Eleven games this evening, with the first in...
Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Anton Khudobin are in goal. Washington began with a first period goal by Jay Beagle, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Jason Chimera. Carolina tied it on a third period goal by Alexander Semin coming off of Jay Harrison and John-Michael Liles. The Capitals retook the lead on an Eric Fehr goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Holtby (29 for 30 in saves), Fehr, and Beagle.
Up in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Backups Eddie Lack and Thomas Greiss are set to start. Vancouver led off in the first period on a Brad Richardson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Shawn Matthias. The Canucks added on in the second period as Matthias scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Richardson and Yannick Weber. Vancouver extended the lead on a shorthanded Richardson goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, set up by Jannik Hansen. This was all they needed to win 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Richardson, Lack (21 save shutout), and Matthias.
Continuing to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the Dallas Stars. Jussi Rynnas is mismatched with Jimmy Howard in goal. Detroit struck first in the first period on a Darrem Helm goal, his third of the season, coming off of Kyle Quincey and Niklas Kronwall. Dallas tied it on a Colton Sceviour goal, made possible by Jordie Benn and Jason Demers. The Red Wings retook the lead on a Stephen Weiss goal, his fourth of the year, via Riley Sheahan and Tomas Jurco. Detroit added on with a Datsyuk power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Weiss and Riley Sheahan. The Stars got one back on a Tyler Seguin second period goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Trevor Daley and Jason Spezza on the power play. The Red Wings shot back in the third period with a Quincey goal, fueled by Sheahan and Weiss. Detroit wrapped it up at 5-2 with a Helm goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Tatar and Datsyuk. The three stars went to Helm, Weiss, and Datsyuk, while Quincey, Sheahan, and Tatar get the honorable mentions.
Crossing into Ottawa, where the Senators host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Craig Anderson are the veteran goalies. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Brock Nelson power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Frans Nielsen and Nick Leddy. Ottawa tied it on a power play goal by Mika Zibanejad, his fourth of the year, coming off of Erik Karlsson and David Legwand. The Islanders took the lead back in the third period on a Casey Cizikas goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Thomas Hickey. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Halak (20 for 21 in saves), Cizikas, and Nelson.
Way south to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period on a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Tyler Johnson. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Callahan and Alex Killorn. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Brenden Morrow scored his second of the season, thanks to Jonathan Drouin and Andrej Sustr. The Lightning padded the lead on Jason Garrison's third of the year, passed from Stamkos and Sustr. Tampa Bay struck again in the third period with a Brett Connolly power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, powered by Valtteri Filppula and Stamkos. This made it a 5-0 final, with the three stars going to Stamkos, Bishop (13 save shutout), and Sustr.
Into Canada again, as the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Jonathan Bernier protect the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period on an Eric Gelinas power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Jon Merrill and Damien Brunner. Toronto tied it in the second period on a Mike Santorelli goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Joffrey Lupul and Jake Gardiner. The Devils took the lead back on a Stephen Gionta goal, passed from Steve Bernier and Merrill. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a shorthanded goal by Nazem Kadri, his seventh of the season, set up by Santorelli and Stephane Robidas. New Jersey took the lead on a Michael Cammalleri power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Gelinas and Michael Ryder. The Devils added on in the third period with a Bernier goal, his second of the season, assisted by Marek Zidlicky and Dainius Zubrus. New Jersey extended the lead as Adam Henrique scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Ryder and Zidlicky. Toronto got one back on a Phil Kessel power play goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Bernier, Gelinas, and Merrill, while Ryder, Zidlicky, and Santorelli get the honorable mentions.
Down to Florida again, where the Panthers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Roberto Luongo receive the starting nods. Columbus started in the first period on a Nick Foligno goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Scott Hartnell and Dalton Prout. The Blue Jackets added on with a Cam Atkinson goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Kerby Rychel and Prout. Columbus extended the lead in the second period as Boone Jenner scored his third of the season, thanks to Rychel and Atkinson. Florida got on the board with a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his second of the year, passed from Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad. The Panthers pulled closer on a Bjugstad goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Fleischmann and Aaron Ekblad. Florida tied it with a Bjugstad power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, powered by Huberdeau and Erik Gudbranson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Ryan Johansen's tally gave the Blue Jackets a 4-3 win. The three stars belonged to Bjugstad, Fleischmann, and Huberdeau, while Atkinson, Prout, and Rychel get the honorable mentions.
Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the St. Louis Blues. Martin Brodeur and Pekka Rinne draw the starts. St. Louis began in the first period on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Alexander Steen. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Mike Ribeiro. The Predators took the lead on an Eric Nystrom goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Ribeiro and Mike Fisher. Nashville added on with a Ribeiro goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by James Neal and Forsberg. The Blues got one back with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, fueled by Carl Gunnarsson and Paul Stastny. The Predators answered in the third period with a Colin Wilson goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Roman Josi and Craig Smith. St. Louis pulled back on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his ninth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Kevin Shattenkirk. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Ribeiro, Tarasenko, and Forsberg.
Moving to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Karri Ramo are the masked men. Calgary got going in the second period on a Dennis Wideman power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Kris Russell. Colorado tied it with a Matt Duchene goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche took the lead on a Nick Holden goal, his second of the season, fueled by Zach Redmond and Michael Sgarbossa. The Flames tied it in the third period with a Curtis Glencross goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of David Jones and Sean Monahan. Colorado retook the lead on an Alex Tanguay goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by O'Reilly and Tyson Barrie. Calgary tied it with Wideman's second of the game and tenth of the year, courtesy of Russell and Glencross. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with a Monahan goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Mark Giordano and Russell, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Monahan, Wideman, and Russell, while Glencross and O'Reilly get the honorable mentions.
Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Mike Smith are in the blue paint. Los Angeles led off in the first period with a Dustin Brown goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings added on with a Brown goal in the second period, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Kyle Clifford and Jarret Stoll. Los Angeles extended the lead as Stoll scored his third of the season, a power play goal, coming off of Alec Martinez and Brown. Smith was pulled for Devan Dubnyk at this time. The Kings padded the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Martinez, his third of the year, powered by Justin Williams and Brayden McNabb. This produced the 4-0 final, with the three stars going to Brown, Jones (26 save shutout), and Martinez, while Stoll gets an honorable mention.
Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Antti Niemi are the Finnish goalies. Boston struck first in the first period on a Reilly Smith goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with a Gregory Campbell goal, his third of the year, guided in by Daniel Paille and Dennis Seidenberg. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Tommy Wingels goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks tied it on a Tyler Kennedy goal, his second of the year, made possible by James Sheppard and Andrew Desjardins. San Jose took the lead with a Wingels power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, powered by Matt Irwin and Tomas Hertl. Boston tied it on a Smith goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, coming off of Carl Soderberg and Milan Lucic. The Bruins took the lead back on a Torey Krug goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Marchand and Bergeron. The Sharks tied it on a power play goal by Joe Pavelski, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Marleau and Brent Burns. San Jose took the lead with Kennedy's second of the game and third of the season in the third period, helped along by Irwin and Sheppard The Sharks extended the lead on a Pavelski goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, pushed through by Burns and Brendon Dillon. San Jose iced it at 7-4 with Hertl's sixth of the campaign, with assists provided by Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The three stars went to Kennedy, Wingels, and Pavelski, while Smith, Bergeron, Marchand, Marleau, Hertl, Irwin, Sheppard, and Burns get the honorable mentions.
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