Friday, March 2, 2012

NHL Day 149 2011-2012

Only six games tonight, and they should be good ones. First up...

The Ottawa Senators host the Chicago Blackhawks. Ray Emery and Robin Lehner started in goal. Ottawa opened with a Milan Michalek goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Jason Spezza and Matt Gilroy. Chicago tied it with a Bryan Bickell goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, coming off of Patrick Sharp and Marcus Kruger. The Blackhawks took the lead when Marian Hossa notched his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Sharp and Jamal Mayers. This was all they needed for a 2-1 win, and the three stars went to Hossa, Lehner (37 for 39 in saves), and Emery (25 for 26 in saves), while Sharp gets the honorable mention.

Down to Washington, D.C., where the Capitals welcome the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Michal Neuvirth got the starting nods. New Jersey led off with a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by David Clarkson and Patrik Elias. The Devils added on when Parise scored again, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Ilya Kovalchuk and Adam Henrique. New Jersey kept going on a Dainius Zubrus goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Clarkson. The Devils extended the lead in the second period with Parise finishing his hat trick with his twenty-seventh of the year, coming off of Henrique and Bryce Salvador. Elias kept New Jersey going with his twenty-first of the season, a shorthanded goal passed from Zubrus. The third period was silent, with the final sitting at 5-0, and the three stars going to Parise, Hedberg (23 save shutout), and Zubrus, while Elias, Clarkson, and Henrique get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Detroit, with the Red Wings bringing in the Minnesota Wild. Josh Harding and Jimmy Howard took care of the nets. Detroit started the scoring when Valtteri Filppula netted his twentieth of the season, made possible by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on with a Brendan Smith goal, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Danny Cleary. Detroit extended the lead in the second period on a Darren Helm goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Johan Franzen and Kronwall. The Red Wings struck again with Filppula's second of the game and twenty-first of the season, helped along by Zetterberg and Kronwall, the latter getting a sock trick. Detroit extended the lead again with an Ian White goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings scared Harding out of the cage in the third period when Zetterberg sank his fifteenth of the season, via Filppula and White. Matt Hackett came on in relief. The final stood at 6-0, with the three stars being Filppula, Zetterberg, and Smith, while Howard (19 save shutout), Kronwall, and White get honorable mentions.

Southeast to Tampa Bay, with the Lightning hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Mathieu Garon tend the twines. New York struck first with an Artem Anisimov goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone Ryan McDonagh assist. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Marian Gaborik power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Derek Stepan and Brad Richards. Tampa Bay got going with the seventh of the season for Tom Pyatt, set up by Brett Connolly and Brian Lee. The Lightning tied it in the third period on a Teddy Purcell goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay gained the lead as Stamkos potted his forty-fifth of the season, with the help of Lee and Purcell. New York retied it with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his seventh of the year, pushed through by Gaborik and Anton Stralman. The Lightning took the game 4-3 in overtime on a Ryan Malone goal, his eleventh of the campaign, coming on a lone Purcell helper. The three stars of the game were

Well to the northwest, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Nikolai Khabibulin will wear the masks. Dallas got things going in the second period with a Radek Dvorak goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Eric Nystrom and Vernon Fiddler. The Stars extended the lead when Tomas Vincour potted his third of the year, thanks to Philip Larsen and Jamie Benn. Dallas added on with a Michael Ryder empty net goal in the third period, his twenty-seventh of the season, an unassisted goal. Edmonton broke up the shutout with Sam Gagner putting his fifteenth of the year down, courtesy of Ales Hemsky and Ryan Smyth for a 3-1 final. Lehtonen (19 for 20 in saves), Benn, and Jeff Petry took the three stars, while any point earner easilt could take the third slot.

Finally, in southern California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Calgary Flames. Leland Irving and Jonas Hiller will be guarding the cages. Calgary led off with a Curtis Glencross goal, his twenty-first of the season coming on the power play from Olli Jokinen and T.J. Brodie. Anaheim tied it on a Bobby Ryan goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Teemu Selanne and Toni Lydman. The Ducks took the lead in the second period on a Corey Perry goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Niklas Hagman. The Flames tied it with an Alex Tanguay goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Michael Cammalleri and Jarome Iginla. Anaheim took the game with just forty-six seconds left in regulation, as Getzlaf's ninth of the campaign made it 3-2, with helpers from Perry and Francois Beauchemin. The three stars of the game were Getlzaf, Selanne, and Devante Smith-Pelly (geez, the Anaheim media really likes that guy), while the honorable mention goes to Perry.

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