Sunday, January 17, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 99

Seven games for today, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period on an Olli Maatta goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. The Penguins added on with a Conor Sheary goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Kevin Porter and Matt Cullen. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Kessel and Malkin. The Penguins padded the lead in the third period as Crosby scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, guided in by Patric Hornqvist and Ben Lovejoy. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-0 with a Trevor Daley goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Hornqvist. The three stars went to Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel, while Fleury (22 save shutout) and Hornqvist get the honorable mentions.

Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Jaroslav Halak are the experienced goalies. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Ben Hutton goal, via Daniel Sedin and Jared McCann. New York tied it on a third period Ryan Strome goal, his fifth of the campaign, assisted by Nick Leddy and Frans Nielsen. The tie went to a shootout, where Radim Vrbata's tally gave the Canucks a 2-1 win. The three stars were Miller (47 for 48 in saves), Hutton, and Halak (26 for 27 in saves).

South to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Florida Panthers for a Battle of Florida. Roberto Luongo and Ben Bishop tend the twines. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Nikita Nesterov and Anton Stralman. The Lightning added on with an Andrej Sustr goal, his second of the year, via Jason Garrison and Valtteri Filppula. Florida got on the board with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jussi Jokinen. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 with a Kucherov empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, set up by Victor Hedman. The three stars went to Kucherov, Bishop (26 for 27 in saves), and Sustr.

Back north, the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. New York was first to score in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals took the lead on a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Nicklas Backstrom and Matt Niskanen. Washington added on with a Justin Williams goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Taylor Chorney and Andre Burakovsky. The Rangers got one back with a Kreider goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Rick Nash and Derek Stepan. The Capitals shots back with a Williams goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Kuznetsov and Burakovsky. Washington won 5-2 with a Williams empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Kuznetsov, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Williams, Kuznetsov, and Kreider, while Burakovsky gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Ben Scrivens and Corey Crawford are in the blue paint. Chicago led off in the first period with a Richard Panik goal, coming off of Erik Gustafsson. Montreal tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his eighth of the season, via Jeff Petry and Alexei Emelin. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Jonathan Toews goal, his eighteenth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane. Chicago added on with a Toews goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, helped along by Andrew Shaw and Hossa. The Canadiens got one back in the third period on a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Brendan Gallagher and P.K. Subban. The Blackhawks fired back with a Kane goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov. Chicago iced it at 5-2 on a Hossa empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Duncan Keith and Shaw. The three stars went to Toews, Hossa, and Kane, while Shaw gets an honorable mention.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Petr Mrazek are the underrated goalies. Detroit drew first blood in the second period on a Niklas Kronwall goal, his third of the season, fueled by Jonathan Ericsson and Pavel Datsyuk. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with a Claude Giroux goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds. The tie went to the shootout, where Datsyuk was overwhelmed by Giroux and Voracek for a 2-1 Flyers win. The three stars went to Giroux, Neuvirth (29 for 30 in saves), Mrazek (30 for 31 in saves), while Voracek and Datsyuk get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Battle of California wraps up the day with the Anaheim Ducks hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson are the American goalies. Los Angeles began in the second period on a Vincent Lecavalier power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jeff Carter and Alec Martinez. Anaheim tied it with a Rickard Rakell goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Shea Theodore and Kevin Bieksa. The Kings retook the lead on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, helped along by Anze Kopitar and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles added on with a Kopitar goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Brayden McNabb and Milan Lucic. The Ducks got one back in the third period with a David Perron goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Getzlaf. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Toffoli, and Quick (30 for 32 in saves).

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