Hope everyone had a good Christmas. Tonight, there are ten games on as the NHL gets back to business, beginning with...
The Minnesota Wild hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Niklas Backstrom were given goaltending duties. Minnesota opened with the seventh of the season for Pierre-Marc Bouchard, a power play goal powered by Dany Heatley and Kyle Brodziak. Colorado tied it with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Matt Duchene. The Wild got the lead back with Cal Clutterbuck netting his tenth of the season, via Mikko Koivu and Heatley. Gabriel Landeskog tied it for the Avalanche on his seventh of the year, with helpers provided by David Van der Gulik and T.J. Galiardi. Colorado took the lead in the third period when Jan Hejda scored his fourth of the season, thanks to O'Reilly and Van der Gulik. Galiardi put the Avalanche up 4-2 with his sixth of the year, made possible by Hejda alone. This was a final, with the three stars being Landeskog, Clutterbuck, and O'Reilly, while Hejda, Galiardi, and Van der Gulik also had strong showings.
Another edition in the Battle of New York, as the Rangers host the Islanders again. Evgeni Nabokov and Henrik Lundqvist were called on to play goal. The Rangers struck first in the second period of the fifth of the season for Carl Hagelin, assisted by Ryan Callahan and Michael Del Zotto. The Rangers added on in the third period when as Hagelin scored again, his second of the game and sixth of the year, made possible by Del Zotto and Callahan. The Rangers iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Marian Gaborik, his twenty-second of the campaign, fueled by Anton Stralman. The three stars were Lundqvist (28 save shutout), Hagelin, and Del Zotto, with Callahan as an honorable mention.
Heading upstate, the Buffalo Sabres host the Washington Capitals. Michal Neuvirth and Ryan Miller started the game, but Tomas Vokoun replaced Neuvirth early in the first period for the following reasons. Buffalo struck first on the power play as Jason Pominville notched his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Drew Stafford and Jordan Leopold. The Sabres extended the lead with an unassisted Matt Ellis goal, his second of the year. Buffalo chased Neuvirth on a Christian Ehrhoff goal, his third of the season, thanks to Jochen Hecht and Thomas Vanek. Brayden McNabb kept the Sabres going with a power play goal powered by Brad Boyes and Derek Roy. Washington got on the board in the second period with Mathieu Perreault registering his fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Capitals got another back in the third period when Alex Ovechkin potted his twelfth of the season, a power play goal, fueled by Nicklas Backstrom and Dennis Wideman. The final was 4-2, with the three stars going to McNabb, Leopold, and Stafford.
Down to Carolina, as the Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Cam Ward got the coach's approval for playing goal. Carolina opened with a shorthanded Brandon Sutter goal, his seventh of the season, and Tim Gleason had the lone assist. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the second period with Tuomo Ruutu potting his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Alexei Ponikarovsky and Tim Brent. Carolina rolled on with an Anthony Stewart goal, his fifth of the season, pushed through by Andreas Nodl and Brent. New Jersey got on the board in the third period when David Clarkson put his twelfth of the year in the cage, thanks to Anton Volchenkov and Kurtis Foster. The Devils got as close as 3-2 when Adam Henrique deposited his tenth of the season, and Clarkson and Volchenkov picked up the assists. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by the goalie Cam Ward (you are not reading this incorrectly, this is a true story), officially going in unassisted but it certainly looked to have gotten a fair amount of help from the opponents. The three stars were Sutter, Ward (23 for 25 in saves, goal), and Clarkson. Volchenkov and Brent get honorable mentions.
Westward to St. Louis, with the Blues hosting the Dallas Stars. Richard Bachman and Jaroslav Halak were between the pipes. St. Louis led off with a Chris Stewart goal, his sixth of the season, a power play goal made possible by David Backes and Carlo Colaiacovo. Dallas tied it in the second period when Mike Ribeiro netted his sixth of the year, courtesy of Alex Goligoski and Steve Ott. The Blues took the lead back when Adam Cracknell scored, and the lone assist came from Scott Nichol. St. Louis added on with a Jason Arnott power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Patrik Berglund and Kevin Shattenkirk with three seconds left in the second period. Andrew Raycroft relieved Bachman in the third period. The Blues added on again with Evgeny Grachev's goal in the third period, with helpers from David Perron and Berglund. The Stars got one back with Eric Nystrom netting his twelfth of the year, via Radek Dvorak and Vernon Fiddler. Dallas pulled closer on a Michael Ryder goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Jamie Benn. St. Louis iced it as Stewart put away his second of the game and seventh of the year into an empty net for a 5-3 score, and Perron had the lone assist. The three stars were awarded to Perron, Grachev, and Brenden Morrow, while Stewart and Berglund showed well.
Down a little to Nashville, with the Predators hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Pekka Rinne will be in the creases. Detroit led off with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his eleventh of the season, and Henrik Zetterberg had the lone assist. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Pavel Datsyuk goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Todd Bertuzzi and Johan Franzen. Detroit extended the lead again with a Danny Cleary netting his ninth of the season, thanks to Drew Miller. Filppula added on in the third period for the Red Wings with his second of the game and the twelfth of the year, with help from Justin Abdelkader and Cory Emmerton. Nashville got on the board with a Jonathon Blum goal, his third of the campaign, coming off of Jordin Tootoo. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were Howard (31 for 32 in saves), Filppula, and Datsyuk.
Staying in the general Midwest area, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Corey Crawford do battle from the nets in a match of underwhelming starters. Chicago opened the scoring in the second period with a Patrick Sharp goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Marian Hossa and Nick Leddy. Viktor Stalberg added on for the Blackhawks with his eighth of the year, and Brent Seabrook got the assist. Stalberg extended the Chicago lead with his second of the game and ninth of the season, fueled by Dave Bolland and Duncan Keith. Columbus got on the board in the third period as James Wisniewski netted his second of the year, with the help of Derek MacKenzie and Mark Letestu. The Blackhawks replied with Hossa's sixteenth of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Bolland and Andrew Brunette. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were Stalberg, Crawford (37 for 38 in saves), and Hossa.
Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. Vancouver was first to score when Andrew Ebbett potted his second of the season, thanks to Chris Higgins and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks added on with a Daniel Sedin goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Henrik Sedin and Keith Ballard. Vancouver extended the lead again as Ebbett scored again, his second of the game and third of the season, made possible by Jannik Hansen and Cody Hodgson. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a power play goal by Jordan Eberle, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Corey Potter and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Canucks got it back with a shorthanded Alexandre Burrows goal, his fourteenth of the season, with an assist from Ryan Kesler. The Oilers answered on the power play as Ryan Smyth netted his fourteenth of the year, powered by Ryan Jones and Sam Gagner. Vancouver got going again in the third period with a Kesler goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Burrows and Alexander Edler. Potter got the goal back for Edmonton in the form of his third of the year, and Eberle had the only assist. The final was 5-3, with Burrows, Eberle, and Kesler as the three stars. Ebbett earns an honorable mention.
Down the coast to Los Angeles, as the Kings host the Phoenix Coyotes. Jason LaBarbera and Jonathan Quick wear the goalie masks. Los Angeles drew first blood with a Rob Scuderi goal, set up by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. Phoenix tied it on a Raffi Torres goal, his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Kings took the lead back with Brad Richardson making his second of the year, thanks to Slava Voynov and Kopitar. The Coyotes retied it when Torres struck again, his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by Patrick O'Sullivan and David Schlemko. Los Angeles grabbed the lead back in the third period on Willie Mitchell's second of the year, fueled by Dustin Penner and Justin Williams. The Kings added on with Dustin Brown sinking his ninth of the season, via Jack Johnson, chasing away LaBarbera in favor of Curtis McElhinney. Phoenix replied with a Daymond Langkow goal, his fifth of the year, and the assists were provided by Mikkel Boedker and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The final was 4-3 with the three stars being Kopitar, Torres, and Mitchell.
Finally, the Battle of California rages on as the San Jose Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Antti Niemi tend the twines. Luca Sbisa put Anaheim ahead first, and he was helped by George Parros and Nick Bonino. San Jose got on the board late in the frame with a Joe Pavelski goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Joe Thornton and Jason Demers. The Ducks regained the lead in the second period as Bobby Ryan put his eleventh of the year away, unassisted. Jamie McGinn tied it again for the Sharks with his eighth of the season, and Justin Braun and Colin White picked up the assists. Anaheim took the lead again with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Matt Beleskey and Andrew Gordon. The final held up at 3-2 with the three stars belonging to Ryan, Cogliano, and McGinn.
No comments :
Post a Comment