Nine games on tonight as the calendar flips to March. First up...
The Boston Bruins are hosting the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Tim Thomas will be between the pipes. Boston led off with a David Krejci goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Tyler Seguin. The Bruins added on when Seguin potted his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Milan Lucic and the goalie Thomas. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the second period as Zach Parise nailed his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Ilya Kovalchuk. The Devils tied it on a Patrik Elias goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Petr Sykora and Anton Volchenkov. New Jersey gained the lead on a David Clarkson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Jacob Josefson. Boston retied it in the third period with another Krejci goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, guided in by Lucic and Zdeno Chara. Krejci completed his hat trick in overtime, his sixteenth of the campaign sealing a 4-3 Bruins win, with Chara and Patrice Bergeron recording the assists. The three stars were handed to Krejci, Lucic, and Parise, while Seguin and Chara earn honorable mentions.
Down to Carolina, where the Hurricanes welcome the New York Rangers. Martin Biron and Cam Ward will take their places in front of the nets. Carolina busted open the scoring in the second period with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Eric Staal and Justin Faulk. New York tied it when Artem Anisimov put his twelfth of the year in the cage, thanks to Marian Gaborik and Derek Stepan. The Rangers took the lead with Gaborik putting his thirtieth of the season away, assisted by Stepan and Stu Bickel. New York extended the lead with a third period Brandon Prust goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Brian Boyle and Ruslan Fedotenko. The Hurricanes made it interesting near the end with a Jay Harrison goal, his eighth of the campaign coming shorthanded from Jiri Tlusty and Staal, resulting in a 3-2 final. The three stars were Gaborik, Anisimov, and Staal. Stepan gets an honorable mention.
Back north, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov are the Russian goaltenders. New York started the scoring with a Josh Bailey goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Casey Cizikas and Mark Streit. Philadelphia answered with a Matt Read goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Andrej Meszaros and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead with a Meszaros power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Read and Jaromir Jagr. The Islanders retied it in the second period when Bailey struck again, his second of the game and ninth of the year, thanks to Frans Nielsen and Streit. Jagr kept Philadelphia going with his seventeenth of the season, a power play goal with helpers from Pavel Kubina and Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers extended lead with Read's second of the game and eighteenth of the year, via Wayne Simmonds. Philadelphia kept going in the third period on a Scott Hartnell goal, his thirty-first of the season, set up by Giroux and Nicklas Grossman. New York got one back when Kyle Okposo registered his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Cizikas and Milan Jurcina. The Flyers iced it 6-3 when Sean Couturier scored his eleventh into the empty net, and Giroux had the lone assist for a sock trick. The three stars were given to Read, Jagr, and Bailey, while Giroux, Meszaros, Cizikas, and Streit get the honorable mentions.
Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Carey Price got the starts, but Josh Harding relieved Backstrom as an injury fill-in early in the first period. Montreal got going with a P.K. Subban power play goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Tomas Kaberle and David Desharnais. The Canadiens extended the lead with a Lars Eller power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Scott Gomez and Chris Campoli. Minnesota got one back with a Matt Kassian goal, assisted by Darroll Powe and Nick Johnson. Montreal answered in the second period as Max Pacioretty nailed his twenty-sixth of the season, another power play goal, guided in by Desharnais and Subban. The Canadiens rolled on in the third period with a Desharnais goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Pacioretty and Kaberle. Kassian got one back for the Wild, and he was helped out by Johnson and Nate Prosser. Minnesota pulled closer with a Dany Heatley goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Kyle Brodziak. The Wild tied it with ten seconds left in regulation, as Devin Setoguchi notched his sixteenth of the year, via Matt Cullen and Johnson, the latter getting a sock trick. The Canadiens prevented a meltdown by taking the shootout on a lone Desharnais goal, winning 5-4 over Minnesota. The three stars went to Desharnais, Paciortty, and Subban, while Kassian, Johnson, and Kaberle get the honorable mentions.
Westward to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Ondrej Pavelec will get the starting nods. Winnipeg struck first on an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-fifth of the season going in unassisted. Jim Slater added on for the Jets with his ninth of the year, via Mark Stuart and Chris Thorburn. Winnipeg got going again in the third period as Kyle Wellwood recorded his fourteenth of the season, with the help of Stuart and Kane. The Jets added on with a Bryan Little goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Blake Wheeler and Randy Jones. Theodore was replaced in favor of Scott Clemmensen. Winnipeg was firing on all cylinders, continuing with Nik Antropov's tenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Zach Bogosian and Tobias Enstrom. Twelve seconds later, the Jets extended the lead again with a Kane goal, his second of the night and twenty-sixth of the year, thanks to Wellwood and Alex Burmistrov. Winnipeg iced it at 7-0 after Wheeler deposited his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by Kane and Tim Stapleton. Kane, Pavelec (33 save shutout), and Wheeler earned the three stars, while Wellwood and Stuart get the honorable mentions.
Back stateside, the Colorado Avalanche host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Semyon Varlamov go under the masks. Columbus opened with Nikita Nikitin netting his third of the season, with assists from Vinny Prospal and Fedor Tyutin on the power play tally. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Tyutin goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Prospal and Derick Brassard. This made it 2-0, and after a silent third period, this was a final. The three stars belonged to Mason (33 save shutout), Nikitin, and Tyutin, while Prospal earns an honorable mention.
Farther to the south, the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Mike Smith tend the twines. Calgary led off with a Michael Cammalleri goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla. The Flames extended the lead when Curtis Glencross potted his twentieth of the year shorthanded, thanks to Mark Giordano and Scott Hannan. Calgary rolled along with an Olli Jokinen goal, his twentieth of the season, an unassisted goal. Phoenix got on the board in the second period with a Raffi Torres goal, his tenth of the year coming on the power play from Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes stormed closer with a Rozsival goal, made possible by Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with an Iginla empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, guided in by Matt Stajan and Tanguay. The three stars were awarded to Kiprusoff (29 for 31 in saves), Rozsival, and Torres, while Iginla and Tanguay also played well.
Northwest of there, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Roberto Luongo will wear the pads. Vancouver got things going in the third period when Alexandre Burrows potted his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks iced it at 2-0 with a Chris Higgins empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Burrows and Bieksa. The three stars went to Luongo (29 save shutout), Burrows, and Zack Kassian, while Bieksa earns an honorable mention.
We wrap up the day in San Jose, with the Sharks hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Antti Niemi will be in the blue paint. Buffalo started the scoring on a Drew Stafford goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Tyler Ennis. This held up throughout the rest of the game for a 1-0 Sabres final. The three stars were given to Miller (39 save shutout), Stafford, and Niemi (18 for 19 in saves).
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