Eight games on tonight as the playoff push is in full swing. We begin with a less-relevant game in...
Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Jonas Gustavsson were called for the starts. Carolina opened with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Tuomo Ruutu and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes extended the lead with the twelfth of the year for Tim Brent, set up by Derek Joslin and Bryan Allen. Carolina chased Gustavsson in the early second period when Jay Harrison scored thirty-seven seconds in with his ninth of the season, on assists from Ruutu and Jokinen. Jussi Rynnas came on in relief. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 3-0, and the three stars went to Ward (31 save shutout), Ruutu, and Harrison, while Jokinen gets honorable mention.
Stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Martin Brodeur earned the starts in net. Petr Sykora put New Jersey on the board first with his eighteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Adam Henrique and Mark Fayne. Brent Seabrook tied it for Chicago in the third period with his eighth of the year, thanks to Dave Bolland. The Devils went on to win 2-1 in the shootout when Patrik Elias and Travis Zajac overpowering the Blackhawks' only Patrick Sharp tally. The three stars were Brodeur (37 for 38 in saves), Seabrook, and Sykora.
Nearby, the Washington Capitals hosted the Buffalo Sabres in a very important game. Ryan Miller and Braden Holtby started in the blue paint. Buffalo started with a Cody McCormick goal set up by Brad Boyes. The Sabres added on when Drew Stafford tipped in his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Tyler Myers and Tyler Ennis. Thomas Vanek helped Buffalo chase Holtby in the second period with his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Cody Hodgson and Corey Tropp. Michal Neuvirth came on in relief. Washington finally found the back of the net with Alexander Semin registering his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Jason Chimera and Mathieu Perreault. The Sabres got it back on Jason Pominville's twenty-ninth of the year, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Buffalo extended the lead again in the third period with another Stafford goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Ennis and Robyn Regehr. The final was 5-1, and the three stars were named as Stafford, Miller (44 for 45 in saves), and Pominville, while Ennis gets an honorable mention.
Into Pennsylvania, as the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Marc-Andre Fleury got the starts, but Al Montoya and Brad Thiessen relieved them for the third period, respectively. New York started with a Frans Nielsen goal, his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Dylan Reese and Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on when Michael Grabner made his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Nielsen. Pittsburgh got one back with the tenth of the season for Tyler Kennedy, assisted by Pascal Dupuis and Brian Strait. The Penguins tied it up with the thirty-sixth of the year by James Neal, courtesy of Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin. New York retook the lead with a Kyle Okposo goal, his eighteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Islanders extended their lead when David Ullstrom made his fourth of the year, a power play goal, powered by Bailey and Okposo. Nielsen kept New York on the attack with his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, made possible by Bailey, who got a sock trick, and Reese. Pittsburgh got one back in the third period with the second of the night and thirty-seventh of the year for Neal, a power play goal with helpers from Malkin and Steve Sullivan. This made it 5-3, the eventual final, with the three stars being Nielsen, Bailey, and Neal, while Reese, Okposo, and Malkin get the honorable mentions.
Heading toward Boston, as the Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Tim Thomas are in the creases. Tampa Bay was first on the board with the fifty-fourth of the season by Steven Stamkos, thanks to Martin St. Louis. Boston answered with a Shawn Thornton goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Zdeno Chara. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Dennis Seidenberg goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Chara and David Krejci. The Lightning retied it in the third period as Stamkos registered his second of the game and fifty-fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Victor Hedman and St. Louis. Boston retook the lead with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in off of Brian Rolston and Chara, the latter getting a sock trick. The Bruins gained separation with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin. Boston finished it at 5-2 with a Rich Peverley empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, pushed through by Krejci. The three stars were given to Chara, Stamkos, and Thornton. St. Louis and Krejci are the honorable mentions.
Farther to the north, the Montreal Canadiens host the Florida Panthers. Scott Clemmensen and Carey Price are the masked men. Florida opened with a Wojtek Wolski goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it with the thirty-first of the year for Erik Cole, a power play goal powered by Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period on a Louis Leblanc goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone Frederic St-denis helper. The Panthers got an equalizer in the third period when Mikael Samuelsson shelved his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Erik Gudbranson and Marcel Goc. Florida won in the shootout with a lone Wolski tally for a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Wolski, Leblanc, and Cole.
Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcomed the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Brian Elliott tended the twines. St. Louis started in the second period with a Jamie Langenbrunner goal, his sixth of the season, sent to him by Jason Arnott and Alex Steen (alliteration!). The Blues extended the lead in the third period on a David Perron goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by David Backes and T.J. Oshie. Oshie iced it at 3-0 for St. Louis with his nineteenth of the campaign, via Alex Pietrangelo and Backes. The three stars were awarded to Elliott (24 save shutout), Langenbrunner, and Steen, while Backes and Oshie get the honorable mentions.
Finally, we end in Minnesota, where the Wild host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Josh Harding are protecting the nets. New York began on a Brian Boyle goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Brandon Dubinsky and Anton Stralman. Minnesota tied it with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his twentieth of the year coming in the second period on the power play from Cal Clutterbuck and Marco Scandella. The Rangers retook the lead with a Marian Gaborik, his thirty-eighth of the season, thanks to Brad Richards and Ryan McDonagh. Mikko Koivu retied it for the Wild with his eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi. New York got the lead back in the third period with a Ruslan Fedotenko goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by McDonagh and Dan Girardi. The final held at 3-2 with the three stars being McDonagh, Scandella, and Brodziak.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. Busiest three days I've ever had, and happy baseball season at 3:10 AM PDT! I will try to do mini capsules during MLB, but no promises.
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