NHL Day 24 2011-2012

There are a total of thirteen games on today, and the first is an afternoon special with the New York Rangers hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Henrik Lundqvist wear the masks. Ottawa was first on the board with Chris Neil netting his second of the season, via Filip Kuba and Erik Karlsson (his tenth assist). New York got going in the second period with a power play goal by Ryan Callahan, his third of the year, powered by Brad Richards and Michael Del Zotto. The Rangers struck again later on the same major power play with Richards netting his second of the season, courtesy of Marian Gaborik. Gaborik extended the New York lead in the third period with his fifth of the year, coming off of Derek Stepan and Wojtek Wolski. The Rangers kept the upping the ante with another Richards goal, his second of the game and third of the season, fueled by Gaborik and Wolski. Ottawa pulled dangerously close with a pair of Jason Spezza goals, his sixth and seventh of the year, the second coming on the power play. Taking credit for helpers were Kuba and Milan Michalek on the first and Sergei Gonchar and Karlsson on the second. Michalek tied it for the Senators with his seventh of the season, thanks to Colin Greening and Kuba, the latter finishing a sock trick. The tie lasted into a shootout, where the Senators took the game 5-4 with a lonely goal from Michalek. The three stars went to Spezza, Richards, and Gaborik, and honorable mentions are in line for Kuba, Michalek, Karlsson, and Wolski.

To the regularly scheduled games we go, beginning these in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brent Johnson and Jonas Gustavsson take up residence in front of the cages. Toronto led off with a power play goal by Mikhail Grabovski, powered by Dion Phaneuf and Clarke MacArthur as his fourth of the season. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Matt Cooke goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Arron Asham and Ben Lovejoy. The Maple Leafs regained the lead on a Tim Connolly power play goal, set up by Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel. The Penguins tied it again with Chris Kunitz putting away his fourth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. MacArthur gave Toronto another lead in the third period, his second of the year coming off of Phaneuf and Grabovski. Pittsburgh found yet another answer with Malkin on the power play with his second of the season thanks to Letang (tenth assist) and James Neal. Kessel gave the Maple Leafs a 4-3 lead with his tenth of the year, courtesy of Connolly and Mike Komisarek. The Penguins had no answer to this, and lost by the above margin, with the three stars of the game being Kessel, Phaneuf, and Gustavsson (34 for 37 in saves), and honorable mentions to Letang, Malkin, Grabovski, Connolly, and MacArthur.

Back into the Big Apple, with the New York Islanders hosting the San Jose Sharks. Thomas Greiss and Rick DiPietro got the starting nods. (Please set your egg timers to calculate how long The Glass Goalie will remain healthy). San Jose struck just seventeen seconds in when DiPietro broke his ankle trying to stop a shot Joe Pavelski notched his seventh of the season on the power play via Patrick Marleau and Dan Boyle. New York tied it in the second period with the seventh of the year from John Tavares, also a power play goal, powered by P.A. Parenteau and Matt Moulson. The Islanders took the lead with a Michael Grabner power play goal, his third of the season, thanks to Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. The Sharks tied it up again with a Logan Couture goal, his third of the year, with assists from Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The tie lasted into an overtime period, where Burns struck with his third of the season, a power play goal made possible Pavelski and Boyle and the penalty was for Travis Hamonic lifting the puck over glass for delay of game. Pavelski, Tavares, and Burns had the three stars, while other notable efforts were Greiss (35 for 37 in saves) and Boyle.

Heading upstate, to Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Jacob Markstrom play between the pipes. Florida opened the scoring in the second period with a Marcel Goc goal, his second of the season coming from Scottie Upshall and Tomas Kopecky. Buffalo tied it on the eighth of the year for Thomas Vanek, thanks to help from Luke Adam and Tyler Myers. The Sabres grabbed the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Jason Pominville, his fifth of the season, powered by Brad Boyes and Christian Ehrhoff. The Panthers retied it on a Tomas Fleichmann goal, his third of the year, with helpers provided by Kopecky and Jason Garrison. Florida took a 3-2 lead with a power play goal by Garrison, his fourth of the season, made possible by Brian Campbell and Kopecky, the latter getting a sock trick. This was a final, and the three stars were Garrison, Fleischmann, and Pominville, with honors to Kopecky.

Staying in the Northeast area, the Philadelphia Flyers welcomed the Carolina Hurricanes. Brian Boucher and Ilya Bryzgalov were in the creases for the game. Philadelphia opened with a Scott Hartnell goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Claude Giroux. Carolina answered in the second period with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his third of the year, assisted by Jiri Tlusty and Chad LaRose. The Flyers retook the lead early in the third period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his fourth of the season, with help from Giroux. Philadelphia extended the lead with the third of the year by Max Talbot, courtesy of Giroux and Braydon Coburn, while shorthanded. Giroux, who now had a sock trick, finally found the twine on his own, netting his seventh of the season via Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen. Jagr added on his second of the game and fifth of the year for a 5-1 final score, and he was aided by Hartnell. The three stars logically went to Giroux, Hartnell, and Jagr.

Up to Montreal, where the Canadiens welcomed in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Carey Price were given a go-ahead to start. Montreal drew first blood with a power play goal by Brian Gionta, his second of the season, powered by Tomas Plekanec and Michael Cammalleri. The Canadiens extended the lead with a Lars Eller goal, via Travis Moen and Andrei Kostitsyn. Montreal made it 3-0 in the second period with a power play goal from David Desharnais, his second of the season, thanks to Cammalleri and Yannick Weber. Boston got on the board with a Milan Lucic goal, his third of the year guided in by Nathan Horton. The Bruins made it close late in the third period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. The Canadiens iced it with Plekanec putting his fourth of the year away into an empty net, with no assistance required. Price (26 for 28 in saves), Eller, and Plekanec got the three stars in the 4-2 win, and honorable mention to Cammalleri.

Heading far south like a bird in the winter, where the Tampa Bay Lightning hosted the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Dwayne Roloson were the masked men. Tampa Bay opened the scoring late in the second period on a power play goal by Vincent Lecavalier, his fifth of the year, powered by Steven Stamkos and Eric Brewer. This held up for a 1-0 Lightning win, with Roloson (28 save shutout), Lecavalier, and Pavelec (26 for 27 in saves) getting the three stars.

Northwest a tad, with the Nashville Predators hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Pekka Rinne are tending the twines. Fourteen seconds into the game, Nashville took the lead with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his second of the season, fueled by Colin Wilson and Shea Weber. Martin Erat extended the lead for the Predators with his goal, fueled by Jordin Tootoo and Ryan Suter. The scoring was silent until a power play in the early third period, where Nashville made it 3-0 on a Weber goal, made possible by Suter and David Legwand. This was a final, with Rinne (20 save shutout), Weber, and Hornqvist getting the three stars,
 although Suter also played well.

Northward again, to Minnesota, where the Wild hosted the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Josh Harding played in the blue paint. Minnesota struck in the first period on a Dany Heatley goal, his third of the year, coming off of Mikko Koivu for the lone assist. The scoring was silent for the rest of the game, preserving a 1-0 Wild win. Harding (36 save shutout), Heatley, and Justin Falk were the three stars, although Koivu or Howard (19 for 20 in saves) could have been third star.

Plunging to the south again, with the Dallas Stars hosting the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Kari Lehtonen were the goaltenders. Dallas led off with a Loui Eriksson goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Steve Ott and Jamie Benn. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Petr Sykora goal, and Patrik Elias grabbed the lone assist here. The Stars regained the lead in the third period on a Vernon Fiddler goal, his second of the year, fueled by Radek Dvorak and Sheldon Souray. Souray iced the game on his third of the season, an empty net goal coming from Alex Goligoski. This left the final at 3-1, with Fiddler, Lehtonen (31 for 32 in saves), and Eriksson taking the three stars.

Into the heart of the Midwest, with the Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. In goal were backups Allen York and Ray Emery. Chicago opened with a Marcus Kruger goal, via Jamal Mayers and Brent Seabrook. Columbus tied it on a Vinny Prospal goal, his fifth of the season, created by Fedor Tyutin and James Wisniewski. The Blackhawks regained the lead on the fifth of the year by Dave Bolland, a shorthanded goal coming off of a Michael Frolik pass. The Blue Jackets found another equalizer in the second period as Derek MacKenzie netted his second of the season, thanks to Rick Nash and Aaron Johnson. Chicago grabbed a 4-2 lead on a pair of Viktor Stalberg goals, his first two of the year, and assists went to Nick Leddy twice, and Andrew Brunette and Duncan Keith once each. Frolik iced it for the Blackhawks with his second of the season, an empty net and unassisted goal. The three stars went to Stalberg, Kruger, and Emery (27 for 29 in saves), and honors to Frolik and Leddy.

Back to the Southwest, with the Phoenix Coyotes hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Mike Smith took care of the cages. Los Angeles opened the scoring in the second period with a Mike Richards goal, his second of the season, coming off of Dustin Brown and Willie Mitchell. Phoenix took the lead with a pair of Radim Vrbata goals, his second and third of the year, fueled by Martin Hanzal twice primarily, and the secondaries belonged to David Schlemko and Rostislav Klesla. The Kings tied it in the third period with the fifth of the season for Anze Kopitar, courtesy of Trent Hunter and Matt Greene. The Coyotes took the game in overtime by a 3-2 score as Daymond Langkow notched his second of the year, assisted by Vrbata and Derek Morris. Vrbata, Smith (36 for 38 in saves), and Schlemko got the three stars, although Hanzal or Langkow would have fit fine.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Roberto Luongo got the starts, although Michal Neuvirth relieved Vokoun after the first period. Vancouver was first on the board with a Maxim Lapierre goal, his second of the season, fueled by Dale Weise and Kevin Bieksa. Washington tied it with Alex Ovechkin netting his fourth of the year, with help from Troy Brouwer and Nicklas Backstrom. The Canucks got the lead back with a Chris Higgins tally, his fourth of the season coming on the man advantage thanks to Dan Hamhuis and David Booth. Vancouver made it 3-1 late in the first period with an Alexander Edler power play goal, powered by Sami Salo and Ryan Kesler. Ovechkin got the Capitals going again in the second period with his fifth of the year and second of the night, a power play goal assisted by Backstrom (tenth assist of the season) and John Carlson. Washington tied it on Mike Knuble's second of the season, a penalty shot conversion brought around by an Edler tripping call. Edler made up for it with his second of the game and the year, with helpers provided by Sedins Henrik and Daniel. The Capitals got another equalizer on Marcus Johansson's fifth of the season, via Dennis Wideman. Vancouver got one back in the third period as Henrik netted his fourth of the year, thanks to Edler and Kesler. The Canucks made it 6-4 with a Higgins goal, his second of the night and fifth of the season, with assists provided by Jannik Hansen and Manny Malhotra. Vancouver finished it off with a Lapierre goal, his third of the year and second of the game, guided in by Bieksa and Hamhuis. The three stars of the 7-4 game were Edler, Higgins, and Lapierre, with honorable mention to Ovechkin, Backstrom, Hamhuis, Bieksa, Kesler, and Henrik Sedin.

NHL Day 23 2011-2012

Tonight there are four games on. We begin with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Cam Ward were given the starts. Carolina opened on a Tim Brent goal, his second of the season, made possible by Tim Gleason. The Hurricanes extended the lead on Brandon Sutter's third of the year, via Jussi Jokinen. Carolina pretty much put the game away with Jiri Tlusty netting his second of the season, thanks to Bryan Allen and Chad LaRose. This made the final 3-0, with Ward (30 save shutout), Sutter, and Gleason getting the three stars, with obvious honorable mention to all other point getters.

Moving west to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jimmy Howard got the green light to play goal. Detroit opened with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk. San Jose answered in the second period with a power play goal by Ryane Clowe, his third of the year powered by Martin Havlat and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks took the lead as Patrick Marleau put away his second of the season, with help from Douglas Murray. The Red Wings retied it with a Tomas Holmstrom power play goal, coming off of Datsyuk and Lidstrom. San Jose regained the lead on a Joe Thornton goal, his second of the year, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Marleau. Thornton put the game away, making it 4-2 with his second of the game and third of the season, an empty netter set up by Havlat and Clowe. The three stars were awarded to Niemi (30 for 32 in saves), Lidstrom, and Havlat, and honorable mentions to Thornton, Marleau, Clowe, and Datsyuk. 

Westward again, with the Calgary Flames welcoming the St. Louis Blues. Briant Elliott and Miikka Kiprusoff tend the twines. Calgary took the first goal in the second period as Tom Kostopoulos scored via Tim Jackman and Roman Horak. The Flames made it 2-0 on a Horak goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Curtis Glencross and Jackman. Twelve seconds later, St. Louis was on the board with an Alex Steen goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers provided by Jamie Langenbrunner and Kevin Shattenkirk. Calgary wrapped it up on an empty net goal by Olli Jokinen, his second of the season helped in by Glencross and David Moss, making it 3-1. The three stars went to Kiprusoff (28 for 29 in saves), Horak, and Kostopoulos, with honorable mention for Steen, Glencross, and Jackman.

Finishing off the day's games in Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Semyon Varlamov will be in the blue paint. Edmonton got on the board in the second period to lead the scoring off, with a Cam Barker power play goal powered by Sam Gagner and Ryan Smyth. The Oilers extended the lead with an Andy Sutton goal, and sharing advantages of his expertise were Lennart Petrell and Smith. Colorado got on the board with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, coming on the power play through Matt Duchene and Kyle Quincey. Edmonton replied to make it 3-1 with a Smyth goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Shawn Horcoff and Ryan Jones. This was the final, with Dubnyk (40 for 41 in saves), Smyth, and O'Reilly getting the three stars.

NHL Day 22 2011-2012

We have quite a few games on tonight, and the first of these is...

The New York Rangers finally getting a true home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Henrik Lundqvist make the starts. New York led off with a Dan Girardi goal, assisted by Marian Gaborik and Artem Anisimov. Toronto tied it on the second of the season by Matthew Lombardi, courtesy of Tyler Bozak and Carl Gunnarsson. The Maple Leafs grabbed the lead as Joffrey Lupul potted his fifth of the year, via Jake Gardiner and Phil Kessel. Toronto extended their lead with a Clarke MacArthur goal, and the lone assist came from Mike Komisarek. The Maple Leafs made it 4-1 on a Mike Brown goal, powered by John-Michael Liles. The Rangers got one back on a Michael Del Zotto goal going down unassisted. The final was 4-2 and the three stars were Lupul, Gunnarsson, and Girardi. Honorable mentions to everyone else with a point.

Into Pennsylvania, with the Pittsburgh Penguins welcoming the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Marc-Andre Fleury play in the blue paint for the game. New York took the lead with a late first period goal from Frans Nielsen, with helpers by Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit. The Islanders extended their lead in the third period with a Matt Martin's goal, courtesy of Steve Staios and Marty Reasoner. Pittsburgh struck back soon after on a Chris Kunitz goal, his third of the year, via Pascal Dupuis and Kris Letang. The Penguins tied it with a James Neal power play goal, his ninth of the season powered by Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin. This tie lasted into a shootout, where Pittsburgh won on Malkin's lone tally. Kunitz, Malkin, and Martin had the three stars in the 3-2 game.

Staying in the state, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Sergei Bobrovsky will play in front of the cages. Philadelphia led off with a goal by Scott Hartnell, his third of the season, powered by Jaromir Jagr and Kimmo Timonen. Winnipeg replied with a Randy Jones goal, set up by Blake Wheeler and Tanner Glass. The Jets took the lead on the fourth of the year by Jim Slater, coming off of Chris Thorburn and Glass. Kyle Wellwood pushed the Winnipeg lead up farther, his fourth of the season seeing the sticks of Tobias Enstrom and Bryan Little before his own and the twine. Glass kept the Jets going in the second period, making it 4-1 with his second of the year, fueled by Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien. A minute later, Winnipeg added on again with a power play goal by Nik Antropov, his third of the season made possible by Tim Stapleton, causing Ilya Bryzgalov to relieve Bobrovsky in the Philly net. The Flyers finally had an answer with Claude Giroux striking on the power play for his sixth of the year, gathering steam from Timonen and Danny Briere. The Jets took it back with an Evander Kane power play goal, his second of the season, thanks to Antropov and Alex Burmistrov. Briere cut the deficit back down for Philadelphia with his third of the year, via Hartnell and Timonen, the latter grabbing a sock trick. The Flyers made it 6-4 with an unassisted Max Talbot goal, his second of the season. Briere struck again in the third period for Philadelphia with his second of the game and fourth of the year, pushed on through by Braydon Coburn and James van Riemsdyk. The Flyers tied it and scared Pavelec away with a Matt Read goal, his third of the season, guided along by Andreas Lilja and Jakub Voracek. Chris Mason was the relief twinetender. Philadelphia went relentless and took the lead on Mason's first shot against, a van Riemsdyk goal with help by Briere and Matt Carle. It was his third of the year. Winnipeg retied it with a Burmistrov goal, his third of the season, with assists by Antropov and Kane. The Jets took the lead with a Mark Stuart goal, going in off of Stapleton and Wheeler. The Flyers got another tying goal with van Riemsdyk's second of the game and fourth of the year, courtesy of Timonen and Andrej Meszaros. Winnipeg ended up with the win in the marathon game, a 9-8 victory coming into reality with captain Andrew Ladd sinking his third of the season, thanks to Wheeler and Little, the former getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Antropov, Glass, and Briere, although Wheeler, Timonen, and van Riemsdyk all had worthy games too. Dishonorable mentions to those who could not find a point tonight.

Another big rivalry game tonight has the Boston Bruins hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Tim Thomas will play goal. Boston was first on the board with an unassisted power play goal by Patrice Bergeron, his second of the season. Montreal answered in the second period with the second of the year from Erik Cole, assisted by Jaroslav Spacek and David Desharnais. The Canadiens took the lead with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his third of the season, with the assists from Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges. This left the score at 2-1, the final, and the three stars were Plekanec, Price (29 for 30 in saves), and Rich Peverley, although Cole and Bergeron had honest cases.

Staying in the Northeast Division, the Buffalo Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Jhonas Enroth tend the twines. Brad Boyes put Buffalo ahead in the first period with a power play goal off of Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville, his second of the season. The Sabres extended the lead in the second period with a Pominville goal, his third of the year, made possible by Vanek and Luke Adam. Columbus replied with a Vinny Prospal goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers provided by Antoine Vermette and R.J. Umberger. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Fedor Tyutin goal, guided by Samuel Pahlsson. Buffalo retook a 3-2 lead with a Patrick Kaleta goal, thanks to Nathan Gerbe and Christian Ehrhoff. The Sabres got an insurance goal as Pominville sank his second of the game and fourth of the year, with Vanek and Boyes taking the assists on the power play tally. This made it a 4-2 final score, with the three stars being awarded to

Up to Ottawa, where the Senators host the Florida Panthers. Jacob Markstrom and Craig Anderson play between the pipes. Florida led off with a Jason Garrison goal, his third of the season, with assists by Kris Versteeg and Brian Campbell. Ottawa replied with a Daniel Alfredsson goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Jason Spezza and Sergei Gonchar. The Panthers retook the lead on a Tomas Flesichmann goal, his third of the season, fueled by Dmitry Kulikov and Stephen Weiss. The Senators retied it with Stephane Da Costa notching his second of the year, guided in by Erik Condra and Milan Michalek. Ottawa grabbed the lead with a Colin Greening goal, his third of the season made possible by Erik Karlsson. Florida retied it inside a minute to go, with Versteeg netting his fifth of the year, thanks to Weiss and Kulikov. The Senators pulled off heroics though, stealing a 4-3 win with four seconds on the clock, as Nick Foligno netted his second of the season, and was helped by Alfredsson and David Rundblad. The three stars were Alfredsson, Spezza, and Versteeg, but Foligno, Weiss, and Kulikov all could make a case.

South to Nashville, with the Predators hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Pekka Rinne guarded the goalmouths. Nashville opened with a Sergei Kostitsyn goal, his third of the season, assisted by Craig Smith and Mike Fisher. Fisher extended the Predator lead with a goal off of Kostitsyn and Smith. Tampa Bay got on the board with Steven Stamkos potting his fifth of the year, via Teddy Purcell and Ryan Malone. The Lightning tied it on the power play with Purcell scoring his third of the season, thanks to Brett Connolly and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Nashville took the lead back in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, with helpers by Matt Halischuk and Blake Geoffrion. The Predators made it 4-2 on a Nick Spaling goal, helped along by Jack Hillen and Jonathon Blum. Nashville kept the pressure on with Fisher's second of the game, aided by Spaling, causing Garon to be taken out in favor of Dwayne Roloson. Tampa Bay got one back as Stamkos notched his second of the game, via Bergeron and Martin St. Louis, the former recording his tenth assist of the season. The final was 5-3, and Fisher, Rinne (29 for 32 in saves), and Spaling got the three stars, while Stamkos, Bergeron, Purcell, Kostitsyn, and Smith got passed over.

Back north again, stopping in Minnesota to catch the Wild hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Niklas Backstrom oppose each other in the nets. Anaheim was first on the board with the fourth of the season by Corey Perry, a power play goal powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne. The Ducks extended their lead in the second period on a Bobby Ryan goal, his third of the year, assisted by Selanne and Tony Lydman. Minnesota got on the board with a power play goal from the stick of Jared Spurgeon, aided by Devin Setoguchi and Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Getzlaf extended the Anaheim lead on his fourth of the season, courtesy of Selanne and Perry, the former getting a sock trick with the assist. The Wild cut the score to 3-2 on a Matt Cullen power play goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley. This was the final, with Selanne, Marco Scandella, and Bouchard taking the three stars, and Getzlaf having a formidable case for one.

Down to Dallas, where the Stars host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Kari Lehtonen play in goal. Dallas did the impossible with Trevor Daley finally cracking the Quick Code with a power play goal, powered by Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with a Justin Williams goal, his third of the season, off of Slava Voynov and Anze Kopitar. The Kings took the lead with a Scott Parse goal, fueled by Mike Richards and Dustin Brown. Voynov put Los Angeles up 3-1 on the power play, his goal being guided in by Brown and Richards. The Stars cut the score to 3-2 on a Michael Ryder goal, made possible by Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow, his third of the year. Dallas tied it with an Eric Nystrom goal, courtesy of Vernon Fiddler and Radek Dvorak. The Kings retook the lead at 4-3 with Voynov's second of the night, with helpers by Kyle Clifford and Ethan Moreau. Brown wrapped it up at 5-3 with an empty net goal, his third of the season, and the helpers were credited to Richards and Kopitar, the first of those two finishing up a sock trick on the night. The three stars went to Voynov, Richards, and Ryder, and honorable mention to Kopitar and Brown.

Crossing into Canada, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Nikolai Khabibulin got the nods to start. Washington struck early with a Karl Alzner goal, courtesy of Jeff Halpern and Jason Chimera. Edmonton tied it on a Taylor Hall goal, his third of the season, powered by Jordan Eberle and Corey Potter on the power play. Eberle gave the Oilers a lead in the second period with his second of the year, also a power play goal, with assists provided by Potter and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. This produced a 2-1 final, with the three stars being Khabibulin (34 for 35 in saves), Eberle, and Troy Brouwer, and Potter gets an honorable mention.

Lastly, the Phoenix Coyotes host the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Mike Smith put on the goalie pads. Phoenix led off with a Patrick O'Sullivan goal, assisted by Daymond Langkow and David Schlemko. New Jersey tied it on a Zach Parise goal, his fourth of the season, going down unassisted. Mark Fayne put the Devils on top with his second of the year, thanks to Mattias Tedenby. The Coyotes retied it with a Ray Whitney goal, his fourth of the season coming with the man advantage, guided in by Radim Vrbata and Keith Yandle. Phoenix took a 3-2 lead on a Raffi Torres goal, his second of the year, set up by Shane Doan and Yandle. The Coyotes made it 4-2 with a third period Martin Hanzal goal, his third of the season, thanks to Whitney and Schlemko. Whitney quickly followed with his second of the game and fifth of the year, and the assists came from Hanzal and Vrbata. A too-little, too-late goal for New Jersey left the final at 5-3 with Nick Palmieri putting the puck away, with a little guidance from Adam Henrique. The three stars were Whitney, Hanzal, and Torres, with honorable mention to Yandle, Vrbata, and Schlemko.

NHL Day 21 2011-2012

Today, we have only three games going on. We begin in Canada, where we will stay throughout the post, with the Montreal Canadiens playing host to the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Carey Price made the starts in net. Philadelphia got on the board first with the third of the season by Jaromir Jagr, courtesy of Matt Carle and Scott Hartnell. Montreal tied it late in the first period with a Yannick Weber goal, his second of the year, a power play goal from David Desharnais. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, his third of the season, made possible by Jaroslav Spacek and Max Pacioretty. Pacioretty soon thereafter added his own goal, the third of the year by him, and he was aided by P.K. Subban and Tomas Plekanec. Pacioretty extended the Montreal lead on his second of the game in the third period, with passes sequencing through Plekanec and Josh Gorges. The Canadiens wrapped it up 5-1 with the third of the season by Michael Cammalleri, and Desharnais and Erik Cole grabbed the helpers. The three stars went to Pacioretty, Price (21 for 22 in saves), and Cole, although Desharnais and Plekanec outplayed Cole.

Moving to Alberta, where the Calgary Flames host the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Miikka Kiprusoff are between the irons. Colorado struck first with a Kyle Quincey goal, his second of the season coming on the power play via Paul Stastny and Erik Johnson. Calgary replied with a Roman Horak goal, fueled by Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla. The Flames took the lead in the second period as Lee Stempniak netted the puck, and helping him out were Horak and Niklas Hagman. Calgary extended the lead with Rene Bourque notching his fourth of the year on the power play, courtesy of Anton Babchuk and Jay Bouwmeester. The Avalanche cut the deficit to 3-2 in the third period on a Ryan Wilson goal, thanks to Johnson and Gabriel Landeskog. Bourque put it away for the Flames with his fifth of the season and second of the game, guided in by Olli Jokinen and David Moss. Horak, Bourque, and Johnson earned the three stars, although Kiprusoff had an impressive 34 for 36 night in saves.

Continuing to our final destination, in Vancouver, British Columbia to watch the Canucks host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Cory Schneider will put on the masks. St. Louis opened the scoring in the second period on an Alex Steen goal, his fourth of the season made possible by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jason Arnott. The Blues got a third period goal from Steen as well, with the helpers here provided by Matt D'Agostini and David Backes. St. Louis put it away with a Patrik Berglund goal, his third of the season, guided in by Shattenkirk and T.J. Oshie, making it 3-0. This was the final, with Steen, Shattenkirk, and Elliott (32 save shutout) getting the three stars.

NHL Day 20 2011-2012

Today we have nine games on, and the first of these is on Long Island, with the New York Islanders hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Evgeni Nabokov will be in the blue paint. Pittsburgh struck first on a Pascal Dupuis goal, his third of the season made possible by Brooks Orpik. The Penguins made it 2-0 in the second period with the second of the year from Richard Park, and Arron Asham picked up the only assist. Jordan Staal put the game away for Pittsburgh with an empty net goal, his sixth of the season, and Dupuis had the assist. The three stars went to Fleury (33 save shutout), Dupuis, and Park.

Down the coast to Raleigh, with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Cam Ward were called on to start. Ottawa opened the scoring in the second period with a Zenon Konopka goal, courtesy of Sergei Gonchar and Jessee Winchester. The Senators extended their lead with Jason Spezza potting his fifth of the season on the power play, powered by Colin Greening and Gonchar. Carolina got started in the third period on Tuomo Ruutu's third of the year, via Jay Harrison. The Hurricanes tied it with Jeff Skinner's fourth of the season, a power play goal fueled by Jamie McBain and Eric Staal. This tie lasted into a shootout, where Spezza's lone tally lifted Ottawa to a 3-2 victory. The three stars were awarded to Skinner, Anderson (32 for 34 in saves), and Ruutu, much to the disrespect of Spezza and Gonchar.

Moving to the Midwest, the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the Detroit Red Wings. Ty Conklin and Steve Mason got the starts.  Columbus led off with an R.J. Umberger goal, assisted by Antoine Vermette and Ryan Johansen. Detroit tied it on Darren Helm's goal, via Justin Abdelkader and Todd Bertuzzi. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with Johansen's power play goal, powered by Grant Clitsome and Kris Russell. Columbus extended their lead in the second period with a John Moore goal, fueled by Cody Bass and Clitsome. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Derek MacKenzie empty net goal, with helpers by Umberger and Clitsome, the latter getting a sock trick on the night. The three stars were Mason (30 for 31 in saves), Johansen, and Clitsome.

Back east, with the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Ryan Miller played between the pipes. Buffalo struck early with the seventh of the season by Thomas Vanek, with help by Jason Pominville and Luke Adam. The Sabres extended the lead with a Brad Boyes goal off of Cody McCormick and Matt Ellis. Tampa Bay got on the board as Vincent Lecavalier netted his fourth of the year, and Martin St. Louis had the lone assist. The Lightning tied it with a Nate Thompson goal, his second of the season, assisted by Tom Pyatt and Dominic Moore. Tampa struck again, taking the lead in the second period with Steven Stamkos' goal, the fourth of the year for him made possible by Matt Gilroy and Marc-Andre Bergeron. The Lightning added an insurance goal as Ryan Malone netted his third of the season with the help of Brett Clark. This proved vital as Buffalo cut the score to 4-3 on a Nathan Gerbe goal, his second of the year, guided in by Boyes and Paul Gaustad. This was the final score, with the three stars belonging to Garon (36 for 39 in saves), Vanek, and Stamkos, with cases presented by Boyes and Malone.

Back to the Central Division, with the Nashville Predators hosting the San Jose Sharks. Finnish goalies Antti Niemi and Pekka Rinne played goal. San Jose led off with a shorthanded goal by Logan Couture, his second of the season coming off a Martin Havlat pass. Craig Smith tied it for Nashville in the third period, his third goal of the year coming on the power play via Shea Weber and Mike Fisher. The Sharks sealed the win with a pair of Joe Pavelski goals, his fifth and sixth of the season going in thanks to Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton both times, and the latter goal was into an empty net. The three stars were Pavelski, Smith, and Couture, although Marleau and Thornton made reasonable cases.

Staying in the region, the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Corey Crawford got the nods here. Anaheim struck in the second period to open the scoring with a power play goal by Ryan Getzlaf. The third of his season was powered by Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne. Chicago tied it with the fifth of the year from Marian Hossa, assisted by Patrick Kane and Sean O'Donnell. The Ducks retook the lead on a Selanne goal, his third of the season, and the lone assist came from Andrew Cogliano. The Blackhawks tied it again in the third period with Patrick Sharp's goal, his third of the year, and Kane picked up another helper. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Jonathan Toews and Kane overwhelmed Selanne, giving the 3-2 win to Chicago. The three stars went to Kane, Selanne, and Hossa.

A Western Canada battle came next, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Nikolai Khabibulin took care of the twines. The scoring opened in the second period with Edmonton getting a Jordan Eberle goal, guided in by Taylor Hall and Corey Potter. The Oilers extended the lead with a Shawn Horcoff goal, and Ryan Smyth picked up the lone assist. Hall put Edmonton up 3-0, knocking out Luongo in favor of Cory Schneider, and the assists on his second of the season came from Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Vancouver finally got going with a Cody Hodgson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Alexander Edler and Manny Malhotra. The Canucks made it 3-2 with an Alexandre Burrows goal, his third of the season, via Henrik Sedin and Sami Salo. They failed to get an equalizer, and fell by the above score, with the three stars being awarded to Eberle, Hall, and Burrows.

Down to Arizona, with the Phoenix Coyotes hosting the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Mike Smith played in the creases. Raffi Torres opened the scoring for Phoenix, and was helped out by Lauri Korpikoski and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Dallas answered with a power play goal by Sheldon Souray, his second of the season, powered by Jamie Benn and Steve Ott. The Coyotes took the lead again in the third period on a power play goal from Shane Doan, his fourth of the year, made possible by Ray Whitney and Daymond Langkow. The Stars tied it with an Adam Burish goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow. This tie would last into a shootout, where Patrick O'Sullivan of Phoenix struck only to be answered by Michael Ryder of Dallas in the fifth round, before the Stars took it on an eighth round goal by Trevor Daley, for a 3-2 win. The three stars here were Lehtonen (33 for 35 in saves), Smith (34 for 36 in saves), and Ribeiro, although Daley was a bit more important in the win.

Finally, we go to Los Angeles with the Kings hosting the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Jonathan...... Bernier played in net for this game. New Jersey started the scoring in the second period with a Dainius Zubrus goal, assisted by Andy Greene and Patrik Elias. Elias later struck with his own goal, the fourth of the season for him, and got his help from Petr Sykora and Greene. Zubrus made it 3-0 late in the period with his second of the year and the game, and the helpers were credited to Sykora and Mark Fayne on this goal. The third period was silent, allowing this score to remain as the final. Zubrus, Hedberg (31 save shutout), and Greene picked up the three stars, with honorable mention to Elias, Sykora, and Fayne, who, coupled with the other two skaters in the stars, were on the ice for all goals.

Fantasy Football All Stars week 7

Halfway through the Fantasy regular season, and here's who had the best weeks.

Quarterback: Drew Brees
Running Back: Arian Foster
Wide Receiver: Marques Colston
Tight End: Jimmy Graham
Kicker: Olindo Mare/Mason Crosby/Josh Scobee
Team Defense: Kansas City
Defensive Player: Brandon Flowers

Monday Night Football week 7

The Monday Night games pits the Baltimore Ravens against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Florida. Jacksonville opened with a Josh Scobee field goal of 54 yards in the first quarter. They made it 6-0, the halftime score on a replica field goal from Scobee, another 54 yarder. The Jaguars got the score up to 9-0 in the third quarter with a 22 yard field goal from Scobee. Baltimore shook it up a bit in the fourth quarter with Joe Flacco passing 5 yards for a touchdown to Anquan Boldin, and Billy Cundiff added an extra point to put them within two. They would not take the lead, as Scobee put the game away for Jacksonville on a late 51 yard field goal, good for a 12-7 win. The Jaguars jumped up to 2-5, pushing the Ravens to 4-2.

NHL Day 19 2011-2012

There are three games on Monday night, and we begin with the Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Sergei Bobrovsky partook in the battle of the backups. Toronto led off with the ninth of the season by Phil Kessel, with assists by Joffrey Lupul and John-Michael Liles. Philadelphia replied on a power play goal by Jaromir Jagr, coming off of Claude Giroux and Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers took the lead in the second period, as Scott Hartnell drained the puck into the net via Danny Briere on the power play. Hartnell extended the Philadelphia lead in the third period on his second of the game, courtesy of Giroux and Jagr. The Maple Leafs pulled back with Dave Steckel notching his third of the year, with help from Matt Frattin and Matthew Lombardi. The Flyers secured victory on the second of the game by Jagr, assisted by Hartnell and Timonen. The final was 4-2 and the three stars were Jagr, Hartnell, and Timonen.

In the next game, the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Florida Panthers. Jacob Markstrom and Peter Budaj took part in the second battle of the backups. Montreal opened with an Erik Cole power play goal, powered by Max Pacioretty and Raphael Diaz. Florida replied with their own power play goal, the second of the season from Tomas Fleischmann, and Kris Versteeg picked up the lone assist. The scoring resumed in the third period, as the Panthers went up 2-1 on a Scottie Upshall goal fueled by Dmitry Kulikov and Tomas Kopecky. They would hold this lead to the end, and the three stars went to Markstrom (40 for 41 in saves), Budaj (29 for 31 in saves), and Kulikov, which is at least reasonable.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets host the New York Rangers. Keeping with the backups trend for the night's game, Martin Biron and Chris Mason spelled their more often used keepers for the game. New York was first on the board with a Ruslan Fedotenko power play goal, guided in by Dan Girardi and Michael Del Zotto. Winnipeg tied it with a Nik Antropov goal, his second of the season aided by Alex Burmistrov and Evander Kane. The Rangers took a 2-1 lead that would last 'til the end as Ryan Callahan potted his second of the year with the man advantage, thanks to Fedotenko and Girardi. The three stars went to Biron (27 for 28 in saves), Fedotenko, and Antropov, although Girardi was slightly better than Antropov.

Fantasy Hockey All-Stars week 2

Another early week in the season, with a little more clarity as to the goods and the bads. Here's who looked stellar this week.

Center: Jason Spezza, 3 goals, 4 assists, 0 +/-, 0 penalty minutes, 3 power play points, 8 shots on goal
Left Wing: Alex Ovechkin, 2 goals, 3 assists, +2, 2 penalty minutes, 4 power play points, 6 shots on goal
Right Wing: Kris Versteeg, 3 goals, 2 assists, +2, 4 penalty minutes, 3 power play points, 14 shots on goal
Defenseman: Zdeno Chara, 1 goal, 2 assists, 0 +/-, 23 penalty minutes, 2 power play points, 9 shots on goal
Goaltender: Jonathan "Shutout" Quick, 3 wins, 0.00 goals against average, 83 saves. 100% save percentage, 3 shutouts

That's all for this week, and a huge shoutout to Quick for such a fantastic week. You won't see numbers like that again this season.

Sunday Night Game week 7

Tonight's game features the New Orleans Saints against the Indianapolis Colts. New Orleans struck first with a Drew Brees touchdown pass to Marques Colston, good for 14 yards, and John Kasay had the extra point. Brees and Colston met up later in the first quarter for a 4 yard touchdown connection, and Saints went up 14-0 after Kasay kicked the extra point. New Orleans continued to make Indianapolis look foolish, as Brees passed for his third touchdown, this time going to Darren Sproles, a 6 yard play. Kasay added another extra point. The Saints took to the ground to make it 28-0, as Jed Collins ran a yard for a touchdown, and Kasay had one more extra point. Kasay and New Orleans spared some dignity, as the kicker kicked a 23 yard field goal. The Colts finally got on the board with a Delone Carter 2 yard touchdown run, and Adam Vinatieri took care of the extra point, making it 31-7. Kasay replied with a field goal of 47 yards for a halftime score sitting at 34-7 in favor of the Saints. New Orleans got right back to work as Brees tossed a 4 yard touchdown to Jimmy Graham in the third quarter, and Kasay applied another PAT. Brees and Graham met up again shortly after for a 2 yard touchdown connection, and Kasay made another extra point. The Saints refused to let up, allowing Sproles to run 16 yards for a touchdown, and Kasay would take another easy extra point. Just fourteen seconds later, the defense added a touchdown as Leigh Torrence picked off Curtis Painter and returned 42 yards for a touchdown, with Kasay making another extra point. This made the final 62-7 in favor of the Saints, moving them to 5-2 and pushing the Colts to a humbling 0-7.

NHL Day 18 2011-2012

We have one game today, and that is the Anaheim Ducks hosting the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jonas Hiller will put on the goalie masks. Martin Hanzal led off the scoring for Phoenix, getting help from Mikkel Boedker and Radim Vrbata. Anaheim replied with Lubomir Visnovsky sending in the tying goal thanks to Corey perry and Luca Sbisa. The Ducks grabbed the lead on Ryan Getzlaf's goal, courtesy of Teemu Selanne and Cam Fowler. The Coyotes retied it as Hanzal potted his second of the game, with assistance from Keith Yandle. Phoenix took the lead in the second period with Boyd Gordon's goal off of Taylor Pyatt and Lauri Korpikoski. The Coyotes extended the lead with Korpikoski netting his second of the season via Pyatt and Adrian Aucoin. Phoenix made it 5-2 with Yandle's goal, assisted by Shane Doan and Ray Whitney. Anaheim finally got back into gear and Kurtis Foster scored, guided in by Francois Beauchemin and Saku Koivu. The Ducks made a late assault as Getzlaf potted his second of the game and of the year, fueled by Visnovsky. However, they failed to find the equalizer and lost 5-4, with the three stars being Hanzal, Smith (29 for 33 in saves), and Getzlaf, although the honorable mentions could be second stars, as Yandle, Visnovsky, and Korpikoski all had a goal and assist.

NFL Late Games week 7

The other four games at regularly scheduled times are here in this post.

First up, the Arizona Cardinals host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh led off with a touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Heath Miller for 12 yards, and Shaun Suisham applied the extra point. The Steelers added on a 95 yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace, with Suisham kicking in another PAT. Arizona finally scored with Alfonso Smith rushing a yard for a touchdown, and Jay Feely got the extra point. Suisham kicked a 41 yard field goal for Pittsburgh, making it 17-7 at the half. The Cardinals pulled much closer as Kevin Kolb found LaRod Stephens-Howling for a 73 yard touchdown connection, and Feely kicked another extra point. The Steelers replied with a 4 yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Emmanuel Sanders, and a Suisham extra point to top it off. On the Pittsburgh kickoff, the Steelers added a safety after a penalty to Arizona. Pittsburgh kept it coming with a 33 yard Suisham field goal in the fourth quarter, followed by another from 39 yards. Kolb tried to get the Cardinals closer by throwing a 2 yard touchdown to Early Doucet, but they failed the two point attempt with an incomplete pass toward Jeff King. The final was 32-20, moving the Steelers to 5-2 and knocking the Cardinals back to 1-5.

West to Oakland, with the Raiders welcoming the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City was the first on the board with a 59 yard Kendrick Lewis interception return on an errant Kyle Boller throw. Ryan Succop added the extra point. The Chiefs tacked on another as Le'Ron McClain ran a yard for a touchdown, and Succop provided another extra point. The score was 14-0 after a silent second quarter, in favor of KC. The Chiefs kept at it in the third quarter with a Javier Arenas rush of 7 yards for a touchdown, and Succop had another PAT. Kansas City added another touchdown, this time defensively as Brandon Flowers sang Mr. Brightside to distract Carson Palmer picked Carson Palmer off and returned the ball 58 yards to the house, where succop then made it 28-0 after the extra point. This was the final, with the Chiefs going up to 3-3 and bringing Oakland down to 4-3.

Over to Dallas, with the Cowboys hosting the St. Louis Rams. Dallas struck first with a 91 yard touchdown run by DeMarco Murray, and Dan Bailey made the extra point. The Cowboys got another touchdown when Tony Romo passed a yard to Jason Witten, and Bailey kicked the extra point. St. Louis quickly replied with a 6 yard Steven Jackson touchdown rush, and a Josh Brown extra point made it a one-touchdown game. Bailey tacked on a 30 yard field goal to make the halftime score 17-7 Dallas. The Cowboys added on a Bailey field goal of 51 yards. Dallas continued in the fourth quarter with a 6 yard Phillip Tanner touchdown rush, and Bailey added another PAT. The Cowboys made it 34-7 with Romo finding Dez Bryant for a 20 yard touchdown, and Bailey had yet another extra point. This was a final, and Dallas improved to 3-3 while the Rams fell to a winless 0-6.

Up north to our last game, with the Minnesota Vikings hosting the Green Bay Packers. Minnesota wasted no time scoring, as Christian Ponder threw 2 yards to Visanthe Shiancoe for a touchdown. Ryan Longwell was called on for the extra point. Green Bay answered with Aaron Rodgers' throw to John Kuhn, also a 2 yard touchdown reception, with Mason Crosby adding the extra point. The Vikings retook the lead on an Adrian Peterson touchdown run, good from 1 yard, and Longwell added another extra point. The Packers pulled a little closer with Crosby kicking a 39 yard field goal. Minnesota made it 17-10 with a 52 yard field goal by Longwell. Crosby answered back to make it 17-13 on his 45 yard field goal, which produced the halftime score. Green Bay went ahead in epic fashion as Rodgers threw a 79 yard touchdown pass into Greg Jennings hands and legs, and Crosby had the extra point to make it 20-17. The Packers continued to attack with a Rodgers touchdown pass of 2 yards to Jermichael Finley, and Crosby would make another PAT. Crosby followed it up with a 24 yard field goal for Green Bay. The Packers extended the lead further with Crosby nailing a 58 yard field goal. The Vikings finally replied with Longwell kicking a 46 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. He also added on an extra point when Ponder threw to Michael Jenkins for 24 yards and a touchdown, putting the game at 33-27. This was the final, and Green Bay went up to an undefeated 7-0 while Minnesota fell to 1-6.

NFL Early Games week 7

This morning we have seven games on the slate. I'll try to keep these as accurate as possible, as I am a bit under the weather this weekend.

First up, the Detroit Lions hosting the Atlanta Falcons. Jason Hanson put Detroit on the board first with a 43 yard field goal. Atlanta tied it on a 23 yard field goal by Matt Bryant. The Falcons took the lead with a 1 yard Matt Ryan run, capped off with a Bryant PAT. The Lions pulled back with a 38 yard Hanson field goal. Atlanta made it 17-6 at halftime on a touchdown pass from Ryan to Roddy White, an 18 yard play, and Bryant made the extra point. Hanson got Detroit going in the third quarter with a 29 field goal, but Bryant replied for the Falcons with a 47 yard kick. The Lions finally added on a touchdown, pulling closer with a Matthew Stafford pass to Calvin Johnson, good for 57 yards. Hanson made the extra point. Bryant made it a 7 point lead for Atlanta on his 40 yard fourth quarter field goal. This held to be a 23-16 victory, improving the Falcons to 4-3 and dropping the Lions to 5-2.

Down to SoBe, with the Miami Dolphins hosting the Denver Broncos. The scoring opened in the second quarter with Dan Carpenter nailing a 38 yard field goal, and he followed that up with a later 36 yard kick. This made the score 6-0 Miami, which lasted until halftime. The Dolphins got to work again in the fourth quarter, where Matt Moore passed 16 yards for a touchdown to Anthony Fasano, but they failed on the two-point attempt, as Moore's pass to Brandon Marshall was incomplete. Miami made it 15-0 with a 43 yard Carpenter field goal. Denver finally showed up to the game in the fourth quarter on a Tim Tebow pass to Demaryius Thomas for 5 yards and a touchdown. Matt Prater supplied the extra point. With just 17 seconds on the clock, Tebow added a touchdown of 3 yards to Daniel Fells, making it 15-13. The two point attempt was converted on a Tebow run, which tied the game at 15. The Broncos won the game 18-15 in overtime on a Prater field goal of 52 yards, and improved to 2-4, leaving the Dolphins winless at 0-6.

Backing it up to Tennessee with the Titans hosting the Houston Texans. Houston led off with a Neil Rackers field goal from 32 yards out. The Texans extended the lead with Matt Schaub finding Joel Dreessen on a 10 yard touchdown pass, and Rackers added another extra point. Houston made it 17-0 on a 78 yard catch and run from Schaub to Arian Foster, good for a touchdown with Rackers making the extra point. Rackers made it 20-0 at halftime for the Texans with a 29 yard field goal. Houston got back to work in the third quarter on a 1 yard touchdown rush by Foster, and a Rackers PAT. Tennessee finally found the scoreboard with Matt Hasselbeck throwing 5 yards to Jared Cook for a touchdown, and Rob Bironas supplied the extra point. The Texans made it 34-7 on another Foster touchdown run, this time a 5 yard play, and Rackers added another extra point. Houston was defensive on the next touchdown, as Brice McCain intercepted Hasselbeck for 38 yards and a touchdown, and Rackers would succeed on another extra point. The final favored Houston 41-7, and they improved to 4-3, while dropping the Titans to 3-3.

Heading to Florida again, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcome the Chicago Bears to Wembley Stadium in London, England. Chicago busted out the first touchdown with a Matt Forte run of 32 yards to score, and Robbie Gould supplied the extra point. Forte was also involved in the next scoring play, running -2 yards for a safety for Tampa Bay. The Bears added on to the lead with a 25 yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler to Roy Williams, and Gould made the extra point. The Buccaneers made it 14-5 with a Connor Barth field goal from 33 yards. Chicago added on in the third quarter with a 12 yard Marion Barber run for a TD, and a Gould extra point. Tampa Bay added on a little more in the fourth quarter with a 2 yard touchdown pass from Josh Freeman to Kellen Winslow, but left the score at 21-11 after failing on the two-point attempt from Freeman to Mike Williams. The Buccaneers kept charging with Freeman throwing a touchdown to Dezmon Briscoe for 24 yards, and Barth had the PAT. Gould added a Bears FG of 25 yards to make it 24-18. This would hold up for a Chicago win, improving them to 4-3 and bringing Tampa Bay down to the same level.

North to Ohio, where the Cleveland Browns will host the Seattle Seahawks. Cleveland opened the scoring with a Phil Dawson field goal from 52 yards in the second quarter. This would put the halftime score at 3-0. Seattle tied it in the third quarter on a Steven Hauschka field goal of 20 yards. The Browns retook the lead in the fourth quarter with a 53 yard field goal from Dawson. The final was 6-3 Cleveland, moving them to 3-3 and knocking the Seahawks to 2-4.

East to the Meadowlands, with the New York Jets welcoming the San Diego Chargers. San Diego opened with an early touchdown on a fumble return by Donald Butler, good for 37 yards. Nick Novak made the extra point. New York replied with a Nick Folk field goal, good from 35 yards. The Chargers got offensive on the next touchdown, as Philip Rivers threw 2 yards for a connection with Antonio Gates, and Novak tacked on the extra point. The Jets took those points back on a 3 yard Mark Sanchez touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, withe Folk adding on the PAT. San Diego went ahead 21-10 with a Mike Tolbert touchdown run of 1 yard, and Novak added on the extra point. This was the score going into halftime. New York got closer once again as Sanchez and Burress met up again for a 4 yard touchdown, and Folk made the extra point once again. The Jets got the lead on a third Sanchez-Burress touchdown connection, another 3 yard play, with Folk adding another extra point. Folk made it 27-21 New York on a 30 yard field goal. They won by this score, improving to 4-3 while knocking San Diego to 4-2.

Finally, the Carolina Panthers host the Washington Redskins. Carolina struck first with an Olindo Mare field goal from 20 yards out. Graham Gano replied in the second quarter for Washington with a 31 yard field goal. The Panthers retook the lead as Mare nailed a 45 yard field goal. Gano retied it for the Redskins on a 49 yard field goal. Mare kept up with the field goal theme, making it 9-6 for Carolina with another 45 yard goal. This was the score going into the locker rooms. The Panthers were back to scoring in the third quarter, beginning with the bucking of the trend by Cam Newton, who ran 16 yards for a touchdown, and Mare only tacked on one point for the extra point. John Beck replied for Washington with his own touchdown rush, a 4 yard play, with Gano making the PAT. Keeping with square-rooting the yardage, Jonathan Stewart ran 2 yards for a touchdown for the Panthers, and Mare made the extra point once again. Carolina struck again with Newton throwing 2 yards to Brandon LaFell, and Mare added an extra point to put the score at 30-13. The Redskins got closer with a touchdown from Beck to Fred Davis, a 7 yard connection iced off by Gano's extra point. Mare put the game away at 33-20 for the Panthers with a 40 yard field goal. They improved to 2-5 and dropped Washington to 3-3.