There are nine games tonight, and I have an announcement to make. As I have alluded to in previous posts, I am very busy in the coming months. This is my official announcement that I will not being doing MLB this season. I apologize to the baseball fans that stop by here, but I do not have the time to commit to giving 100% in my work for it, so I will not do any games. For the games tonight, we begin in...
Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Justin Peters are in the blue paint. Carolina opened with a first period Jiri Tlusty goal, his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Riley Nash and Tim Brent. Winnipeg tied it as Olli Jokinen scored his sixth of the year, courtesy of Evander Kane and Ron Hainsey. The Jets took the lead in the second period on a Tobias Enstrom power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Kane. Winnipeg extended the lead as Alex Burmistrov scored his fourth of the year, guided in by Kane, who got a sock trick, and Nik Antropov. The Jets padded the lead on a third period goal by Kane, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. This made it 4-1, the final, with Kane, Pavelec (38 for 39 in saves), and Andrew Ladd getting the three stars, while any other point-earner can take the third slot.
Up in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh got going in the second period as Sidney Crosby scored his fifteenth of the season, via Chris Kunitz and Brooks Orpik. Tomas Vokoun relieved Fleury for the third period, as the latter left due to injury. The final stood at 1-0, with the three stars awarded to Crosby, Orpik, and Price (24 for 25 in saves).
Over to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Braden Holtby are given the starting nods. New York began in the first period on a Michael Grabner goal, his eleventh of the season, pushed through by Keith Aucoin. The Islanders added on with a Josh Bailey goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. Washington got on the board in the second period as Mike Ribeiro scored his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist from Troy Brouwer. The Capitals tied it with the fifth of the year by John Carlson, coming off of Marcus Johansson and Alex Ovechkin. New York retook the lead in the third period as John Tavares scored his twentieth of the season, with the help of Matt Moulson. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Tavares, Carlson, and Grabner.
North to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Florida Panthers. Jacob Markstrom and Ben Scrivens are the young goalies. Florida led off with a first period Tomas Fleischmann goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Tomas Kopecky and Marcel Goc. Toronto tied it in the second period on a Dion Phaneuf goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Carl Gunnarsson. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period on a Joffrey Lupul power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel. The Panthers retied it with a Shawn Matthias goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Jonathan Huberdeau and Filip Kuba. Toronto regained the lead as Lupul scored again, his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by Kessel and Bozak. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars belonging to Lupul, Scrivens (40 for 42 in saves), and Kessel, while Bozak gets an honorable mention.
Way to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller faces a lesser foe in Mathieu Garon in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with Steven Stamkos scoring his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Martin St. Louis. The Lightning added on as St. Louis scored his eighth of the year in the second period, courtesy of Teddy Purcell and Stamkos on the power play. Buffalo got on the board in the third period as Jordan Leopold scored his second of the season, thanks to Marcus Foligno. This was as close as it got, with the final being 2-1, and the three stars were awarded to Stamkos, St. Louis, and Keith Aulie, while Garon (13 for 14 in saves) could take the third slot.
Backtracking to Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Ilya Bryzgalov are the masked men. New York was first to score in the first period as Rick Nash potted his eleventh of the season, thanks to Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Brad Richards power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Stepan and Michael Del Zotto. New York extended the lead as Stepan scored his tenth of the season, with a lone assist from Nash. Philadelphia got on the board with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Flyers pulled closer with a third period Voracek goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Giroux and Bruno Gervais. The Rangers replied as Nash scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, passed from Carl Hagelin and Stepan, the latter getting a sock trick. New York extended the lead with a Chris Kreider goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Del Zotto and Richards. This made it a 5-2 final, with Stepan, Nash, and Hagelin receiving the three stars, while Del Zotto, Richards, Voracek, and Giroux get the honorable mentions.
Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Jake Allen are named the starters. Edmonton struck first in the first period as Jordan Eberle scored his eighth of the season, coming off of Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on in the second period as Eberle scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, via Nugent-Hopkins and Hall. Edmonton extended the lead on a Hall goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Eberle. Jaroslav Halak relieved Allen at this time. The scoring ended here at 3-0, with the three stars being awarded to Khabibulin (43 save shutout), Eberle, and Hall, while Nugent-Hopkins gets an honorable mention.
Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Ray Emery are between the pipes. Chicago began in the first period on a Nick Leddy goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Patrick Kane and Michal Rozsival. The Blackhawks padded the lead in the second period as Brent Seabrook scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Kane and Duncan Keith. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Kane, Emery (16 save shutout), and Leddy.
Finally, in Vancouver, the Canucks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cory Schneider protect the nets. The game was scoreless into the shootout, where Maxim Lapierre was the difference, giving Vancouver the 1-0 win. The three stars went to Bobrovsky (34 save "shutout"), Jannik Hansen, and Schneider (17 save shutout), while Lapierre gets an honorable mention for finally finding twine.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
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