Down to seven games on tonight, beginning in...
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with the Penguins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Peters and Marc-Andre Fleury are tending the twines. Carolina began with a Tim Brent goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tim Gleason. Pittsburgh answered in the second period when James Neal made his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins took the lead in the third period when Steve Sullivan notched his seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Malkin and Neal. Pittsburgh extended the lead on a Pascal Dupuis goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Tyler Kennedy and Zbynek Michalek. The Penguins added on again with a Jordan Staal goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Kennedy. The Hurricanes got one back with Tuomo Ruutu potting his fourteenth of the year, with the help of Jussi Jokinen and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The final was 4-2, with the three stars going to Staal, Neal, and Kennedy, while Malkin earns honorable mention.
Over to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Steve Mason are responsible for stopping the puck. Columbus first dented the scoreboard in the second period when Derick Brassard notched his fourth of the season, coming off of Mark Letestu and Ryan Johansen. Calgary tied it in the third period with a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Olli Jokinen and Derek Smith. The game went into a shootout, where a lone tally by Iginla lifted the Flames over the Blue Jackets by a 2-1 score. The three stars belonged to Kiprusoff (27 for 28 in saves), Iginla, and Mason (25 for 26 in saves).
Southward to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Jose Theodore made the starts. Florida began with the second of the season for Erik Gudbranson, and Tim Kennedy had the lone assist. Mikhail Grabovski replied for Toronto in the second period on his ninth of the year, thanks to Cody Franson and Nikolai Kulemin. The Panthers quickly replied with a Bill Thomas goal, made possible by Evgenii Dadonov and Mark Cullen. Florida chased Reimer with a Michal Repik power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jason Garrison and Brian Campbell. Jonas Gustavsson was the relieving goaltender. The Panthers took little notice, striking again with a Kris Versteeg power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Campbell and Tomas Kopecky. The Maple Leafs got back on track as Dion Phaneuf scored his fifth of the season, and Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul had the helpers. Toronto got another back in the third period with Grabovski's second of the game and tenth of the year, a power play goal, with Clarke MacArthur and Franson picking up the assists. Florida answered when Tomas Fleischmann put away his thirteenth of the season, via Matt Bradley and Campbell, the latter getting a sock trick. The final stood at 5-3, and the three stars were awarded to Repik, Grabovski, and Campbell, while Franson deserves an honorable mention.
Northwest to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. St. Louis struck first with a Matt D'Agostini power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jason Arnott. The Blues extended the lead in the second period with Alex Steen making his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Arnott and Shattenkirk on the power play. Detroit got on the board with a Nicklas Lidstrom goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Pavel Datsyuk and Ian White. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Datsyuk goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by White and Bertuzzi. Detroit took the lead on the eighth of the season for Niklas Kronwall, set up by Valtteri Filppula. This was good enough for a 3-2 victory, and the three stars belonged to Datsyuk, Shattenkirk, and Lidstrom. Arnott and White earned honorable mentions.
Up into Canada, as the Montreal Canadiens host the Ottawa Senators. Carey Price and Craig Anderson received the starting nods. Ottawa was first on the board when Zack Smith netted his tenth of the season, coming from Sergei Gonchar and Colin Greening. Montreal replied with a shorthanded Lars Eller goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Mathieu Darche and Raphael Diaz. The Canadiens took the lead when Tomas Plekanec potted his eighth of the season, assisted by Darche and Diaz. Montreal extended the lead with Michael Cammalleri depositing his seventh of the year, and Louis Leblanc and Diaz got the assists, the latter converting a natural sock trick. The Canadiens struck again in the second period with Leblanc recording his second of the season, with helpers provided by Cammalleri and Hal Gill. Montreal continued its attack with a P.K. Subban goal, his third of the year, guided in by Erik Cole. The Senators finally provided an answer with a Jason Spezza goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Milan Michalek and Daniel Alfredsson. The Canadiens replied in the third period when Cole put his fourteenth of the year away, a power play goal powered by Plekanec and Subban to make it 6-2. The three stars went to Price (33 for 35 in saves), Cole, and Diaz, while the honorable mentions include Cammalleri, Leblanc, Subban, Plekanec, and Darche.
Back to Florida again, this time in Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Mathieu Garon are in the blue paint. Bruno Gervais got Tampa Bay on the board first with his third of the season, assisted by Adam Hall. Philadelphia replied when Scott Hartnell sank his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr. The Lightning got the lead back in the second period when Steven Stamkos scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Brett Clark and Ryan Malone. Tampa Bay added on with a Steve Downie goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Teddy Purcell and Pavel Kubina. The Lightning continued with another Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, coming on the power play via Downie and Martin St. Louis. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-1 with a Vincent Lecavalier goal, his twelfth of the year, and St. Louis had the only assist. Garon (31 for 32 in saves), Stamkos, and Downie took home the three stars, while St. Louis gets an honorable mention.
Finally, in Denver, the Colorado Avalanche host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Jean-Sebastien Giguere will play goal. Winnipeg struck first with an Evander Kane goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Blake Wheeler and Alex Burmistrov. The Jets got back to work in the second period with a Tim Stapleton power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Andrew Ladd and Tobias Enstrom. Winnipeg added on with another Kane goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, helped along by Chris Thorburn and Stapleton. The Jets extended the lead again with Jim Slater's seventh of the year, guided in by Tanner Glass. Colorado got on the board with a Kevin Porter goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by David Van der Gulik and Cody McLeod. The final was 4-1 and the three stars were awarded to Kane, Pavelec (32 for 33 in saves), and Paul Stastny, while Stapleton also played well.
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