NHL Day 162 2011-2012

Eight games for viewing tonight, starting with the big one...

Coming from Madison Square Garden, with the New York Rangers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Biron got the starts. Pittsburgh started with a Stu Bickel own goal Matt Cooke tally, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone Tyler Kennedy assist. New York evened the score with Carl Hagelin potting his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik. The Penguins took the lead in the second period as Evgeni Malkin netted his thirty-ninth of the season, fueled by James Neal. Pittsburgh extended the lead on a Cooke goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, coming off of Kennedy and Jordan Staal. The Rangers got one back as Gaborik put away his thirty-fifth of the season, with helpers provided by Richards and Hagelin. The Penguins answered in the third period as Chris Kunitz recorded his twenty-first of the year, via Sidney Crosby and Neal. Pittsburgh added on as Pascal Dupuis put his nineteenth of the season into the cage, thanks to Kris Letang and Paul Martin. This stuck as a final, 5-2, with the three stars being Cooke, Malkin, and Letang, with honorable mention for Neal, Richards, Gaborik, Hagelin, and Kennedy.

Also in New York, the Islanders hosted the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and fellow Russian Evgeni Nabokov were in goal. Philadelphia opened on a Zac Rinaldo goal, his second of the season, fueled by Sean Couturier and Nicklas Grossmann. The Flyers added on when Claude Giroux notched his twenty-sixth of the year, thanks to Jaromir Jagr and Scott Hartnell. Philadelphia struck again in the second period as Hartnell made his thirty-third of the season, with the help of Kimmo Timonen and Giroux. New York got on the board when Michael Grabner shelved his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Mark Streit and Dylan Reese. Thirty-five seconds later, the Islanders made it 3-2 with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-first of the campaign, assisted by Streit. This was a final, with the three stars as Giroux, Hartnell, and Streit.

Down south a bit, the Carolina Hurricanes welcomed the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Cam Ward are the masked men. Carolina was first on the board in the third period with a Chad LaRose goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Andreas Nodl and Tim Brent. The Hurricanes made it 2-0 with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twentieth of the year, made possible by Bryan Allen. Ward (40 save shutout), LaRose, and Skinner got the three stars.

Back to the Atlantic area, with the New Jersey Devils hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Martin Brodeur were playing in the creases. The game was scoreless going into the shootout, where Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise lifted New Jersey to a 1-0 win. The three stars were awarded to Brodeur (28 save shutout), Giguere (33 save shootout loss shutout), and Kovalchuk.

Back south again, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Dustin Tokarski will be between the pipes. Toronto got the scoring started with a John-Michael Liles power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Mikhail Grabovski and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on with a Joey Crabb goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, thanks to Matthew Lombardi and Tim Connolly. Toronto kept going with a Jake Gardiner goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Lombardi. Dwayne Roloson relieved Tokarsi at this time. Tampa Bay avoided the shutout with a late Martin St. Louis goal, his twenty-third of the year, made possible by Brett Clark. The final was 3-1, and the three stars ended up with Reimer (34 for 35 in saves), Gardiner, and Grabovski, while Lombardi earns an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Jose Theodore received the starting nods. Florida led off on a Mikael Samuelsson goal, his tenth of the season, coming on the power play from Brian Campbell and Stephen Weiss. The Panthers extended their lead as Marcel Goc netted his tenth of the year, with the help of Campbell and Samuelsson. Boston got on the board with the fourth of the season for Joe Corvo, fueled by Benoit Pouliot and Brian Rolston. Florida got it back as Weiss put down his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Tomas Fleischmann and Campbell, the latter getting a sock trick. The Panthers kept up the attack on a John Madden goal, with assists provided by Jerred Smithson and Krys Barch. The Bruins got one back in the third period as Rolston made his fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Zdeno Chara. Florida shot back on a Tomas Kopecky goal, his eighth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Panthers iced it as Wolski nailed his third of the campaign, assisted by Fleischmann and Jason Garrison for a 6-2 Florida win. The three stars belonged to Campbell, Samuelsson, and Weiss, while Rolston and Fleischmann get the honorable mentions.

Way northwest, the Calgary Flames host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Miikka Kiprusoff tend the twines. Calgary opened just seventeen seconds into the game with a Sven Baertschi goal, his third of the season, an unassisted goal. The Flames added on in the second period as Jarome Iginla netted his thirty-first of the year, fueled by Mark Giordano and Scott Hannan. Phoenix got one back as Oliver Ekman-Larsson potted his eleventh of the season, with the help of Ray Whitney and Rostislav Klesla. Calgary quickly took it back with Matt Stajan's sixth of the year, with a lone Cory Sarich assist. The Flames iced it at 4-1 with a shorthanded Alex Tanguay goal, his twelfth of the campaign, passed up by Curtis Glencross. The three stars went to Giordano, Kiprusoff (27 for 28 in saves), and Iginla.

Finally, we end in San Jose, with the Sharks welcoming the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Antti Niemi played in the blue paint. Nashville drew first blood with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twenty-second of the season coming on the power play from Mike Fisher and Martin Erat. San Jose evened the score in the third period when Joe Thornton put down his sixteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Patrick Marleau and Dan Boyle. The Sharks ended up winning in the shootout with a lone Ryane Clowe tally for a 2-1 victory. The three stars were handed to Niemi (32 for 33 in saves), Rinne (34 for 35 in saves), and Justin Braun, while any point earner can take the third slot, as well as Clowe.

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NHL Day 161 2011-2012

Only six games on this evening, in two minor waves of action. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ryan Miller are in front of the twines. Buffalo started off with a Marcus Foligno goal, his second of the season, assisted by Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford. Colorado shot back with the eighteenth of the year by Jamie McGinn, thanks to Paul Stastny. The Sabres retook the lead on a Stafford shorthanded and unassisted goal, his fourteenth of the season. The Avalanche tied it again when David Jones recorded his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Shane O'Brien and Ryan Wilson. Colorado took the lead in the second period on a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Peter Mueller and Stastny. Buffalo tied it when Foligno potted his second of the game and third of the year, courtesy of Stafford and Ennis. The Sabres took the lead back in the third period as Alexander Sulzer scored, made possible by Brad Boyes and Ennis, the latter earning a sock trick. The Avalanche got a life-saving McGinn goal with two seconds left in regulation, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, coming off of Ryan O'Reilly and Landeskog. Colorado would end up winning after Mueller had the only tally in the shootout, giving them a 5-4 win, with the three stars being Foligno, McGinn, and Stafford, with honorable mention for Mueller, Landeskog, Stastny, and Ennis.

Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host their close rivals, the Ottawa Senators. Ben Bishop and Carey Price got the starting nods. Montreal began with an Erik Cole goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Petteri Nokelainen and Aaron Palushaj. Ottawa answered twenty-six seconds later with a Colin Greening goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza. The Canadiens got the lead back early in the third period with a David Desharnais goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by P.K. Subban and Max Pacioretty. The Senators got another equalizer with the nineteenth of the year for Erik Karlsson, made possible by Filip Kuba and Spezza. Montreal carried the game with a lone Desharnais shootout tally, leading them to a 3-2 victory. The three stars were given to Desharnais, Cole, and Karlsson, with an honorable mention to Spezza.

Also in the north, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Dallas Stars. Richard Bachman and Ondrej Pavelec are between the pipes. Winnipeg opened the scoring with a Nik Antropov goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Antti Miettinen and Grant Clitsome. The Jets added on in the second period when Evander Kane netted his twenty-eighth of the year, via Alex Burmistrov and Kyle Wellwood. Winnipeg rolled on with an Eric Fehr goal, his second of the season, an unassisted goal. The Jets extended the lead again quickly with an Andrew Ladd goal forty-seven seconds later, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg struck again with Ladd registering his second of the night and twenty-third of the season on the power play, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Wheeler. Dallas finally got on the board seventeen seconds later when Loui Eriksson notched his twenty-fourth of the year, thanks to Mike Ribeiro. The Stars got one back with Eriksson's second of the night and twenty-fifth of the season, with a lone Alex Goligoski assist. The final stuck at 5-2, with the three stars going to Ladd, Fehr, and Antropov, and the honorable mentions were Eriksson and Wheeler.

Far to the southwest, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Joey MacDonald and Jonas Hiller are in the creases. Anaheim got things going in the second period with a Teemu Selanne goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Cam Fowler and Saku Koivu. The Ducks extended the lead with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his second of the year, an unassisted goal. Anaheim rolled on when Bobby Ryan scored his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Ryan Getzlaf and Lubomir Visnovsky. The Ducks added on again in the third period with another Palmieri goal, his second of the game and third of the year, assisted by Getzlaf and Sheldon Brookbank. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars being Palmieri, Hiller (23 save shutout), and Selanne, while Getzlaf gets an honorable mention.

Up the coast, the Vancouver Canucks host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Roberto Luongo tend the twines. Vancouver started the scoring when Alexandre Burrows potted his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Jannik Hansen and Chris Tanev. The Canucks added on with a Ryan Kesler power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Henrik Sedin and Burrows. Phoenix got one back on a Rostislav Klesla goal, his third of the season, coming off of Antoine Vermette and Ray Whitney. The Coyotes tied it when Shane Doan sank his twenty-first of the year, with the help of Vermette and Whitney. Phoenix took the lead again in the second period with a power play goal off the tape of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, his tenth of the season, powered by Lauri Korpikoski and Whitney, the latter clinching a sock trick of secondary assists. Vancouver retied it as David Booth netted his fourteenth of the year, another power play goal, with helpers provided by Chris Higgins and Kevin Bieksa. The Coyotes shot back with a Gilbert Brule goal to retake the lead again, his fourth of the season, helped along by Taylor Pyatt and Keith Yandle. Phoenix kept the attack up in the third period with a Vermette goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Ekman-Larsson and Doan, a power play goal. The Canucks pulled closer on a Dan Hamhuis goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. They never got the equalizer, falling 5-4. The three stars went to Whitney, Burrows, and Vermette. The honorable mentions include Henrik Sedin, Ekman-Larsson, and Doan.

Finally, over in Alberta, we come to our final game as the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Playing in goal are Curtis Sanford and Devan Dubnyk. Edmonton drew first blood with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone Jordan Eberle assist. The Oilers added on when Taylor Hall scored a power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Shawn Horcoff and Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton iced it at 3-0 with a Linus Omark empty net goal, his second of the campaign, passed from Ryan Smyth. The three stars were awarded to Nugent-Hopkins, Hall, and Dubnyk (22 save shutout).

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NHL Day 160 2011-2012

Nine games for your viewing tonight. We begin with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Washington Capitals. Michal Neuvirth and Evgeni Nabokov are the Russian goaltenders. New York opened with a Matt Moulson goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Andrew MacDonald and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders added on with a Travis Hamonic power play goal, his second of the year, guided in by Tavares and Frans Nielsen. New York kept going in the second period on another Tavares goal, his of the twenty-ninth season coming on the power play from Mark Streit and Hamonic. Washington got one back twenty-eight seconds later as Mike Knuble put away his fourth of the year, via Dennis Wideman and Keith Aucoin. The Islanders later replied with a Tavares goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, set up by Okposo and Hamonic. The Capitals answered again with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, made possible by Brooks Laich and Marcus Johansson late in the frame. Washington pulled even closer in the third period as Dmitry Orlov sank his third of the season, thanks to Johansson and Aucoin. The Capitals tied it with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, via Aucoin, who got a sock trick, and Joel Ward. The game went to a shootout, where Tavares and Ovechkin exchanged goals before Washington got a Matt Hendricks tally as the deciding goal for a 5-4 win. The three stars went to Ovechkin, Tavares, and Hamonic, while Aucoin, Johansson, and Okposo got the honorable mentions.

Crossing over to Philadelphia, as the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Ilya Bryzgalov started in goal. Philadelphia struck first in the second period on a Sean Couturier goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible Braydon Coburn. The Flyers added on in the third period when Jakub Voracek potted his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Danny Briere. Philadelphia iced it at 3-0 with a Briere empty net goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Voracek and Coburn. The three stars ended up as Bryzgalov (17 save shutout), Voracek, and Eric Wellwood, while Briere and Coburn get the honorable mentions.

Farther south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Jose Theodore guarded the cages. Florida opened the scoring early with a Sean Bergenheim goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Mikael Samuelsson and Keaton Ellerby. The Panthers extended their lead in the second period on a Jason Garrison tally, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Marcel Goc and Wojtek Wolski. Toronto got on the board as Tyler Bozak netted his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Clarke MacArthur and Phil Kessel. Florida got it back in the third period with a Tomas Kopecky goal, his seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Garrison and Ed Jovanovski. The Panthers kept going with a Goc power play goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Wolski. The Maple Leafs finally answered back again on Mikhail Grabovski's twenty-second of the year, via Luke Schenn and MacArthur. Florida iced it at 5-2 with another Bergenheim goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign finding the empty net after being passed from Kopecky. Garrison, Goc, and Kopecky got the three stars while MacArthur and Bergenheim get the honorable mentions.

A little farther north in the state, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Boston Bruins. Marty Turco and Dustin Tokarski got the starting nods. Tampa Bay led off with a Tom Pyatt goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Ryan Malone and Brett Connolly. The Lightning added on with a Nate Thompson goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Adam Hall and J.T. Wyman. Tampa Bay chased Turco when Ryan Shannon's fourth of the season went down on the power play, powered by Victor Hedman and the goalie Tokarski. Tim Thomas came on in relief. The Lightning extended the lead again with an unassisted Hedman goal, his fourth of the year. Tampa Bay continued the blitz in the second period with the forty-ninth of the season for Steven Stamkos, pushed through by Teddy Purcell and Brian Lee. taking Thomas out of the game and reinstating Turco. Boston got on the board in the third period with a Jordan Caron goal, his seventh of the year, thanks to Johnny Boychuk and Zdeno Chara. Stamkos shot back for the Lightning with his second of the game and fiftieth of the season, made possible by Martin St. Louis and Lee. Earning the three stars were Stamkos, Tokarski (33 for 34 in saves), and Hedman, while Lee earns an honorable mention.

Circling back to New York, where the Rangers are hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Martin Biron are in the blue paint. New York got the early lead on the thirty-fourth of the season for Marian Gaborik, courtesy of Dan Girardi and John Mitchell. The Rangers extended the lead with a Brad Richards goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Carl Hagelin and. Richards added on again for New York with his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, set up by Hagelin and Gaborik. Carolina got on the board with a Tim Brent power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner. The Hurricanes pulled closer on a Drayson Bowman goal, his third of the season, helped along by Brandon Sutter and Patrick Dwyer. The Rangers got a little separation back with a Hagelin goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Gaborik and Richards. The final here was 4-2, with the three stars going to Richards, Hagelin, and Gaborik.

Westward to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Matt Hackett are under the masks. Dallas started the scoring in the third period on a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Brenden Morrow. This was all the scoring this game would see, and Lehtonen (25 save shutout), Hackett (24 for 25 in saves), and Marco Scandella got the three stars while Benn or Morrow deserve the third slot.

A tad south, the Chicago Blackhawks host the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Ray Emery are between the pipes. Chicago struck first on an Andrew Brunette goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane. St. Louis answered quickly with a Jamie Langenbrunner goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Jason Arnott. Andy McDonald gave the Blues a lead with his ninth of the season, thanks to David Perron and Patrik Berglund. St. Louis kept going with a Berglund goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Barret Jackman and McDonald. Corey Crawford relieved Emery for the second period onward. The Blackhawks got one back in the second period as Viktor Stalberg notched his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Marcus Kruger and Johnny Oduya. Chicago tied it on a Brent Seabrook power play goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, powered by Hossa and Patrick Sharp. The Blackhawks won with a lone Kane tally in the shootout, propelling them to a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Seabrook, McDonald, and Dave Bolland, while Kane, Berglund, or Hossa would also earn attention for the third star.

Up into Canada, with the Calgary Flames hosting the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Miikka Kiprusoff are the Finnish goalies. San Jose scored early with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. Calgary tied the game in the second period on a Sven Baertschi goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jarome Iginla and Roman Horak. The Flames took the lead with Iginla potting his thirtieth of the season, thanks to Mark Giordano. Couture tied it back up in the third period for the Sharks with his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, a power play goal powered by Patrick Marleau and Thornton. Calgary won it in the overtime with a Matt Stajan goal, his fifth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Blake Comeau. The three stars were awarded to Iginla, Couture, and Giordano, while Thornton got an honorable mention.

Finally, in southern California, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Justin Williams led off for Los Angeles with his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown. The Kings extended the lead with an Anze Kopitar shorthanded goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone Brown assist. Jiri Hudler put Detroit on the board in the second period with his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Henrik Zetterberg and Valtteri Filppula. Doughty shot back for Los Angeles on his ninth of the year, guided in by Dwight King and Jeff Carter. The Kings added on in the third period with a Slava Voynov goal, his sixth of the season coming on the power play, powered by Jarret Stoll and Williams. The Red Wings took one back with a Johan Franzen goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, fueled by Brad Stuart and Danny Cleary. Los Angeles iced it at 5-2 with a Carter empty netter, his twentieth of the campaign, coming off of Kopitar. The three stars were handed out to Doughty, Williams, and Zetterberg, while Carter, Kopitar, and Brown get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 159 2011-2012

We go with four games tonight, beginning as the...

Buffalo Sabres host the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Ryan Miller got the starting nods. Montreal opened with an Erik Cole goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by David Desharnais. Buffalo tied it in the second period on a Tyler Ennis goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno. Ennis gained the lead for the Sabres in the third period with his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Stafford and Alexander Sulzer. Desharnais tied it for the Canadiens with his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Cole and Max Pacioretty. Buffalo won 3-2in overtime with a Tyler Myers goal, his eighth of the campaign, with assists from Derek Roy and Jason Pominville.

Far to the west, the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Semyon Varlamov are playing in goal. Colorado led off with a Jamie McGinn goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Ryan O'Byrne and David Jones. Anaheim tied it with two seconds left in the second period on a Francois Beauchemin goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Bobby Ryan and Cam Fowler. The Avalanche regained the lead in the third period when Kevin Porter recorded his fourth of the season, via Jan Hejda and Cody McLeod. The Ducks tied it back up on a Teemu Selanne power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Matt Beleskey and Ryan. Colorado took the game 3-2 in overtime with the nineteenth of the campaign by Gabriel Landeskog, pushed through by Matt Hunwick and Steve Downie. Varlamov (38 for 40 in saves), Landeskog, and Selanne got the three stars while Ryan gets an honorable mention.

A bit north, the Edmonton Oilers welcomed the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Devan Dubnyk are in the blue paint. San Jose struck first with a Torrey Mitchell goal, his eighth of the season, with help from Tommy Wingels and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Edmonton tied it as Ryan Whitney netted his third of the year, thanks to Nick Schultz and Eric Belanger. The Sharks retook the lead on a Joe Thornton goal, his fifteenth of the season coming in the second period on the power play, powered by Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski. Taylor Hall retied it for the Oilers on his twenty-sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. San Jose took the lead back early in the third period when Logan Couture potted his twenty-eighth of the season, a power play goal, coming off of Dan Boyle and Thornton. This paced the Sharks to a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Thornton, Whitney, and Boyle.

We finish down in Arizona, as the Phoenix Coyotes host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Mike Smith tend the twines. Nashville was first on the board with a Martin Erat goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Sergei Kostitsyn and Hal Gill. Phoenix tied it in the second period with a Daymond Langkow goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Raffi Torres. The Predators took the lead back when Mike Fisher deposited his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Sergei and Erat. The Coyotes quickly tied the game again as Keith Yandle made his tenth of the year, with the help of Antoine Vermette and Ray Whitney. Nashville reclaimed the lead again with a Francis Bouillon goal, fueled by Erat and Ryan Ellis. The Predators extended their lead in the third period on a Craig Smith goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Paul Gaustad. Phoenix got one back with an Ekman-Larsson goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Michal Rozsival and Radim Vrbata. The Coyotes tied it as Langkow put down his second of the night and tenth of the season, assisted by Torres and Shane Doan. Nashville ended up winning 5-4 in the shootout after a lone Andrei Kostitsyn tally. The three stars were handed out to Ekman-Larsson, Langkow, and Erat, while Sergei and Torres get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Fantasy Hockey All-Stars week 21

Playoffs are now officially in full force, although a few straggling leagues will be fighting it out for the last slots this week. Here's who gave you a nice boost last week.

1. Ilya Bryzgalov, 3 W, 0.65 GAA, 94 SV, .979 SV%, 2 SO
2. Ilya Kovalchuk, 5 G, 4 A, +4, 0 PIM, 3 PPP, 22 SOG
3. Jeff Skinner, 2 G, 2 A, +6, 14 PIM, 0 PPP, 12 SOG
4. Jaroslav Halak, 3 W, 1.00 GAA, 76 SV, .962 SV%, 0 SO
5. Martin Brodeur, 3 W, 1.00 GAA, 72 SV, .960 SV%, 0 SO

Best of luck in the playoffs this week, and follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion for Fantasy Baseball Draft Recaps during all of my drafts this month.

NHL Day 158 2011-2012

Another eight games rolling this Sunday afternoon. First up...

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Marc-Andre Fleury got the starting nods. Pittsburgh started off with an Arron Asham goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Ben Lovejoy and Craig Adams. Matt Niskanen extended the Penguins lead with his fourth of the year, guided in by Evgeni Malkin and James Neal. Pittsburgh kept going with a Neal power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Malkin. Thomas was relieved by Marty Turco for the second period onward. Boston got one back with David Krejci recording his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Tyler Seguin and Milan Lucic. The Penguins answered on a Chris Kunitz goal, his twentieth of the campaign, fueled by Neal and Malkin. The Bruins pulled back as Krejci made his second of the game and twentieth of the season, coming off of Lucic and Seguin. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 in the third period with Pascal Dupuis notching his eighteenth of the year, via Jordan Staal and Deryk Engelland. The three stars went to Neal, Malkin, and Krejci, while Lucic and Seguin get the honorable mentions.

Moving along to D.C., as the Washington Capitals host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson and Michal Neuvirth tend the twines. Washington began with a shorthanded and unassisted Brooks Laich goal, his fourteenth of the season. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Alexander Semin and Dennis Wideman. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, and the three stars were given to Neuvirth (23 save shutout), Laich, and Perreault.

Farther south, the Florida Panthers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Jose Theodore are in the blue paint. Florida drew first blood with a second period Tomas Fleischmann goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Stephen Weiss and Wojtek Wolski. The Panthers iced it at 2-0 with a Marcel Goc goal, his eighth of the year finding the empty net thanks to Tomas Kopecky and Jason Garrison. Theodore (34 save shutout), Fleischmann, and Ward (31 for 32 in saves) get the three stars.

Northwest to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the St. Louis Blues for the second half of a home-and-home. Jaroslav Halak and Curtis Sanford will play goal. St. Louis got things going in the second period on a Patrik Berglund goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Andy McDonald. Columbus tied it when Mark Letestu notched his eighth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Johansen and Brett Lebda. The Blues took the lead in the third period as David Perron potted his fourteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Barret Jackman. St. Louis held on to the 2-1 lead from here for the win, with the three stars going to Halak (33 for 34 in saves), Perron, and Letestu.

Following the directional trend, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Matt Hackett wild guard the cages. Calgary opened the scoring with Jarome Iginla notching his twenty-ninth of the season, via Alex Tanguay and Matt Stajan. The Flames extended the lead in the third period as Sven Baertschi scored, with the help of Derek Smith and Tom Kostopoulos. Minnesota got one back as Erik Christensen recorded his second of the year, an unassisted goal just twenty-seven seconds later. The Wild tied it with another Christensen goal, his second of the game and third of the season, coming off of Jared Spurgeon and Stephane Veilleux. Calgary regained the lead when Curtis Glencross registered his twenty-fifth of the year, thanks to Iginla. The Flames got a little separation with an Olli Jokinen goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by David Moss and Glencross. Minnesota made it close at the end, pulling up to 4-3 with a Devin Setoguchi goal, his eighteenth of the year, pushed through by Kyle Brodziak and Tom Gilbert. The three stars were awarded to Iginla, Christensen, and Glencross.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Martin Brodeur are the masked men. New Jersey struck first with a Patrik Elias goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, a power play goal coming off of David Clarkson and Ilya Kovalchuk. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with a Claude Giroux goal, just sixteen seconds in, his twenty-fifth of the year, pushed through by Jaromir Jagr and Matt Carle. The Devils took the lead back with the second of the season by Anton Volchenkov, fueled by Kovalchuk and Zach Parise. New Jersey extended the lead on a Kovalchuk goal, his thirtieth of the year, guided in by Marek Zidlicky and Adam Henrique. The Devils added on again with a Parise power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Elias and Zidlicky, making it 4-1. The three stars were handed out to Kovalchuk, Zidlicky, and Elias, while Parise gets the honorable mention.

Near there, the New York Rangers take their turn in hosting the battle of New York by bringing in the New York Islanders. The goalies are Evgeni Nabokov and Henrik Lundqvist. John Tavares put the Islanders on the board first with his twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to P.A. Parenteau and Travis Hamonic. The Rangers tied it with a Brad Richards goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Anton Stralman and the goalie Lundqvist on the power play. The Islanders retook the lead with a Matt Moulson goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Mark Streit and Hamonic. The Rangers tied it again on another Richards goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, again on the power play, from Marian Gaborik and Mats Zuccarello. Andrew MacDonald took the lead back for the Islanders with his fifth of the season, made possible by Tavares and Milan Jurcina. The Rangers tied it again on a Brian Boyle goal, his sixth of the year coming in the third period via Ryan McDonagh and Brandon Prust. The Rangers would win 4-3 in overtime as Gaborik put away his thirty-third of the campaign, assisted by Richards and Derek Stepan on the power play. The three stars ended up being Richards, Tavares, and Gaborik, while Hamonic gets an honorable mention.

Finally, in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ray Emery are between the pipes. Los Angeles opened on a Slava Voynov goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Justin Williams and Dustin Brown. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Marcus Kruger goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Patrick Sharp and Viktor Stalberg. The Kings retook the lead as Jeff Carter put his nineteenth of the season in the cage, with the help of Dwight King and Mike Richards. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period as the eighteenth of the year by Patrick Kane found twine, coming off of Marian Hossa and Brent Seabrook. The tie was broken in the sixth round of the shootout on a Richards tally to lead the Kings to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Quick (35 for 37 in saves), Emery (27 for 29 in saves), and Jarret Stoll, while Richards gets honorable mention.

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NHL Day 157 2011-2012

Only eleven games on this Saturday, a bit lower than usual, beginning with two matinees. The first takes place in...

Boston, with the Bruins hosting the Washington Capitals. Tomas Vokoun and Tim Thomas are in front of the nets. Washington opened with an Alexander Semin goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Karl Alzner. The Capitals added on with a Matt Hendricks goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Troy Brouwer and Dmitry Orlov. Boston got one back as Milan Lucic recorded his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins tied it in the second period as Brad Marchand put down his twenty-third of the year, an unassisted goal. Washington regained the lead with Jay Beagle netting his second of the season, via Semin and Orlov. The Capitals extended the lead with a Brooks Laich power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Dennis Wideman and Alex Ovechkin. Boston got one back in the third period with Johnny Boychuk registering his third of the campaign with the help of Jordan Caron and Marchand. They never got the equalizer, falling 4-3, while the three stars were given to Laich, Vokoun (30 for 33 in saves), and Bergeron, and Semin, Marchand, and Orlov got the honorable mentions.

The other matinee is out west, in Denver, where the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Semyon Varlamov are under the masks. Edmonton got things going as Ryan Smyth netted his nineteenth of the season, with helpers provided by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle. Colorado tied it in the second period when Cody McLeod notched his sixth of the year, thanks to Ryan Wilson and Kevin Porter. The Avalanche took the lead as Peter Mueller potted his sixth of the season, with the help of Milan Hejduk and Mark Olver. The Oilers retied it in the third period as Taylor Hall sank his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Eberle. The tie was broken in the shootout, falling in Colorado's favor as Hejduk and Mueller paced them to a 3-2 lead. The three stars were Varlamov (28 for 30 in saves), Hejduk, and Eberle, while Mueller earns an honorable mention.

Starting at regularly scheduled times, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Jonas Gustavsson are in the creases. The game featured no scoring until the shootout, where Philadelphia escaped with a 1-0 win after a lone Claude Giroux tally. The three stars were awarded to Bryzgalov (29 save shutout), Gustavsson (27 save faux-shutout), and Giroux.

Also in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Ben Bishop protect the nets. Erik Condra got Ottawa going with his eighth of the season, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Buffalo tied it in the second period as Nathan Gerbe registered his sixth of the year, thanks to Christian Ehrhoff and Derek Roy. The Senators regained the lead on the seventeenth of the season by Erik Karlsson, made possible by Chris Neil and Nick Foligno. With nineteen seconds left in the middle frame, the Sabres got an equalizer off the tape of Tyler Ennis, his eighth of the year, fueled by Jordan Leopold and Ville Leino. Ottawa took the lead again in the third period as Karlsson potted his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Buffalo retied it again with a Marcus Foligno goal, also an unassisted goal. The tie was broken in favor of the Sabres in the shootout, as Jason Pominville and Ennis overpowered Daniel Alfredsson of the Senators for a 4-3 win. The three stars were given to Miller (33 for 36 in saves), Bishop (38 for 41 in saves), and Karlsson, while Ennis gets the honorable mention.

To the south, as the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Dustin Tokarski got the starting nods. Tampa Bay struck first with a Ryan Malone goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Tom Pyatt and Brett Connolly. Carolina answered as Jaroslav Spacek netted his fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jamie McBain and Jussi Jokinen. The Hurricanes gained the lead with a Jeff Skinner goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Jokinen and Chad LaRose. The Lightning retied it when Nate Thompson deposited his eighth of the year, thanks to J.T. Wyman and Adam Hall. Carolina regained the lead in the third period with another Skinner goal, his second of the night and nineteenth of the season, guided in by Bryan Allen. Carolina iced it at 4-2 with a LaRose empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed through Jay Harrison and Justin Faulk previously. Skinner, Ward (36 for 38 in saves), and Malone got the three stars while LaRose and Jokinen got the honorable mentions.

Backtracking a bit to Long Island, as the New York Islanders bring in the New Jersey Devils. Johan Hedberg and Anders Nilsson relieve the normal starters. New York got things started as John Tavares netted his twenty-seventh of the season in the third period, assisted by P.A. Parenteau and Matt Moulson. New Jersey tied it up with David Clarkson recording his twenty-eighth of the year, thanks to Jacob Josefson and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The Devils took the game 2-1 late with a Marek Zidlicky power play goal powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise. The three stars went to Zidlicky, Clarkson, and Tavares.

Westward a tad, as the Nashville Predators host the Detroit Red Wings. Joey MacDonald and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Nashville led off on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by David Legwand. Detroit answered with a Drew Miller tally, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Danny Cleary and Brad Stuart. The Predators retook the lead as Andrei Kostitsyn recorded his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Sergei Kostitsyn and Legwand. Nashville extended the lead in the third period with another Andrei power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, fueled by Sergei and Legwand, the latter wrapping up his sock trick. The Red Wings got one back as Justin Abdelkader notched his eighth of the season, with helpers provided by Gustav Nyquist and Darren Helm. They couldn't get the equalizer, falling 3-2 in the end. The three stars belonged to Andrei, Legwand, and Sergei.

Southwest of there, the Dallas Stars bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Kari Lehtonen play in between the pipes tonight. Dallas got the first goal in the second period when Brenden Morrow netted his ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Jamie Benn and Steve Ott. Michael Ryder iced it for the Stars with his thirtieth of the year, an empty net goal set up by Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro for a 2-0 win. The three stars were given to Lehtonen (21 save shutout), Morrow, and Hiller (21 for 22 in saves).

North again, this time stopping in St. Louis for the Blues hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis Sanford and Brian Elliott will attempt to stop the puck. St. Louis opened the scoring on a David Perron goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Andy McDonald and Patrik Berglund. Columbus tied it as Cam Atkinson registered his second of the year in the second period, coming off of Mark Letestu and Brett Lebda. The Blues retook the lead on a Chris Stewart goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Barret Jackman. St. Louis extended the lead with the eighteenth of the year by T.J. Oshie, a power play goal powered by David Backes and Carlo Colaiacovo. The Blues kept rolling on a third period Alex Pietrangelo goal, his eleventh of the season, coming on the power play from McDonald and Kevin Shattenkirk. This was it for the scoring, with a 4-1 score being the final, and the three stars went out to Backes, Pietrangelo, and Elliott (21 for 22 in saves), with McDonald earning an honorable mention.

Heading farther southwest, the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Mike Smith tend the twines. Phoenix first dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Michael Stone and Marc-Antoine Pouliot. Stone added on for the Coyotes later on, with the help of Pouliot and Gilbert Brule. Phoenix extended the lead again in the third period with Raffi Torres recording his twelfth of the year, via Shane Doan and Keith Yandle. This would be it for the scoring, leaving the three stars to Smith (42 save shutout), Stone, and Pouliot in the 3-0 game.

Finally, we head northwest to British Columbia, as the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Roberto Luongo guard the goalmouths. Vancouver opened the scoring as Ryan Kesler scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to David Booth and Chris Higgins. Montreal tied it on a Blake Geoffrion goal, made possible by Louis Leblanc and Yannick Weber. The Canadiens nabbed the lead thirteen seconds into the third period as Erik Cole sank his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Max Pacioretty and Josh Gorges. Montreal extended the lead as P.K. Subban potted his seventh of the season on the power play, powered by Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec. Cole struck again to add on for the Canadiens with his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, with Pacioretty getting the lone helper. This left the score at 4-1, with Price (32 for 33 in saves), Cole, and Subban getting the three stars while Pacioretty gets an honorable mention.

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