A whopping thirteen games on tonight. We begin in...
New York City, as the Rangers host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Henrik Lundqvist will tend the twines. New York got things started in the third period on a Ruslan Fedotenko goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Brian Boyle and Carl Hagelin. Phoenix tied it with a Radim Vrbata goal, his twentieth of the year, thanks to Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Michal Rozsival. The game went to a shootout, where the Rangers downed the Coyotes after Marian Gaborik and Derek Stepan overpowered Vrbata. Lundqvist (18 for 19 in saves), Stepan, and Smith (31 for 32 in saves) had the three stars.
Northward to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Jonas Gustavsson earned the coach's approval to start. Toronto opened when Nikolai Kulemin potted his fifth of the season, thanks to Cody Franson and Carl Gunnarsson on the power play. The Maple Leafs added on with a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Kulemin and Joey Crabb. This was all there was for scoring, leaving the game at 2-0, and the three stars were Gustavsson (32 save shutout), Kulemin, and Grabovski.
Back to the Atlantic coast, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cam Ward will be in the creases. The scoring began in the second period with Philadelphia's Brayden Schenn notching his second of the season, with the help of Wayne Simmonds. Carolina replied with Jerome Samson scoring on the power play, powered by Justin Faulk and Eric Staal. The Flyers took the lead again on a Sean Couturier goal, his seventh of the year, pushed through by Harry Zolnierczyk. This was all they needed to win 2-1, giving the three stars to Couturier, Samson, and Bobrovsky (34 for 35 in saves).
Up the coast, the Boston Bruins take on the Winnipeg Jets from TD Garden. Ondrej Pavelec and Tuukka Rask are the dueling goaltenders. Winnipeg began when Andrew Ladd potted his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Zach Bogosian and Tobias Enstrom. Boston answered with a Nathan Horton goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Milan Lucic and David Krejci. The Jets took the lead again in the second period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his ninth of the season, thanks to Enstrom and Bogosian. The Bruins tied it again with a Shawn Thornton penalty shot conversion, good as his fourth of the year, resulting from a Tim Stapleton hold. Eric Fehr put Winnipeg back in front with a goal, and Stapleton had the lone assist to make up for his previous error. Boston retied it eight seconds into the third period on another Horton tally, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, guided in by Krejci and Lucic. The Bruins gained the lead when Tyler Seguin sent his seventeenth of the year into the cage, with helpers provided by Patrice Bergeron. Boston struck again with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his eighth of the season coming on the power play via Bergeron and Rich Peverley. This made it 5-3, the final, and the three stars went to Horton, Thornton, and Krejci, while Lucic, Bogosian, Enstrom, and Bergeron get honorable mentions.
Into Pennsylvania, where the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Brent Johnson received the starts, but Johnson flubbed his and was replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury in the early second period. Ottawa dealt the first blow with a Chris Neil goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Kyle Turris and Nick Foligno. The Senators added on with a Bobby Butler goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Foligno. Ottawa roared on and chased Johnson with a second period Jason Spezza goal, his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Colin Greening and Chris Phillips. The Senators extended the lead again with a Milan Michalek power play goal, his twenty-first of the year going in off a skate in a controversial play, powered by Greening and Spezza. Pittsburgh got going with the seventeenth of the season by Evgeni Malkin, an unassisted goal. Ottawa kept rolling in the third period as Michalek scored again, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, fueled by Greening, who gets and sock trick, and Filip Kuba. The final rested at 5-1, with the three stars being Michalek, Spezza, and Greening, with honorable mention to Foligno.
In roundabout fashion, we're back in New York to see the Islanders host the Detroit Red Wings. Ty Conklin and Evgeni Nabokov are tasked with stopping the puck. New York drew first blood as Matt Moulson scored his nineteenth of the season, a power play goal coming from P.A. Parenteau and Mark Streit. The Islanders kept going in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Kyle Okposo. Okposo added the next goal for New York as his ninth of the season found twine, thanks to Tavares and Moulson. The Islanders extended the lead again with a Michael Grabner goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Matt Martin and Streit. Detroit got on the board in the third period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his fifth of the season, pushed through by Jakub Kindl and Tomas Holmstrom. New York iced it at 5-1 with Moulson's second of the game and twentieth of the year, via Streit for a sock trick and Tavares. The three stars were Tim Wallace, Nabokov (23 for 24 in saves), and Moulson, while Tavares, Okposo, and Streit have valid cases for honorable mention.
Back in Canada again, as the Montreal Canadiens take on the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak returns to face his former understudy, Carey Price, from the nets. St. Louis opened the scoring in the second period with the tenth of the season by Jason Arnott, assisted by Ryan Reaves and Vladimir Sobotka. The Blues extended the lead with a David Backes goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Chris Stewart and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis struck again in the third period on a Stewart goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Backes. The final was 3-0, and the three stars easily went to Halak (19 save shutout), Backes, and Arnott, while Stewart earns an honorable mention.
A bit to the west, the Minnesota Wild host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Josh Harding wear the goalie masks. Minnesota opened as Cal Clutterbuck registered his eleventh of the season, with the help of Casey Wellman and Marek Zidlicky. San Jose tied it with a Dan Boyle power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. The Wild took the lead again on a Warren Peters second period goal, set up by Justin Falk and David McIntyre. Minnesota extended the lead in the third period as Nick Johnson sank his fifth of the season, assisted by Dany Heatley and Falk. The Sharks shot back with Benn Ferriero registering his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Boyle. The Wild answered with a Matt Cullen goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Wellman and Clutterbuck. Logan Couture got San Jose going again with his seventeenth of the campaign, fueled by Brent Burns and Boyle. The Sharks tied it on Marleau's sixteenth of the year, thanks to Thornton and Joe Pavelski. Minnesota would take the game anyway in the shootout, using goals by Cullen and Mikko Koivu to propel themselves to a 5-4 win. The three stars were Cullen, Clutterbuck, and Wellman, while Boyle, Falk, Thornton, and Marleau all played well too.
Southeast to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning will host the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Dwayne Roloson will guard the goalmouths. Vancouver led off with an Alexander Edler goal, his seventh of the season, thanks to Alexander Sulzer and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks added on with a Jannik Hansen shorthanded goal, his thirteenth of the year made possible by Dan Hamhuis. Tampa Bay got going in the second period as Steven Stamkos recorded his twenty-ninth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Malone and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Vancouver got it back as Manny Malhotra scord his fourth of the year, with guidance from Mike Duco and Keith Ballard. The Lightning pulled back with a Vincent Lecavalier goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Stamkos and Matt Gilroy. The Canucks replied on a Ryan Kesler goal thirty seconds later and with two seconds left in the period, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Mason Raymond and Cody Hodgson. Tampa Bay pulled back in the third period as Teddy Purcell potted his seventh of the season, assisted by Pavel Kubina and Martin St. Louis. The Lightning tied it with a Malone goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by St. Louis and Lecavalier. Vancouver took the game 5-4 in a shootout with a lone Raymond tally. The three stars went to Raymond, Stamkos, and St. Louis while Lecavalier and Malone earn honorable mentions.
Back to the Midwest, as the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis Sanford and Corey Crawford stand in the blue paint. Chicago got things going in the second period with a shorthanded Dave Bolland goal, his tenth of the season, and Marian Hossa had the only assist. Columbus tied it up with an R.J. Umberger goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of David Savard and Aaron Johnson. The Blackhawks regained the lead when Viktor Stalberg put away his tenth of the season, thanks to Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Chicago rolled on in the third period with another Stalberg goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, coming off of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brent Seabrook. Twenty-seven seconds later, the Blackhawks extended their lead as Ben Smith notched his second of the season, with the help of Bryan Bickell ad Sean O'Donnell. The Blue Jackets shot back with an Antoine Vermette goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Ryan Johansen and Johnson. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with Stalberg finishing his hat trick into the empty net for his twelfth of the campaign, from Bolland. The three stars went out to Stalberg, Hossa, and Umberger, while Bolland and Johnson earn the honorable mentions.
Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche take on the Nashville Predators at Pepsi Center. Pekka Rinne and Semyon Varlamov will take to the nets. Nashville opened with Nick Spaling netting his sixth of the season, thanks to Jordin Tootoo and Gabriel Bourque. Ryan Ellis added on for the Predators with his second of the year, a power play goal set up by Roman Josi and Martin Erat. Nashville kept it going when Erat potted his ninth of the season, via Mike Fisher and Ryan Suter. Colorado got on the board late in the second period as Ryan O'Reilly netted his eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Paul Stastny. The Predators iced it at 4-1 when Patric Hornqvist sank his twelfth of the campaign in the third period, and Ellis had the only helper. Rinne (32 for 33 in saves), Erat, and O'Reilly were the three stars, while Ellis gets the honorable mention.
Into Canada we go again, as the Calgary Flames host the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Miikka Kiprusoff are between the irons. Calgary struck first on a Jay Bouwmeester's second of the season, helped along by Jarome Iginla and Chris Butler. The Flames added on with a Cory Sarich goal, made possible by Mikael Backlund and Lance Bouma, chasing Brodeur away in favor of Johan Hedberg. Calgary extended the lead again with Curtis Glencross recording his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Olli Jokinen and Iginla. Shortly after this, Iginla and Henrique dropped the gloves.The Flames kept the blitz going as T.J. Brodie put his second of the season away on the power play, powered by Bouwmeester and Glencross. New Jersey got on the board in the second period as Ilya Kovalchuk deposited his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Adam Henrique and Zach Parise. Lee Stempniak quickly answered back for Calgary with his ninth of the season, passed through by Backlund and Glencross. The Devils shot back just as fast with a Henrique shorthanded goal, finishing off a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Parise and Adam Larsson. New Jersey crept closer in the third period on a Patrik Elias power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assistance from Kovalchuk and Kurtis Foster. The Flames got some breathing room as Iginla nailed his seventeenth of the year to finish off his own Gordie Howe Hat Trick, helped out by Jokinen and Glencross, the latter clinching a sock trick. This made it 6-3, the final, with Iginla, Glencross, and Henrique taking the three stars and the honoravle mentions going to Parise, Kovalchuk, Bouwmeester, Jokinen, Backlund, and Stempniak.
Finally, in California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jeff Deslauriers are in front of the twines. Anaheim drew first blood when Saku Koivu recorded his seventh of the season, and a lone assist came from Toni Lydman. The Ducks added on with a Luca Sbisa goal in the second period, his second of the year, via Kyle Palmieri. Dallas got going in the third period with a Steve Ott goal, his seventh of the season, pushed through by Michael Ryder and Nicklas Grossman. The Stars tied it when Alex Goligoski scored his fourth of the year, guided in by Ott and Jamie Benn. Anaheim retook the lead on the second Koivu goal of the night, his eighth of the season, assisted by Teemu Selanne and Francois Beauchemin. Matt Beleskey added to the Ducks lead, and the assist came from Andrew Cogliano. Anaheim iced it at 5-2 with Koivu finishing his hat trick on his ninth of the year, thanks to Selanne and Hagman. The three stars went out to Koivu, Cogliano, and Sbisa, while Selanne and Ott get honorable mentions.
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