Seven games to see tonight, and we begin by wrapping up a certain Atlantic Division home-and-home with the...
New York Islanders hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Al Montoya were between the pipes. New York started with a Marty Reasoner goal, via Mark Streit and Josh Bailey. Pascal Dupuis tied it for Pittsburgh in the second period with his twenty-fourth of the season, coming shorthanded after being passed from Craig Adams and Paul Martin. The Islanders took the lead back on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Bailey and Travis Hamonic. New York added on as Bailey potted his twelfth of the season, a shorthanded goal made possible by Jay Pandolfo. Okposo kept the Islanders going in the third period with his second of the game and twentieth of the year, courtesy of Bailey for a sock trick and Frans Nielsen. The Penguins took one back with a Jordan Staal goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, via Zbynek Michalek and Martin. Pittsburgh got even closer as Evgeni Malkin shelved his forty-seventh of the year, with the help of Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke. New York iced it at 5-3 with Bailey's second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign going into the empty, an unassisted goal. Bailey, Okposo, and Dupuis got the three stars, while Martin gets an honorable mention.
Up to Toronto, with the Maple Leafs hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jussi Rynnas are in the blue paint. Philadelphia got going with a Brayden Schenn goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Wayne Simmonds and Danny Briere. Schenn added on for the Flyers with his second of the game and eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Briere and Jaromir Jagr. Toronto got one back as Mikhail Grabovski netted his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Tim Connolly and Joey Crabb. Simmonds took it back for Philadelphia in the second period on his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Briere, who got a sock trick, and Braydon Coburn. The Flyers extended the lead as Matt Read registered his twenty-third of the season, a shorthanded goal passed from Max Talbot and Erik Gustafsson. Philadelphia kept going in the third period with an Eric Wellwood goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers provided by Read and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers rolled along as Voracek put down his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Jagr and Pavel Kubina. Philadelphia continued the attack as Simmonds scored his second of the night and twenty-fifth of the year, via Briere and Jagr, the latter getting a sock trick. The final stood at 7-1, with the three stars being Briere, Schenn, and Simmonds, while the honorable mentions go to Jagr, Read, and Voracek.
Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Martin Brodeur are the masked men. Tampa Bay opened the scoring with a Ryan Malone goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. New Jersey answered in the second period when Dainius Zubrus notched his seventeenth of the year, a shorthanded goal made possible by Patrik Elias. The Lightning struck back as Malone recorded his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with a lone Eric Brewer assist. The Devils retied it as Jacob Josefson made his second of the year, with the help of Ryan Carter and David Clarkson. Malone gave Tampa Bay the lead back when he finished his hat trick on his eighteenth of the season, and the only helper went to Hedman. New Jersey got another equalizer with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, his thirty-third of the year, courtesy of Adam Henrique and Zach Parise. The Devils got the lead with the second of the season for Marek Zidlicky, a power play goal, powered by Kovalchuk and Elias. New Jersey extended the lead on a Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in off of Bryce Salvador. The Devils added on again with a Clarkson goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Henrique and Ponikarovsky. Sebastien Caron relieved Roloson at this time. The Lightning got as close as 6-4 with the second of the year for Trevor Smith, passed from Tim Wallace and Keith Aulie. The three stars of the game were Elias, Malone, and Kovalchuk, while Ponikarovsky, Hedman, Clarkson, and Henrique get the honorable mentions.
Heading north to Boston, where the Bruins host the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Tim Thomas got the starting nods in goal, but Vokoun was replaced by Michal Neuvirth late in the first period due to injury. Washington cut the game open in the third period with a Dennis Wideman goal, his eleventh of the season, thanks to Marcus Johansson and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals extended the lead as Johansson notched his fourteenth of the year, and Ovechkin had the only assist. Boston got one back with the twenty-first of the season for David Krejci, fueled by Zdeno Chara and Milan Lucic. The Bruins tied it on the sixth of the year by Andrew Ference, and Krejci tallied the lone helper. Washington took the game by a 3-2 score in the shootout as Matt Hendricks, Alexander Semin, and Brooks Laich scored to overpower Boston's Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron. The three stars were given to Johansson and Krejci and Ovechkin.
Out west, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Niklas Backstrom protect the nets. Florida was first to score in the second period as Scottie Upshall made his second of the season, a power play goal made possible by Tomas Fleischmann and Brian Campbell. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone Cal Clutterbuck assist. Fleischmann gave the Panthers the lead again with his twenty-fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Jason Garrison and Campbell. The Wild tied it late with an Erik Christensen goal, his sixth of the year, via Tom Gilbert and Mikko Koivu. Minnesota took the game in the overtime period as Koivu put away his twelfth of the season, with the help of Gilbert and Clayton Stoner for a 3-2 win. The three stars were Campbell, Darroll Powe, and Fleischmann, while Koivu or Gilbert could take the second star.
A little to the south, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago began with a Bryan Bickell goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Nick Leddy and Sean O'Donnell. St. Louis tied it nine seconds later as Alex Steen notched his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Kris Russell and Kent Huskins. The Blackhawks re-established their lead in the third period on an Andrew Brunette goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa. Chicago added on with a Patrick Sharp goal, his thirty-first of the year, courtesy of Viktor Stalberg. The Blues pulled back on an unassisted Jason Arnott goal, his seventeenth of the season. St. Louis tied it late in the third period with a David Perron goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Russell and Chris Stewart. The Blackhawks would win in the shootout as Dave Bolland's lone tally led them 4-3 over the Blues. Brunette, Perron, and Sharp got the three stars, and Russell gets an honorable mention.
Finally, we head to the southwest, where the Phoenix Coyotes host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Mike Smith guard the cages. Phoenix led off with a second period Radim Vrbata power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Ray Whitney and Martin Hanzal. Vrbata extended the Coyotes lead in the third period with his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, guided in by Whitney and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The final stood at 2-0, with Vrbata, Smith (38 save shutout), and Whitney getting the three stars.
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