NHL February 16th 2013

Seven games on today, beginning in...

Florida, as the Panthers host their neighbors from the north, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Anders Lindback and Jose Theodore man the creases. Florida struck first in the first period as Shawn Matthias scored his third of the season, assisted by Mike Weaver and Jack Skille. Tampa Bay tied it with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fourth of the year, via Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. The Lightning took the lead on an Alex Killorn goal, with a lone assist from Matt Carle. The Panthers tied it in the second period when Skille scored his second of the season, courtesy of Matthias and Weaver. Tampa Bay retook the lead as Steven Stamkos scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Cory Conacher and Teddy Purcell. Florida pulled even with a Jerred Smithson goal, coming off of Alex Kovalev. The Panthers took the lead again in the third period as Jonathan Huberdeau scored his sixth of the season, guided in by Drew Shore and Tyson Strachan. Florida padded the lead on a Tomas Kopecky goal, his third of the year, pushed through by Stephen Weiss and Brian Campbell. The Lightning chipped back with Stamkos scoring his second of the game and ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Purcell and St. Louis. Tampa Bay tied it as Purcell put away his fourth of the year, set up by Stamkos and Nate Thompson. The Lightning won 6-5 in overtime as Pouliot scored his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, with the help of Tom Pyatt and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Pouliot, Stamkos, and Purcell got the three stars, while St. Louis, Matthias, Skille, and Weaver receive the honorable mentions.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ben Scrivens receive the starting nods. Toronto was first to score in the first period as Frazer McLaren scored, with the help of Mark Fraser and Jay McClement. The Maple Leafs added on in the third period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Dion Phaneuf. Toronto iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by John-Michael Liles, going down unassisted. Scrivens (34 save shutout), Anderson (26 for 28 in saves), and Mike Kostka got the three stars, while McLaren or Bozak are more deserving of the third slot.

Back in the states, the New York Islanders bring in the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Evgeni Nabokov are in the blue paint. New York got going in the second period as John Tavares scored his ninth of the season, assisted by Brad Boyes and Matt Moulson. The Islanders added on as Tavares scored his second of the night and tenth of the year, a power play goal passed from Moulson and Lubomir Visnovsky. New York extended the lead as Moulson scored his seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Boyes and Tavares. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a Marek Zidlicky power play goal, fueled by Patrik Elias and Ilya Kovalchuk. The Islanders shot back when Tavares completed his hat trick with his eleventh of the campaign, a power play goal set up by Mark Streit and Moulson, the latter getting a sock trick. New York finished it at 5-1 when Michael Grabner scored his sixth of the year, via Keith Aucoin and Travis Hamonic. The three stars were handed to Tavares, Nabokov (30 for 31 in saves), and Moulson, while Boyes gets an honorable mention.

North again to Montreal, with the Canadiens hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Backups Brian Boucher and Peter Budaj are between the pipes. Montreal led off in the first period as Brendan Gallagher scored his fifth of the season, courtesy of Max Pacioretty and Raphael Diaz. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a David Desharnais goal, his fourth of the year, thanks to Gallagher and Pacioretty. Philadelphia got on the board with a Danny Briere goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Brayden Schenn. Montreal shot back on a third period Tomas Plekanec goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Rene Bourque and Brian Gionta. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with a Bourque empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, guided in by Gionta and Josh Gorges. Gallagher, Desharnais, and Plekanec received the three stars, while Bourque, Gionta, and Pacioretty picked up the honorable mentions.

Back south, the Nashville Predators host the Anaheim Ducks. Viktor Fasth and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Nashville opened with a first period goal by David Legwand, his third of the season, coming off of Jonathon Blum and Colin Wilson. Anaheim tied it as Matt Beleskey scored his third of the year, thanks to Corey Perry and Bryan Allen. The Predators took the lead back in the second period as Shea Weber scored, with the help of Roman Josi and Sergei Kostitsyn. The Ducks tied it again with a Patrick Maroon goal, set up by Kyle Palmieri and Francois Beauchemin. The game went into a shootout, where Anaheim got goals from Nick Bonino and Perry to lift them 3-2 over a lone tally by Craig Smith of Nashville. The three stars went to Weber, Maroon, and Fasth (32 for 34 in saves), while Perry gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Phoenix, as the Coyotes host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Mike Smith protect the nets. Columbus started in the first period as Jared Boll scored, with assists provided by Jack Johnson and Vinny Prospal. Phoenix tied it with a David Moss goal, his second of the season, assisted by Mikkel Boedker and Antoine Vermette. The Coyotes took the lead as Radim Vrbata scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Martin Hanzal and Steve Sullivan. The Blue Jackets pulled even on a Matt Calvert goal, his second of the season, made possible by Derick Brassard. Phoenix took the lead on a Kyle Chipchura goal, passed from Keith Yandle and Raffi Torres. Columbus tied it again in the second period on a Derek MacKenzie goal, his second of the year, guided in by Boll and Adrian Aucoin. Phoenix took the lead back in the third period as Hanzal scored his sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Yandle and Sullivan. The Coyotes iced it at 5-3 with another Hanzal goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year going into the empty net with the help of Yandle, who got a sock trick, and Rostislav Klesla. The three stars were awarded to Hanzal, Yandle, and Chipchura, while Boll and Sullivan receive the honorable mentions.

Finally, we end in Edmonton, as the Oilers welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Colorado began in the first period as Cody McLeod scored his second of the season, thanks to Milan Hejduk and John Mitchell. The Avalanche added on as Matt Duchene scored his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jamie McGinn and Tyson Barrie. Colorado extended the lead McGinn netted his second of the season, via Duchene and Barrie. Edmonton got on the board as Ales Hemsky socred his sixth of the year, a power play goal powered by Sam Gagner and Taylor Hall. Nikolai Khabibulin relieved Dubnyk for the second period onward. The Avalanche padded the lead in the second period as Mitchell recorded his fifth of the season, a power play goal made possible by McGinn and Duchene. The Oilers chipped back in the third period on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, set up by Hall and Jordan Eberle. Edmonton got closer as Hemsky scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Ryan Smyth. The Oilers tied it with an Eberle power play goal, his fourth of the season coming on the power play with the help of Gagner and Nail Yakupov.