NHL Day 178 2011-2012

Today marks one week left in the regular season, and we have twelve games today to celebrate that. The first two are matinees, beginning in...

New York, with the Islanders hosting the Boston Bruins. Marty Turco and Al Montoya get the starting nods. Boston began on a David Krejci goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Milan Lucic and Andrew Ference. New York evened the score twenty-nine seconds later with the twenty first of the year by Kyle Okposo, coming off of Frans Nielsen and Travis Hamonic. The Bruins got their lead back in the second period as Chris Kelly put down his twentieth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Islanders retied it as P.A. Parenteau made his seventeenth of the year, from John Tavares and Matt Moulson. Boston got the lead back in the third period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Tyler Seguin and Zdeno Chara. The Bruins extended the lead with a Seguin goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Marchand. New York got one back with Parenteau scoring his second of the day and eighteenth of the season, guided in by Moulson and Tavares. Boston replied on a Bergeron goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Seguin and Marchand. The Bruins kept up the attack with Krejci's seocnd of the game and twenty-third of the season, helped along by Lucic and Chara just twenty-four seconds later. Marchand, Seguin, and Krejci earned the three stars, while Chara, Lucic, Bergeron, Parenteau, Tavares, and Moulson get the honorable mentions.

A little to the north, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Sergei Bobrovsky play in goal. Ottawa started the scoring with the thirty-second of the season by Jason Spezza, assisted by Daniel Alfredsson and Matt Carkner. The Senators added on as Alfredsson deposited his twenty-seventh of the year, courtesy of Erik Karlsson. Ottawa rolled along with a Chris Neil goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Rob Klinkhammer. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Brayden Schenn and Danny Briere. The Flyers pulled closer on a Sean Couturier goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Max Talbot and Nicklas Grossmann. Philadelphia tied it as Braydon Coburn recorded his fourth of the year, with the help of Briere and Eric Wellwood. The Senators spared themselves humiliation when Spezza and Milan Michalek lifted them over the Flyers' lone Matt Read tally for a 4-3 win. The three stars were Spezza, Alfredsson, and Coburn, with Briere getting an honorable mention.

At the regular times, we start in Carolina, with the Hurricanes hosting the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Brian Boucher were picked to start. New Jersey opened with a late first period David Clarkson power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Patrik Elias and Ilya Kovalchuk. The Devils extended the lead in the second period as Kovalchuk deposited his thirty-fourth of the year, with the help of Petr Sykora and Dainius Zubrus. New Jersey kept going as Ryan Carter netted his fourth of the season, thanks to Steve Bernier and Jacob Josefson. The Devils added on again with a Sykora goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Elias. New Jersey iced it at 5-0 in the third period when Zach Parise put down his thirty-first of the campaign, guided in by Kovalchuk and Travis Zajac. Kovalchuk, Sykora, and Elias got the three stars, and Brodeur (22 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcomed the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Sebastien Caron were in the blue paint. Tampa Bay was first on the board as Ryan Malone scored his nineteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Winnipeg answered in the second period with an Antti Miettinen goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Evander Kane and Mark Stuart. The Jets took the lead with a Kyle Wellwood goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Dustin Byfuglien and Tim Stapleton. The Lightning got an equalizer in the third period when Malone potted his second of the game and twentieth of the year, a power play goal powered by Teddy Purcell and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay would end up winning in overtime as Steven Stamkos potted his fifty-sixth of the campaign, with a lone Brian Lee helper. The three stars went to Malone, Pavelec (36 for 39 in saves), and Stamkos.

Well to the north, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Ben Scrivens are in the creases. Toronto struck first with a shorthanded and unassisted Joey Crabb goal, his eleventh of the season. Buffalo answered in the second period with a Tyler Ennis tally, his fourteenth of the year, via Drew Stafford and Jordan Leopold. The Maple Leafs replied with a Phil Kessel goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Tyler Bozak and Jake Gardiner. Toronto added on with a John-Michael Liles tally, his seventh of the year, thanks to Clarke MacArthur and Crabb. The Sabres got one back in the third period when Ville Leino made his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Jason Pominville and Alexander Sulzer. The Maple Leafs answered on Matt Frattin's seventh of the season, coming off of MacArthur and Liles. Buffalo got as close as 4-3 before running out of time, coming about when Stafford notched his twentieth of the year, with helpers provided by Marcus Foligno and Ennis. The three stars of the game were Crabb, Stafford, and Scrivens (29 for 32 in saves), while MacArthur, Ennis, and Liles get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Michal Neuvirth will try to keep the puck out of the nets. Washington started with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Alexander Semin and Karl Alzner. The Capitals extended their lead on a Jay Beagle goal, his third of the year, thanks to Matt Hendricks and Mike Knuble. Montreal got one back late in the first period as Erik Cole netted his thirty-second of the season, with a lone Max Pacioretty assist. The Canadiens tied it in the second period with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Andrei Markov and Frederic St-denis. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Hendricks and Semin tallied for Washington, knocking Montreal off for a 3-2 win. The three stars were awarded to Neuvirth (39 for 41 in saves), Beagle, and Cole, while Hendricks and Semin get honorable mentions.

Out west a tad, the Minnesota Wild host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Bernier and Niklas Backstrom are all padded up. Minnesota opened the scoring quickly with a Darroll Powe goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Nate Prosser and Justin Falk. Los Angeles tied it as Brad Richardson potted his fourth of the year, thanks to Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. Seventeen seconds later, the Wild got it back as Nick Johnson made his eighth of the season, with the help of Jason Zucker and Erik Christensen. The Kings tied it again when Brown recorded his twenty-first of the year, a power play goal powered by Mike Richards and Kopitar. Los Angeles took the lead in the second period with the second of the game and fifth of the season by Richardson, made possible by Kopitar, who got a sock trick, and Brown. Minnesota retied it in the third period when Christensen notched his seventh of the year, guided in by Zucker and Falk. The tie lasted into a shootout, where the Wild downed the Kings on Christensen and Mikko Koivu tallies for a 4-3 win. The three stars were handed to Zucker, Christensen, and Falk, while Kopitar, Brown, and Richardson get honorable mentions.

South to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Chicago began on a Patrick Sharp goal, his thirty-second of the season, a power play goal powered by Andrew Shaw and Nick Leddy. Dave Bolland added on for the Blackhawks in the second period with his own power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane. Kane kept Chicago going with his twenty-first of the campaign, assisted by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brent Seabrook. Viktor Stalberg extended the Blackhawks lead again with his twentieth of the season, made possible by Marcus Kruger. Nashville got going when Martin Erat put his nineteenth of the year down, with the help of Ryan Suter and Mike Fisher on the power play. The Predators got another one back when Shea Weber deposited his eighteenth of the campaign, via Suter and Andrei Kostitsyn. Alexander Radulov dragged Nashville closer on his third of the season in the third period, helped along by David Legwand and Kevin Klein. The Predators tied it on a Weber goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, guided in by Suter, who got a sock trick, and Legwand on the power play. Chicago ended up winning 5-4 with Seabrook's ninth of the campaign being the deciding goal, and the assists were provided by Shaw and Bryan Bickell. Seabrook, Suter, and Weber were named three stars, while Kane, Legwand, and Shaw get honorable mentions.

Into Missouri, as the St. Louis Blues host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Allen York and Jaroslav Halak started in goal. Columbus began on a Jared Boll goal, his second of the season, made possible by Darryl Boyce and Aaron Johnson. St. Louis tied it as David Backes sank his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Steen. The Blue Jackets got the lead back on an R.J. Umberger goal, his eighteenth of the season, going down unassisted. Umberger extended the Columbus lead in the second period with his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Cam Atkinson and Rick Nash. The Blues replied with a David Perron goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Andy McDonald and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blue Jackets got it back in the third period with a power play goal by Derek Dorsett, his twelfth of the year, set up by Nash and Jack Johnson. Columbus iced it at 5-2 with a Vinny Prospal empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with a lone Atkinson assist. The three stars were given to York (34 for 36 in saves), Backes, and Umberger, while Nash and Atkinson get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Phoenix, where the Coyotes welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Jeff Deslauriers and Mike Smith tend the twines. Phoenix got things going with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Mikkel Boedker and Michal Rozsival. The Coyotes extended the lead with a second period Antoine Vermette power play goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Derek Morris and Keith Yandle. Phoenix rolled along with a Radim Vrbata power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, coming off of Ray Whitney, who got his 1,000th NHL point on the play, and Shane Doan. The Coyotes added on again with Whitney recording his twenty-fourth of the year, another power play goal, powered by Vrbata and Martin Hanzal. The third period was scoreless, so the final was 4-0, and the three stars were awarded to Whitney, Smith (44 save shutout), and Vrbata.

Up in British Columbia, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Calgary Flames. Henrik Karlsson and Roberto Luongo received the starting nods. Vancouver led off with a Maxim Lapierre goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Alexander Edler. Calgary tied it in the second period with an Olli Jokinen goal, his twenty-third of the year coming on the power play from Jarome Iginla. The Flames gained the lead in the third period on a Michael Cammalleri goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of David Moss and Chris Butler. The Canucks got an equalizer on the second of the year by Marc-Andre Gragnani, set up by Alexandre Burrows and Sedin.Vancouver toppled Calgary in overtime with the fifth of the campaign for Andrew Ebbett, coming off of Sami Salo and Edler. The three stars were given to Lapierre, Cammalleri, and Ebbett, with honorable mentions for Edler and Sedin.

Finally, we end in San Jose, with the Sharks welcoming the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi tended the twines. San Jose started on a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirtieth of the season, courtesy of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks added on with a Jason Demers power play goal, his third of the year, coming off of Martin Havlat and Ryane Clowe. San Jose rolled along in the second period with a Pavelski goal, his thirty-first of the season and second of the night, made possible by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Thornton. The Sharks held on from there to the end, winning 3-0, with the three stars going to Niemi (22 save shutout), Pavelski, and Justin Braun, while Thornton gets an honorable mention.

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