Monday, January 16, 2012

NHL Day 103 2011-2012

Another six games as the USA remembers Martin Luther King, Jr. Beginning with a pair of matinees, we head to...

New York, where the Islanders host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Kevin Poulin will collect the starts. Nashville began with a Sergei Kostitsyn goal, his eleventh of the season, coming on a lone helper from Ryan Ellis. The Predators added on with Matt Halischuk potting his tenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Nashville continued the attack with a David Legwand goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Martin Erat and Colin Wilson. New York pulled as close as 3-1 in the third period due to a John Tavares goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo. Legwand, Rinne (36 for 37 in saves), and Kostitsyn earned the three stars.

The other matinee is in Phoenix, as the Coyotes host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Mike Smith are in the blue paint. Phoenix opened on a Gilbert Brule goal, assisted by Keith Yandle and Taylor Pyatt on the power play. Colorado tied it with a Chuck Kobasew goal, his sixth of the season, thanks to Erik Johnson and Jay McClement. The Coyotes took the lead again on a Shane Doan goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Yandle. Phoenix tallied again in the second period as Doan scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, coming off of Chris Summers and Ray Whitney. The Coyotes extended the lead again on a Boyd Gordon goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Whitney and Derek Morris. Gordon kept Phoenix strong in the third period with his second of the game and fifth of the season, guided in by Radim Vrbata and Summers. The Coyotes iced it on a Rostislav Klesla goal, his second of the year, making it 6-1 via Brule and Kyle Chipchura. The three stars went to Gordon, Doan, and Smith (38 for 39 in saves), while Brule, Summers, Yandle, and Whitney get honorable mentions.

At a regular time, the Ottawa Senators host the Winnipeg Jets. Chris Mason and Craig Anderson get the starting nods. Winnipeg struck early with a Jim Slater goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Chris Thorburn. The Jets extended their lead in the second period as Tobias Enstrom put away his second of the year, thanks to Kyle Wellwood and Andrew Ladd. This held for a 2-0 final over a silent last period, and the three stars went to Enstrom, Slater, and Anderson (33 for 35 in saves), with honorable mention for Mason (25 save shutout).

Southwest a tad, as the St. Louis Blues welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. St. Louis opened the scoring in the third period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of David Perron and Alex Pietrangelo. This was the game's only goal, and the three stars of the 1-0 match were Halak (22 save shutout), Oshie, and Lehtonen (31 for 32 in saves).

Now to the southeast, as the Florida Panthers bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Scott Clemmensen are in front of the cages. Patrice Bergeron put Boston on the board early with his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Benoit Pouliot and Tyler Seguin. Florida tied it on a Jason Garrison goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Mike Weaver and Matt Bradley. The Bruins retook the lead with another Bergeron goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season coming on the power play from Seguin. The Panthers wasted no time in answering, as Shawn Matthias sank his eighth of the year, with the help of Tomas Kopecky and Stephen Weiss. Boston would go on to take the game 3-2 via the means of the shootout, as Bergeron and David Krejci overpowered Weiss. The three stars were Bergeron, Matthias, and Rask (38 for 40 in saves), with Seguin earning honorable mention.

Finishing the night off, the Detroit Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Jimmy Howard tend the twines. Detroit struck first on a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone helper from Jiri Hudler. The Red Wings added on with Johan Franzen potting his eighteenth of the year, thanks to Pavel Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi. Detroit kept going with Nicklas Lidstrom's ninth of the season, assisted by Bertuzzi and Datsyuk. Bertuzzi got things going again for the Red Wings in the second period by tallying his ninth of the year, with the help of Datsyuk, who wrapped up a sock trick. Detroit kept the blitz on high as they chased Miller with the fifth of the season for Darren Helm, made possible by Drew Miller and Danny Cleary. Jhonas Enroth came on in relief. This was all after a scoreless third period, and Datsyuk, Bertuzzi, and Howard (27 save shutout) were the three stars of the 5-0 game.

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