There are three games on Monday night, and we begin with the Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Sergei Bobrovsky partook in the battle of the backups. Toronto led off with the ninth of the season by Phil Kessel, with assists by Joffrey Lupul and John-Michael Liles. Philadelphia replied on a power play goal by Jaromir Jagr, coming off of Claude Giroux and Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers took the lead in the second period, as Scott Hartnell drained the puck into the net via Danny Briere on the power play. Hartnell extended the Philadelphia lead in the third period on his second of the game, courtesy of Giroux and Jagr. The Maple Leafs pulled back with Dave Steckel notching his third of the year, with help from Matt Frattin and Matthew Lombardi. The Flyers secured victory on the second of the game by Jagr, assisted by Hartnell and Timonen. The final was 4-2 and the three stars were Jagr, Hartnell, and Timonen.
In the next game, the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Florida Panthers. Jacob Markstrom and Peter Budaj took part in the second battle of the backups. Montreal opened with an Erik Cole power play goal, powered by Max Pacioretty and Raphael Diaz. Florida replied with their own power play goal, the second of the season from Tomas Fleischmann, and Kris Versteeg picked up the lone assist. The scoring resumed in the third period, as the Panthers went up 2-1 on a Scottie Upshall goal fueled by Dmitry Kulikov and Tomas Kopecky. They would hold this lead to the end, and the three stars went to Markstrom (40 for 41 in saves), Budaj (29 for 31 in saves), and Kulikov, which is at least reasonable.
Finally, the Winnipeg Jets host the New York Rangers. Keeping with the backups trend for the night's game, Martin Biron and Chris Mason spelled their more often used keepers for the game. New York was first on the board with a Ruslan Fedotenko power play goal, guided in by Dan Girardi and Michael Del Zotto. Winnipeg tied it with a Nik Antropov goal, his second of the season aided by Alex Burmistrov and Evander Kane. The Rangers took a 2-1 lead that would last 'til the end as Ryan Callahan potted his second of the year with the man advantage, thanks to Fedotenko and Girardi. The three stars went to Biron (27 for 28 in saves), Fedotenko, and Antropov, although Girardi was slightly better than Antropov.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Fantasy Hockey All-Stars week 2
Another early week in the season, with a little more clarity as to the goods and the bads. Here's who looked stellar this week.
Center: Jason Spezza, 3 goals, 4 assists, 0 +/-, 0 penalty minutes, 3 power play points, 8 shots on goal
Left Wing: Alex Ovechkin, 2 goals, 3 assists, +2, 2 penalty minutes, 4 power play points, 6 shots on goal
Right Wing: Kris Versteeg, 3 goals, 2 assists, +2, 4 penalty minutes, 3 power play points, 14 shots on goal
Defenseman: Zdeno Chara, 1 goal, 2 assists, 0 +/-, 23 penalty minutes, 2 power play points, 9 shots on goal
Goaltender: Jonathan "Shutout" Quick, 3 wins, 0.00 goals against average, 83 saves. 100% save percentage, 3 shutouts
That's all for this week, and a huge shoutout to Quick for such a fantastic week. You won't see numbers like that again this season.
Center: Jason Spezza, 3 goals, 4 assists, 0 +/-, 0 penalty minutes, 3 power play points, 8 shots on goal
Left Wing: Alex Ovechkin, 2 goals, 3 assists, +2, 2 penalty minutes, 4 power play points, 6 shots on goal
Right Wing: Kris Versteeg, 3 goals, 2 assists, +2, 4 penalty minutes, 3 power play points, 14 shots on goal
Defenseman: Zdeno Chara, 1 goal, 2 assists, 0 +/-, 23 penalty minutes, 2 power play points, 9 shots on goal
Goaltender: Jonathan "Shutout" Quick, 3 wins, 0.00 goals against average, 83 saves. 100% save percentage, 3 shutouts
That's all for this week, and a huge shoutout to Quick for such a fantastic week. You won't see numbers like that again this season.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Sunday Night Game week 7
Tonight's game features the New Orleans Saints against the Indianapolis Colts. New Orleans struck first with a Drew Brees touchdown pass to Marques Colston, good for 14 yards, and John Kasay had the extra point. Brees and Colston met up later in the first quarter for a 4 yard touchdown connection, and Saints went up 14-0 after Kasay kicked the extra point. New Orleans continued to make Indianapolis look foolish, as Brees passed for his third touchdown, this time going to Darren Sproles, a 6 yard play. Kasay added another extra point. The Saints took to the ground to make it 28-0, as Jed Collins ran a yard for a touchdown, and Kasay had one more extra point. Kasay and New Orleans spared some dignity, as the kicker kicked a 23 yard field goal. The Colts finally got on the board with a Delone Carter 2 yard touchdown run, and Adam Vinatieri took care of the extra point, making it 31-7. Kasay replied with a field goal of 47 yards for a halftime score sitting at 34-7 in favor of the Saints. New Orleans got right back to work as Brees tossed a 4 yard touchdown to Jimmy Graham in the third quarter, and Kasay applied another PAT. Brees and Graham met up again shortly after for a 2 yard touchdown connection, and Kasay made another extra point. The Saints refused to let up, allowing Sproles to run 16 yards for a touchdown, and Kasay would take another easy extra point. Just fourteen seconds later, the defense added a touchdown as Leigh Torrence picked off Curtis Painter and returned 42 yards for a touchdown, with Kasay making another extra point. This made the final 62-7 in favor of the Saints, moving them to 5-2 and pushing the Colts to a humbling 0-7.
NHL Day 18 2011-2012
We have one game today, and that is the Anaheim Ducks hosting the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jonas Hiller will put on the goalie masks. Martin Hanzal led off the scoring for Phoenix, getting help from Mikkel Boedker and Radim Vrbata. Anaheim replied with Lubomir Visnovsky sending in the tying goal thanks to Corey perry and Luca Sbisa. The Ducks grabbed the lead on Ryan Getzlaf's goal, courtesy of Teemu Selanne and Cam Fowler. The Coyotes retied it as Hanzal potted his second of the game, with assistance from Keith Yandle. Phoenix took the lead in the second period with Boyd Gordon's goal off of Taylor Pyatt and Lauri Korpikoski. The Coyotes extended the lead with Korpikoski netting his second of the season via Pyatt and Adrian Aucoin. Phoenix made it 5-2 with Yandle's goal, assisted by Shane Doan and Ray Whitney. Anaheim finally got back into gear and Kurtis Foster scored, guided in by Francois Beauchemin and Saku Koivu. The Ducks made a late assault as Getzlaf potted his second of the game and of the year, fueled by Visnovsky. However, they failed to find the equalizer and lost 5-4, with the three stars being Hanzal, Smith (29 for 33 in saves), and Getzlaf, although the honorable mentions could be second stars, as Yandle, Visnovsky, and Korpikoski all had a goal and assist.
NFL Late Games week 7
The other four games at regularly scheduled times are here in this post.
First up, the Arizona Cardinals host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh led off with a touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Heath Miller for 12 yards, and Shaun Suisham applied the extra point. The Steelers added on a 95 yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace, with Suisham kicking in another PAT. Arizona finally scored with Alfonso Smith rushing a yard for a touchdown, and Jay Feely got the extra point. Suisham kicked a 41 yard field goal for Pittsburgh, making it 17-7 at the half. The Cardinals pulled much closer as Kevin Kolb found LaRod Stephens-Howling for a 73 yard touchdown connection, and Feely kicked another extra point. The Steelers replied with a 4 yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Emmanuel Sanders, and a Suisham extra point to top it off. On the Pittsburgh kickoff, the Steelers added a safety after a penalty to Arizona. Pittsburgh kept it coming with a 33 yard Suisham field goal in the fourth quarter, followed by another from 39 yards. Kolb tried to get the Cardinals closer by throwing a 2 yard touchdown to Early Doucet, but they failed the two point attempt with an incomplete pass toward Jeff King. The final was 32-20, moving the Steelers to 5-2 and knocking the Cardinals back to 1-5.
West to Oakland, with the Raiders welcoming the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City was the first on the board with a 59 yard Kendrick Lewis interception return on an errant Kyle Boller throw. Ryan Succop added the extra point. The Chiefs tacked on another as Le'Ron McClain ran a yard for a touchdown, and Succop provided another extra point. The score was 14-0 after a silent second quarter, in favor of KC. The Chiefs kept at it in the third quarter with a Javier Arenas rush of 7 yards for a touchdown, and Succop had another PAT. Kansas City added another touchdown, this time defensively as Brandon Flowerssang Mr. Brightside to distract Carson Palmer picked Carson Palmer off and returned the ball 58 yards to the house, where succop then made it 28-0 after the extra point. This was the final, with the Chiefs going up to 3-3 and bringing Oakland down to 4-3.
Over to Dallas, with the Cowboys hosting the St. Louis Rams. Dallas struck first with a 91 yard touchdown run by DeMarco Murray, and Dan Bailey made the extra point. The Cowboys got another touchdown when Tony Romo passed a yard to Jason Witten, and Bailey kicked the extra point. St. Louis quickly replied with a 6 yard Steven Jackson touchdown rush, and a Josh Brown extra point made it a one-touchdown game. Bailey tacked on a 30 yard field goal to make the halftime score 17-7 Dallas. The Cowboys added on a Bailey field goal of 51 yards. Dallas continued in the fourth quarter with a 6 yard Phillip Tanner touchdown rush, and Bailey added another PAT. The Cowboys made it 34-7 with Romo finding Dez Bryant for a 20 yard touchdown, and Bailey had yet another extra point. This was a final, and Dallas improved to 3-3 while the Rams fell to a winless 0-6.
Up north to our last game, with the Minnesota Vikings hosting the Green Bay Packers. Minnesota wasted no time scoring, as Christian Ponder threw 2 yards to Visanthe Shiancoe for a touchdown. Ryan Longwell was called on for the extra point. Green Bay answered with Aaron Rodgers' throw to John Kuhn, also a 2 yard touchdown reception, with Mason Crosby adding the extra point. The Vikings retook the lead on an Adrian Peterson touchdown run, good from 1 yard, and Longwell added another extra point. The Packers pulled a little closer with Crosby kicking a 39 yard field goal. Minnesota made it 17-10 with a 52 yard field goal by Longwell. Crosby answered back to make it 17-13 on his 45 yard field goal, which produced the halftime score. Green Bay went ahead in epic fashion as Rodgers threw a 79 yard touchdown pass into Greg Jennings hands and legs, and Crosby had the extra point to make it 20-17. The Packers continued to attack with a Rodgers touchdown pass of 2 yards to Jermichael Finley, and Crosby would make another PAT. Crosby followed it up with a 24 yard field goal for Green Bay. The Packers extended the lead further with Crosby nailing a 58 yard field goal. The Vikings finally replied with Longwell kicking a 46 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. He also added on an extra point when Ponder threw to Michael Jenkins for 24 yards and a touchdown, putting the game at 33-27. This was the final, and Green Bay went up to an undefeated 7-0 while Minnesota fell to 1-6.
First up, the Arizona Cardinals host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh led off with a touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Heath Miller for 12 yards, and Shaun Suisham applied the extra point. The Steelers added on a 95 yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace, with Suisham kicking in another PAT. Arizona finally scored with Alfonso Smith rushing a yard for a touchdown, and Jay Feely got the extra point. Suisham kicked a 41 yard field goal for Pittsburgh, making it 17-7 at the half. The Cardinals pulled much closer as Kevin Kolb found LaRod Stephens-Howling for a 73 yard touchdown connection, and Feely kicked another extra point. The Steelers replied with a 4 yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Emmanuel Sanders, and a Suisham extra point to top it off. On the Pittsburgh kickoff, the Steelers added a safety after a penalty to Arizona. Pittsburgh kept it coming with a 33 yard Suisham field goal in the fourth quarter, followed by another from 39 yards. Kolb tried to get the Cardinals closer by throwing a 2 yard touchdown to Early Doucet, but they failed the two point attempt with an incomplete pass toward Jeff King. The final was 32-20, moving the Steelers to 5-2 and knocking the Cardinals back to 1-5.
West to Oakland, with the Raiders welcoming the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City was the first on the board with a 59 yard Kendrick Lewis interception return on an errant Kyle Boller throw. Ryan Succop added the extra point. The Chiefs tacked on another as Le'Ron McClain ran a yard for a touchdown, and Succop provided another extra point. The score was 14-0 after a silent second quarter, in favor of KC. The Chiefs kept at it in the third quarter with a Javier Arenas rush of 7 yards for a touchdown, and Succop had another PAT. Kansas City added another touchdown, this time defensively as Brandon Flowers
Over to Dallas, with the Cowboys hosting the St. Louis Rams. Dallas struck first with a 91 yard touchdown run by DeMarco Murray, and Dan Bailey made the extra point. The Cowboys got another touchdown when Tony Romo passed a yard to Jason Witten, and Bailey kicked the extra point. St. Louis quickly replied with a 6 yard Steven Jackson touchdown rush, and a Josh Brown extra point made it a one-touchdown game. Bailey tacked on a 30 yard field goal to make the halftime score 17-7 Dallas. The Cowboys added on a Bailey field goal of 51 yards. Dallas continued in the fourth quarter with a 6 yard Phillip Tanner touchdown rush, and Bailey added another PAT. The Cowboys made it 34-7 with Romo finding Dez Bryant for a 20 yard touchdown, and Bailey had yet another extra point. This was a final, and Dallas improved to 3-3 while the Rams fell to a winless 0-6.
Up north to our last game, with the Minnesota Vikings hosting the Green Bay Packers. Minnesota wasted no time scoring, as Christian Ponder threw 2 yards to Visanthe Shiancoe for a touchdown. Ryan Longwell was called on for the extra point. Green Bay answered with Aaron Rodgers' throw to John Kuhn, also a 2 yard touchdown reception, with Mason Crosby adding the extra point. The Vikings retook the lead on an Adrian Peterson touchdown run, good from 1 yard, and Longwell added another extra point. The Packers pulled a little closer with Crosby kicking a 39 yard field goal. Minnesota made it 17-10 with a 52 yard field goal by Longwell. Crosby answered back to make it 17-13 on his 45 yard field goal, which produced the halftime score. Green Bay went ahead in epic fashion as Rodgers threw a 79 yard touchdown pass into Greg Jennings hands and legs, and Crosby had the extra point to make it 20-17. The Packers continued to attack with a Rodgers touchdown pass of 2 yards to Jermichael Finley, and Crosby would make another PAT. Crosby followed it up with a 24 yard field goal for Green Bay. The Packers extended the lead further with Crosby nailing a 58 yard field goal. The Vikings finally replied with Longwell kicking a 46 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. He also added on an extra point when Ponder threw to Michael Jenkins for 24 yards and a touchdown, putting the game at 33-27. This was the final, and Green Bay went up to an undefeated 7-0 while Minnesota fell to 1-6.
NFL Early Games week 7
This morning we have seven games on the slate. I'll try to keep these as accurate as possible, as I am a bit under the weather this weekend.
First up, the Detroit Lions hosting the Atlanta Falcons. Jason Hanson put Detroit on the board first with a 43 yard field goal. Atlanta tied it on a 23 yard field goal by Matt Bryant. The Falcons took the lead with a 1 yard Matt Ryan run, capped off with a Bryant PAT. The Lions pulled back with a 38 yard Hanson field goal. Atlanta made it 17-6 at halftime on a touchdown pass from Ryan to Roddy White, an 18 yard play, and Bryant made the extra point. Hanson got Detroit going in the third quarter with a 29 field goal, but Bryant replied for the Falcons with a 47 yard kick. The Lions finally added on a touchdown, pulling closer with a Matthew Stafford pass to Calvin Johnson, good for 57 yards. Hanson made the extra point. Bryant made it a 7 point lead for Atlanta on his 40 yard fourth quarter field goal. This held to be a 23-16 victory, improving the Falcons to 4-3 and dropping the Lions to 5-2.
Down to SoBe, with the Miami Dolphins hosting the Denver Broncos. The scoring opened in the second quarter with Dan Carpenter nailing a 38 yard field goal, and he followed that up with a later 36 yard kick. This made the score 6-0 Miami, which lasted until halftime. The Dolphins got to work again in the fourth quarter, where Matt Moore passed 16 yards for a touchdown to Anthony Fasano, but they failed on the two-point attempt, as Moore's pass to Brandon Marshall was incomplete. Miami made it 15-0 with a 43 yard Carpenter field goal. Denver finally showed up to the game in the fourth quarter on a Tim Tebow pass to Demaryius Thomas for 5 yards and a touchdown. Matt Prater supplied the extra point. With just 17 seconds on the clock, Tebow added a touchdown of 3 yards to Daniel Fells, making it 15-13. The two point attempt was converted on a Tebow run, which tied the game at 15. The Broncos won the game 18-15 in overtime on a Prater field goal of 52 yards, and improved to 2-4, leaving the Dolphins winless at 0-6.
Backing it up to Tennessee with the Titans hosting the Houston Texans. Houston led off with a Neil Rackers field goal from 32 yards out. The Texans extended the lead with Matt Schaub finding Joel Dreessen on a 10 yard touchdown pass, and Rackers added another extra point. Houston made it 17-0 on a 78 yard catch and run from Schaub to Arian Foster, good for a touchdown with Rackers making the extra point. Rackers made it 20-0 at halftime for the Texans with a 29 yard field goal. Houston got back to work in the third quarter on a 1 yard touchdown rush by Foster, and a Rackers PAT. Tennessee finally found the scoreboard with Matt Hasselbeck throwing 5 yards to Jared Cook for a touchdown, and Rob Bironas supplied the extra point. The Texans made it 34-7 on another Foster touchdown run, this time a 5 yard play, and Rackers added another extra point. Houston was defensive on the next touchdown, as Brice McCain intercepted Hasselbeck for 38 yards and a touchdown, and Rackers would succeed on another extra point. The final favored Houston 41-7, and they improved to 4-3, while dropping the Titans to 3-3.
Heading to Florida again, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcome the Chicago Bears to Wembley Stadium in London, England. Chicago busted out the first touchdown with a Matt Forte run of 32 yards to score, and Robbie Gould supplied the extra point. Forte was also involved in the next scoring play, running -2 yards for a safety for Tampa Bay. The Bears added on to the lead with a 25 yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler to Roy Williams, and Gould made the extra point. The Buccaneers made it 14-5 with a Connor Barth field goal from 33 yards. Chicago added on in the third quarter with a 12 yard Marion Barber run for a TD, and a Gould extra point. Tampa Bay added on a little more in the fourth quarter with a 2 yard touchdown pass from Josh Freeman to Kellen Winslow, but left the score at 21-11 after failing on the two-point attempt from Freeman to Mike Williams. The Buccaneers kept charging with Freeman throwing a touchdown to Dezmon Briscoe for 24 yards, and Barth had the PAT. Gould added a Bears FG of 25 yards to make it 24-18. This would hold up for a Chicago win, improving them to 4-3 and bringing Tampa Bay down to the same level.
North to Ohio, where the Cleveland Browns will host the Seattle Seahawks. Cleveland opened the scoring with a Phil Dawson field goal from 52 yards in the second quarter. This would put the halftime score at 3-0. Seattle tied it in the third quarter on a Steven Hauschka field goal of 20 yards. The Browns retook the lead in the fourth quarter with a 53 yard field goal from Dawson. The final was 6-3 Cleveland, moving them to 3-3 and knocking the Seahawks to 2-4.
East to the Meadowlands, with the New York Jets welcoming the San Diego Chargers. San Diego opened with an early touchdown on a fumble return by Donald Butler, good for 37 yards. Nick Novak made the extra point. New York replied with a Nick Folk field goal, good from 35 yards. The Chargers got offensive on the next touchdown, as Philip Rivers threw 2 yards for a connection with Antonio Gates, and Novak tacked on the extra point. The Jets took those points back on a 3 yard Mark Sanchez touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, withe Folk adding on the PAT. San Diego went ahead 21-10 with a Mike Tolbert touchdown run of 1 yard, and Novak added on the extra point. This was the score going into halftime. New York got closer once again as Sanchez and Burress met up again for a 4 yard touchdown, and Folk made the extra point once again. The Jets got the lead on a third Sanchez-Burress touchdown connection, another 3 yard play, with Folk adding another extra point. Folk made it 27-21 New York on a 30 yard field goal. They won by this score, improving to 4-3 while knocking San Diego to 4-2.
Finally, the Carolina Panthers host the Washington Redskins. Carolina struck first with an Olindo Mare field goal from 20 yards out. Graham Gano replied in the second quarter for Washington with a 31 yard field goal. The Panthers retook the lead as Mare nailed a 45 yard field goal. Gano retied it for the Redskins on a 49 yard field goal. Mare kept up with the field goal theme, making it 9-6 for Carolina with another 45 yard goal. This was the score going into the locker rooms. The Panthers were back to scoring in the third quarter, beginning with the bucking of the trend by Cam Newton, who ran 16 yards for a touchdown, and Mare only tacked on one point for the extra point. John Beck replied for Washington with his own touchdown rush, a 4 yard play, with Gano making the PAT. Keeping with square-rooting the yardage, Jonathan Stewart ran 2 yards for a touchdown for the Panthers, and Mare made the extra point once again. Carolina struck again with Newton throwing 2 yards to Brandon LaFell, and Mare added an extra point to put the score at 30-13. The Redskins got closer with a touchdown from Beck to Fred Davis, a 7 yard connection iced off by Gano's extra point. Mare put the game away at 33-20 for the Panthers with a 40 yard field goal. They improved to 2-5 and dropped Washington to 3-3.
First up, the Detroit Lions hosting the Atlanta Falcons. Jason Hanson put Detroit on the board first with a 43 yard field goal. Atlanta tied it on a 23 yard field goal by Matt Bryant. The Falcons took the lead with a 1 yard Matt Ryan run, capped off with a Bryant PAT. The Lions pulled back with a 38 yard Hanson field goal. Atlanta made it 17-6 at halftime on a touchdown pass from Ryan to Roddy White, an 18 yard play, and Bryant made the extra point. Hanson got Detroit going in the third quarter with a 29 field goal, but Bryant replied for the Falcons with a 47 yard kick. The Lions finally added on a touchdown, pulling closer with a Matthew Stafford pass to Calvin Johnson, good for 57 yards. Hanson made the extra point. Bryant made it a 7 point lead for Atlanta on his 40 yard fourth quarter field goal. This held to be a 23-16 victory, improving the Falcons to 4-3 and dropping the Lions to 5-2.
Down to SoBe, with the Miami Dolphins hosting the Denver Broncos. The scoring opened in the second quarter with Dan Carpenter nailing a 38 yard field goal, and he followed that up with a later 36 yard kick. This made the score 6-0 Miami, which lasted until halftime. The Dolphins got to work again in the fourth quarter, where Matt Moore passed 16 yards for a touchdown to Anthony Fasano, but they failed on the two-point attempt, as Moore's pass to Brandon Marshall was incomplete. Miami made it 15-0 with a 43 yard Carpenter field goal. Denver finally showed up to the game in the fourth quarter on a Tim Tebow pass to Demaryius Thomas for 5 yards and a touchdown. Matt Prater supplied the extra point. With just 17 seconds on the clock, Tebow added a touchdown of 3 yards to Daniel Fells, making it 15-13. The two point attempt was converted on a Tebow run, which tied the game at 15. The Broncos won the game 18-15 in overtime on a Prater field goal of 52 yards, and improved to 2-4, leaving the Dolphins winless at 0-6.
Backing it up to Tennessee with the Titans hosting the Houston Texans. Houston led off with a Neil Rackers field goal from 32 yards out. The Texans extended the lead with Matt Schaub finding Joel Dreessen on a 10 yard touchdown pass, and Rackers added another extra point. Houston made it 17-0 on a 78 yard catch and run from Schaub to Arian Foster, good for a touchdown with Rackers making the extra point. Rackers made it 20-0 at halftime for the Texans with a 29 yard field goal. Houston got back to work in the third quarter on a 1 yard touchdown rush by Foster, and a Rackers PAT. Tennessee finally found the scoreboard with Matt Hasselbeck throwing 5 yards to Jared Cook for a touchdown, and Rob Bironas supplied the extra point. The Texans made it 34-7 on another Foster touchdown run, this time a 5 yard play, and Rackers added another extra point. Houston was defensive on the next touchdown, as Brice McCain intercepted Hasselbeck for 38 yards and a touchdown, and Rackers would succeed on another extra point. The final favored Houston 41-7, and they improved to 4-3, while dropping the Titans to 3-3.
Heading to Florida again, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcome the Chicago Bears to Wembley Stadium in London, England. Chicago busted out the first touchdown with a Matt Forte run of 32 yards to score, and Robbie Gould supplied the extra point. Forte was also involved in the next scoring play, running -2 yards for a safety for Tampa Bay. The Bears added on to the lead with a 25 yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler to Roy Williams, and Gould made the extra point. The Buccaneers made it 14-5 with a Connor Barth field goal from 33 yards. Chicago added on in the third quarter with a 12 yard Marion Barber run for a TD, and a Gould extra point. Tampa Bay added on a little more in the fourth quarter with a 2 yard touchdown pass from Josh Freeman to Kellen Winslow, but left the score at 21-11 after failing on the two-point attempt from Freeman to Mike Williams. The Buccaneers kept charging with Freeman throwing a touchdown to Dezmon Briscoe for 24 yards, and Barth had the PAT. Gould added a Bears FG of 25 yards to make it 24-18. This would hold up for a Chicago win, improving them to 4-3 and bringing Tampa Bay down to the same level.
North to Ohio, where the Cleveland Browns will host the Seattle Seahawks. Cleveland opened the scoring with a Phil Dawson field goal from 52 yards in the second quarter. This would put the halftime score at 3-0. Seattle tied it in the third quarter on a Steven Hauschka field goal of 20 yards. The Browns retook the lead in the fourth quarter with a 53 yard field goal from Dawson. The final was 6-3 Cleveland, moving them to 3-3 and knocking the Seahawks to 2-4.
East to the Meadowlands, with the New York Jets welcoming the San Diego Chargers. San Diego opened with an early touchdown on a fumble return by Donald Butler, good for 37 yards. Nick Novak made the extra point. New York replied with a Nick Folk field goal, good from 35 yards. The Chargers got offensive on the next touchdown, as Philip Rivers threw 2 yards for a connection with Antonio Gates, and Novak tacked on the extra point. The Jets took those points back on a 3 yard Mark Sanchez touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, withe Folk adding on the PAT. San Diego went ahead 21-10 with a Mike Tolbert touchdown run of 1 yard, and Novak added on the extra point. This was the score going into halftime. New York got closer once again as Sanchez and Burress met up again for a 4 yard touchdown, and Folk made the extra point once again. The Jets got the lead on a third Sanchez-Burress touchdown connection, another 3 yard play, with Folk adding another extra point. Folk made it 27-21 New York on a 30 yard field goal. They won by this score, improving to 4-3 while knocking San Diego to 4-2.
Finally, the Carolina Panthers host the Washington Redskins. Carolina struck first with an Olindo Mare field goal from 20 yards out. Graham Gano replied in the second quarter for Washington with a 31 yard field goal. The Panthers retook the lead as Mare nailed a 45 yard field goal. Gano retied it for the Redskins on a 49 yard field goal. Mare kept up with the field goal theme, making it 9-6 for Carolina with another 45 yard goal. This was the score going into the locker rooms. The Panthers were back to scoring in the third quarter, beginning with the bucking of the trend by Cam Newton, who ran 16 yards for a touchdown, and Mare only tacked on one point for the extra point. John Beck replied for Washington with his own touchdown rush, a 4 yard play, with Gano making the PAT. Keeping with square-rooting the yardage, Jonathan Stewart ran 2 yards for a touchdown for the Panthers, and Mare made the extra point once again. Carolina struck again with Newton throwing 2 yards to Brandon LaFell, and Mare added an extra point to put the score at 30-13. The Redskins got closer with a touchdown from Beck to Fred Davis, a 7 yard connection iced off by Gano's extra point. Mare put the game away at 33-20 for the Panthers with a 40 yard field goal. They improved to 2-5 and dropped Washington to 3-3.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
NHL Day 17 2011-2012
Another heavy slate of Saturday games running for likely 9 hours today, with 14 games taking up the time. We begin in Western Canada for a pair of afternoon games, with...
The Calgary Flames hosting the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Miikka Kiprusoff are the pair of Finnish goaltenders. Nashville was first on the board with a second period goal by Niclas Bergfors, courtesy of Jack Hillen and Brian McGrattan. Sergei Kostitsyn added on his second of the year to make it 2-0 for the Predators, and this was the final as Craig Smith and Matt Halischuk grabbed assists. The three stars were Rinne (33 save shutout), Jarome Iginla, and Ryan Suter. Honorable mention to people who actually got a point.
Also, we have the Vancouver Canucks hosting the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Cory Schneider put on the masks to play goal. Minnesota struck first as Devin Setoguchi potted his third of the season, thanks to Dany Heatley and Marek Zidlicky. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Daniel Sedin, powered by Henrik Sedin and Alexander Edler as his fourth of the year. The Wild retook the lead with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his second of the season, coming off of Nick Johnson and Brett Bulmer. The Canucks tied it again in the third period with a Jannik Hansen goal, made possible by Manny Malhotra and Andrew Ebbett. The tie lasted late in overtime, where Sami Salo netted his third of the year on the power play (created by Heatley), with helpers provided by Daniel and Ryan Kesler. The three stars in the 3-2 Vancouver win were Salo, Hansen, and Brodziak, with honors to Daniel Sedin.
Staying in Western Canada but moving around the clock a bit, we have the Winnipeg Jets hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Brian Boucher and Ondrej Pavelec got the starts, but Pavelec was yanked early in the first period in favor of Chris Mason, for soon to be obvious reasons. Carolina opened with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his second of the season, guided in by Chad LaRose and Jeff Skinner. The Hurricanes made it 2-0 (reason for Pavelec to be given mercy) on a Skinner goal, his third of the year, fueled by LaRose and Jamie McBain. Winnipeg got on the board with an Alex Burmistrov goal, his second of the season, and Zach Bogosian and Kyle Wellwood picked up the assists. Wellwood later potted his own goal, tying it up for the Jets, the third of the year for him coming on the power play via Nik Antropov and Tobias Enstrom. Winnipeg took the lead in the second period with a Jim Slater goal, his third of the season made possible by Tanner Glass. The Jets kept soaring with an Andrew Ladd goal, his second of the year, with assists credited to Blake Wheeler and Bogosian. Winnipeg put the score at 5-2 with an Evander Kane goal, created by Antropov and Mark Stuart. Carolina got one back with Tuomo Ruutu recording his second of the season, thanks to Skinner. This left the final at 5-3, with the three stars going to Mason (18 for 18 in saves in a relief effort), Skinner, and Wellwood.
Finally, we go stateside, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Detroit Red Wings, where one of the unbeaten will fall. Hoping to prevent that for their respective teams are Ty Conklin and Tomas Vokoun. Washington led off with a Mike Green power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Just a minute later, the Capitals made it 2-0 with a Marcus Johansson goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Alexander Semin and Mike Knuble. Green scored in the second period for Washington, another power play goal as his second of the night and third of the season, with helpers by Ovechkin and Dennis Wideman. Niklas Kronwall put Detroit on the board with his own power play goal, fueled by Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom. The Capitals made it 4-1 on a Mathieu Perreault goal, his second of the year, coming off of Matt Hendricks and Green. Washington extended the lead again with Joel Ward potting his second of the season, and Brooks Laich and Green picked up the assists. The Capitals continued the onslaught with Perreault putting his second of the game and third of the year in the net, and Jeff Halpern and Hendricks grabbed the assists. Washington allowed no mercy, making it 7-1 on Backstrom's second of the season, with help from John Carlson and Troy Brouwer. This was a final, and the three stars were awarded to Green, Vokoun (32 for 33 in saves), and Perreault, which fit nicely given the game's outcome.
Heading to Massachusetts, with the Boston Bruins welcoming an old friend back home as the San Jose Sharks come to town. Antti Niemi and Tim Thomas get the starting nods from the coach's bench. San Jose led off with a Joe Pavelski goal, his fourth of the season made possible by that old friend, Mr. Joe Thornton. The Sharks extended the lead in the second period as Logan Couture had rubber meet twine, and Martin Havlat and Ryane Clowe grabbed the helpers. Boston got on the board in the third period as Milan Lucic put away his second of the year, thanks to Chris Kelly and Patrice Bergeron. Twenty-nine seconds later, the game was tied on a Bruins goal from Tyler Seguin, his third of the season, guided in by Lucic and Kelly. San Jose retook the lead with a Benn Ferriero goal, with help from Jim Vandermeer and Michal Handzus. The Sharks made it 4-2 on an empty net goal to finalize the game, coming off of the stick of Patrick Marleau after having been previously on that of Pavelski. The three stars were Lucic, Couture, and Niemi (37 for 39 in saves), and I agree fully on those picks.
Over to the City of Brotherly Love, with the Philadelphia Flyers hosting the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Ilya Bryzgalov played in the blue paint. Kent Huskins struck first for St. Louis on his second of the season, assisted by Jason Arnott. The Blues extended the lead on a T.J. Oshie goal, with assists provided by Carlo Colaiacovo and Roman Polak. Philadelphia got on the board when Danny Briere sank the puck in the second period, off of Wayne Simmonds and Chris Pronger for his second of the year. Colaiacovo restored a two goal lead for St. Louis with a goal, courtesy of Alex Steen and Evgeny Grachev. The Flyers pulled within one as Matt Carle sank his second of the season, Jakub Voracek and Briere had the assists. Matt D'Agostini answered for the Blues with his fourth of the year, a power play goal that went down unassisted. The three stars in this 4-2 game were Colaiacovo, Briere, and Elliott (34 for 36 in saves).
Going down the Eastern Seaboard, to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Mathieu Garon will play between the pipes. Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the second period with a Pavel Kubina goal off of Steven Stamkos and Teddy Purcell. The Lightning made it 2-0 with Martin St. Louis recording his third of the season, thanks to Vincent Lecavalier and Brett Connolly. Tampa Bay iced it with a 3-0 goal, the final score coming on the second of the year by Victor Hedman, the empty netter helped along by St. Louis. The three stars here were Garon (21 save shutout), Hedman, and Connolly, with honorable mention to St. Louis.
Back into Canada, where we head to the city along the Saint Lawrence River, Montreal, with the Canadiens hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Carey Price started the game in net, but Jonas Gustavsson took over the Buds net in the second period. Montreal led off with a Travis Moen goal, his third of the season coming shorthanded via Lars Eller. Toronto made up for this mishap with a Dave Steckel power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Jake Gardiner and Luke Schenn. The Canadiens regained the lead in the second period on Andrei Kostitsyn's second of the season, fueled by Eller and Hal Gill. The Maple Leafs wasted little time tying it, as Phil Kessel sank his eighth of the year unassisted. Toronto took the lead with a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, assisted by John-Michael Liles and Joffrey Lupul as his second of the season. Montreal retied it early in the third period on a Michael Cammalleri goal, his second of the year made possible by P.K. Subban and Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens regained the lead on a Josh Gorges goal, with helpers from Kostitsyn and Moen. The Maple Leafs quickly tied it at 4 on a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his third of the season, coming from the sticks of Phaneuf and Clark MacArthur. Grabovski also scored another goal, making it 5-4 in sudden death overtime with his second of the game and fourth of the year, and the assistance needed came from Liles and Kessel. Grabovski, Moen, and Eller got the three stars, although Kessel, Liles, and Phaneuf also could have slotted in.
Crossing the border again, with the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Marc-Andre Fleury tended the twines. Pittsburgh opened with Jordan Staal sinking his fourth of the season, via Richard Park and Matt Cooke on the power play. The scoring was quiet until the third period, with Patrik Elias striking shorthanded with his third of the year, helped out along the way by Ilya Kovalchuk and Anton Volchenkov. The Penguins retook the lead with Chris Kunitz netting his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Kris Letang and Paul Martin. Staal extended the lead for Pittsburgh with his second of the game and fifth of the year, and Arron Asham and Matt Niskanen were there with the support. The Penguins kept rolling with a James Neal goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Park and Zbynek Michalek.This made it 4-1, the final, and the three stars were Staal, Fleury (23 for 24 in saves), and Park.
Once again, we go to Canada, with the Ottawa Senators hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Craig Anderson willstand in front of the nets and watch the little disc thing fly in without making any attempt whatsoever to stop it play goal for the game. Ottawa began the scoring on a power play goal by Filip Kuba, his second of the season, powered by Jason Spezza and Sergei Gonchar. Columbus tied it with Aaron Johnson putting his second of the year in the cage, with Derick Brassard and Vinny Prospal lending a hand. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period with a Kris Russell goal, his second of the season via Ryan Johansen and Antoine Vermette. The Senators retied it with a Zack Smith goal assisted by Erik Condra and Chris Neil. Columbus regained the lead on Rick Nash's third of the year in the third period, a power play goal made possible by Fedor Tyutin and Prospal. Ottawa tied it with thirty-six seconds left in the game on Spezza's fourth of the season, courtesy of Milan Michalek and Erik Karlsson. With just five seconds left in regulation, the Senators struck again on the power play, as Michalek made it 4-3 with his sixth of the year, guided along by Gonchar and Spezza. The three stars in this jaw-dropping finish were Michalek, Neil, and Nash, with obvious disrespect to both Spezza and Gonchar for their heroic contributions.
Back down to Florida with the Panthers hosting the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Jose Theodore got the starts, but Jakob Markstrom was in the Panther net in the third period. New York started early with a power play goal by Mark Streit, powered by P.A. Parenteau and John Tavares. Florida tied it on the fourth of the season y Kris Versteeg, courtesy of Stephen Weiss. The Panthers took the lead on a Matt Bradley goal, passed off from Shawn Matthias and Mike Weaver. Tavares tied it for the Islanders with his sixth of the year, a power play goal, with the lone assist by Streit. Florida retook the lead in the third period with a Tim Kennedy goal, guided in by Matthias and Dmitry Kulikov. The Panthers secured a 4-2 win with an empty netter by Matthias, with help from Tomas Fleischmann and Weaver. The three stars were Markstrom (18 for 18 in saves in a relief role), Matthias, and Kennedy, with honorable mentions to Tavares and Streit.
Up to Chicago, with the Blackhawks bringing in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Corey Crawford played in between the pipes. Colorado led off with a Paul Stastny goal, his second of the season made possible by Kyle Quincey and Shane O'Brien. Chicago replied in the second period with an unassisted Michael Frolik goal. The Avlanche regained the lead with a David Jones goal, his fifth of the year coming via Milan Hejduk and Stastny. The Avalanche made it 3-1 on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Ryan O'Reilly and Cody McLeod. The Blackhawks closed in with a late goal by Jonathan Toews, his fourth of the year coming on the power play from Duncan Keith and Dave Bolland. Chicago tied it in the third period with a Jamal Mayers goal, his second of the season, created by Nick Leddy. The Blackhawks made it 4-3 with a Marian Hossa goal, his fourth of the year set up by Keith and Patrick Sharp. The Avalanche got a very clutch goal to tie the game back up at 4, as Landeskog notched his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by O'Reilly and Daniel Winnik. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Colorado toppled Chicago on the lone tally by Joakim Lindstrom. The three stars of the 5-4 game were Stastny, Toews, and Varlamov (34 for 38 in saves), although Lindstrom, Landeskog, Keith, or O'Reilly all could have been on that list.
For the last time today, we head to Canada, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Nikolai Khabibulin will get the starts. Edmonton was first on the scoreboard with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers made it 2-0 on the power play, with a Corey Potter goal powered by Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle. Martin Biron came on in relief of what I assume is an injured Lundqvist.The score remained at 2-0 for the rest of the game, and the three stars were Nugent-Hopkins, Khabibulin (19 save shutout), and Hall, although Eberle was slightly better than the third star.
Lastly, we have a Los Angeles Kings games against the Dallas Stars, at the Staples Center. Andrew Raycroft and Jonathan "Shutout" Quick will wear the masks. The scoring was silent until the third period, with Jack Johnson netting his third of the season, with help from Rob Scuderi and Mike Richards. This would make it a 1-0 Los Angeles lead, and later victory, with the three stars awarded to Quick (28 save shutout, third shutout in a row), Raycroft (23 for 24 in saves), and Johnson.
The Calgary Flames hosting the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Miikka Kiprusoff are the pair of Finnish goaltenders. Nashville was first on the board with a second period goal by Niclas Bergfors, courtesy of Jack Hillen and Brian McGrattan. Sergei Kostitsyn added on his second of the year to make it 2-0 for the Predators, and this was the final as Craig Smith and Matt Halischuk grabbed assists. The three stars were Rinne (33 save shutout), Jarome Iginla, and Ryan Suter. Honorable mention to people who actually got a point.
Also, we have the Vancouver Canucks hosting the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Cory Schneider put on the masks to play goal. Minnesota struck first as Devin Setoguchi potted his third of the season, thanks to Dany Heatley and Marek Zidlicky. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Daniel Sedin, powered by Henrik Sedin and Alexander Edler as his fourth of the year. The Wild retook the lead with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his second of the season, coming off of Nick Johnson and Brett Bulmer. The Canucks tied it again in the third period with a Jannik Hansen goal, made possible by Manny Malhotra and Andrew Ebbett. The tie lasted late in overtime, where Sami Salo netted his third of the year on the power play (created by Heatley), with helpers provided by Daniel and Ryan Kesler. The three stars in the 3-2 Vancouver win were Salo, Hansen, and Brodziak, with honors to Daniel Sedin.
Staying in Western Canada but moving around the clock a bit, we have the Winnipeg Jets hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Brian Boucher and Ondrej Pavelec got the starts, but Pavelec was yanked early in the first period in favor of Chris Mason, for soon to be obvious reasons. Carolina opened with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his second of the season, guided in by Chad LaRose and Jeff Skinner. The Hurricanes made it 2-0 (reason for Pavelec to be given mercy) on a Skinner goal, his third of the year, fueled by LaRose and Jamie McBain. Winnipeg got on the board with an Alex Burmistrov goal, his second of the season, and Zach Bogosian and Kyle Wellwood picked up the assists. Wellwood later potted his own goal, tying it up for the Jets, the third of the year for him coming on the power play via Nik Antropov and Tobias Enstrom. Winnipeg took the lead in the second period with a Jim Slater goal, his third of the season made possible by Tanner Glass. The Jets kept soaring with an Andrew Ladd goal, his second of the year, with assists credited to Blake Wheeler and Bogosian. Winnipeg put the score at 5-2 with an Evander Kane goal, created by Antropov and Mark Stuart. Carolina got one back with Tuomo Ruutu recording his second of the season, thanks to Skinner. This left the final at 5-3, with the three stars going to Mason (18 for 18 in saves in a relief effort), Skinner, and Wellwood.
Finally, we go stateside, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Detroit Red Wings, where one of the unbeaten will fall. Hoping to prevent that for their respective teams are Ty Conklin and Tomas Vokoun. Washington led off with a Mike Green power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Just a minute later, the Capitals made it 2-0 with a Marcus Johansson goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Alexander Semin and Mike Knuble. Green scored in the second period for Washington, another power play goal as his second of the night and third of the season, with helpers by Ovechkin and Dennis Wideman. Niklas Kronwall put Detroit on the board with his own power play goal, fueled by Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom. The Capitals made it 4-1 on a Mathieu Perreault goal, his second of the year, coming off of Matt Hendricks and Green. Washington extended the lead again with Joel Ward potting his second of the season, and Brooks Laich and Green picked up the assists. The Capitals continued the onslaught with Perreault putting his second of the game and third of the year in the net, and Jeff Halpern and Hendricks grabbed the assists. Washington allowed no mercy, making it 7-1 on Backstrom's second of the season, with help from John Carlson and Troy Brouwer. This was a final, and the three stars were awarded to Green, Vokoun (32 for 33 in saves), and Perreault, which fit nicely given the game's outcome.
Heading to Massachusetts, with the Boston Bruins welcoming an old friend back home as the San Jose Sharks come to town. Antti Niemi and Tim Thomas get the starting nods from the coach's bench. San Jose led off with a Joe Pavelski goal, his fourth of the season made possible by that old friend, Mr. Joe Thornton. The Sharks extended the lead in the second period as Logan Couture had rubber meet twine, and Martin Havlat and Ryane Clowe grabbed the helpers. Boston got on the board in the third period as Milan Lucic put away his second of the year, thanks to Chris Kelly and Patrice Bergeron. Twenty-nine seconds later, the game was tied on a Bruins goal from Tyler Seguin, his third of the season, guided in by Lucic and Kelly. San Jose retook the lead with a Benn Ferriero goal, with help from Jim Vandermeer and Michal Handzus. The Sharks made it 4-2 on an empty net goal to finalize the game, coming off of the stick of Patrick Marleau after having been previously on that of Pavelski. The three stars were Lucic, Couture, and Niemi (37 for 39 in saves), and I agree fully on those picks.
Over to the City of Brotherly Love, with the Philadelphia Flyers hosting the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Ilya Bryzgalov played in the blue paint. Kent Huskins struck first for St. Louis on his second of the season, assisted by Jason Arnott. The Blues extended the lead on a T.J. Oshie goal, with assists provided by Carlo Colaiacovo and Roman Polak. Philadelphia got on the board when Danny Briere sank the puck in the second period, off of Wayne Simmonds and Chris Pronger for his second of the year. Colaiacovo restored a two goal lead for St. Louis with a goal, courtesy of Alex Steen and Evgeny Grachev. The Flyers pulled within one as Matt Carle sank his second of the season, Jakub Voracek and Briere had the assists. Matt D'Agostini answered for the Blues with his fourth of the year, a power play goal that went down unassisted. The three stars in this 4-2 game were Colaiacovo, Briere, and Elliott (34 for 36 in saves).
Going down the Eastern Seaboard, to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Mathieu Garon will play between the pipes. Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the second period with a Pavel Kubina goal off of Steven Stamkos and Teddy Purcell. The Lightning made it 2-0 with Martin St. Louis recording his third of the season, thanks to Vincent Lecavalier and Brett Connolly. Tampa Bay iced it with a 3-0 goal, the final score coming on the second of the year by Victor Hedman, the empty netter helped along by St. Louis. The three stars here were Garon (21 save shutout), Hedman, and Connolly, with honorable mention to St. Louis.
Back into Canada, where we head to the city along the Saint Lawrence River, Montreal, with the Canadiens hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Carey Price started the game in net, but Jonas Gustavsson took over the Buds net in the second period. Montreal led off with a Travis Moen goal, his third of the season coming shorthanded via Lars Eller. Toronto made up for this mishap with a Dave Steckel power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Jake Gardiner and Luke Schenn. The Canadiens regained the lead in the second period on Andrei Kostitsyn's second of the season, fueled by Eller and Hal Gill. The Maple Leafs wasted little time tying it, as Phil Kessel sank his eighth of the year unassisted. Toronto took the lead with a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, assisted by John-Michael Liles and Joffrey Lupul as his second of the season. Montreal retied it early in the third period on a Michael Cammalleri goal, his second of the year made possible by P.K. Subban and Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens regained the lead on a Josh Gorges goal, with helpers from Kostitsyn and Moen. The Maple Leafs quickly tied it at 4 on a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his third of the season, coming from the sticks of Phaneuf and Clark MacArthur. Grabovski also scored another goal, making it 5-4 in sudden death overtime with his second of the game and fourth of the year, and the assistance needed came from Liles and Kessel. Grabovski, Moen, and Eller got the three stars, although Kessel, Liles, and Phaneuf also could have slotted in.
Crossing the border again, with the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Marc-Andre Fleury tended the twines. Pittsburgh opened with Jordan Staal sinking his fourth of the season, via Richard Park and Matt Cooke on the power play. The scoring was quiet until the third period, with Patrik Elias striking shorthanded with his third of the year, helped out along the way by Ilya Kovalchuk and Anton Volchenkov. The Penguins retook the lead with Chris Kunitz netting his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Kris Letang and Paul Martin. Staal extended the lead for Pittsburgh with his second of the game and fifth of the year, and Arron Asham and Matt Niskanen were there with the support. The Penguins kept rolling with a James Neal goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Park and Zbynek Michalek.This made it 4-1, the final, and the three stars were Staal, Fleury (23 for 24 in saves), and Park.
Once again, we go to Canada, with the Ottawa Senators hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Craig Anderson will
Back down to Florida with the Panthers hosting the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Jose Theodore got the starts, but Jakob Markstrom was in the Panther net in the third period. New York started early with a power play goal by Mark Streit, powered by P.A. Parenteau and John Tavares. Florida tied it on the fourth of the season y Kris Versteeg, courtesy of Stephen Weiss. The Panthers took the lead on a Matt Bradley goal, passed off from Shawn Matthias and Mike Weaver. Tavares tied it for the Islanders with his sixth of the year, a power play goal, with the lone assist by Streit. Florida retook the lead in the third period with a Tim Kennedy goal, guided in by Matthias and Dmitry Kulikov. The Panthers secured a 4-2 win with an empty netter by Matthias, with help from Tomas Fleischmann and Weaver. The three stars were Markstrom (18 for 18 in saves in a relief role), Matthias, and Kennedy, with honorable mentions to Tavares and Streit.
Up to Chicago, with the Blackhawks bringing in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Corey Crawford played in between the pipes. Colorado led off with a Paul Stastny goal, his second of the season made possible by Kyle Quincey and Shane O'Brien. Chicago replied in the second period with an unassisted Michael Frolik goal. The Avlanche regained the lead with a David Jones goal, his fifth of the year coming via Milan Hejduk and Stastny. The Avalanche made it 3-1 on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Ryan O'Reilly and Cody McLeod. The Blackhawks closed in with a late goal by Jonathan Toews, his fourth of the year coming on the power play from Duncan Keith and Dave Bolland. Chicago tied it in the third period with a Jamal Mayers goal, his second of the season, created by Nick Leddy. The Blackhawks made it 4-3 with a Marian Hossa goal, his fourth of the year set up by Keith and Patrick Sharp. The Avalanche got a very clutch goal to tie the game back up at 4, as Landeskog notched his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by O'Reilly and Daniel Winnik. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Colorado toppled Chicago on the lone tally by Joakim Lindstrom. The three stars of the 5-4 game were Stastny, Toews, and Varlamov (34 for 38 in saves), although Lindstrom, Landeskog, Keith, or O'Reilly all could have been on that list.
For the last time today, we head to Canada, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Nikolai Khabibulin will get the starts. Edmonton was first on the scoreboard with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers made it 2-0 on the power play, with a Corey Potter goal powered by Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle. Martin Biron came on in relief of what I assume is an injured Lundqvist.The score remained at 2-0 for the rest of the game, and the three stars were Nugent-Hopkins, Khabibulin (19 save shutout), and Hall, although Eberle was slightly better than the third star.
Lastly, we have a Los Angeles Kings games against the Dallas Stars, at the Staples Center. Andrew Raycroft and Jonathan "Shutout" Quick will wear the masks. The scoring was silent until the third period, with Jack Johnson netting his third of the season, with help from Rob Scuderi and Mike Richards. This would make it a 1-0 Los Angeles lead, and later victory, with the three stars awarded to Quick (28 save shutout, third shutout in a row), Raycroft (23 for 24 in saves), and Johnson.
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