Delayed post due to my attendance at the historic Seattle Sounders CONCACAF Champions League comeback in the second leg of a quarterfinal with Tigres UANL of Monterrey, Mexico. For the eleven hockey games, we begin in...
Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Sergei Bobrovsky are all padded up. Columbus got going in the second period with a Mark Letestu goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Derick Brassard and Vinny Prospal. Vancouver tied it on a Jason Garrison goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Jannik Hansen and Cam Barker. The game went into a shootout, where the Canucks won 2-1 with a lone tally by Mason Raymond. The three stars went to Bobrovsky (37 for 38 in saves), Luongo (26 for 27 in saves), and Garrison.
Over in Buffalo, the Sabres host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Jhonas Enroth in goal. New York began in the second period as Derek Stepan scored his seventh of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Ryan Callahan. Buffalo tied it on a Marcus Foligno goal, his second of the year, via Christian Ehrhoff and Andrej Sekera. The Sabres took the lead on a Thomas Vanek goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Jason Pominville and Cody Hodgson. Buffalo iced it at 3-1 in the third period when Foligno scored his second of the game and third of the year, with the help of Sekera and Brian Flynn. The three stars were handed to Foligno, Enroth (32 for 33 in saves), and Sekera.
Down in Washington, the Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Peters and Braden Holtby receive the starting nods. Carolina opened in the first period as Joe Corvo scored his fourth of the season, coming off of Alexander Semin and Eric Staal. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Riley Nash goal, his second of the year, made possible by Jay Harrison and Drayson Bowman. Carolina extended the lead on another Nash goal, his second of the game and third of the season, passed from Patrick Dwyer and Tim Gleason. The Hurricanes finished the scoring at 4-0 in the third period on a Dwyer empty net goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Peters (26 save shutout), Nash, and Eric Staal, while Dwyer gets an honorable mention.
Further to the south, the Florida Panthers host their cross-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Anders Lindback and Jacob Markstrom are the young goalies. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with the seventh of the season by Vincent Lecavalier, assisted by Martin St. Louis and Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on as St. Louis potted his seventh of the year, fueled by Killorn and Lecavalier. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Kris Versteeg goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Marcel Goc. The Panthers tied it with a Tomas Kopecky goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist from Jack Skille. Tampa Bay gained the lead back in the third period as Steven Stamkos scored his twentieth of the year, a power play goal powered by Teddy Purcell and St. Louis. They held on to win 3-2 with, with the three stars belonging to St. Louis, Stamkos, and Lindback (37 for 39 in saves), while Lecavlier and Killorn receive the honorable mentions.
Back north a bit, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Boston was first to score in the first period as Zdeno Chara scored his fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Dennis Seidenberg and Rich Peverley. The Bruins extended the lead as Tyler Seguin notched his ninth of the year, with helpers provided by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period as Chris Kunitz recorded his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Kris Letang and Deryk Engelland. The Penguins tied it with a Brandon Sutter goal, his seventh of the year, thanks to James Neal and Beau Bennett. Pittsburgh took the lead as Sutter potted his second of the night and eighth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. This was the decisive marker, resulting in a 3-2 final, with the three stars being named as Sutter, Kunitz, and Chara.
Westward to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jake Allen man the creases. St. Louis struck first in the first period as Chris Stewart scored his tenth of the season, assisted by David Backes and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on in the second period as David Perron scored his ninth of the year, via Patrik Berglund. San Jose got on the board with a Brent Burns goal, fueled by Scott Gomez and Matt Irwin. St. Louis answered with a Chris Porter goal, with a lone assist by Barret Jackman. The Sharks took one back in the third period as Dan Boyle scored his fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. The Blues iced it at 4-2 with Stewart's second of the game and eleventh of the year, an empty net goal made possible by Jackman. The three stars were awarded to Allen (39 for 41 in saves), Stewart, and Porter, while Jackman gets an honorable mention.
Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Niklas Backstrom are between the pipes. Minnesota started in the first period with a Devin Setoguchi power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Matt Cullen and Tom Gilbert. Anaheim tied it in the third period on a Pat Maroon goal, his second of the year, with assists from Toni Lydman and Brandon McMillan. The Ducks gained the lead as Luca Sbisa scored, thanks to Teemu Selanne and Daniel Winnik. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Hiller (30 for 31 in saves), Cullen, and Zenon Konopka (fight), while any point-earner can take the third slot.
Crossing into Canada, we have the Winnipeg Jets welcoming the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Ondrej Pavelec protect the nets. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Nik Antropov goal, his second of the season coming on the power play from Dustin Byfuglien and Kyle Wellwood. Toronto tied it in the second period with an unassisted Phil Kessel goal, his eighth of the year. The Jets answered as Blake Wheeler recorded his ninth of the season, thanks to Bryan Little and Andrew Ladd. Winnipeg added on with a Wellwood goal, his second of the year, passed from Byfuglien and Antropov. The Jets padded the lead as Evander Kane notched his eleventh of the campaign, with a lone assist from Antropov. Ben Scrivens replaced Reimer at this time. Winnipeg extended the lead on another Wheeler goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with assists provided by Eric Tangradi and Byfuglien, the latter getting a sock trick. The Maple Leafs got one back as Kessel scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, courtesy of Korbinian Holzer and James van Riemsdyk. This only made it a 5-2 final, with the three stars going to Antropov, Wheeler, and Kane, while Byfuglien, Wellwood, and Kessel receive honorable mentions.
Way to the south, the Dallas Stars bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Kari Lehtonen tend the twines. Nashville began in the first period as Nick Spaling scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Matt Halischuk. The Predators added on in the second period when Shea Weber scored a power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Craig Smith and David Legwand. Nashville extended the lead on a Richard Clue penalty shot conversion, his third goal of the season, with the attempt awarded from a Jordie Benn hook on a breakaway. The Predators iced it at 4-0 in the third period when Gabriel Bourque scored his seventh of the year, a power play goal passed from Smith and Legwand. Rinne (32 save shutout), Clune, and Weber got the three stars while Smtih and Legwand picked up the honorable mentions.
Northwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Shawn Horcoff goal, his third of the season, assisted by Ales Hemsky and Taylor Hall. The Oilers added on with a Sam Gagner goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Magnus Paajarvi and Ryan Whitney. Edmonton extended the lead in the second period on a Paajarvi goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Nick Schultz and Gagner. The Oilers padded the lead in the third period as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his second of the year, a power play goal powered by Hall and Hemsky. This made it 4-0, a final, with the three stars belonging to Dubnyk (36 save shutout), Gagner, and Paajarvi, while Hall and Hemsky receive honorable mentions.
Finally, we end in Phoenix, as the Coyotes host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Mike Smith are in the blue paint. Phoenix started in the first period with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Raffi Torres and Martin Hanzal. The Coyotes added on with a Shane Doan goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Derek Morris and Steve Sullivan. Phoenix kept going in the second period on a Boedker power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, with a lone assist from Keith Yandle. The Coyotes extended the lead as Torres scored his fifth of the year, via Doan. Los Angeles got on the board as Mike Richards netted his seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Slava Voynov and Jarret Stoll. The Kings pulled closer in the third period as Dustin Brown scored a power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, coming off of Jake Muzzin and Anze Kopitar. Phoenix wrapped it up at 5-2 with a Rob Klinkhammer goal, his second of the year, made possible by David Moss. The three stars were awarded to Boedker, Doan, and Torres.
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