NHL Day 142 2011-2012

Six games on a slightly above-average Friday night. We begin in Ohio...

As the Columbus Blue Jackets are hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Steve Mason were the goalies. Colorado led off with a David Jones goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on in the second period as Gabriel Landeskog netted his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Steve Downie and Ryan O'Reilly. Colorado kept going in the third period with Jones potting his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with the help of Mark Olver and Daniel Winnik. The Avalanche extended the lead on a Downie goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Erik Johnson and Landeskog. Matt Hunwick also scored for Colorado, set up by Jones to make it 5-0. This was a final, with the three stars being Jones, Downie, and Landeskog.

Back east, the Washington Capitals hosted the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Michal Neuvirth received the starting nods. Washington opened on a Mathieu Perreault goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Jason Chimera. The Capitals extended the lead in the second period when Chimera notched his sixteenth of the year, and Alexander Semin had the only helper. Sixteen seconds later, Washington struck again with Alex Ovechkin putting his twenty-fifth of the season into the cage, thanks to Dmitry Orlov and Marcus Johansson. Montreal got one back in the third period with a Rene Bourque shorthanded goal, passed from Alexei Emelin and Tomas Plekanec as his seventeenth of the year. The Capitals iced it at 4-1 with a Joel Ward empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, coming off of Brooks Laich and John Carlson. Neuvirth (30 for 31 in saves), Chimera, and Ovechkin collected the three stars.

Along the coast a little more, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Martin Brodeur are in the blue paint. Vancouver struck first with Aaron Rome sinking his fourth of the season, guided in by Chris Tanev and Alexandre Burrows. The Canucks added on with a second period Mason Raymond goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by David Booth and Dan Hamhuis. New Jersey took one back on David Clarkson's twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora. They never tied the game, losing 2-1, with the three stars being Schneider (30 for 31 in saves), Raymond, and Zach Parise, while any point earner can take the third slot.

Out on Long Island, the battle for New York supremacy is in full swing, as the New York Islanders host the New York Rangers. Martin Biron and Evgeni Nabokov guard the cages. The Islanders opened on a Matt Moulson goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by John Tavares and Andrew MacDonald. The Islanders continued with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Tavares and Travis Hamonic. The Rangers took one back with a Marc Staal power play goal, his second of the season, pushed through by Anton Stralman and John Mitchell. The Islanders replied in the second period as Parenteau scored his second of the night and fourteenth of the year, a power play goal set up by Moulson and MacDonald. The Rangers answered on a Marian Gaborik goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, guided in by Artem Anisimov and Stu Bickel. The Rangers tied it with a Derek Stepan power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Gaborik and Ryan Callahan. The game went in favor of the Islanders in the shootout, as Frans Nielsen matched Gaborik before Moulson took the game by a 4-3 margin. Parenteau, Gaborik, and Tavares were named the three stars, while Moulson and MacDonald earn the honorable mentions.

Staying in the same state, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ryan Miller oppose each other between the pipes. Buffalo got things started in the second period with Andrej Sekera netting his third of the season, with help from Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford. Boston tied it in the third period with an unassisted power play goal off the cannon stick of Zdeno Chara, his ninth of the year. The Sabres ended up on top, getting shootout tallies from Thomas Vanek and Derek Roy to topple a lone Bruins tally by David Krejci. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Miller (35 for 36 in saves), Ennis, and Chara.

We'll finish the games tonight in Texas, as the Dallas Stars bring in the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Kari Lehtonen tend the twines. Dallas led off with a Tom Wandell goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Adam Burish and Trevor Daley. The Stars added on with a Loui Eriksson goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Michael Ryder and Mike Ribeiro. Dallas kept going in the second period with an Eric Nystrom goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Radek Dvorak and Vernon Fiddler. Backstrom was pulled for Matt Hackett at this time. Minnesota took one back in the third period as Devin Setoguchi scored his fifteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Dany Heatley and Jared Spurgeon. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with another Wandell goal, his second of the night and sixth of the campaign, an empty net goal made possible by Steve Ott and Stephane Robidas. Lehtonen (28 for 29 in saves), Nystrom, and Wandell were the three stars.

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NHL Day 141 2011-2012

We have nine games going amidst the swirling rumors of trade. We begin on the Atlantic coast with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Justin Peters will get the starting nods. Caroling led off with a Jerome Samson goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Eric Staal and Jiri Tlusty. Anaheim tied it on a Luca Sbisa goal, his fourth of the year, with the help of Nick Bonino and Devante Smith-Pelly. The Hurricanes regained the lead in the second period with a Jamie McBain goal, his sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Jaroslav Spacek and Anthony Stewart. The Ducks tied it again in the third period with Corey Perry sinking his thirtieth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. The game went to a shootout, where Anaheim took the win with a lone Saku Koivu goal, toppling Carolina 3-2. The three stars were given to Perry, Hiller (30 for 32 in saves), and McBain.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and James Reimer will play goal. San Jose got going in the second period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Joe Thornton and Tommy Wingels. The Sharks added on with Marleau scoring his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Logan Couture and Dan Boyle. Toronto got one back in the third period when Jake Gardiner put away his fourth of the season, via Phil Kessel and Luke Schenn. The Maple Leafs failed to tie the game, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Marleau, Niemi (29 for 30 in saves), and Gardiner.

Back stateside, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Vancouver Canucks in a Western Conference showdown. Roberto Luongo and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Detroit took an early lead with Darren Helm recording his seventh of the season, an unassisted goal. Vancouver tied the game in the second period as Daniel Sedin potted his twenty-seventh of the year, with the help of Henrik Sedin and Alexander Edler. The Red Wings retook the lead in the third period with Kyle Quincey depositing his sixth of the season, thanks to Justin Abdelkader and Helm. The Canucks tied it again with a Cody Hodgson goal, his sixteenth of the year, going down unassisted. Detroit took it back with Abdelkader putting his seventh of the season away, via Helm and Drew Miller. Daniel saved the game late for Vancouver, tying it with his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, helped along by Henrik and Ryan Kesler. The Canucks won it in the shootout, with Alexandre Burrows putting the only dagger into the Red Wings' now dead home win streak, as the Canucks take a 4-3 win. The three stars belong to Helm, Daniel, and Howard (40 for 43 in saves), while Henrik and Abdelkader take the honorable mentions.

Down south in Florida, the Panthers host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Jose Theodore were in the blue paint. Florida got things going with a second period power play goal off of Mikael Samuelsson's tape, his eighth of the season, made possible by Stephen Weiss and Tomas Fleischmann. Minnesota tied it on Kyle Brodziak's sixteenth of the year, guided in by Dany Heatley and Marek Zidlicky. The Wild took the lead in the third period with a Matt Cullen power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Heatley and Jared Spurgeon. The Panthers tied it late with a Sean Bergenheim goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Brian Campbell and Samuelsson. Minnesota won the game 3-2 in the shootout with Erik Christensen and Cullen scoring to defeat Florida. The three stars were handed out to Christensen, Heatley, and Bergenheim, while Samuelsson and Cullen get the honorable mentions.

Out west a tad, the Nashville Predators bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Pekka Rinne were the masked men. St. Louis opened with a Chris Stewart goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Jason Arnott and Kris Russell. Nashville tied it in the second period as Roman Josi nailed his third of the year, with the help of Brandon Yip and Matt Halischuk. The Predators took the lead with a Colin Wilson goal, his thirteenth of the season, pushed through by Jordin Tootoo and Nick Spaling. The Blues answered with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his fourth of the year, from David Perron and Patrik Berglund. St. Louis won the game in the shootout with tallies by T.J. Oshie and Andy McDonald for a 3-2 win over Nashville. The three stars were awarded to Sobotka, Wilson, and Josi.

Back north to Winnipeg, with the Jets hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Ondrej Pavelec will play from the creases. Winnipeg started off with an Andrew Ladd goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on with a Tanner Glass goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Chris Thorburn and Mark Flood. Winnipeg rolled on in the second period as Evander Kane netted his twenty-fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Ladd. Byfuglien pushed the Jets farther ahead with a power play goal of his own, his tenth of the year, guided in by Wheeler and Ladd. Dwayne Roloson relieved Garon at this time. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his forty-third of the season, helped along by Ryan Malone and Teddy Purcell. The Lightning pulled closer with fifty-four seconds left in the game as Purcell potted his sixteenth of the year, via Stamkos. Tampa Bay made it 4-3 with nine seconds left as Martin St. Louis recorded his nineteenth of the campaign, a power play goal going in unassisted. The three stars of this chaotic game were Ladd, Byfuglien, and St. Louis, while Stamkos, Purcell, and Wheeler get the honorable mentions.

Southward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars. Richard Bachman and Corey Crawford will try to stop the puck. Chicago was first on the scoreboard with a Marian Hossa goal in the second period, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Jamal Mayers and Michael Frolik. Dallas tied the game in the third period with a Steve Ott goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Trevor Daley. The Stars took the lead with a Michael Ryder goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, getting assistance from Mike Ribeiro. Dallas iced it at 3-1 with Loui Eriksson notching his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Ryder and Ribeiro. The three stars went to Bachman (26 for 27 in saves), Ryder, and Hossa, while Ribeiro gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Alberta, where the Calgary Flames play host to the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Miikka Kiprusoff tend the twines. Calgary led off with an Alex Tanguay goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames extended the lead with a Matt Stajan goal, his second of the year, fueled by Tanguay and Cory Sarich. Phoenix tied it in the second period with a Daymond Langkow goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Ray Whitney and Mikkel Boedker. The Coyotes tied it with Shane Doan scoring his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle. Phoenix gained the lead in the third period with a Whitney goal, his seventeenth of the season, an unassisted tally. Calgary retied it on Olli Jokinen's nineteenth of the year, with Jarome Iginla and Michael Cammalleri recording the assists on the power play goal. The game was decided in the shootout with a lone Whitney tally for a 4-3 Coyotes over Flames result. The three stars were awarded to Tanguay, Whitney, and Lance Bouma, while any other point earner is a viable third slot candidate.

In the same province, we wrap up the day's games in Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Devan Dubnyk are all padded up. Edmonton got things going in the second period with a power play goal by Taylor Hall, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Ryan Whitney and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers added on with an Eberle goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. These goals held up for a 2-0 Edmonton win, with the three stars being named as Dubnyk (35 save shutout), Eberle, and Whitney.

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NHL Day 140 2011-2012

Only three games tonight, beginning with a battle of national capitals in...

Ottawa, where the Senators host the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Craig Anderson managed the nets. Ottawa opened with an Erik Karlsson goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek. The Senators added on with a Michalek goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Karlsson. Michalek kept Ottawa going in the second period with his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, a power play goal set up by Karlsson and Daniel Alfredsson. Chris Phillips helped the Senators chase Vokoun with a power play goal of his, own, his fourth of the year, powered by Nick Foligno and Chris Neil. Michal Neuvirth came on in relief. Washington woke up in the third period when John Carlson put his eighth of the season away, a power play goal with help from Alexander Semin. The Capitals pulled closer with a Mathieu Perreault goal (off his face), his tenth of the year, fueled by Jason Chimera and Semin. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 with Foligno sinking his thirteenth of the campaign into the empty net, with helpers from Neil and Sergei Gonchar. The three stars went to Michalek, Karlsson, and Anderson (33 for 35 in saves), while Foligno, Neil, and Semin get the honorable mentions.

Out west a bit, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Brian Elliott got the starting nods. Boston led off with a Brad Marchand goal, his twentieth of the season, going down unassisted. The Bruins added on with Milan Lucic netting his twenty-first of the year, thanks to Joe Corvo and Chris Kelly. St. Louis answered with Chris Stewart making his twelfth of the season, with the help of Chris Porter and Jason Arnott. The Blues evened the score with a Ryan Reaves goal, his second of the year, made possible by B.J. Crombeen and Kevin Shattenkirk. Boston took the lead again with Kelly recording his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Lucic and Johnny Boychuk. The Bruins extended their lead in the third period with another Marchand goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron. This made it 4-2, a final, with the three stars going to Marchand, Lucic, and Stewart, while Kelly gets the honorable mention.

Finishing off the day, we head to Denver, where the Colorado Avalanche host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Semyon Varlamov are in the creases. Colorado was first to score on a Mark Olver goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by David Jones and Daniel Winnik. The Avalanche added on with an unassisted Paul Stastny goal, his fifteenth of the year. Colorado extended their lead with a Jay McClement goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Ryan O'Reilly and Chuck Kobasew. Jonathan Bernier relieved Quick for the second period onward. Stastny kept the Avalanche going with a power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, powered by Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene. Los Angeles got going in the third period with a Dustin Brown goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Drew Doughty and Mike Richards. The final ended up at 4-1, and the three stars were Varlamov (32 for 33 in saves), Stastny, and Jan Hejda, while any other point earner could slide into the third slot.

NHL Day 139 2011-2012

After a mid-afternoon trade to shake things up, especially for Steve Downie and Kyle Quincey, we roll with eleven games tonight. The first cluster is led by...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Steve Mason guard the goals. Columbus led off with an R.J. Umberger goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Grant Clitsome and Derick Brassard. The Blue Jackets added on with the thirteenth of the year for Jeff Carter, a power play goal set up by Vinny Prospal and Mark Letestu. Columbus kept going with a Rick Nash sinking his twentieth of the season, via Brassard and Umberger. Niemi was pulled in favor of Thomas Greiss at this time. This did little to stop the Blue Jackets, who got another goal on the power play from Carter, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, powered by Prospal and David Savard. San Jose got going in the second period as Joe Thornton netted his thirteenth of the season, with the help of Colin White and Andrew Desjardins. The Sharks pulled closer as Logan Couture scored his twenty-sixth of the year, thanks to Michal Handzus and Justin Braun. Columbus answered with Savard potting his second of the season, helped along by Nikita Nikitin and Antoine Vermette, a power play goal. The Blue Jackets remained in control in the third period with a Carter goal, icing his hat trick with his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Nash and Prospal, the latter getting a sock trick as well. San Jose got one back with Couture's second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season coming off of Joe Pavelski and Dan Boyle. The final stuck at 6-3, with Carter, Umberger, and Mason (38 for 41 in saves), getting the three stars, while Couture, Nash, Prospal, Savard, and Brassard get the honorable mentions.

Also, the Winnipeg Jets host the Philadelphia Flyers (says prayers no repeats of earlier this season). Ilya Bryzgalov and Ondrej Pavelec were the masked men. Winnipeg led off with a Dustin Byfuglien power play goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Tim Stapleton and Bryan Little. Philadelphia tied it up with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Scott Hartnell and Matt Carle. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with Hartnell recording his twenty-eighth of the season, a power play goal powered by Wayne Simmonds and Kimmo Timonen. The Jets retied it with Andrew Ladd's eighteenth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Blake Wheeler and Stapleton. Winnipeg took the lead with another Ladd goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, fueled by Little and Byfuglien. Philadelphia tied it back up with a Max Talbot goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Andrej Meszaros and Nicklas Grossman. Evander Kane gave the Jets the lead again in the third period by registering his twenty-third of the season, a power play goal with a helper provided by Stapleton, who got a sock trick. The Flyers saved their game late with Simmonds netting his twenty-second of the year, via James van Riemsdyk and Giroux. Philadelphia completed the comeback in overtime as Jaromir Jagr put down his sixteenth of the campaign for a 5-4 win over Winnipeg, and the assist was from the tape of Danny Briere. The three stars were given to Pavelec (50 for 55 in saves, holy cow that's a lot of saves ain't it?), Ladd, and Hartnell, while Stapleton, Giroux, Simmonds, Little, and Byfuglien get the honorable mentions.

A little to the east, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Jonas Gustavsson received the starting nods. New Jersey opened on a Petr Sykora goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Adam Henrique and Matt Taormina. The Devils added on with the twenty-third of the year by David Clarkson, guided in by Patrik Elias and Sykora. Toronto shot back with a Tim Connolly goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Cody Franson and Joey Crabb. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period with a Clarke MacArthur goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski. New Jersey regained the lead with Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Dainius Zubrus and Anton Volchenkov. Toronto tied it late in the third period on Phil Kessel's thirty-first of the year, assisted by Tyler Bozak and Joffrey Lupul. The Devils toppled the Maple Leafs in the overtime frame with Mark Fayne scoring his fourth of the campaign for a 4-3 victory, and the assists were credited to Henrique and Ilya Kovalchuk. The three stars were awarded to Fayne, Kessel, and Sykora, while Henrique gets the honorable mention.

Crossing into the U.S., the Buffalo Sabres host the New York Islanders. Kevin Poulin and Ryan Miller are in the blue paint. Buffalo started the scoring with a Tyler Myers goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Derek Roy Jason Pominville. The Sabres added on in the second period as Thomas Vanek recorded his twenty-second of the year, via Roy and Pominville. New York got as close as 2-1 with Frans Nielsen recording his thirteenth of the campaign, thanks to P.A. Parenteau and the goalie Poulin. The three stars of the game were Myers, Christian Ehrhoff, and Miller (30 for 31 in saves), while Roy and Pominville earn the honorable mentions.

Finishing off the first major wave, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the New York Rangers. Stud goalies Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh opened with a second period Evgeni Malkin goal, his thirty-third of the season, coming off of Kris Letang and Pascal Dupuis. The Penguins added on with a Steve Sullivan goal, his eleventh of the year, a power play goal made possible by Malkin and Matt Cooke. This made it 2-0, a final score after a scoreless third period, with the three stars being selected as Fleury (27 save shutout), Malkin, and Sullivan.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Mathieu Garon played between the pipes. Tampa Bay struck just twenty-eight seconds in with Steven Stamkos netting his forty-first of the season on the power play from Ryan Malone and Teddy Purcell. Stamkos helped extend the Lightning lead with his second of the game and forty-second of the year, courtesy of Brett Clark and Purcell. Anaheim got on the board with a Saku Koivu goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Bobby Ryan and Cam Fowler. Tampa Bay took it back with Purcell netting his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Stamkos and Matt Gilroy. The Ducks replied with Ryan notching his twenty-second of the season, with a lone helper by Koivu. The Lightning held on from here to win 3-2, with the three stars being Garon (28 for 30 in saves), Purcell, and Stamkos.

Back north in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Carey Price have control of the nets. Dallas opened with a Ryan Garbutt goal, fueled by Jake Dowell and Toby Petersen. The Stars added on in the third period with a Mike Ribeiro goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Trevor Daley and Mark Fistric. Dallas extended the lead with Tom Wandell recording his fourth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Vincour. This was all for the scoring, ending the game at 3-0, and the three stars belonged to Ribeiro, Lehtonen (31 save shutout), and Garbutt.

Continuing on, the Nashville Predators welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Pekka Rinne were in the creases. Mike Fisher got Nashville on the board first with his eighteenth of the season in the second period, a power play goal powered by Ryan Suter and Martin Erat. The Predators added on with a shorthanded Sergei Kostitsyn goal, his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Fisher and Hal Gill. Vancouver got one back as Dale Weise netted his fourth of the season, with the help of Manny Malhotra and Maxim Lapierre. Nashville iced it in the third period at 3-1 with a David Legwand goal, his fourteenth of the year, made possible by Erat and Fisher. Fisher, Rinne (32 for 33 in saves), and Erat got the three stars.

A little northwest of there, the Chicago Blackhawks host their fiercest rivals, the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard returns from injury to oppose Corey Crawford in net. Detroit wasted little time in opening the scoring as Valtteri Filppula netted his seventeenth of the season, with assists from Jakub Kindl and Jiri Hudler on the power play. Chicago tied it up on a Jimmy Hayes goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Bryan Bickell and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks took a lead in the third period with Marcus Kruger scoring his seventh of the season, helped along by Hayes and Andrew Brunette. This was all it took for Chicago to win 2-1, and the three stars went to Hayes, Kruger, and Howard (27 for 29 in saves).

Southwest of that, the Phoenix Coyotes host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Mike Smith attempted to stop the puck. Los Angeles opened with a Drew Doughty goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Dustin Brown and Dwight King. The Kings extended the lead as Andrei Loktionov registered his third of the year, thanks to Alec Martinez and Matt Greene. Los Angeles kept going with Brown putting his fourteenth of the season into the twine, with the help of Willie Mitchell and Mike Richards. Phoenix got one back with Radim Vrbata recording his twenty-ninth of the year in the second period, a power play goal assisted by Martin Hanzal and Ray Whitney. The Coyotes pulled closer with Shane Doan notching his seventeenth of the season, also a power play goal, powered by Hanzal and Vrbata. The Kings slowed their bleeding with a power play goal off the tape of Justin Williams, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Anze Kopitar and Richards. Phoenix answered with a Doan goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with Hanzal and Lauri Korpikoski getting the helpers, the former earning a sock trick. Vrbata tied it for the Coyotes in the third period with his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, a power play goal going down unassisted. The game lasted to a shootout, where Whitney and Mikkel Boedker lifted Phoenix to a 5-4 win over Los Angeles, whose only tally came from Brown. The three stars were Vrbata, Doan, and Hanzal, while Whitney, Brown, and Richards also played well.

Finally, we have the battle of Alberta, with the Calgary Flames hosting their northern neighbors, the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Miikka Kiprusoff will be in front of the goalmouths. Calgary started off with Scott Hannan sinking his second of the season, with assists from Paul Byron and Krystofer Kolanos. Edmonton tied it with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Sam Gagner and Corey Potter. The Oilers took the lead in the second period as the fifth of the season by Ales Hemsky went across the goal line, thanks to Taylor Hall and Shawn Horcoff. Edmonton extended the lead with an Eric Belanger goal, his third of the year, made possible by Ben Eager. The Oilers added on with Gagner netting his fourteenth of the season, via Eberle and Ryan Smyth. Smyth kept it going for Edmonton with his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Gagner and Jeff Petry. Henrik Karlsson relieved Kiprusoff for the third period. The Oilers iced it at 6-1 with a Hall goal, his twenty-first of the campaign coming on the power play, powered by Eberle and Ryan Whitney. The three stars were given to Eberle, Gagner, and Smyth, while Hall gets an honorable mention.

NHL Day 138 2011-2012

Only two games for your enjoyment on President's Day in the USA. We begin with an early matinee...

On Long Island, where the New York Islanders host the Ottawa Senators. Crag Anderson and Kevin Poulin picked up the starts. Ottawa led off with an early Erik Karlsson goal, his eleventh of the season, an unassisted tally. The Senators chased Poulin twenty-seven seconds later with a Jason Spezza goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by Nick Foligno and Chris Neil. Al Montoya came on in relief. Ottawa continued the attack with another Karlsson goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, fueled by Daniel Alfredsson and Sergei Gonchar. The Senators padded the lead in the second period as Chris Phillips scored his third of the year, thanks to Kyle Turris and Gonchar on the power play. Ottawa added on in the third period with a Brian Lee goal, set up by Karlsson and Erik Condra. The Senators extended the lead again with Spezza' second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Karlsson and Filip Kuba. This was the last of the scoring, leaving the final at 6-0. The three stars went to Karlsson, Spezza, and Anderson (28 save shutout), and Gonchar gets the honorable mention.

Wrapping up the pair of games tonight, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Justin Peters played in net. Carolina led off with a Justin Faulk power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Tim Brent and Jiri Tlusty. The Hurricanes chased Vokoun with an Anthony Stewart goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Eric Staal and Tlusty, prompting Michal Neuvirth to make a relief appearance. Carolina rolled on with Andreas Nodl sinking his third of the campaign, with a lone assist from Branon Sutter. Staal extended the Hurricanes lead in the second period with his seventeenth of the season, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Staal also iced the game at 5-0 in the third period with his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, made possible by Jaroslav Spacek. The three stars went to Staal, Peters (17 save shutout), and Faulk, while Tlusty earns an honorable mention.

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Fantasy Hockey All-Stars week 18

1. Blake Wheeler, 1 G, 7 A, +4, 2 PIM, 2 PPP, 13 SOG
2. Logan Couture, 2 G, 3 A, -1, 2 PIM, 4 PPP, 20 SOG
3. Jonas Hiller, 3 W, 0.98 GAA, 98 SV, .961 SV%, 1 SO
4. Evander Kane, 3 G, 3 A, +5, 6 PIM, 0 PPP, 18 SOG
5. Mike Smith, 2 W, 0.50 GAA, 58 SV, .981 SV%, 1 SO

People are starting to clinch in earnest now, with only a couple of weeks left before the playoffs get underway. It's looking like a very good season for me, with maybe one or two teams not making the playoffs, so I should have plenty of chances at taking some hardware.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 137 2011-2012

It's Hockey Day in America this Sunday, which means we've got games all day long. We begin with three early games...

The first of which is the Chicago Blackhawks hosting the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Corey Crawford were rewarded for recent strong performances with the chance to start. St. Louis scored late in the first to take the lead on an Andy McDonald goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jamie Langenbrunner and Patrik Berglund. Chicago got going with a third period Duncan Keith goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks took the lead on a Dave Bolland goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Keith and Bryan Bickell. Chicago iced it at 3-1 as Marian Hossa netted his twenty-third of the year, an unassisted empty net goal. The three stars belonged to Crawford (29 for 30 in saves), Bolland, and Elliott (24 for 26 in saves), while Keith earns an honorable mention.

Also, the Buffalo Sabres host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brent Johnson and Ryan Miller will play goal. Buffalo opened the scoring quickly with a Jason Pominville goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming just fifty-two seconds in from Tyler Myers and Derek Roy. The Sabres added on with a Roy goal, his twelfth of the year, thanks to Pominville and Christian Ehrhoff. Buffalo extended the lead in the second period with Paul Gaustad putting his seventh of the season away, with the help of Nathan Gerbe and Jordan Leopold. This prompted Marc-Andre Fleury to relieve Johnson. Pittsburgh responded quickly to this call for action as Deryk Engelland scored his third of the year, and Evgeni Malkin had the lone assist. The Penguins kept coming with a third period goal from the tape of Jordan Staal, his nineteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by James Neal and Steve Sullivan. The Sabres answered with Drew Stafford scoring his tenth of the year, guided in by Ehrhoff and Thomas Vanek. Buffalo extended the lead again with Roy's second of the game and thirteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Pominville and Ehrhoff, the latter earning a sock trick. The Sabres iced it at 6-2 with Tyler Ennis registering his sixth of the year, fueled by Zack Kassian and Ville Leino. The three stars were awarded to Roy, Pominville, and Ehrhoff.

Wrapping up the first wave of matinees, the Detroit Red Wings host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Joey MacDonald received the starting nods. Detroit began with Henrik Zetterberg recording his thirteenth of the season, with the help of Jonathan Ericsson and Valtteri Filppula. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Drew Miller goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Justin Abdelkader. San Jose got one back as Logan Couture put his twenty-fifth of the season away, a power play goal powered by Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. Darren Helm got it back for Detroit in the third period with his sixth of the year, and the lone assist went to Miller. The Sharks got as close as 3-2 before time expired with a Patrick Marleau goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Brent Burns. The three stars went to MacDonald (31 for 33 in saves), Miller, and Helm.

Later on, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Niklas Backstrom are between the pipes. Minnesota got things started in the second period with a Chad Rau goal, his second of the season, made possible by Dany Healtey and Cal Clutterbuck. The Wild added on with a Matt Cullen power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Devin Setoguchi and Jared Spurgeon. This was it for the scoring, with Minnesota taking the game 2-0. Backstrom (48 save shutout), Rau, and Cullen had the three stars.

Heading into the west coast afternoon, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Carey Price will guard the cages. New Jersey started off with Zach Parise recording his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Ilya Kovalchuk and Adam Henrique. The Devils added on in the second period as David Clarkson put his twenty-second of the year in the twine, courtesy of Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora. Montreal got one back in the third period as Max Pacioretty sank his twenty-fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Tomas Kaberle and David Desharnais. New Jersey took it back on a Matt Taormina goal, made possible by Mark Fayne. This was it for scoring, leaving the final at 3-1, and the three stars were Brodeur (21 for 22 in saves), Parise, and Pacioretty.

At the same time, the Florida Panthers host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Jose Theodore will wear the masks. Anaheim opened with a Teemu Selanne goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Bobby Ryan and Saku Koivu. The Ducks iced it at 2-0 in the third period with a Niklas Hagman empty net goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers provided by Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. The three stars went to Hiller (31 save shutout), Selanne, and Theodore (25 for 26 in saves).

Out west, the Dallas Stars host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Kari Lehtonen protect the goals. Dallas began the scoring as Michael Ryder netted his twenty-third of the season, with the help of Mike Ribeiro and Loui Eriksson. Nashville tied it as Gabriel Bourque made his third of the year, thanks to David Legwand and Matt Halischuk. The Predators took the lead with one second left in the first period as Shea Weber scored his twelfth of the season, a power play goal powered by Ryan Suter and Sergei Kostitsyn. Colin Wilson kept Nashville going with his twelfth of the year in the second period, coming off of Jordin Tootoo and the goalie Rinne. The Stars got one back as Alex Goligoski deposited his eighth of the campaign, an unassisted goal making the score 3-2, which was a final after they failed to tie. The three stars ended up as Weber, Ryder, and Rinne (22 for 24 in saves).

Back northeast, the New York Rangers are hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Henrik Lundqvist guard the goalmouths. New York struck first as Brad Richards scored his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Carl Hagelin and Michael Del Zotto. Columbus tied it as Derick Brassard netted his eleventh of the year, thanks to Antoine Vermette on the power play in the second period. The Rangers got the lead back with an Artem Anisimov goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Dan Girardi and John Mitchell.  The Blue Jackets got an equalizer with Rick Nash scoring his nineteenth of the year in the third period, and the assists came from Jeff Carter and R.J. Umberger. New York ended up winning in overtime by a 3-2 score when Derek Stepan recorded his twelfth of the campaign, guided in by Del Zotto and Marian Gaborik. Ryan Callahan, Anisimov, and Stepan had the three stars, while Del Zotto earns an honorable mention.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ondrej Pavelec are in the blue paint. Winnipeg got going in the second period with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Alex Burmistrov and Kyle Wellwood. The Jets added on with a Bryan Little, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler. Colorado got one back with Gabriel Landeskog potting his fifteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Erik Johnson. Winnipeg took it back quickly with a Wellwood goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Kane and Wheeler. The Jets extended the lead with a third period Ladd goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Wheeler, for a sock trick, and Dustin Byfuglien. Winnipeg iced it at 5-1 with a Little power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, assisted by Wheeler and Byfuglien. The three stars went to Wheeler, Pavelec (31 for 32 in saves), and Ladd, while Byfuglien, Wellwood, Kane, and Little get the honorable mentions.

Finally, we go a little west to Edmonton, where the Oilers take on the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Nikolai Khabibulin will be between the pipes. Vancouver struck early with the thirteenth of the season for Henrik Sedin, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Alexandre Burrows. The Canucks added on with a Sami Salo power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Henrik and Ryan Kesler. Devan Dubnyk relieved Khabibulin for the second and third periods. Edmonton got on the board in the second period as Shawn Horcoff scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Ryan Smyth and Tom Gilbert. Vancouver took it back as Kevin Bieksa put away his seventh of the year, made possible by Dale Weise and Manny Malhotra. The Canucks extended their lead as Chris Higgins notched his eleventh of the season, via Jannik Hansen.The Oilers got one back with Magnus Paajarvi registering his second of the year, coming off of Ales Hemsky and Ladislav Smid. Daniel kept Vancouver strong with his twenty-sixth of the season in the third period, and Burrows had the lone assist. The final was 5-2, and Daniel, Henrik, and Paajarvi had the three stars while Burrows gets the honorable mention.

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