NHL March 19th 2013

Nine games tonight, beginning in...

Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus opened in the second period as Fedor Tyutin scored his second of the season, courtesy of RJ. Umberger and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Mark Letestu goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Vinny Prospal and Dalton Prout. Nashville got on the board as Gabriel Bourque scored his tenth of the season, coming off of Roman Josi and David Legwand. Columbus extended the lead in the third period on a Nikita Nikitin power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Prospal and Johnson. The Blue Jackets padded the lead with a Derick Brassard goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Letestu and Prospal, the latter getting a sock trick. The Predators shot back as Chris Mueller scored, thanks to Richard Clune and Shea Weber. Nashville got another as Mike Fisher recorded his seventh of the year, passed from Brandon Yip and Weber. They failed to tie it, falling 4-3, with the three stars going to Prospal, Letestu, and Johnson, while Weber gets an honorable mention.

East to Long Island, where the New York Islanders host the Ottawa Senators. Ben Bishop and Evgeni Nabokov draw the starts. Ottawa started in the first period with a Matt Kassian goal, coming off of Sergei Gonchar and Patrick Wiercioch. New York tied it on a Keith Aucoin goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. The Islanders took the lead in the second period when Bailey scored his third of the year, via Okposo and Frans Nielsen. New York extended the lead on a Lubomir Visnovsky goal, his second of the season coming on the power play from Matt Moulson and Brad Boyes. The Senators got one back in the third period as Jakob Silfverberg scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Wiercioch and Peter Regin. Ottawa tied it on a Zack Smith goal, his third of the season, made possible by Gonchar and Andre Benoit. The Senators took the lead on a Gonchar goal, his second of the year, guided in by Wiercioch, who got a sock trick, and Guillaume Latendresse. Ottawa iced it at 5-3 with Latendresse scoring his third of the campaign, with the help of Daniel Alfredsson on the empty net goal. The three stars were handed to Gonchar, Okposo, and Smith, while Wiercioch, Latendresse, and Bailey get the honorable mentions.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Johan Hedberg will be between the pipes. New York was first to score in the first period on a Michael Del Zotto goal, his third of the season, coming shorthanded via Derek Stepan. New Jersey tied it on a Travis Zajac goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Peter Harrold and Ilya Kovalchuk on the power play. The Rangers took the lead back on a Carl Hagelin goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Dan Girardi and Ryan Callahan. The Devils tied it again as Anton Volchenkov scored, with a lone assist by Stephen Gionta. New York took the lead again in the second period on a Rick Nash goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Del Zotto. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 3-2, and the three stars went to Del Zotto, Nash, and Zajac.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers. Jacob Markstrom and Dan Ellis receive the starting nods. Florida got going in the third period as Tomas Fleischmann netted his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Tomas Kopecky. The Panthers added on with a Marcel Goc power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Filip Kuba and Brian Campbell. Florida extended the lead as Shawn Matthias scored his ninth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Kuba and Jonathan Huberdeau. Carolina got one back as Jordan Staal potted his seventh of the year, via Joni Pitkanen and the goalie Ellis. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 as Jerred Smithson put his second of the campaign into the empty net, an unassisted goal. The three stars were handed to Kuba, Markstrom (33 for 34 in saves), and Ellis (40 for 43 in saves with an assist).

Back north to Pittsburgh, with the Penguins hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Washington struck first in the second period on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Troy Brouwer and Mike Ribeiro. Pittsburgh tied it with a Paul Martin power play goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Sidney Crosby and Beau Bennett. The Penguins took the lead in the third period on a Matt Niskanen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Matt Cooke and Crosby. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars belonging to Niskanen, Fleury (28 for 29 in saves), and Holtby (34 for 36 in saves), while Crosby receives an honorable mention.

Into Quebec, where the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Carey Price are in the blue paint. Buffalo began in the first period as Steve Ott scored his fourth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Sabres added on as Tyler Ennis scored his eighth of the year, guided in by Tyler Myers and Ville Leino. Montreal got on the board in the third period on a Max Pacioretty goal, his ninth of the season, pushed through by Brendan Gallagher and Andrei Markov. The Canadiens tied it with Colby Armstrong scoring his second of the year, thanks to Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime as Ott scored his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, with the help of Jordan Leopold and Leino. The three stars were awarded to Ott, Enroth (32 for 34 in saves), and Gallagher, while Leino gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ondrej Pavelec guard the cages. Boston led off in the second period as Brad Marchand notched his thirteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Winnipeg tied it in the third period with a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Zach Bogosian and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets took the lead on an Evander Kane goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Grant Clitsome and Kyle Wellwood. Winnipeg won 3-1 as Wheeler scored his second of the night and fourteenth of the year, an empty net goal set up by Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little. Pavelec (27 for 28 in saves), Wheeler, and Marchand were named the three stars.

Further to the west, the Vancouver Canucks host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Cory Schneider are the young goalies. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Jannik Hansen goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Mason Raymond. The Canucks added on as Daniel Sedin scored his ninth of the year, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Dan Hamhuis. Vancouver extended the lead as Dale Weise scored his second of the season, via Jordan Schroeder and Daniel Sedin. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his third of the year, coming off of Vladimir Tarasenko and Wade Redden. The Blues pulled closer as Patrik Berglund netted his fourteenth of the campaign, with the help of Kris Russell and David Perron. It wasn't enough to avoid a 3-2 loss, with the three stars belonging to Daniel Sedin, Berglund, and Schneider (32 for 34 in saves).

Finally, we end in Los Angeles, as the Kings host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith faces a lesser foe in Jonathan Bernier in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Dustin Penner goal, his second of the season, assisted by Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on in the second period with a Drew Doughty goal, fueled by Jake Muzzin and Mike Richards. Phoenix got on the board in the third period as Shane Doan potted is tenth of the year, courtesy of Keith Yandle and Derek Morris. Los Angeles shot back as Jarret Stoll scored his sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Richards and Alec Martinez. The Coyotes chipped back as Doan scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Mikkel Boedker and Raffi Torres. They still lost 3-2, with the three stars given to Bernier (40 for 42 in saves), Doan, and Doughty, while Richards gets an honorable mention.

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