Tuesday, December 16, 2014

NHL December 16th, 2014

Eleven games on a busy night tonight, with the first in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Steve Mason receive the starting nods. Philadelphia opened in the first period on a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Mark Streit and Claude Giroux. Tampa Bay tied it on a second period Steven Stamkos goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Jonathan Drouin and Ryan Callahan. The Lightning took the lead as Tyler Johnson netted his tenth of the season, thanks to Callahan and Nikita Kucherov. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 on a Valtteri Filppula empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Cedric Paquette and Johnson. The three stars went to Vasilevskiy (23 for 24 in saves), Johnson, and Callahan.

West to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. The game was scoreless into a shootout, where Ryan Johansen and Boone Jenner scored for Columbus to top Pavel Datsyuk's goal for Detroit and earn the Blue Jackets a 1-0 win. The three stars went to Bobrovsky (30 save shutout), Howard (29 save "shutout"), and Jenner.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Carey Price are in the blue paint. Montreal struck first in the first period on a Brandon Prust goal, his second of the season, via David Desharnais and P.A. Parenteau. The Canadiens added on as Alex Galchenyuk scored his seventh of the year in the second period, thanks to Max Pacioretty and Andrei Markov. Carolina got on the board in the third period on a Victor Rask goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm. Montreal answered on another Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, passed from Pacioretty. The Canadiens extended the lead as Galchenyuk completed his hat trick on his ninth of the campaign, assisted by Pacioretty, who got a sock trick, and Brendan Gallagher. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Galchenyuk, Price (25 for 26 in saves), and Pacioretty.

Over in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Jonathan Bernier are the young goalies. Toronto began in the first period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Joffrey Lupul goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Korbinian Holzer and Peter Holland. Anaheim got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Sami Vatanen, his ninth of the season, set up by Ryan Kesler and Getzlaf. Toronto shot back in the third period with an unassisted David Booth goal. The Maple Leafs extended the lead with a Nazem Kadri goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Daniel Winnik. Ilya Bryzgalov relieved Andersen at this time. The Ducks got one back with a Kesler goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Kyle Palmieri and Matt Beleskey. Toronto answered on a Kessel power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs made it 6-2 on another Kessel goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by van Riemsdyk and Bozak. This was the final, and the three stars went to Kessel, Bozak, and Kesler, while van Riemsdyk gets an honorable mention.

South to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Florida led off in the first period on a Derek MacKenzie goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Scottie Upshall. Washington tied it in the second period on a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. In the shootout, Ovechkin and Jussi Jokinen cancelled each other out, followed by Brooks Laich being matched by Jokinen again, Joel Ward trading goals with MacKenzie, John Carlson matching Sean Bergenheim, Brooks Orpik and Dylan Olsen scoring a goal each, and then finally, in the twentieth round, Nick Bjugstad sealed the deal for the Panthers for a 2-1 win. The three stars were given to Ovechkin, MacKenzie, and Jokinen.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Jake Allen. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Marian Gaborik goal, his sixth of the season, via Justin Williams and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on with another Gaborik goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. St. Louis got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Steve Ott and Chris Butler. The Blues tied it in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Kevin Shattenkirk and Tarasenko on the power play. St. Louis took the lead as Tarasenko netted a power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, thanks to Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues extended the lead on an Alexander Steen goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of David Backes and Patrik Berglund. St. Louis iced it at 5-2 when Tarasenko finished his hat trick on his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Schwartz. The three stars were awarded to Tarasenko, Gaborik, and Schwartz.

East to Nashville, where the Predators host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Boston got going in the second period on a Milan Lucic goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Chris Kelly and Torey Krug. Nashville tied it on a power play goal by Mike Fisher, his second of the year, powered by Shea Weber and Filip Forsberg. The Predators took the lead in the third period on a Mike Ribeiro goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by James Neal and Ryan Ellis. The Bruins retied it on a Reilly Smith goal, his eighth of the year, via Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Derek Roy scored to give Nashville the 3-2 win. The three stars went to Fisher, Ribeiro, and Roy.

North to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Michal Neuvirth and Ondrej Pavelec are the weak goalies. Buffalo was first to score in the first period on a power play goal by Nikita Zadorov, his second of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Cody Hodgson. Winnipeg tied it in the second period on a Mark Scheifele goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Grant Clitsome and Evander Kane. The Jets took the lead on a shorthanded goal by Michael Frolik, his seventh of the season, set up by Jim Slater. Winnipeg added on as Scheifele scored his second of the game and sixth of the year, thanks to Mathieu Perreault and Frolik. The Jets extended the lead in the third period with a Kane power play goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Scheifele. Winnipeg padded the lead on Chris Thorburn's second of the year, with helpers from Anthony Peluso and Mark Stuart. This produced the 5-1 final, with the three stars given to Scheifele, Kane, and Frolik.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Antti Raanta are in the blue paint. Minnesota started in the first period on a Thomas Vanek goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Mikael Granlund. Chicago tied it in the second period on a Brent Seabrook goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Kris Versteeg and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks took the lead on a Marian Hossa goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Toews and Seabrook. Chicago added on with a Toews goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Ben Smith. The Wild got one back in the third period with a Nino Niederreiter penalty shot goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming after he was tripped by Hossa. Minnesota tied it on a Marco Scandella goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Christian Folin and Mikko Koivu. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a power play goal by Kane, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Toews and Seabrook. Chicago iced it at 5-3 with a Smith empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Kane and Kruger. The three stars went to Seabrook, Toews, and Kane, while Smith gets an honorable mention.

Into Canada again, as the Calgary Flames host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Karri Ramo draw the starts. New York led off in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. New York extended the lead in the second period as Nash scored a shorthanded goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, set up by Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi. The Rangers chased Ramo on a Stepan goal, his third of the year, guided in by Martin St. Louis and the goalie Lundqvist. Jonas Hiller came on in relief. Calgary got on the board with a Jiri Hudler goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Mark Giordano and Matt Stajan. New York padded the lead on an empty net goal by Carl Hagelin, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Kevin Hayes and Lee Stempniak. The Flames got one back on a Curtis Glencross power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, powered by Sean Monahan and Dennis Wideman. This produced the 5-2 final, with the three stars going to Nash, Lundqvist (29 for 31 in saves), and Stepan.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens faces a former Oiler, Devan Dubnyk, in goal. Edmonton began in the first period on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Brad Hunt and Justin Schultz. Arizona tied it on a Brandon McMillan goal in the second period, via Joe Vitale and Chris Summers. The Coyotes won 2-1 in overtime on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Sam Gagner and Martin Erat. The three stars went to Dubnyk (31 for 32 in saves), Ekman-Larsson, and Scrivens (42 for 44 in saves).

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