Thursday, April 10, 2014

NHL Day 192 2013-2014

Today is the fourth to last day of the season, and biggest of those remaining. We have eleven games to go with, beginning in...

New York, as the Rangers host the Buffalo Sabres. Matt Hackett is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period on a Drew Stafford goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Mike Weber and Tyler Ennis. New York tied it on a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard. The Rangers took the lead in the third period as Rick Nash potted his twenty-sixth of the campaign, via Martin St. Louis and Derek Stepan. This produced the 2-1 final, with the three stars being Nash, Lundqvist (23 for 24 in saves), and Pouliot.

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Anton Khudobin draw the starts. Washington led off in the first period with a Joel Ward goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Eric Fehr and Jason Chimera. The Capitals added on in the second period as Chimera scored his fifteenth of the year, from Fehr and Ward. Carolina got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Jiri Tlusty, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Jordan Staal. Washington shot back on a Troy Brouwer goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Marcus Johansson and Karl Alzner. The Capitals extended the lead with a third period Fehr goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Chimera and Ward. Washington padded the lead on a Brouwer goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Johansson and Tyson Strachan. The Hurricanes got one back on a Radek Dvorak goal, his fourth of the campaign, made possible by Justin Faulk and Drayson Bowman. This only made it 5-2, the final, with Brouwer, Fehr, and Ward earning the three stars, while Chimera and Johansson get the honorable mentions.

Up north, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Carey Price are the veteran goalies. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Ryan Strome power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Matt Donovan and Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on with a power play goal by Brock Nelson, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Thomas Hickey and the goalie Nabokov. This was all they needed to win 2-0, with the three stars being Nabokov (19 save shutout), Strome, and Nelson.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Robin Lehner are the young goalies. Ottawa struck first in the second period on a Mike Hoffman goal, his third of the season, via Mika Zibanejad and Cody Ceci. New Jersey tied it on a Michael Ryder goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Anton Volchenkov and Tim Sestito. The Senators won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Erik Karlsson. The three stars were awarded to Lehner (38 for 39 in saves), Schneider (31 for 32 in saves), and Karlsson.

Back south again to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Anders Lindback are the backups making spot starts. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Steven Stamkos and Mike Kostka. Philadelphia tied it on a second period Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The Lightning took the lead in the third period on a Richard Panik goal, his third of the season, passed from Victor Hedman and Kostka. Tampa Bay added on with an Eric Brewer goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Johnson and Ondrej Palat. The Flyers pulled back with a Sean Couturier goal, his twelfth of the season, via Mark Streit. The Lightning answered with a Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Valtteri Filppula and Hedman. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Johnson, Stamkos, and Lindback (34 for 36 in saves), while Kostka and Hedman get honorable mentions.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Drew MacIntyre opposes Roberto Luongo in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Brandon Pirri goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Quinton Howden and Brian Campbell. Toronto tied it in the second period on a Tyler Bozak goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Jake Gardiner and James van Riemsdyk. The Panthers took the lead back on a Brad Boyes goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Nick Bjugstad and Sean Bergenheim. Florida added on in the third period with a Bjugstad goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Bergenheim and Boyes. The Panthers extended the lead with a Bjugstad shorthanded goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, set up by Tomas Fleischmann and Colby Robak. The Maple Leafs got one back on a Paul Ranger goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Bozak and Gardiner. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Bjugstad, Boyes, and Bozak, while Bergenheim and Gardiner get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators host the Phoenix Coyotes. Thomas Greiss and Pekka Rinne get the starting nods. Nashville was first to score in the second period on a Craig Smith power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Ryan Ellis and Seth Jones. The Predators added on with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Mike Fisher and Matt Cullen. They coasted to a 2-0 win, with the three stars handed to Rinne (29 save shutout), Smith, and Hornqvist.

Continuing to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the St. Louis Blues. Ryan Miller faces a lesser foe in John Curry in goal. Minnesota opened in the first period on a Nino Neiderreiter goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Jonathon Blum and Matt Cooke. St. Louis tied it on a second period power play goal by Kevin Shattenkirk, his tenth of the year, powered by Vladimir Sobotka and Alexander Steen. The Wild retook the lead on a shorthanded goal by Kyle Brodziak, his seventh of the season, set up by Cooke and Nate Prosser. The Blues tied it again with a Jaden Schwartz shorthanded goal, with a lone assist by Steen. Minnesota took the lead back again as Matt Moulson potted his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Dany Heatley and Erik Haula. The Wild added on in the third period with a Brodziak goal, his eighth of the year and second of the game, helped along by Christian Folin and Neiderreiter. This produced a 4-2 final, with the three stars being Brodziak, Neiderreiter, and Cooke, while Steen gets an honorable mention.

Crossing into Canada, where the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Boston Bruins. Chad Johnson and Michael Hutchinson are the backups between the pipes. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, via Reilly Smith and David Krejci. Winnipeg tied it on an Evander Kane goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Blake Wheeler and Tobias Enstrom. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Bryan Little scored the lone tally for a 2-1 Jets win. The three stars went to Hutchinson (32 for 33 in saves), Johnson (36 for 37 in saves), and Little.

Over in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers host the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Viktor Fasth have the green light to start. Los Angeles began in the first period on an Anze Kopitar goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Justin Williams and Marian Gaborik. The Kings added on with a Gaborik goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Willie Mitchell and Kopitar. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period on a Gaborik goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Slava Voynov and Williams. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 3-0, and the three stars were given to Gaborik, Jones (17 save shutout), and Kopitar, and Williams gets an honorable mention.

Finally, in Vancouver, the Canucks host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jacob Markstrom are in the blue paint. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Dan Hamhuis and Daniel Sedin. Colorado tied it on a Paul Stastny goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period as Stastny scored his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Erik Johnson and Nathan MacKinnon. The Canucks retied it on a David Booth goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Hamhuis and Alexandre Burrows. Colorado took the lead back with a Tyson Barrie goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Jamie McGinn. The Avalanche iced it at 4-2 with a John Mitchell power play goal, his eleventh of the year, going unassisted into the empty net. The three stars were Stastny, Hamhuis, and Barrie.

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