Twelve games on throughout today. We begin in...
Buffalo, as the first of three matinees has the Sabres hosting the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Jhonas Enroth are in the creases. Buffalo got going in the third period as Matt Moulson scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Zemgus Girgensons and Christian Ehrhoff. Calgary tied it as Paul Byron scored, with the help of Chris Butler and Mikael Backlund. The Flames won 2-1 in overtime as Matt Stajan netted his fourth of the year, with a lone helped by Byron. The three stars were Ramo (26 for 27 in saves), Byron, and Stajan.
Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Craig Anderson receive the starting nods. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Dwight King goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Carter and Jake Muzzin. The Kings added on as Carter scored his ninth of the year, an unassisted goal. Robin Lehner relieved Anderson at this time. Los Angeles extended the lead as
Anze Kopitar scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Slava Voynov and King. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Joe Corvo goal, his third of the year, coming off of Cory Conacher and Jason Spezza. The Senators pulled closer in the third period as Erik Karlsson netted his ninth of the season, assisted by Kyle Turris and Patrick Wiercioch. The Kings responded with a Jarret Stoll goal, his fourth of the year, via Drew Doughty and Muzzin. Los Angeles padded the lead on a Kopitar power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, powered by King and Carter. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to King, Carter, and Kopitar, while Muzzin gets an honorable mention.
The last of the matinees was in Winnipeg, where the Jets brought in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Ondrej Pavelec drew the starts. Dallas led off in the first period as Tyler Seguin scored his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Sergei Gonchar. Winnipeg tied it with a Matt Halischuk goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Mark Scheifele and Michael Frolik. The Stars took the lead back as Valeri Nichushkin scored his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Jets retied it in the second period on a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Olli Jokinen and Dustin Byfuglien. Dallas regained the lead as Jamie Benn scored his eighth of the season, via Seguin and Gonchar. Winnipeg pulled even again as Wheeler scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, coming off of Bryan Little. The Stars shot back as Benn scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, made possible by Seguin and Gonchar, the latter getting a sock trick on the power play. Dallas added on with another Seguin goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, a power play goal fueled by Gonchar and Alex Chiasson. Al Montoya relieved Pavelec for the third period. The Stars extended the lead in the third period as Colton Sceviour scored, with assists provided by Antoine Roussel and Brenden Dillon. The Jets got one back as Jokinen scored his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Chris Thorburn and Devin Setoguchi. This was as close as it got, with the final being 6-4, and the three stars were Seguin, Benn, and Gonchar, while Wheeler and Jokinen get honorable mentions.
Back east, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Chicago Blackhawks. Antti Raanta and Jonathan Bernier are set to start. Toronto was first to score as Peter Holland potted his fourth of the season, a power play goal guided in by Joffrey Lupul and Mason Raymond. Chicago tied it with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith. The Maple Leafs took the lead as Jerry D'Amigo scored in the second period, thanks to Nikolai Kulemin and Carl Gunnarsson. Toronto added on with a Holland goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, fueled by Raymond and Lupul. The Blackhawks got one back as Kane scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Maple Leafs shot back as Kulemin potted his fourth of the year, via Jay McClement and D'Amigo. Toronto extended the lead on a Lupul power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, passed from Jake Gardiner and Raymond, the latter getting a sock trick. Kent Simpson relieved Raanta for the third period. The Maple Leafs struck again as Lupul netted his second of the game and tenth of the season, with assists from Holland and Raymond. Chicago answered on a Brandon Saad goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Nick Leddy and Jonathan Toews. Toronto wrapped it up at 7-3 as Phil Kessel recorded his seventeenth of the campaign, pushed through by Nazem Kadri and Gunnarsson. The three stars were handed to Lupul, Holland, and Raymond, while Kane, Kulemin, D'Amigo, and Gunnarsson get the honorable mentions.
Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Anders Lindback is mismatched with Martin Brodeur in goal. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Damien Brunner goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Eric Gelinas and Mark Fayne. The Devils added on in the third period as Dainius Zubrus scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Jaromir Jagr. New Jersey iced it at 3-0 on another Zubrus goal, his second of the night and seventh of the campaign, fueled by Jagr and Marek Zidlicky. The three stars were given to Brodeur (33 save shutout), Zubrus, and Jagr.
Over to Long Island, where the New York Islanders bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Evgeni Nabokov are the veteran goalies. The game was scoreless until overtime, where Max Pacioretty put away his twelfth of the season, via David Desharnais. This made it 1-0 final, with the three stars going to Price (21 save shutout), Pacioretty, and Nabokov (24 for 25 in saves).
Out west a bit, the Detroit Red Wings host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff and Jonas Gustavsson are in the blue paint. Detroit opened in the first period as Niklas Kronwall scored his fourth of the season, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Daniel Alfredsson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jussi Jokinen and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins took the lead on a Malkin power play goal, his ninth of the season, via Jokinen. Pittsburgh added on in the second period as Olli Maatta scored his second of the year, thanks to Chris Kunitz and Malkin. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Crosby scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, fueled by Joe Vitale and Chris Conner. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Malkin, Crosby, and Zatkoff (28 for 29 in saves), while Jokinen gets an honorable mention.
Down in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak faces a lesser foe in Mike McKenna in goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his tenth of the season, via Jay Bouwmeester and Derek Roy. Columbus tied it on an Artem Anisimov goal, his ninth of the year, thanks to Blake Comeau. The Blue Jackets took the lead as Fedor Tyutin scored his third of the season, an unassisted goal. Columbus added on with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Brandon Dubinsky. The Blues answered with a Tarasenko power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Brenden Morrow. St. Louis tied it in the third period on a Chris Stewart goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Morrow and Ian Cole. The Blues won 4-3 as David Backes potted his sixteenth of the campaign in overtime, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Tarasenko, Backes, and Morrow.
Further to the south, the Nashville Predators bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Carter Hutton are between the pipes. Nashville started in the first period as Eric Nystrom netted his sixth of the season, assisted by Victor Bartley and Viktor Stalberg. The Predators added on in the second period with a Roman Josi power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Craig Smith and Nick Spaling. San Jose got on the board in the third period as Dan Boyle scored his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Matt Irwin and Patrick Marleau. Nashville replied as Stalberg scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Shea Weber. The Sharks pulled back on a Marleau goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, fueled by Boyle and Joe Thornton. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Stalberg, Marleau, and Boyle.
Southwest to Phoenix, as the Coyotes host the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Peters and Mike Smith are the masked men. Phoenix led off in the first period as Paul Bissonnette scored, with the help of Connor Murphy and Jeff Halpern. Carolina tied it in the second period as Nathan Gerbe scored his seventh of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and Tim Gleason. The Hurricanes took the lead as Jeff Skinner scored his twelfth of the year, fueled by Eric Staal. Carolina iced it at 3-1 with an Eric Staal empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Jordan Staal. The three stars were Eric Staal, Peters (37 for 38 in saves), and Skinner.
North to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Minnesota Wild. Josh Harding and Semyon Varlamov tend the twines. Colorado got going in the second period as Max Talbot scored his third of the season, courtesy of Cory Sarich and John Mitchell. Minnesota tied it in the third period as Nino Neiderreiter scored his sixth of the year, via Ryan Suter and Jason Pominville. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Matt Duchene's goal for the Avalanche was matched by Zach Parise and topped by Mikko Koivu for a 2-1 Wild win. The three stars were Harding (26 for 27 in saves), Varlamov (26 for 27 in saves), and Koivu.
Finally, in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. Vancouver began in the first period as Jannik Hansen scored his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Boston tied it in the second period on Reilly Smith's eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canucks took the lead back as David Booth scored his fourth of the season, via Brad Richardson. Vancouver added on with a Chris Higgins goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Ryan Kesler and Mike Santorelli. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period when Yannick Weber scored, thanks to Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Chad Johnson replaced Rask at this time. Vancouver padded the lead as Henrik Sedin scored his ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Daniel Sedin and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks got another on a Christopher Tanev shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Santorelli and Richardson. The Bruins got one back as Smith scored his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, via Johnny Boychuk and Dennis Seidenberg. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Smith, Henrik Sedin, and Daniel Sedin, while Santorelli and Richardson get the honorable mentions.
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