Only four games on Leap Day 2012. We begin with...
The Dallas Stars hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Kari Lehtonen guard the cages. Jamie Benn opened the scoring for Dallas with his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Steve Ott and Adam Burish. Pittsburgh answered with a Steve Sullivan goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Pascal Dupuis and Brooks Orpik. Sheldon Souray gave the Stars a second period lead with his sixth of the season, set up by Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro. The Penguins tied it again in the third period as Craig Adams notched his fourth of the year, thanks to Jordan Staal. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Chris Kunitz goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Paul Martin and Evgeni Malkin. Dallas retied it as Michael Ryder registered his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Eriksson and Trevor Daley. The tie was broken in the shootout, but not before James Neal traded tallies with Eriksson and Kunitz did the same with Benn, allowing Dupuis to lift the Penguins over the Stars 4-3. Malkin, Eriksson, and Fleury (30 for 33 in saves) got the three stars, while the honorable mention belongs to Dupuis.
North of there, the Chicago Blackhawks welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Corey Crawford got the starting nods. Toronto led off with a Tyler Bozak goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Joffrey Lupul. Chicago answered with an Andrew Shaw goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland. The Maple Leafs took it back with Lupul's twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf on the power play. Toronto added on with a Clarke MacArthur goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Mikhail Grabovski and Cody Franson. The Blackhawks got one back when Marcus Kruger sank his eighth of the season, thanks to Nick Leddy and Duncan Keith. Ray Emery relieved Crawford for the second period onward. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Andrew Brunette and Sami Lepisto. The Blackhawks took the lead as Marian Hossa recorded his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Kane and Leddy. Chicago got Hossa to supply an insurance marker late in the third period, his twenty-sixth of the campaign and second of game finding the empty twine with no assistance. The Maple Leafs made it interesting with four seconds to go as Mike Brown deposited his second of the year, and Joey Crabb had the only helper, but they did not tie it and lost 5-4. The three stars were given to Kane, Leddy, and Emery (23 for 24 in saves in relief victory), while Hossa and Lupul get the honorable mentions.
Westward to Anaheim, where the Ducks host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Jonas Hiller are in between the pipes. Buffalo started the scoring when Derek Roy notched his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Tyler Myers and Christian Ehrhoff. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Brad Boyes goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Ehrhoff and Tyler Ennis. This was all the scoring we'd see, resulting in a 2-0 final, with Miller (43 save shutout), Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf getting the three stars, while Roy, Boyes, or Ehrhoff are far more deserving of the last two slots; dishonorable mention to Anaheim for their picking.
Northeast of there, we end in Edmonton, with the Oilers welcoming the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Devan Dubnyk play goal. St. Louis opened with an Andy McDonald goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of T.J. Oshie and David Backes. Scott Nichol added on for the Blues in the second period with his third of the year, made possible by David Perron and Kevin Shattenkirk. McDonald extended the St. Louis lead with his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Oshie and Shattenkirk, chasing Dubnyk in favor of Yann Danis. Edmonton got one back with a Corey Potter goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Darcy Hordichuk. The Oilers pulled closer with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recording his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Taylor Hall and Nick Schultz. The Blues shot back in the third period with a Shattenkirk goal, his eighth of the year coming on the power play, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Jason Arnott. St. Louis kept going with a Chris Stewart goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming on a penalty shot after a Hall hooking call. This provided the final score, a 5-2 margin, with the three stars as McDonald, Shattenkirk, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Oshie earns the honorable mention.
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