Seven games tonight, and we begin in...
New York, where the Rangers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Martin Biron were the goalies of choice tonight. Chicago struck first as Jonathan Toews netted his twenty-eighth of the season on a penalty shot after Dan Girardi fell on the puck. The Blackhawks added on as Nick Leddy recorded his third of the year, thanks to Marian Hossa and Brent Seabrook. Chicago kept going on a Patrick Sharp goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Toews. The Blackhawks extended the lead with Hossa potting his twenty-second of the year, with the help of Patrick Kane and Seabrook. New York got on the board in the second period as Marc Staal scored, assisted by Steve Eminger and Michael Rupp. The Rangers cut the final deficit to 4-2 with a Carl Hagelin goal, his ninth of the campaign, via Ryan McDonagh and Ryan Callahan. Toews, Hossa, and Sharp collected the three stars, while Seabrook earns honorable mention.
Crossing to Pennsylvania, with the Flyers welcoming the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Ilya Bryzgalov picked up the starts in net. Buffalo opened the scoring with Jason Pominville sinking his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Tyler Myers and Derek Roy. The Sabres added on with Thomas Vanek recording his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe. Philadelphia got one back in the second period as Max Talbot netted his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Braydon Coburn and Matt Carle. The Flyers evened it on the power play with Wayne Simmonds' nineteenth of the year, pushed through by Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell. Philadelphia chased Enroth when Simmonds put away his second of the game and twentieth of the season, another power play goal, powered by Hartnell and Giroux. Ryan Miller came on in relief. The Flyers extended the lead with an Erik Gustafsson goal fueled by Jakub Voracek and Giroux, the latter clinching a sock trick. Philadelphia kept rolling in the third period with Talbot's second of the game and sixteenth of the year, via Eric Wellwood and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on again just thirty-one seconds later when Voracek found a home for his tenth of the season, made possible by Hartnell and Giroux, this time with the former having the sock trick. Philadelphia continued the tirade with a Hartnell goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Matt Read and Giroux. The final landed at 7-2 with the three stars handed out to Giroux, Talbot, and Simmonds, while Hartnell and Voracek also receive honorable mentions.
South to Tampa Bay, as the Ligthning welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Dwayne Roloson are in the blue paint. San Jose was first on the scoreboard with a power play goal off the tape of Logan Couture, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Tampa Bay tied it with the thirty-eighth of the year from Steven Stamkos, assisted by Brendan Mikkelson and Steve Downie. The Lightning took the lead with power play goal by Teddy Purcell, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Mikkelson and Stamkos. The Sharks retied it in the second period on a Michal Handzus goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Jamie McGinn and Torrey Mitchell. Tampa Bay took the lead again on a Downie goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Eric Brewer and Victor Hedman. Twenty-nine seconds later, San Jose had tied it again, as Marc-Edouard Vlasic put his fourth of the year in the cage, via Ryane Clowe and Tommy Wingels. The Sharks gained the lead with Colin White scoring, helped along by McGinn and Mitchell. The Lightning got another equalizer with Stamkos registering his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the season, passed through Hedman and Ryan Malone. Tampa Bay gained the lead with Martin St. Louis sinking his seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Vincent Lecavalier and Purcell. San Jose tied it back up as Wingels put his second of the season in the twine, with the help of Couture and Dan Boyle. The Lightning took the game 6-5 in overtime as St. Louis put his second of the night and eighteenth of the year down, and Hedman and Stamkos provided the necessary assistance. The three stars were awarded to Stamkos, Couture, and Mikkelson, while St. Louis, Hedman, Downie, Purcell, Couture, Wingels, Boyle, Mitchell, and McGinn compose the long list of honorable mentions.
Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the New York Islanders. Al Montoya and Brian Elliott will wear the masks tonight. New York drew first blood with a Frans Nielsen goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Michael Grabner and Andrew MacDonald. St. Louis tied it when Jason Arnott potted his thirteenth of the year, set up by Vladimir Sobotka and Roman Polak. The Blues took the lead with David Backes' eighteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Alex Pietrangelo and T.J. Oshie. St. Louis extended the lead as Andy McDonald scored, with the help of Jamie Langenbrunner and Patrik Berglund. The Blues added on with a David Perron power play goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Piterangelo and Oshie. St. Louis kept rolling as Oshie put away his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Pietrangelo for a sock trick and Kent Huskins. There was no scoring in the third period, so the final was 5-1, and Pietrangelo, Elliott (26 for 27 in saves), and Oshie got the three stars.
North further to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Chris Mason and Niklas Backstrom got the starting nods. Minnesota struck first on a Devin Setoguchi goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley. Winnipeg tied it late in the first period with Evander Kane notching his twentieth of the year, thanks to Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets claimed the lead in the second period with another Kane goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, guided in by Kyle Wellwood and Alex Burmistrov. The Wild got an equalizer as Setoguchi nailed his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Nate Prosser and Marco Scandella. Minnesota took the lead in the third period as Koivu put his tenth of the season away, via Jared Spurgeon and Setoguchi. Winnipeg evened the ledger again on a Burmistrov goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Byfuglien and Kane. The game went to a shootout, where the Jets used Blake Wheeler and Kane tallies to overpower the Wild's only goal from Erik Christensen for a 4-3 win. The three stars were Kane, Setoguchi, and Spurgeon, while the honorable mentions include Burmistrov, Byfuglien, and Koivu.
Well to the south, the Dallas Stars host the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Kari Lehtonen tend the twines. Dallas led off with an Adam Burish goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jake Dowell and Tom Wandell. Calgary tied it late in the first period as Jarome Iginla notched his twenty-third of the year, thanks to Alex Tanguay and Olli Jokinen. The Stars took the lead again in the second period as Steve Ott put his ninth of the season in the cage, a power play goal powered by Mike Ribeiro. The Flames tied it in the third period as Michael Cammalleri recorded his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Jay Bouwmeester. Dallas took the game with a Ribeiro goal in overtime, his twelfth of the campaign, with assists provided by Michael Ryder and Trevor Daley. The three stars were awarded to Ribeiro, Burish, and Lehtonen (25 for 26 in saves).
Finally, the Los Angeles Kings hosted the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. We begin with a first period fight night. First up, Phoenix's Shane Doan dueled with fellow captain Dustin Brown of Los Angeles. Later in the period, the Kings' Mike Richards dropped the mitts with Martin Hanzal of the Coyotes. Finally, rounding out the fight trick, Colin Fraser of Los Angeles went at it with Raffi Torres of Phoenix. Phoenix got the scoring started in the second period as Radim Vrbata netted his twenty-seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Ray Whitney and Keith Yandle. After a final third period dust-up between Kevin Westgarth of the Kings and Paul Bissonnette of the Coyotes, time expired and Phoenix won 1-0. The three stars were Smith (28 save shutout), Quick (20 for 21 in saves), and Vrbata.
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