NHL Day 73 2011-2012

Another day with a slate of twelve games to be played, and the first is a matinee from...

Philadelphia, where the Flyers host the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Ilya Bryzgalov were given the starts, but Sergei Bobrovsky relieved Bryzgalov in the second period. Boston was first to score with Benoit Pouliot sinking his fifth of the season, courtesy of Rich Peverley. Shortly after that, Zdeno Chara fought with Jody Shelley. The Bruins got the boost from the brawl, as Daniel Paille sank his sixth of the year, with the help of Dennis Seidenberg and Joe Corvo. Boston added on again when the seventh of the season for Chara went down, a power play goal set up by David Krejci and Peverley. The Bruins remained tough with Milan Lucic also netting a power play goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Corvo and Tyler Seguin. Boston extended the lead once again in the second period with Nathan Horton recording his ninth of the season, another power play goal powered by Chara for a Gordie Howe Hat Trick and Peverley, who got a sock trick. The Bruins would win 6-0 after a third period Seguin goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers provided by Brad Marchand and Andrew Ference. The three stars were Thomas (31 save shutout), Peverley, and Chara, while Corvo and Seguin get honorable mentions.

At the regular times, the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Marc-Andre Fleury were the starters, but Miller was pulled for Jhonas Enroth about midway into the second period. Pittsburgh opened with a Jason Williams goal, assisted by Alexandre Picard and Craig Adams. The Penguins added on with a Simon Despres power play goal powered by Tyler Kennedy and Williams. Pittsburgh kept it up with Evgeni Malkin sinking his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Chris Kunitz and Brooks Orpik. Buffalo got on the board with the seventeenth of the year by Thomas Vanek, courtesy of Robyn Regehr and Jason Pominville. Malkin answered back with his second of the game and fourteenth of the year for the Penguins, thanks to Carl Sneep and Picard. James Neal tallied another one on for Pittsburgh with a second period goal, his eighteenth of the season, pushed through by Malkin and Matt Niskanen on the power play. The Penguins extended the lead once more with Deryk Engelland recording his second of the year, with the help of Arron Asham and Pascal Dupuis. The Sabres finally replied a little in the third period with an unassisted Luke Adam goal, his tenth of the season. Buffalo pulled closer with the second of the year from Paul Gaustad, made possible by Drew Stafford and Andrej Sekera. Pittsburgh took off again when Malkin finished a hat trick with his fifteenth of the season, aided by Neal and Niskanen on the power play. The Penguins iced it 8-3 with Kunitz depositing his eleventh of the year, guided in by Malkin and Engelland. The three stars belonged to Malkin, Despres, and Williams, while honorable mentions include Kunitz, Engelland, Neal, Picard, and Niskanen.

Over to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Steve Mason were given the go ahead to play goal. Tampa Bay led off with a Blair Jones goal, his second of the season, made possible by Teddy Purcell. The Lightning added on when Eric Brewer scored, coming off of Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone. Columbus got on the board in the second period with an R.J. Umberger power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Vinny Prospal and Fedor Tyutin. Tampa Bay struck back with the twentieth of the season for Stamkos, courtesy of Vincent Lecavalier and Dana Tyrell. The Blue Jackets got it up to 3-2 with a Rick Nash goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by by Jeff Carter and Prospal, but they failed to get the equalizer and lost. Garon (26 for 28 in saves), Prospal, and Stamkos earned the three stars.

Up to Montreal, where the Canadiens hosted the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Carey Price are the netminders of choice. New Jersey led off when Petr Sykora scored his eighth of the season, via Dainius Zubrus and Adam Henrique. Montreal tied it in the second period with a power play goal from P.K. Subban, his second of the year, pushed through by Tomas Kaberle and Michael Cammalleri. The Devils took the lead again on a power play goal of their own, the twelfth of the season for Patrik Elias, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Kurtis Foster. The Canadiens got into another tie with a Chris Campoli goal, and Yannick Weber and Hal Gill picked up the assists. Montreal took a lead with the third of the year by Lars Eller, set up by Louis Leblanc and Gill. New Jersey tied it up when the eleventh of the campaign for David Clarkson found twine, made possible by Adam Larsson. The Devils took the lead in the third period on another Elias goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, guided in by Sykora. New Jersey iced it 5-3 with a power play goal by Zubrus, his tenth of the year, fueled by Kovalchuk and Foster. The three stars were awarded to Elias, Zubrus, and Gill, while honorable mentions are in store for Sykora, Foster, and Kovalchuk.

Westward to the Teemu Selanne homecoming game, as the Winnipeg Jets host the Anaheim Ducks. Backup goalies Dan Ellis and Chris Mason will take to the creases. Winnipeg opened on a Kyle Wellwood goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Nik Antropov and Zach Bogosian. The Jets added on with a power play goal by Blake Wheeler, his third of the year, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom. Niklas Hagman got Anaheim on the board with his fifth of the season, assisted by Teemu Selanne and Sheldon Brookbank. The Ducks tied it with the thirteenth of the year by Corey Perry, courtesy of Ryan Getzlaf and the goalie Ellis. Winnipeg took the lead again early in the second period when Alex Burmistrov netted his seventh of the season, coming off of Evander Kane and Bogosian. The Jets extended the lead with the tenth of the year for Andrew Ladd, thanks to Byfuglien and Wellwood. Winnipeg was relentless into the third period, as Bogosian notched his second of the season, via Chris Thorburn. Anaheim cut the deficit to 5-3, the eventual final, when Perry struck again, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, a power play goal set up by Getzlaf and Selanne. The three stars were Bogosian, Ladd, and Selanne, while Perry, Getzlaf, Byfuglien, and Wellwood all have decent cases for inclusion.

Back to the east, where the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Jonas Gustavsson oppose each other in the twines. Vancouver opened early with a Chris Higgins goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Alexander Edler and Sami Salo. Toronto answered with Joffrey Lupul potting a power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Tyler Bozak and John-Michael Liles. The Canucks took the lead again in the second period with the third of the season for Mason Raymond, courtesy of Ryan Kesler and Higgins. The Maple Leafs retied it with Bozak recording his seventh of the year, helped along by Phil Kessel. Vancouver again went in front with a Daniel Sedin goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Alexandre Burrows and Kevin Bieksa. Burrows extended the Canucks lead in the third period on his eleventh of the year, set up by Henrik Sedin and Dan Hamhuis. Kessel got Toronto a little closer again with his nineteenth of the season, where Bozak and Liles picked up the helpers again. Vancouver finished it at 5-3 when Jannik Hansen's tenth of the year went in unassisted. The three stars of the game are Burrows, Bozak, and Higgins, while Liles and Kessel earn honorable mention.

Stateside again as the Detroit Red Wings host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick originally went out to face Jimmy Howard, but Jonathan Bernier relieved him before the first period came to a close. Detroit struck first with Drew Miller making his fourth of the season, with the help of Darren Helm and Danny Cleary. The Red Wings added on as Cory Emmerton put away his second of the year, thanks to Jonathan Ericsson and Tomas Holmstrom. Detroit rolled along with a Niklas Kronwall goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Cleary and Helm. Los Angeles got on the board when Davis Drewiske potted his second of the year, guided in by Justin Williams and Dustin Penner. The Red Wings replied on Emmerton's second of the game and third of the season, made possible by Justin Abdelkader and Holmstrom. The Kings answered in the second period on the third of the year from Jarret Stoll, assisted by Williams and Penner. Detroit replied again on a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his eighth of the season, with assists coming from Jiri Hudler and Kronwall. The Red Wings proved unstoppable with the tenth of the year by Pavel Datsyuk, coming off of Johan Franzen and Todd Bertuzzi. Detroit kept pummeling with Miller's second of the game and fifth of the season, allowing Cleary a sock trick with the lone helper. The Red Wings would finish the game up 8-2 after a power play goal off the tape of Brad Stuart, his fourth of the year, powered by Emmerton and Kronwall. The official three stars were not posted at this time, so I give them to Emmerton, Kronwall, and Cleary.

Way to the south, the Phoenix Coyotes host the New York Rangers. Martin Biron and Mike Smith play between the pipes. New York led off with a power play goal by Marian Gaborik, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Michael Del Zotto and Derek Stepan. Phoenix tied it on a shorthanded Lauri Korpikoski goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Boyd Gordon. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period when Cal O'Reilly scored on the power play with the help of Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata. The Rangers retied it in the third period with Gaborik's second of the game and seventeenth of the season, an unassisted goal. With a fraction of a second remaining in regulation, Brad Richards squeezed his twelfth of the year into the cage for a 3-2 New York victory, and the assists here went to Ryan McDonagh and Ryan Callahan. Korpikoski, Gaborik, and David Schlemko earned the three stars, although Richards has an overwhelmingly strong case.

Northeast just a tad to Nashville, where the Predators host the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville opened the scoring in the third period with a Martin Erat goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Shea Weber and Mike Fisher. St. Louis tied it with a power play goal by T.J. Oshie, his tenth of the year, powered by David Backes and David Perron. The tie lasted to a shootout, where the Predators beat the Blues 2-1 with a lone David Legwand tally. The three stars were given to Rinne (39 for 40 in saves), Erat, and Oshie.

Northwest now, to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the New York Islanders. Al Montoya and Niklas Backstrom have the duty of stopping the puck. New York led off in the second period with an Andrew MacDonald goal, his second of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Matt Moulson. Minesota evened the ledger in the third period with the ninth of the year by Cal Clutterbuck, fueled by Matt Cullen and Dany Heatley. The game lasted to a shootout where the Islanders topped the Wild on a lone tally from Frans Nielsen. The three stars of the game were Nielsen, Backstrom (35 for 36 in saves), and Jared Spurgeon, although point earners can argue the third star.

Westward again to Colorado, where the Avalanche due battle with the Washington Capitals. Michal Neuvirth takes on fellow "backup" Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Colorado opened with a Cody McLeod goal, with helpers provided by Shane O'Brien and Erik Johnson. Washington replied with the sixth of the campaign for Alexander Semin, courtesy of Dmitry Orlov and Joel Ward in the second period. The Avalanche went up 2-1 with Johnson scoring, thanks to Milan Hejduk and Gabriel Landeskog. This was a final score after a silent third period, and the three stars were Johnson, Giguere (25 for 26 in saves), and McLeod.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Antti Niemi will guard the cages. San Jose struck first with a Martin Havlat goal, his second of the season, thanks to Michal Handzus and Dan Boyle. Edmonton answered with Jordan Eberle notching his twelfth of the year, and the lone assist went to Taylor Hall. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with the tenth of the campaign for Ryan Jones, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Joe Thornton put the Sharks back into a tie with his sixth of the season, helped along by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joe Pavelski. San Jose would win 3-2 after a third period Patrick Marleau power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Pavelski and Jamie McGinn. The three stars were awarded to Marleau, Pavelski, and Hall.

NHL Day 72 2011-2012

There are five games on tonight, a little bit more high scoring from the looks of it.

First up, the Buffalo Sabres host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Ryan Miller are assigned starting responsibilities. The scoring began in the second period as Joffrey Lupul netted his fourteenth of the season, and Phil Kessel had the lone assist. Buffalo answered on a Drew Stafford power play goal, his sixth of the year, thanks to Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. The Maple Leafs struck back on Dion Phaneuf's fourth of the season, also a power play goal, guided in by Tyler Bozak and John-Michael Liles. The Sabres quickly retied the game with Vanek registering his fifteenth of the year, and the lone helper belonged to Zach Kassian. Buffalo took a lead with a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his third of the season, coming off of Stafford and Pominville. The Sabres continued on as Andrej Sekera netted his second of the year, another power play goal, powered by Christian Ehrhoff and Ennis. Toronto got one back as Nikolai Kulemin recorded his third of the campaign on a penalty shot. Buffalo fired back with Vanek's second of the game and sixteenth of the season, helped in by Derek Roy. The Maple Leafs got it to 5-4 but failed to even the table on a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Carl Gunnarsson and Joey Crabb. The three stars in this game were Vanek, Stafford, and Ennis, while Pominville earns an honorable mention.

Up just a tad to Ottawa, as the Senators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Backups Brent Johnson and Alex Auld get the starting nods, although Marc-Andre Fleury relieved Johnson in the third period. The scoring again began in the second period as Colin Greening put his eighth of the season away, via Jason Spezza and Jared Cowen. Pittsburgh tied it with the sixth of the year for Steve Sullivan, courtesy of Arron Asham and Joe Vitale. Spezza got the Senators back in front with his eleventh of the season, coming off of Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson. Ottawa surged forward on Alfredsson's ninth of the year, made possible by Spezza and Brian Lee. The Penguins got one back when Matt Niskanen spiked in his second of the season, a power play goal set up by Steve Sullivan and Chris Kunitz. Pittsburgh tied it with Evgeni Malkin notching his twelfth of the year, also a power play goal, powered by Sullivan and James Neal. The Senators regained the lead here with Cowen posting his fourth of the season, with helpers provided by Nick Foligno and Karlsson. Zenon Konopka extended the Ottawa lead with his third of the year, a power play goal guided in by Karlsson for a sock trick and Cowen. The Senators put it farther out of reach in the third period when Spezza got his second of the game and twelfth of the season, and the assists belonged to Alfredsson and Cowen, the latter getting a sock trick. The Penguins cut it down to 6-4, the final, with Kunitz depositing his tenth of the year, assisted by Simon Despres and Malkin. The three stars in the game were Spezza, Alfredsson, and Cowen, while Karlsson, Kunitz, Malkin, and Sullivan earn honorable mention.

Southward to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the Calgary Flames. Leland Irving and Jose Theodore will be between the pipes. Florida led off with Sean Bergenheim netting his fifth of the season, coming off of Mikael Samuelsson and Shawn Matthias. Calgary answered with an Olli Jokinen goal, his tenth of the year, thanks to Curtis Glencross and Jarome Iginla. The Flames took the lead in the third period with the eleventh of the season by Rene Bourque, a power play goal powered by Jokinen and Alex Tanguay. The Panthers tied it when Bergenheim struck again, his second of the game and sixth of the year, and Matthias and Samuelson again had the helpers. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Tanguay's lone tally did not hold Calgary against Florida's Dmitry Kulikov and Stephen Weiss, for a 3-2 Panther win. The three stars belong to Bergenheim, Matthias, and Irving (39 for 41 in saves), while Jokinen, Tanguay, and Samuelsson earn honorable mention.

Back up the coast again, to New Jersey, where the Devils host the Dallas Stars. Richard Bachman and Johan Hedberg are penciled in to play goal. Dallas opened on the tenth of the season for Michael Ryder, assisted by Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn. New Jersey replied on a David Clarkson goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Patrik Elias and Zach Parise. The Stars took the lead again on the sixth of the campaign for Brenden Morrow, courtesy of Mike Ribeiro and Steve Ott. The Devils evened it again on the eighth of the season by Adam Henrique, a shorthanded goal powered by Parise. New Jersey rolled on with Ilya Kovalchuk finding a home for his tenth of the year, thanks to Parise, who gets a sock trick, and Adam Larsson. The Devils extended the lead with Petr Sykora striking in his seventh of the campaign, guided in by Cam Janssen and Ryan Carter. New Jersey continued to pummel away with the eleventh of the season for Parise, set up by Larsson and Kovalchuk. Dallas got one back as Toby Petersen sank his second of the year, with the help of Sheldon Souray and Jake Dowell. The Devils iced it at 6-3 when Elias recorded his eleventh of the campaign, coming off of Dainius Zubrus and Sykora. The three stars went out to Parise, Kovalchuk, and Bryce Salvador, while honorable mentions go to Elias, Larsson, and Sykora.

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Ray Emery tend the twines. Chicago led off with the third of the season by Jamal Mayers, courtesy of Andrew Brunette and John Scott. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with the fourteenth of the year by Marian Hossa, with a lone helper from Patrick Sharp. Chicago extended the lead again with a power play goal off Dave Bolland's tape, his eighth of the season, powered by Nick Leddy and the goalie Emery. The Blackhawks were relentless in the third period with Sharp notching his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Hossa alone. Anaheim cut the eventual final to 4-1 with a Teemu Selanne goal, his tenth of the campaign, made possible by Niklas Hagman and Kyle Palmieri. The three stars here were Emery (24 for 25 in saves), Scott, and Mayers, while Sharp and Hossa also played well.

Thursday Night Game week 15

This week the Atlanta Falcons hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars. Atlanta was first to score with Matt Ryan throwing a 29 yard touchdown to Julio Jones, and Matt Bryant made the extra point. Bryant also kicked a 33 yard field goal for the Falcons. Atlanta kept going in the second quarter with a 5 yard Michael Turner touchdown run, and Bryant made the extra point. The Falcons rolled on with a Ryan touchdown pass of 6 yards to Roddy White, and Bryant was good again with the extra point. The score was 27-0 Atlanta at the half thanks to Bryant kicking a 31 yard field goal. The Falcons got defensive in the third quarter as Blaine Gabbert fumbled and Corey Peters picked it up and scored a touchdown 13 yards later, iced off with Bryant on the extra point. Ryan threw the next Atlanta touchdown, this time 29 yards to White, and Bryant made another PAT. Jacksonville finally got on the board by blocking a punt and having their own Zach Potter return it 46 yards to score the touchdown, allowing Josh Scobee the extra point kick. The Jaguars cut it down to 41-14 after Gabbert found Chastin WEst for 16 yards and a touchdown, and Scobee made the extra point. The Falcons are now 9-5 while the Jaguars plummet to 4-10.

NHL Day 71 2011-2012

Ten games on tonight as I catch up from a little two-day illness break I've taken. First off...

The New York Islanders host the Dallas Stars. Richard Bachman and Kevin Poulin get the start in a game of relatively obscure goalies. Dallas opened with a Loui Eriksson goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Jamie Benn and Trevor Daley. New York tied it when the ninth of the year for Michael Grabner went into the net, thanks to Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with Okposo scoring his fifth of the campaign, with help from Marty Reasoner and Travis Hamonic. The Stars tied it back up in the third period as Brenden Morrow netted his fifth of the season on the power play, powered by Steve Ott and Mike Ribeiro. Dallas would take the game 3-2 when Benn sank his eighth of the year, via Michael Ryder and Eriksson. Benn, Okposo, and Eriksson earned the three stars.

Down the coast, the Carolina Hurricanes host the traveling Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Cam Ward will take their places in the blue paint. Vancouver started the scoring when Kevin Bieksa put his third of the season in the net, coming off of Chris Higgins and Ryan Kesler. The Canucks kept going in the second period on the second of the year for Mason Raymond, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Alexandre Burrows. Carolina got on the board with a Drayson Bowman goal, fueled by Anthony Stewart and Jamie McBain. The Hurricanes tied it before the end of the frame on the tenth of the season for Tuomo Ruutu, courtesy of Bryan Allen and Jussi Jokinen. Carolina took the lead in the third period on another Bowman goal, made possible by Chad LaRose and Brandon Sutter. Jaroslav Spacek kept the Hurricanes ahead with a power play goal powered by Ruutu and Tim Brent. Vancouver cut it to 4-3 but never got an equalizer after Burrows found a place for his tenth of the year, guided in by Sedin and Raymond. Bowman, Ward (33 for 36 in saves), and Ruutu got the three stars, while the Sedin-Burrows-Raymond combo looked pretty good as well.

Back inland, the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Curtis Sanford got the starting nods. Columbus got things going in the second period with Jeff Carter netting his seventh of the season, coming off of Vinny Prospal and Nikita Nikitin. Los Angeles answered in the third period with a Davis Drewiske goal, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Brown gave the Kings a 2-1 lead with his sixth of the year, thanks to Drew Doughty and Simon Gagne. This was a final, where Brown, Sanford (39 for 41 in saves), and Doughty got the three stars.

Southward again, to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Mathieu Garon were given goaltending duties. Tampa Bay struck first with Teddy Purcell scoring a power play goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Steve Downie and Dominic Moore. Matt Stajan tied it for Calgary, and helping him were Tim Jackman and Tom Kostopoulos. The Flames grabbed the lead with the twelfth of the year by Jarome Iginla, thanks to Olli Jokinen and Jay Bouwmeester. The Lightning tied it back up on the third of the season for Tom Pyatt, via Ryan Shannon and Blair Jones. Tampa Bay regained the lead on a Ryan Malone goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. The Lightning extended the lead as Nate Thompson scored his third of the season, with assists from Dana Tyrell and Hedman. Calgary got it going again in the third period as Rene Bourque deposited his tenth of the year, with the help of Derek Smith. Jokinen tied it up for the Flames with a power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Alex Tanguay and Smith. The game went to overtime, where Stamkos won it 5-4 for Tampa Bay on his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Eric Brewer and Downie. The three stars were officially Stamkos, Jokinen, and Brewer, while honorable mentions include Smith, Downie, and Hedman.

Northward to Montreal, as the Canadiens are hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Carey Price guarded the cages. Philadelphia opened on a Max Talbot goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier. Montreal tied it in the second period with the fifth of the year for David Desharnais, courtesy of Max Pacioretty and Tomas Kaberle. The Flyers retook the lead with Harry Zolnierczyk's second of the season, coming off of Zac Rinaldo and Matt Carle. The Canadiens tied it again with a Louis Leblanc goal, via Mike Blunden and P.K. Subban. Philadelphia again took the lead as Wayne Simmonds found a place for his ninth of the year, thanks to Carle and Matt Read. Montreal got another equalizer as Erik Cole deposited his twelfth of the season on the power play, powered by Pacioretty and Desharnais. The Flyers would take the game 4-3 as Andrej Meszaros potted his third of the year in the third period, and the helpers were credited to Jaromir Jagr and Carle, the latter getting a sock trick. Carle, Desharnais, and Leblanc earned the three stars, while Pacioretty also had an honorable mention.

In the Midwest, the St. Louis Blues welcomed in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Brian Elliott took to the nets. St. Louis drew first blood with the seventh of the season by Patrik Berglund, courtesy of Alex Steen and Barret Jackman. The Blues extended their lead with David Perron making his second of the year, thanks to Carlo Colaiacovo and Chris Stewart. New York got on the board in the second period with the third of the campaign for Michael Del Zotto, assisted by Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan. Steen got it back in the third period with his tenth of the season for St. Louis, while T.J. Oshie and Roman Polak got the assists. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with the empty net goal from Jason Arnott, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. David Backes, Steen, and Elliott (25 for 26 in saves) were given the three stars.

South a little to Nashville, as the Predators hosted the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Pekka Rinne were the puckstoppers. Detroit led off when Tomas Holmstrom scored his sixth of the season, a power play goal, fueled by Ian White and Pavel Datsyuk. Nashville replied with David Legwand notching his eighth of the year, via Craig Smith and Martin Erat. Henrik Zetterberg gave the Red Wings a second period lead on his seventh of the season, another power play goal made possible by Jiri Hudler and Todd Bertuzzi. Detroit extended the lead when the seventh of the year for Nicklas Lidstrom went in the net, courtesy of White and Datsyuk. The Predators got one back as Jordin Tootoo scored his fifth of the season, assisted by Kevin Klein and Nick Spaling. Nashville would take the game 4-3 after a pair of Shea Weber goals in the third period, his seventh and eighth of the year, with assists on the earlier power play goal going to Ryan Suter and Erat and Tootoo picked up the lone helper on the later goal. The three stars were given out to Weber, Tootoo, and Lidstrom, while Erat, White, and Datsyuk had honorable mentions.

To the great north, where the Winnipeg Jets host the Washington Capitals. Michal Neuvirth and Ondrej Pavelec will oppose each other from 200 feet away. Both of these men were sterling until late in the third period when Washington's Alex Ovechkin broke through Pavelec on his tenth of the season, assisted by Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom. This would be a 1-0 final, and the three stars went to Neuvirth (26 save shutout), Pavelec (27 for 28 in saves), and Jason Chimera. Ovechkin is the obvious honorable mention.

Way back south again, the Phoenix Coyotes host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Mike Smith get the starting honors. Phoenix drew first blood with a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Cal O'Reilly and Michal Rozsival. Edmonton answered with a second period power play goal by Taylor Hall, assisted by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle as his eighth of the year. The Coyotes regained the lead on the fifteenth of the season for Radim Vrbata, courtesy of Ray Whitney and Martin Hanzal. The Oilers got another equalizer in the third period, the second of the game and ninth of the year by Hall, also a power play goal powered by Ryan Smyth and Ryan Whitney. Phoenix stole the lead back with Shane Doan potting his eighth of the season, with the help of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Mikkel Boedker. The Coyotes iced it 4-2 on the sixth goal of the year by Ekman-Larsson, made possible by Ray Whitney and Hanzal. The three stars were awarded to Ray Whitney, Ekman-Larsson, and Hanzal, while Hall earns the honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Antti Niemi again tend the cages. San Jose struck first of the seventh of the season by Ryane Clowe, with a lone assist by Logan Couture. Colorado tied it up when Paul Stastny netted a power play goal off of Erik Johnson for his ninth of the year. The Avalanche grabbed the lead with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Stefan Elliott and Milan Hejduk. The Sharks retied it in the second period with the third of the year for Michal Handzus, from Martin Havlat and Jamie McGinn. Colorado replied as Stastny struck again, his tenth of the season and second on the night, thanks to Daniel Winnik and Matt Duchene. Winnik extended the Avalanche lead with his fifth of the year, pushed through by Stastny and David Van der Gulik. San Jose got one back on the fifth of the season for Brent Burns, courtesy of Havlat in the third period. The Sharks got the equalizer with the thirteenth of the campaign off the tape of Joe Pavelski, set up by Jason Demers and Joe Thornton. San Jose would win 5-4 after Couture made his twelfth of the year, guided in by Patrick Marleau and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The three stars belonged to Couture, Stastny, and Clowe, while Havlat and Winnik earn honorable mentions.

NHL Day 70 2011-2012

Three games on this Wednesday, beginning in...

Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Ray Emery and Niklas Backstrom took control of the nets. Chicago struck first in the second period as Marian Hossa potted his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp on the power play. The Blackhawks added on with a Michael Frolik goal, his fifth of the year, thanks to Marcus Kruger and Jamal Mayers. Minnesota got on the board with the eleventh of the season for Kyle Brodziak, made possible by Nick Johnson. The Wild tied it when Matt Cullen scored his ninth of the year, with the help of Cal Clutterbuck and Warren Peters. Toews gave Chicago the lead again in the third period with his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Viktor Stalberg. Minnesota retied it, eventually forcing an overtime and shootout, on Mikko Koivu's eighth of the year, fueled by Clutterbuck and Clayton Stoner. In the shootout, Toews opened to give the Blackhawks an early lead, and Patrick Kane put it away with this nifty move below. The three stars went to Toews, Clutterbuck, and Koivu.

Onward to Ottawa, where the Senators hosted the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Craig Anderson played in the blue paint. Boston led off with Rich Peverley recording his sixth of the season, courtesy of Andrew Ference and Joe Corvo. Ottawa answered in the second period when the eighth of the year by Daniel Alfredsson found twine, with the help of Jason Spezza. The Bruins took the lead back on Chris Kelly's twelfth of the season, made possible by Johnny Boychuk and Peverley. Boston kept going in the third period when Patrice Bergeron scored his sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Bruins struck again on the fourth of the season for Daniel Paille, thanks to Shawn Thornton and Ference. Spezza got the Senators a little closer with his tenth of the campaign, and the helpers were provided by Chris Phillips and Alfredsson. Paille iced it with the second of the game and fifth of the year for him, coming off of Bergeron. The three stars for this 5-2 affair were Thomas (47 for 49 in saves), Ference, and Spezza, while the honorable mentions belong to Paille, Alfredsson, Bergeron, and Peverley.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jonas Hiller wore the goalie masks. Anaheim led off when Rod Pelley scored, via Maxime Macenauer and Lubomir Visnovsky. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Niklas Hagman goal, his third of the season, fueled by Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne on the power play. Phoenix got on the board with a Martin Hanzal power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Ray Whitney and Keith Yandle. Anaheim replied with Hagman's second of the game and fourth of the campaign, helped through by Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks finished it at 4-1 with Kyle Palmieri's goal, guided in by Bobby Ryan and Francois Beauchemin. The three stars here were Hagman, Visnovsky, and Perry.

NHL Day 69 2011-2012

Quite a few games this Tuesday. First up...

The Washington Capitals host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Tomas Vokoun made the starts, but Vokoun was pulled for Michal Neuvirth in the third period. Scott Hartnell got things moving for Philadelphia with his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Jaromir Jagr and Matt Carle. The Flyers added on with Marc-Andre Bourdon scoring, via Zac Rinaldo and Jody Shelley. Philadelphia kept going as the eighth of the year by Wayne Simmonds went in, with the help of Andrej Meszaros and Danny Briere. The Flyers extended the lead by Max Talbot's eighth of the campaign, coming off of James van Riemsdyk and Braydon Coburn. Philadelphia kept it up in the third period when the fifth of the season from Jakub Voracek found twine, courtesy of Carle and van Riemsdyk. Washington made it 5-1 with a Jeff Halpern goal, his third of the year, assisted by Dennis Wideman and Joel Ward, which produced the final score. Carle, Bryzgalov (31 for 32 in saves), and Hartnell got the three stars, while van Riemsdyk also played well.

Over to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Steve Mason were the starting goalies, but Curtis Sanford relieved Mason in overtime. Columbus struck first with the sixth of the season for Jeff Carter, a power play goal powered by James Wisniewski and Mark Letestu. Vancouver tied it in the third period on a Maxim Lapierre goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Chris Higgins. The tied lasted into the shootout, where the Blue Jackets toppled the Canucks with goals by Letestu, Rick Nash, and Wisniewski, easily beating the lone Alexandre Burrows tally. Mason (30 for 31 in saves), Wisniewski, and Letestu got the three stars for the game.

East to Pennsylvania, where the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Marc-Andre Fleury were called to play goal. Pittsburgh was first to score when the eleventh of the season by Evgeni Malkin went down, helped along by James Neal or Brooks Orpik. Detroit tied it in the second period when the ninth of the year from Pavel Datsyuk found twine, and the lone assist belonged to Todd Bertuzzi. The Red Wings added on with Johan Franzen depositing his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal with a lone helper from Datsyuk. Detroit would end ahead 4-1 with two Danny Cleary goals, his sixth and seventh of the year, as Chris Conner and Darren Helm helped on the first and Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall guided in the latter empty netter. The three stars belonged to Datsyuk, Howard (25 for 26 in saves), and Cleary.

Up to Buffalo, where the Sabres take on the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson got the starting nod along with Ryan Miller. Ottawa was first to score with the nineteenth of the season for Milan Michalek, assisted by Jason Spezza and Colin Greening. Buffalo tied it when Paul Szczechura scored, coming off of Jason Pominville alone. The Sabres took the lead when Tyler Ennis notched his second of the year, thanks to Drew Stafford and Derek Roy. The Senators tied it in the third period on the second of the season by Peter Regin, via Brian Lee. The game went to overtime, where Ottawa beat Buffalo 3-2 on a Jared Cowen goal, his third of the year, made possible by Erik Karlsson and Spezza. Cowen, Regin, and Miller (41 for 44 in saves) earned the three stars, while Spezza performed well too.

In the same general area, the Boston Bruins hosted the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Tuukka Rask opposed each other in the cages. Boston led off with a Rich Peverley goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Zach Hamill and Benoit Pouliot. The Bruins would win 3-0 after second- and third-period goals for Brad Marchand, his tenth and eleventh of the year, where Patrice Bergeron got the only assist both times. The three stars were awarded to Rask (41 save shutout), Marchand, and Peverley, while Bergeron gets an honorable mention.

Northward, in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and James Reimer were given the green light to play goal. The scoring began with the fifth of the season of Tim Connolly's tape, and Clarke MacArthur and Colby Armstrong got the assists. Carolina tied it late on an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, his seventh of the year coming on the power play from Eric Staal and Jussi Jokinen. The tie lasted into overtime, where Connolly scored his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, courtesy of Joffrey Lupul and Cody Franson. Connolly, Ward (36 for 38 in saves), and Reimer (18 for 19 in saves) were awarded the three stars.

Back into the states, where the New York Rangers host the Dallas Stars. Richard Bachman and Henrik Lundqvist play between the pipes. Dallas scored the only goal of the game in the third period as the third of the campaign for Trevor Daley crossed the goal line, guided in by Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow. The three stars were Bachman (34 save shutout), Lundqvist (27 for 28 in saves), and Daley.

Crossing to Canada again, as the Montreal Canadiens welcomed the New York Islanders. Al Montoya and Carey Price were entrusted with the goalie duties. New York drew first blood with the fifteenth of the season for Matt Moulson, assisted by P.A. Parenteau. Montreal answered with Andrei Kostitsymn scoring his ninth of the year, thanks to Tomases Plekanec and Kaberle. The Canadiens added on with the second of the season for Mathieu Darche, courtesy of Petteri Nokelianen and Yannick Weber. The scoring resumed with Montreal in the third period when Erik Cole potted his eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by David Desharnais and P.K. Subban. The Islanders got one back with Josh Bailey scoring his third of the season, coming off of Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau. New York tied it again with a John Tavares goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Parenteau and David Ullstrom. The Canadiens took the lead again as Nokelainen jumped off the bench and ripped his second of the campaign into the twine, and helping him with the two second explosion were Lars Eller and Michael Cammalleri. Montreal won it 5-3 with an empty net goal by Hal Gill, via Desharnais and Max Pacioretty. Earning the three stars were Nokelianen, Cole, and Moulson. Parenteau and Desharnais are the honorable mentions.

Way south to Sunrise, Florida, with the Florida Panthers welcoming the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Jose Theodore tended the twines. Florida led off when Kris Versteeg sank his fourteenth of the season, and Stephen Weiss had the lone assist. The Panthers extended the lead in the second period when Versteeg potted his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Patrik Elias got New Jersey going with his tenth of the season, courtesy of Ilya Kovalchuk and Bryce Salvador. The Devils tied it in the third period on the tenth of the year for Zach Parise, guided in by Henrik Tallinder and Kovalchuk. The game lasted to a shootout, where New Jersey beat Florida on tallies by Kovalchuk and Elias. Versteeg, Kovalchuk, and Brodeur (24 for 26 in saves) had the three stars, while Elias also had an honorable performance.

Out to the west, where the Nashville Predators welcomed the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Pekka Rinne were given the starting nods. Nashville struck first with the sixth of the campaign for Matt Halischuk, assisted by Brian McGrattan and Roman Josi. Calgary tied it in the second period as Curtis Glencross struck with his ninth of the season, and Derek Smith had the lone helper. The Predators went up 2-1, a score they would ride to victory, on the eighth of the year by Colin Wilson, a power play goal powered by Craig Smith and David Legwand. Wilson, Kiprusoff (43 for 45 in saves), and Rinne (35 for 36 in saves) took the three stars.

To the frigid north of Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Ondrej Pavelec guarded the cages. Guillaume Latendresse gave Minnesota the first goal in the second period, his fifth of the season coming on the power play from Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley. Winnipeg tied it with an unassisted Zach Bogosian goal. The Jets took a 2-1 lead in the third period when Bryan Little recorded his eleventh of the year, with the help of Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler. This was a final, leaving the three stars to Pavelec (34 for 35 in saves), Backstrom (25 for 27 in saves), and Wheeler.

Finally, in Colorado, the Avalanche host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Semyon Varlamov played in the creases. Colorado opened with Stefan Elliott registering his third of the season, an unassisted goal late in the first period. San Jose tied it in the second period when Jamie McGinn potted his seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Dan Boyle and Michal Handzus. Boyle gave the Sharks the lead with his second of the season, via Joe Pavelski and Torrey Mitchell. The Avalanche retied it in the third period when Daniel Winnik made his fourth of the year, courtesy of Erik Johnson and Kyle Quincey. Colorado regained the lead on a Matt Duchene power play goal, his eleventh of the season, thanks to Milan Hejduk and Ryan O'Reilly. San Jose tied it very late in the third as Patrick Marleau put away his eleventh of the year, and the assists were provided by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. The game went into a shootout, where Colorado started with Hejduk scoring, answered by Pavelski to send it to extra rounds, where Gabriel Landeskog gave the Avalanche a 4-3 win over the Sharks. Duchene, Elliott, and Boyle picked up the three stars.

Fantasy Football All-Stars week 14

Quarterback: Tony Romo and Matt Ryan
Running Back: Maurice Jones-Drew
Wide Receiver: Marques Colston
Tight End: Rob Gronkowski
Kicker: Mason Crosby
Team Defense: Jacksonville and Detroit
Defensive Player: Alphonso Smith

Monday Night Football week 14

This week, the Seattle Seahawks welcome the St. Louis Rams. Seattle led off by blocking a Donnie Jones punt, and after hitting Doug Baldwin's back, Michael Robinson ran it for the touchdown from 17 yards away. Steven Hauschka made the extra point. Hauschka also kicked a 42 yard field goal for the Seahawks. They took a 10-3 score into halftime when Josh Brown booted a 46 yard field goal. Hauschka replied for Seattle in the third quarter with a 23 yard field goal. The Rams answered again on a 29 yard field goal by Brown. The Seahawks took a more commanding lead when Tarvaris Jackson threw 29 yards to Baldwin for a touchdown, and Hauschka supplied the PAT. Hauschka continued to kick for Seattle by nailing a fourth quarter field goal from 48 yards away. St. Louis got a few back with a 1 yard Steven Jackson touchdown rush, and Broan was there to make the extra point. The Seahawks iced it at 30-13 with Marshawn Lynch rushing 16 yards into a huge bag of Skittles the end zone for a touchdown, and the last point was the extra point by Hauschka. Seattle is now 6-7 while the Rams are 2-11.

NHL Day 68 2011-2012

There was just one game on tonight, as the Tampa Bay Lightning hosted the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Dwayne Roloson got the starting nods, but Mathieu Garon was called on for relief of Roloson in the early second period. New Jersey led off with Petr Sykora recording his sixth of the season, courtesy of Bryce Salvador and Patrik Elias. The Devils added on when the ninth of the year by Dainius Zubrus went down, a power play goal set up by Matt Taormina and Adam Henrique. Tampa Bay got on the board when Steve Downie deposited his fourth of the season, thanks to Matt Gilroy and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning tied it when Blair Jones scored, assisted by Dana Tyrell and Gilroy. New Jersey took the lead again in the second period when Zach Parise potted his ninth of the year, coming off of Henrique and Henrik Tallinder. Ilya Kovalchuk extended the Devils lead with his ninth of the season, made possible by Parise. Henrique kept New Jersey going with his seventh of the year, a shorthanded goal with helpers provided by Parise and Mark Fayne. Tampa Bay pulled closer with two third period Stamkos goals, his seventeenth and eighteenth of the campaign, and assists on the power play goal went to Dominic Moore and Vincent Lecavalier, while the even strength goal came from Pavel Kubina and Lecavalier again. This made it 5-4, and was finalized when the Lightning failed to get the equalizer. The three stars were Parise, Henrique, and Stamkos, while Gilroy and Lecavalier earn honorable mentions.

Fantasy Hockey All-Stars week 9

1. Artem Anisimov, 3 G, 1 A, +3, 20 PIM, 1 PPP, 13 SOG
2. Brian Elliott, 2 W, 1.00 GAA, 51 SV, .962 SV%, 1 SO
3. Jarome Iginla, 4 G, 2 A, +6, 2 PIM, 0 PPP, 17 SOG
4. John Carlson, 1 G, 6 A, +3, 2 PIM, 2 PPP, 12 SOG
5. Claude Giroux, 1 G, 6 A, +4, 2 PIM, 2 PPP, 6 SOG

Sunday Night game week 14

This week, the Dallas Cowboys put their over-attentive selves back in front of the prime time cameras at home against the New York Giants. New York opened with Jason Pierre-Paul sacking Tony Romo for a safety. The Giants added on when Lawrence Tynes booted a 23 yard field goal. Dallas got on the board when Romo tossed a 12 yard touchdown pass to John Phillips, and Dan Bailey was there with the extra point. New York got the lead back with a Brandon Jacobs touchdown run of 1 yard in the second quarter, and Tynes supplied the extra point. The Cowboys regained the lead with Romo's 9 yard touchdown pass to Laurent Robinson, and another Bailey extra point. The Giants retook the lead again when Tynes nailed a 26 yard field goal. Dallas went up 17-15 at halftime with Bailey kicking a 49 yard field goal. Bailey kept kicking for the Cowboys in the third quarter with another 49 yard field goal. New York added grabbed the lead back when Eli Manning passed 47 yards to Mario Manningham for a touchdown, and Tynes kicked the PAT. Dallas regained the lead with Romo finding Miles Austin for a 6 yard touchdown, and Bailey was true with the extra point. The Cowboys started to run away with it when Romo found Dez Bryant on a 50 yard touchdown play, and Bailey handled the extra point. The Giants got back within striking distance when Manning threw an 8 yard touchdown to Jake Ballard, and Tynes added on another extra point. Late in the fourth quarter, New York took the lead as Jacobs ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and it was 37-34 after D.J. Ware rushed to convert the two point attempt. The Giants were able to hold on to win by this margin, and now both teams are 7-6.

NHL Day 67 2011-2012

Just two games on tonight. First off...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosted the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Ray Emery made the starts. San Jose struck first with Jamie McGinn notching his sixth of the season, courtesy of Michal Handzus and Dan Boyle. Chicago tied it in the second period with the third of the year by Marcus Kruger, via Niklas Hjalmarsson and Nick Leddy. The Sharks quickly regained it on a Justin Braun goal, with help from Brad Winchester and Andrew Desjardins. The Blackhawks tied it back up late in the third period when Andrew Brunette deposited his seventh of the season, coming off of Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith. Chicago won the game 3-2 in overtime on Patrick Sharp's sixteenth of the year, assisted by Hossa and Brent Seabrook. Sharp, McGinn, and Emery (35 for 37 in saves) were the three stars, with honorable mention for Hossa.

Over to New York, where the Rangers host the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Henrik Lundqvist play in goal, until the end of the second period, where Theodore was pulled in favor of Scott Clemmensen. New York was first on the board with a Brad Richards power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with the lone assist by Ryan Callahan. The Rangers added on with Artem Anisimov netting his sixth of the year, also a power play goal, powered by Erik Christensen and Anton Stralman. Florida got on the board with an Erik Gudbranson goal, made possible by Kris Versteeg and Stephen Weiss. New York answered back in the second period with an unassisted Derek Stepan goal, his sixth of the season. The Rangers kept going with the second of the year from Steve Eminger, guided in by John Mitchell and Brian Boyle. New York extended the lead again with Marian Gaborik potting his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Anisimov and Stepan. The Rangers made it 6-1 when Stepan scored again, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Michael Del Zotto and Gaborik. This score lasted through the rest of the game to be preserved as a final. Stepan, Del Zotto, and Eminger were awarded the three stars, while Gaborik and Anisimov earn honorable mentions.

NFL Late Games week 14

On the other wave of kickoffs, we have four games. First,

The Denver Broncos welcome the Chicago Bears. The game was scoreless through the first half. Chicago busted things open in the third quarter with Marion Barber's 9 yard touchdown run, and Robbie Gould made the extra point. The Bears added on with Gould kicking a 57 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Denver got on the board as Tim Tebow tossed a 10 yard touchdown to Demaryius Thomas, and Matt Prater tacked on the PAT. Prater tied it late for the Broncos and sent it to overtime with a 59 yard field goal. It was here Denver took the game 13-10 on a Prater field goal from merely 51 yards. The Broncos go to 8-5 and drop Chicago to 7-6.

Also, the Arizona Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco led off with a 46 yard David Akers field goal. Akers added on a 22 yard field goal in the second quarter for the 49ers. Arizona took the lead on a John Skelton touchdown pass to Early Doucet, a 60 yard play capped off by Jay Feely kicking the extra point. San Francisco would lead 12-7 at halftime after two more Akers field goals, from 27 and 22 yards. The 49ers kept extending the lead in the third quarter with a 37 yard touchdown run by Frank Gore, and Akers handled the PAT. The Cardinals got it back when Skelton found Larry Fitzgerald for a 47 yard touchdown reception, and Feely kicked another extra point. Arizona got the lead in the fourth quarter when Skelton found Andre Roberts for a 3 yard touchdown reception, and Feely made another extra point. The Cardinals held on for a 21-19 win, improving them to 6-7 while the 49ers fell to 10-3.

Moving into southern California, the San Diego Chargers host the Buffalo Bills. San Diego opened with Philip Rivers throwing a 9 yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates, and Nick Novak made the extra point. Mike Tolbert added on in the second quarter for the Chargers by rushing 1 yard for a touchdown, but Novak missed the extra point. Novak made up for the earlier failure by booting a 47 yard field goal to make it 16-0 at the half. Buffalo got on the board in the third quarter as Dave Rayner kicked a 37 yard field goal. The Bills got a little closer as Bryan Scott recovered a Rivers fumble and pounced on it in the end zone. The Chargers got back in gear with another Rivers-Gates connection, this time for 2 yards and the touchdown, and Novak was good on the extra point. San Diego went defensive for the next touchdown, as Steve Gregory picked off Ryan Fitzpatrick and took it back 26 yards for the score, allowing Novak to make the ensuing PAT. The Chargers boosted the lead again in the fourth quarter with Rivers tossing a 26 yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton, and Novak once again was good on the extra point. The final was 37-10 and the Chargers are now 6-7 while the Bills go to 5-8.

Finally, the Green Bay Packers host the Oakland Raiders. Green Bay struck first with a 47 yard Ryan Grant touchdown run, and a Mason Crosby extra point. The Packers added on when Aaron Rodgers found Ryan Taylor for a 4 yard touchdown reception, and Crosby again kicked the extra point. Green Bay kept rolling in the second quarter when Crosby nailed a 34 yard field goal. The Packers padded the lead with Rodgers throwing 37 yards to Jordy Neslon for a touchdown, and Crosby made the PAT. Green Bay remained absolutely relentless with Grant running 6 yards into the end zone for another touchdown, and Crosby kept kicking with the extra point. This made it 31-0, which was a score taken into the locker rooms. Crosby kept the Packers strong in the third quarter with a 38 yard field goal. Oakland finally awoke on a 2 yard Michael Bush touchdown run, and Sebastian Janikowski made the extra point. Crosby added on again for Green Bay with a 49 yard field goal. The Packers went defensive to get the next touchdown, as Erik Walden picked up a Marcel Reece fumble and took it back 5 yards to score, allowing Crosby the extra point. Crosby also kicked a 33 yard field goal in the fourth quarter for Green Bay. The Raiders got a couple more points with Matt Flynn getting sacked for a safety by Tommy Kelly. Oakland added on far too late as Carson Palmer connected with Kevin Boss on a 5 yard touchdown, and Janikowski added another extra point. The final was 46-16, and the Packers are now 13-0 while the Raiders fell to 7-6.

NFL Early Games week 14

Nine games on this morning, starting off in...

Washington, D.C., as the Redskins welcome the New England Patriots. New England opened the scoring on a Vince Wilfork fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown, and Stephen Gostkowski made the extra point. Washington got on the board when Graham Gano kicked a 24 yard field goal. The Patriots replied with an 11 yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski, and Gostkowski was true with the extra point again. The Redskins got it back with Rex Grossman passing 9 yards to Jabar Gaffney for a touchdown, and Gano had the extra point. Washington took the lead with Brandon Banks throwing 49 yards for a touchdown to Santana Moss, and Gano added on the extra point. New England retied it with Gostkowski's 23 yard field goal. The Redskins reclaimed the lead as Gano was true from 25 yards with the field goal. The Patriots would have none of it, tying the score at 20 as the first half expired on Gostkowski's 24 yard field goal. New England was back to work in the third quarter, as Brady found Gronkowski on a pass, eventually becoming a touchdown after the catch and run. Washington retied it again when Grossman passed 6 yards to David Anderson, and Gano added on another PAT. The Patriots retook the lead once more with Brady throwing a 24 yard touchdown to Wes Welker, and Gostkowski was there to make the extra point. This would hold up during a scoreless fourth quarter, allowing a 34-27 New England win, improving them to 10-3 and pushing the Redskins down to 4-9.

Southwest to Tennessee, where the Titans host the New Orleans Saints. John Kasay put New Orleans up early with his 25 yard field goal. Tennessee evened it in the second quarter when Rob Bironas nailed a 43 yard field goal. Kasay made it 6-3 Saints at halftime on a 29 yard field goal. New Orleans added on to the lead in the third quarter with a 22 yard Kasay field goal. The Titans took the lead with Jake Locker running 6 yards for a touchdown, and Bironas making the PAT. The Saints reclaimed the lead with Drew Brees throwing 35 yards to Marques Colston for a touchdown, and Kasay kicking an extra point. New Orleans tacked a few more on as Brees found Colston again, this time a 28 yard touchdown, but they failed on the two point conversion in the fourth quarter. Tennessee got back in their groove with a Locker touchdown pass of 40 yards to Nate Washington, and Bironas made the extra point. The final was 22-17 Saints, even after a furious comeback attempt from the Titans, and New Orleans became 10-3 while Tennessee became 7-6.

Down to Miami, where the Dolphins host the Philadelphia Eagles. Matt Moore led off for Miami by throwing 16 yards to find Brandon Marshall for the touchdown, and Dan Carpenter made the extra point. Philadelphia tied it in the second quarter as LeSean McCoy ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Alex Henery made his own extra point. The Eagles grabbed the lead on a 1 yard run by McCoy, also finding the end zone for a touchdown, and Henery made the PAT. Philadelphia extended their lead with Henery kicking a 40 yard field goal. The Eagles rolled on with a Michael Vick touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson, a 34 yard play, and Henery iced it on the extra point. Philadelphia owned a 24-7 lead heading into the locker rooms. The Dolphins pulled back in the third quarter on a 22 yard Carpenter field goal. The Eagles added on with a safety by sacking J.P. Losman. This made it 26-10, the eventual final, where Philadelphia improves to 5-8 and Miami falls to 4-9.

North a tad to Carolina, with the Panthers hosting the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta struck first on a Matt Ryan touchdown pass of 5 yards to Roddy White, and Matt Bryant made the extra point. Carolina evened the score as Cam Newton found Jeremy Shockey for a 6 yard touchdown, and Olindo Mare made the PAT. The Panthers got a safety as Antwan Applewhite sacked Ryan for a safety. Carolina continued to attack with a 74 yard DeAngelo Williams touchdown run, and Mare made the extra point. The Panthers added on again with Newton throwing 44 yards to Greg Olsen for a touchdown, and Mare made the extra point. This made it 23-7 at the half. Bryant pulled the Falcons closer in the third quarter with a 30 yard field goal. Atlanta charged even closer to evening the game as Ryan found Jacquizz Rodgers for a 31 yard touchdown pass, and Bryant made another extra point. The Falcons finally grabbed the lead when Ryan found Julio Jones for a 17 yard touchdown play, and Bryant's extra point put them in the lead. Atlanta extended the lead with Ryan tossing to Jones, and Jones found the end zone for a 75 yard catch and run play, allowing Bryant an extra point. The Falcons held on and won 31-23, improving to 8-5 while Carolina fell to 4-9.

Back into Florida, as the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay was first to score as LeGarrette Blount ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Connor Barth tallied an extra point. The Buccaneers extended the lead on a 13 yard touchdown run for Josh Freeman, and Barth again made the extra point. Jacksonville got on the board with Nick Harris punting to Preston Parker, who ran around and lost 12 yards before coughing the ball up for Colin Cloherty, who took it the next 8 yards for a touchdown, and Josh Scobee happily tacked on the extra point. The Jaguars tied it on a 1 yard Maurice Jones-Drew touchdown run, and Scobee made the extra point. Jacksonville took the lead when Freeman fumbled and Nate Collins pounced on it in the end zone, for a touchdown, with Scobee supplying the PAT. The Jaguars took a 28-14 lead into the locker rooms when Blaine Gabbert tossed a 5 yard touchdown pass to Jones-Drew, and yet again, Scobee had the extra point. After a quiet third quarter, Gabbert and Jones-Drew did a reenactment of the previous touchdown, as they connected with 5 yards in between again, and Scobee's extra point made it 35-14 Jacksonville. Just for good measure, the Jaguars made it 41-14 after Jones-Drew banged in a 1 yard touchdown run, but they showboated a bit and failed on the two point attempt. This was a final, and both teams moved to 4-9.

Heading up to Cincinnati, where the Bengals host the Houston Texans. Neil Rackers got Houston going with a 46 yard field goal. Mike Nugent took the lead for Cincinnati on a pair of field goals, from 22 and 47 yards. The Bengals extended the lead with Andy Dalton connecting with Jerome Simpson for 17 yards and a touchdown, and Nugent had the extra point. Nugent tallied a 49 yard field goal for Cincinnati to make it 16-3 before halftime. The Texans got within striking distance when T.J. Yates threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to Joel Dreessen, and Rackers nailed the PAT, all in the third quarter. Nugent re-extended the Bengals lead with a 28 yard field goal. Houston pulled closer again with a 33 yard Rackers field goal in the fourth quarter. The Texans would win 20-19 after Yates threw 6 yards to Kevin Walter, and Rackers made the go-ahead extra point. Houston is now 10-3 and the Bengals fell to 7-6.

Farther north, the Detroit Lions welcome the Minnesota Vikings. Detroit was defensive on its first touchdown as Christian Ponder fumbled and Stephen Tulloch fell on it for a touchdown, with Jason Hanson kicking the extra point. The Lions tacked on another touchdown with a 57 yard connection between Matthew Stafford and Titus Young, allowing another Hanson extra point. Detroit rolled on as Stafford tossed a 12 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew, and Hanson supplied another extra point. Minnesota got on the board when Ponder threw 7 yards for a touchdown to Visanthe Shiancoe, and Ryan Longwell had the extra point. The Lions got going again in the second quarter, going defensive again when Alphonso Smith picked off Ponder and took it back 30 yards for a touchdown. The Vikings got a few more back with Ponder tossing 6 yards to Percy Harvin for a touchdown, and Longwell added another PAT. Hanson made it 31-14 before the half by kicking a 30 yard field goal for Detroit. Minnesota got some back with a 65 yard Joe Webb run for a touchdown, and Longwell kicked another extra point. The Lions added a few more insurance points with Hanson's 26 yard field goal. The Vikings came surging back with Webb tossing a 2 yard touchdown to Toby Gerhart, and Longwell's extra point put them within striking distance. Detroit weathered a late storm to win 34-28, and improved to 8-5 while sending Minnesota reeling to 2-11.

Over to New York (Jersey) where the Jets host the Kansas City Chiefs. New York got going first with a 1 yard Mark Sanchez touchdown run, and Nick Folk had the extra point. Kansas City got on the board with Ryan Succop kicking a 53 yard field goal. The Jets replied back in the second quarter with Sanchez tossing 4 yards for Santonio Holmes, who caught it for the touchdown, and Folk made another extra point. New York added on again with a 7 yard touchdown run for Shonn Greene, and Folk tacked on an extra point. The Jets made it 28-3 at the half with Sanchez throwing 19 yards to LaDainian Tomlinson for a touchdown, and Folk made another extra point. New York added on some more in the third quarter when Sanchez rushed 3 yards for a touchdown, and Folk again made an extra point. The Chiefs got a few back with a 24 yard Tyler Palko touchdown pass to Jerheme Urban in the fourth quarter, and Succop made the extra point. Adding insult to Kansas City was a poorly timed backwards rush of a yard by Jackie Battle, resulting in a Jets safety, and a 37-10 score. This was a final, making New York 8-5 and Kansas City 5-8.

Finally, in Baltimore, the Ravens host the Indianapolis Colts. Baltimore opened on a Joe Flacco touchdown pass to Torrey Smith, an 8 yard play, capped off by Billy Cundiff's extra point. Cundiff later added a 36 yard field goal. The Ravens stayed strong in the second quarter with a 6 yard touchdown run by Ray Rice, and Cundiff supplied another extra point. Indianapolis got on the board with a 22 yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri. The score was 17-3 Ravens at the half. The Ravens kept up the attack in the third quarter as Flacco found Dennis Pitta on a 7 yard touchdown pass, and Cundiff made the PAT. As time expired for the game, the Colts scored a Dan Orlovsky touchdown pass to Jacob Tamme, a 13 yard play, and Vinatieri made it 24-10 with the extra point. Baltimore improves to 10-3 while the Colts are now 0-13.