NHL April 19th 2013

The Marathon bombing suspect is still at large as of this writing, and with the city of Boston in a lockdown to catch him, the Bruins game, as well as the Red Sox in baseball, are both being postponed. The Bruins-Penguins game will be played tomorrow, and the originally scheduled Penguins game against the Sabres has been moved to Tuesday. With that sorted out, as well as the Bruins games against the Senators being postponed until the 28th, we jump into today's five games, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Ryan Miller tend the twines. New York led off with a first period goal by Carl Hagelin, his tenth of the season, fueled by Derek Stepan and the goalie Lundqvist. The Rangers added on when Brad Richards netted his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Mats Zuccarello. New York extended the lead as Ryane Clowe scored his third of the season, officially unassisted, but when viewing the replay, Miller pretty much served it right up to him. The Rangers kept going in the second period with an Anton Stralman goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Clowe and Rick Nash. Miller was relieved by Jhonas Enroth at this time. New York padded the lead with another Richards goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, made possible by Taylor Pyatt and John Moore. The Rangers struck again on a Nash goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Stepan and Steve Eminger. Buffalo got on the board as Cody Hodgson scored his fifteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Christian Ehrhoff and Tyler Ennis. The Sabres pulled closer with a Nathan Gerbe goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. New York replied with a Ryan Callahan goal, his twelfth of the season, an unassisted goal. Buffalo shot back on a Drew Stafford goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist from Marcus Foligno. The Rangers answered in the third period as Richards completed the hat trick with his tenth of the season, passed from Ryan McDonagh. The Sabres took one back late as Mark Pysyk scored a power play goal, with helpers from Ehrhoff and Ennis. The three stars belonged to Richards, Clowe, and Nash, while Stepan, Ehrhoff, and Ennis get the honorable mentions in the 8-4 game.

West to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Brian Elliott are in the creases. St. Louis started in the first period with a power play goal by Chris Stewart, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on in the second period with a Ryan Reaves goal, his second of the year, via Chris Porter. Dallas got on the board in the third period as Antoine Roussel scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Stephane Robidas and Aaron Rome. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars being Elliott (21 for 22 in saves), Stewart, and Reaves.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Chicago began in the first period as Duncan Keith scored his third of the season, a power play goal coming off of Viktor Stalberg and Jonathan Toews. Nashville tied it as Matt Halischuk potted his third of the year, courtesy of Kevin Klein and Victor Bartley. The Predators took the lead with a Kevin Henderson goal, fueled by Chris Mueller and Bobby Butler. The Blackhawks tied it again with a Brandon Saad goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Toews and Keith. Chicago regained the lead in the second period on a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist by Bryan Bickell. Nashville tied it on another Halischuk goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by Bartley. The Blackhawks gained the lead again in the third period with a Michal Handzus goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Predators pulled even as Butler recorded his fourth of the season, via Halischuk and Shea Weber. Chicago won 5-4 in overtime with a Marian Hossa power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Kane and Keith. The three stars were awarded to Keith, Halischuk, and Toews, while Kane, Butler, and Bartley receive the honorable mentions.

Further west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Semyon Varlamov protect the nets. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Taylor Hall goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jeff Petry and Justin Schultz. Colorado tied it when P.A. Parenteau scored his seventeenth of the year, via Shane O'Brien and John Mitchell. The Oilers took the lead as Justin Schultz scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi. Edmonton extended the lead with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, set up by Eberle and Nick Schultz. The Oilers added on when Eberle notched his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Mark Fistric and Paajarvi. This held up for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being handed to Eberle, Justin Schultz, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Paajarvi gets an honorable mention.

Finally, up in Calgary, the Flames bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Miikka Kiprusoff receive the starting nods. Calgary got going in the second period as Roman Horak scored his second of the season, with the help of Lee Stempniak and Michael Cammalleri. The Flames added on as Brian McGrattan scored his third of the year in the third period, with assists from Cammalleri and Brett Carson. Anaheim got on the board as Corey Perry scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Kyle Palmieri and Cam Fowler. Calgary responded with a Roman Cervenka goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Sven Baertschi. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kiprusoff (32 for 33 in saves), Horak, and McGrattan, while Cammalleri picked up an honorable mention.

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