Ten games on tonight with major implications on the playoff races everywhere. We begin in...
Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Matt Hackett are in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Cody Hodgson and Mike Weber. Detroit tied it with a Brendan Smtih goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Johan Franzen and Daniel Alfredsson. The Red Wings gained the lead in the third period on a Darren Helm goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Kyle Quincey. Detroit added on with a David Legwand goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Drew Miller. The Sabres got one back as Girgensons scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, thanks to Hodgson and Mark Pysyk. The Red Wings finished it with an unassisted empty net goal by Pavel Datsyuk, his seventeenth of the year. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars belonging to Legwand, Girgensons, and Hodgson.
East a bit to Long Island, as the New York Islanders welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Anders Nilsson are the mediocre goalies. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Ales Hemsky. New York tied it in the third period as Frans Nielsen scored his twenty-fifth of the year, thanks to Kevin Czuczman and Josh Bailey. The Senators retook the lead on another Spezza goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, assisted by Hemsky and Marc Methot. Ottawa added on with a Hemsky goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Milan Michalek and Methot. The Senators iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Matt Kassian, set up by Spezza and Erik Condra. The three stars went to Spezza, Hemsky, and Anderson (45 for 46 in saves), with Methot getting an honorable mention.
Staying in New York City, the Rangers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Henrik Lundqvist are the veteran goalies. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Patrick Dwyer goal, his eighth of the season, via Brett Bellemore. New York tied it as Brad Richards scored his nineteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Martin St. Louis and Derek Stepan. The Rangers took the lead in the second period as Benoit Pouliot scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Mats Zuccarello and Anton Stralman. New York added on with another Richards goal, his twentieth of the year and second of the game, made possible by Dan Girardi and St. Louis. The Rangers extended the lead in the third period on a Stepan goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, with assists provided by St. Louis, who got a sock trick, and Stralman. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Richards, Lundqvist (27 for 28 in saves), St. Louis, while Stepan and Stralman get the honorable mentions.
West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Phoenix Coyotes. Thomas Greiss is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Nathan Horton and Ryan Johansen. Phoenix tied it on a Martin Erat goal, his third of the year, coming off of Radim Vrbata and Kyle Chipchura. The Coyotes took the lead on a Shane Doan goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Michael Stone and Keith Yandle.The Blue Jackets retied it on a Mark Letestu goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Artem Anisimov. Columbus took the lead in the third period with a Blake Comeau goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Derek MacKenzie and Anisimov. Phoenix retied it as Oliver Ekman-Larsson potted his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Mike Ribeiro and Mikkel Boedker. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime with a Johansen goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, with a lone assist from James Wisniewski. The three stars were awarded to Johansen, Anisimov, and Comeau.
Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Ben Bishop are the young goalies. Bishop was injured in the first period and replaced by Anders Lindback. Tampa Bay opened in the second period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Victor Hedman and Radko Gudas. The Lightning added on with a Palat power play goal, his twenty-second of the year and second of the game, powered by Steven Stamkos and Hedman. Tampa Bay wrapped it up at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Hedman, his thirteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Palat, Lindback (25 for 25 in saves in relief), and Hedman.
Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Dan Ellis are in the blue paint. Philadelphia struck first in the second period with a Vincent Lecavalier goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Adam Hall. The Flyers added on as Claude Giroux scored his twenty-sixth of the year, with the help of Nicklas Grossmann and Luke Schenn. Philadelphia extended the lead on another Giroux goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, with helpers from Mark Streit and Scott Hartnell. The Flyers padded the lead with a Sean Couturier goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Braydon Coburn and Matt Read. Florida got on the board in the third period on an Erik Gudbranson goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Scottie Upshall and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers pulled closer with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his ninth of the year, via Jesse Winchester and Drew Shore. Philadelphia answered on a Tye McGinn goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Lecavalier and Hall. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Giroux, Lecavalier, and Hall.
Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ryan Miller are called on to start. Washington began in the first period on a power play goal by Alex Ovechkin, his fiftieth of the season, powered by John Carlson and Joel Ward. St. Louis tied it on a second period goal by Maxim Lapierre, his ninth of the year, passed from Steve Ott and Ryan Reaves. The Capitals retook the lead with a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Eric Fehr and the goalie Holtby. Washington added on with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period on another Backstrom goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, a power play goal helped along by Ovechkin and Carlson. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Carlson.
Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ilya Bryzgalov are the masked men. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Jason Pominville goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise on the power play. Boston tied it with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his twentieth of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins took the lead as Patrice Bergeron scored his twenty-ninth of the season, thanks to Brad Marchand and Zdeno Chara. The Wild retied it on a Pominville goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, coming off of Matt Moulson and Erik Haula. Boston retook the lead in the second period with a Loui Eriksson power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Gregory Campbell and Chara. Minnesota pulled even in the third period on a Ryan Suter goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Pominville and Koivu. The tie lasted a shootout, where Koivu's lone tally lifted the Wild to a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Pominville, Koivu, and Chara.
Southward to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Kari Lehtonen are the Finnish goaltenders. Dallas started in the first period on an Alex Goligoski goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Vernon Fiddler and Colton Sceviour. Nashville tied it with a second period Gabriel Bourque goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Craig Smith and Shea Weber. The Stars retook the lead on a Jamie Benn goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Valeri Nichushkin and Brenden Dillon. The Predators retied it in the third period with Bourque's second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Paul Gaustad. Dallas won 3-2 in the shootout with tallies from Fiddler and Tyler Seguin to overwhelm a single goal by Roman Josi. The three stars went to Bourque, Fiddler, and Jamie Benn.
Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers host the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Ben Scrivens have the green light to start. Colorado opened in the first period with a Paul Stastny goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and John Mitchell. Edmonton tied it on a David Perron goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, a power play goal powered by Sam Gagner and Philip Larsen. The Avalanche retook the lead on an Erik Johnson goal, his ninth of the season, via Jan Hejda and Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado added on in the third period with a power play goal by Tyson Barrie, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Johnson and Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche extended the lead on a Jamie McGinn goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by O'Reilly. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars being Johnson, O'Reilly, and Giguere (22 for 23 in saves).
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