Four games on today as the crazy sports weekend winds down to a close. First off...
The Ottawa Senators host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Craig Anderson take to the nets. Ottawa struck early with the seventh of the season by Jason Spezza, assisted by Sergei Gonchar and Erik Karlsson. Carolina tied it with Pat Dwyer's third of the year, and Brett Sutter picked up the lone assist. The Senators took the lead back with another Spezza goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, a power play goal powered by Gonchar and Karlsson. Ottawa extended the lead late in the second period with a David Rundblad goal, with the helpers by Bobby Butler and Zenon Konopka. The Hurricanes pulled back in the third period with an Eric Staal goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Joni Pitkanen and Tuomo Ruutu. The Senators extended the lead with Zack Smith recording his fourth of the season, courtesy of Kaspars Daugavins and Filip Kuba. Carolina kept roaring back with an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Chad LaRose on the power play. The final was 4-3, with Smith, Gonchar, and Spezza earning the three stars, and honorable mention for Karlsson.
South and west to Minnesota, with the Wild hosting the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Niklas Backstrom tend the twines. Minnesota was first to score with a power play goal by Cal Clutterbuck, his sixth of the season, powered by Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley. Calgary answered with the fourth of the year by Mark Giordano, an unassisted goal. Lee Stempniak put the Flames in front with his fifth of the season, thanks to Mikael Backlund and Chris Butler. The Wild tied it back up with Nick Johnson potting his third of the year off of Kyle Brodziak. T.J. Brodie gave Calgary the lead back with a goal, and he was helped by Matt Stajan and Tim Jackman, prompting Backstrom's removal and Josh Harding's insertion to the goalie area. The Flames got going again in the third period with an unassisted Alex Tanguay goal, his fourth of the season. Calgary made it 5-2, the eventual final, with the seventh of the year by Jarome Iginla, guided in by Curtis Glencross and Olli Jokinen. The three stars were Iginla, Stempniak, and Clutterbuck.
Backtracking to the east, with the Columbus Blue Jackets welcoming the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott is in the crease, as well as Curtis Sanford. Columbus was first on the board in the second period with the third of the season by Derek Dorsett, assisted by Samuel Pahlsson and Fedor Tyutin. St. Louis tied it with Kris Russell netting his fifth of the year, with the help of Alex Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues took a 2-1 lead in the third period with the ninth of the campaign for David Backes, a power play goal powered by T.J. Oshie and Jason Arnott. This would be a final, and the three stars were Backes, Dorsett, and Russell.
Lastly, the Anaheim Ducks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Jonas Hiller play in goal. Anaheim opened with a Francois Beauchemin power play goal, his third of the season, fueled by Teemu Selanne and Luca Sbisa. Toronto answered with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by John-Michael Liles and Joffrey Lupul. The Maple Leafs kept going with Clarke MacArthur scoring his ninth of the season, with the help of Tim Connolly. Toronto extended the lead in the second period with the fifth of the year by Joey Crabb, helped along by Luke Schenn and Joe Colborne. The Maple Leafs added on again in the third period with Bozak's second of the game and sixth of the season, made possible by Phil Kessel and Lupul. The Ducks answered back with a Corey Perry goal, his tenth of the year, pushed through by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. Toronto finished it at 5-2 with Schenn scoring into the empty net and Nikolai Kulemin was credited with an assist. The three stars were Bozak, Perry, and Dion Phaneuf, although Schenn or Lupul could easily unseat their captain for the third star.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday Night game week 12
This week, the Kansas City Chiefs host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kansas City opened on a 41 yard field goal by Ryan Succop. Pittsburgh tied it with a Shaun Suisham field goal of 21 yards. The Steelers took the lead with Ben Roethlisberger throwing a 2 yard touchdown to Weslye Saunders, and Suisham added the extra point. The Chiefs got a few back with Succop kicking a 49 yard field goal. Suisham made it 13-6 Pittsburgh at halftime with a 49 yard field goal of his own. Kansas City got a few back in the fourth quarter when Succop booted a 40 yard field goal. The Steelers managed to hold off a furious late Chiefs rally, and win 13-9, moving them up to 8-3 and their opponents down to 4-7.
NFL Late games week 12
The other four games on the slate are here. We begin with...
The Seattle Seahawks hosting the Washington Redskins. Washington drew first blood with Rex Grossman passing 2 yards to Fred Davis for a touchdown, and Graham Gano had the extra point. Seattle tied it in the second quarter with Tavaris Jackson throwing a 20 yard touchdown to Marshawn Lynch, and Steven Hauschka made the extra point. This left the score tied at 7, and that was a score to take into the locker rooms. The Seahawks grabbed the lead with a Hauschka field goal in the third quarter, true from 36 yards. Seattle went farther ahead with Jackson's 15 yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate, and Hauschka tacked on the PAT. The Redskins pulled back with a 28 yard Roy Helu touchdown run, and Gano handled the extra point. Washington grabbed the lead with Grossman connecting on a 50 yard touchdown to Anthony Armstrong, and Gano again made the extra point. The Redskins made it 23-17 with Gano kicking a 25 yard field goal. This was a final, and both teams go to 4-7.
Down the coast to Oakland, with the Raiders welcoming the Chicago Bears. Oakland led off with a pair of Sebastian Janikowski field goals, from 40 and 47 yards away. Chicago got going in the second quarter, taking the lead after Robbie Gould kicked the extra point to the Caleb Hanie 29 yard touchdown pass to Johnny Knox. The Raiders regained the lead with Janikowski kicking a field goal from 42 yards. Oakland tacked on a 19 yard field goal by Janikowski just before the half, making it 12-7 at halftime. The Raiders kept kicking with Janikowski nailing a 37 yard field goal in the third quarter. Oakland couldn't stop with the field goals, and Janikowski struck from 44 yards. The Bears took a page from the Raiders' book, as Gould nailed a 50 yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and then a later 53 yard kick that also went in cleanly. The Raiders finally found the end zone with a 3 yard Michael Bush run, and Janikowski added the PAT. The Bears got it back with Hanie throwing for a 9 yard touchdown to Kellen Davis, and Gould tacking on an extra point. Oakland managed to hold on for a 25-20 win, and improved to 7-4 while Chicago fell to the same mark.
Back east in Philadelphia, the Eagles host the New England Patriots. Philadelphia opened with a 2 yard touchdown run by LeSean McCoy, and Alex Henery supplied the extra point. The Eagles extended the lead with Henery kicking a 43 yard field goal. New England got on the board with a BenJarvus Green-Ellis touchdown run of 4 yards, and Stephen Gostkowski added the extra point. The Patriots took the lead on another Green-Ellis touchdown run, this time from 1 yard, and Gostkowski again supplied the extra point. New England kept the surge going with Tom Brady finding Wes Welker for 41 yards and a touchdown, and Gostkowski easily handled the extra point. Philadelphia got a few back with Henery kicking a field goal from 22 yards out. The Patriots made it 24-13 at the half with a 45 yard Gostkowski field goal. New England extended the lead again in the third quarter as Brady met Welker once again, a 9 yard touchdown connection, and Gostkowski was there with the PAT. The Patriots added another for good measure, a 24 yard touchdown from Brady to Rob Gronkowski, and Gostkowski kicked through the extra point for a 38-13 lead. The Eagles tacked a few points on too late, making it 38-20 with Vince young passing a 1 yard touchdown to Jason Avant, and Henery making the extra point to produce the final. New England is now 8-3 while Philadelphia is 4-7.
Crossing the country to the endpoint of the late games, the San Diego Chargers host the Denver Broncos. San Diego opened with a 53 yard Nick Novak field goal. The Chargers extended their lead in the second quarter with a 6 yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Antonio Gates, and Novak was there with the extra point. Denver got on the board with Tim Tebow throwing 18 yards to Eric Decker for a touchdown, and Matt Prater got the extra point. This made it 10-7 at halftime. San Diego padded the lead with Novak's third quarter 25 yard field goal. The Broncos answered with a Prater field goal of 41 yards. Prater put Denver in a tie with a 24 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The tie lasted until there were twenty-nine seconds left in overtime, with Prater saving the day for Denver with a 37 yard field goal, for a 16-13 win. The Broncos go to 6-5 while San Diego falls to 4-7.
The Seattle Seahawks hosting the Washington Redskins. Washington drew first blood with Rex Grossman passing 2 yards to Fred Davis for a touchdown, and Graham Gano had the extra point. Seattle tied it in the second quarter with Tavaris Jackson throwing a 20 yard touchdown to Marshawn Lynch, and Steven Hauschka made the extra point. This left the score tied at 7, and that was a score to take into the locker rooms. The Seahawks grabbed the lead with a Hauschka field goal in the third quarter, true from 36 yards. Seattle went farther ahead with Jackson's 15 yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate, and Hauschka tacked on the PAT. The Redskins pulled back with a 28 yard Roy Helu touchdown run, and Gano handled the extra point. Washington grabbed the lead with Grossman connecting on a 50 yard touchdown to Anthony Armstrong, and Gano again made the extra point. The Redskins made it 23-17 with Gano kicking a 25 yard field goal. This was a final, and both teams go to 4-7.
Down the coast to Oakland, with the Raiders welcoming the Chicago Bears. Oakland led off with a pair of Sebastian Janikowski field goals, from 40 and 47 yards away. Chicago got going in the second quarter, taking the lead after Robbie Gould kicked the extra point to the Caleb Hanie 29 yard touchdown pass to Johnny Knox. The Raiders regained the lead with Janikowski kicking a field goal from 42 yards. Oakland tacked on a 19 yard field goal by Janikowski just before the half, making it 12-7 at halftime. The Raiders kept kicking with Janikowski nailing a 37 yard field goal in the third quarter. Oakland couldn't stop with the field goals, and Janikowski struck from 44 yards. The Bears took a page from the Raiders' book, as Gould nailed a 50 yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and then a later 53 yard kick that also went in cleanly. The Raiders finally found the end zone with a 3 yard Michael Bush run, and Janikowski added the PAT. The Bears got it back with Hanie throwing for a 9 yard touchdown to Kellen Davis, and Gould tacking on an extra point. Oakland managed to hold on for a 25-20 win, and improved to 7-4 while Chicago fell to the same mark.
Back east in Philadelphia, the Eagles host the New England Patriots. Philadelphia opened with a 2 yard touchdown run by LeSean McCoy, and Alex Henery supplied the extra point. The Eagles extended the lead with Henery kicking a 43 yard field goal. New England got on the board with a BenJarvus Green-Ellis touchdown run of 4 yards, and Stephen Gostkowski added the extra point. The Patriots took the lead on another Green-Ellis touchdown run, this time from 1 yard, and Gostkowski again supplied the extra point. New England kept the surge going with Tom Brady finding Wes Welker for 41 yards and a touchdown, and Gostkowski easily handled the extra point. Philadelphia got a few back with Henery kicking a field goal from 22 yards out. The Patriots made it 24-13 at the half with a 45 yard Gostkowski field goal. New England extended the lead again in the third quarter as Brady met Welker once again, a 9 yard touchdown connection, and Gostkowski was there with the PAT. The Patriots added another for good measure, a 24 yard touchdown from Brady to Rob Gronkowski, and Gostkowski kicked through the extra point for a 38-13 lead. The Eagles tacked a few points on too late, making it 38-20 with Vince young passing a 1 yard touchdown to Jason Avant, and Henery making the extra point to produce the final. New England is now 8-3 while Philadelphia is 4-7.
Crossing the country to the endpoint of the late games, the San Diego Chargers host the Denver Broncos. San Diego opened with a 53 yard Nick Novak field goal. The Chargers extended their lead in the second quarter with a 6 yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Antonio Gates, and Novak was there with the extra point. Denver got on the board with Tim Tebow throwing 18 yards to Eric Decker for a touchdown, and Matt Prater got the extra point. This made it 10-7 at halftime. San Diego padded the lead with Novak's third quarter 25 yard field goal. The Broncos answered with a Prater field goal of 41 yards. Prater put Denver in a tie with a 24 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The tie lasted until there were twenty-nine seconds left in overtime, with Prater saving the day for Denver with a 37 yard field goal, for a 16-13 win. The Broncos go to 6-5 while San Diego falls to 4-7.
NFL Early Games week 12
Seven games in the first wave of kickoffs. We begin in...
Atlanta, with the Falcons hosting the Minnesota Vikings. Matt Ryan got Atlanta moving with his 27 yard touchdown pass to Harry Douglas, and Matt Bryant made the extra point. The Falcons added on in the second quarter with Ryan finding Roddy White for 6 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant again nailed the extra point. At halftime, the score was 17-0 with Bryant successfully kicking a 37 yard field goal for Atlanta. Minnesota got going in the third quarter on a 1 yard touchdown run by Toby Gerhart, and Ryan Longwell supplied the extra point. The Vikings pulled closer in the fourth quarter as Christian Ponder and Percy Harvin met up for a 39 yard touchdown reception, and Longwell made another PAT. The Falcons gained some separation with a Ryan touchdown to Michael Palmer, going 3 yards for the score, and Bryant had the extra point. The final would be 24-14, and the Falcons jumped up to 7-4, while the Vikings plummeted to 2-9.
Northwest to Indianapolis, with the Colts hosting the Carolina Panthers. Carolina opened with a 40 yard Olindo Mare field goal. The Panthers pushed farther ahead in the second quarter with Cam Newton rushing 14 yards for a touchdown, and Mare tacked on the extra point. Indianapolis replied with a touchdown run of 17 yards by Donald Brown, and Adam Vinatieri made the extra point. The Colts tied it at 10 for halftime with Vinatieri's 43 yard field goal. Carolina took the lead back on a 25 yard touchdown run for DeAngelo Williams, and Mare once more had the PAT. Vinatieri pulled Indianapolis closer with a 31 yard field goal. Williams extended the Panthers lead with his second touchdown of the day, a 2 yard rush, and Mare made the extra point. Curtis Painter got the Colts back within striking distance on a 56 yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne, but he failed to connect the two point attempt to Austin Collie. Carolina put it away on Mare's 41 yard field goal, making it 27-19, and they staved off the furious attempt to tie by Indianapolis. Carolina is now 3-8 while the nightmare season for the Colts stays dark at 0-11.
Staying in the AFC South against NFC South mindset, the Tennessee Titans welcomed in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay would strike first with a 43 yard Connor Barth field goal. Tennessee took the lead on the ensuing kick off, as Marc Mariani returned the ball 16 yards and tossed a lateral to Tommie Campbell, who ran 84 yards for the touchdown. Rob Bironas made the extra point. Bironas extended the lead in the second quarter for the Titans, with a 31 yard field goal. The Buccaneers tied it before halftime and took the 10 all game into the locker room, produced by a Josh Freeman pass of 3 yards to Mike Williams, and Berth was there on the PAT. Tampa Bay took the lead again in the third quarter as Aqib Talib intercepted Matt Hasselbeck and took it home 27 yards for the touchdown, with Barth subsequently making the extra point. Bironas got Tennessee closer again with a 52 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Titans took the lead when Hasselbeck met up with Damian Williams for a 2 yard touchdown, and Bironas made the extra point. Tennessee made it 23-17 on Bironas' 38 yard field goal. This was a final, and the Titans go to 6-5 while Tampa Bay is 4-7.
The rest of the AFC South played against themselves, as the Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Houston Texans. Jacksonville was first to dent the scoreboard, as Ashton Youboty picked up an Arian Foster fumble and returned it for a touchdown from 38 yards out, and Josh Scobee added on the extra point. Foster made up for the Fo-pas with a 1 yard touchdown rush, and Neil Rackers' extra point tied the game. The Jaguars took the lead back in the second quarter with a 21 yard Scobee field goal. The Texans quickly replied with Matt Leinart throwing 20 yards to Joel Dreessen for a touchdown, and Rackers had another PAT. Rackers made it 20-10 Houston before halftime with a pair of field goals, coming from 53 and 33 yards out. After a silent third quarter, Jacksonville made it 20-13 in the fourth with Scobee's 35 yard field goal, but they would go no further and lost by that margin. Houston is now 8-3 and the Jaguars are 3-8.
Westward to St. Louis, with the Rams hosting the Arizona Cardinals. St. Louis opened on a punt return of 88 yards by Nick Miller, and Josh Brown handled the extra point. Arizona got on the board with a Jay Feely field goal of 29 yards. Brown made it 10-3 Rams before halftime with a 35 yard field goal. Feely got the Cardinals going in the third quarter with a 37 yard field goal. Beanie Wells added on for Arizona, giving them the lead with a 7 yard touchdown run, and Feely had the PAT. The Cardinals padded the lead with Patrick Peterson returning a punt 80 yards for a touchdown, and Feely again made the extra point. Brown pulled St. Louis back into the game early in the fourth quarter on a 48 yard field goal. The Rams tied the game when Sam Bradford met up for a 16 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Lloyd, and Brown's extra point was the tying point. Arizona would have none of it, allowing Feely to kick a 22 yard field goal to take a 23-20 lead. The defense held on from there to give them the win, advancing them to 4-7 while sending the Rams reeling to 2-9.
Back to the northeast, where the New York Jets welcome the Buffalo Bills to East Rutherford, New Jersey. Buffalo was first on the board with a Ryan Fitzpatrick touchdown pass to David Nelson for 8 yards, and Dave Rayner kicked the extra point. New York tied it in the second quarter with Mark Sanchez throwing 3 yards to Dustin Keller for a touchdown, and Nick Folk handled the extra point. The Bills regained the lead on a Fitzpatrick touchdown to Stevie Johnson for 5 yards, and after Johnson "shot himself in the leg a la opponent Plaxico Burress," Rayner put up the extra point. Sanchez helped Burress get revenge for the Jets, throwing him a 14 yard touchdown, and Folk's extra point would be the last of the half, for a 14 all tie into the locker rooms. New York took the lead in the third quarter with Sanchez finding Keller again, an 18 yard touchdown play, capped off with a Folk PAT. Buffalo kept pace with Fitzpatrick tossing Brad Smith a 36 yard touchdown, and Rayner supplied the extra point. Rayner gave the Bills the lead in the fourth quarter on a 53 yard field goal, but it would prove to be their demise. The Jets answered with a Sanchez touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, a 16 yard pass play, and Folk made it 28-24 with the extra point. Buffalo could not overcome this, and lost, dropping to 5-6 while New York surged up to 6-5.
Finally, the Battle for Ohio roars on in Cincinnati, as the Bengals welcome the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland struck first with Colt McCoy throwing a 24 yard touchdown to Jordan Norwood, and Phil Dawson added on the extra point. Cincinnati replied on a Cedric Benson touchdown run of 16 yards, and Mike Nugent made the extra point. Dawson gave the Browns the lead in the second quarter with a 32 yard field goal. Cleveland extended the lead to 17-7 at halftime with McCoy throwing a 3 yard touchdown to Greg Little and Dawson's extra point. The Bengals got it together in the third quarter with a 23 yard Nugent field goal. Dawson moved the Browns back to a 10 point lead with a 54 yard field goal. Cincinnati answered with Andy Dalton's 22 yard touchdown to Jermaine Gresham, and Nugent had the PAT. The Bengals would take the game 23-20 with field goals of 40 and 26 yards in the fourth quarter, and a stout defensive effort to prevent further Cleveland scoring. Cincinnati is now 7-4 while the Browns tumble to 4-7.
Atlanta, with the Falcons hosting the Minnesota Vikings. Matt Ryan got Atlanta moving with his 27 yard touchdown pass to Harry Douglas, and Matt Bryant made the extra point. The Falcons added on in the second quarter with Ryan finding Roddy White for 6 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant again nailed the extra point. At halftime, the score was 17-0 with Bryant successfully kicking a 37 yard field goal for Atlanta. Minnesota got going in the third quarter on a 1 yard touchdown run by Toby Gerhart, and Ryan Longwell supplied the extra point. The Vikings pulled closer in the fourth quarter as Christian Ponder and Percy Harvin met up for a 39 yard touchdown reception, and Longwell made another PAT. The Falcons gained some separation with a Ryan touchdown to Michael Palmer, going 3 yards for the score, and Bryant had the extra point. The final would be 24-14, and the Falcons jumped up to 7-4, while the Vikings plummeted to 2-9.
Northwest to Indianapolis, with the Colts hosting the Carolina Panthers. Carolina opened with a 40 yard Olindo Mare field goal. The Panthers pushed farther ahead in the second quarter with Cam Newton rushing 14 yards for a touchdown, and Mare tacked on the extra point. Indianapolis replied with a touchdown run of 17 yards by Donald Brown, and Adam Vinatieri made the extra point. The Colts tied it at 10 for halftime with Vinatieri's 43 yard field goal. Carolina took the lead back on a 25 yard touchdown run for DeAngelo Williams, and Mare once more had the PAT. Vinatieri pulled Indianapolis closer with a 31 yard field goal. Williams extended the Panthers lead with his second touchdown of the day, a 2 yard rush, and Mare made the extra point. Curtis Painter got the Colts back within striking distance on a 56 yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne, but he failed to connect the two point attempt to Austin Collie. Carolina put it away on Mare's 41 yard field goal, making it 27-19, and they staved off the furious attempt to tie by Indianapolis. Carolina is now 3-8 while the nightmare season for the Colts stays dark at 0-11.
Staying in the AFC South against NFC South mindset, the Tennessee Titans welcomed in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay would strike first with a 43 yard Connor Barth field goal. Tennessee took the lead on the ensuing kick off, as Marc Mariani returned the ball 16 yards and tossed a lateral to Tommie Campbell, who ran 84 yards for the touchdown. Rob Bironas made the extra point. Bironas extended the lead in the second quarter for the Titans, with a 31 yard field goal. The Buccaneers tied it before halftime and took the 10 all game into the locker room, produced by a Josh Freeman pass of 3 yards to Mike Williams, and Berth was there on the PAT. Tampa Bay took the lead again in the third quarter as Aqib Talib intercepted Matt Hasselbeck and took it home 27 yards for the touchdown, with Barth subsequently making the extra point. Bironas got Tennessee closer again with a 52 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Titans took the lead when Hasselbeck met up with Damian Williams for a 2 yard touchdown, and Bironas made the extra point. Tennessee made it 23-17 on Bironas' 38 yard field goal. This was a final, and the Titans go to 6-5 while Tampa Bay is 4-7.
The rest of the AFC South played against themselves, as the Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Houston Texans. Jacksonville was first to dent the scoreboard, as Ashton Youboty picked up an Arian Foster fumble and returned it for a touchdown from 38 yards out, and Josh Scobee added on the extra point. Foster made up for the Fo-pas with a 1 yard touchdown rush, and Neil Rackers' extra point tied the game. The Jaguars took the lead back in the second quarter with a 21 yard Scobee field goal. The Texans quickly replied with Matt Leinart throwing 20 yards to Joel Dreessen for a touchdown, and Rackers had another PAT. Rackers made it 20-10 Houston before halftime with a pair of field goals, coming from 53 and 33 yards out. After a silent third quarter, Jacksonville made it 20-13 in the fourth with Scobee's 35 yard field goal, but they would go no further and lost by that margin. Houston is now 8-3 and the Jaguars are 3-8.
Westward to St. Louis, with the Rams hosting the Arizona Cardinals. St. Louis opened on a punt return of 88 yards by Nick Miller, and Josh Brown handled the extra point. Arizona got on the board with a Jay Feely field goal of 29 yards. Brown made it 10-3 Rams before halftime with a 35 yard field goal. Feely got the Cardinals going in the third quarter with a 37 yard field goal. Beanie Wells added on for Arizona, giving them the lead with a 7 yard touchdown run, and Feely had the PAT. The Cardinals padded the lead with Patrick Peterson returning a punt 80 yards for a touchdown, and Feely again made the extra point. Brown pulled St. Louis back into the game early in the fourth quarter on a 48 yard field goal. The Rams tied the game when Sam Bradford met up for a 16 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Lloyd, and Brown's extra point was the tying point. Arizona would have none of it, allowing Feely to kick a 22 yard field goal to take a 23-20 lead. The defense held on from there to give them the win, advancing them to 4-7 while sending the Rams reeling to 2-9.
Back to the northeast, where the New York Jets welcome the Buffalo Bills to East Rutherford, New Jersey. Buffalo was first on the board with a Ryan Fitzpatrick touchdown pass to David Nelson for 8 yards, and Dave Rayner kicked the extra point. New York tied it in the second quarter with Mark Sanchez throwing 3 yards to Dustin Keller for a touchdown, and Nick Folk handled the extra point. The Bills regained the lead on a Fitzpatrick touchdown to Stevie Johnson for 5 yards, and after Johnson "shot himself in the leg a la opponent Plaxico Burress," Rayner put up the extra point. Sanchez helped Burress get revenge for the Jets, throwing him a 14 yard touchdown, and Folk's extra point would be the last of the half, for a 14 all tie into the locker rooms. New York took the lead in the third quarter with Sanchez finding Keller again, an 18 yard touchdown play, capped off with a Folk PAT. Buffalo kept pace with Fitzpatrick tossing Brad Smith a 36 yard touchdown, and Rayner supplied the extra point. Rayner gave the Bills the lead in the fourth quarter on a 53 yard field goal, but it would prove to be their demise. The Jets answered with a Sanchez touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, a 16 yard pass play, and Folk made it 28-24 with the extra point. Buffalo could not overcome this, and lost, dropping to 5-6 while New York surged up to 6-5.
Finally, the Battle for Ohio roars on in Cincinnati, as the Bengals welcome the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland struck first with Colt McCoy throwing a 24 yard touchdown to Jordan Norwood, and Phil Dawson added on the extra point. Cincinnati replied on a Cedric Benson touchdown run of 16 yards, and Mike Nugent made the extra point. Dawson gave the Browns the lead in the second quarter with a 32 yard field goal. Cleveland extended the lead to 17-7 at halftime with McCoy throwing a 3 yard touchdown to Greg Little and Dawson's extra point. The Bengals got it together in the third quarter with a 23 yard Nugent field goal. Dawson moved the Browns back to a 10 point lead with a 54 yard field goal. Cincinnati answered with Andy Dalton's 22 yard touchdown to Jermaine Gresham, and Nugent had the PAT. The Bengals would take the game 23-20 with field goals of 40 and 26 yards in the fourth quarter, and a stout defensive effort to prevent further Cleveland scoring. Cincinnati is now 7-4 while the Browns tumble to 4-7.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
NHL Day 52 2011-2012
There were eleven games on yesterday, beginning over in the Tri-State area, with the New Jersey Devils hosting the New York Islanders. Al Montoya and Martin Brodeur were playing goal. New York was first to sore with a Matt Moulson goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by P.A. Parenteau and Milan Jurcina. New Jersey tied it in the second period with an Adam Larsson goal, his second of the year, made possible by Ilya Kovalchuk and Adam Henrique. The Islanders took the lead back on a Josh Bailey goal, his second of the campaign, and the lone assist was provided by Brian Rolston. The Devils tied it again in the third period with Henrique potting his fifth of the season, courtesy of Zach Parise and Kovalchuk. New York made it 3-2 with a shorthanded and unassisted Michael Grabner goal, his seventh of the year, and the eventual game winner. The score was a final, and Grabner, Montoya (24 for 26 in saves), and Brodeur (23 for 26 in saves) got the three stars, while honorable mentions go to Henrique and Kovalchuk.
Staying in the same area, the New York Rangers went at it with the Philadelphia Flyers in the Big Apple at Madison Square Garden. Sergei Bobrovsky and Henrik Lundqvist see time between the pipes. New York busted it open in the second period with the eighth of the season by Brad Richards, assisted by Dan Girardi and Michael Del Zotto on the power play. The Rangers made it 2-0 with Carl Hagelin's goal, with help from Ryan McDonagh and John Mitchell. This was a final, and the three stars were Lundqvist (29 save shutout), Richards, and Brandon "two-fights" Prust, while Hagelin earns honorable mention.
Over to Boston, where the Bruins host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec was in the blue paint, along with Tim Thomas. Winnipeg was first to score with an Evander Kane goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler. The Jets extended the lead on a Byfuglien goal in rapid succession of the previous, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jim Slater and Jason Jaffray. Boston got on the board with a power play goal by Zdeno Chara, his fourth of the season, thanks to David Krejci and Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruins took the lead with a pair of second period Chris Kelly goals, his eighth and ninth of the campaign, and the first was shorthanded. In this spree, Rich Peverley tallied two assists while Benoit Pouliot had the other recorded helper. Boston put it away in the third period with an unassisted empty net goal by Brad Marchand, his eighth of the year. The final was 4-2 and the three stars were Kelly, Thomas (40 for 42 in saves), and Peverley, while Byfuglien gets an honorable mention.
Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Semyon Varlamov made the starts. Edmonton drew first blood with a Ladislav Smid goal, with help from Sam Gagner and Ryan Jones. Colorado answered with the third of the season for Jay McClement, assisted by Chuck Kobasew and Matt Duchene. The Oilers took the lead back in the second period on a Jones goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Eric Belanger and Gagner. The Avalanche retied it on a Shane O'Brien power play goal, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Milan Hejduk. Colorado grabbed the lead with Stefan Elliott scoring, and O'Reilly had the lone assist. The Avalanche extended the lead on a Jan Hejda goal, his second of the season, made possible by Kobasew and David Jones. Paul Stastny iced it for Colorado, making it 5-2 with an empty net goal off of Hejduk, his seventh of the year. The three stars went to Elliott, O'Brien, and O'Reilly, while the honorable mentions include Ryan Jones, Gagner, Hejduk, and Kobasew.
Back down to Florida for the second game in a row in the Battle of Florida, this time in Tampa Bay. The Florida Panthers roll out Jacob Markstrom against Tampa Bay's Mathieu Garon. Tampa Bay struck first with Martin St. Louis potting his sixth of the season, thanks to Bretts Connolly and Clark. The Lightning kept it going in the second period with a Tom Pyatt goal, assisted by Marc-Andre Bergeron. Tampa Bay was relentless with the thirteenth of the campaign by Steven Stamkos, set up by Teddy Purcell and Dana Tyrell. The Lightning continued the assault with Ryan Malone sinking his fifth of the year, with the help of Stamkos. Florida got on the board late in the third period when Shawn Matthias stuck his third of the season in the cage, guided in by Jack Skille. Tampa Bay wrapped it up 5-1 with Stamkos notching his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Stamkos, Nate Thompson, and St. Louis. Honorable mention to Garon (24 for 25 in saves).
Up to Montreal, with the Canadiens hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury put on the mask, as did Carey Price. Pittsburgh struck early with Evgeni Malkin netting his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Chris Kunitz and Sidney Crosby. Montreal answered with the eighth of the year by Travis Moen, going down without help. The Canadiens took the lead with a Max Pacioretty goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of David Desharnais and Erik Cole. Montreal extended the lead in the second period with Cole notching his seventh of the year, thanks to Pacioretty and P.K. Subban. The Penguins started a comeback attempt with Pascal Dupuis registering his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Paul Martin and Matt Cooke. Jordan Staal tied it in the third period for Pittsburgh with his twelfth of the season, guided in by Malkin. The tie lasted into overtime, where the stick-shredding, crooked-nosed Kris Letang scored the winner, his third of the year, via James Neal and Deryk Engelland. Letang, Cole, and Price (38 for 42 in saves) got the three stars, while Malkin and Pacioretty had the honorable mention performances.
Crossing back stateside, with the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Jhonas Enroth guard the cages. Buffalo was first to score with a Luke Adam goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Paul Szczechura. The Sabres extended the lead on a Jason Pominville goal, his ninth of the year, via Thomas Vanek and Christian Ehrhoff. Washington got on the board with a penalty shot conversion by Jason Chimera in the second period, his ninth of the season. Buffalo got back on track with Zack Kassian scoring thanks to Andrej Sekera and Derek Roy. The Sabres added on again in the third period with Adam striking again, his second of the game and the eighth of the year for him, made possible by Szczechura and Ville Leino. Buffalo wrapped it 5-1 when Jochen Hecht scored shorthanded with the help of Nathan Gerbe amd Ehrhoff. Adam, Szczechura, and Ehrhoff received the three stars.
Westward to Detroit, where the Red Wings played host to the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jimmy Howard were sent out to stop the puck. Detroit opened the game up with Valtteri Filppula sinking his sixth of the season on the power play, powered by Todd Bertuzzi and Henrik Zetterberg. Zetterberg kept the Red Wings going in the second period with his fifth of the year, thanks to Jiri Hudler and Filppula. Detroit extended the lead again with Filppula's second of the game and seventh of the season, coming off of Hudler and Jakub Kindl. The Red Wings were relentless in the third period with Danny Cleary potting his fourth of the year, via Darren Helm. Nashville cut it to 4-1, the eventual final, on Jack Hillen's goal, made possible by Colin Wilson and Martin Erat. Filppula, Zetterberg, and Brad Stuart earned the three stars, while Howard (18 for 19 in saves) and Hudler get honorable mention.
Into the desert, where the Phoenix Coyotes host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen started off against Mike Smith, but suffered an early groin injury and was replaced by Andrew Raycroft. Phoenix got going against the Rayzor with Mikkel Boedker sinking his fourth of the season, thanks to Keith Yandle and Daymond Langkow. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Ray Whitney goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Radim Vrbata and Yandle. Phoenix finished it at 3-0 with a Taylor Pyatt goal, his third of the year, with helpers provided by Langkow and Lauri Korpikoski. The three stars were awarded to Smith (26 save shutout), Langkow, and Yandle.
Up to Northern California, with the San Jose Sharks hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider again got the start, going up against Antti Niemi. Vancouver dented the scoreboard first with Manny Malhotra scoring his second of the season, thanks to Jannik Hansen and Keith Ballard. San Jose answered with an Andrew Murray goal, set up by Andrew Desjardins and Jim Vandermeer. The Canucks took the lead again in the second period with Henrik Sedin notching his eight of the year, a power play goal powered by Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa. Vancouver added an insurance goal by Andrew Alberts, with helpers from Ryan Kesler and Chris Higgins. The Sharks attempted a late comeback, but could not complete it and fell 3-2, after a Patrick Marleau goal, his tenth of the campaign, guided in by Joes Thornton and Pavelski. The three stars would go to Schneider (43 for 45 in saves), Pavelski, and Marleau.
Down to Southern California, where we end with the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick took their places in front of the twines. Chicago led off with an Andrew Brunette goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Marcus Kruger and Duncan Keith. Los Angeles answered on a Jarret Stoll goal, his second of the year going in unassisted. The Blackhawks made it 2-1 in the second period with a Jonathan Toews goal, made possible by Viktor Stalberg and Keith, his thirteenth of the campaign. After this goal, the scoring stopped, and this was a final. The three stars were Keith, Toews, and Stoll.
Staying in the same area, the New York Rangers went at it with the Philadelphia Flyers in the Big Apple at Madison Square Garden. Sergei Bobrovsky and Henrik Lundqvist see time between the pipes. New York busted it open in the second period with the eighth of the season by Brad Richards, assisted by Dan Girardi and Michael Del Zotto on the power play. The Rangers made it 2-0 with Carl Hagelin's goal, with help from Ryan McDonagh and John Mitchell. This was a final, and the three stars were Lundqvist (29 save shutout), Richards, and Brandon "two-fights" Prust, while Hagelin earns honorable mention.
Over to Boston, where the Bruins host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec was in the blue paint, along with Tim Thomas. Winnipeg was first to score with an Evander Kane goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler. The Jets extended the lead on a Byfuglien goal in rapid succession of the previous, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jim Slater and Jason Jaffray. Boston got on the board with a power play goal by Zdeno Chara, his fourth of the season, thanks to David Krejci and Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruins took the lead with a pair of second period Chris Kelly goals, his eighth and ninth of the campaign, and the first was shorthanded. In this spree, Rich Peverley tallied two assists while Benoit Pouliot had the other recorded helper. Boston put it away in the third period with an unassisted empty net goal by Brad Marchand, his eighth of the year. The final was 4-2 and the three stars were Kelly, Thomas (40 for 42 in saves), and Peverley, while Byfuglien gets an honorable mention.
Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Semyon Varlamov made the starts. Edmonton drew first blood with a Ladislav Smid goal, with help from Sam Gagner and Ryan Jones. Colorado answered with the third of the season for Jay McClement, assisted by Chuck Kobasew and Matt Duchene. The Oilers took the lead back in the second period on a Jones goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Eric Belanger and Gagner. The Avalanche retied it on a Shane O'Brien power play goal, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Milan Hejduk. Colorado grabbed the lead with Stefan Elliott scoring, and O'Reilly had the lone assist. The Avalanche extended the lead on a Jan Hejda goal, his second of the season, made possible by Kobasew and David Jones. Paul Stastny iced it for Colorado, making it 5-2 with an empty net goal off of Hejduk, his seventh of the year. The three stars went to Elliott, O'Brien, and O'Reilly, while the honorable mentions include Ryan Jones, Gagner, Hejduk, and Kobasew.
Back down to Florida for the second game in a row in the Battle of Florida, this time in Tampa Bay. The Florida Panthers roll out Jacob Markstrom against Tampa Bay's Mathieu Garon. Tampa Bay struck first with Martin St. Louis potting his sixth of the season, thanks to Bretts Connolly and Clark. The Lightning kept it going in the second period with a Tom Pyatt goal, assisted by Marc-Andre Bergeron. Tampa Bay was relentless with the thirteenth of the campaign by Steven Stamkos, set up by Teddy Purcell and Dana Tyrell. The Lightning continued the assault with Ryan Malone sinking his fifth of the year, with the help of Stamkos. Florida got on the board late in the third period when Shawn Matthias stuck his third of the season in the cage, guided in by Jack Skille. Tampa Bay wrapped it up 5-1 with Stamkos notching his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Stamkos, Nate Thompson, and St. Louis. Honorable mention to Garon (24 for 25 in saves).
Up to Montreal, with the Canadiens hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury put on the mask, as did Carey Price. Pittsburgh struck early with Evgeni Malkin netting his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Chris Kunitz and Sidney Crosby. Montreal answered with the eighth of the year by Travis Moen, going down without help. The Canadiens took the lead with a Max Pacioretty goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of David Desharnais and Erik Cole. Montreal extended the lead in the second period with Cole notching his seventh of the year, thanks to Pacioretty and P.K. Subban. The Penguins started a comeback attempt with Pascal Dupuis registering his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Paul Martin and Matt Cooke. Jordan Staal tied it in the third period for Pittsburgh with his twelfth of the season, guided in by Malkin. The tie lasted into overtime, where the stick-shredding, crooked-nosed Kris Letang scored the winner, his third of the year, via James Neal and Deryk Engelland. Letang, Cole, and Price (38 for 42 in saves) got the three stars, while Malkin and Pacioretty had the honorable mention performances.
Crossing back stateside, with the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Jhonas Enroth guard the cages. Buffalo was first to score with a Luke Adam goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Paul Szczechura. The Sabres extended the lead on a Jason Pominville goal, his ninth of the year, via Thomas Vanek and Christian Ehrhoff. Washington got on the board with a penalty shot conversion by Jason Chimera in the second period, his ninth of the season. Buffalo got back on track with Zack Kassian scoring thanks to Andrej Sekera and Derek Roy. The Sabres added on again in the third period with Adam striking again, his second of the game and the eighth of the year for him, made possible by Szczechura and Ville Leino. Buffalo wrapped it 5-1 when Jochen Hecht scored shorthanded with the help of Nathan Gerbe amd Ehrhoff. Adam, Szczechura, and Ehrhoff received the three stars.
Westward to Detroit, where the Red Wings played host to the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jimmy Howard were sent out to stop the puck. Detroit opened the game up with Valtteri Filppula sinking his sixth of the season on the power play, powered by Todd Bertuzzi and Henrik Zetterberg. Zetterberg kept the Red Wings going in the second period with his fifth of the year, thanks to Jiri Hudler and Filppula. Detroit extended the lead again with Filppula's second of the game and seventh of the season, coming off of Hudler and Jakub Kindl. The Red Wings were relentless in the third period with Danny Cleary potting his fourth of the year, via Darren Helm. Nashville cut it to 4-1, the eventual final, on Jack Hillen's goal, made possible by Colin Wilson and Martin Erat. Filppula, Zetterberg, and Brad Stuart earned the three stars, while Howard (18 for 19 in saves) and Hudler get honorable mention.
Into the desert, where the Phoenix Coyotes host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen started off against Mike Smith, but suffered an early groin injury and was replaced by Andrew Raycroft. Phoenix got going against the Rayzor with Mikkel Boedker sinking his fourth of the season, thanks to Keith Yandle and Daymond Langkow. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Ray Whitney goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Radim Vrbata and Yandle. Phoenix finished it at 3-0 with a Taylor Pyatt goal, his third of the year, with helpers provided by Langkow and Lauri Korpikoski. The three stars were awarded to Smith (26 save shutout), Langkow, and Yandle.
Up to Northern California, with the San Jose Sharks hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider again got the start, going up against Antti Niemi. Vancouver dented the scoreboard first with Manny Malhotra scoring his second of the season, thanks to Jannik Hansen and Keith Ballard. San Jose answered with an Andrew Murray goal, set up by Andrew Desjardins and Jim Vandermeer. The Canucks took the lead again in the second period with Henrik Sedin notching his eight of the year, a power play goal powered by Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa. Vancouver added an insurance goal by Andrew Alberts, with helpers from Ryan Kesler and Chris Higgins. The Sharks attempted a late comeback, but could not complete it and fell 3-2, after a Patrick Marleau goal, his tenth of the campaign, guided in by Joes Thornton and Pavelski. The three stars would go to Schneider (43 for 45 in saves), Pavelski, and Marleau.
Down to Southern California, where we end with the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick took their places in front of the twines. Chicago led off with an Andrew Brunette goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Marcus Kruger and Duncan Keith. Los Angeles answered on a Jarret Stoll goal, his second of the year going in unassisted. The Blackhawks made it 2-1 in the second period with a Jonathan Toews goal, made possible by Viktor Stalberg and Keith, his thirteenth of the campaign. After this goal, the scoring stopped, and this was a final. The three stars were Keith, Toews, and Stoll.
WIAA Les Schwab Tires/Dairy Farmers of Washington High School football semifinals 2011
Now that we have all the sponsors in the title, we'll waste no time getting to the games. All home teams are formalities, the games are at the Tacoma Dome.
First, on Friday at 4 P.M. local time, the 2B game, the Napavine Tigers host the Morton-White Pass Timberwolves. Napavine led off with Tucker Stanley throwing a 52 yard touchdown to Ty Lorton, but they botched the snap and there was no extra point kick. The attempt to save the play with a two point conversion also failed. Morton-White Pass took the lead when Rylan Kolb threw a 41 yard touchdown to Brian Reynolds, and Richard Park made the extra point. The Tigers took the lead back in the second quarter with Lorton tossing a 68 yard touchdown to Rogelio Sevilla, and they converted the two-point attempt this time with Lorton passing to Layne Hellem. Napavine led 14-7 at halftime. The Tigers added on again in the third quarter with Sevilla rushing 8 yards for a touchdown, and Zach Wichert makes the extra point (sorry if the name is butchered). Reynolds got the Timberwolves back on track with a 15 yard rush for a touchdown, and Park made the PAT. Reynolds tied it for Morton-White Pass with a 1 yard run for a touchdown later in the quarter, and Park again handled the extra point to produce the tie. With victory near, Park missed a field goal of 29 yards at the end of regulation. The tie went into a Kansas Tiebreaker, and it was here that Reynolds once again proved his worth, leading the Timberwolves to a 27-21 victory after a 1 yard touchdown rush. Needless to say, Brian Reynolds earned the MVP award this game.
Finishing up the Friday slate, the O'Dea Irish host the Camas Papermakers in the 3A classification. Camas opened the scoring in the second quarter with a Roldan Alcobendas 22 yard field goal. O'Dea took the lead with Pierre Ladorze throwing a 67 yard touchdown off the hands of the intended receiver and a defender, and into the waiting arms of Taryll Calhoun, setting up a successful extra point kick by Bart Hardwick. Ladorze extended the Irish lead with a 1 yard rush for a touchdown, and Hardwick again handled the extra point. The Papermakers had a chance to dent the lead late in the quarter, but Alcobendas missed the 47 yard field goal, leaving the halftime score at 14-3. Camas came back out firing in the third quarter as Ton Gennaro passed to Jonathan Warner for a 55 yard touchdown, and Alcobendas made the extra point. The Papermakers were within one as Alcobendas banked a 38 yard field goal in off the left upright. The Irish secured an eventual 21-13 victory with Jomari Brooks rushing 30 yards for a touchdown, and Hardwick made the extra point. MVP honors go to Pierre Ladorze.
Leading off the Saturday games, the W.F. West Bearcats welcome the Lynden Lions in a 2A game. W.F. West opened with Colton Watson rushing 2 yards for a touchdown, and Kyler Huang added the extra point, all in the second quarter. Lynden replied with a Josh Kraght touchdown pass of 17 yards to Dak Shagren, and Santiago Lopez handled the extra point. The 7 all tie was taken into the locker rooms. The scoring resumed in the fourth quarter, as the Lions took the lead with a 46 yard touchdown pass by Kraght to Zach Vis, and Lopez tacked on a PAT. Lynden wrapped it up at 17-7 with Lopez kicking a 28 yard field goal for insurance purposes. Josh Kraght earned the MVP.
Next up was the first of the 4A games, as the Skyline Spartans hosted the Woodinville Falcons. Skyline was first on the board with Max Browne throwing a 6 yard touchdown to Damien Greene, but they botched the snap on the extra point and only took a 6-0 lead. Greene racked up a few more for the Spartans in the second quarter with a 1 yard touchdown run, but the two-point conversion failed. Another bad snap for Skyline on a field goal attempt just before halftime left them wanting more but only taking a 12-0 lead into halftime. Brett Arrivey got Woodinville going in the third quarter with a 3 yard touchdown pass to Alec Schwend, and Connor Zaback converted on the extra point kick. Browne and Greene met up again to avenge for the Spartans, a 61 yard touchdown connection, and Sean McDonald finally got an extra point through the uprights. Arrivey took the ball in his own hands to keep the Falcons alive, running 3 yards for a touchdown, and Zaback again handled the extra point. Skyline put some distance between them and their opponents on a Nic Sblendorio touchdown run, a 30 yard play, and McDonald took care of the PAT. Woodinville got within 5, making it 26-21 with Arrivey throwing a 5 yard touchdown to Beau Vintertun, and Zaback made the extra point, but they didn't get another touchdown and suffered the loss. Damien Greene was the MVP.
Down in the 1A group, the Cascade Christian Cougars host the Montesano Bulldogs. Great game for me to see, as an old friend of mine, Jaelin Goldsmith was at quarterback for Cascade Christian. Montesano got the game moving on Matthew Jensen's 15 yard touchdown pass to Evan Truax, and Elliot Mendenhall made the extra point. Cascade Christian tied it in the second quarter with Jaelin Goldsmith throwing 8 yards to Joshua Shreffler, and Andrei Dyson had the tying point, making it 7-7 at halftime. The Cougars took the lead in the fourth quarter with Goldsmith's 32 yard touchdown to Kyle Crawford, and Dyson again made the PAT. The Bulldogs saved their season with Austin Baker running 1 yard for a touchdown, and the game was again tied on Mendenhall's extra point. The game would require overtime to decide, and what an overtime it was. They were scoreless in the first, with Montesano's drive being stopped on an interception, only to have Cascade Christian fail to capitalize, and then Dyson missed a 42 yard field goal. On the second possession, Alex Milton gave the Cougars a lead with a 2 yard touchdown run, and Dyson was true with the extra point. The Bulldogs got it back as Tucker Ibabao ran 7 yards for a touchdown, and Mendenhall sent it to the third possession with his extra point. Montesano again had the lead when Truax got across the goal line on a 2 yard rush, and Mendenhall made the extra point. Cascade Christian took a bit of time, but tied it when Goldsmith threw to Jake Archer for a 9 yard touchdown, and they took the game with the two point conversion between Goldsmith and Archer again. The MVPs of the 29-28 triple overtime thriller were Goldsmith and Archer. Great game Jaelin, best of luck to you.
Lastly, the Lake Stevens Vikings hosted the Skyview Storm in the second 4A game, and the finale of the semifinal weekend at the Tacoma Dome. Skyview opened with a 1 yard touchdown run by Parker Henry, and Hayden Shuh made the extra point. The Storm continued scoring in the second quarter with a Keiran Mcdonagh touchdown pass of 3 yards to Reiley Henderson, and Shuh again made the extra point. Mcdonagh then carried the ball 27 yards for a touchdown, adding salt to the wounds of Lake Stevens, and Skyview was up 21-0 with the Shuh extra point. Lake Stevens saved some face by having Jake Nelson get a 14 yard touchdown pass to Brady Pahukoa, and Tanner Sellers made the extra point for a 21-7 halftime score. Mcdonagh continued to rush in the third quarter, taking the ball 2 yards for another Storm touchdown, and Shuh was once again there with the extra point. Skyview extended the lead once again with Mcdonagh passing to Forrest Russell for a 16 yard touchdown, and Shuh handled the PAT with ease. The Vikings got a few back as Skyview let up in the fourth quarter, allowing Nelson to throw a 9 yard touchdown to Christian Gasea, and Sellers had the extra point. The scoring ended on a Shuh field goal of the 31 yards, giving Skyview a 38-14 victory. Mcdonagh gets the MVP honor.
First, on Friday at 4 P.M. local time, the 2B game, the Napavine Tigers host the Morton-White Pass Timberwolves. Napavine led off with Tucker Stanley throwing a 52 yard touchdown to Ty Lorton, but they botched the snap and there was no extra point kick. The attempt to save the play with a two point conversion also failed. Morton-White Pass took the lead when Rylan Kolb threw a 41 yard touchdown to Brian Reynolds, and Richard Park made the extra point. The Tigers took the lead back in the second quarter with Lorton tossing a 68 yard touchdown to Rogelio Sevilla, and they converted the two-point attempt this time with Lorton passing to Layne Hellem. Napavine led 14-7 at halftime. The Tigers added on again in the third quarter with Sevilla rushing 8 yards for a touchdown, and Zach Wichert makes the extra point (sorry if the name is butchered). Reynolds got the Timberwolves back on track with a 15 yard rush for a touchdown, and Park made the PAT. Reynolds tied it for Morton-White Pass with a 1 yard run for a touchdown later in the quarter, and Park again handled the extra point to produce the tie. With victory near, Park missed a field goal of 29 yards at the end of regulation. The tie went into a Kansas Tiebreaker, and it was here that Reynolds once again proved his worth, leading the Timberwolves to a 27-21 victory after a 1 yard touchdown rush. Needless to say, Brian Reynolds earned the MVP award this game.
Finishing up the Friday slate, the O'Dea Irish host the Camas Papermakers in the 3A classification. Camas opened the scoring in the second quarter with a Roldan Alcobendas 22 yard field goal. O'Dea took the lead with Pierre Ladorze throwing a 67 yard touchdown off the hands of the intended receiver and a defender, and into the waiting arms of Taryll Calhoun, setting up a successful extra point kick by Bart Hardwick. Ladorze extended the Irish lead with a 1 yard rush for a touchdown, and Hardwick again handled the extra point. The Papermakers had a chance to dent the lead late in the quarter, but Alcobendas missed the 47 yard field goal, leaving the halftime score at 14-3. Camas came back out firing in the third quarter as Ton Gennaro passed to Jonathan Warner for a 55 yard touchdown, and Alcobendas made the extra point. The Papermakers were within one as Alcobendas banked a 38 yard field goal in off the left upright. The Irish secured an eventual 21-13 victory with Jomari Brooks rushing 30 yards for a touchdown, and Hardwick made the extra point. MVP honors go to Pierre Ladorze.
Leading off the Saturday games, the W.F. West Bearcats welcome the Lynden Lions in a 2A game. W.F. West opened with Colton Watson rushing 2 yards for a touchdown, and Kyler Huang added the extra point, all in the second quarter. Lynden replied with a Josh Kraght touchdown pass of 17 yards to Dak Shagren, and Santiago Lopez handled the extra point. The 7 all tie was taken into the locker rooms. The scoring resumed in the fourth quarter, as the Lions took the lead with a 46 yard touchdown pass by Kraght to Zach Vis, and Lopez tacked on a PAT. Lynden wrapped it up at 17-7 with Lopez kicking a 28 yard field goal for insurance purposes. Josh Kraght earned the MVP.
Next up was the first of the 4A games, as the Skyline Spartans hosted the Woodinville Falcons. Skyline was first on the board with Max Browne throwing a 6 yard touchdown to Damien Greene, but they botched the snap on the extra point and only took a 6-0 lead. Greene racked up a few more for the Spartans in the second quarter with a 1 yard touchdown run, but the two-point conversion failed. Another bad snap for Skyline on a field goal attempt just before halftime left them wanting more but only taking a 12-0 lead into halftime. Brett Arrivey got Woodinville going in the third quarter with a 3 yard touchdown pass to Alec Schwend, and Connor Zaback converted on the extra point kick. Browne and Greene met up again to avenge for the Spartans, a 61 yard touchdown connection, and Sean McDonald finally got an extra point through the uprights. Arrivey took the ball in his own hands to keep the Falcons alive, running 3 yards for a touchdown, and Zaback again handled the extra point. Skyline put some distance between them and their opponents on a Nic Sblendorio touchdown run, a 30 yard play, and McDonald took care of the PAT. Woodinville got within 5, making it 26-21 with Arrivey throwing a 5 yard touchdown to Beau Vintertun, and Zaback made the extra point, but they didn't get another touchdown and suffered the loss. Damien Greene was the MVP.
Down in the 1A group, the Cascade Christian Cougars host the Montesano Bulldogs. Great game for me to see, as an old friend of mine, Jaelin Goldsmith was at quarterback for Cascade Christian. Montesano got the game moving on Matthew Jensen's 15 yard touchdown pass to Evan Truax, and Elliot Mendenhall made the extra point. Cascade Christian tied it in the second quarter with Jaelin Goldsmith throwing 8 yards to Joshua Shreffler, and Andrei Dyson had the tying point, making it 7-7 at halftime. The Cougars took the lead in the fourth quarter with Goldsmith's 32 yard touchdown to Kyle Crawford, and Dyson again made the PAT. The Bulldogs saved their season with Austin Baker running 1 yard for a touchdown, and the game was again tied on Mendenhall's extra point. The game would require overtime to decide, and what an overtime it was. They were scoreless in the first, with Montesano's drive being stopped on an interception, only to have Cascade Christian fail to capitalize, and then Dyson missed a 42 yard field goal. On the second possession, Alex Milton gave the Cougars a lead with a 2 yard touchdown run, and Dyson was true with the extra point. The Bulldogs got it back as Tucker Ibabao ran 7 yards for a touchdown, and Mendenhall sent it to the third possession with his extra point. Montesano again had the lead when Truax got across the goal line on a 2 yard rush, and Mendenhall made the extra point. Cascade Christian took a bit of time, but tied it when Goldsmith threw to Jake Archer for a 9 yard touchdown, and they took the game with the two point conversion between Goldsmith and Archer again. The MVPs of the 29-28 triple overtime thriller were Goldsmith and Archer. Great game Jaelin, best of luck to you.
Lastly, the Lake Stevens Vikings hosted the Skyview Storm in the second 4A game, and the finale of the semifinal weekend at the Tacoma Dome. Skyview opened with a 1 yard touchdown run by Parker Henry, and Hayden Shuh made the extra point. The Storm continued scoring in the second quarter with a Keiran Mcdonagh touchdown pass of 3 yards to Reiley Henderson, and Shuh again made the extra point. Mcdonagh then carried the ball 27 yards for a touchdown, adding salt to the wounds of Lake Stevens, and Skyview was up 21-0 with the Shuh extra point. Lake Stevens saved some face by having Jake Nelson get a 14 yard touchdown pass to Brady Pahukoa, and Tanner Sellers made the extra point for a 21-7 halftime score. Mcdonagh continued to rush in the third quarter, taking the ball 2 yards for another Storm touchdown, and Shuh was once again there with the extra point. Skyview extended the lead once again with Mcdonagh passing to Forrest Russell for a 16 yard touchdown, and Shuh handled the PAT with ease. The Vikings got a few back as Skyview let up in the fourth quarter, allowing Nelson to throw a 9 yard touchdown to Christian Gasea, and Sellers had the extra point. The scoring ended on a Shuh field goal of the 31 yards, giving Skyview a 38-14 victory. Mcdonagh gets the MVP honor.
Friday, November 25, 2011
NHL Day 51 2011-2012
Hockey wall to wall for about eleven hours today. I'll get a jump on it now, and it will be wrapped up Saturday morning. Enjoy the games, beginning with...
The Boston Bruins hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Tuukka Rask will play in goal. Detroit struck first with a Valtteri Filppula foal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Ian White. Boston tied it in the second period with the third of the year by Daniel Paille, coming off of Nathan Horton. The Red Wings quickly took the lead back when Pavel Datsyuk sent his sixth of the season into the twine, thanks to Todd Bertuzzi and Johan Franzen. The Bruins tied it in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his fifth of the year, an unassisted tally. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Detroit's Datsyuk and Bertuzzi topped Boston's Horton for a 3-2 win. The three stars were Filppula, Bergeron, and Datsyuk.
Head over to New York, with the Islanders hosting the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Al Montoya will get the starts. New Jersey finally dented the scoreboard in the second period with a power play goal by Petr Sykora, his fifth of the season, powered by Adam Larsson and Adam Henrique. This would stand as the only goal for a 1-0 Devils win, and Hedberg (23 save shutout), Sykora, and Montoya (22 for 23 in saves) were the three stars.
Into Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Sergei Bobrovsky are sent out to stop pucks. Montreal got first dibs on the lead with a Petteri Nokelainen goal, courtesy of Hal Gill and Josh Gorges. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with the twelfth of the season by Claude Giroux, helped along by Matt Carle. Jakub Voracek put the Flyers in the lead with his fourth of the year, coming off of Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn. Giroux kept Philadelphia on the offensive with his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, via Coburn and Voracek. The final was 3-1, and the three stars were handed out to Giroux, Voracek, and Bobrovsky (23 for 24 in saves), while Coburn also had a worthy game.
Also, in the Nation's capital, the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist will be in goal as well as Michal Neuvirth. New York busted the scoring open in the second period when the tenth of the season by Marian Gaborik crossed the goal line, and assisting him was Derek Stepan. The Rangers added on with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. New York scored again when the second of the season by Ruslan Feodtenko found twine, with the help of Ryan Callahan. Washington got on the board with a Troy Brouwer goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals got closer with a Carlson power play goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Marcus Johansson and Dmitry Orlov. The Rangers got one back as Brian Boyle scored his second of the year via John Mitchell and Carl Hagelin. New York took stronger command of a lead in the third period with Brad Richards netting his seventh of the season, helped along by Callahan and Girardi. Washington answered with Alex Ovechkin recording his eighth of the year, coming off of Backstrom and Brouwer. The Rangers would win 6-3 when Fedotenko found a place for his second of the game and third of the campaign, and Callahan helped him while earning a sock trick, as well was Richards grabbing an assist. The three stars were Callahan, Girardi, and Carlson, while honorable mentions include Richards, Brouwer, Backstrom, Fedotenko, and Anisimov.
Out west, the Anaheim Ducks take on the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonas Hiller are between the pipes. Anaheim opened early with a Bobby Ryan goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. The Ducks added on with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Chicago got one back as Patrick Sharp deposited his eighth of the season, thanks to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Anaheim took it back as Selanne scored his eighth of the year on the power play, powered by Francois Beauchemin and Cam Fowler. Dave Bolland put the Blackhawks back within one on his seventh of the season, a power play goal made possible by Andre Brunette and Marcus Kruger. The Ducks kept on the attack with a Ryan goal in the second period, his seventh of the year and second of the game, fueled by Luca Sbisa and Getzlaf. Chicago picked up the scoring in the third period, first with a Toews goal, his eleventh of the season, with helpers by Duncan Keith and Viktor Stalberg. The Blackhawks got the lead as Sharp netted two more goals for a hat trick, his ninth and tenth of the year, and assists were awarded to Toews twice, for a sock trick, and Stalberg once. Toews padded the lead for Chicago with his second of the game and twelfth of the season, a power play goal, after passes from Keith and Nick Leddy. Anaheim made it 6-5 with eight seconds left, on Perry's ninth of the year, but even the helpers from Koivu and Getzlaf couldn't save them from defeat. The three stars went to Sharp, Ryan, and Toews, while the honorable mentions include Keith, Stalberg, Perry, Selanne, Getzlaf, and Koivu.
Wrapping up the early games are the Minnesota Wild hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Josh Harding will be guarding the cages. Edmonton jumped out ahead early with the twelfth of the season by Ryan Smyth, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Theo Peckham. The Oilers extended the lead with the ninth of the year for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, a power play goal set up by Smyth and Sam Gagner. Minnesota got on the board with a Devin Setoguchi goal, his seventh of the season, coming on the man-advantage from Mikko Koivu and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild tied it in the second period on a Pierre-Marc Bouchard goal, his second of the year, an unassisted goal. Edmonton took the lead back with Taylor Hall sinking his seventh of the season, and Tom Gilbert and Shawn Horcoff took credit for the helpers. Horcoff got the Oilers moving in the third period with his seventh of the campaign, pushed through by Ales Hemsky and Hall. Edmonton iced it at 5-2 with Nugent-Hopkins potting his tenth of the year and second of the game into the empty net, after receiving it through Eberle and Smyth. The three stars were Hall, Cal Clutterbuck, and Khabibulin (30 for 32 in saves), while the honorable mentions are Nugent-Hopkins, Smyth, Horcoff, and Eberle.
The regularly scheduled games begin with the Pittsburgh Penguins welcoming the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Marc-Andre Fleury started in goal, but Alex Auld was quickly called on to relieve Anderson. Ottawa was first on the board with the third of the season by Kaspars Daugavins, via Zack Smith and Erik Karlsson. Pittsburgh replied very quickly with Chris Kunitz netting his eighth of the year, thanks to Sidney Crosby and Deryk Engelland. The Penguins extended the lead on the third of the season by Tyler Kennedy, from Paul Martin and the goalie Fleury. Pittsburgh kept rolling with a Steve Sullivan power play goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Evgeni Malkin and Crosby. Malkin chased Anderson with his seventh of the season for the Penguins, and he got assistance from Kris Letang and Crosby, the latter finishing off a sock trick. Pittsburgh stayed strong in the second period with a Pascal Dupuis goal, his fifth of the campaign, thanks to Arron Asham and Kennedy. The Senators finally got one back with Jared Cowen recording his second of the year, assisted by Daniel Alfredsson and Nick Foligno. The Penguins replied in the third period with the eleventh of the season by Jordan Staal, fueled by Kennedy and Martin. Ottawa finished the scoring at 6-3 with Erik Condra notching his second of the year, guided in by Foligno and Brian Lee. Malkin, Crosby, and Kennedy were the three stars, while Martin and Foligno earn the honorable mention.
Down south, the Carolina Hurricanes play host to Winnipeg Jets. Chris Mason and Cam Ward got the starting nods. Winnipeg opened with an Evander Kane goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Johnny Oduya. Jiri Tlusty answered for Carolina in the second period, his fourth of the year being helped in by Brandon Sutter and Jamie McBain. The Jets took the lead back with the eighth of the season for Andrew Ladd, fueled by Zach Bogosian and Nik Antropov. Winnipeg made it a 3-1 final with an empty net goal from Bryan Little, his sixth of the year, and Bogosian had the lone assist. The three stars were Ladd, Bogosian, and Kane.
Into Ohio, where the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Curtis Sanford took their places in the blue paint, but Enroth was eventually chased in favor of Drew MacIntyre. Columbus started off with the third of the season by Mark Letestu, courtesy of Ryan Johansen and Fedor Tyutin. The Blue Jackets extended the lead with a Rick Nash power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by James Wisniewski and Jeff Carter. Columbus attacked again in the second period with a Marc Methot goal, guided in by Wisniewski and Derek Dorsett. Twelve seconds later, the Blue Jackets had Enroth out with the third of the campaign by R.J. Umberger, assisted by Johansen. Buffalo finally woke up with a goal by Jordan Leopold, his fifth of the season, made possible by Zack Kassian and Robyn Regehr. Nash made it 5-1 with his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers provided by Carter and Nikita Nikitin. The third period was silent in scoring, so this was a final, and the three stars were Nash, Methot, and Vinny Prospal, while Carter, Wisniewski, and Johansen all had respectable output.
Backtrack down to the first game of a back-to-back in the Battle of Florida, as the Panthers host their northern neighbors, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Jose Theodore will be tending to the twines. Florida opened the scoring in the second period with the tenth of the season by Tomas Fleischmann, assisted by Stephen Weiss. Tampa Bay answered in the third period to tie it on the tenth of the year by Vincent Lecavalier, and Martin St. Louis had the lone assist. The tie lasted into overtime, where Dmitry Kulikov had an untimely penalty, and Steven Stamkos cashed in for the Lightning, winning it 2-1 on his twelfth of the campaign, powered by St. Louis and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Stamkos, Garon (23 for 24 in saves), and Theodore (29 for 31 in saves) were named three stars, while St. Louis also had a decent performance.
Northwest to Missouri for the St. Louis Blues hosting the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Brian Elliott wore the goalie masks. St. Louis led off with a shorthanded David Backes goal, his eighth of the season, with help from Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues made it 2-0 in the third period, the eventual final, as Alex Pietrangelo notched his fourth of the year, thanks to Alex Steen and Backes. The three stars were Elliott (24 save shutout), Backes, and Ryan Reaves, while Pietrangelo would have also fit the bill for third star.
South again to Texas, where the Dallas Stars will host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Kari Lehtonen were rolled out as the goalies. Dallas opened with an Eric Nystrom goal, his sixth of the season, thanks to Michael Ryder and Jamie Benn. Toronto replied with a Joey Crabb tally, his fourth of the year, made possible by Dion Phaneuf and Joe Colborne. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a power play goal by Phaneuf, his third of the season, powered by John-Michael Liles and Joffrey Lupul. The Stars tied it in the second period when Nystrom struck again, his second of the game and seventh of the year, assisted by Radek Dvorak and Benn. Toronto got the lead again in the third period with a Clarke MacArthur goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Tim Connolly and Nikolai Kulemin. Dallas tied it at 3 with a Dvorak goal, his second of the year, via Mike Ribeiro and Philip Larsen. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Lupul's goal put the Maple Leafs over the Stars 4-3. The three stars were Dvorak, Nystrom, and Phaneuf, and the honorable mentions are Lupul and Benn.
Finally, the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Mike Smith will be in front of the cages. Vancouver opened in the second period with a Sami Salo goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. The Canucks added on with an unassisted Ryan Kesler goal, his fourth of the campaign. Vancouver continued with a David Booth goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Kesler and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks showed no mercy in the third period as Maxim Lapierre scored his fourth of the season unassisted. Vancouver finished it at 5-0 with Alexandre Burrows scoring his seventh of the year, and Cody Hodgson and the lone assist. The three stars were Schneider (22 save shutout), Kesler, and Salo.
The Boston Bruins hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Tuukka Rask will play in goal. Detroit struck first with a Valtteri Filppula foal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Ian White. Boston tied it in the second period with the third of the year by Daniel Paille, coming off of Nathan Horton. The Red Wings quickly took the lead back when Pavel Datsyuk sent his sixth of the season into the twine, thanks to Todd Bertuzzi and Johan Franzen. The Bruins tied it in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his fifth of the year, an unassisted tally. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Detroit's Datsyuk and Bertuzzi topped Boston's Horton for a 3-2 win. The three stars were Filppula, Bergeron, and Datsyuk.
Head over to New York, with the Islanders hosting the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Al Montoya will get the starts. New Jersey finally dented the scoreboard in the second period with a power play goal by Petr Sykora, his fifth of the season, powered by Adam Larsson and Adam Henrique. This would stand as the only goal for a 1-0 Devils win, and Hedberg (23 save shutout), Sykora, and Montoya (22 for 23 in saves) were the three stars.
Into Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Sergei Bobrovsky are sent out to stop pucks. Montreal got first dibs on the lead with a Petteri Nokelainen goal, courtesy of Hal Gill and Josh Gorges. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with the twelfth of the season by Claude Giroux, helped along by Matt Carle. Jakub Voracek put the Flyers in the lead with his fourth of the year, coming off of Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn. Giroux kept Philadelphia on the offensive with his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, via Coburn and Voracek. The final was 3-1, and the three stars were handed out to Giroux, Voracek, and Bobrovsky (23 for 24 in saves), while Coburn also had a worthy game.
Also, in the Nation's capital, the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist will be in goal as well as Michal Neuvirth. New York busted the scoring open in the second period when the tenth of the season by Marian Gaborik crossed the goal line, and assisting him was Derek Stepan. The Rangers added on with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. New York scored again when the second of the season by Ruslan Feodtenko found twine, with the help of Ryan Callahan. Washington got on the board with a Troy Brouwer goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals got closer with a Carlson power play goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Marcus Johansson and Dmitry Orlov. The Rangers got one back as Brian Boyle scored his second of the year via John Mitchell and Carl Hagelin. New York took stronger command of a lead in the third period with Brad Richards netting his seventh of the season, helped along by Callahan and Girardi. Washington answered with Alex Ovechkin recording his eighth of the year, coming off of Backstrom and Brouwer. The Rangers would win 6-3 when Fedotenko found a place for his second of the game and third of the campaign, and Callahan helped him while earning a sock trick, as well was Richards grabbing an assist. The three stars were Callahan, Girardi, and Carlson, while honorable mentions include Richards, Brouwer, Backstrom, Fedotenko, and Anisimov.
Out west, the Anaheim Ducks take on the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonas Hiller are between the pipes. Anaheim opened early with a Bobby Ryan goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. The Ducks added on with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Chicago got one back as Patrick Sharp deposited his eighth of the season, thanks to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Anaheim took it back as Selanne scored his eighth of the year on the power play, powered by Francois Beauchemin and Cam Fowler. Dave Bolland put the Blackhawks back within one on his seventh of the season, a power play goal made possible by Andre Brunette and Marcus Kruger. The Ducks kept on the attack with a Ryan goal in the second period, his seventh of the year and second of the game, fueled by Luca Sbisa and Getzlaf. Chicago picked up the scoring in the third period, first with a Toews goal, his eleventh of the season, with helpers by Duncan Keith and Viktor Stalberg. The Blackhawks got the lead as Sharp netted two more goals for a hat trick, his ninth and tenth of the year, and assists were awarded to Toews twice, for a sock trick, and Stalberg once. Toews padded the lead for Chicago with his second of the game and twelfth of the season, a power play goal, after passes from Keith and Nick Leddy. Anaheim made it 6-5 with eight seconds left, on Perry's ninth of the year, but even the helpers from Koivu and Getzlaf couldn't save them from defeat. The three stars went to Sharp, Ryan, and Toews, while the honorable mentions include Keith, Stalberg, Perry, Selanne, Getzlaf, and Koivu.
Wrapping up the early games are the Minnesota Wild hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Josh Harding will be guarding the cages. Edmonton jumped out ahead early with the twelfth of the season by Ryan Smyth, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Theo Peckham. The Oilers extended the lead with the ninth of the year for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, a power play goal set up by Smyth and Sam Gagner. Minnesota got on the board with a Devin Setoguchi goal, his seventh of the season, coming on the man-advantage from Mikko Koivu and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild tied it in the second period on a Pierre-Marc Bouchard goal, his second of the year, an unassisted goal. Edmonton took the lead back with Taylor Hall sinking his seventh of the season, and Tom Gilbert and Shawn Horcoff took credit for the helpers. Horcoff got the Oilers moving in the third period with his seventh of the campaign, pushed through by Ales Hemsky and Hall. Edmonton iced it at 5-2 with Nugent-Hopkins potting his tenth of the year and second of the game into the empty net, after receiving it through Eberle and Smyth. The three stars were Hall, Cal Clutterbuck, and Khabibulin (30 for 32 in saves), while the honorable mentions are Nugent-Hopkins, Smyth, Horcoff, and Eberle.
The regularly scheduled games begin with the Pittsburgh Penguins welcoming the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Marc-Andre Fleury started in goal, but Alex Auld was quickly called on to relieve Anderson. Ottawa was first on the board with the third of the season by Kaspars Daugavins, via Zack Smith and Erik Karlsson. Pittsburgh replied very quickly with Chris Kunitz netting his eighth of the year, thanks to Sidney Crosby and Deryk Engelland. The Penguins extended the lead on the third of the season by Tyler Kennedy, from Paul Martin and the goalie Fleury. Pittsburgh kept rolling with a Steve Sullivan power play goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Evgeni Malkin and Crosby. Malkin chased Anderson with his seventh of the season for the Penguins, and he got assistance from Kris Letang and Crosby, the latter finishing off a sock trick. Pittsburgh stayed strong in the second period with a Pascal Dupuis goal, his fifth of the campaign, thanks to Arron Asham and Kennedy. The Senators finally got one back with Jared Cowen recording his second of the year, assisted by Daniel Alfredsson and Nick Foligno. The Penguins replied in the third period with the eleventh of the season by Jordan Staal, fueled by Kennedy and Martin. Ottawa finished the scoring at 6-3 with Erik Condra notching his second of the year, guided in by Foligno and Brian Lee. Malkin, Crosby, and Kennedy were the three stars, while Martin and Foligno earn the honorable mention.
Down south, the Carolina Hurricanes play host to Winnipeg Jets. Chris Mason and Cam Ward got the starting nods. Winnipeg opened with an Evander Kane goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Johnny Oduya. Jiri Tlusty answered for Carolina in the second period, his fourth of the year being helped in by Brandon Sutter and Jamie McBain. The Jets took the lead back with the eighth of the season for Andrew Ladd, fueled by Zach Bogosian and Nik Antropov. Winnipeg made it a 3-1 final with an empty net goal from Bryan Little, his sixth of the year, and Bogosian had the lone assist. The three stars were Ladd, Bogosian, and Kane.
Into Ohio, where the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Curtis Sanford took their places in the blue paint, but Enroth was eventually chased in favor of Drew MacIntyre. Columbus started off with the third of the season by Mark Letestu, courtesy of Ryan Johansen and Fedor Tyutin. The Blue Jackets extended the lead with a Rick Nash power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by James Wisniewski and Jeff Carter. Columbus attacked again in the second period with a Marc Methot goal, guided in by Wisniewski and Derek Dorsett. Twelve seconds later, the Blue Jackets had Enroth out with the third of the campaign by R.J. Umberger, assisted by Johansen. Buffalo finally woke up with a goal by Jordan Leopold, his fifth of the season, made possible by Zack Kassian and Robyn Regehr. Nash made it 5-1 with his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers provided by Carter and Nikita Nikitin. The third period was silent in scoring, so this was a final, and the three stars were Nash, Methot, and Vinny Prospal, while Carter, Wisniewski, and Johansen all had respectable output.
Backtrack down to the first game of a back-to-back in the Battle of Florida, as the Panthers host their northern neighbors, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Jose Theodore will be tending to the twines. Florida opened the scoring in the second period with the tenth of the season by Tomas Fleischmann, assisted by Stephen Weiss. Tampa Bay answered in the third period to tie it on the tenth of the year by Vincent Lecavalier, and Martin St. Louis had the lone assist. The tie lasted into overtime, where Dmitry Kulikov had an untimely penalty, and Steven Stamkos cashed in for the Lightning, winning it 2-1 on his twelfth of the campaign, powered by St. Louis and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Stamkos, Garon (23 for 24 in saves), and Theodore (29 for 31 in saves) were named three stars, while St. Louis also had a decent performance.
Northwest to Missouri for the St. Louis Blues hosting the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Brian Elliott wore the goalie masks. St. Louis led off with a shorthanded David Backes goal, his eighth of the season, with help from Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues made it 2-0 in the third period, the eventual final, as Alex Pietrangelo notched his fourth of the year, thanks to Alex Steen and Backes. The three stars were Elliott (24 save shutout), Backes, and Ryan Reaves, while Pietrangelo would have also fit the bill for third star.
South again to Texas, where the Dallas Stars will host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Kari Lehtonen were rolled out as the goalies. Dallas opened with an Eric Nystrom goal, his sixth of the season, thanks to Michael Ryder and Jamie Benn. Toronto replied with a Joey Crabb tally, his fourth of the year, made possible by Dion Phaneuf and Joe Colborne. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a power play goal by Phaneuf, his third of the season, powered by John-Michael Liles and Joffrey Lupul. The Stars tied it in the second period when Nystrom struck again, his second of the game and seventh of the year, assisted by Radek Dvorak and Benn. Toronto got the lead again in the third period with a Clarke MacArthur goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Tim Connolly and Nikolai Kulemin. Dallas tied it at 3 with a Dvorak goal, his second of the year, via Mike Ribeiro and Philip Larsen. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Lupul's goal put the Maple Leafs over the Stars 4-3. The three stars were Dvorak, Nystrom, and Phaneuf, and the honorable mentions are Lupul and Benn.
Finally, the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Mike Smith will be in front of the cages. Vancouver opened in the second period with a Sami Salo goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. The Canucks added on with an unassisted Ryan Kesler goal, his fourth of the campaign. Vancouver continued with a David Booth goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Kesler and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks showed no mercy in the third period as Maxim Lapierre scored his fourth of the season unassisted. Vancouver finished it at 5-0 with Alexandre Burrows scoring his seventh of the year, and Cody Hodgson and the lone assist. The three stars were Schneider (22 save shutout), Kesler, and Salo.
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