Thursday, January 8, 2015

NHL January 8th, 2015

Ten games for tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider faces a lesser foe in Niklas Svedberg. Boston began in the first period on a Milan Lucic goal, his seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by David Krejci and Torey Krug. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Boston iced it at 3-0 in the third period on a Lucic empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, set up by Patrice Bergeron and Chris Kelly. The three stars went to Lucic, Soderberg, and Svedberg (14 save shutout).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Cam Ward occupy the creases. Carolina got going in the second period on a Jeff Skinner goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Alexander Semin and Ryan Murphy. Buffalo tied it on a Philip Varone goal, guided in by Chris Stewart. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Jiri Tlusty power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Nathan Gerbe and Justin Faulk. Carolina added on as Eric Staal scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Murphy and John-Michael Liles. The Hurricanes extended the lead on a Victor Rask goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Ron Hainsey. The Sabres got one back in the third period with a Varone goal, his second of the game, coming off of Tyson Strachan and Mike Weber. Carolina shot back with a Riley Nash goal, his sixth of the season, via Faulk and Tlusty. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars given to Tlusty, Varone, and Faulk, while Murphy gets the honorable mention.

Back north, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Steve Mason are the masked men. Washington struck first with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Mike Green and Marcus Johansson. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Matt Read and Nick Schultz. The Capitals retook the lead on a third period goal by Karl Alzner, his fourth of the season, assisted by Green and Andre Burakovsky. The Flyers tied it again as R.J. Umberger scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Schultz and Read. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Claude Giroux and Mark Streit. The three stars went to Schultz, Read, and Green.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Brian Elliott receive the starting nods. St. Louis led off in the first period on an Alexander Steen goal, his eleventh of the season, coming on the power play from Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues added on with a Jay Bouwmeester goal, his second of the year, via Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera. San Jose got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Logan Couture, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Brenden Dillon. St. Louis answered with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by T.J. Oshie and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Sharks got one back in the second period on a Melker Karlsson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Couture and Brent Burns. The Blues replied with a Lehtera goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Schwartz. St. Louis extended the lead on an Oshie goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Steen and David Backes. Alex Stalock replaced Niemi at this time. The Blues continued in the third period on a Patrik Berglund goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Stastny. St. Louis finished it at 7-2 on a Backes goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, driven in by Schwartz, who got a sock trick, and Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars went to Lehtera, Stastny, and Steen, while Schwartz, Oshie, Backes, and Tarasenko get the honorable mentions.

Back east to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville was first to score in the first period on a Shea Weber goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Mike Ribeiro and Roman Josi. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Jason Spezza goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Shawn Horcoff and Jason Demers. The Predators took the lead with a Miikka Salomaki goal, made possible by Josi and Calle Jarnkrok. The Stars retied it with a Trevor Daley goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jamie Benn and Cody Eakin. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime on a Weber goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, set up by Mike Fisher and Colin Wilson. The three stars were handed to Weber, Josi, and Salomaki.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Niklas Backstrom are the experienced goalies. Chicago started in the first period on a Patrick Sharp goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by David Rundblad and Andrew Shaw. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Brad Richards and Jonathan Toews. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Jason Pominville and Mikko Koivu. Chicago replied in the third period on a Bryan Bickell goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Kane and Richards. The Wild got one back on a Pominville power play goal, his ninth of the season, pushed through by Thomas Vanek and Nino Niederreiter. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-2 with a Bickell empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Kane and Richards, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Bickell, Kane, and Richards, while Pominville got the honorable mention.

Southwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. Colorado opened in the first period with a Jarome Iginla goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Alex Tanguay and Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche added on with a Brad Stuart goal, courtesy of Jan Hejda and Matt Duchene. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Mark Stone goal, his tenth of the year, via Erik Karlsson and David Legwand. Colorado replied with an Erik Johnson goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of O'Reilly. The Avalanche extended the lead as Iginla scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Tanguay and Nick Holden. The Senators pulled back on an unassisted Bobby Ryan goal, his twelfth of the season. Colorado answered on a Daniel Briere goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Tyson Barrie and Nate Guenin. The final stood at 5-2, with Iginla, Tanguay, and O'Reilly receiving the three stars.

Down to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Mike Smith are the mediocre goalies. Arizona dented the scoreboard with a Mikkel Boedker power play goal, his tenth of the season, via Antoine Vermette and Shane Doan. The Coyotes added on with a power play goal by Oliver Ekman-Larsson, his eleventh of the year, powered by Doan and Boedker. Arizona extended the lead on a Doan power play goal in the second period, his ninth of the season, assisted by Michael Stone and Tobias Rieder. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period as Mathieu Perreault scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Andrew Ladd and Mark Scheifele. The Coyotes answered on a Boedker goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Chris Summers and Vermette. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were Boedker, Doan, and Vermette.

Up to Vancouver, as the Canucks bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Ryan Miller tend the twines. Vancouver began in the first period on a Daniel Sedin goal, his ninth of the season, via Henrik Sedin and Yannick Weber. Florida got on the board with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Panthers took the lead in the second period as Aleksander Barkov netted his third of the season, thanks to Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Florida added on with a Huberdeau goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Dmitry Kulikov and Willie Mitchell. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars given to Huberdeau, Luongo (32 for 33 in saves), and Barkov.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles led off in the first period on a Tanner Pearson goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. The Kings added on with a Justin Williams goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Dustin Brown and Alec Martinez. New York got on the board with a Dan Boyle power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Rick Nash and Derick Brassard. The Rangers tied it in the second period on a Kevin Klein goal, his eighth of the year, via Kevin Hayes and John Moore. New York gained the lead with a Lee Stempniak goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by J.T. Miller and Dan Girardi. The Rangers extended the lead on a Martin St. Louis power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Boyle and Brassard. Los Angeles got one back on Williams' second of the game and eleventh of the season in the third period, helped along by Brown and Anze Kopitar. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars being Boyle, Williams, and Brassard, while Brown gets an honorable mention.

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