Originally scheduled to be the last day of the season, it is now the second-to-last day due to the Boston Marathon bombings. There are thirteen games today, beginning in...
New York City, as the Rangers host the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Henrik Lundqvist are set to start. New York began with a first period goal by Derek Stepan, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Callahan and John Moore. The Rangers added on as Callahan notched his sixteenth of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Stepan. New York extended the lead in the second period with a Rick Nash goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Brad Richards. The Rangers iced it at 4-0 with a third period goal by Nash, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Richards. The three stars were awarded to Nash, Callahan, and Lundqvist (20 save shutout), while Stepan and Richards receive the honorable mentions.
North to Ottawa, as the Senators host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Craig Anderson play in goal. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Jason Akeson goal, fueled by Claude Giroux. Ottawa tied it in the second period on a Kyle Turris goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Colin Greening and Chris Phillips. The Flyers took the lead back in the third period when Jakub Voracek scored his twenty-second of the year, via Erik Gustafsson and the goalie Mason. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Mason (43 for 44 in saves), Erik Karlsson, and Akeson, while any point-earner can take the second slot.
Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators. Chris Mason and Sergei Bobrovsky have the green light to start. Nashville got going in the second period on a Shea Weber goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by David Legwand and Joonas Rask. Columbus tied it in the third period as Brandon Dubinsky netted his second of the year, with helpers provided by Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal on the power play. The Blue Jackets took the lead as Jack Johnson scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Cam Atkinson and Dalton Prout. Columbus wrapped it up at 3-1 when Atkinson put his ninth of the year into the empty net, made possible by Blake Comeau and Dubinsky. The three stars were given to Johnson, Dubinsky, and Mason (44 for 46 in saves), while Atkinson gets an honorable mention.
Southeast to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host their cross-state rivals, the Florida Panthers. Jacob Markstrom and Anders Lindback are the young goalies. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period when Matt Carle scored his fifth of the season, assisted by Martin St. Louis. The Lightning added on as Ryan Malone notched his sixth of the year, courtesy of Vincent Lecavalier and Victor Hedman. Florida got on the board with a Nick Bjugstad goal, fueled by Tyson Strachan and T.J. Brennan. The Panthers tied it in the second period when Tomas Fleischmann put away his eleventh of the campaign, via Jonathan Huberdeau and Drew Shore. Tampa Bay regained the lead with a St. Louis goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Teddy Purcell and Steven Stamkos. Florida pulled even again in the third period on a Scottie Upshall goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Eric Selleck. The Panthers took the lead with another Fleischmann goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Huberdeau and Filip Kuba. Florida iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Marcel Goc, his ninth of the year, set up by Huberdeau, who got a sock trick. The three stars belonged to St. Louis, Fleischmann, and Kuba, while Huberdeau gets the honorable mention.
Back in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and James Reimer are in between the pipes. Toronto led off in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his twentieth of the season, a power play goal powered by Dion Phaneuf and Cody Franson. Montreal tied it as Lars Eller recorded his eighth of the year, via Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with an Andrei Markov goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Eller. Montreal added on with a Gallagher goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Eller and Markov. The Canadiens extended the lead in the third period when Tomas Plekanec notched his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Brandon Prust and Josh Gorges. Reimer was pulled for Ben Scrivens at this time. This made it 4-1, a final, with the three stars being Eller, Gallagher, and Markov.
Way to the south, the Dallas Stars host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard faces a lesser foe in Richard Bachman in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Pavel Datsyuk. The Red Wings extended the lead in the third period with another Zetterberg goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, coming shorthanded from Datsyuk. Detroit padded the lead as Jonathan Ericsson put away his third of the campaign, with the help of Datsyuk, who got a sock trick, and Zetterberg. This produced the 3-0 final, with Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Howard (17 save shutout) receiving the three stars.
Back to the northeast, where the Washington Capitals host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Boston opened in the first period on a Milan Lucic goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by David Krejci. The Bruins added on in the second period when Andrew Ference potted his fourth of the year, via Rich Peverley and Lucic. Washington got on the board in the third period as Mike Green scored his eleventh of the season, a power play goal set up by Troy Brouwer and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals tied it as Green scored another power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, powered by Mike Ribeiro and Ovechkin. Washington won 3-2 in overtime as Eric Fehr recorded his ninth of the campaign, a power play goal made possible by Green and Ribeiro. Green, Fehr, and Ovechkin were awarded the three stars, while Lucic and Ribeiro got the honorable mentions.
Into Pennsylvania, where the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Peters and Marc-Andre Fleury are called on to start. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by James Neal and the goalie Fleury. The Penguins added on in the second period when Neal scored his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Kris Letang and Chris Kunitz. Carolina got on the board as Kevin Westgarth scored, thanks to Jiri Tlusty and Eric Staal. Pittsburgh answered with the twelfth of the campaign by Jussi Jokinen, fueled by Pascal Dupuis and Jarome Iginla. The Hurricanes shot back as Tuomo Ruutu netted his fourth of the season, with the help of Jordan Staal and Patrick Dwyer. Carolina tied it with Westgarth's second of the game, with assists credited to Jamei McBain and Eric Staal. The Penguins took the lead back in the third period as Neal scored his second of the game and twentieth of the year, a power play goal set up by Malkin and Paul Martin. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Neal finished his hat trick with his twenty-first of the campaign, made possible by Malkin and Kunitz. The Penguins padded the lead on a Brenden Morrow goal, his twelfth of the season, via Brandon Sutter and Matt Cooke. Pittsburgh kept going with a Cooke goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Morrow and Martin. The Penguins finished it at 8-3 with another Jokinen goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, guided in by Iginla and Letang. Neal, Malkin, and Jokinen were named the three stars, while Cooke, Morrow, Westgarth, Kunitz, Letang, Iginla, Martin, and Eric Staal all receive honorable mentions.
Way to the west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Minnesota began with a first period Zach Parise goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Charlie Coyle and Mikko Koivu. Colorado tied it when Ryan O'Reilly scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Gabriel Landeskog and Patrick Bordeleau. The Wild took the lead back in the second period on a Devin Setoguchi goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Tom Gilbert and Matt Cullen on the power play. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with a Pierre-Marc Bouchard empty net goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jared Spurgeon and Cal Clutterbuck. The three stars were handed to Parise, Varlamov (30 for 32 in saves), and O'Reilly, while Backstrom (29 for 30 in saves) gets the honorable mention.
Backtracking the St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Brian Elliott in goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period on a Patrik Berglund goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Andy McDonald and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his sixth of the year, passed from David Backes and Kris Russell. That trio got together again in the third period as Schwartz scored his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, again made possible by Backes and Russell. Chicago avoided the shutout in the third period as Ben Smith scored, with the help of Jeremy Morin and Jimmy Hayes. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-1, and the three stars went to Schwartz, Elliott (22 for 23 in saves), and Roman Polak, while Backes or Russell could take the third slot.
Crossing into Canada once again, where the Edmonton Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Derek Roy power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jannik Hansen and Mason Raymond. Edmonton tied it in the second period on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Justin Schultz and Nick Schultz. The Oilers took the lead in the third period as Nail Yakupov scored his fifteenth of the campaign, a power play goal set up by Justin Schultz and Sam Gagner. The Canucks retied it as Tom Sestito scored his third of the season, courtesy of Kevin Bieksa and Zack Kassian. Edmonton took the lead back on a Justin Schultz goal, his eighth of the year, via Taylor Hall and Mark Fistric. The Oilers added on with another Yakupov goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Magnus Paajarvi. Edmonton extended the lead with Eberle's second of the game and sixteenth of the season, coming off of Hall and Justin Schultz, the latter getting a sock trick. The Oilers padded the lead when Yakupov put in his seventeenth of the year to secure the hat trick, with assists provided by Fistric and Paajarvi. Edmonton iced it at 7-2 with a Jerred Smithson goal, his third of the campaign, made possible by Ryan Jones and Ryan Smyth. Justin Schultz, Yakupov, and Eberle received the three stars, while Hall, Paajarvi, and Fistric got the honorable mentions.
Southwest to Anaheim, where the Ducks host the Phoenix Coyotes. Jason LaBarbera and Viktor Fasth are the backups making spot starts. Phoenix started in the first period as Radim Vrbata scored his tenth of the season, assisted by Shane Doan and David Schlemko. Anaheim tied it with a Teemu Selanne goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Pat Maroon and Nick Bonino. The Coyotes took the lead with a Kyle Chipchura goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Paul Bissonnette and Keith Yandle. The Ducks retied it in the second period on a Francois Beauchemin power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. Phoenix retook the lead again as Vrbata scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Martin Hanzal and Yandle. The Coyotes padded the lead when Vrbata finished his hat trick on a shorthanded goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, passed from Hanzal. Anaheim chipped back on a Bobby Ryan goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Getzlaf. Phoenix wrapped it up with an empty net goal by Antoine Vermette, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Vrbata and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. This produced the 5-3 final, with the three stars going to Selanne, Bonino, and Maroon, while the real three stars should be Vrbata, Hanzal, and Yandle, and with an honorable mention to Getzlaf. On behalf of the Ducks, I apologize on their atrocious selections of the three stars night in and night out.
Finally, in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Kyle Clifford goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. San Jose quickly tied it on a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-first of the year, an unassisted goal. The Kings took the lead back with a Slava Voynov goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Rob Scuderi and Brad Richardson. Los Angeles added on as Williams scored his eleventh of the year in the third period, assisted by Richardson and Dustin Penner. The Sharks got one back on a T.J. Galiardi goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. It wasn't enough to avoid the 3-2 loss, with the three stars being handed to Clifford, Quick (23 for 25 in saves), and Richardson, while Williams gets an honorable mention.
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