Eight games on tonight as the playoff push is in full swing. We begin with a less-relevant game in...
Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Jonas Gustavsson were called for the starts. Carolina opened with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Tuomo Ruutu and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes extended the lead with the twelfth of the year for Tim Brent, set up by Derek Joslin and Bryan Allen. Carolina chased Gustavsson in the early second period when Jay Harrison scored thirty-seven seconds in with his ninth of the season, on assists from Ruutu and Jokinen. Jussi Rynnas came on in relief. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 3-0, and the three stars went to Ward (31 save shutout), Ruutu, and Harrison, while Jokinen gets honorable mention.
Stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Martin Brodeur earned the starts in net. Petr Sykora put New Jersey on the board first with his eighteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Adam Henrique and Mark Fayne. Brent Seabrook tied it for Chicago in the third period with his eighth of the year, thanks to Dave Bolland. The Devils went on to win 2-1 in the shootout when Patrik Elias and Travis Zajac overpowering the Blackhawks' only Patrick Sharp tally. The three stars were Brodeur (37 for 38 in saves), Seabrook, and Sykora.
Nearby, the Washington Capitals hosted the Buffalo Sabres in a very important game. Ryan Miller and Braden Holtby started in the blue paint. Buffalo started with a Cody McCormick goal set up by Brad Boyes. The Sabres added on when Drew Stafford tipped in his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Tyler Myers and Tyler Ennis. Thomas Vanek helped Buffalo chase Holtby in the second period with his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Cody Hodgson and Corey Tropp. Michal Neuvirth came on in relief. Washington finally found the back of the net with Alexander Semin registering his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Jason Chimera and Mathieu Perreault. The Sabres got it back on Jason Pominville's twenty-ninth of the year, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Buffalo extended the lead again in the third period with another Stafford goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Ennis and Robyn Regehr. The final was 5-1, and the three stars were named as Stafford, Miller (44 for 45 in saves), and Pominville, while Ennis gets an honorable mention.
Into Pennsylvania, as the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Marc-Andre Fleury got the starts, but Al Montoya and Brad Thiessen relieved them for the third period, respectively. New York started with a Frans Nielsen goal, his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Dylan Reese and Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on when Michael Grabner made his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Nielsen. Pittsburgh got one back with the tenth of the season for Tyler Kennedy, assisted by Pascal Dupuis and Brian Strait. The Penguins tied it up with the thirty-sixth of the year by James Neal, courtesy of Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin. New York retook the lead with a Kyle Okposo goal, his eighteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Islanders extended their lead when David Ullstrom made his fourth of the year, a power play goal, powered by Bailey and Okposo. Nielsen kept New York on the attack with his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, made possible by Bailey, who got a sock trick, and Reese. Pittsburgh got one back in the third period with the second of the night and thirty-seventh of the year for Neal, a power play goal with helpers from Malkin and Steve Sullivan. This made it 5-3, the eventual final, with the three stars being Nielsen, Bailey, and Neal, while Reese, Okposo, and Malkin get the honorable mentions.
Heading toward Boston, as the Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Tim Thomas are in the creases. Tampa Bay was first on the board with the fifty-fourth of the season by Steven Stamkos, thanks to Martin St. Louis. Boston answered with a Shawn Thornton goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Zdeno Chara. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Dennis Seidenberg goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Chara and David Krejci. The Lightning retied it in the third period as Stamkos registered his second of the game and fifty-fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Victor Hedman and St. Louis. Boston retook the lead with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in off of Brian Rolston and Chara, the latter getting a sock trick. The Bruins gained separation with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin. Boston finished it at 5-2 with a Rich Peverley empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, pushed through by Krejci. The three stars were given to Chara, Stamkos, and Thornton. St. Louis and Krejci are the honorable mentions.
Farther to the north, the Montreal Canadiens host the Florida Panthers. Scott Clemmensen and Carey Price are the masked men. Florida opened with a Wojtek Wolski goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it with the thirty-first of the year for Erik Cole, a power play goal powered by Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period on a Louis Leblanc goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone Frederic St-denis helper. The Panthers got an equalizer in the third period when Mikael Samuelsson shelved his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Erik Gudbranson and Marcel Goc. Florida won in the shootout with a lone Wolski tally for a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Wolski, Leblanc, and Cole.
Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcomed the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Brian Elliott tended the twines. St. Louis started in the second period with a Jamie Langenbrunner goal, his sixth of the season, sent to him by Jason Arnott and Alex Steen (alliteration!). The Blues extended the lead in the third period on a David Perron goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by David Backes and T.J. Oshie. Oshie iced it at 3-0 for St. Louis with his nineteenth of the campaign, via Alex Pietrangelo and Backes. The three stars were awarded to Elliott (24 save shutout), Langenbrunner, and Steen, while Backes and Oshie get the honorable mentions.
Finally, we end in Minnesota, where the Wild host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Josh Harding are protecting the nets. New York began on a Brian Boyle goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Brandon Dubinsky and Anton Stralman. Minnesota tied it with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his twentieth of the year coming in the second period on the power play from Cal Clutterbuck and Marco Scandella. The Rangers retook the lead with a Marian Gaborik, his thirty-eighth of the season, thanks to Brad Richards and Ryan McDonagh. Mikko Koivu retied it for the Wild with his eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi. New York got the lead back in the third period with a Ruslan Fedotenko goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by McDonagh and Dan Girardi. The final held at 3-2 with the three stars being McDonagh, Scandella, and Brodziak.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. Busiest three days I've ever had, and happy baseball season at 3:10 AM PDT! I will try to do mini capsules during MLB, but no promises.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
NHL Day 173 2011-2012
Six games on tonight, and this post is running late thanks to a poetry event I had the utmost pleasure in attending. I will post my contributions and writings at a later date for everyone on here to see. As for the hockey...
The Detroit Red Wings opened things by hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Ty Conklin played in goal. Detroit led off with a Tomas Holmstrom power play goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on as Gustav Nyquist scored, with the help of Pavel Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi. Holmstrom struck again for Detroit with his second of the game and tenth of the year, another power play goal, powered by Zetterberg and Kronwall. The Red Wings kept going on a Jiri Hudler goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Valtteri Filppula and Bertuzzi. Detroit extended the lead in the second period with a Nicklas Lidstrom goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Zetterberg for a sock trick and Ian White. The Red Wings rolled along with a Brad Stuart goal, his sixth of the season, chasing Mason in faovr of Allen York, and with assists provided by Bertuzzi for a sock trick and Filppula. Datsyuk later struck for Detroit in the third period with his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Zetterberg and Bertuzzi. Columbus finally got on the board as Mark Letestu netted his eleventh of the season, thanks to Rick Nash and Nikita Nikitin. The Blue Jackets made it 7-2 with a Nash goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Vinny Prospal and Jack Johnson. Zetterberg, Bertuzzi, and Holmstrom had the three stars, while Datsyuk, Filppula, Kronwall, and Nash got the honorable mentions.
Moving eastward, the Philadelphia Flyers hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Ilya Bryzgalov handled the goaltending duties. Tampa Bay struck first as Ryan Malone put down his fifteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal passed through by Trevor Smith. The Lightning added on as Steven Stamkos notched his fifty-third of the year, a power play goal powered by Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, coming off of Brayden Schenn and Pavel Kubina as his twenty-third of the season. Matt Read tied it for the Flyers on his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Kimmo Timonen and Jakub Voracek. St. Louis gave Tampa Bay the lead back in the third period with his twenty-fourth of the season, set up by Tim Wallace and Eric Brewer. The Lightning extended the lead with an unassisted J.T. Wyman goal, his second of the year. Philadelphia took one back on a Scott Hartnell tally, his thirty-sixth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Danny Briere and Jakub Voracek. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal off the tape of Tom Pyatt, his twelfth of the year, with a lone Brewer helper. The three stars were given to Roloson (35 for 37 in saves), St. Louis, and Simmonds, while the honorable mentions include Stamkos, Brewer, and Voracek.
Northwest of there, the Winnipeg Jets welcomed their eastern neighbors, the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ondrej Pavelec attempted to stop the pucks. Ottawa opened with a Chris Neil goal, via Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson as his twelfth of the season. The Senators added on in the second period when Kaspars Daugavins netted his fifth of the year, thanks to Erik Condra and Zack Smith. Antti Miettinen got one back for Winnipeg with his third of the season, a power play goal powered by Zach Bogosian and Kyle Wellwood. Wellwood tied it for the Jets with his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Evander Kane and Ron Hainsey. Kyle Turris reclaimed the Ottawa lead on his tenth of the season, fueled by Spezza and Karlsson. Twenty-seconds later, Miettinen recorded his second of the night and fourth of the year, with he help of Jim Slater and Tanner Glass, putting Winnipeg in another tie. Daniel Alfredsson broke it for the Senators in the third period on his twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Karlsson, who got a sock trick. Kane retied it for the Jets with his twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Wellwood. Ottawa took the lead again twenty-four seconds later as Alfredsson potted his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Filip Kuba and Turris. The Senators iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Milan Michalek, his thirty-fourth of the year, helped along by Spezza, who got a sock trick. Karlsson, Miettinen, and Anderson (44 for 48 in saves) got the three stars, while the honorable mentions include Spezza, Wellwood, Alfredsson, Turris, and Kane.
Westward to Calgary, as the Flames host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Miikka Kiprusoff again tended the twines. Dallas scored twenty-six seconds in with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Steve Ott. Calgary tied it on a power play goal by Olli Jokinen, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Lee Stempniak and Curtis Glencross. Benn answered in the second period for the Stars with his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, guided in by Adam Burish and Adam Pardy forty-four seconds into the period. The Flames retied it as Blake Comeau netted his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Calgary gained the lead with a Michael Cammalleri goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Jarome Iginla and Anton Babchuk. Dallas answered with the seventeenth of the campaign for Mike Ribeiro, pushed through by Michael Ryder and Alex Goligoski. The Flames again went ahead with a Mark Giordano power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Iginla and Cammalleri. Calgary extended their lead with an Alex Tanguay power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Cammalleri and Giordano. The Stars attempted a comeback in the third period on a Philip Larsen power play goal, his second of the campaign, passed from Sheldon Souray and Ott, but they never got the equalizer, falling 5-4. Cammalleri, Benn, and Giordano earned the three stars, while Iginla and Ott get the honorable mentions.
Into British Columbia, where the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Roberto Luongo guarded the cages. Vancouver started the scoring with a Manny Malhotra goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Maxim Lapierre and Alexander Edler. This goal held up throughout the game for a 1-0 Canucks win. The three stars were handed to Luongo (38 save shutout), Quick (24 for 25 in saves), and Malhotra.
We end the day in San Jose, where the Sharks welcomed the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Antti Niemi went between the pipes. San Jose got things going in the second period with the twenty-eighth of the season by Joe Pavelski, guided in by Justin Braun and Dan Boyle. The Sharks added on with a Andrew Desjardins netting his fourth of the year, via Tommy Wingels and Boyle. Colorado got one back as Shane O'Brien registered his third of the season, thanks to Ryan O'Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog. San Jose answered with a Torrey Mitchell goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Michal Handzus and Dominic Moore. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period with Pavelski's second of the night and twenty-ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. San Jose iced it at 5-1 with Ryane Clowe putting his fourteenth of the year into the empty net, with the help of Martin Havlat. The three stars of the game were Pavelski, Desjardins, and Boyle.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
The Detroit Red Wings opened things by hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Ty Conklin played in goal. Detroit led off with a Tomas Holmstrom power play goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on as Gustav Nyquist scored, with the help of Pavel Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi. Holmstrom struck again for Detroit with his second of the game and tenth of the year, another power play goal, powered by Zetterberg and Kronwall. The Red Wings kept going on a Jiri Hudler goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Valtteri Filppula and Bertuzzi. Detroit extended the lead in the second period with a Nicklas Lidstrom goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Zetterberg for a sock trick and Ian White. The Red Wings rolled along with a Brad Stuart goal, his sixth of the season, chasing Mason in faovr of Allen York, and with assists provided by Bertuzzi for a sock trick and Filppula. Datsyuk later struck for Detroit in the third period with his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Zetterberg and Bertuzzi. Columbus finally got on the board as Mark Letestu netted his eleventh of the season, thanks to Rick Nash and Nikita Nikitin. The Blue Jackets made it 7-2 with a Nash goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Vinny Prospal and Jack Johnson. Zetterberg, Bertuzzi, and Holmstrom had the three stars, while Datsyuk, Filppula, Kronwall, and Nash got the honorable mentions.
Moving eastward, the Philadelphia Flyers hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Ilya Bryzgalov handled the goaltending duties. Tampa Bay struck first as Ryan Malone put down his fifteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal passed through by Trevor Smith. The Lightning added on as Steven Stamkos notched his fifty-third of the year, a power play goal powered by Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, coming off of Brayden Schenn and Pavel Kubina as his twenty-third of the season. Matt Read tied it for the Flyers on his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Kimmo Timonen and Jakub Voracek. St. Louis gave Tampa Bay the lead back in the third period with his twenty-fourth of the season, set up by Tim Wallace and Eric Brewer. The Lightning extended the lead with an unassisted J.T. Wyman goal, his second of the year. Philadelphia took one back on a Scott Hartnell tally, his thirty-sixth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Danny Briere and Jakub Voracek. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal off the tape of Tom Pyatt, his twelfth of the year, with a lone Brewer helper. The three stars were given to Roloson (35 for 37 in saves), St. Louis, and Simmonds, while the honorable mentions include Stamkos, Brewer, and Voracek.
Northwest of there, the Winnipeg Jets welcomed their eastern neighbors, the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ondrej Pavelec attempted to stop the pucks. Ottawa opened with a Chris Neil goal, via Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson as his twelfth of the season. The Senators added on in the second period when Kaspars Daugavins netted his fifth of the year, thanks to Erik Condra and Zack Smith. Antti Miettinen got one back for Winnipeg with his third of the season, a power play goal powered by Zach Bogosian and Kyle Wellwood. Wellwood tied it for the Jets with his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Evander Kane and Ron Hainsey. Kyle Turris reclaimed the Ottawa lead on his tenth of the season, fueled by Spezza and Karlsson. Twenty-seconds later, Miettinen recorded his second of the night and fourth of the year, with he help of Jim Slater and Tanner Glass, putting Winnipeg in another tie. Daniel Alfredsson broke it for the Senators in the third period on his twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Karlsson, who got a sock trick. Kane retied it for the Jets with his twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Wellwood. Ottawa took the lead again twenty-four seconds later as Alfredsson potted his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Filip Kuba and Turris. The Senators iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Milan Michalek, his thirty-fourth of the year, helped along by Spezza, who got a sock trick. Karlsson, Miettinen, and Anderson (44 for 48 in saves) got the three stars, while the honorable mentions include Spezza, Wellwood, Alfredsson, Turris, and Kane.
Westward to Calgary, as the Flames host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Miikka Kiprusoff again tended the twines. Dallas scored twenty-six seconds in with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Steve Ott. Calgary tied it on a power play goal by Olli Jokinen, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Lee Stempniak and Curtis Glencross. Benn answered in the second period for the Stars with his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, guided in by Adam Burish and Adam Pardy forty-four seconds into the period. The Flames retied it as Blake Comeau netted his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Calgary gained the lead with a Michael Cammalleri goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Jarome Iginla and Anton Babchuk. Dallas answered with the seventeenth of the campaign for Mike Ribeiro, pushed through by Michael Ryder and Alex Goligoski. The Flames again went ahead with a Mark Giordano power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Iginla and Cammalleri. Calgary extended their lead with an Alex Tanguay power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Cammalleri and Giordano. The Stars attempted a comeback in the third period on a Philip Larsen power play goal, his second of the campaign, passed from Sheldon Souray and Ott, but they never got the equalizer, falling 5-4. Cammalleri, Benn, and Giordano earned the three stars, while Iginla and Ott get the honorable mentions.
Into British Columbia, where the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Roberto Luongo guarded the cages. Vancouver started the scoring with a Manny Malhotra goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Maxim Lapierre and Alexander Edler. This goal held up throughout the game for a 1-0 Canucks win. The three stars were handed to Luongo (38 save shutout), Quick (24 for 25 in saves), and Malhotra.
We end the day in San Jose, where the Sharks welcomed the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Antti Niemi went between the pipes. San Jose got things going in the second period with the twenty-eighth of the season by Joe Pavelski, guided in by Justin Braun and Dan Boyle. The Sharks added on with a Andrew Desjardins netting his fourth of the year, via Tommy Wingels and Boyle. Colorado got one back as Shane O'Brien registered his third of the season, thanks to Ryan O'Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog. San Jose answered with a Torrey Mitchell goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Michal Handzus and Dominic Moore. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period with Pavelski's second of the night and twenty-ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. San Jose iced it at 5-1 with Ryane Clowe putting his fourteenth of the year into the empty net, with the help of Martin Havlat. The three stars of the game were Pavelski, Desjardins, and Boyle.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Fantasy Hockey All-Stars week 23
Playoffs are in full force and the teams left in them dwindle rapidly. Here's who may have had a key role in keeping you afloat this week.
1. Evgeni Malkin, 5 G, 4 A, +3, 8 PIM, 1 PPP, 21 SOG
2. Alex Ovechkin, 6 G, 1 A, +1, 0 PIM, 3 PPP, 22 SOG
3. Brian Elliott, 1 W, 0.00 GAA, 57 SV, 1.000 SV%, 2 SO
4. James Neal, 3 G, 5 A, +5, 4 PIM, 1 PPP, 19 SOG
5. Cody Hodgson, 3 G, 3 A, +2, 0 PIM, 3 PPP, 19 SOG
Best of luck this week for everyone still in the running.
1. Evgeni Malkin, 5 G, 4 A, +3, 8 PIM, 1 PPP, 21 SOG
2. Alex Ovechkin, 6 G, 1 A, +1, 0 PIM, 3 PPP, 22 SOG
3. Brian Elliott, 1 W, 0.00 GAA, 57 SV, 1.000 SV%, 2 SO
4. James Neal, 3 G, 5 A, +5, 4 PIM, 1 PPP, 19 SOG
5. Cody Hodgson, 3 G, 3 A, +2, 0 PIM, 3 PPP, 19 SOG
Best of luck this week for everyone still in the running.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
NHL Day 172 2011-2012
Another seven games to see today. We begin in...
Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Steve Mason play in goal. Columbus opened with a Mark Letestu goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Aaron Johnson. Edmonton tied it in the second period on a Ryan Jones goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Ryan Whitney and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for an all Ryan scoring combination. The Blue Jackets took the lead again on a Rick Nash goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, in the form of a successful penalty shot due to a Linus Omark hook. The Oilers tied it again as Chris VandeVelde scored, with the help of Jordan Eberle and Jeff Petry. Edmonton gained the lead with a Ladislav Smid goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Nugent-Hopkins and Jones. The Oilers extended the lead with an unassisted Ben Eager goal, his eighth of the year. Edmonton continued their attack with a Sam Gagner power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Eberle and Whitney. Aaron York relieved Mason from here on. Columbus got one back with a Derick Brassard goal, his thirteenth of the season, set up on the power play goal R.J. Umberger and Nash. The Oilers iced it with an Eric Belanger goal, his fourth of the year, going into the empty net off of Jones and Smid. Jones, Nash, and Smid had the three stars in the 6-3 game, while Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, and Whitney got the honorable mentions.
Down in Florida, the Panthers host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Jose Theodore are in front of the nets. Stephen Weiss put Florida ahead early with his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Tomas Fleischmann and Tomas Kopecky. New York tied it on a Matt Moulson power play goal in the second period, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by John Tavares and P.A. Parenteau. The Panthers took the lead again in the third period with Fleischmann's twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Kopecky. The Islanders retied it on a Kyle Okposo goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey. The game was decided in New York's favor in the shootout with Nielsen's lone tally toppling Florida. The three stars were given to Nabokov (33 for 35 in saves), Fleischmann, and Theodore (35 for 37 in saves), while Nielsen and Kopecky get the honorable mentions.
Back up the coast, with the Washington Capitals welcoming the Minnesota Wild. Matt Hackett and Braden Holtby are the young goaltenders. Washington got on the board with a second period Jason Chimera goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Alexander Semin. The Capitals added on with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Troy Brouwer and Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin iced it at 3-0 for Washington with a third period goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, set up by Marcus Johansson and John Carlson. Holtby (28 save shutout), Ovechkin, and Semin had the three stars.
Into Pennsylvania, where the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Marc-Andre Fleury tended the twines. Pittsburgh opened with a Chris Kunitz goal, his twenty-third of the season, with a lone Evgeni Malkin assist. New Jersey tied it on a Zach Parise goal, his thirtieth of the year going in unassisted. The Penguins got the lead back with a Jordan Staal goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Matt Cooke. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a second period Pascal Dupuis goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Sidney Crosby and Craig Adams. The Devils got one back in the third period as Ilya Kovalchuk registered his thirty-second of the season, with the help of Travis Zajac and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The Penguins quickly answered on the fourth of the year for Crosby, made possible by Zbynek Michalek and Dupuis. Pittsburgh finished with a 5-2 win, as Malkin put his forty-sixth of the campaign into the empty net, passed from Staal and Kunitz. Crosby, Dupuis, and Malkin earned the three stars, while Kunitz and Staal get the honorable mentions.
Out west, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford play between the pipes. Matt Halischuk started things for Nashville on his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Brandon Yip and Paul Gaustad. The Predators extended the lead with an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by David Legwand and Patric Hornqvist. Nashville kept going in the second period as Hornqvist potted his twenty-fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Alexander Radulov and Shea Weber. Francis Bouillon added on in the third period for the Predators with his second of the year, courtesy of Ryan Ellis and Halischuk. Ray Emery relieved Crawford from here on. Chicago finally got on the board as Viktor Stalberg shelved his nineteenth of the season, with the help of Nick Leddy and Andrew Shaw. Nashville struck back on a Weber goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Mike Fisher. The Predators iced it at 6-1 with a Fisher goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, with the goalie Rinne getting the only assist. The three stars were named as Rinne (24 for 25 in saves), Weber, and Hornqvist, while Halischuk and Fisher get the honorable mentions.
Farther to the west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Boston Bruins. Marty Turco and Jonas Hiller play in the blue paint. Boston got on the board in the second period with the twelfth of the season for Zdeno Chara, an unassisted goal. The Bruins quickly padded the lead with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Chris Kelly and Brian Rolston. Anaheim got one back as Teemu Selanne potted his twenty-fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. Boston got it back in the third period as Rolston notched his seventh of the year, thanks to Kelly and Pouliot. The Ducks pulled back on a Lubomir Visnovsky goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins held on to win 3-2, with the three stars being Rolston, Selanne, and Chara, while Kelly and Pouliot get the honorable mentions.
Finally we backtrack east a tad, as the Phoenix Coyotes host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Jason LaBarbera get the starting nods. St. Louis was first on the board as Alex Pietrangelo netted his twelfth of the season, a second period power play goal powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and David Backes. The Blues added on in the third period when Backes scored on the power play, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Shattenkirk and Pietrangelo. St. Louis added on when Patrik Berglund put down his eighteenth of the season, via Shattenkirk, who got a sock trick, and Chris Stewart. The Blues made it 4-0 with the third of the year by Ryan Reaves, fueled by Scott Nichol and Kent Huskins. This was a final, and the three stars were Elliott (20 save shutout), Pietrangelo, and Backes, while Shattenkirk earns an honorable mention.
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Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Steve Mason play in goal. Columbus opened with a Mark Letestu goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Aaron Johnson. Edmonton tied it in the second period on a Ryan Jones goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Ryan Whitney and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for an all Ryan scoring combination. The Blue Jackets took the lead again on a Rick Nash goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, in the form of a successful penalty shot due to a Linus Omark hook. The Oilers tied it again as Chris VandeVelde scored, with the help of Jordan Eberle and Jeff Petry. Edmonton gained the lead with a Ladislav Smid goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Nugent-Hopkins and Jones. The Oilers extended the lead with an unassisted Ben Eager goal, his eighth of the year. Edmonton continued their attack with a Sam Gagner power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Eberle and Whitney. Aaron York relieved Mason from here on. Columbus got one back with a Derick Brassard goal, his thirteenth of the season, set up on the power play goal R.J. Umberger and Nash. The Oilers iced it with an Eric Belanger goal, his fourth of the year, going into the empty net off of Jones and Smid. Jones, Nash, and Smid had the three stars in the 6-3 game, while Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, and Whitney got the honorable mentions.
Down in Florida, the Panthers host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Jose Theodore are in front of the nets. Stephen Weiss put Florida ahead early with his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Tomas Fleischmann and Tomas Kopecky. New York tied it on a Matt Moulson power play goal in the second period, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by John Tavares and P.A. Parenteau. The Panthers took the lead again in the third period with Fleischmann's twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Kopecky. The Islanders retied it on a Kyle Okposo goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey. The game was decided in New York's favor in the shootout with Nielsen's lone tally toppling Florida. The three stars were given to Nabokov (33 for 35 in saves), Fleischmann, and Theodore (35 for 37 in saves), while Nielsen and Kopecky get the honorable mentions.
Back up the coast, with the Washington Capitals welcoming the Minnesota Wild. Matt Hackett and Braden Holtby are the young goaltenders. Washington got on the board with a second period Jason Chimera goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Alexander Semin. The Capitals added on with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Troy Brouwer and Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin iced it at 3-0 for Washington with a third period goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, set up by Marcus Johansson and John Carlson. Holtby (28 save shutout), Ovechkin, and Semin had the three stars.
Into Pennsylvania, where the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Marc-Andre Fleury tended the twines. Pittsburgh opened with a Chris Kunitz goal, his twenty-third of the season, with a lone Evgeni Malkin assist. New Jersey tied it on a Zach Parise goal, his thirtieth of the year going in unassisted. The Penguins got the lead back with a Jordan Staal goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Matt Cooke. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a second period Pascal Dupuis goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Sidney Crosby and Craig Adams. The Devils got one back in the third period as Ilya Kovalchuk registered his thirty-second of the season, with the help of Travis Zajac and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The Penguins quickly answered on the fourth of the year for Crosby, made possible by Zbynek Michalek and Dupuis. Pittsburgh finished with a 5-2 win, as Malkin put his forty-sixth of the campaign into the empty net, passed from Staal and Kunitz. Crosby, Dupuis, and Malkin earned the three stars, while Kunitz and Staal get the honorable mentions.
Out west, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford play between the pipes. Matt Halischuk started things for Nashville on his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Brandon Yip and Paul Gaustad. The Predators extended the lead with an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by David Legwand and Patric Hornqvist. Nashville kept going in the second period as Hornqvist potted his twenty-fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Alexander Radulov and Shea Weber. Francis Bouillon added on in the third period for the Predators with his second of the year, courtesy of Ryan Ellis and Halischuk. Ray Emery relieved Crawford from here on. Chicago finally got on the board as Viktor Stalberg shelved his nineteenth of the season, with the help of Nick Leddy and Andrew Shaw. Nashville struck back on a Weber goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Mike Fisher. The Predators iced it at 6-1 with a Fisher goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, with the goalie Rinne getting the only assist. The three stars were named as Rinne (24 for 25 in saves), Weber, and Hornqvist, while Halischuk and Fisher get the honorable mentions.
Farther to the west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Boston Bruins. Marty Turco and Jonas Hiller play in the blue paint. Boston got on the board in the second period with the twelfth of the season for Zdeno Chara, an unassisted goal. The Bruins quickly padded the lead with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Chris Kelly and Brian Rolston. Anaheim got one back as Teemu Selanne potted his twenty-fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. Boston got it back in the third period as Rolston notched his seventh of the year, thanks to Kelly and Pouliot. The Ducks pulled back on a Lubomir Visnovsky goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins held on to win 3-2, with the three stars being Rolston, Selanne, and Chara, while Kelly and Pouliot get the honorable mentions.
Finally we backtrack east a tad, as the Phoenix Coyotes host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Jason LaBarbera get the starting nods. St. Louis was first on the board as Alex Pietrangelo netted his twelfth of the season, a second period power play goal powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and David Backes. The Blues added on in the third period when Backes scored on the power play, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Shattenkirk and Pietrangelo. St. Louis added on when Patrik Berglund put down his eighteenth of the season, via Shattenkirk, who got a sock trick, and Chris Stewart. The Blues made it 4-0 with the third of the year by Ryan Reaves, fueled by Scott Nichol and Kent Huskins. This was a final, and the three stars were Elliott (20 save shutout), Pietrangelo, and Backes, while Shattenkirk earns an honorable mention.
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Saturday, March 24, 2012
NHL Day 171 2011-2012
Eleven games on today, typical Saturday with a hint of playoff push. We begin with a lone matinee...
As the Dallas Stars host the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Kari Lehtonen are the Finnish goalies. Dallas struck first with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Adam Burish and Adam Pardy. The Stars extended the lead on a Michael Ryder goal, his thirty-third of the year, via Mike Ribeiro and the goalie Lehtonen. Calgary got one back as Michael Cammalleri notched his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Anton Babchuk and Mark Giordano. Dallas added on again in the third period with another Benn goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Steve Ott and Trevor Daley. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with Brenden Morrow potting his tenth of the campaign into the empty net, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Lehtonen (35 for 36 in saves), Benn, and Cammalleri.
At the normal time, we have a wave of seven games, beginning with the Ottawa Senators hosting the Pittsburhg Penguins. Brad Thiessen and Ben Bishop get the starting nods. Ottawa was first to score as Milan Michalek netted his thirty-third of the season, assisted by Colin Greening and Filip Kuba. Pittsburgh answered on a Matt Cooke goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Deryk Engelland. Cooke struck again to give the Penguins a lead with his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, made possible by Sidney Crosby and Paul Martin. The Senators tied it again in the second period when Sergei Gonchar put down his fourth of the year, with the help of Nick Foligno and Daniel Alfredsson. Ottawa gained the lead with a Chris Phillips power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Kyle Turris and Alfredsson. The Senators added on with a Turris goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Foligno and Gonchar. Pittsburgh took one back as Tyler Kennedy shelved his ninth of the season, thanks to Steve Sullivan and Jordan Staal. Bishop was replaced by Craig Anderson, likely due to injury. Ottawa answered on an Alfredsson shorthanded goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Michalek and Jared Cowen. The Penguins got back within one in the third period as Crosby notched his third of the season, via Arron Asham and Pascal Dupuis. The Senators took little time in answering with Jason Spezza's thirty-first of the year, with a lone Michalek helper. Ottawa added on again with a power play goal by Alfredsson, his second of the night and twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Foligno, who earns a sock trick. The Senators finished at 8-4 when Greening put his seventeenth of the year into the twine, another power play goal, set up by Erik Karlsson and Spezza. The three stars of the offensive game of the night were awarded to Alfredsson, Foligno, and Phillips. The honorable mentions include Michalek, Gonchar, Greening, Spezza, Turris, Crosby, and Cooke.
Down into Michigan, with the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Ty Conklin are in the creases. Carolina opened early, as Jiri Tlusty scored his sixteenth of the season just seventeen seconds in, with the help of Chad LaRose and Eric Staal. LaRose added on for the Hurricanes in the second period with his eighteenth of the year, via Staal and Bryan Allen. Detroit got one back as Henrik Zetterberg notched his twentieth of the season, thanks to Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler. Carolina returned to the attack on a Jamie McBain power play goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Jussi Jokinen and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes struck again just seventeen seconds later when Tlusty made his second of the night and seventeenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Jeff Skinner and Jokinen. Zetterberg replied for the Red Wings with his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, assisted by Filppula and Hudler. Eighteen seconds later, Detroit was within one as Todd Bertuzzi netted his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Gustav Nyquist and Nicklas Lidstrom. The Red Wings got an equalizer in the third period with netting his sixth of the year, with helpers from Brad Stuart and Filppula, with the latter getting a sock trick. Detroit took the lead as Drew miller put away his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Danny Cleary. The Red Wings held on to win 5-4, with the three stars being Zetterberg, Filppula, and Tlusty, and the honorable mentions included Jokinen, Staal, and Hudler.
Eastward to Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Minnesota Wild. Josh Harding and Ryan Miller are the masked men. Minnesota led off with a Steve Kampfer goal, his second of the season, assisted by Kyle Brodziak and Nick Johnson. Buffalo tied it in the second period on a Thomas Vanek goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Cody Hodgson and Corey Tropp. The Sabres took the lead in the third period with Marcus Foligno scoring his sixth of the season on the power play, powered by Tyler Myers and Jordan Leopold. Buffalo iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal off the tape of Hodgson, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Foligno, Tropp, and Harding (34 for 36 in saves), while Hodgson and Miller (24 for 25 in saves) get the honorable mentions.
Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Pekka Rinne are between the pipes. Nashville got things going in the second period on a Matt Halischuk goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Alexander Radulov and Kevin Klein. The Predators extended the lead with a Gabriel Bourque tally, his fifth of the year, via Nick Spaling and Andrei Kostitsyn. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period as Tim Stapleton recorded his eleventh of the season, assisted by Spencer Machacek and Ben Maxwell. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Shea Weber empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone Mike Fisher assist. The three stars of the game were Rinne (24 for 25 in saves), Radulov, and Bourque.
Back to the northeast area, where the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Ilya Bryzgalov tend the twines. Philadelphia opened with a Kimmo Timonen goal, his fourth of the season, coming on the power play with a lone Claude Giroux assist. Montreal tied it in the second period when Tomas Plekanec netted his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Lars Eller and Aaron Palushaj. The Flyers gained the lead again on a Danny Briere power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Matt Carle and Matt Read. Philadelphia extended the lead with another Briere power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, set up by Jaromir Jagr and the goalie Bryzgalov. The Flyers iced it at 4-1 with a late third period goal by Read, his twenty-first of the campaign, coming off of Sean Couturier and Carle. The three stars were handed to Briere, Bryzgalov (23 for 24 in saves), and Timonen, while the honorable mentions go to Read and Carle.
Farther to the north, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonas Gustavsson are in the blue paint. Toronto struck first with a Cody Franson goal, his fifth of the season, via Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak. New York tied it on a Marian Gaborik goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, set up by Tim Erixon and Brad Richards. The Maple Leafs retook the lead in the second period on a Joey Crabb tally, his tenth of the season, made possible by Dave Steckel and Dion Phaneuf. The Rangers got another equalizer when Brandon Dubinsky put away his ninth of the year, with the help of John Mitchell. Gaborik gave New York the lead in the third period with his second of the night and thirty-seventh of the season, with a lone Richards helper. Toronto retied it as Tim Connolly put down his twelfth of the year, thanks to Crabb and Steckel. The game went to a shootout, where the Rangers used Richards and Ryan Callahan to beat the Maple Leafs' only goal scorer, Connolly. In the 4-3 game, the three stars went to Callahan, Gaborik, and Crabb, while Richards, Connolly, and Steckel get honorable mentions.
Well to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the New York Islanders. Al Montoya and Dwayne Roloson try to keep the puck out of the net. Tampa Bay started off with a Steven Stamkos goal, his fifty-first of the season, assisted by Teddy Purcell and Martin St. Louis. The Lightning added on when Stamkos struck again, his second of the game and fifty-second of the year, fueled by St. Louis and Purcell. New York got on the board with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Matt Moulson and John Tavares. The Islanders tied it as Kyle Okposo shelved his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Josh Bailey and Nielsen. New York got the lead early in the third period with a Moulson goal, his thirty-third of the season, coming off of Mark Streit and Andrew MacDonald. Tampa Bay retied it with a Tom Pyatt goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Ryan Malone and Brett Connolly. The Lightning gained the lead on a Tim Wallace goal, his third of the season, guided in by Stamkos and Pierre-Cedric Labrie. The final here was 4-3 for Tampa Bay, with the three stars being Stamkos, Roloson (34 for 37 in saves), and Nielsen, with honorable mentions for St. Louis, Moulson, and Purcell.
Way westward, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Jonathan Quick guard the cages. Boston led off in the second period when Patrice Bergeron scored his twentieth of the season, a shorthanded goal with a lone Brad Marchand assist. Los Angeles tied it on a Colin Fraser goal, his second of the year, with Drew Doughty and Kyle Clifford picking up the helpers. The Bruins took the lead back in the third period with Milan Lucic recording his twenty-fourth of the season, via David Krejci and Jordan Caron. Boston extended the lead with a Chris Kelly goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Benoit Pouliot and Brian Rolston. The Kings got one back with a Slava Voynov goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Justin Williams. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Marchand empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Zdeno Chara, Clifford, and Dennis Seidenberg got the three stars, while Marchand and Thomas (41 for 43 in saves) could take the first and third stars.
A little northeast of there, the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Semyon Varlamov are all padded up. Colorado drew first blood with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Milan Hejduk and Steve Downie. The Avalanche added on when Jamie McGinn made his twentieth of the year, another power play goal, helped along by Paul Stastny and the goalie Varlamov in the second period. Vancouver got on the board with a power play goal of their own, specifically belonging to Mason Raymond, as his tenth of the year was guided in by Sami Salo and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks tied it on a Chris Higgins goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Samuel Pahlsson and Kevin Bieksa. Higgins finished the Vancouver comeback in overtime, leading them to a 3-2 win with his second of the night and fifteenth of the campaign, assisted by Jannik Hansen and Bieksa. The three stars ended up with Higgins, McGinn, and Landeskog, while Bieksa gets an honorable mention.
Finally, we head west to San Jose, where the Sharks bring in the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Antti Niemi protect the nets. Phoenix opened with a Daymond Langkow goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Gilbert Brule and Raffi Torres. San Jose tied it with the twenty-eighth of the year for Patrick Marleau made possible by Joe Thornton. The Sharks took the lead on a Brent Burns goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Joe Pavelski and Thornton. The Coyotes tied it with a second left in the opening period on a Derek Morris goal, his second of the year, with a lone Langkow assist. Phoenix picked up where they left off, taking the lead back in the second period on a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his seventeenth of the season, with Ray Whitney being credited with the helper. San Jose shot back to tie the game again with a Daniel Winnik goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Andrew Desjardins and Tommy Wingels. The lasted to a shootout, where Michal Handzus and Ryane Clowe tallied for the Sharks, pushing them to a 4-3 win over the Coyotes. The three stars were named as Thornton, Pavelski, and Wingels, with Langkow earning the honorable mention.
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As the Dallas Stars host the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Kari Lehtonen are the Finnish goalies. Dallas struck first with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Adam Burish and Adam Pardy. The Stars extended the lead on a Michael Ryder goal, his thirty-third of the year, via Mike Ribeiro and the goalie Lehtonen. Calgary got one back as Michael Cammalleri notched his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Anton Babchuk and Mark Giordano. Dallas added on again in the third period with another Benn goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Steve Ott and Trevor Daley. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with Brenden Morrow potting his tenth of the campaign into the empty net, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Lehtonen (35 for 36 in saves), Benn, and Cammalleri.
At the normal time, we have a wave of seven games, beginning with the Ottawa Senators hosting the Pittsburhg Penguins. Brad Thiessen and Ben Bishop get the starting nods. Ottawa was first to score as Milan Michalek netted his thirty-third of the season, assisted by Colin Greening and Filip Kuba. Pittsburgh answered on a Matt Cooke goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Deryk Engelland. Cooke struck again to give the Penguins a lead with his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, made possible by Sidney Crosby and Paul Martin. The Senators tied it again in the second period when Sergei Gonchar put down his fourth of the year, with the help of Nick Foligno and Daniel Alfredsson. Ottawa gained the lead with a Chris Phillips power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Kyle Turris and Alfredsson. The Senators added on with a Turris goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Foligno and Gonchar. Pittsburgh took one back as Tyler Kennedy shelved his ninth of the season, thanks to Steve Sullivan and Jordan Staal. Bishop was replaced by Craig Anderson, likely due to injury. Ottawa answered on an Alfredsson shorthanded goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Michalek and Jared Cowen. The Penguins got back within one in the third period as Crosby notched his third of the season, via Arron Asham and Pascal Dupuis. The Senators took little time in answering with Jason Spezza's thirty-first of the year, with a lone Michalek helper. Ottawa added on again with a power play goal by Alfredsson, his second of the night and twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Foligno, who earns a sock trick. The Senators finished at 8-4 when Greening put his seventeenth of the year into the twine, another power play goal, set up by Erik Karlsson and Spezza. The three stars of the offensive game of the night were awarded to Alfredsson, Foligno, and Phillips. The honorable mentions include Michalek, Gonchar, Greening, Spezza, Turris, Crosby, and Cooke.
Down into Michigan, with the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Ty Conklin are in the creases. Carolina opened early, as Jiri Tlusty scored his sixteenth of the season just seventeen seconds in, with the help of Chad LaRose and Eric Staal. LaRose added on for the Hurricanes in the second period with his eighteenth of the year, via Staal and Bryan Allen. Detroit got one back as Henrik Zetterberg notched his twentieth of the season, thanks to Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler. Carolina returned to the attack on a Jamie McBain power play goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Jussi Jokinen and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes struck again just seventeen seconds later when Tlusty made his second of the night and seventeenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Jeff Skinner and Jokinen. Zetterberg replied for the Red Wings with his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, assisted by Filppula and Hudler. Eighteen seconds later, Detroit was within one as Todd Bertuzzi netted his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Gustav Nyquist and Nicklas Lidstrom. The Red Wings got an equalizer in the third period with netting his sixth of the year, with helpers from Brad Stuart and Filppula, with the latter getting a sock trick. Detroit took the lead as Drew miller put away his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Danny Cleary. The Red Wings held on to win 5-4, with the three stars being Zetterberg, Filppula, and Tlusty, and the honorable mentions included Jokinen, Staal, and Hudler.
Eastward to Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Minnesota Wild. Josh Harding and Ryan Miller are the masked men. Minnesota led off with a Steve Kampfer goal, his second of the season, assisted by Kyle Brodziak and Nick Johnson. Buffalo tied it in the second period on a Thomas Vanek goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Cody Hodgson and Corey Tropp. The Sabres took the lead in the third period with Marcus Foligno scoring his sixth of the season on the power play, powered by Tyler Myers and Jordan Leopold. Buffalo iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal off the tape of Hodgson, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Foligno, Tropp, and Harding (34 for 36 in saves), while Hodgson and Miller (24 for 25 in saves) get the honorable mentions.
Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Pekka Rinne are between the pipes. Nashville got things going in the second period on a Matt Halischuk goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Alexander Radulov and Kevin Klein. The Predators extended the lead with a Gabriel Bourque tally, his fifth of the year, via Nick Spaling and Andrei Kostitsyn. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period as Tim Stapleton recorded his eleventh of the season, assisted by Spencer Machacek and Ben Maxwell. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Shea Weber empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone Mike Fisher assist. The three stars of the game were Rinne (24 for 25 in saves), Radulov, and Bourque.
Back to the northeast area, where the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Ilya Bryzgalov tend the twines. Philadelphia opened with a Kimmo Timonen goal, his fourth of the season, coming on the power play with a lone Claude Giroux assist. Montreal tied it in the second period when Tomas Plekanec netted his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Lars Eller and Aaron Palushaj. The Flyers gained the lead again on a Danny Briere power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Matt Carle and Matt Read. Philadelphia extended the lead with another Briere power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, set up by Jaromir Jagr and the goalie Bryzgalov. The Flyers iced it at 4-1 with a late third period goal by Read, his twenty-first of the campaign, coming off of Sean Couturier and Carle. The three stars were handed to Briere, Bryzgalov (23 for 24 in saves), and Timonen, while the honorable mentions go to Read and Carle.
Farther to the north, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonas Gustavsson are in the blue paint. Toronto struck first with a Cody Franson goal, his fifth of the season, via Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak. New York tied it on a Marian Gaborik goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, set up by Tim Erixon and Brad Richards. The Maple Leafs retook the lead in the second period on a Joey Crabb tally, his tenth of the season, made possible by Dave Steckel and Dion Phaneuf. The Rangers got another equalizer when Brandon Dubinsky put away his ninth of the year, with the help of John Mitchell. Gaborik gave New York the lead in the third period with his second of the night and thirty-seventh of the season, with a lone Richards helper. Toronto retied it as Tim Connolly put down his twelfth of the year, thanks to Crabb and Steckel. The game went to a shootout, where the Rangers used Richards and Ryan Callahan to beat the Maple Leafs' only goal scorer, Connolly. In the 4-3 game, the three stars went to Callahan, Gaborik, and Crabb, while Richards, Connolly, and Steckel get honorable mentions.
Well to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the New York Islanders. Al Montoya and Dwayne Roloson try to keep the puck out of the net. Tampa Bay started off with a Steven Stamkos goal, his fifty-first of the season, assisted by Teddy Purcell and Martin St. Louis. The Lightning added on when Stamkos struck again, his second of the game and fifty-second of the year, fueled by St. Louis and Purcell. New York got on the board with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Matt Moulson and John Tavares. The Islanders tied it as Kyle Okposo shelved his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Josh Bailey and Nielsen. New York got the lead early in the third period with a Moulson goal, his thirty-third of the season, coming off of Mark Streit and Andrew MacDonald. Tampa Bay retied it with a Tom Pyatt goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Ryan Malone and Brett Connolly. The Lightning gained the lead on a Tim Wallace goal, his third of the season, guided in by Stamkos and Pierre-Cedric Labrie. The final here was 4-3 for Tampa Bay, with the three stars being Stamkos, Roloson (34 for 37 in saves), and Nielsen, with honorable mentions for St. Louis, Moulson, and Purcell.
Way westward, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Jonathan Quick guard the cages. Boston led off in the second period when Patrice Bergeron scored his twentieth of the season, a shorthanded goal with a lone Brad Marchand assist. Los Angeles tied it on a Colin Fraser goal, his second of the year, with Drew Doughty and Kyle Clifford picking up the helpers. The Bruins took the lead back in the third period with Milan Lucic recording his twenty-fourth of the season, via David Krejci and Jordan Caron. Boston extended the lead with a Chris Kelly goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Benoit Pouliot and Brian Rolston. The Kings got one back with a Slava Voynov goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Justin Williams. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Marchand empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Zdeno Chara, Clifford, and Dennis Seidenberg got the three stars, while Marchand and Thomas (41 for 43 in saves) could take the first and third stars.
A little northeast of there, the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Semyon Varlamov are all padded up. Colorado drew first blood with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Milan Hejduk and Steve Downie. The Avalanche added on when Jamie McGinn made his twentieth of the year, another power play goal, helped along by Paul Stastny and the goalie Varlamov in the second period. Vancouver got on the board with a power play goal of their own, specifically belonging to Mason Raymond, as his tenth of the year was guided in by Sami Salo and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks tied it on a Chris Higgins goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Samuel Pahlsson and Kevin Bieksa. Higgins finished the Vancouver comeback in overtime, leading them to a 3-2 win with his second of the night and fifteenth of the campaign, assisted by Jannik Hansen and Bieksa. The three stars ended up with Higgins, McGinn, and Landeskog, while Bieksa gets an honorable mention.
Finally, we head west to San Jose, where the Sharks bring in the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Antti Niemi protect the nets. Phoenix opened with a Daymond Langkow goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Gilbert Brule and Raffi Torres. San Jose tied it with the twenty-eighth of the year for Patrick Marleau made possible by Joe Thornton. The Sharks took the lead on a Brent Burns goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Joe Pavelski and Thornton. The Coyotes tied it with a second left in the opening period on a Derek Morris goal, his second of the year, with a lone Langkow assist. Phoenix picked up where they left off, taking the lead back in the second period on a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his seventeenth of the season, with Ray Whitney being credited with the helper. San Jose shot back to tie the game again with a Daniel Winnik goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Andrew Desjardins and Tommy Wingels. The lasted to a shootout, where Michal Handzus and Ryane Clowe tallied for the Sharks, pushing them to a 4-3 win over the Coyotes. The three stars were named as Thornton, Pavelski, and Wingels, with Langkow earning the honorable mention.
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Friday, March 23, 2012
NHL Day 170 2011-2012
Six games on tonight, although I'm going to a soccer game so the finals won't be done until tomorrow morning. With that, we start in...
Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Steve Mason are in the blue paint. Vinny Prospal got things started for Columbus with his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Jack Johnson and David Savard. R.J. Umberger added on for the Blue Jackets in the second period with his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Nikita Nikitin and Derick Brassard. Carolina got one back as Drayson Bowman potted his sixth of the season, thanks to Brandon Sutter and Justin Faulk. Columbus answered on another Umberger goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, coming off of Brassard and Nikitin. Umberger extended the Blue Jackets lead in the third period by finishing his hat trick with his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Brassard, who got a sock trick. Mark Letestu iced it at 5-1 for Columbus with his ninth of the year, guided in by Prospal and Johnson. Umberger, Mason (39 for 40 in saves), and Brassard got the three stars, while Johnson, Nikitin, and Prospal earn the honorable mentions.
Eastward a bit, the New York Rangers host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. Buffalo led off in the second period with a Travis Turnbull goal, with a lone Brad Boyes assist. New York answered as Brian Boyle shelved his seventh of the season, thanks to Artem Anisimov and Tim Erixon. Drew Stafford took the lead back for the Sabres on his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno. Buffalo rolled on in the third period with an Ennis goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Stafford and Foligno. The Sabres iced it at 4-1 with Stafford's second of the night and seventeenth of the year, made possible by Ennis. The three stars were given to Stafford, Miller (26 for 27 in saves), and Ennis, while Foligno earns an honorable mention.
Crossing into New Jersey, where the Devils bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Martin Brodeur are the masked men. Toronto scored first with a Tyler Bozak goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming from Luke Schenn and Matthew Lombardi in the second period. The Maple Leafs extended the lead on a Nazem Kadri goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jake Gardiner and Ryan Hamilton. New Jersey shot back with a Jacob Josefson goal, fueled by Alexei Ponikarovsky and Dainius Zubrus. Toronto replied in the third period as Dave Steckell netted his eighth of the campaign, with the help of Joey Crabb and Tim Connolly. The Devils pulled back on a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, set up by Bryce Salvador and David Clarkson. New Jersey tied the game when Adam Henrique registered his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Andy Greene and Adam Larsson. In the shootout, the Maple Leafs used tallies by Bozak, Connolly, and Kadri to topple the Devils goals from Ilya Kovalchuk and Parise for a 4-3 win. The three stars were given to Henrique, Reimer (43 for 46 in saves), and Parise, while Bozak, Kadri, and Connolly get honorable mentions.
A bit south, the Washington Capitals host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Michal Neuvirth will play between the pipes. Jason Chimera got Washington going with his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Jeff Halpern and Alexander Semin. The Capitals added on in the second period as Alex Ovechkin registered his thirty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Brooks Laich and Mike Knuble. Washington kept going as Ovechkin struck again, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the season, fueled by Mathieu Perreault and Chimera. Winnipeg finally got on the board as Ben Maxwell scored, via Tim Stapleton and Spencer Machacek. The Jets pulled closer as Bryan Little recorded his twenty-second of the campaign, with the help of Tobias Enstrom and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg tied it in the third period as Machacek scored, assisted by Maxwell. The game was decided in overtime as the Jets defeated the Capitals 4-3 with a Stapleton goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Dustin Byfuglien. The three stars belonged to Ovechkin, Stapleton, and Chimera, while Machacek and Maxwell earn the honorable mentions.
Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson returns from injury to oppose fellow goalie Carey Price, although Ben bishop was in for Anderson for a short time in the first and second periods. Montreal led off with an Erik Cole tally, his twenty-eighth of the season, going in unassisted just twenty-nine seconds into the game. The Canadiens added on with another Cole goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, made possible by P.K. Subban and David Desharnais. Montreal struck again just forty-five seconds later, and 5:41 into the game, as Cole finished an impressively quick natural hat trick with his thirtieth of the season, a power play goal powered by Desharnais and Subban. The Canadiens kept the attack up with a Petteri Nokelainen goal, his third of the year, via Aaron Palushaj and Chris Campoli. Ottawa finally stopped the bleeding a bit with a Jason Spezza goal, his thirtieth of the season, set up by Milan Michalek and Chris Phillips. Montreal struck again, icing the game at 5-1 in the third period, with a power play goal off the tape of Lars Eller, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Plekanec and Campoli. Cole, Price (37 for 38 in saves), and Subban got the three stars, while Campoli and Desharnais get the honorable mentions.
Finally, we end in a rather abnormal ending place, as the Florida Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Jose Thoedore guard the cages. Edmonton opened the scoring in the second period with a Ryan Jones goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Florida tied it with the sixteenth of the year by Jason Garrison, via Tomas Fleischmann and Stephen Weiss. The game went into a shootout, where a lone Nugent-Hopkins tally led the Oilers to a 2-1 victory over the Panthers. The three stars were awarded to Dubnyk (26 for 27 in saves), Garrison, and Theodore (20 for 21 in saves), while Nugent-Hopkins gets an honorable mention.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Steve Mason are in the blue paint. Vinny Prospal got things started for Columbus with his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Jack Johnson and David Savard. R.J. Umberger added on for the Blue Jackets in the second period with his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Nikita Nikitin and Derick Brassard. Carolina got one back as Drayson Bowman potted his sixth of the season, thanks to Brandon Sutter and Justin Faulk. Columbus answered on another Umberger goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, coming off of Brassard and Nikitin. Umberger extended the Blue Jackets lead in the third period by finishing his hat trick with his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Brassard, who got a sock trick. Mark Letestu iced it at 5-1 for Columbus with his ninth of the year, guided in by Prospal and Johnson. Umberger, Mason (39 for 40 in saves), and Brassard got the three stars, while Johnson, Nikitin, and Prospal earn the honorable mentions.
Eastward a bit, the New York Rangers host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. Buffalo led off in the second period with a Travis Turnbull goal, with a lone Brad Boyes assist. New York answered as Brian Boyle shelved his seventh of the season, thanks to Artem Anisimov and Tim Erixon. Drew Stafford took the lead back for the Sabres on his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno. Buffalo rolled on in the third period with an Ennis goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Stafford and Foligno. The Sabres iced it at 4-1 with Stafford's second of the night and seventeenth of the year, made possible by Ennis. The three stars were given to Stafford, Miller (26 for 27 in saves), and Ennis, while Foligno earns an honorable mention.
Crossing into New Jersey, where the Devils bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Martin Brodeur are the masked men. Toronto scored first with a Tyler Bozak goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming from Luke Schenn and Matthew Lombardi in the second period. The Maple Leafs extended the lead on a Nazem Kadri goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jake Gardiner and Ryan Hamilton. New Jersey shot back with a Jacob Josefson goal, fueled by Alexei Ponikarovsky and Dainius Zubrus. Toronto replied in the third period as Dave Steckell netted his eighth of the campaign, with the help of Joey Crabb and Tim Connolly. The Devils pulled back on a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, set up by Bryce Salvador and David Clarkson. New Jersey tied the game when Adam Henrique registered his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Andy Greene and Adam Larsson. In the shootout, the Maple Leafs used tallies by Bozak, Connolly, and Kadri to topple the Devils goals from Ilya Kovalchuk and Parise for a 4-3 win. The three stars were given to Henrique, Reimer (43 for 46 in saves), and Parise, while Bozak, Kadri, and Connolly get honorable mentions.
A bit south, the Washington Capitals host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Michal Neuvirth will play between the pipes. Jason Chimera got Washington going with his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Jeff Halpern and Alexander Semin. The Capitals added on in the second period as Alex Ovechkin registered his thirty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Brooks Laich and Mike Knuble. Washington kept going as Ovechkin struck again, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the season, fueled by Mathieu Perreault and Chimera. Winnipeg finally got on the board as Ben Maxwell scored, via Tim Stapleton and Spencer Machacek. The Jets pulled closer as Bryan Little recorded his twenty-second of the campaign, with the help of Tobias Enstrom and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg tied it in the third period as Machacek scored, assisted by Maxwell. The game was decided in overtime as the Jets defeated the Capitals 4-3 with a Stapleton goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Dustin Byfuglien. The three stars belonged to Ovechkin, Stapleton, and Chimera, while Machacek and Maxwell earn the honorable mentions.
Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson returns from injury to oppose fellow goalie Carey Price, although Ben bishop was in for Anderson for a short time in the first and second periods. Montreal led off with an Erik Cole tally, his twenty-eighth of the season, going in unassisted just twenty-nine seconds into the game. The Canadiens added on with another Cole goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, made possible by P.K. Subban and David Desharnais. Montreal struck again just forty-five seconds later, and 5:41 into the game, as Cole finished an impressively quick natural hat trick with his thirtieth of the season, a power play goal powered by Desharnais and Subban. The Canadiens kept the attack up with a Petteri Nokelainen goal, his third of the year, via Aaron Palushaj and Chris Campoli. Ottawa finally stopped the bleeding a bit with a Jason Spezza goal, his thirtieth of the season, set up by Milan Michalek and Chris Phillips. Montreal struck again, icing the game at 5-1 in the third period, with a power play goal off the tape of Lars Eller, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Plekanec and Campoli. Cole, Price (37 for 38 in saves), and Subban got the three stars, while Campoli and Desharnais get the honorable mentions.
Finally, we end in a rather abnormal ending place, as the Florida Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Jose Thoedore guard the cages. Edmonton opened the scoring in the second period with a Ryan Jones goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Florida tied it with the sixteenth of the year by Jason Garrison, via Tomas Fleischmann and Stephen Weiss. The game went into a shootout, where a lone Nugent-Hopkins tally led the Oilers to a 2-1 victory over the Panthers. The three stars were awarded to Dubnyk (26 for 27 in saves), Garrison, and Theodore (20 for 21 in saves), while Nugent-Hopkins gets an honorable mention.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
NHL Day 169 2011-2012
Eight games for a semi-busy Thursday. We begin with a surprisingly big game in...
Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Marc-Andre Fleury tended the twines. Pittsburgh opened with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his forty-fourth of the season, set up by James Neal and Kris Letang. The Penguins added on when Pascal Dupuis netted his twenty-second of the year, thanks to Letang and Steve Sullivan. Pittsburgh kept going in the second period on Matt Cooke's seventeenth of the season, coming off of Neal. The Penguins extended their lead with a Chris Kunitz goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Neal for a sock trick and Brooks Orpik. Nashville got on the board as Alexander Radulov scored, with the help of Hal Gill and Patric Hornqvist. Pittsburgh took it back in the third period with the second of the night and forty-fifth of the season for Malkin, assisted by Neal and Kunitz. This was it for the scoring in a 5-1 game, with Neal, Malkin, and Kunitz getting the three stars and Letang picking up the honorable mention.
Across the state, the Philadelphia Flyers welcomed the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ilya Bryzgalov got the starting nods. Washington led off twenty-six seconds in on Alex Ovechkin's thirty-third of the season, an unassisted goal. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with assists from Jaromir Jagr and Andreas Lilja. The Flyers won 2-1 in the shootout with tallies by Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds to overpower Matt Hendricks and the Capitals. The three stars went to Bryzgalov (30 for 31 in saves), Simmonds, and Ovechkin.
Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Dwayne Roloson are the aged goaltenders. Tampa Bay struck first in the second period with a Tom Pyatt goal, his ninth of the season coming on the power play from Victor Hedman and Brett Connolly. Edmonton tied it on a Linus Omark goal, his third of the year, thanks to Ryan Whitney and Ryan Smyth. The Lightning got the lead back with Pyatt's second of the night and tenth of the season, set up by J.T. Wyman and Tim Wallace. The Oiers tied it late as Ladislav Smid sank his fourth fourth of the year, with the help of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Sam Gagner. Tampa Bay beat Edmonton 3-2 in the shootout with tallies from Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, and Teddy Purcell to topple Gagner and Ales Hemsky. Roloson (34 for 36 in saves), Pyatt, and Corey Potter got the three stars, while any point earner can take the third slot.
Way north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Josh Harding are between the pipes. Calgary scored first as Lee Stempniak potted his thirteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Chris Butler and Jay Bouwmeester. The Flames added on in the second period as Anton Babchuk scored a power play goal, going in unassisted. Minnesota got one back as Dany Heatley recorded his twenty-first of the year, a power play goal coming off of Devin Setoguchi and Matt Cullen. The Wild tied it with a Darroll Powe goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Nick Johnson and Kyle Brodziak. Minnesota took the game 3-2 in the shootout with a Setoguchi tally. The three stars went to Setoguchi, Powe, and Heatley.
South again, this time into Dallas, where the Stars host the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Kari Lehtonen are in the blue paint. Vancouver opened on a Mason Raymond goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Dan Hamhuis and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks added on in the third period with a Kevin Bieksa goal, his eighth of the year, pushed through by Raymond and Sedin. Dallas got one back as Vernon Fiddler scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Eric Nystrom and the goalie Lehtonen. The Stars never tied it, falling 2-1, with the three stars going to Schneider (25 for 26 in saves), Sedin, and Fiddler.
West of there, the Phoenix Coyotes hosted the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Mike Smith are the masked men. Phoenix quickly opened with a Daymond Langkow goal, his tenth of the season, with help from Raffi Torres and Gilbert Brule. The Coyotes extended the lead on a Kyle Chipchura goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ray Whitney. Phoenix kept going in the second period with another Torres goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, thanks to Boyd Gordon and Brule. Ryan O'Reilly got one back in the third period for Colorado with his eighteenth of the year, pushed through by Shane O'Brien and Steve Downie. The Avalanche pulled closer with Paul Stastny's twentieth of the campaign, with a lone Jamie McGinn assist, but they never tied it and fell 3-2. The three stars were Torres, Smith (39 for 41 in saves), and Brule.
Into California, as the San Jose Sharks welcome the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Antti Niemi will play goal. San Jose led off with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on as Daniel Winnik netted his sixth of the year in the third period, via Andrew Desjardins. Boston tried to mount a comeback with Zdeno Chara potting his eleventh of the campaign, thanks to Chris Kelly and Brian Rolston, but San Jose shut them down from there on for a 2-1 victory. The three stars went to Pavelski, Winnik, and Niemi (16 for 17 in saves).
Finally, in Los Angeles, the Kings host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Jonathan Quick get the starting nods. The scoreless tie lasted into a shootout, where Mike Richards and Jeff Carter led Los Angeles to a win over T.J. Oshie and St. Louis. The three stars were given to Quick (35 save shutout), Elliott (37 save shootout loss shutout), and Anze Kopitar, while Richards or Carter could claim the third slot.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Marc-Andre Fleury tended the twines. Pittsburgh opened with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his forty-fourth of the season, set up by James Neal and Kris Letang. The Penguins added on when Pascal Dupuis netted his twenty-second of the year, thanks to Letang and Steve Sullivan. Pittsburgh kept going in the second period on Matt Cooke's seventeenth of the season, coming off of Neal. The Penguins extended their lead with a Chris Kunitz goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Neal for a sock trick and Brooks Orpik. Nashville got on the board as Alexander Radulov scored, with the help of Hal Gill and Patric Hornqvist. Pittsburgh took it back in the third period with the second of the night and forty-fifth of the season for Malkin, assisted by Neal and Kunitz. This was it for the scoring in a 5-1 game, with Neal, Malkin, and Kunitz getting the three stars and Letang picking up the honorable mention.
Across the state, the Philadelphia Flyers welcomed the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ilya Bryzgalov got the starting nods. Washington led off twenty-six seconds in on Alex Ovechkin's thirty-third of the season, an unassisted goal. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with assists from Jaromir Jagr and Andreas Lilja. The Flyers won 2-1 in the shootout with tallies by Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds to overpower Matt Hendricks and the Capitals. The three stars went to Bryzgalov (30 for 31 in saves), Simmonds, and Ovechkin.
Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Dwayne Roloson are the aged goaltenders. Tampa Bay struck first in the second period with a Tom Pyatt goal, his ninth of the season coming on the power play from Victor Hedman and Brett Connolly. Edmonton tied it on a Linus Omark goal, his third of the year, thanks to Ryan Whitney and Ryan Smyth. The Lightning got the lead back with Pyatt's second of the night and tenth of the season, set up by J.T. Wyman and Tim Wallace. The Oiers tied it late as Ladislav Smid sank his fourth fourth of the year, with the help of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Sam Gagner. Tampa Bay beat Edmonton 3-2 in the shootout with tallies from Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, and Teddy Purcell to topple Gagner and Ales Hemsky. Roloson (34 for 36 in saves), Pyatt, and Corey Potter got the three stars, while any point earner can take the third slot.
Way north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Josh Harding are between the pipes. Calgary scored first as Lee Stempniak potted his thirteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Chris Butler and Jay Bouwmeester. The Flames added on in the second period as Anton Babchuk scored a power play goal, going in unassisted. Minnesota got one back as Dany Heatley recorded his twenty-first of the year, a power play goal coming off of Devin Setoguchi and Matt Cullen. The Wild tied it with a Darroll Powe goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Nick Johnson and Kyle Brodziak. Minnesota took the game 3-2 in the shootout with a Setoguchi tally. The three stars went to Setoguchi, Powe, and Heatley.
South again, this time into Dallas, where the Stars host the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Kari Lehtonen are in the blue paint. Vancouver opened on a Mason Raymond goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Dan Hamhuis and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks added on in the third period with a Kevin Bieksa goal, his eighth of the year, pushed through by Raymond and Sedin. Dallas got one back as Vernon Fiddler scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Eric Nystrom and the goalie Lehtonen. The Stars never tied it, falling 2-1, with the three stars going to Schneider (25 for 26 in saves), Sedin, and Fiddler.
West of there, the Phoenix Coyotes hosted the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Mike Smith are the masked men. Phoenix quickly opened with a Daymond Langkow goal, his tenth of the season, with help from Raffi Torres and Gilbert Brule. The Coyotes extended the lead on a Kyle Chipchura goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ray Whitney. Phoenix kept going in the second period with another Torres goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, thanks to Boyd Gordon and Brule. Ryan O'Reilly got one back in the third period for Colorado with his eighteenth of the year, pushed through by Shane O'Brien and Steve Downie. The Avalanche pulled closer with Paul Stastny's twentieth of the campaign, with a lone Jamie McGinn assist, but they never tied it and fell 3-2. The three stars were Torres, Smith (39 for 41 in saves), and Brule.
Into California, as the San Jose Sharks welcome the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Antti Niemi will play goal. San Jose led off with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on as Daniel Winnik netted his sixth of the year in the third period, via Andrew Desjardins. Boston tried to mount a comeback with Zdeno Chara potting his eleventh of the campaign, thanks to Chris Kelly and Brian Rolston, but San Jose shut them down from there on for a 2-1 victory. The three stars went to Pavelski, Winnik, and Niemi (16 for 17 in saves).
Finally, in Los Angeles, the Kings host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Jonathan Quick get the starting nods. The scoreless tie lasted into a shootout, where Mike Richards and Jeff Carter led Los Angeles to a win over T.J. Oshie and St. Louis. The three stars were given to Quick (35 save shutout), Elliott (37 save shootout loss shutout), and Anze Kopitar, while Richards or Carter could claim the third slot.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
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