Monday, March 12, 2012

NHL Day 159 2011-2012

We go with four games tonight, beginning as the...

Buffalo Sabres host the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Ryan Miller got the starting nods. Montreal opened with an Erik Cole goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by David Desharnais. Buffalo tied it in the second period on a Tyler Ennis goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno. Ennis gained the lead for the Sabres in the third period with his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Stafford and Alexander Sulzer. Desharnais tied it for the Canadiens with his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Cole and Max Pacioretty. Buffalo won 3-2in overtime with a Tyler Myers goal, his eighth of the campaign, with assists from Derek Roy and Jason Pominville.

Far to the west, the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Semyon Varlamov are playing in goal. Colorado led off with a Jamie McGinn goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Ryan O'Byrne and David Jones. Anaheim tied it with two seconds left in the second period on a Francois Beauchemin goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Bobby Ryan and Cam Fowler. The Avalanche regained the lead in the third period when Kevin Porter recorded his fourth of the season, via Jan Hejda and Cody McLeod. The Ducks tied it back up on a Teemu Selanne power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Matt Beleskey and Ryan. Colorado took the game 3-2 in overtime with the nineteenth of the campaign by Gabriel Landeskog, pushed through by Matt Hunwick and Steve Downie. Varlamov (38 for 40 in saves), Landeskog, and Selanne got the three stars while Ryan gets an honorable mention.

A bit north, the Edmonton Oilers welcomed the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Devan Dubnyk are in the blue paint. San Jose struck first with a Torrey Mitchell goal, his eighth of the season, with help from Tommy Wingels and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Edmonton tied it as Ryan Whitney netted his third of the year, thanks to Nick Schultz and Eric Belanger. The Sharks retook the lead on a Joe Thornton goal, his fifteenth of the season coming in the second period on the power play, powered by Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski. Taylor Hall retied it for the Oilers on his twenty-sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. San Jose took the lead back early in the third period when Logan Couture potted his twenty-eighth of the season, a power play goal, coming off of Dan Boyle and Thornton. This paced the Sharks to a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Thornton, Whitney, and Boyle.

We finish down in Arizona, as the Phoenix Coyotes host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Mike Smith tend the twines. Nashville was first on the board with a Martin Erat goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Sergei Kostitsyn and Hal Gill. Phoenix tied it in the second period with a Daymond Langkow goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Raffi Torres. The Predators took the lead back when Mike Fisher deposited his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Sergei and Erat. The Coyotes quickly tied the game again as Keith Yandle made his tenth of the year, with the help of Antoine Vermette and Ray Whitney. Nashville reclaimed the lead again with a Francis Bouillon goal, fueled by Erat and Ryan Ellis. The Predators extended their lead in the third period on a Craig Smith goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Paul Gaustad. Phoenix got one back with an Ekman-Larsson goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Michal Rozsival and Radim Vrbata. The Coyotes tied it as Langkow put down his second of the night and tenth of the season, assisted by Torres and Shane Doan. Nashville ended up winning 5-4 in the shootout after a lone Andrei Kostitsyn tally. The three stars were handed out to Ekman-Larsson, Langkow, and Erat, while Sergei and Torres get the honorable mentions.

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