Jose got one back as Couture struck with a power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, pushed through by Martin Havlat and Jason Demers. Florida iced it at 5-3 with a Dmitry Kulikov power play goal, his second of the year, guided in by Weiss and Fleischmann. The three stars went to Fleischmann, Weiss, and Couture, while Versteeg also played well.
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