We have six games on today, with *spoiler alert* one very lopsided game. We begin in...
Massachusetts, as the Boston Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Tim Thomas received the starting nods. Boston started with a Chris Kelly goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Benoit Pouliot. The Bruins added on with a Gregory Campbell goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Andrew Ference and Daniel Paille. Boston kept going with a Pouliot goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Johnny Boychuk and Brian Rolston. The Bruins chased Reimer with Brad Marchand notching his twenty-fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Tyler Seguin and Dennis Seidenberg. Jonas Gustavsson replaced Reimer. Pouliot struck again for Boston in the second period with his second of the game and twelfth of the season, made possible by Rolston and Kelly. The Bruins padded the lead further with a Zdeno Chara power play goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist off the tape of Rolston, who got a sock trick for his effort. Rolston scored a goal of his own later in the period, his sixth of the season, thanks to David Krejci and Adam McQuaid. The Bruins iced it at 8-0 with a Seguin goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Krejci and Milan Lucic. Rolston, Pouliot, and Kelly were the three stars, while Krejci, Seguin, and Thomas (13 save shutout) get the honorable mentions.
Down the coast, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Dustin Tokarski made the starts. Buffalo led off with a Drew Stafford goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Christian Ehrhoff. The Sabres extended the lead as Jason Pominville put down his twenty-sixth of the year, a power play goal powered by Cody Hodgson and Thomas Vanek. Buffalo rolled on in the second period with the fourth of the season for Marcus Foligno, helped along by Tyler Ennis and Stafford. Tampa Bay got on the board as Bruno Gervais potted his fifth of the year, thanks to Teddy Purcell. The Sabres chased Tokarski with a Corey Tropp goal, his third of the season, made possible by Vanek and Hodgson. The Lightning took one back as Trevor Smith scored, via Ryan Malone and Gervais. Buffalo replied when Foligno put away his second of the game and fifth of the year, courtesy of Stafford and Ennis on the power play. Thirty-eight seconds later, the Sabres potted another goal as Brad Boyes registered his sixth of the season, coming off of Cody McCormick and Alexander Sulzer. Buffalo continued the attack in the third period with another Pominville goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, going down unassisted. Tampa Bay got one back with Malone's fourteenth of the campaign, and Eric Brewer had the only helper. The final stuck at 7-3, with Pominville, Stafford, and Foligno taking the three stars, and Gervais, Malone, Ennis, Hodgson, and Vanek got the honorable mentions.
Northwest to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jimmy Howard are between the pipes. Washington opened with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Marcus Johansson and Dennis Wideman. The Capitals added on with a Mike Knuble goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Jason Chimera and Mathieu Perreault. Washington kept going with another Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, powered by Brooks Laich and Alexander Semin. Detroit got on the board in the second period as Kyle Quincey netted his seventh of the year, a power play goal coming off of Brendan Smith and Jiri Hudler. The Capitals answered with a Keith Aucoin goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Semin and Johansson.The Red Wings replied again in the third period when Todd Bertuzzi shelved his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Gustav Nyquist and Brad Stuart. Detroit pulled closer as Danny Cleary sank his twelfth of the season, with the help of Smith and Drew Miller. Washington iced it at 5-3 with a Chimera empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Knuble and Mike Green. Ovechkin, Cleary, and Knuble got the three stars, while Chimera, Smith, Semin, and Johansson got the honorable mentions.
Back east, the New York Rangers host their fierce rivals, the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York led of with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Derek Stepan and Ryan Callahan. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Dan Girardi goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Carl Hagelin. New Jersey got one back with a Patrik Elias goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with a lone Petr Sykora assist. New York shot back on a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Callahan and Brad Richards. The Devils answered on a Sykora tally, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Marek Zidlicky and Ilya Kovalchuk. Stepan iced it at 4-2 for the Rangers with his sixteenth of the year late in the third period, coming off of Dubinsky and Hagelin. Callahan, Dubinsky, and Zuccarello claimed the three stars, while Hagelin, Stepan, and Sykora get honorable mentions.
Westward again, as the Minnesota Wild bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Josh Harding are under the masks. Minnesota started with an Erik Christensen power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Kyle Brodziak and Cal Clutterbuck. The Wild iced it at 2-0 with a Brodziak empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Harding (33 save shutout), Brodziak, and Christensen earned the three stars.
Finally, we hit the Pacific coast, for a Battle of California showdown between the host San Jose Sharks and visiting Anaheim Ducks. Jeff Deslauriers and Antti Niemi will be in the blue paint. San Jose scored first as Martin Havlat potted his fifth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Brent Burns and Ryane Clowe. Anaheim quickly tied it with a Bobby Ryan goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, via Kyle Palmieri and Nick Bonino. Clowe shot back for the Sharks with his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Havlat and Dan Boyle. The Ducks retied it as Francois Beauchemin shelved his eighth of the year, a power play goal set up by Bonino and Lubomir Visnovsky. Anaheim took the lead in the second period as Corey Perry netted his thirty-fifth of the season, with a lone Ryan Getzlaf helper. The Ducks extended the lead with Nate Guenin recording his second of the year, thanks to Ryan and Bonino, the latter getting a sock trick. Niemi was pulled in favor of Thomas Greiss. San Jose got one back with Joe Pavelski potting his twenty-sixth of the season, with the help of Burns and Clowe. Anaheim answered quickly on a Palmieri goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Ryan and Visnovsky. This was it for the scoring after a surprisingly quiet third period, closing the game at 5-3 with the three stars being Ryan, Palmieri, and Bonino, and the honorable mentions go to Clowe, Havlat, Visnovsky, and Burns.
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