Wednesday, February 15, 2012

NHL Day 133 2011-2012

We will run with five games this evening, and we begin in...

Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Marc-Andre Fleury tended the twines. Pittsburgh opened with a Jordan Staal goal, his seventeenth of the season, with a lone assist provided by Pascal Dupuis. Anaheim tied it on a Corey Perry goal in the second period, assisted by Bobby Ryan and Luca Sbisa as his twenty-eighth of the year. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with Teemu Selanne depositing his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Matt Beleskey and Sheldon Brookbank. This was it for scoring, leaving it at 2-1 for a final. The three stars were Selanne, Staal, and Perry.

Up to Montreal, where the Canadiens host their fierce rivals, the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Carey Price are between the pipes. Boston led off with an Andrew Ference goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Brad Marchand. Montreal tied it in the second period as Mathieu Darche netted his fifth of the year, a shorthanded goal with a lone helper from P.K. Subban. The Bruins took the lead again as Benoit Pouliot registered his ninth of the season, guided in by Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley. Boston extended their lead with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Tyler Seguin and Zdeno Chara. The Canadiens got one back in the third period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, via David Desharnais and Erik Cole. Montreal tied it when Cole found a place for his twenty-second of the year, an unassisted goal. The Bruins took the game 4-3 with a lone Seguin shootout tally. The three stars were awarded to Seguin, Cole, and Bergeron.

Well to the south, the Florida Panthers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Scott Clemmensen are the masked men. Ottawa struck first on Jim O'Brien goal, made possible by Nick Foligno and Brian Lee. Florida answered with Shawn Matthias recording his tenth of the season, courtesy of Mike Weaver. The Senators gained the lead again in the second period when Kaspars Daugavins put away his fourth of the year, thanks to Lee and Erik Condra. Ottawa added on with a Bobby Butler goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza. The Senators extended the lead again with a Daniel Alfredsson goal, his twentieth of the year, a shorthanded goal passed through Daugavins, prompting Jose Theodore to replace Clemmensen. Ottawa kept going in the third period when Michalek scored his twenty-fifth of the season, with help from Erik Karlsson and Spezza. The Panthers pulled back a bit with Brian Campbell sinking his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Sean Bergernheim and Tomas Fleischmann. The Senators got it back with a Filip Kuba power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, with Spezza and Alfredsson getting the assists, the former taking a sock trick as well. The final stuck at 6-2, and the three stars were handed out to Anderson (42 for 44 in saves), Daugavins, and Michalek, while Spezza, Alfredsson, and Lee get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Nikolai Khabibulin get the starting nods. Toronto started the scoring with a Joffrey Lupul goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Phil Kessel and Keith Aulie. The Maple Leafs added on quickly when Matthew Lombardi scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Cody Franson. Edmonton got one back as Ben Eager netted his seventh of the season, and Lennart Petrell picked up the only assist. The Oilers tied it in the second period as Taylor Hall deposited his twentieth of the year into the cage, receiving help from Sam Gagner and Andy Sutton. Toronto took the lead in the third period as Jake Gardiner made his third of the season on the power play, powered by Clarke MacArthur and Franson. Edmonton got another equalizer as Jordan Eberle put away his twenty-fifth of the year, via Ryan Whitney. The Maple Leafs won it 4-3 in overtime with the eighth of the campaign for Tim Connolly, and Lupul had the lone helper. The three stars belonged to Franson, Hall, and Lupul.

Finally, a tad to the west, the Vancouver Canucks host the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Roberto Luongo play in goal tonight. Vancouver opened thirteen seconds in with a David Booth goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mason Raymond and Kevin Bieksa. Giguere came out likely due to injury about three-quarters of the way through the first period, replaced by Semyon Varlamov. Colorado evened the score in the second period with an Erik Johnson goal, his third of the year, fueled by Milan Hejduk and David Jones. The Canucks gained the lead with a third period Jannik Hansen goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Cody Hodgson. Vancouver finished at 3-1 when Alexandre Burrows netted an empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, made possible by Chris Higgins and Ryan Kesler. Luongo (29 for 30 in saves), Booth, and Gabriel Landeskog had the three stars, while any point earner may claim the third slot.

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