Three games on for today, beginning in...
Detroit, with the Red Wings hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Detroit opened in the first period with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Gustav Nyquist and Andreas Athanasiou. The Red Wings added on in the third period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Pavel Datsyuk. Ottawa got on the board with a Zack Smith power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. Detroit iced it at 3-1 with a Darren Helm empty net goal, his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Mrazek (22 for 23 in saves), Zetterberg, and DeKeyser.
Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. New York started with a Kevin Hayes goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Tanner Glass and Keith Yandle. The Rangers added on with a Dominic Moore goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Derek Stepan. New York iced it at 3-0 with a Jesper Fast empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Lundqvist (34 save shutout), Hayes, and Moore.
Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Louis Domingue make the starts in goal. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Jake Virtanen goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jared McCann and Dan Hamhuis. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Martin Hanzal power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Max Domi and Anthony Duclair. The Canucks took the lead on a Jannik Hansen goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Christopher Tanev and Henrik Sedin. This stood for a 2-1 final, with the three stars going to Miller (33 for 34 in saves), Hansen, and Virtanen.
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Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Which Teams Are Peaking at the Right Time?
The NHL season has about 25 to 30 games left for each team. While some early favorites have faded and other teams have essentially locked themselves in, there are a few teams around the bubble that appear interested in finding a way into the playoffs. Here are those teams.
Ottawa Senators (25-23-6, 56 points): The sheer number of recognizable names the Senators shed in the Dion Phaneuf trade might seem a bit alarming, but they wouldn't make a trade for a veteran defenseman if they didn't think they had some magic left over from last season's improbable, Hamburglar-fueled run over about the same stretch of games. As many other outlets have said, Phaneuf won't be the guy for the Senators. He just has to be a solid second pairing defenseman as Erik Karlsson eats minutes. With youngsters like Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone leading the offense, and a steady Craig Anderson in goal, the Senators could make up the current five point deficit. There's just one team standing in their way.
Pittsburgh Penguins (27-18-7, 61 points): Before firing Mike Johnston for Mike Sullivan, the Penguins looked dead in the water, wasting what's left of the good years for their plethora of superstars. Currently in the final wild card spot, the Penguins are still in a precarious position. The difference is that Sidney Crosby is doing everything in his power to turn the team around. The recent overtime comeback win is a prime example of that. Coupled with All-Star defenseman Kris Letang playing some of his best and healthiest hockey in years, and the Penguins could very well beat opponents into submission and come into the playoffs very hot. We've all seen what this core can do with the right new coach before.
Anaheim Ducks (26-19-7, 59 points): The cold streak is over for the Anaheim Ducks. They may not play the cleanest brand of hockey, but their return to form is here. This is a team that can spread the wealth with the superstars of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, while also getting surprisingly strong efforts out of Rickard Rakell. An 8-2-0 record in their last ten indicates that this Ducks team is going to be compensating for their sluggish start for however long they have games on the schedule, which may be much farther into the spring than most of us thought after their first month of under-performing.
Are there any other teams I should be keeping an eye on in the later parts of the season? Let me know in the comments.
Ottawa Senators (25-23-6, 56 points): The sheer number of recognizable names the Senators shed in the Dion Phaneuf trade might seem a bit alarming, but they wouldn't make a trade for a veteran defenseman if they didn't think they had some magic left over from last season's improbable, Hamburglar-fueled run over about the same stretch of games. As many other outlets have said, Phaneuf won't be the guy for the Senators. He just has to be a solid second pairing defenseman as Erik Karlsson eats minutes. With youngsters like Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone leading the offense, and a steady Craig Anderson in goal, the Senators could make up the current five point deficit. There's just one team standing in their way.
Pittsburgh Penguins (27-18-7, 61 points): Before firing Mike Johnston for Mike Sullivan, the Penguins looked dead in the water, wasting what's left of the good years for their plethora of superstars. Currently in the final wild card spot, the Penguins are still in a precarious position. The difference is that Sidney Crosby is doing everything in his power to turn the team around. The recent overtime comeback win is a prime example of that. Coupled with All-Star defenseman Kris Letang playing some of his best and healthiest hockey in years, and the Penguins could very well beat opponents into submission and come into the playoffs very hot. We've all seen what this core can do with the right new coach before.
Anaheim Ducks (26-19-7, 59 points): The cold streak is over for the Anaheim Ducks. They may not play the cleanest brand of hockey, but their return to form is here. This is a team that can spread the wealth with the superstars of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, while also getting surprisingly strong efforts out of Rickard Rakell. An 8-2-0 record in their last ten indicates that this Ducks team is going to be compensating for their sluggish start for however long they have games on the schedule, which may be much farther into the spring than most of us thought after their first month of under-performing.
Are there any other teams I should be keeping an eye on in the later parts of the season? Let me know in the comments.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 117
Twelve games on today, beginning with...
The Boston Bruins hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Matt Beleskey and Zdeno Chara. Los Angeles tied it on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Jake Muzzin and Drew Doughty. The Kings gained the lead with a Marian Gaborik goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Vincent Lecavalier. Los Angeles added on with an unassisted Andy Andreoff goal in the second period, his fourth of the year. The Kings extended the lead as Doughty scored his eleventh of the season, a power play goal made possible by Milan Lucic and Gaborik. Los Angeles chased Rask with a Dwight King goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Tyler Toffoli and Carter. Jonas Gustavsson came on in relief. The Kings padded the lead as Trevor Lewis scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Muzzin and Kyle Clifford. Los Angeles kept going in the third period with a Lucic goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. The Bruins got one back with a Tyler Randell goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Kevan Miller and Max Talbot. The Kings shot back with a Luke Schenn power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Christian Ehrhoff and Toffoli. Los Angeles finished it at 9-2 with a Brown goal, his eighth of the campaign, courtesy of Schenn and Ehrhoff. The three stars went to Doughty, Lucic, and Gaborik, while Carter, Brown, Ehrhoff, Schenn, Toffoli, and Muzzin get the honorable mentions.
Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Jussi Jokinen and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers added on with a Brian Campbell goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Alex Petrovic and Nick Bjugstad. Florida extended the lead as Jokinen scored his eleventh of the season, with the help of Smith and Trocheck. The Panthers chased Lehner in the second period with a Petrovic goal, his second of the year, via Bjugstad. Chad Johnson came on in relief. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Ryan O'Reilly. The Sabres got closer with another Reinhart power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with helpers provided by O'Reilly and Jack Eichel. Florida answered with a Brandon Pirri goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Campbell and Quinton Howden. The Panthers padded the lead as Jaromir Jagr scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Buffalo chipped back in the third period with an Evander Kane goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Josh Gorges. The Sabres edged closer with a Mike Weber goal, guided in by David Legwand and Cody Franson. Florida iced it at 7-4 with a Smith empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, set up by Jokinen. Additional, Kane and Petrovic fought three times, with the latter getting the rare Gordie Howe Hat Trick mixed with punch trick. The three stars went to Smith, Jokinen, and Petrovic, while Reinhart, Trocheck, Campbell, Bjugstad, and O'Reilly get the honorable mentions.
Down in New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot is mismatched with Cory Schneider in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Lee Stempniak and Reid Boucher. Edmonton tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Benoit Pouliot and Connor McDavid. The Devils regained the lead with a Boucher power play goal in the third period, his third of the campaign, assisted by Henrique and Tyler Kennedy. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Boucher, Henrique, and Schneider (19 for 20 in saves), with the third star being most appropriate on the night celebrating legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur.
West to Philadelphia, with the Flyers hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Steve Mason are the average goalies. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his twelfth of the season, coming on the power play from Corey Perry and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks added on with a Rakell goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, via Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim extended the lead in the second period as Chris Stewart converted a penalty shot goal for his eighth of the season, which came after Nick Schultz hooked him. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Ducks iced it at 4-1 with an Andrew Cogliano empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Simon Despres and Getzlaf. The three stars belonged to Rakell, Andersen (28 for 29 in saves), and Perry, while Getzlaf gets an honorable mention.
Along to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets welcoming the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Joonas Korpisalo are in the blue paint. New York opened in the first period with a Ryan Strome goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by John Tavares. Columbus tied it with a Cam Atkinson goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Brandon Dubinsky and Dalton Prout. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Dubinsky goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone helper from Atkinson. The Islanders tied it in the third period on an Anders Lee power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. In the shootout, Nielsen cancelled out Alexander Wennberg, and then Cal Clutterbuck took it for the Islanders with a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Korpisalo (44 for 46 in saves), Nielsen, and Dubinsky, while Atkinson gets an honorable mention.
Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Ben Scrivens are the goalies with the same first name. Montreal started in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Tomas Plekanec. Tampa Bay tied it with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Victor Hedman in the second period. The Canadiens took the lead back with a Plekanec goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Gallagher and Mark Barberio. Montreal added on with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of P.K. Subban and Lars Eller. The Canadiens extended the lead as Plekanec scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Alex Galchenyuk and Alexei Emelin. The Lightning got one back with a Hedman goal, his fifth of the campaign, fueled by Filppula and Ryan Callahan. This only made it 4-2, with the three stars given to Plekanec, Gallagher, and Hedman, while Filppula gets an honorable mention.
Down in St. Louis, the Blues host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Brian Elliott are the solid goalies. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Bryan Little goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Enstrom. St. Louis tied it on a Colton Parayko power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jori Lehtera and Robby Fabbri. The tie went to a shootout, where only Mark Scheifele of the Jets scored, giving the visitors a 2-1 win. The three stars were Elliott (32 for 33 in saves), Hellebuyck (21 for 22 in saves), and Little.
Back in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Washington drew first blood in the first period with a Jason Chimera goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Tom Wilson. The Capitals added on with a Wilson goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Marcus Johansson and John Carlson. Nashville got on the board with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Craig Smith and Mattias Ekholm. Washington answered in the third period with a Justin Williams goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals extended the lead as Johansson scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Williams and Karl Alzner. The Predators got one back with a Roman Josi goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Calle Jarnkrok and Ryan Johansen. Nashville chipped closer with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, guided in by Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. Washington iced it at 5-3 with an Alex Ovechkin power play empty net goal, set up by Nicklas Backstrom and Johansson. The three stars went to Johansson, Wilson, and Williams, while Forsberg and Ekholm get the honorable mentions.
Up north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Darcy Kuemper are the backups in goal. Minnesota led off in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Thomas Vanek and Ryan Suter. Dallas tied it on an Alex Goligoski goal, his fourth of the year, via Tyler Seguin and Patrick Eaves. The Wild took the lead back with a Justin Fontaine goal, his third of the season, passed from Haula and Vanek. The Stars tied it with a Jason Demers goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, assisted by Mattias Janmark and Valeri Nichushkin. Dallas took the lead with an Eaves power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Seguin and Jamie Benn. Minnesota retied it in the third period with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Matt Dumba and Zach Parise. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a John Klingberg goal, his ninth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Benn. The three stars went to Eaves, Haula, and Benn, while Seguin and Vanek get the honorable mentions.
Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Corey Crawford protect the nets. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. The Sharks iced it at 2-0 with a Thornton empty net goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, set up by Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The three stars went to Jones (33 save shutout), Thornton, and Crawford (25 for 26 in saves).
Northwest to Alberta, with the Calgary Flames welcoming the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Jonas Hiller are the inconsistent goalies. Calgary began in the first period with a Markus Granlund shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Michael Frolik and T.J. Brodie. Toronto tied it with a Peter Holland power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Frank Corrado and Matt Hunwick. The Flames retook the lead with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Sam Bennett. Calgary added on with a Micheal Ferland goal, his third of the season, via Joe Colborne. The Flames extended the lead as Hamilton scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Granlund. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Josh Leivo goal, helped along by Rich Clune and Corrado. Toronto got closer in the third period with an unassisted Jake Gardiner goal, his fourth of the campaign. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Granlund, Hamilton, and Corrado.
Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Semyon Varlamov man the blue paint. Colorado got going in the second period with a Francois Beauchemin goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay. Vancouver tied it with a Matt Bartkowski goal, his third of the year, via Alexandre Burrows and Ben Hutton. The Canucks took the lead with a Sven Baertschi goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Hutton and Bo Horvat. Vancouver added on in the third period with a Horvat goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Luca Sbisa and the goalie Markstrom. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Horvat, Hutton, and Markstrom (29 for 30 in saves).
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The Boston Bruins hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Matt Beleskey and Zdeno Chara. Los Angeles tied it on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Jake Muzzin and Drew Doughty. The Kings gained the lead with a Marian Gaborik goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Vincent Lecavalier. Los Angeles added on with an unassisted Andy Andreoff goal in the second period, his fourth of the year. The Kings extended the lead as Doughty scored his eleventh of the season, a power play goal made possible by Milan Lucic and Gaborik. Los Angeles chased Rask with a Dwight King goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Tyler Toffoli and Carter. Jonas Gustavsson came on in relief. The Kings padded the lead as Trevor Lewis scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Muzzin and Kyle Clifford. Los Angeles kept going in the third period with a Lucic goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. The Bruins got one back with a Tyler Randell goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Kevan Miller and Max Talbot. The Kings shot back with a Luke Schenn power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Christian Ehrhoff and Toffoli. Los Angeles finished it at 9-2 with a Brown goal, his eighth of the campaign, courtesy of Schenn and Ehrhoff. The three stars went to Doughty, Lucic, and Gaborik, while Carter, Brown, Ehrhoff, Schenn, Toffoli, and Muzzin get the honorable mentions.
Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Jussi Jokinen and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers added on with a Brian Campbell goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Alex Petrovic and Nick Bjugstad. Florida extended the lead as Jokinen scored his eleventh of the season, with the help of Smith and Trocheck. The Panthers chased Lehner in the second period with a Petrovic goal, his second of the year, via Bjugstad. Chad Johnson came on in relief. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Ryan O'Reilly. The Sabres got closer with another Reinhart power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with helpers provided by O'Reilly and Jack Eichel. Florida answered with a Brandon Pirri goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Campbell and Quinton Howden. The Panthers padded the lead as Jaromir Jagr scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Buffalo chipped back in the third period with an Evander Kane goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Josh Gorges. The Sabres edged closer with a Mike Weber goal, guided in by David Legwand and Cody Franson. Florida iced it at 7-4 with a Smith empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, set up by Jokinen. Additional, Kane and Petrovic fought three times, with the latter getting the rare Gordie Howe Hat Trick mixed with punch trick. The three stars went to Smith, Jokinen, and Petrovic, while Reinhart, Trocheck, Campbell, Bjugstad, and O'Reilly get the honorable mentions.
Down in New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot is mismatched with Cory Schneider in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Lee Stempniak and Reid Boucher. Edmonton tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Benoit Pouliot and Connor McDavid. The Devils regained the lead with a Boucher power play goal in the third period, his third of the campaign, assisted by Henrique and Tyler Kennedy. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Boucher, Henrique, and Schneider (19 for 20 in saves), with the third star being most appropriate on the night celebrating legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur.
West to Philadelphia, with the Flyers hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Steve Mason are the average goalies. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his twelfth of the season, coming on the power play from Corey Perry and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks added on with a Rakell goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, via Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim extended the lead in the second period as Chris Stewart converted a penalty shot goal for his eighth of the season, which came after Nick Schultz hooked him. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Ducks iced it at 4-1 with an Andrew Cogliano empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Simon Despres and Getzlaf. The three stars belonged to Rakell, Andersen (28 for 29 in saves), and Perry, while Getzlaf gets an honorable mention.
Along to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets welcoming the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Joonas Korpisalo are in the blue paint. New York opened in the first period with a Ryan Strome goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by John Tavares. Columbus tied it with a Cam Atkinson goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Brandon Dubinsky and Dalton Prout. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Dubinsky goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone helper from Atkinson. The Islanders tied it in the third period on an Anders Lee power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. In the shootout, Nielsen cancelled out Alexander Wennberg, and then Cal Clutterbuck took it for the Islanders with a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Korpisalo (44 for 46 in saves), Nielsen, and Dubinsky, while Atkinson gets an honorable mention.
Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Ben Scrivens are the goalies with the same first name. Montreal started in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Tomas Plekanec. Tampa Bay tied it with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Victor Hedman in the second period. The Canadiens took the lead back with a Plekanec goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Gallagher and Mark Barberio. Montreal added on with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of P.K. Subban and Lars Eller. The Canadiens extended the lead as Plekanec scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Alex Galchenyuk and Alexei Emelin. The Lightning got one back with a Hedman goal, his fifth of the campaign, fueled by Filppula and Ryan Callahan. This only made it 4-2, with the three stars given to Plekanec, Gallagher, and Hedman, while Filppula gets an honorable mention.
Down in St. Louis, the Blues host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Brian Elliott are the solid goalies. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Bryan Little goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Enstrom. St. Louis tied it on a Colton Parayko power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jori Lehtera and Robby Fabbri. The tie went to a shootout, where only Mark Scheifele of the Jets scored, giving the visitors a 2-1 win. The three stars were Elliott (32 for 33 in saves), Hellebuyck (21 for 22 in saves), and Little.
Back in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Washington drew first blood in the first period with a Jason Chimera goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Tom Wilson. The Capitals added on with a Wilson goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Marcus Johansson and John Carlson. Nashville got on the board with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Craig Smith and Mattias Ekholm. Washington answered in the third period with a Justin Williams goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals extended the lead as Johansson scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Williams and Karl Alzner. The Predators got one back with a Roman Josi goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Calle Jarnkrok and Ryan Johansen. Nashville chipped closer with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, guided in by Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. Washington iced it at 5-3 with an Alex Ovechkin power play empty net goal, set up by Nicklas Backstrom and Johansson. The three stars went to Johansson, Wilson, and Williams, while Forsberg and Ekholm get the honorable mentions.
Up north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Darcy Kuemper are the backups in goal. Minnesota led off in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Thomas Vanek and Ryan Suter. Dallas tied it on an Alex Goligoski goal, his fourth of the year, via Tyler Seguin and Patrick Eaves. The Wild took the lead back with a Justin Fontaine goal, his third of the season, passed from Haula and Vanek. The Stars tied it with a Jason Demers goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, assisted by Mattias Janmark and Valeri Nichushkin. Dallas took the lead with an Eaves power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Seguin and Jamie Benn. Minnesota retied it in the third period with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Matt Dumba and Zach Parise. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a John Klingberg goal, his ninth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Benn. The three stars went to Eaves, Haula, and Benn, while Seguin and Vanek get the honorable mentions.
Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Corey Crawford protect the nets. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. The Sharks iced it at 2-0 with a Thornton empty net goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, set up by Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The three stars went to Jones (33 save shutout), Thornton, and Crawford (25 for 26 in saves).
Northwest to Alberta, with the Calgary Flames welcoming the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Jonas Hiller are the inconsistent goalies. Calgary began in the first period with a Markus Granlund shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Michael Frolik and T.J. Brodie. Toronto tied it with a Peter Holland power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Frank Corrado and Matt Hunwick. The Flames retook the lead with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Sam Bennett. Calgary added on with a Micheal Ferland goal, his third of the season, via Joe Colborne. The Flames extended the lead as Hamilton scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Granlund. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Josh Leivo goal, helped along by Rich Clune and Corrado. Toronto got closer in the third period with an unassisted Jake Gardiner goal, his fourth of the campaign. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Granlund, Hamilton, and Corrado.
Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Semyon Varlamov man the blue paint. Colorado got going in the second period with a Francois Beauchemin goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay. Vancouver tied it with a Matt Bartkowski goal, his third of the year, via Alexandre Burrows and Ben Hutton. The Canucks took the lead with a Sven Baertschi goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Hutton and Bo Horvat. Vancouver added on in the third period with a Horvat goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Luca Sbisa and the goalie Markstrom. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Horvat, Hutton, and Markstrom (29 for 30 in saves).
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Monday, February 8, 2016
2015-16 KHL Day 141/NHL Day 116
Only five games today, with the single KHL game being...
Slovan Bratislava hosting Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Barry Brust make the starts. Bratislava got going in the second period with an Andrej Stastny goal, assisted by Rok Ticar and Michal Sersen. Slovan added on with a Lukas Kaspar goal, passed from Marek Viedensky and Vaclav Nedorost. Riga got on the board in the third period with a Miks Indrasis power play goal, powered by Guntis Galvins and Gunars Skvorcovs. Dinamo tied it with a Vitalijs Pavlovs goal, guided in by Galvins and Aleksandrs Jerofejevs. Bratislava won 3-2 in overtime with a Ticar goal, made possible by Kaspar and the goalie Brust. The three stars went to Ticar, Kaspar, and Galvins. The KHL is off until next Tuesday, with their regular season almost completed now.
In the NHL, the New York Rangers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kevin Klein goal, his fourth of the season, via Mats Zuccarello and Marc Staal. The Rangers added on with a J.T. Miller goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Derick Brassard and Jesper Fast. New Jersey got on the board with a Travis Zajac shorthanded goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Adam Henrique. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Lundqvist (27 for 28 in saves), Miller, and Klein.
Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on with a Conor Sheary goal, his third of the year, coming off of Letang and Trevor Daley. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh replied with a Carl Hagelin goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Phil Kessel and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins extended the lead as Crosby scored an unassisted goal, his twenty-third of the season. The Ducks got one back with a Patrick Maroon goal, his third of the year, fueled by Corey Perry and Getzlaf. Pittsburgh fired back with a third period goal by Crosby, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Kunitz. The Penguins padded the lead on an Olli Maatta goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. This produced the 6-2 final, with the three stars awarded to Crosby, Kunitz, and Getzlaf, while Letang gets an honorable mention.
Out in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya is mismatched with Petr Mrazek in goal. Detroit drew first blood in the third period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Jakub Kindl and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings added on with a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Brad Richards and Henrik Zetterberg. Detroit extended the lead as Datsyuk scored his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, helped along by Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Datsyuk, Mrazek (23 save shutout), and Zetterberg.
Finally, the Ottawa Senators host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Craig Anderson receive the starting nods in goal. Ottawa began in the first period on a Zack Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Mark Stone. The Senators added on with an unassisted Shane Prince goal, his third of the year. Tampa Bay got on the board with a J.T. Brown goal, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Braydon Coburn and Ryan Callahan. Ottawa replied in the second period with a Stone power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mika Zibanejad. The Senators extended the lead as Stone scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, thanks to Cody Ceci and Pageau. Ottawa padded the lead in the third period with a Pageau empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This made it 5-1, with the three stars being Stone, Pageau, and Anderson (31 for 32 in saves).
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Slovan Bratislava hosting Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Barry Brust make the starts. Bratislava got going in the second period with an Andrej Stastny goal, assisted by Rok Ticar and Michal Sersen. Slovan added on with a Lukas Kaspar goal, passed from Marek Viedensky and Vaclav Nedorost. Riga got on the board in the third period with a Miks Indrasis power play goal, powered by Guntis Galvins and Gunars Skvorcovs. Dinamo tied it with a Vitalijs Pavlovs goal, guided in by Galvins and Aleksandrs Jerofejevs. Bratislava won 3-2 in overtime with a Ticar goal, made possible by Kaspar and the goalie Brust. The three stars went to Ticar, Kaspar, and Galvins. The KHL is off until next Tuesday, with their regular season almost completed now.
In the NHL, the New York Rangers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kevin Klein goal, his fourth of the season, via Mats Zuccarello and Marc Staal. The Rangers added on with a J.T. Miller goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Derick Brassard and Jesper Fast. New Jersey got on the board with a Travis Zajac shorthanded goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Adam Henrique. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Lundqvist (27 for 28 in saves), Miller, and Klein.
Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on with a Conor Sheary goal, his third of the year, coming off of Letang and Trevor Daley. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh replied with a Carl Hagelin goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Phil Kessel and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins extended the lead as Crosby scored an unassisted goal, his twenty-third of the season. The Ducks got one back with a Patrick Maroon goal, his third of the year, fueled by Corey Perry and Getzlaf. Pittsburgh fired back with a third period goal by Crosby, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Kunitz. The Penguins padded the lead on an Olli Maatta goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. This produced the 6-2 final, with the three stars awarded to Crosby, Kunitz, and Getzlaf, while Letang gets an honorable mention.
Out in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya is mismatched with Petr Mrazek in goal. Detroit drew first blood in the third period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Jakub Kindl and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings added on with a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Brad Richards and Henrik Zetterberg. Detroit extended the lead as Datsyuk scored his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, helped along by Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Datsyuk, Mrazek (23 save shutout), and Zetterberg.
Finally, the Ottawa Senators host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Craig Anderson receive the starting nods in goal. Ottawa began in the first period on a Zack Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Mark Stone. The Senators added on with an unassisted Shane Prince goal, his third of the year. Tampa Bay got on the board with a J.T. Brown goal, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Braydon Coburn and Ryan Callahan. Ottawa replied in the second period with a Stone power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mika Zibanejad. The Senators extended the lead as Stone scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, thanks to Cody Ceci and Pageau. Ottawa padded the lead in the third period with a Pageau empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This made it 5-1, with the three stars being Stone, Pageau, and Anderson (31 for 32 in saves).
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Sunday, February 7, 2016
2015-16 KHL Day 140/NHL Day 115
It's another mixed post today, with a total of four hockey games included. In the KHL...
Dinamo Minsk hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Jeff Glass are the solid goalies. Minsk got going in the second period with an Alexei Kalyuzhny power play goal, powered by Ryan Gunderson and Matt Ellison. Helsinki tied it on a Philip Larsen power play goal, with a lone assist by Peter Regin. Jokerit took the lead with a third period Regin power play goal, coming off of Pascal Pelletier and Brandon Kozun. Dinamo tied it again with a Paul Szczechura power play goal, helped along by Ellison. The tie went to a shootout, where Dmitry Meleshko gave Dinamo the 3-2 win. The three stars went to Ellison, Regin, and Meleshko.
In the NHL, the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Braden Holtby are in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Shayne Gostisbehere and Nick Cousins. Washington tied it in the second period on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Karl Alzner. The Capitals took the lead with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Andre Burakovsky and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Flyers tied it again in the third period with a Nick Schultz goal, with a lone helper from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Washington regained the lead with a Matt Niskanen goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Niskanen, Holtby (33 for 35 in saves), and Orlov.
Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Ben Scrivens are the mediocre goalies. Carolina started in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his nineteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Jordan Staal. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twentieth of the year, via Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban. In the shootout, Sven Andrighetto scored to give the Canadiens a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Scrivens (34 for 35 in saves), Ward (33 for 34 in saves), and Andrighetto.
Finally, the New York Islanders host the Edmonton Oilers. Anders Nilsson and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. New York drew first blood in the first period with a Johnny Boychuk goal, his fourth of the season, via Nick Leddy and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders added on with a John Tavares goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Ryan Strome and Thomas Hickey. New York extended the lead as Nikolay Kulemin scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. Cam Talbot replaced Nilsson in goal. The Islanders padded the lead with an Okposo goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Leddy and Tavares. New York kept going with another Okposo goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, passed from Nielsen. Edmonton got on the board with a Connor McDavid goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Islanders answered with a Josh Bailey goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Anders Lee and Leddy, the latter getting a sock trick. Nilsson return to replace Talbot in a clear blowout game. New York kept going with a Clutterbuck power play goal, his eleventh of the year, coming with the help of Casey Cizikas. The Islanders continued with a third period goal by Okposo, completing his hat trick with his fifteenth of the season, a power play goal with assists provided by Tavares and Calvin de Haan. This made it 8-1, with the three stars given to Okposo, Tavares, and Leddy, while Clutterbuck and Nielsen get the honorable mentions.
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Dinamo Minsk hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Jeff Glass are the solid goalies. Minsk got going in the second period with an Alexei Kalyuzhny power play goal, powered by Ryan Gunderson and Matt Ellison. Helsinki tied it on a Philip Larsen power play goal, with a lone assist by Peter Regin. Jokerit took the lead with a third period Regin power play goal, coming off of Pascal Pelletier and Brandon Kozun. Dinamo tied it again with a Paul Szczechura power play goal, helped along by Ellison. The tie went to a shootout, where Dmitry Meleshko gave Dinamo the 3-2 win. The three stars went to Ellison, Regin, and Meleshko.
In the NHL, the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Braden Holtby are in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Shayne Gostisbehere and Nick Cousins. Washington tied it in the second period on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Karl Alzner. The Capitals took the lead with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Andre Burakovsky and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Flyers tied it again in the third period with a Nick Schultz goal, with a lone helper from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Washington regained the lead with a Matt Niskanen goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Niskanen, Holtby (33 for 35 in saves), and Orlov.
Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Ben Scrivens are the mediocre goalies. Carolina started in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his nineteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Jordan Staal. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twentieth of the year, via Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban. In the shootout, Sven Andrighetto scored to give the Canadiens a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Scrivens (34 for 35 in saves), Ward (33 for 34 in saves), and Andrighetto.
Finally, the New York Islanders host the Edmonton Oilers. Anders Nilsson and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. New York drew first blood in the first period with a Johnny Boychuk goal, his fourth of the season, via Nick Leddy and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders added on with a John Tavares goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Ryan Strome and Thomas Hickey. New York extended the lead as Nikolay Kulemin scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. Cam Talbot replaced Nilsson in goal. The Islanders padded the lead with an Okposo goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Leddy and Tavares. New York kept going with another Okposo goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, passed from Nielsen. Edmonton got on the board with a Connor McDavid goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Islanders answered with a Josh Bailey goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Anders Lee and Leddy, the latter getting a sock trick. Nilsson return to replace Talbot in a clear blowout game. New York kept going with a Clutterbuck power play goal, his eleventh of the year, coming with the help of Casey Cizikas. The Islanders continued with a third period goal by Okposo, completing his hat trick with his fifteenth of the season, a power play goal with assists provided by Tavares and Calvin de Haan. This made it 8-1, with the three stars given to Okposo, Tavares, and Leddy, while Clutterbuck and Nielsen get the honorable mentions.
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2015/16 Premier League Week 25
It's another full weekend here for Britain's top league. We begin with eight Saturday games, the first being...
Manchester City hosting Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Joe Hart are the goalies. Leicester City began in the third minute with a Robert Huth goal, coming off of Riyad Mahrez. Wes Morgan of Leicester City had a yellow card in the thirty-sixth minute for a foul. In the forty-sixth minute, Danny Simpson of Leicester City took a yellow card for a foul. Leicester City added on in the forty-eighth minute with a Mahrez goal, assisted by N'Golo Konte. Leicester City extended the lead in the sixtieth minute as Huth scored his second of the game, thanks to Christian Fuchs. Manchester City saw yellow cards for Pablo Zabaleta in the sixty-ninth minute and Fernando in the seventy-second minute, both for fouls. In the eighty-seventh minute, Manchester City got on the board with a Sergio Aguero goal, courtesy of Bersant Celina. This made it a 3-1 win for Leicester City.
Down to Aston Villa welcoming Norwich City. Declan Rudd and Mark Bunn man the nets. Jonny Howson of Norwich City had a yellow card for his twelfth minute foul. Aston Villa got going with a forty-fifth minute goal from Joleon Lescott, passed from Carles Gil. Aston Villa added on in the fifty-first minute with a Gabriel Agbonlahor goal, guided in by Jordan Veretout. Timm Klose of Norwich City had a yellow card for his offense in the seventy-seventh minute. The game ended favoring Aston Villa 2-0.
Back north, Liverpool brings in Sunderland. Vito Mannone and Simon Mignolet are in goal. Dame N'Doye of Sunderland had a thirty-ninth minute yellow card for a foul. Liverpool dented the scoreboard in the fifty-ninth minute with a Roberto Firmino goal, assisted by James Milner. In the seventieth minute, Adam Lallana added on with a goal for Liverpool, via Firmino. In the eighty-first minute, Alberto Moreno of Liverpool took a yellow card for a foul. Sunderland got on the board with an Adam Johnson goal in the eighty-second minute. Sunderland tied it on an eighty-ninth minute Jermain Defoe goal, made possible by Wahbi Khazri. The final stood at 2-2.
Staying in the north, Newcastle United hosts West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Robert Elliot are set to start in goal. Newcastle United led off in the thirty-second minute with an Aleksandar Mitrovic goal, courtesy of Jonjo Shelvey. West Bromwich Albion had three yellow cards in the second half, for Gareth McAuley in the forty-seventh minute, James Chester in the sixty-third minute, and Jonas Olsson in the eighty-third minute, all for fouls. Newcastle United held on for a 1-0 win.
Over to Stoke City welcoming Everton. Joel Robles and Jack Butland make the starts in goal. Everton struck first in the eleventh minute with a Romelu Lukaku penalty kick goal. Everton added on with a twenty-eighth minute Seamus Coleman goal, passed from Tom Cleverley. Everton extended the lead as Aaron Lennon scored in the forty-second minute. In the fifty-ninth minute, Mame Biram Diouf of Stoke City took a yellow card for a foul. The game ended 3-0 for Everton.
Out in Wales, Swansea City brings in Crystal Palace. Wayne Hennessey and Lukasz Fabianski are the gloved men. In the thirteenth minute, Swansea City was first to score with a Gylfi Sigurdsson goal. Crystal Palace tied it on a forty-seventh minute Scott Dann goal, coming off of Damien Delaney. Crystal Palace saw yellow cards for Delaney in the fifty-fourth minute and Mile Jedinak in the fifty-sixth minute, both for fouls. Federico Fernandez of Swansea City took a yellow card for his seventy-fifth minute foul. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Back in England, Tottenham Hotspur hosts Watford. Heurelho Gomes and Hugo Lloris are the keepers. Watford had a yellow card go to Etienne Capoue in the sixtieth minute for a foul. Tottenham Hotspur drew first blood in the sixty-fourth minute on a Kieran Trippier goal, assisted by Dele Alli. This made it a 1-0 game, which would stand as the final.
Ending Saturday, Southampton welcomes West Ham United. Adrian and Fraser Forster play goal. Southampton opened in the ninth minute with a Maya Yoshida goal, passed from Victor Wanyama. Southampton went down to ten men as Wanyama took a straight red card in the fifty-fourth minute for a foul. In the sixty-seventh minute, Enner Valencia of West Ham United had a yellow card for his foul. Southampton had a yellow card for Jordy Clasie foul in the eighty-third minute. West Ham United received a yellow card for a foul by Sam Byram in the eighty-seventh minute. The game ended 1-0 in Southampton's favor.
On Sunday, Bournemouth brings in Arsenal. Petr Cech and Artur Boruc get the starts in goal. Arsenal had a yellow card given to Mathieu Flamini in the ninth minute for a foul. Arsenal started in the twenty-third minute with a Mesut Ozil goal, passed from Olivier Giroud. Arsenal added on with an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain goal in the twenty-fourth minute, via Aaron Ramsey. This stood for a 2-0 Arsenal win.
Finally, Chelsea hosts Manchester United. David de Gea and Thibaut Courtois tend the nets. Manchester United cracked the scoresheet with a Jesse Lingard goal in the sixty-first minute, assisted by Wayne Rooney. Manchester United saw yellow cards for Daley Blind in the sixty-third minute, Lingard in the seventy-ninth minute, and Chris Smalling in the eighty-third minute, with the first two for fouls and the last one for a handball. Chelsea tied it with a Diego Costa goal in stoppage time. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
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Manchester City hosting Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Joe Hart are the goalies. Leicester City began in the third minute with a Robert Huth goal, coming off of Riyad Mahrez. Wes Morgan of Leicester City had a yellow card in the thirty-sixth minute for a foul. In the forty-sixth minute, Danny Simpson of Leicester City took a yellow card for a foul. Leicester City added on in the forty-eighth minute with a Mahrez goal, assisted by N'Golo Konte. Leicester City extended the lead in the sixtieth minute as Huth scored his second of the game, thanks to Christian Fuchs. Manchester City saw yellow cards for Pablo Zabaleta in the sixty-ninth minute and Fernando in the seventy-second minute, both for fouls. In the eighty-seventh minute, Manchester City got on the board with a Sergio Aguero goal, courtesy of Bersant Celina. This made it a 3-1 win for Leicester City.
Down to Aston Villa welcoming Norwich City. Declan Rudd and Mark Bunn man the nets. Jonny Howson of Norwich City had a yellow card for his twelfth minute foul. Aston Villa got going with a forty-fifth minute goal from Joleon Lescott, passed from Carles Gil. Aston Villa added on in the fifty-first minute with a Gabriel Agbonlahor goal, guided in by Jordan Veretout. Timm Klose of Norwich City had a yellow card for his offense in the seventy-seventh minute. The game ended favoring Aston Villa 2-0.
Back north, Liverpool brings in Sunderland. Vito Mannone and Simon Mignolet are in goal. Dame N'Doye of Sunderland had a thirty-ninth minute yellow card for a foul. Liverpool dented the scoreboard in the fifty-ninth minute with a Roberto Firmino goal, assisted by James Milner. In the seventieth minute, Adam Lallana added on with a goal for Liverpool, via Firmino. In the eighty-first minute, Alberto Moreno of Liverpool took a yellow card for a foul. Sunderland got on the board with an Adam Johnson goal in the eighty-second minute. Sunderland tied it on an eighty-ninth minute Jermain Defoe goal, made possible by Wahbi Khazri. The final stood at 2-2.
Staying in the north, Newcastle United hosts West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Robert Elliot are set to start in goal. Newcastle United led off in the thirty-second minute with an Aleksandar Mitrovic goal, courtesy of Jonjo Shelvey. West Bromwich Albion had three yellow cards in the second half, for Gareth McAuley in the forty-seventh minute, James Chester in the sixty-third minute, and Jonas Olsson in the eighty-third minute, all for fouls. Newcastle United held on for a 1-0 win.
Over to Stoke City welcoming Everton. Joel Robles and Jack Butland make the starts in goal. Everton struck first in the eleventh minute with a Romelu Lukaku penalty kick goal. Everton added on with a twenty-eighth minute Seamus Coleman goal, passed from Tom Cleverley. Everton extended the lead as Aaron Lennon scored in the forty-second minute. In the fifty-ninth minute, Mame Biram Diouf of Stoke City took a yellow card for a foul. The game ended 3-0 for Everton.
Out in Wales, Swansea City brings in Crystal Palace. Wayne Hennessey and Lukasz Fabianski are the gloved men. In the thirteenth minute, Swansea City was first to score with a Gylfi Sigurdsson goal. Crystal Palace tied it on a forty-seventh minute Scott Dann goal, coming off of Damien Delaney. Crystal Palace saw yellow cards for Delaney in the fifty-fourth minute and Mile Jedinak in the fifty-sixth minute, both for fouls. Federico Fernandez of Swansea City took a yellow card for his seventy-fifth minute foul. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Back in England, Tottenham Hotspur hosts Watford. Heurelho Gomes and Hugo Lloris are the keepers. Watford had a yellow card go to Etienne Capoue in the sixtieth minute for a foul. Tottenham Hotspur drew first blood in the sixty-fourth minute on a Kieran Trippier goal, assisted by Dele Alli. This made it a 1-0 game, which would stand as the final.
Ending Saturday, Southampton welcomes West Ham United. Adrian and Fraser Forster play goal. Southampton opened in the ninth minute with a Maya Yoshida goal, passed from Victor Wanyama. Southampton went down to ten men as Wanyama took a straight red card in the fifty-fourth minute for a foul. In the sixty-seventh minute, Enner Valencia of West Ham United had a yellow card for his foul. Southampton had a yellow card for Jordy Clasie foul in the eighty-third minute. West Ham United received a yellow card for a foul by Sam Byram in the eighty-seventh minute. The game ended 1-0 in Southampton's favor.
On Sunday, Bournemouth brings in Arsenal. Petr Cech and Artur Boruc get the starts in goal. Arsenal had a yellow card given to Mathieu Flamini in the ninth minute for a foul. Arsenal started in the twenty-third minute with a Mesut Ozil goal, passed from Olivier Giroud. Arsenal added on with an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain goal in the twenty-fourth minute, via Aaron Ramsey. This stood for a 2-0 Arsenal win.
Finally, Chelsea hosts Manchester United. David de Gea and Thibaut Courtois tend the nets. Manchester United cracked the scoresheet with a Jesse Lingard goal in the sixty-first minute, assisted by Wayne Rooney. Manchester United saw yellow cards for Daley Blind in the sixty-third minute, Lingard in the seventy-ninth minute, and Chris Smalling in the eighty-third minute, with the first two for fouls and the last one for a handball. Chelsea tied it with a Diego Costa goal in stoppage time. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
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Saturday, February 6, 2016
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 114
Twelve games grace the schedule today as it is Hockey Day in Canada. Four of these games are matinees. The first is in...
New Jersey, as the Devils host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Cory Schneider tend the twines. Washington got going in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Justin Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a Joseph Blandisi goal, his third of the year, a power play goal powered by Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson. The Devils took the lead with an Adam Henrique goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Blandisi and Lee Stempniak. The Capitals tied it again with a Paul Carey goal, fueled by Matt Niskanen and Brooks Laich. The tie went to a shootout, where T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin topped Reid Boucher to give the Capitals a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Blandisi, Carey, and Ovechkin.
Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Steve Mason make the starts in goal. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his eleventh of the year, via Dan Girardi and Mats Zuccarello in the third period. The Flyers took the lead back on a Ryan White goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Gostisbehere and Chris VandeVelde. The Rangers tied it again with a Keith Yandle goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jesper Fast and Dan Boyle. The tie went to a shootout, where Zuccarello and Derek Stepan had the only tallies for a 3-2 Rangers win. The three stars belonged to Zuccarello, Gostisbehere, and Lundqvist (26 for 28 in saves).
West to Detroit, with the Red Wings bringing in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Detroit led off in the first period with a Tomas Jurco goal, his third of the season, fueled by Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings added on with a Kyle Quincey goal, his second of the year, coming off of Dylan Larkin and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit extended the lead in the second period as Mike Green scored his fourth of the season on the power play, powered by Brad Richards and Datsyuk. The Red Wings padded the lead with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Andreas Athanasiou and Nyquist. Jean-Francois Berube took over for Halak. In the intermission, the ice resurfacing machine gouged the ice, causing a delay. Detroit kept going after the delay with a third period goal by Larkin, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Richards and Tatar. New York got on the board as John Tavares scored his eighteenth of the year, a power play goal with assists provided by Kyle Okposo and Nick Leddy. The three stars of the 5-1 game went to Larkin, Tatar, and Datsyuk, while Richards and Nyquist get the honorable mentions.
The last of the matinees has the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot faces former Oiler Ben Scrivens in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Tomas Plekanec and P.K. Subban. The Canadiens added on with a Lars Eller goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Fleischmann. Montreal extended the lead in the second period as Plekanec scored his tenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Canadiens padded the lead as Subban scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Plekanec and Gallagher. Anders Nilsson played the third period in relief of Talbot. Edmonton got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Benoit Pouliot, his twelfth of the season, set up by Teddy Purcell and Brandon Davidson in the third period. Montreal shot back with a Tom Gilbert goal, helped along by Plekanec and Alex Galchenyuk. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Plekanec, Subban, and Gallagher.
At the usual time, the Boston Bruins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Tuukka Rask man the nets. Boston struck first in the first period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by David Pastrnak and David Krejci. Buffalo tied it in the second period on a Sam Reinhart goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Jamie McGinn and Ryan O'Reilly. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Brad Marchand penalty shot goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, coming after Rasmus Ristolainen got called for hooking. The three stars went to Marchand, Rask (37 for 38 in saves), and Lehner (36 for 38 in saves).
Into Ottawa, where the Senators bring in Ontario rivals in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Craig Anderson are the inconsistent goalies. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Zack Smith goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Marc Methot and Mark Stone. The Senators added on with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his eleventh of the year, via Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Erik Karlsson. Ottawa chased Reimer on a Bobby Ryan goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Chris Wideman and the goalie Anderson. Jonathan Bernier replaced Reimer in goal. The Senators extended the lead in the second period as Curtis Lazar scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Karlsson and Ryan Dzingel. Ottawa padded the lead with a Stone goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Karlsson, who got a sock trick, and Smith in the third period. The Senators kept going with a Lazar goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with helpers from Alex Chiasson and Karlsson. Toronto got on the board with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Daniel Winnik and Dion Phaneuf. This made it a 6-1 game, the final, with the three stars given to Lazar, Karlsson, and Stone, while Smith gets an honorable mention.
Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Florida drew first blood in the second period with a Jussi Jokinen power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Brian Campbell. The Panthers added on in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Jokinen. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Kris Letang goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist from Sidney Crosby. The Penguins tied it on a Crosby goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Letang and Trevor Daley. Pittsburgh won 3-2 in overtime with Letang's second of the game and ninth of the campaign, coming off of Crosby and Daley on the power play. The three stars went to Letang, Crosby, and Jokinen, while Daley gets an honorable mention.
Westward to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford faces former Blackhawk Antti Niemi in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period on a Brent Seabrook power play goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Duncan Keith and Artem Anisimov. The Blackhawks added on with a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, his third of the year, coming off of Artemi Panarin and Anisimov. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, helped along by Jamie Benn and Patrick Eaves. Chicago replied on a Marian Hossa shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Jonathan Toews and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Kari Lehtonen replaced Niemi at the start of the second period. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Anisimov scored his eighteenth of the year, a shorthanded goal with a lone assist from Hjalmarsson. Chicago padded the lead with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, fueled by Anisimov, who got a sock trick, and Panarin. The 5-1 score eventually went final, with the three stars going to Anisimov, Hjalmarsson, and Crawford (36 for 37 in saves), while Panarin gets an honorable mention.
Up in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Brian Elliott are the reliable goalies. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Paul Stastny and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Jori Lehtera goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Robby Fabbri and Troy Brouwer on the power play. St. Louis extended the lead as Stastny scored an unassisted goal, his sixth of the season. Minnesota got on the board with a Matt Dumba power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle. The Blues padded the lead with a Brouwer power play goal in the third period, assisted by Fabbri and Lehtera. This made it a 4-1 final, with the three stars going to Lehtera, Brouwer, and Stastny, while Elliott (38 for 39 in saves) and Fabbri get the honorable mentions.
Back east, the Nashville Predators host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Nashville started in the first period with a James Neal goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Barret Jackman. The Predators added on with a Calle Jarnkrok goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Johansen. San Jose got on the board with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Logan Couture. Nashville answered with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg. The Predators extended the lead as Forsberg scored a shorthanded goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Shea Weber. Nashville padded the lead as Arvidsson scored his second of the game and fifth of the year, with the help of Forsberg and Ribeiro. The Sharks got one back with a Couture power play goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Thornton and Dylan DeMelo. The Predators iced it at 6-2 with an unassisted Weber empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year. The three stars belonged to Arvidsson, Forsberg, and Weber, while Thornton, Couture, Ribeiro, and Johansen get the honorable mentions.
West again to Colorado, with the Avalanche welcoming the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Semyon Varlamov draw the starts. Colorado cracked the scoresheet first with a Mikhail Grigorenko power play goal in the first period, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jarome Iginla and Francois Beauchemin. Winnipeg tied it on an unassisted Andrew Ladd goal, his thirteenth of the year. The Jets took the lead with a Drew Stafford goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg added on with a Stafford goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Jacob Trouba and Mathieu Perreault on the power play. The Avalanche pulled back on a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Andrew Bodnarchuk and Nathan MacKinnon. The Jets made it 4-2 with a Perreault goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Stafford. The three stars were Stafford, Perreault, and Hutchinson (32 for 34 in saves).
Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Ryan Miller are the rhyming goalies. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Michael Frolik goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by T.J. Brodie and Mikael Backlund. The Flames added on with a Sean Monahan goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Jiri Hudler and Sam Bennett. Calgary extended the lead as Backlund scored an unassisted empty net goal, his sixth of the season. Vancouver got on the board with an Emerson Etem goal, via Linden Vey and Alexandre Burrows. The Flames capped it at 4-1 with a Bennett empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Frolik and Brodie. The three stars belonged to Frolik, Bennett, and Hiller (34 for 35 in saves), while Backlund and Brodie get the honorable mentions.
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New Jersey, as the Devils host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Cory Schneider tend the twines. Washington got going in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Justin Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a Joseph Blandisi goal, his third of the year, a power play goal powered by Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson. The Devils took the lead with an Adam Henrique goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Blandisi and Lee Stempniak. The Capitals tied it again with a Paul Carey goal, fueled by Matt Niskanen and Brooks Laich. The tie went to a shootout, where T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin topped Reid Boucher to give the Capitals a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Blandisi, Carey, and Ovechkin.
Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Steve Mason make the starts in goal. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his eleventh of the year, via Dan Girardi and Mats Zuccarello in the third period. The Flyers took the lead back on a Ryan White goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Gostisbehere and Chris VandeVelde. The Rangers tied it again with a Keith Yandle goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jesper Fast and Dan Boyle. The tie went to a shootout, where Zuccarello and Derek Stepan had the only tallies for a 3-2 Rangers win. The three stars belonged to Zuccarello, Gostisbehere, and Lundqvist (26 for 28 in saves).
West to Detroit, with the Red Wings bringing in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Detroit led off in the first period with a Tomas Jurco goal, his third of the season, fueled by Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings added on with a Kyle Quincey goal, his second of the year, coming off of Dylan Larkin and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit extended the lead in the second period as Mike Green scored his fourth of the season on the power play, powered by Brad Richards and Datsyuk. The Red Wings padded the lead with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Andreas Athanasiou and Nyquist. Jean-Francois Berube took over for Halak. In the intermission, the ice resurfacing machine gouged the ice, causing a delay. Detroit kept going after the delay with a third period goal by Larkin, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Richards and Tatar. New York got on the board as John Tavares scored his eighteenth of the year, a power play goal with assists provided by Kyle Okposo and Nick Leddy. The three stars of the 5-1 game went to Larkin, Tatar, and Datsyuk, while Richards and Nyquist get the honorable mentions.
The last of the matinees has the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot faces former Oiler Ben Scrivens in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Tomas Plekanec and P.K. Subban. The Canadiens added on with a Lars Eller goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Fleischmann. Montreal extended the lead in the second period as Plekanec scored his tenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Canadiens padded the lead as Subban scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Plekanec and Gallagher. Anders Nilsson played the third period in relief of Talbot. Edmonton got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Benoit Pouliot, his twelfth of the season, set up by Teddy Purcell and Brandon Davidson in the third period. Montreal shot back with a Tom Gilbert goal, helped along by Plekanec and Alex Galchenyuk. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Plekanec, Subban, and Gallagher.
At the usual time, the Boston Bruins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Tuukka Rask man the nets. Boston struck first in the first period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by David Pastrnak and David Krejci. Buffalo tied it in the second period on a Sam Reinhart goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Jamie McGinn and Ryan O'Reilly. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Brad Marchand penalty shot goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, coming after Rasmus Ristolainen got called for hooking. The three stars went to Marchand, Rask (37 for 38 in saves), and Lehner (36 for 38 in saves).
Into Ottawa, where the Senators bring in Ontario rivals in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Craig Anderson are the inconsistent goalies. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Zack Smith goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Marc Methot and Mark Stone. The Senators added on with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his eleventh of the year, via Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Erik Karlsson. Ottawa chased Reimer on a Bobby Ryan goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Chris Wideman and the goalie Anderson. Jonathan Bernier replaced Reimer in goal. The Senators extended the lead in the second period as Curtis Lazar scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Karlsson and Ryan Dzingel. Ottawa padded the lead with a Stone goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Karlsson, who got a sock trick, and Smith in the third period. The Senators kept going with a Lazar goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with helpers from Alex Chiasson and Karlsson. Toronto got on the board with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Daniel Winnik and Dion Phaneuf. This made it a 6-1 game, the final, with the three stars given to Lazar, Karlsson, and Stone, while Smith gets an honorable mention.
Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Florida drew first blood in the second period with a Jussi Jokinen power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Brian Campbell. The Panthers added on in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Jokinen. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Kris Letang goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist from Sidney Crosby. The Penguins tied it on a Crosby goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Letang and Trevor Daley. Pittsburgh won 3-2 in overtime with Letang's second of the game and ninth of the campaign, coming off of Crosby and Daley on the power play. The three stars went to Letang, Crosby, and Jokinen, while Daley gets an honorable mention.
Westward to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford faces former Blackhawk Antti Niemi in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period on a Brent Seabrook power play goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Duncan Keith and Artem Anisimov. The Blackhawks added on with a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, his third of the year, coming off of Artemi Panarin and Anisimov. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, helped along by Jamie Benn and Patrick Eaves. Chicago replied on a Marian Hossa shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Jonathan Toews and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Kari Lehtonen replaced Niemi at the start of the second period. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Anisimov scored his eighteenth of the year, a shorthanded goal with a lone assist from Hjalmarsson. Chicago padded the lead with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, fueled by Anisimov, who got a sock trick, and Panarin. The 5-1 score eventually went final, with the three stars going to Anisimov, Hjalmarsson, and Crawford (36 for 37 in saves), while Panarin gets an honorable mention.
Up in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Brian Elliott are the reliable goalies. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Paul Stastny and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Jori Lehtera goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Robby Fabbri and Troy Brouwer on the power play. St. Louis extended the lead as Stastny scored an unassisted goal, his sixth of the season. Minnesota got on the board with a Matt Dumba power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle. The Blues padded the lead with a Brouwer power play goal in the third period, assisted by Fabbri and Lehtera. This made it a 4-1 final, with the three stars going to Lehtera, Brouwer, and Stastny, while Elliott (38 for 39 in saves) and Fabbri get the honorable mentions.
Back east, the Nashville Predators host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Nashville started in the first period with a James Neal goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Barret Jackman. The Predators added on with a Calle Jarnkrok goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Johansen. San Jose got on the board with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Logan Couture. Nashville answered with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg. The Predators extended the lead as Forsberg scored a shorthanded goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Shea Weber. Nashville padded the lead as Arvidsson scored his second of the game and fifth of the year, with the help of Forsberg and Ribeiro. The Sharks got one back with a Couture power play goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Thornton and Dylan DeMelo. The Predators iced it at 6-2 with an unassisted Weber empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year. The three stars belonged to Arvidsson, Forsberg, and Weber, while Thornton, Couture, Ribeiro, and Johansen get the honorable mentions.
West again to Colorado, with the Avalanche welcoming the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Semyon Varlamov draw the starts. Colorado cracked the scoresheet first with a Mikhail Grigorenko power play goal in the first period, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jarome Iginla and Francois Beauchemin. Winnipeg tied it on an unassisted Andrew Ladd goal, his thirteenth of the year. The Jets took the lead with a Drew Stafford goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg added on with a Stafford goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Jacob Trouba and Mathieu Perreault on the power play. The Avalanche pulled back on a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Andrew Bodnarchuk and Nathan MacKinnon. The Jets made it 4-2 with a Perreault goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Stafford. The three stars were Stafford, Perreault, and Hutchinson (32 for 34 in saves).
Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Ryan Miller are the rhyming goalies. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Michael Frolik goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by T.J. Brodie and Mikael Backlund. The Flames added on with a Sean Monahan goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Jiri Hudler and Sam Bennett. Calgary extended the lead as Backlund scored an unassisted empty net goal, his sixth of the season. Vancouver got on the board with an Emerson Etem goal, via Linden Vey and Alexandre Burrows. The Flames capped it at 4-1 with a Bennett empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Frolik and Brodie. The three stars belonged to Frolik, Bennett, and Hiller (34 for 35 in saves), while Backlund and Brodie get the honorable mentions.
Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.
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