Congratulations are in order for yesterday's post, the 500th on this blog in well under 500 days. Thanks to everyone who's stopped by to check it out. We are nearing 2,500 hits, so there's been quite a few of you out there. On to today's hockey, the last of the year, beginning with a few matinee games.
First up, the New York Islanders host the similarly colored Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Evgeni Nabokov picked up the starts. New York began with a John Tavares goal, his thirteenth of the season coming on the power play from P.A. Parenteau and Matt Moulson. Edmonton answered on a Sam Gagner goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Corey Potter and Andy Sutton. The Islanders answered back on a Moulson goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, assisted by Tavares and Kyle Okposo. New York added on in the second period with a Parenteau power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Moulson and Frans Nielsen. The Islanders made it 4-1 with Matt Martin's fourth of the year, courtesy of Josh Bailey and Michael Grabner. The third period was scoreless, so this was a final, and the three stars went to Tavares, Moulson, and Martin, while Parenteau earns an honorable mention.
Staying in the region, the New Jersey Devils welcomed the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Brodeur were in goal. New Jersey led off with Ilya Kovalchuk converting a penalty shot as his twelfth of the season, coming after Brooks Orpik covered the puck. The Devils added on with a David Clarkson goal, his thirteenth of the year coming on the power play from Patrik Elias and Kovalchuk. The scoring resumed with Pittsburgh in the third period as Chris Kunitz notched his thirteenth of the season on the power play, powered by Matt Niskanen and Steve Sullivan. New Jersey iced it 3-1 with an empty net goal by Zach Parise, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Elias and Kovalchuk. The three stars were Kovalchuk, Clarkson, and Elias.
Down to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Mathieu Garon play in the blue paint. Steven Stamkos put Tampa Bay on the board first with his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Martin St. Louis and Steve Downie. Carolina tied it when Justin Faulk netted his second of the year, a power play goal made possible by Drayson Bowman and Eric Staal. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period when Jay Harrison scored on the power play, his third of the season, pushed through by Staal and Jamie McBain. The Lightning retied it as Stamkos scored again, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by St. Louis and Downie. Stamkos finished a hat trick in the third period as he made his twenty-sixth of the season, a power play goal where St. Louis wrapped up a sock trick and Ryan Malone had the other assist. The Lightning kept going with a Teddy Purcell goal, his seventh of the year, thanks to Malone and Brett Clark. Tampa Bay added on when Downie put his sixth of the season away, with the help of Malone, who earns a sock trick and Tom Pyatt. The final was 5-2, with the three stars awarded to Stamkos, St. Louis, and Downie, while Malone and Staal earn honorable mentions.
Up to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Phoenix Coyotes. Curtis McElhinney went up against Niklas Backstrom in net. Minnesota struck first in the second period as Pierre-Marc Bouchard netted his ninth of the season, courtesy of Nick Johnson and Matt Cullen. Phoenix answered on a Daymond Langkow power play goal, his sixth of the year, an unassisted tally. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period on a pair of Radim Vrbata goals, his seventeenth and eighteenth of the campaign, with assists doled out to Ray Whitney, Kyle Chipchura, and Keith Yandle. The Wild got one back as Cullen potted his tenth of the season a penalty shot. Whitney iced the game for Phoenix with his fourteenth of the year, and empty net goal made possible by Rostislav Klesla. Vrbata, Cullen, and Bouchard took home the three stars in the 4-2 game, while Whitney also played well.
Now at the regular times, the Winnipeg Jets host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Ondrej Pavelec received the starting nods. Toronto drew first blood with a Clarke MacArthur goal, his eleventh of the season, from Carl Gunnarsson and Dion Phaneuf on the power play. Winnipeg answered in the second period with a Zach Bogosian power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Tobias Enstrom and Antti Miettinen. The Jets took the lead with an Andrew Ladd goal, his twelfth of the campaign, assisted by Kyle Wellwood and Johnny Oduya. The Maple Leafs replied on a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-first of the season, set up by Tim Connolly and Phaneuf. Winnipeg took a 3-2 lead on another power play goal, this time Blake Wheeler's sixth of the year, thanks to Ron Hainsey and Miettinen. There was no third period scoring, leaving this as a final, and giving the three stars to Wheeler, Bogosian, and Kessel, while Miettinen and Phaneuf also played well.
Eastward to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson will oppose Jhonas Enroth from 200 feet away. Buffalo led off with a Brad Boyes goal, his third of the season, a power play goal made possible by Jordan Leopold and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Matt Carkner answered for Ottawa in the second period, and he was helped by Kyle Turris and Erik Condra. The Sabres took the lead back with a Paul Gaustad goal, his third of the year, via Leopold and Brayden McNabb. The Senators tied it up again on the fifth of the campaign by Chris Neil, fueled by Condra and Zack Smith. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Ottawa toppled Buffalo 3-2 on Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, and Bobby Butler tallies, overpowering scores by Boyes and Jason Pominville. The three stars were Enroth (44 for 46 in saves), Leopold, and Anderson (26 for 28 in saves), while Condra gets an honorable mention.
Across the Great Lakes, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Detroit busted things open in the second period with a Johan Franzen goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings extended the lead with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Drew Miller. Detroit made it 3-0 with Jiri Hudler notching his ninth of the campaign, with the help of Valtteri Filppula and Henrik Zetterberg. The third period was silent, so this was a final. The three stars were awarded to Howard (31 save shutout), Abdelkader, and Hudler.
South a tad to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Steve Mason are the masked men. Columbus got things going in the second period with the second of the season by John Moore, assisted by Rick Nash and Jeff Carter. The Blue Jackets added on with a Samuel Pahlsson goal, his second of the year, fueled by R.J. Umberger and Marc Methot. Washington got on the board in the third period with an unassisted Alex Ovechkin goal, his fifteenth of the season. Alexander Semin tied it for the Capitals on his tenth of the year, courtesy of Dennis Wideman and Nicklas Backstrom. Wideman quickly gave Washington the lead after that, netting his sixth of the season just twenty-eight seconds later, with the help of Marcus Johansson and Roman Hamrlik. The Capitals iced it 4-2 with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Dmitry Orlov and Karl Alzner. The three stars were given to Ovechkin, Wideman, ad Pahlsson.
Back to Florida, where the Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jose Theodore are in the creases, but Scott Clemmensen had to relieve Thoedore in the second period due to injury. Travis Moen got things started for Montreal with his ninth of the season, coming off of Lars Eller and Tomas Kaberle. Florida answered in the second period with a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Stephen Weiss and Brian Campbell on the power play. The Panthers added on in the third period with a Shawn Matthias goal, his seventh of the campaign, and Ed Jovanovski had the lone assist. Florida made it 3-1 with another Fleischmann goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, pushed through by Jason Garrison. The Canadiens made a late comeback attempt just eleven seconds later with an Erik Cole goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Yannick Weber and David Desharnais. The final held at 3-2 Panthers, and Fleischmann, Matthias, and Clemmensen (17 for 18 in saves) earned the three stars.
Across the southern end of the USA, the Anaheim Ducks host the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere went up against his old team, while Jonas Hiller guarded the opposite goalmouth. Milan Hejduk got things going for Colorado on his tenth of the season, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly. Kyle Quincey added on for the Avalanche in the second period with his fourth of the year, made possible by Stefan Elliott and Kevin Porter. Colorado kept it up with a Chuck Kobasew goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Jay McClement and Ryan O'Byrne. Anaheim got on the board with a Lubomir Visnovsky goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Bobby Ryan and Saku Koivu. The Avalanche replied in the third period with another Hejduk goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, a power play goal powered by O'Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog. The Ducks cut it down to 4-2, as close as it would get, when Ryan potted his thirteenth of the year, with a little help from Koivu and Cam Fowler. The three stars were O'Reilly, Hejduk, and Visnovsky, while Ryan and Koivu played well as well.
Back to the east a tad, as the Dallas Stars host the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Kari Lehtonen tend the twines. Dallas led off with a Loui Eriksson goal, his thirteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Alex Goligoski and Trevor Daley. Boston answered when Tyler Seguin recorded his fifteenth of the year, with the help of David Krejci. Daley shot back for the Stars on his fourth of the season, and Tom Wandell picked up the lone assist. Dallas extended the lead with a Michael Ryder power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Jamie Benn and Daley. Wandell pushed the Stars farther ahead with his second of the season in the second period, helped along by Adam Burish and Benn. The Bruins cut it down to 4-2 in the third period with a Milan Lucic goal, his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Krejci and Dennis Seidenberg. This was a final, and the three stars belonged to Daley, Benn, and Wandell, with honorable mention for Krejci.
Finally, the last game of 2011 is in Los Angeles, where the Kings host the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Vancouver opened with a Kevin Bieksa goal, his fourth of the season, with help from Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Los Angeles replied on a Brad Richardson goal, his third of the year, fueled by Andrei Loktionov and Slava Voynov. The Kings took the lead in the second period with Matt Greene nailing his second of the season, with the help of Loktionov. Los Angeles extended the lead with an Anze Kopitar goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Justin Williams and Jack Johnson. The Kings added on again with a power play goal by Williams, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Voynov and Jarret Stoll. This made it 4-1, the eventual final, and the three stars went to Greene, Kopitar, and Quick (27 for 28 in saves), while Loktionov and Voynov also played well.
Everyone please have a safe and happy New Year, and I appreciate the continued support. Best of luck to all in 2012.
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