Today we have a very heavy slate of games, and we begin with the Winnipeg Jets 1.0 (Phoenix Coyotes) against the Winnipeg Jets 2.0 (formerly Atlanta Thrashers). The desert duel features Chris Mason and Mike Smith in net. Phoenix led off with a Daymond Langkow goal, with Ray Whitney and Shane Doan grabbing the assists. The Coyotes took a 3-0 lead after Oliver Ekman-Larsson tallied two in a row, his second and third of the year, with the first going unassisted and the second from Boyd Gordon and Taylor Pyatt. Andrew Ladd put Winnipeg on the board with a late second period goal, courtesy of Tobias Enstrom and Blake Wheeler. Phoenix made it 4-1 in the third period with a Whitney goal, his second of the season, a power play tally powered by Martin Hanzal and Doan. This was the final, and the three stars went to Ekman-Larsson, Smith (18 for 19 in saves), and Doan.
Next up, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and James Reimer get the starting nods. Calgary led off with a Curtis Glencross goal, his third of the season coming off of Lee Stempniak and Olli Jokinen. The Flames extended the lead with a Scott Hannan goal, assisted by Niklas Hagman and Anton Babchuk. Toronto got going in the second period with a Joffrey Lupul goal, his second of the year, made possible by Phil Kessel. Kessel put in two pucks on his own later, spanning the second and third periods, his fourth and fifth of the season. Carl Gunnarsson and Cody Franson had the primary assists, while Tyler Bozak raked in the two secondary assists. This would be enough to win 3-2, and the three stars were Kessel, Reimer (30 for 32 in saves), and Bozak.
Down to Pittsburgh, with the Penguins hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Marc-Andre Fleury get the starts in goal. Buffalo led off with a Nathan Gerbe goal, assisted by Luke Adam and Christian Ehrhoff. Adam shortly added on for the Sabres with his third of the season, made possible by Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a James Neal goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Richard Park. Buffalo answered in the third period with a Drew Stafford goal, his third of the season, guided in by Gerbe and Ehrhoff. The Penguins made it 3-2 with a Jordan Staal goal, his second of the year coming off of Tyler Kennedy and Paul Martin, but they failed to get an equalizer and lost by that margin. The three stars were awarded to Adam, Gerbe, and Neal.
Into New York, with the Islanders hosting the Rangers with the inner-city battle. Henrik Lundqvist opposed Evgeni Nabokov in his return to the NHL. Matt Moulson put the Islanders out front with his second of the season, assisted by P.A. Parenteau and John Tavares. Marian Gaborik tied it for the Rangers on his second of the year, courtesy of Brad Richards. Tavares gave the Islanders the lead back with his third of the season, a power play goal powered by Mark Streit and Brian Rolston. The Rangers tied it at 2 with a Brandon Prust goal, guided in by Ruslan Fedotenko. The Islanders would charge it up in the third period, as Tavares unleashed another power play goal and an empty netter for the hat trick, tallying his goals up to 5 on the year. Parenteau recorded assists on both goals, giving himself a sock trick, while Streit and Moulson each picked up one helper. The Isles would win 4-2, and the three stars were Tavares, Nabokov (29 for 31 in saves), and Moulson, although Streit and Parenteau also had very good games.
Into Pennsylvania again, as the Philadelphia Flyers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ilya Bryzgalov were the netminders. Philadelphia led off with a Danny Briere power play goal, powered by Jaromir Jagr and Chris Pronger. Los Angeles replied with a Justin Williams goal, also on the power play, fueled by Simon Gagne and Willie Mitchell. The scoring resumed in the third period with another Williams goal, helped along by Anze Kopitar and Jack Johnson. The Flyers tied it on a Matt Carle goal (matching his output from last year), a power play tally made possible by James van Riemsdyk and Briere. The game was decided in overtime, fittingly on the power play, as the Kings' Johnson netted his second of the season, from former Flyer Mike Richards and young King Kopitar, for a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Carle, Williams, and Quick (32 for 34 in saves), and honorable mentions to Kopitar and Briere.
Now we have a battle between the teams of capital cities, taking place in D.C., with the Washington Capitals hosting the Ottawa Senators. Alex Auld and Tomas Vokoun played between the pipes. Washington struck first with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, thanks to Alexander Semin and Mike Knuble. The Capitals made it 2-0 on a Marcus Johansson goal, his second of the season, fueled by Knuble and Dennis Wideman. Ottawa scored late in the period with a Peter Regin goal, set up by Nick Foligno and David Rundblad. This 2-1 score would last for the next 40 minutes, giving Washington the win. The three stars were given to Vokoun (33 for 34 in saves), Knuble, and Johansson were the three stars.
Up to Montreal, with the Canadiens hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Carey Price got the starts, but they were heavily assaulted with pucks throughout the high scoring affair. Chuck Kobasew led it off for Colorado with a goal, assisted by David Jones. Montreal evened it as Max Pacioretty registered his second of the season, assisted by David Desharnais and Rafhael Diaz. Tomas Plekanec put the Canadiens in front with his second of the year in the second period, a power play goal powered by Brian Gionta and P.K. Subban. Jones put the Avalanche back into a tie with his second of the season, courtesy of Erik Johnson and Paul Stastny on the power play. Stastny would give Colorado the lead with a later goal, an unassisted marker. Travis Moen made it 3-3 with his second of the year shortly after that, helped along by Gionta and Scott Gomez. Jones came on again to bail the Avalanche out of trouble, netting his second of the game and third on the season, and the helpers were provided by Ryan Wilson and Kyle Quincey. Gionta finally put the puck in the net to retie the game for the Canadiens in the third period, as Josh Gorges and Erik Cole picked up assists. Twenty seconds later, Desharnais potted a goal to give Montreal a 5-4 lead with assistance from Pacioretty and Andrei Kostitsyn. Colorado again evened the score with a Quincey power play goal, made possible by Milan Hejduk and Johnson. The tie surprisingly lasted into a shootout, where the Avalanche overwhelmed the Canadiens with goals by Hejduk and Matt Duchene. The three stars went to Hejduk, Pacioretty, and Gionta, and blogger's honorable mentions for multiple-point nights go to Johnson, Jones, Quincey, Stastny, and Desharnais.
Down to the battle of Florida, with the Panthers hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Jose Theodore wore the masks in this game. Ed Jovanovski put Florida up first with a power play goal, powered by Tomas Kopecky and David Booth. The scoring was stagnant until the third period, with Tampa Bay finding the mesh with a Marc-Andre Bergeron goal, courtesy of Dominic Moore. The Panthers retook the lead on a Kris Versteeg power play goal, guided in by Dmitry Kulikov and Brian Campbell. Thirty-nine seconds later, the Lightning tied it with another Bergeron goal, this time helped along by Pavel Kubina and Martin St. Louis. The tie lasted into a shootout, with Marcel Goc winning it for Florida with the lone tally. In the Panthers' 3-2 win, the three stars went to the goal scorers, Versteeg, Bergeron, and Jovanovski.
Into the Central Division arena in Nashville, with the Predators hosting the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Pekka Rinne get the starting nods. Nashville quickly took the lead with a Coin Wilson power play goal, his second of the season, assisted by Sergei Kostitsyn and David Legwand. Jerred Smithson put the Predators up 2-0 with his goal, made possible by Jordin Tootoo and Kevin Klein. The scoring was quiet until New Jersey struck in the third period, with Ilya Kovalchuk netting a goal on the power play, his second of the year powered by Henrik Tallinder and Patrik Elias. The Devils tied it at 2 with a David Clarkson goal, thanks to efforts from Mattias Tedenby and Mark Fayne. The game would require extra time to finish, and it was in the shootout where New Jersey beat Nashville, rocketing to a 3-2 win with tallies by Kovalchuk and Zach Parise. Kovalchuk, Wilson, and Hedberg (29 for 31 in saves) were the three stars, which checks out nicely to me.
Heading north again, with the Minnesota Wild hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Josh Harding played in the creases. Greg Zanon got Minnesota on the board late in the first period, with his goal being helped in by Guillaume Latendresse. The Wild struck again in the early second period on a Cal Clutterbuck goal, fueled by Colton Gillies and Kyle Brodziak. Detroit answered on the other side of the period with an Ian White goal, his second of the season coming off of Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Jiri Hudler goal, his second of the year made possible by Jakub Kindl and Filppula. The game was decided in overtime on a power play goal from the Matt Cullen tripping penalty, as Franzen found twine for the second time this season, and help came from Tomas Holmstrom and White. The final was 3-2, and the three stars were Harding (38 for 41 in saves), Hudler, and Clutterbuck, although White, Franzen, and Filppula also heavily contributed.
Down to the former Minnesota team's home, Dallas, to see the Stars host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Kari Lehtonen get the starts in net. Columbus led off with a Vinny Prospal goal, his third of the season coming on the power play (yes, a CBJ PP goal) with the help of Fedor Tyutin and David Savard. Dallas evened it with a Brenden Morrow goal, his second of the season coming off of Mike Ribeiro and Michael Ryder. The Blue Jackets regained the lead on an Alexandre Giroux goal, courtesy of R.J. Umberger. The Stars tied it again with a Loui Eriksson goal, his third of the year, guided in by Steve Ott and Jamie Benn. Dallas took the lead in the third period with Sheldon Souray's goal, thanks to Ribeiro for the assist. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with a Ryder power play goal, powered by Morrow and Ribeiro, the latter finishing off a sock trick. This would be a final score, with Ribeiro, Morrow, and Eriksson getting the three stars, although Ryder would have fit in the third slot as well.
Going back up to Chicago, with the Blackhawks hosting the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Corey Crawford were in the blue paint. Chicago led off with a Bryan Bickell goal, going in with no assistance. Boston replied in the second period with a shorthanded Chris Kelly marker, courtesy of Rich Peverley and Andrew Ference. Patrick Kane gave the Blackhawks another lead on his second of the season, made possible by Sean O'Donnell and Patrick Sharp. The Bruins would retie it in the third period with a Nathan Horton goal, guided along by Johnny Boychuk and Tyler Seguin. The game was decided in the shootout, favoring Boston 3-2 as the only tally was by Seguin. The three stars were awarded to Horton, Kane, and Thomas (27 for 29 in saves), although Seguin had very valuable contributions.
Out west, the San Jose Sharks host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Thomas Greiss are in net as the backups do battle. St. Louis led off with the second of the season by Matt D'Agostini, an unassisted goal. San Jose tied it late in the first period with a power play goal by Michael Handzus, powered by Ryane Clowe and Jason Demers. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a Brent Burns goal, assisted by Clowe and Torrey Mitchell. The Blues tied it on a Kent Huskins goal, an unassisted goal. St. Louis took the lead with an Alex Steen goal, his second of the year coming off of Kevin Shattenkirk and Jason Arnott. The Blues iced it off with David Backes' empty net goal, courtesy of Jamie Langenbrunner and Vladimir Sobotka. The final was 4-2, and the three stars were Elliott (34 for 36 in saves), Clowe, and Huskins.
Lastly, we go to Alberta for a Western Canada battle, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Vancouver took the first lead with Sami Salo scoring on the power play, powered by Cody Hodgson and Chris Higgins. Edmonton replied with a pair of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goals, his second and third of the year, with assists rewarded to Jordan Eberle twice, and Taylor Hall and Tom Gilbert once. The Canucks tied it with a Henrik Sedin goal, his second of the season coming on the power play via Salo. The Oilers regained the lead with a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, with helpers provided by Hall and Corey Potter to help him finish up a hat trick on his fourth of the year. Vancouver tied it before the period expired, as Alexandre Burrows found twine with sixteen seconds to go, his second goal of the season gathering steam from Daniel Sedin and his twin Henrik. Salo would step up again in the third period, notching his second of night thanks to a series of passes going through Mikael Samuelsson and Higgins. This would make a 4-3 final, with the three stars going to Nugent-Hopkins, Salo, and Higgins, and honorable mentions to the Sedin twins and Hall and Eberle.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
NHL Day 9 2011-2012
Today we only have two games, a calm before the storm that will come on Saturday. The first is in Buffalo, with the Sabres hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Ryan Miller are in the nets. Thomas Vanek led off the scoring for Buffalo with his third of the season, with the lone helper by Jordan Leopold. Carolina replied with a Jay Harrison goal, and Jamie McBain got the assist there. The Sabres regained the lead on a Derek Roy goal, fueled by Drew Stafford and Christian Ehrhoff. Late in the first period, the Hurricanes tied it again on a shorthanded goal by Brandon Sutter, an unassisted tally. Carolina took the lead in the second period on another shorthanded goal, this time by Tim Brent, with help from Jiri Tlusty. Buffalo tied it in the third period with Stafford notching his second of the year, courtesy of Tyler Myers and Andrej Sekera. The Hurricanes replied to make it 4-3 with a Jeff Skinner goal, his second of the season, guided in by Jussi Jokinen and Joni Pitkanen on the power play. This would be a final, with Skinner, Stafford, and Ward (39 for 42 in saves) getting the three stars.
The other game was part of the Battle of California, with the Anaheim Ducks hosting the San Jose Sharks. Thomas Greiss and Jonas Hiller play goal tonight. Anaheim jumped to an early lead with a Maxime Macenauer goal, assisted by the unlikely duo of George "The Mustache" Parros and Brandon McMillan. This goal would hold up until the end, giving the Ducks a 1-0 victory over the Sharks. The three stars were Hiller (31 save shutout), Francois Beauchemin, and Macenauer, although Greiss (22 for 23 in saves), Parros, or McMillan could have easily taken Beauchemin's spot.
The other game was part of the Battle of California, with the Anaheim Ducks hosting the San Jose Sharks. Thomas Greiss and Jonas Hiller play goal tonight. Anaheim jumped to an early lead with a Maxime Macenauer goal, assisted by the unlikely duo of George "The Mustache" Parros and Brandon McMillan. This goal would hold up until the end, giving the Ducks a 1-0 victory over the Sharks. The three stars were Hiller (31 save shutout), Francois Beauchemin, and Macenauer, although Greiss (22 for 23 in saves), Parros, or McMillan could have easily taken Beauchemin's spot.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
NHL Day 8 2011-2012
Today, we have a lot more games, with a total of ten on the slate. We begin with the NHL's most popular rivalry...
Resuming in Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Brent Johnson get the starting nods. Pittsburgh led off with a James Neal goal, his third of the season made possible by Steve Sullivan and Evgeni Malkin. Washington tied it in the second period with a Mike Knuble goal, helped along by Alexander Semin and Karl Alzner. The Capitals took the lead early in the third period as Alex Ovechkin netted the puck, thanks to Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom. Neal tied it back up for the Penguins with his fourth of the year and second of the night, a power play goal powered by Malkin and Chris Kunitz. The game went into overtime, and was decided on the power play as Dennis Wideman nettd his second of the season, coming off of Backstrom for the 3-2 win. The three stars were Wideman, Neal, and Knuble. Honorable mentions to Malkin and Backstrom.
Over to Long Island, with the New York Islanders playing host to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Al Montoya got the go-ahead for start in goal. New York led off quickly, with an unassisted John Tavares goal. Tampa Bay replied with Steven Stamkos' goal, assisted by Marc-Andre Bergeron. Matt Moulson gave the Islanders the lead back, with help from Tavares and Mark Eaton. Tavares also netted another goal just after this, his second of the game coming via Moulson and P.A. Parenteau, the latter of which tallied the next New York goal, fueled by Tavares. The Islanders made it 5-1 and chased Roloson on a Michael Grabner goal, with the lone assist going to Kyle Okposo. Mathieu Garon stepped on in relief, and the game had no more scoring after this point. The three stars were Tavares, Moulson, and Montoya (34 for 35 in saves).
Staying in the region, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Martin Brodeur were in goal to begin with, but the latter only played the first period, being replaced by Johan Hedberg for the remainder of the game. Los Angeles led off with a Simon Gagne goal, courtesy of Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar. New Jersey tied it with a Patrik Elias tally, helped along by Petr Sykora and Zach Parise. This 1-1 tie lasted through the second, third, and overtime periods, before the Devils put it away 2-1 with Ilya Kovalchuk and Parise goals. Quick (36 for 37 in saves), Elias, and Gagne were the game's three stars.
Following that, the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal led off with an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, with help from Max Pacioretty. Calgary replied with a Rene Bourque power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Alex Tanguay and Chris Butler. The Flames took the lead on a Niklas Hagman goal, also on the power play, guided in by Olli Jokinen and Jay Bouwmeester. David Moss padded the Calgary lead with an even-strength goal, fueled by Tanguay. Bourque made it 4-1 Flames in the second period with his second of the night and third of the year, courtesy of Matt Stajan and Butler. This score would hold throughout the rest of the game, and the three stars were Bourque, Tanguay, and Kiprusoff (35 for 36 in saves).
Staying in Eastern Canada, the Ottawa Senators hosted the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Craig Anderson opposed each other in front of the nets. Ottawa led off with Milan Michalek's third of the season, a power play goal powered by Erik Karlsson and Sergei Gonchar. Colorado replied with a Milan Hejduk goal, his second of the year, also on the power play, with help from Erik Johnson and Paul Stastny. The Avalanche took the lead on the second of the season by Gabriel Landeskog, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly. Colorado made it 3-1 in the second period with a Joakim Lindstrom goal, helped along by Ryan Wilson and Matt Duchene. Duchene tallied on the power play for the Avalanche in the third period, and the helpers went to Landeskog and O'Reilly. Daniel Winnik got in on the scoring for Colorado with a shorthanded goal, coming off of a Shane O'Brien pass. The Avalanche also tacked on a power play goal by David Jones, with Hejduk and Johnson picking up the helpers. Colorado made it 7-1 with a power play goal by Lindstrom, his second of the game, assisted by Wilson and O'Reilly, the latter converting the 3-assist sock trick. This was a final, with Duchene, Landeskog, and O'Reilly getting the three stars, although Lindstrom was also very worthy.
Moving back stateside, with the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Jimmy Howard put on the masks for the game. The scoring began in the second period as Justin Abdelkader nailed one in, with help from Todd Bertuzzi and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings made it 2-0 with a Valtteri Filppula goal, courtesy of Johan Franzen and Jiri Hudler. This score stood until the end of the game, resulting in a Detroit win, and the three stars awards went to Howard (25 save shutout), Abdelkader, and Filppula.
Continuing west, the Minnesota Wild host the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Niklas Backstrom were in the blue paint. Edmonton struck first with a Ryan Smyth goal, guided along by Eric Belanger and Jordan Eberle. Matt Cullen replied for Minnesota with his third of the season, and the lone helper went to Guillaume Latendresse. This 1-1 tie lasted through the third period and into an overtime, although there was no scoring here either, and the Wild took the game here with Cullen and Devin Setoguchi overpowering Eberle's goal. The three stars were Setoguchi, Khabibulin (34 for 35 in saves), and Backstrom (21 for 22 in saves), with Eberle or Cullen being the other most obvious choices.
Heading back a bit southeast, the Nashville Predators host the Phoenix Coyotes. Jason LaBarbera and Pekka Rinne are in the creases tonight. Phoenix led off with a David Schlemko goal, assisted by Petteri Nokelainen and Raffi Torres. The Coyotes extended their lead with a Ray Whitney goal, courtesy of Daymond Langkow and Shane Doan. Lauri Korpikoski kept it going for Phoenix by recording the 3-0 goal, and getting help from Boyd Gordon and Taylor Pyatt. The Coyotes were relentless in the second period, as Mikkel Boedker also netted a goal, guided in by Martin Hanzal and Keith Yandle. Nashville got on the board with the second of the season by Ryan Suter, a shorthanded goal via David Legwand. The Predators cut the deficit further with a Colin Wilson goal in the third period, thanks to Legwand and Sergei Kostitsyn. Phoenix made it 5-2 as Doan iced the game with his empty net goal, good as his third of the year, off a Rostislav Klesla pass. Schlemko, Korpikoski, and Legwand were the three stars, with only Doan making a case outside of that.
To Chicago, with the Blackhawks welcoming backall the players they had to get rid of post Stanley Cup the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Ray Emery got the starts tonight. Winnipeg led off with a pair of Jim Slater goals, his first two of the season, and the helpers fell to Johnny Oduya, Ron Hainsey, and Tanner Glass. Chicago replied with an Andrew Brunette goal, his second of the season coming on the power play via Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Kane also added his own goal as the equalizer for the Blackhawks, and Marian Hossa and Dan Carcillo were there to record assists. Chicago took the lead in the second period on a Hossa goal, guided in by Nick Leddy and Kane. The Blackhawks extended their lead with a Dave Bolland goal, his third of the year made possible by Bryan Bickell. The Jets made it 4-3 later in the second period with a Kyle Wellwood goal, fueled by Hainsey and Brett MacLean. The third period would be silent, however, leaving the score at the above mentioned mark. The three stars went to Kane, Hossa, and Slater.
Lastly, in Dallas, the Stars hosted the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Kari Lehtonen played between the pipes. Dallas led off the scoring late in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Loui Eriksson, coming on a pass from Steve Ott, for his second goal of the year. The Stars took a bigger lead in the second period with an Adam Burish goal, guided in by Trevor Daley. Dallas made it 3-0 on the power play with a Brenden Morrow goal, powered by Stephane Robidas and Mike Ribeiro. St. Louis found the scoreboard with a Matt D'Agostini goal, assisted by Alex Steen and Kent Huskins. The Blues made it 3-2 in the third period as Chris Stewart notched his second of the season, with the help of Kevin Shattenkirk and Patrik Berglund being required. They would not get the equalizer, leaving the Stars in line for two points, and the three stars here were Lehtonen (36 for 38 in saves), Eriksson, and D'Agostini.
Resuming in Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Brent Johnson get the starting nods. Pittsburgh led off with a James Neal goal, his third of the season made possible by Steve Sullivan and Evgeni Malkin. Washington tied it in the second period with a Mike Knuble goal, helped along by Alexander Semin and Karl Alzner. The Capitals took the lead early in the third period as Alex Ovechkin netted the puck, thanks to Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom. Neal tied it back up for the Penguins with his fourth of the year and second of the night, a power play goal powered by Malkin and Chris Kunitz. The game went into overtime, and was decided on the power play as Dennis Wideman nettd his second of the season, coming off of Backstrom for the 3-2 win. The three stars were Wideman, Neal, and Knuble. Honorable mentions to Malkin and Backstrom.
Over to Long Island, with the New York Islanders playing host to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Al Montoya got the go-ahead for start in goal. New York led off quickly, with an unassisted John Tavares goal. Tampa Bay replied with Steven Stamkos' goal, assisted by Marc-Andre Bergeron. Matt Moulson gave the Islanders the lead back, with help from Tavares and Mark Eaton. Tavares also netted another goal just after this, his second of the game coming via Moulson and P.A. Parenteau, the latter of which tallied the next New York goal, fueled by Tavares. The Islanders made it 5-1 and chased Roloson on a Michael Grabner goal, with the lone assist going to Kyle Okposo. Mathieu Garon stepped on in relief, and the game had no more scoring after this point. The three stars were Tavares, Moulson, and Montoya (34 for 35 in saves).
Staying in the region, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Martin Brodeur were in goal to begin with, but the latter only played the first period, being replaced by Johan Hedberg for the remainder of the game. Los Angeles led off with a Simon Gagne goal, courtesy of Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar. New Jersey tied it with a Patrik Elias tally, helped along by Petr Sykora and Zach Parise. This 1-1 tie lasted through the second, third, and overtime periods, before the Devils put it away 2-1 with Ilya Kovalchuk and Parise goals. Quick (36 for 37 in saves), Elias, and Gagne were the game's three stars.
Following that, the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal led off with an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, with help from Max Pacioretty. Calgary replied with a Rene Bourque power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Alex Tanguay and Chris Butler. The Flames took the lead on a Niklas Hagman goal, also on the power play, guided in by Olli Jokinen and Jay Bouwmeester. David Moss padded the Calgary lead with an even-strength goal, fueled by Tanguay. Bourque made it 4-1 Flames in the second period with his second of the night and third of the year, courtesy of Matt Stajan and Butler. This score would hold throughout the rest of the game, and the three stars were Bourque, Tanguay, and Kiprusoff (35 for 36 in saves).
Staying in Eastern Canada, the Ottawa Senators hosted the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Craig Anderson opposed each other in front of the nets. Ottawa led off with Milan Michalek's third of the season, a power play goal powered by Erik Karlsson and Sergei Gonchar. Colorado replied with a Milan Hejduk goal, his second of the year, also on the power play, with help from Erik Johnson and Paul Stastny. The Avalanche took the lead on the second of the season by Gabriel Landeskog, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly. Colorado made it 3-1 in the second period with a Joakim Lindstrom goal, helped along by Ryan Wilson and Matt Duchene. Duchene tallied on the power play for the Avalanche in the third period, and the helpers went to Landeskog and O'Reilly. Daniel Winnik got in on the scoring for Colorado with a shorthanded goal, coming off of a Shane O'Brien pass. The Avalanche also tacked on a power play goal by David Jones, with Hejduk and Johnson picking up the helpers. Colorado made it 7-1 with a power play goal by Lindstrom, his second of the game, assisted by Wilson and O'Reilly, the latter converting the 3-assist sock trick. This was a final, with Duchene, Landeskog, and O'Reilly getting the three stars, although Lindstrom was also very worthy.
Moving back stateside, with the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Jimmy Howard put on the masks for the game. The scoring began in the second period as Justin Abdelkader nailed one in, with help from Todd Bertuzzi and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings made it 2-0 with a Valtteri Filppula goal, courtesy of Johan Franzen and Jiri Hudler. This score stood until the end of the game, resulting in a Detroit win, and the three stars awards went to Howard (25 save shutout), Abdelkader, and Filppula.
Continuing west, the Minnesota Wild host the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Niklas Backstrom were in the blue paint. Edmonton struck first with a Ryan Smyth goal, guided along by Eric Belanger and Jordan Eberle. Matt Cullen replied for Minnesota with his third of the season, and the lone helper went to Guillaume Latendresse. This 1-1 tie lasted through the third period and into an overtime, although there was no scoring here either, and the Wild took the game here with Cullen and Devin Setoguchi overpowering Eberle's goal. The three stars were Setoguchi, Khabibulin (34 for 35 in saves), and Backstrom (21 for 22 in saves), with Eberle or Cullen being the other most obvious choices.
Heading back a bit southeast, the Nashville Predators host the Phoenix Coyotes. Jason LaBarbera and Pekka Rinne are in the creases tonight. Phoenix led off with a David Schlemko goal, assisted by Petteri Nokelainen and Raffi Torres. The Coyotes extended their lead with a Ray Whitney goal, courtesy of Daymond Langkow and Shane Doan. Lauri Korpikoski kept it going for Phoenix by recording the 3-0 goal, and getting help from Boyd Gordon and Taylor Pyatt. The Coyotes were relentless in the second period, as Mikkel Boedker also netted a goal, guided in by Martin Hanzal and Keith Yandle. Nashville got on the board with the second of the season by Ryan Suter, a shorthanded goal via David Legwand. The Predators cut the deficit further with a Colin Wilson goal in the third period, thanks to Legwand and Sergei Kostitsyn. Phoenix made it 5-2 as Doan iced the game with his empty net goal, good as his third of the year, off a Rostislav Klesla pass. Schlemko, Korpikoski, and Legwand were the three stars, with only Doan making a case outside of that.
To Chicago, with the Blackhawks welcoming back
Lastly, in Dallas, the Stars hosted the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Kari Lehtonen played between the pipes. Dallas led off the scoring late in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Loui Eriksson, coming on a pass from Steve Ott, for his second goal of the year. The Stars took a bigger lead in the second period with an Adam Burish goal, guided in by Trevor Daley. Dallas made it 3-0 on the power play with a Brenden Morrow goal, powered by Stephane Robidas and Mike Ribeiro. St. Louis found the scoreboard with a Matt D'Agostini goal, assisted by Alex Steen and Kent Huskins. The Blues made it 3-2 in the third period as Chris Stewart notched his second of the season, with the help of Kevin Shattenkirk and Patrik Berglund being required. They would not get the equalizer, leaving the Stars in line for two points, and the three stars here were Lehtonen (36 for 38 in saves), Eriksson, and D'Agostini.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
NHL Day 7 2011-2012
Again, we have a very limited set of games to be played, with only three tonight. We begin with...
The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Steve Mason put on the pads for the game. T.J. Galiardi got Colorado going with a goal, assisted by Ryan O'Byrne and Ryan Wilson. Columbus tied it in the second period with Rick Nash netting his second of the season, an unassisted goal. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with a Radek Martinek goal, assisted by Vinny Prospal and Nash. The Avalanche evened it as Gabriel Landeskog scored off passes from Jan Hejda and Ryan O'Reilly The game required a shootout for a decision, and this was where Nash was overpowered by Milan Hejduk and Matt Duchene, resulting in a 3-2 win. Varlamov (31 for 33 in saves), Nash, and Landeskog got the three stars.
Next, we go to Philadelphia, with the Flyers welcoming the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Ilya Bryzgalov will play between the pipes. Philadelphia opened on a Claude Giroux goal, his third of the year coming on the power play via Chris Pronger and Matt Read. Pronger later tallied his own goal to extend the Flyer lead, also a power play goal, powered by Giroux and Jaromir Jagr. Vancouver got on the board with a Mikael Samuelsson power play goal, with help from Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Philadelphia got it back with James van Riemsdyk putting the puck away, and Giroux got the one assist. The Canucks pulled closer again with a Henrik Sedin goal, made possible by Alexandre Burrows and Alexander Edler. The Flyers replied with Jakub Voracek notching his second of the season, courtesy of Sean Couturier and Kimmo Timonen. Vancouver again pulled within one, as Chris Higgins recorded his second of the year, helped along by Burrows and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks got the equalizer as Daniel netted his second of the season, courtesy of Edler and Samuelsson on the power play. Philadelphia retook control with a 5-4 lead on an Andrej Meszaros goal, and the lone assist belonged to Danny Briere. This would stand as the final score, and the three stars were Giroux, Higgins, and Prongers, although cases for Burrows or Edler are legitimate.
Finally, the Carolina Hurricanes hosted the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Cam Ward were the goalies. The scoring was opened by Carolina in the second period with Joni Pitkanen, a power play goal powered by Tomas Kaberle and Jussi Jokinen. The Hurricanes extended their lead with Anthony Stewart's goal, thanks to Tim Brent and Tim Gleason. Boston replied with a Tyler Seguin goal, and Nathan Horton and Adam McQuaid got the helpers here. Carolina made it 3-1 with a Jiri Tlusty goal, fueled by Brandon Sutter and Pat Dwyer. The Bruins got one back as Brad Marchand potted his second of the year, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Joe Corvo. They could not find the equalizer, though, and fell 3-2. The three stars were awarded to Gleason, Sutter, and Pitkanen for whatever reason.
The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Steve Mason put on the pads for the game. T.J. Galiardi got Colorado going with a goal, assisted by Ryan O'Byrne and Ryan Wilson. Columbus tied it in the second period with Rick Nash netting his second of the season, an unassisted goal. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with a Radek Martinek goal, assisted by Vinny Prospal and Nash. The Avalanche evened it as Gabriel Landeskog scored off passes from Jan Hejda and Ryan O'Reilly The game required a shootout for a decision, and this was where Nash was overpowered by Milan Hejduk and Matt Duchene, resulting in a 3-2 win. Varlamov (31 for 33 in saves), Nash, and Landeskog got the three stars.
Next, we go to Philadelphia, with the Flyers welcoming the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Ilya Bryzgalov will play between the pipes. Philadelphia opened on a Claude Giroux goal, his third of the year coming on the power play via Chris Pronger and Matt Read. Pronger later tallied his own goal to extend the Flyer lead, also a power play goal, powered by Giroux and Jaromir Jagr. Vancouver got on the board with a Mikael Samuelsson power play goal, with help from Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Philadelphia got it back with James van Riemsdyk putting the puck away, and Giroux got the one assist. The Canucks pulled closer again with a Henrik Sedin goal, made possible by Alexandre Burrows and Alexander Edler. The Flyers replied with Jakub Voracek notching his second of the season, courtesy of Sean Couturier and Kimmo Timonen. Vancouver again pulled within one, as Chris Higgins recorded his second of the year, helped along by Burrows and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks got the equalizer as Daniel netted his second of the season, courtesy of Edler and Samuelsson on the power play. Philadelphia retook control with a 5-4 lead on an Andrej Meszaros goal, and the lone assist belonged to Danny Briere. This would stand as the final score, and the three stars were Giroux, Higgins, and Prongers, although cases for Burrows or Edler are legitimate.
Finally, the Carolina Hurricanes hosted the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Cam Ward were the goalies. The scoring was opened by Carolina in the second period with Joni Pitkanen, a power play goal powered by Tomas Kaberle and Jussi Jokinen. The Hurricanes extended their lead with Anthony Stewart's goal, thanks to Tim Brent and Tim Gleason. Boston replied with a Tyler Seguin goal, and Nathan Horton and Adam McQuaid got the helpers here. Carolina made it 3-1 with a Jiri Tlusty goal, fueled by Brandon Sutter and Pat Dwyer. The Bruins got one back as Brad Marchand potted his second of the year, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Joe Corvo. They could not find the equalizer, though, and fell 3-2. The three stars were awarded to Gleason, Sutter, and Pitkanen for whatever reason.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Day 6 NHL 2011-2012
Today we only have two games on, the first of which being in...
Ottawa, Ontario, as the Senators host the Minnesota Wild, who bring Dany Heatley to the place with the mostadoration hatred for him. Niklas Backstrom and Craig Anderson will be the goaltenders. Minnesota led off with a Kyle Brodziak goal, with the lone helper by Clayton Stoner. The Wild took a 2-0 lead with Devin Setoguchi netting his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Mikko Koivu and the aforementioned Heatley. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Nick Foligno goal, courtesy of Peter Regin and Chris Neil. Minnesota restored the two goal lead in the third period with a Nick Johnson goal, going in the books as unassisted. The Senators picked a goal back up with Neil knocking one in thanks to Regin and Chris Phillips. Ottawa tied it with a Colin Greening goal, his second of the season coming on the power play via Milan Michalek and Erik Karlsson. The game required a shootout to be determined, and the Senators came out on top with Michalek, Jason Spezza, and Daniel Alfredsson all scoring to overwhelm Matt Cullen. The three stars were Backstrom (41 for 44 in saves), Neil, and Alfredsson, although Regin had a decent game as well.
The other game is brought to you from the CONSOL Energy center, with the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the creases. Pittsburgh opened with a Pascal Dupuis goal, helped along by Joe Vitale and Kris Letang. The Penguins extended their lead in the second period on Matt "Rocket" Cooke's goal, his third of the year coming off of Vitale and Dupuis. Florida got on the board soon after with Marcel Goc netting the puck, assisted by Jack Skille and Mike Weaver. Pittsburgh got it back shorthanded with Richard Park's tally, with the lone assist by Craig Adams. The Panthers again pulled to within one as Tomas Fleischmann buried one, with the help of Stephen Weiss and Erik Gudbranson. However, the Penguins again regained separation with a James Neal goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jordan Staal and Chris Kunitz. The final was 4-2 Pittsburgh, with the three stars being Dupuis, Vitale, and Park.
Ottawa, Ontario, as the Senators host the Minnesota Wild, who bring Dany Heatley to the place with the most
The other game is brought to you from the CONSOL Energy center, with the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the creases. Pittsburgh opened with a Pascal Dupuis goal, helped along by Joe Vitale and Kris Letang. The Penguins extended their lead in the second period on Matt "Rocket" Cooke's goal, his third of the year coming off of Vitale and Dupuis. Florida got on the board soon after with Marcel Goc netting the puck, assisted by Jack Skille and Mike Weaver. Pittsburgh got it back shorthanded with Richard Park's tally, with the lone assist by Craig Adams. The Panthers again pulled to within one as Tomas Fleischmann buried one, with the help of Stephen Weiss and Erik Gudbranson. However, the Penguins again regained separation with a James Neal goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jordan Staal and Chris Kunitz. The final was 4-2 Pittsburgh, with the three stars being Dupuis, Vitale, and Park.
Fantasy Football All-stars week 4 and 5
Sorry again for the delay of Week 4 final stuff. Here's the best players from a week ago
Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers
Running Back: Beanie Wells
Wide Receiver: Pierre Garcon
Tight End: Jimmy Graham
Kicker: Ryan Succop
Team Defense: Baltimore
Defensive Player: David Harris and Jason Babin
Week 5:
Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger
Running Back: Adrian Peterson
Wide Receiver: Dwayne Bowe
Tight End: Joel Dreessen
Kicker: Sebastian Janikowksi
Team Defense: San Francisco
Defensive Player: Brandon Browner
Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers
Running Back: Beanie Wells
Wide Receiver: Pierre Garcon
Tight End: Jimmy Graham
Kicker: Ryan Succop
Team Defense: Baltimore
Defensive Player: David Harris and Jason Babin
Week 5:
Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger
Running Back: Adrian Peterson
Wide Receiver: Dwayne Bowe
Tight End: Joel Dreessen
Kicker: Sebastian Janikowksi
Team Defense: San Francisco
Defensive Player: Brandon Browner
Monday, October 10, 2011
Monday Night Football weeks 4 and 5
I missed the last Monday night game due to hockey drafts, so here's how it went down. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the Indianapolis Colts. Indianapolis started off with an Adam Vinatieri field goal from 45 yards away. The Colts took more control in the second quarter as Curtis Painter connected with Pierre Garcon for 87 yards and a touchdown, bringing Vinatieri on for the extra point. Tampa Bay got it back with a 1 yard Josh Freeman touchdown run, and Connor Barth made the extra point. Indianapolis led 10-7 at halftime, but it didn't last long in the third quarter, as the Buccaneers tied it on a Barth field goal of 46 yards. Indianapolis took the lead again with Painter and Garcon hooking up for only 59 yards this time, and Vinatieri made the PAT. Tampa Bay tied it with a Freeman touchdown pass of 13 yards to Preston Parker, and a Barth extra point. The Buccaneers took a 24-17 lead in the fourth quarter with a 35 yard touchdown run by LeGarrette Blount, and Barth's extra point, the final tally of the game. Tampa Bay went to 3-1 and dropped the Colts to 0-4.
Now, the current game, with the Detroit Lions hosting the Chicago Bears, (and the Tigers still alive in the playoffs, oh my). The first quarter passed without any scoring, allowing the two teams to get down to it in the second quarter. Detroit led off with a Matthew Stafford touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson for 73 yards, and Jason Hanson made the extra point. Chicago got on the board with Robbie Gould's 44 yard field goal. The Bears took a 10-7 lead with Jay Cutler throwing a 9 yard touchdown pass to Kellen Davis, and Gould made the PAT. This was the halftime score. The Lions took the lead in the third quarter as Stafford threw a touchdown of 18 yards to Brandon Pettigrew, and Hanson made another extra point. Detroit continued the onslaught with a Jahvid Best touchdown run of 88 yards, and another Hanson extra point. Gould cut the score to 21-13 with a field goal from 49 yards. Hanson replied for Detroit by pretty much sealing the game at 24-13 on a field goal of 31 yards. The Lions got up to 5-0 and the Bears fell to 2-3.
Now, the current game, with the Detroit Lions hosting the Chicago Bears, (and the Tigers still alive in the playoffs, oh my). The first quarter passed without any scoring, allowing the two teams to get down to it in the second quarter. Detroit led off with a Matthew Stafford touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson for 73 yards, and Jason Hanson made the extra point. Chicago got on the board with Robbie Gould's 44 yard field goal. The Bears took a 10-7 lead with Jay Cutler throwing a 9 yard touchdown pass to Kellen Davis, and Gould made the PAT. This was the halftime score. The Lions took the lead in the third quarter as Stafford threw a touchdown of 18 yards to Brandon Pettigrew, and Hanson made another extra point. Detroit continued the onslaught with a Jahvid Best touchdown run of 88 yards, and another Hanson extra point. Gould cut the score to 21-13 with a field goal from 49 yards. Hanson replied for Detroit by pretty much sealing the game at 24-13 on a field goal of 31 yards. The Lions got up to 5-0 and the Bears fell to 2-3.
Day 5 NHL 2011-2012
There are a total of seven games on today, a moderate amount. We'll begin in New York, with the Islanders hosting the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Al Montoya are called on to make the starts. New York opened with an Andrew MacDonald goal, a power play tally powered by Travis Hamonic and P.A. Parenteau. The Islanders extended their lead with a Frans Nielsen goal, assisted by Mark Streit and Parenteau. The second period was silent, and Minnesota made it 2-1 in the third with a Matt Cullen goal, his second of the season made possible by Guillaume Latendresse and Brett Bulmer. This was the final, and the three stars were Montoya (20 for 21 in saves), MacDonald, and Parenteau.
Up to Massachusetts, with the Boston Bruins hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Tuukka Rask made the starts. The game was scoreless until the third period with a Milan Hejduk goal putting Colorado in front 1-0. The helpers went to Jan Hejda and Matt Duchene. This was the game's only goal, with Varlamov (30 save shutout), Rask (35 for 36 in saves), and Duchene getting the official three stars, although Hejduk probably had a stronger case.
Staying on the east coast, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Johan Hedberg wore the goalie masks. New Jersey opened with a Zach Parise goal, fueled by Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora. Carolina tied it in the second period with an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, coming off of Tim Gleason and Bryan Allen. The Devils regained the lead on a Mark Fayne goal forty seconds later, with help from Ilya Kovalchuk and Nick Palmieri. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Chad LaRose goal, thanks to Jeff Skinner and Allen. New Jersey again took the lead, with Kovalchuk registering a goal in the third period, and with the assists going to Jacob Josefson and Palmieri. Parise finished it off with an empty netter, his second goal of the game, helped along by Kovalchuk and Andy Greene. Parise, Kovalchuk, and LaRose were named three stars, although Palmieri had a good game as well.
Out west a bit, with the St. Louis Blues hosting the Calgary Flames. Henrik Karlsson and Jaroslav Halak played between the pipes. Calgary led off with the second of the season by Curtis Glencross, assisted by Olli Jokinen and Lee Stempniak. Alex Steen replied for St. Louis, helped out by Jason Arnott and Matt D'Agostini. The Blues took the lead with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, powered by Jamie Langenbrunner and Andy McDonald. Alex Pietrangelo extended the lead for St. Louis, and he got his help from Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie. The Flames got one back with a Jarome Iginla power play goal, with assists credited to Mark Giordano and Alex Tanguay. The Blues regained control in the third period as Chris Stewart had the puck meet the net, and Pietrangelo was there for the lone assist. St. Louis wrapped it up 5-2 with Arnott's second of the year, fueled by McDonald. The three stars went to McDonald, Pietrangelo, and Arnott.
Moving southwest again, the Dallas Stars hosted the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Kari Lehtonen played in the blue paint. The game was utterly silent until the third period, where Radim Vrbata nailed a power play goal, powered by Martin Hanzal and Shane Doan. Dallas got the equalizer as Loui Eriksson found twine, with the help of Sheldon Souray and Steve Ott. The game was decided by a shootout, as Doan scored for the Coyotes but was overwhelmed by Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro of the Stars. Lehtonen (40 for 41 in saves), Smith (24 of 25 in saves), and Eriksson got the three stars.
Backing it up, as the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Steve Mason played in net. Columbus led off with a Cam Atkinson goal, with Derek MacKenzie picking up the lone assist. Vancouver replied with a Chris Higgins goal, thanks to Manny Malhotra and Jannik Hansen. The Blue Jackets retook the lead late in the second period with a Vinny Prospal goal, his second of the year going in with Rick Nash's and Grant Clitsome's help. The Canucks tied it with an unassisted Cody Hodgson goal in the third period. Vancouver made it 3-2 with an Alexandre Burrows power play goal, powered in by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. This was good enough to win, and the three stars were Burrows, Prospal, and Schneider (23 for 25 in saves).
Lastly, the Washington Capitals host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Tomas Vokoun were given the starting nods. Tampa Bay led off with a Teddy Purcell goal, with help from Bruno Gervais. Marcus Johansson replied for Washington with a goal, and Karl Alzner helped him out. The Lightning retook the lead with Gervais finding twine himself, and he received the puck from Marc-Andre Bergeron and Steve Downie. The Capitals didn't back down, tying it at 2 as the first period ended with a Dennis Wideman goal, coming off of Jeff Halpern and Mathieu Perreault. Tampa Bay retook the lead in the second period on a Dominic Moore goal, courtesy of Ryan Shannon and Brett Connolly. Washington soon tied it again with a Troy Brouwer goal, made possible by Jeff Schultz and Johansson. In the third period, the Capitals took the lead with Jason Chimera netting his second goal of the season, funneling through Brooks Laich and Joel Ward previously. The Lightning would tie it back up with a Nate Thompson goal, thanks to efforts by Brett Clark and Moore. Clark would net another Tampa Bay go-ahead goal, assisted by Ryan Malone and Purcell. Washington would tie the game at 5 with Chimera's second of the game and third of the year, an unassisted tally. Surprisingly, the game lasted until the shootout, where Alexander Semin and Matt Hendricks goals would push the Capitals over the Lightning 6-5. The three stars were Chimera, Johansson, and Moore.
Up to Massachusetts, with the Boston Bruins hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Tuukka Rask made the starts. The game was scoreless until the third period with a Milan Hejduk goal putting Colorado in front 1-0. The helpers went to Jan Hejda and Matt Duchene. This was the game's only goal, with Varlamov (30 save shutout), Rask (35 for 36 in saves), and Duchene getting the official three stars, although Hejduk probably had a stronger case.
Staying on the east coast, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Johan Hedberg wore the goalie masks. New Jersey opened with a Zach Parise goal, fueled by Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora. Carolina tied it in the second period with an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, coming off of Tim Gleason and Bryan Allen. The Devils regained the lead on a Mark Fayne goal forty seconds later, with help from Ilya Kovalchuk and Nick Palmieri. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Chad LaRose goal, thanks to Jeff Skinner and Allen. New Jersey again took the lead, with Kovalchuk registering a goal in the third period, and with the assists going to Jacob Josefson and Palmieri. Parise finished it off with an empty netter, his second goal of the game, helped along by Kovalchuk and Andy Greene. Parise, Kovalchuk, and LaRose were named three stars, although Palmieri had a good game as well.
Out west a bit, with the St. Louis Blues hosting the Calgary Flames. Henrik Karlsson and Jaroslav Halak played between the pipes. Calgary led off with the second of the season by Curtis Glencross, assisted by Olli Jokinen and Lee Stempniak. Alex Steen replied for St. Louis, helped out by Jason Arnott and Matt D'Agostini. The Blues took the lead with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, powered by Jamie Langenbrunner and Andy McDonald. Alex Pietrangelo extended the lead for St. Louis, and he got his help from Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie. The Flames got one back with a Jarome Iginla power play goal, with assists credited to Mark Giordano and Alex Tanguay. The Blues regained control in the third period as Chris Stewart had the puck meet the net, and Pietrangelo was there for the lone assist. St. Louis wrapped it up 5-2 with Arnott's second of the year, fueled by McDonald. The three stars went to McDonald, Pietrangelo, and Arnott.
Moving southwest again, the Dallas Stars hosted the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Kari Lehtonen played in the blue paint. The game was utterly silent until the third period, where Radim Vrbata nailed a power play goal, powered by Martin Hanzal and Shane Doan. Dallas got the equalizer as Loui Eriksson found twine, with the help of Sheldon Souray and Steve Ott. The game was decided by a shootout, as Doan scored for the Coyotes but was overwhelmed by Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro of the Stars. Lehtonen (40 for 41 in saves), Smith (24 of 25 in saves), and Eriksson got the three stars.
Backing it up, as the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Steve Mason played in net. Columbus led off with a Cam Atkinson goal, with Derek MacKenzie picking up the lone assist. Vancouver replied with a Chris Higgins goal, thanks to Manny Malhotra and Jannik Hansen. The Blue Jackets retook the lead late in the second period with a Vinny Prospal goal, his second of the year going in with Rick Nash's and Grant Clitsome's help. The Canucks tied it with an unassisted Cody Hodgson goal in the third period. Vancouver made it 3-2 with an Alexandre Burrows power play goal, powered in by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. This was good enough to win, and the three stars were Burrows, Prospal, and Schneider (23 for 25 in saves).
Lastly, the Washington Capitals host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Tomas Vokoun were given the starting nods. Tampa Bay led off with a Teddy Purcell goal, with help from Bruno Gervais. Marcus Johansson replied for Washington with a goal, and Karl Alzner helped him out. The Lightning retook the lead with Gervais finding twine himself, and he received the puck from Marc-Andre Bergeron and Steve Downie. The Capitals didn't back down, tying it at 2 as the first period ended with a Dennis Wideman goal, coming off of Jeff Halpern and Mathieu Perreault. Tampa Bay retook the lead in the second period on a Dominic Moore goal, courtesy of Ryan Shannon and Brett Connolly. Washington soon tied it again with a Troy Brouwer goal, made possible by Jeff Schultz and Johansson. In the third period, the Capitals took the lead with Jason Chimera netting his second goal of the season, funneling through Brooks Laich and Joel Ward previously. The Lightning would tie it back up with a Nate Thompson goal, thanks to efforts by Brett Clark and Moore. Clark would net another Tampa Bay go-ahead goal, assisted by Ryan Malone and Purcell. Washington would tie the game at 5 with Chimera's second of the game and third of the year, an unassisted tally. Surprisingly, the game lasted until the shootout, where Alexander Semin and Matt Hendricks goals would push the Capitals over the Lightning 6-5. The three stars were Chimera, Johansson, and Moore.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Day 4 NHL 2011-2012
Today we have two games, but really, there's only one that people are talking about. It is the first of the games, taking place in...
Manitoba, where the Winnipeg Jets host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ondrej Pavelec get the starts in the historic game. Montreal spoiled the festivities early with a Michael Cammalleri goal, an unassisted goal. The Canadiens also scored in the second period, with a Tomas Plekanec goal, courtesy of Travis Moen and Yannick Weber. Nik Antropov put Winnipeg on the board for the first time in 15 years with his goal off of Mark Stuart and Alex Burmistrov. Weber got the goal back for Montreal, scoring on the power play with the help of Plekanec and David Desharnais. Shortly after that, Moen netted a goal, with Plekanec grabbing another assist. The onslaught of Canadiens goals continued with Max Pacioretty drilling one in thanks to Josh Gorges. This 5-1 margin was the final, and Plekanec, Price (30 for 31 in saves), and Antropov had the three stars, with Moen and Weber being my honorable mentions.
The other game today is in Edmonton, with the Oilers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brent Johnson and Devan Dubnyk make the starts in goal. Kris Letang opened the scoring in Pittsburgh's column, a power play goal powered by Steve Sullivan and Tyler Kennedy. Edmonton tied it on the first NHL goal for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, with assists from Taylor Hall and Jeff Petry, in the third period. An overtime and shootout were required, and Edmonton got goals from Jordan Eberle and Ales Hemsky, while Pittsburgh managed only a James Neal goal. The Oilers won 2-1, and the three stars were Dubnyk (33 for 34 in saves), Johnson (34 for 35 in saves), and the rookie Nugent-Hopkins.
Manitoba, where the Winnipeg Jets host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ondrej Pavelec get the starts in the historic game. Montreal spoiled the festivities early with a Michael Cammalleri goal, an unassisted goal. The Canadiens also scored in the second period, with a Tomas Plekanec goal, courtesy of Travis Moen and Yannick Weber. Nik Antropov put Winnipeg on the board for the first time in 15 years with his goal off of Mark Stuart and Alex Burmistrov. Weber got the goal back for Montreal, scoring on the power play with the help of Plekanec and David Desharnais. Shortly after that, Moen netted a goal, with Plekanec grabbing another assist. The onslaught of Canadiens goals continued with Max Pacioretty drilling one in thanks to Josh Gorges. This 5-1 margin was the final, and Plekanec, Price (30 for 31 in saves), and Antropov had the three stars, with Moen and Weber being my honorable mentions.
The other game today is in Edmonton, with the Oilers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brent Johnson and Devan Dubnyk make the starts in goal. Kris Letang opened the scoring in Pittsburgh's column, a power play goal powered by Steve Sullivan and Tyler Kennedy. Edmonton tied it on the first NHL goal for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, with assists from Taylor Hall and Jeff Petry, in the third period. An overtime and shootout were required, and Edmonton got goals from Jordan Eberle and Ales Hemsky, while Pittsburgh managed only a James Neal goal. The Oilers won 2-1, and the three stars were Dubnyk (33 for 34 in saves), Johnson (34 for 35 in saves), and the rookie Nugent-Hopkins.
Sunday Night Game week 5
This week's Sunday Night game is between the host Atlanta Falcons and the visiting Green Bay Packers. Atlanta opened with Matt Ryan throwing 5 yards to Roddy White for a touchdown, and Matt Bryant added the extra point. The Falcons added on in the second quatrer with a Michael Turner rushing touchdown, good from a yard out. Bryant added another extra point. Green Bay found points with a Mason Crosby field goal from 32 yards away, and got more on his 35 yard kick. The Falcons lead the Packers 14-6 at halftime. Crosby kept kicking in the third quarter, blasting through a 56 yard field goal. The Packers finally took a lead as Aaron Rodgers connected with James Jones for a 70 yard touchdown, but Rodgers attempted two-point pass to Jermichael Finley was no good. Rodgers also threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, giving Green Bay a sizable lead, as Greg Jennings hauled in the 29 yard pass, and Crosby kicked a PAT. Crosby finished it up for the Packers on a 30 yard field goal, making it 25-14, the eventual final. Green Bay remains undefeated at 5-0, and Atlanta fell to 2-3.
NFL Late Games week 5
There are only three late games this afternoon, the first of which is...
The San Francisco 49ers hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. San Francisco struck first with Alex Smith passing to Delanie Walker, good for 26 yards and a touchdown, with David Akers making the extra point. Tampa Bay replied with a 24 yard Connor Barth field goal. The 49ers dug in with a defensive touchdown, as Josh Freeman was picked off by Carlos Rogers for 31 yards and a TD, and Akers added the PAT. San Francisco applied a little more pain with Frank Gore running two yards for the touchdown, and Akers kicking another extra point. Akers also kicked a 37 yard field goal. The 49ers hold a 24-3 lead at the half. The 49ers added on in the third quarter as Smith found Vernon Davis for a 23 yard touchdown, with Akers finishing it up on the extra point. Akers kept it up with a field goal of 27 yards. San Francisco added a little more with Smith and Davis meeting again for a 14 yard touchdown reception, and another Akers extra point. the 49ers refused to have mercy, as Anthony Dixon also found the end zone, and Akers added another extra point. The game ended with San Francisco up 48-3, improving them to 4-1 and knocking the Buccaneers to 3-2.
Next, the Denver Broncos play host to the San Diego Chargers. San Diego opened with a Nick Novak 24 yard field goal. Denver replied and took the lead on a Cassius Vaughn interception of Philip Rivers, taking it to the house 55 yards away. Matt Prater made the extra point. Novak helped get the Chargers within one on a field goal of 32 yards. Prater replied with a 35 yard field goal in the second quarter. Rivers took matters into his own hands to gain the lead, rushing 2 yards for a touchdown, which Novak capped off with an extra point, followed by a field goal of 28 yards to make it 16-10. Rivers added a touchdown pass of 42 yards to Malcom Floyd, and Novak's extra point made it 23-10 Chargers going into the locker rooms. After a silent third quarter, Novak blasted another field goal in, a 51 yard kick. The Broncos finally re-entered the game as well, getting a touchdown as Tim Tebow ran 12 yards to the end zone, and they converted the two-point attempt as Willis McGehee ran to score, making it 26-18. Denver put the pedal to the floor and got Tebow to throw 28 yards to Knowshon Moreno for another touchdown. The two point attempt from Tebow to Brandon Lloyd was failed. Novak gained some space with a 35 yard field goal. This would secure a 29-24 win for the Chargers, pushing them to 4-1 and moving Denver down to 1-4.
Lastly, the New England Patriots face bitter rivals, the New York Jets, at Foxboro, Massachusetts. New England opened the scoring on a BenJarvus Green-Ellis 3 yard touchdown rush, and a Stephen Gostkowski extra point. Gostkowski added on a 44 yard field goal in the second quarter. New York got on the board with a 3 yard touchdown run by Shonn Greene, and a Nick Folk extra point finished off the drive. The score was 10-7 Patriots at halftime. New England got back to work in the third quarter, as Tom Brady threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch, and Gostkowski made the PAT. The Jets replied as Mark Sanchez threw a 9 yard pass to Jeremy Kerley for a touchdown, and Folk had the extra point. Green-Ellis re-extended the lead with another 3 yard TD rush, and Gostkowksi again had the extra point. Gostkowski added a field goal of 24 yards for the Patriots in the fourth quarter. New York added some pressure as Sanchez and Santonio Holmes met for a 21 yard touchdown, and Folk made the extra point to put the score at 27-21. Gostkowski made it a two-possession game late with a 28 yard field goal. This was good enough for a 30-21 win, improving New England to 4-1, and knocking New York sub-.500 to 2-3.
The San Francisco 49ers hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. San Francisco struck first with Alex Smith passing to Delanie Walker, good for 26 yards and a touchdown, with David Akers making the extra point. Tampa Bay replied with a 24 yard Connor Barth field goal. The 49ers dug in with a defensive touchdown, as Josh Freeman was picked off by Carlos Rogers for 31 yards and a TD, and Akers added the PAT. San Francisco applied a little more pain with Frank Gore running two yards for the touchdown, and Akers kicking another extra point. Akers also kicked a 37 yard field goal. The 49ers hold a 24-3 lead at the half. The 49ers added on in the third quarter as Smith found Vernon Davis for a 23 yard touchdown, with Akers finishing it up on the extra point. Akers kept it up with a field goal of 27 yards. San Francisco added a little more with Smith and Davis meeting again for a 14 yard touchdown reception, and another Akers extra point. the 49ers refused to have mercy, as Anthony Dixon also found the end zone, and Akers added another extra point. The game ended with San Francisco up 48-3, improving them to 4-1 and knocking the Buccaneers to 3-2.
Next, the Denver Broncos play host to the San Diego Chargers. San Diego opened with a Nick Novak 24 yard field goal. Denver replied and took the lead on a Cassius Vaughn interception of Philip Rivers, taking it to the house 55 yards away. Matt Prater made the extra point. Novak helped get the Chargers within one on a field goal of 32 yards. Prater replied with a 35 yard field goal in the second quarter. Rivers took matters into his own hands to gain the lead, rushing 2 yards for a touchdown, which Novak capped off with an extra point, followed by a field goal of 28 yards to make it 16-10. Rivers added a touchdown pass of 42 yards to Malcom Floyd, and Novak's extra point made it 23-10 Chargers going into the locker rooms. After a silent third quarter, Novak blasted another field goal in, a 51 yard kick. The Broncos finally re-entered the game as well, getting a touchdown as Tim Tebow ran 12 yards to the end zone, and they converted the two-point attempt as Willis McGehee ran to score, making it 26-18. Denver put the pedal to the floor and got Tebow to throw 28 yards to Knowshon Moreno for another touchdown. The two point attempt from Tebow to Brandon Lloyd was failed. Novak gained some space with a 35 yard field goal. This would secure a 29-24 win for the Chargers, pushing them to 4-1 and moving Denver down to 1-4.
Lastly, the New England Patriots face bitter rivals, the New York Jets, at Foxboro, Massachusetts. New England opened the scoring on a BenJarvus Green-Ellis 3 yard touchdown rush, and a Stephen Gostkowski extra point. Gostkowski added on a 44 yard field goal in the second quarter. New York got on the board with a 3 yard touchdown run by Shonn Greene, and a Nick Folk extra point finished off the drive. The score was 10-7 Patriots at halftime. New England got back to work in the third quarter, as Tom Brady threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch, and Gostkowski made the PAT. The Jets replied as Mark Sanchez threw a 9 yard pass to Jeremy Kerley for a touchdown, and Folk had the extra point. Green-Ellis re-extended the lead with another 3 yard TD rush, and Gostkowksi again had the extra point. Gostkowski added a field goal of 24 yards for the Patriots in the fourth quarter. New York added some pressure as Sanchez and Santonio Holmes met for a 21 yard touchdown, and Folk made the extra point to put the score at 27-21. Gostkowski made it a two-possession game late with a 28 yard field goal. This was good enough for a 30-21 win, improving New England to 4-1, and knocking New York sub-.500 to 2-3.
NFL Early Games week 5
This week, we begin the bye season, with six teams getting first crack at rest. There are eight games on the slate for 10 A.M. Pacific kickoffs.
First, the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee struck first with a Rob Bironas field goal of 29 yards. Pittsburgh took the lead on an 8 yard touchdown connection between Ben Roethlisberger and Heath Miller, with Shaun Suisham icing it off on the extra point. The Steelers extended the lead with Roethlisberger finding Hines Ward for 7 yards and a score, and Suisham would add another PAT. Pittsburgh continued the onslaught with a 1 yard Roethlisberger pass to David Johnson, and Suisham would tack on the extra point, leaving them up 21-3 at halftime. Roethlisberger and Ward connected again in the third quarter, 5 yards for a touchdown, and Suisham made another extra point. The Titans finally answered back with a touchdown run of 1 yard by Chris Johnson, and Bironas supplied the extra point. Suisham made it 31-10 in the fourth quarter with a 19 yard field goal. Tennessee gained a little more ground with a Matt Hasselbeck touchdown pass to Damian Williams for 19 yards, and Bironas made the extra point. The Steelers added insult to injury as Roethlisberger found Mike Wallace on a 40 yard touchdown connection, and Suisham's extra point made it 38-17. This was a final, moving Pittsburgh to 3-2 and knocking the Titans to 3-2 as well.
Down south, the Jacksonville Jaguars welcome the Cincinnati Bengals. Jacksonville was the first to score on a 6 yard touchdown rush by Maurice Jones-Drew, capped off by a Josh Scobee extra point. Cincinnati evened the score with an Andy Dalton touchdown pass of 37 yards to A.J. Green, and a Mike Nugent extra point. The Jaguars retook a modest lead with a second quarter field goal by Scobee, from 19 yards. Scobee also kicked a 20 yard chip shot. The Bengals took a small lead with Dalton finding Jermaine Gresham for a 3 yard touchdown play, and Nugent missed the extra point, the second blown extra point of the day, leaving the game tied at 13 for the halftime break. Cincinnati took the lead on a Nugent field goal of 47 yards, somewhat redeeming the missed extra point. Jacksonville regained the lead with Blaine Gabbert throwing to Jason Hill for a 74 yard touchdown play, and Scobee made the extra point. The Bengals regained the lead on a 2 yard Bernard Scott rush, and Nugent was there with the extra point this time. Cincinnati wrapped it up with a Mike Thomas fumble, returned to the house by Geno Atkins for 10 yards. Nugent's extra point left the game at 30-20 Bengals. They go to 3-2 and drop the Jaguars to 1-4.
Back north a bit, the Carolina Panthers play host to the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans quickly opened the scoring on a 1 yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Jed Collins, and John Kasay made the extra point. Kasay added on to the Saints lead with a 23 yard field goal. Carolina got on the board with a 54 yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton to Steve Smith, but Olindo Mare missed the extra point. New Orleans got the points back on a 1 yard Mark Ingram touchdown rush, and former Panther Kasay showed Mare what an extra point should look like. The Panthers got it all back with a 69 yard touchdown run by DeAngelo Williams, and Mare showed understanding by not flubbing the extra point. Kasay made a last second field goal of 46 yards, putting the score at 20-13 Saints for the half. Kasay kept kicking in the third quarter with a 37 yard field goal. Carolina came back again with Newton running 1 yard for a score, and Mare making the extra point. The Panthers took the lead as Newton found Greg Olsen for 5 yards and a touchdown, and Mare's PAT made it 27-23. New Orleans retook the lead as Brees found Pierre Thomas for 6 yards and a touchdown, and Kasay added one more extra point. The Saints held on to win 30-27, improving to 4-1 and moving Carolina to 1-4.
Out west, the Houston Texans host the Oakland Raiders. Houston got on the board first with a Matt Schaub pass of 5 yards to Kevin Walter, good for a touchdown, with Neil Rackers on the extra point. Oakland got a few points back with a field goal by Sebastian Janikowksi, good from 54 yards. He later one-upped himself with a 55 yarder in the second quarter. The Texans re-padded their lead with a Schaub pass to Joel Dreessen for 56 yards and a touchdown, and Rackers made the extra point. The Raiders charged back with a touchdown from Jason Campbell 34 yards to Darrius Heyward-Bey, but a two-point attempt from Campbell to Denarius Moore was failed. Houston leads by a slim 14-12 margin before halftime. Janikowski helped Oakland take over in the third quarter, blasting a mere 50 yard field goal. Rackers replied by imitating the opponent, kicking a 54 yard FG for Houston. The Raiders regained the lead with Campbell passing to Chaz Schilens for 18 yards and a touchdown, and Janikowski again made an extra point, followed by a 42 yard field goal. Rackers made it 25-20 with a 40 yard field goal. Oakland held on through a furious last-ditch effort to win by that margin, improving to 3-2 and dropping Houston to the same mark.
Back to the northeast, with the Buffalo Bills bringing in the Philadelphia Eagles. Buffalo was first to score as Fred Jackson ran 5 yards for a touchdown, and Rian Lindell tacked on an extra point. Philadelphia answered with a 2 yard Michael Vick touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin, and Alex Henery made the extra point. The Bills regained the lead as Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to David Nelson, and Lindell added another extra point. Nick Barnett decided to help Buffalo, picking off Vick for a 31 yard touchdown on an interception. Lindell made the extra point. The Bills go into the locker rooms with a 21-7 lead. Buffalo got back to business in the third quarter with a 5 yard rush by Brad Smith. Lindell tacked on another PAT. The Eagles got the touchdown back as LeSean McCoy ran 10 yards to score, and Henery added an extra point. Lindell made it a three-possession difference with his field goal of 25 yards for Buffalo. Philadelphia surged a little more as Vick found DeSean Jackson for a 31 yard touchdown play, and Henery tacked on another extra point, before adding a 35 yard field goal. The final would favor the Bills 31-24, moving them to 4-1 and the Eagles to 1-4.
Westward again, with the Minnesota Vikings hosting the Arizona Cardinals. Minnesota entered the scoring with an Adrian Peterson touchdown run of 4 yards, and a Ryan Longwell extra point. Peterson later ran 24 yards fora touchdown, and Longwell would tack on another extra point. The Vikings kept the hits rolling with Donovan McNabb rushing 4 yards himself to score, and Longwell adding another PAT. Peterson got the football hat trick with his third rushing touchdown in the first quarter, a 14 yard dash to find the end zone, and Longwell did his extra point routine again. Arizona meekly spoke up with a Jay Feely field goal of 51 yards. Minnesota took a 28-3 halftime lead into the locker rooms. The Cardinals got a few more in the third quarter with Beanie Wells rushing 2 yards for a touchdown, and Feely making the extra point made it 28-10. Minnesota settled later in the quarter for a field goal of 26 yards by Longwell. Longwell also made a fourth quarter field goal from 53 yards. They would win 34-10, going to 1-4 and dropping Arizona to 1-4 as well.
Back to the Rust Belt, with the Indianapolis Colts welcoming the Kansas City Chiefs. Indianapolis got the first points of the game with Curtis Painter finding Pierre Garcon for a 6 yard touchdown pass, and Adam Vinatieri made the extra point. Vinatieri later added a 53 yard field goal in the second quarter. Painter and Garcon hooked up again for a 67 yard touchdown connection, and Vinatieri supplied another extra point. Kansas City found the scoreboard with a 41 yard touchdown pass from Matt Cassel to Dwayne Bowe, and Ryan Succop was there for the PAT. The Colts extended the lead with a Delone Carter touchdown run of 3 yards, and a Vinatieri extra point. The Chiefs pulled back with a Cassel touchdown pass of 16 yards to Steve Breaston, with Succop adding the extra point. This made it 24-14 Indianapolis at halftime. Kansas City pulled within a field goal as Cassel and Bowe met again, a 5 yard touchdown play, and Succop was there with the extra point. The Chiefs took the lead on a Cassel and Breaston connection, 11 yards for the touchdown, and Succop made the extra point. The 28-24 Kansas City lead held up, and they moved to 2-3 while keeping the Colts a winless 0-5.
Lastly, the New York Giants will host the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle took an early lead with a Tavaris Jackson pass to Ben Obomanu, good for 11 yards and a touchdown. Steven Hauschka had the extra point. New York replied with Eli Manning passing 12 yards to Jake Ballard for a touchdown, and Lawrence Tynes making the extra point. The Seahawks regained the lead with 1 yard Marshawn Lynch touchdown run, and another Hauschka extra point. The Giants tied it late in the second quarter on a Manning pass to Hakeem Nicks, good for 19 yards and the TD, with Tynes icing off the score on the extra point. This left the score tied at 14 for halftime. Seattle broke the tie with a 5 yard tackle for loss on D.J. Ware, good for a safety. Hauschka added some breathing room for Seattle by nailing a 51 yard field goal. The Giants replied quickly with a 68 yard touchdown pass from Manning to Victor Cruz, and they converted a two-point attempt to make it 22-19, as Ahmad Bradshaw took it in on the ground. The Seahawks retied it with a Hauschka field goal from 43 yards. New York broke the tie with a Tynes field goal of 26 yards. Seattle got a touchdown to take the lead as Charlie Whitehurst found Doug Baldwin for 27 yards, and Hauschka added the extra point. The Seahawks got a timely defensive touchdown from Brandon Browner, picking Manning off and taking it 90 yards for a touchdown. Hauschka's extra point made it 36-25. They would win by this score, going to 2-3, and moving the Giants to 3-2.
First, the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee struck first with a Rob Bironas field goal of 29 yards. Pittsburgh took the lead on an 8 yard touchdown connection between Ben Roethlisberger and Heath Miller, with Shaun Suisham icing it off on the extra point. The Steelers extended the lead with Roethlisberger finding Hines Ward for 7 yards and a score, and Suisham would add another PAT. Pittsburgh continued the onslaught with a 1 yard Roethlisberger pass to David Johnson, and Suisham would tack on the extra point, leaving them up 21-3 at halftime. Roethlisberger and Ward connected again in the third quarter, 5 yards for a touchdown, and Suisham made another extra point. The Titans finally answered back with a touchdown run of 1 yard by Chris Johnson, and Bironas supplied the extra point. Suisham made it 31-10 in the fourth quarter with a 19 yard field goal. Tennessee gained a little more ground with a Matt Hasselbeck touchdown pass to Damian Williams for 19 yards, and Bironas made the extra point. The Steelers added insult to injury as Roethlisberger found Mike Wallace on a 40 yard touchdown connection, and Suisham's extra point made it 38-17. This was a final, moving Pittsburgh to 3-2 and knocking the Titans to 3-2 as well.
Down south, the Jacksonville Jaguars welcome the Cincinnati Bengals. Jacksonville was the first to score on a 6 yard touchdown rush by Maurice Jones-Drew, capped off by a Josh Scobee extra point. Cincinnati evened the score with an Andy Dalton touchdown pass of 37 yards to A.J. Green, and a Mike Nugent extra point. The Jaguars retook a modest lead with a second quarter field goal by Scobee, from 19 yards. Scobee also kicked a 20 yard chip shot. The Bengals took a small lead with Dalton finding Jermaine Gresham for a 3 yard touchdown play, and Nugent missed the extra point, the second blown extra point of the day, leaving the game tied at 13 for the halftime break. Cincinnati took the lead on a Nugent field goal of 47 yards, somewhat redeeming the missed extra point. Jacksonville regained the lead with Blaine Gabbert throwing to Jason Hill for a 74 yard touchdown play, and Scobee made the extra point. The Bengals regained the lead on a 2 yard Bernard Scott rush, and Nugent was there with the extra point this time. Cincinnati wrapped it up with a Mike Thomas fumble, returned to the house by Geno Atkins for 10 yards. Nugent's extra point left the game at 30-20 Bengals. They go to 3-2 and drop the Jaguars to 1-4.
Back north a bit, the Carolina Panthers play host to the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans quickly opened the scoring on a 1 yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Jed Collins, and John Kasay made the extra point. Kasay added on to the Saints lead with a 23 yard field goal. Carolina got on the board with a 54 yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton to Steve Smith, but Olindo Mare missed the extra point. New Orleans got the points back on a 1 yard Mark Ingram touchdown rush, and former Panther Kasay showed Mare what an extra point should look like. The Panthers got it all back with a 69 yard touchdown run by DeAngelo Williams, and Mare showed understanding by not flubbing the extra point. Kasay made a last second field goal of 46 yards, putting the score at 20-13 Saints for the half. Kasay kept kicking in the third quarter with a 37 yard field goal. Carolina came back again with Newton running 1 yard for a score, and Mare making the extra point. The Panthers took the lead as Newton found Greg Olsen for 5 yards and a touchdown, and Mare's PAT made it 27-23. New Orleans retook the lead as Brees found Pierre Thomas for 6 yards and a touchdown, and Kasay added one more extra point. The Saints held on to win 30-27, improving to 4-1 and moving Carolina to 1-4.
Out west, the Houston Texans host the Oakland Raiders. Houston got on the board first with a Matt Schaub pass of 5 yards to Kevin Walter, good for a touchdown, with Neil Rackers on the extra point. Oakland got a few points back with a field goal by Sebastian Janikowksi, good from 54 yards. He later one-upped himself with a 55 yarder in the second quarter. The Texans re-padded their lead with a Schaub pass to Joel Dreessen for 56 yards and a touchdown, and Rackers made the extra point. The Raiders charged back with a touchdown from Jason Campbell 34 yards to Darrius Heyward-Bey, but a two-point attempt from Campbell to Denarius Moore was failed. Houston leads by a slim 14-12 margin before halftime. Janikowski helped Oakland take over in the third quarter, blasting a mere 50 yard field goal. Rackers replied by imitating the opponent, kicking a 54 yard FG for Houston. The Raiders regained the lead with Campbell passing to Chaz Schilens for 18 yards and a touchdown, and Janikowski again made an extra point, followed by a 42 yard field goal. Rackers made it 25-20 with a 40 yard field goal. Oakland held on through a furious last-ditch effort to win by that margin, improving to 3-2 and dropping Houston to the same mark.
Back to the northeast, with the Buffalo Bills bringing in the Philadelphia Eagles. Buffalo was first to score as Fred Jackson ran 5 yards for a touchdown, and Rian Lindell tacked on an extra point. Philadelphia answered with a 2 yard Michael Vick touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin, and Alex Henery made the extra point. The Bills regained the lead as Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to David Nelson, and Lindell added another extra point. Nick Barnett decided to help Buffalo, picking off Vick for a 31 yard touchdown on an interception. Lindell made the extra point. The Bills go into the locker rooms with a 21-7 lead. Buffalo got back to business in the third quarter with a 5 yard rush by Brad Smith. Lindell tacked on another PAT. The Eagles got the touchdown back as LeSean McCoy ran 10 yards to score, and Henery added an extra point. Lindell made it a three-possession difference with his field goal of 25 yards for Buffalo. Philadelphia surged a little more as Vick found DeSean Jackson for a 31 yard touchdown play, and Henery tacked on another extra point, before adding a 35 yard field goal. The final would favor the Bills 31-24, moving them to 4-1 and the Eagles to 1-4.
Westward again, with the Minnesota Vikings hosting the Arizona Cardinals. Minnesota entered the scoring with an Adrian Peterson touchdown run of 4 yards, and a Ryan Longwell extra point. Peterson later ran 24 yards fora touchdown, and Longwell would tack on another extra point. The Vikings kept the hits rolling with Donovan McNabb rushing 4 yards himself to score, and Longwell adding another PAT. Peterson got the football hat trick with his third rushing touchdown in the first quarter, a 14 yard dash to find the end zone, and Longwell did his extra point routine again. Arizona meekly spoke up with a Jay Feely field goal of 51 yards. Minnesota took a 28-3 halftime lead into the locker rooms. The Cardinals got a few more in the third quarter with Beanie Wells rushing 2 yards for a touchdown, and Feely making the extra point made it 28-10. Minnesota settled later in the quarter for a field goal of 26 yards by Longwell. Longwell also made a fourth quarter field goal from 53 yards. They would win 34-10, going to 1-4 and dropping Arizona to 1-4 as well.
Back to the Rust Belt, with the Indianapolis Colts welcoming the Kansas City Chiefs. Indianapolis got the first points of the game with Curtis Painter finding Pierre Garcon for a 6 yard touchdown pass, and Adam Vinatieri made the extra point. Vinatieri later added a 53 yard field goal in the second quarter. Painter and Garcon hooked up again for a 67 yard touchdown connection, and Vinatieri supplied another extra point. Kansas City found the scoreboard with a 41 yard touchdown pass from Matt Cassel to Dwayne Bowe, and Ryan Succop was there for the PAT. The Colts extended the lead with a Delone Carter touchdown run of 3 yards, and a Vinatieri extra point. The Chiefs pulled back with a Cassel touchdown pass of 16 yards to Steve Breaston, with Succop adding the extra point. This made it 24-14 Indianapolis at halftime. Kansas City pulled within a field goal as Cassel and Bowe met again, a 5 yard touchdown play, and Succop was there with the extra point. The Chiefs took the lead on a Cassel and Breaston connection, 11 yards for the touchdown, and Succop made the extra point. The 28-24 Kansas City lead held up, and they moved to 2-3 while keeping the Colts a winless 0-5.
Lastly, the New York Giants will host the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle took an early lead with a Tavaris Jackson pass to Ben Obomanu, good for 11 yards and a touchdown. Steven Hauschka had the extra point. New York replied with Eli Manning passing 12 yards to Jake Ballard for a touchdown, and Lawrence Tynes making the extra point. The Seahawks regained the lead with 1 yard Marshawn Lynch touchdown run, and another Hauschka extra point. The Giants tied it late in the second quarter on a Manning pass to Hakeem Nicks, good for 19 yards and the TD, with Tynes icing off the score on the extra point. This left the score tied at 14 for halftime. Seattle broke the tie with a 5 yard tackle for loss on D.J. Ware, good for a safety. Hauschka added some breathing room for Seattle by nailing a 51 yard field goal. The Giants replied quickly with a 68 yard touchdown pass from Manning to Victor Cruz, and they converted a two-point attempt to make it 22-19, as Ahmad Bradshaw took it in on the ground. The Seahawks retied it with a Hauschka field goal from 43 yards. New York broke the tie with a Tynes field goal of 26 yards. Seattle got a touchdown to take the lead as Charlie Whitehurst found Doug Baldwin for 27 yards, and Hauschka added the extra point. The Seahawks got a timely defensive touchdown from Brandon Browner, picking Manning off and taking it 90 yards for a touchdown. Hauschka's extra point made it 36-25. They would win by this score, going to 2-3, and moving the Giants to 3-2.
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