There were ten games on Tuesday, allowing the players recently swapped to get to their new home arenas and start practicing with their teams. We start in...
New York, where the Rangers hosted the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Henrik Lundqvist were the goalies. Tyler Myers opened the scoring for Buffalo with his tenth of the season, a power play goal coming from Drew Stafford and Tim Connolly. The Sabres made it 2-0 in the second period with the newly-acquired Brad Boyes netting his 13th of the year, also a power play goal, with help from Paul Gaustad and Andrej Sekera. Forty-five seconds later, New York got on the board with Erik Christensen notching his ninth of the campaign, another power play tally, guided Bryan McCabe and Vinny Prospal. Buffalo extended the lead with a Jochen Hecht goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Sekera and Steve Montador. The Rangers made it 3-2 with Artem Anisimov potting his 14th of the year, helped along by Ryan Callahan and Wojtek Wolski. This would be the final, and the three stars went to Hecht, Miller (29 for 31 saves), and Anisimov.
Down south, the Atlanta Thrashers hosted the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Chris Mason took to the cages. Montreal struck first with Max Pacioretty scoring his 12th of the season unassisted. The Canadiens made it 2-0 with James Wisniewski potting his seventh of the year on the power play from Andrei Kostitsyn and David Desharnais. Atlanta entered the scoring in the third period with a Nik Antropov goal fueled by Anthony Stewart for his eleventh of the season. Montreal sealed the deal at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Brian Gionta, his 23rd of the year, with helpers provided by Scott Gomez and Pacioretty. This was the final, and Price (40 for 41 saves), Pacioretty, and Antropov earned the three stars.
Into the nation's capital, with the Washington Capitals hosting the New York Islanders. Nathan Lawson and Michal Neuvirth tended the twines. New York drew first blood in the second period with the 28th of the season by Matt Moulson, with assistance from P.A. Parenteau and John Tavares. Washington tied it with only forty-eight seconds left in regulation with a Brooks Laich goal, his 14th of the campaign made possible by newcomer Jason Arnott and Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin clinched the game in overtime with his unassisted 25th of the year on an end-to-end rush. The three stars were awarded to Ovechkin, Laich, and Neuvirth (28 for 29 saves).
Down south a bit to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes hosted the Florida Panthers. Scott Clemmensen and Cam Ward were called upon to make the starts. Carolina struck first with a Cory Stillman goal, scoring his ninth of the season against his former team with the help of Erik Cole and Joni Pitkanen. Eric Staal returned from injury to net his 28th of the year for the Hurricanes, courtesy of Stillman and Joe Corvo on the power play. Florida got on the board in the second period with Stephen Weiss notching his 17th of the campaign, thanks to David Booth and Jason Garrison. There was a scoring drought after this time, preserving a 2-1 final for Carolina, and giving the three stars to Stillman, Ward (41 for 42 stops), and Staal.
Going north of the border to Ottawa, for the Senators hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Craig Anderson played in front of the cages. The first two periods were quiet, and Nathan Horton busted the silence in the third with his 18th of the year, with help from Brad Marchand and Adam McQuaid. This was the game's only goal, giving Boston the 1-0 win, and the three stars were Rask (33 save shutout), Anderson (20 for 21 stops), and Zdeno Chara (presumably playing around 10 hours of hockey in the game) with a personal shout-out to Horton for kind of.... uh.... winning the game, possibly?
Back into the States, specifically Missouri, where the St. Louis Blues hosted the Calgary Flames in the second game of the home-and-home. Miikka Kiprusoff and Ben Bishop were again in the nets. Calgary was the first to score with an Alex Tanguay goal, his 17th of the season made possible by Jarome Iginla. The second period was quiet, before Iginla struck for the Flames with his 26th of the year, courtesy of Brendan Morrison and Tanguay. Calgary extended the lead again with a David Moss goal, his 16th of the season coming on the power play via Mark Giordano. Iginla found the twine again for the Flames with his second of the game and 27th of the year, helped along by Morrison and Tanguay again. Robyn Regehr also scored for Calgary, providing his second of the season on the power play, from sock trick Morrison and Rene Bourque. The Flames wrapped it up at 6-0 with five second left in the game on the eleventh of the year by Niklas Hagman, fueled by Mikael Backlund. The three stars were Iginla, Kiprusoff (25 save shutout), and Tanguay.
Heading southwest to Phoenix, where the Coyotes hosted the Dallas Stars. Kari Lethonen and Ilya Bryzgalov were in between the pipes. Dallas was the first on the board with a goal from Tom Wandell, his fifth of the season coming off of Toby Petersen. The Stars extended the lead in the third period with a Jamie Langenbrunner goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers provided by Steve Ott and Adam Burish. Rostislav Klesla, the former Columbus Blue Jacket, potted his fourth of the season to put Phoenix on the board, while Kyle Turris and Shane Doan picked up the assists. Ray Whitney added his 12th of the campaign for the Coyotes to tie the game at 2 with only thirty-eight seconds left in regulation, and Doan grabbed another assist. Dallas, however, only needed thirty-three seconds to take the 3-2 lead, with Jamie Benn getting his 14th of the year on the power play, courtesy of Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro, clinching the victory. Benn, Doan, and Klesla picked up the three stars.
Heading north to Edmonton, where the Oilers hosted the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Martin Gerber were in the creases. Blake Geoffrion put Nashville up early with his first of the season, helped along by Ryan Suter and Matt Halischuk. Forty-one seconds later, Jim Vandermeer tied it for Edmonton with his second of the year, coming from Sam Gagner. This tie would last into a shootout, where Jordan Eberle and Martin Erat exchanged goals before Linus Omark took the Oilers to victory over the Predators. Gerber (34 for 35 saves), Vandermeer, and Mike Fisher (celebrity wife) got the three stars.
Staying in Canada, the Vancouver Canucks hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets. Putting on the masks were Steve Mason and Roberto Luongo. Vancouver was the first on the board with Mason Raymond netting his eleventh of the season with the help of Ryan Kesler and Sami Salo. Columbus answered in the second period with the 17th of the year by the new teammate Scottie Upshall, with assists coming from Samuel Pahlsson and Derek Dorsett. The tie lasted into a shootout where Rick Nash and Raymond exchanged goals, followed by another offsetting pair from Antoine Vermette and Alexandre Burrows before Raffi Torres secured the game for the Canucks in the eighth round. Luongo (30 for 31 saves), Upshall, and Salo earned the three stars, while the blogger would like to mention Raymond and Torres.
Finally, the San Jose Sharks welcomed the Colorado Avalanche to the Shark Tank. Brian Elliott and Antti Niemi took care of the nets. Colorado was first on the board in the third period with Erik Johnson nailing his seventh of the season on the power play unassisted. San Jose answered with the 16th of the year for Joe Thornton, fueled by Jason Demers and Devin Setoguchi. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Ryane Clowe provided the heroics for the Sharks with the lone tally. The three stars went to Niemi (18 for 19 saves), Elliott (34 for 35 saves), and Thornton.
That's all Tuesday had to offer, with many spectacular goaltending performances. Wednesday's games will come out at the earliest available time.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Deadline Monday (trades and games)
Obviously today was a big day in the NHL, with the trade deadline looming large. This is the last chance to acquire players avoiding the waiver process. The deals are as follows, with two previous day swaps between Anaheim, who acquired Brian McGrattan and Sean Zimmerman for Stefan Chaput and David Laliberte of Boston. The other deal was a semi-big trade, with St. Louis sending Brad Boyes to Buffalo for a 2nd round pick in 2011. The actual deadline day started with Radek Dvorak moving from Florida to Atlanta, alongside a 5th round pick in 2011, while traveling the other way were Niclas Bergfors and Patrick Rissmiller. Florida also sold off Dennis Wideman to another division rival, Washington, for Jake Hauswirth and a 3rd round pick in 2011. Columbus sent off an original member in Rostislav Klesla, alongside Dane Byers, to Phoenix for Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepisto. Northwest cellar dwellers also traded, with Colorado sending Kevin Montgomery to Edmonton for Shawn Belle. Ottawa also continued their firesale with Chris Campoli and a 7th round pick heading to Chicago for Ryan Potulny and a 2nd round pick in 2011. Both of those picks are conditional, and due to the length of this paragraph and the players involved, the conditions need not be mentioned. Florida did business with a third team in their own division, sending Bryan Allen to Carolina for Sergei Samsonov (must be tough to be a defenseman named Bryan in South Florida). Anaheim also picked up Brad Winchester from St. Louis, sending a 3rd round pick the other way, good in 2012. Another big splash happened when Los Angeles picked Dustin Penner from Edmonton, giving the Oilers Colten Teubert, a 1st round pick, and a conditional 3rd round pick, both for the 2011 draft. The New York Rangers acquired from Toronto John Mitchell, only giving up a 7th round pick in 2011. Atlanta also obtained a 7th round pick from Calgary in exchange for Fredrik Modin. Along the west coast, Anaheim sent a recently obtained Maxim Lapierre and chipped in MacGregor Sharp for Joel Perrault and a 3rd round pick in 2011. Washington and New Jersey exchanged players as well, with Jason Arnott heading to the capital for David Steckel and a 2nd round pick in 2012. Going corner to corner in the league, Vancouver sent Evan Oberg and a 3rd round pick in 2011 to Florida for Chris Higgins. Philadelphia picked up Tom Sestito from Columbus, giving off Greg Moore and Michael Chaput. Montreal and Atlanta also did player only business, with Drew MacIntyre heading north for Brett Festerling. Finally, Minnesota sent goalie Anton Khudobin to Boston for Jeff Penner and Mikko Lethonen, closing the trading for the season.
As for the two games, the first is the Minnesota Wild hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Niklas Backstrom have control of the twines. Chicago opened the scoring forty-four seconds into the second period with Patrick Sharp potting his 33rd of the season, with the help of Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks extended the lead with a Tomas Kopecky goal coming off of Viktor Stalberg and Brian Campbell, going as his 12th of the year. Chicago made it 3-0 with Toews' 23rd of the season, helped along by Patrick Kane and Sharp. Minnesota entered the scoring early in the third period with a Martin Havlat goal made possible by Cal Clutterbuck, going as his 20th of the year. The Wild got within a goal when Brent Burns sank his 16th of the season, thanks to Kyle Brodziak and Havlat. Marian Hossa replied for the Blackhawks by sinking his own 16th of the year, shorthanded via Toews. The final was 4-2, and the three stars went to Toews, Sharp, and Havlat.
The other game had the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Jonathan Quick are in front of the cages. Los Angeles opened the scoring with a Michal Handzus power play goal, his ninth of the season gathering steam off of Jarret Stoll and Anze Kopitar. Detroit tied it with Drew Miller scoring his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. Danny Cleary put the Red Wings ahead on his 22nd of the season, helped along by Jiri Hudler. Detroit kept going with Nicklas Lidstrom potting his 13th of the year on the man advantage, assisted by Mike Modano and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings made it 4-1 late in the second period on the 19th of the campaign for Pavel Datsyuk, a power play goal coming off of Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. Darren Helm extended the lead again for Detroit in the early third period with his eighth of the season, a goal which would come shorthanded and unassisted. Miller struck again to make it 6-1 Red Wings with his second of the night and sixth of the year, courtesy of Kris Draper and Helm. Jonathan Quick was finally replaced by Jonathan Bernier in the net. Hudler potted another goal to make it 7-1 for Detroit, his eighth of the season fueled by Jakub Kindl and Todd Bertuzzi. The Kings finally found an answer with Dustin Brown potting his 21st of the year, thanks to Kopitar and Brad Richardson. Wayne Simmonds also tacked on a goal for Los Angeles, his 12th of the season made possible by Alexei Ponikarovsky and Drew Doughty. Forty-four seconds later, and with only twenty-one seconds left in the scoring-fest, Richardson put away his seventh of the year for the Kings, with help from Matt Greene to make it 7-4. This was the final, with the three stars going to Datsyuk, Helm, and Zetterberg.
As for the two games, the first is the Minnesota Wild hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Niklas Backstrom have control of the twines. Chicago opened the scoring forty-four seconds into the second period with Patrick Sharp potting his 33rd of the season, with the help of Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks extended the lead with a Tomas Kopecky goal coming off of Viktor Stalberg and Brian Campbell, going as his 12th of the year. Chicago made it 3-0 with Toews' 23rd of the season, helped along by Patrick Kane and Sharp. Minnesota entered the scoring early in the third period with a Martin Havlat goal made possible by Cal Clutterbuck, going as his 20th of the year. The Wild got within a goal when Brent Burns sank his 16th of the season, thanks to Kyle Brodziak and Havlat. Marian Hossa replied for the Blackhawks by sinking his own 16th of the year, shorthanded via Toews. The final was 4-2, and the three stars went to Toews, Sharp, and Havlat.
The other game had the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Jonathan Quick are in front of the cages. Los Angeles opened the scoring with a Michal Handzus power play goal, his ninth of the season gathering steam off of Jarret Stoll and Anze Kopitar. Detroit tied it with Drew Miller scoring his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. Danny Cleary put the Red Wings ahead on his 22nd of the season, helped along by Jiri Hudler. Detroit kept going with Nicklas Lidstrom potting his 13th of the year on the man advantage, assisted by Mike Modano and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings made it 4-1 late in the second period on the 19th of the campaign for Pavel Datsyuk, a power play goal coming off of Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. Darren Helm extended the lead again for Detroit in the early third period with his eighth of the season, a goal which would come shorthanded and unassisted. Miller struck again to make it 6-1 Red Wings with his second of the night and sixth of the year, courtesy of Kris Draper and Helm. Jonathan Quick was finally replaced by Jonathan Bernier in the net. Hudler potted another goal to make it 7-1 for Detroit, his eighth of the season fueled by Jakub Kindl and Todd Bertuzzi. The Kings finally found an answer with Dustin Brown potting his 21st of the year, thanks to Kopitar and Brad Richardson. Wayne Simmonds also tacked on a goal for Los Angeles, his 12th of the season made possible by Alexei Ponikarovsky and Drew Doughty. Forty-four seconds later, and with only twenty-one seconds left in the scoring-fest, Richardson put away his seventh of the year for the Kings, with help from Matt Greene to make it 7-4. This was the final, with the three stars going to Datsyuk, Helm, and Zetterberg.
Fantasy Hockey All-Stars, week 19
As more and more teams close in on the playoffs, there are bound to be some nails bitten and feet tapping waiting for one's own team to clinch a shot for fake glory. There are also plenty of players that, with the trade deadline just passed, may have had a change of scenery, and possibly output. Here's who's been productive over the past week.
Center: Vincent Lecavalier, 2 goals, 4 assists, +3, 0 penalty minutes, 4 power play points, 8 shots on goal
Left Wing: Matt Calvert, 5 goals, 1 assist, +2, 2 penalty minutes, 4 power play points, 14 shots on goal
Right Wing: Phil Kessel, 4 goals, 4 assists, 0+/-, 0 penalty minutes, 5 power play points, 11 shots on goal
Defenseman: Travis Hamonic, 1 goal, 3 assists, 0+/-, 31 penalty minutes, 0 power play points, 8 shots on goal
Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist, 2 wins, 1.63 goals against average, 82 saves, .943 save percentage, 1 shutout
This is all we got for this week. Best of luck to your teams this coming week, which is a crucial week for all teams, getting acclimated to players in new places, and the final stretch run for the playoffs.
Center: Vincent Lecavalier, 2 goals, 4 assists, +3, 0 penalty minutes, 4 power play points, 8 shots on goal
Left Wing: Matt Calvert, 5 goals, 1 assist, +2, 2 penalty minutes, 4 power play points, 14 shots on goal
Right Wing: Phil Kessel, 4 goals, 4 assists, 0+/-, 0 penalty minutes, 5 power play points, 11 shots on goal
Defenseman: Travis Hamonic, 1 goal, 3 assists, 0+/-, 31 penalty minutes, 0 power play points, 8 shots on goal
Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist, 2 wins, 1.63 goals against average, 82 saves, .943 save percentage, 1 shutout
This is all we got for this week. Best of luck to your teams this coming week, which is a crucial week for all teams, getting acclimated to players in new places, and the final stretch run for the playoffs.
Song of the Week IX
This week, we have a tune called I Am an Illusion from Rob Thomas. The sound is a bit spacey and rhythmic. It features a bit of brass, as do other songs on his solo debut, ...Something to Be. The spacey feel is justified by the semi-mystical lyrical content, referring to himself as not actually being there. The overall sound is a nice escape from the traditional pop sounds of this era, and the tempo is enjoyable in a casual setting. Check this feature again next week.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday NHL games
Today we have another eight games of hockey. We start off in...
New York, where the Rangers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Henrik Lundqvist tended the twines. Martin St. Louis put Tampa Bay on the board first with his 24th of the campaign, courtesy of Steve Downie. New York tied it in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Brandon Prust, his tenth of the season coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Brian Boyle. The Lightning reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Vincent Lecavalier goal powered by St. Louis and Teddy Purcell with the man advantage, going in the books as his 15th of the year. It would be the final goal, and the three stars went to St. Louis, Lecavalier, and Prust.
Also playing early, the Nashville Predators hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets. Mathieu Garon and Pekka Rinne took to the nets. Columbus drew first blood in the second period with the tenth goal of the season by Matt Calvert, a power play marker fueled by R.J. Umberger and Grant Clitsome. Nashville evened it in the third period on Shea Weber's 13th of the year, assisted by Ryan Suter and Mike Fisher. The Predators made it 2-1 with Jonathon Blum sinking his first of the campaign, with the help of Joel Ward and Nick Spaling. The Blue Jackets tied it again with Kris Russell getting his fourth of the season on the power play, with an unassisted goal. Nashville retook the lead at 3-2 with David Legwand potting his tenth of the year off of Martin Erat and Weber. This was the final, and the three stars went to Legwand, Blum, and Weber.
Going further south to Florida, where the Panthers hosted the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Tomas Vokoun put on the masks to guard the cages. New Jersey opened the scoring in the second period on the ninth goal of the season for David Clarkson, assisted by Rod Pelley and Adam Mair. The Devils made it 2-0 on the power play with the eleventh of the year for Brian Rolston, coming from Dainius Zubrus. Florida got on the board with a goal by Marty Reasoner, his 13th of the season made possible by Michal Repik and Mike Santorelli. The comeback went incomplete, though, as New Jersey held on for victory, with the three stars going to Rolston, Reasoner, and Brodeur (25 for 26 saves).
Also in the south, the Atlanta Thrashers hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Chris Mason got the starting honors. Toronto opened the scoring with the 22nd of the season off of the stick of Nikolai Kulemin, with help from Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur. The Maple Leafs made it 2-0 with the 26th of the year for Phil Kessel, which went unassisted. James Reimer came out of the game in the late second period, and was replaced by Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Atlanta finally got on the board in the third period with a power play goal by Andrew Ladd, his 23rd of the season from Blake Wheeler and Tobias Enstrom. The Thrashers found an equalizer with the first of the year for Tim Stapleton, courtesy of Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane. Atlanta took the game in the overtime period with Ron Hainsey sinking his second goal of the season, with helpers by Bryan Little and Johnny Oduya. Hainsey, Stapleton, and Mason (22 for 24 saves), earned the three stars.
Heading west to regularly scheduled games, with the Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Phoenix Coyotes. Ilya Bryzgalov and Corey Crawford guarded the cages. Chicago opened the scoring with two Jonathan Toews goals, his 21st and 22nd of the season, with helpers provided by Tomas Kopecky and Viktor Stalberg on the first goal and Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane on the later power play goal. Phoenix got on the board when Adrian Aucoin sank his third of the year in the second period, with assists by Keith Yandle and Shane Doan. The Blackhawks made it 3-1 when Marian Hossa potted his 15th of the campaign on the power play, courtesy of Kane and Duncan Keith. Yandle put the Coyotes back within a goal by netting his tenth of the season, another power play goal, fueled by Ray Whitney and Mikkel Boedker. Martin Hanzal tied it with his 15th of the year, also on the power play, helped along by Whitney and Boedker again. This tie lasted through the third period and overtime into the shootout, where Chicago took the game 4-3 with Toews lone tally in the skills competition. Toews, Yandle, and Kane earned the three stars.
Up into Alberta, where the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask opposed Devan Dubnyk in the blue paint. Edmonton opened the scoring with Ales Hemsky notching his 14th of the season, helped along by Jim Vandermeer and Dustin Penner. Boston replied with Michael Ryder registering his 17th of the year, thanks to Milan Lucic and Adam McQuaid. Nathan Horton gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead with his own 17th of the campaign, assisted by David Krejci and Dennis Seidenberg. Boston continued to roll in the second period with Rich Peverley getting his 15th of the season, courtesy of Ryder and Chris Kelly. The Oilers attempted a comeback with Gilbert Brule putting his seventh of the year away in the third period with the help of Jordan Eberle and Jason Strudwick, but it wasn't going to be enough, as they lost 3-2. The three stars went to Ryder, Brule, and Horton.
Staying in the province, the Calgary Flames hosted the St. Louis Blues. Ben Bishop and Miikka Kiprusoff were in between the pipes. The only goal of the game belonged to David Moss of Calgary, which was his 15th of the season, and the lone assist went to Alex Tanguay. Kiprusoff (27 save shutout), Moss, and Patrik Berglund collected the three stars.
Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks welcomed the Colorado Avalanche to the Honda Center. Peter Budaj and Dan Ellis were in front of the nets. The game opened with three and a half fights (3 fights and two offsetting roughing penalties), premiering with George Parros dropping gloves with David Koci, followed by Sheldon Brookbank and Cody Mcleod seventeen ticks later. A period of relative calm before the roughing match between Cameron Gaunce and Jarkko Ruutu, and then Gaunce took on Luca Sbisa. After working out the differences, Kevin Porter got Colorado on the board with his eleventh of the season, helped along by Matt Duchene and Jonas Holos. Anaheim tied it in the second period with Ryan Getzlaf sinking his 16th of the year with guidance from Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan. The Ducks took the lead with Todd Marchant sinking his first of the campaign, with the help of Sbisa and Ruutu. The Avalanche retied the game in the third period, with David Jones potting his 23rd of the season, thanks to Matt Hunwick and Paul Stastny. Anaheim took the lead at 3-2 later in that frame with a power play goal off of the stick of Brandon McMillan, his ninth of the year powered by Ryan and Francois Beauchemin. This was the final, and the three stars went to Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan.
That's all. Deadline deals will be covered in Monday's post in the first paragraph.
New York, where the Rangers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Henrik Lundqvist tended the twines. Martin St. Louis put Tampa Bay on the board first with his 24th of the campaign, courtesy of Steve Downie. New York tied it in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Brandon Prust, his tenth of the season coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Brian Boyle. The Lightning reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Vincent Lecavalier goal powered by St. Louis and Teddy Purcell with the man advantage, going in the books as his 15th of the year. It would be the final goal, and the three stars went to St. Louis, Lecavalier, and Prust.
Also playing early, the Nashville Predators hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets. Mathieu Garon and Pekka Rinne took to the nets. Columbus drew first blood in the second period with the tenth goal of the season by Matt Calvert, a power play marker fueled by R.J. Umberger and Grant Clitsome. Nashville evened it in the third period on Shea Weber's 13th of the year, assisted by Ryan Suter and Mike Fisher. The Predators made it 2-1 with Jonathon Blum sinking his first of the campaign, with the help of Joel Ward and Nick Spaling. The Blue Jackets tied it again with Kris Russell getting his fourth of the season on the power play, with an unassisted goal. Nashville retook the lead at 3-2 with David Legwand potting his tenth of the year off of Martin Erat and Weber. This was the final, and the three stars went to Legwand, Blum, and Weber.
Going further south to Florida, where the Panthers hosted the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Tomas Vokoun put on the masks to guard the cages. New Jersey opened the scoring in the second period on the ninth goal of the season for David Clarkson, assisted by Rod Pelley and Adam Mair. The Devils made it 2-0 on the power play with the eleventh of the year for Brian Rolston, coming from Dainius Zubrus. Florida got on the board with a goal by Marty Reasoner, his 13th of the season made possible by Michal Repik and Mike Santorelli. The comeback went incomplete, though, as New Jersey held on for victory, with the three stars going to Rolston, Reasoner, and Brodeur (25 for 26 saves).
Also in the south, the Atlanta Thrashers hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Chris Mason got the starting honors. Toronto opened the scoring with the 22nd of the season off of the stick of Nikolai Kulemin, with help from Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur. The Maple Leafs made it 2-0 with the 26th of the year for Phil Kessel, which went unassisted. James Reimer came out of the game in the late second period, and was replaced by Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Atlanta finally got on the board in the third period with a power play goal by Andrew Ladd, his 23rd of the season from Blake Wheeler and Tobias Enstrom. The Thrashers found an equalizer with the first of the year for Tim Stapleton, courtesy of Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane. Atlanta took the game in the overtime period with Ron Hainsey sinking his second goal of the season, with helpers by Bryan Little and Johnny Oduya. Hainsey, Stapleton, and Mason (22 for 24 saves), earned the three stars.
Heading west to regularly scheduled games, with the Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Phoenix Coyotes. Ilya Bryzgalov and Corey Crawford guarded the cages. Chicago opened the scoring with two Jonathan Toews goals, his 21st and 22nd of the season, with helpers provided by Tomas Kopecky and Viktor Stalberg on the first goal and Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane on the later power play goal. Phoenix got on the board when Adrian Aucoin sank his third of the year in the second period, with assists by Keith Yandle and Shane Doan. The Blackhawks made it 3-1 when Marian Hossa potted his 15th of the campaign on the power play, courtesy of Kane and Duncan Keith. Yandle put the Coyotes back within a goal by netting his tenth of the season, another power play goal, fueled by Ray Whitney and Mikkel Boedker. Martin Hanzal tied it with his 15th of the year, also on the power play, helped along by Whitney and Boedker again. This tie lasted through the third period and overtime into the shootout, where Chicago took the game 4-3 with Toews lone tally in the skills competition. Toews, Yandle, and Kane earned the three stars.
Up into Alberta, where the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask opposed Devan Dubnyk in the blue paint. Edmonton opened the scoring with Ales Hemsky notching his 14th of the season, helped along by Jim Vandermeer and Dustin Penner. Boston replied with Michael Ryder registering his 17th of the year, thanks to Milan Lucic and Adam McQuaid. Nathan Horton gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead with his own 17th of the campaign, assisted by David Krejci and Dennis Seidenberg. Boston continued to roll in the second period with Rich Peverley getting his 15th of the season, courtesy of Ryder and Chris Kelly. The Oilers attempted a comeback with Gilbert Brule putting his seventh of the year away in the third period with the help of Jordan Eberle and Jason Strudwick, but it wasn't going to be enough, as they lost 3-2. The three stars went to Ryder, Brule, and Horton.
Staying in the province, the Calgary Flames hosted the St. Louis Blues. Ben Bishop and Miikka Kiprusoff were in between the pipes. The only goal of the game belonged to David Moss of Calgary, which was his 15th of the season, and the lone assist went to Alex Tanguay. Kiprusoff (27 save shutout), Moss, and Patrik Berglund collected the three stars.
Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks welcomed the Colorado Avalanche to the Honda Center. Peter Budaj and Dan Ellis were in front of the nets. The game opened with three and a half fights (3 fights and two offsetting roughing penalties), premiering with George Parros dropping gloves with David Koci, followed by Sheldon Brookbank and Cody Mcleod seventeen ticks later. A period of relative calm before the roughing match between Cameron Gaunce and Jarkko Ruutu, and then Gaunce took on Luca Sbisa. After working out the differences, Kevin Porter got Colorado on the board with his eleventh of the season, helped along by Matt Duchene and Jonas Holos. Anaheim tied it in the second period with Ryan Getzlaf sinking his 16th of the year with guidance from Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan. The Ducks took the lead with Todd Marchant sinking his first of the campaign, with the help of Sbisa and Ruutu. The Avalanche retied the game in the third period, with David Jones potting his 23rd of the season, thanks to Matt Hunwick and Paul Stastny. Anaheim took the lead at 3-2 later in that frame with a power play goal off of the stick of Brandon McMillan, his ninth of the year powered by Ryan and Francois Beauchemin. This was the final, and the three stars went to Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan.
That's all. Deadline deals will be covered in Monday's post in the first paragraph.
Sandwich Showdown VIII
This is the last Showdown for FebruAny, the promotion of any $5 footlong, so your regularly anticipated sandwiches that got the shaft this month should be back in the coming weeks. This weekend, we had a Chicken/Bacon duo go up against the Steak and Cheese. The Chicken/Bacon, which featured on Herbs and Cheese had a pretty good taste to it. It was all around a solid sandwich consumed in the middle of a Fantasy Baseball draft. Meanwhile, the Steak and Cheese, which came on plain Italian bread, had a kick with a sauce substitute, from Peco's Pit BBQ in Seattle, which was the medium spicy sauce. This stuff packs a punch and went very well on the sandwich, giving it just a bit of an edge in this week's showdown. Check back here next week for another showdown.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
NHL Saturday
As mentioned earlier, there are eight games on throughout today. We start with a pair of afternoon games, led by...
The Dallas Stars hosting the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Kari Lehtonen received the starting honors. Dallas opened the scoring on the fourth of the season by Tom Wandell, which went unassisted. Nashville tied it in the second period with the second of the year by Ryan Suter, with help from Colin Wilson and David Legwand. The Predators took a lead with the 14th of the campaign by Wilson, with Cody Franson and Legwand providing help. The Stars retied it with an Alex Goligoski goal, his tenth of the season, which gained steam from Brendan Morrow and Mike Ribeiro. Dallas took a lead at 3-2 with a Loui Eriksson power play goal assisted by Goligoski and Morrow, his 21st of the year. This was the final, with the three stars going to Lehtonen (25 for 27 saves), Goligoski, and Wilson.
Also in the afternoon, the Los Angeles Kings hosted the Colorado Avalanche. Brian Elliott and Jonathan Quick were sent out to stop the puck. Los Angeles scored first with the 20th of the season by Anze Kopitar, with assists from Brad Richardson and Wayne Simmonds. Alec Martinez extended the lead for the Kings with his fourth of the year, helped along by Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis. Los Angeles kept going with Drew Doughty notching his tenth of the season on the power play with guidance from Kopitar and Ryan Smyth. The Kings made it 4-0 with the 17th of the year by Jarret Stoll in the third period, coming off of Justin Williams and Doughty. Colorado woke up with two David Jones goals, his 21st and 22nd of the season just thirty-nine seconds apart, with assists credited to John-Michael Liles and Erik Johnson on the earlier power play goal, and Johnson and Liles again on the even strength goal. With thirty seconds left in regulation, Paul Stastny tacked on his 19th of the year for the Avalanche, an unassisted goal. This wouldn't be enough, as Los Angeles held on to win 4-3. Doughty, Kopitar, and Jones picked up the three stars.
For the games at regularly scheduled times, we open up in Buffalo, with the Sabres hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Joey MacDonald and Ryan Miller took the nets in their hands. Buffalo opened the scoring on Andrej Sekera's second of the season, helped along by Jochen Hecht and Drew Stafford. The Sabres extended the lead to 2-0 with Mike Grier's fifth of the year, assisted by Sekera and Rob Niedermayer. Detroit got on the board with a power play goal from Pavel Datsyuk, his 18th of the season made possible by Nicklas Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg. With fifty-eight seconds left in regulation, Jiri Hudler tied the game for the Red Wings, his seventh of the year finding twine with guidance from Danny Cleary and Johan Franzen. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Detroit clinched the victory on goals by Datsyuk and Hudler. Datsyuk, Sekera, and Hudler earned the three stars.
Continuing along, the New York Islanders hosted the Washington Capitals. Michal Neuvirth and Al Montoya were called on for the starts. New York opened the scoring on the third of the season by Kyle Okposo, fueled by Michael Grabner and Andrew MacDonald. The Islanders got up a 2-0 lead with Travis Hamonic putting his third of the year away, with no assistance required. Washington got on the board with Brooks Laich registering his 13th of the campaign, helped along by John Carlson. The Capitals tied it on a Mike Knuble goal, his 15th of the season coming off of Laich and Marcus Johansson. Washington took the lead in the third period with Alexander Semin notching his 22nd of the year, with help from Alex Ovechkin. This was the final score, with Semin, Laich, and Okposo getting the three stars.
Heading north, the Ottawa Senators hosted the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Boucher and Craig Anderson put on the goalie masks. Philadelphia scored first with Scott Hartnell netting his 19th of the season, courtesy of Claude Giroux. Ottawa replied in the second period with Nick Foligno sinking his tenth of the year on the power play with help from Filip Kuba and Ryan Shannon. Erik Condra put the Senators ahead with his first of the campaign, assisted by Shannon and Colin Greening. Ottawa extended the lead in the third period when Chris Phillips nailed his first of the season into the twine, thanks to help by Jason Spezza and Bobby Butler. Condra made it 4-1 Senators with his second of the game and of the year, a power play goal made possible by Erik Karlsson. This was the final, with Condra, Anderson (30 for 31 saves), and Shannon picking up the three stars honors.
Staying in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and James Reimer were in net for the game. Toronto was first on the board with Joffery Lupul notching his sixth of the season on the power play with helpers by Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh quickly replied with the 15th of the year by the newly-acquired Alex Kovalev, with the lone assists coming from Ben Lovejoy. The Maple Leafs retook the lead in the second period with Colby Armstrong potting his eighth of the season, courtesy of Mike Brown. The Penguins tied it again with Mark Letestu scoring his eleventh of the year onthe power play, fueled by Kris Letang and Jordan Staal. Pittsburgh took the lead at 3-2 with Dustin Jeffrey netting his fifth of the season, thanks to Pascal Dupuis and Matt Cooke. Toronto retied it on the 19th goal of the year for Clarke MacArthur, with assists provided by Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin. Thirty-five seconds later, Lupul gave the Maple Leafs the lead again with his second of the game and seventh of the season, made possible by Carl Gunnarsson. The Penguins found another tying goal with Max Talbot potting his seventh of the year shorthanded and unassisted. Phaneuf put Toronto back on top just fifty-three seconds later with the power play goal via Tim Brent and Kessel, good for his third of the season. Pittsburgh got yet another equalizer with Michael Rupp notching his sixth of the year, with the lone assist by Letestu. This tie lasted into a shootout, where the Penguins topped the Maple Leafs with Kovalev's lone tally. The three stars went to Lupul, Kovalev, and Rupp.
Keeping with the east Canada theme, the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Alex Auld tended the twines. Carolina was the first to score with Jussi Jokinen potting his 16th of the season, from Brandon Sutter and Jiri Tlusty. Montreal tied it with Michael Cammalleri scoring his 15th of the year, assisted by Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens took the lead with Lars Eller netting his fourth of the campaign with the help of Andrei Kostitsyn. The Hurricanes tied it in the second period when Tuomo Ruutu nailed his 15th of the season into the mesh, thanks to passes from Char LaRose and Jerome Samson. Plekanec put Montreal back ahead with his 20th of the year, courtesy of Cammalleri and Roman Hamrlik. Cory Stillman tied it again for Carolina with his eighth of the season and first since returning to this franchise, with guidance by Jeff Skinner and Tim Gleason. Kostitsyn put the Canadiens up 4-3 with his 15th of the year in the third period, a power play goal with helpers provided by Hamrlik and P.K. Subban. This was the final, and the three stars went to Cammalleri, Plekanec, and Kostitsyn.
Finally, crossing the country to Vancouver, where the Canucks hosted the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo were in between the pipes. Vancouver was the first on the board with a Manny Malhotra goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Raffi Torres and Christian Ehrhoff. Boston tied in the second period with the 16th of the year for Nathan Horton, with helpers coming from Milan Lucic and Tomas Kaberle. Lucic gave the Bruins the lead in the third period with his 27th of the season, thanks to Dennis Seidenberg and David Krejci. Boston secured victory when Patrice Bergeron sank his 21st of the year into the empty net with guidance from Lucic, producing the 3-1 final. The three stars went to Lucic, Thomas (27 for 28 saves), and Malhotra.
Two last nuggets of information. Bryan McCabe was traded from Florida to the New York Rangers in return for Tim Kennedy and a third round draft pick in the 2011 draft. Also, being claimed off waivers were Marco Sturm (Washington), Craig Rivet (Columbus), and Nick Boynton (Philadelphia). Sunday has another eight games to be covered.
The Dallas Stars hosting the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Kari Lehtonen received the starting honors. Dallas opened the scoring on the fourth of the season by Tom Wandell, which went unassisted. Nashville tied it in the second period with the second of the year by Ryan Suter, with help from Colin Wilson and David Legwand. The Predators took a lead with the 14th of the campaign by Wilson, with Cody Franson and Legwand providing help. The Stars retied it with an Alex Goligoski goal, his tenth of the season, which gained steam from Brendan Morrow and Mike Ribeiro. Dallas took a lead at 3-2 with a Loui Eriksson power play goal assisted by Goligoski and Morrow, his 21st of the year. This was the final, with the three stars going to Lehtonen (25 for 27 saves), Goligoski, and Wilson.
Also in the afternoon, the Los Angeles Kings hosted the Colorado Avalanche. Brian Elliott and Jonathan Quick were sent out to stop the puck. Los Angeles scored first with the 20th of the season by Anze Kopitar, with assists from Brad Richardson and Wayne Simmonds. Alec Martinez extended the lead for the Kings with his fourth of the year, helped along by Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis. Los Angeles kept going with Drew Doughty notching his tenth of the season on the power play with guidance from Kopitar and Ryan Smyth. The Kings made it 4-0 with the 17th of the year by Jarret Stoll in the third period, coming off of Justin Williams and Doughty. Colorado woke up with two David Jones goals, his 21st and 22nd of the season just thirty-nine seconds apart, with assists credited to John-Michael Liles and Erik Johnson on the earlier power play goal, and Johnson and Liles again on the even strength goal. With thirty seconds left in regulation, Paul Stastny tacked on his 19th of the year for the Avalanche, an unassisted goal. This wouldn't be enough, as Los Angeles held on to win 4-3. Doughty, Kopitar, and Jones picked up the three stars.
For the games at regularly scheduled times, we open up in Buffalo, with the Sabres hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Joey MacDonald and Ryan Miller took the nets in their hands. Buffalo opened the scoring on Andrej Sekera's second of the season, helped along by Jochen Hecht and Drew Stafford. The Sabres extended the lead to 2-0 with Mike Grier's fifth of the year, assisted by Sekera and Rob Niedermayer. Detroit got on the board with a power play goal from Pavel Datsyuk, his 18th of the season made possible by Nicklas Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg. With fifty-eight seconds left in regulation, Jiri Hudler tied the game for the Red Wings, his seventh of the year finding twine with guidance from Danny Cleary and Johan Franzen. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Detroit clinched the victory on goals by Datsyuk and Hudler. Datsyuk, Sekera, and Hudler earned the three stars.
Continuing along, the New York Islanders hosted the Washington Capitals. Michal Neuvirth and Al Montoya were called on for the starts. New York opened the scoring on the third of the season by Kyle Okposo, fueled by Michael Grabner and Andrew MacDonald. The Islanders got up a 2-0 lead with Travis Hamonic putting his third of the year away, with no assistance required. Washington got on the board with Brooks Laich registering his 13th of the campaign, helped along by John Carlson. The Capitals tied it on a Mike Knuble goal, his 15th of the season coming off of Laich and Marcus Johansson. Washington took the lead in the third period with Alexander Semin notching his 22nd of the year, with help from Alex Ovechkin. This was the final score, with Semin, Laich, and Okposo getting the three stars.
Heading north, the Ottawa Senators hosted the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Boucher and Craig Anderson put on the goalie masks. Philadelphia scored first with Scott Hartnell netting his 19th of the season, courtesy of Claude Giroux. Ottawa replied in the second period with Nick Foligno sinking his tenth of the year on the power play with help from Filip Kuba and Ryan Shannon. Erik Condra put the Senators ahead with his first of the campaign, assisted by Shannon and Colin Greening. Ottawa extended the lead in the third period when Chris Phillips nailed his first of the season into the twine, thanks to help by Jason Spezza and Bobby Butler. Condra made it 4-1 Senators with his second of the game and of the year, a power play goal made possible by Erik Karlsson. This was the final, with Condra, Anderson (30 for 31 saves), and Shannon picking up the three stars honors.
Staying in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and James Reimer were in net for the game. Toronto was first on the board with Joffery Lupul notching his sixth of the season on the power play with helpers by Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh quickly replied with the 15th of the year by the newly-acquired Alex Kovalev, with the lone assists coming from Ben Lovejoy. The Maple Leafs retook the lead in the second period with Colby Armstrong potting his eighth of the season, courtesy of Mike Brown. The Penguins tied it again with Mark Letestu scoring his eleventh of the year onthe power play, fueled by Kris Letang and Jordan Staal. Pittsburgh took the lead at 3-2 with Dustin Jeffrey netting his fifth of the season, thanks to Pascal Dupuis and Matt Cooke. Toronto retied it on the 19th goal of the year for Clarke MacArthur, with assists provided by Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin. Thirty-five seconds later, Lupul gave the Maple Leafs the lead again with his second of the game and seventh of the season, made possible by Carl Gunnarsson. The Penguins found another tying goal with Max Talbot potting his seventh of the year shorthanded and unassisted. Phaneuf put Toronto back on top just fifty-three seconds later with the power play goal via Tim Brent and Kessel, good for his third of the season. Pittsburgh got yet another equalizer with Michael Rupp notching his sixth of the year, with the lone assist by Letestu. This tie lasted into a shootout, where the Penguins topped the Maple Leafs with Kovalev's lone tally. The three stars went to Lupul, Kovalev, and Rupp.
Keeping with the east Canada theme, the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Alex Auld tended the twines. Carolina was the first to score with Jussi Jokinen potting his 16th of the season, from Brandon Sutter and Jiri Tlusty. Montreal tied it with Michael Cammalleri scoring his 15th of the year, assisted by Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens took the lead with Lars Eller netting his fourth of the campaign with the help of Andrei Kostitsyn. The Hurricanes tied it in the second period when Tuomo Ruutu nailed his 15th of the season into the mesh, thanks to passes from Char LaRose and Jerome Samson. Plekanec put Montreal back ahead with his 20th of the year, courtesy of Cammalleri and Roman Hamrlik. Cory Stillman tied it again for Carolina with his eighth of the season and first since returning to this franchise, with guidance by Jeff Skinner and Tim Gleason. Kostitsyn put the Canadiens up 4-3 with his 15th of the year in the third period, a power play goal with helpers provided by Hamrlik and P.K. Subban. This was the final, and the three stars went to Cammalleri, Plekanec, and Kostitsyn.
Finally, crossing the country to Vancouver, where the Canucks hosted the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo were in between the pipes. Vancouver was the first on the board with a Manny Malhotra goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Raffi Torres and Christian Ehrhoff. Boston tied in the second period with the 16th of the year for Nathan Horton, with helpers coming from Milan Lucic and Tomas Kaberle. Lucic gave the Bruins the lead in the third period with his 27th of the season, thanks to Dennis Seidenberg and David Krejci. Boston secured victory when Patrice Bergeron sank his 21st of the year into the empty net with guidance from Lucic, producing the 3-1 final. The three stars went to Lucic, Thomas (27 for 28 saves), and Malhotra.
Two last nuggets of information. Bryan McCabe was traded from Florida to the New York Rangers in return for Tim Kennedy and a third round draft pick in the 2011 draft. Also, being claimed off waivers were Marco Sturm (Washington), Craig Rivet (Columbus), and Nick Boynton (Philadelphia). Sunday has another eight games to be covered.
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