NHL February 26th 2013

Nine games on tonight, beginning in...

D.C., as the Washington Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Braden Holtby are the overrated goaltenders. Washington led off in the first period with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his second of the season, made possible by Mike Ribeiro and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals added on as John Erskine scored his second of the year in the second period, fueled by Backstrom and John Carlson. Washington padded the lead in the third period with a Carlson goal, his third of the campaign, guided in by Mathieu Perreault and Joel Ward. This produced the 3-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Holtby, 33 save shutout), Backstrom, and Ward, while Carlson gets an honorable mention.

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Dallas Stars. Richard Bachman and Sergei Bobrovsky are between the pipes. Dallas began in the first period as Brenden Morrow scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Cody Eakin and Alex Goligoski. Columbus tied it in the second period on a Nikita Nikitin goal, his second of the year, coming off of Fedor Tyutin and Mark Letestu. The Stars took the lead back as Derek Roy potted his second of the season, with the help of Jordie Benn and Antoine Roussel. The Blue Jackets pulled even again on a Derek Dorsett goal, his third of the year, assisted by Letestu and Vinny Prospal. Dallas regained the lead with a Roussel goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Brenden Dillon and Stephane Robidas. Columbus tied it again in the third period when Cam Atkinson scored his second of the year, via Adrian Aucoin and Nick Foligno. The Stars took the lead back as Eakin potted his third of the season, helped along by Reilly Smith and Robidas. The Blue Jackets tied it late with an R.J. Umberger goal, his third of the year, passed from Foligno. Dallas won 5-4 in overtime as Loui Eriksson notched his sixth of the campaign, set up by Roy and Dillon. The three stars were given to Eriksson, Roussel, and Letestu, while Eakin, Roy, Dillon, Robidas, and Foligno all get honorable mentions for their efforts.

Back in the east, the New York Rangers host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. Winnipeg got going in the second period as Olli Jokinen scored his fourth of the season, courtesy of Evander Kane and Ron Hainsey. The Jets extended the lead as Kane potted his eighth of the year, with the help of Anthony Peluso and Nik Antropov. New York got on the board as Ryan Callahan scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Steve Eminger and Dan Girardi. Winnipeg replied with another Jokinen goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, guided in by Peluso and Grant Clitsome. The Rangers replied in the third period with a Taylor Pyatt goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Anton Stralman and Marc Staal. The Jets answered with a Kane goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, pushed through by Alex Burmistrov and Hainsey. New York pulled back as Stralman scored his third of the season, assisted by Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards. They couldn't tie the game, losing 4-3, with the three stars belonging to Kane, Callahan, and Jokinen, while Stralman, Hainsey, and Peluso receive the honorable mentions.

Out on Long Island, the New York Islanders host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Evgeni Nabokov man the creases. Boston was first to score in the first period as Adam McQuaid found twine, with assists provided by Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron. New York tied it with a Casey Cizikas goal, his second of the season, coming off of Josh Bailey and Andrew MacDonald. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with the tenth of the year by Brad Marchand, fueled by Andrew Ference and Bergeron. Boston extended the lead as David Krejci scored his fifth of the season, courtesy of Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with a Gregory Campbell empty net goal, his second of the year, passed from Seguin and Dennis Seidenberg. The three stars were handed to Rask (36 for 37 in saves), Marchand, and Bergeron, while Seguin gets an honorable mention.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Mathieu Garon receive the starting nods. Tampa Bay struck first as Steven Stamkos scored his fourteenth of the season, with the help of Teddy Purcell and Cory Conacher. Buffalo tied it with a Cody Hodgson goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Andrej Sekera and Thomas Vanek. The Sabres took the lead in the third period on a Tyler Myers goal, his third of the season, made possible by Vanek and Jason Pominville. The final stood here at 2-1, with the three stars going to Miller (30 for 31 in saves), Vanek, and Stamkos.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tomas Vokoun and Jose Theodore are the veteran goalies. Florida started in the first period with a Tomas Kopecky power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Brian Campbell and Dmitry Kulikov. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period as James Neal scored his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz. The Panthers took the lead back on another Kopecky power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, made possible by Tomas Fleischmann and Campbell. Florida extended the lead on a Campbell power play goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Kulikov and Drew Shore. The Panthers struck again as Marcel Goc scored a power play goal, fueled by Kopecky and Fleischmann. Marc-Andre Fleury relieved Vokoun at this time. The Penguins took one back as Dustin Jeffrey scored his second of the season, guided in by Brooks Orpik and Beau Bennett. Pittsburgh chipped away with Paul Martin's fourth of the year, via Neal. The Penguins tied it on a Kunitz power play goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Crosby. Scott Clemmensen relieved Theodore for the third period. Florida took the lead back in the third period with a Fleischmann goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist from Jerred Smithson. The Panthers finished it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Kopecky to complete his hat trick, his eighth goal of the campaign, coming from Goc and Erik Gudbranson. The three stars were awarded to Kopecky, Fleischmann, and Campbell, while Goc, Kulikov, Neal, Kunitz, and Crosby receive the honorable mentions.

Northward to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Calgary Flames. Joey MacDonald and Niklas Backstrom are the masked men. Calgary opened with an Alex Tanguay power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Michael Cammalleri and Jay Bouwmeester. Minnesota tied it in the third period on a Jason Zucker goal, his second of the year, coming off of Devin Setoguchi and Ryan Suter. The Wild won 2-1 in overtime as Zach Parise potted his eighth of the campaign, a power play goal assisted by Mikko Koivu and Suter. The three stars were given to Zucker, Backstrom (20 for 21 in saves), and Parise, while Suter gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Cory Schneider occupy the blue paint. Phoenix led off in the first period as Kyle Chipchura scored his third of the season, with the help of Paul Bissonnette and Michael Stone. The Coyotes extended the lead in the second period on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his fourth of the year, passed from David Rundblad and Antoine Vermette. Vancouver got on the board as Jason Garrison scored his third of the season, assisted by Ryan Kesler and Chris Higgins. Phoenix added on in the third period as Vermette notched his fifth of the year, courtesy of Boedker and Lauri Korpikoski. The Canucks pulled back with a Daniel Sedin goal, his eighth of the season, thanks to Chris Tanev and Dan Hamhuis. The Coyotes iced it at 4-2 with a Chipchura empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, going down unassisted. Boedker, Garrison, and Chipchura received the three stars, while Vermette got the honorable mention.

Finally, down in San Jose, the Sharks host the Colorao Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Antti Niemi protect the nets. Colorado quickly began in the first period as Logan Couture scored his seventh of the season, courtesy of Joe Thornton and Martin Havlat. Colorado tied it at Chuck Kobasew scored his second of the year, via Jan Hejda and Patrick Bordeleau. The Sharks took the lead in the second period on a T.J. Galiardi goal, fueled by James Sheppard and Adam Burish. The Avalanche tied it in the third period as Mark Olver scored his second of the campaign, coming off of Cody McLeod and Hejda. The game went into a shootout, where San Jose won 3-2 on goals by Michal Handzus and Patrick Marleau, enough to defeat a lone Colorado tally by P.A. Parenteau. The three stars went to Galiardi, Varlamov (39 for 41 in saves), and Sheppard, while Hejda gets an honorable mention.

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