There are ten games to be played tonight. We begin with the New York Islanders hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. In goal are Mathieu Garon and Al Montoya. Martin St. Louis got Tampa Bay going first, with his ninth of the season, assisted by Brett Clark and Steven Stamkos. New York replied on the ninth of the year by John Tavares, courtesy of Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders took the lead with Matt Martin notching his third of the season, coming off of Tim Wallace and Marty Reasoner. New York padded the lead late in the opening period with Milan Jurcina striking on the power play, with the help of Frans Nielsen and Mark Streit. The Islanders added on again in the third period with a David Ullstrom goal, with helpers provided by Josh Bailey and Steve Staios. New York made it 5-1 with Moulson's fourteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Tavares and P.A. Parenteau. This was a final, with Tavares, Ullstrom, and Montoya (23 for 24 in saves) getting the three stars, while Moulson gets an honorable mention.
Moving on up to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs welcome the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and James Reimer got the starting nods. New Jersey struck first with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Petr Sykora and Adam Henrique. The Devils added on with another power play goal, this one being the eighth of the year for David Clarkson, powered by Zach Parise and Patrik Elias. Toronto got on the board in the second period with Phil Kessel netting his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Joffrey Lupul and Luke Schenn. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period on the third of the year for Matt Frattin, assisted by Mikhail Grabovski and Cody Franson. New Jersey won it 3-2 in overtime with another Clarkson goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, set up by Dainius Zubrus. The three stars went to Clarkson, Schenn, and Frattin.
Into Quebec, where the Montreal Canadiens host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis Sanford and Carey Price took their places in the creases. Columbus got on the board first with the seventh of the season for Vinny Prospal, and Aaron Johnson and R.J. Umberger picked up the assists. Montreal replied late in the period with the eighth of the year by Andrei Kostitsyn, courtesy of Michael Cammalleri. The Blue Jackets took the lead on an Umberger goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Nikita Nikitin and Samuel Pahlsson. The Canadiens tied it late in the third period when Brian Gionta netted his eighth of the year, thanks to Tomas Plekanec and Alexei Emelin. Columbus took the game in the shootout as Risk Nash had the only tally for a 3-2 win. The three stars were Nash, Umberger, and Kostitsyn.
Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Brian Elliott donned the goalie masks. Detroit got the first goal in the second period on the power play when Johan Franzen deposited his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Jiri Hudler and the goalie Howard. St. Louis tied it with an Alex Steen power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Jason Arnott. David Backes gave the Blues the lead with his tenth of the season, coming off of T.J. Oshie and Arnott. St. Louis extended the lead on the sixth of the year by Patrik Berglund, assisted by Chris Stewart and David Perron. The Red Wings cut it to 3-2 late as Danny Cleary nailed his sixth of the campaign on the power play, helped in by Hudler and Niklas Kronwall. This was a final, giving the three stars to Elliott (27 for 29 in saves), Oshie, and Vladimir Sobotka, although Arnott or Hudler could take a star as well.
Moving a bit east to Nashville, as the Predators host the Phoenix Coyotes. Jason LaBarbera and Pekka Rinne will play between the pipes. Phoenix led off with a Taylor Pyatt goal just nine seconds into the game, assisted by Lauri Korpikoski and Boyd Gordon as his fourth of the season. Nashville tied it late in the period with a Mike Fisher goal, his sixth of the year, thanks to Jack Hillen and Craig Smith. The Coyotes gained the lead with a third period Ray Whitney goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Radim Vrbata and Martin Hanzal. The Predators tied it with Shea Weber sinking a power play goal, his sixth of the year, with the help of Ryan Suter and Patric Hornqvist. Phoenix took the lead back on Keith Yandle's fourth of the campaign, coming from Shane Doan and Daymond Langkow for a 3-2 lead. This was a final, giving the three stars to Yandle, Whitney, and Weber.
Back to Canada, as the Winnipeg Jets host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ondrej Pavelc are assigned to stop the puck. Winnipeg struck late in the first period as Andrew Ladd drained his ninth of the season, and Johnny Oduya and the goalie Pavelec picked up the assists. Boston tied it in the third period on a Shawn Thornton goal, his second of the year, pushed through by Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell. The Jets took the lead back with the eighth of the season by Bryan Little, with no assists. This made it 2-1, the final, and the three stars went to Pavelec (39 for 40 in saves), Little, and Rask (33 for 35 in saves).
Westward to Calgary, as the Flames host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Miikka Kiprusoff stand 200 feet apart in this game. Calgary opened on the eighth of the season by Jarome Iginla, assisted by Olli Jokinen and Brendan Morrison. The Flames added on with a Lee Stempniak goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Blake Comeau and Jay Bouwmeester. Morrison extended the Calgary lead in the second period with his second of the season, and he was helped along by Jokinen. Carolina got on the board when Jiri Tlusty converted a penalty shot for his sixth of the year. The Hurricanes came closer with Tim Brent tallying his third of the season, thanks to Eric Staal and Tomas Kaberle. The Flames got it back as the ninth of the year by Rene Bourque found the twine, going in unassisted. Calgary extended the lead with Morrison potting his second of the game and third of the season, with helpers by Iginla and T.J. Brodie. Carolina got it back with an unassisted Jamie McBain goal, his third of the year. The Flames replied back with a power play goal off the tape of Mikael Backlund, his second of the season, powered by Stempniak and Alex Tanguay. The Hurricanes answered on another unassisted goal, this time the sixth of the year by Staal. Calgary extended the lead back to three goals on the second of the night and ninth of the campaign for Iginla, guided in by Morrison and Jokinen, the latter finishing his sock trick. Carolina pulled back with Chad LaRose's seventh of the season, with just thirty-two seconds left in regulation, and the assists came from Brent and Alexei Ponikarovsky. Staal made it 7-6 with his second of the game and seventh of the year, just five seconds before time expired, via McBain and Kaberle. Despite the late flurry, the Flames held on for the win, and the three stars in this laugher went to Morrison, Bouwmeester, and Iginla, while Jokinen, Staal, Brent, Stempniak, Kaberle, and McBain all had multiple point efforts as well.
Keeping with the westward transition, the Vancouver Canucks host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Roberto Luongo are in charge of the cages tonight. Vancouver struck first with Daniel Sedin notching his tenth of the season, courtesy of Alexandre Burrows and Henrik Sedin. Jannik Hansen added on for the Canucks in the second period with his eighth of the year, made possible by Kevin Bieksa and Cody Hodgson. Vancouver added on with another Daniel goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, coming off of Henrik and Dan Hamhuis. Hansen replied to this goal for the Canucks, his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Alexander and Keith Ballard. Vancouver kept rolling as Daniel took his turn in the two man goal scoring show, notching a hat trick with his twelfth of the season, and Burrows and Henrik picked up the helpers, with Henrik getting a sock trick. The Canucks struck again with Edler on the power play, his fourth of the year, powered by Hodgson and Cory Schneider, who relieved Luongo due to injury in the second period. Jean-Sebastien Giguere came on in relief of Varlamov after this goal. The final was 6-0, and the three stars were Daniel, Hansen, and Luongo (13 for 13 in saves before departing), while Henrik, Edler, Burrows, Hodgson, and Schneider (20 for 20 in saves in relief of the injury) were also very strong performers.
Down south, the battle of California rages on with the Anaheim Ducks hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jonas Hiller play in net. Anaheim was first to strike with a Bobby Ryan goal, his eighth of the season, and Teemu Selanne had the lone assist. The Ducks extended the lead late in the period with the twelfth of the year by Corey Perry, courtesy of Ryan Getzlaf and Matt Beleskey. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with the fourth of the season for Slava Voynov, assisted by Dustin Penner and Anze Kopitar. Justin Williams netted his fourth of the year in the third period for the Kings to tie it, and helping him was Jarret Stoll. Anaheim made it 3-2 with a Ryan goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, and Selanne again had the assist. This was a final, and the three stars were awarded to Ryan, Francois Beauchemin, and Drew Doughty, although, as usual in Anaheim, a player such as Selanne fits the bill much stronger.
Finally, in northern California, the San Jose Sharks play host to the Minnesota Wild. Josh Harding and Antti Niemi tend the twines. San Jose struck early on Joe Pavelski's twelfth of the season, coming from Dan Boyle. Minnesota tied it with a Mikko Koivu goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Dany Heatley and Casey Wellman. The Wild gained the lead with a Pierre-Marc Bouchard power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Koivu and Jared Spurgeon. The game was scoreless after the opening period, for a 2-1 Minnesota win. The three stars were Matt Hackett (34 for 34 in saves after Harding left early due to injury), Koivu, and Pavelski.
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