Nine games are going tonight as the year winds down a bit. We begin with...
The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Cam Ward will play goal. Carolina led off with a Brandon Sutter goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Drayson Bowman. Toronto answered in the second period when Nazem Kadri made his third of the year, courtesy of Clarke MacArthur. The Maple Leafs grabbed the lead in the third period with a Nikolai Kulemin goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Darryl Boyce and Mikhail Grabovski. Toronto extended the lead when Joffrey Lupul notched his seventeenth of the year, with a lone helper from Phil Kessel. The Hurricanes got one back with an Eric Staal goal, his eighth of the season, thanks to Zac Dalpe and Jiri Tlusty. Carolina tied it with a Dalpe goal, set up by Tlusty and Staal. The game lasted to overtime, where Staal scored for the Hurricanes with his second of the game and ninth of the year, a power play goal powered by Justin Faulk and Jamie McBain to win 4-3 over the Maple Leafs. The three stars went to Staal, Sutter, and Dalpe, while Tlusty had a good game too.
Up to New York, where the Islanders welcome the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Evgeni Nabokov tend the twines. Calgary opened with a Tim Jackman goal, assisted by Tom Kostopoulos and Brendan Morrison. New York tied it on an Andrew MacDonald goal in the second period, his third of the season, made possible by P.A. Parenteau and John Tavares. The Islanders went ahead in the third period on a Tavares goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Kyle Okposo. New York iced it at 3-1 on an empty net goal by Brian Rolston, his fourth of the campaign, fueled by Parenteau and Nielsen. Tavares, Nabokov (29 for 30 in saves), and MacDonald were the three stars, while Parenteau earns an honorable mentions.
Into Pennsylvania, with the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting their in-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Marc-Andre Fleury play in the creases. Pittsburgh led off with Jordan Staal recording his fifteenth of the season, via Tyler Kennedy. Philadelphia answered on a Kimmo Timonen power play goal, powered by Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with the twelfth of the year by Jaromir Jagr, assisted by Giroux and Matt Carle to the chagrin of the home crowd. Philadelphia extended the lead on Matt Read's twelfth of the season, courtesy of Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek. The Penguins got one back in the third period as Kennedy put his fifth of the year away, thanks to Evgeni Malkin and Simon Despres. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Max Talbot empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, with help from Voracek and Couturier. The three stars went to Giroux, Kennedy, and Read, while Couturier and Voracek also played well.
Far to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Mathieu Garon get the starting nods. Tampa Bay led off with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Pavel Kubina and Steve Downie. Montreal answered with a Michael Cammalleri goal, his eighth of the year coming on the power play from David Desharnais and Raphael Diaz. The Canadiens grabbed the lead in the second period when Desharnais netted his sixth of the season, with help from Andrei Kostitsyn and Diaz. Montreal struck again with an Erik Cole goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Max Pacioretty and Tomas Kaberle. The Lightning got one back as J.T. Wyman scored, coming off of Teddy Purcell and Matt Gilroy. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period on a Marc-Andre Bergeron goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Downie and Martin St. Louis. The Lightning took the lead when Vincent Lecavalier deposited his thirteenth of the year, set up by Wyman and Dominic Moore. This 4-3 score held up to be a final, and the three stars were awarded to Stamkos, Wyman, and Desharnais, while Diaz and Downie also played well.
Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Niklas Backstrom will oppose each other from the nets. Edmonton struck first with a Taylor Hall goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Jordan Eberle and Tom Gilbert. Minnesota answered when Mikko Koivu netted his ninth of the year, pushed through by Marek Zidlicky and Greg Zanon. The Wild took the lead with a Jarod Palmer goal in the second period, with a lone assist by Kyle Brodziak. Minnesota extended the lead with Pierre-Marc Bouchard recording his eighth of the season, thanks to Zidlicky and Zanon. The Oilers got one back with Ladislav Smid netting his third of the year, courtesy of Hall and Ben Eager. The Wild replied with Dany Heatley's twelfth of the season, made possible by Zidlicky for a sock trick and Koivu. Devan Dubnyk replaced Khabibulin in the Edmonton goal for the third period. The Oilers got one back in the third period with a Shawn Horcoff goal, his eighth of the year, with Ryan Smyth getting the lone helper. This was it for the scoring, giving Minnesota a 4-3 win. The three stars were officially Matt Kassian, Nate Prosser, and Palmer, while much more deserving players would be Zidlicky, Koivu, Zanon, or Hall.
North again to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Backups Jonathan Bernier and Chris Mason are in front of the goals. The game was completely scoreless until an Evander Kane goal in overtime, his eighteenth of the campaign, assisted by Ron Hainsey and Blake Wheeler. Mason (31 save shutout), Bernier (26 for 27 in saves), and Tobias Enstrom got the three stars, while Kane is most deserving.
Southward quite a ways to Dallas, with the Stars hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason takes on a returning-from-injury goalie, Kari Lehtonen. Columbus got on the board first with the eleventh of the season for Rick Nash, assisted by Ryan Johansen. Dallas tied it with a Vernon Fiddler goal, his fifth of the year, and the assists came from Radek Dvorak and Nicklas Grossman. The Blue Jackets took the lead back with a second period Antoine Vermette goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by John Moore and Mark Letestu. Columbus extended the lead in the third period on another Nash goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of Moore and Nikita Nikitin. The Blue Jackets finished it at 4-1 with a Fedor Tyutin empty net goal, his third of the campaign, pushed through by R.J. Umberger and Marc Methot. The three stars were given to Nash, Mason (36 for 37 in saves), and Lehtonen (25 for 28 in saves), while Moore also performed well.
Moving into the Rockies, with the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Phoenix Coyotes. Jason LaBarbera and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. Colorado was on the board first with a Kevin Porter goal, his third of the season, thanks to Paul Stastny and Gabriel Landeskog. Phoenix tied it with Mikkel Boedker sinking his sixth of the year, with help from Kyle Chipchura and Taylor Pyatt. The Avalanche took the lead back on Stefan Elliott goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by T.J. Galiardi and Kyle Quincey. The Coyotes got another equalizer as Boedker potted his second of the game and seventh of the year, guided in by Pyatt and Chipchura. Colorado took the lead back in the third period when Landeskog notched his eighth of the season, via Chuck Kobasew and Shane O'Brien. This was the decisive tally, giving the Avalanche a 3-2 win, and the three stars were Landeskog, Varlamov (25 for 27 in saves), and Boedker, while Chipchura and Pyatt also played well.
Finally, we wrap up in Anaheim, where the Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Jonas Hiller play between the pipes. Vancouver was first on the board with a Henrik Sedin netting his tenth of the season, courtesy of Alexandre Burrows. The Canucks extended the lead with a Cody Hodgson goal, his eighth of the year, thanks to Dale Weise and Keith Ballard. Vancouver attacked again in the second period with a Mason Raymond goal, his fourth of the season, pushed through by Ryan Kesler and Alexander Edler. The Canucks kept going with Daniel Sedin scoring his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Henrik and Kevin Bieksa. Dan Ellis relieved Hiller at this time. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his twelfth of the season, aided by Teemu Selanne and Luca Sbisa. The Ducks got another with Nick Bonino netting his second of the year, with the help of Andrew Gordon and Matt Beleskey. Vancouver made it 5-2 with Daniel's second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, assisted by Henrik and Burrows. This was a final, and the three stars were given to Henrik, Ryan, and Edler, while Burrows and Daniel were the honorable mentions.
No comments :
Post a Comment