We have nine games going amidst the swirling rumors of trade. We begin on the Atlantic coast with...
The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Justin Peters will get the starting nods. Caroling led off with a Jerome Samson goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Eric Staal and Jiri Tlusty. Anaheim tied it on a Luca Sbisa goal, his fourth of the year, with the help of Nick Bonino and Devante Smith-Pelly. The Hurricanes regained the lead in the second period with a Jamie McBain goal, his sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Jaroslav Spacek and Anthony Stewart. The Ducks tied it again in the third period with Corey Perry sinking his thirtieth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. The game went to a shootout, where Anaheim took the win with a lone Saku Koivu goal, toppling Carolina 3-2. The three stars were given to Perry, Hiller (30 for 32 in saves), and McBain.
Up in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and James Reimer will play goal. San Jose got going in the second period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Joe Thornton and Tommy Wingels. The Sharks added on with Marleau scoring his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Logan Couture and Dan Boyle. Toronto got one back in the third period when Jake Gardiner put away his fourth of the season, via Phil Kessel and Luke Schenn. The Maple Leafs failed to tie the game, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Marleau, Niemi (29 for 30 in saves), and Gardiner.
Back stateside, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Vancouver Canucks in a Western Conference showdown. Roberto Luongo and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Detroit took an early lead with Darren Helm recording his seventh of the season, an unassisted goal. Vancouver tied the game in the second period as Daniel Sedin potted his twenty-seventh of the year, with the help of Henrik Sedin and Alexander Edler. The Red Wings retook the lead in the third period with Kyle Quincey depositing his sixth of the season, thanks to Justin Abdelkader and Helm. The Canucks tied it again with a Cody Hodgson goal, his sixteenth of the year, going down unassisted. Detroit took it back with Abdelkader putting his seventh of the season away, via Helm and Drew Miller. Daniel saved the game late for Vancouver, tying it with his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, helped along by Henrik and Ryan Kesler. The Canucks won it in the shootout, with Alexandre Burrows putting the only dagger into the Red Wings' now dead home win streak, as the Canucks take a 4-3 win. The three stars belong to Helm, Daniel, and Howard (40 for 43 in saves), while Henrik and Abdelkader take the honorable mentions.
Down south in Florida, the Panthers host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Jose Theodore were in the blue paint. Florida got things going with a second period power play goal off of Mikael Samuelsson's tape, his eighth of the season, made possible by Stephen Weiss and Tomas Fleischmann. Minnesota tied it on Kyle Brodziak's sixteenth of the year, guided in by Dany Heatley and Marek Zidlicky. The Wild took the lead in the third period with a Matt Cullen power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Heatley and Jared Spurgeon. The Panthers tied it late with a Sean Bergenheim goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Brian Campbell and Samuelsson. Minnesota won the game 3-2 in the shootout with Erik Christensen and Cullen scoring to defeat Florida. The three stars were handed out to Christensen, Heatley, and Bergenheim, while Samuelsson and Cullen get the honorable mentions.
Out west a tad, the Nashville Predators bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Pekka Rinne were the masked men. St. Louis opened with a Chris Stewart goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Jason Arnott and Kris Russell. Nashville tied it in the second period as Roman Josi nailed his third of the year, with the help of Brandon Yip and Matt Halischuk. The Predators took the lead with a Colin Wilson goal, his thirteenth of the season, pushed through by Jordin Tootoo and Nick Spaling. The Blues answered with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his fourth of the year, from David Perron and Patrik Berglund. St. Louis won the game in the shootout with tallies by T.J. Oshie and Andy McDonald for a 3-2 win over Nashville. The three stars were awarded to Sobotka, Wilson, and Josi.
Back north to Winnipeg, with the Jets hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Ondrej Pavelec will play from the creases. Winnipeg started off with an Andrew Ladd goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on with a Tanner Glass goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Chris Thorburn and Mark Flood. Winnipeg rolled on in the second period as Evander Kane netted his twenty-fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Ladd. Byfuglien pushed the Jets farther ahead with a power play goal of his own, his tenth of the year, guided in by Wheeler and Ladd. Dwayne Roloson relieved Garon at this time. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his forty-third of the season, helped along by Ryan Malone and Teddy Purcell. The Lightning pulled closer with fifty-four seconds left in the game as Purcell potted his sixteenth of the year, via Stamkos. Tampa Bay made it 4-3 with nine seconds left as Martin St. Louis recorded his nineteenth of the campaign, a power play goal going in unassisted. The three stars of this chaotic game were Ladd, Byfuglien, and St. Louis, while Stamkos, Purcell, and Wheeler get the honorable mentions.
Southward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars. Richard Bachman and Corey Crawford will try to stop the puck. Chicago was first on the scoreboard with a Marian Hossa goal in the second period, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Jamal Mayers and Michael Frolik. Dallas tied the game in the third period with a Steve Ott goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Trevor Daley. The Stars took the lead with a Michael Ryder goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, getting assistance from Mike Ribeiro. Dallas iced it at 3-1 with Loui Eriksson notching his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Ryder and Ribeiro. The three stars went to Bachman (26 for 27 in saves), Ryder, and Hossa, while Ribeiro gets an honorable mention.
Northwest to Alberta, where the Calgary Flames play host to the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Miikka Kiprusoff tend the twines. Calgary led off with an Alex Tanguay goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames extended the lead with a Matt Stajan goal, his second of the year, fueled by Tanguay and Cory Sarich. Phoenix tied it in the second period with a Daymond Langkow goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Ray Whitney and Mikkel Boedker. The Coyotes tied it with Shane Doan scoring his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle. Phoenix gained the lead in the third period with a Whitney goal, his seventeenth of the season, an unassisted tally. Calgary retied it on Olli Jokinen's nineteenth of the year, with Jarome Iginla and Michael Cammalleri recording the assists on the power play goal. The game was decided in the shootout with a lone Whitney tally for a 4-3 Coyotes over Flames result. The three stars were awarded to Tanguay, Whitney, and Lance Bouma, while any other point earner is a viable third slot candidate.
In the same province, we wrap up the day's games in Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Devan Dubnyk are all padded up. Edmonton got things going in the second period with a power play goal by Taylor Hall, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Ryan Whitney and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers added on with an Eberle goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. These goals held up for a 2-0 Edmonton win, with the three stars being named as Dubnyk (35 save shutout), Eberle, and Whitney.
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