Twelve games on for the second day of the season, beginning in...
Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jhonas Enroth are the goalies. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jack Skille goal, coming off of Jared Boll and Michael Chaput. Buffalo tied it with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, courtesy of Marcus Foligno. The Blue Jackets reclaimed the lead on a Cam Atkinson power play goal in the third period, powered by Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno. Columbus added on with an Artem Anisimov goal, helped along by Scott Hartnell and Alexander Wennberg. The final was 3-1, with the three stars being Atkinson, Bobrovsky (21 for 22 in saves), and Anisimov.
Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Steve Mason are the young goalies. New Jersey struck first in the first period on a Michael Ryder goal, via Ryane Clowe and Andy Greene. The Devils added on in the second period as Adam Henrique scored, with a lone assist by Ryder. New Jersey extended the lead as Michael Cammalleri scored, thanks to Jaromir Jagr and Marek Zidlicky. Philadelphia got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, assisted by Mark Streit and Jakub Voracek on the power play. The Flyers pulled closer with a Wayne Simmonds goal, coming off of Matt Read and Andrew MacDonald. Philadelphia tied it with another Simmonds goal, courtesy of Vincent Lecavalier and Giroux on the power play. The Devils retook the lead in the third period with a Patrik Elias goal, helped along by Zidlicky and Martin Havlat. The Flyers retied it with a Lecavalier goal, made possible by Simmonds and Streit. New Jersey pulled ahead again on a Dainius Zubrus goal, guided in by Henrique and Ryder. The Devils iced it at 6-4 with a Cammalleri empty net goal, set up by Jagr. The three stars belonged to Cammalleri, Ryder, and Simmonds, while the honorable mentions include Henrique, Jagr, Zidlicky, Giroux, Streit, and Lecavalier.
Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Pittsburgh led off with a Patric Hornqvist goal in the first period, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on with a Sidney Crosby goal, courtesy of Chris Kunitz and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh extended the lead on a Pascal Dupuis goal, assisted by Maatta and Evgeni Malkin. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Kesler power play goal, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks pulled closer on a Corey Perry goal in the second period, with a lone assist by Patrick Maroon. Anaheim tied it on a power play goal from Perry, with helpers from Kesler and Vatanen. The Penguins regained the lead with another Crosby goal, helped along by Dupuis and Hornqvist on the power play. Pittsburgh padded their lead on a Blake Comeau goal, made possible by Maatta, who got a sock trick with his three assists, and Dupuis. The Penguins kept going in the third period with a shorthanded Brandon Sutter goal, set up by Dupuis, who got a sock trick. The Ducks got one back as Perry finished his hat trick with another power play goal, with helpers from Getzlaf and Kesler. This was as close as it got, with the final being 6-4. The three stars were awarded to Dupuis, Perry, and Crosby, while Hornqvist, Maatta, Kesler, Getzlaf, and Vatanen get the honorable mentions.
Backtracking to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Montreal Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski and Braden Holtby receive the starting nods. Washington started in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, courtesy of Troy Brouwer. Montreal tied it in the third period with Tomas Plekanec's third of the season, via Alex Galchenyuk and Tom Gilbert. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nicklas Backstrom was matched by Galchenyuk, Eric Fehr cancelled out David Desharnais, and then Brendan Gallagher scored to lift the Canadiens to a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Tokarski (29 for 30 in saves), Holtby (23 for 24 in saves), and Galchenyuk.
West to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jimmy Howard are between the pipes. Boston opened in the first period with an unassisted goal by Patrice Bergeron. Detroit tied it on a Justin Abdelkader goal, passed from Johan Franzen and Danny DeKeyser in the second period. The Red Wings took the lead with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, powered by Darren Helm and Franzen. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Howard (16 for 17 in saves), Franzen, and Nyquist.
Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Florida got going in the second period on an Erik Gudbranson goal, assisted by Dylan Olsen and Derek MacKenzie. Tampa Bay tied it with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, powered by Valtteri Filppula and Anton Stralman. The Lightning took the lead in the third period on a Ryan Callahan power play goal, coming off of Filppula and Victor Hedman. The Panthers retied it as Jonathan Huberdeau scored, thanks to Brian Campbell and Aaron Ekblad. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with a Hedman power play goal, with a lone assist by the goalie Bishop. The three stars went to Hedman, Filppula, and Johnson.
Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Brian Elliott are set to start in goal. New York began in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, with a lone assist by Chris Kreider. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, via David Backes and Alex Pietrangelo. The Rangers retook the lead on a Kreider goal, coming off of Nash and Martin St. Louis. The Blues tied it again as Paul Stastny scored, thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko and Schwartz. New York pulled ahead with Nash's second of the game, assisted by St. Louis. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars handed to Nash, Schwartz, and Kreider, while St. Louis gets an honorable mention.
Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Pekka Rinne are in the creases. Ottawa was first to score in the second period with a Kyle Turris goal, fueled by Clarke MacArthur and Mark Borowiecki. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Craig Smith power play goal, powered by Filip Forsberg and Derek Roy. The Predators took the lead on a Shea Weber goal, courtesy of Ryan Ellis and Paul Gaustad. Nashville added on with an Eric Nystrom goal, guided in by Gaustad and Forsberg. The Senators got one back with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, helped along by Cody Ceci and Chris Phillips. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Forsberg, Gaustad, and Nystrom.
Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Kari Lehtonen protect the nets. Chicago started in the first period with a Duncan Keith goal, assisted by Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp. Dallas tied it in the second period as Trevor Daley scored a power play goal, powered by Ales Hemsky and Jason Spezza. The Stars took the lead with a Cody Eakin goal, made possible by Ryan Garbutt and Antoine Roussel. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with a Sharp power play goal, assisted by Keith and Patrick Kane. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Chicago won 3-2 with a Kane tally. The three stars were Keith, Sharp, and Kane.
North to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Darcy Kuemper are the inconsistent goalies. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Jason Pominville goal, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Ryan Suter. The Wild added on in the second period with a Jared Spurgeon goal, made possible by Zach Parise and Pominville. Minnesota extended the lead on a Parise goal, with a lone assist by Granlund. The Wild padded the lead with an unassisted Nino Neiderreiter goal. Minnesota kept going with a Suter goal, courtesy of Parise and Charlie Coyle. This was all they needed to win 5-0, with the three stars going to Pominville, Parise, and Suter, while Kuemper (16 save shutout) and Granlund get the honorable mentions.
Into Canada for the first Battle of Alberta, as the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Ben Scrivens are the weak goalies. Calgary led off in the first period with a Mason Raymond goal, coming off of Mark Giordano and Joe Colborne. The Flames added on as Jiri Hudler scored his second of the season, with the help of Sean Monahan and Paul Byron. Edmonton got on the board with a Teddy Purcell power play goal, powered by David Perron and Nail Yakupov. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Taylor Hall, guided in by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz. Calgary retook the lead on another Raymond goal in the third period, assisted by Lance Bouma and Colborne. The Flames extended the lead as Raymond finished his hat trick, thanks to Colborne, who got a sock trick, and Hudler. Calgary padded the lead on a T.J. Brodie power play goal, via Curtis Glencross and Mikael Backlund. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Raymond, Colborne, and Hudler.
Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Mike Smith are the masked men. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Bryan Little goal, with a lone assist by Andrew Ladd. Arizona tied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, via Shane Doan and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Jets took the lead back with a Blake Wheeler goal, courtesy of Tobias Enstrom and Zach Bogosian. Winnipeg added on with another Wheeler goal, assisted by Bogosian and Enstrom. The Jets extended the lead on a Mark Stuart goal, guided in by Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault. Winnipeg padded the lead with a second period Dustin Byfuglien goal, made possible by Wheeler. The Jets struck again with a third period shorthanded Little goal, set up by Adam Pardy. The Coyotes took one back on a Martin Hanzal goal, with assists provided by Zbynek Michalek and Martin Erat. The final was 6-2, and the three stars belonged to Wheeler, Little, and Enstrom, while Bogosian gets an honorable mention.
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