Nine games today as the playoff races start to gain some serious heat. We begin in...
Philadelphia, as the Flyers bring in the Florida Panthers. Scott Clemmensen and Ilya Bryzgalov get the starts. Florida opened with a Stephen Weiss goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Dmitry Kulikov and Brian Campbell. The Panthers added on in the second period with a power play goal off the tape of Sean Bergenheim, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Campbell and Mikael Samuelsson. Philadelphia took one back as Eric Wellwood notched his fourth of the season, thanks to Kimmo Timonen. The third period was quiet, so Florida held on for a 2-1 win, and the three stars were given to Clemmensen (35 for 36 in saves), Wellwood, and Campbell.
A bit to the west, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Steve Mason played goal. Chicago led off with an Andrew Shaw goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Bryan Bickell and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks added on when Patrick Sharp recorded his twenty-ninth of the year, thanks to Viktor Stalberg and Marcus Kruger. Chicago extended the lead again on a Brent Seabrook goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Keith and Dave Bolland. The Blackhawks rolled on in the third period as Sharp scored his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, a power play goal powered by Marian Hossa and Keith, the latter earning a sock trick. Chicago kept going as Hossa put down his twenty-ninth of the season, another power play goal with helpers provided by Shaw and Keith. Columbus got on the board when Rick Nash put away his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Jack Johnson and Aaron Johnson. This left the final at 5-1, with the three stars being Keith, Sharp, and Shaw, while Hossa earns the honorable mention.
Back in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Brad Thiessen started the game in the nets. Pittsburgh struck first on a Tyler Kennedy goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Sidney Crosby and Matt Cooke. Winnipeg answered with a Jim Slater goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Tanner Glass and Spencer Machacek. The Jets took a lead with Bryan Little's twentieth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Andrew Ladd and Tobias Enstrom. The Penguins retied it as James Neal potted his thirty-third of the year, also a power play goal, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Crosby. Pittsburgh took the lead again in the second period with Neal's second of the game and thirty-fourth of the season, with a lone Malkin helper. Winnipeg shot back with Little's second of the game and twenty-first of the year, via Ladd and Enstrom. The Penguins again took the lead as Kennedy blasted in his second of the game and eighth of the season, with assistance from Crosby, who got a sock trick, and Cooke. Malkin extended the Pittsburgh lead with his forty-second of the year, thanks to Crosby and Paul Martin. Pavelec was relieved by Chris Mason. The Jets got one back with a Tim Stapleton goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Ben Maxwell and Machacek. The Penguins took it back when Neal finished his hat trick with his thirty-fifth of the year, guided in by Malkin, for a sock trick, and Brooks Orpik. Pittsburgh rolled along in the third period when Malkin shelved his second of the game and forty-third of the season, guided in by Chris Kunitz and Neal. The Penguins continued the late attack with a Pascal Dupuis goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed off of Jordan Staal and Steve Sullivan. This was it in the scoring-heavy game, ending at 8-4, with Neal, Malkin, and Crosby getting the three stars, and the honorable mentions including Kennedy, Little, Cooke, Enstrom, Ladd, and Machacek.
Moving north, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and James Reimer are between the pipes. Toronto started the scoring when Phil Kessel recorded his thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Tyler Bozak and Mike Komisarek. New York tied it as Josh Bailey potted his eleventh of the year, via John Tavares and P.A. Parenteau. The Maple Leafs replied in the second period as Matthew Lombardi made his eighth of the season, made possible by Jake Gardiner and Colby Armstrong. The Islanders tied it again on a David Ullstrom goal, his third of the year, fueled by Michael Grabner and Casey Cizikas. New York took the lead in the third period with a Matt Moulson power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Tavares and Mark Streit. The Islanders extended their lead with a Parenteau goal, his sixteenth of the year, with Streit picking up the only assist. New York iced it at 5-2 when Moulson put his second of the game and thirty-second of the campaign into the empty net, courtesy of Parenteau and Tavares, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were Moulson, Tavares, and Parenteau, while Streit gets an honorable mention.
Staying in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Ben Bishop are under the masks. New Jersey was first on the board in the second period as Ilya Kovalchuk netting thirty-first of the season, a power play goal powered by Marek Zidlicky and Patrik Elias. This was it for the scoring, with the Devils winning 1-0 and the three stars being handed to Hedberg (34 save shutout), Bishop (33 for 34 in saves), and Kovalchuk.
Well to the south, the Nashville Predators host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Edmonton got going with a Darcy Hordichuk goal, set up by Ben Eager and Eric Belanger. The Oilers extended the lead with an Ales Hemsky goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jeff Petry and Teemu Hartikainen. Nashville took one back as David Legwand registered his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Gabriel Bourque and Shea Weber. Hemsky answered for Edmonton in the second period with his second of the night and eighth of the season, assisted by Hartikainen and Sam Gagner, and Rinne was pulled in favor of Anders Lindback. The Oilers added on again with a Ryan Jones power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Petry and Ryan Whitney. The Predators got one back as Patric Hornqvist sank his twenty-fourth of the season, a power play goal via Mike Fisher and Martin Erat. Edmonton took it away with Hemsky completing his hat trick on his ninth of the year, an unassisted goal. Nashville tried to come back again as Legwand made his second of the night and eighteenth of the season, with the help of Hornqvist and Bourque. The Oilers iced it at 6-3 with Gagner's sixteenth of the year, an empty net goal made possible by Hemsky. The three stars were Hemsky, Legwand, and Dubnyk (41 for 44 in saves), while Gagner, Petry, Hartikainen, Hornqvist, and Bourque get the honorable mentions.
A tad to the southwest, the Dallas Stars host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Kari Lehtonen will try to stop the puck. Dallas opened with a Loui Eriksson goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Michael Ryder and Mike Ribeiro. Phoenix tied it on a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Ray Whitney and Antoine Vermette. The Stars took the lead again in the second period as Ryder potted his thirty-first of the season, a power play goal powered by Eriksson and Ribeiro. Dallas added on with Ryder's second of the game and thirty-second of the year, courtesy of Eriksson and Ribeiro, the latter getting a sock trick. The Coyotes got one back in the third period as Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored his twelfth of the season, a shorthanded goal passed from Daymond Langkow and Shane Doan. Phoenix tied it with a Whitney power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Doan. The Stars topped the Coyotes 4-3 due to a lone Ribeiro tally in the shootout. The three stars were awarded to Eriksson, Ryder, and Ribeiro, while Doan gets an honorable mention.
Northwest a bit, as the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Semyon Varlamov tend the twines. Calgary struck early with a Matt Stajan goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Alex Tanguay and Anton Babchuk. Colorado tied it as Paul Stastny nailed his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Shane O'Brien and David Jones. The Avalanche took the game 2-1 in overtime with a Jones goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, fueled by Stastny and Matt Hunwick. The three stars were named as Varlamov (31 for 32 in saves), Jones, and Kiprusoff (31 for 33 in saves).
We end the night with another edition of the Battle of California, as the Los Angeles Kings welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Los Angeles started off with a shorthanded goal by Mike Richards, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Willie Mitchell. San Jose responded twenty-two seconds later with a power play goal off the tape of Martin Havlat, his sixth of the year, with a lone Brent Burns helper. The Kings gained the lead in the second period as Alec Martinez made his fourth of the season, thanks to Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Kopitar extended the Los Angeles lead with a third period power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Richards and Dustin Brown. The Sharks took one back with Dan Boyle making his seventh of the campaign, via Logan Couture and Havlat. The Kings replied with a Dustin Penner goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist from Slava Voynov. Los Angeles iced it at 5-2 with a Jeff Carter empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Richards and Kopitar. The three stars were Kopitar, Mitchell, and Havlat, while Richards gets an honorable mention.
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