Eight games for a semi-busy Thursday. We begin with a surprisingly big game in...
Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Marc-Andre Fleury tended the twines. Pittsburgh opened with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his forty-fourth of the season, set up by James Neal and Kris Letang. The Penguins added on when Pascal Dupuis netted his twenty-second of the year, thanks to Letang and Steve Sullivan. Pittsburgh kept going in the second period on Matt Cooke's seventeenth of the season, coming off of Neal. The Penguins extended their lead with a Chris Kunitz goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Neal for a sock trick and Brooks Orpik. Nashville got on the board as Alexander Radulov scored, with the help of Hal Gill and Patric Hornqvist. Pittsburgh took it back in the third period with the second of the night and forty-fifth of the season for Malkin, assisted by Neal and Kunitz. This was it for the scoring in a 5-1 game, with Neal, Malkin, and Kunitz getting the three stars and Letang picking up the honorable mention.
Across the state, the Philadelphia Flyers welcomed the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ilya Bryzgalov got the starting nods. Washington led off twenty-six seconds in on Alex Ovechkin's thirty-third of the season, an unassisted goal. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with assists from Jaromir Jagr and Andreas Lilja. The Flyers won 2-1 in the shootout with tallies by Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds to overpower Matt Hendricks and the Capitals. The three stars went to Bryzgalov (30 for 31 in saves), Simmonds, and Ovechkin.
Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Dwayne Roloson are the aged goaltenders. Tampa Bay struck first in the second period with a Tom Pyatt goal, his ninth of the season coming on the power play from Victor Hedman and Brett Connolly. Edmonton tied it on a Linus Omark goal, his third of the year, thanks to Ryan Whitney and Ryan Smyth. The Lightning got the lead back with Pyatt's second of the night and tenth of the season, set up by J.T. Wyman and Tim Wallace. The Oiers tied it late as Ladislav Smid sank his fourth fourth of the year, with the help of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Sam Gagner. Tampa Bay beat Edmonton 3-2 in the shootout with tallies from Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, and Teddy Purcell to topple Gagner and Ales Hemsky. Roloson (34 for 36 in saves), Pyatt, and Corey Potter got the three stars, while any point earner can take the third slot.
Way north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Josh Harding are between the pipes. Calgary scored first as Lee Stempniak potted his thirteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Chris Butler and Jay Bouwmeester. The Flames added on in the second period as Anton Babchuk scored a power play goal, going in unassisted. Minnesota got one back as Dany Heatley recorded his twenty-first of the year, a power play goal coming off of Devin Setoguchi and Matt Cullen. The Wild tied it with a Darroll Powe goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Nick Johnson and Kyle Brodziak. Minnesota took the game 3-2 in the shootout with a Setoguchi tally. The three stars went to Setoguchi, Powe, and Heatley.
South again, this time into Dallas, where the Stars host the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Kari Lehtonen are in the blue paint. Vancouver opened on a Mason Raymond goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Dan Hamhuis and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks added on in the third period with a Kevin Bieksa goal, his eighth of the year, pushed through by Raymond and Sedin. Dallas got one back as Vernon Fiddler scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Eric Nystrom and the goalie Lehtonen. The Stars never tied it, falling 2-1, with the three stars going to Schneider (25 for 26 in saves), Sedin, and Fiddler.
West of there, the Phoenix Coyotes hosted the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Mike Smith are the masked men. Phoenix quickly opened with a Daymond Langkow goal, his tenth of the season, with help from Raffi Torres and Gilbert Brule. The Coyotes extended the lead on a Kyle Chipchura goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ray Whitney. Phoenix kept going in the second period with another Torres goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, thanks to Boyd Gordon and Brule. Ryan O'Reilly got one back in the third period for Colorado with his eighteenth of the year, pushed through by Shane O'Brien and Steve Downie. The Avalanche pulled closer with Paul Stastny's twentieth of the campaign, with a lone Jamie McGinn assist, but they never tied it and fell 3-2. The three stars were Torres, Smith (39 for 41 in saves), and Brule.
Into California, as the San Jose Sharks welcome the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Antti Niemi will play goal. San Jose led off with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on as Daniel Winnik netted his sixth of the year in the third period, via Andrew Desjardins. Boston tried to mount a comeback with Zdeno Chara potting his eleventh of the campaign, thanks to Chris Kelly and Brian Rolston, but San Jose shut them down from there on for a 2-1 victory. The three stars went to Pavelski, Winnik, and Niemi (16 for 17 in saves).
Finally, in Los Angeles, the Kings host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Jonathan Quick get the starting nods. The scoreless tie lasted into a shootout, where Mike Richards and Jeff Carter led Los Angeles to a win over T.J. Oshie and St. Louis. The three stars were given to Quick (35 save shutout), Elliott (37 save shootout loss shutout), and Anze Kopitar, while Richards or Carter could claim the third slot.
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