NFL Late Games week 8

The other five regularly timed games are covered in this post. We start with...

The Denver Broncos hosting the Detroit Lions. Denver opened with Matt Prater kicking a 39 yard field goal. Detroit replied with a touchdown pass of 41 yards from Matthew Stafford to Titus Young, and Jason Hanson handled the extra point. Hanson extended the Lions lead with a 50 yard field goal in the second quarter. Detroit kept going with Stafford tossing a 1 yard touchdown to Tony Scheffler, and Hanson handled the PAT. It was 24-3 at the half with Maurice Morris' 1 yard touchdown rush, with Hanson making another extra point for the Lions. Detroit got defensive with the next touchdown, forcing a Tim Tebow fumble which would be picked up by Cliff Avril and taken to the end zone 24 yards away. Hanson again added an extra point. The Lions continued the abuse with Stafford throwing 56 yards to Calvin Johnson, good for a touchdown with Hanson adding another extra point. Detroit went with defense again as Tebow was intercepted by Chris Houston, who returned the ball 100 yards for a touchdown. Hanson took advantage with another extra point. The Broncos finally reached the end zone with Tebow passing 14 yards to Eric Decker for a touchdown, and Prater took care of the extra point. The final was 45-10, with Detroit improving to 6-2 and Denver falling to 2-5.

Back east a bit, the Buffalo Bills welcome the Washington Redskins. Buffalo led off with a 20 yard touchdown catch by Scott Chandler from Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Rian Lindell made the extra point. Lindell also booted a 37 yard field goal in the second quarter. At the last second of the half, the Bills went up 13-0 on a 44 yard field goal. Buffalo went back to work in the third quarter with Fitzpatrick and Chandler meeting up again for 15 yards and a touchdown, and Lindell made the PAT. Lindell kept the Bills going with his 41 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. This left the score at 23-0, which was a final, moving Buffalo to 5-2 and dropping Washington to 3-4.

Crossing the continent, the Seattle Seahawks host the Cincinnati Bengals. Mike Nugent put Cincinnati on the board first with a 34 yard field goal. The Bengals extended the lead with an Andy Dalton touchdown pass to Jerome Simpson, a 14 yard play finished off by Nugent with the extra point. Seattle got on the board with a second quarter field goal of 47 yards by Steven Hauschka. The score at halftime was 17-3 thanks to Dalton's touchdown pass of 43 yards to A.J. Green. Nugent had the extra point. The Seahawks got another field goal in the third quarter from Hauschka, a 25 yard kick. Seattle pushed closer with a 2 yard Marshawn Lynch touchdown run, but Tavaris Jackson's two point attempt toward Ben Obomanu failed. Cincinnati gained a little separation with a field goal of 48 yards by Nugent. The Bengals put it away when Brandon Tate returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown, and Nugent added an extra point for a 27-12 score. Adding insult to injury, Cincinnati's Reggie Nelson picked off Jackson and took it back 75 yards for a touchdown, allowing one more Nugent extra point, leaving the score at 34-12, and this would be a final, with the Bengals going up to 5-2 and Seattle falling to 2-5.

Down the west coast to San Francisco, where the 49ers welcome the Cleveland Browns. San Francisco struck first on a 4 yard touchdown run by Frank Gore, and David Akers made the extra point. Akers later added a field goal of 29 yards for the 49ers. Gore struck again for San Francisco in the second quarter with a 7 yard touchdown rush, and Akers added another PAT. Phil Dawson put Cleveland on the board with a 52 yard field goal, for a 17-3 halftime score. After a quiet third quarter, Colt McCoy got the Browns moving with a touchdown pass to Joshua Cribbs, a 45 yard play tapped off by Dawson with the extra point. The 49ers made it 20-10 with Akers nailing a 26 yard field goal. San Francisco improved to 6-1 while knocking Cleveland to 3-4.

Finally, the big game has the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the New England Patriots. Pittsburgh drew first blood with a touchdown from Ben Roethlisberger to Mewelde Moore for 5 yards. Shaun Suisham tacked on the extra point. The Steelers added on a Suisham field goal from 33 yards away in the second quarter. New England got on the board as Tom Brady threw 2 yards for a touchdown to Deion Branch, and Stephen Gostkowski made the extra point. Pittsburgh replied with a Roethlisberger touchdown of 7 yards to Antonio Brown, and Suisham tacked on the extra point here. Gostkowski cut the Patriots' deficit to 7 by making it 17-10 on a 46 yard field goal right before the half. In the third quarter, Suisham put the Steelers back in front by 10 with a 21 yard field goal. Suisham kept kicking for Pittsburgh and tallied on a 23 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. New England made it 23-17 with Brady throwing a yard to Aaron Hernandez for a touchdown, and Gostkowski added the PAT. Brady was then sacked for a safety by Brett Keisel, and this secured a 25-17 Steelers win. They move to 6-2 and knock the Patriots to 5-2.

NFL Early Games week 8

A very close to even split today between morning and afternoon. There are six games in the morning, beginning with....

The New York Giants hosting the Miami Dolphins. Miami was first to score with a 1 yard Steve Slaton touchdown run, and Dan Carpenter added on the extra point. New York got some back with a Lawrence Tynes field goal of 25 yards. The Dolphins extended their lead with a touchdown rush by Matt Moore, running 1 yard to cross the line, and Carpenter added another PAT to open up the second quarter scoring. The Giants pulled back with an Eli Manning touchdown pass of 7 yards, finding the hands of Mario Manningham, and Tynes made the extra point. This made the halftime score 14-10 Miami. The Dolphins got back to work in the third quarter with a Carpenter field goal from 40 yards out. New York replied with Tynes booting a 29 yard field goal. The Giants gained a 20-17 lead as Manning found Victor Cruz for a 25 yard touchdown reception, and Tynes tacked on the extra point. This would be the final, moving New York up to 5-2, and Miami falls to 0-7.

Heading southwest to Houston, where the Texans welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars. Houston broke through first with a 2 yard Matt Schaub touchdown rush, and Neil Rackers applied the extra point. Jacksonville tied it in the second quarter as Blaine Gabbert threw 5 yards to Jason Hill for a touchdown, and Josh Scobee added the extra point. The tie at 7 would last through halftime. The Texans took the lead in the third quarter with a Schaub touchdown pass to Joel Dreessen, a 7 yard play finished off with a Rackers extra point. Houston made it 21-7 with a 4 yard touchdown run by Arian Foster, capped off by a Rackers PAT. The Jaguars pulled back a bit with Maurice Jones-Drew running 2 yards for a touchdown, and Scobee's extra point put them within a touchdown. The Texans put it out of reach late with a field goal of 39 yards by Rackers for a 24-14 final score. Houston goes to 5-3 and Jacksonville falls to 2-6.

Continuing back toward the Atlantic coast, where the Baltimore Raven host the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona got the first point on a 32 yard Jay Feely field goal. Baltimore tied it in the second quarter on a Billy Cundiff field goal from 26 yards out. The Cardinals retook the lead with a 1 yard rush by Beanie Wells for a touchdown, and Feely had the extra point. Arizona turned to special teams for the next touchdown, making it 17-3 with Patrick Peterson returning a punt 82 yards. Feely topped it off with the extra point. The Cardinals remained relentless, as Kevin Kolb found Early Doucet for 10 yards and a touchdown, and Feely made yet another PAT. The Ravens made it 24-6 on a Cundiff field goal of 47 yards just before halftime, and the score stayed the same through the end of the quarter. Baltimore cut further into the deficit with a Ray Rice touchdown rush, his 1 yard play iced off with a Cundiff extra point. The Ravens pulled closer on another 1 yard rush by Rice for a touchdown, and Cundiff's extra point left the score at 24-20. Baltimore took the lead as Rice ran 3 yard this time for a hat trick of touchdowns, and Cundiff had the extra point to make it 27-24. The Cardinals opened the parachutes with a Feely field goal of 45 yards. The Ravens took the game on the last play by a 30-27 score as Cundiff nailed a 25 yard field goal for the win, improving them to 5-2 and pushing Arizona to 1-6.

To the Midwest, where the St. Louis Rams welcome the New Orleans Saints. St. Louis opened the scoring in the second quarter with a Josh Brown field goal of 38 yards. The Rams made it 10-0 with Steven Jackson rushing 3 yards to score a touchdown, and Brown tacked on the extra point. St. Louis got another touchdown as A.J. Feeley passed to Brandon Lloyd for 8 yards and a touchdown, with Brown's extra point making it 17-0 at halftime. The Rams continued the beatdown in the third quarter with a 3 yard Jackson touchdown run, and Brown added another PAT. New Orleans finally got on the board as Feeley fumbled and Jonathan Vilma recovered it and ran it in for a touchdown. John Kasay was there for the extra point. The Saints showed more signs of life as Pierre Thomas ran 3 yards for a touchdown, and Kasay applied another extra point. St. Louis put the nail in the coffin as Darian Stewart picked off Brees and took it 27 yards for a touchdown, with Brown's extra point leaving the score at 31-14. New Orleans got another touchdown to tally in the too little, too late column, as Brees tossed an 8 yard pass to Lance Moore for the score, and Kasay added the extra point for a 31-21 final. The Saints fell to 5-3 while the Rams finally got a win to move to 1-6.

East again, with the Carolina Panthers hosting the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota drew first blood with a 10 yard Percy Harvin touchdown run, and Ryan Longwell was called on to make the extra point. Carolina tied it with a 1 yard touchdown connection between Cam Newton and Jeremy Shockey, and Olindo Mare handled the PAT. The Panthers took the lead on a 39 yard touchdown pass from Newton to Greg Olsen, and Mare made another extra point. The Vikings tied it at 14 just before the half with a Christian Ponder touchdown pass to Adrian Peterson, a 19 yard connection, and Longwell made the extra point. This tie was taken into the locker rooms. Carolina regained the lead in the third quarter on Newton's 22 yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith, and Mare had another extra point. Minnesota retied it with Peterson running 9 yards for a touchdown, and Longwell making another extra point. The Vikings took a narrow lead on a Longwell field goal of 31 yards, for a 24-21 score. This held up as a final as Mare missed a 31 yard field goal to tie the game, and Minnesota improved to 2-6 while dropping Carolina down to 2-6 as well.

Lastly for the first wave, the Tennessee Titans host the Indianapolis Colts. Tennessee took an early lead with a Rob Bironas field goal from 51 yards. The Titans added on with a second quarter special teams touchdown, blocking a Pat McAfee punt, recovered and returned to the end zone by Jason McCourty for the score. Bironas added on the extra point. Tennessee made it 13-0 with Bironas nailing a field goal of 50 yards. The Titans continued to pour it on as Nate Washington ran 3 yards for a touchdown, and Bironas made the extra point. The score at the half was 20-0. Indianapolis found the scoreboard in the third quarter with Adam Vinatieri kicking a 22 yard field goal. The Colts made it 20-10 in the fourth quarter with Donald Brown running 4 yards for a touchdown and Vinatieri added on a PAT. Tennessee regained control as Matt Hasselbeck threw 14 yards to Washington, good for a touchdown, and Bironas made it 27-10 with the extra point. This was the final, moving the Titans up to 4-3 and pushing Indianapolis to 0-8.

NHL Day 24 2011-2012

There are a total of thirteen games on today, and the first is an afternoon special with the New York Rangers hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Henrik Lundqvist wear the masks. Ottawa was first on the board with Chris Neil netting his second of the season, via Filip Kuba and Erik Karlsson (his tenth assist). New York got going in the second period with a power play goal by Ryan Callahan, his third of the year, powered by Brad Richards and Michael Del Zotto. The Rangers struck again later on the same major power play with Richards netting his second of the season, courtesy of Marian Gaborik. Gaborik extended the New York lead in the third period with his fifth of the year, coming off of Derek Stepan and Wojtek Wolski. The Rangers kept the upping the ante with another Richards goal, his second of the game and third of the season, fueled by Gaborik and Wolski. Ottawa pulled dangerously close with a pair of Jason Spezza goals, his sixth and seventh of the year, the second coming on the power play. Taking credit for helpers were Kuba and Milan Michalek on the first and Sergei Gonchar and Karlsson on the second. Michalek tied it for the Senators with his seventh of the season, thanks to Colin Greening and Kuba, the latter finishing a sock trick. The tie lasted into a shootout, where the Senators took the game 5-4 with a lonely goal from Michalek. The three stars went to Spezza, Richards, and Gaborik, and honorable mentions are in line for Kuba, Michalek, Karlsson, and Wolski.

To the regularly scheduled games we go, beginning these in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brent Johnson and Jonas Gustavsson take up residence in front of the cages. Toronto led off with a power play goal by Mikhail Grabovski, powered by Dion Phaneuf and Clarke MacArthur as his fourth of the season. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Matt Cooke goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Arron Asham and Ben Lovejoy. The Maple Leafs regained the lead on a Tim Connolly power play goal, set up by Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel. The Penguins tied it again with Chris Kunitz putting away his fourth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. MacArthur gave Toronto another lead in the third period, his second of the year coming off of Phaneuf and Grabovski. Pittsburgh found yet another answer with Malkin on the power play with his second of the season thanks to Letang (tenth assist) and James Neal. Kessel gave the Maple Leafs a 4-3 lead with his tenth of the year, courtesy of Connolly and Mike Komisarek. The Penguins had no answer to this, and lost by the above margin, with the three stars of the game being Kessel, Phaneuf, and Gustavsson (34 for 37 in saves), and honorable mentions to Letang, Malkin, Grabovski, Connolly, and MacArthur.

Back into the Big Apple, with the New York Islanders hosting the San Jose Sharks. Thomas Greiss and Rick DiPietro got the starting nods. (Please set your egg timers to calculate how long The Glass Goalie will remain healthy). San Jose struck just seventeen seconds in when DiPietro broke his ankle trying to stop a shot Joe Pavelski notched his seventh of the season on the power play via Patrick Marleau and Dan Boyle. New York tied it in the second period with the seventh of the year from John Tavares, also a power play goal, powered by P.A. Parenteau and Matt Moulson. The Islanders took the lead with a Michael Grabner power play goal, his third of the season, thanks to Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. The Sharks tied it up again with a Logan Couture goal, his third of the year, with assists from Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The tie lasted into an overtime period, where Burns struck with his third of the season, a power play goal made possible Pavelski and Boyle and the penalty was for Travis Hamonic lifting the puck over glass for delay of game. Pavelski, Tavares, and Burns had the three stars, while other notable efforts were Greiss (35 for 37 in saves) and Boyle.

Heading upstate, to Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Jacob Markstrom play between the pipes. Florida opened the scoring in the second period with a Marcel Goc goal, his second of the season coming from Scottie Upshall and Tomas Kopecky. Buffalo tied it on the eighth of the year for Thomas Vanek, thanks to help from Luke Adam and Tyler Myers. The Sabres grabbed the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Jason Pominville, his fifth of the season, powered by Brad Boyes and Christian Ehrhoff. The Panthers retied it on a Tomas Fleichmann goal, his third of the year, with helpers provided by Kopecky and Jason Garrison. Florida took a 3-2 lead with a power play goal by Garrison, his fourth of the season, made possible by Brian Campbell and Kopecky, the latter getting a sock trick. This was a final, and the three stars were Garrison, Fleischmann, and Pominville, with honors to Kopecky.

Staying in the Northeast area, the Philadelphia Flyers welcomed the Carolina Hurricanes. Brian Boucher and Ilya Bryzgalov were in the creases for the game. Philadelphia opened with a Scott Hartnell goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Claude Giroux. Carolina answered in the second period with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his third of the year, assisted by Jiri Tlusty and Chad LaRose. The Flyers retook the lead early in the third period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his fourth of the season, with help from Giroux. Philadelphia extended the lead with the third of the year by Max Talbot, courtesy of Giroux and Braydon Coburn, while shorthanded. Giroux, who now had a sock trick, finally found the twine on his own, netting his seventh of the season via Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen. Jagr added on his second of the game and fifth of the year for a 5-1 final score, and he was aided by Hartnell. The three stars logically went to Giroux, Hartnell, and Jagr.

Up to Montreal, where the Canadiens welcomed in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Carey Price were given a go-ahead to start. Montreal drew first blood with a power play goal by Brian Gionta, his second of the season, powered by Tomas Plekanec and Michael Cammalleri. The Canadiens extended the lead with a Lars Eller goal, via Travis Moen and Andrei Kostitsyn. Montreal made it 3-0 in the second period with a power play goal from David Desharnais, his second of the season, thanks to Cammalleri and Yannick Weber. Boston got on the board with a Milan Lucic goal, his third of the year guided in by Nathan Horton. The Bruins made it close late in the third period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. The Canadiens iced it with Plekanec putting his fourth of the year away into an empty net, with no assistance required. Price (26 for 28 in saves), Eller, and Plekanec got the three stars in the 4-2 win, and honorable mention to Cammalleri.

Heading far south like a bird in the winter, where the Tampa Bay Lightning hosted the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Dwayne Roloson were the masked men. Tampa Bay opened the scoring late in the second period on a power play goal by Vincent Lecavalier, his fifth of the year, powered by Steven Stamkos and Eric Brewer. This held up for a 1-0 Lightning win, with Roloson (28 save shutout), Lecavalier, and Pavelec (26 for 27 in saves) getting the three stars.

Northwest a tad, with the Nashville Predators hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Pekka Rinne are tending the twines. Fourteen seconds into the game, Nashville took the lead with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his second of the season, fueled by Colin Wilson and Shea Weber. Martin Erat extended the lead for the Predators with his goal, fueled by Jordin Tootoo and Ryan Suter. The scoring was silent until a power play in the early third period, where Nashville made it 3-0 on a Weber goal, made possible by Suter and David Legwand. This was a final, with Rinne (20 save shutout), Weber, and Hornqvist getting the three stars,
 although Suter also played well.

Northward again, to Minnesota, where the Wild hosted the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Josh Harding played in the blue paint. Minnesota struck in the first period on a Dany Heatley goal, his third of the year, coming off of Mikko Koivu for the lone assist. The scoring was silent for the rest of the game, preserving a 1-0 Wild win. Harding (36 save shutout), Heatley, and Justin Falk were the three stars, although Koivu or Howard (19 for 20 in saves) could have been third star.

Plunging to the south again, with the Dallas Stars hosting the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Kari Lehtonen were the goaltenders. Dallas led off with a Loui Eriksson goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Steve Ott and Jamie Benn. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Petr Sykora goal, and Patrik Elias grabbed the lone assist here. The Stars regained the lead in the third period on a Vernon Fiddler goal, his second of the year, fueled by Radek Dvorak and Sheldon Souray. Souray iced the game on his third of the season, an empty net goal coming from Alex Goligoski. This left the final at 3-1, with Fiddler, Lehtonen (31 for 32 in saves), and Eriksson taking the three stars.

Into the heart of the Midwest, with the Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. In goal were backups Allen York and Ray Emery. Chicago opened with a Marcus Kruger goal, via Jamal Mayers and Brent Seabrook. Columbus tied it on a Vinny Prospal goal, his fifth of the season, created by Fedor Tyutin and James Wisniewski. The Blackhawks regained the lead on the fifth of the year by Dave Bolland, a shorthanded goal coming off of a Michael Frolik pass. The Blue Jackets found another equalizer in the second period as Derek MacKenzie netted his second of the season, thanks to Rick Nash and Aaron Johnson. Chicago grabbed a 4-2 lead on a pair of Viktor Stalberg goals, his first two of the year, and assists went to Nick Leddy twice, and Andrew Brunette and Duncan Keith once each. Frolik iced it for the Blackhawks with his second of the season, an empty net and unassisted goal. The three stars went to Stalberg, Kruger, and Emery (27 for 29 in saves), and honors to Frolik and Leddy.

Back to the Southwest, with the Phoenix Coyotes hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Mike Smith took care of the cages. Los Angeles opened the scoring in the second period with a Mike Richards goal, his second of the season, coming off of Dustin Brown and Willie Mitchell. Phoenix took the lead with a pair of Radim Vrbata goals, his second and third of the year, fueled by Martin Hanzal twice primarily, and the secondaries belonged to David Schlemko and Rostislav Klesla. The Kings tied it in the third period with the fifth of the season for Anze Kopitar, courtesy of Trent Hunter and Matt Greene. The Coyotes took the game in overtime by a 3-2 score as Daymond Langkow notched his second of the year, assisted by Vrbata and Derek Morris. Vrbata, Smith (36 for 38 in saves), and Schlemko got the three stars, although Hanzal or Langkow would have fit fine.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Roberto Luongo got the starts, although Michal Neuvirth relieved Vokoun after the first period. Vancouver was first on the board with a Maxim Lapierre goal, his second of the season, fueled by Dale Weise and Kevin Bieksa. Washington tied it with Alex Ovechkin netting his fourth of the year, with help from Troy Brouwer and Nicklas Backstrom. The Canucks got the lead back with a Chris Higgins tally, his fourth of the season coming on the man advantage thanks to Dan Hamhuis and David Booth. Vancouver made it 3-1 late in the first period with an Alexander Edler power play goal, powered by Sami Salo and Ryan Kesler. Ovechkin got the Capitals going again in the second period with his fifth of the year and second of the night, a power play goal assisted by Backstrom (tenth assist of the season) and John Carlson. Washington tied it on Mike Knuble's second of the season, a penalty shot conversion brought around by an Edler tripping call. Edler made up for it with his second of the game and the year, with helpers provided by Sedins Henrik and Daniel. The Capitals got another equalizer on Marcus Johansson's fifth of the season, via Dennis Wideman. Vancouver got one back in the third period as Henrik netted his fourth of the year, thanks to Edler and Kesler. The Canucks made it 6-4 with a Higgins goal, his second of the night and fifth of the season, with assists provided by Jannik Hansen and Manny Malhotra. Vancouver finished it off with a Lapierre goal, his third of the year and second of the game, guided in by Bieksa and Hamhuis. The three stars of the 7-4 game were Edler, Higgins, and Lapierre, with honorable mention to Ovechkin, Backstrom, Hamhuis, Bieksa, Kesler, and Henrik Sedin.

NHL Day 23 2011-2012

Tonight there are four games on. We begin with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Cam Ward were given the starts. Carolina opened on a Tim Brent goal, his second of the season, made possible by Tim Gleason. The Hurricanes extended the lead on Brandon Sutter's third of the year, via Jussi Jokinen. Carolina pretty much put the game away with Jiri Tlusty netting his second of the season, thanks to Bryan Allen and Chad LaRose. This made the final 3-0, with Ward (30 save shutout), Sutter, and Gleason getting the three stars, with obvious honorable mention to all other point getters.

Moving west to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jimmy Howard got the green light to play goal. Detroit opened with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk. San Jose answered in the second period with a power play goal by Ryane Clowe, his third of the year powered by Martin Havlat and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks took the lead as Patrick Marleau put away his second of the season, with help from Douglas Murray. The Red Wings retied it with a Tomas Holmstrom power play goal, coming off of Datsyuk and Lidstrom. San Jose regained the lead on a Joe Thornton goal, his second of the year, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Marleau. Thornton put the game away, making it 4-2 with his second of the game and third of the season, an empty netter set up by Havlat and Clowe. The three stars were awarded to Niemi (30 for 32 in saves), Lidstrom, and Havlat, and honorable mentions to Thornton, Marleau, Clowe, and Datsyuk. 

Westward again, with the Calgary Flames welcoming the St. Louis Blues. Briant Elliott and Miikka Kiprusoff tend the twines. Calgary took the first goal in the second period as Tom Kostopoulos scored via Tim Jackman and Roman Horak. The Flames made it 2-0 on a Horak goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Curtis Glencross and Jackman. Twelve seconds later, St. Louis was on the board with an Alex Steen goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers provided by Jamie Langenbrunner and Kevin Shattenkirk. Calgary wrapped it up on an empty net goal by Olli Jokinen, his second of the season helped in by Glencross and David Moss, making it 3-1. The three stars went to Kiprusoff (28 for 29 in saves), Horak, and Kostopoulos, with honorable mention for Steen, Glencross, and Jackman.

Finishing off the day's games in Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Semyon Varlamov will be in the blue paint. Edmonton got on the board in the second period to lead the scoring off, with a Cam Barker power play goal powered by Sam Gagner and Ryan Smyth. The Oilers extended the lead with an Andy Sutton goal, and sharing advantages of his expertise were Lennart Petrell and Smith. Colorado got on the board with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, coming on the power play through Matt Duchene and Kyle Quincey. Edmonton replied to make it 3-1 with a Smyth goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Shawn Horcoff and Ryan Jones. This was the final, with Dubnyk (40 for 41 in saves), Smyth, and O'Reilly getting the three stars.

NHL Day 22 2011-2012

We have quite a few games on tonight, and the first of these is...

The New York Rangers finally getting a true home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Henrik Lundqvist make the starts. New York led off with a Dan Girardi goal, assisted by Marian Gaborik and Artem Anisimov. Toronto tied it on the second of the season by Matthew Lombardi, courtesy of Tyler Bozak and Carl Gunnarsson. The Maple Leafs grabbed the lead as Joffrey Lupul potted his fifth of the year, via Jake Gardiner and Phil Kessel. Toronto extended their lead with a Clarke MacArthur goal, and the lone assist came from Mike Komisarek. The Maple Leafs made it 4-1 on a Mike Brown goal, powered by John-Michael Liles. The Rangers got one back on a Michael Del Zotto goal going down unassisted. The final was 4-2 and the three stars were Lupul, Gunnarsson, and Girardi. Honorable mentions to everyone else with a point.

Into Pennsylvania, with the Pittsburgh Penguins welcoming the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Marc-Andre Fleury play in the blue paint for the game. New York took the lead with a late first period goal from Frans Nielsen, with helpers by Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit. The Islanders extended their lead in the third period with a Matt Martin's goal, courtesy of Steve Staios and Marty Reasoner. Pittsburgh struck back soon after on a Chris Kunitz goal, his third of the year, via Pascal Dupuis and Kris Letang. The Penguins tied it with a James Neal power play goal, his ninth of the season powered by Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin. This tie lasted into a shootout, where Pittsburgh won on Malkin's lone tally. Kunitz, Malkin, and Martin had the three stars in the 3-2 game.

Staying in the state, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Sergei Bobrovsky will play in front of the cages. Philadelphia led off with a goal by Scott Hartnell, his third of the season, powered by Jaromir Jagr and Kimmo Timonen. Winnipeg replied with a Randy Jones goal, set up by Blake Wheeler and Tanner Glass. The Jets took the lead on the fourth of the year by Jim Slater, coming off of Chris Thorburn and Glass. Kyle Wellwood pushed the Winnipeg lead up farther, his fourth of the season seeing the sticks of Tobias Enstrom and Bryan Little before his own and the twine. Glass kept the Jets going in the second period, making it 4-1 with his second of the year, fueled by Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien. A minute later, Winnipeg added on again with a power play goal by Nik Antropov, his third of the season made possible by Tim Stapleton, causing Ilya Bryzgalov to relieve Bobrovsky in the Philly net. The Flyers finally had an answer with Claude Giroux striking on the power play for his sixth of the year, gathering steam from Timonen and Danny Briere. The Jets took it back with an Evander Kane power play goal, his second of the season, thanks to Antropov and Alex Burmistrov. Briere cut the deficit back down for Philadelphia with his third of the year, via Hartnell and Timonen, the latter grabbing a sock trick. The Flyers made it 6-4 with an unassisted Max Talbot goal, his second of the season. Briere struck again in the third period for Philadelphia with his second of the game and fourth of the year, pushed on through by Braydon Coburn and James van Riemsdyk. The Flyers tied it and scared Pavelec away with a Matt Read goal, his third of the season, guided along by Andreas Lilja and Jakub Voracek. Chris Mason was the relief twinetender. Philadelphia went relentless and took the lead on Mason's first shot against, a van Riemsdyk goal with help by Briere and Matt Carle. It was his third of the year. Winnipeg retied it with a Burmistrov goal, his third of the season, with assists by Antropov and Kane. The Jets took the lead with a Mark Stuart goal, going in off of Stapleton and Wheeler. The Flyers got another tying goal with van Riemsdyk's second of the game and fourth of the year, courtesy of Timonen and Andrej Meszaros. Winnipeg ended up with the win in the marathon game, a 9-8 victory coming into reality with captain Andrew Ladd sinking his third of the season, thanks to Wheeler and Little, the former getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Antropov, Glass, and Briere, although Wheeler, Timonen, and van Riemsdyk all had worthy games too. Dishonorable mentions to those who could not find a point tonight.

Another big rivalry game tonight has the Boston Bruins hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Tim Thomas will play goal. Boston was first on the board with an unassisted power play goal by Patrice Bergeron, his second of the season. Montreal answered in the second period with the second of the year from Erik Cole, assisted by Jaroslav Spacek and David Desharnais. The Canadiens took the lead with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his third of the season, with the assists from Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges. This left the score at 2-1, the final, and the three stars were Plekanec, Price (29 for 30 in saves), and Rich Peverley, although Cole and Bergeron had honest cases.

Staying in the Northeast Division, the Buffalo Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Jhonas Enroth tend the twines. Brad Boyes put Buffalo ahead in the first period with a power play goal off of Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville, his second of the season. The Sabres extended the lead in the second period with a Pominville goal, his third of the year, made possible by Vanek and Luke Adam. Columbus replied with a Vinny Prospal goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers provided by Antoine Vermette and R.J. Umberger. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Fedor Tyutin goal, guided by Samuel Pahlsson. Buffalo retook a 3-2 lead with a Patrick Kaleta goal, thanks to Nathan Gerbe and Christian Ehrhoff. The Sabres got an insurance goal as Pominville sank his second of the game and fourth of the year, with Vanek and Boyes taking the assists on the power play tally. This made it a 4-2 final score, with the three stars being awarded to

Up to Ottawa, where the Senators host the Florida Panthers. Jacob Markstrom and Craig Anderson play between the pipes. Florida led off with a Jason Garrison goal, his third of the season, with assists by Kris Versteeg and Brian Campbell. Ottawa replied with a Daniel Alfredsson goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Jason Spezza and Sergei Gonchar. The Panthers retook the lead on a Tomas Flesichmann goal, his third of the season, fueled by Dmitry Kulikov and Stephen Weiss. The Senators retied it with Stephane Da Costa notching his second of the year, guided in by Erik Condra and Milan Michalek. Ottawa grabbed the lead with a Colin Greening goal, his third of the season made possible by Erik Karlsson. Florida retied it inside a minute to go, with Versteeg netting his fifth of the year, thanks to Weiss and Kulikov. The Senators pulled off heroics though, stealing a 4-3 win with four seconds on the clock, as Nick Foligno netted his second of the season, and was helped by Alfredsson and David Rundblad. The three stars were Alfredsson, Spezza, and Versteeg, but Foligno, Weiss, and Kulikov all could make a case.

South to Nashville, with the Predators hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Pekka Rinne guarded the goalmouths. Nashville opened with a Sergei Kostitsyn goal, his third of the season, assisted by Craig Smith and Mike Fisher. Fisher extended the Predator lead with a goal off of Kostitsyn and Smith. Tampa Bay got on the board with Steven Stamkos potting his fifth of the year, via Teddy Purcell and Ryan Malone. The Lightning tied it on the power play with Purcell scoring his third of the season, thanks to Brett Connolly and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Nashville took the lead back in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, with helpers by Matt Halischuk and Blake Geoffrion. The Predators made it 4-2 on a Nick Spaling goal, helped along by Jack Hillen and Jonathon Blum. Nashville kept the pressure on with Fisher's second of the game, aided by Spaling, causing Garon to be taken out in favor of Dwayne Roloson. Tampa Bay got one back as Stamkos notched his second of the game, via Bergeron and Martin St. Louis, the former recording his tenth assist of the season. The final was 5-3, and Fisher, Rinne (29 for 32 in saves), and Spaling got the three stars, while Stamkos, Bergeron, Purcell, Kostitsyn, and Smith got passed over.

Back north again, stopping in Minnesota to catch the Wild hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Niklas Backstrom oppose each other in the nets. Anaheim was first on the board with the fourth of the season by Corey Perry, a power play goal powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne. The Ducks extended their lead in the second period on a Bobby Ryan goal, his third of the year, assisted by Selanne and Tony Lydman. Minnesota got on the board with a power play goal from the stick of Jared Spurgeon, aided by Devin Setoguchi and Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Getzlaf extended the Anaheim lead on his fourth of the season, courtesy of Selanne and Perry, the former getting a sock trick with the assist. The Wild cut the score to 3-2 on a Matt Cullen power play goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley. This was the final, with Selanne, Marco Scandella, and Bouchard taking the three stars, and Getzlaf having a formidable case for one.

Down to Dallas, where the Stars host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Kari Lehtonen play in goal. Dallas did the impossible with Trevor Daley finally cracking the Quick Code with a power play goal, powered by Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with a Justin Williams goal, his third of the season, off of Slava Voynov and Anze Kopitar. The Kings took the lead with a Scott Parse goal, fueled by Mike Richards and Dustin Brown. Voynov put Los Angeles up 3-1 on the power play, his goal being guided in by Brown and Richards. The Stars cut the score to 3-2 on a Michael Ryder goal, made possible by Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow, his third of the year. Dallas tied it with an Eric Nystrom goal, courtesy of Vernon Fiddler and Radek Dvorak. The Kings retook the lead at 4-3 with Voynov's second of the night, with helpers by Kyle Clifford and Ethan Moreau. Brown wrapped it up at 5-3 with an empty net goal, his third of the season, and the helpers were credited to Richards and Kopitar, the first of those two finishing up a sock trick on the night. The three stars went to Voynov, Richards, and Ryder, and honorable mention to Kopitar and Brown.

Crossing into Canada, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Nikolai Khabibulin got the nods to start. Washington struck early with a Karl Alzner goal, courtesy of Jeff Halpern and Jason Chimera. Edmonton tied it on a Taylor Hall goal, his third of the season, powered by Jordan Eberle and Corey Potter on the power play. Eberle gave the Oilers a lead in the second period with his second of the year, also a power play goal, with assists provided by Potter and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. This produced a 2-1 final, with the three stars being Khabibulin (34 for 35 in saves), Eberle, and Troy Brouwer, and Potter gets an honorable mention.

Lastly, the Phoenix Coyotes host the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Mike Smith put on the goalie pads. Phoenix led off with a Patrick O'Sullivan goal, assisted by Daymond Langkow and David Schlemko. New Jersey tied it on a Zach Parise goal, his fourth of the season, going down unassisted. Mark Fayne put the Devils on top with his second of the year, thanks to Mattias Tedenby. The Coyotes retied it with a Ray Whitney goal, his fourth of the season coming with the man advantage, guided in by Radim Vrbata and Keith Yandle. Phoenix took a 3-2 lead on a Raffi Torres goal, his second of the year, set up by Shane Doan and Yandle. The Coyotes made it 4-2 with a third period Martin Hanzal goal, his third of the season, thanks to Whitney and Schlemko. Whitney quickly followed with his second of the game and fifth of the year, and the assists came from Hanzal and Vrbata. A too-little, too-late goal for New Jersey left the final at 5-3 with Nick Palmieri putting the puck away, with a little guidance from Adam Henrique. The three stars were Whitney, Hanzal, and Torres, with honorable mention to Yandle, Vrbata, and Schlemko.

NHL Day 21 2011-2012

Today, we have only three games going on. We begin in Canada, where we will stay throughout the post, with the Montreal Canadiens playing host to the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Carey Price made the starts in net. Philadelphia got on the board first with the third of the season by Jaromir Jagr, courtesy of Matt Carle and Scott Hartnell. Montreal tied it late in the first period with a Yannick Weber goal, his second of the year, a power play goal from David Desharnais. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, his third of the season, made possible by Jaroslav Spacek and Max Pacioretty. Pacioretty soon thereafter added his own goal, the third of the year by him, and he was aided by P.K. Subban and Tomas Plekanec. Pacioretty extended the Montreal lead on his second of the game in the third period, with passes sequencing through Plekanec and Josh Gorges. The Canadiens wrapped it up 5-1 with the third of the season by Michael Cammalleri, and Desharnais and Erik Cole grabbed the helpers. The three stars went to Pacioretty, Price (21 for 22 in saves), and Cole, although Desharnais and Plekanec outplayed Cole.

Moving to Alberta, where the Calgary Flames host the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Miikka Kiprusoff are between the irons. Colorado struck first with a Kyle Quincey goal, his second of the season coming on the power play via Paul Stastny and Erik Johnson. Calgary replied with a Roman Horak goal, fueled by Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla. The Flames took the lead in the second period as Lee Stempniak netted the puck, and helping him out were Horak and Niklas Hagman. Calgary extended the lead with Rene Bourque notching his fourth of the year on the power play, courtesy of Anton Babchuk and Jay Bouwmeester. The Avalanche cut the deficit to 3-2 in the third period on a Ryan Wilson goal, thanks to Johnson and Gabriel Landeskog. Bourque put it away for the Flames with his fifth of the season and second of the game, guided in by Olli Jokinen and David Moss. Horak, Bourque, and Johnson earned the three stars, although Kiprusoff had an impressive 34 for 36 night in saves.

Continuing to our final destination, in Vancouver, British Columbia to watch the Canucks host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Cory Schneider will put on the masks. St. Louis opened the scoring in the second period on an Alex Steen goal, his fourth of the season made possible by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jason Arnott. The Blues got a third period goal from Steen as well, with the helpers here provided by Matt D'Agostini and David Backes. St. Louis put it away with a Patrik Berglund goal, his third of the season, guided in by Shattenkirk and T.J. Oshie, making it 3-0. This was the final, with Steen, Shattenkirk, and Elliott (32 save shutout) getting the three stars.

NHL Day 20 2011-2012

Today we have nine games on, and the first of these is on Long Island, with the New York Islanders hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Evgeni Nabokov will be in the blue paint. Pittsburgh struck first on a Pascal Dupuis goal, his third of the season made possible by Brooks Orpik. The Penguins made it 2-0 in the second period with the second of the year from Richard Park, and Arron Asham picked up the only assist. Jordan Staal put the game away for Pittsburgh with an empty net goal, his sixth of the season, and Dupuis had the assist. The three stars went to Fleury (33 save shutout), Dupuis, and Park.

Down the coast to Raleigh, with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Cam Ward were called on to start. Ottawa opened the scoring in the second period with a Zenon Konopka goal, courtesy of Sergei Gonchar and Jessee Winchester. The Senators extended their lead with Jason Spezza potting his fifth of the season on the power play, powered by Colin Greening and Gonchar. Carolina got started in the third period on Tuomo Ruutu's third of the year, via Jay Harrison. The Hurricanes tied it with Jeff Skinner's fourth of the season, a power play goal fueled by Jamie McBain and Eric Staal. This tie lasted into a shootout, where Spezza's lone tally lifted Ottawa to a 3-2 victory. The three stars were awarded to Skinner, Anderson (32 for 34 in saves), and Ruutu, much to the disrespect of Spezza and Gonchar.

Moving to the Midwest, the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the Detroit Red Wings. Ty Conklin and Steve Mason got the starts.  Columbus led off with an R.J. Umberger goal, assisted by Antoine Vermette and Ryan Johansen. Detroit tied it on Darren Helm's goal, via Justin Abdelkader and Todd Bertuzzi. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with Johansen's power play goal, powered by Grant Clitsome and Kris Russell. Columbus extended their lead in the second period with a John Moore goal, fueled by Cody Bass and Clitsome. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Derek MacKenzie empty net goal, with helpers by Umberger and Clitsome, the latter getting a sock trick on the night. The three stars were Mason (30 for 31 in saves), Johansen, and Clitsome.

Back east, with the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Ryan Miller played between the pipes. Buffalo struck early with the seventh of the season by Thomas Vanek, with help by Jason Pominville and Luke Adam. The Sabres extended the lead with a Brad Boyes goal off of Cody McCormick and Matt Ellis. Tampa Bay got on the board as Vincent Lecavalier netted his fourth of the year, and Martin St. Louis had the lone assist. The Lightning tied it with a Nate Thompson goal, his second of the season, assisted by Tom Pyatt and Dominic Moore. Tampa struck again, taking the lead in the second period with Steven Stamkos' goal, the fourth of the year for him made possible by Matt Gilroy and Marc-Andre Bergeron. The Lightning added an insurance goal as Ryan Malone netted his third of the season with the help of Brett Clark. This proved vital as Buffalo cut the score to 4-3 on a Nathan Gerbe goal, his second of the year, guided in by Boyes and Paul Gaustad. This was the final score, with the three stars belonging to Garon (36 for 39 in saves), Vanek, and Stamkos, with cases presented by Boyes and Malone.

Back to the Central Division, with the Nashville Predators hosting the San Jose Sharks. Finnish goalies Antti Niemi and Pekka Rinne played goal. San Jose led off with a shorthanded goal by Logan Couture, his second of the season coming off a Martin Havlat pass. Craig Smith tied it for Nashville in the third period, his third goal of the year coming on the power play via Shea Weber and Mike Fisher. The Sharks sealed the win with a pair of Joe Pavelski goals, his fifth and sixth of the season going in thanks to Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton both times, and the latter goal was into an empty net. The three stars were Pavelski, Smith, and Couture, although Marleau and Thornton made reasonable cases.

Staying in the region, the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Corey Crawford got the nods here. Anaheim struck in the second period to open the scoring with a power play goal by Ryan Getzlaf. The third of his season was powered by Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne. Chicago tied it with the fifth of the year from Marian Hossa, assisted by Patrick Kane and Sean O'Donnell. The Ducks retook the lead on a Selanne goal, his third of the season, and the lone assist came from Andrew Cogliano. The Blackhawks tied it again in the third period with Patrick Sharp's goal, his third of the year, and Kane picked up another helper. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Jonathan Toews and Kane overwhelmed Selanne, giving the 3-2 win to Chicago. The three stars went to Kane, Selanne, and Hossa.

A Western Canada battle came next, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Nikolai Khabibulin took care of the twines. The scoring opened in the second period with Edmonton getting a Jordan Eberle goal, guided in by Taylor Hall and Corey Potter. The Oilers extended the lead with a Shawn Horcoff goal, and Ryan Smyth picked up the lone assist. Hall put Edmonton up 3-0, knocking out Luongo in favor of Cory Schneider, and the assists on his second of the season came from Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Vancouver finally got going with a Cody Hodgson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Alexander Edler and Manny Malhotra. The Canucks made it 3-2 with an Alexandre Burrows goal, his third of the season, via Henrik Sedin and Sami Salo. They failed to get an equalizer, and fell by the above score, with the three stars being awarded to Eberle, Hall, and Burrows.

Down to Arizona, with the Phoenix Coyotes hosting the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Mike Smith played in the creases. Raffi Torres opened the scoring for Phoenix, and was helped out by Lauri Korpikoski and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Dallas answered with a power play goal by Sheldon Souray, his second of the season, powered by Jamie Benn and Steve Ott. The Coyotes took the lead again in the third period on a power play goal from Shane Doan, his fourth of the year, made possible by Ray Whitney and Daymond Langkow. The Stars tied it with an Adam Burish goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow. This tie would last into a shootout, where Patrick O'Sullivan of Phoenix struck only to be answered by Michael Ryder of Dallas in the fifth round, before the Stars took it on an eighth round goal by Trevor Daley, for a 3-2 win. The three stars here were Lehtonen (33 for 35 in saves), Smith (34 for 36 in saves), and Ribeiro, although Daley was a bit more important in the win.

Finally, we go to Los Angeles with the Kings hosting the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Jonathan...... Bernier played in net for this game. New Jersey started the scoring in the second period with a Dainius Zubrus goal, assisted by Andy Greene and Patrik Elias. Elias later struck with his own goal, the fourth of the season for him, and got his help from Petr Sykora and Greene. Zubrus made it 3-0 late in the period with his second of the year and the game, and the helpers were credited to Sykora and Mark Fayne on this goal. The third period was silent, allowing this score to remain as the final. Zubrus, Hedberg (31 save shutout), and Greene picked up the three stars, with honorable mention to Elias, Sykora, and Fayne, who, coupled with the other two skaters in the stars, were on the ice for all goals.