Nine games on tonight as the calendar flips to March. First up...
The Boston Bruins are hosting the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Tim Thomas will be between the pipes. Boston led off with a David Krejci goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Tyler Seguin. The Bruins added on when Seguin potted his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Milan Lucic and the goalie Thomas. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the second period as Zach Parise nailed his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Ilya Kovalchuk. The Devils tied it on a Patrik Elias goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Petr Sykora and Anton Volchenkov. New Jersey gained the lead on a David Clarkson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Jacob Josefson. Boston retied it in the third period with another Krejci goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, guided in by Lucic and Zdeno Chara. Krejci completed his hat trick in overtime, his sixteenth of the campaign sealing a 4-3 Bruins win, with Chara and Patrice Bergeron recording the assists. The three stars were handed to Krejci, Lucic, and Parise, while Seguin and Chara earn honorable mentions.
Down to Carolina, where the Hurricanes welcome the New York Rangers. Martin Biron and Cam Ward will take their places in front of the nets. Carolina busted open the scoring in the second period with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Eric Staal and Justin Faulk. New York tied it when Artem Anisimov put his twelfth of the year in the cage, thanks to Marian Gaborik and Derek Stepan. The Rangers took the lead with Gaborik putting his thirtieth of the season away, assisted by Stepan and Stu Bickel. New York extended the lead with a third period Brandon Prust goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Brian Boyle and Ruslan Fedotenko. The Hurricanes made it interesting near the end with a Jay Harrison goal, his eighth of the campaign coming shorthanded from Jiri Tlusty and Staal, resulting in a 3-2 final. The three stars were Gaborik, Anisimov, and Staal. Stepan gets an honorable mention.
Back north, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov are the Russian goaltenders. New York started the scoring with a Josh Bailey goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Casey Cizikas and Mark Streit. Philadelphia answered with a Matt Read goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Andrej Meszaros and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead with a Meszaros power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Read and Jaromir Jagr. The Islanders retied it in the second period when Bailey struck again, his second of the game and ninth of the year, thanks to Frans Nielsen and Streit. Jagr kept Philadelphia going with his seventeenth of the season, a power play goal with helpers from Pavel Kubina and Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers extended lead with Read's second of the game and eighteenth of the year, via Wayne Simmonds. Philadelphia kept going in the third period on a Scott Hartnell goal, his thirty-first of the season, set up by Giroux and Nicklas Grossman. New York got one back when Kyle Okposo registered his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Cizikas and Milan Jurcina. The Flyers iced it 6-3 when Sean Couturier scored his eleventh into the empty net, and Giroux had the lone assist for a sock trick. The three stars were given to Read, Jagr, and Bailey, while Giroux, Meszaros, Cizikas, and Streit get the honorable mentions.
Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Carey Price got the starts, but Josh Harding relieved Backstrom as an injury fill-in early in the first period. Montreal got going with a P.K. Subban power play goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Tomas Kaberle and David Desharnais. The Canadiens extended the lead with a Lars Eller power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Scott Gomez and Chris Campoli. Minnesota got one back with a Matt Kassian goal, assisted by Darroll Powe and Nick Johnson. Montreal answered in the second period as Max Pacioretty nailed his twenty-sixth of the season, another power play goal, guided in by Desharnais and Subban. The Canadiens rolled on in the third period with a Desharnais goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Pacioretty and Kaberle. Kassian got one back for the Wild, and he was helped out by Johnson and Nate Prosser. Minnesota pulled closer with a Dany Heatley goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Kyle Brodziak. The Wild tied it with ten seconds left in regulation, as Devin Setoguchi notched his sixteenth of the year, via Matt Cullen and Johnson, the latter getting a sock trick. The Canadiens prevented a meltdown by taking the shootout on a lone Desharnais goal, winning 5-4 over Minnesota. The three stars went to Desharnais, Paciortty, and Subban, while Kassian, Johnson, and Kaberle get the honorable mentions.
Westward to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Ondrej Pavelec will get the starting nods. Winnipeg struck first on an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-fifth of the season going in unassisted. Jim Slater added on for the Jets with his ninth of the year, via Mark Stuart and Chris Thorburn. Winnipeg got going again in the third period as Kyle Wellwood recorded his fourteenth of the season, with the help of Stuart and Kane. The Jets added on with a Bryan Little goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Blake Wheeler and Randy Jones. Theodore was replaced in favor of Scott Clemmensen. Winnipeg was firing on all cylinders, continuing with Nik Antropov's tenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Zach Bogosian and Tobias Enstrom. Twelve seconds later, the Jets extended the lead again with a Kane goal, his second of the night and twenty-sixth of the year, thanks to Wellwood and Alex Burmistrov. Winnipeg iced it at 7-0 after Wheeler deposited his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by Kane and Tim Stapleton. Kane, Pavelec (33 save shutout), and Wheeler earned the three stars, while Wellwood and Stuart get the honorable mentions.
Back stateside, the Colorado Avalanche host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Semyon Varlamov go under the masks. Columbus opened with Nikita Nikitin netting his third of the season, with assists from Vinny Prospal and Fedor Tyutin on the power play tally. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Tyutin goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Prospal and Derick Brassard. This made it 2-0, and after a silent third period, this was a final. The three stars belonged to Mason (33 save shutout), Nikitin, and Tyutin, while Prospal earns an honorable mention.
Farther to the south, the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Mike Smith tend the twines. Calgary led off with a Michael Cammalleri goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla. The Flames extended the lead when Curtis Glencross potted his twentieth of the year shorthanded, thanks to Mark Giordano and Scott Hannan. Calgary rolled along with an Olli Jokinen goal, his twentieth of the season, an unassisted goal. Phoenix got on the board in the second period with a Raffi Torres goal, his tenth of the year coming on the power play from Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes stormed closer with a Rozsival goal, made possible by Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with an Iginla empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, guided in by Matt Stajan and Tanguay. The three stars were awarded to Kiprusoff (29 for 31 in saves), Rozsival, and Torres, while Iginla and Tanguay also played well.
Northwest of there, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Roberto Luongo will wear the pads. Vancouver got things going in the third period when Alexandre Burrows potted his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks iced it at 2-0 with a Chris Higgins empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Burrows and Bieksa. The three stars went to Luongo (29 save shutout), Burrows, and Zack Kassian, while Bieksa earns an honorable mention.
We wrap up the day in San Jose, with the Sharks hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Antti Niemi will be in the blue paint. Buffalo started the scoring on a Drew Stafford goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Tyler Ennis. This held up throughout the rest of the game for a 1-0 Sabres final. The three stars were given to Miller (39 save shutout), Stafford, and Niemi (18 for 19 in saves).
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Thursday, March 1, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
NHL Day 147 2011-2012
Only four games on Leap Day 2012. We begin with...
The Dallas Stars hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Kari Lehtonen guard the cages. Jamie Benn opened the scoring for Dallas with his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Steve Ott and Adam Burish. Pittsburgh answered with a Steve Sullivan goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Pascal Dupuis and Brooks Orpik. Sheldon Souray gave the Stars a second period lead with his sixth of the season, set up by Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro. The Penguins tied it again in the third period as Craig Adams notched his fourth of the year, thanks to Jordan Staal. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Chris Kunitz goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Paul Martin and Evgeni Malkin. Dallas retied it as Michael Ryder registered his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Eriksson and Trevor Daley. The tie was broken in the shootout, but not before James Neal traded tallies with Eriksson and Kunitz did the same with Benn, allowing Dupuis to lift the Penguins over the Stars 4-3. Malkin, Eriksson, and Fleury (30 for 33 in saves) got the three stars, while the honorable mention belongs to Dupuis.
North of there, the Chicago Blackhawks welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Corey Crawford got the starting nods. Toronto led off with a Tyler Bozak goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Joffrey Lupul. Chicago answered with an Andrew Shaw goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland. The Maple Leafs took it back with Lupul's twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf on the power play. Toronto added on with a Clarke MacArthur goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Mikhail Grabovski and Cody Franson. The Blackhawks got one back when Marcus Kruger sank his eighth of the season, thanks to Nick Leddy and Duncan Keith. Ray Emery relieved Crawford for the second period onward. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Andrew Brunette and Sami Lepisto. The Blackhawks took the lead as Marian Hossa recorded his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Kane and Leddy. Chicago got Hossa to supply an insurance marker late in the third period, his twenty-sixth of the campaign and second of game finding the empty twine with no assistance. The Maple Leafs made it interesting with four seconds to go as Mike Brown deposited his second of the year, and Joey Crabb had the only helper, but they did not tie it and lost 5-4. The three stars were given to Kane, Leddy, and Emery (23 for 24 in saves in relief victory), while Hossa and Lupul get the honorable mentions.
Westward to Anaheim, where the Ducks host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Jonas Hiller are in between the pipes. Buffalo started the scoring when Derek Roy notched his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Tyler Myers and Christian Ehrhoff. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Brad Boyes goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Ehrhoff and Tyler Ennis. This was all the scoring we'd see, resulting in a 2-0 final, with Miller (43 save shutout), Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf getting the three stars, while Roy, Boyes, or Ehrhoff are far more deserving of the last two slots; dishonorable mention to Anaheim for their picking.
Northeast of there, we end in Edmonton, with the Oilers welcoming the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Devan Dubnyk play goal. St. Louis opened with an Andy McDonald goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of T.J. Oshie and David Backes. Scott Nichol added on for the Blues in the second period with his third of the year, made possible by David Perron and Kevin Shattenkirk. McDonald extended the St. Louis lead with his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Oshie and Shattenkirk, chasing Dubnyk in favor of Yann Danis. Edmonton got one back with a Corey Potter goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Darcy Hordichuk. The Oilers pulled closer with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recording his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Taylor Hall and Nick Schultz. The Blues shot back in the third period with a Shattenkirk goal, his eighth of the year coming on the power play, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Jason Arnott. St. Louis kept going with a Chris Stewart goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming on a penalty shot after a Hall hooking call. This provided the final score, a 5-2 margin, with the three stars as McDonald, Shattenkirk, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Oshie earns the honorable mention.
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The Dallas Stars hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Kari Lehtonen guard the cages. Jamie Benn opened the scoring for Dallas with his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Steve Ott and Adam Burish. Pittsburgh answered with a Steve Sullivan goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Pascal Dupuis and Brooks Orpik. Sheldon Souray gave the Stars a second period lead with his sixth of the season, set up by Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro. The Penguins tied it again in the third period as Craig Adams notched his fourth of the year, thanks to Jordan Staal. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Chris Kunitz goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Paul Martin and Evgeni Malkin. Dallas retied it as Michael Ryder registered his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Eriksson and Trevor Daley. The tie was broken in the shootout, but not before James Neal traded tallies with Eriksson and Kunitz did the same with Benn, allowing Dupuis to lift the Penguins over the Stars 4-3. Malkin, Eriksson, and Fleury (30 for 33 in saves) got the three stars, while the honorable mention belongs to Dupuis.
North of there, the Chicago Blackhawks welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Corey Crawford got the starting nods. Toronto led off with a Tyler Bozak goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Joffrey Lupul. Chicago answered with an Andrew Shaw goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland. The Maple Leafs took it back with Lupul's twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf on the power play. Toronto added on with a Clarke MacArthur goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Mikhail Grabovski and Cody Franson. The Blackhawks got one back when Marcus Kruger sank his eighth of the season, thanks to Nick Leddy and Duncan Keith. Ray Emery relieved Crawford for the second period onward. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Andrew Brunette and Sami Lepisto. The Blackhawks took the lead as Marian Hossa recorded his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Kane and Leddy. Chicago got Hossa to supply an insurance marker late in the third period, his twenty-sixth of the campaign and second of game finding the empty twine with no assistance. The Maple Leafs made it interesting with four seconds to go as Mike Brown deposited his second of the year, and Joey Crabb had the only helper, but they did not tie it and lost 5-4. The three stars were given to Kane, Leddy, and Emery (23 for 24 in saves in relief victory), while Hossa and Lupul get the honorable mentions.
Westward to Anaheim, where the Ducks host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Jonas Hiller are in between the pipes. Buffalo started the scoring when Derek Roy notched his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Tyler Myers and Christian Ehrhoff. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Brad Boyes goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Ehrhoff and Tyler Ennis. This was all the scoring we'd see, resulting in a 2-0 final, with Miller (43 save shutout), Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf getting the three stars, while Roy, Boyes, or Ehrhoff are far more deserving of the last two slots; dishonorable mention to Anaheim for their picking.
Northeast of there, we end in Edmonton, with the Oilers welcoming the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Devan Dubnyk play goal. St. Louis opened with an Andy McDonald goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of T.J. Oshie and David Backes. Scott Nichol added on for the Blues in the second period with his third of the year, made possible by David Perron and Kevin Shattenkirk. McDonald extended the St. Louis lead with his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Oshie and Shattenkirk, chasing Dubnyk in favor of Yann Danis. Edmonton got one back with a Corey Potter goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Darcy Hordichuk. The Oilers pulled closer with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recording his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Taylor Hall and Nick Schultz. The Blues shot back in the third period with a Shattenkirk goal, his eighth of the year coming on the power play, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Jason Arnott. St. Louis kept going with a Chris Stewart goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming on a penalty shot after a Hall hooking call. This provided the final score, a 5-2 margin, with the three stars as McDonald, Shattenkirk, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Oshie earns the honorable mention.
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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
NHL Day 146 2011-2012
Nine games on as the playoff push gains its full steam. First up, the Northeast Division battle in...
Boston, with the Bruins hosting the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Tim Thomas are in goal. Ottawa led off with an Erik Karlsson goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza on the power play. This goal held throughout the game for a 1-0 win, and the three stars were awarded to Lehner (32 save shutout), Thomas (37 for 38 in saves), and Karlsson.
Down the coast, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Nashville Predators. Anders Lindback and Cam Ward will play in front of the goalmouths. Nashville struck first as Craig Smith netted his twelfth of the season, with the help of Matt Halischuk and Gabriel Bourque. Carolina tied it on a Jamie McBain goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, pushed through by Anthony Stewart. The Predators retook the lead with Colin Wilson making his fifteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Hurricanes retied it with a Eric Staal goal, his nineteenth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Jeff Skinner and Jussi Jokinen. Carolina took a lead on Tim Brent power play goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Skinner and Staal. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the third period when Bryan Allen scored, thanks to Staal. Nashville got one back with a Bourque goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Patric Hornqvist and David Legwand. Carolina held on for a 4-3 win, with Staal, Allen, and Skinner getting the three stars, and Bourque gets the honorable mention.
To the Midwest, as the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Joey MacDonald and Curtis Sanford received the starting nods. Detroit started the scoring with the twenty-fourth of the season by Johan Franzen, courtesy of Jakub Kindl and Danny Cleary. Columbus evened it on a Rick Nash power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Derick Brassard and James Wisniewski. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with a Derek MacKenzie shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings retied it on the power play, when Niklas Kronwall made his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Henrik Zetterberg and Todd Bertuzzi. Detroit got the lead on a Zetterberg goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Valtteri Filppula and Kronwall. The Red Wings kept going with Jan Mursak's goal, coming off of Cory Emmerton and Tomas Holmstrom. Detroit kept up the blitz with a Filppula goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Franzen and Kronwall. The final stuck at 5-2, and the three stars were Kronwall, Zetterberg, and MacKenzie, while Filppula and Franzen get the honorable mentions.
Up in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and James Reimer take to the nets. Florida got going thirteen seconds in with a Marcel Goc goal, his sixth of the season, coming from Wojtek Wolski. The Panthers added on with Mike Santorelli sinking his eighth of the year, thanks to Jack Skille and Erik Gudbranson. Toronto got one back in the second period when Phil Kessel put away his thirty-second of the season, a power play goal powered by Dion Phaneuf and Joffrey Lupul. Florida got it back as Santorelli made his second of the game and ninth of the year, a power play goal guided in by Tomas Fleischmann and Brian Campbell. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period with a Jason Garrison power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs got one back when Nikolai Kulemin scored his seventh of the year with Phaneuf and Clarke MacArthur getting the assists. Florida shot back with a Stephen Weiss goal, his sixteenth of the season, and Sean Bergenheim had the only helper. Lupul pulled Toronto to a 5-3 loss with his twenty-fourth of the year, a power play goal from Kessel and Phaneuf, the latter earning a sock trick. Earning the three stars were Santorelli, Goc, and Garrison. Kessel, Lupul, and Phaneuf earned the honorable mentions.
Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Michal Neuvirth are the Russian goaltenders. New York began with a Josh Bailey goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Frans Nielsen and Andrew MacDonald. The Islanders extended their lead in the third period as Matt Moulson recorded his twenty-seventh of the year with the help of Steve Staios and P.A. Parenteau. Washington got on the board with a Troy Brouwer goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Mathieu Perreault and Jason Chimera. The Capitals tied it with another Brouwer goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, guided in by Brooks Laich and Dennis Wideman to force overtime. It was in this extra frame that Alex Ovechkin completed the Washington comeback with his twenty-sixth of the campaign, an unassisted goal for a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Ovechkin, Brouwer, and Neuvirth (22 for 24 in saves).
Well to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning are hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Mathieu Garon will be between the pipes. Tampa Bay opened the scoring on the forty-fourth of the season for Steven Stamkos, fueled by Teddy Purcell and Martin St. Louis. Montreal tied it with a David Desharnais goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning took the lead back in the second period when Adam Hall made his second of the season, thanks to Ryan Malone and J.T. Wyman. This held up through the rest of the game, and Tampa Bay won 2-1, with the three stars going to Garon (23 for 24 in saves), Hall, and Eric Brewer, while any other point earner can take the third star.
Northwest of that, the Minnesota Wild host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Bernier and Niklas Backstrom will keep the puck out of the mesh. Los Angeles struck early with a Justin Williams goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Slava Voynov and Dustin Brown. The Kings added on with a Dwight King goal, his second of the year, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Williams. Los Angeles rolled on with a Kopitar goal, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Brown and Matt Greene. The Kings extended the lead in the second period as Alec Martinez potted his third of the year, via Colin Fraser and Greene. This made it 4-0, which, after the third period ended, was a final, with the three stars as Bernier (26 save shutout), Kopitar, and Matt Cullen, while the following players could take the third star: Williams, Brown, or Greene.
Southwest, as follow a zig-zag pattern, the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Mike Smith tend the twines. Vancouver struck first with an Alexander Edler goal, his eighth of the season coming on the power play from Sami Salo and Daniel Sedin. Phoenix tied it when Ray Whitney netted his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Keith Yandle and Adrian Aucoin. The Coyotes beat the Canucks with Whitney and Mikkel Boedker tallying in the shootout for a 2-1 win. The three stars belonged to Smith (39 for 40 in saves), Whitney, and Boedker, while Schneider (34 for 35 in saves) gets an honorable mention.
We end the day's games in San Jose, where the Sharks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Antti Niemi stand in the creases. San Jose opened with a Ryane Clowe goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. This held up through the rest of the game, resulting in a 1-0 final with the three stars being Niemi (26 save shutout), Clowe, and Daniel Winnik, while Bryzgalov (22 for 23 in saves) earns the honorable mention.
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Boston, with the Bruins hosting the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Tim Thomas are in goal. Ottawa led off with an Erik Karlsson goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza on the power play. This goal held throughout the game for a 1-0 win, and the three stars were awarded to Lehner (32 save shutout), Thomas (37 for 38 in saves), and Karlsson.
Down the coast, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Nashville Predators. Anders Lindback and Cam Ward will play in front of the goalmouths. Nashville struck first as Craig Smith netted his twelfth of the season, with the help of Matt Halischuk and Gabriel Bourque. Carolina tied it on a Jamie McBain goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, pushed through by Anthony Stewart. The Predators retook the lead with Colin Wilson making his fifteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Hurricanes retied it with a Eric Staal goal, his nineteenth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Jeff Skinner and Jussi Jokinen. Carolina took a lead on Tim Brent power play goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Skinner and Staal. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the third period when Bryan Allen scored, thanks to Staal. Nashville got one back with a Bourque goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Patric Hornqvist and David Legwand. Carolina held on for a 4-3 win, with Staal, Allen, and Skinner getting the three stars, and Bourque gets the honorable mention.
To the Midwest, as the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Joey MacDonald and Curtis Sanford received the starting nods. Detroit started the scoring with the twenty-fourth of the season by Johan Franzen, courtesy of Jakub Kindl and Danny Cleary. Columbus evened it on a Rick Nash power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Derick Brassard and James Wisniewski. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with a Derek MacKenzie shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings retied it on the power play, when Niklas Kronwall made his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Henrik Zetterberg and Todd Bertuzzi. Detroit got the lead on a Zetterberg goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Valtteri Filppula and Kronwall. The Red Wings kept going with Jan Mursak's goal, coming off of Cory Emmerton and Tomas Holmstrom. Detroit kept up the blitz with a Filppula goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Franzen and Kronwall. The final stuck at 5-2, and the three stars were Kronwall, Zetterberg, and MacKenzie, while Filppula and Franzen get the honorable mentions.
Up in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and James Reimer take to the nets. Florida got going thirteen seconds in with a Marcel Goc goal, his sixth of the season, coming from Wojtek Wolski. The Panthers added on with Mike Santorelli sinking his eighth of the year, thanks to Jack Skille and Erik Gudbranson. Toronto got one back in the second period when Phil Kessel put away his thirty-second of the season, a power play goal powered by Dion Phaneuf and Joffrey Lupul. Florida got it back as Santorelli made his second of the game and ninth of the year, a power play goal guided in by Tomas Fleischmann and Brian Campbell. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period with a Jason Garrison power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs got one back when Nikolai Kulemin scored his seventh of the year with Phaneuf and Clarke MacArthur getting the assists. Florida shot back with a Stephen Weiss goal, his sixteenth of the season, and Sean Bergenheim had the only helper. Lupul pulled Toronto to a 5-3 loss with his twenty-fourth of the year, a power play goal from Kessel and Phaneuf, the latter earning a sock trick. Earning the three stars were Santorelli, Goc, and Garrison. Kessel, Lupul, and Phaneuf earned the honorable mentions.
Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Michal Neuvirth are the Russian goaltenders. New York began with a Josh Bailey goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Frans Nielsen and Andrew MacDonald. The Islanders extended their lead in the third period as Matt Moulson recorded his twenty-seventh of the year with the help of Steve Staios and P.A. Parenteau. Washington got on the board with a Troy Brouwer goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Mathieu Perreault and Jason Chimera. The Capitals tied it with another Brouwer goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, guided in by Brooks Laich and Dennis Wideman to force overtime. It was in this extra frame that Alex Ovechkin completed the Washington comeback with his twenty-sixth of the campaign, an unassisted goal for a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Ovechkin, Brouwer, and Neuvirth (22 for 24 in saves).
Well to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning are hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Mathieu Garon will be between the pipes. Tampa Bay opened the scoring on the forty-fourth of the season for Steven Stamkos, fueled by Teddy Purcell and Martin St. Louis. Montreal tied it with a David Desharnais goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning took the lead back in the second period when Adam Hall made his second of the season, thanks to Ryan Malone and J.T. Wyman. This held up through the rest of the game, and Tampa Bay won 2-1, with the three stars going to Garon (23 for 24 in saves), Hall, and Eric Brewer, while any other point earner can take the third star.
Northwest of that, the Minnesota Wild host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Bernier and Niklas Backstrom will keep the puck out of the mesh. Los Angeles struck early with a Justin Williams goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Slava Voynov and Dustin Brown. The Kings added on with a Dwight King goal, his second of the year, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Williams. Los Angeles rolled on with a Kopitar goal, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Brown and Matt Greene. The Kings extended the lead in the second period as Alec Martinez potted his third of the year, via Colin Fraser and Greene. This made it 4-0, which, after the third period ended, was a final, with the three stars as Bernier (26 save shutout), Kopitar, and Matt Cullen, while the following players could take the third star: Williams, Brown, or Greene.
Southwest, as follow a zig-zag pattern, the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Mike Smith tend the twines. Vancouver struck first with an Alexander Edler goal, his eighth of the season coming on the power play from Sami Salo and Daniel Sedin. Phoenix tied it when Ray Whitney netted his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Keith Yandle and Adrian Aucoin. The Coyotes beat the Canucks with Whitney and Mikkel Boedker tallying in the shootout for a 2-1 win. The three stars belonged to Smith (39 for 40 in saves), Whitney, and Boedker, while Schneider (34 for 35 in saves) gets an honorable mention.
We end the day's games in San Jose, where the Sharks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Antti Niemi stand in the creases. San Jose opened with a Ryane Clowe goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. This held up through the rest of the game, resulting in a 1-0 final with the three stars being Niemi (26 save shutout), Clowe, and Daniel Winnik, while Bryzgalov (22 for 23 in saves) earns the honorable mention.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Monday, February 27, 2012
NHL Day 145 2011-2012
Happy trade deadline day everyone. Hopefully your favorite teams didn't just throw in the towel for the season, I know mine hasn't despite their inactivity. We also have five games on tonight, beginning with a big Atlantic Division battle in...
New York, with the Rangers hosting the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York struck first with the eleventh of the season by Carl Hagelin, assisted by Ryan Callahan and Dan Girardi. The Rangers iced it at 2-0 in the third period with a Callahan empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Hagelin and Brad Richards. The three stars were given to Hagelin, Ryan McDonagh, and Lundqvist (13 save shutout), while Callahan earns honorable mention.
Southwest of there, the Nashville Predators host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Pekka Rinne are between the pipes. Nashville took an early lead on a Roman Josi goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by David Legwand and Gabriel Bourque. The Predators added on with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Legwand and Sergei Kostitsyn. Los Angeles got one back in the third period as Dustin Brown potted his eighteenth of the campaign, making it 2-1 with helpers provided by Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. This was a final, with the three stars named as Legwand, Rinne (30 for 31 in saves), and Josi.
Up in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Ondrej Pavelec received the starts. Winnipeg was first on the board as Kyle Wellwood scored a second period power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nik Antropov and Alex Burmistrov. Edmonton shot back with a Ryan Whitney power play goal, his second of the year, helped along by Taylor Hall and the goalie Dubnyk. The Jets regained the lead as Burmistrov notched his thirteenth of the season, and Dustin Byfuglien had the lone assist. The Oilers retied it in the third period as Ryan Jones registered his fourteenth of the year, a power play goal, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ales Hemsky. Edmonton gained the lead with the fourth of the season by Lennart Petrell, an unassisted goal. Hall extended the Oilers lead with his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Petrell. Edmonton kept going as Jordan Eberle sank his twenty-eighth of the season, via Ryan Smyth and Ladislav Smid. Winnipeg pulled as close as 5-3 before folding, when Antropov made his ninth of the year, courtesy of Evander Kane and Byfuglien. The three stars were Hall, Dubnyk (27 for 30 in saves), and Burmistrov. Petrell, Antropov, and Byfuglien got the honorable mentions.
Westward a tad, the Calgary Flames host the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Miikka Kiprusoff will be in the blue paint. Calgary opened with a Curtis Glencross goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Olli Jokinen and Cory Sarich. St. Louis tied it with David Backes netting his nineteenth of the year, thanks to T.J. Oshie and Roman Polak. The Blues gained the lead when Jason Arnott recorded his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Patrik Berglund. St. Louis added on in the second period with Arnott's second of the game and fifteenth of the year, another power play goal, set up by Berglund and Andy McDonald. This was all for the scoring, leaving the final at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Arnott, Glencross, and Pietrangelo, with honorable mention for Berglund.
We finish the day's games a bit south of there, in Denver, with the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Semyon Varlamov will try to stop the pucks. Colorado opened with a Cody McLeod goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Steve Downie and Jan Hejda. Anaheim tied it in the second period as Bobby Ryan put his twenty-third of the year away, with the help of Andrew Cogliano and Cam Fowler on the power play. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Downie. Colorado extended the lead with a Matt Duchene goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk. The Avalanche iced it at 4-1 with a Jay McClement tally, his ninth of the campaign, coming off of Landeskog and Hejda. The three stars went to Duchene, O'Reilly, and McLeod, while Downie, Landeskog, and Hejda get the honorable mentions.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
New York, with the Rangers hosting the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York struck first with the eleventh of the season by Carl Hagelin, assisted by Ryan Callahan and Dan Girardi. The Rangers iced it at 2-0 in the third period with a Callahan empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Hagelin and Brad Richards. The three stars were given to Hagelin, Ryan McDonagh, and Lundqvist (13 save shutout), while Callahan earns honorable mention.
Southwest of there, the Nashville Predators host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Pekka Rinne are between the pipes. Nashville took an early lead on a Roman Josi goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by David Legwand and Gabriel Bourque. The Predators added on with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Legwand and Sergei Kostitsyn. Los Angeles got one back in the third period as Dustin Brown potted his eighteenth of the campaign, making it 2-1 with helpers provided by Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. This was a final, with the three stars named as Legwand, Rinne (30 for 31 in saves), and Josi.
Up in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Ondrej Pavelec received the starts. Winnipeg was first on the board as Kyle Wellwood scored a second period power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nik Antropov and Alex Burmistrov. Edmonton shot back with a Ryan Whitney power play goal, his second of the year, helped along by Taylor Hall and the goalie Dubnyk. The Jets regained the lead as Burmistrov notched his thirteenth of the season, and Dustin Byfuglien had the lone assist. The Oilers retied it in the third period as Ryan Jones registered his fourteenth of the year, a power play goal, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ales Hemsky. Edmonton gained the lead with the fourth of the season by Lennart Petrell, an unassisted goal. Hall extended the Oilers lead with his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Petrell. Edmonton kept going as Jordan Eberle sank his twenty-eighth of the season, via Ryan Smyth and Ladislav Smid. Winnipeg pulled as close as 5-3 before folding, when Antropov made his ninth of the year, courtesy of Evander Kane and Byfuglien. The three stars were Hall, Dubnyk (27 for 30 in saves), and Burmistrov. Petrell, Antropov, and Byfuglien got the honorable mentions.
Westward a tad, the Calgary Flames host the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Miikka Kiprusoff will be in the blue paint. Calgary opened with a Curtis Glencross goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Olli Jokinen and Cory Sarich. St. Louis tied it with David Backes netting his nineteenth of the year, thanks to T.J. Oshie and Roman Polak. The Blues gained the lead when Jason Arnott recorded his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Patrik Berglund. St. Louis added on in the second period with Arnott's second of the game and fifteenth of the year, another power play goal, set up by Berglund and Andy McDonald. This was all for the scoring, leaving the final at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Arnott, Glencross, and Pietrangelo, with honorable mention for Berglund.
We finish the day's games a bit south of there, in Denver, with the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Semyon Varlamov will try to stop the pucks. Colorado opened with a Cody McLeod goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Steve Downie and Jan Hejda. Anaheim tied it in the second period as Bobby Ryan put his twenty-third of the year away, with the help of Andrew Cogliano and Cam Fowler on the power play. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Downie. Colorado extended the lead with a Matt Duchene goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk. The Avalanche iced it at 4-1 with a Jay McClement tally, his ninth of the campaign, coming off of Landeskog and Hejda. The three stars went to Duchene, O'Reilly, and McLeod, while Downie, Landeskog, and Hejda get the honorable mentions.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Fantasy Hockey All-Stars week 19
1. Erik Karlsson 4 G, 8 A, +5, 2 PIM, 4 PPP, 13 SOG
2. P.A. Parenteau, 3 G, 2 A, +1, 28 PIM, 1 PPP, 12 SOG
3. Steven Stamkos, 3 G, 5 A, +1, 6 PIM, 4 PPP, 14 SOG
4. Evgeni Malkin, 5 G, 2 A, +3, 4 PIM, 3 PPP, 17 SOG
5. Teddy Purcell, 3 G, 7 A, +1, 0 PIM, 5 PPP, 10 SOG
Good luck to everyone trying to close in on their playoff spot in the next 2-3 weeks, depending on your league set up. It was a bit of a rocky week for me this week, so hopefully I will right the ship and get in the playoffs.
2. P.A. Parenteau, 3 G, 2 A, +1, 28 PIM, 1 PPP, 12 SOG
3. Steven Stamkos, 3 G, 5 A, +1, 6 PIM, 4 PPP, 14 SOG
4. Evgeni Malkin, 5 G, 2 A, +3, 4 PIM, 3 PPP, 17 SOG
5. Teddy Purcell, 3 G, 7 A, +1, 0 PIM, 5 PPP, 10 SOG
Good luck to everyone trying to close in on their playoff spot in the next 2-3 weeks, depending on your league set up. It was a bit of a rocky week for me this week, so hopefully I will right the ship and get in the playoffs.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
NHL Day 144 2011-2012
Seven games are going on this Sunday, from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. Pacific. We begin with a pair of games, the first in...
New Jersey, as the Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Martin Brodeur are in goal. New Jersey started the scoring with Alexei Ponikarovsky netting his twelfth of the season, an unassisted goal. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with the twentieth of the year by Martin St. Louis, fueled by Steven Stamkos and the goalie Garon. St. Louis gave the Lightning a lead with his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, a power play goal powered by Purcell and Stamkos. The Devils tied the game in the third period with a Petr Sykora goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Steve Bernier and Dainius Zubrus. Matt Gilroy took the lead back for Tampa with his third of the season, made possible by St. Louis and Purcell. Tampa Bay added on with St. Louis finishing his hat trick on his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Purcell, who got a sock trick, and Eric Brewer. New Jersey pulled back on Zach Parise's twenty-third of the campaign, assisted by Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias. The final was 4-3, and the three stars were St. Louis, Purcell, and Parise, while the honorable mention went to Stamkos.
Also, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis Sanford and Brad Thiessen get the spot starts. Columbus led off in the second period with a Rick Nash shorthanded goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Nikita Niktin. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, powered by James Neal and Steve Sullivan. The Penguins took a third period lead with a Pascal Dupuis goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Sullivan and Jordan Staal. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a Kris Letang power play goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Richard Park and Matt Cooke. The Penguins added on again with Joe Vitale notching his fourth of the season, assisted by Eric Tangradi and Cooke. The Blue Jackets got one back with Vinny Prospal recording his eleventh of the year, and Cam Atkinson picked up the assist. This was it for scoring, leaving a final score at 4-2, and Thiessen (22 for 24 in saves), Sullivan, and Dupuis earned the three stars, while Cooke gets an honorable mention.
Down in Dallas, the Stars hosted the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Kari Lehtonen tended the twines. Vancouver struck first with a second period Ryan Kesler goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Chris Higgins and Dan Hamhuis. The Canucks added on with a Mason Raymond goal, his eighth of the year, thanks to Higgins and Aaron Rome. Dallas got one back with Michael Ryder scoring his twenty-fifth of the season, with the help of Mike Ribeiro and Loui Eriksson on the power play. The Stars tied it late in the third period on a Ribeiro goal, his fourteenth of the year, pushed through by Alex Goligoski and Sheldon Souray. Eriksson secured a Dallas victory in overtime with his twenty-first of the campaign making it 3-2, helped along by Trevor Daley and Steve Ott. The three stars were awarded to Ribeiro, Kesler, and Eriksson, with an honorable mention for Higgins.
Back east a bit, the Florida Panthers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Scott Clemmensen play in place of the usual starters in front of the nets. Montreal was first on the board due to a David Desharnais goal, his twelfth of the season, with an assist provided by Erik Cole. The Canadiens added on with a P.K. Subban power play goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Tomas Kaberle and Desharnais. Florida got one back as Stephen Weiss recorded his fourteenth of the season, with the help of Keaton Ellerby. The Panthers tied it in the second period, as Sean Bergenheim netted his fourteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Mikael Samuelsson and the goalie Clemmensen. Florida took the lead when Weiss struck again, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, assisted by Samuelsson and Bergenheim. The Panthers added on when Brian Campbell sank his fourth of the year in the third period, thanks to Weiss and Bergenheim. This made it 4-2, a final, with Weiss, Bergenheim, and Samuelsson getting the three stars and Desharnais collecting the honorable mention.
In Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Robin Lehner received the starting nods. New York led off with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by P.A. Parenteau and Travis Hamonic. Ottawa tied it with a second period Milan Michalek power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Erik Karlsson and Kyle Turris. The Senators took the lead with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, guided in by Karlsson and Filip Kuba. Jim O'Brien helped Ottawa extend the lead in the third period with his second of the year, made possible by Chris Neil. The Islanders got one back when Parenteau put away his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Hamonic and Matt Moulson. The Senators shot back when Neil made his tenth of the year, courtesy of Nick Foligno. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 on a Turris empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Foligno and Colin Greening. The three stars of the game were Lehner (28 for 30 in saves), Karlsson, and Neil, while Parenteau, Turris, Hamonic, and Foligno get the honorable mentions.
Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the San Jose Sharks. Thomas Greiss and Niklas Backstrom will be in the blue paint. San Jose opened as Tommy Wingels potted his third of the season, with the help of Jamie McGinn and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks added on with a Joe Thornton goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Torrey Mitchell and Brent Burns. Minnesota got on the board with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fourteenth of the season, an unassisted tally. The Wild tied it in the second period as Nick Schultz potted a power play goal with a helper provided by Kyle Brodziak. Burns gave San Jose the lead again in the third period with his tenth of the year, courtesy of Thornton and Marleau on the power play. Minnesota retied it with Matt Cullen depositing his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Marco Scandella. The Wild took the lead with a Jed Ortmeyer goal, passed through Jared Spurgeon. They held on for a 4-3 win, and handed the three stars to Scandella, Nick Palmieri, and Spurgeon, while better selections would be Thornton, Marleau, Burns, or anyone who actually scored a goal.
Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Chicago Blackhawks. Ray Emery and Jonas Hiller guard the cages. Chicago got things going with a Patrick Kane goal, his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Nick Leddy and Marian Hossa. Anaheim tied it late in the first period on a Andrew Cogliano goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Nick Bonino. The Ducks took the lead in the second period when Sheldon Brookbank netted his second of the season, thanks to Teemu Selanne and Francois Beauchemin. Selanne extended the Anaheim lead in the third period with his twenty-first of the year, a power play goal powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. This made the score 3-1, a final, with the three stars being Selanne, Brookbank, and Devante Smith-Pelly, while any point earner can take the third slot.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
New Jersey, as the Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Martin Brodeur are in goal. New Jersey started the scoring with Alexei Ponikarovsky netting his twelfth of the season, an unassisted goal. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with the twentieth of the year by Martin St. Louis, fueled by Steven Stamkos and the goalie Garon. St. Louis gave the Lightning a lead with his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, a power play goal powered by Purcell and Stamkos. The Devils tied the game in the third period with a Petr Sykora goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Steve Bernier and Dainius Zubrus. Matt Gilroy took the lead back for Tampa with his third of the season, made possible by St. Louis and Purcell. Tampa Bay added on with St. Louis finishing his hat trick on his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Purcell, who got a sock trick, and Eric Brewer. New Jersey pulled back on Zach Parise's twenty-third of the campaign, assisted by Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias. The final was 4-3, and the three stars were St. Louis, Purcell, and Parise, while the honorable mention went to Stamkos.
Also, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis Sanford and Brad Thiessen get the spot starts. Columbus led off in the second period with a Rick Nash shorthanded goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Nikita Niktin. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, powered by James Neal and Steve Sullivan. The Penguins took a third period lead with a Pascal Dupuis goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Sullivan and Jordan Staal. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a Kris Letang power play goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Richard Park and Matt Cooke. The Penguins added on again with Joe Vitale notching his fourth of the season, assisted by Eric Tangradi and Cooke. The Blue Jackets got one back with Vinny Prospal recording his eleventh of the year, and Cam Atkinson picked up the assist. This was it for scoring, leaving a final score at 4-2, and Thiessen (22 for 24 in saves), Sullivan, and Dupuis earned the three stars, while Cooke gets an honorable mention.
Down in Dallas, the Stars hosted the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Kari Lehtonen tended the twines. Vancouver struck first with a second period Ryan Kesler goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Chris Higgins and Dan Hamhuis. The Canucks added on with a Mason Raymond goal, his eighth of the year, thanks to Higgins and Aaron Rome. Dallas got one back with Michael Ryder scoring his twenty-fifth of the season, with the help of Mike Ribeiro and Loui Eriksson on the power play. The Stars tied it late in the third period on a Ribeiro goal, his fourteenth of the year, pushed through by Alex Goligoski and Sheldon Souray. Eriksson secured a Dallas victory in overtime with his twenty-first of the campaign making it 3-2, helped along by Trevor Daley and Steve Ott. The three stars were awarded to Ribeiro, Kesler, and Eriksson, with an honorable mention for Higgins.
Back east a bit, the Florida Panthers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Scott Clemmensen play in place of the usual starters in front of the nets. Montreal was first on the board due to a David Desharnais goal, his twelfth of the season, with an assist provided by Erik Cole. The Canadiens added on with a P.K. Subban power play goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Tomas Kaberle and Desharnais. Florida got one back as Stephen Weiss recorded his fourteenth of the season, with the help of Keaton Ellerby. The Panthers tied it in the second period, as Sean Bergenheim netted his fourteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Mikael Samuelsson and the goalie Clemmensen. Florida took the lead when Weiss struck again, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, assisted by Samuelsson and Bergenheim. The Panthers added on when Brian Campbell sank his fourth of the year in the third period, thanks to Weiss and Bergenheim. This made it 4-2, a final, with Weiss, Bergenheim, and Samuelsson getting the three stars and Desharnais collecting the honorable mention.
In Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Robin Lehner received the starting nods. New York led off with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by P.A. Parenteau and Travis Hamonic. Ottawa tied it with a second period Milan Michalek power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Erik Karlsson and Kyle Turris. The Senators took the lead with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, guided in by Karlsson and Filip Kuba. Jim O'Brien helped Ottawa extend the lead in the third period with his second of the year, made possible by Chris Neil. The Islanders got one back when Parenteau put away his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Hamonic and Matt Moulson. The Senators shot back when Neil made his tenth of the year, courtesy of Nick Foligno. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 on a Turris empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Foligno and Colin Greening. The three stars of the game were Lehner (28 for 30 in saves), Karlsson, and Neil, while Parenteau, Turris, Hamonic, and Foligno get the honorable mentions.
Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the San Jose Sharks. Thomas Greiss and Niklas Backstrom will be in the blue paint. San Jose opened as Tommy Wingels potted his third of the season, with the help of Jamie McGinn and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks added on with a Joe Thornton goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Torrey Mitchell and Brent Burns. Minnesota got on the board with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fourteenth of the season, an unassisted tally. The Wild tied it in the second period as Nick Schultz potted a power play goal with a helper provided by Kyle Brodziak. Burns gave San Jose the lead again in the third period with his tenth of the year, courtesy of Thornton and Marleau on the power play. Minnesota retied it with Matt Cullen depositing his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Marco Scandella. The Wild took the lead with a Jed Ortmeyer goal, passed through Jared Spurgeon. They held on for a 4-3 win, and handed the three stars to Scandella, Nick Palmieri, and Spurgeon, while better selections would be Thornton, Marleau, Burns, or anyone who actually scored a goal.
Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Chicago Blackhawks. Ray Emery and Jonas Hiller guard the cages. Chicago got things going with a Patrick Kane goal, his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Nick Leddy and Marian Hossa. Anaheim tied it late in the first period on a Andrew Cogliano goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Nick Bonino. The Ducks took the lead in the second period when Sheldon Brookbank netted his second of the season, thanks to Teemu Selanne and Francois Beauchemin. Selanne extended the Anaheim lead in the third period with his twenty-first of the year, a power play goal powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. This made the score 3-1, a final, with the three stars being Selanne, Brookbank, and Devante Smith-Pelly, while any point earner can take the third slot.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
NHL Day 143 2011-2012
Big set of games on the Saturday schedule, as usual. We start with three matinees, the first of which is in Pittsburgh...
With the Penguins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Marc-Andre Fleury play in goal. Pittsburgh opened on a Chris Kunitz goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and James Neal. The Penguins added on with a Matt Cooke goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Joe Vitale and Zbynek Michalek. Pittsburgh kept going with a Jordan Staal shorthanded and unassisted goal, his twentieth of the season. Staal kept the Penguins strong in the second period with his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, a power play goal powered by Steve Sullivan and Neal. Pittsburgh extended the lead with Evgeni Malkin netting his thirty-fourth of the season, with the help of Kunitz and Deryk Engelland. Tampa Bay got on the board with Teddy Purcell scoring on the power play, with Ryan Malone and Brett Clark helping out on his seventeenth of the year. Malkin took it back for the Penguins in the third period with his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the season, thanks to Matt Niskanen. Malkin finished his hat trick on a power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, set up by Neal, who got a sock trick, and Sullivan. The Penguins iced it at 8-1 with a Pascal Dupuis goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, coming off of Staal and Sullivan, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Malkin, Staal, and Fleury (34 for 35 in saves), while the honorable mentions include Sullivan, Neal, and Kunitz.
Up in central Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Chris Mason got the starting nods. St. Louis opened with a David Backes goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by T.J. Oshie and Andy McDonald. David Perron extended the Blues lead with his twelfth of the year, thanks to Patrik Berglund and Oshie. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Evander Kane and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets tied it with another Wheeler goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Andrew Ladd and Byfuglien. The game was decided in the shootout, with St. Louis winning as McDonald answered Wheeler to allow Perron the game winner. The three stars were given to Wheeler, Halak (39 for 41 in saves), and Byfuglien, while Perron, Oshie, and McDonald also played well.
A little to the west, we end the matinee period with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Devan Dubnyk are padded up. Phoenix started off with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone Martian Hanzal assist. The Coyotes added on with Ray Whitney potting his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Radim Vrbata and Hanzal. Edmonton got one back in the third period when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins put away his fourteenth of the season, with the help of Ales Hemsky and Taylor Hall. Phoenix iced it at 3-1 with a Shane Doan goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Keith Yandle and Adrian Aucoin. The three stars went to Whitney, Hanzal, and Hall.
At the regularly scheduled time, we had a wave of five games to lead us off. The first had the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Justin Peters played in the blue paint. Carolina opened with a Justin Faulk power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Eric Staal and Jerome Samson. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with Jussi Jokinen recording his ninth of the year, thanks to Jeff Skinner. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Kris Versteeg and Keaton Ellerby. The Panthers tied it with a Wojtek Wolski goal, fueled by Shawn Matthias and Jason Garrison. Florida took the game 3-2 in the shootout with Mikael Samuelsson and Stephen Weiss overpowering Carolina's only tally by Skinner. The three stars were given out to Staal, Wolski, and Faulk.
Up in Canada again, the Ottawa Senators hosted the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Alex Auld would be between the pipes. Ottawa began the scoring as Erik Karlsson notched his fourteenth of the season, with help from Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek. Boston answered with Patrice Bergeron netting his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Zdeno Chara and Tyler Seguin. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand tally, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Bergeron and Chara. Boston kept going in the second period when Chris Camper scored, assisted by Adam McQuaid. The Bruins extended the lead in the third period as David Krejci put his thirteenth of the year away, a power play goal powered by Dennis Seidenberg and Joe Corvo. The Senators pulled back with a Daniel Alfredsson goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Spezza and Karlsson. Ottawa got even closer when Alfredsson scored again, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, guided in by Karlsson and Spezza, the latter earning a sock trick. Boston iced it with another Bergeron goal, his nineteenth of the campaign and second of the night finding empty twine to make it 5-3, and in went in unassisted. The three stars of the game went to Bergeron, Alfredsson, and Chris Neil, while Chara, Karlsson, and Spezza get the honorable mentions
Stateside, the New York Rangers hosted the Buffalo Sabres. Stud goalies Ryan Miller and Henrik Lundqvist tended the twines. Buffalo led off with a Drew Stafford goal, his eleventh of the season, with the help of Tyler Ennis and Andrej Sekera. New York replied in the second period on a Carl Hagelin goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Marc Staal and Brad Richards. The Sabres took the lead again with a Stafford third period goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season coming on the power play from Thomas Vanek and Derek Roy. The Rangers retied it with a Marian Gaborik goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, thanks to Michael Del Zotto and Hagelin. New York won it 3-2 in the overtime period, with Ryan Callahan sinking his twenty-fourth of the campaign with a lone Ryan McDonagh assist. The three stars were awarded to Callahan, Stafford, and Hagelin.
North again to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Washington Capitals. Michal Neuvirth and James Reimer get a chance to stop the puck. Washington started off with a Marcus Johansson goal thirty-two seconds into the game, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Alex Ovechkin and Keith Aucoin. Alexander Semin added on for the Capitals with his seventeenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Washington extended the lead in the second period as Jeff Halpern registered his fourth of the season, thanks to Joel Ward and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals kept it up with Aucoin's goal, made possible by Johansson and Ovechkin. Toronto got on the board in the third period as Colby Armstrong scored an unassisted goal. The Maple Leafs cut further into the deficit with a Tim Connolly goal, his tenth of the year, pushed through by Matthew Lombardi and Nikolai Kulemin. This made it a 4-2 final score, and the three stars were given to Johansson, Aucoin, and Semin, with an honorable mention for Ovechkin.
Back to the U.S., with the Detroit Red Wings welcoming the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Jimmy Howard were in front of the goals. Colorado struck first with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Steve Downie and Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche added on with a shorthanded and unassisted David Jones goal, his fifteenth of the year. Colorado extended the lead in the second period with another Landeskog goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, fueled by O'Reilly and Downie. Detroit got on the board in the third period when Jiri Hudler notched his nineteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Valtteri Filppula and Henrik Zetterberg. The Avalanche took it back when Downie netted his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Ryan Wilson and O'Reilly, the latter getting a sock trick. The Red Wings answered with another Hudler goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, coming off of Zetterberg and Brad Stuart. Detroit got as close as 4-3 but couldn't score again after Filppula made his eighteenth of the campaign, with the helpers provided by Hudler and Zetterberg, the latter getting a sock trick. Landeskog, Downie, and Hudler took home the three stars, while honorable mentions are in place for Zetterberg, O'Reilly, and Filppula.
Out west, the Los Angeles Kings host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick played in the creases. Los Angeles started off with a Dustin Brown goal, his fifteenth of the season coming on the power play from Jarret Stoll. The Kings added on with another Brown goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, also on the power play, powered by Alec Martinez and Stoll. Los Angeled extended the lead in the second period with a shorthanded Brown goal, finishing off his natural hat trick with his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Willie Mitchell. The Kings kept going with Mitchell potting his fourth of the year, helped along by Brown and Stoll, the latter getting a sock trick. Ray Emery relieved Crawford at this time. There was no more scoring here, resulting a 4-0 final. The three stars were awarded to Brown, Stoll, and Mitchell, while Quick (19 save shutout) gets the only honorable mention.
Back east, the Nashville Predators brought in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Pekka Rinne started as the Finnish goalies. Nashville led off with a Colin Wilson goal, his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Jordin Tootoo. The Predators kept going with a Shea Weber goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Martin Erat and Sergei Kostitsyn. Patrick Marleau answered for San Jose on his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. Nashville chased Niemi when Kevin Kelin registered his fourth of the year, with the help of Roman Josi and Mike Fisher. Thomas Greiss relieved Niemi. The Sharks got one back in the second period with a Pavelski goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Marleau and Thornton. Weber shot back for the Predators with his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by David Legwand and Ryan Suter. Erat added on for Nashville with his fourteenth of the season going into the empty net after touching the tape of Gabriel Bourque and Josi. The final was 6-2 when the Predators got a Nick Spaling goal late, his tenth of the year, helped along by Tootoo and Wilson. The three stars were handed out to Weber, Marleau, and Wilson, while Pavelski, Thornton, Erat, Josi, and Tootoo get the honorable mentions.
Wrapping up the day, we are in Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Miikka Kiprusoff guard the cages. Calgary started off with a Mark Giordano power play goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames added on when Matt Stajan recorded his third of the year, thanks to Lance Bouma. Calgary kept going in the second period with a Tom Kostopoulos goal, a shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Alex Tanguay. Philadelphia got on the board with Jakub Voracek netting his eleventh of the year, via Andrej Meszaros and Nicklas Grossman. The Flyers pulled closer with a Braydon Coburn goal, his third of the season, made possible by Matt Carle and Matt Read. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with a Kimmo Timonen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr. The Flames retook the lead when Alex Tanguay converted a penalty shot for his ninth of the season, which was the result of a Pavel Kubina slash on breakaway. The Flyers retied it with a Grossman goal, set up by Giroux and Scott Hartnell. The game lasted to a shootout, where Michael Cammalleri and Giroux traded tallies before Read put the game away at 5-4 for good for Philadelphia. The three stars went out to Tanguay, Giroux, and Kostopoulos, while Hartnell and Grossman got the honorable mentions.
With the Penguins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Marc-Andre Fleury play in goal. Pittsburgh opened on a Chris Kunitz goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and James Neal. The Penguins added on with a Matt Cooke goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Joe Vitale and Zbynek Michalek. Pittsburgh kept going with a Jordan Staal shorthanded and unassisted goal, his twentieth of the season. Staal kept the Penguins strong in the second period with his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, a power play goal powered by Steve Sullivan and Neal. Pittsburgh extended the lead with Evgeni Malkin netting his thirty-fourth of the season, with the help of Kunitz and Deryk Engelland. Tampa Bay got on the board with Teddy Purcell scoring on the power play, with Ryan Malone and Brett Clark helping out on his seventeenth of the year. Malkin took it back for the Penguins in the third period with his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the season, thanks to Matt Niskanen. Malkin finished his hat trick on a power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, set up by Neal, who got a sock trick, and Sullivan. The Penguins iced it at 8-1 with a Pascal Dupuis goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, coming off of Staal and Sullivan, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Malkin, Staal, and Fleury (34 for 35 in saves), while the honorable mentions include Sullivan, Neal, and Kunitz.
Up in central Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Chris Mason got the starting nods. St. Louis opened with a David Backes goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by T.J. Oshie and Andy McDonald. David Perron extended the Blues lead with his twelfth of the year, thanks to Patrik Berglund and Oshie. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Evander Kane and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets tied it with another Wheeler goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Andrew Ladd and Byfuglien. The game was decided in the shootout, with St. Louis winning as McDonald answered Wheeler to allow Perron the game winner. The three stars were given to Wheeler, Halak (39 for 41 in saves), and Byfuglien, while Perron, Oshie, and McDonald also played well.
A little to the west, we end the matinee period with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Devan Dubnyk are padded up. Phoenix started off with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone Martian Hanzal assist. The Coyotes added on with Ray Whitney potting his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Radim Vrbata and Hanzal. Edmonton got one back in the third period when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins put away his fourteenth of the season, with the help of Ales Hemsky and Taylor Hall. Phoenix iced it at 3-1 with a Shane Doan goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Keith Yandle and Adrian Aucoin. The three stars went to Whitney, Hanzal, and Hall.
At the regularly scheduled time, we had a wave of five games to lead us off. The first had the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Justin Peters played in the blue paint. Carolina opened with a Justin Faulk power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Eric Staal and Jerome Samson. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with Jussi Jokinen recording his ninth of the year, thanks to Jeff Skinner. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Kris Versteeg and Keaton Ellerby. The Panthers tied it with a Wojtek Wolski goal, fueled by Shawn Matthias and Jason Garrison. Florida took the game 3-2 in the shootout with Mikael Samuelsson and Stephen Weiss overpowering Carolina's only tally by Skinner. The three stars were given out to Staal, Wolski, and Faulk.
Up in Canada again, the Ottawa Senators hosted the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Alex Auld would be between the pipes. Ottawa began the scoring as Erik Karlsson notched his fourteenth of the season, with help from Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek. Boston answered with Patrice Bergeron netting his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Zdeno Chara and Tyler Seguin. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand tally, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Bergeron and Chara. Boston kept going in the second period when Chris Camper scored, assisted by Adam McQuaid. The Bruins extended the lead in the third period as David Krejci put his thirteenth of the year away, a power play goal powered by Dennis Seidenberg and Joe Corvo. The Senators pulled back with a Daniel Alfredsson goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Spezza and Karlsson. Ottawa got even closer when Alfredsson scored again, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, guided in by Karlsson and Spezza, the latter earning a sock trick. Boston iced it with another Bergeron goal, his nineteenth of the campaign and second of the night finding empty twine to make it 5-3, and in went in unassisted. The three stars of the game went to Bergeron, Alfredsson, and Chris Neil, while Chara, Karlsson, and Spezza get the honorable mentions
Stateside, the New York Rangers hosted the Buffalo Sabres. Stud goalies Ryan Miller and Henrik Lundqvist tended the twines. Buffalo led off with a Drew Stafford goal, his eleventh of the season, with the help of Tyler Ennis and Andrej Sekera. New York replied in the second period on a Carl Hagelin goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Marc Staal and Brad Richards. The Sabres took the lead again with a Stafford third period goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season coming on the power play from Thomas Vanek and Derek Roy. The Rangers retied it with a Marian Gaborik goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, thanks to Michael Del Zotto and Hagelin. New York won it 3-2 in the overtime period, with Ryan Callahan sinking his twenty-fourth of the campaign with a lone Ryan McDonagh assist. The three stars were awarded to Callahan, Stafford, and Hagelin.
North again to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Washington Capitals. Michal Neuvirth and James Reimer get a chance to stop the puck. Washington started off with a Marcus Johansson goal thirty-two seconds into the game, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Alex Ovechkin and Keith Aucoin. Alexander Semin added on for the Capitals with his seventeenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Washington extended the lead in the second period as Jeff Halpern registered his fourth of the season, thanks to Joel Ward and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals kept it up with Aucoin's goal, made possible by Johansson and Ovechkin. Toronto got on the board in the third period as Colby Armstrong scored an unassisted goal. The Maple Leafs cut further into the deficit with a Tim Connolly goal, his tenth of the year, pushed through by Matthew Lombardi and Nikolai Kulemin. This made it a 4-2 final score, and the three stars were given to Johansson, Aucoin, and Semin, with an honorable mention for Ovechkin.
Back to the U.S., with the Detroit Red Wings welcoming the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Jimmy Howard were in front of the goals. Colorado struck first with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Steve Downie and Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche added on with a shorthanded and unassisted David Jones goal, his fifteenth of the year. Colorado extended the lead in the second period with another Landeskog goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, fueled by O'Reilly and Downie. Detroit got on the board in the third period when Jiri Hudler notched his nineteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Valtteri Filppula and Henrik Zetterberg. The Avalanche took it back when Downie netted his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Ryan Wilson and O'Reilly, the latter getting a sock trick. The Red Wings answered with another Hudler goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, coming off of Zetterberg and Brad Stuart. Detroit got as close as 4-3 but couldn't score again after Filppula made his eighteenth of the campaign, with the helpers provided by Hudler and Zetterberg, the latter getting a sock trick. Landeskog, Downie, and Hudler took home the three stars, while honorable mentions are in place for Zetterberg, O'Reilly, and Filppula.
Out west, the Los Angeles Kings host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick played in the creases. Los Angeles started off with a Dustin Brown goal, his fifteenth of the season coming on the power play from Jarret Stoll. The Kings added on with another Brown goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, also on the power play, powered by Alec Martinez and Stoll. Los Angeled extended the lead in the second period with a shorthanded Brown goal, finishing off his natural hat trick with his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Willie Mitchell. The Kings kept going with Mitchell potting his fourth of the year, helped along by Brown and Stoll, the latter getting a sock trick. Ray Emery relieved Crawford at this time. There was no more scoring here, resulting a 4-0 final. The three stars were awarded to Brown, Stoll, and Mitchell, while Quick (19 save shutout) gets the only honorable mention.
Back east, the Nashville Predators brought in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Pekka Rinne started as the Finnish goalies. Nashville led off with a Colin Wilson goal, his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Jordin Tootoo. The Predators kept going with a Shea Weber goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Martin Erat and Sergei Kostitsyn. Patrick Marleau answered for San Jose on his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. Nashville chased Niemi when Kevin Kelin registered his fourth of the year, with the help of Roman Josi and Mike Fisher. Thomas Greiss relieved Niemi. The Sharks got one back in the second period with a Pavelski goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Marleau and Thornton. Weber shot back for the Predators with his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by David Legwand and Ryan Suter. Erat added on for Nashville with his fourteenth of the season going into the empty net after touching the tape of Gabriel Bourque and Josi. The final was 6-2 when the Predators got a Nick Spaling goal late, his tenth of the year, helped along by Tootoo and Wilson. The three stars were handed out to Weber, Marleau, and Wilson, while Pavelski, Thornton, Erat, Josi, and Tootoo get the honorable mentions.
Wrapping up the day, we are in Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Miikka Kiprusoff guard the cages. Calgary started off with a Mark Giordano power play goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames added on when Matt Stajan recorded his third of the year, thanks to Lance Bouma. Calgary kept going in the second period with a Tom Kostopoulos goal, a shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Alex Tanguay. Philadelphia got on the board with Jakub Voracek netting his eleventh of the year, via Andrej Meszaros and Nicklas Grossman. The Flyers pulled closer with a Braydon Coburn goal, his third of the season, made possible by Matt Carle and Matt Read. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with a Kimmo Timonen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr. The Flames retook the lead when Alex Tanguay converted a penalty shot for his ninth of the season, which was the result of a Pavel Kubina slash on breakaway. The Flyers retied it with a Grossman goal, set up by Giroux and Scott Hartnell. The game lasted to a shootout, where Michael Cammalleri and Giroux traded tallies before Read put the game away at 5-4 for good for Philadelphia. The three stars went out to Tanguay, Giroux, and Kostopoulos, while Hartnell and Grossman got the honorable mentions.
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