NHL Day 107 2011-2012

Four games on this Friday in January. Thankfully, the power has remained on amidst the snow, ice, rain, wind, and various weather problems up in Washington. We lead off with...

The other Washington (D.C.), Capitals visiting the Carolina Hurricanes. Tomas Vokoun and Cam Ward made the starts. Carolina led off with a Jussi Jokinen shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Eric Staal. Jokinen added on for the Hurricanes in the late second period, his second of the game and seventh of the year coming on the power play from Jay Harrison and Tim Brent. Carolina iced it 3-0 in the third period with a late Jiri Tlusty power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, powered by Staal and Tim Gleason. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Ward (23 save shutout), Jokinen, and Staal.

Northward to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Marc-Andre Fleury get the starting nods. Montreal led off with a Lars Eller goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of P.K. Subban. Pittsburgh tied it with a Kris Letang goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Pascal Dupuis and Dustin Jeffrey. The Canadiens retook the lead with an Erik Cole goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Andrei Kostitsyn and Tomas Kaberle. Montreal added on in the second period as Kostitsyn potted his eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Kaberle and David Desharnais. The Penguins pulled back with a shorthanded Jeffrey goal, made possible by Zbynek Michalek. The Canadiens answered with a Max Pacioretty goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Cole and the goalie Budaj. Pittsburgh lashed out in the third period with another Jeffrey goal, his second of the night, via Tyler Kennedy. The Penguins evened it as Evgeni Malkin recorded his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by James Neal and Letang. Pittsburgh capped a 5-4 come from behind victory with a lone shootout tally by Malkin, knocking off Montreal. The three stars were Jeffrey, Malkin, and Cole, with honorable mentions for Letang, Kaberle, and Kostitsyn.

Southwest to Dallas, where the Stars hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Kari Lehtonen play between the pipes. Tampa Bay got going on a Teddy Purcell goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Martin St. Louis and Bruno Gervais. Dallas got on the board in the third period as Tom Wandell netted his third of the year, with a lone assist from Loui Eriksson. The Lightning struck back with a Purcell goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, fueled by St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier. The final stood at 2-1, and the three stars were awarded to Purcell, St. Louis, and Wandell.

Finally, backtracking a tad to Chicago as the Blackhawks host the farm team the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Ray Emery are in the blue paint. Chicago got going on a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Patrick Kane and Viktor Stalberg. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Duncan Keith put his third of the year away on the power play, powered by Marian Hossa and Nick Leddy. Chicago added on in the second period with an unassisted Kane goal, his eleventh of the season. Florida got on the board in the third period as Jason Garrison notched his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Dmitry Kulikov and Tomas Kopecky on the power play. The final stood at 3-1 with the three stars as Kane, Toews, and Keith.