Quite a few games this Tuesday. First up...
The Washington Capitals host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Tomas Vokoun made the starts, but Vokoun was pulled for Michal Neuvirth in the third period. Scott Hartnell got things moving for Philadelphia with his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Jaromir Jagr and Matt Carle. The Flyers added on with Marc-Andre Bourdon scoring, via Zac Rinaldo and Jody Shelley. Philadelphia kept going as the eighth of the year by Wayne Simmonds went in, with the help of Andrej Meszaros and Danny Briere. The Flyers extended the lead by Max Talbot's eighth of the campaign, coming off of James van Riemsdyk and Braydon Coburn. Philadelphia kept it up in the third period when the fifth of the season from Jakub Voracek found twine, courtesy of Carle and van Riemsdyk. Washington made it 5-1 with a Jeff Halpern goal, his third of the year, assisted by Dennis Wideman and Joel Ward, which produced the final score. Carle, Bryzgalov (31 for 32 in saves), and Hartnell got the three stars, while van Riemsdyk also played well.
Over to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Steve Mason were the starting goalies, but Curtis Sanford relieved Mason in overtime. Columbus struck first with the sixth of the season for Jeff Carter, a power play goal powered by James Wisniewski and Mark Letestu. Vancouver tied it in the third period on a Maxim Lapierre goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Chris Higgins. The tied lasted into the shootout, where the Blue Jackets toppled the Canucks with goals by Letestu, Rick Nash, and Wisniewski, easily beating the lone Alexandre Burrows tally. Mason (30 for 31 in saves), Wisniewski, and Letestu got the three stars for the game.
East to Pennsylvania, where the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Marc-Andre Fleury were called to play goal. Pittsburgh was first to score when the eleventh of the season by Evgeni Malkin went down, helped along by James Neal or Brooks Orpik. Detroit tied it in the second period when the ninth of the year from Pavel Datsyuk found twine, and the lone assist belonged to Todd Bertuzzi. The Red Wings added on with Johan Franzen depositing his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal with a lone helper from Datsyuk. Detroit would end ahead 4-1 with two Danny Cleary goals, his sixth and seventh of the year, as Chris Conner and Darren Helm helped on the first and Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall guided in the latter empty netter. The three stars belonged to Datsyuk, Howard (25 for 26 in saves), and Cleary.
Up to Buffalo, where the Sabres take on the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson got the starting nod along with Ryan Miller. Ottawa was first to score with the nineteenth of the season for Milan Michalek, assisted by Jason Spezza and Colin Greening. Buffalo tied it when Paul Szczechura scored, coming off of Jason Pominville alone. The Sabres took the lead when Tyler Ennis notched his second of the year, thanks to Drew Stafford and Derek Roy. The Senators tied it in the third period on the second of the season by Peter Regin, via Brian Lee. The game went to overtime, where Ottawa beat Buffalo 3-2 on a Jared Cowen goal, his third of the year, made possible by Erik Karlsson and Spezza. Cowen, Regin, and Miller (41 for 44 in saves) earned the three stars, while Spezza performed well too.
In the same general area, the Boston Bruins hosted the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Tuukka Rask opposed each other in the cages. Boston led off with a Rich Peverley goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Zach Hamill and Benoit Pouliot. The Bruins would win 3-0 after second- and third-period goals for Brad Marchand, his tenth and eleventh of the year, where Patrice Bergeron got the only assist both times. The three stars were awarded to Rask (41 save shutout), Marchand, and Peverley, while Bergeron gets an honorable mention.
Northward, in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and James Reimer were given the green light to play goal. The scoring began with the fifth of the season of Tim Connolly's tape, and Clarke MacArthur and Colby Armstrong got the assists. Carolina tied it late on an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, his seventh of the year coming on the power play from Eric Staal and Jussi Jokinen. The tie lasted into overtime, where Connolly scored his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, courtesy of Joffrey Lupul and Cody Franson. Connolly, Ward (36 for 38 in saves), and Reimer (18 for 19 in saves) were awarded the three stars.
Back into the states, where the New York Rangers host the Dallas Stars. Richard Bachman and Henrik Lundqvist play between the pipes. Dallas scored the only goal of the game in the third period as the third of the campaign for Trevor Daley crossed the goal line, guided in by Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow. The three stars were Bachman (34 save shutout), Lundqvist (27 for 28 in saves), and Daley.
Crossing to Canada again, as the Montreal Canadiens welcomed the New York Islanders. Al Montoya and Carey Price were entrusted with the goalie duties. New York drew first blood with the fifteenth of the season for Matt Moulson, assisted by P.A. Parenteau. Montreal answered with Andrei Kostitsymn scoring his ninth of the year, thanks to Tomases Plekanec and Kaberle. The Canadiens added on with the second of the season for Mathieu Darche, courtesy of Petteri Nokelianen and Yannick Weber. The scoring resumed with Montreal in the third period when Erik Cole potted his eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by David Desharnais and P.K. Subban. The Islanders got one back with Josh Bailey scoring his third of the season, coming off of Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau. New York tied it again with a John Tavares goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Parenteau and David Ullstrom. The Canadiens took the lead again as Nokelainen jumped off the bench and ripped his second of the campaign into the twine, and helping him with the two second explosion were Lars Eller and Michael Cammalleri. Montreal won it 5-3 with an empty net goal by Hal Gill, via Desharnais and Max Pacioretty. Earning the three stars were Nokelianen, Cole, and Moulson. Parenteau and Desharnais are the honorable mentions.
Way south to Sunrise, Florida, with the Florida Panthers welcoming the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Jose Theodore tended the twines. Florida led off when Kris Versteeg sank his fourteenth of the season, and Stephen Weiss had the lone assist. The Panthers extended the lead in the second period when Versteeg potted his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Patrik Elias got New Jersey going with his tenth of the season, courtesy of Ilya Kovalchuk and Bryce Salvador. The Devils tied it in the third period on the tenth of the year for Zach Parise, guided in by Henrik Tallinder and Kovalchuk. The game lasted to a shootout, where New Jersey beat Florida on tallies by Kovalchuk and Elias. Versteeg, Kovalchuk, and Brodeur (24 for 26 in saves) had the three stars, while Elias also had an honorable performance.
Out to the west, where the Nashville Predators welcomed the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Pekka Rinne were given the starting nods. Nashville struck first with the sixth of the campaign for Matt Halischuk, assisted by Brian McGrattan and Roman Josi. Calgary tied it in the second period as Curtis Glencross struck with his ninth of the season, and Derek Smith had the lone helper. The Predators went up 2-1, a score they would ride to victory, on the eighth of the year by Colin Wilson, a power play goal powered by Craig Smith and David Legwand. Wilson, Kiprusoff (43 for 45 in saves), and Rinne (35 for 36 in saves) took the three stars.
To the frigid north of Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Ondrej Pavelec guarded the cages. Guillaume Latendresse gave Minnesota the first goal in the second period, his fifth of the season coming on the power play from Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley. Winnipeg tied it with an unassisted Zach Bogosian goal. The Jets took a 2-1 lead in the third period when Bryan Little recorded his eleventh of the year, with the help of Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler. This was a final, leaving the three stars to Pavelec (34 for 35 in saves), Backstrom (25 for 27 in saves), and Wheeler.
Finally, in Colorado, the Avalanche host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Semyon Varlamov played in the creases. Colorado opened with Stefan Elliott registering his third of the season, an unassisted goal late in the first period. San Jose tied it in the second period when Jamie McGinn potted his seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Dan Boyle and Michal Handzus. Boyle gave the Sharks the lead with his second of the season, via Joe Pavelski and Torrey Mitchell. The Avalanche retied it in the third period when Daniel Winnik made his fourth of the year, courtesy of Erik Johnson and Kyle Quincey. Colorado regained the lead on a Matt Duchene power play goal, his eleventh of the season, thanks to Milan Hejduk and Ryan O'Reilly. San Jose tied it very late in the third as Patrick Marleau put away his eleventh of the year, and the assists were provided by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. The game went into a shootout, where Colorado started with Hejduk scoring, answered by Pavelski to send it to extra rounds, where Gabriel Landeskog gave the Avalanche a 4-3 win over the Sharks. Duchene, Elliott, and Boyle picked up the three stars.
