Ten games to be played tonight, beginning with the...
Washington Capitals hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Tomas Vokoun got the starts. Washington started the scoring in the third period as Alex Ovechkin sank his twenty-third of the season, a power play goal powered by Alexander Semin and Dennis Wideman. Semin extended the Capitals lead with a power play goal of his own, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Ovechkin and Wideman. Winnipeg got one back as Evander Kane scored his nineteenth of the season, a power play goal assisted by Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien. Byfuglien tied it for the Jets with his seventh of the year just twelve seconds later, another power play goal, going in unassisted. Winnipeg ended up winning with Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little overpowering Ovechkin and Washington in the shootout, for a 3-2 win. The three stars were awarded to Ovechkin, Semin, and Pavelec (32 for 34 in saves), while Byfuglien and Wideman get honorable mentions.
Next up, the New Jersey Devils welcomed the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Johan Hedberg began in goal, but Halak was pulled for Brian Elliott in the middle of the second period. New Jersey opened with a Zach Parise power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Ilya Kovalchuk and Kurtis Foster. Chris Stewart tied it for the St. Louis with his eleventh of the year, assisted by Vladimir Sobotka and Chris Porter. The Blues gained the lead in the second period as David Perron netted his seventh of the season, with the help of David Backes and Barret Jackman. The Devils retied it when Adam Henrique made his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Andy Greene and Alexei Ponikarovsky. New Jersey gained the lead again with Patrik Elias registering his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Kovalchuk and Petr Sykora. St. Louis evened the game when Patrik Berglund put away his thirteenth of the year, and Roman Polak and Chris Stewart had the assists. The Blues beat the Devils in the shootout on a lone T.J. Oshie goal for a 4-3 win. Kovalchuk, Stewart, and Parise took the three stars.
Westward a bit to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Curtis Sanford play in the creases. Dallas led off with a Jamie Benn goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Stephane Robidas and Steve Ott. The Stars added on with Alex Goligoski netting his seventh of the year, courtesy of Tomas Vincour and Mike Ribeiro. Dallas kept going in the second period with Robidas potting his fourth of the season, with helpers provided by Ribeiro and Goligoski. Vinny Prospal got one back for Columbus with his tenth of the year, a power play goal set up by Fedor Tyutin and Derick Brassard. The Blue Jackets pulled closer as Rick Nash made his eighteenth of the season, also a power play goal, powered by Brassard and Tyutin. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with Benns notching his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, an empty net goal going in unassisted. The three stars went to Robidas, Brassard, and Goligoski, while Benn, Ribeiro, and Tyutin deserve honorable mentions.
Backtracking to New York, where the Islanders host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Evgeni Nabokov took care of the cages. Montreal opened with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Erik Cole. Pacioretty extended the Canadiens lead in the second period with his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, made possible by David Desharnais. Montreal added on again in the third period as Scott Gomez, a power play goal powered by Raphael Diaz and Chris Campoli. New York got one back as Matt Moulson potted his twenty-fourth of the season, a power play goal set up by John Tavares and P.A. Parenteau. The Islanders got closer with a Mark Streit goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Kyle Okposo. The Canadiens iced it at 4-2 when Pacioretty tallied an empty netter, his twenty-second of the campaign, to finish his hat trick, and Tomas Plekanec picked up the assist. The three stars were Pacioretty, Streit, and Gomez.
In the same general region, the New York Rangers brought in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Martin Biron wore the masks tonight. Tampa Bay led off with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Brett Connolly and J.T. Wyman. New York answered in the second period with a Ryan Callahan power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Michael Del Zotto and Derek Stepan. Stepan soon gave the Rangers the lead with his eleventh of the season, made possible by Dan Girardi and Marian Gaborik. Twenty-one seconds after that, the Lightning retied it with the twenty-first of the year by Vincent Lecavalier, passed through Teddy Purcell and Matt Gilroy. Tampa Bay gained the lead with Bruno Gervais notching his fourth of the season on the power play, powered by Stamkos and Martin St. Louis. New York tied it again as Brian Boyle netted his fifth of the year in the third period, with help from Carl Hagelin and Anton Stralman. The Rangers beat the Lightning in overtime as Brad Richards struck with his seventeenth of the campaign, guided in by Artem Anisimov and Del Zotto. Boyle, Richards, and Callahan got the three stars, while the honorable mentions were Stamkos, Stepan, and Del Zotto.
Into Philadelphia, where the Flyers hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Sergei Bobrovsky are in front of the nets. Philadelphia opened with an interesting series of events, as Scott Hartnell recorded his twenty-sixth of the season, and Erik Gustafsson had the lone assist, while Hartnell dropped the gloves with Dion Phaneuf. Toronto evened the score in the second period as Tyler Bozak potted his eleventh of the year, thanks to Phil Kessel and Luke Schenn. The Flyers retook the lead on a Max Talbot goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Andrej Meszaros. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a power play goal by Joffrey Lupul, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Phaneuf and Kessel. Philadelphia again went ahead on a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Hartnell, who clinched a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, and Jaromir Jagr. The Flyers extended the lead as Brayden Schenn put away his sixth of the year, via Danny Briere and Wayne Simmonds. Toronto got one back when Bozak struck again, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, guided in by Luke Schenn and Lupul. There was no third period scoring, so Philadelphia won 4-3. The three stars were given to Hartnell, Giroux, and Lupul, while Kessel, Bozak, and Luke Schenn all earned honorable mentions.
Up north in Ottawa, the Senators hosted the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Alex Auld were given the green light in goal. Ottawa opened when Jason Spezza struck with his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Milan Michalek and Bobby Butler. Nashville tied it on Gabriel Bourque's second of the year, courtesy of Jordin Tootoo and Ryan Suter. The Senators regained the lead on a Chris Phillips goal, fueled by Butler and Spezza. Patric Hornqvist tied it back up again for the Predators, as his sixteenth of the season came on the power play from Suter and Martin Erat. Spezza took the lead back for Ottawa with his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, a power play goal powered by Michalek. The Senators extended the lead with a Phillips goal, his second of the game, another power play goal, set up by Filip Kuba and Nick Foligno. Nashville got as close as 4-3 before losing with an unassisted Erat goal, his thirteenth of the campaign. The three stars ended up being Phillips, Spezza, and Butler, while Erat, Suter, and Michalek get the honorable mentions.
Well to the south, the Florida Panthers brought in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Scott Clemmensen started between the pipes, but Jonathan Bernier replaced Quick for the third period. Florida started the scoring in the second period as Sean Bergenheim scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Marcel Goc and Mike Weaver. The Panthers added on when Mike Santorelli scored his seventh of the year, made possible by Tomas Fleischmann and Shawn Matthias. Los Angeles got one back late in the third period with the fifth of the season by Drew Doughty, fueled by Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Florida iced it at 3-1 with a Matt Bradley empty net goal, with assists provided by Matthias and Jason Garrison. Santorelli, Doughty, and Bergenheim got the three stars, while Matthias earns the honorable mention.
Northwest now to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Niklas Backstrom tended the twines. Minnesota opened with a Dany Heatley goal thirteen seconds into the game, his eighteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Devin Setoguchi. Vancouver tied it with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Alexander Edler and Sami Salo. The Canucks took the lead with an unassisted Maxim Lapierre goal, his sixth of the season. Vancouver added on with Henrik Sedin's second period goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Byron Bitz and Daniel. The Canucks extended the lead again in the third period when Manny Malhotra sent his fifth of the season into the mesh, with guidance from Kevin Bieksa and Jannik Hansen. Setoguchi got one back for the Wild in the third period by registering his eleventh of the year, a power play goal made possible by Nate Prosser. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 when Ryan Kesler deposited his eighteenth of the campaign, an empty goal passed through Alexandre Burrows and David Booth. The three stars were given to Daniel, Schneider (22 for 24 in saves), and Heatley, while Setoguchi gets an honorable mention.
Finally, in Phoenix, the Coyotes do battle with the Calgary Flames. Leland Irving and Mike Smith guard the goalmouths. Phoenix led off as Taylor Pyatt made his seventh of the season, assisted by Rostislav Klesla and Kyle Chipchura. Calgary tied it in the third period with Olli Jokinen registering his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Mark Giordano and Scott Hannan. The Coyotes won it 2-1 in overtime when Shane Doan notched his sixteenth of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Radim Vrbata and Ray Whitney. The three stars were awarded to Doan, Smith (22 for 23 in saves), and Pyatt.
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