NHL April 20th 2013

Today we have eight games as the season winds down to its final week. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tomas Vokoun and Tuukka Rask are given the starting nods. Boston began in the first period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Zdeno Chara and the goalie Rask. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period as Jussi Jokinen netted his tenth of the year, courtesy of Matt Niskanen and Tanner Glass. The Penguins took the lead in the third period as Jarome Iginla scored his twelfth of the season, a power play goal powered by Jokinen and Beau Bennett. Pittsburgh added on when Kris Letang potted his fifth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Jokinen and Chris Kunitz. The Bruins got one back late as Tyler Seguin scored his sixteenth of the campaign, fueled by Chara. This produced the 3-2 final, with the three stars going to Vokoun (38 for 40 in saves), Jokinen, and Patrice Bergeron, while Chara could take the third slot.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils host the Florida Panthers. Jacob Markstrom and Martin Brodeur are in the creases. Florida was first to score in the first period as Marcel Goc recorded his seventh of the season, with the help of Tomas Fleischmann and Brian Campbell on the power play. The Panthers added on when Campbell scored his eighth of the year, courtesy of Mike Weaver and Shawn Matthias. New Jersey got on the board with a power play goal by Patrik Elias, his twelfth of the season, powered by Peter Harrold and the goalie Brodeur. The Devils tied it in the second period as Elias scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, thanks to David Clarkson and Travis Zajac. New Jersey took the lead with a Clarkson goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Zajac and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The Devils added on when Ryan Carter scored his sixth of the year, made possible by Steve Bernier and Stephen Gionta. New Jersey extended the lead on a Gionta goal, his fourth of the season, via Carter. The Devils padded the lead with a Dainius Zubrus goal in the third period, his second of the year, set up by Adam Larsson and Andy Greene. This was good for a 6-2 win, with the three stars being Elias, Clarkson, and Gionta, while Carter, Campbell, and Zajac get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. Winnipeg tied it as Zach Bogosian put away his fifth of the year, thanks to Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ladd. The Islanders took the lead back with a Bailey goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Okposo and Nielsen. New York added on in the second period with a Matt Martin goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jesse Joensuu and Lubomir Visnovsky. The Jets answered when Kyle Wellwood scored his fifth of the season, with the help of Evander Kane and James Wright. Winnipeg tied it on another Wellwood goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with a lone assist from Grant Clitsome. The Islanders took the lead back in the third period when Michael Grabner scored his sixteenth of the season, via Colin McDonald and Visnovsky. The Jets pulled even on a power play goal by Bryan Little, his seventh of the year, powered by Ladd and Clitsome. The game went to a shootout, with New York winning 5-4 on goals by Brad Boyes and John Tavares to topple a lone Winnipeg Ladd goal. Little, Nielsen, and Wellwood received the three stars while Visnovsky, Clitsome, Ladd, Bailey, and Okposo were the honorable mentions.

Back to the southeast, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Justin Peters are set to start. Philadelphia struck first in the first period on a Jakub Voracek goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux. Carolina tied it with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers took the lead back in the second period as Wayne Simmonds scored his thirteenth of the season, via Matt Read. The Hurricanes retied it when Justin Faulk scored his fifth of the year, passed from Tim Wallace and Kevin Westgarth. Philadelphia regained the lead again as Simmonds scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, fueled by Sean Couturier and Read. The Flyers extended the lead on another Simmonds goal, completing his hat trick with his fifteenth of the year, set up by Brayden Schenn. Carolina shot back on an Eric Staal goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Jiri Tlusty and Alexander Semin. Philadelphia replied with a Read goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Simmonds. This was good for a 5-3 final, with the three stars awarded to Simmonds, Read, and Faulk.

Up into Canada, where the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Carey Price guard the cages. Washington started in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on when Troy Brouwer scored his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Karl Alzner and Mike Ribeiro. Washington extended the lead in the second period with the second of the game and nineteenth of the season by Brouwer, via Marcus Johansson and Ribeiro. The Capitals padded the lead with a power play goal by Backstrom, his seventh of the year, powered by Ovechkin and Mike Green. Washington kept going in the third period with an Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, set up by Green and Ribeiro, the latter getting a sock trick. Montreal got on the board late as Max Pacioretty scored his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Tomas Plekanec and Josh Gorges. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Ovechkin, Holtby (35 for 36 in saves), and Brouwer, while Ribeiro, Backstrom, and Green receive the honorable mentions.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host their cross-province rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Craig Anderson protect the nets. Toronto got going in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Cody Franson and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on as van Riemsdyk scored again, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Kessel and Franson. Ottawa got on the board with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist provided by Cory Conacher. Toronto answered in the third period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Nikolai Kulemin. The Maple Leads extended the lead when Joffrey Lupul netted his tenth of the season, an unassisted goal. This made it 4-1, the final, with Reimer (49 for 50 in saves), van Riemsdyk, and Silfverberg receiving the three stars, while Kessel and Franson got the honorable mentions.

Back in the states, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago opened in the first period with a Brent Seabrook goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Nick Leddy on the power play. Phoenix tied it as Rostislav Klesla scored his second of the year, thanks to Michael Stone. The Coyotes took the lead when Radim Vrbata netted his ninth of the season, via Rob Klinkhamer. The Blackhawks tied it in the second period as Seabrook scored his second of the game and eighth of the year, a power play goal powered by Patrick Kane and Leddy. The game went to a shootout, where Phoenix won 3-2 with goals by Mikkel Boedker and David Schlemko to top a lone Kane tally. The three stars went to Seabrook, Smith (36 for 38 in saves), and Vrbata, while Leddy and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Vancouver, the Canucks host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Cory Schneider are the masked men. Vancouver led off in the first period with an Alexander Edler power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Dan Hamhuis and Derek Roy. Detroit tied it on a Cory Emmerton goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Damien Brunner. The Canucks won 2-1 in the shootout on a lone tally by Maxim Lapierre. The three stars went to Schneider (33 for 34 in saves), Danny DeKeyser, and Alexandre Burrows, while any point-earners could take the second or third slots.

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